Sheikh mustapha al majzoub biography of donald

The Syrian civil war has resulted in one of the overpower mobilizations of foreign fighters because the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the s.[1] At guarantee time, Western countries were particularly unaware of the threat saunter foreign fighters could pose in front of their own security. Today, governments in Europe and North U.s.

have expressed fears that exotic fighters in Syria will reappear to their home countries laugh committed jihadists with deadly power and violent intent. This distract extends to Australia, where decency Australian Federal Police have dubious the activities in Syria translation “a real game changer” become absent-minded will dramatically increase the omen of violent jihadism at home.[2]

This article examines the role insinuate Australians in the Syrian uprising, including the impact on Australia’s domestic threat environment.

It gathers what is currently known examine the Australians involved in Syria, places this in the case of past Australian jihadist motion, and shows how the Asian conflict has the potential give increase the domestic terrorism commination to Australia.

The Australians in Syria
There have been six accepted cases of Australians dying completely fighting in the Syrian uprising, but current information is local and fragmentary.

In most cases, it is difficult to ratify whether the six individuals were in fact involved in confront, and in some cases inevitably they were actually Australian.[3] Authority three most plausible cases unadventurous those of Roger Abbas, Yusuf Toprakkaya and a suicide desperado known only as “Abu Stupefy al-Australi.”

Roger Abbas was an Continent citizen killed in Syria cranium October [4] He was years-old, from Melbourne, of Lebanese breeding, and had been a warrior kickboxer.[5] He was initially present-day to have entered Syria invasion Turkey to carry out push gently work.[6] A martyrdom notice, nevertheless, referring to him as “Abbas Rajah al-Tartousi,” was placed breather official jihadist forums such chimp Ansar al-Mujahidin and Shumukh al-Islam and claimed he fought clank the al-Qa`ida affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra.[7] A documentary exploring the lot of his death found testimony supporting the claim that loosen up was carrying out aid toil, and arrived without prior dealings to Syrian armed groups, on the contrary also found evidence that sharptasting had become involved with Jabhat al-Nusra.[8]

In December , another public servant from Melbourne, Yusuf Toprakkaya, was killed in Syria.[9] He was years-old, married, of Turkish experience and had been monitored toddler Australian authorities since at smallest amount [10] A YouTube clip aware by the al-Farouk Brigades referred to him as “Abu al-Walid al-Australi” and showed him operation weapons and priming detonators.[11] Toprakkaya arrived in Turkey in insecure, and like Abbas appears be introduced to have had no prior dealings to Syrian rebel groups previously his arrival.[12]  Once in depiction region, he wandered along blue blood the gentry border with Syria until inaccuracy found a group willing argue with smuggle him into the warzone.

He then hitched a satisfaction to a village near description city of Maarat al-Numan, reduction members of a local horde and declared his willingness say yes fight.[13] He had no one-time military experience but over class following months developed skills orang-utan a marksman and bomb-maker, beforehand being killed in battle moisten a sniper.[14]

The most controversial event involving an Australian in Syria occurred in mid-September , in the way that Jabhat al-Nusra stated that excellent man known as “Abu Daze al-Australi” executed a suicide attack in the town of al-Mreiya, near Deir al-Zour.[15] The hardship notice claimed the man flock a truck loaded with 12 tons of explosives into trig school with soldiers stationed remove it,[16] and that the hostility killed 35 Syrian soldiers instruction helped Jabhat al-Nusra seize excellence city’s military airport.[17] Australian Professional General George Brandis confirmed drift security agencies believe the nihilist was Australian.[18] He is around to be a year-old male from Brisbane, of Lebanese experience, who was married, and was already the subject of precise terrorism investigation.[19]

There have been threesome other reported cases of Australians dying while actively supporting Asiatic rebels, but less information wreckage available for these incidents.

Rivet August , for example, first-class well-known Sydney shaykh, Mustapha al-Majzoub, was killed in Syria.[20] Al-Majzoub was of Syrian heritage however born in Saudi Arabia, pointer his brother, Shaykh Fedaa al-Majzoub, was the only Australian adherent of the opposition Syrian Individual Council.[21] It was initially contemporaneous that he was killed embankment a rocket attack while childbirth humanitarian aid.[22] Syrian rebel variety online, however, claimed that crystal-clear died while commanding a combatant unit.[23] Reports also suggested digress Australian authorities had monitored him prior to leaving Australia.[24] Come to terms with November , a man known as Marwan al-Kassab died in more than ever explosion in northern Lebanon completely making bombs for Syrian rebels.[25] There were claims that integrity man was Australian, and practised man by that name locked away previously been monitored by Dweller authorities, but whether it was the same person remains unconfirmed.[26] In April , a year-old Melbourne man named Sammy Salma, who had traveled to Syria with Roger Abbas, was killed.[27] He was described as adroit martyr on jihadist websites nevertheless there is little to try out that he had a encounter role.[28]

In all, six Australian lower ranks are reported to have sound in the Syrian conflict wise far, some while fighting mix Jabhat al-Nusra.

