An intense two days of airstrikes on al-Qaida in Yemen may have killed or wounded some of its commanders, but drones alone are unlikely to eradicate the threat the group poses to Yemenis and the West.
A weak central government, a rivalry-ridden and poorly equipped security force, endemic poverty and corruption have made Yemen the ideal haven of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), whom U.S. President Barack Obama has described as the group "most active in plotting against our homeland."
Desperate to prevent AQAP from planning more attacks like its attempt to blow up a U.S. airliner in December 2009, Washington has used drones to kill group members and leaders.