Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan
Encyclopedia
Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan (April 4, 1979, Mombasa, Kenya – September 14, 2009, near Baraawe, Somalia
) was the leader of al-Qaeda
in Somalia
. He was listed on the FBI's third major "wanted" list, the FBI Seeking Information - War on Terrorism list
, for his association with multiple attacks in Kenya in 2002, as well as his possible involvement in the 1998 United States embassy bombings
, in which over 250 people lost their lives.
In September 2009, he was reportedly killed in a raid undertaken by United States Navy SEALs.
's FBI, "for questioning in connection with the 2002 attacks in Mombasa, Kenya, against a hotel and an airliner." That Kenyan hotel bombing
followed the airliner shoot down attempt, in near-simultaneous attacks against two Israeli-owned targets. Nabhan was also wanted in Kenya for those crimes, as well as for his alleged involvement in the 1998 United States embassy bombings
. The main suspects in all three cases are affiliated with al Qaeda, which claimed responsibility. For his role in the plot Nabhan became listed on the FBI's third major "wanted" list, the FBI Seeking Information - War on Terrorism list
.
On November 28, 2002, an unsuccessful attempt was made to shoot down an Arkia Israel Airlines
Boeing 757
-chartered tourist plane taking off from Moi International Airport
in Mombasa
using surface-to-air missiles. No one was hurt on the plane, which landed safely in Tel Aviv
. About 20 minutes later, in Mombasa, Kenya, three suicide bombers detonated an SUV in the lobby of the Israeli-owned beachfront Paradise Hotel, killing three Israelis and ten Kenyans, and injuring 80.
US and Israeli officials suspected a Somali group linked to al-Qaeda was responsible for the bombing and speculated that the suspects had smuggled the missiles into Kenya
from Somalia
.
On February 24, 2006, the FBI added Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan among three names to the Seeking Information – War on Terrorism list. With these three additions, as of February 24, 2006 the total count on the outstanding Seeking Information list stood at ten.
Nabhan might have been protected in Somalia by the Islamic Courts Union prior to their ouster in late 2006. An American air gunship attack
near Ras Kamboni
on 7 January 2007 targeted al-Qaeda suspects, who might have included Nabhan.
On March 9, 2007 the International Herald Tribune
reported that someone connected with the 2002 Mombasa bombing had been apprehended, and speculated that it was Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan.
However it turned out to be Abdulmalik Mohammed
, who was transferred to Guantanamo about a month later.
On March 2, 2008, a U.S. Navy vessel fired two missiles
in an attack on an Al Qaeda training camp in southern Somalia. The attack reportedly targeted Nabhan.
) on Monday September 14, 2009.
Nabhan was driving south of the capital Mogadishu near Baraawe in a two vehicle convoy when attacked by the little bird assault helicopters. The raid, code-named Operation Celestial Balance, took place around 1:00 pm local time, with the helicopters arriving from a ship offshore, firing on the vehicles, and landing briefly to take bodies. President Barack Obama
is reported to have signed an "Execute Order" for the operation ten days before the attack was launched. Members of Al-Shabaab
were also killed. JSOC and the CIA had been trying to kill Nabhan for some time; an AC-130 Gunship was called in during a January 2007 attempt. An American intelligence source stated that CIA paramilitary teams from Special Activities Division
were directly embedded with Ethiopian forces in Somalia, allowing for the tactical intelligence to launch these operations.
Nabhan's body was buried at sea, a practice later repeated with the disposal of Osama bin Laden
's corpse.
On February 14 2010, the MSNBC
cable news channel reported that three alternatives were presented to President Barack Obama
: (1) assassination via a missile attack from a drone, or other airplane; (2) assassination by fire from helicopters, which could then land for DNA samples, to confirm his identity; and (3) live capture. MSNBC suggested that this killing represents a trend, since remote targeting continues to be more reliable -- while locations where captives can be detained without complications have dwindled.
