NEW YORK – An international terrorist was sentenced Friday in a Manhattan courtroom to 25 years in prison for helping al Qaeda and the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, federal prosecutors announced Friday.
Adel Abdel Bary, aka “Adel Mohammed Abdul Almagid Abdel Bary,” aka “Abbas,” aka “Abu Dia,” aka “Adel” (Bary), was extradited to the United States from the United Kingdom on Oct. 6, 2012.
On Sept. 19, 2014, Bary pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to make a threat to kill, injure, intimidate, and damage and destroy property by means of an explosive, one count of making such a threat, and one count of conspiring to kill U.S. nationals.
In addition to his prison term, Bary, 54, was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $33,8 million, including $7,5 million to victims’ family members for loss of income and $26 million to the United States for property loss.
U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan imposed today’s sentence.
“Adel Abdel Bary was a member of the London cell of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad and worked closely with al Qaeda leadership both before and after the bombings of the U.S Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 to disseminate al Qaeda threats against U.S. citizens and interests around the world,” Assistant Attorney General John Carlin said today.
Adding, “This sentence holds him accountable for his key role in facilitating the delivery of al Qaeda’s message to extremists around the world encouraging the commission of violent acts against the United States and its citizens. I commend all of the people who worked on this case over many years in order to reach this result.”
According to the evidence, these are the facts and circumstances surrounding this case:
- In 1997 and 1998, Bary led the London, England, cell of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad organization. Islamic Jihad, which was led for years by co-defendant Ayman al Zawahiri, was dedicated to the forceful overthrow of the Egyptian Government and to violent opposition of the United States, in part, for its support of the Government in Egypt.
- By February 1998, Islamic Jihad effectively merged with al Qaeda and Islamic Jihad joined with al Qaeda in targeting American civilians.
- To that end, in February 1998, indicted co-defendant Usama Bin Laden and Zawahiri endorsed a purported fatwah under the banner of the “International Islamic Front for Jihad on the Jews and Crusaders.”
- This fatwah stated that Muslims should kill Americans – including civilians – anywhere in the world where they can be found.
- Then again, on Aug. 4, 1998, Islamic Jihad published a statement threatening to retaliate against America for its claimed involvement in the apprehension of Islamic Jihad members.
- A copy of this statement was found in an office used by Bary and his London-based co-conspirators.
- While in London, Bary pledged his commitment to pursue the goals of Islamic Jihad and to follow the orders of the leadership of the group.
- Many of the leading members of Islamic Jihad became influential members of al Qaeda, including Zawahiri and indicted co-defendant Muhammad Atef, both of whom later sat on the majlis al shura (or consultation council) of al Qaeda. Zawahiri is now the declared leader of al Qaeda.
- On Aug. 7, 1998, three days after Islamic Jihad published its threat to retaliate against America, al Qaeda operatives bombed the United States Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, killing 224 people.
- Bary transmitted, via international telephone calls to the media, the contents of al Qaeda’s claims of responsibility for the Aug. 7, 1998, bombings.
- These claims of responsibility included threats of future terrorist attacks by al Qaeda and its allies, and were sent from London to media organizations in France, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates on Aug. 8, 1998 – the day after the embassy bombings.
- In August 1998, both before and after the bombings, Bary additionally arranged for messages to be transmitted from members of the media to his co-conspirators, including Bin Laden and Zawahiri, and conveyed messages from his co-conspirators, including Bin Laden and Zawahiri, to members of the media.
- Bary also used an office in London, which he shared with co-conspirators, to store documents, including the claims of responsibility described above, as well as for other conduct related to the conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals.
A co-defendant, Khalid al Fawwaz, aka “Khaled Abdul Rahman Hamad al Fawwaz,” aka “Abu Omar,” aka “Hamad” (Fawwaz), is currently on trial before U.S. District Judge Kaplan.
Fawwaz is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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