A couple of days ago on Monday the 5th of May, unidentified gunmen shot dead a Frenchman working for the EU in the capital Sanaa. Now this is not a big surprise as Westerners have been frequently attacked in Yemen and especially of late due to the political and security situation and the government's open alliance with the international community to root out terrorism and push forward with a transition that would bring about a stable civil state while shifting the powers centers and partially marginalizing the traditional power jockeys in the process. However, the timing of the incident which happened within less than two weeks into an unparalleled state campaign against the AQAP brought the honeymoon of the unprecedented support and celebration of the army and its war on terror to a momentary halt where reactions and doubts bubbled to the surface.
Following are some of the public reactions and their counter arguments:
Reaction 1
"Army should have have wiped out AQAP in the capital and protected it before going off fighting in the hinterlands"
"Army should have have wiped out AQAP in the capital and protected it before going off fighting in the hinterlands"
Counter (Sarcasm):
"Yes, especially when AQAP in the capital are parading on streets in broad daylight wearing t-shirts that say "I'm a terrorist, come and get me". Who knows, maybe the army did get all of them but then, having wiped them all out, the army did poor job at keeping more and very easily identifiable AQAP members from sneaking into the capital through the obvious few main roads and hundreds of lesser known mountainous routes."
"Yes, especially when AQAP in the capital are parading on streets in broad daylight wearing t-shirts that say "I'm a terrorist, come and get me". Who knows, maybe the army did get all of them but then, having wiped them all out, the army did poor job at keeping more and very easily identifiable AQAP members from sneaking into the capital through the obvious few main roads and hundreds of lesser known mountainous routes."
Counter:
"I love how some people with no knowledge or interest in subject will judgmentally blurt out ridiculous statements simply out of false sense of wisdom and egotistical need to participate. All the better though, now that they have spoken, they've removed all doubt of being thought a fool."
"I love how some people with no knowledge or interest in subject will judgmentally blurt out ridiculous statements simply out of false sense of wisdom and egotistical need to participate. All the better though, now that they have spoken, they've removed all doubt of being thought a fool."
Counter (Benefit of the doubt):
"Please tell me you are being sarcastic. Of course you are. And just to drive your point home I would like to add for everybody here that because of latest events and political, social, and economical, there are many among us whom would desperately join the AQAP and even become sleeper cells to unexpectedly and insanely strike at a moment's notice; it could be your neighbor, your friend, even your brother. The army cannot track and monitor everybody and even if they did, they may not notice when you yourself didn't suspect it out of the people in your close circle. Oh and by the way, for those who don't know the obvious, it's not the army' job to do that in the first place, that task falls to the ministry of interior and intelligence but same still applies to them too in terms of tracking down AQAP."
"Please tell me you are being sarcastic. Of course you are. And just to drive your point home I would like to add for everybody here that because of latest events and political, social, and economical, there are many among us whom would desperately join the AQAP and even become sleeper cells to unexpectedly and insanely strike at a moment's notice; it could be your neighbor, your friend, even your brother. The army cannot track and monitor everybody and even if they did, they may not notice when you yourself didn't suspect it out of the people in your close circle. Oh and by the way, for those who don't know the obvious, it's not the army' job to do that in the first place, that task falls to the ministry of interior and intelligence but same still applies to them too in terms of tracking down AQAP."
Reaction 2
"This is what happens when you resort to extrajudicial killing. The government refuses to understand that the people they go after and kill have families and friends whom will avenge them, regardless of their political/religious beliefs or if they were themselves moderates or extremists, and simply because their close ones have been killed unjustly and without due process by the government that claims to uphold the law."
"This is what happens when you resort to extrajudicial killing. The government refuses to understand that the people they go after and kill have families and friends whom will avenge them, regardless of their political/religious beliefs or if they were themselves moderates or extremists, and simply because their close ones have been killed unjustly and without due process by the government that claims to uphold the law."
Counter:
"I don't remember AQAP trying and justly killing citizens in their car bombs and suicide attacks. I don't want to get into an argument of ideals (i.e. we are better than them, we follow the law, etc) here but why should they be afforded that privilege when they don't even recognize the laws we all abide by and are actively seeking to destroy the system. Besides, if their families and friends were actually moderates with no political/religious affiliations and are simply seeking justice, why did they kill a French guy whom had nothing to do with the war in Abyan or Shabwa let alone the killing of their close ones?"
"I don't remember AQAP trying and justly killing citizens in their car bombs and suicide attacks. I don't want to get into an argument of ideals (i.e. we are better than them, we follow the law, etc) here but why should they be afforded that privilege when they don't even recognize the laws we all abide by and are actively seeking to destroy the system. Besides, if their families and friends were actually moderates with no political/religious affiliations and are simply seeking justice, why did they kill a French guy whom had nothing to do with the war in Abyan or Shabwa let alone the killing of their close ones?"
