Sanaa, Dec. 5
Schwerpunkte / Key aspects
Klassifizierung / Classification
Zuerst: Verschleppte der Huthis / At first: Houthi detainees
cp1 Am wichtigsten: Blockade / Most important: Blockade
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics
cp1b Am wichtigsten: Nach Salehs Tod / Most important: After Saleh’s death
cp2 Allgemein / General
cp2a Allgemein: Saudische Blockade / General: Saudi blockade
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
cp7 UNO und Friedensverhansdlungen / UN and peace talks
cp7a Saudi-Arabien und Iran / Saudi Arabia and Iran
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
cp9 USA
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis
cp12b Libanon / Lebanon
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms Trade
cp13b Söldner / Mercenaries
cp15 Propaganda
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
Klassifizierung / Classification
***
**
*
(Kein Stern / No star)
A = Aktuell / Current news
B = Hintergrund / Background
C = Chronik / Chronicle
D = Details
E = Wirtschaft / Economy
H = Humanitäre Fragen / Humanitarian questions
K = Krieg / War
P = Politik / Politics
PH = Pro-Houthi
PS = Pro-Saudi
T = Terrorismus / Terrorism
Zuerst: Verschleppte der Huthis / At first: Houthi detainees
(* A P)
Houthis take journalists hostage: Separating the optics from reality
There is a peaceful and mutually beneficial solution that can secure freedom for the hostages and secure the safety of Sana’a.
Shortly after killing their erstwhile comrade, former Persident Saleh, the Houthi forces along with many previous Saleh loyalists, took all of Yemen’s capital Sana’a.
In the process, they either destroyed or occupied property belonging to Saleh, his family and close allies. Among the properties occupied were the studios of Saleh owned Yemen Today television.
The studio building is now home to 41 international journalists who are apparently being held hostage by the Houthis.
In the chaos that has ensued since the killing of President Saleh, the Houthis are looking for an insurance policy against Saudi airstrikes against the UNESCO protected Sana’a. In the fog of war, the hostages may indeed be an attempt to find such an insurance policy. This is not to justify the taking of journalist hostages, but it does serve as a clear explanation for why this happened at such a tense time.
While the details about the situation are not fully known at this time, it does not appear that any of the foreign journalists are being harmed in any way. There have been some reported deaths at Yemen TV, but these were related to earlier clashes between Houthis and Saleh loyalists who have now either fled or been neutralised.
From the Houthi prospective, the journalists may be a bargaining chip to raise international voices against Saudi bombing campaigns against Sana’a which many have predicted are forthcoming, int he aftermath of the downfall of Saleh.
While Saudi Arabia has no qualms about killing and starving Yemeni citizens, it most certainly does not want to kill foreign journalists, including Russians and westerners.
The hostages of course must be peacefully freed and the intelligent way to go about this would be to combine a deal to release the hostages with a simultaneous deal to force Saudi to de-escalate its attacks on the de-facto Houthi state of “North Yemen”.
The sooner this is accomplished the sooner an ugly situation could possible make a turn for the better.
http://theduran.com/houthis-take-journalists-hostage-seperating-optics-reality/
(* A P)
Yemen: IFJ raises concerns about the fate of 30 TV journalists held by the Houthis
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has today raised its deepest concerns about the safety and lives of at least 30 journalists and media workers of the TV channel Yemen Today.
The staff are being held inside the Television building in the capital Sana'a, following the Houthis militias’ raid on the station of 3 December 2017. During the attack, at least three building guards were injured, according to the management of the TV.
A correspondent for the Russian channel Sputnik TV, together with a number of security guards and other media employees are also held at Yemen Today, reports added.
The rebels seized the TV channel after the broadcast of former Yemeni President Saleh last Saturday, in which he called on his followers and Yemeni people to revolt against the Houthis. Saleh was killed yesterday by Houthi militias while trying to escape the capital Sana’a.
The IFJ has called on the Houthis to respect journalists’ independence and to release all journalists and media staff currently being held at the Yemen Today TV.
(* A P)
Abductee's Mothers say Sana'a rivals responsible for safety of their children
In a statement on Saturday, the Association of Abductees' Mothers said the allies-turned-foes of Saleh and Houthis are "responsible for the life and safety of our children" in both sides' prisons in Sana'a.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-13375
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
(** B K P)
Saudi Weapons of War: Bullets, Bombs, Mercenaries, Media, Blackmail
The Saudi war against Yemen would not be possible without military support from the United States and other Western allies. It also would not be possible without the political and financial clout to control the narrative surrounding one of the most repressive regimes in existence.
This war against Yemen would not be possible without military support from the United States and other Western allies. It also would not be possible without political and financial power to control the media while exploiting every organization and country imaginable to control the official narrative of the war. Fortunately for Riyadh, they have these factors covered.
Riyadh’s control over the media’s narrative
Many Americans are already aware of the effective Saudi lobbying efforts in Washington. Between 2000 and 2010, Riyadh paid roughly $100 million to various U.S. lobbying firms and has invested $18 million to influence U.S. policy since 2015 alone.
The extensive power Riyadh holds through its manipulation of the media on the other hand typically goes unnoticed.
On the surface, it’s easy to see how and why media outlets use Saudi sources for their reporting: Washington and Riyadh share strong military ties, so why wouldn’t U.S. outlets rely on information from their ally? But Riyadh’s control of the media runs much deeper than this. In fact, some of the wealthiest people in the world include members of the Saudi royal family with significant investments in social media and news outlets.
Waleed Al Ibrahim founded the Middle East Broadcasting Center in 1991 in London, and later moved the company’s headquarters to Dubai. This media conglomerate controls about a dozen outlets — including Al Arabiya, a Saudi-owned pan-Arab television news channel broadcast throughout the Middle East and regarded as a competitor to Al Jazeera.
When Al Ibrahim launched Al Arabiya in 2003, his stated goal for the station was to be “the CNN to Al Jazeera’s Fox News.” Indeed, Al Arabiya is the go-to source for Western outlets such as CNN for news coverage of the Middle East.
Outside the public eye, Riyadh utilizes various embassies and subscriptions to guide the narrative wherever possible. Through embassies, the Saudis can monitor local media agencies to spot outlets ripe for manipulation.
The “Saudi Cables,” published by WikiLeaks, display how precisely the kingdom takes a systemic approach to projecting a positive — or at least neutral — image across the Arab world and beyond. The cables refer to the Saudi strategy as either “neutralizing” or “containment.” Once Saudi authorities select an outlet to target, they will either purchase thousands of subscriptions at inflated rates or merely funnel money directly to the outlet. In exchange, Riyadh expects favorable, or at least neutral, coverage.
In other cases, Riyadh will simply sanction media outlets that provide damaging coverage
Due to Saudi Arabia’s combination of financial contributions and outright extortion, media coverage of Yemen that portrays Riyadh in a negative light is hard to come by.
Instead, the media has painted the crisis in Yemen as one in which Saudi Arabia is protecting itself from expanding Iranian influence, claiming Iran is funding and arming the Houthi resistance, despite no evidence to back the claim. The media frames the crisis in terms of a Sunni-Shiite proxy war to justify Saudi Arabia’s war crimes.
Exploiting nations to do their dirty work
Other than Yemenis, no country’s people are more exploited by the war in Yemen than are Sudan’s. Crippled by sanctions, Khartoum jumped at the chance to join the U.S.-backed Saudi coalition in 2015. Sudan currently has at least 1,000 fighters stationed inside Yemen and recently promised another 6,000, despite heavy losses at the hands of Yemen’s Army and Popular Committees. In fact, over 400 Sudanese troops have lost their lives on the front lines in Yemen, according to Khartoum’s own admissions.
Saudi Arabia does not have much in the way of trained ground forces, and the United Arab Emirates is not much better off. As a result, they instead outsource the dirty work of combat to poorer nations like Sudan. Why send your own men to die when you can pay others to take the heat?
Economic blackmail in the United Nations
Targeting noncombatants, including women and children, Riyadh gets away with bombing markets, farms, homes, factories, shipyards, schools, hospitals, water treatment facilities, and everything else, however and whenever it pleases. Other than the occasional scolding over restricted aid shipments, Yemen’s cries to the U.N. for help fall on deaf ears plugged by Saudi Arabia’s political and financial extortion. For Yemenis, the U.N. offers absolutely nothing beyond empty promises – by Randi Nord
(** B P)
Saudis fail at their own conspiracy
Saudi Arabia sought to divide the uneasy alliance between the Houthi rebels and former President Ali Abdullah Saleh for months.
The Houthi-Saleh alliance was always a tense and unlikely accommodation to temporarily shared interests.
For at least the last year, the Saudis have been trying to persuade Saleh to abandon the Houthis and flip sides.
Aside from a few bombing missions by the Royal Saudi Air Force, the coalition did nothing to assist Saleh’s loyalists. Hadi announced that the pro-Saudi forces he has nominal control over would advance on Sanaa only after Saleh was dead. They have yet to even try.
At a minimum, Saudi and coalition intelligence seems to have been caught off guard by the balance of power in the rebel-held north. Presumably they expected Saleh to do better. Or they just didn’t do their homework. Since the removal of Mohammed bin Nayef as crown prince this year, the security services have been less effective. But any intelligence lapses pale in comparison with the larger policy failures.
The Saudi conspiracy lacked a strategy for implementing it once Saleh flipped. There was no concrete plan to assist him and his loyalists. It is as misguided as the original decision to enter the war 2½ years ago when Saudi Defense Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman promised a quick Decisive Storm operation would defeat the Houthis, Saleh and the Iranians
The war in Yemen is costing Riyadh about $5 billion a month. It is a humanitarian catastrophe for the Yemeni people. The Saleh fiasco demonstrates that the Saudi coalition is flailing without a way out. The only winner is Iran. Washington needs to help Riyadh find a way out of the quagmire – by Bruce Riedel
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/12/yemen-saudis-houthis-saleh-death.html
(** B P)
Will South Yemen resurface after Saleh’s slaying?
Former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s removal from the political scene creates an unprecedented chance for the former Cold War-era state of the “Democratic People’s Republic of Yemen”, commonly known as “South Yemen”, to resurface in the form of a federal unit following the possible post-war internal partition of the country, even though this populist move would play into the UAE’s geostrategic hands.
Largely absent amidst this frenzy of discussion is a serious conversation about the ramifications of Saleh’s removal from the political scene as they relate to the prospects of the former Cold War-era state of the “People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen”, commonly known as “South Yemen”, resurfacing in the form of a federal unit following the possible post-war internal partition of the country.
The chances of pulling this off in North Yemen are uncertain right now because no GCC+-acceptable figure is militarily capable of succeeding Saleh after the Houthis successfully secured their control over Sanaa, though this blueprint is still very promising when it comes to South Yemen. Not only is the Southern Movement the main political organization in this region, but it also has genuine grassroots support among the populace who yearn to reverse what many of them believe to be the mistake of their 1990 unification with the North.
The resurfacing of South Yemen in a “federalized” (internally partitioned) form following the end of the country’s war would to a large extent be a copy-and-pasteof the same strategy underway in northeastern Syria with the Kurds and their “Rojava” project.
In view of the aforementioned domestic and international factors contributing to the revival of South Yemen, it’s evident that this is a mostly grassroots initiative with a strong historic basis, though one which will nevertheless work out to the advantage of the anti-Houthi coalition if it’s ever actualized and would first and foremost directly benefit the UAE more than any other actor.
In any case, this means that the most pragmatic solution to part of the multidimensional and many-sided Yemeni conflict is shaping up to be the de-facto independence of South Yemen via a “federalized” (internally partitioned) structure after the war. It’s hard to imagine that the revived feelings of identity separateness inspired by this former country’s practical split from their one-time northern neighbors and fellow civic compatriots throughout the course of this conflict, powerfully aided and abetted as they were by the UAE for its own grand strategic purposes, could peacefully result in anything less. The Houthis have no realistic chance of capturing South Yemen because the coalition won’t withdraw from this valuable piece of global real estate, and it’s impossible to patch Yemen back together like how it was before this war, which was even at that time just a tenuously unified country that never fully overcame its lingering pre-unification and civil war-era divisions.
For all intents and purposes, when accounting for the slaying of the “Yemeni Gaddafi” in this heavily tribal and clan-influenced country in the “African Mideast”, the odds have never been more favorable to South Yemen’s geopolitical resurfacing in a “federalized” format than they are right now, even if the “will of the people” largely corresponds to the strategic designs of the aggressor states that intervened in the War on Yemen, leading to observers to have admittedly mixed feelings about one of the most practical outcomes of this conflict – by Andrew Korybko
http://theduran.com/will-south-yemen-resurface-after-salehs-slaying/
(** B H P)
In Yemen children with cancer are dying in agony
It is a hard task to be a parent in Yemen: you know you are going to lose your child, either because of illness or under the bombs
Here in Yemen children are dying of preventable diseases because of the war. A simple cough or winter fever can kill you when your stomach is empty, roads are pulverized by bombardments and hospitals are unreachable both financially and logistically.
I am a Yemeni citizen living in our capital, Sana’a. Our city has faced – along with Saada on the border with Saudi Arabia – most of the aerial attacks of the Saudi-led campaign.
I am a volunteer with Your Ability Organization, one of many local NGOs founded and based in the capital.
The siege of Yemen has taken our country back of hundreds of years. Most of the country is out of work and there are shortages of electricity, gas, food and water. For almost 600 days children have gone to bed, every single night, fearing the sound of airplanes.
Cholera is spreading here and the threat of famine is looming over millions. We are seeing scenes that remind us of Biafra, Ethiopia in the 1970s and 1980s. We look back to the Yemen we used to know and so little stands. Memories clash with the reality.
Emotionally it’s a never ending pain with an entire generation of children scarred for life. This legacy of post traumatic stress disorder will have to be addressed if we want to turn Yemen, one day, into a nation which is somehow healing.
Earlier this year I met Mohamed Ahmed, father of two children, both of whom have a serious and painful form of cancer of the tongue. He was looking for help and was only able to reach the capital Sana’a because friends in his village collected donations to fund his journey.
Our NGO receives limited support both locally and internationally. The country remains closed, abandoned to its destiny.
(** B H)
Yemen: 2018 Humanitarian Needs Overview
NEEDS & KEY FIGURES
More than two and a half years since the escalation of the conflict, Yemeni people continue to bear the brunt of ongoing hostilities and severe economic decline. People are increasingly exhausting their coping mechanisms, and as a result the humanitarian crisis remains extremely widespread: an estimated 22.2 million people in Yemen need some kind of humanitarian or protection assistance, including 11.3 million who are in acute need – an increase of more than one million people in acute need since June 2017. The escalation of the conflict since March 2015 has dramatically aggravated the protection crisis in which millions face risks to their safety and basic rights.
KEY HUMANITARIAN ISSUES
Protection of civilians
Yemen is one of the world’s largest protection crises, in which civilians face serious risks to their safety, well-being and basic rights. As of 15 October 2017, health facilities reported 8,757 conflict related deaths and over 50,610 injuries, and over three million people have been forced to flee from their homes. All parties to the conflict have repeatedly violated their obligations under International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and civilian infrastructure, including schools, health facilities and markets have been subject to attack. Reports of grave violations of child rights and gender-based violence have increased.
Collapse of basic ser- vices and institutions
Conflict, displacement, and economic decline are placing immense pressure on essential basic services and are accelerating the collapse of the institutions that provide them. The public budget deficit expanded significantly since the last quarter of 2016, leading to a discontinuation of the provision of operating costs for basic social service facilities. There have been major irregularities and disruptions in payment of public sector salaries since August 2016. As a result, humanitarian assistance is now forced to fill some of these gaps and is increasingly stretched beyond its scope and remit.
Basic survival
Millions of people in Yemen need humanitarian assistance to ensure their basic survival. An estimated 17.8 million are food insecure, 16 million lack access to safe water and sanitation, and 16.4 million lack access to adequate healthcare. Needs across the country have grown more acute since June 2017, with 11.3 million in acute need of humanitarian assistance in order to survive – this is an increase of 15 per cent in five months
Loss of livelihoods and impacted private sector
The economy has contracted sharply since the conflict escalated, and imports and internal movement of goods have become more difficult and costlier as a result of restrictions imposed on the economy. In this situation, even Yemenis not directly affected by the conflict may be in need of humanitarian assistance due to a lack of livelihood options and sharp economic decline. Enterprises have on average reduced operating hours by 50 per cent, leading to layoffs that are estimated at 55 percent of the workforce. The agriculture and fishery sectors, which employed more than 54 per cent of the rural workforce and was the main source of income for 73 per cent of the population prior to the escalation of conflict has been severely impacted. Consequently, the livelihoods of 1.7 million rural households engaged in crop and livestock production has been seriously compromised. An estimated 8.4 million affected people require livelihood assistance.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-2018-humanitarian-needs-overview and in full https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/yemen_humanitarian_needs_overview_hno_2018_20171204_0.pdf
(** B H K)
New study finds serious mental health risks among Yemenis
Yemenis face serious mental health risks, but the issue is being neglected, says a new study released today by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and the Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies, Columbia Law School's Human Rights Clinic. The groups announced the start of a groundbreaking new joint project to research and improve mental health in Yemen.
"Given both the extreme and chronic stressors Yemenis are continuing to face, there is serious cause for concern of a nationwide mental health crisis," said Dr. Lindsay Stark, associate professor of Population and Family Health at the Mailman School of Public Health and director of the CPC (Child Protection in Crisis) Learning Network. "The scale of need may appear daunting, but our proposed study has the potential to inform evidence-based responses that are intended to contribute to larger peace and reconstruction processes in Yemen."
In the briefing paper, The Impact of War on Mental Health in Yemen: A Neglected Crisis, the groups reveal how serious the risk to mental health is in Yemen. Yet, mental health services in Yemen are few, and there is little research on the effects of the war on the mental health of the population. The briefing paper also analyzes the long-term costs of failing to respond. Unaddressed poor mental health has well-known adverse consequences, including on physical health, family cohesion, education, participation in the workforce, and peace and reconciliation efforts
(** B H K)
YEMEN’S WAR IS DESTROYING A GENERATION OF CHILDREN
Ahmed, 13, was picking guava fruit from trees in the Al-Jahmalia district of Taiz with four friends on Sept. 18 when the bombs fell.
After trying in vain to persuade them into a game of soccer, he wandered off. Minutes later a shell, fired by Houthi-Saleh forces, struck, shaking the earth beneath Ahmed’s feet. He ran back to check on his friends, only to arrive in time to watch the youngest, Rayan, 6, take his last breath on the street. The limbs of the others, ages 15, 14, and 12, were scattered across the narrow pathway between traditional stone houses.
“At the beginning of the war, we used to get scared. But now we are used to it,” said Ahmed, the crackle of gunfire and shelling echoing in the distance. He was standing in the same street where he’d watched his friends die two weeks earlier.
Violence is so normal in Taiz, located in southwestern Yemen, that hardened responses from children like Ahmed have become common, revealing another grim reality lost in the chaos: Across Yemen, children are bearing the brunt of this war.
Two and a half years of fighting between Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led coalition has resulted in the world’s great humanitarian disaster, and not only from airstrikes, shelling, and snipers. More than 2.2 million Yemeni children have been pushed toward starvation, with one child dying every 10 minutes from hunger and preventable diseases, according to aid agencies. Of the more than 900,000 suspected cholera cases since April 2017, 27 percent are children under the age of 5.
And if they’re not suffering from disease, starvation, or violence, Yemeni children are the victims of recruitment – by Iona Craig
https://news.vice.com/story/yemen-civil-war-children
(** B H K)
Yemen's young children are 'staring death in the face'
Hunger, diseases and the effects of conflict are hitting the vulnerable under-fives especially hard, aid agencies are warning.
Millions of people are suffering in the appalling humanitarian crisis that has gripped Yemen - and the hardest-hit are the very young.
A child is dying every 10 minutes from "preventable causes", including malnutrition, cholera, diphtheria and - of course - the war itself.
The most vulnerable, those children under the age of five, are being abandoned to “stare death in the face,” according to the United Nations, which said 80% of children are now "in desperate need of aid".
