Al qaeda has a tainted name in the middle east because of iraq. Yemen crackdown may not stunt al qaedas appeal reuters. Thirtyseven al qaeda militants killed in yemen an army commander says militants will not escape death as a crackdown on fighters in the country continues. Since the death of osama bin laden, yemen has become the hottest front in the war against al qaeda. The challenge has historically been finding and eliminating aqap leaders, since the group has held relatively isolated safe havens until recently.
Aqap, al qaeda s strongest franchise, captured much southern territory after yemen s 2011 revolution. Global security crackdown after foiled alqaeda plane. Salehs ruthless rule was unable to hold yemen together. Yemen has declared open war on al qaeda, but multiple conflicts and feeble state control still make the arabian peninsula country a fertile breeding ground for. Al qaida s most significant presence in the arab world today is in yemen, bin ladens ancestral homeland. Although suspected al qaeda leader qaed salim sinan al harethi was certainly a priority objective for intelligence and military forces, the primary goal was to send a message to his fellow terrorists. The yemen based aqap, long considered by the united states government to be the most dangerous and potent branch of al qaeda, has reportedly benefited from the ongoing political and security chaos in yemen, growing in strength and expanding the territory it controls. Us raid kills seven alqaeda fighters in yemen yemen news. You would probably have to go back a decade to find a cause with such potential to mobilise jihadis worldwide in a short space of time. By the early 2000s, aqy had weakened as a result of a declining membership, but saudi arabias crackdown on its own local alqaeda branch prompted many. In addition to battling al qaeda across several provinces, yemen is also contending with shiite insurgency in.
Oct 29, 2015 nasser bin ali al ansi, leader of the yemeni branch of al qaeda aqap, seen on televisions at an electronics shop in sanaa, yemen, january 14, 2015 as he delivers a message claiming. Us cheers yemen s crackdown in abyan ambassador lauds strategy to challenge al qaeda jason ditz posted on april 22, 2012 april 22, 2012 categories news tags obama, yemen. Yemeni government forces continue shelling a protester camp, killing more civilians in the third day of a crackdown, witnesses and doctors say. In the capital, sanaa, tanks and troops have surrounded foreign missions, government offices and the airport. Security launches crackdown on alqaeda in modiya, abyan. Yemen, the united states, and alqaeda institute for policy studies. The real winner in yemens civil war could be alqaeda.
Us closes embassy in yemen amid alqaeda crackdown as part of an unprecedented offensive, yemeni troops seize two of the terrorist groups strongholds in the south by ap and toi staff 8. Foreigners held in yemen crackdown news al jazeera. Al qaeda militants kidnapped 14 yemeni soldiers returning home by bus from duty in eastern yemen on friday and executed them in what officials said was an apparent act of revenge for a. Government crackdown against al qaeda cells began in 2001, escalating steadily until 14 january 2010, when yemen declared open war on al qaeda. Apr 08, 2016 dubaicairo once driven to near irrelevance by the rise of islamic state abroad and security crackdowns at home, al qaeda in yemen now openly rules a ministate with a war chest swollen by an.
Weeks of protests across yemen have brought the 32year rule of president ali abdullah saleh to the verge of collapse. Yemen has declared open war on al qaeda, but multiple conflicts and feeble state control still make the arabian peninsula country a fertile breeding ground for militancy, diplomats and analysts say. Saudi arabias crackdown on al qaeda in 2003 the then security chief prince mohammed bin nayef launched a counter attack that would see a threeyear security crackdown on. It once again flourished following the saudiled military campaign against the houthis in march 2015, peaking in its strength later that year after capturing mukalla, yemen s fifth largest city, in september. The more yemen slips into instability the more it is an invitation for al qaeda to recruit fighters here. Dec 30, 2017 the fight against al qaeda is a different military campaign in a different part of yemen than the one helping fuel the humanitarian disaster gripping the country, most visibly in the west. The 20 sanaa attack occurred on 5 december 20 when a series of bomb and mass shooting gun attacks killed at least 56 people and wounded 162 at the yemeni defense ministry in sanaa, yemen. On friday, aqap posted a video praising the attack on charlie hebdo. Analysisyemen crackdown may not stunt al qaedas appeal. A gripping account of how al qaeda in yemen rebounded from an initial defeat to once again threaten the united states.
