Yemen rebels 'ready to talk' if war stops

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/d66100f964a7.jpg[/atsimg]

Well let's hope the PTB take advantage of this situation. Since the fighting began there have been over 150.000 people displaced. Rumors of Al-Qaeda tied to the botched Christmas attack are all a buzz.

I hope President Kowtow, I mean President Obama keeps us well clear of that mess.

Yemen rebels 'ready to talk' if war stops

DUBAI — Shiite rebels battling government forces in north Yemen told AFP on Saturday they are ready for talks with Sanaa once the government declares a "definitive" end to hostilities against them.

"When the war stops we will be ready for dialogue," Mohammed Abdelsalam told AFP in Dubai by telephone, adding that he was reacting to an appeal from President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

In an article published on Friday to mark the new year, Saleh appealed for reason from the insurgents.

He urged the Zaidi rebels, also known as Huthis, to agree to the conditions laid down by the government for a return to peace, saying they should cease hostilities, withdraw from official buildings and respect the law.

Yemen is the ancestral homeland of Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader, and has seen a spate of attacks against Western targets over the past decade.

On Saturday Barack Obama, the US president, vowed to hold al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to account for the attempted December 25 attack on the Detroit-bound aeroplane.

The growing number of al-Qaeda affiliates has led some analysts to ask if Yemen and Somalia will become new fronts against the group.


This comes after Sheikh Mukhtar Robow Abu Mansour, a senior official in al-Shabab, who announced he would send fighters to Yemen, which lies north of Somalia across the Gulf of Aden.

"We tell our Muslim brothers in Yemen that we will cross the water between us and reach your place to assist you fight the enemy of Allah," Abu Mandou announced on Friday at a ceremony for hundreds of newly trained fighters in north Mogadishu.

"Today you see what is happening in Yemen, the enemy of Allah is destroying your Muslim brothers," he said.

"I call upon the young men in Arab lands to join the fight there."

In his comments on Saturday, al-Qirbi responded: "It would have been wiser for those who promise to export terrorism to work towards stability in their own war-ridden state."

english.aljazeera.net...

I guess only time will tell what happens next?

reply to post by SLAYER69


It is no surprise.

the terrorists are being routed out and need a break.

They ask for peace, rearm and attack again, this has been seen in M.E. battles/wars over and over again.

reply to post by mrmonsoon


The Battle of Tora Bora comes to mind:

al-Qaeda forces negotiated a truce with a local militia commander to give them time to surrender their weapons. In retrospect, however, many believe that the truce was a ruse to allow important al-Qaeda figures, including Osama bin Laden, to escape

Has this been confirmed yet?


Chaos in Yemen Aids Qaeda Cell’s Growth

SANA, Yemen — Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has rapidly evolved into an expanding and ambitious regional terrorist network thanks in part to a weakened, impoverished and distracted Yemeni government.

While Yemen has chased two homegrown rebellions, over the last year the Qaeda cell here has begun sharing resources across borders and has been spurred on to more ambitious attacks by a leadership strengthened by released Qaeda detainees and returning fighters from Iraq.

VOA has a new story out

Yemeni officials say U.S. General David Petraeus met with Yemen's president Saturday, as the country steps up efforts to stop al-Qaida militants.

Sources say Petraeus, who oversees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, discussed the security situation in Yemen with President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The American general recently said Washington would nearly double the $70 million it sends to Yemen in security assistance.

Top US soldier Gen David Petraeus has visited Yemen's president amid a renewed offensive against militants, local media and officials say

The general - responsible for US Middle East and Central Asian operations - reportedly said the US was keen to support Yemen's fight against al-Qaeda

It's a messy situation there for sure. I think the US will end up deeply involved. I can't see they will have much of a choice either.

With huge commitment in Afghanistan and Iraq, this is definatley a situation to give the PTB a huge headache.


g.

news.bbc.co.uk...

Obama has (unfortunately) set things up so that the US has no choice but to continue to push into new countries all in the name of rooting out evil for the sake of world peace. Especially now with his last speech this morning. He has thrown down the gauntlet and pledged to finish this to the end. There is no way for him to back out of that without losing all credibility and with his arrogance and ego, I doubt that will even be considered.

That's why this has been dubbed the never-ending war. Iraq - Afghanistan - Pakistan - Yemen.... and so on.

When you are fighting a group of people that are well-funded and well-armed, and have nothing to hold onto except their own little "family" of like-minded people -- they can, and are, going anywhere. This is not the type of situation where they need tons of machinery, buildings, staff, etc. For them to literally pick up and move, I would imagine it takes little more than the thought, order, and actual physical energy to get there. Further, now couple that with the fact that they can either buy an entire village by vowing to "protect" its members OR if they receive resistance they simply take it over anyway -- what exactly is going to stop them? They literally have entire countries at their disposal to choose from. Statistically, they will encounter people they can either buy or overtake rather easily and continue to push ahead.

