[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 152 (Friday, December 12, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1824-E1825]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ABD AL-BASET AZZOUZ
______
HON. MARC A. VEASEY
of texas
in the house of representatives
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in order to commend the recent
intelligence partnership between the United States and the country of
Turkey that led to the apprehension and eventual transfer into U.S.
custody of a senior Al Qaeda operative, Abd al-Baset Azzouz.
The State Department of the United States listed Azzouz as a
``Specially Designated Global Terrorist'' pursuant to Executive Order
13224 on September 24, 2014. Additionally, the State Department states
that Azzouz ``has had a presence in Afghanistan, the United Kingdom,
and Libya. He was sent to Libya in 2011 by al-Qa'ida leader Ayman al-
Zawahiri to build a fighting force there, and mobilized approximately
200 fighters. He is considered a key operative capable of training al-
Qa'ida recruits in a variety of skills, such as IED construction.''
I am encouraged by this positive development between Turkey and the
United States and hope that this event indicates a growing partnership
between our countries that will result in a common military strategy
against hostile elements in Iraq and Syria. While no international
relationship is perfect, there is already
[[Page E1825]]
a large amount of cooperation that exists between the U.S. and allies
like Turkey and it is critical that we continue to grow our existing
partnerships in this important region as well as forge new ones.
It is important that we recognize and commend this very positive
incident of counterterrorism cooperation between the U.S. and Turkey,
as well as do all that we can to encourage these efforts to continue.
Finally, I submit the recent articles from the Washington Post and
International Business Times.
[From the Washington Post, Dec. 5, 2014]
Suspected Al-Qaeda Member Held in Jordan as U.S. Investigates Possible
Benghazi Link
(By Adam Goldman and Karen DeYoung)
A suspected member of al-Qaeda who had recently been
designated a global terrorist by the United States has been
detained in Jordan. The United States is also investigating
whether he played a role in the September 2012 attacks on
U.S. facilities in Benghazi. U.S. officials, who spoke on the
condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation,
identified the man as Abd al-Baset Azzouz, a Libyan national.
Details about his capture and what charges he could face in
the United States remain unclear. Turkish news media reported
that Azzouz was captured Nov. 13 in an operation in Yalova,
which is about 100 miles south of Istanbul, and that he was
later deported to Jordan.
Turkey's Daily Sabah newspaper said the CIA provided the
tip that led to his arrest. The CIA declined to comment.
In recent years, the Obama administration has brought a
number of alleged terrorists to this country after capture by
the U.S. or through extradition. Azzouz has not been named in
any public statements or reports about those sought in
connection with the Benghazi attacks. Although the State
Department designated Azzouz as a terrorist, it is not known
if there are any criminal charges against him that would
facilitate his extradition to the United States.
A likely venue for any criminal proceedings would be
federal court in New York. FBI spokesman Peter Donald in New
York declined to comment. One official stressed that U.S.
intelligence was still examining whether Azzouz had a role in
the Benghazi attacks that killed U.S. Ambassador J.
Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.
In September, the State Department designated Azzouz a
global terrorist. The State Department said he has also lived
in Afghanistan and Britain.
As part of the designation, the United States said Azzouz
was sent home by al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in 2011 to
build a fighting force in Libya, mobilizing about 200
fighters.
``He is considered a key operative capable of training al-
Qaeda recruits in a variety of skills, such as IED
[improvised explosive device] construction,'' according to
the State Department.
Seth Jones, an analyst at the Rand Corp., said Azzouz
probably has minimal information about where Zawahiri is
hiding but could provide a clearer picture of the terrorist
groups operating in Libya.
``He's got a lot of information that could be useful on how
al-Qaeda is structured, its broader strategy and
operations,'' he said.
Azzouz isn't the first known al-Qaeda operative suspected
of going to Libya in recent years.
Officials said there was intelligence that Thirwat Shihata,
an Egyptian who was Zawahiri's deputy at one point, traveled
to Libya after he was allowed to leave Iran, where he had
been since 2003.
Azzouz lived in Britain and was known to police but left
the country in 2009 for Pakistan and Afghanistan. Authorities
in Britain had briefly detained Azzouz before letting him go,
according to news reports.
____
[From International Business Times, Dec. 4, 2014]
Al Qaeda Leader Abd Al-Baset Azzouz, Accused of Participation in
Benghazi Attack, Reportedly Awaiting Trial in US
(By Alessandria Masi)
A senior al Qaeda leader accused of participating in the
attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya, was arrested
in Turkey last month. The Libya-based terrorist leader was
transferred to Jordan and subsequently to the U.S., where he
is now awaiting trial, according to the Turkish Hurriyet
Daily News.
A joint CIA and Turkish intelligence operation led to Abd
al-Baset Azzouz's capture when he attempted to enter Turkey
with a fake passport, according to a report from Turkish
daily Milliyet. Azzouz is a senior member of al Qaeda's
branch in Libya and allegedly had a role in the bombing that
killed U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and U.S.
Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith on
Sept. 11, 2012.
The CIA declined to comment on its alleged involvement in
the operation and the Department of Defense did not
immediately confirm Azzouz's continued presence in the U.S.
A man by that name was put on the U.S. State Department's
Designated Terrorist List in September and described as a
``key operative capable of training al Qaeda recruits in a
variety of skills, such as IED [improvised explosive device]
construction.'' Azzouz's name was also presented to the House
Committee on Foreign Affairs last year on a list of people it
did not ``make sense to consider anything but `core' al Qaeda
members.''
Azzouz was detained for nearly 10 months in the U.K. in
2006. Upon his release, he moved to Libya at the request of
al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, according to Hurriyet. Al-
Zawahiri reportedly sent him to Libya to open a training camp
and recruit fighters, a move that ``indicates that senior al
Qaeda leaders trust him to carry out the strategic task of
establishing an al Qaeda network in Libya,'' according to a
2012 report from the Federal Research Division of the Library
of Congress.
Libyan jihadist group Ansar al-Sharia has been widely held
accountable for the deadly Benghazi attack, but the group
said in a statement that it ``didn't participate as a sole
entity.'' Ansar al-Sharia has a strong presence in Benghazi
and is ``ideologically aligned'' with al Qaeda, according to
the State Department. The group also has a branch in the
Libyan port city of Derna, where Azzouz allegedly set up his
training camp.
Derna has long been a jihadist battleground and is home to
several groups, including the Islamic Youth Shura Council,
which recently pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.
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