msnbc.com
updated 9/20/2011 10:17:40 PM ETT
The United States is assembling a series of secret drone bases in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula to launch an aggressive campaign against al-Qaida-linked groups in Somalia and Yemen, the Washing on Post reported Tuesday night
The Post said the new bases are in Ethiopia, the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean and on the Arabian Peninsula. The military has also flown drones out of Djibouti, at the conjunction of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
In addition to using armed drones in Yemen and Somalia, the U.S. government has used them in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.
Libya is the most recent country where the U.S. has used drones. Unarmed Predator drones flew surveillance missions to support the NATO mission against Muammar Gaddafi, officials have said.
The Post said the expansion of the drone program in the Arabian Peninsula reflected U.S. alarm over al-Qaida affiliates in Yemen and Somalia.
The United States began using drones launched from the Seychelles, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, to track pirates off Somalia in 2009. But diplomatic cables revealed by WikiLeaks show that the unmanned aircraft has also been used for counterterrorism missions over Somalia, the Post reported.
The Post said that to get the Seychelles to agree to allow the original drone base, U.S. officials said they didn't plan to arm the drones. The cable show U.S. officials were thinking about just that.
The Post said it had been unable to get comment from U.S. or Seychelles officials on whether armed drones were being flown from the islands.
The last week, the top U.S. counter terror official, John Brennan laid out, what could be called the Osama bin Laden raid doctrine, in remarks at Harvard Law School. He said that under international law, the U.S. can protect itself with pre-emptive action against suspects the U.S. believes present an imminent threat, wherever they are.
Somalia has not had a functioning central government for more than 20 years and is in the grip of a desperate drought and famine. The U.N. says more than 3.2 million Somalis — nearly half the population need food aid.
More than 450,000 Somalis live in famine zones controlled by Al-Shabab, the al-Qaida-linked militants who hold much of southern and central Somalia.
The al-Qaida branch in Yemen — al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula — is one of the world's most dangerous. Its militants have staged or inspired a series of attacks on U.S. territory.
Yemen is in the middle of a virtual civil war with much at stake for the United States, its Gulf Arab allies, particularly Saudi Arabia, and the West. Yemen overlooks key shipping lanes in the Red and Arabian seas, and already the chaos has allowed the al-Qaida militants to capture and hold a string of towns in nearly lawless southern Yemen.
23 comments:
The risk of war should be taken seriously as the risk of terrorists striking on our shores-The present of those Arabs depots and hundreds of Pakistanis who have been gifted our passports could well be the source of such astrocities.We have seen in Europe foreigners originated from such countries now holding european passports are in many cases those who are ready to conduct terorist act inthese countries^ THAT HOST THem.bE uK,usa,gERMAY,sPAIN terrorist act on their soil were conducted by those people who they given their nationality too .
There is a need of concern and it is more disturbing since those people did not come by themselves to our shgores but were imported by Pp.
It is time for change in order to fix pp shit and protect our sovereignty.
Jeanne D'Arc
As long as we have muslims living among us we should be always prepared for terrorist attack. That is why Michel is allowing those drone so that he will be ready whenever his new muslim friends turn against him.
We cannot blame Muslims for terrorism in a blanket way.
The threat is serious in as much as now pirates are attacking island hotel establishments in Kenya.
Seychelles needs to act swiftly.
The country faces difficult times ahead, and government will not have excuses for not taking precautionary measures.
A country that lacks social cohesion is ripe for being a victim of its own predicament.
PL should take notice of the the mess they have created.
Seselwa Unite!
Sesel Pou Seselwa!
Christopher Gill
Saw that on the news this morning(US)..
.
Terrorism is everywhere a possibility now even home grown.
It could be used as a leverage by the Opposition..(if it was a well crafted carefully combined effort.. not the way it is right now..not well organized at all and with deliberate and childish exclusion of SFP). to promote the advance of freedom of media, speech and democracy in the country..by touting the US Defense Department to acknowledge the lack thereof in Seychelles before extending operations in a country that is in violation of human rights to begin with..and pointing out clearly the need to not use our country to fight a wrong while ignoring what is wrong in it!
