Large al Qaeda meeting in Yemen - Coming after America (1 Viewer)

[randall146]

So, how bad are the US Intel departments that we apparently had no idea of this large scale meeting? How many billions of dollars are we spending? Maybe we should scale back and bring in a couple of interns to search youtube

There's nothing in the article to indicate one way or the other whether our Intel knew about this

SO you are saying the AQ leadership met, and we knew about and did not get a Drone in the air? Or do we limit drone kills to single AQ operatives at weddings?

I'm saying there's nothing in the article to indicate one way or the other whether our Intel knew about this. Maybe we knew about it and didn't bomb it because we had people there.

 

[ffldrew]

Exclusive Pictures released

How can the CIA be asleep on this

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Exclusive Pictures released

How can the CIA be asleep on this

Those dudes look tough.

 

[cstu]

So, how bad are the US Intel departments that we apparently had no idea of this large scale meeting? How many billions of dollars are we spending? Maybe we should scale back and bring in a couple of interns to search youtube

There's nothing in the article to indicate one way or the other whether our Intel knew about this

SO you are saying the AQ leadership met, and we knew about and did not get a Drone in the air? Or do we limit drone kills to single AQ operatives at weddings?

I'm saying there's nothing in the article to indicate one way or the other whether our Intel knew about this. Maybe we knew about it and didn't bomb it because we had people there.

Signs point to YES.

 

[fatness]

The United States offered extensive assistance beyond drone strikes during a massive anti-terror operation in Yemen, including flying Yemeni commandos to a site where they killed scores of suspected al Qaeda members, a U.S. official said.

U.S. Special Operations troops wore night-vision gear and flew Yemeni forces to a remote, mountainous spot insouthern Yemen, according to a senior U.S. official. The Yemeni helicopters that the U.S. personnel flew were Russian-made, which helped to minimize the U.S. footprint during the operation.

Once there, Yemeni commandos engaged suspected members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the U.S. official said, who added that no Americans took part in actual combat on the ground. This same official identified the American personnel involved as special operations members, who are among the most elite and clandestine in the U.S. military.

The official said the United States aided Yemen's government in other ways as well during the multiday operation, which resulted in the deaths of at least 65 suspected terrorists.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/22/world/meast/yemen-terror-operation-dna/

 

[Otis]

Feels like the baptism scene in the Godfather. Good.

 

[Henry Ford]

Great meeting, guys. Hey, are those helicopters ours?

 

[Native]

They are running DNA tests to see if they killed the master bomb architect....

 

[matuski]

Good thing nobody had knee jerk reactions to the meeting.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

So, how bad are the US Intel departments that we apparently had no idea of this large scale meeting? How many billions of dollars are we spending? Maybe we should scale back and bring in a couple of interns to search youtube?

I guess the interns figured it out.

 

[Homer J Simpson]

So, how bad are the US Intel departments that we apparently had no idea of this large scale meeting? How many billions of dollars are we spending? Maybe we should scale back and bring in a couple of interns to search youtube?

I guess the interns figured it out.

We should probably start paying them.

 

[St. Louis Bob]

I prefer the original with Eddie Murphy.

 

[Fennis]

I loved Eddie Murphy in that movie

I prefer the original with Eddie Murphy.

I feel vindicated

 

[Mr. Pickles]

/thread

 

[fatness]

Perhaps the NSA should cut back spying on Americans and focus more resources on checking out the giant Al-Queda shindigs.

Half of that seems to have been taken care of.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Is Yemen falling???

As Yemen’s Government Falls, So May a U.S. Strategy for Fighting Terror Rebels launch coup against vital U.S. allyAs the nation awaited President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday—and any new decision on how he plans to wage war on Islamic fundamentalism—one of his key approaches seems on the verge of collapse in Yemen.

Shiite Houthi rebels attacked the home of Yemen’s president as they rushed into the presidential palace in Sana’a, the Yemeni capital. Government officials said a coup against President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi was underway. “The President has no control,” a Yemeni government spokesman told CNN.


Hadi is a key U.S. ally in the war against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, but his grip on power has been pounded by Houthi forces over the past four months. Fighting between Hadi’s Sunni government and the Shiite Houthis has created a vacuum that experts fear AQAP will exploit to expand its power base in the increasingly lawless nation.

Saïd Kouachi and Chérif Kouachi, French brothers of Muslim descent, said they carried out their attack on Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical magazine, on behalf of AQAP. “Tell the media that this is Al Qaeda in Yemen!” the Kouachi brothers shouted outside the magazine after their massacre.

Washington has cited its relationship with Yemen as breeding success in the war on terror. On Sept. 10, as Obama announced the start of a bombing campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria, he heralded his lighter approach to dealing with terror by citing Yemen.

