SANA’A/DUBAI: An intense two days of air strikes on Al Qaeda in Yemen may have killed or wounded some of its commanders, but drones alone are unlikely to eradicate the threat the group poses to Yemenis and the West.
A weak central government, a rivalry-ridden and poorly equipped security force, endemic poverty and corruption have made Yemen the ideal haven of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), whom US President Barack Obama has described as the group “most active in plotting against our homeland”.
Desperate to prevent AQAP from planning more attacks like its attempt to blow up a US airliner in December 2009, Washington has used drones to strike and kill group members and leaders.
But analysts say drone strikes do only limited harm to AQAP.
They say the group will remain a serious menace unless the government can address challenges like poverty and inadequate security forces, and curb the occasional civilian casualties inflicted by drone attacks that inflame anti-US sentiment.
“The US can’t simply kill its way out of the terrorism threat,” said Letta Taylor, Human Rights Watch’s senior researcher on terrorism and counter-terrorism.
“The US and other concerned nations should address all the drivers of terrorism including poverty, illiteracy, political marginalisation and lack of opportunity for young people.”
The drones’ main success has been to severely limit AQAP’s movements and ability to hold territory as it did back in 2011.
“When they move from A to B, they have to think 100 times. They’ve lost their freedom,” said Mustafa Alani, a security analyst with close ties to the Saudi Interior Ministry.
“It (drones) is very effective, but this is not going to deal with the problem. These people are replaceable. You can kill 10 of them and there’s 10 more in the pipeline. (So) it’s a success that won’t end the war against AQAP,” he said.
On Saturday and Sunday, several air strikes — presumed to be carried out chiefly by US drones - were launched on central and southern provinces of Yemen, killing as many as 40 al Qaeda militants, according to local and tribal sources.
Yemen’s government has not disclosed the complete number of militants killed. A senior security source said investigations were being carried out into the identities of those killed, but confirmed that “leaders in the organisation” had died. Rumours have been swirling that those killed include AQAP leader Nasir Al Wuhayshi and Saudi bombmaker Ibrahim Al Asiri, especially after several eyewitness reports emerged that at least one helicopter had landed after a late Sunday night strike in the restive southern Shabwa province.
Tribal sources told Reuters on Sunday that five suspected militants were killed in that attack.
“Minutes after the car (with militants) was hit, we saw helicopters hovering overhead and military cars spreading. Soldiers were seen disembarking from one of the helicopters,” said Obeid Awad.
Reuters