These "terrorist cells" (for lack of a more all-encompassing term) are not run like the CIA where there is always the point-man or one leader that you can count on to watch in order to know what's coming next. There is no leader per se at all. They are like satellite offices spread all over the Middle East with the empowerment to act alone and at will.

How many countries now have claimed to have killed or arrested "the leader" or "second-in-command"? Ever notice that the attacks continue without missing a beat? That's because they go into it knowing they will more than likely lose their life, and then will reach martyrdom. It's a win-win for them all the way around. They get praised when they blow other people up and they get praised when they blow themselves up.

But at this point, for the US to say "OK, we've had enough" is rather problematic. Obama has it worse in that department than Bush did because when Bush ordered the invasion, most people were not sure of what to expect. Nobody had fought the way they do in the Middle East for decades. Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending Bush, but Obama already knew from prior mistakes what to expect. So to turn around now and withdraw, it would have to be taken as a defeat. Worse, it would be a defeat the entire allied nations would have to claim. Granted, the US will take the brunt of it, but nobody else is stepping forward with a better plan either. Somehow I think sending thousands of more troops to die and killing civilians will be the lesser of the two evils as far as TPTB are concerned.

Now, on the other hand, signing any kind of agreement with these terrorists is ludicrous. I wouldn't even trust that the guy that came to agree to the deal wasn't laden with bombs and ready to blow up the whole place. Plus, as I said above, who knows what the other smaller, less organized cells are going to do. It doesn't take a large cell to do a lot of damage and kill scores of people.

This war has no happy ending as far as I can see. Call it quits and you empower them even more. Try to root them out of one place and they will move onto another. The only way I can see this war successfully coming to an end is if there is TRUE peace in the Middle East and the countries there are truly working together and sharing information and putting an end to the corruption. But so long as at least some members of the governments in these countries are willing to take bribes, smuggle arms, profit from the drug trades -- they will never be rid of terrorists. They kill and arrest them with one hand and take their money with the other.

Sounds like another win the hearts and minds campaign.

My biggest concern is the troops. How many more tour of combat will they be able to take?

I also have to question if it is al-qeada or al qeada wannabes that we are chasing.

Guess it doesn't matter as long as they intend to cause harm to the US.

Frankly, I'm getting confused. The chessboard has become too microscopic and I'm losing (or have lost) sight of the bigger picture. So, perhaps someone would be so kind as to sketch out what may be happening in the Region... How does the troop drawdown in Iraq, troop increase in Afghanistan, and movements with US. Saudi and Yemen forces, all tie together? Where is this headed?

Originally posted by LadySkadi
Frankly, I'm getting confused. The chessboard has become too microscopic and I'm losing (or have lost) sight of the bigger picture. So, perhaps someone would be so kind as to sketch out what may be happening in the Region... How does the troop drawdown in Iraq, troop increase in Afghanistan, and movements with US. Saudi and Yemen forces, all tie together? Where is this headed?

Actually, I will second this request - if not in this thread the best look at the chessboard that ATS can put together would be most helpful.

I was been out of pocket myself for a bit. Kind of like a mini Gilligan's island - no phone, no radio, no tv, no net. When I left the Saudi's were still active on the border. When I stopped at a small diner on the way back home I heard about the bomb attempt. I've missed all news in between.

Are the Saudi's still active on the border? Could they by wanting this talk because they are getting squeezed between the two armies?

reply to post by LadySkadi


What do you get from the news?

Saudi's Fight Shiite Rebels in Northern Yemen

Saudi Arabia, Yemen's neighbor to the north, has launched its own operations against the Houthis. And Yemen accuses Iran of supporting the rebels. "If there was no support for the Al Houthis from the Iranian religious figures, the conflict would have not taken this long," said Yemen's Minister of Information, Hassan al-Lozy. "The Iranian government's goal is to portray this war as a Shi'ite-Sunni conflict." Hussein al Houthi was a member of Yemen's parliament. He was a frequent guest at this house in Yemen's capital, Sanaa. In 2004, he launched an armed rebellion against the state. He said he wanted to protect Zaidi Shi'ites, a majority in Saada, from Saudi-supported Wahabi Sunnis, whose numbers were growing in northern Yemen. Wahabism is the fundamentalist sect of Sunni Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia. It says true Islam consists only of the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. Sunnis, although not Wahabis, are the majority in Yemen.

