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Saudi Arabia's moment of truth in Yemen

Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud has three options to choose from on Yemen, none of them good.
Tribesmen hold up their weapons during a gathering to show support to the Houthi movement in the northern city of Saada, Yemen August 2, 2016. REUTERS/Naif Rahma - RTSKOS5
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Saudi Arabia is facing a critical decision point in its war in Yemen. The political process to resolve the crisis between Yemen's warring parties is failing. King Salman bin Adbul-Aziz Al Saud will have to decide whether to escalate the war against the rebel alliance or settle for de facto partition of the country. He may choose to dither.

The United Nations-mediated peace talks in Kuwait have been suspended for at least the next month if not longer. While the UN has been careful to leave the door open to the talks' resumption, there is little likelihood of a political breakthrough in the process given the terms of reference for the process created by UN Security Council Resolution 2216. The latter calls for a restoration of the Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi government to power in Sanaa, a demand the alliance of Zaydi Houthi Shiite rebels and the followers of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh refuse to accept.

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