A warning in response to Nov. 3 U.S. missile attack Blast rocks Marib [Archives:2002/49/Front Page]

SANAA, Nov 29-A powerful explosion shook government buildings early Friday, without causing casualties, in eastern Yemen where a CIA missile killed six suspected al Qaeda members in early November.
The blast occurred soon after midnight when an explosive charge planted near the house of the main security official in the province of Marib, Brig. Ali Nasser al Kawsi, went off.
Explosive material was placed on the ground near the wall of the residence of the governor of Mareb Abdullah Al-Nasi and the headquarters of the governorate’s security office, which are part of a sensitive governmental complex.
The weekly al Sahwa, mouthpiece of the main Islamic opposition Yemeni Reform Party, said “a powerful explosion rocked the city and smoke was seen billowing over the well-guarded government compound which harbors the offices and houses of the main security officials in the province.”
The incident is believed to be a response to the killing of the presumed leader of Osama bin Laden’s al Qaida network in Yemen. Kaed Sinan al Harithy and five other suspected members of the group were traveling in Marib Nov. 3 when a missile fired by an American Predator unmanned airplane destroyed the vehicle and killed its occupants.
A missile fired by a CIA unmanned plane killed the six men as they travelled in a car outside Marib. Yemeni opposition groups condemned the strike as a violation of the Arab state’s sovereignty, but the government said it was part of its anti-terror cooperation with the United States.
The Yemeni government acknowledged it had approved the operation, saying it lacked the resources itself to bring the men to justice for crimes that would carry the death penalty in Yemen.
The admission sparked controversy throughout the country, and lawyers in Sanaa have threatened to sue the government for breach of Yemen’s constitution.
Threats of revenge for al Harithy’s slaying were also voiced in a letter signed by a man called Abu Shehab al Kandahari al Yamani and published in the Yemeni media.
The letter vowed that Yemeni tribes would retaliate against the United States: “Yemen’s youth will make the Americans pay a dear price for daring to violate the sanctity of our home (Yemen),” it said.
Meanwhile, tribal sources in Marib revealed the blast could indeed be a message from al-Qaeda elements to the Governor of Marib, and hence to the Yemeni government.
“This blast is more than just an explosion. It must be a message from al-Qaeda saying ‘we are here, and we can strike’. This is serious,” a tribal sheikh told Yemen Times on the condition of anonymity.
Eyewitnesses said that they saw fire flames rise up to 10 meters in the sky after the explosion happened. It is believed that a pack full of TNT was the source of the explosion, which resulted in little physical damage to the nearby buildings. A three meter wide and 1.5 meter deep hole was caused by the blast, which also caused outrage among residents of the city.
The governor minimized the effects of the blast and said investigations are underway to arrest those who committed this action. “The explosion caused no casualties and a few windows were shattered. However, the terrorists who committed this action caused panic in the city and made people leave mosques after the blast,” he said.
“They will certainly be held accountable and brought to justice,” he also pledged.
“It is clear that if those who did this action wanted to destroy the building, they could have easily put the same package in a more sensitive location.” a residents said.
It is yet to be confirmed whether those who planted the bomb are linked to al-Qaeda, however tribal figures in the governorate say that the blast is probably a message from al-Qaeda network or from Al-Harith tribe to the governor in retaliation for the governor’s cooperation with the US authorities to assassinate their member Al-Harithi along with five other al-Qaeda suspects on November 3.
The Al-Harithi tribe, to which Abi Qaid Salim Sunayyan Al-Harithi (also known as Abu Ali) belongs, has accused high-ranking officials in the governorate along with a one of the prominent sheikhs of Obeidah tribe, which has close links to Islamic extremists, of betraying Al-Harithi and setting a trap for him to have him hunted easily by the Americans.
“We believe what happened to Al-Harithi is a betrayal in the tribal norms as he was deceived after being hosted in Marib the same day in a wicked action plan set up in advance to assassinate him” a source of Al-Harith tribe said.
This explosion is the strongest of its kind to occur in the governorate of Marib following Al-Hariti’s assassination a month ago with a missile fired from a CIA unmanned plane.
Security forces in Marib have increased their surveillance and security measures around the governorate as a precaution to possible retaliation by tribes or extremist groups in the area.
The Marib governorate and security forces belonging to the Ministry of Interior held extensive meetings on Friday to study means and set up plans to chase and arrest those involved in the latest operation, which they suspect could involve dangerous figures belonging to al-Qaeda.
A number of incidents and explosions took place in various cities and governorates of Yemen following the September 11 attacks in 2001 (See illustration on page 1).
It is feared that such attacks may continue if the US launches new attacks against militants in Yemen with the cooperation of the Yemeni government.
Parts of Yemen remain beyond control of the central government, especially the vast eastern third of the country known as the Hadramaut. U.S. sources say Yemeni leaders are secretly negotiating over allowing an American operation within their borders. A further complication, officials say, is the constant movement of potential terrorist targets in Yemen.
Marib as well as neighboring Shabwa and al Jouf provinces, are the scene of a thorough search by Yemeni security forces for suspected al Qaeda members who are believed to be hiding in the rugged mountainous regions
A little-known group called Al Qaeda Sympathisers has claimed several earlier anti-government bombings and demanded the release of dozens of suspected backers of Osama bin Laden’s network.


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