Foreign Terrorist OrganizationsTerrorist Designations: What They Are and What They Do

Ayman al-Zawahiri

Established by Usama Bin Ladin in 1988 with Arabs who fought in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union, al-Qa‘ida’s declared goal is
the establishment of a pan-Islamic caliphate throughout the Muslim world. Toward this end, al-Qa‘ida seeks to unite Muslims to fight the West, especially the United States, as a means of overthrowing Muslim regimes al-Qa‘ida deems “apostate,” expelling Western influence from Muslim countries, and defeating Israel. Al-Qa‘ida issued a statement in February 1998 under the banner of “the World Islamic Front for Jihad Against the Jews and Crusaders” saying it was the duty of all Muslims to kill

US citizens—civilian and military—and their allies everywhere. The group merged with the Egyptian Islamic Jihad (al-Jihad) in June 2001.

On 11 September 2001, 19 al-Qa‘ida suicide attackers hijacked and crashed four US commercial jets—two into the World Trade Center in New York City, one into the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., and a fourth into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania—leaving nearly 3,000 people dead. Al-Qa‘ida also directed the 12 October 2000 attack on the USS Cole in the port of Aden, Yemen, which killed 17 US sailors and injured another 39, and conducted the bombings in August 1998 of the US embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, killing 224 people and injuring more than 5,000. Since 2002, al-Qa‘ida and affiliated groups have conducted attacks worldwide, including in Europe, North Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

In 2005, Ayman al-Zawahiri, then Bin Ladin’s deputy and now the leader of al-Qa‘ida, publicly claimed al-Qa‘ida’s involvement in the 7 July 2005 bus bombings in the United Kingdom.

In 2006, British security services foiled an al-Qa‘ida plot to detonate explosives on up to 10 transatlantic flights originating from London’s Heathrow airport. During that same time period, Al-Qa‘ida’s the numbers of Al-Qa‘ida-affiliated groups increased.

Following the 2011 death of Bin Ladin, al-Qa‘ida leaders moved quickly to name al-Zawahiri as his successor. The group remains a cohesive organization and what is widely called al-Qa‘ida’s Core leadership continues to be important to the global movement despite leadership losses. Other jihadist groups, however, like the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), have gained prominence and challenged the Core’s global leadership.

Al-Qa‘ida remains committed to conducting attacks in the United States and against American interests abroad. The group has advanced a number of unsuccessful plots in the past several years, including against the United States and Europe. This highlights al-Qa‘ida’s ability to continue some attack preparations while under sustained counterterrorism pressure and suggests it may be plotting additional attacks against the United States at home or overseas.

Moving forward into 2015, the group could
seek to reconstitute the remnants of the group in Afghanistan. Al-Qa‘ida’s historical ties to Afghanistan make the country an attractive operating area, especially if the group can leverage its longstanding relationships with Afghan insurgents who supported it in the years preceding 9/11.

http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2013/224829.htm

6

2014/2015 December/January

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 7

Ayman al-Zawahiri

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Abu Muhammad, Abu Fatima, Muhammad Ibrahim, Abu Abdallah, Abu al-Mu’iz, The Doctor, The Teacher, Nur, Ustaz, Abu Mohammed, Abu Mohammed Nur al-Deen, Abdel Muaz, Dr. Ayman al Zawahiri

DATE OF BIRTH: 19 June 1951 PLACE OF BIRTH: Egypt
SEX: Male
HAIR: Brown/Black

EYES: Dark NATIONALITY: Egyptian

WANTED

Ayman al-Zawahiri is a physician and the founder of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. This organization opposes the secular Egyptian Government and seeks its overthrow through violent means. Al-Zawahiri is believed to have served as an advisor and doctor to Usama Bin Ladin. He has been indicted for his alleged role in the 7 August 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi,
Kenya, attacks that killed 224 civilians and wounded over 5,000 others.

Ayman al-Zawahiri has been indicted on the following charges: murder of US nationals outside the United States; conspiracy to murder US nationals outside the United States; and attack on a federal facility resulting

in death.

REWARD

Up to $25 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

2015 January

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 9

Yasin al-Suri

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

al-Suri, Yaseen al-Suri, Izz al-Din Abd al-Farid Khalil, Zayn al-Abadin

DATE OF BIRTH: 1982
PLACE OF BIRTH: al-Qamishli, Syria SEX: Male
HAIR: Black
EYES: Brown

WANTED

Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil, more commonly known as Yasin al-Suri, is a senior al-Qa‘ida facilitator based in Iran. Yasin al-Suri was arrested by Iranian authorities in December 2011 after the announcement of the $10 million Rewards for Justice offer, but he has resumed leadership of al-Qa‘ida’s Iran-based network.

As head al-Qa‘ida facilitator
in Iran, Yasin al-Suri is responsible for overseeing al-Qa‘ida efforts to transfer experienced operatives and leaders from Pakistan to Syria, organizing and maintaining routes by which new recruits can travel to Syria via Turkey, and assisting in the movement of al-Qa‘ida external operatives to the West.

Yasin al-Suri moves money and recruits from across
the Middle East into Iran,
and then on to Pakistan, to support al-Qa‘ida’s senior leadership. Iranian authorities maintain a relationship with him and have permitted him to operate within Iran’s borders since 2005.

Yasin al-Suri facilitates the movement of recruits for al-Qa‘ida from the Gulf to Pakistan and Afghanistan via Iran. He is also an important fundraiser for al-Qa‘ida and has collected money from donors and fundraisers throughout the Gulf. He funnels significant funds

via Iran for onward passage

to al-Qa‘ida’s leadership in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Working with the Iranian government, Yasin al-Suri arranges the release of al-Qa‘ida personnel from Iranian prisons. When al-Qa‘ida operatives are released, the Iranian government transfers them to al-Suri, who then facilitates their travel to Pakistan.

REWARD

Up to $10 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

10

2015 January

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 11

Muhsin al-Fadhli

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Muhsin Fadhil ‘Ayyid al-Fadhli, Muhsin Fadil Ayid Ashur al-Fadhli, Abu Majid Samiyah, Abu Samia, Dawud al Asadi

DATE OF BIRTH: 24 April 1981 PLACE OF BIRTH: Kuwait COMPLEXION: Olive
HAIR: Black

EYES: Black

HEIGHT: 5’5” (165 cm)

CITIZENSHIP: Kuwaiti

PASSPORT: Kuwait, 001313585; Kuwait, 106261543

STATUS UPDATE

Muhsin al-Fadhli was reported to have died in Syria in September 2014, according to press and social media sites.

Muhsin al-Fadhli is an Iran-based senior Al-Qa‘ida facilitator and financier. He has reportedly replaced Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil (better known as Yasin al-Suri) as Al-Qa‘ida’s senior leader in Iran.

Al-Fadhli was designated by the US Department of the Treasury pursuant to Executive Order 13224 on 15 February 2005 for providing financial and material support to the al-Zarqawi network and Al-Qa‘ida. On 17 February 2005, the UN Security Council’s Al-Qa‘ida Sanctions Committee listed al-Fadhli for participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetration

of Al-Qa‘ida acts. The listing subjects him to international freezing of assets, a travel ban, and an embargo on supply

of equipment and other legal assistance.

At that time, Muhsin al-Fadhli was considered an Al-Qa‘ida leader in the Gulf countries and provided support to Iraq-based fighters against US and multinational forces. He was also considered a major facilitator to Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi and prior to that was involved in several attacks in October 2002 including the attack on the French ship, MV Limburg, which injured four

crew members, killed one, and released 50,000 barrels of crude oil along 45 miles of coastline.

He is wanted by law enforcement authorities
in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia,
and the United States for terrorism-related activities. In June 2005, Saudi authorities placed him on a list of wanted suspects in connection with
a series of terrorist attacks
in Saudi Arabia. Al-Fadhli
and three other suspects were convicted in a Kuwaiti court in February 2003 for providing funding for terrorist activities and military training in Afghanistan for purposes of terrorism.

Al-Fadhli fought alongside the Taliban and Al-Qa‘ida in Afghanistan and is reported to have been among the few trusted Al-Qa‘ida operatives who received advance notification that terrorists would strike the United States on 11 September 2001.

12

2015 January

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 13

Adel Radi Saqr al-Wahabi al-Harbi

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

‘Adil Radi Saqr al-Wahbi al-Harbi, Adel Radhi Sager Alharbi, Muharib, Abu Ali Muharib

DATE OF BIRTH: 1 December 1986 PLACE OF BIRTH: Buraydah, Saudi

Arabia
NATIONALITY: Saudi Arabian

NATIONAL IDENTITY NUMBER:

1059887057

PASSPORT: Saudi Arabia, J110141; issued 18 April 2010; expires 22 February 2015

WANTED

Adel Radi Saqr al-Wahabi al-Harbi is an Iran-based
senior Al-Qa‘ida facilitator and serves as the deputy to Muhsin al-Fadhli. In his capacity as

the number two to al-Fadhli, al-Harbi facilitates the travel of extremists to Afghanistan or Iraq via Iran on behalf of Al-Qa‘ida and is believed to have sought funds to support Al-Qa‘ida attacks.

Al-Harbi was previously placed on the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Interior’s 9 January 2011
list of wanted terrorists and was charged with traveling to Afghanistan to join Al-Qa‘ida and providing technical support on the Internet to the terrorist group.

