Ex-Guantanamo Detainee Ibrahim Qosi, The New Leader of Al Qaeda in Yemen

OSINT SUMMARY

The Al Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) through their new video release showed a former Guantanamo detainee Ibrahim Qosi also who goes with other names Sheikh Khubayb al Sudani as the new Al Qaeda leader in Yemen.

Ibrahim Qosi or Sheikh Khubayb al Sudani pleaded guilty of supporting terrorism before a military commission in July 2010 and in a deal he was transferred to his home country, Sudan in 2012.

Intelligence reports indicate that Ibrahim Qosi joined the AQAP ranks in 2014 becoming one of its commanders.

Ibrahim Qosi is seen in this jihadist release entitled ‘Guardians of Sharia’ calling on members to wage jihad against the crusaders.

The Yemeni Al Qaeda leader message encourage individual jihad (lone wolf) against America.

In the video release, Qosi referred to al Qaeda’s policy of encouraging attacks by individual adherents and smaller terror cells into the land of infidels.

Though Al Qaeda does not mention the Islamic State terrorist organization by name, is opposed to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi proclamation as the legitimate leader of the caliphate.

Islamic State which is an offshoot of Al Qaeda continues to portray rivalry to the parent jihadist organization.

This rivalry has been extended to the East Africa horn of Africa nation, Somalia where Al Qaeda has lost a substantive faction of its fighters to the Islamic State/ISIS/ISIL.

Ibrahim Qosi alias Sheikh Khubayb al Sudani appearance marks the first time he has starred in jihadist propaganda video releases since he left Guantanamo.