Yemeni forces launch attack on al-Qaeda operatives

The Washington Post ^ | December 24, 2009 | Sudarsan Raghavan and Gred Jaffe

[myknowledge]

SANAA, Yemen -- Yemeni forces, backed by the United States, launched an attack Thursday on a meeting of al-Qaeda operatives where a Yemeni American preacher linked to the suspected gunman in the Fort Hood attacks might have been present, U.S. and Yemeni officials said.

The strike on an alleged al-Qaeda hideout in southeastern Yemen killed at least 30 suspected militants and was the second such assault in the past week, according to Yemeni security and government sources. One of the possible meeting participants was Anwar al-Aulaqi, a U.S. citizen and extremist preacher who exchanged e-mails with the Army psychiatrist suspected of killing 13 people at the Fort Hood Army base.

In a statement, the Yemeni Embassy in Washington said that Aulaqi was believed to be attending a meeting of senior al-Qaeda leaders, including the network's regional leader, Nasser al-Wuhayshi, and his deputy, Said al-Shihri, a Saudi national and former detainee at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

[myknowledge]

The Arabs must be very irritated of the Iranians' proxies waging war on them. They have struck back with air strikes wounding or killing Anwar al-Aulaqi, the terrorist preacher who exchanged emails with Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan (psychiatrist who killed 13 patriot soldiers at Ft. Hood, TX).

[manonCANAL]

Poor hasan paralyzed and now his preacher kilt. lol

[Tunehead54]

Bump with a question! Is anyone else experiencing agonizingly slow FR page loading? ;-(

[Popman]

Yemeni forces, backed by the United States, launched an attack

Exactly what does "backed by the United States" mean Mr. President?

Where "code pink" when you need them. They must be getting fitted for their Obama knee pads

It does concern me we are getting involved in a proxy war with Iran. What about getting involved with Iran's proxy war in Gaza and Lebanon ?

Oh' yea. Lebanon and Gaza doesn't have any "earl"

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Yemeni forces, huh? I bet they looked a lot like these guys...

[myknowledge]

Who are they? Delta Force? SEALs? Force Recon Marines? Green Berets?

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

SEALs-—probably no coincidence that the U.S. Navy’s Horn of Africa command is near by.

[Delacon]

Yemeni forces, backed by the United States, launched an attack Thursday on a meeting of al-Qaeda operatives where a Yemeni American preacher linked to the suspected gunman in the Fort Hood attacks might have been present, U.S. and Yemeni officials said.

 

Gunman? Attacks? It almost sounds like the media here no longer agrees with the MSM meme that Hasan was just a poor deranged indivigual that has nothing to do with islamic terriorism. Whoda thought?

[gandalftb]

The Yemeni Air Force does not have the training, weapons platforms or precision ordnance to conduct an air strike at night on a residence.

There is no Yemeni army presence or special forces anywhere near the air strike.

There have been about 760 sorties all over Yemen against Houthis and Al Qaeda training camps, all daylight raids. There have been about 20 sorties, at night, precision ordnance, by undeclared parties.... Calling Captain Obvious....

[happinesswithoutpeace]

/

[AmericanInTokyo]

Whomever it was, they seem to have royally p*ssed off a segment of the Yemeni population (seen here today in the capital city Sa'naa) who are now congregating like a swarm of wasps who have had their hive invaded. Religion of peace? Look at the looks on these rabid animals's faces. Can anyone see wouldbe terrorists and suicide bombers in that motley crowd?

I swear, some people have too much free time and not enough women.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Saudi Arabia has also been getting into the act, going into Yemen, and kicking al-Qaeda's and other insurgents' asses it seems:

The big boots belong to the Saudi Army. The little guy is a terrorist flea.

[myknowledge]

Religion of peace? More like religion of slaughterlike animals.

[myknowledge]

But they still have the airborne platforms to conduct air attacks by day.

The Yemeni Air Force has MiGs, L-39s, F-5 Tigers, Mi-24 Hinds and Su-22 Fitters.

[chemicalman]

Yemeni attacked al-Qaeda operatives and kills Anwar al-Aulaqi?

I'm wondering why he was killed. Did he know more? How many more operatives he may have known is hiding out stateside, in our military, in our schools, government (Obama), etc.

[gandalftb]

Yes they do, but all their MiG 29s are two seaters (pilot and weapons officer) and carry conventional "dumb" bombs only or missiles. They have to walk all their ordnance in, in daylight. The F-5s are also two-seat (originally) trainers that have bomb racks added.

Yemen is also very mountainous, night sorties would be very tricky...unless, say, you might possibly be driving an F/A-18C Hornet with say the Sidewinders of Strike Fighter Squadron 86 on the USS Nimitz in the N Arabian Sea. Not saying they've been picking any fights lately, but they darn sure could, 24/7, anywhere....

[gandalftb]

Maybe he couldn’t stay off his phone. It may be no coincidence that the cell phone repeater complex in the same town was degraded right after the strike on al-Awlaki’s house.

[Carry_Okie]

One of the possible meeting participants was Anwar al-Aulaqi, a U.S. citizen and extremist preacher who exchanged e-mails with the Army psychiatrist suspected of killing 13 people at the Fort Hood Army base.

I doubt the US military initiates new action on foreign soil without diplomatic contacts at the highest levels. So, one wonders why this strike now?

My guess is they don't want this creep testifying at Hasan's trial because it would prove that his WAS an act of terrorism, about which the Army would then have to DO something. We wouldn't want that... now would we?

Further, the Army would then be liable to the survivors of the victims for harboring a known terrorist. Can you say treble damages? We wouldn't want that either, now would we?

In the process, his defenders might just have to do discovery on whether there were any orders from the top systematically protecting this creep. We wouldn't want that either.

Ordering a strike in Yemen then starts looking pretty good.