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Action Targets two ISIL Foreign Terrorist Fighters, one International Recruiter for ISIL Foreign Terrorist Fighters, and one Caucasus Emirate Foreign Terrorist Fighter
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today announced the designation of two Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) foreign terrorist fighters and one Caucasus Emirate (AKA Imarat Kavkaz) foreign terrorist fighter pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. In a related action, Treasury on October 2 designated an individual who recruited potential foreign terrorist fighters for ISIL, also pursuant to E.O. 13224. These designations continue Treasury’s efforts to attack ISIL’s finances by inhibiting these individuals from using the international financial system and support President Obama’s strategy to disrupt and ultimately destroy ISIL.
All four individuals have also been designated by the United Nations (UN) Security Council pursuant to resolutions 1267 and 1989 and added to the UN al-Qaida Sanctions List. These designations support the efforts of the Counter ISIL Finance Group (CIFG), which is co-led by the United States, Italy, and Saudi Arabia, and focuses on disrupting the financial and economic activities of ISIL. The third CIFG meeting is scheduled for this week in Washington on October 6 and 7.
As a result of today’s actions, any property or interest in property of the designated persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction is frozen. Additionally, transactions by U.S. persons involving the designated persons are generally prohibited.
“Today’s designations target both ISIL and Caucasus Emirate, showing our unwavering commitment to depleting the financial strength of violent terrorist organizations,” said Daniel L. Glaser, Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing. “This action, which follows U.S. and UN designations during the past week, highlights the ramp-up in U.S. and international efforts to aggressively target and destroy ISIL.”
ISIL-Related Designations
Aseel Muthana
Aseel Muthana was designated on October 2 for acting for or on behalf of ISIL.
As of early September 2015, Syria-based Aseel Muthana, a UK national, was a member of ISIL along with his brother, Nasser Muthana. Aseel and Nasser Muthana were considered representative of the group’s recruitment drive in the west. Nasser Muthana was designated by the State Department on September 29, 2015.
In July 2014, Aseel Muthana, via an online question and answer session, gave guidance to an individual interested in joining ISIL, inviting the individual to contact him directly via a social media service so that Aseel Muthana could help him join the group.
As of June 2014, Aseel Muthana had traveled from the United Kingdom to Syria to fight with ISIL.
Islam Seit-Umarovich Atabiyev
Atabiyev is being designated today for acting for or on behalf of ISIL.
Russian-national Atabiyev is the deputy to U.S. and UN-designated ISIL commander Tarkhan Tayumurazovich Batirashvili (AKA Umar al-Shishani) and swore an oath of allegiance to ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in December 2013. Atabiyev runs ISIL’s Russian language media operations and in June 2015 launched Furat Media, a group that has declared itself to be the official outlet for ISIL’s Russian language media production. Atabiyev recently appeared in a video in which he urged Muslims from the Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia in the North Caucasus to join ISIL. In October 2013, ISIL appointed Atabiyev as governor of the town of Al-Dana in Syria’s Idlib province after he participated in battles against Syrian regime forces. In 2013, he also maintained a school in Syria to indoctrinate and train Syrian boys to become future fighters for ISIL.
Akhmed Chatayev
Chatayev is being designated today for acting for or on behalf of ISIL.
As of mid-2015, Chatayev was a member of ISIL and was part of a group of militants that was planning attacks against U.S. and Turkish facilities.
Text accompanying a video posted online in February 2015 featuring Chatayev and Atabiyev indicates that Chatayev is the commander of the Yarmouk Battalion, a Chechen faction of ISIL. In the video, Chatayev greets militants in Dagestan who in December 2012 pledged allegiance to ISIL and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and says that ISIL in Syria rejoiced when it heard the news about their pledges. In the video, Chatayev also calls on those militants in Chechnya who had not yet declared their allegiance to ISIL to do so.
Caucasus Emirate-Related Designation
Zaurbek Guchayev
Guchayev is being designated today for acting for or on behalf of Caucasus Emirate, an entity designated pursuant to E.O. 13224.
Russian national and Turkey-based Zaurbek Guchayev (AKA Abdulaziz) is a member of Caucasus Emirate, a North Caucasus-based terrorist group that uses bombings, shootings, and attempted assassinations to try to expel the Russian government from the North Caucasus region. Guchayev, who is also wanted by INTERPOL for aiding and financing terrorist activity, is an overseas emissary for Caucasus Emirate, and is responsible for coordinating and directing the group's activities in Syria. Caucasus Emirate was designated by the Department of State pursuant to E.O. 13224 in May 2011.
For the identifying information regarding today’s action, click here.
For the link related to the designation of Aseel Muthana on Friday, October 2, 2015, click here.
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