Greenwald: Cruise Missile Attacks in Yemen

While these attacks are condemned in reports in the Muslim world they are praised in the west, for example by Admiral Mullen. The attacks represent a clear escalation in the conflict and of US involvement.
Cruise Missile Attacks in Yemen At the same time Defence Secretary Gates is pressing for a 2 billion dollar fund to help stabilise unstable regimes. This is from informationclearinghouse.

By Glenn Greenwald

December 21, 2009 - "Salon" -- Given what a prominent role "Terrorism" plays in our political discourse, it's striking how little attention is paid to American actions which have the most significant impact on that problem. In addition to our occupation of Iraq, war escalation in Afghanistan, and secret bombings in Pakistan, President Obama late last week ordered cruise missile attacks on two locations in Yemen, which "U.S. officials" say were "suspected Al Qaeda hideouts." The main target of the attacks, Al Qaeda member Qasim al Rim, was not among those killed, but: "a local Yemeni official said on Sunday that 49 civilians, among them 23 children and 17 women, were killed in air strikes against Al-Qaeda, which he said were carried out 'indiscriminately'." Media reports across the Muslim world -- though, not of course, within the U.S. -- are highlighting the dead civilians from the U.S. strike (one account from an official Iranian outlet began: "U.S. Nobel Peace Prize laureate President Barack Obama has signed the order for a recent military strike on Yemen in which scores of civilians, including children, have been killed, a report says").