Barawa
Barawa or Brava is a port town on the south-eastern coast of Somalia. The traditional inhabitants are the Tunni Somalis and the Bravanese people, who speak Bravanese, a Swahili dialect.-History:...
) was the leader of al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
. He was listed on the FBI's third major "wanted" list, the FBI Seeking Information - War on Terrorism list
FBI Seeking Information - War on Terrorism list
The FBI Seeking Information – War on Terrorism list is the third major "wanted" list to have been created by the United States Department of Justice's Federal Bureau of Investigation to be used as a primary tool for publicly identifying and tracking down suspected terrorists operating against...
, for his association with multiple attacks in Kenya in 2002, as well as his possible involvement in the 1998 United States embassy bombings
1998 United States embassy bombings
The 1998 United States embassy bombings were a series of attacks that occurred on August 7, 1998, in which hundreds of people were killed in simultaneous truck bomb explosions at the United States embassies in the East African capitals of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya. The date of the...
, in which over 250 people lost their lives.
In September 2009, he was reportedly killed in a raid undertaken by United States Navy SEALs.
Activity
He became wanted in 2006 by the United States Department of JusticeUnited States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
's FBI, "for questioning in connection with the 2002 attacks in Mombasa, Kenya, against a hotel and an airliner." That Kenyan hotel bombing
Kenyan hotel bombing
The 2002 Mombasa attacks refer to an Israeli-owned hotel and a plane belonging to an Israeli airline in Mombasa, Kenya that were targeted on 28 November 2002. A red all-terrain vehicle crashed through a barrier outside the Paradise Hotel and blew up when it hit the lobby. Also two surface-to-air...
followed the airliner shoot down attempt, in near-simultaneous attacks against two Israeli-owned targets. Nabhan was also wanted in Kenya for those crimes, as well as for his alleged involvement in the 1998 United States embassy bombings
1998 United States embassy bombings
The 1998 United States embassy bombings were a series of attacks that occurred on August 7, 1998, in which hundreds of people were killed in simultaneous truck bomb explosions at the United States embassies in the East African capitals of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya. The date of the...
. The main suspects in all three cases are affiliated with al Qaeda, which claimed responsibility. For his role in the plot Nabhan became listed on the FBI's third major "wanted" list, the FBI Seeking Information - War on Terrorism list
FBI Seeking Information - War on Terrorism list
The FBI Seeking Information – War on Terrorism list is the third major "wanted" list to have been created by the United States Department of Justice's Federal Bureau of Investigation to be used as a primary tool for publicly identifying and tracking down suspected terrorists operating against...
.
On November 28, 2002, an unsuccessful attempt was made to shoot down an Arkia Israel Airlines
Arkia Israel Airlines
Arkia Israel Airlines , usually referred to as Arkia is an airline with its head office on the grounds of Sde Dov Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel. It is Israel's second largest airline operating scheduled domestic and international services as well as charter flights to destinations in Western Europe...
Boeing 757
Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration...
-chartered tourist plane taking off from Moi International Airport
Moi International Airport
Moi International Airport , also Mombasa International Airport, or Mombasa Airport, is an airport in Kenya.-Location:Mombasa Airport, , is located in Mombasa District, Coast Province, in the city of Mombasa, in a township called Port Reitz, in southeastern Kenya, along the Indian Ocean coast.Its...
in Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
using surface-to-air missiles. No one was hurt on the plane, which landed safely in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. About 20 minutes later, in Mombasa, Kenya, three suicide bombers detonated an SUV in the lobby of the Israeli-owned beachfront Paradise Hotel, killing three Israelis and ten Kenyans, and injuring 80.
US and Israeli officials suspected a Somali group linked to al-Qaeda was responsible for the bombing and speculated that the suspects had smuggled the missiles into Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
from Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
.
