{UAH} Who is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the blood-soaked leader of ISIS/ISIL?
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Profile: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
15 May 2015
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi made his first appearance on video when he gave a
sermon in Mosul in July 2014
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the head of the Islamic State (IS) militant
group, has been careful to reveal little about himself and his
whereabouts.
Rumours about his death surfaced earlier this year, after reports that
he had been seriously wounded in an air strike in March by the US-led
coalition that is opposing IS.
But the Pentagon said that Baghdadi's fate remained unclear.
The IS chief allegedly broke a months-long silence in May by releasing
an audio message in which he urged Muslims to emigrate to the
"caliphate" that the group has proclaimed in areas of Syria and Iraq.
But his only public appearance on video has been to deliver a sermon
in Mosul after IS took the northern Iraqi city last year.
Before then, there were only two authenticated photos of him.
The Iraqi interior ministry released this image of Baghdadi in January 2014
The IS chief also appears to wear a mask to address his commanders,
earning the nickname "the invisible sheikh".
But Baghdadi - a nom de guerre, rather than his real name - has good
reason to maintain a veil of mystery, says the BBC's Security
Correspondent, Frank Gardner.
One of his predecessors, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi who headed the most
violent jihadist group in Iraq until his death, was a high-profile
showman whose secret location was eventually tracked down. He was
killed in a US bombing raid in 2006.
He may be a shadowy figure, but the organisation he leads is pulling
in thousands of new recruits and has become one of the most cohesive
militias in the Middle East, our correspondent adds.
IS militants have been battling Iraqi forces in May for control of
Ramadi, the capital of Iraq's largest province
Highly organised
Baghdadi is believed to have been born in Samarra, north of Baghdad, in 1971.
Reports suggest he was a cleric in a mosque in the city around the
time of the US-led invasion in 2003.
Some believe he was already a militant jihadist during the rule of
Saddam Hussein. Others suggest he was radicalised during the four
years he was held at Camp Bucca, a US facility in southern Iraq where
many al-Qaeda commanders were detained.
The US government released an image of the ISIS leader and offered a
reward of $10m He emerged as the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, one of
the groups that later became Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIS), in 2010, and rose to prominence during the attempted merger
with al-Nusra Front in Syria.
He did not swear allegiance to the leader of the al-Qaeda network,
Zawahiri, who had urged ISIS to focus on Iraq and leave Syria to
al-Nusra.
Baghdadi and his fighters have openly defied the al-Qaeda chief,
leading some commentators to believe he now holds higher prestige
among many Islamist militants.
Zawahiri still has a lot of power by virtue of his franchises in
Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa.
'Terrorist'
But Baghdadi has a reputation as a highly organised and ruthless
battlefield tactician, which analysts say makes his organisation more
attractive to young jihadists than that of Zawahiri, an Islamic
theologian.
In October 2011, the US officially designated Baghdadi as "terrorist"
and offered a $10m (£5.8m; 7.3m euros) reward for information leading
to his capture or death.
It notes Baghdadi's aliases, including Abu Duaa and Dr Ibrahim Awwad
Ibrahim Ali al-Badri al-Samarrai.
As well as the uncertainty surrounding his true identity, his
whereabouts are also unclear with reports he was in Raqqa in Syria.
So there remain more questions than answers about the leader of one of
the world's most dangerous jihadist groups.
--
Disclaimer:Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines.To unsubscribe from this group, send email to: ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
15 May 2015
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi made his first appearance on video when he gave a
sermon in Mosul in July 2014
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the head of the Islamic State (IS) militant
group, has been careful to reveal little about himself and his
whereabouts.
Rumours about his death surfaced earlier this year, after reports that
he had been seriously wounded in an air strike in March by the US-led
coalition that is opposing IS.
But the Pentagon said that Baghdadi's fate remained unclear.
The IS chief allegedly broke a months-long silence in May by releasing
an audio message in which he urged Muslims to emigrate to the
"caliphate" that the group has proclaimed in areas of Syria and Iraq.
But his only public appearance on video has been to deliver a sermon
in Mosul after IS took the northern Iraqi city last year.
Before then, there were only two authenticated photos of him.
The Iraqi interior ministry released this image of Baghdadi in January 2014
The IS chief also appears to wear a mask to address his commanders,
earning the nickname "the invisible sheikh".
But Baghdadi - a nom de guerre, rather than his real name - has good
reason to maintain a veil of mystery, says the BBC's Security
Correspondent, Frank Gardner.
One of his predecessors, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi who headed the most
violent jihadist group in Iraq until his death, was a high-profile
showman whose secret location was eventually tracked down. He was
killed in a US bombing raid in 2006.
He may be a shadowy figure, but the organisation he leads is pulling
in thousands of new recruits and has become one of the most cohesive
militias in the Middle East, our correspondent adds.
IS militants have been battling Iraqi forces in May for control of
Ramadi, the capital of Iraq's largest province
Highly organised
Baghdadi is believed to have been born in Samarra, north of Baghdad, in 1971.
Reports suggest he was a cleric in a mosque in the city around the
time of the US-led invasion in 2003.
Some believe he was already a militant jihadist during the rule of
Saddam Hussein. Others suggest he was radicalised during the four
years he was held at Camp Bucca, a US facility in southern Iraq where
many al-Qaeda commanders were detained.
The US government released an image of the ISIS leader and offered a
reward of $10m He emerged as the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, one of
the groups that later became Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIS), in 2010, and rose to prominence during the attempted merger
with al-Nusra Front in Syria.
He did not swear allegiance to the leader of the al-Qaeda network,
Zawahiri, who had urged ISIS to focus on Iraq and leave Syria to
al-Nusra.
Baghdadi and his fighters have openly defied the al-Qaeda chief,
leading some commentators to believe he now holds higher prestige
among many Islamist militants.
Zawahiri still has a lot of power by virtue of his franchises in
Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa.
'Terrorist'
But Baghdadi has a reputation as a highly organised and ruthless
battlefield tactician, which analysts say makes his organisation more
attractive to young jihadists than that of Zawahiri, an Islamic
theologian.
In October 2011, the US officially designated Baghdadi as "terrorist"
and offered a $10m (£5.8m; 7.3m euros) reward for information leading
to his capture or death.
It notes Baghdadi's aliases, including Abu Duaa and Dr Ibrahim Awwad
Ibrahim Ali al-Badri al-Samarrai.
As well as the uncertainty surrounding his true identity, his
whereabouts are also unclear with reports he was in Raqqa in Syria.
So there remain more questions than answers about the leader of one of
the world's most dangerous jihadist groups.
--
Disclaimer:Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines.To unsubscribe from this group, send email to: ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
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