Part of the Conflict and Cultural Heritage Conference. Theme 2: Why is this happening? Understanding ISIL and other Islamist extremism. With Dr Noel Brehony (Chair of CBRL). The turmoil and war in Yemen are leading to the destruction of cultural heritage and providing new opportunities for Al-Qa’ida and ISIS as they seek to expand their presence to areas outside Syria and Iraq and compete with each other for support. Using Yemen as an example, the lecture will examine how they draw on their experience in the Levant to seek to build political entities and use the threat to cultural heritage for political purposes. Can the successes of some Arab regimes in dealing with Al-Qa’ida now be adapted to counter the much greater threat posed by ISIS?