Emboldened by Western weakness. “US Navy warns al-Qaida threatens ships off Yemen,” from AP, March 23 (thanks to John):
CAIRO – The U.S. Navy is warning of possible al-Qaida attacks against ships off the coast of Yemen, where an offshoot of the terrorist network has established a significant base of operations over the past year….
“Information suggests that al-Qaida remains interested in maritime attacks in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden along the coast of Yemen,” said an advisory from the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence.
The warning said such attacks could be similar to the 2000 strike against the Navy destroyer USS Cole in Yemen’s Aden harbor that killed 17 American sailors. The attackers used a small boat laden with explosives to blow a hole in the side of the ship.
“Other more sophisticated methods of attack could include missiles or projectiles,” said the advisory, which was dated March 10….