Home > Articles of interest > Long War Journal Recycles Tajikistan’s Finest Rumors « Ghosts of Alexander
Long War Journal Recycles Tajikistan’s Finest Rumors « Ghosts of Alexander
I was going to write about this from the AQ side since I continue to be on my myth busters mission and so the mentions in the piece about the mythical 055 Brigade caused me my usual conniptions. But it is only Tuesday and I am trying to be so good this week. No cynicism till Friday.
Fortunately, over at Ghosts of Alexander I found an outlet via a really rather impressive post with detail I could only dream of. Well worth a read.
via Long War Journal Recycles Tajikistan’s Finest Rumors « Ghosts of Alexander.
Categories: Articles of interest
The 55th Arab Brigade did exist. It did not have the form noted in the drivel on Wikipedia or the Long War Journal. The only thing they got right was that the unit operated in Afghanistan and was comprised of non-Afghan fighters who operated in support of the Taliban during battles against the Northern Alliance and U.S. forces.
(As an aside, non-Arabs in the group’s composition makes you wonder why it was named the 55th Arab Brigade and who named it so because you know the Afghans didn’t. The group’s name is nonsense, but it can be tracked by leadership and membership and battles in Afghanistan.)
Out of curiosity do you have any materials where this name is referenced? I have founding nothing to substantiate this name being used.
Not that I can provide without facing prison time. It’s a crap answer, I know.
The primary mentions of the label “55th Arab Brigade” come out of JTF-GTMO documents released into the public domain via CSRT and ARB transcripts.
http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/detainees/csrt_arb/index.html
If the allegations are to be believed, the 55th Arab Brigade commander would have been subordinate to Abd al Hadi al Iraqi who of course was subordinate to bin Ladin (presumably why the “brigade” was considered to be under the command of UBL).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Rahman_Uthman_Ahmed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buad_Thif_Allah_Al_Atabi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Said_Ibrahim_Ramzi_Al_Zahrani
I was actually doing some historical research on the IMU when I stumbled across the leadership connection.
I found some materials about the 005 from Bian Glee Williams article’s “Talibanistan : History of Transnational Terrorist Safehaven”. Here is what he is writing :
“As the IMU increasingly came under bin Laden’s influence, it
gradually morphed from an organization narrowly focused on toppling the Karimov regime in Uzbekistan, to a Wahhabi–Salafite movement with a macro-perspective. This was best demonstrated in the summer of 2001 when Juma Namangani was named amir of the 3,000–4,000-strong 055 International Brigade (an Arab– Uzbek–Pakistani jihadi ‘foreign legion’ organized by bin Laden to fight against the Northern Alliance opposition).
The IMU’s increasingly bold raids into Central Asia and control of the 055
Brigade, however, came to an end when the Northern Alliance and the US besieged the Taliban-held city of Kunduz in November 2001.
[...]
Despite such efforts, one source claims that approximately 1,000 Uighurs were in Al-Qaeda-controlled training camps in Afghanistan during this period. By 2000–2001 most of these joined the Uzbeks in the 055 Brigade and several
Uighur fighters were captured by the Northern Alliance opposition at this time.
[...]
Far from being a glorious reprise of the 1980s defeat of the Soviets, bin
Laden’s 055 Brigade took tremendous loses in the winter of 2001–2002.
In essence Al-Qaeda’s 055 Ansar (Supporter) army was annihilated when Uzbek
Northern Alliance commander General Dostum, perfected a killing triad with the
Americans. Riding on horseback against the Taliban–Al-Qaeda army of 45,000,
Dostum’s 2,000 hard-hitting horsemen had US special forces (riding with them) call in air strikes on the enemy to clear their path.”
Thanks. I swear I am going to end up shrieking at computer if I see 055 written anywhere else or that bin Laden organised this or had control over it.
Mix and Match Comments:
55th Arab Brigade:
You’re never going to find the root source of the name “055 brigade” because it’s probably an invention sprung from a translation error. The name pre-dates JTF-GTMO (the most prolific public user of the identifier) and George W. Bush used it in a sound byte when he spoke of moving to “Phase II” of Operation Enduring Freedom that would have been in October 2001.
It doesn’t make sense that a loose confederation of Islamic groups would be organized into a strict military structure (divisions, brigades, companies) and there weren’t enough foreign fighters to need that kind of structured division. You’re talking about groups that organize along ethnic/tribal lines and where personal relationships (trust, respect and experience) form lines of communication. I could see them naming themselves Katiba al Muhajireen since they’re a brigade comprised of emigrants, but “55th Arab Brigade” — no — especially when commanded by an Uzbek and comprised of Uzbeks, Uighurs and Chechnyans as well as Arabs.
But hey, if Jane’s Defence says it is so…
http://www.janes.com/defence/news/misc/jwa011008_2_n.shtml
Leadership/IMU Control:
As for Namangani, yes, he was IMU but I wouldn’t say that the IMU “controlled” the foreign fighters in AF. I see Namangani as being more than IMU and that was the reason for his selection.
If the goal, as outlined by Abu Musab al Suri, was to join the disparate foreign groups in Central Asia, Namangani was the only leading figure who really crossed organizational boundaries.
IMU: Yuldashev. Hot tempered; abrasive; not a military leader; rumored to favor Uzbeks from his home region over all others and thereby alienating the others (that led to cracks that eventually led to various factions splintering off from the IMU).
ETIP: Mahsun. Relatively new to the party; inexperienced compared to the other leaders; not a military commander; fewer fighters at his disposal than the others; a large ruthless enemy looking over his shoulder (China).
AQ: Smaller than many acknowledge; comparatively, not well integrated into Central Asia; Arab centric (to stereotype, the Arabs looked down on the non-Arab Afghans… and the Afghans knew it).
Contrast that to Namangani:
Namangani: A decade of military experience in Central Asia, first in Afghanistan against the communists and then in Tajikistan during the civil war; solid contacts in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
He commanded a lot of respect and was the best/most acceptable choice as someone who could command and organize these disparate groups.
My last comment wasn’t entirely clear. While I don’t think the IMU had operational “control” of the foreign fighters any more than bin Ladin did,
I was trying to point out that Namangani being appointed as commander of foreign fighters in AF was not an indication of bin Laden’s increasing control/influence over the IMU, but rather a compromise to try and get disparate groups to work together within a single battle space.
He was acceptable to all groups including their Taliban hosts.
There was a big sh*t fight about him being appointed to this position. Smoothed over later though. Good comments below.
still trying to research who headed up the Pakistanis in the brigade since they were the largest of the groups.
The Pakistanis are an area that I’m weak in being more focused on the Turkic groups. Have you looked at the training camp at Rishikor where the 055 brigade trained? (I couldn’t resist.)
http://www.afghanforums.com/showthread.php?t=12110