Did A US Strike Kill A Key Jihadist In Libya?

New York Times: Al Qaeda Denies U.S. Strike Killed Key Jihadist in Libya

Al Qaeda’s branch in North Africa, in a stinging statement issued Thursday, denied that the jihadist leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar had been killed in an American airstrike in Libya this week.

“In the face of these fallacies, and so that we do not leave our Muslim nation as prey to these lies,” the statement issued by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb said, using a nom de guerre for Mr. Belmokhtar, “the jihadist commander Khaled Abou Abbas is still alive and kicking and wandering the land of God.”

It was the second such statement denying that Mr. Belmokhtar, the man behind the 2013 seizure of an Algerian gas plant that left 38 foreign hostages dead, had been killed. The first, which came earlier Thursday, was published online by Al Mourabitoun, a group affiliated with Mr. Belmokhtar.

WNU Editor: It looks like he is alive.

Did A U.S. Air Strike Kill Jihadist Leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar

Militant group denies U.S. air strike killed Algerian Belmokhtar -- Reuters
France says can't confirm Algerian fighter killed in U.S. strike -- Reuters
France says Belmokhtar 'probably dead', his group denies it -- AFP

More Details Are Being Released On This Weekend's U.S. Air Strike In Libya That Killed Al Qaeda Leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar

Kimberly Dozier and Jamie Dettmer, Daily Beast: Exclusive: U.S. Strikes Hit Suspected ISIS-Al Qaeda Gathering

Supposed rival extremists were together when the U.S. tried to take out an infamous jihadi chieftain. So just how much are ISIS and al Qaeda really at odds?

A weekend volley of U.S. airstrikes on a farmhouse in eastern Libya didn’t just target a notorious, one-eyed al Qaeda leader. Mokhtar Belmokhtar—nicknamed “the Uncatchable”—was gathered together with a “Star Wars bar” of al Qaeda and ISIS members, a senior administration official tells The Daily Beast.

“He was meeting with more than 20 locals and core al Qaeda and ISIL members,” the official said, using an alternate acronym for the terror group. “He was apparently trying to bring them together,” to get the disparate militant groups to cooperate, the official added, speaking anonymously because he was not authorized to discuss sensitive operation publicly.

Previous Post: Top Al Qaeda Leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar Reported 'Killed' By A US Air Strike In Libya

More News On The US Air Strike That Targeted Of Al Qaeda Affiliate Leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar

U.S. airstrike targeted terrorist Mokhtar Belmokhtar inside Libya, officials say -- CNN
US F-15s, guided bombs, drones targeted Belmokhtar -- ZeeNews
Mokhtar Belmokhtar Targeted in Libya, Fate Unclear -- US News and World Report
Mokhtar Belmokhtar: US seeks to confirm Islamist's death -- BBC
Fate of jihadi Mokhtar Belmokhtar unclear after US air strike in Libya -- The Guardian
Questions linger on whether U.S. strike killed veteran Algerian jihadist -- Reuters
Strike targeting Mokhtar Belmokhtar sparked gunfight at nearby hospital -- The Telegraph
Mokhtar Belmokhtar: Al Qaeda figure was a legend among jihadists -- Tim Lister, CNN

Top Al Qaeda Leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar Reported 'Killed' By A US Air Strike In Libya

BBC: Mokhtar Belmokhtar: Top Islamist 'killed' in US strike

A top Islamist militant who ordered a deadly attack on an Algerian gas plant two years ago has been killed in a US air strike, Libyan officials say.

Mokhtar Belmokhtar and other fighters were killed in the operation in the eastern city of Ajdabiya, a statement from Libya's government said.

However, there have been incorrect reports of his death in the past.

The Pentagon has confirmed Belmokhtar was the target of a strike but has not said if he was killed.

"We are continuing to assess the results of the operation and will provide more details as appropriate," said Pentagon Spokesman Steve Warren.

