Posted on 12/24/2009 11:27:30 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Yemeni authorities announced an air strike against a meeting of senior Qaeda officials on Thursday morning and raised the possibility that a radical cleric tied to the suspect in the Fort Hood shootings was among those killed.
A statement by the Yemeni Embassy in Washington said the strike targeted a gathering of “scores” of Qaeda operatives from Yemen and other countries held in a remote corner southern Yemen, and said the cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, was “presumed” to have been present.
It could take days for investigators to sift through the rubble to identify the dead, and intelligence officials in the United States could not confirm whether Mr. Awlaki or any Qaeda members were among those killed.
Yemen, long a haven for terrorists, has been carrying out strikes that appear to be directed against Al Qaeda’s growing presence in the country.
The group has mounted frequent attacks against foreign embassies and Yemeni officials in the last two years, adding to the security threats in Yemen that include an armed rebellion in the north and a secessionist movement in the south. There is no indication that the various insurgents targeting Yemen’s government are cooperating, but the concurrent crises have weakened the state’s ability to react.
A week ago, Yemeni security forces carried out airstrikes and ground raids against suspected Qaeda hideouts, marking Yemen’s widest offensive against jihadists in years. Government forces hit bases in the lawless mountainous area of Abyan, in the south, as well as in Arhab and the capital, Sana.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Awlaki was the Imman that was heavily involved with Hassam ...the Muslim Shooter at Fort Hood....that shot so many!
fyi
You can bet American/Allied Special Forces did everything but pull the trigger on this one. Very Sweet
well, they have mig 21s, 23s, and 29s plus a lot of attack helicopters.
So that puts them in the air striking business.
Now if they have the pilots and spare parts to keep them in the air is a different story.
We get so little good news. It would be nice if Yemen steps up their bombing raids even more.
Thanks Ernest and happy holidays to you and your family!
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