Yemen: The U.S.'s newest (proxy?) war

In response the recent attempted airplane bombing in Detroit, Obama has said, "Those who would slaughter innocent men, women and children must know that the United States will do more than simply strengthen our defenses. We will continue to use every element of our national power to disrupt, to dismantle and defeat the violent extremists who threaten us, whether they are from Afghanistan or Pakistan, Yemen or Somalia, or anywhere where they are plotting attacks against the US homeland." Not wanting to only "strengthen our defenses" but to "defeat violent extremists...[with] every element of our national power" makes him a WAR president! Also notice that "those who would slaughter men, women, and children" is set up as the inherent opposite of "the United States." That's because, according the logic of the U.S. state, men, women, and children who live in Yemen are not as human as the (middle-class, obdient, law-abiding, mostly white) men, women, and children who live in the U.S.

This is crazy. We would do well to listen to today's editorial in the SF Chronicle, which states, "there are always more security holes, and more failed states, for the militants to discover. We may never fully defeat terrorism, and it would be helpful if we had political officials who were brave enough to say that...What we can do is minimize risk."

Furthermore, Obama (and the media!) are hiding the plain truths of cause and effect! The group that calls itself "al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula" is claiming responsibility for the attempted Northwest Airlines bombing as RETALIATION for the U.S.'s very recent bombings in Yemen. Their statement reads: "We tell the American people that since you support the leaders who kill our women and children ... we have come to slaughter you [and] will strike you with no previous [warning]. Our vengeance is near." I'm not defending their acts, but simply pointing out that their statements about "supporting the leaders who kill our women and children" are not untrue.

December 17th strikes: The southern Yemeni province of Abyan: Yemeni security officials claim 34 people are killed, including 30 "militants" and 10 "al-Qaeda suspects." Abbas al-Assal, a local human rights activist who was at the scene, and Ali Mohammed Mansour, a resident of the area who helped bury the dead in a mass grave, both said about 64 people were killed, including 23 children and 17 women (Al Jazeera). The NY Times (which ONLY reported that "some witnesses said a number of civilians were also killed") says that "the United States provided firepower, intelligence and other support to the government of Yemen" for the bombings, which were meant to thwart attacks against "American assets," according to the "officials who are familiar with the operations." Yemeni leaders insist that they alone made the decision to carry out the bombings--as it doesn't look good to come off as a US ally in the Middle East (NY Times). But according to Brian Ross at ABC News, (though other news sources have not reported this level of detail) Obama directly ordered the attacks and later "placed a call after the strikes to 'congratulate' the President of Yemen, Ali Abdallah Salih, on his efforts against al Qaeda, according to White House officials" (ABC News).

December 19th protests: The southern Yemeni province of Lahj: Many Yemenis take to the streets in the town of Al-Habilain to protest the recent joint U.S.-Yemen bombings.

(AFP photos)

December 21st protests: The southern Yemeni province of Abyan: In the village of al-Maajala, many Yemeni citizens of the recently bombed area participate in protests against the joint U.S.-Yemeni bombings.


In the midst of the protests, men claiming to be leaders of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula go public in stating that their fight is not against the Yemeni state but against the U.S.

(Al Jazeera, AFP photos).

December 24th strikes: The eastern Yemeni province of Shabwa: The Yemeni government claims that this second round of bombings killed 30 al Qaeda militants at an al Qaeda meeting, including "leaders." "Local sources" have said the bombing only killed seven people (Al Jazeera).

December 24th protests: The Radfan district of the southern Yemeni province of Lahj: Yemenis take to the streets to protest the most recent bombings.



The AFP notes that these antiwar protesters are holding "pro al Qaeda" banners. (AFP photos.)

December 25th attempted bombing of U.S. airplane: Detroit: Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, after spending several months in Yemen, flies from Nigeria, his home country, to Amersterdam to Detroit, attempting to blow up the almost 300 passenger plane upon its final landing, but failing---throwing the U.S. media into a frenzy.

December 29th: On the internet, al Qaeda in the Arabian Penninsula claims responsibility for Abdulmutallab's attempted attack, saying that it was revenge for the U.S. bombings in Yemen.

The U.S. President says Abdulmutallab's attempted explosion justifies bombings in Yemen--"or anywhere they are plotting attacks against the U.S. homeland." Is the president referring to the bombings in the past, as I've just documented, or bombings in the future in retaliation? Or perhaps bombings right now? Or in 1984? Perhaps all of the above?

As Noam Chomsky says, U.S. military actions--such as the one in Yemen--fit any standard definition of terrorism.

EDIT: CNN reports on Dec. 30th that Obama is looking for more places to bomb in Yemen.

EDIT: It's important to note that the Yemeni government's war against al Qaeda is in ADDITION TO the fight against southern seccessionists and northern Houthi Shia seccessionists. Nadia Al-Saqqaf, the first woman to be appointed an editor in Yemen and editor-in-chief of the Yemen Times, laments this third war being waged by the Yemeni government within it's own borders:

With all the political and security wars going on in Yemen, today the living conditions have become unbearable. Commodity prices have gone up over night with no reason. The hungry people are getting poorer and we have more displaced Yemenis today than we ever had in history.

Yes we need to fight terrorism and protect our country’s security and sovereignty, but at what price? And how will we ever recover from these damages to the infrastructure, state institutions and even social texture? What foreign aid our government will call for then?