Ibrahim al-Asiri

Ibrahim al-Asiri
Born Riyadh
Citizenship Saudi Arabia
Known for being listed on the Saudi most wanted list; Suspected of being chief bomb-maker of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, responsible for making the bombs in his brother's suicide bombing, the 2009 Christmas Day bomb plot, and the 2010 cargo plane bomb plot
Home town Riyadh
Religion Muslim
Relatives Abdullah al-Asiri (younger brother)

Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri (1981- ) is a citizen of Saudi Arabia.[1] He is suspected of being chief bomb-maker of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, responsible for making the bombs in his brother's suicide bombing, the 2009 Christmas Day bomb plot, and the 2010 cargo plane bomb plot.

Contents

Biography

The Saudi Gazette reported that Ibrahim had been imprisoned and released. He reportedly left Saudi Arabia for Yemen together with his brother Abdullah Hassan Tali’ Asiri, who had recruited him to al-Qaeda, to join up with al-Qaeda members.[1]

On February 3, 2009, Ibrahim and his brother Abdullah were named on a list of Saudi Arabia's most wanted terrorist suspects.[2][3][4] The list published by the Government of Saudi Arabia listed 85 individuals, 83 of whom were Saudis, and 2 were from Yemen.

On August 27, 2009, Ibrahim's brother Abdullah blew himself up in the Jeddah office of security chief Saudi Prince Muhammad bin Nayef bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, after posing as a repentant militant.[1][5][6] Al-Asri had recruited his younger brother as a suicide bomber, using a PETN bomb that al-Asri had hidden in his brother's rectum.[7][8][9][10][11] The brother died in the attempt as he blew himself up, but Nayef survived with minor injuries.[8][12]

Ibrahim is suspected of being the main explosives expert for Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the bombmaker responsible for building the bombs in the 2010 cargo plane bomb plot.[13] He is a likely suspect due to his history of creating explosive devices using PETN, including his involvement in the failed Christmas Day bomb plot.[14] Evidence suggested the same person constructed both the Yemen parcel bombs and the device worn by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian who attempted to ignite the Christmas Day bomb on a plane in 2009. One of the detonators was nearly precisely the same as the one used in the Christmas Day attack.[15]

On 24 March 2011 he was added to the U.S. list of terrorists. He is wanted by the Government of Saudi Arabia and is the subject of an Interpol Orange Notice.[16][17]

Al-Asiri has been reported as possibly killed in a drone strike together with other AQAP suspects, amongst whom the American-Yemeni cleric Anwar al-Awlaki during the month of September 2011.[18] However a Yemeni official denied that he was killed.[19]

Family

The brothers' father is a retired soldier. They have three sisters, and two surviving brothers.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Abdullah Al-Oreifij (September 1, 2009). "Suicide bomber named". Saudi Gazette. Archived from the original on August 2, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.saudigazette.com.sa%2Findex.cfm%3Fmethod%3Dhome.regcon%26contentID%3D2009083148387&date=2009-09-01. Retrieved August 2, 2009. 
  2. ^ "Kingdom unveils list of 85 wanted militants abroad". Arab News. February 3, 2009. Archived from the original on September 10, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.arabnews.com%2F%3Fpage%3D1%26section%3D0%26article%3D118850%26d%3D3%26m%3D2%26y%3D2009&date=2009-09-10. 
  3. ^ "85 on Saudi wanted list of militants". Saudi Gazette. February 3, 2009. Archived from the original on February 4, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.saudigazette.com.sa%2Findex.cfm%3Fmethod%3Dhome.regcon%26contentID%3D2009020328293&date=2009-02-04. Retrieved February 3, 2009. 
  4. ^ Carol Rosenberg (February 2, 2009). "Saudi 'most wanted list' includes freed Guantánamo detainees". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on February 3, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.miamiherald.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fstory%2F884630.html&date=2009-02-03. 
  5. ^ Hammond, Andrew (August 30, 2009). "Saudi prince defends policy on militants". Reuters. Archived from the original on September 1, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2FlatestCrisis%2FidUSLU594154&date=2009-09-01. 
  6. ^ "Bizarre tale of Saudi bomber: Al-Qaida terrorist rode victim’s private jet". Metro US. August 30, 2009. Archived from the original on September 1, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.metro.us%2Fus%2Farticle%2F2009%2F08%2F31%2F03%2F2946-82%2Findex.xml&date=2009-09-01. 
  7. ^ "Passenger jets carried Dubai bomb". Al Jazeera. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/10/20101031144429122829.html. Retrieved November 1, 2010. 
  8. ^ a b Chris McGreal (October 31, 2010). "Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri: the prime bombmaking suspect". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/31/ibrahim-hassan-al-asiri-bombmaking-suspect. Retrieved November 1, 2010. 
  9. ^ Chris McGreal in Washington and Vikram Dodd (October 31, 2010). "Cargo bombs plot: US hunts Saudi extremist". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/31/cargo-bombs-plot-us-saudi-extremist. Retrieved November 1, 2010. 
  10. ^ Mazzetti, Mark; Worth, Robert (November 1, 2010). "Bomb investigations lead to al-Qaeda in Yemen". Smh.com.au. http://www.smh.com.au/world/bomb-investigations-lead-to-alqaeda-in-yemen-20101031-178zt.html?autostart=1. Retrieved November 1, 2010. 
  11. ^ Font size Print E-mail Share 33 Comments (November 1, 2010). "Saudi Bombmaker Key Suspect in Yemen Plot". CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/11/01/world/main7010288.shtml. Retrieved November 2, 2010. 
  12. ^ (AP). "US officials: Bombmaker in Yemen a key suspect". Associated Press. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hZKT9uh54phAs67mOWzAND0Y8EyA?docId=84288889311e4940934df37069457797. Retrieved November 1, 2010. 
  13. ^ "Cargo bombs plot: US hunts Saudi extremist". London: The Guardian. October 31, 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/31/cargo-bombs-plot-us-saudi-extremist. Retrieved October 31, 2010. 
  14. ^ "Al-Qaeda plot: flight ban on freight from Somalia". London: Telegraph. November 1, 2010. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/8102883/Al-Qaeda-plot-flight-ban-on-freight-from-Somalia.html. Retrieved November 1, 2010. 
  15. ^ Frank Gardner (November 1, 2010). "Saudi man 'key suspect' in jet bomb plot, says US". BBC News. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11663381. Retrieved November 1, 2010. 
  16. ^ Department of State's Terrorist Designation of Ibrahim Hassan Tali Al-Asiri, U.S. Department of State, 24 March 2011
  17. ^ US designates al-Qaida bomb maker as a terrorist, AP, Chicago Tribune, 24 March 2011
  18. ^ Top al Qaeda bombmaker dead in drone strike, CBS News, September 30, 2011
  19. ^ Official: Al-Qaida in Yemen bomb maker not killed in Al-Awlaki strike, Associated Press in Washington Post, October 2, 2011

External links