Dear Editor: You are wrong [Archives:2002/49/Focus]

MICHAEL BROWN
[email protected]
When I want to read insightful, balanced news from the Middle East I always first turn to the Yemen Times. The opinion from the editor is always interesting and intelligent. However, in the recent editorial entitled “Limit not reached” I am quite surprised at the statements made by the editor.
The US government did not kill six Yemenis, it killed six terrorist who happened to be Yemeni. If the respectable people of Yemen, of which there are many, are concerned with this attack then they should also be concerned with Yemen as a source of terrorism.
This is not to say that America was completely right, because they were not. This particular situation should have been a united effort with the Government of Yemen leading the way. The suspects should have been captured and brought to justice in Yemen. However, given the fact that terrorists living in Yemen have little to fear from the Yemeni government, America must make decisions they would not have considered before 9/11.
So, yes the Yemeni people have the right to condemn the attack because it lack due process of law. But, do not condemn the United States because terrorist are given refuge within the tribes of Yemen and we must attack as we can.
And please do not suggest that because America must now attack Iraq that it is coming after Yemen next. Yemen is not Iraq, nor is it a government run by Saddam.
In the end, the people of Yemen are not weak. In this the editor is completely wrong and does great damage to the strength of the Yemen people. The Yemen people have great power to control US policy by simply controlling the fanatic elements within your country. The friendship of Yemen is important to the United States. Not because of oil, not because of Iraq but, because friends make friends stronger. That is power that should not be given away lightly.

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