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The USA does not support al Qaeda anywhere. All of your post above does not change that simple fact.
Drone Strikes in Yemen
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Then what do you call the Libyan rebels with strong Al-Qaeda connections supported by the US? Al-Qaeda is not simply one group. The US has supported Al-Qaeda affiliated groups in Bosnia (1992-95), Kosovo (1997-98) & Libya (2011). Osama bin Laden & his fighters got money & security training from the US:
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Who is Osama Bin Laden?
The US has used al-Qaeda to increase their influence. For example Azerbaijan in 1993. A pro-Moscow president was ousted after large numbers of Arab and other foreign Mujahideen veterans were secretly imported from Afghanistan, on an airline organized by three former veterans of CIA's Air America, namely Richard Secord, Harry Aderholt, and Ed Dearborn.
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US airstrikes in southern Yemen kill 30 AQAP fighters: report
By BILL ROGGIO, September 1, 2011
Yemeni officials claimed that more than 30 al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters were killed during US airstrikes in the south over the past two days. Also, US intelligence officials have expressed doubts about reports that AQAP's top leader was killed.
"The airstrikes freed a Yemeni military unit besieged in southeast Abyan for several weeks," unnamed Yemeni military officials told The Associated Press.
US military officials contacted by The Long War Journal would not comment on airstrikes, but said US forces are supporting Yemeni forces.
"We continue to provide counterterrorism aid, intelligence, and logistical support to Yemeni forces," one official said.
While the unit that was freed was not named, the 25th Yemeni Mechanized Brigade is known to have been under siege by AQAP fighters just outside of Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province. In an interview with Asharq Alawsat that was published on July 30, Brigadier General Mohammed al Sawmali, the commander of the 25th Mechanized Brigade, admitted the US was providing logistical support to his forces but denied US forces were fighting against AQAP.
"The Americans have parachuted some supplies.... All that we have received from the US side was a shipment of food supplies, and I do not have any other information," Sawmali said when asked if he received direct US military support.
Heavy fighting has been reported during the past week in and around the city of Zinjibar, which was taken over by AQAP and Ansar al Sharia, its political front group, in May. The southern Yemeni cities of Sharqa and Azzan, as well as vast regions in the south, are also under the control of AQAP. The Yemeni military claimed it has cleared AQAP from several areas in Abyan and killed more than 300 AQAP fighters in the province since May.
Several major clashes have been reported in the Dawfas area outside of Zinjibar, where more than 40 AQAP and 23 Yemeni soldiers have been reported killed since Aug. 25, according to press reports compiled by The Long War Journal.
Nasir al Wuhayshi, the head of AQAP, is rumored to have been killed during fighting in the Dawfas area over the past week. The reports have not been confirmed, however, and AQAP has not released a statement announcing his death. US intelligence officials contacted by The Long War Journal said they are aware of reports of his death but do not believe he was killed.
"We see no evidence that he was killed in the incident earlier this week," one official said.
Read more: US airstrikes in southern Yemen kill 30 AQAP fighters: report - The Long War Journal
By BILL ROGGIO, September 1, 2011
Yemeni officials claimed that more than 30 al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters were killed during US airstrikes in the south over the past two days. Also, US intelligence officials have expressed doubts about reports that AQAP's top leader was killed.
"The airstrikes freed a Yemeni military unit besieged in southeast Abyan for several weeks," unnamed Yemeni military officials told The Associated Press.
US military officials contacted by The Long War Journal would not comment on airstrikes, but said US forces are supporting Yemeni forces.
"We continue to provide counterterrorism aid, intelligence, and logistical support to Yemeni forces," one official said.
While the unit that was freed was not named, the 25th Yemeni Mechanized Brigade is known to have been under siege by AQAP fighters just outside of Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province. In an interview with Asharq Alawsat that was published on July 30, Brigadier General Mohammed al Sawmali, the commander of the 25th Mechanized Brigade, admitted the US was providing logistical support to his forces but denied US forces were fighting against AQAP.
"The Americans have parachuted some supplies.... All that we have received from the US side was a shipment of food supplies, and I do not have any other information," Sawmali said when asked if he received direct US military support.
Heavy fighting has been reported during the past week in and around the city of Zinjibar, which was taken over by AQAP and Ansar al Sharia, its political front group, in May. The southern Yemeni cities of Sharqa and Azzan, as well as vast regions in the south, are also under the control of AQAP. The Yemeni military claimed it has cleared AQAP from several areas in Abyan and killed more than 300 AQAP fighters in the province since May.
Several major clashes have been reported in the Dawfas area outside of Zinjibar, where more than 40 AQAP and 23 Yemeni soldiers have been reported killed since Aug. 25, according to press reports compiled by The Long War Journal.
Nasir al Wuhayshi, the head of AQAP, is rumored to have been killed during fighting in the Dawfas area over the past week. The reports have not been confirmed, however, and AQAP has not released a statement announcing his death. US intelligence officials contacted by The Long War Journal said they are aware of reports of his death but do not believe he was killed.
"We see no evidence that he was killed in the incident earlier this week," one official said.
Read more: US airstrikes in southern Yemen kill 30 AQAP fighters: report - The Long War Journal
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U.S. increases Yemen drone strikes
By Karen DeYoung, Published: September 16 | Updated: Saturday, September 17, 2:39 AM
The Obama administration has significantly increased the frequency of drone strikes and other air attacks against the al-Qaeda affiliate in Yemen in recent months amid rising concern about political collapse there.
Some of the the strikes, carried out by the militarys Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), have been focused in the southern part of the country, where insurgent forces have for the first time conquered and held territory as the Yemeni government continues to struggle against escalating opposition to President Ali Abdullah Salehs 33-year rule.
Unlike in Pakistan, where the CIA has presidential authorization to launch drone strikes at will, each U.S. attack in Yemen and those being conducted in nearby Somalia, most recently on Thursday near the southern port city of Kismayo requires White House approval, senior administration officials said.
The officials, who were not authorized to discuss the matter on the record, said intended targets must be drawn from an approved list of key members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula deemed by U.S. intelligence officials to be involved in planning attacks against the West. White House counterterrorism adviser John O. Brennan last week put their number at a couple of dozen, maybe.
Although several unconfirmed strikes each week have been reported by local media in Yemen and Somalia, the administration has made no public acknowledgment of the escalated campaign, and officials who discussed the increase declined to provide numbers.
The heightened air activity coincides with the administrations determination this year that AQAP, as the Yemen-based group is known, poses a more significant threat to the United States than the core al-Qaeda group based in Pakistan. The administration has also concluded that AQAP has recruited at least a portion of the main insurgent group in Somalia, al-Shabab, to its anti-Western cause.
From its initial months in office, the Obama administration has debated whether to extend the air attacks that have proved so effective in Pakistan to the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa. Military and intelligence officials have long argued in favor of attacks against al-Shabab camps in Somalia, which have been under overhead surveillance for years. Other officials have questioned the legal and moral justification for intervening in what, until recently, has been a largely domestic conflict.
