Southern Yemenis continue advances to the north
The Sunnis of southern Yemen, backed by Saudi airstrikes, continue to move northward into territory the northern Houthis took a few months ago. The Houthis, a Shia group, clearly overextended themselves in that offensive. Southern Sunnis may make the same mistake in their drive north. The Saudis will urge them to do so. Yemen should split in two.
This was done by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a virulently anti-Shia group brought into being, with the help of the Pakistani military, after the Iranian Revolution in 1979. Pakistan supports a number of Islamic militant groups which they see as helpful against India. They are an aggressive lot, hard to control, and they will turn against their masters as the Pakistani government pushes for a settlement in Afghanistan and closer ties with India – both of which are seen by extremists as betrayal.
Former Pakistani intelligence leader dies
Hamid Gul, the former head of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has died. He supported the rise of the Taliban in the nineties, ISI became powerful in its country during the Afghan-Russian War of the eighties. American and Saudi financial support to the Afghan guerrillas was given to ISI which then funneled money and arms to guerrillas groups it supported. Hence, ISI became very powerful in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.