An intriguing clip from YouTube, apparently filmed at the home of Sheikh Tariq al-Fadhli, erstwhile jihadist and associate of Bin Laden, and now self-appointed leader of Yemen's southern separatists.

It shows the hoisting of an American flag in his compound with people standing to attention as the American national anthem is played. What's it all about? I haven't a clue but Jane Novak 
suggests it's “like a distress signal for rescue from tyranny”.

Fadhli (or Fadli) has a very chequered history as a veteran of the Afghan war who caused trouble in southern Yemen during the early 1990s (read about it here) before becoming an ally of President Salih and, more recently, falling out with him.

Last May, he told the BBC that if the south achieved independence under his leadership, he would to tackle terrorism and improve maritime security in the Gulf of Aden "with integrity and co-operation with the west, especially the United Kingdom".

The Financial Times published a profile of him last month.