The administration has said its legal authority to conduct such strikes, whether with fixed-wing planes, cruise missiles or drones, derives from the 2001 congressional resolution authorizing attacks against al-Qaeda and protection of the U.S. homeland, as well as the international law of self-defense.
The United States does not view our authority to use military force against al-Qaeda as being restricted solely to hot battlefields like Afghanistan, Brennan said in remarks prepared for delivery Friday night at Harvard Law School. We reserve the right to take unilateral action if or when other governments are unwilling or unable to take the necessary actions themselves.
That does not mean we can use military force whenever we want, wherever we want, Brennan said. International legal principles, including respect for a states sovereignty and the laws of war, impose important constraints on our ability to act unilaterally and on the way in which we can use force in foreign territories.
In Somalia, the administration backs a tenuous government whose control does not extend beyond the capital, Mogadishu.
Until May, the first and only known drone strike in Yemen was launched by the CIA in 2002. As part of its stepped-up military cooperation with Yemen, the Obama administration has used manned aircraft to strike at targets indicated by U.S. and Yemeni military intelligence forces on the ground. In May, JSOC first used a drone to kill two AQAP operatives as part of its new escalation in Yemen.
This summer, the CIA was also tasked with expanding its Yemen operations, and the agency is building its own drone base in the region. It is not clear whether the unilateral strike authority the CIA has in Pakistan will be extended to Yemen.
Administration officials have described the expanded drone campaign as utilizing a mix of assets, and a senior military official said he knew of no plans or discussions to change the nature of operations.
The new base doesnt connote that [the CIA] will be in the lead, the official said. It offers better teamwork and collaboration between the agencies.
U.S. increases Yemen drone strikes - The Washington Post
By Karen DeYoung, Published: September 16 | Updated: Saturday, September 17, 2:39 AM
The Obama administration has significantly increased the frequency of drone strikes and other air attacks against the al-Qaeda affiliate in Yemen in recent months amid rising concern about political collapse there.
Some of the the strikes, carried out by the militarys Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), have been focused in the southern part of the country, where insurgent forces have for the first time conquered and held territory as the Yemeni government continues to struggle against escalating opposition to President Ali Abdullah Salehs 33-year rule.
Unlike in Pakistan, where the CIA has presidential authorization to launch drone strikes at will, each U.S. attack in Yemen and those being conducted in nearby Somalia, most recently on Thursday near the southern port city of Kismayo requires White House approval, senior administration officials said.
The officials, who were not authorized to discuss the matter on the record, said intended targets must be drawn from an approved list of key members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula deemed by U.S. intelligence officials to be involved in planning attacks against the West. White House counterterrorism adviser John O. Brennan last week put their number at a couple of dozen, maybe.
Although several unconfirmed strikes each week have been reported by local media in Yemen and Somalia, the administration has made no public acknowledgment of the escalated campaign, and officials who discussed the increase declined to provide numbers.
The heightened air activity coincides with the administrations determination this year that AQAP, as the Yemen-based group is known, poses a more significant threat to the United States than the core al-Qaeda group based in Pakistan. The administration has also concluded that AQAP has recruited at least a portion of the main insurgent group in Somalia, al-Shabab, to its anti-Western cause.
From its initial months in office, the Obama administration has debated whether to extend the air attacks that have proved so effective in Pakistan to the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa. Military and intelligence officials have long argued in favor of attacks against al-Shabab camps in Somalia, which have been under overhead surveillance for years. Other officials have questioned the legal and moral justification for intervening in what, until recently, has been a largely domestic conflict.
The administration has said its legal authority to conduct such strikes, whether with fixed-wing planes, cruise missiles or drones, derives from the 2001 congressional resolution authorizing attacks against al-Qaeda and protection of the U.S. homeland, as well as the international law of self-defense.
The United States does not view our authority to use military force against al-Qaeda as being restricted solely to hot battlefields like Afghanistan, Brennan said in remarks prepared for delivery Friday night at Harvard Law School. We reserve the right to take unilateral action if or when other governments are unwilling or unable to take the necessary actions themselves.
That does not mean we can use military force whenever we want, wherever we want, Brennan said. International legal principles, including respect for a states sovereignty and the laws of war, impose important constraints on our ability to act unilaterally and on the way in which we can use force in foreign territories.
In Somalia, the administration backs a tenuous government whose control does not extend beyond the capital, Mogadishu.
Until May, the first and only known drone strike in Yemen was launched by the CIA in 2002. As part of its stepped-up military cooperation with Yemen, the Obama administration has used manned aircraft to strike at targets indicated by U.S. and Yemeni military intelligence forces on the ground. In May, JSOC first used a drone to kill two AQAP operatives as part of its new escalation in Yemen.
This summer, the CIA was also tasked with expanding its Yemen operations, and the agency is building its own drone base in the region. It is not clear whether the unilateral strike authority the CIA has in Pakistan will be extended to Yemen.
Administration officials have described the expanded drone campaign as utilizing a mix of assets, and a senior military official said he knew of no plans or discussions to change the nature of operations.
The new base doesnt connote that [the CIA] will be in the lead, the official said. It offers better teamwork and collaboration between the agencies.
U.S. increases Yemen drone strikes - The Washington Post
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Air Raid Kills Four Al-Qaeda Operatives in Abyan
Posted on 21 September 2011 by admin
ABYAN (AdenOnline) An air raid, believed to be by American warplanes, killed four Al- Qaeda operatives including a senior leader Tuesday afternoon, sources in Abyan said.
Eyewitnesses in Mahfed District of Abyan said that an American military air craft bombed a vehicle was heading on a mountainous road in Saraw narrow area.
Press report talked about the presence of Fahd Al-Qusa, the leader in the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization, but it is still not clear if he was the target of this air raid.
In a related development, seven of Al-Qaeda elements were killed in Shukra District of the southern Yemeni province of Abyan by air raids aimed some of their gatherings in the strategic port city.
These developments come while Yemen busy with the last events in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, that caused tens casualties among anti-government protests, and what followed them of armed clashes in the capital and other cities.
Air Raid Kills Four Al-Qaeda Operatives in Abyan | Aden Online
---------- Post added at 09:47 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:44 AM ----------
US airstrikes kill AQAP fighters in southern Yemen
By Bill Roggio, September 22, 2011
The US killed several members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) during airstrikes in an area of southern Yemen, according to reports from the region.
Four AQAP fighters were killed yesterday by an airstrike in a mountain pass in the southern province of Abyan, according to Aden Online. Witnesses claimed the strike was carried out by "American military air craft."
Fahd al Quso, a top operational commander of AQAP who has been indicted for his role in the suicide attack on the USS Cole in December 2000 and was officially added to the list of designated terrorists in December 2010, is rumored to have been the target of the strike. He has not been reported as killed or wounded. In the past, Quso was reported killed while in Pakistan, but in December 2010 he granted a media interview and mocked the reports.
