Yemen: Where Empires Come to Die?

Afghanistan - a prequel to Yemen that mirrors a lot of what has gone on in Yemen - foretold the death of empires within the country. Afghanistan witnessed the deaths of many empires - the USSR, the Hotak dynasty, and the British to name a few. America may soon come to look at Afghanistan and wince at its messy involvement there, the backlash of a long war a stiff warning against imperialism.

With Afghanistan, we have learnt that resistance is far greater than mighty military powers who come in to take a piece of the country. Time and time again the small guy has won in Afghanistan. But Afghanistan has not been alone in suffering the wrath of Western hunger. Libya, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen have all imploded so that Western nations can carve out zones of influence while arguing democracy building and counterterrorism measures.

If Afghanistan was the first act of the play, Yemen is the second act that will wrap up and bury imperialism all together. Although the Saudis are trying their absolute hardest to fight their stake in the civil war, Yemen's own resistance movement has yet to abate. Amid a devastating humanitarian crisis, incinerated infrastructure, warring tribal factions, and jihads running about all over the country, Yemen is still doing its best to fight the resistance, and in doing so affirming its right to political self-determination.

For all the money Saudi Arabia has, it is loosing its footing in Yemen. Saudi Arabia's aggression should not be confused with the fact that they are winning. Just like American aggression in Vietnam was initially believed to be winning the war there.

Sources have reported that Saudi Arabia has entered into secret negotiations with some of Yemen's political elites. Should these secret agreements come to anything, it would be another blow to imperialism as a form of governance and could end imperial meddling in the country for good.