Both the us, which closed 20 embassies worldwide on sunday. She is now a lecturer in public and international affairs and the director of. Al qaeda in yemen released a statement through online jihadist forums jan. Feb 07, 2017 days after a raid in yemen led to the first us military combat death under president donald trump, the leader of al qaeda in the arabian peninsula released an audio message taunting the new. Us closes embassy in yemen amid alqaeda crackdown as part of an unprecedented offensive, yemeni troops seize two of the terrorist groups strongholds in the south by ap and toi staff 8 may 2014.
Drone strike in 2011, the cleric continues to inspire attacks in the u. Yemen alqaeda leader alraymi killed by us strike bbc news. As arab leaders finalise the details of a plan for the yemen president to step down, jamal osman looks at how his governments crackdown on al qaeda suspects helped fuel the uprising against him. Al qaeda exploited the security vacuum and in 2015 took control of large parts of land in the south, including al mukalla, yemen s fifthlargest city and a major source of port revenue. Now that al qaeda is operating in libya, yemen, somalia, iraq, and syria, the obama regime promises a crackdown on al qaeda in mali. Al qaeda has long used the arab states remote mountains and deserts as hideouts and training camps sites. Jan 21, 2015 the syriabased terror group isis is active and recruiting inside the middle eastern state of yemen, already a hotbed of terrorist activity, cnn has learned. Qasim alraymi, who has led alqaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap since 2015, is killed in yemen. Video by alqaeda branch takes credit for paris attack. Alqaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap was formed in january 2009 by a merger. The renewed focus on isis distracts from the greater emerging longterm threat posed by al qaeda. Top al qaeda commander believed to be killed in cia drone.
Following is a timeline tracing al qaeda activity in. The group formally known as al qaeda in the arabian peninsula. Al jamaa alislamiya mapping militant organizations. Top yemen bahai figure disappears amid houthi crackdown. The first military actions by the trump administration in yemen bode poorly for the prospect of smartly and effectively countering aqap. The coordinated military operation targeted elements of al qaeda organization and their positions in several areas of modiya district of abyan governorate in a move to hunt down the terrorists in the rugged terrain and rocky cliffs in the estern parts of modiya, where al qaeda used them as hideouts. Al qaeda, the alleged global terrorist organization created by the late ciatrained saudi, osama bin laden, has opened a major new branch in yemen for both yemen and saudi operations. Alqaedas future in a wartorn yemen carnegie endowment for. The scene of a suicide bombing this year in southern yemen, where a branch of al. Al qaeda exploited the security vacuum and in 2015 took control of large parts of land in the south, including al mukalla, yemens fifthlargest city and a major source of port revenue. Aqap was formed in january 2009 from a merger of al qaeda s yemeni and saudi branches. An alarming crackdown on freedom of expression by the transitional government since president ali abdullah saleh was ousted in 2011 shows no sign of easing any time soon. Yemen arrests 8 qaeda suspects, including saudi news.
The syriabased terror group isis is active and recruiting inside the middle eastern state of yemen, already a hotbed of terrorist activity, cnn has learned. Jan 29, 2017 the us has carried out a commando raid on an al qaeda stronghold in central yemen, killing 14 militants, the military says. Jun 04, 2012 aqaps strong ties to the al qaeda core set the group apart from other regional al qaeda nodes. Saudi coalition in yemen working with alqaeda axios. Al qaeda in yemen aqy was the yemeni affiliate of al qaeda, formed in 2000. The movement began to grow on campuses, becoming extremely intertwined in the political proceedings of student groups on campuses around egypt in opposition to sadats political platform, strongly outnumbering leftist. Aug 06, 2018 the saudibacked coalition, which receives u. Yemens security forces have been placed on a state of high alert amid fears of an alqaedalinked attack.
