Al Qaeda only changed tactics to better fight 'Americans' not defeated, says cleric

By Nasser Arrabyee,12/06/2012

Al Qaeda was not defeated but changed its tactics of Jihad against the Americans and their agents, said a Yemeni cleric on Tuesday after the Yemeni army pushed out Al Qaeda from several areas in the south.
 
 "If the Yemeni government and America think they defeated Al Qaeda today, then they are wrong," said the cleric who asked not to be named.

"They will only turn to  guerrilla wars, at which they are very good, and this will cost Yemen a lot of time and money and everything," He said. 

"Without listening and implementing  what the divine scholars said in the meeting with President Hadi, Al Qaeda would only get stronger and stronger," Said the cleric who was one of those " Divine" scholars who told President Hadi to stop killing Mujahideen in Abyan and start dialogue with them instead.  

A group of religious scholars under the leadership of  prominent cleric Abdul Majid Al Zandani, accused by US and UN of supporting terrorism, asked Presidnet Hadi, in a special and public meeting late last month, asked him to start dialogue with Al Qaeda, Mujahideen, as they always refer to them.

" We told him very clearly that the solution is in the hands of the divine scholars, not in the hands of soldiers, Shariah  must be applied, and those who fight will stop," He said.