Faisal al-Khalidi is a Saudi citizen and U.S.-designated al-Qaeda military official based in Iran. He previously served as a battalion commander for the terror group. The U.S. Treasury sanction-designated Bayumi in July 2016 alongside two other Iran-based al-Qaeda operatives—Yisra Bayumi and Abu Bakr Muhammad Ghumayn—for their financial and logistical support of al-Qaeda.“Treasury Designates Three Senior Al-Qaida Operatives,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, July 20, 2016, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0523.aspx. The Treasury described the three men as “senior al-Qaeda veterans.”Treasury Designates Three Senior Al-Qaida Operatives,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, July 20, 2016, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0523.aspx;
Tyler Pager, “U.S. Treasury sanctions three Iran-based Al Qaeda members,” Politico, July 20, 2016, http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/al-qaeda-us-sanctions-225871.

According to Adam Szubin, acting undersecretary of Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, the men have been “responsible for moving money and weapons across the Middle East.”“Treasury Designates Three Senior Al-Qaida Operatives,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, July 20, 2016, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0523.aspx. The designation notice noted that the men are based in Iran, though the Iranian foreign ministry has denied this.“Iran denies presence of Al-Qaeda operatives,” Daily Star (Beirut), July 26, 2016, https://www.dailystar.com.lb/Entity/People/152618493/Faisal-Jassim-Mohammed-Al-Amri-Al-Khalidi.ashx?utm_source=Magnet&utm_medium=Entities%20widget&utm_campaign=Magnet%20tools.

Khalidi was described by the Treasury as “part of a new generation of [al-Qaeda] operatives.”“Treasury Designates Three Senior Al-Qaida Operatives,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, July 20, 2016, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0523.aspx. According to the Treasury, Khalidi took part in an al-Qaeda Council meeting in May 2015 to examine means of procuring weapons. He also oversees liaison between al-Qaeda and the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Pakistani Taliban, a role he has fulfilled since 2011. He remains on a “wanted list” produced by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of the Interior.“Wanted List – 85,” General Directorate of Investigation, Saudi Ministry of Interior, accessed October 5, 2016, https://www.moi.gov.sa/wps/portal/Home/sectors/investigationdepartment/contents/!ut/p/z0/fY2xDoIwFEV_pQvzq6QgKyFRwUU3eAtp4KFVbIu8oJ9vNS4ujvfmnHsBoQa0ejEnzcZZPYbcYNrKUqndSsX7TB02Mj_GVZEXZbxdp1AB_gfCgrlME-aAnbNMT4ba2IVm_r4INwymo0j-tj15fecbWY4kn0k8dJB74cn5McCjmVlkycdq3yFLWrLgr9i8AM0-X48!/.

Abu Suleyman al-Firansi—born as Abdelilah Himich—is a Moroccan citizen, former French soldier, and suspected key member of ISIS. According to several ISIS defectors, Firansi leads the group’s amn al-kharjee, the external operations branch responsible for carrying out attacks in Europe. Various U.S. and French authorities have identified Firansi as one of the suspected masterminds behind ISIS’s November 2015 Paris massacre and March 2016 Brussels bombings.Sebastian Rotella, “U.S. Identifies Key Player in ISIS Attacks on Europe,” ProPublica, October 19, 2016, https://www.propublica.org/article/us-identifies-key-player-in-isis-attacks-on-europe. In November 2016, French authorities identified Moroccan-Belgian extremist Oussama Atar as the overall coordinator of both attacks.Associated Press, “Authorities ID possible organizer of Paris, Brussels attacks,” Yahoo News, November 8, 2016, http://sports.yahoo.com/news/authorities-id-possible-organizer-paris-brussels-attacks-160254593.html; Margot Haddad, Erin McLaughlin, and Tim Hume, “France identifies suspected coordinator of Paris, Brussels attacks,” CNN, November 8, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/08/europe/paris-brussels-attacks-suspected-coordinator/. Firansi has been the subject of French and Interpol arrest warrants, and is believed to operate out of ISIS-controlled territory in Syria.Sebastian Rotella, “U.S. Identifies Key Player in ISIS Attacks on Europe,” ProPublica, October 19, 2016, https://www.propublica.org/article/us-identifies-key-player-in-isis-attacks-on-europe. The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Firansi as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on November 22, 2016.“Counter Terrorism Designations; Kingpin Act Designations Updates,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, November 22, 2016, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20161122.aspx.

Firansi was born in Rabat, Morocco, in 1989 and moved with his family to France in his early teens. He joined the French Foreign Legion in 2008 and gained combat experience while on a six-month tour in Afghanistan.Sebastian Rotella, “U.S. Identifies Key Player in ISIS Attacks on Europe,” ProPublica, October 19, 2016, https://www.propublica.org/article/us-identifies-key-player-in-isis-attacks-on-europe; Michael Weiss, “From French Soldier to ISIS Spymaster,” Daily Beast, October 24, 2016, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/10/24/the-french-spymaster-of-isis.html. According to French officials, Firansi deserted the French Foreign Legion in 2010, and was arrested in Paris one year later while carrying 2.6 pounds of cocaine.Sebastian Rotella, “U.S. Identifies Key Player in ISIS Attacks on Europe,” ProPublica, October 19, 2016, https://www.propublica.org/article/us-identifies-key-player-in-isis-attacks-on-europe; Michael Weiss, “Is This Frenchman Running ISIS Terror Networks in the West?,” Daily Beast, May 1, 2016, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/05/01/is-this-frenchman-running-isis-terror-networks-in-the-west.html. In 2013, Firansi was convicted on drug-related charges and sentenced to three years in prison, but was released after five months.Sebastian Rotella, “U.S. Identifies Key Player in ISIS Attacks on Europe,” ProPublica, October 19, 2016, https://www.propublica.org/article/us-identifies-key-player-in-isis-attacks-on-europe. By early 2014, Firansi had traveled to Syria by driving through Italy, Greece, and Turkey, to fight with an al-Qaeda-linked group before joining ISIS.Sebastian Rotella, “U.S. Identifies Key Player in ISIS Attacks on Europe,” ProPublica, October 19, 2016, https://www.propublica.org/article/us-identifies-key-player-in-isis-attacks-on-europe.

