Al Qaeda Fighters Capture Yemeni City

Not all rebel victories in the Middle East are worth cheering: About 300 gunmen alleged to be loyal to al Qaeda captured the Yemeni coastal city of Zinjibar, capital of the province of Abyan. They captured “everything,” according to one resident. Opponents say, however, President Ali Abdullah Saleh gave up the town intentionally to stoke fears of Islamic extremism. Separately, he agreed to a cease-fire with the Hashed tribe; clashes between the groups killed at least 115 people in the capital, Sanaa, this week.