Obama attacks Yemen. WTF???

[Bill Cosby]

Obama Ordered U.S. Military Strike on Yemen Terrorists
Cruise Missiles Launched Thursday Hit Two Suspected al Qaeda Sites; Major Escalation of US Efforts Against Terrorists
By BRIAN ROSS, RICHARD ESPOSITO, MATTHEW COLE, LUIS MARTINEZ and KIRIT RADIA (http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/cruise-missiles-strike-yemen/story?id=9375236)

On orders from President Barack Obama, the U.S. military launched cruise missiles early Thursday against two suspected al-Qaeda sites in Yemen, administration officials told ABC News in a report broadcast on ABC World News

One of the targeted sites was a suspected al Qaeda training camp north of the capitol, Sanaa, and the second target was a location where officials said "an imminent attack against a U.S. asset was being planned."

The Yemen attacks by the U.S. military represent a major escalation of the Obama administration's campaign against al Qaeda.

In his speech about added troops for Afghanistan earlier this month, President Obama made a brief reference to Yemen, saying, "Where al Qaeda and its allies attempt to establish a foothold -- whether in Somalia or Yemen or elsewhere -- they must be confronted by growing pressure and strong partnerships."


Until tonight, American officials had hedged about any U.S. role in the strikes against Yemen and news reports from Yemen attributed the attacks to the Yemen Air Force.

President Obama 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.

[Socialist_Revolution]

Obama Ordered U.S. Military Strike on Yemen Terrorists
Cruise Missiles Launched Thursday Hit Two Suspected al Qaeda Sites; Major Escalation of US Efforts Against Terrorists
By BRIAN ROSS, RICHARD ESPOSITO, MATTHEW COLE, LUIS MARTINEZ and KIRIT RADIA (http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/cruise-missiles-strike-yemen/story?id=9375236)

On orders from President Barack Obama, the U.S. military launched cruise missiles early Thursday against two suspected al-Qaeda sites in Yemen, administration officials told ABC News in a report broadcast on ABC World News

One of the targeted sites was a suspected al Qaeda training camp north of the capitol, Sanaa, and the second target was a location where officials said "an imminent attack against a U.S. asset was being planned."

The Yemen attacks by the U.S. military represent a major escalation of the Obama administration's campaign against al Qaeda.

In his speech about added troops for Afghanistan earlier this month, President Obama made a brief reference to Yemen, saying, "Where al Qaeda and its allies attempt to establish a foothold -- whether in Somalia or Yemen or elsewhere -- they must be confronted by growing pressure and strong partnerships."


Until tonight, American officials had hedged about any U.S. role in the strikes against Yemen and news reports from Yemen attributed the attacks to the Yemen Air Force.

President Obama 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.
His national security strategies are getting more and more conservative every day...I am just waiting for the other shoe to drop where its annouced we are stretching an already far overstretched military and going to war with Iran!:banghead:

[MintJulep]

I'd feel much better if he just left those po lil misunderstood terrorists alone. It's simply not fair. :(

[Socialist_Revolution]

I'd feel much better if he just left those po lil misunderstood terrorists alone. It's simply not fair. :(
let me ask you wtf does your statement have to do with anything being said? did Bill or i mention terrorists...NO the op story does but i know that was NOT Bills reasoning for posting...your statement is just silly and pointless.

[MintJulep]

let me ask you wtf does your statement have to do with anything being said? did Bill or i mention terrorists...NO the op story does but i know that was NOT Bills reasoning for posting...your statement is just silly and pointless.Guess you missed this part.

"One of the targeted sites was a suspected al Qaeda training camp north of the capitol, Sanaa, and the second target was a location where officials said "an imminent attack against a U.S. asset was being planned."

[Socialist_Revolution]

Guess you missed this part.

"One of the targeted sites was a suspected al Qaeda training camp north of the capitol, Sanaa, and the second target was a location where officials said "an imminent attack against a U.S. asset was being planned."
I believe I said and I qoute "The op story mentions terrorists" but bill and I didnt...but i guess just posting the story automatically makes bill a sympathizer?

[MintJulep]

I believe I said and I qoute "The op story mentions terrorists" but bill and I didnt...but i guess just posting the story automatically makes bill a sympathizer?Do you think this was a wrong move and the terrorists targeted in Yemen should have been left alone?

[Socialist_Revolution]

Do you think this was a wrong move and the terrorists targeted in Yemen should have been left alone?
not a wrong move per say as i believe Afgahnastan is the only real war we should have been fighting as thats where the ones that attacked us are at but believe this will only lead to another war that we cant afford right now and am worried that he will overstretch the already far overstretched military and with Iran in our cross hairs as well...how many wars do you want or think we can afford when the US is already in the deepshitter? We should be using some of the "war" money to fix this countrys ills.

