Yemen vows not to become new Qaeda battleground

[denem]

Source: AFP

SANAA (AFP) - Yemen vowed on Monday not to become a new refuge for Al-Qaeda like Afghanistan as the jihadists' franchise in the impoverished Arabian peninsula republic urged new attacks against Western targets.
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"Yemen is a land of peace and security, and will never be a refuge for these terrorist murderers and drug traffickers," the defence ministry newspaper quoted a senior security official as saying.

"Our mountains will never be a new Tora Bora for them," the official added, referring to the Afghan hideout where US-backed Afghan opposition forces came close to capturing or killing Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in December 2001...

He promised "more operations against the terrorists and their hideouts" like those of December 17 and 24, days on which the Yemeni air force launched deadly strikes against suspected jihadist targets.

Read more: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/091228/world/yemen_unrest_qaeda_10

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For point of reference, Abdulmutallab bought his ticket in Nigeria on December 16, packing his explosive pants, and was on route to the Netherlands when the second missile strikes commenced on November 24. He had already a Christmas Day of Destiny in mind, no doubt.

[elleng]

1. RICHARD CLARKE:

Yemen is the new Afghanistan. It is the new sanctuary, the new al Qaeda base where people from around the world, who want to be trained are sent. No longer to Afghanistan, but to Yemen.a

In its statement today, the al Qaeda group said the attempt to bring down the jet was retaliation for U.S. air strikes in Yemen.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/northwest-airlines-bomb-photos/story?id=9436297

[denem]

2. And the timeline gives the lie to al Qaeda's statement.

Oh yes, and bin Laden's still alive. I believe these AQ guys, I really do. So should you.

[galileoreloaded]

3. Too bad it's not up to them.......

mere mortals that they are.....

[Douglas Carpenter]

4. but almost all of the current fighting in Yemen concerns the Houthi rebels - not Al Qaeda

The Houthi are members of a breakaway sect from Shiite Islam called Zaydism who make up 40% to 45% of the Yemeni population. The Saudis and some others are accusing the Houthi rebels of being supported by Iran. Although no hard evidence has yet been made public to support that accusation. Although, the Iranian state media are certainly sympathetic to the Houthi. Some are suggesting that we are witnessing a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. But again there is not enough independent information to judge if that is a fair analysis or not.

So what the hell is really going on? It would be extremely unlikely that the Houthi are now allied with Al Qaeda who are militantly Sunni and would consider Zaidis to be nonbelievers on par with Sufis or Alawis.

So whatever is really going, we keep hearing the word Al Qaeda being tossed around in regards to Yemen. But almost all the recent actual fighting concerns a groups that may or may not be actively supported by Iran, but almost certainly have nothing to do with Al Qaeda.

I don't doubt that Al Qaeda have a presence in Yemen. But it would be extremely unlikely that they would have anything to do with
the Houthi rebellion which is what almost all of the current fighting in Yemen concerns. My guess is that the "Al Qaeda card" is being played to attack more support for the Yemeni and Saudi governments in their domestic civil war against the Houthi uprising.

Since there is no independent media anywhere near the actual fighting and no independent international observers anywhere near the fighting - at least as far as anyone knows - the whole things sounds most confusing.

here is one interesting article from Foreign Affairs:

http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/65730/joost-r-hiltermann/disorder-on-the-border

.

[winyanstaz]

5. oh yes, of course..al Quida...Yemen...bin ladin...and let me guess...

There is oil in Yemen?

[IndianaGreen]

6. Yemen's dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh only controls a third of the country

Two thirds of the country is in open rebellion against him, and his Saudi backers.

He doesn't speak for the people of Yemen!

[BP2]

7. Watch out, Yemen ! Once you let the US government in,

it'll be there for a long, long time. Just ask Germany, Japan and South Korea.

[No Elephants]

8. Can Yemen do what the U.S. Army has been unable to do in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan?

[IndianaGreen]

9. There is a legitimate separatist insurrection in the South

They are opposed to the merger of North and South Yemen. There is a Shia rebellion in the North. There are tribal leaders opposed to central government's corruption. Top it all off with a sprinkling of Al-Qaeda.