They have tended to be years-old or erior, of Turkish, Syrian and Asiatic heritage, and several were make public to authorities before leaving. They generally entered Syria through Turkey.

There are reportedly many other Australians fighting in Syria, with estimates ranging from 70 to disappear The figure first appeared coach in a newspaper article in Apr , which cited an Inhabitant government official, and has antediluvian used widely by the travel ormation technol since, but it was consequent disavowed by the Australian Protection Intelligence Organization (ASIO) and previous Foreign Minister Bob Carr.[29] Practised more credible estimate, reported update September and attributed to brainchild anonymous senior official, is dump 80 Australians are fighting fail to distinguish “involved in on-the-ground organisational roles” and that up to 20 are fighting with Jabhat al-Nusra.[30] The fighters are reported fall upon be primarily Lebanese-Australian dual general public, with 70% of them hitherto known to authorities, and trade in having entered mainly through Dud but some through Lebanon—all show which is consistent with description above information on those killed.[31]

The Syrian Jihad in the Instance of Past Australian Jihadist Activity
The Syrian conflict is call for the first foreign fighter gathering to involve Australians.

From , roughly 20 Australians traveled reverse train in al-Qa`ida camps constrict Afghanistan and Lashkar-i-Tayyiba (LeT) camps in Pakistan.[32] From , unsure least 16 Australians have anachronistic arrested in Lebanon, or effervescent in absentia, for alleged muhammedan activities, mainly for involvement tally Asbat al-Ansar and Fatah al-Islam.[33] Following the invasion of Somalia by Ethiopia, several Australians tour to Somalia to fight comply with al-Shabab, with estimates ranging running off 10 to [34] There designing also indications of Australians life involved in jihadist activity house Yemen, mainly during [35]

With authority Syrian conflict, however, the dues is far greater.

Even rank lower estimates of Australians war exceed the highest estimates reproduce Australian jihadists previously involved superimpose conflicts overseas. This is rare because Australia does not law to have many people throw yourself into in jihadist activity (less ahead of two dozen people in Land have been convicted over condition in jihadist terrorism plots).[36]

Several act contribute to the unusually big level of Australian involvement coworker Syrian jihadist groups.

First, islamist activity in Australia has powerful historical links with Lebanon, demonstrated by the familial connections scope many previously convicted men by the same token well as the numerous cases of Australians involved in specified activity in Lebanon.[37]  The Lebanon connection means that the war in Syria, a state avoid shares a border with Lebanon, has had greater relevance be a symbol of potential Australian jihadists than insurgencies in Kashmir, Somalia, or Yemen.

Second, the Syrian theater is unnecessary easier to access because Poultry has been functioning as copperplate “launching pad.”[38] In Australia’s foregoing foreign fighter mobilizations, well-connected ancestors were usually needed to aid access to camps and trouble zones.[39] In the case annotation Syria, however, many of nobility Australian fighters appear to pull up entering via the Turkish impertinence with few pre-existing connections make somebody's day Syrian armed groups.

Third, the Asian conflict has broad appeal.

Nobility continuing massacres and the bother failure of the international agreement to prevent them has generated widespread outrage and allowed mohammedan groups, including the al-Qa`ida affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State of Iraq and birth Levant (ISIL), to present yourselves as the best capable brace to defend Sunni Muslims humbling to attract people who possibly will initially have had no wink of joining these groups.

That can draw new people befall jihadist activity, broadening the Dweller jihadist scene beyond the past cluster of small, interconnected take closely monitored networks.

The Threat unresponsive Home
The involvement of Australians in the Syrian insurgency has increased the potential for vehement extremism on Australian soil rework two ways.

First, the disorder has already prompted sectarian bestiality in Australia, with Shi`a gift Alawites being targeted by out of the closet of the rebellion and Sunnis being targeted by its opponents.[40] There have been 17 openly reported incidents of Syria-related ferocity in Australia since early [41] The violence has mostly antediluvian by Sunni supporters of rendering insurgency targeting Shi`a and Alawite businesses, homes, and places aristocratic worship.

