"Saudi prince vows to fight terrorism after attack; Al Qaeda bomber hit at royal family" by Abdullah Al-Shihri, Associated Press | August 29, 2009
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - .... Yemen, where instability and poverty have enabled Al Qaeda it to take root....
Saudi officials have recently expressed concern that Al Qaeda could capitalize on the increasingly tense situation in Yemen, where the government is battling Shi’ite rebels in areas close to the Saudi border, to smuggle fighters into the country.
Al Qaeda militants, including fighters returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, have established sanctuaries in Yemen....
I'm SOOOOO SICK of this SHIT posing as NEWS!!!!
No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing, but Al Qaeda is believed to have been behind almost all attacks in the kingdom since 2003. The country is the birthplace of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and was home to 15 of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers....
Sigh. Had it with the DEAD GUY and "Al-CIA-Duh" yet?
Why didn't we attack the Saudis instead?
"Al-CIA-Duhs" Catch-and-Release Program
Oh.
--more--"From the blogs:
"Over 100,000 people displaced by Yemen fighting: U.N.
More than 100,000 people in Yemen, many of them children, have fled their homes during a recent surge in fighting between the government and Shi'ite Muslim rebels, a U.N. agency said on Friday.
"Arabia Felix 102: Yemeni Government Fingers Iran as Arms Supplier to Northern Houthi Rebels
The sixth Sa'ada war between central government forces and Houthi rebels in Yemen's north is well underway and expected to drag on given the latter's rolls of fresh recruits from the region and their unconventional tactics aided by weapons from Iran, according to the country's ruling party. A military source quoted by another pan-Arab daily, Asharq Al-Awsat, said the army had seized six depots of Iranian-made weapons in the region, 240 kilometers (149 miles) north of the Yemeni capital Sana'a.
Webmaster's Commentary:
Notice that Iran is being fingered, but absolutely no proof is offered in this article. There are no photos, no nothing which would conclusively ID these weapons as having Iranian origin.
As reported in:
http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1049&p=front&a=3
"Yemen is classified one of the world’s poorest counties, with 43 percent of its 21 million inhabitants living below the poverty line."
Also, as reported here:
http://armiesofliberation.com/archives/2009/07/28/aid-wont-fix-the-crisis-in-yemen/
"The Sana’a regime, perverted by corruption, is largely unable to provide public services, including water, electricity, security, medical care and education. A third of Yemenis—7 million people—are malnourished. Police and military units act as enforcers for corrupt officials. The judiciary dispenses political retribution. Torture in Yemeni jails is systemic and brutal."
"U.S. aid proposed for 2010 is at the highest levels in years. The Department of Defense allocated $66 million in military aid, mostly for patrol boats and armored pick-ups. Congress’ Foreign Operation Appropriation bill includes an additional $15 million in military aid and $40 million in development and economic aid."
So what is the US doing here?!?
We're propping up yet another tinpot dictator who has utterly no regard for the welfare of his own people. And what kind of accountability happens in terms of how this aid is actually spent?
My bet would be, zero, zip, none.
When peaceful revolution becomes impossible, violent revolution becomes inevitable.
The US State Department, the Pentagon, and the White House should understand that by now, but apparently, they don't." -- Wake the Flock Up
August 25:
The Shiite revolt in the northwest is unfolding amid Yemen's tricky mix of tribes and clans, and larger regional animosities between Iran's Shiite-led government and its Sunni Arab neighbors. Yemen has intimated that Iran is funneling weapons and money to the rebels. Iran's news media have alleged that Saudi forces have joined Yemeni troops in putting down the rebellion. The Saudis, who worry the unrest may seep across their border, have only publicly acknowledged that the kingdom is consulting with Yemen about the violence.
The bottom line here, is that because of Yemen's geography, whoever controls Yemen controls the flow of oil in the Gulf.
The US government is currently supporting Yemen's "president" of 30-odd years, one President Ali Abdullah Saleh. This guy has a rep of being more crooked than a dog's hind leg and neck-deep in corruption, but because of his ability to, so far, keep a grip on his impoverished citizens, he's the person the US government wants to keep in charge.
And we're funneling money to this corrupt government just as fast as the printing presses at the Fed can print to keep this man in power.
And notice another accusation against Iran of aiding the rebels here, in the statement ".....Yemen has intimated that Iran is funneling weapons and money to the rebels." This is part of a tapestry of articles I have seen today, accusing Iran of this, that, or the other.
The war drums beat more loudly and more quickly toward some kind of military strike against Iran, and people need to take notice right now. Obama has given Iran a "window" of time through the end of September to accede to his demands. We may very well be on the verge of some kind of ugly "October Surprise" when Iran refuses to do so." -- Wake the Flock Up
Where ya been, Globe?
Here's another cover-up for you:
MORONI, Comoros - Investigators retrieved the slightly damaged flight data recorder and 10 more bodies yesterday from a Yemenia Airways flight that crashed into the Indian Ocean June 30, officials said.
The black box was found off the coast of the island nation’s capital, Moroni, according to the Comoros-based aviation investigation team. No details were provided about the other black box containing the voice recorder....
Interior Minister Bourhane Hamidou said the black box found yesterday is slightly damaged....
Aren't those things supposed to be indestructible?
In July, a French naval ship detected signal beacons from the flight data and cockpit recorders - key to determining the cause of the crash - at depths of 3,900 feet about 9 miles northwest of Grand Comoros island. The ship, however, lacked the deep sea diving equipment needed to retrieve them. A French ship carrying a special underwater robot arrived at the site Aug. 20 to continue the search....
Sounds like a kid making excuses, don't they?
--more--"
Anything on those BLACK BOXES, MSM?
Also see: French Found Black Boxes (wrong crash, and they retracted anyway?)
As reported in:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Yemen
"Yemen is located in Southwest Asia at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula between Oman and Saudi Arabia. It is situated at the entrance to the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which links the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean (via the Gulf of Aden) and is one of the most active and strategic shipping lanes in the world."
Controlling this area means, to large degree, controlling the flow of oil; both the rebels and the Yemen government understand this.
Also, as reported in:
http://www.yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1281&p=opinion&a=3
"Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh celebrated the 31st anniversary of his ascension to power. The Sana’a regime, perverted by corruption, is largely unable to provide public services, including water, electricity, security, medical care and education. A third of Yemenis—7 million people—are malnourished. Police and military units act as enforcers for corrupt officials. The judiciary dispenses political retribution. Torture in Yemeni jails is systemic and brutal."
"Yemen’s donors believe stabilizing President Saleh’s regime will thwart the devolution of Yemen into a failed state and an al Qaeda safe haven. U.S. aid proposed for 2010 is at the highest levels in years. The Department of Defense allocated $66 million in military aid, mostly for patrol boats and armored pick-ups. Congress’ Foreign Operation Appropriation bill includes an additional $15 million in military aid and $40 million in development and economic aid. "
So, what is the US government doing?, (again, still, yet - in its infinite idiocy?!?)
We're again propping up another tin pot dictator with absolutely zero concern for the welfare of his people.
And will the US government be just as thoroughly perplexed when there's a widespread, popular, and successful revolt against this guy as when the Shah of Iran was deposed, or Batista, both of whom the US supported?
Watching this scenario playing out over and over again, like a broken record, it occurs to me that there seems to be a requirement, at the highest levels of American government, to have an absolute contempt for the lessons history should have taught our leadership." -- Wake the Flock Up