Yemen newest front in 'war on terror'?

Last year, Barack Obama, the US president, called Afghanistan the new frontline in America's fight against al-Qaeda linked groups.

Now Obama has explicitly linked the group al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula with the attempt to blow up a US-bound passenger jet on Christmas Day.

Meanwhile, authorities in Denmark say a man who tried to kill a cartoonist has "close relations" with Islamic fighters in Somalia - the latest in growing international alarm about threats coming from new directions.

Owen Fay reports on the possible expansion of the the US's "war on terror".

~ AlJazeeraEnglish ~


Wolffe: Intelligence failure may have been deliberate



Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Obama Approves $30 Billion in Military Aid to Israel Over Next Decade

As the single largest expense of the 2010 foreign aid budget, President Obama approved $2.775 billion in military aid to Israel, the first payment in a decade-long commitment that will reach at least $30 billion.

Last year, Israel’s military budget amounted to $13.3 billion, so the US funding is a significant portion of their overall expenditure. The US formerly provided both military and civilian aid, but it has since been folded entirely into military aid, at Israel’s request.

The money is not a blank check, however. The US requires that Israel spend at least 75% of the money given in military aid with US military contractors, effectively using the foreign aid budget to subsidize domestic weapon-makers.

~ more... ~