Yemenis have long suspected the Saudis of pursuing polices that keep their country weak but not so weak that its internal problems spill across the border. If this was ever the case, the new Saudi rulers seem to have jettisoned their approach. They have embarked on a military adventure that will create the kind of instability and violence that not only will weaken Yemen beyond repair but could rebound upon the kingdom itself.
Last month, the Saudis, backed by the US and nine mostly Arab Sunni states, launched an air campaign to reinstate the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and roll back both the Houthis, a group Riyadh views as an Iranian proxy, and their ally, forces aligned with former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
They also imposed a naval and air blockade to prevent the Houthis from receiving weapons, while the US has expedited arms deliveries to the kingdom. Saudi officials say Operation Decisive Storm will continue until stability is restored and hint a ground offensive might be necessary.
The intervention was triggered by Houthi overreach. Rather than settling for a political deal in the capital, they are trying to establish dominance at gunpoint and are engaged in a brutal campaign to control Aden that is destroying the city and creating a humanitarian disaster.
Yet, Saudi Arabia has exaggerated Iran's role in what is mostly a local Yemeni conflict and in doing so is creating a new, dangerous dynamic. The external military intervention will complicate and prolong suffering, especially without a viable political exit strategy. Full story...
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Last month, the Saudis, backed by the US and nine mostly Arab Sunni states, launched an air campaign to reinstate the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and roll back both the Houthis, a group Riyadh views as an Iranian proxy, and their ally, forces aligned with former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
They also imposed a naval and air blockade to prevent the Houthis from receiving weapons, while the US has expedited arms deliveries to the kingdom. Saudi officials say Operation Decisive Storm will continue until stability is restored and hint a ground offensive might be necessary.
The intervention was triggered by Houthi overreach. Rather than settling for a political deal in the capital, they are trying to establish dominance at gunpoint and are engaged in a brutal campaign to control Aden that is destroying the city and creating a humanitarian disaster.
Yet, Saudi Arabia has exaggerated Iran's role in what is mostly a local Yemeni conflict and in doing so is creating a new, dangerous dynamic. The external military intervention will complicate and prolong suffering, especially without a viable political exit strategy. Full story...
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- Yemen turmoil: Over 500 killed in 2 weeks of fighting...
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