August 21, 2008
Al-Qaeda Network in Yemen
(Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) Here's an al-Qaeda terrorist network update from the Arabian Peninsula. Arguably, its an oversimplification because it doesn't address the various tribal connections while describing al-Qaeda chiefly as a somewhat cohesive organization rather than a diverse network of individual terrorist cells.
A Saudi citizen, Naif Mohammad Al-Qahtani has been identifed by sources as the leader of the alleged “Al-Qaeda Network in the South of the Arabian Peninsula.” He has been in Yemen for almost one year and is receiving financial support from Iranian and Libyan individuals to finance terrorist operations against Yemen and Saudi Arabia, Al-Watan reported.No information has been disclosed as to how Iran and Libya are able to funnel money to Al-Qahtani on the south of the Arabian peninsula.
Al-Qahtani, nicknamed within the network “Abou Hammam” runs the Al-Qaeda operations in Yemen, together with the Yemeni national, Nasser Al-Wahishi.MoreAl-Qahtani, a high-school graduate from southern Saudi Arabia, is thirty-years-old and has a son named Mohammad. Al-Qahtani is wanted by Saudi authorities on terror-related security charges. Six Al-Qaeda detainees provided this information to Yemeni security forces after they were arrested in July.
The sources said Al-Qahtani is responsible for the financing of several terrorist operations targeting Yemeni facilities as well as major sectors, including the attack on Spanish tourists in mid-July.
