Osama bin Laden was a Saudi citizen and co-founder and leader of al-Qaeda, notorious for orchestrating the September 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. Throughout his three-decade-long jihadist career, bin Laden oversaw the planning of numerous largescale terrorist attacks, established a network of al-Qaeda-linked businesses and operatives, and united terrorist groups from the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia. Between 1996 and 2001, he lived in Afghanistan under the protection of the ruling Taliban and its leader Mullah Mohammed Omar. Bin Laden was killed on May 2, 2011, in a shootout with U.S. Navy SEALS at a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Bin Laden was succeeded as al-Qaeda's emir by Ayman al-Zawahiri.“TEXT: US GRAND JURY INDICTMENT AGAINST USAMA BIN LADEN,” United States District Court Southern District of New York, November 6, 1998, https://fas.org/irp/news/1998/11/98110602_nlt.html;
Peter Baker, Helene Cooper, Mark Mazzetti, “Bin Laden Is Dead, Obama Says,” New York Times, May 1, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/asia/osama-bin-laden-is-killed.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0.
Born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 1957, Osama bin Laden was the 17th of 54 children fathered by Saudi billionaire Mohammed bin Laden. The elder bin Laden, an immigrant from Yemen, was the head of a successful construction firm—building many of the palaces and major roads in the kingdom as well as renovating Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque. Osama’s mother, Hamida al-Attas, came from a prominent Syrian Alawite family and was Mohammed bin Laden’s tenth wife. Osama’s parents divorced soon after he was born, and his father died in a plane crash when he was five years old. Nevertheless, Osama would later work for and inherit millions from his father’s business empire.Lawrence Wright, The Looming Tower, (New York: Random House, 2011), 75, 84; Victory D. Comras, Flawed Diplomacy: The United Nations & the War on Terrorism, (Washington D.C.: Potomac Books, Inc., 2010), 36.
In high school bin Laden joined the Saudi branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and read the extremist texts of influential Brotherhood ideologue Sayyid Qutb. Bin Laden’s friend at the time, Jamal Khalifa, later said that Qutb “was the one who most affected [his and bin Laden’s] generation.”Alastair Finlan, The Test of Terrorism: Responding to Political Violence in the Twenty-First Century, (London: Routledge: 2015); Lawrence Wright, The Looming Tower, (New York: Random House, 2011), 90-92. In his books, Qutb called for an Islamic “vanguard” to take up jihad against secular governments and eventually resurrect the caliphate. Qutb also re-popularized the Islamic concept of takfir, which permits the labeling of fellow Muslims as apostates, thus justifying their persecution and murder.Alastair Finlan, The Test of Terrorism: Responding to Political Violence in the Twenty-First Century, (London: Routledge: 2015).
In 1974, bin Laden—then a deeply pious 18-year-old—married his 14-year-old Syrian cousin. Bin Laden would go on to marry two more women and father at least 23 children.“The life and death of Osama bin Laden,” Washington Post, May 2, 2011, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/world/timeline-life-of-osama-bin-laden/. Between 1976 and 1979, bin Laden studied economics at the King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah. There, he formed a religious charity on campus, whose members “devoted a lot of time to interpreting the Quran and jihad,” according to bin Laden’s own account.Lawrence Wright, The Looming Tower, (New York: Random House, 2011), 90. It was also at that university that bin Laden met Abdullah Azzam, a renowned Palestinian scholar and a professor at the school. Azzam, often referred to as the father of modern jihad, would serve as a spiritual mentor to bin Laden and eventually become a co-founder of al-Qaeda.Aryn Baker, “Who Killed Abdullah Azzam?” Time, June 18, 2009, http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1902809_1902810_1905173-1,00.html;
Asaf Maliach, “Abdullah Azzam, Al-Qaeda, and Hamas,” Institute for National Security Studies, October 2010, Volume 2, No. 2, http://www.inss.org.il/uploadimages/Import/(FILE)1298359986.pdf.
Bin Laden reportedly traveled to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border within two weeks of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 55, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf;
Lawrence Wright, The Looming Tower, (New York: Random House, 2011), 109. Bin Laden acted as a visiting envoy, meeting various militant leaders and devising ways to raise funds for the mujahideen (“holy warriors”). In the early-mid 1980s, he traveled back and forth to Saudi Arabia, where he implored wealthy family members to financially support the Afghan jihad. Bin Laden also brought construction machinery and Arab recruits into Afghanistan, and provided the fighters with logistical and humanitarian aid.Kate Zernike and Michael T. Kaufman, “The Most Wanted Face of Terrorism,” New York Times, May 2, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/02osama-bin-laden-obituary.html; “Osama Bin Laden: A Chronology of His Political Life,” PBS Frontline, accessed March 15, 2015, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/etc/cron.html. Bin Laden’s former professor, Abdullah Azzam, arrived in Peshawar in late 1981, and the two men worked closely to recruit, train, and equip Arab fighters for the jihad.Lawrence Wright, The Looming Tower, (New York: Random House, 2011), 111.
In September 1984, bin Laden and Azzam decided to create a formal role for Arabs and other foreign (including Western) fighters in Afghanistan. The pair soon established the Services Bureau (Makhtab al-Khadamat)—an office, printing center, funds repository, and hostel for foreign mujahideen. Bin Laden also began to offer plane tickets, residences, and living expenses for the men, and by 1986 was believed to be paying $25,000 per month to subsidize the fighters.Lawrence Wright, The Looming Tower, (New York: Random House, 2011), 117-119.
In 1987, bin Laden met Ayman al-Zawahiri for the first time, in Pakistan.“Timeline of al-Zawahiri,” CNN, June 16, 2011, http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/16/timeline-of-al-zawahiri/. At the time, Zawahiri, an Egyptian doctor, was a key leader of Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ)—a jihadist group responsible for the 1981 assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.“Timeline of al-Zawahiri,” CNN, June 16, 2011, http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/16/timeline-of-al-zawahiri/.
Bin Laden and Zawahiri quickly developed a close working relationship, and co-founded al-Qaeda (“the base”) in August 1988 alongside several other Islamist operatives, including Azzam.“Egyptian Islamic Jihad,” Mapping Militant Organizations, last modified October 26, 2015, http://web.stanford.edu/group/mappingmilitants/cgi-bin/groups/view/401;
“A history of terror: Al-Qaeda 1988-2008,” Guardian (London), July 12, 2008, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jul/13/history.alqaida;
“Tareekhosama/50/Tareekh Osama 122-123,” Intelwire.com, February 24, 2009, http://intelfiles.egoplex.com/1988-08-11-al-qaeda-founding.pdf;
Arabina Acharya, Ten Years After 9/11: Rethinking the Jihadist Threat, (London and New York: Routledge, 2013) 36. The secretary at the meeting noted that “al-Qaeda is basically an organized Islamic faction, its goal is to lift the word of God, to make His religion victorious.”Lawrence Wright, The Looming Tower, (New York: Random House, 2011), 152;
Daniel Benjamin and Steven Simon, The Age of Sacred Terror, (New York: Random House, 2002), 103;
“Origins of Al Qaeda,” Global Issues on Terrorism, accessed May 1, 2017, https://sites.stedwards.edu/craigc-culf331111fa2014/group-middle-east-and-north-africa/origins-of-al-qaeda/.
Within a year, however, disagreements arose between bin Laden and Azzam on al-Qaeda’s trajectory. While Azzam envisioned bringing the fight to Israel after Afghanistan, bin Laden preferred to prioritize targeting of the United States and Arab regimes such as the Saudi government.Daniel Benjamin and Steven Simon, The Age of Sacred Terror, (New York: Random House, 2002), 103;
“Origins of Al Qaeda,” Global Issues on Terrorism, accessed May 1, 2017, https://sites.stedwards.edu/craigc-culf331111fa2014/group-middle-east-and-north-africa/origins-of-al-qaeda/. The disagreement ended when Azzam was killed in Peshawar on November 24, 1989.Aryn Baker, “Who Killed Abdullah Azzam?,” Time, June 18, 2009, http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1902809_1902810_1905173-1,00.html. Zawahiri continued to direct EIJ until it finally merged with al-Qaeda in 2001.“Country Reports on Terrorism 2008,” U.S. Department of State, April 2009, 305, https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/122599.pdf.
After the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in February 1989, bin Laden returned to Saudi Arabia emboldened by the perceived triumph of the mujahideen over the Soviets. While working at his father’s construction firm in Saudi Arabia, bin Laden was approached about moving his nascent al-Qaeda to Sudan by Hassan al-Turabi—the then-secretary general of the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 57, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf;
“Timeline: Al Qaeda’s Global Context,” PBS Frontline, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/knew/etc/cron.html;
Lawrence Joffe, “Hassan al-Turabi obituary,” Guardian (London), March 11, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/11/hassan-al-turabi-obituary. Turabi proposed allowing bin Laden use Sudan as al-Qaeda’s base in exchange for the building of roads and support in the ongoing war against Christian separatists in Southern Sudan.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 57, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Bin Laden would not relocate to Sudan until late 1991.“Osama Bin Laden: A Chronology of His Political Life,” PBS Frontline, accessed March 15, 2015, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/etc/cron.html.
In August 1990, as U.S. forces arrived in Saudi Arabia to prepare for the first Gulf War, bin Laden urged Saudi King Fahd to expel the Americans and instead allow the veterans of the Afghan war to defend the Arabian Peninsula. King Fahd declined bin Laden’s offer in favor of U.S. and allied forces.Andrew Wander, “A History of Terror: Al-Qaeda 1988-2008,” Guardian (London), July 12, 2008, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jul/13/history.alqaida. Enraged, bin Laden began to publicly rebuke the monarchy for its alliance with the United States, prompting Saudi Arabia to expel him in April 1991. Bin Laden fled to Afghanistan, and then accepted Sudanese leader Hassan al-Turabi’s offer—arriving in Sudan by 1992.“Osama Bin Laden: A Chronology of His Political Life,” PBS Frontline, accessed March 15, 2015, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/etc/cron.html. There, he established legitimate businesses and began to build out the al-Qaeda network.“Osama Bin Laden: A Chronology of His Political Life,” PBS Frontline, accessed March 15, 2015, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/etc/cron.html.
The first attack orchestrated by bin Laden and his associates occurred on December 19, 1992, when a bomb exploded in a hotel room in Aden, Yemen, killing two Australian tourists. Bin Laden had intended for the explosion to kill a unit of U.S. soldiers, but those troops had already left the premises.“Osama Bin Laden: A Chronology of His Political Life,” PBS Frontline, accessed March 15, 2015, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/etc/cron.html. Attacks perpetrated by al-Qaeda operatives and like-minded jihadist increased in the following years. On February 26, 1993, Ramzi Yousef—a Pakistani terrorist not directly linked to al-Qaeda—carried out the Word Trade Center bombing, killing six people and injuring over 1,000 others. While bin Laden praised Yousef’s bombing, he is not believed to have played a role in the attack.Robert Windrem, “Al-Qaida timeline: Plots and attacks,” MSNBC Research and NBC News, http://www.nbcnews.com/id/4677978/ns/world_news-hunt_for_al_qaida/t/al-qaida-timeline-plots-attacks/#.WN61y28rKpo.
In April 1994, the Saudi government revoked bin Laden’s citizenship and froze his assets. Undeterred, bin Laden continued to grow his operations, establishing training camps for foreign fighters in Yemen near the Saudi border, according to U.S. intelligence sources.“Osama Bin Laden: A Chronology of His Political Life,” PBS Frontline, accessed March 15, 2015, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/etc/cron.html;
“TEXT: US GRAND JURY INDICTMENT AGAINST USAMA BIN LADEN,” United States District Court, Southern District of New York, November 6, 1998, https://fas.org/irp/news/1998/11/98110602_nlt.html. Meanwhile, the United States and Saudi Arabia began to pressure Sudan to expel bin Laden, citing his danger to the international community. In May 1996, Turabi reportedly gave bin Laden the choice to stay in Sudan and keep his operations quiet, or to leave the country altogether. Bin Laden opted to relocate his growing jihadist movement, and moved to Afghanistan shortly thereafter.Lawrence Wright, The Looming Tower, (New York: Random House, 2011), 252-253; “TEXT: US GRAND JURY INDICTMENT AGAINST USAMA BIN LADEN,” United States District Court, Southern District of New York, November 6, 1998, https://fas.org/irp/news/1998/11/98110602_nlt.html;
“Osama Bin Laden: A Chronology of His Political Life,” PBS Frontline, accessed March 15, 2015, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/etc/cron.html.
The Taliban controlled much of Afghanistan by the time bin Laden arrived. The group’s leader, Mullah Omar, allowed bin Laden to settle his family and operatives in the eastern city of Jalalabad. Bin Laden would later pledge allegiance to Mullah Omar in late August or early September 1998, forming a bond between the groups that persists to this day.Lawrence Wright, The Looming Tower, (New York: Random House, 2011), 254-255, 326.
Bin Laden issued his first fatwa soon after arriving in Afghanistan. The statement, titled “Declaration of War Against the Americans Who Occupy the Land of the Two Holy Mosques,” was published by London’s Al Quds al Arabi newspaper on August 23, 1996. In it, bin Laden called on Muslims to force the U.S. military out of the Arabian Peninsula; dethrone the Saudi government; punish the U.S. and its allies for their “Crusade” against Islam; and liberate Muslim holy sites.“Bin Laden’s Fatwa,” PBS Newshour, August 23, 1996, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/military-july-dec96-fatwa_1996/;
“Osama bin Laden v. the U.S.: Edits and Statements,” PBS Frontline, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/who/edicts.html;
“Timeline: Osama bin Laden, over the years,” CNN, May 2, 2011, http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/05/02/osama.timeline/. Soon after the fatwa’s publication, bin Laden was visited by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM)—the uncle of World Trade Center bomber Ramzi Yousef. KSM appealed to bin Laden for funds and material to carry out a largescale attack in the United States. Bin Laden agreed to front the funds and asked KSM to join al-Qaeda, though KSM politely declined, deciding to operate independently.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 147, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.
