July 2, 2017 9 News & Analysis Gulf Yemen 33-year-old Saudi prince named interior minister The Arab Weekly staff several years in the private sector terrorism; however, observers before serving on the Supreme said they expected the new inte- Committee for the Prince Nayef rior minister to utilise his uncle’s Dubai bin Abdulaziz Award for the Pro- knowledge and expertise. phetic Sunnah and Contemporary he reshuffle in the Saudi Islamic Studies. The war on government, in which Prince Abdulaziz has held sev- terrorism and Prince Mohammed bin eral government posts, including extremism is among Salman bin Abdulaziz adviser to former Interior Minister was promoted to crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin the immediate Tprince, was hailed by the king- Abdulaziz. After King Salman bin challenges for Prince dom’s media as a new beginning. Abdulaziz Al Saud became king Abdulaziz, This was evident by the headline in 2015, Prince Abdulaziz was ap- considering threats “The strong and young kingdom” pointed adviser to the Royal Court from al-Qaeda in the Okaz newspaper, a refer- and later adviser in the Defence and ISIS. ence to a new generation of Saudi Ministry. royals placed in key government Prince Abdulaziz has large shoes posts. to fill as interior minister, as he The war on terrorism and ex- One of the main announcements is replacing his uncle and former tremism is among the immediate was the appointment of Prince crown prince. Prince Moham- challenges for Prince Abdulaziz, Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef, 33, med bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz was considering threats from al-Qaeda as interior minister, a portfolio known for initiating a successful and ISIS. Saudi officials foiled a tasked with maintaining Saudi anti-terrorism campaign. plot targeting the Grand Mosque in Arabia’s internal security. He is the During his time as interior min- Mecca days after Prince Abdulaziz youngest person to serve as the ister, Prince Mohammed led a was appointed interior minister. country’s interior minister. crackdown on the Saudi branch of Authorities said an attacker set Prince Abdulaziz will be in al-Qaeda after the terrorist group off a bomb near the Grand Mosque charge of haj security — one of the began a deadly campaign within after a shootout with police, kill- kingdom’s most important jobs the kingdom’s borders. He was in- ing himself. Subsequently, the — working with the Ministry of jured in an assassination attempt Interior Ministry arrested five sus- Haj to guarantee pilgrims’ safety in 2009 when an al-Qaeda opera- pects believed to be involved in and the non-politicisation of the tive offered to surrender but then the foiled attack. Ministry spokes- event, which attracts millions of set off a bomb near the prince. man Major-General Mansour al- Muslims each year. This year’s haj Before leaving his position as in- Turki said the incident was not the takes place from August 30-Sep- terior minister, which he had held first of its kind. tember 4. since 2012, Prince Mohammed was Another issue for the interior involved in a similar campaign minister will be the Eastern Prov- Prince Abdulaziz against the Saudi branch of the Is- ince city of Qatif, which has seen has large shoes to lamic State (ISIS). sporadic unrest among its Shia fill as interior Despite the Interior Ministry’s population since 2011. Attacks in track record, analysts stressed that the area on security personnel, minister, as he is challenges remain. Saudi officials said, have been replacing his “It is true that the kingdom has sponsored by Iran. Qatif has also uncle and former succeeded in combating terrorism been the site of numerous terror- crown prince. and establishing security and sta- ist attacks by ISIS on the Shia com- bility since the start of events over munity, including the targeting of a decade ago,” Saudi analyst Emad mosques. Prince Abdulaziz is the eldest al-Mudaifer said. “However, there Diplomats and analysts said son of Eastern Province Gover- is still a long way to go in terms of they were eager to learn Prince nor Prince Saud bin Nayef bin achieving security on the intel- Abdulaziz’s positions on the issues Abdulaziz. He graduated from lectual level and eradicating radi- facing Saudi Arabia. Reconciling the kingdom’s Dhahran Private cal and extremist ideas and the social change with the younger School. He holds a law degree groups [that] follow them.” generation while preserving the from King Saud University. His of- Prince Abdulaziz may not have traditions of the past will be a fac- Challenges ahead. New Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz ficial biography states he spent his uncle’s experience in tackling tor, they said. bin Saud bin Nayef. (Al-Ekhbariya) Mischaracterising the conflict in Yemen Viewpoint he US Senate ally recognised government of no-hit list. The