The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Most Wanted Terrorists is a list of fugitives who have been indicted by sitting Federal grand juries in the United States district courts, for alleged crimes of terrorism. The initial list was formed in late 2001 in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and contained the names of 22 terrorists. It was the second major "wanted" list following the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. It now serves as a companion to that earlier list, which in years past, had listed several major terrorist fugitives. As of June 12, 2011, 28 terrorists remain on the list.[1] with 9 having designated bounties.[2]
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In response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, former President Bush released to the public this initial list on October 10, 2001 of the FBI's top 22 Most Wanted Terrorists. The 22 terrorists chosen by the FBI to be profiled on the list had all been earlier indicted for acts of terrorism between the years 1985 and 1998. All 22 remained fugitives from justice as of October 2001. Of the 22 fugitives, only Osama bin Laden was by then already listed on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.
On the fugitive group wanted poster, The FBI did not list the terrorist fugitives in any particular stated order, except perhaps for the consistent placing of bin Laden in the number one position of the top row. However, the 22 fugitives can easily fit into distinct categories of terrorist attacks over the two decades, based on each fugitive's indictment history. For organization and ease of reference here, the relevant major terrorist attacks are listed by date below, with a brief summary for each, identifying the terror cells most directly responsible for the attack. The 22 fugitives on the list are then grouped beneath the attack for which each terrorist was first indicted.[3]
| Photo | Name | Terrorist Activity | Date of Activity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imad Mughniyah | TWA Flight 847 | June 14, 1985 | Deceased | |
| Assassinated in a car bombing on February 12, 2008 in Damascus.;[4] no longer listed as of April 24, 2008. | ||||
| Hassan Izz-Al-Din | TWA Flight 847 | June 14, 1985 | At large | |
| One of the nine most wanted terrorists.[2] Rewards for Justice offering $5 million for information leading to his capture or conviction.[5] | ||||
| Ali Atwa | TWA Flight 847 | June 14, 1985 | At large | |
| Wanted for his role in the hijacking in which he assaulted various members of the plane's passengers and crew, and killed one U.S. citizen. Thought to be living in Lebanon.[6] One of the nine most wanted terrorists.[2] Rewards for Justice offering $5 million for information leading to his capture or conviction.[5] | ||||
| Abdul Rahman Yasin | 1993 World Trade Center bombing | February 26, 1993 | At large | |
| Constructed bombs in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Yasin was allegedly a prisoner of Saddam Hussein in 2002, but has since gone missing from Iraq. | ||||
| Khalid Sheikh Mohammed | Bojinka plot | 1994–1995 | Captured | |
| Captured in Pakistan on March 1, 2003; no longer listed as of February 23, 2006. | ||||
| Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Mughassil | Khobar Towers bombing | June 25, 1996 | At large | |
| Ali Saed Bin Ali El-Hoorie | Khobar Towers bombing | June 25, 1996 | At large | |
| Ibrahim Salih Mohammed Al-Yacoub | Khobar Towers bombing | June 25, 1996 | At large | |
| Abdelkarim Hussein Mohamed Al-Nasser | Khobar Towers bombing | June 25, 1996 | At large | |
| Mohammed Atef | 1998 United States embassy bombings | August 7, 1998 | Deceased | |
| Killed in Afghanistan on November 14, 2001 by a Predator missile attack on his home outside of Kabul; no longer listed as of February 23, 2006. | ||||
| Osama bin Laden | 1998 United States embassy bombings | August 7, 1998 | Deceased | |
| Killed by U.S. Navy Seals in a mansion in Abbottabad, Pakistan; announced dead May 2, 2011.[7][8] He was wanted for his claimed responsibility in the September 11, 2001 attacks.[9] He was placed on the Most Wanted Terrorists list for his involvement in the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.[3] | ||||
| Ayman Al-Zawahiri | 1998 United States embassy bombings | August 7, 1998 | At large | |
| Al-Qaeda's No.1. Ayman al-Zawahiri is under indictment in the United States for this role in the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya. One of the nine most wanted terrorists.[2] The Rewards for Justice Program of the U.S. Department of State is offering a reward of up to US$25 million for information about his location and capture.[5] | ||||
| Fazul Abdullah Mohammed | 1998 United States embassy bombings | August 7, 1998 | Deceased | |
| Reports surfaced on June 11, 2011 that he was killed in Somalia.[10] Kenyan police stated, through DNA testing, that they were certain he was killed by Somalian forces on June 8.[10] Officially listed as deceased on the FBI website by June 12.[5] | ||||
| Mustafa Mohamed Fadhil | 1998 United States embassy bombings | August 7, 1998 | Reportedly Captured | |
| Reportedly captured and was removed from the FBI Most Wanted Terrorist List in 2004.[11] Though his status is uncertain,[11] Fadhil remains off the list.[5] | ||||
