The Yemen Conflict and Saudi Arabias Intervention - Coursework Example

The Yemen Conflict and Saudi Arabia’s Intervention Introduction The Republic of Yemen is an Arab located in the Middle East. The country is the second largest nation in the Arabian Peninsula behind Saudi Arabia. Yemen borders the nations of Oman and Saudi Arabia. The capital city of the country is Sana’a, which acts as the administrative and legislative headquarters. The Republic of Yemen was formed in a merger between North Yemen and South Yemen1. The country has a population of about 24 million people. The main religion in Yemen is Islam with smaller populations of Jews, Christians and Hindus. Sunni Muslims comprise the majority of the Islamic population with Shia Muslims being the minority. Arabic is the official language of the nation. The backbone of the Yemeni economy is petroleum but agriculture, manufacturing, and the services sector play important roles. Agriculture and the services sector are the biggest employers in the country even though around a third of the Yemeni population is unemployed2. In regards to governance, the President is the head of state while the Prime Minister heads the government. Yemen is fundamentally a democratic republic with an elected legislature. The legislature shares authority with the Shura Council. The Shura Council comprises of 111 members who are appointed by a presidential directive. The country has had a long history of civil strife and political uprisings. In the Yemen conflict so far, over 500 neutrals have been killed, 200 children have died, around 1500 cibilians have been injured, and over 150,000 people have been displaced3. The paper will examine the cause of the Yemen conflict, the parties involved, and the impact of the intervention by Saudi Arabia, which has yielded diminutive results. Research will be carried out into whether Saudi Arabia’s intervention was a necessary intervention or a cause fueled by self-interest. Parties Involved in the Yemen Conflict The conflict in Yemen involves many parties, both internal and external, with varying interest in the outcome of the strife. The main parties entangled in the conflict are the Houthis, former President Saleh, ousted President Hadi, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the United States. The Houthis The Houthis, sometimes referred to as Ansar Allah, is a Zaydi Islamist group of people. The group takes its name from their deceased leader, Hussein Badredin al-Houthi who was allegedly killed by the Yemeni army in 2004 after trying to start an insurgency to overthrow President Saleh’s government. A majority of Houthis originate from the northern parts of Yemen. The Houthis movement was initiated in the 1980s as a religious movement. The movement grew over time by recruiting many people especially the youth. The invasion of Iraq in 2003 led to the radicalization of the Houthis who fervently supported the move. The Houthis continued to grow and adapted anti-Semite and Anti-American ideologies. The government of President Saleh took note of the rapid growth and radicalization of the group and instigated plans to curb it. The then Houthis leader Hussein arrested several Houthis leading to an insurgency4. The supposed death of Hussein under the army led to further discomfort among the Houthis who sporadically tried to overthrow the government with little success. After the 2011 Yemen Revolution, the Houthis grew in military strength due to the weakened governance structures. The Houthis were able to sufficiently arm themselves and grow in number by opposing the failed transition negotiations. After the revolution, the Houthis took control of El Jawf, Hajah, and Saada. In 2014, the Houthis took control of Sana’a with the aid of military forces loyal to former President Saleh. In 2015, the group took over the government and exiled President Hadi. The Houthis are believed to receive support from Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah. Hadi’s government in collaboration with Islah, AQAP and Saudi Arabia are the main opponents of the Houthis. The Houthis are principally opposed to a Sunni government in Yemen and increased influence by Saudi Arabia and the United States5. Iran Iran is the main international ally of the Houthis. The country reportedly trained Houthi militia and provided them with armory before and during the conflict. Iran is also believed to be financing the insurgents. The conflict between the Houthis and the government is viewed as part of Middle East conflict between the Shia majority Iran and the Sunni majority Saudi Arabia (Tisdall). Iran has however denied claims that is was arming the Houthi fighters or economically supporting them. Strong opposition met the Saudi Arabia intervention by the Iranian government that termed the air strikes as perilous and unprecedented. Iran is allegedly backing the Houthis due to