Al Qaeda says security steps show Saudi rulers controlled by U.S.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's Yemen branch has mocked tough new counter-terrorism measures adopted by neighbouring Saudi Arabia, saying they would not deter the Islamist group's fighters and that they proved the kingdom was in the pay of the United States.

In an online statement, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) also said Riyadh's designation of the Muslim Brotherhood - a group whose political wings have contested elections in several countries - as a terrorist organisation proved that secular authorities would never tolerate Islamist groups.