SANAA, Yemen, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- The Times of London claims prisoners released from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, headed to Yemen to rejoin al-Qaida.
The newspaper said "at least a dozen" released detainees are back within al-Qaida ranks, which could hamper plans to send more than 90 other Gitmo prisoners to Yemen. The transfers are part of U.S. President Barack Obama's plan to close the prison on Cuba by Jan. 22. That target date is unlikely to be met as nearly 200 prisoners, including 91 Yemenis, are still held at Guantanamo Bay.
Yemen has developed into an al-Qaida stronghold, with the Sana'a government's ability to stem the growth of terror groups in question.
"Obviously, we see global implications from the war in Yemen and the ongoing efforts by al-Qaida in Yemen to use it as a base for terrorist attacks far beyond the region," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Monday said.
Terror threats in Yemen led to the closing of several Western embassies Sunday and Monday. The U.S. Embassy in Yemen opened Tuesday after the reported killing of two suspected al-Qaida members by Yemeni authorities.
