Regime and Periphery in Northern Yemen: The Huthi Phenomenon

Abstract

Regime and Periphery in Northern Yemen: The Huthi Phenomenon By Barak A. Salmoni, Bryce Loidolt, and Madeleine Wells Santa Monica, CA: Rand National Defense Research Institute, 2010 410 pages $52.00 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Yemen has become a country of considerable concern to the West and especially to the United States since December 2009 when an individual trained by Yemeni terrorists attempted to destroy a US civilian aircraft on its way to Detroit. Given such conditions, it is only natural for US Defense Department leaders to seek additional information and insight regarding this country. This book is an unclassified RAND Corporation study prepared for the Defense Intelligence Agency on the Huthi rebellion in northern Yemen. As such, it seeks to provide a straightforward account of many of the key aspects of Yemeni society as well as the nature of the northern rebellion. While the northern part of Yemen does not currently face a major threat from al Qaeda terrorists, the conflict is still a major challenge to the Yemeni government. The ability of the government to manage this challenge is critical if it is to restore acceptable civil order and avoid dissipating Yemeni military and intelligence resources better spent on counterterrorism. For those seeking a policy-relevant study, this is a truly impressive work with an insightful and fine-grained analysis of the political, religious, military, and regional aspects of the Huthi rebellion. This revolt involves the struggle of northern rebels against the authority of the central government. The Huthi rebels draw their name from the leading family of the region that has provided leadership for the struggle since it began in June 2004. Currently, the fighting is in abeyance, but there have already been six phases of combat in Sa'da province punctuated by cease-fires, with key issues remaining unresolved. The potential for this struggle to reemerge is serious and of immediate interest to United States policymakers concerned about the future of Yemen. Moreover, as this work makes clear, the conflict is not well understood in the West. Additionally, there is not even the faintest wisp of an agreed narrative on the meaning of the conflict as defined by the government and rebels. Yemen's government charges that the Huthis seek to reestablish a political/religious leader (imam) drawn from their ranks as the new head of state. Such a development would certainly undermine Yemen's current government which has an elected president and parliament, although the electoral process is often viewed as flawed. Conversely, the rebels maintain that they do not desire an overthrow of the government. Rather, they maintain that they only want to protect their traditional autonomy and receive a fair share of government resources. …