Ras2ras.com

arabcrunch.com, Yemeni Social Rating Site Ras2ras.com "Acquired by an Investor from Qatar, 13 June 2010"Ras2ras.com, a social rating platform from Yemen was acquired by an investor from Qatar for an undisclosed amount. Ras2ras.com, which was founded by Amad Almsaodi in 2008, is built around a very simple yet really interesting idea: putting any two comparable things against each other, and letting people vote on which they like best."

I like the idea of Ras2ras.com too. As you'll see from the shot below, it asks 'significant' questions. Which is better: gold or cash? Brazil or Portugal (that's a World Cup question!)?  etc.

Yemen aQAP analysis

Asharq Alawsat, Yemen: A Talk with Al-Qaeda Expert Abdul-Ilah Haydar, 9 Mar 2010 "Abdul-Ilah Haydar, a Yemen-based terrorism expert, talks to Asharq al Awsat about his visits to territories where Al-Qaeda elements and its sympathizers are present. Haydar also revealed details about his meetings with a number of the terrorist organization's leaders, including Abu-Basir, who is the Emir of the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), his deputy Al-Shihri, and the commander of the military wing Abu-Hurayrah, in addition to meeting with the other man wanted by the United States of America, Anwar al-Awlaki."

al-Awlaki

Robert F. Worth, NYT, Cleric in Yemen Admits Meeting Airliner Plot Suspect, Journalist Says, 31 Jan 2010 "Mr. Awlaki’s new call to kill American officials here illustrated once again his radicalism, which has led counterterrorism officials to watch him closely for at least a decade. Born in New Mexico, Mr. Awlaki had contacts with three of the Sept. 11 hijackers at mosques where he worked in San Diego and Falls Church, Va. His eloquent defenses of violent jihad in sermons and on the Internet are widely believed to have radicalized many young Muslims."

al-Awlaki

Murad Batal Al-shishani, Terrorism Monitor Volume: 8 Issue: 2, The Radical Source for Non-Arabic Speaking Muslims: Anwar al-Awlaki, 14 Jan 2010 "After his release, al-Awlaki translated and summarized the works of Yusuf al-Ayiri, an al-Qaeda ideologist who was killed in a security operation in northern Saudi Arabia in 2003 (muslim.net, Jan 15, 2009; Asharq al-Awsat, April 30, 2007). He then went on to write the guide 44 Ways to Support Jihad, in which he says, "Jihad today is obligatory on every capable Muslim. So as a Muslim who wants to please Allah it is your duty to find ways to practice it and support it." The 44 ways of supporting jihad include giving the mujahideen money, praying for them, preserving their secrets, sponsoring their families, providing moral encouragement and urging others to join the jihad.

"In the same book, al-Awlaki encourages followers to be "Internet mujahideen" by, among other things, "setting up websites to cover specific areas of jihad, such as: mujahideen news, Muslim POWs and jihad literature.""

This is a useful overview. I refer to al-Ayiri in my work.

Also see: AP/Fox, Yemen Tribe Protecting American-Yemeni Islamic Cleric, 19 Jan 2010, "Anwar al-Awlaki's run from authorities is the culmination of what U.S. and Yemeni officials say is the charismatic cleric's slide toward terrorists.

"They say al-Awlaki, who once preached in mosques in California and northern Virginia and posted fiery English-language Internet sermons urging Muslims to fight in jihad, is now an active participant in Al Qaeda's offshoot in his turbulent ancestral homeland."

Yemen

BBC News, Yemen treads fine line against al-Qaeda, 14 Jan 2010, " ... the minister for religion, Hamoud al-Hitar, denied that Yemen was tolerating radical religious "scientific schools", as madrassas are called here.

""They have no schools before our very eyes, nor do they have mosques to teach in. Al-Qaeda lessons are delivered on the internet but not through schools or mosques," he told me."

New blog on Yemen

Haley Sweetland Edwards, Sanaa Bureau, Global Post: Green Technology in Sana’a is very, very old, 11 Dec 09 Interesting post from a new blog Tip: Waq al-Waq

Yemen Internet

Open Net Initiative, Websense Bars Yemen's Government from Further Software Updates, 12 Aug 09"When ONI released its Middle East and North Africa reports, an avid reader quickly submitted an article to Slashdot noting the government of Yemen's use of Websense filtering software, as reported in our 2009 Yemen country profile."

Yemen aQ

AFP, Saudi breaks up 'terror' network, 8 Apr 09 "In January the Yemen branch of Al-Qaeda announced in an Internet video message the merging of the Saudi and Yemeni branches into what it called Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, led by a Yemeni, Nasser al-Wahaishi."

Yemen: Organisation of Islamic Jihad

alarabiya.net, Yemeni sentenced to death in Israel spy case, 23 Mar 09, "The prosecution charged Haidari with corresponding with Olmert through emails, one of which said: "We are the Organization of Islamic Jihad and you are Jews, but you are honest, and we are ready to do anything."

