America Abandons Yemen – U.S. Has Withdrawn All Military Personnel Amidst Growing Violence By ISIS, Al-Qaeda And Houthi
America has officially withdrawn all of its remaining military personnel from Yemen.
Never the one to shy from large-scale wars and organized aggression, America appears to have abandoned Yemen, right when it needs its military might to subdue the growing violence from rebels and terrorist factions. Strangely citing reasons about a “deteriorating security situation,” the U.S. has withdrawn the last 100 troops that were stationed at an air base near a southern city that was stormed by al-Qaeda fighters on Friday, confirmed Yemeni officials.
There has been a rapid escalation of violence from multiple groups in Yemen. Armed rivals, including Houthi rebels, al-Qaeda, and the Islamic State Caliphate or ISIS have been waging their own wars that have left destruction in their wake, and Yemen is paying a heavy price for being an active battleground.
Owing to the rapidly deteriorating security situation, the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting to discuss various possibilities of helping Yemen survive this genocide and mass-massacre of innocent civilians who have been caught in the crossfire.
The emergency meeting was requested by Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, who fled to the southern port city of Aden after the capital was taken over by Houthis last month. In his letter, President Hadi had urged the council and requested for an “urgent intervention” to stop the aggression “that is aimed at undermining the legitimate authority”.
Is this a military problem or a political problem? America has always indulged in such a dilemma, while these terrorists have continued ravaging the cities and have destroyed priceless historical monuments and libraries, while killing innocent civilians in the name of religion.
Apparently the same quandary perplexed America when it decided to withdraw troops instead of sending in reinforcements. Speaking about the withdrawal, US state department spokesman Jeff Rathke said,
“Due to the deteriorating security situation in Yemen, the US government has temporarily relocated its remaining personnel out of Yemen. The US would continue to support Yemen’s political transition and monitor terrorist threats emanating from the country. But, there is no military solution to Yemen’s current crisis.”
Interestingly, America’s withdrawal from the al-Anad air base happened right after al-Qaeda fighters in the nearby city of al-Houta launched a direct offensive against its base in Yemen. Though the militants were successfully held back and later pushed out of the city by Yemen’s own armed forces, America decided it was best they scale back and withdraw.
There’s little doubt that Yemen needs America’s military expertise, if not its might. The U.S. military personnel at the base, including some special forces, had been training Yemeni fighters to support their fight against al-Qaeda.
With ISIS gaining ground, and along with al-Qaeda considering the Shia Muslim Houthis to be heretics, the violence can only get worse.
[Image Credit | AFP]
