Keywords: Al-Qaeda, Yemen, Islamists D. A. NECHITAILO Candidate of Political Sciences Yemen has always been and remains a strategically important destination for the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization, where it is relatively easy for it to send fighters to participate in combat operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, East Africa and East Asia. The fact that bin Laden's family is descended from the Yemeni city of Hadramut, and that he took his fourth wife from there, also plays a certain role. The leader of the world jihad movement calls Yemen "one of the best countries in the Arab-Muslim world where Islam is strictly followed." Many of bin Laden's bodyguards are also of Yemeni origin. So, the Yemeni Nasir Ah. N. al-Bahri (Abu Jandal) led his guard for a long time. Most of this country is dominated by tribal customs. A number of Yemeni tribes are at war with each other, and there are frequent clashes with the central authorities. The population has a huge amount of weapons in their hands. Paramilitary formations of local clans are a serious force. Islamists are actively recruiting young people who are forced by the very conditions of life to study military affairs from childhood, thanks to which radical Islamist groups receive already well-trained fighters. The tribal structure of the local society makes it difficult for the official authorities to fight Al-Qaeda. Having enlisted the support of the leader of a particular clan, Islamists get the opportunity not only to hide from the persecution of special services, but also to transport weapons and people to different countries and in different directions. It is not uncommon for attempts by the authorities to take control of tribal areas lead to strong opposition from the latter. A vivid example of this is the operation to kill one of the leaders of Al-Qaeda, Abu Ali Harisi in 2002 (formerly bin Laden's bodyguard) in Marib. The leaders regarded this special operation as an attempt to limit their autonomy. Yemen's proximity to A ... Читать далее