Hadi Flees Yemen as Houthis Take Base Vacated by US

March 26th, 2015

David Schulberg

After resigning in January, and returning earlier this month with an eye toward retaking power, former Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi has reportedly fled the country again, this time by sea.

The Houthis, who control the capital city of Sanaa and most of the west coast of the country, advanced on his presidential residence in the southern city of Aden, and occupied the nearby air base from which US troops were withdrawn over the weekend.

Earlier this evening, the Saudi Arabian government attacked Yemen, vowing to restore Hadi to power, though at this point, it is totally unclear where he even is, other than outside of the country.

Restoring him months after his resignation might be easier said than done, too, even if his unresignation has been highly touted by Western officials and the Houthis continue to be referred to as “rebels.”

If anything, the Saudi insinuation into the nascent civil war will further cement it as an international proxy war, with the Houthis courting Iran as a foil against the Saudis, and the US liable to join the war on the Saudi side at any time.