Despite Yemen's desire to become a global player, internal conflicts and resurgent rebel activity are destroying the country. Yemen occupies the southernmost region of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering Saudi Arabia and Oman. Yemen enjoys many miles of coastline. The port of Aden is located to be the maritime center of the country. The purpose of this document is to provide information and intelligence assessments for the following areas; history, government, foreign relations, demographics, economy, military, and the current threat posed by Yemen. An influx of militants from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan has raised concerns that Yemen has become a haven for Al-Qaede (2). This concern contrasts with the government's efforts to combat terrorism and the goal of being a legitimate global player. I believe Yemen has seen what appears to be a typical start and growth for Middle Eastern countries. Before the region was called “Yemen,” it fell under the control of several fleeting kingdoms between the 12th century BC and the 6th century AD. Beginning in the 7th century AD, Islamic caliphs began to exert control over the region later known as Yemen (1). The Ottoman Turks, as soon as they gained control of the Middle East, occupied all of northern Yemen until their retreat in 1918 (1). As World War II draws to a close, Yemen joins the Arab League in 1945 and the UN in 1947 (1). However, at this point Yemen is still divided into two states, the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR) and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY). It took years for the two factions to reach agreement on unification and another decade to reach agreement on a constitution. On May 22, 1990, the Republic of Yemen was declared. I believe that the... mid-paper countries... of the East, find themselves between the progressive policies of the government and the extremist views of radical Muslims. And at a time when having the wrong ally can unleash the wrath of radicals, Yemen is looking in all directions for help. Civil discontent, a weak economy and a growing number of terrorists who call Yemen home put Yemen in a precarious position. The aid they receive from the United States helps the government and the people and at the same time allows the insurgents to point the finger at the weekly leadership. As for the United States, we must proceed with caution. A true ally in the region is invaluable. But a weak ally could drag the United States into further conflicts or increase the amount of aid we send to a region. In my opinion it is better to keep Yemen close. Helping Yemen allows us to keep our finger more closely on the pulse of our enemies.