Al-Qaeda 'ostracised, unwelcome' in Marib

Al-Qaeda has been forced underground in the Yemeni province of Marib, east of Sanaa, as the local population and tribes vehemently reject the group, blaming it for the province's poverty and instability, residents told Al-Mashareq.

"Al-Qaeda is associated with killings, kidnappings and bombings that have harmed Marib’s residents, [tarnished] its great history, and distorted Islam," said Abdulla Abu Nab, president of the Marib Federation of Workers Trade Union.

The group's attacks in Marib province have badly affected the tourism sector, one of the province's major sources of revenue, he told Al-Mashareq.

Marib has long attracted tourists with its abundant cultural landmarks that include the Great Marib Dam and the Queen of Sheba (Balqis) Temple, he said, but the group's attacks on tourists devastated the industry.

In 2007, a suspected al-Qaeda suicide bomber plowed his car into a group of Spanish tourists in Marib, killing seven Spaniards and two Yemenis.

"These actions have deprived many individuals and companies in the tourism sector of their sources of income," Abu Nab said.

"Al-Qaeda is currently operating covertly and surreptitiously," he added, calling for its permanent elimination.

'Ostracised and unwelcome'

"Al-Qaeda recruited youth, influenced them ideologically and then used them as fodder for its terrorist operations," Marib public school teacher Hadi al-Khashla told Al-Mashareq.

"In the minds of Marib residents, al-Qaeda is associated with devastation and destruction," he said.

"Al-Qaeda has no actual visible physical presence in Marib, and if it does, it is covert and clandestine, because it does not have a popular or tribal base," said Marib media professional and social activist Abdul Wahab Buhaibeh.

It is an ostracised and unwelcome group, he told Al-Mashareq, noting that Marib residents are opposed to al-Qaeda and local tribes are blocking its expansion.

"How we feel about al-Qaeda, the Houthis (Ansarallah) or any militia that is founded on violence, is the same way any citizen in the world feels about criminal gangs," Buhaibeh said.

"We view them as a bunch of misled ignorant people who are a danger to themselves and society," he added. "We hope that terrorist groups in all forms and colours are eradicated in Yemen."

"However, we know they cannot be eradicated by security means alone," he added, stressing that the factors that created a fertile environment for these groups must be addressed.

Foremost among these are poverty, hunger, corruption, war and ignorance, he said, adding that "all of these exist in Yemen".

"Unemployment is one of the most important factors that swell the ranks of supporters of terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda," Buhaibeh added.

Rallying against the Houthis

Marib's proximity to Sanaa has made it a launchpad for operations to liberate Sanaa from the Houthis, Buhaibeh said.

"This made Marib a destination for every Yemeni looking ahead to the post-Houthi coup phase," he said, adding that Marib has become the rallying point for the reinstatement of President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government.

Many Marib residents have enlisted in the army and security forces, he said.

The coup mounted by the Houthis has exacerbated the suffering of Yemenis and created a fertile environment for the proliferation of terror groups, he noted.

"This coup caused the collapse of the state and halted development," he said, noting that this has led to increased poverty, deprived children of an education, and has displaced millions from their homes.

Terrorism cannot be eliminated unless the Yemeni government controls every part of the country and restricts the possession of weapons, he added.