2011 evidenced our inability to predict substantial change and respond to tumultuous events. The ramifications of foreign policy decisions will not show their true colors for some time. Below, I discuss notable states – Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Qatar, Cuba, Burma, Ivory Coast, Norway, Israel, and Palestine – that I believe are important because of their effects on peace […]
Sheikh Abdel-Mageed al-Zindani a prominent cleric and staunched opponent to the regime is adding to his many list of alleged crimes, human testing. The Sheikh who is now in hiding since President Ali Abdullah Saleh issued a warrant for his arrest earlier this year for his ties with al-Qaeda militants has been on the American […]
The Civil Coalition of Youth Revolution (CCYR) announced rejection of the Gulf’s agreement which was signed by President Saleh’s regime and the opposition Wednesday in Riyadh. The following is the official statement issued by the group. It should be noted that the great majority of Yemeni are against an immunity clause for Saleh, his family […]
Ever since the people of the Arab world, from Iran to Morocco, started rising up against their authoritarian and dictatorial regimes demanding accountability and representation, a lot has been said about the perils and obstacles of their undertaking. From historical and cultural legacies, to economic and political shortcomings, nothing looms as a larger obstacle than […]
Warning: the following is as an account of one woman’s experience; although it does highlight some major issues in Yemen in regards to Family Laws and Gender Equality it is not a reflection of the Yemeni society as a whole but rather the failure of a system to protect the most vulnerable. Amal Hassan’ story […]
As in other countries swept up by the “Arab Spring” movement which was initially born in Tunisia following the immolation of Mohamed Bou’azizi, a simple fruit seller driven to despair by the repressive and corrupt Tunisian regime; the Media has been playing an important role in the coverage of Yemen’s very own uprising. Used by […]
Despite its oil and gas resources and its vast agricultural lands, Yemen is the poorest country by far of the Arabic Peninsula with the majority of its population leaving under US$2 per day. For several years now UNICEF and other humanitarian agencies have been working in Yemen towards finding a solution to solve malnourishment […]
In keeping with other dictatorships in the region, Yemen’s regime decided from the very beginning of the uprising to emulate its Egyptian counterpart in the use of “thugs”, to not only create terror amongst the protesters but also to play the all-important card of denial. Although nothing in Yemen was as flagrant as the Egyptian […]
As the Media and the international community focused their attention on the advances of the rebels against the Gaddafi forces and gasped at the horrors unfolding in Syria, Yemenis were left to their fate, ignored and unspoken of. Even back in March when the Media was drumming the tune of the Arab Spring onto the […]
As we observe the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and we contemplate what went wrong with the past decade, we should look at Libya for lessons on western intervention! In the aftermath of 9/11, American neoconservatives tried to ‘liberate’ the Arab world, and bring ‘democracy’ in the Middle East. It was argued that failed states like […]
Yemen’s popular uprising started on the wake of the Tunisian and Egyptian’s revolution, in a movement now know as the “Arab Spring”. Just as Egyptians were celebrated the ouster of their dictator, Husne Mubarak, following weeks of mass protests, Yemenis gathered in solidarity near the Egyptian Embassy, wanting to express their joy. The World watched […]
The following is a contributing piece from guest writer Ladan Yazdian. Ms. Yazdian is a foreign affairs and Middle East specialist. She holds a BA and an MA in political science. She is currently a Ph.D. student at Virginia Tech, working on global security, foreign policy, international relations, and human rights. In the wake of […]
About three weeks ago, President Saleh delivered a televised speech to the nation, in which he reassured his followers that he would indeed be coming back, his convalescence coming to a close. His rather lengthy address put to rest rumors that the Saudis and the Americans had managed to exert enough political pressure on the […]
For the past 8 months, Yemen has been thrown into the midst of a popular uprising of such intensity that it has left its governmental institutions in tatters and its economy in ruins. Enthralled in a fight against alleged Islamic militants in the south and a tribal war in the north, Yemen has had to […]
Brigadier General Yehia Mohamed Abdullah Saleh, one of President’s Saleh nephews and head of the Central Security Forces recently told Reuters in an interview that although he was willing to engage into talks to get Yemen out of the current political stand-off, he was also ready to “break the necks” of whoever would try to […]