Views

1 AD-A236 804illII 11111111111111I Ite Views expieved is this Pame ane those of the authoand do not mecenuly reflmct the Views of theDepartment of Defense or any of its agmia. Thisdocument may not be reeased for open pubtiation antiit has been deared by the appropiate militay srvice orgovernment STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF THE BAB AL-MANDAB STRAITBYCOLONEL STAFF HUSSAIN AL-YADOOMIY emen Armed ForcesDISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A: Approved for public is 11 IMlIUSAWC CLASS OF ARMY WAR COLLEGE, CARLISLE BARRACKS, PA 17013-5050os,.., ! ! I liii,UnclassifiedSECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGEForm ApprovedREPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE REPORT SECURITY CLASSIFICATION lb. RESTRICTIVE MARKINGSU nclassified2a.

2 SECURITY CLASSIFICATION AUTHORITY 3. DISTRIBUTION /AVAILABILITY OF REPORT2b. DECLASSIFICATION /DOWNGRADING SCHEDULE Approved for public is PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER(S) 5. MONITORING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER(S)6a. NAME OF PERFORMING ORGANIZATION 6b. OFFICE SYMBOL 7a. NAME OF MONITORING ORGANIZATION(If applicable) Army War College apcabI AWCAB6c. ADDRESS (City, State, and ZIP Code) 7b. ADDRESS (City, State, and ZIP Code)Carlisle Barracks, PA 170138a. NAME OF FUNDING/SPONSORING Bb. OFFICE SYMBOL 9. PROCUREMENT INSTRUMENT IDENTIFICATION NUMBERORGANIZATION (If applicable)8c. ADDRESS (City, State, and ZIP Code) 10. SOURCE OF FUNDING NUMBERSPROGRAM PROJECT TASK IWORK UNITELEMENT NO.

3 NO. NO. ACCESSION TITLE (Include Security Classification)The Strategic Importance of the Bab al-Mandab Strait Unclassified12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S)COL Hussain Al-Yadoomi13a. TYPE OF REPORT 13b. TIME COVERED 114. DATE OF REPORT (Year, Month, Day) 15. PAGE COUNTS tudy Project FROM TO 91/04/09 3016. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTATION17. COSATI CODES 18. SUBJECT TERMS (Continue on reverse if necessary and identify by block number)FIELD GROUP SUB-GROUP19. ABSTRACT (Continue on reverse if necessary and identify by block number)The Bab al-Mandab Strait's importance as the southern gate of the Red Sea in which maritimehistory began has a significant importance upon today's world order. It is importantgeographically, politically, economically and militarily.

4 Besides these factors, there arein the region contrasts and elements of tension due to different political regimes,religious and cultural heritages, economic resources and the existence of crisissituations. The region is considered a confrontation arena between the superpowers, whichtried to establish and then promote their military presence and influence region's nations have tried to cooperate among themselves to lessen tension and topromote peace and security in the region. These attempts still need more effort to achicvethe hoped for paper analyzes the situation in the region focusing on its DISTRIBUTION/ AVAILABILITY OF ABSTRACT 21. ABSTRACT SECURITY CLASSIFICATION0 UNCLASSIFIED/UNLIMITED 0 SAME AS RPT.

5 0 DTIC USERS Unclassified22a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL I22b. TELEPHONE (Include Area Code) I 22c. OFFICE SYMBOLDD Form 1473, JUN 86 Previous editions are obsolete. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGEU nclassifiedUSAWC MILITARY STUDIES PGAM PAPERThe Views expressed in this paper are those of theauthor and do not necessarily reflect the Views ofthe Department of Defense or any of its docv' ent may not be released for open publicationuntil it has been cleared by the appropriate militarvservice or government STRATEGIC UTOPONCE OF ME BAB MAlr+ B MM=AN ]l4 DIVIIAJi SIUDY RJECTbyColonel Staff Hussain Al-YadocaiYemen Armed ForcesDr. William StocktonProject AdviserDISTRIBUTION STATEKENT A: Approved for publtirelease; distribution Is Army War CollegeCarlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania 170139 April 1991 ABSTRACTAUTHOR: Hussain Al-Yadoomi, COL, Staff, Yemen Armed ForcesTIT=E: The Strategic Importance of the Bab al-Mandab StraitFORMAT: Individual Study ProjectDATE: 9 April 1991 PAGES: 30 CLASSIFICATION: UnclassifiedThe Bab al-Mandab Strait's importance as the southern gate of the Red Seain which maritime history began has a significant importance upon today'sworld order.

