Posts
Posted by:
Farea Al-Muslimi
Monday, September 7, 2015 | http://carnegieendowment.org/
In mid-June, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) announced the assassination of its leader Nasir al-Wuhayshi
in a drone strike on the city of al-Mukalla. This is the most severe
blow suffered by AQAP since its establishment by Wuhayshi and Saudi
member Said al-Shahri in 2009, when the two men merged the Yemeni and
Saudi branches of al-Qaeda into a single group. The assassination
occurred as a Saudi-led international coalition continued
operations in Yemen. Weeks later, Abu Hajer al-Hadrami, al-Qaeda’s
famous religious singer, was also killed in a similar drone strike, one
of many that have led to the death of several prominent AQAP leaders.Wuhayshi’s assassination may represent a turning point for AQAP. In its obituary announcing Wuhayshi’s death, AQAP was keener on explaining the details of Qasim al-Rimi’s appointment—as Wuhayshi’s successor and new leader of the group—by members of the AQAP’s Shura Council than on clarifying the circumstances of his predecessor’s killing. The successor’s appointment took place remarkably quickly in a meeting of “as many Shura people as possible” according to the statement, seemingly anticipating objections from within to Rimi’s appointment by explaining the difficult circumstances under which the choice was made. http://carnegieendowment.org/syriaincrisis/?fa=61210&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRons6TKZKXonjHpfsX57uQsW6Sg38431UFwdcjKPmjr1YIITsp0aPyQAgobGp5I5FEIQ7XYTLB2t60MWA%3D%3D
No comments:
Post a Comment