Rewards for Justice Program

History

On December 22, 2011, Rewards for Justice announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil (aka Yasin al-Suri), the leader of an al-Qaeda fundraising network in Iran that transfers money and recruits via Iranian territory to Pakistan and Afghanistan. It marked the first time that Rewards for Justice offered a reward for information leading to a terrorist financier. The program was established by the 1984 Act to Combat International Terrorism (Public Law 98-533), and it is administered by the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security. The Rewards for Justice Program was formerly known as the Counter-Terror Rewards Program, soon shortened to the HEROES program. In 1993, DS launched www.heroes.net to help publicize reward information. By 1997, the site was getting more than one million hits a year from 102 countries. Smith is also credited with the idea to put photos of wanted terrorists on matchbook covers. DSS agents assigned to embassies and consulates throughout the world ensured that the matchbooks got wide distribution at bars and restaurants. The secretary of state is currently offering rewards for information that prevents or favorably resolves acts of international terrorism against U.S. persons or property worldwide. Rewards also may be paid for information leading to the arrest or conviction of terrorists attempting, committing, conspiring to commit, or aiding and abetting in the commission of such acts. As of 2022, The Rewards for Justice program has paid more than $250 million to 125 individuals for leading information that prevented international terrorist attacks or helped bring to justice those involved in prior acts. [[File:2006 April BLOODMONEYPOSTER3 lg back.jpg|thumb|A Rewards for Justice bounty post|left]]

After the September 11 attacks, the list of wanted terrorists increased dramatically, and rewards were also increased, as part of the U.S. efforts to capture al-Qaeda leadership. However, the plan has been largely ineffective against Islamic terrorists. The largest reward offered was $25 million for the leader of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, which had "attracted hundreds of anonymous calls but no reliable leads." Osama bin Laden was shot and killed inside a private residential compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, by members of the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group and Central Intelligence Agency operatives in a covert operation on May 2, 2011. Robert A. Hartung, Assistant Director of Diplomatic Security's Threat Investigations and Analysis Directorate, announced on September 2, 2010 that the U.S. Department of State's Rewards for Justice program is offering rewards of up to $5 million each for information that leads law enforcement or security forces to Hakimullah Mehsud and Wali ur Rehman. Former U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton presented a list of "the five most wanted terrorists" to Pakistan; the list included Ayman al-Zawahiri, Mohammed Omar, Ilyas Kashmiri, Atiyah Abd al-Rahman and Sirajuddin Haqqani. Each of these five had bounties issued against them by the program; however, Kashmiri, who US Intelligence officials said they were 99% sure was killed in an airstrike in South Waziristan on June 3, 2011, was removed from the list. Rahman was killed in an airstrike in North Waziristan in August 2011. Omar died of tuberculosis in Karachi, Pakistan, in April 2013. Al-Zawahiri was killed in a drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan, in July 2022.

RFJ Most Wanted

On August 10, 2022, a federal jury located within the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey in Newark, New Jersey, indicted Mansour Ahmadi, Ahmad Khatibi Aghda, and Amir Hossein Nickaein Ravari on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to recent activity in connection with computers, intentional damage to a protected computer, and transmitting a demand in connections to damaging a protected computer. The Rewards for Justice Program announced $10 million dollar through the approval of the United States Department of State administered by the United States Department of Treasury the amount offered on information in regard to the location or whereabouts of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also known as the Iranian cyber actors. During the press conference, the FBI asked for the help of public in seeking information for hackers. Later in the day, the FBI and Rewards for Justice had then uploaded a flyer for Mansour Ahmadi, Ahmad Khatibi Aghda, and for Amir Hossein Nickaein Ravari.

Announcements

In April 2020, Rewards for Justice Program offered $5 million for information leading to identify North Korean hackers who target United States critical infrastructure. The National Security Agency (NSA) and other U.S. foreign organizations released a joint Cybersecurity Advisory to expose the advanced persistent threat (APT) actors sponsor by Chinese government targeting critical infrastructure, social infrastructure, telecommunications, government websites, transportation, electrical grids and military infrastructures globally in an announced by NSA to counter any malicious threat actors. This CSA is being released by the following agencies and organizations of a respective government and intelligence agency outlined by United States Intelligence Agency. The CSA, "Countering Chinese State-Sponsored Actors Compromise of Networks Worldwide to Feed Global Espionage System,"on tactic, techniques and procedures (TTPs) by malicious actors for using initial exploitation, persistence and exploitation.

• United States National Security Agency (NSA)
• United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
• United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
• United States Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3)
• United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI)
• United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS)
• Army Criminal Investigation Command (ACIS)
• Australian Signals Directorate's Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC)
• Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre)
• Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)
• New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NZ)
• United Kingdom National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-UK)
• Czech Republic (NÚKIB)
• Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (SUPO)
• Germany Federal Intelligence Service (BND)
• Germany Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV)
• Germany Federal Office for Information Security (BSI)
• Italian External Intelligence and Security Agency (AISE)
• Italian Internal Intelligence and Security Agency (AISI)
• Japan National Cyber Office (NCO)
• Japan National Police Agency (NPA)
• Netherlands Defence Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD)
• Netherlands General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD)
• Polish Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW)
• Polish Foreign Intelligence Agency (AW)
• Spain National Intelligence Centre (CNI)

References

References

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3. (22 December 2011). "U.S. Offers $10M for Iran-Based Al Qaeda Financier".
4. (22 December 2011). "Briefing on New Rewards for Justice Reward Offer". U.S. Department of State.
5. "Public Law 98-53, An Act to Combat International Terrorism, Oct. 19, 1984".
6. (17 June 2014). "Top 10 Rewards for Terrorists".
7. (April 27, 1997). "Bureau of Diplomatic Security".
8. (August 24, 1998). "State Web site gathers tips on embassy blasts -".
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10. "Public Law 98-53, An Act to Combat International Terrorism, Oct. 19, 1984".
11. "Rewards for Justice – Reward Offer for Information on Foreign Interference in U.S. Elections".
12. "Success Stories". Rewards for Justice.
13. Whitlock, Craig. (17 May 2008). "Bounties a Bust in Hunt for Al-Qaeda". [[The Washington Post]].
14. (2010-09-01). "Diplomatic Security Service announces $5 million dollar reward". U.S. Department of State.
15. "Briefing of USG efforts to disrupt and dismantle Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP)". U.S. Department of State.
16. (27 May 2011). "Millions of dollars available for information leading to the capture of Terrorists". DSS Rewards for Justice.
17. (2011-05-27). "U.S. Pressures Pakistan to Go After Ayman Zawahiri and Other Militant Leaders". ABC News.
18. (28 May 2011). "US draws up a list of 5 most wanted terrorists to be hit - PTI". Moneycontrol.com.
19. "Wanted for Terrorism". Rewards for Justice.
20. Mazzetti, Mark. (27 August 2011). "C.I.A. Drone Is Said to Kill Al Qaeda's No. 2". [[The New York Times]].
21. (29 July 2015). "Afghan intel agency: Taliban leader died two years ago".
22. (2 August 2022). "US kills al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in drone strike in Afghanistan". [[CNN]].
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30. "NSA, FBI, CISA, and Allies Issue Advisory about Russian Military Cyber Actors". National Security Agency/Central Security Service.
31. (August 27, 2025). "NSA and Others Provide Guidance to Counter China State-Sponsored Actors Targeting Critical Infrastructure Organizations".
32. "NSA and Others Provide Guidance to Counter China State-Sponsored Actors Targeting Critical". National Security Agency/Central Security Service.
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