U.S. removes more staff from embassy in Yemen amid crisis

(Image credit: Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

On Thursday, more staff members were pulled from the U.S. embassy in Yemen, following the collapse of the country's government.

"While the embassy remains open and is continuing to operate, we may continue to re-align resources based on the situation on the ground," a senior State Department official told Reuters. "We will continue to operate as normal, albeit with reduced staff." Already, the embassy was working with a small staff, with just essential personnel on site.

The Obama administration was not expecting the resignation of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, a supporter of drone strikes against al Qaeda militants, Reuters says. Officials are now concerned that chaos in the country could open up opportunities for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to strengthen.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.