More News On Reports That Al Qaeda Leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar Was 'Killed' By A US Air Strike In Libya

Libya says veteran 'Uncatchable' militant killed in U.S. strike -- Reuters
U.S. Airstrike Targets al Qaeda Leader in Libya -- WSJ
Libya says former al-Qaeda leader killed in US strike -- Al Jazeera
U.S. planes target al-Qaeda veteran in Libya -- Washington Post
Elusive terrorist Mokhtar Belmokhtar targeted in Libya -- CNN
US conducts ‘counter-terrorism’ airstrike in Libya, unsure of result -- RT
US Airstrike Targets Top Al-Qaida Terrorist in Libya -- VOA
U.S. confirms militant Belmokhtar was target of Libya air strike -- Reuters
U.S. Airstrike in Libya Targets Planner of 2013 Algeria Attack -- NYT

Letter Reveals Why Islamist Leader Moktar Belmoktar Fell-Out With Al Qaeda

Mokhtar Belmokhtar

'You Never Answer The Phone, You Never File Your Expenses And Don’t Follow Instructions': The Written Warning Sent Out To A Difficult Worker... By AL QAEDA (Which Prompted Moktar Belmoktar To Quit And Carry Out His Own Atrocities) -- Daily Mail

* Al-Qaida letter found in building formerly occupied by Islamist fighters in Mali
* It reveals how local leadership was unhappy with Belmoktar's attitude
* Belmoktar subsequently quit and launched two massive terror attacks

It reads like a written warning to a worker facing disciplinary proceedings. In page after page, bosses accuse him of failing to answer his phone, failing to turn in expense reports, ignoring meetings and refusing to carry out orders.

But the recipient of the letter was not your typical corporate employee: it was international terrorist Moktar Belmoktar. And the sender? Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the terror group's North African branch.

Most scathing of all, the group's chiefs claimed Belmoktar had failed to carry out a single spectacular operation, despite the resources at his disposal.

Read more ....

More News On Why Islamist Terror Leader Moktar Belmoktar Fell-Out With Al Qaeda

Al-Qaeda's scathing letter to troublesome employee Mokhtar Belmokhtar reveals inner workings of terrorist group -- The Telegraph
Internal complaint to al Qaeda fighter: You don't call, you don't hand in your expenses -- NBC
Al-Qaida fires troublesome terrorist employee for failing to fill out expense reports, execute spectacular attacks -- al.com
Al-Qaeda Scolded Terrorist Over ... Expense Reports -- Newser
Al Qaeda's office politics led to Moktar Belmoktar's departure -- Global Post
Al-Qaida Letter Reprimands Difficult Employee -- NPR (Audio)
The Corporate Shortcomings of Al Qaeda’s Most Difficult Employee -- Adam Martin, New York Mag
Here's What an Al-Qaeda H.R. Nightmare Looks Like -- Abby Ohlheiser, Atlantic Wire

Is Al Qaeda Commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar Dead?

Analysis: Without Belmokhtar, Jihadi Networks Would Suffer -- Reuters

Nearly two years after the killing of Osama bin Laden, the death in Mali of Algerian commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar, if confirmed, would be a serious blow to al Qaeda's efforts to recover its cohesion as a force for global jihad.

Official sources question how far al Qaeda's leadership is able to influence its branches in far-flung North Africa, arguing that an intensive U.S. drone campaign on its presumed haven in Pakistan's tribal areas bordering Afghanistan has severely damaged its ability to exercise command and control.

But Belmokhtar - whom Chad said its forces had killed in northern Mali on Saturday - nonetheless represented an important link to the jihadi organization's roots, having trained in Afghanistan in the early 1990s, where according to two former mujahideen commanders he was close to al Qaeda.

Read more ....

Update: Al-Qaeda leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar 'killed in Mali' as Chadian armed forces destroy terrorist base -- Daily Mail

My Comment: It looks like reports of his death were premature. Monitoring groups are now reporting that he is in fact alive.

Another Top Al Qaeda Commander Killed In Mali

Al-Qaeda Leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar 'Killed In Mali' As Chadian Armed Forces Destroy Terrorist Base -- Daily Mail

* Belmokhtar is believed to be among several rebels killed when Chadian armed forces 'completely destroyed' a terrorist base in northern Mali
* One-eyed terror chief said to be behind the Algeria hostage crisis in January
* A total of 37 workers were killed at an oil facility - including six Britons

Al-Qaeda leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar has reportedly been killed by Chadian soldiers in Mali.

The veteran Al-Qaeda leader, nicknamed 'Mr Marlboro' for his illicit cigarette empire, is said to have ordered January's attack on an Algerian gas plant where 37 hostages were killed.

He is believed to be one of several extremists killed today when Chadian armed forces in northern Mali 'completely destroyed' a terrorist base around midday.

Read more ....

