Terrorism: Yassin Chouka, Monir Chouka, Melvut Kar

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
January 26, 2012

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Today, the Department of State designated Yassin Chouka, Monir Chouka and Mevlut Kar as Specially Designated Global Terrorists under section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224. The consequences of these designations include a prohibition against engaging in transactions with these individuals, and the freezing of all property and interests in property that is in the United States, or comes within the United States or the control of U.S. persons. The Chouka brothers and Kar were also listed at the UN 1267/1989 Committee for their links to al-Qaida.

Brothers Yassin and Monir Chouka are fighters, recruiters, facilitators and propagandists for the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. Mevlut Kar is a facilitator and recruiter for the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) which is, like the IMU, a designated FTO.

Monir Chouka, also known as Abu Adam, and Yassin Chouka, also known as Abu Ibrahim, carry out operations as members of the IMU along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The Chouka brothers are also senior members of Jundallah Media, the IMU's media production arm.

In October 2011, Monir Chouka claimed IMU responsibility for an attack that killed five Americans, a Canadian, eight ISAF civilian employees, three Afghan civilians, and a policeman. Monir also claimed IMU was responsible for the May 19, 2010 suicide assault in Bagram, Afghanistan, which resulted in the death of an American contractor and wounded nine NATO troops.

Mevlut Kar is currently wanted by the Government of Lebanon and an Interpol Red Notice has been issued for his arrest and extradition. He was sentenced in absentia to 15-years in prison for attempting to establish an al-Qaida cell in Lebanon. Mevlut Kar is implicated in the 2007 European bomb plot targeting U.S. military installations and American citizens in Germany. Kar has also provided more than 20 detonators to members of the IJU.

These designations play a critical role in our fight against terrorism and are an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to abandon terrorism.

ENDS

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