Saudi Arabia, a friend of foe

The leader of the Houthi movement in Yemen says Saudi Arabia is an enemy to the entire Muslim world, accusing the Kingdom of creating hatred and hostility.

Mohamed Badreddin al-Houthi said Saudi Arabia is “an enemy to all the free people of the world, including non-Muslims.”

“It manufactures terrorism and an ideology that divides the people, divides Muslims, creates hatred and hostility,” Houthi added.

The Yemeni figure, who is the brother of the late leader of the movement, Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi, further explained that in 2009 the Saudis “bribed the tribal leaders within the Houthi movement into favoring the Salafi-Wahabi ideology” so that they can control the border region between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, especially the northwestern city of Sa’ada.

In 2009, clashes broke out between the Houthi fighters and Saudi forces along the common border between the two countries. The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of supporting the Yemeni government in attacks against them.

Houthi pointed out that the Saudi regime “would spend hundreds of thousands if not millions” to achieve its goals.

Hussein al-Houthi and a number of his men were killed in an attack launched by Yemeni government forces in an area close to the border with the Kingdom in September 2004.

Yemeni dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh has repeatedly claimed that if he hands over power, Yemen would be divided into multiple states.

Mohamed al-Houthi, however, said the Yemeni nation “cannot be separated,” adding that the most important thing for the movement is “how to serve this nation, our Ummah, how to protect our morals and religious principles.”

“We want dignity and independence. We will not accept continuation of Saleh scenario. We had enough during the 33 years [of his rule]. We cannot be fooled again,” Houthi said.

Saleh, who was injured in an attack on the presidential palace in June, returned to Yemen on September 23 after receiving treatment in Saudi Arabia.

Demonstrators in Yemen have been holding protests against the US-backed Saleh regime since late January, demanding the trial of the Yemeni dictator for the brutal crackdown on the popular uprising.

According to local reports, hundreds of Yemenis have been killed and thousands more have been injured since the onset of the popular uprising in the country.