In spite of Yemen’s desire to be a world player, internal strife and an upswing of insurgent activity is pulling the country apart. Yemen occupies the southernmost region of the Arabian Peninsula, sharing boarders with Saudi Arabia and Oman. Yemen enjoys many miles of coastline. The port of Aden is so located as to be the shipping center for the country. This paper’s purpose is to provide information and intelligence assessment for the following areas; history, government, foreign relations, demographics, economy, military and the current threat posed by Yemen. An influx of militants from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan has raised concerns that Yemen has become an Al-Qaede haven (2). This concern contrasts with the government’s efforts in counterterrorism and the goal of being a legitimate world player.
I assess that Yemen has seen what seems to be a typical inception and growth for countries of the Middle-East. Prior to the region being named “Yemen”, it fell under the control of several fleeting kingdoms between the 12th century BC and the 6th century AD. Beginning in the 7th century AD, Islamic caliphs began to exercise control within the region later known as Yemen (1). The Ottoman Turks, as they gained control of the Middle East occupied all of Northern Yemen until there withdraw in 1918 (1). As World War II draws to an end, Yemen joins the Arab League in 1945 and the U.N. in 1947 (1). However, at this point Yemen is still divided in to two states, the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR) and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY). It took years for the two factions to agree on unification and another decade for a constitution to be agreed to. On 22 May 1990 The Republic of Yemen was declared.
I assess that Yemen’s...
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...le-East countries, is standing in between the government’s progressive policies and the extremist views of the Muslim radicals. And in a time where having the wrong ally can bring the wrath of the radicals down on you, Yemen is looking in all directions for help. The civil discontent, a weak economy and a growing number of terrorist calling Yemen home put Yemen in a precarious position. The aid they receive from the U.S. helps the government and people while at the same time allowing the insurgents to point fingers at week leadership. As for the U.S., we must proceed cautiously. A true ally in region is invaluable. But a weak ally could draw the U.S. into further conflicts or stretch the amount of aid we send to a region. In my opinion it is better to keep Yemen close. Helping Yemen along allows us to keep our finger a little more closely on the pulse of our foes.
Djibouti and CIA predators from a secret base on the Arabian Peninsula converged over Yemen
Controversy has plagued America’s presence in the Middle East and America’s usage of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) contributes vastly to this controversy. Their usefulness and ability to keep allied troops out of harm’s reach is hardly disputed. However, their presence in countries that are not at war with America, such as Pakistan and Yemen, is something contested. People that see the implications of drone use are paying special attention to the civilian casualty count, world perspective, and the legality of drone operations in non-combative states. The use of drone technology in the countries of Yemen and Pakistan are having negative consequences. In a broad spectrum, unconsented drone strikes are illegal according to the laws of armed conflict, unethical, and are imposing a moral obligation upon those who use them. These issues are all of great importance and need to be addressed. Their legality is also something of great importance and begins with abiding to the Laws of Armed Conflict.
“One Arab nation from Gulf to the Ocean,” gives meaning to the term “Pan-Arabism” in the Middle East. A notion where Arab nations transcend their state boundaries to form political mergers with other states and achieve an ‘Arab unity.’ The existence of Arab states had been tumultuous throughout the decline of the Muslim order, the end of the Ottoman Empire, the Palestinian defeat, Six Day War and Arab-Israeli war in 1973. This essay will critically examine Foud Ajami’s case for a raison d’état in the Middle East and his claim that there were six broad trends leading to the alteration of the balance of power away from Pan-Arabism and towards the state. It will be argued that Pan-Arabism was a romantic ideology that Arab states found convenient to support, all in advancement of their nationalistic state agendas. It was never a realistic endeavor that was physically undertaken by the Arab states and was thus never alive in a tangible sense. However, Pan-Arabism as an ideology had a place in the Middle East and was thus alive in an ideological sense.
Early 2011 uprisings swept across the Middle East and North Africa, and many rebellions are still going on today. The Arab region has seen revolts and conflict since the 1800‘s, but only recently have these revolts been redirected to the problems of Arab society (Ghannam, J. 2011 pg 4-5)The Arab Spring Uprising was first sparked in Tunisia and eventually struck Algeria, Jordan, Egypt, Yemen and then spread to other countries. Citizens throughout these countries were dissatisfied with the rule of their local governments. Issues like human rights violations, political corruption, economic decline, unemployment, extreme poverty, dictators...
This paper will discuss the history of the Houthis and the Yemeni government, the regional instability it causes and implications to the United States. This paper will also discuss consequences that will ensue if these issues continue to go unresolved and there is increas...
a comprehensive research service. Retrieved May 2, 2004, from Terrorist Attack by Al Qaeda: http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/033104.pdf. Gunaratna, R. (2005, September). Retrieved September 2005, from http://strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/parameters/articles/05spring/henzel.pdf. Gunaratna, R. (n.d.).
...on, the decay of the Country’s political infrastructure, and the growing support of terrorist organizations in the region, are all systematic results of the effects of poverty. In conclusion Yemen must combat its health problem with both preemptive and reactive measures. Yemen must find common ground amongst its various political factions and unify politically to develop a truly governing nation. Yemen must also irradiate all terrorist factions in the region in order to prevent future recruitment into terrorist organizations. These measures are necessary to ensure that the effects of poverty on the people of Yemen are mitigated and minimal. This can only be achieved through the continuation of outside financial, medical, and political assistance from its neighboring countries in the region as well as the support of counter-terrorist organizations worldwide.
