US Strike in Yemen

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by CaptainHaplo

However, when he calls the Yemeni "president" to congratulate him on his efforts against AQ - trying to make it appear that it was the Yemeni Air Force (as was initially reported in the region) makes it look like he doesn't have the cahones to stand and say it was the US that did it.

Don't take it literally. The government there is not really in bed with the orthodox majoirty of the country and "radical islamists" as well as many local tribal leaders. If the government admits to have let the Americans in, it would be much more problematic to contain orthodox reactions to the event, than if the government takes the responsibility for the strike. Yemen is known to be a hot plce for tourists, many kidnapping take place, usually resolved by paying money to tribal leaders. But it shows you the relation between the central government, and the tribes.

Obama was wise not to raise the US flag over the strike. In the end, the effect is what counts: have the targetted persons been killed, or not?