What action should the Obama Administration take on the Yemen crisis?

[agentS]

As of this posting, Dictator/Scumbag/President Saleh is in Saudi Arabia receiving treatment for shrapnel wounds, and is uncertain as to whether or not he will return.

Yemen is in a state of total chaos as Al-Qaeda, tribes, and the government fight each other for control/freedom/tyranny (Depending on who you ask).

Our interest in Yemen appears to be related to Al-Qaeda's Arabian Peninsula branch, the Horn of Africa (piracy), Saudi security (which should NOT be our concern seeing as how we don't get all that much oil from them), and Iranian influence. It's a mess with roots dating back to the Cold War.

Our dealings with Saleh have been suspect to say the least. In the recent past (i.e. last year), the world powers had told him to democratize and begin reforms, but he was hard headed and didn't want to listen. http://www.rferl.org/content/World_Powers_Call_On_Yemen_To_Fight_AlQaeda_With_Reforms/1942109.html

He had a chance to negotiate a peaceful transition, but again he was hard headed and didn't want to listen.
See a recurring theme here?

So what action would you want the administration to take? End ties with Yemem? Send in Seal Team 6? Send in the Marines (to do what)? Make Saudi (or Somalia) annex Yemen? Are the administration's hands tied to Saleh's fate?

[golfguru]

1. We are the world's police, are'nt we?

We may be 65 Trillion in the hock but we got bombs
& drones to drop them.

[agentS]

2. Maybe we can get a rebate on our world loans if we do all the police work?

Hey Mr. President of China! We'll police the middle east if you cancel 10 debt points off our loan package?
I know you're getting tired of those pirate attacks...

[dkf]

3. No nation building.

It doesn't work.

[bemildred]

4. Watch. nt

[fujiyama]

5. Maybe we just need to admit

that some countries and parts of the world are terribly fucked up and unless there is a clear and imminent threat to our direct national security , it is in our best interests to stay out of the way. Unless there is clear evidence that Al Qaeda affiliated terrorists are about to take over the country, there is little we really can do.

This is the kind of situation where our influence is limited aside from a quasi dictator that is not in control anymore. This isn't like Egypt, where even without Mubarak, we hold considerable influence over their military in terms of aid alone.

[grahamhgreen]

6. Support the progressive, peaceful elements with money taken from taxing the rich.