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On March 10, 2025, Al-Malahem, the official media arm of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), released a 3-minute 43-second video by its affiliated Shahed media outlet, titled: "The Ailment and the Remedy," arguing that the best solution to the various crises in Yemen is jihad, and that the Afghan model is a worthy example for Yemenis to follow.[1]
Ineffective Governments And Foreign Interference
The video opens with a declaration that Yemen's absurd wars, economic failures, deteriorating living conditions, and other crises, require understanding of the nature of the ailment and the appropriate remedy for it.
Over footage of Yemeni government officials, as well as scenes of meetings of Saudi and Emirati leaders, the narrator argues that the various parties that had governed Yemen over the past few years have been propagating sparkly slogans and unachievable promises, amid "ample conspiracies" and foreign interference with differing objectives.
Then, the narrator claims, the dominant forces in Yemen all operate under the direct control and coordination of the U.S. Ambassador in Yemen, Steven H. Fagin.
"Jihad Is Our Way Out Of The Current Situation"
To find the solution to Yemen's crises, the narrator explained that "for us to come up with an effective remedy, it is necessary to determine the ailment befalling us today."
He points his finger at "rulers who absconded with the religion, and palace scholars who led Muslims astray." He concludes that the way out of the situation in Yemen is a book that guides and a sword that champions - a phrase often used to declare jihad.
The Afghan Taliban Lesson Is A "Worthy" Example To Follow
The video went on to argue that the best example to follow in Yemen is to replicate the Afghan Taliban model in jihad and governance: "They recouped their decision-making, held fast to their religion, and rallied around their scholars."
The narrator states that: "The outcome was an Islamic, popular jihad, which turned Afghanistan into a burial ground for invaders and collaborationists…They liberated the land and enforced the law of the Lord of all creation."
"The 50 Million Pieces Of Weaponry In Yemen Are Enough To Expel Every Occupier And Traitorous Agent"
Drawing a comparison between Afghanistan and Yemen, the narrator argued that if the Afghans were able to defeat a 50-state coalition with leftover, light weapons of the British and the Soviets, then the people in Yemen, who own 50 million arms and medium weaponry, will be able to achieve the same outcome.
"The power Yemeni people have in hand is enough to expel every occupier and traitorous agent, if they adhered to their religion and rallied around the faithful scholars and mujahideen who have not mortgaged their decision-making power to their enemy," stated the narrator.
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