Hassan Hattab (14 January 1967-) was the founder of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), which later became al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Initially a soldier in the Algerian Army, he joined the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) during the Algerian Civil War, but he later formed GSPC.
Biography[]
Hassan Hattab was born on 14 January 1967 in Rouiba, Algiers, Algeria and received religious education there. He was trained as a paratrooper in the Algerian Army, and he met Amari Saifi and Abbi Abdelaziz while there. After the cancellation of the 1992 elections, Hattab joined the Armed Islamic Group (GIA), and he was responsible for the assassination of anti-religion singler Lounes Matoub on 25 June 1998. However, he left GIA after accusing it of massacring Algerian civilians and being infiltrated by the government, and he formed the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) in 1998. In 1999 he declared war on the government of Algeria, seeking to establish an Islamic state in Algeria instead of a secularist government. He refused to join al-Qaeda, and the GSPC eclipsed the power of GIA as it was torn apart by army victories and internal strife. However, in 2003 he was deposed for advocating negotiations with the government, and Nabil Sahraoui replaced him. In 2005 he was excluded entirely from GSPC, which later became "al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb". In 2007 he surrendered and was jailed by the government.