With long-time Yemeni dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh headed to the US for medical treatment, top US military officials are coming forward with claims that they “got played” by Saleh in the 2010 assassination of an up-and-coming political rival.
The attack, launched in late May of 2010, killed Deputy Governor Jaber al-Shabwani, a member of one of the most powerful tribes in central Yemen, was initially called a Yemeni strike but later revealed to be a US missile attack.
The central government had ordered Shabwani to the site ahead of the attack, supposedly to meet a member of an al-Qaeda auxiliary to negotiate a surrender. The US strike killed him and three of his traveling companions.
And according to US officials, the attack was conducted entirely on the basis of Saleh’s say-so, with the Yemeni government providing all the intelligence on the ground claiming the site was a large clandestine al-Qaeda meeting.
RE: " ‘Saleh Played Us’: US Sees 2010 Attack as Trick to Assassinate [Saleh's] Rival"
MY COMMENT: Oops, as Rick Perry might say.
Saleh didn't play anybody. If anything, the US is the one that played him. There is a long history of the US pulling this kind (and every other in book) of dirty tricks when it comes to their ME puppets.
Vietnam redux.
Medical treatment. LOL! Please, USG don't forget to send the bill to MediCare for it.
Coincidentally, the Shah of Iran also seemed to have "needed" medical treatment back in the 70s I hear. Pity they didn't offer it to Qaddafi too, however, I look forward to the day they offer it to Fidel Castro. What a PR stunt that's gonna be! Ha ha! The Empire gets more and more ridiculous by the day.