Saudi-born Faysal Ahmad Bin Ali al-Zahrani is a U.S.- and U.N.-designated ISIS operative who previously oversaw the group’s oil and gas industry in northeastern Syria.“Narrative Summaries of Reasons for Listing,” United Nations Security Council, April 20, 2016, https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list/summaries/individual/faysal-ahmad-bin-ali-al-zahrani;
“Counter Terrorism Designation,” U.S. Department of Treasury, February 11, 2016, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20160211.aspx.

Zahrani joined ISIS’s natural resources ministry in 2014 and worked under the now-deceased head of ISIS’s oil and gas division, Abu Sayyaf.“Narrative Summaries of Reasons for Listing,” United Nations Security Council, April 20, 2016, https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list/summaries/individual/faysal-ahmad-bin-ali-al-zahrani;
Thomas Joscelyn, “Treasury sanctions Islamic State oil and religious officials, facilitator in Gaza,” Long War Journal, February 11, 2016, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/02/treasury-sanctions-islamic-state-oil-and-religious-officials-facilitator-in-gaza.php. By January 2015, Zahrani oversaw at least five oil fields located in Syria’s al-Hasakah Governorate, according to the U.S. Treasury. ISIS reportedly received tens of millions of dollars in profits from those oil fields between September 2014 and March 2015. In May 2015, Zahrani reportedly took control of the production of vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at an oil facility in Rukaybah, al-Hasakah Governorate. Following Abu Sayyaf’s death that August, Zahrani assumed responsibility of all ISIS oil and gas activities in al-Hasakah.“Treasury Sanctions Key ISIL Leaders and Facilitators Including a Senior Oil Official,” U.S. Department of Treasury, February 11, 2016, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0351.aspx.

The U.S. Treasury said in December 2015 that Zahrani “remained responsible” for ISIS’s oil and gas activities in the town of Shaddadi, located in al-Hasakah Governorate. However, ISIS lost control of al-Hasakah Governorate in July 2015.“Treasury Sanctions Key ISIL Leaders and Facilitators Including a Senior Oil Official,” U.S. Department of Treasury, February 11, 2016, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0351.aspx;
Sarah Almukhtar, Tim Wallace, and Derek Watkins, “ISIS Has Lost Many of the Key Places It Once Controlled,” New York Times, July 3, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/06/18/world/middleeast/isis-control-places-cities.html?_r=0. It is unknown what, if any, leadership position Zahrani currently holds within ISIS since ISIS lost its territorial hold in Syria and Iraq in 2017.Thomas Joscelyn, “Treasury sanctions Islamic State oil and religious officials, facilitator in Gaza,” Long War Journal, February 11, 2016, https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/02/treasury-sanctions-islamic-state-oil-and-religious-officials-facilitator-in-gaza.php.

Asim Umar was the U.S.-designated emir (leader) of al-Qaeda’s South Asian affiliate, al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).“State Department Terrorist Designations,” U.S. Department of State, June 30, 2016, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/06/259219.htm. The branch was founded in September 2014 by al-Qaeda Emir Ayman al-Zawahiri, who appointed Umar as the group’s leader in a video message in September 2014.Asim Tanveer and Maria Golovnina, “Al Qaeda’s shadowy new ‘emir’ in South Asia handed tough job,” Reuters, September 9 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/09/us-southasia-alqaeda-insight-idUSKBN0H42DN20140909. Before his promotion to emir of AQIS, Umar reportedly served as the commander of the Pakistani Taliban, as well as al-Qaeda’s senior sharia official in Pakistan.Thomas Joscelyn, “Pakistani Taliban leader discusses ‘global jihad,’ Syria in al Qaeda video,” Long War Journal, July 24, 2013, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/07/_umar_is_the_author.php;
Thomas Joscelyn, “Social Media Jihad: Open interview with al Qaeda’s sharia official in Pakistan,” Long War Journal, April 9, 2014, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/04/social_media_jihad_open_interv.php. Umar was killed in a joint U.S.-Afghan operation on September 23, 2019 in Musa Qala, Afghanistan.Bill Roggio, “Afghan intelligence confirms death of AQIS emir,” Long War Journal, October 8, 2020, https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2019/10/afghan-intelligence-confirms-death-of-aqis-emir.php.

Umar was reportedly born in the city of Sambhal, in India’s Uttar Pradesh province in the late 1960s or early 1970s.Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury and Rahul Tripathi, “Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent releases audio speech warning fighters against harming innocent Muslims,” Economic Times (Mumbai), June 2, 2016, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/al-qaeda-in-indian-subcontinent-releases-audio-speech-warning-fighters-against-harming-innocent-muslims/articleshow/52544561.cms. Before joining al-Qaeda, Umar had experience fighting Indian troops in Kashmir alongside Islamist militant group Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI).Asim Tanveer and Maria Golovnina, “Al Qaeda’s shadowy new ‘emir’ in South Asia handed tough job,” Reuters, September 9 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/09/us-southasia-alqaeda-insight-idUSKBN0H42DN20140909. Between the late 1990s and early 2000s, Umar reportedly instructed students at radical seminaries in Pakistan.“More Qaeda-Pak links: AQIS chief was at ‘ISI’ PoK camp,” Indian Express (New Delhi), accessed August 10, 2015, http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/more-qaeda-pak-links-aqis-chief-was-at-isi-pok-camp/. Umar was believed to facilitate the move of Osama bin Laden to his safe house in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in the mid-2000s.Asim Tanveer and Maria Golovnina, “Al Qaeda’s shadowy new ‘emir’ in South Asia handed tough job,” Reuters, September 9 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/09/us-southasia-alqaeda-insight-idUSKBN0H42DN20140909. He became closely involved with al-Qaeda in 2007 after Pakistani security forces besieged the Lal Masjid seminary, killing 100 people, many of them students.“Al-Qaeda chief in region may be of Indian origin: Intel agencies,” Indian Express (New Delhi), accessed August 10, 2015, http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/al-qaeda-chief-in-region-may-be-of-indian-origin-intel-agencies/99/;
“Harkut-ul-Mujahedeen,” Stanford Mapping Militant Organizations, accessed August 10, 2015, http://web.stanford.edu/group/mappingmilitants/cgi-bin/groups/view/219;
“Court demands Red Mosque answers,” BBC News, August 28, 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6967537.stm.

Umar has reportedly written numerous books, translating them into Pashto, Uzebk, and Arabic. According to sources close to Umar, he has eyed the Indian subcontinent as a potential theater of jihad for years. He has even released videos directed at Kashmiri Muslims in the hopes of recruiting them to fight against their secular government.“Al-Qaeda chief in region may be of Indian origin: Intel agencies,” Indian Express (New Delhi), accessed August 10, 2015, http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/al-qaeda-chief-in-region-may-be-of-indian-origin-intel-agencies/99/;
“Harkut-ul-Mujahedeen,” Stanford Mapping Militant Organizations, accessed August 10, 2015, http://web.stanford.edu/group/mappingmilitants/cgi-bin/groups/view/219.

In an official AQIS video in May 2015, Umar claimed responsibility for the murder of numerous secular bloggers and professors in Bangladesh and Pakistan. He declared that the assassinations were “part of a series of operations initiated by…Sheikh Ayman al-Zawahiri,” and that it was “equally part of our commitment to fulfill the oath of Sheikh Osama [bin Laden].”Ellen Barry, “Al Qaeda Branch Claims Responsibility for Bangladeshi Blogger’s Killing,” New York Times, May 3, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/04/world/asia/bangladesh-al-qaeda-indian-subcontinent-attack-on-bloggers.html. While Umar appears in nearly all of AQIS’s videos, his face is always concealed.

