March 27, 2015

Saudi bombs in Yemen

located:	Saudi Arabia, Yemen
editor:	Ama Lorenz

Saudi Arabia's military has intervened in the power struggle in Yemen. Joined by nine other countries the military Operation Decisive Storm has been launched against the Shiite Houthi rebels. That happened last night at the request of the legitimate government of Yemen.

Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi has been the President of Yemen since 27 February 2012. His assertion of legitimacy has been challenged by the Houthis, who named a Revolutionary Committee to assume the powers of the presidency, as well as the General People's Congress, Hadi's own political party. On 25 March 2015, Hadi reportedly fled Yemen in a boat as Houthi forces advanced on Aden. He arrived in Riyadh the next day as Saudi Arabia began the bombing in support of his government.

That operation may now prove problematic if the Saudis are unable to reinstall Hadi, as Iran is the most important ally of the Shiite Houthi rebels in the fight against the legitimate government. The Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the military intervention "dangerous development which will destabilize a region" and demanded an immediate halt on all "military aggressions" in Yemen.

Already in 2009, the Saudis fought a series of border skirmishes with Huthi guerrilla fighters. During those clashes, the Huthis frequently embarrassed their more polished opponents, outflanking Saudi units and stealing Saudi military equipment, which they later broadcast on videos uploaded to YouTube.

Now also other Arabic countries give their support for Saudi Arabia, which leads the coalition. Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan agreed to take part in the operation. Pakistan and Egypt also told to join the military operation. Morocco reiterated his country's support for.

There are international reactions to the reinforced instability in Yemen. President Obama declared that he had authorized US forces to provide logistical and intelligence support to the operation against Houthis as a "Joint Planning Cell' with Saudi Arabia. Russia’s Vladimir Putin called for an "immediate cessation of military activities" in Yemen and increased efforts to find a peaceful solution to the crisis, the Kremlin said in a statement on Thursday.

Yemen has a history of resisting foreign military interventions, and none - from the Romans in 24 AD to the Egyptians in the 1960s - have succeeded so far. "The Yemeni people is prepared to respond to this aggression without foreign interference," Reuters cited Ali al-Bukhaiti, head of the Zaidi Shia. Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States would regret their aggression yet, he said.

More about the situation in Yemen

Photo: Dmitry Chulov