[MintJulep]

not a wrong move per say as i believe Afgahnastan is the only real war we should have been fighting as thats where the ones that attacked us are at but believe this will only lead to another war that we cant afford right now and am worried that he will overstretch the already far overstretched military and with Iran in our cross hairs as well...how many wars do you want or think we can afford when the US is already in the deepshitter? We should be using some of the "war" money to fix this countrys ills.So you'd prefer to act after a terrorist attack versus being proactive. I see.

[Smurf-Herder]

not a wrong move per say as i believe Afgahnastan is the only real war we should have been fighting as thats where the ones that attacked us are at but believe this will only lead to another war that we cant afford right now and am worried that he will overstretch the already far overstretched military and with Iran in our cross hairs as well...how many wars do you want or think we can afford when the US is already in the deepshitter? We should be using some of the "war" money to fix this countrys ills.

We shouldn't have attacked an Al-Qaeda training camp or a group planning an attack on a US target?

Did you miss something about why we're even in Afghanistan, or did you forget the USS Cole? If anybody is the enemy, it is Al-Qaeda. Wherever they are secure enough to plan attacks on us and our allies.

[CosmicRocker]

We shouldn't have attacked an Al-Qaeda training camp or a group planning an attack on a US target?

Did you miss something about why we're even in Afghanistan, or did you forget the USS Cole? If anybody is the enemy, it is Al-Qaeda. Wherever they are secure enough to plan attacks on us and our allies.

It's a worldwide war on al_Qaeda
The reason we attack Yemen, was to attack al_Qaeda targets where actionable.
This was an active cell.

This is a war on al_Qaeda - you can call it a multi-pronged law enforcement "gang" problem. But al_Qaeda calls it war .Jihad.
Al_Qaeda acts, and declares war on nonbelievers.
So if they are in Yemen, Afg, Paki, Somalia, whatever, they will get attacked.
Worldwide

[Boogie man]

I'm all for killing terrorists wherever they may be. I think that should be the mindset of the entire world.

[Pat]

Does this mean we are now at war with another country?

[CosmicRocker]

I'm all for killing terrorists wherever they may be. I think that should be the mindset of the entire world.You would think so, as all corners of the world have suffered attacks But it's not. :disbelief:

[Boogie man]

You would think so, as all corners of the world have suffered attacks But it's not. :disbelief:

Politics. Some stupid morons want to politicize everything instead of eradicating the problem.

[Bill Cosby]

Does this mean we are now at war with another country?

What if Nicaraguans or Cubans did the same here???

Just sent in missles & blew shit up on American soil???

It is ok for us to do it.............. But not others to do it here....:hi:

[Boogie man]

What if Nicaraguans or Cubans did the same here???

Just sent in missles & blew shit up on American soil???

It is ok for us to do it.............. But not others to do it here....:hi:

I'm all for it if Al Queda is hiding in the USA, then blow them up. That's the "shit" that is being blown up. Right?

[Socialist_Revolution]

Politics. Some stupid morons want to politicize everything instead of eradicating the problem.
Is that your solution to every problem? Just blow the ever living daylights out of every enemy or problem? How do you suppose we fight the entire world? Our military is stretched REALLY thin right now with troops still in Iraq, the troop surge in Afghanistan and every other place in the world so how do you suggest we do this...inform this niave sheep!:thumbsup:

[Bill Cosby]

I'm all for it if Al Queda is hiding in the USA, then blow them up. That's the "shit" that is being blown up. Right?

What about other kinda terrorist???

[Smurf-Herder]

I don't understand why everybody's panties are in a wad over attacking Al-Qaeda camps in Yemen.

Bush did it in Somalia. Both Bush and Obama did and are doing it in Pakistan. And Clinton did it in Afghanistan before we even had troops in Afghanistan.

[Bill Cosby]

I don't understand why everybody's panties are in a wad over attacking Al-Qaeda camps in Yemen.

Bush did it in Somalia. Both Bush and Obama did and are doing it in Pakistan. And Clinton did it in Afghanistan before we even had troops in Afghanistan.

I am asking this really............ Is it ok if we do it but what about the other 180+or - countries???? What if they start playing by the same rules???

Then what??

[Smurf-Herder]

I am asking this really............ Is it ok if we do it but what about the other 180+or - countries???? What if they start playing by the same rules???

Then what??

In the specifics of this (our war with Al-Qaeda), we are attacking the same people fighting the governments we are doing the attacking in. Every case has to be taken on it's own merits. In this case, we are working on the side of the countries involved.

[Bill Cosby]

In the specifics of this (our war with Al-Qaeda), we are attacking the same people fighting the governments we are doing the attacking in. Every case has to be taken on it's own merits. In this case, we are working on the side of the countries involved.

That was not the case when clinton targeted the Sudan or Afghani-NAM..

Right now, @ least publicly, wackistan is opposed to the usa murdering it's ppl............

