b 1 b 3 EO 129581 4 b 25Yrs EO 129581 4 c 25Yrs EO 12958 1 4 d 25Yrs EO 12958 3 5 c The Director of Ccnf l'a Intelligence Interagency Intelligence Committee on Terrorism Con1munity Countortetrorism Board _ 18 October 2000 1 INTELLIGENCE CO TERRORIST THREAT ASSESSMENT The Threat to • US ersonn4in Yemen Summary U to the-USS-Cole · ' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - r __ttacks may otiginate fro I - terrorist groups seeking to exploit high-profile targets as well as locah1xtr emists ' · opposed to the US presence in Aden I Terrorist Presence U -· I· • _ ••··· Aden presents a potentially hostile cnvironment f' or US Government personn cl pondin g to the attack on the USS Cole Several iransnational terrorist u s-includin Usama Bin Ladin's·al-Qa'idaorganizatio -- --------------- ____J _ maintain a resence in Ycme In • • In December 1998 the_ Islamic Army of Aden IA A an offshoot of the Yeinen Isbmic ihad YD with ties to transnational Islamic extremists kidnappedl -16 W · w prompting a government rescue effort wbich·resulted in the d eath ofifour capti ves TH6-- i• Islamic Army previously had claimed allegiance •to Usama·l3in iUdiru ·r The AA had targeted US -and T JK·tourists for kidnapping in part toforcc the- ¥e Government to release five•Britons and an Algerian arrested in Yemen-less·-thatt a -w ' This Intelligence Community Terrorist Threat Assusment was initiated by the Chit f DCl Counterterrorist Center and drafted by ·• · the Community Counterterrorism Board APPROVED FOR RELEASEn DATE 25-April-2012 SBC w ______ 0000571 C J543J023 - earlier for allegedly planning bombings and acts of sabotage ·against Yemeni US UN and British targets in Aden • ln ·December 1992 three bo bs exploded outside the two hotel s in Adenl I I US militazy personnel supporting Operation Res tor Hope in I Somalia had been billeted at one of the hotels Seven people died in the attacks but no I US citizens were injured Yemeni authorities blamed the attack on the I · J °In addition to domestic terrorists transnational tecrodst groups-including Usama Bin Ladin's al-Qa'ida organization---have targeted US interests in Yemen · - - - - - - - - - - - - - _ - - - - - - - l t h e OS Embassy publicly warned US citizens ·in Yemen of a possible terrorist threat J J· Security Environment U • Yemen has taken limited steps against terrorists within its borders but facea obstacles to undertaking more sweeping counterterrorist measures The government does not control ·large areas of the country whicp historically has en dominated bv tribes some of whose leaders sponsQr foreiim and indi1 1 enous Islamic extremists '---- ----1 As a result a number foreign terrorists continue to-operate in· Yemen with little apparent fear of adverse government reaction I I Yemeni Government officials nave made a commitment to provide security t-0 us personnel working in Aden but in the a ftennath of the Cole attack their initial support to the US team was stow and inadequate and the team is operating without clearly defined physical securitv standards US officials have limited sources on their own to implement I l 0000572 I C BS43 2023 svm L · Threat to US Personnel U oo · US Even as and Yemeni authorities take steps to enhance securiJ Y the fuc · deliberate attacks against US personnel are increasing I - I e coverage of the o-ngo in_g_m ·-v-estt · g-au o-n y l oc-al an-d international media is certain to raise t Q e teain1 s profile with the local population and terrorist groups '3 -- I· 0000573