The fractious struggle in Yemen has a sectarian and faith-based bent represented by the Shia Houthis who have driven out a pro-Saudi government from the capital Saana. The Saudi wariness is not on account of events in Syria and Iraq alone its eastern border adjoining Yemen is equally fraught with uncertainties. Despite US sanctions and a close watch on Iran’s nuclear programme, convulsions in the region have given Iran an opportunity to extend its influence and it has emerged as a counter to Saudi Arabia and its allies in the region. The emergence of this phenomenon is being perceived by Saudi Arabia as a threat. A resurgent Iran, in close concert with the Shia populations in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and some key Gulf states, is also causing it anxious moments. The concerns of the Saudi leadership does not spring from the danger posed by the IS alone. The Saudi wish for a broader alliance in the face of these developments should be seen in this context. Radicalised Muslim youth and converts, who are targets of intimidation by the far right in Europe, are finding natural alignment with the IS phenomenon. The current staging ground also has proximity to Europe from where jihadist recruits are pouring into the areas controlled by the IS. Physical space has only been used as a launching pad for its movement. The IS has now gone a few steps ahead in laying claims on the capture and consolidation of territory. Radical jihadist movements were so far focusing on intimidating and traumatising their victims. This phenomenon needs to be taken seriously for two reasons. Saudi concerns regarding the IS advances are understandable considering the group’s ultimate agenda of making inroads well beyond its present domain with an eye on the Saudi kingdom.
The IS has been targeting areas from Aleppo in Syria to Diyala in Iraq despite US air strikes and resistance by Iraqi and Syrian forces and their sympathisers. The advance of the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq has been a disturbing phenomenon. The Saudi king had earlier carried out negotiations with the Egyptian, Turkish and Jordanian leaderships apart from maintaining constant links with the Gulf states. According to reliable reports, the hosts sought Pakistan’s assistance in view of the fluid and most complex situation evolving in the region close to the Saudi borders. The prime minister was personally received by the king and visited Riyadh at a time when the crucial Senate election was being held in the country. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia at the special invitation of the Saudi king should be seen in that backdrop.
While Operation Zarb-e-Azb is making recognisable gains, events well beyond the region are drawing Pakistan towards a more defining role in the region. He teaches at the Lahore University of Management Sciences The writer is an author, a public policy analyst and a former federal secretary.
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