Yemeni official: We're 'bringing the fight to al Qaeda'
December 25th, 2010
07:00 AM ET
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Yemeni official: We're 'bringing the fight to al Qaeda'

Yemen is embarking on a major initiative in its war on terror and plans to build four new branches for the country's elite counter-terrorism units next year, a spokesman for the country's American embassy said on Saturday.

Mohammed Albasha said the branches will be located in four different locations - Mareb, Shabwa, Abyan and Hadramawt.

Hadramawt, Albasha said, "will have the largest contingency of counter-terror units. This is the next phase in the war on terrorism – we are bringing the fight to al Qaeda."

Yemen has been locked in a struggle with al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, the offshoot of the al Qaeda terror network based in Yemen.

It grabbed the attention of the west with the attempted bombing of a Northwest Airlines trans-Atlantic flight as it landed in Detroit, Michigan, on Christmas Day in 2009.

Over the past year, U.S. Special Forces have expanded the type of training they're giving to Yemen's military, while also adding more Special Operations forces to the training mission there.

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Filed under: Al Qaeda • Terrorism • Yemen
November 22nd, 2010
09:57 AM ET
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Saudi king on way to U.S. for blood clot treatment

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah left Monday for the United States for treatment of a herniated spinal disc and a blood clot that is causing him back pain, state media said.

The monarch's departure had been anticipated.

"The medical team recommended that that he leaves to the U.S. to visit a spine-specialized medical center in order to complete medical examinations and for follow-up treatment," Health Minister Abdullah al-Rabeeah said during an interview Sunday with Saudi state television. "But I assure everyone that he is in a stable condition, and that he is enjoying health and well-being, and God willing, he will be back safe and sound to lead this proud nation."

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Filed under: Saudi Arabia
April 9th, 2010
04:36 PM ET
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Yemeni child bride dies of internal bleeding

A 12-year-old Yemeni bride died of internal bleeding following intercourse three days after she was married off to an older man, the United Nations Children's Fund said.

The girl was married to a man at least twice her age, said Sigrid Kaag, UNICEF regional director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Her death is "a painful reminder of the risks girls face when they are married too soon," Kaag said Thursday.

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Filed under: World • Yemen
March 19th, 2010
07:47 AM ET
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Group wants Saudia Arabia to stop execution over sorcery

Amnesty International is calling on Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah to stop the execution of a Lebanese man sentenced to death for "sorcery."

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