The U.S. Has Been Operating A Secret Drone Base In Saudi Arabia For Over A Year (Updated)

Tribesmen on the rubble of a building destroyed on Sunday in an American drone strike against suspected militants in Shabwa Province in southeastern Yemen. Khaled Abdullah/Reuters

Drone Strikes’ Dangers To Get Rare Moment In Public Eye -- New York Times

SANA, Yemen — Late last August, a 40-year-old cleric named Salem Ahmed bin Ali Jaber stood up to deliver a speech denouncing Al Qaeda in a village mosque in far eastern Yemen.

It was a brave gesture by a father of seven who commanded great respect in the community, and it did not go unnoticed. Two days later, three members of Al Qaeda came to the mosque in the tiny village of Khashamir after 9 p.m., saying they merely wanted to talk. Mr. Jaber agreed to meet them, bringing his cousin Waleed Abdullah, a police officer, for protection.

As the five men stood arguing by a cluster of palm trees, a volley of remotely operated American missiles shot down from the night sky and incinerated them all, along with a camel that was tied up nearby.

Read more ....

More News On The CIA Operating A Drone Base In Saudi Arabia

CIA runs combat drone base in Saudi Arabia -- UPI
Washington Post was forced into finally revealing drone base secret -- The Guardian
CIA operating drone base in Saudi Arabia, US media reveal -- BBC
CIA operating secret drone base in Saudi Arabia -- Global Post
Media turns blind eye to secret CIA drone base in Saudi -- Washington Times
CIA operates drone base in Saudi Arabia -- AP
News of CIA’s Secret Saudi Drone Base Leaks, Just in Time for Brennan’s Confirmation Hearing -- New York Mag
Let's Hope Obama's Secret Drone Base in Saudi Arabia Doesn't Inspire Blowback -- Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic

My Comment: I suspect that there are many officials in the Saudi government who are not happy that this news is now being made public.