Overview
Ibrahim Suleiman Adnan Adam Harun is an al-Qaeda operative, who joined the terrorist group in 2001. He and other jihadists attacked a U.S. military patrol near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in April 2003, killing two American soldiers and injuring many others.“Al-Qaeda Operative Sentenced to Life in Prison for Terrorism Offenses Targeting Americans Overseas,” U.S. Department of Justice, February 16, 2018, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/al-qaeda-operative-sentenced-life-prison-terrorism-offenses-targeting-americans-overseas. He also conspired to bomb U.S. diplomatic facilities and other Western targets in Nigeria.“Al-Qaeda Operative Sentenced to Life in Prison for Terrorism Offenses Targeting Americans Overseas,” U.S. Department of Justice, February 16, 2018, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/al-qaeda-operative-sentenced-life-prison-terrorism-offenses-targeting-americans-overseas. In June 2011, Harun was arrested by Italian authorities after assaulting officers on a refugee ship headed for Italy, and subsequently extradited to the United States for criminal prosecution.https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/newyork/press-releases/2013/alleged-al-qaeda-operative-charged-in-new-york-for-terrorism-offenses-against-americans-overseas. Harun was convicted of multiple terrorism offenses in March 2017, and sentenced to life in prison on February 16, 2018.“Al-Qaeda Operative Sentenced to Life in Prison for Terrorism Offenses Targeting Americans Overseas,” U.S. Department of Justice, February 16, 2018, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/al-qaeda-operative-sentenced-life-prison-terrorism-offenses-targeting-americans-overseas.
Harun was born in Saudi Arabia, but has claimed to be from Niger.“Al-Qaida Operative Gets Life Sentence for Killing Soldiers, Bomb Plot,” Voice of America, February 16, 2018, https://www.voanews.com/a/ai-qaida-operative-life-sentence-killing-soldiers-bomb-plot/4258039.html; Ellen Nakashima, “’A person of murderous zeal’: Al-Qaeda operative given life sentence for deaths of U.S. troops,” Washington Post, February 16, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/a-person-of-murderous-zeal-al-qaeda-operative-given-life-sentence-for-killing-us-troops/2018/02/16/4184d968-1346-11e8-9065-e55346f6de81_story.html?utm_term=.e042964bc5ba. He claimed that he aspired to be a mujahid and fight the Soviets in Afghanistan since childhood.Ellen Nakashima, “‘A person of murderous zeal’: Al-Qaeda operative given life sentence for deaths of U.S. troops,” Washington Post, February 16, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/a-person-of-murderous-zeal-al-qaeda-operative-given-life-sentence-for-killing-us-troops/2018/02/16/4184d968-1346-11e8-9065-e55346f6de81_story.html?utm_term=.e042964bc5ba. A few weeks before the September 11, 2001, plane hijackings in the United States, Harun traveled from Saudi Arabia to Afghanistan, pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda, and received military-style training in al-Qaeda terrorist camps in Afghanistan.“Al-Qaeda Operative Sentenced to Life in Prison for Terrorism Offenses Targeting Americans Overseas,” U.S. Department of Justice, February 16, 2018, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/al-qaeda-operative-sentenced-life-prison-terrorism-offenses-targeting-americans-overseas; “Alleged al Qaeda Operative Charged in New York for Terrorism Offenses Against Americans Overseas,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, March 20, 2013, https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/newyork/press-releases/2013/alleged-al-qaeda-operative-charged-in-new-york-for-terrorism-offenses-against-americans-overseas. Harun later traveled with other al-Qaeda jihadists to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan where he served under Abdul Hadi al-Iraqi, one of Osama bin Laden’s deputies and a senior al-Qaeda military commander.“Al-Qaeda Operative Sentenced to Life in Prison for Terrorism Offenses Targeting Americans Overseas,” U.S. Department of Justice, February 16, 2018, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/al-qaeda-operative-sentenced-life-prison-terrorism-offenses-targeting-americans-overseas. Between 2002 and 2003, Harun fought against U.S. forces in Afghanistan alongside an al-Qaeda fighting group based in Pakistan.“Alleged al Qaeda Operative Charged in New York for Terrorism Offenses Against Americans Overseas,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, March 20, 2013, https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/newyork/press-releases/2013/alleged-al-qaeda-operative-charged-in-new-york-for-terrorism-offenses-against-americans-overseas.
On April 25, 2003, Harun and other jihadists attacked a U.S. military patrol near the Afghan-Pakistan border with machine guns and grenades. The assault resulted in the death of two American soldiers—PFC Jerod Dennis and A1C Raymond Losano—and the serious injury of many others.“Al-Qaeda Operative Sentenced to Life in Prison for Terrorism Offenses Targeting Americans Overseas,” U.S. Department of Justice, February 16, 2018, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/al-qaeda-operative-sentenced-life-prison-terrorism-offenses-targeting-americans-overseas.
