By William Tucker
Reports citing the Yemeni military are claiming that U.S. airstrikes have killed at least 30 al-Qaeda militants in Abyan, Yemen. Several media outlets have picked up this story and judging by the way it was written it appears as if the airstrikes were carried out in support of Yemeni ground forces. Yemeni soldiers have been battling al-Qaeda around Abyan since the central government pulled out to protect the capital. It is unclear if these soldiers are loyal to President Saleh or are one of the units that defected.
In the near term it will be vital to watch how the U.S. interacts with the different political elements in Yemen. Although the White House hasn’t come out with any harsh criticism of Saleh, it is the diplomatic/military movements in Yemen that will be the true indicators of where U.S. policy is headed. In the meantime we’ll keep an eye on the situation in Yemen.
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