On Monday , White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters that U.S. anti-terrorism efforts had decimated al Qaeda 's global leadership and greatly diminished its core in Afghanistan and Pakistan , saying the threat had `` shifted to some of these affiliates , in particular AQAP . '' NEW : UK withdraws staff from American embassy in Yemen , follows U.S. lead . Sources : Members of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula are planning an attack . The United States has heightened its security stance across the Africa and the Arabian Peninsula . al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri tells operatives in Yemen to `` do something ''
NEW : UK withdraws staff from American embassy in Yemen , follows U.S. lead . Sources : Members of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula are planning an attack . The United States has heightened its security stance across the Africa and the Arabian Peninsula . al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri tells operatives in Yemen to `` do something ''