Abdelkader Mokhtari
Encyclopedia
Abdelkader Mokhtari is an Arab commander who became a "sacred legend" for the Bosnian mujahideen
in the Bosnian War
.
. The British recruiter Abu Hamza al-Masri
, who was friends with Mokhtarim related that he was "a good-hearted person...a hard worker, a lion in fighting...a good brother - but he's too young and naive".
.
He created a group entitled Harkat ul-Ansar with the help of Haroun Rashid Asouat, which consisted of approximately 200 British men of Pakistani origin, and was trained fighting in Jammu
and kashmir
before being deployed to Bosnia. In November 1994, he wrote to President Alija Izetbegović
requesting the release of two Mujahideen from an HVO
prison, pointing out that "our brothers are nothing more than any other ordinary mujahid in the Bosnian army", and noting that not a single crime or instance of looting rested on his foreign volunteers.
Evan Kohlmann
has stated that Mokhtari was serving as second-in-command of a Zenica
battalion, under the command of Anwar Shaaban with Fateh Kamal as his right-hand man in 1995, but Kohlmann has also stated that Kamal spent his time visiting sixteen different countries during that time.
As of 1996, some sources suggested that he was believed to have led the 3rd Corps
, known as the Gazi'a Force, an Arabic term for retribution, which incorporated formerly independent mujahideen units into a single force. Other reports suggest he only led the training portion of the Corps, known as U-Force.
Karim Said Atmani
fought under his command.
A 1997 French report suggested that he had managed to keep a cache of SA-7 missiles
after the Dayton Accords, due to his protection and status with President Izetbegović.
He is also accused of organising an alleged Mujahideen cell in the King Fahd Mosque in the Dobrinja
district of Sarajevo
. In 1998, the French government accused him of smuggling explosives to an Egyptian group wanting to destroy American targets in Germany.
While Izetbegović initially refused, he relented and agreed to expel Mokhtari from the country, rather than deport him to the United States. The magazine Globus
claimed that Izetbegović's son Bakir Izetbegović
was seen in attendance at the farewell party for Mokhtari.
Following his formal expulsion, there were rumors that Mokhtari had remained in Bosnia under a new name with the assistance of the government, or that he had traveled to Afghanistan to link up with al-Qaeda
, or that he was imprisoned in the Guantanamo Bay detention camps.
In 2005, he was interviewed by a Bosnian magazine about the injustice he saw in the trial against Abduladhim Maktouf, a Mujahideen alleged to have been involved in the mistreatment of Croatian prisoners. He noted that he had married a Bosnian wife.
Bosnian mujahideen
Bosnian mujahideen were foreign Muslim volunteers who fought on the side of Bosnian Muslims during the 1992–1995 Bosnian war. They arrived in Bosnia with the aim of fighting for Islam and on behalf of Muslims who were at the time brutally attacked by Serbs and Croats in different parts of the...
in the Bosnian War
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
.
Life
He maintained frequent correspondence with Ibn Khattab, who led the Mujahideen forces in ChechnyaChechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
. The British recruiter Abu Hamza al-Masri
Abu Hamza al-Masri
Abu Hamza al-Masri is an Egyptian Sunni activist known for his preaching of a violent and politicised interpretation of Islam, also known as militant Islamism or jihadism...
, who was friends with Mokhtarim related that he was "a good-hearted person...a hard worker, a lion in fighting...a good brother - but he's too young and naive".
Bosnia
An Algerian, Mokhtari came to the battle with experience from his time in the Armed Islamic GroupArmed Islamic Group
The Armed Islamic Group is an Islamist organisation that wants to overthrow the Algerian government and replace it with an Islamic state...
.
