Battle lines drawn for a civil war in Yemen

[bemildred]

(Reuters) - Hundreds of Sunni tribesmen in the central Yemeni desert parade in pickup trucks toting heavy machine guns and singing martial songs to raise morale.

They have pitched camps on the edge of the country's oil-rich Marib province, determined not to let their home turf fall as a prize to the Shi'ite militia that now rules much of Yemen.

Having almost miraculously avoided civil war for four years after being rocked by Arab Spring protests, the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country awash with weapons now appears to be leaning toward the kind of conflict that has ravaged other countries in the region.

A fight for land and power has spread since the Houthi rebels overran the capital Sanaa in September, taking on a sectarian stripe that may embroil regional powers Iran and Saudi Arabia and strengthen Yemen's powerful al Qaeda branch.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/18/us-yemen-crisis-insight-idUSKBN0LM1FR20150218

[polly7]

1. So sad.

So much hate and war, and those trying to start more.

Those poor people in Yemen.

[bemildred]

2. It is a fascinating place too, with a truly ancient history. nt

[polly7]

3. Yes, and it's tragic that so many historical sites and artifacts in the ME and Northern Africa

have already been destroyed.

Iraq - the cradle of civilization, the middle east - inventions that shaped the modern world. Just thinking what's been done to them and how they're living now (especially women who were once able in many countries there to dress as they pleased, work as doctors, lawyers, go to university and anywhere else they wanted and now having to hide behind veils afraid to leave their homes). It's truly awful. Especially for the children ...... that's what kills me, thinking of their fear and suffering.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. Are we supplying arms to both sides again?

Knowing the history of US interventions ..see http://williamblum.org/essays/read/overthrowing-other-peoples-governments-the-master-list

and false flag operations...see http://www.democraticunderground.com/11359739
that go back for over 100 years,
every time a country breaks out in rebellion, I automatically figure the CIA has been stirring the pot.

[bemildred]

5. We've mostly pulled out, I think.

I'm more worried about Iran and the GCC taking sides.

The Houthis seem to be quite well armed already. Jane's had a story about them getting Sukhoi fighters.

[MisterP]

6. one dam's 10,000 years old

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marib_Dam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambation

[bemildred]

7. We have no respect for the past any more, it really pisses me off.

The hubris. The shallowness. The narcissism. Yuppie brats. So much gets lost.

One for you: http://www.amazon.com/Yemen-Arabia-Tim-Mackintosh-Smith/dp/1468308823/ref=sr_1_1/189-8516573-2894857?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424290368&sr=1-1