Yemen is stepping up security measures at the Sanaa international airport, after the al-Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula threatened more attacks on American targets. The country had come under criticism after a Nigerian allegedly attempted to blow up a US airliner on Christmas Day in 2009 after it was revealed that the suspect had undergone training in Yemen.

In a country where carrying weapons or daggers is a tradition, security guards at airports are taking no chances. Brand-new state of the art equipment - including advanced screening machines and a device capable of detecting various explosives - have been installed and travellers are being thoroughly searched.

But is tighter airport security the answer to al-Qaeda threats? Many say the country must also address the issues that spawn radicalism and extremism.

Al-Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra reports from Sanaa.