The Horn of Africa in Decline
By Douglas Farah
Al Qaeda and its affiliates in recent years have made no secret of their desire to open new hot war fronts that will drain the resources and willpower of the West.
The Horn of Africa is clearly part of that strategy, and the inroads the radical are now clearly discerable. Perhaps the most dramatic public setback has been the government of Yemen's decision to pardon Jamal al-Badawi, a key architect of the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole. The bombing left 17 U.S. sailor dead, and was the announcement of al Qaeda's continuing presence in the region. In 1998 the group successfully bombed two U.S. embassies East Africa.
Al-Badawi, who recruited the Cole bombers, was originally sentenced to death, had escaped from prison once, and was recaptured. He suddenly swore allegiance to Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Last week Badawi was set free, and was reportedly receiving well-wishers at his home outside Aden.
The pardon came just days after Frances Fragos Townsend, President Bush's top counterterrorism adviser, had been in Yemen praising that nation's contributions to the war on terror. Who played whom like a fiddle? My full blog is here.
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://counterterrorismblog.org/mt/pings.cgi/4552
