by ZACH ROSENBERG

The New York Times is reporting that the Yemeni government has successfully repulsed a “major offensive” by insurgents. News organizations report at least 140 insurgents killed in a battle all over the northern province of Saada, including urban fighting in the area’s major city.

The conflict in Yemen, though often ignored by major media outlets, is a full-on entrenched insurgency. Northern Yemen is considered an active war zone, home to a conflict that has killed thousands and displaced at least 100,000 people. There are indications that the Yemen conflict is proxy war: the Zaidi are Shiites fighting the U.S.- and Saudi-backed Yemen government, making them a tempting policy tool for the Iranians. The U.S. has maintained a not-so-quiet presence there for years.

While few experts believe the Zaidi to be an existential threat to the government in Saana, the Yemeni government — weak, unpopular and poor — is in no position to effectively end the insurgency through either force or negotiation. The big question is how much support outside parties are willing to give. U.S. intelligence and special forces could give the Yemenis a decisive edge (ala Ethiopia), but is the U.S. willing to risk the anger and publicity that such support would bring? Are the benefits worth the costs?

(Photo: Los Angeles Times)

* Sudanese military posing as U.N. in Darfur. (Background.)

* Civilians flee Mogadishu. (Background.)

* Kidnapped Egypt tourists now in Chad. (Background.)

* Peacekeepers smuggling weapons in Somalia?

* Israel fed jet tech to China

* Mad genius Bill Sweetman on the trail of secret U.S. airplane

* Burma lets in aid workers (did the naval threat work?)

Good:

Bad: Canada to quit Afghanistan in 2011. On the other hand, a firm exit date allows for long-range planning.

Correction: The Ares blog reports that the U.S. has deployed just 1 percent of its military to Afghanistan, as compared to 4 percent for Britain and 3 for The Netherlands. But Ares’ figures include only the NATO mission. The U.S. has 20,000 soldiers in the country who aren’t under NATO. The real percentage is closer to 2. Plus the U.S. provides the majority of the airlift, fast-jet attack force and surveillance capability.

Iran: captives stew; carriers threaten

Iraq: Congress votes for pullout; Baathists back in

Kurdistan: new refineries!; happy new year

Somalia: Burundian peacekeepers happy; Ugandans not

Afghanistan: Italians stick around

Lebanon: Iraqi bad guys in Leb refugee camps

Sudan: EU sanctions; China invests

Timor: Aussies accused … and again

Taiwan: new fighter debuts

North Korea: slowly starving

My neighborhood: traffic

Iran: sanctions refined; army shows off

Iraq: Dems’ withdrawal bill looks likely; water short

Kurdistan: Turks still pissed about rebels

Somalia: plane shot down? 

Afghanistan: Aussies grow?; border clash kills

Lebanon: war semantics; bomb defused

Sudan: bombing Chad; banning aid groups

Timor: refugees!; elections loom

Taiwan: arms sales controversy continues

North Korea: nuke talks break down

My neighborhood: subway suicide