As a member of ISIS, Firansi has reportedly helped plot the group’s major attacks in Europe. Following the November 2015 Paris attacks, ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi reportedly rewarded Firansi“ABOU SOULEIMAN : L’ÉMIR FRANÇAIS DE DAECH,” TTU, April 15, 2016, http://www.ttu.fr/abou-souleiman-lemir-francais-de-daech/; Michael Weiss, “Is This Frenchman Running ISIS Terror Networks in the West?,” Daily Beast, May 1, 2016, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/05/01/is-this-frenchman-running-isis-terror-networks-in-the-west.html. by appointing him to the head of the amn al-kharjee, a unit belonging to the larger intelligence structure known as the Emni. The Emni was previously led by Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, the group’s spokesman and director of external operations killed in an August 2016 drone strike.Sebastian Rotella, “U.S. Identifies Key Player in ISIS Attacks on Europe,” ProPublica, October 19, 2016, https://www.propublica.org/article/us-identifies-key-player-in-isis-attacks-on-europe; Rukmini Callimachi, “How A Secret Branch of ISIS Built a Global Network of Killers,” New York Times, August 3, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/04/world/middleeast/isis-german-recruit-interview.html?_r=0.

According to one unnamed U.S. counterterrorism official, Faransi is “one of the most important Frenchmen in ISIS, especially after the death of Adnani.”Sebastian Rotella, “U.S. Identifies Key Player in ISIS Attacks on Europe,” ProPublica, October 19, 2016, https://www.propublica.org/article/us-identifies-key-player-in-isis-attacks-on-europe. Journalist Michael Weiss has referred to Faransi as “arguably the single most important European in ISIS.”Michael Weiss, “From French Soldier to ISIS Spymaster,” Daily Beast, October 24, 2016, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/10/24/the-french-spymaster-of-isis.html.

Abu Suleiman al-Naser, whose real name was Neaman Salman Mansour al Zaidi, was a Moroccan-born Syrian citizen and the minister of war of the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI), the direct predecessor of ISIS.David Trayner, “Top 5 Islamic State leaders we must kill revealed,” Daily Star (London), October 11, 2015. https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/469437/islamic-state-leadership-most-wanted-terrorists-revealed; Gianluca Mezzofiore, “Isis leadership: Who’s who in ‘fluid’ Islamic State structure of power,” International Business Times, July 2, 2015, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/isis-leadership-whos-who-fluid-islamic-state-structure-power-1509014; David Trayner, “Top 5 Islamic State leaders we must kill revealed,” Daily Star (London), October 11, 2015, http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/469437/islamic-state-leadership-most-wanted-terrorists-revealed. Iraqi security forces killed Nasr in a February 2011 raid.“Al-Qaeda 'military leader' Abu Suleiman killed in Iraq,” BBC News, February 25, 2011, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-12581313.

In as early as 2003, Naser traveled to an al-Qaeda training camp in Rawa, Iraq, which was later raided by U.S. forces. He was detained and sent to the U.S.-run Camp Bucca detention facility.David Trayner, “Top 5 Islamic State leaders we must kill revealed,” Daily Star (London), October 11, 2015. The prison, which operated in Umm Qasr, Iraq, from 2003 to 2009, held inmates that would go on to become top leaders in ISIS, including Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Abu Ayman al-Iraqi.Bill Roggio, “Al Qaeda in Iraq’s security minister captured in Anbar,” Long War Journal, December 1, 2010.

Naser joined ISI after Camp Bucca’s closure in 2009. In April 2010, ISI’s former minister of war, Abu Ayyub al Masri, was killed in a joint U.S.-Iraqi raid alongside ISI leader Abu Omar al Baghdadi. Naser was appointed the new minister of war, as ISI preferred a non-Iraqi to serve as the minister so that tribal affiliations would not conflict with the group’s interests. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was appointed ISI’s new leader.David Trayner, “Top 5 Islamic State leaders we must kill revealed,” Daily Star (London), October 11, 2015;
Thomas Joscelyn, “The Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham’s quiet war minister,” Long War Journal, June 16, 2014.

Several reports in 2014 claimed that Naser was alive and serving as ISIS’s military chief. However, in February 2011, the Iraqi government claimed to have killed Naser in a raid.“Al-Qaeda ‘military leader’ Abu Suleiman killed in Iraq,” BBC News, February 25, 2011, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-12581313. Although his death was disputed, Naser has made no statements since 2011. Furthermore, in 2016, an ISIS insider confirmed Naser’s death in a detailed account of the history of ISIS’s leadership.Aymenn J. al-Tamimi, “An Account of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi & Islamic State Succession Lines,” Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi's Blog, January 24, 2016, http://www.aymennjawad.org/2016/01/an-account-of-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-islamic-state.

Moez Fezzani is a Tunisian citizen and an ISIS leader in Libya.“MENASTREAM ID #1: Moez Ben Abdelkader Ben Ahmed Fezzani,” Menastream, February 9, 2016, http://menastream.com/menastream-id-1-moez-ben-abdelkader-ben-ahmed-fezzani/. In 2014, he traveled from Syria to Libya to lead ISIS’s elite Kalibat al-Battar Special Forces. According to Tunisian Ministry of Interior, Fazzani planned two major ISIS attacks in Tunisia, including the March 2015 attacks at the Bardo Museum in Tunis, and the June 2015 attack on the beach in Sousse.“MENASTREAM ID #1: Moez Ben Abdelkader Ben Ahmed Fezzani,” Menastream, February 9, 2016, http://menastream.com/menastream-id-1-moez-ben-abdelkader-ben-ahmed-fezzani/;
“Tunisia attack: Sousse ceremony to remember victims,” BBC News, July 3, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-33378374;
“Tunis Bardo Museum attack: Thousands join protest march,” BBC News, March 29, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32105232.