In a second strike yesterday, which is also thought to have been carried out by US aircraft, seven AQAP fighters were killed in the southern port city of Shaqra, which is currently under the control of the terrorist group.
US military officials contacted by The Long War Journal would not comment on airstrikes, but said US forces are supporting Yemeni forces.
It is unclear if the strikes were carried out by manned strike aircraft or the unmanned US 'drones,' the deadly Predators and Reapers operated by the CIA. The CIA and the Joint Special Operations Command are known to fly armed Predators from bases in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, and the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. Bases are also being built in Ethiopia and an unnamed country on the Arabian Peninsula.
The US is known to have carried out at least 13 air and cruise missile strikes against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leaders and fighters since mid-December 2009. Seven of those strikes have taken place this year. Other recent airstrikes in southern Yemen are thought to have been carried out by the US also, but little evidence has emerged to directly link the attacks to the US. The last confirmed strike, on Sept. 1, took place in Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan that until recently was under the control of AQAP and its front group, Ansar al Sharia. The strike reportedly killed 30 AQAP fighters.
Read more: US airstrikes kill AQAP fighters in southern Yemen - The Long War Journal
Posted on 21 September 2011 by admin
ABYAN (AdenOnline) An air raid, believed to be by American warplanes, killed four Al- Qaeda operatives including a senior leader Tuesday afternoon, sources in Abyan said.
Eyewitnesses in Mahfed District of Abyan said that an American military air craft bombed a vehicle was heading on a mountainous road in Saraw narrow area.
Press report talked about the presence of Fahd Al-Qusa, the leader in the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization, but it is still not clear if he was the target of this air raid.
In a related development, seven of Al-Qaeda elements were killed in Shukra District of the southern Yemeni province of Abyan by air raids aimed some of their gatherings in the strategic port city.
These developments come while Yemen busy with the last events in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, that caused tens casualties among anti-government protests, and what followed them of armed clashes in the capital and other cities.
Air Raid Kills Four Al-Qaeda Operatives in Abyan | Aden Online
---------- Post added at 09:47 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:44 AM ----------
US airstrikes kill AQAP fighters in southern Yemen
By Bill Roggio, September 22, 2011
The US killed several members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) during airstrikes in an area of southern Yemen, according to reports from the region.
Four AQAP fighters were killed yesterday by an airstrike in a mountain pass in the southern province of Abyan, according to Aden Online. Witnesses claimed the strike was carried out by "American military air craft."
Fahd al Quso, a top operational commander of AQAP who has been indicted for his role in the suicide attack on the USS Cole in December 2000 and was officially added to the list of designated terrorists in December 2010, is rumored to have been the target of the strike. He has not been reported as killed or wounded. In the past, Quso was reported killed while in Pakistan, but in December 2010 he granted a media interview and mocked the reports.
In a second strike yesterday, which is also thought to have been carried out by US aircraft, seven AQAP fighters were killed in the southern port city of Shaqra, which is currently under the control of the terrorist group.
US military officials contacted by The Long War Journal would not comment on airstrikes, but said US forces are supporting Yemeni forces.
It is unclear if the strikes were carried out by manned strike aircraft or the unmanned US 'drones,' the deadly Predators and Reapers operated by the CIA. The CIA and the Joint Special Operations Command are known to fly armed Predators from bases in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, and the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. Bases are also being built in Ethiopia and an unnamed country on the Arabian Peninsula.
The US is known to have carried out at least 13 air and cruise missile strikes against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leaders and fighters since mid-December 2009. Seven of those strikes have taken place this year. Other recent airstrikes in southern Yemen are thought to have been carried out by the US also, but little evidence has emerged to directly link the attacks to the US. The last confirmed strike, on Sept. 1, took place in Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan that until recently was under the control of AQAP and its front group, Ansar al Sharia. The strike reportedly killed 30 AQAP fighters.
Read more: US airstrikes kill AQAP fighters in southern Yemen - The Long War Journal
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U.S.-born al-Qaeda leader Aulaqi is killed
By Sudarsan Raghavan, Friday, September 30, 5:38 AM
SANAA, Yemen Anwar al-Aulaqi, a radical U.S.-born Muslim cleric and one of the most influential al-Qaeda leaders wanted by the United States, was killed Friday in a CIA drone strike in northern Yemen, U.S. and Yemeni authorities said, eliminating a prominent terrorist recruiter who inspired attacks on U.S. soil.
The strike also killed a second U.S. citizen Samir Khan, the co-editor of an al-Qaeda magazine and two other unidentified al-Qaeda operatives, the Yemeni government said. But tribal leaders in the area said at least seven people were killed. They identified one of the others as al-Qaeda militant named Salem bin Arfaaj.
One of the world's most wanted terrorists has been killed, according to the Yemeni government. U.S. born al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Aulaqi was killed. Tribal leaders say an air strike targeted an al-Qaeda convoy.
In Washington, senior Obama administration officials confirmed that Aulaqi, 40, a dual national of the United States and Yemen, and Khan were killed in a drone strike on their convoy.
The strike was carried out by a CIA drone operating from a new agency base on the Arabian Peninsula, U.S. officials said. It marks the first time that the CIA has launched a drone strike in Yemen since 2002, and the first indication that the new base is operational. The Post is withholding details on the specific location of the base at the request of the Obama administration.
President Obama called Aulaqis death a major blow to al-Qaedas most active operational affiliate and described him as the leader of external operations for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a group known as AQAP.
In that role, he took the lead in planning and directing efforts to murder innocent Americans, Obama said at a ceremony honoring the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at Fort Myer.
Khan, a member of AQAP, co-edited the groups slick English-language Internet magazine, Inspire, which was intended to recruit Westerners to al-Qaedas fold. Aulaqi was also believed to have played a role in creating the online-only magazine, whose first issue in July 2010 included an article titled Making a bomb in the kitchen of your mom. Khan, a Saudi-born U.S. citizen raised in Queens, N.Y., and Charlotte, traveled to Yemen to join AQAP and probably operated under Aulaqis direction, terrorism experts have said.
Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemeni government spokesman, said in an e-mail that Yemeni intelligence had pinpointed Aulaqis hideout and monitored his movements before the airstrike.
The first word of the strike came from the Yemeni Defense Ministry, which sent a text message sent to journalists announcing that the terrorist Anwar al-Aulaqi has been killed along with some of his companions. It did not provide further details. Aulaqi had been falsely reported killed before. He had been the target of previous U.S. strikes and was quoted as laughing off an attempt to kill him in May.
In a separate e-mailed statement, the Yemeni government said Aulaqi was targeted and killed five miles from the town of Khashef in Yemens northern Jawf province, 87 miles east of the capital, Sanaa. The attack, the statement said, was launched at 9:55 a.m. Friday local time.
