Yemeni forces facing threats on two fronts
By AHMED AL-HAJ ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER SAN`A, Yemen -- After years of working to shake its reputation as a hotbed of Islamic militancy, Yemen is now trying to keep the lid on two separate threats, both of which have bubbled up into violence and can do so again. One threat is al-Qaida and its sympathizers among Islamic extremists who have targeted foreigners in this mountainous nation at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. A group of al-Qaida suspects is standing trial - raising fears of revenge attacks. Vague security warnings have Western embassies wary, prompting the U.S. and British missions to shut down briefly earlier this month. The government has hinted of a new crackdown targeting underground schools teaching extremism. At the same time, the government is facing a persistent rebellion by Shiite tribesman - followers of cleric Hussein Badr Eddin al-Hawthi, who was killed in September after months of battles with Yemeni security forces. This month, troops had to put down a resumption of violence by his followers, thought to be led by his father, Badr Eddin al-Hawthi, in fighting that tribal sources say killed 250 people on both sides. The elder al-Hawthi escaped the crackdown. The two movements are not linked. Al-Hawthi's followers are angry at the government, saying it has become too closely allied with Washington, and have focused their attacks on security forces. But they oppose Wahhabism - the ultraconservative stream of Sunni Islam said to feed al-Qaida-style militancy - and reject attacking foreigners. Still, the two threats together have the country on alert. Yemeni troops are in the hills of the northwest region of Sa'dah, hunting for al-Hawthi's fighters. In the capital, extra soldiers are guarding government buildings. The United States and British embassies in San`a both shut down April 9, and the State Department warned Americans not to travel to Yemen. Officials refused to specify the nature of the threat. The British embassy reopened within a day and the American within two, but the U.S. travel warning remains in effect. Security officials acknowledged to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity concern about new sabotage attempts by al-Hawthi's followers - and about the possibility of new al-Qaida attacks to capitalize on the tense situation. Yemen has long had a reputation of tolerating lawlessness and Islamic militancy. It is the ancestral homeland of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and has witnessed many attacks on foreign targets, including the 2000 bombing of the destroyer USS Cole that killed 17 American sailors. After the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, the Yemeni government aligned itself with the U.S.-led war on terror, avoiding American retribution but angering some Yemenis. The country is now putting some al-Qaida suspects on trial - including seven suspects charged with plotting attacks on the British and Italian embassies and the French cultural center. Prime Minister Abdul-Kader Bajammal hinted at a further crackdown, saying Saturday the government won't stay silent about underground Islamic extremist schools with some 330,000 students. He warned such teaching will "bring disaster to Yemen." The government has depicted al-Hawthi's followers as an outlaw movement in this country where tribes often resist central authority and where private weapons are widespread. It accused the younger al-Hawthi of forming an armed group, "The Believing Youth," with the aim of inciting against the United States through speeches in mosques and illegally organized demonstrations. A Western diplomat speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity said al-Hawthi's followers are not considered terrorists and that the situation is instead considered a rebellion. But in a nation where authorities estimate 60 million firearms are circulating - averaging about three per citizen - any armed clash can become a major security concern. So far, the revolt hasn't spilled over into attacks on foreigners, the diplomat said. "But any time there is any armed conflict, you're worried in general." --- Associated Press reporter Rawya Rageh contributed to this report from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Give underprivileged students the materials they need to learn. Bring education to life by funding a specific classroom project. http://us.click.yahoo.com/FHLuJD/_WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? 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