Bin Laden would continue to issue fatwas and orchestrate largescale attacks against U.S. targets. In February 1998, he released his second fatwa—“Declaration of the World Islamic Front for Jihad against the Jews and the Crusaders”—in which he declared it a duty for Muslims to carry out jihad against Islam’s enemies and to expel Americans from the Gulf region.“Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders,” Federation of American Scientists, February 23, 1998, https://fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/980223-fatwa.htm. That August, al-Qaeda carried out its then-largest attack when operatives targeted the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The explosions in Nairobi killed 213 people—nearly all Kenyans and 12 Americans—and injured approximately 5,000 others. In Dar es Salaam, the bombs killed 11 people, none of them Americans.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 70, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Three months later, in November 1998, bin Laden was indicted by a U.S. Federal Grand Jury in New York for engaging in a long-term conspiracy to attack U.S. facilities overseas and to kill American citizens.“TEXT: US GRAND JURY INDICTMENT AGAINST USAMA BIN LADEN,” United States District Court, Southern District of New York, November 6, 1998, https://fas.org/irp/news/1998/11/98110602_nlt.html;
Bill Mears, “Bin Laden charges formally dropped,” CNN, June 17, 2011, http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/17/bin.laden.charges/. At around the same time he was indicted in New York, bin Laden met with KSM in Pakistan and officially approved his plot to weaponize airplanes and crash them into buildings in the United States. The 9/11 plot had begun to take form.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 149; 167, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.
In November 1999, bin Laden received four visitors—Mohamed Atta, Marwan al Shehhi, Ziad Jarrah, and Ramzi bin al-Shibh. The men were members of an al-Qaeda cell in Hamburg, Germany, and were eager to partake in a terrorist attack against the United States. After swearing fealty to bin Laden, the men were instructed to enroll in flight training schools in the West. Bin Laden selected Atta to lead the cell, and revealed to him al-Qaeda’s top targets in the United States: the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the U.S. Capitol. Atta, Shehhi, and Jarrah would become hijacker-pilots in the 9/11 attacks, whereas Shibh would serve as a key facilitator in the attacks.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): 166; 242, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf. Shibh is currently held by the United States as an enemy combatant at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.“Ramzi Bin al Shibh: Guantanamo Docket,” New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/guantanamo/detainees/10013-ramzi-bin-al-shibh.
On October 12, 2000, in al-Qaeda’s last largescale attack before 9/11, two al-Qaeda suicide bombers steered a small boat laden with 400 to 700 pounds of explosives into the port side of the USS Cole while it refueled in Aden, Yemen. The explosion killed 17 U.S. sailors.“USS Cole Bombing Fast Facts,” CNN, October 6, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/18/world/meast/uss-cole-bombing-fast-facts/. The attack was masterminded by al-Qaeda operative Abd Rahim al-Nashiri upon instructions from bin Laden to target U.S. warships in Yemen’s southern port of Aden.National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, Thomas H. Kean, and Lee Hamilton. 2004. The 9/11 Commission report: final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (Washington, D.C.): [152], http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report.pdf.
On September 11, 2001, 19 al-Qaeda operatives hijacked U.S. commercial airliners and flew them into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. A fourth hijacked airplane crashed in a field in rural Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 civilians were killed and thousands more injured.“Timeline: Al-Qaeda,” BBC News, September 4, 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/3618762.stm. Within weeks, the U.S. launched military operations against al-Qaeda’s suspected safe havens in Afghanistan. That December, bin Laden is believed to have escaped U.S. bombing in Afghanistan’s Tora Bora Mountains and fled to Pakistan.Kate Zernike and Michael T. Kaufman, “The Most Wanted Face of Terrorism,” New York Times, May 2, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/02osama-bin-laden-obituary.html.
Bin Laden did not claim responsibility for the 9/11 attacks until October 2004, when he appeared in a video released by Al Jazeera.“Bin Laden: 'Your security is in your own hands,'” CNN, October 29, 2004, http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/10/29/bin.laden.transcript/. “We should destroy towers in America [because] we are a free people…and we want to regain the freedom of our nation,” bin Laden reasoned. The al-Qaeda leader further said that America might avoid another 9/11-style attack if it stopped compromising the “security” of Muslims, warning, “As you undermine our security we undermine yours.”“Bin Laden claims responsibility for 9/11,” CBC News, October 29, 2004, http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/bin-laden-claims-responsibility-for-9-11-1.513654;
“Bin Laden Claims Responsibility for 9/11,” Fox News, October 30, 2004, http://www.foxnews.com/story/2004/10/30/bin-laden-claims-responsibility-for-11.html.
Bin Laden is believed to have settled in a compound in Abbottabad during the 2000s, though there is little publically available information on his whereabouts during this time. In 2009, the U.S. government announced that the al-Qaeda leader was most likely living on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, but conceded that it had a “lack of intelligence” regarding his exact location.“Osama bin Laden Fast Facts,” CNN, May 2, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/30/world/osama-bin-laden-fast-facts/. Living as an elusive fugitive, bin Laden was still able to release videos threatening the West and claim responsibility for al-Qaeda-linked attacks. In January 2010, bin Laden claimed responsibility for the failed bombing of a civilian airliner over Detroit, Michigan, on December 25, 2009. Perpetrated by “underwear bomber” Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the attack had been planned by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.Scott Shane and Eric Lipton, “Passengers’ Quick Action Halted Attack,” New York Times, December 26, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/us/27plane.html.
In the early morning of May 2, 2011, a small team of U.S. Navy SEALS entered the Abbottabad compound where bin Laden was living and killed the 54-year-old al-Qaeda leader in a shootout. His body was transported to the U.S. aircraft carrier the USS Carl Vinson and given an Islamic burial at sea within 24 hours.“Osama Bin Laden: What happened to his body?,” BBC News, May 2, 2011, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-13261680. In a televised statement on the night of May 2, President Barack Obama referred to bin Laden as al-Qaeda’s “leader and symbol” and warned that bin Laden’s death did “not mark the end of our effort. There’s no doubt that al-Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us.”Peter Baker, Helene Cooper, Mark Mazzetti, “Bin Laden Is Dead, Obama Says,” New York Times, May 1, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/asia/osama-bin-laden-is-killed.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0;
“Osama bin Laden Fast Facts,” CNN, May 2, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/30/world/osama-bin-laden-fast-facts/.
Bin Laden’s burial at sea took place within 24 hours of his death with proper religious rites, in accordance with Islamic law. Some Islamic scholars have argued there was no reason to give bin Laden a burial at sea instead of turning the body over to family or even his supporters for a proper burial. Dubai’s grand mufti Mohammed al-Qubaisi said at the time a sea burial was inappropriate and Islamic law required digging a simple grave if nobody was available to take custody of the body. U.S. officials, however, said there was not enough time to negotiate with other countries to take custody of the body. They further said the burial at sea took place to avoid bin Laden’s grave becoming a shrine.“Osama Bin Laden: What happened to his body?,” BBC News, May 2, 2011, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-13261680.
Ayman al-Zawahiri, previously al-Qaeda’s second-in-command, was elevated to leader of the international terror group six weeks after bin Laden’s death. Zawahiri vowed to continue waging jihad against “crusader America and its servant Israel, and whoever supports them.”“Al-Qaeda’s remaining leaders,” BBC news, June 16, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-11489337. Bin Laden’s son Hamza bin laden was a key al-Qaeda operative being groomed for a senior leadership role prior to his own death in a 2019 U.S. counterterrorism operation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.Dugald McConnell and Brian Todd, “Latest al Qaeda propaganda highlights bin Laden’s son,” CNN, May 15, 2017, http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/15/middleeast/al-qaeda-bin-laden-son/index.html; Alex Horton, “Osama bin Laden’s son, once the probable heir to al-Qaeda leadership, killed in U.S. operation, Trump confirms,” Washington Post, September 14, 2019, https://beta.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2019/09/14/hamza-bin-laden-once-possible-heir-al-qaeda-was-killed-us-operation-trump-says/. Zawahiri reportedly died in November 2020 from asthma, but his death remains unconfirmed by al-Qaeda.Baker Atyani and Sayed Salahuddin, “Al-Qaeda chief Zawahiri has died in Afghanistan — sources,” Arab News, November 20, 2020, https://www.arabnews.pk/node/1765746/world; Tim Stickings, “Al-Qaeda's leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has died, reports claim terror chief Ayman al-Zawahiri has died in Afghanistan from ‘asthma-related breathing issues,’” Daily Mail (London), November 20, 2020, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8970231/Al-Qaedas-leader-Ayman-al-Zawahiri-died-reports-claim.html.
President George W. Bush issued Executive Order 13224 on September 23, 2001, listing “Usama bin Laden” as a Specially Designated National.“Executive Order 13224,” U.S. Department of State, September 23, 2001, https://www.state.gov/executive-order-13224/
The United Nations listed “Usama bin Laden” as a terrorist on October 15, 1999.“Resolution 1267 (1999),” U.N. Security Council, October 15, 1999, http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/RES/1267%281999%29.
Mustafa Kamel Mustafa (“Abu Hamza al-Masri” or “Abu Hamza”) is an Egyptian-British citizen and U.S.- and U.N.-sanctioned terrorist associated with al-Qaeda. He was convicted in the United States on multiple counts, including his role in a 1998 hostage-taking attack in Yemen, his support for terrorist operatives in Afghanistan, and for plotting to establish a U.S.-based al-Qaeda training camp. A longtime preacher at the Finsbury Park mosque in London, Abu Hamza was arrested in the United Kingdom in 2004 and extradited to the United States in 2012. He is currently serving two life sentences without parole at a maximum security prison in Colorado.“Mustafa Kamel Mustafa, A/k/a “Abu Hamza,” Convicted Of 11 Terrorism Charges In Manhattan Federal Court,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 19, 2014, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/mustafa-kamel-mustafa-aka-abu-hamza-convicted-11-terrorism-charges-manhattan-federal;
Nicky Woolf, “Abu Hamza Sentenced to Life in Prison on US Terrorism Conviction,” Guardian (London), January 9, 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/09/abu-hamza-sentenced-life-impisonment-terrorism-conviction.
Born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1958, Abu Hamza began to show an interest in religion in the early 1980s while living on a student visa in England. There, he studied civil engineering at Brighton Polytechnic College and worked at a nightclub in London. While in England, Abu Hamza met, and ultimately married, a British woman who reportedly encouraged him to become more religiously observant.“Abu Hamza Profile,” BBC News, January 9, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-11701269.
In 1987, Abu Hamza traveled to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, where he met with the spiritual leader of the Afghan Mujahideen movement, Abdullah Azzam.Duncan Gardham, “Nightclub Bouncer Who Became the Cleric of Hate,” Telegraph (London), February 8, 2006, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1509940/Nightclub-bouncer-who-became-the-cleric-of-hate.html. By his own account, the meeting with Azzam ultimately inspired Abu Hamza to leave England in 1991 and travel to Afghanistan, where he worked on a Saudi-funded project that built factories, schools, and mosques, and provided resources to refugees in the aftermath of the Soviet-Afghan War.Duncan Gardham, “Nightclub Bouncer Who Became the Cleric of Hate,” Telegraph (London), February 8, 2006, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1509940/Nightclub-bouncer-who-became-the-cleric-of-hate.html. While traveling to the region, Abu Hamza lost his eye and both of his hands, though the details of his injury are not consistent. At one point, Abu Hamza claimed to have sustained the injury while participating in a demining project in Jalalabad.“Controversial Cleric of UK Mosque,” CNN, April 1, 2003, http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/01/20/uk.hamzaprofile/. At his U.S. trial, however, Abu Hamza said that he was wounded while handling explosives with the Pakistani military in Lahore.“Abu Hamza Profile,” BBC News, January 9, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-11701269.
Abu Hamza returned to England for medical treatment in 1993. Two years later, however, he left England again, this time to fight against the Serbs and Croats in Bosnia. Upon returning to London in 1995, Abu Hamza quickly became a “leading figure” in the British Islamist scene, making a name for himself by preaching and handing out leaflets urging violent jihad in the Middle East. It was during this time that Abu Hamza took up the nickname “Abu Hamza al-Masri” (“Egyptian father of the lion hunter”), and helped to organize an Islamist extremist group, the Saviours of Shariah (Islamic law).Duncan Gardham, “Nightclub Bouncer Who Became the Cleric of Hate,” Telegraph (London), February 8, 2006, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1509940/Nightclub-bouncer-who-became-the-cleric-of-hate.html. In 1997, Abu Hamza began preaching at the Finsbury Park mosque in London, where he started to amass a following. In interviews in the 1990s, Hamza declared his support for the murder of non-Muslim tourists visiting countries in the Middle East. According to Abu Hamza’s own account, MI5 first contacted him around this time, after terrorists—reportedly linked to Egyptian terrorist group al-Gamaa al-Islamiya—killed 68 tourists in Luxor, Egypt, in November 1997.“Abu Hamza Profile,” BBC News, January 9, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-11701269;
“Designation of 10 Terrorist Financiers Fact Sheet,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, April 19, 2002, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/po3014.aspx;
“1997: Egyptian Militants Kill Tourists at Luxor,” BBC News, accessed April 21, 2017, http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/17/newsid_2519000/2519581.stm.
In subsequent years, Abu Hamza gained control over the Finsbury Park mosque, delivering almost all of the sermons. According to reports, Abu Hamza’s supporters would often bar entry to the mosque to outsiders and anyone whom Abu Hamza deemed a threat.“Abu Hamza Profile,” BBC News, January 9, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-11701269. During this time, Abu Hamza associated remotely with Yemen-based extremist figures, even claiming to serve as the “legal officer” for the al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic Army of Aden terrorist group.“Designation of 10 Terrorist Financiers Fact Sheet,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, April 19, 2002, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/po3014.aspx. Abu Hamza was contacted by British police in 1999 for suspected ties to bomb plots in Yemen.“Abu Hamza Profile,” BBC News, January 9, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-11701269.
