When pro-Saudi forces seized the southern Yemeni port city of Aden this summer, there were immediately reports of Sunni Islamist factions, including al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), setting up shop in the area. This was unsurprising, as Saudi forces have mostly left AQAP alone during the war.
But AQAP’s presence is growing quite a bit recently, with fighters storming a supermarket today, briefly taking several hostages. It was a relatively small incident, but one that raises concern about Aden’s status as a “temporary capital” of Yemen, and whether the Saudis really have serious control over the city.
Tribal mediators got some talks together over the weekend aimed at getting AQAP to agree to leave the city, but were so far unsuccessful, with the supermarket raid likely a show of force after the talks didn’t work.
AQAP’s presence is more than just a token one at this point, with dozens of tanks and armored vehicles under their control, and the group holding large armed parades in its own honor, while resisting threats of forcible disarmament by the pro-Saudi forces.
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Al-Qaeda in Yemen, Putin in Syria. Little by little, from the Baltic to the Arabian Peninsula. a single fight is developing. It would have been simpler to stand up to Putin in Ukraine!
What paralel reality is Mr Kenny living in ?
While the US and the UK may sell weapons and services to the Saudi war machine for cash, this news proves more than ever that they should keep well away from the war in Yemen. This very definitely includes ignoring the do-gooders' screams to help the starving or stop the bombing, as well as Saudi calls for someone else to put a few boots on the ground. I'd also include not allowing any terrorists—-oops asylum seekers to flee to their countries from Yemen. Fortunately the US already seems to be making difficulties about Yemeni-Americans returning to the US, especially with members of their families. The UK needs to stick firmly to the principle that any British passports held by the people of the Crown Colony of Aden were invalidated when they were liberated from the iron heel of the evil white British Empire by the heroes of the National Liberation Front.