In what I would call the culminating interview of my career, today I spent 2-hours with Abu Yahya al-Libi’s older brother in the warden’s office at Bu Salim Reform and Rehabilitation Center (prison). No photos allowed on this one, which is too bad b/c I cant possibly convey how surreal of an experience this was.
Initial reflections: Abd al-Wahhab was thoughtful, warm, inviting, and sincere. Yes, I just said that the brother of Abu Yahya al-Libi, who has served 15 years in a Libyan prison for being a senior leader of one of the toughest terrorist groups post-Soviet Afghanistan was a really intellectually impressive and kind man. We actually had one of the most engaging, substantive and mind-blowing discussions about global jihadism that I’ve ever had with anyone.
If he is any indicator of how his younger brother works - (keeping in mind that I found Abu Idris to be a virtual twin in look, mannerism and the way he processes/analyzes/expresses information) - then we need to formulate an entirely new approach to an Abu Yahya al-Qaida than we would a UBL al-Qaida.
In other words, I’ve reached some staggering conclusion about how the US ought to proceed in its war on al-Qaida as a result of this interview and several others that I’m eager to share over the next couple months through a variety of publications that I plan to spin out of this. Some are quite counterintuitive and I expect will provoke a vigorous debate.
Wow. I can hardly wait to read the follow-up !
Awesome!
Am very much looking forward to these, my friend.
Looking forward to hearing about the insights of this discussion.
I hope you are given the chance to do another panel discussion, you could probably fill a couple of hours with the material you have gained on this trip.
You’re such a tease.
Good work. I always knew you’d land in prison someday. Interested to chat when you get back stateside.
Wow. That’s incredible.
I agree with Steve AND dd.
Looking forward to reading more about it!
Looking forward to reading more! I’d also be very interested to hear your thoughts on how applicable lessons from LIFG are translatable to people, like for example, Jihad Jane?
May peace be with him and his beloved little brother. Inshallah we will never stop and fold. We will continue the orders of Allah.
Does anyone have a photo of Abd al-Wahhab Muhammad Qaid (Abu Idris)?