Distinguishing between Yemen’s peaceful revolution and violent clashes

Atiaf Alwazir, who runs the blog Woman from Yemen (that we mentioned last week), has a new post explaining the relationship between what she calls the “peaceful revolution and violent clashes.” It’s a great primer for those trying to understand what exactly is going on in Yemen. The takeaway message is: “The peaceful movement and the recent armed conflict are two separate issues. The armed clashes are between government forces & armed tribesmen loyal to [Sheik Sadeq] al-Ahmar.” Furthermore, as Alwazir notes, “For the past three months, peaceful protesters have NEVER taken up arms, even when attacked.” This is an extremely important point lost in the focus on the clashes—no doubt a benefit to Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Read the rest of Alwazir’s post to learn more about the peaceful protesters and the toll violent tribal clashes are taking on civilians.