With a new round of calls to action following Friday’s bomb plot scandal, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh warned today that his government is absolutely opposed to international intervention and that they will not permit foreign forces to operate on Yemeni soil.
Yemen has faced a number of calls for US troops to participate in attacks against targets belonging to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), an auxiliary faction to the al-Qaeda organization which is centered in southern Yemen. Though the Saleh government has cheerfully parlayed these calls into massive increases in US military aid, they have downplayed the seriousness of the AQAP threat.
Indeed it was one week ago today that Foreign Minister al-Qirbi insisted that the entire AQAP faction in Yemen amounted to only about 400 active fighters. This goes along with Saleh’s claims that his government can readily tackle AQAP by themselves.
Yet Yemen has been insisting this since late 2009, and despite a few offensives never seems to have much luck tackling the group. Instead the government has focused most of its energy on the more conventional secessionist movements on opposite sides of the country. Yemen is thus seeking a delicate balance between actually tackling the group and doing so little that the US just invades outright, and has tried to get local tribes to do the fighting for them.
Which would be a serious blow to the Saleh government’s “strongman” image, which is about the only thing that keeps them in power. Even the possibility of CIA drone strikes has been hugely controversial and sparked warnings from Yemeni officials.
Someone in Yemen has looked at Iraq and saw what happens when America comes to the rescue: you get invaded, occupied, destroyed, have military bases built , then left in chaos with a puppet government that is controlled by America!
Smart cookies those Yemenis even though they've stupidly allowed U.S. Drones into their airspace.
There are nations all around the world who pray each night that America doesn't come to help them. It's like having cancer come to call.
By the way: do you know which nation is the world's biggest warmonger? Do you care?
Check out:
http://www.dangerouscreation.com
With hundreds of US special forces scattered all over the Yemeni military apparatus,Saleh's declaration could hardly be seriously considered.Best for him is to move aside and let a unity government run the country,it would certainly do better in curtailing violance in Yemen.
We invite ourselves in, complain about the service and never go home.
The new word about town is "Drone them to death."
"Why do they hate us?"
So when are we going to invade Israel ?
For all the very same excuses that were given for the invasion of Iraq. A mountain of WMD's. World record holder for the numbers of UN sanctions. World record holder for violations of international law.
Slaughtering their own people (Palestinians) on a regular basis.
The number one threat to world peace. Starting one war after another to steal more land.
Invade, disarm at the point of a gun and then place their ruling party on trial for all the Palestinians they have slaughtered. Then hang them publicly after Palestinian jury's find them guilty.
We don't like foreign forces here in Canada, like a iditiotic unwelcome guest they party on oblivious to offending everyone.
What happenede to winning hearts and minds polilcy of the US??,It seems that the US strategy is loosing momentum and once again resorting to the only method it knows best,namely military force.Historians attribute the demise of the British Empire to various factors, most importantly spreading thin over hostile geography.Luckly however,Britain cleaverly succeeded in replacing excessive force with soft power which served Britain to maintain a continued co-operation with its ex-colonies.