al-Qaeda-associated financiers on the Arabian Peninsula

Similar to most groups operating against Russian forces in Chechnya, the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade has been characterized by changes in leadership. Ibn al-Khattab was eventually killed on the night of March 20, 2002, when a Dagestani messenger hired by the Russian state security services, the FSB, delivered a poisoned letter to him. He was succeeded by his deputy-commander, Abu al-Walid, who, along with being a consummate soldier and carrying out a number of successful attacks against Russian forces, was an accomplished orator that was able to rally support from Muslims throughout the Caucasus. However, he was killed in action in April, 2004, just two years after assuming command of the group. <P><br /><br />Undeterred by the loss of its two most influential leaders, the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade has remained active under the command of Abu Hafs al-Urduni and will undoubtedly continue its campaign of terror to permanently drive Russian forces from Chechen soil. The group continues to be regarded as a significant security threat in the region by officials in Moscow. <br />

The Islamic Jihad Brigades is a terrorist organization currently operating in Iraq; the group first emerged following the US offensive in Iraq.  In December 2004, the Islamic Jihad Brigades killed two American construction workers, Dale Stoffel and Joseph Wemple.  The terrorist group claimed these two contractors were agents of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and American military.  In fact, the two men were employed by CLI USA, an American construction company. Following the attack, terrorist members of the group posted a video, which displayed personal identification papers belonging to the deceased men.  <P> Approximately a month later, the Islamic Jihad Brigades kidnapped a Lebanese contractor working in Iraq.  The terrorist group again taped a video, this time showing the kidnapped man, Gebrayel Abdi Azar, along with four masked terrorists.  The group demanded that Azar's company leave Iraq within seven days or he would be killed.  Azar's company, the al-Darjani Group, suspended operations and Mr. Azar was subsequently released.  <P>The Islamic Jihad Brigades' targets are not limited to contractors working in Iraq; in September 2004, the terrorist group threatened to attack Iraq's universities if the schools continued to be taught in a coeducational manner.  The group claimed that the men and women could not be taught in the same setting because of the immoral environment of the Iraqi universities.  The Islamic Jihad Brigades are therefore not solely focused on expelling US forces, but clearly demonstrate strict Islamic underpinnings within their terrorist philosophy.