Yemeni prominent religious scholar doubts al-Qaeda merger [Archives:2003/674/Local News]

Mohammed bin Sallam
Sana'a, Oct. 4_ The Chairman of the Religious Scholars Dialogue Committee and the Supreme Committee Member, Judge Hamoud al-Hitar has recently refuted alleged reports and statements issued by the al-Qaeda organization in Yemen and published by some local papers.
“The key target of permeating reports of an alleged al-Qaeda merger on internet is to cause chaos and confusion. It can be ascribed to what has been issued by the president to refer terror suspects to court and set the detainees free. All what has been reported recently is of an unidentified group. No names, signatures or seals have been confirmed,” Mr. al-Hitar told al-Wahda (Unity) Weekly on October 1.
Some of the foreign news agencies and newspapers have recently reported that 5 al-Qaeda organizations operating in regions such as, Yemen, the Arab peninsula, and the northern Africa have recently incorporated into one al-Qaeda organization called, “Al-Qaeda of Jihad”.
The newly formed al-Qaeda organization has threatened to target the prime minister and cabinet ministers, the Yemeni officials and their sons. “We are determined to put him, (Abdulqader Bajammal) in the grave along with his entourage, (cabinet ministers),” the statement said.
A statement issued by the “Al-Qaeda of Jihad”” and published by the local al-Balagh newspaper said in its issue