Schwerpunkte / Key aspects
Klassifizierung / Classification
Zuerst: Verschleppte der Huthis / At first: Houthi detainees
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
cp1a Cholera
cp2 Allgemein / General
cp2a Allgemein: Saudische Blockade / General: Saudi blockade
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
cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis
cp12b Libanon / Lebanon
cp13 Waffenhandel / Arms Trade
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
cp15 Propaganda
cp15a Propaganda: Saudis "retten" Journalistinnen / Saudis "save" journalists
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)
Government condemns abductees death by torture in Houthis prisons
The Yemeni government condemned on Thursday torturing abductees in the Houthis prisons which led to the killing of dozens of them.
The Yemeni news agency Saba quoted the Human Rights Ministry statement as saying that the Houthis militia committed the most heinous crimes and violations against abductees, in which the last crime of torture to death was committed against the detainee Ahmed Saleh Hussein al Wahashi, from Mothqain village in al Baydah province, who was arrested on 15 October.
The statement added that there were hundreds of victims who were tortured to death in the Houthis prisons.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/95547
My comment: By the Hadi government, telling a true story but exaggerating the figures up to the extreme. And, keep in mind, exactly in this case does apply the proverb: "Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones”.
(* A P)
Huthi kill a university professor in front of his children
In a new ugly crime to be added to its bloody record, the Al - Houthi militias and the ousted Salih al-Dulaimi killed a teacher and a teacher in the sight of his wife and children.
According to local sources, al-Houthi militias killed Wednesday and coldly the professor and educator Ali Ahmad Saber in the village of Jabal al-Sharq, west of the central city of Dhamar, in the second such crime witnessed by the Directorate. # Al-Ja`mani inside his house and in front of his children.
The sources explained that Houthi gunmen aboard military crews came to abduct him patiently, while he was in a field owned by his farm, and when he objected to go with them for not committing any crime, fired him a barrage of bullets and killed him immediately.
According to eyewitnesses, Professor Ali Saber, who works as an Arabic teacher in his village, was accused by the Houthis of "communicating" with those they describe as "aggression", a charge they get rid of their opponents and opponents of their coup. They then shoot him and throw his body at Roadway (photo)
and also
(* A P)
Houthis kill teacher in Dhamar, civilian in Amran
Local residents told Almasderonline that the Houthis-Saleh gunmen stormed on Wednesday the house of the teacher Ali Sabir, who was teaching the Arabic language subject in al Hamal school in al Sharq mountain district of Dhamar province central Yemen, and shot him dead in front of his wife and children.
The sources reported that gunmen from the area's security department, which is controlled by the Houthis, tried to kidnap the teacher Sabir from his home but he resisted, then they shot him dead.
On the one hand, Sabir's family and relatives refused to bury his body until the killer got the right punishment, and threatened the Houthis leadership in the region if they refuse to hand over the killer to justice, they will revenge.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/95515
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
(** A H P)
Yemen: 12 days into the blockade – We are running out of Fuel, Food and Medicines
12 days since land, air and seaports in Yemen were closed, aid agencies are appalled by the complacency and indifference of the international community regarding the historic humanitarian disaster now unfolding.
Aid agencies, including the International Rescue Committee, are gravely concerned about a new outbreak of cholera and other water borne diseases. UNICEF warns that they only have 15 days’ left of diphtheria vaccines. They are due to receive a new shipment late November but still have not received clearance. If this vaccine is not brought in, one million children will be at risk of preventable diseases.
The fuel shortage in Yemen means clean water in the country is more and more scarce. Water networks are closing by the day as fuel for the pumps runs out and pipes run dry. The lack of water poses grave risks to young children most of all. Schools will become centres of disease rather than centres of knowledge.
With no fuel, hospitals are closing wards and struggling to operate intensive care units and surgical operation theatres. Refrigeration units for essential medicines are being turned off for periods of time to save fuel. Doctors, some of whom have not been paid for ten months, are asking INGOs and UN to share their small supplies of fuel to run their life-saving generators; INGOs are citing one month fuel supply only.
Agencies are starting to double the value of the cash distributions to the most vulnerable people. This will enable people to buy and stock food for the coming cold winter months before prices rise beyond their means. This means agencies will exhaust their funds allocated for next year. Additionally, aid agencies have grave concerns for wellbeing of people that are currently inaccessible.
The country’s stocks of wheat and sugar will not last for longer than three months if cargo vessels are not allowed to discharge in Hodeidah, the country’s only deep water seaport, in the next few days. Even if they are allowed, food distribution systems have been severely disrupted and may collapse within weeks. Moreover, having incurred so many additional costs and in a highly volatile environment, international traders may decide that importing to Yemen is too risky a proposition to continue.
The international community must break its shameful silence and use all possible means to lift the blockade on Yemen immediately. Hodeidah port, that serviced 80% of all imports, and Sana’a airport, needs to be reopened to let in urgently needed shipments of food, fuel, and medicines. Every day the blockade lasts means thousands of Yemenis will suffer from hunger and preventable diseases. Millions could die in a historic famine if the blockade continues indefinitely. This is not the time for carefully balanced statements. The choice is between resolution, or complicity in the suffering; there is no third option.
Signed on by:
ACF, ACTED, ADRA, CARE, DRC, Handicap International, International Rescue Committee, Medecins Du Monde, Mercy Corps, NRC, Oxfam, Relief International, World Relief Germany, Zoa
My comment: Appeals of humanitarian relief organizations on a nearly daily basis now. The situation is catastrophic.
(** A H P)
Saudi Arabia’s Stranglehold on Yemen Has Already Condemned Thousands to Die in the Coming Weeks
What happens when the world’s largest humanitarian crisis takes a dramatic turn for the worse? A catastrophe of astonishing proportions is unfolding before our eyes as Yemen’s Houthi-controlled territory is sealed off and suffocated. Today, the international community is faced with yet another test of its collective will to prevent mass atrocities from taking place. It is failing. Absent a rapid turnaround, we are likely to witness in Yemen an extraordinary level of devastation, the likes of which most of us have never lived through.
Most critical of all for commercial shipments and aid delivery is the seaport of Hodeidah, which the coalition has long sought to control. More than 70 percent of Yemen’s food, and a substantial amount of its fuel, comes through Hodeidah, and it’s not by accident. Hodeidah’s deep water, proximity to populous areas, grain storage and milling infrastructure, and lengthy conventional and container berths, make its capacity irreplaceable by other ports. Saudi Arabia’s proposed alternatives – rerouting ships to Aden or the Saudi Arabian port city of Jizan, and then shipping supplies overland – are absurdly impractical.
In spite of this backward logic, the US government has led its allies in demonstrations of solidarity with Saudi Arabia against Iran, ignoring a ghastly humanitarian crisis. The international community’s unqualified support for Saudi Arabia’s position nearly culminated in the adoption of a UN Security Council Presidential Statement condemning the Houthis and Iran’s malign activity without so much as a mention of Yemen’s dire humanitarian crisis and the steps taken by Saudi Arabia to push it to the brink of catastrophe.
The coming days and weeks will determine life or death for families across Yemen – by Scott Paul, senior humanitarian policy advisor at Oxfam America
https://www.justsecurity.org/47156/saudi-arabias-stranglehold-yemen-condemned-thousands-die-coming-weeks/ = https://politicsofpoverty.oxfamamerica.org/2017/11/saudi-arabias-stranglehold-on-yemen-condemns-thousands-to-die-in-the-coming-weeks/ = http://lobelog.com/saudi-arabias-stranglehold-on-yemen-condemns-thousands-to-die-in-coming-weeks/
(** B H K P)
International Law is Meant to Prevent What’s Happening in Yemen
While humanitarian relief can play a vital role in averting famine, allowing and facilitating passage is not the only IHL duty that parties to conflict have to satisfy so that civilians have access to the essentials to survive.
In order to safeguard the civilian population’s access to food in armed conflict, IHL prohibits starvation as a method of warfare. To use starvation as a method of warfare “would be to provoke it deliberately, causing the population to suffer hunger, particularly by depriving it of its sources of food or of supplies.” Directing attacks against objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, or denying access of humanitarian aid intended for civilians in need, including by deliberately impeding humanitarian aid or restricting the freedom of movement of humanitarian relief personnel, can constitute violations of the prohibition of starvation.
Related to the rule on starvation, IHL prohibits attacking, destroying, removing or rendering useless objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population. Such indispensable objects include foodstuffs and agricultural areas for their production, crops, livestock, drinking water installations and supplies, and irrigation works. The list of protected objects is not exhaustive. The commentary to Article 54 of Additional Protocol I of 1977 explains that this list of objects “should be interpreted in the widest sense, in order to cover the infinite variety of needs of populations in all geographical areas.”
As famine looms in a country that was already 80 to 90 percent dependent on imported food, medicine and fuel even before this conflict broke out, it can be argued that infrastructure so indispensable for the import of essential staples should also be covered by this rule.
More generally, the IHL rules of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack also serve to protect civilian land and infrastructure. In addition to prohibiting attacks directed against civilian objects, IHL prohibits attacking a military objective if the expected incidental civilian death, injury or damage exceeds the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated. IHL also requires that parties take constant care to spare civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of military operations, and take all feasible precautions to avoid and minimize incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians and damage to civilian objects.
While parties to an armed conflict clearly bear the primary responsibility for respecting IHL, a State also carries a duty to ensure that IHL is being respected. This entails ensuring respect of IHL by its own armed forces – by Nathalie Weizmann, Senior Legal Officer with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
https://www.justsecurity.org/47197/international-law-meant-prevent-happening-yemen/
(** A H K P)
Film: Yemen's deepening humanitarian crisis
The United Nations is warning that the desperate humanitarian crisis in Yemen is worsening and that unless aid is allowed in millions more lives will be at risk. Extreme hunger and disease are killing an estimated 130 children every day. 80 per cent of the country in need of humanitarian aid. From Yemen, Clive Myrie sent this special report.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05n2cf0
and
Film: Yemen: The plight of the children - BBC News
Fifty thousand children under the age of five in Yemen are expected to die this year from hunger or disease. Clive Myrie and cameraman Nick Millard have been to the front-line city of Taiz, where there's no let up in the fighting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a157tmbXYo4
And just as a reminder, from August 2016:
(** B H K)
Film: For those new to #Yemen here's a 25 minute doco
we made last year explaining how this UK & US backed war has already killed tens of thousands of civilians in airstrikes, from famine & lack of medical care
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=2CxiNMN5EsM
(** B H P)
Film (Talk): How can Yemen's humanitarian crisis be solved?
Humanitarian aid agencies are calling on Saudi Arabia to completely lift its air, sea and land blockade of Yemen
The situation is made worse by a prolonged political crisis, with many of the players too deeply divided to find a solution.
So what is the solution for what the UN is calling the world's worst humanitarian crisis?
Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom
Guests:
Hakim al-Masmari - Editor-in-chief, Yemen Post
Adam Baron - Visiting fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations
Rasha Muhrez - Director of Operations (Yemen), Save the Children
(** B H P)
Famine in Yemen finally reaches western headlines
While it is worth discussing whether the missiles in the November 4 attack came from Iran in the first place, the outcome is unarguable. It has dramatically worsened an already abysmal situation.
Yemen is finally making the headlines of mainstream media in UK. Why now? Since early this year, UN and other humanitarian agencies working in Yemen warned the world that the country is about to suffer an unprecedented famine. Earlier this was discussed alongside the expected famines in Africa. In recent months little has been heard about any of them while the situation continued to deteriorate.
At the outset, readers need to remember that the UN’s 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan only intends to reach 7 million people with its emergency assistance, although it estimates that 21 million are in need: it is only hoping to reach one third of people needing help. This is partly due to the lack of funds: as of mid-November, 1.5 months before the end of the year, it had received only 57% of the funds required to reach this small percentage of desperate Yemenis.
When looking at UN and other humanitarian achievements, it is important to remember how many of the millions of Yemenis are not even targeted by assistance from the international community as a whole, which means us as Northern taxpayers, among others.
Military failure leads to humanitarian war
With the exception of coalition forces taking control of Mokha port in the southern part of the Red Sea earlier this year, military stalemate prevails since September 2015.
The missile gave the Saudi regime another excuse to blame Iran as the real enemy in Yemen. While in reality this war is first and foremost one between Yemeni factions for political control, Saudi discourse has shifted from the early days in 2015 when the objective was expressly stated to be the re-instatement of President Hadi to power in Sana’a. Nowadays, Saudi discourse focuses on the claim that the war aim is to prevent an Iranian take-over of Yemen, describing the Huthi movement as nothing more than an Iranian proxy, denying its nature as an autonomous movement. This distortion of the real nature of the conflict only serves to extend the war and worsen suffering.
Faced with a military stalemate, the Saudi-led coalition has adopted alternative strategies. Expansion of the air strikes on a Syrian model is not an option, largely thanks to pressure from its western allies, mainly the US and UK, which are under pressure in their legislatures and public opinions about their contributing role to the disastrous situation in Yemen.
So the tactic it has chosen is one which has failed everywhere it has been tried, namely to make living conditions for the population as unbearable as possible, in the hope that this would turn people against their rulers. In Yemen this has taken the form of the blockade preventing basic necessities from reaching the people
The blockade prevents basic supplies from reaching the people
Casualties
The UN’s figures for war-related casualties have remained static for well over a year, clearly not reflecting reality: its Human Rights office only recorded 13,504 civilian casualties between March 2015and June 2017 (4,971 dead, 8,533 injured). In addition to the thousands not recorded by the UN, many others have died from war-related causes, primarily hunger and disease. If the UNICEF estimate of a child dying every ten minutes is correct, that means 4 300 children are dying monthly, or 52,000 in the last year. Adults are also dying of hunger, cholera and other diseases; most recently a diphtheria outbreak has started.
Latest developments and the forthcoming famine
While it is worth discussing whether the missiles came from Iran in the first place, given the large stocks of Scuds bought by the Saleh regime over decades, the outcome of this decision is unarguable. It has dramatically worsened an already abysmal situation and, since then, senior UN officials have been raising the alarm on a daily basis – by Helen Lackner
(** B H P)
CONFIDENTIAL U.N. DOCUMENT QUESTIONS THE SAUDI ARABIAN BLOCKADE THAT’S STARVING YEMEN
A U.N. PANEL OF EXPERTS found Saudi Arabia is purposefully obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid into Yemen and called into question its public rationale for a blockade that could push millions into famine. In the assessment, made in a confidential brief and sent to diplomats on November 10, members of the Security-Council appointed panel said they had seen no evidence to support Saudi Arabia’s claims that short-range ballistic missiles have been transferred to Yemeni rebels in violation of Security Council resolutions.
“The Panel finds that imposition of access restrictions is another attempt by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition to use paragraph 14 of resolution 2216 (2015) as justification for obstructing the delivery of commodities that are essentially civilian in nature,” the U.N. experts wrote. Resolution 2216 was passed in April 2015, a month after the Saudi-led international coalition began its intervention in Yemen’s civil war. Paragraph 14 calls for U.N. member states to take measures to prevent the supply, sale, or transfer of military goods to a rebel alliance led by a group called the Houthis, which is backed to an unclear degree by Saudi Arabia’s regional rival, Iran. The panel of experts was established by a previous 2014 resolution and expanded to five members by resolution 2216.
The Saudi-led coalition began enforcing a total blockade of Yemen after a ballistic missile was launched from Yemen at Saudi Arabia’s capital airport on November 4th. The coalition, which has the backing of the U.S., said the ratcheted-up blockade was necessary to prevent weapons sent by Iran from reaching the Houthis and their allies, who are loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
ACCORDING TO THE MOST recent U.N. figures, the embargo has blocked 29 ships — carrying roughly 300,000 metric tons of food and 192,000 metric tons of fuel — from reaching Yemen.
The U.N. experts’ panel brief was delivered prior to the opening of Yemen’s southern ports, but its other notable conclusion was the explicit questioning of evidence presented by the Saudi-led coalition that the missile fired on November 4 was connected to Iran – by Samuel Oakford
https://theintercept.com/2017/11/16/u-n-security-counil-saudi-arabia-blockade-yemen-famine-iran/
and
(** B H P)
Saudi Propaganda and the Starvation of Yemen
Since the Saudis and their allies have been exaggerating the extent of Iran’s involvement in Yemen from the start, the claim that the missile was of Iranian origin was always very questionable. It is a measure of how reflexively the U.S. supports the coalition that our government endorsed their story without question.
Coalition governments have lied so often about so many incidents in which their forces attacked civilian targets that their credibility has been destroyed, so it isn’t possible or desirable to take their self-serving assertions at face value. The Saudi government’s propaganda in particular has been a shameless exercise in blame-shifting and denial of the obvious. Last month, the Saudi ambassador to the U.N. wrote an op-ed full of preposterous and easily debunked claims. The same ambassador has gone so far as to claim that there is no embargo imposed on Yemen. Every aid agency in the country and the U.N. are warning that the blockade threatens the lives of millions of people, but as usual the Saudis tell everyone not to worry.
We already know that the coalition delays or diverts ships that have already been approved by the U.N. verification mechanism, so we can understand that the real purpose of the blockade is not interdicting weapons but depriving the civilian population of essential goods. After the tightening of the blockade over the last two weeks, that has become undeniable. Starving the people of Yemen is an inexcusable outrage, and all of the governments that are making this mass atrocity possible should be held accountable – by Daniel Larison
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/saudi-propaganda-and-the-starvation-of-yemen/
(** B H K)
The Ministry of Human Rights: Saudi Arabia and the UAE are responsible for crime on fishermen and the growing terrorism
The Ministry of Human Rights published a report of the Monitoring and Documentation Group on the crime of aggression against fishermen in the island of Al-Badi in Al-Hodeidah, and in a statement issued the countries of the aggression coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE full responsibility for the crimes and violations committed directly or by their support for terrorist groups in Aden governorate and the occupied governorates.
The Ministry pointed out in the report of the monitoring and documentation team of its branch in Hodeidah that the crime committed against fishermen is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the laws of war, which did not take into account the distinction between military objectives and civilian objects.
The report, which received the Yemeni news agency (Saba), a copy of it that the air raids launched by the coalition aircraft aggression on fishing boats in the middle of the sea on the island of the baby was directed directly and deliberately against the target of a civilian nature located within the territorial waters of Yemen, which is used for hunting, In accordance with international laws and conventions.
The report pointed out that the air force launched three raids on five fishing boats, which led to the fall of ten martyrs and six wounded, while still one of the fishermen are missing, were practicing their hunting in pursuit of a living to provide a decent life for them and those who depend on individuals, Enjoy international protection by their civilian nature.
The rescue teams were unable to reach the scene of the crime and the bodies of the victims and wounded remained stranded on the island because of the heavy flight of the aircraft of aggression that hampered the rescue operations.
According to the report, the Health Office in Hodeidah issued an urgent appeal to the International Committee of the Red Cross to reach the island to recover the bodies and save the fishermen, because local teams could not be lifted because of the flight of Saudi Apache planes targeting anyone trying to get close to the island.
The report pointed out that the aircraft of the Alliance of Aggression and War Battalions repeatedly and systematically practiced many violations against fishermen and fishing boats located on the western coasts, forcing the fishermen to displacement and displacement in different areas to search for another source of livelihood, to provide their children and improve their economic hardship.
My comment: That’s the best report concerning the Saudi / US laments about the Houthis as threats for international shipping: The main threat is the Saudi coalition’s bombing and warfare.
(** B K P)
US support for Saudi war in Yemen soars under Trump
The Pentagon more than doubled US refueling support for the Saudi-led mission in Yemen over the past year, Al-Monitor has learned, despite mounting public and congressional concerns about the operation.
Amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country, the US Department of Defense provided about 480,000 gallons of aviation fuel to the mission at a cost of more than $1 million in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, a 140% increase over the previous year. The disclosure comes as Yemen suffers the world’s worst cholera epidemic and the Saudis face international pressure to lift their blockade of the country’s ports.
