Abu Ali al-Anbari facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Abu Ali al-Anbari
|
|
|---|---|
Abdulrahman Mustafa al-Qaduli
|
|
| Birth name | Abdulrahman Mustafa al-Qaduli |
| Born | 1957 Al-Hadar, Nineveh, Iraq |
| Died | 25 March 2016 (aged 58–59) Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria |
| Allegiance |  Baathist Iraq (1980–1988) Ansar al-Islam (1990s–2003) Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (2003–2004) Al-Qaeda (2004–2013)
 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant(April 2013 – March 2016) |
| Years of service | 1990s–2016 |
| Rank | Private in the Iraqi army Deputy leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Syria |
| Battles/wars | War on Terror Iraq
Syria
Military intervention against ISIL
|
Abdulrahman Mustafa al-Qaduli (Arabic: عَبْدُ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ مُصْطَفَى ٱلْقَادُولِيِّ, romanized: ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān Musṭafā al-Qādūlī; born in 1957 or 1959 – died March 2016) was a leader in the group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). He was also known by his other names, Abu Ala al-Afri (Arabic: أَبُو عَلَاءِ ٱلْعَفْرِيِّ, romanized: ʾAbū ʿAlāʾ al-ʿAfrī) and Abu Ali al-Anbari (Arabic: أَبُو عَليِّ ٱلْأَنْبَارِيِّ, romanized: ʾAbū ʿAlī al-ʾAnbārī). He was in charge of the areas ISIL controlled in Syria.
Many people saw him as the second-in-command of ISIL, and some thought he might even become the next leader after Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The United States government was actively looking for him. In 2014, they listed him as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist." In 2015, they offered a reward of up to US$7 million for information that could lead to his capture or death.
On March 25, 2016, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that al-Qaduli had been killed. This happened during a special military operation near the border between Iraq and Syria.
Contents
Different Names He Used
Abdulrahman Mustafa al-Qaduli used at least seven different names during his life. These included Abu Ali al-Anbari, Abu Alaa al-Afri, Abu Jasim al-Iraqi, Abu Umar Qurdash, Abu Ali Qurdash al-Turkmani, Hajji Iman, and al-Dar Islami. Because he used so many names, some officials in Iraq and America initially thought that Abu Ali al-Anbari and Abu Ala al-Afri were two different senior leaders within ISIL.
His Life Story
Abdulrahman Mustafa al-Qaduli was likely born in 1957 or 1959 in a place called Al-Hadar in Nineveh, Iraq. This area is about 80 kilometers south of Mosul. He came from an Iraqi Turkmen family, who were known for being very religious and traditional.
According to writings about his life, al-Qaduli joined the Iraqi army after studying Islamic law (called sharia). He fought as a private soldier in the Iran–Iraq War. While in the army, he also earned a degree in Islamic studies from the University of Baghdad in 1982.
After his time in the military, Abu Ali became more and more involved in extremist ideas. He first taught Islamic law in a small town. He strongly disagreed with a party being organized there that featured musicians and dancers. He spoke out against it, and his strong speeches eventually led to the party being canceled.
In the mid-1990s, al-Anbari moved to Tal Afar. There, he worked as a teacher and became the leader (imam) of a mosque. Tal Afar was a city with both Shiite and Sunni Muslims. As an imam, al-Anbari strongly criticized Shiites and also Sufis. He also started connecting with Kurdish extremist groups in northern Iraq.
Time in Afghanistan
It is believed that al-Qaduli traveled to Afghanistan in 1998. There, he trained with al-Qaeda, a well-known extremist group. During this time, he reportedly gained the trust and respect of Osama bin Laden, who was the leader of al-Qaeda.
His Role in Iraq
In 2000, al-Qaduli moved from Afghanistan to an area of Iraqi Kurdistan controlled by a group called Ansar al-Islam. After the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, he went back to Afghanistan. But he returned to Iraq in the summer of 2003. He then started his own extremist group, which was active around Tal Afar. He later joined Ansar al-Islam.
Ansar al-Islam later changed its name, and al-Qaduli became an important religious authority in this new group. He was involved in arranging a meeting between leaders of different extremist groups to discuss joining forces. Al-Qaduli eventually joined Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad, led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. He was briefly arrested in late 2003 or early 2004 but was released because authorities did not realize how important he was.
Joining Al-Qaeda in Iraq
After joining Al-Qaeda in Iraq in 2004, al-Qaduli was put in charge of religious matters in northern Iraq. He also served as al-Zarqawi's local leader in Mosul.
