Only Fools Would Tread Yemen
Local Editor, 13-10-2010
Chaos, anyone?
Not to our surprise, the same countries that lined up to attack Iraq and Afghanistan are setting sail for Yemen, a country of 22-million people with no less than 60 million weapons (i.e. 4 weapons per person). Their marketed target: 300 Al-Qaeda members.
"Only fools would rush into Yemen", as Patrick Cockburn stated in his latest article on the subject, considering the US, in its response to the latest Detroit Flight incident, "instinctively over-reacts to the most amateur and unsuccessful attack on the homeland."
Then what's all the fuss about?
Majorly the military escalations in Yemen are nothing new. Similar violence was taped last year, but the media failed to pick up on the subject. The role of Saudi Arabia in the military response, as well as the NATO and US troops caught in the quick sand of Afghanistan and Iraq may offer reasoning to the unreasonable political endorsement of the Yemeni government. Saudi Arabia launched its military attacks in Yemen in November after claiming Houthi fighters killed two of its border guards. Saudi Arabia announced 18 air raids on the borders on Sunday meanwhile the Yemeni government claimed it killed 19 Houthi fighters and captured 25 others in a crackdown on their hideouts in Northern Yemen.
On January 2, 2010, President Barack Obama confirmed that he had "made it a priority to strengthen our partnership with the Yemeni government -- training and equipping their security forces, sharing intelligence and working with them to strike al-Qaeda terrorists."
Pledging to increase its financial aid to Yemen to support Yemeni military and security forces, the US must balance between fighting Al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula with the flow of money to Yemeni forces who are divided in their sympathy with the government and the Houthi fighters.
This is not the first time Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government launch attacks against the Houthi fighters. In September and October 2009, for example, the Yemeni air force and Saudi aircraft launched strikes against Houthi targets, resulting in collateral damage incidents in markets and a refugee camp, as well as friendly fire incidents that killed twelve Yemeni soldiers.
Similarly, on December 17-24, the government launched three airstrikes against suspected AQAP leadership meetings in Abyan and Shabwa governorates. As in the Houthi strikes, no senior AQAP leaders were successfully targeted, but a number of civilians were killed.
Chaos, anyone?
Not to our surprise, the same countries that lined up to attack Iraq and Afghanistan are setting sail for Yemen, a country of 22-million people with no less than 60 million weapons (i.e. 4 weapons per person). Their marketed target: 300 Al-Qaeda members.
"Only fools would rush into Yemen", as Patrick Cockburn stated in his latest article on the subject, considering the US, in its response to the latest Detroit Flight incident, "instinctively over-reacts to the most amateur and unsuccessful attack on the homeland."
Then what's all the fuss about?
Majorly the military escalations in Yemen are nothing new. Similar violence was taped last year, but the media failed to pick up on the subject. The role of Saudi Arabia in the military response, as well as the NATO and US troops caught in the quick sand of Afghanistan and Iraq may offer reasoning to the unreasonable political endorsement of the Yemeni government. Saudi Arabia launched its military attacks in Yemen in November after claiming Houthi fighters killed two of its border guards. Saudi Arabia announced 18 air raids on the borders on Sunday meanwhile the Yemeni government claimed it killed 19 Houthi fighters and captured 25 others in a crackdown on their hideouts in Northern Yemen.
On January 2, 2010, President Barack Obama confirmed that he had "made it a priority to strengthen our partnership with the Yemeni government -- training and equipping their security forces, sharing intelligence and working with them to strike al-Qaeda terrorists."
Pledging to increase its financial aid to Yemen to support Yemeni military and security forces, the US must balance between fighting Al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula with the flow of money to Yemeni forces who are divided in their sympathy with the government and the Houthi fighters.
This is not the first time Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government launch attacks against the Houthi fighters. In September and October 2009, for example, the Yemeni air force and Saudi aircraft launched strikes against Houthi targets, resulting in collateral damage incidents in markets and a refugee camp, as well as friendly fire incidents that killed twelve Yemeni soldiers.
Similarly, on December 17-24, the government launched three airstrikes against suspected AQAP leadership meetings in Abyan and Shabwa governorates. As in the Houthi strikes, no senior AQAP leaders were successfully targeted, but a number of civilians were killed.
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