U.S. and Yemeni Coastguard

With renewed focus on al Qaeda threats emanating from Yemen, the US is substantially increasing support to several branches of the Yemeni military. However, Yemen’s military and security forces are often involved in for-profit ventures, on both overt and covert levels. The task of building up Yemen’s Coast Guard demonstrates such difficulties.

Last year, the Coast Guard complained several times to the Interior Ministry that the Border Guard was complicit in criminal activity and “aiding smugglers as smuggling takes place in an organized way,” the Yemen Post reported. The Border Guards prevented the Coast Guard from searching boats suspected of smuggling, sometimes resulting violent clashes between the forces’ members.

Extract from Armies of Liberation 15 Feb. 2010

United States of America

force projection - Camp Lemonnier

The United States projects its power in the region from its base at Camp Lemonnier, a United States Naval Expeditionary Base at Djibouti's Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport and home to the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) of the U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM). Camp Lemonnier is operated by U.S. Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia and is the primary base in the region for the support of Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA).

hovercraft

U.S. Navy

In addition the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet is responsible for the Middle East, including the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, and parts of the Indian Ocean. It includes a carrier strike group and an expeditionary strike group, normally about 25 ships. The U.S. Fifth Fleet works with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, which is the naval component of the larger Central Command (USCENTCOM). It operates from Manama, Bahrain.

Naval Forces Central Command includes a number of Task Forces which are not part of the Fifth Fleet. These include Combined Task Force 150, carrying out maritime surveillance activities in the Gulf of Oman and around the Horn of Africa, and Task Force 152, covering the southern Persian Gulf with the same role. Both Task Forces report to Commander NAVCENT in his role as Combined Maritime Forces Component Commander.

In addition the U.S. has the use of a large airbase and seaport on Diego Garcia a British island in the Indian Ocean. Diego Garcia is a naval refueling and support station, and the home of a U.S. naval prepositioning squadron, which is responsible for the readiness of naval vessels as part of the Military Sealift Command in the Indian Ocean.

Reaper

Anti-Terrorist Role - U.S. Policy

In July 11, 2009 US President Barack Obama said in Accra, Ghana, that, "When there is genocide in Darfur or terrorists in Somalia, these are not simply African problems – they are global security challenges, and they demand a global response. That is why we stand ready to partner through diplomacy, technical assistance, and logistical support, and will stand behind efforts to hold war criminals accountable. Our Africa Command is focused not on establishing a foothold in the continent, but on confronting these common challenges to advance the security of America, Africa and the world."

In practice there appears, public statements to the contrary, to be a strong focus on perceived "terrorist" groups, notably Al-Shabeeb in Somalia, and Al-Qaeda and associated groups in the Yemen. The Yemeni government is reported to recently have received additional assistance from the U.S. to fight Al-Qaeda, although as noted in the Karnon Journal, it is more likely that such arms and supplies will be used against other opponents of the regime.

US State Department

Washington, DC

January 19, 2010

"The [U.S.] Secretary of State has designated al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under Section 219 of the [U.S.] Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended (INA). The Secretary also designated AQAP and its two top leaders Nasir al-Wahishi and Said al-Shihri under E.O. 13224. Secretary Clinton took these actions in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury. These actions prohibit provision of material support and arms to AQAP and also include immigration related restrictions that will help stem the flow of finances to AQAP and give the Department of Justice the tools it needs to prosecute AQAP members.

AQAP is a Yemen-based terrorist organization that has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist acts against Saudi, Korean, Yemeni, and U.S. targets since its inception in January 2009. Such instances include a March 2009 suicide bombing against South Korean tourists in Yemen, the August 2009 attempt to assassinate Saudi Prince Muhammad bin Nayif, and the December 25, 2009 failed attack on a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan.

Nasir Al-Wahishi proclaimed himself as the leader of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in January 2009. The press release in which al-Wahishi announced AQAP’s re-emergence also noted that the group’s Saudi militants had pledged allegiance to al-Wahishi as their new leader. Since then, Al-Wahishi has provided significant support for AQAP terrorist operations and has worked with AQAP operatives to facilitate attacks. As AQAP’s leader, al-Wahishi is responsible for approving targets, recruiting new members, allocating resources to training and attack planning, and tasking others to carry out attacks."