Sasha Gordon

Map: Chronology of Mutinies in the Security Forces

Soldier-level acts of disobedience have affected security units in several of Yemen’s governorates, sometimes in highly sensitive fronts ...

Chart: Mutinied Organizations

Since President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi was elected president on February 21, 2012, 22 brigades and one battalion have rebelled. 

Mutiny in the Yemeni Military

The Yemeni military has long been weakened by corruption, fragmentation, and instances of insubordination, but in the past year and a hal...

Timeline: Instances of Insubordination in the Yemeni Security Forces

Since President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi assumed office in February 2012, 22 brigades and one battalion have rebelled, as well as a handfu...

Map: Diplomatic Appointments

 This map shows the diplomatic appointments decreed in Yemen April 10, 2013.

Chart: Chancellery for Military Advisers

This chart shows the connections between the newly-appointed members of Yemen's Chancellery of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces ...

Chart: Defense Reserve Forces

This chart shows the six Republican Guard brigades transferred to Yemen's Defense Reserve Forces.

A New Wave of Military Restructuring Decrees in Yemen

The Yemeni National Transitional Government yesterday issued eight decrees that are aimed at restructuring and unifying this weakened Yem...

Map: Military District Headquarter Locations

This map shows the locations of Yemen's new Military Districts, which were announced in December 2012.

Desknote: The Southern Movement Uprising

Yemen’s fragile and reversible gains against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula are threatened by a new challenge:  the re-emergence of a ...

Map: Al Bayda Tribes

Al Bayda is a governorate located near Sana'a, Yemen's capital. This map illustrates the approximate locations of tribes within the gover...

Map: Shabwah Tribes

This map depicts the approximate location of the many tribes and tribal groups within Shabwah governorate.

Chart: Qayfa Tribe Hierarchy

The Qayfa tribe is a poweful tribe in al Bayda. This chart depicts its various sub-tribes.

Chart: Bani Helal Tribe Hierarchy

The Bani Helal is a large tribe in northern Shabwah which includes several sub-tribes. This chart depicts the tribal hierarchy.

Tribal Militias in Yemen: Al Bayda and Shabwah

Local Yemeni tribal militias, called “popular resistance committees,” are now the primary defenders of areas threatened by Ansar al Shari...

Yemen's Military Restructuring: Removing Saleh's Network

Yemeni President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi issued a series of decrees yesterday that served to both restructure Yemen’s security forces and...

American in Yemeni Custody Goes on Hunger Strike

Yemeni security forces reportedly arrested Frank Christian Motos, an American Muslim convert, on October 8 in Ataq, Shawah. 

Map of Abyani Tribes: Methodology

The reliance on tribal militias, called popular resistance committees, to hold territory in Yemen creates a requirement to understand th...

Yemen Crisis Situation Reports: Update 143

AQAP and its insurgent arm, Ansar al Sharia, continue to pose a threat despite announced Yemeni military gains in the south. Increased at...

Map: Approximate Locations of Abyan Tribes

This map depicts tribal areas in the southern governorate of Abyan.

Map: Yemen Army Deployments in Abyan and Shabwah

Defeating Ansar al Sharia, even with tribal support, required significant Yemeni troop deployment. At least thirteen brigades were fully ...

Chart: Abyan Tribal Hierarchy

 This chart represents the tribal hierarchy in Abyan.

Map: Popular Committees in Abyan and Shabwah

 This map depicts popular committees, tribal militias that often work alongside Yemeni military forces, in Abyan and Shabwah from Decembe...

Map: Tribal Checkpoints in Abyan and Shabwah

Tribes often fill the gap where the state is not visible. Manning checkpoints is a way to establish local authority and provide security....

Abyani Tribes and al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen

The prospect of relying entirely on tribes to police south Yemen for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Ansar al Sharia is temp...

Chart: The Awlaki Tribes

This chart depicts the hierarchy of the Awlaki tribe, one of the strongest tribes in south Yemen.

Yemen Crisis Situation Reports: Update 139

Yemen Crisis Situation Reports: Update 138

The unfolding terrorist plot is a reminder that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which has a sanctuary in Yemen, remains determi...

Yemen Crisis Situation Reports: Update 137

Yemen's Military Shake-Up: Weakening Ousted Saleh's Network

The new government in Yemen has extracted several of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh's cronies from the country's power structure, in...

2012 Yemen Order of Battle

The Yemen Order of Battle (ORBAT) describes the structure and placement of the Yemeni Armed Forces down to the brigade level.

Map: Forces Operating in South Yemen

Map of Yemen's military deployment to combat Ansar al Sharia in south Yemen.

Graphic: Yemen's Parallel Revolution

The following diagram shows some of the most important officials targeted by the Parallel Revolution since the movement's start in Decemb...

The Parallel Revolution in Yemen

Yemen's unrest has not ended with the ouster of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The Yemeni Revolution instead has entered a new phas...

Yemen Crisis Situation Reports: Update 126

Yemen Crisis Situation Reports: Update 125

Yemen Crisis Situation Reports: Update 124

Taiz: The Heart of Yemen's Revolution

Taiz is as important a city as Sana'a to understanding the Yemeni Spring, yet its significance has been largely overlooked by the interna...