Al Qaeda Seizes Yemen Town

Armed members of Al Qaeda have seized the Yemen town of Radda, centering their occupation in the old citadel and a nearby mosque. Radda was apparently captured with little fight, as it was only defended by the local police. This move puts them close than ever to the capital of Sanaa. Til now they had been restricted to the southern province of Abyan. Fears are that they will continue to expand throughout the country, as tribal forces expand in the north.

The clashes in Yemen, are said to be of great concern to their strong allies, the United States and Saudi Arabia, but not much has actually been done by either country to assist in ending the violence, which the UN estimates has displaced four hundred thousand people. US aid was expected, due to the relationship with Yemen, and that Al Qaeda is a top enemy of the United States.

Yemen's President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, is in the midst of stepping down, as demanded by the people of the country. Power has officially been transferred to the Vice President, but there are fears that he is still pulling the strings and will never actually leave the country.