REWARD

Up to $5 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

14

2015 January

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 15

Saif al-Adel

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Seif Al Adel, Ibrahim al-Madani

DATES OF BIRTH USED: 11 April 1963; 11 April 1960

PLACE OF BIRTH: Egypt HAIR: Dark
EYES: Dark CITIZENSHIP: Egyptian

WANTED

Saif al-Adel is believed to be
a high-ranking member of
the Al-Qa‘ida organization.
He has been indicted for his alleged role in the 7 August 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya. The embassy bombings killed 224 civilians and wounded over 5,000 others.

He has been indicted on the following charges: Conspiracy to kill United States nationals, to murder, to destroy buildings and property of the United States, and to destroy national defense utilities of the
United States.

REWARD

Up to $5 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

16

2015 February

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 17

Adnan G. el Shukrijumah

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Adnan G. el Shukri Jumah; Abu Arif; Ja’far al-Tayar; Jaffar al-Tayyar; Jafar Tayar; Jaafar al-Tayyar

DATE OF BIRTH: 4 August 1975
PLACE OF BIRTH: Saudi Arabia HEIGHT: 5’3” to 5’7” (160-170 cm) BUILD: Medium to Heavy
HAIR: Black
EYES: Black
COMPLEXION: Olive
CITIZENSHIP: Guyanese

SCARS/DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:

El Shukrijumah occasionally wears a beard. He carries a Guyanese passport, but may attempt to enter the United States with a Saudi, Canadian, or Trinidadian passport.

WANTED

Adnan G. El Shukrijumah
was indicted in the Eastern District of New York in July of 2010 for his alleged role in a terrorist plot to attack targets in the United States and the United Kingdom. One plot was uncovered in September of 2009 and targeted New York City’s subway system. That failed plot was directed by senior Al-Qa‘ida leadership
in Pakistan and was also directly related to a scheme by Al-Qa‘ida plotters in Pakistan to use Western operatives to attack a target in the United States. El Shukrijumah is thought to have served as one of the leaders of Al-Qa‘ida’s external operations program.

REWARD

Up to $5 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

18

2015 February

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 19

Ali Sayyid Muhamed Mustafa al-Bakri

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Abd al-Aziz al-Masri, Hasan ‘Umar Ibrahim Ali Saleem Abu Salsbil, Abu Salsabil Hassan Omar, Hasan ‘Umar Zizo

DATE OF BIRTH: 18 April 1966
PLACE OF BIRTH: Bani Suwayf, Egypt EYES: Dark

WANTED

Ali Sayyid Muhamed Mustafa al-Bakri is an Al-Qa‘ida member and an explosives and chemical weapons expert. He is a member of the Al-Qa‘ida Shura council and is a close associate of Al-Qa‘ida leaders Saif al-Adel and Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Prior to joining Al-Qa‘ida, al-Bakri was a member of
the Egyptian Islamic Jihad terrorist group, under the direction of Ayman al-Zawahiri. He served as an instructor

in Al-Qa‘ida’s camps in Afghanistan, providing terrorist recruits with training in the use of explosives and chemical weapons. Al-Bakri also unsuccessfully attempted to hijack a Pakistani Air passenger flight in December 2000. It is likely that he continues to train Al-Qa‘ida terrorists and other extremists.

REWARD

Up to $5 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

20

2015 February

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 21

Adam Yahiye Gadahn

WANTED

Adam Yahiye Gadahn was indicted in the Central District of California for treason and material support to Al-Qa‘ida. The charges are related to Gadahn’s alleged involvement in a number of terrorist activities, including providing aid and comfort to Al-Qa‘ida and services for Al-Qa‘ida.

REWARD

Up to $1 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Azzam al-Amriki, Azzam the American, Abu Suhayb al Amriki, Abu Suhail al-Amriki, Abu Suhayb, Yihya Majadin Adams, Adam Pearlman, Yayah

DATE OF BIRTH: 1 September 1978 PLACE OF BIRTH: United States CITIZENSHIP: American
HEIGHT: 5’11” (180 cm)

WEIGHT: 210 lbs (95 kg) HAIR: Brown
EYES: Brown/Hazel COMPLEXION: Light

BUILD: Medium

LANGUAGES: Arabic, English

SCARS/DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:

Gadahn has scars on his chest and right forearm.

22

2015 February

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 23

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)/Al-Qa‘ida in Iraq (AQI)

Abu Baqr al-Baghdadi, also known as Abu Du‘a; handout circulated by Iraqi Government

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)—formerly known as al-Qa‘ida in Iraq and Islamic State of Iraq—was established in April 2004 by long-time Sunni extremist Abu Mus‘ab al-Zarqawi, who the same year pledged his group’s allegiance to Usama Bin Ladin. ISIL targeted Coalition forces and civilians using high-profile tactics such as vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices

Sunni Awakening—against the group.
The development of the Awakening Councils—composed primarily of Sunni tribal and local community leaders—coincided with a surge in Coalition and Iraqi Government operations, resulting in a decreased attack tempo beginning in mid-2007.

ISIL’s current leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, assumed power following the death of both Abu Ayyub al-Masri and Abu ‘Umar al-Baghdadi in April 2010. Under his authority, the group
has continued conducting high-profile attacks across Iraq. ISIL has expanded its ranks through prison breaks and integration of fighters drawn to the Syrian conflict.

In April 2013, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi publicly declared the group’s presence in Syria under the name ISIL and that ISIL had founded the al-Nusrah Front in Syria. Al-Nusrah Front

in June 2013 publicly pledged allegiance
to al-Qa‘ida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. The disagreement and ISIL’s hardline ideology caused a backlash in Syria. ISIL rejected al-Nusrah Front, Syrian opposition enemies, and al-Qa‘ida’s efforts to force the group to leave Syria.

In February 2014, al-Qa‘ida publicly stated ISIL was no longer a branch of al-Qa‘ida, a status the group had held since 2004. ISIL in April 2014 responded to the disavowal by publicly attacking al-Qa‘ida as being unfit for Usama Bin Ladin’s legacy and stating that ISIL was a better example for jihadists. Major ISIL-led efforts

to overthrow the Iraqi Government erupted in June 2014, freeing prisoners and gaining access to more weapons and vehicles usable in Iraq
or Syria. In late June 2014, ISIL declared the establishment of an Islamic caliphate under

the name the “Islamic State” and called for all Muslims to pledge allegiance to the group.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2014 attributed the backlash in Syria to the United States and threatened a direct confrontation. The arrests in May 2011 of two Iraqi refugees in Kentucky affiliated with the group highlight the potential threat inside the United States from people associated with ISIL.

http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2013/224823.htm

(VBIEDs), suicide bombers, and hostage executions, to pressure foreign countries and companies to leave Iraq, push Iraqis to stop supporting the United States and the Iraqi Government, and attract additional cadre to its ranks.

Following al-Zarqawi’s death in June 2006, ISIL’s new leader, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, announced
in October 2006 the formation of the Islamic State of Iraq, led by Iraqi national Abu ‘Umar al-Baghdadi, in an attempt to politicize the group’s terrorist activities and place an “Iraqi face” on their efforts.

In 2007, ISIL’s continued targeting and repression of Sunni civilians in Iraq caused a widespread backlash—known as the

24

2015 March

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 25

Abu Du’a

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Dr. Ibrahim ‘Awwad Ibrahim ‘Ali al-Badri al-Samarrai’, Ibrahim ‘Awad Ibrahim al-Badri al Samarrai, Abu Duaa’, Dr. Ibrahim, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

DATE OF BIRTH: 1971
PLACE OF BIRTH: Samarra’, Iraq HAIR: Black
EYES: Brown
COMPLEXION: Olive

WANTED

Abu Du’a, also known as
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is the senior leader of the terrorist organization Islamic State
of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Reflecting its greater regional ambitions, Al-Qa‘ida in Iraq changed its name in 2013
to ISIL and stepped up its attacks across Syria and Iraq. ISIL attacks are calculated, coordinated, and part of a strategic campaign. Abu Du’a is in charge of overseeing all operations and is currently based in Syria.

Abu Du’a has taken personal credit for a series of terrorist attacks in Iraq since 2011. He has claimed responsibility
for the June 2013 operations against the Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad and the March 2013 suicide-bombing assault on the Ministry of Justice, among other attacks against Iraqi Security Forces and Iraqi citizens going about their daily lives.

Abu Du’a is a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224. He is also listed by the United Nations Security Council 1267/1989 Al-Qa‘ida Sanctions Committee.

REWARD

Up to $10 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

26

2015 March

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 27

Al-Nusrah Front

Al-Nusrah Front
is one of the most capable al-Qa‘ida- affiliated groups operating in Syria during the ongoing conflict. The group in January 2012

announced its intention to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Asad’s regime, and since then has mounted hundreds of insurgent-style and suicide attacks against regime and security service targets across the country. The group
is committed not only to ousting the regime, but also seeks to expand its reach regionally and globally. Initially, al-Nusrah Front did not publicize its links to al-Qa‘ida in Iraq or Pakistan.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) played a significant role in founding the group. ISIL predecessor organizations used Syria as a facilitation hub and transformed this facilitation and logistics network into an organization capable of conducting sophisticated explosives and firearms attacks. ISIL leaders since the beginning of al-Nusrah Front’s participation in the conflict provided their facilitation hub with personnel and resources, including money

and weapons.

