the Metamorphasis of the Houthis
Woops, this was in draft since October… An article in Mareb Press “penetrates the secrets of the Houthis” and their success in Yemen. And apparently like many other Islamic movements, the Houthis picked up the slack for the state.
For context, an excellent three part series in SABA on al Jawf notes the utter lack of the state in the governorate, including the fact that only 4% of the governorate has electricity. The articles can be accessed here for part one and here for parts 2 and 3.
One interesting point in the RAND report, Regime and Periphery in Northern Yemen, The Huthi Phenomenon, was the continuing evolution of insurgencies. While the Houthis can’t be classified as a typical insurgency, they certainly are fighting the state. Now we get to see what happens, after six years, when they stop fighting and start to rule. In an article discussing their new deal in al Jawf, the author states they restored law and order that has been missing, the article says, for 40 years and broke the bones of the bandits who were wrecking havoc (a figurative expression perhaps.)
They began the penetration of the governorate by sending teachers and assuming other functions normally assigned to the state which is entirely absent. They restored order to the market including prohibiting women from shopping alone in the market, and started hassling the gays. Several were taken into custody and turned over to the security where they are “until this moment still languishing.” They prohibited smoking among the ranks (sounds like Mayor Bloomberg.) While noting the state encouraged tribal wars, the article below notes that many revenge wars have been ended by the Houthis.
Yemen Today: One of the elders of Al-Jouf Yemen’s claim: – Houthis prepared to intervene by force to end the vendetta between Hamedan and Shoulan
الثلاثاء, 12 أكتوبر 2010 01:57 يمن تودي – فايز المخرفي Tuesday, October 12, 2010 01:57 Yemen kill – Fayez Almkrvi
Send to a Friend Print PDFأكد احد وجهاء محافظة الجوف لـ يمن تودي نت بان الحوثيين استعدوا للتدخل لحل اكبر قضايا الثار القبلي استعصاء في المحافظة وهي بين قبيلتي همدان و الشولان والتي من ابرز أطرافها الشيخ العكيمي من مديرية المتون والشيخ العراقي من مديرية الحزم ، وأوضح المصدر بان الحوثيين ومن خلال ممثلهم في المحافظة تواصل مع الطرفين الذين دخلوا في حروب قبلية منذ أكثر من 25 عاما وقتل في تلك الحروب العشرات وجرح المئات من الطرفين دون أن يصطلحا رغم جدية الوساطة القبلية التي تدخلت مرارا لحل الخلاف دون جدوى ، كما فشلت جهود رئيس الجمهورية مرارا في إنهاء الاقتتال القبلي كما سبق أن أوقف المشايخ الكبار من القبيلتين عدة أشهر في الرئاسة كي ينصاعوا دون فائدة ، وأضاف المصدر بان الحوثيين طلبوا من الطرفين قبول تدخلهم وأنهم على استعداد لفصل القضية ولو استدعى الأمر التدخل بالقوة في وجه الفئة الباغية حتى ترجع إلى الحق ، وأشار المصدر إلى أن الحوثيين يتكلمون من مصدر قوة هذه المرة خاصة وقد صفت أمامهم الأجواء في ظل خلاف يمني سعودي خفي لم تتضح خيوطه بعد ، الجدير ذكره بان الحرب بين همدان والشولان تجددت قبل أسبوعين وتستخدم فيها مختلف الأسلحة الخفيفة والثقيلة . Said one of the elders of al-Jawf province’s Yemen kill Net that Houthis prepared to intervene to solve the larger issues of tribal revenge intractable in the province is between the tribes of Hamadan and Shoulan and that of the leading edges Sheikh Aekimi from the Directorate of texts and Sheikh of the Iraqi Directorate of packages, and source pointed out that the Shi’ite and through their representative in conservative to connect with the parties who entered the tribal wars since more than 25 years, was killed in those wars, dozens and wounding hundreds of the parties without reconcile despite serious mediation tribal intervened repeatedly to resolve the dispute to no avail, also failed efforts of the President repeatedly to end the tribal in-fighting, as stated above that stopped the sheikhs adults of both tribes for several months in office to obey, without interest, the source added that Houthis asked the parties to accept their involvement and are willing to separate the issue if warranted intervention by force in the category of transgressing even returns to the right, and the source indicated that the Houthis speak of a source of strength this time, especially in front of them has described the atmosphere in the dispute Yemen Arabia hidden strings is not clear yet, is worth mentioning that the war between Hamedan and Shoulan renewed two weeks ago and using various light and heavy weapons.