On September 23, 2019, the United States launched a joint operation with the Afghan military, carrying out a raid in Musa Qala, southern Afghanistan. On October 8, Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) confirmed that along with Umar, six other militants were killed during the operation. The NDS also claimed that Usama Mahmood, AQIS’s spokesman, is now the leader of AQIS.“Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent chief Asim Umar killed in Afghanistan,” The Hindu, October 8, 2019, https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/al-qaeda-in-the-indian-subcontinent-chief-asim-umar-killed-in-afghanistan/article29618954.ece.; Bill Roggio, “Afghan intelligence confirms death of AQIS emir,” Long War Journal, October 8, 2020, https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2019/10/afghan-intelligence-confirms-death-of-aqis-emir.php.

Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost is an Afghan extremist, journalist, poet, and former Guantanamo Bay detainee. At the time of his capture in 2001, Dost was accused of engaging in terrorist activities with al-Qaeda and the Taliban.Delcan Walsh, “Return my work, says Guantánamo poet,” Guardian (London), April 3, 2006, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/apr/03/guantanamo.books. He was also a member of Jamaat ud Dawa il al Quran al Sunnat (JDQ), a religious school with a militant and assassination wing known to provide both religious and paramilitary training.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost: Combatant Status Review Tribunals Summaries,” New York Times, accessed March 18, 2016, http://projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/561-abdul-rahim-muslim-dost/documents/5. According to Dost’s own account, he was part of the group of extremists who violently stormed and besieged the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in 1979.Thomas Joscelyn, “Gitmo ‘Poet’ Now Recruiting for Islamic State,” Weekly Standard, November 19, 2014, http://www.weeklystandard.com/article/gitmo-poet-now-recruiting-islamic-state/819587.

Dost was captured by Pakistani forces alongside his brother in November 2001 and later transferred to U.S. custody. Dost’s brother, Badr Zaman Badr, later suggested that the pair had been arrested on the basis of satire, telling American radio producers in 2007 that he and Dost had written a joke about a public official, who then told authorities the brothers were linked to al-Qaeda.Jennifer Fenton, “After repatriation, ex-Guantánamo Afghans pursue variety of life options,” Al Jazeera America, January 27, 2016, http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2016/1/27/guantanamo-afghans-repatriation-life.html;
“331: Habeas Schmabeas 2007 Transcript,” This American Life, originally aired April 27, 2007, https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/331/habeas-schmabeas-2007. The pair was sent to Guantanamo Bay in early 2002.Delcan Walsh, “Return my work, says Guantánamo poet,” Guardian (London), April 3, 2006, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/apr/03/guantanamo.books. Also captured alongside Dost and transferred to Guantanamo was Dost’s brother, Badr Zaman Badr.Jennifer Fenton, “After repatriation, ex-Guantánamo Afghans pursue variety of life options,” Al Jazeera America, January 27, 2016, http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2016/1/27/guantanamo-afghans-repatriation-life.html.

Dost was repatriated to Afghanistan in April 2005 due in large part to his failing health condition. The illnesses recorded in Dost’s medical file—including a history of diabetes and an enlarged thyroid gland—contributed to an assessment by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF) that Dost posed a low risk to the United States, its interests, and allies.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed March 9, 2016, 1, http://projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/561-abdul-rahim-muslim-dost/documents/11.

Following his release from Guantanamo, in 2006 Dost published “The Broken Chains,” an account of his experience in detention. In 2007, Dost’s poems were included in a volume of poems written by Guantanamo detainees called Poems from Guantánamo: the Detainees Speak, a collection that was edited by Marc Falcoff and published by University of Iowa Press in 2007.“Poems from Guantánamo,” University of Iowa Press, accessed March 18, 2016, http://www.uiowapress.org/books/2007-fall/falpoefro.html. Dost was arrested by Pakistani officials in 2006, a year before the release of Poems from Guantánamo. In 2008, he was released as part of a prisoner exchange with the Taliban. Thomas Joscelyn, “Gitmo ‘Poet’ Now Recruiting for Islamic State,” Weekly Standard, November 19, 2014, http://www.weeklystandard.com/article/gitmo-poet-now-recruiting-islamic-state/819587.

On July 1, 2014, Dost defected from the Taliban and swore allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, a mere two days following the terror group’s declaration of a caliphate.Thomas Joscelyn, “Gitmo ‘Poet’ Now Recruiting for Islamic State,” Weekly Standard, November 19, 2014, http://www.weeklystandard.com/article/gitmo-poet-now-recruiting-islamic-state/819587. Dost is believed to work as key ISIS commander and recruiter in the Afghan-Pakistan region.“Released Gitmo detainee joins ISIS,” Fox News, November 19, 2014, http://video.foxnews.com/v/3899320881001/released-gitmo-detainee-joins-isis;
“Life after Guantanamo: A tale of two Afghan friends,” Express Tribune (Karachi), February 27, 2017, https://tribune.com.pk/story/1340361/life-guantanamo-tale-two-afghan-friends/;
Bill Roggio, “Ex-Gitmo ‘poet’ and committed jihadist denounces Islamic State for attacks on civilians,” Long War Journal, July 30, 2016, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/07/ex-gitmo-poet-and-committed-jihadist-denounces-islamic-state-for-attacks-on-civilians.php. His recruiting campaign for the terrorist group reportedly includes both pamphleteering as well as a graffiti project, which aims to plaster pro-ISIS messages throughout northern Pakistan.Thomas Joscelyn, “Gitmo ‘Poet’ Now Recruiting for Islamic State,” Weekly Standard, November 19, 2014, http://www.weeklystandard.com/article/gitmo-poet-now-recruiting-islamic-state/819587;
Zahir Shah Sherazi, “Islamic State footprints surface in parts of Bannu,” Dawn (Karachi), November 14, 2014, http://www.dawn.com/news/1144256/islamic-state-footprints-surface-in-parts-of-bannu.

According to some sources, Dost defected from ISIS at some point in 2015, and subsequently denounced the group’s wanton killing of civilians in Afghanistan.Bill Roggio, “Ex-Gitmo ‘poet’ and committed jihadist denounces Islamic State for attacks on civilians,” Long War Journal, July 30, 2016, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/07/ex-gitmo-poet-and-committed-jihadist-denounces-islamic-state-for-attacks-on-civilians.php. Other sources have continued to referr to Dost as a top ISIS commander in eastern Nangarhar province.“Life after Guantanamo: A tale of two Afghan friends,” Express Tribune (Karachi), February 27, 2017, https://tribune.com.pk/story/1340361/life-guantanamo-tale-two-afghan-friends/.

Ismail al-Wahwah was an Islamist cleric and leader of the Australia chapter of the international Islamist proselytization organization Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT). Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has accused HT of nurturing “extremism in our suburbs.”Michael Safi, “Hizb ut-Tahrir insists it rejects violence following Abbott’s ‘desperate’ accusation,” Guardian (London), February 19, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/feb/20/hizb-ut-tahrir-insists-it-rejects-violence-following-abbotts-desperate-accusation. Al-Wahwah died on May 17, 2023.“Obituary of Dawah Carrier,” Hizb ut-Tahrir Media Office, May 18, 2023, https://www.hizb-ut-tahrir.info/en/index.php/press-releases/jordan/24603.html.

