Betrayal the Tools Inherit and Time Reproduces

Eight years have passed since one of the darkest chapters of treachery in modern Yemeni history came to an end—the day when the late Ali Abdullah Saleh, long known for describing himself as “the dancer on the heads of snakes,” attempted to revive his old role under the cloak of the American-Saudi-Emirati coalition. It happened at a critical juncture, while the country was fighting an existential battle against one of the most dangerous military, economic, and media alliances the region has ever witnessed.

The sedition of December 2, 2017 was not a passing incident nor a political whim. It was a carefully preserved card within the drawers of the coalition, meant to open the gates of “Somalization” upon Yemen—to rewind history, fracture the internal front, and hand Sana’a over in betrayal to the American-Zionist agenda, were it not for the solid popular awareness and revolutionary vigilance that foiled the plot within hours.

Today, as Yemen directly confronts the Zionist project, striking vital targets deep within the occupying entity and across the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandeb, we witness the very same threads, the same tools, the same slogans, and the same loyalists offering their services to the enemy with shameless obedience.

Roots of the December Sedition… From Al-Hamdī’s Assassination to Alliances with the Coalition

The 2017 sedition came as no surprise to those who trace the history of betrayal since the 1970s, when the assassination of President Ibrahim Al-Hamdī marked a turning point that opened the door to forces of dependency and subservience.

For decades, Saleh built external networks and crafted alliances aligned with regional actors tied to American decision-making. This path reached its peak in 2015 when he openly allied with the Saudi-Emirati coalition, giving invaders access to Yemen’s airspace, land, and sea.

The trajectory of betrayal was long and gradual, reaching its climax in December 2017 when Saleh, his son, and loyalists attempted to overturn the partnership agreement with Ansar Allah after stockpiling weapons in sensitive locations—including the Al-Shaab Mosque—in preparation for the “zero hour.”

The Spark… Critical Hours Before the Collapse

The revolutionary leadership demonstrated high vigilance when it uncovered the sedition plans. Saleh intensified disinformation campaigns, provoked internal crises, and spread false narratives about “disruptions” in state institutions in an attempt to create public resentment that could be exploited for a coup.

Despite repeated calls by Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badr Al-Din Al-Houthi—may God preserve him—to retreat from the dangerous course, the head of sedition insisted on proceeding with his Emirati-backed plan, reaching the point of confrontation which lasted no more than 70 hours.

The sedition ended with a total collapse of Saleh’s plot. He was killed in his hometown, Sanhan, while attempting to escape—an outcome that exposed the internal disintegration of the betrayal camp and Saleh’s isolation, even within his own tribe.

The Catastrophic Scenario… What if the “Dancer on Snake Heads” Had Succeeded?

To understand the gravity of what Yemen almost faced, one must project the plot onto real examples—the most notable being the Somali model, which since 1991 descended into chaos and state collapse, split by factions and looted by foreign corporations.

Had the 2017 sedition succeeded:

1. Militarily and Politically

Yemen would have entered the “Somalia era,” as Saleh himself predicted.

National decision-making would have fractured, and the military front—active on more than 40 battlefields—would have disintegrated.

The return of the old regime and internal competition between coalition factions and their local proxies, especially between Saleh’s wing and Islah.

2. Security

Collapse of state institutions and transformation of Sana’a into an arena of internal fighting.

Foreign forces entering under the banners of “peacekeeping” and “restoring security.”

3. Social

Breakdown of the social and tribal fabric and transformation of regional and sectarian differences into a long, bloody conflict.

Mass displacement similar to the Somali experience.

4. Economic

Total currency collapse, halted salaries and services, and expanding poverty and hunger.

Privatization of Yemen’s wealth in favor of foreign corporations, and opening ports and resources to the coalition—just as Somalia experienced.

Yemen would have lost everything: sovereignty, internal unity, independence, and the ability to confront external aggression.

How the Sedition Fell… The Weapon of Public Awareness and the Rock of Revolutionary Leadership

The December sedition did not fail by military force alone. It fell through three pivotal factors:

1. Vigilant Leadership

A precise reading of the scene, a calm and firm address by the Sayyed, and continuous attempts to de-es