Opinion

Saudi Arabia between its security and commitments

April 03, 2022
Saudi Arabia between its security and commitments

Hailah Al-Mushawah



The Arab Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen announced that it had destroyed a weapons depot in the vicinity of the Salif port, after the terrorist Houthi militia transferred weapons to the depot. At the same time, the United Nations issued a statement expressing its concern and calling for a truce to stop what it described as an “escalation” with the approaching of Ramadan, the holiest period of time in the Islamic calendar.

However, the UN ignored the targeting of unarmed civilians in the Kingdom, as if the attacks on the Kingdom’s oil facilities and the security of its people are outside the framework of the world body’s concern and worries!

This was after Houthis’ hostile terrorist attacks, targeted the petroleum distribution depot, located north of Jeddah, as well as Al-Mukhtara station in the Jazan region, using missile projectiles. These attacks led to the outbreak of fire in two oil tanks in Jeddah and the fall of a projectile on the electricity distribution station in Samtah. There were also hostile targeting of the tanks of the National Water Company in Dhahran Al-Janoub and many similar attacks using projectiles and drones.

After all these attacks, Saudi Arabia, which leads the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, had no choice but to take decisive measures to stop this terrorist crime that targeted its security and economy in the first place, as well as targeting energy security apart from hitting the backbone of the global economy, since the Kingdom is one of the largest producers and exporters of energy in the world. It is the most important pillars of the stability of regional and global economic and political balances.

Even for self-restraint, there are some criteria that shouldn’t be exceeded. Patience has also limits, and there is no question of showing patience toward an unbridled enemy, represented by a terrorist militia whose acts come outside the frameworks of the humanitarian and international laws. The military system of such a force shall be destroyed completely and its externally supported forces finished off. And this is what actually happened after the three-hour deadline, which enabled the Houthis to remove their weapons from the ports of Hodeida and Salif as well as from Sanaa Airport.

This is what provoked the start of airstrikes on Houthi camps and strongholds in Sanaa and that resulted in heavy losses in the militia’s ranks. In my estimation, the most important of these losses was the killing of three experts specialized in booby-trapping boats and launching them from the Salif port and the destruction of the missile force and drones that were hidden in food warehouses in the port of Hodeidah.

The Coalition forces carried out several strikes on military strongholds in the port of Hodeidah and Salif, and foiled imminent attacks on oil tankers, forcing Houthis to announce the cessation of all military operations against the Kingdom.

Saudi Arabia is facing pressures to balance between its moral role towards the global economy and its commitments to regulate supplies to energy markets, and its role in protecting its territories, cities, residents, oil facilities and sources of its economy. The big countries only condemn and denounce the attacks while the United Nations is looking with one eye and closing the other one.

Indeed, it has become a major factor that tends to obstruct and procrastinate any political solution in Yemen. Why does the UN not make any move to block the delivery of Iranian weapons to Houthis through the territorial waters without deterrence or inspection!

The Kingdom has exhausted all political solutions in Yemen and that is evident for the international community as everything is taking place under its watch. And hence, the Kingdom has no choice but to protect its people, land and oil facilities.

Therefore, the Kingdom had reiterated its declaration to disclaim responsibility for the consequences of the frivolous attacks on energy facilities. This was part of a great moral and political goal that cannot be understood by the international community, which is preoccupied with the Russian-Ukrainian war and its disastrous consequences.

The solution is to implement a real peace initiative that protects the region, secures oil supplies and safeguards the world from the impending economic collapse!


April 03, 2022
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