Saudi Yemen operation proves Iranian meddling not under threat

[bemildred]

In the wake of Saudi Arabia's military operation in Yemen, the Iranians can calm down. One of the goals of the Saudi-led offensive, which is continuing despite the announcement that it has been wrapped up, has been to curtail Iranian influence. But the offensive has proved that Tehran’s involvement in Yemen and Syria is not under threat.

The hero of the war that has been waged by the Arab coalition in Yemen is the Saudi spokesman for the “joint” forces, Brig. Gen. Ahmed al-Asiri. On a daily basis, Asiri, who speaks both English and French, appeared before the assembled media. He explained the progress of the 27-day operation, and also answered questions, as American spokespeople did during the two Gulf wars.

Last week, Asiri surprisingly announced to the world that the war had ended and claimed that this was because all of its objectives had been achieved. Operation Decisive Storm, as the offensive had been dubbed, would be replaced by Operation Renewed Hope, which, most notably, would involve a diplomatic campaign to restore political stability to Yemen.

That’s how wars should end. You just declare victory and that’s that. Similar to Israel’s declaration of victory following last summer’s war in the Gaza Strip, Asiri provided details regarding targets that had been damaged and destroyed, including military bases and missile sites. He described damage to the infrastructure of the Houthi rebel forces and the rout that they had suffered.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/.premium-1.653785

[bemildred]

1. Hunger and death stalk millions in Yemen's war

(Reuters) - Hospitals bereft of electricity, homes crushed by air strikes, thousands on the move in search of water, shelter and food: Yemen's humanitarian plight, long fragile, has become disastrous after a month of all-out war.

In a reversal of a journey long undertaken by those fleeing disaster, war and famine, some Yemenis have resorted to escaping to less unstable zones in the Horn of Africa.

Hospitals in the capital Sanaa, too short of gasoline to run ambulances, blared appeals to private drivers with enough fuel to collect the dead and injured lying in the street after a big air strike on capital Sanaa last week.

The bombing of a missile depot set off a explosion which shredded dozens of homes and sent a mushroom cloud towering over the city.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/04/27/uk-yemen-security-humanitarian-idUKKBN0NI1LQ20150427

[bemildred]

2. UN: More than 300,000 driven from homes in Yemen's conflict

SANAA, Yemen (AP) -- More than 300,000 Yemenis have been driven from their homes by a month of violence in the impoverished Arab nation, double the number only two weeks ago, amid escalating fighting with Shiite rebels and the continued Saudi-led air campaign, a United Nations agency said Tuesday.

The report by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs came as warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition throughout the day Tuesday pounded positions of the Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, and allied troops loyal to ousted leader Ali Abdullah Saleh in the capital, Sanaa, and in the south.

The three cities of Dhale, Aden and Taiz -the third largest city in Yemen - have been declared "disaster zones" by the internationally-recognized government in exile, which said the humanitarian situation is on verge of collapse.

Since March 26, a U.S.-backed alliance of Saudi Arabia and Arab countries has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis and Saleh's forces, trying to stop their advance south after they captured Sanaa and much of the country's north last year. The Saudi- and Western-backed president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, was forced to flee abroad by the Houthi advance and is currently in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_YEMEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-04-28-13-06-59

[bemildred]

3. Saudi-led coalition bombs Yemen runway to stop Iranian plane landing

RIYADH - Jets of a Saudi Arabian-led coalition bombed the runway of Sanaa airport on Tuesday afternoon to prevent an Iranian plane from landing in the Yemeni capital, the coalition's spokesman said.

Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri told Reuters the plane had not coordinated with coalition authorities and the pilot had ignored a warning to turn back. The bombing of the runway made it unusable for planned aid flights, he said.

http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Saudi-led-coalition-bombs-Yemen-runway-to-stop-Iranian-plane-landing-399472

[Jefferson23]

4. Street credibility, that's what it sounds like he is attempting and a narrative I guess

his people believe.

[bemildred]

6. "Theatrical micro-militarism".

Last edited Tue Apr 28, 2015, 04:56 PM - Edit history (1)

Is the term I like, but yeah.

[KoKo]

5. hmm, interesting....re the Haaretz article...

Can't read the rest because I'm not a subscriber...so sort of left hanging. But just because he declares war is over--is it? Enough damage has been done so that Saudi's can re-install their preferred ruler? Or, his wishful thinking.

