Saif al-Adel
Encyclopedia
Saif al-Adel is an Egyptian
explosives expert and a high-ranking member of al-Qaeda
.
Adel is under indictment for his part in the 1998 United States embassy bombings
in Africa. According to the indictment, Adel is a member of the majlis al shura of al-Qaeda and a member of its military committee, and he provided military and intelligence training to members of al-Qaeda and Egyptian Islamic Jihad in Afghanistan
, Pakistan
, and Sudan
, and to anti-UN Somali
tribes. It is possible that his trainees included the Somalis of the first Battle of Mogadishu. He established the al-Qaeda training facility at Ras Kamboni
in Somalia near the Kenyan border.
He was one of the masterminds of the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Al Sadat, and left the country in 1988 to join the mujahideen
in repelling the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. He is then believed to have traveled to southern Lebanon
along with Abu Talha al-Sudani, Sayful Islam al-Masri, Abu Ja`far al-Masri, and Abu Salim al-Masri, where he trained alongside Hezbollah Al-Hejaz.
In Khartoum
, Adel taught recruited militants how to handle explosives in the unused sections of Al-Damazin Farms.
He is married to the daughter of Mustafa Hamid
, and they have five children together.
Along with Saeed al-Masri
and Mahfouz Ould al-Walid, he is believed to have opposed the September 11 attacks two months prior to their execution.
He has also been connected with the murder of Daniel Pearl
.
. The group had begrudgingly agreed to care for the troublesome Canadian 16-year old Abdurahman Khadr
, since his father was away and his mother couldn't control his drinking, smoking and violent outbursts. However, while in Kabul
, Adel was approached by bin Laden and asked to take Abdurahman to the bus station and have him sent back to his family's home.
In approximately 2000, he was living in the Karte Parwan
district of Kabul. On the local walkie-talkie
communications in the city, he was identified as #1.
On September 9, 2001 Adel was approached by Feroz Ali Abbasi who said he was so impressed by the killing of Ahmed Shah Massoud
that he wanted to volunteer for something similar.
In early November 2001, the Taliban government announced they were bestowing official Afghan citizenship
on him, as well as Bin Laden, Zawahiri, Mohammed Atef
, and Shaykh Asim Abdulrahman
. During the American bombardment of Kandahar
, Adel was present and witnessed the deaths of Abu-Ali al-Yafi'i and his wife, Abu-Usamah al-Ta'zi with his wife and two children, the wife of Rayyan al-Ta'zi, the wife of Abu-Usamah al-Kini, and the wife of Al-Barra al-Hijazi who was arrested in Morocco before the Casablanca bombings.
On November 18, Adel was working with Abu-Muhammad al-Abyad, Abd-al-Rahman al-Masri, and Abu-Usamah al-Filastini, Abu-Husayn al-Masri and Faruq al-Suri; all of whom were staying in his empty house with him at night. In the early morning hours of November 19, he woke them up just minutes before the al-Wafa
charity building was bombed, phoning friends in the area, he learned that Abdul Wahid had been killed in the explosion. He later learned that Asim al-Yamani from Al Farouq training camp
and the elderly Abu-Abd-al-Rahman Al-Abiy had run to the charity's headquarters and begun rescuing survivors and pulling out the dead bodies. The pair had then agreed the area was not safe, and sent their women to the smaller villages, while they used their two cars to try and unpack their house's contents. An American jet bombed the pair, killing al-Yamani and wounding al-Abiy. As it was the third day of Ramadan
, the group in Adel's house began to prepare and eat Suhoor
, but were interrupted by a cruise missile
striking 100 metres away, destroying an empty house belonging to an Afghan Arab family, and a Taliban barracks. They gathered their belongings and quickly left, fearing another strike. Adel went to the hospital, where he visited the wounded al-Abiy, and arranged for him to be transferred to a hospital in Pakistan.
He was told by Abu Ali al-Suri that the American aircraft had machinegunned women leaving the city on the road to Banjway, and assured him that he would send aid. A convoy of 4-6 Corolla Fielders set out to Banjway, followed closely by American helicopters. The Americans attacked the lead vehicle, killing Abu-Ali al-Yafi'i, his wife, four women, and two children - and the second vehicle, killing Suraqah al-Yamani and Hamzah al-Suri. Abu-Ali al-Maliki quickly veered off the road with the third vehicle, turning off his headlights, and drove into the mountains escaping the attack.
