Al-Qaeda claims responsibility for al-Baidha ambush, and promises more:Al-Qaeda threatens [Archives:2003/693/Front Page]

Mohammed Al-Qadhi
A group calling itself the 'Al-Qaeda branch in Yemen' claimed on Monday its responsibility for the ambush set for the governor of Shabwa, who was injured and his brother, who was killed in the incident on December, 4.
In a press statement sent to al-Wahdawi.net last Monday, al-Tawheed brigade, a part of Qaedat al-Jihad in Yemen claimed responsibility for ambushing the governor Ali Ahmad al-Rassas, leading to the killing of his brother, who is also the chief of intelligence in the governorate of Ibb.
The statement said that the incident came as a result of the government's 'violation of its agreement' with the al-Jihad fraction of al-Qaeda as well as to retaliate for the attack that targeted al-Muatazbellah, head of al-Qaeda in Yemen, two days before Ramdhan in al-Jawf province. It also pointed out that security forces failed to arrest Abdullah al-Karaam last Sunday in Haddah. Al-Qaraam, who is, according to the statement, the main assistant of Abu Assem al-Ahdal who was arrested last month and is believed to be the mastermind of the terrorist attack against the USS Cole in Aden in 2000.
The statement warned that any mistreatment of al-Ahdal will invite grave sequences. The group also warned against any acts by the government that could cause harm to the family of the wife of Osama bin Laden, Amal al-Saddah.
It also called upon the Yemeni government to release al-Qaeda detainees.
“The arrest campaigns by Yemeni government's authorities and its attempts to dry up financial resources of al-Mujahedeen will undermine the spirits of Special Security forces, yet will not affect the people who made a great slap to the big guys of the Yemeni intelligence in al-Baidha governorate,” the statement said.
It stressed that 'al-Mujahedeen' are committed to carry out more attacks till the government releases all detainees and stops harassing their families. It confirmed that there were negotiations conducted between al-Qaeda and the government and that there were no repentant people except Khalid Abdulnabi, the leader of the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army who surrendered himself and pronounced his desire to give up his extremist ideas, according to official sources.
The statement pledged to avenge for the killing Abu al-Al-Harithi who was murdered by a US drone in November last year. “We have moved from the preparation phase to actual implementation and we will shake the ground beneath the feet of the treacherous and American people,” it concluded.
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