With her school bag, this schoolgirl holds a piece of a bomb dropped during a Saudi coalition air raid only a few meters away from her school yard. As clearly to be seen, it is a US Mark 84 bomb. The US is guilty of destruction and killing in Yemen.
Schwerpunkte / Key aspects
Klassifizierung / Classification
Zuerst: Verschleppte der Huthis / At first: Houthi detainees
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
cp1a Cholera
cp2 Allgemein / General
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
cp7 UNO und Friedensverhansdlungen / UN and peace talks
cp7a Saudi-Arabien und Iran / Saudi Arabia and Iran
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
cp9 USA
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
cp12b Libanon / Lebanon
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms Trade
cp13b Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage
cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
cp15 Propaganda
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
cp19 Marib
Klassifizierung / Classification
***
**
*
(Kein Stern / No star)
A = Aktuell / Current news
B = Hintergrund / Background
C = Chronik / Chronicle
D = Details
E = Wirtschaft / Economy
H = Humanitäre Fragen / Humanitarian questions
K = Krieg / War
P = Politik / Politics
PH = Pro-Houthi
PS = Pro-Saudi
T = Terrorismus / Terrorism
Zuerst: Verschleppte der Huthis / At first: Houthi detainees
(* A P)
An abductee die due to Houthis torture in Sana'a-source
A local source told Almasderonline on Tuesday that Ahmed Saleh al Wahashi, who was kidnapped by the Houthis in mid-October in Muthokain area in al Bayda province central Yemen, died due to torturing by the Houthis-Saleh forces in Habra prison in Sana'a.
The source pointed out that the Houthis put al Wahashi in the central prison, and then transferred him a few days later to Habra prison in Sana'a where he was severely tortured to confess crimes he didn’t do.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/95513
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
(** B H K)
More than 50,000 Yemeni children will die by the end of the year, aid group warns
More than 50,000 Yemeni children are likely to die by the end of the year as a result of disease and starvation caused by the stalemated war in the country, Save the Children has warned.
Humanitarian groups estimate that around 130 children are dying each day in the Arab world’s poorest country as it grapples with famine and the largest cholera outbreak in modern history.
Around 40,000 children are estimated to have died already this year as a result of severe acute malnutrition and Save the Children projects that figure will be above 50,000 by the end of the Christmas period.
“These deaths are as senseless as they are preventable. They mean more than a hundred mothers grieving for the death of a child, day after day,” said Tamer Kirolos, the group’s Yemen director.
The calculations were made before Saudi Arabia tightened an already severe blockade on rebel-held parts of the country in response to a missile fired from rebel territory towards Riyadh airport.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/15/50000-yemeni-children-will-die-end-year-aid-group-warns/
My comment: That’s well known. This is just a reminder. Every 10 secinds, in Yemen a child is dying because if avoidable deseases, and the greatest part of these victrims is due to the US-Saudi war. Just one of them:
(** B H K)
Yemen: Letter from a father who calls for justice
It's been a year and half since you left us but for your father and mother, it seems like forever. We miss hearing your beautiful baby voice in the morning that made us feel like the luckiest parents in the world. It's hard to explain our feelings after you. We really really miss you...
Baby Zainab, we had big dreams and high ambitions for you. But you left us as a baby and we did not have a chance to see you succeed. Today, we can only sit and look at your photos wearing your beautiful dresses. We imagine your beautiful smile that melted us everyday. We imagine hugging you with love after you wake up from your sleep. Me and your mom can only wish to cuddle you again to keep you warm during those cold night.
Our life changed forever after the criminal Saudis attacked our family home. Those moments changed our life and cost us our beautiful baby girl. After the airstrike on our home, I screamed in pain telling my self "what just happened? Where is my family? Where is my baby Zainab?"
I never imagined I would find my baby Zainab under rubble of our home.
I removed rocks from on top of you and picked up your small body from beneath rubble and rushed to the nearest hospital hoping to save you but they said it was too late. I did not give up, and with your blood was dripping on my clothes as I ran to a second Hospital hoping to see your smile again. Doctors were trying to bring you back but it was too late. I fainted to the floor when medics told me you did not make it.
http://telegra.ph/Yemen-Letter-from-a-father-calls-for-justice-11-10
(** A H K P)
Yemen Is Being Strangled to Death
The Saudi-led coalition bombed Sanaa’s international airport and rendered it unusable for humanitarian aid flights
If it wasn’t already obvious, the Saudi-led coalition has confirmed with this latest attack that they are deliberately trying to strangle the civilian population by depriving them of essential food and medicine. Despite reports that the coalition was willing to open some ports in areas they control, the U.N. said today that there is no evidence that any of the ports are being reopened
Even if the coalition reopens some ports in other parts of the country, those other ports can’t take in as much as the main port at Hodeidah. Transporting goods overland from other ports will make food and medicine prohibitively costly for an already impoverished population. Nawal al-Maghafi detailed why this is the case
If Hodeidah remains closed, it won’t matter if the coalition opens the others, because there will still be massive loss of life from starvation. Unless the blockade is lifted very soon, the Saudis and their allies will be the authors of the worst famine in decades, and they will have done it with Washington’s blessing – by Daniel Larison
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/yemen-is-being-strangled-to-death/
(** A K H P)
Yemen - Having Lost The War Saudis Try Genocide - Media Complicit
Fakenews:
Saudi Arabia ends its blockade of Yemen’s ports and airports - Daily Mail
Saudi-led coalition says will reopen Yemen ports - Anadolu
Yemeni ports to reopen for aid, says Saudi Arabia - Deutsche Welle
From the last link:
Saudi Arabia reacting to UN famine warnings says ports in Yemen it controls will reopen for aid deliveries. Riyadh shut them down last week after a missile attack blamed on Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The above headlines are false. The Saudi government announced the re-opening of some Yemeni ports and airports. All of these are in the south and under control of Saudi proxy forces who are fighting the Houthi-Saleh alliance in north-west Yemen. Some 70% of the population lives in the north-western areas which will continue to be under an extreme blockade. The most important port in their area is Hodeida which will stay closed. Back in March the U.S. Pentagon tried to get control of the port. But fighting for it would have destroyed the piers and thereby the supply route for some 20 million people. The most important airport is in Sanaa. The Saudi/U.S./UK alliance blocks even UN flights with medical supplies from using it.
The Saudis now "request" the UN to send an expert commission to Riyadh to "discuss" procedures for future control of the ports that are not held by its proxies. Such a process will take weeks if not months. The Saudis will, like the Pentagon earlier, demand total control over the ports which their opponents will of course not give. Any such fighting will only worsen the situation.
Thanks to local smugglers some food and other goods will still be able to pass through the blockade. But these will be way too few and too expensive for the vast majority of Yemenis. When the recent blockade was announced, food and gas prices in Yemen doubled overnight. Public service employees have not been paid for more than 15 months. People simply can no longer afford to keep their children alive:
In Sana’a, Nor Rashid sold her family’s cow to pay for the transport costs to get her four year-old daughter, who weighs 16lbs, to the city’s feeding centre in Al-Sabaeen hospital. She has other children who are also sick but she cannot afford to pay for the medical care if she brings them in for treatment too. “It’s because of the lack of government wages,” she said. “Usually we go to the person in the village with a wage to ask for help and borrow money if someone needs to go to the hospital. But since the wages stopped we have no support.”
The UN warns, rightly, that the blockade is causing a mass famine. This famine is not a side effect of the war - it is a weapon:
To starve Yemeni civilians is an overt act by Riyadh, enraged by a humiliating failure to achieve a Saudi military victory.
The media claim that only 10,000 civilians have been killed in the two and a half years of the war. The number is laughable. Neither the UN nor others have published any detailed account. The 10,000 number seems to be plugged from hot air. Compare, for example, the dates and content of these two reports:
The Saudis are starving a whole country - with avid support of the "humanitarian" western world.
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2017/11/yemen-having-lost-the-war-saudis-try-genocide-.html = https://www.globalresearch.ca/yemen-having-lost-the-war-saudis-try-genocide-media-complicit/5618201
(** A B H K P)
Beihilfe zur Hungersnot (III)
Trotz der Hungerblockade Saudi-Arabiens gegen den Jemen setzt Berlin die Aufrüstung der saudischen Küstenwache fort. Zu Monatsbeginn ist ein Frachtschiff mit zwei für Saudi-Arabien bestimmten Patrouillenbooten aus der Ostsee in Richtung Rotes Meer aufgebrochen. Die saudische Küstenwache operiert unter anderem in jemenitischen Gewässern, wo Riad seit 2015 den Transport von Nahrungsmitteln, Treibstoff und Medikamenten in den Jemen verhindert. Dabei blockiert Saudi-Arabien auch Schiffe mit humanitären Hilfslieferungen und Frachtschiffe, die von den Vereinten Nationen auf etwaigen Waffenschmuggel überprüft und für unbedenklich erklärt worden sind. Die Schikanen treffen sogar von der UNO kontrollierte Schiffe, die Medizin transportieren, aber monatelang aufgehalten werden, bis ein beträchtlicher Teil der Medikamente das Verfallsdatum überschritten hat. Die Zahl der Cholerainfektionen im Jemen nähert sich einer Million; die von Riad womöglich auch unter Nutzung deutscher Patrouillenboote herbeigeführte Hungersnot kann laut Einschätzung der UNO "Millionen" das Leben kosten.
Patrouillenboote
In dieser Situation wird die Bundesregierung aktiv - nicht mit Maßnahmen gegen die saudische Blockade, sondern mit der Genehmigung an die Lürssen-Gruppe, weitere Patrouillenboote an die saudische Küstenwache zu liefern. Deren Schiffe operieren auch in jemenitischen Gewässern; die Huthi-Rebellen haben etwa eines von ihnen vor der jemenitischen Hafenstadt Mocha zerstört. Anfang November beobachteten Schifffahrtskenner, wie ein aus dem mecklenburgischen Wolgast kommender Mehrzweckfrachter der Reederei Briese aus Leer mit zwei Patrouillenbooten an Bord in Kiel einen Zwischenstopp einlegte, um Dieselöl für die Weiterfahrt zum Suezkanal zu tanken. Die Patrouillenboote "Afif" und "Buquyq" - 35 Meter lang, mit zwei MTU-Motoren ausgerüstet und bis zu 40 Knoten schnell - waren für die saudische Küstenwache bestimmt.[7] Kurz vor dem Beginn des Transports hatte der Bundessicherheitsrat in aller Form seine Zustimmung erteilt - wie schon mehrmals zuvor: Ein Patrouillenboot ist bereits im November 2016 ausgeliefert worden; im April sowie im Juli 2017 folgten jeweils zwei weitere. Die Boote sind Teil eines 1,5 Milliarden Euro schweren Gesamtpakets, das die Lieferung von mehr als 100 Schiffen umfasst - auch an die saudische Marine.[8]
https://www.german-foreign-policy.com/news/detail/7445/
(** A H K P)
Human Rights Watch: Saudi Claims to Ease Yemen Blockade a Cruel Fiction
UN Sanctions Needed as Coalition Keeps Vital Ports Closed
Saudi Arabia today attempted to sell its changes to the full blockade on all Yemen land, air, and sea ports as concrete humanitarian progress today.
They aren’t.
The Saudi ambassador to the United Nations, Abdallah al-Mouallimi, said the coalition would allow ports in allied government-controlled territory to open—in Aden, the country’s second largest city, for example—but all ports in the Houthi-Saleh controlled north—like Hodeida port and Sanaa airport—were to remain closed until the coalition decided sufficient steps had been taken to prevent weapons from entering the country.
Under the laws of war, the coalition can block weapons from going to its adversary, the Houthi-Saleh forces, but it also must allow humanitarian assistance to the civilian population and not use starvation as a weapon of war. The full blockade violated these legal obligations, but so does the ostensibly scaled-down version: the Saudi government seems to be seeking global praise for ending the blockade on its own allies.
The same day the ambassador made his remarks, the UN’s lead humanitarian agency released a short report. Read in the context of Yemen’s grave humanitarian crisis—millions close to starvation, the world’s worst cholera epidemic, the vast majority of the population reliant on aid—the report portends the devastating impact of the coalition’s blockade.
Before Saudi Arabia’s complete closure of Yemen air, sea and land space last week, the UN was already raising alarm bells, calling on all parties to better facilitate humanitarian access. That is the baseline—compliance with laws of war obligations, efforts by all sides to ensure aid is getting in and reaching those who need it most. The baseline is not allowing aid to reach civilians controlled by your allies but not those under enemy control, as Saudi Arabia seems to be proposing.
Security Council members should make this clear—by sanctioning those obstructing aid to Yemen, be they Saudi Arabia, its coalition members, or Houthi-Saleh forces—before more sick and hungry Yemeni children die preventable deaths – by Kristine Beckerle
https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/11/13/saudi-claims-ease-yemen-blockade-cruel-fiction = https://lobelog.com/saudi-claims-to-ease-yemen-blockade-a-cruel-fiction/
(** A H K P)
Yemen: Key messages on the continued closure of Yemen’s ports - 13 November 2017
The man-made humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen is getting worse. Prior to the closure of Yemen’s borders, over two and a half years of conflict had transformed Yemen into the world’s largest food insecurity crisis, seen deplorable attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure and unleashed an unprecedented cholera epidemic. Some 21 million are in need humanitarian assistance, seven million of whom are facing famine-like conditions and rely completely on food aid to survive.
The continued closure by the Saudi-led coalition of critical seaports and airports is aggravating the dire humanitarian crisis - posing a critical threat to the lives of millions already struggling to survive.
Humanitarian supplies are running dangerously low
Due to limited funding, humanitarian agencies are only able to target one third of the population (seven million) and some two thirds of the population rely on commercially imported supplies.
Humanitarian imports cannot address the needs of the population. All ports in Yemen need to remain open to commercial traffic.
The diversion of vessels from Hudaydah and Saleef ports to Aden is not a viable option since the port of Aden lacks the absorption capacity required for both humanitarian and commercial shipments.
We ask the Saudi-led Coalition that Yemen’s sea, air and land borders be reopened as a matter of priority to resume the provision of commercial and humanitarian supplies and the movement of aid workers.
We reiterate that humanitarian aid is not the solution to Yemen’s humanitarian catastrophe. Only a peace process will halt the horrendous suffering of millions of innocent civilians.
(** A H K P)
UN dismisses Saudi conditions to reopen Yemen port
The United Nations on Tuesday dismissed a Saudi demand that tighter inspections be put in place at Yemen's rebel-held Hodeida port before a devastating blockade is lifted.
The UN has warned that an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Yemen was worsening each day that aid shipments remained blocked.
The UN's aid coordinator in Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, said there was no time to wait for a new inspection system to be set up.
"The humanitarian impact of what is happening here right now is unimaginable," he told reporters in Geneva in a phone conference.
"I don't think discussions (on new inspections) should hamper the port remaining open", he added.
"The humanitarian aspect of this is something we need to address immediately because we can't have those ports closed or those airports closed while we wait for discussions on new (inspection) mandates to go ahead."
McGoldrick underscored that UN aid was the main lifeline for most of Yemen's population, seven million of whom are at risk of famine.
He said that a UN verification and inspection mechanism already in place could work with the Saudi-led coalition on implementing new procedures but that keeping ports closed in the interim was not viable.
Stocks of diesel and petrol are running out in parts of Yemen because of the blockade, while the prices of basic goods have skyrocketed.
The blockade "is complicating what is already a catastrophic situation", McGoldrick said.
(** A H K P)
Saudi-led coalition wants Yemen weapons checks strengthened before main port reopens
The Saudi-led military coalition fighting in Yemen said it will continue to block the main aid route into the country until it is satisfied its Houthi opponents cannot use it to bring in weapons.
Ports controlled by Yemen’s exiled government would reopen soon, the coalition said on Sunday in a statement issued by the Saudi mission at the United Nations.
However other ports, including Houthi-controlled Hodeidah -- where some 80 percent of Yemen’s food supplies enter -- will remain closed until a U.N. verification regime is reviewed to ensure no weapons reach the Houthis, the statement said.
“The coalition, in consultation and full agreement with the legitimate government, will begin steps related to re-opening of airports and ports in Yemen to allow the transport of humanitarian and commercial cargo,” the statement said.
It said the first steps will start within 24 hours and will include the southern ports of Aden and Mukalla and the Red Sea port of al-Mokha, which are all controlled by Hadi’s government.
The coalition asked U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to send a delegation to Riyadh to “review current inspection measures to reinforce and introduce a more effective inspection and verification regime (UNVIM) aimed at facilitating the flow of humanitarian and commercial supplies and prevent smuggling of weapons, ammunition and missile parts...”
My comment: This in reality means: No opening forever, with horible humanitarian effects tob e expected. You must keep in mind that for 2 ½ years the Saudis block the northern Yemeni harbours now and have installed a control regime for all cargo getting there. More cannot even be done. – The saudis actually are using hunger, starvation and disease as a weapon of war, or, as others put it, as a collective punishment oft he whole population – even more severe as they already did before.
Comment: With 2800 km of coastline, it is obvious that arms (if any) are not entering an 'official port'.
The waters in front of #Hodeidah are, as the world seems to forget, constantly patrolled by the Saudi led Coalition. Not even fishermen from Tihama region dare venture out any longer as they are a target.
The Coalition is taking time. But time is an enemy of the most vulnerable in desperate need of aid.
https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/posts/1743534625942524
And
(** A P)
From the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the UN:
''Press release issued by @ksamissionun on the Declaration of the Alliance for the Restoration of Legitimacy in #Yemen for resumption of humanitarian and commercial access to all ports under the control of the legitimate government.' (Text in image)
The key is Hodeidah port on which Saudi Arabia is playing its biggest retaliation card: taking time
And
(** A H K P)
Why is the World Suddenly Paying Attention to Yemen?
So, why has Yemeni suffering apparently received international attention overnight?
Simply, it is politically relevant: the events of the last fortnight have seen Saudi-Iranian tensions pushed to the brink.
The fact that Riyadh appears now to have decided to shift the site of its anti-Iran posturing to Lebanon is not coincidental. They have been humiliated by failure to reach military victory against Tehran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
In fact, the starvation of Yemeni citizens, some suggest, is a deliberate tactic by the Saudis to force collapse in Yemen.
Meanwhile, Saudi Defense Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been busy promoting his program Saudi economic and social reform to the West.
These attempts to deflect attention from Saudi disgrace in Yemen appear, however, to have had the opposite effect, with increasing media focus on the situation there.
An easy question to answer is why Yemeni suffering has largely been ignored, at least politically, until now.
The Saudi-led coalition is backed and equipped by the U.S. and the U.K.
Despite the U.N. humanitarian chief’s harsh warning, the Security Council did not announce action on the blockade.
Kristine Beckerle of Human Rights Watch has said "It's not enough for the U.S. or the U.K. to say we are worried about famine in Yemen.
Perhaps if the barrage of media and popular concern in the West continues, the U.N., U.S. and U.K. might finally be shamed into action
https://www.albawaba.com/loop/original-why-sudden-concern-yemen-saudis-famine-1047284
and
(** A H P)
The Starvation of Yemen Hasn’t Stopped
Keeping the port of Hodeidah closed even for a short time guarantees that many innocent Yemenis will die from hunger and preventable disease. Hodeidah is the country’s main port and the lifeline for most of the population, so keeping it closed will have terrible consequences for millions of people. The coalition has no right to condition the opening of the port on anything, and as long as they keep the port closed they are violating international law and make it more likely that there will be massive loss of life from famine.
Strengthening the U.N.’s inspections will mean that the very slow process of bringing in vital supplies will become even slower than it was. That will make the food and medicine that make it through too costly for the most of the population. The coalition has already repeatedly delayed or diverted shipments of food and medicine that were approved by the U.N.’s verification mechanism, so it is clear that stopping arms shipments is just an excuse. They have used the blockade to try to starve Yemen into submission for years, and they will keep doing that even if the port is reopened. In order to address Yemen’s humanitarian crisis effectively, the coalition blockade has to be completely lifted and there should be no more interference with the delivery of aid.
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/the-starvation-of-yemen-hasnt-stopped/
(** B H K)
Ensuring Yemen’s lifeline: the criticality of all Yemeni ports (as of 13 Nov 2017)
Yemen has historically been 80 to 90 per cent dependent on imported food, medicines and fuel. All ports, including Al Hudaydah, Saleef, and Aden are necessary to meeting Yemen’s needs, as these ports service the population with varying capacities and proximities to population centres.
Yemen requires monthly food imports of approximately 350,000 MT for survival, of which humanitarian imports are about 75,000 MT. Close to 80 per cent of imports, including commercial and humanitarian goods enter through Al Hudaydah/Saleef Ports. Combined, these have a handling capacity of 660,000 MT per month (150,000 MT fuel, 295,000 MT Food, 90,000 MT NFIs) and a milling capacity of 8,000 MT per day. Although Al Hudaydah has sustained conflict-related damage, even at reduced capacity there is no viable substitute for the port both in terms of infrastructure and proximity to Yemen’s largest population centres. Approximately 71 per cent of the people in need in Yemen, and 82 per cent of all cholera cases (as of 31 October) are located in areas controlled by the authorities in the northern part of the country and in close proximity to these ports.
The remaining 30 per cent of Yemeni imports are entering through Aden Port in the south. Aden has the capacity to accommodate 280,000 MT of imports per month, including 50,000 MT fuel and 80,000 MT food. The port has a milling capacity of 2,400 MT per day, insufficient to meet the needs for the entire country, which is 8,400 MT. If all cargo were to be diverted to Aden port, congestion would likely result in considerable delays and high demurrage costs and there would be gaps in the supply of key commodities.
The other entry points into Yemen are from Salalah port in Oman from the east, and Jizan port in Saudi Arabia from the north
https://reliefweb.int/map/yemen/ensuring-yemen-s-lifeline-criticality-all-yemeni-ports-13-nov-2017 and full PDF: https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/ochayemen_ensuring_yemens_lifeline_13_nov_2017.pdf
(** A H P)
People are seeing headlines about Saudi opening airports and ports in Yemen and asking if the blockade is over, or if we're back to status quo ante per a week ago. The answer is no. 1/
All sea and air access to the north, where the large majority of Yemenis live, is closed, inc Hudaydah and Salif ports (where most food and medicine enters) and Sanaa airport (where most humanitarian staff enter). 2/
Per my thread of a week ago, it appears KSA wants to channel aid through the south, which they and their allies control, both for political control and to tighten and restrict humanitarian access to the north 3/
KSA will say that aid can enter North by land from South, but this is time consuming, difficult and expensive - and expense really matters. In fact, purchasing power vs cost of imports is in a sense the main issue 4/
All throughout the crisis there have been ways for food and medicine in some quantity to enter the country. The pictures of disease and malnutrition that you've seen are a function of a blockade which has worked by driving import costs up 5/
That's what happens when KSA holds ships off shore for spurious inspections, sometimes til goods spoil, or forces convoys on land past checkpoints, some controlled by their allies on the ground, which require bribes and pemits - costs rise beyond means of most Yemenis 6/
What is the international reaction? UK ambassador in last week has said nothing public about blockade except that he's impressed by Yemenis' creative use of camels, now many have no fuel. But camels can't run ambulances or generators in hospitals
https://twitter.com/tom_d_/status/929983681711747072
(** B K)
Letter from Yemen’s capital: I heard a huge explosion near our home
A Saudi-led coalition began bombing Yemen more than 940 days ago. I thought I might get used to the sound of jets roaring overhead day and night.
