Segment IX – To Inspire An Insurrection (Chapter 37 – Extrajudicial Execution)

In the final chapter of this Segment, we delve deeper into the frantic battle between the Yemenis and AQAP in Abyan. We begin with another series of embarrassments to the Yemeni government, including prison breaks, further losses, and the glaring need for US assistance. We conclude with the status of the newest Saudi wanted list, and the examine how the US drone strikes increased in frequency leading to a startling reality in the form of extrajudicial execution.

For the entirety of the Series, please see – https://chroniclesinzealotry.com/fugitives-of-the-peninsula/

Embarrassments

In Yemen, the fighting since early June 2011 and the Waeli/Harithi assassinations had been vicious.  As the Yemeni government dealt with protests and armed conflict in their own capital due to the Arab Spring, the jihadists were holding their significant gains and ground in the South [1,2].  Amid suggestions that Saleh was fomenting the AQAP offensive in order to force the US into solidifying their support of his regime, the jihadists had established via Ansar al-Shariah, the entity declared as the Islamic Emirate of Abyan [1].  Also, in early June, President Ali Saleh was badly wounded in an assassination attempt which will be discussed in the next Segment [2].  Yemen was rapidly descending towards chaos and the Yemeni military elements figuratively trapped between the feuding parties in Sanaa were left in a fierce fight against the militants [1].  While AQAP was not claiming clear responsibility for all of the Zinjibar fighting, the militants within were declaring allegiance to Ansar al-Shariah, the group that would eventually become synonymous with Nasir al-Wuhaishi’s network [1,3].  As mentioned, Ansar al-Shariah was just AQAP’s effort to convince people to join them due to strict religious interpretation and public service while distancing itself from the violence which had defined them [3].  AQAP had also become increasingly active in other districts as well, such as Mudiah and Lawdar, in addition to Jaar and Zinjibar [1].  The Islamists, who had previously depended on the tribes and their allegiance in order to survive were now fighting with not just Yemeni recruits, tribal recruits, and original members but with significant back up from foreign jihadists filtering into the conflict.  Some tribes continued to harbor, protect, and support militants, but others were starting to join in the fight against them [1].  Yemen was spiraling towards disaster.  Militants continued to attack the military and police, as well as their reinforcements even as Yemeni military elements prepared an offensive to retake Zinjibar [4]. 

Meanwhile, a major incident occurred in the port city of Mukallah, Hadhramout province on June 22, 2011 [5].  A total of 62 prisoners escaped from prison by attacking guards, seizing their weapons and gaining their freedom in a well prepared operation [5].  The 62 prisoners included 57 jihadists and were assisted by extremist forces on the outside that fired upon the guards in an effort to divert their attention away from the escapees [5].  In total, at least one guard was killed in the event [5].  Later two of the escapees were arrested and three killed in quick fashion by security forces [5].  This however, still left over 50 militants free to resume their war.  Frighteningly, this total included the entire 16 man cell tried for being members of Hamza al-Quayti’s YSB Tarim cell [5,6].  Thus the two men who survived the engagement that killed Quayti, Mohamed al-Bawaydan and Ali al-Akbari, were again free [6].  The incident also unleashed Tarim cell detainee Abdullah Ali Bawazir, a Yemeni with Saudi nationality who factored into a propaganda video made about the escape [7,8].  Another was Khalid Muslim Batis, also of the Tarim cell, who had himself been sentenced to death [7].  This new influx of militants would only strengthen AQAP in the region and their fight for the south.  But nowhere was this fight more intense than Zinjibar.

As mentioned, the 25^th Mechanized Brigade was the primary Yemeni military unit not to retreat from Zinjibar and was held up in the city surrounded by their enemy.  They were left to fight against the extremists until assistance arrived.  In one battle, on July 3, over 40 militants were reported killed by the 25^th Mechanized Brigade, as they attacked a military position in a fierce engagement [9,10].  Yemeni military officials immediately stated that this incident resulted in the death of Walid Ali Mishafi al-Assiri (E-83), who had been one of Abdulaziz al-Jasser’s AQAP operators in northern Yemen during 2009 [9,11].  The wanted Saudi had worked for Aramco before fleeing his job and joining the jihadists in Yemen during 2006, presumably after the prison escape of Wuhaishi [10].  The Saudis immediately reached out to Yemen to confirm the death of Assiri, yet received no rapid confirmation [10].  Assiri, known as Abu Khalid al-Assiri, had a life of jihadist exploits and had been close with Naif al-Qahtani, having traveled to Yemen with him and been involved in plots against oil infrastructure together [12,13].  He even wrote Qahtani’s eulogy in the fourth issue of “Martyrs of the Peninsula,” lamenting that he believed he would have been the one to die first [14].  Asiri was also close to Ibrahim al-Asiri, and had been responsible for operations in Hadhramout province before heading an assassination cell in Abyan that eventually would seed devastating results [15].  Eventually, it was Walid al-Assiri who was eulogized by his fellow extremists and his life commended [15].  In May 2013, AQAP’s media outlet announced that Assiri was killed in a US missile strike in July 2011, matching the time of his reported death [15].  Assiri’s death being confirmed in such a way shows that the US was in fact already launching strikes in order to assist the Yemeni forces trying to desperately hold out against AQAP.  Although President Barack Obama had resisted large scale military attacks, he had conceded to allowing military and vital supplies to be air-dropped to the Yemeni forces attempting to defend the city [16].  Airstrikes meanwhile were conducted in small amounts by the Saudis and Americans as AQAP and the 25^th Brigade decimated the city around them [16].  The surrounding areas were continuing to fare poorly as well.  In Lawdar in early July, AQAP militants ambushed a military convoy, brutally murdering ten soldiers and retaining their influence over the area [9].   

A Yemeni Counter

Eventually, the Yemenis launched an operation to retake Zinjibar by July 17 which was followed by intense fighting and losses on each side [1,17].  The Yemenis announced that on July 20 they had managed to kill the important AQAP captain Ayedh al-Shabwani (cousin of the deceased deputy governor of Marib [18]) and his cousin Awad Mohamed Saleh al-Shabwani in the fighting [1,17].  In the eighth issue of Inspire, AQAP acknowledged the loss of Ayedh al-Shabwani and stated that he was killed when he and his men were gunned down by an attack helicopter while fighting in Zinjibar [19].  Shabwani was named as Ayedh Saleh Mohamed al-Abidi, while his exploits as a notable fighter and his role as the Yemeni government focal point of the Battle of Marib were referenced [19].  By July 30, Brigadier General Ahmed Awad Hassan al-Marmi, commander of the Yemeni forces attempting the liberation, was dead as well [1].  Tribesmen reported for fighting alongside of the Yemeni military, although at this point the jihadists had more than enough soldiers to put up a fierce resistance [1].  

