US Senator calls for drone attacks in Yemen

A senior US senator says Washington should consider using drones to launch airstrikes against what he calls “al-Qaeda extremists” in Yemen.

Senator Carl Levin, the Democratic lawmaker from Michigan said on Wednesday airstrikes, clandestine actions, and increasing US military aid to Yemen are among options that should be considered in dealing with the “threat from al-Qaeda militants” in the country.

“It’s everything from physical actions that could be accomplished in terms of use of drones or air attacks, it could be clandestine actions,” said the senator.

Levin, a top Senate ally of US President Barack Obama, said “if we really had high-value targets” then Washington would regard it as its right under international law to “unilaterally go after that target,” AFP reported.

He, however, said any airstrikes in Yemen would need to be done with either the support or endorsement of the Yemeni government.

Both the US and Yemen claims that several hundred “al-Qaeda” fighters are operating in the country.

The US has recently launched air raids against several targets in the country. While Washington claims that the attacks were aimed at pounding al-Qaeda hideouts in the country, local sources say the victims of the air raids were civilians