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Mullah Krekar

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Najmuddin Faraj Ahmad (born July 7, 1956), Mullah Krekar (Kurdish:مهلا کرێکار) is a Kurd who came to Norway as a refugee from northern Iraq in 1991. His wife and four children have Norwegian citizenship, but not Krekar himself. He speaks Kurdish, Arabic, Norwegian and English.

Krekar was the original leader of the Islamist armed group Ansar al-Islam, which was set up and commenced operations in Kurdistan while he had refugee status in Norway. Krekar claims, however, not to have had foreknowledge of the various terrorist attacks performed by the group he was leading. Since February 2003 he has an expulsion order against him, which is suspended pending Iraqi government guarantees that he will not face torture or execution. Norway is committed to international treaties which prohibit the expulsion of an individual without such a guarantee.

Authorities in the Kurdistan Regional Government have repeatedly asked for Ahmad ("Krekar") to be extradited from Norway. The death penalty remains on the books in the Kurdistan region. Most death sentences have been changed into life sentences since the Kurdistanian authorities took power in 1992, the exception being that eleven alleged members of Ansar al-Islam were hanged in the regional capital of Arbil in October 2006. He has as of 8 December 2006 been on the UN terror list,[1] and as of 8 November 2007 been judged by the High Court of Norway as a "danger to national security".[2]

Views

In November 2009 controversy erupted when Krekar in an interview with the Arab television channel al-Hiwar said he wanted to establish a new Islamic Caliphate, claiming that for Jihadists there are today not one legitimate state, with the exception of the Taliban-led Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. For the Islamic "super-state" he wanted Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaida-top Ayman al-Zawahiri or Hizb-e Islami-founder Gulbuddin Hekmatyar as leader, and other radical Islamists as leader, citing for instance Gulbuddin Hekmatyar or Ayman Al-Zawahiri as the foreign minister.[3] As a result the Progress Party continued their call for the imprisonment of Krekar,[4] and the Labour Party stated for the first time they would form a new task force which would examine if people officially labeled as "danger to national security" (as Krekar is) could be imprisoned.[5] Azzam Tamimi, a supporter of Hamas, who had done the interview with Krekar, also said that he felt Krekar had been treated badly in Norway.[6]

Krekar in Norway

Proceedings against Krekar

In August 2002, while Krekar was in Iraq, the Norwegian government revoked his refugee status on the grounds that he had traveled back to his homeland and spent long periods there directing terrorist activities.[7]

Krekar was arrested in the Netherlands at an Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam in September 2002, after Iran denied him entry and sent him back to Europe. He was interviewed by FBI agents (at Krekar's request, in an attempt to clear his and his group's name); no extradition request was made.[8] He was deported to Norway in January 2003.

In February 2003 the Norwegian government ordered Krekar to be deported to Iraq, but as of July 2009 the order had not been implemented because of the security environment in Iraq, and the risk that Krekar could face the death penalty there, as Norway will not deport people in these circumstances. Krekar has unsuccessfully challenged the expulsion order in court, with the order being confirmed in September 2005. Norway's government has said that the new government to be elected in Iraq in December 2005 might permit discussion on whether Krekar's expulsion order can be implemented.[9]

On March 21, 2003 his arrest was ordered by Økokrim, the Norwegian law enforcement agency for financial crime, to ensure he did not leave the country while accusations that he had financed terrorist attacks using Norway as a base were investigated. Court proceedings against Krekar were however dropped when it proved impossible to prove his connections with the terrorist attacks staged in Iraq by Ansar al-Islam during his leadership. His term as leader ended.

