US, UK Close Yemen Embassies (Updated)
[Guest post by DRJ]
The United States and Britain closed its embassies in Yemen today because of security threats from Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula:
“President Barack Obama’s top counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, cited “indications al-Qaida is planning to carry out an attack against a target” in the capital, possibly the embassy, and estimated the group had several hundred members in Yemen. Security reasons led Britain to act, too; it was not known when the embassies would reopen.”
The government also announced a plan to target people traveling from predominantly Muslim countries for special screening:
“The Transportation Security Administration announced Sunday that, starting Monday, passengers flying into the United States from Nigeria, Yemen and other “countries of interest” will be subject to enhanced screening techniques, such as body scans and pat-downs.
Yemen is a poor, decentralized and predominantly Muslim country on the Arabian Peninsula. It is the ancestral homeland of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, and the site of the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, which killed 17 U.S. sailors. A 2008 attack on the U.S. Embassy killed one American.
Given the active threat from al-Qaida, “we’re not going to take any chances,” Brennan said from Washington during appearances on four Sunday talk shows.”
The Presidential candidate who vowed to meet with America’s enemies is now effectively profiling people from Muslim and other countries.
Good.
– DRJ
PS — A U.S. embassy is closed but not a word from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton? So much for working together.
UPDATE — Yemen will be even more dangerous in the coming weeks and months since the White House still plans to release the Yemenis at Guantanamo back to Yemen:
“Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Brennan explained that, “Of the recent batch that we sent back, about six, many of them are in custody within the Yemeni system right now.” He did not elaborate on the meaning of “many.” “We will decide and determine when, when we should send additional people back,” Brennan continued. “But we’re going to do it in the right way, because Guantanamo should be closed. It was used as a propaganda tool by al-Qaeda, and the president is still committed to it.” The message was clear: Guantanamo inmates are going back to Yemen.”
This would almost be funny if it weren’t so serious.
Well, it’s not as though Hillary has
anything to say anyway.
Comment by Jack — 1/3/2010 @ 5:03 pm
What a comfort to American citizens at work there. The U.S. Embassy may be closed but there is quite a list of U.S. firms ‘open for business’ in Yemen.
http://www.yemenembassy.org/economic/AmericanBusinesses.htm
Comment by DCSCA — 1/3/2010 @ 5:15 pm
Today’s lead story in the LA Times is “Yemen forms new front in terror fight.” I guess Obama failed to read how important Yemen is in the war on terror. Oh yeah, he won’t acknowledge there is a war on terror.
The enemy can take the closing of the embassy as a victory for them.
Comment by Alta Bob — 1/3/2010 @ 5:35 pm
Profiling muslims?
Its about time.
Comment by Dopey — 1/3/2010 @ 5:50 pm
The Presidential candidate who vowed to meet with America’s enemies is now effectively profiling people from Muslim and other countries
And he’s finally found a chance to cut and run, to meet his promises from 2007! The guy’s quick as a match! But yes… where’s our Sec’y of State when it comes to closing embassies? Is anybody minding the store at State? Are we having the sulks?
Comment by Insufficiently Sensitive — 1/3/2010 @ 5:59 pm
As long as we need their oil that’s a swamp we dare not dry up.
Comment by nk — 1/3/2010 @ 6:01 pm
Regarding Clinton: Over at the Jury site, I noticed Hillary being sidelined last April. Everything I said then still applies, if not more so.
Comment by Kevin Murphy — 1/3/2010 @ 6:05 pm
Someone should ask the State Dept briefer “How’s her arm?”
Comment by Kevin Murphy — 1/3/2010 @ 6:06 pm
Hillary does what men want her to do.
Comment by nk — 1/3/2010 @ 6:07 pm
nk, Yemen has very little oil.
Comment by Kevin Murphy — 1/3/2010 @ 6:08 pm
Has anyone checked to see if Hillary has been kidnapped ?
Comment by Mike K — 1/3/2010 @ 6:38 pm
Surrender to Win!
Smart Power!
Solid B+
Comment by daleyrocks — 1/3/2010 @ 6:40 pm
The government also announced a plan to target people traveling from predominantly Muslim countries for special screening:
This is word play, it won’t happen! Grey hairs with SS hips beware!
… “passengers flying into the United States from Nigeria, Yemen and other “countries of interest”” …
I wonder if Holland is such a country?
********
I did not think that even Hillary was stupid enough to take a position under Oboma, ( oh that could bring visuals), but I was wrong! But then I thought that Palin was way too smart to accept the VP running role as well. Women….. :~
The only nice thing about it is she has effectively disappeared from the media, totally! So well that not even a good game of Where’s Hillery could locate her. If she tries to get headlines today, the one will just fire her!
Somebody mentioned the other day that Israel has closed many of it’s embassy’s as well.
Comment by TC — 1/3/2010 @ 6:45 pm
Why Hillary agreed to be completely co – opted by her bitter rival cannot be comprehended. Surely she knew that any promises forthcoming were written in sand, at least if she had observed the many allies that were promptly thrown under the bus when it became convenient to do so. Where was her husband’s counsel on this move, I wonder? Do they even talk at all anymore, and does he just do his thang down in Harlem 24/7?