Panama never gave bush sr the right to go & grab Noriega & kill a couple thousand of it's citizens.............

So if we can do it what about everyone else????

[Smurf-Herder]

That was not the case when clinton targeted the Sudan or Afghani-NAM..

Right now, @ least publicly, wackistan is opposed to the usa murdering it's ppl............

Panama never gave bush sr the right to go & grab Noriega & kill a couple thousand of it's citizens.............

So if we can do it what about everyone else????

I don't buy into this stuff about everybody should be able to do the same things. If the circumstances are similar, yes. But you can't cover it all with a blanket statement. There are too many particulars in each instance. Bombing Al-Qaeda camps and going in to get Noriega are two entirely different things.

If someone is at war with us, are you saying we shouldn't fight them?

[Bill Cosby]

Yea there are lots of them..............

& the reason it is so complicated is that we don't want other countries going around blowing shit up in support of their national interests like we do.....

Hell that would be total chaos....................

[Smurf-Herder]

Yea there are lots of them..............

& the reason it is so complicated is that we don't want other countries going around blowing shit up in support of their national interests like we do.....

Hell that would be total chaos....................

The point is, we are at war with Al-Qaeda. And their whole strategy is to operate out of weak countries, to attack us. So what would you do?

[CosmicRocker]

The point is, we are at war with Al-Qaeda. And their whole strategy is to operate out of weak countries, to attack us. So what would you do?
Obviously ,nothing.

The left refuses to agree we are at war with these guys,
That doesn't translate directly into going into Afg. heavy -
I hate to say it, but that effort is doomed - even moreso with a timetable to get out.

They'll just wait us out.

Al_Qaeda is not going to simply go away, we have to keep after them.

[Boogie man]

Is that your solution to every problem? Just blow the ever living daylights out of every enemy or problem? How do you suppose we fight the entire world? Our military is stretched REALLY thin right now with troops still in Iraq, the troop surge in Afghanistan and every other place in the world so how do you suggest we do this...inform this niave sheep!:thumbsup:

Yes, you blow the living daylights out of your enemy.

We don't need troops to take out Iran's nuclear capability. We have the super duper bucker busters just waiting to be tested. Let's use them. They weren't made for looks.

[Smurf-Herder]

Yes, you blow the living daylights out of your enemy.

We don't need troops to take out Iran's nuclear capability. We have the super duper bucker busters just waiting to be tested. Let's use them. They weren't made for looks.

The program has been delayed until December of 2010

[Boogie man]

What about other kinda terrorist???

A terrorist is a terrorist. Kill 'em.

[Boogie man]

The program has been delayed until December of 2010

Was that Obama's doing?

[Smurf-Herder]

Was that Obama's doing?

He may be delaying the ability to have a military option until after the 2010 elections, or until it's too late to use it.

Pentagon delays new "bunker buster" bomb

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A "bunker buster" bomb with more than 10 times the explosive power of its predecessor is to be put into service by the United States next December, six months later than previously scheduled, the Defense Department told Reuters on Friday.

The deployment's timing may help shape new calculations in long standoffs with Iran and North Korea over their nuclear programs, much of which are believed to be underground to avoid detection and enhance their chances of surviving an attack.

The precision-guided, 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP, is designed to destroy potential targets such as deeply buried facilities that are beyond the reach of existing penetrating bombs.

"Funding delays and enhancements to the planned test schedule have pushed the capability availability date to December 2010," Tara Rigler, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said in an email.

Congress agreed to a Pentagon request, made public in August, to shift fiscal 2009 budget funds to speed the Boeing Co.-built bomb's tie-in to the radar-evading B-2 bomber, the most advanced in the U.S. arsenal.

At the time, Andy Bourland, an Air Force spokesman, had said B-2, built by Northrop Grumman Corp., would be capable of carrying the bomb by July 2010.

In disclosing the new deployment target, the Defense Department specified it did not plan to use older B-52 Stratofortress bombers as an "operational delivery platform" for the MOP, which will be the largest U.S. non-nuclear bomb.

It is designed to penetrate up to 200 feet underground before exploding, according to an article published by the Air Force.

MOP testing is being carried out by the Air Force and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, which is responsible for safeguarding the United States and its allies from weapons of mass destruction.

The bomb's fourth flight test was successfully completed on Tuesday at White Sands Missile Range in White Sands, New Mexico, using a B-52 and an "inert" MOP, Rigler said.

'MESSAGE TO IRAN'

The Obama administration has given Iran until the end of this month to respond positively to United Nations-drafted proposals aimed at curbing its nuclear program or face a new round of punishing international sanctions.

Tehran is at odds with the West over its declared plan to use enriched uranium to generate power, a program Washington and its allies assert is a mask for eventual production of a nuclear weapon.

The MOP's planned deployment "amounts to a message to Iran," said Kenneth Katzman, an Iran expert for the U.S. Congress. "It cannot count on the main elements of its nuclear program surviving if there is a conflict."

