AlQaeda in Yemen

Are the Mideast uprisings strengthening al Qaeda?

It isn't Osama bin Laden who's out there toppling autocratic Arab regimes — but will he and his terrorist network benefit anyway?

Best Opinion: Wash. Post, Yemen Observer, Al Arabiya

As Libya slips deeper into a bloody civil war, unyielding leader Moammar Gadhafi insists that al Qaeda is behind the revoltagainst him. Meanwhile, many, including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), argue that the uprisings in Libya and across the Arab world are a "repudiation" of Osama bin Laden's network of terrorists. Others aren't so sure. Will the uprisings unleash pent-up support for Islamist extremism?

The revolts will strengthen al Qaeda: The uprisings represent "an enormous strategic step forward for al Qaeda," says Michael Scheuer at The Washington Post. Each dictatorship that falls creates "a more religion-friendly" political environment where bottled-up support for Muslim extremists will now gush forth. And with Egypt's Hosni Mubarak gone, Israel has lost its last "anti-Islamist shield." For bin Laden, who has declared war against both Israel and "the Arab tyrannies," this is a double victory. "Why the Mideast revolts will help al Qaeda"

Actually, the uprisings make al Qaeda irrelevant: Al Qaeda has never been "more marginal than it is now," says Shahid Alam at the Yemen Observer. It recruits frustrated young people by calling for "terrorist attacks against local tyrannies or their foreign backers." But these uprisings, which have largely succeeded without violence from the protesters, are robbing the organization of its lifeblood, and undercutting its rationale. "Washington, al Qaeda, and the Arab revolt"

Al Qaeda is down, but not yet out: Al Qaeda was "caught by surprise,"says Musa Keilani at Al Arabiya, and it's trying to "muscle its way into the unrest" after the fact. But if new Arab leaders can guarantee stability and jobs, the region's "hopeful youth" will "shun al Qaeda." The real question is whether the governments replacing toppled regimes can satisfy protesters' demands. If the new regimes fail, don't count al Qaeda out. "Priorities for post-revolt leaders"

source: http://bit.ly/guBsmA

Al-Qaeda Announces Holy War against Houthis

Observed by: Mr. Alaa Isam

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) announced on its website jihad (holy war) against the Houthi northern Shiites.

In an audio message posted on the Internet, Saeed Ali Al-Shihri, deputy leader of the Yemen-based (AQAP), said that Houthis in Sa'ada, Jawf, and Amran will face a strong war against them, calling on Sunni Muslims in northern Yemeni provinces to be with (AQAP). He accused Iran's regime of backing Shiite rebels.

"Jihad against northern Shiites has been declared since the implementation of the AQAP's twin martyred car bombing attacks against convoys of Shiite rebels' in the northern provinces of Jawf and Sa'ada on Nov. 24 and Nov. 26 of the last year," he said.

Last year two bombings occurred in northern Yemen with one targeting a procession on its way to celebrate a religious Zaidi ceremony, Eid Al-Ghadir, in Jawf killing almost 24 and wounded several others. The other targeted Houthi followers traveling in Sa'ada to participate in a funeral, killing two mourners and wounding eight.

Source: http://bit.ly/ijacS1

Qaeda warns of 'Christian-Shiite pact' on Yemen

Observed by: Mr. Alaa Isam

An Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) leader warned Sunni Muslims of a rising "Christian-Shiite alliance" against them in an audio message released on jihadist forums late on Friday.

Abu Sufyan al-Azdi called the participation of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Iran's former foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki at a conference on terrorism in Yemen "is the biggest proof of the Christian-Shiite alliance."

"America and Iran became one alliance against the Sunni people in the area," added the Saudi AQAP leader, who was formerly imprisoned for six years at the US detention centre inGuantanamo, in a 16-minute audio message.

Azdi was referring to the annual Manama Dialogue, held in December by the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies and billed as the "most important regional security meeting in the Middle East."

The AQAP chief also warned Sunnis in Yemen that they risked being massacred at the hands of northern Shiite Zaidi rebels, also known as Huthis, and urged them not to be caught unprepared.

"Sunnis, be careful from the massacres... that happened in Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen to happen to you while you are unarmed... prepare yourselves before it is too late... buy weapons... protect your religion, your lives and your honour."

Yemen, the ancestral homeland of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, has been a growing focus for the operations of his worldwide network, sparking a sharp increase in US military aid.

But Al-Qaeda attacks had previously been largely confined to the capital Sanaa and to the mainly Sunni south and east of Yemen, rather than the Shiite-dominant north.

