Al-Assiri: I have to be careful with statements

Brig. Gen. Ahmad Al-Assiri, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis and a consultant in the office of the defense minister, has become a familiar face, thanks to the countless newspaper interviews and televised news segments about Operation Decisive Storm.
Despite all the media attention, he is a difficult man to get to know. “Little is known about Al-Assiri, except that he spent at least four years at the Saint-Cyr military college in France,” says Ian Timberlake, AFP bureau chief in Riyadh.
Upon entering the Riyadh Air Base hall at 7 p.m. sharp for the nightly press briefings each day, Al-Assiri provides updates on the campaign. The session typically lasts for about 40 minutes, followed by a question-and-answer session.
Following his daily briefing on Tuesday, Arab News was granted permission to speak to him at his office at the air base.
The man who looks so serious with his to-the-point replies during the briefing turned out to be incredibly approachable. He spoke about everything from briefings to his pride for his own family. “I have a difficult role to play. I have to be very careful with my statements to the press,” he said.
This careful use of words has been evident in his serious demeanor and efficient approach to information dissemination throughout the past few months.
He spoke about the 10-nation coalition, focusing on how key players use the media to gain publicity — a phenomenon he himself is fighting through his consistent press briefings on behalf of the Kingdom.