During 2013, al-Nusrah Front and ISIL were consumed by a public rift stemming from
ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s April 2013 statement announcing the creation of ISIL and claiming the merger of both groups. Al-Nusrah Front and ISIL have strategies for Syria, and a public merger between them probably would have undermined al-Nusrah Front’s autonomy in the country. In April 2013, al-Nusrah

Front’s leader, Abu Muhammad al-Jawlani, pledged allegiance to al-Qa‘ida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

During early 2014, the rift between al-Nusrah Front and ISIL—in which ISIL has openly accused al-Qa‘ida senior leaders of deviating from what it perceives as the correct jihadist path—has taken place not just on the ground but in social media as well. Al-Nusrah Front’s leaders probably have learned lessons from members’ previous experiences in Iraq and have sought to win over the Syrian populace by providing parts of the country with humanitarian assistance
and basic civil services. Several Syria-based armed opposition groups cooperate and fight alongside Sunni extremist groups, including al-Nusrah Front, and are dependent upon
them for expertise, training, and weapons. Al-Nusrah Front has managed to seize territory, including military bases and infrastructure in northern Syria.

The group’s cadre is predominately composed of Syrian nationals, many of whom are veterans of previous conflicts, including the Iraq war. Thousands of fighters from around the world have traveled to Syria since early 2012 to support oppositionist groups, and some fighters aspire to connect with al-Nusrah Front and other extremist groups. Several Westerners have joined al-Nusrah Front, including a few who have died in suicide operations. Western government officials have raised concerns that capable individuals with extremist contacts
and battlefield experience could return to their home countries to commit violent acts. An al-Nusrah Front attack in May 2014—the first known suicide bombing by an American in Syria—targeted regime personnel, highlighting the involvement of US persons in the conflict.

http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2013/224823.htm

28

2015 March

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 29

Ahmad Abousamra

WANTED

Ahmad Abousamra was indicted after taking multiple trips to Pakistan and Yemen where he allegedly attempted to obtain military training
for the purpose of killing American soldiers overseas. On 5 November 2009, a federal arrest warrant was issued
for Abousamra in the United States District Court, District of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, after he was charged with conspiracy to provide material support
to terrorists; providing
and attempting to provide material support to terrorists; conspiracy to kill in a foreign country; conspiracy; and false statements.

Abousamra grew up near Boston, Massachusetts, and also has ties to the Detroit, Michigan, area. Abousamra is thought to have left the United States in 2006, and may now be living in Aleppo, Syria. He may be with his wife and at least one child, a young daughter.

REWARD

Up to $50,000 Reward

FBI Most Wanted Terrorists

Should be considered armed and dangerous.

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office
or the nearest US Embassy

FBI Most Wanted Terrorists, 2004

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Ahmad Abou-Samra, Abu Fadl, Ahmad Abou, Ahmad Abou Samira, Ahmad Samra, Ahmad Abu Samra, Ahmad Abou Samra

DATE OF BIRTH USED: 19 September 1981

PLACE OF BIRTH: France
CITIZENSHIP: Syrian, United States HEIGHT: 5’11” (180 cm)
WEIGHT: 170 lbs (77 kg)
HAIR: Dark brown
EYES: Brown
BUILD: Slim
LANGUAGES: English, Arabic

or Consulate.

http://www.fbi.gov

FBI, 2002

FBI, 2002

30

2015 March

Al-Qa‘ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)

Nasir al-Wahishi

Al-Qa‘ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is a Sunni extremist group based in Yemen that has orchestrated numerous high-profile terrorist attacks. One of the most notable of these operations occurred when AQAP dispatched Nigerian-born

Since then, AQAP has conducted a number of high-profile attacks inside Yemen targeting
the Yemeni Government, including a complex, multistage attack in December 2013 against Yemen’s Ministry of Defense that killed at least 52 people, and in February 2014 the group
freed over two dozen prisoners after attacking Sanaa’s central prison. Shortly thereafter the group released a video entitled “Drops of Rain,” which depicted a large gathering of AQAP members operating openly while their leader threatened the United States. In May 2014, the US Embassy in Sanaa closed for a month due to a heightened threat from the group.

AQAP’s predecessor, al-Qa‘ida in Yemen (AQY), came into existence after the escape of 23 al-Qa‘ida members from prison in Sanaa,
in February 2006. Several escapees helped reestablish the group and later identified fellow escapee al-Wahishi as the group’s new amir.

AQY in early 2008 dramatically increased its operational tempo, carrying out small-arms attacks on foreign tourists and a series of mortar attacks against the US and Italian Embassies in Sanaa, the presidential compound, and Yemeni military complexes. In September 2008 the group attacked the US Embassy in Sanaa using two vehicle bombs that detonated outside the compound, killing 19 people.

AQAP emerged in January 2009 following an announcement that Yemeni and Saudi terrorists were unifying under a common banner. The leadership of this new organization was composed of the group’s amir, Nasir al-Wahishi; now-deceased deputy amir Sa‘id al-Shahri;

and military commander Qasim al-Rimi, all veteran extremist leaders. The group has targeted local, US, and Western interests in the Arabian Peninsula, but is now pursuing a global strategy. AQAP elements withdrew from their southern Yemen strongholds in June 2012, when Yemeni military forces under new President Abdu Rabbo Mansour Hadi—with the support

of local tribesmen—regained control of cities in Abyan and Shabwah that had served as AQAP strongholds since 2011.

http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2013/224823.htm

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who attempted
to detonate an explosive device aboard a Northwest Airlines flight on 25 December 2009—the first attack inside the United States by an al-Qa‘ida affiliate since 11 September 2001. That was followed by an attempted attack in which explosive-laden packages were sent to the United States on 27 October 2010. The year 2010 also saw the launch of Inspire magazine, an AQAP-branded, English-language publication that first appeared in July, followed by the establishment of AQAP’s Arabic-language al-Madad News Agency in 2011. Dual US-Yemeni citizen Anwar al-Aulaqi, who had

a worldwide following as a radical ideologue and propagandist, was the most prominent member of AQAP; he was killed in an explosion in September 2011.

In August 2013, the US State Department temporarily closed several embassies in response to a threat associated with AQAP. 32

2015 March/April

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 33

Jamal Mohammad al-Badawi

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Jamal Muhsin al-Tali, Abu Abdul Rahman al-Badawi, Abu Abdul Rahman al-Adani, Jamal Mohammad Ahmad Ali al-Badawi, Jamal Mohammad Ahmad

DATE OF BIRTH: 22 July or 23 October 1960, or 23 October 1963

PLACE OF BIRTH: Al-Shargian, Makiras, Yemen

HEIGHT: Approximately 5’5” (165 cm)

WEIGHT: Approximately 175 lbs (79 kg)

HAIR: Black
EYES: Black COMPLEXION: Olive

WANTED

Jamal al-Badawi is wanted in connection with the 12 October 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Aden, Yemen. This attack resulted in the deaths of 17 American sailors.

He has been indicted on the following charges: murder and conspiracy to murder US nationals and US military personnel; conspiracy to

use and using weapons
of mass destruction; damaging and destroying government properties
and defense facilities; and providing material support to terrorist organizations.

REWARD

Up to $5 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

FBI Most Wanted Terrorists

34

2015 April

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 35

Abdullah al-Rimi

WANTED

Abdullah Al-Rimi is wanted for questioning in connection with the 12 October 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Aden, Yemen, in which 17 American sailors were killed. Al-Rimi may be residing in Yemen.

FBI Most Wanted Terrorists

Should be considered armed and dangerous.

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office
or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

http://www.fbi.gov

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Awaiss, Owaiss, Uwayss, Zubayr al-Rimi (possible), Abdallah Ahmad Salid al-Rimi, Abdallah Ahmad Saleh Ahmad al-Rimi

DATE OF BIRTH: 1974
PLACE OF BIRTH: Ta’iz, Yemen COMPLEXION: Olive
HAIR: Black
EYES: Black
CITIZENSHIP: Yemen LANGUAGE: Arabic

36

2015 April

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 37

Jaber A. Elbaneh

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Jaber A. Elbanelt, Jaben A. Elbanelt, Jabor Elbaneh, Abu Jubaer, Jubaer Elbaneh, Jubair

DATE OF BIRTH: 9 September 1966 PLACE OF BIRTH: Yemen
HAIR: Brown
EYES: Brown

HEIGHT: 5’8” (173 cm) OCCUPATION: Salesman, Taxi

Driver

WANTED

Jaber A. Elbaneh is wanted
in connection with a federal criminal complaint unsealed on 21 May 2003 in the Western District of New York, Buffalo, New York. He is charged with providing material support

to a terrorist organization and conspiring to provide material support, specifically to Al-Qa‘ida.

Elbaneh is believed to have fled the United States and is still thought to be outside the country.

REWARD

Up to $5 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

38

FBI, 2008

FBI, 2008

2015 April

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 39

Al-Qa‘ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)

Abdelmalik Droukdal

Al-Qa‘ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is an Algeria-based Sunni Muslim jihadist group. It originally formed in 1998 as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), a faction of the Armed Islamic Group, which was the largest and most active terrorist

of revenue include extortion, kidnapping for ransom, and donations. In May 2009, AQIM announced it had killed a British hostage
after months of failed negotiations. In June
of the same year, the group publicly claimed responsibility for killing US citizen Christopher Leggett in Mauritania because of his missionary activities. In 2011, a Mauritanian court sentenced a suspected AQIM member to death and two others to prison for the American’s murder.

