The US has effectively used cyberespionage to infiltrate AQAP, a major terrorist group. By exploiting technological vulnerabilities and human intelligence, the US has been able to target and eliminate key AQAP leaders. However, the AQAP has adapted its tactics to counter these threats.

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Ibrahim Ali* (South24 Center)

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Introduction

Terrorism is one of the most prominent challenges facing the international community in the 21st century as the world has witnessed a transformation in the forms of conflict in a way that makes cyberspace a new arena of the cold war between countries and extremist groups.

In this regard, electronic hacking operations serve as a pivotal counterterrorism tool. This is especially related to the emergence of extremist groups, such as the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and ISIS, which use modern technology to plan their operations and recruit new elements.

The paper aims to explore the operations carried out by the United States to infiltrate the AQAP, with a focus on electronic loopholes. It also discusses the mechanisms and tools on which the US relies in this type of operation as well as their effect on the AQAP. Moreover, the study assesses this counterterrorism strategy and its impact on cyber information.

On the other hand, the paper analyzes the countermeasures taken by AQAP to protect itself from these attacks and how they have evolved over time.

It is worth mentioning that the electronic penetration operations have become a double-edged weapon used by influential counterterrorism forces. On the other hand, terrorist groups exploit them to launch counter attacks.

 

The Beginning of Relying on Technology

After the US’ war in Afghanistan, Washington began a new war against jihadist organizations that has depended on low-lost drones. However, these drones require accurate information to successfully carry out their tasks. They can’t operate without this information. It is here that electronic penetration (known also as hacking) plays its role that sometimes requires a human mediator between the target and the weapon.

In his book ’Obama’s Wars‘ [1], American journalist Bob Woodward said: “Drones are blind without human mediation.” He describes those mediators as being “persons recruited by Washington to betray their countries”. Their mission is limited to planting an electronic chip in the belongings or properties of targeted persons in a way that allows drones to accurately identify their locations.

Although the AQAP considered drones as evidence of military failure, not technological sophistication, this tool has proved much effective in the field. Most AQAP commanders of the first and second ranks were killed in drone raids. However, the missiles planted on these drones are the last part of a complicated process based on cyber hacking. [2]

Electronic Chips

In 2002, the US began using electronic chips to track the Al-Qaeda leaders in Yemen. The elimination of Abu Ali Al-Harithi, a former bodyguard of Osama bin Laden, in November 2002 was the first instance of an American operation relying on this technology to kill a top Al-Qaeda commander in Yemen. [3] The AQAP formed in January 2009 with the merger of the Saudi and Yemeni branches of Al-Qaeda.

A former jihadi told ’South24 Center‘: “The chip was planted in Al-Harithi’s car while it was in the capital of Marib before targeting him in a desert there.”

The former jihadi added that “Al-Harithi and his companions heard the sound of the drone before the bombing. This pushed him to throw a wireless communication device out of the SUV window, believing that the surveillance had been done through it. However, the targeting operation was carried out through the chip planted in his car.” 

Al-Harithi was targeted by the US as he was suspected to have had a major role in the October 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Aden that killed 17 US sailors.

According to the former jihadi, the Al-Qaeda in Yemen did not possess the security measures needed to confront such a type of targeting. However, these operations weren’t widely carried out at that time, he added. Moreover, they were heavily rejected by the Yemeni opposition that accused the then President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his regime of compromising national sovereignty.

For its part, the Saleh regime denied that Washington had carried out any anti-Al-Qaeda operations inside Yemen. According to leaked WikiLeaks documents, Ali Saleh told then US General David Petraeus commenting on the US’ missile strike on Al-Maajalah in Abyan in December 2009 that killed 41 people, mostly women and children: “We will continue saying that these missiles are launched by us not yours”. [4]

In 2022, 20 years after Al-Harithi’s assassination, the AQAP announced the arrest and execution of one of its members who facilitated in hunting him. This was mentioned in the video ’Harvest of Spies’ released by the AQAP which included detailed confessions about this operation. [5]

Photo 1: The cover of the booklet authored by AQAP leader Mohammed Omair Al-Kalawi who was killed in a US bombing in 2009 (By ’South24 Center’).

After the US bombing of the village of Al-Maajalah which killed dozens of nomads affiliated with the Bakazm tribe, groups of AQAP members publicly participated in their funeral for the first time. Their participation wasn’t limited to attendance as the then AQAP leader Mohammed Omair Al-Kalawi delivered a speech in which he threatened to target the United States. Al-Kalawi is the author of the booklet titled ’Why did I Choose Al-Qaeda?’ [6]

An exclusive source told ‘South24 Center’ that, [7] Al-Kalawi received a Kalashnikov as gift after delivering his speech at the funeral. However, he was killed along with some companions in a US bombing strike the same day before he could even use the weapon. It was revealed that a human mediator had planted an electronic chip inside the Kalashnikov before giving it to the AQAP leader. This facilitated in targeting them later that day. 

Precautionary Measures

After the assassination of Al-Harithi and Al-Kalawi, the AQAP took precautionary moves to protect itself from infiltration and targeting. 

According to an AQAP defector, the organization issued instructions prohibiting its elements from stopping in any areas that have human gatherings, in fear of someone planting chips inside their cars. Moreover, the new measures ordered replacing of the cars of senior leaders. This is in addition to keeping the car being used at a distance (from AQAP elements and for leaders to check them. The defected leader said that the checking process is carried out in a primitive way by passing the camera over the car parts in the darkness. The organization believes that blue or green light emits from the chip when the camera is pointed at the car’s parts in the darkness.

The defected leader added that the AQAP issued instructions prohibiting the presence of its elements and commanders among citizens even in areas which aren't controlled by the central government. This is in addition to banning accepting of any gifts, even from the closest relatives. 

He added that days ahead of the US operations in July 2015 in which the AQAP’s singer and song writer ’Abu Hajar‘ was killed in Mukalla, Hadramout, the US intelligence recruited a person whose sister had married a leader of the organization. There were no doubts around that person as he had close ties with the leader who was subsequently killed in the same raid after a chip was planted in some of his personal belongings. 

Despite the security measures, the AQAP lost senior leaders later through operations that adopted the same method like in the case of Anwar Al-Awlaki.