Yemen Reading (Updated)

The news continues to come fast and furious out of Yemen, much of it just rumors – but still it comes. 

Even as someone who spends a good deal of my day reading things written about Yemen, I’m a bit overwhelmed by the number of reports today.  Thinking you may be like me, I put together a short list of recent things to read on Yemen.  Two by smart people – smarter than me – with years of experience in Yemen.  And one by me.

First up is Charles Schmitz, who has this excellent piece up at Foreign Affairs, outlining in detail the tribal landscape in Yemen.  Anyone who wants to understand tribal politics in Yemen and Salih’s thinking should read this.

Next up is former US Ambassador to Yemen, Edmund Hull, who has this piece in Foreign Policy, detailing a way forward in Yemen.  Smart talk from someone who understands Yemen well. FP also put together this breathtaking photo series on Yemen.

Finally, earlier this week, while standing on a busy Cairo street, I gave an interview to the Council on Foreign Relations available here.  I owe a huge thanks to Bernard Gwertzman for putting up with a poor connection and turning the interview into something coherent. 

Update:Two more pieces well worth your time, both written by smart young guys I know well.

The first is this piece by Laurent Bonnefoy, which has this incredibly perceptive sentence: “What Yemen’s allies want is the system preserved, even if it costs the president his job.”

The second is by my good friend Brian O’Neill, who breaks his silence to deliver this gem of an article for the National.