Anwar al-Aulaqi, U.S.-born cleric linked to al-Qaeda, killed in Yemen - The Washington Post
---------- Post added at 10:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:09 PM ----------
^^^ Praise be to Allah for His JUSTICE!
By Sudarsan Raghavan, Friday, September 30, 5:38 AM
SANAA, Yemen Anwar al-Aulaqi, a radical U.S.-born Muslim cleric and one of the most influential al-Qaeda leaders wanted by the United States, was killed Friday in a CIA drone strike in northern Yemen, U.S. and Yemeni authorities said, eliminating a prominent terrorist recruiter who inspired attacks on U.S. soil.
The strike also killed a second U.S. citizen Samir Khan, the co-editor of an al-Qaeda magazine and two other unidentified al-Qaeda operatives, the Yemeni government said. But tribal leaders in the area said at least seven people were killed. They identified one of the others as al-Qaeda militant named Salem bin Arfaaj.
One of the world's most wanted terrorists has been killed, according to the Yemeni government. U.S. born al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Aulaqi was killed. Tribal leaders say an air strike targeted an al-Qaeda convoy.
In Washington, senior Obama administration officials confirmed that Aulaqi, 40, a dual national of the United States and Yemen, and Khan were killed in a drone strike on their convoy.
The strike was carried out by a CIA drone operating from a new agency base on the Arabian Peninsula, U.S. officials said. It marks the first time that the CIA has launched a drone strike in Yemen since 2002, and the first indication that the new base is operational. The Post is withholding details on the specific location of the base at the request of the Obama administration.
President Obama called Aulaqis death a major blow to al-Qaedas most active operational affiliate and described him as the leader of external operations for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a group known as AQAP.
In that role, he took the lead in planning and directing efforts to murder innocent Americans, Obama said at a ceremony honoring the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at Fort Myer.
Khan, a member of AQAP, co-edited the groups slick English-language Internet magazine, Inspire, which was intended to recruit Westerners to al-Qaedas fold. Aulaqi was also believed to have played a role in creating the online-only magazine, whose first issue in July 2010 included an article titled Making a bomb in the kitchen of your mom. Khan, a Saudi-born U.S. citizen raised in Queens, N.Y., and Charlotte, traveled to Yemen to join AQAP and probably operated under Aulaqis direction, terrorism experts have said.
Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemeni government spokesman, said in an e-mail that Yemeni intelligence had pinpointed Aulaqis hideout and monitored his movements before the airstrike.
The first word of the strike came from the Yemeni Defense Ministry, which sent a text message sent to journalists announcing that the terrorist Anwar al-Aulaqi has been killed along with some of his companions. It did not provide further details. Aulaqi had been falsely reported killed before. He had been the target of previous U.S. strikes and was quoted as laughing off an attempt to kill him in May.
In a separate e-mailed statement, the Yemeni government said Aulaqi was targeted and killed five miles from the town of Khashef in Yemens northern Jawf province, 87 miles east of the capital, Sanaa. The attack, the statement said, was launched at 9:55 a.m. Friday local time.
Anwar al-Aulaqi, U.S.-born cleric linked to al-Qaeda, killed in Yemen - The Washington Post
---------- Post added at 10:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:09 PM ----------
^^^ Praise be to Allah for His JUSTICE!
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The U.S. is a nation of cowards. Try something like that in a superpower nation like India and we will give the cowardly Americans a Brahmos for every one of their carriers that sails and every one of their F-22 that flies.
The U.S. can be defined as a cowardly and barbaric nation that only attacks the weak. No match against Vietnam, no match against Korea, and definitely no match against superpower India.
The U.S. can be defined as a cowardly and barbaric nation that only attacks the weak. No match against Vietnam, no match against Korea, and definitely no match against superpower India.
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As the largest democratic country in the known universe, it is the duty of India and every Indian to uphold freedom and democracy everywhere and anywhere. The U.S. presents itself as the single largest terrorist body in the whole world. Everywhere they go, they steal, they lie, they kill, they massacre, they slaughter-- this is NOT democracy, this is TERRORISM. Nazi Germany is a saint compared to what the U.S. is.
India will not stand silently as the world is exploited and harmed by the United States of Terrorism.
Hey cowboys, our Brahmos are ready, are you?
India will not stand silently as the world is exploited and harmed by the United States of Terrorism.
Hey cowboys, our Brahmos are ready, are you?
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AQAP's senior bomb maker Asiri not killed in strike that killed Awlaki
By BILL ROGGIO, October 2, 2011
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's top bomb maker was not killed in the US airstrike in Yemen that is thought to have killed American citizens and AQAP operatives Anwar al Awlaki and Samir Khan. But two other AQAP operatives killed in the strike have been identified.
Ibrahim Hassan Tali al Asiri "was not killed nor targeted in this operation," a senior Yemeni official who wishes to remain anonymous told The Long War Journal. Asiri was thought to have been killed, but his death was not confirmed by US officials.
The US added Asiri to the list of designated terrorists in March of this year. Asiri is perhaps best known for assembling the explosive device that was used by his brother in an attempt to assassinate Prince Muhammad bin Nayef bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabia's Deputy Minister of the Interior. Asiri's brother killed only himself; Saud was lightly wounded.
Five people, including Awlaki, a senior AQAP propagandist, cleric, and recruiter, and Khan, the editor of Inspire magazine, the terror group's English language magazine, were said to have been killed in the Oct. 1 strike in al Jawf province.
Two of the other operatives killed have been identified as Abdul Rahman bin Arfaj and Mohammed Salem al Na'aj, the Yemeni official said.
Arfaj was the "brother of the owner of the house that Awlaki left before the air strike," the official said. The brother who owns the house is named Khames bin Arfaj, and was "a member of Islah who was the party nominee for the 2003 Parliamentary elections."
The Islah Party is the main opposition party in Yemen. One of its most prominent wings consists of Salafists who are led by Abdul Majeed al Zindani, who has been described by the US government as Osama bin Laden's mentor. Zindani is on the US's list of specially designated global terrorists. The Yemeni branch of the Muslim Brotherhood also is a major faction in Islah. The Yemeni government has accused elements of Islah of teaming up with al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to conduct attacks against military forces loyal to embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Na'aj, the other fighter killed in the strike, was a member of the Obaidah tribe in Marib province, the Yemeni official said.
US and Yemeni officials are confident that Awlaki was killed in the Oct. 1 strike, which was carried out by a unit comprised of CIA operatives and Joint Special Operations Forces troops operating Predator and Reaper drones from bases in the region. The Yemeni official said his government is certain that Khan was also killed. AQAP has not released a statement announcing the martyrdom of either Awlaki or Khan.
Read more: AQAP's senior bomb maker Asiri not killed in strike that killed Awlaki - The Long War Journal
By BILL ROGGIO, October 2, 2011
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's top bomb maker was not killed in the US airstrike in Yemen that is thought to have killed American citizens and AQAP operatives Anwar al Awlaki and Samir Khan. But two other AQAP operatives killed in the strike have been identified.
