Yemen Observer: http://www.yobserver.com
Posted in:
Local News
Written By: Elena White
Article Date: May 7, 2012 - 7:45:37 PM
Some rights activists within an organization called SAWASIA are now calling for an end to political factions and other groups’ foreign patronage, arguing that such “meddling within the country’s internal affairs was counter-productive as foreign interests were bound to clash with Yemen’s national interests.”
Throughout the course of the 2011 popular uprising many countries, amongst which most predominantly Iran was accused of “sponsoring” al-Houthi rebel Shia movement and al-Herak, the Southern Secessionist Movement as political analysts explained that Teheran was trying to further destabilize Yemen to extend its control over the region and promote its own hegemonic agenda against its main regional nemesis, Saudi Arabia.
With al-Houthis being ideologically pre-disposed to an alliance with the Shia giant, Iran is allegedly using the tribal fighters against the Kingdom as their areas of control lie on the KSA’ southern borders.
US ambassador to Yemen, Gerard Feierstein, recently accused Teheran of forging alliance with the Houthi leader Abdel Malek al-Houthi, adding that for well over a decades the Shia rebel group had receive financial and logistic help from the Ayatollahs.
Al-Herak, which contrary to al-Houthis has no apparent link to Iran, at least not in terms of religious beliefs or even political ideology, is said to have agreed to an alliance following the say: “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
As proof activists advanced that Ali Salem al-Beidh, the former president of South Yemen, had been invited to visit Teheran on several occasions, alongside Yemeni journalists and other prominent southern figures.
Al-Herak is denying any ties with Iran
Moreover, American diplomats warned that Iran was also targeting students abroad, trying to recruits more arms for its battle for the hearts and minds in Yemen, wanting to end Saudi Arabia’s hold over the poorest country of the Arabic Peninsula.