SANAA, Yemen, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Yemen played down a U.S. State department warning served to Americans residing in the Gulf Arab state against al-Qaida attacks as a routine procedure.
An interior ministry source called the warning "routine."
He repeated official assurances Yemen has become stable and free from any terrorist threats "following the stringent security measures implemented in past years."
The State Department cautioned U.S. citizens in Yemen against attacks by al-Qaida, which is said to be trying to reorganize an operational base in Yemen.
But the Yemeni authorities denied last month the existence of any al-Qaida cells after the slaying of the main al-Qaida operative, Abu Ali Sinan al-Harithy, in a joint operation with U.S. intelligence two years ago.
