Libyan Islamic Fighting Group
Encyclopedia
Libyan Islamic Movement formerly known as The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) also known as Al-Jama’a al-Islamiyyah al-Muqatilah bi-Libya is a group active in Libya
which played a key role in deposing Colonel Muammar Gaddafi
's regime, allying itself with the National Transitional Council
.
However the organisation has a troubled history being under pressure from Muammar Gaddafi
and shortly after the 9-11 attacks, LIFG was banned worldwide (as an affiliate of al-Qaeda
) by the UN 1267 Committee
. Listed at the Foreign Terrorist Organizations, the group has denied ever being affiliated with al-Qaeda, stating that it refused to join the global Islamic front Osama bin Laden
declared against the west in 1998.
in Libya
and views the Gaddafi regime as oppressive, corrupt and anti-Muslim, according to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
. LIFG claimed responsibility for a failed assassination attempt against Gaddafi in February 1996, which was in part funded by MI6 according to David Shayler, and engaged Libyan security forces in armed clashes during the mid-to-late 1990s.
They continue to target Libyan interests and may engage in sporadic clashes with Libyan security forces.
Adnkronos International reported that the group was founded in Afghanistan
by Abu Laith Al Libi and other veterans of Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
The Telegraph reported that senior Al Qaeda members Abu Yahya al-Libi
and Abu Laith al-Libi
were LIFG members.
One of al-Qaeda's most senior members, Atiyah Abdul-Rahman, is purportedly a member of LIFG as well.
In an audio message published in November 2007 Ayman al-Zawahiri
and Abu Laith al-Libi
claimed that the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group had joined al-Qaeda. "Benotman fired back an open letter to Zawahiri questioning his credibility. "I questioned their idea of jihad ... directly you know. This is crazy, it is not Islamic and it's against the Sunni understanding of Islam," Benotman told CNN. Zawahiri chose not to respond. As late as this August Zawahiri's video statements included praise of LIFG leaders, in what may have been a desperate attempt to head off the condemnation he could see coming."
In November 2007 Noman Benotman
, described as the "ex-head of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group", published on open letter to al-Qaeda
.
According to The Times
:
Noman Benotman
's letter to Zawahiri
was published in Akhbar Libya (News) as an op-ed clarification in November 2007. The gist is that al-Qaeda's efforts have been counterproductive and used as "subterfuge" by some Western countries to extend their regional ambitions. These comments were first aired at a meeting in Kandahar
in the summer
of 2000.
On 10 July 2009, The Telegraph
reported that some member organisations of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group had split with Al Qaeda.
On April 9, 2008, Al Jazeera
reported that Libya released at least over 90 members of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group.
The Italian
press agency Adnkronos International reported the release was due to the efforts of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, a son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and leader of the charity Gaddafi International Foundation for Charity Associations
. It reported that a third of the LIFG members Libya was holding were released.
declared to the press that the group supports the revolt against Gaddafi's rule, and had placed themselves under the leadership of the National Transitional Council
. They also stated that the group had changed its name to Libyan Islamic Movement (al-Harakat al-Islamiya al-Libiya), had around 500–600 militants released from jail in recent years, and denied any past or present affiliation with Al-Qaeda.
An emir
of the LIFG, Abdelhakim Belhadj
, became the commander of the Tripoli Military Council after the rebels took over Tripoli
during the 2011 Battle of Tripoli.
's Home Office banned LIFG and fourteen other militant groups from operating in the UK. Under the United Kingdom's Terrorism Act 2000
, being a member of a LIFG is punishable with a 10-year prison term. The Financial Sanctions Unit
of the Bank of England acting on behalf of HM Treasury
issued the orders to freeze all their assets. The fifteen banned groups were:
Mohammed Benhammedi lived and worked in Liverpool
at the time of the UN sanction against him. Sergey Zakurko, the father to his Lithuanian mistress was suspended from his job at the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) for fear that the link could pose a security threat.
The "Summary of Evidence" from Mohammed Fenaitel Mohamed Al Daihani
's Combatant Status Review Tribunal
.
states:
"The Sanabal Charitable Committee
is considered a fund raising front for the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group."
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
which played a key role in deposing Colonel Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
's regime, allying itself with the National Transitional Council
National Transitional Council
The National Transitional Council of Libya , sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, the Interim National Council, or the Libyan National Council,...
.
