Overview

Egyptian-born Mohammed Abdel-Halim Hemaida Saleh is a U.S.- and U.N.-designated member of al-Qaeda. Egyptian authorities arrested Saleh in May 2013 for allegedly recruiting suicide bombers to Syria and for planning terrorist attacks against Western targets in Cairo, Egypt.“QDi.387 Mohammed Abdel-Halim Hemaida Saleh,” United Nations, February 29, 2016, https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list/summaries/individual/mohammed-abdel-halim-hemaida-saleh; “Designations of Foreign Terrorist Fighters,” U.S. Department of State, September 24, 2014, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/09/232067.htm.

At Saleh’s arrest, Egyptian authorities uncovered 22 pounds of explosives, and guides on how to construct bombs, rockets, and model airplanes.Thomas Joscelyn, “Egyptian interior minister: Al Qaeda cell plotted suicide attack against Western embassy,” Long War Journal, May 11, 2013, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/05/egyptian_interior_mi.php; “QDi.387 Mohammed Abdel-Halim Hemaida Saleh,” United Nations, February 29, 2016, https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list/summaries/individual/mohammed-abdel-halim-hemaida-saleh. Saleh was arrested alongside two fellow members of al-Qaeda, Amr Muhammad Abu-al-Ila Aqidah and Muhammad Mustafa Muhammad Ibrahim Bayyumi.Thomas Joscelyn, “Egyptian interior minister: Al Qaeda cell plotted suicide attack against Western embassy,” Long War Journal, May 11, 2013, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/05/egyptian_interior_mi.php.

Before his arrest, Saleh had reportedly maintained ties to the al-Qaeda-linked Khorasan group in Syria. Egyptian authorities noted that Saleh had been in contact with Dawood al Assadi—an alias used by former Khorasan leader Muhsin al Fadhli. Saleh was also reportedly receiving orders from the Muhammad Jamal network, an organization operating out of Egypt and Libya which maintains ties to al-Qaeda.Thomas Joscelyn, “State Department designations target al Qaeda’s international network,” Long War Journal, September 24, 2014, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/09/treasury_designation_1.php. Muhammad Jamal al Kashef, the leader of the Muhammad Jamal network, was a prime suspect in the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.Thomas Joscelyn, “Video reportedly shows key suspect from Benghazi attack,” Long War Journal, October 31, 2012, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/10/benghazi_suspect_app.php.

On September 24, 2014, Saleh was designated by the U.S. Department of State as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Executive Order 13224.“Designations of Foreign Terrorist Fighters,” U.S. Department of State, September 24, 2014, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/09/232067.htm. The United Nations and the European Union added Saleh to their al-Qaeda sanctions lists in spring 2016.“QDi.387 Mohammed Abdel-Halim Hemaida Saleh,” United Nations, February 29, 2016, https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list/summaries/individual/mohammed-abdel-halim-hemaida-saleh; “COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2016/307,” EUR-Lex, March 3, 2016, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32016R0307.

Also Known As

• Faris Baluchistan
• Muhammad abd-al-Halim Humaydah
• Muhammad Abd-al-Hamid Mimidah Salih
• Muhammad Hameida Saleh“Security Council ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Adds 12 Names to Its Sanctions List,” United Nations, February 29, 2016, http://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sc12266.doc.htm; Thomas Joscelyn, “Egyptian interior minister: Al Qaeda cell plotted suicide attack against Western embassy,” Long War Journal, May 11, 2013, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/05/egyptian_interior_mi.php.