Fezzani was previously held in U.S. custody between 2001 and 2009.“MENASTREAM ID #1: Moez Ben Abdelkader Ben Ahmed Fezzani,” Menastream, February 9, 2016, http://menastream.com/menastream-id-1-moez-ben-abdelkader-ben-ahmed-fezzani/. In December 2009, he was transferred to Italian custody and, in 2012, extradited to his home country of Tunisia. There, he reportedly joined the domestic militant group Ansar al-Sharia Tunisia.“MENASTREAM ID #1: Moez Ben Abdelkader Ben Ahmed Fezzani,” Menastream, February 9, 2016, http://menastream.com/menastream-id-1-moez-ben-abdelkader-ben-ahmed-fezzani/. He traveled to Syria in 2013, where he reportedly joined the Nusra Front, and later ISIS.“MENASTREAM ID #1: Moez Ben Abdelkader Ben Ahmed Fezzani,” Menastream, February 9, 2016, http://menastream.com/menastream-id-1-moez-ben-abdelkader-ben-ahmed-fezzani/;
“Tunisia attack: Sousse ceremony to remember victims,” BBC News, July 3, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-33378374;
“Tunis Bardo Museum attack: Thousands join protest march,” BBC News, March 29, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32105232.

Government and media sources disagree as to where Fezzani was previously detained. While several U.S. and Italian media outlets claim he was held at Guantanamo Bay,Anna Momigliano, “Why Italy is taking Gitmo prisoners,” Christian Science Monitor, June 17, 2009, http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2009/0617/p06s17-woeu.html. leaked U.S. State Department documents reveal Fezzani was transferred from the Baghram Theater Internment Facility to Italy on December 22, 2009.“Informing the GOT of the Transfer of Tunisian Detainee from Bagram to Italy,” U.S. Department of State, December 22, 2009, https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/09STATE130318_a.html. Fezzani also appears on an October 2010 U.S. Department of Defense list of detainees who were held at the Baghram Facility. However, the date of his arrest, the location and circumstances of his capture, and the number of days that he spent at the facility are redacted.“Redacted List of Detainees Held at Bagram Air Base,” ACLU, April 18, 2013, https://www.aclu.org/other/redacted-list-detainees-held-bagram-air-base?redirect=national-security/redacted-list-detainees-held-bagram-air-base.

Upon Fezzani’s reported extradition to Italy in December 2009, he was tried for providing logistical support the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), the precursor to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Italian prosecutors allege Fezzani was raising funds for the group while in Milan between 1997 and 2001.“MENASTREAM ID #1: Moez Ben Abdelkader Ben Ahmed Fezzani,” Menastream, February 9, 2016, http://menastream.com/menastream-id-1-moez-ben-abdelkader-ben-ahmed-fezzani/;
Anna Momigliano, “Why Italy is taking Gitmo prisoners,” Christian Science Monitor, June 17, 2009, http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2009/0617/p06s17-woeu.html. He was acquitted from terrorism charges in 2011 and was deported to Tunisia following a request from the Tunisian government.“MENASTREAM ID #1: Moez Ben Abdelkader Ben Ahmed Fezzani,” Menastream, February 9, 2016, http://menastream.com/menastream-id-1-moez-ben-abdelkader-ben-ahmed-fezzani/.

Fezzani reportedly joined the al-Qaeda-affiliated Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia when he returned to his home country in 2012.“MENASTREAM ID #1: Moez Ben Abdelkader Ben Ahmed Fezzani,” Menastream, February 9, 2016, http://menastream.com/menastream-id-1-moez-ben-abdelkader-ben-ahmed-fezzani/. In 2013, he is reported to have traveled to Syria to join the Nusra Front, al-Qaeda’s then-affiliate in Syria.“MENASTREAM ID #1: Moez Ben Abdelkader Ben Ahmed Fezzani,” Menastream, February 9, 2016, http://menastream.com/menastream-id-1-moez-ben-abdelkader-ben-ahmed-fezzani/. Fezzani joined ISIS one year later, and reportedly relocated to Libya to lead the group’s Kalibat al-Battar Special Forces unit. In this role, he is also believed to have helped to plan attacks against the Tunisian government.“MENASTREAM ID #1: Moez Ben Abdelkader Ben Ahmed Fezzani,” Menastream, February 9, 2016, http://menastream.com/menastream-id-1-moez-ben-abdelkader-ben-ahmed-fezzani/.

On February 8, 2016, the Tunisian Ministry of the Interior issued an arrest warrant for Fezzani, claiming he was involved in planning two separate attacks in Tunisia in March and June of 2015. In the first attack, on March 18, 2015, ISIS gunmen stormed the Bardo Museum in Tunis, killing 21 foreign tourists and a Tunisian. On June 26, 2015, ISIS gunman killed at least 38 individuals on a beach in Sousse.“Tunisia attack: Sousse ceremony to remember victims,” BBC News, July 3, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-33378374;
“Tunis Bardo Museum attack: Thousands join protest march,” BBC News, March 29, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-32105232.

On August 16, 2016, the internationally recognized Libyan National Army (LNA) reported Fezzani had been arrested while attempting to flee to Tunisia from the ISIS stronghold of Sirte.Lisa Daftari, “Libyan authorities arrest senior ISIS recruiter, former U.S. detainee: Libyan media,” Foreign Desk, August 19, 2016, http://www.foreigndesknews.com/world/middle-east/libyan-authorities-arrest-senior-isis-recruiter-former-u-s-detainee-libyan-media/.

