Armies of Liberation

Yemen Post reports the demands are money and the release of imprisoned terrorists, but the demands themselves and the timing of the kidnapping, following a French call for Saleh to step down, the odd video without any al Qaeda characteristics, the tension with (if not expulsion of) the French ambassador for his remarks, the bombing of TOTAL’s pipeline and the pending UN resolution may all indicate the statement is yet another attempt by the Sana’a regime to spin the media away from the slaughter in the capital.

The situation echos that of the German hostages, a crime thought committed by Saleh loyalists linked to drug smugglers and al Qaeda. As the recent West Point paper pointed out, many of the security officials murdered by al Qaeda were in fact counter-narcotics agents, and that’s another area where the footprints of al Qaeda and the Sana’a regime overlap.

Obama should grab that sleazy slimy mass murderer rat Saleh by the throat and throttle him until he gives up these and all the Yemeni hostages. Dozens more severely wounded Yemenis were kidnapped by security forces in the last days, including women, but likely the Yemenis will get much less publicity. The regime has got to go.

Yemen Post: French Hostages in Yemen Face New Challenges

On May 28th, 2011, 3 French aid workers were kidnapped in the eastern Yemeni province of Hadramaut as they were conducting a field trip near Sayyun. (Read on …)

Update 9am EST, Wednesday: “Now We Have 400 youth in Alqaa area , they are surrounded and being blocked by the Thugs and the Family security forces at this time.” I lost track of the fatalities. The CSM has 12 Saturday and 4 Sunday and there was more Monday. AP has seven killed Tuesday, today, already.

A woman, Azeeza Abdo Othman was killed in Taiz, a residential home bombed in Sadaa killing an entire family, the protest square was bombed and clashes are flaring between the AMA pro-rev forces and Saleh’s family’s forces. The Guardian reports protesters are writing their names on their chests to identify them if they get murdered by their government.

Update 2: Marib Press” Tribes in Marib issued a statement saying Sheikh Saleh al Taaman was killed in the air rad with Ibrahim al Banaa but not reported killed by the regime. The Sheikh was connected to the state’s security policy and paid by Ghalib al Qamish (PSO) 100K YR/month; tribesmen accuse the regime of the manipulating the terror file and US CT ops to retain power. They say the Sheikh was not listed among the dead and that’s reason to ignore the regime’s fatality lists.

Update 3: HOOD reports over 400 arrested and dozens of injured protesters were kidnapped–again. The Saleh regime has been taking the injured all along to hide the number of fatalities and at least two credible reports of mass graves were forwarded since February.

Original: The Gulf of Aden Security Review is a great resource. Current updates include the state shelling the protest square in Sanaa, (there’s also fatalities in Taiz) and AQ issues a vid threatening tribesmen who are fighting against the AQ occupation of Abyan.

Yemen Security Brief: Fighting in Sana’a continued into a third day. There have been ongoing clashes between pro-government troops and defected tribesmen, loyal to Hashid tribal confederation leader Sheikh Sadiq al Ahmar, in al Hasaba district and between pro-government troops and defected First Armored Division troops along al Zubayri Street in Sana’a. Witnesses report that three people died when a shell landed near a makeshift hospital near Tagheer (Change) Square in Sana’a as well. Government snipers reportedly opened fire at thousands of protesters from the rooftops. The First Armored Division released a statement saying that a major and nine of its troops were killed “by treacherous sniping and shelling of the positions of the division.” In Taiz, medical officials reported that one woman was killed by government troops and seven others were injured. Government troops killed at least 12 people and injured hundreds in a similar march on October 15. Also, fighting between pro-government troops and opposition tribesmen killed 17 other people in al Hasaba district of Sana’a.[1]—-

Tribal sources reported that tribesmen ambushed at least five al Qaeda-linked militants as they were transporting military equipment in Zinjibar in Abyan governorate. Fighting that followed the ambush reportedly killed four militants and one tribesman. Yemeni security forces reportedly captured three suspected al Qaeda-linked militants.[4]

A video called, “Are the Two Groups Equal,” was produced by al Raya Media Productions, an alleged media outlet of the al Qaeda-linked militant group, Ansar al Sharia, and posted on jihadist forums on October 14. The video features images of martyrs, tribal fighters being killed in a suicide bombing in Abyan governorate, and excerpts from speeches made by al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri. Additionally, Ansar al Sharia threatened death to tribes who are working alongside the Yemeni government.[5]

Hopefully these unsourced statements will prove to be an embarrassment to al Qaeda:

Yemen Post: “As is happens, al-Qaeda in Yemen is now claiming that both al-Awlaki and al-Asiri are still alive and were in fact nowhere near the explosion.”

