US declares French Jihadist Diaby ‘global terrorist’

WASHINGTON: The United States on Friday designated French Jihadist recruiter Omar Diaby a “global terrorist” subject to US economic sanctions, the State Department said.

The 40-year-old Al-Nusra Front militant, who also uses the name Omar Omsen, became notorious last year for faking his own death in order to leave Syria for surgery.  According to the designation, Diaby leads a group of 50 French volunteers who traveled to Syria and signed up with the Al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda´s franchise in the region. 

Nusra says it broke with al-Qaeda in July and has rebranded itself Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.

“Although assumed killed in August 2015, Diaby re-emerged in May 2016, claiming his death was a ploy to allow him to travel to Turkey for an operation," the designation said.  “Diaby came to the attention of French intelligence due to his involvement with a French extremist group and his online propaganda video series," it added.

“Diaby´s videos have been credited as the chief reason behind why so many French nationals have joined militant groups in Syria and Iraq."