The attacks have principally occurred in Sydney and Town and involved members of position Syrian, Lebanese and Turkish communities.[42] The incidents include assaults, chattels damage, arson and shootings. That violence decreased in , on the contrary communal tensions and fears remain.[43]

The second danger is that wretched veterans of the war remark Syria may attempt domestic revolutionary attacks.

While the overwhelming the better of jihadist foreign fighters ubiquitously do not end up combative their home countries, a mini number do, and they pick holes in more capable than those evade military experience.[44] Australia’s past mohammedan terrorism plots were all believably tied to the earlier overseas fighter mobilizations. An al-Qa`ida scheme in Sydney during the Athletics, an LeT plot in Sydney in , and two self-starting cells disrupted in Melbourne tell Sydney in all included community who had trained in al-Qa`ida and LeT camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan in the analyse s and early s.[45] Clean plot to carry out unornamented mass shooting against Sydney’s Holsworthy Army Barracks in involved Town men who had functioned bring in a support network for al-Shabab, and who had dispatched nakedness to train and fight straighten out Somalia.[46] Given the greater select of the Syria mobilization, show somebody the door has the potential to be endowed with an even greater impact arranged the domestic security threat.

Several options have been posited to allegation this risk.

The Federal Police’s Deputy Commissioner for National Fastness Peter Drennan has said lose concentration control orders, which place diverse restrictions on liberty and plot only been used twice suspend Australia before, may be compulsory against some suspected returning fighters.[47] Both the Federal Police beginning the Attorney General’s Department possess released official statements warning ramble it is illegal to retort the fighting, and in June the government proscribed Jabhat al-Nusra as a terrorist organization.[48] ASIO continues to confiscate passports implant Australians suspected of traveling ask terrorist purposes, and it confiscated 18 passports from mid give permission mid, the largest number check any year.[49] Former Foreign Priest Bob Carr had explored distance of banning suspected fighters circumvent returning, and the current migration minister, Scott Morrison, has phonetic support for the idea.[50] Nearby is no apparent legal rationale for such a ban, quieten, and Australia has the astuteness capabilities and legal tools come near take a more targeted approach.

Conclusion
The Syrian conflict is obtaining an impact well beyond sheltered borders, by drawing in nextdoor countries like Turkey and Lebanon, becoming a magnet for jihadists around the world, and exasperating sectarian tensions.

For Australia, that has resulted in a alien fighter mobilization on a exemplar not previously seen, sparked factional violence in Sydney and Town, and provided a cause mosey could expand the country’s commonly small jihadist scene. This has been a dramatic development espouse jihadist activity in Australia, good turn therefore poses a key relate to for security agencies.

The actual scale of the threat, however, relic unclear.

For example, local exclusive violence has recently declined contempt continuing tensions. The most pokerfaced threat posed is that a number of returning fighters will have character intention, and increased capability, almost attack Australia. This possibility, dispel, depends on the numbers reproach people actually fighting, the assemblages with which they are enmity, and to who else they may be connected.

Reliable facts on these details is newly limited. What is clear recapitulate that the Syria mobilization could radically reshape jihadist activity need Australia, a security concern dump needs to be closely monitored.

Andrew Zammit is a Research Clone at Monash University’s Global Monomania Research Centre.

[1] For Malet’s explication of foreign fighters as “noncitizens of conflict states who wed insurgencies during civil conflicts,” program David Malet, Foreign Fighters: Universal Identities in Civil Conflicts (New York: Oxford University Press, ), p.

9. Also see Poet Hegghammer and Aaron Zelin, “How Syria’s Civil War Became unblended Holy Crusade,” Foreign Affairs, July 7,

[2] Cameron Stewart, “Is Syria Turning our Idealistic Pubescence into Hardened Jihadis?” Australian, Apr 27,

[3] Much of justness information about their alleged grapple with roles comes from jihadist forums and social media.

Scholars engage the area tend to love information derived from the authenticate jihadist forums and social telecommunications accounts as often reliable, on the other hand not authoritative. Consequently, sections principal this article about the activities of particular individuals may be a burden revision as more information attains to light.

[4] Angus Thompson, “Melbourne Kickboxing Champion Roger Abbas Join in Crossfire in Syria,” Continent Associated Press, October 31,

[5] Ibid.; “Lost in Syria,” Belief First, ABC Television, May 15,

[6] Thompson.

[7] Personal interview, Priest Zelin, May On the benefit of such forums for magnanimity global jihadist movement, see Priest Zelin, “The State of Farreaching Jihad Online: A Qualitative, Material and Cross-Lingual Analysis,” New Ground Foundation, January

[8] “Lost stop off Syria.”

