Yemen - a catch all thread for 2007-2011

[davidbfpo]

Copied from the 'What are you reading' thread, hat tip to Sandman:

Just finished ARABIAN ASSIGNMENT written by David Smiley commander of the British involvement in the Middle East during the 60’s. Of particular interest was his work in Yemen. I had forgotten that the U.S. favored the Egyptian invasion while the British supported the Saudi backing of the Emir’s guerrillas. Smiley’s constant struggles with the various tribes’ he tried to unite, helps to provide a window into politics in that country today.

I'd forgotten that the UK-US 'special relationship' did not apply to the Yemeni civil war in the 1960's and the UK ruled Aden 1839-1967, with a relationship with the rest of what was then called South Yemen.

[davidbfpo]

The BBC's Middle East reporter Paul Wood after a visit to the Yemen writes: http://www.spectator.co.uk/essays/al...rn-power.thtml

Opens with this sub-title:

The Yemeni government tolerated and made deals with the terrorists, writes Paul Wood. But US intervention would only unite the whole country behind bin Laden.

and ends with:

The same realities which mean the US must, for the time being, fight only a proxy war in Yemen also mean that President Saleh does not have complete freedom of action, however much western money, arms and training he receives. Yemen is a lesson in the limits of Western power, but one learned early and therefore perhaps less expensively than in Afghanistan or Iraq.

[davidbfpo]

The BBC TV 'Hard Talk' interviewed the Yemeni Foreign Minister and the IPod is on:http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qg6xf (quite long) and without a summary.

Summary found here on Reuters
:http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60P1LD20100126

Qirbi ruled out allowing a U.S. military base on Yemeni soil or covert foreign operations in the country.

"We will undertake it ourselves. Why do we need outside soldiers to fight when we can do the fight ourselves?".

He said the government had mistakenly allowed foreign intervention in 2002, when a U.S. missile strike killed an al Qaeda leader suspected of planning the 2000 suicide bombing of the U.S. warship Cole.

"It proved to be a terrible mistake, and this is why we don't want to repeat it. We have to do it ourselves and anybody who is interested will have to support us.

I think that means, minus diplomacy, "give us the money". Now have we, especially the US taxpayer, heard that before many times? No, rhetorical question and no answers required.

[Vahid]

Unfortunately, so many of the comments that I have read here fall short of thrusting to the limelight the genuine instigators of the situation in Yemen. While much of the soul-searching appears to be blaming the Yemeni government for being acquiescent on the growth of terrorism in the country, the core of the blame should be cast on the dreary social and economical indicators in Yemen. In other words, rampant illiteracy, a bare-breaking patriarchy that has thwarted the emancipation of women, diminishing oil resources, and a blind eye turned by the Americans to despotism that reigns in the country. In respect of these indicators, Yemen bears a striking resemblance to Pakistan, where such trends have also been alarmingly widespread.

Although Yemen's northern neighbour, Saudi Arabia, cannot entirely wash its hands from the tendencies of terrorism inside the country, Saudi Arabia still cannot be considered to be a fertile zone as far as the growth and appeal of terrorism is concerned by virtue of the oil revenues that the government has been using to stifle unrest. Notwithstanding, in the case of Yemen, we are mentioning the imposition of similar cultural and political repression minus the oil. Hence, not only the government has been smothering the population, but it has been inept at providing the populace with their fundamental needs. Thus, the lure of terrorism to the disaffected stratum of the population.

[davidbfpo]

Vahid,

Your comment:

Unfortunately, so many of the comments that I have read here fall short of thrusting to the limelight the genuine instigators of the situation in Yemen.

is noted. We have tried to offer some insight from those who have studied and commented on the Yemen. IIRC no-one on SWC has personal experience of the country and so our comments are based on watching other places, yes including Pakistan.

I know my own strategic view is influenced by wishing to stay out of what is a complex and difficult country.

[davidbfpo]

Two stories from a number as the diplomatic conference on the Yemen looms closer:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...012602205.html

This is a quick summary: http://cominganarchy.com/2010/01/26/...raphy-matters/ and hat tip to Zenpundit who highlights how the Yemeni tribes fight and get paid, by the Saudis (with emphasis added):

The Saudis are guilty of aggravating and prolonging the conflict. Wary of taking too many losses on the ground and unable to do much by air and sea, they have recruited the Hashed, a local tribe, to fight against the Huthi, the tribe central to the Shia rebels. The Hashed have several incentives to continue fighting for as long as possible—they have a long-standing feud with the Huthi, and make a great deal of money from fighting for the Saudis, and may be coming up with schemes to prolong the conflict. According to a source of Al Jazeera:

If [the Hashed are] given the mission of taking a particular mountain, for example, they’ll call up the Huthi leaders and tell them: ‘We’re getting five million riyals to take the mountain. We’ll split it with you if you withdraw tonight and let us take over’… After the tribesmen take charge, they hand it over to the Saudis… The next day, the Huthi return and defeat the Saudis and retake the mountain… It’s been happening like this for weeks.

[davidbfpo]

A rather unusual, short article:http://yemenpost.net/Detail123456789...1804&MainCat=6 The Yemen Post is based in the Yemen and has an English website. A careful look found some stories missed, I like this one:

Yemen spent only 7 percent of the pledges announced during the 2006 London Donor Conference, UK's Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said, pointing out that donors promised $ 5.7 billion in 2006, out of which 81 percent was allocated and 40 percent signed.

Link:http://yemenpost.net/Detail123456789...1814&MainCat=3