US Treasury Designates Close Friend of Qatari Monarch as Al-Qaeda Supporter

The US Department of Treasury imposed sanctions on Abd al-Rahman bin ‘Umayr al-Nu’aymi, an al-Qaeda supporter and financer with close relations with the ruling monarch in Qatar.
Nu’aymi was named as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224. Nu’aymi was designated for providing financial support to al-Qaeda, Asbat al-Ansar, al-Qaeda in Iraq, and al-Shabaab.

“It is essential for countries to take proactive steps to disrupt terrorist financing, specially where al-Qaeda and its affiliates are concerned. We will continue to work with our partners in the Arab Gulf to ensure that charitable donations are not used to support violence in the region or elsewhere,” said US Under-Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen.

Nu’aymi is a Qatar-based terrorist financier and facilitator who has provided money and material support and conveyed communications to al-Qaeda and its affiliates in Syria, Iraq, Somalia and Yemen for more than a decade. He was considered among the most prominent Qatar-based supporters of Iraqi Sunni extremists.

Nu’aymi is at the center of global support networks that fund and facilitate terrorism.

The US Treasury announced in December that as a result of the designation, any assets he may have under US jurisdiction are frozen, and US persons are generally prohibited from doing business with him.

In 2013, Nu’aymi ordered the transfer of nearly $600,000 to al-Qaeda via al-Qaeda’s representative in Syria, Abu-Khalid al-Suri, and intended to transfer nearly $50,000 more.

Nu’aymi has facilitated significant financial support to al-Qaeda in Iraq, and served as an interlocutor between al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders and Qatar-based donors. Nu’aymi reportedly oversaw the transfer of over $2 million per month to al-Qaeda in Iraq for a period of time. He also served as an interlocutor between these Qatari nationals and al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders. Between 2003 and 2004, Nu’aymi provided support to the Iraqi insurgency more broadly and served as a conduit for their broadcast materials to media outlets.

Nu’aymi is also the closest person to former Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and is considered as the linking chain between the Qatari monarch and al-Qaeda. On December 24, Mohammad AnasBarakeh and a number of his comrade terrorists in Syria confessed to have killed a number of civilians and soldiers and to have received money and weapons from Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Source: Fars News Agency

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