Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah
| Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah عبدالله أحمد عبدالله | |
|---|---|
|
Senior al-Qaeda suspect | |
| Born |
December 1963 (age 52) Egypt |
| Known for |
Being placed on the list of FBI Most Wanted Terrorists 1998 United States embassy bombings |
Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah (Arabic: عبدالله أحمد عبدالله; born about 1963), known as Abu Mohammed al-Masri, is an Egyptian leader in al-Qaeda who may be the fourth most senior member of the group after its leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, his deputy Abu Khayr al-Masri and Saif al-Adel. He is wanted[1][2] by the United States for his alleged role in the 1998 American embassy bombings in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya. He has been described as Al-Qaeda’s most experienced operational planner.
History
Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah was born in Egypt in 1963. According to Abdullah, he was once a professional soccer player for the Ghazl El-Mehalla team in Egypt.[3]
In 1992 he helped Saif al-Adel in providing intelligence and military training to those associated with Al Qaeda in Somalia and Sudan. It is sometimes claimed that his trainees were among the group who fought against the Americans during the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993.
According to United States indictment issued for his alleged role in the 1998 United States embassy bombings, Abdullah is a member of the 'majlis al-shura' of al-Qaeda. It is alleged that between 1996 and 1998 he operated training camps in Afghanistan for Al Qaeda. Abdullah was responsible for forging a passport for Mohammed Saddiq Odeh so he could get from Pakistan to Afghanistan and meet Osama bin Laden before the 1998 United States embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.[4]
Abdullah was one of the 22 original members, and is still a member, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation list of Most Wanted Terrorists. The State Department, through the Rewards for Justice Program, is offering up to US$5 million for information on the location of Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah.[5]
He fled Nairobi, Kenya on August 6, 1998 to Karachi, Pakistan. He was located in either Afghanistan or Pakistan.[6]
Arrest in Iran
Sometime later, he was detained in Iran and placed under arrest. An interrogation of former al-Qaeda spokesman Sulaiman Abu Ghaith confirmed that Abdullah was under house arrest in Iran.[7][8][9]
Release in Iran
He was released by Iran in March 2015 alongside al-Qaeda leaders Sayf al-Adl and Abu Khayr al-Masri.[10]
Syria
He is likely to now be in Syria with Jabhat al-Nusra alongside Sayf al-Adl and Abu Khayr al-Masri.
Family
He is married to the daughter of Ahmad Salama Mabruk, who he has three daughters with.[3]
References
- ↑ "Copy of indictment - USA v. Usama bin Laden et al." (PDF). Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Monterey Institute of International Studies.
- ↑ Wanted poster on AAA, Federal Bureau of Investigation, US Department of Justice
- 1 2 United States v. Usama bin Laden, Transcript of Day 8
- ↑ John J. Lumpkin. "Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah". Global security. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
- ↑ Wanted Poster on AAA Archived 26 November 2005 at the Wayback Machine., Rewards for Justice Program, US Department of State
- ↑ Washington Post, October 29, 2002, background on Abdullah and Saif al-Adel
- ↑ http://kronosadvisory.com/Kronos_US_v_Sulaiman_Abu_Ghayth_Statement.1.pdf
- ↑ Asia Times October 17, 2003, claim about Iran and Quds Force
- ↑ Liberia's Taylor gave aid to Qaeda, UN probe finds, Boston Globe, 4 August 2004 Archived 10 August 2008 at WebCite
- ↑ http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2015/257523.htm