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Saturday, February 05, 2011

Khat Naps

Why Yemen can't sustain protests?

Khat, a leafy narcotic, is consumed by nearly every man here. Add that to the many reasons that Yemen's protest movement has yet to gain the same momentum as the revolts in Egypt and Tunisia, say many Yemenis.

For the past three weeks, protests have rocked this impoverished Middle Eastern capital. Some were massive; others were tiny. But one thing has remained constant: Most of the protests ended before 2 p.m. That's when many Yemenis enter khat-chewing sessions in their homes or cars, practically anywhere.

Duuude. Bummer.