Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula

al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
القاعدة في جزيرة العرب
Participant in the al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen,
the Yemeni Revolution, the Yemeni Civil War, and
the Global War on Terror

The Black Standard used by AQAP
Active January 2009 – present[1]
Ideology

Salafism[2]

Qutbism[2]
Leaders Nasir al-Wuhayshi  † (2011–15)[3]
Qasim al-Raymi (2015–Present)[4]
Headquarters al-Mukalla, Hadhramaut Governorate[5] (2015-2016)
Zinjibar, Abyan Governorate (2015-2016)[6]
Area of operations

Yemen;

Strength 1,000–3000+[7][8]
Part of
Merger of al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia and al-Qaeda in Yemen
Allies
Opponents

State opponents

Non-state opponents

Battles and wars

Yemeni Insurgency

Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (Arabic: تنظيم القاعدة في جزيرة العرب‎, translit. Tanẓīm al-Qā‘idah fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, lit. 'al-Qaeda Organization in the Arabian Peninsula'‎ or تنظيم قاعدة الجهاد في جزيرة العرب‎, Tanẓīm Qā‘idat al-Jihād fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, "Organization of Jihad's Base in the Arabian Peninsula"), or AQAP, also known as Ansar al-Sharia in Yemen (Arabic: جماعة أنصار الشريعة‎‎, Jamā‘at Anṣār ash-Sharī‘ah, "Group of the Helpers of the Sharia"),[16] is a militant Islamist organization, primarily active in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. It was named for al-Qaeda, and says it is subordinate to that group and its now-deceased leader Osama bin Laden, a Saudi citizen of Yemeni heritage.[17] It is considered the most active[18] of al-Qaeda's branches, or "franchises," that emerged due to weakening central leadership.[19] The U.S government believes AQAP to be the most dangerous al-Qaeda branch due to its emphasis on attacking the far enemy and its reputation for plotting attacks on overseas targets.[20] The group established an Emirate during the 2011 Yemeni Revolution.

The group has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United Nations, Australia, Canada, Russia, Syria, Iran, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the European Union and the United States.

Ideology and formation

Current territorial situation in Yemen. AQAP territory is shown in white, primarily in the Al Bayda and Hadhramaut provinces.

Like al-Qaeda, AQAP opposes the Al Saud monarchy.[21] AQAP was formed in January 2009 from a merger of al-Qaeda's Yemeni and Saudi branches.[1] The Saudi group had been effectively suppressed by the Saudi government, forcing its members to seek sanctuary in Yemen.[22][23] In 2010, it was believed to have several hundred members.[1]

Transformation into an active al-Qaeda affiliate

AQAP fighters in Yemen, 2014.

The percentage of terrorist plots in the West that originated from Pakistan declined considerably from most of them (at the outset), to 75% in 2007, and to 50% in 2010, as al-Qaeda shifted to Somalia and Yemen.[24]

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton formally designated al-Qaeda in Yemen a terrorist organization on December 14, 2009.[25] On August 24, 2010, The Washington Post journalist Greg Miller wrote that the CIA believed Yemen's branch of al-Qaeda had surpassed its parent organization, Osama bin Laden's core group, as al-Qaeda's most dangerous threat to the U.S. homeland.[26]

On August 26, 2010, Yemen claimed that U.S. officials had exaggerated the size and danger of al-Qaeda in Yemen, insisting also that fighting the jihadist network's local branch remained Sanaa's job.[27] A former bodyguard of Osama bin Laden warned of an escalation in fighting between al-Qaeda and Yemeni authorities, and predicted the government would need outside intervention to stay in power.

However, Ahmed al-Bahri told the Associated Press that attacks by al-Qaeda in southern Yemen was an indication of its increasing strength.[28]

Operations and activities carried out as al-Qaeda in Yemen and Saudi Arabia

Main article: USS Cole bombing

al-Qaeda was responsible for the USS Cole bombing in October 2000 in the southern port of Aden, killing 17 U.S. sailors.[21] In 2002, an al-Qaeda attack damaged a French supertanker in the Gulf of Aden.[21]

The Global Terrorism Database attributes the 2004 Khobar massacre to the group.[29] In this guise, it is also known as "The Jerusalem Squadron."

In addition to a number of attacks in Saudi Arabia, and the kidnap and murder of Paul Johnson in Riyadh in 2004, the group is suspected in connection with a bombing in Doha, Qatar, in March 2005.[30] For a chronology of recent Islamist militant attacks in Saudi Arabia, see Insurgency in Saudi Arabia.

Operations and activities carried out as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula

2009

In the 2009 Little Rock recruiting office shooting, Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, formerly known as Carlos Leon Bledsoe, a Muslim convert who had spent time in Yemen, on June 1, 2009 opened fire with an SKS Rifle in a drive-by shooting on soldiers in front of a United States military recruiting office in Little Rock, Arkansas, in a jihad attack. He killed Private William Long, and wounded Private Quinton Ezeagwula. He said that he was affiliated with and had been sent by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.[31][32][33]

AQAP said it was responsible for Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's attempted Christmas Day bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 as it approached Detroit on December 25, 2009.[34] In that incident, Abdulmutallab reportedly tried to set off plastic explosives sewn to his underwear, but failed to detonate them properly.[21]

2010

On February 8, 2010, deputy leader Said Ali al-Shihri called for a regional holy war and blockade of the Red Sea to prevent shipments to Israel. In an audiotape he called upon Somalia's al-Shabaab militant group for assistance in the blockade.[35]

