Friday, August 29, 2008

Al Qaeda In Yemen


Yemen's Fight Against Resurgent Al Qaeda -- Christian Science Monitor

The government is backing a feature film to warn young Yemenis against radical jihad.

Sanna, Yemen - The LandCruiser snaked along a desert road driven by a suicide bomber toward his target – unwitting tourists. "God is great," he shouted before carrying out the destructive mission.

It's a terrifying scene that is part of the new government-backed movie, "The Losing Bet," that premièred last Sunday to educate the public about the consequences of Islamist extremism.

The movie comes at a time when Yemen is seeing a new generation of homegrown radicals ramp up attacks against President Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime and Western targets in the country.

"Terrorists are outnumbered by millions of Yemenis who love their country," says Interior Minister Mutahar al-Masri, speaking after the première. "The film is part of our efforts to enlist the help and cooperation of the Yemeni people."

Read more ....

More News On Yemen

Antiterror measures incite sectarianism in Yemen -- Christian Science Monitor
Yemen says 30 al-Qaeda suspects planned attacks in Saudi Arabia -- Earth Times
Yemen authorities arrest 30 Al Qaeda suspects -- New Kerala
One killed, five injured in Yemen mosque blast (Roundup) -- M&C
Iran, Libya Help Al Qaida In Yemen -- Middle East Newsline

My Comment: Yemen is the birthplace for Osama Bin Laden. Support for Al Qaeda is deep in Yemen, but while there are many supporters there are also many who are not sympathetic. The battle between these two groups is going to impact its neighbor to the north (Saudi Arabia). Because a good chunk of the world's oil is in Saudi Arabia, the conflict in Yemen deserves to be looked at regularly.

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