Yemen: Preventing the Next Afghanistan
Abstract
The United States has a window of opportunity to implement a new U.S.-Yemeni policy to secure vital national interests in the Arabian Peninsula and prevent Yemen from becoming the next Afghanistan. After decades of authoritarian rule, opposition groups with the support of the Gulf Cooperation Council nations have forced Yemeni President Saleh to step down. In addition to political strife, Yemen has significant social, economic, and security challenges that are likely to result in state failure without external intervention. This creates an opportunity for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to entrench itself further in Yemen and conduct terrorist attacks against U.S. regional allies or even the U.S. homeland. To arrest these trends, the United States must recognize the strategic importance of Yemen and make it a long-term foreign policy priority. U.S. leadership and action to implement a comprehensive and consistent U.S.-Yemeni policy, in conjunction with the international community, can set conditions to achieve stability and other important U.S. national objectives in the Arabian Peninsula.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 22, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA560879
Entities
People
- Peter N. Benchoff
Organizations
- United States Army War College