Al Qaeda Has Gained Control of Yemeni Town, Source Says

[Guest guest]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/04/01/al-qaeda-gained-control-yemeni-town-sour\

ce-says/

Al Qaeda Has Gained Control of Yemeni Town, Source Says

By Herridge

Published April 01, 2011

| FoxNews.com

Terrorists aligned with Al Qaeda are in control of Jaar, the historical capital

of the Yemen province of Abyan, a Yemeni official briefed on the intelligence

data told Fox News.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the terrorist group's branch in Yemen, has

taken hold of the town, along with former elements of a group known as

Aden-Abyan Islamic Army. The Yemeni military is actively negotiating with the

groups, who have yet to gain control of the entire province, the official says.

Abyan has been a focus of U.S. and Yemeni government counterterrorism activities

because it is believed to be the main foothold for the Al Qaeda affiliate, which

-- with the American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki playing a key role -- is now

considered a greater threat to U.S. national security than Usama bin Laden and

the remnants of his network in Pakistan.

There has been little government presence or authority in Abyan historically,

but Fox News is told that the Yemeni armed forces moved troops closer to Abyan

-- an area with ties to the country's vice president and a top general.

Within the last week, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and other extremist

groups in the region surrounded a smaller military company, which eventually had

to withdraw because no reinforcements were available due to the protests in the

captiol Sanaa.

The Yemeni official with knowledge of the intelligence confirmed that this

allowed the terrorist group, the tribes and others groups to overrun the ammo

dump in Jaar, and they were able to arm themselves and control the town.

This is described as a complex situation with no one group in overall control.

These advances come as longtime Yemen ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh faces increased

pressure to step down amid an intensifying protest movement. Saleh, a partner of

the Obama administration in targeting Al Qaeda, has offered to step down at the

end of the year, but protesters have rejected that and other offers short of his

immediate exit.

[Guest guest]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/04/01/al-qaeda-gained-control-yemeni-town-sour\

\

ce-says/

" Al Qaeda Has Gained Control of Yemeni Town, Source Says "

But...but...I thought we were tracking Al Qaeda and that their power was

diminishing all over the world. Maybe if we just keep bombing them in

Afghanistan we'll win this thing.

Yeah, that's the ticket.

Administrator