Al-Qaeda in Yemen

(Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) Here's an al-Qaeda terrorist network update from the Saudi Gazette. Arguably, its an oversimplification because it doesn't address the various tribal connections while describing al-Qaeda chiefly as a somewhat cohesive organization rather than a diverse network of individual terrorist cells.

A Saudi citizen, Naif Mohammad Al-Qahtani has been identifed by sources as the leader of the alleged “Al-Qaeda Network in the South of the Arabian Peninsula.” He has been in Yemen for almost one year and is receiving financial support from Iranian and Libyan individuals to finance terrorist operations against Yemen and Saudi Arabia, Al-Watan reported.

No information has been disclosed as to how Iran and Libya are able to funnel money to Al-Qahtani on the south of the Arabian peninsula.

Al-Qahtani, nicknamed within the network “Abou Hammam” runs the Al-Qaeda operations in Yemen, together with the Yemeni national, Nasser Al-Wahishi.

Al-Qahtani, a high-school graduate from southern Saudi Arabia, is thirty-years-old and has a son named Mohammad. Al-Qahtani is wanted by Saudi authorities on terror-related security charges. Six Al-Qaeda detainees provided this information to Yemeni security forces after they were arrested in July.

The sources said Al-Qahtani is responsible for the financing of several terrorist operations targeting Yemeni facilities as well as major sectors, including the attack on Spanish tourists in mid-July.

The sources said that Al-Qahtani has not taken part in the operation but that he was taking refuge, along with two other members of the network, in a mountain shelter adjacent to the Obaidah tribe area close to the Yemeni border with Saudi Arabia.

In a message titled “Come to Yemen” posted in March on Al-Qaeda Web sites, Naif Al-Qahtani called on Al-Qaeda agents present in Saudi Arabia to move to Yemen and that he would worry about financing their move.

The Yemeni authorities are maintaining intensive investigations with two of the members of a terrorist cell in the Hadramout governorate in Yemen following the discovery of a terrorist cell with plans to attack Yemen and Saudi Arabia. The scheme was filed and five of the cell members, notably Hamza Al-Qaeiti, were involved in armed confrontations with Yemeni anti-terror forces.

The sources confirmed that preliminary interrogations of Yemeni nationals Mohsen Saleh Al-Akbari and Mohammad Sa’id Ahmad Baowaidan, both members of the Tarim cell who were shot and subsequently arrested, revealed details on the terrorist plans for attacks in Saudi Arabia and Yemen against oil, tourism and economic facilities.

Members of the network were being urged to carry out attacks on western interests in Yemen by the commander of Al-Qaeda of the region as well as enlist new recruits after the calm in the last two years.

Yemen was selected as the newest hideout for Al-Qaeda after several of its safe houses in the Kingdom were raided by security officials.

Newest hideout, eh? From the report, one might get the impression that al-Qaeda is akin to Butch Cassidy's Hole In The Wall Gang, being chased across the desert. Nevertheless, according to the Saudis, pressure on al-Qaeda in the Kingdom is forcing the terrorists to run for cover in Yemen.

Also: The Jawa Report