The statement by the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on the involvement of 21 individuals and entities in financing the Houthi militia was shocking. The statement said the targeted individuals form the financial and logistical infrastructure that enables the Houthis to continue their military operations and threaten navigation in the Red Sea. The sanctions imposed by the Treasury were under Executive Order "13224" concerning counter-terrorism.
The statement was a surprise to many, even to those who had suspicions for years. We have known since the beginning of the war a decade ago that the Houthis possessed only primitive weapons, and their combat experience did not extend beyond tribal infighting. Moreover, they had no military or intelligence training. The situation changed after Iran sent its advisors and advanced weapons, including medium- and long-range missiles, to Yemen. The Houthis transformed from a faction owning rifles and pistols into a well-armed and highly trained militia.
Riyadh made every political effort to resolve the Yemeni crisis peacefully according to the outcomes of negotiations agreed upon by all Yemenis. These outcomes have become part of United Nations resolutions. However, the Houthis did not comply because they are not the masters of their own fate as Iran controls their actions.
The question here is: Did Saudi Arabia need a coalition to support the legitimacy in Yemen? And what is the nature of the need? Military? Political? Financial? Saudi Arabia decided to form the coalition out of a desire for an Arab movement to act against the dismantling of Yemen, the wasting of its capabilities, and the destruction of the future of its children. Riyadh received a response from several countries at the time, and yet, it did not really need any assistance from any country.
From a military perspective, no country in the coalition that was established in 2015 has the military capabilities that the Kingdom possesses. Its air force rivals Israel's, it has ground forces in Hadramout, and its naval forces possess advanced monitoring equipment.
On the political level, the Houthi threat gives the Kingdom the right to defend its territories. It explained its position to the UN, which in turn issued resolutions based on negotiations organized by the Kingdom between the parties to the conflict. Financial and logistical support and the provision of the necessities of life for Yemenis and health and education projects... etc., are guaranteed by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center. Saudi Arabia has spent billions of dollars to protect Yemenis from the horrors of war.
Practically, Saudi Arabia did not need any country, except that it wanted the coalition to be an Arab entity that supports legitimacy in Yemen.
Before the US statement, the Southern Transitional Council, which claimed to protect the right of southerners to establish an independent state, disintegrated, and it became clear that some of its leaders were opportunists with their own personal goals. The dissolution of the STC turned out to be a blessing because it allowed the realignment of the loyal southern leaders under one cause. Today, the southern leaders are consulting in Riyadh to pursue their interests away from intrusive parties or figures seeking their personal benefits.
As for the Houthis, who are the main issue, we must remember that years ago, the Saudi Air Force could have destroyed Sanaa and Saada in an hour. The only reason that prevented it from doing so was the safety of the people. The Houthis are known to using people as human shields, a well-known Iranian strategy that is used by Hezbollah and Hamas.
The reality is that despite refocusing attention on the southern cause and the need to resolve it, and with the revelations about the Houthis' source of funding, the Yemeni cause has become more complicated, especially with foreign parties seeking to drag Yemen into the conflicts of other countries and involving Israel as an influential party.
The Yemenis are the owners of their land and if they themselves don't want to save their country from war, then no one, no matter their good intentions, will be able to help them.
