Flypaper and al Qaeda in the Magic Kingdom

Another member of al Qaeda has been arrested in Iraq. While Abdullah al-Romyan is not a major leader in al Qaeda, the accompanying information in the article on his arrest in the Khaleej Times provides some insight on Iraq’s centrality in the War on Terror and its attraction to foreign terrorists.

Abdullah al-Romyan was arrested by Kurdish troops in northern Iraq. He was on Saudi Arabia’s new list of 36 most wanted terrorists, the country‘s second third such list [hat tip to John Burgess of Crossroads Arabia]. The second list is essentially completed after 23 of the 26 members were killed or captured. The first tier leadership has been decimated by the security forces of the Magic Kingdom, forcing al Qaeda to go to its bench.

Saudi security consultant Nawaf Obaid said most of the Saudis — who made up 29 of the 36 names on the new list — were “second tier” militants who had worked under more senior operatives, most of whom have been killed or captured. All but two men on a previous Saudi list of 26 wanted men, published in December 2003, are believed dead or in custody. The non-Saudis are wanted by Saudi Arabia but “also represent a threat in their native countries” because they have gained access to money, logistics and training, Obaid said.

The leader of al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia is Younes Mohammed Ibrahim al-Hayari, a Moroccan. No doubt al Qaeda wants the most experienced person in the leadership role, but it is telling that Al Qaeda cannot yield a competent domestic leader in Saudi Arabia, the epicenter of jihad. al-Hayari fits the profile of an al Qaeda leaders; he “fought in the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina…has good contacts with Al Qaeda terrorists outside Saudi Arabia and is responsible for financing and organizing the terror cells in the kingdom.”

The arrest of al-Romyan in Iraq also adds further supporting evidence for the ‘flypaper’ theory. According to the Khaleej Times; “Terrorism experts have expressed concern that increasing pressure from manhunts in Saudi Arabia may have pushed some extremists into leaving the country to join terror groups in Iraq.” In some cases the flies are being pushed towards the paper.

The invasion of Iraq and the entry of foreign fighters into the country cannot be viewed in a vacuum. The presence of US forces in Iraq is not the only motivating factor in the entry of jihadis into country. Al Qaeda could tolerate the usual crop of corrupt Arab leaders. But the establishment of democracy in the heart of the Middle East fueled by the Great Satan could not be countenanced. This caused unrest not only in Iraq, but in the host countries of local al Qaeda cells such as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. al Qaeda attacked the local governments for supporting the US in Iraq provoking a violent reaction from these governments.

As the Saudi Princes realized al Qaeda became a very real threat to their grip on power and lavish lifestyles, they had no choice to hunt the most dangerous jihadis in their midst. Those who stayed and fought have been captured or killed. Those who fled to fight in Iraq are meeting the same fate at the hands of the US and Iraqi military.