Clock ticks on 30-day ultimatum Bomb blasts to force government’s hand [Archives:2002/17/Front Page]

SANA’A – Despite its commitment to purge Yemen of terrorists, the government has remained silent after Tuesday’s huge explosion which rocked the Civil Aviation Authority building and damaged several other buildings in the area, including the Yemeni intelligence housing.
As with the April 12 bomb that went off near the U.S. embassy, a group calling itself Sympathizers of al-Qaeda has taken responsibility for the blast which damaged the windows of the CAA, front gate, and a neighboring house. It also broke windows of two buses.
No injuries were reported.
Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on a 30-day ultimatum the group gave after its April 12 bombing, for authorities to release 173 Mujahedeen warriors the government is detaining.
In its second statement via email, the sympathizers reiterated their demand for the government to release the 173 held in the PSO prison. The statement threatened more bombings if their demands were not met.
It pledged that after the 30-day ultimatum they would target high ranking officials who they described as ‘agents for the US’.
The statement advised the people living near the PSO to leave the area till ‘the war is over.’
It also pledged to give compensation for the damage to neighboring properties.
And the statement called upon all al Qaeda elements in Yemen, mainly Fawaz al Rabee, Abdu Ali al Harithy and Abu Asem al Ahdal to join them in their mission.
It said the 173 detainees had committed no crimes, and some of them had been detained for four years without charges.
The explosions have raised worries among political observers, as well as foreign diplomats.
Western diplomatic sources confirmed that their embassies received phone-call threats and that explosive devices were planted near some embassies and diplomats residents, but they were foiled.
The Yemeni government had said previously that the al Qaeda network has no organized presence here, and that it was hunting down al Harithi and al Ahdal.
But these recent blasts show al Qaeda still represents a threat despite the government’s efforts in the past to contain it.
And it now remains to be seen if the government will negotiate with the group, or if it attempt to eradicate it.
It also remains to be seen what impact the presence of American trainers will have. They have been in Yemen to help authorities purge the country of terrorists, part of its international war in terror since attacks against it on Sept. 11.

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