The Washington Post reports the U.S. has deployed armed Predator drones to hunt for al-Qaeda operatives in Yemen for the first time in years. The drones are being operated by the Joint Special Operations Command and being flown from a nearby country, possibly Djibouti or Qatar. The drones are part a major U.S. buildup in Yemen that includes the arrival of new CIA teams, up to 100 Special Operations force trainers, and the deployment of sophisticated surveillance and electronic eavesdropping systems operated by spy services including the National Security Agency. A Pentagon official told the Washington Post that plans are being made to nearly double military aid to Yemen next year to $250 million.