I begin by extending my heartfelt condolences to the Saudi leadership and the Saudi people over the loss of martyrs, both Saudi citizens and expatriates, in the recent Houthi attacks on airports. Certain truths must be stated unequivocally: these reckless and senseless assaults demonstrate that the Houthi gang is nothing more than a criminal terrorist militia, one that shows utter contempt for international law and international humanitarian law. It respects neither the laws of war nor their established traditions and conventions, which prohibit the targeting of women and children and attacks on civilian infrastructure, hospitals, and airports. Aggression comes at a price—a price that a culpable aggressor gravely miscalculates when patience is mistaken for impunity and humanity is misconstrued as an opportunity to rebel, defy authority, and cross red lines. This is precisely what the strike carried out on the ground by the Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen against the Houthi militia demonstrated, in response to the targeting of Riyadh airport and energy facilities in the Kingdom. The red lines crossed by the militia through its attacks on the Kingdom’s airports and energy facilities mark the point at which deterrence becomes imperative to safeguard sovereignty, and the consequences of such crimes become a price the perpetrator must pay. There can be no doubt that a militia displaying these characteristics deserves to be classified as nothing other than a terrorist organization. In its terrorist conduct, it is no different from Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and the Shiite militia factions. I am reluctant even to characterize its actions as “war crimes,” for this is a band of robbers that hides in caves and mountain strongholds. Its sole objective is to kill and inflict the greatest possible physical, material, and economic damage, deluding itself into believing that it can “blackmail” Saudi Arabia. It has now become crystalclear that Iran—a rogue state that deploys its Houthi proxy whenever it comes under pressure from the blockade and American strikes—has instructed the militia to attack Saudi Arabia under the pretext that such attacks would hurt the United States and undermine its interests. Nothing could be further from the truth! Saudi Arabia is an independent, powerful, and sovereign state, fully entitled to forge alliances with whichever countries it chooses and to determine the level of partnership it wishes to pursue. Its alliance with the United States is no secret; it is a historic partnership, tested by time and witnessed by the world. Nor is America alone in maintaining close ties with Saudi Arabia. The European Union, France, Britain, Pakistan, Turkey, China, and Russia also share close partnerships with the Kingdom. The common interests underpinning these relationships are primarily economic, with energy—the lifeblood of the global economy—occupying a central place. These alliances are not directed towards aggression against any country. Indeed, since its founding, Saudi Arabia has never sought to establish hegemony over nations or exercise control over peoples. By contrast, Houthi leaders seek to remain a thorn in Saudi Arabia’s side. Such blackmail is something the Kingdom will never accept, whatever the cost. It is only logical and rational for Riyadh to reject any attempt to inflict harm from a neighboring country with which it shares bonds of kinship, history, and geography—or, more precisely, geopolitics. When Saudi Arabia found itself compelled to support Yemen’s legitimate government, it did so through an international coalition formed in response to the Houthi coup. United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216 reaffirmed support for the legitimate government and demanded that the Houthis withdraw, surrender their weapons, and cease actions that threaten neighboring countries. Yet the “People of the Cave” continue to follow one another’s destructive path! They emerge from their caves and mountain hideouts only to attack cities, airports, and mosques. They show neither reverence for nor regard for the sanctity of the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah—so what respect could they possibly show for airports and other mosques? They are merely replicating a formula of evil stretching from the Strait of Hormuz to the Bab al-Mandab Strait! This behavior confirms that the Houthis represent a peculiar school of cowardice, hatred, and stupidity. When Iran closed the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz to oil and gas exports and trade, it instructed its Houthi proxy to occupy and close the Bab al-Mandab Strait! Saudi Arabia does not bow to anyone. The Houthis’ actions have instead united the Yemeni people against them, standing together to launch Operation Dawn of Yemen. The operation accomplished significant results, including territorial gains, the liberation of land, and the removal of Houthi elements from the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the islands overlooking it. The Houthis are not the first proxies to terrorize civilians and target civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. Al-Qaeda and ISIS followed a similar path. Yet, through steadfast patience and sound security strategies, these threats were swept aside, while Saudi Arabia remained resolute. The Kingdom continued to advance its Vision 2030 agenda, emerging as an increasingly attractive destination for Western, Arab, and domestic capital. Under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Kingdom has accomplished unprecedented social openness and far-reaching economic reforms. Tomorrow, the Houthis and their agents will face annihilation. Tomorrow, they will be consigned to oblivion, remembered only as a dark stain on Yemen’s history. