by Dr. Lawrence E. Cline
Download the full article: Yemen's Strategic Boxes
As happens episodically, Yemen is once more in the news. The December 2009 raids on al Qaida with some level of US support -- together with Saudi intervention in the north of Yemen and the abortive Delta flight bombing claimed by al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen -- have re-emphasized Yemen's importance in regional and international security.
One problem with much of the analysis of Yemen is that it tends to emphasize the country's impact on external security. Particularly within the US, the stress has been on al Qaida's operations in and from Yemen. Although perhaps justified in terms of overall US strategy, this limited view of issues within Yemen that affect its internal security can create strategic myopia. Ultimately, these broader internal issues are crucial in how well and how —the government of Yemen will cooperate with other countries.
From Sana'a's perspective, there are three critical ongoing threats to internal security. Al Qaida certainly is one, but the other two -- the Houthi uprising in the north and political unrest in the south around Aden -- probably are viewed with considerably more concern by the Yemen government. Although each threat is significant in its own right, the possibility of overlap among them in the future is even more worrisome. These specific threats are even further exacerbated by a long list of broader social, economic, and political stressors, all of which impact on Yemen's capability to respond adequately.
Download the full article: Yemen's Strategic Boxes
Lawrence E. Cline, PhD, is an associate professor with American Military University, and a contract instructor with the Counterterrorism Fellowship Program, Center for Civil-Military Relations, Naval Postgraduate School. He has worked in over 25 countries with this program in national counterterrorism strategy development. He is a retired Military Intelligence officer and Middle East Foreign Area Officer, with service in Lebanon, El Salvador, Desert Storm, Somalia, and OIF.
