117-684: Chime Communications Limited is a marketing services company headquartered in Westminster, London, England. Chime is the holding company for companies which include sports marketing, public relations, advertising, digital, marketing, research, corporate responsibility and healthcare communications. Chime was founded as a private company in 1989 following a management buyout from Lowe Howard Spink and Bell to form Lowe Bell Communications and subsequently floated in 1994 as Chime Communications plc before going private again in late 2015. Chime comprises five divisions, 54 companies and over 2,000 people. Until July 2012
234-581: A Judeo-Christian alliance (led by the United States ) is waging a war against Islam and conspiring to destroy Islam . Al-Qaeda also opposes man-made laws , and seek to implement sharīʿah (Islamic law) in Muslim countries. Al-Qaeda fighters characteristically deploy tactics such as suicide attacks ( Inghimasi and Istishhadi operations) involving simultaneous bombing of several targets in battle-zones. Al-Qaeda's Iraq branch , which later morphed into
351-688: A Yemeni politician and founding member of Alkarama , who was listed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) by the US Treasury in 2013. The US authorities claimed that Humayqani exploited his role in Alkarama to fundraise on behalf of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). A prominent figure in AQAP, Nuaimi was also reported to have facilitated the flow of funding to AQAP affiliates based in Yemen. Nuaimi
468-476: A "dirty" public relations smear battle. They proposed that Hamza Farooqui (MD of WorldSpace in South Africa, and a partner to Gupta associate Salim Essa) would accuse the former South African Deputy Finance Minister, Mcebisi Jonas , of dishonesty and corruption. This alleged "dirty" statement was formed by Bell Pottinger employee, Nick Lambert. The statement was earmarked for release soon after Jonas said that he
585-628: A "vanguard" for jihad . When Saddam Hussein invaded and occupied Kuwait in 1990, bin Laden offered to support Saudi Arabia by sending his Mujahideen fighters. His offer was rebuffed by the Saudi government, which instead sought the aid of the United States . The stationing of U.S. troops in the Arabian Peninsula prompted bin Laden to declare a jihad against both the rulers of Saudi Arabia – whom he denounced as murtadd (apostates) – and against
702-527: A Friday afternoon by one of our clients, Dyson ... They rang up and they said look, we've got a huge issue, and that is that a lot of our products are being completely ripped off in China, to the point where they're not just completely duplicating the product... (The) Chinese government won't take it seriously, it's half past two on a Friday afternoon. On Saturday, the Chinese Prime Minister is coming in for
819-423: A Qatar-sponsored campaign "as one of the preferred conduits for donations intended for the group". In the disagreement over whether al-Qaeda's objectives are religious or political, Mark Sedgwick describes al-Qaeda's strategy as political in the immediate term but with ultimate aims that are religious. On March 11, 2005, Al-Quds Al-Arabi published extracts from Saif al-Adel 's document "Al Qaeda's Strategy to
936-628: A Qatari citizen and a human-rights activist who founded the Swiss-based non-governmental organization (NGO) Alkarama . On December 18, 2013, the US Treasury designated Nuaimi as a terrorist for his activities supporting al-Qaeda. The US Treasury has said Nuaimi "has facilitated significant financial support to al-Qaeda in Iraq, and served as an interlocutor between al-Qaeda in Iraq and Qatar-based donors". Nuaimi
1053-570: A UK visit – can you please get the UK to raise it?...And I'm pleased to say that on the Saturday, David Cameron raised it with the Chinese Prime Minister and showed him the photos of the products. I'm not saying we can do that all the time but that is an illustration of what, if you have the right message – David Cameron, yes he was doing it for Dyson, yes he was doing it because we asked him to do it, he
1170-466: A background in Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula, it has since attracted fighters from other Arab groups, including North Africans , Jordanians , Palestinians , and Iraqis . In the decade following the 9/11 attacks, Muslims from non-Arab backgrounds, such as Pakistanis , Afghans , Turks , Kurds , and European converts to Islam , have also joined the organization. Many Western analysts do not believe that
1287-664: A buyer, on 7 September the BBC reported that staff had been told that the firm could go into administration by 15 September 2017. Subsequent reports suggested administration on 12 September, and so it proved, with some staff immediately being made redundant. In addition to staff who had previously left the firm, some in disgust at its South African work, around 180 partners and employees were reported to be losing their jobs. BDO's efforts to retain any value in Bell Pottinger included seeking fees from rival companies if senior personnel left
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#17330931751921404-501: A client, Investec stopped using Bell Pottinger's services in March 2016. In December 2016, it was reported that South African billionaire Johann Rupert had also dropped Bell Pottinger as the PR agency of Richemont . Rupert ended the contract after accusing Bell Pottinger of running a social media campaign against him, to divert attention away from persistent "state capture" allegations leveled at
1521-410: A consequence of a scandal caused by its activities in South Africa. Bell Pottinger offered services such as lobbying , speech writing, reputation management, and search engine optimisation to clients including companies, governments and rich individuals. It was the largest UK-based public relations consultancy measured by 2010 fee income. Lord Bell , who advised Margaret Thatcher on media matters,
1638-599: A defense attorney who defended al-Fadl said: There were selective portions of al-Fadl's testimony that I believe was false, to help support the picture that he helped the Americans join together. I think he lied in a number of specific testimony about a unified image of what this organization was. It made al-Qaeda the new Mafia or the new Communists. It made them identifiable as a group and therefore made it easier to prosecute any person associated with al-Qaeda for any acts or statements made by bin Laden. The number of individuals in
1755-740: A legal action to avoid being banned from acting as company directors. Henderson was not part of this legal action, but had previously described the Insolvency Service's case against him as "weak and misconceived". In March 2023, the Insolvency Service dropped its case against Henderson, Geoghegan and Lambert. Al-Qaeda Other groups: Former groups: Non-state allies: Formerly: Non-state opponents: Al-Qaeda ( / æ l ˈ k aɪ ( ə ) d ə / ; Arabic : القاعدة , romanized : al-Qāʿidah , lit. 'the Base';, IPA: [alˈqaː.ʕi.da] )
