LEFT: Yemen's protests can often be loud and anarchic. An anti-government protester holds a sign with a message for U.S. President Barack Obama during a demonstration demanding Saleh's resignation on April 1. Huge rival protests split Yemen's capital as security forces deployed for another Friday showdown between Saleh's backers and foes.
RIGHT: But the demonstrations are also sometimes quieter and infused with piety. Here, Yemeni anti-government protesters perform the Friday prayers during a demonstration on April 1.
The Obama administration, cognizant that Yemen was already a well-established base for al Qaeda, was initially supportive of Saleh due to his support for counter-terrorism operations. Since late March, however, the United States has been pressing for his peaceful exit from power. Now, as civil war looms, Obama has sent counterterrorism advisor John Brennan to Saudi Arabia to iron out a deal with Yemeni negotiators that will hopefully bring Saleh's tenure to a close.