shared religious ideologies being that they are both followers of Shia Islam. Former President Abdullah Saleh Saleh was toppled in 2011 during the Yemen Revolution. Despite the deposition, Saleh continues to wield great influence within the military. He remained popular with a section of Yemenis who had become dissatisfied with the pace of transition. Military forces loyal to Saleh aided the Houthis in the 2014 insurgency and have continued to offer them support. The Houthi takeovers of Sana’a, Taiz and Dhale have been greatly aided by the Saleh-led forces. Despite the former disputes with the Houthis, Saleh hopes to secure their support in his quest to return to power. President Abd Rabbuh Mansour al-Hadi President Hadi is currently exiled in Saudi Arabia after being ousted from power in 2015 by Houthi forces. The international community widely recognizes Hadi as the legitimate head of the Yemeni government. Hadi reached a peace agreement with rebel forces in 2014 to share power. Hadi resigned in 2015 and fled to Saudi Arabia after Houthi forces took over the presidential compound. However, he has later annulled his resignation. Hadi receives military support from loyal army forces, Islah, Saudi Arabia and AQAP6. Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia has been the most vocal supporter of ousted leader President Hadi. Hadi fled to Saudi Arabia after being exiled in early 2015. Its support of the Sunni led Hadi government is seen as an extension of the proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran7. Saudi Arabia aims to stop the Houthi forces who it perceives as hostile to regional peace. Saudi Arabia has led air strikes against Houthi forces and military loyal to Saleh in hopes of reinstating Hadi as the President. Kuwait has supported Saudi Arabia in its efforts to bring stability to Yemen. The United States The US has strongly backed Saudi Arabia in its efforts to contain the conflict. The US government has provided the Saudi Arabian military with intelligence reports that have aided it in launching air strikes. The US military has not been directly involved in efforts to stop the insurgency. The US is motivated by the need to secure the Saidi Arabia and Yemen border and to provide passage petroleum from the Middle East to the US. Origin of the Yemen Conflict The Yemen conflict is a continuing internal conflict that began in 2015. The conflict involves two groups that lay claim to the Yemeni government. The conflict has built over from years of conflict and revolt perpetrated by the Houthi. The struggle between the two sides began in the early 21st century when the Houthis attempted to overturn the government. The attempt failed and the rebels attempted more revolts over the years with little success. Both sides signed peace accords but over the years, the treaties were sidelines leading to a return to conflict. During the Yemeni Revolution in 2011, Houthis leaders proclaimed support for the revolutionist. The Houthis supported the overthrow of the then President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, who they claimed was holding on to power forcefully and maligning the Shia8. After the overthrow of President Abdullah, various political groups reached a consensus and agreed upon a road map to rebuild the country and instill reform. The process was almost seamless at the beginning with a few hurdles but reasonable achievements were reached. However, the groups could not agree on the way to share power between them. Some groups demanded more power due to their influence and role in the success of the revolution while others supported equalpower sharing. Another cause of disagreement was the issue of integration of various religious groups including the Houthis into the country’s governance structure9. The political parties concluded dialogue in 2014 without amicable resolutions to the disputed issues. Despite the dialogue, the political landscape had very little change with the old decision-making structures remaining in place. The Houthi remained disillusioned with the country’s governance even after the Yemen Revolution in 2011. Their disenchantment was further fueled by the reluctance of the political parties to incorporate them into the governance structure. Between 2011 and 2014, the Houthis accumulated a lot of military power due to the absence of proper political reform and perceived discrimination. The Houthis regularly criticized the transition process that seemed to reach no tangible conclusion10. In July 2014, President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi removed fuel subsidies. The removal of the subsidies greatly enraged the Houthis who organized protest calling for the reinstatement of the fuel subsidies and the installation of a new government. Supporters of President Hadi, comprising mainly of the Sunni Muslim party, opposed the demonstrations and