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
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
Recipe for Failure: American Strategy toward Yemen and al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
The Arab Spring threw American counter-terrorism policy in Yemen into crisis. The challenge for policymakers is to develop a counter-terrorism policy that addresses Yemen’s new reality.
Saleh Family Network
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh placed family members in critical positions throughout Yemen’s security forces. This graphic shows his family network.
Map: Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Attacks in Yemen
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has expanded its areas of control in Yemen. The Critical Threats Project has mapped out the locations of AQAP attacks between 2007 and 2011 to reveal this trend.
Taiz: The Heart of Yemen's Revolution
Taiz is as important a city as Sana’a to understanding the Yemeni Spring, yet its significance has been largely overlooked by the international community. The path to meaningful political settlement in Yemen runs through Taiz.
He's Back: Implications of Saleh's Return to Yemen
President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s sudden return to Sana’a will impact developments in Sana’a by either hastening a transfer of power or driving the country closer to broader armed conflict.
U.S. Reportedly Strikes Terrorist in Yemen
There’s a report of a U.S. airstrike in Yemen’s restive southern governorate of Abyan that seems to have targeted Fahd al Quso, a Yemeni al Qaeda operative on the FBI’s most wanted list. Targeted strikes, a hit-or-miss tactic, will not alone defeat al Qaeda in Yemen.
Al Qaeda's Gains in South Yemen
Al Qaeda has benefited from the collapse of the Yemeni state. Islamist militants have demonstrated the capacity to take and hold territory from state control. These territorial gains increase al Qaeda’s operating space in Yemen.
