National Review's Jim Geraghty and Radio America's Greg Corombos discuss current events. Today's topics: Marco Rubio looks set to run for president, Yemen devolves into chaos, and the White House has a meltdown over Boehner's invitation to Benjamin Netanyahu.
Yemen Joins List of Collapsed Mideast States
This week in Yemen, an Iran-backed Shia militia captured the presidential palace. The president has since resigned. It was the latest stage in the slow advance of the Houthis, who entered the capital Sana'a in September of last year.
The latest Houthi victories do not bring the Shia rebels undisputed control of the country. They do, however, ensure the undisputed presence of the Iranian clients in the central government.
The situation in Yemen exemplifies in acute form most of the phenomena which are currently tearing much of the Middle East apart: the fragmentation and weakness of central governments; growing sectarian divisions; the presence and power of a strong, Iranian backed political-military force; the importance of local and tribal power structures; Saudi support for the Sunnis; and the existence of a powerful Sunni Jihadi organization, committed both to local struggle and to terrorism against the West.
The uprising of the Houthis was launched in 2004. The movement derived its popular support from the 30% or so of Yemenis who belong to the Zaidi Shia community, concentrated in the north of the country.
While protesting undoubted discrimination against the Shia, the evidence of Iranian backing for the Houthi militia — officially known as "Ansarullah" (fighters of God) — was apparent from the outset. The stance of the Houthis is reflected in the group's unambiguous slogan: "God is Great, Death to America, Death to Israel, a Curse on the Jews, Victory to Islam."Also read:
Obama's bloody Yemen disaster
Obama's Hollow Threats of Revenge on Bibi
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