Why Did Military Power Fail in Yemen? The Illusion of Control
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Khalid Al Mansoor
- . January 10, 2026
- . Update: January 10, 2026 4:54 pm
This 2017 video by Saudi scholar Dr. Madawi Al-Rasheed is a scathing indictment of the Saudi military intervention in Yemen, which, almost ten years after its release, seems to have become a tragic prophecy. She transcended the results on the battlefields to reveal a deeper moral, political and strategic failure. Yemen is one of the poorest Arab countries that were turned into rubble by an Arab neighbor with great material power yet with poor legitimacy. With her predictions being proved true as the years of 2026 progress forward, the video is like a reminder that the wars fought without political knowledge usually make the powers they are supposed to kill even stronger.
A Moral and Humanitarian Catastrophe
Dr. Al-Rasheed vociferously criticized the involvement of Saudi Arabia in destroying Yemen and the war presented a failure in morals of historical magnitude. Millions of people became hungry and desperate in need of humanitarian assistance, as airstrikes, blockades, and long-term warfare forced them to the verge of death. This to her was not just a policy error but an ethical break: no Arab nation, she said, should ever be demeaned or destroyed. The Yemen war was a betrayal of unity in the region and substitution of mutual responsibility with domination and punishment.
Strong Society, Weak State vs. Rich State, Weak Legitimacy
Among the most impressive things Al-Rasheed gave out was the comparison she made between Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Yemen she observed is a strong society and a weak state, which is held together by strong social networks, tribal unity and historical experience. By comparison, Saudi Arabia has enormous financial and military resources at its disposal but has the incurable lack of political legitimacy. This lack of balance was revealed in the war: material force was insufficient to conquer a society based on social strength and resistance.
A Long History of Fear and Manipulation
Al-Rasheed dated Saudi intervention in Yemen back to 1930s claiming that Riyadh had always succeeded in churning the tribal, clan, and religious systems to dominate Mexico as a neighbor. This historical engagement, fuelled by the fear of Yemeni instability spreading over the borders, was the precondition of the current conflict. The 2015 intervention did not happen in isolation and was the result of decades of coercive power.
The Houthi “Faction” That Wouldn’t Disappear
The leaders in Saudi Arabia rejected the Houthis as a marginal group or Iranian puppets. However, this wrong interpretation, as Al-Rasheed had warned, was disastrous. The Houthis were not destroyed but became even more powerful now able to attack Tel Aviv and threaten Israeli airports. The airpower of the Saudis was not able to eradicate them, but rather the war turned itself against the plans and proved the strength of Yemeni society against the material power of Saudi Arabia.
Futility, Blowback, and the Case for Diplomacy
This is the futility of the war in 2026. The aggressiveness of Mohammed bin Salman backfired, increasing the threats that it was trying to quash. The formerly controversial comment made by Al-Rasheed now comes across as prophecy. Her message is still compelling: destruction is a bugger to the Arab world. Diplomacy and not devastation is the only way to achieve a stable, dignified and real security in the region.
