Qasim al-Raymi

Abu Hureira Qasm al-Rimi
Born 1979
Died Yatama, Yemen
Other names

 

  • Qasim al-Raymi
  • Qasem al-Raimi
  • Qassim al Rimi
  • Qasim al-Taizi
Known for
  • Appearing in a threatening al Qaeda video, posted to YouTube
  • Being named on the Saudi most wanted list
  • Being identified as plotting to target the US ambassador to Yemen
  • Allegedly a leader of a militant extremist group

Qasim al-Raymi is a citizen of Yemen who was alleged to be a senior leader of an Islamic militant group.[1][2] Al-Raymi is one of 23 men who escaped in the February 3, 2006 prison-break in Yemen, along with other notable al-Qaeda members. He next appears in connection to a July 2007 suicide bombing that killed 8 Spanish tourists. In 2009, the Yemeni government accused him of being responsible for the running of an al-Qaeda training camp in Abyan province.

Contents

YouTube

Abu Hureira Qasm al-Rimi is the name tied to a man identified in a threatening video posted anonymously to YouTube.[3][4] Agence France Presse reported he had also been identified as "Abu Hureira al-Sana'ani". The Jamestown Foundation identified him as Qasim al-Rimi.[5][6] According to the Jamestown Foundation "Abu-Hurayrah" is a title—it means "military commander". He was al-Qaeda's military chief in the Al-Qaeda's offshoot Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Three other men appeared in the video.[3] Two of them were identified as former Guantanamo captives named Abu Hareth Muhammad al-Oufi and Abu Sufyan al-Azdi al-Shahri. The other man was identified as Abu Baseer al-Wahayshi.

Guantanamo spokesman Commander Jeffrey Gordon declined to confirm SITE's identifications.[3]

Saudi wanted list

On February 3, 2009 Saudi security officials published a new list of Saudi most wanted terrorist suspects.[7][8] The 68th individual found on that 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 Yemenis on the list, and was said to be a "linked to Al Qaeda in Yemen, Saudi Arabia". According to the Associated Press he has "links to a plot targeting the U.S. ambassador in San'a."[9][10] They reported he rented the house where the operation was planned and he "monitored the US embassy".

Reported Death

Al Rimi's death has been reported multiple times.

Al Rimi was reported to have died during a raid by Yemeni security officials on August 9, 2007.[11] Ali bin Ali Douha and two other militants were reported to have been killed during the raid.

Abu al-Rimi was the target of a raid on al-Qaeda camps in Yemen on December 17, 2009, which reportedly was carried out by US cruise missiles.[12][13] He was not reported killed.

It was reported that he was killed in a January 4, 2010 raid by Yemeni security forces, though this is unconfirmed. However, according to officials, a Yemeni air strike on two cars, one of which reportedly contained al-Rimi, was conducted on Friday January 15 of 2010. Al-Rimi was reported to be one of those killed, though that is awaiting confirmation.[14][15] Of the eight men thought to be in the two cars, six are thought to have been killed in the strike.[16] He was later confirmed dead on January 16, 2010 along with six other Al Qaeda leaders by the Yemen's interior ministry.[17]

Following reports of his death Al Rimi was described as the military commander for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.[14][15] He is reported to have "orchestrated" the December 25, 2009 attempted suicide bombing of Nigerian Umar Farouq Abdulmutallab. But later it was found out he was alive and al-Rimi on Monday announced the creation of an "Aden-Abyan Army" to free the country of "crusaders and their apostate agents," in an Internet audio tape. [18]

