Yemen, where dead men eat lunch

The wily Yemeni president knows how to spin out his war on al-Qaida to win western support – and hype achievements

Brian Whitaker
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 19 January 2010

"....There was further encouragement for the Yemeni president from an article in the Wall Street Journal. "Mr Salah [sic] is an unpalatable partner," it said. "But he is the only partner we have in Yemen." The article went on to suggest that Saleh should be supported, not only in combating al-Qaida, but also rewarded with American support for his pointless war with the Houthi rebels.

For a wily character like Saleh (and you don't rule a country like Yemen for 32 years without being extremely wily) this is exactly the wrong message to send. He now knows two things. First, that the international community's main reason for taking an interest in Yemen – and perhaps the only reason – is its fear of al-Qaida and, second, that if he is seen to be putting up a fight against al-Qaida the aid money will come rolling in.

But there's a snag here. An unscrupulous psychiatrist who charges patients for therapy by the hour can make more money by prolonging their treatment, and it's much the same with Saleh and al-Qaida. The longer it takes to defeat al-Qaida, the better the aid prospects......"