As Yemenis continue to decry the use of drones as weapon against terror, as the only legacy they seem to be leaving behind is one of bereavement and profound trauma, US media announced on Wednesday Washington is poised to gift the impoverished nation “a fleet of two-seater propeller planes — akin to what’s used to dust crops — that have been modified so they can carry laser-guided missiles and a high-tech intelligence system.”
While one might wonder as to why US President Barack Obama would be so kind as to hand out such technological wonders to the Yemeni nation, experts have warned that such generosity would serve essentially to deflect the blame of drone-related collateral damage back onto the Yemeni government and thus away from the US.
Having been dragged through the mud over December drone debacle, when a US-led drone strike mistakenly targeted a wedding convoy for terror militants, killing dozens of innocent civilians, it looks Washington is changing its strategy, concerned of the bad PR its latest military “prouesse” cost its administration.
“The White House is tired of dealing with concerns and criticisms about its quiet drone war that’s ongoing in the nation, and so instead will provide the Yemeni military with “targeting killing” gear of its own,” BuzzFeed cited quoted sources close to the matter.
This new US military aid could land President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi in hot waters as Parliament already made clear through a parliamentary ban it wishes to put an end to the country drone program. While such ban is not legally binding, President Hadi could find difficult to generate political traction on future project should he chose to defy so openly lawmakers’ cries of anger.
A Pentagon spokesperson told reporters the “Department of Defence is reassessing the program at this time,” and thus could not say when the planes would reach Yemen.