The Houthis and al-Shabaab: Mounting Evidence Suggests Threat to Global Security

An overlooked alliance with serious implications for maritime security

This piece was originally submitted to a think tank in October 2024 after previously being greenlit by the editor—I won’t say which think tank. It was shelved without explanation, despite growing relevance. I’m publishing it now because the risks it outlines have only intensified.

Notably, this analysis predates the escalation of U.S. operations against the Houthis—a campaign that has since pushed the group deeper into asymmetric maritime warfare and transnational alliances. Everything predicted here—from proxy weapons flows to maritime convergence—has since begun to unfold in full view.

Rather than let this sit in a drawer any longer, I’m sharing it with you directly—because the risk is real, and it’s growing.