SANA'A: Yemen government officials are now blaming the recent spat of violence in the southern part of the country on Iran, saying that Tehran was trying to promote chaos and political instability as it looks at expanding its control over the region. Interestingly, this rhetoric is shared by the US ambassador to Yemen, Gerard Feierstein, who only last week told reporters that Yemeni and American intelligence services had proof that Iran was financing and arming dissident groups in the region in its war by proxy with Saudi Arabia. “We do definitely see a rise in Iranian finance, efforts on the part of Iran to increase its influence not only with Zaydi Shia elements, but with Sunni elements as well,” Feierstein said. “We do think that we have evidence of Iranian activities that will build up military capabilities as well. It's a relatively recent phenomenon; Iran is taking advantage of this period of political instability and loss of government control over large parts of the country,” the ambassador added. Al-Houthis, a Shia rebel group, which for the past decade or so has been advocating a return to the rule of the Imams, is now gaining control over most of Yemen northern territories, urging its followers to align themselves with Iran's ayatollahs. It seems now that Tehran is turning its attention to South Yemen seeking to use the tension already existing between the Southern Secessionist Movement and the central government to sink the region into an armed conflict. Members of the coalition government told Bikyamasr.com under strict confidentiality that foreign diplomats had uncovered a plan allegedly fomented by members of the General People's Congress to provoke turbulence and riots on the day of the presidential elections. The government would be now under mounting pressure as the foreign officials are demanding that the culprits be discharged from their positions and punished accordingly. Moreover, several Iranian businessmen residing in the UAE have allegedly helped financed the operations by wiring funds to the guilty parties. It is important to note that Bikyamasr.com could not independently verify the allegations. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/XRIwk Tags: featured, Proxy, Tehran, Violence Section: Iran, Latest News, Yemen