AQIM since 2010 has failed to conduct
the high-casualty attacks in Algeria that
it had in previous years. Multinational counterterrorism efforts—including a joint French-Mauritanian raid in July 2010 against
an AQIM camp—resulted in the death of some AQIM members and possibly disrupted some AQIM activity. In 2011, however, AQIM killed
two French hostages during an attempted rescue operation, and in 2013 killed one French hostage in retaliation for France’s military intervention in Mali. AQIM continues to hold five French, one South African, one Dutch, and one Swede hostage.

In 2012, AQIM took advantage of political chaos in northern Mali to consolidate its control
there and worked with the secular Azawad National Liberation Movement (MNLA) to secure independence in Kidal, Gao, and Timbuktu for ethnic Tuaregs. The Islamic militant group Ansar al-Dine was formed to support the creation of an Islamic state in Mali ruled by sharia.

Since 2011, dissident groups of AQIM members broke away to form Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) and al-Mulathamun Battalion and its subordinate unit al-Muwaqi‘un Bil-Dima (“Those Who Sign With Blood”) led by former AQIM battalion leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar. In August 2013 these groups merged to form al-Murabitun, (“The Sentinels”), and officially formalized the groups’ ties; their stated goals are to “unite
all Muslims from the Nile to the Atlantic in jihad against Westerners” and to curb French influence in the region.

http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2013/224829.htm

group in Algeria. The GSPC was renamed in January 2007 after the group officially joined al-Qa‘ida in September 2006. The group had close to 30,000 members at its height, but the Algerian Government’s counterterrorism efforts have reduced GSPC’s ranks to fewer than 1,000. The current leader of AQIM is Abdelmalek Droukdal, who has been in charge of AQIM since it was founded in 1998 as the GSPC.

AQIM historically has operated primarily in
the northern coastal areas of Algeria and in parts of the desert regions of southern Algeria and the Sahel. Since the French-led military intervention in early 2013, however, the group has reduced its presence in northern Mali and expanded into Libya and Tunisia. AQIM mainly employs conventional terrorist tactics, including guerrilla-style ambushes, mortar, rocket, and IED attacks. The group’s principal sources

40

2015 April/May

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 41

Yahya Abu el Hammam

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Abu Yahia, Akkacha Djamel DATE OF BIRTH: 5 September 1978 PLACE OF BIRTH: Reghaia, Algeria RACE: White

NATIONALITY: Algerian

WANTED

Yahya Abu el Hammam serves as a senior leader of Al-Qa‘ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), planning operations and kidnapping Westerners in North and West Africa. Hammam has played

a key role in perpetuating AQIM’s terrorist activities
in West Africa and Mali,
and participated in several AQIM terrorist attacks in Mauritania. In July 2010, Hammam was reportedly involved in the killing of a 78-year-old French hostage in Niger. In 2006, Hammam was sentenced to death in absentia by Algerian authorities for terrorism-related charges. Hammam was designated by the US Department of Treasury pursuant to Executive Order 13224 on 14 February 2013. Hammam was also listed by the United Nations Al-Qa‘ida Sanctions Committee on 5 February 2013.

AQIM, previously known
as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), has conducted dozens of terrorist attacks in northwest Africa. AQIM has claimed responsibility for suicide bombings, kidnappings of Westerners, assassinations, and improvised explosive device attacks. The group conducted two simultaneous suicide operations in December 2007, attacking
a United Nations program headquarters and the Algerian Constitutional Council, killing 42 people and wounding 158 others. AQIM also claimed responsibility for the June

2009 murder of American citizen Christopher Leggett, who was in Mauritania conducting missionary work. In September 2012, AQIM encouraged members to threaten US embassies and kill US ambassadors. AQIM announced its official alliance to Al-Qa‘ida in September 2006, and has since reaffirmed its intention to attack

Western targets.

The US Department of State named the GSPC a Foreign Terrorist Organization under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (as amended) on 27 March 2002, and renewed the group’s designation under its new name of AQIM on 16 October 2009. The US Department of Treasury named the group a Specially Designated Terrorist Entity under Executive Order 13224 on 21 February 2008.

REWARD

Up to $5 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

42

2015 May

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 43

Terrorism in North and West Africa

Al-Murabitun, which seeks to “unite all Muslims from the Nile to the Atlantic in jihad against Westerners” and “liberate Mali from France,” according to the group’s public announcement, was formed when veteran jihadist Mokhtar Belmokhtar in August 2013 merged his al-Mulathamun

Battalion with Al-Tawhid Wal Jihad in West Africa (TWJWA). The merger formalized an already close relationship between two of the most active terrorist groups in North and West Africa. The two groups—both offshoots of al-Qa‘ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)—conducted numerous attacks against Westerners in North and West Africa prior to their merger, including the January 2013 attack on the I-n-Amenas gas facility in Algeria that killed nearly 40 Westerners,

44

including three Americans, and a joint operation in May 2013 in Niger simultaneously targeting
a French uranium mine and a Nigerian military barracks.

French CT operations have killed at least four senior leaders and dozens of rank-and-file members of al-Murabitun—including its
titular leader, Abu Bakr al-Masri—in Mali since November 2013, possibly preventing the group from carrying out a high-profile attack in the region. However, al-Murabitun has conducted small-scale but lethal attacks against UN targets in Mali and remains the most potent threat in the Sahel because of Belmokhtar’s anti-West agenda and vast network of extremists. In its initial announcement, the new group pledged allegiance to al-Qa‘ida senior leadership and

its commitment to the philosophy of jihad put forward by Usama Bin Ladin, suggesting a focus on anti-Western attacks, and in two separate statements in 2014 the group reaffirmed its allegiance to Ayman al-Zawahiri and restated its intent to continue to attack France and its allies.

Al-Mulathamun Battalion and its subordinate unit, al-Muwaqi‘un Bil-Dima (“Those Who Sign With Blood”), led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, splintered from AQIM in fall 2012 due to leadership disputes. Belmokhtar has a long history of jihadist activity in North and West Africa dating back almost two decades. He fought with the mujahidin in Afghanistan as a teenager and trained with al-Qa‘ida, where he lost an eye mishandling explosives. By the late 1990s, Belmokhtar seized control over lucrative trans-Saharan smuggling routes, reportedly earning millions by trafficking cigarettes.

Tawhid Wal Jihad in West Africa (TWJWA), also known as the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), was founded in late 2011 as an offshoot of AQIM and has coordinated terrorist attacks across North and West Africa. Since the French-led intervention in Mali began in mid-January 2013, TWJWA has conducted

a majority of the attacks targeting French
and African forces in the vicinity of Gao and Kidal, using suicide bombings, vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, and landmines.

http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2013/224823.htm

2015 May

Mokhtar Belmokhtar

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Belaouer the One Eyed, Abou al-Abbes, Mister Marlboro

DATE OF BIRTH: 1 June 1972

PLACE OF BIRTH: Ghardaia, Algeria

COMPLEXION: Medium

HAIR: Black

SCARS/DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:

Blind in one eye

WANTED

Mokhtar Belmokhtar is the leader and the founder of the Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade (also known as the Those Who Sign With Blood Battalion). Under Belmokhtar’s command, the Brigade, which is part of his al-Mulathamun Battalion, conducted a deadly attack in January 2013 on a gas facility in I-n-Amenas, Algeria. At least 37 hostages—including American citizens Frederick Buttacio, Victor Lynn Lovelady, and Gordon Lee Rowan—were killed in the four-day siege of the complex.

Prior to his founding of the Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade, Belmokhtar was a senior commander in the terrorist group Al-Qa‘ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

In this position, Belmokhtar conducted numerous kidnapping operations against Westerners, acquired weapons for use in terrorist attacks, and was involved

in various negotiations for hostages taken by AQIM. Belmokhtar, a former Algerian soldier, was trained in camps in Afghanistan.

In June 2004, a tribunal in Algeria sentenced Belmokhtar in absentia to life in prison
for forming terrorist groups, robbery, and use of illegal weapons. In March 2007, an Algerian court sentenced Belmokhtar to death in absentia. The US Department of Treasury designated Belmokhtar pursuant to Executive Order 13224 on

24 October 2003; and on 11 November 2003, the United Nations listed Belmokhtar pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2 of Resolution 1390 (2002).

REWARD

Up to $5 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

46

2015 May

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 47

Hamad el Khairy

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Abderrahmane Ould Mohamed Lemin Ould Mohamed Khairy, Amada Ould Kheirou, Hamada Ould Mohamed Kheirou, Abou Qumqum

DATE OF BIRTH: 1970
PLACE OF BIRTH: Mauritania CITIZENSHIP: Malian

WANTED

Hamad el Khairy is the leader and a founding member of
the terrorist group Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJWA, also known
as MUJAO and TWJWA). Under Khairy’s leadership, MUJWA members have
carried out kidnapping operations, terrorist attacks, and abductions of foreign diplomats. Khairy has claimed responsibility for the April 2012 kidnapping of seven Algerian diplomats in Mali, and has appeared in MUJWA videos making threats against those who oppose the organization. In January 2012, Khairy stated that MUJWA’s goal was to “impose sharia law across the whole of West Africa.”

