A recruiting field day for al-Qaeda

A recruiting field day for al-Qaeda

The conflict in Yemen continues to have a fairly low profle in the mainstream media, and the coverage it generates is often confusing and contradictory.

Much of that coverage focuses on Yemeni government -and Saudi - claims that Iran is trying to stir up trouble between Sunni and Shia in the region.

Little, though, is said about the US role. Washington has taken a low profile,  allowing only occasional admission of an interest in the country.

So this long interview in Salon magazine is welcome, and revealing.

In it, Yemen expert Gregory Johnsen says Washington is deeply concerned about a resurgence of Al Qaeda in Yemen

since February '06 up until now, [al Qaeda] has done a very good job of really building a durable infrastructure that can sustain and withstand the loss of key leaders, so when you assassinate cell leaders, you don't find the organization crumbling down around himself. And in January of 2009, they moved from being what you could call a local chapter of al-Qaeda just based in Yemen, into more of a regional franchise,

But he argues that the US response to this has been shortsighted, and continuing targetted missile strikes are making the situation worse.

al-Qaeda, at least in my view, will be able to use these strikes and to really replace and offset any of the losses that they may have had.

And Iran?

besides that posturing by the Yemeni government, there's been very little evidence to suggest that the Houthis are a proxy for Iran, or that Iran is actively involved in the military side of the conflict.

The whole thing is worth a read.