Overview

Mohammed Islambouli has a long history of participation and leadership in extremist groups, culminating in a partnership with Osama bin-Laden and al-Qaeda in the 1990s. Islambouli is reportedly “an expert in hijacking planes,” Dina Temple-Raston, “Al-Qaida Reasserts Itself With Khorasan Group,” NPR, October 3, 2014, http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/10/03/353498827/al-qaida-reasserts-itself-with-khorasan-group. and led an al-Qaeda cell in Qatar with 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.“Profile: Mohammed Shawqui Islambouli,” History Commons, http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=shawqui_islambuli. In 1998, President Clinton was reportedly briefed about a hijacking plot involving Islambouli, although it is unclear whether Islambouli played a direct role in the 9/11 attacks.“Profile: Mohammed Shawqui Islambouli,” History Commons, http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=shawqui_islambuli. Islambouli is the brother of Khaled al-Islambouli, one of the men convicted of assassinating Egypt’s former president Anwar Sadat. Certain reports state that Islambouli, and not Muhsin al-Fadhli, is the leader of Khorasan. Dina Temple-Raston, “Al-Qaida Reasserts Itself With Khorasan Group,” NPR, October 3, 2014, http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/10/03/353498827/al-qaida-reasserts-itself-with-khorasan-group.