One of my main goals to come out of this project was to research a current crisis in the middle east and develop a strategy that I may think is successful. After my many weeks of researching this topic, I've come to discover that I don't think that it is reasonable anymore. My limited amount of knowledge in this area and the lack of resources available to me won't give me enough to truly put forth a solution to a crisis without looking like a fool.
However, I've decided to edit that goal just a little bit. I will still look into a crisis in the middle east and talk about the efforts that are already being made. I will also put in my own input as to how I think things are going and what may happen because of it. I think this is a more appropriate goal to have for someone of my age and experience level.
Yemen Crisis
I've decided to look into the ongoing crisis in Yemen for my project this week. I didn't previously know much about what was going on in the country, and I didn't think other people knew much about it as well which is why I decided to go with it.
What's Going On?
For the past few years, Yemen has been involved in an ongoing civil war. A group of Iranian-supported Shia rebels known as the Houthis have been the main oppressors in this conflict.
Back in January of this year, the Houthis forced the resignation of the current Sunni president, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, (pictured below) who had succeeded the president that they were loyal to.
Yemen is a very strategic country due to its location. It may be the poorest arab country, but it has direct access to the Bab al Mandab which the small waterway where most of the world's oil travels on. Whoever ends up controlling Yemen may also control the oil flow.
Who Else is Involved?
There are 2 other major influences on Yemen's civil war. Iran, which is Shia ruled, seems to be backing and supporting the Houthis. On the other hand, the Sunni ruled Saudi Arabia is backing up President Hadi.
Saudi Arabia is increasingly concerned with the Iran presence in this crisis due to the fact that Yemen and Saudi Arabia directly share a border. Iran is a major regional rival to Saudi Arabia. Their presence would be too close for comfort.
To make matters worse, Al Qaeda supporters are also in the area waging there own war against the government and Houthis. Is peace ever possible in this nation?
Foreign Intervention
Saudi Arabia, being major Hadi supporters, are now keeping the president refuge in their country. The Saudis also believe that military action is necessary to help restore the government.
Egypt also pledged their navy and air force if necessary, to help President's Hadi's cause. This can be very useful because Egypt has the largest army in the Arab world.
America has backed Saudi Arabia in this ongoing conflict and even sent an armada of warships to the Yemeni Coast. This was to serve as a warning to Iran not to rearm the Houthis with weapons. Yemen is an important country to the US as they have been a partner to us involving Al-Qaeda. After having to pull Americans from the area for safety concerns, we no longer have any eyes and ears open to Al-Qaeda movements in the area.
Loyal Militants
Airstrikes
Beginning last month, Saudi Arabia began launching airstrikes in rebel areas. This slowed down the Houthi's advance, but still seemed to worry others as to how effective they will be.
As of Today (April 22, 2015), the Saudis attacked southern Yemen in another series of airstrikes. This prompted the Houthi's to finally call for peace talks. Saudi Arabia had said yesterday that they would stop there operation of airstrikes and move forward with "Operation Renewal of Hope". The airstrikes today raised some questions as to why they happened. Regardless of why they did it, the airstrikes seem to have worked.
The Saudis aim to restore the government in Yemen which would be a huge aid to the US because they can get their eyes on Al-Qaeda back. The Houthis have reportedly agreed to nearly all the demands of the UN Security Council.
What's Next?
The Saudi Embassy has said that their next goal in this process is to protect citizens, enhance humanitarian and medical assistance, confront terrorism, and create an international coalition to provide maritime security. They want to bring back security through a political process.
My Thoughts
It was really interesting to learn about all that was going on that I knew very little about. This story is continuing to unfold and will be interesting to see how this all holds up in the coming days.
I think the counter terrorism tactics used by Saudi Arabia were effective and reasonable. The airstrikes may have seen like a lost cause at first, but today was proven to be effective.
I've always believed that this nation will never be at peace. This problem may seem like it's winding down, but it's only a matter of time before something else happens in Yemen, or in another unrelated country. There will always be someone using counter terrorism strategies.
Bibliography
Gura, David. "The Crisis in Yemen Explained." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 27 Mar. 2015. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.
"The Crisis in Yemen: What You Need to Know." The New York Times. The New York Times, 25 Mar. 2015. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.
"Explained: The Main Players in the Yemen Conflict." ABC News. American Broadcasting Corporation, 08 Apr. 2015. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.
Tafeeq, Mohammed. "Saudi Planes Strike Again in Yemen - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, 22 Apr. 2015. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.
