I am sure I am missing someone, because this war has all sorts of players getting involved. What I have done below, is posted all the current events in Yemen that everyone should key in on, and I also tried to bring in some industry stuff as well.
The things the caught my attention is the Saudis are beginning to use some of that Vinnell training to good use against the Houthis. Vinnell has been training up the SANG, and King Abdullah has been heavily investing in U.S. equipment and trainers for years now. So it is interesting to see them flex some military muscle and apply what they have learned. (on a side note, check out the recruitment brochure at the Vinnell Arabia website-it looks like they treat those guys pretty well)
The other one that caught my eye was the this fence the Saudis are building. They are contracting the services of EADS, and this project is massive and technological. And because of all the problems at the border recently, they are really wanting to ramp up the construction. So that will be providing jobs in the world of contracting. No word yet if they are looking for security contractors to supplement the border patrol or the building of these fences and networks, but you never know.
Then there is the story about the cleric that influenced the Ft. Hood shooter, whom was targeted by a U.S. missile strike in Yemen. That’s right, we are launching missiles into Yemen. Unfortunately, we did not get him, but it does sound like we were able to get a few AQ in the strike.
Now one little interesting tidbit in this whole deal, is Iran and Al Qaeda, and what they are doing in Yemen. The Houthis are Shia, hate the Saudis, and are said to be supported by Iran. Al Qaeda is a Sunni based organization, yet they hate the Saudis as well, and they have established a base in Yemen. Could the Houthis and AQ be working together in Yemen or coordinating their efforts, all with the hopes of defeating the Saudis and the West? I kind of doubt it, but I have seen this theory floating around and was wondering if any of the readership have any thoughts about this?
We will keep our eye on Yemen, and see how that war develops. By the way, I put up a ton of material below, so click the ‘read the rest of this entry’ for the other info.-Matt
Edit: 12/27/2009- Check out the CNAS report on Yemen that I just posted today, on the very bottom. There is a PDF with it too.
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Saudi rid of Yemeni infiltrators, King says
12/26/2009
DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia has claimed victory in a conflict with Yemeni rebels, saying the army has driven away the last infiltrators from its territory, an Arabic language daily said on Saturday.
King Abdullah told the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Seyassah that his instructions to Saudi forces were “clear,” demanding operations were confined to Saudi territory without entering Yemen.
Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday the conflict was nearing an end, with at least 73 of its troops killed in fighting against Yemeni rebels since November.
Yemeni rebels, however, said the war was far from over.
King Abdullah told al-Seyassah that his orders to the army were to “only drive away infiltrators and preserve the security and borders” of the kingdom.
“We are not a nation that interferes in other countries’ affairs and do not accept other countries to interfere in ours,” he said.
In November, Saudi Arabia launched a military offensive against Yemen’s Shi’ite rebels, known as Houthis after their leader’s clan name, after a rebel cross-border incursion.
Saudi Arabia and its ally the United States worry that al Qaeda is trying to use Yemen, where the Houthis are fighting government forces, as a launch pad for attacks in the kingdom and beyond.
The Houthis belong to the minority Zaidi sect of Shi’ism, and complain of social, economic and religious marginalization, but both rebels and the Yemeni government deny their aims are sectarian.
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi called Saudi Arabia’s offensive against the group “unjustified and unnecessary” and accused it of mainly targeting civilians through air raids.
“(Saudi Arabia) targeted areas far from their borders, some further than 100 kilometres away,” Houthi told Reuters in an interview.
Houthi denied charges that infiltrators entered Saudi territories, saying they were baseless.
“We have emphasised time and again that we do not target Saudi-controlled areas, as long as they haven’t been used against us,” he said. Houthi added that Saudi authorities had made a huge mistake by allowing the Yemeni military to use its grounds for launching attacks on rebels.
In southern Yemen, where separatist sentiment has been on the rise, demonstrators marched in several towns to demand the release of those arrested in earlier protests, residents said.
Southern activists have long complained that the government and northerners exploit and discriminate against the south, which holds most of Yemen’s oil facilities.
