Yemen's bogus sovereignty argument

Washington Post:

In its strongest language yet, Yemen's government declared Thursday that there are limits to its military cooperation with the United States, warning that any direct U.S. action in this impoverished Middle Eastern nation could bolster the popularity of Islamist militants.

"If there is direct intervention by the United States, it will strengthen al-Qaeda," warned Rashad al-Alimi, Yemen's deputy prime minister for security and defense. "We cannot accept any foreign troops on Yemeni territory."

The statement underscored the rising concern among Yemen's leadership about a domestic backlash that could politically weaken the government and foment more instability. In recent days, top Yemeni officials have publicly played down their growing ties to Washington, fearing that they will be perceived by their opponents as weak and beholden to the United States.

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A domestic backlash is nothing like the backlash Yemen will experience if al Qaeda launches a successful attack on the US from that country. If the people of Yemen decide to be on the side of the terrorist they have made themselves an enemy of the US and should suffer the consequences. If they think the US is a legitimate target they have made a target of themselves. As George Bush has said, they have a choice to make on whether they are going to be on our side or the side of the terrorist.