apparently took down a yemeni helicopter killing all nine aboard. we should also point out that according to u.s. officials, there are some 1400 u.s. marines now stationed off the coast of yemen aboard the uss on stand by, shep, should they be needed. shepard: administration officials are saying this is real. but it s not to say that the al qaeda leadership hasn t been disseminated. yeah, and at the state department s daily briefing today. state department spokeswoman jen sacky was pressed on the administration claim that al qaeda has, indeed, been disseminated, listen. our view is that the core of al qaeda in cpac tan and afghanistan is on the path of defeat. we main concerned about affiliates. that has been those who share that view would say the very idea that the al qaeda leader, ayman al zawahiri felt compelled to reach out directly to the leader of al qaeda in yemen and ask him to do something big.