These yemeni aqap leaders were the most active in calling for and directing the. The resilience of al qaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap, despite increased u. During the 1990s, yemen became a central location for militant salafist groups such as aqaps predecessors, including islamic jihad in yemen, army aden abyan and al qaeda in yemen aqy. Us special forces operatives carried out a raid in central yemen on saturday, targeting the house of a suspected leader of al qaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap. The country is also in the middle of a crackdown on al qaeda operatives cnn suspected al qaeda militants killed four yemeni soldiers sunday, the. Alqaida already looked irrelevant after arab spring. Jan 16, 2015 shiite houthi rebels man a checkpoint after driving the local wing of al qaeda from one of its last strongholds in central yemen, at the southern entrance to the city of sanaa, november 15, 2014. Us raid kills seven alqaeda fighters in yemen pentagon says us forces kill seven suspected members of aqap in a ground raid on a compound in marib governorate. Us pounds al qaeda in yemen, but barely dents risk of attack. Quietly, alqaeda offshoots expand in yemen and syria the. Aqap has also capitalised on the instability in yemen in recent years to. A look at al qaida s most lethal branch, yemen s aqap. Western intelligence agencies say alqaeda is using yemen as a base to launch attacks epa the nigerian suspect in that case had studied arabic in the yemeni capital, sanaa.
Sanaa, jan 14 reuters yemen has declared open war on al qaeda, but multiple conflicts and feeble state control still make the arabian peninsula country a fertile breeding ground for militancy, diplomats and analysts say. October 28, 2012 by barenakedislam 12 comments us defense secretary, leon buffoon panetta, has vowed to eliminate the threat from al qaeda. Sep 23, 2015 during the 1990s, yemen became a central location for militant salafist groups such as aqaps predecessors, including islamic jihad in yemen, army aden abyan and alqaeda in yemen aqy. Us closes embassy in yemen amid alqaeda crackdown the. Yemeni vice president abdurabu mansour hadi says the country has expelled 16,000 al qaeda. Despite a subsequent crackdown on islamist militants and radicals by the saudi. Government crackdown against alqaeda cells began in 2001, and reached an escalation point on january 14, 2010 when yemen declared open war on al qaeda. There were many connections between the al qaeda core and yemen, including osama bin laden, whose family immigrated to saudi arabia from eastern yemen in the early part of the 20th century. For now, the united states and al qaeda are in oddly similar positions of warily assessing the course of the unfolding war in yemen and the impact of that conflict on their abilities to proceed. The saudi group had been effectively suppressed by the saudi government, forcing its members to seek sanctuary in yemen.
Analysis egyptian crackdown hands al qaeda new lease of. Al qaeda is pursuing a global strategy of enmeshing its forces in local movements and militias. Jun 11, 2012 the birth of al qaeda for jihad in the arabian peninsula widely known in the west as aqap merged the previously separate al qaeda operations in yemen and saudi arabia under the leadership of yemeni national nasser abdulkarim al wuhaishi going by the name abu baseer, and a saudi deputy, said ali al shahri going by abu sufyan al azadi. Formed in 2009, aqap has carved out a reputation as al qaedas most formidable regional wing with suicide attacks on tourists, diplomats and operations against neighboring saudi arabia. Government crackdown against alqaeda cells began in 2001, and reached an escalation point on january 14, 2010, when yemen declared open war on alqaeda. In yemen, al qaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap seeks to strengthen and build its support base through a focus on the local fight. Yemen has been waging a crackdown on al qaeda with us backing.
How saudi arabias war in yemen has made al qaeda stronger. Far from the battlefields of iraq and afghanistan, the united states and al qaeda are fighting a clandestine war of drones and suicide bombers in an unforgiving corner of arabia. Yemen has boosted its crackdown on al qaeda linked fighters ap. In addition to battling alqaeda across several provinces, yemen was forced to contend with a shia insurgency in the north and militant separatists in the south. Sana, yemen yemeni security forces arrested three suspected al qaeda militants from a cell that the u. Al qaeda militants kidnap, execute 14 offduty yemeni. Alqaedas future in a wartorn yemen carnegie endowment. Iraq arrests number one butcher in alqaeda crackdown. A look at alqaidas most lethal branch, yemens aqap. At al jazeera english, we focus on people and events that affect peoples lives. Propose to split this article to alqaeda insurgency in yemen 19982011 and ansar alsharia insurgency in yemen part of the yemeni crisis 2011present in the consequence of discussion at list of ongoing military conflicts page. And even with the americanborn al awlaki killed by a u. American strategy against al qaeda in the arabian peninsula aqap in yemen relies on local yemeni forces to defeat terrorists and the militias that support them.