Since al-Qaeda's military chief Mohammed Atef
was killed in 2001, it has sometimes been said that Adel would be his natural successor in that role.
In 2004, he published a "terrorist manual" entitled "The Base of the Vanguard", an Arabic pun
on the phrases al-Qaeda ("the base") and the Vanguards of Conquest
.
Saif al-Adel was a key source in a 2005 book on al-Qaeda's global strategy by journalist Fouad Hussein
.
published a number of declassified documents from the Harmony database, some of which are known or believed to have been written by Saif al-Adel. One is a letter signed "Omar al-Sumali, previously known as Saif al-Adel", about the author's activities in southern Somalia during UNOSOM II
(1993–1995). It identifies Ras Kamboni as a suitable site for an al-Qaeda base. It mentions an accomplice of Adel called "Mukhtar". In a letter from "‘Abd-al-Halim Adl" to "Mukhtar", dated 13 June 2002, the author strongly criticises the leadership of Osama bin Laden
, blaming al-Qaeda's preceding disastrous six months on bin Laden's recklessness and unwillingness to listen to advice.
The 2002 addressee "Mukhtar" appears to be the commander of the September 11, 2001 attacks
, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed:
In 2004, Adel was also alleged to be the author behind The Al-Battar Military Camp, a manual that advised prospective militants about how to strike easy targets.
On March 11, 2005, Al-Quds Al-Arabi
published extracts from Adel's document "Al Quaeda's Strategy to the Year 2020".
In March 2007 the Pentagon
posted on the Internet a transcript of part of the hearing into the combatant status of detainee Ramzi bin al-Shibh. Some of the evidence against bin al-Shibh came from a diary of Saif al-Adel:
since its inception in 2001. The State Department's
Rewards for Justice Program
is offering up to US$5 million for information on his location.
There has been speculation that Adel fled Afghanistan to Iran
and was detained under house arrest near Tehran
. Later reports indicate that he was released in March 2010 in exchange for the release of Heshmatollah Attarzadeh, an Iranian diplomat kidnapped in November
2008. and made his way to northern Pakistan. Although Abu Hafs Al Mauritania
was reported killed in a January 2002 American airstrike, it was also suggested he may have fled to Iran with Adel.
As of October, 2010, Der Spiegel
reported that Adel was in the Waziristan
region between Afghanistan
and Pakistan
.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
explosives expert and a high-ranking member of 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...
.
Adel is under indictment for his part in the 1998 United States embassy bombings
1998 United States embassy bombings
The 1998 United States embassy bombings were a series of attacks that occurred on August 7, 1998, in which hundreds of people were killed in simultaneous truck bomb explosions at the United States embassies in the East African capitals of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya. The date of the...
in Africa. According to the indictment, Adel is a member of the majlis al shura of al-Qaeda and a member of its military committee, and he provided military and intelligence training to members of al-Qaeda and Egyptian Islamic Jihad in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, and Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, and to anti-UN Somali
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
tribes. It is possible that his trainees included the Somalis of the first Battle of Mogadishu. He established the al-Qaeda training facility at Ras Kamboni
Ras Kamboni
Ras Kamboni is a town in the Badhaadhe district of Lower Juba region, Somalia, which lies on a peninsula near the border with Kenya. American officials have said that it has served as a training camp for extremists with connections to Al-Qaeda; al-Sharq al-Awsat reported in May 1999 that al-Qaeda...
in Somalia near the Kenyan border.
He was one of the masterminds of the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Al Sadat, and left the country in 1988 to join the mujahideen
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
in repelling the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. He is then believed to have traveled to southern Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
along with Abu Talha al-Sudani, Sayful Islam al-Masri, Abu Ja`far al-Masri, and Abu Salim al-Masri, where he trained alongside Hezbollah Al-Hejaz.
In Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
, Adel taught recruited militants how to handle explosives in the unused sections of Al-Damazin Farms.
