Posted on 10/18/2012 12:06:14 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
SANA, Yemen — A drone aircraft attacked a group of people preparing to attack Yemeni troops on Thursday, killing at least nine, including a man identified as a leader of the local branch of Al Qaeda, according to Yemeni and security officials, who said the drone was American-operated.
The strike took place less than a mile from a Yemeni brigade’s position in the southern province of Abyan, the officials said, adding that troops from the brigade found and defused an explosive belt that was wrapped around the waist of one of the dead, identified as Nader Al Shaddadi, one of the top leaders of Al Qaeda in the region.
The officials spoke in return for anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.
Local residents said they had identified four other bodies but that the remaining four dead were not known to them.
The use of drones to mount attacks in Yemen has been contentious, with critics and some American government officials saying that the strikes cause civilian casualties that can fuel anti-American sentiment.
American military strikes in Yemen started in late 2009. They were directed at terrorism suspects, particularly members of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the network’s branch in Yemen.
The drone attacks were suspended here in May 2010, partly because of concerns about civilian deaths, including the killing of a Yemeni deputy provincial governor. But President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi endorsed the drone strike program last month during a visit to Washington, saying that Yemen’s air force could not mount attacks at night and praising the drones’ accuracy as “unmatched by the human brain.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
This is not enough to avenge the painful murder of our ambassador in Libya. I think a few sets of Islamic entrails on the steps of their homes would be more appropriate.
24 hour rule in effect, but this’un seems valid!
This is a complete waste of taxpayer dollars. Yemen has no strategic importance. We should let them kill each other.
Hit ‘em where they live.
This may sound cruel, but Muslim women are extremely prolific, and give birth to mostly, sons.
The women are second-class citizens, and have no say in whether their sons are taught the art of “sacrifice to the Jihad,” or not. All they know is that they will most likely lose 3 out of 4 sons they give birth to, because of Islam.
Don’t bet your life on Yemen not being “strategically important.” The minute we underestimate a “small” country, especially in the Middle East, is the time we will be the recipient of an attack, either from the country officially, or residents of the country individually.
The “strategy” is deceptive. Don’t be fooled by it.
Timing is everything! How convenient that this should occur just 4 days before the final presidential debate on Foreign Policy. I fully expect O will pull out this card from the deck.
Afghanistan has no strategic importance either -- let's let it become a safe haven for Al Qaeda again because no Afghanistan-based Al Qaeda terrorists ever did anything to the United States.... oh wait.
In reality, Yemen is of considerable strategic importance. It borders Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil producer, and the Gulf of Aden contains some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. Other than that, you're absolutely right...
” top leader——wrapped explosive belt—” Guess he was getting ready for his retirement party? He’ll have to settle for the drone promotion-—he got promoted to his level of incompetence.
Was that the Al Qaeda Branch with the Automated Bomb Teller Machine?
I think it was the one with a kiosk in a local mall.
so this is the retaliation for Benghazi?
And al Qaeda though it important enough to target not just the USS Cole there, but also the USS The Sullivans. We just got lucky on the latter when the terrorists overloaded their boat.
#4. Re “Yemen has no strategic importance.”
Time to spank the student who was AWOL from geography class.
Step 1. Get an Atlas and look at it.
Step 2. Learn that any nation which is part of a choke-point of a major water artery is “strategic”.
Step 3. Learn history. The British were in Yemen as was Egypt in attempts to keep the sealanes and Gulf of Aden, Red Sea/Suez Canal open and running. The British had major naval bases in Aden, a small enclave in southern Yemen.
Step 4: The Iranians under the Shah defeated a neo-marxist rebellion in neighboring Oman (Omani Liberation Front) which also commands a portion of the Gulf of Aden.
Step 5. Look across from Yemen. You will see that it is a spit away from Djibouti, French Somaliland, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. Yemen is used as a naval base by allied forces in their fight against Somali pirates as well as a staging area for allied support to the African Union/Kenyan forces who have been defeating the Al Qaeda affiliate, Al Shaabab, which controlled part of Somalis until two weeks ago.
Step 6. Yemen borders on the north with Saudi Arabia, which has some Al Qaeda and fundamentalist Islamic revolts going on in it. Extremist groups can move from Yemen into Saudi Arabia and vice-versus to conduct raids and to hide.
In summation, Yemen is one of the most strategic countries in the region because it borders on or is directly across from the key players in the eastern part of Africa where Al Qaeda is trying to gain a major foothold.
Repeat after me:
Yemen borders Saudi Arabia and Oman and Aden.
Yemen is directly across from Eritrea (a marxist islamic country); Djibouti; (a strategic military country for the French/Allies); Ethiopia; Somalia; Somaliland; and Fr. Somaliland.
Controls the entrance to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Can block ships coming down from the Suez Canal or entering the Red Sea to go thru the Suez Canal.
Punishment: Write: “Yemen is a strategic country” one hundred times.
#4. Re “Yemen has no strategic importance.”
Time to spank the student who was AWOL from geography class.
Step 1. Get an Atlas and look at it.
Step 2. Learn that any nation which is part of a choke-point of a major water artery is “strategic”.
Step 3. Learn history. The British were in Yemen as was Egypt in attempts to keep the sealanes and Gulf of Aden, Red Sea/Suez Canal open and running. The British had major naval bases in Aden, a small enclave in southern Yemen.
Step 4: The Iranians under the Shah defeated a neo-marxist rebellion in neighboring Oman (Omani Liberation Front) which also commands a portion of the Gulf of Aden.
Step 5. Look across from Yemen. You will see that it is a spit away from Djibouti, French Somaliland, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalis. Yemen is used as a naval base by allied forces in their fight against Somali pirates as well as a staging area for allied support to the African Union/Kenyan forces who have been defeating the Al Qaeda affiliate, Al Shaabab, which controlled part of Somalis until two weeks ago.
Step 6. Yemen borders on the north with Saudi Arabia, which has some Al Qaeda and fundamentalist Islamic revolts going on in it. Extremist groups can move from Yemen into Saudi Arabia and vice-versus to conduct raids and to hide.
In summation, Yemen is one of the most strategic countries in the region because it borders on or is directly across from the key players in the eastern part of Africa where Al Qaeda is trying to gain a major foothold.
Repeat after me:
Yemen borders Saudi Arabia and Oman and Aden.
Yemen is directly across from Eritrea (a marxist islamic country); Djibouti; (a strategic military country for the French/Allies); Ethiopia; Somalia; Somaliland; and Fr. Somaliland.
Controls the entrance to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Can block ships coming down from the Suez Canal or entering the Red Sea to go thru the Suez Canal.
Punishment: Write: “Yemen is a strategic country” one hundred times.
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.