US to give 'logistical, intelligence' support in Yemen operation

[jimmyjimmy]

WASHINGTON - The United States is coordinating closely with Saudi Arabia and regional allies in the military action against Houthi rebels in Yemen, including providing intelligence and logistical support, the White House said Wednesday.

"President Obama has authorised the provision of logistical and intelligence support to GCC-led military operations," National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said in a statement, referring to the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Saudi Arabia carried out air strikes against the Huthi rebels on Wednesday, launching an operation by a regional coalition to save the government of embattled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi as the country teeters on the brink of civil war.

Condemning the Houthi rebels, a Shiite militia that launched a power takeover in the Yemeni capital Sanaa in February, Meehan said Washington had also been in close contact with the embattled Hadi.

US forces were not taking direct military action in Yemen, she stressed, but were "establishing a Joint Planning Cell with Saudi Arabia to coordinate US military and intelligence support."

"We strongly urge the Huthis to halt immediately their destabilizing military actions and return to negotiations as part of the political dialogue," added Meehan.

"The international community has spoken clearly through the UN Security Council and in other fora that the violent takeover of Yemen by an armed faction is unacceptable and that a legitimate political transition -- long sought by the Yemeni people -- can be accomplished only through political negotiations and a consensus agreement among all of the parties."

http://news.asiaone.com/news/world/us-give-logistical-intelligence-support-yemen-operation

Come on, Obama! Spend more taxpayers money on one more illegal war. You know guys sometimes it seems to me that John McCain is hippie in comparison with nobel peace prize winner Obama.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

http://news.asiaone.com/news/world/us-give-logistical-intelligence-support-yemen-operation

Come on, Obama! Spend more taxpayers money on one more illegal war. You know guys sometimes it seems to me that John McCain is hippie in comparison with nobel peace prize winner Obama.

its not gonna make a difference, those people in the middle east are sick and tired of american imperialism and they know now that in the long run the usa cannot win, america doesnt have the will, the power, or the money

 

[schmuckley]

I'll make a thread about this later.
Because Obama said "Yemen is the standard of success"
or something to that effect.
and it's...epic fail.

 

[irishScott]

its not gonna make a difference, those people in the middle east are sick and tired of american imperialism and they know now that in the long run the usa cannot win, america doesnt have the will, the power, or the money

More like those people in the middle east are ruled by impoverished religious fanatics who wouldn't care if the entire US nuclear arsenal was landing on their heads. So given that genocide is in bad taste, we'll just play eternal drone-strike whack-a-mole with them with the occasional spec-ops raid until they decide to grow up.

 

[nickqt]

http://news.asiaone.com/news/world/us-give-logistical-intelligence-support-yemen-operation

Come on, Obama! Spend more taxpayers money on one more illegal war. You know guys sometimes it seems to me that John McCain is hippie in comparison with nobel peace prize winner Obama.

Supplying intelligence and logistics isn't the same as putting "boots on the ground", which is what McCain would have done, as he has said as much.

You're hilarious. Keep it up.

 

[unokitty]

Pentagon loses track of $500 million in weapons, equipment given to Yemen

With Yemen in turmoil and its government splintering, the Defense Department has lost its ability to monitor the whereabouts of small arms, ammunition, night-vision goggles, patrol boats, vehicles and other supplies donated by the United States.

In Yemen and elsewhere, the Obama administration has pursued a strategy of training and equipping foreign militaries to quell insurgencies and defeat networks affiliated with al-Qaeda. That strategy has helped to avert the deployment of large numbers of U.S. forces, but it has also met with repeated challenges.

Washington spent $25 billion to re-create and arm Iraq’s security forces after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, only to see the Iraqi army easily defeated last year by a ragtag collection of Islamic State fighters who took control of large parts of the country. Just last year, President Obama touted Yemen as a successful example of his approach to combating terrorism.

Just another 'successful' example of the Obama administration's approach to combating terrorism.

Indeed!

Uno

 

[nickqt]

Pentagon loses track of $500 million in weapons, equipment given to Yemen


Just another 'successful' example of the Obama administration's approach to combating terrorism.

Indeed!

Uno

Better had he spent a few thousand American lives chasing non-existent WMDs, amirite?!?

Keep up the outrage!

 

[werepossum]

More like those people in the middle east are ruled by impoverished religious fanatics who wouldn't care if the entire US nuclear arsenal was landing on their heads. So given that genocide is in bad taste, we'll just play eternal drone-strike whack-a-mole with them with the occasional spec-ops raid until they decide to grow up.

This, exactly.

I can't decide if the better analogy is attempting to pick up a turd by the clean end or not taking sides in a fight between a rat and a snake. Regardless, whatever damage we do to one group of terrorists is offset by the loot we give the other bunch of terrorists to let us play in their litter box. One group is less able to attack us, but the other group is better equipped to attack us. It's inevitable, and yet no President appears to be able to resist playing.

 

[Bitek]

Pentagon loses track of $500 million in weapons, equipment given to Yemen


Just another 'successful' example of the Obama administration's approach to combating terrorism.

Indeed!

Uno

Are you really suggesting we spend considerable resources to track the bullets we sent to Yemen?

