In the Middle East, it’s fairly common for terrorist leaders to go by aliases or pseudonyms, even when their real names are known.
This practice symbolizes a kind of rebirth, showcasing their commitment to their cause, while also adding a layer of confusion for Western media and helping these leaders maintain their political roles.
A current example is Ahmed al-Sharaa, who, for years, operated under the alias “Abu Mohammad al-Jolani.” Through this identity, he became a significant figure within al-Qaeda and played a role in establishing the Islamic State.
Sharaa was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 1982, but his roots trace back to the Syrian Golan Heights. His family had to flee the Golan after the 1967 Six-Day War, which perhaps influenced his choice of alias, “Al Jolani.” His father shifted from owning olive groves to working in the oil industry following their displacement.
After moving to Iraq post-2003 U.S. invasion, Sharaa joined al-Qaeda, adopting “Abu Mohammad al-Jolani” to connect with his Syrian heritage and the Palestinian cause. Captured by U.S. forces in 2005, he reportedly focused on overthrowing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during his time in custody.
His growing focus on Assad led Sharaa to diverge from al-Qaeda’s path, subsequently founding a Syria-based al-Qaeda faction known as Jabhat al-Nusra, which he later renamed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), parting ways with his former associates.
Once he achieved the goal of ousting Assad in December 2024, he cast aside his comfortable alias and transformed into a political figure, exchanging his combat gear for a suit. In a noteworthy shift, the U.S. rescinded the $10 million bounty on al-Jolani, recognizing him as the interim president.
The al-Qaeda figure who sent Sharaa to establish the Nusra Front was Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri, commonly known as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. He rose to infamy as the leader of the Islamic State, becoming one of the world’s most wanted individuals.
Baghdadi, shaped by his harsh upbringing steeped in Salafism, became the spiritual leader of a group he co-founded, orchestrating attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq. Captured in Fallujah, he was held at Camp Bucca, the same facility where Sharaa was imprisoned.
His compliant demeanor in prison led U.S. intelligence to misjudge his potential threat. Baghdadi’s organization merged into the al-Qaeda umbrella in Iraq, eventually evolving into the Islamic State in 2006 after the death of its original leader in an airstrike.
Initially, ISIS had a different leader, but following his death in a U.S. operation in 2010, Baghdadi took the reins. He reshaped the group into a ruthless, ultra-Islamic caliphate that dominated parts of Iraq and Syria. Aliases like his foster a personal mythology, underscoring claims of his descent from the Prophet Muhammad, enhancing his standing as a leader.
During the Islamic State’s peak, Baghdadi became increasingly reclusive. His infamous end came in 2019, when U.S. forces ended his reign. While he cloaked himself in a mystique, few recall the name Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri.
Similarly, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Baghdadi’s predecessor in al-Qaeda, was also known by a false name. His real name was Ahmad Fadil Nazar al-Kharae. Originating from Jordan, he had a troubled past before reinventing himself as a jihadist in an Osama bin Laden training camp in Afghanistan.
The “Zarqawi” alias references his impoverished hometown in Jordan, reflecting his desire to create a legendary persona, far removed from his past. Though he initially attempted to incite rebellion in Jordan, he later became effective in leveraging the internet for his radical ideology, gaining the attention of al-Qaeda’s higher-ups.
Zarqawi eventually earned bin Laden’s endorsement and rose to prominence within al-Qaeda in Iraq, but his approach often rendered him too extreme for the organization. Despite his death in 2006, his constructed identity remains a fascinating, often incomprehensible aspect of modern terrorism.
Al-Qaeda’s leaders frequently employ pseudonyms; however, notable exceptions exist, like Osama bin Laden. Currently, Saif al-Adel, an Egyptian formerly known as Mohamed Salah al-Din al-Halim Zaidan, is the de facto leader of al-Qaeda. His ascension came after the death of Ayman Al Zawahiri, who met his end in a U.S. drone strike in July 2022.
Terrorists often prefer aliases for various reasons. The Middle East can be quite chaotic, and many countries lack organized bureaucracies. Moreover, using invented names can effectively mislead law enforcement.
Saif al-Adel’s military background as a lieutenant colonel in the Egyptian Special Forces is somewhat murky. Distinguishing fact from fiction in his story can be challenging, but he has skillfully navigated this ambiguity. The upcoming generation of terrorists will likely adopt techniques from their predecessors to craft artificial identities in our information-saturated age.
