Ibn al-Khattab | |
---|---|
ابن الخطاب | |
1st Emir of the Arab Mujahideen in Chechnya | |
In office 2000–2002 | |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Abu al-Waleed |
Personal details | |
Born | 14 April 1963/1969 Arar, Saudi Arabia |
Died | 20 March 2002 (aged 32/38) Chechnya, Russia |
Nicknames |
|
Military service | |
Allegiance | Mujahideen in Afghanistan Azerbaijan (alleged) United Tajik Opposition Mujahideen in Bosnia–Herzegovina Mujahideen in Chechnya |
Years of service | 1980/1987–2002 |
Commands | Islamic International Brigade |
Battles/wars | |
Samir Saleh Abdullah al-Suwailim (Arabic: سامر صالح عبد الله السويلم; 14 April 1963/1969 – 20 March 2002),[1] commonly known as Ibn al-Khattab or as Emir Khattab, was a Saudi pan-Islamic jihadist. Though he fought in many conflicts, he is best known for his involvement in the First Chechen War and the Second Chechen War, which he participated in after moving to Chechnya at the invitation of the Akhmadov brothers.[2]
The origins and real identity of Khattab remained a mystery to most until after his death, when his brother gave an interview to the press.[3] His death in 2002 had followed his exposure to a poisoned letter, which had been delivered to him by a courier who was secretly affiliated with the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation.
According to American scholar Muhammad al-Ubaydi who specializes in the study of militant Islam, Khattab's continued relevance is due to his internationalism: a Salafi jihadist born in Saudi Arabia who had taken part in conflicts in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan (allegedly), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chechnya, Dagestan, and Tajikistan, and who in addition to his native Arabic was able to communicate in English, Kurdish, Pashto, Persian, and Russian. Compounding this was his charismatic approach towards attracting non-Arabs to fight for his cause and his pioneering use of modern media dissemination techniques to promote jihad, particularly by way of publishing videos for propaganda purposes.[4]
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