The United Arab Emirates is reportedly moving troops out of Yemen. Some progress has been made in peace talks between separatists and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.
Recent reporting by The Guardian from the front lines of the conflict illustrates how the embattled country’s civil war is really multiple, distinct conflicts between numerous competing factions — including the Houthis, the Southern Transitional Council, the Saudis, the UAE, and various militias involved — that is difficult to fully disentangle.
The increasingly complicated nature of this conflict, which has fueled a humanitarian crisis, only further highlights how crucial it is that the United States end its support for the Saudi military campaign, which began in 2015. After all, there are no significant U.S. national security interests at play in this conflict, and our involvement only exacerbates the pain felt by the average Yemeni.
The main front of the war in Yemen is being fought between the Arab coalition and the Houthi rebels. In 2011 and 2012, Arab Spring protests prompted Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who had ruled since 1990, to step down, handing the reins over to Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who was meant to craft a new and more inclusive constitution.
But it didn’t work out that way.
The Houthis, along with elements friendly to former President Saleh, tried to arrest Hadi, though he eventually resigned, then rescinded his resignation and escaped to Riyadh. This breakdown is what prompted the Saudi’s intervention, with the support of the U.S. and other Arab nations.
Fear of Iranian-backed elements gaining greater control of the region is the driving force behind Saudi Arabia’s mission and U.S. support for it, but neither the Saudis nor Iran have the ability to dominate the region and exert the kind of influence they would like to have.
What dog, then, does the U.S. actually have in the fight?
While the Saudis fight the Houthis in an effort to forestall Iranian gains, the UAE is also acting on multiple fronts. The Emirates is interested in fighting Islamist groups, while also funding the STC — a group that ultimately seeks independence. An investigation by the Associated Press showed that various militias supported by the Saudis and the UAE in Yemen are intimately entangled with al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula elements. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to execute its own drone strikes on al Qaeda.
Through it all, innocent Yemenis are caught in the crossfire. Three million people have been forced to flee their homes. More than one million people are dealing with a cholera outbreak, and, due to the Arab coalition’s naval blockade, 15 million are on the brink of starvation.
No, ending U.S. involvement won’t solve all of Yemen’s problems. But, at the very least, it’ll stop making them worse — the Saudis are emboldened by our support. As long as we write checks, provide intelligence, and send weapons, there’s no reason to think they’ll ever come to the negotiating table to stop the fighting.
The U.S. can help facilitate a dialogue but, ultimately, a political settlement in Yemen isn’t essential to our national security. We can deal with the threat that groups such as al Qaeda and ISIS pose without anyone’s assistance, including the Saudis.
This war has been raging for four years, and one reason Yemenis have had to wait so long for a resolution is America’s totally unnecessary involvement. For their sake and ours, we must put an end to our meddling.
Jerrod A. Laber is a senior contributor for Young Voices. Follow him on Twitter @JerrodALaber.
