Nasir al Wuhayshi, who is the emir of AQAP as well as al Qaeda’s general manager, has released a poem praising Ayman al Zawahiri as the “Sheikh father.” A video from two leading AQAP ideologues decrying the “slander” of jihadist leaders was released shortly afterwards. Al Qaeda members are trumpeting the messages as rebuttals to the Islamic State and its newly announced caliphate.
In a court filing earlier this week, the US government argued that the only suspect in custody for the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya should remain in pretrial detention. Prosecutors cited his “extensive contacts” with senior members of other jihadist organizations and plans for additional attacks as reasons to keep him behind bars as he awaits trial.
Ahmed Abu Khattalah is the first suspect in the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi to be held by the US. Most of his accomplices remain free.
The UN cites Boko Haram’s relationship with al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) as a reason for adding the Nigerian group to the al Qaeda sanctions list. Previous designations and formal announcements by the US also recognized Boko Haram’s ties to AQIM. Documents found in Osama bin Laden’s compound reportedly showed contacts between the group and al Qaeda’s senior leadership.
A video of Nasir al Wuhayshi, al Qaeda’s general manager, has sparked renewed interest in the media. Wuhayshi threatens the US in the video. His “core” leadership role gives him influence across al Qaeda’s international network.
A video released by the Al Nusrah Front stars Abu Sulayman al Muhajir, a jihadist ideologue who serves as a sharia official in the group. Sulayman discusses al Qaeda’s organizational scheme and hierarchy, as well as the ongoing conflict with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham (ISIS).
AQAP’s latest edition of Inspire magazine purports to show jihadists how to make car bombs similar to the one used by Faisal Shahzad, who was responsible for the failed May 2010 bombing in Times Square.
Yemeni security forces foiled an attempted strike on an Aden oil refinery by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula operatives, and arrested 27 suspects.
A newly released report by the Senate Intelligence Committee notes that terrorists “affiliated” with al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the Muhammad Jamal Network, and Ansar al Sharia took part in the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya.
In a July report warning of “new and more complex operations in Kenya,” the UN also identified an al Qaeda operative who has been entrusted by Ayman al Zawahiri to train Somalis and other African recruits. The operative, known as “Hassan,” has also reportedly trained Boko Haram fighters.
Bloomberg News reported that Ayman al Zawahiri communicated with “other regional terrorist commanders” as well as the head of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Zawahiri’s communications are what led the US to shutter more than 20 diplomatic facilities.
The Daily Beast reports that a conference call involving “more than 20 al Qaeda operatives” is what prompted the closing of more than 20 US diplomatic facilities.
Nasir al Wuhayshi, the emir of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, has been appointed the overall general manager of al Qaeda. Osama bin Laden’s letters contain a description of the general manager’s role.
Ansar al Sharia Tunisia has released a DVD honoring Said al Shihri, who was killed in a US drone strike. The group has used social media to honor al Shihri before.
A Yemeni official cited in an account by the Yemen Times earlier this month said that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is rebuilding its presence in Jaar after losing control of the city.