Issue No. 599
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15 - 21 August 2002 Issue No. 599 Region |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Recommend this page | ||
Fighting terror or placating America?
Yemeni authorities have heightened security in cooperation with the United States in fear of more attacks by supporters of Al-Qa'eda, Nasser Arrabyee reports from Sana'a
A bomb explosion in the Yemeni capital of Sana'a on 9 August killed two people and renewed fears among security officials that suspected supporters of Al-Qa'eda are planning a new wave of attacks in the country.
Security officials found the identification papers of Abdel-Karim Al-Buraihi, as well as a stock of weapons and TNT explosives, in the house where the bomb was detonated. Shortly after the incident, Al-Buraihi was arrested by the Yemeni security service. Sources said they believe bomb makers were planning to carry out "terrorist acts" targeting government and security officials.
"The suspects were apparently planning to undermine internal security," said Sultan Al- Atwani, chairman of the political office at the Unionist Nasserite Party. "They may have been planning to target American interests as we have seen in several recent incidents," he added.
Friday's blast came less than a week after President Ali Abdullah Saleh ordered the formation of a new agency for national security to ensure safety and internal stability. With US support, the General Coast Guard Authority has recently been established with the objective of monitoring the 2,400 kilometre-long coastline to prevent any "terrorist elements" from entering the country. Vice Admiral Timothy J Keating, commander of the US Fifth Fleet, visited Yemen on Monday to discuss US involvement in the training of the newly created force.
Authorities have also declared three remote provinces, where American officials believe Al- Qa'eda suspects are hiding, as "security zones". It is believed that several Al-Qa'eda suspects are seeking refuge in Marib, Shabwah, and Al-Jawf provinces.
Two of the Al-Qa'eda suspects wanted in relation to the 12 October 2000 attack on the USS Cole are believed to be seeking refuge in these three provinces. US officials have charged Ali Al-Harethy and Mohamed Al-Ahdal of planning the 12 October attack which killed 19 US sailors and injured 39 others.
"Most of these security measures would not have been adopted without US support and cooperation," Al-Atwani said.
Meanwhile, Yemeni officials have denied press reports that a secret deal between the country and Washington has been struck. "Reports that Yemen has concluded a secret agreement with the US to launch a joint military campaign against elements affiliated with Al-Qa'eda are untrue, baseless and lack credibility and objectivity," one Yemeni official told Al-Ahram Weekly.
Yemeni officials insist that cooperation with the United States is restricted to the training of Yemeni security personnel and consulting on the creation of the new coastal security force.
While denying a huge presence of Al-Qa'eda in Yemen, officials admit that there is a "limited number of known elements" who might have links with the group that the United States holds responsible for the 11 September bombing.
After the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, Yemen has been doing its best to cooperate with the United States in combatting terrorism. Authorities have launched broad campaigns to round-up and arrest suspected Al- Qa'eda members. Following these arrests, a series of bombings rocked Yemen, including the capital Sana'a.
A previously unknown group, calling itself Al- Qa'eda Sympathisers, claimed responsibility for the bombings that have occurred over the past three months, which targeted senior security and government officials. Last month, a group of armed men attacked the houses of Prime Minister Abdel-Qader Bajamal and vice chairman of the Political Security Organisation (intelligence), Ali Mansoor Rasheed.
The group threatened it would carry out more bombings if the government did not release the 173 "Mujahedeen" it arrested after 11 September. However, Yemeni security representatives insist they have only 85 suspected Al- Qa'eda members in custody.
Recently, Parliament Speaker Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hussein Al-Ahmar, has strongly criticised the government for detaining "innocent" people under the pretext of combatting terror. He said there could possibly be "thousands" of innocent people in jails around the country. He described the detentions as "unjust and unfair".
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