UAE Surrenders in Yemen: UAE to Withdraw From Anti-Houthi Military Operations in Yemen

[Arabian Stallion]

Pakistan got a lot of back lash for not getting involved, but history has shown that Pakistan was right to consider Yemen a lost cause.

Yemen was a lost cause before this current conflict began, has been during it and will continue to be a lost cause once the current conflicts end. Unless miracles occur. Besides Pakistani involvement, which was always meant to be purely symbolic in nature, would not have changed anything on the ground.

However as I argued earlier in this thread the main goals have been achieved by KSA (at least the current leadership should be of this opinion if you ask me) so I don't really see a point in any massive engagements (that was btw never the case if anyone takes a look at the limited number of Saudi Arabian soldiers on the ground in Yemen). Just keep what has already been consolidated which is basically all of the important parts of Yemen. Whether economic, geographical in nature or those containing natural resources (oil and gas) etc. No foreign invader would be able to control 15 million people in Saleh/Houthi controlled areas anyway, moreover in a foreign land, on the long run. Impossible. Saleh/Houthi's won't ever again control all of Yemen and neither do they pose a threat to KSA. Time to move on IMO. A lost cause. Evidence of similar "wastes of time" is the US involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. The US is in a different galaxy military compared to everyone else so if they cannot do it nobody can. Allied parties in Yemen will have to take the lead. It's their country after all. Not to say that Houthi and Saleh will eventually fight for power once again in their own region like for the past 20 years.

Moreover you have plenty on your own plate already. An even bigger lost cause next door in Afghanistan and a many times bigger and more populous sworn enemy in India who you have already been at war with a few times. The nature of those wars we are all familiar with here.

So your decision was understandable and I personally always argued against Pakistani involvement as I considered it pointless. I wish KSA had though similarly before involving itself in the mess that is Afghanistan in the 1980's. Nothing was gained from that involvement as argued in post 43. Only bad things.

Also a few Pakistani brothers here should not really get angry towards the UAE just because some UAE official blabbered on Twitter. Pakistan, like any Muslim country, unfortunately, has enough of moronic officials to embarrass themselves with. No need to be hostile due to such individuals. We all have them and they only speak for themselves or at most the regimes they work for.

 

[Zibago]

Exactly... All the idiots have Yemeni blood on their hands !

Even those sudani idiots...

As i said so many times before , idiots gonna pay for this...

So it was a good decision to stay out of Yemen for Pakistan

 

[Pandora]

That's ironic, because before the war in Yemen, Houthis were literally crushing AQ in every single incident they confronted them. They kicked AQ from central Yemen and killed too many of them. Again ironically, AQ started to advance very fast in Yemen when their ideological mother (Saudi Arabia) started war on Yemen.

Exactly AQ managed to gain ground after the conflict. Right now neither current yemeni government nor houthis are trying to fight alqaeda so they are consolidating their position so whoever comes out victorious it will be nightmare for them.

 

[That Guy]

hauthis seem to be very good fighters.. they survived saudi onslaught... time for both sides to sit down and do a deal.. may be involve UN or some other observer.

It isn't so much as their good fighters, it's more like that there was very little planning done, before the air strikes began. KSA's coalition basically started an air campaign, without even considering sending in ground troops to clear areas and hold them. In fact, from what I've read, they relied heavily on foreign mercenaries to help loyalist forces keep hold of areas that they already controlled.

1) All the Houthis needed to do was run away, and when air strikes ended, come back.

2) Seige loyalists areas, and cut off land supply routes, which they did with little opposition.

Ironically, the Houthi's greatest enemy didn't end up being KSA, but rather AQ, who took advantage of the situation and captured a large amount of land and starting heavy fighting with the Houthi rebels.

--------------

Quite frankly, I don't blame the KSA military, this seemed like a government decision. The military probably had little choice in the matter.

 

[Pandora]

And you wonder why people who share your ideology join ISIS? Here's why. I see an ISIS mentality here and an enormous potential to join such violent groups.



Show me one single Iranian in Yemen and then we will talk. We are not Pakistan of 80s and 90s, we won't risk our own security to support monsters like Taliban, only to let them come back and haunt us.

Taliban had a legitimate government and managed to stabilise Afghanistan. Now all hope is lost as only future for Afghanistan is to break up its territories between afghan pashtoon and northren alliance. Afghan Taliban are a reality monster or not.
Also your comment is rich considering Mullah Mansoor was coming from iran when he was killed.

 

[Zibago]

http://m.thenational.ae/opinion/a-2000-year-bond-between-the-uae-and-yemen-that-will-never-break
Fun fact UAE,s ruling family is of Yemeni descent

 

[Arabian Stallion]

Exactly AQ managed to gain ground after the conflict. Right now neither current yemeni government nor houthis are trying to fight alqaeda so they are cosolidatig their position so whoever comes out victorious it will be nightmare for them.

Please take a look at some of the previous posts in this thread about the topic that you have raised - AQAP.

Let me repeat myself. AQAP does not pose a serious danger to anyone in the region (GCC) but solely an already incredibly weak and divided Yemeni state and the future government of either a united Yemen or a independent Southern Yemen.

