In Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, the choice to support protesters and put political pressure on those countries’ leaders to step down seemed like relatively easy political decisions for the Obama administration. But in Yemen, it has been more complicated for the U.S. to come out in direct opposition to Ali Abdullah Saleh and his 30 year rule. Yemen has been a key ally in the fight against al-Qaida in the country, and during the uprisings there, President Obama had maintained his support for Saleh behind closed doors. But that position may now be shifting, with some American officials saying it’s time for Saleh to go. We talk with Dexter Filkins, staff writer for The New Yorker, whose article on President Saleh is in the April 11th issue of the magazine.
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