Since the American military "surge" of 2007, which ended the worst period of sectarian bloodshed, security has improved enough to let the economy start growing again.
So, unable to prosecute the war on his own, Saleh turned a domestic rebellion into a sectarian and security threat to the entire Arabian peninsula, thereby manoeuvring the Saudis – eager from the outset to help Saleh, whom they view as their proxy – into providing military backing.
He has taken a hard sectarian line on security and political challenges.
The Interior Ministry, which has said Iraq is facing an "open war" fueled by sectarian violence, heightened security in the capital this week by closing roads and deploying additional police officers and helicopters.
The Sunni insurgency — now in many places operating as pro-American Awakening groups — continues to wait to see whether the government makes good on promises of jobs and a less sectarian administration of security and public services and infrastructure.
They generally avoided public criticism of these states as allies of the US, but in March 2014 Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki identified Saudi Arabia and Qatar as the two countries "primarily responsible for the sectarian, terrorist and security crisis in Iraq".
What makes this situation particularly compelling is the role the U.S. has played in greater Iraq over the past decade; our good-will attempt to protect women, religious minorities and sectarian communities through security development, and education.
We live in a sectarian country where the security situation is not secure, the borders are not bordered up and people lack confidence in the security institutions and courts.
The slide notes that "ineffectual" Iraqi police forces have been a significant problem, and cites as a concern sectarian conflicts between Iraqi security forces.
He admitted that he was "frustrated every day" in Iraq over the failure of its leaders to achieve political progress and sectarian reconciliation even as security improved.
