The New Currency of Jihad: Kidnapping,Hit Lists on Americans and al Qaeda Fundraising

Confidential and privateintelligence fromexclusive sources.

August 15, 2011

Exclusively for Management

Recent intelligence suggests after repeated failedattempts to attack the homeland with explosives, al Qaedais expected to shift strategy under its new leaderAyman al-Zawahiri, placing a higher priority onsofter targets such as iconic American businessinstitutions — and prominent Americans. The revelationthat al Qaeda had posted a hit list to “target and kill40 prominent Americans at their homes in the U.S.”was a wake-up call for many who believed that plotsagainst specific individuals such as assassinationsand kidnappings are crimes of the past and certainlynot in the realm of terrorist activity — and was apowerful indicator of a dangerous upcoming trend.The hit list originated on the Shumukh al-Islam webforum, known as the official web forum of al Qaeda.Targeted individuals were primarily corporateexecutives, business leaders and defense contractorswhom al Qaeda describes as individuals active in thewar of the “Crusader Zionist” on their internationalMuslim community of believers. The majority ofthose names have some connection to the war in Iraqand Afghanistan, or to think tanks that have engagedin and published vital research regardinginternational and domestic jihadist groups. The threatalso called for mail bombs to be posted to the privatehomes and offices of those on the list. Anassassination or kidnapping of a well-knownAmerican would be a spectacular event attracting agreat deal of publicity and proving the continuingrelevance of al Qaeda.

The American intelligence community reportedly foundevidence in material captured in the Abbottabad raidindicating that in the weeks before his death, bin Ladenwas weighing how to stage a 10th anniversary attack onthe United States of America. The informationdiscovered focused on the selection of operatives for anoperation, but was unclear regarding the target. Whatis clear is that al Qaeda is obsessed with rememberingand commemorating the devastating terrorist attacks ofSeptember 11, 2001 on the World Trade Center, thePentagon and what would have been the Capitol hadthe heroic men and women of Flight 93 not broughtdown the plane. This issue of The Lipman Report® willexamine the mounting threat of terrorist kidnapping toraise funds and incite terror and brutality against thebackdrop of the anticipated escalation of jihadistactivity as we approach the tenth anniversary of thedevastating attacks of 9/11.

The Mounting Threat of Kidnapping for JihadA July 2011 review of security incidents listed by theOverseas Security Advisory Council, OSAC,revealed that kidnappings by Islamic militants andorganized crime groups are on the rise. A recentsampling illuminates this trend: Seven Estonianbikers were kidnapped in Lebanon, a significantnumber of Indian businessmen were lured to Nepaland kidnapped, eight Pakistani employees of anAmerican-based aid organization were kidnapped inPakistan, eight French citizens were kidnapped froma uranium mine in Niger, two Americans werekidnapped in the Philippines by Islamic militants, 20people were kidnapped in Colombia by the narco-terrorist group FARC, while FARC demanded $3million for the release of four kidnapped Chinesecitizens. These kidnappings, unfortunately, have yetto be resolved, with the victims still in the hands oftheir abductors.

At the time of the 9/11 attacks, the al Qaeda networktook in as much as $30 million annually, but economicpenalties levied on its reliable donors by the UnitedStates of America and its allies have substantiallyreduced its stream of donations. Information surfacingfrom the Abbottabad raid evidenced that in order to findalternative funding sources, al Qaeda hasenthusiastically embraced a new, dangerouslyviolent currency — kidnapping for ransom to offsetdwindling cash reserves.

The new currency of kidnapping is a tempting one foral Qaeda for a variety of reasons. First and foremost,it raises much-needed cash for operations and toreplenish supplies. It costs little, and involves just afew people to complete the operation. It createspublicity and augments global terror. It is low-risk foroperatives; much can be gained but little is lost if thekidnapping fails to produce the desired result. And itadds to the sense of vulnerability felt by al Qaeda’senemies in the West.