1872-411: A military base to train the young men to fight against the vicious, arrogant, brutal, terrorizing Soviet empire ... So this place was called 'The Base' ['Al-Qa'idah'], as in a training base, so this name grew and became. We aren't separated from this nation. We are the children of a nation, and we are an inseparable part of it, and from those public demonstrations which spread from the far east, from
1989-641: A quote "Those who want to disrupt the State of the Nation speech must prepare themselves for a civil war." Bell Pottinger initially denied any allegations of wrongdoing. Lord Bell was said to have "left his own firm with key staff members, in apparent disgust over the plan"; Bell confirmed in July 2017 that the Oakbay actions had been a factor in his August 2016 departure. In June 2017 the South Africa's Democratic Alliance criticised
2106-609: A report from the United Nations, based on member state intelligence, concluded that de facto leadership of al-Qaeda had passed to Saif al-Adel , who was operating out of Iran. Adel, a former Egyptian army officer, became a military instructor in al-Qaeda camps in the 1990s and was known for his involvement in the Battle of Mogadishu. The report stated that al-Adel's leadership could not officially be declared by al-Qaeda because of "political sensitivities" of Afghan government in acknowledging
2223-462: A serious concern." Among the first pieces of evidence regarding Saudi Arabia's support for al-Qaeda was the so-called " Golden Chain ", a list of early al-Qaeda funders seized during a 2002 raid in Sarajevo by Bosnian police. The hand-written list was validated by al-Qaeda defector Jamal al-Fadl, and included the names of both donors and beneficiaries. Osama bin-Laden's name appeared seven times among
2340-479: A takeover by Providence Equity Partners (81.1%) and WPP plc (18.9%). Chime was re-registered as a limited company on 19 October 2015. Bell Pottinger Bell Pottinger Private (legally BPP Communications Ltd. ) was a British multinational public relations , reputation management and marketing company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. On 12 September 2017 it went into administration (bankruptcy) as
2457-569: A user – traced to a Bell Pottinger computer – who used the pseudonym 'Biggleswiki'". Among the articles edited by "Biggleswiki" was the Misplaced Pages entry for Dahabshiil , a funds transfer firm. On the same day, The Independent reported that Misplaced Pages co-founder Jimmy Wales had described Bell Pottinger as "ethically blind", after it had admitted altering Misplaced Pages pages relating to its clients. On 9 December 2011, The Independent published further allegations, including that Bell Pottinger had targeted
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#17330931751922574-469: Is a pan-Islamist militant organization led by Sunni jihadists who self-identify as a vanguard spearheading a global Islamist revolution to unite the Muslim world under a supra-national Islamic caliphate . Its membership is mostly composed of Arabs but also includes people from other ethnic groups. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian, economic and military targets of the U.S. and its allies; such as
2691-493: Is a conglomerate of expert committees, each in supervision of distinct tasks and objectives. Its membership is mostly composed of Egyptian Islamist leaders who participated in the anti-communist Afghan Jihad . Assisting them are hundreds of Islamic field operatives and commanders, based in various regions of the Muslim World . The central leadership assumes control of the doctrinal approach and overall propaganda campaign; while
2808-442: Is a way of working ... but this has the hallmark of that approach ... Al-Qaeda clearly has the ability to provide training ... to provide expertise ... and I think that is what has occurred here." On August 13, 2005, The Independent newspaper, reported that the July 7 bombers had acted independently of an al-Qaeda mastermind. Nasser al-Bahri, who was Osama bin Laden's bodyguard for four years in
2925-512: Is former London Olympics communications chief Jackie Brock-Doyle. Group clients include Sky, Sony , Vodafone , Unilever and EADS. Until July 2012, it also managed PR for Nintendo. Prior to the MBO split, notable Bell Pottinger clients won by Good Relations included: Chime was de-listed from the London Stock Exchange on 16 October 2015 and re-registered as a private company following
3042-499: Is not about the al-Qa'idah Organization. We are the children of an Islamic Nation, with Prophet Muhammad as its leader, our Lord is one ... and all the true believers [mu'mineen] are brothers. So the situation isn't like the West portrays it, that there is an 'organization' with a specific name (such as 'al-Qa'idah') and so on. That particular name is very old. It was born without any intention from us. Brother Abu Ubaida ... created
3159-449: Is you get to the point where even if they type in "Uzbek child labour" or "Uzbek human rights violation", some of the first results that come up are sites talking about what you guys are doing to address and improve that, not just the critical voices saying how terrible this all is. In a covert recording, the executives claimed to have access to or relationships with numerous senior British politicians, including Prime Minister David Cameron;
3276-611: The 9/11 Commission Report . Qataris provided support to al-Qaeda through the country's largest NGO, the Qatar Charity . Al-Qaeda defector al-Fadl, who was a former member of Qatar Charity, testified in court that Abdullah Mohammed Yusef, who served as Qatar Charity's director, was affiliated to al-Qaeda and simultaneously to the National Islamic Front , a political group that gave al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden harbor in Sudan in
3393-463: The Financial Times -owned mergers and acquisitions data company. The company's M&A work included acting for Northumbrian Water Group in its agreed acquisition by Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings , for Richemont in its acquisition of Net a Porter , Qatar Investment Authority in its acquisition of Harrods and for Universal Music in its acquisition of EMI Recorded Music. In 2012 it
3510-802: The PRWeek and Marketing magazine league tables. Bell Pottinger had offices in London, North America, the Middle East and south-east Asia. It offered consumer, corporate and financial, healthcare, technology, industrial, public affairs , public sector , corporate social responsibility , internal communication , crisis and issues management services. The Bell Pottinger Private Group included Pelham Bell Pottinger, Bell Pottinger Public Relations, Bell Pottinger Sans Frontières, Bell Pottinger Public Affairs, Bell Pottinger Middle East (offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi), and Bell Pottinger USA. Bell Pottinger donated £11,900 to
