Houthi Militia Uses Epstein Files as Weapon Against Saudi Arabia

Houthis Target Saudi Arabia Over Epstein Files: Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen is using revelations in Epstein files released by the U.S. Department of Justice to wage a propaganda war against US ally Saudi Arabia which is already grappling with drone and missile attacks by the militia. The release of the Jeffery Epstein files has armed the Houthi militia which has unleashed a parallel propaganda war in the social media against the Saudi leadership for having links with the deceased sex offender, the New York Times said in a report on Saturday.

The release of the files by the United States has added a new dimension to the West Asia conflict by enabling the Houthi militia to run a campaign in the social media questioning Saudi Arabia’s respect for Islam. The messages and videos targeted Saudi Arabia for sending Epstein the tapestries covering of the Kaaba, the holiest shrine of Islam in Mecca. The counter attack comes a month after Saudi Arabia accused Houthis of targeting Mecca with drones and missiles. 

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The New York Times has reported that the Houthis' social media channels are targeting Saudi leadership by showing videos, songs, speeches, statements, influencer posts etc to highlight links with Epstein while projecting themselves as the defenders of Islam.

According to the New York Times report, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the Houthi president, had said that Mecca was being attacked by those who gave Epstein the Kaaba covering. Al Houthi’s statement to the group's official news agency was being circulated on a war footing. His statement was released across the Houthis’ network, including a video distributed on YouTube that amassed over 270,000 listeners within hours, the New York Times said in its report titled ‘To Hurt Saudi Arabia, Houthis Underline the Kingdom’s Links to Epstein”.

According to media reports, Epstein flew to Riyadh in 2016 where he received gifts from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. 
Al-Houthi targeted the Saudi leadership for presenting a portion of the holy Kaaba’s Kiswah curtain to Epstein. This comes in the wake of a photograph from Epstein files showing Epstein standing beside Emirati executive Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem both looking down at a black and gold fabric spread across the floor of Epstein’s house in New York. The fabric matches the embroidered Kiswah covering the Kaaba, the Tehran Times reported.

The Tehran Times reported that al-Houthi has called for immediate creation of an International Islamic Committee to investigate the betrayal of Islam.