S.H. Smith

On 5 October I told my readers Saudi Aramco CANNOT be defended against a cheap drone or missile that keeps coming back. Today the Ansarallah Houthis reached Aramco’s own tower in the middle of Riyadh’s financial district... The Saudi led coalition says it intercepted the missiles fired at the capital and falling shrapnel hit the Aramco building. Nobody hurt is calling it an “attempted attack”. Why Aramco and why now? Because a day earlier Saudi jets hit a village near Sanaa and the Houthis say 30~ people were killed, mostly women and children. Both sides are going after what the other values MOST, Riyadh hits Houthi towns and Ansarallah goes for the oil money. In my piece on the Petroline I wrote the Houthis only “have to land one drone or ballistic missile a week at ANY point on the line.” I was writing about the pipeline to Yanbu. But the same math now works on the capital, Saudi air defence has to be perfect EVERY night and the Houthis need one good night. And hitting the financial district sends a message to every foreign bank, insurer and company with staff in Riyadh that a pumping station out in the desert never did. How long before foreign firms start quietly moving people out of Riyadh? I hope not, but this is a serious discussion that many companies will be contemplating, I know because I am the security strategist that would be preparing the scenarios for the board of directors to contemplate their options. See full analysis below. Signal, not noise!