Saudi Arabia's current military campaign has caught the attention of many throughout the international community. Ultimately the question focuses on, as with all military intervention, what are the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's interests in Yemen and what does it hope to accomplish? The ongoing campaign is a reaction to a series of destabilizing events in the region beginning with the Second Gulf War, followed by the fall of Mubarak's Egypt and the ongoing attempts of Iran to meddle in the internal affairs of Bahrain. None of these events were the creation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, either directly or indirectly. Saudi Arabia has always been concerned about the instability of Yemen spilling onto Saudi soil, but in previous years this orthodox concern focused more on a potential collapse of Yemen or on a severely weakened state resulting in humanitarian concerns spilling into Asir Province. However, the ability of regional actors to destabilize Yemen and put it on a path where it's posture could be potentially hostile to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an intolerable position. Furthermore, any sovereign government has the responsibility to protect the well-being of its people and indifference to such a situation at moments like this is not an option. Let's take this current position and see how a similar set of circumstances would be played out in other parts of the world. Would, for example, the United States be indifferent if Mexico suddenly took a similar path to that of Yemen, and began bringing lethal cruise and ballistic missiles up to its border with the US, and arming non-state actors who would represent legitimate security risks not only to the United States but to US citizens who live in those immediate border areas? One has witnessed what the people of Najran have endured this year. If rockets and mortars fired from Tijuana landed in San Diego, or from Juarez into El Paso, Texas what would the responsible actions of the American government be? In South America how does Colombia react to a somewhat similar situation regarding a hostile Venezuela which threatens the livelihood of Colombian citizens affected by a terrorist organization called FARC which is sponsored by Venezuela? Does Iran take an indifferent approach on its southern border to the Baluch population that straddles both sides of the border? In all cases the answer is no, a responsible government would not be indifferent to this and allow the livelihood and well-being of its citizenry to be the victim of such hostile and potentially lethal actions. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a direct interest in ensuring that its citizens are able to live peaceful lives in their day-to-day existence without the threat of mortars, armed non-state actors and potentially cruise and ballistic missiles threatening the health and well-being of those people living near the border with Yemen. Moreover, it is the responsibility of any government to address a situation such as this. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia furthermore has a legitimate interest in seeing to it that those individuals who are responsible for allowing this situation to develop inside Yemen are not only identified and called out for their actions, but after a careful analysis, the Kingdom must decide what action it will take. Saudi Arabia did not take this policy of intervention in Yemen as a first resort but as a last and final one only after looking at the facts on the ground as they are. What these points ultimately culminate in are the actions of a responsible and growing regional power doing what it must in order to assert its legitimate rights in the face of a situation that is not of its own making. Faisal Al-Shammeri Saudi Students Clubs Adviser, Cultural Mission of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia,
