The uprising in Yemen of a small minority religious group in this region or others is not anything new, and perhaps 10 years ago this particular incident would not have captured international attention at all. However, these days, such revolts are likely to be effected or even prompted by larger world events, and in turn they can cause a much greater ripple through the regions in which they occur than in past, more provincial times.

These recent Zaidi conflicts in Yemen are an example. The Zaidis are a minority Shi?a group in the primarily Sunni country. They originated in the Islamic holy city of Medina, Saudi Arabia but migrated to Yemen and more or less ruled the area that is now Yemen for hundreds of years, following the breakup of the Islamic caliphate. In 1962, they were overthrown and have been bitter about it since.