Yemen: Fallout from the al-Awlaki Airstrike
U.S.-born Yemeni cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, an ideologue and spokesman for
al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), al Qaeda’s franchise in Yemen,
was killed in a Sept. 30 airstrike directed against a motorcade near
the town of Khashef in Yemen’s al-Jawf province. The strike, which
occurred at 9:55 a.m. local time, reportedly was conducted by a U.S.
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and may have also involved fixed-wing
naval aircraft. Three other men were killed in the strike, one of whom
was Samir Khan, the creator and editor of AQAP’s English-language
magazine Inspire.
Al-Awlaki has been targeted before; in fact, he had been declared dead on at least two occasions. The first time followed a December 2009 airstrike in Shabwa province, and the second followed a May 5 airstrike, also in Shabwa. In light of confirmation from the U.S. and Yemeni governments and from statements made by al-Awlaki’s family members, it appears that he is indeed dead this time. We anticipate that AQAP soon will issue an official statement confirming the deaths of al-Awlaki and Khan.
As STRATFOR noted Sept. 30, the deaths of both al-Awlaki and Khan can be expected to greatly hamper AQAP’s efforts to radicalize and equip English-speaking Muslims. The group may have other native English speakers, but individuals who possess the charisma and background of al-Awlaki or the graphics and editorial skills of Khan are difficult to come by in Yemen. The al Qaeda franchise’s English-language outreach is certain to face a significant setback. Read more »
Al-Awlaki has been targeted before; in fact, he had been declared dead on at least two occasions. The first time followed a December 2009 airstrike in Shabwa province, and the second followed a May 5 airstrike, also in Shabwa. In light of confirmation from the U.S. and Yemeni governments and from statements made by al-Awlaki’s family members, it appears that he is indeed dead this time. We anticipate that AQAP soon will issue an official statement confirming the deaths of al-Awlaki and Khan.
As STRATFOR noted Sept. 30, the deaths of both al-Awlaki and Khan can be expected to greatly hamper AQAP’s efforts to radicalize and equip English-speaking Muslims. The group may have other native English speakers, but individuals who possess the charisma and background of al-Awlaki or the graphics and editorial skills of Khan are difficult to come by in Yemen. The al Qaeda franchise’s English-language outreach is certain to face a significant setback. Read more »
Dispatch: Al Shabaab Claims Somali Explosion
Analyst Mark Schroeder examines al Shabaab — the Somali jihadist group
that has claimed the attack in Mogadishu — and its tactics in furthering
its jihadist ideology. Watch the Video »