“This revelation should be a wake-up call to every policymaker and every American that this country is literally fueling the largest humanitarian crisis in the world and the worst cholera outbreak in recorded history,” said Kate Gould, a lobbyist with the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker group. “The [United States] is operating these gas stations in the sky to fuel Saudi and UAE bombers as they rain down terror on Yemeni water and other sanitation infrastructure — the last safeguards Yemen has against these disease outbreaks sweeping the country.”
Though top Pentagon officials say that the United States no longer assists the Saudi-led coalition with targeting Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, the refueling mission has continued to expand under President Donald Trump. The Pentagon buys its fuel from the Defense Logistics Agency, an in-house organization that provides supplies to the US military and then sells it to individual military services, including the US Air Force, which is spearheading the refueling mission. The United States has conducted 2,363 refueling sorties in the Horn of Africa since the Saudi-led campaign began in March 2015, but US Central Command, which tracks that data, does not break out figures by country –by Jack Detsch
(** B K P)
Video: Inside the Control Room in Riyadh.
The flags and uniforms have been identified as UAE, Sudan, Malaysia, Egypt, Saudi, Kuwait and Jordan. These military planners deliberately kill innocent civilians, especially children, in hospitals, schools, weddings, funerals, hotels.
https://twitter.com/Jack62448376/status/931119210482237441
(** B H K P)
America’s “Killing Fields” in Yemen: Children are Dying, Engineered Starvation, US Enforced Blockade on Food and Medicine
Megadeaths from America - Yemen Is the Worst Case Among Many
As Americans get ready for Thanksgiving 2017 over-eating, their government is on the verge of successfully starving millions of Yemenis to death by siege warfare. The US naval blockade of Yemen has been unrelenting since March 2015. The US Navy is an essential element of this perpetual war crime, this endless assault on a civilian population of about 25 million. This is the kind of collective punishment of innocents that we once put Nazis on trial for at Nuremberg. The US Department of Defense Law of War Manual, however, advises (section 5.20.1, page 315) that: “Starvation is a legitimate method of warfare.” So now the US is a blithe mass-murdering state with impunity, qualities hardly ever mentioned in the world’s freest media (with one remarkable exception in Democracy NOW, where coverage of Yemen has been excellent at least since 2009).
OK, to be fair, there has been some tepid, insincere, sporadic objection to wiping out millions of innocent people. Why, just as recently as October 10, The New York Times ran an op-ed article – NOT an editorial – that began with a pretty fair summary of the carnage being visited on Yemen by the US and its allies:The headline on this op-ed piece is “Stop the Unconstitutional War in Yemen,” which is something of a deception since the war is truly criminal by any standard of international law and its “unconstitutionality” is but one aspect of its overall criminality. Like the Times, the authors of the op-ed have yet to face the raw criminality of the aggressive war on Yemen.
The aggression against Yemen has been a nexus of war crimes from the beginning, when it was sanctioned by the Obama administration to appease Saudi peevishness over international peacemaking with Iran on nuclear development. For almost three years, Yemen has been a holocaust-in-the-making, with this difference: turning most of the country into a death camp, with America’s blessing and collusion. Repubs will choose to confirm 300 unqualified judges before they’ll choose to intervene in one criminal war, and mostly Democrats will not seriously object to either choice.
If the United States doesn’t kill you, it’s perfectly happy to let you die (what health care?). The question – with hope embedded – is whether most Americans support the legal reign of terror that is Pax Americana. Given US treatment of Americans from Ferguson to Flint to Standing Rock to Puerto Rico, the prospect is grim – by William Boardman
(** A H P)
Film: Seven million Yemenis on brink of famine
Fifty thousand children expected to die by the end of this year from starvation and disease, seven million people on the brink of famine, the world’s worst cholera epidemic ever. The state of Yemen today. All of it made even worse by Saudi Arabia’s blockade, which is stopping aid agencies from getting vital relief supplies into the country. We should warn you: there is very distressing material right from the start of this report.
https://www.channel4.com/news/seven-million-yemenis-on-brink-of-famine
and
Film: 150,000 children could die from starvation in Yemen, UN warns
The situation in Yemen is now so bad that the United Nations warned today that 150,000 malnourished children could die in the coming months if a Saudi-led blockade is not lifted.
https://www.channel4.com/news/150000-children-could-die-from-starvation-in-yemen-un-warns
(** B K T)
Amid the carnage in Yemen, civilians also face consequences of the US war on terror
Locals say five Yemeni civilians died in a US Navy Seal raid targeting al Qaeda earlier this year, with Washington investigating the claims. The Independent spoke to survivors about the mental and physical suffering they face, and the struggle for justice
The perceived lack of care or justice for those caught up in friendly fire is fuelling ill-feeling and having long-term effects on those affected, Ms Knuckey warned.
“The suffering families experience after losing a loved one in a sudden attack is made even worse as the US so rarely acknowledges the harm, and there are few prospects for justice,” she said.
“Where and how should Yemeni families make a complaint about harm caused to them? There’s no clear system in place. The message the US sends when it doesn’t acknowledge or seek to remedy the harms is that impunity reigns and these families aren’t worthy of recognition.
“Their allegations need to be seriously investigated by the United States. The families are ready and willing to meet with US officials.
“We just want people to hear our story, and hear the truth,” said Abdulrahman Saeed al Adhal, an older family member who acts an advocate for his young relatives.
“If the US can be held accountable, maybe it won’t happen to other families in future.”
(** B P)
Sanitising bin Salman: How Western media whitewash Saudi violence at home and abroad
The Western commentariat's favourable reviews of Mohammed Bin Salman gloss over Saudi government brutality
Misleading coverage of recent actions taken by the government of Saudi Arabia has been widespread. Commentary on Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's (MBS) purge and his moves against Lebanon and Iran has tended to obfuscate the Saudi state's domestic repression, sectarianism, and warmongering, while obscuring the role of the United States and its allies in Saudi moves. Much of the coverage propagates the idea that the steps Prince Salman has taken are necessary, though perhaps harsh, efforts to change Saudi Arabia for the better. Often this praise is not only for the actions he’s taken in the last week and a half but also for what he has done in the longer-term. Such favourable reviews gloss over the brutality of the Saudi government's conduct The writing on recent Saudi machinations is also characterised by a widespread failure to criticise such sectarianism or its aggressive international moves No analysis of Saudi actions is complete unless it accounts for how these take place in the context of its "special relationship" with Washington but, of the articles I've been discussing, only Zakheim addresses the subject in any detail. If people living in Britain, Canada and the US understand that their ruling classes are partnering with Saudi Arabia to carry out extreme violence and oppression, these states can be stopped. But their media has erected a barrier to that – by Greg Shupak
(** B P)
Saudi Arabia Wants to Fight Iran to the Last American
Many observers have connected the dots and concluded that Saudi Arabia’s crown prince is seeking to drag the United States into a war with Iran and Hezbollah. But that’s only half the story. Looking at the recent events through a broader geopolitical lens, a much more sinister plan emerges: a Saudi plan to trap the United States in a permanent standoff with Tehran.
While most of the world has been aghast by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s radical actions of this past week, his conduct is only inexplicable when viewed from the wrong lens, such as the Sunni-Shia sectarian frame or the even more absurd attempt to cast this conflict as part of a greater fight against terrorism. After all, Saudi Arabia provided the seed money for Al Qaeda and openly funded and armed Al Qaeda in Syria (Jabhat al-Nusra), according to the U.S. government.
When seen from a geopolitical lens, however, the unlikely alliance between Zionist Israel and the Wahhabi House of Saud, their opposition to the Iran nuclear deal and their coordinated effort to ratchet up tensions in the region suddenly acquire a degree of logic.
Rather than ethnic or sectarian motivations, Saudi Arabia’s ultimate aim is to drag the United States back into the Middle East in order for Washington to reestablish its military dominance and reimpose on the region an equilibrium that favors Tel Aviv and Riyadh. This, however, does not require just a war in Lebanon, but a permanent state of conflict between the United States and Iran – by Trita Parsi
http://nationalinterest.org/feature/saudi-arabia-wants-fight-iran-the-last-american-23212
(** B P)
The Authoritarian Roots of Contemporary Islamist Discourse
The current situation in Syria has exemplified the consequences of the “Islamization of the Revolution”. Through the use of military force as well as advocacy work, along with the provision of services in areas outside of the regime’s control, Islamist groups throughout the country have risen and achieved varying degrees of power. Further, in portraying themselves as the “guardians” of Islam, they have seen a rise in popularity among the “believing public”. However, this popular legitimacy has been quickly challenged, as their actions have demonstrated the ignorant and authoritarian nature of their goals. As a result, the same people who were originally inspired by the Islamists’ religious rhetoric have begun to desert them.
It has become clear that the problem is not a particular organization, the poor implementation of a group’s objectives, or the corruption of its leaders. The overarching issue stems from the problematic merging of religion and politics. The religious ideologies of Islamist movements form the core of their political aims and are imposed on people as a central component of their creeds. These doctrines, however, represent a cultural heritage written under specific historical circumstances. As a result, they only represent the interpretations of their authors, based on their own knowledge or interests. They are, therefore, part of what we call the “Sultani (authoritarian) literature”.
The clash between politics and religion is rooted in this authoritarian nature. Politics involves a process of continuous change and development while religion is based on static rulings and knowledge. How can the static essence of Islam present rules and solutions in an area that is practical, with ever changing structures, mechanisms, and themes? Unless Islamists recognize they cannot enter the world of politics through religion, the vicious circle of replacing one despot with another will continue – by Tariq Azizah
This is from http://www.arab-reform.net/, but article not found there. The link to the article is via https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156110934738641
Comment: Another interesting topic by a Syrian academic but so relevant to Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156110934738641
(** B P)
Anatomy of a purge: MBS’s actions, Saudi Arabia’s crisis, and its coming collapse
Understanding the man and the reasons behind the Saudi purge
The ongoing purge in Saudi Arabia, together with the kidnapping and extorted “resignation” whilst on a trip to Saudi Arabia of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, is posing a host of questions about the man at the centre of this drama: the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and the country’s de factor ruler Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman.
Muhammad bin Salman’s actions are a response to the Saudi crisis
It is this background of failure and crisis which lies behind Muhammad bin Salman’s actions.
His actions since he emerged suddenly on the scene following the succession in January 2015 of his father King Salman do not have the look of a well-thought-out reform programme.
Rather they look to be the impulsive and often ill-judged actions of an inexperienced young man intent on reversing Saudi Arabia’s recent defeats, so as to restore the position of the Al-Saud to something like what it was before those defeats took place.
Muhammad bin Salman’s repeated failures
The problem for Muhammad bin Salman is that none of these projects – with the partial exception of the stabilisation of the oil price and his ongoing purge – are going well.
Failures proximate cause of the purge
It is this catalogue of failure, and the growing criticism from other Saudi Princes which it has doubtless provoked, which is what almost certainly lies behind the purge.
Confronted by growing criticism and unnerved by his own failures, Muhammad bin Salman has gone for broke, trying to head off resistance and secure for himself the succession to the throne by launching a purge before he becomes the victim of a purge himself.
In my opinion the person who has best captured the quality of all this is the former British diplomat Alistair Crooke, who has emerged as one of the most insightful commentators of the affairs of the region – by Alexander Mercouris
http://theduran.com/anatomy-of-a-purge-is-saudi-arabias-mbs-a-tyrant-reformer-or-charlatan/
Comment: So many excellent articles today. The events in Saudi have certainly caused a flutter of thought by Saudi experts. So interesting and this is a great overall summary of what is happening and really worth a read - it is accessible to those who know very little about the background as it explains as it goes along.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156111009693641
(** B P)
What Saudi Arabia’s Purge Means for the Middle East
While the full scope and ultimate outcome of the weekend’s arrests remain unclear, the new developments should be understood in the context of interaction between Mohammed bin Salman’s short window for domestic power consolidation and Saudi Arabia’s unsettled regional position. Mohammed bin Salman’s domestic political ambitions and foreign policy moves have unfolded in a deeply uncertain environment, with both domestic power and regional order in an unprecedented state of flux.
Though seemingly unprecedented, the weekend’s developments follow the pattern Mohammed bin Salman has used since the beginning of his rapid ascent to power in 2015. In both domestic and foreign affairs, he has consistently undertaken sudden and wide-ranging campaigns for unclear reasons which shatter prevailing norms.
Mohammed bin Salman’s foreign policy gambits have been similarly ambitious in their speed and scope, but they have produced decidedly less successful results.
Mohammed Bin Salman’s domestic power grabs have often been accompanied by major foreign policy moves. Many regional observers therefore fear that Hariri’s resignation, announced in Riyadh with a sharply anti-Iranian speech, could trigger a political crisis intended to end with a military campaign against Hezbollah. Such a move would fit the pattern of bold foreign policy initiatives launched in the expectation of a rapid, politically popular victory. It would also very likely follow the pattern of such initiatives rapidly collapsing into a bloody, destabilizing quagmire – by Marc Lynch
http://carnegieendowment.org/2017/11/06/what-saudi-arabia-s-purge-means-for-middle-east-pub-74645
My comment: This is from Sept. 6 and had been overlooked by me. The author is absolutely right and prophetic.
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Cholera / Most important: Cholera
(* A H P)
Red Cross: 1 Million Yemenis at Risk of Cholera Outbreak
One million people across three Yemeni cities are at risk of a renewed cholera outbreak and other water-borne diseases following the closing of airports and sea ports by a Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Shiite rebels, an international aid group said on Friday.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement that the cities of Hodeida, Saada and Taiz were not able to provide clean water in recent days due to a lack of fuel.
"Close to one million people are now deprived of clean water and sanitation in crowded urban environments in a country slowly emerging from the worst cholera outbreak in modern times," said Alexander Faite, head of the Red Cross delegation in the war-ravaged nation.
(* A H)
Cholera Cases in Yemen Exceed 925,000 Amid Saudi-Led Coalition Blockade
The number of suspected cholera cases in Yemen has exceeded 925,000 as access for humanitarian aid remains unavailable because of the blockade imposed by the Saudi-led coalition, UN Secretary General’s deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said on Wednesday.
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201711161059139761-cholera-cases-yemen-saudi-led-blockade/
cp2 Allgemein / General
(* B K P)
Slaughter in Yemen
Much like Afghanistan was for the Soviet Union and Vietnam was for the United States, Yemen has been a graveyard for powers past
It is vital that the Crown Prince understands the past experiences of outside forces interfering in northern Yemen. It is crucial for any leader or power dealing with the Houthis to understand their Zaydi tribal heritage. First and foremost, these tribes are fiercely independent. Long isolated, the tribes can be prickly towards outsiders, and they are defined by a code of honor and spirit of egalitarianism. They are also led on a communal level by tribal elders and their councils. Even under the Zaydi Imamate, which lasted for a millennium and brought Islam to a number of tribal communities in present-day northern Yemen, the strength of the imams waxed and waned in accordance with their ability to effectively maneuver the tribal system. The imams, in order to be elected, needed to be selected by the religious establishment and hold sayyed status.
Much like Afghanistan was for the Soviet Union and Vietnam was for the United States, Yemen has been a graveyard for powers past. The Zaydi Imamate was ultimately toppled in 1962 by forces loyal to Nasser, but by the end of Egypt’s incursion into the region in 1967, after 20,000 Egyptian troops had been killed, Egypt was forced to pull out, and the conflict would eventually be known as ‘Egypt’s Vietnam.’ The present-day Houthi rebels, who emerged in the 1990s, see themselves as the revival of the Zaydi Imamate.
I urge Prince Mohammed bin Salman to illustrate his ‘moderate Islam’ by ending the blockade of Yemen – by Akbar Ahmed
https://dailytimes.com.pk/141749/slaughter-in-yemen/
(B H K P)
Not in our name? Yemen, a humanitarian crisis being ignored by western media
https://diem25.org/not-in-our-name-yemen-a-humanitarian-crisis-being-ignored-by-western-media/
Remark: Short overview.
(unrated B K P)
Film: World blind to Saudi war crimes' in Yemen: Academic
The international community has not done any tangible action to force Saudi Arabia to stop its bombardment of the Yemeni civilians and infrastructure, because regulations are not effective enough to pave the way for meaningful actions, says an academic.
The Saudi war on Yemen goes on “because international law no longer has an impact on the behavior of states,” Lawrence Davidson told Press TV on Friday.
“The world is blind” when it comes to Saudi Arabia’s war crimes in Yemen, and “it is quite possible that Yemen will be reduced to savagery by the Saudis.”
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/11/17/542482/Yemen-UN-Saudi-Arabia-War
(* B P)
The Truth About Why Saudi Arabia and Israel Are Really Working Together
Despite Saudi Arabia’s tough rhetoric and brutal assault against its neighbor, Yemen (the poorest country in the region), the unfortunate reality is that Saudi Arabia is not the strongman it has hopelessly painted itself to be. This isn’t conjecture or an attempt to needlessly bolster and promote regional rivals such as Iran, as has become the trend among anti-imperialist commentators.
According to Asia Times: the Saudis are the weaker of the two adversaries, and China wants to maintain the balance of power.
China knows this, Russia knows this, and most importantly, Saudi Arabia knows this, too.
That is why on multiple occasions, Saudi Arabia has expressed its desire to “have the battle in Iran rather than in Saudi Arabia.”
And when the Kingdom says it wants to have the battle “in Iran,” it doesn’t appear to mean that Saudi Arabia is in any way close to launching a strike or invasion anywhere close to Iran. Rather, it appears the anti-Iran axis will continue the same tried and true strategy it failed to implement in Syria and in neighboring Lebanon, whereby regional powers funneled weapons, money, and fighters to bolster Sunni extremists attempting to topple the Syrian government. Over half a decade later — with hundreds of thousands of bodies left buried beneath the rubble — it appears the plan to destabilize Syria has failed abysmally.
If destabilizing Lebanon through indirect means doesn’t work out, Saudi Arabia evidently has plans to use the Israeli military to do its work for them, as Middle East Eye explained
http://theantimedia.org/saudi-arabia-israel-working-together/
(* A K P)
'Not a mistake': Saudis accused of deliberate bombing of Yemeni allies
Soldiers of the 22 Mechanised brigade say air attacks on their Taiz base - miles from the frontlines - shows Saudis view them as new enemies
Yemeni army commanders and soldiers have accused their allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE of deliberately targeting them in air attacks, in a further fraying of already strained alliances in the city of Taiz and beyond.
Troops from the 22 Mechanised brigade, which is loyal to the Saudi backed president-in-exile Abd Rabbuh Hadi, said two Saudi-led air strikes on Tuesday hit their positions at their main base on Saber mountain, killing six soldiers and injuring many more.
A third air strike killed two women and a child and injured three civilians near to the camp in Saber's al-Aroos area.
The Saber camp is 15km from Taiz's "conflict zone", where the brigade and its allies in the so-called "popular resistance" are fighting the Houthi movement.
The inspector general of the Yemen army Adel al-Qumairi, with oversight over the 22 Mechanised, said via Facebook on Wednesday: "I do not believe that the repeated air strikes on the military camps are by mistake. This is not a mistake; the question of why is still waiting an answer. It has come to a head."
Comments by Haykal Bafana: #Yemen's Islah/MB media machinery rail against their ally Saudi Arabia. 'Not a mistake': Saudis accused of deliberate bombing of Yemeni allies @TawakkolKarman : "#Saudi strikes killed have killed more fighters of the national army than Houthis."
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/931196148429283328
Oh dear.... Saudi-supported AQAP in Yemen better beware – A Saudi airstrike in Taiz jtonight may have just killed the UAE-supported Yemeni Al Qaeda chief.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/931233433224925186
and
(A K P)
22nd Brigade Mika demands investigation on al Arous camp bombing
The legitimate government army demanded an investigation into a bombing incident by the Saudi-led Arab coalition aircrafts Tuesday morning at an army site in al Arous camp southern Taiz city.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/95514
Remark: „Friendly fire“, reported YPR 357, cp16.
