JOHN CHUCKMAN COMMENT: THE HOUTHI DO IT AGAIN - THIS TIME ON THE GROUND INSIDE SAUDI ARABIA - ONE IS REMINDED OF VIETNAM'S TET OFFENSIVE - SAUDI INCOMPETENCE - MORE EMBARRASSMENT FOR A LUMBERING BELLIGERENT AMERICA - SOMETIMES THE VICTIMS, THE LITTLE GUYS, DO WIN DESPITE IMMENSE RESOURCES ARRAYED AGAINST THEM

John Chuckman


COMMENT: YEMEN’S HOUTHI DO IT AGAIN – THIS TIME ON THE GROUND INSIDE SAUDI ARABIA



There are many incomplete reports of a rather spectacular Houthi victory over Saudi forces inside Saudi Arabia near a place called Najran. The Houthi managed to encircle three full brigades of Saudi forces. Thousands of Saudi forces have been captured, both Saudi and other allied forces.

Some Saudi senior officers were captured, and some were killed along with hundreds of troops in the army brigades. Hundreds of armored vehicles are said to have been captured. (I wonder, does that include any of the armored car/light tank-type vehicles Canada’s fatuous Trudeau government has sold the tyrant running Saudi Arabia?)

After the remarkable Houthi attack on Saudi oil facilities - something which caught the United States and the Saudis flat-footed and embarrassed them before the world - the Houthi made a public offer to halt hostilities if the Saudis would reciprocate. But the Saudis have arrogantly ignored the offer and continued attacks on Yemen, killing, as always, plenty of women and children.

American and Saudi pride just won’t let them admit what a terrible error it was to start this war against a much smaller, much poorer country. I’ve read that some Pentagon generals at the time warned that it was a bad idea, that it underestimated the Houthi determination and toughness, and overestimated the ability of the Saudis. The Saudis have used a lot of foreign fighters because they themselves display considerable reluctance to do the dirty work of fighting.

If the reports prove accurate, this is as stunning a victory on the ground as the recent air attack on Saudi oil facilities. And it causes one to reflect back to 1968 and the Vietcong making American claims of progress in Vietnam look ridiculous with the remarkable Tet Offensive.

The Saudis have not as of this writing confirmed the Houthi claims, but then all they have done since the air attack is lie about the extent of the damage and lie about how long it will take to repair (it will be months, apparently) while joining America’s vicious asinine game of “Let’s blame Iran.” That’s just what bullies do when they are militarily embarrassed and there’s still someone else they would like very much to hurt.

The American Patriot (air defense) batteries were so completely ineffective in defending the Saudi oil facilities that I’ve seen a reference to the United States wanting to replace them in some locations for its own forces.