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| Arabia | |
| Wherever Bin Laden Goes, Aid Follows! | |
| 2010-01-31 | |
[Asharq al-Aswat] Forty years ago, it was said that the Imam of Yemen proposed entering a war with the United States as a solution to the financial problems from which his country was suffering. The Imam explained that because Yemen would certainly be defeated by America, America would then be obliged to rebuild Yemen.
Does the idea of getting involved in the fight against Al Qaeda, despite its dangers, bring with it the key to Ali Baba's cave and the treasures within? Why did the idea come about to show generosity and support to states that threaten regional and international security just as the case is with Pakistan and Afghanistan? Why didn't anyone embark upon helping Yemen when it was stable and in desperate need of this kind of support? Jordan, which is an example of a country in need of this support, succeeded at containing Al Qaeda and fighting terrorism, and is committed to the rules of development and political reform, yet it receives less than a fifth of what was promised to Yemen recently. Does Bin Laden first need to set up a branch in Amman so that the Jordanians can call for a meeting of donor countries and provide for half of its population made up of refugees? The same goes for Tunisia and every country that is in dire need of aid but did not neglect its development or security [issues], which was the case in Yemen. Perhaps political support of devastated countries is a necessity to contain the international threat. However at the same time, it is a worrying concept for two reasons: support only comes after complete destruction when it is too late, such as in Afghanistan and Somalia, and secondly because it is a reward for countries that did not cooperate in the past and it neglects poor countries that carried out their duties in fighting terrorism and adopted a better and more accountable political system. With regards to Sanaa, it deserved support many decades before the birth of Al Qaeda and what Bin Laden's group and Iran and other countries spread throughout the country and their exploitation of local Yemeni forces simply because the state is incapable of exerting full control over the country. The concerned parties in Yemen justify their hesitation by saying that they tried to support Yemen and its development in the past and they failed for two reasons: corruption and security lapses. One of them said: how can a plan be adopted when the mechanisms are subjected to theft and the workers to kidnapping? How can the country be built and how can there be development when a third of the male population chew Qat without any attempts by the government to fight the condition of group narcoticism? How can one trust the regime when the brother of the governor of Sadah is smuggling arms to the rebels surrounding his brother's home? Yemen is a big country that overlooks two seas and it is rich in petroleum resources and arable land. It does not need aid inasmuch as it needs support to stand on its own two feet. If it weren't for Al Qaeda and the Houthis, no one in the world would care about Yemen's issues. Today its problems are being addressed by rewarding it with generous amounts of international aid and threatening it with interference in running its affairs. | |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #13 I think we need to look to Haiti as an example. I don't want to spend billions rebuilding anywhere, especially a totally failed state on our own doorstep. NOT helping them may cost us even more, however. If we can help them recover from this tragedy, build an economy that will provide jobs for them locally, and give them a reason to STAY in Haiti, we may not have them showing up on our doorsteps, costing us billions in welfare. Also, if we CAN get them to not only rebuild, but change a bit of their thinking, we may not have to respond so intensely during the next tragedy, because they won't be so devastated. I look at the imagery of Haiti every day. There are homes whose rooms are filled with vegetation, still standing vacant two, three, ten years after their roofs were removed during one of the frequent hurricanes that hit Haiti. The only way we can change the current "culture of begging" is to change the way Haitians feel about their country. Right now, there isn't much to be proud of. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2010-01-31 20:14 |
| #12 Fertilizer, Abu. Hopefully mixing with a lot of home grown organic matter. |
| Posted by: ed 2010-01-31 17:20 |
| #11 Drop $40 billion worth of bombs on them. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2010-01-31 17:02 |
| #10 Are they saying Bin Laden's now in Yemen?His father is from Yemen (but made a fortune in the Saudi kingdom), he still has substantial family in Yemen and al Qaeda organizing happened there. Whether he himself is there at the moment is another question. This imam's logic is in line with Bin Laden, who has stated he wants to destroy our economy and bleed us dry by dragging us intom conflict. Worth a look. AQ ideaology is certainly there and spread through marriage/progeny; everywhere he has been previously is chaotic. Sudan, Somalia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, and if Kola Boof, concubine is to be believed, Morocco and other African nations. Snuffing out the bonfires would be considerably less expensive than rebuilding after everything has been gutted. |
| Posted by: Omoluque Hapsburg8162 2010-01-31 13:45 |
| #9 The Yemenis and Pakistanis and Afganis are NOT part of our cultural heritage, For a complete listing of Western cultural heritage regional exclusionary zone, see all above 20th parallel on this MAP. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-01-31 13:14 |
| #8 That's what the 'burg is for. Especially when you're correct. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2010-01-31 13:06 |
| #7 when George Kennan concieved of the "Marshall" plan it was in response to the "then new" threat of Stalin and the Soviets in europe, Germany in particular. The germans were part of our cultural heritage and represented the finest in industrial capability, so We (the USA) helped them out. It payed off! The Yemenis and Pakistanis and Afganis are NOT part of our cultural heritage, in fact they are the antithesis of out cultural heritage. When the EU and the UN commit to these rebuilds of nations its easy for them to be smug about it as they themselves were once recipients of the same largess they now Assume to wield. Their presumption is, however, a bit nauseating when viewd from the American perspective where we actually "DO" things and dont simply recieve from others. but..... I'm ranting...... |
| Posted by: 746 2010-01-31 12:52 |
| #6 Are they saying Bin Laden's now in Yemen? His father is from Yemen (but made a fortune in the Saudi kingdom), he still has substantial family in Yemen and al Qaeda organizing happened there. Whether he himself is there at the moment is another question. |
| Posted by: lotp 2010-01-31 11:32 |
| #5 Another disturbing consequence of this report is that elegant, non-violent solutions of tactical problems that involve rewarding bad guys will instantaneously shape the political and strategic battlefield in regions far away from the initial problem. Looking at the Afghan reconstruction, maybe even the surge, elements in other Islamic countries are coming to the dangerous conclusion that an attack on the west will be amply rewarded. In the internet age conciliatory and submissive messages towards Afghanistan have a global audience. I'm not confident that Western military and civilian leadership to aware enough of that effect. They're somewhat like the proverbial Hollywood leftist who badmouths the US in interviews with the European press, causing a backlash in the US because the message spread. |
| Posted by: Jumbo Clavimp3510 2010-01-31 10:14 |
| #4 HOLD ON A DAMN SECOND... Are they saying Bin Laden's now in Yemen? |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2010-01-31 09:25 |
| #3 I agree that aid to Yemen in more stable times might have been useful. Fortunately they have a wealthy neighboring kingdom fully capable of funding such things, should they choose. |
| Posted by: lotp 2010-01-31 09:17 |
| #2 "The Mouse That Roared", 21st Century Edition. |
| Posted by: Formerly Dan 2010-01-31 09:01 |
| #1 If these Yemeni geniuses are referring to the Marshall Plan precedent, they should not forget that both Germany and Japan were the targets of total war. They were defeated utterly, crushed and humiliated. The enemy peoples weren't allowed to save face, they had to acknowledge their defeat. Liberation consisted of disbanding the old regimes and holding the people accountable for tolerating, if not supporting it. This was done irrespective of the will of the enemy peoples. There was indeed magnanimity, but it was magnanimity in victory not before victory (or in defeat). The Yemenis would be better advised to refer to the 21st century precedent of Afghanistan. They would not like a repeat of WWII with themselves as the defeated. |
| Posted by: Gleretch B. Hayes6041 2010-01-31 05:13 |