The 2010 cargo plane bomb plot was discovered on October 29, 2010, when two packages containing bombs found on cargo planes, based on intelligence received from government intelligence agencies, in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. The packages originated from Yemen, and were addressed to outdated addresses of two Jewish institutions in Chicago, Illinois, one of which was the Congregation Or Chadash, a LGBT synagogue.[36] On October 30, 2010, On November 5, 2010, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula took responsibility for the plot.[37] It posted its acceptance of responsibility on a number of radical Islamist websites monitored by the SITE Intelligence Group and the NEFA Foundation, and wrote: "We will continue to strike blows against American interests and the interest of America's allies." It also claimed responsibility for the crash of a UPS Boeing 747-400 cargo plane in Dubai on September 3. The statement continued: "since both operations were successful, we intend to spread the idea to our mujahedeen brothers in the world and enlarge the circle of its application to include civilian aircraft in the West as well as cargo aircraft."[37][38][39][40] American authorities had said they believed that al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was behind the plot.[36] Officials in the United Kingdom and the United States believe that it is most likely that the bombs were designed to destroy the planes carrying them.[41]

In November 2010, the group announced a strategy, called "Operation Hemorrhage", which it said was designed to capitalize on the "security phobia that is sweeping America." The program would call for a large number of inexpensive, small-scale attacks against United States interests, with the intent of weakening the U.S. economy.[42]

2012

AQAP guards standing out of one of their buildings.

On 21 May 2012, a soldier wearing a belt of explosives carried out a suicide attack on military personnel preparing for a parade rehearsal for Yemen's Unity Day. With over 120 people dead and 200 more injured, the attack was the deadliest in Yemeni history.[43] AQAP claimed responsibility for the attack.[44]

During the June 2012 al Qaeda retreat from key southern Yemen stronghold, the organization planted land mines, which killed 73 civilians.[45] According to the governor's office in Abyan province, 3,000 mines were removed from around Zinjibar and Jaar.[45]

2013

On 5 December 2013, an attack on the Yemeni Defense Ministry in Sana'a involving a series of bomb and gun attacks killed at least 56 people.[46] After footage of the attack was aired on Yemeni television, showing an attack on a hospital within the ministry compound and the killing of medical personnel and patients, the head of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula released a video message apologizing. Qassim al-Raimi claimed that the team of attackers were directed not to assault the hospital in the attack, but that one had gone ahead and done so.[47]

2014

On 9 May 2014, several soldiers from Yemen were killed after a skirmish sparked when a vehicle attacked a palace gate.[48]

The group also publishes the online magazines Voice of Jihad and Inspire.

In New Zealand it is listed as a terror group.[49]

In December 2014, the group released a video depicting Luke Somers, a journalist whom they were holding hostage.[50] On 26 November, U.S. Navy SEALs and Yemeni special forces attempted a hostage rescue where eight hostages, none American, were freed, but Luke Somers and four others had been moved to another location by AQAP prior to the raid. The nationalities of the eight hostages rescued were six Yemenis, one Saudi, and one Ethiopian. On 6 December, 40 SEALs used V-22 Ospreys to land a distance from the compound where Somers and Korkie were kept at about 1 a.m. local time, according to a senior defense official. An AQAP fighter apparently spotted them while relieving himself outside, a counter-terrorism official with knowledge of the operation told ABC News, beginning a firefight that lasted about 10 minutes. According to CBS News, dog barking could have alerted the hostage takers of the operation. When the American soldiers finally entered the building where Somers and Korkie were kept, they found both men alive, but gravely wounded. Korkie and Somers died some minutes later despite attempts to save them.

2015

On 7 January 2015, Saïd Kouachi and Chérif Kouachi attacked French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, resulting in 11 French citizens killed and another 11 injured. The French-born brothers of Algerian descent stated they were members of Al-Qaeda in Yemen, to an eyewitness.[51] On 9 January, AQAP confirmed responsibility for the Charlie Hebdo shooting in a speech from top Shariah cleric Harith bin Ghazi al-Nadhari. The reason given was to gain "revenge for the honor" of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.[52]

Al Mukalla

On 2 April 2015, AQAP fighters stormed the coastal city of Al Mukalla, capturing it on the 16th of April after the two week Battle of Al Mukalla. They seized government buildings and used trucks to cart off more than $120 million from the central bank, according to the bank’s director. AQAP forces soon passed control to a civilian council, giving it a budget of more than $4 million to provide services to residents of the city. AQAP maintains a police station in the city to mediate Sharia disputes, but has so far avoided imposing its rule across the city. AQAP has refrained from using its name, instead using the name the 'Sons of Hadhramaut' to emphasize its ties to the surrounding province.[53] Al Mukalla was recaptured by the Saudi-led coalition on 25 April 2016.

Fall of Zinjibar and Jaar

In 2 December 2015, the provincial capital of Abyan governance, Zinjibar, and the town of Jaar, captured by AQAP fighters. Like Al Mukala, AQAP forces soon passed control to a civilian council, police patrols and other public services.[54]

Southern Abyan Offensive

In 20 February 2016, AQAP seized the southern Abyan governance, linking them with their headquarters in Al Mukalla.[55]

Ansar al-Sharia

AQAP fighters in Yemen.

In the wake of the 2011 Yemeni revolution and the Battle of Zinjibar, an Islamist insurgent organisation called Ansar al-Sharia (Yemen) (Supporters of Islamic Law), emerged in Yemen and seized control of areas in the Abyan Governorate and surrounding governorates in southern Yemen and declared them an Islamic Al-Qaeda Emirate in Yemen. There was heavy fighting with the Yemeni security forces over the control of these territories, with Ansar al-Sharia driven out of most of their territory over 2012.[56]

In April 2011, Shaykh Abu Zubayr Adil bin Abdullah al-Abab, AQAP's chief religious figure, explained the name change as a re-branding exercise: "the name Ansar al-Sharia is what we use to introduce ourselves in areas where we work to tell people about our work and goals."[57]

On 4 October 2012, the United Nations 1267/1989 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee and the United States State Department designated Ansar al-Sharia as an alias for Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.[16] The State Department described the establishment of Ansar al-Sharia as an attempt to attract followers in areas of Yemen where AQAP had been able to establish territorial control and implement its interpretation of Sharia.[16]

U.S. drone strikes

Main article: Targeted killing
Predator drone

In 2010 the White House was reported to be considering using the CIA's armed Predator drones to fight Al-Qaeda in Yemen.