Huge numbers are at serious risk of stunted growth, which could irrecoverably affect their potential to develop physically and educationally.
A child’s brain is 90% developed by the time they are five. For their brains to develop to the full potential, they need to have the proper care, protection, safety, stimulation and nourishment. Stunting occurs when a child has not had access to these in the formative years.
Caroline Anning, senior conflict and humanitarian advocacy adviser for Save the Children, said she was not surprised by the finding that 80% of children need humanitarian aid.
“It tallies with what we see on the ground,” said Anning. “The message we get is this is an off-the-scale humanitarian crisis, much bigger than what we see in Syria, much bigger than in other parts of the world, and it happens in the background almost, it doesn’t get the same amount of attention.
“What it means for children in Yemen is that there are millions of children going to bed hungry each night. Huge numbers of children are acutely malnourished so they’re too weak to stand up.
“We’re having mothers who are carrying their acutely malnourished children to clinics on their backs, walking for hours, because they don’t have the money to pay for transport.”
Young Yemeni children are also dealing with toxic stress – when exposure to periods of prolonged fear, chronic neglect or abuse, poverty and hunger means a child’s "stress response" goes into overdrive with devastating consequences for their health and development.
Researchers at Harvard University found that the more adverse experiences in childhood, the greater the likelihood of developmental delays and later health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, substance abuse and depression.
(** B K P)
A Death in Yemen: Ex-President's Killing Portends Greater Regional Tension
Saleh’s death portends worse for Yemen - and the region - whose states are increasingly polarized behind Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran
While the exits of Saleh and Libya's Muammar Gaddafi were somewhat different, there are strong parallels between the manner in which chaos has arrived to both Yemen and Libya. Both dictators, with atrocious records of stewarding their respective country’s resources (Libya has oil, while Yemen is one of the world’s poorest and most fragile countries), played up both their ‘terror problem’ and their anti-terror credentials to attract the attention of the U.S. in the aftermath of 9/11. The United States bought the story, and helped keep both regimes armed to the teeth, just prior to the revolutions that led to their respective ousters.
In both Libya and Yemen, the terror issue has been super-imposed on much older and deeper conflicts.
In both cases, the United States’ obsession with terrorism was seen locally to be a red herring – before it wasn't. In the wake of the 2011 revolutions, the failure of the intervening powers top help to build the foundations of a strong state, while keeping regional provocateurs out, led to a conflation of problems that tipped the countries over the edge – by Ethan Chorin
(** A P)
Riyadh Launches Cyber Campaign to Support Yemen’s Saleh
A top advisor to Saudi Arabia’s crown prince has called on the kingdom’s cyber army to launch a new campaign to support Yemen’s former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and represent Yemen’s Ansarullah Movement as Iran’s proxy, said a Saudi whistle-blower known as Mujtahid.
Mujtahid who is well-known for his revelations about Saudi family has said in a post on his Twitter account that Saoud Alqahtani known as Delim, a top advisor to the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has called on Saudi Arabia’s state-run media as well as its cyber army to use “ex-president” instead of “ousted president” when referring to Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Alqahtani’s call has been translated into reality immediately so that Al Arabia TV changed the “ousted president” into “ex-president” for Saleh in its news reports just within four minutes, a Farsi report by Fars News Agency said on Sunday.
Mujtahid who has managed to access Alqahtani’s call on the cyber army and media through a WhatsApp channel, added the top advisor has also urged the media and the cyber army to represent Ansarullah Movement as “terrorist and ethnic group backed by Iran.”
According to the report, these moves are part of a larger plan by Saudi Arabia to support Saleh in its struggle to get back to power.
http://ifpnews.com/exclusive/riyadh-launches-cyber-campaign-support-yemens-saleh/
My comment: That’s already in effect, look at cp15. And, oh how funny!, already the Saudis’ foreign mouthpieces are using the newest wordings.
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics
(* A H)
Cholera could resurge in Yemen due to lack of aid, fuel - WHO
Another wave of cholera could strike Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition blockade has cut off fuel for hospitals, water pumps and vital aid supplies for starving children, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday.
Dr. Nevio Zagaria, WHO country representative in Yemen, told Reuters that 16 percent of Yemeni children under the age of five suffer from acute malnutrition, including 5.2 percent with a severe form that is life-threatening, and the problem is increasing.
Some 960,000 suspected cases of cholera and 2,219 deaths have been reported since the epidemic began in April, WHO figures show.
Children account for nearly a third of infections of the waterborne disease, spread by food or water contaminated with human faeces, that causes acute diarrhoea and dehydration and can kill within hours if untreated.
Although the number of new cases has dropped for 11 straight weeks, 35 districts in Yemen are still reporting cholera with “high attack rates” in communities, Zagaria said.
A deteriorating economic situation and lack of safe drinking water, due to water sewage systems in many cities lacking fuel for the pumps, have compounded the humanitarian crisis, he said.
“This is a perfect mix to have a new explosion of a cholera epidemic at the beginning of the rainy season in March of next year,” Zagaria said in a telephone interview from Sanaa, amid four days of clashes in the capital city.
cp1b Am wichtigsten: Nach Salehs Tod / Most important: After Saleh's death
(* A K; night Dec. 5-6)
Heavy clashes are going on right now in the capital Sanaa. Noone knows why we are as #Yemen-is are being involved in a conflict that we are not a part of it. We are civilians and we need to live in peace. That all what we need
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/938221017180311558
(* A P)
Photos: Women in the 70-square are demanding the body of Saleh, They ask for a formal funeral for the spoiled hero Saleh..
https://twitter.com/JosephJo1221/status/938315896770228224
https://twitter.com/JosephJo1221/status/938315286788431872
https://twitter.com/Hider208/status/938194689508995072
Film: Watch how the fascist Malisha Houthi attacked hundreds of women in the square of the seventies in solidarity with the martyr Saleh
The Houthis opened fire and spoke the words of the ugly ugly market and confiscated pictures Saleh
https://twitter.com/anesman/status/938314984613924865
(* A B K P)
Houthis celebrate as Saleh's son calls for revenge
[Situation overview]
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/houthis-celebrate-saleh-son-calls-revenge-171205134350627.html
(* A P)
U.N. says fighting stops in Sanaa, Saleh funeral expected
Yemen’s capital Sanaa was quiet on Tuesday after five days of fighting that culminated in the death of ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and U.N. and Red Cross flights have landed at the airport, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
The funeral of Saleh was expected later on Tuesday.
“People are now emerging from their houses after five days being locked down basically as prisoners,” McGoldrick told a regular U.N. briefing, speaking by phone from Sanaa.
“They are now seeking safety, moving their families in case things erupt again and at the same time seeking medical treatment and trying to pacify very terrified kids who have endured five days of relentless shelling, shooting and ground fire and air strikes.”
McGoldrick had no details of Saleh’s funeral later on Tuesday and did not know if it would coincide or clash with an event planned by the Houthis to celebrate his killing. He said there had been a report that there would be a ceremony around the main mosque.
(* A B P)
Exiled son of Yemen's Saleh takes up anti-Houthi cause
The powerful exiled son of Yemen’s slain ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh vowed on Tuesday to lead a campaign against the Houthi movement that killed his father after he switched sides in the civil war.
The intervention by Ahmed Ali Saleh, a former leader of the elite Republican Guard once seen as a likely successor to his father, gives the anti-Houthi movement in Sanaa a potential figurehead, after a week of fighting that saw the Houthis rout Saleh’s supporters in the capital.
Mahmoud Ali al-Houthi, head of the movement’s Revolutionary Committee, denied allegations that the group was executing members of Saleh’s party after their capture: “We have been treating some of Saleh’s sons and we haven’t executed them,” he told the crowd.
Sanaa saw no fresh fighting on Tuesday
The death of Saleh, who once compared ruling Yemen to dancing on the heads of snakes, deepens the complexity of the multi-sided war.
Much is likely to depend on the future allegiances of his loyalists
In a statement sent to Reuters by an aide, his son said his father was killed at “the hands of the enemies of God and the country”. Ahmed Ali said he would “confront the enemies of the homeland and humanity, who are trying to obliterate its identity and its gains and to humiliate Yemen and Yemenis”.
In an earlier statement carried by Saudi state media, Ahmed Ali said he would 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 may be the family’s last chance to win back influence – by Sami Aboudi. Noah Browning
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security/exiled-son-of-yemens-saleh-takes-up-anti-houthi-cause-idUSKBN1DY12V and also film https://uk.reuters.com/video/2017/12/05/son-of-slain-yemeni-ex-leader-demands-re?rpc=401&videoId=373105421&feedType=VideoRSS&feedName=LatestVideosUK&rpc=401&videoChannel=75
(** B K P)
Saudi exit plan from the Yemen quagmire suffers blow with Saleh's death
In a macabre drama, Saleh's death undermined Saudi and Emirati attempts to undermine the Houthis.
The death of former Yemeni President, Ali Abdullah Saleh on Monday has dealt a blow for the Saudi attempt to find an exit from the Yemeni quagmire, which has been a strategic failure that has yet to accomplish its goals of curtailing Houthis' power and restoring the government of Yemeni President Abd Rabbou Mansour Hadi.
Two key questions need to be addressed in the aftermath of Saleh death. First, what made the Houthis and Saleh ally in the first place, and can the Houthis find a new domestic ally? Second, how is Saleh's removal a blow to Saudi Arabia and the UAE's attempt to find an exit strategy from the conflict and who are the Yemeni proxy forces that the Gulf players could ally with in the aftermath of Saleh's death?
A short answer to these questions is that both the Houthis and the Gulf powers will have difficulty finding any local Yemeni partner that could bring all the parties in the war to a negotiated, political solution.
The Unravelling of Saleh-Houthi alliance
Saleh's death would appear to be an intra-Shia Zaydi clash with the Houthis killing a fellow Zaydi. However, power, not sect, explains why they turned against one another.
Tension between Saleh and Iran
The dominant narrative of the Yemeni civil war frames it as a sectarian conflict between Yemeni Zaydi Shias and Sunnis, backed by Shia Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia respectively. However, the conflict was always more about domestic Yemeni grievances, and external players finding an opportunity to expand their sphere of influence.
Iranian support for the Zaydis cannot be explained by sectarian motivations alone as the Zaydis share significant difference with the Twelvers of Iran.
Yemen's Grand Bargain
The Yemeni leader’s death was a result of his overtures to Saudi Arabia for dialogue, which were reciprocated by Saudi Arabia - acknowledging Saleh as the "former president" of Yemen, rather than the "ousted president".
The latest overture preceding his death was most likely part of a UAE plan to undermine the Houthi-Saleh alliance, grooming Saleh’s son Ahmed to take a prominent position in a new government that excluded the Houthis.
Saudi Arabia apparently conceded to this plan as it offered Riyadh a way to extricate itself from the Yemeni conflict after failing to crush the Houthis through its air campaign. While the unravelling of the Houthi-Saleh alliance did occur, it did not happen according to the Emirati and Saudi plan.
Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia sought an ally in Sanaa and the north of Yemen through Saleh, due to their inability to find a reliable partner in Aden or the south that could bring the war to a negotiated end.
In a macabre drama, Saleh's death ultimately undermined Saudi and Emirati attempts to undermine the Houthis.
What next for Yemen
As for the future of Yemen’s conflict after Saleh’s death, the fate of his loyalist forces in the military as well as his party, the General People’s Congress, remains unclear.
The death of Saleh will not augur in the demise of the Houthis, however. The Houthis have always been wary of the Saleh faction due to their animosity in the past, and were most likely preparing for this ultimate confrontation.
The only guess to hazard at this point is the advantage lies with the Houthis – by Ibrahim al-Marashi
http://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/salehs-death-has-dealt-blow-saudi-exit-yemen-quagmire-466301294
(** B K P)
Saleh's death further dims peace prospects in Yemen
The breakdown began following a war of words between Abdul Malik al‑Houthi, the Houthi leader, and Mr Saleh, who criticised the Houthis' recent launch of missiles into Saudi Arabia. Clashes began in November 29th, initially over control of Al Saleh Mosque in central Sanaa. Then, on December 2nd, Mr Saleh called for unity against the Houthis and reached out to the Saudis in a speech, offering to "turn a new page" in relations.
It remains unclear who is now leading the Saleh loyalists—which include some tribal groups, the Republican Guard, and the part of the General People's Congress (GPC) and army that did not side with Mr Hadi—or where they stand in relation to the Houthis or the other powers in Yemen, such as Mr Hadi's forces. However, the most likely scenario is that Mr Saleh's son, Ahmed, may now have a role to play. He has been based in the UAE since 2013, initially serving as Yemen's ambassador there before the civil war. It is therefore likely that he has been a conduit in recent months for negotiations between Mr Saleh and the Saudis and Emiratis. In addition, he headed the Republican Guard until 2012 and had been groomed for years as a successor
The Houthis' roots are deepest in the north of the country and it seems likely that they will consolidate their grip on at least the northern half of the rebel-held territories, including Sanaa. Their presence further south, however, is less well established and there are reports of Saleh loyalists gaining control of Bayda and Ibb, which are among the southernmost provinces controlled by rebels, near the frontlines with Mr Hadi's forces in south Yemen. It is in these areas that the frontlines are likely to shift against the Houthis, with the fighting intensifying.
Meanwhile, Mr Hadi's forces, which are led militarily by General Ali Mohsen al‑Ahmar—a cousin of Mr Saleh's, who turned against him in 2011 and is now vice-president in the internationally recognised government—will probably start a renewed offensive against the Houthis, in an attempt to capitalise on the uncertainty. Nonetheless, it is unlikely to be enough to break the deadlock.
So with it looking unlikely that the Houthis will suffer a decisive blow, the loss of Mr Saleh is likely to damage future peace efforts on two levels.
Meanwhile, the other major barrier to any peace is that the areas supposedly held by Mr Hadi's government are in fact deeply divided.
http://country.eiu.com/article.aspx?articleid=426196226&Country=Yemen&topic=Politics
(** B K P)
Iranian-Backed Houthis Just Caused a Self-Inflicted Wound by Killing Yemen’s Former President
The death of Yemen’s former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, at the hands of his former Houthi allies will weaken the Iranian-backed rebels, according to Nabeel Khoury, a nonresident senior fellow in the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East.
“The demise of Saleh now actually weakens the Houthis' military and makes them less acceptable politically inside Yemen,” said Khoury, adding, “it was not a very wise move on [the Houthis’] part.” Khoury served as deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Yemen from 2004 to 2007.
Saleh’s overture to Saudi Arabia two years ago had been rebuffed by Riyadh. “What was different about [his latest overture] was that this time it wasn’t just a peace offer, but was coupled with a military move against the Houthis,” said Khoury. “So, the Saudis and Emiratis were more willing to take him at his word this time.”
evertheless, Khoury said the prospects of a favorable outcome were not good “partly because the Saudis and Emiratis were not willing to stop the war and encourage full reconciliation.”
“They merely wanted to use Saleh and the forces under his control to weaken the Houthis,” he added.
While an alignment of Saleh’s forces with the Saudis would be a significant development in the war and could in principle hasten an end to the conflict, Khoury said the prospects for such a development have now dimmed.
With Saleh’s death, his General People’s Congress [GPC] is weakened and lacks strong leadership. Khoury predicted Saleh loyalists will be bent on avenging the death of their late leader. “In terms of peace overtures, the Saudis will probably not put much faith in the remaining leaders of the GPC,” he added.
Nabeel Khoury spoke in a phone interview with the New Atlanticist’s Ashish Kumar Sen. Here are excerpts from our interview.
(* B K P)
What does Ali Abdullah Saleh's death mean for Yemen?
A regular survey of experts on matters relating to Middle Eastern and North African politics and security.
It is impossible to predict what will happen in other major urban centers—Hodeida, heretofore said to be under Saleh-Houthi control; Ta‘iz, where the Saleh-Houthi invaders faced stiff local resistance; Aden, where Emirati forces defeated the Houthis, but also where the Southern separatist movement is strong; and other areas with uniquely complicated power struggles. It seems likely that armed contingents still “loyal” (or paid by) the Saleh family will face off against the Houthis in many locations.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may redouble his efforts to declare victory, perhaps by intensified bombing of Houthi locations and continued stringent economic sanctions. It is almost certain that heartless elite power struggles in the Arabian peninsula will continue to inflict deprivation and disease on non-combatants and families, especially children.
Nadwa al-Dawsari | Nonresident senior fellow at the Project on Middle East Democracy, Yemeni conflict researcher and civil society leader with over sixteen years of field experience
Brian Whitaker | Former Middle East editor of the Guardian newspaper, founder of www.al-bab.com
Adam Baron | Visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, co-founder of the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies, based in Yemen between 2011 and 2014 – by Sheila Carapico
http://carnegie-mec.org/diwan/74916
(* B K P)
In Yemen, things can always get worse... and they usually do
It is an astonishing development, given that Saleh had been allied with the Iran-backed group as recently as last week.
It was Saleh's tacit support that enabled the Houthis to seize the Yemeni capital in late 2014, driving out the internationally recognised government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
And it was his designs on power that saw him maintain his pact with the Houthis
That same thirst for power, however, was likely what drove Saleh to turn his back on the Houthis, possibly in the hope that his Abu Dhabi-based son could ultimately return home and take control.
"Yemeni citizens have tried to tolerate the recklessness of the Houthis over the last two-and-a-half years but cannot any more," Saleh said on Saturday in a gesture of conciliation with the Saudi-led coalition.
By the time he announced the break, forces loyal to him were already engaged in running battles in Sanaa with their new adversaries, with myriad civilians caught in the crossfire.
A page was indeed turned, but one written in Saleh's blood and that of countless more of his compatriots.
The chaos underscores the fundamental awfulness of the situation in Yemen.
A hodgepodge of factions are at war inside the country, while foreign powers have meddled in its affairs (read: Iran) or pulverised its cities with months of air strikes, allegedly killing hundreds of civilians (read: Saudi Arabia), perhaps even with munitions supplied by the West (read: the United States and Britain).
Saleh made a career of playing various sides against each other, including the US, which directed large sums of money to his government as part of a wider effort to combat al-Qa'ida's powerful, entrenched Yemeni branch – by Ishaan Tharoor
My comment: “meddled in its affairs (read: Iran)”: read even more: US, UK; “perhaps even with munitions supplied by the West (read: the United States and Britain).: perhaps???
(* B K P)
Saleh's death, checkmate
In a country known for its deep-rooted "revenge culture", Saleh, in some senses, dug his own grave, when many held him responsible for the 2004 death of the Houthis' godfather Hussein Bader al-Din al-Houthi, older brother of current Houthi leader, Abdelmalek al-Houthi.
This is neither a victory to Houthis nor a defeat to Saleh, despite his death. Both leaders are heads of an unleashed dragon that was, and is still willing for all hell to break loose. However, for the man who was well-known for being the most influential politician in the country, there is no question his death poses a greater threat to Yemen's future, and brings serious ramifications.
While civilians pay the heaviest price, the Saudi-led coalition is also paying for losing their last card in their almost three-year-long unwinnable war against the Houthis. Losing Saleh and all the intelligence support he could have provided the coalition with mean the Saudis face a great vacuum in their strategic approach to confronting the Houthis.
The Saudis will likely scale up their military operations. Heavy airstrike shelling going on in Sanaa as I write spells out a bleak scenario, with Sanaa looking potentially like another Mosul.
It seems the situation will likely have to get worse before any prospect of improvement. For a country suffering from a huge heritage of impunity and an absolute lack of accountability, yesterday's events bring the initial problem of Yemen's 2011 uprising back to the surface: The unrealised dreams of millions, that envisaged Yemen as a civil state in which equal citizenship and justice were guaranteed for all.
Today, the enemy of that dream is the extremist vision the Houthis work to impose, restoring the old Yemeni Imamate system as a futuristic political system. Our recent national memory shows how Yemenis could have dealt with Houthi invasion, as the capital witnessed many anti-Houthi protests raising slogans, such as "no for coup" and "no to armed militias".
