Source: WHYY Radio
Although the Middle East and North Africa have seen a significant transformation, Carnegie’s Christopher Boucek told WHYY Radio that it is still the very stages of what will inevitably be a long process. “Early on there was much optimism that this will lead to the end of organizations like al-Qaeda and political violence, but I’m not willing to go that far,” Boucek said.
Boucek discussed why the situation in Yemen gives him cause for concern. Yemen faces both a political and an economic crisis. Water, food, and fuel prices are rapidly rising, the value of the Yemeni currency continues to fall, and there are concerns the country is in economic meltdown. Boucek pointed out that Yemenis are among the most well-armed populations in the world, and with “too many guns and too many grievances there is the potential for the country to spiral into chaos and violence.” While the political crisis in the country is important, the failure of the Yemeni economy could be catastrophic and demands the attention of domestic and international policymakers.