Al-Wahwah traveled to Syria in 2013 to preach the necessity of erecting a global caliphate and “[supporting] the blessed uprising.”Geoff Chambers, “Sheikh Ismail al-Wahwah: A sinister player in a world of radicals,” Daily Telegraph (Sydney), October 10, 2014, http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/sheikh-ismail-alwahwah-a-sinister-player-in-a-world-of-radicals/story-fni0cx12-1227085769758. He made fiery anti-Western, antisemitic, and anti-capitalist statements, and believed that Western “civilization will pay the price” for its criminal politicians. Al-Wahwah called for a new “world order” and promised to send “troops to Australia, to France to Germany” just as Western countries “send their troops to Iraq to bomb Iraq to spread democracy.”Ben McClellan and Geoff Chambers, “Radical Muslim cleric Ismail al-Wahwah tells supporters a new world order is coming,” Daily Telegraph (Sydney), October 11, 2014, http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/radical-muslim-cleric-ismail-alwahwah-tells-supporters-a-new-world-order-is-coming/story-fni0cx12-1227086878686. He also called for jihad against Jews in Israel, whom he considers to be “illegitimate occupiers”“Muslim extremist Ismail Alwahwah anti semitic lecture,” News.com.au, March 9, 2015, http://video.news.com.au/v/313805/Muslim-extremist-Ismail-Alwahwah-anti-semitic-lecture. and the “most evil creatures of Allah.”Louise Cheer, “’They will pay with blood’: Islamic leader’s online rant calling the Jewish people ‘the most evil creatures of Allah,’” Daily Mail (London), March 12, 2015, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2991638/They-pay-blood-Islamic-leader-s-online-rant-calling-Jewish-people-evil-creatures-Allah.html.

Al-Wahwah called Australia part of a U.S.-led “crusader invasion” targeting the Muslim world.Ben McClellan and Geoff Chambers, “Radical Muslim cleric Ismail al-Wahwah tells supporters a new world order is coming,” Daily Telegraph (Sydney), October 11, 2014, http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/radical-muslim-cleric-ismail-alwahwah-tells-supporters-a-new-world-order-is-coming/story-fni0cx12-1227086878686. He justified the January 2015 attacks on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo as “a cure” for relieving pressure caused by “daily humiliation” of Muslims and “insults to their book and prophet.”Taylor Auerbach, “Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks a ‘cure,’ says leader of Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia Ismail Alwahwah,” Daily Telegraph (Sydney), January 13, 2015, http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/charlie-hebdo-terrorist-attacks-a-cure-says-leader-of-hizb-ut-tahrir-australia-ismail-alwahwah/story-fni0cx12-1227182578266. Al-Wahwah had also been seen at past HT events with Man Haron Monis, the Islamist who took more than a dozen people hostage at a Sydney café in December 2014.Dan Kedmey and David Stout, “3 Dead After Police Storm Sydney Café to End Hostage Crisis,” Time, December 15, 2014, http://time.com/3633134/sydney-hostage-martin-place-lindt-cafe-terrorism/; Taylor Auerbach, “Lindt cafe gunman Man Haron Monis was honoured guest at Hizb ut-Tahrir’s Lakemba hate-fest,” Daily Telegraph (Sydney), March 17, 2015, http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/lindt-cafe-gunman-man-haron-monis-was-honoured-guest-at-hizb-ut-tahrirs-lakemba-hate-fest/story-fnpn118l-1227265393578.

HT operates legally in Australia, where al-Wahwah’s views were protected speech. Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott called for the group to be banned, but such efforts failed there and in other Western countries that host HT chapters. Al-Wahwah responded that countries that had banned HT had failed to stop the group’s operations in those countries. Abbott would have to “prevent the flow of air” to stop HT, al-Wahwah said. Geoff Chambers and Sarah Crawford, “Extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir sends veiled threat to Prime Minister Tony Abbott,” Daily Telegraph (Sydney), February 10, 2015, http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/extremist-group-hizb-ut-tahrir-sends-veiled-threat-to-prime-minister-tony-abbott/story-fni0cx12-1227213869800.

On July 25, 2018, al-Wahwah flew to Jordan with his wife to visit family and friends. Jordanian authorities arrested him at the Queen Alia International Airport in Amman. According to the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Jordanian officers did not present an arrest warrant or provide a reason for his arrest. At the request of the Arab social justice organization Alkarama, the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention sent a letter to Jordanian authorities on October 16, 2018, requesting the reasons for al-Wahwah’s detention. On October 22, Jordan’s State Security Court prosecutor charged al-Wahwah with incitement against the political regime, insulting the king, and belonging to an unlawful movement. That same month, he was reportedly moved to Jordan’s Al Muwaqqar II maximum security prison. On January 15, 2019, he was sentenced to two years in prison with one year suspended sentence. On February 4, 2019, Alkarama filed on al-Wahwah’s behalf for intervention from the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression.Stephen Johnson, “Australian leader of extremist Islamic group that wants a global Muslim caliphate is moved to a notorious maximum security prison in Jordan,” Daily Mail (London), last updated November 8, 2018, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6365301/Australian-leader-Hizb-ut-Tahrir-Ismail-al-Wahwah-moved-Jordanian-maximum-security-jail.html; “AUSTRALIAN-JORDANIAN CITIZEN SENTENCED TO IMPRISONMENT BECAUSE OF FACEBOOK POSTS,” Alkarama, February 5, 2019, https://www.alkarama.org/en/articles/australian-jordanian-citizen-sentenced-imprisonment-because-facebook-posts. Al-Wahwah was released on April 25, 2019. HT Australia, Facebook post, April 25, 2019, 8:35 a.m., https://www.facebook.com/hizbaust/photos/a.607681262698200/1561848627281454/.

On May 17, 2023, al-Wahwah died of an undisclosed illness. HT emir Ata Abu Rashta offered his condolences in a May 18 press release by the HT Media Office.“Obituary of Dawah Carrier,” Hizb ut-Tahrir Media Office, May 18, 2023, https://www.hizb-ut-tahrir.info/en/index.php/press-releases/jordan/24603.html.

Abdul Rauf Aliza was an Afghan commander of the Taliban and former Guantanamo inmate who returned to terrorism following his repatriation to Afghanistan.Bill Roggio, “US kills Islamic State’s deputy emir for ‘Khorasan province’ in airstrike: report,” Long War Journal, February 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/02/us_kills_islamic_sta_1.php. He served three tours for the terrorist group prior to his capture.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abdul Rauf Aliza: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed March 4, 2016, http://projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/108-abdul-rauf-aliza/documents/11. Following his release, he was made a shadow governor of the Uruzgan provinces for the Taliban but moved his allegiance to ISIS, who positioned him as the Deputy Governor of their Khorasan Province. Aliza was killed on February 9, 2015 by a NATO airstrike.Bill Roggio, “US kills Islamic State’s deputy emir for ‘Khorasan province’ in airstrike: report,” Long War Journal, February 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/02/us_kills_islamic_sta_1.php.

Aliza was captured by U.S. forces in Afghanistan in December 2001 and was sent to the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. He claimed that he was a mere foot soldier and food deliverer for the Taliban. The Department of Defense’s Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF) initially classified Aliza as low intelligence value and a medium risk.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abdul Rauf Aliza: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed March 4, 2016, http://projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/108-abdul-rauf-aliza/documents/11;
Thomas Joscelyn, “The Gitmo Files: 2 of Afghanistan’s most wanted hid leadership roles while in US custody,” Long War Journal, May 14, 2011, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/05/the_gitmo_files_two.php.

