From time to time, the United States identifies certain individuals as crucial to the operation of terrorist organizations. Most often these are top leaders, or they help finance terrorist organizations. In all cases, these are people who have committed, or are deemed to pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism.
When such an individual is identified, the U.S. Government places that person's name on the Specially Designated Nationals List. His assets within U.S. reach are immediately frozen, and he is locked out of the global financial network. No U.S. citizen or company may conduct business with a designated individual. In this way, the United States disrupts financial support networks for terrorists and terrorist organizations.
In late April, the U.S. Department of State named ISIS operative Mubarak Mohammed A Alotaibi as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224. Although the 31-year-old Alotaibi is based in Syria, he is also second in command of ISIS’ branch in Saudi Arabia.
ISIS in Saudi Arabia was tagged by the U.S. State Department as a Globally Designated Terrorist Group in May of last year. Since late 2015, ISIS-Saudi Arabia has sporadically staged terrorist attacks, particularly against mosques and government security forces.
By designating their second in command, Mubarak Mohammed A Alotaibi, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, the United States is taking a decisive step toward disrupting the ability of ISIS to execute the group’s deadly agenda in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere.
