Thanks all, this is all really useful. I think I've got this bit now, but using the same text as an example: 
ABU BAKR, Ibrahim Ali Muhammad (a.k.a. AL-LIBI, Abd al-Muhsin)
(individual) [SDGT]
AFGHAN SUPPORT COMMITTEE (ASC) (a.k.a. AHYA UL TURAS; a.k.a. JAMIAT
AYAT-UR-RHAS AL ISLAMIA; a.k.a. JAMIAT IHYA UL TURATH AL ISLAMIA;
a.k.a. LAJNAT UL MASA EIDATUL AFGHANIA) Grand Trunk Road, near
Pushtoon Garhi Pabbi, Peshawar, Pakistan; Cheprahar Hadda, Mia Omar
Sabaqah School, Jalalabad, Afghanistan [SDGT]

[download]
I'm now trying to match firstnames. What reg exp is need to match 
Ibrahim Ali Muhammad

[download]
the reason being is that I'm trying to add tags to a text document, so that I can work manipulate it like this: 
$line =~ s/regexp\<name\>$1\<\/name\>/;

[download]
I want to achieve this: 
ABU BAKR, <name>Ibrahim Ali Muhammad</name> (a.k.a. AL-LIBI, Abd al-Mu
+hsin)
(individual) [SDGT]
AFGHAN SUPPORT COMMITTEE (ASC) (a.k.a. AHYA UL TURAS; a.k.a. JAMIAT
AYAT-UR-RHAS AL ISLAMIA; a.k.a. JAMIAT IHYA UL TURATH AL ISLAMIA;
a.k.a. LAJNAT UL MASA EIDATUL AFGHANIA) Grand Trunk Road, near
Pushtoon Garhi Pabbi, Peshawar, Pakistan; Cheprahar Hadda, Mia Omar
Sabaqah School, Jalalabad, Afghanistan [SDGT]

[download]

In reply to Re^2: Fine tuning a reg exp by markjrouse
in thread Fine tuning a reg exp by markjrouse

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