Author: M Barbu

The Future of South Yemen: Will Conflicting Interests Collide?

For the last year, the media has been abuzz with rumors of Saudi Arabia’s impending withdrawal from Yemen. Many analysts have ascribed the normalization deal with Iran to the Saudi exist strategy from the conflict, which has cost the Kingdom tens of billions of dollars in humanitarian aid alone, let alone military and other expenses towards the war effort and assorted administrative tasks. Attempted negotiations with Houthis have thus far not worked out after the Houthis demanded extraordinary concessions, in a new de facto rejection of the Saudi overtures. That left the fate of the Saudi-led Arab Coalition forces in limbo – while further complicating the situation inside the conflict-fraught country and raising questions about the future of South Yemen. In the latest diplomatic salvo, pointing to the Kingdom’s search for an exit strategy, Riyadh is making moves to strengthen its positions in Aden and Hadramut, by forming administrative councils (de-facto militias), aimed at promoting unity. Meanwhile, the Southern Transitional Council (STC) leadership, particularly popular in parts of the South, is more determined than ever to forge a pathway to independence. So where does that leave us?

US embassy in Baghdad struck with seven mortars as attacks escalate

Approximately seven mortar rounds landed in the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad during an attack early on Friday, a U.S. military official told Reuters, in what appeared to be the largest attack of its kind in recent memory.

U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria were also targeted with rockets and drones at least five more times on Friday; three times at separate bases in Syria, and twice at the Ain al-Asad airbase west of Baghdad, a different U.S. defense official told Reuters.

Classic Intelligence Failure: The Impact Of Arrogance and Hubris

Over the past 80 years, there have been costly intelligence failures in the United States and Israel despite sufficient intelligence collection and the presence of classic warning signals. For the United States, the attacks on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 could have been prevented or ameliorated because we had deciphered Japanese diplomatic codes that revealed the Japanese instructions to their embassy in Washington to destroy coded materials and to break relations with the United States. These are classic warning signals.

Houthi-Yemeni Tribe Marches In Support Of Gaza –Double Amputee Participant: We Will Continue On This Path, Even If They Cut Us To Pieces And Only Our Heads Remain

On December 5, 2023 Al-Masirah TV (Houthis-Yemen) aired a report on a march of the Khawlan Bin Amer tribe in Yemen in support of Gaza. An elderly participant told the Al-Masirah reporter that he hopes to end his life in Palestine and be martyred there. A young man said: “We are ready everywhere – on land, at sea, and in the air.” An amputee told the reporter that he and his mujahideen brothers are prepared to continue on this path “until we are cut into pieces, even if the only thing that remains are our heads.” The column of uniformed men can be seen passing a banner with the Houthi slogan: “Allah Akbar! Death to America! Death to Israel! Curses upon the Jews! Victory to Islam!”

The Houthis Declare War On Israel – OpEd

In the early days of November a considerable amount of journalistic ink was spilled countering a report that appeared on several social media sites. On October 31 a post on X, formerly Twitter, stated: “Breaking: Yemen declared they are now at war with Israel.” According to Newsweek, it was viewed 7.1 million times. The news site USA Today reported that a similar post had appeared on Instagram, and went on to state categorically that the story was untrue. One after another, the news media scrambled to deny the report.

10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE HISTORY OF GAZA

Gaza has suddenly captured the world’s attention. On October 7, 2023, thousands of terrorists from Gaza invaded Israel, massacred over 1,200 Israelis, and abducted some 248 hostages back into Gaza, including women and children. Israel responded by declaring war on the Iran-backed terrorist organization Hamas and launching Operation Iron Swords with three primary goals: return the hostages; destroy Hamas’s military capabilities; and ensure that Gaza will never again be a threat to the Jewish state. The future governance of Gaza remains an open question, with the Palestinian Authority, Israel, and Egypt all declining that role.

Amid Escalating Tension In Red Sea, Senior Houthi Officials: ‘U.S. Has No Rights In Red Sea;’ Yemen’s Territorial Waters ‘Will Become Graveyard For Israeli Ships If They Violate Yemeni Sovereignty’

Following the December 3, 2023 attacks by the Houthi Ansar Allah movement against three commercial ships in the Red Sea and against the Arleigh-Burke Class destroyer USS CARNEY – which responded to distress calls and provided assistance – on the same day, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) issued a statement in which it asserted, among other things that, “These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security. They have jeopardized the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world… The United States will consider all appropriate responses in full coordination with its international allies and partners.”[1] At the same time, Israeli media reported that following the Houthi attacks, Israel was sending ships and submarines to the Red Sea.[2]

Is Iraq’s top court a pro-Iran political tool?

A recent decision by Iraq’s Supreme Federal Court to remove Mohammed al-Halbousi from the position of speaker in the Iraqi parliament has reignited discussion regarding the constitutional legitimacy of the court’s rulings.

The development has prompted many to question whether the court’s decisions are driven by constitutional principles or influenced by political motives.