Profile of Farj Hassan Italy, UK -- OSC Report Thursday, April 20, 2006
Faraj Farj Hassan (Al Saadi) or Hassan Faraj or Farj Hassan (aka Mohammad Abdullah Imad, Imad Mouhamed Abdellah, "Hamza the Libyan" Date of Birth: 28 November 1980 (or 1981) Possible places of birth: (1) Libya (2) Gaza (3) Jordan (4) Palestine Address: Viale Bligny 42, Milan, Italy ( http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/ www.bankofengland.co.uk) Timeline of Hamza's activities, according to open sources: Based on "intercepts" by Italian authorities, investigation of an Italian terrorist network is launched. Hamza and six Tunisians are identified as the core of this network (, 12 October 2002). Hamza allegedly makes telephone calls to Iran. Saadi Nassim flies from Milan to Tehran (, 28 October 2002). Hamza receives "orders from 'al-Qa'ida" while in Iran, and then travels to the Netherlands. There, his "papers were in order," and he asks Nassim and Salmane for a false passport. Netherlands police disrupt an attack on the US Embassy during this same time (, 12 October 2002). Hamza travels to the UK and stays "with a relative who had political asylum" (, 11 January 2004). He applies for asylum in the UK (AFP, 9 December 2004). -- Shortly before leaving Italy for the UK, Hamza allegedly procures "satellite phones capable of talking with Iran and Iraq" which allow the other cell members to "keep lines of communication open between those in Italy and those in northern Iraq." One Italian press report claimed that Hamza obtained "at least six satellite telephones" (, 1 April, 27 March 2003). Hamza is arrested in London for the possession of false documents, specifically for "possessing and handling a stolen British passport" (, 15 October 2005, 24 June 2002). He is arrested under the UK's 2000 Prevention of Terrorism Act and held in Brixton Prison (AFP; Press Association, 9 December 2004). -- Upon the arrest of the other cell members, Italian police find "10,000 euros in one of the suspects' possession" as well as "some ten camouflage uniforms" in a Milan apartment (AFP, 20 October 2002). Further press items: Hamza and his "gang members" are accused of "procuring false documents, raising funds for terrorist use and "brainwashing" those who were to carry out "atrocities" (Press Association, 9 December 2004). Hamza has contacts with "terrorists who fled to Iran," among whom may be Osama Bin Ladin's son. He also has contacts in Yemen. As the leader of the cell in Italy, he sends the "complete kit of Italian documents to accomplices hidden in Malaysia" (, 11 October 2002). The cell will obtain financing from drug smuggling "as long as the money is not used for 'food,' but only for the 'boom of missiles'" or "military activities" (, 11 October 2002). Hamza's network is connected to France, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Bosnia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Turkey, as well as other contacts from his trips to Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. There he supposedly met "terrorists" who would "commit attacks in Europe" and supply "bogus identity documents" (, 28 October 2002). -- Investigators claim Hamza's cell in Milan is linked to a cell in Lombardy with ties to Ansar Al-Islam, and which was sending "soldiers" from Iraq through Turkey into Europe (, 27 March 2003). -- Washington requests the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLAC) and the Philippine Central Bank to freeze the "funds, assets or economic resources, including offices" of "Tunisian nationals Nassim Saadi, Cherif Said Ben Abdelhakim, Lotfi Rihani, Lazher Ben Khalifa Ben Ahmed Rouine, Imed Ben Mekki Zarkaoui, Mourad Trabelsi, Kamel Ben Mouldi Hamraoui, and Noureddine Drissi." Also included on the US list were "Egyptian Radi Abd El Samie Abou El Yazid El Ayashi, Somalian Ciise Maxamed Cabdullaah, Iraqis Mohammed Tahir Hammid and Mohamed Amin Mostafa, Libyan Faraj Farj Hassan Al Saadi, and Moroccans Daki Mohamed and Hamadi Bouyahia" (most influential privately-owned daily in English, 15 December 2003). -- A UK court approves Hmaza's extradition to Italy (AFP, 9 December 2004). According to another report, Italy is still awaiting the UK's deportation of Hamza. The report states that the "Home Secretary is awaiting further representations before making a deportation decision" (, 7 August 2005). -- Magistrates in Milan call for the "repeal of the arrest warrant" because UK authorities