Source: CBS News
The failed Christmas day attack has brought increasing tension to Yemen. While the United States and the international community are 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. 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.