3627-661: The 1998 US embassy bombings , the USS Cole bombing , and the September 11 attacks . The organization was founded in a series of meetings held in Peshawar during 1988, attended by Abdullah Azzam , Osama bin Laden , Muhammad Atef , Ayman al-Zawahiri and other veterans of the Soviet–Afghan War . Building upon the networks of Maktab al-Khidamat , the founding members decided to create an organization named " Al-Qaeda " to serve as
Chime Communications Limited - Misplaced Pages Continue
3744-732: The Bureau of Investigative Journalism which the paper claimed revealed executives from Bell Pottinger boasting of ways in which they performed reputation laundering for countries accused of human rights violations. Posing as representatives of a fake investment body linked to the Uzbekistan government, the journalists had filmed a presentation at which Bell Pottinger executives explained techniques used on behalf of their clients, which at one point Tim Collins of Bell Pottinger – who has close connections with Prime Minister David Cameron , Edward Llewellyn , and Steve Hilton – referred to as "dark arts". It
3861-828: The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). DA spokesperson Phumzile van Damme said Bell Pottinger tried to divide and conquer South Africans by abusing racial tensions in a bid to keep Jacob Zuma and his party, the ANC , in power despite ongoing reports of "state capture" by the Gupta family. On 4 July, the PRCA acknowledged receipt of the Democratic Alliance's complaint, and on 13 July said it had also received written observations in response from Bell Pottinger. The Guardian said Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane had called for
3978-525: The Conservative Party in the twelve months to September 2011. In 2012, the company planned to enable clients to attempt to influence European Union legislative processes by organising participation in " European Citizens' Initiatives ", a mechanism intended for grassroots involvement. On 6 December 2011, the British national newspaper The Independent ran a front-page story based on covert filming by
4095-723: The Insolvency Service under provisions of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 . Henderson vowed to fight any attempts to disqualify him. In November 2020, the Times reported that former partners at Bell Pottinger had yet to repay £1.8 million in "excess drawings" from the business prior to its collapse. Liquidators were also pursuing an unnamed partner for an additional sum, with litigation alleging breach of contract and "significant and related excess drawings". In March 2021, Lambert and Geoghegan failed in
4212-475: The Insolvency Service . Bell Pottinger's origins go back to 1985, when Timothy Bell and Frank Lowe founded Lowe Bell as a subsidiary of Lowe Howard-Spink. Bell and Piers Pottinger bought out Lowe Bell in 1989, and it was subsequently floated in 1994 as Chime Communications plc but retained the name Lowe Bell on some of its subsidiary companies. In 1998, the subsidiaries were renamed as Bell Pottinger after Frank Lowe demanded that his name be removed. In 2000
4329-501: The Islamic State of Iraq after 2006, was responsible for numerous sectarian attacks against Shias during its Iraqi insurgency . Al-Qaeda ideologues envision the violent removal of all foreign and secularist influences in Muslim countries , which it denounces as corrupt deviations. Following the death of bin Laden in 2011, al-Qaeda vowed to avenge his killing. The group was then led by Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahiri until he too
4446-514: The UN Security Council 's Sanctions List in 2008 on charges of providing financial and material support to al-Qaeda senior leadership. Subayi allegedly moved al-Qaeda recruits to South Asia-based training camps. He also financially supported Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, a Pakistani national and senior al-Qaeda officer who is believed to be the mastermind behind the September 11 attack according to
4563-626: The US embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania , which killed 224 people. The U.S. retaliated by launching Operation Infinite Reach , against al-Qaeda targets in Afghanistan and Sudan. In 2001, al-Qaeda carried out the September 11 attacks , resulting in nearly 3,000 deaths , long-term health consequences of nearby residents , damage to global economic markets , the triggering of drastic geo-political changes as well as generating profound cultural influence across
4680-585: The United States Department of Defense (DoD) paid Bell Pottinger $ 540 million to create fake terrorist videos, fake news articles for Arab news channels and propaganda videos. An investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism revealed the details of the multimillion-pound operation. Bell Pottinger is understood to have been funded some $ 540 million from the DoD for five contracts from May 2007 to December 2011, according to The Times and
4797-429: The war on terror , al-Qaeda's leadership has become isolated. As a result, the leadership has become decentralized, and the organization has become regionalized into several al-Qaeda groups. The group was initially dominated by Egyptians and Saudis , with some participation from Yemenis and Kuwaitis . Over time, it has evolved into a more international terrorist organization. While its core group originally shared
Chime Communications Limited - Misplaced Pages Continue
4914-492: The 2001 trial of bin Laden and the four men accused of the 1998 US embassy bombings in East Africa. Curtis wrote: The reality was that bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri had become the focus of a loose association of disillusioned Islamist militants who were attracted by the new strategy. But there was no organization. These were militants who mostly planned their own operations and looked to bin Laden for funding and assistance. He
5031-524: The 2004 BBC documentary The Power of Nightmares , al-Qaeda was so weakly linked together that it was hard to say it existed apart from bin Laden and a small clique of close associates. The lack of any significant numbers of convicted al-Qaeda members, despite a large number of arrests on terrorism charges, was cited by the documentary as a reason to doubt whether a widespread entity that met the description of al-Qaeda existed. al-Qaeda's commanders, as well as its sleeping agents, are hiding in different parts of
5148-564: The BBC before the company's collapse. In October 2019, it was reported that 21 former Bell Pottinger partners had repaid £468,000; former CEO James Henderson was said to have disputed the amount requested by BDO. Bell Pottinger's creditors include Lloyds Bank – owed £5.1m. Repayments will also fund BDO fees, which in October 2019 totalled £1.2m. In July 2020, it was reported that former Bell Pottinger partners including Henderson also faced potential disqualification from acting as company directors by
