The Yemeni Case of US Intervention

Faiz Ahmed

Oakland University

Yemen is a strange place, a mysterious place. A place steeped in tribal culture. Almost every tribe has its own citizen’s militia. Yemen is at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula located south west of the Sultanate of Oman and south of Saudi Arabia.

According to the “CIA World Factbook –Yemen”, North Yemen became independent of the Ottoman Empire in 1918. South Yemen became independent of the British in 1967 and the countries became united in 1990 (CIA World Factbook, pg 2).

Since the very infancy of the new government/regime, it has been faced by challenges that have brought the regime close to collapse but it has endured up till now. According to the CIA World Factbook, a “southern secessionist movement was quickly subdued in 1994”(CIA World Factbook, pg 2).

Yemen is “mostly desert” with a “narrow coastal plain”. Yemen also has a large mountainous region. “The Legal system is derived from Islamic Law, Turkish Law, English common law and local tribal customary law” (CIA World Factbook, pg 5).

In an article named “Our man in Yemen” in Newsweek, authored by Michael Hirsch and Kevin Peranio, The President of Yemen, Ali Abdallah Saleh is described as a “Little Saddam”. The authors describe the president as having had “hero –worshipped” Saddam Hussain. Saleh is described as cocky, and a smart aleck. The authors find him to be rather immature -as in he always wants his subordinates to be in awe of him. He is an Ally of the USA but is arrogant and narcissistic and vain glorious. (Peranio,Hirsch)

The authors give a detailed account of the love-hate relationship between the US administration and the Yemeni leader. Even though Saleh has his own problems to deal with, the US government is pressuring him to go after the newly discovered offshoot of Al Qaeda, ‘Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’ (AQAP) which is evidently “linked to the original group now in Pakistan”(Peranio, Hirsch).

Saleh is not a definitely willing ally of the USA because he might lose his own credibility among his own constituency as an American puppet, yet he is in desperate need of all the funds that he can acquire through foreign aid from the US. He does not want to anger the tribes allied to him and destabilize the balance of power existing through the tribal alliance system because of US interests. Yet to not do America’s bidding would be very reckless for Saleh. The US also has no interest in getting involved in a third war in Yemen by itself and that is why it is absolutely necessary for them to pressure Saleh to do it for them.(Peranio, Hirsch)

President Saleh has made it clear that any US assistance should be confined to training and equipment only. “President Saleh and General Patraeus agreed to allow US aircraft drones and seaborne missiles as long as the operations have prior approval from the Yemenis.” (Peranio, Hirsch).

This allows President Saleh to show a strong face to his people and gives the Yemenis a reassurance that their own sovereignity is not compromised as has happened in Pakistan. It also serves to create the false impression that the Yemeni government is still calling the shots.

There is an important point to note, in the article by Michael and Hirsch, the academia now acknowledges the fact that the organization Al-QAEDA is no more. The organization that seemingly perpetrated the September 11 attacks on the US is no more. It is an ideology and emotional resentment and bitterness that the USA is now battling. “The Terrorist cells these countries harbor are not quite the Al-Qaeda of 9/11. While the leaders are sometimes the same, flitting from place to place, Al Qaeda has also mutated into a franchised brand name that is no longer centrally directed. These diffuse cells often use cyberspace to inspire and loosely direct a more individualistic, do-it-yourself terrorism”(Michael and Hirsch)

This is exactly what happened, the original organization is over, any and all other terrorist attacks by Islamist militants is now branded as Al-Qaeda. The organization’s ideology which was the same ideology of many other organizations preceding and predating Al-Qaeda is now given the name Al-Qaeda. It was only a matter of time that another organization took up that position of bogeyman extraordinaire. This new lot, the self styled ‘Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’ (AQAP) is probably that organization.

The AQAP has numerous goals, according to an article called “Breaking Yemen Apart: Al-Qaeda Exploits Social Divisions to Further its Agenda” written by Sarah Phillips for the “Terrorism Monitor”, the Goals of AQAP are to bring down Saleh’s government but along with that they are also targeting Saudi Arabia and are going for international targets. The USA developed an interest in Yemen after the failed Christmas day bombing of the airplane above Detroit airport. It turned out that the Nigerian bomber was trained in Yemen.(Philips, pg 6-7)

Andrew McGregor, in his article, “Tribal Resistance and Al-Qaeda: Suspected US Airstrike Ignites Tribes in Yemen’s Ma’rib Governorate” written for the “Terrorism Monitor” states that the AQAP has targeted “40 Yemeni military and government personnel” and has successfully assassinated “37 targets”. Since then, he states that new lists have been drawn up (McGregor, pg 7).

In the retaliatory actions taken by the Yemeni government with US help, many AQAP leaders have been killed or arrested. However, McGregor points out that the US airstrikes often kill people who were not intended targets, usually bystanders, there was also an incident where an airstrike killed a government official who was “negotiating a surrender” with an AQAP leader (McGregor 7).