Mohammad Reza Naqdi is the deputy coordinator the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).“Treasury Targets Iran’s Billion Dollar Metals Industry and Senior Regime Officials,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, January 10, 2020, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm870. From October 2009 until December 2016, Naqdi commanded the IRGC’s Basij Resistance Force.“Fact Sheet: U.S. Treasury Department Targets Iran’s Nuclear and Missile Programs,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, June 16, 2010, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg747.aspx;
Saleh Hamid, “Former Iran forces leader appointed to the helm of Basij militias,” Al Arabiya, December 10, 2016, https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/12/10/Former-Iran-forces-leader-appointed-to-the-helm-of-the-Basij-militias.html. The Basij is the domestic arm of the IRGC, responsible for internal security to protect against perceived threats to the Iranian regime.Ali Alfoneh, “The Basij Resistance Force | The Iran Primer,” United States Institute of Peace, accessed February 27, 2015, http://iranprimer.usip.org/resource/basij-resistance-force.

Naqdi served as head of the Basij until December 11, 2016, when he was replaced by Gholam Hossein Gheybparvar. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei named Naqdi the deputy commander of the IRGC’s cultural and social affairs department.Arash Karami, “The remilitarization of Iran’s Basij,” Al-Monitor, December 19, 2016, http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/12/iran-gholamhossein-gheybparvar-basij-appointment.html; “Leader Appoints New Commander of Basij,” Tasnim News Agency, December 7, 2016, https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2016/12/07/1261346/leader-appoints-new-commander-of-basij. In May 2019, Khamenei appointed Naqdi deputy coordinator of the IRGC.“Treasury Targets Iran’s Billion Dollar Metals Industry and Senior Regime Officials,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, January 10, 2020, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm870.

The United States and European Union accuse Naqdi of overseeing Basij human rights abuses against Iranian protesters, including during the December 2009 protests on the Islamic holy day of Ashura.“Treasury Designates Tehran Prosecutor General, Basij Commander for Human Rights Abuses in Iran,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, February 23, 2011, http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1076.aspx;
“Council Regulations (EU) No 359/2011 of 12 April 2011 Concerning Restrictive Measures Directed Against Certain Persons, Entities and Bodies in View of the Situation in Iran,” Official Journal of the European Union, April 14, 2011, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32011R0359&rid=10. The Basij reportedly beat protesters, looted student dormitories, and tortured prisoners. Naqdi is known among Iranians as “the Tyrant of the Campus” because of the Basij’s violent repression of student protesters.Matt Siegelheim, “Obama Administration Targets Two More Iranian Officials for Sanctions, Including Prosecutor of US Hikers,” ABC News Radio, February 23, 2011, http://abcnewsradioonline.com/world-news/obama-targets-two-more-iranian-officials-for-sanctions.html. In 2009, Naqdi promised that new cooperation between the IRGC and the Iranian media would further limit dissent against the regime.Robert F. Worth, “Iran Expanding Effort to Stifle the Opposition,” New York Times, November 24, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/world/middleeast/24iran.html.

Prior to commanding the Basij, Naqdi led the intelligence divisions of the Basij and the Quds Force, the IRGC’s external operations wing. Iranian police had twice arrested him for torturing suspects.“Senior Iranian Police Chief Charged with Torture,” BBC News, March 3, 1999, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/290021.stm; “Mohammed-Reza Naqdi,” Foundation For Defense of Democracies, http://www.defenddemocracy.org/mohammad-reza-naqdi#_ftn2.

Naqdi believes Iran’s global influence is growing. He has accused the West of fearing Islam and the Islamic revolution. Naqdi credited this fear with forcing Western powers into negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.“Basij Commander: West in Talks With Iran for Fear of Islam, Revolution,” Fars News Agency, April 29, 2015, http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940209001431. He called the nuclear negotiations a pretense to stall the imminent collapse of both Israel and Saudi Arabia.“Basij Commander: West in Talks With Iran for Fear of Islam, Revolution,” Fars News Agency, April 29, 2015, http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940209001431. He has accused the United States of creating ISIS“Basij Commander: West in Talks With Iran for Fear of Islam, Revolution,” Fars News Agency, April 29, 2015, http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940209001431. and of waging a cultural war on Iran.“Basij Commander: West in Talks With Iran for Fear of Islam, Revolution,” Fars News Agency, April 29, 2015, http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940209001431. Naqdi openly boasts of Iran’s flow of arms to Palestinian terrorist groups in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.“Basij Commander: West in Talks With Iran for Fear of Islam, Revolution,” Fars News Agency, April 29, 2015, http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940209001431.

Naqdi has promised that Saudi Arabia’s ruling regime will share the same fate as that of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein because of what he has called Saudi aggression in Yemen.“Basij Commander: Saudi Aggressors to Experience Saddam’s Fate,” Fars News Agency, March 31, 2015, http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940111000551. He has predicted the United States will permanently leave the Middle East after Saudi Arabia’s fall.“Basij Commander: Saudi Aggressors to Experience Saddam’s Fate,” Fars News Agency, March 31, 2015, http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940111000551. Since Iran signed a nuclear agreement with world powers in 2015, Naqdi has continued to condemn the United States and the West as enemies of Islam and Iran.“Basij Commander: US Hiring Criminals as Proxies in Yemen, Syria Wars,” Fars News Agency, December 24, 2015, http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941003000390.

U.S. forces targeted and killed an al-Shabab military commander, Abdullahi Haji Da’ud, on May 27, 2016. Da’ud had reportedly coordinated al-Shabab’s attacks in Somalia, Uganda, and Kenya, and had previously served as head of the al-Shabab’s security and intelligence unit, the Amniyat.“Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook on U.S. Airstrike in Somalia,” U.S. Department of Defense, June 1, 2016, http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/788062/statement-by-pentagon-press-secretary-peter-cook-on-us-airstrike-in-somalia. According to the U.S. Department of State, Da’ud had been responsible for recruiting and training al-Shabab operatives, and had planned operations against the Somali government and Western targets. In November 2015, the U.S. Department of State offered an award of up to $5 million for information on Da’ud.“Rewards for Justice - Reward Offers for Information on al-Shabaab Key Leaders,” U.S. Department of State, November 10, 2015, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/11/249374.htm.

