UK and US to bomb Yemen tonight

[Protheroe]

There are several factions within the GPC itself, so I'd strongly suggest that pretty much every political grouping (of which there are very very many) in Yemen is a minority. Anti Zionism and Arab Nationalism feature highly amongst the aims of most political groups.

There's also plenty of history of Middle Eastern politicians being funded or assisted by the West (or the CIA), but that doesn't translate into them being pro-Western does it? Often quite the opposite.

I grant you the separatist STC didn't burn the Israeli and UAE flags on the streets of Aden in response to the normalisation of relations between the two. But it seems they're on their own in that as well as several other respects.

[Borin' Baggie]

That's like saying the Tories and Labour are a minority, or the Republicans and Democrats are a minority.

The fact is there are three key factions in Yemen, the Houthi, the STC and the GPC. The minority factions in the Republic of Yemen are the Islah (who tend to be the magnet for the sunni fundamentalists aside from Al-Qaeda) or the Salafis. And the GPC and their supporters don't need to be pro-western to not really give a shit about the west or Israel, they have much bigger priorities in relation to their Iranian-backed compatriots attacking them with Iranian weapons (that are also being used to disrupt trade).

[CaptainFantastico]

I see Iran have just attacked an airbase in Erbil. Got the makings of boiling over all this has

[Protheroe]

That's like saying the Tories and Labour are a minority, or the Republicans and Democrats are a minority.

Given that Yemen hasn't had an election in twenty years I'm surprised you can jump to that conclusion.

[Borin' Baggie]

That's like saying the Tories and Labour are a minority, or the Republicans and Democrats are a minority.

Given that Yemen hasn't had an election in twenty years I'm surprised you can jump to that conclusion.

Because there's a civil war on which would enable the Sunni extremists (Islah) in the North a chance to breakaway as Al-Qaeda and the STC (before they joined the Presidential Committee) did if they enjoyed that much popular support over the GPC in an already very tribal part of the country.

[CarlosCorbewrong]

I see Iran have just attacked an airbase in Erbil. Got the makings of boiling over all this has

Pakistan wading in today with a few missiles over the border.

[Protheroe]

Why can't they all play nicely?

It must be the fault of colonialism I expect.

[CaptainFantastico]

Iran has got the region (and the west) on strings at the moment

[Protheroe]

Iran has got the region (and the west) on strings at the moment

By picking a fight with nuclear armed neighbour?

What's their end game?

[CaptainFantastico]

I’d say Iran, Russia and China are doing exactly what they aim to in destabilising world order but that it’s the Chinese who are going to be the ultimate smartest “benficiary”. Until we are all fucked, that is.

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And by the way, I agree, this isn’t the neighbour to pick a fight with. But at the moment they are calling the tunes and everyone else is dancing to the music