Stupid actions like this and the easily cast aside “collateral Damage” are the biggest recruitment tools for AQAP. Many Tribes have started to retaliate against the government because their kinsmen who most likely were not AQAP members were killed in these remote missile strikes.(McGregor, pg 7-9)

McGregor mentions that “Twelve security men and 11 tribesmen were injured during a June 9 shootout with Abidah tribemen …. The fighting began after soldiers destroyed the homes of several Al-Qaeda suspects and then began shelling the area, according to a local official” (McGregor pg, 7)

McGregor also points out that a few of the tribes have warned the Saleh government that if the heavy handed tactics do not stop then they will turn over control of their areas to AQAP (McGregor, pg 8).`

There was also the issue of the Houthi rebellion. North Yemen has a large population of Zeydi Shia Muslims They are fighting a war of secession and are primarily led by the Al Houthi Tribe. Jack Freeman, in his analysis “The Al-Houthi Insurgency in the North of Yemen: An Analysis of the Shabab al Moumineen” writes that “Zeydi Shias are the group of Shia’ closest to the Sunni Muslims in their practice. However Zeydis believe that as long as a man can trace his lineage back to the Prophet Muhammed, can rule justly according to the Quran, has the arms and supporters to ensure his rule, he can be Imam. This system of government, known as the Yemeni Imamate, lasted in Yemen from the middle of the eighth century until 1962” (Freeman, pg 1012).

It is also important to note that the Imam is the leader of the nation or the country and rules through a process of consultation with experts and prominent members of society but in the end makes his own decision as opposed to the working of a democratic congress.

Freeman also mentions that currently the Zeydis do not consider President Abdullah Saleh as fit to rule because “he has betrayed his Shia faith. They see evidence of this in political favoritism among Sunni members of the government as well as reports that Al Saleh has begun praying like a Sunni” (Freeman, pg 1012).

Moreover he is also looked upon as a stooge, a puppet in the hands of the US as they see the Saleh government “pandering to the United States by allowing it to conduct counter terrorism operations within Yemen against Al-Qaeda” and the main focus of the Houthis is to be “led by a Shia Imam and that it is their responsibility to install him again” (Freeman1012-1013).

The Houthi rebellion is not a small rebellion, it is all out war. According to statistics cited by Freeman, the insurgents have “killed at least 1000 security personnel in the four years of guerrilla warfare”

The Shabab Al Moumineen, the insurgent group representing the Houthi- Zeydi rebellion have also targeted civilians, foreigners, and historical Jewish settlements living in Yemen for centuries.

Another issue highlighted by Michael Horton in his article “Round Seven? The Houthi Rebellion in Northern Yemen” written for the “Terrorism Monitor” that the problem that the Saleh government now faces is that even though they have reached a cease-fire with the Shabab al Moumineen, “the extensive use of tribal levies in the 2009-2010 campaign against the Houthis has upset the fragile tapestry of tribal alliances in Northern Yemen. The numerous tribes and clans that were encouraged to fight against the Houthis are now demanding payment for their services.”(Horton pg 7)

In an essay called “The Crisis in Yemen” written by Blakely and Andrew, they cited the former US Ambassador to Yemen, David Newton’s advice to Yemen’s neighboring countries. The Gulf Cooperating Council (GCC), the council of a few of the countries of the Middle East. He called on the GCC incorporate Yemeni workers into their labor forces and relax the barriers. (Blakely, Andrew)

The “Economist Intelligence Unit Country report” on Yemen says that the “factors that underpinned the rebellion in the first place, notably the gradual economic, political and religious marginalization of the Zaidi Shia, are not expected to dissipate, and, as such, the resumption of large scale warfare cannot be ruled out…”(Economist Intelligence Unit, pg 4)

According to the Economic Intelligence Unit “The war has exacted a heavy toll, not just on lives lost but also in the destruction of physical infrastructure and livelihoods, not to mention the massive displacement of people.”(Economic Intelligence Unit 2010, 10)

According to the Congressional Research Service report, “Yemen: Background and US relations” prepared by Jeremy M Sharp, Specialist in the Middle East, “The Obama Administration which had already increased US military and economic assistance to Yemen before the December 25 failed terrorist attack, has now pledged to boost FY2010State Department-administered aid to Yemen to $63 million, up from a total of $52.5 million specifically appropriated in … In FY2009 DOD allocated $66.8 million in 1206 funds to provide equipment and training to Yemen’s armed forces.”(Congressional Research Service Report, pg 6)

The CRS report also mentions that “for each successful or attempted Al-Qaeda inspired attack against US interests in Yemen or abroad, the United States looks to the Yemeni government and it’s security forces for assistance – the same government that harbors, employs, and to a certain extent, relies on Islamist Political figures and some Islamist militants for political support. In January 2010, President Saleh remarked that “Dialogue is the best way, even with Al-Qaeda, if they set aside their weapons and return to reason.”…. Washington must work with and behind the regime, whatever its flaws, while trying to push Saleh towards reconciliation with his opponents… I am afraid it will take more delicacy than the pentagon can do.” (Congressional Research Service Report, pg7).

The Bottom line is that, it is not in the best interest of Yemen to have helped the US against Al-Qaeda, and as such both the Zeydis and AQAP are now pointing at President Saleh as a puppet. The US will use Saleh until when he is needed and will then ‘do unto him as they did unto’ Saddam. Saleh has more pressing issues than AQAP, he is more fixated on the Houthis. The US wants him to focus on AQAP and work towards reconciliation with the Houthis. The Houthis and the AQAP are both birds of the same flock, rather two sides of the same coin. They both use the same type of propaganda involving, the puppet allegation, the Zionist allegation, the corruption and misappropriation of wealth on part of Saleh’s government allegation and they both are calling for the creation of a Theocracy. Both the Houthis and the AQAP are using America in their propaganda as the bogeyman, the only reason the US want Yemen to have peace with the Houthis and war with the AQAP is because the US is at war with AQAP and not yet at war with the Houthis.

First published with East West Link News - ewlnews.com