Saudis maneuver for dominance in Africa

BAGHDAD - Saudi Arabia stumbled to the finish line in 2018. Its war in Yemen got messier. Its reputation was severely damaged by the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Its regional rival Iran solidified its power in Syria.

But as the old year gave way to the new, the desert kingdom could count at least one success: the joint naval maneuvers known as Red Wave 1.

These exercises, conducted in the Red Sea by Saudi Arabia and six other countries, were the first tangible product of a new Saudi-led alliance designed to encourage regional cooperation around the sea - and project Saudi power into the Horn of Africa.

Though they garnered little attention, the military maneuvers were the