Idézet:Why is Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, involved in a costly and merciless war against its mountainous southern neighbor Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East? When the Saudis attacked the hitherto obscure Houthi militia, which they believed had Iranian backing, to oust Yemen's government in 2015, they expected an easy victory. They appealed for Western help and bought weapons worth billions of dollars from Britain and America; yet two years later the Houthis, a unique Shia sect, have the upper hand.

In her revealing portrait of modern Yemen, Ginny Hill delves into its recent history, dominated by the enduring and pernicious influence of career dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh, who ruled for three decades before being forced out by street protests in 2011. Saleh masterminded patronage networks that kept the state weak, allowing conflict, social inequality and terrorism to flourish. In the chaos that follows his departure, civil war and regional interference plague the country while separatist groups, Al-Qaeda and ISIS compete to exploit the broken state. And yet, Yemen endures.

• The war in Yemen is finally coming under scrutiny as the West considers its controversial dealings with Saudi Arabia.
• Hill delves into Yemen's recent history, dominated by the enduring and pernicious influence of dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh.
• Reports on the political chaos following Saleh's departure after Arab Spring protests.
• Argues how Western policy in Yemen has consistent failed, in terms of promoting reform, tackling terrorism, responding to the "Arab Spring," and backing the Saudis in the current Coalition intervention.

Idézet:? Yemen Endures.pdf (Ginny Hill) (2017) (4.63 MB)