Thursday, June 9, 2011

U.S. Steps Up Covert Strikes in Yemen

Nice to see we are going after Al Qaida in Yemen, this is the biggest cesspool around and is ripe for the pickens.
Anwar "Al lacky" should be toast soon.

Foxnews
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration has intensified the covert U.S. war in Yemen, hitting militant suspects with armed drones and fighter jets, The New York Times reported late Wednesday.

The accelerated campaign has occurred in recent weeks as violent conflict in Yemen has left the government in Sanaa struggling to cling to power, the Times said.

The report, posted on the newspaper's website, said Yemeni troops that had been battling militants linked to Al Qaeda in the south have been pulled back to the capital. American officials hope the strikes will help prevent militants from consolidating power.

A drone strike by U.S. special operations forces on May 5 targeted U.S.-born Al Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, but a malfunction caused rockets to miss him by a matter of minutes, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.

The recent operations come after a nearly yearlong pause in American airstrikes, which were halted amid concerns that poor intelligence had led to bungled missions and civilian deaths that were undercutting the goals of the secret campaign.

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