On February 24, 2006, the FBI added Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan among three names to the Seeking Information – War on Terrorism list. With these three additions, as of February 24, 2006 the total count on the outstanding Seeking Information list stood at ten.
Nabhan might have been protected in Somalia by the Islamic Courts Union prior to their ouster in late 2006. An American air gunship attack
Battle of Ras Kamboni
The Battle of Ras Kamboni was a battle in the 2006-2007 Somali War fought by the Islamic Courts Union and affiliated militias against Ethiopian and the Somali Transitional Federal Government forces for control of Ras Kamboni , a town near the Kenyan border which once served as a training camp for...
near Ras Kamboni
Ras Kamboni
Ras Kamboni is a town in the Badhaadhe district of Lower Juba region, Somalia, which lies on a peninsula near the border with Kenya. American officials have said that it has served as a training camp for extremists with connections to Al-Qaeda; al-Sharq al-Awsat reported in May 1999 that al-Qaeda...
on 7 January 2007 targeted al-Qaeda suspects, who might have included Nabhan.
On March 9, 2007 the International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune
The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
reported that someone connected with the 2002 Mombasa bombing had been apprehended, and speculated that it was Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan.
However it turned out to be Abdulmalik Mohammed
Abdulmalik Mohammed
Abdulmalik Mohammed is a citizen of Kenya currently held in extrajudicial detention in the United States' Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba.Abdulmalik was captured in February 2007, on suspicion of leading a terrorist bomb-plot in Mombassa...
, who was transferred to Guantanamo about a month later.
On March 2, 2008, a U.S. Navy vessel fired two missiles
Dobley airstrike
On 2 March 2008 at least one United States Naval vessel launched a Tomahawk cruise missile into the village of Dobley in Somalia. According to US military officials the target of the attack was an al-Qaeda leader. Varying reports of casualties surfaced with villagers reporting that between four to...
in an attack on an Al Qaeda training camp in southern Somalia. The attack reportedly targeted Nabhan.
Death
Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan is believed dead following a raid by Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) forces including U.S. Navy SEALs in four helicopters (including at least two AH-6sMH-6 Little Bird
The MH-6 Little Bird , and its attack variant AH-6, are light helicopters used for special operations in the United States Army. Originally based on a modified OH-6A, it was later based on the MD 500E, with a single five-bladed main rotor...
) on Monday September 14, 2009.
Nabhan was driving south of the capital Mogadishu near Baraawe in a two vehicle convoy when attacked by the little bird assault helicopters. The raid, code-named Operation Celestial Balance, took place around 1:00 pm local time, with the helicopters arriving from a ship offshore, firing on the vehicles, and landing briefly to take bodies. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
is reported to have signed an "Execute Order" for the operation ten days before the attack was launched. Members of Al-Shabaab
Al-Shabaab (Somalia)
Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen , more commonly known as al-Shabaab , is a terrorist group of militants fighting to overthrow the government of Somalia. As of 2011, the group controls large swathes of the southern parts of Somalia, where it is said to have imposed its own strict form of Sharia law...
were also killed. JSOC and the CIA had been trying to kill Nabhan for some time; an AC-130 Gunship was called in during a January 2007 attempt. An American intelligence source stated that CIA paramilitary teams from Special Activities Division
Special Activities Division
The Special Activities Division is a division in the United States Central Intelligence Agency's National Clandestine Service responsible for covert operations known as "special activities"...
were directly embedded with Ethiopian forces in Somalia, allowing for the tactical intelligence to launch these operations.
Nabhan's body was buried at sea, a practice later repeated with the disposal of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
's corpse.
On February 14 2010, the MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
cable news channel reported that three alternatives were presented to President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
: (1) assassination via a missile attack from a drone, or other airplane; (2) assassination by fire from helicopters, which could then land for DNA samples, to confirm his identity; and (3) live capture. MSNBC suggested that this killing represents a trend, since remote targeting continues to be more reliable -- while locations where captives can be detained without complications have dwindled.