The Enigmatic Leader of the Islamic State

A newly revealed document sheds light on the world’s most wanted man: the leader of the Islamic State.

Documents revealed by the Business Insider shed light on the shadowy life of the man who leads the largest terror organization in history.

Inspired and directed by its uncontested leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Islamic State (ISIS) has been striking fear into millions around the world.

Relatively little is known about al-Baghdadi, but his Detainee Personnel Record from the time he was in the custody of the US Army in Iraq exposes a number of details on this enigmatic tyrant.

The documents, released through the Freedom of Information Act, identify al-Baghdadi by his birth name, Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim Al Badry.

Al-Baghdadi, who presents himself as a caliph – an Islamic leader believed to be a political and religious successor to the prophet Mohammad – has since taken on a name that invokes historical and religious symbolism. Baghdad was for many centuries the seat of Muslim power. Connecting himself to the ancient city connects his persona to traditional Muslim leadership.

There have been conflicting reports about the time Baghdadi had spent as a US detainee, the Insider reports. These files identify his “capture date” as February 4, 2004, and the date of his “release in place” as December 8, 2004. According to the records, Baghdadi was captured in Fallujah and held at multiple prison facilities, including the infamous Camp Bucca and Camp Adder.

Al- Baghdadi was captured by US military intelligence while visiting a friend in Fallujah by the name of Nessayif Numan Nessayif, according to a book titled ISIS: Inside The Army of Terror.

“Baghdadi was not the target – it was Nessayif,” Dr. Hisham al-Hashimi, an Iraqi researcher, is quoted in the book as saying. Al-Hashimi, who consults with the Iraqi government and claims to have met the ISIS leader in the 1990s, says that Al-Baghdadi was not on the American military radar and was arrested by chance, possibly when trying to help Nessayif escape.

Al-Baghdadi’s detainee I.D. card lists him as a “civilian detainee,” which means he was not a member of a foreign armed force or militia but was still held for security reasons, the Insider explains.

Al-Baghdadi’s “civilian occupation” was described as “administrative.” As of 2014, he was listed as being 43 years old, although his date of birth was redacted in the report. Baghdadi’s birthplace was identified as Fallujah.

The records also provide some details on Baghdadi’s family. His file identifies him as married and his next of kin as an uncle. The names of his family members were redacted from the records.

The Insider writes that according to Army Corrections Command, some of the records requested by Business Insider remain classified. The publication is working to obtain all files regarding Baghdadi’s detention.

By: United with Israel Staff