Yemen's Houthi Rebels and the Art of Insurgency

What's up to my algebraic Arabian leopards and yeeted Yemeni warblers! (Arabian leopards are critically endangered, learn about what's being done to save them here.)

Welcome back to the BNP y'all, thank you for tuning in, I appreciate you. Shout out to my patrons! Y'all are the beads in my rattle and the smoke of my yerba santa.

This episode we hop on some camels, pack some frankincense and myrrh to trade at bazaars we pass along the way, and journey across the Arabian Peninsula to Yemen, the topic of this week's ep.

I've always been interested in Yemen because I had a paranormal experience many years ago when I received a phantom text message from an unknown number that simply said: I have seen it in a dream. You will go to Yemen.

So, I've started paying attention to Yemen, which lately has meant paying attention to a brutal and protracted civil war that has gripped the nation in earnest since 2014 and has caused a major humanitarian crisis for the Yemeni people. I'd often hear about U.S. support for this Saudi-led campaign of extermination against a group of native Yemenis called the Houthis.

After a time, as the war dragged on and on, I started to wonder: who are these Houthis and how they managing to stand their ground in the mountains of northern Yemen against the biggest and most advanced military in the middle east, which is also being lavishly supported by the U.S.?

This episode is my attempt to unpack the civil war in Yemen, examine its context and history, and to analyze tactics that the Houthi rebels are using to defend their homeland. 

Follow the BNP on IG @conantanner

Thank you for spreading the word about the BNP! Lets expand our growing tribe of philosopher barbarians.

Thank you f