Posted on 01/03/2010 12:35:27 AM PST by bruinbirdman
Britain has dispatched a special counter-terrorist unit to Yemen as the mountainous Arab state emerges as the new frontline in the war against al-Qaeda.
The force is training Yemeni military and will assist in planning operations against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the group which claimed responsibility for the Christmas Day attack on a US airliner.
The disclosure comes as Western security analysts warn that the failed underwear bomb plot will serve as a test run for future overseas attacks by an increasingly sophisticated outfit still honing its terror techniques.
"The bomber was inexperienced, dispensable and an unknown quantity," said a senior diplomat in Sana'a. "They would only have given him a 50-50 chance of succeeding. It was a proof of concept mission."
As concerns grow about Yemen's role as a hotbed for extremists, Gordon Brown will this month host a crisis meeting to seek ways to prevent the country becoming a failed state stronghold for al-Qaeda. The US on Friday doubled its security assistance to Sana'a to $140 million this year in an effort to combat the spread of extremists in the ancestral homeland of Osama bin Laden.
The country's status as a terror breeding ground is under fresh scrutiny following the failed attempt by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to blow up a plane over Detroit on Dec 25 with explosives hidden in his underwear after he was trained and equipped by al-Qaeda in Yemen.
Even before the attack, Britain quietly sent a military unit, believed to be about 30-strong and include members of the SAS, to train and mentor Yemeni forces in surveillance and strike operations, intelligence gathering, hostage rescue and interrogation techniques.
It is understood that the detachment is being assisted by members of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, MI6. They will be focussing on British-based jihadists who
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
I thought the terrorists would start loving us after Øbowma took office.
SAS have a long and noble history in that part of the world
Let’s hope they all have laser designators and lots of tac air at their call. May the dirt fly!
Just what I was thinking, the Brits have quite the history (at least from 1838) in that AO. Only, back then it was called Aden.
Good hunting mate!
This article is the military equivalent of momma grabbing up dads old leather belt and yelling your name so loud it echoed for a full city block... no explanation needed, you knew exactly what was coming next.
> Just what I was thinking, the Brits have quite the history (at least from 1838) in that AO. Only, back then it was called Aden.
They do indeed. And they’ve had ongoing practise against sophisticated and well-armed terrorists in Northern Ireland.
Yemen is about to become a very exciting place.
just don’t hurt the frankincense bushes :^)
"Watch carefully, I'm only going to do this once."
If Bush and Blair were still in office this would be called a quagmire.
Yemen is the SAS’ old stomping ground. I dare say that the terrorists there will start meeting unfortunate fates.
T’would be a shame to have all that training and expertise sitting idle and going to waste.
Go get ‘em, Chaps! :-]
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