Overview
Laith al-Khazali is a U.S.-designated leader in Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), an Iranian-sponsored Shiite militia and political party operating primarily in Iraq. He is the brother of AAH founder and Secretary-General Qais al-Khazali.“State Department Terrorist Designations of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq and its leaders, Qays and Laith al-Khazali,” U.S. Department of State, January 3, 2020, https://www.state.gov/state-department-terrorist-designations-of-asaib-ahl-al-haq-and-its-leaders-qays-and-laith-al-khazali/.
Al-Khazali and his brother are suspected of leading a January 20, 2007, AAH attack on U.S. troops in Iraq that killed five soldiers. Al-Khazali was arrested for his suspected involvement, but U.S. forces freed him in June 2009 in order to help facilitate dialogue between the Iraqi government and AAH. Al-Khazali went into hiding immediately after his release.Alissa J. Rubin and Michael R. Gordon, “U.S. Frees Suspect in Killing of 5 G.I.’s,” New York Times, June 8, 2009, https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/world/middleeast/09release.html?auth=login-smartlock.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury sanction-designated al-Khazali in December 2019 after AAH killed multiple peaceful demonstrators in Iraq, accusing him for complicity in human rights abuses. His brother, Qais, was designated for his leading an entity engaged in human rights abuses.“Treasury Sanctions Iran-Backed Militia Leaders Who Killed Innocent Demonstrators in Iraq,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2019, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm847. The U.S. Department of State sanctioned both of the al-Khazali brothers the following month as Specially Designated Foreign Terrorists.“State Department Terrorist Designations of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq and its leaders, Qays and Laith al-Khazali,” U.S. Department of State, January 3, 2020, https://www.state.gov/state-department-terrorist-designations-of-asaib-ahl-al-haq-and-its-leaders-qays-and-laith-al-khazali/.
Associated Groups
- Extremist entity
- Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH)
- Read Threat Report
- Type(s) of Organization:
- Militia, political party, religious, social services provider, terrorist, transnational, violent
- Ideologies and Affiliations:
- Iranian-sponsored, Islamist, jihadist, Khomeinist, Shiite
- Position(s):
- Leader
AAH is an Iranian-backed Shiite militia and political party operating primarily in Iraq, as well as in Syria and Lebanon. Until the U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq in December 2011, AAH had launched more than 6,000 attacks on American and Iraqi forces.
History
United States
On December 6, 2019, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Laith al-Khazali pursuant to Executive Order 13818 for being a foreign person who is responsible for, complicit in, or has directly engaged in serious human rights abuses.“Treasury Sanctions Iran-Backed Militia Leaders Who Killed Innocent Demonstrators in Iraq,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 6, 2019, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm847.
On January 3, 2020, the U.S. Department of State designated Laith al-Khazali as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.“State Department Terrorist Designations of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq and its leaders, Qays and Laith al-Khazali,” U.S. Department of State, January 3, 2020, https://www.state.gov/state-department-terrorist-designations-of-asaib-ahl-al-haq-and-its-leaders-qays-and-laith-al-khazali/.
Daily Dose
Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.
Fact:
On October 7, 2023, Hamas invaded southern Israel where, in the space of eight hours, hundreds of armed terrorists perpetrated mass crimes of brutality, rape, and torture against men, women and children. In the biggest attack on Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust, 1,200 were killed, and 251 were taken hostage into Gaza—where 101 remain. One year on, antisemitic incidents have increased by record numbers.