Ibrahim Hassan Tali al Asiri "was not killed nor targeted in this operation," a senior Yemeni official who wishes to remain anonymous told The Long War Journal. Asiri was thought to have been killed, but his death was not confirmed by US officials.
The US added Asiri to the list of designated terrorists in March of this year. Asiri is perhaps best known for assembling the explosive device that was used by his brother in an attempt to assassinate Prince Muhammad bin Nayef bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabia's Deputy Minister of the Interior. Asiri's brother killed only himself; Saud was lightly wounded.
Five people, including Awlaki, a senior AQAP propagandist, cleric, and recruiter, and Khan, the editor of Inspire magazine, the terror group's English language magazine, were said to have been killed in the Oct. 1 strike in al Jawf province.
Two of the other operatives killed have been identified as Abdul Rahman bin Arfaj and Mohammed Salem al Na'aj, the Yemeni official said.
Arfaj was the "brother of the owner of the house that Awlaki left before the air strike," the official said. The brother who owns the house is named Khames bin Arfaj, and was "a member of Islah who was the party nominee for the 2003 Parliamentary elections."
The Islah Party is the main opposition party in Yemen. One of its most prominent wings consists of Salafists who are led by Abdul Majeed al Zindani, who has been described by the US government as Osama bin Laden's mentor. Zindani is on the US's list of specially designated global terrorists. The Yemeni branch of the Muslim Brotherhood also is a major faction in Islah. The Yemeni government has accused elements of Islah of teaming up with al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to conduct attacks against military forces loyal to embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Na'aj, the other fighter killed in the strike, was a member of the Obaidah tribe in Marib province, the Yemeni official said.
US and Yemeni officials are confident that Awlaki was killed in the Oct. 1 strike, which was carried out by a unit comprised of CIA operatives and Joint Special Operations Forces troops operating Predator and Reaper drones from bases in the region. The Yemeni official said his government is certain that Khan was also killed. AQAP has not released a statement announcing the martyrdom of either Awlaki or Khan.
Read more: AQAP's senior bomb maker Asiri not killed in strike that killed Awlaki - The Long War Journal
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One thing that disturbs me about the killing of Awlaki is American's willingness to kill its own citizens without trial. The U.S government lists Awlaki as a terrorist, which is fine if they have the evidence to paint him as one. However, he was simply put on the targetted killing list, and never been tried in court for his alleged crimes.
In short, the U.S government once again sh*t all over the principles of fundamental justice. This isn't the first time and definitely wouldn't be the last.
In short, the U.S government once again sh*t all over the principles of fundamental justice. This isn't the first time and definitely wouldn't be the last.
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US Predators kill five AQAP fighters in southern Yemen
By BILL ROGGIO, October 6, 2011
Unmanned US Predators operated by the CIA and the Joint Special Operations command killed five al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters during an airstrike in southern Yemen yesterday.
The strike took place in the Al Arqoub area east of Zinjibar, the embattled provincial capital of Abyan in southern Yemen, according to The Associated Press. Seven fighters were also wounded in the strike. The exact target of the strike has not been disclosed, and no senior al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leaders have been reported killed.
The US government has decided to focus on a small core of AQAP operatives who focus on striking the US and are ignoring the wider AQAP insurgency in Yemen, according to a report in The Washington Post. The US would "fight AQAP only to prevent it from attacking the United States and its interests," the newspaper reported. White House counterterrorism adviser John O. Brennan put the number of AQAP fighters viewed as a direct threat to the US as "a couple of dozen, maybe."
The US is known to have carried out at least 14 air and cruise missile strikes against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leaders and fighters since mid-December 2009. One other strike was carried out in 2002. Other recent airstrikes are thought to have been carried out by the US also, but little evidence has emerged to directly link the attacks to the US.
The use of US airpower in Yemen has increased significantly over the past year. Nine of the 14 strikes since 2009 have taken place this year. The last confirmed strike, on Sept. 30, killed American AQAP operatives Anwar al Awalki and Samir Khan. The Americans were top AQAP propagandists. Awlaki also served as a top ideologue, recruiter, and operational commander. Two other AQAP operatives known as Abdul Rahman bin Arfaj and Mohammed Salem al Na'aj, were also killed. Senior AQAP bomb maker Ibrahim Hassan Tali al Asiri was initially thought to have been killed, but is now believed to have survived the strike.
The US military's Joint Special Operations Command and the CIA are known to operate the armed Predators and Reapers from bases in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, and from the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. Bases are also being built in Ethiopia and an unnamed country on the Arabian Peninsula. The bases are to be used to attack al Qaeda affiliates Shabaab, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
Since December 2009, some of the top leaders of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula have been targeted in US airstrikes, including Abu Basir al Wuhayshi, the group's leader; Said Ali al Shihri, the second in command; Abu Hurayrah Qasim al Raymi, the military commander; Ibrahim Suleiman al Rubaish, the top ideologue; and Awlaki.
Read more: US Predators kill five AQAP fighters in southern Yemen - The Long War Journal
By BILL ROGGIO, October 6, 2011
Unmanned US Predators operated by the CIA and the Joint Special Operations command killed five al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters during an airstrike in southern Yemen yesterday.
The strike took place in the Al Arqoub area east of Zinjibar, the embattled provincial capital of Abyan in southern Yemen, according to The Associated Press. Seven fighters were also wounded in the strike. The exact target of the strike has not been disclosed, and no senior al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leaders have been reported killed.
The US government has decided to focus on a small core of AQAP operatives who focus on striking the US and are ignoring the wider AQAP insurgency in Yemen, according to a report in The Washington Post. The US would "fight AQAP only to prevent it from attacking the United States and its interests," the newspaper reported. White House counterterrorism adviser John O. Brennan put the number of AQAP fighters viewed as a direct threat to the US as "a couple of dozen, maybe."
The US is known to have carried out at least 14 air and cruise missile strikes against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leaders and fighters since mid-December 2009. One other strike was carried out in 2002. Other recent airstrikes are thought to have been carried out by the US also, but little evidence has emerged to directly link the attacks to the US.
The use of US airpower in Yemen has increased significantly over the past year. Nine of the 14 strikes since 2009 have taken place this year. The last confirmed strike, on Sept. 30, killed American AQAP operatives Anwar al Awalki and Samir Khan. The Americans were top AQAP propagandists. Awlaki also served as a top ideologue, recruiter, and operational commander. Two other AQAP operatives known as Abdul Rahman bin Arfaj and Mohammed Salem al Na'aj, were also killed. Senior AQAP bomb maker Ibrahim Hassan Tali al Asiri was initially thought to have been killed, but is now believed to have survived the strike.
