Redlines between reality and illusion [Archives:2008/1132/Opinion]
Dr. Nasser Mohammed Nasser
Some people hold the view that the purpose of the armed forces is to merely maintain law and order and any talk about their affairs is forbidden even in the countries of mature democracy that preceded Yemen in this regard. They are of the opinion that discussing the situation of armed forces is a violation against their nationality and a charge accusing them of being partial with a particular party. They also believe that following establishment of the National Unity in May 1990, the military institution has since then abandoned partisanship and behaved neutrally. All such allegations raise numerous questions that are highlighted in the coming lines.
Before the armed forces become a power to maintain law and order, they are necessarily supposed to be a force for protecting borders of the homeland. But, I don't know why people confuse between the sovereign and security functions since the latter is an exclusive duty of the Interior Ministry. Despite this, you confront and condemn any writings about the military institution.
The Yemeni people are allocating one-third of the state's general budget to the armed forces, the mishandling of which forced us to abandon one-third of the country's area to bordering Saudi Arabia, including the lands, which the Imam refused to abandon during his rule. Instead, he insisted that other plots of land must be returned to Yemen under the Tayef Treaty in 1934.
As a result of mishandling the military institution, we handed an area more than that of Lebanon's total area over to the bordering Sultanate of Oman, and therefore, we couldn't regain the Huneish islands until we squander our natural wealth and conceded it to American companies in order for the U.S. Administration to pressure the Eritrean regime to accept arbitration.
The armed forces' sovereign and national role, which is here represented by protecting borders and the national sovereignty, doesn't exist any more. And, the security role, supposed to be the primary job of internal security, is also absent. The repeated catastrophes, casualties and property damage taking place in the restive governorate of Sa'ada on almost a daily basis help degrade status of the regime in the eyes of Houthi supporters, as well as tribal leaders and sheikhs in different parts of the country. The unrest seen nationwide threatens survival of the state and society as well.
The redlines you speak about and try to generalize on the so-far-achieved democracy are responsible for the miserable conditions of the military institution and the state of unrest and turmoil nationwide. Had the military institution welcomed any criticism of its performance in order to rectify its functions away from the so-called 'redlines', status of the government would not have deteriorated and its troops would not have been defeated by Houthis. Had this institution been open to criticism, the national unity would not have been exposed to risk due to increased calls and advocacies for secession and regionalism.
Such 'redlines' are primarily responsible for the plights suffered by the peoples of Iraq and Somalia. Judicious men are those who benefit from others' mistakes, and any lessons learned from war-ravaged countries. If you insist that the so-called redlines are on the right track, we may not allow you to generalize them to other people who don't believe in them, particularly as you claim that growing democracy retains its military institutions behind those redlines, which you seem to exalt.
The entire world has learned about how critical the Israeli press was of their state's military institution following their poor performance in the summer war with Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon. That criticism led to firing the Israeli Defense Minister and Aircraft Weaponry Commander. So, it is time that we apply other lessons and experiences in our territory so that the military institution can play its essential role, as required away from any redlines or the likes.
Source: Al-Wasat Weekly.
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