Robert Evans

Yep.

But he's got to do a lot worse bombs than that, Dave.

Right.

Um,

In March of 2015, Mohammed bin Salman orders Saudi forces to intervene directly in Yemen's latest civil war.

If you don't keep track of politics in that region, it's important to know that Yemen has been embroiled in a series of internecine conflicts since 1962.

There have been numerous different sides and coalitions all backed by foreign powers over the course of these conflicts.

And throughout the last half century or so, there have been Saudi military leaders and princes who have advocated that the kingdom get more directly involved in the fighting.

The most recent phase of fighting in Yemen was triggered, like so many other things, by the Arab Spring.

In 2011, mass protests forced the current president, a guy named Saleh, to resign.

His vice president took over for what was meant to be two years, during which time the government would be reorganized into a new federal system and elections would be held.

Well, attempts at working out a political arrangement failed.

This guy stays in power, and in a desperate attempt to deal with the country's crippling economic problems, he cuts fuel subsidies.

This sparks protests and mass dissatisfaction with the no longer seen as legitimate regime.

A rebel group called the Houthis was perceptive enough to take advantage of the situation.

The Houthis are a religious minority.

They're from the Zaydi sect of Shia Islam, which is like 5% of the population.

Shmuel and Zohar Letterman described their motivations in an article for the Journal of Genocide Research.

The Houthis protested against their political and economic marginalization, as well as the encroachment of Saudi Wahhabi religious doctrine on the Saada province in northern Yemen where they were based.

So MBS's decision to intervene doesn't come out of nowhere, but it's a distinct shock to a lot of his peers and family members.