Mustafa Abdul-Hamid Hussein al-Atabi A ringleader of Quds Force terror network in Iraq

Biography and background of Mustafa Abdul-Hamid Hussein al-Atabi

Advisor to Iraqi Minister of Interior

A ringleader of Quds Force terror network in Iraq

After Mohamed al-Qaban took over Iraq’s Ministry of Interior, he hired into this ministry some of the long-standing Badr Brigade commanders, whom had a long history of cooperation with the Quds Force. Recently, Mustafa Abdul-Hamid Hussein al-Atabi, also known as Abu Mustafa Sheibani, who is a ringleader of the Quds Force’s terror network in Iraq, has begun his work as an advisor to the Iraqi Minister of Interior.

The activities of Abu Mustafa Sheibani in Iran prior to 2003

Mustafa Abdul-Hamid Hussein al-Atabi is from the city of Nasiriya. He is also known as Abu Mustafa Sheibani. His Iranian name is Mustafa Atabi and he is one of the ringleaders of the Quds Force terror network in Iraq. He was recruited by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in 1985. He has been working with the Iranian Quds Force and Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) for over 30 years.

His name was mentioned in the 32,000-man slate of Quds Force paid operatives in Iraq exposed by the Iranian Resistance. In this slate his file number is 3510 and his bank account number in Iran is 288 with the legal code 4875133. He used to receive a monthly payment of 2,785,752 Rials (some 300USD) from the Quds Force.

File No.	Full name	Name	Nickname	Date of recruitment	Place of stay	Service status	Place of service	Military rank	Full wage
3510	Mustafa Abdul-Hamid Hussein al-Atabi	Mustafa Atabi	Abu Mustafa al-Sheibani	18 Jan 1986	Al-Nasiriya	Constant	4th Front of al-Kadzem		2,785,752

 

Abu Mustafa al-Sheibani is one of the Quds Force’s intelligence commanders. He is a brigadier general and has gone through the Dafous Course (in the Command and Staff College) in the IRGC’s Imam Hussein University in Iran. For many years, he was the commander of the Badr Corps’ Heydar-e Karar and Hamzeh divisions. He was then assigned as the Intelligence commander of the Babr Corps. Abu Mustafa has close ties with Mulla Younesi (former Iranian Intelligence Minister), Qassim Suleimani (Quds Force Commander) and IRGC commander Reza Seifollahi (former commander of the Nasr general headquarters). Abu Mustafa Sheibani was directly connected to the Quds Force in 1987. Along with Seyyed Abu Aqil, he worked with the Quds Force in the intelligence department of the Kermanshah Province Operations. Their mission at the time was to carry out terrorist operations within Iraqi soil. Abu Mustafa has a brother by the name of Jafar Sheibani. He has been one of the intelligence officials of the Badr Organization, cooperating with the Quds Force.

Activities of Abu Mustafa Sheibani after entering Iraq in 2003

1. During the fall of the former regime in 2003, Abu Mustafa Sheibani entered Iraq along with other Badr commanders. He stationed in Baghdad as the intelligence commander of the Badr Corps. His deputy was Abu Mohamed Tayeb.

2. Since then, Abu Mustafa Sheibani established a terrorist network in Iraq’s southern and central provinces. His network was connected to the Fajr Base in Ahwaz. Abu Mustafa carried out his duties under the supervision of IRGC brigadier general Ahmad Forouzandeh. Abu Mustafa and his group set up a number of safe houses in Baghdad, where they plotted their terrorist activities. He had set up an unofficial headquarter in Baghdad’s Jamila area. Only Badr security officials commuted there.

3. After the establishment of the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq in Baghdad’s Jaderiya area, Abu Mustafa took part in all the coordination meetings for the assassination of dissidents. For a while, these meetings were held in the Badr headquarters in Baghdad’s Jaderiya area. Then, they were held in the al-Dora area of Baghdad. The main participants of these coordination meetings were: Hadi al-Ameri, Abu Anwar, Abu Zolfaqar al-Hassan, Abu Hana Baghdadi, Abu Saif, Abu Noor al-Husseini and Abu Montazer al-Husseini.

4. In order to carry out his terrorist activities Abu Mustafa Sheibani received his weapons, ammunitions and other equipment directly from Iran. On 5 and 22 August 2004, he received two shipments of small arms, ammunitions and pistols. Commander Naderi, commander of the Quds Force in the Iranian city of Mehran, authorized and coordinated the shipment.

5. In February 2005, the terrorist networks of Abu Mustafa Sheibani and Abu Iman Najafi had close cooperation with Abu Mehdi Mohandess in carrying out terrorist operations in Iraq.

6. In early 2004, Abu Mustafa launched a daily newspaper by the name of ‘al-Shara’ in Baghdad. This newspaper was a cover for their intelligence and terrorist activities.

7. Abu Mustafa Sheibani constantly commuted to Iran in 2006 to coordinate his terrorist activities. There, he was briefed on the Quds Force’s programs against coalition forces. He mostly traveled to the city of Kermanshah. After entering Kermanshah, he would go to the Zafar Base and stay at its guesthouse in block 19 of the Maftah area (place of stay of top IRGC commanders). After a while he would be transferred to the Badr guesthouse in the city’s block 18, which was specifically used for Badr commanders. The Badr guesthouse is also known as the medical guesthouse. Abu Mustafa was in communications with the commanders of the Zafar Base.

8. With the establishment of terrorist networks in Iraq, the financial support of these networks was provided by the Quds Force and Khamenei’s representative in Iraq. Mulla Asefi, Khamenei’s representative in Iraq, while supporting the activities of terrorist networks affiliated to the Quds Force, supported the networks of Abu Mustafa Sheibani through the tuitions collected from religious students.

