Wednesday, October 5, 2011

What will happen to Seychelles if they come looking for Drone here!!


Report: Al-Qaida’s Yemeni leaders are still at large and still intend to attack US

By Associated Press, Published: October 3


WASHINGTON — Al-Qaida in Yemen has taken a hit with the loss of U.S.-born al-Qaida preacher Anwar al-Awlaki, but the leadership left behind is equally committed to attacking the U.S. homeland, and far more skilled, according to a new report by a top Army counter-terrorism center.

Chief among them is terror chief Nasir al-Wahayshi, who used to work for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, as well as top bomb maker Ibrahim Asiri, according to the report released Monday by the U.S. Military Academy’s Combating Terrorism Center.

Yet that strength could also spell the group’s end, with a few more well-placed drone strikes or Yemeni counterterror raids. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula’s “reliance on this capable leadership is simultaneously the group’s central vulnerability,” said study editor Gabriel Koehler-Derrick.

“Removing these leaders from the battlefield ... would rapidly bring about the group’s defeat,” according to the study, which took a year of fieldwork inside Yemen, well before the strike that killed al-Awlaki and fellow U.S.-born propagandist Samir Khan. The strike was carried out Friday with Yemeni permission by CIA drones, in concert with U.S. military counterterrorist forces.

Al-Wahayshi was in charge when the group launched its first official attack, the dual suicide bombing of U.S. oil facilities in Yemen in 2006.

Another key figure still at large is military leader Qasim al-Rimi, who the State Department said played a key role in reviving al-Qaida as a terrorist powerhouse in Yemen in 2007.

Audio statements by both al-Wahayshi and al-Rimi “demonstrate unequivocal calls for jihad and attacks against the U.S.” but have received less attention because they’re in Arabic, Koehler-Derrick said.

In addition to targeting those leaders, the study’s authors argue the Yemeni government can help defeat the group by cutting deals with a growing list of local opponents. Since unrest started in Yemen as part of the cascade of revolts known as the Arab Spring, al-Qaida’s recent military campaign to seize and hold territory inside Yemen has won it many new enemies, the study authors assert.

Bin Laden’s successor Ayman al-Zawahiri has backed seizing territory in Yemen to start down the road of establishing an Islamic caliphate, according to a senior intelligence official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss classified matters.

But that has woken two sleeping giants: the Yemeni government and the country’s powerful tribes.

Before al-Qaida attacked the regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, there was an unwritten understanding that the government would largely leave al-Qaida alone as long as it left the regime in peace, according to two U.S. counterterrorism officials. They spoke anonymously to discuss a sensitive policy clash with the Yemeni government, which frustrated the Americans because it meant there were certain parts of Yemeni territory where the U.S. was unable to operate.

The Yemeni government started allowing the U.S. a freer hand after al-Qaida attempted to send explosive devices hidden in printer cartridges aboard U.S.-bound cargo planes last year, but only “allowed the U.S. to take the gloves off” once al-Qaida joined in the uprising and started seizing large swaths of Abyan province, one of the officials said.

That’s when the Yemeni government started sharing much more intelligence with U.S. counterterrorism officials, and allowed them increase the presence of CIA officers and military advisers inside the country, working alongside Yemeni forces.

The Yemenis still don’t allow the U.S. to fly armed drones and spy planes from Yemeni territory, instead forcing them to fly from a nearby secret CIA base in a nearby country, as well as bases in Djibouti and a temporary post in the Seychelles. But Yemen has allowed the U.S. to increase the number of flights and the territory they cover, even suggesting occasional targets which may or may not be al-Qaida-related — so much so that the U.S. has had to guard against the Saleh government employing U.S. firepower against other internal rivals to stay in power, the two U.S. officials said.

As for Yemen’s tribes, al-Qaida has “utterly failed” at winning them over, Koehler-Derrick said. “None of its prominent leaders are tribesmen and it enjoys no formal alliance with Yemen’s tribes,” he said.

And in the power struggle among Yemeni tribes and opposition political parties, al-Qaida falls to the bottom of the heap in terms of public popularity, Koehler-Derrick added.

If the Yemeni government cuts deals with its opponents, as Saleh has done in the past, they’d form a majority that would overwhelm al-Qaida, the report suggests. That would also undermine al-Qaida’s message that change only comes through jihad — a religious struggle. Instead, as in the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, it would signal that change can come through a far more secular form of revolution.

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Online:

http://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/a-false-foundation-aqap-tribes-and-ungoverned-spaces-in-yemen

___

AP Intelligence Writer Kimberly Dozier can be followed on Twitter (at)kimberlydozier.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

45 comments:

Anonymous said...

