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AQAP and the Vacuum of Authority in Yemen
While the world’s attention is focused on the combat transpiring in
Libya and the events in Egypt and Bahrain, Yemen has also descended into
crisis. The country is deeply split over its support for Yemeni
President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and this profound divide has also extended
to the most powerful institutions in the country — the military and the
tribes — with some factions calling for Saleh to relinquish power and
others supporting him. The tense standoff in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa
has served to divert attention (and security forces) from other parts
of the country.
On March 28, an explosion at a munitions factory in southern Yemen
killed at least 110 people. The factory, which reportedly produced AK
rifles and ammunition, was located in the town of Jaar in Abyan
province. Armed militants looted the factory March 27, and the explosion
reportedly occurred the next day as local townspeople were rummaging
through the factory. It is not known what sparked the explosion, but it
is suspected to have been an accident, perhaps caused by careless
smoking. Read more »