spokesman of hiding military personnel and narrowly defeated a President Abd Rabbo Mansour the coalition admitted that Houthi weapons in civilian facilities measure introduced Hadi to move to Aden. The mistakes have been made due rebels have such as schools. It is well-docu- by Rand Paul, a Saudis intervened six months to faulty intelligence and other mented that the Houthis have Republican senator later after a formal request for factors but there is a big repeatedly used landmines extensively, from Kentucky, that military assistance from the difference between mistakes used tactics which often take a heavy toll on Twould have prevented the sale Hadi government. and targeting civilians as a civilian populations, especially that put of $500 million in US precision- This conflict began when the matter of policy. children. guided munitions to Saudi Houthis and their allies, Saudi Arabia is aware of the Yemeni For all the focus on the Arabia. Paul and other co-spon- including supporters of former toll that the war has taken on civilians in humanitarian needs of the Fahad Nazer sors of the measure, including President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the civilian population in harm’s way. Yemeni population and short- Democrats Chris Murphy of who was ousted in 2012, tried to Yemen. The Saudi government ages in food, fuel and medicine Connecticut and Al Franken of impose their will on the rest of intervened in large measure — all of which are severe — little Minnesota, maintained that the the country. It will be resolved because it knew that Yemen attention has been paid to the weapons would be used in when they go back to the would not enjoy any semblance fact that Saudi Arabia has Saudi Arabia’s military cam- negotiating table and realise of peace or prosperity if it was provided more than $8.2 billion paign in Yemen. the futility of their project, to fall victim to not one but two in aid to Yemen from April 2015 The senators and other critics which has threatened to tear militant, non-state actors: The through April 2017. The King repeatedly framed the conflict the social fabric of Yemen. Iranian-supported Houthi Salman Centre for Humanitarian in Yemen as a “Saudi war Chances are good that if Saudi rebels in the north and the Aid and Relief has provided against Yemen” and maintained Arabia stopped its military terrorist organisation al-Qaeda close to $850 million in relief that Saudi Arabia intentionally support of the Yemeni govern- in the Arabian Peninsula in the assistance, including food targets civilians in the conflict. ment, the violence would south-east. shipments to areas controlled by The first allegation is a gross continue unabated for the Those two groups have the Houthi rebels. More than $1.1 mischaracterisation of the foreseeable future. shown repeatedly that they will billion has been provided to conflict and the second is As for the issue of collateral subject the beleaguered people Yemeni citizens living in Saudi equally suspect. Both overlook damage, there is little doubt of Yemen to hardships and Arabia. important facts. that the violence has taken a horrors to serve their own While the Saudi-led Arab Many Yemen specialists say toll on the civilian population. narrow self-interests. In coalition has taken concrete the conflict is a civil war that Unfortunately, wars always do addition, they demonstrated measures to minimise collateral began months before Saudi and modern warfare seems to enmity towards Saudi Arabia by damage, the Houthi rebels and Arabia intervened militarily in be especially harsh. breaching the Saudi border and Saleh and his supporters show March 2015. To frame it as a However, the notion that conducting guerrilla-style no regard for the toll the war Saudi war against Yemen Saudi Arabia is intentionally attacks against border areas and they started has taken on their ignores the fact that the Houthi targeting civilians has very few personnel. countrymen and women. rebels had advanced on the supporters in the international There are three other aspects Instead, they engage in capital, Sana’a, in September community. Contrary to the of this complicated conflict that bombastic rhetoric and empty 2014, forcing the internation- claims of Senators Paul and have not received much slogans. This war began when Murphy and other critics, Saudi attention in the West. The first the Houthis and their allies took Arabia has taken many meas- is that several hundred Saudi up arms. It will end when they Chances are good that if ures to minimise civilian civilians have been killed put their arms down. Saudi Arabia stopped its casualties, including seeking during the conflict, in addition and receiving the assistance of to several hundred military Fahad Nazer is an international support of the Yemeni the United States and the personnel. affairs fellow with government, the violence United Kingdom.