Issue No. 611
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7 - 13 November 2002 Issue No. 611 Region |
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Robotic warfare in tribal backwaters
Monday's car blast that killed several suspected Al-Qa'eda members takes the US-led war against terror in Yemen to new heights, reports Nasser Arrabyee from Sana'a
Yemeni authorities announced the death of the most wanted man on the country's list of suspected Al-Qa'eda members. Ali Senan Al-Harithy, also known as Abu Ali Al-Harithy, and five of his accomplices were killed when their car exploded in Al-Najah, a remote desert region in the Marib governorate, 173 km east of the capital Sana'a. Marib is one of three eastern Yemeni governorates believed to be harbouring Al-Qa'eda suspects.
Another suspected Al-Qa'eda member, Mohamed Hamdy Al-Ahdal, also known as Abu Assem Al-Ahdal, was also killed in the blast. The two men were accused of masterminding the attack on the United States destroyer, USS Cole, two years ago, in which 19 Americans were killed.
Conflicting statements continue to surround the incident and its circumstances. On Monday, a US official in Washington said the car was destroyed by a missile fired from an unmanned Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) aircraft. The US Department of Defence and the CIA declined to comment on the matter. On Tuesday, Yemeni authorities stated that they were investigating the incident.
A spokesman for the Yemeni Ministry of Interior was quoted by the country's official news agency to have said investigators found traces of explosives at the scene of the blast, suggesting that these were the most likely cause of the explosion.
"Traces of explosives, ammunition, weapons and communication systems were found in the car," the spokesman said.
However, local eyewitnesses told Al- Ahram Weekly that the car was hit by a missile launched from a helicopter.
All the men killed in the explosion were relatives of Al-Harithy, who allegedly has strong links with Osama Bin Laden.
The incident came only a day after two gunmen opened fire on a US helicopter, shortly after it took off from Sana'a International Airport. An American national was injured in the incident, with the Yemeni government declaring it had detained two men accused of shooting down the helicopter. It is still unclear whether this was an accident or a premeditated act.
American defence experts believe that drones might be able to take an active role in the so-called war on terror. "To have a drone that engages and kills people, that is quite a threshold to cross," said Clifford Beal, editor of Jane's Defence Weekly. "This is the beginning of robotic warfare," he added.
The hunt for Al-Qa'eda suspects in Yemen has presented serious problems for the country's overstretched military. Last December, Yemeni special forces searching for Abu Ali Al-Harithy and Abu Assem Al-Ahdal raided a village, but the attempt was met with fierce resistance from armed tribesmen. The raid left 18 Yemeni soldiers dead and the suspects escaped.
On 9 August, two Al-Qa'eda members died in an apartment in Sana'a when a man-made bomb prematurely went off. The two bomb makers were allegedly planning to target US interests in Yemen. Last September, the government deployed over 2,000 US- trained special troops in the governorates of Marib, Al-Jawf and Shabwah. Late last December, 28 men, including 20 soldiers, were killed when government forces searching for Al-Qa'eda members clashed with armed tribesmen in Marib.
An unknown group calling itself the "Al-Qa'eda Sympathisers" has been demanding the release of 173 persons being detained in Yemeni jails. The government says it has 85 suspects in custody in connection with the USS Cole attack and the events of 11 September.
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