Thirwat Shehata
Encyclopedia
Born June 29 1960, Thirwat Salah Shehata (ثروت صالح شحاته) (also Tarwat Salah Abdallah) was a core member of Egyptian Islamic Jihad.
Married to the sister of Mahmoud Jaballah, Shehata served as Jaballah's lawyer in Egypt.
Shehata was alternatingly reported to have beensentenced to death, or a light prison sentence, in absentia
in 1991 following the al-Jihad assassination of Anwar Sadat
.
He maintained telephone contact with Jaballah through 1996 when the latter moved to Canada. In October, al-Jihad's London leader Adel Abdel Bary
contacted Jaballah to mention he was shipping him several books and periodicals, including al-Mujahideen and al-Faqr for distribution in Canada, and copies of the Shifaa and some audiocassettes he asked him to forward on to Shehata.
In November of that year, Jaballah mentioned that he hadn't heard from "his father" recently, and Shehata assured him that he was alright and just having difficulty communicating lately. Canadian authorities have alleged this conversation was in reference to EIJ leader Ayman al-Zawahiri
. Also in December, Shehata, now Jaballah's brother-in-law to whom he had offered financial support, told Jaballah that he was in Syria and preparing to go stay with "Daoud", believed to be a reference to Ibrahim Eidarous who was staying in Azerbaijan
.
On December 13, Jaballah was informed that his friend "Najib" had been "hospitalised", which authorities suggest was a reference to Ahmad Salama Mabruk
being imprisoned along with al-Zawahiri and Mahmud Hisham al-Hennawi
by Russian authorities as they tried to cross into Chechnya
. He promised to raise funds in Canada to help offset Nijab's troubles while Shehata did the same in Azerbaijan. Hani Yusef al-Sebai contacted Jaballah at this time, explaining that he was staying near Shehata and helping with the fundraising for the release. Jabbalah contacted Ibrahim Eidarous on January 1 to ask how he would arrange a cash transfer from the British Bank Middle East to Azerbaijan under the name Khalil Yaseen Mohammed Mahmoud, and a few days later phoned Shehata to say he was unable to transfer the funds to him. Shehata told him to just send the funds for the release to Daoud's postal box in London instead. Eidarous and Shehata traveled to Dagestan
to plead for the release of the "merchants" who they argued had been unfairly arrested. Shehata received permission to visit the prisoners, and is believed to have smuggled them $3000 which was later confiscated from their cell, and to have given them a letter which the Russians did not bother to translate. Shehata was sent on to Chechnya, where he met with Ibn Khattab.
In July 1998, Jaballah phoned Ibrahim Ismail Allam and passed on a message Shehata had asked him to deliver. Two days prior to the 1998 United States embassy bombings
, Shehata was again contacted by Jaballah, and hours before the bombing happened Mabruk phoned Jaballah and asked him to get Eidarous to call him on Shehata's cell phone, and Jaballah passed on the message. The day after the bombings, Mabruk told Jaballah that he and Shehata were leaving Azerbaijan and that they should break off all contact now; but Shehata phoned Jaballah a short time later and informed him that he'd moved to Lebanon, but didn't have a phone in his new location. He never again contacted Jaballah, The Associated Press
later stated that he had been again sentenced to death in absentia in 1998.
Following the September 11th attacks in 2001, Shehata was put on a list of "12 most wanted terrorist suspects" by the United States, and accused of financing al-Qaeda
.
In the lead-up to the 2003 American invasion of Iraq, CIA director George Tenet
believed that Shehata and Yussef Dardiri were both being allowed to operate in Baghdad
by Saddam Hussein
since May 2002, and used this "intelligence" as part of the bid to tie the dictator to terrorism, suggesting that "Shehata was willing to strike US, Israeli, and Egyptian targets sometime in the future" and stating that he had trained "North Africans" in the use of truck bombs in Afghanistan.
As of 2005, he was believed to be under a form of house arrest
in Iran.
Married to the sister of Mahmoud Jaballah, Shehata served as Jaballah's lawyer in Egypt.
Shehata was alternatingly reported to have beensentenced to death, or a light prison sentence, in absentia
In absentia
In absentia is Latin for "in the absence". In legal use, it usually means a trial at which the defendant is not physically present. The phrase is not ordinarily a mere observation, but suggests recognition of violation to a defendant's right to be present in court proceedings in a criminal trial.In...
in 1991 following the al-Jihad assassination of Anwar Sadat
Anwar Sadat
Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981...
.