The fate of Yemen as a united republic lies in the hands of Yemenis. Today's events are the peak of the clash between the essence of Yemen's 2011 uprising, and the Houthi insurgency - between revolutionary ideas and far-right-politics – by Afrah Nasser
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/Comment/2017/12/5/Salehs-death-checkmate
My comment: The Dec. 2017 Saleh uprising as a remake of the 2011 revolution?
(* B K P)
Middle East is Risking to Pay Too High a Price for the Murder of Abdullah Saleh
Amid the internal conflict in Yemen, any attempt to use it toward one’s own interests by Saudi Arabia, the Arab League or even Iran may trigger disastrous consequences. After all, Saudi Arabia and Israel have been looking for an excuse to launch strikes against Iranian troops in Syria along with nuclear facilities deep inside the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Now one can expect Saudi Arabia to begin forming an anti-Iranian coalition under the guise of uniting the Arab League. It is even possible that the UN is going to be drawn into this process, accusing Tehran of hostile actions against certain Arab states along with attempts to pursue Shia expansion across the Middle East.
Yemen is a state where tribes have been at center stage of internal politics. However, the south of the country has already witnessed a partial disintegration of this rigid tribal system, while in the north this hasn’t been the case. No wonder the so-called Arab Spring movement swept Yemen from south to north with the main demands of protesters being concerns over indecisive and insufficient steps taken in the direction of changing the social fabric of the country so that tribal leaders would have less control over people’s lives.
The Ansar Allah group that constitutes the main driving force behind the Houthis resistance was in desperate need to sustain an alliance with Saleh and his forces for a straightforward reason: Yemen used to be a hub of illegal arms trade back in the day when Saleh was in control of the country, and it has largely remained one. To a certain extent, Saleh had been in control of other forms of illegal trade like drug and oil smuggling
The goal Saleh had been after all through these years was to return to power. The war between the North and South should burn out eventually, even though it may take a lot of time with high unemployment rates that are common in Yemen. But sooner or later the idea of the need to unite the country should prevail across all parties, and by that time Saleh’s clan would have been the single most influential force in Yemen. Upon being thrown out the door, Saleh would pit both allies and enemies against each other in order to get back through the window.
The gears are now shifting quickly in Yemen – by Alexander Orlov
(* B K P)
What the Future Has in Store for Yemen After Ex-President Saleh's Assassination
Speaking to Sputnik, politicians and observers from Yemen and Saudi Arabia shared their views on what will happen next in the country.
According to the representatives of the Houthis, Saleh's murder was by no means revenge while the striking resemblance of his death to that of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is a "pure coincidence." If he had not resisted, he would have been brought to justice, they insist.
Hamid believes that, after Saleh's death, Yemen will become more stable and secure while at the political level there will be more transparency and a better understanding of what is happening.
The Ansar Allah spokesman said that the General People's Congress, a Yemeni nationalist political party which had been chaired by Saleh for 40 years, "welcomes cooperation" with the Houthis, because "they did not declare war on [Ansar Allah], this was done by the head of the party, who met his death a few days after his statement."
According to Yemeni political scientist Fuad Masad, the General People's Congress is likely to refrain from taking any steps and will wait until the situation clarifies.
Masad called upon the party's leadership in Sanaa not to succumb to provocation. He believes that the murder of Saleh could trigger the creation of new anti-Houthi coalitions both inside the country and beyond.
"Saleh was assassinated not only for his betrayal, as the Houthis say," Masad told Sputnik. "They settled an old score: It was Abdullah Saleh who killed their leader Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi while being the president. The Houthis did not forget this and as soon as they saw an opportunity, they declared the split and murdered Saleh."
Hussein Laqur ben Idan, one of the leaders of the Yemeni political and paramilitary Southern Movement (al-Hirak), doesn't share Ansar Allah's optimism. According to Idan, the assassination of Saleh will provoke new clashes which will lead to a protracted crisis.
"The conflict won't be brought to end in Yemen as long as Houthi groups maintain control over Sanaa," the politician told Sputnik.
According to Idan, there is a strong divide between the General People's Congress and the Ansar Allah group. "Without the General National Congress, the Houthis are very weak, therefore their positions will worsen tremendously," he predicted, adding that it was the forces loyal to Saleh who enabled the Houthis to take control of the Yemeni capital and other areas.
Saudi military expert, retired Major General Abdalla Ganim al-Qahtani, echoed Idan, suggesting that after the murder of the former Yemeni president, the country "is entering the worst period in its recent history."
"One should expect repressions and clashes between the warring parties, for instance, between the tribes and the Houthis," al-Qahtani foresees. "I think there will be chaos in Yemen in general and in Sanaa in particular. The Houthis will turn into a terrorist force that will kill its opponents and those who oppose Iran."
The retired major general believes that Iran was behind the assassination of Saleh.
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201712051059728088-yemen-saleh-death/
(* B K P)
Yemen: What will change after Ali Abdullah Saleh's death?
The killing of Ali Abdullah Saleh has opened a complicated new chapter in the ongoing war in Yemen. But will the former president's death have any impact on efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the brutal conflict?
Marie-Christine Heinze warned: "In the longterm, that fact will not lead to a more peaceful situation in Yemen, instead it will more likely lead to further conflicts and more chaos. The fronts are no longer as easily discernible as they were."
Combatants must now realign themselves, as Heinze put it. Until now the Houthis have been able to maintain the upper hand, she explained, but it is quite conceivable that some tribes loyal to Saleh may now also switch sides to join the Saudis. Moreover, Saleh's son Ahmed Ali has returned to Yemen to lead his father's troops. It is possible that he will in turn attempt to wrest control of Sanaa from the Houthis, with the support of Saudi Arabia.
"Saudi Arabia and the UAE absolutely want to destroy the Houthis," said DW's Al-Mikhlafy. "But that will take a long time because the Houthis still have enough troops and arms to continue the fight." The conflict could therefore drag on for years if the Saudi-led coalition refrains from sending in ground troops, he added.
Despite Saleh's death, Al-Mikhlafy believes a peaceful solution to the conflict is still nowhere in sight.
http://www.dw.com/en/yemen-what-will-change-after-ali-abdullah-salehs-death/a-41664774
(* B K P)
Saleh’s dramatic death returns Yemen to the spotlight
The question now is what is next. Particularly in light of the past few days, predicting the future would be a fool’s errand. But a few trends can be established.
Key among them is that peace - already a distant prospect - has receded further still. In addition to aiming to consolidate power, the resurgent Houthis are out for revenge: as far as they are concerned, they have been the victims of a dramatic betrayal. Many spokesmen have openly called for purges of Saleh allies and insufficiently loyal members of the alliance.
Simultaneously, international actors have been caught off guard. The entire roadmap of the peace process will likely have to change: after all, the Houthi-Saleh alliance, which was a cornerstone of internationally backed peace efforts, no longer exists.
Simultaneously, the humanitarian costs of the conflict are only likely to worsen, making life for the average Yemeni all the more painful. The Houthis unquestioned control is likely to pave the way for the justification of even harsher Saudi blockades on trade and aid into Yemen, particularly considering the likelihood of increasing Iranian influence over the group.
That doesn’t mean that the Houthis should be written off. Regardless of their recent behavior, backchannels remain crucial and something that Europe, being one of the few parties able to talk to all sides, may well be able to provide – by Adam Baron
http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_salehs_dramatic_death_returns_yemen_to_the_spotlight
Comment: What happened to cholera, diphtheria, rabies, dengue outbreaks, famine, lack of fuel and safe water, continuous airstrikes, 3 mln internally displaced, a country broken in two (or more), arms deals: aren't these enough to keep the attention on #Yemen?
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1577504175635940
(* B K P)
Yemen in flux: the only certainty is there is no certainty
What happens now to Saleh's forces and the considerable weaponry they hold?
There are important questions about what will happen to the troops loyal to Saleh, and the considerable weaponry and resources they hold.
The death of Saleh and recent infighting between his forces and the Houthis may be perceived as an opportunity to try and alter this balance, particularly in Sanaa, the focal point of these Saleh-Houthi clashes. How the coalition responds to this fissure will be a critical point of focus particularly in the coming days.
Whether instability in the country prevails from new rounds of in-fighting and power grabs (particularly in Sanaa), or whether there are changes to the blockade which was imposed to try and stem the flow of arms into Houthi hands (and which has had a profound impact on goods reaching the people of Yemen), it is likely that civilians will continue to bear the brunt of these shifts.
In Yemen right now- and for the foreseeable future — the only certainty is that there is no certainty – by Joana Cook
(* B K P)
A Worsening Nightmare in Yemen
Saleh’s death will further complicate the Saudi-led coalition’s plans to exit from Yemen’s catastrophic war, making it even more costly to the Yemeni people
There are no Yemeni political figures comparable to Saleh in terms of influence, though there are reports the United Arab Emirates (UAE) might try to position Saleh’s son, Ahmed Saleh, as his father’s successor in both the General People’s Congress Party (GPC) and a newly energized anti-Houthi campaign. However, it is uncertain how much power or influence the son would have, even with extensive UAE and Saudi backing.
The near-term result of Saleh’s death may be an increase in fighting by local forces, which in turn could intensify foreign interventions on both sides, as the Saudi coalition and Iran continue to protect and prop up their proxies. Additional air strikes are likely, though they have been more successful at destroying Yemen’s abysmal infrastructure than Houthi resolve and fighting capabilities. For its part, the U.S. will continue to find itself bound to a worsening crisis, with no upside for its national security interests and a tremendous downside, both for its humanitarian reputation and for Yemen, as the conflict worsens.
http://www.soufangroup.com/tsc-intelbrief-a-worsening-nightmare-in-yemen/
And there is a great lot of more articles about the future of Yemen after Saleh’s death which cannot be presented in detail here.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/yemen-saleh-death-explainer/article37194054/
http://observer.com/2017/12/assassination-of-ali-abdullah-saleh-exacerbates-iran-saudi-proxy-war/
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/salehs-death-puts-yemens-war-crossroads-51594533
http://www.newsweek.com/what-does-assassination-saleh-mean-yemen-war-735736?piano_t=1
https://www.ft.com/content/e0442092-d9b0-11e7-a039-c64b1c09b482
(* A P)
Loved, hated, feared: Yemenis look to future without Saleh
News of the strongman's death Monday at the hands of his former rebel allies sparked jubilation, grief and fear of further violence in the Yemeni capital
After nearly a week of violence, Sanaa residents began to venture out of their homes on Tuesday as Saudi-led air strikes on rebel targets came to a halt.
But for many Yemenis, the ex-president -- accused of corruption by the United Nations and of discrimination by both northern and southern Yemenis -- was a symbol of oppression, a man responsible for the country's war, disease and hunger.
"Look around. Residents are moving freely at last. The fear, the worry, that used to exist in our capital are gone with the militias," said Abu Ali, a Huthi fighter stationed in Sanaa, referring to Saleh loyalists.
"Thank God everything is stable now and all the militia posts are under our control," he said.
For some, the struggle to come to terms with the death of a man they admired for decades remains unresolved.
(* A P)
Yemen's Saleh fell into Saudi trap: Leading journalist
A leading Arab journalist says the former Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was recently killed in Sana’a, failed to learn lessons from history and fell into the trap of the Saudi-led coalition, which has been involved in a bloody military campaign against Yemen since early 2015.
Abdel Bari Atwan, who is the editor-in-chief of Rai al-Youm, an Arab world digital news and opinion website, said Tuesday that Saudi Arabia and a coalition of its allies sought to ignite a civil war in Yemen through promoting sedition and disrupting the alliance between the Ansarullah movement and Saleh’s General People's Congress party (GPC).
Atwan said it was a surprise that Saleh, a veteran politician who had ruled Yemen for more than three decades, was deceived by the Saudis and turned to Riyadh.
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/12/05/544548/journalist-Atwan-Saleh-Yemen-Saudi-Arabia
Remark: From Iran.
(* A P)
Justice Served to Yemen’s Saleh: Iran’s Velayati
Ali Akbar Velayati, an international adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, said a plot hatched against Yemen’s people ended in failure with the death of the country’s former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, adding that Saleh got what he deserved as a result of his actions.
“The plot hatched by (the United Arab) Emirates and Saudi Arabia to let Ali Abdullah Saleh stab (Yemeni) fighters and people in the back failed and he (Saleh) suffered the consequences of his actions,” Velayati said Tuesday, answering a question about the recent developments in Yemen.
My comment: Whow.
(* A P)
Iranian media: Yemen ex-president's death result of his 'betrayal'
The death of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has received extensive coverage in Iran, with media outlets and newspapers describing his fate as the result of his “betrayal” of the Houthis.
With the headline, “The End of the Complicated Arab Politician,” the government-run newspaper Iran wrote Dec. 5, “In 2013, in the midst of Yemen's internal disputes between Ansar Allah [Houthis] and [Abed Rabbo] Mansour Hadi’s government, which led to Hadi’s escape to Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Saleh returned to the country and formed an alliance with national unity [government] forces and stood against Hadi and Saudi Arabia.”
The report continued, “In the wake of the killing of Saleh, the people of Yemen expressed their satisfaction over his death and the thwarting of the conspiracy of the aggressors to cause internal sedition in the country.”
Moreover, Kayhan newspaper — known to be the mouthpiece of Iranian hard-liners — argued Dec. 5, “In recent days, Ali Abdullah Saleh's forces had triggered a new sedition in Yemen that led to the death of 40 people — a sedition that made the Saudis strangely excited.”
(A P)
IRGC Commander Reacts To The Death of Yemen's Saleh
The commander of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) is quoted by Iranian media as saying on Tuesday, “Thanks God, the conspiracy [in Yemen] was nipped in the bud”, without mentioning the killing of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran-yemen-saleh-irgc/28898105.html
(* A P)
Yemen’s Houthis hold body of slain ex-president: Leader
Yemen’s Houthi group is holding the body of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was shot dead in the capital Sanaa on Monday, according to a Houthi leader.
“Our security forces are holding Saleh’s body and will definitely hand it over to his family,” Mohamed al-Bakhiti told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.
“No information is available about the arrest of any of Saleh’s sons,” al-Bakhiti said, when asked about reports on the arrest of a number of the former president’s sons.
Meanwhile, Hussein al-Azzi, a Houthi leader, denied reports speaking about the killing of Assistant Secretary-General of Saleh’s General People's Congress (GPC) Yasser Al-Awadi.
“Al-Awadi will always remain with the homeland,” he said on Twitter, in an implicit reference for his loyalty to the Houthis.
http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/yemen-s-houthis-hold-body-of-slain-ex-president-leader/990278
(* A K P)
Yemen Top Figures Laud Defeat of Conspiracies against Revolution
Head of Yemen's Supreme Political Council Saleh al-Samad said that security has been restored in all areas and provinces effected by the sedition, Lebanon's al-Mayadeen news channel reported.
“Conspiracy has been defeated and elements and leaders of coup d'état were killed,” the official noted in a reference to death of Abdullah Saleh in the clashes.
He thanked the role of all Yemeni tribes and the leaders of the country’s General People's Congress in defeating the enemies.
In the meantime, Yemen’s Houthi Ansarullah Movement Spokesman Mohammad Abdul Salam said that the national movements realized the complicated plot hatched against the revolution and played a role in deterring it.
He highlighted the role of United Arab Emirates (UAE)’ in Saleh betrayal and noted that “We have no problem with our brothers in the General People’s Congress.”
“We have problem with the traitors that cooperate with the invading (Saudi-led) coalition,” the official said.
Also, Mohammad al-Bukhaiti, a top figure in the Political Council of Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement said to Press TV on Monday that Saleh “was not honest” in his confrontation with the Saudi-led military coalition as he was collaborating covertly with Riyadh.
The Houthi official described the death of Saleh on Monday 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 adde
"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.
(* A P)
Yemenis cheer death of Saleh, as others flee Houthi backlash
Thousands take to the streets of the capital to mark the demise of 'traitor' Saleh. Away from the crowds, others were planning their escape
Thousands of Yemenis thronged the streets of Sanaa on Tuesday to celebrate the death of the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was captured and killed by Houthi militiamen outside Yemen's capital as a "traitor" for turning on his former allies.
The city had been quiet in the morning as five days of intense clashes halted within hours of Saleh's death.
Houthi leaders determined the city was safe enough for celebrations over the death of their arch-foe.
Raed al-Raseni said he had reopened his shop in Hail Street, central Sanaa, after the Houthis announced the city was safe.
"I have mixed feelings - I am sad about the killing of Saleh, but I am also happy that regular life has returned to Sanaa and people can leave their houses normally," he told Middle East Eye.
But as the streets began to fill with those celebrating Saleh's death, many others still backing Saleh's party, the General People's Congress (GPC), began to plan their escape.
A source in the GPC's media office in Sanaa told Middle East Eye: "The Houthis arrested dozens of GPC leaders, some journalists and normal GPC members yesterday and they are still chasing others."
"The Houthis are spiteful of the GPC because Saleh began the revolution against them, and the Houthis believe others will try to see it through."
The source added that there had been a mass exodus of GPC members from Sanaa to other provinces.
"The GPC did not end after Saleh's death - the leadership is going to restore the party and it will become stronger," he said.
Other Saleh supporters had resorted to telling the Houthis they were their supporters, he added.
"Some fighters and members of the GPC could not flee Sanaa, so they resorted to disguise themselves as Houthis.
"Those people will support the GPC and civilians at the proper time."
Ahmed Obaid bin Dagher, the prime minister in the Saudi-backed government of Abd Rabbuh Hadi, said he held the Houthis responsible for the safety and health of the GPC supporters it had arrested.
A member of the political council of the Houthis said GPC members had been arrested for "security reasons" and they would be released as soon as it was deemed safe to do so.
"We prevented chaos and aggression in Sanaa, lead by the traitor Saleh, so it is normal to arrest some members of the GPC for investigation," he told MEE.
"Ansar Allah [the Houthis] are not responsible for any chaos in Sanaa."
He stated that the Houthis would hold fair trials for those who had fought against them and incited violence.
"Traitors of the GPC were arrested and Ansar Allah are still chasing others," he said. "Prison is the best place for them."
(* A P)
Yemenis demonstrators call for unity against Saudi aggressions
Tens of thousands of Yemenis have staged a demonstration against the Saudi-led war against Yemen, calling for unity among all the factions in the country.
People took to the streets of the capital city of Sana’a on Tuesday, calling for an end to the devastating Saudi-led war against the impoverished nation.
The demonstrators called for dialogue among all the warring sides in Yemen in an attempt to counter the existing plots against the country.
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/12/05/544573/Yemen-demonstration-Saudi-Arabia and more photos https://www.facebook.com/AlmasirahTV/posts/2071523579794495
My comment: Houthi supporters rallying at Sanaa. And again: Where are all the Saleh supporters gone?
(unrated A K P)
After Killing Yemen Ex-Leader, Rebels Push His Forces Out of Capital
Houthis set up new checkpoints across San’a, residents say, and detain hundreds of soldiers loyal to Ali Abdullah Saleh
Houthi forces rounded up hundreds of fighters loyal to Yemen’s former president and consolidated their control of the capital on Tuesday, a day after the longtime leader was slain by the rebels and his forces dispersed.
The Houthis set up new checkpoints across San’a, residents said, and aired television footage of dozens of purported loyalists of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh being detained (subscribers only)
(A K P)
The president is inspecting the conditions of citizens in the areas affected by the treason militias in the capital Sana'a
The head of the Supreme Political Council Saleh al-Samad on Tuesday inspected the conditions of citizens in a number of areas affected by the unfortunate events in the capital Sana'a. He directed a field committee to investigate the damage resulting from these events and submit a comprehensive report to ensure the state and government assume their responsibility.
Prior to that, the President of the Supreme Political Council reviewed the extent of damage in a number of neighborhoods and major tours and the role of citizens in supporting the efforts of the security services and the popular committees to quell sedition, which was ignited by some subversive elements outside the law.
https://almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=16487
My comment: By Houthi media.