However the organisation has a troubled history being under pressure from Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
and shortly after the 9-11 attacks, LIFG was banned worldwide (as an affiliate of al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
) by the UN 1267 Committee
United Nations Security Council Committee 1267
The 1267 Committee , was established on 15 October 1999, pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1267 concerning Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda and/or the Taliban and associated individuals and entities. The 1267 Committee is one of three Security Council committees dealing with counter-terrorism...
. Listed at the Foreign Terrorist Organizations, the group has denied ever being affiliated with al-Qaeda, stating that it refused to join the global Islamic front Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
declared against the west in 1998.
History
LIFG was founded in 1990 by Libyans who had fought against Soviet forces in Afghanistan. It aims to establish an Islamic stateIslamic State
An Islamic state is a type of government, in which the primary basis for government is Islamic religious law...
in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
and views the Gaddafi regime as oppressive, corrupt and anti-Muslim, according to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is Canada's national intelligence service. It is responsible for collecting, analyzing, reporting and disseminating intelligence on threats to Canada's national security, and conducting operations, covert and overt, within Canada and abroad.Its...
. LIFG claimed responsibility for a failed assassination attempt against Gaddafi in February 1996, which was in part funded by MI6 according to David Shayler, and engaged Libyan security forces in armed clashes during the mid-to-late 1990s.
They continue to target Libyan interests and may engage in sporadic clashes with Libyan security forces.
Adnkronos International reported that the group was founded in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
by Abu Laith Al Libi and other veterans of Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
Relationship with al Qaeda
The LIFG links to Al-Qaeda hail from Afghanistan, where hundreds joined Al-Qaeda. High ranking LIFG operatives inside Al-Qaeda, are the leader of the insurgency Abdel-Hakim Belhadj (also known as Abu Abdullah al-Sadiq), and the recently killed Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, who was killed in a CIA drone strike, and Al-Qaeda's Abu Yahya al-Libi.The Telegraph reported that senior Al Qaeda members Abu Yahya al-Libi
Abu Yahya al-Libi
Abu Yahya al-Libi , c. 1963, is an Islamist ideologue and leading high-ranking official within al-Qaeda, and an alleged member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group. and is believed to be able to speak Urdu, Pashto and Arabic....
and Abu Laith al-Libi
Abu Laith al-Libi
Abu Laith al-Libi was a senior leader of the al-Qaeda movement in Afghanistan who appeared in several al-Qaeda videos. He was believed to have been active in the tribal regions of Waziristan. He also served as an al Qaeda spokesman...
were LIFG members.
One of al-Qaeda's most senior members, Atiyah Abdul-Rahman, is purportedly a member of LIFG as well.
In an audio message published in November 2007 Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri is an Egyptian physician, Islamic theologian and current leader of al-Qaeda. He was previously the second and last "emir" of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, having succeeded Abbud al-Zumar in the latter role when Egyptian authorities sentenced al-Zumar to life...
and Abu Laith al-Libi
Abu Laith al-Libi
Abu Laith al-Libi was a senior leader of the al-Qaeda movement in Afghanistan who appeared in several al-Qaeda videos. He was believed to have been active in the tribal regions of Waziristan. He also served as an al Qaeda spokesman...
claimed that the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group had joined al-Qaeda. "Benotman fired back an open letter to Zawahiri questioning his credibility. "I questioned their idea of jihad ... directly you know. This is crazy, it is not Islamic and it's against the Sunni understanding of Islam," Benotman told CNN. Zawahiri chose not to respond. As late as this August Zawahiri's video statements included praise of LIFG leaders, in what may have been a desperate attempt to head off the condemnation he could see coming."
In November 2007 Noman Benotman
Noman Benotman
Noman Benotman was the former head of the Libyan militant organization known as the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group. After the September 11th attacks he resigned his position and now lives in London. Benotman has been active in reforming his former terrorist comrades in prison, attempting to...
, described as the "ex-head of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group", published on open letter to al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
.
According to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
:
"In November last year Noman Benotman, ex-head of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group which is trying to overthrow the regime of Muammar Gaddafi, published a letter which asked Al-Qaeda to give up all its operations in the Islamic world and in the West, adding that ordinary westerners were blameless and should not be attacked."
Noman Benotman
Noman Benotman
Noman Benotman was the former head of the Libyan militant organization known as the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group. After the September 11th attacks he resigned his position and now lives in London. Benotman has been active in reforming his former terrorist comrades in prison, attempting to...
