Overview
Mounir Ben Dhaou Ben Brahim Ben Helal was a Tunisian member of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) who was sanction-designated by the United States,“Treasury Sanctions Major Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Leaders, Financial Figures, Facilitators, and Supporters,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, September 29, 2015, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0188.aspx. the United Nations,“Narrative Summaries of Reasons for Listing,” U.N. Security Council, February 29, 2016, https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list/summaries/individual/mounir-ben-dhaou-ben-brahim-ben-helal. and the European Union“Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/307 of 3 March 2016,” EUR-Lex, March 3, 2016, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1462456080638&uri=CELEX:32016R0307. for facilitating the flow of foreign fighters to the terror group.
According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Helal used “his experience in establishing and securing travel routes” to create networks in North Africa for AQIM, as well as to aid foreign fighters in traveling to Syria to join ISIS. The United States also accused Helal of supplying arms to AQIM.“Treasury Sanctions Major Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Leaders, Financial Figures, Facilitators, and Supporters,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, September 29, 2015, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0188.aspx.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) identified Helal as “Abu Mariam,” a senior ISIS leader killed in a November 2015 U.S. airstrike in Iraq. The strike targeted and killed a senior ISIS finance chief, known as “Abu Saleh.” According to AFP, Abu Mariam was “an enforcer and senior leader in the IS group’s extortion networks.” The news agency reported that Abu Mariam “appears on the State Department’s terrorist list as Mounir Ben Dhaou Ben Brahim Ben Helal, a 32-year-old Tunisian.”Agence France-Press, “IS finance chief killed in Iraq air strike: US,” Yahoo News, December 11, 2015, https://www.yahoo.com/news/finance-chief-confirmed-killed-air-strike-us-180340733.html?ref=gs. Despite Helal’s reported death, the United Nations listed him as an associate of al-Qaeda on February 29, 2016.“Narrative Summaries of Reasons for Listing,” U.N. Security Council, February 29, 2016, https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list/summaries/individual/mounir-ben-dhaou-ben-brahim-ben-helal. On the same day, the European Union added Helal to its list of Natural persons.“Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/307 of 3 March 2016,” EUR-Lex, March 3, 2016, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1462456080638&uri=CELEX:32016R0307.
Agence France-Press, “IS finance chief killed in Iraq air strike: US,” Yahoo News, December 11, 2015, https://www.yahoo.com/news/finance-chief-confirmed-killed-air-strike-us-180340733.html?ref=gs.
Associated Groups
- Extremist entity
- AQIM
- Read Threat Report
- Type(s) of Organization:
- Insurgent, non-state actor, religious, terrorist, transnational, violent
- Ideologies and Affiliations:
- Al-Qaeda affiliated group, Islamist, jihadist, Qutbist, Salafist, Sunni, takfiri
- Position(s):
- Foreign-fighter facilitator
Al-Qaeda’s North African branch, AQIM, operates in Algeria, Mali, Niger, Libya, Mauritania, and Tunisia. The group has executed numerous violent attacks in North and West Africa. The group is also known for its extensive history of kidnapping and extortion.
- Extremist entity
- ISIS
- Read Threat Report
- Type(s) of Organization:
- Insurgent, territory-controlling, religious, terrorist, violent
- Ideologies and Affiliations:
- Islamist, jihadist, pan-Islamist, Salafist, takfiri
- Position(s):
- Foreign-fighter facilitator, financial facilitator
Al-Qaeda’s North African branch, AQIM, operates in Algeria, Mali, Niger, Libya, Mauritania, and Tunisia. The group has executed numerous violent attacks in North and West Africa. The group is also known for its extensive history of kidnapping and extortion.
History
United States
- September 29, 2015
The U.S. Treasury designated “Mounir Ben Dhaou Ben Brahim Ben Helal” as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224.“Treasury Sanctions Major Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Leaders, Financial Figures, Facilitators, and Supporters,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, September 29, 2015, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0188.aspx.
United Nations
- February 29, 2016
The United Nations Security Council added “Mounir Ben Dhaou Ben Brahim Ben Helal” to its ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List.“Narrative Summaries of Reasons for Listing,” U.N. Security Council, February 29, 2016, https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list/summaries/individual/mounir-ben-dhaou-ben-brahim-ben-helal.
European Union
- February 29, 2016
The European Union added “Mounir Ben Dhaou Ben Brahim Ben Helal” to its list of Natural persons.“Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/307 of 3 March 2016,” EUR-Lex, March 3, 2016, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1462456080638&uri=CELEX:32016R0307.
Daily Dose
Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.
Fact:
On August 23, 2017, Boko Haram insurgents attacked several villages in northern Nigeria’s Borno State. The extremists shot at villagers and slit their throats, killing 27 people and wounding at least 6 others.