Why Sunni Unity Is a Myth

Yemen is the newest battleground in the growing struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran, two regional and sectarian rivals. With the Saudis leading a military intervention in Yemen against the Iranian-supported Houthi movement, there has been much talk of a Sunni camp mobilizing to counter the threat posed by ascendant Shiite forces. However, competing interests will hobble the fledgling Sunni alliance.

Forecast

• Competing interests will keep a Sunni camp from coalescing.
• Saudi Arabia and Turkey are at odds with each other over the future of the Arab world.
• Pakistan is far removed from the Middle East and does not feel close sectarian ties to Saudi Arabia.
• The Saudi-led coalition acting in Yemen is more an Arab grouping than a Sunni bloc, and differences exist even among the Arabs.