The collapse of the Yemeni government, coupled with the death early Friday of Saudi Arabias King Abdullah, have in an instant thrown the future of America’s fight against Islamist extremists in the volatile region into question -- while potentially giving Iran more sway.a former U.S. diplomat close to the Saudi royal family told Fox News ... the two developments, which occurred within hours of each other, represent a “worst-case scenario” for the U.S. in terms of Iran’s ability to extend its influence.... King Abdullahs death may also open up a bigger power vacuum in Riyadh than first believed. The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. officials do not consider the 79-year-old Salman to be a strong or healthy ruler in his own right, which raises the possibility that others in the royal family could come to the forefront.... Among the other decisions facing Salman is whether he will continue [Saudi Arabias] ongoing strategy of increased levels of oil production. Most immediately, the Obama administration faces a critical challenge in Yemen, ... Yemen has allowed the United States to wage one of its most robust counterterror drone strike operations in the world, largely targeting Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula operatives – the same group that claimed credit for the Paris terror attacks....But the Yemen partnership is now in question. With the collapse of Yemen’s government, the former diplomat said Tehran’s influence is now seen in at least four Middle Eastern capitals – Sanaa in Yemen, Baghdad in Iraq, Damascus in Syria, and to a lesser extent Beirut in Lebanon. foxnews/politics/2015/01/23/worst-case-scenario-yemen-chaos-saudi-kings-death-pose-new-challenges-for-us/
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 00:05:44 +0000
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