9. In February 2006, the Imam Ali Barrack training center in the Province of Kermanshah was managed by Abu Mustafa Sheibani. The individual responsible for the base’s training was Abu Abrar al-Mansouri. He used to work with Abu Mehdi Mohandess in the Kanesht Valley. This center was under the supervision of the Ramezan Base and the militias affiliated to the Quds Force in Iraq were transferred to this center to receive the needed trainings.

10. In August 2007, before Abu Mustafa fled to Iran, there were three big terrorist groups in Baghdad’s Rasafa area that operated against US Forces. Abu Mustafa’s group had a history and experience in operating against US Forces. The operations carried out under his command against US Forces – given that he enjoyed the direct support of the Quds Force – were a lot more complex and sophisticated than the operations of other groups. Abu Mustafa’s group’s expertise was in using IEDs. They used newer versions of such bombs including Katusha rockets. This group worked in direct contact with the Quds Force and targets were given to them by Quds Force commanders. Abu Mustafa’s group mostly operated in Baghdad’s Madinat al-Sadr, Baladiyat, Mashtal and Ghahira areas and their operation targets were US Forces’ bases and stationing centers.

11. On 24 November 2007, the operation to kidnap 5 UK nationals in the Ministry of Treasury was carried out by one of the special group commanders by the name of Sheikh Bagher under the command of Abu Mustafa Sheibani.

12. Due to his terrorist activities against US and Coalition forces, Abu Mustafa Sheibani was placed on the US 52-man most wanted list. His picture and those of other wanted men was published in Medias.

13. In June 2008 anti-occupation committees were formed within militia groups that were affiliated to the Quds Force in Iraq. These committees acted against US Forces and were under the command of Abu Mustafa.

14. In June 2009, the Quds Force followed up its terrorist activities in Iraq through its ringleaders. Abu Mustafa and Abu Mehdi Mohandess were the main elements. At the order of the Quds Force, Abu Mustafa entered the Kata’ib Hezbollah Organization in Iraq and became its secretary general. At the beginning of its activities Kata’ib Hezbollah used the name Kata’ib Karbala and afterwards Kata’ib Abolfazl al-Abbas. It then changed its name to Kata’ib Hezbollah. Abu Mustafa worked with this organization for several years, yet in March 2013, he, along with two other Kata’ib leaders by the names of Abu Mustafa al-Khazali and Hashem Abu Ala al-Hamdani, departed the Kata’ib ranks and formed a new group by the name of Kata’ib Seyed al-Shohada. For a while, Abu Mustafa along with Kata’ib Seyed al-Shohada fought alongside Assad forces against the Free Syrian Army under the guise of defending the Shrine of Seyyedeh Zeynab. However, after Maliki decided to quell Iraq’s uprisings in Sunni provinces, under the order of the Quds Force he returned to Iraq.

15. After the uprisings of Sunni provinces, Abu Mustafa, under the orders of the Quds Force, with the help of Abu Mehdi Mohandess used the Kata’ib forces at the services of Maliki and created closer connections with Quds Force commanders such as Qassim Suleimani.

Activities after the fall of Mosul

After the fall of Mosul, Qassim Suleimani entered Baghdad. Within two days, Friday and Saturday 4 and 5 July, he held several meetings in Baghdad. The delegation accompanying Qassim Suleimani included top Quds Force commanders such as: brigadier general Abdullahi, brigadier general Hosseini, brigadier general Shahlayi and brigadier general Masjedi. These meetings were held to make cooperation with longstanding Badr commanders in order to help Maliki in his war against revolutionary tribes. Other Iraqi elements of the Quds Force such as Abu Mustafa Sheibani, Hadi al-Ameri, Abu Ali Basri and Abu Mehdi Mohandess were present.

In August of this year, due to the importance of the Baghdad beltway, three militia brigades affiliated to the Badr organization, Asa’ib Ahl al-Haqq and Kata’ib Hezbollah were stationed in various parts of the Baghdad beltway. These militia brigades were under the orders of a central command led by Abu Mustafa Sheibani.

With the intensification of clashes in the provinces of Diyala and Salahaddin after the collapse of the Maliki army, Abu Mustafa, for having close ties with Maliki, received many weapon and logistical facilities for militias. Under the orders of Maliki, Abu Mustafa was commuted between Baghdad, Diyala and Amerli by a helicopter.

Abu Mustafa Sheibani’s activities after recruitment in the Ministry of Interior

After Abu Mustafa Sheibani was assigned by Interior Minister Mohamed al-Qaban as his advisor, he practically took over the control of this ministry. All of the decision-makings in this ministry were carried out by Abu Mustafa.

Abu Mustafa directed all of his measures and actions towards helping the popular mobilization forces. All of the issues of the popular mobilization forces are determined by Abu Mustafa, Hadi al-Ameri and Abu Mehdi Mohandess under the supervision of Qassim Suleimani.

Abu Mustafa is officially the Interior Minister’s advisor, yet in practice he controls all of the Interior Ministry’s jurisdictions and this ministry is managed by him. During the formation of the government, after political parties disagreed to the assigning of Hadi al-Ameri as Minister of Interior, the Quds Force came up with another plan. Although it was agreed for Mohamed al-Qaban to become Interior Minister, the Quds Force gradually assigned one of its main elements to the Ministry of Interior in order to do the bidding of the Quds Force behind the curtains. Currently, the Quds Force is using Abu Mustafa Sheibani to carry out this plan.