August 31, 2012:
The government is asking foreign donors for $11 billion to rebuild the country. Many potential donors are reluctant to give without some assurances that much of the money won't be stolen by corrupt officials (who tend to balk at strict anti-corruption conditions).
Oil and gas revenue has doubled, from $185 million a month to nearly $400 million. This is mainly because of a reduction in attacks on oil facilities in the south. This peace will only continue if the tribes out there get what they perceive as a fair share of the oil revenue.
Civil war in Yemen is something of a permanent condition. Supporters of former president Saleh are still demonstrating (mainly for the jobs many of them have just lost to more powerful political parties) and the various Islamic terror groups are depleted but not defeated. Bombings and assassinations continue, mainly by the Islamic terrorists trying to get the security forces to back off. In the south the tribal separatists are still active, and in the north the Shia tribes are still ready to fight to get their old autonomy back.
August 30, 2012: In the capital a gunman killed an intelligence officer.
August 29, 2012: An Islamic terror group posted a video of a Yemeni man they crucified after being accused of spying for the Americans (and providing information for UAV missile strikes). The victim here is probably not a spy, since this killing is meant as a warning to those who are providing tips on where terrorist leaders are. More Yemenis are doing just that, as can be seen from the growing number of successful UAV strikes. Al Qaeda has concentrated a lot of its attacks against the intelligence units, who are responsible for collecting information from local informants and passing it on to the Americans for their UAV attacks.
In the east (Hadramout province) four Islamic terrorists were killed when three American missiles hit their car.
With peace in Yemen comes a 30 percent increase in illegal African migrants brought over by smugglers. So far this year, some 64,000 have arrived (the majority of them Ethiopian). Most want to continue north, to the wealthy Gulf oil states, Israel or Europe. All of those nations try to keep out illegal migrants and many never make it out of Yemen and are stuck in camps already holding over 200,000 people.
August 28, 2012: In the central Yemen, Maareb province, two Islamic terrorists were killed when an American missile hit their car.
August 27, 2012: In the capital a presidential advisor survived an assassination attempt by a man with an assault rifle.
August 26, 2012: In the southern city of Aden, police raided an Islamic terrorist hideout and, after a brief gun battle, arrested two men.
August 25, 2012: In the southern city of Aden, the Transport Minister survived an assassination attempt when shots were fired at his car.
August 24, 2012: In the southern city of Aden, police arrested six men, including the imam of a local mosque, and accused them of belonging to al Qaeda.
August 21, 2012: In the south (Lahj province) al Qaeda gunmen fired on two army checkpoints. Elsewhere in the south (Shabwa province) al Qaeda bombed a natural gas pipeline, which will cost the government, and local tribes, some cash.