[bemildred]

7. It popped the whole thing up for me, probably because I came from an aggregator.

Or it could be I hit the free limit of something. I don't keep with their attempts to make money, though I sympathize.

[KoKo]

8. I'm a random searcher.....just find what strikes me interesting as read to read to post.

So...your post urged me to dig further to find another source for read and even to look for another explanation to the article.


This did seem an interesting bit of info. And, thanks for the post because it lead to other discovery!

Aggregator or not....it's a good foundation for further reads to explore....

[bemildred]

9. I thought it was illuminating.

I've run into the "New King in Waiting must prove himself" idea in several contexts, but I did not give it that much credence at first, one is always reluctant to attribute that sort of stupidity to modern Autarchs, but then there is Rove and the "illusion-based community" here in the good old USA, so I have to think the idea has some merit. And the war is right there before our eyes, and it is clear as day that the Saudis have no idea what they want, because what they want is intangible and not to be had. And the more I watch it, the more I think it is just beginning to get out of hand.

[KoKo]

10. Yes..

as you say:

"...the Saudis have no idea what they want, because what they want is intangible and not to be had. And the more I watch it, the more I think it is just beginning to get out of hand.
"Never get in a land war in Asia."

We muddle through the International News trying to make sense because our U.S. News is so flawed and influenced by those we've come to realize are controlled by "other sources." It's good to have this "Group" with different sources and flavors of "spin" where one comes to separate Truth (in whatever way) from Fiction (which is forced on us by Propaganda) written by Special Interests and Think Tanks with Agendas. That "Hot Shot" new Saudi Defense Minister has Much to Learn. It's like watching children learning what the world is about.. All Reason and Education gone to the winds because they assume their "New World" will differ from Historical Past in that Region or anywhere these days by those so innocent.

So...yes...I can get what you say.

[bemildred]

11. “Restoring Hope”: Aircrafts airdrop arms in Taiz

The Saudi-led coalition aircrafts airdropped arms and weapons in the city of Taiz, west of the country to support the Popular Resistance. Popular Resistance have been involved in fierce clashes with the Houthis and forces loyal to the Ex President Ali Abdulla Saleh for weeks. Sources from the Popular Resistance said that the arms dropped by the coalition would change the course of the fighting. Although the type of weapons haven’t been publicly announced local sources said that the arms included night-vision snipers, communication devices, and anti- tank weapons. The weapons were mainly dropped in areas controlled by the Popular Resistance, however, local military sources said that some arms fell in the hands of Houthi forces, while others were taken by civilians that refused to hand them to the Popular Resistance.

Earlier the Popular Resistance managed to regain control over several strategic locations north of the city. Residents said that violent clashes are still ongoing and that Houthi forces continue to bomb areas including Masbah, Al Rawdha, Al Hassab, and the Central Market with heavy artillery. Witnesses reported casualties among civilians living in these areas, and locals also reported that troops from the Republican Guards and Special Forced (formerly know as Central Security forces) carried out night attacks on civilians who cooperated with the Popular Resistance and forces belonging to the 35th Armored Brigade.

http://www.yementimes.com/en/1875/news/5071

[bemildred]

12. U.S. Seeks Iran's Help To Forge Political Settlement In Yemen

The United States sought Iran's help to bring Yemen's warring parties into talks on a political settlement when U.S. and Iranian foreign ministers met on April 27, U.S. officials said.

Iran is allied with the Houthi militias that took the Yemeni capital Sanaa in September, demanding a more inclusive government. The Shi'ite Houthis have since swept south, unsettling Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia, which has led a deadly bombing campaign against them.

A U.S. State Department spokesman confirmed that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had asked Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to use its influence to get all sides into talks.

An anonymous U.S. official specified that this meant seeking Iranian help to get the Houthis to negotiate.

http://www.rferl.org/content/iran-yemen-settlement-talks/26986238.html

[bemildred]

13. Susan Rice: ‘No Military Solution’ In Yemen Either

As the Obama administration claims that there is “no military solution” to militant attacks in Iraq, Ukraine, and Syria, White House National Security Advisor Susan Rice has added Yemen to the list.

“As in Syria, there is no military solution to the crisis in Yemen,” Rice said during a speech at the Arab American Institute’s Kahlil Gibran Gala on Wednesday.

Rice’s stark assessment of the current situation in Yemen is the latest indication that the administration is quietly backing away from touting the fight against terrorists in Yemen as a success story.

