The latest festivities have pitted a Yemeni rebel group known as the Houthis against forces loyal to former President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh
... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it..., the former president of Yemen who was ousted five years ago but continues to wield outsized influence.
Dozens of people have been killed in the fighting, which started Wednesday. The festivities started with a standoff at a mosque in Sana, according to officials in the capital. But like most episodes in the war, the exact cause remained murky, and there was immediate suspicion that Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
and its allies, including the United Arab Emirates, had played a role in turning Saleh against the Houthis.
In the days before the festivities, Saudi officials had referred obliquely to imminent developments in the war that would improve their fortunes. It was unclear, however, whether they were orchestrating the latest drama, or reacting to rumors from the ground.
Through the week, the fighting roared through southern neighborhoods of Sanaa as mediators tried in vain to defuse the crisis. By early Saturday morning, the battle had widened, and residents of the city were jolted awake by the sound of heavy artillery shelling.