SANA'A - Despite its commitment to purge Yemen of terrorists, the government has remained silent after Tuesday's huge explosion which rocked the Civil Aviation Authority building and damaged several other buildings in the area, including the Yemeni intelligence housing.
As with the April 12 bomb that went off near the U.S. embassy, a group calling itself Sympathizers of al-Qaeda has taken responsibility for the blast which damaged the windows of the CAA, front gate, and a neighboring house. It also broke windows of two buses.
No injuries were reported.
Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on a 30-day ultimatum the group gave after its April 12 bombing, for authorities to release 173 Mujahedeen warriors the government is detaining.
In its second statement via email, the sympathizers reiterated their demand for the government to release the 173 held in the PSO prison. The statement threatened more bombings if their demands were not met.
It pledged that after the 30-day ultimatum they would target high ranking officials who they described as 'agents for the US'.
The statement advised the people living near the PSO to leave the area till 'the war is over.'
It also pledged to give compensation for the damage to neighboring properties.
And the statement called upon all al Qaeda elements in Yemen, mainly Fawaz al Rabee, Abdu Ali al Harithy and Abu Asem al Ahdal to join them in their mission.
It said the 173 detainees had committed no crimes, and some of them had been detained for four years without charges.
The explosions have raised worries among political observers, as well as foreign diplomats.
Western diplomatic sources confirmed that their embassies received phone-call threats and that explosive devices were planted near some embassies and diplomats residents, but they were foiled.
The Yemeni government had said previously that the al Qaeda network has no organized presence here, and that it was hunting down al Harithi and al Ahdal.
But these recent blasts show al Qaeda still represents a threat despite the government's efforts in the past to contain it.
And it now remains to be seen if the government will negotiate with the group, or if it attempt to eradicate it.
It also remains to be seen what impact the presence of American trainers will have. They have been in Yemen to help authorities purge the country of terrorists, part of its international war in terror since attacks against it on Sept. 11.

SANA'A - President Ali Abdullah Saleh kicked off the one-week Janin donation campaign to support the Palestinian people by donating YR 10 million in favor of the Palestinians. He called the Yemeni people inside and outside Yemen to support Palestinians with money and blood.
He pointed out that reports reveal good results, particularly on part of women who donated some of their precious jewelry. Official media called on people to donate through mosques and bank accounts.
He said such campaign should start in all Arab Muslim countries. Saleh welcomed Kofi Annan's call to send international forces to Palestinian territories to maintain peace, pointing out that this should have been done earlier to prevent the Israeli massacres.
He reiterated his support for an Islamic Summit to be held quickly so there is a unified Islamic stance towards the Israeli atrocities.
He made it clear that he refuses the idea of an international peace conference without the presence of Yaser Arafat.

SANA'A - The opposition parties in Yemen have demanded in a letter to president Ali Abdullah Saleh that policemen firing at protesters earlier this month be held accountable.
A leading opposition figure told the Yemen Times opposition leaders have already met with president Saleh, who expressed displeasure with the action and demanded a probe into the incident.
The opposition parties said they were surprised at the event at the time the government itself calls for demonstrations in support of the Palestinian cause.
Four people were injured and two detained when police tried to disburse demonstrators near USA embassy in Sana'a last Friday.
Confrontation erupted when the police stopped a protester who tried to deliver a massage of protest of US support for Israel to the embassy.
Police used batons and tear gas, and fired in the air to disburse the demonstrators, estimated at 5,000.
Wire nettings were set around the embassy to prevent access to the premises.
The protesters called for severing relations with the US, sacking the ambassador and closing the embassy.
They condemned the US unfair stand towards the Mideast problem. They burned the US flag, and Sharon and Bush photos to express protest against the US support for Israel and its offensive and incursion of the Palestinian territories.
The crowd, which marched from 41-Mashhid mosque towards the US embassy, was headed by some opposition leaders like Jarallah Omar of the Socialist party, Ali Saif Hasan from the Nasserite party as well as members of the Yemeni Writers Union.