‘Alive and kicking’: Al-Qaeda still holds sway in Arabian Peninsula, Israeli expert tells 'Post'

Yoram Schweitzer, an Israeli terrorism expert, tells the 'Post' that al-Qaeda remains active globally, particularly in the Sahara and Arabian Peninsula, following the flydubai attempted hijacking. Schweitzer notes the group is dispersed but provides inspiration to affiliates, with al-Shabaab as its strongest branch and AQAP coordinating with Yemen's Houthis.

Yoram Schweitzer, head of the INSS Research Field on Terrorism and Low Intensity Conflict, told The Jerusalem Post that al-Qaeda and its affiliates remain 'alive and kicking' in the Sahara and Arabian Peninsula, continuing to invest heavily in publishing propaganda on a daily basis. His assessment came a day after CNN reported on the flydubai terrorist's connection to the group. The terrorist, Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, had published tributes to al-Qaeda's former leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and a terrorist responsible for an attack on US troops in Afghanistan in 2009. The al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Bayan digital newspaper published an article supporting Hammami's actions and demanding copycat attacks. Schweitzer said al-Qaeda Central serves as an inspiration, with its publications remaining valid among Muslims who wish to become radicalized. He noted that al-Shabaab is al-Qaeda's strongest branch, having rapidly expanded its territorial control and providing financial support to other affiliates. The 2009 merger of al-Qaeda's Yemen and Saudi-based branches into AQAP has enabled greater coordination, reportedly extending to Yemen's Houthis. Schweitzer stressed that the true threat al-Qaeda poses to Israel cannot be fully known until the investigation into Hammami concludes, but he instinctively did not believe the flydubai incident was a lone-wolf attack.