US prodding Yemen to confront Al Qaeda

The US convinced Saleh of Yemen to turn against the Al Queda last summer because the terrorists were targeting government officials:

the U.S. believes Saleh turned around at that time also because of pressure from Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf nations, especially after the attempted assassination of Saudi Deputy Interior Minister Mohammed bin Naif by a suspected al Qaeda operative coming from Yemen. The U.S. also provided additional intelligence that al Qaeda was planning to strike targets in the capital city of Sanaa. The Pentagon is spending about $66 million this year to provide Yemen with security and military assistance including training Yemeni counter-terrorist forces. But the official and other administration sources confirmed that behind the scenes, much more is going on. U.S. military and intelligence agencies are providing not only training, but weapons and intelligence-targeting information.

What the actual extent of US involvement is up for grabs but we can be sure there is a lot of intelligence changing hands! Not a simple situation:

Other factors that have made Yemen a concern include a growing youth population, hundreds of thousands of Somali refugees and an increasing water shortage that is exacerbated by the growing production of the drug khat, which contains an amphetamine-like substance and requires more water than many other crops. There is also a substantial arms and drug smuggling network, with intelligence indicating some arms shipments to Hamas via Sudan and then Egypt. The official said not only are there senior al Qaeda leaders "putting down roots" in Yemen, but next door Somalia has now become home to al Qaeda in East Africa, which has ties to terrorists in Yemen, as well as to senior al Qaeda leaders across North Africa and in the Pakistani border region with Afghanistan.

So far the US is only providing military assistance and training. Our troops are not involved in operations. However the Al Queda involvement in the Detroit Jet bombing attempt has apparently strengthened Obama's resolve to go after Al Queda in Yemen.

Can we afford to send some troops to Yemen? A few billion spent on Yemen looks like chicken feed compared to the trillions Obama has wasted in pork, etc. his first year! If Saleh asks for US troops he will probably get them.

Originally posted by Frogs
Actually, I will second this request - if not in this thread the best look at the chessboard that ATS can put together would be most helpful.

The New Great Game

reply to post by SLAYER69


Yep, I was thinking about that thread when I read this article.

The game is on and little by little everything is coming into focus.

Great. Thanks guys.
That helps sort it out... as much as it can be, right now.
Appreciate the extra information/help.

Foreign minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi has denied reports about a deal between Yemen and the United States of America that allows the latter to direct its missiles and drones against al-Qaeda targets in Yemen.

In an interview with Saba-run Alsyasiah Daily, the minister said there were no Yemen-U.S. anti-terror deals nor projects to be signed in this regard.

www.sabanews.net...

I know I read reports where we targeted yemen. This report seems to indicate we don't have that right.

I have another question:
What is the significance of sending Gen. Patraeus to speak with Yem. Pres. Saleh on Saturday, rather than a diplomat? It seems that a message (of some sort) has been sent by choosing a military commander who's jurisdiction includes Yemen... What do you think?

ETA:
Not to mention that the US and British closed their embassies a day after the visit...

[edit on 3-1-2010 by LadySkadi]

reply to post by LadySkadi


From what I gather, we have special forces that are training Yemen forces.

I would think the general is going over the training and possibly asking what other military assistance the US can provide.

I also feel certain locations where given so that the Yemen government can concentrate on.

I believe Anwar al-Awlaki is the person the US is looking for in Yemen. He is the cleric who supposedly had ties to 9/11 and the FT Hood killer.

Originally posted by jam321
I believe Anwar al-Awlaki is the person the US is looking for in Yemen. He is the cleric who supposedly had ties to 9/11 and the FT Hood killer.

I think they found him. Sort of.

Yemeni air strike kills 30, targets home of cleric linked to Ft. Hood attack

SANAA, Yemen -- Yemeni forces killed at least 30 suspected militants in an airstrike early Thursday on an alleged al-Qaeda hideout in southeastern Yemen, the second such assault in the past week, according to Yemeni security and government sources.

According to some accounts, the strike appeared to target the home of Anwar al-Aulaqi, the extremist Yemeni American preacher linked to the suspected gunman in the Fort Hood Army base attack in November.

[edit on 3-1-2010 by SLAYER69]

Yeah Yeah I know FOX News but it's an interesting article.


Despite Al Qaeda Threat, U.S. Not Planning to Expand Terror Fight in Yemen

The U.S. does not plan to open a new front in Yemen in the global fight against terrorism despite closing its embassy there in the face of Al Qaeda threats, President Obama's top counterterrorism adviser said Sunday.

"We're not talking about that at this point at all," White House aide John Brennan told Fox News when asked whether U.S. troops would be sent to Yemen.

"The Yemeni government has demonstrated their willingness to take the fight to Al Qaeda," he said. "They're willing to accept our support. We're providing them everything that they've asked for."

The comments came in the wake of the failed Christmas Day attack against a U.S. airliner by an accused 23-year-old Nigerian who says he received training and instructions from Al Qaeda operatives in Yemen.

President Obama plans to return from his holiday vacation in Hawaii for a Tuesday meeting at the White House about the airliner plot.