Obama’s launched dozens of American drone strikes targeting Al-Qaeda, prompting the president to cite the military operations in Yemen as a success story.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/04/30/susan-rice-no-military-solution-in-yemen-either/

[KoKo]

20. Wasn't it Pepe Escobar who called the whole Middle East..."Project Chaos?"

orchestrated by the "U.S. Empire of Chaos?"

[bemildred]

21. "Empire of Chaos" is what I remember. nt

[bemildred]

14. Iran says warships at entrance to key Yemen strait

TEHRAN: Two Iranian destroyers, sent to the Gulf of Aden to protect commercial ships, have reached the entrance of Bab el-Mandab, a strategic strait between Yemen and Djibouti, Iran's navy said Thursday.

In another sign of tensions between Gulf rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, the Saudi charge d'affaires was summoned to the foreign ministry in Tehran to hear a "strong protest" over Saudi military action which prevented an Iranian plane from landing in Sanaa.

"We are present in the Gulf of Aden in accordance with international regulations to ensure the safety of commercial ships of our country against the threat of pirates," said the head of the Iranian navy, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayari, quoted by the official IRNA news agency.

The navy has sent the Alborz and Bushehr destroyers to patrol the entrance to the strait, he added.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2015/Apr-30/296362-iran-says-warships-at-entrance-to-key-yemen-strait.ashx

[bemildred]

19. We are ensuring safety of commercial ships in Gulf of Aden: Iran

Tehran: Two Iranian destroyers, sent to the Gulf of Aden to protect commercial ships, have reached the entrance of Bab el-Mandab, a strategic strait between Yemen and Djibouti, Iran’s navy said today.

In another sign of tensions between Gulf rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, the Saudi charge d’affaires was summoned to the foreign ministry in Tehran to hear a “strong protest” over Saudi military action which prevented an Iranian plane from landing in Sanaa.

“We are present in the Gulf of Aden in accordance with international regulations to ensure the safety of commercial ships of our country against the threat of pirates,” said the head of the Iranian navy, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayari, quoted by the official IRNA news agency.

The navy has sent the Alborz and Bushehr destroyers to patrol the entrance to the strait, he added.

http://nation.com.pk/international/30-Apr-2015/we-are-ensuring-safety-of-commercial-ships-in-gulf-of-aden-iran

[bemildred]

15. Ansarullah Leader: Saudi Cabinet Reshuffle is the result of failure in Yemen

Ahlul Bayt News Agency - A senior leader of Ansarullah Movement underlined that the reshuffling in the Saudi cabinet is the result of Riyadh's failure in reaching its desired goals in aggression against Yemen.

"The changes in the top posts of Saudi Arabia's power structure and even changing the UN special envoy on Yemen have all been made due to the fact that the Saudi-US aggression against Yemen has failed," Nasreddin Amer told on Thursday.

Yet, he warned that the consequences of the Saudi-led airstrikes against Yemen are still underway and continue.

In relevant remarks on Wednesday, senior member of Yemen's Ansarullah Movement Mohammad Ali al-Emad underlined that the Saudi aggression against Yemen had widened the rifts in the Al Saud family, specially after the Saudi king's cabinet reshuffling on Wednesday.

http://www.abna24.com/english/service/middle-east-west-asia/archive/2015/04/30/687539/story.html

[bemildred]

16. Bodies in streets of Aden as Red Cross says health system crippled

By Amal al-Yarisi and Pol O Gradaigh, dpa
Sana'a (dpa) - Bodies were strewn in the streets of Yemen's second city, Aden, health officials said Thursday, and health workers were unable to retrieve them for burial amid fierce clashes between Houthi rebels and local militias.

The Red Cross meanwhile warned that the country's health sector was crippled by a lack of fuel and medical supplies.

Import restrictions were worsening the situation, the international humanitarian organization said.

A Saudi-led coalition backing President Abd Rabu Mansour Hadi against the mainly Shiite Houthi rebels has blockaded the country's ports and on Tuesday bombed the runway of Sana'a airport.

http://www.dpa-international.com/news/international/bodies-in-streets-of-aden-as-red-cross-says-health-system-crippled-a-45103714.html

[KoKo]

22. I wonder what Samantha Power thinks about this?

Will she shed tears at the UN for the death and destruction of innocents.....if and when the UN ever deals with this horrific situation in Yemen?

