Jonathan Gorvett, Asia Times: Biden policy shift emboldens Yemen’s Houthi rebels
Biden's moves to freeze Saudi arms sales and drop Houthi terror designation threatens to spark more conflict than it resolves
The new US administration’s change of direction on Yemen is stirring both hope and caution as new US special envoy Timothy Lenderking readies a new peace mission and emboldened Houthi fighters return to the offensive.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price said late on February 7 that Washington was “deeply troubled by continued Houthi attacks” and urged them to “refrain from destabilizing actions.”
At the center of the renewed fighting is the key strategic city and airfield of Ma’rib, currently held by forces loyal to President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi’s government, which is backed by both Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
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WNU Editor: The Biden administrations decision to drop the Houthi terror designation while freezing Saudi arms sales is sending a message to the Middle East that the U.S. will shift away from supporting its traditional allies.
Or maybe they are signaling to everyone that they do not know what they are doing .... State Department Condemns Group It Removed From Terrorist List (NPR).
5 comments:
"Or maybe they are signaling to everyone that they do not know what they are doing" It is exactly that. It is like that on almost everything and it not going to be better.
I'm not to defend the administration, but Yemen is a complicated matter. The Obama administration went to to the deescalation route on Yemen, back when the Iran nuclear deal was made. Since, things on the ground changed and now beating the Houthi is not a realistic goal, it does not matter how much money or support one would pour into this conflict. While the conflict is bloody, the Houthi are in a "winning" position, and their lead grows by the day. Ever since early last year Houthi are working (among other fronts) on to capture the city of Marib, and now they are getting close to put a siege on it. If nothing mayor happens, it's almost certain, that Marib will be captured this year, and with that it's only the empty desert between the Houthis and the "safe", eastern parts of the country. That will pose a great military challenge for the forces fighting the Houthi, and a slippery slope for some.
-ml
winning" position, and their lead grows by the day
Starving for a few years is growing your winning position.
I always speculated that ISIS was a Saudi lead offensive into Syria, and with its defeat it seems that they can't even win battles in Yemen anymore.
This has resulted in a policy shift away from Saudi, with the Yemen food crisis, i think trading food for Yemen oil is just too profitable to not support the Yemen side.
Likewise bettering the relastions with Yemen could potentially push Iran out of the picture, in a war torn country such as this, drone strikes, assassinations and other methods can be used to implement leadership that listens to US interest. Such as Al Qaeda where the US should, over the last 10 years be highly influential as to who leads.
"I always speculated that ISIS was a Saudi lead offensive into Syria"
It was also speculated that Qatar was behind Islamists in Syria too. Qatar and the Saudi dynasties hate each other. Soooooooo Saudi Arabia is behind ISIS in Syria?
UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and others are behind ISIS or other groups in Syria. ISIS is also autochthonous.
You could take Qatar, Al Qaeda, Saudi Arabia, UAE and other out of the equation and you would still have protests/uprising in Syria. Arab Spring was a real thing. It is very real. It is so real that Hafez had to line up tanks shoulder to shoulder and blast Hama into rubble in 1982. Liberals stood around with their thumbs up their butts and then linked their thumbs afterwards.
The fighting and hatred in Syria is real. Sure people are passing the ammunition, but the hatred is real. Fake votes and political prisons tend to to do that.
Russia would dump the flacid Bashir in a New York minute if Turkey would lease them the Iskander port facilities.
Iran and Russia are the only reason Syria is still run by a minority of the Shia minority.
I look for Saudi Arabia to take and keep 20%of North Yemen and perhaps more once Spindly Legs and President "Boots in the Air & Legs Spread" run down the US military. The Israelis will back Saudi Arabia. The Houthis should make peace now.
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