Weakness of Yemen’s Government Undermines US Terror Fight

BY KEN DILANIAN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON — U.S. officials say Tuesday’s violence by Houthi rebels against the American-backed government in Yemen is undermining the Obama administration’s military and intelligence operations against the Yemen-based al-Qaida affiliate, which took credit for the deadly Paris attacks earlier this month.

President Barack Obama cited Yemen as a terrorism success story in a September speech. But 10 days after the president uttered those words, the Iran-backed Houthi militia swept into the capital Sanaa, seizing a share of power.

On Tuesday, those same rebels seized the presidential palace and shelled the president’s residence, leading Yemeni officials to warn of a coup.

U.S. officials say the Houthis haven’t taken total control, but they acknowledge that the Yemeni government is more focused now on preserving its power than on running operations against al-Qaida.