Israel, widely thought to have the Middle East's only atomic arsenal, argues Iran could have a nuclear bomb by 2010 and says it would threaten the existence of the Jewish state.

Military analysts doubt Israel could disable Iran's nuclear facilities in a raid even with dozens of aircraft. Tehran has had years to build covert facilities, spread elements of its programs and develop options for recovering from an attack.

"Strong as Israeli forces are, they lack the scale, range and other capabilities to carry out the kind of massive strike the U.S. could launch," Anthony Cordesman, a former Pentagon strategist now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, wrote in September.

The MOP also may alter the calculus of North Korea, which carried out its second underground nuclear test blast in May. President Barack Obama sent a personal letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il this month amid efforts to persuade Pyongyang to return to six-party disarmament talks with the United States, China, Japan, Russia and South Korea.

The MOP packs some 5,300 pounds of explosives, more than 10 times the amount of its predecessor bunker buster, the 2,000-pound (907-kilo) BLU-109, according to the threat reduction agency, which funded its development.

In a July 8 funding acceleration request to Congress, the Defense Department said the MOP was the "weapon of choice" to meet an urgent operational need. It cited requests from the U.S. Pacific Command, which takes the lead in U.S. military planning for North Korea, the Central Command, which plans for Iran contingencies, as well as the Strategic Command, which deals with the long-range U.S. arsenal.

The MOP would be about one-third heavier than the 21,000-pound (9,500 kg) GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, previously dubbed the "mother of all bombs."

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BH5IQ20091219

[Bill Cosby]

The point is, we are at war with Al-Qaeda. And their whole strategy is to operate out of weak countries, to attack us. So what would you do?

Come on.......... Everyone is @ war w/ someone.......... We support even support some of them & others support other ones..........

Are you willing to give the 180 other countries the same rights to fight their wars on terror, drugs, etc..............

Yes........??

or

No..................????

[Smurf-Herder]

Come on.......... Everyone is @ war w/ someone.......... We support even support some of them & others support other ones..........

Are you willing to give the 180 other countries the same rights to fight their wars on terror, drugs, etc..............

Yes........??

or

No..................????


Yes. And they already do.

[Smurf-Herder]

BTW Bill, according to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Guardian the attacks were carried out by Yemeni forces, using only US Intelligence. Is ABC the only news source saying the US fired cruise missiles?

Al-Qaida fighters killed in Yemen air strikes
• Defence minister says US intelligence used to target militants
• Three key figures killed in second attack on group in a week

Yemeni forces backed by US intelligence have struck a series of suspected al-Qaida hideouts, including a meeting of senior leaders, killing at least 30 militants, the government said.

The air strikes on Christmas Eve were Yemen's second such assault on al-Qaida in a week, at a time when the US has dramatically increased aid to eliminate the expanding presence of the terror group.

Washington fears al-Qaida could turn fragmented, unstable Yemen into a new Afghanistan-like safe haven in a highly strategic location on the border with oil-rich US-ally Saudi Arabia.

The Pentagon recently confirmed it is has poured nearly $70m (£44m) in military aid to Yemen this year – compared to none in 2008.

The US military has also boosted its counterterrorism training for Yemeni forces, and is providing more intelligence, which may include surveillance by unmanned drones, according to US officials and analysts.

Yemen's deputy defence minister, Rashad al-Alaimy, told parliament the latest strikes were carried out "using intelligence aid from Saudi Arabia and the US".

The strikes killed three important leadership members, al-Alaimy said, but he did not identify them.

Yemeni officials refused to comment on the main target: a gathering of senior al-Qaida figures in Rafd, a remote mountain valley in eastern Shabwa province, a region where militants have been given refuge with tribes discontent with the Sana'a government.

A Rafd resident said a mid-level figure in al-Qaida's Yemen branch, Mohammed Ahmed Saleh Omair, was among those killed. The resident, Awad al-Daghary, told the Associated Press that bearded al-Qaida fighters brought the bodies of Omair and three others killed in the strike to al-Daghary's tribe for burial. Two of the bodies were of members of the tribe who had run off to join al-Qaida, he said.

Further strikes targeted al-Qaida hideouts on the border of Shabwa and Abyan province, the supreme security committee said, adding that 30 al-Qaida militants were killed. Yemeni security officials refused to give details.

In a separate operation, 25 suspected al-Qaida members were arrested on Wednesday in Sana'a after police set up checkpoints, the interior ministry said..

Al-Alaimy said the operations were carried out after security officials received tip offs about al-Qaida plans to carry out suicide attacks in the capital Sana'a against the British embassy and foreign schools.

The latest strikes come a week after ground and air forces attacked what authorities said was an al-Qaida training camp in Mahsad in the southern province of Abyan, the largest assault on al-Qaida in years.

