The Iranian government released five top members of al Qaeda this year in a prisoner swap, one of whom served as the group’s interim leader after the death of Osama bin Laden, according to a U.S. official.
The man, Saif al-Adel, has a spot on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist list and has been designated with a $5 million bounty.
The New York Times reported:
The Iranian government, in a statement on Thursday after the release was reported by Sky News earlier this week, denied that the five men had been freed. The American official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the matter, confirmed the release of Saif al-Adl, a senior member of Al Qaeda’s ruling body, known as the Shura Council, who oversaw the organization immediately after bin Laden was killed by Navy SEALs in Pakistan in 2011.
The five individuals were released by Iran in March during a swap with al Qaeda’s branch in Yemen for Iranian diplomat Nour-Ahmad Nikbakht, who was held by the terror group for 18 months.
A former Egyptian military leader, Adel was indicted in the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in East Africa. The group released by Iran also includes Abdul Khayr al-Misri, who once headed Al Qaeda’s foreign relations council, Abul Qassam, who served as a deputy to the founder of the organization that eventually became the Islamic State, Sari Shibab, a Jordanian operative, and Abu Mohamed al-Misri, who helped organize al Qaeda’s attacks prior to 9/11.
It is not known when the men were apprehended by Iran.
Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, who served as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency before retiring, said Adel’s release will serve as "a shot of energy" in the leadership branch of al Qaeda.
"The collusion between al Qaeda and Iran is something we have seen before and this trade, if known by the U.S., should have been included as part of the Iran deal negotiations," Flynn said.