Marines Assist Yemen Government

Staff Sgt Jeffrey S. Ray, a Drill Instructor at MCRD Parris Island S.C., speaks to a delegation of military officers from Yemen via translator, during their orientation of recruit training hosted by Marine Corps Forces Central Command. The visit outlined how the United States, a partner nation, conducts comprehensive training programs and demonstrates the Marine Corps’ commitment to being a long-term partner in security cooperation.

It sounds like the Yemeni government needs the help:

PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. (Nov. 3, 2009) – A delegation of military officers from Yemen arrived in the United States recently for an orientation of Marine Corps enlisted and officer training programs and education systems at several Marine Corps installations on the East Coast.


The delegation of six Yemen military officers included branches of their counter terrorism service, coast guard, and army special forces. The orientation was coordinated and sponsored by Marine Corps Forces Central Command, Theatre Security Cooperation division.


“These types of engagements are key in the fight against terrorism,” said Lt.Col. Robert Young, MARCENT TSC chief coordinating officer. “It’s important to strengthen relationships in the region, and that’s just what this does.”
Yemen is strategically located at the entrance to the Red Sea, continued Young. Geographically, the nation is in a crucial position in the multi-national, anti-piracy effort. The Marine Corps and its partners are committed to promoting security, stability, and our mutual interest in the region.


The intent of this orientation visit was to familiarize the Yemeni military officers with formal training programs currently in use by the United States Marine Corps. Support to Yemeni military officer training is likely to increase the effectiveness of this partner’s military force.


“The goal of this visit is to see what Marines are doing here, and how they are doing it,” said 2ndLt Ammar Yahya Abdullah Alansi, a Yemeni Coast Guard Officer. “Through this visit, we can see what training tools and programs we do not have and what we might incorporate within our limited budget. ““Yemen has a vested interest in fighting terrorism and extremism on the Arabian Peninsula and any help we can provide to advance their efforts is well worth our time,” Young said. “It’s good to have friends in Yemen.”


Incidents of piracy and armed robbery against vessels in the territorial waters and the high seas in the region constitute a threat to international peace and security in the region. The Marine Corps and coalition partners are working together to detect, deter, disrupt and suppress pirate activity.

Considering the unstable nature of the area, Yemen which had been divided into two only 20 years ago, is ripe for Al Qaeda and affiliated groups. For the record the Fort Hood Shooter's radical contact is now hiding in Yemen:

The imam whom Major Hasan made contact with is an American citizen born in New Mexico to Yemeni parents. He wrote on Monday on his English-language Web site that Major Hasan was “a hero.” The cleric said, “He is a man of conscience who could not bear living the contradiction of being a Muslim and serving in an army that is fighting against his own people.”

Mr. Awlaki added, “The only way a Muslim could Islamically justify serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army is if his intention is to follow the footsteps of men like Nidal.”After the Sept. 11 attacks, Mr. Awlaki was quoted as disapproving of such violence and was portrayed as a moderate figure who might provide a bridge between Islam and Western democracies. But since leaving the United States in 2002 for London and later Yemen, Mr. Awlaki has become, through his Web site, www.anwar-alawlaki.com, a prominent proponent of militant Islam.

“He’s one of the most popular figures among hard-line, English-speaking jihadis around the world,” said Jarret Brachman, the author of “Global Jihadism” and a terrorism consultant to the government.Mr. Brachman said Mr. Awlaki was especially appealing to young Muslims who are curious about radical ideas but not yet committed. “He’s American, he’s funny, and he speaks in a very understandable way,” Mr. Brachman said.

In 2000 and 2001, Mr. Awlaki served as an imam at two mosques in the United States frequented by three future Sept. 11 hijackers. Khalid al-Midhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi attended the Rabat mosque in San Diego, where Mr. Awlaki later admitted meeting Mr. Hazmi several times but “claimed not to remember any specifics of what they discussed,” according to the report of the national Sept. 11 commission.