“Critical Reasoning”: Yemen and the War on Terror
This paper will provide a brief description of Yemen, the global importance Yemen has in the War on Terror, and how the War on Terror affects the interests of the United States (U.S.) and the world. I will also discuss how the U.S. provides support to Yemen, what support is provided to other countries in the area by the U.S., and how the War on Terror is fought in Yemen by the U.S. and other countries in the world.
First, I will provide a brief background on the country of Yemen. According to The World Factbook (2014), Yemen is a country in the Middle East situated between Saudi Arabia and Oman on the Arabian Peninsula. It is also bordered by three bodies of water; the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and the Red Sea. Yemen’s capital city is Sanaa, situated on the western side of the country, with a population of 2.2 million (2009) which is about the size of Houston, Texas. Yemen’s climate varies from hot and humid along the west coast, temperate in the western mountains which are affected by seasonal monsoons, and extraordinarily hot, dry, and harsh desert in the east which consists of 95% of Yemen’s land mass. Yemen’s natural resources include petroleum, fish, rock salt, and marble. Yemen is a predominantly Arab country with Arabic as its official language. Muslim is the official religion with an estimated 65% Sunni and 35% Shia Muslim population. Yemen is a republic with an elected president of seven years. The president appoints the vice president and prime minister for the length of the president’s term. Yemen’s revenue mostly comes from its declining oil resources which has forced an economic reform program initiated in 2006 that is designed to bolster non-oil sectors of the ec...
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U.S. Support for Yemen. (2014, February 28). U.S. Department of State. Retrieved May 25, 2014, from http://www.state.gov/p/nea/rls/2014/222781.htm
Sharp, R. (2014, May 10). Why Yemen’s Fight against Al-Qaeda is about Survival. International Policy Digest. Retrieved May 25, 2014, from http://www.internationalpolicydigest.org/2014/05/10/yemens-fight-al-qaeda-survival/
Jamjoom, M., & Starr, B. (2014, April 23). Extensive U.S. involvement in anti-terror operation in Yemen. CNN. Retrieved May 25, 2014, from http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/22/world/meast/yemen-terror-operation-dna/
Shinn, D. (2011, October 13). U.S. Policy towards the Horn of Africa. International Policy Digest. Retrieved May 25, 2014, from http://www.internationalpolicydigest.org/2011/10/13/u-s-policy-towards-the-horn-of-africa/
In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the United States was incredibly eager to strike back at the nations thought to be responsible for this horrific tragedy. These attacks were quickly attributed to the terrorist group al-Qa’ida, led by Osama bin Laden, and to the Taliban-run government of Afghanistan, which had provided sanctuary to al-Qa’ida. In response, Washington approved a covert plan led by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to directly attack those responsible in their Middle East safe haven. Initiated on 26 September 2001 with the approval of the warlords of the Afghan Northern Alliance, with whom the CIA had formed an intelligence liaison relationship, Operation Jawbreaker resulted in the fall of the Taliban regime, the killing and capture of a significant amount of al-Qa’ida leadership, and elimination of a terrorist safe haven by early December 2001. Moreover, the Taliban’s collapse denied al-Qa’ida a pseudo-nation-state partner, serving to reduce the organization’s sanctuary to areas residing along the Pakistani border. Operation Jawbreaker, one of the first post-9/11 covert operations carried out by the United States in support of its national security interests, had proved successful. Word of the operation’s swift success astounded those back in Washington; dubbed the CIA’s “finest hour,” it signified the first of many victories by deposing the Taliban’s control of Northern Afghanistan.
attacks of terrorist cells, such as al-Qaeda. The strategic location of the base in Djibouti, Africa
Controversy has plagued America’s presence in the Middle East and America’s usage of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) contributes vastly to this controversy. Their usefulness and ability to keep allied troops out of harm’s reach is hardly disputed. However, their presence in countries that are not at war with America, such as Pakistan and Yemen, is something contested. People that see the implications of drone use are paying special attention to the civilian casualty count, world perspective, and the legality of drone operations in non-combative states. The use of drone technology in the countries of Yemen and Pakistan are having negative consequences. In a broad spectrum, unconsented drone strikes are illegal according to the laws of armed conflict, unethical, and are imposing a moral obligation upon those who use them. These issues are all of great importance and need to be addressed. Their legality is also something of great importance and begins with abiding to the Laws of Armed Conflict.
