by Gordon M. Hahn
The amir of the Caucasus Emirate (CE) “Sheikh” Ali Aby Muhammad al-Dagistani (born Aliaskhab Kebekov) was designated a “Sprecially Designated Global Terrorist” on 25 March 2015 by the US State Department (http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/03/239759.htm). Dagistani’s predecessor as CE amir, Dokku ‘Abu Usman’ Umarov, was similarly designated in 2010, and the CE was in 2011.
For biographical details on Dagistani see the following by Dr Hahn:
Gordon M. Hahn, The Caucasus Emirate Mujahedin: Global Jihadism in Russia’s North Caucasus and Beyond (McFarland Publishers, 2014).
Gordon M. Hahn, Testimony Before the U.S. Congress Committee on Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Counter-Terrorism and Intelligence Hearing “Assessing Terrorism in the Caucasus and the Threat to the Homeland,” 3 April 2014, http://docs.house.gov/meetings/HM/HM05/20140403/102041/HHRG-113-HM05-Wstate-HahnG-20140403.pdf and http://homeland.house.gov/hearing/subcommitte-hearing-assessing-terrorism-caucasus-and-threat-homeland and http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-113hhrg88780/html/CHRG-113hhrg88780.htm.
Gordon M. Hahn, “The Expanding Globalization of the North Caucasus Jihadists,” Gordonhahn.com Russian and Eurasian Politics, 14 February 2015, http://gordonhahn.com/2015/02/14/the-expanding-globalization-of-the-north-caucasus-jihadists/.
Gordon M. Hahn, “The Islamic State-Al Qa`ida Tussle Over the Caucasus Emirate Continues,” Gordonhahn.com Russian and Eurasian Politics, 10 March 2015, http://gordonhahn.com/2015/03/10/the-islamic-state-al-qaida-tussle-over-the-caucasus-emirate-continues/.
Gordon M. Hahn, REPORT: The Caucasus Emirate in the Levant and the IS-AQ Fitna, Gordonhahn.com Russian and Eurasian Politics, 25 February 2015, http://gordonhahn.com/2015/02/25/the-caucasus-emirate-in-the-levant-and-the-is-aq-fitna-complete-parts-1-and-2/.
Gordon M. Hahn, “Amir of the Caucasus Emirate Sheikh ad-Dagisdtan Reveals New Biographical Details,” Gordonhahn.com Russian and Eurasian Politics, 9 February 2015, http://gordonhahn.com/2015/02/09/amir-of-the-caucasus-emirate-sheikh-ad-dagistani-reveals-new-biographical-details/.
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Gordon M. Hahn is an Analyst and Advisory Board Member of the Geostrategic Forecasting Corporation, Chicago, Illinois; Senior Researcher, Center for Terrorism and Intelligence Studies (CETIS), Akribis Group, San Jose, California Analyst/Consultant, Russia Other Points of View – Russia Media Watch; and Senior Researcher and Adjunct Professor, MonTREP, Monterey, California. Dr Hahn is author of three well-received books, Russia’s Revolution From Above (Transaction, 2002), Russia’s Islamic Threat (Yale University Press, 2007), which was named an outstanding title of 2007 by Choice magazine, and The ‘Caucasus Emirate’ Mujahedin: Global Jihadism in Russia’s North Caucasus and Beyond (McFarland Publishers, 2014). He also has authored hundreds of articles in scholarly journals and other publications on Russian, Eurasian and international politics and wrote, edited and published the Islam, Islamism, and Politics in Eurasia Report at CSIS from 2010-2013. Dr. Hahn has been a Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (2011-2013) and a Visiting Scholar at both the Hoover Institution and the Kennan Institute.