US evacuates all personnel from Yemen

[arjunadawn]

I don't like to say much about places which I haven't got some first hand knowledge about, but from what I have heard when I lived in the region, Yemen is a very backward country.

It's sad to see any place and any group of civilians face military conflict, but for most Western countries I wonder what is the importance of Yemen, other than it seems like a breeding ground for some not-very-nice groups of people.

Yemen's collapse to shia would give Iran control of two vital shipping lanes. Yemen would be a projected asset of Iran in meddling in other GCC countries with significant shia populations. Though Saana is the capital it is Aden that is the backbone economy of Yemen. Aden will/has fallen. A great deal is now on the line. The GCC are responding. If one can consider all these mounting events as disparate and unrelated they are an idiot. There is a greater momentum building toward regional war and Obama makes Chamberlain look statesmen-like!

The Sheraton Hotel was once the only hotel that had a degree of security required for US State and related personnel to stay. While we were supposed to always be on buddy system, and were this day provided thin skinned vehicles (not armor), I elected to give a local American Arabic student woman a ride into town, to her school. How cool. How stupid. Riding back after I dropped her off, with the flow of mad traffic heading down a hill then up to the top at a traffic light, it was at the bottom of the hill I did not slow in my SUV and sent a wall of rain water splashing to the tiny SUV that was beside me at the bottom. I was now en route to the top and now trying to make the light. In my mirror I saw the window to that SUV was open. I got stuck at the light; no choices at all. When the car pulled up beside me there was a tribal leader in the car, in a suit with thwab mix, with also about 8 AK bearing men squeezed into this little suv. The man was soaking wet, and clearly offended. I realized immediately how screwed I was. Through the closed glass I earnestly mouthed the words "I am so sorry." The man's anger was tempered by the fact he realized I was an idiot. He told me "be careful; this is not your home. This is a very dangerous place!" I again said "sorry," and the light turned green and I left. It was only the man's hesitation, and perhaps charity, that resulted in my safety.

Yemen is a very scary place and warlords run the entire country, even in Saana, though [they] previously said not, and that central government ran Saana. I genuinely felt awful I embarrassed this man in front of his men and I hope it was my sincerity he sensed. It was a very not good moment. Yemen is a madhouse and always has been. White people do not belong there, period!

[BKKBobby]

Let all dictatorships that are on lifesupport collapse. Stability isnt an excuse for suppressing the people of The Middle East. Keyboard Kissingers!

Edited March 26, 2015 by BKKBobby