Qasim al-Raymi ( ar, قاسم الريمي; 5 June 1978 – 29 January 2020) was a
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
i militant who was the emir of
al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
Al-Raymi was one of 23 men who escaped in the
3 February 2006 prison-break in Yemen, along with other notable
al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
members. Al-Raymi was connected to a July 2007 suicide bombing that killed eight
Spanish tourists
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mo ...
. In 2009, the Yemeni government accused him of being responsible for the running of an
al-Qaeda training camp in
Abyan province
Abyan ( ar, أَبْيَن ) is a governorate of Yemen. The Abyan region was historically part of the Fadhli Sultanate. It was a base to the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army militant group. Its capital is the city of Zinjibar. This governorate is not ...
. After serving as AQAP's military commander, al-Raymi was promoted to leader after the death of
Nasir al-Wuhayshi
Nasir Abdel Karim al-Wuhayshi ( ar, ناصر عبد الكريم الوحيشي'; also transliterated as Naser al-Wahishi, Nasser al-Wuhayshi) alias Abu Basir, (1 October 1976 – 12 June 2015) was a Yemeni Islamist, who served as the leader o ...
on 12 June 2015.
Early life, Afghanistan and al-Qaeda in Yemen
Al-Raymi was born on 5 June 1978 in the
Raymah Governorate
Raymah ( ') is a governorate of Yemen. Its capital is Al Jabin. The governorate was established in January 2004 from parts of Sanaa Governorate. Its name derives from Wadi Rima, which crosses through the governorate.
Geography and districts
R ...
, near the Yemen capital of
Sana'a
Sanaa ( ar, صَنْعَاء, ' , Yemeni Arabic: ; Old South Arabian: 𐩮𐩬𐩲𐩥 ''Ṣnʿw''), also spelled Sana'a or Sana, is the capital and largest city in Yemen and the centre of Sanaa Governorate. The city is not part of the Governo ...
. He was a trainer at an al-Qaeda camp in Afghanistan during the 1990s before returning to Yemen. In 2004, he was imprisoned for five years for being suspected in a series of embassy bombings in the capital.
After escaping from prison in 2006, al-Raymi, along with
Nasir al-Wuhayshi
Nasir Abdel Karim al-Wuhayshi ( ar, ناصر عبد الكريم الوحيشي'; also transliterated as Naser al-Wahishi, Nasser al-Wuhayshi) alias Abu Basir, (1 October 1976 – 12 June 2015) was a Yemeni Islamist, who served as the leader o ...
, oversaw the formation of al-Qaeda in Yemen, which took in both new recruits and experienced Arab fighters returning from battlefields across Iraq and Afghanistan.
The group claimed responsibility for two suicide bomb attacks that killed six Western tourists before being linked to the
assault on the US embassy in
Sana'a
Sanaa ( ar, صَنْعَاء, ' , Yemeni Arabic: ; Old South Arabian: 𐩮𐩬𐩲𐩥 ''Ṣnʿw''), also spelled Sana'a or Sana, is the capital and largest city in Yemen and the centre of Sanaa Governorate. The city is not part of the Governo ...
in September 2008, in which militants detonated bombs and fired rocket-propelled grenades. Ten Yemeni guards and four civilians were killed, along with six assailants.
Founding of AQAP
In January 2009, al-Raymi, along with three other men, appeared in a video calling for the foundation of
al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a unification of both al-Qaeda's Yemen and Saudi Arabian branches. He was introduced as AQAP's military commander. The other men were identified as
Abu Hareth Muhammad al-Oufi
Mohamed Atiq Awayd Al Harbi is a citizen of Saudi Arabia formerly held in extrajudicial detention in the United States's Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba. His Guantanamo Internee Security Number was 333. The US Department of Defense repo ...
,
Abu Sufyan al-Azdi al-Shahri
Sa'id Ali Jabir Al Khathim Al Shihri (1971–2013) was a Saudi Arabian deputy leader of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), and possibly involved in the kidnappings and murders of foreigners in Yemen. Said Ali al-Shihr ...
and
Nasir al-Wuhayshi
Nasir Abdel Karim al-Wuhayshi ( ar, ناصر عبد الكريم الوحيشي'; also transliterated as Naser al-Wahishi, Nasser al-Wuhayshi) alias Abu Basir, (1 October 1976 – 12 June 2015) was a Yemeni Islamist, who served as the leader o ...
.