In a statement dated November 25 and posted online on jihadist websites, the group called the Huthi rebels "legitimate targets" and said "new attacks are being prepared" against them.

Source:

South Yemen official again escapes 'Qaeda' ambush

Observed by: Mr. Alaa Isam

The children of a senior Yemeni official were wounded when suspected Al-Qaedamilitants ambushed his car in the southern province of Abyan, a security official told AFP on Friday.

"Gunmen, whom I think belong to Al-Qaeda, attacked the car of Ahmed Ghaleb Rahawi," sub-prefect of the town of Jaar and the third-ranking official in the restive province of Abyan, who was not in the vehicle at the time.

The gunmen opened fire on the car, "wounding his son Ghaleb and his eldest daughter Amani," said the official.

A medic said Amani was seriously wounded in the attack which took place late on Thursday.

Rahawi has escaped several similar assassination bids, the last of which took place on December 28 when gunmen he said belonged to Al-Qaeda also opened fire on his car in Jaar.

Later on Thursday, Al-Qaeda militants fired shots into the air to celebrate the release of two members in Moudia, another town in Al-Qaeda stronghold Abyan, witnesses said.

The group deployed dozens of heavily armed militants to receive Nader Mohammed Salem al-Jaru and Ali Ahmed Shaher, who were arrested in October and jailed in Al-Bayda province, near Abyan, the witnesses said.

The militants chanted "God is greatest" and "death to infidelity."

A police official said gunmen attacked the central security headquarters, and security forces "strongly" responded, but no casualties were reported.

Faced with a campaign by a secessionist movement as well as attacks by Al-Qaeda in the south, the Sanaa government has been struggling to maintain its authority in southern Yemen.

Source: http://yhoo.it/h6KDvB

Woman dies in south Yemen protest

Observed by: Mr. Alaa Isam

A woman was run over and killed by a police vehicle and two other people were wounded in south Yemen on Thursday during a demonstration demanding the release of militants, witnesses and a medic said.

The woman was fatally injured when she was hit by the vehicle in Mukallah, the main town in Hadramawt province in the southeast of the country, when police intervened to disperse protesters, they said.

A second protester was wounded by gunfire and a third by tear gas, witnesses said.

A medical source confirmed that the dead woman and the two wounded had been taken to hospital in Mukallah.

During the demonstration, protesters chanted slogans demanding the release of jailed members of the secessionist Southern Movement.

In addition to grappling with an increasingly violent southern separatist movement, the Sanaa government is struggling against a growing presence of Al-Qaeda fighters in the south.

South Yemen was independent from the 1967 British withdrawal from Aden until the region united with the north in 1990. The south seceded in 1994, sparking a short-lived civil war that ended with it being overrun by northern troops.

Source: http://yhoo.it/gFkWLV

When Saleh Wants!

Written by: Mr. Alaa Isam

Still the Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh the most characters have the potential to do much, he is the man who cannot let others see him weak. Which is what actually happened in Gulf20 that held in Aden?

Maybe someone asks: what is the purpose of attendance to both Djibouti's President and Eritrean’s President in the Gulf20 Cup Opening ceremony?

Some politicians speaks about number of Gulf Princes did not show any desire and interests to attend the opening event, this comes as expression of their concern about increasing security risks in Yemen. What was however, from the Yemeni President just to convince the Presidents of Djibouti and Eritrea to attend; the intention to deliver the message that “Yemen is located in a Vital region of the world, it is depth strategic security to Gulf States and stabilizing important member in the Red Sea and Horn of Africa “– that is as understood by some Yemeni Politician.

President Saleh, who was keen from the outset that Aden holding Gulf20; was keen on the Opening the Championship himself, also transferred all his ministers and aids to Aden City in order to make it non-stop workshop beside solving number of Issues that concern Southern, at the same time to supervise himself on the event activities in order to course of the tournament in the way should be.

Private resource and close to ruling regime in Yemen, told me that Yemeni regime made conclude a truce deal state on “Temporary Security” with Al-Qaeda in Yemen; on the other hand, made the same deal with the Leaders of the factions of the southern movement; Where Al-Qaeda has committed to halt its activities until the end of this year.

The source add that the agreement was approved by the leaders of various factions of the southern movement and been rejected by Hussain Ba’oum which led to his arrest temporarily.

Certainly, the sincerity of the source upon which I wrote this article, proves that President Saleh when he wants he is able to achieve what he wants, and here the question appears: is not it time for President Saleh to make a Positive change for his people?