This is a Saudi declaration of war. So far, the UAE has only claimed 'victory' by making Saudi-supported AQAP in Yemen march from place to place, marching in tune to UAE sound bombs. To kill an AQAP terrorist of an ally : Unprecedented.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/931234845631680514
(* B K)
International Journal of Middle East Studies
November 2017 , pp. 735-738
The Destruction of Yemen and Its Cultural Heritage
Abstract
After losing control of the capital Sanaa to Yemen's northern Houthi movement, which is aligned with forces loyal to the former president ʿAli ʿAbd Allah Salih, current Yemeni President ʿAbd Rabbu Mansur Hadi turned to Saudi Arabia for help. In March 2015, Saudi Arabia and its coalition of nine states began a bombing campaign in Yemen, the poorest country in the Arab world. Prior to the conflict, Yemen was already 90-percent dependent on imported food and had been battling a severe water deficit. A twenty-eight-month-long siege of its civilian population has left the country in a situation that some humanitarian groups deem to be worse than the crisis in Syria. The media has barely covered Yemen's catastrophic crisis, partially because of overt censorship by the Saudi kingdom and a shielding of its systemic violations of international law by powerful allies including the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. These countries are clearly more concerned with billion-dollar arms deals with the kingdom than with putting an end to what has been described as the worst food crisis since the establishment of the United Nations.
(* B K P)
The Saudi Made Catastrophe in Yemen Should be the World's Top Story
Today a famine, one that is man-made, and one that is the sole creation of the Saudi-led coalition, threatens the existence of 20 million Yemenis. But instead of chart-topping, star-studded music video clips, Yemen’s starving and malnourished are met with total international silence.
The Saudi-led effort to break the backs of a people who are already struggling to survive in bombed out, broken state should be the world’s most talked about story, but the unfolding catastrophe there goes barely noticed.
the famine, war, and related humanitarian crises remain far from the international community’s collective consciousness.
When I asked Mareb Alward, a Yemeni journalist based in Taiz, why he believe the crisis in his country receives far less Western media attention than the conflicts in Iraq and Syria, he told me here are two reasons that explain this.
“Firstly, the cost of the conflict here is paid by the Yemenis only,” says Alward.
“Secondly,” added Alward, “the great powers have little interest in Yemen and therefore are unafraid of the continuation of war here. For instance, the United States looks at Yemen solely from the perspective of its own security, and not from the perspective of humanitarian concern, and thus its efforts here are focused on fighting al-Qaeda with fighter jets, drones, and small presence of soldiers.”
He also rightfully points out that the Western powers, particularly the United States and Britain, could easily put enough diplomatic pressure on Saudi Arabia to cease its bombing and blockade of Yemen by halting arms sales to the Kingdom. But they don’t apply this pressure because both countries fear losing their number one arms buying customer – Saudi Arabia.
(* A H)
Yemeni airport is still operational after Saudi attack
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.
“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.
https://mobile.almasdarnews.com/article/yemeni-airport-still-operational-saudi-attack/
(B H K)
Film: My friend @Mohiy7 is talking about the situation in #Yemen after 964 days of Saudi-led coalition war on #Yemen
https://twitter.com/A7medJa7af/status/930543646524563458
(* B H K)
Saudis Try to Starve Yemen Into Submission
Yemen would suffer “the largest famine the world has seen for many decades, with millions of victims” if Saudi Arabia did not immediately allow food and medicine to be offloaded at all of Yemen’s seaports, and permit the resumption of air services to the cities of Sana and Aden, the United Nations official Mark Lowcock warned Security Council diplomats last week.
Misery has been Yemen’s lot after more than three years of unrelenting war.
Impeding humanitarian assistance and using famine as a weapon are war crimes, and Saudi Arabia must realize that the world is finally taking notice.
The only way to end the Yemeni people’s hell is for Congress and the United Nations to keep pressing all parties for a political solution – by Editorial Board
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/16/opinion/saudi-arabia-yemen-famine.html
My comment: That all sounds true, but: The implication oft he US is totally concealed here; the NYT is one of those mainstream newspapers which always have backed US foreign policy, which did not scratch at all at claimed US „exceptionalism“, and a newspaper which, even worse, by itself was warmongering, crying for even more war and conflict.
And
(* B H K)
U.S. Support for the Disgraceful War on Yemen Must End
The New York Times denounces the Saudi-led coalition’s starvation of Yemen
There has been increased international scrutiny and criticism of the coalition’s war and blockade in the last few weeks, and that is of course always welcome and very long overdue. If suffering from the world’s worst famine and cholera crises hasn’t yet made Yemen a top priority, the tightening of the Saudi-led blockade has caused more people to pay attention to a man-made disaster that has been consigned to the margins of media coverage and policy debate. The Saudis and their allies have been starving the country for two and a half years without having to face much criticism in the West or anywhere else, but it is possible that they have now made their criminal behavior too outrageous to ignore. But as long as they face no meaningful consequences and continue to enjoy the full support of their Western patrons, it is hard to see what changes.
Changing U.S. policy in Yemen and ending our support for the war are more critical than ever. That support helps make the coalition’s war effort possible, and it provides political cover for the governments engaged in the wrecking of Yemen. As long as the coalition can rely on continued arms sales, refueling, and diplomatic backing, they can inflict more harm on the civilian population and evade responsibility for their crimes.
Unfortunately, any change will come too late for many innocent Yemenis – by Daniel Larison
and
(* B H K)
How America creates terrorists
Yemen is in hell. Over the past few weeks, Saudi Arabia has tightened its strangling blockade of the country, trying to starve out the Houthi rebels as part of a quasi-proxy war with Iran.
America is directly participating in this blockade. It would not happen without our sufferance, and we could stop it at any moment. It's precisely the kind of thing that fuels furious anti-American hatred and terrorism.
"This humanitarian catastrophe, this famine ... is being caused in part by actions of the United States of America," Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said in an excellent speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate.
The Saudis are barely even pretending that what they're doing is attacking the Houthi military. The overt objective is collective punishment: to inflict enough disease, starvation, pain, and death on the Yemeni population that they give up.
http://theweek.com/articles/737515/how-america-creates-terrorists
(* B H K)
Film: Yemen’s humanitarian crisis is America’s fault
Yemen is undergoing a devastating humanitarian crisis right now and the US is to blame.
https://www.facebook.com/294307684380009/videos/331332107344233/ = https://www.facebook.com/294307684380009/videos/vb.294307684380009/331332107344233/?type=2&theater
(* B K)
The Quiet Missile War You’re Not Hearing About
Yemeni rebels backed by Tehran are using Soviet-era Scud missiles and North Korean copies of Scud missiles known as the Hwasong-5. In 2002, Yemen purchased 20 Hwasong-5s from North Korea. Rebels also got their hands on Russian SS-21 short-range missiles, one of which was used in the September 2015 attack.
According to DefenseNews, the Houthis have also used Iranian Burkan 1 and Burkan 2missiles, which are probably based on North Korean derivatives of the Scud. Another missile, the Qahr, is descended from the SA-2 surface to air missile. (Surface to air missiles can be converted to surface to surface missiles. South Korea’s first surface to surface missile was a conversion of the American-designed Nike Hercules surface to air missile.)
Saudi Arabia and the UAE, meanwhile, are fielding Patriot PAC-2 GEM-T and PAC-3 surface to air missiles.
(* B K P)
News Analysis: Repercussions of Houthi missile attack on Riyadh deepen crisis in Yemen
Repercussions of a missile attack on Saudi capital Riyadh by Houthis last week are continuing in Yemen which may deepen crisis in the war-torn country.
Senior military officials from the legitimate army said preparations have started to liberate Hodeida city in the west and the capital Sanaa coinciding with reports the Houthi-Saleh alliance has deployed missiles and forces to face a possible attack.
Observers argued that duplicity of the Saudi-led coalition is a big obstacle to peace in Yemen.
Yaseen Al-Tamimi, a political writer and analyst, said the Houthi missile fired at Riyadh was a sign indicating the coalition has not ended strategic dangers coming from Yemen after three years of the war.
Adel Al-Shuja'a, a politics professor at Sanaa University, said the talk about Iran is not objective because Saudi and UAE practices in Yemen are providing Iran with a good opportunity to increase its presence in the country.
Internally, warlords inside the Houthi-Saleh alliance and the Hadi government represent a huge challenge to peace, observers said.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-11/16/c_136755211.htm
(B K P)
Yemen: Forgotten war in the Middle East
If the international system continues failing to notice tragedies in the Middle East, as it is doing in Yemen, according to the U.N. report, famine and disease will continue to grow
nfortunately, it looks like warnings of humanitarian organizations are falling short of the goal as Yemen is suffering from a lack of international awareness as well as food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies. It is obvious the countries directly or indirectly involved in the conflicts do not care about lives, but the international community has also lost its sympathy for the people who are suffering from humanitarian crises in these areas.
It is terrifying that people cannot be sure of which news reports are based on facts and which are fabricated these days, and that they are losing their sympathy with people in need in the age of fake news. But the U.N. sources on the ground are still trustworthy and reliable when it comes to humanitarian issues, although the U.N., as an institution, has lost its credibility due to its inefficient, self-serving and wasteful structure and policies.
Yemen is the forgotten war in the Middle East in the shadow of Syria, and the international news media has a big role in it. There is still a lot to do before it is too late. Let's start with trying to bring Yemen to people's attention and then raise awareness of the suffering there.
(* B H K)
This is the humanitarian crisis the United States is helping to fund
Yemen is on the brink of famine.
https://thinkprogress.org/yemen-famine-us-actions-30dbd5ad7521/
Remark: Overview.
cp2a Allgemein: Blockade / General: Blockade
Mehr unter / More at cp1
(* A H P)
Die Uhr tickt: Im Jemen droht ein Massensterben
Ein Stellvertreterkrieg zerstört das bettelarme Land. Expertin Aenne Rappel aus Aichach berichtet über die Hungersnot
Im Jemen drohe die „größte Hungersnot, die die Welt seit Jahrzehnten erlebt hat“, warnte der UN-Nothilfekoordinator Marc Lowcok. In dem arabischen Land, in dem ein blutiger Krieg und eine verheerende Cholera-Epidemie wüten, könnten bald die letzten Lebensmittelvorräte zur Neige gehen.
Die UNwarnen, dass Millionen von Kindern und deren Familien sterben könnten, wenn die von Saudi-Arabien angeführte militärische Allianz ihre im November angelaufene systematische Blockade der Flug- und Seehäfen nicht komplett aufhebt. Die Saudis werfen den Rebellen im Jemen vor, mit Hilfslieferungen auch Waffen zu schmuggeln.
Mit seiner Brandrede hatte Lowcok immerhin erreicht, dass der vergessene Krieg in dem Land mit seinen rund 28 Millionen Einwohnern schlagartig wieder auf die Tagesordnung der Weltpolitik geriet.
Mrin Kommentar: Leider wieder angereichert mit westlicher Propaganda: „
„In dem geplagten Land tobt ein klassischer Stellvertreterkrieg. Die Erzfeinde Saudi-Arabien und Iran bekriegen sich dort indirekt, aber mit großer Härte.“ Quatsch. Iran führt dort keinen Krieg, und die saudis keinesfalls „indirekt“, sondern sehr direkt.
„Der Westen, der traditionell eher aufseiten der Saudis stand, ist zunehmend entsetzt über Riads Blockadepolitik – und die brutalen Luftschläge der saudischen Luftwaffe.“ Quatsch. Der Westen hat diesen Krieg durch seine Unterstützung der saudis erst möglich gemacht. Das gilt für den Bombenkrieg, der schon 2 ½ Jahre dauert, wie auch für die Blockade. Auf diese hat der Westen bisher mehr als lahm reagiert (s. unten cp10 als ein Beispiel). Oder man nehme die unsäglichen Äußerungen des deutschen AA-Sprechers, s. hier oben.
(* A H P)
Jemen: Hilfsorganisationen fordern sofortige Aufhebung der Blockade
Eine Koalition von Hilfsorganisationen im Jemen hat die anhaltende Blockade von überlebenswichtigen humanitären und kommerziellen Lieferungen durch die von Saudi Arabien geführte Koalition angeprangert. Zu den Unterzeichnern des am Freitag veröffentlichten Aufrufs zählen 14 Organisationen, darunter CARE, Save the Children, ADRA, Aktion gegen den Hunger und Handicap International.
Seit nunmehr elf Tagen verhindere die Blockade fast aller jemenitischen Seehäfen, Flughäfen und Landübergänge die Einfuhr von Lebensmitteln, Treibstoff, Medikamenten und Vorräten, heißt es in dem Aufruf. Millionen von Menschen drohten damit verstärkt Krankheiten, Hunger und Tod. Die Wiedereröffnung der See- und Flughäfen von Aden sei zwar eine positive Entwicklung, allerdings werde es den Hilfsorganisationen dadurch nicht möglich sein, die Bedürfnisse im gesamten Land zu decken.
Die anhaltende Behinderung der Einfuhr von Hilfsgütern, die die von Saudi Arabien geführte Koalition durchführt, werten die Hilfsorganisationen als eine Maßnahme, "deren Konsequenz nicht weniger als eine kollektive Bestrafung von Millionen von Menschen im Jemen darstellen könnte". Die derzeitige Blockade verschärfe die schlimmste humanitäre Krise der Welt, in der nach fast drei Jahren Krieg mehr als 20 Millionen Menschen Hilfe benötigen. Sieben Millionen befänden sich bereits am Rande einer Hungersnot.
Die Hilfsorganisationen im Jemen fordern die von Saudi Arabien geführte Koalition auf, unverzüglich alle jemenitischen Häfen für humanitäre und kommerzielle Fracht zu öffnen. Ohne sie seien Millionen Jemeniten von Hunger und Tod bedroht. Außerdem fordern die NGOs, die humanitären Flüge nach Sanaa wieder aufzunehmen, damit Helfer und Hilfsgüter zügig ins Land kommen können.
(* A H P)
Saudi-led coalition threatens Yemen by blocking aid -U.N. report
A Saudi-led military coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen is threatening the peace, security and stability of the country by blocking humanitarian aid, United Nations sanctions monitors told the Security Council in a confidential report.
The independent monitors also called on the coalition to provide evidence backing Riyadh’s claim that Iran was supplying missiles to the Houthi rebels, warning that a failure to do so would violate a February 2017 council resolution.
“Saudi Arabia-led coalition restrictions to the delivery of humanitarian assistance fall under resolution 2216 (2015) as an obstruction to the delivery of humanitarian assistance,” the U.N. monitors wrote in the executive summary of their report, seen by Reuters on Friday. The U.N. monitors also questioned the coalition claims that Iran was supplying missiles to the Houthis.
Remark: More on this report cp1.
(* A H P)
Famine may be unfolding 'right now' in Yemen, warns UN relief wing
The United Nations relief wing on Friday, warned of famine-like conditions unfolding in Yemen, as a blockade on aid and other essential goods by a Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels there enters its 12th day.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), sounded the alarm during the regular bi-weekly news briefing in Geneva.
He was responding to a question from a journalist who asked him to clarify a warning yesterday from UN aid chiefsthat the closure of air, sea and land ports in Yemen threatened millions of vulnerable children and families.
“It means that these are the number of people in areas where there's an IPC4 – Integrated Phase Classification 4 – which is the last step before obviously 5, which is famine […] But you are correct, there may be as we speak right now, famine happening, and we hear children are dying. I mean, there's excess mortality as a cause and consequence of undernourishment.”
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=58116#.Wg_NZkriaUl = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/famine-may-be-unfolding-right-now-yemen-warns-un-relief-wing
(* A H P)
Yemen: Blockade by Saudi-Led Coalition Hindering Medical Aid
The Saudi-led coalition's continuing blockade of Yemen's ports and airports is significantly hindering the efforts of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and other humanitarian organizations to provide lifesaving assistance to people in the war-torn country.
For the past 12 days, MSF has not received authorization from the Saudi-led coalition to fly into Yemen's capital, Sana'a, which is essential to bring medical supplies and staff to patients in need.
MSF's patients report that the blockade is having an enormous impact on their lives, as fuel, water, and food become harder to find and increase in price by the day.
Statement from Justin Armstrong, MSF head of mission in Yemen:
"For the past 12 days, MSF has not received authorization from the Saudi-led coalition to fly from Djibouti to Sana'a. This has significantly hindered our ability to provide lifesaving medical and humanitarian assistance to a population already in dire need.
"On November 15, MSF's usual scheduled weekly flight to Aden was authorized, enabling MSF to operate one return flight from Djibouti. The authorization was a welcome step, helping to provide assistance through MSF projects in Aden, Taiz, and nearby governorates.
"However, Aden's airport is far from sufficient for MSF to be able to deliver timely and urgent medical humanitarian aid across Yemen. Aden is located far from some of the areas in most need of humanitarian assistance, and is itself highly insecure. The overall impact of the continuing blockade of other ports and airports increases the strain on the population by the day, at a time when the majority of Yemenis are already struggling with massive increases in food, water and fuel costs, as well as a lack of access to medical care.
"MSF continues to request authorization for flights to Sana'a, which, together with other areas of the north, are among the places most affected by the blockade. Access for humanitarian flights into Yemen through Sana'a airport is essential for MSF's medical and humanitarian operations, as well as for other organizations trying to support the Yemeni population."
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/article/yemen-blockade-saudi-led-coalition-hindering-medical-aid = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-blockade-saudi-led-coalition-hindering-medical-aid
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USA, UK AND FRANCE RISK COMPLICITY IN COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT OF CIVILIANS IN YEMEN
The USA, UK and France must immediately cease supplying arms to the Saudi Arabia-led coalition fighting in Yemen, which is impeding humanitarian assistance of items indispensable to the survival of civilians, said Amnesty International today. According to the UN and humanitarian agencies food and medicine are being blocked and vital supplies will run out in a matter of weeks.
“The looming prospect of famine is becoming a reality because of the new restrictions by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, which appear to amount to collective punishment of Yemen’s civilians,” said Philip Luther, Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.
“Countries such as the USA, UK and France, which continue to supply coalition members with arms, are allowing Saudi Arabia and its allies to flagrantly flout international law and risk being complicit in grave violations, including war crimes.
“All countries must immediately halt the flow of arms and military assistance to members of the Saudi-led collation for use in Yemen. This includes any equipment or logistical support being used to maintain this blockade.”
https://www.amnestyusa.org/press-releases/usa-uk-and-france-risk-complicity-in-collective-punishment-of-civilians-in-yemen/ = https://www.amnestyusa.org/press-releases/usa-uk-and-france-risk-complicity-in-collective-punishment-of-civilians-in-yemen/ = https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/yemen-uk-must-stop-arming-saudi-arabia-or-risk-being-complicit-collective-punishment
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US, European Nations Slammed for 'Complicity' as Humanitarian Groups Demand Aid for Yemen
"The choice is between resolution, or complicity in the suffering; there is no third option."
Fourteen international aid agencies on Friday expressed that they were "appalled" by the global community's complacency regarding the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Yemen, and called for a resolution to the civil war that's gone on for two years—while in its own statement, Amnesty International called for an end to complicity in the conflict from the U.S. and its allies.
"This is not the time for carefully balanced statements," read a statement signed by groups including the International Rescue Committee, Oxfam, and Relief International. "The choice is between resolution, or complicity in the suffering; there is no third option."
"The U.S.A., U.K., and France must immediately cease supplying arms to the Saudi Arabia-led coalition fighting in Yemen, which is impeding humanitarian assistance of items indispensable to the survival of civilians," declared Amnesty International.
The current famine and cholera epidemic in Yemen have both been exacerbated by a blockade that the Saudi-led coalition supporting government forces escalated 12 days ago.
