Posted on 03/02/2009 3:38:54 AM PST by Cindy
SNIPPET: "Yemen uses the threat of terrorism and deploys fundamentalists for political gain. Internationally the Yemeni regime exploits the al Qaeda threat in relations with the US and Saudi Arabia. Internally, Yemeni President Saleh uses militants to threaten and physically attack its political opposition, intimidate minority communities and to overshadow domestic crises."
SNIPPET: "Even the most ardent of President Saleh’s apologists agree that the Yemeni government has made deals with hundreds of militants, jihaddists and al Qaeda operatives. Saleh used Sunni extremists, many from Jahr, during the Saada war as military trainers and directly against the Shiite rebels. In January, Saleh asked his network of loyalist jihaddists to prepare for more extensive offensive operations against domestic “enemies of the state”. In return, Saleh has ceded authority to fundamentalist fanatics who have imposed strict neo-Salafi theocracies in the religiously pluralistic country. It is unclear if this is the full extent of the quid pro quo."
ping
jihaddists also spelled jihadists
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