As the US pours more troops into the "right war" in Afghanistan, a new front in the war against Al Qaeda seems to be emerging: Yemen. Why? The Underwear Bomber! Yemen is a hot and dusty country down at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Its government likes the US, but not all of its people like the government. Back in September, we posted a story asking if Yemen was the next failed state. It's got an armed insurgency battling the government which claims ties to Al Qaeda and it's got an awful lot of Somali refugees (as reported by Vanguard in "Beach of Death", they swim across the Gulf of Aden - even Yemen is better than Somalia).
But like so many other countries teetering on the brink of some sort of collapse, Yemen has largely slipped beneath the Western radar. That is, until the so-called Underwear Bomber was reported to have received his training and instruction from Al Qaeda in the country. All of a sudden: it's all eyes on Yemen.
Good news is, the US military was already there, quietly conducting a campaign against Islamic militants. On December 24, the day before the attempted Underwear Bombing, the New York Times reported on an airstrike in the country targeting senior Al Qaeda members.
A few days later, the Times followed up with a more in-depth picture of US involvement:
"A year ago, the Central Intelligence Agency sent several of its top field operatives with counterterrorism experience to the country, according a former top agency official. At the same time, some of the most secretive Special Operations commandos have begun training Yemeni security forces in counterterrorism tactics, senior military officers said. The Pentagon is spending more than $70 million over the next 18 months, and using teams of Special Forces, to train and equip Yemeni military, Interior Ministry and coast guard forces, more than doubling previous military aid levels."
And indeed, yesterday, the AP reported that US-funded Yemeni forces carried out a raid on an Al Qaeda stronghold.
But can Yemen win its war on terror? Again, just in September we were asking whether it would be the next failed state. Yemen may be raiding militant headquarters today, but they've got other problems - like the Houthi clan waging war against the state in the north. Newsweek asks whether Yemen can be a reliable ally.
"...Washington is also rightfully wary of its ally in Sana—a caution that seems particularly justified in the wake of this week's in-flight bombing attempt by a Nigerian who had been studying in Yemen. The Yemeni government's relationship with Al Qaeda is a complicated one. The country's ruling clique, led for the past 30 years by President Ali Abdullah Saleh, has long been fighting off challenges from Shia tribesmen in the north and rebellious socialists in the south—threats that it sees as more immediate than a small band of Qaeda operatives without a real political agenda. In the past, Saleh has enlisted local Islamists—including, notably, jihadis returning from Afghanistan in the 1980s—to help fight those battles."
Not to mention the leaky security that allowed some of baddest of the Gitmo baddies to escape from prison in Yemen in 2006. Indeed, some of the militants behind the Christmas Day attempt are thought to be Guantanamo alums.
All of this to say: It's time to get to know to know your Yemen. Another American GWOT ally whose trials and tribulations will take the spotlight over the next few months as the US tries for a third time to publicly 'take the fight to the terrorists.'
The "Vanguard" team is breaking convention and new stories with a breed of journalism. Young, aggressive and willing to go places few other people go, "Vanguard" is telling stories in a way that manhandles the stand up, scripted, bizarre cadence and dearth of content that has come to define so much of TV news. By pushing boundaries, borders and limits, "Vanguard" has been at the forefront of a series of original stories.The "Vanguard" team is breaking convention and new stories with a breed of... more
***TUNE IN TONIGHT at 10pm as Vanguard correspondent Adam Yamaguchi previews the upcoming season of Vanguard and takes a look back at some of the best Vanguard stories.
The new season premieres Oct. 14 at 10pm with "The OxyContin Express", a powerful one-hour documentary on prescription drug abuse.
***Vanguard is Current TV's original documentary series. Led by correspondents Laura Ling, Mariana van Zeller, Christof Putzel, Adam Yamaguchi and Kaj Larsen, Vanguard features enterprising reports from around the globe. It airs every Wednesday at 10pm on Current TV. And you can view all Vanguard stories by visiting current.com/vanguard.***
Channel guide:
In the U.S.
DIRECTV 358
Comcast Nationwide 107
Dish Network 196
Time Warner: NY 103
Time Warner: LA 142
Time Warner: Other Cities: check local listings
AT&T U-verse Nationwide 189
Verizon FIOS 130
In the U.K.
Sky 183
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In Italy
Sky Italia 130***TUNE IN TONIGHT at 10pm as Vanguard correspondent Adam Yamaguchi previews the... more
Current correspondent and Ex-Navy Seal Kaj Larson infiltrates the extraordinary waterbound HQ of modern day pirates near Malaysia.
Modern day Pirates is an investigative half hour documentary that uncovers the dangerous reality of modern day piracy, which is running rife in the straits of Malacca, a strip of water that cuts through Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Kaj Larson meets the pirates face to face and is escorted their bizarre floating hideout where they plan their attacks and spend their loot in the hideout’s bars and brothels. Modern day Pirates is part of Current TV’s award winning Vanguard documentary series.
Modern Day Pirates, Monday 12th October at 10pm, Sky 183 and Virgin 155Current correspondent and Ex-Navy Seal Kaj Larson infiltrates the extraordinary... more
Kaj Larsen began working for Current TV in 2005 to cover the then forgotten
war in Afghanistan. He profiled the first Afghan woman running for office,
reported on the surging heroin trade and traced the last known steps of
Osama bin Laden. Two years later, Larsen returned to Afghanistan to report
on the resurgence of the notorious Taliban militia in the wake of
diminishing public support for Coalition forces. Larsen has gone on to
report on issues ranging from landmines in Cambodia to the meth epidemic in
Hawaii. Larsen received widespread recognition for his report on
waterboarding in 2007, during which he willfully underwent the procedure in
order to more completely explain it to viewers.
Prior to his work in television journalism, Larsen spent five years serving
as a U.S. Navy SEAL. As a young Lieutenant, he led a SEAL team of special
warfare personnel in covert operations overseas.
Larsen received his Masters degree in Public Policy from Harvard
University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is a joint fellow at
the Jebsen Center for Counter-Terrorism studies and the Shorenstein Center
for Press, Politics, and Public Policy.Kaj Larsen began working for Current TV in 2005 to cover the then forgotten
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critical issues of the Presidential campaign - Energy. The Current Election with Kaj Larsen takes a look at the one of the most
critical... more
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The Current Election with Kaj Larsen looks at morality as an election issue. We ask the question: does America's moral standing in the world impact the country? Kaj gives a brief history of waterboarding--one of the most controversial national security issues. The Current Election with Kaj Larsen looks at morality as an election issue. We ask... more
In the first of two shows, The Current Election with Kaj Larsen looks at some of the causes and consequences of immigration. This two part series looks at some of the underreported trends in immigration in order to move beyond the polarizing partisan politics and take a look at the people and faces impacted by this issue.In the first of two shows, The Current Election with Kaj Larsen looks at some of the... more
How safe are we in a post 9-11 world? Kaj visits the Port of Longbeach to check out some of the latest security measures at one of the nation's busiest ports.
Produced By: Newall / Stone / LarsenHow safe are we in a post 9-11 world? Kaj visits the Port of Longbeach to check out... more
What do we do when we're not in front of the camera? Check out this tour of Current's LA offices and see for yourself...What do we do when we're not in front of the camera? Check out this tour of... more
Chief operations Specialist, Joseph Mitchell at a Naval Base in San Diego takes a moment to appreciate the freedom of the United States and those that lost their life to help protect it.Chief operations Specialist, Joseph Mitchell at a Naval Base in San Diego takes a... more
