Gregory Johnsen

Gregory Johnsen, a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute and a leading Yemen expert, discusses the U.S. bombing campaign in Yemen and its implications. He argues that the Houthis welcome conflict with America and Israel, seeking to leverage this for domestic support. The conversation delves into the complexities of U.S. military strategies, the challenges of foreign intervention, and the Houthi's strategic calculations amidst ongoing power struggles.

Gregory Johnsen, writer-at-large for Buzzfeed News and doctoral candidate at Princeton University, discusses the current state of play in Yemen, clarifying that the war shouldn't be viewed as just another Sunni-Shia fight. He outlines the events that led to the Saudi intervention and whether Yemen can ever be put back together again. The podcast also delves into the conflicts between various groups, the extensive airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition, and the rise of ISIS and religious radicalization in Yemen.

Host Benjamin Wittes is joined by Gregory Johnsen, former member of the UN Security Council Panel of Experts on Yemen, and Daniel Byman, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center for Middle East Policy, to discuss the origins and current state of the war in Yemen. The speakers explore the role of Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the US in the conflict, as well as the devastating humanitarian crisis and food insecurity in Yemen. They also address the challenges of finding a resolution and the US's culpability in the war.