Abdelmalek Droukdel: Difference between revisions

{{shortShort description|Algerian al-Qaeda member (1970–2020)}}

{{Infobox personofficeholder

| birth_placeterm_end = [[Meftah3 (town)|Meftah]],June [[Algeria]]2020

| death_dateterm_start = 3 June 202026 (agedJanuary 50)2007

| death_placeeducation = Talahandak, [[Tessalit]], = [[MaliBlida 1 University]]

| captionserviceyears = 1993 – = 2020

| other_namesnationality = Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud[[Algeria]]n

| known_forallegiance = [[Al-Qaeda in the Islamic{{flagicon Maghrebimage|FounderFlag andof Emir ofal-Qaeda.svg}} [[Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb]]

| moduleimage = {{Infobox military= person|embed=yesAbu_Musab_Abdel_Wadoud.png

| rank = [[Emir]] of [[al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb|AQIM]]= Emir

|battles death_place = Talahandak, [[Mali]]

'''Abdelmalek Droukdel''' ({{lang-ar|عبد المالك درودكالدروكدال}}; 20 April 1970 – 3 June 2020),<ref name= "Guardian 2020">{{cite news|title= French forces kill al-Qaida's north Africa chief in Mali| url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/05/french-forces-kill-al-qaidas-north-africa-chief-in-mali| date= 5 June 2020| work= [[The Guardian]]| accessdateaccess-date= 6 June 2020}}</ref>), also known by his [[nom de guerrePseudonym|alias]] as '''Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud''' ({{lang|-ar|أبو مصعب عبد الودود}}), was the emir, or leader, of the Algerian [[Islamic militant]] group [[Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb]] (AQIM), formerly the [[Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat]] (GSPC). He was killed during a French special operation during the [[Battle of Talahandak]].

==Afghan War, Algerian Civil War and the GSPCGSPC1==

Droukdel returned to Algeria after fighting in [[Afghan Civil War (1996-20011996–2001)|the Afghan civil war]], and joined the GSPC.<ref name=jacinto>{{cite web|last=Jacinto |first=Leela |title=Key figures in al Qaeda's North African branch |url=https://www.cimicweb.org/cmo/medbasin/Documents/North%20Africa/Security/Key%20figures%20in%20al%20Qaeda%20North%20Africa.pdf |publisher=CIMIC |accessdateaccess-date=21 January 2013 |date=27 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214025331/https://www.cimicweb.org/cmo/medbasin/Documents/North%20Africa/Security/Key%20figures%20in%20al%20Qaeda%20North%20Africa.pdf |archivedatearchive-date=14 December 2013}}</ref> Droukdel was a regional leader of the GSPC for several years before becoming the group's commander in 2004 following the death of then-leader [[Nabil Sahraoui]].<ref name="New chief for Algeria's Islamists">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3635470.stm New chief for Algeria's Islamists] [[BBC]], 7 September 2004</ref><ref name=cimic>{{cite web|title=Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb |url=https://www.cimicweb.org/cmo/medbasin/Documents/North%20Africa/Security/CFR%20Backgrounder%20on%20AQIM.pdf |publisher=CIMIC |accessdateaccess-date=21 January 2013 |author=Andrew Hansen |author2=Lauren Vriens |date=21 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214025328/https://www.cimicweb.org/cmo/medbasin/Documents/North%20Africa/Security/CFR%20Backgrounder%20on%20AQIM.pdf |archivedatearchive-date=14 December 2013}}</ref> His mentor was [[Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi]].<ref name=meonline>{{cite news|last=Belkadi|first=Boubker|title=Ruthless chief, head of Al-Qaeda's NAfrica branch|url=http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=23510|accessdateaccess-date=18 January 2013|newspaper=Middle East Online|date=13 December 2007|location=Algiers|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211221120/http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=23510|archive-date=11 December 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> After the killing of [[al-Zarqawi]] in 2006, Droukdel published a statement in a website and stated "O infidels and apostates, your joy will be brief and you will cry for a long time... we are all Zarqawi."<ref>{{cite news|last=Trabelsi|first=Habib|title=Zarqawi death 'relief' for rival rebels: experts|url=http://www.lebanonwire.com/0606MLN/06060932MAF.asp|accessdateaccess-date=20 January 2013|newspaper=Lebanon Wire|date=9 June 2006|agency=AFP|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130320020814/http://lebanonwire.com/0606MLN/06060932MAF.asp|archive-date=20 March 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Droukdel is believed to have been responsible for introducing suicide bombing to Algeria.<ref>{{cite news|title=Algeria al-Qaeda chief Droukdel sentenced in absentia|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17359310|accessdateaccess-date=24 December 2017|publisherwork=BBC News|date=13 March 2012}}</ref>

