World

(3 of 3)

1994

CIVIL WAR

Disputes over power sharing lead to a short-lived bid for secession in the South. Saleh's forces rout the rebels and restore his authority over all of Yemen. The wily President's rule would soon be characterized by his knack for consolidating power amid Yemen's complicated web of regional, tribal and religious factions.

2000

ATTACK ON THE U.S.S. COLE

Anchored in Aden's harbor, the American missile destroyer U.S.S. Cole is attacked by two al-Qaeda suicide bombers, killing 17 crewmen. With Yemen poised as a haven of Islamist terrorism, Washington steps up security ties with Saleh's regime.

2009

THE UNDERWEAR BOMBER

A Nigerian apparently trained by al-Qaeda in Yemen nearly sets off a bomb aboard a jet as it lands in Detroit. Months later, Yemen is the origin of parcel bombs intercepted en route to U.S. targets. In response, the CIA deploys drones to gather intelligence.