"Yemen is the perfect state for Al Qaeda to grow"

The Al Qaeda wing in Yemen that claimed responsibility for the attempted bombing last week of a Northwest Airlines flight has as many as 2,000 militants and sympathizers exploiting the country’s economic and political chaos to create a base for jihad at the edge of the Persian Gulf, according to a Yemeni terrorism expert…

“The majority of Yemenis sympathize with Al Qaeda, especially over American actions in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Jemhi said. “Al Qaeda is a growing threat with an ideology that other extremist groups can build upon.”…

Jemhi said these and other assaults on Western targets indicate that Al Qaeda has operatives or sympathizers in Yemen’s security forces and intelligence agencies.

“Globally, Al Qaeda may be hurt militarily, but this is not the case in Yemen,” Jemhi said. “There are plenty of weapons and arms here. Yemen is the perfect state for Al Qaeda to grow. The jihadists can benefit from all the country’s chaos.”