On July 25 for instance, AQAP launched a major attack in Aden, where a suicide bomber drove a pickup truck into an armored military convoy departing an encampment and detonated a massive explosion [20,21,22].  The convoy was on its way to join other Yemeni military forces in the battles in and around Zinjibar, reinforcing the 25^th Mechanized Brigade [21].  Disturbingly, the violence was picking up in Aden now, as the situation in the south spiraled out of control [20,21].  Most importantly perhaps was the identity of the suicide bomber.  He was Turki Saad Mohamed Qalis al-Shahrani (F-8), the man declared wanted by the Saudis in their January 2011 List F release and by the Yemenis the October before [22,23].  The young militant was described as an explosives expert, and dedicated jihadi [21,22].  As such, at least nine soldiers were killed by Shahrani’s act [21,22].  He was the first List F member confirmed killed and was later profiled in the eleventh issue of “Martyrs of the Peninsula,” as Abu al-Batar al-Janubi [24].  The death of Shahrani showed that AQAP was willing to go to great lengths and sacrifice to maintain control of Zinjibar. 

Propaganda and Recruitment

Amidst the fighting in Zinjibar, Samir Khan and AQAP released the sixth issue of Inspire in July [25].  Needless to say, the issue focused on the death of Osama bin Laden.  In a “letter from the editor,” a jihadist identified as Yahya Ibrahim wrote apologetically about the delay in publication, and described both the successes of the Abyan campaign while acknowledging AQAP losses [25].  Importantly, Yahya Ibrahim reaffirmed the AQAP stance with new al-Qaida emir Ayman al-Zawahiri [25].  The senior staff of Inspire now included Yahya Ibrahim, whose real name and nationality were unknown.  He apparently worked alongside of Samir Khan as an editor of the magazine from its conception onward, with his articles appearing in the publications [26].  Analysts believed that Ibrahim was not only fluent in English, but had probably lived in the US [26]. 

The English proficient AQAP members were not restricted to just Ibrahim and Khan.  Minh Quang Pham, a British national of Vietnamese descent, joined the terror outfit in late 2010 after flying to the theatre from London [27].  Upon arrival, he participated in weapons training and swore an oath of allegiance to the group.  He became closely acquainted with both Khan and Awlaki, receiving further explosives training and instruction.  Awlaki directed the young man to detonate a bomb crafted from household materials at Heathrow International Airport, targeting Americans and Israelis.  Furthermore, Pham used his experience obtaining college degrees in graphics and animation, in order to assist Khan with Inspire [27].  Pham appears in a photograph in the magazine, proudly holding an assault rifle for the visualization of yet another article written by Awlaki [27].  Pham was also ordered to help recruit for the cause in Britain as well as perpetrate attacks, but for the moment the group was content with utilizing him for their propaganda [27]. 

That being said, Khan and Ibrahim’s efforts in the sixth issue of their magazine not only eulogized bin Laden but provided stories for several other “martyrs” as well [25].  They included the aforementioned Ammar al-Waeli, Abu Ali al-Harithi, Abu Fawaz al-Maribi and another important member killed fighting in Abyan named Ali Saleh Farhan, who perished around the same time as Harithi [25,28].  While Ali Saleh Farhan died from bullet wounds, the next eulogized militant, Sami al-Dali (Abu Hatim al-Sanaani), who was a militant trainer described as a trusted confidant of Wuhaishi, was supposedly killed committing a suicide bombing in Hudaydah [25].  Finally, Abu Hashim al-Sanaani was a close associate of Fawaz al-Maribi and died shortly after him during the Zinjibar fighting [25].   

Rampant Strikes

Meanwhile, the US kept up their drone campaign through the summer in their ever increasing fervor to kill Awlaki.  Because of the intensity of the battle, it was difficult to distinguish between explosions from heated fighting, Yemeni military strikes, and US military or drone strikes through the summer of 2011.  As mentioned, it was reported that drone strikes/missile strikes were rampant at the time, but it remains unconfirmed.  The CIA was reported though to be preparing its own drone program to be extended into Yemen [29,30].  With the CIA involved, the strikes could be commenced in a less restricted manner than the attacks thus far conducted by Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) with CIA support [30].  Even if the Yemeni government no longer approved of military strikes, the CIA could conduct their operations independently and “covertly [30].”  These reports, which came in June, coincided with some of the harshest fighting in Zinjibar.  In fact, by late June, the Yemenis announced over 100 of their soldiers had perished and that reinforcement units had retreated, in what was no doubt from severe militant pressure [31].  With this dire situation in mind, US military aid and strikes, coupled with the coming CIA strikes, no doubt played a vital role in allowing for the Yemenis to attempt retaking the city in mid-July.  Not every missile launched found its intended target though, as for example on June 10, a drone strike aimed at the AQAP official overseeing Jaar, Nadir al-Shadadi, decimated his residence, failing to kill him, but ending the lives of his father, mother, and sister [32,33,34].  Although multiple drone strikes were reported, the first ones of import after the Waeli/Harithi assassination were conducted on July 14, 2011 [35].  In the first attack, militants had taken over a police station in the Wadia district of Abyan province [35].  After the fighting ceased, and while the militants were resting, the airstrike occurred and killed at least eight fighters inside including the squad’s leader identified as Hadi Mohamed Ali [35].  Next, a vehicle traveling to Zinjibar was destroyed by a US drone on the very same day [36].  Just prior to the attack, senior AQAP militant Fahd al-Quso exited the vehicle [35,36].  Quso fled and remained unharmed in the Americans’ endeavor to end his life. 

By July 27, an interesting report was made by the Yemenis.  An airstrike in Zinjibar had killed men described as senior AQAP militants during very fierce fighting [37,38].  One of the militants was named as Abdullah Farraj al-Juwair (E-46), the important AQAP member that had been operating out of Hadhramout, as the commander of forces in that province [37].  Juwair was listed as one of at least seventeen militants killed in Zinjibar on July 27 amidst severe fighting and air raids [37].  As the reader may remember, Juwair had been arrested by the Yemenis exactly one year before but was never extradited to Saudi custody.  Whether or not Juwair remained in custody for long has never been confirmed, but with his participation in the battle for Zinjibar, and his description as commander of Hadhramout, he had apparently been quickly released [37].  Strangely, Juwair’s kunya was listed in the reports as Ibrahim al-Najdi, while the Saudi Interior Ministry listed his alias as Abu Awad al-Yemeni [37,39].  However, it should be noted that some militants operate under numerous names at different times.  Someone with the kunya Ibrahim al-Najdi was reported killed in the December 2009 strike on al-Majalah [40].  While this turned out to be a man named Mohamed al-Tharan, the use of Juwair’s supposed kunya coupled with the theory that Naif al-Qahtani was killed in the same strike could account for the initial belief that two List E members had perished at al-Majalah [12,41]. 

