Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 400 - Yemen War Mosaic 400

Yemen Press Reader 400: 4.4.2018: Fischer–Huthis & Iran–Heuchelei–US-Drohnenkrieg–USA: Militärisch-Industrieller Komplex; Waffenhandel–Atlantic-Interview m. Prinz Salman–Wahabismus–Luftangriff

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Eingebetteter Medieninhalt

Eingebetteter Medieninhalt

April 4, 2018: A fate in the war – Fishermen – The Houthis and Iran – Hypocrisy of the world – Civilian victims of US drone strikes – The Military-Industrial Complex in the US (in German) – The Atlantic: Interviewing Prince Salman – Terrorism, Salafism and Wahabism – Saudi air raid killing 14 – and more

Schwerpunkte / Key aspects

Klassifizierung / Classification

Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject

cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important

cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics

cp2 Allgemein / General

cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation

cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees

cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis

cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government

cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / 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

cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms Trade

cp13b Mercenaries / Söldner

cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism

cp15 Propaganda

cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids

cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War

cp18 Sonstiges / Other

Klassifizierung / Classification

***

**

*

(Kein Stern / No star)

? = Keine Einschatzung / No rating

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

Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject

Eingebetteter Medieninhalt

Einführende Artikel u. Überblicke für alle, die mit den Ereignissen im Jemen noch nicht vertraut sind, hier:

Yemen War: Introductory articles, overviews, for those who are still unfamiliar with the Yemen war here:

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-einfuehrende-artikel-u-ueberblicke

Neue Artikel / New articles

(* B H K P)

Yemeni War (atual)

[Overview article]

https://direitoscivis.com/2018/03/01/yemeni-war-atual/

cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important

Eingebetteter Medieninhalt

(** B K)

Film: This is a most moving account of loss by a bereaved woman in Yemen. She expresses her pain so clearly and simply. You can't help but shed a tear and ask why, why, why.

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156554967708641 = https://www.facebook.com/orang.kiyani/videos/10211849902311241/

(** B H K)

Three-year Saudi blockade leaves Yemeni fishermen stranded

Fishermen have become increasingly desperate as severe restrictions on sailing cut them off from their livelihoods.

In the port of this coastal city in western Yemen (Hodeidah), hundreds of fishing boats, painted in bright blues and intricate patterns, are anchored – many of them docked since 2015.

The paralysed port is yet another reminder of how the Saudi-led offensive in Yemen, which recently marked its three-year anniversary, has taken its toll on the country and its citizens.

The coalition has notably targeted fishing boats who stray too far from the coast in Houthi-controlled areas, claiming that fishermen are smuggling weapons to the Houthis.

The crackdown has had a devastating impact on the livelihoods of thousands of Yemeni fishermen, who are faced with an impossible choice between overwhelming poverty, imprisonment, or even death.

According to the head of the Yemeni Union of Fishermen of the Western Coast, Abdullah Bahaidar, the Saudi-led coalition has arrested more than 80 fishermen from Yemeni territorial waters and targeted more than 20 fishing boats in air strikes, killing dozens since March 2015.

Saudi newspaper Okaz reported in January 2017 that Houthis were forcing Yemeni fishermen in Hodeidah to smuggle weapons. While other newspapers and officials have spoken about fishermen smuggling weapons, the fishermen interviewed by MEE denied these accusations, emphasising that they did not wish to be embroiled in such issues.

"Fishermen are the breadwinners for their families. All of them oppose the war and hate the politics that deprive people of their work," Hussein said. "I hope for any kind of supervision of fishermen that does not prevent them from fishing."

Fishermen in Houthi-held areas haven't been the only ones to suffer from stringent Saudi policies.

In al-Mocha, a southwestern coastal city under control of the Saudi-led forces, fishermen ‒ many of whom were displaced from areas of the Taiz province which became pro-government military zones ‒ were prevented from sailing as the city hosts a military base of the Saudi-led coalition.

Meanwhile, the costs of fishing in Hadhramout and other pro-government areas have doubled due to increased fuel prices, while the Saudi-led coalition has forbidden fishing in some areas, a fisherman from the Hadhramout district told MEE.

The majority of Yemen's estimated 150,000 fishermen have been forced to cease or decrease their work, the Yemeni Union of Fishermen of the Western Coast stated, plunging 70 percent of them into poverty.

Hussein, the fisherman in Hodeidah, said some fishermen were willing to risk their lives fishing when faced with the alternative: starving to death.

"Most fishermen depend on aid from international and local organisations, including the World Food Programme," Bahaider told MEE.

Mohammed al-Zubairi, the minister of fisheries for the Sanaa-based Houthi government, accused the Saudi-led coalition in a press conference in mid-March of having directly targeted fishermen, their boats, and seaports in the past three years.