| Fahid Mohammed Ally Msalam | 1998 United States embassy bombings | August 7, 1998 | Deceased | |
| Killed January 1, 2009, in an unmanned predator strike in Pakistan along with Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan.[12] No longer listed as of November 24, 2009. | ||||
| Ahmed Ghailani | 1998 United States embassy bombings | August 7, 1998 | Captured | |
| Captured in Pakistan on July 25, 2004; no longer listed as of February 23, 2006. | ||||
| Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan | 1998 United States embassy bombings | August 7, 1998 | Deceased | |
| Killed January 1, 2009, in an unmanned aerial strike in Pakistan along with Fahid Mohammed Ali Musallam.[12] No longer listed as of November 24, 2009. | ||||
| Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah | 1998 United States embassy bombings | August 7, 1998 | At large | |
| One of the nine most wanted terrorists.[2] Rewards for Justice offering $5 million for information leading to his capture or conviction.[5] | ||||
| Anas Al-Liby | 1998 United States embassy bombings | August 7, 1998 | At large | |
| Saif al-Adel.jpg | Saif Al-Adel | 1998 United States embassy bombings | August 7, 1998 | At large |
| Ahmed Mohammed Hamed Ali | 1998 United States embassy bombings | August 7, 1998 | At large | |
| Reported as killed in 2010 in Pakistan by the National Counterterrorism Center.[13][14] Still listed as "wanted". | ||||
| Mushin Musa Matwalli Atwah | 1998 United States embassy bombings | August 7, 1998 | Deceased | |
| Killed April 12, 2006 along with 6 other militants by Pakistani forces in a helicopter gunship raid on the village of Naghar Kalai near the Afghan border. Villagers reported that armed men removed the bodies.[15] Was removed from the list by October 20, 2006; Atwah's death was confirmed by US officials on October 24, 2006, following DNA testing.[16] | ||||
Whereas the Most Wanted Terrorists list is reserved for terrorist fugitives who have been indicted by federal grand juries, the FBI recognized a further need to achieve a much quicker response time in order to prevent any future attacks which may be in the current planning stages. To enlist the public's help in this effort, the FBI sought a way to deliver the early known suspected terror attack information, often very limited, out to the public as quickly as possible. So, on January 17, 2002, the third major FBI wanted list was first released, which has now become known as the FBI Seeking Information – War on Terrorism list.
As the name of this list implies, the FBI's intent is to acquire any critical information from the public, as soon as possible, about the suspected terrorists, who may be in the planning stages of terror attacks against United States nationals at home and abroad. The first such list profiled five terrorists about whom little was known, but who were suspected of plotting terrorist attacks in martyrdom operations. The main evidence against the five was five videos they had produced, as found in the rubble of Mohammed Atef's destroyed home outside Kabul, Afghanistan.
By 2006, more than four years had passed since the FBI had listed the original 22 terrorist fugitives on the Most Wanted Terrorist list. Of those 22, by then four had been qualified for removal from the list, due to death or capture. Also by then, some new high profile terrorists had qualified to be listed as Most Wanted Terrorists under FBI guidelines. Some of these new fugitives were wanted for indictments in attacks and plots that had taken place since the original list had been compiled. The original indictments had been for incidents only through 1998. But since then, the U.S. had become victim to at least two major terror attacks, which would generate some of the new indictments for the Most Wanted Terrorists, notably:
In addition, after the original 2001 list had been compiled and released to the public, the U.S. had foiled and issued indictments for numerous other plots, involving some new listed Most Wanted Terrorists. Those notable other plots involved:[17]
In February 2006, the FBI completed two groups of additions to the Most Wanted Terrorists list, the first such additions in over four years. On February 24, 2006, the day after adding two name to the list, the FBI added an additional six fugitive terrorists, for various plots and attacks. One of the entries was for an indictment dating back to the June 14, 1985, hijacking of TWA flight 847 by Hezbollah (see above).
Additionally, the FBI also added to the Seeking Information – War on Terrorism list an additional three persons, most notably, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the notorious leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.[18] This marked the first time that al-Zarqawi had appeared on any of the three major FBI wanted lists. On June 8, 2006, ABC News reported that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was confirmed to have been killed in Baghdad in a bombing raid by a United States task force. His death was confirmed by multiple sources in Iraq, including the United States government. Al-Zarqawi has often been confused with Ayman al-Zawahiri, who is one of the original FBI Most Wanted Terrorists on the list since 2001.