(A P)
The head of the government meets the President of the Government of National Salvation and stresses the importance of carrying out the role entrusted to it
Saleh Al-Samad, head of the Supreme Political Council met today in Sana'a, the head of the National Salvation Government Dr. Abdul Aziz Saleh bin Habtoor.
During the meeting, the situation on the national scene was discussed in light of the current developments and the role of the government in normalizing the situation, especially in light of the continued aggression and the daily massacres and crimes against the Yemeni people in various governorates.
The meeting dealt with the unfortunate events in the capital Sana'a and a number of governorates, which were instigated by elements outside the law and the role of the government in overcoming this ordeal by limiting the damage caused by it and providing necessary support to those affected.
The meeting stressed the importance of the role entrusted to the National Salvation Government during the current stage in activating the performance of institutions and establishing security and stability in a way that alleviates the suffering of society.
https://almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=16488
My comment: It seems the Houthis try to keep ruuning the “Salvation Government” which they had set up together with their Saleh partners in 2016 – without most of Saleh’s GPC ministers, I think. As Foreign Minister Hisham Sharaf Abdullah. Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Political_Council. Reports of Habtoor having been arrested (http://en.smanews.org/a-mysterious-fate-for-ben-habtour) thus should be false. It’s probable of course that Saleh followers in the government had been arrested, as reported here http://en.smanews.org/al-houthi-militias-arrest-ben-habtour-gulidan-and-dabaan
(* B K P)
Houthis detain Saleh loyalists as Yemeni capital gets back to business
Sana’a residents seize on relative quiet to stock up on food after weekend of chaotic fighting left 230 people dead
Houthi rebels fighting their former allies in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, have moved against a group of diehard loyalists of the former president who was killed on Monday as he attempted to flee the city.
The clashes near what had been Ali Abdullah Saleh’s house came as residents seized on the relative calmness elsewhere in Sana’a to go out after five days of street fighting to hoard food.
Sources on the ground told the Guardian that Houthi fighters had coalesced around a small area in Hada Street to remove the last stronghold of remaining Saleh loyalists who had refused to surrender. A video posted by Ansar Allah media centre, a Houthi mouthpiece, showed dozens of detained Saleh loyalist fighters.
Businesses opened as usual on Tuesday and people rushed to stockpile food, fearing a return of the chaotic fighting seen over the weekend as the fragile alliance of Houthi rebels and Saleh forces was shattered. The clashes left at least 230 people dead and thousands more injured.
Aid workers in Sana’a are in lockdown. Rajat Madhok, a Unicef official said: “Ambulances and medical teams can’t access the injured, people trapped in the fighting cannot buy food and other essential supplies. Aid workers can’t travel and implement critical life-saving programmes.”
Resentment towards the Houthis appears to be building, as people who have not been paid salaries for more than a year have become extremely frustrated by the stalemated conflict and Saudi bombing raids.
(B K P)
Yemen calm after a night of bombing
There is calm on the streets of Yemen after a night of bombing by the Saudi-led coalition.
[General overview]
(A K)
Photos: Algiers street, after the clashes. #Sanaa
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1577579895628368
(* A K P)
The Latest: ICRC says 234 killed in clashes in Yemen's Sanaa
The Latest on developments in the war in Yemen, following the killing of former president by the country's Shiite rebels (all times local):
2:30 p.m.
The International Committee of the Red Cross says that as many as 234 people have been killed in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in street fighting this month between the country's Shiite rebels and the supporters of the slain former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The ICRC said on Tuesday that another 400 people have been wounded in the clashes, which first erupted last week as the alliance between the rebels and Saleh's followers crumbled.
It's not clear how many civilians are among the dead.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/12/05/latest-icrc-says-234-killed-in-clashes-in-yemens-sanaa.html and also https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-redcross/toll-in-sanaa-fighting-rises-to-234-killed-400-wounded-icrc-idUSKBN1DZ1P9
(* A P)
Saleh family members and close friends are getting eliminated left and right by Houthis. Saleh + friends gambled and lost everything.
https://twitter.com/Brasco_Aad/status/938063359127314432
and
(* A P)
Video : Houthis hold Saleh's loyalist soldiers as hostages in #Sanaa #Yemen Footage by Houthis media center.
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/938035428376096773
(* A K P)
Video : Houthis took over the political neighborhood in #Sanaa after heavy clashes between Houthi fighters and GPC fighters #Yemen Footage by Houthis media center .
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/938052008199819264
and videos by Houthi Almasirah TV on Sanaa:
https://almasirah.net/gallery/preview.php?file_id=10440 (“breaking the leader of treason”)
https://almasirah.net/gallery/preview.php?file_id=10461 (rally, Hajjah)
https://almasirah.net/gallery/preview.php?file_id=10462 (“A security tour of what the Saleh militia left in Sana'a”)
https://almasirah.net/gallery/preview.php?file_id=10463 (“destroyed neighborhoods of Sana'a and monitoring violations by militias”)
https://almasirah.net/gallery/preview.php?file_id=10465 (“the latest crimes of the treachery militia to execute the prisoners are broken”)
(* A P)
Arab League says death of Saleh risks 'explosion' in Yemen: MENA
The Arab League on Tuesday condemned the killing of Yemeni ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh saying his death threatened to cause an “explosion” in the Gulf country’s security situation, Egypt’s MENA state news agency reported.
The Arab League’s general secretariat also condemned the Houthi movement which killed Saleh as a “terrorist organization”, demanding that the international community view it as such.
“All means must be used to rid the Yemeni people of this nightmare,” it said, referring to the Houthis.
(* A K P)
Tarik Saleh, nephew & commander of guards, confirmed dead now. Was killed b4 his uncle escaped& killed. His brother Mohammed seriously injured. Saleh's son Salah, his fate not known so far. Madian arrested.
Mediators say: when Tarik was killed, Saleh & all prayed for him inside the blockaded house & said as (a will) he must be buried next to his father in Afash fort, family cemetery in their village of Sanhan. Failed mediators,then, left besieged Saleh alone.
https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/938058167841419264
https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/938070612643282945
and
(A K P)
Top Saleh loyalist commander dies of wounds in Yemen’s Sana’a
Yemeni sources have indicated that the top commander of forces loyal to slain president Ali Abdullah Saleh has died of injuries he suffered during clashes this week with fighters of Houthi Ansarullah movement in the capital Sana’a.
Yemen’s General People's Congress party announced Tuesday that Tarek Saleh died of wounds suffered during clashes over control of Sana’a.
A statement from the party said the commander had sustained wounds to his liver and died in a hospital. It did not give more details. His residence was a first target of Houthi fighters when clashes broke out in Sana’a on Wednesday.
A nephew of the former president, Tarek was a key figure in Saleh’s efforts to push back the Houthi fighters from Sana’a and restore ties with Saudi Arabia.
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/12/05/544599/Yemen-Saleh-commander-death
and
(* A K P)
Leader of Yemen forces loyal to Saleh dead, says GPC
Ali Abdullah Saleh's General People's Congress party said the former president's nephew and the leader of the elite Republican Guard had died in hospital after sustaining wounds in clashes between Saleh loyalists and the Houthi rebels
The leader of Yemeni forces loyal to Ali Abdullah Saleh was reported dead on Tuesday, as Houthi rebels led a charge against associates of the murdered former president.
Saleh's General People's Congress party said Tariq Mohammed Abdullah Saleh, the former president's nephew and the leader of the elite Republic Guard, a renegade unit of the Yemeni army, had died of wounds suffered in clashes this week in Sanaa.
On Tuesday, the GPC told Agence France-Presse that Saleh's nephew had died in hospital after sustaining a shrapnel wound to the liver.
The party did not elaborate.
The Houthis also stand accused by the GPC of killing the party's assistant secretary, Aref Al Zuka.
A leading party member told The National on Tuesday that Al Zuka was taken to a military hospital after being wounded in the same attack that killed Saleh, but was then killed by the Houthis himself at the hospital.
He said the fate of Abull Aziz Bin Habtoor, senior GPC member and prime minister of the Saleh-Houthi alliance's self-declared government, was unknown but that reports suggested the rebels had arrested him.
https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/leader-of-yemen-forces-loyal-to-saleh-dead-says-gpc-1.681480
Remark: Habtoor seems not to have been arrested, but he is loyal to the Houthis, and still in function as prime minister.
(A K P)
According to the statement issued by Congress Party:
- Tarek Saleh, nephew of former president Saleh, and Chief of Special forces, was killed in clashes with Houthis
- former president Saleh was killed afterward
- still no news of Salah, Saleh's son
(* A K P)
Al-Zouka Executed Inside the Military Hospital in Sanaa
Aref Al-Zouka, sevretary general of the Public Conference Party, was executed by al-Houthi militias inside the military hospital in Sanaa. Sky News Arabic, according to reliable sources, indicated that Al-Houthi militias admitted Al-Zouka to the military hospital in Sanaa while he was still alive with minor injuries and then executed him inside the hospital.
http://en.smanews.org/al-zouka-executed-inside-the-military-hospital-in-sanaa
(A K P)
Saleh’s Nephew: Al-Houthi Militias Opened the Gates of Hell Upon Themselves
In a post on his face book account, Tawfik Saleh Abdullah Saleh, nephew of the late president of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh, threatened Al-Houthi militias with a “powerful response” after killing his uncle. In his post, Tawfik Saleh said: “The spark will not go off. Gates of hill are now open on Al-Houthi militias. The Yemeni people will fight Al-Houthi all over Yemen”.
http://en.smanews.org/salehs-nephew-al-houthi-militias-opened-the-gates-of-hell-upon-themselves
(* A K P)
Saleh killing 'not a targeted attack,' said Houthi activist
The Houthi soldiers who killed Ali Abdullah Saleh at a road checkpoint did not know he was in the vehicle, a Yemeni journalist with close ties to the movement told Euronews.
Saleh was seeking to escape fighting around his home in the capital Sanaa after having split from his former Houthi allies when his vehicle arrived at a roadblock.
"Saleh was killed in a battle at one of the checkpoints in the outskirts of Sana'a while trying to escape. The officers on the spot were unaware that Abdullah Saleh was in the car, but when the driver refused to stop, a heavy exchange of fire took place," Hussein al-Bekhiti, a journalist and Houthi activist said in a telephone interview.
http://www.euronews.com/2017/12/05/saleh-killing-not-a-targeted-attack-said-houthi-activist
and even the names of his (presumed) killers are known now: http://en.smanews.org/killers-of-the-ousted-saleh-by-names
and varying theories on how he got killed:
(A P)
Moh. al-Bukhaiti tells al-Jazeera that he was involved in effort to persuade Saleh to accept Houthi forces' terms of surrender because they had already encircled his home. This was to avoid further civil strife. But Saleh refused to surrender, and he was killed attempting to flee
https://twitter.com/DaySWTweet/status/938025636702113793
Observations piling up that Houthis killed Saleh in his home, then dragged his body into an rural area & videotaped him there to make it look like they killed him while he was trying to escape so that they can justify his execution.
https://twitter.com/Ndawsari/status/938028592600109057
More obituaries for Saleh:
https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/yemen-saleh-death-explainer/article37194054/
http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-middle-east-42240852/ali-abdullah-saleh-why-his-death-is-a-big-deal-for-yemen and comment: This is the best three minute primer on why President #Saleh's death is a big deal for #Yemen, by the talented @mainoman https://twitter.com/m_madi/status/938044676652896256
(* A K P)
New from social media:
[Films, anti-Houthi rallies and raids]
https://twitter.com/khaledSfO3/status/937596898721988608
https://twitter.com/RepublicanYemen/status/937596894313934849
Earlier reporting : https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-363-yemen-war-mosaic-363
cp2 Allgemein / General
(* B K P)
Film (talk) What is next for Yemen after Saleh's killing?
So, will Saleh's death bring the conflict into a new, and even more violent, phase?
Presenter: Laura Kyle
Guests:
Jamie McGoldrick - United Nations Resident Coordinator in Yemen
Noha Aboueldahab - Visiting Fellow, Brookings Doha Center
Mamoun Abu Nowar - retired Jordanian Air Force general
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2017/12/yemen-saleh-killing-171205170941016.html
(* B K P)
A severe blow to hopes for Yemen
As an assassination ruins an exit strategy, Washington must end support for the Saudi war and stop the war itself
The assassination of former Yemen president Ali Abdullah Saleh has turned a spotlight on the catastrophe created there by a Saudi Arabia-led coalition, which is being widely equated to a crime against humanity.
Saleh’s death is a major blow to the political faction he led and with which he continued to wield influence, though it is a faction known for switching sides in accordance with political needs. Like so many other leaders in the Middle East and North Africa, Saleh left behind a legacy of war and corruption.
If Washington had Iran in mind when the Obama administration decided two years ago to back the Saudi coalition, there are no clear grounds now for maintaining that view. Unfortunately, President Donald Trump – convinced that Iran is a foe in need of humiliating – has chosen to put all of his eggs in the Saudi basket. Because of the humanitarian crisis, however, Washington must urgently reconsider its role and in fact help end the conflict.
In its sheer scale, the continuing Saudi assault – and the coalition’s refusal to allow adequate medicine and food into Yemen – could well constitute a war crime.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/opinion/30333260
(* B K P)
Yemen: war without end?
Saleh’s son, Ahmed, will probably take over as leader of the General People’s Congress political party. He’s unlikely to seek a ceasefire, though. Instead, it’s more likely that he’ll try to form an alliance with President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, his father’s successor and former vice-president. Hadi had said prior to Saleh’s death that he would support ‘any party confronting Houthi terrorist gangs’.
The political scientist William Zartman has argued that parties to a dispute opt to negotiate only when they are ready to do so. This moment of ‘ripeness’ may be brought on by a ‘mutually hurting stalemate’ in which all parties recognise that they’re locked in a conflict they can’t win. A negotiated peace becomes the only way out.
Unfortunately, neither Iran nor Saudi Arabia—the primary protagonists—has a clear path to victory. They remain unaffected by the conflict in Yemen. Each believes that it’s pursuing its own national interest. The suffering of Yemen’s population matters little to them.
In the case of Saudi Arabia, Bruce Riedel, a senior fellow and director of the Brookings Intelligence Project, has noted that ‘Riyadh does not have a strategy to win the war’.
The Houthis’ latest foray into Sana’a demonstrates not only that they’re well organised and armed, but that they’re now united under a single command. Their opponents are fragmented, drawing support from different foreign backers (as seen, for example, with the UAE-backed al-Hirak Movement, which is composed of nine factions, some of which want to secede from Yemen).
Complicating the situation further is the presence of a melange of Salafi-jihadi groups—some affiliated with Islamic State, others with al-Qaeda—and indigenous groups, with differing views about how Yemen should be governed.
With so many actors pursuing so many agendas, the opportune moment for peace negotiations remains elusive – by Isaac Kfir
https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/yemen-war-without-end/
(* B K P)
Key players in Yemen's slide into chaos
[Overview]
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5148531/Key-players-Yemens-slide-chaos.html
(* A H K P)
Yemen humanitarian situation likely to worsen with Saleh death: Mattis
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Tuesday that the killing of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh would, in the short term, likely worsen an already dire humanitarian situation in the country.
Mattis said it was too early to say what impact the killing would have on the war.
He said it could either push the conflict towards U.N. peace negotiations or make it an “even more vicious war.”
“(But)one thing I think I can say with a lot of concern and probably likelihood is that the situation for the innocent people there, the humanitarian side, is most likely to (get) worse in the short term,” Mattis said. He did not explain his reasoning.
“So this is where we’ve all got to roll up our sleeves. Now, what are you going to do about medicine and food and clean water and cholera,” Mattis said.
My comment: And this from the side which had fueled the war and the catastrophe by its multifold intervention.
(* B H K P)
What is happening in Yemen? The war and humanitarian crisis explained
How did the war start?
How bad is the current situation?
The death of ex-president Saleh
Why Saudi Arabia started bombing
Why the US backed Saudi Arabia
Why isn't it making front pages?
What was Yemen like before the war? (photos)
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/explainer/what-happening-yemen-war-and-humanitarian-crisis-explained
(* B H K)
Starvation and Cholera in Yemen
War is taking Yemen back to the dark ages, with U.S. assistance.
The blockade, put in place to “stop the flow of arms from Iran,” had not even allowed chlorine-disinfecting tablets for water to pass to Yemen’s desperate citizens. A recent temporary lift of the U.S/Saudi Arabia blockade of Yemen may provide a temporary respite for millions of starving Yemenis. But with an unsanitary environment that is degrading rapidly, and a dearth of clean drinking water, far more than a temporary lift is needed to ameliorate this catastrophe.
Led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS)—who will become a king upon the death of his ailing father, the king—the Yemen blockade is just one of the first actions the crown prince has taken in his grab for power both internally and internationally.
MbS is running this war against Yemen with a vengeance and a total disregard for humanitarian consequences. He wants to prove his prowess and the power of his new ideas.
The Saudis are quick to point out that Iran is smuggling weapons, even though there is little evidence that Iran is sending a lot of weapons to the Houthis. The Saudis, however, are building their arsenal.
Even more alarmingly, MbS lashes out at Iran with bellicose rhetoric to frighten and reduce Iranian influence in the Middle East, posing a risk of war with Iran while dragging the U.S. and Israel into the fray – By Adil E. Shamoo
http://fpif.org/starvation-cholera-yemen/ = http://original.antiwar.com/adil-e-shamoo/2017/12/06/starvation-cholera-yemen/
(* B K P)
Saudi Arabia is the Cause of Yemen's Atrocities Yet The U.S. Continues to Exacerbate the Conflict
The utterly clueless Donald Trump has no problem with any of this.
The first step in tackling Yemen's humanitarian crisis is acknowledging that that the tragedy in Yemen is the result of foreign military intervention in the internal affairs of that country. Of recent, Congress took a first step in recognizing this with a bill, titled H.CON.RES.81, which calls for the invocation of the War Powers Act to end US participation in the war in Yemen. But while the bill was promising in the beginning, in the end it was denied privileged status, which would have expedited its hearing, and it was sent to oblivion in committee.
While Salman's anti-corruption rhetoric and a moderate Middle East is music to all western ears, it cannot be ignored that he is simultaneously escalating a devastating human rights crisis. It must also not be ignored that Salman's country is responsible for the rise of Wahhabism, an ultra-conservative form of Islam and the root of intolerance in the Middle East.
The US relationship with Saudi Arabia is supposedly built on a foundation of common interests, not common values. However, Saudi interest has recently dominated American values and dwarfed the respect for human rights are country prides itself on. It is clear that Saudi Arabia, under Salman's control, intends to escalate their conflict with Iran in a way that encourages more Saudi-led offensives in Yemen. It is also clear that the utterly clueless Donald Trump has no problem with any of this.
https://www.alternet.org/world/saudi-arabia-destroying-yemen-human-right-s
(* B P)
Honoured for her passion and continuous efforts, Fatemah, the Insider Mediator
Community of Lawdar District - Abyan Governorate
In March 2017, Fatima was awarded the Women’s International Day Prize, bestowed by the Youth Leadership Development Foundation and sponsored by UN Women, in recognition of her efforts on dispute resolution and contribution to maintain social peace in Lawdar District, Abyan Governorate. She was one of the trainees who completed the Dialogue Design and Facilitation, and Conflict Transformation for Insider Mediators training developed that targeted 56 insider mediator in Abyan, and implemented by the Search for Common Ground (SFCC), an implementing partner of UNDP under the Enhanced Rural Resilience in Yemen (ERRY) Programme.
(unrated B K P)
Audio: Anonymous Bites Back Europe: Episode 7 - The truth about Yemen
Special thanks to Anonymous Bites Back for having held a discussion on #Yemen: 'The truth about Yemen'
You may listen to the discussion clicking on the link (debate starts at minute 1.06, after the video)
(A P)
Gulf states skip Qatar, blast Huthis as summit ends
The Gulf Cooperation Council wrapped up an annual summit Tuesday without discussing the Qatar crisis, the worst in the bloc's history, but they did blast Yemen's Huthi rebels and Iran.
My comment: GCC is a Saudi dominated organization; except Oman, the whole GCC is warring party in Yemen.
