September 18, 2008
Posted: 856 GMT

LONDON, ENGLAND – The U.S. Embassy attack in Sanaa, Yemen's capital, has more to do with internal Yemeni politics than al Qaeda. It is not even a reliable indicator of al Qaeda's strength or weakness. In more than seven years, very little has changed in the global war on terror. Just like Afghanistan and Pakistan, Yemen is a place where tribal warfare and chaos affords al Qaeda a safe hub for operations.

Through every crevice of the ancient capital city Sanaa, there is a sense of unease, a feeling that Yemen could at any moment descend into chaos. With biting poverty and tribal wars, Yemen has muddled along in a state of barely controlled chaos. Outside the urban centres the government has given ground to separatists and insurgents both to the north and the south.

"Which means that loyalty to a national policy dedicated to reinforcing a U.S. war on terror simply isn't there," says Rosemary Hollis, a Middle East analyst with Chatham House in London.

The Yemeni government insists it is a loyal and effective ally against al Qaeda. Last month alone it claims to have arrested more than two dozen terrorist operatives. But the more it cracks down on al Qaeda, the more vulnerable the country seems to be. Violent uprisings, separatist movements, regular insurgent attacks even in the capital, seem to feed off the victories of security forces.

And all of this underlines a suspicion with many Yemenis that their government is a pawn of the U.S. government and picked the wrong side in the global war on terror.

"I blame America for creating al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden for cultivating extremist thought," one Yemeni administrator told me at a Sanaa cafe a few months ago.

He was quick to add that many Yemenis could never completely turn their back on Osama Bin Laden. He is half Yemeni and still respected even if he's not seen as the hero he once was following the September 11th attacks. Watch my story here.

In fact, many Yemenis have developed a much more nuanced approach to how global terror is fought and how it affects them. Many say they don't support the U.S. government or Bin Laden. And in that vacuum slip many terrorists determined to make Yemen their home and base of operations.

For now, Yemen remains not just a hotbed of extremist thought and qualified sympathy with al Qaeda, but a place where words and thoughts can be matched with deeds. That was proven on Tuesday, right on the U.S. Embassy's doorstep.

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majid Al Aulaqi   September 18th, 2008 1909 GMT

I really hope that United States could investigate what is really hapenning in Yemen. You are dealing with a man not different from Ortega of Panama. President Saleh was an alcohol smuggler and his regime is being protected by gangs,arms smugglers and terrorist groups.The biggest terrorist is Sheikh Zandani who is executing the orders of Saleh to organize the fundamentalists against the uprising in the South and the real democratic movements in Yemen in General.America is dealing with the most corrupted regime on Earth.Just look at his accounts in your banks while most of the people in his country are barefooted.I am from Soth yemen and the tribal fighting in y homeland after union with North is unbelivable.I can't travel from my governate in Shabwa to Aden because the road is unsecure due to tribal fighting.If you want security you should listen to the people not to thieves like Saleh.

majid Al Aulaqi   September 18th, 2008 2214 GMT

You have to shake Saleh and let him know that he is protecting terrorists.He is granting Iraqis -Saddam loyalists- Yemeni passports.They are supporting his regime. You Americans are being fooled by an alcohol smuggler.Go to the real people in Yemen who are fed up with Saleh and his corrupted gang.You supported him against Southern state in 1994. The South was a state of law and order and you can't find a terrorist. Remember, all people in Yemwn South and North will unite against USA because they believe you are supporting a president they know very well. He has been in power for 30 years and hios people are getting poorer every day.Oil. Gas and Fisheries are in the pockets of Saleh and family and other terrorists in his presidential palace.Wake up America.Don't let such ignorant man mislead you more than what he already did.

dean   September 18th, 2008 2254 GMT

Leave them to it, if a country wants to harbor terrorists that is their choice, but please do not come knocking for help.
These countries need to police themselves, the USA is not the world police, it costs us more then money to help these countries.
Until we are affected by them we need to look away and walk away, deal with your own problems, we have too many of our own.

