Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 363 - Yemen War Mosaic 363

Yemen Press Reader 363: Saleh nähert sich den Saudis an; Heftige Kämpfe zwischen Huthis und Saleh-Anhängern; Huthis gewinnen in Sanaa; Saleh flieht und wird getötet / Huthi victory, Saleh killed

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Schwerpunkte / Key aspects

Klassifizierung / Classification

Vorrede / Preface

Zuerst: Gefangene der Huthis / At first: Houthi detainees

cp1 Artikel auf Deutsch

cp2 Analysing what is going to happen

cp3 Recent news

cp4 Ex-president Saleh killed

cp5 Politics, before Saleh’s death

cp6 Fighting, air raids, before Saleh’s death

cp7 Earlier phase of conflict (until ca. Dec. 2)

cp8 Propaganda

Klassifizierung / Classification

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**

*

(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

Vorrede / Preface

Dieses Jemen-Mosaik wird sich allein dem Konflikt und Kampf zwischen den Huthis und den Saleh-Anhängern und dem Tod Salehs widmen.

Im Jemen haben sich die Ereignisse in den letzten Tagen extrem beschleunigt. Der Bruch zwischen den Huthis und Saleh war endgültig; Saleh streckte seine Fühler zu den Saudis aus, die positiv darauf reagierten; die Kämpfe zwischen Huthis und Saleh-Anhängern in Sanaa und an anderen Orten nahmen zu, die Saudis griffen mit Luftangriffen gegen Positionen der Huthis gezielt zugunsten Salehs ein; zunächst behielten die Saleh-Anhänger in Sanaa die Oberhand, sie nahmen Huthis gefangen und säuberten die Stadt von Huthi-Parolen und –Postern; die gegenseitigen Beschimpfungen und Vorwürfe nahmen ständig zu; schlussendlich setzten sich aber doch die Huthis in Sanaa immer stärker durch; Ex-Präsident Saleh floh aus der Stadt – offensichtlich wollte er sich in das von der saudischen Koalition gehaltene Gebiet absetzen –, sein Auto wurde von Huthi-Kämpfern aufgehalten und angegriffen, Saleh erschossen.

Der Tod von Saleh erscheint auf den ersten Blick als ein Sieg der Huthis. Er wird freilich längerfristig zu einer erheblichen Verschlimmerung der Lage im Jemen führen. Analysten außerhalb wie innerhalb des Jemen sowie Einheimische vor Ort erwarten eine Intensivierung der Kämpfe. Den Saudis wurde ein gesichtswahrender Rückzug aus dem Krieg durch einen Deal mit Saleh durch dessen Tod erschwert. Irgendeine Rücksichtnahme werden sie jetzt nicht mehr kennen. Der jetzt in der Propaganda herausgestellt große Gegner sind die seit Jahr und Tag und jetzt noch mehr verteufelten Huthis, deren angebliche Verbindung zum Iran jetzt noch stärker betont wird. Die Saudis werden nun noch brutaler versuchen, die Huthis militärisch niederzuzwingen.

Friedensverhandlungen werden noch illusorischer – dafür stehen den Saudis und ihren Verbündeten auf der Gegenseite jetzt nur noch die Huthis gegenüber, deren militärische Vernichtung die Propaganda zum wesentlichen Ziel erklärt hat. Alles in allem sind die Aussichten für den Jemen durch Salehs Tod noch düsterer geworden, die humanitäre Katastrophe kann sich nur verschlechtern.

This Yemen Mosaic only will deal with the infight between the Huthis and the supporters of ex-president Saleh. Up to now, the Houthis seem to have succeeded in this conflict. Ex-president Saleh was killed when he tried to flee from Sanna. The impact of his death on Yemen‘s future will be disastrous. Analysts and ordinary people from Yemen fear that the conflict will intensify now, bringing more strife, fighting and air raids. An peaceful solution will become even more difficult now. The Saudi coalition and its Yemeni puppets claim they will fight against the Houthis until victory. The propaganda had demonized the Houthis for years, and this propaganda even has intensified now, suggesting that peace with the Houthis would be impossible. And this simply means more war, more fighting, more air raids, more famine, more humanitarian catastrophe.

Zuerst: Gefangene der Huthis / At first: Houthi detainees

Eingebetteter Medieninhalt

(* A P)

Local sources tell me Houthis are rounding up people who had connections to Saleh in Sanaa.

https://twitter.com/Ndawsari/status/937715649777946625

(* A P)

Home of Sputnik’s Missing Freelance Journalist in Sanaa Raided - Source

On Sunday, a freelance correspondent working for Sputnik in Yemen went missing and has not made any contact within 24 hours after Houthi rebels took over a TV station’s headquarters in Sanaa. The correspondent last got in touch at around 11:30 GMT on Sunday, the same day when the hostages went on a hunger strike.

The journalist’s acquaintance told Sputnik on Monday that a group of unknown people, most likely linked to the Shiite Houthi rebel movement, also known as Ansar Allah, have raided the home of missing Sputnik’s freelance correspondent in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.

The TV station, at which the Sputnik freelance correspondent worked and where he went missing, is the Yemen Today channel, known for being linked to the General People's Congress of the country's former President Ali Abdullah Saleh

https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712051059695027-yemen-sputnik-journalist-raid-source/

(* A P)

Houthi Rebels Holding 41 Journalists, Including Sputnik Freelance Correspondent

The rebels from the Shiite Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah, continue to hold 41 journalists hostage inside the Yemen Today broadcaster's headquarters, two separate sources told Sputnik on Tuesday.

"He [a Sputnik correspondent] is held hostage with other journalists inside the TV station. The total number of hostages is 41 people," one of the sources said.

The second source, close to Houthis, confirmed the information and presented the list of 41 journalists, who had been inside the building during its siege, in Arabic. However, he refused to answer the question whether Houthis or somebody else had complied the list.

https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712051059696668-houthi-rebels-hold-journalists-hostage-sanaa/

cp1 Artikel auf Deutsch

(* B K P)

"Humanitäre Katastrophe wird sich eher verschlechtern"

Die Versorgungslage im Jemen ist schlecht, es droht eine humanitäre Katastrophe. Mit dem Tod von Ali Abdullah Saleh, dem ehemaligen Präsidenten des Jemens, scheint nun der Frieden im seit drei Jahren tobenden Bürgerkrieg erneut in weite Ferne gerückt. Im Gegenteil: Es drohe sogar mehr Gewalt, sagte die Politikwissenschaftlerin Mareike Transfeld im Dlf.

Mareike Transfeld im Gespräch mit Ann-Kathrin Büüsker

Transfeld: In erster Linie ist es wichtig zu verstehen, dass es ein Zweckbündnis war.

Zum ersten zeigt das auf jeden Fall, dass die Huthis deutlich stärker sind, als sie bisher eingeschätzt wurden, stärker noch als Ali Abdullah Saleh, der noch Teile des Militärs unter seiner Kontrolle hatte. Aber das heißt auch, dass der Nordjemen nun zunehmend in die Hände der Huthis fällt, was für die Saudis auf keinen Fall hinnehmbar ist, und das macht natürlich auch die Tür weiter offen für den Iran, sich dort mit einzubringen im Jemen. Ich gehe davon aus, dass dies sehr viel mehr Gewalt nun mit sich bringen wird. Die Fronten werden sich jetzt neu ordnen vor Ort. Die Unterstützer von Ali Abdullah Saleh werden nun sicherlich die Seite wechseln und auch Unterstützung von den Saudis erhalten. Von daher wird sich auf jeden Fall am Boden sehr viel neu ordnen. Es sieht auf jeden Fall auch so aus, als hätten die Saudis da deutlich verloren.

Diese Verschärfung des Konflikts bringt überhaupt gar nichts Gutes für die Bevölkerung. Zum ersten wird die See- und Luftblockade in der nächsten Zeit wahrscheinlich nicht aufgelöst, da die Saudis jetzt erst recht Angst haben werden, dass die Iraner versuchen werden, dort Waffen reinzuschmuggeln. Natürlich bringt es auch mehr Gewalt. Gerade jetzt haben natürlich die Menschen in Sanaa sehr große Angst, dass sich der Konflikt in der Zukunft auch verstärkt auf die Hauptstadt konzentrieren wird.

http://www.deutschlandfunk.de/jemen-humanitaere-katastrophe-wird-sich-eher-verschlechtern.694.de.html?dram:article_id=402338

(* A K P)

Jemenitischer Ex-Präsident Saleh: Tod eines Überlebenskünstlers

Die bisherigen Verbündeten haben den Ex-Staatschef des Jemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, getötet. Sein Ende ist eine Schlappe für Saudi-Arabiens Kronprinz Mohammed bin Salman.

diese Revolte ist mit Salehs Ende vorbei, bevor sie überhaupt anfangen konnte. Sein Tod ist eine weitere Schlappe für Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi-Arabiens Verteidigungsminister und Kronprinz.

Offenbar setzte Kronprinz Mohammed darauf, durch ein Bündnis mit Saleh einen gesichtswahrenden Ausweg aus dem Konflikt zu finden. Diese Option ist nun dahin.

Kurzfristig ist die Tötung Salehs ein militärischer Erfolg für die Huthi-Rebellen. Wenige Tage nachdem sich ihr einstiger Bündnispartner gegen sie stellte, haben sie ihn umgebracht - einen Mann, der zahlreiche Intrigen, Attentate und ausländische Interventionen überlebt hatte und der auch nach seinem Amtsverlust 2012 die Geschicke im Jemen maßgeblich mitentschieden hatte. Das unterstreicht die militärische Stärke der Huthis - und gibt ihnen zugleich Genugtuung. In dem Video mit Salehs Leiche rufen Kämpfer "Rache für dich, Hussein." Hussein al-Huthi war der Gründer der Miliz. Er wurde 2004 von Salehs Truppen getötet.

Mittelfristig dürfte der Bruch mit Salehs Truppen die Huthi-Rebellen aber schwächen. Die Wurzeln der Miliz liegen in den Bergen im Nordwesten des Jemen. In Sanaa und erst recht in den weiter südlich gelegenen Landesteilen werden sie als Besatzer wahrgenommen. Ihr Bündnis mit Saleh, der aus Sanaa stammt, konnte das lange kaschieren. Damit ist es nun vorbei.

Die Gefechtslage im Jemenkrieg wird dadurch noch verworrener.

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/jemen-nach-ali-abdullah-saleh-der-krieg-geht-in-die-naechste-runde-a-1181634.html

(B K P)

Das grausame Ende des Schlangentänzers

[Überblick; Nachruf]

Als er den Zeitpunkt gekommen sah, die Zweckehe der ungleichen Partner zu scheiden, schlug er zu. Das Bündnis steckte da schon seit Monaten in einer Krise. Salih und die Houthi organisierten jeweils Massendemonstrationen als Machtdemonstration, beschuldigten sich gegenseitig, an Korruption und wirtschaftlicher Not schuld zu sein. Auch die bewaffnete Konfrontation hatte sich angedeutet. Schon länger hieß es in Sanaa, dass Gefolgsleute Salihs Waffen in die Stadt schmuggeln.

Das Houthi-Regime in der Hauptstadt ist ohnehin von einem Misstrauen getragen, das jemenitische Menschenrechtler als Paranoia bezeichnen.

Das Scheitern dieser letzten Intrige bringt die jemenitischen Bürger einem ersehnten Friedensschluss allerdings nicht näher. Noch immer ist keine der Konfliktparteien stark genug, den Konflikt militärisch zu ihren Gunsten zu entscheiden. Und noch immer scheint keine zu Zugeständnissen bereit. In der Propaganda beider Seiten dominiert der Behauptungswille. Der Konflikt könnte sogar weiter eskalieren.

http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ausland/jemens-ehemaliger-praesident-salih-wurde-getoetet-15324542.html

siehe auch http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2017-12/ali-abdullah-salih-jemen-ex-praesident-tod

(* B K P)

Schlechte Nachricht für den Jemen

Zumindest kurzfristig ist Salehs Tod ein Erfolg für die Huthi-Rebellen und eine Schlappe für Saudi-Arabien. Das letzte Fünkchen Hoffnung Riads auf eine baldige Niederlage der iranischen Verbündeten ist erloschen. Für den Jemen bedeutet das nicht Gutes.

Welche Folgen das jüngste Manöver haben würde, war schwer abzusehen. Aber es war wahrscheinlich, dass es die weitere Entwicklung des Bürgerkriegs im Jemen entscheidend beeinflusst hätte. Jetzt ist zumindest dies klar: Mit dem Überlaufen in das Lager von Saudi-Arabien lief das Glück von Saleh, dem ewigen Überlebenskünstler, aus.

Die Saudis hatten sofort ihre Kampfjets umdirigiert und während der letzten Tage ausschließlich Ziele der Huthis in der Hauptstadt Sanaa angegriffen - aber nicht mehr Stellungen von Anhängern Salehs.

Der Jemen steht nun vor weiteren schwierigen Stunden und Tagen. Es ist denkbar, dass die Gefechte zwischen Salehs Anhängern und den Huthis noch heftiger werden, vor allem in Sanaa.

Gleichzeitig werden die Saudis ihre Luftangriffe wohl verstärken. Nichts deutet darauf hin, dass auch nur einer der beteiligten Akteure ein Einsehen mit den Zivilisten hat, die so lange schon unter den fürchterlichen Folgen des Kriegs leiden.

https://www.tagesschau.de/kommentar/saleh-jemen-101.html und auch https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/heute/jemen-saleh-ist-tot-100.html

(B K P)

Chaos und Not im Jemen – Experte: Ende des Krieges schien in Sicht

Chaos im Jemen: Im heute.de-Interview spricht Nahostexperte Steinberg über die Not der Jemeniten, den angeblichen Tod von Ex-Präsident Saleh und die Rolle des Westens im Krieg.

Steinberg: Für einige Tage schien ein Ende des Krieges in Sicht zu sein, weil Huthi-Rebellen und Saleh-Truppen sich in Sanaa seit letzter Woche bekämpfen. Dies hätte zu einem Ende dieses Bündnisses und dies im Idealfall wiederum zu einer Verhandlungslösung zwischen Saleh, Saudi-Arabien und den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten führen können. Wie der mögliche Tod Salehs sich auswirkt, wird sich erst in den nächsten Tagen und Wochen zeigen. Ich glaube aber, dass die Huthis alleine zu schwach sind, um sich in Sanaa zu behaupten. Sie haben ihre Hochburgen weiter im Norden des Landes. Um einen fortgesetzten innerjemenitischen Konflikt zu vermeiden, wäre es wichtig, auch die Huthis in eine Regelung einzubeziehen.

https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/heute/interview-steinberg-jemen-100.html

(* A B K P)

Jemen: Das Ende von Ex-Diktator Saleh

Houthi-Rebellen töteten Ex-Staatschef Saleh, der erst vor wenigen Tagen ins Lager der Saudis übergelaufen war.

Der leblose Körper lag auf einer bunten Wolldecke. Auf einer Seite des Kopfes klaffte eine Wunde. So präsentierten die schiitischen Houthi-Kämpfer die Leiche des ehemaligen jemenitischen Diktators Ali Abdallah Saleh. „Lobet Gott!“, riefen die Kämpfer. Die grausame Szene verbreitete sich per Video in Windeseile im Internet. Saleh hatte versucht, Sanaa mit einem Fahrzeug zu verlassen, das dann offenbar in einen Hinterhalt geriet. Er soll von einem Scharfschützen getötet worden sein.

Damit haben die dramatischen Kämpfe rund um Sanaa, die jemenitische Hauptstadt, einen neuen Höhepunkt erreicht. Schiitische Houthi-Milizen nahmen eigenen Angaben zufolge unter dem Einsatz von Panzern und schwerer Artillerie Stellungen der Truppen von Ex-Präsident Saleh ein. Dabei sprengten sie auch dessen Haus in die Luft.

Die Saudis hatten hoch gepokert, indem sie Saleh zum Bruch mit den Houthis angestiftet und ihm militärische Hilfe zugesagt hatten. Sie wollten damit den Iran, der die Houthis unterstützt, zurückdrängen. Nun haben sie verloren. Es ist noch unklar, wie sich das alles auf den Krieg auswirken wird. Wenn die Houthis in Sanaa triumphieren, hätte das sicher einen Rachefeldzug zur Folge gegen alle, die sich mit Saleh solidarisiert haben. Möglich ist aber auch, dass die saudische Seite nun den Krieg eskaliert und zusammen mit ihren jemenitischen Partnern doch noch versucht, eine militärische Entscheidung in Sanaa herbeizuführen.

https://diepresse.com/home/ausland/aussenpolitik/5333001/Jemen_Das-Ende-von-ExDiktator-Saleh

das Video vom toten Saleh hier: https://deutsch.rt.com/der-nahe-osten/61625-ehemaliger-prasident-von-jemen-ali-salih-houthi/ und https://deutsch.rt.com/kurzclips/61664-rachemord-im-jemen-huthi-rebellen/

weiter: https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Huthis-verkuenden-Tod-von-Ex-Praesident-Saleh-article20165493.html

und noch vor Saleh’s Tod:

(* A K P)

Präsident Hadi befahl seinen Truppen aus dem Exil, Sanaa zurückzuerobern. Vize-Präsident Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar habe die Anordnung erhalten, den Marsch der Truppen auf die Hauptstadt zu veranlassen. Die Hadi-Regierung kündigte außerdem eine Amnestie für alle früheren Verbündeten der Huthis an, die mit diesen gebrochen haben. Mit der Zusicherung einer Straffreiheit will die jemenitische Führung die Huthi-Rebellen weiter schwächen.

https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Huthis-verkuenden-Tod-von-Ex-Praesident-Saleh-article20165493.html

(* A K)

Huthi-Rebellen melden Geländegewinne

Die Huthi-Rebellen haben bei Kämpfen im Jemen gegen ehemalige Verbündete Geländegewinne erzielt

Ein Huthi-Sprecher erklärte am Montag, seine Truppen hätten im Süden der Hauptstadt Sanaa Positionen von Anhängern des Ex-Präsidenten Ali Abdullah Saleh eingenommen.

http://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/schwere-kaempfe-im-jemen-huthi-rebellen-melden-gelaendegewinne/20667118.html

(* A K P)

Wende im Jemen nach Scheitern der Rebellen-Allianz

In Sanaa bekämpfen sich Huthis und vormals verbündete Einheiten von Ex-Präsident Saleh – in der Hauptstadt Sanaa gibt es Luftangriffe - Seit Mittwoch liefern sich Huthis und insbesondere Einheiten der Republikanischen Garde in Sanaa schwere Kämpfe, bei denen auf beiden Seiten bereits dutzende Tote gezählt werden. Sie erhöhen die Opferzahlen, die sich aus den Luftangriffen ergeben, die auch am Wochenende weitergingen. Mit einem Dialogangebot an Riad und dem Aufruf an die Jemeniten, sich gegen die Huthis zu erheben, hatte Saleh am Samstag den Bruch endgültig vollzogen. Er schlage eine neue Seite auf, erklärte der 75-Jährige, der Jemen bis 2012 rund 30 Jahre regiert hatte. Man biete den Brüdern im Nachbarland einen Waffenstillstand an, die Grenzblockade solle aufgehoben, und im direkten Dialog mit der legitimen Regierung solle die Krise möglichst schnell beendet werden. Während die Huthi-Rebellen Salehs Vorstoß als Verrat und einen Schlag gegen die Allianz bezeichneten und Abdelmalek al-Huthi Saleh aufrief, zur Vernunft zu kommen, wurde die Initiative in Saudi-Arabien positiv aufgenommen.

http://derstandard.at/2000068966810/Wende-im-Jemen-nach-Scheitern-der-Rebellen-Allianz

(* A K P)

Ist es Jemens Ex-Präsident mit dem Seitenwechsel ernst?

Seit drei Jahren standen die Anhänger von Jemens Ex-Präsident Ali Abdullah Saleh an der Seite der Huthi-Rebellen. Nun haben sich in den letzten fünf Tagen in den Strassen der Hauptstadt Sanaa Huthi und Bundesgenossen Salehs heftig bekämpft.

Skepsis ist angebracht. Saleh ist ein überaus flexibler Politiker, stets bereit, dem zu folgen, was er als Sachzwang empfindet

Zerfällt das Bündnis zwischen den Huthi und den Leuten Salehs tatsächlich, so könnte dies eine entscheidende Wende im jemenitischen Krieg bewirken. Vorderhand allerdings bleibt die Lage unübersichtlich. In Sanaa herrschten das ganze Wochenende über Chaos und Strassenkampf, trotz Interventionsversuchen von Stammesführern.

Dass die von Riad angeführte Anti-Huthi-Koalition am Samstag permanent Luftangriffe auf Sanaa flog, machte die Lage natürlich nur noch schlimmer. Die Saudi haben die Wortmeldung Salehs ausdrücklich begrüsst. Seine Neuausrichtung werde «Jemen von den Übeln der iranischen Milizen» befreien, hiess es hoffnungsfroh in der saudiarabischen Hauptstadt. Die militärische Führung des Königreichs sah am Wochenende augenscheinlich eine gute Gelegenheit, Saleh, seinen neuen potenziellen Schützling, gleich einmal rabiat zu unterstützen, und intensivierte die Luftangriffe auf Stellungen der Huthi-Kämpfer. Das hatte offenbar die üblichen verheerenden Folgen. Ob Saleh über diese martialische Form des saudischen Sukkurses beglückt war? Er hatte nicht eine Intensivierung, sondern eine Einstellung der Bombenangriffe gefordert.

Aber wie ernst es Saleh mit seinem angedeuteten Seitenwechsel ist, ist sowieso fraglich. Es müssen nicht grundlegende ideologische oder strategische Erwägungen sein, die ihn zu seinem Schritt bewogen haben. Es kann auch um Handfesteres gehen.

https://www.nzz.ch/international/wechselnde-allianzen-in-jemen-ld.1335323

(* A K P)

Droht der Dreifrontenkrieg?

Im Jemen ist die Allianz zwischen Ex-Präsident Saleh und den Huthi-Rebellen zerbrochen. Daraufhin eskalierte die Gewalt in der Hauptstadt Sanaa – viele Menschen starben.

In zahlreichen Vierteln der jemenitischen Hauptstadt lieferten Bewaffnete einander erbitterte Gefechte, während die Bewohner sich in ihren Häusern verbarrikadierten. Es war eine heftige Welle der Gewalt, die der eh schon blutige Bürgerkrieg im Jemen an diesem Sonntag erlebte: Rund 60 Menschen starben, es gab Hunderte Verletzte.

Die Allianz zwischen den Huthi-Rebellen und Ex-Präsident Ali Abdullah Saleh war kurz zuvor zerbrochen. Auslöser des Zerwürfnisses war ein Auftritt Salehs im Fernsehen. In seiner Rede bot er "den Brüdern der benachbarten Staaten" an, eine neue Seite im Verhältnis miteinander aufzuschlagen, wenn die Luftangriffe und die Blockade beendet würden. "Es ist genug, was im Jemen passiert ist", sagte der Ex-Staatschef. Mit "Brüdern" war vor allem Saudi-Arabien gemeint – der größte Feind der Rebellen.

Der Huthi-Anführer Abdul-Malik al-Huthi beschimpfte Ex-Präsident Saleh daraufhin als Hochverräter. Die Rebellenkämpfer errichteten Straßensperren und griffen den Süden von Sanaa an, wo Salehs Angehörige und viele seiner Parteigänger wohnen. Saudi-Arabien hingegen begrüßte die Wende und erklärte, diese werde den Jemen von dem "Übel Iran-gesteuerter Milizen" befreien.

http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2017-12/jemen-sanaa-ali-abdullah-saleh-saudi-arabien und ähnlich http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ausland/jemen-ali-abdullah-salihs-allianz-mit-den-saudis-15322695.html

(* A K P)

Jemens Hauptstadt Sanaa ist am Montag nach Angaben von Augenzeugen von einer Reihe von Luftangriffen erschüttert worden.

Wie Bewohner der Stadt und eine Quelle am internationalen Flughafen von Sanaa berichteten, wurden bei den Angriffen offenbar Ziele in der Nähe des Airports und des Innenministeriums attackiert.

Bewohner berichteten überdies, dass sich die Kämpfe zwischen den ehemals verbündeten Anhängern von Ex-Präsident Ali Abdullah Saleh und den schiitischen Huthi-Rebellen auf Gebiete außerhalb von Sanaa ausgeweitet hätten. Stammesangehörige in Salehs Heimatstadt Sanhan südlich der Hauptstadt berichteten von heftigen Gefechten in der Nacht zum Montag.

http://www.epochtimes.de/politik/welt/jemen-hauptstadt-sanaa-von-reihe-von-luftangriffen-erschuettert-a2284866.html

(* A P)

Salehs Seitenwechsel

Aus Feinden können im Nahen Osten schnell wieder Brüder werden, und so könnte der Bürgerkrieg in Jemen nach zweieinhalb Jahren eine spektakuläre Wende nehmen: Der 2011 gestürzte Präsident Ali Abdullah Saleh hat am Samstag in einer Fernsehansprache die von Saudi-Arabien angeführte Militärallianz aufgerufen, die Angriffe auf Jemen einzustellen und die Blockade gegen das ärmste arabische Land aufzuheben. Dann werde man ein "neues Blatt in den Beziehungen" zu den Nachbarn aufschlagen. Zugleich sagte er, niemand in Jemen solle mehr Befehle der Huthis ausführen.

Ein Bruch dieses Zweckbündnisses hatte sich länger abgezeichnet.

http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/jemen-salehs-seitenwechsel-1.3775947 = https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/ausland/naher-osten-und-afrika/JemenKrieg-koennte-spektakulaere-Wende-nehmen/story/16112118

(* A K P)

Neue Front im Jemen

Im Jemen ist die Allianz zwischen der schiitischen Organisation Ansarollah und den Anhängern des früheren Präsidenten Ali Abdullah Saleh durch innere Widersprüche gefährdet. In der Hauptstadt Sanaa finden seit Mittwoch schwere Kämpfe zwischen den bewaffneten Kräften beider Seiten statt. Sie machen sich gegenseitig für die Eskalation verantwortlich und stellen die militärische Lage gegensätzlich dar.