As interrogations continued, Aliza’s story grew increasingly inconsistent.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abdul Rauf Aliza: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed March 4, 2016, http://projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/108-abdul-rauf-aliza/documents/11. The JTF assessed it was highly unlikely Aliza would retain a food delivery position after serving three tours with the Taliban. Aliza was able to identify many senior level Taliban members whom he admitted to have associated with, while other Taliban detainees identified Aliza as a military leader.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abdul Rauf Aliza: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed March 4, 2016, http://projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/108-abdul-rauf-aliza/documents/11. Aliza was uncooperative in terms of discussing his complete involvement with the Taliban. He admitted to running an opium business through the criminal elements of the Taliban and Northern Alliance, but refused to reveal the details of the operation.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abdul Rauf Aliza: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed March 4, 2016, http://projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/108-abdul-rauf-aliza/documents/11.

On October 26, 2004, the JTF reassessed Aliza as a medium intelligence source—believing that the detainee had evaded answering questions—and suspected him of having a more important role in the Taliban than he claimed. Despite the suspicions of his deceit, the JTF recommended Aliza be transferred to the control of another country for continued detention.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abdul Rauf Aliza: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed March 4, 2016, http://projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/108-abdul-rauf-aliza/documents/11. He was repatriated to Afghanistan on December 12, 2007.“The Guantanamo Docket: Abdul Rauf Aliza: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed March 4, 2016, http://projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/108-abdul-rauf-aliza/documents/11.

Afghan authorities held Aliza for two years following his transfer from Guantanamo, but he was released sometime in 2009. He quickly rejoined the Taliban and rose through their ranks. By 2011 he was made the shadow governor of the Taliban’s Uruzgan province and a member of the leadership council, or Quetta Shura.Bill Roggio, “US kills Islamic State’s deputy emir for ‘Khorasan province’ in airstrike: report,” Long War Journal, February 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/02/us_kills_islamic_sta_1.php;
Thomas Joscelyn, “Former Gitmo detainee turned Taliban leader threatens Afghan elders,” Long War Journal, August 4, 2010, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2010/08/former_gitmo_detaine_6.php#ixzz1MLAEYBKB.

Aliza’s history with the Taliban surfaced upon the announcement of his new position. Multiple news reports asserted that prior to detainment, Aliza had been the commander of the Taliban’s elite mobile reserve force. Prior to the fall of the Taliban government, his team worked as a quick reaction unit that fought regime opponents throughout Afghanistan.Thomas Joscelyn, “The Gitmo Files: 2 of Afghanistan’s most wanted hid leadership roles while in US custody,” Long War Journal, May 14, 2011, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/05/the_gitmo_files_two.php.

In October 2014, Aliza severed his relationship with the Taliban due to a power struggle among the leadership. He traveled to Iraq to meet with ISIS leaders and returned to Afghanistan to form an ISIS affiliate. He began operating in Afghanistan’s Helmand province and began recruitment by offering followers high salaries.“Islamic State gaining ground in Afghanistan: UN,” Yahoo News, https://news.yahoo.com/islamic-state-gaining-ground-afghanistan-un-235952988.html; Bill Roggio, “US kills Islamic State’s deputy emir for ‘Khorasan province’ in airstrike: report,” Long War Journal, February 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/02/us_kills_islamic_sta_1.php. The once-Taliban commander began turning on his former group and replaced many white Taliban flags in the region with the black flags of ISIS. Aliza’s group also began to attack Taliban forces, which led to the death of fighters on both sides.Dan Lamothe, “Meet the shadowy figure recruiting for the Islamic State in Afghanistan,” Washington Post, January 13, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/01/13/meet-the-shadowy-figure-recruiting-for-the-islamic-state-in-afghanistan/;
Sune Engel Rasmussen, “Isis-linked militant killed in Afghanistan drone strike,” Guardian (London), February 9, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/09/isis-militant-rauf-killed-afghanistan-drone-strike-guantanamo.

The splinter group Aliza formed began with only a couple dozen followers. However, a number of Afghan and Pakistani militants—primarily former members of Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban—pledged their allegiance to ISIS and brought up arms with Aliza’s group.Margherita Stancati and Habib Khan Totakhil, “Islamic State Adds to Terror In Afghanistan,” Wall Street Journal, January 11, 2015, http://www.wsj.com/articles/islamic-state-adds-to-terror-in-afghanistan-1421008584;
Bill Roggio, “State Department lists Islamic State’s ‘Khorasan Province’ as Foreign Terrorist Organization,” Long War Journal, January 14, 2016, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/01/state-department-lists-islamic-states-khorasan-province-as-foreign-terrorist-organization.php. ISIS announced the formation of their new branch, the Khorasan Province, on January 10, 2015.Bill Roggio, “State Department lists Islamic State’s ‘Khorasan Province’ as Foreign Terrorist Organization,” Long War Journal, January 14, 2016, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/01/state-department-lists-islamic-states-khorasan-province-as-foreign-terrorist-organization.php.

Soon after his pledge of allegiance to ISIS, Aliza was targeted and killed in a U.S.-led airstrike in southern Afghanistan on February 9, 2015.Bill Roggio, “US kills Islamic State’s deputy emir for ‘Khorasan province’ in airstrike: report,” Long War Journal, February 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/02/us_kills_islamic_sta_1.php.He was traveling in the northern district of Kajaki in the Helmand province when a drone targeted his vehicle. Aliza and seven fellow insurgents were killed.Bill Roggio, “US kills Islamic State’s deputy emir for ‘Khorasan province’ in airstrike: report,” Long War Journal, February 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/02/us_kills_islamic_sta_1.php.

One year after the formation of ISIS’s Khorasan Province, the U.S. Department of State designated the branch as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, on January 14, 2016.Bill Roggio, “State Department lists Islamic State’s ‘Khorasan Province’ as Foreign Terrorist Organization,” Long War Journal, January 14, 2016, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/01/state-department-lists-islamic-states-khorasan-province-as-foreign-terrorist-organization.php.

Radulan Sahiron is a U.S.-designated terrorist and the leader of the Philippines-based extremist organization Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).“Abu Sayyaf Senior Leaders Designated,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, November 30, 2005, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/2005113013165523877.aspx. Sahiron has organized several attacks on tourists in the Philippines—including Americans and Australians—and on Philippine law enforcement agencies.“Abu Sayyaf Senior Leaders Designated,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, November 30, 2005, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/2005113013165523877.aspx. The FBI has classified Sahiron as a wanted terrorist, and the U.S. Department of State has offered up to $1 million for information leading to his arrest or capture.“Radullan Sahiron,” U.S. Department of State Rewards for Justice, accessed March 23, 2016, https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/radullan_sahiron.html.

In the 1970s, Sahiron injured his right arm during a battle with Philippine security forces, leading to the amputation of his forearm at the elbow.“Radullan Sahiron,” U.S. Department of State Rewards for Justice, accessed March 23, 2016, https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/radullan_sahiron.html. Sahiron became known as Commander Putol—“putol” meaning “cut” or “chop” in Tagalog—due to his missing limb.“NTG: Abu Sayyaf leader Raddulan Sahiron, tinuturing nang most wanted terrorist ng FBI.” YouTube video, 0:49. Posted by “GMA News and Public Affairs,” November 5, 2012.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2tQltsIsq0. He is fluent in Arabic and Tausug, the language spoken by the Tausug ethnic group in parts of the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia.“Radullan Sahiron,” U.S. Department of State Rewards for Justice, accessed March 23, 2016, https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/radullan_sahiron.html.

