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Yemen's state weakness due to fragmentation and ongoing conflicts allowed Al Qaeda and affiliates to take and hold territory, possibly enabling them to seize the Port of Aden. If Al Qaeda establishes safe havens in the southern Abyan province, supported by local Yemeni inhabitants, attacks at sea or in near by ports similar to the "USS COLE bombing" in 2000 could become a threat, increasing the danger to Red Sea shipping. Yet Al Qaeda is of secondary concern for the Yemeni government, with secessionist insurgencies in the north and the south threatening the state's unity. Only a stable Yemen can effectively deny Al Qaeda a stable base in the long run.

Al Qaeda's Next Target: American Oil Tankers.

Al Qaeda targets oil tankers in Gibraltar.

Somali, African troops recapture key port from Shebab.