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Are the Yemenis the only people who can defeat the Houthis?

April 14, 2015 at 2:50 pm

States with mountainous terrains and dense forests such as Yemen, Afghanistan and Vietnam have long been known to be large-scale cemetery grounds for all of their invaders. The valleys of Afghanistan have brought death to some of the world’s largest armies such as the American and Soviet armies and the British armies before them. Vietnam was a graveyard for American troops during the sixties and seventies while Yemen served as one of the biggest defeats for Abdel-Nasser’s army as tens of thousands of them died there while the remainder returned home after following second largest defeat after that of 1967.

Therefore; it must be said that the Houthis cannot be defeated by anyone other than the Yemenis themselves because it is the Yemeni people, and the Yemeni people alone, who know the complexities of the paths and the mountainous terrains of their country and they alone will be able to fight the Houthis and Saleh’s forces in a way that would ensure their defeat. One way to defeat Houthi forces is to arm anti-Houthi tribes men and this would push Houthi forces to flee to the mountains. This is not a task that can be carried out by a foreign army, no matter how large and powerful its forces are.

The second way to combat the Houthi forces is to convince all military camps including those loyal to Saleh to join a unified and respectable Yemeni Army, one that would be viewed with respect and led by a notable figure. General Mohsen Al-Ahmar, a man who was able to defeat Houthi forces in five battles and counter Saleh’s forces with his leadership, embodies this figure. Al-Ahmar is a man who knows the valleys and mountains of Yemen by heart and also has a great deal of knowledge regarding the Yemeni army and its various ranks due to the position he held since he was betrayed during the fall of Sanaa in 2005, at least to my knowledge. My many long conversations with him confirm to me that he is the only nationalistic man who is able to restructure the Yemeni army into a force to be reckoned with, that is, if he is given the proper resources, political support and capital. Such an opportunity would also give Al-Ahmar the chance to avenge himself after Ali Abdullah Saleh betrayed him, especially since the former played a key role in Saleh’s inauguration after the death of President Al-Ghasmi in 1978.

In short, the establishment of a military organisation that incorporates and would arm the tribal camps on the ground is what is needed to counter Houthi forces and force remnants of the Saleh regime to flee to the mountains. The Yemeni people are the only force on the ground that will be able to liberate Yemen from Iranian influence in their country.

Translated from Felesteen, 14 April 2015.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.