U.N investigations are questionable. However, the likelihood of the Aramaco attack being carried out by the Houthis seems questionable as well. What to believe? Personally speaking, my opinion was that the attack on the Saudi oil facility was not perpetuated by the Houthis. Can't blame Iran if the Houthis are not responsible! Saudi Oil Attack- If this is the big one...
“ My opinion is that it's unlikely this attack came from the Houthis or that it originated in Yemen”
Seemed to me that the attacks could have been launched by the Americans, possibly from their base in Syria. Or their bases in Iraq? Perhaps with the help of their friends and allies in the region including possibly internal Saudi factions. Recall this news from Dec.24/19? US Drone Attack Against Syrian Oil Facilities in Homs- Reminiscent of Saudi Aramaco Strikes
The drone strike in Homs brought back memories of the drone strikes at ARAMACO facilities in Saudi Arabia. The US certainly has drones capable of flying great distances in the region.
The attack caused a spike in oil prices, preceding the launch of ARAMACO’s IPO? Then there was the push to blame Iran? (which is the omitted spin on this reporting) Drawing on two (one and two) sources for the information below:
The attacks that targeted the Abqaiq and Khurais oil plants caused an increase in oil prices and shut down more than 5 percent of global oil supply
attacked sites in Saudi Arabia
Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, told the Security Council in a separate report on December 10 that the UN was "unable to independently corroborate" that missiles and drones used in the attacks "are of Iranian origin".
Yemen’s Houthi group did not launch an attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities in September, according to a confidential report by U.N. sanctions monitors seen by Reuters on Wednesday, bolstering a U.S. accusation that Iran was responsible. The United States, European powers and Saudi Arabia blamed Iran for the Sept. 14 attack on the Saudi Aramco (2222.SE) oil plants in Abqaiq and Khurais, dismissing a quick claim of responsibility by the Iran-allied Houthis. Tehran denied any involvement.The report by the independent U.N. experts to the Security Council Yemen sanctions committee said, “That despite their claims to the contrary, the Houthi forces did not launch the attacks on Abqaiq and Khurais on 14 September 2019.” The U.N. investigators said they doubted that the drones and land attack cruise missiles used in the Sept. 14 attack “have a sufficient range to have been launched from Yemeni territory under the control of the Houthis.”
repairing damage in Saudi Arabia
“The panel notes that Abqaiq and Khurais were approached respectively from a north/northwestern and north/northeastern direction, rather than from the south, as one would expect in the case of a launch from Yemeni territory,” the report said.
The investigators, who monitor sanctions on Yemen, also said they do not believe that “those comparatively sophisticated weapons were developed and manufactured in Yemen.” They were not tasked with identifying who was responsible for the Saudi attack.