Yemen Topics

Democracy Now! stories, posts and pages that relate to Yemen

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Report: Obama Ordered US Military Strike on Yemen

We take a look at Yemen, the latest target of US-backed military strikes against suspected al-Qaeda sites. ABC News reports that President Obama directly ordered two cruise missile attacks in Yemen last week. According to the New York Times, the United States gave Yemeni forces military hardware and intelligence to carry out the attack. We speak with Yemen expert, Towson University Professor Charles Schmitz. [includes rush transcript]
Dec 23, 2009 | Story
Botched Christmas Airline Bombing: A Look at Obama's Handling of the Case and the Media's Coverage

President Obama has acknowledged that a "systemic failure" of the nation’s intelligence and security measures paved the way for last week’s aborted bomb attack on a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. We take a look at the Obama administration’s handling of the case and the media’s coverage of it all with Spencer Ackerman of the Washington Independent. [includes rush transcript]
Dec 30, 2009 | Story
2009 in Perspective: Glenn Greenwald on the Five Wars US Is Fighting in Muslim Countries

As 2009 comes to a close, today we begin by taking a step back and putting this year of war in perspective. Salon.com blogger Glenn Greenwald discusses US foreign policy, including the escalation of the war in Afghanistan, drone strikes on Pakistan, cruise missile attacks on Yemen, operations in Somalia, the ongoing operation in Iraq, and much more. [includes rush transcript]
Dec 31, 2009 | Story
Patrick Cockburn: Threats to Yemen Prove America Hasn't Learned the Lesson of History

The United States and Britain have closed their embassies in the Yemeni capital city of Sana’a, citing security threats from an al-Qaeda group. On Saturday, President Obama connected the foiled Christmas Day attack on the Detroit-bound flight to al-Qaeda in Yemen. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown described Yemen as a "regional and global threat." We speak with Patrick Cockburn, Middle East correspondent for the London...
Jan 04, 2010 | Story
After Years in Guantanamo Prison Without Charge, Future Even More Uncertain for Yemeni Detainees

Although President Obama came into office last year promising to close down the infamous prison camp at Guantanamo, nearly 200 men are still imprisoned there. On Tuesday, Obama noted that the would-be Christmas Day airline bomber had received training in Yemen and emphasized his links to a Yemeni branch of al-Qaeda. He went on to announce that he had suspended the transfer of any more Guantanamo detainees to Yemen. About half of the men remaining...
Jan 08, 2010 | Story
Is the CIA Assassination Order of a US Citizen Legal?

US officials have confirmed a Yemen-based Muslim cleric has become the first US citizen added to a CIA list of targets for capture or killing. Anwar al-Awlaki is a US-born cleric accused of having ties to the failed Christmas Day airline bombing and the shooting at Fort Hood. Many legal experts have questioned the legality of the assassination order under US and international law. We speak with Philip Alston, the United Nations Special Rapporteur...
Apr 08, 2010 | Story
Rep. Keith Ellison on Tea Party Anti-Muslim Bigotry, US-backed Assassinations in Yemen, and the Firing of Juan Williams

A prominent leader of the Tea Party movement recently said he was working to unseat Minnesota Democrat Rep. Keith Ellison in part because he is a Muslim. Judson Phillips, the founder of the Tea Party Nation, urged Minnesota voters to elect Ellison’s independent challenger, Lynn Torgerson, on Tuesday. "A majority of Tea Party members, I suspect, are not fans of Islam," Phillips said. Rep. Ellison, the first Muslim congressman, responds...
Nov 01, 2010 | Story
After Thwarted Bomb Plot, US Military Operations in Yemen Could Intensify

After the discovery of two parcel bombs from Yemen in Chicago-bound air cargo last week, the Obama administration is reportedly considering sending elite hunter-killer teams into Yemen to assassinate militants. One plan being considered would see US special forces units sent into Yemen under CIA control, which would give the US greater leeway to strike without the explicit blessing of the Yemeni government. We speak to Wired magazine senior reporter...
Nov 02, 2010 | Story
Yemeni Forces Use Tasers, Batons, Knives and Rifles to Quash Anti-Government Protests

The popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt have raised questions about the stability of several other governments in the region. Over the weekend, thousands of peaceful demonstrators in Yemen clashed with police and pro-government supporters. Tasers, batons, knives, sticks and assault rifles were directed at people in the rallies. We speak to Iona Craig, an editor at the Yemen Times, and Sarah Leah Whitson, the director of the Middle East and...
Feb 14, 2011 | Story
Defying Government Repression, Yemeni Protests Continue for 6th Day

Anti-government demonstrations in Yemen have entered their sixth day as student demonstrators were beaten by pro-government supporters armed with batons, stones and daggers. The protesters are calling for the immediate resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has ruled the country for three decades. The protests have forced President Saleh to cancel a trip to Washington, D.C., scheduled for next month. Yemen is a key ally of the United...
Feb 16, 2011 | Story