(Amru al-Absi, a non-moderate member of the Syrian opposition).
Here is some news you can use, as opposed to the usual recipe and hysteria update. I offer this in the context of Secretary Kerry’s remarks about combating the cheerful fellows who have established what they call the Islamic Caliphate in the lands that used to be Syria and Iraq:
“Let’s start by explaining what this fight is not. It is not a clash of civilizations….”
That was news right there. I confess to have been confused on that point, and appreciate the clarification. The Secretary went on to demonstrate his grasp of Islamic theology, saying that “Muslim scholars are outraged about the Islamic State’s brutality and perversion of Islam, calling its savagery deviant and heretical. Sunni and Shiite alike have joined forces against this outrage.”
Meanwhile, his staff at Main State was busy while Mr. Kerry was explaining what this isn’t. I was leafing through the Media Note I got from the Spokesperson at Foggy Bottom here in Washington. It is part of the effort to counter the threats posed by foreign terrorist fighters, I think, and State has newly designated ten individuals and two groups as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which imposes sanctions and penalties on terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.
There is a more comprehensive list some place- I fell asleep over my copy of the EO last night poking around looking for the one with IS, Boko Haram al-Qa`ida, Jabhat al-Nusra, and theTaliban. I had hoped to find reference to the non-terrorist but feircely fundamentalist sects of Wahhabis, Deobandis and Salafis–all of whom view the world through a simplistic but legitimately Islamic lens of Dar al-Islam versus Dar al-harb: or, the “house of Islam” and the “house of war.”
We reside in the latter, as you know.
I could only find the logos for the two groups- and looking for reliably-sourced pictures of the individuals led down too many rabbit holes and if I mis-identified someone and you saw them- say on the New York or London subways- it might lead to something unfortunate. So I will set that aside for the moment and allow our Department of Homeland Security to deal with them in their usual efficient manner.
You will note in the list there is no mention of the Khorasan Group, which was an imminent threat to the Homeland, according to Secretary Kerry and worthy of a couple dozen Tomahawk missiles fired from Navy ships in the Red Sea and Northern Arabian Gulf. Well done, Arliegh Burke and Philippine Sea!
As a result of the designations, all property subject to U.S. jurisdiction in which these individuals or groups have any interest is blocked and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with them or to their benefit. I can’t imagine that you would, but it is useful to have a quick reference list handy.
Formed in February 2013, Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar (JAMWA) is a Chechen-led terrorist organization based in Syria that consists primarily of foreign fighters. Cooperating with other violent extremist organizations in Syria, including al-Nusrah Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), JAMWA has launched deadly assaults against civilian communities, and kidnapped civilians and other foreigners in Syria.
Formed in August 2013, Harakat Sham al-Islam (HSI) is a Moroccan-led terrorist organization operating in Syria principally composed of foreign fighters with a cool logo. HSI has carried out terrorist attacks and engaged in kidnappings against civilians with other violent extremist organizations in Syria, including al-Nusrah Front.
Moving to the individual threats, State gives us Amru al-Absi, who may be the fellow in the picture at the top of this story. He was selected as ISIL’s provincial leader for Homs, Syria, in the Aleppo region in July of this year. As a principal leader of ISIL in Syria, he has been in charge of the kidnapping, ransom and grisly beheading department.
Salim Benghalem is a Syria-based French extremist and ISIL member, who carries out executions on behalf of the group. In 2007, Salim was convicted and sentenced to prison in France for a 2001 murder. Today, Benghalem is the subject of a European arrest warrant because of his activities on behalf of ISIL. I am not sure why he is at large and not sown into the body cavity of a hog, but that is a matter for the French authorities.
In May 2013, Mohammed Abdel-Halim Hemaida Saleh was arrested in Egypt by authorities for plotting to attack Western embassies in Cairo. Saleh is a member of al-Qa’ida and believes in conducting attacks against American and Israeli interests. As of mid-2013, Saleh had been recruiting suicide bombers to send to Syria and had been planning terrorist activities against unspecified targets in Europe. He will hopefully be the recipient of an AGM-114 Hellfire missile, fired by a female drone pilot. My understanding is that they hate that.
Lavdrim Muhaxheri is a Kosovar Albanian foreign fighter for ISIL who operates in both Syria and Iraq. Muhaxheri made international headlines in July 2014 after uploading to Facebook graphic photos of himself beheading a young man. The idea of jihadi selfies is compelling for them, and useful in target selection. Bon voyage, Lavfrim!
Murad Margoshvili is a well-known Chechen leader in Syria who built a terrorist training base in Syria near the Turkish border, where newly arrived foreign fighters received combat training. He is also the leader of Junud al-Sham, a militant group that fights alongside other extremist groups in Syria. He might have been a candidate for the moderate wing of the Syrian opposition, but as a Chechen, that was a step too far and State put him on the bad boys list.
Nusret Imamovic is a Bosnian terrorist leader operating in Syria. After his arrival, Imamovic actively supported violent extremism, and is now believed to be fighting with al-Nusrah Front. Not a moderate and candidate for US-supplied weapons, unless it is a single AGM-114.
Muhannad al-Najdi is a Syria-based al-Qa’ida facilitator of Saudi nationality. Prior to traveling to Syria in 2013, al-Najdi was involved in facilitation and operational planning in support of attacks in Afghanistan against ISAF forces. Since at least 2010, al-Najdi has also been involved in the development of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) for use in Afghanistan and Syria. We are inclined to help him test one of his own devices.
Abdessamad Fateh, also known as Abu Hamza, is a member of a Scandinavia-based network of extremists allegedly linked to al-Qa’ida, and has traveled to Syria. Swedish terrorists? It is a new world, isn’t it?
Abd al-Baset Azzouz has had a presence in Afghanistan, the United Kingdom, and Libya. He was sent to Libya in 2011 by al-Qa’ida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri to build a fighting force there, and mobilized approximately 200 fighters. He is considered a key operative capable of training al-Qa’ida recruits in a variety of skills, such as IED construction. This puts him in the sweet spot of the Khoransa Group, which may actually be a term of convenience for the old core al Qiada, which is well known to “be on the run.”
Maalim Salman was chosen by now-deceased al-Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi aw-Mohamed (aka Godane) to be the head of African foreign fighters for al-Shabaab in the Horn of Africa. He has trained foreign nationals who were seeking to join al-Shabaab as foreign fighters, and has been involved in operations in Africa targeting tourists, “entertainment establishments,” and churches. Maalim is the biggest threat to tourists in the region, and should not be included in any travel plans.
Additionally, the Department of State has nominated several previously-designated foreign terrorist fighters and related entities at the UN 1267/1989 al-Qa’ida Sanctions Committee, including Abdallah Azzam Brigades, Ansar al-Shari’a in Tunisia, Seifallah Ben Hassine, Ibrahim Suleiman Hamad Al-Hablain, Ahmed Abdullah Saleh al-Khazmari al-Zahrani, Azzam Abdullah Zureik Al-Maulid Al-Subhi, and Anders Cameroon Ostensvig Dale. Maalim Salman was also listed at the UN Somalia Sanctions Committee, a much-feared organization.
Wait, I think they are part of the solution, or something.
Despite what Mr. Kerry was at pains to point out- that this is not a “clash of civilizations,” and the Baptists or the Methodists might make the list sometime soon, these men all have something in common.
Can you guess what it is?
Copyright 2014 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com
Twitter: @jayare303