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US retaliation imminent?

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According to some headlines this morning, anyway. The US and Yemen are reviewing possible attacks in what is described as retaliation for the attempted Christmas bombing. While this is probably understandable in a just war sense, and has the purity of revenge, it will not play well and will be an example of the willingness of administrations to shoot themselves in the foot. Barring a perfect, no-collateral-damage strike- and perhaps even not barring it- this can only further increase danger, weaken Salih, and push Yemen closer to the future we’ve been dreading. Even if strikes are coming- and, again, I don’t 100% disagree that there should be some- this clumsy, leak-filled way, seemingly designed to assure the American public, seems a continuation of the Bush-era reactionary mix of politics and military. We’ll learn more, surely, as the day goes on, but at this ungodly hour, I am not terribly happy.

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