Q&A
Christopher Boucek
{
"authors": [
"Christopher Boucek"
],
"type": "legacyinthemedia",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "MEP",
"programs": [
"Middle East"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"Middle East",
"Yemen"
],
"topics": [
"Security",
"Foreign Policy"
]
}
Source: Getty
In The Media
Yemen: Terrorism's Newest Front Line?
Yemen’s multiple economic and security problems transcend the threat posed by al-Qaeda. Without immediate involvement on the part of the international community to address Yemen’s many crises, the country risks becoming a failed state.
Published on Jan 18, 2010
Source: The Agenda with Steve Paikin
Following the failed Christmas day attack on a Northwest airlines flight, the international community has begun to increasingly focus on terrorism emanating from Yemen. Yet Yemen is facing much larger systemic problems. According to Christopher Boucek, “Yemen is facing a tremendous confluence of crises, including economic, human security, unemployment, corruption, and hard security challenges.” Coupled with the rapid depletion of its water and oil resources, the situation in Yemen is quickly deteriorating.
On the security front, Yemen is facing a civil war in the north, a secessionist movement in the south, and a resurgent al-Qaeda that already has a long history of operations in the country. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is an organization with regional aspirations that has the ability to perform terrorist attacks inside or outside of the country. Facing this threat is an immediate counter-terrorism imperative. Nonetheless, “al-Qaeda will not be the downfall of Yemen. It is all of the governance and economic challenges that will bring Yemen down,” notes Boucek.
At this point, the American government and the international community have no choice but to engage in Yemen. This involvement requires a long-term strategy to build Yemeni capacity and the strength of the government's central authority. Boucek suggests, “If we wait six months or twelve months, it will be too late for Yemen.”
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.
- Yemen After Saleh’s Return and Awlaki’s Exit
- Rivals—Iran vs. Saudi ArabiaQ&A
Christopher Boucek, Karim Sadjadpour
Recent Work
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.
More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- The Iran War Is Also Now a Semiconductor ProblemCommentary
The conflict is exposing the deep energy vulnerabilities of Korea’s chip industry.
Darcie Draudt-Véjares, Tim Sahay
- Taking the Pulse: Is France’s New Nuclear Doctrine Ambitious Enough?Commentary
French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled his country’s new nuclear doctrine. Are the changes he has made enough to reassure France’s European partners in the current geopolitical context?
Rym Momtaz, ed.
- The Iran War’s Dangerous Fallout for EuropeCommentary
The drone strike on the British air base in Akrotiri brings Europe’s proximity to the conflict in Iran into sharp relief. In the fog of war, old tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean risk being reignited, and regional stakeholders must avoid escalation.
Marc Pierini
- India’s Foreign Policy in the Age of PopulismPaper
Domestic mobilization, personalized leadership, and nationalism have reshaped India’s global behavior.
Sandra Destradi
- Resetting Cyber Relations with the United StatesArticle
For years, the United States anchored global cyber diplomacy. As Washington rethinks its leadership role, the launch of the UN’s Cyber Global Mechanism may test how allies adjust their engagement.
Patryk Pawlak, Chris Painter
