Saudi Arabia’s War in Yemen ’A Strategic Failure’
Local Editor
Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Yemen proved to be a "strategic failure", but a full and official withdrawal from that country is unlikely, analysts told Al-Jazeera broadcaster.
In a series of leaked emails, it was revealed that Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, expressed a desire to end the war in Yemen during talks with former US officials. Mohammed bin Salman said that he '"wants out" of the two-year war he started in Yemen and that he was not against US rapprochement with Iran to end the conflict.
Adam Baron, a Yemen analyst, said that a Saudi pull out is not going to be "complete" since the kingdom's security is largely reliant on Yemen's security.
"Yes, the Saudis would like out of the war-but only on their own terms," Baron said.
"What's broadly necessary would be a deal that ensures Saudi interests are preserved in Yemen," Baron told Al-Jazeera.
The conflict has killed more than 10,000 people and has injured more than 40,000 to date.
On Wednesday, an air strike on a hotel near the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, martyred at least 35 people, a local medic said.
Yemen has long been the Arab region's poorest country, and previously relied on US aid and assistance from its neighbors to stay afloat. Inflation was worsening and unemployment rates soared prior to the 2011 uprising.
Money from the country's dwindling oil reserves has been wasted or stolen.
The war has left various areas in dire need of humanitarian assistance and has enabled al-Qaeda to grow amid a security vacuum.
Meanwhile, Yemen, home to more than 27 million people, is on the verge of famine and in the middle of an "unprecedented" cholera outbreak. Referring to the Saudi-led war in Yemen, the UN has warned that the country is heading towards "total collapse."
Currently, more than seven million people are on the verge of starvation due to border blockades and impoverishment from years of war, while about 80 percent of the population are reliant on some form of humanitarian aid. According to the UN, the world's largest humanitarian crisis is in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia's involvement has contributed to the country's humanitarian crisis, damaging Mohammed bin Salman's image both internationally and regionally, says Luciano Zaccara, Gulf politics researcher at Qatar University.
"The increasing criticism worldwide against the coalition attacks - considered the main reason behind the cholera epidemic that is killing thousands of civilians, the obscure situation of detainees, and the blockade of Sanaa airport and Hudaida port that is preventing humanitarian supply to arrive to the blocked areas..., are making this war very unpopular," Zaccara told Al-Jazeera.
Source: Al-Jazeera, Edited by website team
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