5265-478: The BDO report was prepared at the start of November 2017, but then had no employees. Shareholders were reported to be considering taking legal action against former Bell Pottinger directors for not disclosing the scale of the problem in South Africa, claiming that this non-disclosure affected their participation in a share buy-back in early 2017. In January 2018, former Bell Pottinger partners were reported to be angry at
5382-600: The Bell Pottinger Group acquired Harvard Public Relations and QBO, which was renamed Bell Pottinger Public Relations. In 2001 Bell Pottinger acquired MMK in Germany and also The Smart Company, which was merged into Corporate Citizenship when the Group acquired it in 2007. In 2003 Resonate, a consumer public relations company was set up. In 2004 Bell Pottinger Communications USA was launched and in 2005 Bell Pottinger Middle East
5499-581: The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Its work during the Iraq War came under the U.S.'s Information Operations Task Force and Joint Psychological Operations Task Force. As part of the project Bell Pottinger created fake videos that were approved by General David Petraeus and that appeared to be the work of Al-Qaeda. It also created and distributed news stories that had the appearance of being produced by Arab media outlets. Lord Bell confirmed Bell Pottinger reported to
5616-817: The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne ; David Cameron's former Director of Strategy, Steve Hilton; James Arbuthnot (chair of the Defence Select Committee ); and MP Rory Stewart . Collins also claimed that Bell Pottinger had been involved in David Cameron raising a matter with the Chinese government on behalf of a Bell Pottinger client, saying: …Just as a final example just for you... I'm not saying we can always do this but just as an example of what we can sometimes do. Three weeks ago, we were rung up at 2.30 on
5733-482: The Gupta family, on their clients' behalf. The aim of the campaign was to portray the Gupta family as victims of a conspiracy involving " white monopoly capital " to deflect accusations and evidence of their clients' involvement in corruption and state capture, and to suggest that "white monopoly capital" is actively blocking transformation in South Africa. The allegations were denied by lead partner and Bell Pottinger director Victoria Geoghegan. On 12 April 2017, it
5850-542: The Gupta family. In February 2017, Rupert alleged that Bell Pottinger had maliciously altered his Misplaced Pages page. On 19 March 2017, the South African Sunday Times alleged that Bell Pottinger was behind a social media strategy, using a network of fake bloggers, commentators and Twitter users , in an attempt to influence public opinion, exacerbate racism, and sow racial division in South Africa, as well as targeting media and personalities that were opposed to
5967-548: The Guptas. These included activities in Misplaced Pages, Twitter, chat rooms, blogs and on news articles related to the Gupta family. It was considered (by the Mail and Guardian ) that these alterations were part of "a concerted online counter-propaganda campaign launched on behalf of the Gupta family". After emails from servers associated with Gupta newspapers were leaked, Bell Pottinger was reported to have been involved in substantial editing of
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#17330931751926084-567: The Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe and Russia alike. In fact, from Northwest Africa to South Asia, al-Qaeda had more than two dozen "franchise-based" allies. The number of al-Qaeda militants was set at 20,000 in Syria alone, and they had 4,000 members in Yemen and about 7,000 in Somalia. The war was not over. In 2001, al-Qaeda had around 20 functioning cells and 70,000 insurgents spread over sixty nations. According to latest estimates,
6201-538: The PCC agreed with the Bureau that there was a "broad public interest in exploring the relationship between lobbying and politics" and that it would not have been possible to obtain details of the techniques used by the lobbying company through other means. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism's editor, Iain Overton, welcomed the PCC's ruling, saying: "During our undercover filming Bell Pottinger executives explained to us that one of
6318-430: The PR tools they used to attack news stories was to make an official complaint to the PCC. True to its word, Bell Pottinger went on the offensive following our exposé claiming foul". In June 2014, Bell Pottinger was a notable absentee from a group of major agencies which publicly pledged to abide by Misplaced Pages's rules and end the practice of amending their clients' Misplaced Pages pages. It was revealed on 2 October 2016 that
6435-475: The PRCA to strip Bell Pottinger of its membership, with the matter to be considered by the PRCA's disciplinary committee on 18 August 2017; it also reported that clients were "considering leaving" Bell Pottinger "as clients do not want to be represented by PR firms that become the story or are associated with scandal". The PRCA said a final announcement would be made on or before the week commencing 4 September 2017. The Democratic Alliance later decided not to pursue
6552-649: The Pentagon, the CIA and the U.S. National Security Council on its work in Iraq. Bell Pottinger was accused of facilitating state capture by the Gupta family , in working to burnish the reputation of a family owned investment company, Oakbay Investments, with connections to former South African President Jacob Zuma . The accusations developed into a major South African political controversy, and led to further accusations of exploiting racial tensions in South Africa for commercial gain,
6669-547: The Philippines to Indonesia, to Malaysia, to India, to Pakistan, reaching Mauritania ... and so we discuss the conscience of this nation." As of 2010 however, Bruce Hoffman saw al-Qaeda as a cohesive network that was strongly led from the Pakistani tribal areas. Al-Qaeda has the following direct affiliates: The following are presently believed to be indirect affiliates of al-Qaeda: Al-Qaeda's former affiliates include
6786-505: The President's office. We wrote the President's speech to the UN last year which was very well received... it went a long way to taking the country where it needed to go". One of the techniques specifically mentioned by Collins was the use of search engine optimization to alter Google results. He said: And where we want to get to – and this will take time, this is where David's team are magical –
6903-474: The Times reported that around 40 former Bell Pottinger partners faced a £4m demand from the company's liquidator, BDO, with Henderson asked to repay £400,000. In April 2019, BDO said it could bring lawsuits against former Bell Pottinger partners for their involvement in work for Oakbay, which breached partnership agreements. BDO said it would talk to creditors, owed a combined £14m, about launching claims, adding that it could also sue Lord Bell over his comments to
