Yemen Claims to Foil al-Qaeda Plot

Yemen security officials claim to have foiled at least one plot, if not many, including al-Qaeda’s attempt to take a key port and kidnap or execute the foreigners working there. The plot seems unrelated to the threats that have closed embassies in Yemen and in other areas. The purported plan intended to involve Qaeda members dressed in Yemeni Army uniforms, seizing the Mina al-Dhaba oil terminal, killing or kidnapping foreigners, and possibly blowing up oil pipelines to disrupt Yemen’s oil exports. It is unclear how accurate this report is, considering Yemen is pressured to show it is countering terrorist groups. Nevertheless, correspondence between Ayman al-Zawahri, Al Qaeda’s leader, and Nasser al-Wuhayshi, Yemen’s al Qaeda leader, suggested Zawahri ordered a large terrorist attack. How much of those orders and demands are standard fair, and how much are specific and referring to particular events is uncertain at this point. The foiled plot may or may not be related to drone action in Yemen’s southeast where seven people were killed Wednesday, and four people on Tuesday. Some speculate the attack could be a response to the American drones, which have been used in a campaign to foil plots related to the closing of the embassies.