Senior AQAP Leader Killed

The Long War Journal, citing statements by the Yemeni Embassy in Washington, D.C., and al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula, reported that Fahd al Quso (a.k.a. Abu Huthayfa) was killed in a drone strike in Yemen yesterday.  Quso was wanted by the FBI for involvement in the October 2000 bombing of the U.S.S. Cole, and has also been identified as one of the AQAP operatives involved in the unsuccessful "Underwear Bomber" attack on Christmas Day, 2009.

As I alluded to in my Weekly Standard piece below, the center-of-gravity in the war against al-Qa'ida may be gradually shifting from Afghanistan/Pakistan to other theaters as U.S. forces successfully attrit the terror network's core leadership there.  Thus, the cumulative effect of attacks such as that which apparently killed Quso will likely be more strategically consequential than bin Laden's death. 

This is particularly true in Yemen, where earlier today AQAP overran a Yemeni military base, killing 32 soldiers.  Once upon a time, such a tactical setback would have been relatively inconsequential to U.S. national security.  Unfortunately, given that AQAP has demonstrated its ability to attack the U.S. homeland, we are likely looking at another prolonged campaign.

Fahd al Quso, involuntarily retired from the War on Terror, May 6, 2012.