MOGADISHU, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- An Al Qaeda faction in the Arabian Peninsula on Tuesday called on Somalia's radical Islamist group of Al Shabaab to help it gain control of Strait of Bab Al Mandab south of the Red Sea, an audio tape attributed to the group said.The Islamist movement, which recently pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda last month vowed to send forces to the terror group's affiliates in Yemen.Said Ali al-Shihri, second man in the Al Qaeda faction in Yemen, said in an audiotape posted on the internet that the control of the important Strait by al Qaeda and the Somali Islamists marks "a great victory and global influence" for the groups.Al Shihiri, a Saudi-born former Guantanamo detainee, said that the goal for the control of the Bab Al Mandab Strait is to prevent "U.S. shipments bound for Israel".The Strait on the southern entrance to the Red Sea is an important international shipping route that links to the Mediterranean Sea, a short detour to Europe from Asia's oil-rich states.The Al Qaeda commander also called on people in the Arabian Peninsula to take part in what he termed the holy war "against the Crusaders." The authenticity of the 12-minute audio recording could not be immediately verified.Al-Qaida last month claimed responsibility for the failed Christmas Day attempt to explode the Detroit-bound flight.Since Al Shabaab announced it was sending fighters across the Red Sea to take part in the rebellion in Yemen, the Yemeni government have stepped up security checks on the hundreds of illegal immigrants to the Gulf State.
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