Yemen is al Qaeda's reserve base

Telegraph:

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Fearful that Yemen is in danger of becoming a failed state, America has now sent a small number of special forces teams to improve training of Yemen's army in reaction to the threat.

"Yemen is becoming a reserve base for al-Qaeda's activities in Pakistan and Afghanistan," said a US military official.

"As Pakistan's campaign on the frontier affects the syndicates of terror on its territory and operations step up in Afghanistan, it is a place that offers relief to al-Qaeda operatives."

Ahmed Said Alkathiry, an Omani foreign ministry official, said: "We have intercepted increasing numbers of people who come from places like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Somalia that are moving their operations up through Yemen."

Mr Alkathiry, who was speaking at a security summit in Bahrain, added: "The issue of Yemen's security problems needs a lot of co-operation throughout the region. If Yemen goes to the status of a failed state, the fall out will involve all the international players."

Yemen is the ancestral home of Osama Bin Laden and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the local arm of the network, has provided many of the group's leaders.

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Al Qaeda is certainly making mischief in Yemen as is Iran working with the Shia minority. The Saudis are also dealing with the spillover of the various terrorist organizations in Yemen. We may need to put some Predators in the area.