Things I missed

I often miss things on Yemen here at Waq al-waq, and two of the articles I have missed in recent days have been by academics who study Yemen. (Full disclosure: I know both individuals and respect their work, particularly on political parties in the country.)

The first one – No Blank Checks for Yemen – is by Stacey Philbrick Yadav, who I know well. She warns against the dangers of too much military support for President Salih.

Next up is an op-ed in The Australian by Sarah Phillips – who coined one of the best phrases to describe Salih’s government: it is, I think, “a government of crisis management” – and she too has a warning, this time against the dangers of US military action in the country. While I would disagree with her on lines like: “Hanging by a thread, the regime is looking for partners to reinforces the sandcastle it has built on the shoreline” and while I would quibble with a few of her details and dates (Dec. 22nd and 24th for attacks not the 23rd), her broader point, is one I can get behind.

Her piece today reminds me that I have been meaning to post a link for her article (along with Rodger Shanahan) on AQ and the tribes, although I remember disagreeing with much more in that piece.