Presenting The Theater Of War; Who Controls Yemen?

中東新戰場 !

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Curious to learn more about Yemen, and why over just 24 hours it has become the location of the latest war in the middle east? Then the following brief summary on the balance of power, or lack thereof, in Yemen from Stratfor should provide some useful background information.

From Stratfor

Who controls Yemen?

While the al-Houthi movement struggles to manage multiple regional challenges in northern Yemen, its rise to power is a setback for Saudi Arabia. After the fall of the Yemeni government, Riyadh will have to capitalize on the al-Houthis' need for political and financial support to re-establish its influence in the country. But because Iran is trying to fill that support gap, too, Yemen has become another battlefront for the two sectarian rivals.

Since Yemen's president was driven from the capital of Sanaa in September, Yemen's government has been at war with itself. President Abd Rabboh Mansour Hadi issued a statement March 19 denouncing the airstrikes on his compound in the southern port city of Aden as an attempted military coup by forces loyal to his predecessor and onetime ally, former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Earlier that day, soldiers and militiamen loyal to Hadi battled their way into Aden's airport and stormed a nearby military base, both of which were under the control of Gen. Abdel-Hafez al-Saqqaf, a Saleh loyalist.

The al-Houthis represent a change in the balance of power in Yemen that has opened the door for Iran to become a major player in what was the exclusive domain of Saudi Arabia not long ago. While Saudi Arabia has long meddled in Yemen, Riyadh lost sight of developments in the country while focusing on other regional fights. It was not that Saudi Arabia was not paying attention to Yemen, it just was not expecting Iran to gain ground on its southern frontier via a movement that is not traditionally Shiite and, in fact, is theologically closer to Sunni Islam.

The Saudis see the al-Houthis as a possible threat from Iran. How the Saudis engage with the group and try to distance it from Iran will be a key factor to watch. Meanwhile, Yemen's deteriorating security situation has created another Saudi-Iranian geopolitical struggle that will last into the foreseeable future.

on.cc東網專訊

【on.cc東網專訊】 沙特阿拉伯駐美國大使朱比爾表示，該國在當地時間周三，空襲陷入內戰的也門，打擊當地什葉派叛軍「青年運動」的重要據點。與此同時，沙特表示成立有最少10國參加的聯盟，將行動以避免也門落入「青年運動」之手。

朱比爾指，空襲於本港時間今晨7時展開，行動旨在保護「青年運動」攻擊的也門總統哈迪及其政府。也門官員表示，空襲目標包括一個特種部隊軍營。該特種部隊曾獲美國訓練，受支持「青年運動」的也門前總統薩利赫控制。其他目標包括首都薩那的導彈基地，及基地中的燃油儲存。「青年運動」發表聲明，指沙特戰機攻擊一個空軍基地，「青年運動」用防空導彈反擊。

沙特阿拉伯、阿聯酋、科威特、巴林和卡塔爾發表聯合聲明，表示已決定採取行動，保護也門，對抗「青年運動」民兵的侵略，但聲明未有透露其他參與軍事行動國家的名單以及他們擔當的角色。沙特指聯盟有逾10國參加。什葉派叛軍「青年運動」於去年9月控制了首都薩那。今年1月，組織佔領總統府，哈迪其後逃到亞丁，在該處恢復行使總統職權。惟由於叛軍逼近，報道指他於當地時間周三已逃離亞丁。有報道引述消息指，哈迪已乘船逃離至與亞丁一海之隔的非洲國家吉布提。

on.cc東網專訊

【on.cc東網專訊】 沙特阿拉伯於周三對也門展開空襲，當地傳媒指，沙特將投入100架戰鬥機、15萬士兵，以對抗什葉派叛軍「青年運動」。

半島電視台報道，除了阿聯酋、科威特、巴林和卡塔爾外，埃及、巴基斯坦、約旦、摩洛哥和蘇丹亦「表達參與作戰的意願」，參與在也門的軍事行動。據悉，部分上述國家亦會準備參與地面進攻，當中埃及除了出動海陸空三軍之外，亦會提供政治援助。而沙特空襲的行動，則成功摧毀大批「青年運動」戰機，進一步鞏固了也門的禁飛區。