He is married to the daughter of Mustafa Hamid
Abu Walid al Masri
Mustafa Hamid , also known as Abu Walid al Masri and Hashim al-Makki , was an Islamic jihad volunteer during the Soviet war in Afghanistan. He is often described as a member or advisor of Al Qaeda, though he has disclaimed this description...
, and they have five children together.
Along with Saeed al-Masri
Saeed al-Masri
Mustafa Ahmed Muhammad Uthman Abu al-Yazid , better known as Saeed al-Masri or simply al-Masri , was an Egyptian who was alleged to have acted as the financial chief for al-Qaeda...
and Mahfouz Ould al-Walid, he is believed to have opposed the September 11 attacks two months prior to their execution.
He has also been connected with the murder of Daniel Pearl
Daniel Pearl
Daniel Pearl was an American journalist who was kidnapped and killed by Al-Qaeda.At the time of his kidnapping, Pearl served as the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, and was based in Mumbai, India. He went to Pakistan as part of an investigation into the alleged links between...
.
Militant connections
Several months before the 1998 embassy bombings, Adel was helping Bin Laden move his followers from Najim Jihad to Tarnak FarmsTarnak Farms
Tarnak Farms refers to a former Afghan training camp near Kandahar.The camp is very near the Kandahar airport.The Al-Qaeda camp is alleged to have offered training constructing bombs, using poisons, urban warfare, and assassination...
. The group had begrudgingly agreed to care for the troublesome Canadian 16-year old Abdurahman Khadr
Abdurahman Khadr
Abdurahman Khadr is the third child of the Egyptian Canadian Khadr family, and was held in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camps, in Cuba, after being detained in Afghanistan under suspicion of connections to Al-Qaeda...
, since his father was away and his mother couldn't control his drinking, smoking and violent outbursts. However, while in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, Adel was approached by bin Laden and asked to take Abdurahman to the bus station and have him sent back to his family's home.
In approximately 2000, he was living in the Karte Parwan
Karte Parwan
Kārte Parwān is a neighbourhood in Kabul, Afghanistan, and home to the Sikh Gurdwara Karte Parwan and Sheerno Junior High. The area is the centre of the Afghan Hindu and Afghan Sikh communities....
district of Kabul. On the local walkie-talkie
Walkie-talkie
A walkie-talkie is a hand-held, portable, two-way radio transceiver. Its development during the Second World War has been variously credited to Donald L. Hings, radio engineer Alfred J. Gross, and engineering teams at Motorola...
communications in the city, he was identified as #1.
On September 9, 2001 Adel was approached by Feroz Ali Abbasi who said he was so impressed by the killing of Ahmed Shah Massoud
Ahmed Shah Massoud
Ahmad Shah Massoud was a Kabul University engineering student turned military leader who played a leading role in driving the Soviet army out of Afghanistan, earning him the name Lion of Panjshir. His followers call him Āmir Sāhib-e Shahīd...
that he wanted to volunteer for something similar.
In early November 2001, the Taliban government announced they were bestowing official Afghan citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
on him, as well as Bin Laden, Zawahiri, Mohammed Atef
Mohammed Atef
Mohammed Atef was the alleged military chief of al-Qaida, although his role in the organization was not well known by intelligence agencies for years...
, and Shaykh Asim Abdulrahman
Asim Abdulrahman
The son of Omar Abdur Rahman, Asim Abdulrahman was described as "among the closest" of Osama bin Laden's followers in the days following the September 11th attacks in 2001....
. During the American bombardment of Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
, Adel was present and witnessed the deaths of Abu-Ali al-Yafi'i and his wife, Abu-Usamah al-Ta'zi with his wife and two children, the wife of Rayyan al-Ta'zi, the wife of Abu-Usamah al-Kini, and the wife of Al-Barra al-Hijazi who was arrested in Morocco before the Casablanca bombings.
