The explosives used in the failed attempt on Prince Muhammad Bin Naif's life was made of the same material carried by Nigerian Omar Al-Farouq Abdul Muttalib in his bid to blow up a US-bound plane, according to sources. The attempt on the life of Prince Muhammad, Assistant Minister of Interior for Security Affairs, took place on Aug. 27. The suicide bomber who tried to assassinate Prince Muhammad was later identified by the Ministry of Interior as 23-year-old Abdullah Hassan Tali' Asiri. Asiri was on the Kingdom's list of 85 most-wanted militants. Asiri died in the attack while the Prince suffered slight injuries. The 23-year-old Nigerian Al-Farouq Abdul Mutallib allegedly tried to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Dec.27 last year, allegedly with explosives in his underclothes. Al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula had previously announced, on extremist websites, that it was responsible for the two attacks. Meanwhile, Numaan Dowaid, Governor of Sana'a, has claimed that the explosive Continued from P1 capsule used in the failed attempt on Prince Muhammad's life was prepared by members of Al-Qaeda who were trained in Afghanistan. He claimed that the “advanced technique” used in preparing the capsule was not available in Yemen. “The techniques used are advanced. The capsule was prepared by the deviant organization,” he said. He rejected previous claims by Yemeni sources that the explosive capsule was made in Yemen and that it used chemicals that were readily available at local markets. The Sana'a governor admitted that there were Al-Qaeda training camps in Yemen but said that these members did not have access to advanced technology. He said Al-Qaeda members were trained in Afghanistan and were then sent to Yemen to carry out terrorist operations against Yemen and the Kingdom. “They think they will be remembered as heroes but they are serving the goals and ambitions of the enemies of the Ummah,” he said. Dowaid claimed that the leadership of Al-Qaeda in Yemen were hiding somewhere in Shabwa Province but he could not confirm exactly where they were. “If we knew, we would not hesitate in raiding the place.” He described Al-Qaeda leader in Afghanistan, Osama Bin Laden as “the big devil” and Al-Qaeda leader in Yemen, Naser Al-Wuheeshi, as “the small devil”. He said both have been trying to destabilize Yemen, target its infrastructure and institutions. In a similar way, they were trying to target the Kingdom's security. Dowaid would not confirm or deny that Saudis were among the 11-member Al-Qaeda cell arrested at a house raided by authorities in the Sawad area in Sana'a's Hazeez area earlier this month. The raid resulted in the death of the father of one of the cell's members. Yemeni sources said most of the cell members were young and were recruited in the area. He said the Al-Qaeda member, who attempted to escape from the Republican Hospital in Sana'a last Sunday, is a Yemeni who also holds US citizenship. “He asked to go to the toilet. He then picked up a tool and hit the guard. He failed to escape and security men arrested him.” He said Al-Qaeda in Yemen include various non-Arab nationalities, including “Africans and Asians”.
