About 100 U.S. Special Operations Forces were reportedly ordered to evacuate Yemen on Saturday, following a sharp uptick in sectarian violence. The American troops had been training Yemeni military forces in counter-terrorism, and gathering intelligence on al Qaeda-linked groups.
The United States closed its embassy in Yemen's capital of Sanaa in February, following the city's takeover by Houthi rebels. On Thursday and Friday of this week, hundreds of alleged al Qaeda members reportedly escaped from two Yemeni prisons; while the U.S. forces were located in relatively remote areas of Yemen, one source told NBC News that "the threat is too high. Why take the risk?"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Israel's plan for confining all Palestinians in 'humanitarian city'The Explainer Defence minister wants to establish zone in Gaza for displaced people – which they would not be allowed to leave – prompting accusations of war crimes
-
Secluded retreats for aspiring writersThe Week Recommends These tranquil hideaways are the perfect place to put pen to paper
-
The Velvet Sundown: viral band that doesn't actually existIn the Spotlight These AI-generated rock hits are brought to listeners by… no one
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