In late December 1998, Abu Hamza participated remotely in a hostage-taking operation in Yemen that resulted in four deaths. Prior to the attack, Abu Hamza had provided the lead abductor with a satellite phone, using it to speak with the abductor both before and during the operation. On December 28, abductors stormed a caravan carrying 16 tourists, taking them hostage by force. During the attack, Abu Hamza agreed to act as an intermediary on behalf of the abductors, and continued to provide advice to the abductors over the phone.“Mustafa Kamel Mustafa, A/k/a “Abu Hamza,” Convicted Of 11 Terrorism Charges In Manhattan Federal Court,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 19, 2014, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/mustafa-kamel-mustafa-aka-abu-hamza-convicted-11-terrorism-charges-manhattan-federal. On December 29, during a rescue attempt by the Yemeni military, the abductors used the hostages as human shields, resulting in the deaths of four hostages and the injury of several others.“United States of America v. Mustafa Kamel Mustafa: Indictment,” U.S. Department of Justice, April 19, 2004, https://www.justice.gov/archive/usao/nys/pressreleases/October12/ChargingDocs/Mustafa,%20Mustafa%20Indictment.pdf. The attack was claimed by the Islamic Army of Aden, which would also claim credit for the USS Cole bombing in 2000.“Designation of 10 Terrorist Financiers Fact Sheet,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, April 19, 2002, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/po3014.aspx.
Abu Hamza continued to preach at the Finsbury Park mosque, all the while supporting terrorist operations abroad. In 1999, Abu Hamza and several co-conspirators attempted to establish an al-Qaeda training camp in the United States, based in Bly, Oregon. In late November 1999, Abu Hamza dispatched several British-based al-Qaeda operatives to establish the camp. One of the operatives, Oussama Abdullah Kassir, brought with him a manual on the use of sarin nerve gas.“Mustafa Kamel Mustafa, A/k/a “Abu Hamza,” Convicted Of 11 Terrorism Charges In Manhattan Federal Court,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 19, 2014, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/mustafa-kamel-mustafa-aka-abu-hamza-convicted-11-terrorism-charges-manhattan-federal. As part of the conspiracy, U.S.-based al-Qaeda operatives began to stockpile weapons and ammunition, according to U.S. court documents.“United States of America v. Mustafa Kamel Mustafa: Indictment,” U.S. Department of Justice, April 19, 2004, 6, https://www.justice.gov/archive/usao/nys/pressreleases/October12/ChargingDocs/Mustafa,%20Mustafa%20Indictment.pdf. Meanwhile, Abu Hamza also continued to work as a facilitator for foreign fighters. In November 2000, Abu Hamza began arranging safehouses and lodging in Pakistan for foreign fighters traveling to Afghanistan.“United States of America v. Mustafa Kamel Mustafa: Indictment,” U.S. Department of Justice, April 19, 2004, 11, https://www.justice.gov/archive/usao/nys/pressreleases/October12/ChargingDocs/Mustafa,%20Mustafa%20Indictment.pdf.
The Islamic Army of Aden—which claimed credit for the 1998 hostage attack—was listed by the United Nations as an organization affiliated with al-Qaeda in October 2001, after the United States designated the group as a financier of terrorism. Months later, on April 19, 2002, the U.S. Treasury Department designated Abu Hamza as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in accordance with Executive Order 13224.“Designation of 10 Terrorist Financiers Fact Sheet,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, April 19, 2002, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/po3014.aspx. The U.N. Security Council added Abu Hamza to its list of individuals associated with al-Qaeda shortly thereafter.“Consolidated United Nations Security Council Sanctions List,” United Nations Security Council, accessed April 7, 2017, https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/un-sc-consolidated-list. In explaining the reason for listing Abu Hamza, the United Nations noted that he was responsible for “recruiting” and “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts” by the Islamic Army of Aden.“Ibrahim, Mostafa Kamel Mostafa,” Interpol, accessed April 13, 2017, https://www.interpol.int/en/notice/search/un/1419422. Despite the listing, Abu Hamza continued to preach openly in London for several years. In 2002, on the first anniversary of al-Qaeda’s 9/11 attacks, Abu Hamza co-organized a conference at the Finsbury Park mosque. During the conference, the speakers reportedly praised the 9/11 hijackers.“Abu Hamza Profile,” BBC News, January 9, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-11701269. British authorities raided the mosque in January 2003 after discovering a terrorist plot, and seized weapons and hundreds of suspected forged or stolen identity documents and credit cards. Abu Hamza was not arrested despite the raid and temporary closure of the Finsbury Park mosque, as well as the arrest of several of its members. He continued to preach openly in London, often in the street directly facing the mosque.Duncan Gardham, “Nightclub Bouncer Who Became the Cleric of Hate,” Telegraph (London), February 8, 2006, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1509940/Nightclub-bouncer-who-became-the-cleric-of-hate.html;
John Steele, Sean O’Neill, Richard Alleyne, and Sue Clough, “Police Seize Weapons in Mosque Raid,” Telegraph (London), January 21, 2003, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1419533/Police-seize-weapons-in-mosque-raid.html.
Abu Hamza was arrested by British authorities in May 2004 after the United States requested his extradition to face charges. By that point, Abu Hamza had been stripped of his citizenship, according to U.K. Home Secretary David Blunkett.“Ibrahim, Mostafa Kamel Mostafa,” Interpol, accessed April 13, 2017, https://www.interpol.int/en/notice/search/un/1419422;
Duncan Gardham, “Nightclub Bouncer Who Became the Cleric of Hate,” Telegraph (London), February 8, 2006, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1509940/Nightclub-bouncer-who-became-the-cleric-of-hate.html. Despite the United States’ extradition request, Abu Hamza was first tried in the United Kingdom. In February 2006, he was sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted on sixteen criminal counts, including six counts of soliciting to murder and three counts of intending to stir up racial hatred.“Ibrahim, Mostafa Kamel Mostafa,” Interpol, accessed April 13, 2017, https://www.interpol.int/en/notice/search/un/1419422. In October 2012, after an eight-year legal battle, Abu Hamza was extradited to the United States to face terrorism-related charges. He was convicted in May 2014 of 11 terrorism-related charges and sentenced in January 2015 to life in prison without parole.“Mustafa Kamel Mustafa, A/k/a “Abu Hamza,” Convicted Of 11 Terrorism Charges In Manhattan Federal Court,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 19, 2014, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/mustafa-kamel-mustafa-aka-abu-hamza-convicted-11-terrorism-charges-manhattan-federal;
Joseph Ax, “London cleric Abu Hamza sentenced to life in U.S. prison,” Reuters, January 9, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-imam-idUSKBN0KI0DA20150109.
In August 2020, Abu Hamza filed a lawsuit against the U.S. attorney general over the allegedly “cruel” conditions of his imprisonment. He claimed that the government has denied him family visits for the past eight years, and that he receives no natural light in his cell. Abu Hamza also alleged that the removal of his hooks “has left him having to tear open food packages with his rotting teeth.” He claimed that the conditions have caused him “stress and anxiety.”Zoe Tidman, “Abu Hamza Sues US Over ‘Cruel’ Prison Conditions As He Claims His Hooks Which Replace Forearms Have Been Removed,” Independent (London), August 30, 2020, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/abu-hamza-lawsuit-us-prison-conditions-hate-preacher-finsbury-park-mosque-a9696281.html; Dipesh Gadher, “Abu Hamza Sues US Over ‘Degrading’ Jail and his Rotting Teeth,” Times, August 29, 2020, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/abu-hamza-sues-us-over-degrading-jail-and-his-rotting-teeth-ptr5zjm00.
The U.S. Treasury Department designated “Abu Hamza al-Masri” as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in accordance with Executive Order 13224 on April 19, 2002.“Designation of 10 Terrorist Financiers Fact Sheet,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, April 19, 2002, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/po3014.aspx.
The U.N. Security Council listed “Abu Hamza al-Masri” as an individual associated with al-Qaeda on April 24, 2002.“Consolidated United Nations Security Council Sanctions List,” United Nations Security Council, accessed April 7, 2017, https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/un-sc-consolidated-list.
A.k.a. Abu Hamza al Masri. Propagandist: Former preacher at London’s Finsbury Park mosque whose rhetoric attracted numerous radicals. Convicted in the United States on multiple counts, including his role in a 1998 hostage-taking attack in Yemen, his support for terrorist operatives in Afghanistan, and for plotting to establish a U.S.-based al-Qaeda training camp. Serving two life sentences without parole.
Faisal listened to Abu Hamza’s lectures while living in London until the two became estranged. Abu Hamza had been scheduled to testify on Faisal’s behalf at the latter’s 2003 trial but was dismissed because of his own charges of extremism.
French-born Mehdi Nemmouche is a former ISIS fighter responsible for murdering four people at the Jewish Museum in Brussels on May 24, 2014. The attack was reportedly the first in Europe by a returned foreign fighter from Syria.Agence France-Presse, “Frenchman convicted over deadly attack at Brussels Jewish museum,” Times of Israel, March 7, 2019, https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-march-7-2019/. Prior to the attack, Nemmouche spent a year fighting alongside ISIS in Syria and guarding the group’s U.S. and European hostages in Aleppo. Among these hostages were U.S. citizens James Foley and Steven Sotloff, both of whom were beheaded by the militants in late 2014.“Brussels Jewish Museum killings: Suspect ‘admitted attack’,” BBC News, June 1, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27654505;
“Mehdi Nemmouche, Brussels Jewish Museum shooting suspect, arrested,” CBC News, June 1, 2014, http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/mehdi-nemmouche-brussels-jewish-museum-shooting-suspect-arrested-1.2661011;
Christopher Dickey, “French Jihadi Mehdi Nemmouche Is the Shape of Terror to Come,” Daily Beast, September 9, 2014, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/09/the-face-of-isis-terror-to-come.html. On March 7, 2019, a Belgian court convicted Nemmouche on murder charges in relation to the museum shooting. He received a life sentence.“Brussels Jewish Museum murders: Mehdi Nemmouche guilty,” BBC News, March 7, 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47490332; “Brussels Jewish Museum murders: Mehdi Nemmouche jailed for life,” BBC News, March 12, 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47533533.
Born to a single mother in Roubaix, France, Nemmouche was raised primarily by his grandmother before being placed in a family home. Between the ages of 13 and 22, Nemmouche accumulated 22 criminal offenses, including vehicle theft, assaults, and armed robbery. During this period, Nemmouche completed schooling at a technical institute, but failed to pass his professional licensing test to become a licensed electrician.“Mehdi Nemmouche: ce que l’on sait de son parcours,” Le Monde (Paris), August 9, 2014, http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2014/09/08/mehdi-nemmouche-ce-que-l-on-sait-de-son-parcours_4483458_3224.html.
In 2007, at 22 years old, Nemmouche was convicted of robbery. He was later convicted for aggravated theft 2008 and 2009, while already in custody. While serving a five-year prison sentence, Nemmouche allegedly associated with Islamist inmates and began to adopt a radical interpretation of Islam. In 2011, while still imprisoned, Nemmouche attacked a prison supervisor, for which he was prosecuted. Nemmouche was ultimately released from prison on December 4, 2012.“Mehdi Nemmouche: ce que l’on sait de son parcours,” Le Monde (Paris), August 9, 2014, http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2014/09/08/mehdi-nemmouche-ce-que-l-on-sait-de-son-parcours_4483458_3224.html;
“Brussels Jewish Museum killings: Suspect ‘admitted attack’,” BBC News, June 1, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27654505.
Later that month, Nemmouche left France to join ISIS abroad, traveling through Brussels, London, and Istanbul before entering into Syria.“Mehdi Nemmouche, Brussels Jewish Museum shooting suspect, arrested,” CBC News, June 1, 2014, http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/mehdi-nemmouche-brussels-jewish-museum-shooting-suspect-arrested-1.2661011;
“Mehdi Nemmouche: ce que l’on sait de son parcours,” Le Monde (Paris), August 9, 2014, http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2014/09/08/mehdi-nemmouche-ce-que-l-on-sait-de-son-parcours_4483458_3224.html. Upon joining ISIS, Nemmouche was assigned to guard an ISIS detention facility in Aleppo holding European hostages including French journalists Didier François, Nicolas Hénin, Eduard Elias, and Pierre Torres.“Mehdi Nemmouche: ce que l’on sait de son parcours,” Le Monde (Paris), August 9, 2014, http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2014/09/08/mehdi-nemmouche-ce-que-l-on-sait-de-son-parcours_4483458_3224.html. Nemmouche also allegedly guarded hostages James Foley and Steven Sotloff, who were executed by the militant group in mid-2014.Christopher Dickey, “French Jihadi Mehdi Nemmouche Is the Shape of Terror to Come,” Daily Beast, September 9, 2014, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/09/the-face-of-isis-terror-to-come.html.
