Hugh Naylor, Washington Post: Yemen is turning into Saudi Arabia’s Vietnam
BEIRUT — Eight months after launching a war in Yemen, Saudi Arabia appears trapped in a protracted and devastating conflict that is straining relations with its allies, intensifying internal power struggles and emboldening its regional rival, Iran, analysts say.
Since March, the key U.S. ally has led a coalition of mostly Gulf Arab countries and Yemeni fighters in a military campaign to drive out Iranian-aligned rebels who seized the capital, Sanaa, and swaths of the Arabian Peninsula country.
But the coalition appears increasingly hobbled by divisions and unable to find a face-saving way to end the costly conflict.
The rebels, known as Houthis, still control much of Yemen’s north. And in southern areas where the coalition has driven them out, lawlessness has spread as attacks linked to an Islamic State affiliate wreak havoc.
Yemen War News Updates -- November 13, 2015
Worshippers killed as bomb hits Yemen mosque in Houthi-dominated region: residents -- Reuters
24 Yemen rebels dead after coalition strikes, fighting -- AFP
Iran-backed rebels retake positions in south Yemen -- AFP
First Qatari soldier killed in Yemen -- Gulf News
Yemeni officials say hundreds of Sudanese troops arrive in Yemen's Aden -- AP
Arab Air Forces Switch Focus from Syria to Yemen -- AIN Online
UAE troops deploy at Presidential Palace in Aden -- Emirates 24/7
UAE officer denies Yemen civilian deaths caused by air power -- Reuters
Rebels 'not serious' about peace talks: Yemen FM -- AFP
Saudi backs Yemen talks in Geneva -- Khaleej Times
Calls for investigation into Saudi Arabia's actions in Yemen -- The Guardian
US general ‘impressed’ with work of Saudi-led coalition in Yemen -- Gulf News
Saudi Arabia’s Unsavory Allies in Yemen Could Make Things Really Awkward for the US -- Samuel Oakford, VICE News
Saudi-Led Coalition Announces Final Phase in Yemen Operations, But Analysts Disagree -- Defense News
The Saudi military campaign in Yemen, 8 months on -- Mahmoud Barakat, Middle East Monitor
The Failure of Saudi Intervention in Yemen -- Khairuldeen Al Makhzoomi, Huffington Post
3 comments:
Yes, the Saudis and pals are having a rough go of it in Yemen, but Vietnam, no. The U.S. lost fifty thousand in a decade of fighting. The Saudis have neither the ability nor the inclination to spend that amount of lives or time in Yemen; not to mention money. If they're smart (and they're not very) they'll pull out now and take their lumps.
RRH,
When Egypt invaded Yemen in the late '60's, they lost 80,000 men, and millions of tons of equiptment, despite resorting to chemical weapons attacks.
In Egyptian Military Studies, it is referred to a Egypt's "Vietnam", and Egypt's greatest defeat, not just because the Egyptian Military was defeated by "backwards Hill Tribes", but also because the losses had not been replaced by the time of the Yom Kippur War, and we're a significant factor in Egypt's defeat.
While KSA and the GCC can quickly replace the material losses they have suffered, the manpower losses are much more complex and will have long term impacts on the KSA and GCC ground forces.
The Houthis have been decimatimg the Saudi and its allies armed forces for months now. All I usually read here, is fake victories by the Saudi's from western media sources! WNU, I believe you need to get other less traditional news sites/sources as these are propaganda venues. I could have told you 4 months ago that the Saudi's are not just in a stalemate but are actually losing this conflict. If it wasn't for US intelligence, the Saudi's would be in a lot more danger - even an invasion into Saudi Arabia proper. These Shias Houthi's are tough and being supported by Iran. Iran is gauging just how really weak the Saudi's are barring their buying a nuclear bomb from Pakistan. I see a bad moon on the rising -ccr
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