The message has been delivered in strength five. If the militants in the Houthis believed this time last week that Saudi Arabia would not call their bluff they must be now fully aware that it meant business and will continue to mean business until the threat has dissipated.
The expected next phase could well be a ground operation with troops engaged in mopping up a staggered not so organized stronghold following the battering the core camp has received from the coalition forces.
But it has to be remembered at this point in time that there is a lot to be done and this conflict is not yet over. As Houthi enclaves come closer to the civilian population and establish their bases almost under cover of urban and semi-urban settlements the risk of collateral damage will intensify. This one-sided nexus is the cornerstone of guerrilla activity and makes it very difficult for any military initiative to separate the one from the other without the intelligence gained from ground forces.
Keeping these factors in mind one cannot rule out troops crossing the border with a triple aim. One, guarding its own boundaries and ensuring the security of its people from incursions that are very much on the cards. Two, gradually, but surely, pushing the Houthi main force into a corner and blunting its presence. Three, finally attempting to bring about a cease-fire and offering a table for negotiations so that the bloodshed can end.
The conference in Egypt has not only stressed regional solidarity on the issue but reinforced the intent that there will be no half way measures and that ousted President Abdullah Saleh’s insurgents should be ready for more attacks.
By the same token there is a need for the population in urban Saudi Arabia to be extra vigilant. The threat of attacks cannot be dismissed as fiction and every citizen and resident has a positive role to play in maintaining the security and safety of its homeland. It makes sense to inform the police of anything untoward or obviously suspicious without being paranoid.
In the past six days the controlled but strategically planned attacks by the coalition have blunted the Houthi push into Aden even as they had last week practically positioned themselves for an incursion into the Yemeni capital. With naval forces now adding their might to the airstrikes by Arab states no one is more conscious of the need to protect the civilian population in Yemen from becoming casualties but if they are used as human shields then the ground action might become an imperative.
