Obama Escalates Yemen Drone Strikes
JSOC Strikes Dramatically Increasing in Southern Yemen
The Obama Administration has ordered a dramatic increase in the number of drone strikes against targets within southern Yemen, with several launched per week.
Unlike the CIA drone strikes in Pakistan, the attacks in Yemen are being carried out by JSOC, and each requires explicit approval from President Obama himself. The attacks have centered around Abyan Province, which the Saleh regime has “mostly” reconquered from the Ansar al-Sharia group.
Of course the CIA is also keen to start launching a massive number of drone strikes of their own in Yemen, with the organization working hard to expand secret airfields in the region from which to launch the strikes.
In comments at Harvard Law School, Obama aide John Brennan defended the legality of the strikes, insisting that attacks were never going to be restricted to “hot battlefields like Afghanistan” and adding “we reserve the right to take unilateral action if or when other governments are unwilling or unable.”
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thedissenter
September 16th, 2011 at 8:21 pm
Saleh's thugs on one side and the US drones in the middle. The poor and brave people of Yemen in the middle. What an opportunistic genocidal bastard that Obama has turned out to be.
Bianca
September 16th, 2011 at 8:35 pm
Poor people. While Saleh is bombing areas of cities where the protesters are, tanks are crushing them in the streets. And the rebellion in the South — largely successfull in removing Saleh's thugs from their villages and towns, are the target of mindless drones. Poor, poor people. Hope God will forigive us, for we know not what we are doing.
curmudgeonvt
September 17th, 2011 at 6:20 am
Oh pulease…The USG knows exactly what they are doing – and they don't care what the unintended (or intended) consequences are – over there…
And IF there were a God benevolent enough to forgive us for intentionally doing what we're doing there (or anywhere we war) then I believe that that God would never have allowed it to occur. If God is going to intervene afterward in bestowing salvation then God can surely intervene beforehand and stop it.
IF…
John Ellis
September 17th, 2011 at 8:04 am
DRONES — CLASS WARFARE TO THE ULTIMATE
Note carefully that no Drone has ever make body parts of any living being of the upper intelligent middle-class, the Country Club class or High Society — be they friend, terrorist or some shade in-between.
tio zapata
September 17th, 2011 at 11:10 am
Mass murderer obomber and the rest of the war criminals in washington, including the lost list headed by bush/cheney, and the fascist amerikan military will go down with the ship of empire ! No empire can cause that much suffering and survive !
Brad_Smith2
September 18th, 2011 at 6:18 am
Funny how the cheerleaders for the Libya war don't say a thing about this one. I suppose it would point out the hypocrisy of their beloved leader.
Brad_Smith2
September 18th, 2011 at 6:20 am
It all depends on how long it takes. The Empire could very well outlast them. Daddy Bush and Cheney for instance don't really have that much longer left to go.