Riduan Isamuddin also transliterated as Riduan Isamudin, Riduan Isomuddin, and Riduan Isomudin, better known by the nom de guerre Hambali, born as Encep Nurjaman, born April 4, 1964 (Indonesia) is the former military leader of the Indonesian terrorist organization Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), which is linked with Al Qaeda. He is now in extrajudicial detention in the United States's Guantanamo Bay detainment camps, in Cuba.
Hambali was often described as "the Osama bin Laden of Southeast Asia". Some media reports describe him as Bin Laden's lieutenant for Southeast Asian operations. Other reports describe him as an independent peer. He was highly trusted by Al Qaeda and was the main link between the two organisations. Hambali was a close friend of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who planned Operation Bojinka and the September 11 Terrorist Attacks. Hambali envisioned creating a Muslim state, in the form of an Islamic superpower (a theocracy) across Southeast Asia, with himself as its leader (Caliph). His ambition was to rule Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and parts of the Philippines, Myanmar, and Thailand
Receiving increasing attention in the aftermath of the 2002 Bali nightclub bombing, in which 202 people died. According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence he served as the third in command of Al Qaeda, from the 2003 capture of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to his own capture in 2005. He was eventually apprehended in a joint operation by the CIA and Thai police. He is currently imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba, after three years of CIA custody in a secret location.
Read more about Riduan Isamuddin: Early Life, Jemaah Islamiah, Hambali Goes Underground, Capture, Detention, Combatant Status Review, Possible Transfer To Washington DC For A Civilian Trial, Further Reading