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into a springboard of an armed confrontation between Iran and the Persian Gulf monarchies.
Author of the abstract - Natalia Ginesina
2017.04.006. URAL SHARIPOV. YEMEN: FRONTAL COLLISION OF SUNNITE AND SHIA POPULATION AND INTERFERENCE OF OUTSIDE FORCES // The 2"d decade of the 21st century - fresh blood in the Middle East (puppeteers, actors and victims). Moscow, 2017, P. 179-190.
Keywords: Yemen, Sunnites, Shia'ites, intra-religious conflict.
U. Sharipov,
D.Sc. (Politics),
Chief Research Associate,
Institute of Oriental Studies, RAS
Yemen is a country where numerous Shia and Sunna tribes have lived close by for centuries. Despite ideological and religious differences, their mutual contradictions were not acute. Throughout the 20th century the country, which was a feudal monarchy for a long time was drawn into a whirlwind of political changes. In 1962, as a result of a revolution the Zeida (trend of Shia Islam) monarchy was overthrown and the country became the Yemeni Arab Republic under the Sunnite rule. The Shia minority was pushed into the background. But after the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979 the successes of the Shi'ites in the political arena of the Middle East in restoring their socio-political rights pushed the Yemeni Shi'ites to greater activity in promoting their rights.
As far as the state structure of Yemen was concerned, there were changes in the last decades of the 20th century: in 1967 South Yemen, which was a British protectorate, received independence and proclaimed the People's Democratic Republic
of Yemen adhering to prosocialist orientation. After two decades of hostile relations the Yemeni Arab Republic and the new Democratic Republic of Yemen united in the single Republic of Yemen. During that period the "Al-Qaeda" organization turned its attention to Yemen. However, the country was regarded not as an object for establishing its power, but as a springboard and base for arranging subversive and terrorist acts with a view to destabilizing the situation in Saudi Arabia and undermining American interests in the zone of the Arabian Peninsula, as well as in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and East Africa. Under outside pressure the Yemeni Islamists were defeated in 2003, but Islamic radicals managed to introduce quite a few of their supporters in the government and special forces. Using the inability of state power and President Ali Abdallah Saleh to control the greater part of the country's territory the "Al-Qaeda" penetrated deeper and deeper in Yemeni society. Field commanders representing the interests of various Sunna groupings seized power in the south. The main threat to stability in Yemeni society comes from local tribes who have complex relations with one another. The Salaphites from "Ansar-ash-Sharia" are a supra-clan structure and take part in resolving various conflicts between tribes. In other words, the war in Yemen took the form of inter-religious conflict with the interference of Sunna and Shia political forces from the outside, which resulted in the growing influence of radical Islamist organizations from both sides - Sunnites and Shi'ites.
As for the latter, who live in the north and west of the country, they also came out against the government of President Ali Abdallah Saleh in Sanaa, his corrupt government and their close ties with the United States. Their representatives demanded the autonomy of the region. Hussein Al-Husi became the leader of the uprising (he was killed in 2004) and set up the radical Islamist organization "Ansar Allah" in 1994. In 2009 the movement, which he headed, stepped up its activity and raided a Saudi border village where they killed two border guards.
In reply Saudi Arabia began its interference in the Yemeni inter-religious conflict.
In January 2011 mass demonstrations began in Yemen demanding the resignation of President Saleh and social reforms. In reply he promised certain concessions, curtailed his terms of office to two in succession, and refused to take part in the forthcoming elections. However, government reprisals began to grow and on March 18 fifty-two persons taking part in a demonstration in Sanaa were killed. Saleh introduced a state of emergency, but demonstrations and manifestations continued. Then it was announced that he was ready to resign, despite that he refused to sign the document agreed on by the conflicting sides. Manifestations were resumed and took place in the entire northern part of the country. On June 3 the presidential residence was fired on in Sanaa. Saleh himself, the prime minister and the speaker of parliament were wounded. Saleh fled the country and it was announced on his behalf that power was handed over to Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, Yemen's vice president. However, in February 2012 political and religious struggle in the country continued. Hadi's government proved unable to carry out vitally important reforms for the next two years and the political and religious struggle continued unabated.
