Yemen hails military cooperation deal with US

reply to post by SLAYER69


One striking thing about this is the eery similarity to Iran's clandestine involvement Lebanon in the 70's / early 80's, which led to the creation of Hezbollah (and earlier, the Islamic revolution itself shares some of the same hallmarks).

I'm guessing that this is Iran's modus operandi:

- Radicalise the disenfranchised (Houthi) Shi'ite population with a bit of good old fashioned Jew-bating hate preaching. Keep telling them that the Saudi and Yemenese governments are Zionist sympathisers and infidels.
- Arm them, train them
- Stoke civil war
- Offer to "assist", which I interpret to mean calling off the dogs in exchange for control and influence over the government
- If this fails, repeat until the Yemen government is desperate and capitulates.

The government in Yemen is weak, and has apparently been tottering on the brink of collapse for some years. So this plan might well work.

Saudi Arabia won't tolerate a front with Iran at its southern border. Expect a violent response to any incursions on Saudi territory.

Don't expect Judge Goldstone to report about it!

Iran has been on a pretty consistent policy for quite some time. Avoiding direct confrontation between Iranian forces and their chosen adversaries, the incumbent Saudi centred Sunni control of the Middle East.

Slowly chipping away at the edges with Lebanon, Gaza, now Yemen. It's a drive West to compromise Israel at it's borders but also intimidate the Saudis, the heart of their conquest goals.

The Saudis have decided rather than reliance on the US they will develop their own self-defense capability. Yemen is the test.

Iran has stretched itself thin with their covert empire-building. Problems with their expensive nuclear development, much of which is still hidden (see this weeks reports) Their expansionism is budget limited to bargain basement conquests like Yemen.

My take is they are struggling and not coming close to their goal of igniting a spontaneous following among Shiite minorities and disenfranchised poor in countries like Egypt. Their threats to Israel has long been thought of as the touchstone to igniting spontaneous rallying to their side. But it may only be a matter of time before they pick up momentum. Or it may just fizzle as an idea whose time hasn't come.

The Saudis along with incumbent Sunni regimes like the EU, Kuwait, et al are on close watch. But the Iranians evasively being seen as direct threats.

How it will all play out is anyone's guess.


Mike

THREAD UPDATE

Iran military denounces Saudi "killing" in Yemen

* Signs of Tehran-Riyadh tension over fighting in Yemen

* Iran parliament suspends tax cooperation deal with Sanaa

TEHRAN, Nov 17 (Reuters) - A senior Iranian military official on Tuesday accused Saudi Arabia of killing Shi'ite Muslims in Yemen and denounced it as the onset of "Wahhabi state terrorism," the official IRNA news agency reported.

In another sign of increased regional tension over fighting in northern Yemen, Iran's parliament shelved a bill on tax cooperation with Sanaa in protest at its treatment of Yemen's minority Shi'ites, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB said.

Riyadh launched an assault on neighbouring Yemen's Houthi rebels about two weeks ago after they staged a cross-border incursion that killed two Saudi border guards.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly killed 30 Houthi fighters in air strikes on the Yemeni border, and believes the Houthi's main spokesman is among them.

At the same, the man heading the Yemen offensive against the Houthis has hit back at Iranian claims that the operation is one persecuting the country's Shia minority.

Yahya Salih, the Yemeni security chief, spoke exclusively to Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra in Sanaa.

[edit on 17-11-2009 by SLAYER69]

Yemenis protest at Iran embassy over northern war

SANAA, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Around 200 protesters gathered outside the Iranian embassy in the Yemeni capital on Wednesday, shouting slogans against what Yemen says is Iranian backing for northern rebels.

The group of 200 chanted slogans such as "No to the plot of Persian expansion" and "Yemen will remain free and independent" and called for the expulsion of Iran's ambassador.

Reuters

Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad is over in Venezuela cosying up to another thorn in the US's side, Hugo Chavez: Yahoo

Originally posted by mattpryor
Ahmadinejad is over in Venezuela cosying up to another thorn in the US's side,

Notably, unlike his role model, Adolph H, Mahmoud A has trouble expanding his domain to his adjacent neighbours.

One of many reasons the US went into Afghanistan and Iraq, to try and contain him.

