Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
تنظيم القاعدة في جزيرة العرب,
Tanẓīm al-Qā‘idah fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab
LeadersNasir al-Wuhayshi † (2009–2015)
Qasim al-Raymi † (2015–20)
Khalid Batarfi# (2020–2024)
Sa'ad bin Atef al-Awlaki (2024–present)
Dates of operationJanuary 2009–present
Merger ofal-Qaeda in Yemen and al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia
Allegiance al-Qaeda
Group(s)
Headquarters
Active regions Saudi Arabia
 Yemen (Mostly)
Ideology
see list
Size
  • 300 (2010, per Yemeni government)[12] [13]
  • 1,000 (2014 estimate)[14]
  • 4,000 (2016 estimate)[17]
  • 6,000–7,000 (2018 estimate)[19]
  • 2,000–3,000 (2024 estimate)[20]
Part of al-Qaeda
Allies
Non-state allies
Opponents
Non-state opponents
State opponents
Designated as a terrorist group by
see list
Preceded by
Al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia
Al-Qaeda in Yemen

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (Arabic: تنظيم القاعدة في جزيرة العرب, romanized: Tanẓīm al-Qā‘idah fī Jazīrat al-‘Arab, lit. 'Organization of the Base 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 is a Sunni Islamist militant organization which seeks to overthrow the Yemeni government and establish an Islamic emirate. Part of the al-Qaeda network, the group is based and primarily active in Yemen, while also conducting operations in Saudi Arabia.[29][30] It is considered the most active of al-Qaeda's affiliates that emerged after the weakening of central leadership.[29]

Established in 2009 as a merger between al-Qaeda in Yemen and al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, the group took advantage of the 2011 Yemeni Revolution to seize and establish several emirates in southern Yemen, including in Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan governorate.[31] After being driven out through a government offensive in 2012, the group returned to an insurgent campaign rather than holding territory.[32][33] AQAP would again capitalize on political turmoil in the country when the Yemeni civil war broke out in 2014. AQAP would reach its territorial peak in 2015, with the group seizing much of southern Hadhramaut governorate, including its capital Mukalla, recapturing their emirates in the south, and establishing a presence across multiple fronts in the civil war against the Houthis, most prominently in Aden, al-Bayda governorate and Taiz.[31] Its strength has since waned due to internal struggles and operations waged against them by multiple parties in the civil war, as well as through an ongoing drone campaign by the United States which has killed many of its senior leaders and members.[31]

In 2011, AQAP created Ansar al-Sharia (Arabic: جماعة أنصار الشريعة, Jamā‘at Anṣār ash-Sharī‘ah, "Group of the Helpers of the Sharia") as a subsidiary organization which would operate exclusively within Yemen. The group was created in order to appeal to youth and their issues within only Yemen and to distance themselves from the reputation attributed to the pan-Islamist al-Qaeda. It was Ansar al-Sharia which established various emirates across southern Yemen, though despite its nominal independence the group is widely understood as being a rebrand or direct extension of AQAP.[34][35] In addition to its activities within the Arabian Peninsula, AQAP has conducted several high-profile attacks in the Western world such as the attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 in 2009, the 2015 Charlie Hebdo shooting,[36] and the 2019 Naval Air Station Pensacola shooting.[37] The group has been designated a terrorist organization by the United Nations, United States, Saudi Arabia, UAE and several other countries.

  1. ^ a b Kendall, Elisabeth (8 September 2021). Cruickshank, Paul; Hummel, Kristina (eds.). "Twenty Years After 9/11: The Jihadi Threat in the Arabian Peninsula" (PDF). CTC Sentinel. 14 (7). West Point, New York: Combating Terrorism Center: 63–75. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)". Counter Extremism Project. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  3. ^ a b "S/2018/705 – E". undocs.org. Archived from the original on 8 August 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Conversation With Terror". Time. January 1999. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Full text: bin Laden's 'letter to America' | World news | Observer.co.uk". TheGuardian.com. 26 August 2013. Archived from the original on 26 August 2013.
  6. ^ [4][5]
  7. ^ "frontline: the terrorist and the superpower: who is bin laden?: interview with osama bin laden (in may 1998)". pbs.org. Archived from the original on 8 May 1999.
  8. ^ "New ISIS and Al-Qaeda propaganda prioritize the US and Jews as targets". Anti-Defamation League. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  9. ^ "ISIS Augments Its Threats Against Israel". Anti-Defamation League. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  10. ^ "Al-Qaeda calls for attacks on Jews and Americans 'everywhere' over Jerusalem". Middle East Eye. Archived from the original on 11 July 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  11. ^ [4][5][7][8][9][10]
  12. ^ "Yemen's al-Qaeda: Expanding the Base". International Crisis Group. 17 February 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  13. ^ "US general Petraeus meets Yemeni president for anti-terrorism talks". France 24. 2 January 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  14. ^ "Country Reports on Terrorism 2014". U.S. Department of State. 19 June 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  15. ^ "Country Reports on Terrorism 2016" (PDF). U.S. Department of State. 19 July 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 May 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  16. ^ Seldin, Jeff (3 March 2017). "Flexing New Authorities, US Military Unleashes Barrage on AQAP". Voice of America. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  17. ^ [15][16]
  18. ^ "AP Investigation: US allies, al-Qaida battle rebels in Yemen". AP News. 28 April 2021. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  19. ^ [3][18]
  20. ^ "Thirty-fourth report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted pursuant to resolution 2734 (2024) concerning ISIL (Da'esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities" (PDF). United Nations Security Council. 22 July 2024. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  21. ^ "Thirty-fourth report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted pursuant to resolution 2734 (2024) concerning ISIL (Da'esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities". United Nations Security Council. 22 July 2024. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022. Alt URL
  22. ^ "Brief: Al-Qaeda Affiliates AQIM and AQAP Show Unity with Eid Statement". The Jamestown Foundation. 28 April 2023. Archived from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  23. ^ "The Paris Attacks Underscore the Deep Threat Still Posed by Al Qaeda". 10 January 2015. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  24. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :76 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  25. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :77 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  26. ^ "Bahrain Terrorist List (Individuals – entities)". Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  27. ^ ANTI MONEY ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING, ANTI-TERRORISM FINANCING AND PROCEEDS OF UNLAWFUL ACTIVITIES ACT 2001Archived 2022-10-09 at Ghost Archive
  28. ^ Designated individuals and organisationsArchived 2018-10-07 at the Wayback Machine
  29. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  30. ^ "Actor Profile: Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula | Yemen Conflict Observatory". ACLED. 31 January 2024. Archived from the original on 21 July 2024. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  31. ^ a b c Carboni, Andrea; Sulz, Matthias (14 December 2020). "The Wartime Transformation of AQAP in Yemen". ACLED. Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  32. ^ Cite error: The named reference :33 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  33. ^ Cite error: The named reference :73 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  34. ^ Zelin, Aaron (21 September 2012). "Know Your Ansar al-Sharia". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  35. ^ Cite error: The named reference :53 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  36. ^ Smith-Spark, Laura (14 January 2015). "What is al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula?". CNN. Archived from the original on 25 March 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  37. ^ Shortell, David; Perez, Evan (18 May 2020). "FBI finds al Qaeda link after breaking encryption on Pensacola attacker's iPhone". CNN. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2024.