No Clear Winners or Losers in Yemen as Conflict Rages

Little progress has been made in Saudi-led air campaign to remove Houthi rebels in control of western Yemen, the country’s most populated area. The Saudi goal is to “reverse the takeover of Yemen by rebels and restore the legitimate president, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, to power,” reports Frank Gardner for BBC News. The Houthi success “is due, not so much to any alleged support from Iran, but to the help they are getting from renegade former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has backed them with Republican Guard and other military units still loyal to him.” Some suggest sectarian conflicts fuel the conflict – Yemen is 30 percent Shia, but with beliefs that align closely with those of Sunnis rather than traditional Shia. Saudi Arabia has invested millions in its neighbor to the south, including influence with the fundamentalist ideology of Wahhabism. Gardner notes, “Iran, whose exact role in Yemen is somewhat murky, has called several times for a ceasefire, accusing their regional rivals, the Saudis, of committing genocide there.” As external forces struggle to influence Yemen, extremists take advantage of the power vacuum. – YaleGlobal