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| Africa Horn |
| Eritrea may play role in anti-Houthi campaign |
| 2015-05-10 |
| [AA.TR] As Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... and its Arab allies continue their air campaign against Yemen's Shiite Lion of Islam 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 America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews... group, there are indications that Eritrea ...is run by the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), with about the amounts of democracy and justice you'd expect from a party with that name. National elections have been periodically scheduled and cancelled; none have ever been held in the country. The president, Isaias Afewerki, has been in office since independence in 1993 and will probably die there of old age... may play a role within the anti-Houthi offensive in the future. Since late March, warplanes from Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries have been pounding Houthi positions across Yemen. Riyadh says the offensive is in response to appeals by embattled Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi for intervention against the Houthis. But in recent days, signs began to surface that Asmara might play a role in the Saudi-led offensive, following an exchange of visits by officials from Eritrea and countries participating in the anti-Houthi campaign. On April 28, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki visited Saudi Arabia for talks with King Salman ...either the largest species of Pacific salmon or the current Sheikh of the Burnin' Sands, Cutodian of the Two Holy Mosquesand Lord of Most of the Arabians.... bin Abdulaziz and Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman on the situation in Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic... and security in the Red Sea. Two days earlier, high-level delegations from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- both members of the anti-Houthi coalition -- visited Eritrea and toured a number of islands and ports close to Yemen, according to Eritrean sources. Earlier this week, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry -- whose country is also a member of the anti-Houthi campaign -- paid a rare visit to Eritrea and held talks with Eritrean officials. According to a statement by Egypt's Foreign Ministry, Shoukry's talks in Eritrea focused on African developments, particularly the situation in Yemen, and security in the Red Sea. Geopolitics Eritrea has an extensive coastline along the Red Sea, making it a possible launching spot for any ground offensive in Yemen. Eritrean ports are close to Yemen's coast. The port of Assab is only 60km away from the Yemeni coast, while the port of Massawa is 380km away from al-Hudayda port in western Yemen. "Al-Hudayda port acquires a special importance and whoever controls it will be able to prevent any ground movement by the Houthis from the north as well as any Iranian naval moves," retired Yemeni general Mohsen Khasrof told Anadolu Agency. Eritrea's terrain is quite similar to Yemen's rugged landscape. This would make the Horn of Africa country of great importance to the Saudi-led coalition in terms of training and troops' landing in Yemen. Eritrea also has a trained army of 200,000 troops and naval forces, making it of prime importance for the Saudi-led coalition, particularly in light of Pakistain's reluctance to take part in the anti-Houthi offensive. Military experience Eritrea fought a short war with Yemen over the disputed island of Greater Hanish in 1995. Although Eritrean forces overran the disputed island in just three days, arbitration has given the island back to Yemen. In 1998, Eritrea fought a three-year war with neighboring Æthiopia over a border triangle, a conflict that left thousands of people on both sides dead. Eritrea also engaged in two border conflicts with neighboring Djibouti in recent years. |
| Posted by:Fred |