Yemen dithers as US hunts to kill
By Oliver Holmes
SANA'A - Yemen is dithering as the United States intensifies its anti-terrorism
campaign by authorizing the killing of radical Muslim cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki.
In an act of defiance, the Yemeni government initially refused to hunt Awlaki,
saying it would not take action until intelligence from the US proved he was a
terrorist.
Last week, the Yemeni government appeared to have reversed its decision.
Yemen's Defense Ministry said on Thursday that Awlaki was being pursued for
alleged links to al-Qaeda, a move that could stir trouble in the South Arabian
state.
Indecisiveness from Sana'a exemplifies the delicate balance the Yemeni
government has to maintain. On one side, Sana'a is being
pressured by the international community to step up efforts against al-Qaeda;
on the other, President Ali Abdullah Saleh wants to appease tribal leaders and
a nation weary of foreign interference by proving he is not a puppet of the
West. Yemenis warn of potential dangers if Sana'a were to cooperate with the
Americans in a lethal strike against Awlaki, whom many see as a preacher rather
than a terrorist.
"Killing Awlaki will create huge anti-American sentiment in Yemen," Hasan Abdul
Warith, a prominent Yemeni columnist and widely respected intellectual, told
Asia Times Online in a telephone interview. "Yemeni people will never accept
such policies," he added. "Even if I understand [US President Barack] Obama's
decision, as an Arab I feel that the decision is a sign of American arrogance."
Awlaki, who is also an American citizen, has suspected ties with two of the
September 11, 2001, attackers and links with Major Nidal Hasan, a US Army
psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people in November at Fort Hood in Texas.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian who tried to blow up a flight to Detroit
in December, reportedly said Awlaki inspired him. Awlaki was born in New
Mexico, but lived in Yemen with his family for most of his early life. He
returned to attend college and graduate school and it was during this period he
began serving as an imam for various mosques around the country, according to
Inter Press Service.
Jane Harman, the Democratic head of the House of Representatives subcommittee
on intelligence, recently named Awlaki "terrorist No 1 in terms of the threat
against us".
Warith, who used to be a leading politician in the south, is not convinced.
"America cannot overstep the rule of law, especially in another country."
Artificial threat
Awlaki's international fame is not reflected within the impoverished republic,
where many haven't even heard of him. His online sermons are in English and
directed at Westerners. Through an audio message last month, Awlaki urged
American Muslims to wage jihad against the US. The radical preacher speaks
fluent English and analysts believe his ability to recruit Western Muslims, who
have the capacity to move across borders freely and attack significant targets,
is his biggest threat.
In his large shop in downtown Sana'a, Ali al-Alimi, a garment wholesaler,
complains of the "artificial threat" he believes America is trying to construct
in Yemen. "I only recently heard about [Awlaki] in January when everyone was
talking about Abdulmutallab. Many Yemenis didn't know about him before," he
said while leaning on a pile of packaged clothes. "The US is trying to make
Awlaki into a serious threat, but he's not," he said.
Gregory D Johnsen, a Yemen expert at Princeton University, recently advised the
US government against an attack on Awlaki. "It is not even known for certain
that Awlaki is a member of al-Qaeda. He has never written an article, released
an audiotape or starred in a video for the organization," Johnsen wrote in
Newsweek.
"Killing Awlaki will do little to disrupt al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
[AQAP]. Inside that organization, he is a nobody - at best, a mid-level
functionary in a local branch." According to Johnsen, the answer to Awlaki's
belligerent online recruiting is for US government hackers to shut down
Awlaki's e-mail to prevent him from preaching on the Internet, his mouthpiece
to potentially militant American Muslims.
Yemeni justice
The Yemen Observer last week quoted Abu Bakr al-Qirbi, the Yemeni foreign
minister, as saying the government would not hand over "Awlaki or any other
Yemeni citizens wanted by the United States" and that Yemen would prosecute all
suspected terrorists within its territory - a firm indication the government of
Yemen will not aid US efforts to kill the controversial cleric.
Ali al-Alimi, surrounded by a fort of stacked clothes, agreed. "The American
government is responsible for Awlaki's safety because he is a US citizen. They
have no right to kill him. If he was in the US he could go to court there, but
he is in Yemen and he should face trial here," he said. There is no extradition
agreement between the United States and Yemen.
“Obama calmed anti-American sentiment in the Arab World, but he is part of a
larger system that won't change with a new president. He believes in death
without trial," he said. "Awlaki is like Osama bin Laden: US-made."
Not all Yemenis share his view - including high-level officials who want a
quick fix to the emerging terrorist threat in the country.
Mohammed Assabri, a leading member of the president's ruling party, spoke to
Asia Times Online in a coffee shop after a parliamentary session. "Many people
have been killed in government airstrikes. Nobody will protest against targeted
killings because we know these people are outlaws," he said.
Donning the traditional jambiyya, a large curved knife sheathed on the
front of his belt, the veteran politician explained how the Yemen government is
in cooperation with "foreign nations, who provide the government with
intelligence" so that airstrikes can be carried out.
On December 24, Yemeni jets bombed a meeting of senior al-Qaeda figures in the
southeast province of Shabwa, killing 30. Awlaki was believed to have attended
and either escaped or left early.
Saeed al-Ibbi, a human-rights activist from the same province, hearing Assabri
speak while he was passing the coffee shop, rushed in to share his opinion.
"I want the United States to eliminate all the terrorists here. These people
are created by American actions and it is their duty to kill them," the old man
said, balancing on a wooden walking stick.
Oliver Holmes is a British freelance journalist who has been working in
Sana'a since September, 2009.
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