have not yet extradited him to Italy, nor "served him notification of the closure of the Milan probe." This implies that Hamza will now be able to return to Italy "in a state of complete and utter freedom" (, 15 October 2005). -- The UK exceeds the timeframe in which to finalize Hamza's extradition proceedings, and therefore the Home Office withdraws its extradition warrant. According to London's center-right, Hamza continues to be held "under immigration rules," but with "Britain's failure to meet their three-year deadline" for extradition, the Italians would have to release him upon his return to Italy (31 October, 18 November 2005). (aka Tunisian, born 25 January 1970, Address: Corso Lodi 59, Milan, Italy. Considered the "representative of al-Qa'ida" in Italy. On 9 May 2005, Cherif received a jail sentence of 4 1/2 years for passport forgery, a crime to which he had confessed (, 11 October 2002, 10 May 2005). (Fadhal's older brother, arrested in Milan in October 2002. Tunisian, born 30 November 1974, aka Address: a) Via Monte Grappa 15, Arluno (Milan), Italy b) Via Cefalonia 11, Milan, Italy. He is believed to have been "in charge of logistics" including "documents and transport" (, 10 December 2004, 11 October 2002). Nassim is considered Hamza's "right-hand man." He flew to Teheran via Amsterdam on 27 January 2002, stayed there a month, and returned with "money and instructions." The telephone conversation from which this information was gathered also revealed Nassim saying that Syria had "taken in many Islamist brothers" (, 28 October 2002). Nassim is married to, an Italian convert to Islam (, 10 December 2004, 10 May 2005). He reportedly told her that he had come back from Iran with "5 million" Italian lire or approximately $2,500 (, 28 October 2002). Nassim also stated that "people" may "find 3,000-4,000 people dead in the subway'" (, 10 May 2005). In intercepted phone calls between Nassim and his father, he refers to "a generation (that) is coming that will show them hell". Nassim refers to the "Tunisian President" who will "end up like Saddam," and mentions that he has lived in Italy for nine years, placing his arrival in the country sometime in 1995 (, 24 April 2004). In December 2004, during his trial in Italy, Nassim filed a complaint stating he had been attacked by a "group of Italian inmates, especially Neapolitan Camorristi" who threatened to kill him because of his terrorist connections, if he was not transferred to another facility (, 10 December 2004). On 9 May 2005, Nassim was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in jail for passport forgery, a crime to which he had confessed (, 10 May 2005). Younger brother of Saadi Nassim, also accused of passport forgery. On 9 May 2005, Fadhal received a sentence of 4 1/2 years for passport forgery, but is presumed to be dead (, 10 May 2005 -- see "Italy: Profile of Tunisian Extremist Fadhal Saadi, Associates" EUP20060228356001 for more information). -- Referred to as the "ferryman" who knows "how to get illegals across the border," Zarkaoui lives in Vallecrosia, in the Imperia region (, 11 October 2002). He is a Tunisian, born 15 January 1973, Address: Via Col. Aprosio 588, Vallecrosia (IM), Italy. A telephone conversation intercepted on 7 May 2002 between "a man with an Algerian accent living in Nice" and Zarkaoui, who was in San Remo, indicated that the unnamed man had "mercury fulminate detonators" available for Zarkaoui suggesting Zarkaoui "had been charged with supplying (Hamza's) group with explosives" (, 28 October 2002). Zarkaoui has been cleared of terrorist conspiracy charges by an Italian court, claiming he had a "limited role" (Press Association, 9 December 2004). aka, aka) -- Khalifa was called "the postman" because he "deliver(ed) the false documents" that have been "forged in a 'center' in Naples" (, 11 October 2002). Tunisian, born 20 November 1975, Address: Vicolo S. Giovanni, Rimini, Italy. On 9 May 2005, he was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in jail for passport forgery (to which he confessed), but was "immediately released" in consideration of time already served (, 10 May 2005). aka -- Bouyahia had contacts in Bosnia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Turkey, thereby allowing him to provide Hamza with "the safest itinerary" when returning to Europe following a visit to Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand (, 28 October 2002). Tunisian, born 