The internecine war continues for over five years between political and religious rivals, among them Sunnite and Shi'ite groupings, their supporters, and also tribal groups. Then country is actually split into three zones: the north and the west, including Sanaa, are under the Shi'ite grouping "Ansar Allah," the south and part of central territories are under control of the central government supported by people's volunteers, the loyal part of the Yemeni army and the Saudi coalition. The central part of the country with big cities and certain eastern districts are controlled by the ISIS, tribal volunteers and Salaphites from "Ansar-ash-Sharia." The fight between them all was going on with varied success, however the Shia Houthi rebel movement began to score success, having occupied the oil-bearing districts
and taken transport communications. They also captured the capital Sanaa with all government buildings, Central Bank and the arsenal. On January 20, 2015, having taken the residence of the Yemeni President, they forced Hadi to resign. In February he fled the country from the port of Aden. Then the Houthi rebels formed their central power body - the Revolutionary Committee and turned over all power to the Supreme political council.
Having realized that Saudi Arabia does not like the course of events in Yemen in favor of the Shi'ites and Iran, President Hadi fled to Riyadh and called on Arab states to organize a foreign military intervention in Yemen. A military coalition was formed consisting of Egypt, the U.S., Morocco, Sudan, Pakistan, Senegal and Jordan. Besides, certain states agreed to render partial assistance. After that Hadi returned to Aden and proclaimed it provisional residence of his government. Riyadh began to dictate its conditions to his cabinet. Thus, the international coalition ensured itself an official invitation to wage military operations on the territory of Yemen.
On March 26, 2015, the military operations of the international coalition against the Houthi Shi'ite insurgents began. Blows were dealt not only at military objects, but also at civilian ones in towns and villages - living quarters, schools, ports, and factories. Artillery, airforce and navy were used in these operations.
The United States supports Saudi Arabia and the forces connected with it in Yemen in order to fight the ISIS, Al-Qaeda and all anti-American forces in the region. It also opposes every opportunity of enlarging the influence of the Russian Federation in the Middle East. Washington constantly increases arms deliveries to Riyadh.
The military impasse which emerged by the end of 2015 in Yemen has not been overcome as yet, but strategic preponderance is gradually moving toward the Houthi Shi'ites and the ex-president Saleh. During the first six months of 2017 the military situation changed but very little, although on March 9
the government forces of President Hadi moved closer to the capital Sanaa captured by the Houthi insurgents. Meanwhile, the number of victims and destroyed military and civilian objects in Yemen is constantly growing.
The researcher concludes by saying that the irreconcilable confrontation between the Sunnites and Shi'ites, with the participation of the international coalition headed by Saudi Arabia continues against the backdrop of almost futile negotiations. The pro-Saudi coalition does not wish to resolve the Yemeni conflict by peaceful means, hoping that its forces will be able to smash the Houthi Shi'ites. But this can happen only after prolonged bloody battles between the Arabian coalition, on the one hand, and the Houthi units and Saleh's armed forces, on the other.
Author of the abstract - Natalia Ginesina
2017.04.007. BAGRAT SEIRANYAN. THREE PILLARS OF GROWTH. (Introduction to book) // V. Isayev, A. Filonik. Qatar: Three Pillars of Growth (socio-economic essay). Moscow, 2015, P. 5-8.
Keywords: Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Britain, U.S.A., Wahhabism, Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
Bagrat Seiranyan,
Dr.Sc. (Hist.),
Institute of Oriental Studies, RAS
At the beginning of this century Qatar was mentioned in articles and reports on the developments in the Middle East ever more frequently.
Meanwhile, in the mid-19th century Qatar was a God-forsaken territory fully dependent on Bahrain and an object of expansion and rivalry of the ruling Arabian families of Bu Said (Oman) and the second Saudi state, the Ottoman Empire and