Juwair’s death in Abyan was later confirmed by AQAP itself in a unique release.  The communique read like a court document and described the proceedings against alleged local Yemeni spies who, according to AQAP, had placed tracking devices on militant vehicles in Abyan [38].  The town of Jaar had been declared a municipality in the Islamic Emirate of Waqar by AQAP and the so-called judgment of these men originated therein [38].  The document lists victims of air strikes and levels death against three named spies.  Two of the spies were convicted for placing a chip on Juwair’s car, which led to his eventual death via drone strike [38].  Confirmed killed in the vehicle with Juwair was Saleh al-Aqili, the brother of Hassan al-Aqili (Fawaz al-Maribi) [37,38].  Lastly, the well-known AQAP commander Ali Said Jamil al-Obaidi was killed in the same incident [37,38,42].  The militant known as Muwahid al-Maribi, who had survived the errant US drone strike which killed Jabir al-Shabwani, was finally dead [42,43].  AQAP eulogized him in the eighth issue of Inspire [19].  The magazine focused on Muwahid al-Maribi the warrior, one of the organization’s original members upon implanting in Yemen [19].  The eulogy was of a man who had fought in the Battle of Marib, and had eventually commanded AQAP forces in that province before going on to help lead forces in the Abyan offensive [19].  Another of the important militants the spies in Jaar were charged with helping to kill was named Ali Mubarak Firas al-Jahmi [21].  Known as Abu Osama this jihadist had fought in Afghanistan, became a commander within AQAP, and was also killed by a missile strike to his car [21,44].  Specifically, he and his men were reported to have been killed in the same engagement against the 25^th Mechanized Brigade which resulted in the death of Walid al-Assiri [44]. The ongoing strikes resulted in AQAP losing some of their most capable commanders.  In addition to Yemeni men like Ali Said Jamil al-Obaidi leading the charge in Abyan, the Saudi wanted list members were shown to be finding significant roles within the offensive.  Other Saudis from the lists would find more peaceful roles to play in the overall story of the most wanted.

Saudi Surrenders

August and September 2011 saw List F be decreased in size.  First on August 3, a spokesman of the Saudi Interior Ministry announced the surrender of Abdulsalam Abdulaziz Rashid al-Farraj (F-23) [45,46].  Before notifying Saudi authorities, the militant previously contacted his family and expressed his desire to return home [46].  Through the work of his family and the Saudi Interior Ministry the man was brought home that early August day and placed into custody [45,46].  As was customary, he was allowed to meet with his family [46].  It is also important to note that the surrender occurred during the holy month of Ramadan which may have given his family some leverage in convincing him to surrender [46].  The Interior Ministry did not detail where Farraj had been fighting or what crimes he had been involved in [45,46].  His brother Abdulrahman Abdulaziz al-Farraj (F-20) remained at large, and as mentioned was a member of AQAP.  Therefore it may be safe to assume that Abdulsalam himself surrendered from Yemen. 

Next on August 24, the Saudis announced that they had received two addition militants who chose to surrender themselves peacefully [47].  The Saudis did not immediately identify the men but said they had been allowed to reunite with family members prior to being taken into custody [47].  The two men had been fighting for al-Qaida in the FATA of Pakistan, and the Pakistani security services were obviously also involved in acquiring the men for their surrender [47].  Even though the militants were not named, a cross reference of the Saudi Interior Ministry’s website revealed that the two newest Saudi most wanted who had been taken into custody via surrender were Amir Sulaiman al-Ali (F-32) and Mateb Said al-Amri (F-38) [39]. A similar press issuance by Brigadier General Mansur al-Turki on September 18, 2011, revealed the surrender of wanted militant Mujab Mohamed Jamal al-Qahtani (F-43) to Saudi authorities from abroad [48].  Qahtani decided to give up his fight in whichever foreign theatre he dwelled after having contacted his family and expressing the desire to come home [48].

Assisting The Yemeni Offensive

In Yemen, the JSOC airstrike and drone campaign continued through August.  US drones were next reported to have struck a series of jihadist positions around Zinjibar on August 1, again possibly in conjunction with Yemeni airstrikes, which led to the deaths of at least fifteen militants [49,50].  Nadir al-Shadadi, the purported AQAP governing official of Jaar was briefly considered dead in the strikes, which targeted Khamila, Abyan province amidst other locales; Shadadi survived [51,52,53].  Although several more airstrikes occurred through August, the most significant ones, and the ones to be directly attributed to the US, occurred on August 31 and September 1 [54].  In these actions, the US military was able to strike jihadist positions in order to free the besieged and struggling 25^th Mechanized Brigade in Zinjibar [54].  At least 30 Islamist fighters were killed and allowed the Yemenis to prepare for a final push back through Zinjibar.  Following this, on September 10, Yemen’s 119^th Brigade, alongside of  the 31^st and 201^st Brigades marched into Zinjibar, retaking portions of the city from AQAP and relieving the 25^th Mechanized Brigade after their months long ordeal [55].  The 119^th was now loyal to General Ali Muhsin al-Ahmar and led the charge to drive out the militants [55].  As the Yemeni military worked to consolidate control over the city, they were able to count their losses from the siege and battle.  In addition to 50 tribal fighters attached to the government, the dead included 230 Yemeni soldiers [56].  This push to free Zinjibar was successful for the Yemenis when compared to the rest of the campaign since late May.  The previous attempt mentioned, in mid-July, for Yemeni forces to retake Zinjibar had failed by July 26, as AQAP repelled the advances of the 119^th and 31^st Brigades [57].  As those forces fled, AQAP acquired much of their weaponry and put the 25^th Mechanized Brigade back under siege [57].  Now that the city and the 25^th were relieved, the successful September military takeover could not only be attributed to US and Saudi airstrikes, but also to an AQAP issuance from Qasim al-Rimi, ordering his men to retreat [16].  With that being said, others in the Yemeni military stated that AQAP still retained control over sections of the city, foreshadowing more battles to come [56].  As such, AQAP and militants continued to respond, attacking and killing soldiers through the south as well as continuing to attempt assassinations [4].  Yet for the time being, the battle for Zinjibar was over, as the military now controlled portions of the devastated city amidst scattered fighting [55].  Jaar and other areas of Abyan remained under AQAP governance [56].  While beaten back, the paramilitary force of AQAP was not thoroughly defeated by any means. 

While AQAP had been focused on fighting their guerilla war, they never ceased using the tactic of suicide bombings, as was evidenced by the Turki al-Shahrani attack.  His was not the last suicide bombing conducted by AQAP during the summer, yet the next focused again on the Houthis in the north.  According to an AQAP announcement on September 12, 2011, the suicide bomber was known as Abu Bakr Mohamed al-Najdi (suggesting he was a Saudi), and he had managed to kill over 100 Houthis [58].  The Houthi leadership was meeting in Jawf province on August 15, when the bomber drove his vehicle into the gathering and detonated [58,59].  The Yemeni press reported only two deaths, while AQAP seemed to be greatly exaggerating their successes again [58,59]. 

Car bombings continued with an attack on a military outpost near Aden on September 3, which left six soldiers dead [60].  Yemeni Defense Minister General Mohamed Nasir Ahmed survived another such attack on September 27 which targeted his convoy in Aden [61].  These instances further proved AQAP was a viable and capable adversary still, and thus the US continued to target their forces. 

The US fired upon al-Mahfad village in Abyan with a purported drone strike on September 21, as well as the village of Shuqra [62].  Said al-Shehri was the primary target of the day and was located in al-Mahfad [62].  Four AQAP fighters were killed when their vehicle was destroyed in the Mahfad strike, yet Shehri was able to escape unharmed [62].  Tribesmen later reported that Anwar al-Awlaki may have been with Shehri that day in Mahfad, but that both men escaped the attempt on their lives [63].  Awlaki fled to Jawf province next in northern Yemen [63].  The move was conducted in hopes of placing himself out of the line of fire from US and Yemeni air supremacy in the south [63].  Jawf province was in fact the location Awlaki had chosen to reside within, yet he may have already been in the northern province when the September 21 strike occurred in the south, contradicting the claims of the tribesmen [64].

