General denies foreign intelligence force in Yemen

General Yahya Muhammad Saleh

General Yahya Mohammed Abdullah Saleh, commander of the Central Security Forces and Yemen’s elite counter-terrorism unit, denied the establishment of a multinational intelligence bureau in Yemen to combat AQAP.

In a statement to the Yemen Observer, the media office of  Gen. Saleh ruled out that four States, including three Arab countries, had established an intelligence bureau in Yemen, based on the Yemeni government’s request, in order to address collectively AQAP and terrorism in Yemen .

The London-based al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper reported on Monday that some “diplomatic sources” had said that a unified bureau for coordination of intelligence efforts has been established in Yemen on but they did not comment on when it was established. The bureau is alleged to include some experts from Jordan, Egypt, the United States, and Saudi Arabia to face AQAP. The largest portions of experts are from Egypt. According to the same source, Saudi Arabia financed the bureau, said to be similar in terms of techniques and preparations to the one mounted two years ago in Afghanistan.

The source said that the intelligence coordination bureau uses high-level and advanced techniques according to the latest specifications of American intelligence strategies to track down members of AQAP. The bureau was established to implement the tasks of security, not only in the intelligence side, but also operationally.

The same source added that the bureau would be permanent and not temporary, planning to engage AQAP until they are completely rooted out of the Arabian Peninsula.

Gen. Saleh is handling counterterrorism unit and has coordinated with foreign states, including the U.S. building the unit staff capabilities.

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