News Yemen's Unraveling: US Surprised by Collapse of Govt

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The discussion centers on the unexpected collapse of the Yemeni government, with a U.S. official expressing surprise at the rapid deterioration of the situation. Nick Rasmussen from the National Counterterrorism Center compared the Yemeni crisis to the earlier collapse of the Iraqi military against ISIS, noting that the Yemeni army failed to resist the advancing Houthi rebels. The Houthis, aligned with Iran, have taken control of significant areas, raising concerns about the implications for regional stability and the potential for increased influence of groups like Al Qaeda. The conversation highlights skepticism regarding U.S. intelligence and assessment capabilities, questioning how officials could be caught off guard by Yemen's ongoing instability, which has been evident for some time. The complexity of the situation is underscored by the sectarian divide, as the Shiite Houthis are seen as adversaries to Sunni groups like Al Qaeda, complicating the regional dynamics further.
Astronuc
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I was listening to a discuss about Yemen, and it's unraveling is probably worthy of its own thread.

US official: US was surprised by collapse of Yemen govt
http://news.yahoo.com/us-official-us-surprised-collapse-yemen-govt-205612576.html

Western nations and Saudi Arabia are pulling out.

Nick Rasmussen, who directs the National Counterterrorism Center, told the Senate intelligence committee that Yemen's American-funded army failed to oppose advancing Houthi rebels in the same way the U.S.-supported Iraqi military refused to fight Islamic State militants last year.

What happened in Iraq with the onslaught of the Islamic State group "happened in Yemen" on "a somewhat smaller scale," he said. "As the Houthi advances toward Sanaa took place ... they weren't opposed in many places. ...The situation deteriorated far more rapidly than we expected."
Apparently the Shiite Houthis are aligned with Iran.
 
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I'm surprised the U.S. was surprised. The county has been on the brink of state failure for awhile. Al Qaeda must be over joyed. The Middle East is truly in crisis. Making Africa look stable is not a good achievement.
 
Astronuc said:
US official: US was surprised by collapse of Yemen govt
Greg Bernhardt said:
I'm surprised the U.S. was surprised.
At what level are people surprised? Collection and analysis of data? Or, "interpretation and assessment" for "decisions and policy?"
 
Greg Bernhardt said:
I'm surprised the U.S. was surprised. The county has been on the brink of state failure for awhile. Al Qaeda must be over joyed. The Middle East is truly in crisis. Making Africa look stable is not a good achievement.
Im not sure how happy Al Qeada is, these rebels are shiite, while Al Qeada is sunni. Seems more like one of their enemies just got replaced by another enemy.
 
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