A PEOPLE WHO THINK THEMSELVES A NATION ARE ONE:

The controversial central figure, Saudi-backed President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, last Thursday agreed to "irreversibly" relinquish power to an eight-member transitional council, which will temporarily be in charge of Yemen's political, military and security sectors during the transition period until the election of a new president.

According to the presidential decree, the newly formed council will have all executive powers and the authority to hold talks with Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis and find a solution to the incessant violence. 

Possibly, the dramatic development can be attributed to growing Saudi frustration with Hadi, an unpopular figure, who, as Annelle Sheline at the Quincy Institute has pointed out, "had effectively empowered the Houthi rebels and others who opposed his rule."

A second reason could be the groundswell of opinion in the US Congress for ending American support for Saudi-led military actions in Yemen.  

The two-month-long ceasefire agreement during Ramadan brokered by the United Nations is an uneasy truce predicated on a delicate balance of forces on the ground. The Zaydi Shia Houthis control the capital city Sanaa and most of northern Yemen, bordering Saudi Arabia.  [...]

Also, the framework of discussions drawn up by UN special envoy Hans Grundberg of Sweden in effect ignores the existing Security Council resolutions that have called for Houthi disarmament and territorial surrender. Interestingly, Washington seems to be backing Grundberg's pragmatic approach toward the Houthis. 

Fundamentally, the regional alignments and priorities are changing. Saudi Arabia could be looking for an exit from the costly war and the United Arab Emirates has already rolled back its involvement.

Tweet   @brothersjudd