Abdulrazzaq al-Jamal, a Yemeni journalist and researcher who has been enjoyed exclusive access to al-Qaeda militants rejected government claims earlier this week that Yemen armed forces had made significant advances against the terror group and foiled an alleged plot against a Canadian-owned oil facility.
Al-Jamal's comments to the Toronto Star came amid statements from the central Yemeni government that the impoverished had managed to advert a massive plot against its oil infrastructure and the take-over of several strategic cities and seaports across its territories.
Rajeh Badi, Yemen government' spokesman said Wednesday, "There were attempts to control key cities in Yemen like Mukala and Bawzeer. This would be coordinated with attacks by al-Qaeda members on the gas facilities in Shabwa city and the blowing up of the gas pipe in Belhaf city,"
As reports of continuous US-led drone strikes have inundated the Media, al-Jamal challenged not only the veracity of the Defense Ministry's reports regarding the death of key al-Qaeda militants but also the legitimacy of such strikes as he revealed they mostly led to the death of "low-level foot soldiers and civilians."
He told the Toronto Star in a phone interview on Thursday, “Among those killed are the ones who are largely . . . on the periphery of the organization."
Moreover, al-Jamal said to be skeptical as to whether the US intelligence services reacted to a terror threat induced by a phone conversation between top al-Qaeda leaders, Nasser al-Wahishi and Ayman al-Zawahiri, when they chose to shut down 19 of their diplomatic posts across the Middle East and ordered the exit of several of its non-essential staff from Sana'a by military plane.
“I did not hear any of this through the usual channels,” Jamal said. He added, “whether Wahishi is No. 2 or 10 or 20, it’s irrelevant. Al Qaeda’s activities continue as usual ... AQAP operates independently and would not need direction from Zawahiri."
Going further in his argument against the Yemeni government al-Jamal rejected claims that al-Qaeda was preparing to seize the he provincial capital Mukalla, a key sea port, and attack the Canadian-owned Mina al-Dhaba oil terminal nearby, explaining, “Al-Qaeda does not attack places of public interest.” Instead al-Jamal theorized that Sana'a chose to run such reports in an attempt to justify recent US drone strikes.
Even Yemen's Washington most senior spokesman, Mohammed al-Basha noted on his Twitter account on claims that al-Qaeda sought to seize Mukalla, “For the record: AQAP doesn’t have the manpower nor the capabilities to capture a city the size of Mukalla.”
“I don’t think Al Qaeda will do anything in the coming weeks because their military activities had been reduced in Sana'a,” Jamal said. “A military operation would distract them from expanding into other areas, where it wants to increase its presence.”
It is important to note that at this moment in time the Yemen Post could neither refute nor concur al-Jamal theory.
While drones continue to roam over the capital, resident are gripped with fear, wondering if ever the US will be so bold as to unleash death from the sky on the heavy populated city in the name of counter-terrorism.
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