Global Security Studies Practicum

(Yemen)- Exactly two weeks after US drone strikes killed Anwar Al-Awlaki , another drone strike has claimed the life of his 21-year-old son, Abdul Rahman Anwar Awlaki. The attack in the Shabwa district claimed nine militants, including Ibrahim al-Banna, head media officer for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) . Reports indicate the younger Awlaki had been hiding in the mountains for more than eight months. Washington continues to stamp out the threat from AQAP, the most active and dangerous branch of al-Qaida and the perpetrators of the failed attack of the underwear bomber . The strike was one of five overnight drone attacks aimed at al-Qaida positions in Shawba and Abyan . Anwar al-Awlaki was formerly the senior leader of the AQAP before his death September 30th. There has been no comment from the al-Awlaki family. Source: www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2011-10-15/yemen-militants-drone-strikes/50784330/1?csp=34news Reliability: 9

Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, a Saudi militant, is supposedly dead after the United States drone strike in Yemen . This strike killed Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and Pakistani-American propagandist Samir Khan , both key figures in the Yemen Al-Qaida branch. Al-Asiri’s importance to Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula overshadows the deaths of two Americans. Upon his release from prison in 2006, Al-Asiri became one of the first Saudis to join the Yemen Al-Qaida branch and pledge allegiance to Nasser al-Wahishi , leader of Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. Al-Asiri is responsible for designing explosives in two attempted attacks against the United States. The bomb found in a Nigerian’s underwear in an attempt to blow up Flight 253 over Detroit in 2009, and the bombs found in two printers headed for Chicago and Philadelphia last year. Al-Asiri also led his brother Abdullah’s suicide bombing operation to kill Saudi Prince Nayef in 2009 causing Abdullah’s death. Source: http://n...