Hassan Hattab

Hassan Hattab (born January 14, 1967) is the founder and first leader of the Algerian Islamist rebel group Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC).

Born in Rouiba, he trained as a paratrooper in his national service, in the course of which he met his future lieutenants Amari Saïfi and Abbi Abdelaziz. After leaving the army in 1989, he became a mechanic. He joined the most radical of the Islamist guerrilla movements, the Armed Islamic Group (GIA), after the cancellation of the 1992 elections. In 1994, he became "amir", or chief, in charge of what it called the "second zone", the Kabylie region. As such, he notably was the signer of the document announcing that the GIA had assassinated the anti-religious Kabyle singer Lounes Matoub.

He broke with the GIA on September 14, 1998, rejecting its takfirist policy of massacring Algerian civilians "en masse" and accusing it of being infiltrated by the Algerian secret services. His group, the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, was mainly active in the east of the country, notably in the forests of western Kabylie such as Mizrana, Boumehni, Sidi Ali Bounab, and Takhoukht. It soon eclipsed the GIA as the latter was torn apart by internal purges and army victories. However, at some point after 2001 he lost his leadership position; by October 23, 2003, Nabil Sahraoui had taken over the group.

A "repentant" ex-member reported that he was killed by his own organization in summer 2003. [http://www.algerie-dz.com/article631.html Hassan Hattab a été exécuté par ses lieutenants] , "l'Expression", 11 May 2004] However, the GSPC itself claims that he simply resigned. [http://www.globalterroralert.com/pdf/0105/gspc0105-5.pdf Interview with "al-Faath" magazine] , 31 January 2005] In 2004, the international Arab newspaper "al-Hayat al-Jadida" published an interview with Hattab after the death of his GSPC successor Nabil Sahraoui, where he claimed to be the legitimate leader of the organization. [http://jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2369829 Jamestown Foundation] on the al-Hayat interview, 14 November 2005] On February 9, 2005, the GSPC announced [http://www.algeria-watch.org/fr/article/pol/amnistie/hattab_exclu.htm Hassan Hattab exclu du GSPC] , Algeria-Watch, 13 February 2005] that it had excluded him entirely from the group and saw him as a "stranger to jihad" and a "suppliant before tyranny", according to "El Watan", thus further suggesting that previous rumors of his death might have been exaggerated. In March, he was reported to have called for the GSPC to end their fight. [http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/050317/2005031726.html Hattab calls for dropping weapons] , "Arabic News", 17 March 2005]

On 22 March 2007, Agence France Presse reported [http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4&section=0&article=93987 Algeria Fights New Surge of Extremist Violence] , "Arab News", 22 March 2007] that Hassan Hattab is now under a death sentence in Algeria.

On 5 October 2007, Algerian Minister of the Interior Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni confirmed that Hattab had surrendered on 22 September. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7031042.stm "Top Algerian militant surrenders"] , BBC News, October 5, 2007.]

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