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, will remain a steadfast supporter of its neighbor and sister nation, Yemen, united with it by enduring bonds of history, geography, and kinship.I begin by extending my heartfelt condolences to the Saudi leadership and the Saudi people over the loss of martyrs, both Saudi citizens and expatriates, in the recent Houthi attacks on airports. Certain truths must be stated unequivocally: these reckless and senseless assaults demonstrate that the Houthi gang is nothing more than a criminal terrorist militia, one that shows utter contempt for international law and international humanitarian law. It respects neither the laws of war nor their established traditions and conventions, which prohibit the targeting of women and children and attacks on civilian infrastructure, hospitals, and airports. Aggression comes at a price—a price that a culpable aggressor gravely miscalculates when patience is mistaken for impunity and humanity is misconstrued as an opportunity to rebel, defy authority, and cross red lines. This is precisely what the strike carried out on the ground by the Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen against the Houthi militia demonstrated, in response to the targeting of Riyadh airport and energy facilities in the Kingdom. The red lines crossed by the militia through its attacks on the Kingdom’s airports and energy facilities mark the point at which deterrence becomes imperative to safeguard sovereignty, and the consequences of such crimes become a price the perpetrator must pay. There can be no doubt that a militia displaying these characteristics deserves to be classified as nothing other than a terrorist organization. In its terrorist conduct, it is no different from Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and the Shiite militia factions. I am reluctant even to characterize its actions as “war crimes,” for this is a band of robbers that hides in caves and mountain strongholds. Its sole objective is to kill and inflict the greatest possible physical, material, and economic damage, deluding itself into believing that it can “blackmail” Saudi Arabia. It has now become crystalclear that Iran—a rogue state that deploys its Houthi proxy whenever it comes under pressure from the blockade and American strikes—has instructed the militia to attack Saudi Arabia under the pretext that such attacks would hurt the United States and undermine its interests. Nothing could be further from the truth! Saudi Arabia is an independent, powerful, and sovereign state, fully entitled to forge alliances with whichever countries it chooses and to determine the level of partnership it wishes to pursue. Its alliance with the United States is no secret; it is a historic partnership, tested by time and witnessed by the world. Nor is America alone in maintaining close ties with Saudi Arabia. The European Union, France, Britain, Pakistan, Turkey, China, and Russia also share close partnerships with the Kingdom. The common interests underpinning these relationships are primarily economic, with energy—the lifeblood of the global economy—occupying a central place. These alliances are not directed towards aggression against any country. Indeed, since its founding, Saudi Arabia has never sought to establish hegemony over nations or exercise control over peoples. By contrast, Houthi leaders seek to remain a thorn in Saudi Arabia’s side. Such blackmail is something the Kingdom will never accept, whatever the cost. It is only logical and rational for Riyadh to reject any attempt to inflict harm from a neighboring country with which it shares bonds of kinship, history, and geography—or, more precisely, geopolitics. When Saudi Arabia found itself compelled to support Yemen’s legitimate government, it did so through an international coalition formed in response to the Houthi coup. United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216 reaffirmed support for the legitimate government and demanded that the Houthis withdraw, surrender their weapons, and cease actions that threaten neighboring countries. Yet the “People of the Cave” continue to follow one another’s destructive path! They emerge from their caves and mountain hideouts only to attack cities, airports, and mosques. They show neither reverence for nor regard for the sanctity of the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah—so what respect could they possibly show for airports and other mosques? They are merely replicating a formula of evil stretching from the Strait of Hormuz to the Bab al-Mandab Strait! This behavior confirms that the Houthis represent a peculiar school of cowardice, hatred, and stupidity. When Iran closed the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz to oil and gas exports and trade, it instructed its Houthi proxy to occupy and close the Bab al-Mandab Strait! Saudi Arabia does not bow to anyone. The Houthis’ actions have instead united the Yemeni people against them, standing together to launch Operation Dawn of Yemen. The operation accomplished significant results, including territorial gains, the liberation of land, and the removal of Houthi elements from the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the islands overlooking it. The Houthis are not the first proxies to terrorize civilians and target civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. Al-Qaeda and ISIS followed a similar path. Yet, through steadfast patience and sound security strategies, these threats were swept aside, while Saudi Arabia remained resolute. The Kingdom continued to advance its Vision 2030 agenda, emerging as an increasingly attractive destination for Western, Arab, and domestic capital. Under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Kingdom has accomplished unprecedented social openness and far-reaching economic reforms. Tomorrow, the Houthis and their agents will face annihilation. Tomorrow, they will be consigned to oblivion, remembered only as a dark stain on Yemen’s history. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, will remain a steadfast supporter of its neighbor and sister nation, Yemen, united with it by enduring bonds of history, geography, and kinship.
Saudi Arabia will never bow down… The end of Houthis draws near