On November 18, Adel was working with Abu-Muhammad al-Abyad, Abd-al-Rahman al-Masri, and Abu-Usamah al-Filastini, Abu-Husayn al-Masri and Faruq al-Suri; all of whom were staying in his empty house with him at night. In the early morning hours of November 19, he woke them up just minutes before the al-Wafa
Al Wafa al Igatha al Islamia
Al Wafa is an Islamic charity listed in Executive Order 13224 as an entity that supports terrorism.United States intelligence officials state that it was founded in Afghanistan by Adil Zamil Abdull Mohssin Al Zamil,Abdul Aziz al-Matrafi and Samar Khand....
charity building was bombed, phoning friends in the area, he learned that Abdul Wahid had been killed in the explosion. He later learned that Asim al-Yamani from Al Farouq training camp
Al Farouq training camp
The Al Farouq training camp, also known as "the airport camp", was an alleged Al-Qaeda training camp near Kandahar, Afghanistan. Camp attendees received small-arms training, map-reading, orientation, explosives training, and other training....
and the elderly Abu-Abd-al-Rahman Al-Abiy had run to the charity's headquarters and begun rescuing survivors and pulling out the dead bodies. The pair had then agreed the area was not safe, and sent their women to the smaller villages, while they used their two cars to try and unpack their house's contents. An American jet bombed the pair, killing al-Yamani and wounding al-Abiy. As it was the third day of Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
, the group in Adel's house began to prepare and eat Suhoor
Suhoor
Suhoor , also called Sehur, Sehri, Sahari and Sahur in other languages, is an Islamic term referring to the meal consumed early in the morning by Muslims before fasting, sawm, in daylight hours during the Islamic month of Ramadan. The meal is eaten before fajr, or dawn...
, but were interrupted by a cruise missile
Cruise missile
A cruise missile is a guided missile that carries an explosive payload and is propelled, usually by a jet engine, towards a land-based or sea-based target. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with high accuracy...
striking 100 metres away, destroying an empty house belonging to an Afghan Arab family, and a Taliban barracks. They gathered their belongings and quickly left, fearing another strike. Adel went to the hospital, where he visited the wounded al-Abiy, and arranged for him to be transferred to a hospital in Pakistan.
He was told by Abu Ali al-Suri that the American aircraft had machinegunned women leaving the city on the road to Banjway, and assured him that he would send aid. A convoy of 4-6 Corolla Fielders set out to Banjway, followed closely by American helicopters. The Americans attacked the lead vehicle, killing Abu-Ali al-Yafi'i, his wife, four women, and two children - and the second vehicle, killing Suraqah al-Yamani and Hamzah al-Suri. Abu-Ali al-Maliki quickly veered off the road with the third vehicle, turning off his headlights, and drove into the mountains escaping the attack.
Since al-Qaeda's military chief Mohammed Atef
Mohammed Atef
Mohammed Atef was the alleged military chief of al-Qaida, although his role in the organization was not well known by intelligence agencies for years...
was killed in 2001, it has sometimes been said that Adel would be his natural successor in that role.
In 2004, he published a "terrorist manual" entitled "The Base of the Vanguard", an Arabic pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
on the phrases al-Qaeda ("the base") and the Vanguards of Conquest
Vanguards of Conquest
Founded as a branch of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad operating in Somalia in 1993, the Vanguards of Conquest were a separate faction that eventually folded back into the group under the leadership of Ayman al-Zawahiri....
.
Saif al-Adel was a key source in a 2005 book on al-Qaeda's global strategy by journalist Fouad Hussein
Fouad Hussein
Fouad Hussein is a Jordanian journalist and author of the 2005 Arabic language book Al-Zarqawi: The Second Generation of Al Qaeda. It is based on interviews with senior Islamic militants, including Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the late leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, and Saif al-Adel, a high ranking member...
.
Writings of Saif al-Adel
In February 2006 the Combating Terrorism Center at West PointUnited States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
published a number of declassified documents from the Harmony database, some of which are known or believed to have been written by Saif al-Adel. One is a letter signed "Omar al-Sumali, previously known as Saif al-Adel", about the author's activities in southern Somalia during UNOSOM II
UNOSOM II
United Nations Operation in Somalia II was the second phase of the United Nations intervention in Somalia, from March 1993 until March 1995....
(1993–1995). It identifies Ras Kamboni as a suitable site for an al-Qaeda base. It mentions an accomplice of Adel called "Mukhtar". In a letter from "‘Abd-al-Halim Adl" to "Mukhtar", dated 13 June 2002, the author strongly criticises the leadership of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
, blaming al-Qaeda's preceding disastrous six months on bin Laden's recklessness and unwillingness to listen to advice.