6 It is important geographically, politically, economically andmilitarily. Besides these factors, there are in the region contrasts andelements of tension due to different political regimes, religious and culturalheritages, economic resources and the existence of crisis situations. Theregion is considered a confrontation arena between the superpwers, whichtried to establish and then promote their military presence and region's nations have tried to cooperate among therselves to lessentension and to promote peace and security in the region. These attempts stillneed more effort to achieve the hoped for paper analyzes the situation in the region focusing on OF CONTENTSPageABSTRACT.

7 ICEAPTER I. INTRaJCION 1 The Red Sea and the Persian Gulf Map..3II. AREA OF STUDY .. 4 Map of the Red Sea .. 5 The Geopolitical Caracteristics .. 6 Historical Background.. 7 III. THE POWER SIUATION .. 11 The Arab Block.. 11 The Israel-Ethiopia Block..13IV. THE WORD POWERS .. 15 The Western Block .. 15 The French in the Region .. 17 The Soviet Union in the Region .. 18 The Soviet Union in Yemen ..19 The Soviet Union in the Horn of Africa.. 21 The Soviets in Somalia .. 22 The Soviets in Ethiopia .. 22V. 'EA YEMEN NTrIITOWARD iHE DISJUIEEW EN THE WEST AND EAST OVER THEBAB AL-MINAB .. 24 The Republic of Yemen's Attitude .. 26 EENIOTES.. 30 DTIC TAB [Unannounced 0~ByDIstributiou/Availability CodesAvail and/orDist SpeolalTHE STRATEGIC IMPORONCE OF THE BAB Mr A STAITCHAPER IINTRODUCTIONDue to the Increasing attention given to the Red Sea, as if rediscovered,the Red Sea appears to the viewer as if it were a delicious real that suddenlyemerged from underground causing the powers to swarm around it and gain accessto advantageous ground, where, if they reach over, they can get hold Red Sea is a part of the shortest and fastest waterway between theEast and the West with considerable geopolitical advantages andcharacteristics that have always made it a main frontal point around which*revolve strirgles.]

8 Confrontations and maneuvers. It is as well an arena forthe great powers' competition, for realizing their increasing ideological,economical, political and military the history of the Red Sea can serve as an ideal suLmary of thehistory of international relations which, since early times, has been based onthe balance of power amwqg influential countries. Such balance deals with theanalysis of situations in the light of requirements and needs. The treatmentshall mostly have a geopolitical importance of the Bab al-Hanidab Strait cums frcm the importance ofthe Red Sea. The Red Sea is the western gate comcting the Indian Ocean withthe Red Sea which cuts the water rmute between DrW and the ArabianPeninsula by seven to ten days raved because ships do not have to 90 arouneast coast of Africa and the Cape of Good purpose of this paper is to iricate the geopolitical importance ofthe Bab al-Mandab Strait and to analyze the situation in the region focusingon its importance to Western and Eastern countries.

9 Another purpose is toirdicate the positions of countries in the RED SEA AND THE PERSIAN GULFISRAEL 0 00 NO 300 400 500 m,%gMOOG0 0 200 400 400 OW0 Occupaea I N\Edt Territory "~Ga'daaASAUDI ARABIASUDAN pert ~. -V, ARAUN DEORATIC~Kh~tou / --RPUSLC ) REPUBLIC of-of YEMEN YEMEN( R. Y.)/ ARABIA N-w DE SEASREPUBLIC3 CHAPTER IIAREA OF SIUDYThe Bab al-Mandab Strait is located at the farthest southwest point of theArabian Peninsula, and across from it is the coast of Africa. The ArabiaPeninsula and Africa are separated by a distance of only 22 miles. The Straitconnects the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean and is bisected by Perim Bab al-Mandab Strait is bordered by four countries: Yemen on theArabian Peninsula side, and Djibouti, Ethiopia and Samalia on the Africanside.

10 Somalia is added because it is bordered by the Gulf of Aden, thenatural entrance to the Red Sea thrU gh the Bab al-Mandab the geopolitical point of view , the Bab al-Mandab Strait looks widerthan its 22 miles, because its importance it is not limited to the politicalunits that border the Strait, but goes beyond this to include the politicalunits which are politically, econamically, militarily or strategicallyconnected in same way or other to the Bab al-Mandab the other hand, it can be equally said that the industrialized WestEuropean countries have geopolitical requirements in the Red Sea, because theymainly depend on the Gulf petroleum to meet their energy needs. Furthermore,a country like the Soviet Union can also be included in the geopolitical rangeof the Red Sea, because the Red Sea is the shortest route that links its BlackSea ports with its fleet in the Indian Ocean, a fleet which plays an importantrole in the Soviet naval strategy.