Ahmad Abousamra
| Ahmad Abousamra | |
|---|---|
 Picture taken in 2004 | |
| Born |
Ahmad Abousamra September 19, 1981 Paris, France |
| Nationality | Syria, United States |
| Other names | Ahmad Abou-Samra, Abu Fadl, Ahmad Abou, Ahmad Abou Samira, Ahmad Samra, Ahmad Abu Samra, Ahmad Abou Samra |
| Education | University of Massachusetts Boston |
| Known for | FBI Most Wanted Terrorist |
Ahmad Abousamra (born 1981) is a person on the FBI Most Wanted Terrorists list for allegedly attempting to obtain military training in his trips to Yemen and Pakistan for the purpose of killing American soldiers overseas.
Biography
Early Life and Education
Ahmad Abousamra is a dual citizen who was born in France in 1981.[1] Abousamra's father, Abdul Badi Abousamra, was a prominent Boston endocrinologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Muslim activist.[2][3] He grew up in the Boston suburb of Stoughton. He attended Xaverian Brothers Catholic High School in Westwood up until his senior year when he transferred to Stoughton High and graduated in 1999.[1][4] In 2006, he graduated from the University of Massachusetts Boston with a Degree in Computer Science.[5]
Al-Qaeda
In 2004, he traveled to Iraq to join Al-Qaeda to fight U.S. soldiers. With his European language ability and computer skills, he was instead recruited to the groups 'media wing.' He returned to the U.S. in 2006 where he was questioned by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force.[6]
Indictment
He was indicted for his arrest on November 5, 2009. He is currently wanted by the FBI for conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists in connection with Al-Qaeda, conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, conspiracy, and false statements. As of 2014, he was believed to be living in Syria with his wife and at least one child, according to authorities who are offering a USD 50,000 reward for tips leading to his arrest.[7][8][9][10]
Abousamra was reported September 2014 to be running the social media operation for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (also known as ISIS and ISIL), a designated terrorist organization. That operation is reportedly helping to attract thousands of fighters to ISIS from across the world - including from the U.S., Britain and Canada.[11]
References
- 1 2 News, ABC. "Official: American May Be Key in ISIS Social Media Blitz". ABC News. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
- ↑ Anderson, Karen (2014-10-15). "FBI on Mass. terror suspect: 'Don't know where he is, what he's doing'". WCVB. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
- ↑ "The American computer wiz running ISIS' social media campaign". Mail Online. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
- ↑ Libon, Daniel (2015-06-02). "Stoughton HS Grad Turned Terrorist Killed in Iraq". Metro.us. Retrieved 2016-07-08.
- ↑ "FBI is looking for a UMass Boston Grad with connections to ISIS". The Mass Media. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
- ↑ "The American computer wiz running ISIS' social media campaign". Mail Online. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
- ↑ "Fbi — Ahmad Abousamra". Fbi.gov. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
- ↑ Ellement, John R. "FBI puts former Boston-area man, Ahmad Abousamra, on Most Wanted Terrorists list - News Local Massachusetts". Boston.com. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
- ↑ "FBI adds ex-Massachusetts man to most-wanted terror list | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram". Pressherald.com. 2013-12-18. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
- ↑ Rousseau, Morgan (2013-12-18). "Ahmad Abousamra: Former Boston man added to FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list". Metro.us. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
- ↑ "The American computer wiz running brutally effective ISIS social media campaign: College-educated son of top Boston doctor is on FBI Most Wanted list". The Daily Mail. September 4, 2014.