Later that same year in August, Harun traveled to Nigeria with the intent to conduct attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities and other Western targets. He allegedly conspired to bomb the U.S. Embassy and Western hotels in the capital city of Abuja. Harun obtained explosives, recruited accomplices, and scouted the embassy. He also worked to establish links between al-Qaeda and terrorist leaders in West Africa, who would later form Boko Haram. Harun fled Nigeria for Libya in 2004, after learning that his co-conspirator—who was directed to courier information and materials to al-Qaeda—was arrested by Pakistani authorities.“Al-Qaeda Operative Sentenced to Life in Prison for Terrorism Offenses Targeting Americans Overseas,” U.S. Department of Justice, February 16, 2018, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/al-qaeda-operative-sentenced-life-prison-terrorism-offenses-targeting-americans-overseas; “United States of America vs. Ibrahim Suleiman Adnan Adam Harun – Indictment,” U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, accessed March 21, 2019, https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/2124.pdf; Ellen Nakashima, “‘A person of murderous zeal’: Al-Qaeda operative given life sentence for deaths of U.S. troops,” Washington Post, February 16, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/a-person-of-murderous-zeal-al-qaeda-operative-given-life-sentence-for-killing-us-troops/2018/02/16/4184d968-1346-11e8-9065-e55346f6de81_story.html?utm_term=.e042964bc5ba.
In Libya, Harun had planned to travel to Europe to carry out attacks, but was arrested by Libyan authorities in early 2005 and held in custody until his release in June 2011.“Al-Qaeda Operative Sentenced to Life in Prison for Terrorism Offenses Targeting Americans Overseas,” U.S. Department of Justice, February 16, 2018, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/al-qaeda-operative-sentenced-life-prison-terrorism-offenses-targeting-americans-overseas; “Alleged al Qaeda Operative Charged in New York for Terrorism Offenses Against Americans Overseas,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, March 20, 2013, https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/newyork/press-releases/2013/alleged-al-qaeda-operative-charged-in-new-york-for-terrorism-offenses-against-americans-overseas. He was allegedly tortured while detained in Libya and has suffered from mental health problems since, according to Harun’s defense attorneys.Ellen Nakashima and Missy Ryan, “A top al-Qaeda operative is about to be sentenced for killing U.S. troops 15 years ago in Afghanistan,” Washington Post, February 14, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/a-top-al-qaeda-operative-is-about-to-be-sentenced-for-killing-us-troops-15-years-ago-in-afghanistan/2018/02/14/e7a3a400-ec04-11e7-9f92-10a2203f6c8d_story.html?utm_term=.6c5115f70a32. Shortly after his release, Harun was arrested by Italian authorities after assaulting officers on board a refugee ship. He also reportedly admitted to Italian authorities that his battle scars were from fighting for al-Qaeda against American soldiers.“Al-Qaeda Operative Sentenced to Life in Prison for Terrorism Offenses Targeting Americans Overseas,” U.S. Department of Justice, February 16, 2018, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/al-qaeda-operative-sentenced-life-prison-terrorism-offenses-targeting-americans-overseas; “Alleged al Qaeda Operative Charged in New York for Terrorism Offenses Against Americans Overseas,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, March 20, 2013, https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/newyork/press-releases/2013/alleged-al-qaeda-operative-charged-in-new-york-for-terrorism-offenses-against-americans-overseas; “Al-Qaida Operative Gets Life Sentence for Killing Soldiers, Bomb Plot,” Voice of America, February 16, 2018, https://www.voanews.com/a/ai-qaida-operative-life-sentence-killing-soldiers-bomb-plot/4258039.html.
In March 2017, Harun was convicted of multiple terrorism offenses and sentenced to life imprisonment on February 16, 2018.“Al-Qaeda Operative Sentenced to Life in Prison for Terrorism Offenses Targeting Americans Overseas,” U.S. Department of Justice, February 16, 2018, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/al-qaeda-operative-sentenced-life-prison-terrorism-offenses-targeting-americans-overseas.
Associated Groups
- Extremist entity
- Al-Qaeda
- Read Threat Report
- Type(s) of Organization:
- Non-state actor, religious, terrorist, transnational, violent
- Ideologies and Affiliations:
- Jihadist, pan-Islamist, Qutbist, Salafist, Sunni, takfiri
- Position(s):
- Soldier
Al-Qaeda’s 9/11 attacks was the deadliest ever on American soil, killing nearly 3,000 people. Since the fall of the Taliban, al-Qaeda has established operations worldwide, including in Syria, the Gulf, North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, and the Indian subcontinent.
History
Daily Dose
Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.
Fact:
On January 23, 2019, two car bombs exploded outside of a mosque in Benghazi, Libya, killing 41 people and injuring 80 others. No group claimed responsibility for the blast, but remnants suggested an ISIS affiliate was responsible.