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/three-year-saudi-blockade-leaves-yemeni-fishermen-stranded-1631371446

(** B K P)

The Houthis and Iran

The Iranian involvement in Yemen started in the 90’s of the last century, when Zaidi Muslims felt threatened by the wide spread of Selafi Jihadism and Wehabism in Yemen and founded the Shabab Al Muminoon (Youth believers) movement -which later became known as the Houthi movement – in Sa’ada province, to counteract the Wehabi influence.
Zaidism is one of the Shia sects closest in terms of theology to the Sunni Islam. Zaidis and Sunni Muslims have been living in Yemen for centuries in peace and harmony; praying in the same mosque and intermarrying with each other until the advent of Wehabism in the 1970’s, when the Saudis became able to infiltrate their scholars to spread their radical version of Islam in Yemen. They used their wealth in financing schools, granting scholarships to teachers and Imams to be educated in Saudi Arabia and support them to widespread the Wehabi teachings. School curriculum gradually changed to become similar to that which is taught in Saudi Arabia. More and more were assigned to mosques and the number of Zaidis who convert to Wehabism was increasing from day to day. And the new generation, who got educated by Wehabi teachers became influenced by Wehabism. That’s when the Zaidis commenced their movement.
The Iranian might have helped the Houthis at the beginning and might even have trained and armed their warriors during the six wars the Houthis fought (2004 – 2009) against the former regime of Ali Abdullah Saleh. But that’s all. The movement gained guerrilla fighting experience in the six wars and accumulated enough weapon by looting military camps of the Yemeni Army, during the 6 wars and after they seized Sana’a in 2014, They also have looted from the so-called liberation army recruited by the Saudi-led collation forces after the Saudi war started – there were also reports about soldiers in the ‘Liberation army’ selling arms to Houthis – and from Saudi Army warehouses in bordering provinces of Saudi Arabia. Iran couldn’t provide them with arms, even if it wanted to, since the war. The sea, land and air blockade made the smuggling of any worthy weapon impossible.
They might be allied with Iran but they are neither Iranian agents nor fighting a proxy war for Iran. Their agenda is purely based on local issues. In contrast, Saudi Arabia, which has paid for decade a monthly salary for 5,000 Yemeni tribal Sheikhs and many bandits, to buy their loyalty, has been and is still training, arming, and paying for thousands of Yemenis and soldiers from Sudan, Cameroon and other nation to fight the Houthis. Many of these ‘fighters’ are members of terrorist groups. The so called Liberation army fights with the air support of Saudi-led coalition Air Forces, receives its equipment and ammunition from the Saudis and earn salaries and other favors from Saudi Arabia. They fight only when they are ordered by Saudi Arabia and the targets are selected and the tactics planned by Saudi Arabia.
The Saudis treat all Yemenis including those who are on their side with contempt that they have prevented the ‘legitimate’ President Hadi from returning to Aden and have kept him under a house arrest in Riyadh, not allowed even to make a press conference. Saudi’s main partner in the war, the UAE, is even supporting and arming a separatist faction opposed to President Hadi.
The only agents of a foreign power in Yemen are those who fight on the side of Coalition forces and those are the ones who are really fighting a proxy war on behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – by Musaed Badr

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156557396628641 (below, among comments)

(** B P)

The Yemen crisis and hypocrisy of the world

We support the oppressed at one place while standing with the oppressor at the other

Listen to the rhetoric of the global leaders, the intellectuals, world’s top opinion-makers, the right activists and the masses in general, on humanity and human rights; you get the impression as if we embody the pain of the entire humankind; we support all oppressed and condemn all oppressors irrespective of colour, creed, religion or ethnicity.

The above all, in today’s cruel world dictated by the Machiavellian Politics, falls into the realm of idealism, hence rejected. Our pragmatism and inherent prejudices force us to extend support to only those oppressed who share with us the bond of caste, creed, colour, religion, ethnicity, or political beliefs.

We support oppressed at one place while standing with the oppressor at the other. Certain acts are defined as oppression in one country while being legitimate elsewhere. We have divided the oppressed on religious, sectarian, ethnic and political lines. It takes a lot of moral courage to rise above the religious, sectarian or political biases and support all oppressed irrespective of colour, creed, religion or ethnicity. Do we have that moral courage?

Those who lament day in and day out over human sufferings in Syria keep mum over the miseries of the Yemenis

Those who blame Russia and Iran for their intervention in Syrian affairs, in the same breath, support the meddling of the KSA and its allies in Yemenis affairs and vice versa. If the Iranian and Russian involvement in Syria is wrong, how are killings of innocent civilians by the KSA and its allies justified in Yemen?

If the terrorists of Eastern Ghouta in Syria could have the blessings of the West and the US as they demand to lift the siege of the terrorist-held area on a humanitarian basis, why should the similar demand not be made for the innocent Yemeni civilians?

But we see, the world is silent. Isn’t this hypocrisy and double standards?

