U.S. Aided Yemen Strikes

U.S. military teams and intelligence are “deeply involved” in secret joint operations with Yemeni troops, says The Washington Post. The operation was approved six weeks ago by President Obama and involves dozens of troops from the military’s Joint Special Operations Command. The U.S. advisers do not participate in missions, but help plan them, develop tactics, and provide weapons and munitions. They also share highly confidential material, like electronic and video surveillance, 3D terrain maps, and analysis of the al Qaeda network. In the weeks since the program’s authorization, Yemeni forces have killed scores of people, including six of the top 15 local al Qaeda leaders.