Mohammed Khalifa

Mohammed Khalifa is a Canadian citizen who traveled to Islamic State-occupied territory, where he narrated Islamic State war videos.[2][3]

For the Saudi businessman (1957-2007), see Mohammed Jamal Khalifa.
Mohammed Khalifa
Born (1983-07-10) July 10, 1983[1]
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
NationalityCanadian
Other namesMohammed Abdullah Mohammed
OccupationComputer programmer
Known forNarrating Islamic State videos
Conviction(s)Providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (18 U.S.C. § 2339B)
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment

Observers had long speculated that two important Islamic State war videos, Flames of War and Flames of War 2, were narrated by a Canadian.[4] Khalifa was captured in a clash with the Syrian Democratic Forces in January 2019, and acknowledged he was the narrator.[5][6]

The Flames of War was described as one of the most influential Islamic State war videos.[5] It is 55 minutes long, much of the footage filmed with a GoPro style body-camera, worn by a fighter, who first digs in, then charges Syrian soldiers. Other footage records prisoners first being made to dig their own graves, then showing their brutal executions.

The New York Times hired three voice recognition experts, who had served as expert witnesses, Catalin Grigoras, Jeff M. Smith and Robert C. Maher, who all agreed recordings made when Rukmini Callimachi interviewed him matched the narration of the videos.[5]

According to Charlie Winter, a counter-terrorism specialist from the International Center for the Study of Radicalization, "His voice is the most recognizable English-speaking voice to have ever appeared in Islamic State propaganda."[5] Winter called The Flames of War

According to Amarnath Amarasingam, of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, "He is a symbol — the voice coming out of ISIS, speaking to the English-speaking world, for the better part of the last four to five years."[5]

In October 2021, Khalifa was flown to Virginia and arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Prosecutors charged him with "material terrorism support leading to death", alleging that he was responsible for publicising the infamous video of James Foley's beheading.[7] Raj Parekh, acting US attorney, described Khalifa as "the voice behind the violence".[8]

On December 10, 2021, Khalifa pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to a terrorist organization, resulting in death.[9] He was sentenced to life in prison on 29 July 2022.[10]

References
  1. ISIS Media Figure and Foreign Fighter Charged with Conspiring
  2. Ian Austen (2019-02-22). "They Left Canada for ISIS. Should They Be Allowed Home?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2019-02-23. Retrieved 2019-02-24. The ISIS narrator, Mohammed Khalifa, said: 'I do not regret what I did, I stand by the Islamic State.' He made that very clear.
  3. Stewart Bell (2019-02-17). "Canadian captured in Syria admits to role in gruesome ISIS execution videos". Global News. Archived from the original on 2019-02-24. Retrieved 2019-02-24. 'Our sources in YPG confirmed that he is the narrator of both FoW [Flames of War] videos,' the group said.
  4. Stewart Bell (2018-10-16). "Narrator of ISIS execution video is Canadian, says captured Mississauga ISIS member". Global News. Archived from the original on 2019-02-24. Retrieved 2019-02-24. But the statement supports speculation that a Canadian has been narrating ISIS English-language recruitment videos and claims of responsibility for some of its deadliest attacks.
  5. Rukmini Callimachi (2019-02-17). "The English Voice of ISIS Comes Out of the Shadows". The New York Times. Hasaki, Syria. Archived from the original on 2019-02-24. Retrieved 2019-02-24. Speaking fluent English with a North American accent, the man would go on to narrate countless other videos and radio broadcasts by the Islamic State, serving as the terrorist group's faceless evangelist to Americans and other English speakers seeking to learn about its toxic ideology. Now a 35-year-old Canadian citizen, who studied at a college in Toronto and once worked in information technology at a company contracted by IBM, says he is the anonymous narrator.
  6. "'Leading figure' in IS recruitment videos sentenced to life in prison in US". Sky News. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  7. Kilander, Gustaf (2 October 2021). "Isis terrorist behind footage of journalist James Foley's beheading flown to US for trial". The Independent.
  8. "English-speaking narrator of ISIS propaganda videos charged in the US". Sky News. 3 October 2021.
  9. "Leading ISIS Media Figure and Foreign Fighter Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Material Support to a Terrorist Organization, Resulting in Death". US Department of Justice. 10 December 2021.
  10. Rami Ayyub (29 July 2022). "U.S. judge gives Canadian man life in prison for aiding Islamic State". Reuters. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
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