Americans Executed

On the morning of September 30, 2011, the sun rose over Khashef, Jawf Province in northern Yemen to relative quiet.  Several men exited a compound containing women and children and began a long trek to their awaiting vehicles [64,65,66,67].  Among them was Samir Zafar Khan, the arrogant young North Carolinian who had turned his back on his own nation [64,66,67].  Khan had edited and released the seventh issue of his English-language terrorist magazine, Inspire just three days before [68].  In it, he acclaimed many of the successful jihadist operations worldwide from 9/11 onwards [68].  He profiled a statement by his new emir Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri and even left a cryptic picture of Grand Central Station in New York City on one of the final pages, promising an article soon [68].  The periodical, a palimpsest of the expansive and disparate evolution of Salafist based jihadist thinking, propelled Khan to notoriety in his sphere of influence, and disrepute in the remainder of the world.  Walking with Khan was the long sought after New Mexican Anwar al-Awlaki, who had come from a life of privilege in the US to living on the run in Yemen [64,66,67].  However, with that unpredictable life, Awlaki had gained demagogue status amongst jihadists around the world and had even inspired men like Wuhaishi and Shehri to request that he be made a leader in al-Qaida’s most active franchise [69].  Awlaki could reflect upon that morning, during his long walk, the many jihadists, terrorist plots and terrorist actions that he had helped to spur along and inspire.  From the Fort Hood shooting rampage to the Christmas Day bombing attempt, Awlaki was linked to many of the most prominent recent jihadist events partaken against the US [66].  A mere two months after this day, in late November 2011, the NYPD arrested Jose Pimentel, a Dominican-American convert to Islam, who had self radicalized online [70].  Pimentel utilized Inspire magazine and sermons by Awlaki to justify constructing a bomb to kill returning US servicemembers and police in New York [70].  Fortunately, Pimentel was captured just an hour before the bomb was completed [70]. 

Furthermore he had been a danger to America’s allies in the West and in the Middle East.  Awlaki had graduated from inspiring acts to helping AQAP direct them.  For example, Rajib Karim, a British Airways employee, was convicted of working with Awlaki to get a potential bomb on board a US bound plane [268].  Karim manipulated his employment as an IT worker for the airways to make the attempt and was in direct internet contact with Awlaki, who had made the request [71].  A Yemeni security guard for an Austrian oil and gas company shot and killed Jacques Spagnolo, a contractor for the same company, after being incited to action by Awlaki and one of his relatives in October 2010 [72,73].  Hisham Mohamed Asim was sentenced to death in Yemen for the crime, while Awlaki was sentenced in absentia [72,73]. Awlaki ruminated on jihadists like Karim, Pimentel, and Asim, and how he had used the internet, tribal ties, and even the English language so effectively to recruit these well placed men to his cause.  Thoughts of a future full of further, and no doubt more extravagant, plots against America filled his mind that day.  Awlaki and Khan arrived to their vehicles after the 700 meter walk, Wuhaishi and AQAP leadership having placed two of their most valuable assets away from the southern fighting [65].  The senior militants no doubt thought they had provided them with the ability to move about freely.  Yet the US tracked Awlaki to his current location, and watched him for two weeks in the home [64,65].  With the house full of children, President Obama had to hesitate on pulling the trigger, yet finally the men provided the chance for a strike [64].  As the men opened their car doors, and drove away, their vehicle and bodies were decimated by Hellfire missiles fired from circling Reaper drones [64,65,66].  The CIA had retaken command of the drone and assassination program in Yemen [64,66].  In fact, the CIA had just completed a drone base in Saudi Arabia from which some of the aircraft were launched that day [66].  That being said, JSOC still provided heavy support for the mission [64].  The goals of Operation Troy, as the hunt for Awlaki was named, had come to fruition [64,67].  With the bodies identified, President Obama was able to announce the death of an enemy that had long plagued him [64,66,67].  With their success in Pakistan, the CIA now extended their reach and drones into Yemen and on their first attempt, ended the life of the man President Obama and his administration so yearned for. 

Two Americans were dead, along with militants identified later as Abu Muhsin al-Maribi and Salim al-Marwani [74].  The CIA had claimed that Kamal Derwish was collateral damage when they killed the American in 2002.  In this instance, they claimed Samir Khan was collateral as well [67].  Yet with Awlaki, there could be no such belief.  The CIA had sought after, tracked, and killed the radical imam knowing that he was an American [64,66].  The fallout had the potential to be intense over the extrajudicial executions of these two enemies of the state, yet the administration ordered the deed done at all costs [64,66].  With their deaths, the two American AQAP members would never again be able to plot against their home nation, nor would they be able to release any more propaganda.  Over were their days of using their command, charisma, computer savvy abilities, and ideals to inspire an insurrection. 

SEGMENT IX Appendix (For Status of Lists E, F, and H as of September 2011):

LIST E:

