The Regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh is Teetering

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In The Media

The Regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh is Teetering

An orderly transition of power in Yemen that avoids creating a vacuum with the departure of President Saleh is critical in order to meet the demands of the protesters and maintain stability in the country.

By Christopher Boucek

Published on Apr 7, 2011

Source: Leonard Lopate Show

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been able to stay in power for over three decades by being a shrewd political tactician, explained Carnegie’s Christopher Boucek on The Leonard Lopate Show. Yemen is an extremely fractious country and Saleh has skillfully played different sides off of each other to ensure that no one group or figure can attain enough power to challenge him. Christopher Boucek noted that “Saleh is the only indispensable political actor in Yemen,” which makes Saleh’s abdication of power extremely problematic. The key to meeting the demands of Yemeni protesters and creating an environment conducive to stability will be to organize an orderly transition of power that does not create a vacuum after the departure of Saleh.

About the Author

Christopher Boucek

Former Associate, Middle East Program

Boucek was an associate in the Carnegie Middle East Program where his research focused on security challenges in the Arabian Peninsula and Northern Africa.

Recent Work

Q&A
Yemen After Saleh’s Return and Awlaki’s Exit
- Christopher Boucek
Q&A
Rivals—Iran vs. Saudi Arabia
- Christopher Boucek, Karim Sadjadpour

Political Reform Middle East Yemen Gulf

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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