Former Leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) Muhammad Al-Awfi Calls Upon Al-Qaeda Members in Yemen to Repent and Return to Saudi Arabia

Muhammad Al-Awfi: "The Saudis are selected [for terrorism] by countries in the region, because they differ in their courage from extremists from other countries. The Saudis are perceived as people who desire to gain what Allah has to offer. They are perceived as people of pure faith, and this is what leads to their exploitation. They are politically indoctrinated to accomplish ulterior motives. The Saudis perceive themselves as striving to gain what Allah offers, but they do not realize that they are on a slippery slope set up by the intelligence agencies, or by other international forces. That is how the Saudis are being exploited.

"Consider the bravery, the courage, and the pure faith of the Saudis – these are different from those of people from other countries. Young mujahideen from other countries lack such devotion of pure faith, and they display deviations [from the faith]. This is what leads to the exploitation of the Saudis. If you examine the various fronts – most of the commanders and the elite that carry out operations are Saudis. [...]

"The people who make the explosive belts take everything from the armies, through Al-Qaeda people who infiltrated [the army ranks]. They train them until their schemes are carried out. Let me warn brothers 'Othman Al-Ghamidi, Turki Al-'Asiri, and Abu Al-Bara'a Al-Hazm, and the other Saudi brothers and Yemeni brothers: There is civil strife in Yemen.

"They should know that my return [to Saudi Arabi] was not out of defeat. The media says that I was defeated. I returned because of some facts that I had become aware of. I know that the human soul goes either to Heaven or to Hell. It became evident to me that I was causing civil strife, so I decided to return [to Saudi Arabia] even if they would send me to prison, rather than cause civil strife, soil my hands with blood, and later regret it. But with the mercy of Allah, the outcome was the opposite: I was received with honor and appreciation, and was allowed to return to my family.

"With regard to civil strife, the brothers should look up to leaders of the past, like Al-Khattab. I personally asked Khattab: 'Why didn't you join the [Islamic] Party of Afghanistan?' Back then I was known as Abu Kutayba, and Khattab said: 'Abu Kutayba, because of the civil strife. I left Afghanistan because of the civil strife, and went to Tajikistan, where I stayed for two years.' Then I asked Abu Al-Walid Al-Ghamidi and Ya'aqub Al-Ghamidi, may they rest in peace: 'Why shouldn't jihad be waged in the Gulf?' The answer was: 'Abu Kutayba, this would lead to terrible civil strife.' Abu Al-Walid, who knows the true meaning of leadership, said this.

"When we were operating in Chechnya, Khattab said: 'There are two things you must not talk to me about – accusing others of heresy [takfir] and earthly matters like marriage.' Throughout our time there until we left, we were not familiar with the path of takfir. Khattab believed that turning to the sword in [Saudi Arabai] is prohibited by Islam. This cadre of leaders is gone now.

"How come our brothers in Yemen do not follow the example of these leaders? Instead, they carry out attacks here, strive to expel the polytheists from the Arabian Peninsula, and attack the rulers, like the attack on Prince Muhammad Bin Naif. This is a mistake, but they do not realize it, because they are guided by websites that tell them that these countries are infidel. These websites ideologically invade the minds of the youth, who lack sufficient religious knowledge. [...]"

If you realize that what you have done is wrong, return home. The gates of repentance are open. You should know that the rulers will not mistreat you. You will return to your family, and your life will improve. I pray that Allah will guide our brothers back to this country." [...]