Comments on: Yemen On The Brink – by Stephen Brown

By: Clenched Against Yemen Until All-Out Regional War Is Now A Real Possibility | Is Iran's Fist Still Clenched

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 07:07:54 +0000

[...] Yemen On The Brink – by Stephen Brown: It is Yemen’s northern area, particularly the Saada region, which is beginning to attract international attention. A bitter civil war there is threatening to turn into a regional conflict pitting Iran against Saudi Arabia. A rebellion among Saada’s Shiite tribes, called the Houthis (the name of the clan leading the revolt), against Yemen’s central government has seen the two rival Muslim states stake out sides in the conflict. [...]

By: gh

gh — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:26:51 +0000

I think it's great that shias and sunnis kill each other in the name of allah.
Let's hope that this time they do a good job.

By: Robert Bernier

Robert Bernier — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:19:49 +0000

The war against Hizbullah does not concern Israel only.
Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Iranian-sponsored army Hezbollah, which is once again armed with thousands of rockets, says the next attack on Israel is not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’. What is needed now, immediately and urgently, are thoughtful and coherent guidelines concerning national defense, deterrence, targeting and even preemption (anticipatory self-defense). In order to destroy the Hizbullah Israel should not hesitate to attack Syria and inflict the country severe damages. We can also fight with the rools of the terrorist as explained at : http://israelagainstterror.blogspot.com/2008/08...

By: PMMc

PMMc — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:50:44 +0000

I hate not being able to trust any source of information. I hope the site owners clarify why they made the statements they did and make sence of the previous posters comments.

By: Linda

Linda — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:16:20 +0000

Why isn't there ever any good news from Yemen?

By: ciccio

ciccio — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:00:24 +0000

Next on the agenda: UN food aid needs millions for Yemen.
UNHCR pleads for Yemen aid
Global warming devastates Yemen crops.
Yemeni refugees flood Europe.
UN resolution to halt Yemen fighting.
National Geographic Special:
Yemen, the first country to fall to global warming.

By: Decade in Yemen

Decade in Yemen — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:53:45 +0000

Much of the above analysis is reasonable, but some wacky statements jump out:

"Saudi Arabia’s oil fields lie just across Yemen’s northern border."

Across 1,000+ km of uninhabited desert. Nothing that happens in Yemen threatens Saudi oil. Saudis are their own worst enemies.

"...reportedly sent combatants from its own Revolutionary Guards as well as from Hezbollah..."

Reported by whom? No credible evidence of any foreign fighters (e.g., bodies) exists. It is impossible to hide foreigners in Yemen unless they are dead. Children spot you at half a kilometer and come to ask for pens or candy. The same applies to the reported capture of an Iranian boat. Why have they not shown the boat or prisoners on TV?

"Yemen’s Shiite rebellion, ... has both religious and economic overtones."

Sorry, but it is really local politics by other means. The Houthis are Zaydi. The President (like most tribal northerners) is Zaydi. The fight is for recognition, money and power.

"The Saudis will then erect an anti-infiltration fence along the 1,500 kilometer Yemeni-Saudi border."

The fence is not new, and has nothing to do with Houthis. It was started after the border treaty to stop migrant workers and smuggling. It could never prevent armed incursions.

"...Egypt wound up gradually committing 70,000 troops to an eight-year civil war in northern Yemen that only ended in a stalemate."

It was messy, but the side Egypt backed ultimately won a decisive victory. That is how the Yemen Arab Republic, now Republic of Yemen was born.

Please be careful with facts.