Global Security Studies Practicum

30 November 2011 Sanaa, Yemen – Taiz , Yemen’s second largest city, has been a hotbed for antigovernment demonstrations opposing President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s regime. Government forces opened fire Tuesday, November 29, 2011, and continued Wednesday, November 30, 2011, as a response to attacks caused by tribesmen and defected soldiers who support the opposition. Results from the violence included: destroyed shops, three injured persons, one death, and fleeing of thousands of residents. At the same time, thousands of Yemenis gathered in the southern province of Aden to celebrate the 44 th anniversary of independence of South Yemen from Britain while a Special Forces security officer faced a drive by shooting. A security official reported that al-Qaida linked militants opened fire on the officer, who managed to escape, while killing two of his guards. Thousands of demonstrators, in the southern town of Ibb , call for Saleh to go to trial for alleged corruption and killing of proteste...

22 November 2011 Two foreigners kidnapped in the south region of Yemen along with their Yememi Driver by separatists while traveling inside a Red Cross vehicle claimed by security officials. According to an official, negotiations are underway by military groups with the secessionist movement for the release of these hostages. The identity of the official has kept anonymous since the government declares that no military officials are to report to the media. The foreigner’s destination was to the province of Lahj to the port city of Aden where witnesses declared their kidnapping. The citizenship of one of the hostages is a French citizen of Moroccan descent. She works for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees , which she helped refugees fledging countries with fighting between al-Qaida and the government. There were no comments from the French Foreign Ministry and the International Committee of the Red Cross regarding any plans of rescue for the hostages. It is believed that the situ...

(Yemen)- Exactly two weeks after US drone strikes killed Anwar Al-Awlaki , another drone strike has claimed the life of his 21-year-old son, Abdul Rahman Anwar Awlaki. The attack in the Shabwa district claimed nine militants, including Ibrahim al-Banna, head media officer for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) . Reports indicate the younger Awlaki had been hiding in the mountains for more than eight months. Washington continues to stamp out the threat from AQAP, the most active and dangerous branch of al-Qaida and the perpetrators of the failed attack of the underwear bomber . The strike was one of five overnight drone attacks aimed at al-Qaida positions in Shawba and Abyan . Anwar al-Awlaki was formerly the senior leader of the AQAP before his death September 30th. There has been no comment from the al-Awlaki family. Source: www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2011-10-15/yemen-militants-drone-strikes/50784330/1?csp=34news Reliability: 9