Gerald Feierstein, the new U.S. ambassador to Yemen, is committed to support the Yemeni army and security forces in their efforts to combat the burgeoning Al-Qaeda force.
Feierstein stated, ““There is a deep concern that al-Qaeda could work freely in Yemen. We understand that fighting extremism cannot be through security only and it should include economic and development reforms. This is what America is committed to directly or through the Friends of Yemen Group.” The Friends of Yemen Group is comprised of nations looking to help stabilize Yemen so al-Qaida and other terrorist groups will not develop a lasting stronghold there. They voiced their support for the security and stability of the Arabian Peninsula nation.
He went on the say, “America emphasizes its commitment to supporting the Yemeni Government and its people to overcome Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, to secure Yemeni borders, continue to train Yemeni anti-terrorist forces in addition to the provision of necessary equipments to get rid of the immediate threats posed by al –Qaeda.”
Yemen’s President Saleh’s ensured that his government would take all necessary measures against terrorists and extremists and they welcome Feierstein’s statement. Saleh added that will support all measures mentioned by President Obama. A roughly $1.2 billion assistance bundle is being considered by Washington. Feierstein said much will go to establishing a security department not to fight terrorists directly but to revitalize Yemeni forces and to battle the fight against drugs.
The CIA has expanded the number of case officers collecting intelligence in Yemen. These intelligence officers, along with special ops and military intel, are brave souls. Al-Qaeda in Yemen injured 10 intelligence officers, 3 seriously, last September 25, in the capital, Sana’a. The attack came just after American instructors finished a training course on fighting terrorism. Recently, an intelligence officer, Abdullah Ba Sharaheel, was murdered when two gunmen opened fire on him in the city of Al Mukalla. He was on his way home with his family when the Al Qaeda gunmen attacked on motorcycles and shot him.
Little wonder CIA analysts are focusing more on al-Qaeda’s offshoots, in addition to the small, inner core group, which is housed in the tribal areas of Pakistan. These offshoots are becoming more of a threat to America’s security. Their fears have influence President Obama’s tactical measures in Yemen, for clandestine U.S. military strikes and armed CIA drone attacks on terrorists will begin, if they haven’t begun already. The analysts believe effective Predator drone strikes in Pakistan kept al-Qaeda from recovering the offensive game. So, they migrated to the Arabian Peninsula and the new Yemen-based group is called Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). They succeeded in getting the Xmas day suicide bomber aboard the plane bound for Detroit. Analysts also believe Anwar al-Awlaki has helped transform the AQAP into a transnational threat. Although the CIA has 10 times more people and resources in Pakistan than it does in Yemen, the figures will soon be the same. The National Security Council met with White House officials and it was decided that the CIA will play a major operational role in Yemen.
Philip Mudd, a former senior official at the CIA and the FBI, believes that a Sept. 11-style attack has been supplanted by a proliferation of plots by AQAP and other affiliates. He stated, "The sheer numbers suggest that one of the plots in the United States will succeed. In the future the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region will not be the sole, or even primary, source of bombing suspects" (CTC Sentinel). Mudd's observation is another reason why DECLASSIFIED SECRETS-2 believes the U.S. should adopt Britain's MI5 model in its counterrorism and counterintelligence efforts.
Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association For Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and writes about the Intelligence Community (IC) on his DECLASSIFIED SECRETS-2 site.
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