The United States government has declared Ansar al-Islam a terrorist group, but Krekar denies that it was during the time he headed it, and says he no longer does. While Krekar has not been found guilty of anything, a number of his opinions have met little sympathy; he was once recorded claiming that Osama bin Laden is the "jewel in the crown of Islam".[10] and that he was proud of what Abu Musab al-Zarqawi "has done and that he has become a martyr".[11]

In September 2005 the Iraqi Justice Minister Abdel Hussein Shandal said that Krekar was wanted in Iraq and should be tried there.[12]

About the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy, he said to the Norwegian media "This is a declaration of war against of our religion, our faith, and our civilization. We Muslims are ready for this."[13]

Krekar told the Kurdish magazine Awene that he wants to return to Iraq to fight openly against the Iraqi government and the coalition, but that he lacked travel documents from the Norwegian government. He confirmed to a Norwegian newspaper that he had been correctly quoted.[14] The Norwegian minister of labour and migration, Bjarne Håkon Hanssen, responded that Krekar could leave at any time and that he would be given "travel documents within the day. He'll also get money for airline tickets, taxi cab, and the whole deal. If he really wants to go, that is."[15] Krekar is still living in Norway.

On December 7, 2006, the United States Department of the Treasury designated Mullah Krekar as one of five individuals providing financial support to terrorist organizations. In a statement he is accused of providing funds for Ansar al-Sunnah, an active Iraqi terror-organization descended from Ansar al-Islam. The press release states that "This designation freezes any assets the designees may have under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits all financial and commercial transactions by any U.S. person with the designees".[16] Mullah Krekar was later that day added to the United Nations Security Council list of individuals belonging to or associated with the Al-Qaeda organization.[17] All member states of the United Nations are obliged to freeze assets and prevent entry or transit through their territories with regard to the individuals included on the list. Anders Romarheim, a researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, believes that the placement of Mullah Krekar on this list is a United States strategy to put pressure on Norway.[18]

On November 8, 2007, the Supreme Court of Norway ruled that Krekar is a threat to Norway's national security, thus upholding the February 2003 decision by the government to deport him to Iraq. It is still unclear when Krekar will be deported due to Iraq's death penalty laws. Some politicians asked for Krekar to be put in jail until he is deported.[19]

CIA, Pentagon and Navy SEALs

In 2003, agents for the CIA, including Cynthia Dame Logan and Gregory Asherleighs, were sent to Norway.[20][21][22] They arrived right after the abduction of Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr from Milan, Italy. The agents are allegedly wanted within the Schengen area of jurisdiction. A few days before they arrived, Krekar's lawyer, Brynjar Meling, asked for police protection of Mullah Krekar. The Norwegian Intelligence Service admits it had knowledge of the agents' visit to Norway, and Meling confirms he had heard rumours that Krekar was to be kidnapped and transferred to Guantanamo Bay. If the operation was not approved beforehand by Norway it would have been a violation of Norwegian law. Mullah Krekar was never kidnapped. According to an article in Newsweek, a Pentagon official proposed inserting a US Navy SEAL team to engage in a "snatch rope" operation against Krekar, but the plan was allegedly rejected because of fear that the Norwegian police would fire at the invading SEALs.[23]

However, a week later the Los Angeles Times quoted a high ranking intelligence official who claimed that U.S. special forces were in fact inserted in a European country allied with the United States through NATO, in order to do a snatch operation under strikingly similar circumstances to the Krekar case. The revelation arose suspicion that the plan was in fact not cancelled, like the Pentagon stated. According to the Norwegian newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad, which was the original source of the CIA agents' mission in Oslo, the U.S. special forces, most likely Navy Seals, had been monitoring a "militant leader" over a period of time, and were in place ready to do the snatch. According to the Los Angeles Times the Pentagon kept the allied country's government in the dark about the mission, which apparently failed or was aborted. [24]

Offered cash for leaving Norway

In April 2006 well renowned businessman Tasawer "Tommy" Sharif offered Krekar NOK 500,000 (approx. US$90,000) in return that he would leave Norway, saying that Krekar was "a pest for all Muslims in Norway." Krekar rejected the offer.[25]

Facebook group collecting donations for the assassination of Mullah Krekar

In November 2007, Norwegian newspapers published the story that a Facebook group had been set up, dedicated to collecting money which would eventually go to an assassin, should one be located. The group statement started with "For the murder of Norway's enemy #1". The 28-year old man who started the group went on to publicize not only his full name, but also a bank account number where money could be deposited. The group had approximately 400 members when Krekar's lawyer deemed the threat "serious" and said he "hoped the police would investigate the people involved".[26] The 28-year old told Norwegian media that the statement was ironic in nature and thus should not be taken literally.

