Al Qaeda militants escape prison in Yemen amidst turmoil

[Babur]

Yemen is on the brink of civil war since President Ali Abdullah Saleh has refused to step down.Al Qaeda may gain from this turmoil, which is worrying since Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had received training in Yemen and then went on to attempt bombings in December 2009 in the US.Saudi Arabia may even intervene in Yemen like they have done in Bahrain since Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is a threat to them as well.

U.S. official in Sanaa, al Qaeda militants escape prison

Dozens of Qaeda militants escape from Yemen jail
12:12pm BST
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SANAA | Wed Jun 22, 2011 12:12pm BST
(Reuters) - A senior U.S. official is holding talks Wednesday with government officials in Yemen, which is teetering on the brink of civil war over President Ali Abdullah Saleh's refusal to meet protesters' demands to step down.

The United States and ally Saudi Arabia fear that a power vacuum and tribal warfare in Yemen will be exploited by the local wing of al Qaeda to launch attacks in the region and beyond.

Wednesday, dozens of al Qaeda militants escaped from a prison the city of al-Mukalla in southern Yemen, the latest in a series of increasingly deadly clashes between security forces and militants in the south of the country.

A Yemeni government source said Jeffrey Feltman, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, will meet Foreign Minister Abubakr al-Qirbi and Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who is acting president.

He is also due to hold talks with Saleh's son, Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh, who had been widely thought to be next in line for the presidency until protests broke out earlier this year.

Saleh is in Saudi Arabia recovering from injuries sustained in an attack on his palace in Sanaa nearly three weeks ago.

Talks will focus on "the situation in Yemen and the issue of the transfer of power" by the president to his deputy, the government source said.

As commander of the Republican Guards, the main strike force in Yemen, Ahmed Ali holds sway in the country of 23 million, which sits on the southern border of Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter.

Saleh has defied calls from global leaders, elements in his own military and tens of thousands of protesters to end his 33 year-rule, which has brought Yemen close to financial ruin.

He has also exasperated his rich Gulf Arab neighbours by three times agreeing to step down, only to pull out of a power transition plan at the last minute and cling on to power.

AL QAEDA MILITANTS ESCAPE FROM PRISON

In an early bid to placate protesters demanding his ouster, Saleh guaranteed he would not hand power down to his son, but many Yemenis say key members of Saleh's family including Ahmed Ali remain firmly in control of key levers of power, blocking any handover of power without Saleh's consent.

Opposition parties allied with youth activists have also insisted that Saleh formally hand over power to Hadi as a step towards a new government and democracy.

An aide to Saleh said Wednesday his health was on the mend and that he had been receiving guests and giving instructions on day-to-day affairs in Yemen, including a power cut and fuel shortages.

"The president has rejected a request from several members of his family to come to Riyadh to visit him, and stressed that he will return home soon," said Ahmed al-Sufi, the president's media secretary told Reuters.

Dozens of al Qaeda militants escaped from a jail in southern Yemen Wednesday following an attack on the compound.

One soldier was killed and two were wounded when militants opened fire on al-Munawara prison in the southern port city of al-Mukalla, a security official said.

"The militants opened fire on the prison gates and exchanged fire with the guards, injuring two and killing one," the security official said, adding that 62 prisoners had fled.

All the prisoners were Yemeni and most of them had been jailed after returning from Iraq where they fought in militant ranks, he said.

(Reporting by Mohamed Sudam, Writing by Sami Aboudi)

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/0...75L22620110622

[Tiberios]

Not good. Right back to the frontline. I hope that Al Qaeda will not gain to much from this crisis.

[Elemental]

So U.S officials are holding talks with a government who's troops have killed lots of protesters. Interesting.....hmmm

[Heathen Hammer]

So U.S officials are holding talks with a government who's troops have killed lots of protesters. Interesting.....hmmm

Indeed. Their response to Gaddafi supposedly doing same thing was quite different.

[Babur]

So U.S officials are holding talks with a government who's troops have killed lots of protesters. Interesting.....hmmm

They're in a position to since unlike Gaddafi, President Abdullah's relations have been somewhat warmer with the US than Gaddafi has been.

[Admiral Piett]

So U.S officials are holding talks with a government who's troops have killed lots of protesters. Interesting.....hmmm

The only reason why is because they are afraid of al-Qeada taking a firm root there. It would completely undermine everything we did in Afghanistan.

[RomanSoldier9001]

The only reason why is because they are afraid of al-Qeada taking a firm root there. It would completely undermine everything we did in Afghanistan.

