Is North African militant new face of al-Qaida?

Robert Windrem Senior investigative producer • E-mail

He is the new face of al-Qaida, someone who is now seen as often in the terrorist group’s videos as Ayman al-Zawahiri, and much more than Osama bin Laden. But is Abu Yahya al-Libi — who released a 45-minute video attacking Saudi leaders Wednesday — merely a propagandist or a new generation of leader?  

Private and government counterterrorism experts believe he is both and that he represents several different aspects of the changing face of al-Qaida, particularly its increasing reliance on North Africans.

The 44-year-old Libyan (thus the nom de guerre “al-Libi”) has appeared in six al-Qaida videos distributed on the Internet this year, the same number as Ayman al Zawahiri, the group’s No. 2. Bin Laden has not been seen in a video since October 2004. 

Ben Venzke, who tracks al-Qaida video on his Intel Center Web site, says al-Libi is becoming popular among jihadis, among whom he is known for his fiery rhetoric, derived from his religious training. Most of the videos are set outside, giving the impression that he is a fighter, living on the land, say counterterrorism experts. He is believed to be living on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. 

“Abu Yahya al-Libi is now the most visible face of al-Qaida, surpassing even Ayman al-Zawahiri in actual video appearances,” says Venzke. “Even within the broader global jihadi community, Abu Yahya's face is more visible in jihadist videos then any other current jihadi figure.”

And that is likely to continue, Venzke notes.

“As-Sahab, the al-Qaida video production outlet, is currently averaging a release every three days, double the rate of releases in 2006. This rate is continuing to accelerate and on track to reach one every two days in the coming months if current levels are sustained.”

Just this week, both Yahya and American al-Qaida operative Adam Gadahn have been seen on the Internet threatening the United States, the West and Middle Eastern and South Asian regimes allied with the United States. But while Gadahn is seen infrequently, Yahya is now seen regularly.

“He has been on several times, going back to 2005,” says a senior U.S. counterterrorism official. “He has played a key propaganda role for al-Qaida. He is a dedicated militant who has attacked Hamas and ‘apostate’ governments in the region.” He has also called on Islamists to blow up the White House in a video last October. 

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