Ahmed Refai Taha
Encyclopedia
The Egyptian Refa'i Ahmed Taha or Refa'i Ahmed Taha Musa or Ahmed Refa'i Taha, alias Abu Yasser al-Masri (
أبو ياسر المصري
), is the former leader
of a terrorist component of al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya
, having succeeded "The Blind Sheikh" Omar Abdel-Rahman
in that role after the latter's arrest in 1993 and imprisonment for life in 1995. He was one of 14 people subjected to extraordinary rendition
by the CIA prior to the 2001 declaration of a War on Terror
.
The list of banned entities maintained by the US Treasury Department
puts his date of birth at 24 June 1954, and lists additional aliases of his, including 'Issam 'Ali Muhammad 'Abd Allah, (
عصام علي محمد عبد الله
). He is named as an undicted co-conspirator in the current indictment of 21 members of al-Qaeda
and affiliated groups, for various roles in the 1998 United States embassy bombings
in Africa. Earlier in 1998, Taha was one of five people who signed, or are alleged to have signed, a threatening so-called fatwa against the United States and Israel and their civilians; the other signatories included Osama bin Laden
and Ayman al-Zawahiri
; see Fatāwā of Osama bin Laden
. In 2000, Taha appeared in a video with bin Laden and al-Zawahiri which threatened a violence over the imprisonment of Omar Abdel-Rahman.
Taha was also wanted in his native Egypt
, where he had been sentenced to death in the 1999 case of the Returnees from Albania
. In October of 2001 Taha was arrested at the Damascus airport
(after fleeing the post-9/11
invasion of Afghanistan
, quite probably) and quietly extradited to Egypt. Al-Qaeda claimed in 2006 that he is still alive in custody while some other al-Qaeda propaganda still holds up Abdel-Rahman (who is in prison, in ADX Florence
) as the "spiritual" leader of the Egyptian side of that body. Official sources have not revealed where Taha is, or even whether he is still alive.
أبو ياسر المصري
), is the former leader
Leader
A leader is one who influences or leads others.Leader may also refer to:- Newspapers :* Leading article, a piece of writing intended to promote an opinion, also called an editorial* The Leader , published 1909–1967...
of a terrorist component of al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya
Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya
Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya is an Egyptian Islamist movement, and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union and Egyptian governments...
, having succeeded "The Blind Sheikh" Omar Abdel-Rahman
Omar Abdel-Rahman
Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman , commonly known in the United States as "The Blind Sheikh", is a blind Egyptian Muslim leader who is currently serving a life sentence at the Butner Medical Center which is part of the Butner Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina, United...
in that role after the latter's arrest in 1993 and imprisonment for life in 1995. He was one of 14 people subjected to extraordinary rendition
Extraordinary rendition
Extraordinary rendition is the abduction and illegal transfer of a person from one nation to another. "Torture by proxy" is used by some critics to describe situations in which the United States and the United Kingdom have transferred suspected terrorists to other countries in order to torture the...
by the CIA prior to the 2001 declaration of a War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
.
The list of banned entities maintained by the US Treasury Department
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
puts his date of birth at 24 June 1954, and lists additional aliases of his, including 'Issam 'Ali Muhammad 'Abd Allah, (
عصام علي محمد عبد الله
). He is named as an undicted co-conspirator in the current indictment of 21 members of al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
and affiliated groups, for various roles in the 1998 United States embassy bombings
1998 United States embassy bombings
The 1998 United States embassy bombings were a series of attacks that occurred on August 7, 1998, in which hundreds of people were killed in simultaneous truck bomb explosions at the United States embassies in the East African capitals of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya. The date of the...
in Africa. Earlier in 1998, Taha was one of five people who signed, or are alleged to have signed, a threatening so-called fatwa against the United States and Israel and their civilians; the other signatories included Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
and Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri is an Egyptian physician, Islamic theologian and current leader of al-Qaeda. He was previously the second and last "emir" of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, having succeeded Abbud al-Zumar in the latter role when Egyptian authorities sentenced al-Zumar to life...
; see Fatāwā of Osama bin Laden
Fatawā of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden wrote what is referred to as a fatwā in August 1996, and was one of several signatories of another and shorter fatwa in February 1998. Both documents appeared initially in the Arabic-language London newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi...
. In 2000, Taha appeared in a video with bin Laden and al-Zawahiri which threatened a violence over the imprisonment of Omar Abdel-Rahman.
Taha was also wanted in his native Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, where he had been sentenced to death in the 1999 case of the Returnees from Albania
Returnees from Albania
The case of the Returnees from Albania was a massive criminal trial in an Egyptian military court from February to April 1999. The trial is one of the principal sources of information about Sunni terrorist groups in the 1990s, especially al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya and its offshoot Egyptian Islamic...
. In October of 2001 Taha was arrested at the Damascus airport
Damascus International Airport
Damascus International Airport is a public airport located in Damascus, the capital of Syria. Officially opened in the mid 1970s, DAM is Syria's busiest international airport. The airport is experiencing significant annual passenger growth rates...
(after fleeing the post-9/11
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
invasion of Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
, quite probably) and quietly extradited to Egypt. Al-Qaeda claimed in 2006 that he is still alive in custody while some other al-Qaeda propaganda still holds up Abdel-Rahman (who is in prison, in ADX Florence
ADX Florence
The United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility is a supermax prison for men that is located in unincorporated Fremont County, Colorado, United States, south of Florence. It is unofficially known as ADX Florence, Florence ADMAX, Supermax, or The Alcatraz of the Rockies...
) as the "spiritual" leader of the Egyptian side of that body. Official sources have not revealed where Taha is, or even whether he is still alive.