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Fight the Brotherhood first: Saudi refuses to intervene in Yemen citing Qatar-MB support

April 9, 2014 at 11:50 am

Informed Yemeni sources have confirmed that the Saudi leadership turned down a request from Al Al-Ahmar for support and intervention in order to stop the offensive against their tribal areas by the Huthies in the beginning of the month. This was the offensive that enabled the Huthies to seize the ‘historic’ quarters of the late leader of Hashid tribes Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ahmar in the Imran region in northern Yemen.


The sources told the London-based Al-Arab newspaper that the Saudi response was decisive. Riyadh demanded that Al Al-Ahmar first fight the Muslim Brotherhood prior to expecting any assistance from Saudi Arabia.

Such Saudi stance is considered as yet another indication that the Kingdom has taken a decisive position vis-à-vis the Muslim Brotherhood organisation within the kingdom as well as outside it. This comes within the context of the diplomatic escalation with Qatar which is considered the primary supporter of “the international organisation of the Muslim Brotherhood”, allegedly based in Doha.

The sources added that Riyadh considers that Hamid Al-Ahmar, who is the wealthiest sibling among sons of Sheikh Abdullah Al-Ahmar, has “mortgaged the future of Yemen and the Hashid tribal coalition” because of his relations with Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood despite repeated Saudi warnings to him “not to indulge in this game”.

Sheikh Sadiq Al-Ahmar who ‘theoretically’ inherited Hashid leadership from his father, tried to communicate with the Saudi leadership. However, Riyadh’s response was decisive.

The forces of the Shi’ite Huthies conquered areas considered to be the traditional homeland of Hashid tribes and their tribal and political allies the Islah group. In addition to the Muslim Brotherhood, this group includes some Salafist factions.

Some observers considered that the fall of the Imran region in the hands of the Huthies announces the end of Al Al-Hmar leadership of Hashid which constituted the main tribal support for the regime of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Salih.

An observer, who did not want his name mentioned, said: “Hamid Al-Ahmar thought that he could, with the support of the Muslim Brotherhood, ascend to the Presidency in Yemen armed with the state of chaos that prevails in the region in the name of the Arab Spring and with the support of the Muslim Brotherhood. However, he ended being one of the victims of this spring.”

Some of Hashid leaders stood on the side when the Huthies waged their offensive against the heartlands of Al-Ahmar in Al-Khumri. These sheikhs preferred to sign a peace deal with the Huthies after finishing their destruction of Al Al-Ahmar houses including the house of Sheikh Abdullah who passed away toward the end of 2007.

Some sources stress that pressures are being exercised on Al Al-Ahmar, especially on the senior brother Sadiq, in order to choose between maintaining strong relations with the tribes historically allied with them and engaging in the game the Qataris and the Muslim Brotherhood are playing. If they choose the latter they will have to bear responsibility for such a choice in the future.

Observers say that the Al Al-Ahmar leadership of the Hashid tribes is now part of the past. From now on, the tribe will be divided just as like the other big tribe Bakil.

According to the UAE-funded Al-Arab newspaper, Saudi circles accuse Qatar of playing a sabotaging role in Yemen through double dealing with the Muslim Brotherhood and the Huthies at the same time. They say that the purpose of this is to incite against the Kingdom and prevent it from playing an effective role in maintaining the stability of Yemen through the “Gulf Initiative”, which is principally a Saudi initiative.

Saudi sources have confirmed to Al-Arab in a previous edition that one of the causes of Saudi anger at Doha is “what Qatar is doing in Yemen in support of radical groups, especially the Muslim Brotherhood and other radical groups close to Al-Qaeda.”

Al-Arab newspaper added that Riyadh exercises pressures on Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi in order to reduce the representation of the Muslim Brotherhood in the government in favour of the Southern Dynamic, the Huthies, the Salafist Al-Rashad Union and the Revolution’s Youth within the context of the National Dialogue option.

Note: Page updated at 12.55PM on 24 Feb 2014, replacing the the main image. The original image was an uncredited photo from Iona Craig’s Tumblr site