A CIA targeted killing drone strike killed Kamal Derwish, an American citizen, and a group of al-Qaida operatives (including Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi) in Yemen in November 2002. Drones became shorthand in Yemen for a weak government allowing foreign forces to have their way.[58]

On September 30, 2011, a U.S. drone attack in Yemen resulted in the death of Anwar al-Awlaki, one of the group's leaders, and Samir Khan, the editor of Inspire, its English-language magazine.[59] Both were U.S. citizens.[60]

The pace of U.S. drone attacks quickened significantly in 2012, with over 20 strikes in the first five months of the year, compared to 10 strikes during the course of 2011.[61]

Over the period 19–21 April 2014, a series of drone attacks on AQAP killed dozens of militants, and at least 3 civilians.[62][63][64][65][66] A spokesperson for the Yemeni Supreme Security Committee described the attacks, which included elements of the Yemeni army as well as US drones, as "massive and unprecedented".[67] The attacks were alleged to have targeted AQAP leadership, with a major AQAP base in Wadi al-Khayala reported to have been destroyed.[68]

Senior leaders

Nasir al-Wuhayshi, former leader and founder of AQAP. He was later killed by an airstrike in June 2015.
Name Position Situation
Nasir al-Wuhayshi † Former Emir and founder of AQAP
  • Founder and former Emir of AQAP[1]
  • Deputy leader and General Manager of al-Qaeda[69][70]
  • Killed in a drone strike in June 2015[3][4]
Qasim al-Raymi Emir and former military commander
  • Senior military commander in AQAP[71][72]
  • In 2007, he and AQAP leader Nasir al-Wuhayshi announced the emergence of al-Qaida in Yemen, AQAP’s predecessor group[73]
  • He played an important role in recruiting the current generation of militants making up the Yemen-based AQAP[73]
  • Succeeded Nasir al-Wuhayshi as leader of AQAP.[4]
Said Ali al-Shihri † Deputy Emir
  • Deputy leader and highest ranking Saudi official in AQAP[74]
  • Was a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay until released to Saudi Arabia in November 2007[75]
  • Killed in a drone strike in 2013[76]
Khalid Batarfi Senior commander
Ibrahim al-Rubaysh † Mufti
  • He was reported to be AQAP's mufti.[80]
  • Also served as a senior advisor for AQAP operational planning, and was involved in the planning of attacks.[81]
  • Detaineed at Guantanamo Bay until December 2006 when he was handed over to Saudi Arabian authorities, he subsequently escaped to Yemen[82]
  • Killed in a drone strike in April 2015[83]
Nasser bin Ali al-Ansi † Deputy General Manager
  • al-Ansi became an appointed Deputy general manager of Al-Qaeda in 2010.[84]
  • al-Ansi was a senior ranking Shari'a official within AQAP.
  • He claimed responsibility for the Charlie Hebdo shooting on behalf of AQAP[85]
  • Killed in a drone strike in April 2015[86]
Anwar al-Awlaki † Chief of External Operations
  • Senior recruiter and involved in organizing external operations to be conducted for AQAP[87][88][89]
  • Killed in a drone strike in September 2011[90]
Harith bin Ghazi al-Nadhari † Senior Shari'a official
  • Senior ranking Shari'a official within AQAP.
  • He rebuked the Islamic State announcement of expanding their caliphate into Yemen and renewed loyalties to al-Qaeda and its leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri[13]
  • Killed in a drone strike in January 2015[91]
Ibrahim al-Banna † Chief of Security
  • Has served as AQAP's chief of security[92]
  • He was a founding member of AQAP and provided military and security guidance to the AQAP leadership[92]
  • Falsely reported to have been killed in October 2011[89]
  • He was added to the U.S. State Department's Rewards for Justice list on October 19, 2014.[93][94]
Othman al-Ghamdi † Operational commander
  • Al-Ghamdi has been involved in raising funds for the organization’s operations and activities in Yemen.[95]
  • Al-Ghamdi appeared in a video released in May 2010, where he was identified publicly as AQAP’s operational commander.[95]
  • He was a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay from April 2006 to June 2006 until he was handed over to Saudi Arabian authorities and subsequently released.[89]
  • Quietly removed from the U.S. State Department's Rewards for Justice list in January 2016.[96]
  • In March 2016, the State Department confirmed to The Bureau of Investigative Journalism that al-Ghamdi no longer "posed a threat to U.S. persons or interests."[97]
Ibrahim al-Asiri Explosives expert
Ibrahim al-Qosi Spokesman
  • al-Qosi was a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay from January 2002 to July 2012 until he was handed over to Sudan after serving a short sentence as part of a plea bargain.
  • He appeared in a video released in December 2015.[101]

Members

The group has taken advantage of Yemen's "slow collapse into near-anarchy. Widespread corruption, growing poverty and internal fragmentation have helped make Yemen a breeding ground for terror."[102] More than two years later, on April 25, 2012, a suspected US drone strike killed Mohammed Said al-Umdah, a senior AQAP member cited as the number four in the organization and one of the 2006 escapees. He had been convicted of the 2002 tanker bombing and for providing logistical and material support.[103]

Yemeni analyst, Barak Barfi, discounted claims that marriage between the militant group and Yemeni tribes is a widespread practice, though he states that the bulk of AQAP members hail from the tribes.[104]

