[jessaustin]

But when the world asks why America has forgotten Yemen and other conflicts like it, that has the situation backward. The truth is that inattention is the default, not the exception.

It's backward, but for a completely different reason. When has USA "attention" ever helped a war situation? "The world" should be careful what they wish for.

[Retric]

- When has USA "attention" ever helped a war situation?

Depends on what side you are on. Abstractly, I would say WWII was a fairly widespread net benefit, though a strong case could be made for the Korean war and several other more recent conflicts. Though, considering this stuff was before I was born that's tricky.

[jessaustin]

You're right, various situations from the 1950s and before might well qualify. The distance of decades makes it difficult to judge.