Yemen concerned by US raid, stops short of ban
The Yemeni government has expressed concern to the US over its commando raid targeting al-Qaida terrorists which killed several civilians, but it stopped short of revoking permission for future operations.
The nighttime raid in southern al-Bayda province, approved by President Donald Trump, resulted in a gun battle that left one US Navy SEAL dead and an American aircraft a charred wreck. Local medics said several women and children were killed.
“We have not withdrawn our permission for the United States to carry out special operations ground missions. However, we made clear our reservations about the last operation,” a senior Yemeni official said.
“We said that in the future there needs to be more coordination with Yemeni authorities before any operation, and that there needs to be consideration for our sovereignty,” he added. The account was confirmed by another Yemeni official.
US defense officials said they were investigating the reports of civilian casualties in the raid, and White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday it was aimed at gathering intelligence and was “highly successful.”
The Yemeni government has supported a US campaign against the country’s powerful al-Qaida branch for more than a decade.
Dozens of drone strikes, stepped up under president Barack Obama, have killed senior leaders but have also repeatedly killed civilians.
But the January 29 commando raid was only the second publicly acknowledged ground attack by US forces in Yemen, after Obama launched a failed 2014 attempt to rescue two hostages from al-Qaida in which they both were killed.
The situation is complicated by the fact that Yemen is embroiled in a civil war pitting the Saudi-backed government against the armed Houthi movement aligned with Iran. Although the government is recognized internationally, the Houthis control much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.
The operation may also have created a headache for the government not just by killing innocents but also a local al-Qaida commander, Abdulraoof al-Dhahab, who was an ally of pro-government tribes fighting the Houthis.
The deaths could alienate those armed tribes fighting for the government cause and aid al-Qaida recruitment. (Reuters)