Yemen: The Pivotal Middle East Conflict No One Is Talking About

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The Federalist:

With all eyes on Syria’s disastrous civil war and the offensive against ISIS in Mosul, it’s easy to miss what’s happening in Yemen. But don’t be fooled. This impoverished country, south of Saudi Arabia along the straits between the Red and Arabian seas, is at the epicenter of the shifting international order in the Middle East.

 

Yemen is in the middle of a civil war. Since the beginning of October, the Shiite Houthi rebels have fired once on a United Arab Emirates ship and twice on two U.S. naval destroyers. But these rebels are not acting on their own. In their shadow lurks Iran, planning to reassert dominance in the region and diminish America’s role. Not surprisingly, we’re proving very cooperative in that effort.

 

How Yemen’s Civil War Began

 

In order to understand these recent naval attacks, some background is required. Like many Arab countries, Yemen took part in the Arab Spring. In early 2011, mass protests erupted, seeking the removal of then-president Ali Abdullah Saleh. After months of refusing to step down, Saleh finally ceded authority to his Vice President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, ending his 33-year rule over a cruel police state. But this transition of power did not result in Saleh’s prosecution, and was rejected by the Houthis.