Before assuming leadership of ASG in 2006, Sahiron held several senior positions within the terror group. As early as 1999, Sahiron was one of 14 members of ASG’s consultative council, the Majilis Shura.“Abu Sayyaf Senior Leaders Designated,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, November 30, 2005, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/2005113013165523877.aspx. He also served in various military commander roles and at one time oversaw at least 1,000 armed ASG operatives.“Abu Sayyaf Senior Leaders Designated,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, November 30, 2005, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/2005113013165523877.aspx.

According to the FBI, Radulan Sahiron has served as ASG’s leader since the September 2006 death of leader Khadaffy Janjalani.“Radullan Sahiron,” U.S. Department of State Rewards for Justice, accessed March 23, 2016, https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/radullan_sahiron.html. Sahiron is believed to operate from his home island of Jolo in the Sulu Archipelago, which constitutes the southern-most tip of the Philippines and is 600 miles south of the nation’s capital, Manila.“Raddulan Sahiron,” FBI: Most Wanted Terrorists, accessed March 23, 2016, https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/wanted_terrorists/raddulan-sahiron.

The FBI initially classified Sahiron as a most-wanted terrorist following his role in the 1993 kidnapping of U.S. citizen Charles Walton on the Sulu Archipelago.“Raddulan Sahiron,” FBI: Most Wanted Terrorists, accessed March 23, 2016, https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/wanted_terrorists/raddulan-sahiron. Since then, Sahrion has ordered various ASG bombings, including the 2002 bombing on Jolo Island that killed and wounded dozens of civilians. Sahiron and his subordinates continue to conduct kidnappings.“Narrative Summaries of Reasons for Listing,” United Nations, August 26, 2009, https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list/summaries/individual/radulan-sahiron. In July 2007, the U.S. District Court of Washington, D.C., indicted Sahiron for hostage taking and issued a warrant for his arrest.“Raddulan Sahiron,” FBI: Most Wanted Terrorists, accessed March 23, 2016, https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/wanted_terrorists/raddulan-sahiron.

The Philippine Armed Forces and National Police have targeted Sahiron in several operations, engaging him in firefights in both March and April 2015. Sahiron was reportedly injured on at least one occasion, but evaded capture both times.“2 soldiers killed, 15 hurt in fresh Sulu clashes,” Rappler, April 9, 2015, http://www.rappler.com/nation/89409-soldiers-killed-sulu-firefight. He was also reportedly wounded in a March 2016 firefight with the military’s Joint Task Group Sulu.Roel Pareno, “Government troops searching for Sayyaf leader,” Philippine Star (Manila), March 20, 2016, http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/03/20/1564674/government-troops-searching-sayyaf-leader.

Sahiron’s late son Ismin Sahiron, also known as Abu Abdul Gawi, was also a member of ASG. Sahiron reportedly trained him to take on various leadership responsibilities. Ismin was killed during a U.S.-backed Philippine military offensive in August 2006.“Sayyaf leader’s son slain in Sulu clash,” Philippine Star (Manila), August 5, 2006, http://www.philstar.com/headlines/351087/sayyaf-leader%C2%92s-son-slain-sulu-clash.

In July 2014, ASG’s Basilan-faction leader Isnilon Hapilon and a number of the group’s militants pledged allegiance to ISIS caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.Michelle FlorCruz, “Philippine Terror Group Abu Sayyaf May Be Using ISIS Link for Own Agenda,” International Business Times, September 25, 2014, http://www.ibtimes.com/philippine-terror-group-abu-sayyaf-may-be-using-isis-link-own-agenda-1695156. Since then, Hapilon—who is ethnically Yakan from Basilan Island—has led ASG’s pro-ISIS faction.“Pro-ISIS Groups in Mindanao and Their Links to Indonesia and Malaysia,” Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (Indonesia), October 25, 2016, 2-4, http://file.understandingconflict.org/file/2016/10/IPAC_Report_33.pdf.

Saudi citizen Said al-Shihri was a former Guantanamo detainee who later returned to terrorism to co-found and help lead al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).“The Guantanamo Docket: Said Ali al-Shihri: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed February 23, 2016, projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/372-said-ali-al-shihri/documents/11.

Shihri was a long-time member of al-Qaeda. Prior to the 9/11 attacks, he served as a facilitator for the group, helping Saudis travel to Afghanistan via Iran.“The Guantanamo Docket: Said Ali al-Shihri: Unclassified Summary of Evidence for Administrative Review Board in the Case of al-Shihri, Sa Id Ali Jabir Al Khathim,” New York Times, accessed February 23, 2016, projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/372-said-ali-al-shihri/documents/3/pages/538#6;
“The Guantanamo Docket: Said Ali al-Shihri: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed February 23, 2016, projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/372-said-ali-al-shihri/documents/11. After he was injured in a U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan in November 2001, Shihri was transferred to U.S. custody and later sent to the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo. Shihri was repatriated to Saudi Arabia in November 2007 and enrolled in the country’s de-radicalization program, Care. He then escaped to Yemen and co-founded AQAP. A U.S. drone strike targeted and killed Shihri in 2013.Bill Roggio, “AQAP confirms deputy emir killed in US drone strike,” Long War Journal, July 17, 2013, www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/07/aqap_confirms_deputy.php.

Prior to his engagement in terror, Shihri had owned an antique and furniture store in Riyadh and was a member of the Mabahith, the Saudi Internal Security Force. In 1998, Shihri left the Mabahith as a First Lieutenant. Between 1998 and 2000, he began working as a facilitator for al-Qaeda and was associated with al-Wafa, a humanitarian organization.“The Guantanamo Docket: Said Ali al-Shihri: Unclassified Summary of Evidence for Administrative Review Board in the Case of al-Shihri, Sa Id Ali Jabir Al Khathim,” New York Times, accessed February 23, 2016, projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/372-said-ali-al-shihri/documents/3/pages/538#6;
“The Guantanamo Docket: Said Ali al-Shihri: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed February 23, 2016, projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/372-said-ali-al-shihri/documents/11.

The U.S. government asserts that Shihri helped facilitate the travel of Saudi extremists to Afghanistan, providing them with false passports and travel documents in order to travel via Iran to Afghanistan. The Mabahith alleges that Shihri associated with known members of al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia and, in 2000, traveled to Afghanistan for a period of two months.“The Guantanamo Docket: Said Ali al-Shihri: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed February 23, 2016, projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/372-said-ali-al-shihri/documents/11.

Following the 9/11 attacks, Shihri met with a number of extremists in Mashad, Iran, and advised them on entering Afghanistan. In November 2001, Shihri arrived in Lahore, Pakistan, from Saudi Arabia.“The Guantanamo Docket: Said Ali al-Shihri: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed February 23, 2016, projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/372-said-ali-al-shihri/documents/11. Later that month, Shihri traveled across the border from Pakistan to Spin Boldak, Afghanistan, to assess the needs of a refugee camp there, according to Shihri’s own account. While in Afghanistan, Shihri was injured in a U.S. airstrike, and was then transferred through a series of hospitals for roughly six weeks.“The Guantanamo Docket: Said Ali al-Shihri: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed February 23, 2016, projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/372-said-ali-al-shihri/documents/11.

Shihri asserts that he was not a militant, but was motivated by the suffering of Afghan refugees and sought to provide aid and assistance to their cause. This story closely mirrors that of a number of Guantanamo detainees, and is believed to be a story that detainees developed together.“The Guantanamo Docket: Said Ali al-Shihri: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed February 23, 2016, projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/372-said-ali-al-shihri/documents/11. One of Shihri’s aliases was found on an application for a military training camp in Afghanistan, and further evidence alleges that he trained in urban warfare at the “Libyan Camp” north of Kabul.“The Guantanamo Docket: Said Ali al-Shihri: Unclassified Summary of Evidence for Administrative Review Board in the Case of al-Shihri, Sa Id Ali Jabir Al Khathim,” New York Times, accessed February 23, 2016, projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/372-said-ali-al-shihri/documents/3/pages/538#6.

