After Anwar al-Awlaki’s death in September, President Obama described it as a “significant milestone in the broader effort to defeat al-Qaeda and its affiliates.” Five months later, the al-Qaeda-linked militant group, Ansar al-Sharia, remains a powerful force in Yemen. At least 185 Yemeni troops were killed in a militant attack on Saturday. Meanwhile, Ansar al-Sharia is also claiming it recently assassinated a CIA officer in Aden. Yemeni officials have confirmed a U.S. security team was attacked, but denied there were any casualties.