Evidence of increasing alliance between Islamic militants in Somalia, Yemen and Al-Qaeda

1. Evidence of increasing alliance between
Islamic militants in Somalia, Yemen and Al-
Qaeda
By C. L. Staten, Senior Analyst
Emergency Response & Research Institute (ERRI)
June 2010
Increasingly, it would appear that our previous fears of an
alliance between Islamic militants in Somalia and Al-Qaeda
were warranted. These concerns, first expressed (but not
initially confirmed) in our 2008 briefing about ‘piracy off the
coast of Somalia’ (1), have recently proven all too prescient.
New evidence of ties between al Qaeda in the Arabian
Peninsula (AQAP) and al-Shahbaab in Somalia continue to
come to light.
AQAP was reportedly formed in January of 2009 by a merger between two
regional offshoots of the international Islamist militant network in neighboring
Yemen and Saudi Arabia. (2)
Somali militant
Led by a former aide to Osama Bin Laden, the group has vowed to attack oil
facilities, foreigners and security forces as it seeks to topple the Saudi monarchy
and Yemeni government, and establish an Islamic caliphate throughout the area.
AQAP has claimed responsibility for a number of
attacks in the two countries over the past 12 months,
and has been blamed by President Barack Obama for
attempting to blow up a US passenger jet as it flew into
Detroit on Christmas Day.
Al-Qaeda Flag/Logo
US investigators said Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (The Nigerian
man suspected of attempting to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner
in December) told them he was trained and instructed in the plot
by al Qaeda in Yemen. Abdulmutallab (right) reportedly also had
ties to a cleric named al-Awlaki (below, left), who currently is
believed to be hiding in Yemen. (3)
Umar Farouk
Abdulmutallab
Multiple investigations of Anwar al-Awlaki (left), including of his
recently published threats against the West, would seem to
indicate an on-going terror campaign now being orchestrated
from the Gulf of Aden area. According to several experts,
Anwar Al-Awlaki

2. Awlaki is providing religious justification for intended assaults on the United
States, as well as attempting to recruit young men for future Jihadi operations.
Add to this available information, a recently reported attempt by a Somali militant
to infiltrate into the United States via Mexico (he is in custody in Canada). And,
according to as yet largely unconfirmed reports, a Texas man was also just
arrested on charges of providing money and other material resources to AQAP.
Keep adding up these facts, and pretty soon one can see a dangerous and
emerging pattern, focused on Somalia, Yemen and Al-Qaeda.
ERRI counter-terrorism analysts said that they think that links between Somali
and Yemeni insurgents are growing stronger and that combined terror operations
carried out by them can probably be anticipated...if they are not already on the
way.
Internal (ERRI) briefing/reference:
1. "Piracy Briefing: Somalia and Gulf of Aden," November, 2008, Emergency Response
& Research Institute (ERRI)
http://emergencynet-news.com/pdf/Somalia_Piracy_Brief2008.pdf
External/recent reference:
2. "Profile: Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula," 08:00 GMT, Sunday, 3 January 2010,
from the BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8437724.stm
3. "'Britons held' in terror swoop," Thursday, 3 June 2010, belfasttelegraph.co.uk
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/uk-ireland/britons-held-in-terror-
swoop-14829134.html
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