Sorry Gill I have to disagree with you regarding blaming all Muslims as terrorist. You certainly don't know how this organisation function. If you are a Muslim you have to be either:
1) commit suicide attacks on the innocents or
2) finance the suicide bombers and family or
3)Cheer them on the sideline and keep praying for the success of their mission or
4)pretend to the rest of the world that you are against these atrocities while you get as much intelligence from them to pass on to the warriors.
I can go on and on but the final analysis they all have to participate in jihad otherwise they cannot be call Muslim. You need to do your homework here Gill. I have always agree with you but not on this one.
Do not explain anything there is nothing to justify in terror.
jeanne D'Arc
Islam is not a religion it is a totalitarian ideology disguised as a religion to stay under the radar. Otherwize it would be treated as nazism. Its teachings are not just around the surpression of women. It advocates pedophilia, the beating of women as well as polygamy. Seychellois I warn you be very afraid what's coming your way.
Exerpts from the transcript of Sheik Hilali's speech
In his literature, scholar al-Rafihi says: 'If I came across a rape crime, kidnap and
violation of honour. I would discipline the man and order that the woman be arrested and jailed for life.'
Why would you do this, Rafihi?
He says because if she had not left the meat uncovered, the cat wouldn't have snatched it." "If you take a kilo of meat, and you don't put it in the fridge or in the pot or in the kitchen but you leave it on a plate in the backyard, and then you have a fight with the neighbour
because his cats eat the meat, you're crazy. Isn't this true?"If
you take uncovered meat and put it on the street, on the pavement, in a garden, in a park or in the backyard, without a cover and the cats eat it, is it the fault of the cat or the uncovered meat? The uncovered meat is the problem."If the meat was covered, the cats wouldn't roam around it. If the meat is inside the fridge, they won't get it."If the meat was in the fridge and it (the cat) smelled it, it can bang its head as much as it wants, but it's no use."If the woman is in her boudoir, in her house and if she's wearing the veil and if she shows modesty, disasters don't happen."That's why he said she owns the weapon of seduction."Satan
sees women as half his soldiers. You're my messenger to achieve my
needs. Satan tells women you're my weapon to bring down any stubborn
man. There are men that I fail with. But you're the best of my weapons."The woman was behind Satan playing a role when she disobeyed God and went out all dolled up and unveiled and made of herself palatable food that rakes and perverts would race for. She was the reason behind this sin.
Rhonda, this has all been done before. In fact it is quite embarrassing to see US Ambassadors quoting Volcere and Ramkalawan in WikiLeaks cables. They obviously were talking to the US.
The problem is the US acts in its own interests abroad (that is mostly homeland security). Democratic norms abroad are not always in US interests. US foreign policy is guided by US "homeland security" and trade. The US will not boycott a country if it needs that country to fight Al Qaida, however repugnant that country's regime is. This is a problem for Americans in US, as much as it is a problem for the opposition in Seychelles.
Gill excluded himself from the mainstream and real opposition. He wasn't invited to stand on the lorry to address the crowd. But then neither was I, an opposition supporter through and through. Where do you draw the line ? I say draw the line at Ramkalawan, Boulle and Volcere. Too many cooks spoil the broth.
Parti Lepep disputes reports in US newspapers.
Who do we believe ? American newspapers with their sources in the US military or the lying Parti Lepep regime ?
It's a no-brainer.
Christopher Gill; according to you everybody who has ever crossed the floor are "sell outs" or traitors except you! Yet you, the first floor crosser claims to have done it because your life was put in danger by your uncle! LIAR!!! You crossed the floor for profit and you will do it again given the chance! Never have your life ever been in danger! You betrayed James Marie Mancham for money just like Judas, the man you so love to compare to others, betrayed Jesus for money!
You are a liar, a hypocrite and a profiteer and a scumbag!
Now in your fight for profit you are using the old tactic of fear to create an enemy within so as to generate support for your sick ambition. You are demonising all Muslims and I hope to god that the Muslims in Seychelles are following your bloggs you sick individual!