The truth is, my wife and I relive the terror each time we hear those jets.
I knew the Saudis would respond quickly.
They struck the Central Security Headquarters, which is about 200 yards from our home. Then the bombing became much worse.
It was around 7:40 p.m. on Nov. 6. My wife and our 1-year-old son, Khaled, were playing in the living room on the second floor of our home. I was out in the streets when I heard a huge explosion. I knew it was near our home. I rushed back to find my wife holding our son and hiding under the dining table. Khaled was crying. I crouched under the table and hugged them both. At that moment, I felt my heart tear into pieces, not knowing what to do to make my son’s fears go away.
A few minutes later, we heard the trembling sound of a missile flying over our heads before it struck and shook the ground, shattering the windows on top of us. Then a third strike, and a fourth. There is nothing worse than feeling helpless as you see your loved ones terrified and frightened. No child should have to live with such turmoil.
Any glimmer of hope that our suffering will soon be over has gone with the wind – By Ali Al-Mujahed
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/11/12/the-end-of-hope-as-saudi-led-coalition-steps-up-airstrikes-in-yemens-capital/?utm_term=.b59329aee27b = http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11944061
(** A H P)
'Only God can save us': Yemen blockade may cause world's largest famine in decades
Iona Craig reports from Yemen where aid agencies cannot get vital shipments into the war-torn country already gripped by cholera outbreak
Seven million people are on on the brink of famine in war-torn Yemen, which was already in the grip of the world’s worst cholera outbreak when coalition forces led by Saudi Arabia tightened its blockade on the country last week, stemming vital aid flows.
Less than 45% of the country’s medical facilities are still operating – most have closed due to fighting or a lack of funds, or have been bombed by coalition airstrikes. As a result, Al-Thawra is treating some 2,500 people a day, compared to 700 before the conflict escalated in March 2015.
In Al-Thawra, employees grab the sleeve of the hospital’s director, Dr Khaled Suhail, begging him for money as he navigates the teeming therapeutic feeding centre for malnourished children. Government salaries have gone unpaid for more than a year, and the hospital now runs on the goodwill of its doctors, nurses and administrative staff. Suhail clutches the hand of an elderly maintenance man in charge of the hospital’s oxygen tanks as he pleads for cash. “If I had anything to give you, you know I would. But there is nothing,” he says.
Saudi officials have repeatedly claimed that there is no hunger crisis in southern Yemen, where local forces backed by the United Arab Emirates, a coalition partner, largely hold power. According the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, however, Lahij is the most food-insecure governorate in the country.
In the markets of both Hodeidah and Lahij, food is plentiful. Stalls bulge with fresh fruit and vegetables and traders offer sacks of flour and beans. The only shortage is the customers, who cannot afford to eat – by Iona Craig
(** B P)
THE REVERSE MIDAS TOUCH OF SAUDI ARABIA’S CROWN PRINCE IS TURNING THE MIDDLE EAST TO DUST
And so it has come to pass. In fact, despite being repudiated at the time by a German government more concerned about diplomatic and commercial relations with Riyadh, the BND warning turned out to be eerily prophetic.
Consider recent events in the Gulf. Can you get more “impulsive” than rounding up 11 fellow princes, including one of the world’s richest men and the commander of the national guard, and holding them at the Ritz Carlton on charges of corruption?
Is it anything other than “interventionist” to force the resignation of the prime minister of Lebanon on a visit to your country and then put him under a form of house arrest (though the hapless Saad Hariri, a long-standing client of Riyadh, publicly claims otherwise and says he is heading back to Beirut this week)? Or to also detain the president of Yemen? According to an investigation by the Associated Press, “Saudi Arabia has barred Yemen’s president, along with his sons, ministers and military officials, from returning home for months.”
That the crown prince of Saudi Arabia can, essentially, kidnap the elected leaders of not one but two Middle Eastern countries — and, incidentally, put the leading Saudi royal he replaced as crown prince under palace arrest — speaks volumes about not just his “impulsive intervention policy” but the shameless pass he gets from Western governments for such rogue behavior. Imagine the reaction from the international community if Iran had, say, detained the Iraqi prime minister on Iranian soil after forcing him to resign on Iranian television. Yet President Donald Trump has gone out of his way to tweet his support for the crown prince and his father: “I have great confidence in King Salman and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, they know exactly what they are doing.”
The more sober Europeans haven’t been much better.
From Lebanon to Qatar to Yemen, the much-lauded MBS has in fact proved to be the reverse Midas — everything he touches turns to dust – by Mehdi Hasan
https://theintercept.com/2017/11/13/saudi-arabia-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-mbs/
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Cholera / Most important: Cholera
(** B H K)
How War Created the Cholera Epidemic in Yemen
The spread of cholera in Yemen glaringly illustrates how disease follows in the wake of bombs.
The seeds of the epidemic were planted in 2015, when a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and backed by the United States joined the fighting in Yemen on behalf of the ousted president, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi
When the war began on March 26, 2015, workers on the night shift at a wastewater treatment plant in Sana watched Saudi jets bomb airplanes, runways and buildings at the adjacent international airport. A boundary wall was all that separated the airport and the treatment plant. The terrified workers took refuge in a nearby mosque.
On April 17, 2015, the Saudi-led coalition jets bombed the central electricity grid supplying Sana.
By late May 2015, the fuel was gone and the plant shut down.
Soon after the coalition imposed a naval blockade, ostensibly to prevent weapons from reaching Houthi rebels, reducing the supply of food, medicine and fuel to a trickle.
With the treatment plant out of power, wastewater flowed down canals and into the valleys around Sana. Dirty water spread over miles of farmland. Flies hovered above the raw sewage. Cucumbers, tomatoes and leafy greens grown in the contaminated water made their way to markets around Sana. Many cases of acute diarrhea were reported.
Cholera in Yemen is a man-made disaster, and its spread and casualties are tied to the politics of the war. Aerial bombing by the Saudi-led coalition in Houthi-held areas have damaged hospitals, public water systems and sewage plants.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/12/opinion/cholera-war-yemen.html
cp2 Allgemein / General
Mehr über die saudische Blockade: cp1 / More on the Saudi blockade: cp1
(* B K P)
Yemen’s War Reshapes Arab Gulf Armies
Due to their intervention in Yemen, Abu Dhabi and, to a lesser extent, Riyadh, are turning from “praetorian” regime security-oriented armies to professional forces with foreign projection capabilities and a national-militaristic rhetoric. This represents a true paradigm shift for the Emirati and Saudi militaries and supports their post-2011 proactive regional policy. The military forces of the Gulf monarchies are also reversing the traditional pattern of Arab military cooperation with Western states, which has been mostly in support of Western-led operations, such as in Afghanistan, Libya, and more recently in Syria and Iraq. Though they still receive logistical and military support from traditional allies such as the United States and the United Kingdom in Yemen, Riyadh now leads and organizes the air force campaign, mostly in the north, while Abu Dhabi does the same for ground operations in the south.
The Saudi and Emirati intervention in Yemen has triggered military reform at a strategic level, in both capabilities and in civil-military relations.
The paradigm shift of Saudi and Emirati militaries aims to preserve the security of the Arabian Peninsula, protecting also smaller neighbors, such as Bahrain and Kuwait, from internal and external threats. The Arab Gulf states share growing security responsibilities in a highly unstable region, as testified by the complex intervention in Yemen. The reshaping of their militaries is part of this new, long-term national mindset.
http://www.mei.edu/content/article/yemen-s-war-reshapes-arab-gulf-armies
My comment: The last paragraph quoted here is 100 % propaganda.
Comment by Judith Brown:
I think this is an optimistic and naive article in many ways - the only way that these armies can operate is by using mercenaries as their own populations have proved to be unwilling to support their sons and husbands fighting in Yemen, and hence they have been forced to turn to American and African paid military assistance. But it is true that these armies have taken the lead in Yemen - but Saudi has a great deal of military assistance from the west and it has not prevailed nor has it won hearts and minds, though UAE has been more successful in the old South Yemen area.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156111061688641
(B K)
"A Humanitarian Catastrophe:" The Five Countries Enabling Saudi's War in Yemen
These are the five biggest contributors to Saudi’s war.
The United States
Germany
The United Kingdom
France
The United Arab Emirates
https://www.albawaba.com/main-headlines/original--1048628
(* B H P)
WASSERMAN: Yemen Civil War demonstrates that global thinking must shift
It appears as if the world has forgotten about Yemen, at least in the United States. This should be a front page story, but the times we live in have decided otherwise. We too often believe that we only owe health and welfare to those with whom we share a social contract, that we should expect to profit ourselves from the cooperation with those who share a given background or geographic location. But reorienting our thinking toward a capabilities approach to justice, that justice for all requires a basic set of human entitlements for all, may encourage our global actors to take more constructive action on crises like Yemen. As I close many of these columns, I must reiterate that I do not claim to know the solutions to complicated geopolitical issues like Yemen’s civil war, but global thinking must shift so that no more unnecessary suffering and death may occur.
(* B K P)
Yemen? Where on Earth is Yemen?
A few facts:
- 1. Our war in Yemen is illegal. President Obama and President Trump are in open violation of their oath to defend the U.S. constitution. When president Obama ordered U.S. participation in the war it was not covered by the 9/11 Authorization to use military force against Al Qaeda. The group we are fighting – the Houthis – are not affiliated with Al Qaeda or any entity associated with the attacks of 9/11. Al Qaeda is their mortal enemy.
- The Houthis are not Iranian proxies. Any Iranian arms that might have reached Yemen were a response to the Saudi air assault, not its cause. Most weapons that the Houthis received came from the United States: weapons that we supplied to Yemen’s previous government. An old story.
- The U.S.-Saudi war in Yemen has actually increased the security threat to all Americans.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/11/15/yemen-where-on-earth-is-yemen/
(* B K)
Saudis Can’t Win Their War in Yemen
Saudi Arabia seems to have bitten off more than it can chew in Yemen. On March 26, 2015, the kingdom launched Operation Decisive Storm, a broad Arab-Islamic initiative ostensibly aimed at reinstating the government of Yemeni President Abd Rabboh Mansour Hadi, whom insurgents had forced from the capital, Sanaa, a month earlier. More than two and a half years on, Saudi Arabia is no closer to its goal, embroiled in a war that it can’t win.
How did the country wind up making such a strategic blunder? Going into the conflict, its leaders were well aware of the steep odds against the operation’s success — of Yemen’s unconquerable terrain and intractable tribal machinations. The Saudis tend to equivocate in their explanations of what drove them to intervene in the war-torn country in the first place. But a look at the kingdom’s history and founding ideology offers insight into Riyadh’s dilemma in Yemen.
http://www.tikkun.org/nextgen/saudis-cant-win-their-war-in-yemen
Remark: Background and overview.
(unrated B K)
Audio: INTERCEPTED PODCAST: THE DISTRACTION IN CHIEF
This week on Intercepted, Rami Khouri breaks down Saudi Arabia’s agenda in the Middle East, its destruction of Yemen, and the bizarre case of the exiled Lebanese prime minister.
https://theintercept.com/2017/11/15/intercepted-podcast-the-distraction-in-chief/
(* B K P)
Konfliktherd Jemen
Hinter den aktuellen Auseinandersetzungen im Jemen stehen verschiedene Konflikte, die sich auf unterschiedlichen Ebenen abspielen. Ein Überblick.
In der internationalen Berichterstattung wird der seit 2004 schwelende Konflikt im Jemen, der in den letzten Wochen wieder massiv eskalierte und das Land an die Grenze der größten Hungersnot, die die Welt seit vielen Jahrzehnten gesehen hat, treibt, häufig übergangen.
Wird er, wie aktuell aufgrund der drastischen Warnungen von UN-Nothilfekoordinator Mark Lowcock am vergangenen Freitag, erwähnt, wird der Konflikt zumeist als ein Stellvertreterkrieg zwischen den vom Iran unterstützten Ansar Allah (dt. ‚Helfer Gottes‘), besser bekannt unter dem Namen Huthi-Rebellen, und einer von Saudi-Arabien angeführten Militärallianz bestehend aus derzeit 9 vorwiegend arabischen Staaten dargestellt. In dieser Lesart erscheint der Jemen, ähnlich wie Syrien und derzeit zunehmend auch der Libanon, als einer der aktuellen Schauplätze des Kampfes zwischen Saudi-Arabien und dem Iran um die Vorherrschaft im Nahen Osten. Aufgrund der Tatsache, dass das saudische Königshaus sich häufig als Schutzmacht der sunnitischen Muslime in der Region darstellt, während sich der Iran als schiitischer Gottesstaat begreift, wird dem Konflikt zudem meist ein religiöser Charakter zugeschrieben.
Diese Lesarten ignorieren wesentliche Faktoren, die zum Ausbruch der Konfrontationen geführt haben und greifen damit zu kurz, um die Komplexität der Auseinandersetzungen verstehen zu können. Daher werde ich im Folgenden insbesondere auf die innerstaatlichen Problematiken, sowie einige grundlegende Informationen zum Jemen eingehen, ohne deren Kenntnis die Eskalation der letzten Jahre nicht verstanden, geschweige denn bearbeitet, oder gelöst werden kann.
Der Jemen – Charakteristika eines fragilen Staates
Die zugrundeliegenden innerstaatlichen Konfliktlinien
Der internationale Schleier
Die (Un-)Möglichkeiten der Vermittlung
Ein düsteres Szenario
Quellen
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/max-jansen/konfliktherd-jemen
Bemerkung: „Auch wenn der Iran Gespräche über den Beschuss der saudischen Hauptstadt mit einer iranischen Rakete am vergangenen Freitag durch die Huthis, die die Blockade seitens der saudischen Allianz ausgelöst hatte, bisher ablehnt“: ?????
(* B H K P)
Das saudische Debakel im Jemen
Das saudische Militär kommt im Kampf um Sanaa gegen die Huthis nicht voran. Unterdessen wächst der Zorn über die Hungerkatastrophe.
Der im Jemen angezettelte Krieg entwickelt sich zu einem regionalpolitischen Desaster für Saudi-Arabien.
Seitdem nehmen Riad und Abu Dhabi im Kampf gegen das iranische Machtstreben immer mehr die jemenitische Zivilbevölkerung als Geiseln.
http://www.fr.de/politik/krieg-im-jemen-das-saudische-debakel-im-jemen-a-1386474
Bemerkung: Kurzer Überblick.
(* A H P)
UN: Saudi-Arabien soll Jemen-Blockade beenden
Die Vereinten Nationen haben erneut an die von Saudi-Arabien geführte Militärallianz appelliert, die anhaltende Blockade der Seehäfen des Jemen sofort zu beenden. Andernfalls sei das Leben von Millionen Menschen in Gefahr, sagte der UN-Koordinator für humanitäre Hilfe im Jemen, Jamie McGoldrick, am Dienstag.
"Die humanitären Folgen von dem, was derzeit geschieht, sind unvorstellbar." Rund 21 Millionen Menschen benötigten Hilfe, sieben Millionen seien vollständig von Lebensmittellieferungen abhängig, sagte McGoldrick per Telefon aus Jordanien zu Journalisten in Genf.
https://kurier.at/politik/ausland/un-saudi-arabien-soll-jemen-blockade-beenden/298.120.200
(B H P)
Riad lindert Blockade – Jemen schlittert in größte humanitäre Katastrophe der Welt
Die von Saudi-Arabien geführte Militärkoalition hat am Wochenende die Blockade der Flughäfen in den jemenitischen Großstädten Aden und Seiyun aufgehoben, schreibt die Zeitung „Kommersant“ am Dienstag.
Riad gewährte dieses Zugeständnis nach zahlreichen Aufrufen der internationalen Gemeinschaft, den Zugang für humanitäre Organisationen im Jemen dringend zu öffnen. WHO und UNO warnen, dass der Bürgerkrieg, die Cholera sowie der Mangel an Medikamenten, Wasser und Lebensmitteln zum Tod von Millionen Menschen führen können.
https://de.sputniknews.com/zeitungen/20171114318293726-riad-lindert-blockade-jemen/
Mein Kommentar: Lindert? Nun ja. Der Norden, wo 75 % der Jemeniten leben, bleibt blockiert (Hafen von Hodeida, Flughafen Sanaa). Und, mehr noch: Die Flughäfen von Sanaa und Hodeida wurden frisch bombardiert:
(* A H K)
Flughafen-Navigation im Jemen laut Rebellen bei Luftangriff zerstört
Bei einem Luftangriff der von Saudi-Arabien angeführten Militärkoalition im Jemen ist die Funknavigation des Flughafens von Sanaa jemenitischen Rebellen zufolge zerstört worden. Dadurch werde der ohnehin begrenzte Zugang zu Hilfsgütern zusätzlich erschwert, erklärten die schiitischen Huthi-Rebellen am Dienstag.
Durch den Luftangriff sei die Navigationsstation des Flughafens vollständig zerstört worden. Flugzeuge der Vereinten Nationen (UN) und anderer humanitärer Organisationen könnten daher nicht mehr auf dem Flughafen von Sanaa landen, um Hilfsgüter zu liefern.
http://www.epochtimes.de/politik/welt/flughafen-navigation-im-jemen-laut-rebellen-bei-luftangriff-zerstoert-a2267715.html und auch https://www.derstandard.de/story/2000067830266/funknavigation-des-flughafens-von-sanaabei-luftangriff-zerstoert, siehe auch Kommentare. Mehr: cp16.
(* A H P)
Saudi-Arabien bleibt im Jemen stur
Saudi-Arabien spielt im Jemen weiterhin auf Zeit und nimmt damit den drohenden Hungertod von Millionen Jemeniten in Kauf. Nach massivem Druck der Vereinten Nationen und zahlreicher westlicher Staaten hatte das Wüstenkönigreich zwar die Lockerung seiner Blockade der von den Huthis kontrollierten Gebieten ankündigt. Davon ausgenommen bleibe jedoch der Seehafen der am Roten Meer gelegenen Stadt Hodeida, über den die schiitischen Rebellen mit Raketen aus dem Iran versorgt würden, verkündete der saudische Botschafter bei den Vereinten Nationen, Abdallah al-Mouallimi.
Erst wenn sichergestellt sei, dass keine militärischen Güter mehr über den Hafen geliefert werden könnten, sei dessen Öffnung möglich, sagte der Diplomat – das könnte sich über Wochen hinziehen. Tatsächlich ist es Saudi-Arabien, das das südliche Rote Meer seit gut zwei Jahren kontrolliert. Einige der Kaianlagen im Hafen von Hodeida wurden bei Luftangriffen bereits zerstört
und
(* A H P)
Audio: Ende der Blockade, aber nur teilweise - Saudischer UN-Botschafter zum Jemen
(* B H P)
UN council fails to push Saudi coalition over Yemen blockade
A week after hearing dire warnings of mass famine in Yemen, the UN Security Council appeared powerless on Wednesday to push the Saudi-led coalition to lift its blockade of humanitarian aid.
Sweden called for a meeting on the crisis a week ago after the military coalition shut down Yemen's sea and air ports as well as borders in response to a missile attack by the Iran-backed Huthi rebels near Riyadh.
UN aid chief Mark Lowcock warned at that meeting that unless the blockade was lifted, Yemen will face "the largest famine the world has seen for many decades, with millions of victims."
"All members in the council were taken aback by the report by Mr Lowcock," Swedish Ambassador Olof Skoog told reporters on Wednesday.
"There are still huge problems and there has not been any progress on the... open humanitarian access through the ports of Hodeida and airport of Sanaa," both held by the rebels.
(* A H P)
Interview: Iona Craig: ‘Hunger getting worse in Yemen
https://www.channel4.com/news/iona-craig-hunger-getting-worse-in-yemen
(* B H P)
Besieged from abroad, blockaded at home, Yemenis' suffering goes on
"We are besieged from abroad, we are besieged at home. We don't have gas to cook. People are dying in their houses because of the gas shortages," said Ameen Mohammed, a Yemeni citizen living in Sana'a, who then asked, "Why are they besieging Yemen? What do they get out of it?"
"We've been here for almost one week, waiting for fuel," said Fuad al-Harazi, another citizen, noting, "Every day, they say the fuel truck is here but that isn't true."
Amer Ali, a local employee, echoed the despair, saying, "The higher price of fuel is making the food prices go way up. The average person can't survive."
At a hospital bed in Sana’a, Mohammed al-Ayzari, a physician, said, "The malnutrition cases are up more than ever before... There is an acute shortage of medical supplies and laboratory materials."
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/11/15/542306/Yemen-war-UN-famine-
(* B H P)
Radio Vaticana: Yemen: no food, fuel or medicine for vulnerable civilians (Audio; short introduction)
(* B H P)
Yemenis struggle with tears, shortages as blockade wears on
But now a decision by Riyadh and its allies to tighten the screws on all land, sea and air borders in response to a Huthi missile attack has sent prices spiralling further -- and ratcheted up fears of a looming famine.
At a shuttered gas station in Sanaa a family waited hope against hope to fill their three battered canisters -- used for cooking in most of the Arab world.
The mother, dressed in black, slumped on the pavement as her husband stood glumly with their little girl and two boys.
"We've been here for almost one week, waiting for fuel," another man, Fuad Al-Harazi, told AFP.
"Every day they say the fuel truck is here but that isn't true."
Prices have soared in Sanaa since the Saudi-led coalition upped the pressure on Yemen a week ago, the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says.
The cost of fuel has gone up by nearly two-thirds, the price of trucked water has increased by 133 percent and bus fares have doubled or even tripled.
Cars could still be seen on the roads around the rebel-held city, but many stations were cordoned off with plastic ribbon.
Standing by yet more closed petrol pumps, Ameen Mohammed vented his anger at the coalition.
"We are besieged from abroad, we are besieged at home. We don´t have gas to cook. People are dying in their houses because of the gas shortages," the young, clean-shaven man said.
McGoldrick. "The humanitarian impact of what is happening here right now is unimaginable."
(A H P)
The fuel prices are getting higher everyday . Today a litre of fuel in #Sanaa costs 4 dollars #Yemen for how long this crisis will continue ?
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/930840583018606592
(* A H P)
Film / Text: emen's war victims lament partially-lifted blockade
The closure crippled the flow of aid into the country and left many Yemenis without the food or medicine they need. Abubakr Al Shamahi has this report.
The blockade that came after Yemen's Houthi rebel forces fired a missile at Riyadh on November 4, left desperately needed aid stuck outside Yemen, and Yemenis needing treatment stuck inside.
