Before there was a war on terror, possibly before there was an Al Qaeda or a Bin Laden there was some sort of anti-something operation going on in Yemen.
To begin with were the Brits and their Horn of Africa bastion at Aden - a port and RAF layover base. After the Second World war the Brits had more than a passing fancy on the Arabian littoral - the Trucial States, Oman, what were to become the 'United Arab Emirates', as well as the states of Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq had more than passing relationship with the 'Empire of Daylight'.
As Empire gave way to Commonwealth and Britain retracted itself into paying-off war debt and occupying West Germany, the Gulf States were among the last to go. Aden was a major military base into the mid-60's. After Yemen gained independence it split into two lesser states - a religious one and a socialist one. Surprisingly it was the more ruggedly-backward socialist state in North Yemen - target of at least a decade of British suppression - that eventually won the war in the whole country. Then the fun began.
The Egyptians, at that time backed by the USSR, took on the communist Yemenis over some kind of insult. They actually invaded and wasted themselves on a five-year 'un-pacification program', before retiring to lick wounds and gird for continued battle with Israel. They held a couple of Red Sea archipelagos that the Sisi government 'returned' to Saudi Arabia (not Yemen) only this year, as a 'sign'of friendship and loyalty. That hasn't shaken - out completely with most Egyptians, yet.
Then America appeared, extending its embassy and upping the CIA contingent. The CIS/FNI/NatSec chief killed in the 9/11 event was the 'lead hand' in Yemen for a decade and became an expert on terror. That was before most Americans knew there was terror. He cut his teeth killing 'commist terrorists' in Yemen. That education lasted until 'the balloon went up' a year and a half ago - with the USMC embassy contingent being 'forced' to abandon their weapons at the airport in Sana'a, before 'freedom birding' it out, to Djibouti. But look Ma, 'we're back and kicking goats herds' ass!
When it comes to bombing and droning, Yemen has to be on a couple of video game 'scenarios' by now . Now there's intel to be shared, and the former AQAP is now ISIS in the heart if Islam.
We're here to help!
Yemen has to be the poster child for wanton destruction , civilian deaths, disease, starvation and the other couple of Apocalyptic Horsemen. Sure, somebody humanitarian wants to rush in there and aid them but not until they say 'اخو الام'. So they can just suffer - no water, no hospitals, no hope and typhus - they've brought it on themselves by refusing to make nice.
The Other Side of Nicky Haley
One of the bad things is having to wonder why they just don't quit? Usually it's because somebody evil is egging them on, or giving them supplies and weapons. We know they (Iran and Russia probably) are giving them weapons, we just can't prove it. But that doesn't stop good guys from accusing the Iranians of smuggling stuff thru Kuwait and down the Persian Gulf to Hormuz and into the Indian Ocean and Red Sea in little boats - to the one or two small ports still under Houthi control.
Smuggling arms into Yemen_ thru Kuwait!
That's probably why they're still rowing out there to attack the Arab Navies.
Invasion rowboats at War
In days of yore we'd have been cheering for this tough, fighting, little people - not bombing the shit out of them too. But, hey, they don't want us cheering, or anything else we'd like to do 'for' them.
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