1
QE.S.101.03. SPECIAL PURPOSE ISLAMIC REGIMENT (SPIR)
Date on which the narrative summary became available on the Committee’s website: 7 September 2010
The Special Purpose Islamic Regiment (SPIR) was listed on 4 March 2003 pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2 of resolution 1390 (2002) as being associated with Al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden or the Taliban for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of” Al-Qaida (QE.A.4.01).
Additional information:
The Special Purpose Islamic Regiment (SPIR) is linked to the Islamic International Brigade (IIB) (QE.I.99.03) and the Riyadus-Salikhin Reconnaissance and Sabotage Battalion of Chechen Martyrs (RSRSBCM) (QE.R.100.03).
On the evening of 23 October 2002, members of SPIR, RSRSBCM and IIB operated jointly to seize over 800 hostages at Moscow’s Podshipnikov Zavod (Dubrovka) Theater. The attackers threatened that unless the Russian Government met their demands they would kill the hostages. They said that they were prepared to kill themselves and the hostages by blowing up the theater. One hundred and twenty-nine hostages died during the rescue mounted by the Government of the Russian Federation.
A website affiliated with Chechen separatist groups, the Kavkaz Center, also identified one of the leaders of the hostage-takers in the Dubrovka Theater to be Movsar Barayev, the then-commander of SPIR and also a commander of RSRSBCM (Barayev died in the Dubrovka Theater incident). SPIR, which had been headed by Barayev and his uncle, the late Arbi Barayev, provided leadership and personnel to RSRSBCM, headed by Shamil Salmanovich Basayev (deceased), for its takeover of the Dubrovka Theater. In fact, the Dubrovka Theater incident was originally attributed solely to SPIR since Barayev was the first publicly identified leader of the operation.
SPIR and IIB and their leaders are closely linked and have cooperated from the period between the two Chechen wars (1997-1999) until the present. While its existence was unknown prior to the Dubrovka Theater incident, RSRSBCM has drawn its members and leaders from IIB and SPIR. In addition to their participation in the 23 October terrorist attack on the Dubrovka Theater, IIB, SPIR and RSRSBCM have been linked to other terrorist attacks, or have threatened terrorist attacks, against both civilian and government targets.
On 16 June 2001, Barayev, the then commander of SPIR, claimed that his fighters had executed the head of the “occupation federation” (i.e. an appointed local mayor loyal to the Government of the Russian Federation) at his home in the village of Gekhi. The mayor’s wife and a Russian officer were also killed. In July 2001, Barayev claimed that a “special purpose group” of SPIR had executed Alkhan-Kala resident Dzhapar Khazuyev as a “proven” traitor. After the Dubrovka Theater hostage-taking, SPIR reportedly took part in several actions in December 2002 under its new leader Khamzat, who had been Barayev’s deputy.
Numerous ties link the leadership of these entities with Al-Qaida (QI.A.4.01), Usama bin Laden (QI.B.8.01) and the Taliban. Then SPIR commander Arbi Barayev sent at least one group of his fighters to train in Talibancontrolled areas of Afghanistan in the spring of 2001. In late 1999, Bin Laden sent substantial amounts of money to Basayev, Barayev and Al-Khattab, who was also a leader of IIB, to be used exclusively for training gunmen, recruiting mercenaries, and buying ammunition. Before his death in December 2002, a deputy leader of IIB, Abu Tariq, who was also involved in channeling funds from foreign sources to Chechen extremists, had received several million dollars from international terrorist organizations, including Al-Qaida.
Al-Khattab (while leader of IIB) publicly admitted that he spent the period between 1989 and 1994 in Afghanistan and that he had met Bin Laden. In March 1994, Basayev arrived in Afghanistan and toured fighter training camps in Khost province. He returned to Afghanistan with the first group of Chechen militants in May 1994. Basayev underwent training in Afghanistan and had close connections with Al-Qaida. Several hundred Chechens eventually trained in Al-Qaida camps in Afghanistan. With AlQaida’s financial support, Al-Khattab also mobilized fighters from Ingushetia, Ossetia, Georgia and Azerbaijan to fight in Chechnya and Dagestan. By August 1995, substantial numbers of those fighting against Russian troops were “Afghan Arabs” (Arabs who had combat experience in Afghanistan against Soviet troops). The support was often reciprocated. Al-Qaida’s select “055 Brigade,” which fought against the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan, included a number of Chechens, many of whom were believed to be followers of Basayev, Barayev and Al-Khattab. In October 2001, Al-Khattab sent additional fighters to Afghanistan and promised to pay the volunteers’ families a substantial monthly stipend or a large lump-sum payment in the event of their death. In 2002, Al-Qaida was attempting to raise USD 2 million to support Abu al-Walid, who had succeeded Ibn al-Khattab in the leadership of IIB as the new Arab Chechen leader.
