[Ynet] The United States is closing its embassy in Yemen amid political deadlock and deteriorating security conditions after the takeover of the country by Iranian catspaws, two US officials said.The officials said diplomats were being evacuated from the country on Tuesday and the embassy will suspend operations until conditions improve. Yemen has been in crisis for months with Iran-linked Shiite Houthi
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the
Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is
God is Great, Death to Americaâ„¢, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews...
rebels besieging the capital and then taking control. The US officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the closure publicly on the record.
| Recall, dear Reader, that the State Department first sent home families, then reduced to a skeleton staff. One hopes they remembered to ship out or shred everything it would be embarassing if Iran's Houthis or Al Qaeda's foot soldiers happened to find when they poked through the files, like they did in Benghazi after overrrunning the consulate. |
| Update from Ynet at 9:30 ET: |
British Embassy in Yemen closes, evacuates staff amid chaos
| "Neither a Benghazi nor a Tehran be" is not a terrible motto for embassies in lawless-chaotic countries. |