The Yemen Civil War : The 2015 Yemen Civil War

Although Yemen’s government has never really been strong, its main problems started with rallies and demonstrations against their President at that time. These demonstrations were fueled by the dislike for the highly corrupt Yemeni government along with their high unemployment rates and deteriorating economy. (Central intelligence agency, 2017) Between civil wars and multiple secessionist movements the government was over ran by groups of militias and tribes that have banded together to push out and dismember the political structure and legitimacy of the Yemeni government. The capital, and presidential compound where among the first to be overran and currently the government is still fighting to gain control from its furthest southern tip. (Central intelligence agency, 2017) Peace talks are nowhere in sight for this country’s civil war that is ongoing and devastating.

During and After the Afghans conflict, bin Laden met Ayman Al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian doctor who would become the No. 2 leader of al Qaeda. When bin Laden returned to his family business after the war, he had falling out with the royal family over its decision to billet American troops during the Persian Gulf War. Bin laden saw the continued presence of U.S. troops there as a defilement of the land that is home to Medina and Mecca, two of Islam’s holiest cities. By the early 1990s, bin Laden was falling out of favor in Saudi Arabia. In 1991, he left for the Sudan. In 1996, under pressure from the United States and Saudi Arabia, Sudan expelled bin Laden, and he return to Afghanistan. He formed a group of militant organization called the International Islamic Front for Jihad against Jews and Crusaders. It included Al-Qaeda and groups from Egypt, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The group issued an edict, known as a fatwa: To kill Americans and their allies, both civil and military, is an individual duty to every Muslim who is able, in any country where this is possible: Bin Laden followers complied and began their involvements in the following attacks:=

Al Qaeda activity in the Middle East began when Osama bin Laden became concerned that Iraq would invade Saudi Arabia after its invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Iraq was governed by Baathism, which represented a secular and modernizing style of government (Lee, 2004). In contrast, Muslims maintained a culturally traditional non-secular guided government; a government supported by Osama bin Laden. However, Saudi Arabia refused his offer of assistance. In 2009, the group Jund Ansar Allah, inspired by Al Qaeda, became active in Palestine in an area known as Gaza. However, the group’s leader was killed by Hamas, a Palestinian organization with military power, in 2009. Hamas’ deviation from the Islamic legal system based on religious Islamic practices was the issue behind the conflict. In 2000, Al Qaeda was responsible for a suicide bombing of a U.S. Navy destroyer, USS Cole. The suicide bombings became a popular activity of terrorists from 2003-2015, averaging one a month in the 1990’s to about 1 a day from 2003-2015. Suicide bombings accounted for thirty-two percent of all terrorism related deaths, and ninety per cent occurred in “Iraq, Isreal, the Palestinian territories, Afghanistan, and Pakistan”. Although the motivation behind the attacks vary, Pape (2015) contended, before the Civil War in 2003, that ninety per cent of suicide attacks in Iraq were to force occupying military forces out.

Yemen is the original land of birth of Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden 's family were emigrating from Wadi Dawan, a valley in the Hadramaut, to Saudi Arabia in the early nineteenth century. Al –Qaeda strengthen in Yemen for many reasons, first, it incubator environment represented by the tribes, besides a number of its members involved in the Afghan war.

Many of the oil pipeline bombing in low-eastern regions. In 2007, he was killed seven Spanish tourists by al Qaeda militants near Marib, and in 2008 two Belgian tourists were killed by Yemeni drivers in Marib. US buildings also suffered in Sanaa to the 2008 bombing. 2009 was declared the formation of the "Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula" as a union with the branches of the Saudi and Yemeni al-Qaeda. And shortly thereafter, the United States announced that al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula pose a significant threat, the largest branch of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has emerged in the aftermath of the U.S invasion of Iraq in 2003. The U.S military occupation of Iraq, the removal of Saddam Hussein and their aftermaths are at the heart of the rise of extremism in the regions of Iraq, Syria and Libya. After the removal of Saddam Hussein from power in 2003 and the creation of the U.S-backed Malaki government, the Iraqis Sunnis felt that they were politically marginalized and started rebelling against the structural changes happening in their country. In 2004, Al Zarqawi a Jordanian-born and leader of the jihadist group Jama’at al Tawhid w’al Jihad formed Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) in collaboration with Al Qaeda and its leader, Bin Laden. The “shiafication” of the Iraqi government and the presence of U.S military are the two main reasons for Iraqi-Sunni

