Terrorism training, like a leak in a dike, pops up somewhere else when you push your thumb on a hole in Iraq or Afghanistan. The spout currently flows in Yemen. So will we put our thumb on the Yemeni leak?
First off, where the heck is Yemen? Here you go:
To a certain extent Yemen puts the kabosh on the notion that “democracy” will prevent terror support:
Yemen (Yaman) is a Presidential republic with a bicameral legislature. Under the constitution, an elected president, an elected 301-seat House of Representatives, and an appointed 111-member Shura Council share power. The president is head of state, and the prime minister is head of government.
See that “Shura” thing… it basically means “Islamic Democracy”. You get the picture.
Culturally split between Shia and Sunni, a median age of 16 and with over half the population under age 14, Yemen is more like Somalia than its neighbor Saudi Arabia. Yemen is one of the poorest Arab countries – over 1/2 live below the poverty line. Yemeni’s diaspora largely went to England – which has about 70,000 Yemeni immigrants.
Like the Northern Territories of Pakistan the primary social unit for Yemen is the tribe not the state. Hence, their “Democracy” it isn’t one that we would recognize as such, and there is in insurgency underway against the relatively recent (1999) Democratic rule.
So what should we do about terrorist training and hide-a-ways in Yemen?
Well, if it were me, I’d tell each tribal leadership that their lives depend on booting the terrorists out. Personally. There. Lives. If not, Predators and special forces deal with them.
No need to “invade”. Make it personal for leaders and their behavior will change.
Politicians are the same all over… they will consistently do what is best for themselves.
I see no need to kill lots of Yemeni, nor put at risk lots of American youth. Lets try something different in Yemen – put the hurt where it belongs – On older self-dealing politicians in the country and the terrorists themselves.
December 29th, 2009 at 9:42 am
You mean attack them like we did when Clinton was president and 17 US sailors were killed in an attack on the US Cole? That sort of overwhelming response?
What you are saying is what we should do; with a weak president in office nothing will happen, just like the last time a Democrat had to deal with Yemen.
Barry put himself between a rock and a hard place by running as a centrist when he is a left wind radical. So he can go against his true colors and hope to get reelected or succumb to his true self and make a quick exit in 2012.
I’m counting on him to do the wrong thing, in any case. He so far hasn’t disappointed.
December 29th, 2009 at 10:42 am
I’m sure he will do the wrong thing unless the right thing aligns with his political interests.
December 30th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Wow another threat, lets hope we can establish a basis for invasion, just like Iraq
December 30th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
I know you are being silly, G Wizz, but I’ll respond seriously.
I don’t favor an invasion. As said above, I favor killing those who provide our enemies safe haven. As long as we own the skies, no invasion needed.