Mohammed Ali Hammadi
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Mohammed Ali Hammadi (
Under indictment by
There has been speculation that his parole was granted as part of a covert prisoner swap, in exchange for the release of Susanne Osthoff. Taken hostage in Iraq a month prior, Osthoff was released the week of Hammadi's parole.[3]
Imprisoned in West Germany
Two years after the TWA Flight 847 attack, Hammadi was arrested in Frankfurt, West Germany, in 1987 while attempting to smuggle liquid explosives. The United States immediately requested his extradition but Hezbollah immediately abducted two West Germans in Beirut, and threatened to kill them if Hamadei were extradited. Then it was decided to try Hamadei in West Germany. In addition to the charges in West Germany of illegal importation of explosives, he was charged with the 1985 hijacking and hostage taking; tried and convicted of Stethem's 1985 murder, he was sentenced to life in prison.[4]
The first opportunity for parole to be granted on a life sentence in Germany is ordinarily after 15 years. However, Hammadi's life sentence included a provision that due to an exceptional grave degree of guilt the first parole review was to be later. The Landgericht (
Fugitive in Lebanon
His indicted accomplices in the TWA Flight 847 attack, Hassan Izz-Al-Din and Ali Atwa continue to elude arrest and currently remain at large, having been placed among the original 22 fugitives on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list on 10 October 2001, in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Another accomplice, Imad Mughniyeh, was killed on 12 February 2008 in a car-bombing attack in Damascus, Syria. Those responsible for this attack remain unknown as of 13 February 2008.
On 14 February 2006, the United States federal government, through the ambassador to Lebanon, had formally asked the Lebanese government to extradite Mohammed Ali Hammadi for the murder of Robert Stethem during the 1985 hijacking.[6] On 24 February 2006, he joined his accomplices on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list, under the name Mohammed Ali Hamadei.[7]
Several news outlets
On 12 September 2006, a "Bush administration official" indicated that Hammadi had rejoined Hezbollah upon his release from German prison.[9]
On 12 February 2007, the FBI announced a new $5 million reward for information leading to the recapture of Hammadi.[10]
Reported death
According to Deutsche Presse-Agentur, unconfirmed Pakistani intelligence sources reported that Hammadi was killed in a CIA drone strike inside Pakistan in June 2010.[11] However, Hammadi's death was never confirmed, and he remains on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list and the State Department's Rewards for Justice list.[1][12]
References
- ^ a b "Wanted terrorists". FBI. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
- ^ Whitlock, Craig (21 December 2005). "Hijacker Sought By U.S. Released". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Freed Osthoff Not Heading Home Yet".
- ^ Will Germany Release an American-Killer?, 27 January 2004
- ^ "Germany paroles terrorist after 19-year term". NBC News.
- ^ US 'seeks justice' for hijacker , BBC News
- ^ FBI Updates Most Wanted Terrorists and Seeking Information, War on Terrorism Lists,FBI national Press Release, 24 February 2006
- ^ Hezbollah: Top militant wanted by U.S. slain, MSNBC 13 February 2008
- ^ "Terrorist Ali Hamadi Rejoins Hezbollah Following Release From Prison". Fox News. 21 September 2019.
- ^ "FBI 2007 announcement of reward offer".
- ^ "US drone attack kills Lebanese terrorist in Pakistan". Monsters and Critics. 20 June 2010. Archived from the original on 14 January 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
- ^ "Rewards for Justice - Wanted for Terrorism - Mohammed Ali Hamadei".