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Yemen 'one of the most dangerous places on earth' for children: UN
The Saudi-led coalition’s blockade of Yemen has “choked off” urgently needed humanitarian aid, threatening the lives of millions of vulnerable families and children, U.N. leaders warned on Thursday.
“All in all, for children, it’s one of the most dangerous places on earth right now,” Sherin Varkey, UNICEF’s acting representative in Yemen, told ABC News.
In Yemen, one child dies from infectious diseases or malnutrition every 10 minutes, Varkey said.
On a recent visit to a hospital in the capital of Sanaa, Varkey said he spoke with staff members who had been showing up to work and doing their jobs diligently despite not having received their salaries for more than a year.
At the hospital, Varkey said he met a young mother who was about 16 or 17 with a 9-month-old, severely malnourished baby. The mother had borrowed money so that she could afford the long journey from her home in Ibb governorate to the hospital in Sanaa, hoping that her child could be saved, he said. Her husband works for a private company and has not been paid for more than a year, according to Varkey.
What is behind the Saudi-led blockade of Yemen and how has it affected people there? Here is what you should know.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/yemen-dangerous-places-earth-children/story?id=51223276 and also https://in.reuters.com/article/yemen-security-un/u-n-pleads-for-end-of-yemen-blockade-or-untold-thousands-will-die-idINKBN1DG1TU
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#Yemen update: 11th day of new blockade measures. 492,000 metric tonnes of food on 29 ships held from reaching Yemen. Still no UN flights cleared for Sana'a, only Aden. Situation critical
(A H K)
All signs indicate that the crippling Saudi blockade is a key part of a looming fullscale #Saudi military invasion of #Yemen capital Sanaa. Simultaneous attacks via multiple fronts: Hodeidah, Arhab & Nehm likely.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/931556131549401094
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Saudi Arabia Faces Pressure To End Blockade As Crisis Worsens In Yemen
A Saudi-led blockade of Yemen continues to exacerbate a humanitarian crisis that aid groups are calling the most severe in decades.
Al Jazeera reports that the main entry point for aid, the Red Sea port city of al-Hudaydah, remains closed.
Rasha Muhrez, director of operations for the aid group Save The Children in Yemen, tells Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson this is a "man made crisis."
Remark: Overview.
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Yemen: Impact of the closure of seaports and airports on the humanitarian situation - Situation Update 2 | 16 November 2017
Sea and airports in areas under the control of the Government of Yemen have re-opened, but the ports lack the capacity required for the volumes of commercial and humanitarian cargo previously handled by Al Hudaydah and Saleef. The re-opening of Aden airport has allowed some humanitarian flights to land, but services to other parts of the country are still blocked. The continued closure of some sea and air ports by the Saudi-led coalition will push Yemen to a further catastrophic humanitarian situation. Eleven days since the blockade was put in place, commercial and humanitarian supplies in the country are running dangerously low.
UNVIM reports that as of 15 November, the blockade has prevented 29 vessels with approximately half a million metric tonnes of supplies (300,000 MT of food and 192,000 MT of fuel) from reaching the population of Yemen. This will have a significant impact on people’s ability to purchase food further aggravating an extremely fragile food security situation.
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UN Offers to Send Team to Riyadh to Discuss Yemen Inspection Measures
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has offered to send a technical team to Riyadh to review current inspection measures to reinforce and introduce a more effective inspection and verification regime (UNVIM) for humanitarian assistance to Yemen in line with the request of the Saudi government.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Thursday that Guterres welcomed the reopening of Aden airport.
Also Thursday, the British foreign ministry said in a statement that it shares “the concern of Saudi Arabia about the security threat posed by ballistic missiles, such as the one of 4 November.”
“We understand the need to take action to stem the flow of sophisticated weaponry into Yemen, including the importance of effective monitoring and controls,” it said.
My comment: This is from Saudi media, to be read with caution. – But, if true: What the UN is doing here? Earlier, they have refused to obey these Saudi claims and to “reinforce and introduce a more effective inspection and verification regime“ saying this would not neccesary? Sending such a team would mean to give way to these Saudi claims. – And the British statement, a stupid joke, like so often: Who is the second largest supplier of arms to the Yemen theater of war? It’s Britain (second only tot he US) selling an estimated 1000 times more arms to the Saudis (to be used in Yemen) than the Iranians do tot he Houthis.
(* A H P)
'Very disappointed' UN chief urges Saudis to lift Yemen blockade
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "very much disappointed" that the Saudi-led coalition is refusing to lift its blockade of Yemen and has written directly to Riyadh's representative, his spokesman said Thursday.
After repeated appeals by UN officials were ignored, Guterres wrote to the Saudi ambassador on Thursday to ask for an end to the blockade which he said "is already reversing the impact of humanitarian efforts."
"The secretary-general is very much disappointed that we have not seen a lifting of the blockade," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
Guterres and his top aid officials are "heartbroken at the scenes we are seeing from Yemen and the risk of continued suffering of the Yemeni people," Dujarric added.
"This is a man-made crisis," continued the UN spokesman, adding that Guterres had called it a "stupid war."
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How Yemen's civil war is starving its children
The head of the World Food Programme says 125,000 children could die in Yemen as food is blockaded from the country. Scott Pelley shows a rare look at the situation on this week's 60 Minutes
"We're on the brink of famine. If we don't receive the monies that we need in the next few months, I would say 125,000 little girls and boys will die," Beasley tells Pelley. "We've been able to avert famine, but we know three things that are happening. We know that people are dying. We know that people are wasting. And we know that children are stunting… they're smaller, the brains are smaller, the body's smaller because they're not getting the food or the nutrition they need."
"I don't understand why they won't allow the world to see what's taking place," says Beasley. "Because I think if the world sees the tragedy of this human suffering… the world will step up and provide the support financially for innocent children to eat… it's unnecessary conflict strictly man-made.
60 Minutes' cameras were able to record some of the emaciated children in a hospital in the city of Sana'a. Says Beasley, "It's just desperation and death. It is as bad as it gets. I don't know if I've ever seen a movie this bad."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-yemens-civil-war-is-starving-its-children/
My comment: It’s not the “civil war” which is starving the children – it’s the war imposed by foreign intervention (Saudi and US) and the Saudi blockade, supported by the US. This article whitewashes the Saudis and their US backers.
(* A H P)
Audio: Tankred Stöbe über die humanitäre Situation in Jemen
Wie die derzeitige humanitäre Situation in Jemen ist, fragten wir Tankred Stöbe, von der Organisation Ärzte ohne Grenzen.
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Gemeinsam warnen UNO-Hilfsorganisationen vor tausenden Toten
Drei Hilfswerke der Vereinten Nationen haben gemeinsam an die von Saudi-Arabien geführte Militärkoalition appelliert, die Blockade des Jemen zu beenden.
Ohne Hilfslieferungen per Schiff würden tausende namenlose Opfer, darunter viele Kinder, sterben, heißt es in der gemeinsamen Erklärung des Welternährungsprogramms, der Weltgesundheitsorganisation und des Kinderhilfswerks. Akut seien rund eine Million Kinder durch Ansteckung mit Diphterie bedroht. Wenn die Blockade von Hilfslieferungen nur teilweise aufgehoben werde, werde sich auch die Zahl der Hungernden noch einmal deutlich erhöhen.
http://www.deutschlandfunk.de/jemen-gemeinsam-warnen-uno-hilfsorganisationen-vor.1939.de.html?drn:news_id=816328 und siehe auch http://www.focus.de/politik/ausland/zahl-der-hungernden-steigt-wieder-17-millionen-hungernde-im-jemen-un-ernaehrungsprogramm-warnt-vor-neuer-fluechtlingskrise_id_7852336.html
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UN leaders appeal for immediate lifting of humanitarian blockade in Yemen – lives of millions are at risk
Statement by WFP Executive Director David Beasley, UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake, and WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
“While the Saudi-led military coalition has partially lifted the recent blockade of Yemen, closure of much of the country’s air, sea and land ports is making an already catastrophic situation far worse. The space and access we need to deliver humanitarian assistance is being choked off, threatening the lives of millions of vulnerable children and families.
“Together, we issue another urgent appeal for the coalition to permit entry of lifesaving supplies to Yemen in response to what is now the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. The supplies, which include medicines, vaccines and food, are essential to staving off disease and starvation. Without them, untold thousands of innocent victims, among them many children, will die.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2017/appeal-yemen-blockade/en/ = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/un-leaders-appeal-immediate-lifting-humanitarian-blockade-yemen-lives-millions-are-risk and by Reuters http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-un/u-n-pleads-for-end-of-yemen-blockade-or-untold-thousands-will-die-idUSKBN1DG1TF and with more background information and overview: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/16/lift-yemen-blockade-to-save-children-un-agencies-tell-saudis
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Statement by the humanitarian community on the blockade in Yemen
The humanitarian community in Yemen is outraged by the continued blockade by the Saudi-led coalition of humanitarian and commercial supplies desperately needed for the survival of the Yemeni population.
Now in its eleventh day, the blockade on almost all of Yemen’s seaports, airports and land crossings prevents the entry of food, fuel, medicines and supplies, exposing millions of people to disease, starvation and death. While the reopening of Aden port and airport is a positive development, it is insufficient to cover the needs of the entire Yemeni population.
Ongoing obstruction by the Saudi-led coalition to the delivery of critical supplies is a measure which may amount to collective punishment of millions of Yemeni people. It exacerbates the world’s worst humanitarian crisis where almost three years of war have left over twenty million people in need of assistance, seven million of them on the brink of famine.
The humanitarian community in Yemen calls on the Saudi-led coalition to immediately reopen all Yemeni ports to commercial and humanitarian cargo, without which millions of people are at risk of starvation and death. Humanitarian flights to Sana’a must be allowed to resume immediately to ensure the movement of aid workers and the transport of relief cargo.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/statement-humanitarian-community-blockade-yemen
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Border closure shuts down water, sewage systems, raising cholera risk
With imports of fuel and other essential goods at a standstill for the past ten days, three Yemeni cities had to stop providing clean water in recent days, putting close to one million people at risk of a renewed cholera outbreak and other water-borne diseases.
"The water and sewage systems in Hodeida, Sa'ada and Taiz stopped operating because of a lack of fuel", said the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) head of delegation in Yemen, Alexandre Faite. "As a result, close to one million people are now deprived of clean water and sanitation in crowded urban environments in a country slowly emerging from the worst cholera outbreak in modern times."
Other major urban centres, including Sana'a, will find themselves in the same situation in two weeks unless imports of essential goods resume immediately.
"Hospitals, clinics and emergency medical services are powered by generators which will soon also run out of fuel", added Mr. Faite. "Yemen's health structures, which have been close to the brink for months, now risk collapsing altogether. This comes at a time when increased fighting throughout the country result in rising numbers of wounded people. Our own stocks of medical supplies are dwindling, and we risk soon being unable to provide critical support to dozens of health facilities."
Dozens of humanitarian staff, including members of our surgical teams, have not been able to return to their work in Yemen.
https://www.icrc.org/en/document/yemen-border-closure-shuts-down-water-sewage-systems-raising-cholera-risk = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/border-closure-shuts-down-water-sewage-systems-raising-cholera-risk
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Three Yemen cities run out of clean water due to lack of fuel for pumps: ICRC
Three cities in Yemen have run out of clean water because a blockade by a Saudi-led coalition has cut imports of fuel needed for pumping and sanitation, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Friday.
As a result of the development in Taiz, Saada and Hodeidah close to one million people are now deprived of clean water and sanitation as Yemen emerges from the world’s worst cholera outbreak in modern times, the ICRC said.
Other cities, including the capital Sanaa, are expected to be in the same situation within two weeks, ICRC said in a statement.
“With imports of fuel and other essential goods at a standstill for the past ten days, three Yemeni cities had to stop providing clean water in recent days, putting close to one million people at risk of a renewed cholera outbreak and other water-borne diseases,” it said.
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17 million in Yemen need food - now hospitals and water pumps will run out of fuel in three weeks
THE UNITED NATIONS warned today that fuel supplies needed to run Yemen’s hospital generators and pump clean water will run out in less than three weeks unless the Saudi-led coalition lifts its blockade.
The dire forecast came as Yemen battles one of the world’s worst outbreaks of cholera, with nearly one million people infected. Some 2,200 people have died.
Adding to the woes of aid workers on the ground, stocks of diphtheria vaccines will be emptied in two weeks unless aid deliveries are once again allowed in the country, UN spokesman Farhan Haq said.
http://www.thejournal.ie/yemen-hospitals-and-water-pumps-3699406-Nov2017/ and also https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/society/2017/11/16/fuel-running-out-for-yemen-hospitals-un-warns and also http://time.com/5028795/saudi-arabia-yemen-famine-blockade/?xid=homepage
(A H P)
France says Saudi coalition must boost aid efforts to Yemen
France’s foreign minister on Thursday called on the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen to boost humanitarian efforts for the local civilian population who required “urgent” assistance.
“We spoke about the humanitarian situation and the measures that needed to be taken so that international aid can quickly get to the Yemeni population that have an extremely urgent need,” Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a news conference with his Saudi counterpart Adel Jubeir.
“The coalition led by Saudi Arabia has taken the first measures that now need to be followed up and amplified.”
My comment: Oh – no word of any claim that the Saudis must stop their blockade (not to mention any demand to stop the bombing war). ““The coalition led by Saudi Arabia has taken the first measures”: ?????
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Film: Yemen blockade: Saudis not allowing vital aid in, officials say
But officials at Hudaida port, the main entry point for aid, say it remains shut.
The UN is calling for a lifting of the blockade, warning that Yemen could suffer the worst famine in decades.
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I can confirm that #Saudi Monarchy ambassador to @UN in NYC @amouallimi @ksamissionun coordinated Saudi bombing of radar of civilian Sana airport #Yemen to block food & medical aid to millions
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/930857395420631040
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Film: Yemen: Hudaida port officials comment on blockade as humanitarian crisis worsens
Hudayda port officials commented on the Saudi-led coalition's blockade of the facility on Tuesday amid UN warnings of a growing humanitarian crisis in Yemen as a result of the restrictions.
The Vice President of the Red Sea Ports Directorate, Yahia Sharaf, dismissed reports that some aid had made its way into the port.
"What news agencies report is not true, they say that the [perpetrators of] aggression and the enemy coalition allowed the ships to enter," he said.
"The dock is empty as you can see, if the [perpetrators of] aggression allowed the ships to enter they would have been here at the pier," he explained.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBR5-5zFtWQ&t=4s
(A H P)
Jan Egeland, Norwegian refugee Council: The devastating Saudi-led blockade of Yemen even denies travel for fellow aid workers, paralyzing relief for 7 million people facing famine
https://twitter.com/NRC_Egeland/status/931054595434074114
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Film / Campaign by Save the Children:
Yemen's children are in grave danger. If the blockade isn't lifted at least 50,000 more children could die before Christmas. Hold the Saudi led coalition to account:
https://twitter.com/savechildrenuk/status/930918464344256519 and https://action.savethechildren.org.uk/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=7&ea.campaign.id=60631&Source%20Code=PCW059001&cid=osm-twpost_PCW059001-cp_001-0X99794DS
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Yemen’s suffering deepens as border shutdowns enter 2nd week: UN agencies
The top humanitarian official in war-ravaged Yemen has warned that millions of people in the country remain at severe risk due to the worsening situation in the country due to the closure of land, sea and air borders.
“We have some 21 million people needing assistance and seven million of those are in famine-like conditions and rely completely on food aid,” U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Yemen Jamie McGoldrick told reporters in Geneva over the phone.
He said a proposal to deliver vitally needed aid to Yemen via smaller ports than those under blockade will not solve the catastrophic humanitarian situation there, and he called for the reopening of the country’s major import hubs, Hodeida and Saleef, along with Sanaa airport.
Smaller ports such as Aden in southern Yemen and Jazan, which is in neighbouring Saudi Arabia “ lack the capacity to handle the amount of fuel, food and medicines that’s needed, McGoldrick said.
http://www.app.com.pk/yemens-suffering-deepens-as-border-shutdowns-enter-2nd-week-un-agencies/
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Yemeni hospitals will run out of fuel in three weeks: UN
The UN has warned that Yemeni hospitals will run out of fuel within three weeks unless Saudi Arabia removes its blockade on the war-torn country.
On Wednesday, UN spokesman Farhan Haq stressed that fuel is critical to the hospitals for generating electricity as well as pumping and purifying water.
He added that stocks of diphtheria vaccines will become depleted within two weeks unless aid deliveries resume.
Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has announced that prices have soared in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, since the Saudis tightened their blockade.
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/11/16/542351/yemen-un-saudi-arabia-fuel
and
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925,000 suspected cholera cases in Yemen as supplies run out: UN
There were more than 925,000 suspected cholera cases with over 2,200 associated deaths in Yemen as of Sunday, while key ports for humanitarian shipments remained closed, said the United Nations on Wednesday.
Aid workers continue to respond to the outbreak, but fuel to run hospital generators and to pump clean water will run out in less than three weeks, Deputy UN spokesman for the secretary-general Farhan Haq quoted the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) as saying.
Vaccines needed to treat diphtheria will also run out in two weeks, warned OCHA.
Ships and planes carrying humanitarian supplies have been unable to reach Yemen since the start of a blockade on Nov. 6, said Haq.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-11/16/c_136755341.htm
(B H P)
Yemen: More than 50,000 children expected to die of starvation and disease by end of year
Blockade on rebel-held parts of country by Saudi Arabia-led coalition has restricted access to food and aid
More than 50,000 children in Yemen are expected 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.
Seven million people are on the brink of famine in the country, which is in the grips of the largest cholera outbreak in modern history.
An estimated 130 Yemeni children are dying every day and an estimated 400,000 children will need treatment for acute malnutrition this year, the charity said.
“These deaths are as senseless as they are preventable,” said Tamer Kirolos, Save the Children’s country director for Yemen.
“They mean more than a hundred mothers grieving for the death of a child, day after day.”
(A H P)
“Since ports closed, I can no longer afford some basic food items because prices rose sharply. I needed rice and oil but it had increased 20-30%, that’s too much for me! And with no income, our burden is doubled.” Fawzi Ahmed, 50, Almaafer district, #Taiz. (photo)
https://twitter.com/OxfamYemen/status/930781326306836480
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
Mehr / More: cp1, cp2a
(A H)
Map: Yemen – Humanitarian Access - DG ECHO Daily Map | 17/11/2017
https://reliefweb.int/map/yemen/yemen-humanitarian-access-dg-echo-daily-map-17112017
(* B H)
The Catastrophe of Saudi Arabia’s Trump-Backed Intervention in Yemen
In the main hospital in the Yemeni port city of Hudaydah this August, the malnutrition ward overflowed with patients.
Reporting in Yemen with a local BBC film crew this summer, I entered the country by making a fifteen-hour drive through remote areas to avoid coalition and Houthi forces. It was my sixth trip to the country in three years, and it revealed a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation. Food shortages that plagued remote villages had spread to large cities in the country of twenty-eight million. Along with the cholera outbreak, the number of meningitis cases was surging.
During my trip with the BBC film crew, we toured a camp on the outskirts of Hudaydah that housed some of the nearly three million Internally Displaced People (I.D.P.s) living in Yemen – by Nawal Al-Maghafi
(* B H)
Yemen: five days inside the world’s largest humanitarian crisis
I’ve met people who had lost neighbours, colleagues, loved ones; doctors that haven’t been paid in over a year. I’ve met mothers forced to fetch water from the street and fathers who did not know if they would be able to feed their children at the end of the day.
Speaking to people, you realise that absolutely everyone is affected by the conflict.
I spent most of my time with Yemen Red Crescent volunteers. On the surface, they’re just like our volunteers in the UK. They’re students, part-time workers, retirees – they give up a few hours of their day to volunteer with their local Red Crescent branch.
But in other ways their lives couldn’t be further from our own.
