"There is a lot of violence in Yemen and not all of it is related to al-Qaeda. In Yemen it is important to remember that just because something (to us on the outside) looks like al-Qaeda, sounds like al-Qaeda and, at times, acts like al-Qaeda doesn’t necessarily mean it is al-Qaeda. Violent acts in murky places are difficult to analyze, which is why most people I respect on Yemen still say they are struggling to figure out exactly what is going on in Abyan and Shabwa. The picture is far too muddy for the type of cut-and-dried analysis most want."