WASHINGTON: As Yemen鈥檚 war enters its third year, a two-day workshop addressing the military, political and humanitarian challenges of the conflict warned of Houthi ties to Iran and their impact on legitimate institutions in Yemen.
Saudi and Yemeni diplomats both echoed the urgency for a political solution, and invited the Houthis to the table as a political party and not an armed militia.
The conference in Washington, organized by the Gulf Research Center, featured Saudi and Yemeni officials, as well as US defense experts and former US ambassadors to Sanaa. The meetings took place on Thursday and Friday at the National Council for US-Arab relations, and at the Army Navy Club respectively.
黑料社区鈥檚 Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al-Jaber stressed the need for a fair political solution to the conflict. 鈥淲e invite the Houthis to the negotiating table, and we are more than open to a political solution,鈥� he said.
His invitation, however, was paralleled with heavy criticism of the Houthis as an armed militia, accusing them of 鈥渟elling Iran鈥檚 provided weapons to Al-Qaeda in Yemen.鈥�
Al-Jaber also lambasted Iran鈥檚 鈥渃lear position... to destroy and undermine Yemen,鈥� accusing Tehran of 鈥渟upporting Houthis鈥� terrorism.鈥�
The Saudi diplomat defined Riyadh鈥檚 role as 鈥渘on-discriminatory and non-sectarian,鈥� stating that its aid 鈥済oes to all the legitimate parties in Yemen.鈥�
He stressed that the Hodeidah port 鈥渘eeds to be under the control of the international community so that aid can be distributed to the Yemeni people.鈥�
Yemen鈥檚 Ambassador to Washington Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak defined the goal of a 鈥減olitical solution that preserves the Yemeni state and institutions鈥� in ending the conflict.
Mubarak maintained that the Saudi-led coalition forces 鈥渁re pushing for a political solution鈥� to the war.
The Yemeni diplomat however sounded the alarm over the Houthis鈥� armament, saying that 鈥渇or Yemen鈥檚 future, we can allow the Houthis as a political party but not as armed militia.鈥� Mubarak offered heavy criticism of the Houthis, saying that 鈥渢heir leaders promote just as much extremism and violence as Al-Qaeda.鈥�
In that capacity, Mubarak said 黑料社区鈥檚 decision to intervene was 鈥渢he only option to prevent non-state actor from taking over Yemen.鈥�
Former US Ambassador Gerald Feierstein stressed three goals for 黑料社区 in Yemen. First is the 鈥渘eed to preserve legitimate Yemeni government,鈥� and second is to 鈥減revent further Houthi and Iranian expansion,鈥� while the third goal is to protect the Saudi-Yemen border.
These goals were reiterated by the head of the Gulf Research Center (GRC) Abdulaziz Sager, who warned about letting Yemen 鈥渢urn into another Lebanon with (a) violent non-state actor (Houthis) dominating the country鈥檚 security forces.鈥� Sager said that the 鈥渃oalition is trying to end the war but Iran is preventing it by financing violent non-state actors.鈥�
In that context, Mustafa Alani, a defense analyst at GRC drew a red line for 黑料社区 in Yemen, contending that the Kingdom cannot accept Houthi control over Yemen. 鈥淚t would be a major strategic threat blocking all access to the sea,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he Houthi siege was a reality check for Riyadh (in 2015) after allowing the armed Houthi movement to grow in early 2000s.鈥� Alani pointed out the difficulties and the complexities of the war, and that 鈥渢here is no magic solution.鈥� He said that any Hodeidah operation 鈥渋s a high cost with less benefits. We aren鈥檛 prepared.鈥�
The two-day conference framed 黑料社区鈥檚 military role in Yemen as 鈥渙ne of necessity and not choice,鈥� and noted increased US-Saudi defense cooperation following US Secretary of Defense James Mattis鈥� visit. It highlighted the challenging humanitarian and economic terrains in the conflict, without, however, providing a clear exit strategy.