Posted on 06/09/2011 12:30:15 AM PDT by iowamark
The Obama administration has intensified the American covert war in Yemen, exploiting a growing power vacuum in the country to strike at militant suspects with armed drones and fighter jets, according to American officials.
The acceleration of the American campaign in recent weeks comes amid a violent conflict in Yemen that has left the government in Sana, a United States ally, struggling to cling to power. Yemeni troops that had been battling militants linked to Al Qaeda in the south have been pulled back to the capital, and American officials see the strikes as one of the few options to keep the militants from consolidating power.
On Friday, American jets killed Abu Ali al-Harithi, a midlevel Qaeda operative, and several other militant suspects in a strike in southern Yemen. According to witnesses, four civilians were also killed in the airstrike. Weeks earlier, drone aircraft fired missiles aimed at Anwar al-Awlaki, the radical American-born cleric who the United States government has tried to kill for more than a year. Mr. Awlaki survived...
A senior Pentagon official, speaking only on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday that using force against militants in Yemen was further complicated by the fact that Qaeda operatives have mingled with other rebels and antigovernment militants, making it harder for the United States to attack without the appearance of picking sides.
The American campaign in Yemen is led by the Pentagon’s Joint Special Operations Command, and is closely coordinated with the Central Intelligence Agency. Teams of American military and intelligence operatives have a command post in Sana, the Yemeni capital, to track intelligence about militants in Yemen and plot future strikes...
The extent of America’s war in Yemen has been among the Obama administration’s most closely guarded secrets...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Does this qualify as Obama’s War 4? Only a couple more and we’ll be in another World War. Thanks Zero.
The war criminal Ubama must be held to account.
I anxiously await the indictments from Spain, Italy, France, and the rest of that ilk.
If Bush was the CIC, this would be the only thing mentioned by the NYTimes.
using force against militants in Yemen was further complicated by the fact that Qaeda operatives have mingled with other rebels and antigovernment militants, making it harder for the United States to attack without the appearance of picking sides.
What a coward Obama is. You 'mingle' with al-Qaeda operatives, you die. What's so complicated about that?
(I keep writing in those “silver bears” mechanical-sounding voice now)
It is not fair, those attacks should be publicized on the TV 24 hours a day, in such a way that Americans get upset that they are involved in war that was not declared by the U.S. Congress.
I didn’t know we were bombing Yemen at all much less since 2001.
More wars from the “Nobel Peace Prize” usurper. Making headway for one big war to wipe out Israel and make way for the New Islamic Caliphate. Great job America for electing our first communist POTUS.
I seem to recall the Left and Media going bat crap over Nixon “escalating” the VietNam war by bombing the Ho Chi Min trail in Cambodia. Set off riots on college campuses. Kent State had some KIAs. Where is the outrage?!
Obama is following Hitler’s demised plan. He has too many fronts going on at once.
All wars are caused by Democrat administrations, which preach peace.
Since the ‘birth issue’ obama’s handlers had planned didn’t work out to enflame the nation and ask for an investigation and his removal, they is now trying a new tactic.
Now they hope the country and especially Conservative’s will attack him as an ‘out of control’ and ‘power mad’ president who acts on own without oversight from anyone.
His only hope for reelection is to create an atmosphere of intense hatred he can turn into racist fire storm across the country.
Another undeclared war? Sounds like Vietnam.
I dunno. I’m pretty happy AQ operatives are getting killed.
True. I think he started the war in Libya because he was stuck in Afganistan and wanted to distract people from knowing he has no further plan.
As Libya settles into quagmire, look for him to move onto another front. Maybe that's what this story is all about.
I’m happy that we are killing Al Qaeda, Muslim Brotherhood and tribal allies in Yemen. What i still don’t get is why we are helping the above parties (different tribes) in Libya.
"War powers act, yeah, don't make me laugh."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