Al Qaeda affiliates made their first inroads into the“ransom business” in Iraq. While horrific videos of thebeheading of Western hostages blazed across theInternet, the group also ran a profitable tradekidnapping foreigners. Al Qaeda affiliates havedemonstrated that abductions can rake in millions ofdollars, and as a result the group’s reservations and

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hesitant attitudes regarding ransom operations changed. Since 2003, the al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb(AQIM) terrorist group has sustained itself primarilyon revenues derived from the business of kidnapping,mostly Westerners. The Maghreb group’s kidnap-for-ransom business, particularly in North Africa,generates millions of dollars — Canadian diplomats,Italian tourists and Western and African businessmenhave been abducted, and some ransoms haveapproached $2 million per hostage. The ransoms havetotaled more than $80 million for this al Qaeda armsince 2008. The situation has become so urgent that theUnited Nations Security Council was called upon to actto prevent the practice of kidnap ransoms, while awave of kidnappings in Niger and Mali caused theFrench Foreign Minister to remark that France was atwar with AQIM.

Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen, al Qaeda in the ArabianPeninsula (AQAP) and its affiliates in Iraq, Pakistanand Afghanistan have also been vigorously involved inkidnappings for ransom. In a clearly ominous trend,3,366 hostages were taken in Pakistan in 2009,compared to 1,264 in 2008. Although Pakistanis werethe primary victims, foreign hostages included aChinese engineer, a Polish oil worker and an Americanwho worked for the United Nations refugee agency. Asimilar kidnapping wave plagued Afghanistan from2008 to 2009 as the number of hostages kidnappedclimbed from 584 to 2,088 — and the estimate for 2010is even higher. Officials in Pakistan and Afghanistanclaim that criminal gangs account for numerous ransomplots; however, these gangs are known to alignthemselves with jihadist nodes like the PakistaniTaliban and al Qaeda.

Bin Laden publically justified the use of kidnapping inan audio message sent last October as an instrument ofvengeance. He stated the abduction of five Frenchnationals by the North African affiliate was a reaction tothat country’s ban on Muslim veils and support for thewar in Afghanistan. However, it is clear that thepressure of dwindling cash reserves is turningkidnapping into a more central al Qaeda vehicle.

The al Qaeda Kidnapping HandbookTo this end, al Qaeda has published an extensivemanual on the strategic and tactical aspects ofprofessional kidnapping, accessible on the Internet

and authored by the senior al Qaeda operative, AbdelAziz al-Muqrin. As stated in the document, al Qaeda’sprimary reasons for kidnapping are: Force thegovernment of the enemy to succumb to somedemands; put the target government in a difficultsituation that will create a political embarrassmentbetween the government and the countries of thedetainees; obtain important information from thedetainees; obtain ransoms; and bring a specific issueto light. With bone-chilling clarity, the requirementsneeded to form a kidnap group and the various typesof kidnapping are thoroughly examined andencouraged, while case studies from ShamilBasayev’s Moscow theatre operation to thekidnapping of Daniel Pearl to the recent wave ofransom kidnappings conducted by al Qaeda in NorthAfrica, Pakistan and Yemen are exhaustivelyreviewed.

The handbook also cautions that “if the purpose ofkidnapping is to obtain money, you have to ensure thatit is all there, that it is not fake or traceable,” and thatthere are no listening or homing devices planted withthe money. It also advises not to prolong detention ofthe hostages, as this may weaken the willpower of theabductors, and to speak in a foreign language or dialectwhen dealing with the hostages to preventidentification. In the event of stalled negotiations, itstates, “hostages must be gradually executed, so that theenemy knows we are serious.”

Kidnapping TodayKidnapping for ransom is a common occurrenceacross the globe, and certain cities and countries areoften described as the “Kidnapping Capital of theWorld.” In 2007, the title belonged to Iraq with over1,500 foreigners kidnapped. In 2004, it was Mexicoand in 2001, Colombia. Closer to home in 2009, theLos Angeles Times named Phoenix, Arizona, asAmerica’s kidnapping capital, reporting that eachyear hundreds of ransom kidnappings occur there,virtually all within the underworld of human anddrug smuggling from Mexico — and often as ameans of collecting unpaid debts. With 370 cases in2010, Phoenix is ranked second in the world inkidnapping cases after Mexico City, a metropolis inwhich any Mexican citizen having successfulrelatives in America is a tempting target for localorganized crime groups.

