Opening The Yemen Front

By Jamie McIntyre Thursday, December 31st, 2009 5:16 pm
Posted in On War

The U.S. has opened up a new front in the war on anti-American extremists: Yemen.
It ‘s a shadowy war, with the U.S. providing funding and firepower, and it’s helping to keep al Qaida on the run, even as the terrorist group plots new attacks like the failed attempt to bring down Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas Day.
[Pentagon praises Yemen for stand against al-Qaida ]

It’s certainly possible that the U.S. backed attacks on al Qaida in Yemen may have prompted the retaliatory effort on air travel, there is another less obvious implication of the Yemen war.
The whole idea behind the surge in Afghanistan is to build up the country institutions, including the military and police, so that it becomes a functioning nation-state capable of holding terrorist groups operating within its borders in check.  This is an ambitious goal that will require many U.S. and international troops, billions in development aid, and patience.
But what Yemen underscores is that al Qaida no longer needs Afghanistan as a base of operations. It can, and does, operate from any number of countries.  In this Internet age, it can be anywhere.  So the massive investment in rebuilding Afghanistan from the rugged ground up, may provide only the same false sense of security and accomplishment, as did the Maginot line after WW1.   Just as the Germans easily circumvented the extensive and expensive fortifications to invade France, al Qaida can and will forsake Afghanistan for any number of more hospitable redoubts, such as Yemen, Somalia, or the ungovernable areas of Pakistan.
Which calls into question the massive commitment to Afghanistan, which still unfortunately amounts to half-measures.   The U.S. is fully committed, until the summer of 2011, just a few months after the last of the “surge” troops arrive.
I’m having trouble thinking this is the best way to go.
Tags: Afghanistan, Terrorism, Yemen