Pakistan says Saudi-led coalition in Yemen wants troops

[Surya Gayatri]

Last edited Mon Apr 6, 2015, 07:53 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: AP News - excite

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Saudi-led coalition targeting Shiite rebels in Yemen has asked Pakistan to contribute soldiers, Pakistan's defense minister said Monday, raising the possibility of a ground offensive in the country.

Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif made the comments as Pakistan's parliament debates whether to contribute militarily to the campaign against the rebels, known as Houthis. Pakistan previously offered its verbal support for the mission, but hasn't offered any military support.

Days of Saudi-led airstrikes have yet to halt the Houthi advance across Yemen, the Arab world's poorest country, fuelling speculation that there could be a ground operation launched in Yemen. Saudi Arabia and other coalition members have not ruled it out.

Saudi Arabia also asked for aircraft and naval ships to aid in the campaign, Asif said. He said Saudi officials made the request during his visit to Jeddah last week.

Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20150406/ml--yemen-4bad2decd4.html

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Oh, jeeez, that's all the Middle East needs. Now, Pakistan is thinking of joining the battle on the side of Saudi in Yemen.

OMG...What a snake pit...

[jberryhill]

1. What could possibly go wrong?

[Surya Gayatri]

2. ^^^This!^^^

[Scootaloo]

3. I find this fascinating

Egypt suffers a coup, where six thousand Egyptians are butchered, tens of thousands arrested. Torture is rampant, the press is targeted. Not a peep.

A hideous mass-murdering movement crops up in Iraq and Syria, and starts chopping people up in order to overthrow both governments to install a regime that would give the Taliban pause. Not a peep.

A Shia political faction declares themselves the legal government of Yemen, after the Sunni-exclusive government resigns rather than implement a UN-brokered power-sharing deal? THIS MUST BE STOPPED AT ALL COSTS!

[Surya Gayatri]

4. Well, 'fascinating' if you're an on-looker. Sadly, NOT for those on the ground.

[Scootaloo]

7. of course not. Was just noting the hypocrisy of these "allies"

[Surya Gayatri]

8. As in 'eeenterrrresting...eeenterrrresting'? LOL!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

5. Not a peep?

Egypt's coup goes unnoticed?



Nobody noticed a movement in Iraq and Syria?


here's a peep:

[Scootaloo]

6. Not from the nations now lining up to blow Yemen to smithereens to "stop a coup," no

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

23. The nations lining up to stop a coup in Yemen, are they Sunni?

And the nations lining up to help the coup, like Iran, are they Shiite?

There's a division in Islam. I don't claim to understand it.

Sometimes it appears the U.S. arms one, then the other, sometimes both, just to keep the fires going.

[riderinthestorm]

24. Yes but it's more complicated than that. The Shia Houthis are fighting because of the original coup

in 2011 that would have installed a Sunni dictator for life.

In January 2011, a series of street protests began against poverty, unemployment, corruption and president Saleh's (who is Sunni) plan to amend Yemen's constitution and eliminate presidential term limit, in effect making him president for life. He was also grooming his eldest son Ahmed Saleh, the commander of the Republican Guard, to succeed him.

The United States considers Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) to be the "most dangerous of all the franchises of Al-Qaeda". The U.S sought a controlled transition that would enable their counter-terrorism operations to continue, while Saudi Arabia's main concern was to maintain its influence in Yemen through some old regime figures and other tribal leaders who were part of the so-called "GCC initiative".

President Saleh stepped down, the transition quickly proceeded per the "GCC Initiative"; the powers of the presidency were transferred to Vice President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, (also a Sunni) who was formally elected president on 21 February 2012 in a one-man election. The interim parliament conferred immunity on president Saleh and 500 of his associates that same month. A National Dialogue Conference was launched on 18 March 2012 to reach consensus on major issues facing the country's future. In January 2014, the National Dialogue Conference extended Hadi’s term for another year.

That's when the Shia Houth said enough and took over Sanaa, the capital forcing Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar to flee the country,and prompted the formation of a new "unity government" including a variety of Yemeni factions.

So basically all of the Sunni states are fighting to re-instate a Sunni dictator in Yemen, and the Shia Houthis have said enough and are fighting back. Of all the "Arab Spring" movements, I think it's plausible to state that this one is the most authentic and home grown.

[riderinthestorm]

20. The latest incarnation of the eternal Sunni/Shia war is heating up

[cosmicone]

9. Pakistan has no choice ... Saudis put food on the table

btw the snakes you have shown are harmless and playful garter snakes.

Try this pit full of dangerous rattlesnakes:

[Surya Gayatri]

11. Gotta eat, right?

I just took the most graphic snakes I could grab from google.

Poor garters, I didn't mean to give them bad press. Those rattlers, OTOH,

[Ikonoklast]

10. Pakistan should tell the Wahhibists that rule that backwards kingdom to fuck right off.

The House of Saud loves having other country's soldiers fighting their battles and dying to protect them.


Maybe if 10,000 Saudi soldiers get KIA those indolent complacent citizens will look differently at their masters.

[Surya Gayatri]

12. What a scourge on humanity is the House of Saud...

[Ikonoklast]

13. Horrible hypocrites, fake piety, they love the turmoil they fund.

Their fall will be stupendous.

[Surya Gayatri]

14. I had a business partner who worked inside the 'harem'

for one of the princesses back in the day.

Her experiences were so horrendous, she wouldn't even speak of it.

[Ikonoklast]

15. Whenever any of the Saudis came to the Cleveland Clinic for heart surgery or a check-up,

the women at the local strip clubs did a land office business off of those pious princes of Islam and the men in the entourage, especially the blonde strippers.

The Saudi women that wore a chador filing into the building were decked out in the latest Paris fashion when they left in the evening to go out on the town to party.

There wasn't a bottle of high-end Scotch or champagne safe from them in the entire county.

Fakes, phonies, and hypocrites.

[Surya Gayatri]

16. You knew it! My former partner was a blond.

[cosmicone]

18. I know a Saudi prince personally

He and his entourage fly to LA on a personal B777 with their own cars, bodyguards and women.

They change in the plane, leaving the veils inside and don mini skirts, jeans and T shirts drinking champagne.

While they are in LA, it is sin city.

Hypocrisy is that they commit the very acts for which they stone and cane their own citizens back home.

[cosmicone]

17. Pakistan has become 70% Wahhabi itself

and Saudis give money to allow Pakistan to survive.

Pakistan has a bloated military fattened and fed to nurse Pakistan's fantasy of taking over India. Unfortunately, Pakistani military has sucked badly in wars, losing all of them, one leading to dismemberment of Pakistan.

Pakistan will have no choice but to send the troops. This will piss off Iran. Thus, the free Balochistan movement will be actively funded and armed with Iranian and Indian help. Separating Balochistan from Pakistan weakens Pakistan immensely.

I can't wait to see how this develops.

[Ikonoklast]

19. They would be fools to send anything other than a token force.

Once again, Saudis would put another nation in peril if they could derive benefit from doing so.

They have no real love for their co-religionists, they buy and sell them as they see fit.

Pakistan is the next disaster.

[herding cats]

21. Not unexpected.

It really was just a matter of time before they called up the Pakistani army to fight for them.

Pakistan will regret this, but they're not in much of a position to decline. The Saudis have them in a position where they can't say no, so they'll go and die fighting for the the House of Saud when it's demanded of them. Even though they're dying for people who look at them as an expendable commodity.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

22. What? No more US troops doing the killing.

That is a wake-up call.