TEHRAN (FNA)- Brecht Jonkers, journalist, says the martyrdom of Sayyid Ibrahim al-Houthi, will not breakdown the resistance of Yemeni freedom fighters.
In an exclusive interview with FNA, Brecht Jonkers said Sayyid Ibrahim al-Houthi was martyred “for the cause of the Yemeni nation and the defence of Islam... on the field of battle.”
Brecht Jonkers is a Muslim historian, analyst and journalist from Belgium. He is specialized in Arab history, Islamic studies, geopolitical analysis and the study of imperialism. He currently works as Chief Editor of Yemen Resistance Watch.
Below is the full text of the interview:
Q: How will the assassination of Sayyid Ibrahim al-Houthi, brother of Ansarallah’s leader, affect the Yemeni group’s resistance?
A: The leadership of Ansarallah has made it clear that the martyrdom of Sayyid Ibrahim al-Houthi, much like that of his elder brother Hussein al-Houthi in 2004, will not in any way prevent the struggle for Yemen’s freedom to be stopped. In fact, alongside the eulogy for the Sayyid’s death, the movement also sent congratulations to the Houthi family on the fact that Ibrahim al-Houthi was martyred on the field of battle, fighting for the cause of the Yemeni nation and the defence of Islam. It is highly important to recognize the spirit of martyrdom and sacrifice that permeates Yemeni society, especially in the North. The concept of sacrificing for the sake of the revolution has been paramount in the Yemeni spirit for centuries, and has especially reached supreme importance since the September 21 Revolution in 2014. Without this mental strength, Yemen would not have been able to withstand the largest army in the Arab world, that of Saudi Arabia, for over four years in the way they have done.
Q: How do you view the future of the Saudi-backed forces, in light of the infightings of the mercenaries?
A: Honestly, it seems near certain that the days of the Saudi-backed mercenaries working for the exiled Hadi regime are numbered. The pro-Saudi Hadi loyalists have lost control over most of the Southern Yemen. Reports from Yemen indicate that their hold is tenuous at best in the major places still under Saudi control. It seems likely that the invading forces are going to try push for splitting up Yemen, by seceding the Southern part of the country. By trying to establish an independent South Yemen, the UAE in particular seeks to ensure its continued future influence over the region. However, both the National Salvation Government in Sana’a and several international actors, not the least of which is Iran, have already made it abundantly clear that they will not accept any secessionist plans for Southern Yemen. It remains to be seen how Riyadh will respond in the future to the separatist militias that are backed by the UAE. The plans of Abu Dhabi directly interfere with the Saudi mission of reestablishing a pro-Saudi puppet regime over the entirety of Yemen. Yet, at the same time it seems clear that Saudi Arabia has very little capacity to do anything, now that the costs of the four-year conflict are weighing down on the kingdom.
Q: Do you believe the West’s support for Saudi Arabia’s war on Yemen will last long?
A: In general, I have little hope that the West will ever act according to what is morally right. The continued support by major suppliers of military equipment to Saudi Arabia, such as the United States, the United Kingdom and France, overshadow positive developments in countries that have cut back on support to Riyadh, such as Germany, Belgium and Switzerland. However, at the end of the day the imperialist powers in the West will usually back warring parties in conflicts that can benefit them in one way or the other. And with the near total collapse of the Saudi-led invasion coalition and the constant infighting between Saudi-backed and Emirati-backed militias, the future of the Saudi cause in Yemen is starting to look bleak. Even mainstream media in the West, such as the prominent newspaper Le Figaro, have started to report on the total failure of the Saudi-led coalition. With the invasion collapsing fast, it is not unthinkable that the US and European states will start pressuring Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to “back out gracefully”, which in fact means admitting defeat.
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