Benjamin Ames

Al Jazeera recently aired an episode of Ma Khafi A'zam (“What Is Hidden Is Greater”), featuring rare footage of senior Hamas commanders ahead of Oct. 7. The material provides insight into Al-Jazeera's level of access to high-ranking Hamas terrorists and its contacts 🧵

🚨 Reports of Al-Qaeda–Houthi Cooperation in Southern Yemen 🔹 Shabwa Governor Awadh bin al-Wazir has accused members of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) of cooperating with the Iran-backed Houthis, following the arrest of suspected militant cells allegedly operating on behalf of the Houthis in southern Yemen. 🔹 The governor further claimed that landmines, explosives, and other equipment recovered from the cells had been supplied by the Houthis, raising questions about potential operational and logistical cooperation between the two groups. 🔹 Authorities reportedly possess documentary, audio, and video evidence supporting these allegations, including recorded statements. 🔹 Despite their ideological rivalry, previous UN reporting has described allegations of tactical cooperation between AQAP and the Houthis. The latest disclosures could provide further insight into the extent of their operational coordination in southern Yemen, if corroborated.

Hezbollah's Illicit Financial Network in Sierra Leone & West Africa 🔹A report by the Emirati news outlet @EremNews examines Hezbollah's alleged financial networks in Sierra Leone, including the use of "blood diamonds" for money laundering and terrorist financing. 🔹The development of Lebanese diaspora communities in Africa, dating back to the second half of the 19th century, helped establish commercial networks that Erem reports were later exploited by Hezbollah and the Amal Movement to expand their influence in Sierra Leone. The civil war in Sierra Leone from 1991-2002, also contributed to Hezbollah's growing involvement in the illicit diamond trade. 🔹Lebanese Parliament Speaker and head of the Amal Movement, Nabih Berri, who was born in Sierra Leone in 1938, illustrates the longstanding commercial ties between Lebanon and West Africa. According to the report, some of these business networks later provided financial infrastructure benefiting Hezbollah. 🔹Other notable figures include Hezbollah financier Nazem Said Ahmad, who was sanctioned by OFAC in 2019. In 2023, OFAC sanctioned 52 individuals and entities linked to his international network. According to US prosecutors, entities connected to Ahmad conducted over $400 million in financial transactions between January 2020 and August 2022. 🔹Beyond drug trafficking and money laundering, the report identifies additional security risks involving the potential recruitment of locals and arms smuggling between Lebanon and countries such as Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, and Sierra Leone. 🔹These networks face increased pressure from international sanctions, intelligence scrutiny, and military operations against Hezbollah's leadership in Lebanon. However, according to the report, they continue to provide alternative financial and arms-smuggling channels for Hezbollah, although their scale and capabilities have reportedly diminished.

Hezbollah-Linked Explosive Smuggling Along the Syrian-Lebanese Border • Lebanese authorities have intercepted multiple explosives shipments in recent weeks, raising questions about Hezbollah-linked logistics networks operating along the Syrian–Lebanese border. • An October seizure at Dahr al-Baidar involved hundreds of kilograms of explosives allegedly destined for Beirut’s southern suburbs. • According to Al-Modon, investigators identified an alleged Hezbollah intermediary known as “Hajj Sajed,” while detained couriers reportedly did not know their handlers’ real identities. • Authorities are also investigating whether checkpoint personnel facilitated the shipment. • On October 12, the Lebanese Army separately seized approximately 200 kg of explosives being smuggled from Syria into Lebanon near Qasr–Hermel. • While the incidents have not been conclusively linked, the seizures raise questions about a broader cross-border logistics ecosystem involving Hezbollah-linked intermediaries and local smuggling networks.

Al-Mustafa International University as a Hub for Terror Recruitment - According to reporting by @IranIntl_En, Hezbollah has been recruiting foreign students from Al-Mustafa University in Qom since at least five years ago, providing them training in weapons, sabotage, cyberattacks and espionage. - The operation is done in coordination with the IRGC Quds Force and is overseen by Indonesian National and Hezbollah recruit Mohammad Hassan, and is supervised by by Talal Hamiyah, head of Hezbollah Unit 910. - At least four Indonesian nationals have been identified as Hezbollah recruits from Al-Mustafa. - Hezbollah recruits reportedly maintain numerous safe houses across Iran, with four properties identified in Qom and Tehran. - Al-Mustafa received at least 1.8 million tomans in state funding in 2026, and has been sanctioned by the U.S. to the Quds Force and intelligence operations.