The civil situation in Yemen has not been stable for years, but this just about takes the cake:
The National Army is fighting both a low grade rebellion in the South and a real insurrection in the North.
The Northern conflict (the al-Houthi tribal rebellion) has signs of being partly fueled by Iranian activities, and there is a large al-Qaeda presence around that region that seems to be anti-Houthi, but is often anti-Government as well.
The Houthi rebellion has now spilled over into Saudi Arabia, drawing a heavy Saudi response on land and a naval blockade of Red Sea routes of supply to the rebellion. The Saudis are (unofficially) painting their intervention as thwarting Iranian influence.
The National Army, led by a government that can't seem to decide if they are old-school Nasser-inspired Arab Nationalists or new-model Islamists, are being offered help...
...by the American military...
...and...
...by al-Qaeda's Arabian Peninsula forces.
I'd call this a three-way fight, but with all the players now deciding to jump in, it could be a five-way fight. That is, *if* everyone weighing in is really on different sides and no one is being played for the fool.
Any bets the Americans are at least one of the ones in motley?
((sigh))
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