Via MEMRI:
On November 13, 2013, Yemeni newspaper Al-Wasat published an interview with Nasr Al-Aanisi, a commander of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), in which he said that Americans are not included in the recent call made by the leader of Al-Qaeda Ayman Al-Zawahiri to avoid targeting non-combatants.
In the interview, which was conducted by Yemeni journalist Abd Al-Razzaq Al-Jamal, who is close to AQAP, the veteran mujahid Al-Aanisi, who has years of experience in different jihadi fronts including Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Kashmir, responded to various questions regarding internal and external issues.
In the interview, Al-Aanisi said that Al-Zawahiri’s call for jihadi groups to avoid targeting civilians as much as possible is limited to operations which are carried out in Muslim countries. “The group’s position and the fatwa it applies is that the Americans are a combatant nation, and the statement [which Al-Zawahiri issued] was addressing non-combatants,” Al-Aanisi said.
Answering a question on why AQAP would not give up its arms and form a political party, Al-Aanisi said that would mean accepting the status quo. “Giving up weapons while sharia is being made absent and people are being ruled by manmade laws means agreeing with the situation. As for forming a political party, our position is clear regarding democracy and parties,” he said.