Venezuela, a country I lived in for a few years, is an axis for a growing bad guy Muslim presence in Latin America. Paraguay is a lawless free zone for their mostly drug business connected activities. An economically collapsed country that not long ago had a bonafide ex-Nazi as President.

Not lost to them is that Mexico borders on the US. A current very deep concern for Americans is that Mexico was the originating source of the current H1N1 pandemic. I'm told it was actually an error made by Mexican labs that released the virus into the human population.

Government has a clampdown on discussing it with the media, but biological warfare is very much on the minds of Muslim extremists.

Things are getting nastier.


M

At this moment Saudi Arabia is bombing Yemen. So much for the cooperation from Yemen.

Originally posted by earthdude
At this moment Saudi Arabia is bombing Yemen. So much for the cooperation from Yemen.

A lot has changed in the last year. The Saudis have decided to take defense into their own hands. Jess dependence on the US, more co-operation with the Russians.

Iran really wants to take over Saudi Arabia their chief rival. Israel has always been just a tasty appetizer.

The same Iranian tactics are at play. Control a weaker neighbour. Yemen has no military budget. t has been a haven for terrorists. The Saudis are worried.


M

Thread Update

Russia, China keep toehold in Yemen

NEW YORK - Russia has stolen a march over the United States in the multimillion-dollar arms market in cash-strapped Yemen, whose weapons purchases are being funded mostly by neighboring Saudi Arabia.

The Yemeni armed forces, currently undergoing an ambitious modernization program worth an estimated $4 billion US, are equipped with weapons largely from Russia, China, Ukraine, eastern Europe and the former Soviet republics.

On the positive side, at least the US won't be blamed for arming the world.

Russia has been getting a lot of arms contracts lately.

I wonder if it is because the US can't compete or is the US trying to be socially responsible in who they arm?

Originally posted by jam321
On the positive side, at least the US won't be blamed for arming the world.

Russia has been getting a lot of arms contracts lately.

I wonder if it is because the US can't compete or is the US trying to be socially responsible in who they arm?

The Russians play the role of bargain basement arms supplying and asking no questions. There are serious issues about the quality control and effectiveness of what they do supply.

Russia sees itself as benefiting in one way or another by disrupting peace in the Middle East. Oil prices go up with concerns for wars and disruption. The US and Europe usually suffer as a consequence.

Yemen is thought to be under-explored in terms of oil. Some project a potential close to that of the diminishing Saudi oil fields. The Yemeni central government is weak.

All the makings of a new area of high level conflict.


M

Hiya Slayer,
I honestly pity Yemen. They've drawn the attention of the 'War on Terror' and had to take a side. Politically, the Yemeni Govt has been caught been myriad rocks and hard places for years. Borders are challenged and it's a dog's fart away from chaos.

I'm not a knee-jerk conspiracist or paranoid fantacist. I'm not a f^^^in^ idiot either.

The way Western Govts have unanimously aligned themselves against Yemen (including a lot of media corps) so rapidly is cause for concern. I know you're familiar with the 'great game.' This business with Yemen seems contrived to me.

I suspect our Govts are exploiting Abdulmutallab's actions for their own ends.

Originally posted by jam321


I wonder if it is because the US can't compete or is the US trying to be socially responsible in who they arm?

The US giving 30 billion to Israel over the next 10 years , to be spent on

military .

Depends who you ask if this is Socially responsible.

Originally posted by Sean48
The US giving 30 billion to Israel over the next 10 years , to be spent on

military .

Depends who you ask if this is Socially responsible.

A stipulation of US aid to Israel is that 75% of the money has to be spent on American products or services. It almost amounts to a subsidized discount. Much is in the funds transferred goes to joint venture projects of technology development, military and communications.

Egypt receives close to the same amount as Israel every year. With Jordan, Pakistan, Palestinians, et al - the foreign aid to the Muslim world is significantly greater. No stipulations on spending, nothing returned in exchange. Some argue for money is spent in ways that counter American interests.

Why aren't you outraged and indignant about that?



[edit on 9-1-2010 by mmiichael]

Originally posted by Sean48
The US giving 30 billion to Israel over the next 10 years , to be spent on

military .

Depends who you ask if this is Socially responsible.

With Israel's record most of the higher tech hardware will most likely end up being sold to China or India behind our backs.