Saudi Arabia is determined to expel Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQIP) radical group from Yemen and is supporting U.S. efforts in the fight against the radical Islamist group, the kingdom's ambassador said to the United States on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters in Washington on Yemen, Ambassador Adel Al Jubeir said Operation Decisive Storm Central Command is determined to avoid civilian casualties adding that the military campaign has so far fulfilled many of its objectives. Saudi Arabia is leading a 10-state coalition against Houthi militias following calls by Yemen's legitimate President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi for intervention after the Shiite militants launched a coup against his government. He added that Saudi Arabia has no regional interest and the military campaign in Yemen was initiated to protect legitimacy in the embattled country and its unity. The aerial campaign against the Houthis has fulfilled many of its objectives he said, which has left the Shiite militias and troops loyal to deposed leader Ali Abdullah Saleh in a vulnerable state, he said. As to Iran, which the United States and Saudi Arabia say have been arming the Houthis, Jubeir said Saudi Arabia is not in a proxy war against the Islamic republic, adding that the Kingdom had always reached to the Iranians but they never reciprocated. "We will never be hostile towards Iran," Jubeir told reporters but maintained that the country has no say in political dialogue in Yemen which is reserved to Yemenis. Jubeir said the Tuesday's Security Council resolution which placed an arms embargo on Houthi militants would usher stability into Yemen. The text is an indicator that the Houthi and Saleh militias are condemned, he added.
