Press Releases

Treasury Targets Leader of Group Tied to Al Qaida

(Archived Content)

April 20, 2009
TG-92

Washington, DC – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today targeted al Qaida's support network by designating Abdul Haq, the overall leader and commander of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Party (ETIP), a terrorist organization designated under E.O. 13224 for its support to al Qaida. E.O. 13224 targets terrorists and those providing financial, technological, or material support to terrorists or acts of terrorism by freezing the assets of designated persons and prohibiting transactions with them. This Treasury action follows a decision by the United Nations Security Council's 1267 Committee to place Haq on its list of persons associated with Usama bin Laden, al Qaida, or the Taliban and subject to sanctions by UN member states.

Abdul Haq commands a terror group that sought to sow violence and fracture international unity at the 2008 Olympic Games in China, said Stuart Levey, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.  Today, we stand together with the world in condemning this brutal terrorist and isolating him from the international financial system.

Abdul Haq, aka Maimaitiming Maimaiti, is the overall leader and commander of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Party (ETIP), a.k.a. the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM). The UN 1267 Committee added ETIP to its Consolidated List of individuals and entities associated with al Qaida or the Taliban on September 11th, 2002.

As ETIP overall leader, Abdul Haq raised funds, recruited new members and further developed the terrorist organization. In early January 2008, Haq directed ETIP's military commander to attack various Chinese cities, particularly focusing on the cities holding the Olympic Games. Under Haq, trained terrorists planned to sabotage the Olympic Games by conducting terrorist attacks within China before the Olympics began.

Since late 2007, Abdul Haq sent terrorists to the Middle East to raise funds and buy explosive materials for terrorist attacks against Chinese targets outside China. Abdul Haq became the leader of ETIP following the death of the previous ETIP leader in October 2003. As of 2005, Haq was also a member of al Qaida's Shura Council.

Identifying Information:

Name: Abdul Haq
AKA: Abdul Heq
AKA: Abuduhake
AKA: Abdulheq Jundullah
AKA: Abd Al-Haq
AKA: Maimaitiming Maimaiti
AKA: Memetiming Memeti
AKA: Memetiming Aximu
AKA: Memetiming Qekeman
AKA: Maimaiti Iman
AKA: Maiumaitimin Maimaiti
AKA: Abdul Saimaiti
AKA: Muhammad Ahmed Khaliq
AKA: Muhelisi
AKA: Qerman
AKA: Saifuding
DOB: October 10, 1971
POB: Chele County, Khuttan Area, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous   
Region, China
Nationality: Chinese

ID Number:        
653225197110100533

 

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