Official denies ties between Yemeni authorities and al-Qaeda

SANA`A, Aug. 26 (Saba)-
The presence of al-Qaeda in Yemen is not as it is depicted in the media, a senior
Yemeni
leader said on Thursday.
Speaking to London-based newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, Tariq al-Shami, Head of the
Information Office of the ruling General People Congress Party in Yemen (GPC),
denied reports
about a relationship between the Yemeni authorities and al-Qaeda elements, saying
that "an attempt to suggest there is such a relationship is both illogical and
false".
Al-Shami admitted that there is a presence of "some Yemeni [al-Qaeda] elements,
which came from outside the country" but the government ¿is following those
elements and
disabling them¿.
He pointed out that "the confrontation taking place between the state's military
and security organs, and even the local authorities, with these terrorist elements¿
is due
to the fact that ¿Yemen is harmed by any terrorist action that damages the country's
reputation, security, and stability, and therefore impedes upon the development
process
and limits investments¿.
"During the past years, the security bodies have carried out several operations
against al-Qaeda elements but the problem in confronting them is that those
belonging to
the organization do not have specific known locations, they move from one area to
another¿¿, Al-Shami added.
¿¿The government has taken all legal measures available to follow up on all these
elements and demanded that they surrender to the authorities¿, he added.
¿The community leaders in the areas which they are located were also asked to hand
them over, and not allow them to exist alongside civilians. When necessary,
pre-emptive
strikes are launched to prevent these elements from carrying out their terrorist
operations.
The State initiates these preventive strikes against these elements, wherever they
may be".
YA