In this series of vlogs, Tre from the British Red Cross reflects on what life is like for Yemen’s people and what we are doing to help.
Films:
Arriving in Yemen to discover what life is like in a warzone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjpXFXrnD28
Meeting the unpaid humanitarian volunteers in Yemen who are caught up in the conflict
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH0C221mhTU
Visiting the Yemen health clinic that's treating malnutrition and cholera
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=AguA3V0Hna4
Delivering clean water to people stuck in Yemen's capital city of Sana'a
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBlP1GWdMFw
Reflections on Yemen and goodbyes to all the humanitarian volunteers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=mkVxLYMkDl0
(A H)
Here is my last story tonight about the suffer of #Yemen-i people. A woman in Hodeidah in western #Yemen told me that she and her family last time they ate meat was a year ago. Believe or not. They can't even dream about fish or chicken.
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/931268246111531008
(A H)
Film: An old woman crying because she hasn't found any money to feed her children in #Yemen because of war and salary cuts
https://twitter.com/NajTV/status/931157627324784641
(A H)
Famine makes debut in besieged Taiz
On Thursday, however, the people of the city besieged by the Houthi-Saleh radical rebels woke up to starvation making its debut appearance.
A number of people crowded around a young man whom hunger has changed him beyond recognition lying down on the sidewalk of the street in downtown Taiz.
The man appeared so frail and skinny that his ribs and all bones and joints visibly protruding to the level that one cannot guess his age.
"I am hungry. I am hungry," eyewitnesses quoted him as uttering slowly with difficulty.
Out of their initiative the bystanders took him to Al-Thawra state-run hospital.
Taiz been under continually shelling and constant siege by the forces of the former dictator Ali Saleh and Houthis
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-12930
My comment: It is propaganda trying to solely blame the Houthis for this. It is true that they try to block Taiz (or , to be true): the part of Taiz which is held by the proSaudi/proUAE/proHadi/proAQAP forces. But this is just a small blockade within a large blockade, the Saudi blockade of the whole of northern Yemen (cp1, cp2a). If nothi´ng more gets into Yemen, also nothing more will get into Taiz, even if the Houthis would have opened all streets. – Please also take a look at the newest map showing the streets of limited access in Yemen: https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/yem_lc_op_accessconstraints_a3l_20171114.pdf and https://reliefweb.int/map/yemen/yemen-humanitarian-access-dg-echo-daily-map-17112017 . The road from the nort east (via Ibb) from Houthi-held Yemen is open.
(* A H)
Diphtheria returns to war-torn Yemen, More than 100 cases recorded
There is little that can introduce or reintroduce a infectious disease back to a country than the chaos that surrounds war and political and social instability.
Now returning to Yemen for the first time since 2012 is the deadly vaccine preventable disease, diphtheria. And it’s back with a force.
According to a Sputnik-Mundo report (computer translated), World Health Organization (WHO) spokesman Christian Lindmeier said that Yemen has seen more than 100 cases of diphtheria since the beginning of the month.
“By November 8 in Yemen were recorded 118 cases in which diphtheria was suspected and 11 deaths from that disease in ten provinces, it is an endemic disease for Yemen, but the current outbreak is differentiated by a high level of mortality and its widespread spread, “he said.
The WHO representative denied that there was a direct relationship between the epidemic and the blockade of the country, but said the outbreak is due to the general situation in Yemen.
http://outbreaknewstoday.com/diphtheria-returns-war-torn-yemen-100-cases-recorded-71115/
(A H)
Agreement signed for US$150 million project to support Yemen’s conflict-affected cities
The World Bank and UNOPS signed an agreement today for a US$150 million project to restore basic services in some of Yemen’s cities hardest hit by the ongoing conflict.
Funded by a grant from IDA, the World Bank's fund for the world's poorest countries, the new project will target issues like uncollected trash and untreated sewage water, both of which are contributing directly to the current cholera epidemic. In addition, the project will address access to electricity for critical services and urgent needs for road repair to improve mobility and access.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/agreement-signed-us150-million-project-support-yemen-s-conflict-affected-cities and by Reuters http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-world-bank/world-bank-approves-150-million-to-restore-services-in-yemeni-cities-idUSKBN1DG2BZ
(* B H)
Workers without housing in Yemen
High rents are a crisis facing Yemeni employees , and their unpaid salaries threaten them with sleeping on the street
Tenants are often evicted if they do not pay their home owners, especially employees in the public sector, for the inability of the state to pay their salaries to meet their obligations.
Staff members found themselves displaced with their families at relatives or neighbors after landlords closed their apartments, expelled them and held their furniture. The government employee bitterly tells his story with the landlord who expelled him, and holds his furniture in the 70's in Sana'a.
Homeowners have a view on this issue, as many depend on rental allowances as their sole source of income and for their families. "If the monthly salary that the government provides to the government employee is his only source of income, I also have no source of income except for the rent I get from the tenant," Abdul Ghani al-Sawani said.
"We have dozens of cases involving tenants and homeowners," said a court source in the northern court in Sana'a.
(* B H)
Save the Children Says 130 Children Die Every Day in Yemen
An international aid group says an estimated 130 children or more die every day in war-torn Yemen from extreme hunger and disease.
An international aid group says an estimated 130 children or more die every day in war-torn Yemen from extreme hunger and disease.
Save the Children said late Wednesday that a continuing blockade by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Shiite rebels is likely to further increase the death rate. It says over 50,000 children are believed to have died in 2017.
My comment: This is well-known for long.
(* B H)
Film: Yemen's industrial-scale prosthetic limb factory
The Orthopaedic and Prosthetic Centre in Taiz offers hope for the seriously injured in Yemen’s war.
The BBC's Clive Myrie saw inside one of the few places in the country that can produce prosthetic limbs.
(* B H)
Yemen war: Saudi-led coalition 'to reopen some ports'
[This article is just linked fort he embedded film: The boy who shocked the world. This is a film of the boy who was severely stunted and evacuated 2 years ago. So severely malnourished that he is now brain damaged. Maybe the fate of so many of the millions of starving children in Yemen today.]
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-41968111
(A H)
Yemen GBV-Subcluster Dashboard - Analysis of Indicator Data, Reporting Period: October 2017
Yemen GBV-Subcluster Dashboard - Analysis of Indicator Data, Reporting Period: September 2017
Yemen GBV-Subcluster Dashboard - Analysis of Indicator Data, Reporting Period: September 2017
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
(* B H)
Shelter and Protection: UNHCR In Yemen.
During April and May of 2017, Getty Images Reportage photojournalist Giles Clarke, whilst on assignment with UN/OCHA, travelled around the country documenting the declining living conditions, the harsh environment in which UN agencies operate and the critical work of humanitarian aid workers on the ground in Yemen.
https://medium.com/@gilesclarke/shelter-and-protection-unhcr-in-yemen-dd7e2512ec6
(A H)
UNHCR Somalia: Response to Yemen situation 1 - 31 October 2017
Number of new arrivals - 927 new arrivals from Yemen
New enrolments - 515 students enrolled in school
Subsistence allowance - 1,703 households (5,477 persons) received subsistence allowance
https://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/unhcr-somalia-response-yemen-situation-1-31-october-2017
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
(A P)
Houthis blow up house of human rights activist in Sana'a
A local source told Almasderonline that the Houthis-Saleh forces blow up on Thursday the house of Abdullah al Shaleef, a human rights activist and the chairman of Raqeeb organization, by Dynamite in Bran district of Nhim district northeastern the capital Sana'a.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/95548
(A T)
After a long absence : Al Qaeda terror is back in Hodeidah city, #Yemen. Security director shot dead by militant on motorbike.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/931252492956037121 and http://almasdaronline.com/article/95550
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
(A T)
AQAP militants attack Emirati-backed forces in Abyan governorate, southern Yemen[4]
and
(A T)
Pro-#alQaeda wire in Abyan #Yemen claims another bomb against #UAE-supported Security Belt forces in al-Mahfad at 13.30 today.
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/931525271739621376
(A)
Weapons store explosion kills 16 people in al Jouf
A local source told Almasderonline that sixteen people were killed on Wednesday including six family members when a weapons store, belonging to the local merchant Arif Qa'al, exploded because of the fire in Barat district northeastern al Jouf province, northern Yemen.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/95549
(* A P)
Yemeni president rejects Aden governor’s resignation
Governor tendered resignation on Thursday, describing Yemen's interim capital as ‘bastion' of state corruption
Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi has refused to accept the resignation of Aden Governor Abdulaziz al-Muflehi, which the latter tendered on Thursday, according to a source close to the presidency.
In his resignation letter, which he reportedly sent to President Hadi, al-Muflehi apologized to the people of Aden, saying he had faced “enormous difficulties” in carrying out his gubernatorial responsibilities.
He also voiced regret over what he described as a “recent deterioration” of basic services in Aden, including power shortages and skyrocketing food prices, which he went on to attribute to the “corruption of the Yemeni government".
In his letter, al-Muflehi directly accused the prime minister of engaging in corrupt practices.
http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/yemeni-president-rejects-aden-governor-s-resignation/968231
and
(A P)
Governor of Yemen's interim capital resigns, accuses PM of corruption
The governor of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s interim capital Aden has resigned, citing what he said was government corruption that had undermined his efforts to restore basic services to the city.
“Unfortunately, I found myself caught in a bitter war against a huge camp of corruption whose brigades are well trained and fortifications are protected by guards led by Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr,” Muflehi wrote in his resignation letter, a copy of which was sent to Reuters.
My comment: He had been appointed by president Hadi earlier this year. – Dagher’s corruption already has been stated often before.
(* A K P)
Saudi-coalition takes over Yemen’s Al-Mahrah ports
The Saudi-led coalition has taken over the airport of Al-Mahrah governorate in eastern Yemen, Al-Yemen Today reported.
The 137th Yemeni Army Brigade based in Al-Mahrah governorate prevented the Saudi-led coalition from taking over Al-Mahrah’s airport on Monday, triggering tensions with both military forces.
The Al-Mahrah security committee and tribal leaders then provided access to the Saudi-led coalition on the condition that it is not used as a military base to launch attacks.
Al-Mahrah security forces remain in control of the ports, requiring the Saudi-led coalition to coordinate activities with them.
The Saudi-led coalition has also taken control over Al-Ghaydah, the capital city of Al-Mahrah based in south-eastern Yemen.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171117-saudi-coalition-takes-over-yemens-al-mahrah-ports/
and
(A K P)
Saudi-led coalition forces assumed responsibility for security of al Ghaydah’s primary seaport and airport in al Mahrah governorate, eastern Yemen on November 15. [1]
(A P)
President of the Emirati-backed Transitional Political Council of the South (STC) Aydarus al Zubaydi announced the inauguration of the STC’s local leadership in Lahij and al Dhaleh governorates during a festival in al Hawtacity, Lahij governorate, southern Yemen on November 16. Al Zubaydi stated that the era of northern political domination over the south is over. [2]
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
UN: cp1, cp2a
(* A P)
The UN loves the passive. "The cost of this blockade is being measured in the number of lives that are lost." Why can't they use the active?: "Saudi Arabia's blockade is killing thousands." Truth to power, please.
https://twitter.com/tgemiles/status/931181106598240256
(* B P)
Not only a pawn in their game
In most media analysis, the deterioration has been linked to the escalation in the Middle East’s regional “cold war” between Iran and Saudi Arabia. But the Houthis and their allies had their own reasons for launching a missile at Riyadh, describing it as retaliation for recent airstrikes in northern Yemen. This is not to dismiss the Iranian government’s role in bolstering the Houthis, but robbing the situation of its local context is a recipe for misunderstanding and unproductive escalation.
There is little question that a political solution to the conflict must remain the key focus of international actors working on Yemen.
It is therefore crucial that key actors coordinate and put pressure on the warring parties in order to return them to the negotiating table.
In the meantime, while the political process remains moribund, track two talks should still be supported. Particular emphasis should be placed on bringing currently marginalized groups - including Southern Secessionists, tribal groupings, women, youth and civil society - into both the peace process and the drafting of a post-war settlement.
Simultaneously, the diversity of the state of conflict in different parts of the country must be taken into account.
http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_not_only_a_pawn_in_their_game
cp7a Saudi-Arabien und Iran / Saudi Arabia and Iran
(A P)
Saudi foreign minister says message to Iran is: 'enough is enough'
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir said on Thursday the kingdom’s actions in the Middle East were a response to what he called the “aggression” of Iran.
Long-standing arch-rivals, Riyadh and Tehran are waging a contest for power on several fronts across the region, notably in Yemen and Lebanon.
“Any way you look at it, they (the Iranians) are the ones who are acting in an aggressive manner. We are reacting to that aggression and saying, ‘Enough is enough. We’re not going to let you do this anymore’”, Jubeir told Reuters in an interview.
My comment: What an odd propaganda by a country that: bombs and blocks a neighbouring country, blocks a second one, detains the prime minister of a third country, arms rebels against a legitimate government in aforth one, that spreads the most aggressive form of religion which is thinkable – nearly worldwide, which buys more arms from other countries than anyone else.
(B K P)
Riyadh killing Yemenis amid Western media silence: Iran MPs
Iranian lawmakers have condemned the Saudi regime’s killing of Yemenis, saying the aggression is being carried out amid a "meaningful" Western media silence.
“The main question is that how can Saudi Arabia kill innocent people on a daily basis with different types of deadly weapons while the so-called advocates of human rights not only keep silent but also endorse this disgraceful inhumane measure,” read part of the statement.
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/11/15/542302/Iran-Yemen-war-United-States-Saudi-Arabia
(* B K P)
War between Iran & Saudi Arabia could send oil to $300 per barrel & impoverish the world
An armed conflict between Riyadh and Tehran would have a major impact on oil markets and the global economy. RT asked experts what a war between the two Middle East superpowers would mean for crude prices.
If a conflict happens, oil prices could increase 500 percent.
“Energy prices will seriously depend on the severity of the conflict. Let's remember the unrecognized Iraqi Kurdistan, which in a state of continuous war exported about 550,000 barrels per day through Turkey. In this connection, we can expect a panic rise in oil price to $150-$200 on the first day of the conflict… If Saudis and Iran attack each other's oil facilities, crude prices can skyrocket to $300,” Mikhail Mashchenko, an analyst at the eToro social network for investors told RT.
https://www.rt.com/business/409905-saudi-arabia-iran-war-oil/
(B P)
Film: Are Saudi Arabia and Iran going to war?
Tensions have recently soared between the two Middle East heavyweights.
http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-middle-east-41951237/saudi-arabia-and-iran-will-they-go-to-war
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
Siehe / Look at cp1
(* B P)
Film (Talk): Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen, Lebanon: What's next?
We debate whether Saudi Arabia's latest shakeups could trigger a wave of authoritarianism in the Middle East.
So, what's behind Mohammed bin Salman's latest power plays in the region and the domestic shakeup?
Rami Khouri, a political columnist and author, believes the crown prince's actions are dangerous.
"The real problem in Saudi Arabia right now that I see … is that Mohammed bin Salman now is bringing in the third wave of Arab autocratic authoritarian rule," says Khouri, who is also a senior fellow at the American University of Beirut. "What he's doing is almost unprecedented, and it's very dangerous, and it's, I think, for the region, it's going to be a problem."
Shireen Hunter, a Research Professor at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, says Saudi Arabia has been problematic in the region.
"The Saudis are the greatest sponsor of terrorism, and they have been. Saudi ideology has destroyed the Muslim world," says Hunter who is also the author of Iran's Foreign Policy in the Post-Soviet Era.
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/upfront/2017/11/saudi-arabia-iran-yemen-lebanon-171117103010052.html and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj7lVFVFgxU
(* A P)
EXCLUSIVE: Saudi torture victims include former king's son
Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, the son of the late King Abdullah who was once considered a future crown prince, was beaten and tortured, along with five other princes, when he was arrested and interrogated in Riyadh during the ongoing political purge in the kingdom, Middle East Eye has confirmed.
All six princes were admitted to hospital in the 24 hours following their arrest. One of the men was in such a bad condition that he was admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit - treatment which occurs when there is a high risk to the life of a patient, such as organ failure, from the heart, lungs, kidneys, or high blood pressure.
Hospital staff were told that the injuries sustained in each case were the result of “suicide attempts”. All had been severely beaten, but none of them had fractures. The marks on their bodies were consistent with the imprints left by military boots.
(* B P)
Die saudi-arabische One-Man-Show
Der Journalist Jamal Khashoggi über die gefährliche politische Lage in Saudi-Arabien.
Wir erleben eine One-Man-Show. Saudi-Arabien war nie demokratisch, aber was wir derzeit sehen, hat es noch nie gegeben. Die Macht konzentriert sich auf eine Person, die nicht einmal offiziell Staatsoberhaupt ist.
Sein Kampf gegen den religiösen Extremismus oder wie jetzt gegen die Korruption – das sind alles dringend notwendige Maßnahmen, aber es fehlt die Transparenz. Derzeit entscheidet nur er, was richtig oder was falsch ist. Mohammed bin Salam sieht sich als der alleinige Retter Saudi-Arabiens.
Natürlich macht er sich viele Feinde, aber er hat durch die Verhaftungswelle seine Macht gefestigt. Alle in der Familie stehen im Verdacht, korrupt zu sein, sie fürchten ihn, und keiner will ihn verärgern. Es gibt auch keine Opposition, außer die radikalen Islamisten, und das ist kein politisches, sondern ein militärisches Problem.
https://kurier.at/politik/ausland/die-saudi-arabische-one-man-show/298.350.008
(* B E P)
Pulverfass Nahost
Zwischen 1972 und 1980 wurde Aramco, mittlerweile zur größten Erdölfördergesellschaft der Welt aufgestiegen, von der saudi-arabischen Regierung verstaatlicht. Die USA akzeptierten das nur, weil das saudische Königshaus ihnen zeitgleich zusicherte, innerhalb der OPEC dafür zu sorgen, dass Öl weltweit nur noch in US-Dollar gehandelt wurde.
Um die Jahrtausendwende begann sich das Verhältnis zwischen den beiden Staaten zu verändern.
Mit Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) hat inzwischen ein Sohn von König Salman die Macht an sich gerissen, der alles auf eine Karte setzt. Dass US-Präsident Trump ihn seit seinem Coup mit allen Mitteln umgarnt, hat eine einfache Ursache: Die USA haben in den zurückliegenden Jahren im Nahen Osten zunehmend an Einfluss verloren und klammern sich an den einstigen Verbündeten. Aber wird MBS sein Land wieder an die USA binden? Langfristig sind Zweifel angebracht. Da ein erfolgreicher Börsengang von Aramco immer unwahrscheinlicher wird, muss MBS andere Geldgeber finden - und da steht China als Saudi-Arabiens größter Exportpartner bereit.
Um einen solchen Deal zwischen Saudi-Arabien und China zu verhindern, hat Donald Trump MBS nun angeboten, den Aramco-Börsengang in New York vorzunehmen.
https://www.heise.de/tp/features/Pulverfass-Nahost-3891376.html
(* B P)
Is Saudi Arabia becoming a danger to the region?
We talk to US Congressman Ro Khanna about power politics and debate Mohammed bin Salman’s new strategy for the Kingdom.
So, what's behind Mohammed bin Salman's latest power plays in the region and the domestic shakeup?
Rami Khouri, a political columnist and author believes the crown prince's actions are dangerous.
"The real problem in Saudi Arabia right now that I see…is that Mohammed bin Salman now is bringing in the third wave of Arab autocratic, authoritarian rule," says Khouri, who is also a senior fellow at the American University of Beirut.
"What he's doing is almost unprecedented, and it's very dangerous, and it's, I think, for the region, it's going to be a problem."
Shireen Hunter, a research professor at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, says Saudi Arabia has been problematic in the region.
"The Saudis are the greatest sponsor of terrorism, and they have been. Saudi ideology has destroyed the Muslim world," says Hunter who is also the author of Iran's Foreign Policy in the Post-Soviet Era.
