Al Qaeda seemed to be determined to declare the whole south of Yemen as Islamic Emirate

By Nasser Arrabyee/04/07/2011

Al Qaeda fighters vowed to seize the southern coastal city of Aden after they controlled a stadium and tightened the blockade on a military camp close to the city, said Sunday a tribal leader mediating between the government and Al Qaeda.

The tribal leader, Ali Abdul Salam, known as Mulla Zabara, said Al Qaeda leaders told him today Sunday “they are determined to enter Aden very soon” and that they would not accept any more mediation from now on.

Mulla Zabara failed for the second time in two days to get out dozens of dead bodies and injured soldiers who fell victims late last week when Al Qaeda fighters stormed the Stadium of May 22 at the outskirt of Al Qaeda held city of Zinjubar.

By such an attack, Al Qaeda apparently wanted to tighten the blockade on the military camps of 25 Mic, which is only less than 50 km from Aden.

Mulla Zabara is from Shabwah province and is a relative of one the Al Qaeda leaders who are now ruling the province of Abyan as an Islamic Emirate.

The army shelled Al Qaeda leaders who were supposed to meet Mulla Zabara on Sunday making them to disappear in trees at the outskirt of Zinjubar. Two days earlier, airplanes bombings on Al Qaeda sites thwarted efforts of the mediator Mulla Zabara to reach the Stadium to take the dead and injured soldiers.

“After this second treacherous attack, Al Qaeda leader Fahd Al Qusu, called me saying (Do not mediate any more , do not believe them, they just want to kill us through you),” said Mulla Zabara who is cousin of Al Qusu.

Mulla Zabara said Al Qaeda told him they would not allow any mediators to come to take dead bodies or injured.

“They already buried about 25 dead bodies,” said Mulla Zabara.

He said for humanitarian reason he would continue mediations with Al Qaeda, but with his own conditions.

“I would tell those who ask me to mediate like the minister of defense, to bring their sons or brothers with me next time,” he said.

When asked why Al Qaeda trusts him and why it would trust him in the future, he said, “Al Qaeda people know me very well, they know I am not paid by the government, they know I want to do the good for the sake of God not for the money or any other thing,” He said.

“I do not hate Al Qaeda, why should I,” he added.

In a previous meeting with Al Qaeda people earlier last month, Mulla Zabara said he met in Zinjubar important leaders of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular like Qasem Al Raimi, and Saeed Al Shihri, the Saudi leader. “I think ever one is there,” he said.

About the blockaded military camp of 25 Mica in Zinjubar, Al Qaeda said they ready to let them go but without any weapons or equipments.

“We will keep imposing the siege on them until they surrender or die,” Mulla Zabara quoted his cousin Fahd Al Qusu, one of Al Qaeda leaders who is wanted by the CIA.

Meanwhile, the Yemeni army said in statement on Sunday, it is confronting Al Qaeda in Abyan, and the sympathizers of Al Qaeda in three other places nowadays.

In Arhab, 40km north of the capital Sana’a, Al Haima, about 60 km west of the capital, and Taiz about 260 km south of the capital.

The statement mentioned three tribal leaders from these places as the leaders of the popular army of the Islamist opposition party, Islah or brotherhood.

Mansour Al Hanik in Arhab, Rabish Wahban in Al Haima, and Hamoud Saeed Al Mekhlafi in Sharab, Taiz.