Yemeni tribal chiefs have turned against Yemen’s president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has reluctantly and inconsistently aligned his nation with the United States. Now Saleh's power base seems to be falling apart. Ed Morrissey says, "This could be the Obama administration’s biggest headache in the Arab uprisings of 2011, assuming they don’t spread to Saudi Arabia. . .
Morrissey notes further: [my emphases]
AQ has been actively undermining Saleh for years, and its Yemeni branch has grown more active and dangerous over the last few years under the leadership of American citizen Anwar al-Awlaki. . . .
When Saleh falls, the US will face a nightmare scenario of AQ opportunity to seize control of a state, and one in a critical location on major sea lanes and near the richest sources of energy in the world. Their first target will be Saudi Arabia and an attempt to seize Mecca and Medina by overthrowing the oppressive monarchy in Riyadh, Osama bin Laden’s ambition since starting AQ two decades ago. Will Obama be prepared to deal with this outcome? Given his disturbingly passive response to the uprisings thus far, confidence won’t exactly be high.
Serious developments indeed!