Airstrip Appears 'Mysteriously' In Red Sea As US Sells Yemen Its Own Islands
“A mysterious airstrip has appeared” on Yemen’s Zuqar Island, The Independent breathlessly reports, implying a spontaneous generation. What they omit is that the Red Sea, and specifically this strategic island, has been a hotbed of geopolitical maneuvering and military expansion long before a shovel touched dirt. This isn't some ethereal apparition; it's a calculated move. While the corporate
press attributes it to 'forces opposed to the Houthi rebels' (a generic, neutered phrase), it conveniently ignores the UAE's documented history of building military bases in the region, including on Yemeni islands, despite protestations from the internationally recognized Yemeni government. One might wonder how many 'mysterious' military bases can pop up in a sovereign nation before we acknowledge
who’s actually building them, and why. The UAE, a key US ally, has actively fortified its military presence in the area, a fact routinely downplayed by media outlets keen to cast all regional instability as solely Iranian or Houthi-driven, rather than acknowledging the wider power struggle involving partners like Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Their 'mystery' is simply a refusal to connect the dots for
their readers, preferring a narrative that avoids implicating certain allies.