In November 2007, Mullah Krekar was the subject of a half hour investigative report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC-TV) international affairs program "Foreign Correspondent". The report titled "Norwegian Jihad" was also the centrepiece of a one hour special report on Norwegian State Television.

"Norwegian Jihad" was also broadcast throughout the Asia Pacific region on ABC-TV's satellite service "Australia Network".[27]

In July, 2009, Mullah Krekar was one of the subjects of the NBC's pilot episode of the show "The Wanted"[28], describing him as "responsible for killing hundreds of westerners".[29].

Assasination attempt

During nighttime on January 24, 2010, shots were fired through one of the windows of Krekar's apartment in Oslo. The attack was investigated as an assasination attempt. Krekar's son-in-law was mildly injured by one of the bullets.[30] Kurdish groups were cited as possible or likely perpetrators.[31]

Bibliography

  • Template:No icon Krekar, Mulla (2004). Med egne ord ("In My Own Words"). Autobiography. Oslo: Aschehoug. 246 pp. ISBN 82-03-22968-9. Translated from Arabic.

References

  1. ^ "Mullah Krekar oppført på FNs terrorliste", VG
  2. ^ "Høyesterett: Mulla Krekar fare for rikets sikkerhet", NRK
  3. ^ "Krekar vil ha islamsk stat ledet av Osama bin Laden"
  4. ^ "Siv Jensen om Krekar-intervju: - Hårreisende uttalelser", VG
  5. ^ "Krekar kan bli satt bak lås og slå til våren", VG
  6. ^ "Krekar-intervjuer: - Han har blitt behandlet dårlig", VG
  7. ^ Mullah Krekar loses refugee status
  8. ^ FBI questions Iraqi Kurd militant
  9. ^ AP28Oct05
  10. ^ -Osama bin Laden is a good Muslim VG
  11. ^ Krekar honors al-Zarqawi Aftenposten
  12. ^ UPISep05
  13. ^ - Now this is war TV 2
  14. ^ -Jeg vil reise hjem Dagbladet
  15. ^ "Hvis Krekar vil til Irak, skal han få reisedokumenter på dagen" Dagbladet
  16. ^ Treasury Designations Target Terrorist Facilitators
  17. ^ Security Council Committee adds two individuals to Al-Qaida section of consolidated list
  18. ^ Krekar tops US terrorist list Aftenposten
  19. ^ Krekar Can Go Aftenposten
  20. ^ Jonathan Tisdall (2006-07-24). "Suspect CIA agents were in Norway". Aftenposten. Retrieved 2009-03-07. mirror
  21. ^ KRISTJAN Molstad (2006-07-24). "Miles revealed CIA agents". Aftenposten. Retrieved 2009-03-07. translation, mirror
  22. ^ "Norwegian intelligence knew of CIA agents". Aftenposten. 2006-08-01. Retrieved 2009-03-07. translation, mirror
  23. ^ Michael Isikoff, Mark Hosenball (2006-12-13). "Hitting the Pocketbook". Newsweek. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
  24. ^ Jan-Petter Helgesen (2006-12-21). "Amerikanske soldater på spionjakt i Norge". Stavanger Aftenblad. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
  25. ^ www.nettavisen.no - Krekar - a plague for Muslims
  26. ^ Taking donations for the assassination of Krekar Aftenposten
  27. ^ "Norwegian Jihad". ABC.
  28. ^ "The Wanted" show page on DirectTV.com
  29. ^ MSNBC - The Wanted
  30. ^ Politiet etterforsker Krekar-angrep som drapsforsøk Aftenposten 2010-01-25.
  31. ^ Akerhaug, Lars (25 January 2010). "- Kurdiske grupper kan stå bak Krekar-angrep". Aftneposten.
  • ^1 Associated Press Worldstream, 28 October 2005, "Norway's new government says expulsion order for Ansar al-Islam founder stands"
  • ^2 UPI, September 13, 2005, "UPI Intelligence Watch"
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