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40 Facts About Sharif Mobley

1.

Sharif Mobley is an American purported jihadist who was initially arrested in Yemen January 26,2010 by Yemeni counter-terrorism officers and charged with terrorism.

2.

Sharif Mobley's family has reportedly not received any updates on his situation.

3.

Sharif Mobley's family was able to return to the US shortly after his arrest.

4.

Sharif Mobley was not present for four trial dates and the Yemeni prison authorities indicated he is no longer in their custody.

5.

The Yemeni Attorney General told the trial judge that he did not know where Sharif Mobley was physically located.

6.

Sharif Mobley is an American citizen who was raised as a Muslim.

7.

Sharif Mobley stated he had traveled to Yemen for the purpose of studying Arabic and Islam, although US officials initially claimed his purpose was to join a militant group.

8.

Sharif Mobley has not appeared at a number of pre-trial hearings.

9.

Sharif Mobley was a member of his high school wrestling team and practiced karate, earning a black belt, and graduated from high school in 2002.

10.

Sharif Mobley moved to Philadelphia and then to Newark, Delaware.

11.

Sharif Mobley received an Islamic upbringing, and as a child, studied Islamic philosophy and Arabic language classes at Masjid Quba in Philadelphia, according to the imam, Anas Muhaimin.

12.

Sharif Mobley was described by former high school classmates as having had "strong religious views" at the time, and having become more radical following graduation.

13.

In Newark, Delaware, an imam, Abdel-Hadi Shehata, said Sharif Mobley had lived in the same apartment complex in the area and occasionally attended the Islamic Society of Delaware.

14.

Shehata said Sharif Mobley never discussed his political or religious perspectives with him, and would sometimes ask advice about Islamic religious rituals.

15.

In 2007, Sharif Mobley returned to Masjid Quba, attending on occasion and consulting the imam there about his plans to study in Yemen.

16.

The imam says he tried to discourage him from going to Yemen, suggesting that he instead go to Egypt or Morocco, but Sharif Mobley refused his advice and has not returned to the mosque for three years.

17.

Sharif Mobley hoped al-Awlaki would become his al Qaeda mentor, according to senior US security officials.

18.

Sharif Mobley was detained in early March 2010 in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, one of 11 suspected al-Qaeda and al-Shabab affiliated militants; one suspected militant was killed during the raid resulting in the arrests.

19.

Sharif Mobley was initially incorrectly identified in the Yemeni press as being a German citizen of African origin.

20.

Sharif Mobley is suspected of being a member of the same al-Qaeda branch as Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who failed in his attempt to bomb a passenger plane on Christmas Day, 2009.

21.

Sharif Mobley is currently alleged to have killed a guard while attempting an escape from a hospital where he was being treated while in custody of the Yemen prison authorities.

22.

Sharif Mobley's is currently in the custody of the Yemen National Security Bureau.

23.

Sharif Mobley has not been brought to the following trial dates.

24.

Sharif Mobley was initially held in the Yemen Central Prison located in Sana'a.

25.

Carlton Benson, a consular officer at the US embassy in Yemen, confirmed that Sharif Mobley is held in unsanitary conditions and did have to drink from a "dirty" glass.

26.

Benson requested the Sharif Mobley family send a care package to the US State Department for Sharif Mobley, with clean cups and plastic utensils.

27.

Sharif Mobley was uncertain if he could persuade the prison authorities to allow Mobley the plastic utensils.

28.

Sharif Mobley was treated for complications involving a metal rod which had previously been implanted in his leg.

29.

Sharif Mobley spent a week at the hospital, where he befriended the guards assigned to him, praying with them, reading Qur'an together, and asking them to teach him Arabic.

30.

Sharif Mobley was chased through the hospital, and engaged in a shootout that ended with his capture after he had barricaded himself in one of the rooms in the hospital by anti-terrorism police whose smoke grenades ignited a small fire.

31.

The siege lasted for three hours before Sharif Mobley was captured after being severely wounded and "a number of other individuals" were shot by him.

32.

Sharif Mobley is likely to be tried in Yemen as opposed to being returned to the US, a US official stated.

33.

Sharif Mobley's mother denied the accusations against her son, describing him as "an excellent person who's never been in trouble" and "a good Muslim".

34.

The un-redacted portions FBI report log shows the Mr Sharif Mobley was concerned for the safety of his family and requested that the US Agents and US Embassy in Yemen assist his family in leaving the country.

35.

Sharif Mobley repeatedly asked to use a phone and for a lawyer.

36.

Sharif Mobley repeatedly instructed [redacted] to tell his wife that he ordered her to leave the country with the children and return to the us.

37.

Sharif Mobley initially requested that the USG visit his house; [redacted].

38.

Sharif Mobley was terrified that she was going to be assaulted.

39.

The document relating to Sharif Mobley was a copy of an FBI account of an April 7,2010, interview that US agents had conducted with Sharif Mobley in Yemen.

40.

Sharif Mobley met numerous times with the FBI to resolve issues over the documents.