CTC Sentinel. Volume 3, Number 11-12, November 2010
Abstract
Al-qa`ida in the arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is currently the most successful of the three al-Qa`ida affiliates operating in the Arab world. Unlike its sibling partners, AQAP has neither been plagued by internecine conflicts nor has it clashed with its tribal hosts. It has also launched two major terrorist attacks against the U.S. homeland that were only foiled by a combination of luck and the help of foreign intelligence agencies. AQAP has avoided many of the domestic battles that weakened other al-Qa`ida affiliates by pursuing a shrewd strategy at home in Yemen. The group has sought to focus its efforts on its primary enemies--the Yemeni and Saudi governments, as well as the United States--rather than distracting itself by combating minor domestic adversaries that would only complicate its grand strategy. Some analysts have argued that this stems from the lessons the group learned from al-Qa`ida's failed campaigns in countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq. While true to some extent, AQAP's policies are more the result of the realities it faces in a constricting Yemeni theater.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA536131
Entities
Organizations
- United States Military Academy