According to former ISIS hostage Nicolas Hénin, Nemmouche would regularly beat and torture prisoners. Hénin said that Nemmouche had once bragged about raping a woman before cutting her throat and beheading her baby.Christopher Dickey, “French Jihadi Mehdi Nemmouche Is the Shape of Terror to Come,” Daily Beast, September 9, 2014, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/09/the-face-of-isis-terror-to-come.html. “It’s such a pleasure to cut off a baby’s head,” Hénin quoted Nemmouche as saying.David Chazan, “Brussels museum shooting suspect ‘beheaded baby’,” Telegram (London), September 7, 2014, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11080079/Brussels-museum-shooting-suspect-beheaded-baby.html. According to several former ISIS hostages, Nemmouche was nicknamed “Abu Omar the Hitter” because of the way in which he would violently beat prisoners.“Mehdi Nemmouche: ce que l’on sait de son parcours,” Le Monde (Paris), August 9, 2014, http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2014/09/08/mehdi-nemmouche-ce-que-l-on-sait-de-son-parcours_4483458_3224.html;
Christopher Dickey, “French Jihadi Mehdi Nemmouche Is the Shape of Terror to Come,” Daily Beast, September 9, 2014, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/09/the-face-of-isis-terror-to-come.html. Hénin said that Nemmouche also boasted to ISIS hostages about his intention to carry out a terrorist attack during Paris’s July 14 Bastille Day parade.Christopher Dickey, “French Jihadi Mehdi Nemmouche Is the Shape of Terror to Come,” Daily Beast, September 9, 2014, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/09/the-face-of-isis-terror-to-come.html.
Nemmouche returned from Syria to France in March 2014 and traveled to Brussels several weeks later. On May 24, 2014, Nemmouche stormed into the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels, killing four people.“Mehdi Nemmouche: ce que l’on sait de son parcours,” Le Monde (Paris), August 9, 2014, http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2014/09/08/mehdi-nemmouche-ce-que-l-on-sait-de-son-parcours_4483458_3224.html. Nemmouche immediately fled the scene and later boarded a bus from Amsterdam heading to France’s southern port city of Marseille. On May 30, 2014, French authorities conducting customs inspections found and detained Nemmouche at the Saint-Charles transit station in Marseille. Authorities confiscated a video recording of Nemmouche claiming responsibility for the Jewish Museum attack. Authorities also seized the two guns used in the museum attack and a white sheet decorated with ISIS’s symbol.“Mehdi Nemmouche, Brussels Jewish Museum shooting suspect, arrested,” CBC News, June 1, 2014, http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/mehdi-nemmouche-brussels-jewish-museum-shooting-suspect-arrested-1.2661011;
“Brussels Jewish Museum killings: Suspect ‘admitted attack’,” BBC News, June 1, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27654505.
On July 30, 2014, Nemmouche was charged with murder in a terrorist context by Belgian courts.Frances Robinson, “French Suspect in Brussels Jewish Museum Killings Charged,” Wall Street Journal, July 30, 2014, https://www.wsj.com/articles/french-suspect-in-brussels-jewish-museum-killings-charged-1406725425. On November 3, 2016, Belgium prosecutors decided that Nemmouche would be extradited to France once Belgium “no longer needs him” to face additional charges there.“Suspect in Brussels Jewish museum shooting faces extradition to France,” France24, November 3, 2016, http://www.france24.com/en/20161103-belgium-extradition-france-brussels-jewish-museum-shooting-nemmouche. French authorities are investigating Nemmouche’s participation in the ISIS kidnapping of the four French journalists held hostage in Syria in 2014.“Suspect in Brussels Jewish museum shooting faces extradition to France,” France24, November 3, 2016, http://www.france24.com/en/20161103-belgium-extradition-france-brussels-jewish-museum-shooting-nemmouche.
Nemmouche went on trial in Brussels on January 10, 2019.“Brussels Nemmouche trial: Suspect claims he was ‘tricked,’” BBC News, March 5, 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47454870. During the trial, Hénin testified that he had no doubt Nemmouche was one of his guards and described Nemmouche as “sadistic, playful and narcissistic.”“Brussels Jewish Museum murders: Mehdi Nemmouche guilty,” BBC News, March 7, 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47490332. Nemmouche’s attorney protested that his client was on trial only for the museum shooting. In regard to the museum attack, Nemmouche’s attorney alleged that Iranian or Lebanese intelligence had recruited Nemmouche to join ISIS and that he was acting in his capacity as a double agent while he was guarding the French journalists. Nemmouche’s lawyer argued further that the Brussels attack was actually a “targeted execution of Mossad agents” carried out by an unknown person. The court found no links to the Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence agency.“Brussels Jewish Museum murders: Mehdi Nemmouche guilty,” BBC News, March 7, 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47490332.
On March 7, 2019, a Belgian court convicted Nemmouche for the murder of four people during the museum attack. The court also convicted Nacer Bendrer on a murder charge for helping Nemmouche plan the attack and providing the weapons. Nemmouche received a life sentence on March 12, 2019. Bendrer received a sentence of 15 years in prison. Nemmouche may also return to France to face kidnapping charges in regard to the four French journalists in Syria.“Brussels Jewish Museum murders: Mehdi Nemmouche guilty,” BBC News, March 7, 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47490332; “Brussels Jewish Museum murders: Mehdi Nemmouche jailed for life,” BBC News, March 12, 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47533533. On October 22, 2019, the Brussels criminal court ordered Nemmouche and Bendrer to pay a total of €985,000, without taxes, to the families of the four victims.“Jewish Museum terrorists ordered to pay nearly €1 million in victim compensation,” Brussels Times, October 22, 2019, https://www.brusselstimes.com/all-news/belgium-all-news/74818/jewish-museum-terrorists-ordered-to-pay-nearly-e1-million-in-victim-compensation-mehdi-nemmouche-nacer-bendrer-terrorist-attacks/.
Jamal al-Harith, born Ronald Fiddler, was a British citizen detained at Guantanamo Bay Detention Center in early 2002 for more than two years. Harith was repatriated to Britain upon release, and joined ISIS in Syria in 2014.“Jamal Al-Harith: Guantanamo detainee flees to Syria,” Channel 4 News, October 9, 2015, http://www.channel4.com/news/jamal-al-harith-guantanamo-detainee-flees-to-syria. He carried out a suicide bombing at an Iraqi army base near Mosul in February 2017.“British suicide bomber dies in attack on Iraqi forces in Mosul,” BBC News, February 21, 2017, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-39045923.
Harith had previously worked in web design in Manchester and converted to Islam in the 1990s, changing his name to Jamal Udeen Al-Harith.“The Guantanamo Docket: Jamal Malik al Harith: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed April 6, 2016, http://projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/490-jamal-malik-al-harith.
In early October 2001, Harith traveled to Quetta, Pakistan, on what he claimed was a religious holiday. When the U.S. army invaded Afghanistan a few days later, Harith claimed he tried to escape to Iran but was arrested at the border and handed to the Taliban. Accused of being a British spy, he claims to have been held prisoner in the city of Kandahar until it was taken over by the Northern Alliance.“Jamal Al-Harith: Guantanamo detainee flees to Syria,” Channel 4 News, October 9, 2015, http://www.channel4.com/news/jamal-al-harith-guantanamo-detainee-flees-to-syria. Harith was then transferred to U.S. custody, and was sent to Guantanamo in February 2002 due to his alleged knowledge of “Taliban treatment of prisoners and interrogation tactics,” according to the Department of Defense’s Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF).“Statement of Jamal al-Harith, former detainee at Guantanamo Bay,” Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, December 17, 2014, http://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/News/FeaturesManager-View-EN.asp?ID=120.
The JTF wrote that Harith was “probably involved in a former terrorist attack against the U.S.” The JTF later assessed Harith as being “affiliated with Al Qaeda,” and as a “high threat to the U.S.”“The Guantanamo Docket: Jamal Malik al Harith: JTF-GTMO Assessment,” New York Times, accessed April 6, 2016, http://projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo/detainees/490-jamal-malik-al-harith. Then-Guantanamo commandant Michael Dunlavely recommended that Harith be released in September 2002, though he was released more than two years later in March 2004. He was repatriated to Britain and immediately released without charges. Harith soon claimed $1.2 million in compensation from the British government after arguing that the government knew or was complicit in mistreatment he had experienced at Guantanamo. During his two years at Guantanamo, Harith claimed he was “repeatedly punched, kicked, slapped, forcibly injected, deprived of sleep, hooded, photographed naked and subjected to sexual and religious humiliations.”“Jamal Al-Harith: Guantanamo detainee flees to Syria,” Channel 4 News, October 9, 2015, http://www.channel4.com/news/jamal-al-harith-guantanamo-detainee-flees-to-syria;
Ian Cobain, “British Guantánamo detainees held for years ‘just in case’,” Guardian (London), April 25, 2011, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/apr/25/british-guantanamo-detainees-guantanamo-bay;
Samuel Osborne, “Guantanamo Bay inmate flees UK to join ISIS in Syria,” Independent (London), October 11, 2015, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/guantanamo-bay-inmate-flees-uk-to-join-isis-in-syria-a6689771.html.
Harith traveled to Syria to join ISIS in 2014. His wife, Shukee Begum, followed soon after with their five children in an effort to convince him to return home.Lucy Clarke-Billings, “British mother Shukee Begum in Syria: ‘Isil is not my cup of tea’,” Telegraph (London), October 15, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11933433/British-mother-Shukee-Begum-in-Syria-Isil-is-not-my-cup-of-tea.html.
Upon her arrival in Syria, Begum was placed in a crowded safe house with hundreds of other families in Raqqa. She later told Channel 4 News, “There was a gangster mentality between the women [in ISIS-controlled territory], they used to sit around a laptop and watch Isis videos. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.” After Harith refused to help his family leave, Begum wrote a letter to the ISIS courts requesting permission to leave, and was denied. As of early 2017, Begum is believed to reside along the Syria-Turkey border.Lucy Clarke-Billings, “British mother Shukee Begum in Syria: ‘Isil is not my cup of tea’,” Telegraph (London), October 15, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11933433/British-mother-Shukee-Begum-in-Syria-Isil-is-not-my-cup-of-tea.html;
Ben Quinn, “Isis ‘not my cup of tea’ says British woman who went to Syria to join,” Guardian (London), October 14, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/14/shukee-begum-isis-not-my-cup-of-tea-says-british-woman-syria-to-join;
“'ISIS girls are like gangsters... They are so violent!' Wife of grinning suicide bomber who got £1m from taxpayer fled Syria with five children 'because it was not her cup of tea,’” Daily Mail (London), February 22, 2017, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4248332/Mosul-suicide-bomber-wife-ISIS-children-horror.html.
Foreign fighter, United Kingdom: Carried out a suicide car bomb attack at an Iraqi military base on behalf of ISIS on February 19, 2017. Fiddler had previously been detained in Guantanamo Bay for his alleged affiliation with the Taliban/al-Qaeda. Fiddler returned to the United Kingdom in 2004. After British authorities reportedly lost track of Fiddler, he crossed into Syria from Turkey in 2014 to join ISIS, taking the name Abu-Zakariya al-Britani.
Converted to Islam in 1992 and changed his name to Jamal Udeen al-Harith.
(Estimated age at conversion: 25)
Mohammed Emwazi, a.k.a. “Jihadi John,” was a Kuwaiti-born British man who joined ISIS in Syria in 2013 and became known as one of the group’s most brutal executioners.Foreign Staff, “Jihadi John named as Mohammed Emwazi, from west London,” Telegraph (London), February 26, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/11436596/Jihadi-John-named-as-Mohammed-Emwazi-from-west-London.html;
Tom Whitehead and Harry Yorke, “Jihadi John's fourth Beatle unmasked as refugee given shelter in UK,” Telegraph (London), May 23, 2016, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/23/jihadi-johns-fourth-beatle-unmasked-as-refugee-given-shelter-in/. He was featured in multiple ISIS videos in which he beheaded captives including American journalists James Foley and Steve Sotloff, American aid worker Peter Kassig, British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning, and Japanese journalist Kenji Goto.Michael Holden and Ahmed Aboulenein, “British PM Cameron vows to hunt down ‘Jihadi John’,” Reuters, February 28, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/28/us-mideast-crisis-britain-cameron-idUSKBN0LV16H20150228. In the videos, Emwazi threatened U.S. President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron, and other world leaders.Michael Holden and Ahmed Aboulenein, “British PM Cameron vows to hunt down ‘Jihadi John’,” Reuters, February 28, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/28/us-mideast-crisis-britain-cameron-idUSKBN0LV16H20150228. He belonged to a four-member ISIS unit known as “The Beatles,” which included British foreign fighters Alexanda Amon Kotey, Aine Davis, and El Shafee Elsheikh. Emwazi was targeted and killed in a November 2015 U.S. drone strike in Raqqa, Syria.Dana Ford and Steve Almasy, “ISIS confirms death of ‘Jihadi John,’” CNN, January 20, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/19/middleeast/jihadi-john-dead/.
Emwazi was raised in the middle-class neighborhood of Queens Park, London.Foreign Staff, “Jihadi John named as Mohammed Emwazi, from west London,” Telegraph (London), February 26, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/11436596/Jihadi-John-named-as-Mohammed-Emwazi-from-west-London.html. In the early 2000s, Emwazi and future Beatles members Kotey and Davis reportedly attended the Al-Manaar mosque in Landbroke Grove, London.Jane Bradley, Tom Warren, and Richard Holmes, “ISIS Accomplice Of ‘Jihadi John’ Named As ‘Quiet And Humble’ Londoner,” BuzzFeed News, February 8, 2016, https://www.buzzfeed.com/janebradley/unmasked-the-second-member-of-isiss-beatles-execution-cell?utm_term=.hblMB4XJj#.bx3DJ2X7r. Emwazi then joined the London Boys, a radical network linked to terrorist plots in the United Kingdom including the 7/7 bombings.Jane Bradley, Tom Warren, and Richard Holmes, “ISIS Accomplice Of ‘Jihadi John’ Named As ‘Quiet And Humble’ Londoner,” BuzzFeed News, February 8, 2016, https://www.buzzfeed.com/janebradley/unmasked-the-second-member-of-isiss-beatles-execution-cell?utm_term=.hblMB4XJj#.bx3DJ2X7r. Kotey was also reported to be a member.Adam Goldman and Souad Mekhennet, “Another Islamic State jailer who held Western hostages identified as Londoner,” Washington Post, February 7, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/another-islamic-state-jailer-who-held-western-hostages-identified-as-londoner/2016/02/06/a0f11d28-cc10-11e5-ae11-57b6aeab993f_story.html?utm_term=.9a89ab81d23c. British authorities have described the London Boys as “a network of United Kingdom and East African based Islamist extremists.”Colin Freeman, “Ladbroke Grove connection - the wealthy west London district that bred Jihadi John,” Telegraph (London), February 26, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11438534/Ladbroke-Grove-connection-the-wealthy-west-London-district-that-bred-Jihadi-John.html.