7020-458: The UK national newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported that some Misplaced Pages user accounts allegedly linked to Bell Pottinger had been suspended. Its report stated that "Further claims published in the Independent today suggested that the company made hundreds of alterations to Misplaced Pages entries about its clients in the last year, some of them adding favourable comments and others removing negative comments. Alterations were said to have been made by
7137-400: The US. From 1992, al-Qaeda established its headquarters in Sudan until it was expelled in 1996. It then shifted its base to the Taliban -ruled Afghanistan and later expanded to other parts of the world, primarily in the Middle East and South Asia . In 1996 and 1998, bin Laden issued two fatāwā that demanded the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Saudi Arabia. In 1998, al-Qaeda conducted
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#17330931751927254-449: The West and have received rudimentary combat training. Other analysts have described al-Qaeda's rank and file as being "predominantly Arab" in its first years of operation, but that the organization also includes "other peoples" as of 2007 . It has been estimated that 62 percent of al-Qaeda members have a university education. In 2011 and the following year, the Americans successfully settled accounts with Osama bin Laden, Anwar al-Awlaki,
7371-421: The Misplaced Pages entry of Gordon Brown 's sister-in-law, the environmental campaigner Clare Rewcastle Brown , and the South African arms manufacturer the Paramount Group . On the same day, it was reported that a parliamentary investigation into lobbying firms, including Bell Pottinger, and their links with ministers, would be launched, and that an internal investigation had begun at Bell Pottinger. In response to
7488-446: The Misplaced Pages page about the Guptas; a Bell Pottinger employee was said to have emailed much of the content to a Gupta account for it to be uploaded. The firm was also reported to have manipulated Misplaced Pages on behalf of its clients in South Africa in 2016, including Oakbay Investments, affecting the company's relationships with other agency customers. After Business Day reported that Bell Pottinger had taken on Oakbay Investments as
7605-444: The Year 2020". Abdel Bari Atwan summarizes this strategy as comprising five stages to rid the Ummah from all forms of oppression: Atwan noted that, while the plan is unrealistic, "it is sobering to consider that this virtually describes the downfall of the Soviet Union ." According to Fouad Hussein , a Jordanian journalist and author who has spent time in prison with Al-Zarqawi, al-Qaeda's strategy consists of seven phases and
7722-409: The articles published on 6 to 9 December 2011, Bell Pottinger lodged a complaint to the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) against the Independent , claiming that the information about its activities published by the newspaper had been obtained through subterfuge and was not of sufficient public interest to merit the Bureau of Investigative Journalism's undercover investigation. However, in its ruling,
7839-488: The beneficiaries, while 20 Saudi and Gulf-based businessmen and politicians were listed among the donors. Notable donors included Adel Batterjee, and Wael Hamza Julaidan . Batterjee was designated as a terror financier by the US Department of the Treasury in 2004, and Julaidan is recognized as one of al-Qaeda's founders. Documents seized during the 2002 Bosnia raid showed that al-Qaeda widely exploited charities to channel financial and material support to its operatives across
7956-606: The board following Chime's takeover in October 2015), Lord Hannay of Chiswick and Dame Sue Tinson (who both left the board on 31 December 2006), and Lord Bell (who left the board in June 2012 following a MBO by Bell Pottinger's management team). The Good Relations Group, owned by Chime Communications Limited, has 215 staff, 172 based in the UK. As well as Good Relations, the group also includes agencies Harvard, MMK and Ptarmigan; some regional offices of Bell Pottinger Group were also rebranded as Good Relations following Bell Pottinger's MBO in June 2012. The Good Relations Group CEO
8073-426: The company and took clients with them to a competitor or newly established business. From 40 partners at the end of August 2017, 10–15 remained by 25 September. Potential buyers of the disgraced company were reported to be deterred by high levels of debt on the firm's balance sheet; it had £15.7m-worth of liabilities at the end of August, including a £6.8m loan from a UK clearing bank. Legal firm Herbert Smith Freehills
8190-457: The company launched a new service aimed at the luxury sector. In August 2016, it was announced that Lord Bell was quitting as Bell Pottinger chairman to set up an advisory firm, Sans Frontières. He retained a 7% stake in Bell Pottinger. He later (July 2017) claimed that he had left the company partly due to concerns over its "smelly" activities for a South African client, Oakbay Investments. The Bell Pottinger Group had been ranked number one in
8307-441: The company made on Misplaced Pages pages that involved or were about their clients. According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism , the company was hired by the Pentagon to work in Iraq, making fake terror and news-style videos, targeting al-Qaeda , for the reported sum of $ 540 million. During 2016 and 2017, a sustained "dirty campaign" by the firm came to light, in which it played on racial animosity in South Africa , including
8424-482: The company's collapse owing creditors £14 million, administrator BDO was reported to be pursuing around 40 former Bell Pottinger partners to repay around £4 million, with Henderson asked to repay £400,000. In April 2019, BDO said it could bring lawsuits against former Bell Pottinger partners for their involvement in work for Oakbay, which breached partnership agreements. Former Bell Pottinger partners also faced potential disqualification from acting as company directors by
8541-512: The complaint laid with the CIPR. On 30 June 2017, Bell Pottinger announced that it was hiring law firm Herbert Smith Freehills to review its dealing with Oakbay Investments in light of the allegations made against Bell Pottinger that it intentionally aggravated racial tensions in South Africa in an effort to deflect attention away from its client. On 6 July 2017 Bell Pottinger CEO James Henderson issued an apology and announced that it had "dismissed