Under Droukdel's leadership the GSPC sought to develop itself from a largely domestic entity into a larger player on the international terror stage. As the new''' '''leader of the GSPC, Droukdel reorganized the group, and continued targeting civilians. He was, however, unable to quell the rumblings between factions. In September 2006, it was announced that the GSPC had joined forces with [[al-Qaeda]] and in January 2007, the group officially changed its name to the "Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb."<ref name="Salafist Group for Call and Combat Announces its New Name as al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb">[http://siteinstitute.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications247007&Category=publications&Subcategory=0 Salafist Group for Call and Combat Announces its New Name as al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb]{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} [[SITE Institute]], 26 January 2007</ref> Droukdel played a significant role in this merger.<ref name=jacinto/> However, the local leaders of the organization such as Droukdel began to pursue much more independent activities and were distanced from al-Qaeda in the last quarter of 2012.<ref name=business9113>{{cite news|last=Johny|first=Stanly|title=Waiting for a deluge|url=http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/waiting-fordeluge/498174/|accessdateaccess-date=20 January 2013|newspaper=Business Standard|date=9 January 2013|location=New Delhi}}</ref>

Droukdel ousted [[Mokhtar Belmokhtar]] from the organization in late 2012 for Belmokhtar's "fractious behaviour".<ref name=morgan>{{cite news|last=Morgan|first=Andy|title='Mr Marlboro' lands a seismic blow|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/mr-marlboro-lands-a-seismic-blow-8458855.html |accessdatearchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130121161143/http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/mr-marlboro-lands-a-seismic-blow-8458855.html |archive-date=2013-01-21 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|access-date=20 January 2013|newspaper=The Independent|date=20 January 2013}}</ref> Journalists discovered a document attributed to Droukdel and dated 20 July 2012 in [[Timbuktu]] that criticized militants for implementing Islamic law too quickly in Mali.<ref>[http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_international/_pdfs/al-qaida-manifesto.pdf MALI-AL-QAIDA'S SAHARA PLAYBOOK - Associated Press]</ref> He believed the destruction of shrines would provoke Western governments to intervene in Mali.<ref name="bbc20130226">{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21587055 | title=Mali Islamists warned about Sharia in al-Qaeda 'manifesto' | work=BBC News | date=2013-02-26 | accessdateaccess-date=26 February 2013 | author=Doyle, Mark}}</ref>

In December 2007, the [[United States Department of the Treasury]] imposed financial sanctions and froze Abdelmalek Droukdel's assets under [[Executive Order 13224]].<ref name="U.S. freezes assets of Algerian over al Qaeda ties">[https://web.archive.org/web/20071223100750/http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnN04527476.html U.S. freezes assets of Algerian over al Qaeda ties] [[Reuters]], 4 December 2007</ref><ref name="treasury20130214">{{cite press_releasepress release|url=http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/terror.pdf|title=Terrorism: What You Need to Know About U.S. Sanctions|publisher=U.S. Department of Treasury|date=14 February 2013|accessdateaccess-date=26 February 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130228090201/http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/terror.pdf|archivedatearchive-date=28 February 2013}}</ref>

The French government said on 5 June 2020 that Droukdel, and members of his inner circle, had been killed by French special forces during the [[Battle of Talahandak]], north of Mali two days earlier.<ref>{{cite web|title= Al-Qaeda chief in north Africa Abdelmalek Droukdel killed - France| url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-52943692| date= 5 June 2020| website= [[BBC News Online]]| accessdateaccess-date= 6 June 2020}} </ref> AQIM confirmed Droukdel's death two weeks later.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2020/06/aqim-confirms-leaders-death.php |title=AQIM confirms leader's death |website=FDD's Long War Journal |date=18 June 2020 }}</ref> He was replaced by [[Abu Ubaidah Youssef al-Annabi]] as the leader of AQIM.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/22/al-qaeda-in-north-africa-appoints-leader-to-replace-droukdel|title=Al-Qaeda in North Africa appoints new leader after killing|website=Al Jazeera|date=22 November 2020}}</ref>