Yemen received six detainees from the U.S. after they were released from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Friday December 18, 2009.

The transfers of the following Yemeni citizens took place on Saturday December 19, 2009:
Jamal Muhammad Alawi Mari, Farouq Ali Ahmed,Ayman Saeed Abdullah Batarfi, Muhammaed Yasir Ahmed Taher, Fayad Yahya Ahmed al Rami and Riyad Atiq Ali Abdu al Haf.

Wikipedia: Yemen | Gauntanamo

SOURCE: Yemen Post Yemen Says 6 Gitmo Detainees Handed

WED DEC 30 2009 — A Canadian journalist Michelle Lang and four soldier were killed by and IED detonation while traveling with a provincial reconstruction team.

Calgary Reporter Michelle Lang

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WED DEC 30 2009 — Two bombs exploded in capital of Ramadi (capital of Anbar Province), 70 miles (115 kilometers) west of Baghdad. A suicide bomber in a car caused the first blast near a checkpoint on the main road near the provincial administration buildings. As officials came to investigate, a suicide bomber on foot detonated a bomb vest to bring the death toll to 23. Thirteen police officials were killed and at least 100 people were injured.

Wikipedia: Ramadi | Anbar Province (Al Anbar Governorate) | Iraq

SOURCE: Bombs kill 23 in Iraq’s western Anbar province

The U.S. and Yemen are now looking at fresh targets in Yemen for a potential retaliation strike, two senior U.S. officials told CNN Tuesday, in the aftermath of the botched Christmas Day attack on an airliner that al Qaeda in Yemen claims it organized.

SOURCE: CNN Officials: U.S., Yemen reviewing target for possible strike

“Obama may have rather smugly given himself a “B+” for his 2009 performance but he gets an F for the events that led to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab boarding a Detroit-bound plane in Amsterdam with a PETN bomb sewn into his underpants. He said today that a “systemic failure has occurred”. Well, he’s in charge of that system.”

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WED DEC 30 2009 — Eight American civilians killed in a suicide attack at Forward Operating Base Chapman military base in Afghanistan’s southeastern Khost province. Some or all of the civilians were CIA agents or contractors. Bomber was an informant invited onto base that blew himself up in a gym.

UNVERIFIED UPDATE: Taliban claimed responsibility late Wednesday.
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NOV 17 2009 LATE REPORT — McAfee, Inc. (NYSE:MFE) today revealed that the global cyberarms race has moved from fiction to reality, according to its fifth annual Virtual Criminology Report. The report found that politically motivated cyberattacks have increased and five countries – the United States, Russia, France, Israel and China – are now armed with cyberweapons.

McAfee warns that cyberweapons can target critical Infrastructure, such as power grids, transportation, telecommunication, finance and water supplies.

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Both DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and President Barack Obama used language that emphasizes the isolated terrorist or lone terrorist concept in their response to the Northwest Airlines Flight 253 bombing attempt.

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President Barack Obama on Tuesday acknowledged “deficiencies” and a “systemic failure” in the nation’s national security and anti-terror system regarding the attempt on Northwest Airlines Flight 253..

Obama said U.S. intelligence officials were warned weeks ago about the Nigerian man alleged to have tried to blow up a U.S.-bound flight on Christmas Day, and the man should never have been permitted to board the plane.

President Barack Obama called the breach in airline safety and national security “totally unacceptable.”

VIDEO could have and should have triggered red flags … ‘Totally Unacceptable’ … More …