Tensions are growing in the middle east as the country of Yemen is yet to reestablish a strong central government. The current civil war that is raging within the countries borders have lead other neighboring nations to launch their own air attacks in hopes to weaken opposing sides and put an end to the war.
In recent months the neighboring country of Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront of the air strikes; the country has reportedly been dropping bombs over Yemen since the beginning of this year.
It has become apparent the the United States had been helping Saudi Arabia by giving them information on where to place the rebel groups and how to cut off the nation’s supplies. The damage has become much more clear in recent days with the reported number of civilian fatalities to be 1,000, the amount of wounded to be 400, and the number displaced to be 150,000. These numbers appeared as the United States move warships to right off the coast of Yemen.
It is believed that the United States will not start firing upon the rebels but are just there to act as a blockade to stop any supplies coming by sea. Saudi Arabia meanwhile has been blocking off any fuel, food, and military supplies from crossing any land routes into Yemen. This has taken its toll on the fighting as the price for fuel sky rockets and the groups grow more desperate to find fuel to pay for their fighting.
The fighting in Yemen which is mainly over the side of Islam that controls the country, continues to rage on even though the airstrikes are happening. The fear that the Houthi rebels may take control of the country worries the Sunni countries that are in the Middle East. Many of those countries fear Yemen as possibly becoming a Houthi state that it might bring along more influence for Iran.
Many political analysts of the war fear that soon the violence may spread to neighboring countries, or possibly throughout the middle east as a power struggle between the Houthi and Sunni groups. The fear of this too expands to the west as many western countries have ties in the middle east which might make it harder for them to do business with a county if the Sunnis lose control to the Houthis.
For now the Obama administration has said they will stay out of the combat until absolutely necessary leaving the fighting to continue between the countries in the Middle East.
By: Xan Daven-Thomas, News Editor
The Claw 