SANA'A: Reports coming from Yemen's northern territories are further confirming political and security analysts' views that Iran is becoming an ever-growing presence in Yemen through its support of the Shia rebel group al-Houthis. The group, which for the past decade has been at war with President Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime, has been using the power vacuum left by the 2011 popular uprising to expand its hold over Yemen's northern provinces, managing to seize Sa'ada, Hajjah and al-Jawf almost entirely, with only a few pockets of resistance. The moves, which have been closely monitored by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as they share a border with Yemen, prompted the Kingdom to increase its financial and logistical support towards Salafists, Sunni Muslims who uphold a strict practice of Islam. Salafists and Shia are religiously at odds with each other, having a very different understanding of the Islamic scriptures, often advocating the annihilation of the other sect as they consider them traitors of Islam. Now al-Houthis preachers are urging their followers to support Syrian dictator, Bashar al-Assad, as they say he is fighting Jews and foreign traitors. “Clearly, al-Houthis are regurgitating Tehran's message, seeking to turn Yemen into another support base for Iran in the region. Syria has always been strategically important to Iran as it give it a foothold in the Middle East. Iran has already under its control, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria. It is now fighting for Bahrain and Yemen. Since Iran is preparing itself for a military confrontation with Israel it will need all the help it can get in the region and Yemen represents an undeniable asset geographically and militarily. An alliance with Tehran will guarantee millions more soldiers to Tehran's machine of war,” said an analyst from the Abaad center. Local officials in Sa'ada also reported that al-Houthis were recruiting Yemeni soldiers for a salary of $3000 per month, which in the impoverished nation represents an absolute fortune. Regular foot soldiers are usually paid an average of $120 per month. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/ePzsr Tags: Assad, featured, Houthis, Support, Tehran Section: Latest News, Syria, Yemen