One such victim is Fareed, who was hit by a shrapnel, a year ago.
https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/yemen-s-war-victims-lament-partially-lifted-blockade-12280 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RRsPpctjL4
(* B K P)
Continuing the proxy war in Yemen
Yemen is the battleground for Saudi Arab and Iran each wanting to establish the supremacy of their sect of Islam supported by other nations — US for one targeting the al Qaeda in Yemen. US is using Yemen as a base to counter Iran. The rise however of the secessionist movement in south is not supportive towards US efforts at legitimising the government of her choice.
The fundamental question that arises here is the right of any nation to endanger the security of the world by using other nations as battlefields and in turn spreading hate. It also raises a question as to if other nations should be allowed to become a party to the conflict to serve their own vested interests. Unfortunately, the growth and laying down international laws governing conflicts and violation of human rights have not shaped up in line with the increasing danger faced by the world.
Can the Security Council rise to the occasion and focus on conflict prevention and not the out dated methodology being followed? The Security Council must look at the goal of world peace and not of appeasing certain members.
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/11/14/continuing-the-proxy-war-in-yemen/
My comment: The Yemen war is no Saudi-Iranian proxy war.
(* B H K)
The Real Victims in the Latest Spat Between Saudi and Iran? Civilians in Yemen
As the world watches the growing conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Yemen undergoes one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world
The Lebanese PM's resignation on Saudi-stat TV received far more attention than Saudi's air and sea blockade of Yemen
As the war in Yemen rages, the conflict is treated as a political tool for Iran and Saudi to prove that they are tough on each other
The real victims from all of this are Yemeni civilians, who silently bear the brunt of each countries' sabre rattling
Media coverage of Yemen’s war remains scant.
Beyond Saudi’s attempts to blackout the media from accessing the country, it continually receives a lower priority to other regional developments.
“Syria is at least vaguely known about in the West; it's a Mediterranean country; historically it has been part of the Arab-Israeli conflict and has been part of attempted peace talks,” Dr. Partrick says. The flow of Syrian refugees into Europe also makes that conflict a “live, domestic political issue.”
“By comparison Yemen just doesn't register.”
https://www.albawaba.com/news/original--1048020
(* B H K)
The UN’s Nightmare Scenario is Currently Unfolding in Yemen
[Overview; with Audio]
https://www.undispatch.com/uns-nightmare-scenario-currently-unfolding-yemen/
(* B P)
Entangling alliances
World powers have indicated that none support a new major confrontation in the Middle East, whether in Lebanon or with Iran, but how long strategic restraint can last is an open question
The latest regional developments in the Middle East have raised alarm bells among world powers. From their perspective, whether in Western capitals or in Moscow, the situation in the region was already unstable enough. French President Emmanuel Macron, who went to the United Arab Emirates to participate in the inauguration of the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi last week, flew to Saudi Arabia Thursday, 9 November, on an unscheduled visit in an attempt to calm things down. Uppermost on his mind was the situation in Lebanon. He also talked about a possible mediation between Riyadh and Tehran. After meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, he said that he had listened to very harsh positions regarding Iran that do not conform to his own position in this respect. For the West and Russia, the present situation in the Middle East calls for cool heads and strategic restraint to prevail.
The clear message is that the great powers will not allow their allies and partners in the Middle East to start a war based on their own interests and calculations. Although the battle lines are quite clearly defined among regional and Arab powers, major world capitals are not ready for another military adventure in the Middle East, even if their regional allies think otherwise.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/23002.aspx
My comment: This is from Egypt and certainly reflects Egypt’s official position. Let’s hope the author is right. Looking at the US, I am in doubt.
(* A H P)
The #Yemen border closures are impacting aid deliveries. New stocks of UNHCR emergency assistance for 280,000 people have been halted and UNHCR distributions of relief items, winter assistance and rental subsidies for almost 300,000 people will be hampered and delayed.
https://twitter.com/UNHCRYemen/status/930411213519048704
(* A H P)
Hasten push for peace or be complicit in the country's famine, Oxfam tells leading powers on Yemen
Cancellation of a meeting of five countries with the power to unlock a path to peace in Yemen must not be used as an excuse to delay lifting the blockade or agreeing the ceasefire that the war-torn country so badly needs, Oxfam said today.
The Quint – conflict parties Saudi Arabia and the UAE, their backers the US and UK, and Oman, playing a mediation role – postponed their meeting today in London while the scale of death is poised to rise markedly following Saudi Arabia’s blockade on Houthi-controlled Yemeni ports.
Shane Stevenson, Oxfam’s Country Director in Yemen, said: "If those with the power to act fail to do so, history will judge these five countries as either responsible or complicit in the unnecessary deaths of thousands of people in Yemen. They need to immediately open borders, and allow the free flow of vital aid and help secure a ceasefire.”
My comment: Apart from Oman, these “leading powers on Yemen” are warring parties in Yemen and thus not able to be any brokers of peace – they represent war, death and destruction by themselves.
(* A H P)
Yemen on the brink of dangerous famine
The crisis in Yemen has reached a truly dangerous level that is on par with the worst atrocities in recent memory.
Since November 6, most ports and airports of Yemen have been closed by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition which has put millions of people at risk of famine. The impacts are already being felt: Food prices are through the roof with many people unable to purchase even basic staples, and fuel is running low or completely unavailable– hospitals, and pumps that make clean water accessible for millions, have started to shut down, with more to follow in the coming days. Oxfam and others are being forced to suspend activities in certain areas because there is no fuel.
https://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/stories/yemen-on-the-brink-of-dangerous-famine/
(* A H P)
With border closures into second week, Yemen suffering worsens
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
14 November 2017
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is alarmed at the worsening humanitarian situation in Yemen following the temporary closure of land, sea and air borders on 6 November. Over the past week the closures have prevented humanitarian and commercial supplies, and restricted the movement of aid workers. They are also placing new economic strain on a civilian population already suffering through many months of conflict.
With commercial traffic flows hampered, prices for essential commodities including food, trucked water, household gas and fuel are all skyrocketing. In Sana’a for instance fuel prices have reportedly increased by 60 per cent and trucked water by 133 per cent. As a result, our staff and those of our partners are seeing an increase in the number of civilians seeking humanitarian help. Vulnerable populations including internally displaced people, refugees and asylum seekers are especially hard-hit.
For example, at a UNHCR supported centre in Sana’a for the internally displaced, run by our partner ADRA, some 600 to 800 people are now approaching the centre every day. Before the border closures we would typically see 400 to 600 people. People say they are no longer able to meet basic needs or afford medical care. Some are facing the threat of eviction.
In Aden, where there were shortages of fuel and gas already before the border closures, displaced people are reporting that prices for food have almost doubled. Some people now have no other choice than to eat less.
http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing/2017/11/5a0ab3a34/border-closures-second-week-yemen-suffering-worsens.html = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/border-closures-second-week-yemen-suffering-worsens
(* A H P)
Blockade and Starvation in Yemen
The humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen is nearing a tipping point towards total disaster, with no indications of a peaceful resolution or even lessening of the war that began in 2015. A cholera epidemic could claim its millionth victim by the end of the year, while millions are starving. Perhaps the sole positive development in recent weeks came on November 13, when the Saudi-led coalition announced it would lift a blockade of air and sea ports controlled by Yemen’s government. The move followed growing criticism of Riyadh, which blocked all the country’s ports after Yemen’s Houthi rebels fired a ballistic missile at the Saudi capital on November 4. Saudi officials also requested talks with the United Nations on ways of improving humanitarian deliveries and access to care and food to Yemen, while still preventing weapons from being smuggled to the Houthis.
Re-opening major ports, including Aden and Mukalla, is welcome news, but will do little to alleviate the brutal war-induced malnutrition afflicting much of northern Yemen. Increased food costs, driven by scarcity as well as delays and military checkpoints, are forcing many Yemeni civilians to rely entirely on humanitarian aid, with distribution hampered by both the blockade and the war.
The Trump administration has been fully behind Saudi Arabia as it wages an increasingly assertive campaign against Iran throughout the Middle East.
http://www.soufangroup.com/tsc-intelbrief-blockade-and-starvation-in-yemen/
(* A H P)
Yemen's civilians pay price of Saudi-led blockade
The restrictions have seen civilians pay an even heavier price for the fighting.
Nawal described the situation as a "siege on people's livelihoods".
Many government employees not having received their salaries since last year, and the supplies teachers used to receive from abroad have stopped arriving because of the blockade.
With food prices having skyrocketed, sometimes the family goes without dinner.
"The suffering has been going on for a long time, and now it's worse," Nawal said. "This is not the first time that the ports have been closed."
"And every time they close the ports, the situation gets worse and food prices increase to the point where we can't provide for our children."
The Yemeni news website Aden al-Ghad last week quoted sources as saying that two patients who were due to travel abroad for medical treatment died at Seiyun airport, in the south-eastern province of Hadramawt, after flights out were grounded.
The deputy representative of United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) in Yemen, Sherin Varkey, told the BBC that the impact of the port closures on the country's already dire humanitarian situation could be devastating. He said he had seen long queues all over the city for fuel, with many vendors closed after prices rose by 60%.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-41932807 and also https://thinkprogress.org/saudis-closure-of-yemens-seaports-undoes-fight-against-famine-cholera-78bf9820734b/
(A H P)
ACAPS Short Note –Yemen Sea, air, and land embargo, 15 November 2017
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/acaps-short-note-yemen-sea-air-and-land-embargo-15-november-2017
(* A H P)
As a result of the closure of the ports .. Seven days lean experienced by the Yemeni capital Sanaa
According to a survey conducted by the Yemen Monitor in Sanaa, the prices of food and other items have increased significantly, while the oil derivatives disappeared from the filling stations, leaving the black market to ravage the pockets of simple ordinary citizens.
Ahmed al-Qulaisi (teacher) says that the living conditions have become very difficult in light of the unreasonable increases in prices and the suspension of salaries of employees. I do not know how the average citizen buys a can of beans that cost about 250 riyals after they were sold at 130 riyals. The price of a kilo of sugar reached 360 riyals after it was 280 riyals and a kilo of rice was 550 riyals. This is an intolerable situation.
"We resorted to the construction profession instead of teaching, we do not know until this war will come to us, the price of essential goods has increased by 100 percent or more," he told the Yemen Monitor, accusing traders of "exploiting the situation in a frightening way. Any control body on them.
On Saturday and Sunday, traders and importers made the highest price ever since the Houthi armed group took control of the capital, Sana'a, including all food commodities including flour, rice, sugar, oils and dairy products in local markets. Retail).
http://www.yemenmonitor.com/Details/ArtMID/908/ArticleID/21469
(A H P)
Yemen Hodeidah seaport still shut by aggression coalition
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news479453.htm
(* A H P)
UN: 'No indication' Saudi coalition reopening Yemen ports
he United Nations says there's "no indication" a Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Shiite rebels is lifting its blockade of Yemeni airports and sea ports as it announced the previous day.
Jamie McGoldrick of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Tuesday the world body is aware of an announcement that the coalition was allowing deliveries to two ports in southern Yemen.
McGoldrick says access to such ports is "helpful" but that the key need is access to the rebel-held Red Sea ports of Salif and Hodeida, closer to large population centers.
He says they are currently inaccessible to U.N. aid shipments.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/article184482663.html
(* A H P)
Yemen blockade: aid supplies stuck in Djibouti
Thousands of tonnes of aid meant for Yemen is stranded in Djibouti.
Aid groups are working around the clock to send much-needed supplies to Yemen, frantically loading larger ships to try to tackle the shortages once Saudi Arabia comes through on its promise to reopen some of the country's ports and airports (with film)
(* A H K)
UN Still Can Send Humanitarian Flights to Sanaa Airport After Recent Strike
Yemen's Sanaa international airport still can be used to receive UN humanitarian flights following a recent airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition, however, the coalition should provide relevant security guarantees, Stephane Dujarric, the UN secretary general's spokesman, said.
UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — The civil aviation department of Yemen said on Tuesday that the Saudi-led Arab coalition fighting rebels in Yemen inflicted an airstrike on the Sanaa international airport, which resulted in the destruction of its navigation system.
"We're very concerned about the attacks on… the airstrikes on Sana’a Airport. What my colleagues are telling me, from having visited the airport early today, is that the runway is not damaged. The taxiway, the ramp and the terminal were not hit, and they're in good condition. Humanitarian flights could still come in and out using a visual approach. We just now need… the guarantees from the Coalition that the airport can be used," Dujarric said at a briefing on Tuesday.
The VOR-DME radio navigation system allows you to establish the position of an aircraft in the air and its distance from the ground station.
According to the department, the coalition deliberately conducted the airstrike to suspend the only flights currently serviced by the airport, flights by the United Nations and other international humanitarian organizations.
https://sputniknews.com/world/201711151059106121-un-saudi-coalition-sanaa-strike/
(A H P)
Aden airport receives first commercial flight after Yemen blockade
Yemen’s national airline said on Tuesday a commercial flight had landed at Aden international airport after acquiring security permits, a step that will ease a blockade on one of the poorest Arab nations.
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Saudi-Arabien will Blockade des Jemens aufheben
Saudi-Arabien hat im Kampf gegen Huthi-Rebellen die jemenitischen Flug- und Seehäfen geschlossen. Hilfsorganisationen warnten vor einer Hungerkatastrophe.
Saudi-Arabien hat angekündigt, die Blockade der Flug- und Seehäfen im Bürgerkriegsland Jemen zu beenden.
Es würden weiterhin alle Schritte unternommen, um das Leiden der jemenitischen Bevölkerung zu lindern, teilte die saudische Vertretung bei den Vereinten Nationen über Twitter mit. Als erster Schritt würden innerhalb von 24 Stunden die Häfen unter Kontrolle der jemenitischen Regierung wieder geöffnet. Zuvor hatte bereits Jemens Transportminister Murad al-Halimi angekündigt, die Koalition werde die Blockade teilweise aufheben.
Für humanitäre Hilfe wichtig sind neben dem Hafen von Aden der Flughafen in Jemens Hauptstadt Sanaa sowie der Seehafen in Hudaida. Beide stehen aber unter Kontrolle der Huthis. Die Koalition erklärte, auch von Rebellen kontrollierte Häfen öffnen zu wollen. Dafür verlangte sie aber, dass die Vereinten Nationen Expertenteams dorthin senden. Diesen sollten die Kontrollmechanismen gegen Waffenschmuggel überprüfen.
http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2017-11/jemen-saudi-arabien-flughafen-seehafen-oeffnung
Mein Kommentar: Was hier nicht so ganz klar wird: Für den Hafen von Hodeid und den Flughafen von Sanaa wird die Blockade auf absehbare Zeit NICHT aufgehoben. Über Hodeida liefen (trotz weitgehender Zerstörung des Hafens, trotz der schon vorher bestehenden Blockade) ca. 70 % der Importe. Die anderen Häfen haben nicht die nötigen Kapazitäten, liegen zudem alle im Süden, während ¾ der Bevlkerung im Norden leben. Die deutschsprachige Presse berichtet hier oft genug vereinfachend falsch. Nur eine Schlagzeile und ein flascher Untertitel dazu:
(A H P)
Jemen: Flug- und Seehäfen werden geöffnet
Saudi-Arabien will die Blockade gegen das von einer Hungersnot bedrohte Bürgerkriegsland lockern. Zunächst sollen innerhalb von 24 Stunden alle Häfen geöffnet werden.
Mein Kommentar: So ist das fast Fake News. An dem Artikel lohnen immerhin die Karten. Ansonsten lesen Sie lieber woanders.
(*B H K)
Jemen droht der Hungertod
Die humanitäre Lage im Jemen spitzt sich immer mehr zu. Saudi-Arabien verhindert durch eine Blockade, dass Hilfe ins Land gelangen kann. Jemen droht nach Einschätzung der Vereinten Nationen die größte Hungersnot seit Jahrzehnten.
Die Hungerkatastrophe im Jemen droht zu eskalieren, wie die Vereinten Nationen (UN) in einer Mitteilung berichteten. Sofern Saudi-Arabien die Blockade von jemenitischen See- und Flughäfen nicht aufhebe, stehe Jemen vor dem Hungertod. Einem Bericht der Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) zufolge erschwert die Blockade es erheblich, dass humanitäre Hilfe in den Jemen gelangen kann. Laut Mark Lowcock, dem UN-Untergeneralsekretär für humanitäre Angelegenheiten, wäre es die größte Hungersnot der Welt seit Jahrzehnten.
In der letzten Woche hätten Frachter am Hafen von Hodeidah keine Erlaubnis zur Einfuhr bekommen, berichtet die Pressesprecherin der Hilfsorganisation CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief to Everywhere), Sabine Wilke. Wenn diese Situation anhalte, könnten wichtige Vorräte wie Benzin und Medikamente zur Neige gehen.
https://www.pro-medienmagazin.de/politik/2017/11/13/jemen-droht-der-hungertod/
(* B H K)
Film (Explanation): Millions Of Yemenis STARVING To Death From US-Backed Saudi Blockade
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu5wT5iHxT8&t=24s (* B H K)
The Saudi War Crimes in Yemen That The World Refuses to See
The Saudi Arabia led war and blockade in Yemen has caused catastrophic famine and largest ever cholera outbreak.
https://newsclick.in/saudi-war-crimes-yemen-world-refuses-see
Remark: Overview.
(* A H P)
'#Yemen : 8th day of total blockade. WHO 250 metric tonnes of medical aid shipment denied. Trucked water price up by 133% in #Sanaa. 23 UN flights & 3 sea trips denied. +580 aid workers unable to travel'
Karl Schembri
Regional Media Adviser in the Middle East with the Norwegian Refugee Council.
(* A H P)
The price of water trucking service in our neighborhood in Sana'a has risen by over 100%. Many families had to send their children to fetch water from water tankers supported by charitable groups.
https://twitter.com/sadeqalwesabi/status/930099399757389824
My comment: No more fuel imported.
(A H P)
Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General (13 November 2017) - Yemen
Only the al Wadea land crossing in Hadramaut governorate and the Aden seaport are open to commercial imports. However, the port at Aden does not have the capacity for commercial and humanitarian cargo, and unless the Red Sea ports in Hudaydah and Saleef are opened immediately, the UN will not be able to feed 7 million people every month
(* B H P)
Millions Face Starvation In Yemen Due To US-Ally Saudi Arabia's Blockade
What we’re looking at here is potentially the worst famine in decades, and it’s important for decent U.S. citizens from across the political spectrum to admit our government’s hands are soaked in blood.
If that’s not MAGA, then I don’t know what is.
It always makes sense when you follow the money.
My comment: Overview, mostly citing other articles in large.
(* B H P)
Food Stocks in Yemen to Run Out in Approximately 100 Days
Yemen’s stock of rice and wheat will be completely depleted in about 100 days if the Saudi-led coalition maintains its blockade on the country’s sea and airports, UN Secretary-General’s Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement on Monday.
"The World Food Program says that there are 111 days until current stocks of rice run out and 97 days until current stocks of wheat run out," UN Secretary-General’s Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement released on Monday. "Without the import of critical commodities through a lifting of the blockade on all ports, including Hudaydah and Saleef, the situation will further deteriorate."
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201711141059069750-food-stocks-yemen-run-out/
(B H K)
“Millions of Victims”: US Aiding Massive Genocide in Yemen at Behest of Saudi Arabia
Remark: Overview.
(* A P)
Yemen’s Port of Aden reopens
Two days after ordering a nationwide seaport closure, the Saudi-led military coalition battling the Houthi movement in Yemen has allowed work to resume at the Port of Aden, an official there said on Wednesday.
According to news agency Reuters, an official, who declined to be named, said: “We were officially notified by the coalition this afternoon that the clo
http://www.portstrategy.com/news101/world/middle-east/yemens-port-of-aden-reopens
(* B)
Stats usually cited: Hodeidah brings in 70% of imports to Yemen, 70-80% of humanitarian aid. Even at extremely limited capacity.
https://twitter.com/annieslem/status/929968333927124992
(A H K)
Saudi Arabia says it will reopen 'some' of Yemen's air and seaports after international outrage
Riyadh says transport links in government loyal cities will reopen - but key rebel ports remain shut as aid agencies warn of worsening famine
Saudi Arabia has said that airports, border crossings and ports controlled by the Arab coalition in Yemen are to reopen, a week after Riyadh closed down the whole country in retaliation for a Houthi ballistic missile attack.
Aden, Mocha and Mukalla’s ports will resume normal activity within 24 hours, as will Aden and Seyoun airports, the Saudi mission to the UN said on Monday.
However, major ports and airports under rebel control, which most of the country’s aid passes through, will remain closed until Riyadh has sought opinions from UN experts on how to prevent weapons from being smuggled in.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-blockade-yemen-airports-sea-ports-sanaa-hodeida-houthis-iran-a8052966.html and similar https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2017/11/13/riyadh-to-reopen-yemen-airports-seaports-folloiwng-international-pressure
My comment: What that really means: cp1.
Comment: Misleading title.
Saudi Arabia should, eventually, reopen only its controlled ports/airports leaving out #Hodeidah port and #Sanaa airport which represent a vital lifeline.
Saudi Arabia will neither 'ease' the blockade in any way as Yemen is still under siege. It just means that, little by little, sporadically, it will allow 'some' aid to enter.
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1555109954542029
(A H K)
Saudi Arabia: Yemen’s air and sea ports to reopen in 24 hours
Saudi Arabia announced that it will reopen all Yemeni ports within 24 hours after a week of closures, Al Arabiya English reported.
My comment: ALL ports?? That contradicts the reports listed in cp1. And the Al Arabiya report quoted here exactly does NOT tell that.
And also RT follows this narrative although there are no proofs at all:
(A H K)
Saudi Arabia agrees to lift blockade on Yemen as children face starvation & cholera
As children in war-torn Yemen continue to face severe malnutrition and a deadly cholera outbreak, Saudi Arabia has agreed to reopen air and sea ports following a week-long blockade. RT has met with children affected by the dire situation.
Riyadh's decision, announced earlier on Monday, comes four days after the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said that nearly 400,000 children in Yemen are "at risk of death from severe acute malnutrition."
Yet, Abdu Ilahi al-Harazi from the Special Hospitals Union said that civilians should never be deprived of necessities simply because Riyadh is worried about weapons coming into the country. "Food and medicine are not weapons, they're things that have nothing to do with weapons. They shouldn't be manipulated," he said.
The chair of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, Massoud Shadjareh, echoed that sentiment. "There is no logical reason that we couldn't...take medicine and deal with the issue of cholera. There is no logical reason that we couldn't...give food and support to those who are starving...the only thing that is holding us back is the fact that the Saudis and their allies, with the help and support of the United States and the West, are putting very effective...blockade which no food, no medicine gets through," he said.
https://www.rt.com/news/409749-saudi-blockade-yemen-starvation/
My comment: No. “agrees to lift blockade on Yemen “ is almost Fake News. The Saudis simply do not fuss about the childrens’ fate. And their western backers do not care. In the best case, they declare that they are “concerned”. You can tell this every day twice, and it means nothing at all. – Anyway, worth a read for the words of the critics.