(* B K P)
Film: How the Yemen conflict began
The war in Yemen has its origins in the failure of a political transition following the 2011 Arab Spring.
The uprising forced out long-time president Ali Abdullah Saleh and triggered a complicated struggle for power between his supporters and Houthirebels, who became and remained allies until conflict and fighting between the two sides unfolded last week.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/yemen-conflict-began-171203165139028.html
(A P)
Iran FM calls Yemenis to exercise restraint
Bahram Ghasemi, the Spokesman of Iranian Foreign Ministry called all Yemeni sides to exercise restraint and seek dialogue to settle their domestic issues.
“All the domestic conflicts in Yemen can be settled through a framework for dialogue to prevent the enemies of Yemen to take advantage of the situation,” said Bahram Ghasemi on Sunday.
The spokesman of the Iranian ministry of foreign affairs made the remarks in reaction to recent developments in Yemen.
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/129932/Iran-FM-calls-Yemenis-to-exercise-restraint and also http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/12/03/544367/Iran-Yemen-Saudi-Arabia-Foreign-Ministry-Spokesman-Bahram-Qassemi-dialogue
(B H)
This is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world – and many people don’t even know about it
Despite the desperate situation in Yemen, coverage of the country’s plight is few and far between.
Here’s an infographic by the World Health Organisation showing that over three-quarters of people in Yemen require aid.
Remark: Short overview, interesting infographic.
(* B K P)
‘This Is Very Much a US/Saudi War on Yemen’
CounterSpin interview with Shireen Al-Adeimi on Yemen crisis
SAA: Thanks for bringing up the CBS report, because that was a huge disappointment. It was just one opportunity for a mainstream audience in the US to learn, for the first time, perhaps, what is going on in Yemen, and what our role is especially. But it was quickly, like you said, characterized as a Sunni/Shia conflict, which is far from the truth. And not once was it mentioned that the US is, in fact, very much involved in Yemen, and has been from the onset of the war.
So when the Saudis decided to attack Yemen in March 2015, the Americans, under Obama’s administration, were right there along with them in the command room, helping them with targeting practice, helping them with logistics and training. The US military refuels Saudi jets midair as they’re bombing. And so we have been heavily involved, we’ve continued to be involved under Trump’s administration, and this is, of course, in addition to the billions in weapons sales that have occurred over the past couple of years.
JJ: There also is the role that the US plays in shielding Saudi Arabia at the UN, isn’t there?
SAA: Exactly. Over and over, the UN has failed to really take any decisive stance against Saudi Arabia. In fact, there have been some really outrageous moves. For example, they’ve been allowed to investigate their own crimes in Yemen, and of course they come out, months later, saying that they were cleared. So it’s just been an absurd game that they’re playing in the UN, and people’s lives are at stake here. And we’ve been shielding them from any independent investigation.
This is presented as an equivalent war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and again it couldn’t be further from the truth. There’s very little evidence that Iran is involved at all in Yemen. And the way Yemenis see it is that this is very much a US/Saudi war on Yemen, with the help of other regional powers. And so to characterize this as something that’s just happening over there in a foreign land, and we’re trying to put an end to it, that’s really not the case. We are at the center of this, and if our citizens don’t really know our involvement, then there’s no hope for us to be politically involved to try to push our elected officials to do something about our role in Yemen.
https://fair.org/home/this-is-very-much-a-us-saudi-war-on-yemen/ = http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/42857-this-is-very-much-a-us-saudi-war-on-yemen
cp2a Saudische Blockade / Saudi blockade
(* B H P)
Yemen Is On The Edge Of The Abyss
I am extremely reluctant to equate any modern event to the Holocaust. But today I believe it is appropriate: the number of Yemeni lives that could be lost in the coming months is entirely comparable. Beyond the sheer numbers, the cruelty and indifference which with Yemenis are being starved also invokes the horrors of the Shoah.
So here we are, as Americans and Jews, on the edge of the abyss. What will we do today?
Unlike Jews in the 1930s (or, for that matter, Germans) we face no risk of death if we speak up. It is not fear that silences us, but indifference.
So the first thing that we must do is activate the empathy and compassion at the heart of our moral tradition and SPEAK for Yemenis. Give testimony. Give ourselves, our neighbors and our leaders no chance to turn their eyes away.
https://forward.com/scribe/388795/yemen-is-on-the-edge-of-the-abyss
(* B H P)
The Saudi Blockade Keeps Killing Yemenis with Starvation and Disease
Dan de Luce and Robbie Gramer report on the latest effort in the Senate to pressure the Trump administration on Yemen.
Sen. Young has been doing important work in calling attention to the harmful effects of the Saudi-led coalition’s blockade and their resistance to replacing the damaged and destroyed cranes at the port of Hodeidah. As long as the coalition is impeding the delivery of humanitarian aid, the U.S. is legally required not to provide them with military assistance, but the administration ignores this. Aid shipments have started to trickle in over the last week or so, but even once humanitarian aid flows freely without any delays the needs of Yemen’s population won’t be met until the coalition permits the resumption of commercial imports.
Oxfam’s Scott Paul gave an interview with the Council on Foreign Relations’ Zachary Laub last week, and he emphasized the importance of bringing in commercial shipments of fuel to stave off multiple disasters
The longer that the Saudis and their allies keep strangling the country and depriving it of basic necessities, the worse these conditions will get and many more innocent Yemenis will needlessly die – by Daniel Larison
(* B H P)
Missiles and Food: Yemen’s man-made food security crisis
The current dramatic levels of food insecurity in Yemen and the threat of famine are the results of over two-and-a-half years of war, adding to the already high levels existing pre-war. Yet, this food crisis is entirely manmade.
The recent blockade, which has cut off large parts of Yemen from commercial imports, including fuel and food, has made far worse the already dire circumstances under which most people in Yemen live. Without immediate action to comprehensively tackle the world’s largest food crisis, Yemen risks becoming one of the worst famines in 2018.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/missiles-and-food-yemen-s-man-made-food-security-crisis
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
(* B H)
How Bad Are Things In Yemen? We Asked An Aid Worker Holed Up In A Basement
For the past couple days, Johan Mooij has been holed up in his basement.
He's the country director for CARE in Yemen, and the recent airstrikes sent him underground for safety.
Despite the destruction, disease and starvation he's witnessed in his two months in Sanaa, he's also seen countless examples of hospitality, concern and care among the Yemeni people — as well as signs of progress in controlling cholera.
"I think this is why this country has been able to keep up for so long," he says.
NPR spoke to Mooij by phone on Tuesday, after he was able to leave his basement.
Mooji: I've worked in areas where 1,000 or 10,000 people need to be fed. But never in a situation where millions depend on food aid.
A Saudi-led blockade cut off Yemen's citizens from food but it was eased in late November. Has that helped?
The harbors were opened again for humanitarian supplies but not commercial food supplies. The humanitarian supplies cannot compensate for the commercial supplies. It means more and more people will not be able to get food because there's not enough food coming into the country. We have been saying for the past five weeks, the blockade needs to be totally lifted or we will be close to a disaster.
What would happen?
There are no words to describe what will happen if 10 million people will not be able to get food.
How are people coping?
The Yemeni in general are very hospitable. They will share as long as they have something they can share. But the supplies are running out.
What's the solution?
The international community cannot continue to provide so many people with food and other items. We're advocating for parties to find a way to come together with an understanding. Or at least have a ceasefire so we have time to find solutions.
(A H)
Map: Yemen: Emergency Dashboard, November 2017
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-emergency-dashboard-november-2017
(* B H)
Film: Jemen: Krieg, Hunger und wenig Hoffnung
Etwa sieben von 27 Millionen Einwohnern des Jemen wissen laut Weltgesundheitsorganisation WHO nicht, wo sie ihre nächste Mahlzeit hernehmen sollen.
(* B H)
CHILDREN IN YEMEN CUT OFF FROM VITAL HELP AND RISK BEING INJURED OR KILLED IN INTENSE STREET BATTLES AND AIRSTRIKES
Children in the Yemeni capital Sana’a and other districts are cut off from vital help and risk being injured or killed in intense street battles and airstrikes. Save the Children is calling for an urgent ceasefire to allow aid agencies to help children in need of food and medical supplies.
Escalating violence between the Houthis and forces loyal to the late former President Ali Abdullah Saleh over the past few days, combined with new airstrikes from the Saudi-led Coalition, has trapped prevented Yemenis from accessing basic supplies like food, medicine and water and trapped aid workers indoors.
Families report that children are terrified under some of the most intense fighting seen in the capital since the war began. Many Yemeni families haven’t had reliable electricity for nearly three years, so they’re relying on intermittent solar power.
Mohammed Awadh, Communications Manager, Save the Children, has been sheltering in a small storeroom with his wife and baby daughter:
“My daughter is nearly two, and now she recognises the sound of the bombs. I have to explain to her that we can’t go outside and why she can’t have any sweets. She cries when we have to go into the shelter – the building has been shaking under the bombardment and it’s very dark, we only have electricity for six hours a day.”
Children are also at risk of shrapnel, stray bullets and blast injuries from the heavy use of explosive weapons in populated areas. Ambulances reportedly can’t reach the injured and have been shot at, schools are shut and pregnant women in labour can’t leave their homes to go to hospital. The streets have been deserted amid the continued clashes and airstrikes.
Tamer Kirolos, Yemen Country Director, Save the Children, currently in Sana’a, said:
“The last few days have been unimaginably terrifying for children trapped under intense bombardment. We’re not able to get out in Sana’a to reach people with life-saving support while the fighting is this intense.”
“Millions of children are already acutely malnourished and sick because of the war and blockade in Yemen, and their families can’t go out to get them food and medical care. People are running out of clean water and basic supplies. It was hard to imagine that the situation in Yemen could get worse, but with this latest escalation it has.”
Kirolos continued: “All those fighting in Yemen and their allies must act now to stop the senseless suffering of children because of this conflict, and immediately enact a ceasefire. If this is not a wake-up call to the international community that the war in Yemen must be brought to an end, I don’t know what is.”
(* B H)
Yemen: “I survived only because of them”
At almost midnight, a car sped into a remote village where RI had temporarily established a mobile medical clinic. In the back seat, unconscious, was Mohsen, he was so severely dehydrated from vomiting and diarrhea that he had slipped into a coma and was just hours away from death.
Mohsen was a primary school teacher in Hajjah: a remote, mountainous area in the north of Yemen. Like most people who were employed by the government before the war, he has not received his salary for over a year. The school he worked in had to close
RI’s medical staff immediately started treating Mohsen with intravenous fluids to stabilize him. Within hours, his condition had improved but he spent three days in our care recovering. With support from the Yemen Humanitarian Fund (YHF), RI is able to operate mobile medical teams, which travel to remote areas in Hajjah, providing free basic health care and free referrals to specialist health facilities. In a context where there are no ambulances, services are sparsely spread, and people are struggling just to put food on the table, this project is saving people’s lives every day.
Once Mohsen was discharged, he said: “If it were not for these medical staff, I would not be alive today. I survived only because of them.”
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-i-survived-only-because-them
(* A H)
U.N. seeking to evacuate aid workers from Yemen - sources tell Reuters
The United Nations is trying to evacuate at least 140 aid workers from the Yemeni capital amid fighting that has cut off the airport road but it awaits approval from the Saudi-led coalition, U.N. and other aid officials said on Sunday.
“There is a plane on stand-by in Djibouti for 140 international staff,” a U.N. official in Sanaa told Reuters. About half were from non-governmental organisations, he said.
“Fighting is moving towards the airport and the situation is very tense. We can’t even evacuate staff,” he said.
United Nations staff have been confined to their living quarters in Sanaa since clashes erupted on Thursday, he said.
Shells were falling near the UN compound in Sanaa on Siteen Street on Sunday, with one source on the scene saying stray bullets had hit the compound. The compound is empty as staff had been told to stay home and not report to work for days.
Another aid worker from an independent agency in Yemen, who declined to be identified, told Reuters: “The U.N. is planning a reduction of staff for U.N. agencies and some NGOs.”
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
(A H)
General Coordinator or Organizations and associations in Al-Hauta Sends a Call for Help to UAE Red Crescent and International Organizations to Save Refugees in Al-Hauta
Eng. Hany Melikan, general coordinator of of organizations and associations in Al-Hauta, sent an urgent call for help to UAE Red Crescent and International Organizations to save refugees from several northern governorates including Taez, Al-Hodeida, Zemar and Sanaa in addition to refugees from Lahj directorates (Tour Al-Baha – Sheab – Karsh). Most of these refugees didn’t receive any aids from any organization since they arrived at Al-Hauta, more than two years ago
Remark: City between Taez and Aden in Southern Yemen.
(A H)
Dashboard: UNHCR Somalia: Registered Refugees and Asylum-seekers Statistical Report, 30-November-17
(A H)
Yemen: Passengers Transport Overview - Djibouti - Aden - Djibouti, November 2017
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
Siehe / Look at cp1b
(A P)
Houthi militias force schools to close, students to attend sectarian festivity
The Houthi rebel militias for public and private schools to close for two days this week and send their students to attend a sectarian festivity, a celebration of the birth of prophet Mohammed (PH).
The students were forced to attend radicalization events and lectures under the hot sun from morning to evening
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-13378
My comment: A lot to say about this propaganda report.
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
Siehe / Look at cp1
(A T)
Unknown Armed Men assassinate Imam of Al-Sahaba Mosque at Al-Mansoura
Sheikh Al-Omrany, was shot dead while he was leaving his house in Al-Mansoura – Adan.
http://en.smanews.org/unknown-armed-men-assassinate-imam-of-al-sahaba-mosque-at-al-mansoura
(A P)
Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdulmalik Al-Mekhlafi met today with U.S. ambassador to Yemen Matthew Tueller.
The two sides discussed, during the meeting, the developments at the Yemeni arena, particularly the latest developments in Sanaa.
Al-Mekhlafi demanded that the world community condemns the assassination of Yemen's former president committed by the Houthi militias, and underscored the importance of sending a strong message to the, warning from the repercussions of the international silence towards the criminal practices and atrocities being committed by the Houthi militias against the Yemeni people.
http://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1695112
(A P)
The South Arab Media Agency (SAMA News) is calling for all patriotic southern powers, and especially the Southern Transitional Council, to hold an urgent consulting meeting in the light of current local and regional situations
This is to send a clear message to all parties that the national southern movement, represented in the southern transitional council, is sticking to patriotic concepts that we all defended since the beginning of our peaceful struggle in 2007 till we carried our weapons against Al-Houthi / Efash aggression to restore our lands. Our victories represent our national patriotic will in liberating our national soil from these militias.
(A P)
Southern Transitional Council Discusses Arrangements of the First Meeting of the Southern National Assembly
My comment: More and more, the structures of a parallel southern state are emerging.
(* A P)
Speech of President of the Southern Transitional Council in Celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Independence
Dear free brothers and sisters:
Today we celebrate fifty years of independence from the British colonization in the 30th of November 1967. In that day, the flag of our southern state was raised for the first time, high in the sky of freedom, thanks to the bloods of martyrs. After fifty years, here we are under the same flag try to restore our country from those who are trying to robe his will and rightful choice in dignity, sovereignty, stability and safe life. Our will for freedom is the horizon of development that will fulfill the expectations of the new generations of southern people under the principles of citizenship, democracy, continuous development and human rights. This is how we wish to start a new half a century without flaws of the past. Here we are trying to establish a new meaning of independence and a new value of our nations in a new reality of our own.
(A T)
#AlQaeda is apparently still not purged from the Daw'an region of Hadramawt #Yemen. #AQAP claims it fired Grad rockets & B10 projectiles at the Hadrami Elite Force military camp in Budah yesterday (photo)
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/936962093483520003
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
(* B P)
Canada could be an honest broker in Yemen
Canada has shown it can be a honest broker during some of the most difficult political and conflict-ridden situations.
Now Canada should try to be be an impartial mediator in the conflict in Yemen, one that is destroying one of the poorest nations in the world. Some of the most powerful nations in world are complicit in the ongoing tragedy.
there is a need for third countries, such as Canada, to play the role of mediator and engage in "track two" processes, perhaps outside the region. This could involve bringing together key leaders from all sides of the conflict to engage in proposals for de-escalation of the violence and bombing that allows for a meaningful humanitarian pause to permit access to critical food, medicine and humanitarian assistance.
If these actions are successful, they could be followed by mediated and renewed discussion of the prior proposals for a future federated Yemen that could deal with the traditional demands of the Houthis and other tribal groups – by Errol Mendes
https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/canada-could-be-an-honest-broker-in-yemen/article37200497/
My comment: Certainly, Canada could. It would have been better in this case of course if Canada would not have made an US$ 15 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia.
(A H K P)
Amid alarming spike in violence, looming famine, Yemen gripped by uncertainty – UN officials
Yemen remains gripped by uncertainty after the assassination of the former president and a spike in brutal violence in and around its capital, Sana’a, the United Nations envoy for the war-torn country said Tuesday.
“The situation is reaching a new adverse development with the killing of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and a number of GPC [General People’s Congress] leaders,” Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, told a closed session of the UN Security Council Tuesday.
“These events will constitute a considerable change to the political dynamics in Yemen,” he added.
Briefing alongside Mr. Cheikh Ahmed was the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, who underscored that the humanitarian situation in the country remains severe, with millions on the cusp of the largest famine in modern times.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=58227#.Wid6ukriaUl
(A K P)
UN Security Council calls on all sides in Yemen to 'de-escalate'
The UN Security Council called Tuesday on all sides in war-torn Yemen to "de-escalate" and return to talks as the conflict there took an ominous turn with the killing of ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
"The members of the Security Council call all sides to de-escalate and to recommit and re-engage without preconditions in the UN-led political process to achieve a durable ceasefire," Japanese ambassador Koro Bessho, the council's president, said after a closed-door meeting on the situation
My comment: Well, it’s the UN SC which by its biased resolutions had fueled the war for 2 ½ years now.
(* A K P)
Yemen: Zeid appoints group of eminent international and regional experts
The upsurge in deadly violence in recent days in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, has once again highlighted the horrific impact on civilians of the country’s brutal war, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said on Monday.
“For three years, the people of Yemen have been subjected to death, destruction and despair. It is essential that those who have inflicted such violations and abuses are held to account,” the High Commissioner said, as he announced the appointment of the members of Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen established by the Human Rights Council.
The members are Kamel Jendoubi (Tunisia), who will serve as chairperson, Charles Garraway (United Kingdom) and Melissa Parke (Australia).
“The group’s creation is an important step toward accountability and ending impunity for the serious violations of human rights committed by all sides in Yemen amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in the country, and ensuring justice and remedy for the victims,” said Zeid.
The group of eminent international and regional experts was mandated by a UN Human Rights Council resolution adopted on 29 September 2017. I
The resolution requests the experts “to monitor and report on the situation of human rights, to carry out a comprehensive examination of all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights and other appropriate and applicable fields of international law committed by all parties to the conflict since September 2014, including the possible gender dimensions of such violations, and to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding the alleged violations and abuses and, where possible, to identify those responsible.”
The group of eminent experts will submit a comprehensive written report to the High Commissioner by September 2018.
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Media.aspx?IsMediaPage=true
(A P)
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Briefs the Security Council
The Special Envoy called on the parties to show calm and restraint and abstain from provocative actions and stressed that the parties must abide by their obligations according to international humanitarian law and human rights law.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/un-special-envoy-yemen-briefs-security-council-enar
(* A P)
U.N. chief urges end to air, ground assaults in Yemen
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday urged warring parties in Yemen to stop all ground and air assaults and called for a resumption of all commercial imports into the country because “millions of children, women and men risk mass hunger, disease and death.”
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-yemen-un/u-n-chief-urges-end-to-air-ground-assaults-in-yemen-idUKKBN1DX0U6?rpc=401 and full statement https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/statement-attributable-spokesman-secretary-general-yemen-3-december-2017
(* A P)
Der Sondergesandte der Vereinten Nationen für Jemen ruft alle Konfliktparteien zu Verhandlungen auf
Der UN-Sondergesandte in dem Jemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, rief alle Teilnehmer in dem Konflikt in diesem afrikanischen Land sitzt am Verhandlungstisch nach dem jüngsten Auseinandersetzungen.