mysterion   September 19th, 2008 1410 GMT

In my opinion however,It is nothing but an election stunt,As 9-11 has shown ,live means nothing to them who were behind the twin-tower disaster,from which ,i believe stronly could have been anything except a terrorist attack,because terrorist had nothing to gain with an assault on the U.S. that is not only a suicide -attack,but also suicide for terrorism.If you think about it very thoroughly,you come to the conclusion that other parties had more to gain with the attack,who actually are pleased with this ,but i don't think that terrorists would help this parties and sacrifice their life for them ,in the contrary.the economic turmoil is proof of that.The significance of WTC is overblown by the fact that terrorists were behind it.Which is unlogical.the fact that some coul;d get the steering wheel of international markets in his hands.That,s why it seems that has gone out of control.It is not just out of control,it is controled by someone unknown.And believe me ,it are not the terrorists,as they live ,including Bin laden, in tents living under the demands of poverty.So that's not logical too.And the removal of all the evidence is not done by terrorists either,except when they were hired by a global crime-syndicate,that is also a big player on the global market.Investigation has shows that just before the attack,a few major transactions have been made,why is this never futher investigated ,because than it would have been possible to avoid this turmoil,but apparently these criminals that are really behind the atack have a lot of political influence,as well ,.And they give a damn for the U.S nor it's population.In my personal investigations ( for as far that is still possilble )I discovered a link with Swiss banks,European governments and Israelian Banks,as well as a link with major criminal organisations and Israelian Banks for the white washing of money that comes from criminal activities within the EU and the U.S.I wonder how I could have seen this link, but International crimefighting org .didn't and also the CIA didn't.The hadn't (which seems completely logical to me)not even information about the terrorist-network at 9-11-01.I know now why:because there wasn't any!the situation we are all together in with the whole world as i see it is a fraud-case that the world has never seen before,and the world economy is ruled by criminals that are untill today, not even suspected.For now ,i think, they got away with it!

mysterion   September 19th, 2008 1419 GMT

I hope that Majid Al Aulaqi now understand why the U.S doesn't investigate your case,it is supporting the American criminals resonsible for 9-11.A worldwide syndicate with a lot of influence is ruling the markets,and leaving the real criminals alone.As long it suits their plans.The U.S is also not investigating their own case,Catch my drift?

Ryan   September 19th, 2008 1648 GMT

Yemen was a location in the movie 'traitor'. I remember the police helping out the prisoners by freeing them after an explosion. So obviously if Hollywood knows Yemen to be a place of unstability then surely our government should.

Right!   September 23rd, 2008 337 GMT

Mysterion has it right that is if you live in some fantasy world of make believe. Lets all just make up an opinion, go out and preach and post it on some blog as though it were the truth. What a bunch of B.S.!!!! Let me guess.. No one died in 9/11 and if they did they are going to come back alive in your world. Get lost!

Hunter   September 26th, 2008 1535 GMT

I find the interesting about the US Embassy bombing in Yemen recently has been missed by most reporters. The young Muslim woman who was killed, an American citizen is from Lackawanna, New York (suburb of Buffalo) and the neighborhood of the Lackawanna 7 who were tried as terrorists .... a coincidence? That's just a bit of an understantment.

AFsoldier   September 26th, 2008 2323 GMT

Mysterion you need to really take a hard look at what really happened that day. Over 2500 people on that day. Its people like you who make me sick to my stomach, I really dont understand how you can really believe that it wasn't terrorist when the admitted to it on tv and the internet. I'm a member of the U.S. military and am honored to be so I can get the chance to hunt down and get the people that committed such a terriable act. Maybe you should watch the recording of day and really tell me that our government was behind that attack. Man you really need to get a life.

Mark   September 27th, 2008 203 GMT

hmmm, remember the movie Wag the Dog ?

Doug   September 28th, 2008 420 GMT

Yemen obviously is not the only place in the world where weak governments with weak security machinery and where an overabundance of anti-social criminals enjoy the opportunity to act out in the name of anti-western politics.

This is a war. The United States and its allies should expect the use of terrorist tactics in Yemen and similar places. That's not new – not good, but not new. One would think places with a high concentration of supporters of anti-western terrorism would be high value targets for intelligence gathering and/or quick response military action.

Michael   September 29th, 2008 1722 GMT

Wake up, wake up wherever you are. Like it or not; U.S. interests are prime target for all avowed anti U.S. governments including those in South America. And the U.S. keeps "donating" billions to quite a few of these countries. Shut down the money pipeline, use it to fix our problems, and let the rest of the world go to hell with the understanding that if anyone attacks the U.S. mainland it will be cause for a major war.

fd   September 30th, 2008 1534 GMT

this is just horrible

Mysterion   October 4th, 2008 2232 GMT

This is nothing let me do a freedom of speech test : (not on purpose though )test:al qaida just released a video tap that says : The kredit krisis is the proof of of Islam being victorious,and the defeat of the americans,a punishment for the crusades in the middeleast and the (forbidden by Islam) profit by intrest on loans,and because they turned their back on allah this is what you get!(not my words,but it's a hot topic in European newsmedia )

Rajesh   October 13th, 2008 1210 GMT

Well, I think US should get its hand/foot/nose whatever out of all these messes around the world, let those people decide their own future/present or whatever and close its borders to all sort of immigration from all these instable and mainly Muslim countries. These folks come to US to change their life around, instead they try to impose their demented ideology on us.

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Paula Newton and Andrew CareyNews and observations on the threats to international security and the challenges posed by terrorism to societies around the world. By CNN's International Security Correspondent, Paula Newton, and International Security Producer, Andrew Carey. From breaking news to background stories, from serious analysis to casual asides, if we think it's interesting we'll post it here.

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