This book examines the evolution of the Al-Qaeda organization's structure in Yemen over three generations, drawing portraits of its most prominent past and present figures, as well as the Saudis who joined it after the unification of the Yemeni and Saudi branches in early 2009 under the leadership of Yemeni Nasser al-Wuhayshi, bin Laden's former secretary, and Saudi returnee from Guantanamo, Said al-Shihri.

The book delves into the preemptive operations that began in Yemen in late 2009, and the perspective of Sana'a and Washington on confronting Al-Qaeda and opening a new international front, as Yemen was poised to become a primary sanctuary for the group after Afghanistan and Pakistan, hosting foreigners trained to carry out sophisticated operations in the West. It reveals the overlap between Al-Qaeda's activities and the work of official agencies, and how the organization benefited from this. The author also focuses on Al-Qaeda's most significant operations, particularly the bombing of the USS Cole, which was the organization's first official operation and a precursor to the September 11 attacks. The book also covers jihadi operations since 1992, especially the political assassinations targeting Southerners.

Bashir al-Bakr is a Syrian writer and journalist based in Paris. He works for the Emirati newspaper 'Al-Khaleej' and has been an expert on Yemeni affairs since 1985. He is also the author of 'Yemen's War: The Tribe Triumphs Over the Nation'.

• Publishing House: Dar al-Saqi for Publishing and Distribution
• Author: Bashir al-Bakr
• ISBN: 9781855166332
• Number of Pages: 240
• Year of Publication: 2010
• Number of Volumes: 1
• Cover Type: Paperback