Yemen has long been a major US ally against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, regarded as a real threat to America's national security. Now Houthi rebels have deposed the friendly regime and the US has closed its embassy in Sanaa — although the New York Times reports that a Houthi leader is reaching out. US officials burned tens of thousands of documents last night before closing the embassy. Rebel Houthis, who've taken control, seized the weapons of departing Marines.
We hear more from Rod Nordland, who is in Sanaa for the New York Times, and Adam Baron, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations in London, who was a reporter in Yemen from 2011 until last year.