Al Qaeda's next goal: Regime change in Yemen

The official, who did not speak on the record because of the sensitivity of the information, added, They have called for a tribal rebellion against Saleh. The attack could be an assassination attempt on President Saleh. It could be a Western embassy or some other target in Yemen.

A senior Yemeni government official expressed similar fears.

There is a concern, and this is not the first time we have heard of this threat. [Al Qaeda leader] Osama bin Laden himself has publicly threatened the leadership of Yemen in the past, the official told The Times, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the subject matter is sensitive.