They won't look for drones here but rather look for Amis stationed here,follow their moves and in the end theyx would blow themselves in public places were they think Amis are which will result in great lot of inocent people.The problem with terrorists in our country is it vitaully did not exist due to situation and position of our country,but for whatever reasons PP governemnt want to get those potential terrorists from Pakistan,broughzt them here ,gifted them our passports which allow them to travel on waivers and will probably use this advantage Pp gave them to perpetrated thier dirt,fanatic and archaic acts on our shores.ALl recent history show that in most terror cases or attempt by terroists in for instance Europe,USA,and other places are perpetuated b< poeple coming form those countries like Pakistan and muslim countires.If terroirstds strike once our country it will be in the first place because of PP illegal practices whcih have allow terrorsits in our countries.
Hope any terrorists strike our land becuase the devastion on our tourism industries will be unrepairable and that for decades.

One way to fight terrorists will be for PP to revoke all passports sold to those Pakistanis and others immediately and also provide their names ot interpol etc

We must first start fighting terrorsits by fighting Pp which also a terrorsits organization that has confiscated state instituios to legitimiate their crimes and to give them protection,just like when the Taliban in the eigtheens in Afganitan.


Jeanne D'Arc

brigitte said...

So now we're not fighting Corruption, we're fighting 'Terrorism'.

brigitte said...

If you publish all in Seselwa Publications (PTY) LTD, more will get on the bandwagon....no??

Anonymous said...

Pipe dream.

brigitte said...

My bad, only for the selected few.

Anonymous said...

Heh! Heh!

brigitte said...

SFP
Do as i say, defo not as i do,
bit like SPPF really,
it's hidden in there, move it about a bit & you're nearly there.

Pissedoff said...

L'echo des Gill is Seselwa Publications PTY lllllllmtd!

Pissedoff said...

Brigitte; Don't insult SPPF by comparing that phoney to us!

brigitte said...

shame my bad..

brigitte said...

but if you check it...
SPF moved about is SPF, add one more P eh ;)

brigitte said...

sorry SFP moved about..

Anonymous said...

Brigitte
It is not with all those kinds of absurdity that you will change the situation on the ground,the people have spoken loud and clear,you follow the people or you keep follow absurdity.We beleive in freedom so you free to chose which one you want to follow.

Jeanne D'Arc

Anonymous said...

Does this freedom also apply when a majority decides for something that's against your own views and beliefs?

It is clear that a US drone base here in Seychelles can attract terrorists as we will be seen as friends of the enemy even if we do frequent Arab friends like Khalifa and his friends. However, in a modern world we cannot be friends with all those around us and important allies like the US are both important and not least necessary to have.

What I am more concerned about is the result of having both a US/NATO base and one being manned by the UAE. La ki nou pou kapab war liki.

Sheik Yerbouti

brigitte said...

"the people have spoken loud and clear"

& put SPPF back in, full house @ 'parliament',

Seselwa Publications (PTY) LTD still to no avail. As far as the other corrupted IMF, WORLD BANK etc, all they can see is two 'legally' ellected parties. Please, if you have proof etc ie facts & figures, print it in your NEW,INDEPENDENT, DON'T HOLD NO VIEWS BACK etc Seselwa Publication (PTY) LTD for all to see.

Anonymous said...

Well were friends with the USA since a very long time (we were still under British Colony)and that even before those Arabs ever dreamt to have USA as a friend.Moreover,Seychellois due of our origine i think can better make friends with European,USa than would be an Arabs for we share many things in common to with them be culture,tradition,language which is derives for French,so our problem is not with USA we were laways fans of USA,the one who reected the US was communists of which Michel,RENE and Pp cronies are part of,they are the one who called of Us to go home ,not the majority of Seychellois.

The RISKS of terrorism come from all those illegal Pikistanis which Pp have gifrten our passsports and who have nothing in common both with us and our firends the Us and other western countries.The risks will not even come from a Seychellois converted to Muslim but the very parasites Pp has illlegal imported to our shores.And with the present of persons to the likes of Khalifa and familly ,who have been chased for years now by terrorists, the risks have become much more a probable,then if we would not have them hiding on our christian land.This situation has been created by the irresponsible communist party call PP,without Pp selling out our land we will not have those terrorists living targets like Khalifa here,his present is making victims of a we have nothing to do with.


Jeanne D'Arc

brigitte said...

No big paragraphs for me??
btw i do not follow any Politicians, power to the people!! :)

Anonymous said...

PP in full house in parliament it means One party state.Having Pp full(in parliament(remind you that even when SNP have some memebers in Parliament Pp did what he wanted,so having a rubber stamp parliament with or without Oppostion does not change anything as long as the playing filed is not even)moreover Pp alone in Parliament does not means we are going to let Pp continue abusing the trapping of our institutions to legitimize its crimes,We reserve the right to stop PP should we concider necessary ,by pro-active actions such a mass street protests ,and it will not be Michel nor Pp who will decide when,where we are going to do it,but we the people.We will show to Pp that they are the servants of the people and not princes and princesses having unlimited authority over us.