Ein Sprecher des Obersten Politischen Rates, einer Art gemeinsamer Regierung und Verwaltung der bisherigen Verbündeten, erklärte am Sonnabend, die Lage in der Hauptstadt habe sich wieder »normalisiert«. Der Vorsitzende des Gremiums, Saleh Ali Al-Sammad, rief die Bevölkerung des Jemen, alle Parteien und Stämme dazu auf, »Geduld zu üben«, »sich jedem Aggressionsakt zu widersetzen« und sich nicht an »Verschwörungen« zu beteiligen, durch die »Spannungen geschürt« würden. Al-Sammad gehört der Führung von Ansarollah an und scheint mit seiner Stellungnahme deren Sicht wiederzugeben.

Am Sonnabend behaupteten beide Seiten, wichtige Teile der Hauptstadt einschließlich des Flughafens unter Kontrolle zu haben. Bewohner berichteten von einer Intensivierung der Kämpfe und von lauten Explosionen. Gestützt auf Aussagen von Augenzeugen, meldete der in Katar ansässige arabische Sender Al-Dschasira, dass Milizionäre von Salehs Partei Allgemeiner Volkskongress Regierungsgebäude angegriffen hätten, die von Ansarollah-Kämpfern verteidigt worden seien. Den bewaffneten Anhängern des früheren Präsidenten sei es gelungen, die schiitischen Streitkräfte von »Schlüsselpositionen« zu vertreiben. Diese würden sich nun in den Außenbezirken Sanaas sammeln und Verstärkung erhalten.

https://www.jungewelt.de/artikel/322918.neue-front-im-jemen.html

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Die Allianz der Rebellen im Jemen bröckelt

Seit Tagen bekämpfen sich Huthis und Saleh-Anhänger im Jemen. Jetzt geht der Ex-Präsident sogar auf das verfeindete Saudi-Arabien zu. Die einstigen Partner sprechen von "Putsch".

Jemens Ex-Präsident Ali Abdullah Saleh ist nach eigenen Angaben bereit zu Gesprächen mit dem verfeindeten Saudi-Arabien. "Ich rufe unsere Brüder in den Nachbarländern auf, ihre Aggression zu stoppen und die Blockade aufzuheben, und wir werden das Blatt wenden", sagte Saleh in einer Fernsehansprache.

Saleh forderte die saudische Allianz auf, die Blockade der Flughäfen und Häfen des Landes zu beenden und wieder Hilfslieferungen in das Land zu lassen. Dann könne auch wieder "nachbarschaftlich" miteinander gesprochen werden, sagte der Ex-Präsident dem Fernsehsender Al-Yemen al-Youm.

Die Huthi-Rebellen verurteilten Salehs Gesprächsangebot scharf. "Salehs Rede ist ein Putsch gegen unsere Allianz und Partnerschaft", sagte ein Sprecher im Fernsehen. Riad begrüßte dagegen Salehs Schritt.

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/jemen-ali-abdullah-saleh-offen-fuer-gespraeche-mit-saudi-arabien-a-1181437.html und auch http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ehemaliger-praesident-saleh-offen-fuer-gespraeche-um-jemen-15321105.html und http://orf.at/stories/2417343/2417344/ und https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Jemens-Ex-Praesident-wechselt-Seiten-article20164028.html und AFP: https://www.afp.com/de/nachrichten/2523/jemens-maechtiger-ex-staatschef-saleh-kuendigt-buendnis-mit-huthi-rebellen-auf-doc-ut23j13

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Jemens Ex-Präsident zu Gesprächen mit Saudi-Arabien bereit

Jemens Ex-Präsident Ali Abdullah Salih hat sich in einer Fernsehansprache offen für Gespräche mit den verfeindeten Nachbarstaaten gezeigt. "Ich rufe alle Brüder in den Nachbarstaaten und ihre Verbündeten auf, die Aggressionen gegen den Jemen zu stoppen. Dann werden wir eine neue Seite aufschlagen und positiv miteinander umgehen", sagte Salih.

Das von Saudi-Arabien geführte Militärbündnis äußerte sich wohlwollend über das Gesprächsangebot des jemenitischen Ex-Präsidenten. Die Entscheidung von dessen Partei, "die Führung zu übernehmen" und sich auf die Seite der Bevölkerung zu stellen, werde das Bürgerkriegsland Jemen von den Iran-treuen Milizen "befreien", teilte die Koalition über die staatliche saudi-arabische Nachrichtenagentur SPA mit.

http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2017-12/jemen-ali-abdullah-saleh-saudi-arabien-huthi-gespraechsangebot

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[Film zu den Ereignissen]

http://de.euronews.com/2017/12/03/jemen-saudi-arabien-reagiert-auf-gesprachsangebot

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Jemens Ex-Präsident offen für Gespräche – Rebellenallianz bröckelt

Kämpfe am Samstag fortgesetzt

Bereits seit Mittwoch gibt es Kämpfe zwischen Anhängern Salehs und den Houthis, die bisher gemeinsam gegen die saudische Allianz agiert hatten. In der Nacht eskalierten die Kämpfe und es kam zu heftigen Gefechten, bei denen zahlreiche Menschen verletzt und getötet worden sein sollen. Der saudische Fernsehsender Al-Arabiya berichtete von mehr als 80 Toten.

Einwohner berichteten der Deutschen Presse-Agentur, die Kämpfe seien in einigen Stadtteilen auch am Samstag fortgesetzt worden. Salehs Partei teilte mit, sie habe die Kontrolle über mehrere Bezirke übernommen. Auf Fotos und Videos, die in sozialen Netzwerken geteilt wurden, ist zu sehen, wie Anhänger des Ex-Präsidenten Plakate der Houthis in den Straßen Sanaas von Straßenlaternen herunterreißen.

https://www.derstandard.de/story/2000068928353/jemens-ex-praesident-offen-fuer-gespraeche-rebellenallianz-broeckelt

cp2 Analysing what is going to happen

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President Saleh is Dead. What's Next for Yemen?

The death of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh is a turning point for Yemen’s civil war. It will certainly lead to the fragmentation of the alliance between Saleh's network and the Iranian-backed al Houthi movement. It will likely generate additional fracturing in Yemen's already-kaleidoscopic civil war. It requires a deep reexamination of U.S., Saudi, and Emirati policies in Yemen.

Saleh’s death has created a power vacuum at the top of a large patronage network and opens space within the Yemeni political scene. Yemeni political elite like Ali Mohsen al Ahmar and others who had served as counterweights to Saleh may now seek to dominate the political scene. The al Houthi movement is already working to dismantle the top of Saleh’s network, which could neutralize further resistance to the al Houthi government in Sana’a.[12]

Tribes and forces loyal to Saleh will have to decide where their loyalties now lie, decisions with major implications for the outcome of the Yemeni civil war. Regional states and members of the Saudi-led coalition involved militarily in Yemen, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, will need to decide how to engage with Saleh’s political party, the General People’s Congress (GPC), and the remnants of Saleh’s network.

Saleh’s death is also an opportunity for the United States to re-engage in Yemen to shift the momentum in such a way as to begin securing U.S. interests.

Gulf States may attempt to have Ahmed Saleh take his father's place, but this approach is very likely to fail. The US must lead in reaching a solution to the conflict in #YEMEN rather than outsourcing this problem to Gulf allies.

Yemen Forecast

Al Houthi-Saleh Bloc.

Iran. Iranian influence over the al Houthi-Saleh bloc will very likely increase with the removal of Saleh, who likely helped block acceptance of some of the Iranian overtures.

Hadi-Aligned Yemeni Coalition.

Saudi-led Coalition. The Saudi-led coalition will seize the opportunity to weaken the al Houthi movement. It will intensify airstrikes against al Houthi positions in Sana’a and beyond.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the Islamic State, and other Salafi-jihadi groups in Yemen.

The further destabilization of Yemen as intra-factional fighting escalates will enable AQAP to re-emerge in parts of southern and eastern Yemen as a stabilizing presence – by Maher Farrukh and Katherine Zimmerman

https://www.criticalthreats.org/analysis/president-saleh-is-dead-whats-next-for-yemen

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#Yemen is the only place where a former president leads a #coup against those who led a coup against a president who replaced that same former president.

https://twitter.com/AbduAlkebsi/status/937508719046414336

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Death of Yemen's Saleh Leaves Saudi in Tight Spot: Analysts

Peter Salisbury, Chatham House

Saleh’s death would deprive the Saudi-led alliance of the one person they could have struck a deal with -- because he was able to rally other factions behind him, Salisbury said. For the Saudis “the gloves are off,” he said. “They will do everything possible now to destroy the Houthis and they will be willing to impose a much higher cost on the northwest of Yemen than before.’’

Joost Hiltermann, International Crisis Group

The Saudis “may want to escalate, which would be a terrible mistake as they have already shown they do not have a viable military solution to this conflict. I don’t see a military way out of this for them. At the same time the war has been incredibly costly for them so they desperately need an exit strategy, but they don’t have one.”

Miriam Eps, Le Beck International

“The big question related to Saleh’s death is who will take his place. A clear successor, with many pointing to his son Ahmed as a potential candidate, could allow for the continuity of Saleh’s position, including vis-a-vis any attempts at resolving the conflict,” In the short term, his death is likely to increase violence in Sana’a as Saleh forces will be looking to retaliate and the Houthis might attempt to retake areas of the capital lost in recent days, she said. Ultimately, the dissolution of the Houthis’ alliance with Saleh undermines their military might and their negotiating position, she said.

“Saleh’s death, therefore, is a major blow because it removes a key influencer, but the real question is how the Houthis intend to move forward,” she said. “Continued conflict is certainly an option, and they could turn to Iran for increased support, but they may also realize that the dissolution of their alliance means they have to negotiate.”

Steffen Sertog, London School of Economics

Theodore Karasik, Gulf State Analytics

Asaf Day, Max Security

Ayham Kamel, Eurasia Group

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-04/death-of-yemen-s-saleh-leaves-saudi-in-tight-spot-analysts and a similar article http://theprovince.com/news/world/saudi-arabia-expected-to-rain-destruction-on-yemens-houthis-after-they-killed-ex-president/wcm/03dc4a98-11d4-457b-aab8-bd2c36b5af82

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The ramifications of the death of Yemen's Saleh

No doubt the Saudi Arabia-led coalition is facing increased political pressure from the international community - including international humanitarian organisations - to end its tight blockade against Yemen's sea and airports and allow for the free transportation of basic food items and medicines necessary to save the lives of vulnerable Yemeni citizens. Indeed, the spread of diseases as cholera has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis. Thus, the political divorce between Saleh and the Houthis, just 48 hours before Saleh's death, offered a glimmer of hope and a new political opportunity for the Saudi-led coalition to finally break the Houthis and end their control over Sanaa.

Saleh's core loyalists and supporters are unlikely to forgive the Houthis for the death of their beloved leader. Yet, the question remains whether the Saleh and Hadi factions of the GPC can forge an alliance and unite the party with Yemen's formal military forces to fight the Houthis. Will the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia allow Saleh's eldest son, Ahmed, to return to Yemen and play any significant role in the fight against the Houthis or perhaps in Yemen's political future? For Ahmed Saleh, the ultimate enemies are now those who killed his father and he may view avenging his father's death as trumping any political differences with the Saudi-led coalition or with Hadi's faction of the GPC.

Many within the Houthis may never have trusted Saleh and may yet hold him responsible for the death of the movement's founder, Hussein al-Houthi. Now that the Houthis have successfully eliminated Saleh from Yemen's political scene, they are poised to swiftly consolidate their political control over Sanaa if the Saudi-led coalition does not act expeditiously – by Gamal Gasim

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/ramifications-death-yemen-saleh-171205080651133.html

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Yemen crisis: War or peace, what will follow former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh's death?

The uncertainties in the country also revolve around who will lead the GCP next and if they will reunite with the Houthis or follow Saleh's footsteps in aligning with the Saudi coalition.

Saleh's son, Ahmed Abdullah Saleh, features among the possible successors, according to experts. A former commander of the Yemeni army's Republican Guard, the junior Saleh has been living in the UAE for more than four years and it is still unclear if he would return to the country following his father's death.

Saleh's nephew, Tareq Mohammed Abdullah Saleh, is an army general who has been serving as Saleh's military adviser for years. He too has emerged as a future leader of the GCP.

Hakim al-Masmari, editor-in-chief of the Yemen Post, told Al Jazeera TV that it was likely that the nephew would take control of the party, especially the military operations against the Saudi-led coalition. Saleh's death may lead the coalition to further step up its military operations against Houthis, warned Masmari.

Gamal Gasim, associate professor of Middle East Studies at Grand Valley State University, told the TV channel that the situation in Sana'a depends on the actions of the Houthi militia.

If Tareq succeeds in rallying support of the Republican Guard and Saleh's own Sinhan tribes, chaos could continue in the Yemeni capital.

"It remains to be seen if Saleh's son, Ahmad Saleh ... would go back to Yemen and assume leadership of what's left of his father's forces," Gasim noted, warning that such a move would require the support of Saudi Arabia and the UAE. "Timing here is critical. If they want to succeed in that effort, they must make their move within a window of 48 hours."

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/yemen-crisis-war-peace-what-will-follow-former-yemeni-president-ali-abdullah-salehs-death-1650154

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Film: Elisabeth Kendall on al-Jazeera re. Saleh's assassination in Yemen (4 Dec 2017)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKgRWl9_Fz0

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Killing of Ali Abdullah Saleh changes dynamics of Yemen's civil war

Without Saleh, the Houthis are strengthened – at least in the short term. “There’s a possibility that [Saleh’s] apparatus will be radically weakened, if not marginalised in the coming period; this leaves the Houthis as the key power in northern Yemen,” said Adam Baron, visiting fellow at European Council on Foreign Relations.

Houthi calls for celebrations to be held in public squares on Tuesday in the wake of Saleh’s killing leaves little doubt that rather than reconciliation, Baron said, the rebels are “in the mood for consolidation”.

The war in Yemen has hit a stalemate, and it is hard to say which side is winning. “For Houthis, the definition of winning is just survival, and they’re doing a pretty good job at that; for the Saudis the definition of winning is restoring the internationally recognised government,” Baron said.

“Houthis spent a decade fighting an insurgency isolated in the mountains of northern Yemen. Just being able to hold on to Sana’a, let alone to vanquish Saleh, their historical enemy, that’s a big deal.”

Even when people want to play on the ground in Yemen from outside,” Baron said, “internal dynamics have a way of shifting in a way that nobody really expected.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/05/ali-abdullah-saleh-killing-changes-dynamics-yemen-civil-war

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5 things to know about Yemen following the death of longtime former president

Peter Oborne, former political commentator for The Daily Telegraph, believes the crisis will be much harder to end now.

"The Yemen War may now escalate as the death of Ali Abdullah Saleh opens the way to a new wave of recrimination and revenge.

"It's not hard to see the Saudi air attacks intensifying and Iran getting sucked in much more deeply as a result.

"Abdullah Ali Saleh has been the dominant presence in Yemeni politics for 40 years. This cunning old fox has been a force for stability. I hope and pray that I am wrong, now that he is dead I fear that a fresh hell beckons for the Yemen."

Miriam Eps of the security consultant Le Beck International, speaking to Bloomberg, felt that Saleh's replacement will ultimately determine the outcome of the war.

"In the short term, his death is likely to increase violence in Sanaa as Saleh forces will be looking to retaliate and the Houthis might attempt to retake areas of the capital lost in recent days," she said. Ultimately, the dissolution of the Houthis' alliance with Saleh undermines their military might and their negotiating position, she said.

"Saleh's death, therefore, is a major blow because it removes a key influencer, but the real question is how the Houthis intend to move forward," she said. "Continued conflict is certainly an option, and they could turn to Iran for increased support, but they may also realize that the dissolution of their alliance means they have to negotiate."

"This is a pivotal point in Yemen's civil war," said Katherine Zimmerman, an analyst at the American Enterprise Institute. "It's an opportunity for the U.S. to shape the outcome.

"We should do what we can to continue the split, to fracture the Houthi movement further."

http://www.syracuse.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/12/five_things_to_know_about_the_future_of_yemen_following_the_death_of_former_pres.html

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News analysis: Saleh's death opens door for broader Saudi-Iran conflict in Yemen: analysts

The murder of Saleh has a different impact on Saudi Arabia and Iran, some analysts said.

Saudi Arabia has lost a card which could help it eradicate the Iranian threat in Yemen. Before his killing, Saleh withdrew from the alliance with the Houthis and welcomed talks with Saudi Arabia on condition that it halts airstrikes and a blockade.

The latest developments, Saleh's murder in particular, will open the door for a broader conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran in the country, the analysts said.

Nabil Albukiri, a Yemeni researcher in international affairs, said Saudi Arabia is the target of Iran's projects in the region.

"Iran's influence in Yemen poses a serious threat to Saudi national security. Definitely Saudi Arabia will not allow Iran to threaten it," he said.

The future Saudi-Iran conflict in Yemen could be more complicated as both sides are expected to try to attract and lure tribes to fight on behalf of them.

Many pro-Saleh tribes are now expected to either join the legitimate forces or avoid supporting the Houthis.

Yaseen Al-Tamimi, a Yemeni political writer and analyst, said Iran will seek to keep its successes in Yemen.

"I expect Iran to open direct communication channels with the Houthis in order to provide more support to them," Al-Tamimi said.

In response, Saudi Arabia is expected to mobilize and support all forces and political groups opposing the Houthis, he said.

Nevertheless, the murder of Saleh means that Iran has won in Yemen so far, he added.

Faris Al-Beel, a Yemeni political analyst, also said that, after Saleh's death, Iran has now become the main player in Yemen.

A proxy war in Yemen between the two regional powers will only deepen the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, such as famine – by Fuad Rajeh

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-12/05/c_136800779.htm

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Yemen Plunges Deeper Into Confusion After Strongman Killed

Analysts see his death as altering course of civil war

Saleh’s death, days after he called on Yemenis to rise up against the Houthis, may alter the course of a civil war that has also become a proxy battle in a broader regional struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which backs the Houthis. Saleh’s “towering” position in Yemeni politics mean that “the gloves are off” for the Saudi-led coalition, according to Peter Salisbury, senior research fellow at the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-04/houthis-say-they-killed-former-yemen-ally-saleh-as-pact-unravels

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Yemen: 'Now there will be a new level of civil war'

The death of Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh raises doubts about the future of the war-torn country, as a Saudi-led coalition's fight against Houthi rebels will likely intensify, analysts say.

Joost Hiltermann, International Crisis Group's Middle East programme director, said the breakdown of the Houthi-Saleh alliance will "increase fragmentation and conflict by adding layers of revenge".

"Saleh's GPC, a critical party of the centre, could fracture further, with many joining anti-Houthi fighters," Hiltermann told Al Jazeera.

"No one wins."

The latest development is a major setback for the Saudi-led coalition, which includes the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a key player, he said.

"They were staking their hopes on Saleh subduing the Houthis, but things seem to be turning out differently. It shows the bankruptcy of their military approach to the war," Hiltermann said.

Though no official steps were taken to withdraw from the conflict, Hiltermann says Riyadh currently has "fewer options for a negotiated exit.

"If they decide to double down on air bombardments, it is civilians who will suffer - on top of the humanitarian catastrophe we have already seen in Yemen," he said

Andreas Krieg, a political analyst at King's College London, said the "short term in Yemen will be a state of insecurity worse than before.

"Saleh was an integrator. The Houthis killing him takes the glue out of the equation," Krieg told Al Jazeera.

Though it remains unclear if alliances on the ground will shift, Krieg believes it is bound to happen.

"Coalition bombing was bad enough, now there will be a new level of civil war," he said.

Saudi Arabia wants to pull out of the "expensive" conflict, but now there is "no way out of the war for the coalition".

Saleh's death leaves wide open the question of a successor to lead the GCP.

Analysts question whether his followers will eventually pledge allegiance to the Houthis, or if they will regroup and ally themselves with leading figures of Saleh's party.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/yemen-level-civil-war-171204162917355.html

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Saleh's death redraws Yemen's landscape, sharpens Saudi-Iran rivalry

Saleh reinjected himself into Yemen's violent and complex politics by taking sides with the Houthis. Even though he is now gone, his family remains powerful. Sources in the Gulf say the coalition may groom Saleh's son Ahmed Ali Abdullah (who was Yemen's ambassador in the UAE) for a role in Yemen, even though he is under United Nations sanctions.

The sources say that for the Saudi Crown Prince, a deal with the Saleh clan would be a price worth paying if it marginalizes the Houthis and weakens Iran's position in Yemen.

But for now, the country remains a patchwork of fiefdoms awash with weapons and plummeting towards a humanitarian disaster.

The Houthis still control important harbors such as Hodeida. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is exploiting the chaos (and the fear among Sunnis of Houthi domination); and ISIS, too, has a presence.

So fractured is Yemen -- and so desperate the humanitarian situation -- that it will take years rather than months to return the country even to a semblance of stability.

http://us.cnn.com/2017/12/04/middleeast/yemen-after-saleh-intl/index.html

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Saleh’s death means a fresh hell beckons for Yemen

Upon being dumped by the Americans in 2012, he stunned the world by entering into an alliance with the Houthi rebels who seized control of the Yemeni capital of Sana’a in September 2014.

This alliance was as extraordinary and even more cynical as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact that consummated the deal between Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin.

It was a marriage made in hell. Last week it collapsed altogether, and the two sides went back to war.

This looks like another catastrophe for Yemen, which can unleash the famine of biblical proportions about which the United Nations has been warning for months.

For three years the Houthi/Saleh understanding had brought an element of stability to large parts of the war-torn country. At least in the areas under their control, there was an element of order and stability. Trucks and lorries could move around. Hospitals could operate.

Not now. It is too dangerous for aid agencies to work at all, hospitals are closing, and there is no food in the shops. Even if there were any open people don't dare walk in the streets for fear of being caught up in the fighting.

The humanitarian crisis, already very grave, will get much worse very fast without a resolution to the violence.

Now that Saleh is dead, that de-escalation looks much less likely. His split from the Houthis had appeared to offer some long-term hope that the Yemen conflict could be solved.

Indeed it’s been an open secret for some months that Salman desperately wants to find a way of ending this terrible war in Yemen, which has cost Saudi Arabia billions of dollars and has a great deal of international goodwill. That can still happen, but that’s a much more difficult option for Bin Salman now.

The Yemen War may now escalate as the death of Ali Abdullah Saleh opens the way to a new wave of recrimination and revenge.

It’s not hard to see the Saudi air attacks intensifying and Iran getting sucked in much more deeply as a result – by Peter Oborne

https://www.rt.com/op-edge/411904-saleh-yemen-death-war/

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‘War in Yemen isn’t over by a long shot, despite Houthi claims of ending crisis’

Saleh “was still capable of building bridges with the Saudi coalition, he was able to keep communications open and to actually negotiate humanitarian aid to get through to the Yemenis,” Catherine Shakdam, a director of programs at Shafaqna Institute of Middle Eastern Studies in London, told RT.

“There is nothing holding back the Saudi coalition” now, Shakdam warns, given the death of the ex-Yemeni leader. The former president tried to unite “against Saudi aggression” and “tried to secure political unity,” but fell victim to “a betrayal,” Shakdam said.

Saleh urged the coalition forces to “stop their aggression, lift the siege, open the airports and allow food aid and the saving of the wounded.

The Yemeni crisis isn’t over, as the Houthi’s claim, “not even by a long shot,” Shakdam said. The situation may spill into “an actual war now, where tribes will want to seek revenge,” Shakdam cautioned, adding it became “very vindictive and very personal.”“Anything remotely resembling a political solution” has become hard to reach, Shakdam added.

The Houthis “are holding a religious line that might scare a lot of people who would like to see a republic in Yemen,” she believes, adding that the group “somehow justifies the Saudi anger” towards the country. And “whatever motivation [to avoid it] was encapsulated by Saleh, and it’s now gone,” Shakdam said. The situation may result in “a catastrophe,” she said, as Yemen is now open “to the likes of Al-Qaeda and those Wahhabi militia that have been in Syria and Iraq.”

Security and political analyst Omar Nashabe also echoed concerns that Yemen might be facing more bloodshed in the future, as the Saudis will perhaps push for more aggression and destruction. “This time was a drastic failure” when Saleh decided to switch sides in the conflict and “create a conspiracy” against the Houthis, Nashabe told RT.

Riyadh and its allies are trying to create coalitions with local forces by “financial pressure” and “promises for the future,” he adds. However, “these corruption elements didn’t work, because people of Yemen after so many years of Saudi bombardment are not ready to sit and talk with the Saudis as if nothing happened.”

https://www.rt.com/news/411913-yemen-war-houthis-killed-saleh/

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Saleh’s Death in Yemen is a Game Changer

Saleh might have actually succeeded in a political comeback, but a slight miscalculation put him in the wrong place at that the wrong time.
Saleh’s death leaves many questions unanswered and introduces new ones. The immediate implication of his death begs the question of how Yemenis will manage the resulting power vacuum. While it seems quixotic to wonder about a vacuum left by an already ousted leader, it speaks to Saleh’s political prowess that this point remains highly relevant in the country’s conflict. The two closest implications will be most acutely felt within GPC’s camp and between the Houthis and Saleh-loyal forces.
Within the GPC, Saleh had already begun grooming his son Ahmed Saleh At the regional level, questions over the trajectory of the war and the Gulf states’ military intervention come into focus. Had Saleh’s military and diplomatic coordination with the Saudi-led Coalition succeeded, he would have provided Saudi Arabia and the UAE with a relatively graceful exit from the conflict.

In the wake of his death, finding a resolution without an inside man will become more difficult. The Houthis have shown that they would fight to the last Yemeni, their hardheadedness and implacability second only to their resolve. Without Saleh to stoke an internal insurrection against the Houthis, Yemeni leaders amenable to both Saudi Arabia and the UAE are in short supply, if they exist at all.

