Yemen
Balancing realism and reform on the Arab periphery
 Washington, D.C. - In an ironic turn of events, Yemen's September 20 presidential and local elections garnered extensive favourable coverage by the normally critical Al-Jazeera, while they received only scant attention from the U.S. government, heretofore eager to highlight any sign of reform in Arab states. Why did U.S. officials refrain from highlighting what many foreign observers have praised as successful elections? Possible explanations include a return to traditional priorities in which security interests supersede democracy promotion, a calculated U.S. effort to promote Arab reform more quietly, or simply an oversight due to other distractions. by Jeremy M. Sharp |
Yemeni Economy
By: Meir Javedanfar- meepas.com
20/04/2005
Introduction
Economically Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the Arab world. This is despite its natural resources which include oil, gas, and abundant tourism attractions. Yemen's economic problems are due to a number of reasons including economic mismanagement, high population growth rates, lack of security, lack of water, unification costs and external debt. The Yemeni government headed by its President Ali Abdallah Saleh has been making a visible effort to improve Yemen's economy and to some extent he has been successful.
