in the media

The Threat from Yemen

While the rise of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has focused international attention on Yemen, the country’s economic and demographic challenges pose a greater threat to its stability than al-Qaeda does.

by Christopher Boucek
published by
Al-Jazeera
 on January 3, 2010

Source: Al-Jazeera

Please Download Flash Plugin

After the January 2009 merger of the Yemeni and Saudi al-Qaeda affiliates of al-Qaeda into a single group called al-Qaeda in the Arabian Penisula (AQAP), the terrorist threat from Yemen has grown exponentially. There have been numerous attacks planned by AQAP, most notably the Christmas day bombing attempt on a U.S. aircraft and several operations in Saudi Arabia. While the United States is now investing in efforts to curtail AQAP’s activities, the real challenge is to help Yemen with the manifold economic and demographic problems it faces. According to Christopher Boucek, “It is not al-Qaeda that will doom Yemen. Rather its failing economy, rapidly depleting water and oil reserves, and massive population growth are the main challenges the country faces.”  

SecurityForeign PolicyMiddle EastYemen
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.