WORDS

Voice Over:

Training for battle on the new front line of America’s war on Al Qaeda.

This is Yemen’s counter terrorism unit.

On Christmas Day, Al Qaeda in Yemen almost carried out the worst terrorist attack on US soil since 9/11.

Suddenly all eyes have turned to this little known Arab country – asking the question: who is fighting Al Qaeda in Yemen?

PICS

Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) training

Pictures of driving to Marib through desert

Title: Al-Qaeda in Yemen: a new frontline

Abdulelah Shaea, journalist

Al Qaeda, whether its central leadership or fighters is from Yemen.

Yemen was and still is a place that attracts, trains and exports fighters, either young Yemenis or foreigners.

Al Qaeda training (footage)

VO:

Across the rugged desert east of Sanaa lies the ancient town of Marib.

Home to a temple to the Queen of Sheba, Marib was once the jewel in the crown of Yemen’s tourism industry.

Today gunmen patrol. Marib is now an operational stronghold for Al Qaeda.

Pictures of Marib – driving and temple with two AQ gunmen

Formed in January 2009 with several hundred fighters, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular is a merger between the group’s Saudi and Yemeni networks.

AQ footage

Sheikh Abdullah al-Shareef is a tribal leader from Marib.

B-roll of Marib

Sheikh Shareef:

Many people here have no job. They meet leaders of Al Qaeda who are foreigners.

The young people become convinced to join them, believing they are following the religious path.

Sheikh Shareef

This unemployment couples with rapidly diminishing oil and water resources.

Yemen’s economy is fast heading for collapse.

Abdel Karim Aryani, an advisor to Yemen’s president:

In my view the root cause of all the problems whether is poverty.

No one gets recruited free of charge.

They all have resources. But the religious appeal adds to the shortage of capital.

Poverty in Sanaa

VO:

The international focus on Yemen comes as the authority of President Ali Abdullah Saleh is being directly challenged.

A long and bitter war against Huthi rebels in the northern governorate of Saada has uprooted tens of thousands of families.

In the south, a secessionist movement for the independence of south Yemen regularly demonstrates against the president.

Pics of President Saleh

Archive of Saada war

Archive of southern separatists

In the space that is opening up as Yemen pulls itself apart, Al Qaeda have succeeded in established a strong foothold.

Especially among local tribes.

On an Al Qaeda video Nasser Wahayshi, the leader of Al Qaeda in Yemen, warns Muslims of a coming war between Islam and the West.

Be happy even if bad things are happening. Your children are the next generation and they have your blood. Be prepared to run from your homes because they will come from directions you do not expect.

Tribal gathering

VO:

One such source of unexpected attacks are Yemen’s own counter terrorism forces, here training for a raid on a militant safehouse.

Pics of soldiers in house

Brigadier Yehya Abdullah Saleh, commander of Yemen’s counter-terrorism forces:

We in Yemen this is the first time we face a terrorist ready to commit suicide and that was a very big threat to our security.

After the occupation of Iraq many terrorists went to Iraq. There was more violent than before.

The CTU started with 50 men and now has more than 300.

They are well trained by the Americans and the British

Pics of soldiers in house – b-roll

Cut to pic of Brigadier

Pics of soldiers in house – b-roll. Cut to pic of Brigadier

Cut to pic of Brigadier

Since December the unit has been involved in a series of attacks on Al Qaeda strong holds.

In these pictures of an actual raid, soldiers surround a suspected Al Qaeda safe house, before storming it.

The US has long demanded Yemen crack down on Al Qaeda and will be pushing for more such action.

CTU raid footage

However, President Obama is seriously concerned with Yemen’s ability to keep captured fighters under lock and key.

In February 2006, Al Qaeda’s leader in Yemen escaped from the country’s maximum security prison.

Alongside him was Qassem al-Raimi, now a top military commander in the group.

Judge Hamoud Hitar leads Yemen’s programme to persuade captured fighters to renounce violence.

CTU raid pics

Picture AQ leader

Pic Raimi

B roll Hitar

Judge Hitar:

We proved to the world that the tongue and pen are more powerful than weapons.

If force was enough to fight terrorism, Iraq and Afghanistan would be safer than any place.

Pics of Hitar

VO:

However, the scheme has lost the support of the US after graduates of Hitar’s programme were later captured fighting in Iraq, some clearly not convinced by his arguments.

Judge Hitar:

The case of Iraq and Afghanistan is totally different because the forces of the US and Britain were under the authority of the UN, and the Islamic countries are members in the UN.

If not, the people in Iraq and Afghanistan would have the right to resist, and if they could not other Muslims would have helped them.

B roll Hitar

Pic Hitar

VO

Nasser Bahri is a former Al Qaeda member who fought alongside Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan.

He later went through Judge Hitar’s programme but says it was less than comprehensive.

B-roll Bahri

Nasser Bahri:

There were only three sessions. The first was for about an hour and a half, the second was exactly 45 minutes and the third time I signed an agreement renouncing violence against the state.

There was dialogue but not a programme of re-education.

Bahri

If Yemen’s government deals with jihadis based on an American agenda, then the jihadis have the right to defend themselves. Because then they will know that this government works for the US government.

Pics of Bahri

VO:

In their attacks on Al Qaeda, the Yemeni authorities also risk triggering a war against the local tribes.

Marching

Brigadier Yehya Abdullah Saleh, head of counter terrorism unit:

We don’t want to fight with all the tribes in Yemen. It’s better to get the head members of Al Qaeda.

It is not in our favour. Tribes have connections with other tribes and then we’ll have a big war.

Pic Brigadier

16.15

Abdel Karim Aryani, advisor to the president:

As far as we know Al Qaeda do not open the door to dialogue. They only seek bloodshed. If force comes to force of course the government must act

Pics Aryani

VO: Aryani

Abdulelah Shaea, an expert on Al Qaeda in Yemen:

Obama wants to say that Yemen will change to be another Afghanistan, and he wants to stop that happening.

Pics: Shaea

VO: Shaea

VO:

Abdulelah Shaea monitors the web for news and statements by Al Qaeda in Yemen.

Having met the group last year, Shaea believes US support will do little to stop Al Qaeda exploiting the weakness of the state.

B-roll Shaea

Abdulelah Shaea, an expert on Al Qaeda in Yemen:

The Yemeni system will never be able to stop it because of the internal problems it has. So - at the end of this, and I think it is in the short term - Al Qaeda will win in its battle against the system.

Pics: Shaea

VO:

Deploying international troops to Yemen risks further inflaming hostility among local tribes.

So for now it is the men and women of Yemen’s counter-terrorism forces who are at the sharp end of this new frontline in America’s war on Al Qaeda.

Tribal pics

Cut to CTU female soldiers at checkpoint training

In the dry mountains and plains of Yemen’s rugged tribal heartlands, soldiers hunt for Al Qaeda fighters.

Both sides waiting for their next order to strike.

CTU soldiers crawling over a ridge

Al Qaeda is not just a threat to Yemen. They are bloody killers

We are not fighting Al Qaeda just to fight Al Qaeda. We are fighting for our lives.

CTU waiting with guns poised

Cut to Brigadier

Close up guns