Saudi Arabia threatens ground invasion of disintegrating Yemen

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-of-Yemen.html

Saudi Arabia threatens ground invasion of disintegrating Yemen

Middle East teetering on the brink as Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia square up over Yemen

A mass Sunni coalition led by Saudi Arabia was on Thursday night threatening a ground invasion of Yemen with tens of thousands of troops to drive out an Iran-linked Shia militia, which would plunge the Middle East into an openly sectarian regional war.

The Houthi rebel group which has seized much of Yemen and driven the Sunni, western-backed President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi into flight said 18 civilians were killed in overnight air raids by the coalition.

Egypt, Morocco, Sudan and Jordan were supporting Yemen's Gulf neighbours in the operation, and Egyptian troop carriers were said to be waiting off Yemen's coast. News organisations close to Riyadh said it had 100 jets prepared to join the aerial assault on the rebels, while Morocco, Sudan, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain had sent 85 planes between them.

The coalition is backed by both Britain and the United States. The Foreign Office cited the Houthis' "disregard for the political process", though the Ministry of Defence said there was no military involvement. That, however, is said to be under review, with "conversations" taking place as to future support. The US said it was "coordinating military and intelligence support" with the operation.

The overnight bombing raids targeted a military base near Sana'a international airport, as well as a house belonging to the family of the Houthi leader's family in the northern city of Saada, their stronghold. They also hit a base near the southern city of Aden used until last week for US drone attacks on al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Britain and America were both forced to withdraw special forces as the Houthi rebels advanced.

However, civilian areas were also struck. Amnesty International said it believed at least six children under the age of 10 were among the victims.
"We didn't sleep because of the sound of the explosions," said Mansour Hayel, editor in-chief of al-Tagamoue newspaper. "It lasted intensively from 2am to 6am." Egyptian and other officials said the coalition was planning a ground invasion after the aerial assault had been completed.

Pakistan, another Sunni state, was also called on to provide troops.

"I can confirm we have been contacted by Saudi Arabia in this regard," a foreign ministry spokeswoman said. "The matter is being examined."

Several of the states that have joined the coalition are heavily reliant on aid from the Saudis, who in turn are deeply hostile to Iranian involvement in the Gulf. Egypt has grim memories of its previous intervention in Yemen in the 1960s when, in an irony, it supported republican opposition to the then Saudi-backed Shia royal family. Egypt's losses were such that the then dictator, Gamal Abdul Nasser, referred to it as his "Vietnam".

Nevertheless, Egypt said it was committing its air force and navy to "restore stability and preserve Yemen's Arab identity". The Saudi attack was met with fury in Tehran, which has welcomed the Houthi advance across the country while denying widespread reports it had armed the group. The foreign ministry condemned it as an "act of aggression". "The Saudi-led air strikes should stop immediately and it is against Yemen's sovereignty," the foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said. "We will make all efforts to control crisis in Yemen."

If the Iranians were to send military support, it could bring Saudi and Iranian forces into direct conflict.

Another step towards an open war in the Middle East as well as the much needed redrawing of the Arabian map.

Thoughts?