A New Base? Al Qaeda Rises In Yemen.

From Christian Science Monitor:

Suspected in the kidnapping of nine foreigners last week, the militant group appears to be gaining momentum – thanks in part to weak central government.

Sanaa, Yemen - The recent kidnapping of nine foreign aid workers in Yemen, three of whom were reported killed Monday, has heightened attention on the activities here of Al Qaeda – which some analysts blame for the attack.

The group appears to be using Yemen's factionalism to gain momentum in the country, one of the poorest in the Arab world.

A separatist movement in the south and an unrelenting rebel group in the north have left Yemen's central government with little control reaching beyond the capital of Sanaa. That makes the country an ideal place for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) – the regional branch of the international movement – to gain popularity among those disenfranchised by the government.

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My Comment: Yemen is the perfect place for Al Qaeda to flourish and grow. A failed state with numerous factions vying for power .... this country is the Arab version of Somalia.