On majority:in democracy is always the majority will that must be respected and that while paying attension to what the minority has also said.Majority views can only be express and accepted in processes that are conducted and follows democratic norms,under communism or one party state the definition of majority is meaningless and has nothing to do with democracy thus can not be respected or followed .

Jeanne Dàrc

Pissedoff said...

Hey mister Sik Pundiki....errr Sheik Yerbouti

Don't worry about NATO et al we will put arrow signs pointing to the UAE base with a note below saying " This way for suicide bombings"!
Another arrow pointing towards SFP office with "Last chance for your seven virgins in paradise!"!

brigitte said...

You should work for talktalk :)

Pissedoff said...

Apologies for my ignorance but Who are they?

brigitte said...

mobile phone company,
that was meant for Journalist of the year btw aka Jeandarc :)

Anonymous said...

I donot like title Like the butcher but rather what i can do and achieve for the country.What i have done fro the country so far is given Seychellois jobs instead of importing foreigners to work as cheap labors thus destroying our socail standard and making our unemployed.Please give the title of the year to Michel or Pierre,even RAM would like it.

Jeanne D'Arc

brigitte said...

Not only Journalist of the year but also Business Entrepeneur of the year, shhhhite soon you'll be getting a nobel prize.

Anonymous said...

Brigitte the loose canon is back again.

Anonymous said...

The loose cannon Brigitte lacks intelligent so don't pay too mcuh attention to what she says. She writes non-sense and no one can understand.

brigitte said...

Why are you speaking on behalf of others?
You call that 'Democracy'!!?? ;)

brigitte said...

My bad it's JD i forget ;)

brigitte said...

When in doubt go on as 'anonymous' ;)

brigitte said...

lacks intelligent:lacks intelligence
too mcuh: too much
;)

Anonymous said...

As usual nothing concrete from the loose cannon. Plain stupidity Brigitte.

brigitte said...

There you go again JD, trying to convince others & yourself ;)

brigitte said...

When in doubt go on as 'anonymous'.

brigitte said...

Seselwa Publication (PTY) LTD

Anonymous said...

Pissedoff. I can see Ronny Jumeau has been busy lobbying in New York at the UN office.

http://www.care2.com/causes/seychelles-to-decriminalize-homosexuality-other-countries-say-no.html

Pik Danfes

Pissedoff said...

Good for you man! La ki wa pik dan fes eh?

Anonymous said...

Pissedoff bonom, pa dir mwan zanmemn oun sey pik dan fes. Pa bezwen kanmi bougla. normal sa,zis la kalele bien avan sa ganny tete ankor. Deman Ronny si ou pa kwar.

Anonymous said...

Brigitte and pissed off are destroying this site with vile and irrelevant comments.

Please leave behave.

But you can be yourself if you insist.

Seselwa Unite!

Sesel Pou Seselwa!

Christopher Gill

Pissedoff said...

Totof al fer fout don!

brigitte said...

Christopher Gill, pls show me the 'vile' comments i've made.

brigitte said...

You feel i'm destroying your site because people are taking in what i'm saying & of course not to your liking, so try & get me off,
SPPF REGIME ;)

brigitte said...

to this day still no
Seselwa Publications (PTY) LTD to alert the people - who you say you are here for - in kreol of anything that is going on in the country.
The people are slowly realising that NO Political Party cares for them whatsoever & that includes the present government. Like i said check out NYC Wall Street, what protesters are doing to get their voice heard & try & change things.
YOu want people to vote for you, so that you can bring back all the ex-colonials to take 'their' land back from the people because you feel SPUP stole it from you & your ex-colonial friends.

Anonymous said...

Brigiite, the loose cannon is trying her level best to sound intelligent. Christopher give her chance because she cannot get such opportunity anywhere else. In Michel era you need to pretend only you dont have to be the real deal. Unfortunately loose cannor this is not Michel blog.

Anonymous said...

Brigite
These kinds of positions-comments were developped by Pp and cronies to make us beleive and thus try to discourage us in our freedom by teeling us things like-Seychellois will wake up when they are hungry or Seychellois does not yet need democracy which are of course things a dictator will like must to follow for it wants to grab on power for ever.i think the recent and powerful boycott demonstrate all those thugs are wrong and this may explain why they are so worried for they feel thier self-adducted thorned is jeopardized and the starting to see that oppression will not be enough to sillent their people for ever.it is fear of change that make them react as they do,it is case the one thing we have to do is keep the pressure for once the balloon is over pressured it will explode into pieces.Each time those crooks attempt to vicrtimize you keep in mind that each they do so it is a sign of weakness and fear of the change ahead.

Jeanne DÂrc

Anonymous said...

??????????????