„Wir alle Parteien rufen an den Verhandlungstisch zu sitzen, sofort und den Friedensprozess starten“, sagte Ahmed in einer Erklärung.
Er betonte, dass die UN-Position wird das gleiche bleiben: nur eine politische Lösung kann den laufenden Jemen Konflikt ausmacht.
Ahmed sagte auch, dass „alle Parteien sicherstellen müssen, dass Angriffe nicht gegen Zivilisten oder zivile Einrichtungen gerichtet.“
(* A P)
UN Envoy Urges all Yemeni Factions to ‘Immediately’ Return to Negotiations
United Nations special envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed called on Saturday all Yemeni factions to “immediately” return to the negotiations table and take part in the peace process.
In a statement from his office obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat, he expressed his “deep concern” with the latest developments in the capital Sana’a and other regions.
“We call on all sides to respect their commitments in accordance to International Humanitarian Law,” he added.
He urged all sides to exercise restraint and never direct their attacks against civilians.
The UN envoy reiterated that the political solution was the only way to end the conflict in Yemen.
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1101211/un-envoy-urges-all-yemeni-factions-%E2%80%98immediately%E2%80%99-return-negotiations and full statement https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/statement-attributable-un-special-envoy-yemen
cp7a Saudi-Arabien und Iran / Saudi Arabia and Iran
(A P)
Ruhani: Iran will keinen Konkurrenzkampf mit Saudi-Arabien
Isans Präsident wünscht sich bessere Beziehungen zu Saudi-Arabien. Die Schuld an der Krise zwischen den beiden Ländern liege nicht in Teheran, sondern an Entscheidungen des saudischen Kronprinzen Mohammed bin Salman.
(* B P)
“US, UAE, Saudi Arabia Forming Alliance against Iran”
Senior political analyst Seyyed Hossein Mousavian says the US, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are forming an alliance to counter Iran in the region.
Mousavian, a senior researcher at Princeton University, has, in an article published on the website of the Persian-language Donya-ye Eqtesad daily, weighed in on the danger posed to the Middle East region by an alliance of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Israeli regime. The full text of the opinion piece follows.
It has been months that the lobbyists from Riyadh, Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi are urging the White House to cut off the tail of the region’s snake (the Lebanese Hezbollah movement) before cutting off Iran’s head. There are signs that a triangle comprising Washington, Tel Aviv and Riyadh is taking shape to counter Iran in the region,
http://ifpnews.com/exclusive/us-uae-saudi-arabia-forming-alliance-iran/
Remark: From Iran.
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
Siehe / Look at cp1
(* B P)
Under Saudi’s de-facto ruler Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, Saudi Arabia has gone on a kind of international charm offensive in Europe and the United States, as well as a more subtle one in Russia. The aim is to win support for MBS’s Vision 2030 plan which is capped off with the building of a new mega-city in the country which aims to be a kind of Hong Kong meets Geneva on the Red Sea.
Because of this, Saudi’s propaganda machine has been touting a less Wahhabi and more woman friendly/secular tourist friendly image.
http://theduran.com/houthis-take-journalists-hostage-seperating-optics-reality/
(* B P)
CIA Chief: Saudi, Israel May Set Up ‘Joint Military Headquarters’
CIA Director Mike Pompeo says Saudi Arabia is working directly with Israel on confronting “challenges” in the Middle East, suggesting that the two sides could go as far as setting up “a joint military headquarters.”
Speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California, Pompeo cited Daesh, Iran and “failed states” as posing a challenge to both Saudi Arabia and Israel, advising the two sides to develop their relationship.
“We’ve seen them [Saudis] work with the Israelis to push back against terrorism throughout the Middle East, to the extent we can continue to develop those relationships and work alongside them – the [Persian] Gulf states and broader Middle East will likely be more secure,” he said.
“It is incredibly important that in the Middle East, where we have failed states, where you have ISIS, where you have Iran, that we have got to develop a stronger coalition of countries that are willing to work together to confront these challenges,” he added.
Both Israel and Saudi Arabia are alarmed by the growing power of Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement which has been key to breaking the grip of Takfiri terrorists and other militants on territories in Iraq and Syria.
Pompeo called for building “a strong coalition that can operate – frankly I think with a joint military headquarters that can… target the terrorists in that region, that can basically work together to try to provide stability.”
https://www.globalresearch.ca/cia-chief-saudi-israel-may-set-up-joint-military-headquarters/5621661
My comment: They all follow a folly agenda which will bring more death and despair to the region.
(A P)
Saudi Arabia hopes U.S. will not recognize Jerusalem as capital of Israel
Saudi Arabia has expressed hope the United States would not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and warned such a decision would have serious implications, state news agency SPA reported on Tuesday.
(A P)
Saudi says most people detained in anti-corruption sweep have settled
Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor said on Tuesday most of the people detained in a sweeping anti-corruption campaign launched last month have agreed to settlements to avoid prosecution while the rest could be held for months.
In a statement, the public prosecutor said a total of 320 people had been subpoenaed to provide information about alleged graft while 159 remain in detention and “a number” of them have been referred for judicial action.
and
(A P)
Saudi has completed main wave of arrests in anti-graft purge, minister says
Saudi Arabia has completed the main wave of arrests in its sweeping crackdown on corruption and is preparing to channel billions of dollars of seized funds into economic development projects, a Saudi minister said on Monday.
(A P T)
Saudis pledge $100 million to African anti-jihadist force: Mali
Saudi Arabia has pledged $100 million to a new regional military force battling jihadist groups in West Africa’s Sahel region, force member Mali said on Monday.
My comment: At first, they had spent billions to spread Wahabism; at decond, they had given billions to overthrow Gaddhafi in Libya, causing the rise of ISIS in Northern Africa, and now this?
(* B P)
Vom Partner zum Problem
Sebastian Sons, der Saudi-Arabien-Experte der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Poltik, meint, dass das Land den Nahen Osten nicht mehr stabilisiert
Sebastian Sons ist Saudi-Arabien-Experte der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Poltik und Autor des Buches "Auf Sand gebaut". Ramon Schack hat mit ihm über Krieg, Menschenrechte, Terrorismus, Wahabismus, Salafismus, Öl, die USA und den Nahen Osten gesprochen.
Herr Sons, in Ihrem Buch "Auf Sand gebaut" analysieren Sie die Beziehungen des Westens zu seinem Verbündeten Saudi-Arabien. Weshalb sind diese Beziehungen Ihrer Meinung nach problematisch?
Sebastian Sons: Saudi-Arabien ist spätestens seit dem sogenannten "Arabischen Frühling" zur wichtigsten arabischen Macht im Nahen und Mittleren Osten aufgestiegen und wird von der Bundesregierung als "Stabilitätsanker" und Partner im Kampf gegen den Terrorismus bezeichnet. Gleichzeitig führt das saudische Königshaus einen desaströsen Krieg im Jemen, bombardiert dort die Zivilbevölkerung und missachtet im eigenen Land die Menschenrechte. Unter dem neuen König ist die Zahl der Exekutionen deutlich angestiegen. Saudi-Arabien ist also ein sehr problematischer Partner, auf den man jedoch - wenngleich zähneknirschend - nicht verzichten kann.
Die USA sind seit Jahrzehnten wichtigster westlicher Verbündeter Saudi-Arabiens. Auch wenn das Verhältnis in den letzten Jahren deutlich gelitten hat, verfügen saudische Vertreter in Washington über enormen Einfluss - und versuchen diesen (vor allem gegen Iran) zu nutzen.
Der Wahhabismus ist eine erzkonservative Strömung des sunnitischen Islams und gilt in Saudi-Arabien als "Staatsreligion". Ein Bestandteil dieser Glaubensrichtung ist die Ablehnung von Andersgläubigen. Dazu werden auch die Schiiten gezählt. Die Legitimität des saudischen Königshauses basiert auf der engen Allianz mit den Wahhabiten seit Mitte des 18. Jahrhunderts.
Sie brauchen also die Wahhabiten, um sich als respektierte Führer der sunnitischen Welt zu präsentieren. Dafür haben sie in den vergangenen Jahrzehnten Milliardensummen in den Aufbau von wahhabitischen Moscheen, Bildungseinrichtungen und Stiftungen auf der ganzen Welt gesteckt und damit durchaus zur Radikalisierung vieler sunnitischer Muslime beigetragen. Dieses Vorgehen hat auch ISIS oder al-Qaida inspiriert und wird von den meisten Muslimen abgelehnt.
https://www.heise.de/tp/features/Vom-Partner-zum-Problem-3594528.html
(A)
Saudi Border Guards seize 700kg of cannabis smuggled from Yemen
“Border Guards forces arrested 27 Ethiopians, four Yemenis and one Saudi suspect and seized 721.92 kg of cannabis in their possession,”
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1203416/saudi-arabia
(A E P)
MIDEAST STOCKS-Yemen helps Saudi rise for eighth day, Qatar rebounds on FX
Saudi Arabia’s stock market rose for an eighth straight day in active trade on Sunday, climbing above technical resistance, as sentiment was helped by hopes for an end to the conflict in Yemen. A stabilising currency helped Qatar rebound.
(* A P)
Der saudische Jungspund oder der «Bulldozer» mit eigener PR-Abteilung
«Man muss seine Tatkraft und sein Stehvermögen einfach bewundern», ätzt der jordanische Politologe Marwan Bishara in einem Kommentar für den Fernsehsender al-Dschasira. Ein mit Adrenalin vollgepumpter junger Prinz entfache einen grossen Krieg (Jemen) vor seiner Haustür, löse diplomatische Krisen (Katar, Libanon) im Ausland aus und versuche gleichzeitig, sich seiner politischen Gegner zu Hause zu entledigen. Zudem finde er noch die Zeit, das religiöse Establishment in die Schranken zu weisen und wirtschaftliche Visionen bis zum Jahr 2030 zu entwerfen.
Mit einer unglaublichen Portion Arroganz, Gleichgültigkeit und Doppelzüngigkeit, behauptet Bishara, habe bin Salman «Dekaden politischer und sozialer Traditionen binnen weniger Monate zunichtegemacht». Sein Aufstieg zur Macht werde Saudi-Arabien und die gesamte Region nachhaltig destabilisieren.
«MBS» wischt derartige Kritik als «lächerlich» beiseite. Aussenpolitisch sieht er sich «auf dem richtigen Weg». Und die Anti-Korruptions-Kampagne diene nicht zur Festigung seiner Macht.
Doch wo steht das Land wirklich? Wie ist der beängstigende Aktionismus des jungen Saudis zu bewerten?
Für seinen Mut, die Dinge in die Hand zu nehmen, verdient MBS Anerkennung und Applaus. Für bin Salmans Inszenierung als aufgeklärter, zupackender Manager eines modernen Königreiches ist seit dem Sommer dieses Jahres die amerikanische PR-Agentur Burson-Marsteller verantwortlich. Das auf Krisen-Management spezialisierte Unternehmen betreute einst die Öffentlichkeitsarbeit von Pinochet und der argentinischen Militärjunta und wurde unlängst auch vom türkischen Staatspräsidenten Erdogan engagiert.
Kritiker bezeichnen den schwergewichtigen Saudi als verbohrt.
So nehme der anti-iranische Kurs der Saudis unter der Führung von MBS «immer mehr die Züge einer paranoiden Obsession an», analysiert der für die Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik tätige Saudi-Arabien-Experte Sebastian Sons. Der saudische Thronfolger stilisiere Iran als Wurzel allen Übels, die die Region ins Chaos stürze und aufgehalten werden müsse.
(A P)
Call to introduce mandatory pre-marriage training courses in Saudi Arabia
A charity is advocating mandatory pre-marriage training courses to curb the increasing numbers of divorces and matrimonial disputes.
Mohammed Al-Raddi, director for Almawaddah charity Family Development, told Arab News that more than 30,000 families had benefited from their service in 2016, with a 92 percent satisfaction rate.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1202951/saudi-arabia
(* B P)
Why Saudi Prince bin Talal's 'friends' have abandoned him
Investing celebrity Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has now been detained and reportedly tortured for more than three weeks.
The political and financial world has remained mostly silent or at least relatively calm about it.
Here are the uncomfortable political and financial reasons his so-called friends appear to have abandoned him.
That brings us to an uncomfortable question: Where are Prince bin Talal's powerful business partners and political contacts who have been seen with him at DAVOS or dozens of other major world events?
This was the man who stuck his neck out for years in support of the Murdoch family.
Others, like Bill Gates who called him an "important partner," have made lukewarm statements this past week. But none have met the level of urgency appropriate for a man detained with no documented charges and possibly under physical harm.
Likewise, our political leadership on both sides of the aisle seems to be ignoring the story.
(* A P)
The official source: Allegations of the abolition of the Kingdom to reduce apostasy is false and incorrect
An official source told the Saudi Press Agency that the allegations that some are trying to publish with good or bad faith that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will eliminate the limit of apostasy is false and completely incorrect.
The source pointed out that these false allegations lie in the basic system of governance and the country has been blessed since its founding.
The source confirmed that the Public Prosecution has begun to take the necessary legal measures against those who promoted these lies in violation of the Constitution of this country.
The source stressed that this subject is settled and not subject to discussion at all in Saudi Arabia.
http://www.spa.gov.sa/1693818 and https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ar&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=de&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spa.gov.sa%2F1693818&edit-text=
Remark: #Saudi Monarchy warns anyone saying it would cancel death penalty for apostasy with severe consequences
(B P)
Women in Saudi Arabia assert themselves in ways once unimaginable
Change is coming to a kingdom once stuck firmly in the past. Women are asserting themselves in ways that were unimaginable until recently.
Women fought for the right to drive in Saudi Arabia, illegally taking to the road and shaming their government with protest videos.
Women are fighting for other freedoms, too.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/saudi-arabia-women-assert-themselves-in-ways-once-unimaginable/
My comment: The “reformer” tune again.
(* B P)
INSIDE THE PROSPECTIVE ISRAEL-SAUDI ARABIA RAPPROCHEMENT
Now, after years of animosity, Israel’s relationship with the Saudis appears to be warming, with the countries allied in the struggle against a common enemy, Iran. Israel and Saudi Arabia have also reportedly been holding talks to establish economic ties. And in September, MBS was reported to have made a secret visit to Israel. According to several Israeli sources, the prince’s two-day trip was geared towards strengthening the growing partnership between Riyadh and Jerusalem.
There are a number of reasons Riyadh and Jerusalem may be cozying up, outside of the desire to stop Iran’s expansionism. Both countries agree, for example, that the “Arab Spring” revolutions were destabilizing and unleashed dangerous forces. They likewise believe that a reduction in American influence in the Middle East left a power vacuum that risks being filled by enemies. Other overlapping policies include the designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, as well as opposition to Qatari meddling in the region.
It is thus still too early to tell how close the Saudi-Israeli relationship will become, but until there is movement on the Palestinian front it is unlikely that Israelis and Saudis will be able to break bread together in either Jerusalem or Riyadh.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Inside-The-Prospective-Israel-Saudi-Arabia-Rapprochement-515801
cp9 USA
(* A P)
Congress Must Act to End Incitement in Saudi Textbooks
Saudi Arabia still continues to indoctrinate its youth with retrograde ideas that are intolerant, traffic in conspiracy theories, and promote violence toward the other.
This is particularly acute with regard to official Saudi teachings about the Jewish people and Israel. Important new legislation, scheduled to be introduced in Congress today, gives this issue the overdue attention it deserves.
“The Saudi Educational Transparency and Reform Act,” co-sponsored by Rep. Ted Poe and Rep. Bill Keating, Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, would direct the U.S. government to publicly identify “full quotations of all passages” each year in official Saudi textbooks “that could be seen as encouraging violence or intolerance towards adherents of religions other than Islam or towards Muslims who hold dissenting views.”
ADL calls upon other Members of Congress to cosponsor this much-needed legislation and for Congressional leaders to help ensure that it comes up for a vote.
(A P)
As Yemen burns, Time readers vote Saudi Crown Prince person of the year
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been voted the Time magazine readers’ Person of the Year, despite spearheading the continued bombardment of Yemen, leading to the starvation of its citizens.
The award goes to those who “for better or worse” influenced the year. The 32 year old scored 24 percent of the vote, with the #MeToo movement against sexual assault and harassment coming in second place with a comparatively modest six percent of the votes.
Bin Salman overtook Hillary Clinton, Vladimir Putin and even the Pope to be crowned the people’s choice, winning far more votes than the three combined.
https://www.rt.com/news/412009-bin-salman-time-reader-poll/
My comment: Don’t worry. 1938: Adolf Hitler; 1939and 1942: Josef Stalin; and looking at the whole list, I just am astonished which people had fascinated Americans over the ages.
(* B P)
Why Is There No Saudi-Gate? DC Is Bought and Paid for by Riyadh
Imagine if Russia - instead of doing what it has been accused of doing last year - had funded and facilitated an attack on US soil that killed thousands of Americans
For decades, the DC establishment has been on the payroll of a foreign terror state. But because it's Saudi Arabia, you won't hear a peep.
"A 9/11 Scale Event"
Politicians and pundits have clamored to label the alleged Russian interference an "act of war." Several have compared it to Pearl Harbor, and Tom Friedman declared it a "9/11 scale event."
Even more of a 9/11 scale event was the actual 9/11. Fifteen of the nineteen hijackerswere Saudi nationals, and the attack was planned by a scion of one of the country's wealthiest and politically connected families. The hijackers, we now know thanks to the release of twenty-eight previously classified pages from the 9/11 commission's report, had ties to members of the Saudi government, including the Saudi ambassador to the United States, who also belongs to the country's royal family.
More recently, newly unearthed FBI files describe a 1999 "dry-run" for 9/11 carried out by Saudi government agents with tickets bought by the Saudi embassy.
But even without the 2016 release of those twenty-eight pages, Saudi involvement in anti-US terrorism has long been an open secret.
http://russia-insider.com/en/why-there-no-saudi-gate-dc-bought-and-paid-riyadh/ri21816
(* A P)
BREAKING: Supreme Court Approves Enforcement of Travel Ban
The Supreme Court will permit the full enforcement of the "travel ban" proposed by President Donald Trump that prohibits people from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen from coming to the United States.
Previously, a lower court had ruled that people from those countries with a "bona fide relationship" (such as a family member or a job) could come to the United States. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg were both in favor of keeping these orders in place, but the other seven justices voted to fully enforce the ban.
(A P)
U.S. calls on Yemen's warring factions to re-energize talks
The United States is calling on all sides in Yemen to re-energize political talks to end the country’s civil war, a Trump administration official said on Monday, after former President Ali Abdullah Saleh was killed in a roadside attack.
Analysts said Saleh’s death would be a huge morale boost for the Iran-aligned Houthis, since Saleh had switched sides by abandoning the Houthis in favour of a Saudi-led coalition.
(* B P)
Yemen Is a Cautionary Tale About Relying on Strongmen for Stability
Saleh’s long career is also a cautionary tale about America’s habit of backing compliant strongmen in the Middle East, both during the Cold War when communism and Arab nationalists were seen as the primary threats, and today when the focus is on jihadi groups and Iran. For decades the U.S. saw Saleh, for all his flaws, as the devil we knew, the best hope of maintaining stability in a dangerous corner of the world.
Meanwhile, his misrule left a country with a stagnant economy and dysfunctional political system, vulnerable to famine, and perfectly suited for exploitation by groups like al-Qaida and ISIS.
After the disaster of regime change in Iraq under George W. Bush, and the disappointments of the Arab Spring under Obama, the Trump administration has embraced Middle Eastern autocrats with startling enthusiasm, viewing them as the best protection against Iran and groups like ISIS. The president regularly lavishes praise on leaders like Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, and especially Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman.
But by suppressing dissent, strongmen don’t quell the discontent of their societies so much as delay the inevitable eruption. And the longer they stay in power and the more absolute their power becomes, the more unpredictable and dangerous that eruption is likely to be.