Al-Alaimy told parliament that 23 militants were killed, including Yemenis, Saudis, Egyptians and Pakistanis. Witnesses, however, put the number killed at more than 60 in the heaviest strike but that the dead included mostly civilians.

The US has been pressing Yemen for well over a year to take tougher action against al-Qaida, which has steadily been building its presence in the country.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/24/yemen-strike-al-qaida

Yemen Says It Attacked Qaeda Gathering

Yemeni authorities announced an air strike against a meeting of senior Qaeda officials on Thursday morning and raised the possibility that a radical cleric tied to the suspect in the Fort Hood shootings was among those killed.

A statement by the Yemeni Embassy in Washington said the strike targeted a gathering of “scores” of Qaeda operatives from Yemen and other countries held in a remote corner southern Yemen, and said the cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, was “presumed” to have been present.

It could take days for investigators to sift through the rubble to identify the dead, and intelligence officials in the United States could not confirm whether Mr. Awlaki or any Qaeda members were among those killed.

Yemen, long a haven for terrorists, has been carrying out strikes that appear to be directed against Al Qaeda’s growing presence in the country.

The group has mounted frequent attacks against foreign embassies and Yemeni officials in the last two years, adding to the security threats in Yemen that include an armed rebellion in the north and a secessionist movement in the south. There is no indication that the various insurgents targeting Yemen’s government are cooperating, but the concurrent crises have weakened the state’s ability to react.

A week ago, Yemeni security forces carried out airstrikes and ground raids against suspected Qaeda hideouts, marking Yemen’s widest offensive against jihadists in years. Government forces hit bases in the lawless mountainous area of Abyan, in the south, as well as in Arhab and the capital, Sana.

The airstrikes on Thursday targeted a large group of al Qaeda operatives who had gathered in the southern province of Shabwa to plan retaliatory attacks against the Yemeni government following last week’s offensive, the Yemeni embassy said in a statement.

Yemeni officials said they had targeted the leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and his deputy were also among those at the meeting.

Although Mr. Awlaki, 38, has not been accused of planting bombs or carrying out terrorist attacks himself, his online sermons exhort a radicalized vision of Islam, and he has been linked to numerous terrorism suspects, including Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who faces murder charges in the shooting deaths of 13 people at the Fort Hood army base in November.

Major Hasan and the American-born cleric exchanged about 20 e-mail messages, and shortly after the shootings, Mr. Awlaki praised Major Hasan as a hero.

“The only way a Muslim could Islamically justify serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army,” Mr. Awlaki wrote on his blog, “is if his intention is to follow the footsteps of men like Nidal.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/25/world/middleeast/25yemen.html

Yemeni forces launch attack on al-Qaeda operatives

SANAA, Yemen -- Yemeni forces, backed by the United States, launched an attack Thursday on a meeting of al-Qaeda operatives where a Yemeni American preacher linked to the suspected gunman in the Fort Hood attacks might have been present, U.S. and Yemeni officials said.

The strike on an alleged al-Qaeda hideout in southeastern Yemen killed at least 30 suspected militants and was the second such assault in the past week, according to Yemeni security and government sources. One of the possible meeting participants was Anwar al-Aulaqi, a U.S. citizen and extremist preacher who exchanged e-mails with the Army psychiatrist suspected of killing 13 people at the Fort Hood Army base.

In a statement, the Yemeni Embassy in Washington said that Aulaqi was believed to be attending a meeting of senior al-Qaeda leaders, including the network's regional leader, Nasser al-Wuhayshi, and his deputy, Said al-Shihri, a Saudi national and former detainee at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Yemeni officials say the airstrike unfolded in Rafadh, a remote mountainous area in Shabwa, a province in southeastern Yemen, where Aulaqi and senior al-Qaeda leaders were presumably meeting. A Yemeni government official and local news reports said that Aulaqi's house was also targeted, although it's unclear whether it was from an airstrike or a subsequent raid.

It was unknown whether Aulaqi was killed or wounded in the strike.

The United States provided intelligence and other support in the strike, a U.S. official said. It wasn't clear whether U.S. firepower was employed in the attack. A U.S. military spokesman declined to comment on the attack beyond praising Yemen for its strong stand against terrorism.

The Yemen Observer, a local paper with ties to the government, reported that Aulaqi's house was "raided and demolished."

Aulaqi, who was born in New Mexico, has said that he exchanged e-mails with Maj. Nidal M. Hasan, who is suspected of opening fire on his fellow soldiers at Fort Hood. The radical preacher has also praised Hasan in interviews and on his Web site.

In interviews, Aulaqi's distraught relatives said they have had no official word about the cleric. But after speaking with relatives and friends in the province, they said, they do not believe that he was among those killed.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/24/AR2009122400536.html?hpid=topnews

[Smurf-Herder]

Okay, now even CNN is saying the strikes were carried out by Yemeni Air Force Jets. Where is there any confimation that US cruise missiles were used? All we have is ABC claiming it from anonymous "administration" sources, with no other news outlet claiming that so far.