In the mid-2000s, Emwazi attended Britain’s University of Westminster, where he was exposed to the ideology of international Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir through the university’s Islamic Society. Maajid Nawaz, “The Education of ‘Jihadi John,’” New York Times, March 3, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/03/opinion/the-education-of-jihadi-john.html. During Emwazi’s years as a student at the University of Westminster, the Islamic Society organized on-campus panels that included HT members as speakers.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. Emwazi graduated in 2009 with a degree in computer science.“’Jihadi John’ named as Mohammed Emwazi from London,” BBC News, February 26, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-31637090.
The United Kingdom’s MI5 and Scotland Yard reportedly monitored Emwazi between 2009 and 2012.Robert Verkaik, “Mohammed Emwazi: 'Jihadi John' warned younger brother not to follow him to Syria and Isis,” Independent (London), January 24, 2016, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/jihadi-john-mohammed-emwazi-isis-syria-warned-brother-a6831666.html. British intelligence classified him as a “person of interest” in 2009 when Emwazi—using the name Muhammad ibn Muazzam—was detained in Tanzania while allegedly attempting to travel to Somalia to join the terror group al-Shabab. A Tanzanian police officer later told the BBC that Emwazi was being “rough and noisy” in the airport, likely because of alcohol, and was thus denied entry to the country.Dominic Casciani, “Islamic State: Profile of Mohammed Emwazi aka ‘Jihadi John,’” BBC News, November 13, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-31641569. Tanzanian security deported Emwazi to Amsterdam where he was met by MI5 agents who interrogated and then returned him to the United Kingdom.Souad Mekhennet and Adam Goldman, “’Jihadi John’: Islamic State killer is identified as Londoner Mohammed Emwazi,” Washington Post, February 26, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/jihadi-john-the-islamic-state-killer-behind-the-mask-is-a-young-londoner/2015/02/25/d6dbab16-bc43-11e4-bdfa-b8e8f594e6ee_story.html;
Margaret Coker and Jenny Gross, “Islamic State Militant Known as ‘Jihadi John’ Identified,” Wall Street Journal, February 26, 2015, http://www.wsj.com/articles/islamic-state-militant-known-as-jihadi-john-identified-1424955642. Soon after, Emwazi moved to his native Kuwait to take a job with a computer company.Margaret Coker and Jenny Gross, “Islamic State Militant Known as ‘Jihadi John’ Identified,” Wall Street Journal, February 26, 2015, http://www.wsj.com/articles/islamic-state-militant-known-as-jihadi-john-identified-1424955642. Emwazi returned to London in the summer of 2010, but British security detained him and prevented him from returning to Kuwait because of an expired visa.Margaret Coker and Jenny Gross, “Islamic State Militant Known as ‘Jihadi John’ Identified,” Wall Street Journal, February 26, 2015, http://www.wsj.com/articles/islamic-state-militant-known-as-jihadi-john-identified-1424955642;
“‘Jihadi John’ movements mapped,” BBC News, February 26, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-30292532.
Emwazi contacted the British NGO CAGE to try to determine a way out of the country, telling them he was desperate to leave. Emwazi changed his name to Mohammed al-Ayan and applied for teaching positions in Saudi Arabia, though his applications were rejected.Dominic Casciani, “Islamic State: Profile of Mohammed Emwazi aka ‘Jihadi John,’” BBC News, November 13, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-31641569. In August 2013, Emwazi reportedly crossed through six countries in order to reach ISIS in Syria. A jihadist source who allegedly accompanied Emwazi on the journey told British media that the pair left England on a boat, traveled to Belgium, and flew to Albania. From there they paid smugglers to take them to Greece, where they were detained but released after a few days. The pair then took a boat to Turkey, where ISIS handlers smuggled them into Syria.Chris Hughes, “Jihadi John dodged intelligence services in SIX countries after fleeing UK for Syria,” Mirror (London), April 28, 2016, http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/jihadi-john-dodged-intelligence-services-7854688. Emwazi was reportedly guarding hostages in Idlib, Syria, later that year.Dominic Casciani, “Islamic State: Profile of Mohammed Emwazi aka ‘Jihadi John,’” BBC News, November 13, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-31641569. By early 2014, Emwazi and The Beatles were believed to be guarding hostages in Raqqa, Syria, ISIS’s de facto capital.Souad Mekhennet and Adam Goldman, “’Jihadi John’: Islamic State killer is identified as Londoner Mohammed Emwazi,” Washington Post, February 26, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/jihadi-john-the-islamic-state-killer-behind-the-mask-is-a-young-londoner/2015/02/25/d6dbab16-bc43-11e4-bdfa-b8e8f594e6ee_story.html.
A masked Emwazi—nicknamed Jihadi John by former captives—began appearing in ISIS execution videos in August 2014.Dominic Casciani, “Islamic State: Profile of Mohammed Emwazi aka ‘Jihadi John,’” BBC News, November 13, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-31641569. Hostages released by ISIS identified Jihadi John as one of four British jihadists known as The Beatles. Those former hostages described Jihadi John to the Washington Post as quiet, intelligent, and “the most deliberate” of the group.James Harkin, Ian Birrell, and Sharon Churcher, “British spies are on the verge of identifying ‘Jailer John’: Ambassador to U.S. reveals ‘we are not far away’ from unmasking fanatic who murdered James Foley as SAS gets ready to find him,” Daily Mail (London), August 23, 2014, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2732822/Vile-boast-Jihadi-John-I-ve-fortune-Bragging-British-executioners-sadists-say-ex-hostages-tortured-Tasers.html;
Souad Mekhennet and Adam Goldman, “’Jihadi John’: Islamic State killer is identified as Londoner Mohammed Emwazi,” Washington Post, February 26, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/jihadi-john-the-islamic-state-killer-behind-the-mask-is-a-young-londoner/2015/02/25/d6dbab16-bc43-11e4-bdfa-b8e8f594e6ee_story.html. They also described The Beatles as among the more brutal of ISIS’s guards. Didier Francois—a French journalist held prisoner by The Beatles for 10 months—told CNN that The Beatles would regularly tell captives they were to be beheaded and stage fake executions.Mick Krever, “ISIS captors cared little about religion, says former hostage,” CNN, February 4, 2015, http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/03/intl_world/amanpour-didier-francois/index.html?sr=fb020315isisquran4pVODtopVideo. Escaped captives also reported waterboarding and other torture. Francois was held captive alongside American journalist James Foley, whom Emwazi executed in an August 2014 ISIS video.Adam Goldman and Souad Mekhennet, “‘That is not the son I raised’: How a British citizen became one of the most notorious members of ISIS,” Washington Post, May 23, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/that-is-not-the-son-i-raised-how-a-british-citizen-became-one-of-the-most-notorious-members-of-isis/2016/05/23/6d66276c-1cfd-11e6-b6e0-c53b7ef63b45_story.html?utm_term=.75e4dbc45560.
Emwazi repeatedly threatened Western leaders and citizens in ISIS propaganda videos. In a September 2014 video message to President Barack Obama, he promised that ISIS would “begin to slaughter your people in the streets.”(Graphic Video) Islamic State Claims Beheading of Former U.S. Army Ranger/Aid Worker Peter Kassig,” Leak Source, November 16, 2014, http://leaksource.info/2014/11/16/graphic-video-islamic-state-claims-beheading-of-former-u-s-army-rangeraid-worker-peter-kassig/. In a January 2015 message to the Japanese government, Emwazi promised an “entire army thirsty for your blood” that would “cause carnage wherever your people are found. So let the nightmare for Japan begin.”“Graphic Video) Islamic State Beheads Japanese Journalist Kenji Goto,” Leak Source, January 31, 2015, http://leaksource.info/2015/01/31/graphic-video-islamic-state-beheads-japanese-journalist-kenji-goto/.
In February 2015, U.S. and British Intelligence officials revealed that Emwazi was the Beatle known as Jihadi John.“Has ‘Jihadi John’ fled ISIS?,” Fox News, July 26, 2015, http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/07/26/has-jihadi-john-fled-isis/?intcmp=trending. According to a 2015 Independent interview with Emwazi’s younger brother, Omar, the elder Emwazi blamed British security services for ruining his chance at marriage and a normal life in Kuwait.Robert Verkaik, “Mohammed Emwazi: 'Jihadi John' warned younger brother not to follow him to Syria and Isis,” Independent (London), January 24, 2016, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/jihadi-john-mohammed-emwazi-isis-syria-warned-brother-a6831666.html.
In or around June 2015, Emwazi reportedly fled Syria for Libya out of fear that the U.S. and British governments would target him in Syria.Elaine O’Flynn, “Has Jihadi John fled to Libya? Experts fear killer left Syria when he was unmasked as Mohammed Emwazi, 26, from London,” Daily Mail (London), June 21, 2015, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3133221/Has-Jihadi-John-fled-Libya-Experts-fear-killer-left-Syria-unmasked-Mohammed-Emwazi-26-London.html;
“Has ‘Jihadi John’ fled ISIS?,” Fox News, July 26, 2015, http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/07/26/has-jihadi-john-fled-isis/?intcmp=trending. Despite this, a U.S. airstrike reportedly killed Emwazi in Syria that November. Two months later, ISIS confirmed Jihadi John’s death and true identity in an obituary in its English-language magazine Dabiq.Dana Ford and Steve Almasy, “ISIS confirms death of ‘Jihadi John,’” CNN, January 20, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/19/middleeast/jihadi-john-dead/. Kotey and Elsheikh were captured in Syria in February 2017, while Davis was arrested in Turkey in November 2015.Tom Wyke, “Jihadi John ‘associate’ believed to be one of the British prison guards nicknamed ‘The Beatles’ is held in Turkey,” Daily Mail (London), November 13, 2015, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3317560/Turkish-authorities-detain-London-petty-drug-dealer-turned-Jihadi-John-associate-Aine-Davis.html; Mark Hosenball and Idrees Ali, “Syrian Kurds capture two British Islamic State militants: U.S. officials,” Reuters, February 8, 2018, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-britain/syrian-kurds-capture-two-british-islamic-state-militants-u-s-officials-idUSKBN1FS34Q. Kotey and Elsheikh were transferred to the United States for trial in October 2020.Rachel Weiner and Ellen Nakashima, “Two ISIS militants charged in deaths of James Foley and other American hostages in Syria,” Washington Post, October 7, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/isis-hostages-beheadings-miltants-charged/2020/10/07/69762ef2-089b-11eb-859b-f9c27abe638d_story.html. In September 2021, Kotey pleaded guilty to eight charges related to the kidnapping and murder of hostages.Rachel Weiner and Tom Jackman, “ISIS militant admits involvement in torture, killings of American hostages,” Washington Post, September 2, 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/islamic-state-hostage-plea/2021/09/02/669d2b2c-0b56-11ec-9781-07796ffb56fe_story.html. On April 14, 2022, Elsheikh was convicted on eight charges, including four counts of hostage-taking resulting in death, murder conspiracy and conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization.“El Shafee Elsheikh: IS 'Beatle' found guilty of hostage-taking and conspiring to murder journalists and aid workers,” Sky News, April 14, 2022, https://news.sky.com/story/el-shafee-elsheikh-is-beatle-found-guilty-of-hostage-taking-and-conspiring-to-murder-journalists-and-aid-workers-12589377. On April 29, 2022, Kotey was sentenced to life in prison.“Alexanda Kotey: IS ‘Beatle’ sentenced to life in US for murders in Syria,” BBC News, April 29, 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61274332. Elsheikh was sentenced to life in prison on August 19, 2022.Kanishka Singh, “Islamic State militant gets life in U.S. prison over killing of American hostages,” Reuters, August 19, 2022, https://www.reuters.com/legal/islamic-state-cell-member-faces-us-sentencing-beheadings-2022-08-19/.
Bachrumsyah Mennor Usman was an Indonesian citizen and U.S.-designated ISIS operative based in Syria.“Treasury Designates Australian and Southeast Asian ISIL Operatives,” U.S Department of the Treasury, January 10, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0698.aspx. According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Usman commanded ISIS fighters—including by coordinating their travel and communication—and facilitated funding for ISIS in Indonesia. He was also believed to recruit for the group. He was previously a member of the Indonesian jihadist organization Jemaah Islamiyah. The U.S. Department of the Treasury classified Usman as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) on January 10, 2016.“Treasury Designates Australian and Southeast Asian ISIL Operatives,” U.S Department of the Treasury, January 10, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0698.aspx. On April 17, 2018, he was reportedly killed in a U.S. airstrike in Syria, although the U.S. military was unable to confirm his death.Roni Toldanes, “Pentagon: No Confirmation on Indonesian IS Leader’s Purported Death,” Benar News, April 20, 2018, https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/indonesian/indonesia-militants-04202018182403.html.