Al-Qaeda began carrying out missions as they were also responsible for the 1996 bombings of the Khobar Towers, whereas the 1998 attacks on US Embassies in Kenya, the 2000 assault on the USS Cole in Yemen and the Tanzania bombing and these were their signature missions. Since then al-Qaeda has merged with a number of other Islamist militant organizations, including Egypt’s

Likewise, jihadist groups often force Muslim citizens to participate in head coverings and prayer. Many Muslim men who believed had suffered at the hands of America, Israel, and other western powers had become fed up with their treatment and the conditions in the middle east. This discontent was multiplied when America established bases in Saudi Arabia. To an extent it became the 'Abomination of Desolation' for the Muslims, mainly Osama Bin Laden and his followers. By allowing corrupt infidels into the holiest of lands and refusing the support of Bin Laden, Saudi Arabia, assumedly, infuriated Bin Laden. As a result, he became increasingly radicalized and began taking increasingly extreme actions. The similarities in the tactics and behavior between the two uprisings are blatantly apparent. However, these events happened at significantly different times in history, centuries in fact, and occurred under varying, different

On September 11th, 2001, the entire world witnessed the revolutionary terrorist acts of global militant group Al Qaeda, as US commercial airplanes were high jacked and crashed onto American soil leading to the death of thousands of innocent lives, shining a new light onto the face of global terrorism (The 9/11 Commission, 2004). Although this tragedy was recognized and publicized more extensively than others, the idea of Al Qaeda has existed for approximately 30 years,

The conflict also links to the power struggle between the Shia government of Iran and Sunni government of Saudi Arabia as they border each other. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are against a Houthi takeover because they fear they may no longer have free passage through Yemen. Saudi Arabia and members of a coalition first got involved when they launched a military operation which aimed to bering back the rule of President Hadi.

The Syrian Civil War is an ongoing international armed conflict taking place in Syria. The unrest began in the early spring of 2011 within the context of Arab Spring protests, with nationwide protests against President Bashar al-Assad 's government, whose forces responded with violent crackdowns. The civil uprising phase created the platform for emergence of militant opposition movements and massive defections from the Syrian Army, which gradually transformed the conflict from a civil uprising to an armed rebellion, and

The AQAP is responsible for a number of high profile attacks which include attacks against US assets in the Arabian Peninsula. The first attack that AQAP claimed was the bombing of USS Cole in 2000 which killed 17 US sailors. The group was also linked to the attack in September of 2008 against the US embassy in Sana’a in which militants fired rockets and detonated bombs that killed 10 Yemeni guards and 4 civilians (“Profile,” 2012). In 2009, AQAP launched its first attack outside of Yemen. The target was Prince Mohammed bin Nayef of Saudi Arabia, however, the attack failed (Profile, 2012). AQAP has also claimed involvement in the 2009 Christmas Day bombing attempt where Umar Farouk

Since the Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) inception, until approximate in 1991, the group was headquartered in Afghanistan and Peshawar, Pakistan. Then in 1991, the group relocated to Sudan where it was headquarters approximately until 1996, when bin laden Mohamed Atef

Countries in the area have hoarded, are using, and are asking for more American arms. These events have unleashed the possibility of a dangerous new arms race in areas of turmoil and changing alliances.3 Some of the arms the United States sold to the region are being used in conflicts. Saudi Arabia uses Boeing F-15 fighters to strike Yemen and the United Arab Emirates is flying Lockheed Martin F-16’s to bomb Yemen and Syria.3 Saudi Arabia in particular has committed human rights abuses in its air war in Yemen. Amnesty International has called on the US to cease selling bombs, fighter jets, and combat helicopters to Saudi Arabia. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the conflict between Saudi Arabia and anti-government rebels has killed thousands of civilians, and two-thirds of those lives were claimed by Saudi air strikes.4

The Arab league played a contradictory role during the civil war in Syria, with some members of the union supporting the republican forces while others went behind the royal forces led by Imam Mohammed Al-Bdr. Egypt supported the republican forces while Imam Badr received support from Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The republican forces embraced social progress and republicanism, and were mainly present in cities, while Mohammed Al-Bdr forces fought from rural areas. The conflict in Yemen was partially caused by the action of Egypt to send soldiers to support the overthrowing of the royal government. Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the conflict was based on the fear that the war could overspill into its borders, and therefore, it protected its interests by lending material support to Imam Mohammed Al-Bdr (Little 68). The republican forces viewed the provision of material support to royal forces by Saudi Arabia as interference in the internal affairs of Yemen. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia viewed the involvement of Egyptian troops in the conflict as a threat to its oilfields and its monarchy (Terrill and Army War College (U.S.) Strategic Studies