MORE FROM HUFFPOST
MORE FROM HUFFPOST
aqap
On May 2, 2011, a US Special Forces operation, code named "Neptune Spear," ended the life of Osama bin Laden (OBL). In the ensuing 5 years there has been much debate on whether OBL's demise benefited the war on terror.
On May 7, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the head of al-Qaeda, released an audio recording in which he announced that he had given his permission for the al-Qaeda affiliated Syrian jihadist group, al-Nusra Front, to create "a new emirate" in Syria.
The war in Yemen has led to dangerous instability.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
WHAT'S HAPPENING
For Al-Qaeda affiliates around the world, holding westerners hostage and threatening to kill them if their governments don't pay for their release is big business. In fact, kidnapping is a massive windfall for terrorist organizations in general.
Fog of War Yemen
The threats emanating from Yemen are distorted and exaggerated, the stakes are actually relatively low (except for Yemenis), any imposed settlement is highly elusive and the costs to those engaged may be high. For the U.S., it can be once again something of a lose-lose situation where the enemy of my enemy is often also my enemy.
By pledging allegiance to Daoesh, Boko Haram will surely gain more credibility and attract more recruits, making it even more difficult for the region's governments to successfully combat it.
