Yes the Queen of Sheba…..that Sheba….the queen that beguiled Solomon….if you buy into that story…..you see the queen was from a land called Saba which was on the sole of the Arabian peninsula and was a rich kingdom thanx to frankincense…….but that is not what this post is about.

You see Saba was located in what is called Yemen today…..and that is where we will begin the post……

Yemen!  Yemen?  I can hear the head scratches and the mad dash for the Google machine……at least from those that are mildly interested……most people will remember Yemen because in 2000 the USS Cole was attacked in Aden harbor by AQ…….and from there nothing until after the invasion of Afghanistan and the US started a drone strike program which has killed more civilians than terrorists…….

For those that are interested then there is a perfect history lesson……

BBC News – Yemen profile – Timeline http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14704951 …

In 1962 the Yemen Arab Republic was formed and all Hell broke loss….the South Yemeni set up a separate nation called the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen was formed and a mini civil war began that lasted until 1990 when a truce was formalized and the two nations became one, Unified republic of Yemen……

I bring all this stuff to light because we have a situation forming in Yemen today…….the Houthi tribesmen have been fighting with the central government in Sa’an for a couple of years and it has become more intense in the last year of so…….now the South Yemeni are once again on the road to setting up another South Yemen nation…….

Thousands of people demonstrated in South Yemen’s main city of Aden demanding independence at a time when Shiite Houthi rebels are expanding their control over the country.

The demonstrators marched towards the governorate building, prompting police intervention and clashes that wounded at least five, Agence France-Presse reported.

The Southern Movement which called the protest is campaigning for autonomy or outright secession for the previously independent south.

Waving the flag of what used to be South Yemen, protesters who poured into Aden from neighboring southern provinces vowed not to let up until they achieve independence.

It appears as the Yemenis are once again going into battle with the North….all over again……which could present a problem for all concerned……

In light of the current crisis in Yemen and the control of Sanaa by Houthi armed groups, Egyptian experts predict that Egypt would intervene in the conflict to prevent the Houthis from gaining control of the strait of Bab al-Mandeb on the Red Sea, in defense of Egyptian and Gulf security.

Former secretary-general of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, issued a joint statement with former Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. They called for an Arab initiative to work on restoring the unity of the Yemeni army and mobilizing to restore security. In addition, they would eliminate all usage of weapons in Yemeni cities to move forward with the parliamentary elections.

Moussa and Siniora warned about the division in Yemen and the danger it poses to Arab security from the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, if the Houthis, who are supported by Iran, reach Bab al-Mandeb strait.

The problem is the security of the Red Sea and the Straits of Hormuz……this area is heavily traveled by most of the …..any disruption in shipping and it could have consequences that are immeasurable…..

Yet another problem that will need a “plan” by the US and its Western allies……the US CANNOT ignore this development and once again we will intervene and in the process make more foes….we already have a terrible reputation in Yemen and our intervention will do NOTHING but make things worse……something we excel at doing!

The problems in Yemen are bringing traditional foes together…….

The Houthis, a Shiite tribe, control the north of Yemen. Their militia is trained and equipped by Hezbollah, whose strings are also pulled by the Iranians. For several weeks, the Houthis have been expanding their foothold in Yemen after defeating the regime’s army and the Sunni militias supported by al-Qaeda. Their biggest takeover was of the Yemeni port city of Hodeida and the shoreline toward the southwest coast of Saudi Arabia and the Ras Isa marine terminal.

For Saudi Arabia, a Houthi takeover of western Yemen, while al-Qaeda controls the country’s center and eastern areas, constitute a clear and present danger. Israel also cannot remain indifferent to the new Iranian stronghold on the seaway that connects it to Africa and Asia.

What does this development mean from Israel’s point of view? First, the need for security coordination with Saudi Arabia has increased. Even if covert channels exist for this kind of cooperation, the new situation is likely to warrant a more visible and pronounced relationship. But in light of the way Israeli governments have rejected the Arab Peace Initiative so harshly, and of the policies of the current government about the Palestinian issue, the chances for this are negligible. Another Israeli security interest is thus sacrificed on the altar of maintaining the status quo in the West Bank.

The situation in Yemen is causing much concern for security…..and there is a push to control the region….Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen and the battling ideologies are between Iran and Saudi Arabia……the US will pretend to be a spectator but we all know better than that……right?