But there hasn’t been an actual press release, if we can call it that, from AQAP. Supposedly they promised a video of Anwar disputing reports of his death to Xinjua, but there’s been nothing beyond that a few days ago. ( Here’s the summary of the reports of Anwar alive from 11/1.) Maybe the YP has sources. Marib Press says the local population confirmed to the family that Anwar is alive but has nothing from AQAP itself.

The fact that his family was unable to identify Awlaki from among the body parts was unsurprising. His father has my sympathy for that task alone. YP: “Tribal leaders in Jawf told the family that Awlaqi was not killed in the attack. Tribes in the province say there is no proof that Awlaqi was amongst the killed and DNA tests on the remains of the five killed can prove that.”

At the same time, Yemeni muj are confirming on the forums that he is dead. And DOD would never let President Obama make the statement if there was a chance Awlaki was still alive; otherwise, undead terrorists are quite common in Yemen. Al Reimi was announced dead three times and al Quso twice, but none of these were USG statements.

Update: Mareb Press report on an AlQuds Alarabia report that PM Mujawir is Anwar Awlaki’s uncle and they are from the same tribe, that this is the reason the Sanaa regime failed to take any action against him for years. If true, it also means the Fahd al Quso is Mujawir’s tribesman.

Update 2: AQAP contradictory, it sounds like they don’t know or havent confirmed themselves: Mareb Press The questioning in the killing of al-Awlaki is reinforced by a conflict of information from sources close al Qaeda, where some close to AQ stress he is not dead, while others assert the news of his death (is correct), while it did not issue any official statement from al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula that confirms or denies the news of his death.

Original: Gah! Al Qaeda linked sources tell the BBC that Awlaki is alive and they will produce video to prove it. On one hand, the US said it had definite confirmation and Obama wouldn’t have announced it if there wasn’t. Also there was a witness on the ground, the homeowner. And there was confirmation on one of the forums. On the other hand, the remains were charred and in pieces and his father couldn’t identify him. There’s been so much duplicity from the Sanaa regime on the al Qaeda issue before. However I don’t recall AQAP denying a death that occurred, they are usually more reliable in announcing causalities than Sanaa, which has a habit of announcing kills that weren’t going back to 2004 and Nabi. Likely the BBC’s source is not actual AQAP? Until I see it a reliable Yemeni site that has a statement directly from AQAP, not reprinting the beeb story, then its likely untrue.

BBC, GT: Tribal sources linked to al Qaeda, told the BBC that al-Qaeda in Yemen, Egypt denied the news of killing of Anwar Al-Awlaki, a leading figure in the organization, and vowed to broadcast a video of an interview with Aulaqi prove that he is still alive

But sources close to the father of Anwar al-Awlaki who is a professor at the University of Sanaa, confirmed to the BBC that he went today to the al-Jawf province, eastern Yemen to identify the body of his son, and supervising the burial, if so, then his death.

According to tribal sources is entirely distorted and could not be identified but believed to be Anwar Awlaki.

Similar report at Barakish

Yemen’s youthful revolutionaries across the country are making plans for a day of protests against al Qaeda in an effort to send a clear message to the American public. Protesters have coordinated their message in the capital Sanaa, Yemen’s largest city Taiz, the coastal city of Aden in south Yemen and Hodiedah on Yemen’s west coast.

There is a near uniform consensus among Yemeni protesters that al Qaeda has been nurtured by President Saleh and that once Saleh and his family are finally deposed, the terror organization will be substantially weakened. They take that as a given and assume the US knows it. Therefore it appears to some Yemenis that the US government seeks to ensure the terror organization’s longevity with its support of the ruling family’s continued power.

When Yemeni protesters call for “a civil state,” they mean a) not under military rule and, b) not a theocracy. The demonstrators have been condemned by religious hardliners (including Abdelmajid al Zindani) for seeking a civil state, and they responded with all vigor that it is an unyielding and legitimate demand. The newspapers are full of articles and statements rebutting al Zindanis denunciation. Yemeni is a religiously pluralistic society and one goal is to ensure equal rights and protections for all sects. The spread of hard line Salafism was a direct function of Saleh’s support and financing of extremists in exchange for their political backing.

