Monday’s suicide bombing in Yemen’s capital Sanaa, which killed nearly 100 people, gives pause to the optimism that surrounded the US drone strike that killed Fahd al-Quso, a key al Qaeda leader, and the successful thwarting of an al Qaeda bomb plot against the United States. Now is the opportune time for a sober analysis of how to address the growing al Qaeda threat in Yemen. The reality is that a significant number of people, including senior Yemeni officials, believe that America's one-dimensional focus on counter-terrorism is destabilizing the country further.

During my recent assessment visit to Yemen, I met with members of President Abdo Rabu Mansour Hadi's cabinet, pro-government and opposition leaders, tribal chiefs, and civil society activists. I was told repeatedly that US drone strikes are serving as an al Qaeda recruiting tool. This comes at a time when the White House has given increased authority to the CIA and US Joint Special Operations Command to conduct drone strikes against suspected al Qaeda terrorists in Yemen. While drone strikes can be effective and necessary, the failure of the Yemeni government and international community to address the core issues driving instability — such as deficiencies in effective governance, economic development, the availability of goods and services, and youth engagement — undermines the security situation and facilitates the rise of terrorist groups such as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

I conducted numerous similar fact-finding assessments over the past 14 years while working on democratic development and stabilization programs in the Middle East and Eurasia, but this assessment produced some of the most troubling findings. Local perceptions that US policy towards Yemen is one-dimensional and harmful should not be ignored. This approach is eroding and undermining the ability to make progress in other areas. A robust US counter-terrorism program must be balanced with effective assistance to institutions and emerging leaders in the political, military, youth, and civil society sectors that could serve as allies to the U.S. and work to stabilize Yemen. 

Without a comprehensive approach, the U.S. will continue to alienate the population and create an increasingly unstable and fragmented country, hostile to US national interests. US drone strikes are helping to radicalize a growing segment of the population. To counter this, a subtle mix of diplomacy, institutional support and development that leverages the holistic experiences over the past decade is required.