Restoring power to Hadi impossible: Academic

Press TV has conducted an interview with Sami Ramadani, a professor at London Metropolitan University, to discuss Saudi Arabia’s ongoing aggression against Yemen.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: How do you assess this second phase of the Saudi invasion as the Saudis themselves have called it? Is it going any better than the first phase?

Ramadani: Well, I think it is a continuation really. I do not see a great deal of difference between the so-called first phase and second phase.

It seems as the Saudis have felt that their campaign against Yemen, their war efforts against Yemen have attracted a lot of opposition not only within Yemen, uniting the various forces in Yemen against the Saudi war, but also across the Arab world and much of the world. There has been strong opposition to this unilateral war waged by Saudi Arabia against a sovereign state.

So, they are trying to show that they will focus on a political solution and help with the humanitarian effort but they have moved on neither front, neither the political one or the humanitarian one.

So, so far it seems to be a tactical move to improve the image of the Saudi war.

Press TV: And how do you think that will go in the future because certainly when it comes to the politics, at least the original goal of this was to bring back [Yemen’s former President Abd Rabbu Mansour] Hadi to power in the country and that seems to be less and less likely because more and more Yemenis, whether they even side with the Houthis or not, like Hadi less and less because he called for this very invasion?

Ramadani: Yes, and by the way, the Yemeni constitution has a specific article saying that any Yemeni president or leader who calls for any external intervention in Yemen would be charged with treason.

And this question of him being legitimate – Hadi that is – is also a nonstarter. In fact, his term ended last year; and in last January, he actually resigned and fled to Aden. It was the Saudi pressure that brought him back.

But I did notice that in recent Saudi statements, they are mentioning Hadi less and less because they realized taking him back and imposing him on the Yemeni people is an impossible task.

Press TV: And just quickly if you can professor, then going forward, are we going to see the Saudis giving in at some point because you know right now there is a humanitarian catastrophe going on in the country?

Ramadani: Absolutely. There is a huge, huge humanitarian catastrophe. Yemen is the poorest Arab nation and Saudi bombing of its infrastructure, factories, even hospitals has created an enormous, enormous humanitarian crisis inside Yemen and it seems the Saudis are following a policy similar to that of the United States - if they cannot control a state they try to destroy it - like they destroyed Libya.

They are following a different path through the armed opposition in Syria, trying to destroy Syria and the Saudis seem to be following the same policy. If they cannot control Yemen, which they have always tried over the decades, they want to destroy it and this is really a war of aggression and a criminal act in my opinion.

AHK/HJL

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