Yemeni officials said on Wednesday that they had thwarted a plot by al Qaeda to bomb major oil pipelines and seize country’s ports—which would have given the terror network control of a key part of the country’s infrastructure. Yemeni government spokesman Rajeh Badi said al Qaeda planned to have its members dressed as soldiers outside the ports, which are staffed by a number of foreign workers. The U.S., Britain, and France have removed their diplomatic staff from the embassies in Yemen, and the White House has reportedly authorized drone strikes in the country. The U.S. closed 20 embassies worldwide on Sunday and issued a travel alert after reportedly intercepting conversations between two senior al Qaeda officials.
