At the present time, we are not calling for a ground advance inside Yemen, but rather assistance for the Popular Committees in terms of arms, to allow them to defeat the rebellion against legitimate President Haditha Houthis are not capable of defeating Yemen’s tribes; they are running out of arms, while Saleh has begun to betray them. Therefore, what we need is arms to repel Houthi aggression."
Hassin may be giving an overly optimistic view since western media reports claim that the Houthis are actually advancing in Aden in spite of the bombing and there is no reported desertion of Saleh loyalists to the Hadi cause although that may happen eventually. Adam Schiff, a Democratic Representative from California of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence noted that Al Qaeda (AQAP) was resurging in the chaos. Last week AQAP even seized Mukalla, the capital of a province. They released at least 300 inmates from the local jail including many of their own members some of them key figures. For some time the US had touted Yemen as a success story after having their choice become an elected president--with no opponent? Hadi forces guided by Americans mounted an offensive against AQAP that cleared them out of territory they had held for some time. However, there have been constant guerrilla attacks since in spite of a continuing drone program. Now with the Houthi rebel takeover this is all lost and AQAP is forging alliances with Sunni tribes against the Houthis.
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The largest portion of the casualties have been from Saudi airstrikes though some were the result of Houthi clashes with Al Qaeda and Sunni tribes in the southwest. In spite of the air attacks, the Houthis, in tandem with the troops loyal to former president Saleh, have advanced further and have now taken part of the main southern city and port of Aden where until recently Hadi had his headquarters.
The Houthis have already captured the key district of Khor Maksar and were advancing on the presidential palace. The Khor Maksar area contains several foreign consulates and UN offices who were communicating with Hadi until he fled. There have been some clashes between the advancing rebel forces and local militias. Hadi's aides said they had no immediate plan to return to Aden. I guess not! Sources: Anti War http://news.yahoo.com/al-qaida-frees-300-inmates-yemeni-jail-094800641.html http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/04/02/Al-Qaeda-frees-300-inmates-in-Yemen-jailbreak-.html http://news.antiwar.com/2015/04/02/un-519-civilians-killed-in-two-weeks-of-yemen-fighting/
When Hadi and others in talks brokered by the UN failed to negotiate a government acceptable to the Houthis, they seized power and have been setting up their own government. Hadi was able to flee from house arrest to Aden but he was driven out of his retreat although he is still in the Aden area. He has been desperately seeking help from other countries and the UN.
For several days Saudi Arabia had been moving heavy military equipment including artillery near the border with Yemen. The Saudis are very concerned about successful advances of the Houthis who have the support of Iran. However, they also have the support of former president Saleh and a considerable number of the armed forces. The Saudis and GCC will not likely be able to simply march in and restore the rule of their favorite, Hadi , as they were able to do to control Houthi protests against the Bahraini ruler in Bahrain. The Saudi action could very well create significant protests in the eastern provinces of Saudi Arabia site of significant oil resources and with Shiite majorities. The US has evacuated its special forces from Yemen as Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula (AQAP) advanced close to their base. AQAP has allied with Sunni tribes in some areas to check the advance of the Houthis. The US has not been involved in the operations although until recently they continued carrying out drone strikes against AQAP. Suicide attacks in two Sanaa mosques that killed at least 137 people and wounded another 345 were claimed to be the work of the Islamic State. The Saudi incursion may be quite costly to them if they send in ground forces. Instead of working for a political solution the Saudis will simply add another dimension of violence and create a wider civil war. Additional Sources: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2015/03/saudi-ambassador-announces-military-operation-yemen-150325234138956.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/24/saudi-arabia-military-yemen_n_6935702.html http://rt.com/news/244117-saudi-arabia-bombs-yemen-houthis/ |
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Ken Hanly
Ken is a retired philosophy professor living in the boondocks of Manitoba, Canada, with his Filipina wife. He enjoys reading the news and writing articles. Politically Ken is on the far left of the political spectrum on many issues.
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