At least 96 people were killed in the capital city of Yemen yesterday, after a suicide bomber disguised as a Yemeni soldier blew himself up during a military parade rehearsal near the presidential palace in Sanaa. The bombing was the country’s most devastating terrorism attack in years, and the Al Qaeda affiliate that operates within the state has claimed responsibility for the mass killings.
The latest attack follows a series of bloody battles in recent weeks between the Yemeni military and the Al Qaeda militant group. It also highlights the fact that there’s more to the conversation on Yemen than simply American interests in the country and international security; there is a country on the brink, and with every passing day comes new internal challenges and fears. Charles Schmitz joins us to discuss Yemen’s future. He is a professor of geography at Towson University and is president of the American Institute for Yemeni Studies.