Reaction 3
"I don't understand, I thought the government said the army is winning the war on AQAP and drove them away to the fringe, then how come the enemy is here in the capital!?"
"I don't understand, I thought the government said the army is winning the war on AQAP and drove them away to the fringe, then how come the enemy is here in the capital!?"
Counter:
"Army is 'winning' the war, not won the war. And they are 'driving' AQAP out of their strongholds, not already 'drove' to fringe. A 'war' is no simple matter, it is a conflict where the foe is so formidable that only the nation's army has a chance when pitted against the enemy. The 'war' is made of many battles fought in multiple battlefields and takes time, effort, and patience. The 'enemy', whom we've established as being brutal and merciless, will not simply roll and die, they will fight back to last breath and hit where it hurts us most; not at the army or its soldiers, but at the people and nation whom the army is spilling its blood for to protect."
"Army is 'winning' the war, not won the war. And they are 'driving' AQAP out of their strongholds, not already 'drove' to fringe. A 'war' is no simple matter, it is a conflict where the foe is so formidable that only the nation's army has a chance when pitted against the enemy. The 'war' is made of many battles fought in multiple battlefields and takes time, effort, and patience. The 'enemy', whom we've established as being brutal and merciless, will not simply roll and die, they will fight back to last breath and hit where it hurts us most; not at the army or its soldiers, but at the people and nation whom the army is spilling its blood for to protect."
Reaction 4
"I told you so, the war waged by the army on AQAP is a pointless one that was doomed to fail before it even began...you kill one AQ and 10 will replace him...splinter cells, sleeper cells, enthusiasts, opportunists, and what have you, argh! Government should have just tried to reason with the AQAP"
"I told you so, the war waged by the army on AQAP is a pointless one that was doomed to fail before it even began...you kill one AQ and 10 will replace him...splinter cells, sleeper cells, enthusiasts, opportunists, and what have you, argh! Government should have just tried to reason with the AQAP"
Counter (Sarcasm) :
"Sure, because all the ones we have reasoned with in the past and even provided/awarded with homes and salaries when more than half of the population is living under poverty line are now upstanding citizens and community role models."
"Sure, because all the ones we have reasoned with in the past and even provided/awarded with homes and salaries when more than half of the population is living under poverty line are now upstanding citizens and community role models."
Reaction 5
"Houthis kill thousands upon thousands of Yemenis and the government does not bat an eye let alone send in the army, AQAP kills a couple of foreigners and the government loses its marbles rounding up the whole army from all the different regions and sends it to a supposed AQAP stronghold!"
"Houthis kill thousands upon thousands of Yemenis and the government does not bat an eye let alone send in the army, AQAP kills a couple of foreigners and the government loses its marbles rounding up the whole army from all the different regions and sends it to a supposed AQAP stronghold!"
Counter:
"Houthis didn't attack or kill anybody but those whom attacked them first; and that's why president Hadi wisely refused to involve the army in the latest conflict in Amran and Hashid because he knew well that the Ahmars provoked the Houthis and then tried to turn the tribal conflict into a civil war to force the army to intervene on their behalf. Also, for a country that is on the brink of becoming a failed state and is hanging by a thread that is the foreign aid and support from the international community, the killing of a single foreigner does far more damage than the killing of thousands of Yemenis."
"Houthis didn't attack or kill anybody but those whom attacked them first; and that's why president Hadi wisely refused to involve the army in the latest conflict in Amran and Hashid because he knew well that the Ahmars provoked the Houthis and then tried to turn the tribal conflict into a civil war to force the army to intervene on their behalf. Also, for a country that is on the brink of becoming a failed state and is hanging by a thread that is the foreign aid and support from the international community, the killing of a single foreigner does far more damage than the killing of thousands of Yemenis."
Reaction 6
"I have said this before and will repeat again; AQAP is not an organized army or group that you can bring down to its knees by simply killing a few or even most of and eliminating their leaderships. AQAP is semi decentralized organization waging a gorilla style warfare; they have many bases, many operations and are everywhere by virtue of safe havens provided by folks whom have a bone to pick with the government - and of which there are aplenty of late. Additionally, and thanks to the collateral casualties of the army campaign against them, their ranks augmented if not exponentially expanding from pool of the affected and sympathizers."
"I have said this before and will repeat again; AQAP is not an organized army or group that you can bring down to its knees by simply killing a few or even most of and eliminating their leaderships. AQAP is semi decentralized organization waging a gorilla style warfare; they have many bases, many operations and are everywhere by virtue of safe havens provided by folks whom have a bone to pick with the government - and of which there are aplenty of late. Additionally, and thanks to the collateral casualties of the army campaign against them, their ranks augmented if not exponentially expanding from pool of the affected and sympathizers."