The US military's Joint Special Operations Command and the CIA are known to operate the armed Predators and Reapers from bases in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, and from the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. Bases are also being built in Ethiopia and an unnamed country on the Arabian Peninsula. The bases are to be used to attack al Qaeda affiliates Shabaab, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
Since December 2009, some of the top leaders of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula have been targeted in US airstrikes, including Abu Basir al Wuhayshi, the group's leader; Said Ali al Shihri, the second in command; Abu Hurayrah Qasim al Raymi, the military commander; Ibrahim Suleiman al Rubaish, the top ideologue; and Awlaki.
Read more: US Predators kill five AQAP fighters in southern Yemen - The Long War Journal
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AQAP confirms Anwar al Awlaki killed in US drone strike
By THOMAS JOSCELYNOctober 10, 2011
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has confirmed that Anwar al Awlaki was killed in a US drone strike last month, according to the SITE Intelligence Group. In a statement released to online jihadist forums, AQAP also confirmed the killing of Samir Khan, who edited AQAP's online English publication, Inspire.
Ironically, AQAP's own martyrdom statement confirms Awlaki's and Khan's roles in the organization, as the terror group does not issue such statements for just anyone. Moreover, AQAP refers to Awlaki as the "mujahid heroic sheikh."
There is another layer of irony in AQAP's attempt to play up the American legal debate as well. In an issue of Khan's Inspire magazine published last year, Awlaki railed against Western laws and "civil states."
Awlaki's piece was written in response to "The New Mardin Declaration," which was published by Islamic scholars in March 2010. The moderate scholars called on Muslims, Christians, and Jews to live in peaceful coexistence in the modern, Western nation state.
For Awlaki, this was simply unacceptable because it means that Muslims would have to accept Western law.
"At a time when American expenditure on its army is anything but decreasing, these scholars are asking us to give up any form of resistance and live as law - Western law that is - abiding citizens," Awlaki sneered. The al Qaeda cleric continued: "They are asking us to live as sheep, as pleasantly as a flock of tame, peaceful, and obedient sheep. One billion and a quarter Muslims with no say on the world stage, stripped from their right to live as Muslims under the law of Islam, directly and indirectly occupied by the West, are asked to live as sheep. Is that the role of scholars?"
AQAP describes Awlaki as the "preaching sheikh." Critics of the drone strike on Awlaki have claimed that he was merely a radical preacher with no operational role in al Qaeda's terrorism. However, emails released during the trial of a convicted al Qaeda recruit show that Awlaki played a direct role in orchestrating terrorist plots.
For example, Awlaki explained in one email to Rajib Karim, who was plotting a "spectacular" attack on airliners, that AQAP's "highest priority is the US." Awlaki continued: "Anything there, even if on a smaller scale compared to what we may do in the UK, would be our choice. So the question is: with the people you have, is it possible to get a package or a person with a package on board a flight heading to the US?"
Other emails showed that Awlaki explored granular details of the plot, including airport and airline security, with Karim.
The Obama administration has also alleged that Awlaki played a direct role in Umar Farouq Abdulmutallab's failed Christmas Day 2009 terror plot, as well as other AQAP plots and terrorist operations.
In court filings last year, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper explained that Awlaki was not just a spiritual advisor for Abdulmutallab. Shortly after Abdulmutallab swore allegiance to the emir of AQAP, Nasir al Wuhayshi, he "received instructions from [Awlaki]...to detonate an explosive device aboard a US airplane over US airspace." Awlaki was directly involved in "preparing" Abdulmutallab for the Christmas Day 2009 operation, according to Clapper.
In a 2010 press release, Stuart Levey, who was then Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the US Treasury Department, said that Awlaki "has involved himself in every aspect of the supply chain of terrorism -- fundraising for terrorist groups, recruiting and training operatives, and planning and ordering attacks on innocents."
In designating Awlaki an al Qaeda, the Treasury Department noted that he had "taken on an increasingly operational role" in AQAP since late 2009.
Awlaki also inspired numerous terrorist plots in which he apparently played no operational role. For instance, Major Nidal Malik Hasan corresponded with Awlaki repeatedly in the months leading up to the Nov. 5, 2009 Fort Hood shooting. Afterward, Awlaki referred to Hasan as one of his "students."
A Congressional Joint Inquiry into the Sept. 11 attacks also found that Awlaki was a "spiritual advisor" for at least two of the hijackers.
Read more: AQAP confirms Anwar al Awlaki killed in US drone strike - The Long War Journal
By THOMAS JOSCELYNOctober 10, 2011
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has confirmed that Anwar al Awlaki was killed in a US drone strike last month, according to the SITE Intelligence Group. In a statement released to online jihadist forums, AQAP also confirmed the killing of Samir Khan, who edited AQAP's online English publication, Inspire.
Ironically, AQAP's own martyrdom statement confirms Awlaki's and Khan's roles in the organization, as the terror group does not issue such statements for just anyone. Moreover, AQAP refers to Awlaki as the "mujahid heroic sheikh."
There is another layer of irony in AQAP's attempt to play up the American legal debate as well. In an issue of Khan's Inspire magazine published last year, Awlaki railed against Western laws and "civil states."
Awlaki's piece was written in response to "The New Mardin Declaration," which was published by Islamic scholars in March 2010. The moderate scholars called on Muslims, Christians, and Jews to live in peaceful coexistence in the modern, Western nation state.
For Awlaki, this was simply unacceptable because it means that Muslims would have to accept Western law.
"At a time when American expenditure on its army is anything but decreasing, these scholars are asking us to give up any form of resistance and live as law - Western law that is - abiding citizens," Awlaki sneered. The al Qaeda cleric continued: "They are asking us to live as sheep, as pleasantly as a flock of tame, peaceful, and obedient sheep. One billion and a quarter Muslims with no say on the world stage, stripped from their right to live as Muslims under the law of Islam, directly and indirectly occupied by the West, are asked to live as sheep. Is that the role of scholars?"
AQAP describes Awlaki as the "preaching sheikh." Critics of the drone strike on Awlaki have claimed that he was merely a radical preacher with no operational role in al Qaeda's terrorism. However, emails released during the trial of a convicted al Qaeda recruit show that Awlaki played a direct role in orchestrating terrorist plots.
For example, Awlaki explained in one email to Rajib Karim, who was plotting a "spectacular" attack on airliners, that AQAP's "highest priority is the US." Awlaki continued: "Anything there, even if on a smaller scale compared to what we may do in the UK, would be our choice. So the question is: with the people you have, is it possible to get a package or a person with a package on board a flight heading to the US?"
Other emails showed that Awlaki explored granular details of the plot, including airport and airline security, with Karim.
The Obama administration has also alleged that Awlaki played a direct role in Umar Farouq Abdulmutallab's failed Christmas Day 2009 terror plot, as well as other AQAP plots and terrorist operations.
In court filings last year, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper explained that Awlaki was not just a spiritual advisor for Abdulmutallab. Shortly after Abdulmutallab swore allegiance to the emir of AQAP, Nasir al Wuhayshi, he "received instructions from [Awlaki]...to detonate an explosive device aboard a US airplane over US airspace." Awlaki was directly involved in "preparing" Abdulmutallab for the Christmas Day 2009 operation, according to Clapper.
