Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan (Arabic: صالح علي صالح نبهان ) (born April 4, 1979 in Mombasa, Kenya) became wanted in 2006, by the United States Department of Justice's FBI, "for questioning in connection with the 2002 attacks in Mombasa, Kenya, against a hotel and an airliner." That Kenyan hotel bombing followed the airliner shoot down attempt, in a near-simultaneous dual attack against the two Israeli targets. Nabhan is also wanted in Kenya[1] for those crimes and also for some alleged involvement in the 1998 United States embassy bombings. The main suspects in all three cases are al Qaeda, which claimed responsibility. For his role in the plot Nabhan became listed on the FBI's third major "wanted" list, the FBI Seeking Information - War on Terrorism list.[2]
On November 28, 2002, an unsuccessful attempt was made to shoot down an Arkia Israel Airlines Boeing 757 chartered tourist plane taking off from Moi International Airport in Mombasa using surface-to-air missiles; nobody was hurt on the plane, which landed safely in Tel Aviv. About 20 minutes later, in Mombasa, Kenya, three suicide bombers detonated an SUV in the lobby of the Israeli-owned beachfront Paradise Hotel, killing three Israelis and ten Kenyans, and injuring 80.
US and Israeli officials suspected a Somali group linked to al-Qaeda was responsible for the bombing and speculated that the suspects had smuggled the missiles into Kenya from Somalia. 12 people were arrested in connection with the hotel bombing, including six Pakistanis and four Somalis, as well as an American and her Spanish husband, both of whom were later released.
Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for this attack on the Jehad.net website, which was later taken down.
On February 24, 2006, the FBI added Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan among three names to the Seeking Information – War on Terrorism list.[3] With these three additions, as of February 24, 2006 the total count on the outstanding Seeking Information list stood at ten.
Nabhan might have been protected in Somalia by the Islamic Courts Union prior to their ouster in late 2006.[4] An American air gunship attack near Ras Kamboni on 7 January 2007 targeted al-Qaeda suspects, who might have included Nabhan.[5]
On March 9, 2007 the International Herald Tribune reported that someone connected with the 2002 Mombassa bombing had been apprehended, and speculated that it was Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan.[6] However it turned out to be Abdulmalik Mohammed, who was transferred to Guantanamo about a month later.
On March 2, 2008, a U.S. Navy vessel fired two missiles in an attack on an Al Qaeda training camp in southern Somalia. The attack reportedly targeted Nabhan.[7] [8]
References
- ^ Kenya Police wanted poster on Salih Nabhan
- ^ Seeking Information: Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, FBI, US Justice Department
- ^ FBI Updates Most Wanted Terrorists and Seeking Information – War on Terrorism Lists, FBI press release, 24 February 2006
- ^ Hunt for Al-Qaeda men in Mogadishu, Times Online, 31 December 2006
- ^ Pentagon official: U.S. attacks al Qaeda suspects in Somalia, CNN, 9 January 2007
- ^ "Kenyan police arrest key Al Qaeda suspect". International Herald Tribune. 2007-03-09. http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/09/news/kenya.php. Retrieved on 2008-07-29. mirror
- ^ Notorious Al Qaeda Operative the Target in U.S. Strike in Somalia, Fox News, 3 March 2008
- ^ U.S. Forces Fire Missiles Into Somalia at a Kenyan, [[The New York Times]], 4 March 2008
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