NARRATIVE SUMMARIES OF REASONS FOR LISTING
QI.E.189.05. AHMED EL BOUHALI
Date on which the narrative summary became available on the Committee’s website: 7 May 2009
Ahmed el Bouhali was listed on 29 July 2005 pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 16 of resolution 1526 (2004) as being associated with Al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden or the Taliban for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf, or in support of” and “recruiting for” the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group (QE.M.89.02) and Ansar al-Islam (QE.A.98.03).
Additional information:
In 1998, Ahmed el Bouhali established a terrorist cell in Cremona, Italy, together with Chabaane ben Mohamed ben Mohamed al-Trabelsi (QI.A.178.04) and Abdelkader Laagoub (QI.L.190.05), with the aim of committing terrorist acts in Italy and other countries, including Morocco and Tunisia. This cell was affiliated with the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group (QE.M.89.02). It had contacts also with cells belonging to Al-Qaida (QE.A.4.01) and Ansar al-Islam (QE.A.98.03) operating in Italy and abroad. Noureddine ben Ali ben Belkassem al-Drissi (QI.A.149.03), Kamal ben Maoeldi ben Hassan al-Hamraoui (QI.A.140.03), and Faycal Boughanemi (QI.B.188.05) were other members of the cell, which was planning terrorist attacks, collecting funds to finance Al-Qaida-affiliated foreign terrorist organizations, recruiting people for paramilitary training in Al-Qaida-affiliated camps and to fight in areas of conflict abroad.
Ahmed el Bouhali was prosecuted in Italy for participating in a conspiracy to commit terrorist acts. He was recognized as a key leader of the terrorist cell, which he headed until the summer of 2001. Chabaane ben Mohamed ben Mohamed al-Trabelsi succeeded him until the end of April 2003, followed by Abdelkader Laagoub who headed the cell until February 2004. Investigators confiscated Ahmed el Bouhali’s instruction manuals on paramilitary activity, including the construction of weapons, bombs and instruments for detecting government communications, as well as videotapes containing messages inciting violence from Usama bin Laden (QI.B.8.01) and other terrorist leaders. El Bouhali had used these materials to recruit people to take part in Al-Qaida-related terrorist activities in Iraq.
His involvement in terrorist activities was confirmed in absentia by an Italian Court of Review on 20 March 2004.
Related listed individuals and entities:
Al-Qaida (QE.A.4.01), listed on 6 October 2001
Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group (QE.M.89.02), listed on 10 October 2002
Ansar al-Islam (QE.A.98.03), listed on 24 February 2003
Kamal ben Maoeldi ben Hassan al-Hamraoui (QI.A.140.03), listed on 12 November 2003
Noureddine ben Ali ben Belkassem al-Drissi (QI.A.149.03), listed on 12 November 2003
Chabaane ben Mohamed ben Mohamed al-Trabelsi (QI.A.178.04), listed on 24 June 2004
Faycal Boughanemi (QI.B.188.05), listed on 29 July 2005
Abdelkader Laagoub (QI.L.190.05), listed on 29 July 2005