1. IBRAHIM HASSAN TALI AL-ASSIRI (Y)
2. IBRAHIM SULAIMAN HAMAD AL-HABLAIN (L)
3. IBRAHIM SALMAN MOHAMED AL-RUBAISH * (Y)
4. IBRAHIM MOHAMED ABDULLAH AL-MUDIAN (Q)
5. AHMED IBRAHIM MOHAMED AL-TUWAIJRI (L)
6. AHMED SALEH ALI AL-SHIHA (K)
7. AHMED ABDULLAH SALEH AL-KHAZMARI AL-ZAHRANI (I)
8. AHMED ALI BARAKAT AL-SHADAWI AL-ZAHRANI (K)
9. AHMED ALI ATALLAH AL-FARHUD (Y)
10. AHMED QATIM MOHAMED AL-HUZALI (Y)
11. OSAMA HAMUD GHARMAN AL-SHEHRI (K)
12. OSAMA ALI ABDULLAH DAMJAN AL-DOSARI (K) (presumed killed 2010 – surrendered 2016)
13. BASIL AYED ALI AL-QAHTANI (Y)
14. BADAH MUKHIS BADAH AL-KODARI AL-QAHTANI (Q)
15. BADR SAUD OWAID AL-AWFI AL-HARBI (Y)
16. BADR MOHAMED NASIR AL-SHEHRI (K)
17. BAHEEJ ABDULAZIZ ABDULLAH AL-BAHEEJI (S-Q)
18. TURKI MASHAWI ZAYED AL-ASSIRI * (Y)
19. THAMIR MOHAMED GHIRAM AL-AMRI (Y)
20. JABIR JABRAN ALI AL-FAIFI* (Y)
21. HASSAN IBRAHIM HAMAD AL-SHABAAN (I)
22. HASSAN AYED BADAH AL-SAAD AL-QAHTANI (Q)
23. HUSSEIN MOHAMED ABDU (H)
24. HAMAD HUSSEIN NASIR AL-HUSSEIN (K)
25. KHALID IBRAHIM AHMED AL-SUNBUL AL-ASSIRI (K)
26. KHALID SALIM OWAID AL-LUHAIBI AL-HARBI (K)
27. KHALID SALEH ALI AL-SAMITI (K)
28. KHALID GHALLAB FARI AL-ROUKI AL-OTAIBI (I)
29. RAYED ABDULLAH SALIM AL-DHAHIRI AL-HARBI (Y)
30. RAYAN MOHAMED HUMAIDI AL-ZAYEDI (I)
31. SAID ALI JABIR AL-SHEHRI * (Y)
32. SULTAN RADI SUMAILIL AL-OTAIBI (S-Q)
33. SALEH SULAIMAN HAMAD AL-HUBLAIN (K)
34. SALEH ABDULLAH SALEH AL-QARAWI (I)
35. SALEH NAIF EID AL-MAKHLAFI (K) “ABU HAFS AL-NAJDI”
36. TULAIHAN MUTLAQ TULAIHAN AL-MUTAIRI (K)
37. ADEL FILAIH SALIM AL-JAFARI AL-ANAZI (K)
38. ABDULILLAH MUSTAFA MOHAMED AL-JUBAIRI AL-SHEHRI (Y)
39. ABDULRAHMAN ABDULLAH ABDURRAHMAN AL-DOSARI (S)
40. ABDULLAH HASSAN TALI AL-ASSIRI (Y)
41. ABDULLAH SALIM DUHAIM AL-QAHTANI (I)
42. ABDULLAH ABDURRAHMAN ABDULLAH AL-MURSHID (?)
43. ABDULLAH ABDURRAHMAN MOHAMED AL-HARBI (Y)
44. ABDULLAH ABDULKARIM IBRAHIM AL-SALOUM (Q)
45. ABDULLAH OTHMAN ABDURRAHMAN AL-DUBAIKHI (Q)
46. ABDULLAH FARAJ MOHAMED HAMUD AL-JUWAIR (Y)
47. ABDULLAH MOHAMED ABDULLAH AL-AYED (K)
48. ABDULLAH NASIR SULAIMAN AL-RAYAI (S-Y)
49. ABDULMUHSIN ABDULLAH IBRAHIM AL-SHARIKH (I)
50. OBAID ABDURRAHMAN ABDULLAH AL-OTAIBI (Y)
51. OBAID MUBARAK OBAID AL-KUFAIL (L-S)
52. ATIQ FARAJ SATI AL-HASSANANI (K)
53. OTHMAN AHMED OTHMAN AL-OMEIRA AL-GHAMDI * (Y)
54. OTHMAN SULAIMAN DAKHEEL AL-SUWAID (Q)
55. ADNAN MOHAMED ALI AL-SAYEGH * (Y)
56. AZZAM ABDULLAH ZUREIK AL-MAULID AL-SUBHI (K)
57. OKAIL OMAISH OKAIL AL-MUTAIRI (Q) (Surrendered 2010 – killed as recidivist in 2015)
58. ALI SAUD OMAIR AL-SHANBARI (K)
59. ALI ABDULAZIZ ALI AL-AMRI (Y)
60. FAYEZ GHUNAID HAMID AL-HIJRI AL-HARBI (K)
61. FAHD RIKAD SAMIR AL-RUWAILI (S)
62. FAHD SALEH SULAIMAN AL-JUTAILI * (Y)
63. FAHD MOHAMED SAAD AL-AJLAN (Q)
64. FAHD MOHAMED ALI AL-JUAITHIN (Q)
65. FAWAZ AL-HUMAIDI HAJID AL-HABRADI AL-OTAIBI (I)
66. FAWZAN OWAIZ ATIQ AL-ZAHIMI AL-SALAMI (Q)
67. FAISAL JASIM MOHAMED AL-AMRI AL-KHALIDI (K)
68. QASIM MOHAMED MAHDI AL-RIMI (Y)
69. MAJID MOHAMED ABDULLAH AL-MAJID (Q)
70. MOHAMED SAAD SAID AL-SIYAM AL-AMRI (Q)
71. MOHAMED ABDURRAHMAN SULAIMAN AL-RASHID (Y)
72. MOHAMED ABDULLAH HASSAN ABUL KHAYR (K)
73. MOHAMED ATIQ OWAID AL-AWFI AL-HARBI* (Y)
74. MOHAMED ALI MOHAMED AL-MUTLAQ (K)
75. MOHAMED HILAL THAWAB AL-MAQATI AL-OTAIBI (K)
76. MURTADA ALI SAID MUKRAM * (Y)
77. MISHAL MOHAMED RASHID AL-SHADOUKHI* (Y)
78. MUJAB ATIYAH ABDULKARIM AL-ZAHRANI (ABDULLAH AZZAM AL-SAUDI) (K)
79. MUKAD QAED MUKAD AL-MAQATI (K)
80. NASIR ABDULKARIM ABDULLAH AL-WUHAISHI “ABU BASHIR AL-YEMENI” (Y)
81. NAIF MOHAMED SAID AL-KODARI AL-QAHTANI (Y)
82. WALID ABDULLAH IBRAHIM BIN BARGHASH (K, in Turkish Custody)
83. WALID ALI MASHAFI AL-MASHAFI AL-ASSIRI (Y)
84. YUSEF MOHAMED JAMIL ABDULLAH AL-TAKRUNI (K)
85. YUSEF MOHAMED MUBARAK AL-JUBAIRI AL-SHEHRI * (Y)

1. *   = Former Guantanamo Bay Detainee
2. (K) = Believed to be operating in the Khorasan region
3. (Q) = Believed to be operating in Iraq (Mesopotamian region)
4. (Y) = Believed to be operating in Yemen (Arabian region)
5. (L) = Believed to be operating in Lebanon (Levantine region)
6. (S) = Believed to be operating in Syria (Levantine region)
7. (I) = Believed to be operating in Iran (Persian region)
8. (H) = Believed to be operating in the Horn of Africa (Somalia)
9. (?) = Unknown area of operation

LIST F:

1. AHMED ABDULAZIZ JASSER AL-JASSER (Y)
2. AHMED MOHAMED ABDULAZIZ AL-SUWEID
3. ANAS ALI ABDULAZIZ AL-NASHWAN
4. BASIM SALIM INAD AL-SABILAH
5. BASIM MOHAMED HAMID AL-FEZI AL-JEHANI
6. BASSAM IBRAHIM YAHYA AL-SULAIMANI
7. BANDAR MISHAL AL-SHIAN AL-SHAIBANI AL-OTAIBI
8. TURKI SAAD MOHAMED QALIS AL-SHAHRANI (Y)
9. TURKI HADI SAAD AL-ATIFI AL-QAHTANI
10. HUSSEIN SALEH ZAFIR AL-BAHRI
11. HAMZA MOHAMED HASSAN ARISHI
12. KHALID ALI ABDULRAHMAN AL-JUBAILI AL-QAHTANI
13. KHALID HADAL ABDULLAH AL-ATIFI  AL-QAHTANI
14. ZAAM SAID FARHAN AL-SHAIBANI AL-OTAIBI
15. SAAD QAED MAJID AL-MAQATI
16. SULAIMAN AHMED AL-TURIKHIM AL-HAMDAN
17. SALEH ABDULAZIZ HAMAD AL-LUHAIB
18. ADEL RADI SAQAR AL-WAHABI AL-HARBI
19. ADEL SALEH AHMED AL-QUMAISHI
20. ABDULRAHMAN ABDULAZIZ RASHID AL-FARRAJ
21. ABDULRAHMAN FAYAD MOHAMED AL-RUWAIS AL-OTAIBI
22. ABDULRAHMAN MOHAMED ZAFIR AL-DUBAISI AL-JEHANI
23. ABDULSALAM ABDULAZIZ RASHID AL-FARRAJ
24. ABDULAZIZ MOHAMED AHMED ASLAMI AL-ASSIRI
25. ABDULLAH HAMID HAMAD MOHAMED AL-JADANI
26. ABDULLAH SULAIMAN SALEH AL-DHABAH
27. ABDULLAH ABDULHADI MAHDI AL-KISHI AL-JEHANI
28. ABDULLAH ALI ABDULAZIZ AL-SUWEID
29. ABDULLAH MOHAMED FAHAM AL-MAQATI
30. ABDULMAJID FARIS MARZUQ AL-MAQATI AL-OTAIBI
31. ABDULMAJID FAISAL MOHAMED AL-JUBAIRI AL-SHEHRI
32. AMIR SULEIMAN ALI AL-ALI
33. FAHD OWAID MATIQ AL-MAABADI
34. FAWAZ AYED JUMAN AL-MASUDI AL-OTAIBI
35. FAWAZ OWAID MATIQ AL-MAABADI
36. FAISAL MUTAID MUQBIL AL-MURAIKHAN AL-HARBI
37. MATEB HAMAD MOHAMED AL-JERAIWI
38. MATEB SAID MOHAMED AL-AMRI
39. MOHAMED SALIM SAID AL-BURAIKAN (K)
40. MOHAMED FARHAN SALMAN AL-MALKI
41. MOHAMED MUFREH MOHAMED AL-ADWANI AL-ZAHRANI
42. MARAN FARHAN GHAZI AL-SHAIBANI AL-OTAIBI
43. MUJAB MOHAMED JAMAL AL-QAHTANI
44. HASHIM MOHAMED IBRAHIM AL-HINDI
45. WALID JARBOUE EID AL-JALIDI AL-HARBI
46. WALID HUMAID HAMID AL-WALADI
47. YASIR DAKHEEL NAIF AL-WAHABI AL-HARBI

LIST H:

1. FAWAZ YAHYA HASSAN AL-RUBAYI
2. ALYAN MOHAMED ALI AL-WAELI
3. BASSAM ABDULLAH BUSHAR AL-NAHDI
4. MUSTAFA ABDULKADIR ABED AL-ANSARI
5. OMAR AHMED OMAR AL-HUBISHI
6. AMMAR ABADAH NASIR AL-WAELI
7. SAMIR ABDU SAID AL-MAKTAWI
8. ABDULRAB MOHAMED MOHAMED ALI AL-SAYFI
9. ABU NASIR AL-TUNISI
10. ABU MOAZ AL-JEDAWI
11. AMIN SAAD MOHAMED AL-ZAMARI
12. ISSAM AHMED DIBWAN AL-MAKHLAFI
13. AHMED AL-AKHADER NASIR AL-BIDANI
14. BASHIR ALI NASIR AL-SHADADI
15. ABDULAZIZ MOHAMED SALEH BIN ATTASH
16. SHUHOUR ABDULLAH MUQBIL AL-SABRI (GUANTANAMO)
17. ABDU ALI AL-HAJI AL-SHARQAWI “RIYADH AL-SHARQAWI” (GUANTANAMO)

VARIOUS OTHER IMPORTANT AQAP Constituents:

1. ADEL AL-ABAB “SHEIKH ABU ZUBAIR”
2. ANWAR NASIR AL-AWLAKI
3. SAMIR ZAFAR KHAN
4. IBRAHIM MOHAMED SALEH AL-BANNAH “ABU AYMAN AL-MASRI”
5. FAHD MOHAMED AHMED AL-QUSO
6. JAMIL NASIR ABDULLAH AL-ANBARI “ABU SABER AL-ABYANI”
7. AYEDH AL-SHABWANI
8. ALI SAID JAMIL AL-OBAIDI “ABU MUWAHID AL-MARIBI”
9. HASSAN AL-AQILI “ABU FAWAZ AL-MARIBI”
10.  IBRAHIM SALEH MUJAHID AL-KHALIFA “ABU JANDAL AL-QASSIMI”
11. ALI ABDULLAH NAJI AL-HARITHI “ABU ALI AL-HARITHI”
12. KHALID SAID BATARFI (Yemeni Custody)
13. MINH QUANG PHAM

LEGEND:

• KILLED IN ENGAGEMENT, EXCHANGE, DRONE STRIKE, OR RAID
• PERISHED IN SUICIDE ATTACK OR ASSAULT
• CAPTURED
• FREE AT LARGE
• SUSPECTED DECEASED (WITHOUT DECISIVE EVIDENCE)

CITATIONS and SUBSTANTIVE NOTES:

