Yemeni security forces have tightened their measures around the American embassy in Sanaa after receiving a telephone call threatening its staff and Americans living in the country, a police official disclosed on Monday.
Consequently, the embassy suspended most its consular services Monday and warned Americans extremists could target them. According to AP, this was not the first time U.S. citizens in Yemen have faced such threats, where a suicide attack on a American warship killed 17 sailors in 2000.
Ties between Saudi-born dissident Osama bin Laden and Yemen are strong; the country is the ancestral home of al Qaeda leader. Bin Laden’s father was born in the country’s Hadramout region before moving to Saudi Arabia, and the clan still has relatives there.
Yemen last month began a manhunt for supporters of bin Laden, prime suspect behind the September 11 suicide attacks on the United States.
Anti Terror Drive
Yemen official sources disclosed that about 20 tribal Sheikhs in Marib and Shabwa had been detained. They would be released on condition of surrendering the persons accused of assaulting some 24 soldiers in the clashes between security and military forces and tribesmen in Marib mid December. The security men were hunting down suspected al- Qaeda elements, reported Yemen Times on Monday.
These sources said military forces were still hunting down the two main suspects: Qaid Ali al-Harithy and Mohammed Hamid al-Ahdal.
Four military brigades were sent to Shabwa, Marib and al-Jawf last week to reinforce units hunting out suspected Bin Laden supporters. The government has also approved an increase in the budget of the Ministry of Interior to boost the fight against terrorism. Additionally, the cabinet has decided to prevent Arab and foreign students to study in any Yemeni government or non-government institutions unless they get clear authorization from their home countries.
The new measure will put all educational institutions under direct monitoring of the government. It should be noted that the government announced two weeks ago that 80 students at the Dar al-Hadith institute in Marib had been deported because of illicit residency, as well as their suspected actions, impinging sovereignty of the state. It is also because some of the Islamic countries like Pakistan and Somalia have requested Yemen to extradite their citizens. (Albawaba.com)