Prior to his leadership role in MUJWA, Khairy was a member of AQIM, planning terrorist operations against Mauritania. In October 2011, Khairy ordered the kidnapping of three European aid workers in Algeria, leaving two wounded by gunfire. Khairy was designated a terrorist pursuant to Executive Order 13224 on 7 December 2012.

MUJWA was created in September 2011 as an offshoot of AQIM to further spread terrorist activities throughout West Africa. MUJWA has conducted various attacks
and kidnappings, including
a March 2012 suicide attack
in Tamanrasset, Algeria,
which wounded 23 people. The United States designated MUJWA as a Specially

Designated Global Terrorist entity on 7 December 2012, and the UN Al-Qa‘ida Sanctions Committee listed MUJWA on
5 December 2012 for being associated with AQIM.

REWARD

Up to $5 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

48

2015 May

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 49

Ahmed el Tilemsi

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Abderrahmane Ouid
Ameur, Ahmed Telemsi, Abderrahmane Ould el Amar, Abderrahmane Toudji

DATE OF BIRTH: 1977 PLACE OF BIRTH: Mali CITIZENSHIP: Malian

WANTED

Ahmed el Tilemsi is a founding member and military head of the terrorist group Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJWA, also known

as MUJAO and TWJWA).
Prior to his leadership role
in MUJWA, Tilemsi was a member of Al-Qa‘ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), where he played a role in the January 2011 kidnapping of two French nationals in Niamey, Niger. In October 2011, Tilemsi participated in the kidnapping of three aid workers in Algeria, which

left two wounded by gunfire. Tilemsi was designated
a terrorist pursuant to Executive Order 13224 on 7 December 2012.

MUJWA was created in September 2011 as an offshoot of AQIM to further spread terrorist activities throughout West Africa. MUJWA has conducted various attacks
and kidnappings, including
a March 2012 suicide attack
in Tamanrasset, Algeria,
which wounded 23 people.
The United States designated MUJWA as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity on 7 December 2012, and the UN Al-Qa‘ida Sanctions Committee listed MUJWA on
5 December 2012 for being associated with AQIM.

REWARD

Up to $5 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

50

2015 May/June

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 51

Al-Shabaab

The Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahidin—commonly known as al-Shabaab—was the militant wing of the Somali Council of Islamic Courts that took over most of southern Somalia in the second half of 2006. Despite the group’s defeat by Somali and Ethiopian forces in 2007, al-Shabaab—a clan-based insurgent and terrorist group—has continued its violent insurgency in southern

and central Somalia. The group has exerted temporary and, at times, sustained control over strategic locations in those areas by recruiting, sometimes forcibly, regional sub-clans and their militias, using guerrilla warfare and terrorist tactics against the Somali Federal Government (SFG), African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) peacekeepers, and nongovernmental aid organizations. As of 2013, however, pressure from AMISOM and Ethiopian forces had largely degraded al-Shabaab’s control, especially in Mogadishu but also in other key regions of the country, and conflict among senior leaders

has exacerbated fractures within the group. In 2013 al-Shabaab rivalries culminated in a major purge of opponents of deceased group leader Ahmed Abdi Aw-Mohamed.

Al-Shabaab is not centralized or monolithic in its agenda or goals. Its rank-and-file members come from disparate clans, and the group is susceptible to clan politics, internal divisions,

52

and shifting alliances. Most of its fighters are predominantly interested in the nationalistic battle against the SFG and not supportive of global jihad. Al-Shabaab’s senior leaders are affiliated with al-Qa‘ida and are believed to have trained and fought in Afghanistan. The merger of the two groups was publicly announced in February 2012 by the amir of al-Shabaab and Ayman al-Zawahiri, leader of al-Qa‘ida.

Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for many bombings—including various types of suicide attacks—in Mogadishu and in central and northern Somalia, typically targeting Somali government officials, AMISOM, and perceived allies of the SFG. Since 2013 al-Shabaab has launched high-profile operations in neighboring countries, most notably the September 2013 Westgate Mall attack in Nairobi and the May 2014 attack against a restaurant in Djibouti popular with Westerners. The Westgate attack killed 67 Kenyan and non-Kenyan nationals, and a siege continued at the mall for several days.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the twin suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, on 11 July 2010 that killed more than 70 people, as well as a June 2013 attack in Mogadishu on

a United Nations compound, which killed 22 people. A February 2014 al-Shabaab attack on Somalia’s presidential palace, Villa Somalia, involved a car bomb and armed assailants
and killed 12 people, nine of them militants. In June 2014, an attack and siege in Mpeketoni, Kenya, killed nearly 50 tourists; although there was no claim of responsibility, al-Shabaab was widely believed responsible. There were other high-profile attacks in 2014 either ascribed to or claimed by al-Shabaab.

In 2008, the US Government designated al-Shabaab as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (as amended) and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity under Section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224 (as amended). In 2012, the United States offered rewards for the capture of several al-Shabaab leaders.

http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2013/224829.htm

2015 June

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 53

Zakariya Ismail Ahmed Hersi

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Zakariye Ismail Ahmed Hirsi, Zaki Madobe, Ahmed Diriye

WANTED

Zakariya Ismail Ahmed Hersi is al-Shabaab’s chief of intelligence.

Al-Shabaab was the militant wing of the Somali Council of Islamic Courts that took over most of southern Somalia

in the second half of 2006. Al-Shabaab has continued
its violent insurgency in southern and central Somalia. The group has claimed responsibility for many bombings—including various types of suicide attacks—in Mogadishu and in central and northern Somalia, typically targeting Somali Government officials and perceived

allies of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG)
of Somalia. Al-Shabaab was likely responsible for a wave
of five coordinated suicide car bombings in October 2008 that simultaneously hit targets in two cities in northern Somalia, killing at least 26 people and injuring 29 others. Al-Shabaab was responsible for the twin suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, on 11 July 2010, which killed more than 70 people, including one American.
The group is responsible for the assassination of Somali peace activists, international aid workers, numerous civil society figures, and journalists. In February 2012, al-Shabaab and Al-Qa‘ida announced their formal alliance.

The US Department of State named al-Shabaab a Foreign Terrorist Organization
under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality

Act (as amended) on 26 February 2008, and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity under Executive Order 13224 on 29 February 2008.

REWARD

Up to $3 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

54

2015 June

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 55

Mukhtar Robow

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Mukhtar Ali Rubu, Mukhtar Abdullahi Ali, Mujahid Mukhtar Robow Ali, Shaykh Mukhtar Robo Ali, Abu Mansur, Abu Mansour

DATE OF BIRTH: 1969 (possibly 10 October)

PLACE OF BIRTH: Xudur or Keren, Somalia

HAIR: Black
EYES: Brown COMPLEXION: Dark

NATIONALITY: Somali; also posseses Eritrean passport under alias Mukhtar Abdullahi Ali

WANTED

Mukhtar Robow has served as the spokesperson for Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahidin (al-Shabaab), communicating to the press and public on its behalf. He has also served as al-Shabaab’s spiritual leader and as its military commander in parts of Southern Somalia. As an al-Shabaab military commander, Robow has targeted Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG), Ethiopian, and African Union troops in Somalia. In December 2007, al-Shaabab forces under Robow’s command attacked bases of Somali government forces, Ethiopian forces, and African Union peacekeepers

in Mogadishu. In addition, Robow and former al-Shabaab leader Aden Hashi Ayrow (deceased) were responsible for the November 2006
suicide attack against a TFG checkpoint in Baidoa, Somalia. The attack killed at least
eight and wounded four. On 20 November 2008, the US Department of the Treasury designated Robow under Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.

Al-Shabaab was the militant wing of the Somali Council of Islamic Courts that took over most of southern Somalia

in the second half of 2006. The group has claimed responsibility for many bombings—including various types of suicide attacks—in Mogadishu and in central and northern Somalia, typically

targeting Somali Government officials and perceived
allies of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG)

of Somalia. Al-Shabaab was responsible for the twin suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, on 11 July 2010, which killed more than 70 people, including one American.

The group is responsible for the assassination of Somali peace activists, international aid workers, numerous civil society figures, and journalists.

The US Department of State named al-Shabaab a Foreign Terrorist Organization
under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (as amended) on 26 February 2008, and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity under Executive Order 13224 on 29 February 2008.

REWARD

Up to $5 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

56

2015 June

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 57

Fuad Mohamed Khalaf

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Fuad Muhammad Khalaf Shongole, Fouad Shongale, Fuad Songale, Fuad Shangole, Fuad Shongole, Fuad Shongale, Fuad Khalaf, Fuad Mohammed Khalif, Fuad Mohamed Kalaf, Fuad Mohammed Khalaf, Fuad Mohamed Qalaf, Fuad Mohamed Khalif

HAIR: Black
EYES: Brown
COMPLEXION: Medium
NATIONALITY: Somali; Swedish LOCATION: Mogadishu, Somalia

WANTED

Fuad Mohamed Khalaf (Fuad Shongale) has facilitated financial support to al-Shabaab; in May 2008, he held two fundraising events for al-Shabaab at mosques in Kismaayo, Somalia. In April 2008, Khalaf and several
other individuals directed vehicle-borne explosive device attacks on Ethiopian bases and Transitional Federal Government (TFG) elements
in Mogadishu, Somalia. In May 2008, Khalaf and a group of fighters attacked and captured a police station in Mogadishu, killing and wounding several soldiers. In April 2010, Khalaf was designated by the US Department of the Treasury under Executive Order 13536 for contributing to the violence and the deterioration of security in Somalia.

