Mohammed Loay Bayazid

Born in Syria, Mohammed Loay Bayazid is an American citizen[3] alleged to have been a founding member of al-Qaeda, although he has cooperated with American authorities and claims his role in the group has been over-stated.

Mohammed Loay Bayazid
Other nameskunya: Abu Rida al-Suri[1]
Nidal[2]

He was alleged to have been sympathetic to Shias, and tried to foster better relationships between a variety of Sunni extremist groups with Imad Mughniyah of Hezbollah.[2]

Life in the United States

I went to Afghanistan with a blank mind and a good heart...everything was totally strange. It was like I was born just now, like I was an infant, and I have to learn everything new. It was not so easy after that to leave and go back to your regular life.

— Bayazid, in 2003[4]

Bayazid moved to the United States with his parents, as a teenager, and began studying engineering at University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1982, but he later moved to Tucson, and studied at the University of Arizona.[5] He is believed to speak Persian, Chinese, Arabic and English fluently.[2]

In 1985, he decided to join the mujahideen repelling the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.[6][7]

Two years later, bin Laden wrote him a letter explaining that Abu Abdel Lateef may come spend the night with him prior to his flight to Yemen, and asked him to visit the Yemeni embassy to check whether a Saudi would need a visa to fly to Yemen; he also asked that Bayazid try to bring 500,000 Rupees when they next met.[8]

Life in Sudan

In 1988, he allegedly took notes during one of the formative meetings detailing the creation of al-Qaeda. Noted for his penchant for "always teasing bin Laden", Bayazid jokingly asked whether he had thought of the logistics of transporting mujahideen to the fight, asking "How...Air France?".[9]

He ran Al-Ikhlas International, an import/export company producing honey and other consumables believed to have been owned by bin Laden.[2]

Bin Laden sent a letter to Bayazid informing him that Mohammed Atef and Abu Ubaidah al-Banshiri were to each be given 6,500 Saudi riyals monthly, the same as they would have been given for their work in Maktab al-Khidamat.[10] Bayazid is believed to have recruited his friend Mubarak al-Duri into working for bin Laden's companies.[2]

The FBI claims that Bayazid was part of a team sent to try to obtain weapons-grade uranium; Bayazid reportedly telling a colleague about how he and another man had "tried to purchase uranium and were hustled out of $100,000"[2]

He allegedly held a bank account with Bank Shaml, and supplied weapons to Defaa al Shabi. Other allegations suggest he travelled to China, Japan or Hong Kong with Abu Hajer al-Iraqi in 1990 to facilitate the purchase of communications equipment for the Sudanese government.[2]

Return to the United States

By 1994, Bayazid had returned to the United States, obtaining his Illinois driver’s license and joining Benevolence International Foundation.[6] On December 16, 1994, Mohammed Jamal Khalifa travelled to the United States to meet with Bayazid, who was then helping to lead BIF - both were arrested, although Bayazid was released almost immediately.[6]

Later life

Bayazid consented to be interviewed by the FBI in 1998, and again with agent Jack Cloonan following 9/11. He consistently denied that he had been present at the founding meeting of al-Qaeda, and insisted he had broken with the group.[6]

In 2002, the CIA sent Rolf Mowatt-Larssen to again interview al-Duri and Bayazid, to see if they could be made to defect and aid the United States in its War on Terror, but both refused to collaborate.[11]

In 2003, he met with author Lawrence Wright to provide information for his book The Looming Tower.[6] That year, American courts ruled that the government had been remiss in not providing exculpatory evidence casting doubt on their claims of Bayazid's importance within al-Qaeda.[12]

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References
  1. Fitzgerald, Patrick J. United States of America v. Enaam M. Arnaout, "Governments Evidentiary Proffer Supporting the Admissibility of Co-Conspirator Statements", before Hon. Suzanne B. Conlon
  2. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Interview of anonymous source, May 15, 1998
  3. Associated Press, "U.S. Alleges Muslim Charity-bin Laden Tie ", January 30, 2003
  4. Wright, Lawrence. "The Looming Tower"
  5. Tenet, George. "At the center of the storm: my years at the CIA", 2007. p. 270
  6. Rizzo, Tony (2006-09-09). "KC man linked to early al-Qaida". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
  7. Rizzo, Tony. Kansas City Star, "KC man linked to early al-Qaida", September 9, 2006
  8. Bergen, Peter, "The Osama bin Laden I Know", 2006.
  9. PBS, Author dissects people, politics prior to 9/11 attacks, September 5, 2006
  10. Shay, Shaul. "Islamic Terror in the Balkans", 2008. p. 55
  11. Tenet, George, "At the Centre of the Storm", 2007. pp 270-271
  12. Chicago Tribune, "Court deals U.S. defeat in Islamic fund case ; Ruling may stymie trial of Arnaout", February 6, 2003
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