Democratic senator calls for direct U.S. military action in Yemen

[bigtree]

Friday Jan 15, 2010

WASHINGTON - A Senate committee chairman says the United States should consider whether air strikes, armed drones and clandestine operations are necessary in Yemen to defeat al Qaeda militants there.

Yesterday's remark by Democratic Senator Carl Levin, who chairs the armed services committee, was a rare admission by a senior official that direct US military action in Yemen is possible, if it has not happened already. Such operations are highly classified.

The White House and Pentagon have said they have no plans to send ground troops to Yemen, and Yemen has made it clear it would not want them. Remaining options would include covert strikes against al Qaeda targets and increased aid to help train and equip Yemeni security forces.

Levin said drone attacks similar to those conducted in Pakistan should be considered because they had succeeded in crippling al Qaeda forces along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. He said he would expect the quiet permission of Yemen's Government.


read: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10620305

[StarfarerBill]

1. "He said he would expect the quiet permission of Yemen's Government."

And he should expect the not-so-quiet resistance of the Yemeni populace.

[bigtree]

3. the mere suggestions of US strikes have already been exploited by the clerics there

. . . and threaten to turn the already-brewing regional and local uprisings into U.S. vs. Yemeni - David and Goliath face-offs.

I mostly like the president's response so far which has ranged from the expected initial warning and posturing, to the outright disavowal of any imminent ground operations. I wonder if that includes the 'clandestine' activity that Sen. Levin is talking about? I agree with him that those may have already begun.

[StarfarerBill]

5. No doubt our involvement is much deeper than is being let on.

Sadly, I think it's only a matter of time before it turns into continuous aerial attacks and then numerous boots on the ground.

[bigtree]

6. let's hope not

It's not as if Yemen is some new territory for the military and the CIA. But, I get your point. I wouldn't expect this president to exploit the situation to escalate it, but I just heard the administration this morning warning about another planned 'al-Qaeda strike' they'd discovered and it was like an echo from the past.

[Mari333]

2. Thats my senator, and he has been bought and sold.

time to send his sorry ass to the front lines.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. Erect bogeyman, wave flag, give money to the Pentagon, send in the bombers, works every time.

Or, drones, or cannon-fodder, or the thugs from the CIA.

[bigtree]

7. both our nation's defenders and our antagonists abroad

. . . are easily drawn into this cycle of attacks and reprisals which almost always has the effect of escalating the violence from both sides.


BACK and forth, the ascended,
Leaders hurl their followers,
Into the bloody abyss upended,
Neither of them can be bothered,

Save the ones who do the dying,
There's nothing left for the tyrants,
But to gather up more kindling,
To appease the smoldered silence,

Mourning melds grief into anger,
Brooding saviors rise to avenge,
Oblivious now of the danger,
Their prideful posture does portend,

Power maims to gain the ground,
Casts bold shadows across fear-ed's face,
Yet reaps the bare Earth where death stands,
Disturbs dust which was laid to waste,

Shrouds the martyr's bloody veil,
Soils the tyrant's immaculate cloak,
Yet, Mesopotamia will prevail,
To spite the war its descendants spoke.


- (Terrorists, 6-10-2006)

[leftstreet]

8. +1

[invictus]

16. +2

[anonymous171]

9. FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK

[arcadian]

10. Yeah, let's put boots on the ground on the Arabian peninsula

Splendid idea, because the blowback from that worked out so well before. :eyes:

[Gregorian]

14. Yes, let's increase the suffering in the world. There isn't quite enough yet.

Some people just don't get it yet. We're not all living in mansions in Martha's Vineyard. Bombs won't help.

Take the cash, help the poor. Fuck the ammunition manufacturers in Arizona. Or wherever they are.

[bvar22]

11. "if it has not happened already"

"direct US military action in Yemen is possible, if it has not happened already"

Breaking the news gently.

SE Asia Redux. (secret wars)


I'm sure glad I voted for "CHANGE".
.
.
.
.
.
(sigh)

[fascisthunter]

12. send Carl Levin there with a gun

is DC an insane asylum?

[Mithreal]

20. ,

:applause:

[Taitertots]

13. It seems like Obama is just trying as hard as he can to be a single term president

Obama was elected to stop these wars not expand them. If we go to Yemen he will not get another term.

[bigtree]

19. the worrisome thing is

. . . blowback doesn't just depend on 'troops on the ground' in Yemen. If the president and the administration don't figure out how to keep U.S. activity of any kind on the down-low in Yemen, the resistance to the regime there will exploit the alliance to transform the already violent anti-regime sentiment there into an potent, anti-American conflict.

[bahrbearian]

15. Yemen to Levin "go fuck yourself"

[RedCappedBandit]

17. *facepalm*

[Zix]

18. Well, there you go.

I'm not angry anymore. Actually I'm not even upset anymore.