Community | September 18, 2009 | 6 comments

Is Yemen the next failed state?

source: http://www.economist.com/world/middleeast-africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14413282

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afitzgerald

http://www.economist.com/world/middleeast-africa/displaystory.cfm?sto...

About a month ago, we posted the below video of Yemeni forces battling Shi'ite rebels. This week, the Economist reports that things are getting no better in the Middle Eastern nation. In fact, they go so far as to ask whether Yemen is gearing up to be the world's next failed state. The story paints a picture of Yemeni government forces pitted against a powerful clan, the Houthi family:

"The Houthis style themselves mujahideen, in the manner of the guerrillas who chased the Russians out of Afghanistan. Their slogan—“Death to America! Death to Israel! Curse upon the Jews! Victory to Islam!”—would suggest a link to global jihadists. But most of their adherents belong to the Zaydi sect, a normally quietist branch of Shia Islam that is unique to Yemen and which most Sunnis regard as quaintly schismatic."

The last thing this region needs is more instability. As Vanguard's Christof Putzel and Kaj Larsen reported, famously unstable Somalia just across the Red Sea is already spreading its problems to Yemen's shores.
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    Community,   Current Tonight,   News_Featured
  2. tags:
    News,  Middle East,  News_Featured,  Yemen
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6 comments // Is Yemen the next failed state?

  • courage
  • macGiant
    • 0
      macGiant  

    • @reaper:
      If you had read the linked article (or had some common sense) you'd have learned that large-scale bombings have little effect on guerilla. Quite to the opposite such acts only drive bystanders and 3rd parties to join the rebels!

      Here's a quote from the article for every1 too lazy to look it up himself: "Much of the reason for their [the rebels] success lies with the army itself. Its aerial bombing and artillery fire have proved better at enraging locals than at subduing bands of guerrillas; and its induction of tribal allies has pushed their traditional rivals into the Houthis’ arms."

    • 3 years ago
  • freecrack
  • Reaper26
  • samthesixth
  • afitzgerald
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