By JON GAMBRELL
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The chief of al-Qaida’s Yemen department has threatened each U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk over the Israel-Hamas struggle within the Gaza Strip in his first video message since taking up the group final yr.
The half-hour video message by Saad bin Atef al-Awlaki, which unfold on-line early Saturday by way of supporters of al-Qaida within the Arabian Peninsula, additionally included requires lone-wolf militants to assassinate leaders in Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf Arab states over the struggle, which has decimated Gaza.
The video of al-Awlaki’s speech confirmed pictures of Trump and Musk, in addition to U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of State Pete Hegseth. It additionally included pictures of logos of Musk’s companies, together with the electrical carmaker Tesla.
“There are not any purple strains after what occurred and is occurring to our individuals in Gaza,” al-Awlaki stated. “Reciprocity is respectable.”
Yemen’s al-Qaida department lengthy regarded as most harmful
Although believed to be weakened lately because of infighting and suspected U.S. drone strikes killing its leaders, the group recognized by the acronym AQAP had been thought of essentially the most harmful department of al-Qaida nonetheless working after the 2011 killing by U.S. Navy SEALs of founder Osama bin Laden, who masterminded the Sept. 11, 2001, assaults.
In 2022, a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan killed bin Laden’s successor, Ayman al-Zawahri, who additionally helped plot 9/11. The Sept. 11 assaults then started a long time of struggle by the U.S. in Afghanistan and Iraq, and fomented the rise of the Islamic State group.
Al-Awlaki already has a $6 million U.S. bounty on his head, as Washington says al-Awlaki “has publicly referred to as for assaults towards america and its allies.” He changed AQAP chief Khalid al-Batarfi, whose loss of life was introduced by the group in 2024.
Israel-Hamas struggle a spotlight of the Houthis as effectively
AQAP seizing onto the Israel-Hamas struggle follows the efforts of Yemen’s Houthi rebels to do the identical. The Iranian-backed group has launched missile assaults on Israel and focused business vessels shifting by means of the Purple Sea hall, in addition to American warships. The U.S. Navy has described their marketing campaign towards the Houthis as essentially the most intense fight it has confronted since World Battle II.
The Trump administration additionally launched its personal intense marketing campaign of strikes on the Houthis, which solely ended earlier than the president’s current journey to the Center East.
The Houthis’ worldwide profile rose because the group stays mired in Yemen’s long-stalemated struggle. Al-Awlaki could also be betting on the identical for his group, which U.N. consultants have estimated has between 3,000 and 4,000 lively fighters and passive members. The group raises cash by robbing banks and cash change retailers, in addition to smuggling weapons, counterfeiting currencies and ransom operations, in response to the U.N.
The Shiite Zaydi Houthis have beforehand denied working with AQAP, a Sunni extremist group. Nevertheless, AQAP focusing on of the Houthis has dropped lately, whereas the militants preserve attacking Saudi-led coalition forces who’ve battled the Houthis.
“Because the Houthis acquire recognition as leaders of the ‘Arab and Muslim world’s resistance’ towards Israel, al-Awlaki seeks to problem their dominance by presenting himself as equally involved in regards to the scenario in Gaza,” stated Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemen skilled of the Basha Report threat advisory agency.
“For a nationwide safety and international coverage group more and more disengaged from Yemen, this video is a transparent reminder: Yemen nonetheless issues.”
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