Saudi Arabia-Yemen: The Conflict Begins

The Elaph websiteis reporting that the Saudi Air Force is bombing Shi'ite rebel positions in Northern Yemen today.  This attack is a direct response to the killing of two Saudi border guards by Yemeni militants two days ago.  In addition, there are reports circulating that Saudi ground forces are moving toward the Saudi-Yemen border in preparation for a larger offensive.  The significance of this escalation should not be overlooked given the increased presence of al Qaeda in Yemen as well as the direct infiltration of Iranian support for the rebel Shi'ite tribes in Yemen's northern region.  The hope is that this situation does not escalate to full-scale conflict; at this point, however, that does not appear to be a certainty. 

The dangers of a Saudi-Yemeni confrontation creating some critical complexities for the US mission in Iraq, any future conflict between Israel/US and Iran and regional stabilization cannot be overlooked.  In addition, it has been a clear directive of al Qaeda to attack and bring down the Saudi ruling family.  When evaluating these most recent developments, it is not too hard to see that al Qaeda would welcome the opportunity to bait the Saudis into a broader conflict with Yemeni Shi'ites receiving direct material support from Tehran.  Simply put, this is superpower baiting on a regional level.