“I want the American people to understand how this effort will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he told the nation from the White House. “This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years.” But 11 days later, Hadi’s government was driven from parts of the capital of Sana’a by the Houthis, who have since gained control of several ministries.

“U.S. counter-terrorism policies in Yemen worked in the short term to keep al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula from engaging in some attacks on the U.S. that al Qaeda wanted desperately to carry out,” former top Pentagon official David Sedney said Tuesday. “But that short-term success was never accompanied by a long-term strategy, and the result has been horrific—a country that is now in chaos, dominated by groups with diverse ideologies but who share a common theme—they hate the U.S. and want vengeance for the evils they believe we have wrecked upon them.”

The U.S. anti-terror policy in Yemen of a “light footprint”—drones, special-ops units and training for local forces—isn’t working, Sedney says. “The drone strikes and fierce attacks by U.S.-trained and -mentored Yemeni special forces have created hordes of new enemies for the U.S. who see us as supporters of a decrepit, oppressive, and corrupt leadership,” says Sedney, who from 2009 to 2013 ran the Pentagon office responsible for Afghanistan, Pakistan and central Asia.

“What is not clear is whether the Administration has learned any lessons as its failures mount,” he adds. “If the only U.S. response is to increase drone strikes and send in more special forces, then we better get prepared for some difficult, violent years ahead.”

Christopher Swift, a Yemen expert at Georgetown University, says U.S. efforts in Yemen have been lackluster. “Our relationships, whether they’re political or military, don’t extend beyond the capital,” he says. “The bad guys are out in the field, far away from the national capital, and to the extent we claim to have relationships out in the bush, they’re based on third-party sources or overhead surveillance.”

U.S. goals in Yemen have always been tempered. “We’ve been playing for very limited, very modest objectives in Yemen,” Swift says. “Yemen is still a place where people who want inspiration, or training, or a place to hide can go. AQAP isn’t going away. The Yemenis are not in a position to make it go away, and we’re not willing to help them defeat AQAP decisively.”

Between 2011 and 2014, the U.S. pumped $343 million into Yemen, largely to fight AQAP. The U.S. is slated to provide Yemen with $125 million in arms and military training in 2015, in addition to $75 million in humanitarian aid, according to the nonprofit Security Assistance Monitor website.

“Despite their aggressive actions against AQAP, the Houthis have continually expressed anti-American rhetoric,” Seth Binder of the Security Assistance Monitor wrote Jan. 9. “And AQAP has used the Houthi’s Zaidi-Shi’a roots, a sect of Shiite Islam, to frame their battle as a Sunni-Shiite conflict. Recent reports indicate the tactic may be working as an increasing number of disenchanted Sunni tribesman are joining AQAP.”

Sedney says the only way of transforming a society like Yemen’s is full-bore nation building, with the time and money required to make it work. “We always want to have an exit,” Sedney says, “and the problem with real life is there’s no exit.”

http://time.com/3674778/yemen-al-qaeda/

 

[Doctor Detroit]

The guys who took over the palace just want their voice to be heard and might be backed by Iran. They hate Al-Qaeda too, but creating more instability would definitely benefit Al-Qaeda.

 

[Eminence]

Here's my take on this, you're free to disagree.

But I think Obama is playing stupid. He knows there will be severe retaliation if we fully invade the Middle East and stomp out ISIS. What we need is the Middle East begging for us to come in and help clean up the problem. If we go in now everyone is going to say:

"Look at the United States, World Police, coming in and patrolling the world."

If we wait long enough, that tone will change to:

"Thank God the United States used their complete military force to conquer the evil that was ISIS and give us our countries back."

Pretty much, our best bet is to let ISIS continue to grow. There's no point where ISIS can ever successfully win, at some point the world will band together and destroy them. Instead of this being a stigma for us patrolling the world, this can be a moment where we get back on everyone's good sides.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

Here's my take on this...

This is where you lost me.

 

[The Kerminator]

Here's my take on this, you're free to disagree.

But I think Obama is playing stupid. He knows there will be severe retaliation if we fully invade the Middle East and stomp out ISIS. What we need is the Middle East begging for us to come in and help clean up the problem. If we go in now everyone is going to say:

"Look at the United States, World Police, coming in and patrolling the world."

If we wait long enough, that tone will change to:

"Thank God the United States used their complete military force to conquer the evil that was ISIS and give us our countries back."

Pretty much, our best bet is to let ISIS continue to grow. There's no point where ISIS can ever successfully win, at some point the world will band together and destroy them. Instead of this being a stigma for us patrolling the world, this can be a moment where we get back on everyone's good sides.

Don't quit your day job.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Here's my take on this, you're free to disagree.

But I think Obama is playing stupid. He knows there will be severe retaliation if we fully invade the Middle East and stomp out ISIS. What we need is the Middle East begging for us to come in and help clean up the problem. If we go in now everyone is going to say:

"Look at the United States, World Police, coming in and patrolling the world."

