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Saudi Bombing In Yemen Has Led To New Gains For Al-Qaida Reporter Gregory Johnsen talks about the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, how the chaos is impacting the U.S. fight against al-Qaida and how he escaped a kidnapping attempt in Yemen last year.

Middle East

Saudi Bombing In Yemen Has Led To New Gains For Al-Qaida

Heard on Fresh Air

Fresh Air

Saudi Bombing In Yemen Has Led To New Gains For Al-Qaida

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Reporter Gregory Johnsen talks with Fresh Air's Dave Davies about the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and how the chaos is impacting the U.S. fight against al-Qaida. Johnsen describes a country torn apart. "I don't even think it's accurate to speak of Yemen as one country anymore," he says. "I think the country has been definitively and decisively broken in the way that no one will ever be able to put it back together again."

Johnsen is a reporter for BuzzFeed News and the author of The Last Refuge: Yemen, al-Qaeda, and America's War in Arabia. A year ago, he escaped a kidnapping attempt in Yemen, which he also discusses in the interview.