The unfolding terrorist plot is a reminder that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which has a sanctuary in Yemen, remains determined to attack the United States. Though targeted strikes have killed key AQAP leaders, the strikes have not fully disrupted its external operations. AQAP has benefitted from the successes of its insurgent arm, Ansar al Sharia, which is fighting to regain control of territory in the south.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) attempted to attack the United States. U.S. officials reported that a plot to detonate a bomb aboard a U.S.-bound airplane has been thwarted. The explosive device, seized in the last ten days outside of Yemen, is a more sophisticated version of the 2009 underwear bomb built by AQAP’s top bomb maker, Ibrahim al Asiri. Authorities allegedly detected the plot in April.
Ansar al Sharia militants are contesting the Yemeni military’s control of territory in Abyan governorate, despite reports that Yemeni troops had secured areas of Zinjibar. Militants attacked an army base southwest of Zinjibar Monday morning, killing at least 20 Yemeni soldiers and injuring dozens more. The militants also captured over two dozen troops. Two months ago, an attack killed over 100 soldiers. Last Thursday, Ansar al Sharia attacked a Yemeni military position near Bajdar, outside of Zinjibar. Clashes are also occurring outside of Lawder in Abyan, where militants continue to attack Yemeni army positions.
An airstrike reportedly killed AQAP operative Fahd al Quso Sunday. Quso, who was connected to the USS Cole bombing, was killed in Wadi Rafad in Shabwah governorate along with his companion, Nasser Lakdam. Ansar al Sharia confirmed Quso’s death. Popular Resistance Committees of civilian pro-government fighters reportedly killed AQAP member Bassam al Sayed in the Radfan area of Lahij governorate on May 7. Yemeni airstrikes have targeted militant positions in Lawder in Abyan governorate, killing five militants Saturday. Airstrikes also reportedly targeted militant positions Jaar on May 2 and in Mudia in Abyan on April 26.
Tag Archives: Yemen
Yemen’s Military Shake-Up: Weakening Ousted Saleh’s Network |
American counterterrorism strategy in Yemen relies on the local military to contain Ansar al Sharia, an insurgent wing of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).[1] But Yemen is losing ground to Ansar al Sharia, which has expanded its foothold in southern Yemen. Newly-elected President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi must unify the fractured armed forces under his command; he has begun to do so by dismissing select commanders loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Hadi’s success or failure in restructuring the Yemeni military will have dangerous implications for the country’s ability to prevail against Ansar al Sharia and AQAP, thought to be al Qaeda’s most dangerous branch, and thereby America’s ability to effect its security interests in the region.
President Hadi released a list of military and political appointments on April 6, 2012 that strikes at Saleh’s patronage network. Some of the holdover military commanders had reportedly acted to handicap the fight against Ansar al Sharia and destabilize the Hadi government.[2] The decrees removed Saleh’s half-brother and nephew from command positions and rearranged leadership in the Army and Navy. But Saleh figures remain in positions of power, most notably Saleh’s son Ahmed, head of the elite Republican Guard.
Restructuring the military is a pillar of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) deal of November 2011, which dictates that the government must “integrate the armed forces under unified, national and professional leadership.”[3] The GCC announced its support for the appointments the day after their issue, saying that they complied with the terms of the GCC deal.[4]
The backlash from Saleh’s men has already affected the military. Mohammed Saleh al Ahmar, dismissed commander of the Air Force, threatened to shoot down planes at Sana’a airport.[5] Armed men loyal to Saleh shut down the Sana’a airport for a day. Rumors of other commanders refusing the changes have surfaced since the decrees.[6] It is unclear how the military will weather this unrest; its strength has already been sapped by a year of defections and mutiny. It is crucial to U.S. interests that Hadi bring the armed forces to bear, because without a unified Yemeni military, the fight against AQAP will fail.
Military Appointments
Click graphic to enlarge.
The April 6 decrees included the removal of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s half-brother Mohammed al Ahmar and nephew Tareq Mohammed Saleh from command of the Air Force and Presidential Guard respectively, along with several brigade commanders. But key figures, including Saleh’s son, remain in high military positions.
