Yemen and Implications for Gulf Security
RUSI-Qatar Regional Security Dialogue
11 February 2010
RUSI, London
On 11 February 2010, The Royal United Services Institute and the Embassy of the State of Qatar hosted the first in a series of international security briefings. The event, held at the Institute's headquarters in Whitehall, and chaired by His Excellency Khalid Rashid Al-Hamoudi Al-Mansouri, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to London, brought together members of the international diplomatic, academic and policy communities.
Guest speaker Professor Fawaz Gerges from the London School of Economics discussed the range of challenges facing Yemen, including poverty, corruption, weak governance, ongoing conflicts in the north and south, and the threat posed by Al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula. Of these strategic threats, Prof Gerges argued that the challenged posed by Al-Qa’ida is the least pressing and that the severity of the problem had been exaggerated.
Nevertheless, Prof Gerges argued that there has been an evolution in the strategy of Al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula. Its leadership has recognised that the movement cannot survive with a ‘social umbrella’ and as a result have submerged the organisation in the northern and southern conflicts. There is also increasing emphasis on building connections outside of the Gulf in the Middle East and East Africa.
A lively and insightful off-the-record discussion followed Prof Gerges’s presentation. Participants discussed the implications of the Christmas Day bombing for Yemen, rumours of Iranian involvement in the al-Houthi conflict, the importance of the southern secessionist movement as a strategic challenge, and the importance of the Gulf Cooperation Council for Yemen’s future.
The purpose of the newly-launched RUSI-Qatar Regional Security Dialogue is to provide analysis on the latest security challenges, and to connect the research done by our office in Qatar with the wider debate among the diplomatic community and policy-makers in London. The meetings will take place every two months at the Institute's headquarters in London, and will feature a briefing by a distinguished expert.
Photos by Agnieszka Eile