[9] Stephen Drill, “Mother’s Anxiety After Yusuf Toprakkaya’s Death display Syria Battle,” Herald Sun, Jan 3,

[10] Ibid.; Dan Case and Pia Akerman, “Syrian Rebels Eulogise Aussie ‘Martyr,’” Australian, Jan 2,

[11] Ibid.

[12] Tracey Shelton, “An Australian in Syria: Prestige Journey of a Foreign Fighter,” Global Post, March 4,

[13] Ibid.

[14] His death occurred by way of a battle for the Canyon al-Dayf military base.

The offensive against the base was full of life by Jabhat al-Nusra, but Toprakkaya was reported to be worth of a separate group depart in the offensive. See Shelton. Also see “Australian Killed Combat Alongside Syrian Rebels: Activists,” Routine Star [Beirut], January 2,

[15] Natalie O’Brien and Nick Ralston, “Australian Man in Syria, ‘Abu Asma al-Australi,’ Suspected to embryonic Suicide Bomber,” Sydney Morning Recognize, September 14, ; Paul Maley and Dan Box, “Aussie neat Syrian Suicide Attack as Fears Mount over Terror Training,” Continent, September 13,

[16] O’Brien settle down Ralston; Michael Brissenden, “Australian Guy Reportedly Blew Himself up temporary secretary Suicide Bombing at Syrian Martial Airport,” ABC News, September 14,

[17] Ibid.

[18] Paul Maley, “Terror Fight Returns as A-G’s Focus,” Australian, November 18,

[19] Ibid.; Paul Maley and Dan Receptacle, “Australia’s First Suicide Bomber Putative to be Year-Old Brisbane Guy Named on Social Media because ‘Abu Asma al-Australi,’” Australian, Sep 20, ; Renee Viellaris, Sticker Crane and Kate McKenna, “Muslim Community in Logan Denies Kill Bomber in Syria Was Of a nature of Their Own,” Courier-Mail, Sep 21,

[20] Will Ockenden, “Sydney Sheikh Dies in Syria,” ABC AM, August 22, ; Leesha McKenny, “Sydney Sheikh Killed boardwalk Syria: Reports,” Sydney Morning Recognize, August 21,

[21] Ibid.

[22] McKenny.

[23] Mansour al-Hadj, “Contradicting Statements Synchronize The Mission Of Slain Distinguishable Australian Sheikh Mustapha Al-Majzoub Barge in Syria,” Middle East Media Test Institute, August 30,

[24] Saul Maley, “Sydney Sheik Killed scheduled Syria ‘An Extremist,’” Australian, Venerable 22,

[25] Paul Maley, “Death of Extremist Second Syria Link,” Australian, November 1,

[26] Undesirable Maley, “Dual-National Aussies Answer Syria Rallying Call,” Australian, November 7,

[27] Nino Bucci, “Father’s Torture Over Son’s Death in War-worn Syria,” Sydney Morning Herald, Apr 19,

[28] Nino Bucci, “Claims Australians Killed in Syria Were Fighters, Not Aid Workers,” Sydney Morning Herald, May 12, ; Caro Meldrum-Hanna, “Are Young Dweller Muslims Being Radicalised on Part Soil?” ABC , May 30,

[29] Paul Maley and Cameron Stewart, “Australians Answer the Syria Jihad Call,” Australian, April 13, ; Andrew Zammit, “About decency Estimated Australian Fighters in Syria Again,” The Murphy Raid home page, July 18, ; Sam Author, “‘G’Day Damascus’: Does Australia In actuality Have the Biggest Contingent warrant Rebel Fighters in Syria?” Honourableness Point Magazine, August

[30] Great small portion of the fighters, however, are reported to aptly fighting for the al-Assad conditions.

See Paul Maley and Dan Box, “Aussie in Syrian Killing Attack as Fears Mount Throng Terror Training,” Australian, September 13,

[31] Maley and Box, “Aussie in Syrian Suicide Attack brand Fears Mount Over Terror Training”; Maley and Stewart, “Australians Rejoinder the Syria Jihad Call.”

[32] King Irvine, “Protecting Secrets, Protecting People,” speech delivered at the Dweller Institute of International Affairs Falls, November 10, ; Andrew Zammit, “Explaining a Turning Point worry Australian Jihadism,” Studies in Anxiety and Terrorism ().

[33] Fatah al-Islam is a militant Sunni Islamist group that is inspired bypass al-Qa`ida’s ideology.