Al-Shabaab was the militant wing of the Somali Council of Islamic Courts that took over most of southern Somalia

in the second half of 2006. Al-Shabaab has continued its violent insurgency in southern and central Somalia. The group has claimed responsibility for many bombings—including various types of suicide attacks—in Mogadishu and in central and northern Somalia, typically targeting Somali Government officials and perceived allies of the TFG

of Somalia. Al-Shabaab was likely responsible for a wave
of five coordinated suicide car bombings in October 2008 that simultaneously hit targets in two cities in northern Somalia,

killing at least 26 people and injuring 29 others. Al-Shabaab was responsible for the twin suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, on 11 July 2010, which killed more than 70 people, including one American.

The group is responsible for the assassination of Somali peace activists, international aid workers, numerous civil society figures, and journalists. In February 2012, al-Shabaab and Al-Qa‘ida announced their formal alliance.

REWARD

Up to $5 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

58

2015 June/July

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 59

Bashir Mohamed Mahamoud

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Bashir Mohamed Mahmoud, Bashir Mahmud Mohammed, Bashir Mohamed Mohamud, Bashir Mohamed Mohamoud, Bashir Yare, Bashir Qorgab, Gure Gap, Abu Muscab, Qorgab

DATE OF BIRTH: 1982
PLACE OF BIRTH: Somalia HAIR: Black
EYES: Brown COMPLEXION: Dark WEIGHT: 150 lbs (68 kg) NATIONALITY: Somali

WANTED

Bashir Mohamed Mahamoud is a military commander
of Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahidin (al-Shabaab). As of late 2008, he was also one of approximately 10 members on al-Shabaab’s leadership council. Mahamoud and an associate were in charge of the 10 June 2009 mortar attack against the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG)

in Mogadishu. Additionally,
as of 2007, he coordinated Al-Qa‘ida activity in Somalia. In April 2010, Mahamoud
was designated by the US Department of the Treasury under Executive Order 13536 for contributing to the violence and the deterioration of security in Somalia.

Al-Shabaab was the militant wing of the Somali Council of Islamic Courts that took over most of southern Somalia

in the second half of 2006. Al-Shabaab has continued its violent insurgency in southern and central Somalia. The group has claimed responsibility for many bombings—including various types of suicide attacks—in Mogadishu and in central and northern Somalia, typically targeting Somali Government officials and perceived allies of the TFG

of Somalia. Al-Shabaab was likely responsible for a wave
of five coordinated suicide car bombings in October 2008 that simultaneously hit targets in two cities in northern Somalia, killing at least 26 people and injuring 29 others. Al-Shabaab was responsible for the twin

suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, on 11 July 2010, which killed more than 70 people, including one American.

The group is responsible for the assassination of Somali peace activists, international aid workers, numerous civil society figures, and journalists. In February 2012, al-Shabaab and Al-Qa‘ida announced their formal alliance.

The US Department of State named al-Shabaab a Foreign Terrorist Organization
under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (as amended) on 26 February 2008, and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity under Executive Order 13224 on 29 February 2008.

REWARD

Up to $5 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

60

2015 July

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 61

Jehad Serwan Mostafa

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Emir Anwar, Ahmed Gurey, Anwar al-Amriki, Abu Abdullah al-Muhajir, “Ahmed” (moniker), “Anwar” (moniker)

DATE OF BIRTH: 28 December 1981 PLACE OF BIRTH: Waukesha,

Wisconsin

HEIGHT: 6’1” (185 cm)

WEIGHT: 170 lbs (77 kg)

BUILD: Tall, thin

HAIR: Brown

EYES: Blue

COMPLEXION: Light

CITIZENSHIP: American

LANGUAGES: Arabic, Somali, English

SPECIAL IDENTIFIERS: Mostafa is left-handed. He wears a full beard and glasses. He has a large scar on his right hand and a small scar on the top of his left index finger.

WANTED

Jehad Serwan Mostafa, also known as Ahmed Gurey, Anwar al-Amriki, or Emir Anwar, is
a United States citizen and former resident of California who lived in San Diego before moving to Somalia in 2005.

He has performed various functions for al-Shabaab, including acting as a training camp instructor and a leader of foreign fighters. He is also skilled in the group’s media activities. He may have or is likely to visit the following areas: Somalia, Yemen, Ethiopia, Kenya, and other African countries.

Mostafa is on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list, and
is sought by the FBI for his alleged terrorist activities. Mostafa has been charged with the following crimes: conspiracy to provide
material support to terrorists; conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization; and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

Al-Shabaab was the militant wing of the Somali Council of Islamic Courts that took over most of southern Somalia

in the second half of 2006. The group has claimed responsibility for many bombings—including various types of suicide attacks—in Mogadishu and in central and northern Somalia, typically targeting Somali Government officials and perceived

allies of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG)

of Somalia. Al-Shabaab was likely responsible for a wave
of five coordinated suicide car bombings in October 2008 that simultaneously hit targets in two cities in northern Somalia, killing at least 26 people and injuring 29 others. Al-Shabaab was responsible for the twin suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, on 11 July 2010, which killed more than 70 people, including one American.

The group is responsible for the assassination of Somali peace activists, international aid workers, numerous civil society figures, and journalists.

The US Department of State named al-Shabaab a Foreign Terrorist Organization
under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (as amended) on 26 February 2008, and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity under Executive Order 13224 on 29 February 2008.

REWARD

Up to $5 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

62

2015 July

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 63

Ibrahim Haji Jama

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Ibrahim Hajj Jama, Ibrahim Haji Jama Mead, Ibrahim Haji Jama Mee’aad, Ibrahim Haji Jama Meecaad Afkhani, Abu-Zalma, and Abubakar al-Seyli’i

WANTED

Ibrahim Haji Jama is another founder of Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahidin and a senior leader in al-Shabaab. As widely reported, in May 2010, Jama headed al-Shabaab’s Jubba Valley administration from Kismayo. He spent several years fighting in Afghanistan, earning him the alias al-Afghani (the Afghan).

Al-Shabaab was the militant wing of the Somali Council of Islamic Courts that took over most of southern Somalia

in the second half of 2006. Al-Shabaab has continued
its violent insurgency in southern and central Somalia. The group has claimed responsibility for many bombings—including various types of suicide attacks—in Mogadishu and in central and northern Somalia, typically targeting Somali Government officials and perceived

allies of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG)
of Somalia. Al-Shabaab was likely responsible for a wave
of five coordinated suicide car bombings in October 2008 that simultaneously hit targets in two cities in northern Somalia, killing at least 26 people and injuring 29 others. Al-Shabaab was responsible for the twin suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, on 11 July 2010, which killed more than 70 people, including one American.
The group is responsible for the assassination of Somali peace activists, international aid workers, numerous civil society figures, and journalists.

In February 2012, al-Shabaab and Al-Qa‘ida announced their formal alliance.

The US Department of State named al-Shabaab a Foreign Terrorist Organization
under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (as amended) on 26 February 2008, and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity under Executive Order 13224 on 29 February 2008.

REWARD

Up to $5 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

64

2015 July

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 65

Yasin Kilwe

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Yasin Usman Kilwe, Yasin Khalid Osman, Yuma, Yaasiin Kilwe Cismaan, Yabo, Yasin Cisman Khaalid

DATE OF BIRTH: 1981
PLACE OF BIRTH: Dahar District,

Haylaan, Somalia

HEIGHT: 5’3” (160 cm)

WEIGHT: 154 lbs (70 kg)

CLAN: Darood/Dulbahante/ Warsengeli/Dubays/Hanif

WANTED

Yasin Kilwe is al-Shabaab’s amir for Puntland, in northern Somalia. As the leader of the Galgala Hills militia in the Golis Mountains, Kilwe pledged allegiance to al-Shabaab
and Al-Qa‘ida in a recorded statement publicized by an al-Shabaab-controlled radio station in late February 2012. Al-Shabaab amir Ahmed Abdi aw-Godane officially appointed Kilwe al-Shabaab’s leader
in the region. Kilwe is from
the Dubays clan, a subclan
of Warsangali. He has
been accused of planning attacks targeting Puntland security officials.

Al-Shabaab was the militant wing of the Somali Council of Islamic Courts that took over most of southern Somalia

in the second half of 2006. Al-Shabaab has continued
its violent insurgency in southern and central Somalia. The group has claimed responsibility for many bombings—including various types of suicide attacks—in Mogadishu and in central and northern Somalia, typically targeting Somali Government officials and perceived

allies of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG)
of Somalia. Al-Shabaab was likely responsible for a wave
of five coordinated suicide car bombings in October 2008 that simultaneously hit targets in two cities in northern Somalia, killing at least 26 people and injuring 29 others. Al-Shabaab was responsible for the twin suicide bombings in Kampala,

Uganda, on 11 July 2010, which killed more than 70 people, including one American.
The group is responsible for the assassination of Somali peace activists, international aid workers, numerous civil society figures, and journalists. In February 2012, al-Shabaab and Al-Qa‘ida announced their formal alliance.

