Wassim Nasr
Wassim Nasr | |
|---|---|
 Nasr in 2016 | |
| Alma mater | Institute for International Strategic Relations |
| Occupations | Journalist, analyst |
| Writing career | |
| Period | 2011-present |
| Subjects | Jihadism in the Middle East and Sahel |
Wassim Nasr is a Lebanese journalist and analyst specializing in jihadist movements and terrorism, and European, Middle Eastern, and African responses to them.[1][2][3] He is a Senior Research Fellow at the Soufan Center.
Education
As a child, Nasr lived through the Lebanese Civil War.[4] He received a bachelor's degree in International Relations and a master's degree in Defense from the Institute for International and Strategic Relations in Paris, and a PhD from the same university.[4]
Career
In 2011, Nasr was hired at France 24 and worked at BFM TV from 2010 to 2012.[2][4] As the only Arabic-speaking journalist at BFM, he was able to interview members of Muammar Gaddafi's forces and Libyan rebels during the Libyan civil war in 2011.[4] He speaks French, English, and Arabic.[3]
Nasr began researching the Islamic State and its rise, often interviewing militants and people fighting the jihadists using connections through Twitter and cross-checking them.[4] In 2016, he published a book L'Etat Islamique: Fait Accompli (The Islamic State: Fait Accompli).[2][5] Between 2020 and 2023, Nasr visited Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham-controlled areas of Idlib Governorate in Syria and spoke with top HTS leaders like Ahmed al-Sharaa and Abu Maria al-Qahtani.[6] In 2024, Nasr conducted an interview with Amadou Koufa, the head of Katiba Macina and second-in-command of Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin.[7] To date, it is Koufa's first interview with any Western news outlet.[7]
Following Nasr's interview with Koufa, the governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced an investigation into Nasr for "publicizing and blatantly supporting terrorists in the Sahel."[8] This investigation also came as a result of Nasr's statements claiming heavy losses for the Alliance of Sahel States (which the three countries compose) during the Bamako attacks and attacks on Djibo.[8]
References
- ↑ "Wassim Nasr : podcasts et actualités". Radio France (in French). Retrieved 2026-05-28.
- 1 2 3 "Wassim NASR". France 24 (in French). 2014-06-03. Retrieved 2026-05-28.
- 1 2 "Wassim Nasr". The Soufan Center. Retrieved 2026-05-28.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Wassim Nasr au Bondy Blog : "Les banlieues sont des territoires accessibles, il faut simplement savoir y aller"". Bondy Blog (in French). 2016-12-22. Retrieved 2026-05-28.
- ↑ Hecker, Marc (2016-09-05). "ÉTAT ISLAMIQUE, LE FAIT ACCOMPLI, Wassim Nasr, Paris, Plon, 2016, 192 pages". Politique étrangère (in French) (3): XXXIII–XXXIII. doi:10.3917/pe.163.0163zg. ISSN 0032-342X.
- ↑ Hummel, Kristina (2023-05-19). "Journey to Idlib: An Interview with Wassim Nasr, Journalist, France24". Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. Retrieved 2026-05-28.
- 1 2 Hummel, Kristina (2025-01-31). "Answers from the Sahel: Wassim Nasr, Journalist, France24, on His Interview with Deputy JNIM Leader Mohamed (Amadou) Koufa". Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. Retrieved 2026-05-28.
- 1 2 "Sahel : les juntes ouvrent une enquête contre un journaliste de France 24". Le Monde.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 2024-12-25. Retrieved 2026-05-28.