For $500M, it doesn't look like it's all that much stuff. Bunch of ammo, a few guns and armor, and a few planes. The only big items on there seem like the humvees and the transport plane. Still pretty small time stuff

 

[unokitty]

Are you really suggesting we spend considerable resources to track the bullets we sent to Yemen?

For $500M, it doesn't look like it's all that much stuff. Bunch of ammo, a few guns and armor, and a few planes. The only big items on there seem like the humvees and the transport plane. Still pretty small time stuff

25 March ABC News
White House Continues to Back Yemen as Model For Successful Counterterrorism

President Obama has long pointed to the counterterrorism campaign in Yemen as a model for the fight against ISIS.

“This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years,” Obama said in September as he outlined his strategy to degrade and destroy ISIS.

But today, the U.S. strategy in Yemen has virtually collapsed amid the fall of the American-backed government. The U.S. embassy in Yemen has been shut down and U.S. military personnel have been evacuated.

I didn't suggest anything.

If you, or the Obama Administration, wants to consider Yemen a 'model for a successful conterterrorism campaign,' who could possibly have a different perspective?

Uno

 

[nickqt]

25 March ABC News
White House Continues to Back Yemen as Model For Successful Counterterrorism
I didn't suggest anything.

If you, or the Obama Administration, wants to consider Yemen a 'model for a successful conterterrorism campaign,' who could possibly have a different perspective?

Uno

Perhaps people who don't consider the rebels in Yemen to be terrorists.

 

[schmuckley]

Perhaps people who don't consider the rebels in Yemen to be terrorists.

Welp..
I'm not sure who that would be.
It all looks like a big pile of dog poo,IMO.
Something best stepped around..not played with with a stick.
Oops..Here's the US gov..stick in hand..

 

[PokerGuy]

I'll make a thread about this later.
Because Obama said "Yemen is the standard of success"
or something to that effect.
and it's...epic fail.

Pretty much sums up his presidency doesn't it? Complete and utter fail, accompanied by idiots spinning the fail as "win!".

 

[touchstone]

i suggest anybody who thinks aiding the saudis in this to watch the documentary in the thread i posted. you may change your mind.

 

[boomerang]

Pretty much sums up his presidency doesn't it? Complete and utter fail, accompanied by idiots spinning the fail as "win!".

It may be important to remember that for the left, it's all about the intent. If the intentions are "good" it's a win - even if it fails.

 

[schmuckley]

It may be important to remember that for the left, it's all about the intent. If the intentions are "good" it's a win - even if it fails.

Man...

 

[unokitty]

Obama’s Drone Policy Crashes and Burns

Yemen, the poster child for drone-based foreign policy, has collapsed on itself.

...The Obama “success story” in Yemen had already come to an end in January, when Houthi rebels took control of the presidential compound in Sanaa, ousting Hadi, his prime minister and his entire cabinet. The motto of the new leaders is “Death to America, death to Israel, curse on the Jews, victory to Islam.” On February 10, the State Department confirmed that it had closed the U.S. embassy in Yemen, the third in an Arab country since 2012.

In truth, Obama’s foreign policy is similar to George W. Bush’s. The war contractors want to keep the rivers of taxpayer cash flowing into their coffers, while multinational energy firms want the U.S. to keep supporting brutal, undemocratic regimes...

CNN: There certainly remains little to justify Obama's words in September a primetime address to the nation in which he laid out his plan for combating ISIS.

"This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years," Obama said then.

He vowed to use "force against anyone who threatens America's core interests but to mobilize partners wherever possible to address broader challenges to international order."

... Obama's critics argue that the events in Yemen undercut his hands off approach and leave his anti-terror strategy full of holes. They blame him for abdicating a U.S. leadership role in the Middle East that has spanned multiple presidencies.

"Leading from behind is not working. The region is on fire...

Sniff, Sniff...

Sniff, Sniff, Sniff...

Doesn't smell like a successful model to me...

Uno

 

[PokerGuy]

Doesn't smell like a successful model to me...

Uno

That means you must be an evil corporatist hateful xenophobe racist

 

[theeedude]

Why are we backing a bunch of Wahabbis over the Houthis? Haven't we learned anything after Afghanistan 1980s experience?

 

[IronWing]

Sure would be nice to have a president who didn't suck Saudi dick. Was Nixon the last one?

 

[alcoholbob]

I wonder if Saudi Arabia is actually going to follow through with the ground invasion threat.

 

[irishScott]

Why are we backing a bunch of Wahabbis over the Houthis? Haven't we learned anything after Afghanistan 1980s experience?

Lesser of two evils. One will sponsor indirect terrorism but will hand us something of value every now and again. The other will bald-faced tell us to go fuck ourselves.

 

[Ns1]

Yay proxy war!

 

[Ns1]

Better had he spent a few thousand American lives chasing non-existent WMDs, amirite?!?

Keep up the outrage!

Obama seems to have about a good a track record as Bush at this point.

 

[theeedude]

Lesser of two evils. One will sponsor indirect terrorism but will hand us something of value every now and again. The other will bald-faced tell us to go fuck ourselves.

I'd rather be told to go fuck myself by some Shia than killed by some Wahabbi terrorists.