Comment by Dmac — 1/3/2010 @ 7:03 pm
Some U.S. petroleum interests and petrochemical services organizations with operations in Yemen:
Exxon Mobil Corporation
Halliburton (Worldwide Ltd.) Yemen Branch
Hunt Oil Company
Murphy Yemen Oil Co
Occidental Petroleum Corporation
Phillips Petro Intl Corp Yemen
Snyder Oil Corporation
Union Texas Petroleum Holdings, Inc.
Washington Testing & Consulting Services
Yemen Exploration & Production Company
Yemen Henley Drilling Company
Quaker State
Valvoline
Baker Hughes Incorporated
Champion Technologies
Cubex
Leif Hoegh & Company
Monsanto
Numa Tool Company
Petrolite Corporation
Tokheim
Union Oil Company of California
source- yemenembassy.org
Comment by DCSCA — 1/3/2010 @ 7:34 pm
DCSCA
6 to 7 billion in reserves is somewhat iffy when divided by soo many parties – it means that most are operating in hopes the others drop out and sell out their interests
no one including the Yemenis are making money in this hightened security measures
Comment by EricPWJohnson — 1/3/2010 @ 8:31 pm
Plus the Yemeni government subsidizes oil production to encourage outside investment.
Comment by DRJ — 1/3/2010 @ 8:59 pm
[...] and potentially the deadliest of Obama’s screw ups so far? Patterico’s Pontifications: US, UK Close Yemen Embassies and Abdumutallab: A Test Case in Civilian vs Military Detention and We Have a Problem, Houston … [...]
Pingback by Applause, Applause: Team Obama Suddenly Wakes Up to Realize Yemen Terrorist Training Camp Poses Deadly Threat, US & UK Embassies Now Closed in Yemen (video) « Frugal Café Blog Zone — 1/3/2010 @ 9:04 pm
[...] and potentially the deadliest of Obama’s screw ups so far? Patterico’s Pontifications: US, UK Close Yemen Embassies and Abdumutallab: A Test Case in Civilian vs Military Detention and We Have a Problem, Houston … [...]
Pingback by Since When Did Counterterrorism Include Cutting Deals with Jihadists? John Brennan to Strike Terrorist Deal, Attacks Dick Cheney, Krauthammer Counters (video) « Frugal Café Blog Zone — 1/3/2010 @ 9:05 pm
I updated the post regarding the Administration’s plan to continue to release Guantanamo detainees back to Yemen.
Comment by DRJ — 1/3/2010 @ 9:28 pm
DRJ – Do they have any aspirin factories in Yemen? I know there are a lot of pharmaceutical companies with interests there.
Comment by daleyrocks — 1/3/2010 @ 10:53 pm
Hillary does what men want her to do.
Comment by nk — 1/3/2010 @ 6:07 pm
So, she’s celebate, then.
Comment by Matador — 1/4/2010 @ 5:59 am
celibate, too.
Comment by Matador — 1/4/2010 @ 6:00 am
Is there any chance that the current Administrations contains *anyone* smart enough to have had the Yemenis being released fitted with microchips or some other kind of ‘LoJack’-type devices ?
(Ideally, devices that are completely passive until the correct coded signal is received ?)
Comment by Alasdair — 1/4/2010 @ 7:17 am
In a show of strength, we cut and run.
And just to prove it, notice how the State Department is in the loop, not only did they cut and ran, they hid as well.
I notice how BamBam acts like your two year old kid when confronted.
Comment by bill-tb — 1/4/2010 @ 7:44 am
Hillary is what you don’t want your daughter to grow up to be. Intelligent, well-educated, ambitious, and a pushover for every talentless, conscienceless, self-absorbed pretty face that wears pants.
Comment by nk — 1/4/2010 @ 8:13 am
Hillary Clinton’s the most admired woman in America. While I find this to be pretty sad, I note that, since she isn’t a Senator, she isn’t being attacked for all the stuff this Senate is doing lately. Her foreign policy failure can be attributed to her boss and she is primed to run for President again.
She has bolstered her resume.
Few secstates lately have wound up popular, but if Obama implodes and doesn’t run for reelection, or if Hillary runs in 2016 (ageism only applies to Republicans), this will have helped her. Just being away from the health care debate is a huge net gain.
But what if she realized she wasn’t going to be president? She already held the Senate seat, and now holds a more historically significant and prestigious role (perhaps). Maybe she’s doing this because she wants to.
The more important topic is how our foreign policy is dysfunctional these days. Obama+Hillary is not working out in the way it really matters.
Comment by Dustin — 1/4/2010 @ 8:53 am
Hillary was the frontman for health care reform for 15 years. If she were in the senate, this catastrophe would be have her name on it, and it would be the end any national aspirations.
If I were advising a 2008 Hillary on how to be president, I’d tel her to run for governor of New York. But getting out of the Senate would be priority one.
Comment by Dustin — 1/4/2010 @ 8:57 am
“Run away! RUN AWAY!!”
– Arthur, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”
Comment by mojo — 1/4/2010 @ 3:06 pm
[...] deadliest of Obama’s screw ups so far? Patterico’s Pontifications: UnderwearGate, etc. and US, UK Close Yemen Embassies and Abdumutallab: A Test Case in Civilian vs Military Detention and We Have a Problem, Houston … [...]
Pingback by Aging Comedienne Joan Rivers Is a Terrorist Risk? Obama’s TSA Thought So… More Horror Stories Sure to Come « Frugal Café Blog Zone — 1/5/2010 @ 2:19 pm