[
]
Abu Hareth Muhammad al-Oufi
Mohamed Atiq Awayd Al Harbi is a citizen of Saudi Arabia formerly held in extrajudicial detention in the United States's Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba. His Guantanamo Internee Security Number was 333. The US Department of Defense repo ...
was an AQAP field commander,
Abu Sufyan al-Azdi al-Shahri
Sa'id Ali Jabir Al Khathim Al Shihri (1971–2013) was a Saudi Arabian deputy leader of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), and possibly involved in the kidnappings and murders of foreigners in Yemen. Said Ali al-Shihr ...
was the Deputy of AQAP and
Nasir al-Wuhayshi
Nasir Abdel Karim al-Wuhayshi ( ar, ناصر عبد الكريم الوحيشي'; also transliterated as Naser al-Wahishi, Nasser al-Wuhayshi) alias Abu Basir, (1 October 1976 – 12 June 2015) was a Yemeni Islamist, who served as the leader o ...
the former Emir of AQAP.
[
][
]
Military commander of AQAP
Saudi and American wanted list
On February 3, 2009, Saudi security officials published a new
list of Saudi most wanted terrorist suspects.
[
][
]
The 68th individual found on the list was named
"Muhammad Qasim Mehdi Reemy" or "Qassem Mohammed Mahdi Al-Rimi", with the aliases "Abu Hurayrah" and "Abu Ammar". Qassem Al-Rimi on the Saudi wanted list was one of two
Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
is on the list, and was said to be a "linked to
Al Qaeda in Yemen, Saudi Arabia".
A few days later an anonymous Saudi official supplied documents to the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
, which alleged that al-Raymi had "links to a plot targeting the U.S. ambassador in
San'a."
The documents also reported that he rented the house where the operation was planned and that he "monitored the US embassy".
[
On May 11, 2010, the U.S State Department listed al-Raymi as a ]Specially Designated Global Terrorist
A Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) is a person or entity that has been designated as such by the United States Department of State or the US Department of the Treasury. An SDGT designation is made under authority of US Executive Order 1 ...
. On October 14, 2014, it announced a reward of $5 million for any information leading to his capture or death.
Previous reports of death
Al-Raymi's death has been reported multiple times. He was reported to have died during a raid by Yemeni security officials on 9 August 2007.[
] Ali bin Ali Douha
Ali bin Ali Douha was a citizen of Yemen described as an al Qaeda leader.
He was reported to have died during a raid by Yemeni security officials on August 9, 2007.
Qasim al Rimi and two other suspected militants were reported to have been killed ...
and two other militants were reported to have been killed during the raid.
Abu al-Raymi was the target of a raid on al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
camps in Yemen on December 17, 2009, which reportedly was carried out by U.S. cruise missiles
A cruise missile is a guided missile used against terrestrial or naval targets that remains in the atmosphere and flies the major portion of its flight path at approximately constant speed. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhead ...
. He was not reported killed.
It was reported that he was killed in a January 4, 2010 raid by Yemeni security forces, though this was proven false. However, according to officials, a Yemeni air strike on two cars, one of which reportedly contained al-Raymi, was conducted on Friday, January 15, 2010. Al-Raymi was reported to be one of those killed.[
][
] Of the eight men thought to be in the two cars, six are thought to have been killed in the strike.
Following reports of his death, al-Raymi was described as the military commander for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).[ He was reported to have "orchestrated" 25 December 2009 attempted ]suicide bombing
A suicide attack is any violent attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used. Suicide attacks have occurred throughout histor ...
of Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
n Umar Farouq Abdulmutallab
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab ( ar, عمر فاروق عبد المطلب ; also known as Umar Abdul Mutallab and Omar Farooq al-Nigeri; born December 22, 1986) popularly referred to as the "Underwear Bomber" or "Christmas Bomber", is a Nigerian-bor ...
. Al-Raymi announced the creation of an "Aden-Abyan Army" to free the country of "crusaders and their apostate agents," in an Internet audio tape.
Apology for hospital attack
Following the 2013 attack on the Yemeni Defense Ministry, which resulted in the killing of numerous doctors and patients at a hospital present in the compound, al-Raymi released a video message apologizing, claiming that the team of attackers were directed not to assault the hospital in the attack, but that one had gone ahead and done so.
Yakla raid
On January 29, 2017, al-Raymi was the supposed target of a military action undertaken by the United States known as the Yakla raid
The Raid on Yakla was a United States/United Arab Emirates military operation carried out on January 29, 2017 in al-Ghayil, a village in the Yakla area of the Al Bayda Governorate of central Yemen, during the Yemeni Civil War (2014–present). A ...
