Who’s On First? Not the U.S. in Yemen

The Obama Administration’s Mideast policy recalls the old Abbott and Costello routine: “Who’s on First.” For example, this Administration doesn’t know and doesn’t care who's on first in Yemen: ignoring the evidence that its friends, Iran’s mullahs, are making the Gulf of Aden into another “Persian Gulf.”

We’re in the early stages of a new Mideast War, but not involving Israel. It’s then latest round of the age-old Sunni-Shia conflict, pitting Saudi Arabia against Iranian Houthi surrogates. In some ways, this way reminds me of the 1930’s Spanish Civil War, prelude to World War II. In other ways, the unceremonious exit of the U.S. Marines is reminiscent of the heliocpters snatchinbg the last desperate Americans and Vietnames from the roof of our Saigon Embassy.

Extraordinarily, President Obama last September declared Yemen a successful “model” counterterrorism strategy. And now—believe it or not—the White House of Non-Stop Denials has repeated the claim.

The Jewish presence in Yemen—now all but extinguished—dates back to before Muhammed. South Yemen once had a “Jewish king.” The country’s strategic importance was recognized in biblical tales of King Solomon’s amatory, diplomatic, and trade relations. Ephraim Isaac,  coauthor of my new book, From Abraham to Obama, who has headed the Yemenite Jewish Federation in America, can tell you all about this.

If there’s a method behind the seeming madness of the Obama Administration’s seemingly inexplicable Mideast policy, it seems to be to help install Tehran as the regional hegemon: repealing 1300 years of Sunni-Shia strife in which the Sunni Arabs have usually had the better of it. Why this new U.S. policy? Because Valerie Jarret was born in Iran? Who the hell knows!

Jews have long had nightmares about an American President selling out Israel to the Arabs. But an American President selling out both Israel and the Arabs to the Persians: who would have thunk it?

The Obama Administration may think they are ushering in a new age of Mideast harmony with the U.S. and Iran as joint regents. Much more likely is another, nuclear age of Sunni-Shia strife, which may be remembered as Obama’s Folly.