By Mohammed Ghobari
SANAA | May 22, 2012- (Reuters) - Yemeni soldiers marched in a
National Day parade on Tuesday as the president watched from behind a
bullet-proof glass shield in a show of defiance after a bomber killed more than
90 troops in an attack on the ceremony's rehearsal.
A somber mood hung over the event,
meant to celebrate the 1990 unification of north and south Yemen, but it passed
off without any repeat of Monday's bloodshed despite militant threats to carry
out more attacks.
The bombing, one of the deadliest
in Yemen in recent years, was a setback in its battle against Islamists linked
to al Qaeda and heightened U.S. concerns over a country in the front line of
Washington's global war on militants.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
(AQAP) and its affiliate Ansar al-Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law) both
claimed responsibility.
Heavy security surrounded
President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and senior civilian and military officials as
they watched Tuesday's parade, which was moved from the scene of the attack at
Sabaeen Square to the air force academy in Sanaa.
Hadi, who took over after former
President Ali Abdullah Saleh surrendered power in November following months of
protests against his 33-year rule, told victims' families on Monday that the
fight against al Qaeda would carry on undaunted.
"The war on terrorism will
continue until it is uprooted and annihilated completely, regardless of the
sacrifices," Hadi said, quoted by the state news agency.
Patrols were stepped across the
city and dozens of policemen stood guard at street intersections. Few people
ventured out, partly due to the holiday and partly for fear of more attacks.
"We are sad for our comrades,
but al Qaeda will not scare us," said Khaled al-Ansi, a soldier stationed
at a street corner in central Sanaa.
The huge explosion, carried out by
a man in a military uniform in the middle of the tightly-packed parade
rehearsal, killed more than 90 people and wounded at least 220, according to
the Defence Ministry.
One Yemeni investigator said the
bomber was probably a rogue soldier recruited by al Qaeda.
Turkish Ambassador Fazli Corman,
who attended the ceremony, told Reuters: "Everyone was relieved at the end
that it went safely, there was not a celebratory atmosphere, it was
solemn."
"All the foreign ambassadors
were there, it was a strong message of solidarity," he said.
Hamoud Al-Hitar Hitar, an expert
on Islamist groups, said the incident showed how dangerous and organized al
Qaeda was as it was able to reach into the heart of the army.
"Al Qaeda now have a large
and strong stock-pile of weapons including tanks, rockets, Katyushas. All that
they are missing are planes," he said.
A similar attack was likely to
happen again, he said.
Saeed Obaid, a Yemeni researcher
of Islamist groups, said al Qaeda wanted to control all Yemen and to spread its
influence across the Middle East.
"Al Qaeda will definitely
continue to perpetrate these terrorist attacks but they are unlikely to be on
such a grand scale," he told Reuters. "The point al Qaeda made
through yesterday's attack was to flex its muscles and show its strength."
U.S. CONCERN
At a NATO summit in Chicago on
Monday, U.S. President Barack Obama said he was very concerned about extremist
activity in Yemen and pledged more aid to counter it.
"That's important for U.S.
safety. It's also important for the stability of Yemen and the region,"
Obama said.
His counter-terrorism adviser,
John Brennan, telephoned Hadi to offer U.S. help in the investigation, saying
Washington "would stand by Yemen's side at this difficult time", the
White House said.
Washington is increasing its
support for Hadi's government and the U.S. military has targeted militants in
Yemen with drones, which have frequently killed civilians and are deeply
resented by Yemenis, even the many who abhor al Qaeda.
A diplomatic source in Yemen said
that between 60 and 70 U.S. military experts have arrived in Yemen from Bahrain
over the past two weeks to help in the fight against al Qaeda.
A U.S. military trainer was
seriously wounded in an ambush on Sunday claimed by Ansar al-Sharia. An
official U.S. figure for current military aid was not available.
Exploiting turmoil resulting from
the months of protests that helped topple Saleh, militants have seized swathes
of territory in the south and threaten shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden and
the Red Sea.
The AQAP said the parade attack
was in response to the "crimes" of the security forces in southern
Abyan province.
Yemeni troops had closed in on the
southern militant-held town of Jaar on Sunday, part of a new U.S.-backed
offensive launched this month to regain control of territory and towns seized
by Ansar al-Sharia.
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