In announcing Da’ud’s death, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook stated, “We are confident that the removal from the terrorist network of this experienced al-Shabab commander with extensive operational experience will disrupt near-term attack planning, potentially saving many innocent lives.”“U.S. Airstrike Targets Al-Shabab Leader in Somalia,” U.S. Department of Defense, June 1, 2016, http://www.defense.gov/News-Article-View/Article/788089/us-airstrike-targets-al-shabab-leader-in-somalia;
“Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook on U.S. Airstrike in Somalia,” U.S. Department of Defense, June 1, 2016, http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/788062/statement-by-pentagon-press-secretary-peter-cook-on-us-airstrike-in-somalia.

Tajik citizen Gulmurod Khalimov was a U.S.- and U.N.-designated terrorist and ISIS’s minister of war. He was appointed to the position in September 2016 following the July 2016 death of minister of war Omar al-Shishani. Khalimov operated out of Mosul, and was believed to be ISIS’s top-ranking official in that city, second only to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.“Isis: US-trained Tajik special forces chief Gulmurod Khalimov becomes Isis 'war minister,’” International Business Times, September 6, 2016, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/isis-us-trained-tajik-special-forces-chief-gulmurod-khalimov-becomes-isis-war-minister-1579966;
Gareth Browne, “Isis ‘minister of war’ is killed by allied airstrike in Mosul,” Times (London), April 15, 2017, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/isis-minister-of-war-is-killed-by-allied-airstrike-in-mosul-wwtdp388x. Before joining ISIS, Khalimov commanded Tajikistan’s elite OMON paramilitary police force. He disappeared from Tajikistan in the spring of 2015, surfacing one month later as the star of an ISIS propaganda video.James Kilner, “Missing Tajikistan Police Chief Defects to the Islamic State,” Daily Telegraph (London), May 28, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/tajikistan/11636529/Missing-Tajikistan-police-chief-defects-to-the-Islamic-State.html;
“Last Blow to Tajik Tourism? Tajik Police Chief Joins ISIS to Kill Americans,” ETurbo News, May 29, 2015, http://www.eturbonews.com/59620/last-blow-tajik-tourism-tajik-police-chief-joins-isis-kill-ameri. He was targeted and killed in an airstrike in Mosul in April 2017. It was the third time that Khalimov had been the target of an airstrike in recent months, according to the Iraqi military.Gareth Browne, “Isis ‘minister of war’ is killed by allied airstrike in Mosul,” Times (London), April 15, 2017, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/isis-minister-of-war-is-killed-by-allied-airstrike-in-mosul-wwtdp388x.

Prior to joining ISIS, Khalimov was a highly decorated Tajik soldier and was once photographed alongside Tajik President Emomali Rahmon. He trained with U.S. forces, traveling to the United States to train with Blackwater (now Academi) and the U.S. Army three times in the 2000s.Farangis Najibullah and Mumin Ahmadi, “Top Tajik Cop Disappears, Sparking Alarming Reports,” Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, May 12, 2015, http://www.rferl.org/content/tajikistan-top-cop-goes-missing-mysteriously-islamic-state-rumors/27012191.html.

Khalimov was a highly decorated Tajik soldier and was once photographed alongside Tajik President Emomali Rahmon. Khalimov traveled to the United States at least three times to train with the U.S. Army and the private American military firm Blackwater (now Academi).Farangis Najibullah and Mumin Ahmadi, “Top Tajik Cop Disappears, Sparking Alarming Reports,” Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, May 12, 2015, http://www.rferl.org/content/tajikistan-top-cop-goes-missing-mysteriously-islamic-state-rumors/27012191.html; Blackwater Agency website, accessed September 6, 2016, https://blackwaterus.com/.

In an effort to silence mounting questions, on May 11 the Tajik Interior Ministry reported that Khalimov was on an official business trip to Turkey. Then, on May 19, Turkish authorities reported they had arrested Khalimov while attempting to cross into Syria using a fake passport.Edward Lemon, “Tajikistan Police Commander Says He’s Joined Islamic State,” EurasiaNet, May 28, 2015, http://www.eurasianet.org/node/73626.

Despite reports of Khalimov’s arrest, on May 28 ISIS released a 10-minute Russian-language video in which Khalimov revealed his motives for joining ISIS and his 19-year career with OMON.Edward Lemon, “Tajikistan Police Commander Says He’s Joined Islamic State,” EurasiaNet, May 28, 2015, http://www.eurasianet.org/node/73626.

In the video, Khalimov argued that the Tajik government is against Islam.Edward Lemon, “Tajikistan Police Commander Says He’s Joined Islamic State,” EurasiaNet, May 28, 2015, http://www.eurasianet.org/node/73626;
Catherine Putz, “What Not to Wear in Tajikistan: The Hijab,” Diplomat, April 4, 2015, http://thediplomat.com/2015/04/what-not-to-wear-in-tajikistan-the-hijab/. Khalimov also threatened Americans, Russians, and the Tajik government, and called on Muslim Tajiks living in Russia and Tajikistan to immigrate to ISIS territory. The video ends with Khalimov shooting a tomato from a distance.Edward Lemon, “Tajikistan Police Commander Says He’s Joined Islamic State,” EurasiaNet, May 28, 2015, http://www.eurasianet.org/node/73626.

