Mauritanian indicted in 3 deadly 2015 terror attacks in Mali

A Mauritanian national suspected of planning and coordinating three lethal attacks in 2015 on Westerners in Mali was arraigned in a New York federal court on Saturday, a day after being transferred to U.S. custody in Mali.
Fawaz Ould Ahmed Ould Ahemeid faces multiple terrorism charges in a six-count indictment, including for his alleged role in the attacks on a restaurant and two hotels that killed a total of 38 people. The victims included five United Nations workers and a U.S. citizen.
“Today, we have made clear that the United States is steadfast in our commitment to bring to justice those who commit barbaric acts of terrorism targeting innocent victims, including, as in this case, an American aid worker who was killed more than 4,000 miles from her home in Maryland,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement.
Ahemeid, 44, also known as “Ibrahim Idress” and “Ibrahim Dix,” appeared in a federal court in Brooklyn, where U.S. Magistrate Judge James R. Cho ordered him to be detained, pending trial. Samuel Jacobson, one of Ahemeid’s federal public defenders, said they had no comment at this time.
Ahemeid was previously sentenced to death in 2020 by a Malian court for his role in the same attacks. A spokesperson for U.S. Attorney’s Office said the Malian government agreed to turn him over to U.S. authorities.