Big Brother Overseas- What happens when foreigners talk smack about the US?

On December 17, 2009, the government of Yemen announced a series of strikes on an Al Qaeda training camp in the village of al Majala.  The target was Saleh Mohammed al-Anbouri, a known militant linked to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) who had allegedly been ‘bringing nationals from different countries to train them to become Al Qaeda members’. Al Anbouri lived with his wife, four young sons, and an extended family of mostly women and children with no known links to AQAP.   While Anbouri and 13 other militants were killed in the attack, 41 civilians also died including 21 children and 14 women. While the Yemeni government claimed responsibility for the attack, rumors that it was actually a US strike surfaced almost immediately.  This wasn’t an unrealistic conspiracy theory since the US had conducted missions in Yemen seven years earlier, but the Yemenis maintained it was their action.  The Yemenis held an investigation, approved the commission’s findings, apologized to the families, and promised compensation.  According to them, ‘the American authorities did not get involved in this process in any way.’

Rather than debate whether to believe the Yemeni or the US government, a respected Yemeni journalist named Abdulelah Haider Shaye did the unthinkable… he actually went to the site and looked around.  He found remnants of Tomahawk cruise missiles and cluster bombs, neither of which are in the Yemeni military’s arsenal. He took and distributed pictures of the missile parts and wreckage, some of which had the label “Made in the USA”.  When Shaye reported that this was actually a US strike the Pentagon refused to comment and the Yemeni government repeatedly denied US involvement. But he was later proven right when Wikileaks (thank you, Bradley Manning!) released a US diplomatic cable in which Yemeni officials joking about how they lied to their own parliament about the US role, while President Saleh assured Gen. David Petraeus that his government would continue to say “the bombs are ours, not yours.”

The US and Yemen praised this diligent search for the truth, and publicly congratulated Shaye on his correction of the public record… just kidding.  Seven months after Al-Majala, Shaye was kidnapped by Yemeni intelligence, threatened, and warned against further statements on TV.  “We will destroy your life if you keep on talking about this issue”, he was told before being dumped on a street and released.  Undeterred, Shaye returned to Al-Jazeera to discuss Majala and his treatment.  This resulted in another arrest of both Shaye and his best friend, supporter, and political cartoonist, Kamal Sharaf.  While Sharaf was taken by “tall and heavy” men “wearing American Marine–type uniforms”, Shaye was again taken by Yemeni security.  Shaye and Sharaf “were both taken blindfolded and handcuffed to the national security prison, which is supported by the Americans” and interrogated for over a month.  Sharaf was released after promising to stop drawing cartoons of President Saleh, but Shaye refused to back down.  He was held in solitary and tortured for an additional 34 days without access to a lawyer or notification of his family.  Shaye was finally tried after almost three months confinement.  He faced a series of death-sentence charges, but was convicted of terrorism-related charges and sentenced to five years prison followed by 2 years of additional restrictions and surveillance.

By early 2011 Shaye’s case had garnered notice in Yemen and beyond, and President Saleh decided, under pressure, to issue a pardon.  When word got out, President Obama picked up the phone to “express concern”.  Without offering evidence that Shaye was a terrorist or a supporter of terrorism, White House spokesperson Bernadette Meehan confidently explained “We remain concerned about al-Shaye’s potential early release due to his association with Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.” Saleh’s pardon was rescinded.

What’s happening with Shaye these days? He was finally released after three years of imprisonment, but not allowed to leave Sana for 2 years.  His case will be reviewed again at that time.  And President Obama, whose “concern” kept Shaye in a prison for an extra 2 years for reporting reality?  He’s concerned again, this time because no one believes the US supports whistleblowers, no one believes our intelligence on Syria, and no one believes we stand for a free press at home or abroad.  Once a bubble pops, it’s a very hard thing to fix.