[bemildred]

17. Houthi Arms Bonanza Came from Saleh, Not Iran

===

After Saleh was forced to step down as president in 2012, the government supposedly reorganised the military and Saleh’s son Ahmed Ali Saleh was ousted as commander of the Republican Guard. But in fact Saleh continued to control the military through his allies in most of the command positions. When the Houthi advanced on Sanaa last September, it was all carefully choreographed by Saleh. The Houthis were able to take one Yemeni military facility after another without a fight and enter the capital easily.

Houthi weapon bonanza – a gift from America

In the process, the Houthis acquired a new bonanza of weapons that had been provided by the United States over the previous eight years. According to Pentagon documents acquired under the Freedom of Information Act by Joseph Trevithick, the Defence Department had delivered about $500 million in military hardware to the Yemeni military from 2006 on. The gusher of new US arms included Russian-made helicopters, more than 100 Humvees with the latest armor packages, 100s of pickup trucks, rocket propelled grenades, advanced radios, night vision goggles and millions of rounds of ammunition.

A significant part of that weaponry and equipment was scooped up by Houthi fighters on their way into Sanaa and has been visible in the months since then. When the Houthis advanced into Aden 1 April, residents reported seeing four tanks and three armored vehicles as well as Rocket propelled grenades. On 29 March, after the Saudi bombing campaign had begun, the Houthis were reported to have had control of the Yemeni Air Force’s 16 fighter planes, of which eleven had been destroyed by the bombing.

In light of the reality that the Houthis are already flush with American arms that may be worth as much as hundreds of millions of dollars, the flurry of media excitement over the US Navy sending another warship to intercept an Iranian flotilla of arms is an odd bit of burlesque that ought to be in an embarrassment.

http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/04/24/houthi-arms-bonanza-came-from-saleh-not-iran/

[bemildred]

18. Exclusive: Saudi troops refused Yemen’s ground invasion; deserted in large numbers

Here is the real reason why Saudi Arabia halted operation `Decisive Storm’ and failed to launch a ground invasion of Yemen: in a stunning revelation, it has come to light that on 25-26th April, almost 4,000 Saudi forces fled their border bases in anticipation of Riyadh’s order for sending its troops inside Yemen.

“The intel gathered by the western intelligence agencies shows that the Saudi military forces have fled their bases, military centers and bordering checkpoints near Yemen in groups,” diplomatic sources were quoted as saying by Iraq’s Arabic-language Nahrain Net news website.

As per Independent News 786 sources also, European intel said that Saudi forces’ mass AWOL forced Riyadh to declare ceasefire and dissuaded it from launching ground attacks against Yemen.

Other reports also said that over 10,000 soldiers from different Saudi military units have fled army battalions and the National Guard.

http://agonist.org/exclusive-saudi-troops-refused-yemens-ground-invasion-deserted-in-large-numbers/

[KoKo]

23. Didn't need troops on the ground, anyway....

Easier to bomb the hell out of them and let them perish from lack of food, water, infrastructure. Make them suffer while the rest of the world turns a blind eye.

[bemildred]

24. Assuming that is true, I am SURE it is not pleasing to the House of Saud.

If true, it may have a lot to do with the on again off again war and the government reshuffle, etc.

ISIS seems to be setting up shop in Hadramaut too, if they decide to start conquering things it will get really messy, and the House of Saud may find it has a second front.

[KoKo]

25. I had to look up Hadramaut...

This does not look good...even though the only map Wiki had was from 1914. Looks like it borders Oman or is part of Oman which is not friendly to Saudi Arabia if I recall correctly?

Anyway this folklore of Hadramaut is a bit grim....from Wiki:

Hadhramaut
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadhramaut#/media/File:Arabia_1914.png
Etymology

The origin of the name is not exactly known. It already had this name in the Old South Arabian period: Ḥaḑramautic ḥḑrmt; Sabaean and Qatabānian also had the form: ḥḑrmwt. The name appears in Greek as Άδρραμύτα.[1] There are various folk etymologies. One is that the region is named after a nickname of 'Amar ibn Qaḥṭān, meaning "death has come", from /ḥaḍara/ (Arabic for "has come&quot and /mawt/ ("death&quot , the reason being that whenever he entered a battle, there were always many people who died.[citation needed] Another theory is that after the destruction of Thamūd, the Islamic prophet Ṣāliḥ relocated himself and about 4,000 of his followers to the area known as Haḑramawt and it was here where he died and thus, the region was called "death has come".
Another folk etymology is that it is related to Hazarmawet in Genesis 10:26[2] and 1 Chronicles 1:20[3] in the Bible (meaning "court of death", according to various Bible dictionaries). There, Hazarmawet is the name of a son of Joktan, one of the sons of Shem in the table of the Sons of Noah[4] in Genesis 10—i.e., the founders of nearby nations including Sheba, also a son of Joktan. As Southern Arabia was and is one of the homelands of the South Semitic language subfamily, a Semitic origin for the name is highly likely. If the name did reflect a biblical- or pre-biblical-era naming convention in the Near East, this would make it ancient indeed, pre-dating both Islam and Greco-Roman civilization.

