[YEMENONLINE.INFO] As the Iranian-backed Shiite Houthis take over the Yemeni capital, there are indications the U.S. and the Houthis may be teaming up to battle a common foe, al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula, or AQAP.Senior U.S. intelligence official Michael Vickers has indicated that despite the political unrest in Yemen, the U.S. has developed an intelligence relationship with the Houthis that may allow the U.S. to continue its counterterrorism attacks against AQAP.
The undersecretary of defense for intelligence, Vickers told the Washington-based Atlantic Council that it is a "safe assumption" that the U.S. maintains these intelligence ties.
This revelation comes even as the B.O. regime has suspended its counterterrorism operations in Yemen with the resignation of U.S. ally and Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
Yemeni security services, which provide intelligence to U.S. drone operators for the Central Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command, reportedly have been taken over by the Houthis.
Like the U.S., the Houthis are fighting AQAP and "we've been able to continue some of our counterterrorism operations against al-Qaeda in the past months," Vickers said.
Vickers also indicated some counterterrorism operations, such as drone flights against AQAP targets in Yemen, could continue even with the Houthis in charge of the capital.