Most likely a coup by assassination attempt. It has many of the trappings of the Egyptian removal of Mubarak.
BUT, al-Awlaki is there. There is some possiblity this is a victory for al Qaeda, but, that is not my first resolution in these circumstances. The USA State Department and military are going to have their hands full in finding out whom has taken control of the entire government, but, for an assassination attempt to get to Saleh as quickly as it did when the Yemen troops were called in from the borders it was an 'insider' that managed to gain control. Was the 'insider' al Qaeda and Awlaki? I seriously doubt it. If I were a Yemeni military commander, with ambitions, I wouldn't put it all on the line for Awlaki, but, more for the possibility of leading the country with the support of the people.
Saleh and the Yemenis in Egypt will have information to detail what occured within the President's attempted assassination. Certainly anyone near Saleh would know the people involved. It could be another ISI-like issue which opens up the possibility that it would be anyone, but, I don't think so. There was too much 'organized' and 'orderly' media providing information to the world for this to be as primative as the internal working of al Qaeda. I do believe it is a sincere coup by the people. That is the call of the day. Freedom and majority rule. With al Qaeda still interntional criminals any sincerely loyal Yemen citizen, be it military or otherwise, would not seek to hand over this opportunity to global criminals and the risk of invasion similar to Libya. I think this is all good. There may even be a media event by al Qaeda to confuse the issue and seek loyalty, but, it will be all propaganda.
I would not venture the opinion that this is a 'power vacuum' yet. I don't believe it is. There has to be attempts by other nations to validate the authority in control of the country and move on that knowledge to bring alliances and potential for hope that will carry loyalty from the people to the new government. The people need 'order' and not chaos to allow NGOs (Red Cresent) to safely help them to insure their new democracy rather than allow it to fall into chaos and anarchy. Anarchy will kill them. They will understand that all too soon if that occurs.
Good luck.