Comment: Spinning typhoon of utter confusion as to whether #Saudi Arabia has cancelled, in part or in whole, its full blockade of all #Yemen land, sea & airports.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/930124733433212928
But despite Riyadh's media statements (all BS so far, in fact), moves on the ground indicate Saudi Arabia is moving its militias in force to Al Mahrah. Aim : To shut down #Yemen's border with #Oman.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/930127132600274944
Comment: A more accurate version of headlines like: "#Saudi to re-open #Yemen ports" Would be: "After complete Yemen blockade, Saudi to keep vital ports closed" Opening Aden, Mukalla; that's progress. But keeping Hodeida closed will be devastating--not for Houthis, for civilians.
https://twitter.com/K_Beckerle/status/930125865375207426
(* A H P)
The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Announces Resuming Humanitarian and Commercial Access to all Ports under the Control of the Legitimate Government of Yemen
In light of the recent measures taken by the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen in response to the continued violations of the relevant Security Council resolutions, including Security Council resolutions 2216 and 2231, and the threats directed against the security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the neighbouring countries in flagrant violation of the rules and norms of international law and the United Nations Charter, and with the view that all possible measures will continue to be taken to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people, we wish to confirm that steps are being taken by the Coalition in full consultation and agreement with the Government of Yemen, to start the process of reopening airports and seaports in Yemen to allow for the safe transfer of humanitarian actors and humanitarian and commercial shipments. The first step in this process will be taken within the next 24 hours and involves reopening of all ports in areas controlled by the Government of Yemen, including Aden, Mukalla, and Mocha, as well as, the airports of Aden, Seiyun and Socotra. The Coalition is in the process of developing a comprehensive plan for humanitarian relief including a review of inspection and verification procedures.
With regards to other ports currently under the control of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, including Hodeida, the Coalition requests the Secretary General to send, as soon as possible, a team of experts to the Coalition Command Center in Riyadh to review current UNVIM procedures to enhance and deliver a more robust verification and inspection mechanism aimed at facilitating the flow of humanitarian and commercial shipments while preventing the smuggling of weapons, ammunitions, missile parts, and cash that are regularly being supplied by Iran and Iranian accomplices to the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, in direct violation of Security Council Resolutions 2216 and 2231.
Simultaneously, the Coalition will be preparing proposals for the ongoing operation of Hodeida port and Sanaa airport, and in this regard, will continue to engage constructively with the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed for increasing commercial and humanitarian shipments including new arrangements for the management of Hodeida port and city and Sanaa airport based on these new proposals.
The Coalition will not cease its efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people, including in the case of the continued obstructive role by the Iranian-backed Houthi militias and their allies and refusal to respond agreeably to the Special Envoy's proposals and initiatives.
In this regard, the Coalition will take all appropriate measures to insure humanitarian delivery and commercial access, and put an end to trafficking in weapons and ammunitions to the Iranian-backed Houthi militia and their allies, in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions.
The Mission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reaffirms the commitment of Saudi Arabia and all Coalition members to provide all necessary support to the Government and people of Yemen to help overcome all obstacles to ensure the peace and security of Yemen and alleviate the suffering of its people.
My comment: This is the Saudi coalition’s s statement in full. A document of hypocrisy really telling: “We starve northern Yemen to death”.
(A H P)
#Dhamar and #Sanaa streets are empty due to fuel shortage,I took this photo when I was in Dhamar city , I was shocked to see it like that . prices of transportation is doubled, if found! #Yemen #Saudi should not blockade civilians. (photo9
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/930112552033509381
(A P)
The Latest: Saudi UN ambassador denies Yemen embargo
Saudi Arabia's U.N. ambassador is denying that there has been an embargo on Yemen, saying "a temporary procedure" was taken for a few days to ensure the safety and security of Yemenis and Saudis and supplies were available.
Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi reiterated at a news conference at U.N. headquarters in New York on Monday that closed seaports and airports will start reopening within the 24 hours promised late Sunday.
"There is no embargo," he said. "There are many sources of supply to Yemen, even during the past week or so."
http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-world/article184297753.html
My comment: LOL: There is a blockade since 2 ½ years.
(B H P)
Uno vs. Arabische Koalition: Was hinter Blockade von Jemen wirklich steckt
Seit Beginn der ausländischen Aggression gegen Jemen und der Verhängung einer Blockade durch die von Saudi-Arabien geführte Koalition verschlechtert sich die humanitäre Situation im Jemen immer weiter. Dies teilte der Chef des Zentrums für Menschenrechte im Jemen, Taha Abu Taleb, in einem Sputnik-Interview mit. „Das Verbot der Lieferung von notwendigen Produkten selbst durch internationale UN-Organisationen hat die Situation stark beeinflusst“, sagte Abu Taleb. Der Brennstoff reiche selbst für Krankenhäuser nicht aus, die Preise würden täglich steigen. Wenn diese Blockade fortgesetzt werde, werde dies die seit Jahrzehnten schlimmste Hungersnot im Jemen verursachen, vor der der Uno-Nothilfekoordinator Mark Lowcock jüngst warnte. Der Experte betonte dabei, dass die Uno die arabische Koalition bereits mehrmals aufgerufen habe, die Blockade aufzuheben, während Saudi-Arabien sie nur weiter verschärfe. Leider spiele die internationale Organisation derzeit nur noch die Rolle eines Sprachrohrs, das keinen wirklichen Einfluss auf die Situation ausüben könne, betonte Abu Taleb. https://de.sputniknews.com/politik/20171113318275501-uno-arabische-koalition-jemen-blockade/
(A P)
Saudi coalition refuses to re-open key Yemen port
Saudi Ambassador Abdallah al-Mouallimi told reporters that ports in government-controlled areas such as Aden, Mukalla and Mocha will be reopened, but demanded tighter restrictions on the key port of Hodeida.
"If the sea port of Hodeida is to be reopened, it will have to be under safe conditions that would ensure that there will be no supply of weapons and ammunitions coming through that port," Mouallimi said.
My comment: LOL. Look at articles in cp1.
(* A K)
Huthis kündigen nach saudischer Jemen-Blockade an: Wir versenken eure Kriegsschiffe und Öltanker
Die Rebellenregierung der Huthis im Jemen hat gedroht, saudische Kriegsschiffe und Öltanker zu versenken, wenn Saudi-Arabien nicht die Blockade aufhebt, die das Leben von Millionen Menschen in dem vom Krieg zerrütteten Land bedroht.
„Schlachtschiffe und Öltanker der Angreifer und deren Bewegungen werden nicht gegen das Feuer der jemenitischen Marinestreitkräfte immun sein, wenn sie von der obersten Führung angewiesen werden“, zitieren die Al-Masirah-Nachrichten Marine-Militärs.
Zuvor sagte Rebellen-Regierungssprecher Brigadegeneral Sharaf Ghalib Luqman, dass „systematische Verbrechen“ und die „Schließung der Häfen“ die Huthi-Kräfte zwingt, „alle Quellen der Aggressionen ins Visier zu nehmen“. Er fügte hinzu, dass das Land bereit ist, „unverzüglich auf die Eskalation der saudischen und US-Aggression zu reagieren“.
https://deutsch.rt.com/der-nahe-osten/60517-houthis-kundigen-nach-saudischer-jemen/
(* A H P)
Yemen blockade: Sick and starving trapped as UN warns of 'millions' facing death
"We are asking international organisations to please try and lift this blockade of Yemen," Rathwan told the ABC.
The Yemeni Ministry of Health estimated that even before these new measures, 10,000 patients in the rebel held north died in the past year waiting for medical care not available in Yemen.
"Sadly, now with the closure of all the airports and other ports, it has shut off all safety doors to save sick people and that has led to a vast increase in our death toll," said Dr Ali Alamri, the President of the Hospital Authority in Sanaa.
"Severe cases which have medical reports stating they need to travel abroad immediately to receive medical care occur on a weekly basis at al-Thawrah hospital."
Yesterday, at al-Sabheen hospital in the capital, the ABC's producer in Sanaa witnessed more than a dozen emaciated babies and toddlers receiving treatment in the malnutrition ward.
Their tiny skeletal bodies are evidence of the dire food crisis that is overwhelming this country.
"And the fact there are no journalists allowed in the country limits the visibility of the crisis."
The aid worker said she was just one of dozens of NGO and UN aid workers currently blocked from accessing the country at this crucial time.
"It's likely that [stuck outside Yemen] there are as many as 50 to 100 experts in things like water and sanitation, health, food and logistics that are all needed to maintain the humanitarian response," said Ms Vanmeegan.
"As well as that of course there is a huge number of people stuck inside of Yemen. So INGO workers and UN officials who are essentially being held hostage."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-13/yemen-blockade:-sick-and-starving-trapped/9143140
(* A H P)
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has said that it is currently looking into whether the coalition’s blockade on Yemen could be considered a form of collective punishment, which is prohibited under international humanitarian law
https://twitter.com/SumayaBakhsh/status/929824266467516416
A hospital in the besieged city of Taiz has only two weeks of dialysis solution to treat its 270 kidney patients - they sought help from hospitals in rebel-held province of Ibb & government’s temporary seat of Aden but all facing similar situations due to the coalition blockade
https://twitter.com/SumayaBakhsh/status/929808886063919109
(A H P)
Film: "Aid agencies like the Norwegian Refugee Council cannot import any of their aid or equipment right now, including #fuel." @Karl_Schembri tells @AJArabic.
https://twitter.com/NRC_MiddleEast/status/929807001697378304
(A H P)
Urgent need for millions in Yemen to receive food and medicines as situation continues to deteriorate
The international humanitarian aid agency Islamic Relief is calling for aid workers to be given unhindered access in Yemen so that millions on the brink of malnutrition or suffering from cholera have access to the food and medicines that are being brought into the country.
(* B P)
INTERVIEW WITH RANIA MASRI ON SAUDI ARABIA AND KIDNAPPING OF LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER
Was this all meant to provoke an Israeli military assault on Lebanon?
Hariri’s detention unfolds as Salman and others simultaneously burnish their image in the world press as reformers.
This week on the “Unauthorized Disclosure” podcast, Arab American professor and activist Rania Masri joins the show to unpack and contextualize all that has happened with Saudi Arabia and Lebanon in the past days.
Masri briefly outlines political responses in Lebanon, what the Saudi regime may be seeking to accomplish, and how media is whitewashing the regime by treating the Crown Prince as a “reformer.” She also addresses the blaming of Iran for the escalation in tensions. And, later in the show, she recaps the first year of Donald Trump’s presidency and how the administration has reinforced the agenda of the Saudi regime.
Listen to the interview with Rania Masri by clicking on the above player or by going here. (Audio; transcript, part)
https://shadowproof.com/2017/11/12/interview-rania-masri-saudi-kidnapped-hariri-lebanese-pm/
(* B K P)
Yemenis hold US responsible for devastation from Saudi bombings and blockade
Two years of the U.S.-backed Saudi war in Yemen has caused a disastrous humanitarian situation in the poorest Arab country. The conflict is increasingly stoking anti-American sentiment among Yemenis, many of whom see the U.S. government as a killer using Saudi hands.
Yemenis know that most of the Saudi weapons are U.S.-made: Abrams tanks, Bradley vehicles and some cluster bombs, not to mention the F-16 and F-15 fighter jets that fly over their heads around the clock.
As a result, anti-American sentiment is on the rise. Yemenis have repeatedly taken to the streets chanting against the United States. Many of those who have lost friends and family to Saudi airstrikes show more hatred toward the United States than toward Saudi Arabia. They believe the Saudis would not have dared to fight them without American support and consent.
So activists have organized a nationwide campaign using the slogan, “The U.S. kills Yemeni people,” hoping to embarrass the United States before the world.
Huge posters in the streets of major cities proclaim, “America kills Yemeni people.” Televisions, radios and papers have daily shows using the hashtag #AmericaKillsYemeniPeople.
“We made this campaign because the Saudi war was declared against us from Washington, not from Riyadh,” says Mohammed Haidra, who coordinates the campaign.
The U.S. has not only turned the Yemeni people against it, but has also been supporting its enemies, al-Qaeda and ISIS, by supporting the Saudi Wahhabi regime which provides the ideological basis of these terrorist groups. These groups are also exploiting the chaos to further expand and recruit – by Nasser Arrabyee
(B C K)
Saudi Arabia Makes a Strategic Miscalculation
How did the country wind up making such a strategic blunder? Going into the conflict, its leaders were well aware of the steep odds against the operation's success — of Yemen's unconquerable terrain and intractable tribal machinations. The Saudis tend to equivocate in their explanations of what drove them to intervene in the war-torn country in the first place. But a look at the kingdom's history and founding ideology offers insight into Riyadh's dilemma in Yemen.
Because of their diverging interests in Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have differing levels of commitment to the conflict, too. Abu Dhabi's crown prince announced on Twitter in June 2016 that his country would end its military involvement in Yemen, though it would continue "monitoring political arrangements" and "empowering Yemenis in liberated areas." Saudi troops, meanwhile, have continued their fight in the state, pursuing goals that seem more distant by the day.
Saudi Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman knows the kingdom will probably never defeat the Houthis in Yemen.
http://www.meforum.org/7008/saudi-arabia-makes-strategic-miscalculation
(* B H K)
Role of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia in rebuilding Yemen
The destruction and damage done to the country has to be categorized through systematic clearance and rehabilitation process for specified selected areas, one by one. The process for reconstruction and rehabilitation needs time and skills.
Here a trust deficit created as a result of the war in the hearts of Yemenis for the western powers is a limitation; therefore the building and restoration should not be done by western companies as the Yemenis will still look at it with suspicion. However; if this rebuilding is done by Pakistan then being a Muslim country, the help is not likely to be opposed.
I further would like to propose that Saudi decision-makers consider inviting Pakistan for the rebuilding process in Yemen so that as a neighbour Saudi authorities can play their effective role in providing relief to Yemen by effective logistic support of Pakistan.
The reason I urge Muslim nations to jointly help Yemen is because of my study on the destruction in Iraq where owing to the increasing number of deaths, and hopelessness, the people there became vulnerable and were left at the mercy of Daesh
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/243906-Role-of-Pakistan-Saudi-Arabia-in-rebuilding-Yemen
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
Saudi Blockade: cp 1, cp2.
(* A H)
Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) warnt vor Ausbreitung der Diphtherie im Jemen
(* A H)
Film: This child is suffering from severe acute malnutrition, like thousands of children across Yemen. Extreme hunger is hitting the most vulnerable as the conflict in Yemen continues.
https://twitter.com/Channel4News/status/930870012059013120
(A H)
Film: Child wishes - internally Displaced Children in #Yemen due to US-Saudi/UAE siege & aggression
https://www.facebook.com/StopTheWarOnYemen/videos/vb.319595141544022/763597887143743/?type=2&theater
(A H)
People's needs are high comparing to what we are delivering. if we reached out 500 families with food supply but there is many others couldn't be reached out because our capability is limited and the needs are high. #Hodeidah
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/930832930892591104
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/930830808721625088
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/930827784640966657
(A H)
Message from Human Needs Development - HND in #Sanaa:
''13-November-2017: Food packages were distributed to a number of "most vulnerable" orphan children in the capital of Yemen, Sana'a. (photos)
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1556137511105940
(A H)
The Yemeni Ministry of Public Health Launches Call for Relief to Save Dialysis Patients in Ibb
The Ministry of Public Health and Population launched a call for relief to international organizations to rescue dialysis patients in Ibb governorate and other governorates.
The ministry said in a statement received by the Yemeni news agency (Saba) that it received a distress call and an appeal from the dialysis center in Ibb governorate
(A H)
Map: Yemen: Access Constraints as of 14 November 2017
https://reliefweb.int/map/yemen/yemen-access-constraints-14-november-2017
(A H)
Yemen Humanitarian Imports Overview, October 2017
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-humanitarian-imports-overview-october-2017
(* A H)
Yemen Food Security Outlook, October 2017 to May 2018
Large populations in Yemen continue to face Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or Emergency (IPC Phase 4) acute food insecurity, the latter of which is associated with increased acute malnutrition and an increased risk of excess mortality. IDP populations, poor households in conflict zones, and poor households in areas with very high levels of acute malnutrition are likely facing the most severe outcomes.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-food-security-outlook-october-2017-may-2018
(* B H K)
Film: Yemen: Walking through minefields to get to school
Al Jazeera's Bernard Smith reports on how parts of Yemen have been littered with the Houthi's landmines that have taken a major toll on civilians.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/yemen-walking-minefields-school-171114142721294.html
(* A H)
Please take a minute and think about The story of people in Hodeidah saying that there is many and many families who they don't have any idea how to get food to feed their children, I have seen many people begging to just get any thing from the others.
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/930171191092006914
Once before happened in front of me and today the same thing has repeated again. People in Hodeidah in western #Yemen are hungry and they are fighting each other to get food. That is unfortunately, is completely true but could hear their voice.
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/930172694108295168
"I have got this bread from many places today," showing me her bag. Believe me my son if I have anything inside my home to feed my 9-member family, I won't be now here in front of you begging u 2 help me.'' We are not able to continue. she says Hodeidah (photo)
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/930183598543601664
(* A H)
Film: This is happening right now in #Yemen - the ABC's producer in #Sanaa just filmed this on the weekend. UN says if #Saudi doesn't lift the blockade it "could lead to worst famine in decades & millions could die"
https://twitter.com/Sophiemcneill/status/929952011587637249
(A H)
We are right now in Hodeidah governorate in western #Yemen distributing urgent food aid to 500 most vulnerable families there. Stories of suffer there will be told later. Plz pray for me. @monarelief (photos)
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/930014807088140288
(A H)
Increasing number of ppl asking for assistance outside our UNHCR-supported centre for displaced people in Sana'a. Pre #YemenClosure 400-600 people arrived each day but now 600-800. All seeking aid b/c of further economic duress and worsening poverty brought by the crisis (photos)
https://twitter.com/Shabia_M/status/929963279732150273
(A H)
Al Thawra General Hospital in #Ibb Governorate.
A distress call is launched to save the lives of hundreds of patients with renal failure after all necessary solutions have run out and the section was closed.
The number of deaths increased from 3 to 7 deaths within 24 hours. (photo)
(B H)
Photo: We queue for water, we queue for gasoline, we queue for gas.
We have no electricity and rely on inner strength to go by.
Hodeidah port, the sole lifeline to #Yemen, is never mentioned in the Saudi propaganda 'ports to reopen'. We wait. And we queue.
(* B H)
Crisis in Yemen
Two and a half years of devastating conflict have plunged Yemen into one of the world's gravest humanitarian crises. The country is on the brink of famine and is also now suffering the largest ever outbreak of cholera since records began. We are delivering emergency aid but we urgently need your help to do more.
We are delivering essential aid in the north and south of the country and have reached 1.2 million people across the frontlines, since July 2015.
Help includes:
clean water and sanitation services, including in hard-to-reach areas of the country, by trucking drinking water, repairing water systems and latrines;
Supporting families with cash payments to buy food in the local market or livestock, and cash for work programs, so they get a possible source of income.
https://www.oxfam.org/en/emergencies/crisis-yemen
(* A H)
WFP Yemen Country Brief, September 2017
During September, WFP Yemen reached 6.5 million beneficiaries in 19 governorates using in-kind food assistance and commodity vouchers. Of these people, about 3 million received full entitlements while 3.52 million received a reduced entitlement (60 percent) due to funding constraints.
WFP Yemen has a 6-month shortfall of USD 289 million (Oct ‘17-March ‘18) for fully implementing the emergency operation plan.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/wfp-yemen-country-brief-september-2017
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
(* B H)
Film: Yemeni refugees choosing to return to war-torn country
More than 35,000 Yemenis have escaped to Djibouti (the former French colony, bordered by Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia) since the war started more than two years ago. Many of the refugees are unwilling to stay in a camp in the north of the country due to very poor conditions and harsh weather.
At one point more than 6,000 refugees lived in the Markazi camp - most of whom left it to rent accommodation in other parts of the country. Others have returned to Yemen, preferring the uncertainty of a war zone to life in the camp.
Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow reports from northern Djibouti.
(* B H)
Film: Yemen's internally displaced persons camp: A 24-hour walk to safety
A look inside Yemen's internally displaced persons camp. Mansaya, a mother who travelled 24 hours to reach the camp describes the conditions, telling the BBC that: "We have nothing".
http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-middle-east-41989459/yemen-s-internally-displaced-persons-camp-a-24-hour-walk-to-safety = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2aCyP-PDrU
(* A H)
Yemen: Protection Cluster Update (November 2017)
The recent spike in civilian casualties highlights once again the need to ensure protection of civilians and the growing protection needs for the conflict-affected population of Yemen. Displacement has increased since June, as have negative coping mechanisms for an already vulnerable population struggling with ongoing conflict, cholera and risk of famine, necessitating urgent and immediate protection and assistance to those in need.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-protection-cluster-update-november-2017
(A H)
Yemen UNHCR Weekly Update, 27 Oct – 2 Nov 2017
1,980,510 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
84 per cent of IDPs displaced for more than a year
946,044 IDP returnees
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-unhcr-weekly-update-27-oct-2-nov-2017
(* A H K)
Houthi militias displace 60 new families from their Taiz village
The Houthi-Saleh rebel militias have reportedly forced the displacement of 60 new families from their village of al-Ashrooh in western Taiz and planted scores of landmines between houses to prevent the locals' return, local sources said on Friday.
http://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-12801 and http://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-12803
(B H)
Djibouti: Inter-agency operational update; response to the Yemen situation, October 2017 [EN/FR]
Since conflict in Yemen erupted in early 2015, thousands have been fleeing the country for safe haven.
The situation has worsened as Yemenis also suffer disease and famine. Djibouti has welcomed around 38,000 Yemeni refugees, many of whom have moved on to other countries, but those who have stayed, live in the Markazi refugee camp at Obock and in urban areas. As Djibouti struggles to build the capacity to effectively address the steady influx of refugees, it counts on international efforts to effectively respond to the needs of this vulnerable community.
https://reliefweb.int/report/djibouti/djibouti-inter-agency-operational-update-response-yemen-situation-october-2017-enfr
(* B H)
Yemen: Abyan, Aden, Al Dhale’e, Al Maharah, Hadramaut, Ibb, Lahj, Shabwah, Socotra, TaizzIDP - Hosting Site Baseline Assessment Comparative Overview, June - August 2017
The IDP Hosting Site Baseline Assessment aims to support targeting and response planning by humanitarian stakeholders, including authorities, UN agencies, local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs). It provides a baseline of key multi-sectoral indicators across IDP hosting sites in 22 governorates, based on data collected through interviews with key informants in each site.
The baseline assessment will help to inform the site management support which will be offered to the local authorities and humanitarian actors in charge of IDP hosting sites, as well as the support which will be offered to IDPs to establish self-governance, community participation and communication processes within IDP hosting sites.