The US Department of State named al-Shabaab a Foreign Terrorist Organization
under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (as amended) on 26 February 2008, and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity under Executive Order 13224 on 29 February 2008.

REWARD

Up to $3 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

66

2015 July/August

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 67

Abdikadir Mohamed Abdikadir

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Ikrima

DATE OF BIRTH: 1979

PLACE OF BIRTH: Kenya

WEIGHT: Between 110 and 121 lbs (50-55 kg)

SCARS/DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:

Missing three fingers on left hand

WANTED

Abdikadir Mohamed Abdikadir, also known as Ikrima, was born in Kenya in 1979. He is
an al-Shabaab facilitator and operational planner.

Al-Shabaab was the militant wing of the Somali Council of Islamic Courts that took over most of southern Somalia

in the second half of 2006. Al-Shabaab has continued
its violent insurgency in southern and central Somalia. The group has claimed responsibility for many bombings—including various types of suicide attacks—in Mogadishu and in central and northern Somalia, typically targeting Somali Government officials and perceived

allies of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG)
of Somalia. Al-Shabaab was likely responsible for a wave
of five coordinated suicide car bombings in October 2008 that simultaneously hit targets in two cities in northern Somalia, killing at least 26 people and injuring 29 others. Al-Shabaab was responsible for the twin suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, on 11 July 2010, which killed more than 70 people, including one American.
The group is responsible for the assassination of Somali peace activists, international aid workers, numerous civil society figures, and journalists. In February 2012, al-Shabaab and Al-Qa‘ida announced their formal alliance.

The US Department of State named al-Shabaab a Foreign

Terrorist Organization
under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (as amended) on 26 February 2008, and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity under Executive Order 13224 on 29 February 2008.

REWARD

Up to $3 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

68

2015 August

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 69

Abdullahi Yare

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Abdullahi Yarisow, Ubeyd, Mohamed Mowlid

PLACE OF BIRTH: Somalia HAIR: Black
EYES: Brown
RACE: Black

NATIONALITY: Somali

WANTED

Abdullahi Yare is the head of media for al-Shabaab. He also serves as deputy to Ahmed Abdi aw-Mohamed (Godane), the deceased founder and amir of al-Shabaab.

Al-Shabaab was the militant wing of the Somali Council of Islamic Courts that took over most of southern Somalia

in the second half of 2006. Al-Shabaab has continued
its violent insurgency in southern and central Somalia. The group has claimed responsibility for many bombings—including various types of suicide attacks—in Mogadishu and in central and northern Somalia, typically targeting Somali Government officials and perceived

allies of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG)
of Somalia. Al-Shabaab was likely responsible for a wave
of five coordinated suicide car bombings in October 2008 that simultaneously hit targets in two cities in northern Somalia, killing at least 26 people and injuring 29 others. Al-Shabaab was responsible for the twin suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, on 11 July 2010, which killed more than 70 people, including one American.
The group is responsible for the assassination of Somali peace activists, international aid workers, numerous civil society figures, and journalists. In February 2012, al-Shabaab and Al-Qa‘ida announced their formal alliance.

The US Department of State named al-Shabaab a Foreign Terrorist Organization
under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (as amended) on 26 February 2008, and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity under Executive Order 13224 on 29 February 2008.

REWARD

Up to $3 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

70

2015 August

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 71

Boko Haram

Boko Haram, which refers to itself as “Jama‘atu Ahl as-Sunnah li-Da‘awati wal-Jihad” (JASDJ; Group of the Sunni People for the Calling
and Jihad) and “Nigerian Taliban”—other translations and variants are used—is a Nigeria-based group that seeks to overthrow the current Nigerian Government and replace it with a regime based on Islamic law. It is popularly known in Nigerian and Western media as “Boko Haram,” which means “Western education is forbidden” (the word boko is a holdover from the colonial English word for book). The group, which has existed in various forms since the

late 1990s, suffered setbacks in July 2009 when clashes with Nigerian Government forces led to the deaths of hundreds of its members, including former leader Muhammad Yusuf.

In July 2010, Boko Haram’s former second-in-command, Abubakar Shekau, appeared in a video claiming leadership of
the group and threatening attacks on Western influences in Nigeria. Later that month,
Shekau issued a second statement expressing solidarity with al-Qa‘ida and threatening the United States. Under Shekau’s leadership, the group has continued to demonstrate growing operational capabilities, with an increasing use of improvised explosive device (IED) attacks

against soft targets. The group set off its first vehicle-borne IED in June 2011. On 26 August 2011, Boko Haram conducted its first attack against a Western interest—a vehicle-bomb attack on UN headquarters in Abuja—killing at least 23 people and injuring more than

80. A purported Boko Haram spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack and promised future targeting of US and Nigerian Government interests.

Boko Haram’s capability has increased in 2014, with the group conducting near-daily attacks against a wide range of targets, including Christians, Nigerian security and police forces, the media, schools, politicians, and Muslims perceived as collaborators. Boko Haram continues to expand its activity into neighboring countries and has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of 11 Westerners in Cameroon since early 2013, raising the group’s international profile and emphasizing the growing threat it poses to Western and regional interests.

Boko Haram’s unprecedented levels of violence—including the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls in Borno State, Nigeria, in April 2014—have brought international condemnation as well as collaboration on security initiatives
by the United States, United Kingdom, France, African partners, and others as Nigerian and other regional security forces continue to try to oust the group from northeastern Nigeria and its safe havens throughout the area.

The US State Department designated Boko Haram a Foreign Terrorist Organization in November 2013.

http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2013/224829.htm

72

2015 August

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 73

Abubakar Shekau

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Abu Bakr Skikwa, Imam Abu Bakr Shiku, Abu Muhammad Abu Bakr Bin Muhammad Al Shakwi Al Muslimi Bishku, Abubakar Shakkau

DATES OF BIRTH USED: 1965, 1969, 1975

PLACE OF BIRTH: Yobe, Nigeria HEIGHT: Tall
BUILD: Slim
COMPLEXION: Dark

ETHNICITY: Kanuri
LANGUAGES: Arabic, Hausa, Fulani,

Kanuri

WANTED

Abubakar Shekau is the leader of Jama’atu Ahl as-Sunnah li-Da’awati wal-Jihad, more commonly known as Boko Haram. Boko Haram, which means “Western education is forbidden,” is a Nigeria-based terrorist organization that seeks to overthrow the current Nigerian government and replace it with a regime based on Islamic law. The group

has existed in various forms since the late 1990s. There are reported communications, training, and weapons

links between Boko Haram, Al-Qa‘ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), al-Shabaab, and Al-Qa‘ida in the Arabian Peninsula, which may strengthen Boko Haram’s capacity to conduct terrorist attacks.

Shekau was previously the group’s second-in-command. In July 2010, Shekau publicly claimed leadership of Boko Haram and threatened to attack Western interests in Nigeria. Later that month, Shekau issued a second statement expressing solidarity with Al-Qa‘ida and threatening the United States. Under Shekau’s leadership, Boko Haram’s operational capabilities have grown.

The group set off its first vehicle-borne improvised explosive device in June 2011, and has increasingly utilized IEDs in attacks against soft targets. Boko Haram’s 26 August 2011 vehicle-bomb attack on the

United Nations headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, marked the group’s first lethal operation against Western interests. At least 23 people were killed and 80 more were injured

in the attack. A purported Boko Haram spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack and promised future targeting of US and Nigerian government interests.

On 1 May 2012, less than one week after the group bombed a Nigerian newspaper building in Abuja, Boko Haram issued
a video statement threatening more attacks against local and international news outlets, including the Voice of America and Sahara Reporters, a New York-based media service.

On 21 June 2012, the
US Department of State designated Shekau a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224.

REWARD

Up to $7 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

74

2015 August

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 75

Khalid al-Barnawi

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Khaled Barnawi, Khaled al-Barnawi, Khaled el-Barnaoui, Abu Hafsat, Mohammed Usman, Muhammad Usman

DATE OF BIRTH: 1976
PLACE OF BIRTH: Maiduguri, Borno

State, Nigeria

WANTED

Khalid al-Barnawi, also known as Mohammed Usman, was reportedly a high-ranking member of Boko Haram. He has been reported to be a leader of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis-Sudan, a Nigeria-based terrorist group more commonly known as Ansaru. The Department

of State designated Khalid al-Barnawi a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224 on 21 June 2012.

Ansaru emerged as a faction of Boko Haram and announced its formation in early 2012. The group seeks to establish an Islamic caliphate in
Nigeria. Ansaru has close
ties to Al-Qa‘ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb
(AQIM) and has sought to target Westerners, including Americans. The United States designated Ansaru a Foreign Terrorist Organization on 13 November 2013.

Al-Barnawi and Ansaru have committed multiple acts of terrorism against civilians and Nigerian government officials. Al-Barnawi reportedly helped plan the May 2011 kidnapping from Kebbi State of a British and an Italian engineer, who remained hostages until

they were killed in March 2012. On 26 November 2012, Ansaru members raided a police station in Abuja, killing Nigerian police officers and freeing detained terrorists from prison. Ansaru also claimed responsibility for the

19 December 2012 kidnapping of a French engineer in northwestern Nigeria, and the 16 February 2013 kidnapping and subsequent execution of seven construction workers from Britain, Greece, Lebanon, and Italy.

