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Houthi leader's death strikes at heart of Yemeni group
[MIDDLEEASTEYE.NET] Political leader, negotiator and military commander, Houthi ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews... number two Saleh al-Samad's death in a Saudi air strike has left a large hole in the Yemeni movement's leadership, analysts and experts have told Middle East Eye. Yet, they say, his demise last week could signal even greater concerns for the Iran-backed movement, with the security of their top commanders now appearing compromised and an assault on key port Hodeidah on the horizon. By far the most senior Houthi to have been killed in the conflict since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015, Samad was a prominent figure in many areas of the rebel group's activities. As the head of the Houthis' supreme political council, Samad negotiated with their erstwhile allies, the General People's Congress (GPC), smoothed relations with local Yemeni tribes, and was effectively head of Houthi-controlled parts of the country. As military commander, meanwhile, he drew notoriety by assaulting Sanaa's presidential palace in January 2015, leading a band of gunnies in an offensive that caused the internationally recognised government of Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi to fall apart and retreat to Aden. Question marks now surround his replacement, Mahdi al-Mashat, formerly the representative of the rebel leader Abdul Malek al-Houthi, and his ability to replicate Samad's effectiveness. "It will be very hard to replace him," Yemeni analyst Baraa Shiban tells Middle East Eye. "Samad managed to keep some form of tribal structure within the Houthi movement. Mashat is more extreme in terms of his views so I find it so hard to see him doing a similar job." Posted by: Fred 2018-04-25 |
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