Who is Ali Soufan? Details of American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden subject, explored
The Netflix docuseries American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden explores the global manhunt for Osama bin Laden, the founder of the militant Islamist organization al-Qaeda after he orchestrated the bombing of the Twin Towers on September 9, 2001.
American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden features exclusive interviews of top US government officials, such as FBI agents and CIA operatives who were instrumental in bin Laden’s assassination. One such individual is Ali Soufan, a former FBI Special Agent who was in charge of investigating the attack and interrogating the terrorists.
As per thecarnegie.org, Ali Soufan resigned from the FBI in 2005 and is currently the chairman and CEO of the Soufan Group, founded in 2008.
American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden is a three-part docuseries released on Netflix on March 10, 2025, at 12 pm PT, globally. The official logline for the same reads:
“Featuring rare footage and interviews with CIA insiders, this edge-of-your-seat documentary series traces the epic hunt for Osama bin Laden.”
American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden subject Ali Soufan was an FBI Special Agent but quit the force due to difference of opinions
American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden subject, Ali Soufan, was born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1971 and later immigrated to the US with his family. Soufan joined the FBI in 1997, soon after completing his MA in Political Science from Villanova University, Pennsylvania.
The carnegie.org profile states that Soufan joined the FBI’s New York office in the Joint Terrorism Task Force. As per The Cinemaholic, Soufan also became one of the founders of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity while serving as a Special Agent in the FBI.
As per The New Yorker’s July 2006 profile, American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden subject Ali Soufan’s talents were spotted by John O’Neill, a senior FBI Agent. Soufan’s Middle Eastern heritage and proficiency in Arabic made him invaluable in understanding and investigating terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda.
He played a significant role in linking primary evidence of the 1998 embassy bombings to bin Laden and helped the FBI understand al-Qaeda as an organization. He was also instrumental in the capture of Osama bin Laden. O’Neill even described Soufan as a “national treasure” for his contributions to the FBI.
However, the American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden subject resigned from the FBI in 2005 after learning that the CIA had kept crucial information hidden from him that could have prevented the 9/11 attacks. In an interview with the Guardian, he spoke about his opposition to the torture methods used during interrogations, which became another reason behind his departure.
Soufan founded the Soufan Group in 2008 and serves as its Chairman and CEO. He later founded a non-profit organization called the Soufan Center in 2017, which aims to research and analyze global threats and security issues and find effective solutions for them.
Soufan Ali has been associated with the Qatar International Academy for Security Studies (QIASS) as its executive director and has been a Homeland Security Advisory Council member since 2012. He is also on the board of the McCain Institute for International Leadership’s Global Advisory Council and the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation.
Ali has published two books, namely a memoir written alongside Daniel Freedman, titled The Black Banners: The Inside Story of 9/11 and the War Against al-Qaeda in 2011. He published another book in 2017, titled Anatomy of Terror – From the Death of bin Laden to the Rise of the Islamic State.
He is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Kennedy Award, the FBI Director’s Award for Excellence, the James W. Foley Legacy Achievement Award, and the New York’s Great Immigrant Award. Ali’s contributions have earned him several mentions in books, movies, and documentaries, such as Netflix’s American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden.
Watch American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden on Netflix on March 10, 2025.
