Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar
| Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar | |
|---|---|
| Native name | علي محسن الأحمر |
| Born | June 20, 1945 Sanhan, Sana'a Governorate, Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen |
| Allegiance |  Yemen |
| Service/branch | Yemen Army |
| Rank | Major General |
| Unit | 1st Armored Division |
| Commands held | North-Western Military District 1st Armored Division[1] |
| Battles/wars | 1994 civil war in Yemen 2011 Yemeni revolution |
| Relations | Ali Abdullah Saleh (half brother) |
Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar (Arabic: علي محسن الأحمر; also called Ali Mohsen Saleh Arabic: علي محسن صالح) is a major general of the Yemeni army. Born in Sanhan village, Sana'a - Yemen on 20 June 1945, he was raised in a conservative religious family, and received a bachelor's degree in 1974, majoring in military sciences. al-Ahmar did doctoral studies at the Nasser Supreme Military Academy in Cairo in 1986.[2]
He served as President Saleh's chief military adviser, and was at one point considered Yemen's second-most powerful man. He helped recruit Islamic fundamentalists to fight in Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan War.[3] Relations between Saleh and Mohsen had reportedly soured years before the uprising due to his rivalries with two of the president's sons. This souring of relations led to an apparent attempt by the President Saleh to kill Mohsen by asking Saudi Arabian military commanders to bomb an alleged rebel base which was in fact Mohsen's HQ.[4]
On March 21, 2011, al-Ahmar said he would protect the anti-government Yemeni protesters, along with other top Yemeni army commanders, in a move that was later condemned as 'mutinous' by President Saleh.[5]
On December 19, 2012, al-Ahmar was effectively fired from his position by President Hadi as part of Hadi's efforts to restructure the military and remove the political and military elite remnant from former President Ali Abdullah Saleh's rule. The forces previously under al-Ahmar's command, most notably the First Armoured Division, will be absorbed into the Defence Ministry.[6]
References
- ^ Yemen Order of Battle | American Enterprise Institute Critical Threats Project
- ^ "'Rebel' General Ali Mohsen al Ahmar, Yemen's back-up ruler after Saleh". The National. 24 March 2011.
- ^ "Profile: Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar". History Commons.
- ^ "WikiLeaks: Yemen tricked Saudis into nearly bombing president's rival". The Guardian. 8 April 2011.
- ^ "Top Yemeni general, Ali Mohsen, backs opposition". BBC News. 21 March 2011.
- ^ Jamjoom, Mohammed and Almasmari, Hakim. "Yemen's president restructures armed forces". CNN. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
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