Government forces launched an offensive in August 2009 to stamp out the uprising around Saada in the north
"Training camps have been struck; leaders eliminated; plots disrupted," he said. "And all those involved in the attempted act of terrorism on Christmas must know: you too will be held to account."
Yemeni forces launched raids on suspected Al-Qaeda targets in the central and the Sanaa regions on December 17 and 24, killing more than 60 Islamist militants.
Several others were also wounded in clashes this week in a western province of the impoverished Arabian peninsula state which lies north of Somalia across the Gulf of Aden.
Petraeus praised the Yemeni president "for the success of the operations" against Al-Qaeda, and reaffirmed Washington's support for Yemen in its efforts to fight terrorism, Saba news agency reported....
I think we got them cornered. Where is al Qaeda going to RUN AWAY to now?
I don't know how proud young Islamic men reconcile their identities with such a spineless group of extremist men? I mean that sincerely. They don't have a country, they are parasites to established infrastructure and to 'direct' deaths of their 'soldiers' in order to 'scare' citizens is like something that happens on 'fright night.' It doesn't really interrupt lives enough to bring about rebellion. Al Qaeda seems 'stuck' with its methodology. They want to turn people against their governments, but, in The West it worked in opposition to that goal. Why would any young Islamic man ever believe Allah would accept such mindless violence, without profound purpose as a means to his graces? It doesn't make sense. Allah is more instrumentive than that. It is brainwashing. There isn't anything spiritual about that, it is the work of men and not of god that turns beautiful Islamic souls to violence.
Oh, well.
I find Saleh a very interesting and good looking man. I think that is true of most all the Arab leaders. They are wonderful human beings and good looking men. Handsome, self-assured, dedicated to purpose of loving Allah and their people. Something very wonderful about that combination.
As 2010 starts, Saleh hopes 'a new leaf' turned over in Yemen (click here)
Date: 01/01/2010
SANA'A- President Ali Abdullah Saleh hoped on Friday the new year to be the year of tolerance in which Yemen turns over a new leaf, urging the Houthi insurgents, separation seekers, misled Jihadist militants and the opposition, all political and social forces to make up their minds and put the interest of their country above all other interests.
In an article on the New Year published in the state-run Al-Thawra Daily, Saleh called on the rebels, who have been in a sporadic war with the army since 2004, to stick to the ceasefire conditions the government announced months ago....
President Saleh (click here for website)
Get used to thinking about this man as a good friend. He doesn't seem to be interested in holding onto al Qaeda within the country and he must have an incredibly loyal military to secure 'the move' against them. Interesting guy. I had gotten used to the idea, there were immoral leaders in Yemen. It is good to know I was wrong.
I really think The Republicans were too afraid of their Wall Street revenues to 'press their luck.'
Or.
They simply didn't have 'the guts' to believe The West would prevail.
It was probably both.
You know something, Bush was a gutless wonder, wasn't he? He allowed the proliferation of crime networks, al Qaeda, La Familiia in the USA, the sovereignty crisis in Mexico.
If The Republicans didn't talk about it, it didn't exist.
Wow.
Cowards every one.
And there is a crisis within the Arabian society infrastructure with parents losing children to violence and murder.
It hasn't gotten better over eight years, it has gotten worse.
The Republicans wanted to build walls around their castles and live happily ever after while the world fell apart around them.
That is not morality, it is the lack of it.
Isolationism invites disaster, courts it actively as the world views the 'power brokers' as a threat to their stability and their country's ability to enforce law.
Yep.
Negligence, everywhere I look, domestic, international there is negligence.
This is really a lousy set of circumstances to inherit. Really lousy. I don't know any other man on this planet that would take it 'head on.' They'd be too worried about their politics to be effective.
We have engaged the monster, it is time to finish this. In time it would have sought to finish us. Forcing 'the hand' of al Qaeda where it lives is the best venue possible. Strengthening Yemen's infrastructure is what is needed here. 
...Al-Qaida threats have forced the United States to close its embassy in Yemen today amid increasing concern about the roots of terrorism in the Arabian peninsula in the wake of the Christmas Day bomb plot.
A statement posted on the embassy website said the office in the capital, Sana'a, had closed due to "ongoing threats" from al-Qaida. It said the embassy sent warning last week to US citizens in Yemen urging them to be vigilant.
An embassy spokesman would not comment on whether there had been a specific threat.
Yemen has been under scrutiny since the failed attempt by the Nigerian-born Umar Abdulmutallab to blow up a US airliner on Christmas Day. Abdulmutallab was trained in Yemen and yesterday Barack Obama said al-Qaida's branch there was behind the attempted attack.
Gordon Brown today confirmed that he and Obama had agreed to back a counterterrorism police unit in Yemen. In an statement, Downing Street said the unit was part of a plan to "intensify joint US-UK work to tackle the emerging terrorist threat from both Yemen and Somalia"....