AQAP is a popular choice for radicalized Americans seeking to join Islamist terror organizations overseas. In 2013 alone, at least three American citizens or permanent residents — Marcos Alonso Zea, Justin Kaliebe, and Shelton Thomas Bell — have attempted to join AQAP.[105] They count among over 50 Americans who have attempted to join terrorist groups overseas, including AQAP, since 2007.[105]

Reportedly, as many as 20 Islamist British nationals traveled to Yemen in 2009 to be trained by AQAP.[106] In February 2012, up to 500 Internationalistas from Somalia's Al Shabaab, after getting cornered by a Kenyan offensive and conflict with Al Shabaab national legions, fled to Yemen.[107] It is likely that a number of this group merged with AQAP. The following is a list of people who have been purported to be AQAP members. Most, but not all, are or were Saudi nationals. Roughly half have appeared on Saudi "most wanted" lists. In the left column is the rank of each member in the original 2003 list of the 26 most wanted.

Most
wanted		 English Arabic Notes
Yousif Saleh Fahd al-'Uyayri (or Ayyiri, etc.) يوسف صالح فهد العييري leader, writer, and webmaster, killed June 2003 in Saudi Arabia[108]
3 Khalid Ali bin Ali Hajj خالد علي بن علي حاج leader, killed in Riyadh March or April 2004[109]
1 Abdulaziz Issa Abdul-Muhsin al-Muqrin عبد العزيز عيسى عبد المحسن المقرن leader, killed in Riyadh 18 June 2004[110][111][112]
5 Saleh Muhammad 'Audhuallah al-'Alawi al-Oufi صالح محمد عوض الله العلوي العوفي leader, killed 17 or 18 August 2005 in Madinah[113]
2 Rakan Muhsin Mohammed al-Saikhan راكان محسن محمد الصيخان killed 12 April 2004 in Riyadh
7 Saud Hamoud 'Abid al-Qatini al-'Otaibi سعود حمود عبيد القطيني العتيبي senior member, one of 15 killed in a 3-day battle in Ar Rass April 2005[114][115]
4 Abdul Kareem Al-Majati عبد الكريم المجاطي Moroccan, killed with Saud al-Otaibi at Ar Rass,[114] was wanted in the USA under the name Karim El Mejjati
6 Ibrahim Muhammad Abdullah al-Rais إبراهيم محمد عبدا لله الريس killed 8 December 2003 in Riyadh
8 Ahmad Abdul-Rahman Saqr al-Fadhli أحمد عبدالرحمن صقر الفضلي killed 22 April 2004 in Jeddah
9 Sultan Jubran Sultan al-Qahtani alias Zubayr Al-Rimi سلطان جبران سلطان القحطاني q.v., killed 23 September 2003 in Jizan
10 Abdullah Saud Al-Siba'i عبد الله سعود السباعي killed 29 December 2004[116]
11 Faisal Abdul-Rahman Abdullah al-Dakhil فيصل عبدالرحمن عبدالله الدخيل killed with al-Muqrin[111]
12 Faris al-Zahrani فارس آل شويل الزهراني ideologue, captured 5 August 2004 in Abha[117]
13 Khalid Mobarak Habeeb-Allah al-Qurashi خالد مبارك حبيب الله القرشي killed 22 April 2004 in Jeddah
14 Mansoor Muhammad Ahmad Faqeeh منصور محمد أحمد فقيه surrendered 30 December 2003 in Najran
15 'Issa Saad Muhammad bin 'Ushan عيسى سعد محمد بن عوشن ideologue, killed 20 July 2004 in Riyadh
16 Talib Saud Abdullah Al Talib طالب سعود عبدالله آل طالب at large; (last of the original 26)
17 Mustafa Ibrahim Muhammad Mubaraki مصطفى إبراهيم محمد مباركي killed 22 April 2004 in Jeddah
18 Abdul-Majiid Mohammed al-Mani' عبد المجيد محمد المنيع ideologue, killed 12 October 2004 in Riyadh[118]
19 Nasir Rashid Nasir Al-Rashid ناصر راشد ناصر الراشد killed 12 April 2004 in Riyadh
Sultan bin Bajad Al-Otaibi سلطان بن بجاد العتيبي spokesman[119] and writer for al-Qaeda, killed 28 or 29 December 2004[120]
20 Bandar Abdul-Rahman Abdullah al-Dakhil بندر عبدالرحمن عبدالله الدخيل killed December 2004[120]
21 Othman Hadi Al Maqboul Almardy al-'Amari عثمان هادي آل مقبول العمري recanted, under an amnesty deal, 28 June 2004 in Namas[121][122]
22 Talal A'nbar Ahmad 'Anbari طلال عنبر أحمد عنبري killed 22 April 2004 in Jeddah
23 'Amir Muhsin Moreef Al Zaidan Al-Shihri عامر محسن مريف آل زيدان الشهري killed 6 November 2003 in Riyadh[123]
24 Abdullah Muhammad Rashid al-Rashoud عبد الله محمد راشد الرشود q.v., ideologue, killed May or June 2005 in Iraq
25 Abdulrahman Mohammad Mohammad Yazji عبدالرحمن محمد محمد يازجي killed 6 April 2005[116]
26 Hosain Mohammad Alhasaki حسين محمد الحسكي Moroccan, held in Belgium[116]
Turki N. M. al-Dandani تركي ناصر مشعل الدندني cell leader, a former # 1 most wanted,[124] died by suicide July 2003 in al-Jawf[125]
Ibrahim bin Abdul-Aziz bin Muhammad al-Muzaini إبراهيم بن عبد العزيز بن محمد المزين killed with Khalid Ali Hajj[109]
Abdul-Rahman Mohammed Jubran al-Yazji عبدالكريم محمد جبران اليازجي killed 2 June 2004 in Ta'if[126]
Mohammed Othman Abdullah al-Waleedi al-Shuhri محمد عثمان عبدالله الوليدي الشهري [124]
Mansour Faqeeh منصور فقيه surrendered[127]
Hamid Fahd Abdullah al-Salmi al-Shamri حمد فهد عبدالله الأسلمي الشمري [124]
Ahmad Nasser Abdullah al-Dakhil أحمد ناصر عبدالله الدخيل [124] (dead)
Turki bin Fuheid al-Mutairi a/k/a Fawaz al-Nashimi تركي بن فيهد المطيري killed with al-Muqrin[111]
Jubran Ali Hakmi جبران علي حكمي [128]
Hani Said Ahmed Abdul-Karim al-Ghamdi هاني سعيد أحمد عبد الكريم الغامدي [128]
Ali Abdul-Rahman al-Ghamdi علي عبد الرحمن الغامدي surrendered 26 June 2003[129]
Bandar bin Abdul-Rahman al-Ghamdi بندر عبد الرحمن الغامدي captured September 2003 in Yemen[130] and extradited to KSA
Fawaz Yahya al-Rabi'i فواز يحيى الربيعي q.v., killed 1 October 2006 in Yemen
Abdul-Rahman Mansur Jabarah عبدالرحمن منصور جبارة "Canadian-Kuwaiti of Iraqi origin",[124] dead according to al-Qaeda; brother of Kuwaiti-Canadian Mohamed Mansour Jabarah
Adnan bin Abdullah al-Omari captured somewhere outside KSA, extradited to KSA November 2005[131]
Abdul-Rahman al-Mutib killed in al Qasim December 2005[132]
