SAN'A, Yemen (AP) — The deputy chief of al-Qaida's offshoot in Yemen has called for attacks on Saudi Arabia and U.S. interests in the region.
Said al-Shihri urged followers in an audio message posted Monday on the Internet "to attack the interests of America and the Crusaders, and their agents ... especially the Saudi" rulers who he claimed are waging a proxy war against Muslims.
It was al-Shihri's first appearance since the December 24 airstrike by Yemeni forces that targeted him and other al-Qaida figures in the Arabian Peninsula country. He sought to reassure al-Qaida's leadership in Afghanistan that they are well despite the attack.
Al-Shihri also congratulated Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab for his "blessed" attempt to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas.
