The U.S. is unwilling to send troops to fight the Houthi rebels, so Saudi Arabia has turned to Britain: Burnham is considering it
On the 15th, Bloomberg reported that UK Prime Minister Burnham is weighing whether to provide military assistance at Saudi Arabia’s request to help counter the Houthi forces. However, while the UK has already agreed to send military advisors to Saudi Arabia, more explicit combat support remains unapproved.
Britain has long been a traditional ally of Saudi Arabia, with bilateral relations tracing back even before Saudi Arabia's founding—back in 1902, Britain had already established contact with the Al Saud family, who would later found the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In 1911, Britain signed its first agreement with the Al Saud family, and by the 1920s, it had clearly shifted its support to the founder, Ibn Saud.
The diplomatic recognition and military backing from Britain played a crucial role in Ibn Saud’s unification of various tribes by 1932, leading to the establishment of the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
But all of this belongs to the fading era of the British Empire. The Saudi-backed coalition in Yemen has been steadily retreating against the Houthi rebels, and even the United States has chosen to stand aside, unwilling to directly intervene and get embroiled. Today’s Britain is no longer the mighty empire capable of acting alone across the Middle East. Every overseas military operation now almost entirely depends on American logistical and intelligence support. It is likely beyond Britain’s capability to single-handedly turn the tide of war in Yemen for Saudi Arabia.
Even more ironic is that Britain itself is currently experiencing internal unrest: calls for independence from Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are rising one after another, making the United Kingdom increasingly unstable. Can Burnham really spare time to worry about Saudi Arabia?
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1876394340967424/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author