Christopher Boucek: Yemen ... Ten Years After the USS Cole Bombing
[Christopher Boucek is an associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and editor of the book, Yemen on the Brink.]
Ten years ago, a U.S. Navy destroyer was bombed while refueling in the Yemeni port of Aden. The suicide attack killed seventeen American sailors and injured thirty-nine. Since the strike, the danger originating out of Yemen has only grown. While Osama bin Laden and other top U.S. targets continue to hide in Pakistan, al-Qaeda in Yemen is now even more dangerous than the central group. On the brink of collapse, Yemen is a nearly perfect haven for terrorists and the West must respond—but exclusively focusing on counterterrorism will only increase the risk for the United States.
American analysts now consider al-Qaeda's affiliate organization in Yemen a more pressing threat to U.S. national security than the central leadership as the Yemen-based outfit is increasingly agile and looking for opportunities to strike abroad. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was officially announced in January 2009 following the merger of the affiliates in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The group aims to use Yemen as a base for training and to plot, plan, and launch operations at home and abroad. While al-Qaeda in Yemen modeled itself on the original outfit, it's autonomous and doesn't take direction from bin Laden.
Strategically located between Saudi Arabia and Somalia—connecting the separate but interconnected regions of the Arabian Peninsula and Horn of Africa—Yemen has a long history of extremism and terrorism. Coming from a religious and conservative country, a large number of Yemenis fought against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s and before September 11 Yemenis reportedly made up the second-largest group in al-Qaeda training camps. Al-Qaeda's first strike on American targets took place in Yemen almost 20 years ago and ever since the attempted terrorist attack on the flight bound for Detroit in December last year, Yemen is on everyone's map.
Despite Western security assistance and the clandestine use of U.S. air strikes, al-Qaeda is surging in Yemen. There has been a noticeable uptick in attacks within the country in recent years. Its primary targets are foreigners, energy infrastructure and the Yemeni security services mounting their own operations against the group.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula faces much less pressure than al-Qaeda's senior leadership in South Asia. While the large U.S. military presence in Afghanistan and aggressive drone campaign in Pakistan has put the central leadership on the defensive, there is no public U.S. military presence in Yemen. With more freedom to operate, the group poses an imminent threat to the West...
Read entire article at National Interest
Ten years ago, a U.S. Navy destroyer was bombed while refueling in the Yemeni port of Aden. The suicide attack killed seventeen American sailors and injured thirty-nine. Since the strike, the danger originating out of Yemen has only grown. While Osama bin Laden and other top U.S. targets continue to hide in Pakistan, al-Qaeda in Yemen is now even more dangerous than the central group. On the brink of collapse, Yemen is a nearly perfect haven for terrorists and the West must respond—but exclusively focusing on counterterrorism will only increase the risk for the United States.
American analysts now consider al-Qaeda's affiliate organization in Yemen a more pressing threat to U.S. national security than the central leadership as the Yemen-based outfit is increasingly agile and looking for opportunities to strike abroad. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was officially announced in January 2009 following the merger of the affiliates in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The group aims to use Yemen as a base for training and to plot, plan, and launch operations at home and abroad. While al-Qaeda in Yemen modeled itself on the original outfit, it's autonomous and doesn't take direction from bin Laden.
Strategically located between Saudi Arabia and Somalia—connecting the separate but interconnected regions of the Arabian Peninsula and Horn of Africa—Yemen has a long history of extremism and terrorism. Coming from a religious and conservative country, a large number of Yemenis fought against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s and before September 11 Yemenis reportedly made up the second-largest group in al-Qaeda training camps. Al-Qaeda's first strike on American targets took place in Yemen almost 20 years ago and ever since the attempted terrorist attack on the flight bound for Detroit in December last year, Yemen is on everyone's map.
Despite Western security assistance and the clandestine use of U.S. air strikes, al-Qaeda is surging in Yemen. There has been a noticeable uptick in attacks within the country in recent years. Its primary targets are foreigners, energy infrastructure and the Yemeni security services mounting their own operations against the group.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula faces much less pressure than al-Qaeda's senior leadership in South Asia. While the large U.S. military presence in Afghanistan and aggressive drone campaign in Pakistan has put the central leadership on the defensive, there is no public U.S. military presence in Yemen. With more freedom to operate, the group poses an imminent threat to the West...