U S DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY   Press Center  Treasury Designates Individual Entity Posing Threat to Stability in Iraq 7 2 2009   WASHINGTON – The U S Department of the Treasury today targeted Iran-based individual Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Iraq-based Shia extremist group Kata'ib Hizballah for threatening the peace and stability of Iraq and the Government of Iraq Al-Muhandis and Kata'ib Hizballah have committed directed supported or posed a significant risk of committing acts of violence against Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces and as a result are designated today under Executive Order E O 13438 which targets insurgent and militia groups and their supporters These designations play a critical role in our efforts to protect Coalition troops Iraqi security forces and civilians from those who use violence against innocents to intimidate and to undermine a free and prosperous Iraq said Stuart Levey Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis is an advisor to Qasem Soleimani the commander of Iran's Qods Force the arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps IRGC responsible for providing material support to Lebanon-based Hizballah Hamas Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command   Further the IRGC-Qods Force provides lethal support to Kata'ib Hizballah and other Iraqi Shia militia groups who target and kill Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces   The IRGC-Qods Force was named a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the Treasury Department on October 25 2007 The U S Department of State also today designated Kata'ib Hizballah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and under section 1 b of E O 13224 for committing or posing a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism   Designations under E O 13438 and E O 13224 are administered by Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control and prohibit all transactions between the designees and any U S person and freeze any assets the designees may have under U S jurisdiction Identifying Information   ABU MAHDI AL-MUHANDIS   AKAs   Abu Mahdi al-Muhandes Abu Mehdi al-Mohandess Abu-Mahdi al-Mohandas Abu-Muhannad al-Muhandis Abu Mahdi al-Madan Abu Mahdi al-Basri al-Muhandis Abu-Mahdi al-Mohandis al-Basri Abu Mahdi al Baseri Abu Mahdi al-Basari Jamal Ja'far al-Ibrahimi Jamal Ja'afar Muhammad Ali al-Ibrahimi Jamal Jafaar Mohammed Ali Ebrahimi Jamal Fa'far 'Ali al-Ibrahimi Jamal al-Ibrahimi Jamal al-Madan al-Tamimi Jamal Ja'afar Ibrahim al-Mikna Bihaj Jamal Jaafar Mohammed Jaafar Jamal Jaafar Jamal Ibrahimi Citizenships   Iranian Iraqi Nationality   Iraqi Year of Birth   1953 Place of Birth   Ma'ghal Basrah Iraq Locations   Al Fardoussi Street Tehran Iran Al Maaqal al Basrah Velayat Faqih Base Kenesht Mountain Pass Northwest of Kermanshah Iran Mehran Iran   As of early 2007 al-Muhandis formed a Shia militia group employing instructors from Hizballah to prepare this group and certain Jaysh alMahdi JAM Special Groups for attacks against Coalition Forces The groups received training in guerilla warfare handling bombs and explosives and employing weapons--to include missiles mortars and sniper rifles In another instance as of September 2007 alMuhandis led networks that moved ammunition and weapons--to include explosively formed penetrators EFPs --from Iran to Iraq distributing them to certain JAM militias to target Coalition Forces As of mid-February 2007 al-Muhandis also ran a weapons smuggling network that moved sniper rifles through the Iran-Iraq border to Shia militias that targeted Coalition Forces Al-Muhandis also provided logistical support for attacks against Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces conducted by JAM Special Groups and certain Shia militias In one instance in April 2008 al-Muhandis facilitated the entry of trucks--containing mortars Katyusha rockets EFPs and other explosive devices--from Iran to Iraq that were then delivered to JAM Special Groups in Sadr City Baghdad Additionally al-Muhandis organized numerous weapons shipments to supply JAM Special Groups who were fighting Iraqi Security Forces in the Basrah and Maysan provinces during late March-early April 2008 In addition to facilitating weapons shipments to JAM Special Groups and certain Shia militias al-Muhandis facilitated the movement and training of Iraq-based Shia militia members to prepare them to attack Coalition Forces In one instance in November 2007 al-Muhandis sent JAM Special Groups members to Iran to undergo a training course in using sniper rifles Upon completion of the training course the JAM Special Groups members had planned to return to Iraq and carry out special operations against Coalition Forces Additionally in early March 2007 al-Muhandis sent certain Shia militia members to Iran for training in guerilla warfare light arms marksmanship improvised explosive devices IED and anti-aircraft missiles to increase the combat ability of the militias to fight Coalition Forces In addition to the reasons for which he is being designated today al-Muhandis participated in the bombing of Western embassies in Kuwait and the attempted assassination of the Emir of Kuwait in the early 1980s Al-Muhandis was subsequently convicted in absentia by the Kuwaiti government for his role in the bombing and attempted assassination KATA'IB HIZBALLAH   AKAs                         Hizballah Brigades Hizballah Brigades in Iraq Hizballah Brigades-Iraq Hizballah Brigades-Iraq of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq Islamic Resistance in Iraq Katibat Abu Fathel Al A'abas Katibut Karbalah Katibat Zayd Ebin Ali Variants                       Kata'ib Hezbollah Khata'ib Hizballah Khata'ib Hezbollah Kata'ib Hizballah fi al-Iraq Khattab Hezballah Locations                    Iraq Najaf Iraq Website                       www alaseb com   Between March 2007 and June 2008 Baghdad-based Kata'ib Hizballah cell members participated in multiple rocket-propelled grenade RPG and improvised rocket-assisted mortar IRAM attacks against U S forces These attacks included a May 13 2008 RPG-29 attack on a U S tank located in Sha'ab Iraq and a February 19 2008 IRAM attack on a U S base near Rustamiya Iraq A February 19 2008 rocket attack in the Rustamiya area resulted in one U S civilian killed and injuries to U S civilian and Coalition Forces personnel As of 2008 Kata'ib Hizballah was funded by the IRGC-Qods Force and received weapons training and support from Lebanon-based Hizballah In one instance Hizballah provided training--to include building and planting IEDs and training in coordinating small and medium arms attacks sniper attacks mortar attacks and rocket attacks--to Kata'ib Hizballah members in Iran Recordings made by Kata'ib Hizballah for release to the public as propaganda videos further demonstrate that Kata'ib Hizballah conducted attacks against Coalition Forces In mid-August 2008 Coalition Forces seized four hard drives from a storage facility associated with a Kata'ib Hizballah media facilitator The four hard drives included approximately 1 200 videos showing Kata'ib Hizballah's sophisticated planning and attack tactics techniques and procedures and Kata'ib Hizballah's use of the most lethal weapons--including RPG-29s IRAMs and EFPs--against Coalition Forces in Iraq One of the hard drives contained 35 attack videos edited with the Kata'ib Hizballah logo in the top right corner Additionally between February and September 2008 Al-Manar in Beirut Lebanon broadcast several videos showing Kata'ib Hizballah conducting multiple attacks against Coalition Forces in Iraq Immediately preceding the Government of Iraq's approval of the United States-Iraq security agreement in late November 2008 Kata'ib Hizballah posted a statement that the group would continue fighting Coalition Forces and threatened to conduct attacks against the Government of Iraq if it signed the security agreement with the United States     ###