Moner Mohammad Abu Salha

Moner Mohammad Abu Salha (also Munir Mohammed Abou Saleha aka Abu Hurayra al-Amriki) (October 28, 1991 – May 25, 2014), was an American suicide bomber who killed himself and several Syrian troops with a truck bomb in Ariha, Syria in the name of al-Nusra Front.[1][2]

Moner Mohammad Abu Salha
Born(1991-10-28)October 28, 1991
Vero Beach, Florida U.S.
DiedMay 14, 2014(2014-05-14) (aged 22)
Ariha, Syria
Cause of deathSuicide bombing
NationalityAmerican
Other namesAbu Hurayra al-Amriki
OrganizationAl Nusra Front
Known forfirst American suicide bomber in Syria

Biography

Abu Salha was raised in Vero Beach, Florida, by a Sunni Palestinian father and an Italian-American mother. At the age of 22, he became the first known American suicide bomber to die in Syria.[1] He produced a video describing his motivation to die on behalf of the al-Nusra Front.[3][4]

Abu Salha's name later came up as a contact in an unsuccessful 2014 investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The subject of that investigation was Omar Mateen, who would later commit the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting.[5] The investigation was motivated "because Abu-Salha and Mateen attended the same mosque,"[6] law-enforcement officials told The Wall Street Journal. During the shooting, Mateen told a 9-1-1 operator that the shooting was inspired by Abu Salha.[7] In the video published by al-Nusra, Abu Salha said that he was being watched by the FBI before he left for Syria, and that he moved to stay with friends in the state of Florida in order to throw the FBI off track and make them believe he was in the United States after he had left.[8] Both Abu Salha and Mateen lived in Fort Pierce, Florida.[9]

References
  1. Bergen, Peter (July 14, 2014). "The all-American al Qaeda suicide bomber". CNN. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  2. "Profile: 'First American suicide bomber' in Syria". Al Arabiya. June 1, 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  3. Wagner, Meg (July 30, 2014). "'We are coming for you': American suicide bomber who threatened U.S., burned passport returned to U.S. for months before Syria attack". New York Daily News. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  4. "Al Qaeda-linked Syria fighters release video purporting to show American suicide bomber". Fox News. Associated Press. July 27, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  5. Cleary, Tom (June 12, 2016). "Omar Mateen: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". heavy. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  6. Barrett, Devlin; Entous, Adam; Cullison, Alan (June 12, 2016). "FBI Twice Probed Orlando Gunman". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on June 20, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016. Law-enforcement officials said that investigation was prompted because Abu-Salha and Mateen attended the same mosque.
  7. Bertrand, Natasha; Engel, Pamela (June 13, 2016). "The FBI director just painted a bizarre picture of the man behind the worst mass shooting in US history". Business Insider. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  8. Hanrahan, Mark (August 28, 2014). "Moner Mohammad Abu-Salha, American Suicide Bomber, Says He Was Being Watched By FBI In US". International Business Times. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  9. Detman, Gary (June 12, 2016). "Omar Mateen of Fort Pierce identified as Pulse Nightclub killer". KCBY. WPEC. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
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