Muhammad bin Abdul-Rahman al-Suwailmi, alias Abu Mus'ab al-Najdi محمد بن عبد الرحمن السويلمي killed in al Qasim December 2005[132]
According to Saudi authorities,[133] these 12 died or were killed while committing the Riyadh compound bombings on 12 May 2003. Several were previously wanted.
Khaled Mohammad Muslim Al-Juhani خالد محمد مسلم الجهني leader of this group
Abdul-Karim Mohammed Jubran Yazji عبد الكريم محمد جبران اليازجي
Mohammed Othman Abdullah Al-Walidi Al-Shehri ومحمد عثمان عبد الله الوليدي الشهري
Hani Saeed Ahmad Al Abdul-Karim Al-Ghamdi هاني سعيد أحمد عبد الكريم الغامدي
Jubran Ali Ahmad Hakami Khabrani جبران علي أحمد حكمي خبراني
Khaled bin Ibrahim Mahmoud خالد بن إبراهيم محمود called "Baghdadi"
Mehmas bin Mohammed Mehmas Al-Hawashleh Al-Dosari محماس بن محمد محماس الهواشلة الدوسري
Mohammed bin Shadhaf Ali Al-Mahzoum Al-Shehri محمد بن شظاف علي آل محزوم الشهري
Hazem Mohammed Saeed حازم محمد سعيد called "Kashmiri"
Majed Abdullah Sa'ad bin Okail ماجد عبدالله سعد بن عكيل
Bandar bin Abdul-Rahman Menawer Al-Rahimi Al-Mutairi بندر بن عبد الرحمن منور الرحيمي المطيري
Abdullah Farres bin Jufain Al-Rahimi Al-Mutairi عبدالله فارس بن جفين الرحيمي المطيري
Abdullah Hassan Al Aseery عبد الله حسن عسيري Died trying to assassinate a Saudi prince in October 2009.
The following five were reported killed in Dammam in early September 2005.[134]
Zaid Saad Zaid al-Samari a former most wanted, killed by Saudi forces in 2005[135]
Saleh Mansour Mohsen al-Fereidi al-Harbi
Sultan Saleh Hussan al-Haseri
Naif Farhan Jalal al-Jehaishi al-Shammari
Mohammed Abdul-Rahman Mohammed al-Suwailmi
Abu Hareth Muhammad al-Oufi Former Guantanamo captive who appeared in threatening YouTube video in January 2009, and who voluntarily turned himself in to Saudi authorities a month later.[136]
Abu Abdurrahman - al Faranghi[137] A convert—allegedly trained as a bombmaker[138]—hunted by CIA, MI5 and Politiets sikkerhetstjeneste, since 2012. (His legal name in Norway has not been revealed by media.)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula: who are they?". Channel4 News. Archived from the original on 4 November 2010. Retrieved November 12, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 "Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)". Counter Extremism Project. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  3. 1 2 [Dana Ford, CNN (15 June 2015). "Top al Qaeda leader reported killed in Yemen". CNN. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 "Al Qaeda in Yemen says leader killed in U.S. bombing". Reuters. 16 June 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  5. ↑ "Al Qaeda's Hadramawt emirate". Brookings Institution. 12 July 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  6. ↑ http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-qaeda-idUSKCN10P0GJ
  7. ↑ "Al-Qaeda map: Isis, Boko Haram and other affiliates' strongholds across Africa and Asia". 12 June 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  8. ↑ "The Failure of Counterinsurgency: Why Hearts and Minds Are Seldom Won". 2013. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  9. ↑ "Yemen bomb: Suicide bomber hits military parade in Sanaa". GlobalPost. 20 May 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
  10. ↑ "The Paris Attacks Underscore the Deep Threat Still Posed by Al Qaeda". January 10, 2015. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  11. ↑ Phillips, James; Siegel, Josh (20 September 2014). "Q&A: Meet Khorasan, the Terrorist Group That Might Be Scarier Than ISIS". The Daily Signal. Heritage Foundation. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  12. ↑ "AFP: Yémen: l'armée, aidée par les Etats-Unis, progresse face à Al-Qaïda". Google. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
  13. 1 2 "Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Rejects Isis 'Caliphate', Ending Fears of Deadly Terror Alliance". International Business Times. 21 November 2014.
  14. ↑ "In Yemen chaos, Islamic State grows to rival al Qaeda". Reuters. 30 June 2015.
  15. ↑ "Al-Qaeda dispute with Isis devolves to name-calling". The Independent. 3 November 2015.
  16. 1 2 3 "Terrorist Designations of Ansar al-Sharia as an Alias for Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula". Department of State. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  17. ↑ "Al-Qaeda's Yemen branch eyes a new haven". The Washington Post. 8 August 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  18. ↑ "Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) – Council on Foreign Relations". Cfr.org. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
  19. ↑ "The al-Qaeda Brand Died Last Week". Forbes. September 6, 2011. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
  20. ↑ "What is al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula?". CNN. 14 January 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  21. 1 2 3 4 "FACTBOX-Al Qaeda's Yemen-based wing". Reuters. 8 November 2010. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  22. ↑ Novak, Jane (January 26, 2009). "Arabian Peninsula al Qaeda groups merge". Long War Journal. Archived from the original on 11 February 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
  23. ↑ Wong, Kristina (January 5, 2010). "Yemen: 'Major Staging Base' for Al Qaeda: Q and A With Former CIA Official and Al Qaeda Expert Bruce Riedel". ABC News. Archived from the original on 10 January 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
