Libyan Islamic Fighting Group

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) also known as Al-Jama’a al-Islamiyyah al-Muqatilah bi-Libya is the most powerful radical faction waging what they consider to be a holy war (jihad) against Colonel Moammar al-Qadhafi. Shortly after the 9-11 attacks, LIFG was banned worldwide (as an affiliate of al-Qaeda) by the UN 1267 Committee.^[1] On 7 February 2006 the UN embargoed five specific LIFG members and four corporations, all of whom had continued to operate in England until at least October 2005. Those nine are in the following table; the accusations are according to the US State Department.^[2]

Abd Al-Rahman Al-Faqih	عبد الرحمن الفقيه	Possibly the same person as the jihadist writer Abdul-Rahman Hasan.^[3] Wanted in Morocco in connection with the mass murders of 16 May 2003 in Casablanca.
Ghuma Abd'rabbah	غومه عبد الرباح	Trustee of the Sanabel terrorist charity, by which he transfered money and travel documents to terrorists abroad.
Abdulbaqi Mohammed Khaled	عبد الباقي محمد خالد	Trustee of the Sanabel terrorist charity; GIA affiliate.
Mohammed Benhammedi	محمد بن حامدي	Financier of LIFG.
Tahir Nasuf	طاهر ناصف	Previously of the Libyan GIA circle in the UK.
Sara Properties Limited		Source of some of Benhammedi's money.
Meadowbrook Investments Limited		Source of some of Benhammedi's money.
Ozlam Properties Limited		Source of some of Benhammedi's money.
Sanabel Relief Agency Limited		Alias SARA, a charity front by which LIFG transacted with other al-Qaeda components (including GICM) via its office in Kabul, prior to the fall of the Taliban.

LIGF was founded in the fall of 1995 by Libyans who had fought against Soviet forces in Afghanistan. It aims to establish an Islamic state in Libya and views the current regime as oppressive, corrupt and anti-Muslim, according to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. LIFG claimed responsibility for a failed assassination attempt against Qadhafi in February 1996, which was in part funded by MI6 according to David Shayler, and engaged Libyan security forces in armed clashes during the mid-to-late 1990s.^[4] They continue to target Libyan interests and may engage in sporadic clashes with Libyan security forces.^[5] They strongly deny any links with al-Qaeda and are keen to emphasize that LIFG has never carried out an attack outside Libya or against civilians.

On October 10, 2005, the United Kingdom's Home Office banned LIFG and fourteen other militant groups from operating in the UK. Under the United Kingdom's Terrorism Act 2000, being a member of a LIFG is punished by a 10-year prison term. The Financial Sanctions Unit of the Bank of England acting on behalf of HM Treasury issued the orders to freeze all their assets.^[6] The fourteen banned groups were:

Libyan Islamic Fighting Group
Groupe Islamique Combattant Marocain
Ansar al-Islam
Al Ittihad Al Islamia
Islamic Jihad Union
Ansar al-Sunna
Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin
Harakat ul-Mujahidin/Alami
Jundallah
Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan
Lashkar-e Jhangvi
Khuddam u-Islam
Jamaat ul Furquan
Harakat ul Jihad ul Islami
Harakat ul Islami (Bangladesh)

Mohammed Benhammedi lived and worked in Liverpool at the time of the UN sanction against him. Sergey Zakurko, the father to his Lithuanian mistress was suspended from his job at the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) for fear that the link could pose a security threat.^[7]

One of al-Qaeda's most senior members, Atiyah Abdul-Rahman, is purportedly a member of LIFG as well.^[8]

The "Summary of Evidence" from Mohammed Fenaitel Mohamed Al Daihani's Combatant Status Review Tribunal. states: "The Sanabal Charitable Committee is considered a fund raising front for the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group."^[9]