Page 142 - What Kind of Yemen ?

What Kind of Yemen?

ment depends on sufficient funds and time. For this reason, the most

important complementary factor for Yemen's national security will be
its economic security. If an adequate economic structure can be built in
Yemen, the dependence of the state on external sources will decline
and the international obstacles preventing the nation from developing
policies to ensure its own security will be minimized. Supported by a
strong economy, Yemen will be able to reinforce its military capacity
and ensure that it is only minimally affected by possible financial

shocks and therefore avoid economically-related political conflicts.
In order to build financial and national security in Yemen, political
safety must be secured before everything else and political security can
be guaranteed only when the state is strong in the political arena. For
this a stable governmental structure and a political regime that repre-
sents all the citizens are required. A prime minister or a minister that
fears being dismissed at any moment will not be able to develop and
apply long-term security plans. For this reason, it is of paramount
importance that the entire Yemeni nation respects their state.

One important point that the Yemeni leaders should bear in mind
is that the real driving force behind the needed loyalty of the Yemenis
towards their state will be the morality prevalent in their society.
If a society becomes dominated by a mindset focused only on get-
ting rich at all costs, if a rebellious and aggressive nature is praised and
if individuals abandon values such as respect and altruism, the people
cannot be expected to be loyal to their state. Loyalty to the state can

develop only on the basis of a certain set of moral values. If that moral-
ity disappears and degeneration becomes prevalent in a society, loyal-
ty to the state will be irreparably eroded.
Religious beliefs are the basis of the morality and qualities men-
tioned above. Indeed, what happened during the Cold War made it
clear that there was no possibility for the continuance of faithless
nations. For this reason, a national security policy to be built for Yemen
should definitely include religious and moral elements. The three main
threats to the security of Yemen can be summarized as sectarian divi-

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