ISIS leader Amir Mohammed Said Abd al-Rahman al-Mawla (left) and Abu Qaswarah (right). AFP
ISIS leader Amir Mohammed Said Abd al-Rahman al-Mawla (left) and Abu Qaswarah (right). AFP
ISIS leader Amir Mohammed Said Abd al-Rahman al-Mawla (left) and Abu Qaswarah (right). AFP
ISIS leader Amir Mohammed Said Abd al-Rahman al-Mawla (left) and Abu Qaswarah (right). AFP

ISIS leader Amir Al Mawla’s betrayal led to death of commander he replaced


Thomas Harding
  • English
  • Arabic

The current ISIS leader betrayed the terrorist group’s deputy commander to American interrogators in order to take his place, newly declassified documents show.

Amir Al Mawla’s treachery led to a US military operation in which the second-in-command of the ISIS predecessor group was killed in 2008.

A cache of 56 newly released Tactical Interrogation Reports (TIR) disclosed the extensive betrayal made by the terrorist chief during interrogations in which he was described as "very co-operative and forthcoming”.

The leader gave the US a raft of intelligence on Islamic State of Iraq, the predecessor to ISIS, which led to arrests and the unravelling of terrorist cells in the Mosul area.

In his greatest act of treachery, Al Mawla provided details on Abu Qaswarah, a Moroccan-Swedish foreign fighter also known as Mohamed Moumou, who was the second most senior figure in ISIS.

Acting on the information, US forces tracked Abu Qaswarah to a command and control building in Mosul and during the ensuing gunfight killed the second-in-command, as well as four other fighters, in October 2008.

While Al Mawla described other terrorists to US military interviewers as “power hungry”, the Combatting Terrorism Centre at West Point report said that having betrayed Abu Qaswarah, “he himself was able to ascend to prominence”.

The ISIS commander, who took over the group when its former leader was killed in 2019, gave US interrogators extensive information on ISIS’s Al Furqan media arm.

He said that its headquarters masqueraded as a fake wedding business. “There is a sign above the office that says ‘Wedding Videos’ but the office never produces any wedding videos,” he told American intelligence.

The interrogation reports said that on at least seven occasions, he provided details on Hakim, also called Abu Sara, the Mosul leader of Al Furqan. The propaganda group is still responsible today for releasing ISIS leadership statements, although Al Mawla has failed to issue a single speech since becoming leader.

He identified key personnel down to where they parked their cars, as well as telling US interrogators which cafes extremists visited and at what time.

“In several reports, Al Mawla advised US forces of the best times of day to find ISI members in different locations around Mosul, for example describing a specific cafe where operatives met daily,” the US State Department said.

The terrorist chief identified scores of junior and senior extremists and “mapped out the entire ISIS leadership in Mosul”, including those responsible for its military, administrative, security, Sharia and propaganda functions, the report said.

Amir Mohammed Said Abd Al Rahman Al Mawla. AFP
Amir Mohammed Said Abd Al Rahman Al Mawla. AFP

The documents showed that Al Mawla was hostile to foreign fighters and was repeatedly unflattering about others, including a Saudi Arabian who he complained “intimidated” him.

Three TIRs showing Al Mawla’s betrayals were released by CTC last September, revealing that he had identified from photographs at least 20 fellow terrorists. The disclosures came after he was detained by US forces in Camp Bucca, Iraq.

After the revelations, there was a campaign by ISIS supporters on encrypted messaging apps to publicly renew their bay’ah – oaths of loyalty – to Al Mawla, a move the CTC said was “likely prompted by discontent within the wider Daesh movement”. But the CTC also disclosed that social-media posting timestamp evidence suggested that the group had to resort to “automated script or bots” to boost the loyalty campaign.

Previously, little was known about Al Mawla apart from his nicknames – the Professor and the Destroyer – and a reputation for brutality.

It was known he was a former officer in Saddam Hussein’s army and comes from Mahalabiyah in northern Iraq. He graduated from the Islamic Sciences College in Mosul.

After the 2003 US-led invasion. he turned to violent extremism and emerged as a general Sharia jurist for Al Qaeda.

Al Mawla has a $10 million US bounty on his head and was named by Washington as a specially designated global terrorist.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Salah in numbers

€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of 39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.

13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.

57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.

7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.

3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.

40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.

30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.

8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.

Copa del Rey

Semi-final, first leg

Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')

Second leg, February 27

Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press

ENGLAND SQUAD

Joe Root (captain), Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Moeen Ali, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2a)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7%E2%80%9D%20flexible%20Amoled%2C%202412%20x%201080%2C%20394ppi%2C%20120Hz%2C%20Corning%20Gorilla%20Glass%205%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MediaTek%20Dimensity%207200%20Pro%2C%204nm%2C%20octa-core%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F12GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECapacity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20128%2F256GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Android%2014%2C%20Nothing%20OS%202.5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%2050MP%20main%2C%20f%2F1.88%20%2B%2050MP%20ultra-wide%2C%20f%2F2.2%3B%20OIS%2C%20EIS%2C%20auto-focus%2C%20ultra%20XDR%2C%20night%20mode%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%20video%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204K%20%40%2030fps%2C%20full-HD%20%40%2060fps%3B%20slo-mo%20full-HD%20at%20120fps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2032MP%20wide%2C%20f%2F2.2%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205000mAh%3B%2050%25%20in%2030%20mins%20w%2F%2045w%20charger%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%20(Google%20Pay)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBiometrics%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fingerprint%2C%20face%20unlock%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20USB-C%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDurability%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20IP54%2C%20limited%20protection%20from%20water%2Fdust%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECards%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual-nano%20SIM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Black%2C%20milk%2C%20white%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nothing%20Phone%20(2a)%2C%20USB-C-to-USB-C%20cable%2C%20pre-applied%20screen%20protector%2C%20SIM%20tray%20ejector%20tool%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%20(UAE)%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dh1%2C199%20(8GB%2F128GB)%20%2F%20Dh1%2C399%20(12GB%2F256GB)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20profile
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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

Power: 242bhp

Torque: 370Nm

Price: Dh136,814

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Ain Dubai in numbers

126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure

1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch

16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.

9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.

5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place

192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Temple numbers

Expected completion: 2022

Height: 24 meters

Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people

Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people

First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time

First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres  

Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres

Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor 

UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

Profile of Hala Insurance

Date Started: September 2018

Founders: Walid and Karim Dib

Based: Abu Dhabi

Employees: Nine

Amount raised: $1.2 million

Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers

 

How tumultuous protests grew
  • A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
  • Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved 
  • Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
  • At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
  • Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars 
  • Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
  • An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital 

WHEN TO GO:

September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.

WHERE TO STAY:

Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.

HOW TO GET THERE:

Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.