Formed in 2009, aqap has carved out a reputation as al qaedas most formidable regional wing with suicide attacks on tourists, diplomats and operations against neighboring saudi arabia, the world. Death of saudi crown prince nayef, who led crackdown on al qaeda, raises questions over succession saudi arabias crown prince nayef bin abdulaziz al. Sep 07, 2014 al qaeda militants kidnapped 14 yemeni soldiers returning home by bus from duty in eastern yemen on friday and executed them in what officials said was an apparent act of revenge for a recent army. Alqaida in yemen has been galvanised into winning local support over recent months by direct us and british support for yemens counterterrorism efforts, according to sources close to the group. Now, with headlines about a terrorist plot to bomb a u. We bring topics to light that often go underreported, listening to all sides of the story and giving a voice to. Fighting al qaeda has been a primary goal of the u. Jan 14, 2015 in a video released on wednesday, al qaeda in the arabian peninsula claimed responsibility for the attack on charlie hebdo in paris last week. Jan 14, 2015 a senior leader of al qaeda s affiliate in yemen claimed responsibility wednesday for last weeks attack on the satirical newspaper charlie hebdo that killed 12 people in paris the group. Jun 04, 2015 beirut alqaeda affiliates are significantly expanding their footholds in syria and yemen, using the chaos of civil wars to acquire territory and increase their influence, according to.
Qasim al raymi, the leader of the al qaeda branch in yemen, is believed to have been killed in a cia airstrike, pompeo condemns the chinese crackdown on uighur muslims. Al qaida in the arabian peninsula was born, with al. Al qaeda urges the syrian opposition not to rely on the west or the arab league for help toppling president bashar al assad. Iraq arrests number one butcher in al qaeda crackdown a fanatical al qaeda terrorist who has been dubbed iraqs number one butcher has been arrested in a police raid. Yemen escalated a crackdown on al qaeda this year, and further stepped up security measures after accusing al qaeda of a june 19 attack on the police intelligence building in the southern city of. Among the dead was a journalist working for the saudi channel al ikhbariya. Yemeni government forces have begun a crackdown against suspected alqaida members and supporters, and a number of armed clashes have ensued. Yemen troops free alqaeda hostages news al jazeera.
Al qaeda crackdown fuelled yemen unrest channel 4 news. Between 200 and 300 al qaeda fighters are believed to be operating in yemen, including foreign veterans of the wars in iraq and afghanistan. Thirtyseven al qaeda militants killed in yemen world. Al jamaa grew as an umbrella group for other organizations, such as the egyptian islamic jihad, following the muslim brotherhoods decision to renounce violence in 1970. The attack came four days after a video was posted on extremist websites showing an al qaeda militant in yemen.
Special forces raid in al bayda governorate, a critical battleground between pro and antihuthi forces, killed a u. Global security crackdown after foiled al qaeda plane bombing. Apr 26, 2011 al qaeda crackdown fuelled yemen unrest as arab leaders finalise the details of a plan for the yemen president to step down, jamal osman looks at how his governments crackdown on al qaeda. But it has played little role in the growing movement to. Sep 11, 2018 getty a man claiming to be an al qaeda member addresses a crowd gathered in yemen s southern province of abyan on december 22, 2009. Yemeni forces capture three al qaeda militants as u.
In addition to battling al qaeda across several provinces, yemen is also contending with shia insurgency in. How the french terrorists were connected to al qaeda, isis. At a time of high democratic rhetoric brought to the region by the arab spring, not much has changed for the south of yemen. Government crackdown against alqaeda cells began in 2001, escalating steadily until 14 january 2010. Understanding yemens al qaeda threat al qaeda in yemen. Jan 06, 2010 the arrests were the latest move in yemen s u. Like al qaeda central, aqap opposes the monarchy of the house of saud. By the early 2000s, aqy had weakened as a result of a declining membership, but saudi arabias crackdown on its own local al qaeda branch prompted many saudi. Oct 19, 2012 aqaps leadership blends saudis al qaeda operatives who fled saudi arabias crackdown in the mid2000s and yemenis including aqaps leader nasser al wahayshi, its military commander qasim al raymi, and its sharia official sheikh abu zubair adil al abab. A history of alqaeda activity in yemen the globe and mail. Its statement yesterday saying the attempted bombing on christmas day was in retaliation. Thriving on conflict, sectarianism, and local opportunism, alqaedas affiliates are stronger than ever in yemen.