A Post-Mortem Analysis of AQAP Tribal Implementer Tariq al-Dhahab
Publication: Volume: 3 Issue: 2
By: Murad Batal Al-Shishani
Tariq Al-Dhahab
Full article available on mlm.jamestown.org
Unlike most of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s (AQAP) releases, the death of Tariq al-Dhahab was confirmed by al-Fajr Media Centre, al-Qaeda’s official media arm, instead of Al-Malhim, AQAP’s media arm. This could represent a new effort designed to centralize the “condolence” statements and messages of the al-Qaeda affiliated groups.
At 35 years old, al-Dhahab was a tribal strongman, Anwar al-Awlaki’s brother-in-law, and the leader of AQAP’s newly formed “Ansar al-Shari’a” in al-Bayda Governorate. The stated aim of Ansar al-Shari’a is to implement Shari’a in various areas of Yemen. On February 16, 2012, al-Dhahab was reportedly killed by his half-brother Hizzam al-Dhahab (Ma’rib Press, February 16). Hizzam was accused of receiving orders from Yemeni authorities to attack his brother. [1] In ordering Tariq al-Shabab’s death, Yemeni authorities were trying to exploit an old tribal rift in the leadership of the al-Dhahab clan.
Hizzam al-Dhahab, who supported Yemeni authorities and the Saleh regime, fundamentally disagreed with Tariq’s ties to AQAP. With Tariq’s death Hizzam, his older brother, temporarily held leadership of the Yemeni city of Rada’a. Tariq’s AQAP affiliates were quick to retaliate to the killing of Tariq. They initiated an attack on Hizzam al-Dhahab’s home, killing Hizzam by planting a car bomb. Hizzam was dead less than twenty-four hours after the attack and death of his brother Tariq.
In the al-Fajr Media Centre statement AQAP said: “Sheikh Tariq al-Dhahab…was the first among tribes that resorted to rule and judge by Shari’a. His home was a shelter for those oppressed and the refuge of the needing persons.” Among other laudatory mentions, the statement described al-Dhahab as wise, patient, polite and brave. [2]
AQAP Affiliate Not Member
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s statement and the prompt revenge they conducted show the importance of al-Dhahab to them, although he was not a formal member of AQAP as many media outlets have suggested. [3]
Al-Dhahab’s connection to AQAP as an affiliate became apparent in mid-January 2012 when fighters led by him seized the al-Amiriyah historical site and announced Shari’a rule in the city of Rada’a, Yemen. Al-Dhahab later withdrew from the city following a tribal mediation that led to the release of his brother, Nabil al-Dhahab, and AQAP members held by Yemeni authorities.
Nabil was arrested by Syrian authorities in 2006 while travelling to Iraq to join the jihadi fight against American troops. Syria repatriated Nabil to Yemen. Tariq then sought Nabil’s release from the custody of Yemeni authorities. In 2007, Tariq appealed to Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh, asking him to release Nabil with the threat that his tribe, “Qaifah” – one of the largest in Yemen, will do what it takes to release their sons. [4] Later, in return for Nabil’s freedom, Tariq agreed to withdraw AQAP troops from Rada’a but he reneged on this agreement.
Nabil al-Dhahab and Kaid al-Dhahab, Tariq and Hizzam’s brothers, are said to be taking steps to consolidate Rada’a in the wake of the family massacre. Tariq al-Dhahab was accused on multiple occasions of being a puppet of Saleh and executing his policies in order to send a message to the West that the alternative to his regime is al-Qaeda. Tariq denied the allegations, retorting that he could not be aligned with a regime that “imprisons our children, is loyal to the U.S. and does not rule by Shari’a.” [5]
AQAP Integration into Yemeni Tribes
Tariq al-Dhahab’s strongest link to AQAP was his relation to American-born Yemeni cleric and prominent AQAP leader Anwar al-Awlaki (killed in September 2011) who was married to al-Dhahab’s sister. [6] Continue reading
Yemen Crisis Situation Reports: Update 130
February 13, 2012
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Yemen’s violent unrest continues ahead of the scheduled presidential election, which opposition groups will boycott. Al Qaeda-linked militants in south Yemen continue to assert control over seized territory.
