Having exercised great restraint as the turmoil in Yemen intensified and keeping in mind the collateral bruising of the civilian public Saudi Arabia was left with no alternative but to activate its military option, which is currently a 10-nation operation.
While it goes without saying that Saudi Arabia would like nothing more than a return to legitimate government and peace through due political process it cannot stand idly by when its borders are threatened not only by the Houthi militants and the Al-Qaeda cells which have proliferated in Yemen but also by the problem of refugees streaming into the country.
There is no doubt that the military option was made tenable after the Friday bomb blasts in multiple mosques and the massive death and injury toll that came with it.
But barely four days later even as the US upped the ante and air assaulted Houthi strongholds the rebels managed to cut a swathe into Aden and make it impossible for President Hadi to remain in state. He had gone underground and was finally received in Riyadh on his arrival Thursday night. Now, the priority is to blunt the militants from gaining more ground and the seizure of a military base has to be seen as a major threat because it would integrate ammunition dumps and high grade weaponry.
Already the air force seems to be in the hands of the militants and there are reports that Hadi’s defense minister has been made captive.
With an all-out civil war not just on the horizon but hurtling to engulf the whole nation and the ripple effect making for another tectonic shock to follow the upheavals in Iraq, Syria and Libya there has to be a counter plan to block the insurgency.
Saudi Arabia has a long border and it is largely porous and with the conflict now causing major damage there has to be a concerted action and the government has taken the only route open to it.
With the backing of the world at large save for Iran the initiative is one of deep resolve because it is not an easy or short-term op. With the Houthis already calling the air raids as an act of war this is a time for greater vigilance by not just the authorities but by the people of Saudi Arabia for it is their security, which is being protected.
No peace-loving nation wishes to go to war and no one calls for it. But when it becomes the inevitable outcome for stopping those elements that would spread destruction and bloodshed for an agenda that places one at risk then the escalation has to occur.
At this moment it is necessary for the coalition to ensure that the Houthi troops do not establish a foothold in Aden. History has shown with startling clarity that urban warfare is not easy and dislodging armed personnel who might use civilians as shields is a daunting task from the streets and buildings of a city.
The decision to join forces with the coalition has come after great provocations. It was not an easy decision but made keeping in mind the alternatives it had to be done. Which is why it is imperative that every citizen stand by the government as it embarks on a mission whose central core is still to save lives and not take them.