Which brings us to the question of how the Trump administration might respond to this latest source of instability. Given the “America First” policy, the United States is unlikely to change course; its interest will remain defeating terrorism in Yemen militarily without addressing any of the underlying causes – by Tarek Radwan

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/saleh-s-death-in-yemen-is-a-game-changer

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Yemen's future looks grim after Saleh's killing

Yet without his deal-making skills, the civil war he helped to spark and the devastating humanitarian crisis it caused are only likely to get worse.

Saleh's death came as a shock to most Yemenis.

With the front lines of the conflict largely static since late 2016 and the Houthi-Saleh alliance fraying - clashes in Sanaa in August left a prominent Saleh ally dead - that calculus would appear to have changed.

A deal seems to have been brokered, contingent on Saleh announcing that he was splitting from the Houthis.

With the Houthis increasingly dominant on the ground that was always going to be a risk, but at first it seemed to be paying off.

With Saleh dead and his allied forces apparently crumbling in the face of a Houthi onslaught, the future of Yemen's conflict looks grim.

Having attempted to pull the carpet out from under the Houthis' feet, the Saudis must now decide whether or not to engage in mediation efforts in a climate of zero trust, or to push on with a military campaign that has had few notable successes over the past two and a half years.

Saleh was a divisive figure, but he was also the person most likely to be able to broker some kind of settlement. His death will only lead to deeper polarisation in the conflict – by Peter Salisbury

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42228221 = https://www.chathamhouse.org/expert/comment/yemens-future-looks-grim-after-saleh-killing

(* B K P)

What Does the Death of Former President Saleh Mean for the Yemeni Civil War?

Brian Becker and John Kiriakou of Radio Sputnik's Loud & Clear spoke to Massoud Shadjareh of the Islamic Human Rights Commission and Kathy Kelly of Voices for Creative Non-Violence.

Saleh, according to Shadjareh, is known "in Yemen and internationally as a ‘man of all seasons': someone who clearly has been only on the side of himself. The majority of the Yemenis recognize him as such. He wasn't specifically loved by anyone but he did have a power base, specifically a section of the ex-army. He bargained and bartered with that power to get position, and unfortunately the way things are in Middle East, those who are not principled and are willing to sell to the highest bidder prosper."

"It seems quite possible that the street fighting and the ongoing fighting could open up a new front to what has already been a horrible catastrophe. People have weapons and want to use them, and so it is seems as though a diplomatic solution wherein people would be persuaded to put down their weapons seems elusive."

"This is something that's so easily could be stopped," added Shadjareh. "But nobody really has got the political will in the West to actually stop this madness."

https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201712051059697382-saleh-death-yemen-civil-war/

(* B K P)

Yemenis Are Worried About What Happens Now That Their Former President Has Been Killed

Former president Ali Abdullah Saleh was at the center of everything that happened in Yemen for three decades. His death changes everything.

Reaction to the news that Ali Abdullah Saleh had been killed — which filtered slowly through Yemen owing to poor communication links — was initially one of shock and disbelief, Abubakr Al-Shamahi, a British-Yemeni reporter currently working out of the country, told BuzzFeed News.

“This is a man who has been the most important political player in Yemen for four decades. It’s the end of an era," al-Shamani said of Saleh.

There was a “very real fear” over what would happen in the coming days, al-Shamani said. “There is now the distinct possibility that government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition will join up with Saleh loyalists and take the fight to the streets of Sanaa,” he said over direct message.

On social media, many Yemenis reacted with shock and worry.

"For all his faults, Saleh was a known quantity," said a senior Western diplomat in the Middle East, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "You knew you could cut a deal with him. He wasn't ideological. He was looking out for his own interests."
With Saleh out of the picture, Yemen's messy politics now become more opaque than before. Saleh's death "means somebody who was a decisive player and a necessary part of any solution is out," said the diplomat. "It leaves more of a vacuum in a country already struggling to create any coherent institutions."

https://www.buzzfeed.com/rosebuchanan/yemenis-are-worried-about-what-happens-now-that-their

(B K P)

The next few days will be hell. Either Houthis will take full control of Sanaa or coalition & Hadi forces will push into city with full force in coordination with GPC. Both scenarios will likely involve many civilian casualties. Hearts and minds with Sanaa.

https://twitter.com/Ndawsari/status/937658766534864898

(* B K P)

Killing of ex-Yemen president will lead to more violence in civil war, analysts say

Analysts expect a renewal of violence following Saleh's death as the sides jockey for military advantage.

"What this means in the short term for the civil war is an escalation of fighting," said Sterling Jensen, an assistant professor at the United Arab Emirates' National Defense College in Abu Dhabi.

If Saleh had not been killed and had turned on the Houthis it would have given the Saudi-led coalition a key opportunity and marked a setback for Iran.

But the loss of Saleh’s leadership will mean it will be difficult to rally opposition to the Houthis, giving the Iranians an opportunity to expand their influence in the civil war.

“The Iranians will likely advise the Houthis to consolidate as much military power as possible in the absence of Saleh,” Jensen said. “Saleh was the only Yemeni leader able to unify the country in the last 50 years.”

Some analysts said the killing presents an opportunity for the United States and the Saudi-coalition to push for broader representation in the internationally-recognized Hadi government in their battle against the Houthis.

"The silver lining in his death could be reorganization of the U.N.-recognized Hadi government and the eventual emergence of a new Yemeni leader that can unite the different factions," Jensen said. "No new leader was going to emerge with Saleh still alive."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/12/04/killing-ex-yemen-president-lead-more-violence-civil-war-analysts-say/919494001/

(* B K P)

Whoever Benefits from Saleh's Death, it Will Not be the Yemeni People

The Houthis, whose media announced Saleh’s death, certainly seem to think it is in their favor.

On social media, some saw this as a blow for the Saudi-led coalition.

Certainly, Saleh’s offer on Saturday to “turn a new page” had been welcomed by the coalition, with Hadi also issuing a statement saying this could “unify everyone against the coup militia.”

“If this is true [then the] Houthis [have] won the war as Saleh's exit from the anti-Hadi front was the last card in the hands of the Saudis,” tweeted @Russ_Warrior.

@ThePollIndex suggested that the Saudis will now “face a direct threat from the Houthis” after having “tried piggybacking on Saleh to serve their purpose.”

If Saleh’s comments on Saturday had suggested an end to the conflict was in sight, his death seems to indicate the opposite. Anything lengthening the war is unlikely to be in the interests of Saudi Arabia and its allies.

Still, what happens now considerably depends on whose side Saleh’s loyalist forces take.

“Houthis are nothing without Saleh and his loyal forces, who will likely [now] join the coalition or fight the Houthis directly,” @Sa7awi tweeted.

“Killing Saleh might be beginning of the end of Houthis,” he concluded.

“Now that Saleh is dead his entire support base will be thrown into disarray,” added @SunniSaeed.

“So either those who were with Saleh will now disband or join the Houthis. Hopefully it’s the former.”

Given that they had been fighting the Houthis in Sanaa for the best part of a week, it seems unlikely they will return to being allies.

@Ferjani9arwi suggested that the Saudis “would cement [their] alliance with Saleh’s kin [...] now without [the] risk [they] change sides again…”

https://www.albawaba.com/loop/whoever-benefits-salehs-death-it-will-not-be-yemeni-people-1056648

(B K P)

Yemen civil war: Ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh killed while fleeing to Saudi Arabia, claim Houthis

“The Yemen of today is not the Yemen of yesterday,” Adam Baron, a former Sanaa resident and fellow at the European Council for Foreign Relations, told The Independent.

“What is clear is that the game has changed. The one thing that appears to be certain is more conflict and more suffering for the Yemeni people.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/yemen-civil-war-latest-updates-ali-abdullah-saleh-president-killed-dead-video-saudi-arabia-houthis-a8090896.html

(* B K P)

Analysis: Saleh's death deeply complicates efforts to resolve Yemen war

For 35 years the former president ruled over Yemen with a blend of ruthlessness, charisma and political guile that enabled him to play the various centres of gravity off against one another and ensured that his interests were served first and foremost. Now he leaves behind a gaping political vacuum

The death of Yemen's former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, will create an enormous vacuum in the country's political life — one that is unlikely to be filled easily or quickly by anyone else.

Now that Saleh is dead we'll never know if he was serious in his offer, or if it was just one more play by a wily politician who saw his uneasy alliance with the Houthis collapsing and was desperately trying to re-write the next chapter of his life’s story. What we do know is that this time Saleh couldn’t outrun the consequences of his own actions.

Sadly, with his death, it seems unlikely that the nation he dominated for so long will be able to do so either – by Stephen Seche, a former US ambassador to Yemen

https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/analysis-saleh-s-death-deeply-complicates-efforts-to-resolve-yemen-war-1.681437

(* B K P)

In Yemen, Iranian-backed Houthis Face a Major Test

With the opposition now divided, two critical questions remain regarding Iran’s position in Yemen: Are Saleh’s forces strong enough to continue to pose a threat to the Houthis in Sanaa? And are Hadi’s forces powerful enough to retake the capital? Estimates of both parties’ troop levels are scarce, and some are more reliable than others. In 2011, Houthi leader Abdul-Malek al-Houthi claimed that the group had 100,000 fighters. But estimates from the International Institute for Strategic Studies are significantly lower. In 2017, IISS estimated that there were roughly 20,000 insurgents in Yemen, including the Houthis and the Yemeni Republican Guard, which was controlled by Saleh loyalists. (It is unclear whether other forces loyal to Saleh were included in these figures.) IISS estimated the size of Yemen’s army, including its militia, at between 10,000 and 20,000. Saudi Arabia provides air support and military advisers for the Yemeni army. But the Houthis also showed a degree of sophistication when they fired a ballistic missile, almost certainly made by Iran, at Riyadh last month. That the rebel coalition and the army are so similar in size explains why Saleh’s changing sides could alter the balance between the two sides.

If Hadi and his coalition are able to retake Sanaa, it would be a sign that the collapse of the Saleh-Houthi alliance has seriously weakened Iran’s position in Yemen. However, it would by no means portend an end to the war – by Xander Snyder

https://geopoliticalfutures.com/yemen-iranian-backed-houthis-face-major-test/

(* B K P)

Saleh’s killing throws Iran’s Yemen strategy into disarray

With Yemen’s former leader, Ali Abdullah Saleh, reportedly killed by his erstwhile allies, Iran is left scrambling to maintain the anti-Saudi alliance

Saleh's reported death – allegedly as a result of fighting with Houthi militias – renders the end of the alliance all but inevitable. Whilst this development does not necessarily translate to a Saudi victory, at minimum it deals a major blow to Iran's effort at defeating Saudi goals in Yemen.

In fact, the growing isolation of the Houthis, with social media accounts showing popular anger against their rule, throws Iran's entire Yemen strategy into question. Absent a viable political alternative to the one proposed by the Saudi-led coalition, Iran does not have a sustainable Yemeni strategy.

In the light of Saleh's ill-fated alliance with the Houthis, his difficult relationship with Iran has all but been forgotten. It is worth remembering that the slain Yemeni leader was a bête noire of the Islamic Republic for more than two decades.

More recently, Saleh's decision to crack down on the Houthis in 2004, thus sparking a series of Houthi-led insurgencies in the northern Saada province, was treated as a challenge by Iran in so far as it weakened a potential ally. Whilst the origins of Iran's partnership with the Houthis is not entirely clear, it is more than likely contacts were made early in the 1990s The utility of the former president was further underlined once the Saudi-led military coalition launched a bombing campaign in March 2015. Absent Saleh's military and political support, it is unlikely that the Ansar Allah movement would have been able to successfully withstand the Saudi-led assault for so long.

Although deeply suspicious of Saleh, the Iranians had invested significant diplomatic and political capital in the alliance between the Ansar Allah movement and elements of the Yemeni military and security forces.

Propaganda aside, the degree of IRGC involvement in the Yemeni conflict is not clear. Hitherto, there has been no strong indication of a deployment by the Quds force (the IRGC’s expeditionary wing) in Yemen.

The problem in Yemen is that Iran has little to no meaningful contact with the forces ranged against the Houthis, including the fledgling government of Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, the key tribes and the various elements of the Yemeni branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Saleh's departure exacerbates this strategic deficit and threatens to further radicalise the conflict. This is bad news for everybody – by - Mahan Abedin, analyst of Iranian politics. He is the director of the research group Dysart Consulting.

http://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/yemen-iran-houthis-saudi-arabia-583897630

My comment: Iran is much less crucial in the conflict in Yemen – and the situation is even better for Iran now, as there is no simple exit for the Saudis out of the war – the Iranians just must wait and observe how this war continues and weakens the Saudis.

Comment: Well this is written from an anti-Iran perspective (there are many Iranian dissidents in the West). It's not entirely accurate - for example it states Saleh voted FOR the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait but that is untrue - the position of Saleh was that this was an Arab issue and initially it should be dealt with by the Arab world rather than a US involvement, though Yemen was in an alliance with Iraq before the war. Yemen was on the security council and voted against the American led Gulf War - other countries like Jordan did the same as Yemen - Syria supported the US Gulf War with troops - so those who allied themselves or didn't were not rewarded or punished equally. Yemen was horribly punished for its democratic vote. I'm not sure whether I agree with the conclusions - all that can be said is that everything is chaotic and uncertain.

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156172701863641

(* B K P)

Saleh Is Dead, But Yemen’s Suffering Continues

Saleh seems to have gambled that turning against the Houthis was more to his advantage now, but if so he miscalculated. The Saudi-led coalition had likewise gambled on Saleh’s success, but like so many of their other plans it backfired. Saleh had been a fixture of Yemeni politics for so long that it is hard to know how his death will change things, but the effect will likely be significant.

The fighting in the capital over the weekend was already very destructive and caused many civilian casualties, and further fighting between the factions there will be even more devastating. If the breakdown of the Houthi-Saleh alliance prompts a coalition assault on the capital, the loss of life could be great. The humanitarian situation in the country continues to grow more dire as the coalition blockade deprives the population of essential food, fuel, and medicine. The civilian population needs a complete halt to the fighting now more than ever, but unfortunately that seems unlikely to follow these events – by Daniel Larison

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/saleh-is-dead-but-yemens-suffering-continues/

(unrated B K P)

Ali Abdullah Saleh’s death will shake up the war in Yemen

The former dictator once fought the Houthis, and later allied with them. His decision to break with them again was his last (subscription)

https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21731968-former-dictator-once-fought-houthis-and-later-allied-them-his-decision

(* B K P)

Yemen: Ali Abdullah Saleh Leaves Behind Grim Legacy

Ex-President’s Death Underscores Need for Impartial Investigations

The killing of former longtime Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, on December 4, 2017, underlines the need for governments to support the new United Nations expert panel to investigate abuses by all sides to Yemen’s war, Human Rights Watch said today.

“Saleh’s death is a grim reminder of the consequences of granting immunity to those linked to grave abuses since countless Yemeni victims and their families should have been able to confront him in court for his alleged crimes,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The US, UK, and others should fully support the UN expert panel and pursue the justice Yemenis deserve.”

The allied Houthi-Saleh forces committed numerous violations of the laws of war, some most likely war crimes.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/12/05/yemen-ali-abdullah-saleh-leaves-behind-grim-legacy

And the following piece would have been a very good analysis – if Saleh would not have been killed:

(** B K P)

Yemen - Saudis Throw The Towel - Saleh is Baaack - Russia Wins

The war on Yemen has finally taken a turn towards an end. Former President Saleh is back in his leading position. They Saudis accepted their defeat. The Houthis will be thrown out of the capital Sanaa and return to their northern areas. Yemen is devastated and will need to rebuild. Everyone who participated in this war has lost. The only winner is Russia.

While Saleh was sick, the Houthis became uppity. They arrested and killed Saleh followers in Sanaa, occupied bases of his troops and raided homes of his officers. They may have gotten wind of the ongoing negotiations between Saleh and the Saudis. Over the last months their behavior towards their compatriots in Sanaa became unendurable.

Meanwhile negotiations between Saleh and the Saudis were ongoing in the backrooms and on the battle field.

Another missile was fired on Thursday to increase the pressure. It targeting the southern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait. The Saudis finally folded. They agreed to Saleh's conditions.

We do not yet know what these conditions are but Saleh publicly announced that a deal had been made and immediately went to work. His first target were the no-longer-allied Houthi:

The Saudis likewise publicly announced their agreement:

Saleh is now again the Saudi accepted ruler of Yemen. The "legitimate" president Hadi will be buried in Riyadh.

It is now left to Saleh and his family and followers to clean up the utter mess the U.S. induced "revolution" and the Saudi war on Yemen have caused. The Saudis will have to pay billions in reparations. Saleh's family will plunder a huge share of these. Despite the money Saleh is, like always, no ones puppet but the snake that bites everyone who stands in his way. That is how and why he could rule for so long.

The Houthis, who bravely fought against the Saudis, became too sure of themselves and too obnoxious towards their own people to be able to rule. They will be ousted from Sanaa and pushed back into their devastated northern homelands.

Everyone in Yemen lost in this war. Many, many have died for no good reason. It will take decades to rebuild all that was destroyed. The Saudis and the U.S. behind them have lost face and standing throughout the Arab world. They tried to fuck Yemen but Yemen fucked them.

The only real winners of the war are the Russians. They again demonstrated that they are able to create peace where the U.S. only creates war and chaos.

Excursion:

The Saudis have alleged all along that the Houthi are an Iranian proxy force. That is not true. The Houthis are not Shia and not follower of Iranian state doctrines. They don't take orders. The military support they receive from Iran is minimal. The Saudis especially allege that the missiles fired under the Houthi label by the former Yemen troops under Saleh's command are of Iranian origin. But that is unlikely. Yemen has been under Saudi blockade for more than two years and ballistic missiles can not be smuggled under a coat. Yesterday Reuters released a short piece in supports of the Saudi allegations. But a closer reading shows that these are false – by Moon of Alabama

http://www.moonofalabama.org/2017/12/yemen-saudis-throw-the-towel-saleh-is-baaack-russia-wins.html

My comment: I disagree in several points:

The only winner is Russia. No. Russia plays a minor role.

The “National Dialogue Conference“ also neglected the Southern separatists.

The Houthis took Sanaa in 2014, not 2015.

The war costs Saudi Arabia about US$ 200 million A DAY.

There yet is no “agreement” between Saleh and the Saudis; both sides just seem willing to come to an agreement in the time to come now.

I fear the Saudis will not have to pay any reparation for Yemen.

cp3 Recent news

(** B H K)

I'm An Aid Worker In Sana'a And No One Is Safe

This violence is completely paralysing humanitarian operations

No one is safe in Sana’a at the moment. I can hear heavy shelling outside now and know it is too imprecise and too pervasive to guarantee that any of us are safe. Over the past two days, the capital has endured relentless bouts of intensive gunfire and artillery shelling from all sides.

I spoke to a colleague who is trapped, his house between two checkpoints and surrounded by snipers. He and his family are sheltering in their basement, without any electricity, listening to tanks roll by outside. Yemenis have few protections against the sort of violence happening now – and that includes both the bombardments and the more insidious kind that is depriving them of access to food and healthcare.

As with all international aid agencies, our operations are at a standstill.

Roads into Sana’a are blocked, checkpoints are tense and the airport is unreachable due to heavy fighting. The UN aid flights to Sana’a – the only way of getting in and out of the capital – were denied clearance by the Saudi-led coalition, but conditions are in any case currently too tense to enable movement, and airport damage now needs to be assessed.

As international humanitarian workers, we have privileges and protections that leave us as well-equipped as possible to withstand violence of this kind, but our national colleagues may not. The direct and indirect impact of this violence on civilian populations is inestimable.

We urgently call on all parties for an immediate ceasefire.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/im-an-aid-worker-in-sanaa-and-no-one-is-safe_uk_5a256717e4b0a02abe929e14

(** B K P)

Yemen rebels tighten hold after killing ex-strongman

Yemen's Huthi rebels moved to cement their grip on the capital Tuesday after killing former president Ali Abdullah Saleh as he fled the city following the collapse of their uneasy alliance.

Residents reported a few minor clashes between the Huthis and Saleh supporters late on Monday in southern districts which had been loyal to the slain strongman.

But there was no repetition of the heavy fighting that had rocked Sanaa for the five previous nights.

A least 234 people were killed and 400 wounded in those clashes, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Tuesday.

New checkpoints manned by rebels sprung up across Sanaa as their leaders hailed their control of the capital.

"We declare the end of security operations and the stabilisation of the situation," senior Huthi official Saleh al-Sammad told the rebels' Almasirah television channel late on Monday.

Sammad said he had ordered the security forces to "take steps against the saboteurs and all those who collaborated with them".

The capital was awash with unconfirmed rumours of widespread arrests of suspected Saleh supporters in the army and the rebel government.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5147047/Yemen-rebels-tighten-hold-killing-ex-strongman.html

(* B K P)

Film: Saudi air strikes target Yemeni capital

Following Ali Abdullah Saleh's killing, Saudi warplanes carry out more air strikes on the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. TRT World's Abubakr al Shamahi reports from Aden in Yemen.

[Overview on events]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y6SYurVAFQ

(A P)

Arab League says death of Saleh risks 'explosion' in Yemen: MENA

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-arableague/arab-league-says-death-of-saleh-risks-explosion-in-yemen-mena-idUSKBN1DZ0YD

(* A H K)

'The coming days will be more dangerous': Chaos in Sanaa feared after Saleh killing

Many residents have already been stuck in their homes with dwindling food and water supplies for nearly a week

"The last five days were terrifying in Sanaa and, after the killing of Saleh, I think the coming days will be more dangerous for civilians," said Salah Abdul Hadi, a resident in the capital's university neighbourhood.

"The battles will arrive to all areas in Sanaa in the coming days," said Hadi, the Sanaa resident.

Like Saleh, who was trying to flee when he was killed, Hadi said he thinks many residents will try to leave the city for other provinces.

But for some like Atef Abdul Satar, who lives on Algeria Street, this isn't an option.

"Some residents left their houses via military vehicles but my mother has cancer, a brain tumour, and she has just had surgery on her brain, so she cannot bear fleeing," Satar said.

Samer Taher, a resident on Baghdad Street, said he had been stuck in his home for three days, waiting for clashes to stop, but they were never ending.

"The clashes broke out on Saturday and we live on the third floor, so we left our apartment and we came down to the first floor, as rockets hit the third and fourth floors," Taher said.

As they drove to safety, Taher said, they could hear fighting all around them and women and children in the vehicle started to cry.

"A woman fainted when a rocket hit a house near to us. I cannot believe that I am still alive," he said.

During their escape, Taher said they saw ambulances weaving through damaged buildings and cars burnt to a crisp, trying to rescue those residents who remained.

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/worst-yet-come-1211360416

(* A P)

Slain Yemen ex-leader's son calls for revenge -Saudi-owned TV

The son of Yemeni ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was killed by the armed Houthi movement after switching sides in the civil war, called for revenge against the Iran-aligned group on Tuesday, Saudi-owned al-Ekbariya TV quoted him as saying.

“I will lead the battle until the last Houthi is thrown out of Yemen ... the blood of my father will be hell ringing in the ears of Iran,” Ahmed Ali Saleh was quoted as saying.

He called for his father’s backers to “take back Yemen from the Iranian Houthi militias”.

Ahmed Ali, the powerful former military commander of Yemen’s elite Republican Guards, appeared to have been groomed to succeed his father, and he may be the family’s last chance to win back influence.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security/slain-yemen-ex-leaders-son-calls-for-revenge-saudi-owned-tv-idUSKBN1DY12V

(* A P)

#Saleh's eldest son, Ahmed Ali, who was under house arrest in the #UAE, has been released. Unconfirmed reports have him flying to Riyadh.
He should be addressing #Yemen in a televised speech soon.

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1576660202387004/?type=3

(* A K)

Saudi-led strikes pound Yemen capital after rebels kill Saleh

Saudi-led warplanes pounded the rebel-held Yemeni capital before dawn on Tuesday after the rebels killed former president Ali Abdullah Saleh as he fled the city following the collapse of their uneasy alliance, residents said.

At least seven strikes hit the presidential palace in a densely populated residential neighbourhood in the heart of Sanaa, witnesses said.

There was immediate word on any casualties.

The streets emptied before dark on Monday as coalition aircraft swooped low over the city.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5146609/Saudi-led-strikes-pound-Yemen-capital-rebels-kill-Saleh.html

(* A K; night Dec. 4-5)

Continuous airstrikes on Sanaa destroying everything - presidential palace, civilians’ houses, bridges, everything.

https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/posts/1750891405206846

Remark: More about these air strikes in next regular YPR, cp16.

(* A K P)

Ansarullah Warns Saudi-Coalition Members of Missile Revenge

The capital cities of all the Saudi-led coalition member states are within the range of Yemen's missiles, a senior Ansarullah movement leader said in a tough warning that has already met action in the case of Saudi Arabia iteself and the UAE.

Zeifollah al-Shami, a senior Ansarullah politburo member, was quoted by the Iranian media as saying that the movement's missile strike against Abu Dhabi was "a message to other aggressive states".

"Ansarullah which has earlier targeted Riyadh once and Abu Dhabi in the UAE twice is able to target the capital of any other country that is a member of the aggressive coalition and has launched war against Yemen and occupied it," he added.

"Also, we gave a direct response to the UAE as the main supporter of militias affiliated to Abdullah Saleh (former Yemeni president who was killed on Monday while escaping from Sana'a to the UAE) as Saleh had strong ties with the UAE because he owns assets and properties in there and his children live there. Saleh and the UAE were fully coordinated but they were disgraced finally and their real being came under the spotlight," al-Shami said.

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960914000501

(* A K P)

Ansarullah: Yemen’s Ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh Not Honest in Defending Nation

Yemen’s Ansarullah movement said the country’s former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, “was not honest” in his confrontation with the Saudi-led military coalition as he was collaborating covertly with Riyadh, describing Saleh’s era as the “worst” in Yemen’s history.

Mohammad al-Bukhaiti, a top figure in the Political Council of Yemen's Ansarullah movement, made the remarks in an interview, hours after Saleh was killed in clashes between his forces and the Yemeni popular forces on the outskirt of the capital Sana’a, presstv reported.

