Yemen: Turning Up the Heat on Al Qaeda

A Dec. 24 airstrike by Yemeni forces in the southeastern province of Shabwa was rumored to have killed a number of top operatives of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula who were gathered for a high-level meeting. However, the status of these individuals remains unknown, and there are growing indications they may have survived the strike. Nevertheless, Yemeni and U.S. forces will continue putting pressure on the al Qaeda node, which already is reeling from December assaults.