REACH supports the Shelter / NFI / CCCM Cluster in data analysis and output production. A core set of products created as a result of the data collection exercises includes:
Summary report - Overview of key indicators and comparative analysis of sites to identify those in most urgent need;
Site Profiles - Produced for each site with relevant sectoral information;
Site Maps - Maps showing site location and characteristics.
This report presents findings from ten governorates
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-abyan-aden-al-dhale-e-al-maharah-hadramaut-ibb-lahj-shabwah-socotra-taizzidp and https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-idp-hosting-site-baseline-assessment-site-profiles-june-august-2017
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
(A P)
FM meets head of ICRC delegation in Yemen
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news479465.htm
(A P)
Mother of the Mojahideen shoots young man in Ibb
A woman member of the Houthi-Saleh rebel militias killed a young man named Ammar al-Mabeedh after she opened fire on him using a Kalashnikov before a crowd of shoppers in downtown Ibb on Sunday.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-12865
My comment: Ibb’s Houthis seem to be the worst.
(* A P)
Al Houthi-Saleh Supreme Political Council President Saleh al Samad stated that the Saudi-led coalition can end the war by engaging in direct dialogue with the al Houthi-Saleh bloc during a rally in Sana’a city, northern Yemen on November 13. Al Samad added that the coalition’s continued intervention in Yemen will force the al Houthi-Saleh bloc to further develop its military capabilities..[3]
(A P)
Jemen: Tausende demonstrieren gegen saudische Blockade
Tausende Menschen haben in Jemens Hauptstadt Sanaa gegen die von Saudi-Arabien geführte Blockade des Landes demonstriert. Die Protestierenden zogen am Montag vor die UN-Vertretung in Sanaa. Die Demonstranten prangerten die "unterdrückende Belagerung" des Landes an.
https://kurier.at/politik/ausland/jemen-tausende-demonstrieren-gegen-saudische-blockade/297.960.351
(A P)
Thousands protest in Yemen against Saudi-led blockade
Young and old, desk clerks and activists, Yemenis from all walks of life took to the streets Monday to protest a Saudi-led blockade that has left thousands struggling to survive.
"This siege is oppressive, and the whole world is sleeping!" people chanted as thousands gathered outside the UN offices in the rebel-held capital Sanaa.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5077883/Thousands-protest-Yemen-against-Saudi-led-blockade.html and also (photos) https://medium.com/@GeopoliticsAlert/yemenis-march-against-us-saudi-violence-and-blockade-photos-6037c96f2b8d
(A P)
Houthi gunmen attack volunteers in Hajjah province
A group of volunteers were attacked by Houthi gunmen in Hajjah province, north-west of Yemen.
According to a memorandum submitted to the Director of the Public Health Office under the pretext of the attack, gunmen belonging to the supervisor of the Houthis "Naif Abu Karashva", beat a number of volunteers in the field of health, during the field, as part of a voluntary training process built.
http://republicanyemen.com/?p=1891
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
( AP)
Local authorities in A-Mahrah province, #Yemen lifted huge pictures of Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said amid the city's public streets, following a day of military tension following the arrival of Saudi led coalition forces, amid a cold war between the UAE and Oman (photos)
https://twitter.com/HussamSanabani/status/930842437823713281
and
(A P)
#Mahra tribes initially prevented #Saudi-led coalition entering Ghayda airport. Mahri Security Cttee issued statement after urgent meeting. Main points: -Airport must NOT be military base -Current management must continue -Coalition must coordinate constantly with Mahris (photos)
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/930847447139708928
(A T)
Pro-#alQaeda wire in Abyan #Yemen claims 2 roadside bombs against #UAE-supported Security Belt forces east of Mudiya city in Abyan today. One struck a military pick up, the other an armoured vehicle. No casualty details.
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/930873922773508107
(A P)
Mansour Hadi, President of the Internationally Recognised Government in exile of #Yemen arrived for the UN Climate Change Conference COP23 in Bonn, Germany, 15 November 2017.
In the meantime, his country is under lock
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1557041397682218
My comment: Thus Hadi could leave his „house arrest“ at Riyadh.
(A)
Is conflict brewing inside #Mahra east #Yemen? Concern is centered on idea of Mahri Elite Force which may not be in Mahri hands.
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/930461132497784832
(A T)
Explosion in Al-Hawtah #Shabwa during Shabwani Elite force operations.
The blast caused some injuries among Shabwani Elite force soldiers (photos)
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1555745087811849
(* A T)
Islamic State claims suicide attack in Yemen; 6 killed
The Islamic State group affiliate in Yemen claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing early Tuesday that targeted security forces in the southern port city of Aden, killing at least six people and injuring scores.
The attack took place at a building in the Sheikh Othman district in the central part of the city. Residents several kilometers (miles) away heard a large explosion and saw thick black smoke rising from the area. The attack caused panic in this densely populated area, which is busy with schools, markets and street vendors.
Ambulances rushed to the site, where the building was badly damaged, and debris and body parts littered the area.
According to medical officials, six soldiers were killed but officials believe the death toll will rise. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak to the press.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/article184479343.html and photos https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1555642571155434
(* A T)
At least six killed in Yemen suicide bombing claimed by Islamic State
At least six people were killed on Tuesday when a suicide car bomb ripped through a base used by a local security force in Yemen’s southern port city of Aden, residents said, in an attack claimed by Islamic State.
Dozens of other people, including civilians, were wounded in the attack, which occurred outside a camp used by a local security force organized by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Witnesses described a huge explosion that shook the al-Mansoura district in northern Aden, destroying at least one building and shattering windows in others. A plume of smoke rose over the area.
Ambulances raced to the scene to evacuate the wounded. Pictures circulating on social media showed several young men in military uniform being carried away.
Residents said two suicide bombers carried out the attack. But Islamic state, which claimed responsibility for the attack, said only one bomber was involved and identified him as Abu Hajar al-Adani.
and
(* A T)
Aden: Suicide bombing toll arise to nine dead
http://almasdaronline.com/article/95490
and
(A T)
#IslamicState claims today's deadly operation in #Aden #Yemen against "apostate Security Belt Forces loyal to the Emirates statelet". (image) https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/930420863995965442 and https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/930513333828116480
(A T)
Information ministry condemns bombing of press premises
The Ministry of Information has condemned bombing of the premises of al-Shomooa Press Foundation and Akbar al-Yowm daily by unknown gunmen in Aden on Saturday.
http://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-12827
(* A P)
President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi announced the formation of a national coalition in Aden city to strengthen the unity of the government and facilitate the return to political negotiations on November 13. Representatives from the General People’s Congress, the Islah Party, the Yemeni Socialist Party, the Nasserist Unionist People's Organisation and the Southern Movement signed the statement.[3]
and
(* A P)
7 Yemen parties unite in support of President Hadi
Seven Yemeni parties yesterday announced that they will form a national alliance to support the legitimacy of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi against Houthi rebels and forces loyal to ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The parties said in a statement reported by the official Saba news agency that “the alliance will be announced in the coming days from the interim capital of Aden”.
The statement pointed out that the new alliance aims to build a national consensus which supports restoring legitimacy and ending the coup in all its forms and images.
“The alliance also aims to return to the political process based on the Gulf initiative and its executive mechanism, the outputs of the national dialogue and UN resolution 2216 and the Riyadh Conference document,” it added.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171114-7-yemen-parties-unite-in-support-of-president-hadi/ and also https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-12863
Comment: Bizarre. I can't imagine this is actually happening - it sounds like propaganda to me
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156107790068641
(* B P)
UAE undermines Hadi’s authority in Yemen through separatists
Abu Dhabi favours supporting extremist Salafist groups against the Yemeni Rally for Reform Party, one of the most important elements supporting the country’s legitimate government
The UAE’s support for the Southern Transitional Council in Yemen is undermining the power of internationally backed President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, the Associated Press reported yesterday.
The news agency explaining that “Abu Dhabi favours supporting extremist Salafist groups against the Yemeni Rally for Reform Party, one of the most important elements supporting the country’s legitimate government.”
According to the analysis, the UAE also supports separatist leaders and militias to undermine Hadi’s authority.
(A)
Worried locals in al-#Mahra in east #Yemen report 27 vehicles of armed men crossed from Hadramawt c.3 hours ago into al-Mahra.#
New #Yemen flashpoint: Armed forces entering #Mahra are being billed as a "Hadrami & Mahri Elite Force"
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/929838941846540288
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/929847976348012545
(A T)
Emirati-backed security forces clash with AQAP militants in Shabwah governorate, eastern Yemen [4]
(A T)
Shabwa: Shaban Elite Commander vows to purge Ataq
The commander of the Pro-government Shabawan Elites, which is backed up by the UAE, has threatened to expel al-Qaeda organization from Ataq city, the capital of Shabwa province,
http://almasdaronline.com/article/95436
(A T)
Pro-South #Yemen press reports that #UAE-supported Shabwa Elite Force found big stash of weapons, rockets, ammo today "in an #AQAP leader's house" in Hawta
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/929792865374474240
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
Siehe auch / Look also at cp1, cp2
(A P)
Iran FM Pens Letter to UN Chief over Yemen Crisis
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned about the deteriorating and worrisome situation in Yemen, urging the international community to play a more effective and decisive role to end the “senseless” Saudi war on the impoverished country.
In another part of his letter, Zarif said, “I believe that it is long overdue to consider and implement the four-point plan that I proposed — in my letter of 17 April 2015 addressed to your predecessor contained in document S/2015/263 — right after the Saudi-led coalition initiated war on Yemen. Today, the same plan, which includes the following, remains to be applicable and indeed imperative in order to end this nightmare:
http://ifpnews.com/wired/iran-fm-letter-un-yemen/
cp7a Saudi-Arabien und Iran / Saudi Arabia and Iran
(A P)
Saudisches Komplott
Präsident Hassan Rohani wirft Riad vor, sich im Jemen und Libanon einzumischen und damit die gesamte Region in eine weitere schwere Krise zu stürzen
Er warf Riad vor, im Jemen Feindseligkeiten zu schüren, den IS zu stärken und den „bisher beispiellosen“ Rücktritt des libanesischen Premiers Hariri eingefädelt zu haben. Rohanis Reaktion kam einen Tag, nachdem der saudische Kronprinz Mohammad bin Salman Teheran eine „direkte militärische Aggression“ durch die Lieferung von Raketen an die Huthi-Rebellen im Jemen vorgeworfen hatte. Teheran wies das vehement zurück.
„Was soll diese Feinseligkeit gegenüber den Völkern Syriens und des Irak? Warum stärken Sie den IS und überlassen ihm die Völker der Region? Wieso mischen Sie sich in die inneren Angelegenheiten und die Regierungsführung im Libanon ein?“
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/the-guardian/saudisches-komplott
(A P)
‘Iran concerned about Riyadh, open for normalization’
A top advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader has said that Tehran is very concerned about Riyadh’s foreign policy, indicating also that the Islamic Republic is open to talks that do not come with preconditions.
Kamal Kharrazi made the remarks in a recent interview with the Austrian-based Wiener Zeitung.
http://www.tehrantimes.com/news/418427/Iran-concerned-about-Riyadh-open-for-normalization
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
Siehe / Look at cp1
(A E P)
SoftBank plans to invest up to $25 billion in Saudi Arabia: Bloomberg
Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) plans to invest as much as $25 billion in Saudi Arabia over the next three to four years, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
My comment: High risk assets?
(A P)
Saudi Arabia to launch anti-illegal residency campaign Nov. 15
The Ministry of Interior will begin implementing a joint field campaign starting Nov. 15, 2017 until further notice, to arrest over-stayers and violators of residence, work and border security regulations, which will target expatriates, carriers, and operators.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1193356/saudi-arabia#.Wgw4f3ZjYaw.twitter
Remark: will target expatriates, carriers, and operators.
https://twitter.com/EstherMuruaga/status/930780786969726978
(A P)
Good news: Yoga is officially 'halal' in Saudi Arabia!
Fitness enthusiasts in Saudi Arabia can rejoice – yoga is officially back on the programme.
The Saudi Ministry of trade and industry has officially approved the teaching of yoga and listed it under their sports activities. Those wishing to practice or teach yoga can now collect a license from the Ministry.
(A P)
Tillerson Calls Wave of Arrests in Saudi Arabia ‘Well Intended’
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said a wave of arrests in Saudi Arabia that snared at least 11 princes, a billionaire investor and former government officials was “well intended,” but he remained concerned about how those detained would be treated.
Tillerson, speaking in an interview as he flew from Beijing to Vietnam, said he called Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir earlier in the week to seek clarity on the Nov. 4 detentions, which authorities said were part of a sweeping anti-graft crackdown. Tillerson added that he didn’t want to read further into the situation until it was clearer.
“It’s my understanding that they’re characterizing these as not really arrests at this point, but they’re presenting people with evidence of what they think the wrongdoing is to see if there’s a willingness to want to make things right,” Tillerson said. “My own view is that it does, it raises a few concerns until we see more clearly how these particular individuals are dealt with.”
My comment: They just get a little torture, stupid.
(A P)
Al-Akhbar @AlakhbarNews publishes the text of a letter from Adel al-Jubeir to MBS detailing a peace deal he negotiated between KSA and Israel, dropping the right of return, and putting Jerusalem under international patronage.
https://twitter.com/jamalghosn/status/930217922261323777 referring to http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/286421
(* B P)
The Next Mideast Crisis
Last week’s arrests of senior princes and businessmen in Saudi Arabia stunned the world, but the real risk is the escalation in tensions between the kingdom and Iran. Oil markets have to date mostly shrugged off proxy battles between the regional rivals in Syria and Yemen, but a new indirect or direct clash between two of the world’s largest oil exporters would ratchet up the remerging political risk premium in oil prices.
Is Saudi Arabia pushing Israel into war with Hezbollah and Iran? After the stunning takedown of some of Saudi Arabia's most powerful princes, ministers and businessmen, an Israeli paper suggested last week that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman just might be bold enough to start a conflict with Iran.
The same nervous questions have been asked in Arab and Western capitals
Prince Mohammed has delivered on many of his bold proclamations to date -- rooting out corruption, reforming subsidies, allowing women to drive, starting a process to list Saudi Aramco -- and his threats against Iran are some of his most consistent and belligerent.
http://beta.energyintel.com/world-energy-opinion/the-next-mideast-crisis/
(* B P)
Saudi Arabia is at war with itself
Forget Yemen, Syria and Lebanon, just a few of the countries in which Saudi Arabia is fighting a proxy war with Iran, its long-time enemy. The Saudi royal family now appears to be at war with itself. Regardless of who wins, the conflict could destabilize Saudi Arabia, which was already weakening anyway.
Palace Intrigue
What’s happening in the country is the definition of palace intrigue.
Facing the Facts
Arresting these individuals accomplishes two things. First, it guarantees their capitulation to Mohammed bin Salman. Second, it gives the Salman faction more mileage out of the anti-corruption drive. Between that and their calls for a more moderate version of Islam, the king and his son are moving away from the traditional sources of support (clerics and tribal establishments) and toward new ones: popular appeal among the country’s youth, which makes up about two-thirds of the population.
Riyadh’s inability to deal with external threats, if anything, will only intensify its domestic ones. Even though the king and his son have the upper hand, an inability to effectively counter the Iranian threat could weaken their position at home and thus aggravate the infighting.
http://www.businessinsider.de/saudi-arabia-at-war-with-itself-2017-11?r=US&IR=T
My comment: “gives the Salman faction more mileage out of the anti-corruption drive”: NO. It simply will give them assets worth US$ 800 billion. That’s it.
(* B P)
SAUDI CROWN PRINCE BLAZES RECKLESS REGIONAL TRAIL
Why Abbas Was Secretly Summoned To Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia requests urgent Arab League meeting over Iran
Muhammad bin Salman is taking an activist approach that is in sharp contrast to the behind the scenes, nonconfrontational style that had hitherto prevailed in Riyadh.
But analysts say there is a common thread in MBS’s policies, which failed or which now threaten to backfire: rashness.
“They seem to not be considering their policies well and looking down the road a bit before they go out on a limb,” says Joshua Teitelbaum, a Saudi specialist at the BESA Center for Strategic Studies of Bar-Ilan University.
In the view of Bruce Maddy- Weitzman, a specialist on Arab politics at Tel Aviv University’s Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies, “you can call it inexperience or a strong headed youth at work. He’s identified multiple problems and Saudi Arabia is in a different environment and there is the idea that the strategy it used over the years is not working.
But this kind of rash reaction is leaving everyone shaking their heads. The question is where does he hit the wall.”
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Saudi-crown-prince-blazes-reckless-regional-trail-514086
(* A P)
Saudi walks back escalation as dramatic moves backfire
Saudi Arabia’s dramatic moves to counter Iran in the region appear to have backfired, significantly ratcheting up regional tensions and setting off a spiral of reactions and anger that seem to have caught the kingdom off guard.
Now it’s trying to walk back its escalations in Lebanon and Yemen.
On Monday, the kingdom announced that the Saudi-led coalition fighting Shiite rebels in Yemen would begin reopening airports and seaports in the Arab world’s poorest country, days after closing them over a rebel ballistic missile attack on Riyadh.
The move came just hours after Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who shocked the nation by announcing his resignation from the Saudi capital on Nov. 4, gave an interview in which he backed off his strident condemnation of the Lebanese militant Hezbollah, saying he would return to the country within days to seek a settlement with the Shiite militants, his rivals in his coalition government.
The two developments suggest that Saudi Arabia’s bullish young crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, may be trying to pedal back from the abyss of a severe regional escalation.
https://apnews.com/60870c6334fc4b6e8bc6ddf90c982847
My comment: I fear this is more PR than reality. The prince cares for his image, not for better politics. In the case of Yemen: Hodeida port and Sanaa airport are still closed. In the case of Hariri: he is still in Riyadh; he still is incommunicado.
(A P)
Saudi anti-graft detainees will get due process: Saudi U.N. envoy
Saudi royal family members, officials and businessmen arrested in an anti-corruption crackdown this month will be granted due process, Saudi Arabia’s U.N. Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi said on Monday.
My comment: LOL: In the case of Yemen, this man tells one propaganda lie after the other.
(* A P)
Saudi Arabia to host "expanded" Syrian opposition conference
Saudi Arabia will host what it called an “expanded” conference for the Syrian opposition this month, aiming to unify its position ahead of United Nations-backed peace talks, the state news agency SPA reported on Monday.
Saudi Arabia backs a grouping of opposition figures called the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) led by Riyad Hijab, a former Syrian prime minister under Assad. The HNC has represented the Syrian opposition at previous Geneva talks.
My comment: This is only one (quite small) aspect of how Saudi interference in other countries looks like. More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Negotiations_Committee
(* B P)
The tale of Ali Baba and the crisis at the Ritz
The massive crackdown is framed as one targeted at corruption, but has also attracted accusations of a power grab by an impatient young royal well known for his shock-and-awe tactics in foreign policy.
One important question arises: Where is the King in all this? If his 32-year-old son acts like a dictator, does not this jeopardise the standing of the monarch?
Through all this trashing of consensus and precedent, the King appears inexplicably aloof and untouched by reproach, unlike the Crown Prince.
In arresting leading princes, ministers and businessmen, MBS went for the first order of a king's business - continuity. By grabbing them all together - including, shockingly, the glamorous international financier Prince Alwaleed - he hoisted on display what would henceforth be known as the old regime of partnerships between princes/ministers and businessmen. They would no longer be worms in the entrails of the state, challenged as it already is with low oil prices and budget deficits.
Now, the Saudi kingdom does not lack jails. By housing his posh prisoners in the regal Ritz-Carlton, MBS is making a spectacle of them.
A sprawling, 21ha complex "originally envisioned as a royal guest palace for visiting dignitaries and heads of state", as its management announced on opening day, the Ritz is a ready-made stage of the highest order.
These old men had grown rich through decades of collusion, overcharging the public and under-delivering.
To be sure MBS is fighting foes on many fronts, both domestically and in the region. How this will all play out is anyone's guess.
http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/the-tale-of-ali-baba-and-the-crisis-at-the-ritz
(* B P)
What Is Really Going on in Saudi Arabia?
If Israel had to do all the ugly deeds it wants done in the region itself, the world would see it with blinding clarity for the pariah state that it is.
Donald Trump says that Saudi elites caught in an anti-corruption probe were “milking” the kingdom for years.
This is just nonsense from Trump.
Corruption is and has been everywhere in Saudi Arabia. How else could it be with all the countless billions changing hands in a fairly closed society?
So, it is easy for a guy like the new Crown Prince to glance around and conveniently find some corruption among people he wants to discredit anyway.
It may go beyond merely discrediting them to having hundreds of billions seized by the Crown Prince. Not a bad day’s work.
What is going on is a kind of coup against the old order by the new usurper Crown Prince. His recent appointment was by a King well known for his senility, and it suddenly and surprisingly upset the established order of succession and all kinds of extended family compacts
We likely will never know what truly happened in this secretive kingdom. But we do know the abrupt changes created lots of enemies who needed attending to, and that seems to be what is happening.
https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2017/11/11/what-is-really-going-on-in-saudi-arabia/
(* B P)
Trump’s Blank Check for Saudi Arabia
As the kingdom makes mass arrests at home and tensions spike in the region, the United States looks on.
Meanwhile, President Trump’s hands-off approach has allowed others to set the regional agenda. With Riyadh, Trump squanders U.S. leverage by offering unconditional support to Saudi Arabia. To Tehran, he offers tough talk without any actual plans to compete more effectively in the region. The result? An emboldened Saudi Arabia acts as it sees fit to fill the void. It’s a formula that leaves the Middle East more vulnerable to military conflict, and American troops enmeshed in the middle of complicated fights. From Yemen to Qatar to Lebanon, it’s not clear if this approach serves U.S. interests. In the worst case, it could even drag America into a regional war with Iran.
The broader context for all of these events is a wider struggle for power and influence among and between the Middle East’s leading countries—Saudi Arabia and Iran.
With Saudi Arabia in tumult, its internal stability remains a top concern.
Trump acted early to win political capital with Saudi rulers. He should spend some down. But instead of putting America’s interests first, too often it feels like he is simply along for a ride that could get a lot bumpier.
https://newrepublic.com/article/145728/trumps-blank-check-saudi-arabia
Comment: Laughable: ''America should redouble efforts to help interdict Iranian military aid to the Houthis''. America can retriple efforts, but will not get very far.
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1554602867926071
(A K P)
Saudi aviation companies join forces to boost Kingdom’s defense capabilities
Several Saudi aviation companies have formed an alliance to manufacture airplanes in the Kingdom. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow on Monday morning.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1193026/saudi-arabia
(A K P)
Proud to see KACST's developed drone #Saqr-1 making its first international appearance at #DAS17.(photo)
https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/930097295625981952
(A K)
Improved version of Saudi Arabia's Saker 1B UAV now aiming to double endurance from 20hrs to 48hrs, KACST tell me. (photo)
https://twitter.com/RAeSTimR/status/930370031262846976
(A K)
PSATRI #SkyGuard mobilized to the new drones facility in #Riyadh, where designing, manufacturing & assembling of the future #Saudi drones will take place. (photo)
https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/930071727035551744
(* B P)
If The Saudi Arabia Situation Doesn't Worry You, You're Not Paying Attention
While turbulent during the best of times, gigantic waves of change are now sweeping across the Middle East. The magnitude is such that the impact on the global price of oil, as well as world markets, is likely to be enormous.