The name most likely derives from the Greek ὕδρευματα, or enclosed (and often fortified) watering stations at wadis. A hydreuma (singular) is a manned and fortified watering hole or way station along a caravan route. Juris Zarins, rediscoverer of the city claimed to be the ancient Incense Route trade capital Ubar in Oman, described that site in a Nova interview:[5]

The site that we uncovered at Shisur was a kind of fortress/administration center set up to protect the water supply from raiding Bedouin tribes. Surrounding the site, as far as six miles away, were smaller villages, which served as small-scale encampments for the caravans. An interesting parallel to this are the fortified water holes in the Eastern Desert of Egypt from Roman times. There, they were called hydreumata.




The Arabian peninsula in 1914.

[bemildred]

27. IT's a fascinating place, and it goes waaaaaaaay back the culture there.

But I'm talking about a province in Yemen today, it's main town or city is Makalla, I believe. I once read a stirring tale about some people escaping to Makalla.

But it's where the oil is for one thing.

[bemildred]

30. Nine days to Mukalla: a novel

https://books.google.com/books?id=XDZbAAAAMAAJ&q=Escape+Mukalla&dq=Escape+Mukalla&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Hd9DVejDM4XesAW7nICoAg&ved=0CEwQ6AEwCA

[KoKo]

31. Interesting...

Sounds like a fascinating writer. The book you mentioned is out of print...(checked Amazon, also) and, when this many prominent writers appreciated his work, I could see where he must have been a very good read.

Frederic Prokosch

After the 1930s, popular interest in Prokosch's writing declined, but he continued to write steadily and to solidify his reputation as a writer’s writer with an elite following that included Thomas Mann, André Gide, Sinclair Lewis, Albert Camus, Thornton Wilder, Dylan Thomas, Anthony Burgess, Raymond Queneau, Somerset Maugham, Lawrence Durrell, Gore Vidal, and T.S. Eliot.

“Pondering about Prokosch and his fate, I have come to the conclusion,” wrote Isaac Bashevis Singer, “that he is himself in a way at fault for being so woefully neglected. He has not cared to husband his natural riches... His roots are in this land. If Prokosch, like Faulkner, had limited his creative energies to one milieu, one region, he would certainly be counted today among the pillars of American literature.”[9] Among the most noteworthy of Prokosch’s latter-day writings are Nine Days to Mukalla (1953), a journey into the Arabian world; A Tale for Midnight (1955), a Gothicized retelling of the Cenci story; The Wreck of the Cassandra (1966), a realistic and poetic story of nine people on a savage island; The Missolonghi Manuscript (1968), a “mediation” on the romantic artist; and America, My Wilderness (1972), an excursion into magical realism. Prokosch was named a Commander dans l'Order des Arts et Lettres by the French government in 1984 and awarded the Volterra Prize two years later. His novels have been translated into fifteen languages.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_Prokosch

[bemildred]

33. Yes, I had to get it second hand, pulp, it was a while back now, like ten years.

And he does write well. I no longer remember what prompted me to look him up, but it was some other book I was reading. Might have been this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Yemen-Unknown-Arabia-Tim-Mackintosh-Smith/dp/1468308823

[KoKo]

34. What I miss is those great old dusty used bookstores...

Last edited Fri May 1, 2015, 08:44 PM - Edit history (1)

Where one could walk down the aisles and look at titles, pick book up off shelf...peruse and read the first chapter or two, then check the book jacket (paperbacks, too) and decide if you wanted to take it home.

Random walks through Book Stores led to amazing treasures.

