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Action Marks the First Treasury Designation Targeting an ISIS Leader Involved in Chemical Weapons

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action today targeting an ISIS leader, Attallah Salman 'Abd Kafi al-Jaburi (al-Jaburi), pursuant to Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. Al-Jaburi is an Iraq-based, ISIS senior leader in charge of factories producing improvised explosive devices (IEDs), vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs), and explosives, and he is involved in the development of chemical weapons. ISIS poses a direct security threat to the interests of the United States and the international community, and today's designation emphasizes the United States' ongoing efforts to combat ISIS' lethal weapons capabilities, including chemical weapons.

Additionally, the Department of State designated Marwan Ibrahim Hussayn Tah al-Azawi, an Iraqi ISIS leader connected to ISIS' development of chemical weapons for use in ongoing combat against Iraqi Security Forces.

As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of these individuals subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.

"Today's actions mark the first designations targeting individuals involved in ISIS' chemical weapons development," said OFAC Director John E. Smith. "Defeating ISIS is a top priority of this Administration, and today's action highlights why this group must be defeated. The Department of the Treasury condemns in the strongest possible terms the use of chemical weapons by any actor, and will leverage all available tools to target those complicit in their development, proliferation, or use."

Attallah Salman 'Abd Kafi al-Jaburi

OFAC designated al-Jaburi for acting for or on behalf of ISIS as well as for assisting in, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, ISIS.

As of mid-2016, al-Jaburi was the ISIS chemical weapons and explosives manager located in the Kirkuk Province of Iraq. In mid-January 2016, ISIS sent al-Jaburi to work on a chemical weapons project that would be used against Peshmerga, more commonly known as the Iraqi Kurdish, forces in future attacks. At the time, al-Jaburi reported directly to, and received orders from, the ISIS Wilayat, or province, of Kirkuk.

In addition to his work on chemical weapons, al-Jaburi was part of an ISIS group that ran a factory in Hawijah, Iraq manufacturing IEDs, mines, and up-armored VBIEDs. As late as 2016, Jaburi was an ISIS senior leader in charge of an ISIS IED and explosives factory, in addition to a technical workshop located in a hospital in the Hawijah District of Kirkuk Province that was used to develop rockets for ISIS.

Al-Jaburi is reported to have joined al-Qa'ida in 2003, where he received his knowledge and expertise in developing and fabricating IEDs. Al-Jaburi also became an expert in making weapons, received training in chemical weapons in Syria, and later returned to Iraq in 2015.



For identifying information on the individuals designated today, click here.

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