Al Qaeda militants killed in Yemeni airstrikes

(CNN) -- Yemeni jets launched an aerial assault Thursday against suspected senior al Qaeda operatives meeting in a remote location, and about 30 militants were killed, according to the Yemen news agency SABA.

Without mentioning a number, the Yemeni Embassy in Washington said in a news release, "Preliminary reports suggest that the strike targeted scores of Yemeni and foreign al Qaeda operatives."

One of the militants may have been the radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, the embassy said.

Al-Awlaki recently told the Arab-language Web site of Al-Jazeera that he had been in touch with the U.S. Army psychiatrist accused of fatally shooting 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5.

In that interview, al-Awlaki said Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan communicated with him via e-mail starting about a year before he went on the shooting rampage. Hasan wanted al-Awlaki's advice about killing U.S. troops, the cleric said.

"Nasser al-Wuhayshi, the regional al Qaeda leader, and his deputy, Saeed al-Shihri, alongside Anwar al-Awlaki, were presumed to be at the site (of Thursday's attack)," according to a news release from the Yemen Embassy in Washington.

Also among those targeted was Mohammed Saleh Oumair, who spoke a few days ago at a rally in Abyan province in southern Yemen, the government said.

The apparent purpose of the meeting was to plan a retaliation operation after Yemeni forces raided militant hideouts last week in Abyan and in Sanaa province, where the nation's capital is located, the embassy said.

Security forces killed 34 terrorists and arrested 17 in that raid, officials said.

Al Qaeda in Yemen has been a growing concern for the country's government and the United States.

In late July, Gen. David Petraeus, commander of the U.S. Central Command, and an accompanying delegation met with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. One of the topics of discussion was how to better combat terrorism, according to SABA.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/12/24/yemen.airstrike/

[Smurf-Herder]

Even MSNBC is sticking to the Yemeni Air Force being behind the strikes.

In fact, I've found a few secondary news sources claiming the US fired cruise missiles (like the Examiner) - all referring to the ABC story as their only source; with adninistration sources denying US military involvement. And saying they were "air-launched" cruise missiles - which doesn't make any sense. Air-launched cruise missiles are deployed on B-52 bombers, as a stand-off weapon. I don't think we have any B-52s in the region. But we do have a lot of Predetor and Reaper drones, which don't fire cruise missiles. So this seems like a pretty sensational accusation, that can't be backed up. And kinda dumb, considering Yemen has an Air Force, which has been bombing them off and on for weeks.

I'm not saying I would be against us doing this. But everything I'm seeing suggests a couple ABC guys wanting to improve ratings, by concocting a sensational exclusive story based on anonymous sources.

[Boogie man]

I have no problem separating the good guys from the bad guys. I wonder why others do?

[Bill Cosby]

Yes. And they already do.

Not sure anyone does it like the usa..............

[Boogie man]

Not sure anyone does it like the usa..............

Imagine how the world would look if the USA had not armed Britain and Russia during WWII and let Hitler have his way.

[MintJulep]

Yes. And they already do.Exactly....

[Bill Cosby]

Imagine how the world would look if the USA had not armed Britain and Russia during WWII and let Hitler have his way.

Ppl often do..... I am not one of them...

They do so to project an outcome to support their lame arguments...

The fact that it did not happen means we can all make of it what we wish........... I wish to believe the axis would have fallen... Their would not have been a 1,000 year reign of the third reich & neither America, Britain or Russia saved the world, contrary to what they may tell their citizens........

[Boogie man]

Ppl often do..... I am not one of them...

They do so to project an outcome to support their lame arguments...

The fact that it did not happen means we can all make of it what we wish........... I wish to believe the axis would have fallen... Their would not have been a 1,000 year reign of the third reich & neither America, Britain or Russia saved the world, contrary to what they may tell their citizens........

Then your belief is not based on the facts.

[Bill Cosby]

Then your belief is not based on the facts.

Since they did not take over the world what facts would those be???

By the way I hope you have all your shopping done & wrapped.......:lmao2:

[Smurf-Herder]

Ppl often do..... I am not one of them...

They do so to project an outcome to support their lame arguments...

The fact that it did not happen means we can all make of it what we wish........... I wish to believe the axis would have fallen... Their would not have been a 1,000 year reign of the third reich & neither America, Britain or Russia saved the world, contrary to what they may tell their citizens........

Well, considering Germany was working on the V-3 and the "New York Bomber" and they had a nuclear program ........... if we had stayed out of the war, Hitler would have succeeded, if he waited until after invading England to attack Russia. Of course that all depended on Japan not attacking Pearl Harbor.

