WASHINGTON D.C. – Senator Dianne Feinstein, the powerful chairwoman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, told "Fox News Sunday”, that she thinks al-Qaeda in Yemen poses a threat to the United States and made reference to a new kind of underwear bomb.
She also said the al-Qaeda bomb maker in this case, identified as Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, should be assassinated!
"I am hopeful that we will be able to, candidly, kill this bomb maker and kill some of these other associates, because there is a dangerous process in play at the present time”, she said.
According to one report, the bomb (s), were intended to be smuggled aboard an aircraft “undetected” and then detonated.
The main charge was a high-grade military explosive that "undoubtedly would have brought down an aircraft," the New York Times reported, citing a senior U.S. official. Officials would not discuss where the military grade explosives came from or where it was manufactured.
It should be noted that the US makes and manufactures many different types of military grade "plastic" explosives…
The bomb bear the forensic signature of this suspected al Qaeda bomb maker who is believed to be operating in Yemen.
The US is currently engaged in a undeclared war in Yemen, using drones to launch and carry out attacks with the apparent approval of the Yemeni President.
Yemen is a country that has an abysmal human rights record. In fact the situation for Human Rights in Yemen is rather poor.
The security forces have been responsible for torture, inhumane treatment and even extrajudicial executions. But according to the Embassy of Yemen, in recent years there has been some improvement, with the government signing several international human rights treaties, and even appointing a woman, Dr. Wahiba Fara’a, to the role of Minister of the State of Human Rights.
Other sources state that many problems persist alongside allegations that these reforms have not been fully implemented and that abuses still run rampant, especially in the areas of women’s rights, freedom of the press, torture and police brutality.
There are arbitrary arrests of citizens, especially in the south, as well as arbitrary searches of homes. Prolonged pretrial detention is a serious problem, and judicial corruption, inefficiency, and executive interference undermine due process. Freedom of speech, the press and religion are all restricted.
The United Nations has strongly condemned the human rights abuses in Yemen (see: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2011/sc10418.doc.htm ) . See also: UN Human Rights Council holds discussion on the situation in Yemen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUTFO1zmVb8 ).
Despite this very serious human rights violations and ongoing allegations of torture and murder going in that country the US is providing millions of dollars of military and financial aid to Yemen. By some estimates at least $75 million dollars is being funneled to Yemen (see article: U.S. preparing to restart military aid to Yemen http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012-03-10/us-yemen-aid/53452878/1 ).
The US State Department terms this aid “military education and training assistance” but it is much more than that and includes weapons and the right to conduct drone attacks…
Robert Tilford
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