US citizen pleads guilty to supporting al Qaeda-allied group in Syria
By Thomas Joscelyn | January 18, 2016 | tjoscelyn@gmail.com | @thomasjoscelyn

Baroudi and his co-conspirators exported American “tactical equipment to Syria for the purpose of supplying and arming Ahrar al Sham and other insurgent groups in Syria whose stated goal is to overthrow the Assad government and install an Islamic state,” according to the DOJ.
Baroudi and his unnamed collaborators purchased “tens of thousands of dollars of goods from companies and vendors in the United States, consisting largely of tactical equipment such as sniper rifle scopes, night vision rifle scopes, night vision goggles, laser bore sighters, speed loaders and bullet proof vests.” Traveling via commercial flights to Turkey, they “then transported the goods into Syria or provided them to others for transport.”
A statement of facts released along with the DOJ’s announcement outlines some of the details of these transactions between 2011 and 2013.
In December 2011, Baroudi communicated with a co-conspirator known as “T.S.,” whom Baroudi “knew to be associated with Ahrar al Sham.” The pair discussed exporting “US-origin goods, such as telephones, sniper rifle scopes, and night vision goggles, to Syria by carrying the goods in a suitcase on a flight from the United States to Turkey.”
Then, in July 2012, another co-conspirator known as “R.J.” traveled “aboard commercial flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Istanbul … with a variety of US-origin goods with the intent to provide the goods to individuals and entities in Syria.” R.J. later reported to Baroudi that “he had delivered at least some of the goods to” T.S.
On Feb. 14, 2013, Baroudi checked 14 bags of luggage – with a combined weight of 619 lbs – for commercial flights between Los Angeles International Airport and Gaizientep, Turkey, filled with “more US-origin tactical equipment which he intended to supply to rebel forces in Syria.” Baroudi declared to the airline that his luggage contained “clothes.”
The statement of facts also cites a document created by Baroudi in January 2013. The file “listed various supplies” for use in Syria. One entry referred to “3-9x30mm high quality rifle scopes.” The document included notes such as: “Proven to be real good in our environment,” “Sent 100s of them, used in ldlib and Halab [v]ery successfully,” and “People loved them and always asking for more.”
Idlib and Halab (Aleppo) are two cities in Syria where Ahrar al Sham continues to fight. In March 2015, Ahrar al Sham and the Al Nusrah Front, an arm of al Qaeda, announced that they had jointly established the Jaish al Fath coalition, which included several other rebel organizations as well. Jaish al Fath quickly overran the city of Idlib and swept through the surrounding area.
Ahrar al Sham launched a public relations campaign in the West last year. In an op-ed published by the Washington Post on July 10, 2015, for example, an Ahrar al Sham official denied that his group had “organizational links to” al Qaeda. But this claim is not credible.
Indeed, the DOJ specifically cites the relationship between Ahrar al Sham and Al Nusrah (referred to as “Jabhat al-Nusrah”) in its announcement.
“Ahrar al-Sham frequently fights alongside Jabhat al-Nusrah, which has been designated by the U.S. State Department as a foreign terrorist organization and operates as al-Qaeda’s official branch in Syria,” the DOJ noted.
In addition to Jaish al Fath, Al Nusrah and Ahrar al Sham have formed coalitions throughout Syria to battle their common enemies, especially the Assad regime and the Islamic State.
Moreover, Ahrar al Sham has been seeded with senior al Qaeda operatives. Ayman al Zawahiri’s top representative in Syria was Abu Khalid al Suri. A longtime al Qaeda operative, al Suri was killed in February 2014. In addition to serving al Qaeda, al Suri was also one of Ahrar al Sham’s most influential leaders.
After al Suri was killed, presumably at the hands of the Islamic State, Zawahiri released a glowing eulogy in which he described al Suri as his “advisor.” Other known al Qaeda jihadists have joined and led Ahrar al Sham as well.
In August of last year, Ahrar al Sham issued a eulogy for Mullah Omar, the Taliban’s founder and first emir. Ahrar al Sham said Mullah Omar was an “example of a believer,” who “reminded us of the true meanings of jihad and sincerity [or devotion].” Omar “taught us how to build the [Islamic] Emirate in the hearts of the people before it becomes a reality on the ground,” Ahrar al Sham explained. Describing Omar as the “blessed commander,” the group said his “blessed movement” (the Taliban) was poised for a comeback in Afghanistan due to his stewardship. [See LWJ report, Jihadists in Syria honor Mullah Omar, praise Taliban’s radical state.]
