SANA'A: Sources close to “Ansar al Shariah”, an offshoot of al-Qaeda in Yemen, warned that since the group had sunk its teeth in Radda, a town situated 170 kilometers south of Sana'a, the capital was next on its list of conquest. The group admitted in its latest video statement that its main ambition and goal was to turn Yemen into a strict Islamic state. The militants, who have taken over Radda, are demanding the immediate release of some 200 fellow fighters, threatening retaliation against government forces if their demands are not met. Despite the intervention of a tribal leader, a compromise has yet to be met. Tarek al-Dahab, one of the Islamic cell leaders, and relative to late Anwar al-Awlaki, is seeking the release from prison of his brother, who was arrested by Yemen's Central Security Forces. Local sheikhs are now trying to broker a deal with al-Dahab, hoping that the release of his brother and a few of his men would satisfy him and that he would withdraw from the Bayda province. Residents are said to be less than pleased of the Islamists arrival. Although Yemenis are very proud of their traditional Islamic ways, they have largely shunned violence and extremism. “Many of these men are using Islam to gain power; they are trying to force us to submission that's all. The people of Yemen will not tolerate to leave in fear,” a local man told Bikyamasr.com. As men belonging to the ruling party were quick to accuse the Interior Ministry of “weakness” for allowing armed militants to seize yet another town, the Joint Meeting Party, retaliated by accusing President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his men of handing out the town to al-Qaeda in the hope of destabilizing the country and delaying the upcoming presidential election. They argue that Ammar Mohamed Saleh, the president's nephew and head of National Security did nothing to stop the fighters' advances in Radda, hoping that the group's presence so close to the capital would strike fear at the heart of the international community and permit his family to maneuver its way back into power. “Only Saleh would hand over a town to terrorists. He does not care for Yemen or its people,” said Ahmed Bahri, a senior JMP leader. Tribal leaders in the province also blame Saleh for the lack of military intervention. “Everything was handed over to the militants. What other explanation can there be? Hundreds of Republican Guard forces suddenly evacuated the base without a fight,” said Abdullah al-Barraki, a tribal chief in Radda. However, those allegations are yet to be substantiated with hard evidence. The JMP is accusing President Saleh and his loyalists of treason. Moreover, since the coalition government was formed in December 2011, it is a member of the opposition who is heading the Interior Ministry and therefore the country's police forces. Security analysts agreed that if al-Qaeda was able to so easily gain control over some new territories it was essentially because there was a governmental void. “Only a handful of men are assigned to the protection of some provinces as the government chose to concentrate its forces in the capital. The Interior Ministry is relying on tribal leaders to ensure that order is maintained. Clearly an assessment of the situation needs to be done and more units need to be dispatched throughout Yemen,” said a Sana'a former governor. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/EzCUo Tags: Al Qaeda, featured, Militants, Sanaa Section: Latest News, Yemen