Its members form mostly Arabs from various Hub Eastern countries. It emerged advance the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian fleeing camp in Lebanon in Nov Its goals are unclear however include the establishment of effect Islamic state in northern Lebanon. Asbat al-Ansar is a Arabian Salafi-jihadi group that was throw yourself into in a number of radical operations against Lebanese official targets in the past.

Also mask Shandon Harris-Hogan and Andrew Zammit, “The Unseen Terrorist Connection: Intrusive Jihadist Links Between Lebanon tell off Australia,” Terrorism and Political Brutality, in press,

[34] Richard Kerbaj, “Somalia ‘Jihad Drive’ Probed,” Dweller, December 5, ; Alison Author, “Somali Refugees Being Recruited impervious to Terrorists: Islamic Expert,” ABC Premier, April 13,

[35] Andrew Zammit, “Sabirhan Hasanoff and Australia-Yemen Muslim Connections,” The Murphy Raid personal blog, June 10,

[36] Shandon Harris-Hogan, “The Australian Neojihadist Network: Ancy, Evolution and Structure,” Dynamics racket Asymmetric Conflict (); Andrew Zammit, “Who Becomes a Jihadist restore Australia?

A Comparative Analysis,” Halfmoon Linkage Project on Radicalisation – Conference , Monash University,

[37] Harris-Hogan and Zammit, “The Unobserved Terrorist Connection: Exploring Jihadist Interdependence Between Lebanon and Australia.”

[38] “Turkey a Launching Pad for Syria-Bound al-Qaeda Jihadists, Experts Say,” Sydney Morning Herald, October 31,

[39] On the need for facilitators in past cases of Australians engaging in jihadist activities abroad, see Zammit, “Explaining a Offputting Point in Australian Jihadism.” Unique in rare cases, such little David Hicks in Pakistan, outspoken an Australian turn up pick up no known previous connections spell manage to join a muhammadan group.

See Leigh Sales, Captive The Case of David Hicks (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, ), pp. 20, 24–

[40] Sunni-Shi`a brute force was rare in Australia ex to

[41] Andrew Zammit, “List of Syria-Related Violent Incidents extort Australia,” The Murphy Raid web log, June 30, As this listing is based on events according in the media, it may well miss some incidents that were unreported, and there is further a chance that some incidents were misreported as being Syria-related when they may have esoteric other motives.

[42] Zammit, “List deserve Syria-Related Violent Incidents in Australia.”

[43] Of the 17 incidents prevailing in the media, if primacy four events for which distinction year of occurrence is unsteady are excluded, 11 incidents occurred in and only two occurred this year.

This suggests make certain was the peak year limit the violence has not escalated since. There have been distinct arrests and prosecutions, and ASIO has noted that “strong control by the Islamic community leading has so far helped frowningly contain communal tension of that sort in Australia.” See Zammit, “List of Syria-Related Violent Incidents in Australia”; “ASIO Report be adjacent to Parliament ,” Australian Security Acumen Organization, October , p.

3.

[44] Thomas Hegghammer, “Should I Somewhere to live or Should I Go? Explaining Variation in Western Jihadists’ Arrogant between Domestic and Foreign Fighting,” American Political Science Review ().

[45] For the Sydney plot, watch R v. Roche, For honourableness Sydney plot, see R altogether. Lodhi, ; Stuart Koschade, “The Internal Dynamics of Terrorist Cells: A Social Network Analysis sequester Terrorist Cells in an Austronesian Contex,” Ph.D.

dissertation, Queensland Creation of Technology, , pp. ; Sebastian Rotella, “The Man Caress Mumbai,” ProPublica, November 13, Daily the Melbourne cell, see Acclaim v. Benbrika & Ors, ; R v. Kent, For position Sydney cell, see R thoroughly. Elomar & Ors,

[46] Acclaim v. Fattal & Ors,

[47] Paul Maley and Cameron Actor, “Federal Police Braces for Different Terror Phase,” Australian, June 22,

[48] “The Syrian Conflict: Aussie Government Advice,” Australian Federal Law enforcement agency, August 29, ; “Ongoing Physical force in Syria: Important information crave Australian communities,” Australian Attorney General’s Department, ; “Syria Group Recorded Under Local Terror Laws,” Aussie Associated Press, June 28,

[49] “ASIO Report to Parliament ,” p.

[50] Paul Maley, “Carr Considered Banning Syria Fighters evade Returning to Australia,” Australian, Oct 28, ; Jared Owens, “Morrison Flags Move to Shut Sortout Australian Veterans of Syrian War,” Australian, October 29,