(* B P)
GOP Senator Presses Trump Administration Over Deadly Saudi Blockade in Yemen
Sen. Todd Young is holding up a key State Department confirmation until the White House helps ease the humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen.
One Republican lawmaker is waging a quiet battle to persuade the Donald Trump administration to pressure Saudi Arabia to end its stranglehold on aid to Yemen, which is facing a spiraling humanitarian crisis with millions of lives threatened by disease and hunger. A Saudi-imposed blockade on fuel and other supplies is the main cause of the man-made catastrophe, aid agencies say, as Riyadh pursues its war against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Sen. Todd Young, an Indiana Republican, is holding up the confirmation of the State Department’s nominee for legal advisor, former George W. Bush official Jennifer Newstead, until the Trump administration takes steps to force its Saudi ally to ease the blockade and allow more humanitarian aid into Yemen.
In its public comments, the Trump administration, especially the White House, has refrained from sharp criticism of Saudi Arabia over the humanitarian situation. Instead, it has focused more attention on Houthi missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, and particularly Iran’s suspected role in supplying the Houthis with more sophisticated weapons. Iranian proxies fighting in Yemen, the administration argues, are the root cause of the disaster today.
My comment: The administrations viewpoint is odd, it is based not on the facts but on the own political interest – which is the own anti-Iranian paranoia.
(* A E P)
U.S. firms invited to bid for Saudi nuclear plants
Saudi Arabia has invited U.S. firms to take part in developing its civilian nuclear power program, Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Monday, adding the kingdom was not interested in diverting nuclear technology to military use.
Reuters has reported that Westinghouse is in talks with other U.S.-based companies to form a consortium for a multi-billion-dollar project to build two reactors and that those firms are pushing Washington to restart talks with Riyadh on a civil nuclear cooperation pact.
Falih said Saudi Arabia was committed to restricting nuclear technology to civilian use.
My comment: The last sentence is as probable (or not) as in the case of the Iranian nuclear program.
(* B P)
Cherry-picking Toward War with Iran
In trying to rally American hostility toward Iran, CIA Director Pompeo and other U.S. officials are engaging in the same kind of distorted intelligence that led to the catastrophic Iraq invasion
Although nobody knows exactly where Donald Trump intends to go with his campaign of seeking confrontation with Iran, his administration already has provided disconcerting parallels with the techniques an earlier U.S. administration used in selling its launching of a war against Iraq. Among these techniques is the cherry-picking of intelligence not to inform policy-making or to enlighten the public but instead to inculcate false perceptions among the public and thereby to muster support for a policy already chosen
The parallels have become remarkably close as the Trump administration has tried to get people to believe there is some sort of cooperation and common purpose between Iran and Al Qaeda. The President made this insinuation in his speech on Iran in October. Then his CIA director, Mike Pompeo, ordered a tendentious re-exploitation of already exploited documents captured in the raid at Abbottabad, Pakistan, that killed Osama bin Laden – by ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar.
https://consortiumnews.com/2017/12/02/edward-r-murrows-timeless-warnings/
(A P)
Kushner holding talks with Saudi prince: report
President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner is engaged in negotiations with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman focused on creating a Palestinian state or territory.
According to a Bloomberg report, the talks are centered on creating a state or territory backed by Saudi Arabia and other countries.
Trump has vowed to broker a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians — a task that has eluded presidents with more experience in the region — and has designated Kushner as the point person on the effort.
But Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is reportedly worried by the talks between Kushner and the crown prince.
and
(* A P)
Kushner Is Leaving Tillerson in the Dark on Middle East Talks, Sources Say
Tillerson worries secret plan could plunge region into chaos
White House rejects accusation State Department isn’t informed
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is increasingly alarmed by what he sees as secret talks between Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman -- fearful that the discussions could backfire and tip the region into chaos, according to three people familiar with Tillerson’s concerns.
The central goal of the negotiations, as described by two people with knowledge of the talks, is for an historic agreement featuring the creation of a Palestinian state or territory backed financially by a number of countries including Saudi Arabia, which could put tens of billions of dollars toward the effort.
My comment: That’s Trump policy. His family is on top.
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
(* B P)
It’s pretty amazing that the UK is funding training for the military of #Sudan, including in the UK – a state whose President is wanted by the ICC for war crimes
https://twitter.com/markcurtis30/status/937987673100312577
The UK’s support for the #Bahrain dictatorship by the secretive 'Conflict Fund' has included training to "command and control" demonstrators, including use of water cannon and dogs.
https://twitter.com/markcurtis30/status/937987295218675717
My new report with @GlobalJusticeUK: the UK’s ‘Conflict Fund’, a secretive slush fund to back favoured human rights abusers, such as #Nigeria, #Sudan, #Bahrain, #Ethiopia, often using 'aid'.
https://twitter.com/markcurtis30/status/937986339097726976
referring to
(* B K P)
£1bn fund behind suspended British aid to Syria should be shut down – campaigners
Syria case may be ‘tip of the iceberg’ for fund backing some of world's worst security forces
Secretive Conflict, Stability and Security Fund uses £500m of aid money
Government accused of using loophole to fund discredited consultancy
The controversial cross-government fund behind the British aid project in Syria which has today been suspended amid claims that money was reaching jihadist groups should be shut down, according to campaign group Global Justice Now, which has released a new report on the fund.
The report lifts the lid on one of the British government’s most secretive funds, which is behind military and security projects in around 70 countries including Bahrain, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Iraq and Nigeria. The billion-pound pot, known as the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, spends over £500 million of British aid and is overseen by the National Security Council, chaired by the Prime Minister. Neither the public nor MPs are able to properly scrutinise the fund due to a serious lack of transparency, the report finds.
The projects funded by the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), include:
https://www.globaljustice.org.uk/news/2017/dec/4/%C2%A31bn-fund-behind-suspended-british-aid-syria-should-be-shut-down-%E2%80%93-campaigners and this is the full report: https://www.globaljustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/news_article/conflict_security_and_stability_fund_diverting_aid_and_undermining_human_rights_web.pdf
(A K P)
Foreign Minister Alastair Burt is so shaken by #Yemen deaths he’s continuing to arm the people mainly responsible for them. Please, FCO comms officer, can you not produce tweets that resemble life on earth?
https://twitter.com/markcurtis30/status/938001947512229888
referring to
Alistair Burt: My thoughts are with the people of Yemen today amidst fighting in the streets of Sana’a, following reports of the death of former President Saleh. All sides must seek a peaceful conclusion urgently.
https://twitter.com/AlistairBurtUK/status/937780501548498945
(A P)
MPs criticised for failing to turn up to debate on humanitarian crisis in Yemen
Only about 30 MPs showed up for emergency debate on 'almighty catastrophe' taking place
Social media users voiced criticism when a picture of the near-empty chamber was posted online.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/mps-criticised-yemen-crisis-debate-parliament-latest-saudi-arabia-a8087876.html and also https://www.rt.com/uk/411906-yemen-war-debate-mps/
(A K P)
#RSAF Tornado 760/ZE119 continues flight testing with inert Paveway IVs at BAE Warton (photos)
https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/936992969575534592
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
(B K P)
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.
heute.de: Laut Kriegswaffenkontrollgesetz darf Deutschland keine Waffen an Staaten verkaufen, die "friedensstörende Handlungen" vornehmen. Wie erklären Sie sich, dass die Rüstungsexporte an die Kriegspartei Saudi-Arabien nicht gestoppt werden?
Steinberg: Saudi-Arabien ist ein wichtiger Partner in vielen Bereichen. Dazu gehören etwa die Energiepolitik und die Terrorismusbekämpfung. Deutschland hat das Verhältnis zu Saudi-Arabien bereits massiv beschädigt, als die Bundesregierung entschied, die zugesagten Leopard-II-Kampfpanzer nicht zu liefern. Würde sie noch weitergehen und die Lieferung von Technik für die saudische Grenzsicherung und Patrouillenbooten unterbinden, würden sich die Beziehungen weiter verschlechtern. Das sollte verhindert werden, denn Saudi-Arabien ist trotz allem ein pro-westlicher Staat, der für die Lösung vieler Probleme benötigt wird. Allzu viele verlässliche Partner hat Deutschland im Nahen Osten nicht.
https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/heute/interview-steinberg-jemen-100.html
Mein Kommentar: Mein Gott, Guido. Der rest des Interviews ist doch ganz vernünftig.
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
(A E P)
Yemen: Saudi Coalition raids to support Saleh
Jets bomb positions of Houthi rebels in Sanaa
UAE stocks rise as investors ignore Houthi missile claims
Stocks across Arabian Gulf begin in positive territory
UAE shares rose on Monday morning as trading resumed following holidays for Commemoration Day and National Day, with investors shrugging off claims by Yemen’s Houthi rebels of a missile launch aimed at Abu Dhabi’s Al Baraka nuclear plant.
(* A P)
Yemen: MEPs renew their call for an EU arms embargo against Saudi Arabia
Alarmed by the threat of the world’s largest famine, MEPs call for a political solution to the conflict in Yemen and an EU arms embargo against Saudi Arabia.
In a resolution widely adopted on Thursday by 539 votes to 13, with 81 abstentions, MEPs condemn the ongoing violence in Yemen and stress that only a political, inclusive and negotiated solution to the conflict can restore peace. They call on all actors to act to de-escalate the conflict and to engage in a new round of UN-led peace negotiations.
They recall previous resolution on the humanitarian situation in Yemen of 25 February 2016, which calls on EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to launch an initiative to impose an EU arms embargo against Saudi Arabia, given the serious allegations of Saudi Arabia breaching international humanitarian law in Yemen. EU Member States have continued to authorise arms sales to Saudi Arabia since the conflict escalated, in violation of the Council Common Position on arms export controls, adds the adopted text.
The text calls also on Iran to immediately cease providing support to Houthi forces in Yemen, either directly or through proxies. It condemns the indiscriminate coalition-led airstrikes leading to civilian casualties and similarly indiscriminate attacks by Houthi and allied forces that have resulted in the deaths of civilians and the use of hospitals and schools by these groups as bases from which to stage attacks.
(* A P)
Continued support
Pakistan has once again made clear its stance on the Yemen crisis; or rather on the proxy war being fought there between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Our Foreign Office was quick to condemn the second ballistic missile attack on Riyadh in less than a month, launched by the Houthi rebels. The Kingdom believes that regional nemesis Iran is arming the latter.
We understand that the government is right to denounce terrorism wherever it may occur. But we would also wish to remind the Centre of the tightrope it is walking. Meaning that not only is it sitting on the wrong side of the humanitarian fence considering the still ongoing Saudi blockade of Yemeni ports amid mounting international criticism. It also cannot afford to irk Iran unnecessarily.
Thus Pakistan would do well to stay out of the Saudi-Iran war being played out in Yemen.
https://dailytimes.com.pk/151294/continued-support/
cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis
(A P)
GCC Summit: Yemen crisis might thaw Qatar’s relations with the GCC
The killing of Ali Abdullah Saleh, the former Yemeni president, may have changed the course of the Yemeni war, but it has likely changed the dynamics of Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s 38th GCC summit in Kuwait also.
After all, fighter jets and ground forces from Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, did participate in the Saudi led coalition against the Houthis in Yemen.
And while Saleh’s recent turnaround in favour of a Saudi truce may have sparked hopes of an end to a taxing war, his sudden death may have prolonged it even further.
There is no better time to do a truce with Qatar, and focus efforts on fighting Houthis.
Will this happen?
Why are the two topics interconnected?
UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash used Twitter to accuse Qatar of playing a role in an attempt to “save” the Houthi militias in Yemen, but Qatar’s foreign affairs media director, Ahmed bin Saeed al-Rumaihi, rejected the claim as baseless.
Kuwait has played mediator between the boycotting countries and Qatar.
http://ameinfo.com/money/economy/the-killing-of-ali-abdullah-saleh-may-have-changed-the-yemeni-war/
My comment: This strange propaganda connection might give a pretense to come on better terms with Qatar without loosing face.
(* A P)
Qatar denies UAE claims on Yemen Houthi mediation
Gulf country seeking to mediate between warring rebels in Yemen, according to a UAE minister
Qatar has decried claims by an Emirati minister about a Qatari mediation between rebel groups in Yemen amid rebel infighting in the capital Sanaa.
"Qatar denies and strongly condemns statements by the UAE minister about Qatari mediation between Yemeni parties," a foreign ministry source said in statements carried by the official QNA news agency.
"Qatar welcomes any mediation to end this absurd war, for which the Yemeni people pay the price," the source said.
http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/qatar-denies-uae-claims-on-yemen-houthi-mediation/988675
and what propaganda tells:
(A P)
Qatar admits efforts to rescue Houthis: Doha's role in conflict
Press reported that Qatar's emir, Tamim bin Hamad attempted to mediate to end the tension that sparked between the two conflicting sides in Sadaa, an attempt that former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh refused.
Logic may make one assume that Qatar, as an Arab country, is trying to mediate to save Yemen from the brink of destruction, however, Houthis are the ones that Qatar tries to save from Saleh's supporters.
Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, admitted his country's interference in the ongoing conflict in Yemen; "Qatar offered former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh $10 billion on condition that he must stop chasing the Houthis," the Qatari minister said to the press during his participation at the third edition of the Rome MED - Mediterranean Dialogues.
https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/2/35156/Qatar-admits-efforts-to-rescue-Houthis-Doha-s-role-in
My comment: $10 billion? This makes the whole thing look like a propaganda story.
cp12b Libanon / Lebanon
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/libanon-mosaik-lebanon-mosaic-7
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade
(* B K P)
6 #RSAF F-15SA are due tomorrow for delivery, but this time it might pass through Lajes Air base, #Portugal (photos)
https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/937378675061936128
3 #RSAF F-15SA en rout to #Lajes. One tanker went technical, so the 2nd half will be hopefully launched tomorrow.
https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/938066082329432070
A new batch of #RSAF F-15SA (12-1053, 12-1056 and 12-1057) arrived at Lajes Air Base on delivery to #SaudiAraibia.
https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/938130904400236545
My comment: And more bombing against Yemen.
(* B K P)
U.S. SOLD ALMOST $42 BILLION IN WEAPONS TO FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS IN 2017
The U.S. government sold $41.9 billion in weapons to foreign partners in 2017, the Pentagon announced Thursday.
The total was a 25 percent increase over sales in 2016, but short of records set in 2015 and 2012. The announcement does not include a breakdown of who bought the weapons or what types of weapons were sold.
http://www.newsweek.com/us-sold-42-billion-weapons-foreign-governments-2017-727808
cp13b Mercenaries / Söldner
(* B P)
Washington responds to Sudan’s changing foreign policy
The timing of the call to withdraw Sudan’s troops from Yemen may just be a coincidence; however, ten days after Sudan’s President, Omar Al-Bashir, met in Sochi the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, fears have intensified that Sudan may pursue a changed foreign policy that would strengthen relations with Moscow, move the country away from the United States and radically alter its relationship with the US supported Gulf states.
MEMO understands that despite Al-Bashir’s pronouncements in Russia, the mood in the American administration remains surprisingly positive and attempts to establish diplomatic channels designed to be more amenable to Sudan’s demands are being considered, although these fall short of direct contact with President Al-Bashir himself.
Those Sudanese demands include the lifting of its name from the state sponsor of terror list (SST), the easing of debt relief, the application of pressure on rebel groups to end the armed conflict in Darfur and other regions and the genuine opening-up of investment opportunity including into military hardware and technical co-operation treaties.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171204-washington-responds-to-sudans-changing-foreign-policy/
cp15 Propaganda
Siehe / Look at cp1
(* A P)
Obsession With Iran Is Driving the Mideast and the U.S. Crazy
If there is a common denominator explaining so many recent events in the Middle East — actions by Saudi Arabia, the U.S., Syria, Israel and Yemen — it can be expressed in one word: Iran. Everyone has Iran’s growing power and influence in the region on the mind — including Iran — and that obsession is making a lot of people crazy.
For instance, the Trump administration, like Barack Obama’s, actually wants to get away from the Middle East — as much as possible — but while leaving as little Iranian influence behind as possible.
Iran has a richly talented population, and rich Persian culture. But instead of unleashing both and enabling Iran’s youth to realize their full potential — and making the country influential that way — the ayatollahs are suppressing those talents at home and unleashing the power of Shiite mercenaries on Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, and compelling influence that way instead.
I was just speaking to a Kuwaiti banker who told me that M.B.S.’s popularity among Kuwaiti women and youth on Kuwaiti social media is unlike anything he has ever seen. Kuwaiti youth are asking why isn’t anyone throwing their corrupt princes into a Ritz-Carlton or just a tent in the desert? Why doesn’t their aging and unimaginative ruling family have someone shaking things up like M.B.S.?
But they don’t like M.B.S.’s foreign policy — Yemen most of all, but also the ham-fisted interventions in Lebanon and Qatar. They look bullying. M.B.S. would unlock so much more good will and influence for himself if he curtailed these ill-conceived, Iranian-obsessed foreign adventures.
My view on Saudi Arabia today is very simple: Because it has so much deferred reform to undertake — before its oil money runs out — the biggest question is not if M.B.S. is too brash, too brutal, too power-hungry or too imperfect. It’s whether he’s too late — that Saudi Arabia is now un-reformable. I think not, but that is why, with all of M.B.S.’s flaws, we need to help increase his chances for success.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/05/opinion/american-obsession-iran-middle-east.html = https://www.indianagazette.com/opinion/iran-obsession-roils-mideast/article_c964b564-db66-11e7-9773-77f882cc9e0d.html
My comment: Thomas Friedman again with his MBS reformer tune. Friedman himself, when comforting MBS, is falling inti the Iran obsession trap.
Comment: Tom Friedman tries to atone for his hagiography of MBS in his latest column, with interesting results. "Saudi Arabia needs to end that war — now — and get out of Yemen, even if it means leaving some Iranian influence behind."
https://twitter.com/YemenPeaceNews/status/938623180230586368
(A P)
Meanwhile, here is the BBC de facto preparing the ground for war with #Iran. Behind a pseudo-analysis, cringeworthy propaganda (look at image)
https://twitter.com/markcurtis30/status/937985600048848896
(A P)
Saudi Arabia Hopes Yemeni Uprising Will Rid Country of Houthi Terrorists
Saudi Arabia stressed on Tuesday the Kingdom’s constant support for Yemen’s stability, hoping that it will return to its Arab fold, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired the cabinet session at the Yammama palace in Riyadh.
The government hoped that the Yemeni people’s uprising against the terrorist sectarian Iranian-backed Houthi militias would help rid the country of their oppression, said Information Minister Dr. Awadh bin Saleh al-Awadh.
It hoped that the Yemenis will be able to preserve their country’s security, identity, unity and social fabric within an Arab, regional and international framework, he continued.
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1104221/saudi-arabia-hopes-yemeni-uprising-will-rid-country-houthi-terrorists and http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/523533/SAUDI-ARABIA/Keen-to-see-Yemen-return-to-Arab-fold-Kingdom and http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5147591/Saudi-Arabia-calls-Yemen-free-Iran-backed-militias.html
My comment: The best: “the Kingdom’s constant support for Yemen’s stability”: by bombing into ruins and by starving out to famine?
(A P)
The Houthis in Yemen will fight to the last man, civilian or former President
The killing of former President Saleh, two days after he urged resolution to the conflict, shows that the Houthis will never accept peace
The Houthis responded immediately by announcing he was a legitimate target for murder. Just a few days later, yesterday, they made good on this promise. Their strike-back included the demolition of Mr. Saleh’s homes in Sana, a bullet in his head, and social media distribution of a video showing the corpse.
In doing so, the Houthis unashamedly committed a major war crime, by refusing to capture and opting to kill.
But more fundamentally, the Houthis sent a strong message to the Yemeni people. They sent the Yemeni capital from jubilation to catastrophe within 48 hours by making clear that they would respond to olive branches with bullets.
This episode is a reminder to the world of several important things.
