Yemeni Government Regains Control On al-Qaeda Expansion

Today, Yemeni military officials reported that 43 suspected members of al-Qaeda were killed after two days of air strikes in the southern province of Lahij. The Yemeni forces are trying to recapture cities that have been overrun by al-Qaeda in Aden and Abyan provinces.  Mohammed al-Qadhi journalist for Al Jazeera said that al-Qaeda has exploited the instability in the country since the beginning of the turmoil last year.  ”Al-Qaeda (is) using the stalemate in the political process and the continued division of army and security forces … to expand their activities in different southern provinces,” al-Qadhi said. President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi who took office in February made countering al-Qaeda a top priority of its administration.

Yesterday, al-Qaeda members claimed responsibility for blowing up an oil pipeline. The blast occurred near the Gulf of Aden, in the south of the country. The attack was a revenge of a U.S. strikes that killed four al-Qaeda members during the week-end.

In a piece, Paul Shea warned that Yemen could become the next “West’s problem.” According to Shea, the country is considered as “a failed state” by analysts. The Arab Spring turmoil still impact the country, as two secessionists movements in the North and in the South pressure the government. Moreover, Al Qaeda has extended its control over territories and cities to the detriment of the central government. Shea believed that the expansion of al Qaeda in Yemen represents a threat for the U.S., “the United States is facing serious trouble from a new Al Qaeda operating out of Yemen and growing stronger as that country faces many challenges.” As a conclusion Shea believed that the rise of insecurity in Yemen could disrupt the transport of oil and goods around the world as the country is alongside the Red Sea.