A dramatic geo-political realignment by Saudi Arabia is in full swing this month. It’s upending many decades of established strategic relationships among the world's superpowers and, in particular, is throwing the Middle East into turmoil.
So much is currently in flux, especially in Saudi Arabia, that nearly anything can happen next. Which is precisely why this volatile situation should command our focused attention at this time.
The main elements currently in play are these:
A sudden and intense purging of powerful Saudi insiders (arrests, deaths, & asset seizures)
Huge changes in domestic policy and strategy
A shift away from the US in all respects (politically, financially and militarily)
Deepening ties to China
A surprising turn towards Russia (economically and militarily)
Increasing cooperation and alignment with Israel (the enemy of my enemy is my friend?)
Taken together, this is tectonic change happening at blazing speed.
That it's receiving too little attention in the US press given the implications, is a tip off as to just how big a deal this is -- as we're all familiar by now with how the greater the actual relevance and importance of a development, the less press coverage it receives. This is not a direct conspiracy; it's just what happens when your press becomes an organ of the state and other powerful interests. Like a dog trained with daily rewards and punishments, after a while the press needs no further instruction on the house rules.
It does emphasize, however, that to be accurately informed about what's going on, we have to do our own homework. Here's a short primer to help get you started.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-11-11/if-saudi-arabia-situation-doesnt-worry-you-youre-not-paying-attention = https://soulipsis.wordpress.com/2017/11/13/good-saudi-arabia-overview/
cp9 USA
(B K P)
Washington’s Perfect Excuses for Saudi War Crimes in Yemen
This brings charges of Washington responsibility for Saudi actions, as US officials defend their alliance with Saudi Arabia. They claim Saudi war crimes in Yemen have been errors of capability or competence, not of malice. When faced with criticism, the War Party in Washington frequently reaffirms its close partnership with Saudi Arabia, a repressive absolute monarchy that bases its laws on an extreme interpretation of Islam known as Wahhabism.
The world community should stop buying this excuse. Whether Saudi targeteers are malicious or simply poorly trained does not absolve the US government of responsibility. Indiscriminate attacks that fail to distinguish between civilians and military objectives as well as those that cause disproportionate loss of civilian life or property are illegal under the laws of war and UN Charter.
What’s more, Saudi Arabia has only been able to carry out the war on Yemen because of US support.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960824001877
Remark: From Iran.
(* B K T P)
Yemen Strike Raises Questions About Whether the US Follows Its Own Drone Rules
raise very serious questions about whether the U.S. is following its own drone strike rules, or, perhaps, whether those rules are actually in force.
Two developments under the Trump administration have cast doubt on where and how the PPG now applies to U.S. operations.
However, we have seen no reports that the rule requiring no feasibility of capture has been rescinded or loosened in the context of U.S. operations in Yemen.
Yemeni official puts capture preference into question
The governor’s claim that security forces could have accessed the area in which the strike took place raises many questions about the U.S. decision to take the strike.
The Obama administration’s PPG was meant to bring some level of constraint and accountability to U.S. counter-terrorism operations. In light of the Trump administration’s murky attempts to roll back these rules, the governor’s account raises crucial questions that merit immediate answers:
The Nov. 2 drone strike is not an entirely unique case, and several past U.S. drone strikes in Yemen have also raised serious concerns that attacks were conducted when capture was feasible. The situation in Mareb, however, does seem to be a particularly concerning case.
https://www.justsecurity.org/47103/yemen-strike-raises-question-killing-capture-feasible/
Comment: Un-believable. Are Americans this daft? #Saudi-appointed governor of #Yemen's Marib province, whose brother is a US-listed Al Qaeda terrorist, gives advice to the U.S. on drone strikes & counter-terrorism.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/930859419222491136
(B K P)
A Rare Step Towards Oversight of U.S. Wars
The current war in Yemen has nothing to do with al-Qaeda, and is actually one of the more damaging steps the U.S. has taken in its counter-terrorism struggle since the invasion of Iraq.
Up until now, Congress has done little to challenge White House assertions that far-flung military missions were all covered under the remarkably elastic AUMF. Yemen appears to have changed that. And while it is difficult, if not impossible, to justify the campaign the U.S. is enabling in Yemen, other factors are likely at work in Congress as well.
http://www.soufangroup.com/tsc-intelbrief-a-rare-step-towards-oversight-of-u-s-wars/
(* B K P)
The Ever-Expanding ‘War on Terror’
In the shadows, the U.S. special operations war on “terrorists” keeps on expanding around the globe, now reaching into Africa where few detectable American “interests” exist, writes Jonathan Marshall.
If national-security reporters are ever replaced by robots writing boilerplate stories, blame it on the fact that U.S. military policy has become so predictable and repetitive.
Consider this New York Times story from 2011:
“The Central Intelligence Agency is building a secret air base in the Middle East to serve as a launching pad for strikes in Yemen using armed drones. . . . The construction of the base is a sign that the Obama administration is planning an extended war in Yemen against an affiliate of Al Qaeda. . . . The clandestine American operations in Yemen are currently being run by the military’s Joint Special Operations Command.”
Back then, the story could just as well have been set in South Asia, where Pakistan was also a major target of CIA and military drone strikes. Today it could apply, with only a few word changes, to new drone bases in Africa that target jihadists across the vast and thinly populated Sahel region.
As NBC recently reported, “The Trump administration is paving the way for lethal strikes against terrorists in Niger as the U.S. military pushes forward with a plan to arm the Reaper drones that fly over that country.” – By Jonathan Marshall
https://consortiumnews.com/2017/11/14/the-ever-expanding-war-on-terror/
(* B K P)
The United States‘ role in the crisis in Yemen
[The Nov. 9 editorial “The crisis in Yemen” called attention to the effect of Saudi Arabia’s blockade on famine in Yemen. It mentioned the lack of media attention to the Yemeni tragedy, which includes “the fastest-growing cholera epidemic ever recorded” and “the world’s biggest food emergency.” It said that Saudi Arabia bears heavy responsibility for the crisis for its “ruthless but unwinnable war.” But it did not mention direct U.S. military complicity in this long and pointless campaign.
In addition to selling a vast arsenal of weapons to Saudi Arabia, our government’s military gave logistical guidance in the Saudi military headquarters in Riyadh and continues to provide intelligence to Saudi defense officials and aerial refueling during bombing runs. The Saudi-led coalition could not have conducted the two and a half years of bombing without the support of our military.]
http://www.creativeyadav.com/read/pagescrape.php?targetUrl=https://t.co/RjZx4ecHAr referring to https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-united-states-role-in-the-crisis-in-yemen/2017/11/12/5f1fe53e-c667-11e7-9922-4151f5ca6168_story.html
(A P)
Samantha Power: The United States should have long ago ended support for a Saudi-led coalition that, in addition to killing thousands of civilians thru air strikes, is now starving people. Enough is enough.
https://twitter.com/SamanthaJPower/status/930484921004691456
Comments: Does "long ago" include the two years it was happening during the Obama administration?
https://twitter.com/rafsanchez/status/930562608972910593
.@SamanthaJPower who supported #Saudi clan war on #Yemen & signed the legaly-flawed UNSC res 2216 endorsing the war is still refusing to take responsibility. What mind!!
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/930797734554202112
As long as the #USA have officials like, (when in office 'you go with the flow' favoring regime's trend regardless, But when out of office all of a sudden your 'humanity' works and say 'enough is enough'), political hypocrisy will always win against justice & human rights!
https://twitter.com/HishamAlRadhi/status/930731714195976192 My comment: Samantha Power (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samantha_Power ) forgetting who is responsible for the Yemen war? One of them: Samantha Power.
(* A H K)
CHRIS MURPHY ACCUSES U.S. OF COMPLICITY IN WAR CRIMES FROM THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS have largely avoided speaking out about the famine and cholera epidemic in Yemen, even as aid organizations, celebrities, and late-night TV hosts sounded the alarm this past week.
But one U.S. Senator is breaking the Senate silence — and even going further, explaining how U.S. support for the war has enabled the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy spoke out about the crisis on the Senate floor Tuesday, while showing pictures of starving Yemeni children. His remarks went much further than most public officials, not shying away from the reality that the cholera epidemic could never have taken place without U.S. support.
For US officials, the difficulty in publicly addressing the crisis is caught up in U.S. complicity, given that the disease and starvation in Yemen is not the result of a random hurricane or an earthquake, but the expected result of deliberate actions taken by the U.S. and its allies in the Gulf.
His speech, delivered on the Senate floor Tuesday, had been viewed later that day by fewer than 200 people.
and
(* B H K)
Senator Murphy Demands Congressional Action On Saudi Arabia’s Blockade In Yemen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcdzEPaLyWk&t=26s
My comment: Take note of the empiy seats behind him.
(* B K P)
Why Aren’t Negotiations Being Considered to Resolve the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen?
As hopes of crushing Yemen’s aspirations for independence with brute force have failed, a strategic recalculation may very well be taking place behind closed doors in Riyadh and Washington.
From the moment that the Saudi-led onslaught against Yemen began, the USA has been solidly behind Riyadh. Yemen now faces a humanitarian crisis, yet the forces committed to sovereignty and economic development remain strong, nowhere near surrender. Signs now indicate that as the war continues, some circles within the US power structure may be looking at other options, including negotiations.
US media routinely distorts the conflict in Yemen. The primary narrative is that the war is a complex, internal matter with scores of different factions competing for power. Typical US media reports on the conflict in Yemen overload the reader with references, mentioning “the Houthis”, Saleh, Al-Queda, ISIS, tribal forces, etc.; leaving the reader with the impression that Yemen is simply a disastrous mess of armed factions killing each other in ways that are beyond comprehension.
In addition to the primary narrative, more explicitly hawkish publications, specifically a hardline minority in the US press closely tied to Israel and Saudi Arabia, will repeat an even more distorted narrative. FOX News and the Wall Street Journal, both part of News Corporation, which is partially owned by Saudi Arabia, will often tell a story about Iranian imperialism. They present the war as Saudi Arabia fighting off an attempt by the Islamic Republic to colonize its neighbor.
Both of these narratives distort reality. The war in Yemen is not a deeply complicated mess, and it is not a proxy war with Iran. The war in Yemen is a struggle by one of the poorest countries in the world to assert its independence. Saudi Arabia, aligned with the United States, is fighting to keep Yemen an impoverished, underdeveloped satellite state.
However, a recent article written by Harvard University research fellow Asher Orkaby seems to show a potential change in US orientation toward the conflict. Orkaby makes some shocking admissions about Yemen.
(* B P)
Trump's bizarre obeisance to Saudi Arabia
One of the least talked about but most important stories of the year is unfolding right now in the Middle East. An emboldened and seemingly power-drunk Saudi Arabia is haphazardly throwing its weight around, both at home and in Lebanon and Yemen, ratcheting up tensions with Iran and seemingly doing so with the blessing of the Trump administration.
the Saudis may be orchestrating a panicked gambit to roll back Iranian influence and to prevent the so-called "land bridge" from Tehran that Gulf apologists have been hyperventilating about. One typically spooked Western official told The Daily Beast that "it's the perfection of the Persian divide and rule mastery."
Those dastardly Persians! How dare they build these "land bridges," more commonly known as "roads."
But when the Saudis get jumpy, their handmaidens in Washington do too. The story of how the Saudis came to believe that they could orchestrate these machinations across the region without any consequence at all isn't terribly complex. Leaders in Riyadh absolutely despised President Obama, and believed his attempt to peacefully resolve the Iranian nuclear crisis was some kind of world-historical betrayal of America's completely needless alliance with the Saudis. They desperately wanted the United States to finish off Assad in Syria the same way that they had eliminated Moammar Gadhafi in Libya.
When President Trump came to power earlier this year, he and his cronies quickly dispensed with any nuance with regard to the Iranian-Saudi rivalry. Tehran BAD. Riyadh GOOD. The president, who can think only in the most reductive, black-and-white dichotomies, thought he could reverse a decade of Iranian gains in the region that were the inevitable byproduct of America's idiotic invasion of Iraq by handing the Saudis the biggest, blankest check that he could. Almost certainly, someone like MBS whispered a plan in Trump's ear on his glad-handling tour earlier this year and promised it would all be easy. The president certainly does love plans that are both light on details and that seem to achieve something for nothing.
Today the default obeisance of the U.S. foreign policy community to Saudi whims is joined dangerously by the Trump administration's total indifference to competently managing America's relations with other countries.
http://theweek.com/articles/736995/trumps-bizarre-obeisance-saudi-arabia
(* B K P)
Kein Ende in Sicht: "Anti-Terror-Krieg" der USA verschlang seit 2001 fast 7 Billionen US-Dollar
Der sogenannte Krieg gegen den Terror kostete bisher die US-amerikanischen Steuerzahler bisher 6,7 Billionen Dollar kosten. Eine gigantische Summe, ohne das ein Ende in Sicht ist. Keine der bekämpften Terrorgruppen wurde besiegt, neue entstanden und ganze Staaten wurden zerstört.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YekF1OJsQ38
(* B P)
Saudi crisis threatens wider war in the Middle East
The recent mass arrests in Saudi Arabia combined with the kidnapping of Lebanon’s prime minister, the escalation of the war against Yemen and Riyadh’s charge that both Iran and Lebanon have “declared war” against it point to an immense regional crisis that threatens to erupt into a wider conflict.
After more than a quarter century of uninterrupted US wars of aggression, occupations and regime-change operations that have claimed the lives of over a million people and driven many millions more from their homes, the Middle East is a powder keg.
Entire societies have been decimated by these interventions, from Iraq to Libya, Syria and Yemen. This immense bloodletting has as its primary driving force the attempts by US imperialism to offset the relative decline in its dominance over the capitalist world order by means of military force, particularly through the assertion of its hegemony over the oil-rich Middle East.
Despite the immense destructive power of the means employed, however, they have failed to achieve Washington’s ends.
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/11/13/pers-n13.html
(A P)
US-Repräsentantenhaus: Hilfe für saudischen Krieg gegen Jemen ist unrechtens und stärkt Al-Kaida
Laut einer Resolution des US-Repräsentantenhauses gibt es für die militärische Unterstützung Saudi-Arabiens im Krieg gegen den Jemen seitens der Vereinigten Staaten keine rechtliche Grundlage. Der Beschluss stellt zudem fest, dass Al-Kaida und der "Islamische Staat" die Nutznießer des Konflikts sind.
Das Repräsentantenhaus der USA hat in einer Resolution die fehlende rechtliche Grundlage für die Unterstützung des saudischen Krieges gegen den Jemen durch die Vereinigten Staaten festgestellt. Am Montag verabschiedeten die Abgeordneten den Beschluss mit 366 zu 30 Stimmen. Die Resolution ist zwar nicht bindend, wird aber als Schritt gewertet, die Rolle des Kongresses bei Entscheidungen zu Auslandseinsätzen des US-Militärs wieder zu stärken.
Mein Kommentar: lesen Sie lieber die wesentlich tiefer gehenden englischsprachigen Berichte, hier folgend.
(* A P)
US lawmakers fall in line behind Saudi-led war in Yemen
Congress members retreated from an earlier version of a bill aimed at halting US military support to Riyadh
US lawmakers have overwhelmingly passed a bill that denounces the killing of civilians in Yemen’s war, though language in an earlier version about cutting military support to the Saudi-led coalition was scrapped.
The latest version of the bill, which was adopted in a 366-to-30 vote late on Monday, laid out the House of Representative’s position on Riyadh’s fight against Iran-backed Houthis, denouncing the rebels' role in “destabilizing Yemen and the region”.
Khanna, who spoke with Middle East Eye about Yemen last month, claimed a victory by saying his new version highlighted Washington’s military role in Yemen, and because he had managed to get it “passed in the Republican-controlled House”.
But he also noted that the non-binding resolution would do little to stop Washington providing Riyadh with intelligence for targeting, fresh supplies of weapons and refuelling Saudi and UAE warplanes mid-air while on bombing run.
Khanna’s original version of the bill referred to the War Powers Act, an often-cited but seldom-used law from the 1970s aimed at constraining the White House from waging wars without congressional backing.
Executive overreach has been debated repeatedly since 9/11.
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-lawmakers-fall-line-behind-saudi-led-war-yemen-420421180
(* A P)
CONGRESS VOTES TO SAY IT HASN’T AUTHORIZED WAR IN YEMEN, YET WAR IN YEMEN GOES ON
THE HOUSE OF Representatives on Monday voted 366-30 to declare what has long been known — that it has not authorized U.S. action in support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, but other than urging the parties to come to a negotiated solution, the resolution did not actually do anything to end American participation in the conflict.
But congressional leadership in both parties pushed back, doing everything they could to prevent a vote. Eventually, a compromise was struck, the result of which was the toothless resolution that passed Monday night.
The resolution acknowledges that “Congress has not enacted specific legislation authorizing the use of military force against parties participating in the Yemeni civil war that are not otherwise subject to the Authorization of Use of Military Force (Public Law 107–40) or the Authorization of Use of Military Force in Iraq (Public Law 107–243),” but does not withdraw funding for the participation.
It also “calls on all parties to the conflict to increase efforts to adopt all necessary and appropriate measures to prevent civilian casualties and to increase humanitarian access,” but does not specifically condemn Saudi conduct in the war. It does, however, condemn “Iranian activities in Yemen,” citing arms transfers to the Houthi rebels.
Most of the 30 representatives who opposed the bill were outspoken opponents of U.S. complicity in the Saudi war
https://theintercept.com/2017/11/14/congress-yemen-war-unauthorized/
(A P)
If we allow the spin that this was a good thing,those who don't have time to follow details may think Congress has done something
https://twitter.com/changermindset/status/930830236714876929
Actually,it reaffirmed "Iran" propaganda which is why most Progressive Reps voted No. It set up dangerous language for war w/Iran
https://twitter.com/changermindset/status/930829868907954176
good when in fact exact opposite is true. Congress could have voted to pull out of the bombing but instead they gave Saudi a wink
https://twitter.com/changermindset/status/930830584284307456
(* A P)
House votes on US involvement in Yemen
The House adopted a measure on Monday to call for a political solution to the conflict in Yemen as a compromise to a bipartisan group of lawmakers who had sought a vote on a measure to stop the U.S. military’s participation.
The resolution, which passed 366-30 with one lawmaker, Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), voting “present,” denounces the targeting of civilian populations in Yemen and calls on all parties involved to “increase efforts to adopt all necessary and appropriate measures to prevent civilian casualties and increase humanitarian access.”
The compromise resolution negotiated with leadership of both parties, the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Rules Committee does not go nearly as far.
Apart from calling for an end to the violence in Yemen and encouraging other governments to provide humanitarian resources, the resolution notes that Congress has not enacted specific legislation allowing the use of military force against entities in the Yemen conflict that aren’t already subject to congressional authorizations for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“This resolution makes abundantly clear that we cannot be assisting the Saudi regime in any of its fight with the Houthi regime. And we have to limit our involvement in Yemen to take on al-Qaeda and to take on the terrorists that threaten the United States,” Khanna said during House floor debate.
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/360202-house-votes-on-us-involvement-in-yemen
and
(* A P)
House declares U.S. military role in Yemen's civil war unauthorized
In a rare exercise of its war-making role, the House of Representatives on Monday overwhelmingly passed a resolution explicitly stating that U.S. military assistance to Saudi Arabia in its war in Yemen is not authorized under legislation passed by Congress to fight terrorism or invade Iraq.
The nonbinding resolution adopted 366-30, does not call for a halt to the American support but publicly acknowledges the Pentagon has been sharing targeting information and refueling warplanes that Saudi Arabia and other allies are using to attack Houthi rebels in a conflict that is widely considered a proxy war with Iran — and a humanitarian disaster.
It states, in part, that U.S. military operations are authorized to fight only Al Qaeda and other allied terrorist groups in Yemen, not Shiite Muslim rebels.
https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/13/house-yemen-civil-war-authorization-244868
(* A P)
House declares U.S. military role in Yemen's civil war unauthorized
While mostly symbolic, the House vote was seen as a key victory for members of both parties who believe Congress, which is relegated the power to declare war in the Constitution, needs to reauthorize U.S. military operations overseas, which have expanded to many more countries and conflicts than envisioned a decade and half ago when Congress last voted for the use of force.
The wide bipartisan margin in the vote tally was a sign of growing frustration in both parties that U.S. military engagements have increased in recent years with relatively little outside scrutiny.
https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/13/house-yemen-civil-war-authorization-244868
and by RT: https://www.rt.com/usa/409856-us-involvement-yemen-illegal/
and more: https://www.vox.com/world/2017/11/14/16648848/yemen-congress-trump-saudi-salman
(* A P)
Obama, Trump And Saudi Arabia Devastated Yemen. Congress Is Acting. Slowly.
The resolution, which passed with the support of several normally reliably pro-Saudi members of Congress, has no practical consequences. The U.S. will continue refueling Saudi and United Arab Emirates planes bombing Yemen and providing the Saudi-led coalition with intelligence, a policy launched by former President Barack Obama and continued under President Donald Trump.
But for the handful of lawmakers trying to end 2½ years of U.S. support for the Yemen war, and the antiwar activists and humanitarian groups aligned with them, it's a seminal moment — a sign even the most reluctant in Washington can be pushed to consider Yemen – By Akbar Shahid Ahmed
My comment: What really will happen now? Certainly exactly nothing.
Comment: The House passed #HRes599, which was a compromise after #HConRes81 was dropped. It doesn't extricate the US from fighting Saudi's war in #Yemen, and adopts false Saudi rhetoric on Iran's role. Meanwhile, Yemenis continue to die.
https://twitter.com/shireen818/status/930259116064460801
(* A P)
The U.S. Has Helped Saudi Arabia Bomb Yemen for Almost Three Years. Congress Just Noticed
But the largely symbolic measure, sponsored by Rep. Ro Khanna, is a significantly watered-down version of a bipartisan resolution the California congressman introduced in late September, which would have invoked the War Powers Resolution of 1973 to prevent further U.S. military assistance to the campaign. That law, passed in the wake of the Vietnam War, prevents the president from introducing military forces into a conflict for more than 60 days without congressional authorization. Its definition of introducing forces includes any action to “coordinate” or “participate” in the actions of a foreign military.
“Our refueling Saudi airplanes is coordination with a foreign power. This should trigger the War Powers Act,” Khanna told me in a recent interview. T
and this is the debate:
(A P)
Film: https://www.c-span.org/video/?437150-2/us-house-meets-legislative-business&live
(* A P)
Human rights groups call on Tillerson to address Yemen crisis
A group of 19 humanitarian and human rights nongovernmental organizations are calling on US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to use all diplomatic means at his disposal to end the blockade of aid to Yemen, warning that the war-torn nation faces a rapidly deteriorating situation that "puts millions of civilian lives at risk."
