Terror Crackdown

Amid fears of further terrorist attacks the Yemeni government has ordered an “unprecedented” number of troops into the region controlled by Al Qaeda. The move comes as both the US and Britain closed their embassies in the capital Sana yesterday after reported threats. “The Obama administration increased the pressure on Islamic militants in Yemen Sunday after the Yemeni branch of Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for plotting the failed attempt to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on Christmas Day. The White House’s top counterterrorism official didn’t rule out U.S. military action. Yemen deployed troops into provinces east of the capital to combat a growing Al Qaeda presence in the area, an aide to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh told The Wall Street Journal Sunday. The move, targeting the group identified as Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, follows pledges of increased U.S. and British aid to finance Yemen’s effort to fight Islamic militants.”