(Reporting by Tamara Walid in Dubai; Mohamad Al-Ghobari in Sanaa; Editing by Richard Williams)
Story here.
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Saudis urgently erect new border fence to block ‘massive’ immigration of Shi’ites
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
ABU DHABI — Saudi Arabia, amid heavy fighting with Shi’ite rebels, has begun erecting another security fence along its border with Yemen. ShareThis
Saudi military sources said the Defense Ministry has overseen a fast-track project to construct a barbed wire fence along most of the 1,600-kilometer border with Yemen. The sources said the project reflected an urgent requirement for a physical barrier to block the flow of thousands of Shi’ite rebels and their supporters from Yemen to the Saudi kingdom.
“The infiltration has reached massive proportions,” a Saudi source said. “Thousands are crossing into the kingdom.”
The Royal Saudi Army has been assigned responsibility for the border fence, the sources said. They said the initial stage stipulated a barbed wire barrier in areas used by Shi’ite rebels to enter Saudi Arabia, particularly along Mount Doud and Mount Dukhan.
In 2009, the Interior Ministry oversaw a project to begin installing an advanced security network along the border with Yemen, Middle East Newsline reported. But the sources said infiltrators have largely avoided areas of the border that contain the electronic fence, developed by prime contractor EADS.
The sources said EADS and other Western contractors were helping the latest Saudi border effort. They said EADS was installing infrared sensors and cameras along numerous points of the Saudi-Yemeni border.
“The problem is that most of the infiltration takes place at night in rugged terrain, where they evade our forces,” the source said.
The Saudi Army has also reinforced its presence along the Yemeni border. The sources said M1A2 main battle tanks, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, Piranha LAV-25 armored vehicles, AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters were helping patrol the border and battle Shi’ite rebels.
On Dec. 13, the Saudi military launched an offensive against the Iranian-backed Believing Youth along the Yemeni border. The sources said the offensive was meant to drive out Shi’ite rebels from the Saudi village of Al Jabiri, which contains an army outpost.
Story here.
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On June 30/09, EADS N.V. announced:
“After being under contract for the northern border security, which is now under execution [DID: in cooperation with Al-Rasheed Trading Contracting], EADS Defence & Security has been awarded (as prime contractor) the border security program covering the full borders of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This contract will be executed in the next 5 years and is the largest contract ever competed worldwide as a full solution…. The Saudi border guard will benefit from a leading edge solution, providing visibility and operational awareness for about 9000km of borderline (mountains, deserts and sea borders). The solution will ensure border coverage is visible and managed at the sector level, whilst simultaneously providing situational awareness at the regional and national level.”
More at Defense Industry Daily here.
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As the DSCA notes:
“The continuation of services under the SANG Modernization Program is an evolution of the SANG as an effective defensive force with the advice, assistance, and training of the U.S. Army….. At present, there are approximately 250 U.S. Government personnel and 630 contractor representatives in country supporting the SANG modernization program…. The proposed sale will also provide SANG with additional command, control, and communications equipment needed to operate in a secure communications environment that will facilitate the performance of its mission within Saudi Arabia…. The radios will modernize equipment and provide the critical VHF and HF links necessary for a large fast moving force and integration with the SINCGARS radios SANG already has fielded in its Light Armored Vehicle and Light Infantry Brigades.”
Link to story here.
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“The [Saudi] National Guard’s importance is that it was created to protect the royal regime and its interests, including protecting strategic sites such as oil installations. The National Guard is made up of two separate forces: a large group of 60,000 men and a smaller core force of 20,000 men originating from Bedouin tribes such as the Otaiba and Qahtani, who can be mobilised quickly. The men of the core force are called the “White Army,” a name given to them because they wear the white robes of the Bedouin. As the Head of the National Guard, Prince Abdallah has been able to win the backing of the tribes, something that the Sudairis in principle do not have. However, basic recruitment of core units is fraught with inter-ethnic and tribal rivalries. Few men are recruited from the Hijaz region, one that has been opposed to the Sauds since they came to power in the 1920s and 1930s.”
Story here.
