Abu Doha

Amar Makhlulif alias Abu Doha (Arabic: ابو ضحى‎) is an Algerian alleged to be member of the al-Qaeda and GSPC terrorist networks. He was arrested at London Heathrow Airport in February 2001 while attempting to travel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on a forged passport.[1][2] On 3 July 2008 the British bench released him from prison, under several security measures including a 22-hour-per-day curfew. Although the British press was forced to identified him only as "U", the other data about "U" identifies him clearly as Abu Doha.[3]

Wanted Status

Makhlulif is wanted in France[2] for being one of the masterminds of the Strasbourg cathedral bombing plot in Strasbourg, France. Another plotter, Slimane Khalfaoui, was picked up in the UK and extradicted to France, where he was convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.[4] Four more of Abu Doha's affiliates have been sentenced in Frankfurt, Germany to terms of from 10 to 12 years for that plot.[5] In reading the sentence, the judge said that Abu Doha had exhorted them to commit that attack.

Makhlulif is wanted in the United States, having been identified by Ahmed Ressam as the leader of the plot to bomb the Los Angeles airport during Christmas and millennium celebrations.[1][2]

Makhlulif is wanted in Italy over a plot to bomb the American embassy in Rome, in collaboration with al-Qaeda's cell in Milan, Italy.[2]

Makhlulif is alleged to have been an Al-Qaeda recruiter, and a trainer at, or even the founder of, al-Qaeda's Khalden training camp in Afghanistan,[6] and at least a cell leader in GSPC. Makhlulif is described in some reports[7][8] as the "paymaster" of al-Qaeda's London component.

"Makhlulif" is the name by which this person identifies himself to British immigration authorities.[1] It could be a false name or an erroneous transliteration of مخلوف, which is pronounced more like "Makhlouf". Two press reports (here at BBC Arabic News and here at Asharq Alawsat) do refer to Abu Doha as Amar Makhlouf.

References