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Yemen Defence and Security Report 2007Published by: Business Monitor International Published: Dec. 11, 2007 - 51 Pages Table of Contents
AbstractYemen’s President is set to remain in office despite some far-fetched claims that he would not. Thereseems to be little to disrupt his rule - his grip on power is as tight as ever. Calls for his departure are limited - much of the public fears that the country could revert into disorder should President Saleh step down. International relations remain tepid, if not disinterested, with the most significant interest coming from the US because of Yemen’s potential role in the so-called ‘war on terror’. Yemen now enjoys relatively stable relations with its neighbours following a decade of tensions over several bilateral territorial disputes, primarily with Saudi Arabia, and Riyadh is now supportive of the presidency in Sana’a. However, some security challenges are presented by internal instability in the postunification period, including tribal and religious sectarian violence in the northern territories, remnants of the ongoing armed insurgency of supporters of the Iranian-backed cleric Hussein Badruddin al-Houthi in the north, and presence of global terrorist groups including al-Qaeda. The military remains a favoured recipient of government investment, and procurements for all three branches of the armed forces continue despite overwhelming budget constraints and a lack of trained personnel to use the equipment. It is likely that Yemen will maintain its military strength and seek to further modernise specific sectors of its military to respond to new or existing terrorist threats. Yemen is completely dependent upon foreign procurements, as it enjoys no indigenous defence industry. Yemen’s total dependence on the procurement of foreign produced arms forces the government to depend on a brisk arms trade, although not so brisk as some of its neighbours. Historically, Yemen has acquired Russian and ex-Soviet bloc states for military equipment, but recent signs suggest that Sana’a is seeking to diversify. The September 2004 lifting of a US arms embargo on Yemen has allowed entry for US firms into the Yemeni market. However, given budgetary restrictions, procurements have not yet taken place. Sana’a is stabile for the time being but is under immense financial restraints. Oil production only began in Yemen in the 1990s and, while average incomes rose as a result, the industry only employs a small percentage of the workforce and has not succeeded in generating substantial wealth. However, Yemen maintains a high level of military expenditure relative to GDP. In 2005, Yemen spent approximately 7.5% of its GDP on the military. This trend is unlikely to change. Get Full Details About This Report >> |
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