Inside Story - Foreign intervention in Yemen

[Douglas Carpenter]

Run time: 24:34 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCmRjnlNebg   Posted on YouTube: November 16, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: December 22, 2009 By DU Member: Douglas Carpenter Views on DU: 365

 

AlJazeeraEnglish in this his detailed 24 minute program program presents different views on the nature of the current conflict in Yemen.

I must say AlJazeeraEnglish, truly makes an honest attempt at balanced reporting on the conflict in northern Yemen - a conflict which has many Middle East watchers both troubled and confused.

[azurnoir]

1. I have not heard much about this in the WesternMedia

what ha been carried about Yemen involves another group is not being framed as part of a larger conflict. for my part I can not draw any definite conclusions here except that I know the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran is chilly and perhaps Iran would like having allies geographically closer to Saudi Arabia

[Douglas Carpenter]

2. I agree - I cannot find any real conclusions or answers to basic questions about this conflict

Perhaps the biggest basic question, "is Iran actually actively arming and supporting the Houthi rebels and if they are, to what extent?"

There is no doubt a number of people genuinely believe that they are. But it would be as naive to deny the political agenda of those promoting this notion as it would be to assume that this charge is only Saudi or American propaganda. It is certainly possible that they are. But as one of those interviewed in this report - or actually two of those, an academic from the University of Tehran and another academic from the University of Yemen - pointed out, there has so far been no direct neutral third party who has confirmed this charge and no hard evidence has, so far been made public to support the assertion that Iran is actively arming and actively supporting the Houthi rebels to a major and significant degree. That is not to say that it is impossible or implausible. The Iranian state media and official pronouncements out of Tehran certainly sound sympathetic to the Houthi rebels and highly censorious of both the Yemeni government and Saudi involvement. It is just to say that independent confirmation of substantial direct Iranian involvement is lacking, at least so far.