‘Fighting Out Its Own Complex and Fatal Destiny’? On the Limitations on the Use of Force in Yemen

Abstract

The civil war that broke out in Yemen in 2015 has grown more complex and precarious. What started as a Saudi-led military intervention against the Houthi insurgency has mutated into something far more difficult to resolve. This chapter analyses the intervention through a strategic lens, arguing that it should be viewed more scientifically in terms of why Riyadh has found it difficult to balance the means with its stated ends. Far more important a concern is the lingering persistence of the view held by international state actors that the military instrument holds the promise of bringing a swift and decisive end to complex disputes. If the Saudi intervention tells us anything it is that launching a military campaign without an appreciation of the dynamics of the society which state actors seek to modify is likely to make matters worse. Edwards argues that if intervention is chosen as a course of action, the intervening party must have a more thorough understanding of the context within which force is deployed and employed in service of stated end goals. It suggests that, ultimately, diplomacy and not force is more likely to yield long-term stability in Yemen.