In early June 2015, Tajikistan issued an international arrest warrant for Khalimov on the grounds of high treason and illegal participation in military actions abroad.“Tajik OMON Commander Wanted For Treason,” Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, June 3, 2015, http://www.rferl.org/content/tajikistan-police-commander-islamic-state-treason/27051207.html. Khalimov is one of hundreds of Tajiks fighting with ISIS.Edward Lemon, “Report: Top Tajik Officer Arrested Trying to Join Islamic State,” EurasiaNet, May 19, 2015, http://www.eurasianet.org/node/73501. In September 2015, the U.S. Department of State designated Khalimov as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.“Designations of Foreign Terrorist Fighters,” U.S. Department of State, September 29, 2015, www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/09/247433.htm. The European Union and the United Nations added Khalimov to their al-Qaeda and ISIS affiliates list in spring 2016.“Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/307 of 3 March 2016 amending for the 243rd time Council Regulation (EC) No 881/2002 imposing certain specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities associated with the Al Qaida network,” EUR-Lex, March 3, 2016, eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2016/307/oj. In late August 2016, the U.S. Department of State added Khalimov to its Rewards for Justice Program, offering up to $3 million for information that would bring him “to justice.”“Gulmurod Khalimov: Up to $3 Million Reward,” U.S. Rewards for Justice, August 29, 2016, https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/gulmurod_khalimov.html.

Soon after Khalimov’s April 2017 death, an Iraqi military source told London’s Times that Khalimov had been responsible for planning ISIS’s defense of Mosul, and had helped to organize hundreds of car bombings against the anti-ISIS coalition there.Gareth Browne, “Isis ‘minister of war’ is killed by allied airstrike in Mosul,” Times (London), April 15, 2017, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/isis-minister-of-war-is-killed-by-allied-airstrike-in-mosul-wwtdp388x.

Khalid Batarfi was the U.S.-designated Yemen-based leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).Oren Adaki, “AQAP Storms Yemeni Prison, Frees Jihadist Leader,” Long War Journal, April 2, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/04/aqap-storms-yemeni-prison-frees-al-qaeda-leader.php. He was reportedly a media specialist as well as a military commander who planned terrorist attacks in Yemen.“AQAP Militants Arrested,” Critical Threats, American Enterprise Institute, March 17, 2011, http://www.criticalthreats.org/hotspot/aqap-militants-arrested. He was formerly AQAP’s emir (leader) of Abyan, a province in southeastern Yemen and was reportedly a former member of AQAP’s governing shura council.“AQAP Militants Arrested,” Critical Threats, American Enterprise Institute, March 17, 2011, http://www.criticalthreats.org/hotspot/aqap-militants-arrested; Tucker Reals and Khaled Wassef, “Amid Yemen chaos, al Qaeda stages prison break,” CBS News, April 2, 2015, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/yemen-prison-break-aqap-senior-commander-saudi-bombing-campaign/. Al-Qaeda confirmed Batarfi as AQAP emir following the February 23, 2020 death of  Qasim al-Raymi.Gregory D. Johnsen, “Khalid Batarfi and the Future of AQAP,” Lawfare, March 22, 2020, https://www.lawfareblog.com/khalid-batarfi-and-future-aqap. On March 11, 2024, AQAP confirmed Batarfi’s death but did not elaborate on the cause.David Gritten, “Al-Qaeda's Yemen branch announces death of leader Khalid Batarfi,” BBC News, March 11, 2024, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68533649.

Batarfi was born in 1979 in the Saudi city of Riyadh. After graduating from secondary school in Jeddah, he studied underneath several famous Islamist scholars, including al-Qaeda linked ideologue Abu Qatada.“Who is Khalid Bātarfi,” JustPaste, July 12, 2015, https://justpaste.it/mb2f. According to a resume released by AQAP, Batarfi traveled to Afghanistan in 1999 to train at al-Qaeda’s al-Farouq camp. In 2001, Batarfi fought alongside the Taliban against the Northern Alliance and U.S. forces.“Al-Qaeda in Yemen publishes the biography of its current leaders,” Yemen-24.com, December 10, 2015, http://yemen-24.com/news20308.html.

In 2010, Batarfi joined AQAP in Yemen. That year, AQAP captured Yemen’s Abyan Province and named Batarfi its emir (leader).James Brandon, “AQAP Rebounds in Yemen Amid Airstrikes,” Jamestown Foundation, April 17, 2015, http://www.refworld.org/docid/5538ae3e4.html;
“Al-Qaeda in Yemen publishes the biography of its current leaders,” Yemen-24.com, December 10, 2015, http://yemen-24.com/news20308.html;
Richard Spencer, “The al-Qaeda commander at home in a governor’s palace,” Telegraph (London), April 4, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/yemen/11515401/The-al-Qaeda-commander-at-home-in-a-governors-palace.html. Yemeni security forces captured Batarfi in March 2011.“AQAP Militants Arrested,” Critical Threats, American Enterprise Institute, March 17, 2011, http://www.criticalthreats.org/hotspot/aqap-militants-arrested;
Umberto Bacchi, “Yemen: Al-Qaeda frees 300 in al-Mukalla prison attack,” International Business Times, April 2, 2015, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/yemen-al-qaeda-frees-300-al-mukalla-prison-attack-1494697. He escaped from al-Mukalla’s central prison on April 2, 2015, in the course of an AQAP raid.“AQAP Militants Arrested,” Critical Threats, American Enterprise Institute, March 17, 2011, http://www.criticalthreats.org/hotspot/aqap-militants-arrested;
Umberto Bacchi, “Yemen: Al-Qaeda frees 300 in al-Mukalla prison attack,” International Business Times, April 2, 2015, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/yemen-al-qaeda-frees-300-al-mukalla-prison-attack-1494697. Soon after his escape, Batarfi trampled on the Yemeni flag in the evacuated provincial palace in al-Mukalla.Umberto Bacchi, “Yemen: Al Qaeda operative Khalid Batarfi takes selfies inside Mukalla government,” International Business Times, April 4, 2015, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/yemen-al-qaeda-operative-khalid-batarfi-takes-selfies-inside-mukalla-government-1494971. He also took photographs, including “selfies,” of himself brandishing an AK-47 inside the palace.Umberto Bacchi, “Yemen: Al Qaeda operative Khalid Batarfi takes selfies inside Mukalla government,” International Business Times, April 4, 2015, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/yemen-al-qaeda-operative-khalid-batarfi-takes-selfies-inside-mukalla-government-1494971.

