Wikileaks disclose Yemeni President Saleh offered US ‘open door’ to attack al-Qaida
December 4th, 2010 - 2:11 pm ICT by ANI
Washington, Dec 4 (ANI): Secret cables released by the whistleblower website ‘WikiLeaks’ have revealed that the President of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, had secretly offered US forces unrestricted access to his territory to conduct unilateral strikes against al-Qaida terrorist targets.
The Guardian quoted Saleh as telling US President Barack Obama’s deputy national security adviser, John Brennan, in September 2009: “I have given you an open door on terrorism. So I am not responsible.”
However in reality, despite the offer of an “open door”, Yemen had restricted access for US forces in order to avoid playing into the hands of Saleh’s domestic critics.
The cables expose for the first time the true scale of America’s covert military involvement in the Arab world’s poorest nation amid deep concern in Washington that it has become a haven for al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (Aqap), the paper said.
While Saleh’s government publicly insists that its own forces are responsible for counter-terrorism operations, the cables detail how the President struck a secret deal to allow the US to carry out cruise missile attacks on Aqap targets.
The first strike in December last year, which killed dozens of civilians along with wanted jihadis, was presented by Saleh as Yemen’s own work, supported by US intelligence.
However a cable dated 21 December from Ambassador Stephen Seche says that “Yemen insisted it must ‘maintain the status quo’ regarding the official denial of US involvement. Saleh also reportedly wanted operations to continue ‘non-stop until we eradicate this disease.’” A second attack took place on 24 December, the paper quoted the report, as saying.
A few days later, in a meeting with General David Petraeus, then head of US central command, Saleh admitted lying to his country about the strikes.
“We’ll continue saying the bombs are ours, not yours,” Saleh told Petraeus on January 2. That prompted the deputy prime minister, Rashad al-Alimi, who was also at the meeting, to joke he had just “lied” by telling parliament the bombs in Arhab, Abyan, and Shebwa that (the al-Qaida strongholds) were American-made but deployed by Yemen, the report added. (ANI)
- Yemen offered US 'open door' to attack Al Qaida: WikiLeaks - Dec 04, 2010
- Dozens killed in fresh Yemen clashes - Jul 31, 2011
- Yemen apologises for killing 42 civilians in airstrike - Mar 04, 2010
- 'Yemen's radioactive products were easy al-Qaeda targets': Wikileaks - Dec 20, 2010
- WikiLeaks: Terrorists may get n-material in Yemen - Dec 21, 2010
- Obama concerned about Yemen - May 22, 2012
- Al-Qaida in Yemen "Western-made," says Yemeni PM - Nov 07, 2010
- Yemen puts $100,000 reward for eight Al Qaida men - Oct 17, 2010
- TSA Administrator visits Yemen, meets with security officials in Germany - Nov 04, 2010
- Saleh sacks defected military commander in Yemen - Mar 28, 2011
- Al Qaeda providing free electricity in Yemen - May 03, 2012
- Yemeni warplanes bomb Al-Qaeda bases, 18 killed - Mar 19, 2012
- Obama not pushing for Yemen president to go because of Al Qaeda threat: Experts - Mar 23, 2011
- U.S. State Department designates al-Qaeda operative Othman Al-Ghamdi - Jun 17, 2011
- Al-Qaida wing claims to form 12,000-strong army in southern Yemen - Jul 30, 2010
Tags: 24 december, al qaida, al qaida in the arabian peninsula, ali abdullah saleh, arab world, barack obama, central command, counter terrorism, cruise missile attacks, david petraeus, domestic critics, john brennan, military involvement, national security adviser, official denial, president of yemen, seche, security adviser john, terrorist targets, true scale