ABSTRACT
This chapter details U.S. counterterrorism policy in Yemen from 2010–2020, with a particular focus on the Obama administration’s efforts to counter al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and respond to a Houthi power grab in Sanaa. It provides context about how al-Qaida maintains ties to local tribal groups in Yemen and operates in ungoverned spaces, which has allowed the group to persist as a terrorist threat to the United States. The chapter identifies the key factors that led to the fall of Sanaa to the Houthis and summarizes the failed international efforts to prevent that outcome.
