WASHINGTON, Dec 20: The core of Al-Qaeda has been “seriously degraded” in South Asia with the removal of 20 of its top 30 leaders, a top American counterterrorism official has said.
“In South Asia, AQ’s core has been seriously degraded. Without a doubt, Osama bin Laden’s departure from the scene was the most important milestone in the fight against Al- Qaeda,” Daniel Benjamin, the State Department’s top Counterterrorism official said in his appearance before the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think-tank.
“The removal of AQ’s founder and sole commander for 22 years was a testament to the work of countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals across the government. That operation further demonstrated as never before the extraordinary proficiency our military and intelligence communities have achieved in the realm of counterterrorism,” he said.
“And, of course, it was not just bin Laden. We have removed more than 20 of AQ’s top 30 leaders. Now, the core finds it difficult to raise money, train recruits, and plan attacks outside of the region,” Benjamin said.
In Yemen, the fight against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is a work in progress, but the trend lines are positive, he noted.
“In particular, the resolve of President Hadi and the Yemeni people has made a major difference: after holding a considerable swath of territory, AQAP has been rolled back from the gains of last year.
Yemen illustrates the value of a truly comprehensive approach: So while we are training Yemeni security forces to combat terror, we are also addressing the needs of the Yemeni people by assisting the political transition and delivering humanitarian and economic aid. We’re working with the international community to redouble its support for Yemen,” he said.
“We do this not only because is right to help a country Yemen’s challenges, but also because this work addresses human needs that, unmet, can accelerate radicalisation and because our partners should know that we are in it for more than our security,” Benjamin said.
In short, the Al Qaeda core is on the path to defeat, Benjamin said. “The two most dangerous affiliates, while still posing serious threats, have suffered their worst setbacks in years. If we only had a static set of challenges, we’d all be feeling great.”
“But, as everyone here knows, the tumultuous events of the last couple of years in the Middle East and North Africa have added complications to this picture,” he observed. (PTI)
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