Arab leaders back Yemen operation, agree to set up joint force

SHARM EL SHEIKH — The Saudi Arabia-led operation against the Houthi rebels in Yemen is crucial to protect the region's stability, Arab unity and the Arab identity of Yemen, Arab leaders agreed Saturday.

At the 26th Arab League Summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Arab leaders voiced their "full support" for the operation against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, saying the militia’s “coup” is a threat not only to the security of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, but to the Arab world and world peace.

Operation Storm of Resolve, in which several Arab countries are taking part with the support of the US and many other nations, comes after the Houthi rebels’ insistence on destroying the country and serving regional agendas, leaders said at the opening of the annual summit, held at the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh.

Saudi Arabia did not spare any efforts to address the situation in Yemen, but the Houthis’ intransigence and pursuit of power and control, rejection of all initiatives and their aggression against the Yemeni people led to the military operation, Saudi Arabia's King Salman Bin Abdulaziz said in his address at the annual gathering of Arab leaders.

"The Houthi militants elicited foreign powers' support to threaten the region's security," said the newly crowned Saudi monarch.

“We hoped not to resort to this decision [the operation]. The Houthi militants’ aggression is the biggest threat to the stability and security of the region,” he added.

The Saudi-led operation against the Houthi militants will continue until security is restored, King Salam told the summit, emphasising that the door remains open for dialogue.

Delivering a speech that was not scheduled for the opening summit, embattled Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi called for going ahead with air strikes against the Houthi rebels, whom he labelled as the “stooges of Iran”, until they surrender.

Hadi, who called on his supporters to rise up in peaceful protests, said the regional coalition’s air strikes should continue until the Houthi militants return heavy and medium weapons they looted from army depots.

Arab leaders also backed a plan to set up a joint Arab military force to face threats facing pan-Arab security and stability.

On Thursday, Saudi Arabia pledged to use 100 warplanes and contribute 150,000 soldiers to the Yemen operation as the rest of the countries in the coalition, that includes more than 10 nations, announced participation with 85 fighter jets.

Voicing support to pounding Houthi targets in Yemen, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi accused the Houthis of “terrorising Yemenis and jeopardising regional stability”.

“They resorted to weapons, neglecting the legitimacy of the presidency and violating all previous understandings and dialogue outcomes,” he said.

Sisi labelled the militants as “opportunists seeking to marginalise the remaining segments of the Yemeni society and serving the purposes of external powers that aim to take advantage of the situation in Yemen to spread chaos and destruction in the Arab world”.

“It was a must for Arabs to take action through a coalition of Arab countries and international players to preserve the stability, unity, Arab identity and territorial integrity of Yemen, and to ensure that the legitimate leadership restores power over all Yemeni territories,” the Egyptian president said.

Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah noted that his country was among the first to support the operation to bring an end to the Houthis’ aggression on the legitimate leadership in Yemen, taking control of key facilities in the country, and threatening Saudi Arabia, the GCC countries and the entire region.

“After all peaceful means to find a solution failed and upon a call by the Yemeni president for intervention and in line with the GCC Defence Pact and the Arab Treaty of Joint Defence, Arabs stood up to defend Yemen,” the Kuwaiti emir said.

Speaking during the summit, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the sole way to prevent a conflict in Yemen was through UN-facilitated negotiations.

“Negotiations — facilitated by my special envoy Jamal Benomar and endorsed by the Security Council — remain the only chance to prevent long, drawn-out conflict,” he said.

The UN chief urged Israel to end nearly a half century of occupation, stressing that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal and constitute a serious impendent to peace.

On top of Arab leaders’ agenda during the summit, which will run through Sunday, was also encountering terrorism and terrorist groups via a comprehensive strategy. As it is the case during each summit, the decade-long Arab-Israeli conflict figured on the summit’s agenda with rejection of Israeli settlement activities and violations against Al Aqsa Mosque.

Also on their agenda was the escalating situation in Syria. They called for an inclusive political solution to end the cycle of violence that ensures the Syrian people their right to determine their future.

On Libya, the Arab leaders called on the international community to shoulder its responsibility to restore stability in the country and fight terrorist groups.