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'Sons of Iraq' targeted for retribution - UPI.com : "BAGHDAD , Jan. 3 (UPI) -- A rash of killings of U.S.-allied Sunni militiamen is pointing to signs of weakness for the 'Sons of Iraq,' military experts say. The militias, which are credited with helping turn the tide in favor of the United States in its struggle to defeat insurgents, have seen about dozen of their members killed in rural areas south of Baghdad in recent weeks, the military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported Sunday. Experts told the newspaper the killings indicate the Sons of Iraq are weakening as a force as the Shiite-led government offers them little support and al-Qaida adversaries look to settle scores left over from the U.S. troop surge of 2007."

Al Jazeera English - Middle East - Yemen rules out US intervention : "Yemen's foreign minister has ruled out direct US military intervention to tackle the al-Qaeda group operating in his country. Abu Baker al-Qirbi made his remarks to Al Jazeera on Monday as the US and British embassies in the capital, Sanaa, remained closed to public following threats by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. 'Yemen is going to deal with terrorism in its own way, out of its own interests and therefore I don't think it will counterfire,' al-Qirbi said."