Yemen: Current Conditions and U.S. Relations

Yemen, the only republic on the Arabian Peninsula, is the poorest country in that area. A presidential election deemed relatively fair was held in 2006 with President Ali Abdullah Salih winning reelection with 77 of the popular vote. Nevertheless, democratic institutions remain fragile. This report summarizes Yemens domestic situation, foreign relations, and ties with the United States. It will be updated as significant developments occur. U.S.-Yemeni relations have generally been good, though marred occasionally by differences over Iraq and the Arab-Israeli conflict. U.S. officials have welcomed Yemens support for the war on terrorism since September 11, 2001 however, because the Yemeni populace is ambivalent about any Western military presence, the Yemeni government tends to downplay U.S.-Yemeni military and intelligence ties. The U.S. government has modestly increased aid for Yemen, which had virtually ended in the late 1990s. In 2003, the U.S. Agency for International Development USAID reopened its mission in Yemen after a hiatus of seven years. Over the past several fiscal years, Yemen has received on average between 20 and 25 million in total U.S. foreign aid. For FY2008, the Administration has requested a total of 23 million in assistance for Yemen. Approximately half of this assistance would go toward military and intelligence cooperation.