by Mohamed al-Azaki, Wang Qiuyun
SANAA, June 27 (Xinhua) — A suspected al-Qaida’s spectacular break into the highly-guarded intelligence headquarters in south Yemen raises questions on whether this reflects deterioration in the Yemeni security capability.
Some anti-terrorism analysts, however, said Yemen still held the necessary security capabilities to confront terrorist threats, but challenges also existed as the government’s long-year absence in the country’s remote and unruly regions was exploited by al- Qaida in extending its horizontal influence and recruitment there.
On June 19, a group of gunmen stormed the intelligence headquarters in the southern port city of Aden, for which the Yemeni government blamed al-Qaida.
SUSPECTED QAIDA ATTACK
“The attack that took place on Saturday, June 19, left seven security guards, three women and a child killed, which bears the characteristic of al-Qaida terrorist group,” the Yemeni supreme security committee said in a statement published by the country’s Defense Ministry’s website.
The gunmen, wearing security uniforms and armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, drove speedily with two cars towards the main gate of the headquarters and broke into it, according to the Defense Ministry.
It is regarded as one of the boldest attack, by which al-Qaida, according to analysts, sought to discredit the capabilities of security apparatus after the group received painful blows in recent weeks.
“This tragic incident underlines the ability of al-Qaida to penetrate one of the most highly-guarded security buildings,” said analyst Mohammed Saif Haidar of the Sanaa-based Sheba Center for Strategic Studies.
“And this does not necessarily reflect a setback for the Yemeni security capabilities as security services carried out a large number of successful anti-terror operations during the past seven months and tightened the noose on the al-Qaida militants and inflicted heavy losses against them,” he said.
SAUDI, U.S. CONTRIBUTE YEMENI SECURITY
Yemen’s Western allies, neighboring top oil exporter Saudi Arabia and the United States paid more attention to the Yemeni security affairs after the Yemen-based al-Qaida boasted that it was behind a failed attempt to destroy a U.S. passenger plane bound for Detroit in December, 2009.
“Acting on the advice of Washington and Riyadh, Sanaa is concentrating to cement ceasefire deal with Shiite rebels in the north and is engaging in a peace-bound talks with secessionists in the south in order to focus on its war with al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP),” said colonel Mohammed Rajih, an analyst of the security affairs at the Interior Ministry.
“Such strategic, of course, is yielding good results and allowing the security services to enjoy a high level of readiness and preparedness until now,” said Rajih.
However, Haidar added “the attack targeted the intelligence headquarters in Aden indicates that the terrorist network does not concentrate its attacks on Western interests only, it pays more attention to the local governmental targets such as security and oil vital sectors.”
On June 13, the Yemeni ruling party’s website reported that al- Qaida group killed 37 senior army and security officers during the past three years.
GOVERNMENTAL ABSENCE INTENSIFIES QAIDA OPERATIVES
Yemen reels under high unemployment rate, which affects 34 percent of the youth in the country. Poverty also afflicts 40 percent of the population.
“Yemen’s poor economy and uncontrollable armed tribes helped generate al-Qaida operatives,” Abdulelah Haidar Shaiee, a Yemeni analyst on the security affairs and Islamic groups, said.
According to local media, in remote areas across the impoverished Arab country, al-Qaida operatives could freely walk and use public phones and internet cafes to plan a series of strikes against western and local targets.
As a result, one of the main challenges that Yemeni security services faces now is to change tactics to match an increasingly dangerous atmosphere in its remote and unruly regions.
“Joint Yemeni-American anti-terror operations show that Yemen’s central government is largely absent in remote areas of Marib, Abyan, Shabwa and Arhab provinces,” said Shaiee.
“According to official documents,” Shaiee said, “the army shelled these provinces’ rebellious areas from the air but did not venture a ground invasion due to fear of the local resistance.”
“Residents in these regions do not recognize the legitimacy of the government, and reject its military presence there due to its long absence and lack of security, development and rule of law,” Shaiee explained.
The long-year government’s absence there was exploited by al- Qaida in helping extend its horizontal influence and recruitment over these areas.
Shaiee pointed out that the absence of the governmental authorities also “contributes to undermine the presence of security apparatus there which paved the way for the growth of the extremist groups.”
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