Mohammed Loay Bayazid
Encyclopedia
Born in Syria, Mohammed Loay Bayazid is an American citizen alleged to have been a founding member of al-Qaeda
, although he has cooperated with American authorities and claims his role in the group has been over-stated.
He was alleged to have been sympathetic to Shi'ites, and tried to foster better relationships between a variety of Sunni extremist groups with Imad Mughniyah of Hezbollah.
at University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1982, but he later moved to Tucson
, and studied at the University of Arizona
. He is believed to speak Persian, Chinese, Arabic and English fluently.
In 1985, he decided to join the mujahideen
repelling the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Two years later, bin Laden wrote him a letter explaining that Abu Abdel Lateef may come spend the night with him prior to his flight to Yemen, and asked him to visit the Yemeni embassy to check whether a Saudi would need a visa to fly to Yemen; he also asked that Bayazid try to bring 500,000 Rupees when they next met.
He ran Al-Ikhlas International, an import/export company producing honey and other consumables believed to have been owned by bin Laden.
Bin Laden sent a letter to Bayazid informing him that Mohammed Atef
and Abu Ubaidah al-Banshiri
were to each be given 6,500 Saudi riyal
s monthly, the same as they would have been given for their work in Maktab al-Khidamat. Bayazid is believed to have recruited his friend Mubarak al-Duri
into working for bin Laden's companies.
The FBI claims that Bayazid was part of a team sent to try to obtain weapons-grade uranium
; Bayazid reportedly telling a colleague about how he and another man had "tried to purchase uranium and were hustled out of $100,000"
He allegedly held a bank account with Bank Shaml, and supplied weapons to Defaa al Shabi. Other allegations suggest he travelled to China, Japan or Hong Kong with Abu Hajer al-Iraqi in 1990 to facilitate the purchase of communications equipment for the Sudanese government.
. On December 16, 1994, Mohammed Jamal Khalifa
travelled to the United States to meet with Bayazid, who was then helping to lead BIF - both were arrested, although Bayazid was released almost immediately.
In 2002, the CIA sent Rolf Mowatt-Larssen to again interview al-Duri and Bayazid, to see if they could be made to defect
and aid the United States in its War on Terror
, but both refused.
In 2003 he met with author Lawrence Wright
to provide information for his book The Looming Tower
. That year, American courts ruled that the government had been remiss in not providing exculpatory evidence casting doubt on their claims of Bayazid's importance within 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...
, although he has cooperated with American authorities and claims his role in the group has been over-stated.
He was alleged to have been sympathetic to Shi'ites, and tried to foster better relationships between a variety of Sunni extremist groups with Imad Mughniyah of Hezbollah.
Life in the United States
Bayazid moved to the United States with his parents, as a teenager, and began studying engineeringEngineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
at University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1982, but he later moved to Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, and studied at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
. He is believed to speak Persian, Chinese, Arabic and English fluently.
In 1985, he decided to join the mujahideen
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
repelling the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Two years later, bin Laden wrote him a letter explaining that Abu Abdel Lateef may come spend the night with him prior to his flight to Yemen, and asked him to visit the Yemeni embassy to check whether a Saudi would need a visa to fly to Yemen; he also asked that Bayazid try to bring 500,000 Rupees when they next met.
Life in Sudan
In 1988, he allegedly took notes during one of the formative meetings detailing the creation of al-Qaeda. Noted for his penchant for "always teasing bin Laden", Bayazid jokingly asked whether he had thought of the logistics of transporting mujahideen to the fight, asking "How...Air France?".He ran Al-Ikhlas International, an import/export company producing honey and other consumables believed to have been owned by bin Laden.
Bin Laden sent a letter to Bayazid informing him that Mohammed Atef
Mohammed Atef
Mohammed Atef was the alleged military chief of al-Qaida, although his role in the organization was not well known by intelligence agencies for years...
and Abu Ubaidah al-Banshiri
Abu Ubaidah al-Banshiri
Abu Ubaidah al-Banshiri was the nom de guerre of Ali Amin al-Rashidi , one of the "most capable and popular leaders" of al-Qaeda....
were to each be given 6,500 Saudi riyal
Saudi riyal
The Riyal is the currency of Saudi Arabia. It is abbreviated as ر.س or SR . It is subdivided into 100 Halalas . The Saudi Ghirsh is 5 Halalas.-History:...
s monthly, the same as they would have been given for their work in Maktab al-Khidamat. Bayazid is believed to have recruited his friend Mubarak al-Duri
Mubarak al-Duri
An Iraqi doctor, Mubarak al-Duri ran an agricultural project owned by Osama bin Laden from 1992–94, and is alleged to have procured weapons and equipment overseas.-Life in the United States:...
into working for bin Laden's companies.
The FBI claims that Bayazid was part of a team sent to try to obtain weapons-grade uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
; Bayazid reportedly telling a colleague about how he and another man had "tried to purchase uranium and were hustled out of $100,000"
He allegedly held a bank account with Bank Shaml, and supplied weapons to Defaa al Shabi. Other allegations suggest he travelled to China, Japan or Hong Kong with Abu Hajer al-Iraqi in 1990 to facilitate the purchase of communications equipment for the Sudanese government.
Return to the United States
By 1994, Bayazid had returned to the United States, obtaining his Illinois driver’s license and joining Benevolence International FoundationBenevolence International Foundation
The Benevolence International Foundation was a purported nonprofit charitable trust based in Saudi Arabia. It was a front for al-Qaeda and is now banned worldwide by the United Nations Security Council Committee 1267...
. On December 16, 1994, Mohammed Jamal Khalifa
Mohammed Jamal Khalifa
Mohammed Jamal Khalifa was a Saudi Arabian businessman from Jeddah who married one of Osama bin Laden's sisters.-Overview:The first glimpse U.S...
travelled to the United States to meet with Bayazid, who was then helping to lead BIF - both were arrested, although Bayazid was released almost immediately.
Later life
Bayazid consented to be interviewed by the FBI in 1998, and again with agent Jack Cloonan following 9/11. He consistently denied that he had been present at the founding meeting of al-Qaeda, and insisted he had broken with the group.In 2002, the CIA sent Rolf Mowatt-Larssen to again interview al-Duri and Bayazid, to see if they could be made to defect
Defection
In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state or political entity in exchange for allegiance to another. More broadly, it involves abandoning a person, cause or doctrine to whom or to which one is bound by some tie, as of allegiance or duty.This term is also applied,...
and aid the United States in its 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...
, but both refused.
In 2003 he met with author Lawrence Wright
Lawrence Wright
Lawrence Wright is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author, screenwriter, staff writer for The New Yorker magazine, and fellow at the Center for Law and Security at the New York University School of Law...
to provide information for his book The Looming Tower
The Looming Tower
The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 is a historical look at the way in which Al-Qaeda came into being, the background for various terrorist attacks and how they were investigated, and the events that led to the September 11 attacks...
. That year, American courts ruled that the government had been remiss in not providing exculpatory evidence casting doubt on their claims of Bayazid's importance within al-Qaeda.