Fahad Nazer, a consultant with the embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC, says the Kingdom's strategy has been very consistent, and he places blame on Iran for instability in the region.
In his interview with UpFront, Khanna had harsh words for Saudi Arabia and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in particular.
"Salman strikes me as not smart," Khanna said about the Crown Prince, who is also known by the initials MBS.
"He's not judicious and he's not prudent and he may do things that ultimately aren't even in his country's interest, which usually cause war."
Khanna continued: "Napoleon once said worse than a crime is a blunder, and Salman strikes me as a blunderer." (with film)
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/upfront/2017/11/saudi-arabia-danger-region-171117084122989.html and http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/aiding-saudi-war-crimes-yemen-congressman-171116150400085.html
and
(* A P)
Film: Is the US complicit in Saudi war crimes in Yemen?
We ask US Congressman Ro Khanna about the US alliance with Saudi Arabia and where Congress should draw the line.
In this week's Headliner, we speak with US Congressman Ro Khanna about US involvement in the war in Yemen, his opinion of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's actions and their regional impact.
(* B P)
New refrain in Washington: Is this the Saudi Arabia we wanted?
US policymakers had long sought a more assertive Saudi Arabia. But there's a growing concern outside the White House about the ambitious and untested Saudi crown prince, who is increasingly confronting Iran
Yet now as the Saudi kingdom risks getting bogged down by its domestic upheaval, and especially as Saudi actions toward Lebanon threaten to add another foreign policy misfortune to a list topped by a disastrous war in Yemen and a botched row with neighboring Gulf kingdom Qatar, some US officials and longtime regional experts are questioning the wisdom of Trump’s Saudi carte blanche.
(B E P)
Saudi crackdown will not hit investments: energy minister Falih
Saudi Arabia’s corruption investigations are linked to a just few individuals and will not hinder investments in the kingdom, its energy minister said on Thursday.
(B K P)
Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy scorecard: 1) Outmaneuver Iran? Fail. 2) Eliminate Houthis in Yemen? Fail. 3) Regime change in Syria? Fail. 4) Undermine govt in Iraq? Fail. 5) Blockade Qatar? Fail. 6) Destabilize Lebanon? Fail. 7) Play Trump like a fiddle? Success!
https://twitter.com/rezamarashi/status/930580372534022150
(A P)
Billed as a "liberal" by western monarchy defenders, #Saudi clansman Khalid AlFaisal, governor of Makkah region shuts down music at restaurants. No worrys, this is reform according to @ArabiaFdn
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/930884354334699520 referring to http://3alyoum.com/article/791306
(* B P)
‘An open secret’: Saudi Arabia and Israel get cozy
In the Middle East, your enemy's enemy is your friend.
For Israel, Saudi Arabia's growing willingness to confront Iranian influence in the Middle East presents an opening for an awkward alliance. As the kingdom's dynamic new crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, tries to rally an anti-Iran coalition, Israel — with the blessing of the Trump administration — is presenting itself as a willing and able partner.
Officials say Israelis are cautiously optimistic about the budding friendship with the revamped Saudi regime, but observers identify many risks.
An Israeli-Saudi alliance would also be vastly unpopular on the Arab street given the ongoing occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/mideast/open-secret-saudi-arabia-israel-get-cozy-n821136
cp9 USA
Siehe / Look at cp1
(* A E P)
U.S. monitoring Saudi situation amid post-purge wealth deals: U.S. Treasury chief
The United States is closely watching the situation in Saudi Arabia amid reported asset agreements between Saudi authorities and some detainees in an anti-corruption crackdown, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Friday.
Asked about the agreements to hand over wealth for detainees’ freedom, Mnuchin told CNBC “I think that the Crown Prince (Mohammed bin Salman) is doing a great job at transforming the country,” adding that the United States was “obviously monitoring the situation.”
My comment: This statement is shameless.
(A P)
Friends, please please please email your Senators about Yemen now. I'm attaching the emails I've sent to @SenWarren and @SenMarkey below. Before you send yours, take a screen shot and respond here. Let's do this for Yemen! (text in images)
https://twitter.com/shireen818/status/931299628208836608
(* B K P)
US will continue to refuel Saudi jets attacking Yemen
The US Air Force plans to keep refueling Saudi Arabian warplanes committing atrocities in Yemen that have led to the world’s most pressing humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations.
The US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in support of House Resolution 599 Monday, passing the measure by a vote of 366-30. The bipartisan bill does not prevent US tankers from providing fuel to Saudi warplanes but does call for a political solution to the crisis, which House Democrats apparently saw as a compromise.
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/us-will-continue-refuel-saudi-jets-attacking-yemen/
Remark: Good overview.
(A P)
Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) sent a letter to House Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce asking for oversight on Saudi Arabia’s increasingly aggressive approach towards its neighbors in the Middle East.
REP LIEU CALLS FOR INCREASING CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT OF SAUDI ARABIA
November 15, 2017
Press Release
WASHINGTON -Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) sent a letter to House Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce asking for oversight on Saudi Arabia’s increasingly aggressive approach towards its neighbors in the Middle East. The letter follows the arrests of numerous Saudi elites and the Lebanese Prime Minister’s sudden resignation. These incidents occurred after an unannounced trip to Saudi Arabia by White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner and were followed by a tweet from President Trump that seemingly endorsed the Kingdom’s actions.
In the letter, Mr. Lieu writes:
https://lieu.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-lieu-calls-increased-oversight-saudi-arabia and full letter https://lieu.house.gov/sites/lieu.house.gov/files/2017-11-13%20Letter%20to%20Ed%20Royce%20on%20Saudi%20Arabia%20and%20recent%20events%20in%20the%20M....pdf
(* A P)
Saudi Arabia rounds up princes, doubles down on Yemen: Kingdom's actions worry US
The State Department, US diplomats, the Pentagon and the CIA are all looking on with "growing alarm" as Saudi Arabia's Prince Mohammad bin Salman continues his mass purge of elite figures in the kingdom, reported The New York Times on Tuesday. Quoting a State Department official speaking on the condition of anonymity, the report said that the prince "is behaving recklessly without sufficient consideration to the likely consequences of his behaviour, and that has the potential to damage US interests."
US steps back from the whole-hearted support offered earlier by Trump
The top US diplomat's comments marked a step back from the fulsome support offered earlier this week by Donald Trump, who said he had "great confidence" in what the crown prince and his father King Salman were doing.
Foreign policy experts advise caution.
(* A K P)
McGovern Condemns U.S. Support of Saudi War in Yemen
Yemen Denied Humanitarian Aid as Civilians Suffer from Hunger and Fastest-Growing Cholera Epidemic Ever Recorded
Today U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), a senior House Democrat and co-chair of the bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, delivered the following speech on the House floor condemning Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, the suffering it is causing among innocent civilians, and urging the United States to end its support of the war. Click here to view video of speech online.
Full Text of Congressman McGovern’s Speech:
https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397149 and excerpt of film: https://twitter.com/RepMcGovern/status/930215351228489729
(A K P)
REP. LIEU STATEMENT ON HOUSE PASSAGE OF NDAA WITH LIEU PROVISIONS ON YEMEN
“Today, we achieved an important victory by bringing critical oversight to the role of the United States in a disastrous foreign conflict. Despite years of documentation that the U.S.-backed, Saudi-led coalition operating in Yemen has committed what look like multiple war crimes, the Trump Administration has refused to answer basic questions about the coalition’s track record. Instead, the Administration has continued selling them weapons.
I am pleased the annual Department of Defense authorization bill includes the provisions I wrote to require the Administration to be accountable for the coalition’s conduct and articulate a military and diplomatic strategy for Yemen. This is long overdue.
My comment: Keep in mind that this resolution had been extremely watered before, look at YPR 357, cp9.
(* B K P)
US to Continue Refueling Saudi Warplanes During Yemen Attacks
The US Air Force plans to keep refueling Saudi Arabian warplanes committing atrocities in Yemen that have led to the world’s most pressing humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations.
"Yes, we still provide tankers," Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigan, chief of USAF Central Command, said at the Air Force Association's Air, Space and Cyber Conference in September.
https://sputniknews.com/military/201711161059142176-us-refuel-saudi-warplanes-yemen/
(* B P)
Activist: Tide in Congress ‘Slowly but Surely’ Turning Against Saudi Arabia
Garland Nixon and Lee Stranahan on Sputnik Radio's Fault Lines spoke to Paul Kawika Martin, political and communications director with Peace Action, a grassroots organization that advocates for pro-peace, anti-war legislation. Nixon started the interview by asking Martin for a brief summation of what was happening in Yemen, and how the US was involved.
But the tide is slowly beginning to turn against the Saudis, according to Martin.
"Saudi Arabia's hired some 22 lobbying companies, we don't actually know the extent of the lobbying that's going on. There's a lot of money flowing into Washington, DC, to put pressure on members of Congress, and unfortunately that has been working
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201711161059141186-saudi-war-yemen-congress-opposition/
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
(unrated C P)
Film: BRITISH EMPIRE AND THE CREATION OF WAHHABISM / ISIS IDEOLOGY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL7lbMkMz1E
Remark: By Press TV Iran. Anyway, it’s fact that Britain has assisted the rise of the Saudi clan to power in it’s later state of “Saudi” Arabia, and thus the grip of wahabism to power. And by allying to Saudi Arabia up to the present day, the British also assisted in the Saudi world-wide spread of Wahabism, which is the ideological base of ISIS ideology. And ISIS was created by the US-British Iraq war and the occupation of Iraq.
(* B H K P)
The Guardian view on Yemen: a catastrophe that shames Britain
The world’s worst humanitarian crisis is deteriorating as a Saudi blockade prevents desperately needed food, fuel and medicine from entering the country. London’s unstinting support for Riyadh makes the UK complicit
Now we are on the brink of another famine – perhaps the worst for decades, says a UN aid chief – and Britain must again bear blame.
An impoverished country has been destroyed by what is both a civil and a proxy war.
The blockade has taken this terrible, futile conflict to a new depth. It seeks to starve a population into submission – a crime against humanity horrifically familiar from its ongoing use in Syria as well as elsewhere. Britain’s staunch support for Riyadh makes it complicit.
Claims that western involvement has moderated Saudi behaviour look ever more threadbare. Whatever pressure governments are exerting privately, Riyadh knows that Yemen is near the bottom of their priority list for the region. Public statements have been pitiful. The Foreign Office condemned the attempted missile attack on Riyadh within hours and voiced concern about reports that Iran had provided the Houthis with missiles four days later. But it waited a full 10 daysto address the blockade – and then in terms which minimised Saudi culpability. DfiD boasts of aid might be laughable were they not so insulting in the circumstances. Britain should stop selling arms to Riyadh and shout out the need to end the blockade. To do any less is wrong and shameful. History will not be kind – by Editorial board
(B P)
UK government has a role in Yemen’s humanitarian crisis
Fionna Smyth says the government needs to change tack or risk being on the wrong side of a historic human catastrophe, while Rae Street juxtaposes Theresa May’s appearance at the Cenotaph with the sale of fighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia
The UK government needs to change tack or risk being on the wrong side of a historic human catastrophe.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/16/uk-government-has-a-role-in-yemen-humanitarian-crisis
(* B P)
Yemen Is On The Verge Of The World's Largest Famine - Time For May To Stop Fuelling The War
We have no doubt that public opinion is on our side. Poll after poll has shown a widespread and growing opposition to the UK's uncritical political and military support for Saudi forces. The most recent poll, carried out by Opinium LLP in September, found that almost 70% of UK adults oppose the arms sales, with only 12% in support.
When governments fail to challenge abuses and atrocities then it forces activists and civil society to take action. Even if it is successful, our appeal will not end the ongoing conflict, but it would end the UK's role in it and set a vital and historic international precedent.
The atrocities have not just been ignored by Whitehall and Downing Street, they have been directly fuelled by them. Theresa May and her colleagues have not been spectators to the bombardment, they have been active participants. It's time for them to end their complicity – by Andrew Smith, CAAC
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/andrew-smith/yemen-crisis_b_18544420.html
(* A P)
FCO expresses concern at deteriorating situation in Yemen
Call for all parties to engage in peace process to ensure humanitarian access in Yemen.
We are deeply concerned by the risk of a serious deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Yemen. We call on all parties to ensure immediate access for commercial and humanitarian supplies to avert the threat of starvation and disease faced by millions of civilians. We call for the immediate resumption of UN flights and the reopening of Hodeidah port. The UK is the second largest donor to the UN’s Yemen Appeal, and UKaid has already provided food to almost 2m people and clean water to over 1m more. We must continue to offer this lifesaving assistance and that is why we call on all parties ensure that humanitarian workers are able to enter and exit the country and access all affected areas.
We share the concern of Saudi Arabia about the security threat posed by ballistic missiles, such as the one of 4 November. We understand the need to take action to stem the flow of sophisticated weaponry into Yemen, including the importance of effective monitoring and controls. Efforts to implement the arms embargo called for by UN Security Council Resolution 2216 must be increased by all states while ensuring that vital commercial and humanitarian supplies are able to reach vulnerable Yemeni people.
We believe that a comprehensive political solution is the only way to end the conflict and bring real stability to Yemen. We call on all parties to engage with the peace process.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/fco-expresses-concern-at-deteriorating-situation-in-yemen
My comment: The statement here in full. This is a document of odd hypocrisy and double standards. The UK is warring party and one of the main responsible of this disaster.
(A E P)
Labour challenges Downing Street on $2bn Saudi Aramco loan guarantee
Britain’s opposition Labour party has flagged concerns about plans to provide a $2bn loan guarantee for Saudi Aramco that have emerged as London vies to host a stock exchange listing for the world’s largest oil producer. John McDonnell, shadow chancellor, wrote to the government on Tuesday demanding answers on the proposed credit backstop for Saudi Arabia’s state energy group. Mr McDonnell asked what conversations had been held between ministers and their Saudi counterparts before the loan guarantee was agreed.
My comment: How any state just could give 1 penny for such matters?
(A P)
Film: Emily Thornberry on Saudi's War in Yemen
http://www.middleeasteye.net/multimedia/video/67207
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
(* A P)
Saudi Arabia recalls its ambassador to Germany for consultation
audi Arabia recalled its ambassador in Germany for consultation over comments made by German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel during a joint news conference with his Lebanese counterpart, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
The ministry said in a statement that Saudi Arabia would deliver a protest note to Germany’s ambassador in Riyadh.
(* A P)
Bundesregierung zu Rüstungsexport nach Saudi-Arabien: "Kriegsmissbrauch nicht nachgewiesen"
RT Deutsch fragte bei bei der Bundespressekonferenz nach den sichtlich erhöhten deutschen Rüstungsexporten, insbesondere auch im Bereich von Patrouillenbooten gen Saudi-Arabien. Im Jemen droht derzeit wegen der saudischen See-Blockade eine humanitäre Katastrophe.
Obwohl die saudische Blockade des Jemen mit Hilfe von Patrouillenbooten bewerkstelligt wird, verneint die Bundesregierung kategorisch, dass es sich hierbei um die deutschen Patrouillenboote handelt, deren Lieferungen nach Saudi-Arabien sie in den letzten Jahren reibungslos genehmigt hatte. Welche anderen Patrouillenboote die saudische Küstenwache wohl für ihre Blockade des Jemen seit zwei Jahren benutzt, blieb unklar.
https://deutsch.rt.com/inland/60669-bundesregierung-zu-rustungsexport-nach-saudi-arabien-kriegsmissbrauch-nicht-nachgewiesen/ mit Film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NI1FZZ1_Ok
Mein Kommentar: Dümmer geht’s nimmer.
(A P)
Film: Bundesregierung leugnet Saudi-Arabiens Krieg im Jemen
Dass die Bundesregierung ihren saudischen Freunden nicht gern ans Bein pisst, ist nichts Neues. Die guten Geschäftsbeziehungen müssen aufrecht gehalten werden. Ist klar. Aber dass die Bundesregierung in der BPK heute leugnete, dass Saudi-Arabien überhaupt Krieg im Jemen führt, erstaunt uns dann doch. Laut Auswärtiges Amt handele es sich im Jemen um einen „inner-jemenitischen Konflikt“, wo die Saudis nur einer Seite Hilfe leisten. Das ist grotesk: Die Saudis führen die arabische Koalition an, die den Jemen seit 2015 in Schutt und Asche bombardiert. Dazu bekommt die Koalition Unterstützung von den USA und Großbritannien.
Selbst die vom Kanzleramt finanzierte Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) weiß es besser, was Saudi-Arabien im Jemen treibt.
Ausschnitt aus der BPK vom 15. November 2017:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3DvQWx4lAI
(A P)
Abrüstungsexperte: „Bundesregierung leugnet Krieg im Jemen“
„Saudi-Arabien befindet sich nicht in einem bewaffneten Konflikt mit Jemen“, das sagte ein Vertreter des Auswärtigen Amtes am Mittwoch in der Bundespressekonferenz. Sehr überrascht von dieser Äußerung zeigt sich Jürgen Grässlin, Sprecher der „Aktion Aufschrei - Stoppt den Waffenhandel!“
https://de.sputniknews.com/politik/20171118318343621-bundesregierung-krieg-jemen-waffenhandel/
(* A K P)
Germany quintuples arms sales to Saudi Arabia and Egypt
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's administration has been criticized for massively increasing arms sales to Middle East dictatorships Saudi Arabia and Egypt. One opposition lawmaker branded the trade "reprehensible."
The German government approved nearly €450 million ($526 million) worth of weapons exports to Saudi Arabia and Egypt in the third quarter of 2017, more than five times the €86 million it sold in the same quarter of last year.
The German Economy Ministry disclosed the numbers after a member of parliament from the opposition Left party, Stefan Liebich, requested the information.
Egypt alone bought nearly €300 million worth of weapons, making it the number one export destination for German arms, while Saudi Arabia handed over nearly €150 million. By comparison, the two countries imported €45 million and €41 million respectively in the third quarter of 2016.
http://www.dw.com/en/germany-quintuples-arms-sales-to-saudi-arabia-and-egypt/a-41370500
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
(A P)
An open letter on the war in Yemen
Dear brothers in Islam in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States
Dear brothers in Islam in Yemen, be they Shiah or Sunni
As a Muslim, I and many Malaysian Muslims and non-Muslims would like to appeal to our dear brothers to stop fighting this terrible war. Already thousands have died and a million Yemeni children are starving to death.
With the deaths and destruction, there will be no winners. Only losers. Have mercy on the innocent people who have become the victims of this war.
The world is appalled over this man-made tragedy. Muslims feel ashamed. Please stop this senseless slaughter. At the very least please allow food and medicine to be delivered to the starving and sick people of Yemen.
I would like to appeal to Muslims worldwide to be true to Islam and to do all we can to stop this war.
Please accept the expression of my highest consideration.
Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad
Former Prime Minister of Malaysia (1981-2003)
https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/402392 and the letter: https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1559259520793739/?type=3
and
(A P)
DR Mahathir Mohamad issued an open letter today to the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States and Yemen to end the conflict in Yemen.
The Perdana Global Peace Foundation chairman and former prime minister said Malaysians share his appeal in urging an end to the “terrible war” where thousands have died and one million Yemeni children are starving.
“Muslims feel ashamed. Please stop this senseless slaughter,” Dr Mahathir said.
http://www.themalaysianinsight.com/s/23344/
(A P)
China's Xi offers support for Saudi amid regional uncertainty
China supports Saudi Arabia’s efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and achieve greater development, President Xi Jinping told Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, at a time of regional tensions between Saudi Arabia, Iran, Lebanon and Yemen.
Remarking on the importance of maintaining close communication between the two countries’ heads of state, Xi said China and Saudi Arabia are comprehensive strategic partners whose strategic mutual trust is deepening.
My comment: “Realpolitik”, Chinese style.
