Just four days after taking over the position, Britain’s new military Chief of Staff General Sir David Richards today told Parliament that he could not rule out the need to launch another massive Afghanistan-style invasion/occupation in Yemen.
“I don’t think we want to open up another front there and nor do the Yemenis want us to do that,” insisted Sir David, adding that in the end it might be necessary to do so anyhow. He insisted, however, that right now the British Army’s top priority was “making sure Afghanistan doesn’t revert to becoming a second Yemen.”
Britain’s military participated in the US-led 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and has continued to participate in its occupation, now in its 10th year. There is no end in sight for the Afghan War, but increasingly interest is on starting a new war in Yemen.
Sir David’s comments come in the wake of Prime Minister David Cameron’s promise to do whatever it takes to “cut out the terrorist cancer” from Yemen. US President Barack Obama has also pledged to see Yemen’s al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula “destroyed,“
Like Pakistan,Al-qaeda is entrenched within the Yemeni government and can hardly be distinguished from its security apparatus.Therefore,extinguishing Alqaeda will require some surgical opporations on Saleh's intimate circle and opening the system for accountability.For over 33years of Saleh's reign there has been nothing to show in his record except impoverishment ,corruption and ending up with spreading terrorism all over.When a member of the ruling party was asked by the Al-jazeera's interviewer as what he considered to be the most challenging threat confronting Yemen, he relpied;poverty, ignoring the fact that this guy,although a minor figure,is stashing millions of $ abroad.
Sounds like operation clean break redux. The regime change really made a difference in the fiasco called Iraq. What is needed is for the USA/british etc to stay away of other countries that are mentioned in the Likud white paper operation clean break. In case you missed your copy of the white paper it was short on providing the bodies to do the regime change and long on pushing others not to bright like USA/british to do the heavy work of being cannon fodder while the author Richard Perl makes millions off the oil industry in Iraq. How many of our kids do you want to get killed to make neocons rich?
OMG would these guys give it a break. Is there any nation other and Israel that the hawks do not want to attack? When did we give up the moral high ground to become the mugger on the corner looking for a little kid or woman to walk by?
"He insisted, however, that right now the British Army’s top priority was “making sure Afghanistan doesn’t revert to becoming a second Yemen.”"
No, it sounds more like the British army's top priority is being America's obedient little lapdog.
Unless Yemen pulls a quick "Pyongyang" on the empire you can expect more mischief.
Didn't Mad Cow Disease originate from British oxen? Why is this one roaming freely?
another extremely slow learner, fodder for monty python.