Counter (Condescending):
"I'm sorry, but I read your excellent argument several times already and still can not put my finger on the alternative solution you are proposing! Oh, that's right, you have none. That's okay, you don't have to feel bad about it; since dawn of humanity, people could be invariably categorized in two types, those who for better or worse do the do, and those who criticize why others are doing the do simply to argue and justify their meaningless existence and to fight the inherent subconscious feeling of inferiority for not doing anything or having a better idea. Luckily for us all, the army is of the former type."
"I'm sorry, but I read your excellent argument several times already and still can not put my finger on the alternative solution you are proposing! Oh, that's right, you have none. That's okay, you don't have to feel bad about it; since dawn of humanity, people could be invariably categorized in two types, those who for better or worse do the do, and those who criticize why others are doing the do simply to argue and justify their meaningless existence and to fight the inherent subconscious feeling of inferiority for not doing anything or having a better idea. Luckily for us all, the army is of the former type."
Reaction 7
"What did the geniuses whom planned the full on state/army war on AQAP set as final objective? For AQAP, or whatever remains of it (according to the army's wishful thinking after waging this massive army campaign) agreeing to some sort of a deal and signing a peace treaty!? For AQAP to shake in their boots in fear at the sight of the mighty army, wave a white flag and turn themselves in hurriedly running back towards the prisons they vehemently loathed and just recently broke out from? Or maybe perhaps the army and our government are ambitious enough to believe that they can kill every last one of them AQAP folks? Well that last one would be just laughable, because it is now apparent as has always been that the geniuses don't really know how many AQAP there are, where they are (with the exception of the obvious locations in places like Abyan and Shabwa), or when will they strike back and how. Case in point, multiple attacks in the capital, Sanaa today."
"What did the geniuses whom planned the full on state/army war on AQAP set as final objective? For AQAP, or whatever remains of it (according to the army's wishful thinking after waging this massive army campaign) agreeing to some sort of a deal and signing a peace treaty!? For AQAP to shake in their boots in fear at the sight of the mighty army, wave a white flag and turn themselves in hurriedly running back towards the prisons they vehemently loathed and just recently broke out from? Or maybe perhaps the army and our government are ambitious enough to believe that they can kill every last one of them AQAP folks? Well that last one would be just laughable, because it is now apparent as has always been that the geniuses don't really know how many AQAP there are, where they are (with the exception of the obvious locations in places like Abyan and Shabwa), or when will they strike back and how. Case in point, multiple attacks in the capital, Sanaa today."
Counter:
"I think the army has already made it abundantly clear that the goal of the war is to break the AQAP, which by the way doesn't mean killing every last one of their members, on the contrary, giving a chance for those who would repent and abandon their violent ways a shot of being reintegrated back into the society. The war would also deter and discourage new recruits whom have previously thought joining a terrorist organization would be without repercussion - now you will be hunted down and shot dead. Additionally, the army is not looking for a truce or some sort of deal with the AQAP, that's actually a wishful thinking on behalf of the AQAP and their sympathizers. The army gave AQAP two simple choices, surrender and go to prison where your cooperation (surrendering) will be taken into consideration in commuting your sentence, or continue to fight the state and inevitably die a terrorist at the hands of the army."
"I think the army has already made it abundantly clear that the goal of the war is to break the AQAP, which by the way doesn't mean killing every last one of their members, on the contrary, giving a chance for those who would repent and abandon their violent ways a shot of being reintegrated back into the society. The war would also deter and discourage new recruits whom have previously thought joining a terrorist organization would be without repercussion - now you will be hunted down and shot dead. Additionally, the army is not looking for a truce or some sort of deal with the AQAP, that's actually a wishful thinking on behalf of the AQAP and their sympathizers. The army gave AQAP two simple choices, surrender and go to prison where your cooperation (surrendering) will be taken into consideration in commuting your sentence, or continue to fight the state and inevitably die a terrorist at the hands of the army."
Counter:
"I highly doubt the army not having a clear goal or objective in this war, especially when the whole world is watching and even a few international players directly involved. Besides, on your 'terms of winning' argument, I don't believe any one side was ever able to completely eradicate another in any conflict in history including those resorting to mass slaughter and ethnic cleansing. If wars were only won by totally annihilating the other side, I mean to the last standing man, that would have been awesome, but unfortunately there are still Nazis, supremacists, and the likes today. The army is not going after ALL of AQAP, their followers, and their sympathizers, it is going after it's leadership, it's core, and those actively fighting against and terrorizing the nation. The rest of AQAP or believers in the AQAP ideology will be afforded the privilege of continuing being crazy as long as the voices in their heads don't dictate stupid actions to their hands."
