The state in Yemen was always weak, and even before the conflict last year, local chieftains had a lot of autonomy and power. But Mr. Mikhlafi’s new role is emblematic of how opposition voices that were marginalized under the 33-year authoritarian rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh have gained increasing influence as the government in Yemen has grown even weaker since his ouster.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 7:40 | James Miller in EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran Houses burn after they were lit on fire, reportedly by regime supporters, in Ahlbit in Syria's Idlib Province on Monday
See also Syria Video Special: Homs is Still Burning
Yemen Feature: Drones & the Killing of an American Teenager
Monday's Tunisia, Libya, Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Election, Liberation, Protest
1920 GMT: A couple of the protest videos from Syria tonight --- the Ghouta and Qosour districts of Homs:
Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 12:31 | Scott Lucas in EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 
Young Woman in Taiz "You've Got a Problem?" (Yemen Times)For the inhabitants of Taiz the first hours of the night are a living hell as they anxiously anticipate the armed conflict between the regime and armed opposition to start once again. Nights have been like this for months.
Signs of militarization have spread through the streets and even the women are carrying guns and rifles. The violence has spilled over from the revolution’s Freedom Square and security installations to almost every street and alley. And many innocent civilians have been killed in the process.
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