ADEN

A lot of people have accused this blog of being anti-Arab. They often ask me if the Arabs have a place in the Middle East at all? First, I just want to categorically state that this blog is by no means anti-Arab or anti- anybody else. I do condemn the Arab occupation but that doesn’t mean I condemn the Arabs. Indeed, the Arabs have a very important place in the Middle East, but it can only come from their ancestral homeland, Arabia. Starting today, and from time to time, I will be posting articles on Arabia and its different localities – the good, the bad, and the stupid – three aspects that all nations around the world contain.

 

This posting today, will cover the city of Aden, a city with a population of approximately 800,000. It is located near the eastern approaches to the Red Sea on the Gulf of Aden, some 110 miles east of the strait of Bab-el-Mandeb. Aden's natural harbor, Front Bay, lies in the crater of a dormant volcano, which now forms a peninsula joined to the mainland by a low isthmus. This harbor was first used by the ancient Kingdom of Awsan between the 7th to 5th centuries BCE. Khormaksar, located on the isthmus, includes the city's diplomatic missions, the main offices of Aden University, and Aden International Airport (the former British Royal Air Force station RAF Khormaksar), Yemen's second biggest airport. Aden was the capital of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen until that country's unification with the Yemen Arab Republic in 1990, and again briefly served as Yemen's temporary capital during the aftermath of the Houthi takeover in Yemen in the Battle of Aden, March to July 2015. Water, food, and medical supplies ran short. On July 14, the Saudi Army launched an offensive to retake Aden for the Yemeni government. Within three days the Houthis had been removed from the city. Since February 2018, Aden has been seized by the Southern Transitional Council, that is supported by the UAE. Violence is still a factor of daily life as described by this article on the Al Jazeera website in 2021.

ETHIOPIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST

Ethiopia has been in the news a lot lately, especially concerning the troubles in Tigray province. But this blog is about the Middle East, and the Arab-occupied territories in particular. Obviously, Ethiopia is not an Arab country but would it be considered part of the Greater Middle East? That could be a subject of debate but in my opinion, the answer would be yes. Even though many of the local ethnicities are African, and some might be considered Middle Eastern, geographically, of the six countries that border Ethiopia, the country is sandwiched between three Arab-occupied countries who are members of the Arab League – Sudan on the west, and Djibouti and Somalia on the east. Eritrea on the north is an Arab League observer. Aside from Tigray, Ethiopia has a long-running feud with Somalia which is naturally allied with the ethnic Somalis in the neighboring Ogaden region which falls within the borders of Ethiopia. In between Djibouti and Somalia is the Republic of Somaliland which wants independence from Somalia and return to its non-Arab roots as represented by the ancient Land of Punt. (see article) Relations with Sudan and Egypt over its [Ethiopia’s] construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile River have been sorely tested recently. Relations with Israel go back centuries. It is said that the Ethiopian royal house was descended from the union between King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. During the late 30s/early 40s, when Italian fascist troops occupied Ethiopia, it was to the Land of Israel that Emperor Haile Selassie fled. Since that time, there was a kind of love/hate relationship between the two countries but relations have grown warmer in recent years. 

JORDAN

Jordan is one of those countries where you question the purpose of its existence, especially considering the fact that there is no historical basis for it except for its largely Jewish history which goes back to antiquity (see here and here).

Still, one must admit that, by Middle Eastern standards, Jordan is a pretty stable country considering there are many actors who would love to chop the heads off of the king and his entire family.

The “Jordanian” government has long had a strong alliance with the Zionists in Israel especially in regards to Temple Mount in Jerusalem where the Zionist government gleefully allows the “Jordanian” wakf, a Muslim trust responsible for, what they consider to be, Muslim holy places, total control, and enthusiastically agree to make Jewish prayer there illegal, which is itself illegal under international law (if not treason in this case). And not just in Jerusalem. See here.

During the pandemic, the “Jordanian” economy suffered just like every other economy around the world. But still in the midst of the pandemic, King Abdullah II is trying his best to revive the economy, especially in regards to tourism. (see article)