8658-479: The country's tourism board for working with Bell Pottinger "at the same time as the Guptas were paying them [Bell Pottinger] to sow division in South Africa" (the tourist board contract had been terminated, with the board denying this was for political reasons). The Democratic Alliance also complained about Bell Pottinger's actions to two UK PR bodies, the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) and
8775-418: The creation of fake news , to benefit its client Oakbay Investments, which is controlled by the controversial and influential Gupta family in South Africa and had strong ties to the then President Zuma 's government. In 2017, the resulting scandal saw the firm disgraced and expelled from its professional body. Chief executive and largest shareholder James Henderson departed, lead partner Victoria Geoghegan
8892-525: The death of Al-Zawahiri as well as due to "theological and operational" challenges posed by the location of al-Adel in Iran . Most of al-Qaeda's top leaders and operational directors were veterans who fought against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s. Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, were the leaders who were considered the operational commanders of the organization. Nevertheless, al-Qaeda
9009-406: The early 1990s. It was alleged that in 1993 Osama bin Laden was using Middle East based Sunni charities to channel financial support to al-Qaeda operatives overseas. The same documents also report Bin Laden's complaint that the failed assassination attempt of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had compromised the ability of al-Qaeda to exploit charities to support its operatives to the extent it
9126-599: The expulsion of the firm from its professional body, a mass exodus of clients, and, in September 2017, its closure. Bell Pottinger was introduced to the Guptas in January 2016 by Chris Geoghegan, father of Bell Pottinger executive Victoria Geoghegan, and a non-executive director of Rentokil Initial , and he received monthly fees totalling £120,000 from the agency for his services. In September 2017, he resigned from his role at Rentokil Initial. In late February 2016, several internet-based sources were altered to be more favourable to
9243-445: The firm had breached ethical standards, lacked appropriate policies for managing controversial accounts, and had brought the PR industry into disrepute, and the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) said the firm had received a "damning indictment", having breached four of its conduct charter clauses. The firm had previously claimed that the allegations were purely a smear campaign having no truth to them. Following
9360-448: The firm had received a "damning indictment", having breached four of its conduct charter clauses. The firm had previously stated that the allegations were purely a smear campaign having no truth to them. Lord Bell , a founder of Bell Pottinger, told BBC Newsnight he believed it was unlikely the company could survive the damaging South Africa scandal. Following reports that Bell Pottinger had appointed accountancy firm BDO to find
9477-467: The following: Osama bin Laden served as the emir of al-Qaeda from the organization's founding in 1988 until his assassination by US forces on May 1, 2011. Atiyah Abd al-Rahman was alleged to be second in command prior to his death on August 22, 2011. Bin Laden was advised by a Shura Council , which consists of senior al-Qaeda members. The group was estimated to consist of 20–30 people. Ayman al-Zawahiri had been al-Qaeda's deputy emir and assumed
9594-522: The global jihadist movement is driven at every level by al-Qaeda's leadership. However, bin Laden held considerable ideological influence over revolutionary Islamist movements across the world. Experts argue that al-Qaeda has fragmented into a number of disparate regional movements, and that these groups bear little connection with one another. This view mirrors the account given by Osama bin Laden in his October 2001 interview with Tayseer Allouni : "this matter isn't about any specific person and ...
9711-817: The globe. Notably, this activity exploited the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO) and the Muslim World League (MWL). The IIRO had ties with al-Qaeda associates worldwide, including al-Qaeda's deputy Ayman al Zawahiri. Zawahiri's brother worked for the IIRO in Albania and had actively recruited on behalf of al-Qaeda. The MWL was openly identified by al-Qaeda's leader as one of the three charities al-Qaeda primarily relied upon for funding sources. Several Qatari citizens have been accused of funding al-Qaeda. This includes Abd Al-Rahman al-Nuaimi ,
9828-450: The group who have undergone proper military training, and are capable of commanding insurgent forces, is largely unknown. Documents captured in the raid on bin Laden's compound in 2011 show that the core al-Qaeda membership in 2002 was 170. In 2006, it was estimated that al-Qaeda had several thousand commanders embedded in 40 countries. As of 2009 , it was believed that no more than 200–300 members were still active commanders. According to
9945-439: The growing scandal. In September 2017 Herbert Smith Freehills concluded that the firm had breached ethical standards, lacked appropriate policies for managing controversial accounts, and had brought the PR industry into disrepute. Reports that the complaint to the PRCA had been upheld appeared in the media on 24 August, before the official statement. Bell Pottinger appealed against the ruling, and James Henderson resigned around
10062-511: The lead partner involved [in the Oakbay portfolio] and suspended another partner and two employees so that [they] can determine their precise role in what took place." This came following initial findings from the Herbert Smith Freehills investigation. The dismissed lead partner was Victoria Geoghegan. The company also lost its second-largest investor (Chime), as well as experiencing an exodus of major clients and senior staff, due to
10179-596: The now disgraced PR firm, Bell Pottinger , was wholly owned by Chime Communications. The group comprises the VCCP Group in marketing communications and VCCP Business for communications in specialist marketplaces. The company is governed by an executive management team, consisting of Adrian Coleman and Matthew Vandrau (co-chief executives), Jo Parker (chief operating officer), Stephanie Brimacombe (managing director) and David Crowther (chief financial officer). Notable former directors include Lord Davies of Abersoch (who left
10296-584: The number of active-duty soldiers under its command and allied militias have risen to approximately 250,000 by 2018. Al-Qaeda usually does not disburse funds for attacks, and very rarely makes wire transfers. In the 1990s, financing came partly from the personal wealth of Osama bin Laden. Other sources of income included the heroin trade and donations from supporters in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other Islamic Gulf states . A 2009 leaked diplomatic cable stated that "terrorist funding emanating from Saudi Arabia remains