[Bill Cosby]

Well, considering Germany was working on the V-3 and the "New York Bomber" and they had a nuclear program ........... if we had stayed out of the war, Hitler would have succeeded, if he waited until after invading England to attack Russia. Of course that all depended on Japan not attacking Pearl Harbor.

There are many, many possibilities IMO....... But I do not think Germany would have succeeded in a 1,000 year reign or that Japan would have conquered most of Asia......... Hell we are a lone super power fighting a fourth world country for 8 years & we still have not won............ Nor will we ever...

[Boogie man]

Since they did not take over the world what facts would those be???

By the way I hope you have all your shopping done & wrapped.......:lmao2:

Shopping all done.

Why didn't Hitler take over the world?

[Boogie man]

There are many, many possibilities IMO....... But I do not think Germany would have succeeded in a 1,000 year reign or that Japan would have conquered most of Asia......... Hell we are a lone super power fighting a fourth world country for 8 years & we still have not won............ Nor will we ever...

We don't fight wars like we used to. WWII was an all out war. The USA has never fought an all out war since WWII.

[Smurf-Herder]

Hey, this relates to the original topic. See the section I highlighted in red.

How al-Qaeda airline fiend used leg bomb and syringe

The man who tried to blow up a US airliner as it prepared to land at Detroit on Christmas Day had an explosive powder strapped to his leg which he tried to ignite by injecting chemicals with a syringe, Fox News reports.

The 23-year-old - named as al-Qaeda-linked Nigerian engineering student Abdul Mudallad (alters from earlier spelling of Mudallah) - failed in his bid to achieve a major blast, but succeeded in burning himself seriously and inflicting minor injuries on at least two other passengers seated nearby on Northwest Airlines Flight 253.

He was immediately subdued.

Passenger Syed Jafri, a US citizen who was seated three rows behind the Mudallad, told the Associated Press he saw a glow and noticed a smoke smell.

Then, he said, "a young man behind me jumped on him (Mudallad). Next thing you know, there was a lot of panic.''

Another passenger said: "There was smoke and screaming and flames. It was scary''.

A spokeswoman for Northwest's parent company Delta said the flight, from Amsterdam, was carrying 278 passengers. They have been questioned by officials and their luggage - and the rest of the Airbus - has been screened for more explosives.

Mudallad sustained serious burns, described to Fox News by one US official as third-degree. Analysis of the explosive material, which appears to be chemical in nature, is ongoing.

The US official told Fox News that Nigeria is "a center for concern'', adding that about a year ago the Department of Homeland Security "reached out to Nigerian authorities to improve airport screening''.

Earlier Rep. Peter King (R-New York), the ranking Republican member of the House Homeland Security Committee, told Fox Report the "sophisticated device" was one not encountered by authorities before, which may be why it got through security screening.

Mudallad is reportedly an engineering student at University College of London, who claimed he was traveling from Nigeria to the US via Amsterdam - where he got on Flight 253 - for a religious ceremony.

Security officials in the UK capital are waging an ongoing struggle against terrorist cells and have thwarted several plots since the London bombings of July 2005, in which 56 people died.

British al-Qaeda thug Richard Reid was the infamous shoe bomber who tried to destroy American Airlines Flight 63 from Paris to Miami in December 2001, by igniting explosives hidden in his shoes. His plot failed and he was subdued by passengers.

Mudallad is being questioned by officials after the incident, which occurred around noon local time and which was branded an attempted terrorist attack by the White House.

CBS reported he has told investigators he was affiliated with al-Qaeda and that he had acquired the explosive in Yemen, along with instructions as to when it should be used.

Congressman King told Fox Mudallad "definitely has connections" to the Islamic group, headed by Osama bin Laden.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/how_al_qaeda_airline_fiend_used_wfuNdDKEWp5ljA7t6c fxcK

[Boogie man]

I bet this guy is pissed off because Obama bombed Yemen and sent more troops to Afghanistan. Obama's escalation is obviously going to piss off a lot more muslims to be recruited for terrorism. Obama is as bad as that damn Bush.

[Smurf-Herder]

I bet this guy is pissed off because Obama bombed Yemen and sent more troops to Afghanistan. Obama's escalation is obviously going to piss off a lot more muslims to be recruited for terrorism. Obama is as bad as that damn Bush.

This guy was last reported to be living in a multi-million dollar apartment in a posh section of London.

[Boogie man]

This guy was last reported to be living in a multi-million dollar apartment in a posh section of London.

LOL. So why would he do something like this? Disgruntled airline employee? Didn't get his bonus check from the oil company? Brainwashed muslim?

[Socialist_Revolution]

I bet this guy is pissed off because Obama bombed Yemen and sent more troops to Afghanistan. Obama's escalation is obviously going to piss off a lot more muslims to be recruited for terrorism. Obama is as bad as that damn Bush.

