U.S. Troops Flow Into Yemen and More Are Probably on the Way

More U.S. troops entered Yemen this week escalating ground operations against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). And according to the Pentagon, additional troops are likely to follow.

Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis has not ruled out sending additional troops to Yemen shortly, possibly even in a matter of weeks.

U.S. and U.A.E. Troops Push AQAP Out of Oil and Gas Fields

Emirate officials greeted U.S. forces at an airport in Hadramaut province on Friday as they entered Yemen. Mainstream media is wishy-washy describing the role that the troops will play which indicates that their activity is likely much more involved than officials would like to admit. BBC even whitewashed over the presence, using the term “US-backed troops” instead. Yemeni media, on the other hand, has been crystal clear in their reporting, insisting that the fields are directly under control of U.A.E. and U.S. troops.
According to Yemen’s Saba News Agency, U.S. and Emirate forces swiftly expelled AQAP from oil and gas fields in Shabwah province. This operation led many Yemeni’s to worry about the U.S. and their allies intentions and possible looting of Yemen’s resources; especially so considering that the United Arab Emirates relies heavily on Qatar for gas.

Air Force photo by Senior Airman Trevor T. McBride

Yemen was the “War on Terror” Test Kitchen

The U.S. is already conducting air strikes targeting in AQAP-controlled areas of Shabwah and Hadramout. Yemen has long been a testing ground for the U.S.-led “War on Terror.” President George Bush used Yemen to test various rehabilitation techniques on inmates at Yemeni prisons. We now know that extreme torture was also taking place at 18 U.S.-supported prisons in Yemen. President Obama turned to Yemen as a real-life test field for his drone operations.  Read more.....