Kidnapping Europeans: The main income source for al-Qaeda

In its early years, al-Qaeda received most of its financing from affluent donors from the Middle East, but counterterrorism officials now believe the group finances a significant portion of its recruitment, training, and arms purchasing from ransoms paid to free Europeans.

“Kidnapping for ransom has become today’s most significant source of terrorist financing,” said David S. Cohen, the Treasury Department’s under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, in a 2012 speech. “Each transaction encourages another transaction.”

In 2003, al-Qaeda’s kidnapping operations brought in roughly $200,000 per hostage; today,terrorists can fetch up to $10 million per hostage, of which a large portion goes to al-Qaeda’s central command in Pakistan. “Kidnapping hostages is an easy spoil,” wrote Nasser al-Wuhayshi, the leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, “which I may describe as a profitable trade and a precious treasure.”

According to HomeLand Security News Wire Al-Qaeda’s three main affiliates — al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, in northern Africa; al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, in Yemen; and al-Shabab, in Somalia — are driving most of the kidnapping business, of which they practice common kidnapping protocols.

Trained kidnappers working for, or as, al-Qaeda affiliates tend to target Westerners visiting or working in northern and eastern Africa. The New York Times reports that upon kidnapping the victims, the terrorists make contact with their home countries via media outlets or directly through an embassy, confirming the kidnapping and later requesting a ransom for the release of their victims.

A review of the history of kidnappings by al-Qaeda during the past decade shows that European countries are more likely to answer ransom demands, leading many U.S. counterterrorism officials to blame the thriving terrorism business on the willingness of European countries to pay ransoms.