References

  1. ^ "2 tourists dead in attack in Yemen". International Herald Tribune. 2008-01-18. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/01/18/africa/ME-GEN-Yemen-Attack.php. Retrieved 2008-01-18. 
  2. ^ Ahmed Al Haj (2008-01-18). "2 tourists killed in Yemen convoy attack". USA Today. Archived from the original on 2010-01-15. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2F2008-01-18-3608072096_x.htm&date=2010-01-15. 
  3. ^ a b c "Two ex-Guantanamo inmates appear in Al-Qaeda video". Agence France Presse. 2009-01-25. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hZfIcWnHqBz4kQR90lC_pXaHeW4Q. Retrieved 2009-01-26.  mirror
  4. ^ M. Ghazanfar Ali Khan (2009-01-27). "Kingdom re-arrests ex-Gitmo inmates". Arab News. http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=118613&d=27&m=1&y=2009. Retrieved 2009-09-06. 
  5. ^ "Saudi Al-Qaeda Leader Outlines New Strategy and Tactics of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula". Jamestown Foundation. 2009-04-16. Archived from the original on 2009-09-06. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.saudi-us-relations.org%2Farticles%2F2009%2Fioi%2F090416-terror-strategy.html&date=2009-09-06. 
  6. ^ "Al-Qaeda Leaders in the Arabian Peninsula Speak Out". Jamestown Foundation. 2009-01-28. Archived from the original on 2009-09-06. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jamestown.org%2Ffileadmin%2FJamestownContent%2Ftf_006_003.pdf&date=2009-09-06. Retrieved 2009-08-02. 
  7. ^ "Saudi Arabia's 85 Most Wanted". Intelwire. 2009-02-05. Archived from the original on 2009-09-06. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fintelwire.egoplex.com%2F2009_02_05_blogarchive.html&date=2009-09-06. Retrieved 2009-06-18. 
  8. ^ "Kingdom unveils list of 85 wanted militants abroad". Arab News. 2009-02-03. Archived from the original on 2009-09-10. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.arabnews.com%2F%3Fpage%3D1%26section%3D0%26article%3D118850%26d%3D3%26m%3D2%26y%3D2009&date=2009-09-10. 
  9. ^ Donna Abu-Nasr (2009-02-07). "Saudi suspects seeking to revive al-Qaida". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fhostednews%2Fap%2Farticle%2FALeqM5gv7ODZ2Oums6E_yz0DZMpVOzugwwD966R9380&date=2009-02-07. Retrieved 2009-02-07. 
  10. ^ "Saudi suspects seeking to revive al-Qaida". Boston Herald. 2009-02-07. http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1150676&format=text. Retrieved 2011-12-17. "Qassem al-Reemi, 30, meanwhile, one of the few Yemenis on the list, has "links to a plot targeting the U.S. ambassador in San’a," the capital of Yemen. "He rented the house in which the plot for that operation was hatched," according to the documents. "He also monitored the U.S. Embassy.""  mirror
  11. ^ Khaled Al-Mahdi (2007-08-09). "Yemen Forces Kill Al-Qaeda Mastermind". Arab News. Archived from the original on 2010-03-19. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Farchive.arabnews.com%2F%3Fpage%3D4%26section%3D0%26article%3D99505%26d%3D9%26m%3D8%26y%3D2007&date=2010-03-19. 
  12. ^ Obama Ordered U.S. Military Strike on Yemen Terrorists
  13. ^ [1]
  14. ^ a b "Yemen: Al Qaeda Military Chief Killed in Yemen Airstrike". Fox News. 2010-01-15. Archived from the original on 2010-01-15. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fstory%2F0%2C2933%2C583105%2C00.html&date=2010-01-15. 
  15. ^ a b James Gordon Meek (2010-01-15). "Yemeni airstrike kills six Al Qaeda; Qassim Al-Raymi, leader behind Christmas jet plot, may be dead". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 2010-01-15. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nydailynews.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2F2010%2F01%2F15%2F2010-01-15_yemeni_airstrike_kills_six_al_qaeda_including_qassim_alraimi_in_village_borderin.html&date=2010-01-15. 
  16. ^ Six Al Qaeda militants killed in Yemen air strike
  17. ^ http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100116/wl_mideast_afp/attacksyemenqaedatoll_20100116114626
  18. ^ "Loading". Aawsat.com. 2009-02-15. http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=22639. Retrieved 2011-11-17.