Two al Qaeda operatives living in Europe have been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department.
Ahmad Khalaf Shabib al Dulaymi, a British citizen living in London, and Atilla Selek, a German national currently in prison, have been designated as terrorists under Executive Order 13224 for “providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.” The designation allows the US to freeze their assets, prevent them from using financial institutions, and prosecute them for terrorist activities.
Dulaymi “provides services” to Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda’s leadership circles, according to the US Treasury press release. He is also known to have served as a courier between al Qaeda’s top leader and its leader in Iraq. In late 2007, Dulaymi delivered a letter from Osama bin Laden to Abu Ayyub al Masri. He also “acted as an intermediary between AQI and al Qaeda members surrounding bin Laden.”
The US Treasury release states that Dulaymi “provides financial, material, or technological support” for al Qaeda and its affiliate in Iraq. Dulaymi has recruited and supported European Muslims to conduct attacks inside Iraq, and has provided financial and material support for al Qaeda in Iraq. He also runs at least two al Qaeda cells based in Europe that have provided logistical support to al Qaeda in Iraq.
“As of March 2009, al Dulaymi smuggled weapons and explosives into Iraq from Syria through a United Kingdom-based company on behalf of AQI [al Qaeda in Iraq],” the US Treasury stated. “As of late 2008, al Dulaymi provided financial support to AQI by providing funding to the families of AQI fighters killed in Iraq.”
Dulaymi’s current “location” is in London, England, according to the US Treasury.
Selek is a German national who joined the Islamic Jihad Union in 2006 and received training in al Qaeda camps in Pakistan’s tribal areas. The Islamic Jihad Union is an offshoot of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, a Central Asian terror group closely allied to al Qaeda. The terror group has conducted attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan.
German Muslims play a large role in the Islamic Jihad Union. In the summer of 2009, the Islamic Jihad Union released a videotape showing a German “village” in Waziristan under the control of the group.
Selek served as a recruiter for the Islamic Jihad Union and was involved in a plot to attack US military installations and other targets in Germany. He was detained by German police in 2007 along with two other operatives. “The operatives had acquired about 700 kg of hydrogen peroxide and an explosives precursor, which was enough raw material to make the equivalent of approximately 1,200 lbs of TNT,” according to the National Counterterrorism Center.
On March, 4, 2010, Selek was found guilty of plotting a terror attack using explosives and sentenced to serve five years in prison.
7 Comments
So if we know his current “location” why is not in US or British custody?
Perhaps because the British would need a warrant for his arrest describing the charges and an extradition request.
A EO from the US President, like Executive Order 13224 and its additions by the Treasury Department, isn’t that: it doesn’t apply outside of the US. Remember the freezing of assets in an EO only applies to US financial institutions (and perhaps international financial organizations working in the US). It’s only when you get the UN or EU or UK to add a person to their terrorist list that everyone has to pay attention. Until then it’s to the individual discretion of each country/institution.
e.g. http://www.statewatch.org/terrorlists/thelists.html
I’m sure if the US has intel that can be used in a criminal investigation in the UK the UK authorities will pursue it but that all depends on how secret or actionable the intel is. If there was a British company involved then I’m sure we will see some action (if the company still exists).
The U.K’s imminent election is likely to negate, or delay any kow-towing to any U.S. requests on arrests or charges.
Neither of the main parties want to be seen as the U.S’s subordinate law enforcement agency.
TLA: The UK government of either stripe will act on a extradition requests backed with evidence. That’s what extradition treaties mean. But so far this hasn’t happened (AFAIK). I also note the smuggling didn’t happen in the UK but in Romania.
BTW if one reds the treasury release one notices
http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/tg621.htm
The captured Atilla Selek has an extra field “Other Information: Currently incarcerated at JVA Bruchsal”
There is no actual info on his current location except that he has a UK and an Iraqi passport (numbers given). I presume he applied for his passport from a London address hence the “Location” info. That presumably is a last known UK location. From the other data one can say that his last known location (that they’re willing to reveal) is in Fallujah, Iraq on December 8, 2005 (when he got his Iraqi passport).
I’m sure these passport numbers are already be in the UK immigration screen computers. His UK passport doesn’t expire for another 5 years.
My guess is he isn’t in the UK anymore and hasn’t been for some time.
The original extradition treaty probably used to mean something, but not necessarily to the E.U. (which has become the government of the U.K.). There is probably a clause that says that all extraditions must be handled through Brussels (who I doubt has assigned the removal of its state’s citizens to its list of procedures).
In the meantime, any chance of the ex-British government’s treaties being acted on will be painfully slowed until after the election.
Sadly, British passports have been handed out like fodder over the past ten years.
TAL: you are mistaken.
It’s obvious that we’re not going to agree on the matter KP.
In my defence I’ll admit that I am English, used to be in the Army and used to be the member of a political party (before moving to the States), so I would claim to know something of the political turmoil matters the extradition would hold until the election is over. It’ll get conveniently ignored until after May 6th.