Related listed individuals and entities:
Al-Qaida (QE.A.4.01), listed on 6 October 2001
Islamic International Brigade (IIB) (QE.I.99.03), listed on 4 March 2003
Riyadus-Salikhin Reconnaissance and Sabotage Battalion of Chechen Martyrs (RSRSBCM) (QE.R.100.03), listed on 4 March 2003
Usama Muhammed Awad bin Laden (QI.B.8.01), listed on 25 January 2001
QE.A.107.04. AL FURQAN
Date on which the narrative summary became available on the Committee’s website: 19 November 2010
Al Furqan was listed on 11 May 2004 pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 16 of resolution 1526 (2004) as being associated with Al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden or the Taliban for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of” or “otherwise supporting acts or activities of” the Armed Islamic Group (QE.A.6.01) and the Global Relief Foundation (GRF) (QE.G.91.02).
Additional information:
Al Furqan, a Bosnia-based non-governmental organization founded in 1997, has had close ties to the Bosnia branch of Al-Haramain Foundation (AHF), listed as Al-Haramain & al Masjed al-Aqsa Charity Foundation (QE.A.109.04), and the Global Relief Foundation (GRF) (QE.G.91.02).
Between 1999 and 2001, Al Furqan was under the financial control and acted on behalf of the Bosnia branch of AHF. During this time, Al Furqan received over 90 per cent of its total funding from the Bosnian branch of AHF. Al Furqan also conducted joint activities with AHF in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Al Furqan has also provided support to the Bosnian branch of GRF, and shared an office in Sarajevo with GRF when GRF was active in Bosnia and Herzegovina. GRF, which initially operated in Bosnia and Herzegovina from the offices of another non-governmental organization, Taibah International-Bosnia Offices (QE.T.108.04), moved into the offices of Al Furqan in early 2000.
Employees of Al Furqan have been involved in terrorist-related activities. One former Al Furqan employee had ties to the Armed Islamic Group (QE.A.6.01). In addition, in 2000, three employees of Al Furqan conducted surveillance of the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo, and two individuals affiliated with Al Furqan were detained in May 2001 after they had videotaped the building and security personnel of the United Nations Representative Office in Sarajevo.
Although Al Furqan de-registered with the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina in November 2002, two NGOs continued to act on Al Furqan’s behalf. Sirat, also known as “the Association for Education Culture and Building Society,” registered with the Government Bosnia and Herzegovina in December 2002 at Al Furqan’s former office address. Al Furqan transferred its assets to Sirat, which was founded to act as a successor organization to Al Furqan. The former director of Al Furqan’s operations in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, founded Istikamet in April 2003. As of late 2003, Istikamet maintained Al Furqan’s programs, leadership and at least some of its assets in the Zenica area. Both Sirat and Istikamet are listed as a.k.a.s of Al Furqan.
Related listed individuals and entities:
Al-Qaida (QE.A.4.01), listed on 6 October 2001
Armed Islamic Group (QE.A.6.01), listed on 6 October 2001
Global Relief Foundation (GRF) (QE.G.91.02), listed on 22 October 2002
Taibah International-Bosnia Offices (QE.T.108.04), listed on 11 May 2004
Al-Haramain & al Masjed al-Aqsa Charity Foundation (QE.A.109.04), listed on 28 June 2004
QE.T.108.04. TAIBAH INTERNATIONAL-BOSNIA OFFICES
Date on which the narrative summary became available on the Committee’s website: 7 April 2011
Taibah International-Bosnia Offices was listed on 11 May 2004 pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 16 of resolution 1526 (2004) as being associated with Al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden or the Taliban for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of” or “otherwise supporting acts or activities of” the Global Relief Foundation (GRF) (QE.G.91.02).
Additional information
Taibah International-Bosnia Offices is a non-governmental organization based in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with significant ties to the Global Relief Foundation (GRF) (QE.G.91.02), an Al-Qaida-affiliated (QE.A.4.01) organization.
GRF initially operated in Bosnia and Herzegovina under the auspices of Taibah. In 1996, Taibah broke with GRF, but continued to share the same office in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, until 2000. Until 1996, Muhamed el Nagmy, the registered leader of GRF, also worked as one of the joint leaders of Taibah International. By December 2001, El Nagmy was working in the Taibah office in Travnik, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Additionally, the acting Director of Taibah in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ali Hamid el Tayeb, again in December 2001, confirmed that El Nagmy was responsible for bringing financial support to Taibah International while holding the position as the Bosnia Representative of GRF.
