Attacks on maritime traffic Red Sea He directed the attention of the international press to the militias Houthisthe most populous part under control YemenA country that has suffered the devastation of a forgotten civil conflict for 10 years. Mark N. Katz, professor of Politics and Government at George Mason University and non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, is considered one of the top experts on Yemen and explains to EL PERIÓDICO of the Prensa Ibérica group who these militias are. and what were they in mind when they decided to become involved in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in this way?
Before 2014, we had not heard of the Houthis when they entered the capital Sanaa. Why did they decide to become a great power in the Arabian Peninsula?
It is not true that they appeared in 2014. They were already fighting against Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2006. They come from the northernmost part of the country. They are Zaydi Shiites. It has ties to the theocratic monarchy regime that ruled the country before 1962. The country gained independence after the First World War, and from then until 1962 two imams ruled the country. When the second imam died, the third remained in office for only a week and was overthrown by republicans supported by Egyptian leader Nasser. Egyptians settled there, but Nasser eventually called Yemen ‘Egypt’s Vietnam’ and withdrew in 1967. In 1970, the Saudis recognized the Republicans in an agreement. Apart from the royal family itself, the defenders of the monarchy were united. Yemen was a state highly dependent on Saudi Arabia for 20 years.
So what happened next?
Abdullah Salih came to power in 1978. During his rule, he killed one of the Houthi leaders, and the survivors chose to rebel. Approximately six riots were recorded between 2006 and 2014. It should be noted that the Houthis are a different branch of Shiism because they were not initially affiliated with Iran. With the Arab Spring in 2011, the president was forced to resign but remained in the country. He still had power and allied with the Houthis against other rivals. In 2017, with the support of Saudi Arabia, he was going to betray the Houthis and they killed him.
Who bears the brunt of human rights violations in the war between the Riyadh-led alliance and the Houthis?
There is no good or bad. There are many actors conflicting with each other in Yemen. It was very popular when the Houthis entered the capital Sanaa. It is clearly seen in the videos.
Why did they decide to join the Gaza conflict in the blink of an eye? Is there someone pushing them?
Maybe. The Iranians came to support the Houthis long after they gained their current power. And they sent weapons. But look, everyone in Yemen is armed. I’ve been there six times and everyone has a gun; man, woman, child. The Iranians only sent them more modern weapons. There are more factors (for attacking ships). It is clear that they are no longer popular, the attacks on ships have made them even more popular, they can present themselves as a real legitimate power. Moreover, Yemen is the country where the Palestine issue is experienced more emotionally. For the same reason, I believe the US has no choice but to attack. A militia cannot be allowed to obstruct maritime traffic in the Red Sea. It is unknown whether it will be effective, but doing nothing would be worse. And the Houthis are very happy with this. They like confrontation. This makes them feel good.
What is Russia’s role?
In the war in Yemen, unlike in Syria, where Russia and Iran support Assad, the Russians have good relations, at least publicly, with all parties other than the jihadists. It was something the USSR already did in the 80s, then they supported the communist guerrilla and the government of North Yemen. Putin does this too. It’s hard to imagine that they were pushed into the fire, last night we saw a Houthi missile almost hit a Russian ship. What Moscow is doing is using the conflict to emphasize that everything is the United States’ fault. Instead of supporting the Houthis, they are trying to gain benefits by opposing the Americans. There have been accusations that the Houthis were trained by Wagner in Sudan, but no one has been able to provide evidence.
What will happen next?
The Houthis say they are doing this because of the war in Gaza. If it stops, maybe they will stop too. The Saudis must be very angry. For years they heard criticism of their bombings, they were told they had to stop bombing the Houthis. The attacks served to prevent rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
Is the military campaign effective?
The Anglo-Americans are trying to destroy the bases from which these attacks were carried out. However, Yemen is mountainous and it is easy to hide weapons. Their abilities may decrease, but I think it’s very difficult to completely eliminate attacks. The campaign is not very intense. The Houthis do not need to keep up the pressure all the time, they can set the tempo.
How will it affect the peace process?
There is a ceasefire that has expired and is respected. The Saudis thought this was going to be a march, and they realized they always stumbled in Yemen. They no longer want to return to war, they know there is no military victory.
Source: Informacion
James Sean is a writer for “Social Bites”. He covers a wide range of topics, bringing the latest news and developments to his readers. With a keen sense of what’s important and a passion for writing, James delivers unique and insightful articles that keep his readers informed and engaged.