remain in power as a figurehead behind whom they could pull the strings, without having to take on the burdensome business of governance, said Al Rowas. Under Wednesday's failed peace deal, the Hadi government had agreed to rewrite parts of the country's constitution to give the Houthis more political power in return for them withdrawing their militias from key government institutions and freeing the President's kidnapped aide. The government only finally got parliamentary approval in December, said U.S.-based Yemen analyst Sama'a Al-Hamdani. Hadi's resignation seems to be a recognition of the fact that he wo n't be able to lead the country as he wishes because of the Houthi takeover, she said. The Houthis are Shiites from northern Yemen who make up about 30 % of the population. They 've been at war with the central government for the best part of a decade and are also fighting the Sunni AQAP. At the beginning of 2014, they won a series of battles close to the Saudi border. And in September, Houthi fighters suddenly descended on Sanaa, where they took over government buildings, the main airport and a share of power. In the past week, they 've taken it to another level. Although they have been fighting AQAP, they are no friend to the United States. One of the main slogans of this historically Iranian-backed group is Death to America. The Houthis have more recently forged an