Related listed individuals and entities:
Al-Qaida (QE.A.4.01), listed on 6 October 2001
Global Relief Foundation (GRF) (QE.G.91.02), listed on 22 October 2002
Al Furqan (QE.A.107.04), listed on 11 May 2004
Usama Muhammed Awad bin Laden (QI.B.8.01), listed on 25 January 2001
QE.J.115.04. AL-QAIDA IN IRAQ
Date on which the narrative summary became available on the Committee’s website: 28 March 2011
Al-Qaida in Iraq was listed on 18 October 2004 pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 16 of resolution 1526 (2004) as being associated with Al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden or the Taliban for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of”, “supplying, selling or transferring arms and related materiel to” or “otherwise supporting acts or activities of” Usama bin Laden (QI.B.8.01) and Al-Qaida (QE.A.4.01).
Additional information:
Al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) is an extremist group operating in Iraq. It was led by extremist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, also known as Ahmad Fadil Nazal al-Khalayleh (deceased), who was killed in June 2006. Al-Zarqawi had been operating independently in Iraq since mid-2003 using the name Jama’at al-Tawhid Wa’al-Jihad (JTJ). Al-Zarqawi’s group was responsible for the August 2003 bombing of the United Nations Headquarters in Baghdad that killed at least 23 people, including United Nations Special Envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello.
JTJ, under Al-Zarqawi, established links to Al-Qaida (QE.A.4.01). Al-Zarqawi had a long-standing connection with the senior Al-Qaida leadership, appeared to be well regarded by them and was a close associate of Usama bin Laden (QI.B.8.01). He arranged for his followers to be trained in Al-Qaida camps.
Since his designation by the 1267 Committee, Al-Zarqawi moved the center of his operations to Iraq and consolidated his group of operatives under JTJ. As the leader of JTJ, his ties to Al-Qaida, however, remained, as evidenced by a letter intercepted in February 2004 that Al-Zarqawi wrote to Al-Qaida/Usama bin Laden in Afghanistan, taking credit for various terrorist attacks.
In October 2004 JTJ issued a statement pledging allegiance to Usama bin Laden, and undertook to follow Bin Laden’s orders. At this time the group also changed its name to Tanzim Qa’idat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn (the Al-Qaida Group in the Land of the Two Rivers, AQI). The group’s stated aim is the creation of a state in Iraq based on extremist ideology.
Following Al-Zarqawi’s death in 2006, Abu Ayyub al-Masri assumed leadership of AQI until his own death in April 2010. The group continues to attack Iraqi civilians, the Iraqi Security Forces, and Iraqi governmental institutions. It has claimed many terrorist attacks inside Iraq including the high-profile attacks in Baghdad in August, October and December 2009, which, combined, killed over 480 people. The group also claimed responsibility for the 2005 attack on three hotels in Amman, Jordan, which killed at least 60 people.
Members of JTJ’s precursor cell operating in Germany include Aschraf al-Dagma (QI.A.132.03), Ismail Abdallah Sbaitan Shalabi (QI.S.128.03), Djamel Moustfa (QI.M.129.03) and Mohamed Ghassan Ali Abu Dhess (QI.A.130.03).
Related listed individuals and entities:
Al-Qaida (QE.A.4.01), listed on 6 October 2001
Usama Muhammed Awad bin Laden (QI.B.8.01), listed on 25 January 2001
Omar Mahmoud Uthman (QI.M.31.01), listed on 17 October 2001
Ismail Abdallah Sbaitan Shalabi (QI.S.128.03), listed on 23 September 2003
Djamel Moustfa (QI.M.129.03), listed on 23 September 2003
Mohamed Ghassan Ali Abu Dhess (QI.A.130.03), listed on 23 September 2003
Aschraf al-Dagma (QI.A.132.03), listed on 23 September 2003
Sulayman Khalid Darwish (QI.D.183.05), listed on 28 January 2005
Hamid Abdallah Ahmed al-Ali (QI.A.236.08), listed on 16 January 2008
Jaber Abdallah Jaber Ahmad al-Jalahmah (QI.A.237.08), listed on 16 January 2008
Mubarak Mushakhas Sanad Mubarak al-Bathali (QI.A.238.08), listed on 16 January 2008
Redouane el Habhab (QI.E.262.08), listed on 12 November 2008
Akram Turki Hishan al-Mazidih (QI.A.276.10), listed on 11 March 2010
Ghazy Fezza Hishan al-Mazidih (QI.A.277.10), listed on 11 March 2010
Muthanna Harith al-Dari (QI.A.278.10), listed on 25 March 2010
Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri al-Samarrai (QI.A.299.11), listed on 5 October 2011
QE.L.118.05. LASHKAR-E-TAYYIBA
Date on which the narrative summary became available on the Committee’s website: 23 August 2010
Lashkar-e-Tayyiba was listed on 2 May 2005 pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2 of resolution 1526 (2004) being associated with Al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden or the Taliban for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of”, “supplying, selling or transferring arms and related materiel to” or “otherwise supporting acts or activities of” Al-Qaida (QE.A.4.01), Usama bin Laden (QI.B.8.01) and the Taliban.