Twice during congressional hearings last year, The Long War Journal warned that jihadists were looking to secure Mohammed Zammar’s release in Syria. Zammar recruited the Hamburg cell, including the suicide hijack pilots for 9/11.
Mohammed Zammar, who recruited al Qaeda’s Hamburg cell, has reportedly been freed inside Syria. His freedom was negotiated by Ahrar al Sham, an al Qaeda-linked group.
Foreign fighters, including an Uzbek commander, played a key role in taking the Sheikh Suleiman base outside of Aleppo. The base is thought to be involved in Syria’s chemical weapons program.
An al Qaeda operative named Naamen Meziche has been reportedly detained in Pakistan. Meziche had extensive ties to the 9/11 plotters and was part of a 2010 plot to launch Mumbai-style attacks in Europe. That plot also had significant links to al Qaeda’s Iran-based network.