(Archived Content)
Action Undermines Efforts by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Al Nusrah Front, Al-Qaida and its Affiliates, and Jemaah Islamiya to Move Money and Fighters to Syria and Elsewhere
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today named 11 individuals and one entity as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224. The targets listed below have worked with a range of terrorist organizations – the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), al Nusrah Front, al-Qaida and its affiliates, and Jemaah Islamiya – to send financial and material support, and foreign terrorist fighters to Syria and elsewhere. Today’s actions complement the United Nations Security Council’s adoption of a resolution focused on preventing and disrupting the financial activities of foreign terrorist fighters and thwarting their efforts to travel across borders.
“Today’s broadly scoped designations will disrupt efforts by ISIL, al Nusrah Front, al-Qaida, and Jemaah Islamiya to raise, transport, and access funds that facilitate foreign terrorist fighters,” said David S. Cohen, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. “These steps, taken the same day as the adoption of a new United Nations Security Council Resolution, affirm the commitment of the United States and our partners to degrade and destroy terrorist access to financing.”
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
The following two individuals have been designated for acting for or on behalf of ISIL.
Tarkhan Tayumurazovich Batirashvili
Over the past several years, Syria-based Georgian national Tarkhan Tayumurazovich Batirashvili has held a number of top military positions within ISIL and has led a number of attacks.
As of mid-2014, Batirashvili was a senior ISIL commander and Shura Council member located in al-Raqqah, Syria. He was identified as the ISIL military commander in a public video distributed by the group in late June 2014. Batirashvili oversaw an ISIL prison facility in al-Tabqa, close to al-Raqqah, where ISIL possibly held foreign hostages. As of mid-2014, Batirashvili also coordinated closely with ISIL's financial section and had a base of operations for the terrorist organization in the Minbij, Syria area.
In early June 2014, Batirashvili ordered ISIL members to travel from Syria to Iraq to retrieve vehicles, weapons, and ammunition, according to information available to the United States Government. According to an official social media account for ISIL in the Syrian Hasakah Governorate at this time, Batirashvili issued an important communiqué ordering the general mobilization of all ISIL provinces to support the group’s efforts in Mosul, Iraq, and to prepare for any emergencies.
Earlier this year, Batirashvili was described as a member of ISIL's Shura Council, and he maintained unique authority within ISIL. In May 2013, he was appointed northern commander for ISIL by its leader Ibrahim 'Awwad Ibrahim 'Ali al-Badri (AKA Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi), who was designated by the U.S. Department of State as an SDGT on October 4, 2011, with authority over ISIL’s military operations and ISIL’s forces in northern Syria, specifically Aleppo, Raqqa, Latakia, and northern Idlib provinces. As of late 2013, he was the ISIL Amir (leader) for northern Syria and was located in and around Aleppo Province. He was also in charge of fighters from Chechnya and elsewhere in the Caucasus. At this time, Batirashvili led approximately 1,000 foreign fighters for ISIL to attack the Syrian regime at Jabal Shuwayhnah, Rif Aleppo, Syria.
Batirashvili pledged allegiance to ISIL and al-Baghdadi in mid-2013. In pledging his allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Batirashvili said that some members of the brigade he commanded, Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar, which was also designated as an SDGT by the U.S. Department of State today, joined him in swearing allegiance to ISIL. According to a December 2013 statement Batirashvili released, his pledge of allegiance to ISIL and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi came after fighting alongside ISIL and following a consultation held among other fighters from Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar.
In addition, Batirashvili publicly acknowledged his role as a senior ISIL military commander in a November 2013 public interview with an unofficial ISIL weekly newspaper. In this interview, he acknowledged arriving in Syria in March 2012, described his reasons for joining ISIL, and outlined his role as the military commander of ISIL responsible for “liberating” certain areas of Syria. He also described five separate military operations he led on behalf of ISIL, including the storming of the Syrian government-controlled Ming Airport. Batirashvili acknowledged that his forces broke into 11 Syrian military installations and seized unidentified spoils from eight of them.
Tariq Bin-Al-Tahar Bin Al Falih Al-‘Awni Al-Harzi
As of mid-2014, Al-Harzi has been an ISIL official operating in Syria. As a high-profile ISIL member, he works to raise funds and recruit and facilitate the travel of fighters for the terrorist organization. He was also known as one of the first terrorists to join ISIL, according to information available to the U.S. Government.
