US official: US was surprised by collapse of Yemen govt

[unhappycamper]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/article/US-official-US-was-surprised-by-collapse-of-6077929.php



Supporters of Houthi Shiites wave traditional daggers and dance as they celebrate the fourth anniversary of the uprising in Sanaa, Yemen, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015. The United States, Britain and France moved to close their embassies in Yemen on Wednesday, increasing the isolation of Shiite rebels who have seized power.

US official: US was surprised by collapse of Yemen govt
By KEN DILANIAN, AP Intelligence Writer : February 12, 2015 : Updated: February 12, 2015 6:48pm

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration's senior counterterrorism official acknowledged Thursday that U.S. intelligence was surprised by the collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Yemen.

Nick Rasmussen, who directs the National Counterterrorism Center, told the Senate intelligence committee that Yemen's American-funded army failed to oppose advancing Houthi rebels in the same way the U.S.-supported Iraqi military refused to fight Islamic State militants last year.

What happened in Iraq with the onslaught of the Islamic State group "happened in Yemen" on "a somewhat smaller scale," he said. "As the Houthi advances toward Sanaa took place ... they weren't opposed in many places. ...The situation deteriorated far more rapidly than we expected."

Rasmussen made the admission under questioning by Sen. Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican who noted that President Barack Obama recently touted Yemen as a success. Now, it's a "total disaster," Blunt said.

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Where the fuck was the $tate Department? Or N$A?

[CJCRANE]

1. They're in a constant state of surprise.

There must be something that didn't surprise them.

[bemildred]

2. The State Dept. and spooks are blinded by a blizzard of useless information.

Making the haystack bigger does not help find the needle.