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Vinnell Arabia
Saudi Arabian National Guard Modernization Program
Go to Website here.
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Saudi would have nuked Houthis: Yemeni MP
Fri, 25 Dec 2009
Yemeni lawmaker Yahya al-Houthi says Saudi Arabian warplanes are engaged in the relentless bombardment of civilian positions in Yemen’s war-torn north.
In an interview with Press TV on Friday, the Yemeni lawmaker accused the Saudi army of using internationally banned weapons in its attacks on villages in the northern province of Sa’ada, regretting the high civilian toll from the raids.
If Riyadh had nuclear weapons, it would have used them against the Houthi fighters, the lawmaker charged.
Yemen’s beleaguered north, bordering the Saudi kingdom, has been the scene of a massive military operation by the Saudi-Yemeni forces, since the Sana’a government stepped up its offensive again the Shia fighters in August.
The central government in Yemen says the Houthis are trying to force the return of clerical rule in the country.
Houthi fighters, however, reject the allegations, accusing the Sunni-dominated Riyadh and Sana’a governments of joining forces to uproot the Shia faith in the territory, and of hiring terrorist elements to reach this goal.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia says it will stop its bombing campaign if the Houthis leave the border area, which the Houthis maintain they will do only after Riyadh has stopped aiding the Yemeni army.
This is while the US has been launching airstrikes on the southeastern parts of the impoverished Arab nation in the past two weeks as part of a military pact it signed with Yemen.
Washington is reportedly providing Sana’a with firepower and intelligence in addition to some 70 million dollars worth of military aid Pentagon has poured into Yemen this year.
The White House on Friday once again reiterated President Barack Obama’s support for the ongoing military operations across Yemen.
Story here.
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The Long War Journal: Radical US cleric survived airstrike in Yemen: family
Written by Bill Roggio
December 25, 2009
The radical US cleric who is thought to have advised three of the Sept. 11 hijackers as well as the Muslim-American US Army major who went on a shooting spree at Fort Hood, Texas, survived Thursday’s airstrike in Yemen’s Shabwa province.
Friends and relatives of Ansar al Awlaki claimed he was not killed in the attack, but they refused to disclose if he was in attendance at a meeting of al Qaeda leaders when it was hit by what the Yemeni government claimed were Yemeni Air Force fighter-bombers.
Awlaki was thought to have been attending a high-level meeting of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula on Dec. 24. He was at the meeting to provide the needed religious justification for a planned al Qaeda campaign to conduct attacks against Yemeni and US targets in response to the controversial Dec. 17 airstrikes against al Qaeda in Abyan and Sana’a, US intelligence officials told The Long War Journal.
Among those believed to be at the meeting were Nasir al Wuhayshi, the leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula; his deputy Said al Shihri; and Fahd Mohammed Ahmed al Quso, an al Qaeda operative wanted by the FBI for his role in the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000. Wuhayshi and Quso are also thought to have escaped the strike, while the status of Shihri is still unknown.
There are conflicting reports on the location of the strike; some indicate that Awlaki’s home was targeted, while others indicated that Quso’s home was hit.
Mohammed Saleh Awlaki, a local al Qaeda leader and a relative of Quso, was among the more than 30 people killed in Thursday’s airstrike. Mohammed Saleh Awlaki was last seen speaking to a crowd of Yemenis in Abyan province, just days after the Dec. 17 US cruise missile strike that targeted al Qaeda training camps in Abyan and Sana’a. He said al Qaeda was not at war with Yemeni soldiers, but only with the US and those who support her.
Yemen the new launchpad for al Qaeda’s attacks against the West
The US has stepped up the pressure on the Yemeni government to act against al Qaeda after intelligence has indicated that the terror group is plotting strikes against the West from terror camps in Abyan, Shabwa, Sana’a, and other locations in the country.
Fears that Yemen will become the next staging ground for al Qaeda’s external operations branch rose today after a plot to blow up a plane over the US was foiled by passengers while the attack was in progress.
A Nigerian man identified as Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight as it traveled from Amsterdam to Detroit. Passengers subdued Abdulmutallab after he mixed a powder, which he said was taped to his leg, and a liquid, and then attempted to ignite it.