The New Currency of Jihad: Kidnapping,Hit Lists on Americans and al Qaeda Fundraising

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Statistics remain elusive because many kidnappings arenot reported in locations where the rule of law does notexist — and where the authorities are consideredcorrupt and even incompetent; reports in fact estimatean actual global total of 12,000 to 25,000 kidnappingsduring 2010. Kidnapping seems to flourish particularlyin fragile states and conflicted countries, as politicallymotivated militias, organized crime and the drug mafiafill the vacuum left by government. Criminal gangs areprojected to make up to $500 million a year in ransompayments from kidnapping.

Global ransom payments each year are estimated at$1.5 billion, and South Africa has been named amongthe 10 hotspots — along with Mexico, Colombia andNigeria for kidnappings for ransom. Within the UnitedStates of America, the Department of Justice has statedthat an estimated 200,000 children are reported as thevictims of a family abduction and more than 58,000 ofnon-family abductions. However, only 115 were theresult of stereotypical kidnappings — ransom kidnappingsby someone unknown to the child.

An ancient crime with a documented history sincebiblical times, kidnapping has increased 100percent around the world during the past sixyears. A few pertinent statistics are as follows: Anoverwhelming 90 percent of kidnap victims arelocals, not foreigners; 40 percent of kidnap victimsare released safely after payment of a ransom; 11percent are released without a ransom being paid —either through negotiations or because the abductorsrealize that no one is going to pay up; and 21 percentof hostages in Latin America survive rescueattempts. In fact, rescue attempts in many places inthe world are often catastrophic because of theprevalence of careless police elements who have nopatience for negotiations, or whose mindset is simplyto kill the hostage takers without regard for the livesof the victims.

Bin Laden and the Evolution of Brutal Kidnapping Political kidnapping was not always excessively violentor brutal; while during the 1970s and 1980s, politicalkidnappings became a scourge across Europe, itsearliest stages revolved primarily around making publicstatements and humiliating victims, without thephysical torture, terror and threat of execution thatcharacterizes kidnappings today.

When bin Laden created al Qaeda in Afghanistan in1989 in the aftermath of the war with the Soviets, heassiduously studied the origin and development ofearlier terrorists groups. He found the Red Brigades inItaly a fitting prototype to emulate because this groupof idealistic militants — initially considered littlemore than an irritant by Italian authorities —eventually developed into a formidable and dangerousterrorist organization that captured worldwideheadlines for almost a decade during the late 1970sand early 1980s. Bin Laden was interested in thisevolution because in 1989 his original followers —the Afghan mujahedeen — were more akin to aSpecial Forces unit involved in asymmetrical warfarethan to a terrorist organization. He studied how theRed Brigades developed from random vandalism tohigh-profile kidnappings, and envied the success thegroup enjoyed when they adopted kidnapping as atactic and graduated from targeting “fascist” factorybosses in relatively non-violent operations to the morebrutal and deadly kidnappings of political leaders.Some of the group’s more spectacular kidnappingsduring this time were Aldo Moro, the five-time Italianprime minister who was executed when thenegotiations broke down, and James Dozier, a seniorNATO official and American general who was rescuedin a NATO military operation. Bin Laden could nothelp to notice and applaud how the violenceperpetrated by the Red Brigades escalated during thisperiod, and how its perceived power and visibilitygrew in turn.