The Ansarullah official described the death of Saleh as a landmark and major turning point in Yemen’s history since a “dangerous plot against the nation” had been foiled by Yemeni forces.

"Today Yemen is witnessing a historic phase, maybe one of the most historic phases... The most dangerous conspiracy against these people was toppled," he added.

"We also have the end of the era of Saleh which was the worst era in the history of Yemen. We have entered a new phase. I would add that we have filled the gaps inside the country," he noted.

"Because Saleh wasn't honest in confronting the aggression, he was collaborating with this aggression secretly and not publicly or overtly," he added.

"We were correct when we accused Saleh of conspiring. We were also honest when we said that Saleh isn't participating in confronting the aggression, and using the card of internal sedition in Yemen will have an impact in confronting the aggression," he noted.

"Despite internal sedition, despite all this, the front against the aggression has not been affected... despite many of the these forces being preoccupied by defusing this sedition," he further said.

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960914000493

(* A K P)

Ansarullah Leader: We Managed to Thwart Major Threat to Yemen’s Security

Leader of Yemen’s Ansarullah movement, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, said the movement has managed to thwart a major threat to the country’s security by defeating the plot hatched by former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, and his forces.

Abdul-Malik al-Houthi added that despite his early pretense about being opposed to Saudi aggression, Saleh finally changed course and took sides with the aggressors, presstv reported.

Noting that everybody was taken by surprise by Saleh’s sudden change of course, Houthi noted that the fighting in the capital Sana'a in past days had worried people about security and unity in the country.

After they revealed their new position, Houthi said, we asked them to stop their warmongering and criminal activities and told them this was the wrong course that they had taken.

“However, they declined our request and continued with their wrong pro-Saudi approach and ended up with blocking the capital’s streets,” Houthi added.

“They intended to do the same in other provinces and cities … but today, this plot was defeated very quickly,” he said.

Noting that recent positions taken by Saleh were openly in favor of Yemen’s enemies, the leader of Ansarullah said Saleh’s positions, which were backed by a united media front of the enemies even took members of his own party by surprise.

Houthi said there was coordination between Saleh’s forces and the Saudi-led coalition, which provided them with air support in order to conquer Sana'a and end the war in Yemen in their favor.

He added that the aggressor forces also imposed a tight blockade on the Yemeni people in order to undermine the nation’s resistance and pave the way for victory of Saleh’s forces.

Houthi noted that the Muslim people of Yemen and their resistance and support for the Ansarullah forces were the main factors that helped Yemeni forces defuse aggressors’ conspiracy.

Referring to the failure of efforts made by Saudi Arabia and its allies, including the United States and the UK, he said, “They are consumed by their anger and we tell them die of your own anger,” because whatever you do will make the Yemeni nation more resistant and vigilant.

Houthi stated that despite all enemies' plots, the Yemeni nation will continue to become more resistant and stronger, and other enemies must learn a lesson from the failure of Saleh’s plot in Sana'a.

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960914000275

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Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi described the killing as “the fall of the conspiracy of treachery and betrayal.”

In a televised speech, Houthi said a large plot posing a threat to the country’s security and stability was averted by killing Saleh. “Today is a dark day for enemy forces.”

Houthi said Saleh had been in contact with coalition forces and had called on his supporters to revolt against the Houthi group.

“We warned them but they took our warnings as weakness and that encouraged them more,” he added.

Houthi also said he told his supporters to celebrate in the capital Sanaa after Saleh’s killing.

“A large-scale of celebration must be held in Sanaa to show our gratitude for getting over this hurdle,” Houthi said.

Addressing Saudi Arabia, the US, and the UK, Houthi said, “You will die of your anger,” citing a verse of the Quran.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171205-yemeni-leader-urges-saleh-loyalists-to-ally-vs-houthis/

and

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EXCERPTS FROM THE SPEECH OF MR. ABDEL MALIK AL-HOUTHI
The topic is the conspiracy, and Sayyed al Houthi starts by thanking God, and ask God to welcome the Martyrs who sacrificed and ask for the fast healing of the injured and thanking the security people who stood in the way of this dangerous conspiracies and all those who stood by the state and by the tribes and all those who took a similar stand
and we salute and praise those from the Conference Party who took the right stand and proved that they were reliable also thanking the people of Sana'a and their wisdom.
We have defeated this dangerous conspiracy and we have to draw lessons from this conspiracy that was shocking to many many were deeply shocked by the turning over from supporting the people to siding with the enemy there was deep disturbance and worry.

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.963391330380564.1073741829.961126490607048/1576708335715524/?type=3

(A K)

New airstrikes were carried out less than a day after the Saudi-led had stricken the Yemeni capital in support of ex-Yemeni president's forces.

Two airstrikes were registered on Monday night in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, near the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC communications officer Iolanda Jaquemet told Sputnik.

https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712041059691639-sanaa-airstrikes-icrc/

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Hadi calls on Yemenis to rise up against Houthis after Saleh's death - live speech

Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi called on Yemenis on Monday to rise up against the Iran-aligned Houthis after the death of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Speaking in a speech carried live on the Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television, Hadi also called for a new chapter in the fight against the Houthis, who were allied with Saleh before he turned on them and offered to back the Saudi-led coalition.

https://www.reuters.com/article/yemen-security-saleh-hadi/hadi-calls-on-yemenis-to-rise-up-against-houthis-after-salehs-death-live-speech-idUSL8N1O458X

and

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Hadi urges Yemenis to join fight against Iran-backed Houthis after Saleh murder

Yemen President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi on Monday rallied his countrymen in areas controlled by Houthis to rise up against the Iran-backed militia, who had just murdered their erstwhile ally former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
In a televised address, Hadi said the Yemeni Army, which has surrounded Sanaa, was ready to support all efforts that aimed to eradicate the Houthis. The legitimate Yemeni government had extended its hand to all sincere Yemeni citizens to start a new page in the country’s future and to establish a new Yemen, based on pluralism, democracy and freedom, he said.
“Yemen is passing through a decisive turning point that needs our unity and steadfastness in the face of these sectarian militias,” Hadi said. “Let’s put our hands together to end this nightmare.”

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1203936/middle-east

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UAE led Yemen’s slain leader to ‘shameful end’: Houthis

Speaking to the Houthi-run Al-Masira television channel, Houthi spokesman Mohamed Abdel-Salam accused Saleh and certain members of his General People’s Congress (GPC) of “targeting state institutions and conspiring with the enemy” -- referring to a Saudi-led Arab coalition that has been fighting the Houthis in Yemen since 2015.

Abdel-Salam went on to assert that the UAE had “led” Saleh into what the spokesman described as “his treasonable conspiracy” and his “shameful end”.

He did not elaborate further regarding Saleh’s alleged relationship with the UAE.

He also said that the Saudi-led coalition had recently conducted “more than 50 airstrikes [in Yemen] to support Saleh’s militia”.

Abdel-Salam went on, however, to strike a conciliatory tone in regards to Saleh’s GPC party.

“We have no problem with our brothers in the GPC,” he said. “Our problem is with the traitors who aligned with the enemy.”

“The GPC is our partner in the [Sanaa-based] political council and in our ongoing confrontation with the enemy,” he added.

Meanwhile, Tawfik Saleh, a nephew of the slain former president, declared that the Houthis had “opened the gates of hell” by killing his uncle.

Speaking via social media, Tawfik said that “the revolution [against the Houthis] is not over”, angrily declaring that the Shia militia group would soon be “completely wiped out”.

http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/uae-led-yemen-s-slain-leader-to-shameful-end-houthis/989526

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#Saudi-led Coalition urges civilians in #Sanaa to keep away from #Houthi militia positions by at least 500m.

https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/937646762008903680

My comment: This is impossible in a city. By this, the Saudis give themselves Carte Blanche for all civilian victims of their air raids to come now.

(* A K P)

What I know? #Yemen capital Sanaa is nearly completely silent (aside from 2 Saudi airstrikes) since 'Saleh is dead' photos/video came out. Bizarre : No Houthi celebrations, no celebratory gunfire, nothing. Why?

https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/937672038151544832

(A K P)

Now Yemen's Houthis say they are willing to enter direct talks with the Saudis. Oh you belated traitors!

https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/937644544736231424

(A K)

Airstrikes minutes ago hitting a target in Hadda Street (photos)

https://twitter.com/AukeLootsma/status/937658423990251520

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Khaled, #AliAbdullahSaleh's son, confirmed injured during battles in #Sanaa and captured by #Houthis

https://twitter.com/AlArabiya_Eng/status/937668850069458944

(A P)

Film: # Ali_Abdullah_Saleh died. Although they knew he was martyred, they broke into a Houthi headquarters and threw stones and dropped their slogans and pictures

https://twitter.com/san3aToday/status/937715279098007553

(A K P)

Pro-Houthi Almasirah TV films from Sanaa streets:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a14E7SVw18

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUc0U8WnhF4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV8iWH6Bmus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP7fbO-JUEs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1OoKQU26Bc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skG2j_PzH1I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CFxGq49U1Y

cp4 Ex-president Saleh killed

(A K P)

Speaking to Yemeni friends across the country in early hrs of this a.m. Overwhelming response even from those who hated him is still shock. Everyone still struggling to believe it’s true. All are asking: ‘what happens next?’ No one knows the answer, only that it will not be good.

https://twitter.com/ionacraig/status/937952646849355776

(A K P)

Film: The city of Aden celebrates the death of the tyrant and dictator Ali Abdullah saleh, after he fed them misery and mayhem for 3 decades

https://twitter.com/Alladin_Al/status/937810908407099394

(A K P)

[Photos of some who killed Saleh]

https://twitter.com/hgbassam/status/937766851626635264

(** A K P)

Yemen's ex-president Saleh shot dead after switching sides in civil war

Analysts said Saleh’s death would be a huge moral boost for the Houthis and serious blow to the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in the conflict to try to restore the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

Any hope of the coalition that Saleh could have been bought off to help turn the tables against the Houthis after protracted stalemate, in which a Saudi-led blockade and internal fighting has exposed millions to hunger and epidemic, has been dashed.

The coalition will either have to continue waging a grinding war, possibly trying big offensives against Houthi-held areas at the risk of high civilian casualties, or offer compromises to bring the powerful Houthis to the negotiating table.

Sources in the Houthi militia said its fighters stopped Saleh’s armored vehicle with an RPG rocket outside the embattled capital Sanaa and then shot him dead. Sources in Saleh’s party confirmed he died in an attack on his convoy.

Unverified footage of his bloodied body lolling in a blanket circulated

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security/yemens-ex-president-saleh-shot-dead-after-switching-sides-in-civil-war-idUSKBN1DY12V

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Yemen’s Interior Ministry Confirms Abdullah Saleh’s Death (+Photos)

Yemen’s former president Ali Abdullah Saleh has been killed near the central province of Ma’arib, the Arab country’s interior ministry confirmed.

Yemen’s Interior Ministry, governed by the Supreme Political Council, issued a statement on Monday confirming the death of Saleh.

Reports also said that the ousted Yemeni president was fleeing to a UAE-held district in Ma’arib, carrying confidential documents.

Images circulating on social media also confirmed his death (photos)

https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2017/12/04/1592359/yemen-s-interior-ministry-confirms-abdullah-saleh-s-death-photos

(** A K P)

Armed rebels parade bloodied body of Yemen's former president who had ruled wartorn country for three decades

Footage released by Yemen's Houthi militia purportedly shows Ali Abdullah Saleh's body with a deep wound in the side of his head following what rebels claimed was an RPG and gun attack.

The body is clad in grey clothes and is carried on a red blanket in an undisclosed location in Yemen.

Officials from Slaeh's General People's Congress party said he was killed south of the capital Sanaa, along with the assistant secretary-general of the GPC, Yasser al-Awadi, amid heavy fighting.

Sources in the Houthi group said fighters stopped his armoured vehicle with an RPG rocket and then shot him dead, Reuters reported (photos, film)

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/former-yemeni-presidents-body-paraded-11637775 and also https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2017/12/04/Mixed-reports-emerge-on-fate-of-former-Yemeni-President-Ali-Abudallah-Saleh.html

(** A K P)

The Latest: Houthi video shows slain Yemeni ex-president

4:30 p.m.

A video by Yemen's Houthi rebels allegedly shows the slain body of the country's former leader Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Officials from various sides, including the Houthis' opponents, have confirmed that the video shows the former powerful president.

Abdel-Rahman al-Ahnomi, a top Houthi media official, told The Associated Press that Saleh was killed near Marib, the eastern province bordering Saudi Arabia. "He was trying to flee to Saudi," he said.

The video, apparently shot by one of the attackers, showed a Houthi crowd picking up Saleh's dead body, wrapped in a colorful blanket, off the ground and lifting it onto a pickup truck. Saleh's eyes appear wide open, the back of his head badly injured, and his shirt blood stained under a dark suit.

A senior Yemeni government official affiliated with Houthis' rivals and some of Saleh's associates, such as Nabil al-Soufi and Ali al-Bukhiti, confirmed his death on social media and TV interviews.

4 p.m.

Yemen's Houthi rebels say former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who ruled the country for more than three decades and played a pivotal role in the country's ongoing civil war, has been killed.

The Houthi-run Masirah TV announced the death of the "leader of the traitors" on Monday, referring to Saleh, who until last week was in a fragile alliance with the rebels. It gave no further details.

http://www.mrt.com/news/crime/article/The-Latest-Former-Yemeni-president-said-to-have-12403390.php

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Yemen's Saleh was killed in RPG, gun attack on his car, Houthis say; party confirms death

Officials in Ali Abdullah Saleh’s General People’s Congress party (GPC) confirmed to Reuters that the former Yemeni president and party leader has been killed outside Sanaa, in what sources in the Houthi group said was an RPG and gun attack.

The GPC officials said Saleh was killed south of the capital Sanaa along with the assistant secretary-general of the GPC, Yasser al-Awadi.

Sources in the Houthi group said fighters stopped his armoured vehicle with an RPG rocket and then shot him dead.

https://in.reuters.com/article/yemen-security/yemens-saleh-was-killed-in-rpg-gun-attack-on-his-car-houthis-say-party-confirms-death-idINKBN1DY1D5?rpc=401&

and another version by Iranian media:
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Ali Abdullah Saleh killed in UAE controlled area

Yemen's former President Ali Abdullah Saleh was killed while escaping from Sana'a, the capital city of Yemen in the area controlled by the UAE air force.

He was escaping from Sana'a with an armored vehicle, when Saudi-led coalition killed him, along with his VP Aref Zoka and the secretary general of the National Congress Party Yaser al-Awazi.

Russia Today also, quoting its correspondent, said Saleh may have been at the permanent headquarter of the General People's Congress in Sana'a where he has been killed.

Media Advisor to the Yemeni Supreme Political Council, Ahmed al-Habishi, announced Monday that former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been killed in the area controlled by UAE air force.

Reports quote him as saying that UAE fighter jets, which belong to the Saudi coalition, carried out airstrikes on Ali Abdullah Saleh's positions last night.

The official added that the Yemeni Interior Ministry will issue a statement in a few minutes to confirm the death of Ali Abdullah Saleh and a number of others during the UAE airstrikes.
Reports on the death of Mohammad Abdullah al-Qousi, the pro-Saleh Interior Minister, are not confirmed, he added.

https://en.mehrnews.com/news/129964/Ali-Abdullah-Saleh-killed-in-UAE-controlled-area

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Yemen rebels claim ex-president Saleh killed

The Huthi-controlled interior ministry announced Saleh's death on the rebels' Al-Masirah television station.

A statement read on the channel announced the "end of the crisis of militias", referring to Saleh's armed supporters, and "the killing of their leader and a number of his criminal supporters".

A video given to AFP by the rebels showed what appeared to be a dead Saleh with a severe head injury, his body wrapped in a floral-print blanket.

An AFP photographer who approached Saleh's home in southern Sanaa on Monday found it in the hands of the Huthis and was prevented from entering. The house appeared to have been damaged in fighting.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5143617/Yemen-leader-orders-advance-capital-rebel-pact-collapses.html

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and film of Saleh killed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDTu95z5qAA = https://twitter.com/AlArabiya_Eng/status/937664287287468032

and photos of Saleh’s car?:

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Houthis execute former president "Ali Abdullah Saleh"

Houthi militia executed former president "Ali Abdullah Saleh" shot dead this afternoon in the capital Sana'a.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=861076117395498&id=418645311638583

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Saleh party sources say Yemeni ex-president killed in Sanaa fighting: al-Arabiya TV

Former President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been killed in fighting with the Iran-aligned Houthi militia raging in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television said on Monday, quoting sources in Saleh’s party.

Al Arabiya quoted a source in Saleh’s General Peoples Congress as saying he was killed by sniper bullets. A Houthi video distributed on social media showed what appeared to be Saleh’s body, clad in grey clothes and being carried out on a red blanket. The side of his head bore a deep wound.

Unverified footage that circulated earlier on social media showed armed militiamen unfurling a blanket containing the corpse and shouting, “Praise God!” and “Hey Ali Affash!”, another last name for Saleh.

The radio station of the Houthi-run Yemeni Interior Ministry first reported Saleh’s death but his party quickly denied this to Reuters, saying he was still leading his forces in Sanaa.

Earlier on Monday, Houthi forces blew up Saleh’s house in Sanaa and came under aerial attack by Saudi-led coalition warplanes for a second day, residents said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security/saleh-party-sources-say-yemeni-ex-president-killed-in-sanaa-fighting-al-arabiya-tv-idUSKBN1DY12V

and a little bit earlier this report:

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Houthi radio station says ex-president Saleh killed, party denies

The radio station of Yemen’s Houthi-controlled Interior Ministry said on Monday that the group’s rival, ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh had been killed, but there has been no independent confirmation of his death.

The report added that the official Houthi TV station would soon broadcast footage of his dead body, while social media users in Yemen circulated unverified images of a corpse which resembled the ex-president.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-saleh/houthi-radio-station-says-ex-president-saleh-killed-party-denies-idUSKBN1DY1CM

and quickly there was a lot of reporting, not contributing anything new or more details:

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/yemens-ex-president-saleh-killed-house-bomb-hours-after-breaking-away-houthis-1650043

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-12-04/yemen-houthis-blow-ex-president-salehs-house-amid-heavy-fighting

http://us.cnn.com/2017/12/04/middleeast/yemen-former-president-ali-abdullah-saleh-killed-intl/index.html

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/04/former-yemen-president-saleh-killed-in-fresh-fighting

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/yemen/yemen-s-ali-abdullah-saleh-assassinated-by-al-houthi-militia-1.2135006

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/ali-abdullah-saleh-reported-killed-fighting-ranges-yemeni-capital-994266105

and also:

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Reports: Ex-Yemen President Saleh killed in Houthi attack

Houthi fighters bomb the house and office of ex-Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sana'a

The Houthis today bombed the house and office of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sana’a today with claims that the premier was killed in the attack (with film of bombed residence)

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171204-reports-ex-yemen-president-saleh-killed-in-houthi-attack/

Remark: he was not killed there, as was reported later.

And look also (B P)

In 2010 i advised #US govt to seek a departure of Ali Abdullah Saleh& inclusion of Ansarullah in govt to avoid a meltdown. I was dismissed as rash.

https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/937663297050038272

I wrote a 2012 a paper arguing that #Yemen cannot move forward without the departure of Saleh & his legion. #US backed regional agreements that empowers the Yemeni people

http://www.gulfinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/yemen-beyond-the-saleh-regime.pdf referring to http://www.gulfinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/yemen-beyond-the-saleh-regime.pdf

And quickly, the obituaries are being published:

(* B P)

Yemen: Who was Ali Abdullah Saleh?

Yemen's former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh took over North Yemen in 1978, and became president of the whole republic after its two halves were united in 1990. The only man to ever serve as president of a unified Yemen, he proved to be a wily political operator, manipulating the country's tribal system and fending off sustained insurrections in the north and south.

He often portrayed himself as the only man who could hold Yemen together (with film)

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/spotlight/yemen/2011/02/201122812118938648.html

(* B P)

Former Yemeni strongman Saleh played his last hand and lost

A master of weaving alliances and advancing his personal and family interests in Yemen’s heavily armed and deeply fractious tribal society, Saleh unified his country by force, but he also helped guide it toward collapse in its latest war.

The Middle East’s arch-survivor once compared running Yemen to “dancing on the heads of snakes”, ruling with expertly balanced doses of largesse and force.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-yemen-saleh/former-yemeni-strongman-saleh-played-his-last-hand-and-lost-idUKKBN1DY1RL?rpc=401&

(* B K P)

Saleh and the War in Yemen

The UN warned as early as 2002 that Yemen was one of several Arab states whose population growth and economic problems were critical.

Moreover, Saleh's failures to govern left Yemen vulnerable to Al Qaida and ISIS, led to serious tension and some fighting between his government and the Yemenis who were part of the former separate state of South Yemen, and laid the ground work for much of the misery in Yemen.

As for Saleh, he already was largely a spent force when he was killed. He had given up power in 2011, and then tried to recover it by shifting from an alliance with the Saudis to one with the Iranian-backed Houthi. He was outmaneuvered by the Houthi, however, and they steadily gained power relative to Saleh and the remnants of Yemen's military forces who remained loyal to him.

The end result was that Saleh's alliance with the Houthi collapsed.

If there is any tragedy in Saleh's death, it is that it will make it even harder to put an end to the conflict and negotiate a meaningful settlement.

Most important, Saleh's death is a warning that both sides can keep fighting indefinitely.

https://www.csis.org/analysis/saleh-and-war-yemen

My comment: With a lot of US mainstream-like whitewashing of the Saudis (and the US responsibility is never mentioned).

and by BBC:

(* B P)

Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen's dominant force

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-10984704 and another http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42228221

(* B P)

Obituary: Ali Abdullah Saleh

Yemen's former president was a shrewd political operator. He was also known for rampant corruption which saw to the devastation of his nation.

https://www.trtworld.com/mea/obituary-ali-abdullah-saleh-12873

(* B P)

Ali Abdullah Saleh obituary

President of Yemen for 34 years whose refusal to leave the political stage plunged his country into further turmoil

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/04/ali-abdullah-saleh-obituary

and more:

https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/12/04/568295207/yemens-former-leader-ali-abdullah-saleh-leaves-a-legacy-of-divisions-and-chaos

https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/ali-abdullah-saleh-yemen-s-power-hungry-leader-who-couldn-t-let-go-1.681441

http://www.france24.com/en/20171204-ali-abdullah-saleh-deposed-president-who-ruled-yemen-over-three-decades

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/yemens-saleh-ruled-shifting-alliances-nation-crumbled-51564932

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/saleh-how-middle-east-survivor-got-hit-his-own-double-dealings-1485243262

https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-12-04/yemens-former-president-assassinated-after-his-last-dance-heads-snakes

(B K P)

A YEMEN REBEL LEADER WAS KILLED, BUT THERE’S NO END IN SIGHT FOR THIS MISERABLE WAR

It is unclear what the future now holds for Yemen. Yet, by all accounts, the proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia taking place inside the country looks set to intensify.

https://theintercept.com/2017/12/04/yemen-war-ali-abdullah-saleh-dead-saudi-arabia-houthi/

My comment: This is a very weak article. And: Labeling Saleh as “rebel leader” is odd Saudi propaganda wording (which even the Saudis had omitted now!). – And the Yemen war is no Saudi-Iranian proxy war.

cp5 Politics, before Saleh’s death

(A K P)

Yemen: Saleh seeks Iran, Hezbollah to mediate dispute with Houthis

Ousted Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has asked Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah group to help contain his dispute with Shia Houthi rebels, source told Al Jazeera.

There was no immediate comment from Iran or Hezbollah about the report.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171204-yemen-saleh-seeks-iran-hezbollah-to-mediate-dispute-with-houthis/

(* A K P)

Yemen President Orders Forces to Retake Sana’a from Houthis

Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi ordered on Monday his forces to retake the capital Sana’a from the Houthis militants as clashes continued to rage in the city.
"The president has ordered Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, who is in Marib (east of Sana’a), to activate military units and advance towards the capital," an official in the presidency told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
He ordered his vice president to start the offensive on several fronts in Sana’a, especially the Kholan region.
The Yemeni military has already mobilized seven brigades in Marib in order to head to Kholan and advance on Sana’a.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1103176/yemen-president-orders-forces-retake-sana%E2%80%99-houthis

(A P)

Hadi backs Saleh revolt against Al Houthis to foil Iran’s designs

It will be a mistake to underestimate Yemen militia’s ability to regroup, analyst says

The internationally-recognised President of Yemen, Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, has hailed a military uprising led by ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh against the Iran-backed Al Houthi militia.

At a meeting with his advisers in Riyadh on Saturday, Hadi said his government would support military activities that lead to the defeat of Al Houthi militants and the foiling of Iranians designs in Yemen.

In a statement carried by the state-run Saba news agency, Hadi decried Al Houthis’ “criminal” actions, including storming of houses, mosques and seizure of state facilities.

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/yemen/hadi-backs-saleh-revolt-against-al-houthis-to-foil-iran-s-designs-1.2134533

My comment: The enforced Saudi propaganda wording, look at cp1.

(A P)

Yemen government offers amnesty to those who cut ties with rebels

Yemen's government says it will grant amnesty to anyone who cuts ties with Huthi rebels as clashes continue.

Yemen's internationally-recognised government said Monday it would grant amnesty to anyone who cuts ties with Huthi rebels, after a key rebel ally turned his back on the Iran-backed insurgents.

"The president will soon announce a general amnesty for all those who collaborated with the Huthis in recent months and who have retracted that allegiance," Prime Minister Ahmad Obaid bin Daghr said.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/12/04/yemen-government-offers-amnesty-those-who-cut-ties-rebels

My comment: The Hadi lackland government. Alliances are turning upside down now quickly, this “amnesty” one more sign of it.

(* A K P)

Saudi-led Coalition Airdrops Weapons To Support Yemen's Saleh In Ongoing Fighting

The Saudi Arabia-led coalition airdropped weapons in an attempt to support the forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh in the ongoing fighting with Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital Sanaa overnight Monday, China's Xinhua news agency reported a military source as saying.

