State Department Terrorist Designation of
al-Ashtar Brigades (AAB)
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Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
July 10, 2018
The Department of State has designated
al-Ashtar Brigades (AAB) – an Iran-backed terrorist group in Bahrain
– as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under section 219 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act. The Department has also designated AAB as a Specially
Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.)
13224. The Department also designated two AAB-affiliated individuals (Ahmad
Hasan Yusuf and Alsayed Murtadha Majeed Ramadhan Alawi, AKA Mortada Majid
Al-Sanadi) as SDGTs in March 2017.
Today’s designations seek to deny AAB the
resources to plan and carry out terrorist attacks. Among other consequences,
all of its property and interests in property subject
to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are
generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with this organization.
In addition, it is a crime to knowingly provide, or attempt or conspire to provide,
material support or resources to the organization. These designations support a
larger campaign to deter Iran’s malign behavior and stop its support
for terrorists around the world.
In announcing these designations,
Coordinator for Counterterrorism Nathan A. Sales emphasized that, “From Africa,
Europe, NorthAmerica, Asia, and the Gulf, Iran is using
terrorist proxies to extend its malevolent influence and upend international
peace and stability. Al-Ashtar is yet another in a long line
of Iranian sponsored terrorists who kill on behalf of a corrupt
regime. Today’s designation serves notice that the United States sees
plainly what Iran is trying to do to Bahrain through its proxy, the
terrorist group Al-Ashtar.”
Established in 2013, AAB is
an Iran-backed terrorist organization aimed at overthrowing the
Bahraini government. AAB has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist
attacks against police and security targets in Bahrain. In March 2014, AAB
conducted a bomb attack that killed two local police officers and an officer
from the United Arab Emirates. In January 2017, AAB shot and killed a local
police officer. AAB has also called for violence against the Bahraini,
British, Saudi Arabian, and U.S. governments on social
media.
In January 2018, AAB formally
adopted Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
branding and reaffirmed its loyalty to Tehran to reflect its role in
an Iranian network of state and non-state actors that operates
against the United States and its allies in the region. Additionally,
AAB members have received weapons and explosives from Iran, training
at IRGC-funded camps in Iraq, and senior AAB members have taken
refuge in Iran to evade prosecution by Bahraini authorities.
Today’s action notifies
the U.S. public and the international community that AAB is a
terrorist organization and has committed or poses a significant risk of
committing acts of terrorism. Terrorism designations expose and isolate
organizations and individuals, and deny them access to
the U.S. financial system. Moreover, designations can assist the law
enforcement activities of U.S. agencies and other governments. A list
of State Department-designated FTOs and SDGTs is available here: http://www.state.gov/j/ct/list/index.htm.
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