Iran backing Yemen militants to increase regional influence: expert
<
http://news.nationalpost.com/author/themedialinenp/> Abdurrahman Shamlan,
The Media Line | Oct 30, 2012 3:30 PM ET | Last Updated: Oct 31, 2012 3:33
PM ET
Sana'a - The Iran-backed Shi'ite Houthi Movement's increasing support
throughout Yemen is triggering concerns among the country's majority Sunni
population.
The Houthi Movement, based in the northern governorate of Sa'adah that
borders with Saudi Arabia, was founded in the mid-nineties by the late
Hussein Badr Al-Din Al-Houthi, who had studied in Tehran.
Former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, well-known for his tactic of turning
factions and groups against each other as he bolstered his rule, allegedly
initially backed the group in order to neutralize the radical Sunnis based
in the Sa'adah district.
The Houthi insurgents have endured six devastating wars against the Yemeni
government, the latest of which was in 2009, when Saudi Arabian warplanes
carried out intensive air strikes against the rebels' hideouts. Many Houthi
leaders were killed during the battles, including the group's founder while
Yemeni troops were trying to arrest him in 2004.
When the successful revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia in 2011 set off massive
protests against the former regime, the Houthis took advantage of the
unrest. They seized control of the entire Sa'adah province and started to
expand into neighboring provinces. The Iran-backed group supported and
effectively participated in the massive protests that successfully overthrew
Saleh.
Mabkout Nahshal, a tribal chief from the neighboring Hajjah province,
confirmed to The Media Line that Houthi followers are "now in total control
of Sa'adah, the majority of [the adjacent] Al-Jawf [governorate], around 40%
of Hajjah and swaths of land in Amran province."
Reflecting their expansion nationwide, posters of the Houthis' infamous
slogans stating: "God is Great, Death to America, Death to Israel, a curse
on the Jews," can be seen everywhere in many Yemeni provinces, including the
capital, Sana'a; they are on mosques' exterior walls, at main intersections,
at the entrances to markets, on shops' gates.
Abdusalam Mohammed, chairman of Abaad Studies and Research Center, told The
Media Line that though the militant group might not currently pose a serious
threat to the U.S. and its regional ally Saudi Arabia, it could present a
grave danger in the future.
The Houthi Movement has signed agreements and formed alliances with some
Yemeni political groups, including the Southern Movement. This underscores
concerns that Iran seeks to consolidate its regional presence through its
Yemeni allies, he said.
Both the Southern Movement, a militant group calling for independence for
south Yemen, and the Houthis are allegedly backed by Tehran. The two groups
recently signed a cooperation agreement.
"Iran is seeking to control the strategic Bab El-Mandeb Strait connecting
the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden through its allies in the country," Mr.
Mohammed said.
"In light of the current events shaking its biggest regional ally, Syria,
Iran is looking to minimize its losses and to maintain its regional role by
creating new alliances in the region. Also, after United Arab Emirates (UAE)
vessels managed in the past few years to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran
has started to think of a more effective way to hold control over the
regional maritime lanes."
Iran has repeatedly warned the U.S. that it would close the Strait of Hormuz
if its nuclear facilities were subjected to any attack.
"If Tehran somehow manages to control both strategic straits, Iran's
capability to prevent the world from obtaining oil will be scarier," he
cautioned.
However, analyst Hassan Al-Haifi, an expert on the Zaidi Shi'ite sect,
believes "Houthis pose no immediate threat to either Saudi Arabia or the
United States, as long as the Saudis stop sending hundreds of Salafis to
wage a proxy war on the Houthis."
If Tehran somehow manages to control both strategic straits, Iran's
capability to prevent the world from obtaining oil will be scarier
According to Al-Haifi, Riyadh has contracted Yemeni commanders and tribal
chiefs to wage war against the Houthis, and is launching a campaign of
inciting friction between Yemen's different democratic factions.
Al-Haifi told The Media Line that American drones and other intelligence
vehicles and equipment are currently being used to monitor the movement of
Houthis in Sa'adah.
Ali Al-Amad, a high-ranking leader in the Houthi Movement, dismissed the
notion that Iran is seeking to control the Bab El-Mandeb Strait as a
baseless allegation.
He told The Media Line that the Houthi faction and Southern Movement signed
agreements because his group - unlike the other political entities - did not
stand behind the former regime when it waged war against south Yemen in
1994.
Al-Haifi shared Al-Amad's thinking and added: "It is natural that such
common disillusionment and disappointment from such an extremely oppressive
regime to come to common grounds for waging their struggle toward liberty
and justice."
"The Houthi Movement does not pose any threat to Saudi Arabia at all. We are
bound together with the Saudi people, especially those from areas close to
Yemen, by the same traditions, beliefs and ideologies," Al-Amad said, adding
that the group opposes, nonetheless, the Saudi royal family which, according
to him, tries to sow chaos in Yemen.
He claimed that the Houthis managed to secure the Yemen-Saudi border better
than the government did.
"Since we took control of Sa'adah, the border has become safer after it was
a conduit for smuggling drugs such as hashish and other kinds of prohibited
goods," he said.
Speaking about Houthis' expansion in the country, Al-Amad said that what has
been perceived as an expansion is actually an increase in the amount of
freedom of expression granted to Yemenis.
"The revolution against the former regime has boosted the freedom of
expression in Yemen. Hence, many people started voicing their views freely,
something they were not able to do during Saleh's rule," he said.
However, he admitted that his group has recently been able to garner many
supporters and gain more popularity, attributing that to their "steadfast
positions supporting Yemeni interests and to our refusal to compromise the
revolution's goals."
Mohammed believes that the upcoming national dialogue conference to be held
in mid-November represents the best way for the government to reach
agreements with the rebellious groups, including the Houthis.
The conference is a part of the U.S.-backed, Gulf monarchies-drafted
proposal that saw the former president peacefully relinquish power to his
long-time deputy, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Al-Hadi.
Mohammed concluded: "If the Houthis refuse to renounce violence and hand
over areas under their control in the national dialogue, then the government
will have to use force to regain control of the areas seized by the
Houthis."
Copyright C 2012 The Media Line . All Rights Reserved.
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Received on Wed Oct 31 2012 - 09:12:05 EDT