A military commander loyal to Saleh told Xinhua by phone saying that "overnight, the coalition planes airdropped weapons and different kinds of communications equipment to the commanders who are leading the anti-Houthi uprising in Sanaa."

This is the first such airdrop in Sanaa since the start of the fighting three days ago and the ferocious fighting in the country's capital might enter a new phase following the Saudi intervention with providing logistical support for Saleh, according to local observers.

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v8/wn/newsworld.php?id=1416511

(* A P)

The Houthi Train and Yemeni Facts

Saleh enjoys the deftness of a manipulator, not the recklessness of an adventurer. He is a man, who closely monitors the balances of power and their changes. He does not like to repeatedly run into a brick wall due to miscalculations. Saleh is a former president, but he is a constant expert in the complexities of the situation in Yemen and the balances between the state and tribe and among the tribes themselves. He therefore realized that the Houthi rule has become a burden on the country and its people.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1103006/ghassan-charbel/houthi-train-and-yemeni-facts

My comment: The image given of Saleh in this otherwise propaganda article is true.

(* B P)

Prodigal son: Saleh Saudi overture tips Yemen balance

The prodigal son has returned: strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh's political swivel towards Riyadh could change the face and future of the war in Yemen, isolating his onetime allies the Huthis.

Simmering resentment between Saleh and the rebels over money, power-sharing and suspected backdoor dealings exploded at the weekend when the ex-president announced he was open to talks with Saudi Arabia and its allies, with whom he was once allied and against whom he has now fought for nearly three years.

The dissolution of the fraught Saleh-Huthi camp, predicted since its inception, and the subsequent shuffling of alliances in Yemen will play out as a definitive turning point in the conflict -- one that is not necessarily for the better, analysts warn.

And for civilians trapped by fighting between the Iran-backed Huthis and Saleh loyalists in Sanaa, their future in a country already devastated by war, poverty, disease and hunger hangs in the balance.

For months, Saleh has hinted that he was unhappy with the growing power of the Huthi rebels -- "militias", as he called them this weekend -- in Sanaa.

And the Huthis, northern Yemenis with ties to Iran, have for months accused Saleh of backstabbing over what they suspected were covert meetings with Saudi Arabia, his former ally and Iran's arch-nemesis.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5142539/Prodigal-son-Saleh-Saudi-overture-tips-Yemen-balance.html

(** B P)

How did Yemen's Houthi-Saleh alliance collapse?

Yemeni officials told Al Jazeera that Saleh's decision to "sideline" the Houthis, a group of Shia rebels that control the capital Sanaa and large expanses of the country, was planned in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, in consultation with Saudi Arabia.

A Yemeni official told Al Jazeera that the unravelling of the Saleh-Houthi alliance was aimed at carving the coalition an exit from the conflict.

Speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media, the official said: "Mohammed Bin Salman [Saudi Arabia's crown prince and heir to the throne] has been influenced by the UAE and thinks switching from [Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour] Hadi to Saleh will help end the war."

Leaked emails written by two former US officials in August suggested that Mohammed bin Salman "wanted out" of the war, which he started in March 2015.

"Saleh has completely sidelined the Houthis. With help from the UAE, he's still dancing on the heads of snakes. In a year or two from now, his son, Ahmed, or even former Prime Minister Khaled Bahah [who currently resides in the UAE], could be the next man to rule Yemen."

Intelligence Online, a Paris-based news and diplomacy publication, reported that Mohammed bin Salman sent Ahmed al-Asiri, the former military spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, to Abu Dhabi in June to meet Saleh's son, Ahmed, and discuss the possibility of forming a new government.

Ahmed, a powerful former military chief who once served as ambassador to the Emirates, has been living in the UAE for the last five years.

The publication also said that Mohammed bin Salman was lobbied by the UAE's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Zayed, to ditch Hadi in favour of Saleh. It added that Mohammed bin Salman had warmed to the idea of "a return to power of the former Yemeni president."

Murad Alazzany, a Yemeni political analyst and professor at Sanaa University, told Al Jazeera that Saleh's son was the UAE's "trump card".

"The UAE has been keeping ahold of Ahmed should anything happen to his father. In that event, they plan to immediately dispatch him to Yemen to take over his [Saleh's] role," Alazzany said.

"The UAE has always had plans for him. He's a tool, just like how former Afghan President Hamid Karzai was used by the US. When the time is right, they'll use him to do whatever they want."

When the Houthis surged south from their northern stronghold of Saada in September 2014, Saleh's system of patronage and corruption enabled them to seize control of Sanaa.

In the lightning offensive, the Saleh-linked Bani Sufyan tribe helped facilitated safe passage for the Houthis through the northern province of Amran.

Most of the Yemeni army subsequently fell under the command of Saleh's relatives or allies, while those who resisted, such as the 310th Armored Brigade in Amran, were easily crushed.

Huge stockpiles of weapons, including tanks, humvees, machine guns, missile launch pads, and large stockpiles of ammunition were obtained by military units, and later shared among Houthi-supporting tribal leaders.

Facing little to no resistance from the soldiers and police posted by Hadi to protect Sanaa, the Houthis asserted their control on the city with the "explicit help from the Republican Guards organised by members of the Saleh family", a UN Security Council report said.

Despite having fought the Houthis for years while in office, Saleh's detractors say his alliance with the Houthis was a "marriage of convenience", with both forces seeking to exact revenge on their mutual foes.

Even now, Saleh's intentions remain unclear. With the Houthis clawing back key territory, he now says the media misunderstood his initial overture to Saudi, and has called for Iran and Hezbollah to mediate between him and the Houthis. Locals told Al Jazeera that Saleh thought he could sideline the Houthis, but the plan backfired.

"Saleh has been playing the Houthis for years," Mohamed Qubaty, a former Yemeni ambassador, told Al Jazeera.

"He's always used a strategy of playing factions off each other.

The latest round of clashes that has gripped the capital has opened a new front in the country's complex civil war, endangering historic tribal relations – by Faisal Edroos

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/yemen-houthi-saleh-alliance-collapse-171204070831956.html

(** B P)

News analysis: Houthi-Saleh clashes to worsen humanitarian crisis in Yemen

The latest clashes between two former allies in Yemen, the Houthis and former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, are set to aggravate the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country.

"I expect the situation will be complicated and Saleh may not risk further if he does not receive sufficient support from regional players," Yaseen Al-Tamimi, a political writer and analyst, told Xinhua.

"The future of Sanaa is still uncertain. Both sides are using the hit-and-run tactics," he said, noting that it is difficult to drive Houthi forces out of Sanaa, if not impossible.

The breakdown of the Houthi-Saleh alliance, seen as an alliance of convenience, was expected from the first day the it was announced. The Houthis can't forget the revenge for murdering their first leader in the first Saada war by the army of Saleh.

There are several other reasons that led to the latest breakdown of their alliance.

First, the Houthi actions to exclude Saleh are out of concern that Saleh would turn against them at any moment.

Second, Saleh seeks to reach a deal with the Saudi-led coalition, which also hopes to do so amid growing criticism of Saudi Arabia and other members over the war and its catastrophic consequences in the Yemen, which faces one of the worst humanitarian crises.

Third, reliable sources told Xinhua that the Houthis recently knew that Tariq, Saleh's nephew who worked as chief of the president guard and special forces before the 2011 protests, has been training forces to fight the Houthis.

The Houthis, which warned Tariq several times over what he is doing, decided to turn against Saleh as they fear that he has received assurances and support from some of the Saudi-led coalition's members.

In the meantime, the armed conflict between Saleh supporters and Houthi forces will exacerbate the humanitarian situation in Yemen.

Ghamdan Al-Yousfi, a political analyst, told Xinhua that the war between Saleh and Houthis "will lead to closure of cities and cutting food supplies to the largest proportion of the population in the country".

"It will be a total guerilla war that will see no end and add to deepening chaos here," he said.

Radhwan Fari, a Yemeni journalist, said the Houthi-Saleh war adds to the obstacles facing the peace process in Yemen – by Fuad Rajeh

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-12/04/c_136797830.htm

(* A P)

Yemen .. Saleh officially announce the dismantling of the partnership with the Houthis

The former Yemeni president announced a zero-hour approach on the battlefield in Sanaa

Former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced on Sunday evening that the party of the Popular Congress has decided to break the partnershipwith the militias.

Saleh said in a letter to the army, the Yemeni people and his party's rules that this came after "folly" committed by the al-Houthi group, which caused "starvation of the people" for its personal ambitions and narrow vision drawn by Iran.

As the decision of Saleh and his party to save the Yemen # of schemes woven against him, according to the letter.

Saleh pointed out that "zero hour is coming" on the battlefield in the # Sanaaand "will be the army and the Republican Guard ," calling for waiting for the coming hours.

https://www.alarabiya.net/ar/arab-and-world/yemen/2017/12/04/اليمن-صالح-يعلن-رسميا-فك-الشراكة-مع-الحوثيين.html

(A P)

Al-Yemen Al-Yaoum, loyal to the Ousted Saleh, broadcasts a Statement Supporting Al-Houthi

A short time ago, Al-Yemen Al-Yaoum, a tv channel loyal to the ousted Ali Abdullah Saleh, broadcasted a statement supporting Al-Houthi militias. The tv channel broadcasted a statement issued by the so-called “The Supreme Political Council”, under leadership of Saleh, Al-Sammad, a prominent leader in Al-Houthi militias, indicating that Al-Houthi is controlling major key governing bodies in Sanaa. The website of the Public Conference Party, under leadership of Saleh, released a statement in which the party called for mediation to end the war with Al-Houthi militias. But prominent leaders of the party negated this statement indicating that Al-Houthi managed to hack the website and release fake statements in addition to controlling Al-Yemen Al-Yaoum building and forcing announcers to broadcast statements supporting them.

http://en.smanews.org/al-yemen-al-yaoum-loyal-to-the-ousted-saleh-broadcasts-a-statement-supporting-al-houthi

(A P)

Saleh funded Yemen Today TV was raided earlier by Houthis.... minutes ago it started broadcasting Houthi propaganda songs. (photo)

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937332305202503686

(* A P)

From social media:

Film: From the Standing Committee of the Congress Party in the capital city of Sana'a

It was purged and searched for any remnants of the priesthood (Houthis)

https://twitter.com/abbasaldhaleai/status/937435455863382017

Film: This is the revolution of all people [against Houthis]

https://twitter.com/LamiaaNy/status/937337943538192384

Film: From the field of the seventy in the # Sanaa. The people go out in revolt against the priesthood [Houthis], against the tyrannical militias

https://twitter.com/LamiaaNy/status/937354755986395136

Film: March, anti-Houthi rally at Sanaa

https://twitter.com/Alctbe14371/status/937366175847247872

Film: Crowds destroy and burn Houthi car

https://twitter.com/Alctbe14371/status/937348985043542016

Film: Citizens in the # Sana'a are beating the Houthi supervisors and arresting them.

https://twitter.com/JoufNow/status/937245549891342336

Photo: Car burning; Military vehicle

https://twitter.com/YemenOne2/status/937349754132066304

Photos: Houthi militias arrested Ali Abdullah Saleh, Gen Tareq Saleh & Col Mohammed Mohd Saleh and then announced a celebration this afternoon at Tahrir Square of the Victory over Affash. About 65 Yemenis came, plus at least 12 kids. There was a band and all.

https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/937422311032082435

Photos: Burning Houthis’ cars

https://twitter.com/almatrymo/status/937334622995795969

Photos: Today, Kan'aan Association for #Palestine's office in #Yemen capital Sanaa was attacked & ransacked by Houthi militia, who now claim it is Ali Abdullah Saleh's home.

https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/937358791217164288

(* A P)

Houthi Almasirah TV reporting from Sanaa (Arabic)

https://twitter.com/Hona_Almasirah/status/937464528455065600

https://twitter.com/Hona_Almasirah/status/937492235679096832

https://twitter.com/Hona_Almasirah/status/937487998886785024

https://twitter.com/Hona_Almasirah/status/937486314970210304

https://twitter.com/Hona_Almasirah/status/937462665932308482

https://twitter.com/Hona_Almasirah/status/937475686285107200

(A P)

Yemeni VP: State Stands with All Who Confront Houthis

Yemeni Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar stressed on Sunday the need to unite internal ranks to confront Houthi militia violations.
He declared that the state stands by all “who perform their duties against the Houthi insurgents.”
“The Houthis propagate dictatorship and class division in Yemeni society,” he added.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1102156/yemeni-vp-state-stands-all-who-confront-houthis

My comment: By the Hadi government. At first I wanted to place this at cp15 “Propaganda”, where it would belong. Mohsen equals “State” = his “president” Hadi’s government. This government certainly does not represent any state (made of all its institutions) any more. He laments against “dictatorship” while praising Saleh who ruled for 33 years, and while his own government is a puppet of Saudi and UAE dictatorships.

(A P)

Yemen's Ansarullah Leader says Former President Saleh Must Reconsider Stance Approved by Enemies

The leader of Yemen's popular Ansarullah movement, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, criticized the stance adopted by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the forces loyal to him to create chaos in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, calling the move a betrayal of the impoverished nation.

The Yemeni leader made the remarks via a televised speech from Sana’a, several hours after he made another speech in which he called on the Yemenis to preserve the national security of Yemen and avoid sedition, presstv reported.

“We must continue to support the fighting fronts because this plot is the last card of the forces of aggression, through which they seek to facilitate their occupation of our country,” Houthi added.

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960912000711

(* A P)

Saleh forces deny Houthi claims over control of Sanaa

Forces loyal to Yemen's former President Ali Abdullah Saleh have denied claims by Houthi rebels who say they have gained control of most of the country's capital, Sanaa, according to an official in Saleh's Republican Guard.

Iranian-backed Houthi fighters say they had regained control of three military bases, the diplomatic district and other neighbourhoods around the area. They also said they had taken over the city of Dhamar, south of Sanaa, as well as its surrounding regions.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/saleh-forces-deny-houthi-claims-control-sanaa-171203063622865.html

(* A P)

Saleh: "Our country is under aggression and the Houthis are the cause of this aggression because of their practices," he said.

http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/ex-yemen-president-open-to-talks-with-saudi-led-bloc/987978

My comment: This is simply odd – especially from the man who had allied himself with the Houthis for 3 years until a few days ago.

cp6 Fighting, air raids, before Saleh’s death

(* A K P)

Sanaa: clashes between Saleh forces & Houthi militants are continuing. Pro-Saleh tribes are surrounding the city. Guerrilla war & hit & run tactics. What the fuck are they doing? Have you noticed the talk about the peace process has stopped & that UN envoy to #Yemen disappeared?

https://twitter.com/fuadrajeh/status/937424035582967808

(A K)

We once posted the story of the Syrian restaurant owner who, having known hunger and pain in #Syria, decided to give free felafel and food to the needy in #Sanaa. Everyone was welcome.
This is what is left of his restaurant after the bloody night. (photo)

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1576258345760523/?type=3

(** A K P)

Fiercest clashes yet in Sanaa, Yemen casualties growing - ICRC

Fighting in Yemen’s capital has intensified, with the known toll from three hospitals reaching at least 125 killed and 238 wounded in the past six days, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Monday.

Residents are trapped in their homes, many lacking provisions, with the sick, wounded and pregnant women often unable to reach hospitals, ICRC spokeswoman Iolanda Jaquemet said.

The ICRC supplies three large hospitals in the Yemeni capital - Al Thawra, Al Jumhouri and Al Kuwait - which urgently need kits for treating war-wounded, she said.

“According to the hospitals we are in touch with, the clashes have claimed the lives of 125 people and wounded 238,” she said.

But due to the fighting, the agency cannot reach its medical warehouse in Sanaa which was hit overnight, but as far as it knows the kits and other goods have not been damaged, she added, declining to give more details about whether it was struck in an air strike or by another type of attack.

She said they were looking at donating body bags to the hospitals, plus other supplies.

“We hope to donate fuel to the main hospitals because they depend on generators and they are in urgent need of fuel because their stocks are being depleted at a time of the recent increase in the number of casualties,” Jaquemet said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-redcross/fiercest-clashes-yet-in-sanaa-yemen-casualties-growing-icrc-idUSKBN1DY17U and also https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-un-sanaa/fighting-and-air-strikes-in-yemens-sanaa-trap-civilians-and-halt-aid-u-n-idUSKBN1DY2CR

(* A K P)

Yemen rattled by air raids as clashes spread

A wave of air raids rattled Yemen's crisis-hit capital Monday, witnesses said, as clashes between rebels and supporters of ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh also spread beyond Sanaa.

The strikes appeared to hit targets near Sanaa International Airport and the interior ministry, both under the control of the Iran-backed Huthi rebels, according to residents and a source inside the airport.

Residents near the airport said multiple air raids had shaken their homes late Sunday night and in the early hours of Monday.

An airport source said rebel bases near the location appeared to have been targeted but the airport itself had not been bombed.

Residents also reported that the fighting, which erupted Wednesday night between armed Saleh supporters and Huthi fighters, had spread outside the capital.

Tribal sources in Saleh's hometown Sanhan, south of Sanaa, on Monday reported intense overnight fighting between the Huthis and Saleh loyalists.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5142707/Yemen-rattled-air-raids-clashes-spread.html and by BBC http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42221307 and Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security/saudi-warplanes-strike-houthis-as-alliances-shift-in-yemen-war-idUSKBN1DY12V?rpc=401&

(A H K P)

U.N. seeks humanitarian pause in Sanaa where streets "battlegrounds"

The United Nations called on Monday for a humanitarian pause in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Tuesday to allow civilians to leave their homes, aid workers to reach them, and the wounded to get medical care.

Jamie McGoldrick, U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, said in a statement that the streets of Sanaa had become “battlegrounds” and that aid workers “remain in lockdown”.

“Thus, I call on all parties to the conflict to urgently enable a humanitarian pause on Tuesday 5 December, between 10:00 a.m. and 16:00 p.m. to allow civilians to leave their homes and seek assistance and protection and to facilitate the movement of aid workers to ensure the continuity of life-saving programs,” he said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-un/u-n-seeks-humanitarian-pause-in-sanaa-where-streets-battlegrounds-idUSKBN1DY1IQ

(A H K P)

Oxfam calls for immediate ceasefire: Yemeni civilians cannot take any more suffering

Oxfam and other humanitarian agencies in Yemen are urgently calling on all warring parties for an immediate ceasefire in Sana’a. Escalating clashes between forces aligned with former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Houthis are trapping civilian populations across Yemen’s governorates and exacerbating an already catastrophic humanitarian situation. The Yemeni population simply cannot take any more blows.

https://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases/2017-12-04/oxfam-calls-immediate-ceasefire-yemeni-civilians-cannot-take-any and https://www.careinternational.org.uk/immediate-ceasefire-needed-yemeni-civilians-cannot-take-any-more-suffering

(* A K P)

Military Figures: Sanaa Battles Fall in Yemen’s Interest

Yemeni military sources of the General People's Congress considered that the current battles in the capital Sana’a are in favor of the Republic.
The battles in Sana’a are proceeding according to a military tactic based on luring the Houthi militias and their sleeper cells, before attacking them to liberate the capital, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The same sources said news broadcast by the Houthi media regarding controlling areas in Sana'a is incorrect, adding this comes in the context of discouraging the popular uprising that was aimed at clearing Yemen from Iranian control.
“Forces of the National Army have taken control over three strategic mountains south of Sana'a that are adjacent to the capital from the south,” said spokesman of the Yemeni Army Brigadier Abdu Majli.
Majli confirmed that the national army has monitored the mass escape of Houthi leaders from Sana’a and the rest of the areas that fall under their control following the popular uprising.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1103206/exclusive-military-figures-sanaa-battles-fall-yemen%E2%80%99s-interest

My comment: This is Saudi propaganda, repeating propaganda by pro-Saleh forces. The reality on the ground was different. Be aware that this is the first time for almost 3 years that the part of the Yemeni army loyal to Saleh is labeled as “Yemeni army” in Saudi propaganda. They had been “militia” and “rebels” before, an odd labeling anyway.

(* A K P)

Yemen Army Says Security Restored in Capital, Sana’a

Yemen’s Army Spokesman Brigadier General Sharaf Luqman said that security has been restored in the whole Sana’a province after days of clashes with militiamen of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

“Security in the whole Sana’a province has been restored and there is a state of tranquility in the province,” the Yemeni Army spokesman noted in an exclusive interview with the Lebanese based Al Mayadeen TV Network.

What happened in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a is an empty bubble which shows Ali Abdullah Saleh, the former Yemeni president and its allies’ desire to exit the alliance, he noted.

Luqman said that most of the General People's Congress’s members acknowledge that Saleh has made mistake.

The official said that Saleh damaged his reputation by his move.

In the meantime, the group’s spokesman Mohammad Abdul Salam said on Sunday that the plot, which Saudi and other powers were betting on, was unfolded.

“Yesterday their media (Saudi media outlets) were celebrating the fall of Sana’a, along with other five provinces. However, the Saudi-led war planes were bombing Sana’a and the five provinces. How they are bombing areas they have restored?!” Abdul Salam posted on his Twitter account on Sunday.

https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2017/12/04/1591900/yemen-army-says-security-restored-in-capital-sana-a

My comment: A pro-Houthi claim and report. This “army” only can be the part of the army supporting the Houthis; the main part of the army up to now was loyal to ex-president Saleh.

(* A K P)

Ansarullah: Hundreds of Traitors Surrendering in Sana'a

Spokesman of Ansarullah movement in Yemen Mohammed Abdolsalam announced that hundreds of militia who played a role in the recent turmoil in Sana'a have surrendered themselves to the security forces.

Abdolsalam was quoted as saying by al-Mayadeen news channel on Monday that the militia surrendered after understanding that the recent moves were all clear acts of betrayal.

He added that the security forces have cleansed several military bases in Sana'a from "betrayers", referring to the forces loyal to former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Abdolsalam also warned that the Saudi-led coalition fighter jets have pounded the civilian houses and public properties and are cooperating with the Saleh militia with all their power.

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960913000908

My comment: Houthi claim. Earlier, the Saleh side had claimed to have caught hundreds of Houthis.

(* A K P)

Yemen's Houthis 'blow up Saleh's home in Sanaa'

Yemen's Houthi rebels on Monday blew up the Sanaa residence of former president — and their former ally — Ali Abdullah Saleh, residents said. Mr Saleh's whereabouts were unknown.

Earlier in the day, residents in the Yemeni capital told The National that the Iran-backed rebels were besieging Mr Saleh's palace, as well as residences belonging to his relatives and prominent supporters.

https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/yemen-s-houthis-blow-up-saleh-s-home-in-sanaa-1.681252 and also https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712041059671461-yemen-houthis-saleh-house/

(** A K P)

From social media:

Map shows what's happening in #Sanaa!

https://twitter.com/Muhamedy/status/937359065616969728

Terrifying night in #Sanaa, cold weather, total darkness, aerial bombardment, fierce street clashes using various weapons, snipers deployed, civilians trapped, I can say it is the most terrifying night since the beginning of the war in #Yemen!

https://twitter.com/SayaghiX/status/937437351671926785

Film: Republican Guards unit opens fire on Houthi militia in capital Sanaa tonight.

https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/937464911646613506 = https://twitter.com/yJ06pCCAF4T8jNf/status/937461278955712513/video/1

The fight inside Sanaa is greatly influenced by the seven major tribes surrounding the capital... traditionally known as the "Collar Tribes". They are critical, so far it's been ambiguous which way they'll swing.

The fight inside Sanaa is greatly influenced by the seven major tribes surrounding the capital... traditionally known as the "Collar Tribes". They are critical, so far it's been ambiguous which way they'll swing.

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937432690663608320

Houthi forces seize full control of Saleh's brothers and nephews' houses in Bayt Me'yad, Sanaa. Clashes ongoing in Diplomatic district where Tarik Saleh lives.

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937423138979237888

One of the toughest nights in Sanaa since the start of war. Fierce battles in at least 15 different locations throughout the city as well as heavy air bombardment by the coalition. An absolutely terrifying night for 2+ million civilians in Sanaa

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937414982509191170

Houthi troops just entered Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh's house in Sanaa. Ahmed is Saleh's oldest son and former head of the Republican Guard. He's under house arrest in the UAE.

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937409373302902784

#Sanaa: Hadda and Diplomatic area are theater of fierce clashes between pro-Saleh troops and Houthis around Saleh's relatives homes

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1575604072492617/?type=3

War planes continuously flying over #Sanaa

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1575616875824670/?type=3

Source in Sanaa: "GCC now dropping bombs on all sites Houthi seized from Saleh, including Special Forces HQ, home of Fares Mana'a in Hada , Min of Interior in Hasaba, Misbahi Junction, & Presidential Palace.

https://twitter.com/DaySWTweet/status/937440645664378882

NORTH OF #SANAA UNDER AIRSTRIKES

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1575620252490999/?type=3

One raid on Al-Rayan hill in #Sanaa

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.963391330380564.1073741829.961126490607048/1575778905808467/?type=3

AIRSTRIKES WITH HUGE EXPLOSIONS HEARD ALL AROUND #SANAA.

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1575621445824213/?type=3

CLASHES CONTINUE

Three airstrikes on #Sanaa airport

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1575543309165360/?type=3

When the sound of screaming #Saudi jets in the sky mixes with the sound of clashes on the ground, bullets & heavy explosives, the outcome is real horror and terrorism amongst families and children. That's now the case we currently live in #Sanaa

https://twitter.com/HishamAlRadhi/status/937415291155435521

It is the hardest night of all

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1575788249140866/?type=3

A teenager in #Sanaa checking if her neighbours are ok. (photo)

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1575387089180982/?type=3
#Sanaa curfew until 6 am

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1575738279145863/?type=3

After seizing Saleh's strongest Special Forces base in Sanhan district, Houthis are heading towards Bayt Alahmar village. The birthplace of Saleh to blow up his fortress and palace there

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937400752850563077

Saleh is fighting right now with his most loyal elite forces, a thousand at best. In a small geographic area in Sanaa. With limited air support by the Saudis. It is clear that the tribes and the army commanders have let the man down.

