US Special Forces in Yemen

[Ian H]

Apologies for anyone who already knows this, but I thought I'd put it up anyway. According to a BBC news report broadcast on Tues 16th Dec US Special Forces are involved in training Yemeni Special Forces to take on Al-Quieda (spelling is wrong, I know). The report showed a man in US Desert BDU's with an American accent speaking to a group of Yemeni SF in a training area which, according to the report, is in a location unknown even by much of the Yemeni government. The Yemenis were wearing PASGT helmets without covers, a camoflage pattern jacket I was unable to identify, and carried AKs of some description. Some had AKSUs (the little AK-74s), and some had full size rifles. None were loaded so I was unable to be certain, but I would assume from the above the full sized weapons were AK-74's.
Anyone who saw the report, or knows something about this from other sources, is welcome to comment on or correct anything in this post, but I would ask that you only post what you are certain of, in an attempt to prevent arguments.
Thank you

[ST4]

I didn't know about that.. thanks Ian H.

Is there anywhere I could find photos?

[Argyll]

They've been there for months guys!

[ariweiner]

Video Here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/video/39645000/rm/_39645573_yemen22_gardner_2_vi.ram)
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39645000/jpg/_39645487_cooperation_203.jpg
Yemen's new anti-terror strategy

By Frank Gardner
BBC security correspondent in Yemen

The BBC has been given exclusive access to Yemen's controversial new strategy for defeating al-Qaeda cells.

Yemen is tight-lipped about its military co-operation with America
In the mountains of Yemen we were taken to a secret training base, where US special forces train Yemen's counter-terrorist troops to hunt down al-Qaeda.

Even most of the Yemeni Government does not know where it is.

This military co-operation with America is highly sensitive here.

They told us no journalist has seen it before.

Yemen has a problem with Al-Qaeda terror cells, but it is dealing with it.

The Yemeni special forces have already carried out surveillance, dawn raids and arrests.

They now have the skills to catch al-Qaeda suspects.

Controversial strategy

But the authorities here have recently developed a new and much more subtle approach.

They invited me to the justice ministry to see their new methods in action.

Inside, I found a devout Muslim judge sitting with alleged former al-Qaeda supporters.

They have just been released from prison on bail, after apparently renouncing violence.

I was hoping they would tell me about how al-Qaeda is recruiting here, but they were nervous - as policemen were listening.

'Message of peace'

I talked to Rashaad, who fought in Afghanistan.

Imprisoned for two years without trial, he said he did nothing wrong.

But the government insists he was an influential extremist who called for attacks on non-Muslims.

Yet his message was one of peace.

"The duty of a Muslim in general is not killing or bloodshed. Islam is a religion that promotes peace and tolerance, and it is against killing," Rashaad said.

His friends agreed. They said dialogue was the way forward.

"We deal with people with reason and dialogue. Weapons and machine-guns are the last resort in defending my country," said one of them.

Death threats

But when I asked who was using those weapons, the judge intervened.

"That's not what we're here to discuss," Judge Humoud Hattar said.

He has been called a government stooge, and received death threats.

But he has been so successful at converting extremists that the British Foreign Office has invited him to lecture in London.

"The results depend on convincing people through the Koran and Islamic texts. Young people should accept those texts and comply with them," the judge said.

Out on the streets of the capital, Sana'a, the Yemenis have recently put their dialogue programme to work.

Yemen says its troops have recently killed dozens of militants

A former al-Qaeda member turned informer led the authorities to Mohammed al-Ahdal - an alleged al-Qaeda financier and the most wanted man in Yemen.

In a covert operation last month, the Yemeni counter-terrorist troops surrounded him at his own wedding.

They are now interrogating him, passing selected intelligence to the Americans.

And they have been busy elsewhere too.

Yemen has recently released a footage showing the government troops storming a remote al-Qaeda stronghold this summer.

The government says it killed or captured dozens of militants.

But Yemen knows it cannot defeat al-Qaeda with bullets alone.

That's why its so keen on dialogue, to cut the pipeline that feeds extremism.

[NcDeuce]

5th SFG and other elements have been there for the longest time.

[09OCT1967]

Could it also be 3rd Grp or maybe SFOD-D, or USMCFR?

[nicho]

I saw the report on BBC World the other day and I must say, the Yemeni troops didn't look that professional in either apperance (That doesn't really matter, but they did look like w**kers) or the way they "operated"; as I've reckoned it's called.

On a side note, considering the relationship Yemen and us british has "enjoyed" over the years, wouldn't it be logical to ask the UK for help in training their troops? I'm probably missing someting painfully obvious here, but it just seemed as if the UK was a more natural choice.

[papasmerf]

I didn't know about that.. thanks Ian H.

Is there anywhere I could find photos?


Are you in SEAL Team 4?

[ibstolidude]

I didn't know about that.. thanks Ian H.

Is there anywhere I could find photos?


Are you in SEAL Team 4?

:lol:

no he is secret squirell ninja to the tenth degree...