held counter protests in support of the president11. Full-blown clashes ensued in September 2014 leading to the capture and control of the capital, Sana’a by rebel Houthis forces. After the skirmishes, the UN arbitrated a peace agreement between the Houthis and the government. The Houthis however warred with forces allied to Islah and AQAP. The military was divided into two factions, one led by Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar that supported the government while another loyal to former President Saleh that aligned itself with the Houthis12. In January 2015, Houthi forces took over Sana’a and control of the presidential compound. President Hadi and several ministers of the administration were placed under house arrest. President Hadi resigned from power and fled to exile in Saudi Arabia. After taking control, the Houthi leadership dissolved the legislature and instituted a committee to oversee the running of Yemen. The military and fighters aligned with exiled President Hadi have been in ongoing strife with forces loyal to former President Saleh and the Houthis13. Saudi Arabia Intervention Saudi Arabia commenced air strikes on Saleh-led forces and Houthi strongholds in Yemen. Saudi Arabia is leading the attacks, which involve other Arab States including Kuwait14. The Saudi Arabian military has received support from the US, Egypt and Jordan. The Saudi government imposed a restriction on the Yemeni airspace. The air strikes were aimed at weakening the forces’ aerial strength by bombing the Sana’a International Airport and military planes held by the Houthis. Saudi Arabia has also provided naval ships to secure the Gulf of Aden. A naval barricade has been installed in Yemen’s territorial waters. Saudi Arabia is currently finalizing plans on instigating a ground campaign against the Houthis. The intervention by Saudi Arabia is aimed at securing its borders from the volatile insurgents. The country also wants to reinstall President Hadi as the leader of Yemen and bring peace to the country. Repercussions of the Conflict and Resolution Efforts The conflict in Yemen can be perceived from many angles. The acts of violence perpetrated by the insurgents against the government are irrational and radical15. The deaths of thousands of civilians do not provide enough reason to continue the conflict. The rational decision to take would have been made by engaging in dialogue overseen by an independent external arbitrator instead of committing acts of violence. In the Houthis perspective, the violence was completely rational due to the oppression perpetrated by the ruling regime of President Hadi. Saudi Arabia’s involvement has failed to yield any tangible results16. The interventions have led to further tensions between the two countries, which could escalate the conflict. Conclusion The Republic of Yemen is an Arab country located in the Middle East, neighboring Oman and Saudi Arabia. The country has been in turmoil since the merger of North Yemen and South Yemen to from the Republic of Yemen. Houthis are a Zaydi group of people residing mainly in northern Yemen. The group grew in military strength between 2011 and 2014 during a period of low political interference. The Houthis supported the 2011 Yemen Revolution that unseated President Saleh. Houthis began the insurgency due to removal of fuel subsidies and the slow process of political reform. The conflict began in 2014 when Houthi forces along with military loyal to Saleh invaded Sana’a. President Hadi was ousted and exiled to Saudi Arabia. The fighting between the Houthi faction and government forces is ongoing. The Houthis, former President Saleh, Iran are aligned against President Hadi, Islah, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. Saudi Arabia’s military intervention in the conflict is aimed at securing their border and restoring peace in Yemen. Works Cited "Country Profile: Yemen". AlJazeera. 28 Feb 2011. Web. 18 June 2015. Almeida, Manuel. "The Houthis and a History of Conflict in Yemen." Al Arabiya. 30 September 2014. Web. 18 June 2015. Bufacchi, Vittorio. Violence: A Philosophical Anthology. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. Cole, Juan. 115 Children Killed: Saudi Arabia’s War on Yemen by the Numbers. 25 April 2015. Web. 18 June 2015. Laub, Zachary. "Yemens Civil War, The Houthis and the Saudi Intervention." Council on Foreign Relations 29 April 2015. Mazzetti, Mark and David KirkPatrick. "Saudi Arabia Leads Air Assault in Yemen." The New York Times. 25 March 2015. Web. 18 June 2015. Robins-Early, Nick. "Whats Really Behind the War in Yemen." The Huffington Post. 11 April 2014. Web. 18 June 2015. Tisdall, Simon. "Iran-Saudi proxy war in Yemen explodes into region-wide crisis ." The Guardian. 26 March 2015.Web. 18 June 2015. Vall, Mohamed. "The Rise of Yemens Houthis." Al Jazeera. 12 February 2014. Web. 18 June 2015. Read More