Biden’s problem in Yemen: The Houthis are winning
Because the Houthis are currently on the offensive, it will be difficult for the U.S. leadership to incentivize them to lay down their arms.
Giorgio Cafiero is the CEO and founder of Gulf State Analytics, a geopolitical risk consultancy based in Washington, DC. His research interests include geopolitical and security trends in the Arabian Peninsula and the broader Middle East. Mr. Cafiero is a regular contributor to the Middle East Institute, Al Monitor, Inside Arabia, and New Arab. He frequently appears on Al Jazeera, TRT World, BBC Persian, and other networks as a commentator. Mr. Cafiero has taken part in dozens of closed-door meetings with high-ranking government officials, ambassadors, and other diplomats in Bahrain, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Throughout his career, he has spoken about Persian Gulf-related issues at conferences and delivered lectures on the region in Egypt, Slovenia, and the United States. From 2014-2015, Mr. Cafiero was an analyst at Kroll, an investigative due diligence consultancy. He received an M.A. in International Relations from the University of San Diego.
Because the Houthis are currently on the offensive, it will be difficult for the U.S. leadership to incentivize them to lay down their arms.
Cairo may be making nice to appease Washington, but that’s better than the alternative.
But if the factors behind the GCC split aren’t addressed, and there are many, it’s possible all parties will still view each other with suspicion.
No one has yet taken responsibility but the attack has shaken the fragile new cabinet to the core.