From the archive: September 2004 Houthi eliminated, Yemen pushes central power

President Saleh could use the rebel cleric’s death to launch a new campaign to bring central government control to Yemen’s tribal lands Following the death of Zaydi cleric Sheikh Hussein Badr Al-Din Al-Houthi in a shoot-out with security forces in the northern mountains, modernisers in Sanaa are urging President Ali Abdullah Saleh to seize the chance to assert central government authority over outlying areas where tribal loyalties still come first. But such a confrontational strategy could pose a serious test of Saleh’s iron nerve and power.