Escalating Hostilities in Yemen from the CFR

Escalating Hostilities in Yemen

Pitched battles rage on in the capital of Sanaa between Yemeni regime forces and tribal fighters loyal to Sheikh Hamid al-Ahmar and the Hashed tribal confederation. President Ali Abdullah Saleh (BBC) was injured in an attack on his compound, along with the prime minister and the parliament speaker. The attack marks the first time tribesmen have targeted Saleh's palace (AP) in the nearly two weeks of clashes with government forces. Yemeni officials say the rocket attack struck during prayers at a mosque inside the palace compound.

Witnesses claim the Saleh regime has deployed forces and weapons from the United States in order to combat terrorism (al-Jazeera) in the fragile state. The United States and its allies in the region worry that chaos in Yemen, home to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, will threaten global oil prices and vital shipping routes. The White House has dispatched John Brennan, Obama's counterterrorism aide, to Saudi Arabia and the UAE to discuss options for addressing the crisis. Violence in the capital intensified sharply when the Saleh government (Reuters) backed out of an agreement for a peaceful transition of power on May 22.

Analysis:

Yemen could be edging toward civil war, particularly if the military gets involved in both sides of the conflict, says Yemen expert Gregory Johnsen, but the United States has limited ability to influence the outcome in a country that has been an ally in fighting terrorism.

On ForeignAffairs.com, Edmund J. Hall writes on the diplomatic mission of U.S. counterterrorism official John Brennan, and the effort to address al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.