Bin Laden's bodyguard warns of escalation in Yemen

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Townhall:

A former bodyguard of Osama bin Laden warned of an escalation in fighting between al-Qaida and Yemeni authorities and predicted the government would need outside intervention to stay in power.

Nasser Ahmed al-Bahri told the Associated Press late Wednesday that recent attacks by al-Qaida in southern Yemen was an indication of its increasing strength.

U.S. officials have said that the CIA now sees al-Qaida's branch in Yemen as a greater threat to the United States than its parent organization hiding out in Pakistan.

"I expect that the confrontations will escalate and will reach an open war between the government and al-Qaida fighters," he said, adding that U.S. forces may have to intervene to keep the terror network from triumphing.

The U.S. is already spending tens of millions of dollars to help the Yemeni government fight al-Qaida and on Wednesday U.S. officials said the CIA's deadly Predator drones may be added to the fight.

Jihadists in Saudi Arabia and Yemen united early in 2009 to form al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and the group has already distinguished itself with a number of high profile attacks, including a foiled attempt to blow up an airliner in Detroit on Christmas Day.