• [1] The Battle for Zinjibar:   The tribes of Yemen’s Abyan governate join the fight against Islamist militancy, by Andrew McGregor, The Jamestown Foundation, Terrorism Monitory, Volume 9, Issue 32, August 12, 2011, http://www.jamestown.org/uploads/media/TM_009_Issue32_03.pdf
• [2] Yemen:  President Saleh injured in attack on palace, BBC News, June 3, 2011, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13638787
• [3] Terrorist designations of Ansar al-Sharia as an alias for AQAP, Office of the Spokesman, US Department of State, October 4, 2012, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/10/198659.htm
• [4] AQAP and Suspected AQAP Attacks in Yemen Tracker 2010, 2011, and 2012, by Cody Curran, James Gallagher, Courtney Hughes, Paul Jarvis, Adam Kahan, Patrick Knapp, Matthew Lu, and Jared Sorhaindo, AEI’s Critical Threats, May 21, 2012, http://www.criticalthreats.org/yemen/aqap-and-suspected-aqap-attacks-yemen-tracker-2010
• [5] Al-Qaida militants escape prison in south Yemen, by Ahmed al-Haj and Hamza Hendawi, The Associated Press, June 22, 2011, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/22/yemen-al-qaeda-jail-break_n_882065.html
• [6] Al-Qaida jail break – the names of who escaped, classified email, The Global Intelligence Files, Wikileaks, June 24, 2011, http://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/15/1559950_-ct-fwd-alqaedya-jail-break-the-names-of-who-escaped-.html
• [7] Death, imprisonment sentences for terrorists, al-Motamar.net, July 13, 2009, http://www.almotamar.net/en/6450.htm
• [8] AQAP eulogizes jihadist who fought in Iraq and was killed in US drone strike in Yemen, by Bill Roggio, January 22, 2013, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/01/aqap_eulogizes_jihad.php
• [9] Terrorist on wanted list killed in Yemen, by Ahmed al-Shemairi and Jamal al-Hamadani, Okaz and The Saudi Gazette, July 8, 2011, http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=20110708104739
• [10] Terrorist’s death being probed, by Muhammad al-Sulami, The Arab News, July 11, 2011, http://www.arabnews.com/node/383440
• [11] Al-Qaida planned to attack Saudi Arabia during Saudi-Houthi conflict, Asharq al-Awsat via Jane Novak and Armies of Liberation Blog, October 21, 2010, http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2010/10/28/al-qaeda-planned-new-saudi-attack-during-saada-war-along-with-ammar-al-waeli/
• [12] Dead al-Qaida man organized failed assassination on Prince, by Abdullah al-Oraifij, The Saudi Gazette, http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2010052373182
• [13] Examining Saudi Arabia’s most wanted list, by Christopher Boucek, Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, CTC Sentinel, May 15, 2009, http://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/examining-saudi-arabia%E2%80%99s-85-most-wanted-list
• [14] AQAP Publication, Martyrs of the Peninsula no. 4, Abu Hammam al-Qahtani (Naif Mohamed Said al-Kodari al-Qahtani), translated by Flashpoint Partners, December 21, 2010, http://azelin.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/al-qc481_idah-in-the-arabian-peninsula_s-al-malc481e1b8a5im-media-presents-e2809cmartyrs-of-the-arabian-peninsula-4-e28093-abc5ab-hammc481m-al-qae1b8a5e1b9adc481nc4ab.pdf
• [15] AQAP Video Focuses on Slain Official Abu Khalid al-Assiri, SITE Intelligence Group, May 31, 2013
• [16] The Last Refuge: Yemen, Al-Qaeda, and America’s War in Arabia. By Gregory Johnsen. W. W. Norton & Company, New York, 2012, p. 217-222
• [17] Senior leader of Yemeni Qaida branch is said to be dead, The Associated Press, July 21, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/22/world/middleeast/22yemen.html?_r=0
• [18] License to kill:  Why the American drone war on Yemen violates international law, Alkarama Foundation, October 2013, http://en.alkarama.org/documents/ALK_USA-Yemen_Drones_PublicReport_EN.pdf
• [19] AQAP Publication, Inspire Magazine, Issue 8, Fall 2011 – released May 2012
• [20] Suicide bomber hits troops at port city in Yemen, by Yasser al-Arami and Laura Kasinof, The New York Times, July 24, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/25/world/middleeast/25yemen.html
• [21] Suicide attack near Yemeni port city kills 9 soldiers, by Mohammed Ghobari and Mohammed Mokhashaf, Reuters, July 24, 2011, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/suicide-attack-near-yemeni-port-city-kills-9-soldiers/2011/07/24/gIQABnH8WI_story.html
• [22] Yemen says Saudi bomber targeted military  convoy, Agence France-Presse, July 25, 2011, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g8o3MnyYcgW2uCXEv_7edMjIHMeA?docId=CNG.bdfd412c79e6299f9001bd03821c3cad.501
• [23] Yemen:  Interior Ministry offers reward for information on terrorists, by Mohammed Jamjoom, CNN News, October 20, 2010, http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/10/20/yemen.terrorists.rewards/
• [24] Martyrs of the Peninsula no. 11, Abu al-Batar al-Janubi (Turki Saad Qalis al-Shahrani), October 9, 2012, http://azelin.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/al-qc481_idah-in-the-arabian-peninsula-e2809cmartyrs-of-the-arabian-peninsula-11-al-batc481r-al-janc5abbc4ab-turkc4ab-bin-sad-bin-qulaye1b9a3-al-shahrc481nc4ab22.pdf
• [25] Inspire Magazine, Issue 6, July 2011
• [26] US steps up hunt for editor of al-Qaida online magazine after details emerged Boston bombers followed the digital publication’s bomb-making recipes, The Daily Mail, April 29, 2013, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2316940/U-S-steps-hunt-editor-al-Qaeda-online-magazine-details-emerged-Boston-bombers-followed-digital-publications-bomb-making-recipes.html
• [27] Member of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Terrorism Charges, US Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs, May 27, 2016, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/member-al-qaeda-arabian-peninsula-sentenced-40-years-prison-terrorism-charges
• [28] Leading members and elements of al-Qaida killed in Abyan, Almotamar.net, June 9, 2011, http://www.almotamar.net/en/8476.htm
• [29] US to use more drones to hunt al-Qaida in Yemen, by Elise Labott, CNN News, November 10, 2010, http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/11/10/us.yemen.drones/index.html
• [30] CIA plans Yemen drone strikes, by Siobhan Gorman and Adam Entous, The Wall Street Journal, June 14, 2011, http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303848104576384051572679110
• [31] Battle for Zinjibar kills 100 Yemen troops:  army, Agence France-Presse, June 21, 2011, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g7paTirUFQiLAxeYtWx7Wo3KGJrQ?docId=CNG.fe5d63e7d970e3fe80cdc08d68ede32e.631
• [32] US makes a drone attack a day in Yemen, by Asmari, The National, June 15, 2011, https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/mena/us-makes-a-drone-attack-a-day-in-yemen-1.374337#page2
• [33] Three Civilians killed in US drone attack in Abyan, The Yemen Post, June 12, 2011, http://yemenpost.net/Detail123456789.aspx?ID=3&SubID=3683&MainCat=3
• [34] UPDATE: Drone strike in South Yemen kills seven Al-Qaeda suspects, Ahram via Agence France-Presse, October 18, 2012, http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/55916/World/Region/UPDATE-Drone-strike-in-South-Yemen-kills-seven-AlQ.aspx
• [35] US Strikes in Yemen said kill to kill 8 militants, by Nasser Arrabyee and Mark Mazzetti, July 14, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/15/world/middleeast/15yemen.html?_r=0
• [36] Al-Qaida leader escaped and 20 killed and injured in two airstrikes, by Nasser Arrabyee, Nasser Arrabyee Blogspot, July 14, 2011, http://narrabyee-e.blogspot.com/2011/07/al-qaeda-leader-escapedand-20-killed.html
• [37] Key suspects among 17 ‘Al-Qaida’ gunmen killed in Yemen, by Faisal Mukarram and Nasir al-Haqabani, Al-Hayat News, translated by BBC Monitoring, July 27, 2011, http://search.wikileaks.org/gifiles/?viewemailid=684389