Al-Harzi has been recruiting and facilitating the travel of fighters for ISIL since 2013. He was named ISIL’s Amir for the border region between Syria and Turkey and, in this capacity, he was tasked by ISIL with receiving new foreign fighter recruits and providing them light weapons training before sending them to Syria. Specifically, he facilitated the movement of Europeans to Turkey, and eventually Syria. For example, he and several other ISIL border group members assisted foreign fighters from the UK, Albania, and Denmark. As of early 2014, Al-Harzi had also recruited North Africans to ISIL. In mid-2013 he worked with ISIL spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, who was designated as an SDGT by the U.S. Department of State on August 18, 2014, to move an individual to a training camp in Deir al-Zour, Syria, according to information available to the U.S. Government.
As of late 2013, Al-Harzi was ISIL's Amir of suicide bombers and a key figure in an ISIL facilitation network that played a central role in ISIL's suicide and vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attacks in Iraq. In his capacity as leader of ISIL’s suicide bomber facilitation pipeline, AL-Harzi worked with other ISIL members to facilitate the travel of individuals from Syria into Iraq. In October 2013, he requested suicide bombers for operations in Iraq from a Syria-based associate. Al-Harzi also worked to provide material support to ISIL by procuring and shipping weapons with his brother from Libya to Syria for ISIL.
Al-Harzi worked to help raise funds from Gulf-based donors for ISIL. In September 2013, he arranged for ISIL to receive approximately $2 million from a Qatar-based ISIL financial facilitator, who required that Al-Harzi use the funds for military operations only. The Qatar-based ISIL financial facilitator also enlisted Al-Harzi’s assistance with fundraising efforts in Qatar.
In mid-2013, Al-Harzi was also the leader of foreign operations for ISIL and had ordered individuals to plan a large operation targeting a United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) commander, according to information available to the U.S. Government.
Al-Nusrah Front, Al-Qaida, Al-Qaida in Iraq, and Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula
The following six individuals have been designated today for acting for or on behalf of and/or providing financial, material, or technological support to al Nusrah Front (ANF), al-Qaida, al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI), and/or al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
‘Abd al-Aziz Aday Zimin al-Fadhil
Al-Fadhil is a Kuwait-based facilitator who provides financial services to or in support of ANF by transferring money to the group. In this regard, he has coordinated the transfer of hundreds of thousands of dollars to ANF.
Al-Fadhil has also coordinated the provision of material support to ANF and facilitates travel for individuals seeking to join the terrorist organization.
In addition to his support for ANF, al-Fadhil provides financial services to or in support of AQAP by transferring money to Yemen to support the group.
Ashraf Muhammad Yusuf 'Uthman 'Abd al-Salam
A fighter in Syria since early 2014, ‘Abd al-Salam has provided financial, material, and technological support for ANF, al-Qaida, and AQI.
With regard to ANF, ‘Abd al-Salam planned to transfer funding to ANF as of mid-2012. In early 2012, he facilitated the travel of associates to Syria to provide training to ANF members based in Syria. In early 2012, ‘Abd al-Salam and an Iraqi explosives expert worked with ANF and also sought to use explosives in acts of terrorism.
With regard to al-Qaida, 'Abd al-Salam in mid-2012 also worked to facilitate the transfer of hundreds of thousands of dollars from U.S.- and UN-designated Qatar-based Khalifa Muhammad Turki al-Subaiy intended for al-Qaida in Pakistan.
With regard to AQI, 'Abd al-Salam initially began working with the group in 2005. In 2007, he opened stores to facilitate the communications of AQI officials. In late 2007, 'Abd al-Salam facilitated the transfer of thousands of dollars to support AQI operations.
'Abd al-Malik Muhammad Yusuf 'Uthman 'Abd al-Salam (AKA Umar al-Qatari)
Umar al-Qatari is a Jordanian facilitator who provides financial, material, and technological support for ANF and al-Qaida.
In May 2012, Umar al-Qatari was apprehended by Lebanese authorities in Beirut as he attempted to depart for Qatar. At the time of his arresthe was carrying thousands of dollars intended for al-Qaida. Despite his detention, he remained a communications conduit between detainees in Lebanon and ANF fighters located in Syria and Lebanon. As of early 2013, ANF members were attempting to facilitate the release of Umar al-Qatari from prison in Lebanon.