Its just not the same as going to Amazon to do a Search by Subject or Author or Browsing "Time Waster" or Barnes & Nobel (one of the only ones still around in my areas of the country, these days) who gets the most popular push by the latest dying publishing contract pushing their stuff. And...I'm just not into searching through "E-Books"....to weed out what I might be interested in....although, I'm not trashing those who've left MSPublishing to go off on their own looking for an audience. I applaud that....but, the "transition" is not comfortable for this reader who loved that "Random Walk" finding gems that changed my thinking or inspired me in many ways amongst the "dusty shelves."

The experience is just not the same having to search through books online trying to find something interesting to read as SERENDIPITY was. At least for this reader. But, to each their own. I just hate having "My Choices" not even part of the scene as to my random, electic reading style allowed me to do in the past. I worry about those "Radom Walk Kids" who may never have the Freedom that I had to Select and find the Gems that moved me forward.

Sigh....

[KoKo]

36. BTW: Thanks for that Link!

Will check it out......

[KoKo]

37. Thanks...much Modernized Map...better to see what is afoot..

I realized that other map was "out of date" ....(wonder why no Wiki update?) but, this shows interesting future interaction.

I still wonder how Oman will react...

Whole situation is an ongoing "Powder Keg" for greater destabilization.

[bemildred]

28. Yemen's unnoticed but crucial province

Rich in history, culture and resources, Hadramawt in Yemen is one of the most beautiful areas in a country that defines the essence of one of the ethnic groups of the 21 other countries around it. It's famous for its ancient mud brick houses that give the landscapes of Shibam and Tarim a unique sense of nostalgia. Southern Hadramawt, which hits the breezy coastline of the Arabian Sea that once turned Yemenis into masters of trading etiquette, is afflicted with terrorism and captured by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The north of the province which borders Saudi Arabia is now being taken over by security measures in an ongoing tribal conflict.

The beautiful province of Hadramawt is cursed with geo-strategic significance that makes it one of the most vulnerable and potentially game-changing Yemeni provinces in the coming months. Being the largest province in Yemen, it takes up half of the Yemeni border with Saudi Arabia, which makes it crucial when considering military strategy. In addition to the province being crucial to Yemen's agriculture, it's also the most oil rich part of the country. Its Masila stream holds 80 per cent of the country's total oil resources, which have been subject to nationalisation over the past few years. Its ideologically rich history also plays against its security at this stage. Not only was it a part of socialist South Yemen, but is also currently subject to Al-Qaeda's attempts to grab power amid the political vacuum created by the coalition airstrikes. As Yemen's largest province, it is home to over two million people and an estimated 1,300 tribes; this is a key point to remember when examining policies and events as they unfold, because tribal politics plays a huge role in Yemen.

As Yemen is gradually losing stability, so too are sectionalist sentiments in the south rising. For months, protestors all over the south have been seen flying the old South Yemen flag as they demand to be separated from the perceived troublesome north. When MEMO spoke to Yemen expert Dr Nabeel Khoury, he explained that because of the dominance of tribalism in the country, it could potentially split into six parts if a credible and representative democracy that respects tribal integrity via decentralisation is not formed.

Within Hadramawt, there have been longstanding sentiments amongst many of the tribesmen to split the area from the rest of the country. Although the Hadhrami people are generally divided on the matter, regional solidarity becomes more present in times of crisis.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/articles/middle-east/18379-yemens-unnoticed-but-crucial-province

[leveymg]

26. "Operation Decisive Storm" - LOL- like the Chinese-made "SUNY" radio I almost bought

And, "Operation Renewed Hope."

[bemildred]

29. I think the idea was first to savage them and then to offer reconciliation,

or something like that. Which shows a real failure to grasp the situation.

[KoKo]

35. It's shocking that people with Advanced Degrees and Education and Fame & Power

show such a disregard for history.. as you say:

"real failure to grasp the situation."

Paid, Successful Careerists Aligning with Powerful "Think Tanks" with a Road to the Future which seems to go beyond being "Held Accountable" for their Actions. ?????

How and Why are they So Successful...in what appears to many of those us "less endowed with their magnificent credentials" (according to THEM) as Failures to see their incredible insight? Chaos, Death and Destruction wherever they GO is what Many of Us See...but, not THEM...and yet "They Rule?"

They are Applauded and their Failures not even Discussed--except on what are increasingly called "Conspiracy Web Sites?"

This is posted by a "Left Leaning DU'er" these days. So just take this as a RANT....and not an ATTACK on those who have differing viewpoints. I'm just so disgusted with our Foreign Policy causing so much Death, Destruction, Misery and Dislocation...I sometimes find it "Too Much" and mouth off...