Abdulmutallab told investigators he was a member of al Qaeda and received the explosive device and training in Yemen, according to ABC News.
“The subject is claiming to have extremist affiliation and that the device was acquired in Yemen along with instructions as to when it should be used,” a federal situational awareness bulletin stated.
Ansar al Awlaki’s long links to jihad
Awlaki’s ties to radical Islamist terror groups stretch back for more than a decade. In 1998-99, Awlaki served as the Vice President for the Charitable Society for Social Welfare, a charity founded by Abdulmajid al Zindani, the man who serves as Osama bin Laden’s spiritual advisor and who is designated a terrorist by the US government. The Charitable Society for Social Welfare diverted donations to al Qaeda and other terror groups, according to the FBI.
Awlaki served as the spiritual advisor to Sept. 11 hijackers Nawaf al Hazmi and Khalid Almihdhar, while a third hijacker, Hani Hanjour, is known to have attended his sermons. Awlaki’s phone number was found at the home of Ramzi Binalshibh, one of the masterminds and key facilitators of the Sept. 11 attacks.
In late 2002, Awlaki fled the US and went to Britain, where he is known to have preached at the Masjid at Tawhid mosque in London. He encouraged Muslims to seek martyrdom.
In 2004, Awlaki and his family left London to live in Shabwa province in Yemen. Awlaki again went to work for Zindani, this time by giving lectures at Iman University, a known breeding ground for Islamist terrorists.
Banner for a lecture entitled “State of the Ummah,” delivered by Anwar al Awlaki on March, 1 2009, via teleconference to followers in Pakistan.
Awlaki has become a prominent cyber-jihadist. Combining his ability to communicate in English with his charisma with young, radical Muslims and his presence on the Web, Awlaki has developed a large following. He gives numerous lectures and speeches via the Internet and teleconferences. US law enforcement agencies and intelligence services consider Awlaki to be a prime recruiter for al Qaeda as well as a provider of the needed religious justifications, or fatwas, for jihadis to carry out attacks.
Awlaki recently reemerged as a major jihadist figure in the West after it was found out he was in direct email communication with Major Nidal Hasan before the latter killed 13 US soldiers and civilians at a staging center for troops deploying overseas. While Awlaki denies radicalizing Hasan, his emails, which he provided to Al Jazeera, show that he provided the religious justification for Hasan to conduct the attacks.
Story here.
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On the Knife’s Edge: Yemen’s Instability and the Threat to American Interests
Author(s): Andrew M. Exum, Richard Fontaine
Type of Publication: Policy Brief
Date: 11/20/2009
Download Full Policy Brief (PDF)
U.S. foreign policies of neglect and disengagement rarely accomplish their objectives. Yemen’s current state of affairs highlights this point. Despite facing a multitude of global crises, the Obama Administration must seek to mitigate instability on the Arabian Peninsula. In this policy brief, CNAS Fellow Andrew Exum and Senior Fellow Richard Fontaine outline the severity of Yemen’s internal security challenges and offer several policy recommendations to improve regional stability and reduce the threat to U.S. national interests.
The deteriorating situation in Yemen demands immediate U.S. attention. Faced by a growing al-Qaeda presence, a separatist movement in the South, and an active insurgency in the North, Yemen must regain control over its sovereignty. Furthermore, Yemen will face three additional national disasters of consequence in the coming decades: a youth population explosion, a water shortage, and a precipitous decline in petroleum output and therefore revenue. This confluence of political, ideological, economic, and environment forces will only increase the likelihood of Yemen becoming a failed state and a more lethal breeding ground for Islamic militant groups.By committing to a comprehensive engagement plan, the authors argue that the United States can deny al-Qaeda a sanctuary, prevent regional instability, and secure vital U.S. interests. This will require a whole-of-government approach including economic incentives, diplomatic pressure, military assistance, and efforts to encourage political reconciliation. The United States should also engage its regional partners in a dialogue which will benefit both Yemen and its neighbors and work to remove Yemen from the knife’s edge.