Al-Qaeda leaving Pakistan for Somalia, Yemen: US officials

[Naveed Yaseen]

LAHORE: Dozens of Al Qaeda fighters, and a handful of its leaders, are leaving the Tribal Areas and moving to Somalia and Yemen, US officials say. Some aides to President Barack Obama, according to New York Times, attribute the moves to intensified drone attacks. Another explanation is the growth of the jihadist campaigns in both Somalia and Yemen. Somalia now bears resemblance to Afghanistan immediately before the September 11. Yemen, too, has a weak government. There is no evidence so far, officials say, that Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al Zawahri are considering a move. Leon Panetta, the CIA director, said on Thursday the US must prevent Al Qaeda from creating a new sanctuary. The steady trickle of fighters could worsen the chaos in Somalia, where a militant group has attracted foreign jihadists in its quest to topple the weak government in Mogadishu. It could also swell the ranks of a growing menace in Yemen. daily times monitor

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...2009_pg7_4