OPERATION “Decisive Storm” aimed to halt the Houthi advance in Yemen, drew a strong and mixed reaction from Saudis and Yemeni expatriates. Since the launch of Saudi-led “Decisive Storm,” which has the support of nine other countries, the campaign has been the main topic for Jeddawis on various social media channels. A 45-year-old Yemeni, Mohsin Al Harazi, who has been in the Kingdom for about 35 years, supported the military campaign. “I'm glad they went in. War always is a shame, but it had to be done due to the ongoing aggressive actions and the continuing violence against the people of Yemen by the Houthis,” he said noting that Saudi Arabia is Yemen's largest supporter and there is an all round appreciation by Yemenis living in Saudi Arabia for the military intervention. For his part, Ali Bin Mansour Al-Awdali, living in Jeddah for the past 12 years, also hailed the initiative by Saudi Arabia to stop Houthis from entering Aden. He said that decisiveness to confront the Houthis was much needed: “I think the intervention by Saudi Arabia, other GCC states and Arab countries came at the right time. The war is always ugly but it was the last resort and came in response to the request of the legitimate government. This is why there was a strong support for this military campaign by many Yemenis.” He added that Yemen needed a sustainable and legitimate government. As the campaign was met with mixed reactions among Yemenis, Nasser Al-Sinani, a resident of Sanaa, was quoted as saying that Yemen has become an Arab problem just like Syria, Iraq and Libya and that diplomatic solutions should have been pursued more extensively for the sake of the people in Yemen. He showed his fear for his family and friends in Yemen. “I am not always in favor of military intervention. This step comes last when the two parties cannot reach a final settlement. I am sure the Saudis and other Arab countries tried their best with the Houthis but could not reach an agreement but personally I think war is ugly,” he said. He further said: “It all depends now on how long the fighting lasts and that depends on whether Saudi Arabia and its partners can craft a political resolution.” On the other hand, news and videos of the situation in Yemen have also been spread across social media among Saudis showing their support for Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman's decision to go ahead with the campaign. Following the creating of the hashtag #Asifat al-Hazm “Decisive Storm” and other hashtags such as #Maarakat_rada_al-Houthi “Battle to deter the Houthis”, and #Rada_al-Houthi “Deter the Houthis” on Twitter, a 38 year-old Saudi Muneer Al-Ghamdi told Saudi Gazette that he has been very active in sharing his views with others since Thursday night. He said: “The decision of military intervention to restore and protect the legitimate authority and the Yemeni people is wise and brave.” He pointed out that such an action was much needed to deter the Houthis' aggression. A group of local journalists led by well-known economist Hassan Al-Subhi, has expressed its support to the Saudi Arabian military intervention in Yemen through dialogues, videos and national songs on the social media. Al-Subhi put forth his point of view: “Despite the varied backgrounds, Saudis stood as one behind “Decisive Storm” and called and prayed for a quick and decisive victory.