Usman pledged allegiance to ISIS in February 2014 at an ISIS-aligned mosque in Indonesia“Treasury Designates Australian and Southeast Asian ISIL Operatives,” U.S Department of the Treasury, January 10, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0698.aspx.The following month, he joined ISIS in Syria and began facilitating the travel of Indonesian foreign fighters to ISIS-controlled territory.“Treasury Designates Australian and Southeast Asian ISIL Operatives,” U.S Department of the Treasury, January 10, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0698.aspx. According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, in September 2014 Usman was appointed head of ISIS’s Archipelago Group, also known as Katibah Nusantara—a unit comprised of Southeast Asian fighters dedicated to organizing and conducting attacks in their home countries.Joe Cochrane, “Explosions in Jakarta, Indonesia,” New York Times, January 14, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/live/jakarta-indonesia-explosions/background-on-katibah-nusantara-a-military-unit-under-isis-linked-to-jakarta-attacks/;
“Treasury Designates Australian and Southeast Asian ISIL Operatives,” U.S Department of the Treasury, January 10, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0698.aspx;
John McBeth, “Inside the cauldron of Indonesian-ISIS terror,” Asia Times, January 17, 2017, http://www.atimes.com/article/inside-cauldron-indonesian-isis-terror/.
Usman appeared in a number of ISIS propaganda videos, including a July 2014 video entitled “Join the Ranks” in which he encouraged Indonesians to support the terror group.“Treasury Designates Australian and Southeast Asian ISIL Operatives,” U.S Department of the Treasury, January 10, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0698.aspx;
“ISIS Online Recruitment Video “Join the Ranks” Featured Indonesian Jihadists,” Global Indonesian Voices, July 31, 2014, http://www.globalindonesianvoices.com/14849/isis-online-recruitment-video-join-the-ranks-featured-indonesian-jihadists/. Following the video’s release, Indonesian authorities discovered an underground ISIS recruitment network, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In March 2015, Usman appeared in another ISIS video that portrayed Indonesian and Malaysian children partaking in ISIS training camp activities, including firing machine guns.“Treasury Designates Australian and Southeast Asian ISIL Operatives,” U.S Department of the Treasury, January 10, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0698.aspx.
Usman previously studied under Indonesian Islamist Aman Abdurrahman, a.k.a. Omar Rochman, before the latter’s arrest and imprisonment in December 2010. Following Abdurrahman’s conviction, Usman co-founded an Indonesian Islamist group—alongside U.S.-designated operative Tuah Febriwansyah, a.k.a. Muhammad Fachary—that declared its support for ISIS in February 2014.“Treasury Designates Australian and Southeast Asian ISIL Operatives,” U.S Department of the Treasury, January 10, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0698.aspx.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Usman alongside Abdurrahman and Australian ISIS propagandist Khaled Sharrouf. He was also designated alongside Neil Prakash, an Australian ISIS recruiter and propagandist also sanctioned by the United Nations and Australia.U.S. Department of the Treasury, January 10, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0698.aspx;
“Counter-terrorism related sanctions listing,” Minister for Foreign Affairs, June 5, 2015, http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2015/jb_mr_150604.aspx;
“Charter of the United Nations Act 1945 Listing 2015 (No. 2),” United Nations via Commonwealth of Australia, June 4, 2015 https://www.dropbox.com/s/knbydc3mjwihlka/C2015G00866%20-%20Charter%20of%20the%20United%20Nations%20Act%201945%20Listing%202015%20(No.%202).pdf?dl=0. Prakash has been featured in numerous ISIS videos, and has used social media platforms, including Twitter, to encourage Australians to join ISIS.Martin Chulov and Paul Farrell, “Revealed: the new face of Neil Prakash, Australia’s most wanted Isis member,” Guardian (London), December 2, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/03/neil-prakash-new-images-isis-member-arrest-turkey-australia.
On April 17, 2018, social media reports alleged that Usman had been killed in a U.S. airstrike in Syria. On pro-ISIS Telegram channels, militants eulogized Usman as “a martyr having been exposed to the bombardment of a B-1 Lancer fighter jet in the Hajin, Syria area.” The U.S. military publicly stated that although it had conducted bombings on April 17 in Hajin, it was unable to confirm that Usman had been killed.Roni Toldanes, “Pentagon: No Confirmation on Indonesian IS Leader’s Purported Death,” Benar News, April 20, 2018, https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/indonesian/indonesia-militants-04202018182403.html.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated “Bachrumsyah Mennor Usman” as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order 13224 on January 10, 2017.“Treasury Designates Australian and Southeast Asian ISIL Operatives,” U.S Department of the Treasury, January 10, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0698.aspx.
Khaled Sharrouf was a U.S.-, U.N.-, and Australian-designated terrorist who fled his native Australia in December 2013 to join ISIS in Iraq and Syria. There, he carried out executions on behalf of the terror group.“Treasury Designates Australian and Southeast Asian ISIL Operatives and Leaders,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, January 10, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0698.aspx;
Charter of the United Nations Act 1945 Listing 2015 (No. 2),” United Nations via Commonwealth of Australia, November 13, 2014, https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:th9SnCXPdkkJ:https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2014G01861/7b2738b8-086e-47b5-af7f-c32e18bc556b+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us;
“Australia and sanctions [Consolidated List],” Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, accessed January 12, 2017, http://dfat.gov.au/international-relations/security/sanctions/Pages/consolidated-list.aspx. Sharrouf rose to global prominence in 2014 when he disseminated a photo—via Twitter—of his seven-year-old son holding the severed heads of executed ISIS victims.Rachel Olding, “Convicted terrorist Khaled Sharrouf was allowed to visit prisoners,” Sydney Morning Herald, August 3, 2016, http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/convicted-terrorist-khaled-sharrouf-was-allowed-to-visit-prisoners-20160803-gqk367.html;
Geoff Chambers, “Tribute to Aussie IS thug Khaled Sharrouf by compatriot Neil Prakash indicates he was killed in an air strike,” The Daily Telegraph (Sydney), August 2, 2015, http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/tribute-to-aussie-is-thug-khaled-sharrouf-by-compatriot-jihadist-neil-prakash-indicates-he-was-killed-in-an-air-strike/news-story/23109ed2ddaa84258243f6018e913b96 Then-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said of the photo, “This image, perhaps an iconic photograph… is really one of the most disturbing, stomach-turning, grotesque photographs ever displayed.”Paul Maley, “Federal Police told ISIS has put Khaled Sharrouf in jail,” The Australian (Sydney), May 13, 2016, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/terror/federal-police-told-isis-has-put-khaled-sharrouf-in-jail/news-story/5df5e1fb4b1afe46c1fbd05d922f1613. Sharrouf also released photos of himself participating in the execution of Iraqi captives.Paul Maley, “Federal Police told ISIS has put Khaled Sharrouf in jail,” The Australian (Sydney), May 13, 2016, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/terror/federal-police-told-isis-has-put-khaled-sharrouf-in-jail/news-story/5df5e1fb4b1afe46c1fbd05d922f1613. He was reportedly killed by a coalition airstrike in August 2017.Dylan Welch and Suzanne Dredge, “Khaled Sharrouf, Australian Terrorist, Believed to Have Been Killed in Air Strike in Syria,” Australian Broadcasting Corporation, August 16, 2017, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-16/khaled-sharrouf-believed-to-have-been-killed/8812600.
Sharrouf, who was married to an Australian woman and had five children, was known to Australian authorities long before joining ISIS.John Kehoe, “‘Dead’ Australian ISIL terrorists sanctioned by US Treasury,” Australian Financial Review, January 11, 2017, http://www.afr.com/news/dead-australian-isil-terrorists-sanctioned-by-us-treasury-20170110-gtp61z. As a teenager, Sharrouf turned to drugs and petty crime after being expelled from high school for bad behavior. According to Australian Supreme Court Justice Anthony Whealy, Sharrouf radicalized during this time by mixing in extremist Muslim social circles.Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop, “Khaled Sharrouf: The Australian radical fighting for Islamic State in Iraq and Syria,” Australian Broadcasting Corporation, February 10, 2016, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-14/khaled-sharrouf:-the-australian-radical-fighting-in-iraq/5671974. In 2005, Sharrouf was arrested alongside eight others for his role in one of Australia’s biggest terror plots, when Australian counterterrorism units uncovered an enormous cache of guns, ammunition, and bomb-making material in Sydney and Melbourne.Rachel Olding, “Terrifying legacy emerged from success of Operation Pendennis,” Sydney Morning Herald, August 24, 2014, http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/terrifying-legacy-emerges-from-success-of-operation-pendennis-20140821-106ow0.html. Sharrouf was imprisoned for possession of materials intended to be used for terrorism, and was released on parole in 2009.“Treasury Designates Australian and Southeast Asian ISIL Operatives and Leaders,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, January 10, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0698.aspx;
Rachel Olding, “Terrifying legacy emerged from success of Operation Pendennis,” Sydney Morning Herald, August 24, 2014, http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/terrifying-legacy-emerges-from-success-of-operation-pendennis-20140821-106ow0.html. Despite being subject to a travel ban, he managed to travel to ISIS-controlled territory in December 2013 by using his brother’s passport.“Australian terrorist’s children could be taken into care,” BBC News, May 27 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-32894860.
Sharrouf was falsely reported killed in a July 2015 U.S. airstrike in Syria. He was eulogized by his Australian compatriot Neil Prakash, an ISIS recruiter and propagandist notorious for recruiting Australians via Twitter to join ISIS.Martin Chulov and Paul Farrell, “Revealed: the new face of Neil Prakash, Australia’s most wanted Isis member,” Guardian (London), December 2, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/03/neil-prakash-new-images-isis-member-arrest-turkey-australia. The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Sharrouf in January 2017 alongside Prakash, as well as Indonesian ISIS supporters Bachrumsyah Mennor Usman and Aman Abdurrahman a.k.a. Omar Rochman.“Treasury Designates Australian and Southeast Asian ISIL Operatives and Leaders,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, January 10, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0698.aspx.
On August 11, 2017, Sharrouf was reportedly killed by a coalition airstrike in Syria. According to the Australian government, Sharrouf and his two sons, 12-year-old Abdullah and 11-year-old Zarqawi, were killed by the airstrike while they were driving in the area of Raqqa, Syria. An anonymous law enforcement official stated that photos of Sharrouf’s corpse had been shared on extremist social media channels, but the Australian border protection minister stated that the government was unable to confirm Sharrouf’s killing.Dylan Welch and Suzanne Dredge, “Khaled Sharrouf, Australian Terrorist, Believed to Have Been Killed in Air Strike in Syria,” Australian Broadcasting Corporation, August 16, 2017, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-16/khaled-sharrouf-believed-to-have-been-killed/8812600.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Khaled Sharrouf as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order 13224 on January 10, 2017.“Treasury Designates Australian and Southeast Asian ISIL Operatives and Leaders,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, January 10, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0698.aspx.
The Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs designated Khaled Sharrouf on November 13, 2014, under 15 section 15(1) of the Charter of the United Nations Act 1945 (CotUNA), pursuant to Australia’s obligations under UNSC resolution 1373 (2001).“Charter of the United Nations Act 1945 Listing 2015 (No. 2),” United Nations via Commonwealth of Australia, November 13, 2014, https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:th9SnCXPdkkJ:https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2014G01861/7b2738b8-086e-47b5-af7f-c32e18bc556b+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us;
“Australia and sanctions [Consolidated List],” Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, accessed January 12, 2017, http://dfat.gov.au/international-relations/security/sanctions/Pages/consolidated-list.aspx;
“Counter-terrorism related sanctions listing,” Australian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, August 20, 2015, http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/pages/2015/jb_mr_150820.aspx.
The United Nations Security Council announced sanctions against Khaled Sharrouf on November 13, 2014.“Charter of the United Nations Act 1945 Listing 2015 (No. 2),” United Nations via Commonwealth of Australia, November 13, 2014, https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:th9SnCXPdkkJ:https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2014G01861/7b2738b8-086e-47b5-af7f-c32e18bc556b+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us;
“Australia and sanctions [Consolidated List],” Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, accessed January 12, 2017, http://dfat.gov.au/international-relations/security/sanctions/Pages/consolidated-list.aspx.
Alexanda Amon Kotey is a U.S.-designated British member of ISIS who previously belonged to the four-member ISIS cell known as “The Beatles.” Led by deceased ISIS executioner Mohammed Emwazi, a.k.a. Jihadi John, The Beatles also included British citizens Aine Davis and El Shafee Elsheikh. The four were responsible for holding captive and beheading two dozen hostages, including American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and American aid worker Peter Kassig. The Beatles also kidnapped and killed American aid worker Kayla Mueller.Rachel Weiner and Tom Jackman, “ISIS militant admits involvement in torture, killings of American hostages,” Washington Post, September 2, 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/islamic-state-hostage-plea/2021/09/02/669d2b2c-0b56-11ec-9781-07796ffb56fe_story.html; “ISIS Militants Charged With Deaths Of Americans In Syria,” U.S. Department of Justice, October 7, 2020, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/isis-militants-charged-deaths-americans-syria. The U.S. government also accused Kotey of recruiting British nationals to fight for ISIS.“State Department Terrorist Designation of Alexanda Amon Kotey,” U.S. Department of State, January 10, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/01/266762.htm;
Tom Whitehead and Harry Yorke, “Jihadi John's fourth Beatle unmasked as refugee given shelter in UK,” Telegraph (London), May 23, 2016, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/23/jihadi-johns-fourth-beatle-unmasked-as-refugee-given-shelter-in/. Kotey was sentenced to life in prison in April 2022 for his role ISIS’s kidnappings and murder of hostages.“Alexanda Kotey: IS ‘Beatle’ sentenced to life in US for murders in Syria,” BBC News, April 29, 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61274332.
