No al-Qaeda command in east Yemen Marib, Yemeni official

MARIB, Feb. 08 (Saba)- A
senior Yemeni official has denied the existence of an al-Qaeda command in the
eastern Yemeni
province of Marib, but he said that al-Qaeda militants in Marib were ''in a small
number and not as exaggerated''.
"Their number is little in Marib. Due to the desert and geographic nature of the
province, these elements come from other provinces and other countries, using it as
a resting
place or a connecting link between provinces and some neighbouring countries", the
governor of the desert Marib province Naji Ali al-Zayidi highlighted.
Al-Zayidi added that the Yemeni tribes have started to more carefully see the risks
caused by al-Qaeda militants.
In an interview with The Dubai-based pan-Arab satellite television news channel
Al-Arabiya on February 05, al-Zayidi said that when intensified security measures
were taken
against suspected al-Qaeda terrorist, they left Marib and went to other provinces of
Yemen or returned to Saudi Arabia.
"They do not have permanent training camps in Marib. They are present, however,
security services continue to pursue them", he said, adding that the local
authorities and
tribal chiefs of Marib were united with the security services in pursuing them.
Asked about the number of foreign militants in Marib, al-Zayidi admitted that they
were there, confirming they were not many and "they are not present permanently.
They
are present temporarily.
They exploit the nature of the desert linking Marib with Saudi Arabia".
"Al-Qaeda members in Marib are from Saudi Arabia, Libya, Pakistan, Iran, Somalia,
and other countries. They come and go but Saudis may be present due to tribal
relations
between the inhabitants on both sides".
Al-Zayidi affirmed that some tribesmen in Marib have joined al-Qaeda.
"Yes, there are some tribesmen [joined al-Qaeda]. They are in the dozens and not
the hundreds".
"They [al-Qaeda] took advantage of Yemen's strategic geographic location as it
overlooks the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea and has a desert that links various
parts. They
also took advantage of the Bedouin nature of the area," he explained.
Asked if the threat posed by al-Qaeda spreads further in the country, the Yemeni
official said that that will influence not only Yemen but also the neighbouring
countries
and foreign interests.
"The situation requires cooperation to control seas and deserts and to exchange
intelligence to pursue these elements", The Yemeni governor stressed also that the
desert
region of his province was used by drug smugglers, arms dealers and al-Qaeda elements.
"The desert region is open and we do not have full control of it".
In order to control this open region, al-Zayidi called for comprehensive
development support.
"We in Marib want more and more projects. We want to find jobs for the young
people, we want a network of roads and we want to develop education".
He pointed out that the Yemeni government has worked hard and spent much on the
security services, "but frankly, we still need support because Yemen has an
important geographic
location".