Batarfi appeared in several AQAP videos and other propaganda. In August 2015, AQAP released a video of Batarfi praising Chattanooga shooter Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez and condemning “America, France, and other kufr nations.”“Al-Qaida calls for more lone wolf attacks, praises Chattanooga shooter,” Chattanooga Times Free Press, August 4, 2015, http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2015/aug/04/report-al-qaida-urges-more-lone-wolf-attacks-praises-chattanooga-shooter/318246/. When AQAP’s ideological leader Nasser bin Ali al-Ansi was killed by a U.S. drone strike in April 2015, Batarfi officially announced his death.“AQAP Leader Who Claimed Charlie Hebdo Attack Killed by U.S. Drone,” CBS, May 7, 2015, http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2015/05/07/cbs-ap-aqap-leader-who-claimed-charlie-hebdo-attack-killed-by-u-s-drone.html. In June 2016, Batarfi issued a statement praising AQAP leader Nasir al-Wuhayshi after he was killed in a U.S. air strike that month. Batarfi threatened that al-Qaeda would target the U.S. economy, attack U.S. interests, and “destroy them.”Cassandra Vinograd and Robert Windrem, “Al Qaeda confirms death of terrorist leader in US airstrike,” MSNBC, June 16, 2015, http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/al-qaeda-confirms-death-nasir-al-wuhayshi-aqap-leader.

In June 2017, Batarfi condemned Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt for severing ties with Qatar. Batarfi issued a statement of solidarity on behalf of AQAP after the four countries designated several Muslim Brotherhood- and al-Qaeda-related individuals in Qatar. Batarfi condemned the terror list as a “war against Muslims” and called all Islamic scholars, preachers, and groups to support “jihad” against “the tyrants.”Huda al-Saleh, “Al-Qaeda condemns boycott against Qatar, stands with the Muslim Brotherhood,” June 16, 2017, https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2017/06/16/Al-Qaeda-condemns-boycott-against-Qatar-stands-with-the-Muslim-Brotherhood.html.

On October 18, 2018, the U.S. Department of State offered a $5 million reward for information leading to the capture of Batarfi. On February 23, 2020, al-Qaeda confirmed AQAP leader Qasim al-Raymi’s death.“Al-Qaida Confirms Death of AQAP Leader,” Voice of America, February 23, 2020, https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/al-qaida-confirms-death-aqap-leader. On the same day, AQAP announced that it had selected Batarfi as the group’s new leader.Gregory D. Johnsen, “Khalid Batarfi and the Future of AQAP,” Lawfare, March 22, 2020, https://www.lawfareblog.com/khalid-batarfi-and-future-aqap.

On October 2, 2020, a pro-ISIS Telegram channel claimed that Batarfi turned himself into Yemeni forces following a Saudi-led raid in al-Mahrah. Allegedly, two key AQAP commanders were also killed in the raid.“Pro-ISIS Telegram Channel Alleges Al-Qaeda In The Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) Leader Khalid Batarfi Turned Himself In To Yemeni Forces In Al-Mahrah During Raid That Killed Two Key Al-Qaeda Commanders,” The Middle East Media Research Institute, October 7, 2020, https://www.memri.org/jttm/pro-isis-telegram-channel-alleges-al-qaeda-arabian-peninsula-aqap-leader-khalid-batarfi-turned; “Gulf of Aden Security Review,” Critical Threats, October 5, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-october-5-2020#_edn4528c5682c5f4a0d107d760023177f711. On February 3, 2021, the U.N. Security Council released a report confirming Batarfi had been arrested in October 2020 and turned over to Saudi authorities.“Letter dated 21 January 2021 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security Council,” United Nations, February 3, 2021, https://undocs.org/S/2021/68. The following day, U.S. military officials disputed the report and claimed Batarfi had eluded capture and was still at large.Jared Szuba, “Updated: US disputes UN report on capture of Al-Qaeda’s top man in Yemen,” Al-Monitor, February 5, 2021, https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2021/02/qaeda-yemen-capture-leader-un.html. AQAP later dispelled reports of Batarfi’s arrest on February 10 with the release of a video featuring Batarfi called “America and the Painful Seizure.” In the video, Batarfi referred to the January 6, 2021, U.S. riot—during which protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.—and called it “just the tip of the iceberg.” “Yemen al-Qaeda leader’s video belies UN report of capture,” Arab Weekly, February 11, 2021, https://thearabweekly.com/yemen-al-qaeda-leaders-video-belies-un-report-capture. AQAP issued a statement on April 8, 2021, denying the earlier U.N. report of Batarfi’s arrest. AQAP further accused the United Nations of lying to the public and of bias toward the West.Bridget Johnson, “AQAP Calls UN Claim of Leader’s Arrest ‘Miserable Attempt to Wage a Psychological War,’” Homeland Security Today, April 12, 2021, https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/counterterrorism/aqap-calls-un-claim-of-leaders-arrest-miserable-attempt-to-wage-a-psychological-war/.

Batarfi released a video on May 2, 2023, in which he condemned Saudi Arabia’s rapprochement with Iran. According to Batarfi, the kingdom submitted to the “Shia” and the Houthi leaders of Yemen’s de facto government, whom Batarfi refers to as “Iran’s agents.” Batarfi further claimed that AQAP is the true defender of Yemen’s Sunnis and encourages the Sunni population to carry out violence against “Iran and America’s agents.”“Yemen: AQAP denounces Saudi-Iran rapprochement calls on Sunnis to take up jihad,” Middle East Monitor, May 2, 2023, https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230502-yemen-aqap-denounces-saudi-iran-rapprochement-calls-on-sunnis-to-take-up-jihad/.