Kotey is the London-born son of a Ghanaian father and Greek-Cypriot mother. He reportedly converted to Islam in his early 20s after falling in love with a Muslim woman. In the early 2000s, Kotey, Davis, and Emwazi all reportedly attended the Al-Manaar mosque in Landbroke Grove, London, where Kotey allegedly radicalized, according to accounts from his friends. Kotey would allegedly stand outside of the mosque and preach extremist propaganda, such as arguing that suicide bombings did not violate the Quran.Jane Bradley, Tom Warren, and Richard Holmes, “ISIS Accomplice Of ‘Jihadi John’ Named As ‘Quiet And Humble’ Londoner,” BuzzFeed News, February 8, 2016, https://www.buzzfeed.com/janebradley/unmasked-the-second-member-of-isiss-beatles-execution-cell?utm_term=.hblMB4XJj#.bx3DJ2X7r. The three were reportedly physically removed from the mosque because of their radical behavior.James Fielding, Sarah White, and Rod Ardehali, “‘The fact he's still alive will be a big relief’: Mother of ISIS Beatle suicide squad member is COMFORTED by his capture in Syria as his father admits: ‘We don't know what will happen to our son,’” Daily Mail (London), February 9, 2018, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5372765/Mother-ISIS-Beatle-COMFORTED-capture.html#ixzz56vm9EInH. Mosque leaders later reportedly banned Kotey from returning, after which he began offering private lectures.Rohit Kachroo, “ITV News names the two extremists in Jihadi John's British terror cell,” ITV, February 7, 2016, http://www.itv.com/news/2016-02-07/the-beatles-of-isis-itv-news-names-the-two-extremists-in-jihadi-johns-british-terror-cell/. In or around 2008, Kotey became involved with the London Boys, a radical network linked to terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom, including the 7/7 bombings.Adam Goldman and Souad Mekhennet, “Another Islamic State jailer who held Western hostages identified as Londoner,” Washington Post, February 7, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/another-islamic-state-jailer-who-held-western-hostages-identified-as-londoner/2016/02/06/a0f11d28-cc10-11e5-ae11-57b6aeab993f_story.html?utm_term=.9a89ab81d23c. Emwazi was also reported to be a member. Jane Bradley, Tom Warren, and Richard Holmes, “ISIS Accomplice Of ‘Jihadi John’ Named As ‘Quiet And Humble’ Londoner,” BuzzFeed News, February 8, 2016, https://www.buzzfeed.com/janebradley/unmasked-the-second-member-of-isiss-beatles-execution-cell?utm_term=.hblMB4XJj#.bx3DJ2X7r. British authorities have described the London Boys as “a network of United Kingdom and East African based Islamist extremists.”Colin Freeman, “Ladbroke Grove connection - the wealthy west London district that bred Jihadi John,” Telegraph (London), February 26, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11438534/Ladbroke-Grove-connection-the-wealthy-west-London-district-that-bred-Jihadi-John.html.
In February 2009, Kotey left behind his wife and two children and traveled to the Gaza Strip on an aid convoy led by then-Member of Parliament George Galloway. London Boys leader Reza Afsharzadegan also traveled with Kotey, as did now-convicted terror recruiter Munir Farooqi and London Boys member Amin Addala. A friend of Kotey’s on the convoy told Buzzfeed that the trip “changed” Kotey.Robert Booth, Ewen MacAskill, Duncan Gardham, and Damien Gayle, “Londoners Alexanda Kotey and Aine Davis identified as Islamic State 'Beatles,’” Guardian (London), February 8, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/07/londoner-alexanda-kotey-identified-member-isis-group-jihadi-john. Kotey’s parents say they stopped hearing from their son after he took the trip.Jane Bradley, Tom Warren, and Richard Holmes, “ISIS Accomplice Of ‘Jihadi John’ Named As ‘Quiet And Humble’ Londoner,” BuzzFeed News, February 8, 2016, https://www.buzzfeed.com/janebradley/unmasked-the-second-member-of-isiss-beatles-execution-cell?utm_term=.hblMB4XJj#.bx3DJ2X7r.
According to freed ISIS hostages, The Beatles were among the more brutal of ISIS’s guards. Didier Francois—a French journalist held prisoner by The Beatles for 10 months—told CNN that The Beatles would regularly stage fake executions after telling captives they were to be beheaded.Mick Krever, “ISIS captors cared little about religion, says former hostage,” CNN, February 4, 2015, http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/03/intl_world/amanpour-didier-francois/index.html?sr=fb020315isisquran4pVODtopVideo. Escaped captives also reported waterboarding and other torture.Adam Goldman and Souad Mekhennet, “‘That is not the son I raised’: How a British citizen became one of the most notorious members of ISIS,” Washington Post, May 23, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/that-is-not-the-son-i-raised-how-a-british-citizen-became-one-of-the-most-notorious-members-of-isis/2016/05/23/6d66276c-1cfd-11e6-b6e0-c53b7ef63b45_story.html?utm_term=.75e4dbc45560. According to the U.S. Department of State, Kotey “likely engaged in the group’s executions and exceptionally cruel torture methods, including electronic shock and waterboarding.”“State Department Terrorist Designation of Alexanda Amon Kotey,” U.S. Department of State, January 10, 2017, https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/01/266762.htm.
Kotey was first identified as a member of The Beatles by a U.S. intelligence official in February 2016. Hostages nicknamed the four members of the group “Ringo,” “George,” “Paul,” and “Jihadi John” because of their British accents. It is unclear whether Kotey’s nickname was “Ringo” or “George.” According to reports by BuzzFeed and the Washington Post, “Ringo” said in online statements that he was born and raised in the London neighborhood of Shepherd’s Bush and was a fan of the Queens Park Rangers soccer team. BuzzFeed noted Queens Park Rangers garden gnomes outside of Kotey’s parents’ house in Shepherd’s Bush, seemingly confirming that Kotey is Ringo.Robert Booth, Ewen MacAskill, Duncan Gardham, and Damien Gayle, “Londoners Alexanda Kotey and Aine Davis identified as Islamic State 'Beatles,’” Guardian (London), February 8, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/07/londoner-alexanda-kotey-identified-member-isis-group-jihadi-john.
Kurdish fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces captured Kotey and Elsheikh in Syria in February 2018. The U.S. government confirmed their capture and aided in their interrogation.Mark Hosenball and Idrees Ali, “Syrian Kurds capture two British Islamic State militants: U.S. officials,” Reuters, February 8, 2018, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-britain/syrian-kurds-capture-two-british-islamic-state-militants-u-s-officials-idUSKBN1FS34Q. The British government called for Kotey and Elsheikh’s extradition for trial in the United Kingdom.Mark Townsend, “Calls grow for Isis ‘Beatles’ to face UK trial,” Guardian (London), February 11, 2008, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/feb/11/calls-grow-isis-beatles-uk-trial-lord-carlile. Emwazi was killed in a November 2015 U.S. airstrike in Syria,Dana Ford and Steve Almasy, “ISIS confirms death of ‘Jihadi John,’” CNN, January 20, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/19/middleeast/jihadi-john-dead/. and Davis was arrested in Turkey that same month.Tom Wyke, “Jihadi John ‘associate’ believed to be one of the British prison guards nicknamed ‘The Beatles’ is held in Turkey,” Daily Mail (London), November 13, 2015, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3317560/Turkish-authorities-detain-London-petty-drug-dealer-turned-Jihadi-John-associate-Aine-Davis.html.
British investigators claimed in July 2019 that they had enough evidence to prosecute Elsheikh and Kotey. The two are accused of belonging to an ISIS cell, with substantial evidence that would also charge Kotey with five murders and eight counts of hostage-taking. The U.S. government announced it would seek to put both men on trial in the United States.Dominic Casciani, Islamic State 'Beatles' El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey could be tried in UK,” BBC News, July 30, 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49170646.
On October 10, 2019, Kotey and Elsheikh were taken out of Syria by the U.S. military and transferred to a secure location in Iraq. Both remain in the custody of the American military. According to U.S. President Donald Trump, the two were removed from a prison run by Kurdish militia in northern Syria in an effort to transfer “some of the most dangerous IS fighters” in the region. The move came amid fears that the two would escape custody following U.S. withdrawal from the region and Turkish invasion into the Kurdish-held territory.“British IS fighters taken into US custody, says Trump,” BBC News, October 10, 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49995909.
On September 22, 2020, the British government provided the United States with evidence against Kotey and Elsheikh, clearing the way for a trial. The United Kingdom originally prevented the transfer of evidence due to a legal fight over the use of the death penalty. However, the U.S. government has made it clear that if Kotey and Elsheikh were found guilty, they would not be executed.“UK sends US evidence on Islamic State 'Beatles',” BBC News, September 23, 2020, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54255869; Charlie Savage, “British Give U.S. Evidence Against ISIS ‘Beatles,’ Clearing Way for Trial,” New York Times, September 22, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/22/us/politics/isis-beatles.html.
Two U.S. government officials revealed in early October 2020 that Kotey and Elsheikh would be brought to the United States in mid-October to face charges in a federal court. The U.S. government has accused Kotey and Elsheikh of taking part in the kidnappings of international hostages and in the killing of over 27 people. Despite claiming no involvement in or advance knowledge of executions, in an interview obtained by NBC that aired in July 2020, Kotey and Elsheikh admitted their involvement in the captivity and torture of hostages.“ISIS terrorists known as the 'Beatles' likely to be brought to U.S. in coming days,” NBC News, October 6, 2020, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/isis-terrorists-known-beatles-likely-be-brought-u-s-coming-n1242176; Ryan Lucas, “DOJ To Charge 2 British ISIS Militants Accused Of Role In Killing U.S. Hostages,” NPR, October 6, 2020, https://www.npr.org/2020/10/06/920444181/doj-to-charge-2-british-isis-militants-accused-of-role-in-killing-u-s-hostages; Rachel Weiner and Ellen Nakashima, “Two ISIS militants charged in deaths of James Foley and other American hostages in Syria,” Washington Post, October 7, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/isis-hostages-beheadings-miltants-charged/2020/10/07/69762ef2-089b-11eb-859b-f9c27abe638d_story.html.
On October 7, 2020, Kotey and Elsheikh were flown to the United States from Iraq to be prosecuted in a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia. The two were charged with hostage taking resulting in death, conspiracy to murder U.S. citizens outside the United States, conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign organization, and related conspiracy charges.Rachel Weiner and Ellen Nakashima, “Two ISIS militants charged in deaths of James Foley and other American hostages in Syria,” Washington Post, October 7, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/isis-hostages-beheadings-miltants-charged/2020/10/07/69762ef2-089b-11eb-859b-f9c27abe638d_story.html.
In an Alexandria federal court on September 2, 2021, Kotey pleaded guilty to all eight charges against him related to his role in the kidnappings and deaths of journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and aid workers Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller. Specifically, the charges were one count of conspiracy to commit hostage taking resulting in death; four counts of hostage taking resulting in the deaths of the four Americans; one count of conspiracy to murder U.S. citizens outside of the United States; one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to terrorists resulting in the deaths of U.S., British, and Japanese nationals; and one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in the deaths of U.S., British, and Japanese nationals.“ISIS Militant Pleads Guilty to Role in Deaths of Four Americans in Syria,” U.S. Department of Justice, September 2, 2021, https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/isis-militant-pleads-guilty-role-deaths-four-americans-syria. The charges carried a mandatory life sentence. Prosecutors agreed that in exchange for his admission of guilt, after serving 15 years in a U.S. prison Kotey may serve the rest of his sentence in the United Kingdom, where he was born. Additionally, if Kotey is transferred to the United Kingdom, he agreed to plead guilty and will also face a life sentence there. If ever released by the U.K., Kotey will be returned to the United States. Kotey’s plea is the first time a member of ISIS has been held accountable in a U.S. court for the killings of the four victims.Rachel Weiner and Tom Jackman, “ISIS militant admits involvement in torture, killings of American hostages,” Washington Post, September 2, 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/islamic-state-hostage-plea/2021/09/02/669d2b2c-0b56-11ec-9781-07796ffb56fe_story.html.
On April 29, 2022, Kotey was sentenced to life in prison on all eight counts, to be served concurrently. Judge Thomas Selby Ellis described Kotey’s actions as “egregious, violent and inhumane.”“Alexanda Kotey: IS ‘Beatle’ sentenced to life in US for murders in Syria,” BBC News, April 29, 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61274332; Richard Hall, “Isis Brit Alexanda Kotey sentenced to life in prison for role in kidnap and murder of hostages in Syria,” Independent (London), April 29, 2022, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/alexanda-kotey-isis-beatles-sentenced-b2068671.html. Earlier that month, on April 14, a federal jury in Virginia convicted Elsheikh on charges of hostage-taking resulting in death, murder conspiracy, and conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization.“El Shafee Elsheikh: IS 'Beatle' found guilty of hostage-taking and conspiring to murder journalists and aid workers,” Sky News, April 14, 2022, https://news.sky.com/story/el-shafee-elsheikh-is-beatle-found-guilty-of-hostage-taking-and-conspiring-to-murder-journalists-and-aid-workers-12589377. During Elsheikh’s trial, prosecutors stated that while Foley, Kassig, and Sotloff were beheaded by the ISIS members, Mueller—who ISIS originally claimed was killed in a 2015 airstrike in Syria—was believed to be killed by ISIS after being enslaved and sexually abused by the terrorist group for a year and a half.Gillian Morley, “El Shafee Elsheikh, British ISIS member, convicted on all counts for deadly kidnapping plot,” CBS News, April 14, 2022, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-el-shafee-elsheikh-verdict/. Elsheikh was present in the courtroom during Kotey’s sentencing to hear statements from the victims’ families so they would not have to appear a second time.“Alexanda Kotey: IS ‘Beatle’ sentenced to life in US for murders in Syria,” BBC News, April 29, 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61274332. Elsheikh was sentenced to life in prison on August 19, 2022.Kanishka Singh, “Islamic State militant gets life in U.S. prison over killing of American hostages,” Reuters, August 19, 2022, https://www.reuters.com/legal/islamic-state-cell-member-faces-us-sentencing-beheadings-2022-08-19/.
The U.S. Department of State designated Alexanda Amon Kotey as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) on January 10, 2017.“State Department Terrorist Designation of Alexanda Amon Kotey,” U.S. Department of State, January 10, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/01/266762.htm.
