Geagea Backs Saudi Offensive against Huthi Rebels, Considers it Legitimate
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea hailed the Saudi-led offensive against the Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen, describing it as a “move to protect legitimacy.”
“No one would have preferred a military intervention in Yemen, but without it chaos would have spread, which will lead to further proliferation of al-Qaida basis in the region,” Geagea said in comments published in al-Mustaqbal newspaper on Friday.
He stressed that without “Firmness Storm” military operation Huthis would have advanced further in Yemen and controlled it.
He pointed out that the “Saudi intervention in Yemen doesn't have any hidden intentions but came at the right time and place to salvage the people of Sanaa and their interests,” which falls in favor of the Arab and Gulf countries.
Yemen has been gripped by turmoil since the Shiite rebels launched a power takeover in Sanaa in February.
Warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition kept up raids against Huthi rebels Friday as President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi headed to an Arab summit to garner support as Shiite majority Iran warned the intervention was "dangerous".
Powerful explosions rocked Sanaa soon after rebel leader Abdulmalik al-Huthi criticized the intervention as "unjustified" and called for supporters to confront the "criminal oppressive aggression".
Their advance raised Saudi fears the Shiite rebels would seize control of the whole of its Sunni-majority neighbor and take it into the orbit of Shiite Iran.
Saudi Arabia launched the air campaign with pre-dawn strikes Thursday, saying it had assembled a coalition of more than 10 countries, including five Gulf monarchies.
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