that Saleh had undergone two operations in Saudi Arabia and would return to Yemen after he recovers. A U.S. official told CNN Monday that the unrest makes U.S. counterterrorism efforts in Yemen more difficult. We rely on the Yemeni government as partners, the official said. The more the government is distracted by the political unrest, the more difficult it is for us. The Yemeni government has had a big impact on acquiring information on AQAP, the official said, referring to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. If that information flow slows or stops, it inhibits our ability to gather information. CNN's Nic Robertson, Elise Labott, Pam Benson, Tim Lister and Jill Dougherty contributed to this report.