Shihri was transferred to Guantanamo in January 2002. Later that year, the Mabahith gave U.S. authorities a list of 37 “high priority” Guantanamo detainees and Shihri was listed 14th. While in detention, the Department of Defense’s Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF) assessed Shihri to be of a high intelligence value and a high threat to U.S. interests if released. Additionally, the JTF assessed Shihri to be of a medium risk from a detention perspective as he was seen as a possible “negative leader.”“The Guantanamo Docket: Said Ali al-Shihri: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed February 23, 2016, projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/372-said-ali-al-shihri/documents/11. In April 2007, the JTF again recommended that Shihri continue to be detained under Department of Defense control, but in November 2007 Shihri was transferred to Saudi Arabia.“The Guantanamo Docket: Said Ali al-Shihri: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed February 23, 2016, projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/372-said-ali-al-shihri/documents/11.

Following Shihri’s repatriation, the Saudi government enrolled Shihri in Care. After completing the program, according to Saudi security officials, Shihri “disappeared from his home” and fled to Yemen, likely in March 2008.Robert F. Worth, “Freed by the U.S., Saudi Becomes a Qaeda Chief,” New York Times, January 22, 2009, www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/world/middleeast/23yemen.html?_r=3&hp. In September 2008, Shihri had a “direct role” in a multifaceted al-Qaeda attack on the U.S. embassy in Sana’a, Yemen, killing ten.Thomas Joscelyn, “Return to Jihad,” Long War Journal, January 25, 2009, www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2009/01/return_to_jihad.php.

In January 2009, Shihri appeared in a video alongside fellow former Guantanamo detainee Mohammed al-Awfi announcing the formation of AQAP as a merger of al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia and al-Qaeda in Yemen. Shihri was named the deputy leader of the group and came to play a major role in coordinating external al-Qaeda plots.Gregory D. Johnsen, “A PROFILE OF AQAP’S UPPER ECHELON,” CTC Sentinel, July 24, 2012, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/a-profile-of-aqaps-upper-echelon. One month after the group’s creation, Shihri was included in the Saudi Interior Ministry’s list of 85 wanted terrorists.Robert F. Worth, “Saudis Issue List of 85 Terrorism Suspects,” New York Times, Febuary 3, 2009, www.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/world/middleeast/04saudi.html?ref=world&_r=0.

In April 2009, Shihri appeared in an AQAP audiotape promising the opening of a new “major front” in the Arabian Peninsula, and calling on al-Shabab and Somali pirates to attack regional shipping and Western entities in Djibouti and Somalia.Khaled Wassef, “Al Qaeda Urges Somalis To Attack Ships,” CBS News, April 16, 2009, www.cbsnews.com/news/al-qaeda-urges-somalis-to-attack-ships/. Western security forces suspected Shihri in the kidnapping of nine foreigners in Yemen and the execution of three in June 2009.Jana Winter, “Slaughter of Foreigners in Yemen Bears Mark of Former Gitmo Detainee, Say Experts,” Fox News, June 20, 2009, www.foxnews.com/story/2009/06/20/slaughter-foreigners-in-yemen-bears-mark-former-gitmo-detainee-say-experts.html?mrp. In September 2009, Shihri appeared in a video calling for donations to AQAP from wealthy Saudis.Gregory D. Johnsen, “A PROFILE OF AQAP’S UPPER ECHELON,” CTC Sentinel, July 24, 2012, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/a-profile-of-aqaps-upper-echelon. In January 2010, the U.S. Department of State designated Shihri as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, pursuant to Executive order 13224.“Individuals and Entities Designated by the State Department Under E.O. 13224,” U.S. Department of State, accessed February 25, 2016, http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/143210.htm.

On July 16, 2013, AQAP released a video confirming the Yemeni government’s claim that Shihri had died in a U.S. drone strike. The strike likely took place in November or December 2012. It is unclear when exactly Shihri died since, according to AQAP who confirmed the death months later, Shihri reportedly succumbed to wounds suffered after the strike. Shihri had been rumored or reported to have been killed or captured on four different occasions.Bill Roggio, “AQAP confirms deputy emir killed in US drone strike,” Long War Journal, July 17, 2013, www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/07/aqap_confirms_deputy.php.

As the leader of Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) Britain, Abdul Wahid plays a key public relations role in Western media. He advocates HT’s position on domestic and foreign policy, including the support for political Islam (Islamism) as the solution for the problems in Muslim-majority countries. Wahid engages politicians and local authorities through speaking engagements. While it is unclear when Wahid joined HT, he has spoken on HT’s behalf since at least 2005.Houriya Ahmed and Hannah Stuart, “Hizb ut-Tahrir: Ideology and Strategy,” Henry Jackson Society, accessed February 8, 2016, 110, http://henryjacksonsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/HIZB.pdf.

In 2005, while discussing democracy in the United Kingdom, Wahid highlighted the following points to encourage British Muslims toward grassroots activism instead of engaging in the British political system. He stated in part: 1) Muslim members of parliament are “sell-outs”; 2) “religious obedience” is more important than freedom of speech; and 3) instituting Islamic values into British society would correct social problems such as binge-drinking.Houriya Ahmed and Hannah Stuart, “Hizb ut-Tahrir: Ideology and Strategy,” Henry Jackson Society, accessed February 8, 2016, 106, http://henryjacksonsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/HIZB.pdf.

Wahid has been the group’s chairman since at least 2008 when he was invited to speak at the U.K. government’s Preventing Violent Extremism program event. In the same year, Wahid spoke at a debate organized by the Cordoba Foundation.Houriya Ahmed and Hannah Stuart, “Hizb ut-Tahrir: Ideology and Strategy,” Henry Jackson Society, accessed February 8, 2016, 78, http://henryjacksonsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/HIZB.pdf. The Cordoba Foundation is reportedly linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas.Andrew Gilligan, “Terror-link group met in parliament,” Telegraph (London), November 23, 2013, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/10470307/Terror-link-group-met-in-parliament.html.

HT Britain is one of the organization’s most active chapters. Analyst Zeyno Baran called it the “nerve center” of the movement.Zeyno Baran, “The Challenge of Hizb ut-Tahrir: Deciphering and Combating Radical Islamist Ideology,” Center for the National Interest, September 2004, xiv, accessed June 3, 2015, http://www.cftni.org/Program%20Briefs/PB%202004/confrephiztahrir.pdf (page discontinued). Past members of HT Britain have been linked to ISIS and other extremist groups.Sara Malm, “100 Members of Controversial Islamic Group Linked to Radicalised British Students Including Jihadi John Have ‘Joined Forces with al Qaeda in Syria,’” Daily Mail (London), April 11, 2015, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3034733/100-members-controversial-Islamic-group-linked-radicalised-British-students-including-Jihadi-John-joined-forces-al-Qaeda-Syria.html.

