Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1982 (age 42–43)[1] Qamishli, Syria |
| Other names | Yasin al-Suri |
| Occupation(s) | Facilitator and financier |
| Organization | Al-Qaeda |
Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil (Arabic:عز الدين عبد العزيز خليل; born 1982), also known asYasin al-Suri (Arabic:ياسين السوري), is allegedly a senioral-Qaeda facilitator andfinancier based inIran, according to theU.S. government. He is in the $3 million reward category in the U.S.Rewards for Justice Program.[2]
TheU.S. State Department says that Khalil is aSyrian national, born in the city ofQamishli in 1982. He also has used other aliases such as Yaseen al-Suri, Izz al-Din Abd al-Farid Khalil and Zayn al-Abadin.[3]
The U.S. government first connected Khalil to al-Qaeda when it sanctioned him as the alleged leader of an al-Qaeda fundraising and logistics network in Iran on 28 July 2011.[4] According to theU.S. Treasury Department, Khalil has lived and operated in Iran since 2005 under agreement between al-Qaeda and the Iranian government. In his role as al-Qaeda's representative in Iran, Khalil works with the organization's senior leaders to transfer money and recruits via Iranian territory toPakistan andAfghanistan. Khalil reportedly tasks new operatives with delivering $10,000 to al-Qaeda's leadership in Pakistan. The al-Qaeda facilitator also allegedly works with the Iranian government to release al-Qaeda members from Iranian prisons and then facilitate their travel to Pakistan.[5]The Wall Street Journal said that the U.S. government's announcement of the Iran-based al-Qaeda network was the first time the U.S. had "formally accused Iran of forging an alliance with al Qaeda."[4]
On 22 December 2011, the U.S. State Department further announced that as part of itsRewards for Justice Program, it was offering up to a $10 million reward for information on the location of Khalil.[6] It also marked the first time that Rewards for Justice offered a reward for information leading to a terrorist financier. At the briefing announcing the reward for information leading to Khalil, Robert Hartung, Assistant Director for the Threat Investigations and Analysis of theBureau of Diplomatic Security, stated, "As a key fundraiser for the al-Qaida terrorist network, he is a continuing danger to the interest of the United States, to its facility, and its citizens. Locating al-Suri and shutting down his operations would eliminate a significant financial resource for al-Qaida."[7]
The Iranian government has rejected as "completely baseless" the charges that Khalil is present in Iran and operating within the country.[8]
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