While the civil war environment endures, al Qaeda has room to play, but it is chaos for them, too, and so not much of a sanctuary. They are one small faction there and one that draws our missile attention from time to time. So I don't worry about it as a major Long War front. Strategypage has a nice summary. It's very medieval, they say.
But what worries me is Iran's hand in this:
Washington believes Iran is working with Shi'ite Muslim rebels in northern Yemen and secessionists in the country's south to expand its influence at the expense of Yemen's Gulf neighbors, the U.S. envoy to Sanaa was quoted as saying on Sunday.
And it isn't just having a presence near Saudi Arabia's land border. I think Iran would love to complement their influence in Eritrea across the Red Sea with a presence in Yemen where Iran can attack alternative oil routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
Never mistake fanaticism for stupidity.
