With a battle led by the UAE.. US officials support the option of a military solution in Yemen
English - Thursday 27 January 2022 الساعة 02:22 pm
Aden, NewsYemen:
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy said that the Houthi militia is trying to incur heavy costs for the UAE due to its involvement in the battle in Yemen, at a time when forces allied with Abu Dhabi are making gains on the battlefield.
An analysis prepared by Elena DeLoger - "Robin Family Fellow" at The Washington Institute - stated that the Houthis' targeting of various locations in the UAE (including Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports) with many missiles and drones, is not considered a sudden incident, but rather an escalation, noting that "the Houthi group filmed The incident is seen as a response to the recent military activity of groups allied with the UAE in key areas.
The analysis indicated that the Giants Brigades, under the banner of a new operation of the coalition, expelled the Houthis from important parts of Shabwa Governorate in the south and began their battle to wrest parts of Marib as well, which the Houthis have always fought for control.
He believed that the recent setbacks that they (the Houthi militia) had suffered - which they attribute to the UAE's re-engagement in the war - will make the capture of Marib more difficult.
The Washington Institute quoted US officials as saying that the UAE is again intensifying its air operations and support for anti-Houthi forces such as the "Giant Brigades", which it helped establish and fund in the beginning.
He emphasized that the success of the giants' forces on the battlefield had provoked the Houthis, who chose to take direct revenge against the UAE on its soil, most likely in an attempt to get it out of the military fight.
He said that the main question is how will the UAE respond in Yemen? Will Abu Dhabi continue to support its allies in Yemen to confront the Houthis by force, and perhaps even increase its involvement in an attempt to fully restore Marib? Or will it back down in line with its less intrusive foreign policy of late?
While he asked whether Tehran had any role or knowledge of this attack, the American Institute considered that the UAE's relationship with Iran may be tested as well. The two countries have conducted high-level negotiations over the past few months aimed at easing tensions in the region.
Tehran's close relationship with the group that is currently and actively carrying out attacks against the UAE may become central to the Iranian-Emirati talks if they continue, according to the analysis.
American considerations
The analysis said that US officials are closely studying the flight path of suspicious drones and missiles, considering that Washington will investigate where the drones and missiles took off, the distance they traveled, and whether any air defense systems were used.
According to the widely leaked UN Panel of Experts' latest report on Yemen, the Houthis currently claim to have advanced drones capable of traveling up to 2,000 kilometers, which could put Abu Dhabi International Airport within range of the launch points in Sanaa. But a precise hit from this distance will remain difficult.
"US officials will be particularly concerned about the attack on Abu Dhabi Airport - an international travel hub through which Americans often travel or transit. After the Houthis claimed that they had targeted the airport with a drone in 2018, the nature of the latest attack may be worrisome," he said. sufficient to resume internal US discussions about designating the group as a foreign terrorist organization or imposing additional sanctions on its members."
Meanwhile - the analysis says - the intensification of the coalition's military activity in Yemen may revive the debate in Washington about the best way forward in this conflict to protect American interests. The Biden administration publicly opposes offensive operations there, in line with the United Nations view.
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy confirmed, "Some US officials and analysts have concluded that the Houthis do not want to negotiate, and inevitably consider the military option as a way to prevent Yemen from falling under the group's control, especially if the aforementioned campaign is led by the UAE."