(A P)
Israeli Military Chief Gives Unprecedented Interview to Saudi Media: 'Iran Is Biggest Threat to Mideast'
Israel and Saudi Arabia are in full agreement about Iran's intentions, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot tells Elaph, noting that the two states have never fought each other
In the interview to the Saudi newspaper Elaph, Eisenkot described Iran as the "biggest threat to the region." He said Israel and Saudi Arabia are in full agreement about Iran's intentions, noting that Israel and Saudi Arabia have never fought each other.
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.823163
Comment: The two biggest threats to stability in the Middle East join together to call iran the biggest threat to the Middle East. Fun.
https://twitter.com/RaniaKhalek/status/931155559503589376
and
(A P)
Israeli army chief says ready to share information with Saudi Arabia
The Israeli army’s chief of staff told an Arabic language online newspaper that Israel was ready to share “intelligence information” with Saudi Arabia, saying their countries had a common interest in standing up to Iran.
Lieutenant General Gadi Eizenkot told the privately Saudi-owned Elaph in what it said was his first interview with an Arabic newspaper that Israel had no plans to attack Lebanon’s Hezbollah group.
Asked if Israel had shared any information with Saudi Arabia, Eizenkot said: “We are ready to share information if necessary. There are many shared interests between us.”
(* A P)
Australia: Defence Minister urged to suspend joint exercise with Saudis over Yemen blockade
The Defence Minister is being urged to cancel military exercises with Saudi Arabia while the nation continues to enforce a blockade on Yemen that has left seven million people on the brink of famine.
The ABC revealed yesterday that in August, the Royal Australian Navy conducted training with its Saudi counterpart on the Red Sea, not far from where the Saudi-led coalition is enforcing its naval blockade.
"Cancel any military exercises with Saudi Arabia, especially naval exercises, and make a statement that we find their blockade of Yemen and the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe there totally unacceptable," he said in the Senate – By Sophie McNeill and Andrew Greene
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-16/marise-payne-urged-suspend-military-exercises-with-saudi-arabia/9159302 = http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2017-11-16/defence-minister-urged-to-suspend-joint-exercise-with-saudis-over-yemen-blockade/1717424
(* A P)
Yemen drifts ever closer to the edge and we are still standing still
I can understand that our foreign policy is obliged to showcase some strategic impetus. The nature of international relations and diplomacy often revolves around “interests”.
Is it in our interest to do or say something that might ultimately damage our chances of “a contract” or “an opportunity” or a way of “moving forward” with “our agenda”.
We have to work in the real world with allies and partners, who might be smart but flawed, ideologically sound but ruthless.
But when it comes to issues of life, death, mass murder and genocide, surely we ought to be able to take a stand? Or is that asking too much?
For some reason or another, Dirco needed to condemn that missile and showcase some support for Saudi Arabia. In so doing, we illustrated that though we might not be pulling the trigger, we are certainly complicit in the skulduggery unfolding in places like Yemen.
Like most of our government departments, Dirco is rudderless and soulless; and it’s time to know why.
We espouse an anti-imperial agenda but show time and again, that we are unwilling to respect people who are at the heart of countering an empire.
We have long lost the respect of others. Soon there will be nothing left to respect in ourselves.
My comment: You are right – but this not only is the problem (and hypocrisy) of South Africa!!
cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis
( P)
Qatar foreign minister decries 'reckless leadership' in region
Qatar’s foreign minister on Friday criticized “reckless leadership” in the Gulf for a number of crises including the Gulf rift and Lebanon, taking apparent aim at Saudi Arabia.
cp12b Libanon / Lebanon
Siehe / Look at
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/libanon-mosaik-lebanon-mosaic-3
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade
Siehe / Look at cp11
(* B E K)
Man schießt deutsch
Saudi-Arabien erhält beim Aufbau einer eigenständigen Rüstungsindustrie Unterstützung aus Deutschland. Nachdem der Rheinmetall-Konzern über eine Tochterfirma in Südafrika eine Munitionsfabrik nahe Riad errichtet hat, in der Saudi-Arabien nun Artilleriegeschosse und Bomben für seine Luftwaffe produzieren kann, wird ein Rheinmetall-Manager im kommenden Monat den Vorsitz beim neuen Rüstungskonzern SAMI (Saudi Arabian Military Industries) übernehmen. Saudi-Arabien, das sich mit Russland den dritten Platz unter den Staaten mit den größten Militäretats weltweit streitig macht, will perspektivisch die Hälfte seiner Waffenkäufe bei Firmen im eigenen Land tätigen. SAMI soll in diesem Kontext zu einer der 25 bedeutendsten Waffenschmieden der Welt aufsteigen - mit engen Kontakten zu US-Rüstungsgiganten, aber auch zur Militärbranche der EU. Das Vorhaben wird zu einem Zeitpunkt gestartet, zu dem Riad einen äußerst aggressiven Kurs einschlägt, um Iran im Machtkampf um die Vorherrschaft in Mittelost zu schlagen.
https://www.german-foreign-policy.com/news/detail/7449/
(unrated B K P)
Defence industry channels in disarray
In a massive purge on November 4, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman managed to achieve what no other Saudi Arabian leader has done - sidelining people in defence circles who were not under his control. (paywalled)
Comment: More on the disarray in defence procurement - the channels used by French, American and U.K. are all shaken up. I guess they'll soon find ways through the chaos - it's much less complicated to export these killer weapons to Saudi than it is to export food to Yemen
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156110906158641
(unrated B K P)
Speculation mounts over who will head defence contracts arm
The creation of Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) has shaken up procurement at the ministry of defence, headed by Crown Prince (paywalled)
Comment: Some decisions on the new defence body in Saudi Arabia that has taken over all weapons procurement since the shake up of November 4th
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156110901138641
(* A E K)
Dubai Airshow 2017: RSAF praises Typhoon’s performance over Yemen
The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) has noted the superior operational effectiveness and increased safety margins of its Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft during the type’s ongoing mission over Yemen.
Speaking to Jane’s at the Dubai Airshow, RSAF Typhoon pilot First Lieutenant Abdul Aziz Omran said that the Typhoon had proven ideal for the Yemen mission, given the requirements for powerful engines, a heavy weapons and fuel load, and the ability to operate from relatively short runways.
“Our mission in Yemen requires a high performance, capable, reliable and very safe aircraft,” Lt Omran said on 13 November, adding that the Typhoon is equally adept at operations in adverse weather – and at night – as in perfect daytime conditions.
http://www.janes.com/article/75685/dubai-airshow-2017-rsaf-praises-typhoon-s-performance-over-yemen
My comment: If you think the peak of moral squalidness must have been reached now – you always find a higher one.
(* A K P)
Les Emirats Arabes Unis pourraient moderniser leurs Mirage 2000-9
Après les 80 F-16 qui vont être modernisés, au tour des Mirage 2000-9? Les Emirats Arabes Unis (EAU) veulent lancer une modernisation a minima de leur flotte de Mirage 2000-9 en attendant de commander le Rafale, selon des sources concordantes. Une opération qui s'élèverait entre 200 et 250 millions d'euros pour les Emirats Arabes Unis, qui pourraient signer ce contrat très rapidement. L
Remark: In French: 'United Arab Emirates are" very satisfied" of the performance of the Mirage 2000 in the context of the conflict in Yemen.'
When war makes you happy
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1557140021005689
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
(A T)
Details remain vague after four more US strikes against AQAP in Yemen
The US military has conducted at least four more strikes against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in the last two months, according to data acquired by FDD’s Long War Journal. But US Central Command (CENTCOM) has still not released details on any strikes against AQAP in Yemen in 2017.
(A T)
#Yemen: #IslamicState claims it destroyed a Houthi BMP infantry fighting vehicle by rocket yesterday on Jabal Jumayda in Qayfa area of NW al-Bayda'. "BMP" implies it was made in #Russia (Image)
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/931214148461039617
cp15 Propaganda
Siehe / Look at cp1
(A P)
UAE Ambassador in Rome attends seminar on Yemen
Saqr Nasser Al Raisi, UAE Ambassador to Italy, has participated in a seminar titled "Partners for a Sustainable Peace in Yemen", which was organised by the Saudi embassy in Rome.
The participants expressed their concern over the humanitarian situation in Yemen.
http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302647637
(A P)
Did the Houthis Have Iran's Blessing before Launching a Missile at Riyadh?
The Saudi government and the Pentagon believe Iran was directly behind the missile launch, even though some Iranian government officials deny any involvement.
Much of the debate over the missile Yemen’s Tehran-backed Houthis launched toward Riyadh last weekend focuses on possible military retaliation from Saudi Arabia. But an obvious question is being overlooked: Why would Iran, the Houthis primary political and military supporter, risk a direct confrontation with its arch foe for minimal strategic gain in a country of marginal interest?
Iran’s success in keeping Assad in power and its deep influence in Iraq, largely due to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) and its leading commanders, has empowered hardline-dominated agencies and personalities within the government. Now, their voice on regional policy issues by far outweighs that of the less confrontational president and foreign ministry.
My comment: US mainstream media linking the Yemen war and crisis to Iran, thus following the Saudi anti-Iranian paranoia. – And this propaganda is flanked by telling how week the Saudis really are compared to bad, bad Iran. And directly addressing the US, warmongering is included. Whow.
(A P)
Why Saudi Arabia's Regional Power Plays Won't Lead to War
Although it is rarely explicitly stated, the implication is that there are more or less two equal camps, each able to at least contain the other and maybe even succeed in dominating the region. Nothing could be further from the truth. Actually, the Sunni camp is much weaker and in slow retreat, despite its recent assertiveness, and the Shia camp is considerably stronger and continues making significant gains, albeit gradual ones.
When one compares Iran to Saudi Arabia, one finds that Iran has a strong military force of approximately 550,000 active personnel, boasts the largest arsenal of short- and medium-range ballistic and cruise missiles in the region, and is close to being able to make its own nuclear weapons.
Saudi Arabia has a much smaller army (albeit, an impressive Air Force), but it is very reluctant to fight, and is said to be mainly suited for performance on parade grounds.
The fact that the Shia are gradually ascending and the Sunni camp does not have the willpower and wherewithal to stop them—and that Russia is supporting the Shia camp—leads to the inevitable conclusion that if the United States does not greatly increase its commitments to the region, then the Sunni camp will continue to fail. The United States could choose to engage to increase its role in several proxy wars in the region, but it makes much more sense for the country to directly confront Iran.
http://nationalinterest.org/feature/why-saudi-arabias-regional-power-plays-wont-lead-war-23257
(A P)
All Yemeni crossings open to passage of aid
Advisor to the Royal Court and General Supervisor of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah said that all Yemeni crossings controlled by the legitimate government are open to humanitarian assistance to Yemen, pointing out that the Kingdom offered the port of Jazan too, to be used for the same purpose, in addition to other crossings for delivery of relief and humanitarian aid to Yemen, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said Friday.
Speaking at a high-level meeting of the Partnership for Permanent Peace, in Yemen, which took place in Rome Friday, Al-Rabeeah condemned the attacks launched by the Houthi militias on United Nations aid and relief organizations and workers between 2015 and 2017, citing 16 cases of aggression, including killing, kidnapping, imprisonment, closing offices, looting and robbery, and closing the ports and offices of international organizations operating in Yemen.
http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/522111/SAUDI-ARABIA/All-Yemeni-crossings-open-to-passage-of-aid
My comment: While those leading to Houthi territory are 100 % blocked and thus 75 to 80 % of the Yemeni population are starved out. – Mentioning the Houthi attacks at relief staff has nothing to do at all with the problem of the blockade – an obvious diversion which also just keeps quiet about the multitude of Saudi coalition deliberate air raids against relief facilities and relief workers in Yemen.
And mentioning “ports”:
(A P)
KSRelief chief: Yemeni ports under legitimate control open to aid
Yemeni ports under the control of the legitimate government can receive humanitarian aid, Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, general supervisor of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief), has said. http://www.arabnews.com/node/1195161/saudi-arabia
(A P)
Dossier shows ‘Iranian’ missile that landed in Saudi Arabia
The Saudi-led coalition has compiled a dossier of evidence of Iranian military support for Yemen’s rebels.
It includes photographs of a ballistic missile that landed in Saudi Arabia.
The remnants of at least one Iranian Qiam ballistic missile have been recovered in Saudi Arabia, according to a Saudi-led coalition document obtained by Jane’s .
The document from the Joint Forces Command of the Arab Coalition detailed the evidence that Iran is providing military support to the Yemeni rebels the coalition is fighting. It was dated 5 November, a day after a ballistic missile was intercepted near Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport.
http://www.janes.com/article/75786/dossier-shows-iranian-missile-that-landed-in-saudi-arabia
Comment: This is what Saudis claim. Same occurs when they investigate their own crimes.
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1558965434156481
(A P)
Saudi-led coalition roots for Yemen’s well-being
Riyadh and Abu Dhabi continue to support the country’s devastated economy and help the needy
In the din of battle, truth is sometimes the biggest casualty. The reality on the ground is masked by baseless allegations that make for catchy headlines. One such hidden truth is the amount of aid that has been given to Yemen by countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
On its part, the UAE has shown, repeatedly, that it will always be the first to help those in need.
http://gulfnews.com/opinion/editorials/saudi-led-coalition-roots-for-yemen-s-well-being-1.2126079
My comment: LOL. How crazy a propaganda must be, writing such articles while the own air force bombs a country into ruins and blodd since 2 ½ years?
(A P)
Saudi Arabia’s prince is doing damage control
Nearly two weeks after the double political explosion that rocked Riyadh, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman appears to be doing damage control in ways that may help stabilize Saudi Arabia and the region.
The first bombshell in the Saudi capital was the Nov. 4 arrests on corruption charges of 201 prominent Saudis, including princes and government ministers. Now MBS, as the 32-year-old crown prince is known, is beginning a resolution process that may settle many of these cases out of court.
A senior Saudi official told me Thursday that the kingdom’s anti-corruption commission would follow the standard “plea-bargain process” that is “usually conducted by the public prosecutor prior to transferring a case to the relevant court.” The commission’s overall aim, he said, was to “send a strong message” that corruption won’t be allowed, “irrespective of rank or status.”
Saudi Arabia's prince is doing damage control - The Washington Post
Comment: (A P)
Dear David Ignatius @IgnatiusPost There is no single fighter from Hezeboallah in Yemen There will be no one even if we keep fighting US-backed Saudi terrorists 1000years. You need to have more "sources"other than the only Saudi sources when you write.
https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/931424818293026816
My comment: Ignatius is a pro-Saudi propagandist since 15 years: Read http://fair.org/home/david-ignatius-15-years-of-running-spin-for-saudi-regime/ .
And a June 2016 propaganda article and my comment at that time: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/a-30-year-old-saudi-prince-could-jump-start-the-kingdom--or-drive-it-off-a-cliff/2016/06/28/ce669a3e-3c69-11e6-a66f-aa6c1883b6b1_story.html and Comment: And again – as already so many – a story of the reformer and new hope price Salman. Is this a propaganda agenda, or why the American press again and again tells this story? This prince is a warmonger who is responsible for a more aggressive foreign policy and the Yemen war.
And another from April 2017, and my comment at that time: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/a-young-prince-reimagines-saudi-arabia-can-he-make-his-vision-come-true/2017/04/20/663d79a4-2549-11e7-b503-9d616bd5a305_story.html and My comment: That sounds like propaganda for the father of the Yemen war. Disgusting article.
And look at this from June 2017: In an April email to prominent Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, UAE ambassador to the U.S. Yousef Al Otaiba emphasized the importance to his government of the prince: “Our job now [is to do] everything possible to ensure MBS [Muhammed bin Salman] succeeds.”
My comment from today: Look, that is what the newest Washington Post article (as all these others) is about. Propaganda to brainwash us to let the most dangerous man in the Middle East „succeed“ – whatever his „success“ would mean in the end.
(A P)
The politicians who cry "wolf wolf"
The terror threat and groups in Yemen are still closer to non-existence than to existence despite the ground being very fertile for extremist beliefs now; poverty, despair and lack of state presence.
Al-Qaeda and ISIL are fortunately not holding any significant territorial footholds at the moment, maybe not even village thanks to the awareness of the Yemeni people.
Fortunately in Yemen, al-Qaeda cannot take swaths of lands anymore especially after the godfather of terror organizations the ousted dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh has been weakened.
Saleh is still capable of masterminding and sponsoring limited terrorist attacks in government-held provinces but not to the level of handing over military camps and whole cities to al-Qaeda as he did in Abyan in 2011.
Hadi's government and the Arab Coalition have put an end to the game that Saleh used to play; recapturing Abyan and Hadhramout back from Saleh's agents, Ansar al-Shariaa.
The Yemeni people are mindful of this fact, appreciate it and feel lucky. Yet the people's extreme frustration as a result economic hardship, itself a result of the political and military deadlock in the war with Saleh's regime remains a potential ground for the resurgence of violent extremism.
A more dangerous extremism that is more real than the politically motivated and sponsored terrorism of Saleh.
Let's seize this opportunity, support Prime Minister Ahmed bin-Daghr's government to accomplish the country's liberation
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-12929
My comment: If you have read a propaganda article you think this one cannot by topped in regard of stupidity you find an even more stupid one. This one here certainly deserves the palm – up to now.
(A P)
Mother of the Mujahideen recruits female holy warriors in Ibb
A staunch female operative for the Houthis identified as the Mother of the Mujahideen (holy warriors) is a case-in-point and local sources told Al Yemen al-Arabi website that she is recruiting women to take religious classes in her house in Ibb to be brainwashed and turned into lethal killers.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-12928
(A P)
Oil Ministry said UN mission biased in Houthis' favor
A source from the Ministry said the McGoldrick's statements affirm again that the UN mission in Yemen is biased in favour of the Houthi-Saleh rebel militias for it depends on "misleading information from the rebels without referring to the government or even depending on information from the field or on fact-finding teams."
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-12927
My comment: This is crazy. The UN is slammed for looking at the facts and not at Hadi government’s propaganda. (A P)
Saudi Arabia blames Houthi rebels for Yemen humanitarian situation
Saudi foreign minister says Iran-backed rebels besiege civilian areas as aid agencies warn thousands will die unless supplies enter the country
Saudi Arabia on Thursday blamed Houthi rebels of causing starvation in Yemen as aid agencies warned thousands would die unless more supplies were allowed into the country.
Foreign minister Adel Al Jubeir accused the Iran-backed Houthis of besieging civilian areas and preventing supplies from coming in or out.
“That’s why you have the starvation that’s taking place in Yemen and people need to do a more serious job of holding Houthis accountable for this,” he told Reuters.
My comment: Looking at the Saudi blockade of 75 % of the Yemenis, that’s odd propaganda. The Houthis try to block Taiz, it seems without great success in the moment.
And more fairy tales connected to this:
(A P)
How the Houthis control YemenThe Houthis are a small group of people who live in the north of Yemen, and they have been nursed by Iran to fight against Saudi Arabia and the Sanaa government as part of the Iranian project of planting regional agents similar to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The leadership of the Houthis has been affiliated to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for more than 20 years — not recently as some people believe.
Over time, the Houthis became similar to other Iranian armed groups in the region who are trained in the use of arms, organization and propaganda. Iran chose the title and the slogan for the group. Ansarullah is the name of the Houthi militias, and they reiterate the same Iranian daily slogan: “Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse on the Jews, Victory to Islam.”
But the Houthis are different from the Lebanese Hezbollah in that they are just a small group in Yemen, less than 5 percent of the population.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1194671 = https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1086786/abdulrahman-al-rashed/how-houthis-control-yemen
(A P)
Qatar Is at the Center of Today's Arab Tangle
A speedy but proper resolution of the standoff with Qatar is clearly in American interests.
http://nationalinterest.org/feature/qatar-the-center-todays-arab-tangle-23211?page=show
My comment: repeating the well-known US propaganda junk on Iran as supporter of Sunni terrorism and bad, bad Qatar and the good, good Saudis. Looks lije directly ordered by Riyadh.