AQAP does not control any big population centers of worth and their control is very superficial. They can lose "control" of entire cities overnight to local poorly armed tribal forces. AQAP's membership does not extend to more than 4000 people. Those are the highest estimates.

Moreover the vast, vast, vast majority of Southern Yemenis fiercely oppose their presence and ideology. Southern Yemen is exclusively Shafi'i and has a very strong Sufi tradition. This is why AQAP in Yemen has a considerable presence of foreigners and the reason why they struggle to attract locals.

What many people however do not know is that a few Southern Yemeni tribes have dealings with AQAP and at times have fought alongside them. Just like in Syria and Iraq in regards to ISIS. However such people are purely opportunists and do not constitute a strong local link or support base.

However even the smallest of groups can cause great harm and instability when a country is already in chaos like Yemen currently is. Moreover the biggest danger when it comes to AQAP, according to Western officials and intelligence services, is their supposed capability to strike targets in the West. However I am yet to see that. In reality they are a very insignificant group compared to ISIS who they disagree with and who they have not pledged allegiance to. In fact AQAP splintered recently (last year if I recall) as around 200 or 300 AQAP members left the group to form an local ISIS affiliate in Yemen. Those two groups have even fought against each other albeit not much has been spoken about it in the media.

http://m.thenational.ae/opinion/a-2000-year-bond-between-the-uae-and-yemen-that-will-never-break
Fun fact UAE,s ruling family is of Yemeni descent

Everyone is related in Arabia and most of the Arab world. Most tribes in UAE have close ancestral ties to Yemen and most of them are Qahtani. As is half of KSA, Sham, Iraq, GCC states etc. However nowadays peoples actions (most of them) evolve around their nationality and the nation states that they happen to belong to. I am of course against such kind of thinking especially in an Arab context as everything else makes no sense. I mean to limit oneself to solely nationality.

 

[Red Wolf]

Please take a look at some of the previous posts in this thread about the topic that you have raised - AQAP.

Let me repeat myself. AQAP does not pose a serious danger to anyone in the region (GCC) but solely an already incredibly weak and divided Yemeni state and the future government of either a united Yemen or a independent Southern Yemen.

AQAP does not control any big population centers of worth and their control is very superficial. They can lose "control" of entire cities overnight to local poorly armed tribal forces. AQAP's membership does not extend to more than 4000 people. Those are the highest estimates.

Moreover the vast, vast, vast majority of Southern Yemenis fiercely oppose their presence and ideology. Southern Yemen is exclusively Shafi'i and has a very strong Sufi tradition. This is why AQAP in Yemen has a considerable presence of foreigners and the reason why they struggle to attract locals.

What many people however do not know is that a few Southern Yemeni tribes have dealings with AQAP and at times have fought alongside them. Just like in Syria and Iraq in regards to ISIS. However such people are purely opportunists and do not constitute a strong local link or support base.

However even the smallest of groups can cause great harm and instability when a country is already in chaos like Yemen currently is. Moreover the biggest danger when it comes to AQAP, according to Western officials and intelligence services, is their supposed capability to strike targets in the West. However I am yet to see that. In reality they are a very insignificant group compared to ISIS who they disagree with and who they have not pledged allegiance to. In fact AQAP splintered recently (last year if I recall) as around 200 or 300 AQAP members left the group to form an local ISIS affiliate in Yemen. Those two groups have even fought against each other albeit not much has been spoken about it in the media.

This.

AQAP is not a battle hardened group. It has no way of sustaining itself financially, i.e., no oil (ISIS, Peshmerga), no drugs (Taliban), no backing from a regional power (Hezbollah, Houthis, Northern Alliance). AQAP has always acted in a support role and whatever ambitious aims the group had died with Anwar al-Awlaki.

 

[MilSpec]

When you dont have the political will or cohesion to enter a fight and see it through, you should not. The Bedouin were never united, their opponents are the Persians who have always been united. The result will be plain to see. Islam and otherwise is just tissue paper for these two old factions to use.

You have anything to read about this conflict, let me know if there is a good place to start.

 

[SOHEIL]

That includes Iran also ...Now don't go voila please ...accept the truth !

 

[beast89]

Remember this fool warning Pakistan http://www.dawn.com/news/1175284

 

[CrimsonFury]

Who was the UAE to try and fight in Yemen? There are only 3 countries that could completely invade and subjugate that geographical area: US, Russia and China.

 

[ultron]

Who was the UAE to try and fight in Yemen? There are only 3 countries that could completely invade and subjugate that geographical area: US, Russia and China.

It is impossible to subjugate millions of people these days. This isn't the good old days when battles are fought in open field. These days warriors hide among civilians.

 

[Hellfire]

and they were telling us to fall in line, i would like to see their faces now, and Pakistan can now clearly say "I told you so"

some of your fellow countrymen were also keen on this if you recall on the pertinent thread. sensible decision by GoP and PA to keep clear.

You have anything to read about this conflict, let me know if there is a good place to start.

Sowing the Wind - John Keay?

 

[CrimsonFury]

It is impossible to subjugate millions of people these days. This isn't the good old days when battles are fought in open field. These days warriors hide among civilians.

The civilian aspect may be a challenge to the US I'll grant you that. To China and Russia? I think not