Quick Take: Yemen, AQAP, and a Way Forward

As many of you know, the Critical Threats team has been tracking Yemen and its numerous security challenges closely since well before the Christmas Day attack conducted by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

Our team has produced a briefing package that explains the various security and economic challenges plaguing Yemen.  The package examines the root causes and histories of the al Houthi conflict in northern Yemen and the secessionist movement in southern Yemen.  It also includes detailed information about AQAP, including profiles of different leaders, the history of the group, and information on its ideology.

I had the privilege to testify in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 regarding the security situation in Yemen and policy considerations for the way forward.  The testimony looks at what the United States can do in Yemen to decrease the AQAP threat.

Finally, on January 15, 2010, the Yemeni government claimed to have killed a senior AQAP commander.  CTP produced analysis examining the significance of that strike, as well as the role of counterterrorism in a broader Yemen strategy.