In Yemen, Most Al Qaeda can be Captured, but Killing is Easier

[unhappycamper]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/In-Yemen-Most-Al-Qaeda-ca-by-Ann-Wright-130623-244.html



Protesters loyal to the Shi'ite al-Houthi rebel group burn an effigy of a U.S. aircraft during a demonstration to protest against what they say is U.S. interference in Yemen, including drone strikes, after their weekly Friday prayers in the Old Sanaa city April 12, 2013

In Yemen, Most Al Qaeda can be Captured, but Killing is Easier
OpEdNews Op Eds 6/23/2013 at 21:19:36
By Ann Wright

Extensive interviews with families of drone victims and human rights organizations in Yemen indicate that the governments of the United States and Yemen are choosing to kill rather than attempting to capture suspected al Qaeda members in Yemen. Civilians who have no connection with Al Qaeda are killed when the U.S. uses drones to target Al Qaeda members who travel freely throughout the country. High unemployment and feelings of injustice for the killing of people in their area by drones and Yemeni air strikes provide a fertile recruiting ground for al Qaeda in Yemen. Yemen prisons in which young people have been detained and imprisoned for months and years without trial by the Government of Yemen is a key place where radicalization for armed groups, including al Qaeda, occurs.

I have been in Yemen for the past week with a CODEPINK: Women for Peace delegation that included Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans, co-founders of CODEPINK, Terry Rockefeller, whose sister was killed in 9/11 attacks and represents 9/11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, Robert Naiman, policy director of Just Foreign Policy, Pam Bailey, writer and human rights activist and Tighe Barry, CODEPINK art director. We have spoken with families of drone victims in Yemen, local and international human rights organizations based in Yemen, as well as families of prisoners in Guantanamo.

Two families of victims of drone strikes in the Jaar area in south Yemen said that many al Qaeda members pass freely through government checkpoints each day. The ability to go through checkpoints was underscored by a human rights activist in the Marib area.

Entsar Ali Al-Qadhi, Chair of the Marib Youth Council, said al Qaeda in her region are known to the government. They travel freely in the region and could be stopped at any of the 35 checkpoints between Marib and Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, if the government wishes. Several who have been killed by US drone attacks had been released from prison and had been reporting to a government office each month. Their locations were well-known to government officials. Entsar said that once a person is labeled as an al Qaeda member, there is nothing that person can do to erase the label, including renouncing violence, serving time in prison and reporting back to the government on a regular basis. Once labeled as al Qaeda by the U.S. government one remains on an assassination list no matter what one does, according to Al-Qadhi.

[John2]

1. I'm suspicious

about all the entities involved in Yemen. The Yemen government is an Ally of the United States and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is the country that has most influence in Yemen.

What is happening in Yemen is a War between Houthis, (which are Shiites, backed by Iran) and the Yemen and Saudi Governments as allies. Bin Laden was a Saudi National who created Al Qaeda. They are Sunnis. They are the people carrying out Jihad in Iraq and Syria. The Saudis and Qatar are funding them.

What makes this even stranger, the Houthis have accused the Obama Administration of carrying out Drone Strikes on them, and helping the Yemen and Saudi forces, instead. They accused the Obama Administration of killing women and children in Yemen. The twist even gets more murkier, with the Assad regime, claiming the Saudis were releasing al Qaeda Terrorists from their prisons if they promised to fight Jihad in Syria. It is a lot of dots to connect, but that is what's driving the theme, the West are helping Terrorists, because their overall target is breaking the resistance against Israel, by bringing down Hezbullah,Syria and Iran. They got in bed with Al Qaeda against the Russians in Afghanistan too. They are also trying to negotiate with the Taliban again in Qatar. It is interesting the Taliban now has headquarters in Qatar, right out in the open now.