America's Covert War in Yemen

This ought to please Joe Lieberman: A day after the Connecticut senator called for preemptive action there, The New York Times writes “the United States has quietly opened a third, largely covert front against al Qaeda in Yemen.” A year ago—well before the Christmas attack on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 by a Nigerian allegedly "trained and equipped" in al Qaeda in Yemen—the CIA sent several of its top counterterrorism operatives to the country, and Special Operations commandos have begun training Yemeni security forces in counterterrorism tactics. Over the next 18 months, the Pentagon will spend more than $70 million in the country. In late summer, Gen. David Petraeus even made a secret visit to the country.