Gulf Roundtable: The "Yemen Model"?

While violent extremism in Yemen draws the world’s attention, genuinely addressing its causes would require sustained commitments to Yemen’s economic and political development, according to Dr. Charles Schmitz. Schmitz is professor of geography at Towson University and an expert at the Middle East Institute. He spoke at a CSIS Middle East Program Gulf Roundtable entitled “The ‘Yemen Model’?” on November 10, 2014.

Schmitz noted that the Obama administration has invoked Yemen as a model of success for U.S. counterterrorism operations despite rapidly disintegrating political, economic, and social conditions there. The discussion sought to draw possible lessons from the U.S. experience in Yemen and assess the extent to which they may or may not apply in the fight against the Islamic State.