US pledges increased military funds and support to Yemen

On Monday, Assistant Secretary of State Philip Crowley said that the US was pleased by statements from the Yemeni government that it would increase efforts to track down Al Qaeda within the country. Crowley also acknowledged that increased US military involvement in Yemen was receiving criticism from the region, but he added that the US was not "running a popularity contest."

“We will continue to act in our national interest. Yemen will continue to act in its national interest. We think the partnership is important to both countries in terms of combating extremist elements inside Yemen that pose a danger to that country, pose a danger to the region, and as we saw, has – poses a danger to the United States.”

Since the failed Christmas Day plot to bomb a Northwest Airline flight to Detroit, attention has focused on the country at the south edge of the Arabian Peninsula. Authorities say the 23-year old Nigerian man who faces charges in the attack got assistance from Al Qaeda members in Yemen. But critics warn that the rush to send military funds and assistance to Yemen without seriously looking at the complexity and history of the country, could end up making things worse.

Here to take a deeper look at Yemen, the history and the current challenges, is Stephen Zunes. He's a Professor of Politics and International Studies at the University of San Francisco, where he chairs the program in Middle Eastern Studies.

Read, “Yemen: The Latest U.S. Battleground,” by Stephen Zunes in the Huffington Post.