US offers $12m award for Iran-based terrorist financiers

WASHINGTON (PAN): The United States on Thursday announced a $7 million award for information leading to the location of Iran-based senior rebel facilitator and financier Muhsin al-Fadhli and $5 million for his deputy Adel Radi Saqr al-Wahabi al-Harbi.

“Al-Fadhli and al-Harbi facilitate the movement of funds and operatives through Iran on behalf of the Al Qaida terrorist network. Both are wanted by Saudi authorities in connection with their terrorist activities and al-Fadhli is wanted by authorities in Kuwait on terrorism-related charges,” the State Department said.

Al-Fadhli reportedly replaced Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil — better known as Yasin al-Suri — as Al-Qaida’s senior facilitator and financier in Iran. He was among the few trusted Al-Qaida leaders who received advance notification that terrorists would strike the US on September 11, 2001.

The State Department said al-Harbi is an Iran-based Al-Qaida facilitator and deputy to al-Fadhli. In this role, he facilitates the travel of extremists to Afghanistan or Iraq via Iran on behalf of Al­-Qaida and is believed to have sought funds to support attacks.

“Today’s action, which builds on our action from July 2011, further exposes Al-Qaida’s critically important Iran-based funding and facilitation network,” said Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen.  “We will continue targeting this crucial source of Al-Qaida’s funding and support, as well as highlight Iran’s ongoing complicity in this network’s operation.”

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