Even though I know you were probably being sarcastic with that comment it is very true and I agree. Obama is now sending us down the same path Bush did in creating even more enemies and hatred for the U.S.A. then we had before...when will we learn that this gets us no where good and IMHO killing terrorists ONLY breeds more terrorists, for every ONE terrorist we kill 30-40 more pop back up in their place, there are only TWO ways to get rid of the all and thats either blow up the entire planet literally since terrorist cells seem to spring up on every continent these days OR we just start butting out of other peoples business and focus on OUR issues at hand, we leave them alone and they don't bother us, after all I remember Bin Laden saying that all they want is for the west to stop trying to change their culture and heritage.

[Boogie man]

[/B]

Even though I know you were probably being sarcastic with that comment it is very true and I agree. Obama is now sending us down the same path Bush did in creating even more enemies and hatred for the U.S.A. then we had before...when will we learn that this gets us no where good and IMHO killing terrorists ONLY breeds more terrorists, for every ONE terrorist we kill 30-40 more pop back up in their place, there are only TWO ways to get rid of the all and thats either blow up the entire planet literally since terrorist cells seem to spring up on every continent these days OR we just start butting out of other peoples business and focus on OUR issues at hand, we leave them alone and they don't bother us, after all I remember Bin Laden saying that all they want is for the west to stop trying to change their culture and heritage.

Oh yeah. All this muslim terrorism is all the fault of the civilized world for the last 60 years. Europe, Phillipines, Australia, Israel and the USA are the reason for terrorism. I would agree, although for different reasons. You think we are the bad guys. I disagree. Islam is the bad guy and it is having a head on collision with world wide progress and doesn't want to let go of it's power over millions of people that it has controlled for centuries.

That is what I think is the cause of terrorism.

[Pat]

Does this mean we are now at war with another country?

What if Nicaraguans or Cubans did the same here???

Just sent in missles & blew shit up on American soil???

It is ok for us to do it.............. But not others to do it here....:hi:
You didn't answer the question, did you?
What gives?
Are you trying to divert the question by implying something?

[Bill Cosby]

You didn't answer the question, did you?
What gives?
Are you trying to divert the question by implying something?

Your question was not worth an answer............ SOrry......:thumbsup:

Maybe you should write your congressperson & ask him or her that question.......... Just a thought.........:D

[Pat]

Your question was not worth an answer............ SOrry......:thumbsup:

Maybe you should write your congressperson & ask him or her that question.......... Just a thought.........:D
If it wasn't worth an answer, then why did you quote me and respond?
Oh, that's right, you wanted to divert rather than address the actual question.
Keep up the bad work. :hi:

[Bill Cosby]

If it wasn't worth an answer, then why did you quote me and respond?
Oh, that's right, you wanted to divert rather than address the actual question.
Keep up the bad work. :hi:

Well no Pat......

I just thought as one of my loyal fans you deserved a bit more than me just ignoring your groveling for my attention...

Anyway I will be here this afternoon........... SO lets have some fun...:D

[Pat]

Well no Pat......

I just thought as one of my loyal fans you deserved a bit more than me just ignoring your groveling for my attention...

Anyway I will be here this afternoon........... SO lets have some fun...:D
Egotistical much there Bill?

[Bill Cosby]

Nice new avatar Pat.... I like Janis.........

YOu like any blues??

I will be listening to a local blues program this afternoon.

KXJZ why not listen up while we chat......... (http://www.capradio.org/stream/player_kxjz.aspx)

[Bill Cosby]

Egotistical much there Bill?

I guess I am just in the MOOD........ rT-FoZt95D4

[Pat]

I guess I am just in the MOOD........ rT-FoZt95D4
I started a song dedication thread.

[Bill Cosby]

ThnX..................... :)

[Pat]

ThnX..................... :)
Yer welcome.
I'm only here to help.
































And cause trouble.

[Bill Cosby]

Yer welcome.
I'm only here to help.
































And cause trouble.
http://www.stuartngbooks.com/loter_good_girl_bad_girl_cv.jpg

[Pat]

You assume I'm a girl.

[Bill Cosby]

You assume I'm a girl.

What do you assume you are??

[Pat]

What do you assume you are??
I know what I am.

[Bill Cosby]

I know what I am.

SO do I........... Attention starved............... :lmao2: :lmao2: :lmao2:

Now go get me some tubes to watch while you try harder to flirt w/ me...:D

[Pat]

SO do I........... Attention starved............... :lmao2: :lmao2: :lmao2:

Now go get me some tubes to watch while you try harder to flirt w/ me...:D
You ain't my type, junior.

[foxbaron]

I am asking this really............ Is it ok if we do it but what about the other 180+or - countries???? What if they start playing by the same rules???

Then what??
Perhaps al the other countries started playing by the same rules it would mean terrorists would no longer have a sanctuary, anywhere, and they could be eliminated that much easier and this worldwide war against them could be over and we could all get along.