If we wait long enough, that tone will change to:

"Thank God the United States used their complete military force to conquer the evil that was ISIS and give us our countries back."

Pretty much, our best bet is to let ISIS continue to grow. There's no point where ISIS can ever successfully win, at some point the world will band together and destroy them. Instead of this being a stigma for us patrolling the world, this can be a moment where we get back on everyone's good sides.

Don't quit your day job.

One hour of work=a Big Mac value meal!!!!

 

[PIK95]

I knew exactly who said that. I didn't even need to click on the link. That kid was such a scrub, lol. Great movie and great pull by you.

 

[TheAristocrat]

If its anything like Coming To America, we'll be fine.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

The guys who took over the palace just want their voice to be heard and might be backed by Iran. They hate Al-Qaeda too, but creating more instability would definitely benefit Al-Qaeda.

The U.S. anti-terror policy in Yemen of a “light footprint”—drones, special-ops units and training for local forces—isn’t working, Sedney says. “The drone strikes and fierce attacks by U.S.-trained and -mentored Yemeni special forces have created hordes of new enemies for the U.S. who see us as supporters of a decrepit, oppressive, and corrupt leadership,” says Sedney, who from 2009 to 2013 ran the Pentagon office responsible for Afghanistan, Pakistan and central Asia.

Smart Power.

Boy we are certainly damned if we do and damned if we don't, aren't we?

Fighting between Hadi’s Sunni government and the Shiite Houthis has created a vacuum ...

This sounds like an ethnic situation, which is different than islamic extremism. Not sure if I'm right there.

But in any event we cannot seem to do this properly. Light footprint, heavy footprint, no footprint, every answer seems wrong.

Where are the democratic, secular rebels, ever, anywhere?

 

[Doctor Detroit]

The guys who took over the palace just want their voice to be heard and might be backed by Iran. They hate Al-Qaeda too, but creating more instability would definitely benefit Al-Qaeda.

The U.S. anti-terror policy in Yemen of a “light footprint”—drones, special-ops units and training for local forces—isn’t working, Sedney says. “The drone strikes and fierce attacks by U.S.-trained and -mentored Yemeni special forces have created hordes of new enemies for the U.S. who see us as supporters of a decrepit, oppressive, and corrupt leadership,” says Sedney, who from 2009 to 2013 ran the Pentagon office responsible for Afghanistan, Pakistan and central Asia.

Smart Power.

Boy we are certainly damned if we do and damned if we don't, aren't we?

Fighting between Hadi’s Sunni government and the Shiite Houthis has created a vacuum ...

This sounds like an ethnic situation, which is different than islamic extremism. Not sure if I'm right there.

But in any event we cannot seem to do this properly. Light footprint, heavy footprint, no footprint, every answer seems wrong.

Where are the democratic, secular rebels, ever, anywhere?

Well yeah, in Egypt and Tunisia but that ended badly. Don't get wrapped around "democracy" it simply does not work in the Arab world. It does work in the Muslim world, Indonesia is the model of what is possible. Pakistan has had some good times also, and I believe their Islamists are so far to the fringe in part because of democracy.

The Turk countries have had some success, Turkey and Kazakhstan in particular. Mixed results elsewhere, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are authoritarian to the extreme, while Azerbaijan is definitely a success stories. I think literacy rates play a role in the Turk countries though, but I won't get into that.

What the Arab countries need is stability without secret police states and totalitarianism. Qatar, UAE, Oman and Kuwait are good examples but they also have small populations and they have a good wealth sharing plan in those places. Saudi is a mess, even 20 years ago when I first went there it felt artificial. Some day that place will revolt, and it will be the ugliest thing ever.

 

[Krankie]

Here's my take on this, you're free to disagree.

But I think Obama is playing stupid. He knows there will be severe retaliation if we fully invade the Middle East and stomp out ISIS. What we need is the Middle East begging for us to come in and help clean up the problem. If we go in now everyone is going to say:

"Look at the United States, World Police, coming in and patrolling the world."

If we wait long enough, that tone will change to:

"Thank God the United States used their complete military force to conquer the evil that was ISIS and give us our countries back."

Pretty much, our best bet is to let ISIS continue to grow. There's no point where ISIS can ever successfully win, at some point the world will band together and destroy them. Instead of this being a stigma for us patrolling the world, this can be a moment where we get back on everyone's good sides.

Don't quit your day job.

One hour of work=a Big Mac value meal!!!!

Wait! Can I get fries with that?

 

[GrandpaRox]

I'm more worried about getting gunned down by a responsible gun owner.

If it is a responsible gun owner then you are doing something illegal. Anyway here's hoping you get what you want.

