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Iran's Designs on Yemen

(Mideast Mirror, 15Feb12) There has been much recent talk of the attempt to establish an Iranian presence inside Yemen. Iran has worked on improving its ties to the leaders of the Zaidi/Jaroudi [Shiite offshoot] sect in Yemen. A large number of professors at Sana'a University and Yemeni high school teachers who were on contract in Iraq during the 1990s have worked on implementing the Iranian policy with the aim of transforming Zaidism into a faction that is committed to the doctrine of velayat-e-faqih [Islamic governance] as practiced in Iran. The result of these efforts have included the establishment of the "Believing Youth Movement" which was later transformed into what came to be known as Ansarollah; the Houthis' military arm which has followed the same path as Hizbullah in Lebanon. A considerable number of Houthis' supporters have gone to Iran via Damascus to receive training at the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's camps. They were taken to Iran using travel documents issued by the Iranian Embassy in the Syrian capital without having to use their Yemeni passports, thereby avoiding Iranian visas being stamped on their passports which could be seen upon their return to Sana'a.
2012-02-16 00:00:00
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