(A P)
More than 200,000 #Yemeni beneficiaries only from the #RSAF airlift aid through @KSRelief_EN (photos)
https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/931198027011850241
My comment: What an odd propaganda!
(A P)
Yemen accuses Houthis of torturing prisoners to death
The Yemeni government has accused the Houthi group of torturing its prisoners to death, the Anadolu Agency reported.
A statement published by the Yemeni Ministry of Human Rights yesterday condemned “crimes committed by the Houthi militia and the coup” against detainees tortured and killed.
“The militia of the Houthi and Saleh forces are committing the worst crimes and violations against the detainees, the latest of which is the crime of torture to death committed against the detainee Ahmed Saleh Hussein Al-Wahashi of the province of Al-Baidah,” the statement continued.
The statement concluded seeking “the prompt release of all detainees and the cessation of assault and torture.”
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171116-yemen-accuses-houthis-of-torturing-prisoners-to-death/
My comment: “Yemen” here is the Hadi government. This is labeled as “propaganda” here (although true), according to the fact that the Hadi government and it’s allies have their own torture prisons.
(A P)
Al-Jubeir Affirms Depth of Saudi-French Relations
Adel bin Ahmad Al-Jubeir, Minister of Foreign Affairs, affirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and France have enjoyed an extended relationship since more than 100 years, pointing out identical of views regarding challenges in the region, including the Palestinian Cause, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Iranian interference in the region in addition to confronting terrorism and extremism. Al-Jubeir stressed that the two countries' desire to rise and intensify the level of the relations in all fields.
http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/3cb6735df11b4751b5390ceb8676ce59
My comment: By a Saudi media.– Well, France is the Saudis’ third largest arms supplier. Would France also think that the views in all these fields are “identical”. That would by no means be complimentary for France.
(A P)
The public has spoken in Saudi Arabia
The recent arrests and the freezing of assets of princes, businessmen and public servants have been met with robust approval by the public.
With its swift and decisive actions, the newly formed anti-government commission has declared its intentions publicly and has avowed to continue targeting more corrupt people by casting a much wider net.
It should be noted that corruption has been one of the elements that served as a springboard to the Arab Spring. And we have not been immune to it.
(A P)
The nightmare will end and Aden will see better future soon, says PM
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-12894
My comment: LOL.
(A P)
Govt alludes to Iran's involvement in Aden suicide bombings
The Yemeni Government alluded to Iran's of involvement in the suicide bombing that led to the killing of three soldiers and 21 others in the temporary capital Aden on Tuesday.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-12895
My comment: This is odd propaganda. IS is a Saudi offspring.
(A P)
Abu Dhabi will host a major international conference on Wednesday with the ambitious goal of eradicating many of the world’s most destructive diseases.
Reaching the Last Mile is under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and the Gates Foundation, set up by Bill and Melinda Gates.
The title of the conference directly relates to two diseases, polio and Guinea worm disease, which are on the verge of eradication.
My comment: Bill Gates playing propaganda assistant of those who by their war and blockade help spreading plagues and diseases in Yemen.
cp15a Propaganda: Saudis “retten” Journalistinnen / Saudis “rescue” journalists
A perfect example of how Saudi propaganda works.
(A P)
Arab coalition forces rescue two French journalists from Houthis in Yemen
The Arab coalition forces have rescued two French journalists who were lost in areas under the control of the Houthi militias in Yemen.
The two French journalists arrived at Riyadh air base.
The journalists were part of a delegation coming from Saada to Hajjah province, and the Houthi militias kidnapped them on Thursday (November 2nd).
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2017/11/16/Arab-coalition-forces-rescue-two-French-journalists-from-Houthis-in-Yemen.html and more photos https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/931235447694594049 and repeated by Sputnik https://sputniknews.com/world/201711171059177860-french-journalists-yemen/ and by French media http://www.europe1.fr/international/deux-journalistes-francaises-secourues-au-yemen-3494783
Comment: More bizarre by the day, this story.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/931243400208187393
and
(A P)
Saudi-led forces "extract" 2 French journalists from Yemen
France's Foreign Ministry said a Saudi-led coalition has "extracted" two French female journalists from war-torn Yemen.
Ministry spokeswoman Agnes Romatet-Espagne said Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian discussed how to bring them back safely to Riyadh during his visit to Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
The journalists are freelancers working for Paris Match magazine. She said they were back in France on Friday. She couldn't provide details on what happened during their reporting trip to Yemen, where they spent about two weeks.
You still do not understand and wonder what “extracted” could mean? Then read the real story behind it (in French only):
(* A P)
Yémen : Al-Arabiya se félicite du "sauvetage" de Françaises... jamais prises en otage
"Paris-Match", employeur de Véronique de Viguerie et de Manon Quérouil-Bruneel, ne publie un communiqué en milieu d'après-midi. L'hebdomadaire l'assure : ses reporters "n'étaient pas retenues en otage".
"Nous n'avons jamais rompu le contact" assure à "l'Obs" Jérôme Huffer, chef du service photo de "Paris-Match". "Elles avaient toutes les autorisations nécessaires de la Coalition pour atterrir à Aden et des autorités houthis pour se déplacer au nord-ouest du pays".
"Elles ont toujours été libres de leurs mouvements, autant qu'on peut l'être dans une zone de conflit."
Leur reportage terminé, les deux femmes sont restées coincées cinq jours dans un hôtel à Sanaa, dans une zone sécurisée en attendant la fin du blocus imposé par la Coalition arabe. Mais lorsque l'aéroport de la capitale yéménite a été bombardé par la Coalition, elles ont "décidé de bouger".
"Considérant que les tensions régionales détérioraient leur situation, les deux journalistes ont pris l'initiative de rejoindre la frontière du Sultanat d'Oman, à l'est du territoire", écrit "Paris-Match". Mais à mi-chemin, "un checkpoint de l'armée loyaliste soutenue par la Coalition, situé dans la localité de Sayoun, ne les a pas autorisées à continuer leur route."
Le ministre [Jean-Yves Le Drian, NDLR] a négocié leur exfiltration avec ses interlocuteurs saoudiens, et les deux journalistes sont rentrées à Paris ce vendredi matin, après un bref passage par Riyad."
Jérôme Huffer dément également la rumeur rapportée par Al-Arabiya selon laquelle les deux journalistes auraient circulé dans le pays par l'entremise d'ONG. Et souligne :
"Elles n'ont subi aucune censure de leur contenu éditorial."
Tout au plus auront-elles été au centre d'une opération de communication orchestrée par Riyad sur le dos de ses ennemis chiites.
and this is the translation by Google translate:
Yemen: Al-Arabiya welcomes "rescue" of French women ... never taken hostage
"Paris-Match", employer of Véronique de Viguerie and Manon Quérouil-Bruneel, did not publish a press release before the middle of the afternoon. The weekly magazine assures: Its reporters "were not held hostage".
"We never had lost the contact”, Jerome Huffer, head of the photo service of "Paris-Match", ensures to "the Obs" [Nouvelle Observateur; note by me]. "They had all the necessary authorizations from the Coalition to land in Aden and from Houthi authorities to move to the north-west of the country."
"They have always been free in their movements, as far as you can in a conflict zone."
When their report had been finished, the two women were stuck for five days in a hotel in Sana'a, in a secure area waiting for the end of the blockade imposed by the Arab Coalition. But when the airport of the Yemeni capital was bombed by the Coalition, they "decided to move".
"Considering that regional tensions were deteriorating their situation, the two journalists took the initiative to reach the border of the Sultanate of Oman, to the east of the territory," writes "Paris-Match". But midway, "a checkpoint of the loyalist army supported by the Coalition, located in the locality of Sayoun, did not allow them to continue their journey."
The minister [Jean-Yves Le Drian, editor's note; the French foreign minister, my note] negotiated their exfiltration with his Saudi interlocutors, and the two journalists returned to Paris this Friday morning, after a brief stopover at Riyadh. "
Jerome Huffer also denied the rumor reported by Al-Arabiya that the two journalists have circulated in the country through the mediation of NGOs. And he emphasizes:
"They have not been censored for their editorial content."
At most they would have been at the center of a communication operation orchestrated by Riyadh on the backs of his Shiite enemies.
(A P)
Information minister denies lies by Saudi media over French journalists
Minister of Information Ahmed Hamed dismissed Saudi media lies over the rescue of two French journalists from territories under control of the army and popular committees, in a statement to Saba late on Friday.
The minister said the two journalists entered the country in coordination with the Ministry of Information which granted them a visit permit upon demand by the French newspaper Paris Match.
"The two French journalists revealed the lies of the enemy media during a live broadcast aired by the enemy-run Al-Arabiya TV, during which the journalists said they had been arrested in sayun," Hamed said.
"Everyone knows that Sayun city and some other southern provinces are under control of the foreign occupation forces and their mercenaries," Mr. Hamed added.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news479699.htm
and film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIxBKrdLSwI
and even pro-Hadi / pro-Saudi media report the true story, adding:
(A P)
A Saudi helicopter pick two French journalists from security point in Sayoun
Saudi media reported that the Arab coalition had rescued two French journalists detained by the Houthi militias in Yemen.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/95587
(A P)
Film: Saudi-led forces "extract" 2 #French journalists from #Yemen ?????
They have "saved" two French journalists were missing in Houthis controlled areas, al-Arabiya reported on Thursday.
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/videos/1561914030528288/
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
Siehe / Look at cp1
(A K PH)
Martyrs and wounded in the targeting of aviation aggression home of a citizen in Saada
The US-Saudi aggression on Friday targeted the Al-Ghour area of Ghamr border administration, resulting in the deaths and injuries of citizens.
According to local sources, "Al-Masriya Net" that the air aggression launched a raid on the house of Mohammed Yahya Mohammed, which led to the death of his wife Muzheih Jaber and hit him with his daughter Khulood (photo)
https://almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=15759
(B K PS)
A #Saudi Air Force K-3 Tanker, assigned to the 23rd Sqn, refuels a 5th Sqn F-15C #Eagle and another K-3 Tanker (photos)
https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/931464818602774528
(* A K PH)
16 civilians killed, wounded by Saudi aggression airstrike on Hodeidah
At least ten civilians were killed and six wounded on Friday from Saudi aggression airstrike on al-Zahrah district of Hodeidah province, an official told Saba.
The aggression warplanes targeted a civilian bus in al-Zahrah district, the official added.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news479671.htm
and film by Almasirah TV:
https://www.facebook.com/Hona.Almasirah/videos/vb.1127621230602273/1708790812485309/?type=2 (1 minute) and
https://twitter.com/Hona_Almasirah/status/931638186434088960 (2:46 min)
and photos
https://twitter.com/HussainBukhaiti/status/931562966008377344
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/931636933482119169
https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/931737539060404224
(* A K PH)
Six citizens were killed and eight others injured Friday in a raid on a bus in the province of Hodeidah in the west of the country.
According to a reporter, "Al-Masirah Net" that the air aggression targeted passengers were traveling in a bus in the Khamis Al-Aa'adat district Directorate of Venus in the province.
The reporter said 6 civilians were killed and 8 others injured as a result of the initial targeting of the bus aggression, likely to increase the number of martyrs due to serious injuries to the wounded (photos)
http://almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=15743
and
(* A K PH)
# Massacre_second:
The Saudi Air Adnan targeted two raids on passengers on the public line in the area of # Thursday under the Directorate of Al-Zahra in the province of Hodeidah
The first attack targeted a bus that killed eight civilians, both wounded and wounded
The second raid killed two others and wounded four car owners, the owners of the ...
Some names of the martyrs of massacre (following 13 names)
https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/posts/1744925829136737
(* A K PH)
Update 1:Death tolls from Saudi airstrike on Hajjah rises to 17 civilians
The death tolls from the Saudi airstrike on Hajjah province on Friday rose to 17 civilians, a health official told Saba.
The airstrikes hit a citizen's shop in al-Jar area of Abbs district, killing 17 civilians.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news479674.htm
(* A K PH)
10 civilians killed by Saudi aggression airstrike on Hajjah
At least ten civilians were killed on Friday from Saudi aggression airstrike on Abbs district of Hajjah province, a health official told Saba.
The aggression warplanes targeted a shop in al-Jar area of Abbs district, the official added.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news479662.htm
(A K PH)
10 Yemenis killed, 16 at least injured today when US-backed Saudi war criminals bombed commercial store in Hejr area Hajja north.
https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/931469331720036352
and
(* A K PH)
The crime of flying aggression, which targeted shops in the district of Jarj, Hajja province on Friday, rose to 17 martyrs.
The correspondent of "Al-Masriya Net" the death of 10 civilians as a preliminary result of an air raid on aggression targeted shops in the area of Jarr in the Directorate of Abs.
http://almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=15751
(* A K PH)
Hijjah: Names of some of the martyrs who were targeted by the air Saudi Arabian aggression US Today grocery B brother # Youssef_Rajh,
The rest will be published later
https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/posts/1744927382469915
and photos:
https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/931563000980525056
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/931558630654128128
http://almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=15751
and film by Almasirah TV:
http://almasirah.net/gallery/preview.php?file_id=9825 (2:04)and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgnDORrVWTA = https://twitter.com/Hona_Almasirah/status/931637099446571008 (3:54)
and what Saudi propaganda makes of it:
(A K PS)
Saudi-led raid kills 11 Houthis in Yemen
A Saudi-led coalition airstrike killed 11 Houthis in the Yemen capital Sanaa, military sources said on Thursday.
According to the "September Net" website owned by Yemeni military, coalition forces conducted airstrikes against Houthi sites in Sanaa's Arhab district.
In addition to the dead, the airstrikes left several others wounded and destroyed two tanks along with one ammunition dump, said the military.
http://aa.com.tr/en/africa/saudi-led-raid-kills-11-houthis-in-yemen/967737
(A K PH)
More air raids recorded:
Nov. 17:
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news479675.htm Hajjah prov.
Nov. 16:
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news479574.htm Hodeida prov.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news479573.htm Taiz prov.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news479572.htm Nehm
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news479553.htm Saada prov., Najran
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
(A K PH)
Saudi bombing targeting areas in the Directorate of Ghamr border in Saada
The Saudi-American aggression continued to commit crimes against the residents of the border areas through rocket and artillery shelling on the houses and farms of citizens north of the border province of Saada.
According to local sources, "Al-Masri Net" that a rocket attack on a Saudi targeted on Friday, the Ghor district of the border Ghamr, adding severe damage to the farms of citizens in the region (photo)
http://almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=15753
(A K PS)
Houthi-Saleh sniper shoot injured 9 year old boy in Beidha
The Houthi-Saleh militias have shot injured a 9 year old boy when he was in the parked car of his father in Al Homeiqan area in the central Yemen province of al-Beidha,
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-12897
(A K PS)
Pro-government fighters killed by booby-trapped rebels' corpse
Two pro-government fighters in Al-Zaher of the central Yemen province of al-Beidha on Monday by a landmine the Houthi-Saleh rebels planted in the corpse of one of a rebel comrade
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-12896
My comment: This is perverse.
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
(A H)
Yemen Conflict - ETC Situation Report #19 (Reporting Period: 01/09/17 to 05/11/17)
(* B K)
Was die „Guten“ bis heute verheimlichen: Sie haben Bomben und Granaten aus abgereichertem Uran eingesetzt.
Im Jugoslawien Krieg zum Beispiel. Auch im ersten Irakkrieg 1991 haben die USA und ihre Alliierten Massenvernichtungswaffen in Form von vielen Tonnen Bomben und Granaten aus abgereichertem Uran eingesetzt. Der Einsatz von Uranwaffen im ersten Irakkrieg wurde von den USA und Großbritannien zunächst geleugnet, bis der ehemalige US-Justizminister Ramsay Clark 1997 die verbrecherischen Praktiken des Pentagons mit seiner Streitschrift mit dem Titel „Metal of Dishonor“ offengelegt hat. Die meisten Zeitgenossen haben davon nichts erfahren, weil es in den Leitmedien seit langer Zeit kein Thema ist. Deshalb veröffentlichen wir einen ausführlichen Bericht des Mediziners Klaus-Dieter Kolenda
Bomben und Granaten aus abgereichertem Uran.
Über den Einsatz dieser verheimlichten Massenvernichtungswaffen und den Arzt, der als Erster auf ihre Folgen hingewiesen hat
Von Klaus-Dieter Kolenda
Der folgende Text möchte aus der Sicht eines Mediziners über den verheimlichten Einsatz von Uranwaffen in den jüngsten Kriegen des Westens informieren und soll darüber hinaus eine Würdigung des deutschen Arztes, Prof. Siegwart-Horst Günther, sein. Dieser hat mehrere Jahrzehnte im Nahen und Mittleren Osten als Hochschullehrer gewirkt und war der Erste, der über den Einsatz dieser Massenvernichtungswaffen und ihre Folgen im Irak, aber auch in Bosnien, Serbien und im Kosovo, die Öffentlichkeit unterrichtet hat.
http://www.nachdenkseiten.de/?p=41095
Mein Kommentar: Auch im Jemenkrieg wurden solche Bomben von der saudischen Koalition abgeworfen.
Und
(* B K)
Film: Setzt Saudi-Arabien im Jemen Uran-Munition ein?
Missbildungen bei Neugeborenen in Kriegsgebieten und eine erhöhte Fehlgeburtenrate. Werden Abfallprodukte der Atomindustrie bei Luftangriffen auf den Jemen „entsorgt“?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qZ0UtLHLFw
(A K)
#Saudi military officer Saeed AlGhamdy defects to to Europe & renounces Islam due to Saudi war crimes in Yemen
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/930915004940996608 referring to
(A P)
I am happy Abdullah al-Ghamdi. Turki Islam and the split from the Saudi army because I do not accept injustice, especially as they wage wars in the name of God and the name of religion left him
https://twitter.com/sae1ed99/status/919030401020059648
(-)
The Ultimate Traveller in Yemen
[Beautiful photos of pre-war Yemen]
In film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x_XxBq4WsY
Photos http://www.peterlanger.com/english/gallery/186-0-Yemen.html
cp19 Marib
(* B H K)
Peeking through the cracks into Yemen’s war
A reporter’s diary from boomtown Marib
In a city positioning itself as a bastion of stability and safety in the midst of war, Yemen’s humanitarian crisis (which the UN calls the largest in the world) is still palpable. You just have to peer through the cracks to see it.
Foreign journalists are rarely able to access the country (with a few notable exceptions), and so when the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies managed to secure visas and organise a trip – even to one of the less hard-hit parts of Yemen – I was in.
That meant heading to Marib, which presents itself as an island of calm in the midst of a country in collapse. Thanks to oil, a charismatic governor with ties to a modern-day royal family in Saudi Arabia, a major military headquarters, plus tribal politics, it is growing and considered relatively safe, at least for those with sympathies on one side of the war.
But it’s not yet secure enough for a gaggle of journalists to roam the streets, or so deemed Marib’s provincial governor Sultan al-Arada and his diligent security team. So when they said to move, I did (perhaps not as swiftly as they would have liked). I listened to talk of expansion and of the war’s progression, and I went where I could.
Governor al-Arada, who wears a belted ceremonial dagger, white thobe, blazer, and partially rimless glasses with a scarf tied on top his head, said newcomers are welcomed into his city and province. It has become a haven for those opposed to the Houthi/Saleh alliance, and also draws many with ties to the military.
Marib Province had a population of 300,000 before the war, the city around 17,000. An estimate of today’s numbers is hard to come by, but many people I spoke with at the local university and hospital had come from elsewhere. Al-Arada said the city’s population had doubled.
https://www.irinnews.org/special-report/2017/11/15/peeking-through-cracks-yemen-s-war
Remark: Earlier reporting: YPR 357, cp19; YPR 356.
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-357-yemen-war-mosaic-357
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-357 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-357:
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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