Training for battle on the new front line of America's war on Al-Qaeda
This is Yemen's counter terrorism unit.On Christmas Day, Al Qaeda in Yemen almost carried
out the worst terrorist attack on US soil since 9/11.Suddenly all eyes have turned to
this little known Arab country -- asking the question who is fighting
Al Qaeda in Yemen?
Al Qaeda, whether its central leadership or fighters is from Yemen.Yemen was and still
is a place that attracts, trains and exports fighters, either young Yemenis or foreigners.
Across the rugged desert east of Sanaa lies the ancient town of Marib.Home to a temple
to the Queen of Sheba, Marib was once the jewel in the crown of Yemen's tourism industry.Today
gunmen patrol. Marib is now an operational stronghold for Al Qaeda.
Formed in January 2009 with several hundred fighters, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular
is a merger between the group's Saudi and Yemeni networks.
Sheikh Abdullah al-Shareef is a tribal leader from Marib.
Many people here have no job. They meet leaders of Al Qaeda who are foreigners. The young
people become convinced to join them, believing they are following the religious path.
This unemployment couples with rapidly diminishing oil and water resources. Yemen's economy is
fast heading for collapse.In my view the root cause of all the problems whether is poverty.
No one gets recruited free of charge.They all have resources. But the religious appeal
adds to the shortage of capital. The international focus on Yemen comes as
the authority of President Ali Abdullah Saleh is being directly challenged.A long and bitter
war against Huthi rebels in the northern governorate of Saada has uprooted tens of thousands of
families.In the south, a secessionist movement for the independence of south Yemen regularly
demonstrates against the president. In the space that is opening up as Yemen pulls
itself apart, Al Qaeda have succeeded in established a strong foothold.Especially among local tribes.On
an Al Qaeda video Nasser Wahayshi, the leader of Al Qaeda in Yemen, warns Muslims of a coming
war between Islam and the West.Be happy even if bad things are happening. Your children
are the next generation and they have your blood. Be prepared to run from your homes
because they will come from directions you do not expect.
One such source of unexpected attacks are Yemen's own counter terrorism forces, here
training for a raid on a militant safehouse. We in Yemen this is the first time we face
a terrorist ready to commit suicide and that was a very big threat to our security. After
the occupation of Iraq many terrorists went to Iraq. There was more violent than before.
The CTU started with 50 men and now has more than 300.They are well trained by the Americans
and the British Since December the unit has been involved in
a series of attacks on Al Qaeda strong holds.In these pictures of an actual raid, soldiers
surround a suspected Al Qaeda safe house, before storming it. The US has long demanded
Yemen crack down on Al Qaeda and will be pushing for more such action.
However, President Obama is seriously concerned with Yemen's ability to keep captured fighters
under lock and key.In February 2006, Al Qaeda's leader in Yemen escaped from the country's
maximum security prison. Alongside him was Qassem al-Raimi, now a top military commander
in the group.Judge Hamoud Hitar leads Yemen's programme to persuade captured fighters to
renounce violence. We proved to the world that the tongue and
pen are more powerful than weapons. If force was enough to fight terrorism, Iraq and Afghanistan
would be safer than any place. However, the scheme has lost the support of
the US after graduates of Hitar's programme were later captured fighting in Iraq, some
clearly not convinced by his arguments.
Nasser Bahri is a former Al Qaeda member who fought alongside Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan.
He later went through judge Hitar's programme but says it was less than comprehensive.
There were only three sessions. The first was for about an hour and a half, the second
was exactly 45 minutes and the third time I signed an agreement renouncing violence
against the state. There was dialogue but not a programme of re-education.
If Yemen's government deals with jihadis based on an American agenda, then the jihadis have
the right to defend themselves. Because then they will know that this government works for the US government.
In their attacks on Al Qaeda, the Yemeni authorities also risk triggering a war against the local tribes.
We don't want to fight with all the tribes in Yemen. It's better to get the head members
of Al Qaeda. It is not in our favour to fight with the Tribes, as they have connections with other tribes and then
we'll have a big war. As far as we know Al Qaeda do not open the
door to dialogue. They only seek bloodshed, and that's their philosophy and their way of doing things
If force comes to force of course the government will have to.
Obama wants to say that Yemen will change
to be another Afghanistan, and he wants to stop that happening.
Abdulelah Shaea monitors the web for news and statements by Al Qaeda in Yemen.Having
met the group last year, Shaea believes US support will do little to stop Al Qaeda exploiting
the weakness of the state. The Yemeni system will never be able to stop
it because of the internal problems it has. So - at the end of this, and I think it is
in the short term - Al Qaeda will win in its battle against the system.
Deploying international troops to Yemen risks further inflaming hostility among local tribes.So
for now it is the men and women of Yemen's counter-terrorism forces who are at the sharp
end of this new frontline in America's war on Al Qaeda.
In the dry mountains and plains of Yemen's rugged tribal heartlands, soldiers hunt for
Al Qaeda fighters. Both sides waiting for their next order to strike.
Al Qaeda is not just a threat to Yemen, they are a threat to the whole region.
They are bloody killers. We are not fighting Al Qaeda
just to fight Al Qaeda. We are fighting for our lives.