• [38] AQAP Publication, Statement from the Shariah court of the Wilayah of Abyan – Emirate of Waqar regarding implementing the prescribed punishment of Allah on a group of spies, Ansar al-Shariah statement, February 11, 2012, http://azelin.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/ane1b9a3c481r-al-sharc4abah-in-yemen-22from-the-sharc4abah-court-in-the-state-of-abyan-of-the-imc481rah-of-waqc481r-on-the-establishment-of-the-e1b8a5add-punishment-of-god-on-a-g1.pdf
• [39] Wanted List-85, General Directorate of Investigation, Saudi Interior Ministry, accessed 2012, http://www.moi.gov.sa/wps/portal/investigationdepartment/!ut/p/b1/jY_NbsIwEISfhSfwrH9IcnQMZH1wghXVLb6gHBCKBOFS9fkJbdobbfc20jefdkQWBymLNQEg8SbyNHyM5-F9vE3D5ZHz-ti0qVcNK-qC2sJHNqpNhI7VDBxmoAa2VU0WJQfAc0zyJSRZSPpfH0_O4q9-f5rEq8ifmHF758ugqHHawWtK6J1R1ugF-PGgomL2kNdsa9VFWgB0MmwoOrtDZL0xFX9_sgC_Df0yPF_S8u16Etd82ZW9H_fn1eoOIqnt8A!!/dl4/d5/L0lDU0lKSWdrbUEhIS9JRFJBQUlpQ2dBek15cXchLzRKQ2lEb01OdEJqdEJIZmxDRUEhL1o3X0dOVlMzR0gzMU9NM0UwSVFINTNOVjEwTzk3LzA!/?WCM_PORTLET=PC_Z7_GNVS3GH31OM3E0IQH53NV10O97n18756_WCM&WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/investigation+office/investigation+department+ar/the+wanted/list+85/inv_list85_ar  
• [40] Saudi al-Qaida militants killed in Yemen, by Abdullah al-Oraifij and Ahmad al-Shemairi, The Saudi Gazette, December 20, 2009, http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.PrintContent&fa=regcon&action=Print&contentid=2009122057570&simplelayout=1
• [41] Complete details on recent deadly operations against al-Qaida, by Mohammed Taher and translated by Mahmoud Assamiee, Saba News, January 3, 2010, http://www.sabanews.net/en/news202231.htm
• [42] Martyrs of the Peninsula no. 10, Muwahid al-Maribi (Ali Said Jamil al-Obaidi), http://azelin.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/al-qc481_idah-in-the-arabian-peninsula-e2809cmartyrs-of-the-arabian-peninsula-10-e28093-mawe1b8a5c4abd-al-mc481ribc4ab-alc481-bin-sac4abd-bin-jamc4abl-al-ubaydc4ab.pdf
• [43] Yemen launches investigation into accidental killing of government official, by Faisal Darem, al-Shorfa.com, May 27, 2010, http://al-shorfa.com/en_GB/articles/meii/features/main/2010/05/27/feature-01
• [44] 7 al-Qaida militants killed in air raids in south Yemen’s Abyan, Xinhua News, July 8, 2011, http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90854/7433749.html
• [45] Terror suspect surrenders to Saudi authorities, press release from the Saudi Embassy in Washington DC, August 4, 2011, http://www.saudiembassy.net/press-releases/press08041101.aspx
• [46] Terror suspect surrenders, by Ghazanfar Ali Khan, The Arab News, August 4, 2011, http://www.arabnews.com/node/386526
• [47] Two more Saudi militants surrender, by P.K. Abdul Ghafour, The Arab News, August 24, 2011, http://www.arabnews.com/node/388585
• [48] Another wanted militant surrenders, by MD al-Sulami, September 19, 2011, http://www.arabnews.com/node/391518?quicktabs_stat2=0
• [49] Yemen army raid kills 15 Qaida-linked militants, Agence France-Presse, August 1, 2011, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i1XUn_6nBvQlbmE3fiV9harESbsw?docId=CNG.e15ed612097d222fbb45807658240414.5c1
• [50] Militants killed in air attacks in south Yemen, by Mohammed al-Qadhi, The Washington Post, August 1, 2011, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/militants-killed-in-air-attacks-in-south-yemen/2011/08/01/gIQArZmDoI_story.html
• [51] US drones kill 15 al Qaeda fighters in southern Yemen, by Bill Roggio, The Long War Journal, August 2, 2011, https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/08/us_drones_kill_15_al.php
• [52] Gulf of Aden security review – October 8, 2010, AEI’s Critical Threats, August 1, 2011, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-august-1-2011#_edn8204dec2dfb4c7e7ba84b8a85e2114001
• [53] Yemen: Reported US covert actions 2001-2011, Airwars via The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, https://airwars.org/archives/bij-drone-war/drone-war/data/yemen-reported-us-covert-actions-2001-2011
• [54] US airstrikes in southern Yemen kill 30 AQAP fighters:  report, by Bill Roggio, The Long War Journal, September 1, 2011, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/09/us_airstrikes_in_sou.php
• [55] Yemen troops free city, army base from ‘Qaida’ control, by Fawaz al-Haidari, Agence France-Presse, September 10, 2011, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jyZ9cWI4RVWL0UmxfVqKbzOjYV0A?docId=CNG.7912100a0c9c87a0954504c3fe144415.c81
• [56] Yemeni army  fights off Islamists; official says at least 230 soldiers killed in battle with Qaida, Al-Arabiya News, September 11, 2011, http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/09/11/166420.html
• [57] AQAP wins battle for Zinjibar and seizes huge quantity of arms, Kavkaz Center, July 26, 2011, http://kavkazcenter.com/eng/content/2011/07/26/14843.shtml
• [58] AQAP claims suicide bombing against Houthis in al-Jawf,” SITE Intelligence Group, September 12, 2011
• [59] Car bomb kills two in al-Houth rebel controlled area in Yemen, by Nasser Arrabyee, Nasser Arrabyee Blogspot, August 15, 2011, http://narrabyee-e.blogspot.com/2011/08/car-bomb-kills-two-in-al-houth-rebel.html
• [60] Six killed in car bomb explosion in Yemen, by Hakim al-Masmari, CNN News, September 4, 2011, http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/09/04/yemen.bombing/index.html
• [61] Yemen Defense Minister survives assassination attempt, by Hakim al-Masmari, CNN News, September 27, 2011, http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/27/world/meast/yemen-unrest/
• [62] Drone attack kills 10 Qaida suspects in south Yemen, Agence France-Presse, September 21, 2011, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5igSCJQYllvvvaI-70o66azhP9JwA?docId=CNG.0d3bf3dd466de4d0317f3f205dba2ee1.2f1
• [63] Awlaki moved freely in Yemen’s lawless regions, by Fawaz al-Haidari, Agence France-Presse, October 3, 2011, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g9-hirXG8jicTe7c2OMqeUO0fSXQ?docId=CNG.63f3ecd569de01fd9d60c41e9a017daa.631
• [64]  Inside America’s dirty wars, by Jeremy Scahill, The Nations, April 24, 2013, http://www.thenation.com/article/173980/inside-americas-dirty-wars?page=0,1#
• [65] Drones:  The silent killers, by Daniel Klaidman, Newsweek, May 28, 2012, http://www.newsweek.com/drones-silent-killers-64909
• [66] How a US citizen came to be in America’s cross hairs, by Mark Mazzetti, Charlie Savage, and Scott Shane, The New York Times, March 9, 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/world/middleeast/anwar-al-awlaki-a-us-citizen-in-americas-cross-hairs.html
• [67] Anwar al-Awlaki killed by US drone in Yemen, by David S. Cloud, Jeffrey Fleishman, and Brian Bennett, The Los Angeles Times, October 1, 2011, http://articles.latimes.com/2011/oct/01/world/la-fg-awlaki-killed-20111001-57
• [68] Inspire Magazine, Issue 7, September 2011
• [69] The Abbottabad documents as published by the Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/r/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2012/05/03/Foreign/Graphics/osama-bin-laden-documents-combined.pdf
• [70] Rajib Karim:  The terrorist inside British Airways, by Steve Swann, BBC News, February 28, 2011, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12573824
• [71] Al-Qaida wing in Yemen confirms US-born cleric killed by drone strike, Xinhua News, October 11, 2011, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-10/11/c_131183558.htm
• [72] Yemen sentences Awlaki in absentia, Al-Jazeera News, January 7, 2011, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2011/1/17/yemen-sentences-awlaki-in-absentia
• [73] Dual US-Yemeni national accused of links to French contractor’s killer, France 24 News, November 2, 2010, https://www.france24.com/en/20101102-dual-us-yemen-national-accused-links-murder-french-contractor-awlaqi-spagnolo-assem
• [74] Al-Qaida wing in Yemen confirms US-born cleric killed by drone strike, Xinhua News, October 11, 2011,http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-10/11/c_131183558.htm

© Copyright 2025 Nolan R Beasley