Whose enemy are we actually attacking in Yemen?

[bigtree]

The Obama administration is likely to intensify pressure on Yemen's president to focus his security forces against al Qaeda militants . . .

The U.S. also is discussing increasing its counterterrorism support to Yemen from $70 million this year to as much as $190 million in 2010, according to a senior military official.

U.S. security policy toward Yemen had been increasingly focused on President Ali Abdullah Saleh even before the botched attack, officials said. His government in recent months has shown willingness to coordinate with the Obama administration in counterterrorism operations within his country.

"We are acting in response to threats to the U.S.," said Denis McDonough, the White House's deputy national-security advisor, adding that the administration will continue to "address these threats where they arise."

But Mr. Saleh is struggling with two rebellious provinces, dwindling financial resources and a significant weakening of his once-strong influence over Islamists in his country. His courting has been a source of debate within the administration: Some officials are concerned he is more interested in seeking American aid to crush local insurgencies than target Islamist militants.

"President Saleh is not a consistent and rational player," said another senior military official. "That's the other major worry we have there: What will he do for himself versus what he's doing against al Qaeda . . ."


read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126211787251809321.html

[tekisui]

1. Why not, we've been doing the same in Pakistan for years?

x(

[lonestarnot]

2. Is our strateeegery working?

[bertman]

3. I hope the Republicans give him Holy Hell about adding another $70- to $190 million

to the deficit.

Same old shit, different country.

But we got to stop the terrists, y'all!!

Rec.

[bigtree]

14. they always seem to find money for war

[bertman]

16. Yep. Besides $70- to $190 million is chump change.

[beyurslf]

4. Don't questio these things. It is unAmerican. Just sit back and let us fight our wars

Feel free to cheer us on.

[bigtree]

12. hoo-rah

[mascarax]

19. Yes, my first thought: Lieberman's enemy!

After all, he has so many.

[msongs]

5. good thing we're not using our $$ & lives to do dirty work for the Saudis eh? nt

[bigtree]

10. at every step in the region

. . . since H.W.'s Gulf bombings. Our dollars are being used by the Saudi military, as well, in their regional battles.

[Thickasabrick]

6. Isn't there a war/conflict with the Saudi's in Yemen? I heard they've been bombing

the northern part for awhile.

[bigtree]

9. good article from The Hindu

___The country has regularly witnessed spasms of violence, whenever conflicting social forces have collided with one another, before settling into periods of relative calm when rivals have agreed to share political and religious space.

The genesis of the present conflict, which has pitted the Zaydis, a sect within the folds of Shia Islam, against the regime led by President Ali Abdullah Saleh, can be easily traced to the Cold War when winds of change swept across West Asia and parts of the African continent. In 1962, a group of Egyptian-backed military officers dismantled a 1,000-year-old Imamate, but only after encountering stiff resistance in the Sa’ada region. That resistance lasted several years . . .


The war on terror was another factor that contributed significantly to the present revolt. The Zaydis were deeply offended when the President took sides with the Americans. In the aftermath of Yemen’s realignment with the Americans, the group reinforced its demand to worship in accordance with its rather unique religious traditions.

Fighting has continued since then, with several failed attempts by the government to forge a ceasefire. Abruptly, in 2008, on completion of 30 years of his rule, President Saleh declared an end to the war in Sa’ada.

But the hiatus in fighting proved short-lived and it was followed by an explosion of violence since August 11 when the Yemeni government launched a massive military operation in the area.

These attacks have coincided with a campaign in large parts of the Sunni Arab world that the Zaydis have been receiving support from Iran. Commenting on the fighting, a recent article in the Saudi- owned Al Hayat daily said: “Iran is attempting to sow discord and to destabilise the security of the countries in the region, especially in the Arab Gulf States, after having had their way in Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine.” Fears of the re-emergence of the Imamate system, this time backed by revolutionary Iran, have never been far away from recent local political perceptions. However, the jury is still out on whether Iran has indeed been providing material backing to the present revolt . . .

read more: http://beta.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/article61099.ece?homepage=true

[Thickasabrick]

11. Thank you - that was a good article. Before this week I knew where

Yemen was but that was about it.

[mth44sc]

7. So remind me - who owns the Wall Street Journal?

Gads people...

[bigtree]

8. it won't be long

. . . before more publications turn their focus on the internal politics and regional conflicts surrounding Abdullah Saleh's regime. Like this report earlier this month from the NYT . . .


___ At least 35 people were killed by airstrikes early Sunday morning in northwestern Yemen, where rebels have been fighting a guerrilla war against Yemeni and Saudi forces, witnesses said.

The airstrikes, in the remote town of Razah not far from the Saudi border, appeared to be the deadliest attack in months in the intermittent war in Saada Province. One witness said the bombs had struck a market, killing at least 35 people who appeared to be civilians.

Hours later, the rebels posted an Internet statement saying 70 civilians had been killed and 100 wounded, after fighter jets struck the town more than 50 times. The town is “tens of kilometers” from the war zone where rebels have been fighting the Saudi military, the rebel statement said.

The rebels, known as Houthis after the clan of their leader, said the airstrikes were carried out by Saudi warplanes. Saudi military officials could not be reached on Sunday night, and Yemeni officials declined to comment.

The Houthis have fought an intermittent war with the Yemeni government for more than five years. The conflict intensified in August, when the Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, declared that he meant to finish off the rebellion once and for all.

The Saudis became involved early last month, when Houthi fighters seized a strategic hilltop on the Saudi border and killed a Saudi border guard. The rebels said the Saudis had forced their hand by allowing the Yemeni military to use the hill to attack them . . .


read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/world/middleeast/14yemen.html?pagewanted=print

[Warren Stupidity]

13. The enemy of my third cousin twice removed's best friend's nephew. nt.

[voc]

15. lol

[unhappycamper]

17. Ooga Booga Booga.

I listened to this shit for eight years. Enough.

[bigtree]

20. a broken record

. . . how do we turn it off?

[JCMach1]

18. Even worse, it's a 3sided civil war... Al Saleh vs. Houthis vs. Political Opposition in the South

The answer to who we are supporting is (drumroll).... the SAUDIS...


They want to keep Al Saleh in...

[bigtree]

21. right

. . . military strikes at the behest of the Saudis again (with Iran as their secondary target)

[bridgit]

22. Actually, to read behind the lines they are the enemies of the WSJ itself but for the life of me...

I can't figure out why the WSJ, or for that matter Wall Street Proper; can't recognize the contemporaneous embodiment of The American Revolutionary Minute Man In Yemen just trying to release *his* people from the chains of oppressive, corporate, Antediluvian Nephilim

There can be no enemies, because there are no enemies we cannot recognize first as the enemies standing inside of our own mirrors peering back out