Now the major test facing the Yemeni government and the United States is how to continue the fight effectively without losing the legitimacy of the campaign as a whole.
A recently captured document written by the commander of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (al-Qaeda in Hijaz) reviews the organization’s strategy in 2011-2012, when operatives seized control of several provinces in the southern part of Yemen. It reveals the organization’s internal debate regarding its relationship with the local Yemeni population, deliberations that were prompted by the organization’s drive to gain popular sympathy and support in its fight against the Sana’a government. The document offers a rare glimpse into the mindset of al-Qaeda leaders and plans for their continued struggle against the Yemeni regime. It also represents similar dilemmas of al-Qaeda affiliates in other arenas fighting against weak governments.