"I highly doubt the army not having a clear goal or objective in this war, especially when the whole world is watching and even a few international players directly involved. Besides, on your 'terms of winning' argument, I don't believe any one side was ever able to completely eradicate another in any conflict in history including those resorting to mass slaughter and ethnic cleansing. If wars were only won by totally annihilating the other side, I mean to the last standing man, that would have been awesome, but unfortunately there are still Nazis, supremacists, and the likes today. The army is not going after ALL of AQAP, their followers, and their sympathizers, it is going after it's leadership, it's core, and those actively fighting against and terrorizing the nation. The rest of AQAP or believers in the AQAP ideology will be afforded the privilege of continuing being crazy as long as the voices in their heads don't dictate stupid actions to their hands."
Counter:
"When was the last time the state sentences an AQAP member to death and executed him? Never. Life sentence? Very rare. Extremely generous and commuted sentences for manic serial killers (aka. AQAP)? Vast majority. So the answer to your question is yes, they should run back to prison at the speed of light before the offer is off the table. The answer to your question of the army being a bloodthirsty monster going after every last one of AQAP with a vengeance or an incompetent fool believing they can hunt down them all is, neither; the army's goal is taking down and destroying the main and critical cogs of the corrupted death machine that is the AQAP whereupon it will seize operating and allow for the re-purposing of its remaining parts into other useful and productive ones."
"When was the last time the state sentences an AQAP member to death and executed him? Never. Life sentence? Very rare. Extremely generous and commuted sentences for manic serial killers (aka. AQAP)? Vast majority. So the answer to your question is yes, they should run back to prison at the speed of light before the offer is off the table. The answer to your question of the army being a bloodthirsty monster going after every last one of AQAP with a vengeance or an incompetent fool believing they can hunt down them all is, neither; the army's goal is taking down and destroying the main and critical cogs of the corrupted death machine that is the AQAP whereupon it will seize operating and allow for the re-purposing of its remaining parts into other useful and productive ones."
Counter:
"I am not a military strategist and honestly don't know what the army plan is, main goal or objective is, or even how or when the war will end or be won. However, and despite being anxious of not knowing the answers or logic behind the army's actions, I am frankly very glad that there's finally a sheriff in town that is standing up to the hooligans that have been wrecking havoc with our lives for far too long. And I believe many share my feelings as evident in the unprecedented support for not just the war, but mainly and mostly for the army itself; and this is the same army that almost every Yemeni you may have asked about just a few weeks ago would have filled your ears with the most negative and obscene opinions and based on personal experiences and run-ins with its soldiers. Moreover, it is unfair to blame the killing of the French man or the Yemeni officials in the capital yesterday on the army; the assassinations were as frequent and common place way before the army war on the AQAP started. Finally, let us at least be honest in our opinions and just in judgments; 1) identifying and taking down terrorist cells of an organization that is by its very nature covert and one the whole world is still struggling to destroy won't be an easier task for our army or security 2) whether it turns out to be terrorists or other opportunistic elements, let's not forget that there are many others beside AQAP willing to act on or assist in destabilizing the current political process and transition 3) the assassination of less than a handful of people when the army is for the first time ever hitting hard against and destroying AQAP HQ is far less worse than the Armageddon we initially excepted of being unleashed upon us as a consequence of war."
"I am not a military strategist and honestly don't know what the army plan is, main goal or objective is, or even how or when the war will end or be won. However, and despite being anxious of not knowing the answers or logic behind the army's actions, I am frankly very glad that there's finally a sheriff in town that is standing up to the hooligans that have been wrecking havoc with our lives for far too long. And I believe many share my feelings as evident in the unprecedented support for not just the war, but mainly and mostly for the army itself; and this is the same army that almost every Yemeni you may have asked about just a few weeks ago would have filled your ears with the most negative and obscene opinions and based on personal experiences and run-ins with its soldiers. Moreover, it is unfair to blame the killing of the French man or the Yemeni officials in the capital yesterday on the army; the assassinations were as frequent and common place way before the army war on the AQAP started. Finally, let us at least be honest in our opinions and just in judgments; 1) identifying and taking down terrorist cells of an organization that is by its very nature covert and one the whole world is still struggling to destroy won't be an easier task for our army or security 2) whether it turns out to be terrorists or other opportunistic elements, let's not forget that there are many others beside AQAP willing to act on or assist in destabilizing the current political process and transition 3) the assassination of less than a handful of people when the army is for the first time ever hitting hard against and destroying AQAP HQ is far less worse than the Armageddon we initially excepted of being unleashed upon us as a consequence of war."
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