In a 2010 press release, Stuart Levey, who was then Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the US Treasury Department, said that Awlaki "has involved himself in every aspect of the supply chain of terrorism -- fundraising for terrorist groups, recruiting and training operatives, and planning and ordering attacks on innocents."
In designating Awlaki an al Qaeda, the Treasury Department noted that he had "taken on an increasingly operational role" in AQAP since late 2009.
Awlaki also inspired numerous terrorist plots in which he apparently played no operational role. For instance, Major Nidal Malik Hasan corresponded with Awlaki repeatedly in the months leading up to the Nov. 5, 2009 Fort Hood shooting. Afterward, Awlaki referred to Hasan as one of his "students."
A Congressional Joint Inquiry into the Sept. 11 attacks also found that Awlaki was a "spiritual advisor" for at least two of the hijackers.
Read more: AQAP confirms Anwar al Awlaki killed in US drone strike - The Long War Journal
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Senior al-Qaeda figure 'killed in Yemen'
Yemeni defence ministry says al-Qaeda media chief among nine killed in air raid in south of the country.
Last Modified: 15 Oct 2011 19:59
Egyptian-born Ibrahim al-Banna was killed in Shabwa province by an air strike
The media chief for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has been killed along with eight other people in an air strike in southern Yemen, according to the Yemeni defence ministry.
The ministry said in a statement on Saturday that Egyptian-born Ibrahim al-Banna was killed on Friday night in Shabwa province.
Security officials said the air strike was among five that targeted al-Qaeda positions in Shabwa.
The statement added that al-Banna was wanted "internationally" for "planning attacks both inside and outside Yemen.
"He was one of the group's most dangerous operatives," it said.
The first strike late Friday targeted a house in the Azan district of Shabwa, but hit just after al-Qaeda fighters had a meeting in the building, security officials and tribal elders said.
They said a second strike then targeted two sport utility vehicles in which al-Banna was traveling along with several others, destroying the vehicles and leaving the men's bodies charred.
It was not clear whether other participants in the meeting were targeted in separate strikes.
Senior al-Qaeda figure 'killed in Yemen' - Middle East - Al Jazeera English
Yemeni defence ministry says al-Qaeda media chief among nine killed in air raid in south of the country.
Last Modified: 15 Oct 2011 19:59
Egyptian-born Ibrahim al-Banna was killed in Shabwa province by an air strike
The media chief for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has been killed along with eight other people in an air strike in southern Yemen, according to the Yemeni defence ministry.
The ministry said in a statement on Saturday that Egyptian-born Ibrahim al-Banna was killed on Friday night in Shabwa province.
Security officials said the air strike was among five that targeted al-Qaeda positions in Shabwa.
The statement added that al-Banna was wanted "internationally" for "planning attacks both inside and outside Yemen.
"He was one of the group's most dangerous operatives," it said.
The first strike late Friday targeted a house in the Azan district of Shabwa, but hit just after al-Qaeda fighters had a meeting in the building, security officials and tribal elders said.
They said a second strike then targeted two sport utility vehicles in which al-Banna was traveling along with several others, destroying the vehicles and leaving the men's bodies charred.
It was not clear whether other participants in the meeting were targeted in separate strikes.
Senior al-Qaeda figure 'killed in Yemen' - Middle East - Al Jazeera English
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Nine killed in US drone strikes on Yemen
Laura Kasinof, October 17, 2011
ADEN: Air strikes, believed to be by US drones, have killed at least nine people in Yemen, including a senior official of the regional branch of al-Qaeda and an American, the 17-year-old son of an al-Qaeda official killed by the US last month, according to the government and local reports.
The US drone strike that killed al-Qaeda senior official Anwar al-Awlaki was particularly controversial in the US because despite being a US citizen, he was killed without due process.
The killing of his son, Abdel Rahman al-Awlaki, 17, in the attack on Friday night, if confirmed, would be the second time an American has been killed by the US.
Yemeni authorities said there were two air strikes in Shabwa province on Friday night, and that Ibrahim al-Banna, the Egyptian-born leader of the media wing of al-Qaeda, was killed. Six others were wounded, according to a statement on the official Saba news agency.
Local reports said nine people were killed in the air strikes.
Read more: Nine killed in US drone strikes on Yemen
Laura Kasinof, October 17, 2011
ADEN: Air strikes, believed to be by US drones, have killed at least nine people in Yemen, including a senior official of the regional branch of al-Qaeda and an American, the 17-year-old son of an al-Qaeda official killed by the US last month, according to the government and local reports.
The US drone strike that killed al-Qaeda senior official Anwar al-Awlaki was particularly controversial in the US because despite being a US citizen, he was killed without due process.
The killing of his son, Abdel Rahman al-Awlaki, 17, in the attack on Friday night, if confirmed, would be the second time an American has been killed by the US.
Yemeni authorities said there were two air strikes in Shabwa province on Friday night, and that Ibrahim al-Banna, the Egyptian-born leader of the media wing of al-Qaeda, was killed. Six others were wounded, according to a statement on the official Saba news agency.
Local reports said nine people were killed in the air strikes.
Read more: Nine killed in US drone strikes on Yemen
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U.S. launches airstrike against al-Qaeda affiliate in Yemen
By Karen DeYoung, Tuesday, January 31, 2:32 PM
The U.S. military launched an airstrike against Yemen’s al-Qaeda affiliate on Tuesday, targeting an area of the country where the group is increasingly asserting its influence.
At least a dozen people were killed in the strike, including insurgents from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and local militants, according to some reports. Other accounts put the death toll at about half that number.
 The death of Osama bin Laden has not fully disabled his terrorist group. Here’s a look at individuals deemed the most wanted terrorists in al-Qaeda.
Abdul Monem al-Fahtani, said to be a mid-level AQAP leader, was reportedly among the dead. Fahtani has long been on terrorist target lists of both the Yemeni and U.S. governments. He was the target of an attack by Yemeni forces in late 2010, although his death was never confirmed.
Tuesday’s attack was carried out by the Joint Special Operations Command, which operates alongside the CIA in Yemen. It was unclear whether it involved unmanned drones, cruise missiles or piloted aircraft. All have been used in previous attacks in Yemen.
The strike follows a lull in U.S. air attacks in Yemen after the death of Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born radical cleric and AQAP leader who was killed in a drone strike in September.
Administration officials have expressed concern over AQAP’s expansion in southern Yemen, where various groups of local insurgents have taken control of territory during the political upheaval that has swept the country over the past year.
Some analysts have speculated that AQAP has at least temporarily shifted its focus from international terrorism to domestic goals in Yemen, joining forces with other militant groups to claim a geographic base from which to attack the government.
“The group is particularly strong in the Abyan and Shabwah [provinces], and they’ll most likely expand from there to establish themselves as a force in the surrounding provinces,” said a U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence and counterterrorism matters.