In a letter sent Monday to Tillerson, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and Defense Secretary James Mattis, the coalition of NGOs highlighted the increasingly dire humanitarian crisis in Yemen stemming from "almost 1,000 days of war."
It calls on the US and the international community to work toward achieving several specific objectives aimed at addressing the situation in Yemen:
http://us.cnn.com/2017/11/13/politics/ngo-letter-tillerson-yemen-blockade-saudi-arabia/index.html
(* B K P)
Why the United States will never leave Yemen
US politicians are set to debate a resolution that would limit "unauthorised" American involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen, but the bill is unlikely to move past the House of Representatives, analysts say.
H.CON.RES.81 is expected to be debated on the House floor on Monday. It calls for the invocation of the War Powers Act to end US participation in the war in Yemen.
Although the attempt to strike up debate over the war comes more than two years after the Saudi-led coalition waged war on Yemen, analysts say US political and economic interests in the region are also factors behind its initial and continuing support for the war.
"The Obama administration had reservations about the Yemen war from the beginning, but supported the fight largely to show support for Saudi Arabia at a time when the relationship was strained by the Iran nuclear deal," Blecher explained.
If the bill does pass, it will unlikely lead to any tangible change, said Lawrence.
"The US Congress is very fearful that if it does not support the coalition, Riyadh might agree to denominate oil sales in a currency other than the US dollar," he explained.
But according to Yemen expert Adam Baron, these efforts are not new and are largely based on existing US-Saudi relations.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/united-states-leave-yemen-171112191346249.html
(* A K P)
For the umpteenth time, even the NY Times editorial board has acknowledged Saudi Arabia could not wage war on Yemen without US support — in the form of weapons, fuel, military assistance, intelligence, political support, diplomatic backing, and more (image)
https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/929785516068831238
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
(A P)
BRITISH GOVERNMENT CRITICISED FOR SUPPORT OF SAUDI ARABIA DESPITE ’ILLEGAL ACTS’ IN YEMEN
The British Government is foolish to back Saudi Arabia, including with arms sales, while it is carrying out “clearly illegal acts” in Yemen, Liberal Democrat former leader Paddy Ashdown has said.
The former UN peace envoy tackled the Tory administration over its continued support for the oil-rich kingdom, which has been accused of presiding over a humanitarian catastrophe in the war-torn country.
(* B K P)
Huge increase in arms sales to Saudi Arabia since Yemen bombing began
Arms sales from the UK to Saudi Arabia in the first two years of the bombing of Yemen (April 2015 – April 2017) reached £4.6 billion. This amounts to a 170 per cent increase in the value of sales since the bombing began. During the two year period leading up to the bombing (March 2013-March 2015) the UK licensed £1.7 billion worth of arms to Saudi Arabia.
The increase in sales includes a major rise in licences for missiles and bombs. In the two years leading up to the war, the UK licensed £33 million worth of ML4 arms (ML4 includes bombs, missiles and countermeasures). In the period since it began, the government has licensed £1.9 billion worth.
It also includes a heavy increase in sales of military aircraft. The UK has licensed £2.6 billion worth of ML10 licences since the bombing began (aircraft, helicopters, drones) the majority of which are believed to be Eurofighter Typhoon licences. In the two years preceding the war, the UK licensed £1.6 billion worth of ML10 sales. This amounts to a 70 per cent increase in ML10 licences.
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/24609
(* A P)
Arms to Saudi Arabia: Philip Hammond's remarks on Yemen investigation are 'grossly inadequate'
Amnesty International has warned that recent comments from the Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond about investigating whether weapons supplied by the UK to Saudi Arabia have been used to commit war crimes and other breaches of international humanitarian law in the conflict in Yemen are “grossly misleading”.
Speaking on the BBC Newsnight programme last night, Mr Hammond said that there need to be “proper investigations” into whether weapons supplied to Saudi Arabia have been misused in Yemen, adding that “we need to work with the Saudis to establish that international humanitarian law has been complied with.” The Foreign Secretary also remarked: “We regularly intervene with the Saudis to encourage them to be transparent with us.”
However, Amnesty has called for the UK to immediately suspend arms exports to Saudi Arabia where there is a risk that the weapons could be used to commit human rights abuses in Yemen. Amnesty is insisting that, rather than apparently relying on Saudi Arabia to conduct its own investigation, the UK should conduct its own rigorous investigation into how weapons supplied to Riyadh have been used in Yemen.
Amnesty is writing to Mr Hammond urging him to act quickly, with the organisation laying out the necessary investigatory measures the government should undertake.
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
Siehe / Look at cp1
(A K P)
Angaben den Bundesregierung: Keine deutschen Boote bei Blockade vor Jemen im Einsatz
Im Kampf gegen die schiitische Huthi-Bewegung verhängte Saudi Arabien vergangene Woche unter anderem eine Blockade über jemenitische Seehäfen. Nach Angaben der Bundesregierung werden dafür jedoch keine Patrouillenboote aus deutscher Produktion eingesetzt.
Mein Kommentar: LOL. Das weiß wohl niemand.
(* A K P)
Deutsche Waffen für Saudi-Arabien
Die deutsche Regierung genehmigt erneut den Export von Rüstungsgütern nach Saudi-Arabien.
Im dritten Quartal 2017 wurden Ausfuhren in Höhe von knapp 148 Millionen Euro in den Golfstaat genehmigt.
Riad habe mit seinem "schmutzigen Krieg in Jemen Tausende Tote zu verantworten", kritisiert die Opposition.
Die aktuellen Zahlen stammen aus einer Antwort des Bundeswirtschaftsministeriums auf eine schriftliche Frage von Stefan Liebrich, der für die Linkspartei im Bundestag sitzt.
http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/exklusiv-deutsche-waffen-fuer-saudi-arabien-1.3747180
(* A B K P)
Deutschland hilft den Kriegstreibern aus Saudi-Arabien
Wieder werden Rüstungsexporte genehmigt, wieder machen wir uns mitschuldig.
Deutschland verkauft wieder neue Waffen nach Saudi-Arabien – und wir machen uns damit endgültig zum Kriegstreiber im Nahen Osten.
Das Ganze passiert seit März 2015. Deutschland kann also nicht so tun, als ob es von dem Konflikt nichts weiß.
Die Bundesregierung genehmigt seit Jahren die Ausfuhr von Rüstungsgütern in die Region. Gerade an die beteiligten Staaten:
Von der Bundesregierung heißt es oft, man müsse Fluchtursachen bekämpfen. Mit unseren Rüstungsexporten bekämpfen wir sie nicht – wir schaffen sie.
und zum Thema auch http://de.qantara.de/content/kritik-an-deutschen-waffenexporten-fuer-saudi-arabien
(A P)
Deutsche Rüstungsgeschäfte vs. Tweets von Donald Trump Jr. – Wie das ZDF Prioritäten setzt
Während deutsche Waffenexporte nach Saudi-Arabien, einer menschenverachtenden Despotie, die das verarmte Nachbarland Jemen mit Unterstützung der USA, Großbritanniens, Frankreichs und eben Deutschlands in die laut UN größte Hungerkatastrophe der jüngeren Zeit bombt, in einer 30 Sekunden Kurzmeldung abgehakt werden, suhlen sich Christian Sievers und die Mainzelmännchen 120 Sekunden lang in substanzlosen Tweets von Donald Trump Jr. an wikileaks und konstruieren eine vollkommen faktenfreie Verbindung nach Russland.
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
(A K P)
France Dipolamtie: Yemen - Q&A - Excerpts from the daily press briefing (15.11.17)
Jean-Yves Le Drian will discuss the crisis in Yemen, and particularly its humanitarian aspects, during his visit to Saudi Arabia on November 15-16.
He will remind his interlocutors of the urgent need for safe, complete, unconditional, and unhindered humanitarian access to all civilian populations in need, in accordance with international law. All of Yemen’s ports and airports must be able to provide access to humanitarian personnel and aid, as well as any necessary medical evacuations.
My comment: France is a main Saudi backer…
(A P)
#Kuwait monarchy refuses to try a woman who joined #ISIS & planned a suicide attack but sentenced an ex-mp to 49 years for tweeting
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/930544481794973696 referring to https://twitter.com/AlraiMediaGroup/status/930374642656784384
(* A K P)
Joint exercise with Saudis during Yemen blockade 'taints' Australian Navy, say aid groups
Human rights organisations say they are concerned the Royal Australian Navy continues training with Saudi naval forces, while the Saudi-imposed blockade on Yemen is crippling the country.
Human rights organisations and aid groups say they are concerned by news that the Royal Australian Navy recently conducted training with its Saudi counterpart on the Red Sea.
The Royal Australian Navy conducted the training as part of Operation Manitou, a longstanding joint force operation to maintain maritime security in the Middle East.
The training exercise occurred on August 14, not far from the location where the Saudi-led coalition is enforcing a naval blockade of Yemen.
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2017-11-15/joint-exercise-with-saudis-during-yemen-blockade-taints-australian-navy-say-aid-groups/1716992 = http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-15/ran-exercise-with-saudis-criticised/9152438
(A P)
Macron & Tehran: The French Don't Want to Choose Between Iran and US – Analyst
Cutting ties with Iran over the nuclear issue would make it a new North Korea, French President Macron stated in an interview with Time magazine. He later urged Tehran to hold talks on its missile program, which Iran firmly denied. Sina Azodi, a US-based researcher specializing in Tehran's foreign policy, has shed light on the developments (with interview in Audio)
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201711121059031313-macron-iran-missile-program-nuclear-deal/
and
(A P)
‘Defense is non-negotiable’: Tehran to Macron as he mulls sanctions over Iran’s missile program
Tehran has dismissed calls to negotiate its ballistic activities voiced by French President Emmanuel Macron, who earlier considered amendments to the nuclear deal over Iran’s missile program, and even sanctions “if necessary.”
(A P)
Journalists from Switzerland arrested and held for two days in UAE
Two journalists covering the opening of the Abu Dhabi Louvre museum for Swiss public broadcaster RTS were arrested and held for two days, their employer said on Sunday, slamming an attack on press freedom.
Journalist Serge Enderlin and cameraman Jon Bjorgvinsson were arrested in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday while they were shooting images at an outdoor market, the broadcaster said.
RTS "condemns the violation of press freedom targeting its journalists," RTS chief Pascal Crittin said on Twitter.
https://www.thelocal.ch/20171113/swiss-journalists-arrested-and-held-for-two-days-in-uae
(A H K)
Big reception for the visitors to Yemeni exhibition in Najaf for the fifth day
The field Yemeni exhibition in the Iraqi city of Najaf continued to receive visitors from different nationalities for the fifth day amid high demand.
Where the exhibition received a special media coverage, which transferred Yemenis suffering to daily massacres, which the pictures were only a simple part of them. (photos)
cp12b Libanon / Lebanon
Siehe / Look at
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/libanon-mosaik-lebanon-mosaic-2
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade
(* A K P)
UAE buys fleet of military planes from Spain as Yemen famine continues
THE UAE has signed a contract with Spain’s Airbus Defence and Space company for five C-295 military transport aircraft.
The Middle Eastern state’s military announced the deal on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow today.
Major General Ishaq Saleh Al Baloushi, head of the Executive Administration of Industries and Development of Defense Capabilities at the UAE Defence Ministry, didn’t say how much the contract was worth.
(A K)
Raytheon: Saudi-based Patriots intercepted over 100 tactical ballistic missiles since 2015
Saudi Arabia-based Patriot batteries have intercepted more than 100 tactical ballistic missiles (TBM) launched from Yemen since the Saudi-led war against Iranian-backed Houthis began in 2015, according to U.S. prime contractor Raytheon.
That number, which appears on the Raytheon website, could not be independently confirmed and is much larger than publicly available data from think tanks, the Saudi government or the other eight Mideast and African nations fighting in the Saudi-led coalition
(A K)
@AECSaudiArabia signs an MoU with #VESTEL to manufacture & repair the electronic systems for Karayel UAVs at #DAS17 (photos)
https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/930444557321490432
Remark: VESTEL is Turkish.
(* B K P)
SHOULD THE EU BAN ARMS SALES TO SAUDI ARABIA?
Following the recent Saudi Arabia airstrikes which have left 20 million people in Yemen needing humanitarian aid, pressure has been mounting from MEP’s to ban arms sales to the Gulf state. Leaders of political groups across Europe are calling to ban sales claiming that the EU is breaching the 2008 common code on military exports.
The EU code on arms exports details grounds where countries should refuse an arms export license. Some of these grounds include respect for the obligations of international organizations, like the UN.
According to the most recent EU arms export report, 17 EU states sold arms to Saudi Arabia in 2015, with France and the UK issuing the highest number of licenses.
http://eu-policies.com/op-eds/eu-ban-arms-sales-saudi-arabia/
(* A K P)
Christopher Pyne Spruiks Aussie Arms To Saudi Arabia As UN Warns Of Impending Yemen Famine
Australia has turned a blind eye to the Saudi-led warn on Yemen, while the nation plunges deeper into a humanitarian crisis. But at least we’re trying to profit from it.
On 30 October, Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne announced he’d be visiting Saudi Arabia, France and the United Kingdom “to promote Australia’s world-class defence materiel and strengthen bilateral defence industry relationships.” In Saudi Arabia he would “meet with senior government representatives to discuss the bilateral defence industry relationship.”
(* B K P)
#UAE Armed Forces to sign contracts with @Dassault_OnAir and @Thalesgroup to upgrade the UAEAF Mirage 2000-9 fleet
https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/930367077818527744
(* B K P)
Norwegian arms exports may end for Saudi coalition fighting in Yemen
Opposition leaders in Norway want the government to suspend exports to Middle Eastern states engaged in cross-border conflicts or internal unrest.
Norway’s arms export policy has come under close scrutiny from a number of political parties led by the Socialist Left Party, or SV, in the national parliament.
The push for tighter controls arises as latest data reveal Norwegian arms exports rose by 10 percent in 2016 to 3.6 billion kroners (U.S. $442 million). The figures indicate that the Middle East is becoming a more important market for Norway’s defense companies.
The SV, which is lobbying support from among the Liberal, Centre, Labour and Christian Democrat parties, hopes to pressure the government into banning arms sales to Saudi Arabia and its ally nations in the Middle East who joined the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen’s civil war.
cp13b Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage
(A K P)
#Yemen calls on the #UNESCO to protect Old Sanaa from Saudi aggression airstrikes
The Historical Cities Union condemned the persistence of Saudi aggression airstrikes in targeting the heritage of old Sanaa city and renewed its call to the UNESCO to bear its responsibility towards protecting the Yemeni heritage sites.
cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy
(* A E P)
US unfreezes Yemeni assets in boost to Saudi-backed government
Release of central bank funds seen as push to counter Tehran’s regional influence
The Trump administration has unfrozen Yemeni central bank funds in a boost to the country’s Saudi-backed government in its war against Iranian-allied rebels, according to three officials familiar with the matter. The decision, which relied on support from US secretary of state Rex Tillerson as well as Treasury officials, to unblock about $205m held in the US will enable the cash-strapped Yemeni administration to service its debt and resume salary payments, two officials said. The move was also viewed as a sign of support for the Saudi Arabia-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels that are backed by Shia Iran.
https://www.ft.com/content/0ed5276a-c8e7-11e7-ab18-7a9fb7d6163e
My comment: Giving this assets tot he Central Bank which had been installed by president Hai at Aden is an evident partizanship by the US as a warring party.
(A E P)
TeleYemen has paid all the submarine cable dues
Communications and Information Technology ridiculed the comments made by the Riyadh government that TeleYemen has failed to pay the dues of the cable project, stressing that such satatement is trying to distract attention from the reality of Saudi-led jets targeting the telecommunications sector in Yemen
http://www.khabaragency.net/news91631.html
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
(B T)
Map: US hits Islamic State in Yemen as jihadist attacks intensify in Aden
Remark: Overview.
(A T)
US military launches series of strikes in Yemen and Somalia
The US military conducted a series of airstrikes targeting terrorists in Somalia and Yemen over the weekend, according to multiple military officials.
The US military conducted three strikes against ISIS in Yemen on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, killing five suspected militants, US Central Command spokesman Maj. Josh Jacques told CNN Monday.
Jacques said all three strikes took place in Yemen's Al Bayda Governorate, an area known for ISIS and al Qaeda activity.
A US military official told CNN that the strikes were carried out by unmanned drone aircraft and that the military is still assessing the results of the strikes.
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/13/politics/us-strikes-yemen-somalia/index.html
cp15 Propaganda
(A P)
How the Middle East could go the way of the Balkans
The current status of the Middle East is similar to that of the Balkans in the years before the World War I. Are we going to witness a Balkanization of the region — geopolitical fragmentation caused by other countries’ foreign policies? And what are the chances of an Iranian-Arab war or a Shiite-Sunni conflict that could lead to the redrawing of the Middle East map?
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1194021
My comment: It could, as Saudi prince Salman is playing the 1914 roles of both Austria and Germany together.
(A P)
Saudi Arabia believes in peace, but its red lines must not be crossed
But it is not only non-state actors that have destabilized the region. Unfortunately, the Iranian government continues to defy international laws and norms by sponsoring militant groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, all at the expense of the stability of these countries. Whether Iran is in compliance with the nuclear agreement it signed with six other countries is a matter of dispute, but there is no disputing that Iran continues to be a major source of instability in the region, as was expressed very clearly by US President Donald Trump last month.
Against this foreboding backdrop, we have Saudi Arabia. As the birthplace of Islam and home to its two holiest sites, the Kingdom occupies a special place in the Islamic world.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1194016
My comment: LOL. The Saudis are claiming leadership – why??
(A P)
Ten reasons why the Iranian regime is more dangerous than Daesh
This strategic and security prioritization is misplaced. For the following reasons, the Iranian regime is far more of a security threat to the world than non-state terrorist groups such as Daesh.
First, the Iranian regime’s leaders and military generals enjoy the legitimacy of the nation-state system endorsed by the UN, even though the regime is neither a democracy nor representative of the Iranian nation.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1194006
My comment: This is highly ridiculous. Of course, the Saudis themselves have contributed to create Daesh (IS). The Iran regime “ enjoys the legitimacy of the nation-state system endorsed by the UN, even though the regime is neither a democracy nor representative of the Iranian nation”? EVEN THOUGH? What about Saudi democracy???? And, how the Saudi regime should be any more “representative of the nation”, when the Saudi clan had grabbed this country piece by piece in the 1920ies and 1930ies, succeeding only because of British assistance? And they still are mistreating parts of this “nation”, as the Shia people in the east?
(A P)
Al-Yamani hails US measures for facing Iranian threat in Yemen, region
Yemen's Permanent Representative at the United NationsKhaled al-Yamani has hailed support of the US Administration for supporting the government of Yemen and its strong positions for facing danger of Iran's regime on the regional security.
http://www.sabanew.net/viewstory.php?id=24988
(A P)
President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi said that the impactsof climate change and related challenges are increasing including in Yemen
Hadi said that climatic challenges come in synch with the challenge of defining battle that Yemen with Arab backing is locked in "to restore power following the September 2014 coup d'état that the Houthi-Saleh militias conducted with support from the sponsor of terrorism in the Middle East and the world, Iran. "
http://www.sabanew.net/viewstory.php?id=24987
My comment: LOL.
(A P)
Royal #Saudi Air Force C-130 Airmen join hands with @KSRelief_EN in sending hope and relief to the people of #Yemen (photos)
https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/930844982050787328
My comment: LOL, LOL, LOL.
(A P)
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Amplifies Aid Distribution through Liberated Ports
he Yemeni Minister of Local Administration and the Higher Committee for Relief, His Excellency Abdulraqib Fatih, called on the United Nations and other aid organizations working in the sphere of humanitarian relief to play an efficient role in receiving and delivering aid through the Aden Port, airports, and other liberated provinces. The Minister reiterated the commitment to distribute aid relief through civil society organizations and other relevant humanitarian aid entities to all governates; ensuring neutrality, transparency, and accountability.
To this end, the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid (KS Relief) has diversified and scaled its humanitarian aid efforts across Yemeni governates indiscriminately:
My comment: While blocking the majority of Yemenis (cp 1, 2), Saudis excrete propaganda like this one.
And more:
(A P)
Saudi Arabia combats Cholera, Dengue Fever in Yemen
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) signed on Tuesday an agreement to establish two projects for treating and preventing cholera in Yemen.
https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/32571/Saudi-Arabia-combats-Cholera-Dengue-Fever-in-Yemen
(A P)
Saudi Arabia sets up hotline for wanted Houthi leaders
Saudi Arabia announced specified contact numbers to provide information about 40 leaders and elements responsible for planning, implementing and supporting various terrorist activities in the Houthi group.
Financial rewards have also been announced for each wanted person on the blacklist which was released a few days ago.
The Saudi authorities had announced anyone who provides concerned agencies with helpful information, may lead to arresting or locating these wanted names would be rewarded.
http://www.gdnonline.com/Details/293929/Saudi-Arabia-sets-up-hotline-for-wanted-Houthi-leaders
(* A P T)
CIA vertuscht Verbindung zu al-Qaida mit neuem Iran-Dossier
CIA vertuscht Verbindung zu al-Qaida mit neuem Iran-Dossier
Die CIA hat am 1. November 470 000 Dokumente veröffentlicht, die die US-Spezialkräfte in Osama bin Ladens Bunker in Pakistan bei ihrem Tötungseinsatz am 1. Mai 2011 entdeckt hatten.
Der Bericht wurde von der Nachrichtenagentur Associated Press und seine russische Version auf der Website von „Radio Free Europe“ unter dem Titel „Iran half al-Qaida im Krieg gegen USA“ veröffentlicht.
In diesem Dossier gibt es unter anderem eine Bescheinigung auf 19 Seiten, die von einem der al-Qaida-Führer ausgestellt wurde. Ihr zufolge waren die Beziehungen zwischen den sunnitischen Dschihadisten und dem schiitischen Iran viel komplizierter als man denken könnte: Teheran soll einigen Anhängern bin Ladens Asyl gewährt haben, die nach der amerikanischen Intervention aus Afghanistan geflüchtet waren, sowie al-Qaida-Kämpfer mit Waffen und Geld versorgt und libanesische Hisbollah-Lagererrichtet haben. Diese haben dafür angeblich US-Objekte in Saudi-Arabien und andern Ländern der Golfregion angegriffen.
Die Glaubwürdigkeit dieser Dokumente ruft jedoch Fragen hervor, denn die CIA hat keine Kopien dieser Papiere veröffentlicht.
