SANAA: Yemen’s council of clerics today called for jihad, or holy war, in case of foreign military intervention amid speculation the United States might join Sanaa’s pursuit of Al-Qaeda extremists.

“If any party insists on aggression, or invading the country, then according to Islam, jihad becomes obligatory,” said a statement signed by 150 clerics read at a media conference.

They stressed also “strong rejection to any foreign intervention in Yemeni affairs, whether political or militarily.” The clerics, including the radical Sheikh Abdulmajeed al-Zendani who is labeled by the US administration as a “global terrorist”, also voiced “rejection to any security or military agreement or cooperation (between Yemen and) any foreign party if it violates Islamic Sharia (law).” They also strongly rejected “setting up any military bases in Yemen, or in its territorial waters.”

The chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee, Carl Levin, yesterday urged his country’s administration to consider targeting Al-Qaeda militants in Yemen with armed drones, air strikes or convert operation, but not to invade the

country.

“Most options ought to be on the table,” short of invasion by US forces, the Democratic lawmaker from Michigan said.

Al-Qaeda’s franchise in Yemen, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has claimed responsibility for the botched Christmas Day attack on a US airliner, and Washington has accused the group of training the assailant, Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.

Zendani on Monday warned that any American military intervention in Yemen to fight Al-Qaeda would be considered an occupation.

“Yemen is not Afghanistan, nor Pakistan, where terrorists constantly launch attacks while the authorities try to respond. Here, we anticipate the threat. Yemen is not a hideout for the terrorists and will never be,” Yemen’s head of national security, Ali Anisi said yesterday.