Al-Qaeda Threat Results To Evacuation Of US Embassy In Yemen

Al-Qaeda Threat Results To Evacuation Of US Embassy In Yemen

The US Embassy in Yemen was evacuated by the US State Department following threats from al-Qaeda. The threats resulted to the closure of nineteen diplomatic posts in Africa and the Middle East.

Non-emergency government personnel of the US were also ordered to leave Yemen due to the continual threat of terrorist attack. US citizens in Yemen were also advised to leave due to the security threat.

The travel warning of the department indicated that US citizens in Yemen should leave. Since staff levels at the US Embassy in Yemen were limited, there were limitations to the assistance that it can provide to its citizens. The unstable security situation will further reduce the assistance that they can provide to its citizens.

The closure of several US embassies in Africa and the Middle East resulted from an intercepted message between the leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Nasser al-Wahishi, and the head of the group, Ayman al-Zawahri. The message showed plans of a major terrorist attack.

AQAP, which is based in Yemen, is considered as the most dangerous affiliate of the group.

The group is still determined to aim for US and Western interests despite the loss of Anwar al-Awlaki, al-Wahishi, and Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, the bomb maker of the group. Anwar al-Awlaki was an important inspirational leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

The group is associated with the failed bombing of a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day of 2009. A number of parcels with explosives were also intercepted the following year. These incidents were linked to Hassan al-Asiri.

The travel warning, which resulted to the closure of the US Embassy in Yemen, indicated that terrorist groups continue to remain active in Yemen. It added that the US government continues to be concerned about potential attacks by al-Qaeda on US citizens, facilities, businesses, and apparent interests of the US and other Western countries in Yemen.

Posted by James Fried on Wednesday August 07 2013, 4:57 AM EST. Ref: The State. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0