Umar al-Qatari’s support to ANF has been broad. In early 2012, he gave thousands of dollars and material support to a Syria-based al-Qaida associate intended for ANF operatives. Umar al-Qatari also facilitated extremist travel to ANF in Syria and specifically worked with Turkey-based Syrians who opposed the Syrian regime in an effort to recruit them to work with ANF. In early 2012, Umar al-Qatari, Qatari national Ibrahim al-Bakr, who has also been designated as an SDGT today, and their Lebanon-based associates agreed to procure and transport weapons and other equipment to Syria with the assistance of a Syria-based al-Qaida associate.
Umar al-Qatari has a long history of raising funds for al-Qaida. As of early 2012, he raised and collected funding for al-Qaida from Gulf-based donors via the Internet. He coordinated the transfer of tens of thousands of euros from U.S. and UN-designated Qatari al-Qaida financier Khalifa Muhammad Turki al-Subaiy, which was intended to support al-Qaida and its senior leaders. Umar al-Qatari also worked with Iran-based al-Qaida facilitators to deliver receipts confirming that al-Qaida received foreign donor funding. In late 2011, he delivered thousands of dollars to U.S.- and UN-designated al-Qaida facilitator Muhsin al-Fadhli in Iran.
Umar al-Qatari has also been directly involved in supporting and participating in operational activities for al-Qaida and, in 2012, he spent time at a training camp in Waziristan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan. As of early 2012, Umar al-Qatari was responsible for providing recruitment and logistical support for al-Qaida members in the Middle East and traveled to the Gulf, the Levant, Iran, South Asia and Southeast Asia for his work with al-Qaida.
He also facilitated the procurement of identification documents in support of al-Qaida. In 2011, Umar al-Qatari participated in an attack against U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
Fatih Hasar
Hasar is a Turkey-based facilitator who provides financial and other services to or in support of al-Qaida. He has transferred money to support extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan and has coordinated the transfer of hundreds of thousands of dollars to al-Qaida members. Hasar also facilitates al-Qaida members' travel.
On ANF, Hasar provides financial services in support of ANF by transferring money to support the terrorist group. He has facilitated the travel of extremists and an al-Qaida financial facilitator seeking to join ANF.
Hamad Awad Dahi Sarhan al-Shammari
Al-Shammari is a Kuwait-based facilitator who provides financial services to or in support of al-Qaida by transferring money to support extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He has coordinated the transfer of hundreds of thousands of dollars to al-Qaida members and has facilitated travel for individuals seeking to join al-Qaida.
On ANF, Al-Shammari provides financial services support by transferring money to support the terrorist group. Specifically, he has coordinated the transfer of more than a hundred thousand dollars to ANF members. He also has facilitated travel for individuals seeking to join ANF.
Ibrahim ‘Isa Hajji Muhammad al-Bakr
Al-Bakr provides financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of al-Qaida.
As of mid-2012, al-Bakr had worked for al-Qaida and had been responsible for collecting money for both al-Qaida and the Taliban. In this capacity, he served as a link between Gulf-based al-Qaida financiers and Afghanistan. As of late 2012, information available to the U.S. Government indicates that al-Bakr has traveled to Waziristan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan, for his work with al-Qaida.
As of early 2006, he played a key role in a terrorist cell that was plotting to attack U.S. military bases and personnel in Qatar.
At the time of his arrest in Qatar in the early 2000s for his involvement in a jihadist network, al-Bakr was working to raise money to support terrorism. Al-Bakr was subsequently released from prison after he promised not to conduct terrorist activity in Qatar.
Jemaah Islamiya
Jemaah Islamiya (JI) is a U.S. and UN-designated Southeast Asia-based terrorist group linked to al-Qaida that is responsible for numerous acts of terrorism including the Bali bombing in 2002, which killed over 200 people from 27 nations. The following entity and three individuals have been designated today for acting for or on behalf of or providing financial, material, or technological support, or financial or other services to or in support of JI.
Hilal Ahmar Society Indonesia
The Hilal Ahmar Society Indonesia (HASI) is ostensibly JI’s humanitarian wing, which since 2011 has operated as a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Indonesia. While not indicative of the activities of the charitable sector as a whole, the activities of HASI demonstrate how terrorist groups, such as JI, continue to abuse charitable giving to raise and use funds to support violent acts and provide cover for logistical requirements for their terrorist organization.
Since 2012, HASI has sent multiple groups of JI terrorist fighters to Syria for military training and has also helped raise funds and recruit for the terrorist group.
