By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, January 24 -- As the UN Security Council prepares for its trip to Yemen, the revived proposal for which Inner City Press first reported and then was encouraged to stop publishing details about, a new security threat has arisen.
The US campaign of drone strikes on Wednesday reached Al Masna village in Khawlan district, killing six people a mere 35 kilometers away from Sanaa, which Security Council members are slated to visit this weekend.
The question is, will the US pause or move its drone campaign during the Council's visit?
After the question arose - on Twitter - Inner City Press posed it to several Security Council diplomats later on Thursday morning. One said that another closed door consultation about the trip, including a briefing by the Department of Safety and Security, would take place Thursday afternoon.
Another said there is "no way" that the issue of US drone strikes will be discussed in the Security Council, even in a closed door session right before Council members visit the "drone rain" of Sana'a.
But UN expert Ben Emmerson is beginning an inquiry into drone strikes, including in Yemen. Click here for Inner City Press coverage of Emmerson and drones, here for coverage of the UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous' proposal to use drones. Watch this site.