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937398985060438016

Houthis threaten to detain any pro-Saleh GPC activist by sending out warnings through social media urging everyone to report names, addresses and phone numbers of any activists. Pure terror in Sanaa at the moment. (document in image)

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937394382155796486

A video of the raid on what used to be a Saleh hideout in Sanaa.

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937391973283057666

Coalition airstrikes destroy two Houthi reinforcement columns arriving from Sa'ada inside Sanaa tonight both on Airport Rd and Aya Square. Casualties high. Saudi is obviously fully supporting Saleh this time around.

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937388518598463489

Despite the fight in Sanaa, Houthis are still able to mobilize their troops elsewhere. Just hours ago they launched a successful attack against pro-UAE forces in Mokha port city hundreds of miles southwest of Sanaa killing at least 15.

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937384748472774656

Several Houthi armored vehicles and tanks have been destroyed by coalition airstrikes near Al Thawra Park north of Sanaa. A witness tells me. https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937383507499864071

Houthis kill Sheikh Akram Zurqah and his son execution style in Hajja city then blew up his house (previous tweet shows video) all because he showed support to Saleh. Photos of execution too graphic to share (photo)

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937374953204342784

Interior Ministry source: Security forces control Ahmed Ali Saleh's military barracks in Al-Sabeen in #Sanaa
Two raids on Ahmed Ali's Ahmed Ali Saleh's military barracks in Al-Sabeen #Sana'a after security forces controlled it.
Two raids on the Interior Ministry in #Sanaa

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.963391330380564.1073741829.961126490607048/1575813822471642/?type=3

Happening now: Several Saudi-led coalition air strikes across Sanaa against Houthi concentrations in a last bid to help Saleh forces to withstand.

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937371851508076544

A source told me that around 1000 Saleh elite forces are fighting the last battle in and around Saleh palaces and houses in Sanaa now, and that M. Ali Al-Houthi has given strict orders to raid all homes and hideouts and kill Saleh on the spot.

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937363688209747971

Pro-Saleh troops are fighting fiercely around Saleh's relatives houses in Diplomatic district and Hadda area in Sanaa. Fighters' bodies and burning tanks are all around witnesses say.

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937361418613133312

Happening now... Houthis are booby-trapping several houses of pro-Saleh sheikhs in Hajja city. Photo: rubble of a sheikh's house detonated earlier today.

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937350081929531393

Houthis blow up 'Al Zurqaa' tribal sheikh's house in Hajja city today after he tried to join Saleh's call for revolt yesterday. (film)

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937343541386403840

The control for power continues in #Yemen, in the last few hours Houthi fighters have launched several raids on significant members of GPC and allied tribes. They've taken back a good chunk of military bases and institutions.

https://twitter.com/RawanSSA18/status/937299468193619968

Saleh's Cheif of Military hat, another souvenir seized by Houthis today... (photo)

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937296350236106753

I'm receiving many #calls since the morning from #Yemen-I #civilians living in the #diplomatic area of #Sanaa who are in #desperate need for #help !They're now out of #water #food and #medicines I hereby call on the #international community to intervene immediately

https://twitter.com/YNadheri/status/937270328572678145

Clashes in #Sanaa continue between Houthis (Ansah Allah) and former Saleh regime loyalists. Houthi tanks being deployed and ferocious Saudi air attacks continue. It's truly a hard time being a civilian in #Yemen. For more info, follow @HanaalShowafi & @ammar82 for live updates

https://twitter.com/MsSophiaDobson/status/937284630423760902

Houthis media displays Saleh's favorite drinks collection in one of his hideouts raided today. (photo)

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937275585570791424

Sanaa streets empty. Saleh relatives' houses raided and all checkpoints are under Houthi control. Looks like Saleh's uprising has ended. Not the end though...

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937264919514316800

Saleh's bunker office in the hands of Houthis this morning. (photos)

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937251706106253312

Yesterday things looked good for Saleh's camp in Sanaa. Today.... not so much.

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937236288536707072

Houthi troops are regaining most of the sites that were lost to Saleh yesterday in Sanaa.

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937235172432531456

Sanaa minutes ago (photo)

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/937234137408208898

(** A P)

Sanaa 'paralysed' in rebel-alliance clashes

The alliance between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Ali Abdullah Saleh, the former president of Yemen, is fast unravelling amid increasing violence as clashes intensified in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa and the northern provinces.

Though there is no official confirmation of developments in the capital, reports from witnesses say forces loyal to Mr Saleh took control of the ministry of defence, the ministry of finance and other key government buildings only to lose it again after a Houthi counter-offensive on Sunday morning.

“The two sides are fighting guerrilla-style and clashes are erupting in different parts of the south of Sanaa,” said Adnan Al Batool, who lives in Bab Al Yemen. “Many injured Houthi fighters were transported to Thawra Hospital in the morning. One man was already dead by the time he arrived.”

Healthcare facilities managed by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) were caught up in the fighting. A spokesman for the NGO told The National that none of their Yemeni staff had been injured but said they could not work because they felt too threatened.

"The capital is paralysed. It is vital that those injured in the fighting are able to safely access medical care, and that medical personnel can carry out their work without fear of attack," MSF said.

“It is too early to say what this fight means for potentially ending to the war. Certainly it is a turning point, but to where is not clear,” said April Longley Alley, a project director at International Crisis Group.

If Mr Saleh, the coalition and Yemen's President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi are considering an alliance against the Houthis — and by extension their Iranian backers — the fighting is likely to get worse, she added.

“This could be a very bloody fight. The outcome depends on a number of intertwined factors including the position of the tribes around the city, the ability of the Republican Guards to regroup under Saleh's leadership,” she said.

As well as retaking the finance and defence ministries, the Houthis also stormed the headquarters of Yemen Today TV, which is owned by Mr Saleh. The indications on Sunday evening were that they were re-grouping in Sanaa to take back control from Saleh loyalists. One resident said Saleh loyalists held areas around Algeria Street and Sakher Street — both main thoroughfares — while Bab Al Yemen and Al Tahreer districts were in Houthi hands.

Meanwhile residents in the capital were living in fear of all-out war breaking out at any moment, said Essam, a doctor who declined to give his last name.

“Public establishments are closed and transportation is suspended. The city is paralysed,” he said.

The fighting calmed late in the day as both sides appeared to take a break, as if by mutual agreement. But residents in other parts of the city reported Houthi deployment with explosions and gunfire – by Naser Al-Wasmi and ali Mahmood

https://www.thenational.ae/world/sanaa-paralysed-in-rebel-alliance-clashes-1.680970

My comment: By UAE media, but a sound and realistic article.

(* A P)

Film: [Overview of events]

https://uk.reuters.com/video/2017/12/03/yemens-houthis-says-it-has-fired-a-missi?rpc=401&videoId=373094296&feedType=VideoRSS&feedName=LatestVideosUK&rpc=401&videoChannel=117759

(A K P)

Iranian embassy in Yemen's capital attacked

A fire broke out at the Iranian embassy in Yemen's capital Sanaa after it was hit by a rocket shell on Sunday during clashes between supporters of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Houthis, who until this week were allies.

The Iranian embassy was attacked at around 4:30 p.m. local time (0130 GMT).

A security official said about 20 staff members of the embassy were trapped inside the building.

The embassy is located near the presidential palace and is close to the residence of a son of Saleh in southwestern Sanaa.

More than 100 dead bodies could be seen lying on the streets leading to the diplomatic complex in the Hadda area.

An official from the Houthi-controlled Interior Ministry told Xinhua that at least 200 militants from both warring sides had been killed and more others were wounded in the clashes near the Iranian embassy.

http://www.china.org.cn/world/2017-12/04/content_50083896.htm

and

(A K P)

Iran Rejects Reports of Blaze on Embassy Building in Yemeni Capital

https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2017/12/04/1592315/iran-rejects-reports-of-blaze-on-embassy-building-in-yemeni-capital

(* A K P)

Yemen civil war: At least 125 killed in Sanaa fighting, says Red Cross

A new spike in fighting in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa has seen at least 125 people killed and more than 200 wounded over the last five days, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The ICRC said it had witnessed the "fiercest clashes" yet overnight, and had "relocated" 13 members of its staff to Djibouti.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/yemen-civil-war-latest-updates-sanaa-killed-wounded-red-cross-capital-houthis-a8090486.html

(* A K P)

Death toll from clashes between Houthis, Saleh forces rises to 200

The death toll from clashes erupted in Yemen between Houthi militias and the General People's Congress (GPC) forces, loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, rose to 200, Sky News reported on Sunday.

http://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/35264/Death-toll-from-clashes-between-Houthis-Saleh-forces-rises-to

(* A K P)

Fear grips Sanaa as Yemen rebel clashes rage

Schools and shops in Yemen's capital were closed on Sunday as clashes erupted in Sanaa following the collapse of a rebel alliance.

Residents of Sanaa neighbourhoods said they had barricaded themselves in their homes to avoid snipers and shelling as clashes flared up around key ministries where the two sides had been working together just days before.

A number of streets in central Sanaa were cut off by forces loyal to powerful ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who were deployed heavily in anticipation of a possible attack by the Houthi rebels.

Loyalists of the former strongman renewed a bid to seize control of al-Jarraf district, a stronghold of the Houthis, while the rebels fortified their positions with dozens of vehicles mounted with machine guns.

The education ministry cancelled classes on Sunday, normally the start of the school week, out of concern for students and teachers.

Witnesses said some of the bodies from previous days' clashes were still strewn in the capital.

Iyad al-Othmani, 33, said he had not left his house for three days because of the clashes and tensions.

Mohammed Abdullah, a private sector employee, said his street had been cut off by militiamen and he was staying home to avoid checkpoints.

"Sanaa is becoming like a ghost town. There is a street war and people are holed up in their houses," according to a local activist who works with the International Organisation for Migration in Sanaa.

"If the confrontation continues, many families will be cut off" and stranded in their homes, he warned.

https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2017/12/3/fear-grips-sanaa-as-yemen-rebel-clashes-rage

(* A P)

Rebel infighting rocks Yemeni capital

Explosions, gunfire heard across Sanaa

Saleh loyalists are reported to have captured several areas in eastern Sanaa and military checkpoints along the road between Sanaa and Dhamar province.

Forces loyal to the former president reportedly overran a military camp in southern Sanaa, according to Saleh’s General People’s Congress.

A source in Saleh’s forces said hundreds of tribesmen were ordered to move to Sanaa to back up loyalists of the former president against Houthi rebels.

According to Almotamar.net, a Yemeni news website run by Saleh's General People’s Congress, the forces loyal to Saleh detained hundreds of Houthis in the capital.

The Houthi rebels were involved in various acts involving disruption of public order, the website said.

Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi called on Saleh to stop what he described as "irresponsible recklessness".

In a televised speech, Houthi urged Saleh to be "rational" and "interact positively with efforts aimed at stopping sedition".

"I warn against going down this destructive path and I call on the state to shoulder its responsibilities to impose security and stability," he said.

Saleh called on his loyalists "to return to their barracks", in an implicit hint of possible confrontations with Houthi rebels, according to pro-Saleh media.

Later on Saturday, Houthi-linked news agency SABA reported that Houthi rebels captured some military posts belonging to Saleh loyalists in capital Sanaa and the surrounding area.

However, a military official from Saleh forces denied the news.

http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/rebel-infighting-rocks-yemeni-capital/987830

and more articles giving an overview of the events, also containing overviews of events:

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/yemen-war-saudi-planes-bombed-houthis-support-salehs-forces-2128411976

https://globalnews.ca/news/3894313/yemen-sanaa-street-war/

https://www.afp.com/en/news/23/yemen-rebels-claim-ex-president-saleh-killed-doc-uu8n22

http://freebeacon.com/national-security/saleh-party-sources-yemeni-ex-president-killed/

(* A K P)

From social media:

Film: Houthi groups during their surrender to the Republican Guard and Special Forces

https://twitter.com/qq00qq_p/status/937387757537759233

Film: Power cuts and confrontations between the Republican Guard and the Houthi militias winged in the # Sanaa,

https://twitter.com/0hamhamah/status/937393121960308737

A shell landed in the residential town behind Safar Street next to Al-Kholani Dental Center and hit the house of Hajj Radman Mu'azin Al-Rahma mosque, injuring his son and his relative injuries (photos)

https://twitter.com/LamiaaNy/status/937372355000721411

Film: Central Security in the province of # Sana'a after being recovered from the militias Houthi

https://twitter.com/0hamhamah/status/937329387254534146

Film: Snipers at Sanaa

https://twitter.com/Alctbe14371/status/937390669051543552

I have been walking and riding in parts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa this morning. It's compltely different from what it looked like yesterday. And even more different from media portraying. No protests,no demos,but fear&apprehension. Houthi-dominant,Houthi upper hand.

https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/937239936780120065

Photo: Tensions and apprehension and fear in Yemeni capital Sanaa. Stores, schools are closed. Some stores are half closed half open. This is one of the busiest streets in Sanaa now at 11:00 am.

https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/937232562996613120

Media: Republican Guard Forces in Taiz shifting against #Houthis and supporting citizens to unlock the siege on the city!

https://twitter.com/yemen_updates/status/937471025142484992

Since Friday night,I live in the hallway of my house where no windows around. Limited my access to kitchen & living room because of continuous gunfire & explosions!Neighborhood grocery stores are closed &very few cars pass by! When options are limited, it's #Sanaa now!

https://twitter.com/HanaalShowafi/status/937286992630558720

cp7 Earlier phase of conflict (until ca. Dec. 2)

(* A P)

Has #Yemen's former despot Saleh changed back his loyalty to former backers #SaudiArabia?

https://twitter.com/osamabinjavaid/status/936873942026895360

Could more war mean peace in #Yemen?

https://twitter.com/osamabinjavaid/status/937081352578514944

My comment: These are crucial questions.

(A P)

Escalation in Sana'a #Yemen: So many conflicting reports on local Telegram wires that I've refrained from tweeting. But what's for sure is Saleh-Houthi split would in no way mean imminent end to war. Possibly the reverse. Need also to watch next move by South Transition Council

https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/937060354760290305

(* A P)

What we know so far about the situation in Yemen

[Overview, by Saudi media, but looks serious]

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2017/12/02/What-we-know-so-far-about-the-situation-in-Yemen-.html

(** A P)

Houthis Saleh December war

[A plenty of photos, tweets]

https://twitter.com/i/moments/937091909171994625

(** A P)

Yemen's deposed strongman says he is open to talk with Saudi coalition

“Saleh is a veteran of negotiations with all of the parties in Yemen,” said Jon B. Alterman, who heads the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “Having him working for resolution, and diminishing the Houthis’ bargaining position, helps move this from a stalemate. But still, it will require a willingness to negotiate rather than an effort of one side to beat the other into submission.”

Analysts said the coalition likely had a hand in the clashes that erupted in recent days in Sana.

“The Saudi coalition has been exploring ways to split Saleh from the Houthis for many months,” Alterman said.

Ahmed Hadi, a 24-year-old Hadda resident, said his family had barely slept the past three nights. "Today in the morning I wanted to buy things for the family but found that most streets are blocked, prices are high, and I can’t find cooking gas,” he said. “The kids are afraid and crying most of the time.”

By nightfall, Saleh’s supporters, who include members of the Republican Guard and tribal fighters, appeared to be in control of the southern parts of the capital and some outlying districts. But the Houthis were said to be regrouping and sending for reinforcements.

After Saturday’s speeches, there will be no turning back, said Mohammed Hassan, a political analyst and columnist who contributes to a number of local publications. “The temporary marriage between Saleh and the Houthi powers is moving to its end.”

http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-yemen-rivals-saleh-20171202-story.html

(A P)

US Ambassador in Yemen Voices Concern to Asharq Al-Awsat over Sana’a Unrest

US Ambassador to Yemen Matthew Tueller welcomed on Saturday calls for reaching a peaceful resolution to the country’s conflict, while voicing concern over the fighting in the capital Sana’a.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that Washington was very concerned with the reports on the unrest in Sana’a and the possibility of the fall of civilian casualties.
He therefore urged calm and welcomed the calls for a peaceful resolution.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1101946/us-ambassador-yemen-voices-concern-asharq-al-awsat-over-sana%E2%80%99-unrest

(* A P)

Situation under control in Sana'a: Yemen governing body

Yemen's Supreme Political Council which runs state affairs says the situation in the capital Sana'a is back to normal following days of violent clashes between forces loyal to ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh and Houthi fighters.

In a statement released on Saturday, the council’s head Saleh Ali al-Sammad called on all the Yemeni people, political parties and tribes to exercise patience, counteract any act of aggression, and not contribute to the "conspiracies" meant to stoke tensions.

“The security services continue their efforts to enhance security and stability, and all those who try to destabilize the security are being dealt with seriously," Sammad said.

Preserving public tranquility and safety in Sana'a, which has become a symbol of the Yemenis' dignity, is a strategic issue for Yemen's Supreme Political Council, he added.

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/12/03/544291/Yemen-Saudi-Arabia-Abdullah-Saleh-Houthi

My comment: Saleh Ali al-Sammad is a Houthi. – This statement is far from reality.

And this is a reply:

(* A P)

High-ranking leaders in the party of the Popular Conference accused al-Houthi militias of falsifying a statement and attributing it to the president of the so-called Supreme Political Council and leader Houthi Saleh al-Samad.

The statement attributed to the #Massad, and published late on Saturday evening, the Houthi News Agency in Sana'a, for the killing of what he called the sedition sparked by the militias, in reference to the forces of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The sources, who are members of the Saleh party in the same council formed by the two parties, confirmed that the statement attributed to the baptism is "incorrect" and expresses the view of the "Huthis" in the popular uprising against them in Sana'a and the rest of the provinces, and try to reassure the rest of their followers that they control the The position to bring more of them to "the crematoria of death," as he described it.

She pointed out that the Al-Houthi militia, which had been involved in the bombing of the headquarters of Yemen's Al-Yawm TV channel (affiliated to the former president), stormed it and stopped broadcasting it on Saturday in order to mislead its followers with false victories after its popular fall.

According to sources in the Republican Guard forces loyal to the former president, the confinement has been besieged since dawn Saturday, at the presidential palace in Sanaa, until the time of writing.

The Houthi militia issued dozens of statements, referring them to parties and unions to denounce the popular uprising against them, calling it "conspiracy and betrayal".

https://www.suhf.net/ymn/510823/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9--%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%AB%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%85%D8%B2%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B7%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A3%D8%AA%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B9%D9%87%D9%85-%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%AF-%D8%B3%D9%82%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%87%D9%85-%D8%B4%D8%B9%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A7---%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%81-%D9%86%D8%AA and also at http://adengad.net/news/290631/

(* A P)

Houthi Militias Call for Dialogue after Coming under Saleh Pressure

The Houthi militia called on Saturday former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his National People’s Congress to dialogue to end the clashes in the capital Sana’a.
In a televised address, Houthi leader Abdul Malek al-Houthi said: “We were surprised with the wave of attacks against us by supporters of the National People’s Congress… we are faced with an important moment and all sides should demonstrate the greatest responsibility.”
The forces of the Congress had seized from the Houthis several vital locations in Sana’a, including the airport and Defense Ministry.
Houthi advised Saleh to act “wiser” than the “reckless” militias.
He also refuted allegations that his militants had attacked the residences of Saleh supporters, adding: “We had in recent days exercised the greatest levels of restraint against unjustifiable assaults.”
He turned to the rational and wise Yemeni figures, urging them to play a major role in reining in the “reckless militias” and seek out those wanting to spark strife.
Houthi indirectly threatened to take military action against Saleh’s supporters, saying: “If the militias insisted on being rash, then all sides must cooperate to secure the situation.”

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1101206/houthi-militias-call-dialogue-after-coming-under-saleh-pressure

(* A P)

More from social media:

My comment:?????

Circulation please publish and share.

To all citizens in the governorates and the directorates and the Secretariat of the capital on the tenth morning am going out marches in support of the cleansing of Yemen from the militias of Houthi and Maabreh the joy of the Yemeni people to restore the Republic and state institutions ..

https://twitter.com/KamelAlkhodani/status/937053396716130306

Republican Guard troops

"Mohammed Mohammed Abdullah Saleh Afash"

They chase them to their graves (photo)

https://twitter.com/AL_matry_AZ/status/937052574653526021

President Saleh tried to make the Houthis men of his country and provided them with a popular and political cover

But they insisted that they should be guerrillas and militias whose mission was to steal, loot, kill and destroy

Saleh gave her leadership advice and ordered them to control the reckless but did not listen to his words and accused him of the workers and betrayal, what was it that follows

https://twitter.com/khaledSfO3/status/937186778523377664

Huthi victories

They occupied the building of Al-Kharb for the committee, which is the one who has no one inside. They walked the building of the Yemen channel today, reviewing the rest of their muscles on the announcers because they know that the building of the canal is not only two guards but that we are exposed to any means of media,

A gang without ethics

https://twitter.com/KamelAlkhodani/status/937121203403202560

Witnesses: violent explosions heard from the presidential house south of #Sanaa

https://twitter.com/RaidanAmeen/status/937104959946018817

The Ministry of Communications controlled by the #Houthi militias banned the Facebook site in #Yemen Many Facebook users in #Yemen complained about their inability to access the site only through a VPN network

https://twitter.com/RaidanAmeen/status/937102225679273984

#Hothis militia announces that the city

https://twitter.com/RaidanAmeen/status/937085694656286720

At least 30 of the YemenToday TV channel belonging to former President Saleh are trapped inside the basement of the building on 50th Street south #Sanaa seized by #Houthis milita that already burned two floors in the building

https://twitter.com/RaidanAmeen/status/937073763472084993

The Republican Guard loyal to former President Ali Saleh declares full control of Al Bayda city near the centre of the #Yemen and declaring the emergency and the activation of martial law

https://twitter.com/RaidanAmeen/status/937069541183672320

Militants of the #Houthis have been heavily deployed in the provincial capital #Hodeidah Witnesses said that the military crews of the #Houthis spread around the airport road in Hodeidah and some of them went to the area Kilo 16 (photos)

https://twitter.com/RaidanAmeen/status/937001465025060865

The General People's Congress #GPC , of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, announced on its website that hundreds of #Houthis militia members were captured in the capital Sanaa on Saturday. (photo)

https://twitter.com/RaidanAmeen/status/937001465025060865

#Sanaa: - Republican Guards have called for curfew. – Houthis will continue the battle to claim Northern part of the city

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1574767125909645/?type=3

#Sanaa:The President of the Highly Council of political Mr. Saleh Al-Samad announce the end of the tumult which ignited by the Saleh's militias, and on the security services take the necessary action towards who is involved this tumult. Source: Almasirah Channel

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.963391330380564.1073741829.961126490607048/1574798789239812/?type=3

My comment: ?????

And there are strange changes of position, turning 100 % overnight:

(A P)

I say this to Saudi Arabia: You need Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen now more than ever, and way much more than he needs you.

https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/937008630456610817

You see, Yemen's Houthi media is extremely focused & very capable of twisting public opinion by clever lies. Just like Islah/MB party's media. And just like Qatar's Al Jazeera. All share the same media advisers, see.

https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/937049323237462018

Comments: Wow did i miss something last night u were against the Saudi s and now your fighting on the ground and them in the skies ..shame

https://twitter.com/AccountTbc/status/937141591709552640

You're being a bitch for Saudis now? What's next? Deleting all your anti Saudi tweets?

https://twitter.com/Pervodactus/status/937048949508190208

Dude I used to respect ur anti-Saudi tweets , what happened r following Saleh in betraying his country !! Shame wallah shame

https://twitter.com/bo_alhaifi/status/937051370997157888

and a statement by a Houthi:

(A P)

The conference is not Aafash nor Tariq nor some officers and soldiers betrayed the conference where many honest and honest national liberals with God and with the people and the homeland ..

Today, it will become clear to Aafash and to the whole world that the popular base of the Congress Party has nothing to do with the orientations and goals of Afash and his entourage, and that the honorable conferences will make the interest of the nation and the people above all other considerations.

Today, the free conference will prove that the Yemeni people, their party and the homeland, their identity and identity, will not be dragged to Afash in the interest of aggression and drag Yemen into chaos if it succeeded and succeeded, God forbid, then the Yemeni situation will be followed by colonization, occupation, slavery, humiliation and humiliation.

Today there are two options, either with the homeland and the people against aggression or with aggression against the homeland and the people.

https://www.facebook.com/ebrahim.alwashaly/posts/10156859595908662

and how Houthi Almasirah TV is reporting (Arabic)

(A P)

Film. The opinion of the Yemeni street about fueling the situation by the militias # Afash and calling for the extension of security

https://twitter.com/Hona_Almasirah/status/937128291185709056

https://twitter.com/Hona_Almasirah/status/937093343393218560

(* A P)

Yemen conflict: Saudi-led coalition welcomes Saleh talks offer

[Overview]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42212398 and another overview: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/02/landmark-change-yemen-crisis-former-president-reaches-saudi/ and overview by RT: https://www.rt.com/news/411738-yemen-coalition-rift-saleh/

(* A P)

Update: Yemen's Houthi fighters storm Saleh-owned TV station in Sanaa

Houthi fighters stormed Saleh-owned Al-Yemen Alyoum satellite TV station in southern Sanaa and took it over following deadly clashes late on Saturday, according to spokesmen from both sides.

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said on Twitter that all the guards and crew members of the channel were now under arrest.

Spokesman of Saleh's Media Office Nabil al-Soufi confirmed that all crew members of the station were arrested by Houthis and the station is under the control of the Houthis.

A resident in Bait Baous district, where the station is located, said in a phone call with Xinhua that the clashes were eased in the area.

Houthis' move came few hours after Saleh delivered a speech televised by Al-Yemen Alyoum, during which he called on the army, security forces and tribes to join his party's "armed revolution to defend themselves, the country and the republic against Houthis."

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-12/03/c_136796139.htm

(* A P)

Legitimate Yemen Govt. Calls for Wide Alliance to Overcome Differences

The legitimate Yemeni government called on Saturday for opening a new chapter of ties with all political factions.
It also called for forming a wide alliance that overcomes the differences of the past.
The declaration was made after President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi chaired an extraordinary meeting for his aides to discuss the latest developments in the country, in particular the unrest in the capital Sana’a.
The government voiced its support for each side that confronts the Houthi militia and works on ridding Yemen from it.
“All who abandon the alliance with the militia will come under the umbrella of legitimacy,” it stressed in a statement.

