Feb. 16, 2015
The US has followed Saudi Arabia's lead, shuttering its embassy and freezing intelligence cooperation and counter-terrorism operations. This is a mistake. Yemen's military is largely intact, having remained in its barracks as the Houthis marched to the capital, and there is little evidence that the units that work with the Americans are loyal to the new rebel government. Suspending cooperation risks giving AQAP free rein in a country where it was able to wreak havoc even when bridled.