Following the onset of Hamas’s War against Israel on October 7, 2023, AQAP released a video in which Batarfi extolled the attack which resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 people and the capture of approximately 240 civilian and military hostages.“Israel revises Hamas attack death toll to ‘around 1,200,’” Reuters, November 10, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-revises-death-toll-oct-7-hamas-attack-around-1200-2023-11-10/. Released on October 29, “Questions and Answers Regarding Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” the video also featured Batarfi encouraging Muslims and jihadis to continue attacks, particularly against Israel, U.S. citizens, the United Kingdom, and France.“Al-Qaeda In The Arabian Peninsula Leader Batarfi Approves Of 'Inspiring' Hamas Attack, Encourages Killing Of 'Jews, Americans, And British' Citizens, Claims 9/11 Attacks Are The 'Best Example' To Deter U.S.,” Middle East Media Research Institute, October 30, 2023, https://www.memri.org/jttm/al-qaeda-arabian-peninsula-leader-batarfi-approves-inspiring-hamas-attack-encourages-killing.

On March 11, 2024, AQAP released a video announcing the death of Batarfi. The reasons behind his demise were not revealed. In the same statement, AQAP announced veteran member Saad bin Atef al-Awlaki as Batarfi’s successor.David Gritten, “Al-Qaeda's Yemen branch announces death of leader Khalid Batarfi,” BBC News, March 11, 2024, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68533649.

Abu Ayman al-Iraqi was ISIS’s military commander and the regional commander of Syria’s Latakia province.Mike Giglio, “A Late-Night Phone Call Between One of Syria’s Top Extremists And His Sworn Enemy,” BuzzFeed News, April 3, 2014, http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikegiglio/a-late-night-phone-call-between-one-of-syrias-top-extremists#.wgA5eEyo8d;
Rania Abouzeid, “Inside the battle for Assad’s heartland,” Al Jazeera, August 28, 2013, http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/8/27/inside-the-battleforassadasheartland.html. According to some Syrian rebels, al-Iraqi was the third highest leader in ISIS’s Syria ranks.Mike Giglio, “A Late-Night Phone Call Between One of Syria’s Top Extremists And His Sworn Enemy,” BuzzFeed News, April 3, 2014, http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikegiglio/a-late-night-phone-call-between-one-of-syrias-top-extremists#.wgA5eEyo8d. He was also a member of ISIS’s governing Shura council.Richard Barrett, “The Islamic State,” Soufan Group, November 2014, p. 30, http://soufangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/TSG-The-Islamic-State-Nov14.pdf. Before his role in ISIS, al-Iraqi was detained at the U.S.-run Camp Bucca military prison in Iraq with other prisoners who would go on to form ISIS’s leadership.Mohammed Mahmoud Mortada, “The mysterious link between the US military prison Camp Bucca and ISIS leaders,” Al-Akhbar English, September 13, 2013, http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/21519. He had a reputation for carrying out “pathological violence.”Richard Barrett, “The Islamic State,” Soufan Group, November 2014, p. 32, http://soufangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/TSG-The-Islamic-State-Nov14.pdf. Al-Iraqi was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Mosul, Iraq, on November 7, 2014.Ruth Sherlock and Magdy Samaan,“Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's close aide killed in US air strike,” Telegraph (London), November 9, 2014, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11219630/Islamic-State-leader-Abu-Bakr-al-Baghdadis-close-aide-killed-in-US-air-strike.html;
Alessandria Masi, “If ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Is Killed, Who Is Caliph Of The Islamic State Group?” International Business Times, November 10, 2014, http://www.ibtimes.com/if-isis-leader-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-killed-who-caliph-islamic-state-group-1721638.

Because of his high leadership rank in the terror group, al-Iraqi did not release audio or video statements and was described as a “shadowy jihadi.”Mike Giglio, “A Late-Night Phone Call Between One of Syria’s Top Extremists And His Sworn Enemy,” BuzzFeed News, April 3, 2014, http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikegiglio/a-late-night-phone-call-between-one-of-syrias-top-extremists#.wgA5eEyo8d. Noah Bonsey of the International Crisis Group said that among Syrian rebels and activists, al-Iraqi had “the worst reputation” of any ISIS commander during the group’s 2013 advance into Syria. He was reported to practice a “special brand a savagery,” murdering moderate Syrian rebel leaders in cold blood.Mike Giglio, “A Late-Night Phone Call Between One of Syria’s Top Extremists And His Sworn Enemy,” BuzzFeed News, April 3, 2014, http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikegiglio/a-late-night-phone-call-between-one-of-syrias-top-extremists#.wgA5eEyo8d.

Al-Iraqi served as an intelligence officer with the rank of colonel in Iraq’s army under Saddam Hussein.M. Alex Johnson, “Key Players: Who’s Who in the Battle for Iraq?” NBC News, June 13, 2014, http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/iraq-turmoil/key-players-whos-who-battle-iraq-n130981. He was detained at the U.S.-run Camp Bucca prison in 2007 for three years. The exact dates and conditions of his internment are unknown.Mohammed Mahmoud Mortada, “The mysterious link between the US military prison Camp Bucca and ISIS leaders,” Al-Akhbar English, September 13, 2013, http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/21519;
“Exclusive: Top ISIS leaders revealed,” ­Al Arabiya, February 13, 2014, http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2014/02/13/Exclusive-Top-ISIS-leaders-revealed.html. Following his release, he fought against the Syrian regime, recruiting fighters who formed ISIS.“Profile: The Rise of the Islamic State (IS),” tahrirsouri.com, July 12, 2014, http://tahrirsouri.com/2014/07/12/profile-the-rise-of-the-islamic-state-is/ (page discontinued). With ISIS’s official creation in April 2013, he became the terror group’s military commander and led numerous battles against government forces in western Syria. Rania Abouzeid, “Inside the battle for Assad’s heartland,” Al Jazeera, August 28, 2013, http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/8/27/inside-the-battleforassadasheartland.html.