The middle eastern country of Yemen was overrun by rebel forces on the grounds of political unrest.
Photo By: Whitten Bumbalough, Photo Manager.  

By: Logan Zelk, Reporter

Yemen shares the legacy of a decade with the Middle East: beginning with the Arab Spring revolts in Tunisia spreading like wildfire throughout the region. Because a video of a man self-immolating by fire in protest of the Tunisian government went viral, many nations fell and rose to the following waves of fundamentalism and dissatisfaction amongst people in Middle-Eastern countries, from the several revolutions in Egypt to the rise of ISIS in Iraq.

During the past month, Yemen’s government has faced relentless aggressive action from different militants and at the end of January, succumbed to large groups of armed rebels. The outcome looks hazy, as many groups are vying for power and no specific group has an advantage over the others. Several feared groups, ranging from the Houthis, largest and predominant militants, to terrorist factions such as ISIS, local militias and Al-Qaeda cells, have the capacity to take control.

Senior Jason Young says, “ I feel as though general dissatisfaction will allow rebel theocratic states to take over as a trend and influence revolts surrounding Yemen […], but I don’t think they will last.”

Yemen was still recovering from the wounds of a previous revolution in 2011. People in Yemen have poor life quality, with most living on $2 dollars a day, and over a third feel chronic hunger. After the Tunisian overthrow, protests consumed the region, and found momentum in Yemen.

Apprehension over poverty and criticism towards past president Ali Abdullah Saleh led to pushes for new government. The anger caused enough tension that fighting broke out, and deaths resulted. After several months of fighting, an election was established after a cease-fire amongst fighting groups, and a new president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur al-Hadi, was sworn in. Many of the previous government officials resigned and were replaced concurrently with the change in presidents.

The situation hasn’t been resolved, and — despite the semi-peaceful resolution to the 2011 revolution — seems to be worsening. Due to a religious divide between Shias and Sunnis, two sects of Islam, and multiple factions competing for power, the country hasn’t experienced stability, especially with the second surrender of the government to rebel forces.

An additional problem with the situation in Yemen is the questionable safety of the U.S. embassy in the capital, Sana’a. Some Americans remember the 2008 Benghazi incident fairly well in their minds, and the worry of another incident lingers.

“I feel Americans, especially ambassadors, will get caught in the violence over differing ideals,” says junior Mason Davis.
Signs of aggression towards American diplomats have already surfaced, worrying American citizens and politicians alike. Many Americans feel the US still has a vital role in providing stability in the Middle East.

Senior Norma Davis feels otherwise. “We should let [the Middle East] handle their own situation.” However, she does fear that the furthering chaos will affect the States. “We have a lot of foreign trade going on, especially oil. I like $1.96 for gas as it is,” says Davis.

For now, the future is uncertain. With the tumultuous past and the path to current rebellion, only time will tell how the situation will unravel.