Anonymous.. I agree with your comments.. about the US ..and the wiki leaks comments and the absurdity and hypocrisy of the situation.. The US has in the past supported .Saddam Hussein, Ghaddafi, even Osama.. when it suits them politically..it is certainly a game and our small population means nothing to them..(John Pilger's documentary on the plight of the Chagossians ) are all examples of dirty politics..
by the US, and the western democracies..
However I still believe that the other Opposition were unfair to SFP.. I am not living back home and it seems so from this end.
My impression is that the opposition wants to use SFP as leverage, ie let SFP say what they themselves do not dare say. It all reminds me of kids up to mischief where they send one kid to enter the garden with agressive dogs whilst they themselves stand outside and watch the unlucky one get chased or cornered so that they can help themselves to the apple tree.
In a way I think SFP will benefit form the freeze-out as it just shows what kind of people the others were. I may not agree with all Gill's policies or actions for that matter, but fair has to be fair and if one wants a united opposition then all potential candidates should be part of it.
Again it just shows that Ramkalawan will freeze out anyone who seems to be a threat to him and his position just like he does with members of his own party.
Gerard Payet
I think there is fear in the opposition of SFP ,they are afraid of the popularity of Chris ,his present might instigate many of their voters and supporters to switch side which in the case of RAM for instance,will mean the end of his party.But Ram and Co must understand Seychellois have given them the chance for years now to represent them but their actions were not at expected by the people.They have dessived their voters.
Jeanne D'Arc
When you do not know what you bullshit, you should shut up.
Well said Pissed,why not shut up then.Does my piont also scared you as the boycott?
Jeanne D'Arc
I cannot help but laugh at two-faced Christopher Gill!
It’s o.k. for him to betray his uncle and godfather for land and money by crossing the floor but it is the act of Judas if somebody else does it?
We are all grown up here and we each can boast some form of education no matter how minimal. We see what is written and can read and understand at least the basics. So tell me somebody which is the worse form of betrayal;
David Pierre deciding to leave SNP?
Jane Carpin deciding to vote with her conscience and getting expelled from her party for it
or:
Christopher Gill betraying his uncle who is also his godfather – the man who stood in church in the presence of god craddling the baby Christopher in his arms and vowed to look after him and guide him and be his father before god – stabbed in the back for the love of money and land! Yet Christopher Gill, unashamedly and without batting an eyelid is calling everyone else Judas. If indeed they are Judas then Christopher Gill is KING JUDAS!
Now he is acting like he is god and asking others to do Hail Marys.
Totof there are not enough Hail Marys on earth and in heaven for you to repeat in order to absolve your sins of betrayel to your uncle and godfather!
How can anyone with even an ounce of education take Christopher Gill seriously?
He is the joker in the deck of political cards – useless and discarded with no value!
Gerard ..Referring to your last post..you certainly bring up a good point...
JOHN PILGER's the one!!!!!
I do not understand what Gerard Payet is on about. Seems like total drivel. What has Gill done apart from writing on blogs ? He was waiting for a gold-plated invitation and it did not arrive. He chose not to respond to the public announcement for the meeting. Stayed on Praslin and issued a stupid press release. Then resorted to type by attacking the "millionaire priest". He even denounced the meeting saying there was no need for a meeting. Gill showed he is irrational and people in Seychelles know that.
Furthermore, it is not advisable for mainstream, national politicians to associate themselves with Gill's MSR creed of Seychellois rasin and fabrike.
Lastly, who exactly does Gill represent ? We know what he represents but not who.
Gill said on this blog that he walked out of a meeting to discuss the boycott with Volcere and Boulle. Why would they take him seriously ? Freeze him out. He represents no one apart from his office staff.
Maybe SFP was left out of the meeting because Wavel, Volcere and Boulle were worried of being humiliated by Jean Paul stealing the show by outsmarting and outshining them despite their years of experience.
Gill & Isaac represents Mein Kamp the second and revised edition!
Post a Comment