"Yemen On Brink Of Civil War As Fighting Escalates ..." Topic

…Between Houthi Rebels And The Government.

"The United Nations has failed to mediate a peace deal between Yemen's Houthi rebels and the government, as Shia fighters advanced into the capital in an escalation of violence that has brought the country to the verge of a civil war.

The UN envoy to Yemen, Jamal Benomar, left the northern city of Saada on Friday after trying to mediate a deal that could pave the way for a new government and more political representation for the Houthis.

Fighting between rebels and government troops continued for a second day in capital Sanaa on Friday as the ceasefire collapsed, with the warring sides attacking each other a kilometre from the presidential palace compound…"

Full article here
link

Amicalement
Armand

And again … Another islamic country in chaos … Moving many of these regions into the 20th, let alone 21st Century, appears to be a bloody task … As long as they keep it among themselves, I say let'm burn …

Legion – there are people involved here. Humans, like your neighbours. YOU may not share our better characteristics yourself, but to condemn women children and the old to the inevitable terror and destruction, is shall we say, less than Christian.

So what ?

As much as I dislike seeing other people suffer, unless we (the West) are going to try to stop these events and impose civilisation on these peoples, I see little point in the constant wailing and gnashing of teeth over them.

If we intervene the way needed, we will go back to the days of world empire, but if we faff around the edges all we do is make things worse.

As I said elsewhere, IMO it's time to leave the camel-*rs alone to slaughter each other until they have learned how to interact with the 21st Century.

Iran and Hezbollah are behind the Houthis.

-herders?

wyeayeman, there are fluffy little kittens and puppies with big, sad eyes suffering too, but the local men have decided to fight their differences out. If we intervene to stop them, they'll probably unite in shooting at our guys, and there may be so much damage done that we don't actually save very many kittens. So we'd better have good, objective reasons for invading their country, breaking things and killing people, with a realistic plan and a practical end-game in mind. Or we'd better stay out.

Wey, there are always people involved. Truth if we got involved properly they would band together to just get at non believers so is its all about religious values? Some peoples are just plain happy when in strife others build and others, well.. they are the lawyers and politicians who cause most of these problems.
The people of Yemen if transported to your neighbors would defiantly not be like the people next to you, they have values,religious and cultural mores that would and have not changed/evolved for millinia. Point the strange family you know with 10 kids, that's every family there,fundamental attitudes that its willed by a judgmental god? that's them. List goes on.
To western upbringing the absolutes that make up these people live not only make them strange, its horrifying them, how can man not progress without compromise? We say, yes they have charity and warmth and the virtues, but the poverty of mind and physical that is part of them makes this a cycle forever one then there other, having differing creeds to their religion and feeling all others are wrong or infidels not worth does not help.
The Legion is just voicing exasperation on what we can't fix.
Christianity normally begins at home and the greatest part of it is knowledge and enlightenment. giving them this knowledge seem to be rejected as far as I can see and their extends to. A lot of peoples including a few who profess Christians ways and judgment,
So why profess fake attitude about it,sadness yes? aren't we all. But like Legion, who I most assuredly believe does feel for the vulnerable (thus his passionate comments) why pull the band aid off slowly.
Cheers, BTW was this not the great success story of drone investment just awhile back that had everyone patting themselves on their back?

Sunni vs Shia, 55%-45% according to a quick web search. Do you support the oppressive Sunni government or the Jihadist Shia tribesman supported by Iran/Hezbollah? Did you ever notice that the force of Muslims opposing the government forces of a different sect of Islam are always called "Jihadists?"

We could go there and assist the poor civilians caught in the middle, but it will only be a matter of time until some poor aid worker – a non-Muslim of course – gets captured and killed or ransomed like in Syria or any other conflict where Sunni and Shia fight. Sending in Western military forces switches them from killing each other to killing the infidels.

Support neither side and don't sell weapons to either also.

HBO's Bill Maher (whom I dislike) has a news show that talked about the conflict which I found informative. The Houthis drove off Al Queda, but are fiercely anti-US. They indoctrinate their kids about killing Americans and Israelis at an early age. The government buys a lot of surplus US weapons and does not bother to change the markings which help perpetuate the hatred of the US.

wyeayeman, as others have noted here, we the West, the infidels, the non-believes, are targets and can't be involved again … Besides the limit way with SF, CIA, Drones, CAS etc. … If the West/us were not concerned about collateral damage. The whole weight of the firepower from the air would make a bigger mess than they are doing on their own in Yemem, Syria, Iraq and the newest "land owners" on the block ISIS … It's their civil war in Yemen, Iraq and Syria. With waters further being muddied by AQ/ISIS/etc./etc. … And dragging the US/West into the vortex. I saw a great documentary on NATGEO, "The Generals War" lastnight. All here should make it a point to see it … Talks to the American Generals who ran the war in Iraq, and Afghanistan from 9/11 to now … Very sobbering … and very sad in many ways … I don't want to see one more US/NATO/Western life taken by these 15th Century "troglodytes" … And of course, if you'd like to game any of these hot spots I mentioned, I'd recommend GHQ and CinC …

They are getting along fine killing each other without an occasional drone strike into a tent.
They don't need our help.
Pur getting involved will merely introduce a more efficient way of killing people.
And whose side would we be on? The people who will hate US next year?
Sending them socks and SPAM will not help anybody.

Yuck ! SPAM will just make them hate us more !