10413-657: The opposition Labour Party for the Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell to launch an investigation, and from the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency for the immediate introduction of a statutory register of lobbyists. In December 2011, it came under public scrutiny after managers were secretly recorded talking to fake representatives of the Uzbek government and violating Misplaced Pages rules by removing negative information and replacing it with positive spin. On 8 December 2011,
10530-473: The organization and details of its structure were provided in the testimony of Jamal al-Fadl , who said he was a founding member of the group and a former employee of bin Laden. Questions about the reliability of al-Fadl's testimony have been raised by a number of sources because of his history of dishonesty, and because he was delivering it as part of a plea bargain agreement after being convicted of conspiring to attack US military establishments. Sam Schmidt,
10647-648: The organization's chief propagandist, and Abu Yahya al-Libi's deputy commander. The optimistic voices were already saying it was over for al-Qaeda. Nevertheless, it was around this time that the Arab Spring greeted the region, the turmoil of which came great to al-Qaeda's regional forces. Seven years later, Ayman al-Zawahiri became arguably the number one leader in the organization, implementing his strategy with systematic consistency. Tens of thousands loyal to al-Qaeda and related organizations were able to challenge local and regional stability and ruthlessly attack their enemies in
10764-450: The regional commanders were empowered with independence in military strategy and political maneuvering. This novel hierarchy made it possible for the organisation to launch wide-range offensives. When asked in 2005 about the possibility of al-Qaeda's connection to the July 7, 2005 London bombings , Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair said: "Al-Qaeda is not an organization. Al-Qaeda
10881-459: The role of emir following bin Laden's death. Al-Zawahiri replaced Saif al-Adel , who had served as interim commander. On June 5, 2012, Pakistani intelligence officials announced that al-Rahman's alleged successor as second in command, Abu Yahya al-Libi , had been killed in Pakistan. Nasir al-Wuhayshi was alleged to have become al-Qaeda's overall second in command and general manager in 2013. He
10998-408: The run-up to 9/11 wrote in his memoir a highly detailed description of how the group functioned at that time. Al-Bahri described al-Qaeda's formal administrative structure and vast arsenal. However, the author Adam Curtis argued that the idea of al-Qaeda as a formal organization is primarily an American invention. Curtis contended the name "Al-Qaeda" was first brought to the attention of the public in
11115-403: The same time, mid-level organizations were given autonomy, but they had to consult with top management before large-scale attacks and assassinations. Top management included the shura council as well as committees on military operations, finance, and information sharing. Through the information committees of al-Qaeda, Zawahiri placed special emphasis on communicating with his groups. However, after
11232-413: The weekend of 2–3 September 2017. On 4 September, the PRCA announced Bell Pottinger's expulsion. Francis Ingham, director-general of the PRCA, described the company's actions, which had incited racial hatred, as "absolutely unthinkable", saying Bell Pottinger had "brought the PR and communications industry into disrepute with its actions, and it has received the harshest possible sanctions." The PRCA said
11349-656: The world . The U.S. launched the war on Terror in response and invaded Afghanistan to depose the Taliban and destroy al-Qaeda. In 2003, a U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq , overthrowing the Ba'athist regime which they falsely accused of having ties with al-Qaeda. In 2004, al-Qaeda launched its Iraqi regional branch . After pursuing him for almost a decade , the U.S. military killed bin Laden in Pakistan in May 2011. Al-Qaeda members believe that
11466-747: The world to this day. They are mainly hunted by the American and Israeli secret services. According to author Robert Cassidy, al-Qaeda maintains two separate forces which are deployed alongside insurgents in Iraq and Pakistan. The first, numbering in the tens of thousands, was "organized, trained, and equipped as insurgent combat forces" in the Soviet–Afghan war. The force was composed primarily of foreign mujahideen from Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Many of these fighters went on to fight in Bosnia and Somalia for global jihad . Another group, which numbered 10,000 in 2006, live in
11583-570: The £900,000 fees paid to law firms and administrator BDO for winding down the company. Several senior staff also lost substantial sums to settle tax bills; up to 15 partners were said to have lost more than £1m. Two former partners – Nick Lambert and Victoria Geoghegan, both involved with the Oakbay project – were reported to be considering legal action, through lawyers Mishcon de Reya . Heather Kerzner (Henderson's partner) instructed London law firm Grosvenor Law to explore ways of clawing back some of her investment in Bell Pottinger. In October 2018,
11700-560: Was killed by the United States in 2022. As of 2021 , they have reportedly suffered from a deterioration of central command over its regional operations. Al-Qaeda only indirectly controls its day-to-day operations. Its philosophy calls for the centralization of decision making, while allowing for the decentralization of execution. The top leaders of al-Qaeda have defined the organization's ideology and guiding strategy, and they have also articulated simple and easy-to-receive messages. At
11817-461: Was a co-founder of Bell Pottinger, which, until July 2012, was a wholly owned subsidiary of Chime Communications plc . In June 2012, Lord Bell and Bell Pottinger CEO James Henderson completed a £19.6 million management buyout from Chime, with Chime retaining a 25% stake in the business. The firm was described as having "the most controversial client list" in the PR industry. It was criticised numerous times for conflict-of-interest edits that
11934-434: Was accused of overseeing a $ 2 million monthly transfer to al-Qaeda in Iraq as part of his role as mediator between Iraq-based al-Qaeda senior officers and Qatari citizens. Nuaimi allegedly entertained relationships with Abu-Khalid al-Suri, al-Qaeda's top envoy in Syria, who processed a $ 600,000 transfer to al-Qaeda in 2013. Nuaimi is also known to be associated with Abd al-Wahhab Muhammad 'Abd al-Rahman al-Humayqani,
12051-408: Was also accused of investing funds in the charity directed by Humayqani to ultimately fund AQAP. About ten months after being sanctioned by the US Treasury, Nuaimi was also restrained from doing business in the UK. Another Qatari citizen, Kalifa Mohammed Turki Subayi, was sanctioned by the US Treasury on June 5, 2008, for his activities as a "Gulf-based Al-Qaeda financier". Subayi's name was added to
