http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1110/fractured_yemen.php3
A fractured Yemen frustrates U.S. efforts to weaken al-Qaida there
By Jeffrey Fleishman
cAIRO - (MCT) U.S. efforts to weaken the Qaida branch in Yemen have collided
with that nation's political reality as President Ali Abdullah Saleh needs
foreign support to defeat militants but cannot appear to appease Western
interests in a country where distrust of America runs deep.
Yemen is a freewheeling mix of clan loyalties, rebellions in the north and
south and suspicion of the government that in recent years has made it an
ideal gathering ground for al-Qaida. Echoing the quandary Washington faces
battling militants in Pakistan, Yemen is marked by corruption and, at times,
what seems to be a calculated inability to crush militant elements.
This scenario grew more troubling Friday when two packages containing
explosives that had been shipped from Yemen and addressed to Jewish centers
in Chicago were intercepted before reaching the U.S. The plot followed the
botched Christmas Day attempt by a Nigerian student, allegedly trained by
Yemen's al-Qaida network and carrying explosives in his underwear, to blow
up a U.S. passenger jet.
For years, Yemen was a blip on America's consciousness, an impoverished and
troubled country tucked between Saudi Arabia and the Gulf of Aden. But
al-Qaida's ability to launch global operations from the nation increasingly
worries U.S. and Western intelligence agencies.
Washington has sent military advisers and $150 million this year to train
and assist Yemen's special forces. Despite recent military successes and
growing counterterrorism cooperation between the U.S. and Yemen, however,
the militants remain potent. They have ambushed and killed scores of police
officers and security troops across the country, launched a recent attack in
the capital, Sana, and disappeared last week into the southern mountains to
escape a military offensive.
The Obama administration has intensified pressure on Saleh, and Friday's
foiled terrorist plot may lead to increased U.S. military involvement in
Yemen. The U.S. has not commented on reports in December that it carried out
airstrikes in Yemen that killed as many as 10 militants and at least 40
civilians.
Washington is also seeking to assassinate Anwar al-Awlaki, the radical
American-born cleric who has emerged as a leader in the militant group,
known as al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. U.S. investigators believe the
preacher inspired Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan to go on a shooting rampage
last year at Fort Hood, Texas, killing 13 and wounding 32.
Islamic militants, many of whom could seek refuge in their tribes, were
tolerated inside Yemen for years as long as they aimed their attacks on
other countries, such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Western intelligence
officials have gradually convinced Saleh that al-Qaida's intentions also
include targeting him and his family.
The Yemeni government has stepped up military actions against al-Qaida,
which is believed to have several hundred fighters, mostly Yemeni and Saudi
nationals. How effective those operations have been remains an open
question. The Yemeni news agency reported over the weekend that a raid
involving 1,000 troops and 500 tribesmen loyal to the government ended when
no militants were found in Shabwa province, a haven for jihadists in the
southern part of the country.
Saleh, who once likened ruling Yemen to dancing on the heads of snakes, has
other pressing concerns: A rebellion by Houthi tribesmen in the north, which
sparked widespread destruction and tens of thousands of refugees,
sporadically flares. And in the south, the government is trying to contain a
secessionist movement that many analysts say is more dangerous to Saleh than
al-Qaida.
The key to Saleh's success over nearly three decades in power has been his
manipulating of tribes with promises, money and infrastructure projects. But
largess is getting tight and there is disenchantment in the outlands, most
notably after strikes against al-Qaida also have mistakenly killed tribesmen
and their families.
Saleh's critics claim the president benefits from al-Qaida and other
threats. The air of instability, especially at a time of concern over
international terrorism, has brought outside support for the government and
brought foreign dollars into the country to pay for humanitarian and
military operations.
Yemen's biggest donor is Saudi Arabia, which has tightened its border to
prevent militants from sneaking in and launching attacks, such as a 2009
suicide bombing that nearly killed a prince. The U.S. is expected to
significantly increase aid in coming years as attention to Yemen grows
similar to what it was immediately after the attack on the U.S. destroyer
Cole that killed 17 sailors in 2000.
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