  24. ↑ Johnston, Philip (September 17, 2010). "Anwar al Awlaki: the new Osama bin Laden?". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  25. ↑ Gerstein, Josh (January 18, 2010). "Clinton named Al-Qaeda Yemen as terror group a month ago". Politico.Com. Retrieved April 8, 2010.
  26. ↑ Greg Miller (August 24, 2010). "CIA sees increased threat in Yemen". Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  27. ↑ AFP (August 26, 2010). "AFP: Yemen says US officials exaggerate Qaeda threat". Google. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  28. ↑ FoxNews (August 26, 2010). "Bin Laden's Bodyguard Warns Escalation in Yemen". Fox News Channel. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  29. ↑ "Incident Summary 200405290002". Global Terrorism Database. May 29, 2004. Archived from the original on January 16, 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
  30. ↑ "The Advent Of Terrorism In Qatar". Forbes. March 25, 2005. Archived from the original on January 16, 2010.
  31. ↑ Dao, James (January 21, 2010). "Man Claims Terror Ties in Little Rock Shooting". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 25 January 2010. Retrieved January 22, 2010.
  32. ↑ Mike Phelan; Mike Mount; Terry Frieden (June 1, 2009). "Suspect arrested in Arkansas recruiting center shooting". CNN. Retrieved March 25, 2010.
  33. ↑ Dao, James (February 16, 2010). "A Muslim Son, a Murder Trial and Many Questions". The New York Times. Arkansas;Yemen. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  34. ↑ "Detroit terror attack: al-Qaeda regional group claims responsibility". The Daily Telegraph. London. December 28, 2009. Archived from the original on January 16, 2010.
  35. ↑ "Yemen: Qaeda Affiliate Urges Joint Blockade of Red Seas". The New York Times. New York. February 9, 2010. Archived from the original on 11 February 2010. Retrieved February 9, 2010.
  36. 1 2 Chicago Synagogue Cites Web Visits From Egypt, Wall Street Journal 31-10-2010
  37. 1 2 "Yemen-based al Qaeda group claims responsibility for parcel bomb plot". CNN. 6 November 2010. Archived from the original on 13 November 2010. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  38. ↑ Updated 22 minutes ago 11/8/2010 12:24:00 PM +00:00. "Al-Qaida claims responsibility for cargo bombs". MSNBC. Archived from the original on 7 November 2010. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  39. ↑ Entous, Adam (5 November 2010). "Yemeni al Qaeda Claims Package Bomb Attempts". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  40. ↑ "Yemeni Al Qaeda Group Claims Responsibility for Failed Mail Bomb Plot on U.S. Cargo Planes". Fox News Channel. Associated Press. April 7, 2010. Archived from the original on 8 November 2010. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  41. ↑ Mazzetti, Mark; Worth, Robert F.; Lipton, Eric (31 October 2010). "Bomb Plot Shows Key Role Played by Intelligence". The New York Times.
  42. ↑ "Yemen group vows small-scale attacks". CBC News. 21 November 2010.
  43. ↑ Jane Ferguson (21 May 2012). "In Yemen, a ruthlessly symbolic attack". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  44. ↑ "Al-Qaeda claims deadly Yemen suicide blast". Al Jazeera. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  45. 1 2 "Yemen says al Qaeda land mins killed 73 this week". The Examiner. 2012-06-27.
  46. ↑ "Militants attack hospital at Yemen's Defense Ministry". CNN. December 5, 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-06.
  47. ↑ "Al Qaeda: We're sorry about Yemen hospital attack". CNN. 2013-12-22. Retrieved 2014-01-22.
  48. ↑ "Yemen soldiers killed near Sanaa presidential palace". BBC. 9 May 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  49. ↑ http://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/designated-entities-26-11-2014.pdf
  50. ↑ "Pentagon confirms failed effort to rescue Somers". The Washington Post. Associated Press. 4 December 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  51. ↑ "Terrorists shouted they were from Al Qaeda in the Yemen before Charlie Hebdo attack". The Daily Telegraph. 7 January 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  52. ↑ "Al-Qaeda Group Claims Responsibility for Paris Terror Attack". 9 January 2015. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  53. ↑ "Al Qaeda Tries a New Tactic to Keep Power: Sharing It". The New York Times. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  54. ↑ Mohammed Mukhashaf (2 December 2015). "Al Qaeda militants take over two south Yemen towns, residents say". Reuters. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  55. ↑ AFP (20 February 2016). "Qaeda kills three in sweep of Yemen's south". Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  56. ↑ "Yemeni army claims major advance in campaign against al Qaeda". Reuters. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  57. ↑ "Know Your Ansar Al Sharia". Foreign Policy. 2012-09-21. Retrieved 2014-01-22.
  58. ↑ "Yemen rejects U.S. role in fighting al-Qaida". Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  59. ↑ "Laura QUADARELLA SANFELICE DI MONTEFORTE, Il terrorismo "fai da te". Inspire e la propaganda online di AQAP per i giovani musulmani in Occidente, Aracne Editrice, Roma, 2013".
  60. ↑ "Two U.S.-Born Terrorists Killed in CIA-Led Drone Strike". Fox News Channel. 30 September 2011.
  61. ↑ U.S. drone targets in Yemen raise questions – The Washington Post, June 3, 2012
