A year ago, the Saudi and Yemeni affiliates of Al-Qaeda merged into Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The weakness of central authority in Yemen made it an attractive area of operation for Saudi members of al-Qaeda. Coupled with a more permissive governing authority and a long history of social conservatism and Islamic militancy, Yemen has become a safe haven for al-Qaeda to plot terrorist operations. In order to address the resurgence of al-Qaeda in Yemen and elsewhere, “the US and international community need to pay attention to conditions that give safe haven and refuge to al-Qaeda,” suggests Christopher Boucek. While a short term strategy that kills or captures known al-Qaeda operatives is necessary, Boucek contends that the international community must “pay attention to countries all over the world where central authority is eroding which gives rise to al-Qaeda safe havens.”
For many years, the U.S.-Yemeni relationship was solely focused on security, largely to the detriment of both Yemen and the United States. However, in the last six months increased attention has been paid not only to the security concerns Yemen faces, but also the abject economic privations the country faces. Moreover, the multitude of Yemeni detainees in Guantanamo Bay presents a challenge for the administration. Without an established rehabilitation program, like the one in Saudi Arabia, recidivism rates for detainees will be markedly high. Programs that take a comprehensive approach to counterterrorism are needed to ensure that former detainees do not reintegrate into extremist organizations.
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Making the Next Bin Laden
Over the past eight years, al-Qaeda has experienced a metamorphosis. The man now poised to succeed Osama bin Laden, and the embodiment of the “New Al-Qaeda Man,” is Shaykh Abu Yahya al-Libi, who has enjoyed a meteoric rise into the senior ranks of al-Qaeda and has been integral in recalibrating al-Qaeda.