First of all, that the Houthis are not admirable freedom fighters seeking to liberate Yemen from blockade, as presented too often in international media
The Yemen conflict means more to Iran than the taunting of its Gulf rivals, which it has vowed to destroy – it is an ideological crusade to unite the Muslim world under Islamist rule, that will always see peace as merely a delay in the process.
https://reaction.life/houthis-yemen-will-fight-last-man-civilian-former-president/
(A P)
What the Houthis have cost Yemen
The callousness of the Houthis and their intention to loot and ravage the country was evident from the Yemeni Coalition to Monitor Human Rights Violations (YCMHRV) report issued in 2015 documenting the atrocities in Yemen’s capital Sanaa, along with the governorates of Taiz, Lahej, Hodeidah, Addali’e, Abyan, Dhamar, and Shabwa. The report compiles a year’s worth of field research by YCMHR monitors. Now with this killing they would be further emboldened to carry out their plan of gaining sway over complete Yemen. Unless international intervention takes place immediately the situation in Yemen, already out of control, would end up in total chaos.
http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/523406/Opinion/Editorial/What-the-Houthis-have-cost-Yemen
Here a propaganda piece by someone who simply does not want peace but war, on an Islah Party website:
(A P)
Calling for peace with Houthi-Saleh? That comes across as ignorant
The repeated calls of different international officials for peace between the government and the allied militias of the former dictator Ali Saleh and the Shiit cleric Abdul-Malik al-Houthi keep coming across as ignorant because they assume serious fallacies.
One fallacy is that the militias are a mainstream rebel group who are fighting for extra specific concessions that they want to obtain and then lay down arms and let the country pursue its course toward democratization and partnership. What an ignorant fallacy!
The Houthis is a violent religious group who use terrorist means toward achieving their final goal, their version of the Islamic Caliphate namely the Imamite where only the Houthi descendants of Fatimah the daughter of prophet Mohammed (PPH) sit in power. They of course deny this under the principle of Taqiya (dissimulation) which is an integral part of their system of Shiit beliefs!
To that end (the Imamite theocracy), they intend to fight for generations
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-13353
(A P)
The Intelli Times blog reported Friday that contrary to their public statements, Iranian involvement and aid given to Houthi rebels in Yemen runs far deeper than the Islamic republic admitted, with reports of an armament smuggling operation from Yemen to the Gaza terrorist organizations being underway.
Intelli Times refuted this assertion, however, unveiling the Revolutionary Guards' Maj.-Gen. Qasem Soleimani-commanded Quds Force operative responsible for the Yemen theater of operations.
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5050735,00.html
My comment: Smuggling [arms?] from Yemen to Gaza: Folks, this is odd. Normally , people like you always wanted to tell us that arms are smuggled into Yemen – now out of Yemen.
And also smuggling arms into Yemen is a Saudi propaganda standard story, and thus:
(A P)
UN Teams Head to Riyadh to Discuss Houthi Access to Weapons
Several UN teams will head to Riyadh in the upcoming days to meet with the coalition to support Yemen's legitimacy to discuss inspection mechanisms and verification. This comes in response to the coalition's request to ensure the insurgency does not succeed in smuggling more weapons and contraband into Yemen.
The weapons pose a threat to the international navigation and can be used to target civilians in neighboring countries, including Saudi Arabia.
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1101116/un-teams-head-riyadh-discuss-houthi-access-weapons
My comment: As Saudi propaganda puts it. Together with their total blockade of Yemen, the Saudis had blackmailed the UN claiming a stricter inspection mechanism for ships heading for Yemen – what the UN had said not to be necessary.
(A P)
KSRelief launches 2nd phase of program to rehabilitate Yemen’s child soldiers
Forty children from Taiz in Yemen and Amman, Jordan, recruited by Houthi militias to become child soldiers, are undergoing rehabilitation as part of the second stage of the Child Soldiers Rehabilitation Project.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1203426/saudi-arabia
My comment: Putting two Saudi propaganda stories together: Houthi child soldiers and the Saudis as greatest humanitarian supporters.
(A P)
Film: Tom Friedman on criticism of his Mohamed bin Salman article: "fuck that" (the whole clip is really something)
https://twitter.com/tomgara/status/937395008705105920
(A P)
Iranian Newspapers Renew Support for Houthi-Fired Missiles Targeting Gulf Countries
Iranian newspapers supported the Tehran-backed Houthi group in Yemen in their launching of a cruise missile at the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates.
Papers led with headlines and justifications saying that the alleged missile attack last was in response to confrontations witnessed by the forces of late former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Houthi militias.
Iranian newspapers omitted however the UAE’s denial that any missile had struck the nuclear reactor project’s site. They went ahead instead and promoted the claims made by Houthis (images)
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
(* A K PH)
Maps of all Saudi coalition air raids, dec. 2 to 5
https://twitter.com/LCRDye/status/938073507795267585
https://twitter.com/LCRDye/status/938074257669738496
https://twitter.com/LCRDye/status/938074551208108032
https://twitter.com/LCRDye/status/938106399720136705
(A K PH, night Dec. 5-6)
Renewed air raids on #Sanaa
Pictures of the effects of the air strike in which leaflets were dropped on a house in Tunis Street in Al-Thawra district in #Sanaa, which caused considerable damage to the house and destroyed parts of it.
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1577812045605153 and https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/posts/1751587265137260
(A K PH)
8 Yemeni civilians killed today by US-backed Saudi war criminals while traveling on their car in Munabeh district, Saada north of the country
https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/938059387507265542
and
Reports of casualties after an airstrike hit a vehicle with civilians in #Saada today
(* A K)
Scenes of devastation in Sanaa after at least 25 Saudi-led air strikes pounded Yemen's capital
Coalition warplanes pounded Yemen's capital with at least 25 air strikes overnight in apparent retaliation for the killing of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh by Houthi rebels (photos)
and more photos: https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/posts/1751315501831103
(* A K PH)
Saudis Bomb Yemen Presidential Palace in Capital, Sana’a
Saudi-led coalition has stepped up attacks on Yemen and its warplanes bombed the presidential palace in Yemen’s capital and some other areas across the country on Monday.
The palace in Sana’a, currently used by the Houthi Ansarullah Movement, was pounded by at least four airstrikes late Monday, the Arabic-language al-Masirah television network reported.
It’s the first time the building has been targeted in almost three years of war.
They also targeted the al-Sabeen region near Sana’a five times.
In the meantime, at least 18 civilians were killed or injured on Monday in the Saudi-led coalition warplanes attack on Na'adh Market on Sanhan and Bani Bahlol districts in Sana'a province, the Yemen’s official Saba News Agency reported.
and
(* 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.
(* 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
#Saudi jets just launched 4 airstrikes targeting the presidential palace in #Sanaa, where it's located amongst houses and populated area! My home is just less than 500m away, all windows and doors were shaking and now we are shaking as well
https://twitter.com/HishamAlRadhi/status/937771060233109505
The Republican Palace, #Sanaa
8 airstrikes on it during the night in a highly populated area: the city centre of Sanaa (photo)
Film: one of the air raids on the Republican Palace (second raid)
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1576871905699167
The raids on the Republican palace in #Sanaaincreased to 8 raid
Faj Attan targeted again in #Sanaa and the home of Ahmed Ali, Saleh's eldest son
(A K PH)
Film: Watch the targeting of the Saudi American aggression for government buildings and schools in the province of Hajjah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Moewp1v7Yfc
(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/
(A K PH)
Aggression kills civilian, injures another in Sa'ada
A civilian was killed on Monday in two raids of the US-Saudi aggression coalition in the district of Baqem in Sa'ada province.
A security official told Saba that the aggression raids hit the civilians' houses in Baqem, killing the civilian and injuring another in an initial toll.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news481067.htm
(* A K PH)
Aggression kills, injures 18 civilians in Sana'a
Around 18 civilians were killed or injured on Monday in the US-Saudi aggression coalition warplanes on Na'adh Market on Sanhan and Bani Bahlol district in Sana'a province.
A security official told Saba that the US-Saudi aggression warplanes hit the Market in the district, killing or injuring 18 civilians in an initial toll.
The official said that the death tolls could increase.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news481066.htm and film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWwewhDFHAY = https://almasirah.net/gallery/preview.php?file_id=10460 = https://twitter.com/Hona_Almasirah/status/938159955684798464
and
(* A K PH)
Casualties of #Saudi #UAE 5pm strikes on Naad market in Sanhaan S #Sanaa #Yemen reached 23ppl' killed & injured Sanhaan is Former president Saleh tribal areas Seems coalition taking revenge cos Sanhaan didnt support Saleh attempt to overthrown #Houthis
https://twitter.com/HussainBukhaiti/status/937786921396391937
(* A K)
#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)
Airstrikes minutes ago hitting a target in Hadda Street (photos)
https://twitter.com/AukeLootsma/status/937658423990251520
(* A K)
Yemen war: Saudi bombs rain down on Sana'a
Saudi Arabia has unleashed a fresh wave of aerial bombardments against targets in Yemen’s capital Sana’a in an apparent effort to support forces loyal to ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who are suffering setbacks in their battle against Houthi Ansarullah fighters.
Local residents have reported that their homes were rattled as Saudi warplanes rained bombs on several locations near Sana’a International Airport and the Interior Ministry, both under the control of the Houthi Ansarullah movement. The aerial strikes started late Sunday and continued into the early hours of Monday.
The casualty count is not known, with sources noting that the airport itself was not pounded during the aerial attacks.
Riyadh has intensified its airstrikes since the breakdown of an anti-Saudi alliance between the Houthi fighters and forces loyal to Saleh last week.
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/12/04/544421/Saudi-airstrikes-Yemen-Saleh
(* A K)
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.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5142707/Yemen-rattled-air-raids-clashes-spread.html
(* A K)
War planes continuously flying over #Sanaa
NORTH OF #SANAA UNDER AIRSTRIKES
One raid on Al-Rayan hill in #Sanaa
AIRSTRIKES WITH HUGE EXPLOSIONS HEARD ALL AROUND #SANAA.
Three airstrikes on #Sanaa airport
3 Saudi /UAE air raids cause very huggggge explosion,houses shaking,in Sanaa #Yemen, no news yet which targets 8.05pm
The 4th Saudi /UAE air raid ,cause huge explosion in Sanaa #Yemen , I feel its gonna be horrible night. 8.25pm
8.27pm,The Saudi crimnal jets still hovering at low altitude, and drop a bomb cause huge explosion, kids & women r panic ,Sanaa
https://twitter.com/EngrLotf/status/937368305706381317
Super Huge explosions, in Sana'a now. Airstrikes bombardment still ongoing. House shaking like it's an earthquake.
https://twitter.com/ManalAlthurairi/status/937369958119600129
Aerial bombardment around us. The Coalition is working for Saleh forces - Trojan Horse. Two big explosions nearby in North of Sana'a around or in Rawdha. God help us against these masterminds of death and destruction.
https://twitter.com/commonsense575/status/937368031700881408
(* A K)
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.
(* A K)
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
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
and
Coalition fighter jets just bombed reinforcement coming in for Houthis from Sanaa suburbs
https://twitter.com/Ndawsari/status/937063623024922625
and
Coalition warplanes launched a raid on pro-Saleh forces camp Jarban in Sanhan (#Sanaa
and
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 K PH)
# Saada: crime of aviation # aggression - The right home of a citizen in the # District _ Almahather Directorate # Sahar_Basada, 8 martyrs and 4 wounded (photos)
#Saudi #UAE strike on a home in Sihaar #Saada N #Yemen killed 8ppl inc 4 children&2women injurd 5 ppl , all from 1 entire family
https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/posts/1750115725284414 and https://twitter.com/HussainBukhaiti/status/937052181253050368
(A K PH)
Film: The aggression targeted the house of Sheikh Abdullah Yusuf in Nhm 03-12-2017
Thus, the scene appeared to a number of houses that were destroyed by the flight of aggression in the village of Qahhah Directorate Nhm, including the house of Sheikh Abdullah Yahya Yousef @Hona_Almasirah
https://twitter.com/Hona_Almasirah/status/937489735748071424
(A K PH)
Film: Aggression targets houses and farms of citizens in Al - Baila in Saada 02-12-2017
The Saudi American Air aggression targeted the homes and farms of citizens in the region of Akkouan Directorate of Al Sifra in the province of Saada
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GkNkHZfMVs = https://twitter.com/Hona_Almasirah/status/937117742183997440
(A K PH)
Saudi air strikes bombarded a residential area of Harf Sofian #Amran #Yemen. Reports suggest heavy civilian casualties.
https://twitter.com/ammar_basha/status/937074872244756480
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
(* B K P)
Analysis: Reported link between Houthi and Iranian ballistic missiles
On November 30, Reuters cited select quotes from a confidential UN sanctions report noting shared “design characteristics” between a projectile Yemen’s Houthi rebels fired at Riyadh in early November and an Iranian short-range ballistic missile (SBRM). Known as the Burkan-2H in the Houthi arsenal and the Qiam-1 in the Iranian arsenal, the claim, if substantiated through a more public distribution of the UN report and/or official US confirmation, would be the latest indication of covert Iranian support for the Houthi insurgency against the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-backed Hadi government.
What do we know about the Iranian missile?
The Qiam-1 is an Iranian SRBM that meets the usually accepted Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) metric as being nuclear-capable. This means that the missile can at a minimum traverse 300 km to deliver a warhead of at least 500 kg. Reported range and payload estimates for the Qiam-1 allege that it can travel up to 800 km carrying a 750 kg warhead. First debuting in Iran in 2010 with a triconic warhead, the Qiam-1 is a single-stage solid-fueled SRBM. It is also Iran’s first finless ballistic missile, implying the possession of some form of an advanced guidance system. Experts have noted that the Qiam-1 is an Iranian domestic upgrade to the Shahab-2, which itself is an Iranian copy of the Scud C.
What has the US said?
What kind of ballistic missiles did Yemen previously have?
How did the missile arrive in Yemen?
According to the Nov. 30 Reuters article, UN sanctions experts refrained from formally pointing a finger at Iran, opting to say, “as yet has no evidence as to the identity of the broker or supplier,” of the missiles. However, they did note that missiles were being smuggled by land into Yemen “in pieces and assembled there by missile engineers.” One land route the UN monitors mentioned was through Oman.
Why does all this matter?
At the multilateral level, transferring the Qiam-1 would constitute a violation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2216 from 2015, which formally levied an arms embargo on Yemen. It would also be a violation of Annex B of UNSCR 2231, which codified the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and contains clauses governing transfers of ballistic missile technology found in the MTCR list.
My comment: repeating the improbable story of smuugling arms through Oman (and Al Qaida territory in Eastern Yemen).
(B K)
The children of Taizi who swear by the Book of Allah I lie the ordinary important that God Arif the killer of children Houthis have wreaked havoc in Taiz killed and siege (photo, graphic)
https://twitter.com/maramafashya/status/937405541810393088
(* A K)
Yemen's Houthi group says fires missile toward Abu Dhabi nuclear reactor
Yemen’s Houthi group has fired a cruise missile toward a nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, the group’s television service reported on its website on Sunday, without providing any evidence.
There were no reports of any missiles reaching the UAE.
“The missile force announces the launching of a winged cruise missile ... toward the al-Barakah nuclear reactor in Abu Dhabi,” the website said. It gave no further details.
and this is the claim of the Houthis, who still manage Saba new Agency:
(* A K PH)
Missile Force fires a cruise missile on a nuclear reactor in Abu Dhabi
The missile force of the army and popular forces on Sunday fired a winged cruise missile toward a nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
An official at the missile force said that the missile targeted the al-Barakah nuclear reactor in Abu Dhabi, that attack came after an successfully test of the missile at the end of last August.
The official said that the missile hit the reactor accurately.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news481004.htm
My comment: Targeting a nuclear plant would be a war crime. Why they accuse themselves of committing a war crime, even if they actually did nothing?:
and
(* A K)
UAE denies Yemen's Houthis have fired missile toward UAE
The United Arab Emirates on Sunday denied a report that Yemen’s Houthi group had fired a missile toward a nuclear plant in the UAE, state news agency WAM reported on its Twitter account.
It quoted the UAE’s emergency and crisis management department as saying the UAE possessed a missile defense system that could deal with any such threats and adding the al-Barakah nuclear plant was secure against all eventualities.
and
(* A K P)
Houthis Under Pressure in Yemen as U.A.E. Denies Missile Claims
The claim of a missile attack reflects the “desperate political position” the Houthis face both politically and militarily, according to Ghanem Nuseibeh, London-based founder of Cornerstone Global Associates.
“They’ve lost their main ally on the ground in Yemen,” Nuseibeh said. “What they’re trying to show is that they haven’t been as negatively impacted as they have been.”
and
(B K)
All you need to know about the UAE’s missile defense and Houthi attack propaganda
Experts speaking to Al Arabiya English agreed that the UAE, which presents a valuable target for state and non-state actors, has shored up its air defense against multiple threats ranging from ballistic missiles to unmanned aerial vehicles.
Former UAE air force and air defense commander (retired) Major General Khaled Abdullah Al Bu Ainnain, earlier said at a missile defense conference that the UAE is thoroughly equipped to defend itself from short and long-range missiles threats.
The UAE defends itself in what experts call a three-tier system created to defend against low, medium and high altitude threats.
(A K PS)
Over 20 Houthis killed in Nahm battle: Yemen National Army
More than 20 leaders and members of the Houthi coup militias were killed and dozens injured in the battle with the Yemeni National Army on Saturday in Nahm Directorate.
A number of military vehicles used by the coup militias were also destroyed during the fight. The army seized a large amount of light and medium weapons.
http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302651501
(* B K)
Researchers suggest US missile defense system didn't shoot down missile fired at Riyadh airport
After the missile was fired, President Trump and the Saudi defense ministry said the weapon had been successfully intercepted before hitting its target in Riyadh, the airport.
and
(* B K)
Report: US-Made Missile Defense System Failed 5 Separate Times During Yemeni Rebel Attack On Saudi Arabia
with huge consequences, according to a month-long analysis detailed in the New York Times. The Saudi interceptors failed five separate times during the Riyadh attack, and bystanders in the missile’s target — the capital’s airport — recalled being rocked by a nearby ground explosion. Those reports could mean a failure that will alarm the 14 U.S. allies fast embracing the American-made missile-killer to counter threats from North Korea to Russia.
“The Houthis got very close to creaming that airport,” Jeffery Lewis, the analyst who led a group of independent missile experts and defense researchers in the painstaking month-long investigation, told the Times. “Governments lie about the effectiveness of these systems. Or they’re misinformed … and that should worry the hell out of us.”
Lewis and his team spent weeks poring over eyewitness photos and videos circulated on social media.
http://taskandpurpose.com/saudi-arabia-patriot-missile-defense/
and
(* B K)
Raytheon's Patriot defense system likely failed to stop Saudi missile attack: Report
New information appears to show a Patriot defense system may have failed to stop last month's missile attack on Saudi Arabia's capital city.
Reports after the Nov. 4 incident indicated that the Saudis had intercepted the missile fired by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen.
The downing was even touted by President Trump, although the New York Times said it's likely "the missile's warhead flew unimpeded over Saudi defenses."
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
(* C)
Socialist Revolution in Arabia
HALF A CENTURY AGO, THE INDEPENDENCE OF YEMEN
A few weeks after the defeat of Arab countries against Israel in June 1967, Southern Yemen gained independence following an insurgent movement against the British presence. The most radical socialist experiment in the recent history of the Middle East was about to begin.
Fifty years ago, on 30 November 1967, the only ever-socialist state in the Middle East was born: the People’s Republic of South Yemen, renamed People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen in 1970. It emerged after 4 years of armed struggle against British colonialism.
As is clear today with the emergence of an increasingly virulent separatist movement in its former geographical area, unification has been a complex and unsatisfactory process, to be discussed elsewhere.
http://orientxxi.info/magazine/socialist-revolution-in-arabia,2151
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-363-yemen-war-mosaic-363
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-363 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-363:
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/
Was ist Ihre Meinung?
Kommentare einblendenDiskutieren Sie mit.