  62. ↑ MUKHASHAF, MOHAMED (20 April 2014). "Air strikes in Yemen kill 40 al Qaeda militants in two days". Reuters. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  63. ↑ "Third suspected US drone strike kills 'several' al-Qaida militants". The Guardian. 21 April 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  64. ↑ "Drone strikes alone won't stamp out al Qaeda in Yemen — analysts". Reuters. 21 April 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  65. ↑ "Three suspected militants killed in Yemen drone strike". BBC. 21 April 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  66. ↑ Raddatz, Martha (21 April 2014). "After Celebratory Video, Al Qaeda Pounded By Deadly Airstrikes". abc news. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  67. ↑ Jamjoom, Mohammed; Smith, Matt (21 April 2014). "Yemen strikes may target top al Qaeda leaders". CNN. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  68. ↑ "Yemen says strikes on al-Qaida base kill 55". Associated Press. 21 April 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  69. ↑ http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/08/osama-bin-ladens-son-praises-alqaeda-branches-in-new-message.php
  70. ↑ "AQAP's emir also serves as al Qaeda's general manager". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  71. ↑ "Yemen says 6 al Qaeda leaders killed". CNN. January 15, 2010. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
  72. ↑ "2 tourists dead in attack in Yemen". International Herald Tribune. 18 January 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2008.
  73. 1 2 "Qasim al-Rimi". Retrieved January 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  74. ↑ Gregory D. Johnsen (2012-07-24). "A Profile of AQAP's Upper Echelon". Combatting Terrorism Center. Retrieved 2013-04-26. As the deputy commander and highest-ranking Saudi in AQAP, al-Shihri played a key role in recruiting other Saudis and fundraising in the kingdom. In late 2009, a cell phone video of al-Shihri surfaced in which he made a plea for money from wealthy Saudi donors. In an effort to avoid detection the video never left the phone on which it was recorded. Instead, an AQAP courier traveled throughout Saudi Arabia showing the video message to different individuals.
  75. ↑ Worth, Robert F. (22 January 2009). "Freed by U.S., Saudi Becomes a Qaeda Chief". New York Times. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  76. ↑ SITE. "AQAP Concludes Biography of Slain Deputy Leader in 3rd Episode of Series — Jihadist News". Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  77. ↑ "Amid Yemen chaos, al Qaeda stages prison break". CBS News. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  78. ↑ Spencer, Richard (4 April 2015). "The al-Qaeda commander at home in a governor's palace". The Telegraph. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  79. ↑ Bacchi, Umberto (4 April 2015). "Yemen: Al-Qaeda operative Khalid Batarfi takes selfies inside Mukalla government". International Business Times. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  80. ↑ "List of Individuals Detained by the Department of Defense at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba from January 2002 through May 15, 2006" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. 2006-05-15. Retrieved 2006-05-15.
  81. ↑ "Ibrahim al-Rubaysh". 2013. Retrieved January 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  82. ↑ "Former GITMO detainee now al-Qaida brass". United Press International. 2009-12-04. Archived from the original on 2009-12-06. Retrieved 2009-12-05.
  83. ↑ "Yemen al-Qaida branch says top cleric killed in drone attack". Associated Press. 14 April 2015.
  84. ↑ "Osama bin Laden's Files: Al Qaeda's deputy general manager in Yemen". Long War Journal. March 2015. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  85. ↑ Aboudi, Sami (14 January 2015). "Al Qaeda claims French attack, derides Paris rally". Reuters. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  86. ↑ Dana Ford (7 May 2015). "Senior AQAP leader Nasr Ibn Ali al-Ansi killed". CNN.
  87. ↑ Cardona, Felisa (December 3, 2009). "U.S. attorney defends dropping radical cleric's case in 2002". The Denver Post. Retrieved December 7, 2009.
  88. ↑ "Boston Marathon Bombers Inspired By Anwar al-Awlaki". Anti-Defamation League.
  89. 1 2 3 "Getting to Know al-Qaeda – Part II: AQAP". October 2012. Retrieved 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  90. ↑ "Islamist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki 'killed in Yemen'". BBC News. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  91. ↑ "AQAP says senior leader killed in drone strike". February 2015. Retrieved February 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  92. 1 2 "Ibrahim al-Banna". Retrieved January 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  93. ↑ "Rewards for Justice — Reward Offers for Information on Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) Leaders". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  94. ↑ "Rewards for Justice — Wanted". Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  95. 1 2 "Othman al-Ghamdi". Retrieved January 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  96. ↑ "Rewards for Justice - Wanted for Terrorism". Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  97. ↑ "Yemen: Reported US covert actions 2016". The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  98. ↑ Department of State's Terrorist Designation of Ibrahim Hassan Tali Al-Asiri, U.S. Department of State, 24 March 2011