The expansion of Talibans and "Al Quaeda" (I love how "an idea" can expands itself) to Pakistan , recall of US troops from Afeganistan and negotions with Talibans did not? Al Quaeda is already a firm root from places such as Somalia to Downing street because Al Quaeda isnt realy a organization with firm hierchy is more an idea that several groups more several young racial muslims share than anything else. Now ideas of how you can figh an idea are more than welcomed. Al Quaeda is in Yemen as Al Quaeda is Afeganistan the funny thing is where realy is Al Quaeda after all? In hidden fortress righ beseid a Military Academy perhaps?

[Admiral Piett]

The expansion of Talibans and "Al Quaeda" (I love how "an idea" can expands itself) to Pakistan , recall of US troops from Afeganistan and negotions with Talibans did not? Al Quaeda is already a firm root from places such as Somalia to Downing street because Al Quaeda isnt realy a organization with firm hierchy is more an idea that several groups more several young racial muslims share than anything else. Now ideas of how you can figh an idea are more than welcomed. Al Quaeda is in Yemen as Al Quaeda is Afeganistan the funny thing is where realy is Al Quaeda after all? In hidden fortress righ beseid a Military Academy perhaps?

I couldn't really comprehend your point, but okay.

[Vanoi]

So U.S officials are holding talks with a government who's troops have killed lots of protesters. Interesting.....hmmm

The U.S is trying to keep a stable government in Yemen right now. Al Qadea has been setting up operations in Yemen which is npt good so the US has been cooperating with the government to comat them. If civil war erupts it will only end up making Yemen a failed state such as Somalia, and with somlia being right acorss the sea from Yemen, i can only see Yemeni people turning to piracy like those in Somalia. that would only cause more ships to be hi-jacked and more people to die. Even though i would like to see a democratic Somalia, right now they just need stable government so civil war doesn't erupt.

[Elemental]

The U.S is trying to keep a stable government in Yemen right now. Al Qadea has been setting up operations in Yemen which is npt good so the US has been cooperating with the government to comat them. If civil war erupts it will only end up making Yemen a failed state such as Somalia, and with somlia being right acorss the sea from Yemen, i can only see Yemeni people turning to piracy like those in Somalia. that would only cause more ships to be hi-jacked and more people to die. Even though i would like to see a democratic Somalia, right now they just need stable government so civil war doesn't erupt.

A civil war like the one in Libya perhaps? Do you actualy belive what you are saying?

[Vanoi]

A civil war like the one in Libya perhaps? Do you actualy belive what you are saying?

When did i say like a civil war in Libya? I just believe there will be a civil war. Yemen will only end up like Somalia if the US allows the government to fall.

[Elemental]

When did i say like a civil war in Libya? I just believe there will be a civil war. Yemen will only end up like Somalia if the US allows the government to fall.

So the goverment should then be allowed to continue to kill protesters?

[Vanoi]

Here comes another Somalia. If Yemen erupts into civil war, the only thing i see comign out is this is more piracy. I can only see Yememn becoming another Somalia, and if they do infact head down that path, I can only see the entrance from the Red Sea to the Pacific Ocean is becoming an even bigger pirate haven. More ships will be hi-jacked and more money will be lost, and that area will only become more dangerous for ships.

[RomanSoldier9001]

Here comes another Somalia. If Yemen erupts into civil war, the only thing i see comign out is this is more piracy. I can only see Yememn becoming another Somalia, and if they do infact head down that path, I can only see the entrance from the Red Sea to the Pacific Ocean is becoming an even bigger pirate haven. More ships will be hi-jacked and more money will be lost, and that area will only become more dangerous for ships.

YE HO MATEY!! Or whatver the arab term for the same meaning.

They are back!

[John ''True Grit'' Wayne]

Saudi arabia should leave Bahrain alone and Yemen.They want to control and beat down ordinary people.We support Libyan rebels who have Al Quida in there ranks but not Yeman and Bahrain people when there overlords kill and jail peacefull protesters grrr

[Armenum]

The problem with al-Qaeda is it doesn't get eliminated upon one attack or invasion. It's an ideology that can be utilised almost anywhere. Sure the structure of al-Qaeda can be weakened with military action and so on, but I think something that is not emphasized enough is the information war which al-Qaeda so often utilises to garner power and thus be spread out throughout the world.

[boofhead]

The Mid East desert lands have the most pathetic prisons in the world.

MacGyver would be out in about 4 seconds using camel dung as a trampoline.