Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Corrupt Yemen Regime Is a Family Affair

Saleh's government, 'practically caged in the capital,' has little control

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 5, 2010 7:12 AM CST

(Newser) – The Obama administration is stepping up its aid to Yemen, seeing it as a vital front in the war on al-Qaeda, but that aid is going to a corrupt president more concerned with looking out for his family interests than fighting terror. Ali Abdullah Saleh has loaded his government and military with his family members, and his chief goal is ensuring that his son succeeds him, experts tell the New York Times.

Saleh became amenable to international help only when American intelligence officials showed him that al-Qaeda was targeting his family. But his reach is limited; with oil revenue down, “the government is practically caged in the capital,” according to one Western diplomat. “You can’t see anyone in a government uniform” in the turbulent south, says one Yemeni political analyst. “There are large areas of the country where there is no electricity, no running water, and no central authority.”

A Yemeni woman passes framed pictures of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh displayed at a shop in San'a, Yemen Monday, Jan. 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

John Brennan, Barack Obama's top adviser for counterterrorism, left, meets with Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh, right, at the presidential palace in San'a, Yemen, March 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Yemen Ministry of Defence)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

CLICK BELOW TO VOTE

16%

58%

16%

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

More Than 90 Killed in Attack on Yemen Capital

Al-Qaeda claims responsibility

(NEWSER) - A suicide bombing targeting the Yemeni military killed more than 90 people today, and injured another 222, a government official announced. Reportedly dressed as a soldier, the attacker set off the blast near the presidential palace in Sanaa as troops trained for a military parade. An al-Qaeda source tells the BBC that one of its members was responsible. BBC correspondent Frank Gardener calls it "a significant step-up in the country's troubles," noting that despite unrest in the south, Yemen's capital "has been relatively quiet" since President Ali Abdullah Saleh gave up power. More»

Al-Qaeda Group: We Killed US Teacher in Yemen

Teacher worked at a language institute in Taez

(AP) - Two gunmen on a motorcycle early today shot dead an American teacher working at a language institute in a central Yemeni city, the region's provincial governor said. Hamoud al-Sufi said the teacher was shot in his car in Taez city. He did not have details on who the killers might be, and said an investigation is ongoing. According to MSNBC , the victim has been identified as Joel Shrun, or Sharm, who worked for the Swedish Training Institute, which is supported by the Swedish government and religious groups. More»

Yemeni Prez Takes Office; Terrorist Kills 25

President Hadi vowed to battle al-Qaeda hours before strike

(AP) - A car bomb outside the gate of a presidential compound in southern Yemen killed at least 25 people hours after the country's new president was formally inaugurated and vowed to fight al-Qaeda. A security official said the attack in the city of Mukalla in Hadramout province was carried out by a suicide bomber, and that it bore the hallmarks of an al-Qaeda operation. Both al-Qaeda and southern separatists are active in the region. More»

Yemen Polling Station Blown Up Ahead of Vote

Symbolic election will install Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi

(AP) - Gunmen blew up a voting station today in southern Yemen, one day before the country is to go to the polls to rubber stamp its vice president as the new head of state. Gunmen fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the station, then fled, according to a security official. No one was hurt, and police are searching for suspects. The attack in the port city of Aden underlines the security vacuum in the Arab world's poorest country. More»

US Seeking Refuge for Saleh—Just Not Here

Letting him in would help Yemen, but hurt America's image in the Middle East

(NEWSER) - The White House wants Ali Abdullah Saleh out of Yemen, and officials are trying to find him a new home—but they'd rather it not be the US. The Yemen president met with an American ambassador this week to review his options in a matter that's put the US in a tight spot: seeking a country to provide refuge to an alleged human rights violator. Allowing Saleh to stay in the US would help pave the way to stability in Yemen, but it would hurt America's image in the region, the AP notes. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Corrupt Yemen Regime Is a Family Affair

Saleh's government, 'practically caged in the capital,' has little control

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

terrorism • Yemen • al-Qaeda • Obama administration • Ali Abdullah Saleh

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

More Than 90 Killed in Attack on Yemen Capital

Al-Qaeda claims responsibility

Al-Qaeda Group: We Killed US Teacher in Yemen

Teacher worked at a language institute in Taez

Yemeni Prez Takes Office; Terrorist Kills 25

President Hadi vowed to battle al-Qaeda hours before strike

Yemen Polling Station Blown Up Ahead of Vote

Symbolic election will install Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi

US Seeking Refuge for Saleh—Just Not Here

Letting him in would help Yemen, but hurt America's image in the Middle East

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?