Since mid-2013, HASI has engaged in a number of activities to support the recruitment and travel of foreign terrorist fighters for JI to deploy to Syria. These deployments to Syria routinely included JI members that were sent for military training and to join Syrian fighters. In several instances, HASI supported the travel of JI officials, including senior JI leader Bambang Sukirno and JI operative Angga Dimas Pershada to Syria, both of whom have also have been designated as SDGTs today. One of HASI's recent deployments to Syria took place in May 2014.
JI has used HASI to raise funds, and together the two groups have cooperated on fundraising. As of 2013, HASI members participated in several fundraisers with JI in Indonesia that raised tens of thousands of dollars. In addition, JI officials have encouraged followers to provide material support for the fighting in Syria, including through contributing donations to HASI.
HASI also has ties to U.S. and UN-designated ANF.
HASI, which translates into English as, “Indonesian Red Crescent Society”, is not affiliated with the humanitarian group International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Angga Dimas Pershada
Pershada is a JI operative and a HASI leader, who, as of mid-2014, was Secretary General of HASI and as of 2013, oversaw HASI and raised funds for the organization. Prior to that position, Pershada was identified as HASI's chairman in October 2012. During the time that Pershada oversaw HASI, the organization’s deployments to Syria routinely included JI members that were recruited and sent to join Syrian fighters. It was also during this time that JI sent volunteers to Syria through HASI for military training.
Pershada also engaged in a number of public appearances to actively raise funds for HASI. In early 2013, Pershada appeared on a talk show to raise funds for the group, and in October 2012, Pershada was expected to speak at several rallies and fundraising drives. Pershada has also provided support to JI over several years and has been a member of JI's Foreign Affairs division.
Bambang Sukirno
Sukirno is a senior JI leader, who over a number of years has held various senior leadership positions within JI. He has been involved in managing aspects of JI travel to Syria to support Syria-based opposition groups. Through HASI, Sukirno also led several JI missions to Syria that took place between late 2012 and early 2014. Sukirno has represented JI in meetings with other Islamic militants and was responsible for receiving funds from donors that supported a network of Islamic militants in Indonesia.
Sukirno also has helped raise funds for HASI and held leadership positions in the organization. He spoke at several seminars that raised funds for HASI in May and June 2013. Sukirno was HASI's spokesperson as of October 2013 and was also identified as HASI's Secretary General in September 2012.
Wiji Joko Santoso
Wiji Joko Santoso (AKA Abu Seif) is the head of JI's Foreign Affairs division and a key player in JI's outreach efforts in Syria. As of mid-2013, Abu Seif was assisting extremists deploying to Syria, and as of early 2013 he likely made arrangements for JI members traveling to Turkey covertly as members of HASI to train with Syrian opposition groups. Abu Seif has also been closely associated with HASI.
On a number of occasions in 2012 and early 2013, Abu Seif traveled outside Indonesia on behalf of JI. In early 2013, Abu Seif traveled to Sri Lanka. JI also sent Abu Seif to the Philippines, and in mid-2012, Abu Seif traveled to Turkey for unknown JI-related business.
Today’s action freezes any assets the designees may have under U.S. jurisdiction and generally prohibits all financial and commercial transactions by any U.S. person with the designees.
