yemen:
The Pentagon has poured nearly $70 million in military aid to Yemen this year.
"In the end it's probably counterproductive," said Johnsen, adding that video and photos of women and children killed by the blast could create "a recruiting field day for al-Qaida."
According to the report, Washington inked arms deals valued at $37.8 billion in 2008, or 68.4 percent of all business in the global weapons market, up significantly from American sales of $25.4 billion last year, New York Times reported.
before 9/11, yemen barred from buying US weapons
A third of Yemenis—7 million people—are malnourished. Police and military units act as enforcers for corrupt officials. The judiciary dispenses political retribution. Torture in Yemeni jails is systemic and brutal.
Local media reported numerous al Qaeda training camps within or facilitated by the Yemeni military. Scores of terrorists receive military salaries.
Reports indicate that Saleh requested additional jihadists from Ayman al Zawahiri late in 2008. Within months, an influx of foreign jihadists began amassing in Sa'ada.
The Defense Ministry published a fatwa legitimizing jihad in defense of the state.
nigeria - large oil reserves
Nigeria is the fifth largest exporter of oil to the United States, and with the discovery of new deep-water oil reserves right off the coast U.S. strategic interest is growing.
massive foreign aid
55% of the population below poverty line
The Obama administration's budget for the 2010 financial year proposes significant increases in US security assistance programmes for African countries and for the operations of the new US Africa Command (AFRICOM).
The administration's request raises the total funding for arms sales to Africa from $8.3 million in financial year (FY) 2009 to $25.6 million in FY 2010.
The State Department budget request – which includes funding for all US arms sales, military training, and other security assistance programmes – proposes major increases in funding for US arms sales to a number of African countries through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programme. The budget proposes to increase FMF funding for sub-Saharan African counties more than 300 per cent, from just over US$8.2 million to more than US$25.5 million
Washington's desire for Nigerian oil and territory triggered deeper military relationships. During the reign of Gen. Sani Abacha military ties were frozen. But since his death in 1999, the thaw has been quick. That year, Nigeria purchased $74,000 in U.S. weaponry. By 2001, the United States delivered thousands of times that-a total of $3.1 million. Military aid also skyrocketed, from $90,000 in 1999 to more than $4 million for 2003.
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu, has accused past Nigerian leaders of stealing $500 billion donors’ assistance from Western countries to Nigeria since independence.
Foreign aid fails in part because of pervasive corruption. A 2003 report from a leading Bangladesh university estimated that 75 percent of all foreign aid received in that country is lost to corruption. Northwestern University political economist Jeffrey Winters estimated that more than 50 percent of World Bank aid is lost to corruption in some African countries. President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria announced in 2002 that African leaders “have stolen at least $140 billion from their people in the decades since independence.”
An African Union study pegged the takings at a much higher rate, estimating Africa’s toll from corruption at $150 billion every year. Lavish automobiles are so popular among African government officials that a word has come into use in Swahili – wabenzi – for “men of the Mercedes-Benz.”
“Most recipients of U.S. development assistance are poorer now than they were before first receiving U.S. aid.”
The great increase in the prizes of political power has been a major factor in the frequency and intensity of political conflict in contemporary Africa and in the rest of the less developed world.
U.S. aid proposed for 2010 is at the highest levels in years. The Department of Defense allocated $66 million in military aid, mostly for patrol boats and armored pick-ups. Congress' Foreign Operation Appropriation bill includes an additional $15 million in military aid and $40 million in development and economic aid. Other humanitarian aid is channeled through USAID.
Yemen already receives more aid than it can effectively absorb. Donors pledged $4.6 billion in 2006. Yemen declared "renewed commitment to urgent reforms."
Yemen's counter-terror policies are farcical and include releasing convicted terrorists, pretending terrorists are in jail or dead, and other elaborate ploys to deceive Western nations.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/bovard/bovard13.html
http://www.allacademic.com//meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/2/7/7/5/6/pages277564/p277564-12.php
http://www.africamasterweb.com/AdSense/NigerianLeadersLooted500b.html
http://www.africamasterweb.com/AdSense/NigerianLeadersStole20Trillion.html
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Oil_watch/Oil_Democracy_Don%27t_Mix.html
http://allafrica.com/stories/200908140153.html
http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-9464.html
http://allafrica.com/stories/200906110882.html
http://www.roguegovernment.com/Obama_Moves_Ahead_With_US_African_Command/18561/0/18/18/Y/M.html
yemen:
http://www.wtkr.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-us-yemen-al-qaida,0,252224.story
http://www.worldpress.org/Mideast/3387.cfm