U.S. man caught in Yemen on terror link

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SANAA, Yemen, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Yemeni officials confirmed that a U.S. citizen suspected of having ties to an al-Qaida affiliate was being questioned in Sanaa.

Yemen has focused on political transition since longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh left office early this year. The country is beleaguered by security challenges from al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, the Yemeni arm of the terrorist group.

Yemeni officials confirmed to the BBC a U.S. citizen was arrested in Shabwa province and taken to a prison in Sanaa.

Yemeni forces, supported by tribal fighters and the U.S. military, have ramped up their campaign against al-Qaida strongholds in southern Yemen.

Missiles fired from unmanned aerial vehicles reportedly operated by the CIA have skilled key al-Qaida targets, including leading ideologue Anwar al-Awlaki. Awlaki was a U.S. citizen educated in the United States before joining al-Qaida's ranks.