Global Security Studies Practicum

7 December 2011 Sanaa, Yemen – After the signing of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) deal on November 24, 2011, Vice President Abdu Rabo Mansour Hadi issued a decree to form the government while naming 35 ministers, including Prime Minister Mohammed Basindwa and Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi. Hadi also mentioned on Sunday, December 4, 2011, the future formation of a 14 member military council, to stabilize the country, comprised evenly between members of the ruling party and opposition. According to the GCC deal, Hadi was supposed to announce the military council members five days after the signing of the agreement, however, heavy clashes between government forces and opposition fighters in northern Sanaa prevented that from occurring. Many protesters believe the GCC deal is illegal and continue to urge other citizens to reject any deal offering President Ali Abdullah Saleh immunity. This tension has also escalated violence in Taiz leaving dozens dead and injured, according to...

30 November 2011 Sanaa, Yemen – Taiz , Yemen’s second largest city, has been a hotbed for antigovernment demonstrations opposing President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s regime. Government forces opened fire Tuesday, November 29, 2011, and continued Wednesday, November 30, 2011, as a response to attacks caused by tribesmen and defected soldiers who support the opposition. Results from the violence included: destroyed shops, three injured persons, one death, and fleeing of thousands of residents. At the same time, thousands of Yemenis gathered in the southern province of Aden to celebrate the 44 th anniversary of independence of South Yemen from Britain while a Special Forces security officer faced a drive by shooting. A security official reported that al-Qaida linked militants opened fire on the officer, who managed to escape, while killing two of his guards. Thousands of demonstrators, in the southern town of Ibb , call for Saleh to go to trial for alleged corruption and killing of proteste...

11 November 2011 United Nations envoy Jamal Benomar arrived in Sana on Thursday, November 10, 2011, influencing the violence in the nearby city of Taiz . The violence resulted in eleven deaths, including three women and two children, and dozens wounded. Taiz lies only 120 miles south of Sana and for the recent past weeks there have been multiple antigovernment demonstrations held in the Zaid al-Moshki and al-Rawda districts. The fighting began Thursday after the death of a protester and several others injured. Mr. Benomar’s purpose in Sana was to press for the transition of President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s power in order to end conflict in Yemen . Mr. Benomar has held multiple meetings with government and opposing figures in attempts to meet the needs of all Yemenis. Mr. Saleh has agreed to a peace plan proposed by Gulf Arab countries in exchange for immunity from prosecution. However, he has failed to step down from office while violence increases between his supporters and anti-Sale...

30 October 2011 Sana, Yemen – Fighting between opposition forces and the Yemeni government escalated once more as the opposition attacked Sana International Airport Sunday night. Despite the cease-fire agreement the Yemeni government announced last week, gunfire continued all weekend long. An anonymous Yemeni official stated that shells hit the airport but there were no casualties or damages made to any structures. The airport therefore closed for the rest of Sunday evening which diverted all flights to Aden , a southern port city. The airport is located in a vulnerable area in north Sana where opposition forces surround it. It proves to be a strategic target because it is also a military airport with the only landing strip in the city along with its commercial flight services. The country seems to be falling apart because of its loss of central governmental control, economic crisis, and outbreak of war in certain regions due to the fact that President Ali Abdullah Saleh has remain...