Today, the United States of America has authorized a $12 reward for Justice for two al-Qaida members based in Iran.
Reports say the Department’s Rewards for Justice program is offering rewards for information on two prominent Iran-based facilitators and financiers of the terrorist group al-Qaida.
The US notes that “key facilitators” are repesponsible in sending extremists to Iraq and Afghanistan.
US State Department set to provide $7 million for information on Muhsin al-Fadhli and $5 million for information on Adel Radi Saqr al-Wahabi al-Harbi.
The two members of Al-qaida reportedly facilitate the movement of funds and operatives through Iran on behalf of the al-Qaida terrorist network.
In addition, both men are wanted by Saudi authorities in connection with their terrorist activities.
Al-Fadhli is reported wanted by authorities in Kuwait on terrorism-related charges.
According to US States Department, Al-Qaida elements in Iran, led by al-Fadhli, are working to move fighters and money through Turkey to support al-Qaida-affiliated elements in Syria.
Al-Fadhli was born April 24, 1981 in Kuwait.
Adel Radi Saqr al-Wahabi al-Harbi is an Iran-based al-Qaida facilitator and deputy to al-Fadhli.
The Rewards for Justice program is administered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security. Since its inception in 1984, the program has paid more than $100 million to more than 70 persons who provided actionable information that put terrorists behind bars.
In August this year, with the recent release of “Country Reports on Terrorism 2011” by the US State Department, Counterterrorism Coordinator Daniel Benjamin said al-Qaida affiliates are increasing their overall operational ability in Arabian Peninsula despite suffering losses in 2011.
Besides the death of Usama bin Ladin and a number of other key al-Qaida operatives, millions of citizens throughout the Middle East advance peaceful public demands for change without any reference to al-Qaida’s incendiary world view.
Terrorists could still cause to significant disruptions for states undergoing very challenging democratic transitions, Mr. Benjamin added.
The report’s narrative notes, among other things, the continued weakening of the al-Qaida core in Pakistan, but inncreasing their overall operational ability which is particularly true of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.
The US is also increasingly concerned about Iran’s support for terrorism and Hezbollah’s activities as they’ve both stepped up their level of terrorist plotting over the past year and and are engaging in their most active and aggressive campaigns since the 1990s.
According to the National Counterterrorism Center, the total number of worldwide attacks in 2011 was more than 10,000 in 70 countries, resulting in more than 12,500 deaths.
More than 75 percent of the world’s attacks and deaths occurred in these regions.
Africa experienced 978 attacks in 2011, an 11.5 percent increase over the previous year, Mr. Benjamin reported.
Understanding the group’s strengths and weaknesses and the trajectory of its evolution are continuing critical challenges for us and will remain so in the years ahead, he noted.
In June this year, Yemeni city of Shuqra fell to government forces when Yemeni troops took control of the city.
Shuqra is the last major stronghold of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Abyan province to fall to government forces.
Reports say the Yemeni military launched an all-out offensive in July this year that resulted in the recapture of the towns of Jaar and Zinjibar.
The United States of America commend Yemeni military success against Al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula.
The United States commended the success of the Yemeni government, military, and people in re-taking important areas of southern Yemen, including the cities of Ja’ar and Zinjibar, from al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
After sustained Yemeni operations, AQAP no longer controls those cities.
Al-Qa’ida’s presence in Abyan has had a devastating impact on the citizens there and prevented the delivery of critical humanitarian assistance desperately needed by the Yemeni people.
