The emergence of Yemen as a failed state is real. The U.S. closed its embassy yesterday while ethnic, ideological strife has engulfed the Arabian southern tier. This comes on the heels of the death of the Saudi monarch several days ago.
Whose to blame? Let’s start with Iran.
Iranian strategy is to support the embattled Shia throughout the lands of Arabia and beyond, even to the point of failure. The Yemeni Shia are known as the Zaidi & Houthis, living mostly in the regions northern Arabian tier, they are embittered enemies of al Qaeda and have been fervently supported by Iran. Yemenite Shia have sought continued political independence and sovereignty for decades. The Iranians now have a militant proxy on the Arabian mainland and seek to threaten the House of Saud.
As of this writing, Iran is winning.
We should note that January 25th marks the fourth anniversary of the Arab Spring in Egypt.
William Holland
William Holland 