He created a group entitled Harkat ul-Ansar with the help of Haroun Rashid Asouat, which consisted of approximately 200 British men of Pakistani origin, and was trained fighting in Jammu
Jammu
Jammu , also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
and kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
before being deployed to Bosnia. In November 1994, he wrote to President Alija Izetbegović
Alija Izetbegovic
Alija Izetbegović was a Bosniak activist, lawyer, author, philosopher and politician, who, in 1990, became the first president of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He served in this role until 1996, when he became a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, serving until 2000...
requesting the release of two Mujahideen from an HVO
HVO
- Organizations :*Croatian Defence Council , a military formation of the self-proclaimed Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia during the Bosnian War*Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, a unit of the US Geological Survey...
prison, pointing out that "our brothers are nothing more than any other ordinary mujahid in the Bosnian army", and noting that not a single crime or instance of looting rested on his foreign volunteers.
Evan Kohlmann
Evan Kohlmann
Evan F. Kohlmann is an American terrorism consultant who has worked for the FBI and other governmental organizations.He is a contributor to the Counterterrorism Blog, a senior investigator with The Nine Eleven Finding Answers Foundation, and a terrorism analyst for NBC News.-Early life and...
has stated that Mokhtari was serving as second-in-command of a Zenica
Zenica
Zenica is an industrial city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the capital of the Zenica-Doboj Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity...
battalion, under the command of Anwar Shaaban with Fateh Kamal as his right-hand man in 1995, but Kohlmann has also stated that Kamal spent his time visiting sixteen different countries during that time.
As of 1996, some sources suggested that he was believed to have led the 3rd Corps
3rd Corps of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The 3rd corps of the Bosnian Army was one of five, later seven. It was established by the order of the Commander of Main Staff of the Bosnian Army Sefer Halilović on 9 November 1992...
, known as the Gazi'a Force, an Arabic term for retribution, which incorporated formerly independent mujahideen units into a single force. Other reports suggest he only led the training portion of the Corps, known as U-Force.
Karim Said Atmani
Karim Said Atmani
A Moroccan living illegally in Montreal since 1995, Karim Said Atmani was alleged to be a document-forger for the Groupe Islamique Armé, and shared an apartment with Ahmed Ressam....
fought under his command.
A 1997 French report suggested that he had managed to keep a cache of SA-7 missiles
Strela 2
The 9K32 “Strela-2” is a man-portable, shoulder-fired, low-altitude surface-to-air missile system with a high explosive warhead and passive infrared homing guidance...
after the Dayton Accords, due to his protection and status with President Izetbegović.
He is also accused of organising an alleged Mujahideen cell in the King Fahd Mosque in the Dobrinja
Dobrinja
Dobrinja is the most populous neighborhood of Sarajevo. It's part of the municipality of Novi Grad. In 1993 a mortar attack was conducted from Serb-held positions on a football game. 13 people died and over 130 were wounded....
district of Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
. In 1998, the French government accused him of smuggling explosives to an Egyptian group wanting to destroy American targets in Germany.
Later activities
In 1999, the United States suspended assistance to the Bosnian Federation Army, demanding that the country first hand over Mokhtari to their control.While Izetbegović initially refused, he relented and agreed to expel Mokhtari from the country, rather than deport him to the United States. The magazine Globus
Globus
Globus is Latin for sphere or globe. It may also refer to:-Business:* Glo-Bus, a global business strategy simulation game* Globus , an Indian clothing retail store* Globus , a Swiss department store chain...
claimed that Izetbegović's son Bakir Izetbegović
Bakir Izetbegovic
Bakir Izetbegović is a Bosniak politician. Izetbegović is a member of the Party of Democratic Action and son of the late Bosnian president, Alija Izetbegović. In 2010, he was elected to be the Bosniak member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.-Career:Izetbegović graduated with a degree in...
was seen in attendance at the farewell party for Mokhtari.
Following his formal expulsion, there were rumors that Mokhtari had remained in Bosnia under a new name with the assistance of the government, or that he had traveled to Afghanistan to link up with al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
, or that he was imprisoned in the Guantanamo Bay detention camps.
In 2005, he was interviewed by a Bosnian magazine about the injustice he saw in the trial against Abduladhim Maktouf, a Mujahideen alleged to have been involved in the mistreatment of Croatian prisoners. He noted that he had married a Bosnian wife.