's letter to Zawahiri
Zawahiri
Zawahiri is an Arabic family name which can refer to:* Ayman al-Zawahiri , Egyptian al-Qaeda leader* Hussein al-Zawahiri, Egyptian terror suspect captured and handed over to Egypt...
was published in Akhbar Libya (News) as an op-ed clarification in November 2007. The gist is that al-Qaeda's efforts have been counterproductive and used as "subterfuge" by some Western countries to extend their regional ambitions. These comments were first aired at a meeting in Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
in the summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
of 2000.
On 10 July 2009, The Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
reported that some member organisations of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group had split with Al Qaeda.
Mass release of captives
In September 2009 a new "code" for jihad, a 417-page religious document entitled "Corrective Studies", was published after more than two years of intense and secret talks between incarcerated leaders of the LIFG and Libyan security officials.On April 9, 2008, Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
reported that Libya released at least over 90 members of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group.
The Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
press agency Adnkronos International reported the release was due to the efforts of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, a son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and leader of the charity Gaddafi International Foundation for Charity Associations
Gaddafi International Foundation for Charity Associations
The Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation , known as GIFCA, is an international non-governmental organisation with headquarters formerly located in the Libyan capital Tripoli and offices in Chad, Germany, the Philippines and Sudan. GICDF was established in 1998 upon signature of...
. It reported that a third of the LIFG members Libya was holding were released.
2011 Libyan civil war
In March 2011, members of the LIFG in AjdabiyaAjdabiya
Ajdabiya was one of the districts of Libya. It lay in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital was Ajdabiya. As of 2007 it was subsumed within the enlarged Al Wahat District....
declared to the press that the group supports the revolt against Gaddafi's rule, and had placed themselves under the leadership of the National Transitional Council
National Transitional Council
The National Transitional Council of Libya , sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, the Interim National Council, or the Libyan National Council,...
. They also stated that the group had changed its name to Libyan Islamic Movement (al-Harakat al-Islamiya al-Libiya), had around 500–600 militants released from jail in recent years, and denied any past or present affiliation with Al-Qaeda.
An emir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
of the LIFG, Abdelhakim Belhadj
Abdelhakim Belhadj
Abdelhakim Belhadj is the emir of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, and a commander of the anti-Gaddafi forces in the 2011 Libyan civil war.- Early life :...
, became the commander of the Tripoli Military Council after the rebels took over Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
during the 2011 Battle of Tripoli.
LIFG at list of terrorist organizations
LIFG is on the US list of terrorist organizations. It is also on the UK 'Proscribed terrorist groups list'.UK Terrorism Act 2000
On October 10, 2005, the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Home Office banned LIFG and fourteen other militant groups from operating in the UK. Under the United Kingdom's Terrorism Act 2000
Terrorism Act 2000
The Terrorism Act 2000 is the first of a number of general Terrorism Acts passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It superseded and repealed the Prevention of Terrorism Act 1989 and the Northern Ireland Act 1996...
, being a member of a LIFG is punishable with a 10-year prison term. The Financial Sanctions Unit
Financial Sanctions Unit
The Financial Sanctions Unit of the Bank of England administers financial sanctions in the United Kingdom on behalf of HM Treasury. It has been in operation since before 1993 when it applied sanctions against the Government of Libya...
of the Bank of England acting on behalf of HM Treasury
HM Treasury
HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...
issued the orders to freeze all their assets. The fifteen banned groups were:
- Libyan Islamic Fighting Group
- Groupe Islamique Combattant MarocainMoroccan Islamic Combatant GroupThe Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group or Moroccan Islamic Fighting Group is a Sunni Islamist terrorist organization affiliated with al-Qaeda. It is sometimes referred to as GICM after its French name Groupe Islamique Combattant Marocain...
- Ansar al-IslamAnsar al-IslamAnsar al-Islam is a Sunni Islamist group of Iraqis, promoting a radical interpretation of Islam, close to the official Saudi ideology of Wahhabism with strict application of Sharia. The group was formed in the northern provinces of Iraq near the Iranian border, and previously had established...
- Al Ittihad Al IslamiaAl-Itihaad al-IslamiyaAl-Itihaad al-Islamiya or AIAI is a defunct Islamist militant group in Somalia that was added to the U.S. list of terrorist organizations on September 24, 2001...
- Islamic Jihad UnionIslamic Jihad UnionThe Islamic Jihad Union , also known as Islamic Jihad Group , is a terrorist organization which splintered from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan , and has conducted attacks in Uzbekistan and attempted attacks in Germany....
