Yemen totters on the brink of sectarian war

Perhaps the first in the area to be sucked into the black hole of Iraq's civil war:

To isolate the rebels, explained Faqih, Yemeni authorities have blocked communications, including mobile-phone services, in the restive northern province. "But this has not necessarily helped the government as much as it is impossible for the rebels to overthrow the government and install their Islamic law," he said.

Observers are also concerned that hundreds of anti-Western insurgents could strike out at foreigners and Western interests in the country. This month the Interior Ministry temporarily tightened security around foreign embassies against possible terrorist attacks.

"Here in Yemen, tribe, religion and weapons are the most dangerous things in the hands of tribesmen against the government," said Abdul-Elah Haidar, a researcher on terrorism affairs at the Saba News Agency and regular columnist for London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi. "And when a group combines the three, it can easily become a substantial political force."

This escalation of violence has been a frightening setback for the Yemeni government, which had rigidly controlled the threats from al-Qaeda and was beginning to benefit from the cautious return of tourists and foreign investors.