Meet The Poster Boy Of Saudi Arabia’s Yemen Strikes
Saudis have found their poster boy for the multinational “Decisive Storm” campaign against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen—Mohammed bin Salman, the 35-year-old Minister of Defense, who also happens to be the son of the new Saudi King, Salman bin Abdul-Aziz.
Although Prince bin Salman lacks any military experience or education—he’s currently the youngest defense minister in any country—he is quickly becoming one of the most influential figures in the kingdom and an internet celebrity in the Arabic-speaking world.
Since the beginning of the military operation in Yemen, Saudi Facebook users have created several fan pages in his honor and uploaded hundreds of photos of him directing the war from his office, visiting soldiers on the battlefield and sitting in the cockpit of a fighter jet. An Arabic Twitter hashtag that names him “the person of the year in 2015” has over 3,000 tweets so far and is rising quickly.
عندما شاهدت سمو الامير محمد بن سلمان يتحدث بالهاتف تذكرت المجيد الراحل صدام حسين قاهر المجوس pic.twitter.com/XyCYTn8fDt
— %عبدالله الاوتيبي% (@abdullah321882) March 30, 2015
Translation: “When I saw Prince Mohammed bin Salman talking on the phone, I remembered the glorious Saddam Hussein, who screwed the Majus (derogatory slur for Shiite).”
سمو وزير الدفاع الأمير “محمد بن سلمان” يشرف بنفسه على الضربة الجوية الأولى لـ #عاصفة_الحزم ضد معاقل الحوثيين . . pic.twitter.com/6dQkS4qy9G
— صحيفة عاجل (@ajlnews) March 26, 2015
Translation: “Prince Mohammed bin Salman is directing the first airstrike in “decisive storm” against the Houthi strongholds himself.”
اجمل صورتين لسيف سلمان الامير محمد بن سلمان قاهر المجوس وزير دفاعنا #عاصفة_الحزم #السعودية pic.twitter.com/LtYuDdaztJ
— الــقـنـــــاص ksa (@al8nas_ksa) March 29, 2015
Translation: “Mohammed bin Salman defeat the Shiite—our defense minister.”
Read More:
ISIS Denounces Saudi Airstrikes In Yemen
Yemen Divided, Citizens Demonstrate For Both Sides
Rebels In Yemen Are Using Twitter, Facebook To Crowdfund Weaponry