Why are the Saudis having so much trouble against the Houthis in Yemen?

 

A screengrab showing combat in Yemen. Times of Israel/AFP.

Despite wealth and modern weapons, the Saudis are having major issues in the fight against the Houthis in Yemen. Times of Israel. Saudi Arabia has bought billions of dollars worth of weapons from Western nations, most recently a $24.3 billion deal for 48 F-35 fighter planes. But they have been unable to prevent the Houthi rebels from taking almost all of the coastline of the Red Sea, blocking oil traffic from the Saudis and even striking Riyadh itself. Despite the advantage in weaponry, Saudi Arabia's military is viewed as weak due to concerns over a military coup. The Saudis have also has issues with their allies. Local Yemeni forces complain of a lack of weapons and support. The Saudis have also alienated their UAE allies after the UAE took over government areas in Yemen. The Saudis objected to that and the UAE left the conflict, but the Saudis were not able to take up the slack. The US and Britain also launched strikes against the Houthis in the past, but so far the United States has refused to launch strikes against the Houthis, given diplomatic efforts from the Houthis themselves along with not being willing to open another front in the Iran conflict. 

My Comment:

The Saudis are proof that money can't buy you anything. You can buy the most advanced weapons in the world but if you don't have the will to use them, you will still lose. And that is what is happening with the Saudis in Yemen now. 

Though the article mentioned it, the main problem is the weakness of the Saudi allies in Yemen. It's the same old military problem in the Middle East. They have the same kind of problems they had in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ghost soldiers are a real problem and it's pretty common for a lot of these units to exist in name only. That's a good example of there not being enough local control over these units and it's a huge problem and it's a major reason why these forces collapsed. 

The Saudi military has their own issues. In short, the Kingdom does not want a strong military that could ever be a threat towards the Royal Family. They have kept their military weak and they don't really have a lot of people that are competent. 

Alienating their allies has been a big issue as well. I don't really understand why the UAE's actions last year angered them so much. But kicking them out of Yemen without being able to replace them was a huge mistake and it's a major reason why everything in Yemen went so badly. Given that the UAE has a pretty competent military it was obviously a mistake to send them out. 

I do think this is a major reason why Israel remains a major ally of the United States. The Gulf States in general are pretty bad at warfare, while Israel is a lot more powerful and competent. I don't think the Saudis could have done anything like the Israelis did during the Iran conflict and the conflict in Yemen shows that the they have a lot more to offer. 

As for the conflict itself, I do hope we stay out of it. It does seem like the Saudis are pushing us to back their play but it also seems like Trump is very much suspicious of doing so. Given the Houthis are playing nice it's likely we will avoid getting dragged into this war. 

I do have to say that it's important to note that the Houthis themselves are tough fighters. For being a bunch of backward people that are addicted to khat, they absolutely know how to fight. They have been consistently punching above their level and though the Saudi military is fairly weak, it's impressive that they can stand up to them so effectively. Plus, how many other rebel groups can pull off ballistic missile strikes?