Al Qaeda-linked militants executed men accused of assisting the United States. A Yemeni security official reported that the executions occurred in Azzan in Shabwah governorate and in Jaar in Abyan governorate. Residents reported that two Saudis and a Yemeni were beheaded at dawn; a spokesman for the militants denied that any were Saudi citizens. The three were accused of planting electronic devices that sent information on militant positions. Ansar al Sharia, an insurgent al Qaeda-linked organization, seized control of Jaar in March 2011 and al Qaeda militants operate openly in Azzan.
Violence has broken out at election protests. In Aden, a group of southern separatists set fire to an anti-government protest camp in Crater district late Saturday. Many protesters see the February 21 presidential election as a mechanism of formally removing President Ali Abdullah Saleh from power. The Southern Movement remains factionalized, and three separate factions denounced the violence. Two people were killed at a Southern Movement march protesting the election in Dhaleh Thursday. The sole candidate for the election, Vice President Abdul Rab Mansour al Hadi, announced that he will pursue reconciliation with the separatists and the al Houthis, who have also called for election boycotts.
Al-Qaida raises flag over Yemen town, pledges allegiance to terrorist leader
Khaled Abdullah / Reuters
The historical Radda castle, above, was overtaken by al-Qaida militants on Sunday.
SANAA, Yemen — Islamist militants have seized full control of a town southeast of Yemen’s capital, raising their flag over the citadel, overrunning army positions, storming the local prison and pledging allegiance to al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri, residents said Monday.
The capture of Radda in Bayda province, some 100 miles south of capital Sanaa, underscores the growing strength of al-Qaida in Yemen as it continues to take advantage of the weakness of a central government struggling to contain nearly a year of massive political unrest.
Yemen’s Shiite rebels form political party
Jan 5, 2012SANAA // Yemen‘s Shiite rebels has formed a political party in a bid to have role in the government.
The organisers, led by Mohammed Miftah, said the party was not be restricted to any particular sect or a group. Most of the people who attended Al Omah party’s inaugural ceremony were supporters of the Houthis.
REVIEW — AQAP and Suspected AQAP Attacks in Yemen Tracker 2010 and 2011
By Cody Curran, James Gallagher, Courtney Hughes, Paul Jarvis, Adam Kahan, Patrick Knapp, Matthew Lu
Image via Wikipedia
December 15, 2011
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has conducted numerous attacks throughout Yemen, with the highest concentration of attacks occurring in the southern governorates. AQAP’s campaign of violence reached the level of an active insurgency in June 2010. Most of AQAP’s targets in Yemen appear to be government targets, with a particular focus on the state’s intelligence and security apparatuses.
Identifying the group responsible for attacks in Yemen – especially in southern Yemen – can be an extremely difficult task, as the government in Yemen is quick to attribute most attacks to AQAP, even without corroborating evidence. The reality, however, is that several groups exist with the capacity to execute small scale attacks in the country. Most notably in southern Yemen, there is a secessionist movement – known as the Southern Movement – that is generally peaceful, but does have violent elements associated with it. The Yemeni government has made attempts to conflate the Southern Movement with AQAP, but, at this point there appears to be little, if any, operational cooperation between the two entities, despite their shared enemy and common geographic location.
The Critical Threats Project has produced this tracker to provide information on al Qaeda’s continued insurgency in Yemen. The tracker includes both attacks for which AQAP has taken credit and incidents attributed to AQAP by the government.
This tracker will be updated with new developments. The Critical Threats Project is tracking al Qaeda’s advances in south Yemen during the recent unrest in its Yemen situation reports.
