Who benefited from the Yemeni war

Who benefited from the Yemeni war

By Abdulwhed Alsomiee

Introduction

The militant Islamist group al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) was formed in January 2009 through a union of the Saudi and Yemeni branches of al-Qaeda, when thousands of mujahedeen returned to Yemen after fighting the Soviet occupation in Afghanistan.

The roots of the organization reach back to the 1990s, when mujahedeen who had been fighting against the Soviets in Afghanistan, including both Yemenis and foreigners whose own countries refused to let them return, resettled in Yemen and were repatriated by the ruling Saleh regime, Osama bin Laden was among a group of foreign Afghan veterans who resettled in Yemen. Bin Laden began training and financing jihadists in the country in the early 1990s, and formed a militant group called Islamic Jihad in Yemen.

AQAP remained highly active. Many Yemenis suspect that the government, in spite of its collaboration with the U.S., also maintained ties with AQAP. This alleged relationship could partly explain its resilience.

The group’s threat is also evident through their propaganda mechanisms, as they have improved recruitment measures through media campaigns. AQAP issues a bimonthly magazine, Sada al-Malahim (“The Echo of Battles”), which is tailored to Yemeni audiences and publishes fatwas and praises jihadists. 

Al-Qa`ida and the Islamic State Benefit as Yemen War Drags On

The conflict in Yemen, which erupted in February and March of 2015, has given AQAP room to expand. From its base in the south and southeast, AQAP has fought against both the sitting government and the Houthi rebels.  In April 2015, AQAP seized an airport and a port on the Gulf of Aden and freed up to 300 members from prison. The withdrawal of American intelligence officers from the country in April 2015 amidst growing security concerns has reduced the number of American drone strikes that prior, had been relatively effective in limiting the group’s movements.  However, facing new enemies in the Houthis and rivals in ISIS affiliates that have joined the fight in Yemen, it remains to be seen whether or not the conflict will continue to benefit AQAP. 

Yemen is in the midst of a bloody and chaotic civil war that benefits both al-Qa`ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the Islamic State. As the war continues, AQAP will attempt to acquire and govern more territory while the Islamic State will seek to further radicalize local populations by grafting an Iraqi-style sectarian war onto the existing conflict.

and the growing civilian death toll is helping both AQAP and Islamic State attract new recruits in Yemen as well as opening up territory into which the groups can expand.

In early April 2015, shortly after Saudi Arabia initiated its bombing campaign in Yemen, AQAP fighters took over the eastern port city of al-Mukalla. They looted banks and military posts,

Both AQAP and the Islamic State are benefiting from the Saudi-led war in Yemen. As Saudi air strikes target Houthi fighters and military units loyal to former President Salih, AQAP can move into the newly cleared territory.

AQAP has also dispatched fighters to conflict zones such as Taiz, where they join the local resistance against the Houthis and make local allies. One of AQAP’s primary goals is to integrate itself into Yemeni society. By fighting the Houthis alongside Yemenis, AQAP is creating new alliances, which its leaders believe will serve them well in the future. AQAP has also tried, although not always successfully, to get Yemen’s tribes to submit to Islamic arbitration. At the same time, the group is also fighting the Saudi-led coalition, which is largely based in the southern port city of Aden. Both AQAP and the local Islamic State affiliate have dispatched fighters to Aden where each group is active in an assassination campaign against top security officials. Prior to the Saudi-led bombing campaign, AQAP appeared to be in trouble. This is no longer the case. The group is acquiring more territory and, once again, is growing.

AQAP’s expansion is unchecked because there is no one on the ground to put any pressure on the organization. What is left of Yemen’s military is too busy fighting other enemies to engage AQAP, and the Saudis are focused on rolling back the Houthis. In the midst of Yemen’s civil war, AQAP is able to pursue more territory and to plot, plan, and launch attacks.

The war is changing that. Almost all sides now see themselves as taking part in a sectarian war, which has only further fractured the country. Saudi Arabia is fighting the Houthis, whom it regards as a Shi`a militia backed by Iran. Both AQAP and the Islamic State are also fighting the Houthis, which the two Sunni groups view as heretics, as well as the Saudi-led coalition. As part of its alliance with Saudi Arabia, the United States is aiding in the war against the Houthis while also targeting AQAP and the Islamic State with drone strikes. In Yemen’s dizzying war, each side has several enemies.

As the killing of the deposed Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh broadens the political fracturing in Yemen and the humanitarian crisis worsens, experts warn the war-torn country could soon become a hotbed for jihadists affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State terrorist groups.

Meanwhile, the al-Qaida branch in Yemen, more commonly known as al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), and its rival, IS, have exploited the turmoil to establish safe havens in the South and carry out deadly attacks throughout the country.

Experts charge the lingering conflict in the country indicates that the likelihood of Yemen transitioning towards a peaceful resolution seems as far away as ever with local factions, supported by regional powers, continuing to compete for influence and extremist groups exploiting the lack of governance in certain parts of the country.

 The Yemeni Foreign Minister Dr Abu Bakr al-Qirbi has said  mentioned that al-Qaeda organization is the biggest beneficiary from the chaos in Yemen,” adding that the organization mobilized its members and attempted to take control of Abyan province in the south. He said the political the crisis in Yemen prepares the suitable climate the extremists and al-Qaeda organization. He said the failure in reaching a political agreement would lead to a catastrophe. 

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