US’s RFJ allocates $5 million for information on Abu Ayman al-Masri.
Shafaq News/ Rewards for Justice (RFJ), the U.S. Department of State’s national security rewards program, announces offering a reward of up to $5 million for information on Ibrahim al-Banna, also known as Abu Ayman al-Masri.
“Al-Banna is a senior leader of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). He was a founding member of AQAP, has served as the group’s chief of security, and has provided military and security guidance to AQAP leadership. Al-Banna is the last of AQAP’s founding members.” RFJ official website said.
Prior to his membership with AQAP, al-Banna was a leader of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad in Yemen from 1996 to 1998 and subsequently was in charge of the group’s training and intelligence sectors. The website explained.
On June 5, 2017, the U.S. Department of State designated al-Banna as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order 13224, as amended. As a result of this designation, among other consequences, all property and interests in property of al-Banna that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with al-Banna. In addition, it is a crime to knowingly provide, or attempt or conspire to provide, material support or resources to the FTO AQAP.
The US government established RFJ to offer rewards to obtain information that “protects American lives and U.S. interests and furthers U.S. national security.”
Since 1984, Congress has expanded RFJ’s statutory authorities to offer rewards for information in four broad categories: terrorism, Foreign Election Interference, Malicious Cyber Activity, and North Korea.
