The Islamic Jihad of Yemen ( ar, الجهاد الإسلامي في اليمن) was an al-Qaeda terrorist affiliate that claimed responsibility for the 2008 American Embassy attack in Yemen. The group also threatened future attacks against other embassies, including those of

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

, the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at t ...

, and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. The group released a statement saying, "We will carry out the rest of the series of attacks on the other embassies that were declared previously, until our demands are met by the Yemeni government." Meanwhile, on September 18, 2008, Yemeni authorities arrested 25 suspects allegedly connected to al-Qaeda. Foreign Minister Abou Bakr al-Qurbi said: "The attack on the U.S. Embassy was retaliation by al-Qaeda for the measures taken by the government to fight the terrorists."

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...

spokesman

Sean McCormack Sean McCormack (born 1964) is a former United States Assistant Secretary of State. He was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs and Department Spokesman on June 2, 2005, and served until January 20, 2009. McCormack is curre ...

said that "the multi-phased attack bore all the hallmarks of al-Qaeda." The government received an average of $40 million yearly in U.S. economic and military aid since 2000.

References

{{Al-Qaeda direct franchises Organizations based in Asia designated as terrorist Groups affiliated with al-Qaeda Jihadist groups in Yemen Terrorism in Yemen Yemeni Crisis (2011–present)

See also

References