REWARD

Up to $5 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

76

2015 August/September

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 77

Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)

Joseph Kony

The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) is a Ugandan rebel group currently operating in the
border region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Central African Republic (CAR), and South Sudan. Joseph Kony established the LRA in 1988 with the claim of restoring

Acholi troops subsequently formed a less extreme Holy Spirit movement to counter the Ugandan government. However, following their defeat in 1988, a more violent movement—the LRA—emerged under Kony. LRA soldiers quickly gained a reputation for murder, torture, rape, and mutilations aimed primarily at Acholi communities, as well as abducting tens of thousands of children over the years to use as sex slaves and child soldiers.

In 2002 Uganda launched “Operation Iron Fist” to defeat the insurgency in northern Uganda, but this only increased attacks and caused a dramatic increase in the number of internally displaced people. In 2005 and 2006, the LRA shifted forces to the DRC, during which time the rebellion took the form of a regional militia that terrorized populations in the DRC, CAR, Uganda, and what is now South Sudan.

In 2008, following Kony’s refusal to sign a negotiated peace agreement, Ugandan, DRC, and southern Sudanese armies launched a joint military offensive, “Operation Lightning Thunder,” against the LRA in northeastern Congo. The operation succeeded in cutting
off supplies and destroying some of the main camps but ultimately failed to capture or kill LRA leaders. As a result, the LRA broke up into smaller, more mobile groups and spread out in the border region, making them even more difficult to locate.

In May 2010 the US Congress passed the “Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act,” which follows the US State Department inclusion of the LRA on the Terrorist Exclusion List in 2001 and designation of Joseph Kony as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13324

in 2008. In October 2011 the United States sent
a force of 100 soldiers—in an advisory role—to regional militaries aimed at removing Kony from the battlefield. In March 2014 the United States announced it was sending additional soldiers and military aircraft to increase its support to the hunt for Kony.

http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2013/224820.htm

the honor of his ethnic Acholi people and to install a government based on his personal version of the Ten Commandments. Kony claims to channel various spirits who direct him to oust Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni; however, under Kony’s leadership, LRA soldiers conduct violence for the sake of violence, primarily against civilians, rather than fighting to advance a political agenda. Since 2005, the LRA is believed to have committed hundreds of attacks resulting in well over 5,000 deaths and considerably more wounded and kidnapped.

The LRA has its roots in the conflict between the Acholi tribe of northern Uganda and other tribes in southern Uganda that began during Idi Amin Dada’s regime (1971-1979). Power changed hands between two equally ruthless Acholi leaders after Idi Amin was overthrown, but the Acholi were forced to flee back to the north when Museveni seized power in 1986. Alienated

78

2015 September

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 79

Ansar al-Sharia

Al-Zahawi publicly rejects any association between AAS and al-Qa‘ida.

Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia (AAS-T) was blamed for inciting the storming of the US Embassy in Tunis on 14 September 2012, and has since been designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. AAS-T remains intent on conducting attacks against Western interests in spite of increasing Tunisian security capability and counterterrorism operations. AAS-T attempted suicide attacks against two tourist sites in October 2013 and in 2014 probably

has been plotting against Jewish targets and Western diplomatic missions in Tunisia.

http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2013/224823.htm

Ansar al-Sharia groups in Libya emerged following the 2011 Libyan revolution. Their goal is to establish sharia and to remove US and Western influence from Libya. Ansar al-Sharia has nodes in Libyan cities that work with

regional extremist groups to train, conduct attacks, and amass weapons. The term Ansar al-Sharia means “Partisans of Islamic Law.”

Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi (AAS-B) and in Darnah (AAS-D) were most likely involved
in the 11 September 2012 attacks against US facilities in Benghazi that resulted in the death of J. Christopher Stevens, the US Ambassador to Libya, and three other US citizens. The United States designated AAS-B and AAS-D as Foreign Terrorist Organizations in January 2014. The groups are also suspected of involvement in attacks and kidnappings targeting foreigners, including the assassination of an American teacher in Benghazi in December 2013.

Muhammad al-Zahawi is widely recognized as AAS’s amir and spiritual leader. He stated in a December 2013 news interview that the group continued to reject any form of government other than sharia and that the government should consult the Qur‘an on all matters.

80

2015 September

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 81

Abdelbasit Alhaj Alhassan Haj Hamad

DATES OF BIRTH USED: 1 January 1979; 1983

PLACE OF BIRTH: Sudan
HAIR: Black
EYES: Dark Brown
RACE: Black
NATIONALITY: Sudan LANGUAGES: English, Arabic

WANTED

On 1 January 2008, US citizen and US Agency for International Development (USAID) employee John Granville and his Sudanese driver, Abdelrahman Abbas Rahama, were shot and killed on their way home from a New Year’s Eve celebration in Khartoum, Sudan. Granville, 33, had been working on democracy and governance programs in Sudan. Abbas, 39, joined USAID in 2004

as a member of its Disaster Assistance Response Team for Darfur. Two groups separately claimed responsibility for

the attack: Ansar al-Tawhid (Supporters of Monotheism) and Al-Qa‘ida in the Lands of the Two Niles (AQTN).

The Sudanese legal system tried and convicted five men for their involvement in the murders. Abdelraouf Abu Zaid Mohamed Hamza, Mohamed Makawi Ibrahim Mohamed, Abdelbasit Alhaj Alhassan

Haj Hamad, and Mohanad Osman Yousif Mohamed were sentenced to death by hanging, but escaped from prison one year after their conviction. Mohanad reportedly died
in Somalia in May 2011. Abdelraouf was recaptured by Sudanese authorities. Makawi and Abdelbasit remain at large.

Abdelbasit was the second shooter in the murders. He escaped from Khobar Prison in Khartoum on 11 June 2010, and is currently in Somalia.

REWARD

Up to $5 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

82

2015 September

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 83

Mohamed Makawi Ibrahim Mohamed

ALIASES/NAME VARIANTS:

Muhammad Makkawi Ibrahim Muhammad

DATE OF BIRTH: 1 January 1984 PLACE OF BIRTH: Sudan
RACE: Black
HAIR: Black

EYES: Dark Brown NATIONALITY: Sudan LANGUAGES: English, Arabic

WANTED

On 1 January 2008, US citizen and US Agency for International Development (USAID) employee John Granville and his Sudanese driver, Abdelrahman Abbas Rahama, were shot and killed on their way home from a New Year’s Eve celebration in Khartoum, Sudan. Granville, 33, had been working on democracy and governance programs in Sudan. Abbas, 39, joined USAID in 2004

as a member of its Disaster Assistance Response Team for Darfur. Two groups separately claimed responsibility for

the attack: Ansar al-Tawhid (Supporters of Monotheism) and Al-Qa‘ida in the Lands of the Two Niles (AQTN).

The Sudanese legal system tried and convicted five men for their involvement in the murders. Abdelraouf Abu Zaid Mohamed Hamza, Mohamed Makawi Ibrahim Mohamed, Abdelbasit Alhaj Alhassan

Haj Hamad, and Mohanad Osman Yousif Mohamed were sentenced to death by hanging, but escaped from prison one year after their conviction. Mohanad reportedly died
in Somalia in May 2011. Abdelraouf was recaptured by Sudanese authorities. Makawi and Abdelbasit remain at large.

Makawi had ties to a group
in Sudan called Al-Qa‘ida in the Lands of the Two Niles, which plotted to attack US, other Western, and Sudanese interests. He was the leader of the group that carried out the

attack on 1 January 2008, and was identified as one of two shooters in the murders. After escaping from Khobar Prison in Khartoum on 11 June 2010, Makawi went to Somalia.

REWARD

Up to $5 Million Reward

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office if you are in the United States, or the nearest US Embassy

or Consulate.

If you prefer to use e-mail, send your information to info@rewardsforjustice.net.

If you prefer to use the telephone, please call 1-800-US REWARD (1-800-877-3927).

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net

84

2015 September/October

2015 Counterterrorism Calendar | http://www.nctc.gov 85

Hizballah

Formed in 1982 in response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, Hizballah (the “Party of God”), a Lebanon-based Shia terrorist group, advocates Shia empowerment globally. Hizballah has been involved in numerous anti-US terrorist attacks, including the suicide truck bombings of the US Embassy in Beirut in April 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut in October 1983, and the US Embassy annex in Beirut in September 1984, as well as the hijacking of TWA 847 in 1985 and the Khobar Towers attack in Saudi Arabia in 1996.

Hizballah has participated in the Lebanese Government since 1992. With the 2004 passage of UN Security Council Resolution 1559, which called for the disarmament of all armed militias in Lebanon, Hizballah has focused on justifying its retention of arms by casting itself as the defender of Lebanon against Israeli aggression. On 12 July 2006, Hizballah kidnapped two
Israeli soldiers, sparking the 2006 war in
which Hizballah claimed victory by virtue of its survival. It has since sought to use the conflict to justify its need to retain its arms as a Lebanese resistance force. In May 2008, Hizballah militants seized parts of Beirut. In negotiations to end
the violence, Hizballah gained veto power in
the government and retained its arms and secure communications.