Recent attacks on commercial vessels by Houthi militia in the Red Sea have put the vital shipping region in the spotlight. The Yemen-based rebels claim to be targeting Israeli-linked vessels, in protest at Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. The UN Security Council recently passed a resolution demanding an immediate end to the Houthi attacks, while the US and UK have launched a series of strikes on Yemen against the rebels. On January 17, Wikistrat CEO Oren Kesler hosted an exclusive panel to explore the complexities of these unfolding events and their far-reaching impacts on global geopolitical dynamics and economic stability.
Three distinguished guests discussed these events' Gulf and the Yemeni aspects:
Dr. Noel Brehony is a former Chair of the British Yemeni Society, author of Yemen Divided (2011), and editor/co-editor of other books on Yemen. He has been following events in Yemen closely since 2008, with a particular interest in South Yemen since his time as a diplomat in Aden in the early years of the PDRY.
Dr. Matthew Hedges is a British academic specializing in the security practices of authoritarian regimes. He was awarded his PhD from Durham University, UK, and has published his thesis under the title 'Reinventing the Sheikhdom: Clan, Power and Patronage in Mohammed bin Zayed's UAE.'
Fernando Carvajal currently serves as consultant for the American center for South Yemen studies. He served on the UN Security Council's Panel of Experts on Yemen from April 2017 to March 2019 as an armed groups and regional expert. He has nearly 20 years of experience conducting fieldwork in Yemen and is a specialist in Yemeni politics and tribal relations.
Watch the recording here:
Key insights:
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