The United Kingdom added Alexanda Amon Kotey to its Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets on July 24, 2017.“State Department Terrorist Designations of El Shafee Elsheikh, Anjem Choudary, Sami Bouras, Shane Dominic Crawford, and Mark John Taylor,” U.S. Department of State, March 30, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/03/269306.htm.
The United Nations added Alexanda Amon Kotey to its ISIL (Da’esh) & Al-Qaida Sanctions List on July 20, 2017.“ISIL (Da'esh) & Al-Qaida Sanctions List,” U.N. Security Council, accessed February 13, 2018, https://scsanctions.un.org/fop/fop?xml=htdocs/resources/xml/en/consolidated.xml&xslt=htdocs/resources/xsl/en/al-qaida.xsl.
Hayat Boumedienne is the widow of Frenchman Amedy Coulibaly, the pro-ISIS terrorist who carried out the January 9, 2015, kosher supermarket attack in Paris, killing four people.Daniel Politi, “France’s Most Wanted: Who Is Hayat Boumeddiene?” Slate, January 10, 2015, http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/01/10/france_s_most_wanted_who_is_hayat_boumeddiene.html. According to French authorities, one week before the attack, Boumedienne fled from Spain to Istanbul, Turkey, where she stayed for a few days before crossing into Syria to purportedly join ISIS.Emily Thomas, “Who is Hayat Boumeddiene?” BBC News, January 12, 2015, http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/30760975/who-is-hayat-boumeddiene. Both Boumedienne and Coulibaly were alleged associates of French brothers Chérif and Saïd Kouachi, who carried out the Charlie Hebdo attacks on January 7, 2015.Daniel Politi, “France’s Most Wanted: Who Is Hayat Boumeddiene?” Slate, January 10, 2015, http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/01/10/france_s_most_wanted_who_is_hayat_boumeddiene.html. In December 2020, Boumedienne and 13 others were convicted in France for aiding the 2015 attacks.Tangi Salaün, “French court finds accomplices to Charlie Hebdo attackers guilty,” Reuters, December 16, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-charliehebdo-trial/french-court-finds-accomplices-to-charlie-hebdo-attackers-guilty-idUSKBN28Q27H?il=0.
Boumedienne was one of seven children raised by a father who struggled to raise the family on his own.“Increasing Number Of Western Women Flee To Syria,” NPR, January 14, 2015, https://www.npr.org/2015/01/14/377122767/increasing-number-of-western-women-flee-to-syria. Boumedienne met Coulibaly in 2009 and married him in a conservative Islamic ceremony that same year.“The monstrous fate of an ordinary couple,” Paris Match, January 30, 2015, https://www.parismatch.com/Actu/Societe/Hayat-Boumeddiene-et-Amedy-Coulibaly-Le-destin-monstrueux-d-un-couple-ordinaire-700346. That same year, Coulibaly expressed increased interest in Islam and Boumedienne followed suit.“The monstrous fate of an ordinary couple,” Paris Match, January 30, 2015, https://www.parismatch.com/Actu/Societe/Hayat-Boumeddiene-et-Amedy-Coulibaly-Le-destin-monstrueux-d-un-couple-ordinaire-700346. It is alleged that she began wearing the niqab following her marriage to Coulibaly.“Increasing Number Of Western Women Flee To Syria,” NPR, January 14, 2015, https://www.npr.org/2015/01/14/377122767/increasing-number-of-western-women-flee-to-syria. Boumedienne married Coulibaly in 2009 in an Islamic ceremony that is not legally recognized in France.Daniel Politi, “France’s Most Wanted: Who Is Hayat Boumeddiene?” Slate, January 10, 2015, http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/01/10/france_s_most_wanted_who_is_hayat_boumeddiene.html.
During an interview with police in 2010, Boumedienne admitted to officials that she, Coulibaly, and the Kouachi brothers had visited notorious al-Qaeda recruiter Djamel Beghal that year at his home in Murat, France, “for crossbow practice.”Bill Gardner and Ben Farmer, “Paris shootings: France’s most wanted woman Hayat Boumeddiene has ‘escaped to Syria’,” Telegraph (London), January 10, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11337944/Paris-shootings-Frances-most-wanted-woman-Hayat-Boumeddiene-has-escaped-to-Syria.html. After the Charlie Hebdo and supermarket attacks in January 2015, French investigators again linked Boumedienne and Coulibaly to the Kouachi brothers after discovering over 500 phone calls between Boumedienne and Cherif Kouachi’s wife throughout 2014.Emily Thomas, “Who is Hayat Boumeddiene?” BBC News, January 12, 2015, http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/30760975/who-is-hayat-boumeddiene. Authorities suspect Boumedienne played a crucial role in facilitating communication between Coulibaly and the Kouachi brothers.Emma Graham-Harrison, “Hayat Boumeddiene: France’s most wanted person after Paris terror attacks,” Guardian (London), January 10, 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/10/hayat-boumeddiene-paris-terror-amedy-coulibaly-france. According to French authorities, both Boumedienne and the Kouachis were allegedly involved with Buttes Charmont, an organization that funnels foreign fighters to Iraq to combat Americans.Brian Levin, “Terrorists’ Web of Hate Extends Far Beyond France,” Huffington Post, March 12, 2015, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/terrorists-web-of-hate-ex_b_6449652.
Following the January 9, 2015, Hyper Cacher attack, French officials attempted to track Boumedienne’s route into Syria. Boumedienne was not in Paris during the attacks as she had previously fled from Madrid to Turkey on January 2, 2015, before making her way to Syria six days later.Holly Williams, “How the female terror suspect fled Europe unnoticed,” CBS News, January 12, 2015, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-the-female-terror-suspect-fled-europe-unnoticed/. According to video surveillance from an Istanbul airport, Boumedienne was accompanied by Medhi Belhoucine, a French citizen who is also linked to the 2015 Paris attacks. Boumedienne managed to evade Turkish authorities and crossed the Syrian border the same day that Coulibaly shot and killed a French policewoman on January 8, 2015.Holly Williams, “How the female terror suspect fled Europe unnoticed,” CBS News, January 12, 2015, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-the-female-terror-suspect-fled-europe-unnoticed/.
In February 2015, ISIS’s online English magazine Dabiq included an interview the group claimed was with Boumedienne, suggesting that she had left Europe and was living in ISIS-controlled territory in Iraq or Syria.Kim Willsher, “Islamic State magazine interviews Hayat Boumeddiene,” Guardian (London), February 12, 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/12/islamic-state-magazine-interviews-hayat-boumeddiene. In the interview, Boumedienne called upon Muslim women to “be strong supporters behind their husbands, brothers, fathers and sons” in order to “make things easy for them.”Kim Willsher, “Islamic State magazine interviews Hayat Boumeddiene,” Guardian (London), February 12, 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/12/islamic-state-magazine-interviews-hayat-boumeddiene. It was later alleged that Boumedienne had “started a new life” in Syria and that she had remarried.Elizabeth Llorente, “Two prominent French jihadis reported killed in Syria,” Fox News, March 6, 2019, https://www.foxnews.com/world/prominent-french-jihadis-reported-killed-in-syria.
French officials have classified Boumedienne as a “crucial witness” to the attacks due to her five-year marriage to Coulibaly. Beyond that, her exact role in the attacks is unknown, and authorities are unsure what role she has played for ISIS since her purported interview.Ben Farmer and Gregory Walton, “Paris Shooter’s Girlfriend Told Police That People Have The Right To ‘Take Up Arms Against The Oppresors,” Business Insider, January 12, 2015, http://www.businessinsider.com/hayat-boumeddiene-interviewed-by-police-in-2010-2015-1.
Unconfirmed reports claimed that Boumedienne had been killed in Syria following a series of drone strikes carried out by coalition forces in the region.“France Pushes Back Charlie Hebdo Attack Trial To September,” Barron’s, March 31, 2020, https://www.barrons.com/news/france-pushes-back-charlie-hebdo-attack-trial-to-september-01585657804. In October 2019, Boumedienne was reportedly seen in the al-Hol refugee camp in Syria after being captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces.Sarah Chemla, “France’s ‘most-wanted woman’ absent from 2015 Paris attacks trial,” Jerusalem Post, September 2, 2020, https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/frances-most-wanted-woman-absent-from-2015-paris-attacks-trial-640783. On May 20, 2020, the Center for the Analysis of Terrorism reported that Boumedienne had escaped from either the Kurdish-controlled camps of al-Hol or Ain-Issa in northern Syria.“Wife of Hyper Cacher terrorist escapes from jihadist prison in Syria — monitor,” Times of Israel, May 20, 2020, https://www.timesofisrael.com/wife-of-hyper-cacher-terrorist-escapes-from-jihadist-prison-in-syria-monitor/.
On September 2, 2020, France’s anti-terrorism prosecutors began the trials of 14 people accused of aiding the 2015 terrorist attacks on Charlie Hebdo and other Paris targets. Boumedienne was one of three suspects to be tried in absentia along with Mohamed and Mehdi Belhoucine.“France Pushes Back Charlie Hebdo Attack Trial To September,” Barron’s, March 31, 2020, https://www.barrons.com/news/france-pushes-back-charlie-hebdo-attack-trial-to-september-01585657804. On December 16, 2020, a French court found Boumedienne guilty of financing terrorism and belonging to a criminal terrorist network. She was sentenced in absentia to 30 years in prison. Boumedienne’s whereabouts remain unknown.Tangi Salaün, “French court finds accomplices to Charlie Hebdo attackers guilty,” Reuters, December 16, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-charliehebdo-trial/french-court-finds-accomplices-to-charlie-hebdo-attackers-guilty-idUSKBN28Q27H?il=0.
Sajmir Alimehmeti is a U.S. citizen and suspected would-be foreign fighter for ISIS. He was arrested in New York in May 2016 and charged with passport fraud and providing material support to the terror group.U.S. Southern District of New York, “United States of America v. Sajmir Alimehmeti, a/k/a ‘Abdul Qawii,’ Defendant,” May 23, 2016, 1-2, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/861501/download;
Marc Santora and Benjamin Weiser, “Bronx Man Accused of Trying to Join ISIS is Arrested,” New York Times, May 24, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/25/nyregion/bronx-man-accused-of-trying-to-join-isis-is-arrested.html. In addition to attempting to join ISIS in Syria, Alimehmeti allegedly sought to facilitate the travel of an undercover FBI officer to ISIS-controlled territory.U.S. Southern District of New York, “United States of America v. Sajmir Alimehmeti, a/k/a ‘Abdul Qawii,’ Defendant,” May 23, 2016, 1, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/861501/download.
In an effort to join ISIS in Syria, Alimehmeti traveled twice to the United Kingdom—in October and December 2014—but was denied entry both times and sent back to the United States. After Alimehmeti’s failed attempt in December, U.K. authorities shared photos with U.S. officials that they had retrieved from his cellphone and laptop. These included images of Alimehmeti posing in front of an ISIS flag, as well as downloaded sermons and lectures by deceased al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.U.S. Southern District of New York, “United States of America v. Sajmir Alimehmeti, a/k/a ‘Abdul Qawii,’ Defendant,” May 23, 2016, 4, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/861501/download.
In the fall of 2015, an undercover FBI agent began meeting regularly with Alimehmeti, and witnessed Alimehmeti watch multiple ISIS videos at his apartment in the Bronx, New York. Alimehmeti told the agent that the videos helped keep him “motivated” while working out. During this time, Alimehmeti also began purchasing and collecting military-style equipment, including steel-knuckled gloves.U.S. Southern District of New York, “United States of America v. Sajmir Alimehmeti, a/k/a ‘Abdul Qawii,’ Defendant,” May 23, 2016, 4, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/861501/download. In October 2015, he attempted to fraudulently obtain a U.S. passport by lying to authorities that his old passport had been lost. Alimehmeti allegedly believed that a new passport would help him travel overseas to join ISIS.U.S. Southern District of New York, “United States of America v. Sajmir Alimehmeti, a/k/a ‘Abdul Qawii,’ Defendant,” May 23, 2016, 4, 13, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/861501/download.
In early May 2016, the FBI agent connected Alimehmeti to another undercover officer, who posed as an ISIS sympathizer attempting to travel to Syria. Alimehmeti allegedly attempted to help this agent travel to Syria, including by recommending tactical gear and encrypted messaging platforms, as well as bringing him to John F. Kennedy airport so that he could purportedly travel overseas to join ISIS.U.S. Southern District of New York, “United States of America v. Sajmir Alimehmeti, a/k/a ‘Abdul Qawii,’ Defendant,” May 23, 2016, 12, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/861501/download. Alimehmeti was arrested on May 24, 2016, and charged with providing material support to a terrorist organization and passport fraud.Marc Santora and Benjamin Weiser, “Bronx Man Accused of Trying to Join ISIS Is Arrested,” New York Times, May 24, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/25/nyregion/bronx-man-accused-of-trying-to-join-isis-is-arrested.html?_r=0.
Alimehmeti pleaded guilty on February 21, 2018. On December 6, 2019, he was sentenced to 22 years in prison for “attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), and attempting to fraudulently procure a U.S. passport to facilitate an act of international terrorism.”“Bronx Man Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to 22 Years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS,” U.S. Department of Justice, December 6, 2019, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/bronx-man-sentenced-manhattan-federal-court-22-years-prison-attempting-provide-material.
Arrested in May 2016 on charges of providing material support to ISIS and passport fraud. Sought to facilitate the travel of an undercover FBI operative to Syria, and traveled to the United Kingdom in an effort to join ISIS in Syria himself.
Played ISIS-produced videos, including beheading and other execution videos, in meetings with FBI undercover operatives. Lectures by now-deceased AQAP recruiter Anwar al-Awlaki were also found on his computer, including ones titled “On the Command of Jihad” and “The Punishment of Those Who Don’t Participate in Jihad.”
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.
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