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Page added on January 5, 2013
Saudi says its air force has not struck al Qaeda in Yemen
Saudi Arabian fighter jets have not attacked al Qaeda targets in Yemen, Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said on Saturday, denying a newspaper report that some strikes attributed to U.S. drones were made instead by the kingdom’s air force.
Britain’s Times newspaper on Friday cited an unnamed U.S. intelligence source as saying “some of the so-called drone missions are actually Saudi Air Force missions”.
Asked to comment by reporters in Riyadh on Saturday, Prince Saud said, “This is not true.” He did not elaborate.
Any evidence of Saudi involvement in air strikes in Yemen risks damaging Riyadh’s efforts to target militants there by complicating its relationship with the government in Sanaa and with Yemeni tribal leaders, who control large parts of the country, including areas where al Qaeda members are present.
Washington and Riyadh fear turbulence in impoverished Yemen could allow al Qaeda a launchpad to attack Saudi energy targets and crude tankers in the Red Sea, a major oil shipping route.
U.S. drones are used to target suspected militants in Yemen and other countries without risking ground troops or air crews. U.S. officials acknowledge the use of drones against al Qaeda internationally but do not discuss operational details.
Some of the leaders of regional wing Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) are Saudi nationals and they have sworn to bring down the kingdom’s ruling al-Saud family.
Western intelligence agencies have credited Riyadh with foiling attacks planned by AQAP on international targets, including airlines.
In November two Saudi border guards were shot dead in a fight with suspected militants attempting to cross the long, porous desert border.
Security experts in the No. 1 oil exporter say Saudi Arabia views militants in Yemen as its most immediate security threat.
The last time Saudi Arabia’s air force was actively deployed was during a late-2009 conflict with Houthi rebels in north Yemen who had carried out cross-border raids into the kingdom.
4 Comments on "Saudi says its air force has not struck al Qaeda in Yemen"
DC on Sat, 5th Jan 2013 8:48 pm
Of course they Saudis didn’t ‘strike Al-queda’. There are no Al-Q in Yemen because they dont exist, at least not the media fabricated Al-q you see on the idiot box. The ‘real’ Al-q, such as they are, are all in Syria right now doing what they are paid to do, ferment a fake civil war for their US pay-masters.
BillT on Sun, 6th Jan 2013 1:57 am
If it come from the Us media, it is mostly lies and propaganda. If it comes from Israeli sources, it is ALL lies and propaganda. The Elite have stirred up a hornet’s nest that is going to be their downfall, I think.
keith on Sun, 6th Jan 2013 2:23 am
We never hear about the Arab spring in Yemen. The people are fed-up with the ruling monarchy. Perhaps, it’s because Yemen is a friend of the U.S.A.
Arthur on Sun, 6th Jan 2013 12:33 pm
Al-Qaida are individual US paid fundamentalist mercenaries, like bin Laden was, originally against the Russians in Afghanistan, now against Syria. It is unlikely that AQ exists as an organisation, with membership card, monthly magazine, India based call center (“there are three terrorist before you, please hold the line”) and a benifit/airmails program for loyal members. If you have a beard, a gun and are able to convincingly shout Allah Akhbar, that’s good enough to qualify. In that case Uncle Sam(uel) can offer you a deal: we pay, you shoot any non-Sunni the US government does not like. Instructions will follow, here are the first 1000$. Good luck.
As an additional benefit the non-existing AQ organisation can be used as a bogeyman to be blamed for all kind of evils, ranging from 9/11 to high oil prices in the eyes of US TV-watcher and taxpayer, to create support for never ending ‘wars on terror’ in remote lands.