Yemen Protests
Protestor in Yemen. (Photo by Fadi Benni. Available at Flickr.)The political unrest in Yemen and the prospect of imminent regime change or collapse undermines the entire basis of U.S. counter-terrorism operations against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The U.S. has been relying on an uneasy partnership with President Ali Abdullah Saleh to combat AQAP. State collapse would significantly increase the challenges the U.S. faces in Yemen.
The Critical Threats project is tracking developments in Yemen closely as they unfold.
Data and Analysis
Yemen Crisis Situation Reports updated as needed
Map of Yemen Unrest, updated as needed
Map of Sana'a updated as needed
The Parallel Revolution in Yemen, March 6, 2012
Recipe for Failure: American Strategy Toward Yemen and al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, February 17, 2012
Taiz: The Heart of Yemen's Revolution, January 12, 2012
He's Back: Implications of Saleh's Return to Yemen, AEI's Center for Defense Studies, September 23, 2011
Al Qaeda's Gains in South Yemen, July 8, 2011
Al Qaeda's Yemen Strategy, June 21, 2011
Yemen Slides Toward Civil War, The Weekly Standard, June 3, 2011
Estimates for Scenario 1, April 11, 2011
Estimates for Scenario 2, April 19, 2011
Estimates for Scenario 3, April 27, 2011
Crisis in Yemen and U.S. Objectives, May 17, 2011
Unrest in Yemen Could Benefit AQAP, The Corner: National Review Online, March 31, 2011
Yemen Protests: U.S. Policy in Crisis, March 23, 2011
Quick Takes
Al Qaeda's Yemen Strategy, June 21, 2011
Update on the Crisis in Yemen, May 16, 2011
Al Qaeda and its Affiliates Exploit Yemen Unrest, April 4, 2011
Yemen Protest Update, March 28, 2011
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Past Event
Crisis in Yemen, the Rise of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and U.S. National Security
IN THIS SECTION
A New Wave of Military Restructuring Decrees in Yemen
The Yemeni National Transitional Government yesterday issued eight decrees that are aimed at restructuring and unifying this weakened Yemeni military. It will be important to watch whether powerbrokers within the security forces accept the new decisions and whether the Yemeni security forces become a truly reliable partner in the fight against AQAP.
Desknote: The Southern Movement Uprising
Yemen’s fragile and reversible gains against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula are threatened by a new challenge: the re-emergence of a violent secessionist movement in the south.
Tribal Militias in Yemen: Al Bayda and Shabwah
Local Yemeni tribal militias, called “popular resistance committees,” are now the primary defenders of areas threatened by Ansar al Sharia. These militias have been effective, but are not reliable in the long term.
Yemen's Military Restructuring: Removing Saleh's Network
Yemeni President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi issued a series of decrees yesterday that served to both restructure Yemen’s security forces and to remove remnants of ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s network from official command positions.
Al Qaeda in Yemen: Countering the Threat from the Arabian Peninsula
Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen, which has already attempted three attacks on the United States, is stronger now than it was before the start of the Arab Spring. The Yemeni government, America’s counter-terrorism partner, is weaker. The danger to America from this virulent terrorist group is growing. And our current strategy is unlikely to succeed.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula: Leaders and their Networks
Understanding AQAP’s leadership will help define the challenge the U.S. faces, and underpin strategies to defeat the threat that AQAP poses to the United States and its allies. This slide deck provides information on AQAP’s leaders, both current and former, and their networks.
Yemen Crisis Situation Reports: Update 143
AQAP and its insurgent arm, Ansar al Sharia, continue to pose a threat despite announced Yemeni military gains in the south. Increased attacks and assassination attempts indicate that AQAP’s operational network remains functional.
Abyani Tribes and al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen
The prospect of relying entirely on tribes to police south Yemen for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Ansar al Sharia is tempting. The lesson of the past year is that tribes are essential to an effective campaign against AQAP and Ansar al Sharia, but they are not a silver bullet.
Al Qaeda’s Yemen-based Affiliate is Alive and Well
The news that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula nearly blew up a US aircraft last week is a reminder of its continuing strength.
Yemen's Military Shake-Up: Weakening Ousted Saleh's Network
The new government in Yemen has extracted several of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s cronies from the country’s power structure, including demotion of Saleh’s half-brother Mohammed al Ahmar and nephew Tareq Mohammed Saleh, the former heads of the Air Force and Presidential Guard, respectively.