Marines and Yemeni Paranoia

We have been absent for a while, but that doesn't mean that events haven't kept up their speed in the region. Speaking of events in the region, no one can forget this past week, when over a dozen American embassies were damaged by those protesting the anti-Islam movie "Innocence of Muslims." The embassies in Cairo and Sana'a were actually raided, and the consulate in Benghazi, Libya destroyed.

Following the raid last Thursday of the US embassy in  Sana'a, Washington decided to send in some extra marines for security. Although some Yemenis think that only Yemen will receive some unwelcome American marines, their country is not the only one...in fact, extra security is being sent to other embassies in the region as well. Users on YE1, Yemen's biggest online forum, are freaking out about the marines, and they have been all weekend.

On the Yemen Revolution's Facebook page, people are also going nuts over the marines. Yesterday we saw a photo of a marine drill sergeant talking to some Yemeni uniformed personnel labeled "Photos of Marines' Arrival in Sana'a." Nevermind that the marines coming to Yemen would most likely never be wearing a drill sergeant hat, which is worn at book camp only (according to the movies we've seen?)...the ridiculous photo also included a backdrop of tall, green pine trees. Has anyone ever seen a tall pine forest in Sana'a, or anywhere in Yemen?

The facebook page has constant updates throughout the day, dozens in fact, so much that it's hard to follow. Today, this picture was posted:

The accompanying text reads:
"Sources: Sheraton hotel sold to the American embassy, First pictures of Marines in Sana'a. Sources revealed that dozens of American marines have spread around the embassy vicinity in the past few days."

According to Yemenis, Americans just bought one of Yemen's biggest and most important hotels.