#gaddafi-loyalists

#gaddafi-loyalists

The Houthis, a Zaydi Shiite Islamist rebel group, which the U.S. has designated as a foreign terrorist organization, are among Iran's most powerful and resilient allies. They are a key part of the so-called Axis of Resistance, an informal Iran-led military coalition in the Middle East. During his speech, al-Houthi suggested that the Houthis were ready to lend military support to Iran: 'We are fully prepared for any necessary developments,' he said.

When the time comes for any stance, we will not hesitate. Iran would expect Hezbollah to contribute if a US-Iran war scenario materializes, most plausibly by pressuring Israel. However, Hezbollah is also navigating an increasingly complicated domestic environment with integrationist pressure by Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun and the organization's stake in Lebanon's political future as a national actor, which raise the costs of a major, open-ended war.

Among the rebels who, on December 8, entered Damascus and put an end to almost 14 years of conflict and the Assad family regime one of the cruellest and longest-lasting in the Middle East was one who spoke Spanish with a slight Caribbean accent. Dr. Bachar Alkaderi, a graduate of the University of Medical Sciences of Havana, specializing in general and thoracic surgery, became, through the twists of fate and history, a revolutionary commander.

By backing al-Maliki, Washington paved the way for the chaos and instability it sought to avert. During his first two terms, al-Maliki established a governance template that deliberately dismantled the post-2003 settlement's vision of inclusive politics. He pursued policies of deliberate exclusion of the Sunni population on the political and social levels under the guise of de-Baathification. While originally intended to remove Saddam Hussein's loyalists, the process was weaponised by al-Maliki as a sectarian tool.