Identifier Information
Name: Tarkhan Tayumurazovich Batirashvili
AKA: Tarkhan Tayumurazovich Batyrashvili
AKA: Tarkhan Batirashvili
AKA: Omar Shishani
AKA: Umar Shishani
AKA: Chechen Omar
AKA: Omar the Chechen
AKA: Omar al-Shishani
AKA: Omer the Chechen
AKA: Abu Umar al-Shishani
AKA: Umar the Chechen
AKA: Abu Umar
AKA: Abu Hudhayfah
DOB: 11 January 1986
Alt. DOB: 1982
POB: Akhmeta, Village Birkiani, Georgia
Citizenship: Georgia
Georgian ID Number: 08001007864
Georgian Passport Number: 09AL14455
Georgian Passport Expiration Date: 26 June 2019
Name: Tariq Bin-Al-Tahar Bin Al Falih Al-‘Awni Al-Harzi
AKA: Tariq Tahir Falih AI-Awni AI-Harzi
AKA: Tariq Tahir Faleh Al-Awni al-Harzi
AKA: Tariq Abu 'Umar al-Tunisi
AKA: Tariq Abu Umar al-Tunisi
AKA: Abu 'Umar al-Tunisi
AKA: Tarek Ben El Felah El Aouni El Harazi
AKA: Tarik Bin al-Falah al-Awni al-Harazi
AKA: Tariq al-Tunisi
AKA: Tariq Tahir Falih 'Awni Harzi
AKA: Abu Omar Houdoud
AKA: Tariq Bin Tahir Bin Al-Falih Al-Auni AI-Harzi
DOB: 3 May 1982
Alt. DOB: 5 March 1982
Alt. DOB: 1981
POB: Tunis, Tunisia
Passport Number: Z-050399
Name: ‘Abd al-Aziz Aday Zimin al-Fadhil
AKA: 'Abd al-Aziz Udai Samin al-Fadhli
AKA: 'Abd al -Aziz Udai Sam in al-Fadhl
AKA: 'Abd al-Aziz 'Adhay Zimin al-Fadhli
AKA: 'Abdalaziz 'Ad'ai Samin Fadhli al-Fadhali
DOB: 27 August 1981
POB: Kuwait
Civil Identification Number: 281082701081
Name: Ashraf Muhammad Yusuf 'Uthman 'Abd al-Salam
AKA: Ashraf Muhammad Yusif 'Uthman 'Abd-al-Salam
AKA: Ashraf Muhammad Yusuf 'Abd-al-Salam
AKA: Ashraf Muhammad Yusif 'Abd al-Salam
AKA: Khattab
AKA: Ibn al-Khattab
DOB: 1984
POB: Iraq
Nationality: Jordanian
Location: Syria
Passport number: K048787
Alt. Passport number: 486298 (Jordan)
Qatari ID number: 28440000526
Name: 'Abd al-Malik Muhammad Yusuf 'Uthman 'Abd al-Salam
AKA: 'Abd al-Malik Muhammad Yusif 'Abd-al-Salam
AKA: 'Umar al-Qatari
AKA: 'Umar al-Tayyar
DOB: 13 July 1989
Nationality: Jordanian
Jordanian Passport Number: K475336 (Date of Issue: 31 August
2009; Date of Expiration: 30 August 2014)
Qatari ID Number: 28940000602
Name: Hamad Awad Dahi Sarhan al-Shammari
AKA: Abu Uqlah al-Kuwaiti
DOB: 31 January 1984
Citizenship: Kuwaiti
Civil Identification Number: 284013101406
Passport Number: 155454275 (Kuwaiti)
Name: Fatih Hasar
AKA: Ubayd at-Turki
DOB: September 1, 1989
POB: Puturge, Turkey
Citizenship: Turkish
National Identification Number: 56287253110
Name: Ibrahim 'Isa Hajji Muhammad al-Bakr
AKA: Ibrahim 'Issa Haji Muhammad al-Bakar
AKA: Ibrahim 'Isa Haji al-Bakr
AKA: Ibrahim Issa Hijji Mohd Albaker
AKA: Ibrahim Issa Hijji Muhammad al-Baker
AKA: Ibrahim 'Issa al-Bakar
AKA: Ibrahim al-Bakr
AKA: Abu-Khalil
DOB: 12 July 1977
POB: Qatar
Nationality: Qatari
Passport Number: 01016646 (Qatar)
Name: Hilal Ahmar Society Indonesia
AKA: Hilal Ahmar Society of Indonesia
AKA: Yayasan Hilal Ahmar
AKA: Indonesia Hilal Ahmar Society for Syria
Branch Office Locations: Lampung, Jakarta, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Solo, Surabaya and Makassar, Indonesia
Name: Angga Dimas Pershada
AKA: Angga Dimas Persada
AKA: Angga Dimas Persadha
AKA: Angga Dimas Prasondha
Nationality: Indonesian
DOB: 4 March 1985
POB: Jakarta, Indonesia
Passport No.: W344982, Indonesia
Name: Bambang Sukirno
AKA: Pak Zahra
AKA: Abu Zahra
Nationality: Indonesian
DOB: 5 April 1975
POB: Indonesia
Passport No.: A2062513, Indonesian
Name: Wiji Joko Santoso
AKA: Wijijoko Santoso
AKA: Abu Seif al-Jawi
AKA: Abu Seif
Nationality: Indonesian
DOB: 14 July 1975
POB: Rembang, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia
Passport No.: A2823222, Date of Issue: 28 May 2012, Date of Expiration: 28 May 2017, Indonesian
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