 

[beer 30]

What the Arab countries need is stability without secret police states and totalitarianism. Qatar, UAE, Oman and Kuwait are good examples but they also have small populations and they have a good wealth sharing plan in those places. Saudi is a mess, even 20 years ago when I first went there it felt artificial. Some day that place will revolt, and it will be the ugliest thing ever.

My wild man-love for Doctor D aside, this is a salient point that is rarely if ever addressed. The chickens pecking about Saudi Arabia might soon be coming home to roost when the good King passes on. Wonder if our oil-shale development has anything to do with the thought Saudi is going to implode in the next decade or so?

 

[Limp Ditka]

Saudi is a mess, even 20 years ago when I first went there it felt artificial. Some day that place will revolt, and it will be the ugliest thing ever.

And down goes the king

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Yemen on the Verge of Chaos Saudi, Italian, German embassies shut down in Yemen as U.N. warns country is 'collapsing.'By AHMED AL-HAJ, Associated Press

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Saudi Arabia, Italy and Germany shut down their embassies in Yemen on Friday amid growing political uncertainty as Yemen's top U.N. envoy warned that the Arab world's poorest nation is at a crossroads between "civil war and disintegration."

The new embassy closures come days after similar measures by the United States, France and Britain, threatening international isolation for a country that houses the world's most active al-Qaida branch.

Yemen's elected president resigned last month after a several-month power struggle with Shiite rebels, who have controlled the capital, Sanaa, since September. The rebels, known as Houthis, have since dissolved the parliament, and President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and his Cabinet ministers remain under rebel house arrest. United Nations negotiations, headed by envoy Jamal Benomar, to resolve the deadlock have stalled.

"Today Yemen is at a crossroads," Benomar told a U.N. Security Council briefing Thursday. "Either the country will descend into civil war and disintegration, or the country will find a way to put the transition back on track."

The Italian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday that the ambassador and his staff were returning to Italy, and expressed hopes that U.N. mediation would create conditions permitting the embassy to reopen.

In Berlin, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Sawsan Chebli said its staff left the country Friday.

Saudi embassy joined the rest of the Arab Gulf countries, which evacuated their embassies weeks ago, and a security official said that the Saudi ambassador along with remaining staffers also left the country on Friday.

The Houthis, whose stronghold is in northern Yemen, are members of the Shiite Zaydi sect, which composes nearly 30 percent of the Yemeni population. Their takeover has emboldened the militant Sunni Muslims of Yemen's al-Qaida branch, which has stepped up attacks in southern and central Yemen and garnered support among disgruntled Sunni tribes — raising concerns of a widening sectarian conflict.

On Friday, Yemeni security officials said a suicide car bomber struck a police headquarters in the central city of Bayda, which was recently captured by Shiite rebels. There was no immediate word on casualties.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack but al-Qaida has carried out dozens of similar attacks in Bayda province; in Radda, one of the largest cities in Bayda, battles have been raging between al-Qaida and allied tribes against the Houthi rebels.

In the southern province of Shabwa, an al-Qaida stronghold, security officials said that gunmen suspected to be al-Qaida militants attacked a main prison in Baihan and released five inmates, after clashes with security guards.

Al-Qaida militants seized control of an important army base of Yemen's 19th Infantry Brigade in the same region on Thursday, following clashes with soldiers. According to a police statement released Friday, 12 army personnel and 15 militants were killed and 20 troops injured. Officials said that at least 15 soldiers were taken hostage before being later freed. Militants looted large amounts of weapons and transferred them to Marib, another al-Qaida safe haven, officials said.

The officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to reporters.

Al-Qaida in Yemen is considered by Washington to be the global terror organization's most dangerous and active offshoot. Last month, it claimed responsibility for the recent deadly attack on a French weekly satirical magazine in Paris.

The international withdrawal from Yemen comes as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that the state is "collapsing before our eyes" as talks were underway on a draft Security Council resolution to address the Yemeni crisis. Britain and Jordan were working on a resolution that British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said would be ready "in the next few days."

A separate draft resolution by the Gulf Coordination Council, obtained by The Associated Press, strongly condemns the Houthis and their seizure of power and demands that they "immediately and unconditionally withdraw their forces from government institutions and from all regions under their control."

Saudi Arabia was a major economic lifeline for Yemen. After the Houthi takeover of the capital in September, the oil-rich kingdom suspended its aid to Yemen, deepening fears of an economic collapse.

http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2015/02/13/embassies-shut-down-in-yemen-amid-violence

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Supposedly per an expert I heard on NPR (take that as you will ....) the Sauds are more worried about this than they are about ISIL.

Note also that this AQ group is now as close to Mecca as New Orleans is to Houston. There is a highway that goes right up the coast.

And just a reminder - this is the same route that T. E. Lawrence took to get to Palestine and Damascus.