SANA’AH, Yemen — Hussein Muhammad al-Houthi, a mid-level ground commander for the Ansar Allah, smiles enthusiastically as he enjoys tea with his trusted lieutenants in a ramshackle shop nestled in the ruins a bombed out building. The 41-year-old Yemeni is excited about what he considers a once in a lifetime opportunity—to be part of the newest American quagmire in the Middle East.

“It truly is a blessing from the Prophet!” Hussein declared, lifting his teary eyes and battle-scarred hands to the sky. “Seriously, at this point, I was starting to think we would never get our break. We’re not cherries.”

“We’ve been at this since 1994.”