China: The Evolution of ETIM

The East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) is at the top of China’s most-wanted list of terrorist organizations. The group has a long and varied history. Its most recent incarnation was in the late 1990s, when the group tried to gain the support of Uighur communities at home and abroad. Failing that, it turned first to the Taliban in Afghanistan and then to the jihadist movement in Pakistan. ETIM crumbled after its leader, Hasan Mahsum, was killed in Pakistan in 2003. There are indications today that a revived movement may be integrating into the broader international jihadist movement in Central and South Asia.