Page 51 - Encyclopedia Of Terrorism

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24———Al-Yacoub, Ibrahim Salih Mohammed (1966– )

marking the highest number of casualties recorded in MacFarquhar, Neil. “Word for Word/Jihad Lit; Beware of
America on any one day. Hidden Enemies and Their Wolves and Foxes.”
On October 7, 2001, America launched Operation New York Times, December 9, 2001.
Enduring Freedom, as part of its new War on Ungoed-Thomas, Jon. “Egypt Used Torture to Crack
Network.” The Times (London), November 25, 2001.
Terrorism. Within two months, the American military
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
dismantled the totalitarian Taliban regime in Afghani-
Alexandria Division. United States of America v.
stan. Al Qaeda operatives and Taliban fighters alike
Zacarias Moussaoui. Indictment. December 2001.
fled during the fighting and are thought to have recon-
U.S. District Court Southern District of New York. United
stituted elsewhere. Even without a base, the organi- States v. Osama bin Laden et al. Indictment S(10) 98 Cr.
zation continues to use modern technology as a means 1023 (LBS).
to maintain its far-reaching international network for Yonah, Alexander, and Michael Swetman. Osama bin
militant Muslims. Laden’s al-Qaida: Profile of a Terrorist Network.
Accordingly, there are hundreds, or perhaps thou- New York: Transnational, 2001.
sands, of Al Qaeda members associated with these Zernike, Kate, and Don Van Natta, Jr. “Hijackers’
groups throughout the Muslim world, North America, Meticulous Strategy of Brains, Muscle and Practice.”
South America, Europe, and Asia. Indeed, attempts to New York Times, November 4, 2001, A1.
attack U.S. embassies in France, Italy, Bosnia,Yemen,
and Singapore even after the attacks of fall 2001 are
evidence of the network’s continued global reach. AL-YACOUB, IBRAHIM
More daunting, however, is the popularity of bin SALIH MOHAMMED (1966– )
Laden in the Muslim world. He is seen as a modern-
day Salah al-Din who promises to liberate the Muslim
world from foreign invaders. In October 2001, Ibrahim Salih Mohammed
Videos of bin Laden released after the attacks al-Yacoub was placed on the FBI’s list of the 22 “most
of September 11, 2001, threatened continued violence wanted terrorists” for his alleged involvement in the
against American targets. Such attacks are credible. 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers Air Force bar-
In August 2002, dozens of Al Qaeda videotapes were racks near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The attack, attrib-
obtained by the U.S. media, revealing images of uted to the Saudi Hezbollah organization, killed 19
chemical gas experiments on dogs, lessons on making U.S. military service members and wounded approxi-
explosives, and terrorist training tactics. mately 500.
Armed with deep pockets, modern technology, On June 21, 2001, the United States indicted
and an unwavering hatred toward the West, intelli- al-Yacoub and 13 others for this bombing. The indict-
gence sources report that Al Qaeda continues to share ment claimed that al-Yacoub, who was born in Tarut,
resources and reconstitute for the next wave of Saudi Arabia, was a prominent member of Saudi
attacks. Hezbollah during the 1990s and that he was involved
in recruiting new members and in planning and exe-
See also ABU SAYYAF GROUP; OSAMA BIN LADEN; cuting terror attacks. Al-Yacoub is also said to have
EAST AFRICAN EMBASSY BOMBINGS; FATWA; SEPTEMBER worked as a liaison between his organization and
11 ATTACKS; TALIBAN; U.S.S. COLE BOMBING; RAMZI the Lebanese and Iranian branches of Hezbollah.
AHMED YOUSEF Members of Saudi Hezbollah, also called Hezbollah
al-Hijaz, are mostly Shiite Muslim young men whose
Further Reading loyalty is to Iran, not to Saudi Arabia. The indictment
states that, about three years before the bombing,
Bergen, Peter L. Holy War, Inc.: Inside the Secret World of Ahmad Ibrahim al-Mughassil, the head of Saudi
Osama bin Laden. New York: Free Press, 2001.
Eggen, Dan, and Bob Woodward. “U.S. Develops Clearer Hezbollah’s military wing, instructed al-Yacoub and
Picture of Plot: Hijackers Spent $500,000; at Least 4 several others to begin gathering information on U.S.
Trained in Afghan Camps.” Washington Post, September nationals and interests in Saudi Arabia. Al-Yacoub
29, 2001, A1. directed other members to survey possible locations
Frontline. “Hunting bin Laden.” PBS. http://www.pbs.org/ for an attack that would drive the United States from
wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/, May 1, 2002. the country.