  99. ↑ Abdullah Al-Oreifij (September 1, 2009). "Suicide bomber named". Saudi Gazette. Archived from the original on August 2, 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
  100. ↑ Daniel Klaidman; Christopher Dickey (2012-05-14). "Ibrahim al-Asiri: The Body Bomb Menace". Daily Beast. Retrieved 2012-05-14. Newsweek has learned that U.S. intelligence officials circulated a secret report that laid out in vivid detail how doctors working for al-Asiri had developed the surgical technique. An American government source familiar with the report described it as 15 to 20 pages, single spaced, and replete with schematics and pictures. "It was almost like something you’d see in Scientific American," the source said.
  101. ↑ Joscelyn, Thomas. "Ex-Guantanamo detainee now an al Qaeda leader in Yemen". Long War Journal. Long War Journal. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  102. ↑ Adrian Blomfield; Duncan Gardham (January 3, 2010). "Britain and US close embassies in Yemen over fears of imminent attack from al-Qaeda". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on January 16, 2010.
  103. ↑ "Yemen army recaptures center of al-Qaida-held city". Associated Press. January 16, 2010. Archived from the original on July 3, 2015. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
  104. ↑ Barfi, Barak (2010), Yemen on the Brink?: The Resurgence of al Qaeda in Yemen (PDF), New America Foundation
  105. 1 2 "Long Island Arrest Highlights Continuing Lure Of Terror Groups Abroad". Access ADL. Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  106. ↑ Sean Rayment; Adrian Blomfield; Richard Spencer; Philip Sherwell (January 3, 2010). "Detroit terror attack: Britain sends counter-terrorist forces to Yemen". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on January 16, 2010.
  107. ↑ http://www.longwarjournal.org/ linked to http://www.mareeg.com/fidsan.php?sid=23090&tirsan=3
  108. ↑ "CTC Sentinel — Combating Terrorism Center at West Point" (PDF). Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  109. 1 2 Saudi al-Qaida cell promises revenge Archived October 1, 2007, at the Wayback Machine., Al Jazeera, 20 March 2004
  110. ↑ Profile: Abdul Aziz al-Muqrin, BBC, 19 June 2004
  111. 1 2 3 CBC report on al-Muqrin and three others killed, and AQAP's acknowledgement
  112. ↑ ""Bitter School Dropout Who Became a Flamboyant Killer" by Rob L. Wagner, ''Saudi Gazette'', June 20, 2004". Google. 2004-06-20. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
  113. ↑ Al-Qaeda Chief in Kingdom Killed, Arab News, 19 August 2005
  114. 1 2 Death of Top Terrorists in Al-Rass Gunbattle Confirmed, Arab News, 10 April 2005
  115. ↑ "Battle of Al-Ras" by Sabria S. Jawhar and Rob L. Wagner, Saudi Gazette, April 12, 2005. Google.com (2003-05-12). Retrieved 2011-12-29.
  116. 1 2 3 KSA wanted list, Embassy of Saudi Arabia to the USA
  117. ↑ Saudis' Most Wanted Is Captured, CBS News, 6 August 2004
  118. ↑ Report of death of al-Mani' Archived May 1, 2007, at the Wayback Machine., CNN, 13 October 2004
  119. ↑ SITE notice Archived September 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. about Sultan al-Otaibi
  120. 1 2 Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Sultan al-Otaibi and Bandar al-Dakhil, 31 December 2004
  121. ↑ Top Saudi militant surrenders, The Tribune (of India), 29 June 2004
  122. ↑ Islam Today report of mediation in the surrender of Othman al-'Amri. The mediator was Safir al-Hawali; see Salman al-Ouda.
  123. ↑ Death confirmed of wanted terrorist suspect Alshihri, Embassy of Saudi Arabia to USA, 22 February 2004
  124. 1 2 3 4 5 KSA's 19 most wanted and other information, Al-Watan, 1 May 2004
  125. ↑ Royal Crackdown, by John Walsh, Harvard International Review, Fall 2003; about Turki al-Dandani. Details are at present available only in Arabic.
  126. ↑ Newsmax on the death of Abdul-Rahman Yazji
  127. ↑ New Pictures of Most Wanted 7 Released, Arab News, 20 August 2004
  128. 1 2 Riyadh Daily, 12 May 2003 (in Arabic)
  129. ↑ Key Riyadh bombings suspect gives up, CNN, 26–27 June 2003
  130. ↑ Summary of several captures in the Arabian Peninsula, BBC, 4 March 2004
  131. ↑ Report on al-Omari, BBC News, 8 November 2005
  132. 1 2 Saudis 'kill militant fugitive', BBC, 28 December 2005
  133. ↑ Saudi government identifies 12 dead bombers re the Riyadh residential compound attack
  134. ↑ Saudi Arabia says 5 militants slain belonged to al-Qaeda, Associated Press, 8 September 2005
  135. ↑ http://www.ajc.org/site/apps/nl/content3.asp?c=ijITI2PHKoG&b=1717409&ct=2513299&printmode=1
  136. ↑ Maggie Michael (January 23, 2009). "Report: Ex-Gitmo Detainee Joins Al-Qaida in Yemen". ABC News. Archived from the original on October 24, 2009.
  137. ↑ Vikås, Marianne; Coombs, Casey L.; Johnsrud, Ingar; Akerhaug, Lars; Bakkeli, Tom (2012-07-02). "none". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). p. 12.
  138. ↑ Leon Watson (2012-06-26). "Norwegian man trained by Al Qaeda in Yemen is planning an attack on the West, say security forces". Daily Mail. Retrieved 2012-10-09.

Bibliography

  • Johnsen, Gregory (2012). The Last Refuge: Yemen, al-Qaeda, and America's War in Arabia, Scribe, Melbourne. ISBN 9781922070012.

Further reading

External links

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