Back to reality

These past few days, the presidential campaigns, as well as the American media have been overwhelmingly focused on the economy. Today's violence in Yemen should remind everyone that there are even more frightening things to worry about than the prospect of another buyout or the Dow losing 200 points. That is all serious stuff--but for all the fear and uneasiness many Americans have about their future, at least they don't have to wake up to Takfiri fanatics on their doorstep, as many US embassy workers and the people of Sanaa did early Wednesday...

Perhaps its one thing to be thankful for, and let's not forget about the families of those killed in this attack (all of them were Arabs). Even in the times when they are not the target (most often they are) Al-Qaeda sees Muslim blood as being cheap and expendable.

US embassy in Yemen bombed

From Al-Jazeera English:

At least 16 people have been killed in an attack on the US embassy in the Yemeni capital Sanaa by a suicide bomber and armed fighters, the country's interior ministry has said.

A suicide bomber on Wednesday morning drove a car close to the embassy before detonating his explosives, witnesses said, leaving part of the building on fire.

Armed men then attacked the embassy from a second car, they said.

Six guards, four civilians and six attackers died in the assault, the interior ministry said.

A group called Islamic Jihad in Yemen has claimed responsibility for the attack and threatened to target the British, Emirati and Saudi embassies in Sanaa, reports say.

A vehicle was on fire on the road near the embassy compound's perimeter and police sealed off the area, witnesses said.

Roads leading to the embassy were closed after the attack.

Mohammed al-Qadi, a political columnist for the Yemen Times, told Al Jazeera: "The attack came at about 9.30 in the morning, when there were not so many people passing in the streets outside the US embassy.

"Otherwise, the casualties could have been a lot more."

Washington accused al-Qaeda of being behind the attack.

"I think it is safe to say ... the attacks bear all the hallmarks of an al-Qaeda attack," Sean McCormack, the US state department spokesman, said.