DECEMBER 9, 2011: A tribal source reported that unidentified gunmen attacked an oil pipeline using rocket-propelled grenades in Aslan region in Shabwah governorate on December 9. The pipeline connects the oil pipelines in Ma’rib governorate to oil export facilities on the Red Sea. AQAP is suspected to be responsible for the attack, according to a local government official.[1]
NOVEMBER 30, 2011: A security official reported that gunmen opened fire on a police vehicle in Khormaksar district in Aden. Two soldiers were killed in the reported assassination attempt of a police commander. Government officials reported that al Qaeda is suspected to be responsible for the attack.[2]
NOVEMBER 21, 2011: An improvised explosive device (IED) blast killed two tribesmen and wounded five others in Mudia in Abyan governorate on November 21. Al Qaeda-linked militants are reportedly responsible for the attack. The attack was reportedly in response to the killing of six al Qaeda-linked militants by security forces.[3] Continue reading
Gulf of Aden Security Review – December 28, 2011 | Critical Threats
Image via Wikipedia
Yemen: Clashes in Sana’a between the Republican Guard and Hashid tribesmen kill one civilian and injure three others; three al Shabaab militants and six al Qaeda-linked militants reportedly killed by airstrike in Abyan governorate
Horn of Africa: KDF and TFG troops kill 10 al Shabaab militants in Lower Jubba region; Kenyan air raid targets villages in Gedo region in southern Somalia; suspected Somali pirates hijack Italian cargo ship with a crew of 18 off Gulf of Oman
Yemen Security Brief
- Witnesses reported that clashes between the Republican Guard and gunmen loyal to Hashid tribal confederation leader Sheikh Sadiq al Ahmar broke out in Sana’a near the interior ministry in Amran Street in Hasaba neighborhood. One Yemeni civilian was killed and three more were injured. The incident took place when the military commission attempted to remove barriers.[1]
- Suna Times reported that three al Shabaab militants and six al Qaeda-linked militants were killed by an airstrike in Abyan governorate. The Somali consul in Yemen, Hussein Haji Ahmed, confirmed the report.[2]
Horn of Africa Security Brief
- Somali government officials reported that at least 10 al Shabaab militants were killed by Kenyan Defense Forces (KDF) and Transitional Federal Government (TFG) troops in Lower Jubba region in southern Somalia. Witnesses stated that the attack started when al Shabaab militants launched an offensive on a joint KDF-TFG military base in Burgabo in southern Somalia.[3] Continue reading
Boston-Area Pharmacy Grad Convicted of Supporting Al-Qaeda
Image via Wikipedia
By Janelle Lawrence and Don Jeffrey -
Tarek Mehanna, a pharmacy-school graduate, was convicted by a federal jury in Boston of aiding al-Qaeda and of lying to U.S. authorities about his involvement with the group.
Mehanna, 29, who earned a doctorate from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Science, was found guilty on all counts against him, including making false statements, conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization and conspiracy to kill in a foreign country.
Mehanna became an operative for al-Qaeda after traveling to Yemen in 2004 for terrorist training, prosecutors told the jury at the beginning of the trial before U.S. District Judge George O’Toole in October.
The defendant translated materials for terrorists from Arabic to English, including an Al-Qaeda manual called “39 Ways to Serve and Participate in Jihad,” or holy war, according to prosecutors. They also said he lied to government agents about his reasons for going to Yemen. He wasn’t charged with planning or trying to carry out any terrorist attacks.
Defense lawyers told the jury that the prosecution by U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz violated their client’s right to free speech under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Mehanna was arrested at his home in Sudbury, Massachusetts, in October 2009 and pleaded not guilty in November 2009.
Mall Plot Abandoned
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Mehanna and a friend, Ahmed Abousamra, who met at a local mosque when they were boys, discussed a plot to shoot shoppers at a mall, abandoning the plan when they couldn’t get weapons. Mehanna isn’t charged in connection with that alleged plot. Abousamra is a fugitive. Continue reading
Jury finds man guilty of aiding al Qaeda
BOSTON (Reuters) – A jury on Tuesday found a Massachusetts man guilty of supporting al Qaeda by translating Arabic messages and supporting militants through traveling to Yemenfor terrorism training.Tarek Mehanna, 29, was found guilty on all seven counts against him and faces the possibility of life in prison.
Mehanna was arrested in 2009 and charged with “providing and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.” He was also charged with conspiracy to kill in a foreign country and lying to law enforcement officers.
Prosecutors said the defendant answered a call to action from Osama bin Laden to battle U.S. soldiers.
They said he traveled to Yemen in 2004 to seek terrorism training, but never received it, and had planned to travel to Iraq to fight U.S. troops.
They also said he translated videos and texts from Arabic to English and distributed them online to further al Qaeda’s cause.
Defense attorneys said Mehanna, a U.S. citizen, was merely trying to learn more about his Muslim heritage by studying Islamic law and translating classical texts. He traveled to Yemen to visit schools where he hoped to study, they said. Continue reading
