US Military and Economic Policy towards Yemen 1991-2012

Abstract

In summary, Yemeni-American military relations during the period from 1991 to 2012 were characterized by the following

The early 1990s marked the true beginning of the emergence of the United States' military presence on the regional political scene following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, which the latter used as a pretext for the entry of its military forces into the region, despite the Republic of Yemen's opposition to US intervention in the region due to the risks it posed to Arab national security.

Yemen's political rejection of military intervention in the region during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait was based on its conviction that the problem must be resolved within an Arab framework, thus eliminating any pretext for the US, which was eager to enter the region under the pretext of expelling Iraq from Kuwait. Yemen's rejection was accompanied by fears that the United States would disrupt the military balance in the region in favor of the Zionist entity. Military and security cooperation between the United States and Yemen has yielded several important benefits for Yemen, including assistance to the Yemeni army in training, equipping, and arming some Yemeni military units to combat terrorism, including the Central Security Forces and Special Forces. The United States has also contributed to building, training, and arming the Yemeni Coast Guard, with the aim of protecting Yemen's long coastline and preventing al-Qaeda members from infiltrating Yemen to attack American interests in Yemen and the region. The United States has tightened military controls on the flow of various weapons into Yemen, citing concerns that these weapons could fall into the hands of al-Qaeda members in Yemen, posing a real threat to American interests in Yemen and the rest of the Gulf states.