After the activities of the Red Brigades and other leftistgroups diminished in the early 1980s, Hezbollah andHamas stepped on to the world stage with anunprecedented escalation in mass-casualty violence andkidnapping operations. Again their successes were notlost on al Qaeda leadership, as bin Laden developed histactics and strategies based on Hamas and Hezbollahactivities, including suicide bombings and kidnappings— and the frequent, horrific executions of captives.According to contemporary Muslim beliefs, practicesof suicide, assassinations and kidnapping are extremesand should only be carried out in exceptional times, butthe spiritual mentors of Hezbollah and Hamas haveidentified these times as such. Thus was born thejustification for the practice of kidnapping for jihad,and 37 Americans from all walks of life were kidnappedin 1982 alone.

With the advent of al Qaeda and Islamic militancy,new levels of terror, brutality and intimidationhave entered the equation. Modern-day terroristkidnapping is evolving into a plague in which fewhostages survive — and the goal is to murder themin the cruelest manner and publicize the executionto instill fear, as in the case of American reporterDaniel Pearl. Al Qaeda today, under the newleadership of al-Zawahiri, will certainly not pass upopportunities to inflict large-scale, mass-casualtyoperations on vulnerable targets in the West.However, the consensus among security experts isthat al Qaeda is currently focusing on small-scaleterrorist operations against soft targets — and that thenew jihadist currency of kidnapping will undoubtedlybecome a primary vehicle to instill global terror andraise funds.

Radicalized Kidnappers?Shockingly, at least 1,400 Americans have taken partin some form of military jihad over the past severalyears. For a myriad of reasons, hundreds of men andwomen from every imaginable background havewalked away from the traditional American dream ofa melting pot to battle in the name of Islam. Thistrend allows al Qaeda to deploy American citizensoperating under the radar to take on roles asclandestine “Lone Wolves,” a new factor in thejihadist landscape that represents the greatest currentchallenge to counterterrorism. In view of thisdevelopment, it is not inconceivable that some of thekidnappings of designated “Crusaders and Zionists”could be conducted by radicalized Americans —Lone Wolves living under the radar in our ownbackyard.

The recent revelations that al Qaeda has decided toresort to kidnapping are easy to understand since itsaffiliates in Africa, Pakistan and Iraq have enjoyed asignificant amount of success during recent years inthis endeavor. Unfortunately, there is no sign of thistrend reversing in the future, not only from the jihadistrealm but from far-left and far-right actors.Kidnappings can occur anywhere at any time fromunexpected sources — and there is no specific profilefor victims. Kidnap victims can be American executivesor tourists, French or Chinese uranium miners inAfrica, German aid workers in Iraq and even Estoniancyclists in Lebanon or Evangelical missionaries in the

Caucasus — in short, men or women of any age,nationality and economic status.

In the wake of the discovered “hit list” andmounting global incidents of kidnapping, takingevery step to reduce kidnapping risk is absolutelyessential. In view of the very real fear that thisgrowing epidemic of jihadist kidnapping couldspread to the United States of America, it would beprudent for “targeted” and high-profile executives— along with celebrities and public figures from allfields — to maintain a consistently proactive stanceagainst kidnapping. They should be on alert at alltimes, and focus on strategic, preventative efforts toreduce this growing risk. For all Americanstravelling abroad, constant situational awarenessand risk assessments regarding areas visited arecritical. Most citizens cannot afford executiveprotection, but need to undertake addedcircumspection on their own. Remember that in thisday and age of mounting terrorist kidnappings, evenordinary tourists can become potential targets inany country in the world. Avoid suspect placesaltogether — this is not the day and age to taketravelling risks, and be constantly vigilant foranything or anyone that seems amiss. In short,remain focused on the threat at all times — evenmore than you would in any questionably safe urbanarea within the United States of America. Andmaintain the same diligence at home — rememberthat like all current al Qaeda threats, kidnappingand assassination can also occur on our own soil.We now face a relentless enemy that operates botharound the globe and in our own backyard, and aimsto strike when we least expect it. Al Qaedatheoreticians have concluded that these areexceptional times when extreme tactics need to beemployed, and we need to respond in kind withextreme caution, determined awareness and a levelof proactive vigilance like never before. The timefor urgency is now.®

The New Currency of Jihad: Kidnapping,Hit Lists on Americans and al Qaeda Fundraising

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