Shia Houthis in Yemen Abandoned by Iran and the International Community: Feudal Sunni Monarchies
Salma Zribi, Takeshi Hasegawa and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Western and Gulf powers utilize the mass media, international institutions, social media, the United Nations, and other areas, in order to put Iran and the Russian Federation into “a straightjacket.” However, the Russian Federation refuses to be put into this “straightjacket” when it comes to issues like Abkhazia, Crimea, South Ossetia and southeastern Ukraine. At the same time, political elites in Moscow are at odds with major Gulf and NATO powers when it comes to Syria. Despite this, the Russian Federation needs to do more in order to support the government of Syria. Yet sadly for the Shia Houthis they appear to be abandoned internationally despite voices of concern being raised in Moscow, Tehran and by certain individuals within the United Nations.
Currently, nations like Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have military forces on the ground. These four Gulf nations are all ruled by Sunni elites and while it is widely known that Qatar and Saudi Arabia meddle based on exporting terrorist and sectarian forces to nations like Syria, the countries of Bahrain (despite persecuting and fearing the rise of the Shia politically at home) and the UAE usually base their geopolitical necessities on respective factors. However, when it comes to Yemen then a Sunni Muslim based coalition led by Saudi Arabia is in full swing. This coalition is aimed at curtailing the Shia Houthis and any force that disagrees with their collective rubber stamp.
Bloomberg highlights the current military build up by Gulf states by reporting “About 1,000 troops from Qatar entered Yemen on Sunday from the Wadia post on the border with Saudi Arabia, the Qatari-owned Al Jazeera television reported. The soldiers, backed by armored vehicles and missile launchers, were on their way to Yemen’s oil-rich central Marib province, it said. Qatar’s foreign ministry didn’t immediately respond to calls seeking comment.”
The recent deployment of military forces from Qatar says much because Saudi Arabia and the UAE both disagree with Qatar when it comes to the Muslim Brotherhood. Yet, the anti-Shia sectarian reality is a strong binding factor irrespective of the manipulation of language being used by various Gulf powers.
Also, the increasing deployment of Gulf forces is based on the recent setback inflicted on them by the indigenous Shia Houthis who are defending their homeland. This setback applies to the deaths of 45 soldiers from the UAE, ten Saudi soldiers and Bahrain also suffered losses. The enormity of the situation for the Shia Houthis and forces that oppose the Saudi Arabia led coalition is enormous. After all, America is helping the Saudi Arabia led coalition in various ways and France and the United Kingdom seek further military sales to Gulf powers. On top of this, AQAP (Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) and ISIS (Islamic State – IS) are also killing the Shia and destabilizing the country.
The Guardian Reports “The conflict pits the rebels, known as Houthis, against an array of forces, including supporters of Saudi-backed President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, southern separatists, Islamic militants, and local and tribal militias. The conflict has splintered the military, with units loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh siding with the Houthis.”
Iran and the Shia
In Iran it is noticeable that the response to the massacre of Shia Muslims is shockingly hollow. Indeed, just how many anti-Shia nations does it take before Iran decides to even up the situation? After all, Shia Muslims are being bombed from the sky by an array of Sunni dominated nations, now they are also being attacked on land by various Gulf powers and at the same time AQAP and ISIS butcher the Shia in Yemen. Despite this, Iran is doing little to help their co-religionists and this reality says much about the current Shia religious leadership in this nation.
Internationally, various sectarian forces in Syria are killing the Shia (Shia Muslims and Alawites) and destroying mosques. In Pakistan the Shia face daily persecution and they are killed even inside mosques by various Sunni Islamist sectarian forces. Similarly, in Iraq brutal forces like ISIS have slaughtered the Shia in vast numbers. Likewise, Shia Muslims face persecution in Bahrain, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and in other parts of the world. However, the main rhetoric by Iran is usually directed towards Israel. In other words, Shia Muslims appear to have been abandoned by Iran because issues in Iraq and Syria are based on geopolitical factors. Indeed, it could be argued that Iran is helping America in Iraq because if ISIS controlled further territory then America would have been forced back into the Iraqi quagmire.
Conclusion
Bruce Riedel at al-Monitor states “A great humanitarian tragedy is unfolding in the Arabian Peninsula. The international community appears powerless to help the Yemeni people or, even worse, indifferent to their fate. The richest countries in the Arab world are waging war and a blockade against the poorest nation in Arabia with no end in sight. For its part, the United States has committed to accelerating arms deliveries to the kingdom and the Gulf states, which helps them continue the air and naval blockade. Without the American and British regarding supply of munitions, logistical assistance, diplomatic protection in the UN and other support, the Saudis would be much constrained in the war. The world is failing Yemen.”
Every day civilians are being killed by the anti-Shia Saudi led coalition that his supported by America. At the same time, AQAP is gaining ground and ISIS keeps on blowing up Shia mosques. This reality is happening against a country blighted by poverty, an already weak infrastructure – and where international Sunni Takfiris have a free reign to butcher and slaughter. Therefore, with Sunni powers killing from the sky and Gulf forces further entrenched on the ground, it is clear that Shia Houthis face an array of deadly forces. However, despite this, the international community and Iran have currently abandoned the Shia of Yemen and all Yemeni civilians that oppose the Saudi led diktat.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/08/qatar-to-send-1000-ground-troops-to-yemen-say-officials
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/08/saudi-escalation-war-yemen.html#ixzz3iFLZVVfH
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