Saudi Arabia is bombing Iran-backed rebels in Yemen who just plundered US intelligence files

Business Insider ^ | 3-25-2015 | Armin Rosen and Pamela Engel

[sheikdetailfeather]

Yemen's crisis is getting worse and then some.

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies have started bombing rebel positions inside Yemen.

The Sunni Kingdom added that it would do "anything necessary" to deter the Iran-backed Shiite rebels who are taking over Yemen and trying to oust US-backed President Abd Rabbah Mansur Hadi.

A Saudi source told Reuters that ground troops might be needed in Yemen to "restore order." Saudi Arabia is reportedly contributing as many as 150,000 troops and 100 warplanes to the campaign against the Houthis.

[sheikdetailfeather]

"Meanwhile, the rebel Houthi fighters have looted American intelligence files, which contained details of US operations in the country, Brian Bennett and Zaid Al-Alayaa of the Los Angeles Times report.

Some of the files were reportedly "handed directly to Iranian advisors by Yemeni officials who have sided with the Houthi militia," which has successfully dismantled Yemen's government since marching into Sana, the capital, in September."

[bert]

I suppose there were some files having little intel value left behind

But you overlooked the real important fact. That is the Saudis have engaged with their military in Yemen.

[RummyChick]

When is the last time Saudis took on someone like this in the Middle East?

[bert]

I would say 1991

A saudi F 15 downed the only Iraqi jet shot down in Desert Storm. They also did battle with Saddam in both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait

[liberalh8ter]

As inept as this administration is, I don't know if I buy this. Officials left the embassy last week as planned, you'd think they would take the important stuff with them.

[jimjohn]

Trying to keep track of all this. Anyone got a score card lying around?

[Gaffer]

We have been hearing about all the hoodoo in Yemen for a few weeks now it seems to me. We've heard how the Embassies or whatever missions this Muslim Government has there are called were 'closed' and people evacuated. We also heard recently about how these 'rebels' were at or near bases the US uses or could use when needed.

We are also now hearing about "intel" losses. Losses that could cripple drone operations and a myriad of other very damaging ways.

Here are some of my hypothetical answers to the question as to WHY after this much notice was that "intel" even in that country?

"Sandy Berger was there on a visit and all the intel was stuffed down his pants and he 'lost' it somewhere near a dumpster."

"They were too busy rolling up the sod at the base golf course to put somewhere safer Obama could golf."

"The E-mail that was to tell the intel people there to destroy everything came from @clintonemail.com and got erased in her exhaustive search and delete mission."

"Obama wasn't finished telling everyone what a 'success' Yemen was and they (people there) didn't want to undercut him by burning everything."

"Obama told them to wait on destruction until the Iranians got there - it is part of this great deal he made with them."

"John Kerry (who was in VN BTW) confused Yemen with North Vietnam and told them to leave everything as it because some of the rebels spoke French."

[Sine_Pari]

Agreed, something smells here. As inept as the higher echelons may be, many of the worker bees are not. They learned valuable lessons from Tehran. Emergency destruction procedures, minimal hard copy repositories and a known deteriorating condition lead one to believe nothing of value would have been left behind. Either the adversaries are putting this out to watch a reaction/flush something out or we left disinformation. It is hard to believe we left anything damaging by mistake or ineptitude.

Regards.

[EQAndyBuzz]

“Some of the files were reportedly “handed directly to Iranian advisors by Yemeni officials who have sided with the Houthi militia,” which has successfully dismantled Yemen’s government since marching into Sana, the capital, in September.”

Probably at the request of Valerie Jarrett.