During the seventh and eighth centuries, the Swedes were merchant seamen well known for their trade. In the ninth century, Nordic Vikings raided and ravaged the European Continent as far as the Black and Caspian Seas. During the 11th and 12th centuries, Sweden slowly became a united Christian kingdom that later included Finland. Queen Margaret of Denmark united all the Nordic lands in the "Kalmar Union" in 1397. Frequent tension within the countries and within the union gradually led to open conflict between the Swedes and the Danes in the 15th century. The union's final disintegration in the early 16th century resulted in a long-lived rivalry between Norway and Denmark on one side and Sweden and Finland on the other.
Women’s rights in Yemen have not changed since (or before) the unification of North and South Yemen in 1990. Since the unification, new laws and a constitution (that are still placed on Islamic Shari ‘a law) that are in place unfortunately hold these statements to be true. According to Amal Basha some of Yemen’s laws that stereotype, discriminate, and demeanor women include: the value of the life of a woman, or girl is equal to half that of a man or boy and if a man performs a “honor kill” the maximum punishment he can face in prison is one year, compared to women who face death if they dishonor their husbands, women cannot leave the country without permission from a male relative, if women are imprisoned and do their punishment, they are not allowed to leave prison unless a male relative approves of it, there are no lega...
The Arab world consists of twenty-two countries encompassing all of North Africa and much of the Middle East. The Arab people number over 360 million and while they share a common language, there is a surprising degree of diversity among them, whether in terms of nationality, culture, religion, economics, or politics. (McCaffrey, 3) Most inhabitants of the Ar...
As the Arab Spring enters its second year, major uprisings and revolts have occurred all over the Middle East, pushing for an end to the corrupt autocratic rule and an expansion of civil liberties and political rights. Most recently, images from Syria have emerged, depicting the government’s use of force to suppress the voice of its people. One might ask, “Is this the beginning of a revolution? Is the country on the path to democracy?” To assess this question and examine the future trends in the region, one must look back on the country’s somewhat tumultuous history, the relationship between the citizens and the state, and the political economy.
Political uprisings in the Middle East, especially in Muslim nation states have placed Arabian politics back on the focus point of international politics. Political events in certain Arab countries had an excessive impact on the political development of other neighboring states. Resistances and anxieties within different Arab countries triggered unpredictable actions, sometimes sorely to observe and believe. The authoritarian governments of Arabian countries led from various dictators have created a precarious situation for their people, especially in providing national security and maintaining peace in the region. Jack Goldstone argues that the degree of a sultan’s weakness has been often only visible in retrospect; due in part to the nature of the military-security complex common across Middle East states (Goldstone 1). In addition, the existence of various statesmen with political affiliation is concerned in faithfulness of its armed forces. Usually, the armed national forces of several states, mainly those in Arab countries are loyal and closely affiliated to their leaders, which have a major role in state regimes. Arab uprisings in their early spreading appeared legally responsible and with concrete demands from representatives’ peoples, calling for a more open democratic system and reasonable governance. Even though, the system in which popular frustration with government imposes alters considerably from one state to another. These public revolts against different authoritative governments didn’t halt just in Arab states, but they sustained also in the Far East and in the Eastern Europe. Can we say that the popular uprisings in Arab countries could be attributed to the term of globalization? In fact, globalization is a multi...
Yemen, officially known now as “The Republic of Yemen,” is an Arab country located in the Middle East, taking up the southwestern to southern part of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and the red sea, as well as located south of Saudi Arabia and west of Oman. Yemen is the second largest country in the Arabian Peninsula, with a population of nearly 20 million people, and an annual population growth rate of around 3 percent. In 1918, northern Yemen became independent of the Ottoman Empire. Their climate is mostly des...
This war-torn land shows nothing but death and the dying. The ground is muddy from the rain, it’s dank and sodden. Up above the trench line is barbed wire and … nothing else. No birds, no animals … no people. A few dead bodies of the brave men going to assassinate the enemy by night fall, but stopped dead in their tracks, they got picked off by the sharpshooters. No! No one ever makes it! Never! There is a constant sound of gun blasts and the sound of explosions from the grenades. The dark is lit up by the flashes of the guns against the silver clouded sky. Nobody dares to look up for more than a few seconds otherwise they will be taken out.
Although the Arabian Peninsula is covered in deserts and mountains, such as the Asir Mountains, it served as the birthplace for multiple civilizations. With the use of key geographic features, various groups of people were able the thrive and prevail. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers provided civilizations with a water source and fertile land that allowed for sustenance and an agricultural-based economy. Deserts, like the Syrian Desert, protected the people from invasion and promoted the economy with the use of camel caravans. In addition, the Red Sea encouraged extensive trade with foreign nations which lead to the development of intellectual and prosperous empires, like the Saba Kingdom. The Mediterranean Sea allowed for contact and cultural diffusion between the Arabs, Europeans.