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Yemen's Problems Are Ours, Too
Clarence Page
Having a
One of 23 suspected al-Qaida members who tunneled out of a high-security prison in Sana'a in early 2006 was Nasser al-Wuhayshi. He now leads al-Qaida's
I happened to be visiting
My most striking memories are of daggers and khat, each of which says a lot about what makes
The jambiya is a curved dagger traditionally with a handle carved from rhino horn and worn in the belt of Yemeni men. It beats only the AK-47 and other automatic weapons as a popular male fashion accessory, especially in the rural areas. Once the jambiya is withdrawn from its sheath it must draw blood, according to tradition, even if the owner must cut his own hand to do it. The colorful weapon symbolizes an irrepressible warrior culture that currently fuels an ethnic rebellion in
Khat is unofficially the country's national recreational drug and a major agricultural commodity. Little business gets done in
Since past attempts to illegalize khat have resulted in at least one government overthrow, Yemeni President
The leafy evergreen plant is so lucrative and low-maintenance as a year-round cash crop that about 40 percent of the nation's dwindling water supply is devoted to its cultivation. That leaves the country importing food amid widespread malnutrition, unemployment and dwindling oil reserves.
Team Obama is looking at ways to deepen military and intelligence cooperation with
Since
But
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Yemen's Problems Are Ours, Too | Clarence Page
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