Baroudi was, therefore, providing supplies to an al Qaeda-linked group. Ironically, according to the statement of facts, some of the sanctions Baroudi violated actually targeted Bashar al Assad’s government. Ahrar al Sham is one of Assad’s strongest enemies on the ground in Syria.
Baroudi, formerly of Irvine, Calif., faces a maximum of 20 years in prison when sentenced on May 6, 2016.
Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for The Long War Journal.
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/01/us-citizen-pleads-guilty-to-supporting-al-qaeda-allied-group-in-syria.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LongWarJournalSiteWide+%28The+Long+War+Journal+%28Site-Wide%29%29
By Thomas Joscelyn | January 18, 2016 | tjoscelyn@gmail.com | @thomasjoscelyn

An Ahrar al Sham fighter guards the front lines in southern Aleppo.
On Jan. 15, the Department of Justice announced that Amin al Baroudi, a naturalized US citizen from Syria, pleaded guilty to violating the US government’s sanctions against Syria.Baroudi and his co-conspirators exported American “tactical equipment to Syria for the purpose of supplying and arming Ahrar al Sham and other insurgent groups in Syria whose stated goal is to overthrow the Assad government and install an Islamic state,” according to the DOJ.
Baroudi and his unnamed collaborators purchased “tens of thousands of dollars of goods from companies and vendors in the United States, consisting largely of tactical equipment such as sniper rifle scopes, night vision rifle scopes, night vision goggles, laser bore sighters, speed loaders and bullet proof vests.” Traveling via commercial flights to Turkey, they “then transported the goods into Syria or provided them to others for transport.”
A statement of facts released along with the DOJ’s announcement outlines some of the details of these transactions between 2011 and 2013.
In December 2011, Baroudi communicated with a co-conspirator known as “T.S.,” whom Baroudi “knew to be associated with Ahrar al Sham.” The pair discussed exporting “US-origin goods, such as telephones, sniper rifle scopes, and night vision goggles, to Syria by carrying the goods in a suitcase on a flight from the United States to Turkey.”
Then, in July 2012, another co-conspirator known as “R.J.” traveled “aboard commercial flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Istanbul … with a variety of US-origin goods with the intent to provide the goods to individuals and entities in Syria.” R.J. later reported to Baroudi that “he had delivered at least some of the goods to” T.S.
On Feb. 14, 2013, Baroudi checked 14 bags of luggage – with a combined weight of 619 lbs – for commercial flights between Los Angeles International Airport and Gaizientep, Turkey, filled with “more US-origin tactical equipment which he intended to supply to rebel forces in Syria.” Baroudi declared to the airline that his luggage contained “clothes.”
The statement of facts also cites a document created by Baroudi in January 2013. The file “listed various supplies” for use in Syria. One entry referred to “3-9x30mm high quality rifle scopes.” The document included notes such as: “Proven to be real good in our environment,” “Sent 100s of them, used in ldlib and Halab [v]ery successfully,” and “People loved them and always asking for more.”
Idlib and Halab (Aleppo) are two cities in Syria where Ahrar al Sham continues to fight. In March 2015, Ahrar al Sham and the Al Nusrah Front, an arm of al Qaeda, announced that they had jointly established the Jaish al Fath coalition, which included several other rebel organizations as well. Jaish al Fath quickly overran the city of Idlib and swept through the surrounding area.
Ahrar al Sham launched a public relations campaign in the West last year. In an op-ed published by the Washington Post on July 10, 2015, for example, an Ahrar al Sham official denied that his group had “organizational links to” al Qaeda. But this claim is not credible.
Indeed, the DOJ specifically cites the relationship between Ahrar al Sham and Al Nusrah (referred to as “Jabhat al-Nusrah”) in its announcement.
“Ahrar al-Sham frequently fights alongside Jabhat al-Nusrah, which has been designated by the U.S. State Department as a foreign terrorist organization and operates as al-Qaeda’s official branch in Syria,” the DOJ noted.
In addition to Jaish al Fath, Al Nusrah and Ahrar al Sham have formed coalitions throughout Syria to battle their common enemies, especially the Assad regime and the Islamic State.
Moreover, Ahrar al Sham has been seeded with senior al Qaeda operatives. Ayman al Zawahiri’s top representative in Syria was Abu Khalid al Suri. A longtime al Qaeda operative, al Suri was killed in February 2014. In addition to serving al Qaeda, al Suri was also one of Ahrar al Sham’s most influential leaders.
After al Suri was killed, presumably at the hands of the Islamic State, Zawahiri released a glowing eulogy in which he described al Suri as his “advisor.” Other known al Qaeda jihadists have joined and led Ahrar al Sham as well.
