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Yemen Instability Demands Possible Saudi, US Military Response

© REUTERS / Mohamed al-Sayaghi Shi'ite Houthi fighters ride a truck
Shi'ite Houthi fighters ride a truck - Sputnik International
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Diplomatic and military experts say that the recent violent clashes in Yemen require the Gulf Cooperation Council led diplomatic engagement and possible military involvement.

 

Presidential troops block a road leading to the presidential palace in Sanaa January 20, 2015. - Sputnik International
Two Members of Yemen Presidential Guard Dead in Clashes With Houthi Rebels
WASHINGTON, January 21 (Sputnik) — The recent days' violent siege in Yemen's capital city, Sanaa by Houthi opposition group will require some form of regional response by Persian Gulf States, or potentially a limited US military engagement, diplomatic and military experts said in a Middle East conference on Tuesday.

“I think this should be a GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] led, Saudi [Arabia] led engagement if there is one [with] diplomatic, maybe limited military involvement,” former US State Department and National Security Council official Dafna Rand said on Tuesday.

Yemen's capital has undergone a violent crisis in recent days, culminating with members of the Houthi opposition group storming the Yemeni presidential palace on Tuesday, according to reports from the country. The instability has resulted in concern by American officials and regional governments, as Yemen has served as a stronghold for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Houthi Shiite Yemeni stand guard in front of a building damaged during recent clashes near the presidential palace in Sanaa, Yemen, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. - Sputnik International
Houthi Militants Seize Yemeni Presidential Palace in Sanaa
The proximity of Saudi Arabia to Yemen, as well as the historic ties between the Saudi and Yemeni governments and militaries put the Kingdom in a position to respond to the recent wave of instability overtaking Yemen, Rand said.

Retired US Army Lieutenant General Daniel Bolger did not rule out the possibility of a limited US military engagement in the event the Houthi opposition group were to threaten control of the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a strategic trade choke-point at the entrance to the Red Sea.

“That is an area where I could see quite a discussion of potential direct US military involvement to prevent that,” Bolger stated.

Both Bolger and Rand pointed to the role of Iran in supporting the Houthis in Yemen, arguing that a successful siege by the group could impact the balance of power in the Middle East.

Allowing the Houthis to overtake Yemen’s capital city would be “an incredible empowerment toward Iran” that “will change the balance of power in the Gulf in many ways,” Rand argued.

From the standpoint of the United States and its European allies, “an Iranian proxy gaining some degree of ascendancy” in Yemen could provoke a crisis in trade out of the Persian Gulf, Bolger asserted.

Houthi Shiite Yemenis raise their fists during clashes near the presidential palace in Sanaa, Yemen - Sputnik International
Ban Ki-moon Calls for Cessation of Hostilities in Yemen

Citing the possibility of major disruptions to oil exports, which rely on stable access to the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, Bolger warned, “The Houthis are much more concerned about what’s going on in Yemen, but their sponsors see the bigger picture.”

In the past 48 hours, Yemen’s Houthi opposition movement seized territory near the city of Sanaa, stormed the presidential palace, and targeted a US diplomatic vehicle.

A ceasefire was negotiated by Yemen’s President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, but recent reports indicate that the violence is ongoing.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon emphasized in a Tuesday statement the need for the factions to reach a ceasefire and take the necessary steps to restore the authority of the legitimate Yemeni government.

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