Embassy Bombing in Sana'a

Sixteen people were killed today after a militant group exploded a car bomb in front of the U.S. embassy in Yemen. A group calling itself Islamic Jihad in Yemen claimed responsibility. According to this report, one of the victims was a high school student from Lackawanna, NY who had gone to the country to get married. The Telegraph has more details:

The car exploded some distance from the embassy in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, at a checkpoint manned by security personnel, before gunmen in another car started firing.

The attackers wore police uniforms to try to get through the embassy's perimeter security during a morning shift change.

Four civilians and six members of the police died in the attack, a spokesman for the Yemeni security forces said. The six attackers - one wearing an explosives belt, also died. There were no casualties among US diplomatic staff.

And this interesting detail from the Telegraph story:

The British embassy was attacked with grenades so many times in the 1990s it was moved to a more secure location on a hillside overlooking Sanaa after the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Some interesting observations from Eric Trager here.

Comments

Naga Sadow | September 17, 2008, 2:39pm | #

Terrible to hear about the civilian deaths. Good thing these goons seemed to have got their training from "True Lies".

Warty | September 17, 2008, 2:41pm | #

Apropos: Have We Ever Faced An Enemy More Stupid Than Muslim Terrorists?

Kolohe | September 17, 2008, 2:43pm | #

Quibble:
"Sixteen people were killed today"

->

"Four civilians and six members of the police died in the attack, a spokesman for the Yemeni security forces said. The six attackers - one wearing an explosives belt, "

10 people were killed in the attack; I really don't give a s*** if the attackers themselves get killed.

Atanarjuat | September 17, 2008, 2:48pm | #

"Have we ever faced an enemy more stupid..."

Well, they managed to kill zero of the US diplomats they were targeting, a bunch of their own people, and a kid about to get married. So no. What a sad day.

Naga Sadow | September 17, 2008, 2:50pm | #

Warty,

Thanks for the link. Made me feel better at least.

Matthew | September 17, 2008, 2:56pm | #

This is pretty much what Islamic Jihad has devolved to: Incompetent mouth-breathers more-or-less randomly killing themselves and local folk.

Episiarch | September 17, 2008, 3:00pm | #

Have We Ever Faced An Enemy More Stupid Than Muslim Terrorists?

Six of them dead to kill ten people, none of whom were their targets. I'd say no.

What a waste.

ed | September 17, 2008, 3:27pm | #

one of the victims...had gone to the country to get married

What, no decent churches in Buffalo?*



*Too soon?

Paul | September 17, 2008, 3:48pm | #

10 people were killed in the attack; I really don't give a s*** if the attackers themselves get killed.

See: body tallies in Palestine-Israeli conflict.

Very common to add the suicide bomber to the list of Palestinian victims of the "cycle of violence".

R C Dean | September 17, 2008, 4:22pm | #

WTF did they need the other five guys for, if the one guy was wearing a suicide bomb?

BDB | September 17, 2008, 4:22pm | #

So, this is the first attack on American soil since 9/11, right war supporters?

Invisible Finger | September 17, 2008, 4:37pm | #

Six of them dead to kill ten people, none of whom were their targets.

Maybe they're auditioning for jobs at the TSA.

Muhammad's Magic Ass | September 17, 2008, 4:50pm | #

"I really don't give a s*** if the attackers themselves get killed."

It's a sign of their extreme stupidity (or total lack of ingenuity?) that they are unable to figure out ways to kill their enemies without also killing themselves. Mexican drug lords kill their enemies by the score, yet live to kill another day.

But to the suicide bomber's credit, when they were still alive, their women had an unlimited exercise of free choice.

J sub D | September 17, 2008, 4:51pm | #

WTF did they need the other five guys for, if the one guy was wearing a suicide bomb?

Coordinated, multi-prong incompetence.

joe | September 17, 2008, 5:24pm | #

It's a sign of their extreme stupidity (or total lack of ingenuity?) that they are unable to figure out ways to kill their enemies without also killing themselves.

In theory, suicide missions allow them to do more damage and carry out "better" attacks than if "force protection" was a concern. For example, if you quietly leave a backpack with a time bomb, someone might find it, or there might not be anyone around when it goes off.

In this case, I'll bet the suicide bomber was supposed to take down the gate, like in that prison break in Afghanistan, so the "police" could rush in. If that's the case, then the "police" getting in a fire fight with the police was Plan B.

Rhywun | September 17, 2008, 6:07pm | #

unable to figure out ways to kill their enemies without also killing themselves

Or they just want to be martyrs.

Grandpa Withers | September 17, 2008, 7:36pm | #

"In theory, suicide missions allow them to do more damage and carry out "better" attacks than if "force protection" was a concern."

How would Ayn Rand explain them?

San Antonio Attorney | September 18, 2008, 9:42am | #

I feel terrible for those innocent people who were killed.