With Jordan and Yemen the latest governments caught in a rising tide of pro-democracy protests, American diplomats are at a loss for words to explain the official about-face to once-friendly Arab regimes.

World News Brief: US Attorney investigating gun allegations against Washington Wizard NBA player Gilbert Arena.

The confrontation with al-Qaida’s branch in Yemen gained new urgency after the failed attempt on Christmas Day to bomb a U.S. airliner headed to Detroit.