U.S. Department of State. (n.d.). Bureau of Counterterrorism. Retrieved 05 01, 2014, from U.S. Department of State: Diplomacy in Action: http://www.state.gov/j/ct/
98.8% of the population is made up of ethnic Somalis (Kraus). Other minority groups include Arabs, Indians, Italians, and Pakistanis. Most Somalis are nomadic or semi nomadic herders of livestock. The rest are either crop farmers or inhabitants of the few urban centers. The official languages of the country are Somali and Arabic and the state religion is Islam (“Somalian People”).
Schweitzer, Y., & Shay, S. (2003). The globalization of terror: The challenge of al-qaida and the response of the international community. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers.
Roggio, Bill. "US Drones Kill 2 AQAP Fighters in Eastern Yemen." The Long War Journal. The
In this section, I will provide a brief history of U.S. military involvement on the African continent, starting with the Barbary Wars and working up through the current date. This historical documentation will highlight the change in the role the United States has played in Africa [post 9-11???]. Prior to 9-11, the United States’ interactions were mainly [capture summary here]. Since [?], however, the continent has faced a marked increase in violent extremism and terrorism leading the United States to partner with many African nations in counterterrorism initiatives. These, and other initiatives, mean an increasing number U.S. service members are deploying to Africa to take part in training, humanitarian issues and military operations. These military activities are run by United States African Command, a recently created combatant command.
It is bordered by Iraq and Jordan on the north, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman and Yemen on the south. The Arabian Gulf Sea surrounded from the east and the Red Sea from the west. Saudi Arabia is a traditional monarchy. Al Saud dynasty is a royal family of the kingdom. The population of the kingdom was estimated to be 29,369,428 in 2014 - the 43rd largest in the world (Worldpopulationreview.com, 2014). In the technology side, Saudi Arabia is becoming focused on technology. They increase the spending on connectivity and human resources (Saudi Arabia Emergence of Innovation Kingdom,
Peterson, J. (2008, December). Arabian Peninsula Background Notes. Retrieved from Arabian Peninsula Background Notes: http://www.jepeterson.net/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/APBN-007_Tribes_and_Politics_in_Yemen.pdf
Yemen has historically has been plagued with severe health problems spanning a majority of the region. The inhabitants of the region are dependent on the Country’s ...
Women’s rights in Yemen have not changed since (or before) the unification of North and South Yemen in 1990. Since the unification, new laws and a constitution (that are still placed on Islamic Shari ‘a law) that are in place unfortunately hold these statements to be true. According to Amal Basha some of Yemen’s laws that stereotype, discriminate, and demeanor women include: the value of the life of a woman, or girl is equal to half that of a man or boy and if a man performs a “honor kill” the maximum punishment he can face in prison is one year, compared to women who face death if they dishonor their husbands, women cannot leave the country without permission from a male relative, if women are imprisoned and do their punishment, they are not allowed to leave prison unless a male relative approves of it, there are no lega...
Yemen, officially known now as “The Republic of Yemen,” is an Arab country located in the Middle East, taking up the southwestern to southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and the red sea, as well as located south of Saudi Arabia and west of Oman. Yemen is the second largest country in the Arabian Peninsula, with a population of nearly 20 million people, and an annual population growth rate of around 3 percent. In 1918, northern Yemen became independent of the Ottoman Empire. Their climate is mostly des...
?US Challenges and Choices Saudi Arabia: A View from the Inside,? The Atlantic Council of the United States, The Middle East Institute, The Middle East Policy Council, and The Stanley Foundation, <http://reports.stanleyfdn.org/EFCgulfh02.pdf> (May 31, 2004).