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Mohammed Khalifa, Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIS, Virginia 2021
Alexandria, Va. – A Saudi-born Canadian citizen was sentenced today to life imprisonment for conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, resulting in death.
Mohammed Khalifa, aka Abu Ridwan Al-Kanadi and Abu Muthanna Al-Muhajir, 39, served in prominent roles within ISIS starting in 2013 and continuing until his capture by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in January 2019, following a firefight between ISIS fighters and the SDF.
In the spring of 2013, Khalifa traveled to Syria with the intent of becoming a foreign fighter and ultimately joining ISIS. In or around November 2013, he joined ISIS and swore allegiance to then-ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
During the time Khalifa was a prominent member of ISIS, the terrorist organization was conducting a brutal hostage-taking and ransom demand campaign involving journalists and humanitarian aid workers who came to Syria from across the globe. Between August 19, 2014, and February 6, 2015, ISIS killed eight American, British, and Japanese citizens in Syria as part of the hostage scheme.
Khalifa provided the narration and translation for approximately 15 videos created and distributed by ISIS. The productions narrated by Khalifa include two of the most influential and exceptionally violent ISIS propaganda videos: “Flames of War: Fighting Has Just Begun,” distributed on September 19, 2014, and “Flames of War II: Until the Final Hour,” distributed on November 29, 2017.
The ISIS “Flames of War” videos include scenes of Khalifa executing a different Syrian soldier in each of the two videos.
Khalifa engaged in fighting on behalf of ISIS and attacked an SDF position in Abu Badran, Syria. Khalifa, alone and armed with three grenades and an AK-47, threw a grenade on the roof of a house where SDF soldiers were standing. The grenade detonated and Khalifa ran into the house and attempted to go to the roof, but an SDF soldier was firing from the stairs. Khalifa began firing at the SDF soldier and attempted to use all three of his grenades during the attack.
Khalifa pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization, resulting in death, on December 10, 2021.
Mohammed Khalifa, Real full name: Mohammed Khalifa, Exact criminal charges: Conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, City and state: Alexandria, Virginia, Exact date: December 10, 2021, Sentence or outcome: Life imprisonment, Dollar amounts: Not applicable.
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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