Saudi shake-up underscores stakes in Yemen
Saudi credibility on the line in Yemen; al-Qaeda’s “free rein” in Yemen; Iraq seeks balance, distance from Saudi-Iranian rivalry; Iran’s Reformists still waiting for Rouhani to deliver; Syrian government intensifies attacks on rebel-held areas of Aleppo.
Yemen is now "Salman’s war"
The shake-up in Saudi leadership announced by King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud last week comes as Riyadh may be facing a credibility crisis over its military intervention in Yemen.
Bruce Riedel writes, "Never has the kingdom been so aggressive with its own military in trying to force a regime change. The Yemeni war is part Saudi-Iranian regional rivalry, part unfinished Arab Spring business and part Sunni-Shiite sectarian animosity. It is now, above all, Salman's war, as well as his son's. The surprise elevation of Mohammed bin Nayef and Mohammed bin Salman underscores how the stakes in this war are crucial not only to Yemen's future, but also increasingly to the future of the House of Saud. The hawks need to produce tangible results or face losing credibility."
This column has observed that Saudi Arabia is increasingly isolated over Yemen. No better example is Pakistan’s continued refusal to provide military support for Saudi Arabia’s military intervention.
