Pentagon officials today confirmed that a “security team” of US forces came under attack from Ansar al-Sharia loyalists in the southern Yemeni city of Aden, but denied any injuries as a result of the attack. Ansar al-Sharia claimed one “CIA officer” killed in the exchange.
The difference in versions from the two sides actually misses the much more serious revelation of the report, that US ground troops are operating inside Yemen at all. There has certainly been no announcement to that effect, and indeed, several times the Obama Administration has “ruled out” sending ground troops to Yemen.
With pro-democracy protesters rallying against the US-backed dictator of Yemen virtually throughout 2011, Ansar al-Sharia seized the province of Abyan, and has made inroads in Aden, the former capital city of South Yemen. The US has repeatedly launched drone strikes against Ansar al-Sharia, claiming they are an “al-Qaeda front.”
But the drone strikes and the missile strikes and the assassination campaigns were always presented as an alternative to US boots on the ground, not a supplement to them. Talk of sending troops has always been followed up with denials that such a deployment was forthcoming, and what few “trainers” the Pentagon has previously admitted to having on the ground certainly wouldn’t be meandering through a major city just waiting to be ambushed. The administration has some serious explaining to do about how these troops came to be operating inside Yemen.
"…misses the much more serious revelation of the report, that US ground troops are operating inside Yemen at all. "
I guess that i would just assume that troops are anywhere/everywhere the US wants, so it's not really "revelation" or anything in that sense.
It seems to me it would be a "revelation" if we WEREN'T there.
My $0.02
You need to understand how Special Forces Advisor teams operate, it is not uncommon for them to be in the field with the foreign forces they are training.
i could be wrong but a U.S. training mission to Yemen would seem to be a revelation too.
The administration won't explain anything because they think they're immune from criticism. They are also devoid of shame. They lie like a rug and the mainstream press gives them a pass.
How is that hope and change looking now?
Looking more like Bait and Switch.
Explaining to do? That's like trying to catch a greased pig with this government.
There have been US personnel active in Yemen since the early eighties. It was the CIA's main 'window' on the middle east.
The British invaded Iraq so the US followed!
The British invaded Afghanistan so the US followed!
The British invaded and occupied Aden so what's new?
It would be easier to list the countries where the US does not have troops on the ground.
This news comes as Obama compares himself to Mahatma Gandhi.
Yemen is a "soft" target of our aggression. Those people certainly cannot fight against us. We are BULLIES to the extreme against that poor, poor, defenseless country!
The more bombing and other attacks on "terrorists" simply make more enemies and more "terrorists". The USA should go home and fix its own problems. Islamic coutries, like anyone else, prefer non-interference.
Americans make the best liars in the world! You can't believe a single thing they say.
They are also the best bullies. Their love of war and killing is psychotic!
When is the rest of the world going to treat America as the rogue nation that it is?
Let's BDS it out of existence before it destroys our world!
Ah, yes. Join the U.S. military, and fight for Israel. Travel to distant, exotic lands. Meet interesting people, and kill them.
you aint even posted anything yet:service you =00.00% 0/10.
Go and start again.
Underground base???????????????????????