- Ansar al-Sunna
- Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin
- Harakat ul-Mujahidin/Alami
- JundallahJundallahJundallah, or Jondollah , also known as People's Resistance Movement of Iran , is an organization based in Balochistan that claims to be fighting for the rights of Sunni Muslims in Iran. It was founded by Abdolmalek Rigi who was captured and executed in Iran in 2010...
- Sipah-e-Sahaba PakistanSipah-e-Sahaba PakistanSipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan is a militant Sunni Deobandi organization, and a formerly registered Pakistani political party, established in the early 1980s in Jhang by Maulana Haq Nawaz Jhangvi its stated goal is to primarily to deter major Shia influence in Pakistan in the wake of the Iranian...
- Lashkar-e Jhangvi
- Khuddam ul-IslamKhuddam ul-IslamKhuddam ul-Islam is an Islamist militant group. It is considered to be a splinter group of the extremist group Jaish-e-Mohammed . They have been banned from the United Kingdom and said to be politically aligned with Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman's faction of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam...
- Jamaat Ul-FurquanJamaat Ul-FurquanJamaat Ul-Furquan is an Islamist splinter group of Khuddam ul-Islam banned under United Kingdom terrorism legislation....
- Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami
- Harakat ul Islami (Bangladesh)
Mohammed Benhammedi lived and worked in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
at the time of the UN sanction against him. Sergey Zakurko, the father to his Lithuanian mistress was suspended from his job at the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) for fear that the link could pose a security threat.
UN-embargoed affiliates
On 7 February 2006 the UN embargoed five specific LIFG members and four corporations, all of whom had continued to operate in England until at least October 2005. Those nine are in the following table; the accusations are according to the US State Department.| Abd Al-Rahman Al-Faqih | Possibly the same person as the jihadist writer Abdul-Rahman Hasan. Wanted in Morocco Morocco Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara... in connection with the mass murders of 16 May 2003 in Casablanca Casablanca Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture... . |
|
| Ghuma Abd'rabbah | Trustee of the Sanabel terrorist charity, by which he transferred money and travel documents to terrorists abroad. | |
| Abdulbaqi Mohammed Khaled | Trustee of the Sanabel terrorist charity; GIA Armed Islamic Group The Armed Islamic Group is an Islamist organisation that wants to overthrow the Algerian government and replace it with an Islamic state... affiliate. |
|
| Mohammed Benhammedi | Financier of LIFG. | |
| Tahir Nasuf | Previously of the Libyan GIA Armed Islamic Group The Armed Islamic Group is an Islamist organisation that wants to overthrow the Algerian government and replace it with an Islamic state... circle in the UK. |
|
| Sara Properties Limited | Source of some of Benhammedi's money. | |
| Meadowbrook Investments Limited | Source of some of Benhammedi's money. | |
| Ozlam Properties Limited | Source of some of Benhammedi's money. | |
| Sanabel Relief Agency Limited | Alias SARA, a charity front by which LIFG transacted with other al-Qaeda components (including GICM Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group The Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group or Moroccan Islamic Fighting Group is a Sunni Islamist terrorist organization affiliated with al-Qaeda. It is sometimes referred to as GICM after its French name Groupe Islamique Combattant Marocain... ) via its office in Kabul Kabul Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan... , prior to the fall of the Taliban. |
The "Summary of Evidence" from Mohammed Fenaitel Mohamed Al Daihani
Mohammed Fenaitel Mohamed Al Daihani
On March 3, 2006, in order to comply with a court order, the Department of Defense published a twelve page summarized transcript from his Tribunal.-Summary of Evidence memo:A Summary of Evidence memo was prepared forMohammed Fenaitel Mohamed Al Daihani's...
's Combatant Status Review Tribunal
Combatant Status Review Tribunal
The Combatant Status Review Tribunals were a set of tribunals for confirming whether detainees held by the United States at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp had been correctly designated as "enemy combatants". The CSRTs were established July 7, 2004 by order of U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense...
.
states:
"The Sanabal Charitable Committee
Sanabal Charitable Committee
The Sanabal Charitable Committee was a charity front in the United Kingdom which raised money for the banned terrorist organization called the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, which is aligned with al-Qaeda. Sanabal was banned worldwide, and its assets frozen, on 7 February 2006 by the United Nations...
is considered a fund raising front for the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group."
External links
- Dossier: Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) NEFANEFANEFA is an abbreviation that has several meanings:* -N-ethyl-4,4a,9,9a-tetrahydro-1H-fluoren-4a-amine* The Nine Eleven Finding Answers Foundation* Non-essential fatty acid* North East Folklore Archive* North East Forest Alliance...
, October 2007