The leading UN expert on global terrorism has warned that Al Qaeda is pursuing a new strategy of expansion, highlighting the group's recent growth in Yemen as an imminent threat.
“Across the sea, AQAP is the vanguard of Al Qaeda at the moment,” Colin Smith, the co-ordinator of the terrorism monitoring team for the UN Security Council told an event in London's Rusi think tank. “It too is more local, it is becoming richer. It couldn't pay its soldiers their salaries in 2024 and now that's not a problem.
“It's also looking increasing at external operations, and we understand it's also looking at maritime operations.
“Al Qaeda in particular has been trying to buy into local narratives. It tries to make the most local grievances in order to promote its agenda. It puts local first and global second.”
Mr Smith said his body's Global Threat Assessment would catalogue the rise in Al Qaeda worldwide membership to 25,000 loyalists.
Fears over the rejuvenation of Al Qaeda were underlined on Thursday by a message from the group calling on supporters to capitalise on any attack on Iran.
US President Donald Trump has ordered a show of military force around Iran to force the leadership under Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to bow to street protests and allow a change of the system.
Talks are expected to take place in Oman on Friday in a last ditch bid to avert US strikes on the leadership.
The Al Qaeda leadership claimed that its loyalists such as AQAP, could sink aircraft carriers and specifically sited its suicide attack on the destroyer USS Cole in 2001 in Aden.
The statement condemned the build up of US forces in the region and said its adherents should rally to protect the lands under threat.
The UN has reported that Al Qaeda's leader Sayf Al Adl is sheltered by Iran. Iran claims it has no Al Qaeda presence whatsoever.
Recent changes in Yemen are feared to be creating expansion opportunities for AQAP. Fighters loyal to the Southern Transitional Council consolidated territory in the south late last year, seizing control of the Hadhramaut and Mahra provinces, as part of the fight against terror groups.
But rival government forces won back the territory with the help of a Saudi Arabia-led coalition. In the aftermath, STC leader Aidarous Al Zubaidi was accused of high treason and stripped of his seat on the Yemeni leadership.
A spokesman for the STC told The National that Al Qaeda had benefitted from “enormous looting of weaponry” from vacated bases while the pro-government forces moved into control.
Mr Smith said that there was strong links between AQAP across to the African group Al Shabab.
Globally he said plotting and planning by Al Qaeda and ISIS was an active threat to international security as terrorist know-how was migrating from one region to another. The focus of propaganda has also moved towards practical attack advice.
“The groups are changing and adapting and evolving and there is a shift in propaganda.”
