Yemen

SANA’A (IRIN) – Muneer Asharby nearly didn’t go to work today. It wasn’t until after noon that he finally braved the walk. Even so, he kept half of his hardware shop closed in case he needed to make a fast exit. The day before a mortar shell landed just in front of his shop, in […]

It is Failed State in Yemen that permitted al-Qaeda to Train Paris Terrorists

CCTV America | — “CCTV America’s Susan Roberts interviewed Yemen correspondent for The Times of London Iona Craig about how Yemen has played a role in al-Qaida training and the Charlie Hebdo killings. Craig is an independent journalist and discussed the stability of Yemen, what makes it a hub for al-Qaida and how the West’s […]

Will France intervene in Yemen after its al-Qaeda Claims Paris Attacks?

By Juan Cole | — Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which is based in south Yemen, claimed on Wednesday to have been behind the attacks in Charlie Hebdo in Paris last week. Said and Sharif Kouashi are known to have visited Yemen in 2011 for weapons training, assisted by Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born terrorist later […]

From Yemen to Paris: The al-Qaeda Franchise from the 15th to the 60th Parallel N.

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) — Analysts have been understandably cautious about the nature of the attacks on the Charlie Hebdo staff and a Jewish deli in Paris. On the one hand, they appear to be the work of a small cell. On the other, members of the cell have long and clear links […]

Drones

After 500 Strikes: Is America’s Drone War Crashing And Burning?

AJ+ | — “Drone strikes are the weapon of choice in America’s so-called War on Terror. They’ve been used nearly 500 times in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia since 2002. But while U.S. officials praise their “surgical precision,” the reality on the ground tells a different tale. Here’s what you need to know about the U.S. […]

Yemen in 2014: 1500 Killed as Extremist Shiites took over Gov’t, battled al-Qaeda: What Next?

SANAA, December 2014 (IRIN) — After a negotiated transfer of power agreed in early 2012, the annual death toll dropped to about 1,100 and nearly halved again in 2013 to fewer than 600, according to the International Crisis Group. The uptick in violence in 2014 is the result of a number of distinct but inter-related […]

Bashar al-Assad

Did Iran win “2014”? Top 6 Iran Developments this Year

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) — In 2014, Iran made news on a number of important fronts. 1. Although there was no decisive breakthrough in its relationship with the United States and the European Union, there was anticipation that some sort of deal would be reached eventually with the permanent members of the UN […]

Climate Change and Yemen’s Agony