If someone opposes [bin Ladin], he immediately puts forward another person to render an opinion in his support, clinging to his opinion and totally disregarding those around him...
Perhaps, brother Abu Mattar has warned you that his opinion [of bin Ladin's leadership] has changed a lot since he got out of his previous situation.
The 2002 addressee "Mukhtar" appears to be the commander of the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed:
The East Asia, Europe, America, Horn of Africa, Yemen, Gulf, and Morocco groups have fallen, and Pakistan has almost been drowned in one push. I, not to mention the other individuals who have also moved and fallen, have often advised on this matter. Regrettably, my brother, if you look back, you will find that you are the person solely responsible for all this because you undertook the mission, and during six months, we only lost what we built in years.
In 2004, Adel was also alleged to be the author behind The Al-Battar Military Camp, a manual that advised prospective militants about how to strike easy targets.
On March 11, 2005, Al-Quds Al-Arabi
Al-Quds Al-Arabi
Al-Quds Al-Arabi , is an independent pan-Arab daily newspaper published in London since 1989. The paper is owned by Palestinian expatriates, and edited by Abd al-Bari Atwan who was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Gaza Strip in 1950. Its motto is . Its circulation is estimated to be...
published extracts from Adel's document "Al Quaeda's Strategy to the Year 2020".
In March 2007 the Pentagon
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
posted on the Internet a transcript of part of the hearing into the combatant status of detainee Ramzi bin al-Shibh. Some of the evidence against bin al-Shibh came from a diary of Saif al-Adel:
Sayf al-Adel is a senior al Qaida military commander with a long-term relationship with Usama bin Laden. Sayf al-Adel's role in the organization has been as a trainer, military leader, and key member of Usama bin Laden's security detail.
The diary of Sayf al-Adel was recovered during a raid in Saudi Arabia in 2004. The diary details the Detainee's involvement in the 11 September 2001 terrorist plot and subsequent attack. The Detainee is listed as a "highly professional jihadist" along with "9/11 hijackers", Mohammed Atta and Ziad Jarrah. The diary states that the three were briefed on an operation involving aircraft by Abu HafsAbu HafsAbu Hafs may refer to:*Mohammed Atef, alleged military chief of al-Qaida, used this as an alias*Abu Hafs , corsair primarily active in the 9th century*Abu Hafs al-Urduni, Jordanian Mujahid who fought in Chechnya...
, a senior al Qaida planner.
Current location
Adel has been on the FBI's list of Most Wanted TerroristsFBI Most Wanted Terrorists
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Most Wanted Terrorists is a list of fugitives who have been indicted by sitting Federal grand juries in the United States district courts, for alleged crimes of terrorism. The initial list was formed in late 2001 in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks...
since its inception in 2001. The State Department's
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
Rewards for Justice Program
Rewards For Justice Program
The Rewards for Justice Program is the counterterrorism rewards program of the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service . The Secretary of State is currently offering rewards for information that prevents or favorably resolves acts of international terrorism against U.S. persons or...
is offering up to US$5 million for information on his location.
There has been speculation that Adel fled Afghanistan to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and was detained under house arrest near Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
. Later reports indicate that he was released in March 2010 in exchange for the release of Heshmatollah Attarzadeh, an Iranian diplomat kidnapped in November
2008. and made his way to northern Pakistan. Although Abu Hafs Al Mauritania
Abu Hafs Al Mauritania
Sheikh Mahfouz Ould al-Walid is an Islamic religious scholar and author associated with al-Qaeda. A veteran of the Soviet war in Afghanistan, he has he been active in Afghanistan, where he tried to build an advanced religious school called the Institute of Islamic Studies in Kandahar, Afghanistan...
was reported killed in a January 2002 American airstrike, it was also suggested he may have fled to Iran with Adel.
As of October, 2010, Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
reported that Adel was in the Waziristan
Waziristan
Waziristan is a mountainous region near the Northwest of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . The area is entirely populated by ethnic Pashtuns . The language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto...
region between Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.