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Treasury Designates Abd-al-Hamid al-Masli a Terrorist

Afghan soldier trains to defuse IED (AP)

A senior al Qaeda bomb maker operating in Pakistan’s lawless tribal region was designated as a terrorist on Thursday by the Treasury Department.

Abd-al-Hamid al-Masli, "a key improvised explosive device (IED) facilitator," was added to the Department’s growing terror list for his efforts to train al Qaeda bomb makers in Pakistan’s lawless Waziristan area, Treasury announced.

Al-Masli "is the leader of an AQ electronics and explosives workshop in Pakistan, which is responsible for producing IED components for AQ senior leadership."

Al-Masli’s bomb-making shop has trained and armed al Qaeda affiliated "paramilitary brigades in Afghanistan with timers, circuits, mines, and remote control devices for use in IEDs," Treasury reported.

"Al-Masli has also instructed AQ recruits on how to build detonators and, as of 2009, was personally in charge of IED component construction at the AQ electronics workshop," the release stated.

Al-Masli, who is originally from Libya, also lent his know-how to al Qaeda’s military committee, which he led in 2010.

"Al-Qa’ida continues to employ IEDs as the weapon of choice to kill and maim U.S. and Coalition Forces as well as countless civilians," David Cohen, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said in a statement. "The U.S. is determined to disrupt and dismantle these IED networks through all means available, including targeted sanctions."

The release also highlighted the Treasury Department’s ongoing efforts to crack down on al Qeada’s core leadership, particularly those who build and plant explosive devices.