More News On Claims From Chad That Al Qaeda Commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar Was Killed In Mali

Islamist militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar 'killed in Mali' -- BBC
Chad Says It Killed Algeria Hostage Mastermind In Mali -- Reuters
Chadian forces claim raid killed top Algerian jihadist Mokhtar Belmokhtar -- Long War Journal
Chadian troops 'kill' al-Qaeda leader in Mali -- Al Jazeera
'Uncatchable' Algerian jihadi mastermind Mokhtar Belmokhtar killed -- The Australian/AFP
Chad Said to Have Killed Mastermind of Algerian Attack -- New York Times
Chad Army Says It Killed Terrorists -- Wall Street Journal
US Seeks to Confirm Report of Terror Leader's Death -- ABC News
Algerian Militant Belmokhtar Killed in Mali, Al-Jazeera Reports -- Bloomberg
Islamist leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar killed in Mali: Chad -- Global Post/AFP
Chadian troops reportedly kill al Qaeda's Mokhtar Belmokhtar -- Deutsche Welle

Algeria's Connections To The One-Eyed Terror Leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar

Al Qaeda commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar. Image from Sahara Media.

One-Eyed Terror Leader’s Government Connections -- Eli Lake and Jamie Dettmer, The Daily Beast

Jihadist behind the desert attack that left scores dead may have once worked as an Algerian informant, U.S. intelligence officials believe. By Eli Lake and Jamie Dettmer.

The Jihadist mastermind of last week’s deadly raid on a natural gas facility in the Sahara Desert may once have worked as an agent for Algeria’s secretive internal security agency (Département du Renseignement et de la Sécurité or DRS), according to current and former U.S. intelligence officers.

The jihadist leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar made a name for himself as far back as the 1990s as a successful smuggler earning him the nickname in some circles as “Marlboro Man” for his exploits as a cigarette smuggler. Last year, Belmokhtar broke away from al Qaeda’s North Africa affiliate after being passed over for promotion, and formed a new group called the “Signed in Blood” battalion. On Monday in a video posted to the Internet, he claimed responsibility for the assault on the gas facility.

Read more ....

My Comment: This reminds me of Osama Bin Laden and al Qaeda in Afghanistan before 9/11. We knew who and what they were .... and that was about it.

Mokhtar Belmokhtar: The Terrorist Behind Algeria's Hostage Crisis

Master of terror: Veteran Algerian jihadist Mokhtar Belmokhtar is behind the heavily-armed Islamist group which stormed the In Amenas gas facility in eastern Algeria

Deadly Message From One-Eyed Master Of Terror Behind The Heavily-Armed 'Signed-In-Blood-Battalion' -- Daily Mail

There are faces one would not want to meet in a dark alleyway. One of them belongs to the veteran Algerian jihadist Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the one-eyed former bandit also known as The Uncatchable or Mr Marlboro, in recognition of his career as a brutally violent cigarette smuggler.

Belmokhtar is also an arms smuggler who specialises in death. He is behind the heavily-armed Islamist group called the 'Signed-In-Blood Battalion' which stormed BP's and Norwegian Statoil's In Amenas gas facility in eastern Algeria, taking 40 American, British, Norwegian and Japanese hostages.

Read more ....

More News On Terror Leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar

The man behind the Algerian hostage drama -- Deutsche Welle
Murdering, kidnapping, smuggling: jihadist Mokhtar Belmokhtar has done it all -- The Australian/The Times
Mokhtar Belmokhtar, Algeria Attack Leader, Burnishes Jihadi Credentials -- Huffington Post/Reuters
Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the Terrorist Behind Algeria's Hostage Crisis -- The Atlantic
Mokhtar Belmokhtar the man behind attack on Algeria BP field -- Herald Sun/AFP
Did This Man Order The Hostage Takings In Algeria? -- NPR
Mr Marlboro: the jihadist back from the 'dead' to launch Algerian gas field raid -- The Guardian
Jihad ‘Prince,’ a Kidnapper, Is Tied to Raid -- New York Times
Al Qaeda Commander Suspected in Algerian Attack -- Weekly Standard
Mokhtar Belmokhtar: Algeria's Link To Al Qaeda -- SKY News
Mokhtar Belmokhtar, The One-Eyed Jihadist Mastermind Of Algerian Hostage Crisis -- World Crunch
The Uncatchable: Masked Brigade terror chief Mokhtar Belmokhtar profiled -- Mirror News
Mokhtar Belmokhtar: The Algerian cigarette-smuggling jihadist -- Africa Review/BBC
Mokhtar Belmokhtar, al-Qaeda's man in the Sahara? -- CBC
Profile: Mokhtar Belmokhtar -- BBC