Yemen is home to various militant groups, most notably Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The group was formed in January 2009 when existing operations in Saudi Arabia and Yemen were combined; the merger was acknowledged by Osama bin Laden's deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri.
AQAP has made clear its intent to attack Western targets. Notable efforts were the 2009 Christmas Day bomb plot and 2010 cargo plane plot – both of which were foiled.
Many have accused Saleh of playing up the AQAP threat to boost aid from the US, which has increased funding significantly over the past few years. Saleh was given $70 million in US military aid last year and was scheduled to receive $150 million this fiscal year.
