Free Republic

Better late than never, the Obama administration finally is bringing war to the terrorist breeding grounds of lawless Yemen. In 2010, expect many more aerial strikes like those the Yemeni air force carried out Dec. 24. Those strikes took out dozens of al-Qaeda terrorists at a planning confab. The coming U.S.-guided terrorist hunt over Yemen is a good first, if rather obvious, step. But the time is ripe for a companion tactic that is so ill-apparent as to sound, I admit, almost kooky. Still, the tactic should be part of any stratagem for Yemen. The Obama administration should pressure Great...

CAIRO (AP) - Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has claimed responsibility for the attempted attack on a U.S. airliner on Christmas day, saying it was retaliation for a U.S. operation against the group in Yemen. In a statement posted on the Internet, the group said 23-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab coordinated with members of the group. Yemeni forces, helped by U.S. intelligence, carried out two airstrikes against al-Qaida operatives in the country this month. The second one was a day before the attempted bombing of the plane. The group said the would-be bomber used explosives manufactured by al-Qaida members.

SANA'A: Yemeni troops killed at least 25 rebels in the northern province of Saada where armed members of an outlawed Shia group have been battling army and police forces for more than six weeks, military sources said. The rebel fatalities occurred after army forces bombarded mountain locations in Dukhesh and Bani Muadh areas of Saada, bordering Saudi Arabia, said a report posted on a website run by the Defence Ministry. Saada, some 230 km north of Sana'a, has been the scene of fierce battles between the army and members of the Shia group "Believing Youth" since last December. The report...

Sanaa, Asharq Al-Awsat- Yemeni authorities are currently seeking to restrict the spread of arms in the country, in fear of weapons falling into the hands of terrorist networks such as Al Qaeda for example. Last year, Yemeni authorities discovered that weapons belonging to the Yemeni Ministry of Defense had reached members of Al Qaeda who attacked the American consulate in Jeddah in 2005. However there are many obstacles in the way of controlling the arms trade in Yemen, for example buying and selling weapons is deep-rooted within Yemeni tradition and linked to the concepts of revenge and settling tribal conflicts....

Democracy in Yemen: The Arabian peninsula’s first contested presidential election -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- September 2006 brought an unprecedented development in the Middle East: The government of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh held open, contested presidential elections. Candidates were able to rally and campaign freely, each of the five candidates was given equal airtime on state-run television, and the international press and elections monitors were welcomed to Yemen to observe. This homegrown move toward democracy represents a remarkable political experiment that, if successful, will provide the region with a model of a state that is Arab, Islamic, genuinely democratic. Of course, the incumbent...

SEPTEMBER 2006 brought an unprecedented development in the Middle East: The government of Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh held open, contested presidential elections. Candidates were able to rally and campaign freely, each of the five candidates was given equal airtime on state-run television, and the international press and elections monitors were welcomed to Yemen to observe. This homegrown move toward democracy represents a remarkable political experiment that, if successful, will provide the region with a model of a state that is Arab, Islamic, genuinely democratic, and untainted by American interference. Of course, the incumbent won. As the second-longest serving head...

Today the President presented National Humanities and National Medal of Arts Medals accompanied by the first lady. The President also met with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The President accompanied by the first lady signed the book of condolence at the Jordanian Embassy The President also signed H.R.2744, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Appropriations Act and and also met local officials from Louisiana to discuss reconstruction progress after the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Vice President Dick Cheney left South Dakota on Thursday after visiting for his annual pheasant hunting trip he arrived on Monday...