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Yemen vote unlikely to end US drone strikes: experts
 [Pak Daily Times] Yemen's parliament has voted for a ban on drone strikes, but experts said Monday politicians have limited powers and their vote is unlikely to impact Washington's bid to crush al Qaeda bad boys.The United States operates all unmanned aircraft flying over Yemen in support of Sanaa's attempts to break al Qaeda, and intensified strikes this year have killed dozens of bad boys. Yemen is home to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which Washington views as the deadliest franchise of the global jihadist network. Critics say drone strikes kill civilians and have demanded an end to the secrecy surrounding them. Yemen's parliament, which is dominated by the party of ousted president President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh ... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it... and the Islamist Islah party, voted on Sunday in favour of halting drone attacks. MPs say the vote is a recommendation short of adopting a law, which came days after a drone strike reportedly targeting al Qaeda gunnies killed 17 people, mostly civilians, triggering outrage. "The parliament appears to be giving orders to authorities, when it has lost its credibility long time ago," said political analyst Abdelbari Tahar. A Yemeni political official speaking on condition of anonymity ... for fear of being murdered... said the vote is a "challenge" to interim President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi who took over when Saleh agreed to step down in 2012 after a year of protests against his 33-year rule. "This vote appears to be an attempt by the followers of the former president to put pressure on Hadi, more than it is a real legislative action," the official said. "It is a kind of challenge to Hadi," who has cemented Sanaa's partnership with Washington in the fight against al Qaeda. "The government could ignore this vote without any consequences to worry about," said the official. The current assembly was elected in 2003 when Saleh was in power and its five-year tenure was extended by two years in a political compromise. It has not been renewed since then. Saleh has been accused of trying to hinder the political transition process, which began with him quitting in February 2012, following massive protests against his rule. At Sunday's parliamentary session, politicians stressed "the importance of protecting all citizens from any aggression" and "the importance of preserving the illusory sovereignty of Yemeni air space." MP Ali al-Mamari said the motion was a "request to the government," insisting it was not a law banning drone use. He said parliament has also demanded the government address parliament "to explain whether or not it can implement this (ban on drones)." On Thursday a drone attack in Rada in the central province of Bayda hit a wedding motorcade, killing 17 people, mostly civilians, and triggering protests by rustics in the lawless area. The Supreme Security Committee, headed by Hadi, insisted that the strike had targeted the car of an al Qaeda leader. And a US official also denied that a wedding convoy had been struck. "The target was an AQAP convoy and that's what was hit. No wedding party was hit," the US counter-terrorism official told AFP, asking not to be named. Posted by: Fred 2013-12-18 |
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