TRAC Briefing: AQAP's New Mini Series Highlights the Life and Times of its Architect

Sa'eed al-Shehri (aka. Abu Sufyan al-Azdi) Dear reader/s, In August 2008, Sa'eed al-Shehri (aka. Abu Sufyan al-Azdi) trekked the hard way out of Saudi Arabia, traveling through rough terrain to neighboring Yemen, where a new "journey of jihad, sacrifice and generosity" began for him. Abu Sufyan was the mastermind of AQAP's recruitment strategy, "collecting manpower, gathering fighters and directing the helm of the struggle." Though his journey came to an end as the result of a July 2013 US drone attack in Yemen, his influence within AQAP is as prominent as ever. Jihad Journey: The Mini-Series In March 2014, AQAP's "Al-Malahem Media" released a mini-series documentary on Abu Sufyan's progression into radicalization. The first part of "Journey of Jihad" traces Abu Sufyan's rise to become the mastermind of the group as he played the role of propaganda guru, military strategist, top deputy commander, and fundraising superstar. Without al-Shehri, one might argue, AQAP would have been a failed al-Qaeda project. TRAC brings this 30-minute video to you with an exclusive synopsis by TRAC contributor and senior consultant for Flashpoint Partners, Laith Alkhouri, of the life of the architect of modern day AQAP. Complete Analysis AQAP new video Jihad Journey - Part 1 This content will be available to non-subscribers only for a limited time. For additional questions about any of TRAC's 1000s of pages of content, 4,324 terrorist group profiles, or subscriptions, contact Hylda Fenton at hfenton@tracterrorism.org. Cordially, Veryan Khan Editorial Director / Associate Publisher Beacham Publishing