In August of last year, Ahrar al Sham issued a eulogy for Mullah Omar, the Taliban’s founder and first emir. Ahrar al Sham said Mullah Omar was an “example of a believer,” who “reminded us of the true meanings of jihad and sincerity [or devotion].” Omar “taught us how to build the [Islamic] Emirate in the hearts of the people before it becomes a reality on the ground,” Ahrar al Sham explained. Describing Omar as the “blessed commander,” the group said his “blessed movement” (the Taliban) was poised for a comeback in Afghanistan due to his stewardship. [See LWJ report, Jihadists in Syria honor Mullah Omar, praise Taliban’s radical state.]
Baroudi was, therefore, providing supplies to an al Qaeda-linked group. Ironically, according to the statement of facts, some of the sanctions Baroudi violated actually targeted Bashar al Assad’s government. Ahrar al Sham is one of Assad’s strongest enemies on the ground in Syria.
Baroudi, formerly of Irvine, Calif., faces a maximum of 20 years in prison when sentenced on May 6, 2016.
Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for The Long War Journal.
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/01/us-citizen-pleads-guilty-to-supporting-al-qaeda-allied-group-in-syria.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LongWarJournalSiteWide+%28The+Long+War+Journal+%28Site-Wide%29%29
» What is strategic in our agreements?
» Corruption in the currency auction is thorny, and political disputes are useful in exposing crimes
» A bundle of files on the table.. A joint statement revealing the details of the Barti and Alekti mee
» Integrity calls for a review of customs and tax exemptions in investment laws
» An economist proposes putting in place an appendix in the 2023 budget that will solve the problem of
» Al-Sudani: The oil and gas law is the most important step in regulating the relationship with the Ku
» In the face of the dollar.. Will the proposals of the Sudanese advisor succeed in controlling exchan
» An Iraqi deputy files a lawsuit against the governors of the central bank
» Washington intervened in favor of sending the region's salaries.. Al-Sudani pays to put the court's
» Parliament ends discussion of the draft law on Iraq's accession to the Hague System of Private Inter
» Al-Tamimi calls for sending the 2023 budget to the House of Representatives
» Parliament finishes the first reading of three draft laws
» Parliament adjourns its session to next Monday.. This is what it included
» The Speaker of Parliament sets tomorrow a date for electing heads of parliamentary committees
» The foreign minister begins his talks with his Moroccan counterpart
» He collected 80 signatures to hold an emergency session of Parliament regarding the rise in the pric
» Economist: “WhatsApp” groups control the dollar.. This is what must be done to reduce prices
» 100 dollars for the “distress” .. This is how the dollar is smuggled after the application of the el
» Parliament finishes reading the draft law ratifying the avoidance of double taxation agreement
» Iraqi parliamentarians: There are no solutions to the dollar crisis except with the commitment of th
» Document.. a complaint against Al-Alaq and Makhif for "passing forged import documents"
» Parliament finishes the first reading of a bill regarding compensation for oil pollution damage
» A parliamentary request to host Al-Sudanese to clarify his procedures regarding the dollar crisis
» Sudanese diplomacy in the eyes of the London press.. rapprochement with the Arabs and maneuvering be
» Al-Halbousi sets a "critical" date for choosing the heads of parliamentary committees
» A deputy raises the “conclusive evidence” document: the tax authority building fire was caused by an
» Parliament finishes the first reading of the draft law for the Institute of Police Commissioners
» An economist describes the Central Bank's measures regarding the dollar crisis as "inadequate": it w
» As he continues to demand money from Baghdad, the region's oil revenues exceed one billion dollars
» Withdrawal or stay?.. The position of the Kurds towards the Sudanese government and the political pr
» The Ministry of Interior restores the registrations of citizens in the areas covered by Article 140
» Parliamentarian: The dollar crisis is political and the government is working to dismantle it
» Parliament ends the first reading of two bills
» Al-Sudanese advisor presents a "national solution" to confront the rise in dollar prices
» Deputy Speaker of Parliament: A political party instructed the Minister of Finance to stop the regio
» The House of Representatives holds its third session, headed by Al-Halbousi
» We will negotiate with Washington.. Al-Sudanese acknowledges the existence of a rise in prices and c
» The House of Representatives holds its session under the chairmanship of Muhammad Al-Halbousi
» Al Mandalawi: The tourism sector in Iraq has all the ingredients for success
» Al-Maliki's coalition reveals the mechanism and date for settingtling the heads of parliamentary com