Mirsad Omerovic, a.k.a. Ebu Tejma, is a convicted Islamic extremist imprisoned in Austria. In July 2016, an Austrian court handed Omerovic a 20-year prison sentence after finding him guilty of recruiting young people to ISIS. Omerovic was officially charged on one count of membership in a terrorist organization, and on one count of promoting terrorist activities.“Twenty years in prison for Austrian hate preacher,” Deutsche Welle (Bonn), July 14, 2016, http://www.dw.com/en/twenty-years-in-prison-for-austrian-hate-preacher/a-19400850;
“Austria Sentences IS Recruiter to 20-Year Prison Term,” Voice of America, July 14, 2016, http://www.voanews.com/content/austria-sentences-is-recruiter-to-20-year-prison-term/3417847.html;
“Samra Kesinovic, Sabina Selimovic: How Islamic State recruits teenagers,” News.com.au, November 28, 2015, http://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/samra-kesinovic-sabina-selimovic-how-islamic-state-recruits-teenagers/news-story/9a0ab035c6352e2eb93c93b1733bd76e.

Prior to his November 2015 arrest, Omerovic had reportedly led a Vienna-based Bosnian terrorist cell through which he had recruited Europeans to join jihadist groups abroad. Omerovic was allegedly responsible for radicalizing Austrian teens Samra Kesinovic, then 17, and Sabina Selimovic, then 15, who joined ISIS in April 2014, becoming worldwide poster girls for the group.David Rogers, “Revealed: Hate preacher terror 'mastermind' who recruited Austrian ‘ISIS poster girls’ sent ‘another 160 to join jihad in Syria and Iraq,’” Daily Mail (London), December 10, 2014, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2865316/The-terror-mastermind-recruited-Austrian-ISIS-poster-girls-got-160-join-jihad-Syria-Iraq.html. In November 2015, news reports emerged that one of the girls, Kesinovic, had been beaten to death by ISIS after trying to escape from the group’s stronghold in Raqqa, Syria.Chris Perez, “Austrian jihadi bride beaten to death after trying to escape ISIS: friend,’ New York Post, November 24, 2015, http://nypost.com/2015/11/24/austrian-jihadi-bride-beaten-to-death-after-trying-to-escape-isis-friend/.

These two high-profile recruits were among the more than 160 Europeans believed to have joined ISIS after being radicalized by Omerovic, who preached radicalizing messages in local mosques, as well as through his YouTube videos.“Jihadist ‘mastermind’ on trial in Graz,” Local (Vienna), February 22, 2016, http://www.thelocal.at/20160222/jihadist-mastermind-on-trial-in-graz; Gianluca Mezzofiore, “Islamic hate preacher who recruited ISIS poster girls travelled through Europe ‘like a popstar on tour as he brainwashed teenagers,’” Daily Mail (London), February 22, 2016, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3458649/Islamic-hate-preacher-recruited-ISIS-poster-girls-travelled-Europe-like-popstar-tour-brainwashed-teenagers.html. At Omerovic’s July 2016 sentencing, an Austrian public prosecutor claimed that he had “brainwashed” dozens of young people into joining ISIS in Syria.“Austria Sentences IS Recruiter to 20-Year Prison Term,” Voice of America, July 14, 2016, http://www.voanews.com/content/austria-sentences-is-recruiter-to-20-year-prison-term/3417847.html.

Before his arrest, Omerovic was believed to maintain a direct line of communication with ISIS’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.“Jihadist ‘mastermind’ on trial in Graz,” Local (Vienna), February 22, 2016, http://www.thelocal.at/20160222/jihadist-mastermind-on-trial-in-graz. Omerovic was reportedly is believed to have been deeply connected to other jihadist operations in Europe. According to one Austrian newspaper, there is was “scarcely a single recruit in Europe for jihad in which [Omerovic] and his group were not involved.”“Jihadist ‘mastermind’ on trial in Graz,” Local (Vienna), February 22, 2016, http://www.thelocal.at/20160222/jihadist-mastermind-on-trial-in-graz.

Sudanese citizen Ibrahim al-Qosi is a member of al-Qaeda and has been a loyal associate of the terrorist group’s founder, Osama bin Laden. He served primarily as a courier, accountant, and treasurer for al-Qaeda until Pakistani forces arrested him in 2001. Qosi was subsequently transferred to U.S. custody and detained at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center from 2002 to 2012.“The Guantanamo Docket: Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud al Qosi: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed August 22, 2018, http://projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/54-ibrahim-ahmed-mahmoud-al-qosi. In July 2010, Qosi pled guilty to charges of conspiracy and material support for terrorism. He was sentenced to 14 years, but was released after two and repatriated to Sudan in 2012.Thomas Joscelyn, “Ex-Guantanamo detainee now an al Qaeda leader in Yemen,” Long War Journal, December 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/12/ex-guantanamo-detainee-now-an-al-qaeda-leader-in-yemen.php. Qosi has since returned to terrorism and has been featured in several propaganda videos for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), most recently in January 2018.“New video message from al-Qā’idah in the Arabian Peninsula: ‘Secrets and Dangers and the Departure of the Best of Us’,” Jihadology, January 17, 2018, https://jihadology.net/2018/01/17/new-video-message-from-al-qaidah-in-the-arabian-peninsula-secrets-and-dangers-and-the-departure-of-the-best-of-us/; Thomas Joscelyn, “Former Guantanamo detainee warns against spilling secrets,” Long War Journal, January 19, 2018, https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2018/01/former-guantanamo-detainee-warns-against-spilling-secrets-in-aqap-video.php.

After being recruited by al-Qaeda in 1990, Qosi received military training and fought in Afghanistan. In 1992, he relocated to Sudan to serve as an accountant and treasurer for Osama bin Laden. Qosi was later chosen to be part of bin Laden’s security detail where he was also responsible for gathering supplies and cooking.Thomas Joscelyn, “Ex-Guantanamo detainee now an al Qaeda leader in Yemen,” Long War Journal, December 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/12/ex-guantanamo-detainee-now-an-al-qaeda-leader-in-yemen.php. “The Guantanamo Docket: Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud al Qosi: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed August 22, 2018, http://projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/54-ibrahim-ahmed-mahmoud-al-qosi; Associated Press, “Bin Laden’s cook freed from Guantanamo Bay after 10 years,” CBS News, July 11, 2012, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bin-ladens-cook-freed-from-guantanamo-bay-after-10-years/. After returning to Afghanistan, Qosi fought against the Northern Alliance, an anti-Taliban coalition of militias, near Kabul and Kandahar between 1998 and 2001.“The Guantanamo Docket: Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud al Qosi: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed August 22, 2018, http://projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/54-ibrahim-ahmed-mahmoud-al-qosi.

In December 2001, he was captured by the Pakistani military while fleeing the battle of Tora Bora, Afghanistan, alongside other members of bin Laden’s security group.Thomas Joscelyn, “Ex-Guantanamo detainee now an al Qaeda leader in Yemen,” Long War Journal, December 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/12/ex-guantanamo-detainee-now-an-al-qaeda-leader-in-yemen.php. Qosi was subsequently transferred into U.S. custody, where he was held in a detention facility in Kandahar, and was moved to the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center in January 2002.“The Guantanamo Docket: Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud al Qosi: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed August 22, 2018, http://projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/54-ibrahim-ahmed-mahmoud-al-qosi. During interrogations, Qosi was open about being an al-Qaeda member and provided valuable intelligence on high-level operatives.“The Guantanamo Docket: Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud al Qosi: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed August 22, 2018, http://projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/54-ibrahim-ahmed-mahmoud-al-qosi.

