Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The closing Wednesday of the American Embassy in Yemen in response to

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The closing Wednesday of the American Embassy in Yemen in response to security concerns will lead to the diplomatic blinding of the United States in that country. The State Department was reacting to rising violence following the Houthis’ takeover and attempt to govern.

After U.S. diplomats reached the airport, Yemen rebels seized at least 20 embassy vehicles and small weapons. Embassy files, computers and heavier weapons had been destroyed earlier by U.S. personnel. Thousands of Houthi supporters shouting, “Death to America, death to Israel” demonstrated in Sanaa, the capital, where Britain and France closed their embassies as well.

With no U.S. embassy in Syria or Libya either, it will be more difficult to conduct foreign policy in the Middle East. The United States is represented in Iran by a U.S. Interests section of the Embassy of Switzerland.

While the issue of whose government should run Yemen is not America’s business, U.S. officials should try to establish links to the country’s new leaders. America needs to have eyes and ears in Yemen.