I never said we should intervene. My commentary was about the apparent celebratory nature of legions comments. And these comments of course have been reiterated by others.
It didn't sound like regret about what we cannot fix. It sounded like glee that these Camel*****r's or troglodytes continue to slaughter one another.
The deaths of these folk are NOT to be celebrated by right thinking people.
Just who do you appease by celebrating their slaughter? Cant you just leave it at 'oh no those poor sods'
By the way I *****ing hate cats and kittens – drown them all I say

My opinion is based on 'Couldn't care less' not glee.

Its actually I care more about what is near and dear to me and my ideas of decency and right and wrong. And oh boy the 'cats and kittens' thing, now you getting very close to the other side. (From an animal shelter volunteer :(
I've noted these fanatics always fold and become the weevils they really are when exposed to absolute 110% payback.
This carrot and stick diplomacy does not work.
Even Israel found this out example Gaza and the agreement to withdraw Israelis there and the 100% control of Golan heights. On one problems the other absolute peace.
OK enough we all know what we are thinking about the situation.
Cheers all play nice

This is nothing new. Yemen is another one of those fake states and it's spent most of it's life in a state of civil war between one faction or another.

Even the Saudis have occassionally bombed Shia villages in Yemen using US and UK built fighter bombers.

Hmmmm, more Arab Spring celebrating, no doubt……

Hasn't made the news in my area/nation (no doubt some want to sweep this under the rug), so thanks for the update.

And again … Another islamic country in chaos … Moving many of these regions into the 20th, let alone 21st Century, appears to be a bloody task … As long as they keep it among themselves, I say let'm burn …

Legion,

I agree whole-heartedly, and why I say we need to stop the out of control flow of Third Worlders into this country who bring all their issues with them and inevitably degrade things here or complicate things for US policy overseas.

But that's an entirely different thread…

If it sounded like I was celebrating, that was not my intent … However, many in the region celebrate our deaths. My attitude is more like, let them kill themselves off and not any of us … My experience as a soldier for over a decade in my youth makes me a bit "harder" in some cases when it come to dealing with certain things … You too were a soldier Blackhorse, so you like me may see things in a different light than others. And I like animals especially dogs … I like animals better than many people …

It's not celebrating, it's recognizing things for what they are. I've got enough Middle Eastern soil on the soles of my boots to recognize that things will only improve there when civilization catches up with them. That may sound harsh but that has been my experience and I think history would support my claim. Until then, keeps them at arm's length as much as practical, like you would a seriously disfunctional neighbor.

And as far as puppies and kittens go…love 'em! And Wyeayeman I know you were only joking to get a rise out of the Peanut Gallery. Nobody can be that big of a d**k!

Hey I love puppies!
I do think that the 'West' is not part of the solution in the middle east. It wasn't under Blair/Bush and it isnt now. We have d them over too much.
What is going to happen over the next few years is going to be awful, especially so for those innocents who cant get out of the way. Our principle aim ought to be ensuring this disease does not spread to Turkey
I can only look upon this whole situation with deep sadness.

The only people that can "fix" the problems in the region are the moslems themselves … But as long as they threaten the West … for whatever reasons … there will be more problems …

Yemen Government Quits. Country On The Brink Of Civil War

"Yemen's prime minister has resigned as fighting between pro-government forces and Shiite opposition fighters continued in the capital of Sana'a on Sunday.

Mohamed Basindawa stepped down amid nearly a week of intense clashes in the city.

Military and Shiite Houthi rebels faced off near a school in northern Sana'a overnight, despite an announcement by the U.N. envoy Saturday that pro-government forces and Shiite rebels would sign a peace deal…"
Full article here
link

Amicalement
Armand

And the madness continues …

@L4: Dude, who are you kidding? Moving those guys out of a 12th century worldview into a ~15thC worldview (start of the Renaissance) would require a miracle of Old Testament proportions.

Brother against brother, Uncle against cousin, and they all unite against the outsider. That's how they live. That's how they have lived since roughly 700AD (and probably before then, but the conquering Muslims did a good job of destroying the previous culture).

@Wey: I hate to say it, but there is no way for any outsider to successfully protect the innocents. Everyone there will unite against the outsider. Yes, even if they are Muslims (say, from Brunei or Indonesia). They are not locals, therefore they are the enemy.

It's not quite as extreme in the backwoods of Appalachia or New England, but it really is the same reaction. "The outsider is not one of us." In small-town New England, your family can be on your fourth generation living there, but you will STILL be looked down on as a 'newcomer', not fully part of the community.

Wasn't Yemen touted as a success story a short time ago?

As I said Lion … the madness continues … And yes, it appears nothing short of something of biblical in proportions would get much of the islamic word anywhere near modernity … In the meantime … we have CAS …

Yemen's Shi'ite Houthi Fighters Have Taken Over The Capital

"Yemen's Shi'ite Houthi fighters tightened their grip on the capital Sanaa on Monday after seizing much of the city in a lightning advance and signing an overnight deal to win a share of power, capping a decade-long guerrilla uprising.

The Zaydi Shi'ites, who make up 30 percent of Yemen's population of 25 million and ruled a kingdom there for 1,000 years, have complained of being marginalized since their last king in Sanaa was overthrown in a 1962 revolution.

Houthi followers gathered in the streets, some chanting "Death to America! Death to the Jews! Victory to Islam", while armed supporters in civilian clothes deployed alongside government soldiers across Sanaa…"
Full article here
link

Amicalement
Armand

"Wasn't Yemen touted as a success story a short time ago?".

Wouldn't surprise me, since Libya was, and apparently there's even a bit of unrest in "stable" Algerian, now, amongst the rest of the region.

Expect Saudi bombing strikes soon.