The September 21 Revolution: From Expelling the Marines to Restoring Yemeni Sovereignty
February 11, 2015, was not just a passing date, but a pivotal moment that definitively closed the chapter on American tutelage. On that day, US Marines departed the capital, Sana’a, in a humiliating scene that ended years of direct intervention and domination over the levers of power in the state. It ushered in a new era of sovereignty, imposed by the September 21 Revolution through the unwavering will of the people.
This day marked the first public collapse of the American project in Yemen, after the American presence had controlled political, military, and security decisions, and managed state institutions under false pretenses such as “support,” “partnership,” and “counterterrorism.”
A Humiliating Evacuation and the Details of the Airport
The facts reveal that the Marines’ departure was not a routine diplomatic withdrawal, but rather a chaotic escape. During this operation, American soldiers burned sensitive documents and destroyed equipment and servers inside the embassy to prevent the exposure of the spy network that Washington had operated from Sana’a.
For the first time in the history of the American presence, Marines were subjected to searches upon leaving the capital’s airport after being disarmed. Some were even forced to break 250 individual and medium-caliber weapons (M4 and M24 rifles) by hand.
Furthermore, the American mission left behind 32 armored vehicles and encrypted communication devices, which were seized and dismantled, causing an “information blackout” for the US National Security Agency (NSA) that persists to this day. This setback on the ground reflects the strength of the Yemeni resolve and the success of the revolution in severing the espionage networks that operated 48 coordination offices within state institutions, proving that Yemeni decision-making is now entirely in the hands of its people.
1. Walid Al-Washli, February 11, 2015: A Day of Greatness
The Revolution Creates Strategic Transformation
The expulsion of the Marines was not an isolated event, but a direct result of the September 21 Revolution, which thwarted the hegemonic project, restored sovereign decision-making, and liberated military and security institutions from the American veto that had prevented the development of genuine defense capabilities.
This transformation enabled Yemen to move from a phase of disarmament and targeting to one of building an effective deterrent force, which later manifested itself in imposing maritime rules of engagement and enforcing a ban on Zionist shipping, culminating in the withdrawal of American aircraft carriers from the Red Sea.
The Fruit of the Revolution: A Great Blessing
In a speech commemorating the anniversary, the leader, Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, affirmed that the Marines’ flight from Sana’a was “a great and significant fruit of the September 21 Revolution,” emphasizing that liberation from American hegemony preserved Yemen’s dignity and its faith-based pride.
Mr. Al-Sayed explained that the American presence in Sana’a sought to achieve complete control over the state and manage it according to its own interests, including controlling political, military, and security decisions, plunging Yemen into economic and social collapse, dismantling state institutions, controlling religious and educational discourse, and obliterating the national identity of the people.
He added that the expulsion of the American Marines represented the failure of the American project to achieve total control and the beginning of a phase of true national independence, empowering the Yemeni people to manage their affairs freely and with dignity.
1. A Historic Day
The Mass Rally: A Living Memory of Sovereignty
In a practical extension of the anniversary, Sana’a witnessed a massive public rally today in front of the American embassy building, confirming that February 11th is no longer a passing date but a recurring milestone in the public consciousness.
Participants raised Yemeni flags and banners rejecting foreign interference and reaffirming their commitment to independent national decision-making. They chanted slogans of pride in the moment that changed Yemen’s course and emphasized that the people who expelled the Marines yesterday are capable of confronting any attempt at intervention or a return to foreign domination.
The march’s statement reiterated their adherence to the path of the Quran and their readiness for any future round of conflict, while continuing their full support for the Palestinian people, considering the battle for sovereignty to be one and the enemy to be one.
1. Sana’a March_1
From Land to Sea: The Path of Yemeni Power
Observers believe that what happened at Sana’a Airport in 2015 was repeated on a larger scale in the Red Sea, when US fleets were forced to withdraw under pressure from Yemeni operations. They assert that the expulsion of the Marines was the starting point of a path that culminated in the imposition of unprecedented deterrent measures.
Western reports indicate that Washington incurred enormous financial and military losses without achieving any of its objectives, making Yemen a living example of the collapse of the “myth of American power” in the face of a faithful and independent popular will.
Irrevocable Sovereignty
Eleven years later, the facts prove that the expulsion of the Marines from Sana’a was not a temporary reaction, but a strategic sovereign decision that laid the foundation for a new era in which Yemen moved from the margins of dependency to a position of action and influence.
February 11th remains a testament to the fact that peoples are capable of dismantling the instruments of hegemony, no matter how powerful, and that the September 21st Revolution not only toppled a political tutelage but also reshaped the equation of power and sovereignty in Yemen and the region.
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