12168-476: Was also reported that senior executives at Bell Pottinger told the undercover reporters that they had written a key speech given by the Sri Lankan President to the United Nations, in which he had described military action against Tamil Tiger separatists as "humanitarian". During a meeting with reporters, David Wilson – the chairman of Bell Pottinger Public Relations – had stated: "We had a team working in
12285-597: Was capable of before 1995. Qatar financed al-Qaeda's enterprises through al-Qaeda's former affiliate in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra. The funding was primarily channeled through kidnapping for ransom. The Consortium Against Terrorist Finance (CATF) reported that the Gulf country has funded al-Nusra since 2013. In 2017, Asharq Al-Awsat estimated that Qatar had disbursed $ 25 million in support of al-Nusra through kidnapping for ransom. In addition, Qatar has launched fundraising campaigns on behalf of al-Nusra. Al-Nusra acknowledged
12402-627: Was completed on 30 June 2012 with BPP Communications (Bell Pottinger Private) trading as an independent business from 1 July 2012. Chime retained the Good Relations group of PR businesses, including Harvard, Corporate Citizenship, MMK and Ptarmigan, and some UK regional offices formerly branded as Bell Pottinger were rebranded to Good Relations. Bell Pottinger Private acquired Centreground Political Communications Limited, founded by former Tony Blair adviser Darren Murphy, in June 2014. In September that year,
12519-475: Was concurrently the leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) until he was killed by a US airstrike in Yemen in June 2015. Abu Khayr al-Masri , Wuhayshi's alleged successor as the deputy to Ayman al-Zawahiri, was killed by a US airstrike in Syria in February 2017. Al-Qaeda's next alleged number two leader, Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah , was killed by Israeli agents. His pseudonym was Abu Muhammad al-Masri, who
12636-533: Was doing this also because he thought this was also in the UK wider national interest. This was something where there would be a UK proper interest. But in terms of very fast turnaround and getting things done right at the top of government, if you've got the right message, yes, we can do it. The allegations of Bell Pottinger directly influencing the British Prime Minister and other senior Government figures on behalf of private sector clients led to calls from
12753-588: Was fired, and Chime, its second-largest shareholder, wrote off its investment and departed. There was an exodus of major clients and other senior staff, with the result that many onlookers thought the UK firm was highly likely to close, while operations in the Middle and Far East could be sold to new owners. On 12 September 2017, it was announced that Bell Pottinger had entered administration , with some staff immediately being made redundant. A September 2017 review by law firm Herbert Smith Freehills concluded that
12870-612: Was killed in November 2020 in Iran. He was involved in the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Al-Qaeda's network was built from scratch as a conspiratorial network which drew upon the leadership of a number of regional nodes. The organization divided itself into several committees, which include: Al-Zawahiri was killed on July 31, 2022, in a drone strike in Afghanistan. In February 2023,
12987-572: Was launched with offices in Bahrain in 2009. In 2009 Bell Pottinger Change & Internal Communications was launched and Ptarmigan in Leeds was acquired by the Bell Pottinger Group. In 2010 Pelham Public Relations, a financial public relations business founded by James Henderson, merged with Bell Pottinger Corporate and Financial. In 2011, the merged company was ranked 14th amongst global, and 8th amongst UK, M&A public relations advisers by Mergermarket ,
13104-579: Was not operationally managed by Ayman al-Zawahiri. Several operational groups exist, which consult with the leadership in situations where attacks are in preparation. "... Zawahiri does not claim to have direct hierarchical control over al Qaeda's vast, networked structure. Al Qaeda's core leadership seeks to centralize the organization's messaging and strategy rather than to manage the daily operations of its franchises. But formal affiliates are required to consult with al Qaeda's core leadership before carrying out large-scale attacks." Al-Qaeda central (AQC)
13221-584: Was not their commander. There is also no evidence that bin Laden used the term "al-Qaeda" to refer to the name of a group until after September 11 attacks, when he realized that this was the term the Americans had given it. During the 2001 trial, the US Department of Justice needed to show that bin Laden was the leader of a criminal organization in order to charge him in absentia under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act . The name of
13338-508: Was offered a bribe by a Gupta family member to betray his boss, Pravin Gordhan. Jonas refused this bribe and instead made a public announcement. The "dirty" statement was never released after legal concerns were raised by Bell Pottinger's Victoria Geoghegan. Nick Lambert, senior advisor at Bell Pottinger, was also said to have prepared "key moments" for a speech by African National Congress (ANC) Youth League leader Collen Maine . The speech included
13455-533: Was reported that Bell Pottinger had dropped the Gupta family as a client, having previously been paid around £100,000 per month, reportedly citing "threatening" social media attacks and "insulting" allegations that it had incited racial tensions. Pottinger's involvement with the Gupta family was further highlighted in June 2017 when South African newspapers The Citizen and Sunday Times published several emails, allegedly between Jacob Zuma's son (and close Gupta comrade) Duduzane Zuma and Bell Pottinger, pointing to
13572-410: Was reported to be owed nearly £1m when BDO presented a report to creditors on 10 November 2017. It was reported Bell Pottinger had made a £500,000 loss on estimated UK revenues of £27m in the year to December 2016; BDO prepared draft accounts for administration purposes showing a net loss of £572,000 on a group turnover of £37.5m in 2016. Bell Pottinger employed one staff member and two partners until
13689-465: Was the second biggest financial public relations company in the UK by volume of stock market listed clients, according to the Morningstar (formerly Hemscott) financial data group. In May 2012, it was reported that Lord Bell had agreed a £20 million deal to buy most of the Bell Pottinger branded PR businesses from Chime, with Chime retaining a 25% stake in the venture and a seat on the board. The MBO
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