[leveymg]

39. The savaged have survived far worse.

[bemildred]

40. The savaged have been there a hell of a long time and they hate the Saudis already.

And vice-versa. Yemen is messy, but just about all of the various parties are capable of kicking the Saudis ass, it's not just their job, and they just got a fresh supply of advanced arms. The Saudis would be wise to stay out of it.

But as near as I can tell from the rhetoric being used, the King feels that he has spent a lot of money on Yemen, and the ungrateful swine need to be taught a lesson. And he really doesn't like their politics, as KoKo pointed out. Like the Kurds in Kobani they seems to have populist tendencies. Giving women rights, voting on things, rule by consensus. Commies.

[KoKo]

32. "Muscular Militarism" is what Hillary practices....

Just heard a very young Hillary Supporter on "Crosstalk" with Peter Lavelle on RT say she is in support of Hillary's "Muscular Military Philosophy."

"Muscular Militarism?" from a woman who looked like a just graduated from Harvard and not had much experience with "real life" working her way up except "Talking Points" from the usual Favorite "Think Tanks." I couldn't catch her affiliation....sorry.

Perhaps she's a friend of Chelsea... ?????

(BTW: Jessica was identified as a "Democratic Strategist" in New York....nothing else that I could catch..my ATT DSL tends to cut out constantly when I try to watch "RT&quot

[bemildred]

38. Yeah, DSL sucks.

That sort of talk just makes me think of buffoons. Women who try to imitate the more testosterone drenched of us men are not doing themselves a favor in my view.

[KoKo]

44. There are alot of Sociological Problems in our Culture these days....

...at times it's overwhelming.

Getting REAL Internet Access for so many of us seems to be just one more part of the Social Breakdown.

So many problems......so little time to deal with them.. before it all .....well....it all Implodes and then we start afresh? Or...Do We? I suspect we "Muddle Along" for many Other Reasons.

Incremental Insurrection? Calmly Driven? Rather than "Combustion?"

[bemildred]

45. I had DSL for more than ten years.

After 56K dialup, it was nice for a while, but it did not live up to the speed claims by any means, and would drop all the time and have to resync, and I had to have the lineman check the line until they fixed it, etc. etc.

Cable is much better, but they charge too much and are always nagging you to get a bundle which they then jack up to three times as much when the "special" expires.

Only in America do we get really crappy service so they can play stupid marketing tricks on us when we want it better.

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41. Saudi suspends flights in southern airport after shelling

SANAA, Yemen (AP) -- Saudi Arabia's state airline suspended flights to a southern airport Tuesday along its border with Yemen amid shelling by Shiite rebels targeted in kingdom-led airstrikes.

The border area of Najran, where Saudia halted flights, came under attack from shelling by the Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen, Yemeni tribal leaders said. They said the cross-border fire killed two Saudi civilians and damaged buildings.

The tribal leaders, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, also said the Houthis captured a number of Saudi soldiers. Saudi media and defense officials had no immediate comment on the report.

Last week, three Saudi troops and dozens of rebels were killed in the fighting in the area. On Tuesday, Saudia said flights to and from the area would be suspended until further notice, without elaborating.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_YEMEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-05-05-09-48-26

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42. Yemeni tribesmen seize four Saudi military posts: report

Citing Yemeni sources, the Lebanese Al-Manar channel reported on Tuesday that members of Yemeni tribes entered Saudi soil from Yemen’s northwestern Sa’ada Province and took control of the military posts in Najran and Jazan regions.

The report added that several Saudi troops were detained by the Yemeni tribesmen as well.

Riyadh has not commented on the report.

The development comes amid the continuation of Saudi Arabia’s military aggression against Yemen.

http://www.albawaba.com/news/yemeni-tribesmen-seize-four-saudi-military-posts-report-690744

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43. Saudi suspends schools in Najran, near Yemen border - Saudi state television

May 5 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has suspended all schools in the southern region of Najran, near the border with Yemen, state television reported on Tuesday, without giving a reason for the measure.

Witnesses in Yemen have said that Saudi forces, leading an Arab alliance waging a mostly air campaign on the Iranian-allied Houthis, have shelled the Yemeni side of the border after the Shi'ite militia fired several rounds towards Saudi territories. (Reporting by Ahmed Tolba and Sami Aboudi, Editing by William Maclean and Dominic Evans)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/05/yemen-security-saudi-schools-idUSL5N0XW3D220150505?rpc=401