Bi-Weekly Update 3: Terrorism and Counterterrorism

United Kingdom: Daniel Khalife, suspected of terrorism, escaped HMP Wandsworth (06/092023)

In early September, Daniel Khalife strapped himself to the underneath of a food delivery lorry in a chef’s uniform using his bedsheets in order to escape HMP Wandsworth, a category B prison. The van left the prison at 7:30 am and police stopped the vehicle in east Putney at 8:37 am however Khalife had already abandoned the truck. He was apprehended on the 9th by plain-clothed officers in Northolt, 14 miles from the prison.

Khalife was a British Army Soldier based at the Royal Corps of Signals from which he was dismissed following suspicion of breaking the Official Secrets Act by trying to spy for an enemy state, understood to be Iran. He is also charged with plotting a bomb hoax at his base. Enquiries into why Khalife was not detained at a category A prison, the highest level of security, are ongoing. Khalife’s escape has also opened up conversations regarding prison capacity and counter-terrorism strategy. 

Ireland/Uzbekistan: Six Uzbek and Irish Nationals Charged Following an Investigation into Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (12/09/2023)

As a result of the Garda Special Detective Unit’s investigation into money laundering and terrorist financing between 2009 and 2019, six Uzbek and Irish nationals have been charged with over 200 charges ranging from directing the activities of a criminal organisation to collecting, receiving or providing funds for the benefit of a terrorist group. 

The defendants were reluctant to give details, Mr Amin and Abdurahim Mhadhbi made no reply to any of the charges after caution. Dawood Mhadhbi commented, “I don’t recall it.” when charged with two money laundering offences whilst Amin and Abdurahim Mhadhbi made no reply to any of the charges. Ms Umat and Ms Jabarov also answered no comment to certain questions however when questioned about charges of terrorist financing Ms Umat responded that “it’s not terrorism, it’s my son, he has four wives” whilst Ms Jabarov responded by saying “I sent it to my family, not terrorists”; “It’s probably my husband’s family”; and “this is money I managed for my mother-in-law”.

Due to its location in Central Asia, sharing a border with Afghanistan, Uzbekistan has a history of terrorism with groups such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS operating within the country. As recently as November 2019, it was reported that 17 people were killed in an armed attack on a Tajik security check-point on the Uzbek/Tajik border for which ISIS claimed responsibility. 

Sahel: Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso Establish Sahel Security Alliance in Order to Combat Terrorism in the Region (16/09/2023)

Following a recent wave of terrorist violence as well as internal disunity in the Sahel region, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have signed a mutual security agreement. This agreement, known as the Alliance of Sahel States, binds the signatories to help each other, including militarily, in the event of an attack. This includes external attacks as well as internal rebellion, a pertinent point considering all three states have experienced military coups since 2020. Equally, all three states share a border in the Liptako-Gourma region, an area that has seen extreme violence in recent years.

This has important implications for Western powers in the region, France having been forced to withdraw peacekeeping troops from Mali and Burkina Faso whilst Niger is currently in the process of doing so. This new agreement seeks to make the Sahel states more self reliant, especially in their new-post coup states.