IS link in Syria: US names Frenchman Joe Asperman as 'global terrorist'

The US government today identified a Frenchman named Joe Asperman as a "global terrorist" accusing him of helping the Islamic State.

"French national Joe Asperman is a senior chemical weapons expert for ISIS," the US State Department said in a statement.

The US listed Asperman as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" for overseeing chemical operations production in Syria.

"Asperman oversaw chemical operations production within Syria for ISIS and the deployment of these chemical weapons at the battlefront," the statement said.

The US Treasury's list of sanctioned terrorists said Asperman is believed to have been born in Cannes, France between 1986 and 1988.

Along with Asperman, the State Department also designated the Katibat al-Imam al-Bukhari, an armed group as an "al Qaeda ally" and "the largest Uzbek fighting force in Syria."