"The charge sheet said Olmert responded to Haidari, also known as Abu al-Ghaith, welcoming his offer to collaborate."

"al-Ruaybdha" terminology

"al-Ruaybdha" terminology

Waq al-Waq, Jihadi Vocab, 26 Feb 09 "I have thought for some time now that a book that is really needed is some sort of jihadi dictionary, explaining common words phrases and allusions that often pepper jihadi magazines and videos. Not that the book would really sell beyond a few hundred copies, but still..."

Yemen (news + new blog)

Yemen

Jihadica, Al-Awfi Captured, New Yemen Blog, 17 Feb 09 "Muhammad al-Awfi, one of the two former Saudi Gitmo detainees who appeared in the video by al-Qaida in Yemen on 19 January, has now been captured. Press reports and forum rumours this morning were confirmed this afternoon by the Yemeni embassy in Washington."

Refers to Waq al-Waq - a Yemen focused blog.

'Rehab' > aQ > Yemen

Nancy Durham, CBC, Attempting to rehabilitate Riyadh's jihadists, 29 Jan 09 "Al-Qaeda's Yemen branch reportedly has a new deputy chief, a Saudi named Saeed al-Shihri.

"When I was in Saudi Arabia in 2007 to report on the Kingdom's much publicized rehabilitation program, which aims to turn jihadi fighters into peaceful citizens, al-Shihri was one of the enrollees."

aQ

Yemen Post, Al-Qaeda Appoints New Leader; Second in Command Ex-Prisoner, 26 Jan 09 "New leaders for Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula have been appointed; Al-Qaeda affiliates in Yemen have posted an audio message on the Islamic internet forum, Sada Al-Malahim, Al-Qaeda’s mouthpiece electronic journal.

"Abu Basir Nasrir Al-Wahaishi a prominent Al-Qaeda member who served as Al-Qaeda leader in Yemen was chosen as Al-Qaeda regional leader and a Saudi ex-Guantánamo detainee, Abu Sufian Ali Al-Shihri was chosen as Al-Qaeda second in command.

"Sada Al-Malahim quoted Abu-Basir saying Al-Qaeda in Yemen and Saudi are now under one unified leadership “Al Qaeda in the Arab’s Peninsula."Details over this matter will be given later through a lengthy dialogue with Abu Basir on Sada Al-Malahim," the message said."

Yemen

Yemen Post, Search for Pornographic Material on Rise; Children are most Vulnerable, 12 Jan 09 " The search for bad material surpasses by far the search for useful and good things available on the internet for many in Yemen. According to Google Trends, Arabs are ranked first concerning search for sex and other linked material.

"Yemen Net or Teleyemen, Yemen's internet providers have sought to block any website containing porn content and other materials that goes against the Islamic principles.

"Further, Information Ministry has ordered the owners of internet cafes nationwide to remove the shields that were made in the past to separate one user from another. According to the resolution, computer screens should be directed towards the front and there should be nothing that prevents others watching what are you surfing."

Yemen > Amr Khaled

sabanews.net, Amr Khaled to deliver lectures on Palestinian case, 11 Jan 09 "Speaking to Saba, Khaled said that he will also take part in a development and social project under the title of "activate youth to face poverty and illiteracy " which aims at helping about 4500 children to return to schools.

"Khaled added that he will deliver a number of Islamic lectures in the capital Sana'a and Dhamar and Ibb provinces to call on Yemeni youth to use the internet for making a dialogue with the world in order to define the Palestinian case."

aQ

AP/MSNBC, U.S.: Suspect made videos glorifying al-Qaida, 28 Oct 08 "One of Ali Hamza al-Bahlul's videos depicted the 2000 suicide bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen and was shown at terrorist training camps in Afghanistan to inspire recruits, Army Maj. Daniel Cowhig, lead prosecutor in the second Guantanamo war crimes trial, said in opening statements."

Yemen

marketwatch.com, American Islamic Congress Hails Release of Yemeni Journalist Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani, Sept 25, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Weddady: "A Great Day for Free Expression in the Middle East." also see Protect Media Freedom in Yemen

Yemen

AP, 16 dead in car bomb, ambush at US Embassy in Yemen , 17 Sep 08 "Yemeni security officials said a little-known group called Islamic Jihad, unrelated to the Palestinian group of the same name, claimed responsiblity for the attack. But Yemeni authorities have blamed the group in past attacks that have later been claimed by al-Qaida in postings on the Internet."

aQ Yemen

AFP, Al-Qaeda claims attacks on Belgian, Spanish tourists: report, 26 Feb 08 "The "Jund Al-Yemen Brigades" said in an Internet statement that it was behind a strike in January which killed two Belgians and another in July which left seven Spaniards dead, the SITE Intelligence Group reported." Sustained delay in this information being published online.

Yemen Internet

BBC Monitoring/Arab Media & Society, Yemeni Journalists Syndicate condemns blocking of website, 21 Jan 08