Die von Sputnik befragten iranischen Experten sagten zu dieser Situation, dies sei ein neuer Versuch der CIA, ein neues Dossier gegen Teheran zu fabrizieren und dadurch ihre eigenen Verbrechen und die Verbindungen zur al-Qaida zu vertuschen. In diesem Zusammenhang erinnerten sie an die wahre Geschichte des Aufstiegs Osama bin Ladens und der Gründung seiner terroristischen Organisation.
https://de.sputniknews.com/politik/20171114318295017-cia-iran-al-qaida-bericht/
und
(* B T)
Alles für den Regime Change: Wie US-Denkfabriken dem Iran eine Al-Kaida-Verbindung unterschieben
Die US-Denkfabrik FDD macht derzeit Furore mit veröffentlichten Dokumenten, die angeblich aus dem Pakistan-Versteck von Osama bin Laden stammen, und eine Verbindung der Terrororganisation Al-Kaida zum Iran belegen sollen. Doch selbst CIA-Veteranen halten diese für gefälscht.
Zahlreiche Mainstream-Medien stürzten sich auf vermutliche Verbindungen zwischen dem Iran und al-Kaida. Sie beriefen sich allesamt auf einen Bericht des Analyseportals „Long War Journal“. Das Portal ist das Onlinemagazin der US-amerikanischen Denkfabrik „Foundation for the Defense of Democracries“, kurz FDD.
Die zwei Analysten verteidigten ihre auffällig schnellen Schlüsse, dass der schiitische Iran die salafistische al-Kaida, die im Syrien-Konflikt pro-iranische Schiiten-Milizen und die syrische Regierung bekämpft, unterstützt hat, mit der Begründung, der CIA hätte „Long War Journal“ eine „Vorabkopie vieler Akten“ zur Verfügung gestellt.
Regimewechsel ein Standbein der Washingtoner Denkfabrik
Die „Foundation for the Defense of Democracies“, zu Deutsch Stiftung zur Verteidigung der Demokratien, gilt als neokonservatives Institut.
https://deutsch.rt.com/der-nahe-osten/60530-iran-al-kaida-verbindungen-usa-israel-regimewechsel/
(B P)
Russia's next Power Play May Occur in Yemen
Since the start of the Astana talks on Syria in December 2016, Western analysts have paid a great deal of attention to Russia’s emerging role as a conflict mediator in the Middle East. The scrutiny surrounding Russia’sarbitration ventures in Syria has sparked a flurry of predictions on the next Middle Eastern security crisis where Moscow will assume a leading diplomatic role. The most frequently discussed potential theaters for a Russian diplomatic intervention are Libya, the Qatar crisis and the Saudi Arabia-Iran standoff.
While intervening in each of these three regional crises provides opportunities for Russia to expand its geopolitical influence in the Middle East, Western policymakers have paid strikingly little attention to the prospect of a Russian diplomatic intervention in Yemen. This omission is short sighted. The Yemen conflict possesses a unique confluence of characteristics that are highly conducive for a Syria-style Russian diplomatic intervention, and provides Vladimir Putin with a low cost opportunity to highlight Moscow’s leverage in the Middle East.
Russian policymakers view Yemen as an appealing destination for a diplomatic intervention, because they believe that Saudi Arabia is willing to end hostilities in Yemen if it is offered acceptable terms.
Even though Western policymakers have focused primarily on other potential locations for Russian diplomatic arbitration, a closer examination of geopolitical factors in the Middle East suggests that Yemen is the optimal theater for a Russian diplomatic intervention. If Moscow expands its diplomatic presence in Yemen and makes progress towards ending a seemingly intractable military stalemate, Russia’s role as an indispensable power broker in the Middle East will be entrenched for years to come.
http://nationalinterest.org/feature/russias-next-power-play-may-occur-yemen-23197
My comment: I placed this article at “propaganda”. It’s a product of the new US anti-Russian “Cold war” having little to do with realitiy. While the US have supported creating and continuing a devastating war at Yemen, US establishment is worried about a Russian “powerplay” in Yemen. Odd.
(A P)
Helping the world's young shape a positive future
By ensuring that our education system prepares its students for the modern world and that the world of work beyond school welcomes our ambitious young people -- of both sexes -- we are opening new avenues of life in the Kingdom for all our citizens.
And by helping to unleash the potential of young people in this way, we are ensuring that our society also develops into one that supports entrepreneurs, welcomes creativity and embraces innovation.
All this is in keeping with the vision of moderation and tolerance, opportunity and empowerment recently voiced by His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia – by Bader Al Asaker, secretary general of the Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Philanthropic Foundation
My comment: LOL. Why CNN gives the stage for the most primitive Saudi propaganda??
Comment. Helping? Saudi Arabia cannot even help its own youth, much less young people anywhere else in the world, except to inject them with extremist Wahhabi beliefs – Saudi Arabia paves the way, and pays much money, to turn youth into terrorists.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/930495453539467264
(A P)
International Red Cross Commends UAE’s Humanitarian Work in Yemen
The UAE’s soft power policy is a great profile that contributes to the positive reputation boasted by the UAE outside this region, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, has said.
In an exclusive interview with the Emirates News Agency, WAM, ICRC President, Peter Maurer, commended the significant humanitarian role played by the UAE in Yemen.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/international-red-cross-commends-uae-s-humanitarian-work-yemen
My comment: “The UAE’s soft power policy”: LOL, LOL, LOL. By bombing Yemen? Maurer should not play the UAE’s propaganda clown.
(A P)
ANALYSIS: Is Iran’s influence fading in Lebanon and Yemen?
Recent developments across the region are signaling increasing isolation for Tehran. Despite investing for decades, Lebanon and Yemen are literally slipping out of Iran’s hands.
Iran and Houthis reaching the point of launching such an attack can be traced back to eight years of appeasement by the Obama administration. Despite the UNSC obligating the Houthis to handover heavy weaponry, pull forces out of all cities and transfer all administrational entities to the officially recognized government, no measures were carried out in this regard.
(A P)
Is the Tide Turning on Iran Regime in the Middle East?
Recent developments in the Middle East show that the Iranian Regime is becoming increasingly isolated as countries like Lebanon and Yemen are turning away from them but could this be the beginning of the end for Iran’s interventionism?
(A P)
How Iran Regime's Destabilisation of the Region Is Executed
The Iranian regime, described by many as the number one state sponsor of terrorism, has profited greatly from the Iran nuclear deal. The deal was put in place to curb the nuclear threat emanating from Iran, but many believe this is not the case.
A Deep Strategic Reorientation of the EU Policy Towards Iran Regime Is Imperative
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has been leading Iran’s hidden invasion of several Middle-Eastern countries for years. The US administration’s recent decision to put the IRGC on the terrorist list makes it vital to confront the regime and its proxies all over the region, writes Alejo Vidal-Quadras in ‘Euro Active’ on November 8, 2017 and the article continues as follows:
My comment: These 3 articles by an Iranian opposition group labeled as terrorists.
(A P)
Middle East needs a strong, developing Saudi Arabia and stable Egypt, Minister says
Gargash says terrorists and extremists have thrived in the political unrest created by the Arab Spring
Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, also spoke of the legacy of the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011 and conflict in Syria, Yemen and other states in a speech at the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate on Sunday.
"It is only by adopting a strategy focused primarily on achieving stability that we will be able to alter the current trajectory," he said.
"In the UAE’s view, the success of this strategy depends on there being a strong, developing Saudi Arabia and a stable, robust Egypt.
(A P)
Yemen rebels vow escalation as Saudis look to relax blockade
Saudi Arabia announced Monday that the Saudi-led coalition fighting Shiite rebels in Yemen will begin reopening airports and seaports in the Arab world's poorest country, days after closing them over a rebel ballistic missile attack on Riyadh.
http://www.islandpacket.com/news/nation-world/world/article184296818.html
My comment: Overview with an evident propaganda bias, as already is shown by the headline – and by omitting the main fact that their will be no lifting for northern Yemeni ports and airports, look at cp1.
(A P)
Houthis Threaten Saudi Arabia's Security with 79 Iranian Ballistic Missiles
Houthi militias launched 70 ballistic missiles targeting the security and safety of Saudi Arabia, since the launch of the operation to restore legitimacy in Yemen, according to informed sources.
The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the militias launched 14 missiles towards Jazan, 9 towards Nejran, and the remaining 56 targeted several areas in the center, south, and west of the kingdom.
Even though none of the missiles succeeded in achieving their goals and were intercepted by Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces, the continuous attacks present a direct threat on Saudi Arabia's security.
My comment: This is odd propaganda. The Houthi missile launches started 10 weeks AFTER the Saudis had begun their air raids. And the article wants „en passant“ to tell us as fact that the Houthi missiles are „Iranian“. – A much more reasonable article would be: „Saudis threaten Yemen’s security with 100.000 US and UK bombs“.
(A P)
Film: Situation im Jemen
logo! erklärt, warum es den Menschen im Jemen so schlecht geht.
https://www.zdf.de/kinder/logo/es-jemen-102.html
Mein Kommentar: Propaganda für Kinder: Die Einmischung von Iran und Saudi Arabien wird als gleich schwer hingestellt; kein Wort von den saudischen Bombardements, und es wird so getan, als gäbe es die saudische Blockade erst seit letzter Woche. Auch kein Wort über die Schuld des Westens.
(A P)
Do women lives and wellbeing matter to the UN?
The UN knows that the spoilage of democratic transition in Yemen by a radical theologian and prehistorical militia in Yemen is not only a blow to its resolutions concerning Yemen. But also a blow to human rights in general and women rights in particular.
The UN watches this and knows this. Yet chooses to pamper these terrorists to continue their relentless terror campaign the destroys the future of all Yemenis, women and men, the people of today and the generations to come.
http://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-12802
My comment: The palm for the day’s oddest propaganda plot.
(A P)
The destabilization of Saudi Arabia
A wide variety of threats, ranging from intensifying proxy wars and hostile neighbors to the purge of prominent individuals, seems to be destabilizing the House of Saud.
President Trump expressed “great confidence” in the Saudi purge, saying they knew exactly what they were doing. They do, but does Mr. Trump?
Crown Prince bin Salman’s goals certainly include the reduction of corruption, but his aim is also to push uncharacteristically aggressive (for the Saudis) foreign and domestic agendas.
The Saudis are squeezed between hostile neighbors dominated by Iran. They include Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, and all share one thing in common: they are dominated by Shiite Iran.
The president has to walk a fine line. Saudi Arabia is still a principal financial sponsor of a great many Sunni terrorist groups. A call from him to Crown Prince bin Salman demanding that he end Saudi support for terrorism as the price for further American support could directly benefit our national security.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/nov/12/america-can-restore-influence-in-middle-east/
My comment: Standard US propagandas based on the Saudi one. The last sentence anyway, is more interesting and it is basic. Could the author himself tell us why the US stayed allied to terrorist sponsors for decades now???
(A P)
Yemeni marine forces have never had naval mines, says Arab Coalition sources
http://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-12800
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
(* A K PH)
The Violation and Crimes that are committed by #Saudi_Arabia and its alliance in #Yemen 12 –14 Nov 2017
(A K PH)
Saudi-paid mercenaries killed, injured in friendly airstrikes, in Taiz
The US-Saudi aggression warplanes targeted a gathering of its mercenaries in al-Arous mountain in Taiz province on Tuesday, an official told Saba.
The official said that a number of mercenaries were killed and wounded in friendly airstrikes.
The official added that the warplanes hit sites, stores and fortifications of the mercenaries' leader in Taiz, "Abu Abbas", due to disputes in their ranks.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news479447.htm and photo https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1556741277712230/?type=3
(* A K PH)
Saudi-led coalition air raid puts Yemen's Sanaa airport out of service
An air raid by the Saudi-led military coalition put Yemeni airport in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa out of service on Tuesday, jeopardizing relief shipments to a country on the brink of famine, the state news agency SABA reported.
Air raids destroyed radio navigation station for aircraft, civil aviation authorities told SABA, which is controlled by the Houthis.
Air traffic in Sanaa’s airport is currently restricted to flights carrying humanitarian aid sent by the United Nations and other international organizations.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-airport/saudi-led-coalition-air-raid-puts-yemens-sanaa-airport-out-of-service-agency-idUSKBN1DE27Y and also http://middle-east-online.com/english/?id=85940 and by Saba http://www.sabanews.net/en/news479402.htm and photos https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/photos/a.1434086430220680.1073741828.1434084576887532/1743760655919921/?type=3 and https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/pcb.1556745854378439/1556745644378460/?type=3
and films
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O3gmVdP-Nw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgPlCJvKz2I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ygtsY_oxnI
and
(* A K PH)
Saudi airstrike destroys navigation station at Yemeni airport - preventing humanitarian aid from being delivered to the country where millions are at risk of starvation
Houthi rebels say navigation tower at Sanaa airport destroyed by Saudi airstrike
That means UN aid planes, the only aircraft using the airport, cannot land
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5081539/Saudi-strike-destroys-navigation-station-Yemen-airport.html and also http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5081723/Yemen-rebels-say-raid-destroyed-Sanaa-airport-navigation-aids.html
(* A K PH)
Saudi-led coalition bombs airport runway in Yemen's capital
The Saudi-led military coalition fighting Yemen's Shiite rebels bombed the airport in the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, on Tuesday, Yemeni officials said, though there were conflicting reports as to the extension of damage caused in the strike.
The United Nations said most of the airport remained intact and that it would be able to receive aid shipments once they restart — after the coalition loosens the blockade of the war-torn country as it had announced.
But Yemeni officials in Sanaa, which is held by the rebels known as Houthis, said the airports runway and a ground navigation tower were damaged. Repair crews were already at work, they added
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/article184489833.html
and
(A K PH)
US-Saudi fighter jets attack Hodeida
The US-Saudi combat jets waged on Tuesday a strike on Hodeida International airport
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news479407.htm
My comment: This is the Saudi comment to “reopening” of Yemeni airports.
(A K PH)
Aggression wages 13 raids on Sa'ada, Jizan, Aser
The US-Saudi aggression coaltion on Monday waged 13 air raids on Sa'ada province and Jizan and Aser regions
Two civilians were injured in a Saudi bombing on al-Shaikh area in Munabah border district.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news479364.htm
Remark: Jizan, Aser: Saudi border regions, occupied by Houthi forces.
More air raids reported on:
Nov. 14:
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news479454.htm . Saada
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news479368.htm Hajjah
Nov. 13:
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news479308.htm Nehm
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news479307.htm Marib
(B K)
Here is one picture of many others pictures for the destruct ions committed by Saudi regime in #Yemen Pic today at Culture Center in Hodeidah governorate in western
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/930121298994483200
(B K PH)
Film: The aggression destroys the homes of citizens and their property in # Baqim # Sa'ada
Photos of the direct targeting of citizens' property in the city of Baqem and its surroundings fill the landscape, wherever you go, you find the extent of the great destruction that has befallen the houses of their inhabitants, their farms and their properties
http://almasirah.net/gallery/preview.php?file_id=9726 = https://twitter.com/Hona_Almasirah/status/930157029309763585
(* A K)
This beautiful schoolgirl holds up a fragment of the bomb that was dropped near her school by the #Saudi -led Coalition in #Sanaa
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/930197142072954880
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/930480372760109063
Remark: The second photos clearly shows the marking: US MK84 bomb.
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
(B K PS)
Houthi-Saleh kill, injure over 2000 children in Taiz until Sept. 2017
The Houthi-Saleh rebel militias killed and injured more than 2000 children in the central Yemen city of Taiz from the April 2015 until September 2017.
Yemen Yemeni Coalition for Monitoring Human Rights Violation, a CSO, said in a newly released report that the radical militias killed 300 and injured 1804 children in continual bombardment with heavy artillery in the central Yemen city of Taiz.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-12862
My comment: These figures by a Hadi government propaganda organization hardly can be verified. The fact is that a great number of children has been killed at Taiz by artillery bombardment – mainly by the Houthis, but if the other side would not bomb itself permanently (and killing civilians as well), war at Taiz already would be over.
(A K PH)
the areas of al-Shaikh and al-Omar in the district of Munabeha were targeted by the artillery and missile attack of the aggression.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news479454.htm
(A K PS)
Taiz: Houthi sniper kills disabled child, shelling continues (photo)
http://almasdaronline.com/article/95431
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
(B H P)
A Tough Ticket to Get: One Man's Harrowing Path Out of Yemen
Mohammed al-Jabry wanted to save his cancer-stricken grandfather. That meant getting the 69-year-old out of one of the world’s most overlooked war zones: Yemen.
It would require venturing through a country al-Jabry barely recognized after years of living abroad. Yemen has been decimated by the conflict pitting Saudi Arabia against rebels linked to Iran.
From his adopted home in Amman, Jordan, al-Jabry surveyed the grim options. People-smugglers ply the narrow sea route from Yemen to Djibouti in Africa. Those who are desperate enough sometimes risk a treacherous crossing of the heavily fortified land border with Saudi Arabia
But there’s really just one practical way: a coveted seat on Yemenia, the national carrier.
My comment: For the most stupid who still did not get it: The Yemeni “rebels” are not “Iran-backed”.
(* B P)
Letter from Yemen: artist speaks out about his country’s 'forgotten war'
Ahmed Jahaf describes what it is like to live through catastrophic conflict
My name is Ahmed Jahaf. I am a graphic designer and artist living in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a. My work is inspired by the Saudi Arabia-led war on my country. I live under constant bombardment and blockade.
I’m just trying to show the ugliness of war—what happens during a conflict while the world watches in silence. This is my way of protesting against the injustice of this forgotten war—and of asking for peace.
I spend my days watching the news and recording events such as air raids on social media. (images)
http://theartnewspaper.com/news/letter-from-yemen
(A)
Meet Anna Muzychuk, a Ukrainian chess player star & multiple world champion. Despite risk of losing titles, she has decided to boycott world championship in Saudi Arabia because the country’s severe oppression of women. GO ANNA!
https://twitter.com/MaximEristavi/status/929957945001021440
cp19 Marib
Der Gouverneur von Marib hatte ausländische Journalisten in seine Stadt eingeladen. Die Stadt hat trotz des Krieges einen erstaunlichen Aufschwung genommen. Früher erscheiene berichte wurden bereits verlinkt. Hier noch mehr.
(* A)
Nur das Kat ist sicher
Marib ist ein Hort der Stabilität im chaotischen Jemen. Bericht aus einer Stadt, die von einem gewieften Kriegsgewinnler regiert wird – und Zuflucht für Tausende ist.
www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2017-11/jemen-tagebuch-marib-huthi-saudi-arabien
(* A )
Von der Terror-Hochburg zur Boomtown
Hunger, Cholera, Chaos: Die Lage im Jemen ist verheerend. Nur die Stadt Marib, einst Hochburg der Qaida, blüht auf (kostenpflichtig)
http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/jemen-wie-die-stadt-marib-vom-chaos-profitiert-a-1177467.html
in English available:
(* A )
In a Devastated Country, One City Is Thriving
The city of Marib in Yemen was long seen as an al-Qaida stronghold. But as the rest of the war-ravaged country descends ever deeper into chaos, it has become an unofficial capital with booming businesses and a popular university, a place poised between horror and hope.
After the end of fighting between the Houthis and Hadi supporters in late 2015, a sort of positive domino effect has set in here: Between 1.5 and 2 million refugees from all corners of the country have come to Marib, and the tide shows no sign of ebbing. Many of them are poor, but there are also entrepreneurs among them, as well as doctors like Qubati, lawyers, journalists and artists, all fleeing the arbitrary arrests carried out by Houthis in Sanaa, the fighting, al-Qaida and corruption, all of which is dragging the rest of the country deeper and deeper into disaster.
Moreover, wealthy people who left Marib decades ago are starting to return.
One man can take the credit for the fact the city is benefiting from the surrounding chaos rather than drowning in it - a man whose thick-rimmed glasses and low-key bearing means he's often underestimated. Sultan al-Arada, 59, has been provincial governor since 2012. He is also one of the region's most important tribal leaders. His family has weathered the challenges of recent decades with its reputation intact. At his side are the Marib's powerful tribes, who do not want to bow to the Houthis or be bombed by the U.S. on the grounds they are al-Qaida sympathizers.
It is also thanks to Arada that Yemen's finest minds are coming to Marib. Two thirds of the professors at the university - where the number of students has swelled from 1,200 to 5,000 - come from outside. Where else are they going to go?
(B H P)
A Safe Haven in Yemen
Despite the grave humanitarian crisis that has befallen Yemen, Marib has emerged as a bright spot for the nation. The local government of the Marib province has resulted in using its share of oil profits to develop the region. This has been helped by tribal politics, and the blows of war have been lessened in the region. As a result, this has created services that cannot be found elsewhere in the region. A new level of security has also been put in place in the area.
The good amenities and security have managed to attract Yemenis fleeing from war. As a result, this happens to be rich people who have brought money to the region. They have bought properties in the area ad they have also started new businesses.
https://chronicleweek.com/2017/11/a-safe-haven-in-yemen/
(* A)
As Yemen slides further into the hell of war, one town is thriving like never before
A dusty town once known as the al Qaeda capital of the country is now booming thanks to Yemen’s civil war. The Independent meets the savvy traders and tribal leaders for whom life is better than ever
Yet Marib’s star has risen in the civil war, even as the rest of the country descends into death and destruction.
Marib province is far from safe in the usual sense of the word. US drone strikes and raids across the province have killed several civilians and during The Independent’s visit, a Houthi rocket hit the outskirts of the town.
Yet the town is a relative oasis of calm and stability compared to even the de facto government capital, Aden.
Its population has swelled from around 40,000 people to an estimated two million; Foods such as hamburgers are now being served in some restaurants. There’s even a Baskin Robbins ice cream parlour.
With the huge influx of newcomers, the gulf between the rich and the poor has grown more obvious
As well as its oil and gas reserves, Marib can thank one man for reversing its fortunes: Governor Sultan al Ardah, who tells the group of foreign journalists he has invited to his town that “necessity is the mother of invention”.
Since becoming governor in 2012, the politically astute and well connected tribal leader has managed to push both al-Qaeda and Houthi rebels away from the city - with the help of Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Arab coalition's air power.
“People just want to live in peace,” Mr Ardah said. “Unfortunately, we have reached a political deadlock.”
As long as the deadlock lasts, however, Mr Ardah is possibly the most powerful man on the ground - a position he maintains despite the fact his brother is currently on the US’ terrorist blacklist for financing al Qaeda (when asked, Mr Ardah dismissed the allegations as “fake sources, fake news".)
Marib appears to have laid down the civil structures and vision for the future it may need to weather future violence.
Comment: The government in exile organised a media mission to Mareb, in the head quarters of its army and The Independent joined.
To the paradisiac picture described, we would like to add that people in #Mareb do not sleep at night because of rockets flying and battles raging, because of missiles landing and drones orbiting.
Propaganda does not change reality, Independent
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1556299551089736
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-356-yemen-war-mosaic-356
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-356 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-356:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose oder / or http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
Der saudische Luftkrieg im Bild / Saudi aerial war images:
(18 +, Nichts für Sensible!) / (18 +; Graphic!)
http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm und / and http://yemenwarcrimes.blogspot.de/
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