• Research
  • Politika
  • About
Carnegie Russia Eurasia center logoCarnegie lettermark logo
  • Donate
Yemen on The Brink
Book

Yemen on The Brink

Without addressing Yemen's immediate security challenges—including a civil war in the North, a secessionist movement in the South, and a resurgent al-Qaeda organization—the country's long-term economic and governance issues cannot be resolved.

Link Copied
By Christopher Boucek and Marina Ottaway
Published on Sep 23, 2010

Additional Links

Kindle - $9.99Hardback - $49.95Paperback - $19.95iTunes - $9.99Nook - $10.39

Source: Washington

Yemen is a nation in crisis. A civil war in the North, a secessionist movement in the South, and a resurgent al-Qaeda organization are active against a background of economic collapse, lack of state capacity, and governance and corruption issues. Without addressing Yemen’s immediate security challenges, the country’s long-term economic and governance issues cannot be resolved. Yemen on the Brink brings together analyses of the critical problems that have brought Yemen close to state failure. The volume offers assessments by leading experts of Yemen’s major security challenges, and broadens the discussion of the tools available to the international community to pull the country back from the brink. Separate chapters examine the resurgence of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula; the complex relationship between al-Qaeda and the tribes; the Southern secessionist movement; and the civil war in Saada.

Advance Praise

“A compelling study on the part of Carnegie to help explain the complexities of Yemen to increasingly concerned Western policy makers.”

—Nabeel Khoury, U.S. Department of State

“Political, economic, and security developments in Yemen increasingly affect the European Union, and this book will serve as a valuable resource for policy makers as they work to address the many challenges facing Yemen.”

—Gilles De Kerchove, EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator

About the Authors

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.

Marina Ottaway

Former Senior Associate, Middle East Program

Before joining the Endowment, Ottaway carried out research in Africa and in the Middle East for many years and taught at the University of Addis Ababa, the University of Zambia, the American University in Cairo, and the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa.

Authors

Christopher Boucek
Former Associate, Middle East Program
Christopher Boucek
Marina Ottaway
Former Senior Associate, Middle East Program
Marina Ottaway
Middle EastYemenGulfPolitical ReformSecurityForeign Policy

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 Russia Eurasia Center

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Who Does Azerbaijan Want to See Win Armenia’s Elections?

    By fueling the arguments of both supporters and opponents of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijan wants to ensure he is re-elected with a weaker mandate.

      Bashir Kitachaev

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Russia’s Elite Conflict Over Internet Restrictions Does Not Herald Regime Collapse

    A much-discussed disagreement over internet restrictions in Russia was never an existential threat for Putin: It was about elite groups protecting their interests.  

      Alexandra Prokopenko

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Is Belarus Really Set to Return to the Ukraine War?

    By reminding the world that Lukashenko is a threat to NATO and Ukraine, Kyiv is trying to return the focus to why the Belarusian regime needs to be contained rather than rewarded.

      Artyom Shraibman

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Could Migrants From India and Africa Solve Russia’s Labor Shortage?

    The demands of the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine, demographic problems, and public hostility toward Central Asians mean Russia does not have enough workers.  

      Salavat Abylkalikov

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Russian Market Sours for Belarusian State Companies

    Minsk’s faith in the future of its larger neighbor’s economy is fading as Belarusian firms in Russia see record losses.    

      Olga Loiko

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
Carnegie Russia Eurasia logo, white
  • Research
  • Politika
  • About
  • Experts
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • For Media
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.