The scope for legitimate intervention by states in the internal affairs of other states to prevent terrorist attacks

Yemen is a major concern not only for stability in the Middle East, but also the wider global consequences that could result from a country having been failed by different actors. This paper analyses the major challenges facing Yemen today, which taken together contribute to its current situation and discusses the need for further involvement by other nations to prevent it from becoming a failed state. It looks at current international support focussing on the West, in particular the United States, as well as efforts by the Yemeni government to reform and its cooperation with the international community. Detailing the threat from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and Yemen's response, the article also discusses probable outcomes of the government's failure to deal with its internal affairs concerning terrorism and the legitimate options available to the international community affected by it. It concludes by assessing Yemen's need for international assistance and the steps that should be taken to prevent it from becoming another Afghanistan or Iraq.