BBC Newsnight, Yemen
Since the United States and the UK have years President Ali Abdullah Saleh al Qaeda relied on Yemen's strongman in the Arabian Peninsula - a regional offshoot of the terror group, which Washington says is the biggest threat to the national security of the United States.
But Yemen has covered of the protests for months, the scene of widespread unrest and Mr Saleh against his leadership.
President Saleh has been in power in the Yemen since 1978Mr Saleh, led Yemen since 1978, has this week accepted a plan put forward by the Arab Gulf States for him to hand over power, but have continued the protests.
The revolt against the old allies of the United States undermines not only us anti-terror efforts, it raises some serious questions about decisions that made Washington in the Yemen.
Since the beginning of the troubles Mr Saleh warned that if he was in the hands of extremists Yemen would fall.
He has dubbed the protests an attempt to stage a coup d ' état against his rule and that could cause in the civil war.
Feeding is very coined in that fear, the US policy on Yemen.
US funds
In the last ten years the United States gave the Yemeni Government troops hundreds of millions of dollars of military aid to combat terrorism under the command of the son and nephew of the President.
"Very quickly realized the Government that terrorism was a very profitable business," says Sanaa analyst Abdel Ghani al Iriyani is based. "Americans should have bought never in the trick, which the Government actually wanted to fight al Qaeda."
Mr al-Iriyani, argues how many here, that it is much wiser, the development instead of money for would have been.
The riots killed more than 130 people were since the beginning of JanuaryBut in the last ten years, continue to grow military aid, although by 2008, us diplomats Washington warning were that Mr Saleh was help to suppress abweichender political opinions.
For many Yemenis military assistance was US synonym for the lack of political freedom.
Kemal Sharif, which is a cartoonist, was arrested in August 2010, when U.S.-trained terror units stormed his house in Central Sanaa.
"I thought I was Marines in a film about American in the Iraq." Snipers were everywhere, "says Mr Sharif of RAID."
The word from his home is still bullet marks and his five-year-old daughter cries even when she evening is points, her father was taken.
Mr Sharif was accused of the relationship with al-Qaeda, but never pay. He showed me what he thinks the real reason for his arrest - colorful cartoons, which was fun of the President and corruption, poverty and oppression under his rule.
Lack of action
After four months in prison, including 50 days in solitary confinement was published Mr Sharif for a condition, the he could keep drawing the President.
He now has a personal grudge against the United States: "even my handcuffs said ' made in the United States", "he says."
Cartoonist Kemal Sharif now holds a grudge against the United StatesMany in the Yemen share his frustration with the United States.
"Where is President Obama now?" He is obsessed with the al Qaeda, but why he is, that our President told him and not the people confidence, "told me a young protester Khaled called."
Supports the popular uprisings in Egypt and Libya, President Barack Obama back up of Yemeni uprising was much more cautious.
Works with the United States to urge the European Union and the Gulf Arab States on the business in which the President is gradually makes transfer, but Mr has not called the White House Saleh step-down.
"I think the reason unclear, Washington is on what they do, is because they do not know what they are doing," says Charles Schmitz, Yemen expert at Towson University.
Mr Schmitz says that have a focus on security coupled expertise on Yemen instead of development, with lack of General and common mistakes to develop meaningful relationships leave Government, Washington unprepared to deal with the crisis with anyone outside Mr Saleh.
Another problem, he says, is the U.S. obsession with stability.
"A the instability bit may be no bad thing, if you allow people to work their relationship and they have to accept that Yemen is just ruled in a different way," he says.
Unlikely bedfellows
Mr Saleh has always said that judgment was Yemen like dancing on the heads of snakes, only having tribal rivalries could do. He ruled for three decades against each other to play tribes out.
The most unlikely alliances created Yemeni rebellion. In one of the tents in Sanaa's change square I found an area that is known as one of the safe haven for al Qaeda, discussing problems of the region, rival tribesmen of Marib.
You say that America's support for Mr Saleh has indeed carried out the al Qaeda threat.
"No one may join al Qaeda, but people, because they are arm, because they hate the Government," says Khaled, a young tribesman. "If America helps us get rid of Saleh, we will help you get rid of it al Qaeda."
Khaled's region has come under attack - since 2009 has at least four rockets fired the United States, in Yemen, but more civilians killed her then militant.
The White House has refused to discuss their strategy on Yemen, but it was former US Ambassador to Yemen Edmund hull is hard to call it a success.
"We have to eliminate not top al-Qaeda leadership in the Yemen, and from this point of view our approach have been unsuccessful," he said.
It is in part by the US policy on Yemen, the Government finally is apparent from the political stalemate likely more populist and less space for was to US interests in the Yemen.
The United States is concerned, but Yemeni protesters and politicians say that respect the decisions of the people could be the most effective way of fighting the war on terror.
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