Ahmed al-Misri rues the day he took the job two years ago as governor of the southern Yemeni province of Abyan, fast emerging as a key battleground in the fight against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). In a frank assessment … Mr. Misri talks of his difficulties in reining in Al Qaeda when the central government in Sana’a is diverting troops to fight a rebellion in the north and a secessionist movement that is gaining ground in the south.
“In all honesty, [government control] is not so strong,” said Misri. … “We don’t have enough weapons, we don’t have enough soldiers. Our resources are so stretched that if something happens in the countryside, we can’t respond because there are no helicopters of airplanes.” Misri, a member of the ruling party and close regional ally of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, is known for his outspoken views. But with troops and resources thinly spread on three different fronts, his appeals to the government appear to be falling on deaf ears. …
The government has insisted it does not need U.S. military intervention in its fight against the extremists. … It has also claimed to bolster forces in regions where Al Qaeda is believed to be strongest, such as Abyan. … Misri said, however, there have been no reinforcements in his region. Instead, army chiefs have switched units in the north with those in the south, keeping numbers steady but giving the appearance of troop increases. Access the full article>>