Al Qaeda has brought nothing but disaster to Yemen. The downturn in the economy before the revolution was in part a function of al Qaeda attacks in Yemen on tourists, aid workers and the US embassy. External attacks on Saudi Prince Naif and the attempted downing of an airliner over Detroit meant an increase in drone attacks, and civilian casualties. The AQAP takeover in Abyan drove 90,000 from their homes fleeing both the violence and the al Qaeda Taliban-like governance. The upcoming protests are also a national assertion of solidarity with those Yemeni victims of al Qaeda.

The upcoming protests by the Yemeni youth are meant as a clear statement to the American public which has little understanding of the nature of Yemeni society, values and culture. The message is the rejection of all violence. The protesters have demonstrated their commitment to peace every day for six months as the state engaged in vicious atrocities against them, murdering nearly 1000.

The Yemeni protesters written statements have been entirely ignored by a western media that amplifies the statements of al Qaeda fanatics. The Inspire Magazine issued by the Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula distorts western perceptions of Yemen and generates fear of Yemenis. Protesters hope that by overtly condemning both the al Qaeda organization and its media releases, the American public will come to understand that the protesters reject al Qaeda entirely and have suffered more from its violent, supremacist ideology.

On the counter-terror front, Yemenis object to drone strikes when they kill civilians and when no effort was made to arrest the suspect. Yemen’s have no objection to a fair trial that results in a jail term for those who commit or plan violence.

I’m so sick of these al Qaeda jokers.

ABYAN, July 30 (Saba) – A security source said Saturday that senior leader of al-Qaeda “Abdullah Saeed Omar Houbaibat” was captured in Abyan province. (Read on …)

Ammar wants new toys? There was never a legitimate ransom demand from al Qaeda in Yemen in the past. Its interesting the regime knows the hostages are in good health. But then again, Saleh’s network has many conduits to “al Qaeda.” The French workers were kidnapped after France made a statement urging Saleh to leave the throne immediately.

News 24: Sanaa – Three French aid workers who were kidnapped in southeastern Yemen are held by al-Qaeda members who are seeking a $12m ransom for their release, tribal sources said on Wednesday.
(Read on …)

The AQAP eulogy of Ammar al Waeli says, “His father was a leader in the mujahadin in Yemen who was appointed by (bin Laden) to open a training camp in the area of Saada.”

Abu Jubarah anyone? See my article, Large al Qaeda camp in North Yemen dims peace prospects, politician says dated 3/29/10 or my category Abu Jubarah.

During the Saada Wars, both the US and al Qaeda (bin Laden division) were facilitating Saleh’s forces against the Houthis and the residents of Saada. In essence, the US was supporting a state sponsored jihad, as the Saleh regime itself characterized the conflict. Kahlidabdul Nabi, who in theory is heading the current al Qaeda uprising in Abyan, fought in Saada for Saleh in the 2005 and the 2007 rounds of war. Nabi also lead the state jihaddists in the 2009 battle of Jaar. Ayman Zawaheri provided fighters for Saleh and the US provided the money.

The diversion of US counter-terror aid to Saada was documented by the US Congress. The US was aware of the redeployment of US trained CT units as revealed by Wikileaks. At the same time, the reports of al Qaeda on the same side of the battlefield since 2005 have been consistent, credible and detailed. European nations including the UK and France also provided logistical support to Saleh’s regime including surveillance photos.

The now defected General Ali Mohsen al Ahmar led the Yemeni military against the Houthis in rounds 1-5 of the Saada war (2004-2008). Ahmed Saleh, President Saleh’s son, head of the Republican Guard and the US’s primary CT liaison, commanded round 6 (2009-2010) of the Saada War, the most brutal and lethal.

In Saada War number 6, Saudi Arabia took part in the carnage, bombing residential areas in Yemen as well as refouling refugees who were fleeing the bombing. Over 300,000 residents were displaced in several governorates, international aid was blocked, doctors arrested and hospitals bombed. The internal refugees, mostly women, children and the elderly, received little support from the UN. Only a few thousands were afforded safety in refugee camps where conditions were so abysmal that malnourished infants died all too regularly amid shortages of tents, food and medicine. The rest starved in fields and caves.

The nature and scale of the war crimes against the Yemeni civilian population, based on their ethnic and religious identity, in Saada and throughout the nation, is among the most brutal slaughters of the 21st century. After an investigation, Human Rights Watch said the state’s actions likely violate international law and rise to the level of crimes against humanity. President Obama’s insistence on immunity for his friend President Saleh whitewashes US, Saudi and western complicity in these crimes.