22 May 1966 (using aka Gamel Mohmed, Moroccan, born 25 May 1966), address: Corso XXII Marzo 39, Milan, Italy. He was arrested in Malta 10 October 2002 in connection with Hamza's cell (, 12 October 2002). Malta extradited Bouyahia to Italy on 12 October 2002 (AFP, 20 October 2002). On 9 May 2005, Bouyahia was cleared on all counts in the Italian court (, 10 May 2005). aka Tunisian, born 1 July 1977, address Via Bolgeri 4, Barni (Como), Italy; also tied to Hamzi's Italian cell; arrest warrant on terrorism charges issued in 2002 (, 14 May 2003;, 28 October 2002). . According to press reports, Lofti died in a suicide attack against US soldiers in Baghdad in September 2003 (, 24 February 2004). . On 9 May 2005, an Italian judge revoked the arrest warrant for Lofti, and cleared him of all terrorism charges in absentia (, 10 May 2005). -- Tunisian, "mastermind of the Tunisian 'Salafites'"; arrested in Belgium (date not known) and has admitted being in Brussels when the "documents were issued" that were used by the killers of anti-Taliban commander Ahmed Shah Masoud on 9 September 2001; these fake visas were obtained from the Italian cell (, 12 October 2002). aka -- identified as the librarian at the Via Massarotti mosque in Cremona who worked with, the "right-hand man of the Tunisian operations." Tunisian, born 30 April 1969, address: Via Plebiscito 3, Cermona, Italy. Drissi would "pave the way for the guerillas' arrival at camps in Kurdistan" during the summer and fall of 2002. Kurtaki was reportedly the man who managed the "whole counterfeiting and dispatching operation" out of the "travel agency" in Milan's Via Casoretto. This group also provided documents to Hamza to "return from Afghanistan and take refuge" in the Netherlands and the UK. This package containing false passports and identification papers mailed to Malaysia was intercepted by Italian authorities, leading to the eventual arrest of cell members, including cell leader Hamza (, official mouthpiece of Italy's Northern League, 10 November 2005). aka -- Imam of Cremona, associated with Hamza's cell in Italy (, 18 November 2004). Tunisian, born 20 May 1969 (when using aka Abou Djarrah, nationality is Afghan), address: Via Geromini 15, Cremona, Italy. -- 29-year-old Jordanian, former bodyguard to Bin Ladin, and "first al-Qa'ida turncoat in Europe" who claimed to have met Hamza at a training camp in Herat, Afghanistan (time frame unknown, possibly in 2002) run by. Abdallah has said he had a "relationship" with Al-Zarqawi (, 25 February 2005;, 15 October 2005;, 31 October 2005). -- According to the Italian Security Services, Hamza "took phone calls" from Zarqawi (, 10 May 2005). aka and) -- Associated with al-Qa'ida in Malaysia; has links with al-Zawahiri, Bin Ladin's "right-hand man." Abu Hani received forged documents from Fadhal Saadi sent to him from Menton, France. Italian intelligence services traced the mailing of the documents and Abu Hani was "captured in Kuala Lumpur" and "transferred to an undisclosed jail," which might be in Guantanamo or "more likely" in Egypt. He worked in "recruitment, fundraising, and the support network" for al-Qa'ida. Abu Hani fought in Afghanistan where he "improved guerilla tactics." He was a suspect in the assassination of anti-Taliban leader Ahmed Shah Masoud (23 July 2003, 1 July 2005). aka -- former imam of Milan's Via Quaranta mosque; described as the "former senior al-Qa'ida figure in Italy and perhaps Europe." Italian police link Sayed with Hamza's cell. He eluded arrest in July 2001 and is believed to have reached his family in Iran. He then went to fight in Afghanistan where he is said to have been killed, probably sometime in 2002 (24 February 2004). -------------------------------------- For more translations and news on terrorism, visit http://www.lauramansfield.com or visit our forum at http://www.lauramansfield.com/forum/ Strategic Translations is a service provided by Laura Mansfield through http://www.lauramansfield.com You may email Laura at [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------- Strategic Arabic Translations is a fee-based translation service of LauraMansfield.com. For information on subscribing, please see http://www.lauramansfield.com/ or email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives of previous issues are available at http://www.lauramansfield.com/archives.htm Copyright 2005 LauraMansfield.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
