With limited natural resources, a crippling illiteracy rate, and high population growth, Yemen faces an array of daunting development challenges that some observers believe make it at risk for becoming a failed state. Yemen is largely dependent on external aid from Persian Gulf countries, Western donors, and international financial institutions. As the country’s population rapidly rises, resources dwindle, and terrorist groups take root in the outlying provinces, the Obama Administration is left to grapple with the consequences of Yemeni instability. This book is an overview of Yemen’s history, U.S. relations and the role of Al Qaeda in the region.