He is often said to have been one of the people who helped create the Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC) in January 2006. He was actually chosen to lead the MSC under a different name.
In February 2006, he traveled to Pakistan to meet with al-Qaeda leaders. He went on behalf of al-Zarqawi to explain the situation in Iraq and address criticisms against Zarqawi.
According to a newsletter from the Islamic State, al-Naba, he was arrested again on April 16, 2006, and sent to Abu Ghraib prison. The Americans thought he was just a local leader, not realizing his true importance. While in prison, al-Qaduli mentored other prisoners who later became important leaders in the group.
His Role in the Islamic State of Iraq
When al-Zarqawi's successors were killed in 2010, the Islamic State of Iraq needed a new leader. Some sources say that Osama bin Laden wanted al-Qaduli to become the new leader. However, other sources from the Islamic State say that this instruction came too late, as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had already been chosen as the leader.
Islamic State sources say that al-Qaduli was responsible for managing the daily military operations of the Islamic State in Syria. He was known as a talented speaker and a religious scholar. While in Raqqa, he gave many lectures (over 40 hours) explaining the beliefs of the Islamic State. He also tried to argue against man-made laws and democratic systems.
Syrian Civil War and ISIL
In early 2012, al-Qaduli was released from prison in Iraq. He quickly rejoined the Islamic State of Iraq. His first job was to reconnect with other al-Qaeda groups around the world, as communication had been difficult.
Later in 2012, al-Qaduli was sent to Syria. His mission was to observe Abu Mohammad al-Julani, another leader, who was not following the group's rules and was trying to build his own power. Al-Qaduli met with commanders of different Syrian rebel groups, offering them money and weapons if they would join ISIL. Some joined openly, while others did so secretly. Documents found by Iraqi security forces in 2014 showed that al-Qaduli was the overall head of ISIL's military and non-military operations in Syria.
According to his biography, al-Qaduli initially thought well of Julani. However, he later saw "errors in the conduct of the work" and a "deviation" among the soldiers and leaders due to a "neglect of shari’a education." He decided to live with Julani to understand him better. In January 2013, al-Qaduli sent a message to ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Iraq, warning him about Julani. He described Julani as "sneaky" and someone who cared more about himself than his soldiers. Baghdadi then traveled to Syria to try and fix the situation.
While in Syria, al-Qaduli was part of the Shari’a Council and helped build the "Dawawin," which were like ministries for the new state. After the Fall of Mosul in June 2014, al-Qaduli returned to Tal Afar in Iraq. He took part in battles around the city and near Sinjar. Later, he moved to Mosul and worked on the Islamic Monetary Project, which involved introducing a new gold currency for the Islamic State.
It was rumored that al-Qaduli wanted ISIL to make peace with al-Qaeda and its Syrian group, Al-Nusra Front, after al-Qaeda broke ties with ISIL in early 2014. He also reportedly believed that ISIL's leadership should include both Arabs and non-Arabs, unlike the current situation where Iraqis were dominant.
Al-Qaduli was a very important link between al-Baghdadi and his closest advisors and leaders in different areas controlled by the group in Syria, Iraq, and Libya. In November 2015, The New York Times reported that al-Qaduli had visited Libya, where ISIL had a strong branch.
In March 2015, there were rumors that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIL, had been injured and was unable to lead. Some experts believed that if Baghdadi died, al-Qaduli would take over. People who knew him described al-Qaduli as dynamic, experienced, and having good connections. He was also said to be a charismatic speaker and very skilled in battle strategy.
Reports of His Death
The Iraqi Defence Ministry claimed that Abdulrahman Mustafa al-Qaduli was killed on May 12, 2015, in a US-led airstrike in Tal Afar. However, the U.S. Defense Department said they had no information to confirm this. The Iraqi media reported his death again in December 2015, but this was also incorrect.
His Confirmed Death
United States Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter officially announced al-Qaduli's death on March 25, 2016, correcting the earlier false reports.
US Special Operations forces traveled by helicopter to arrest al-Qaduli in eastern Syria, near the Syrian–Iraqi border. He was in a vehicle with three other ISIL members. When he refused to exit the vehicle, US forces fired, killing him and the others. The US commandos also took electronic devices and documents for intelligence purposes. On April 30, 2016, ISIL confirmed al-Qaduli's death. They launched a series of attacks across Iraq and Syria called "The Battle of Abu Ali Al Anbari" in his honor.
See also
In Spanish: Abu Ala al-Afri para niños
