Libya: City of Bani Walid still under control of Gadaffi loyalists

Bani Walid south of Tripoli the Libyan capital was a Gadaffi stronghold. Although captured by rebels four months ago resentment has simmered ever since. The residents accuse the rebels of raiding homes, looting, and even torturing those seized.

About a month ago armed Gadaffi loyalists threw out the rebels freed prisoners from jail and set up their own local government. An attempt by the rebels to take back the town failed. The NTC has not as yet sent forces to free the city.

An article in Al Jazeera with a video shows the former mayor- imported from the U.S. by the way-- who lives in Tripoli with a number of ejected families. They are waiting for the government to retake the city and wreak revenge on the Gadaffi loyalists. The NTC may prefer to work with the new council in Bani Walid. So far the NTC has not moved to retake the city.

The central government still lacks central armed forces that are strong enough to deal with local militias. In many places it is the local militia that is the final authority as in Misrata.

Yemen: America's Dangerous Game. A film

This is the title of a film about a half hour in length. The entire film can be found at Al Jazeera here.

For years the U.S. supported former president Saleh of Yemen and he supported the U.S. war on terror in turn. Often Saleh would report that U.S. attacks were actually carried out by Yemeni forces.

However with the protests and disunity within Yemen the U.S. backed a plan by the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) that ultimately resulted in a deal that saw Saleh transfer power to his vice-president who ultimately ran as the only candidate for president and of course won. Saleh his family and relatives were all granted immunity from any prosecution for crimes during the protests. Many protesters were killed.

The Obama administration has long been carrying on secret operations in Yemen using drones, air attacks, and special forces to carry out a war against AQAM Al Qaeda in the Arabian peninsula. These covert operations have at times killed the wrong people and have not seem to have stopped the growth of radical Islamism in Yemen.

Quite the opposite. Militants took over several provinces and the central government has still to regain some territory. In a tribal society when members of the tribe are killed by drones this just sets up a desire for revenge and is used by militants to recruit new members.

In the film U.S. officials call AQAP the most dangerous enemy now in the war on terror. However, in Yemen new radical Islamists also are growing in number often said by media to be associated with AL Qaeda. With two separatist movements and a democratic protest movement that has been replaced by an old guard government with Saleh relatives heading security forces there could very well be much more conflict in Yemen with little progress towards democracy.