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Belmokhtar Brigade via Reuters
Mokhtar Belmokhtar, identified by the Algerian interior ministry as the leader of a militant Islamic group, is pictured in a screen capture from an undated video distributed by the Bel Mokhtar Brigade obtained by Reuters January 16, 2013.
The one-eyed al-Qaida-linked militant who is reportedly holding Western hostages at an oil field in Algeria is no stranger to kidnappings.
Mokhtar bel Mokhtar, the leader of a militant jihadist band until recently associated with the al-Qaida in the Islamic Magreb terror group, has reaped tens of millions in ransom payments, according to current and former U.S. officials.
Mokhtar, 40, is an Algerian who lost his eye fighting Soviet forces in Afghanistan in the 1980s, NBC sources said. After a falling out with other local al-Qaida leaders, he established his own group in the Sahara.
Mokhtar has since claimed to have made ties to al-Qaida central, formerly led by Osama bin Laden and now headed by Ayman al-Zawahri.
U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told NBC News that Mokhtar had focused on low-level kidnappings, and thanks to Europeans paying large ransom demands, his group flourished financially. One U.S. official said Mokhtar's group was charging "as much as 7 to 9 million dollars a pop," for each hostage ransomed. "That money went directly to purchasing arms," added the official. "The arms market," he said, is "saturated, mainly because of the Libyan arms depots "liberated" by rebels during the Arab Spring.
Mokhtar, known as "Mr. Marlboro" is heavily involved in black market sales of weapons, drugs and cigarettes, U.S. officials say. He married into a leading Tuareg clan. Tuaregs have long controlled smuggling and other black market operations in West Africa.
Some Westerners reported killed in Algeria siege
France, the sources say, had refused ransom requests, but private individuals have paid to get the kidnapped released.
According to an expert's brief compiled for the U.S. Justice Department in connection with a recent New York terrorism case, Mokhtar’s experience in Afghanistan emboldened him and he joined the nascent Armed Islamic Group of Algeria, a large faction growing inside Algeria. Within a few years, he rose to became the commander-in-chief of the "Ninth Zone," a desert area where he established camps and eventually married into a family from the local Tuareg tribesmen.
The Justice report, which was prepared by terrorism analyst Evan Kohlmann, who also serves as a consultant for various U.S. law enforcement agencies in terrorism cases, cites an interview with Mauritanian media in which Mokhtar acknowledged forging "connections with al-Qaida.” Mokhtar also disputed reports his group was involved in drug smuggling. Kohlmann also is an NBC News terrorism analyst.
"Smuggling or dealing drugs, near or far, or even to the infidel countries, is among the clearest prohibitions in Allah's Shariah," he said, according to the report.
Related content:
In Mali, land of 'gangster-jihadists,' ransoms help fuel the movement
France launches 'tough' ground offensive against Mali's Islamist rebels
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So he is really just another gang/mafia leader. Just a criminal and nothing more special than that.
I hope we have a cruse missile with his name on it.
Just shoot that idiot!
Definitely a drone target, hopefully soon!
if we know where he is (in an oil field) why can't we take him out too and rescue the other hostages??
Just follow the money.
For one thing, seriously doubt he's there in person. As a leader, he'd be more likely to send in flunkies. Or thugs, or lackeys, I forget what the goon ranking system is.
Also, in video games, you get multiple do-overs to try to raid the compound without getting hostages killed. In real life, particularly when explosives are involved, things get a lot hairier, a lot faster. Killing the men would most likely involve losing one or more hostages, perhaps all of them, and probably some personnel, too.
Generally, the best thing to do is talk them out, or, like Rontron says, follow the money. That way, you have a better chance of finding the rest of them. 'Course, it's hard to follow the money when they deal with arms dealers that are proficient at money laundering and deal mainly in cash.
The real world is a lot messier. Sure, our guys make it look easy, sometimes, but the failures often outweigh the pure successes by a fair margin.
Another awesome call by the Obama administration. Always backing the good guys.
Another stupid and irrelevant remark from a FAUX News kool-aid drinking lemming. Always foaming at the mouth with utter nonsense and conjecture.
You wouldn't no a GOOD guy if he bit you on the azz, moron.
Now, now Cannoli, Did I touch a raw nerve talking about your savior? The quote is from a unnamed someone in his administration and stated in this article from the pinnacle of journalistic objectiveness, MSNBC. It's not like I got it from Fox.
Charlie, you progressives are such a compassionate, tolerant bunch when addressing people with opposing views. Stay classy. You and Cannoli should get a room.
Almost as smooth as making Iran and Iraq allies.
This guy got his start fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan. Does that mean he was trained and originally armed by the federal government of the United States of America?
Mr. President...fire up the drone please and shove it through his other eye.
This guy needs a visit from Mr. Drone and his friend Mr. Hellfire Missle.
Another flower in Obama's Arab Spring !
BEWARE the DRONE, Mokhtar!
Sounds like Mr Marlboro and Mr Armstrong have a lot in common--racking in millions from kidnappings, Ponzi Schemes, etc.
good luck ya evil bastard trying to make it to 41yrs old - we'll getcha in the ground 6ft under before that!!!
Yeah, we did a great job chasing down Osama B. L. What was it? ten years? When it comes to Africa and the Middle East we don't know squat.
Yeah, we did a great job chasing down Osama B. L. What was it? ten years? When it comes to Africa and the Middle East we don't know squat.
This guy will not be touched for a very long time. Cuz we are spread out thin. Their going to fuggh us up from the inside. And if that happens. We is fuuughed. We need to nook them, Get all the girls and ladies out. Leave the men and boom. Bye, bye. Our Ancient Aliens would do it.
Bring back the bounty hunters. Tell the U. N. to man up or look the other way. (They don't like mercenaries.)
The more you read about Islamist radicals, the more you realize that all they really are is armed mobsters intent on getting rich and murdering people in the name of Islam. What could they possibly want with westerners operating in the gas fields if it is not to ransom them and use the money to buy more arms and ammunition? Just drop a daisy cutter on the gas pumping station, sacrifice the westerners, since they are to be murdered anyway, and deprive the Muslim world of another radical terrorist leader.
I don't know, those ninteen that committed 9/11 were pretty committed.
All those gun waving al-Qaida and still Obama blames everything on American gun owners. what next ?
How about our State Department offering a green card and $5,000,000 for his head, delivered to our embassy in Benghazi.
This bastard needs to spend his last seconds on earth looking at a Navy Seal with an "assault rifle".
Maybe a drone? Anyone around him may be at risk, but it is unlikely to be a nun.
If countries would not pay any ransom to this guy he would not have made millions.He and his henchmen will be caught soon hopefully and carted off in body bags.
We are at war with Islamic Jihad. They mean to kill us all, so we need to kill them first. The Algerians might have lost some hostages today, but I agree with their attitude of "No Negotiations with terrorists".
We need to accept that we are in a fight to the death with these terrorists.
Ah, money. Seems the more you have, the more worthless you are.