But “AQAP hasn’t changed its two main aims, which are to attack the West, while undermining the government of Yemen to solidify their safe haven there,” the official said. “They may have more success at the latter if they continue to take advantage of the political unrest there, which is going to be tense for some time.”
U.S. officials have insisted that political turmoil in Yemen, where violence has repeatedly erupted between opposition forces and those loyal to outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh, has not interfered with Yemeni cooperation on counterterrorism operations.
Although the U.S. military took the lead in Tuesday’s strike, the CIA, which is seen as more effective in building human intelligence networks, has taken a more prominent role in the operations in recent months, said a former U.S. official with knowledge of the operations.
The CIA has also been able to develop a much closer relationship with Yemeni intelligence officials, the former official said. Those relationships proved crucial in the Awlaki strike, when the CIA was led to Awlaki’s location by a Yemeni intelligence source.
eda affiliate in Yemen
In the wake of the Awlaki killing, there has been a significant slowing in drone strikes in Yemen, in part because AQAP leaders have become more disciplined in their actions — relying on couriers instead of cellphones, for example, and not returning to the same places.
“Of all the al-Qaeda offshoots, AQAP has been the best at learning lessons,” the former official said.
Yemen has become a template for growing CIA and JSOC counterterrorism collaboration. Unlike in Pakistan, where the CIA has had sole responsibility for hundreds of drone strikes against alleged insurgent safe havens in the tribal regions along the Afghanistan border, both the CIA and the military have participated in the Yemen strikes.
The CIA’s drone strikes in Pakistan have been far more extensive, and more controversial, than the joint operations in Yemen. Opponents in this country, including human rights activists and international law specialists, have been repeatedly stymied in efforts to force the administration to reveal more details about the secret drone program and civilian casualties it might have caused.
A federal court found last fall that the CIA’s careful avoidance of any public mention of drones meant that it remained an off-limits intelligence matter.
President Obama may have aided the cause of those arguing for more transparency, however, in comments he made during a “virtual interview” held Monday by Google and YouTube.
Speaking in far more specific terms than any previous administration official, Obama said that “I want to make sure that people understand that drones have not caused a huge number of civilian casualties. For the most part, they have been very precise, precision strikes against al-Qaeda and their affiliates.”
The perception that “we’re just sending in a whole bunch of strikes willy-nilly,” Obama said, was incorrect. “This is a targeted, focused effort at people who are on a list of active terrorists, who are trying to go in and harm Americans, hit American facilities, American bases and so on.”
“I think that we have to be judicious in how we use drones,” Obama said.
U.S. launches airstrike against al Qaeda in Yemen - The Washington Post
By Karen DeYoung, Tuesday, January 31, 2:32 PM
The U.S. military launched an airstrike against Yemen’s al-Qaeda affiliate on Tuesday, targeting an area of the country where the group is increasingly asserting its influence.
At least a dozen people were killed in the strike, including insurgents from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and local militants, according to some reports. Other accounts put the death toll at about half that number.
 The death of Osama bin Laden has not fully disabled his terrorist group. Here’s a look at individuals deemed the most wanted terrorists in al-Qaeda.
Abdul Monem al-Fahtani, said to be a mid-level AQAP leader, was reportedly among the dead. Fahtani has long been on terrorist target lists of both the Yemeni and U.S. governments. He was the target of an attack by Yemeni forces in late 2010, although his death was never confirmed.
Tuesday’s attack was carried out by the Joint Special Operations Command, which operates alongside the CIA in Yemen. It was unclear whether it involved unmanned drones, cruise missiles or piloted aircraft. All have been used in previous attacks in Yemen.
The strike follows a lull in U.S. air attacks in Yemen after the death of Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born radical cleric and AQAP leader who was killed in a drone strike in September.
Administration officials have expressed concern over AQAP’s expansion in southern Yemen, where various groups of local insurgents have taken control of territory during the political upheaval that has swept the country over the past year.
Some analysts have speculated that AQAP has at least temporarily shifted its focus from international terrorism to domestic goals in Yemen, joining forces with other militant groups to claim a geographic base from which to attack the government.
“The group is particularly strong in the Abyan and Shabwah [provinces], and they’ll most likely expand from there to establish themselves as a force in the surrounding provinces,” said a U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence and counterterrorism matters.
But “AQAP hasn’t changed its two main aims, which are to attack the West, while undermining the government of Yemen to solidify their safe haven there,” the official said. “They may have more success at the latter if they continue to take advantage of the political unrest there, which is going to be tense for some time.”
U.S. officials have insisted that political turmoil in Yemen, where violence has repeatedly erupted between opposition forces and those loyal to outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh, has not interfered with Yemeni cooperation on counterterrorism operations.
Although the U.S. military took the lead in Tuesday’s strike, the CIA, which is seen as more effective in building human intelligence networks, has taken a more prominent role in the operations in recent months, said a former U.S. official with knowledge of the operations.
The CIA has also been able to develop a much closer relationship with Yemeni intelligence officials, the former official said. Those relationships proved crucial in the Awlaki strike, when the CIA was led to Awlaki’s location by a Yemeni intelligence source.
eda affiliate in Yemen
In the wake of the Awlaki killing, there has been a significant slowing in drone strikes in Yemen, in part because AQAP leaders have become more disciplined in their actions — relying on couriers instead of cellphones, for example, and not returning to the same places.
“Of all the al-Qaeda offshoots, AQAP has been the best at learning lessons,” the former official said.
Yemen has become a template for growing CIA and JSOC counterterrorism collaboration. Unlike in Pakistan, where the CIA has had sole responsibility for hundreds of drone strikes against alleged insurgent safe havens in the tribal regions along the Afghanistan border, both the CIA and the military have participated in the Yemen strikes.
The CIA’s drone strikes in Pakistan have been far more extensive, and more controversial, than the joint operations in Yemen. Opponents in this country, including human rights activists and international law specialists, have been repeatedly stymied in efforts to force the administration to reveal more details about the secret drone program and civilian casualties it might have caused.
A federal court found last fall that the CIA’s careful avoidance of any public mention of drones meant that it remained an off-limits intelligence matter.
President Obama may have aided the cause of those arguing for more transparency, however, in comments he made during a “virtual interview” held Monday by Google and YouTube.
Speaking in far more specific terms than any previous administration official, Obama said that “I want to make sure that people understand that drones have not caused a huge number of civilian casualties. For the most part, they have been very precise, precision strikes against al-Qaeda and their affiliates.”
The perception that “we’re just sending in a whole bunch of strikes willy-nilly,” Obama said, was incorrect. “This is a targeted, focused effort at people who are on a list of active terrorists, who are trying to go in and harm Americans, hit American facilities, American bases and so on.”
“I think that we have to be judicious in how we use drones,” Obama said.
U.S. launches airstrike against al Qaeda in Yemen - The Washington Post
