Press Release 20100401-01
April 1, 2010

BAGHDAD – Several recent joint Iraqi-U.S. security operations have resulted in the deaths or arrests of at least six suspected senior al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) leaders who greatly contributed to funding the terrorist group by their involvement in a highly-organized extortion and assassination ring based in the northern-Iraq city of Mosul.

Each joint security operation was conducted pursuant to a warrant issued by an Iraqi judge, in accordance with the Security Agreement and in coordination with the Iraqi government.

The six captured or killed suspected AQI leaders included the overall AQI emir of northern Iraq, the economic security emir, the minister of oil, the deputy minister of oil, the Mosul oil extortion emir, and the wali of Mosul. Without these individuals in the AQI network, it is expected that AQI’s ability to operate and restructure will be severely hindered.  

The overall AQI emir of northern Iraq was killed on March 18 after firing a handgun at a joint security team composed of 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, Iraqi Army soldiers and U.S. advisors. Identified as Khalid Muhammad Hasan Shallub al-Juburi, also known as Shaykh Khalid, the suspected overall AQI emir of northern Iraq is responsible for distributing AQI’s finances collected in that region in addition to playing an integral role in approving AQI operations and attacks.

On March 23, a joint security team comprised of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, Iraqi Army and U.S. advisors shot and killed Abu Ahmad Al-Afri, also known as Abu Marwa, who was the suspected AQI economic security emir, after he fired a pistol at the security team. It is believed that al-Afri’s duties in AQI included receiving and accounting for all money collected by subordinate units of the terrorist group in northern Iraq. In addition, Al-Afri has a long history of involvement in extortion to fund terrorist activities throughout northern Iraq and had been arrested previously for these activities in 2007.

A separate security operation conducted the morning of March 24 by the 9th Iraqi Army and U.S. advisors netted the arrests of 12 people, including the suspected top three oil-extortion personalities for AQI.

The top three extortion personalities arrested by the 9th Iraqi Army included the suspected minister of oil for AQI, the deputy minister of oil and the oil extortion emir for Mosul. In addition to managing the extortion of oil companies and small businesses throughout northern Iraq, these three individual are believed to have maintained close associations with the top leaders of AQI and their couriers. Since at least 2005, the suspected AQI oil minister is known to have held a variety of senior level AQI leadership positions, including emir of Haditha and overall Anbar emir.

The suspected wali of Mosul was killed the afternoon of March 24 after firing a handgun at a joint security team of 3rd Brigade, 1st Division Iraqi Army soldiers and U.S. advisors. Credible intelligence indicated that Bashar Khalaf Husyan Ali al Jaburi, also known as Dhafir and Abu Huda, was heavily involved in coordinating and approving attacks and assassinations, many of which were related to AQI’s extortion operations.

The capture of all six AQI extortion and assassination-network leaders in the last two weeks will likely greatly disrupt AQI operations and prevent future attacks throughout Iraq. This is primarily because the money collected from extortion, and the extortion of oil companies in particular, comprises the bulk of AQI’s income, which is subsequently used to fund the terrorist group’s deadly attacks against the Iraqi people.

Iraqi Security Forces and U.S. advisors are committed to ensuring terrorists are captured and brought to justice under the Iraqi judicial system.

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