On November 15, 2007, U.S. Department of Defense’s Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO) assessed Qosi as “a high risk, as he is likely to pose a threat to the US, its interests, and allies.” JTF-GTMO recommended his continued detention out of concern that he would rejoin al-Qaeda if released. Qosi was considered of high intelligence value due to his key insights on bin Laden and other senior al-Qaeda operatives like Ayman al-Zawahiri, the current al-Qaeda leader since bin Laden’s death in 2011.“The Guantanamo Docket: Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud al Qosi: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed August 22, 2018, http://projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/54-ibrahim-ahmed-mahmoud-al-qosi. Nonetheless, Qosi was repatriated to Sudan in July 2012 after he agreed to a plea deal that suspended 12 years of his sentence in exchange for his cooperation with U.S. prosecutors.Thomas Joscelyn, “Ex-Guantanamo detainee now an al Qaeda leader in Yemen,” Long War Journal, December 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/12/ex-guantanamo-detainee-now-an-al-qaeda-leader-in-yemen.php. It was reported that Qosi would enroll in a reintegration program in Sudan, though it is unclear if this transpired. Upon release, Qosi’s attorney said, “One of the main reasons the United States was willing to return [Qosi] to Sudan was the U.S. confidence in the government of Sudan’s program and its confidence that Mr. al-Qosi would not represent any kind of threat to the United States.” He added, “If [the U.S.] had considered him a threat, they would not have released him.”Associated Press, “Bin Laden’s cook freed from Guantanamo Bay after 10 years,” CBS News, July 11, 2012, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bin-ladens-cook-freed-from-guantanamo-bay-after-10-years/.

Qosi instead returned to terrorism and became an AQAP leader. A Defense Intelligence Agency assessment from March 2017 concluded that Qosi has “likely reengaged in terrorist associated activities since at least late-2015” by serving as a spokesman for AQAP and encouraging to wage jihad.“United States’ Response to the U.S.C.M.C.R’s 11 March 2017 Order,” CMCR, March 23, 2017, https://www.justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Al-Qosi-Response-to-the-Courts-March-11-2017-Order.pdf. AQAP released a video in December 2015 entitled “Guardians of Sharia,” in which Qosi discussed jihad with fellow commanders and encouraged lone wolf attacks against the U.S. and other western nations.Thomas Joscelyn, “Ex-Guantanamo detainee now an al Qaeda leader in Yemen,” Long War Journal, December 9, 2015, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/12/ex-guantanamo-detainee-now-an-al-qaeda-leader-in-yemen.php.

On February 6, 2016, AQAP posted a 50-minute lecture online starring Qosi, titled “A Message to Our People in the Land of the Two Holy Mosques.” Qosi chronicled al-Qaeda’s fight against Saudi Arabia, and praised young “mujahideen” fighters for waging jihad in Afghanistan, Somalia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina (in the 1990s). Finally, he ended the lecture by urging Muslims to fight in Yemen against the “Crusader-rejectionist [Shiite] campaign.”Thomas Joscelyn, “Ex-Guantanamo detainee prominently featured in al Qaeda propaganda,” Long War Journal, February 15, 2016, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/02/ex-guantanamo-detainee-prominently-featured-al-qaeda-propaganda.php.

In May 2016, AQAP published its 15^th edition of the Inspire magazine in which Qosi writes about his life with Osama bin Laden and mocks the United States for its victorious sentiment after bin Laden’s death in 2011, “[…] Obama we are all Usama. We are a nation, which does not know how to surrender. A nation that never dies with the death of its men or leaders.” Qosi also explains the “betrayal” of Jamal al-Fadhl, who provided the U.S. government with valuable insider information in 1996. Qosi then goes on to elaborate on the military, economic, political and psychological consequences of the 9/11 attack on the United States.AQAP, “Professional assassinations”, Inspire, May 2016, https://azelin.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/inspire-magazine-15.pdf; Thomas Joscelyn, “Ex-Guantanamo detainee discusses his life with Osama bin Laden,” Long War Journal, May 17, 2016, https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/05/ex-guantanamo-detainee-discusses-his-life-with-osama-bin-laden.php. A few months later, AQAP published a special edition of Inspire, titled “The 9/17 Operations.” Qosi narrates the day of the 9/11 attack. He describes his and bin Laden’s joy over the collapse of the World Trade Center and their excitement while listening to the “good news” on American radio.AQAP, “The 9/17 Operations,” Inspire, Fall 2016, https://azelin.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/inspire-magazine-16.pdf.

AQAP released their 17^th edition of the Inspire magazine in July 2017 in which Qosi praises and encourages lone wolf attacks, describing them as “new creative and destructive Lone Jihad operations, executed by men from [the United States] homeland. Men whose boots have not touched the lands of Jihad in Afghanistan or Sham and whose names have never been in the FBI or CIA black lists.”AQAP, “Train Derail Operations,” Inspire, July 2017, https://azelin.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/inspire-magazine-17.pdf; Thomas Joscelyn, “AQAP publishes guide for derailing trains in the US, Europe,” Long War Journal, August 13, 2017, https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2017/08/aqap-publishes-guide-for-derailing-trains-in-the-us-europe.php.

In January 2018, Qosi appeared in a 36-minute video, titled “Secrets, its Dangers and the Departure of the Best of Us,” where he lectures on the importance of exercising caution and maintaining operational security. The propaganda video also features current AQAP leader Qasim al Raymi addressing the problem of leaked information through “spies” and cellphones that has allowed the United States to track AQAP targets and kill them in drone strikes.“New video message from al-Qā’idah in the Arabian Peninsula: ‘Secrets and Dangers and the Departure of the Best of Us’,” Jihadology, January 17, 2018, https://jihadology.net/2018/01/17/new-video-message-from-al-qaidah-in-the-arabian-peninsula-secrets-and-dangers-and-the-departure-of-the-best-of-us/; Thomas Joscelyn, “Former Guantanamo detainee warns against spilling secrets,” Long War Journal, January 19, 2018, https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2018/01/former-guantanamo-detainee-warns-against-spilling-secrets-in-aqap-video.php.

On November 7, 2019, the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice Program offered up to $4 million on information leading to the capture of Qosi.“U.S. State Department announces reward up to $10 million for two senior AQAP leaders,” Reuters, November 7, 2019, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-reward/u-s-state-department-announces-reward-up-to-10-million-for-two-senior-aqap-leaders-idUSKBN1XH2DY; “Wanted: Information that brings to justice,” Rewards for Justice, November 7, 2019, https://static.rewardsforjustice.net/uploads/AQAPQosiAtifPosterENG8_5x11.pdf. Following the death of AQAP leader Qasim al-Raymi in a U.S. drone strike in early 2020 in Yemen’s Marib Province, Qosi was considered a possible successor for the jihadist franchise as he has been a longtime official of the leadership team that advises AQAP’s emir.Thomas Joscelyn, “White House confirms death of AQAP leader,” Long War Journal, February 6, 2020, https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2020/02/white-house-confirms-death-of-aqap-leader.php. Although Raymi’s deputy, Khalid Batarfi, took over as the new leader, he later turned himself into Yemeni forces on October 2, 2020.“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; “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. It is unreported if Qosi has assumed the role of AQAP emir.

On October 27, 2020, a federal appeals court refused to review Qosi’s 2010 war crimes conviction. His lawyers argued that Qosi’s conviction should be thrown out because the charge for which he was convicted, providing material support for terrorism, is not a war crime that could be tried by military commission. As such, they argued that the military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay had no jurisdiction to convict Qosi. The three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit declined to hear the appeal because there was no evidence that Qosi had “authorized counsel to pursue these petitions” and did not have contact “with any attorney in this case for eight years.”Carol Rosenberg, “Court Rejects Appeal of Guantánamo Convict Who Rejoined Al Qaeda,” New York Times, October 28, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/28/us/politics/guantanamo-detainee-appeal.html.