Treasury Designates Hizballah Commander Responsible for American Deaths in Iraq
11/19/2012


WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated Ali Mussa Daqduq al-Musawi (Daqduq) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 for acting on behalf of Hizballah. Daqduq is a senior Hizballah commander responsible for numerous attacks against Coalition Forces in Iraq, including planning an attack on the Karbala Joint Provincial Coordination Center (JPCC) on January 20, 2007, which resulted in the deaths of five U.S. soldiers.

On March 20, 2007, Coalition Forces in southern Iraq captured Daqduq, who falsely claimed to be a deaf mute at the time and produced a number of false identity cards using a variety of aliases. From January 2009 until December 2011, U.S. military forces held Daqduq in Iraq under the terms of the 2008 "Agreement Between the United States of America and the Republic of Iraq on the Withdrawal of United States Forces from Iraq and the Organization of Their Activities during Their Temporary Presence in Iraq" (the Security Agreement). In December 2011, the United States transferred Daqduq to Iraq's custody in accordance with our obligations under the Security Agreement. He was subsequently tried in Iraq on terrorism and other charges. On May 7, 2012, an Iraqi court dismissed terrorism and false documents charges against him. Daqduq remained in Iraqi custody until last week when the Iraqi government determined that it no longer had a legal basis to hold him, and he was released Friday.

"Ali Mussa Daqduq al-Musawi is a dangerous Hizballah operative responsible for planning and carrying out numerous acts of terrorism in Iraq," said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen. "The United States is extremely disappointed he was allowed to go free and we will continue our efforts to bring him to justice."

Today's action further highlights the fact that Hizballah's terrorist activities stretch beyond the borders of Lebanon. These terrorist acts are in some cases funded, coordinated, and carried out in concert with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF). Hizballah, along with its Iranian allies, trained and advised Iraqi militants to carry out numerous terrorist attacks against Coalition and Iraqi forces.

Daqduq has been a member of Hizballah since 1983 and has served in multiple Hizballah leadership positions, including as commander of a Hizballah special forces unit and chief of a protective detail for Hizballah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.

In approximately 2005, Iran asked Hizballah to form a group to train Iraqis to fight Coalition Forces in Iraq. In response, Hassan Nasrallah established a covert Hizballah unit to train and advise Iraqi militants in Jaysh al-Mahdi (JAM) and JAM Special Groups, now known as Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq.

As of 2006, Daqduq had been ordered by Hizballah to work with IRGC-QF to provide training and equipment to JAM Special Groups to augment their ability to inflict damage against U.S. troops.

Identifying Information

Individual: Ali Mussa Daqduq al-Musawi
AKA: Ali Musa Daqduq
AKA: Hamid Muhammad Jabur al-Lami
AKA: Hamid Muhammad al-Lami
AKA: Husayn Muhammad Jabur al-Musui
AKA: Hamid Muhammad Jabur al-Musui
AKA: Hamid Muhammad Daqduq al-Musawi
AKA: Hamid Muhammad Jabur al-Musawi
AKA: Hamid Majid 'Abd al-Yunis
Nationality: Lebanese
DOB No. 1: 1 September 1969
DOB No. 2: 31 December 1971
DOB No. 3: 9 August 1971
DOB No. 4: 9 September 1970
DOB No. 5: 9 August 1969
DOB No. 6: 5 March 1972
POB No. 1: Beirut, Lebanon
POB No. 2: Al-Karradah, Baghdad, Iraq