He maintained telephone contact with Jaballah through 1996 when the latter moved to Canada. In October, al-Jihad's London leader Adel Abdel Bary
Adel Abdel Bary
Adel Mohammed Abd Almagid Abdel Bary is an Egyptian militant who, together with fellow Egyptian Ibrahim Hussein Abdel Hadi Eidarous until the latter's death, have been in the custody of the United Kingdom since 1999, fighting extradition to the United States, where they are wanted in connection...
contacted Jaballah to mention he was shipping him several books and periodicals, including al-Mujahideen and al-Faqr for distribution in Canada, and copies of the Shifaa and some audiocassettes he asked him to forward on to Shehata.
In November of that year, Jaballah mentioned that he hadn't heard from "his father" recently, and Shehata assured him that he was alright and just having difficulty communicating lately. Canadian authorities have alleged this conversation was in reference to EIJ leader Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri is an Egyptian physician, Islamic theologian and current leader of al-Qaeda. He was previously the second and last "emir" of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, having succeeded Abbud al-Zumar in the latter role when Egyptian authorities sentenced al-Zumar to life...
. Also in December, Shehata, now Jaballah's brother-in-law to whom he had offered financial support, told Jaballah that he was in Syria and preparing to go stay with "Daoud", believed to be a reference to Ibrahim Eidarous who was staying in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
.
On December 13, Jaballah was informed that his friend "Najib" had been "hospitalised", which authorities suggest was a reference to Ahmad Salama Mabruk
Ahmad Salama Mabruk
Ahmad Salam Mabruk was the alleged leader of Egyptian Islamic Jihad's Azeri cell. He was one of 14 people subjected to extraordinary rendition by the CIA prior to the 2001 declaration of a War on Terror.-Life:...
being imprisoned along with al-Zawahiri and Mahmud Hisham al-Hennawi
Mahmud Hisham al-Hennawi
Mahmud Hisham al-Hennawi , also known by his kunya Abu Sahl, was an Islamic militant with ties to the Egyptian Islamic Jihad who was killed in Chechnya in 2005.-Early life:...
by Russian authorities as they tried to cross into Chechnya
Chechnya
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...
. He promised to raise funds in Canada to help offset Nijab's troubles while Shehata did the same in Azerbaijan. Hani Yusef al-Sebai contacted Jaballah at this time, explaining that he was staying near Shehata and helping with the fundraising for the release. Jabbalah contacted Ibrahim Eidarous on January 1 to ask how he would arrange a cash transfer from the British Bank Middle East to Azerbaijan under the name Khalil Yaseen Mohammed Mahmoud, and a few days later phoned Shehata to say he was unable to transfer the funds to him. Shehata told him to just send the funds for the release to Daoud's postal box in London instead. Eidarous and Shehata traveled to Dagestan
Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
to plead for the release of the "merchants" who they argued had been unfairly arrested. Shehata received permission to visit the prisoners, and is believed to have smuggled them $3000 which was later confiscated from their cell, and to have given them a letter which the Russians did not bother to translate. Shehata was sent on to Chechnya, where he met with Ibn Khattab.
In July 1998, Jaballah phoned Ibrahim Ismail Allam and passed on a message Shehata had asked him to deliver. Two days prior to 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...
, Shehata was again contacted by Jaballah, and hours before the bombing happened Mabruk phoned Jaballah and asked him to get Eidarous to call him on Shehata's cell phone, and Jaballah passed on the message. The day after the bombings, Mabruk told Jaballah that he and Shehata were leaving Azerbaijan and that they should break off all contact now; but Shehata phoned Jaballah a short time later and informed him that he'd moved to Lebanon, but didn't have a phone in his new location. He never again contacted Jaballah, The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
later stated that he had been again sentenced to death in absentia in 1998.
Following the September 11th attacks in 2001, Shehata was put on a list of "12 most wanted terrorist suspects" by the United States, and accused of financing 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...
.
In the lead-up to the 2003 American invasion of Iraq, CIA director George Tenet
George Tenet
George John Tenet was the Director of Central Intelligence for the United States Central Intelligence Agency, and is Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at Georgetown University....
believed that Shehata and Yussef Dardiri were both being allowed to operate in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
by Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
since May 2002, and used this "intelligence" as part of the bid to tie the dictator to terrorism, suggesting that "Shehata was willing to strike US, Israeli, and Egyptian targets sometime in the future" and stating that he had trained "North Africans" in the use of truck bombs in Afghanistan.
As of 2005, he was believed to be under a form of house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
in Iran.