The government condemned the criminal Houthi acts in Sana’a, such as the violation of state institutions, places of worship and private properties, adding that not even its allies are safe from its actions.

It hoped that the wide alliance that it called for would overcome the disputes of the past and pave the way for a new phase in Yemen and unite all sides against the Houthi militia, which is an extension of the Iranian agenda in Yemen.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1101221/legitimate-yemen-govt-calls-wide-alliance-overcome-differences

My comment: Saudi puppet Hadi again rising from the insignificance. Reaching for new alliances which also would keep him politically alive. Let’s remember that Hadi’s “legitimacy” had ended at Feb. 27, 2015 and all the rest of the “legitimacy” story is propaganda and scam. Well, might-be the new shifts really would “a new chapter of ties with all political factions” and it could become possible to “overcome the disputes of the past and pave the way for a new phase in Yemen”. But there will be no peace if the old mistakes are repeated and some factions like the Houthis stay excluded (“unite all sides against the Houthi militia”), then causes of unrest, new strife and more will stay, and the devils of the past will come back again and again.

And more from Hadi:

President Hadi calls for turning a new page by forming a national comprehensive coalition—on the basis of the three references of peace—among all political parties in #Yemen that transcends all past differences and unites them all against the #Houthis.

https://twitter.com/YemenEmbassy_DC/status/937039874854739968#

President Hadi stresses that all those who were involved in the coup, during the past three years, and chose to support—openly and clearly the uprising to end the coup—will indeed be all partners in the future of #Yemen.

https://twitter.com/YemenEmbassy_DC/status/937040172964892672

And also the Hadi branch of the GPC Party (the main branch at Sanaa is supporting Saleh gave a statement:

(A P)

Yemen’s General People’s Congress calls for ‘uniting against Iranian project’

The command of the General People's Congress in support of legitimacy in Yemen said it supports the "popular uprising against Houthi militias and called on everyone to unite to deter the Iranian project in the country."

A statement issued by the party’s command welcomed a “new page” and voiced the importance of fighting until they achieve victory and resume the political process.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2017/12/03/Yemen-s-President-Hadi-We-support-every-party-facing-Iran-backed-Houthis.html

My comment: There is no “Iranian project” in Yemen.

(* A P)

Some 90 Killed in Yemen Clashes Between Forces Loyal to Saleh, Houthis – Source

Four-day clashes between former allies in Yemen's capital of Sanaa have resulted in heavy casualties.

SANAA (Sputnik) — At least 90 people were killed in clashes between Houthi rebels and forces loyal to Yemen's former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, which used to be allies in fight against the country's current government headed by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a military source told Sputnik on Saturday, adding that Saleh's supporters seized 75 percent of the territory of the country's capital Sanaa.

"The elite forces, known as the republican guard, have established today control over the southern and eastern sides of the capital by 75 percent, occasional clashes continue with a limited number of Houthis," the source from forces loyal to Saleh said.

According to the source, the republican guard took control over the presidential residence, a number of military camps, as well as the Sanaa international airport and police academy.

While the fighting is currently taking place in the western part of the city, further action by Saleh supporters is set to take place in Sanaa's north, where the power of Houthis is concentrated, the source emphasized.

https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712021059641424-victims-clashes-forces-yemen/

(* A P)

Sanaa streets empty as Saleh's forces try to take capital from Houthis

Dozens are killed on both sides, including civilians, but there are no specific figures for casualties

Streets are empty, schools and universities announced a temporary holiday until further notice, people fled their houses in conflict zones, shops and companies were closed as military vehicles and fighters spread everywhere in the capital city on Saturday.

Most residents stayed home as clashes broke out in the streets between former allies Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Houthi forces as each side tries to take control of the city.

Zuhair al-Asbahi, a resident of Baghdad Street in central Sanaa, said that clashes broke out there and in surrounding areas the previous night and were still fiercely ongoing in several areas.

Asbahi said most of his neighbours fled amid the clashes, but he prefers to stay with his family to guard his house.

Dozens were killed on both sides, including civilians, but there are no specific figures about casualties. "We hear the ambulances pass in the street towards al-Mutawakel Hospital," he said.

Public institutions have declared holiday for employees until further notice.

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/sanaa-streets-empty-salehs-forces-try-take-capital-houthis-696267767

And there also are Saudi air strikes at Sanaa:

(* A P)

Saudi-led coalition provides air support for Yemen's Saleh

Aircraft from the Saudi-led coalition bombed Houthi positions in Sanaa overnight on Sunday, residents and local media said, aiming to shore up supporters of former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh as they battle the Iran-aligned Houthi group.

The Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television said coalition aircraft pounded Houthi outposts in southern Sanaa, but gave no details on casualties. Residents reported at least five air strikes shook the highlands of the area.

Inside the city, residents said that Houthi fighters seized television studios of Yemen Today, a news channel owned by Saleh, after clashes that damaged the building. Residents said 20 employees were trapped inside the building.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security/saudi-led-coalition-provides-air-support-for-yemens-saleh-idUSKBN1DX07O

(* A P)

Saudi air strikes targeting positions of the #Houthis milita in #Sana'a and #Amran Local residents in #Sanaa said that 5 strikes targeted Al-Suwad (Camp 48) and Al-Nahdeen camp south Sanaa These strikes came after #Houthis militia claimed control over the city. (photo)

https://twitter.com/RaidanAmeen/status/937084057502052353/photo/1

Coalition fighter jets just bombed reinforcement coming in for Houthis from Sanaa suburbs

https://twitter.com/Ndawsari/status/937063623024922625

Coalition warplanes launched a raid on pro-Saleh forces camp Jarban in Sanhan (#Sanaa

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1574821132570911/?type=3

Sana'a now under Saudi led bombardment up to now 3 airstrikes shakes the houses Saudi led warplanes still hoovering over Sana'a looking for civilians to kill

https://twitter.com/abdullaalkebsy/status/937063528359448576

(* A P)

Yemen's rebel alliance disintegrates as rivals fight for control of Sana'a

Iran-backed Houthi rebels battle forces loyal to former president as UN calls for end to Saudi-led coalition’s blockade

Violent clashes between rival factions in Yemen’s rebel-held capital have continued for the fourth straight day as forces loyal to a former president and Iran-backed Houthi rebels faced off in the streets of Sana’a, signalling disintegration in the rebel alliance that has been at war with a Saudi-led coalition for nearly three years.

Fighting intensified on Saturday, according to accounts of local residents who said loud explosions were heard overnight across the city and into the morning. Mediation efforts by tribal elders and officials over the past few days have come to no avail.

“It’s been like a street war,” one resident said, adding that ambulances have been ferrying the wounded to hospitals.

Over the course of the day both sides claimed control of sensitive areas in the capital, including the airport, but nothing was confirmed.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/02/yemen-rebel-alliance-disintegrates-rivals-fight-control-sanaa

(* A B P)

The Beginning of the End for Yemen's Rebel Alliance

The rebel alliance has always been tenuous. In the past when clashes have broken out between Saleh and Houthi supporters, their leadership has stepped in to try to quell the violence. In August, for instance, leaders on each side pushed talks to mediate violent clashes between the allied rebel forcesand volleys back and forth between GPC and Houthi-affiliated media stations.

It is unlikely that Saleh would make a statement about being willing to work with the coalition without having discussed the possibility with Saudi Arabia beforehand, either directly or indirectly. Although the GCC-backed and internationally recognized president of Yemen, Abd Rabboh Mansour Hadi, has yet to comment, a notable statement from Riyadh-installed Yemeni Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar approving of Saleh's statement helps underline Saudi acquiescence. Saleh is positioning himself and his GPC loyalists for an optimal position in political negotiations, and it appears he is so far successful. This could nudge stagnant political negotiations forward and tilt the war further in the GCC-led coalition's favor.

For the war, the breakup of the Houthi-Saleh alliance will be detrimental to the Houthis' capabilities to continue fighting. Without Saleh and his fighters, the Houthis will struggle to hold the line against the GCC-led forces. They likely will begin to lose key positions in central Yemen and will be gradually driven northward, to their core highland territory. If Saleh's forces were to outright join forces with the GCC-led coalition, this process would only accelerate.

https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/beginning-end-yemens-rebel-alliance

(A P)

"Time to open up a new chapter in #Yemen", vice president & veteran General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar welcomed new position taken by former dictator #Saleh pegging #Houthi rebels as "religious extremists"

https://twitter.com/SaadAbedine/status/936934529742274566

Comment: Unbelievable, well almost, Ali Mohsen issues a statement echoing his old Boss in calling for a revolt agst the Houthis. This total flip might bring them back full circle! What a movie this would make, were it not for the real victims it leaves in its wake.

https://twitter.com/khoury_nabeel/status/936928066831552513

(A P)

Consultations in Yemen to form military council headed by Saleh’s nephew

Al-Arabiya has learnt from informed sources that the former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is holding consultations to form a military council headed by Colonel Tariq Mohammed Abdullah Saleh, the son of his brother, and that it would be announced very soon.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2017/12/02/Consultations-in-Yemen-to-form-military-council-headed-by-Saleh-s-nephew.html

(* A P)

GPC at helm of affairs and siding with Yemenis will rid country of terror militias: Saudi-led coalition supporting legitimacy

The Saudi-led coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen has said that the General People's Congress, GPC's, retrieval of the lead in Yemen and siding with the Yemeni people, will rid the country from "evils of the sectarian and terrorist militias."

The coalition is closely following the ongoing developments of the disagreement between the "two parties of the coup" in Sana’a and other Yemeni provinces.

In a statement on Saturday, the coalition said that the current events obviously reveal the pressures of the Iran-affiliated Houthi militants and their control, by force, on the resolutions and destinies of the Yemeni people. This has led to the "explosion in the situation" between the two parties of the coup.

The coalition realises that the honourable members and leaders of the GPC and the genuine Yemenis, who have been forced to remain under the control of the Iranian-backed sectarian militants, "have experienced hard times," the statement added.

It reiterated the coalition's support to the interests of the Yemeni people to maintain their territorial integrity, identity, unity and social fabric within the framework of the Arab, regional and international security.

http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302651509

My comment: Saudi / UAE propaganda tries to embrace the Saleh party labeling them as “honorable” and as “genuine Yemenis” (as if the Houthis were no Yemenis) and enforcing their anti-Houthi propaganda – as whatever, “sectarian” (this is what all non-Wahabists are in Saudi opinion), “terrorist”, non Yemeni, Iranians. This article is from Emirati press Agency WAM, similar are articles from Saudi media:

(A P)

Headline: Uprising against Houthis

http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/523260/World/Mena/Uprising-against-Houthis

Emirati “The National” gives an overview and some more details:

(*A P)

The end of the unholy alliance as Yemen's Saleh dumps the Houthis

It comes amid fierce clashes between Saleh loyalists and Houthi fighters on the streets of the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, with the Saleh loyalists now in control of most of the city

The coalition welcomed Mr Saleh's comments, releasing a statement via the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) which said: "The decision by (Mr Saleh's) General People's Congress (party) to take the lead and their choice to side with their people will free Yemen of … militias loyal to Iran."

Meanwhile, Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, tweeted that Qatari mediation "which aims to rescue the sectarian militia of Al Houthi … is not going to succeed".

Dr Gargash followed up with another tweet some hours later, saying, " Sanaa and Yemen's revolution is awakening from the nightmare of following the deceiving calls for sectarianism, which are against the interest of the Yemeni people."

It came as a source in Sanaa told The National that residents were beginning to flee their homes on Saturday amid "fierce confrontations" between forces loyal to Mr Saleh and Houthi rebels.

Fighting escalated with the two sides using heavy weaponry, including mortars, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and anti-aircraft cannons, the source said. The number of fatalities is unknown but images on social media showed many dead.

Another witness, Ashraf Mamoon, who lives in Sanaa and works in a tool shop in Algeria Street, one of Saturday's conflict areas, told The National, "All public institutions, including schools and University went on holiday today because of the clashes. Many residents have run away to save their families and many dare not leave their houses at all. The violence is ongoing."

Mr Mamoon also said both sides were using Kalashnikovs and mortars.

A senior official in the rebel-run moral guidance department said elite renegade soldiers loyal to Mr Saleh had made major advances against the Houthis, seizing key rebel positions in the city and surrounding areas at rapid speed.

Most of the capital is now controlled by either Republican Guard forces or tribesmen loyal to Mr Saleh, the official said, adding that Saleh loyalists north of Sanaa were preventing any Houthi reinforcements from entering the city from the rebels' northern stronghold of Saada.

The official said Mr Saleh had called on his forces to return to their headquarters to keep the city safe, however, though political analysts expected the city to fall completely to his loyalists within hours.

https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/the-end-of-the-unholy-alliance-as-yemen-s-saleh-dumps-the-houthis-1.680702

and other details in Saudi Asharq Al-Awsat:

(* A P)

Qatar Fails to Save Yemen’s Houthis

The Qatari regime had been attempting since Friday to mediate a rapprochement between the Houthi militias and former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s forces, an informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat on Saturday.
Saleh has however rejected the mediation and Doha therefore failed in seizing control of the situation in Yemen and reaching any form of calm or agreement.

The Houthis retaliated to the Saleh advance by deploying four tanks on the streets of Sana’a in order to intimidate and terrorize the people and dissuade them from backing the former president.
In addition, the source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the police in Sana’a refused Houthi leadership orders to attack Saleh supporters in the al-Seyasy neighborhoods.
This is the beginning of a rebellion against the Houthi militias in Sana’a, it added.
Tribal forces have meanwhile mobilized to support Saleh.
Three Houthi leaders have so far been killed in the clashes that began on Friday

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1101181/qatar-fails-save-yemen%E2%80%99s-houthis

My comment: There still is the Saudi anti-Qatar campaign – therefore the Yemen case can be used for anti-Qatar propaganda.

And more and interesting details again by Emirati “The National”, of course mixed with general propaganda demonizing the Houthis:

(* A P)

Cheers for ex-president Saleh, jeers for the Houthis who tore Yemen apart

The break-up of the Saleh-Houthi alliance offers hope of resolving the civil war

Few people in Sanaa will shed a tear if the Houthis are swept out of Yemen.They have inflicted more than a year of terrible hardship and humiliation on the northern part of the country.

On Saturday the street and the markets echoed to the sound of cheers for the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and jeers for the Houthis.

The two were, until recently, allies.

In political terms, what is happening in Sanaa signifies a sudden collapse for the rebels, saidt Mohammed Al Nakeeb, a political analyst working in the moral guidance department in the Yemeni army.

"The Houthi militias are shrinking so fast because they lost the support and the protection of the cordon of tribes north of Sanaa on which they relied. What is happening in Sanaa is a big change in the political equation and the beginning of a solution to the crisis in Yemen, especially in the north of the country.

"The coalition of the coup has gone and one of the two sides is going to disappear. According to results on the ground, the former president has superiority so far. Meanwhile the rebels are diminishing very fast, which means that Saleh will take control on Sanaa and the northern provinces and Iran and its proxies in the extreme north are going to be kicked out," Mr Al Nakeeb said.

Political analyst Abdulkhalk Al Hood/, editor-in-chief of the Al Mashhad Al Arabi news website, said the potential defeat of the Houthis in Sanaa was less crucial to the people in the southern part of Yemen.

https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/cheers-for-ex-president-saleh-jeers-for-the-houthis-who-tore-yemen-apart-1.680813

My comment: It seems whether the label as “rebel” now just should be given to the Houthis and no more to Saleh and his GPC party.

(* A P)

Sana’a Residents Revolt against Iran’s Militias

The Yemeni people revolted on Saturday against the Iranian militias in the capital Sana’a.
They took to the streets to renew their rejection of the terrorist practices of the militias.
They welcomed the latest developments that kicked off on Wednesday with the eruption of clashes between Houthi militias and the supporters of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The locals said that their country has suffered from the militias, which have turned Yemen into a swamp of Iranian terrorism.
The Yemeni people on Saturday stood against the militias’ ambitions, rejecting their ongoing aggression.
They declared that their country has had enough of three years of civilian killings and recruitment of child soldiers.
The Yemeni tribes have backed Saleh’s General People’s Congress and joined them in fighting against the Houthis in Sana’a.

There have also been reports of uprisings against the militia in areas outside of the capital.
The recent developments in Yemen have been positively received on the social media platforms of Twitter and Facebook, with many users saying that they have had enough with the Houthis and also rejecting “Iranian agents, who are destroying our country.”

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1101191/sana%E2%80%99-residents-revolt-against-iran%E2%80%99s-militias

Comment: A Saudi paper is allowed to use the "R" word... But when the context is that the "revolution" is actually revenge by followers of a ruler ousted by mass protests during #ArabSpring ...it all makes sense

https://twitter.com/osamabinjavaid/status/937083966032527360

Comment: This is of course a Saudi newspaper and as usual steep in propaganda. The protest was not against the Houthis but against the Saudi blockade that was and is starving them to death. The people did not rise against the Houthis but Saleh and his army followers did, and they are getting a few tribes to support them. At the end of the day if Saleh is still in charge of Yemen what was this war about for God's sake except for killing the democratic hopes of Yemen and replacing it with a desperation of survival.

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156167516998641

My comment: Saudi propaganda labels the Houthis as “Iranians”, which is odd as they are Yemenis as all other factions in Yemen too. And the Saudis never forget their greater case when claiming the Houthis “have turned Yemen into a swamp of Iranian terrorism.”

And see also this gem of Saudi propaganda:

YEMEN: Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the country says today's developments are "the start of Iran's expulsion from the region"

https://twitter.com/spectatorindex/status/936939459173539841

(A P)

Houthi Militias Threaten to Kill Former Yemeni President

The Houthi militias indirectly threatened on Saturday to kill formed Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
A spokesman for the militias said that there was a valid reason to kill the former president.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1101171/houthi-militias-threaten-kill-former-yemeni-president

My comment: Fact or fiction? The Houthis had hoped reconciliation could be possible, what proofed to be wrong.

(* A P)

Arab coalition calls on ‘honest Yemenis’ to unify efforts around their uprising

The Arab coalition fighting the Houthi rebels in Yemen made a statement on Saturday amidst the ongoing fierce clashes in Sanaa.
The Saudi-led alliance said it is determined that it has maintained its position on all Yemeni ground.
The coalition added it recognizes the noble members of the the Yemeni General People’s Congress (GPC), the GPC’s leadership and the Yemeni people who were forced to remain under Houthi-Iranian control.
Also, the coalition recognizes that these noble individuals have endured numerous murder threats, torture, bombings and seizure of public and private property.
Similarly, the coalition noted that their brothers in the alliance towards restoring legitimacy in Yemen was keen that the restoration of their initiative and their allegiance to the Yemeni people – and the Yemeni people’s stand in the circumstances – would rid Yemen of the Iranian sectarian terrorist militia's evils.
The Arab coalition called on ‘honest Yemenis’ to unify their efforts around their uprising.

https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/35085/Arab-coalition-calls-on-%E2%80%98honest-Yemenis%E2%80%99-to-unify-efforts-around

My comment: This is a renewed Saudi propaganda roundup. Propaganda will go this way now?

(* A P)

Saudi, allies hail Saleh for 'taking the lead' in Yemen

A Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Huthi rebels praised former president Ali Abdullah Saleh Saturday for "taking the lead" after he announced he was open to talks with the coalition.

"The decision by (Saleh's) General People's Congress to take the lead and their choice to side with their people will free Yemen of... militias loyal to Iran," the coalition said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5138989/Saudi-allies-hail-Saleh-taking-lead-Yemen.html and https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-coalition/saudi-led-coalition-says-confident-salehs-gpc-to-return-to-arab-fold-idUSKBN1DW0B4

(*A P)

Arab Coalition Joins Saleh in Call Against Houthis in Yemen

The Saudi-led Arab coalition has backed calls by former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to rise against Shiite Houthi rebels.

“Restoring initiative by the members of the General People’s Congress party and their alliance with Yemeni people will allow Yemen to get rid of the evils of the sectarian Iranian terrorist militias,” the coalition said in the statement.

This follows a speech by Saleh earlier on Saturday in which he said Yemeni people must “defend their republic” against the Houthis, who control parts of the country in a coalition with him. He urged the Saudis, who back the former government, to stop their air strikes and lift all blockades.

A breakup of Saleh’s alliance with the Houthis would be a blow to the Iran-backed Shiite rebels and benefit the Saudi Arabia-led coalition in its attempts to reinstate the government of ousted elected President Abdurabu Mansur Hadi.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-02/yemen-s-saleh-calls-on-supporters-to-rise-up-against-houthis

(* A P)

Yemen's Huthi rebels slam Saleh speech as 'coup'

Yemen's Huthi rebels accused ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh Saturday of staging a "coup" against their fragile alliance, after the strongman said he was open to talks with the Saudi-led coalition fighting them.

"Saleh's speech is a coup against our alliance and partnership ... and exposed the deception of those who claim to stand against aggression," a Huthi spokesman said in a statement carried by the rebels' Al Masirah TV.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5138945/Yemens-Huthi-rebels-slam-Saleh-speech-coup.html

Comment: Well there was a time when the Saudis were having talks with the Houthis and excluded Saleh prior to the Kuwait talks. Recently it's been the other way round. The Houthis main issue was that Saleh was negotiating behind their backs - that was the reason for the current fall out - but BBC are now reporting that Saleh has dumped the Houthis and is going to start talks with Saudi Arabia. It seems that BBC and the GCC are good at making things up on the hoof. And yes it is a sort of coup. Now what's interesting is the talks between Islah and the Houthis - are these old enemies going to be the next rebel group against Saudi and its western allies? And will the Houthis and their enemies now destroy Sanaa like Islah and its enemies destroyed Taiz? It's change but it brings more uncertainty and apprehension.

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156167509603641

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Yemen rebel ally Saleh says open to talks with Saudis

Yemeni strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh said Saturday he was open to talks with the Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed rebels, as his alliance with the Huthi insurgents appeared to be crumbling.

"I call on our brothers in neighbouring countries ... to stop their aggression and lift the blockade ... and we will turn the page," the former president said in a televised speech.

"We vow to our brothers and neighbours that, after a ceasefire is in place and the blockade is lifted ... we will hold dialogue directly through the legitimate authority represented by our parliament."

http://www.france24.com/en/20171202-yemen-rebel-ally-saleh-says-open-talks-with-saudis

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Yemen's Saleh says ready for 'new page' with Saudi-led coalition

Former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said on Saturday he was ready for a “new page” in relations with the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen if it stopped attacks on his country.

“I call upon the brothers in neighboring states and the alliance to stop their aggression, lift the siege, open the airports and allow food aid and the saving of the wounded and we will turn a new page by virtue of our neighborliness,” Saleh said in a televised speech.

“We will deal with them in a positive way and what happened to Yemen is enough,” he added.

Saleh, who was forced to step down by a 2011 mass uprising against his 33 years in office, said Yemen’s parliament, which is dominated by his GPC party, was the only legitimate power in the country and was ready for talks with the coalition.

The Saudi-led coalition welcomed Saleh’s change of stance.

In a statement carried by the Saudi-owned Al-Hadath channel, the coalition said it was “confident of the will of the leaders and sons” of Saleh’s General People’s Congress (GPC) party to return to Arab fold.

The Houthis accused Saleh of betrayal, and vowed to keep up the fight against the Saudi-led coalition.

“It is not strange or surprising that Saleh turns back on a partnership he never believed in,” the group’s political bureau said in a statement. “The priority has been and still is to confront the forces of aggression.”

Residents of Sanaa described heavy fighting on the streets of Hadda, a southern residential district of the Yemeni capital where many of Saleh’s relatives live, early on Saturday, with sounds of explosions and gunfire heard while the streets were deserted.

The fighting eased in the afternoon as Saleh supporters gained the upper hand, but intermittent gunfire was being heard.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security/yemens-saleh-says-ready-for-new-page-with-saudi-led-coalition-idUSKBN1DW08P

Comment by Judith Brown: Well...I guess the return of Saleh was a demand of UAE. And now what they demanded seems to be happening.

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156167489243641

More Comments: Too bad for Yemen. Good for Saudi Arabia, UAE as aggressors and occupiers!

https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/936951413099433984

Saleh supporters immediately forgot all the crimes of the coalition, and air strike at the funeral ceremony.

https://twitter.com/YemeniObserv/status/936952312806952960

Saleh positioning himself to lead a revolution is certainly one hell of a full circle moment.

https://twitter.com/adammbaron/status/936931695974080514

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Yemen War: Saleh vows to make peace if Saudis end attacks

Saleh's calls came during a live television address on Saturday, in which he vowed to change if Saudi Arabia stopped its "aggression" and lifted restrictions on Yemen.

"I call on our brothers in neighbouring countries ... to stop their aggression and lift the blockade ... and we will turn the page," Saleh said.

"We vow to our brothers and neighbours that, after a ceasefire is in place and the blockade is lifted ... we will hold dialogue directly through the legitimate authority represented by our parliament."

Saleh's demands were made in a bid to pave the way for an end to three years of war and came as fighing between his supporters and Houthi rebels - his former allies- intensified in Yemen's capital Sanaa.

The Houthis condemned Saleh's speech and accused him of staging a "coup" against their alliance with the former president's supporters by attempting to ally with their Saudi foes.

"Saleh's speech is a coup against our alliance and partnership ... and exposed the deception of those who claim to stand against aggression," a Houthi spokesman said in a statement carried by the rebels' Al Masirah TV.

Residents described heavy fighting on the streets of Hadda, a residential district in southern Sanaa where many of Saleh's relatives live.

The fighting resumed after a lull of several hours brought about by mediation efforts that sought to resolve the dispute.

Saleh's General People's Congress (GPC) party accused the Houthis of failing to honour the truce and said in a statement on its website that the Houthis bear responsibility for dragging the country into a civil war.

It also called on supporters, including tribal fighters, to "defend themselves, their country, their revolution and their republic".

