Saudi-led strikes in Yemen are designed to maintain the regional status quo of Gulf monarchies, rather than the declared goal of defending the legitimacy of President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, according to a report by the Middle East Research and Information Project.
“Despite Saudi or even US assertions to the contrary, Operation Decisive Storm has nothing to do with supporting the legitimacy of a political process in Yemen,” the report said. ”Its goal is instead to maintain the continuity of authoritarian governance in the region by actively repressing the forces that threaten to undo the status quo.”
The report argued that Houthi rebels had declined to partake in Gulf-brokered settlements, feeling that the conditions prioritize the status quo, rather than address popular demands for democratic transitions or Houthi concerns. It said the proposed Saudi settlement sought to revive the 2011 agreement that followed the ouster of Ali Abdullah Saleh.
“The agreement contained a number of provisions to undermine populist demands for a democratic transition,” said the report.
“It is no wonder then that the Houthis saw little possibility of addressing their concerns in a Saudi-sponsored conference that seemed to have as its goal the restoration of the political status quo,” it added.
