Yemen (Capital:Sana) has been in the grip of an increasingly complex civil war since 2011, as several competing factions fight for control of the Middle East's poorest country.
To understand this complex tussle it becomes necessary to go through its history once :
बकर शुरू :
1.Yemenis are divided into two principle Islamic groups : 50-55 % Sunnis and 40-45 % Shias.
2. Shias, particularly Zaidi order of Shia Islam, are in north and Sunnis are in South.
3. Before 1990, Yemen was divided into North Yemen and South Yemen.
4. The Zaidis of the northern highlands dominated politics and cultural life in northern Yemen for centuries; with unification in 1990, and the addition of the south’s almost totally Shafi'i population(Sunni), the numerical balance had shifted dramatically away from the Zaidis.
5. Nevertheless, Ali Abdulllah Saleh (a Zaidi) was declared the head of the state who ruled over Yemen for 33 years as a Dictator.
6. Despite unification, constant strife was observed between the leaders from the North and the South.
7. In 2000, Al Qaeda attackers badly damage an American warship, the USS Cole, in Aden harbour. Seventeen US sailors are killed.
8. IN 2002, Al Qaeda attacks an oil super tanker in Gulf of Aden.The US launches its first drone strike in Yemen, killing six suspected militants in the north west.
9. In 2004, Houthis came into picture.
Who are Houthis ?
The Houthis emerged from Yemen's impoverished northern region as a militant movement fighting for protection of their minority religious and cultural traditions.
They are also Zaidis and they never liked the Yemen government's alliance with the United States.They revolted in June 2004 under the leadership of Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi and since then they have a prominent position in Yemen's politics.
When armed conflict for the first time erupted back in 2004 between the Yemenis government and Houthis, the then Yemenis president accused Houthis of trying to overthrow the government and the republican system. However, Houthi leaders for their part rejected the accusation by saying that they had never rejected the president or the republican system but were only defending themselves against government attacks on their community
Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi(Ned Stark) was killed in the conflict.
Al Qaeda has deep roots in Yemen and they neither support the Government nor the Houthis. Their sole aim is 'तबाही मचाना '
7. In 2011, there was a revolution in Yemen and several factions joined hands together to protest against Saleh,who was ultimately forced to stand down from office.Disparate political groups were united in their anger over the inability of Mr Saleh's dictatorship to deal with the country's economic and social problems.
8. Thereafter, the बागडोर was given in the hands of Abd Rabbuh Mansur Haidi (A Sunni).In 2014 Mr Hadi, announced plans for Yemen to become a federation of six regions. Claiming the deal would undermine their position, Houthi fighters (King in the North) raided military bases andseized large quantities of heavy weapons.
9. Support for the Houthi rebels further increased last August when antigovernment protesters again took to the streets of Sana'a ultimately forcing Mr Hadi to flee.The Houthis are now backed by some military units loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh who still has influence in the armed forces.Mr Saleh has switched loyalties and now supports the Houthi.
10. Houthi opponents claim the group is militarily supported by Shia Iran although at this stage, there is no firm evidence to support this assertion
Saudi Arabia's Entry:
On 25 March, Hadi fled the country. On the same day, a coalition that includes five Gulf states and Jordan, Morocco and Sudan led by Saudi Arabia launched military operations by using airstrikes to restore the former Yemeni government and the United States provided intelligence and logistical support for the campaign.
But why did Saudi Arabia Intervene ?
In a joint statement, the nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council (with the exception of Oman) said they decided to intervene against the Houthis in Yemen at the request of Hadi's government.
It could also be considered as a proxy war between Shiite Iran which is accused of covertly training and backing the Houthis (Shias) and Sunni Saudi Arabia which supports Mr.Hadi( A Sunni).
Why America is helping Saudi Arabia ?
America's biggest दुश्मन is Al Qaeda.In Yemen(Specially South Yemen,ancestral homeland of Osama ) its branch AQAP ( Al Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula) is deeply rooted.
Western intelligence agencies consider AQAP the most dangerous branch of al-Qaeda because of its technical expertise and global reach.
The US has been carrying out operations, including drone strikes, against AQAP in Yemen with President Hadi's co-operation, but the Houthis' advance has meant the US campaign has been scaled back.
Initially Pakistan too wanted to send troops to support Saudi Arabia, but now Pak Parliament has decided to remain neutral, perhaps because of the Chinese interest(Silk-Route) in Iran.
India and Operation Rahat
1. 4000 legal Indian workers and 5000 illegal Indian workers were caught in cross fire.
2. Thus under the coordination of Ministry of External Affairs and with the help of Indian Armed Forces and Air India, Operation Rahat was carried out to evacuate Indian citizens and other foreign nationals from Yemen.
3. Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs General (Retd.) V.K. Singh himself oversaw operations from Djibouti port.
4. Over the days more than 4640 overseas Indians were evacuated along with 960 foreign nationals of more than 41 countries
बकर समाप्त
छोटी मगर मोटी बातें
There is a sense of déjà vu with the Yemen operation that reflects the challenges faced by Indians across the Middle East. This was seen in Libya and later in Iraq, and is now visible in Yemen. 60 lakh Indians are working in Middle east, and region is on constant boil. Therefore, SAARC nations should setup an early warning system and collaborate to help their people if such a crisis recurs again.
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