. The raid resulted in the death of a Navy SEAL and of a number of civilians including a U.S. citizen. Shortly after the raid, on February 5, 2017, al-Raymi released an audiotape onto the internet referencing the raid. The fact that al-Raymi had been a main target of the raid had not been previously confirmed. In the audiotape, al-Raymi confirmed he was still alive and taunted U.S President Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
.
Emir of AQAP
On June 16, 2015, following the death of former AQAP Emir and founder Nasir al-Wuhayshi
Nasir Abdel Karim al-Wuhayshi ( ar, ناصر عبد الكريم الوحيشي'; also transliterated as Naser al-Wahishi, Nasser al-Wuhayshi) alias Abu Basir, (1 October 1976 – 12 June 2015) was a Yemeni Islamist, who served as the leader o ...
, AQAP commander Khaled Batarfi confirmed al-Raymi had been elected by the group's leadership council to succeed Wuhayshi.
On July 8, 2015, al-Raymi swore allegiance to al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
emir Ayman al Zawahiri. He congratulated the recent successes of the al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, al-Nusra Front
Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...
, and the gains made by Army of Conquest
The Army of Conquest ( ar, جيش الفتح) or Jaish al-Fatah, abbreviated JaF, was a joint command center of Sunni Islamist Syrian rebel factions participating in the Syrian Civil War.
The alliance was formed in March 2015 under the supe ...
coalition in Syria. He called for renewed attacks against the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, remarking ''""All of you must direct and gather your arrows and swords against merica"''. Reports say that on 28 June 2016, an airstrike targeted the home of Qasim in Abyan Governorate
Abyan ( ar, أَبْيَن ) is a governorate of Yemen. The Abyan region was historically part of the Fadhli Sultanate. It was a base to the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army militant group. Its capital is the city of Zinjibar. This governorate is n ...
, killing five people, including two family members of the targeted leader. Qasim survived the attack, with only some wounds.[
On October 18, 2016, the US State Department announced that it is offering rewards of $5 and $10 million for information concerning al-Raymi and another AQAP leader. The US State Department offered $10 million for information on al-Raymi and $5 million for Khalid al-Batarfi.
For more than five years al-Raymi had eluded U.S. forces as he led what experts sometimes refer to as al-Qaida's “most dangerous franchise.” He was the target of the Jan. 29, 2017, special operations raid in which Navy SEAL William Owens was killed.]
Death
On January 31, 2020, ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' reported that three U.S. officials "expressed confidence" that al-Raymi, the emir of AQAP was killed by a U.S. airstrike on 29 January, while traveling in a car with another senior AQAP leader, Abu Al-Baraa Al-Ibby, in the Yakla area of Wald Rabi' District
Wald Rabi' District is a district of the Al Bayda Governorate, Yemen. As of 2003, the district had a population of 19,427 inhabitants.
It is the only district in the Al Bayda Governorate which is not contiguous
Contiguity or contiguou ...
, Al Bayda Governorate, Yemen, according to local sources, although there was no official confirmation.
On February 1, 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
appeared to confirm reports that the U.S. had killed Qassim al-Rimi, the leader of an al Qaeda affiliate in Yemen by retweeting reports claiming that the CIA had conducted a drone strike targeting the AQAP leader. Some experts considered him to be a possible successor to Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri (June 19, 1951 – July 31, 2022) was an Egyptian-born terrorist and physician who served as the second emir of al-Qaeda from June 16, 2011, until his death.
Al-Zawahiri graduated from Cairo University with ...
, the leader of al-Qaeda overall.
On February 6, 2020, the White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
released a statement confirming al-Rimi's death.
On February 23, 2020, AQAP confirmed al-Rimi's death and announced Khalid Batarfi as his successor.
Family
One of al-Raymi's brothers is Ali Yahya Mahdi Al Raimi, a Yemeni held at the Guantanamo Bay detention center. Ali Yahya Mahdi Al Raimi was transferred from Guantanamo to Saudi Arabia in 2016.
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raymi, Qasim
1978 births
2020 deaths
Assassinated al-Qaeda leaders
Deaths by United States drone strikes in Yemen
Fugitives wanted by Saudi Arabia
Individuals designated as terrorists by the United States government
Leaders of Islamic terror groups
Named on Saudi Arabia's list of most wanted suspected terrorists
People from Raymah Governorate
Yemeni al-Qaeda members
People killed in the Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)