The GPC appealed to the army and security forces to remain neutral in the conflict.

The Houthis' Ansarullah group, in a statement issued on its Twitter account, described the clashes as "regrettable" and said: "It is happening in coordination with it," referring to the

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/yemen-war-saleh-vows-change-if-saudi-attacks-ends-attacks-1963021445 and by BBC http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42208360 and AFP https://www.afp.com/en/news/23/yemen-rebel-alliance-teeters-strongman-turns-saudis-doc-ut22h1 and Aljazeera http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/yemen-houthis-saleh-overture-saudi-coup-171202120859264.html and also by Emirati media, with timetable http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/yemen/yemen-rebel-alliance-teeters-as-strongman-turns-to-saudis-1.2133803 and dw http://www.dw.com/en/yemen-rebel-leader-ali-abdullah-saleh-seeks-dialogue-amid-escalating-violence/a-41625210

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What's truly sickening is the knowledge that this is exactly what would have happened 2 years ago if not for the coalition's intervention. Two years and tens of thousands of lives, for absolutely nothing.

https://twitter.com/YemenPeaceNews/status/936981437768757248

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Houthi Leader Says Saleh Supporters’ Behavior ‘Unjustifiable’, Urges Wisdom

Abdelmalek al-Houthi, leader of the Yemen’s Houthi Ansarullah movement, criticized moves by supporters of the country’s former president Ali Abdullah Saleh against the revolutionary movement, saying the “irresponsible” and “suspicious” behavior cannot be justified.

“Such behaviors are unjustifiable,” al-Houthi said on Saturday in response to measures taken by supporters of Saleh, the head of Yemeni General People’s Congress (GPC) party, against the Houthi Ansarullah movement.

He added, “We were caught unawares by a wave of attacks by individuals affiliated with General People’s Congress party”.

Stressing that Yemen’s interests lie in avoiding sedition, the Houthi leader called on citizens and tribal fighters to focus on the battle against the invading Saudi regime and stay away from any provocative acts.

“I appeal to the leader Saleh to show more wisdom and maturity... not to heed incitement calls, and help restore security to the country through cooperation,” al-Houthi further said.

“Disagreements (between the two sides) can be settled through negotiation, and invaders and enemies will get the most out of the sedition,” he said, urging Saleh to abandon such “irresponsible” and “suspicious” moves.

https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2017/12/02/1590314/houthi-leader-says-saleh-supporters-behavior-unjustifiable-urges-wisdom

and

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Houthi leader urges dialog amid rift

The leader of Yemen's popular Houthi Ansarullah movement, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, has urged dialog toward the resolution of standing differences with former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and the forces loyal to him.

Speaking in a televised address on Saturday, Houthi said there had to be negotiations between the two sides to close the rift.

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/12/02/544217/Yemen-Houthi-Saleh-Saudi-Arabia

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Excerpts from the speech of Abdulmalik Al-Houthi this evening:

  • Shame on a Saleh and his militias which called today to bloodshed between the sons of one homeland.
  • States of aggression supported the steps of Saleh militias and their criminal practices, and this reveals their current position in the line of aggression, including media.
  • Saleh's position and his militias is a clear step that reveals coordination with aggression and action in his favor.
  • We did not wish Saleh to stand this negative and traitorous attitude to the Yemeni people.
  • What Saleh did and his militias is a betrayal of the homeland and a stab in the back.
  • No to incitement, no to Subversion, no to touch security and stability, and Yes to keep the Yemeni blood.
  • Our problem is not with Al-Mutamar Congress, but with the militias of Saleh

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1574657982587226

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AL-SAMMAD EMPHASIZES SAYYID ABDUL MALIK’S CALL FOR WISDOM, SANA’A RETURNED TO NORMALCY

Al-Sammad emphasizes Sayyid Abdul Malik’s call for wisdom, Sana’a returned to normalcy

The head of the Supreme Political Council, Saleh Al-Samad, on Saturday assured citizens in the capital Sana’a and the entire Yemeni people that the general situation in the capital is normal and the situation is being contained, praising the invitation of Mr. Abdul Malik Badr al-Din al-Huthi.

The President praised the invitation of the leader of the revolution, Sayyid Abdulmalik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, to the leadership of the General People’s Congress to give wisdom and stand with the homeland and the Yemeni people

http://www.yemenpress.org/slider/al-sammad-emphasizes-sayyid-abdul-maliks-call-for-wisdom-sanaa-returned-to-normalcy.html

My comment: Time over?

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Forces allied to Yemen’s Saleh control major areas in Sanaa

Yemen's General People's Congress (GPC) forces, allied to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, gained control of key areas in the capital Sanaa on Saturday.

The forces expelled Houthis from Mahwit city and were also able to control the defense ministry complex in Sanaa.

Reports claimed that the Houthi military intelligence chief was detained, while negotiations over establishing a military council to be headed by Colonel Tariq Saleh - nephew of Ali Abdallah Saleh - were also taking place.

Since the start of the clashes, at least 80 people have been killed and 150 others were wounded. Meanwhile, the Houthi militia leader called on Saleh to be reasonable and threatened to “enforce a security dispersal.”

Forces belonging to the GPC also gained "complete control" of the Sanaa Airport from the Houthi militia, an Al Arabiya correspondent reported on Saturday.

The GPC are holding Houthis responsible for "igniting war," a statement from the party founded by ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh said as fierce clashes erupted in the capital Sanaa.

Forces belonging to the GPC arrested a Houthi leader in Kaziz military camp south of the capital, as there were reports that the building of Yemen's state television was surrounded by the Republican Guard.

Fierce clashes were also reported near Saleh's home.

The Yemeni GPC called on armed forces and government employees to disobey Houthi orders.

According to Al Arabiya Channel sources, the conflict has also directly affected the capital where traffic flow has come to a complete halt amid safety concerns.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2017/12/02/Clashes-erupt-in-Sanaa-as-truce-was-shortlived-.html

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Film: Yemen clashes between rival groups leaves city on edge

A rift between two factions in Yemen's war - who were allied until this week - has brought fighting to the streets of the capital, Sanaa.

Soumaya Beltifa, a spokesperson for the International Committee for the Red Cross, told the BBC that fighting in Sanaa is happening right next to the group's offices and residence.

http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-middle-east-42210275/yemen-clashes-between-rival-groups-leaves-city-on-edge?intlink_from_url&link_location=live-reporting-map

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News in social media:

Not particularly great timing, 90% of Yemen focused journalists are in Jordan attending a conference and the other 10% are traveling around the world. For updates on Sana'a events follow @HamedGhaleb @LoayMerhi @BaFana3 @HishamAlRadhi #Yemen #Sanaa #HouthiPurge

https://twitter.com/RawanSSA18/status/936943622758522880

Film: The Republican Guard forces are targeting a military vehicle belonging to the Al-Houthi sectarian militias in Taiz Street beside Al-Dabbibi building in the center of Sana'a

https://twitter.com/AdenNowNews/status/936947670295433216

Photo: Al Amal Bank, Bagdad Street, #Sanaa

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1574537502599274/?type=3

BREAKING: Houthis have been expelled from Saudi, Emirati and Sudanese embassies in Yemeni capital of Sanaa

https://twitter.com/spectatorindex/status/936929494232834054

The cleansing and cleaning operation of the capital of Sana'a is being completed by the Houthi terrorist militias and the Republican Guard forces continue to occupy their strongholds and barracks and kill and injure large numbers and capture scores of security leaders and a mass escape out of the capital for fear of confrontation and confrontation (photo)

https://twitter.com/AdenNowNews/status/937032961475653633

Video: Zayed al-Awadi brother of Yasser al-Awadi dominate the special forces hospital in the neighborhood of the net in the capital Sanaa, which is taken by the Houthis based, and the elements of Houthis were expelled from him and remove their slogans

https://twitter.com/AlbukaitiKhalid/status/937084686324641793

Photo: Amusement Park "fun city" in #Sanaa is burning due to heavy clashes between Houthis and Republican guards!

https://twitter.com/HishamAlRadhi/status/936960822911426560

#Sanaa
- fighting continues in Hadda and South
- Al Motamar Party website shut down by Houthis
- Yemen today station shut down by Houthis
- people in the streets erasing Houthi signs and posters
- new signs being painted in the street 'No more Houthis after today'

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1574518595934498/?type=3

Photo: #Sanaa, new paintings on walls, covering Houthi slogans, saying "No Houthi after today"..

https://twitter.com/HishamAlRadhi/status/936961860573769728

Film: Another angle of the fight in Sanaa & people shouting for sacrificing for #Yemen & only Yemen against Houthis

https://twitter.com/OsamahAlrawhani/status/936954615303753728

Film: In #Sanaa today, civilians taking down pictures of Hussein Al-Houthi, founder of movement, from Light pillars in most of the capital streets & stepping on them chanting what usually Saleh follower chant: With our souls and our blood we will sacrifice for #Yemen!

https://twitter.com/HishamAlRadhi/status/936949546059476992

Photo: People started toppling down Houthis' hatred slogans & flags...Quick development, yet it can't be that easy.

https://twitter.com/OsamahAlrawhani/status/936915000047779841

the same in film: https://twitter.com/Ali_Albukhaiti/status/936985145260892161

https://twitter.com/Ali_Albukhaiti/status/936979187247800320

Photo: Burning Houthi headquarters in Sanaa.

https://twitter.com/JosephJo1221/status/936917620263022593

Film: General People's Congress Party of moderation and moderation are going to tear up the slogans of the Shiite militias Houthi

https://twitter.com/AdenNowNews/status/936920964880678913

Photo: Burnt car, Sanaa

https://twitter.com/thedentisttt30/status/936919527543025665

Film: Now in Sanaa #Yemen

https://twitter.com/OsamahAlrawhani/status/936953971536793600 For the first time since the war started, all powers and people agree on the fight against Houthis. They have nothing left #Yemen

https://twitter.com/OsamahAlrawhani/status/936912233082142721

Houthis started to take their slogan green flags from buildings & cars. That is either a sign of defeat or tactics for dirty street fight

https://twitter.com/OsamahAlrawhani/status/936897533430808576

Film: People in Sana'a raising the #Yemen flag against Houthis. Popular support against Houthis appears to happen all across the country

https://twitter.com/OsamahAlrawhani/status/936896993246437377

Film: Video : In the midst of intense street battles, Yemeni kids in capital Sanaa make fun of the Houthi militia.

https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/936962730053062656

Houthi second-man in command, calls here revolutionaries in the tribesmen to help security, if necessary, to foil the conspiracy against Sanaa.

https://twitter.com/Moh_Alhouthi/status/936883996255928320

#Houthi_leader: all residents of Sanaa enjoyed peace. And now those[Saleh’s supporters]are seeking to undermine it

https://twitter.com/saeedalBatati/status/936983261095645190

Reports that fighting near one of the main hospitals in Sanaa forced doctors to hide/flee - sick children stuck there. essential that all sides allow unhindered humanitarian access as @ICRC has called for

https://twitter.com/CarolineAnning/status/936948530715025409

Due to today’s fighting, 1000’s #children could die as they’re left unattended in hospitals and health care centers in Sana’a

https://twitter.com/RashaMuhrez/status/936937572894478336

Weeks of blockade and now MSF is forced to suspend travel to projects and flights in and out of Sana’a due to heavy fighting. For Yemen’s population, caught in the middle of the violence, it’s another day they can’t get to hospitals.

https://twitter.com/msf_yemen/status/936892790222438401

Heavy fighting across #Sanaa while civilians hide in their basements. People in #Yemen are hungry, sick and tired of the violence. As our colleague said, 'We are drained. We have had more than enough and I do not know if we can cope with more'.

https://twitter.com/suzevanmeegen/status/936866940051537921

Heavy weapons involved in the #Sanaa battles, the roads out of #Sanaa are now blocked, both #Saleh & the #Houthi’s are calling for reinforcements. Terrifying for the millions of civilians caught in middle.

https://twitter.com/BBCNawalMaghafi/status/936870031874342912

Film: #Sanaa, Republican guards, Saleh forces, restore many of security vehicles from Houthis, as you can see soldier removing Houthi slogan sticker from the hood and chanting : with our souls and our blood we will sacrifice for #Yemen!

https://twitter.com/HishamAlRadhi/status/936856880546066433

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Yemen: Houthi Supporters Hold Massive Rally for Prophet Mohammad's Birth

IN PICTURES: Thousands of Houthi supporters in Yemen rallied on the day of the Prophet's birth, known as Mawlid.

A sea of green-and-white-clad Houthi supporters have held a rally in Yemen's war-torn capital city, Sana'a, on the day of Prophet Mohammad's birth. Thousands showed up, celebrating the holy day while rejecting the Saudi-Arabian, Western-backed war and blockade on the Arab Gulf's poorest country.

https://www.telesurtv.net/english/multimedia/Yemen-Houthi-Supporters-Hold-Massive-Rally-for-Prophet-Mohammads-Birth-20171201-0017.html

My comment: That’s really strange – this Houthi rally at sanna is just a few days ago.

And for understanding all of this, this article from June 13, 2017, still is crucial:

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Sanaa’s Survivor: How Saleh Is Still Calling the Shots in Yemen

Saleh’s story is remarkable. To begin with, he is still alive, despite odds that were heavily against him as a deposed autocrat of the Arab Spring. He has also managed to maneuver back into a position of power, where he continues to do what he does best: cause mayhem for his own gain. As the least recognized of the Middle East’s dictators, Saleh has done this with little international attention.

Saleh’s Fall—and Ascent

Unlikely Roots

Saleh proved to have the political mind of a genius. Whether he’s an evil genius or a necessary one depends on who is describing him.
“In a tribal society like Yemen where relations are built upon knowing each other, Saleh had the greatest talent to follow the details of personalities and families,” says Mustapha Noman, a former Yemeni diplomat.
Saleh was skilled at playing Yemen’s various factions and personalities off of one another to strengthen his hold on power. When he needed to weaken one tribe, he fomented conflict between it and another tribe. When he needed to weaken the communists in South Yemen, he used the Islamist party, al-Islah, to his advantage. When he needed to weaken al-Islah, he courted the Americans.
This occurred on the scale of individual dynamics as well. Saleh would find the fissures in the relationship between any two powerful people, whether government officials or tribal sheikhs, and he would exploit them.
It was through his close attention to the details of Yemen’s social fabric that Saleh was able to rule a country that is so unruly.

If Saleh was not able to ensnare powerful Yemeni families by offers of financial corruption, he blackmailed them.

“He wasn’t a dictator,” according to the Yemeni official. “He was a manipulator. We said everything we wanted, and he would do whatever he wanted.”
Under Saleh, Yemen remained underdeveloped, poor, conflict-ridden and undereducated. Tackling these issues was not Saleh’s priority. Yemen does have energy resources: oil, natural gas, strategic ports and fertile land, but this wealth never resulted in economic development that trickled down.

Undoing Yemen’s Social Fabric

Following his success in the 1994 civil war, say Yemeni officials, Saleh began to feel invincible.

Against the Islamists, Saleh found willing supporters among his repertoire of alliances: As an ally in the U.S. war on terror, Saleh received financial, tactical and political support from Washington.
Yet Saleh would never be quite the ally that the U.S. needed him to be. He used military aid intended specifically for counterterrorism operations against domestic foes who had nothing to do with al-Qaida. I

Breaking Saleh

What ultimately convinced Saleh to resign in the fall of 2011 was the quiet threat of a travel ban and international financial sanctions; his net worth was estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. At the time he stepped down, the only Arab leader who had been in power longer than Saleh was Sultan Qaboos of Oman.
Saleh, though, was granted immunity. And until 2014, the U.N. used the threat of sanctions as a stick, but never actually implemented them, offering him an opportunity to tie up loose ends.

Saleh was finally sanctioned after the Houthis took over the capital in September 2014, but so far only a fraction of his money has been affected. He remains in Sanaa to this day, meeting with ruling party officials, controlling well-equipped armed forces and making public speeches. Whether he is a dictator on his last legs or a leader about to get what he has always wanted—a role for his son in the future of Yemen—remains to be seen.

Yemen is not an international priority, despite the horrific violence taking place there. Saudi Arabia maintains control of the Yemen file, and its strategy toward the country has thus far failed. Yet this is also part of the reason why Saleh has connived his way back into a position of power. Have Western and Persian Gulf leaders chronically underestimated him since he became president?
Perhaps, but it is precisely because Yemen is a diplomatic afterthought that solutions like the immunity deal, or the mere threat of sanctions, were deemed acceptable, when in reality a leader like Saleh was never going to disappear into the annals of history so easily. Al-Iryani, the political analyst, says that while “the West may or may not have underestimated Saleh, they definitely overestimated Saleh’s opponents.” – by Laura Kasinof

https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/22437/sanaa-s-survivor-how-saleh-is-still-calling-the-shots-in-yemen

Comment: Now more relevant than ever.

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1574616692591355

cp8 Propaganda

There is a lot of propaganda by all sides in statements and articles on the new developments at Sanaa, also in reports above.

(A P)

Saleh paid with his life for defying Iran

Former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Monday paid with his life for defying the Iranian-backed Houthi militias. Many Yemenis have met similar fates when they dared to stand in the way of the Houthi project. Assassinating key figures has been a favored modus operandi deployed by the Houthi militias and other pro-Iranian groups, such as Hezbollah of Lebanon and the Syrian regime. Former Prime Minister of Lebanon Rafik Hariri met a similar fate in 2005, as did many prominent Lebanese political figures, journalists, writers and religious leaders.

Assassinations, kidnappings and disappearances have marked the Houthi reign of terror since they overran Sanaa on Sept. 21, 2014.

With the two coup partners at war with each other and government structures crumbling, the time has never been riper for the U.N. to take an active role in the areas under rebel control, in providing both humanitarian assistance and public services. Most Yemenis suffering under rebel control would welcome such steps.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1203891

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Saleh’s death unites Yemeni parties

If President Ali Abdullah Saleh had been killed five days ago, the Saudi-led coalition and the legitimate government would have taken the blame, but instead he was killed by Houthis after he formally annulled his alliance with them.
By killing Saleh, Houthis have practically become the enemies of all Yemeni parties, especially given that he was their alleged political façade.
Saleh dramatically changed the map of the war in Yemen the night he announced on TV that he accepted reconciliation, and assassinating him will not change this.
The question here is: Can the late president lead the battle from his grave by fighting Houthis and forming an alliance with the legitimate government?
What I mean to ask is: Will his influence, organizations, ideas, directives and alliances, as well his people’s loyalty to him, continue as a result of his tremendous influence that lasted four decades?

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1203901 = https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2017/12/05/How-Saleh-s-murder-unites-the-Yemenis.html

My comment: Unites? The Houthis are a Yemeni Party as well. And in the South, there are separatists and Islah Party…

(A P)

Yemen: 'Now there will be a new level of civil war'

The death of Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh raises doubts about the future of the war-torn country, as a Saudi-led coalition's fight against Houthi rebels will likely intensify, analysts say.

Was Iran behind the killing of Yemen's former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh? – by Tom Rogan

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/was-iran-behind-the-killing-of-yemens-former-president-ali-abdullah-saleh/article/2642477

My comment: Just read the reports how Saleh was killed to imagine how absurd this conspiration theory must be.

(A P)

Yemen: End of marriage of convenience!

AS we bless and support the uprising of the General People’s Congress party and its leader, former Yemeni President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, against their former allies, the Houthis, we should not forget the bizarre (but educating) story that led to this unholy marriage between two opposing parties.
In political relations, as in human, there is always the so-called “intersection of interests” that transcends differences, however deep and strong, to unite forces toward similar goals and to achieve certain interests. This intersection is like a marriage of convenience that lasts until the mutual aims are achieved. Then, each party returns to its original project, private agenda and permanent interests.

The Houthis ‘relationship with former Yemeni President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, is another example of politicians’ ability to bury deep differences, temporary, and to agree on immediate interests that require unity of ranks and concerted efforts. Despite the fact that the two sides are opposed to each other, ideologically and politically, they were united by the lust for power.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/523382/Opinion/OP-ED/Yemen-End-of-marriage-of-convenience!

(A P)

The Houthi Train and Yemeni Facts

It was not strange for former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to sense the need to abandon the train of his alliance with the Houthis. He knows very well that it was colliding with the complexities of the internal Yemeni scene and balances of power that would be impossible to turn against.
His declaration that the Houthi adventure was leading the country from one abyss to the other clearly represents the conviction of a vast majority of the Yemeni people. The Houthis meanwhile are in no way likely to become part of the state because they come from a militant background that completely disregards the internal complexities in Yemen, as well as its foreign borders. Saleh realizes that the Houthis have turned into a mobile militia in the country and they have transformed the border into a bloody frontier.
Saleh’s attempt to abandon the train is not unusual. It is unusual that he stayed there for so long.

The first condition for legitimacy comes from the people, not foreign powers who are alien to them. Experience has shown that a minority cannot impose its authority or ideology over others by force. Those who usurp power have no right to push the people towards costly internal and foreign adventures. Such adventures could turn a country into fuel for regional fire.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1103006/ghassan-charbel/houthi-train-and-yemeni-facts

My comment: The last quotation is a bad joke looking at Saudi interference in Yemen to support a “legitimacy” which just was claimed by abroad and had no base in the country itself.

(A P)

Saleh’s overture offers hope for Yemen

There is a glimmer of hope in Yemen. Former president Ali Abdullah Saleh’s call to turn a new page in relations with the Saudi-led coalition has given rise to hopes of possible talks that could lead to the resolution of the protracted conflict in the country. Saleh’s words will have a withering impact in Tehran. His olive branch meant that Iran’s designs to destabilise Yemen and the region through the Al Houthi militia has been an abject failure. The former Yemeni ruler’s move to disassociate from the rebel alliance led by the Al Houthis is overwhelming proof.

The Saudi Arabia-led Arab coalition fighting to restore the internationally-recognised government of President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi was quick to welcome Saleh’s initiative. It has sensed an opportunity to bring peace to the strife-torn country.

True, Saleh cannot be trusted since he had allied with the rebel militia. But talks with Saleh is a better bet than the Al Houthis, whose influence is limited to the north; more precisely the Sa’ada governorate.

Moreover, the Iranian stranglehold on the Al Houthis makes them disinterested in pursuing peace as evident from their refusal to take part in the UN-sponsored negotiations. The Al Houthi intentions to keep Yemen permanently in a vortex of violence is apparent as it continues to fire Iranian-made missiles at Riyadh.

In contrast, Saleh enjoys the patronage backing of several key tribes and, having ruled the country for 33 years, he has access to a complex web of alliances and an innate understanding of Yemeni society and politics. And he remains the leader of the largest party in the country, the General People’s Congress.

Saleh now gets a chance to make amends for his betrayal and return his party to the Arab fold.

http://gulfnews.com/opinion/editorials/saleh-s-overture-offers-hope-for-yemen-1.2134584

My comment: With the general Iran-Houthi propaganda. Funny propaganda: The Houthis’ “refusal to take part in the UN-sponsored negotiations”: In most cases, the Hadi “government” refused when their preconditions were not met before. – Saleh should “return his party to the Arab fold”: Saleh, the Houthis and all are Arabs. There is nothing as an “Arab fold”. There just are a Saudi and a UAE political agenda, but these are no “Arab fold”, as we are made to believe here.

(A P)

Saudi Ambassador says Houthis destroyed Yemen and its future

The Saudi Ambassador said that the Houthi militias destroyed Yemen and its future. In a tweet today, Mohammed Al Jaber said "Iran used the Houthi militias against the Yemeni people" referring to the rebel militias' three years long rebellion against the international recognized government which plunged Yemen to collapse on economic, security and humanitarian levels.

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-13377

(A P)

Muslim scholars in Yemen appreciate role of Kingdom in supporting Yemenis, call on Yemeni people to purge Yemen of terrorist militias

Yemeni Muslim scholars have followed the events witnessed by the capital Sana'a two days ago, and praised the adherence of the Yemeni Arab people to their Arab identity and surroundings through their great uprising in the capital Sana'a.
Those who expressed these feelings included Sheikh Ahmed bin Hassan al-Moallem, deputy head of the Yemen Scholars Association, and

The scholars valued the role played by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in supporting Yemenis

http://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1693932

My comment: By Saudi Press Agency. This is fueling sectarian strife in Yemen. “valued the role played by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in supporting Yemenis”: This really is odd. Foreign forces always find local mouthpieces.

And there is another from Paksitan:

(A P)

Council of Pakistan Scholars: Iranian Agenda in Yemen is Collapsing

A senior Pakistani scholar declared on Sunday that the Yemeni people’s refusal to submit to the Houthi militias marks the beginning of the end of Iran’s hegemony over their country.
Head of the Pakistan scholars council Tahir Ashrafi said that Yemen was now on the verge of a historic moment in which legitimacy will be victorious against terrorism.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1102206/council-pakistan-scholars-iranian-agenda-yemen-collapsing

My comment: He is repeating the Saudi propaganda; there has never been anything as “of Iran’s hegemony” over Yemen.

And more of the same propaganda, now from UAE:

(A P)

Gargash: Yemen’s Natural Place is among Arab Fold

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Anwar Gargash hailed on Sunday the Yemeni people’s rise against the Houthi militias in Sana’a.
He said: “The control of terrorism and weapons is temporary and Yemen’s natural place is among its Arab fold.”

In addition, he stressed that the Yemeni uprising should be supported.
Regardless of the results of the revolt, it has demonstrated that the Iranian Houthi militia is rejected in Yemen, continued the minister.
Furthermore, Gargash stated that the purpose of the war in Yemen was protecting the Arabian Peninsula from Iranian expansion and the Houthi gangs.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1102221/gargash-yemen%E2%80%99s-natural-place-among-arab-fold

Vorige / Previous:

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-362-yemen-war-mosaic-362

Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-362 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-362:

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/

Dieser Beitrag gibt die Meinung des Autors wieder, nicht notwendigerweise die der Redaktion des Freitag.
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Dietrich Klose

Vielfältig interessiert am aktuellen Geschehen, zur Zeit besonders: Ukraine, Russland, Jemen, Rolle der USA, Neoliberalismus, Ausbeutung der 3. Welt

Dietrich Klose

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