55
Lebanon’s Information Minister, George Kordahi’s, criticism of the Saudi-led assault on Yemen, which he called a “futile operation,” triggered a diplomatic dispute between Riyadh and Beirut. Kordahi’s refusal to apologise to Saudi Arabia made the situation even more complicated. Kordahi was not the first to characterise the Saudi onslaught as “futile,” as the United Nations Secretary-General used it in criticising Saudi Arabia’s assault on Yemen and urging an immediate cessation of Saudi bombardments. The speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabih Berri, expressed similar thoughts against the Saudi assault on Yemen. Walid Jumblatt, one of Riyadh’s most loyal allies in Lebanon, shared the same opinion. Kordahi was not the first Lebanese politician to criticise the Saudi-led invasion, so it’s unclear why his remarks drew such a strong response, which included official condemnations, pressure on Kordahi to resign, the expulsion of the Lebanese diplomatic mission, and the prohibition of Lebanese goods from entering Persian Gulf countries. As Riyadh realises the truth that its beleaguered mercenaries have lost the war in Yemen and Ansarullah fighters advance on the strategic city of Marib, the Saudi reaction may be seen as a desperate act of wrath. Saudi Arabia is grappling with internal and regional issues, and Kordahi’s remarks were merely another thorn in the side that led to the current predicament for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Four events in Lebanon did not materialise in the manner in which KSA had hoped:
The fact that Hezbollah was able to overcome the oil embargo and bring Iranian fuel-byproducts to Lebanon startled its adversaries, the United States, and Israel, as well as its Arab allies.
2-The emergence of a long-awaited government in Beirut headed by Najib Mikati was a massive setback for Riyadh since the Lebanese cabinet was put together solely by Iran and France. In other words, Mikati’s cabinet formation did not correspond with Saudi Arabia’s goals of creating a political vacuum in Lebanon.
3-Saudi Arabia attempted to influence the outcome of the judicial proceedings surrounding the 2020 Beirut explosion by endorsing a corrupt judge who is favoured by the US embassy in the country. The third goal that the Lebanfailed to accomplish in Lebanon was to dismantle the combined US-Saudi conspiracy to blame it for the disaster.
The fourth failure was the Saudi-American economic blockade’s inability to trigger a civil conflict in Lebanon. The Saudis resorted to the “Lebanese Forces,” commanded by Samir Geagea, a notorious fascist war criminal, as Sunnis led by the Hariri family failed to spark a civil war. Observers believe that Sunnis in Lebanon are afraid of the consequences of any conflict with Hezbollah, particularly given the outcome of Syria’s civil war. The current state of affairs in Yemen is of particular concern to Saudi Arabia. One step closer to a painful defeat and the catastrophic loss of Marib, the Houthis have successfully besieged the final remaining bastion of the Saudi-backed militias in Marib. In reality, the Kordahi affair is nothing more than a guise to hide Bin Salman’s impending defeat in Yemen.
Comment
Post a comment for this article