» Al-Halbousi chairs the consultative meeting of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union
» Al-Sudani and Macron sign the strategic partnership agreement
» Anticipation of new measures to surround the "dollar crisis"
» UNESCO: Iraq spends only 6% on education
» Parliament is discussing reducing Internet fees and increasing its speed
» Transportation: The dry canal is among our strategic projects
» Samawa desert.. Promising investment opportunities
» Babel Investment: We face obstacles that hinder our work
» Anticipation of new measures to contain the {dollar crisis}
» The start of the meeting of the political bureaus of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patrioti
» Iraq announces the suspension of consular work in Ukraine
» "He did not name it".. Shah Wan Abdullah: A political party instructed the Minister of Finance to st
» Al-Sudani acknowledges the existence of a rise in prices and says that the window for selling the cu
» Justice responds to Al-Dahlaki and sends investigative committees to the "Hot of Nasiriyah"
» He signed a "strategic agreement for more than 50 articles with France" .. Al-Sudani returns to Bagh
» Iraqi parliamentarians: There are no solutions to the dollar crisis except with the commitment of th
» Fouad Hussein asks Morocco to allow Iraqis to visit its lands and to provide them with facilities
» A judicial complaint against the former and current governors of the Iraqi Central Bank. Document
» “Sales diplomacy.” South Korea strengthens its presence in Iraq and the region’s markets
» About 2.5 million barrels of Iraqi oil exports to Jordan
» Al-Sudani: The entry of French companies into Iraq for investment will be a right decision
» Minister of Health: The Health Insurance Law Protects Those Who Are Incapable of "Catastrophic Payme
» The sales of the Iraqi Bank are close to half a billion dollars in a week
» To face the consequences of the dollar.. the financial advisor proposes that the state intervene to
» The International Islamic Bank launches the documentary credit service for the government sector
» SOMO: Iraq exported about 2.5 million barrels to Jordan in 2022
» 300 thousand counterfeit dollars were about to spread in the Iraqi market
» “He did not name it.” Shah Wan Abdullah: A political party instructed the Minister of Finance to sto
» Masrour Barzani and McGurk discuss the recent Federal Court decision and the outstanding problems be
» National Security confiscated more than half a million liters of smuggled oil
» Nechirvan Barzani discusses with Erdogan the situation in Kurdistan and Iraq and ways to enhance coo
» Rewaz Faiq: The Federal Court's decision distorts the understandings between Erbil and Baghdad
» Iraq is approaching the Arabs... and is maneuvering with Tehran and Washington after the "Gulf 25" s
» A judicial ruling deepens the crisis between Baghdad and Erbil
» Episode One: Pompeo tells the details of Soleimani's assassination...and considers the Tehran regime
» Al-Shammari and the Secretary-General of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers are discussing the e
» Basra crude closed on a weekly gain, exceeding $77
» The stability of the dollar exchange rates at 161 thousand dinars
» Sudanese advisor puts forward proposals to counter the continued rise in the exchange rate
» Morocco lifts the seizure of Iraqi funds for the Al-Rasheed and Al-Rafidian banks
» Al-Sudani: The budget law will contribute to resolving the bulk of the issue of financial transfers
» The Ministry of Justice denies the existence of cases of torture in the prisons of the correctional
» Deputy: Employees' salaries were affected due to the continued rise of the dollar
» Iraq and France sign memorandums of understanding in the fields of medical research, archeology and
» Al-Sudani returns to Iraq after the conclusion of his visit to Paris
» Iraq is outside the list and Kuwait is at the forefront in the Arab world... a list of the longest b
» The exchange rates of the dollar in the Iraqi market today
» Revealing the secrets of his assassination.. Pompeo: Soleimani is behind the killing of more than 60
» "Trafigura" announces the termination of the oil deal with the Kurdistan region after failing to neg
» Morocco lifts the seizure of Iraqi funds for the Al-Rasheed and Al-Rafidian banks
» Iraq announces the reopening of the Moroccan embassy in Baghdad
» Independent deputy: Al-Sudani's visit to Washington is the only and last solution to the crisis of t
» The Prime Minister is discussing in Paris providing Iraq with specialized radars and combat aircraft
» The Prime Minister is discussing with the delegation of Alstom Transport Company the suspended Baghd
» Prime Minister: We need a new style of relationship with the international coalition, and our financ
» An expert hints at the stability of the dollar at a certain number: two options before the dinar det
» It provides thousands of job opportunities and millions of dollars.. Can Iraq implement the "transit
» Pompeo's memoirs.. Al-Abadi told me: You take my money and Soleimani will take my life