The Breakdown of the GCC Initiative

• Published in: Middle East report (New York, N.Y. 1988) Vol. 44; no. 273; pp. 2 - 6
• Main Authors: Yadav, Stacey Philbrick, Carapico, Sheila
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Middle East Research and Information Project 01.12.2014
• Subjects: 21st century; Armed conflict; Capital; Confederation; Conservatism; Elites; Fundamentalism; Gulf Cooperation Council; Human rights; Islam; Islam and politics; Men; Middle Eastern politics; Militias; Monarchy; Peace; Political conditions; Political parties; Political violence; Presidents; Sunni; Yemen; Yemeni Republic
• ISSN: 0899-2851; 1467-9825

On September 21, 2014, fighters of Ansar Allah, loyal to the Houthi movement based in the northern highlands of Sa'ada, conquered Yemens capital. Militants occupied the home of 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkul Karman, a leader of the 2011 uprising against the regime of President 'Ali 'Abdallah Salih and a member of the Islamist party Islah. When the young men tweeted photos of themselves sprawling on her flowery bedspread with automatic weapons and bags of qat littered around them, the Houthi fighters conveyed a triumphal logic of coercive power, here sexualized for maximum impact. They later apologized, saying that the intent was to 'guard' the Nobel laureates home. But the takeover of Karmans house fell into a pattern of attacks on the homes of Islahi leaders, including the villa of the infamous Gen. 'Ali Muhsin, commander in Salihs wars against Ansar Allah. Many outside observers reported the advance of a ragtag militia into Sanaa and beyond as a struggle between the 'Shi'i' Houthis and ass