WASHINGTON, D.C. - Days after violent riots swept Yemen and brought death and destruction on a scale that would dwarf the Syrian uprising, grainy YouTube videos and frantic phone calls have caught the watchful eye of Pentagon officials.

Initially dismissed as the ravings of khat-addled villagers, stories emerged of demonic, larger-than-life warriors laying waste to huge swathes of the countryside in a never ending thirst for blood.

The sudden spike in horrific reports from the Arabian Peninsula prompted the US Department of Defense to call a press conference. They announced that during protests at the U.S. embassy, Navy Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) 3rd class Melvin Goldstein, who was dispatched to Yemen for liaison duties with the State Department, had gone missing.

A washout from the Nuclear Power Training Command, Goldstein’s job included translating for State Department leadership and promoting military partnerships between both nations’ diplomatic communities. It was confirmed that he went missing immediately after the demonstrations ceased.