Yemen, 'The Center Cannot Hold'

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The US and international community are suddenly focusing on the threat from al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula, the Yemeni military is facing a secessionist movement in the south and battling Houthi rebels in the north. In some sense, the Yemeni government and the United States have divergent goals, because, "as long as the Yemeni military is engaged in fighting a civil war, they aren't engaged in fighting al-Qaeda," notes Christopher Boucek of the Carnegie Middle East Program. Ultimately, the United States and Yemen must work together "to address long term issues like education and the economy," and not just short term counterterrorism activities, to ensure Yemen's security and stability.
Avoiding a spiral into chaos