U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took another step in the global fight against terrorism, announcing the State Department’s intent to name Amir Muhammad Sa’id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
“He was previously active in al-Qaida in Iraq and is known for torturing innocent Yezidi religious minorities. He was named the leader of ISIS after we killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi last year.”
The designation blocks U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with the terrorist leader and freezes all property and interests subject to U.S. jurisdiction. This action will help expose and isolate al-Mawla and will complement law enforcement actions of other U.S. agencies and governments. The State Department will work closely with the Departments of Justice and Treasury in this action.
Al-Mawla also uses the aliases Hajji Abdallah, ‘Abdul Amir Muhammad Sa’id Salbi, and Abu-‘Umar al-Turkmani. Under the Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program, there is a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the identification or location of al-Mawla. It is likely that al-Mawla is in Syria or Iraq. The United States has asked other countries to take similar action through their own legal authorities.
The announcement is part of a larger, comprehensive effort to defeat ISIS that, in coordination with the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, has made significant progress. The effort is a whole-of-government approach that is helping to destroy ISIS in its safe havens, deny its ability to recruit foreign terrorist fighters, stifle its financial resources, counter terrorist propaganda, and stabilize liberated areas in Iraq and Syria.
“We’ve destroyed the caliphate,” said Secretary Pompeo. “And we remain committed to ISIS’s enduring defeat no matter who they designate as their leader.”