Al-Qaida blamed in failed US site attack

Was it the embassy or the girl that were the target? Al Qaida has a habit of attacking schools, particularly girls schools. But blaming it on the Americans gets the Yemeni government more anti-terror dollars than an attack on the girls would.

Al-Qaida blamed in failed US site attack - Yahoo! News: "An Al-Qaida terror cell was behind a mortar strike against the U.S. embassy in Yemen that missed its target but killed a security guard and wounded 13 students at a nearby school, an Interior Ministry official said Saturday.

The official, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, said al-Qaida militant Hamza al-Dayan launched three mortars at the embassy Tuesday before fleeing the scene in a vehicle with three accomplices. The mortar shells crashed into the school in the downtown Sawan district of San'a, killing the security guard and wounding 13 schoolgirls, three grievously.

On Thursday, the police arrested five suspects in the attack. It was not clear if they have any connection to al-Dayan and his men, who remain at large.

U.S. officials did not immediately respond to request for comment on Saturday. The embassy has informed its nonessential staff they are permitted to leave Yemen if they want to."