American boots on Yemeni soil
yemen, time and again, has demonstrated its resilience against conquerors, refusing to submit for long periods and often luring in armies only to later subject them to humiliation.
its history spanning over two thousand years tells a tale of battles, bloodshed, dispersion, and union, interspersed with periods of peace and comfort that have been rare indeed.
manipulating power dynamics and shifting weapons from one faction to another is a game yemenis have mastered over centuries, much like their proficiency in marksmanship and the cultivation of khat leaves, which they consume while singing, playing, or even fighting, with spittoons by their side.
yemen has worn down the abyssinians, ottomans, italians, english, egyptians, and countless arab armies that sought to conquer, unify, or assist it in overcoming its challenges. they tolerate outsiders only to extract temporary benefits before expelling them. they are unwilling to alter the traditional facets of their lives, including attire, daggers, khat consumption, and a variety of firearms, which have remained largely unchanged for centuries.
reviewing the history of yemen, with the beginning of gregorian history, we find hundreds of transformations and battles between its various regions, continuously and repeatedly, and iran finally succeeded in winning a strong faction there, made up of a majority of the houthis, who are zaidi, and sympathetic to the shiites, so they became a thorn in the side of its government. legitimacy has melted and ended, leaving yemen unified, but it is still a country whose regions are ruled by those who carry weapons.
with the intensification of pressure on gaza, iran, an ally of hamas; used the houthis to annoy america and its western allies, the largest supporter of israel, and to stop maritime navigation through the bab al-mandab strait.
they succeeded in pushing thousands of ships to circle africa to reach europe, at a high cost, after it was forbidden. it had to cross the suez canal, so egypt’s resources from it fell to less than half, and all american and western aircraft raids failed to reduce the houthis’ ability to stop navigation at bab al-mandab, and this prompted america to enter into secret talks with iran to convince the houthis to end their attacks on ships at the entrance to the red sea but iran denied the new york times’ news about the houthis, but did not deny the existence of talks.
it is evident that despite its formidable military power, the united states has been unable to decisively address the threat posed by the houthis. numerous airstrikes and attempts to impose sanctions have yielded little result. the resilience of the yemeni fighters, who have little to lose and are not deterred by material losses, presents a formidable challenge.
moreover, the reluctance to commit large numbers of ground troops to a conflict with uncertain outcomes further complicates the situation. military operations in yemen without a significant ground presence are unlikely to achieve significant breakthroughs.
the evolving dynamics of warfare and conflict further underscore the limitations of relying solely on aerial bombardment. the example of russia’s prolonged and costly efforts in ukraine serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting the challenges of achieving military objectives from a distance without a substantial ground presence.