| Photo | Name | Terrorist Activity | Date of Activity | Date Added to List | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamal Ahmad Mohammad Al Badawi | USS Cole bombing | October 12, 2000 | February 23, 2006 | At large | |
| One of the nine most wanted terrorists.[2] Rewards for Justice offering $5 million for information leading to his capture or conviction.[5] | |||||
| Jaber A. Elbaneh | Buffalo Six | Sometime in 2002 | February 23, 2006 | Captured | |
| Captured in Yemen on May 20, 2007.[19] However, he was not taken into US custody and is still listed as wanted as of September 5, 2011. | |||||
| Mohammed Ali Hamadei | TWA Flight 847 | June 14, 1985 | February 24, 2006 | At large | |
| One of the nine most wanted terrorists.[2] Rewards for Justice offering $5 million for information leading to his capture or conviction.[5] | |||||
| Ramadan Abdullah Mohammad Shallah | Palestinian Islamic Jihad, on RICO | Since 1995 | February 24, 2006 | At large | |
| Abd Al Aziz Awda | Palestinian Islamic Jihad, on RICO | Since 1995 | February 24, 2006 | At large | |
| Khadafi Abubakar Janjalani | Abu Sayyaf kidnaps & murders in the Philippines | Early 1990s - 2000s (decade) | February 24, 2006 | Deceased | |
| Died of gunshot wounds on September 4, 2006. Philippine marines found the remains of his body on December 27, 2006. Death was confirmed by DNA testing on January 20, 2007[20] Listed as deceased as of January 22, 2007. Removed from list as of February 21. | |||||
| Isnilon Totoni Hapilon | Abu Sayyaf kidnaps & murders in the Philippines | Early 1990s - 2000s (decade) | February 24, 2006 | At large | |
| Adam Yahiye Gadahn | Treason | 2003–Present | October 11, 2006 | At large | |
| Gadahn was removed by the FBI from the Seeking Information - War on Terrorism list on October 11, 2006, and placed instead on the FBI Most Wanted Terrorists list.[21] Also, on October 11, 2006, Gadahn was indicted on a treason charge by a federal grand jury in Santa Ana, California making him the first American charged with treason since 1952.[22] One of the nine most wanted terrorists.[2] Rewards for Justice offering $1 million for information leading to his capture.[5] | |||||
| Daniel Andreas San Diego | Chiron and Shaklee bombings | August 28, 2003 September 26, 2003 |
April 11, 2009 | At large | |
| San Diego was added to the FBI Most Wanted Terrorists list in connection with two Animal Liberation Brigade bombings in Northern California in 2003. He is the second United States citizen, and the first domestic terrorist, to appear on the list.[23] One of the nine most wanted terrorists,[2] the FBI is offering $250,000.00 for information leading to his arrest.[5] | |||||
| Fahd Mohammed Ahmed al-Quso | USS Cole bombing | October 12, 2000 | November 2, 2009 | At large | |
| Sought for his role in the October 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen, in which 17 American sailors were killed.[24] One of the nine most wanted terrorists.[2] Rewards for Justice offering $5 million for information leading to his capture or conviction [5] | |||||
| Husayn Muhammed al-Umari | Pan Am Flight 830 Bombing | August 11, 1982 | November 2, 2009 | At large | |
| Also known as Abu Ibrahim, is wanted in connection with the 1982 bombing of Pan Am Flight 830.[24][25] | |||||
| Wadoud Muhammad Hafiz Al-Turki | Pan Am Flight 73 | September 5, 1986 | December 3, 2009 | At large | |
| Wanted for his role in the hijacking of Pan American World Airways Flight 73.[26] | |||||
| Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim.jpg | Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim | Pan Am Flight 73 | September 5, 1986 | December 3, 2009 | At large/Deceased? [27] |
| Wanted for his role in the hijacking of Pan American World Airways Flight 73.[26] | |||||
| Muhammad Abdullah Khalil Hussain Ar-Rahayyal | Pan Am Flight 73 | September 5, 1986 | December 3, 2009 | At large | |
| Wanted for his role in the hijacking of Pan American World Airways Flight 73.[26] | |||||
| Muhammad Ahmed Al-Munawar | Pan Am Flight 73 | September 5, 1986 | December 3, 2009 | At large | |
| Wanted for his role in the hijacking of Pan American World Airways Flight 73.[26] | |||||
| Adnan Gulshair el Shukrijumah | New York City Subway suicide bomb planning | September 2009 | July 8, 2010 | At large | |
| Wanted for his alleged role in the plot against New York City's subway system, uncovered in September 2009.[28] | |||||
Since 1984, the United States government has also used the Rewards for Justice Program, which pays monetary rewards of up to $5 million, or now, in some cases more, upon special authorization by the United States Secretary of State, to individuals who provide information which substantially leads to countering of terrorist attacks against United States persons. More than $100 million had been paid to over 60 people through this program.[29]
The Rewards for Justice Program was established by the 1984 Act to Combat International Terrorism, Public Law 98-533, and is administered by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, within the U.S. Department of State.[29]