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“Nasir’s Vietnam”: analysing Egyptian intelligence literature on the Yemen intervention

2025; Routledge; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/13530194.2024.2443924

1469-3542

Ido Yahel,

Middle East and Rwanda Conflicts

On September 26, 1962, Yemeni conspirators seized Imam Muhammad al-Badr's palace, declaring the establishment of the Yemen Arab Republic. However, loyalist Zaydi tribes quickly mobilized against the new Republic, prompting its leaders to seek aid from Egyptian President Jamal 'Abd al-Nasir. This marked the beginning of Egypt's most extensive and costly military venture, often compared to the U.S. engagement in Vietnam. For decades, historians have puzzled over why Yemen, a relatively marginal country, consumed so many Egyptian resources. Books published by former Egyptian intelligence heads and senior officials provide insight, revealing Yemen as an intelligence 'black hole' for Egypt. The intelligence gaps significantly influenced Egypt's decision to intervene and shaped its conduct in the Yemeni civil war. This article analyzes the Egyptian intervention in Yemen, using accounts from Egyptian intelligence and officials of that era, as well as U.S. and British archival materials.