The Western and the Arab world claim to fight Bashar-al-Assad for Syrian people’s economic and political rights, but they deny any such right to the Yemenis. If the ‘Syrian people’ have the right to rebel against an internationally recognised government, why don’t the Yemenis have such right to stand for economic and political rights?

The KSA, the US and their allies face a policy paradox as they support militants and intend to overthrow a legitimate government in Syria but in Yemen, the same countries support a puppet regime defeated by the people and kill innocent civilians in the name of fighting terrorism. The rebellion against Assad in Syria is freedom fight, but the Houthis revolt in Yemen is terrorism! – by Syed Kashif Ali

https://dailytimes.com.pk/222956/the-yemen-crisis-and-hypocrisy-of-the-world/

My comment: Western hypocrisy and double standard in a nutshell, from Pakistan.

(** B K P)

Civilian Casualties and Effectiveness of U.S. Drone Strikes in Yemen

This is the first of two articles on U.S. counterterrorism operations in Yemen. It also the latest in a new series we are producing in partnership Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Institute that features the voices of experts and advocates from countries affected by U.S. national security policies. Earlier pieces in this series are here.

In 2017, the United States military said that it carried out more than 120 strikes in Yemen, more than three times as many as strikes as 2016. For many years, we at the Mwatana Organization for Human Rights documented the impact of U.S. drone strikes in Yemen through detailed field research. In 2017 we investigated eight drone strikes and ground operations and found that U.S. operations were responsible for the deaths of at least 32 civilians – including 16 children and six women – and injured ten others, including five children. (The results of these investigations will be released in a forthcoming report.)

The 32 civilian deaths and ten injuries are the latest in a long list of victims harmed by U.S. military operations in Yemen who have been waiting for justice for many years. Incidents of civilian harm in Yemen continue to negatively affect the reputation of the United States in the country and push local communities to consider violence and revenge as the only solution to the harm they suffer. With U.S. operations in Yemen continuing in 2018, it is time for much greater attention to be given to the civilians harmed and the effects of this unwise and destructive policy.

Documenting U.S. strikes

The United States began targeted killing operations in Yemen in 2002 under the Bush administration, which increased dramatically within the first few years of the Obama administration. Under President Trump, strikes have again soared.

Release the kill list: A tool to reduce civilian harm

Strikes that we documented across Yemen, from Sana’a, to Dhamar, to Rada’a highlight the problematic use of U.S. drone strikes and other counterterrorism operations in what—contrary to the U.S. claim that it is in a global conflict against Al Qaeda and ISIS—is better understood as a local, social, and political conflict.

This leads to a number of questions. How dangerous are the suspects that are targeted in these operations? How feasible is it to arrest, investigate, and try them in court? What do American agencies use to determine who is a suspect when they make the kill list? These and many other questions remain unanswered.

Cycle of violence

Our research team also traveled to a village in the area of Qaifah, Yemen on May 26, 2013. This area is one that has been targeted the most by drone strikes. While we were there, we heard a number of men who were relatives of the civilian victims of a drone strike loudly discussing whether they should kidnap us to pressure the U.S. government to look into the cases of Yemeni drone strike victims.

The incident, however, shows how the families of the victims, many of whom are poor farmers who have waited so long for an acknowledgment for the harm they suffered, and for justice through legal means, begin to consider violent “solutions” to their problems

The potential for violent groups to take advantage of civilian discontent has only grown in recent years – by Abdulrasheed Al-Faqih

https://www.justsecurity.org/54464/civilian-casualties-effectiveness-u-s-drone-strikes-yemen-part/

(** B K P)

Die Pentagon-Zeitbombe: Die größte Gefahr für den Weltfrieden sind die USA.

Das interne Planungssystem des Pentagon bindet jedem Präsidenten auch dann die Hände, wenn er eine Außenpolitik durchsetzen will, die weniger auf Konfrontation gerichtet ist. Die sogenannten Future Years Defence Plans (FYDP) des Pentagon spielen einerseits eine maßgebliche Rolle bei der Entwicklung und Beschaffung von Waffen und andererseits für Feindbildproduktion und Strategiekonzeptionen. Jeder Präsident erbt eine „Pentagon-Budget-Zeitbombe“, die seine politischen Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten extrem einschränkt.

Das NATO-nahe Institut IISS in London (International Institute for Strategic Studies) errechnet für dasselbe Jahr zu laufenden Wechselkursen, dass die USA für ihr Militär etwa soviel Geld aufwandten, wie die 12 nachfolgenden Staaten zusammen.

Die US-Militärausgaben schließen nicht die Kosten für die 17 Geheimdienste, die gigantische Bevölkerungsüberwachung, die Veteranenversorgung, das nach innen gerichtete Department of Homeland Security als Parallel-Pentagon ein. Auch die Kosten für die laufenden Kriege sind in den 606 Milliarden nicht enthalten.

Trotz dieser gigantischen Ausgaben wiegen sich die meisten Amerikaner nicht in einem Gefühl der Sicherheit. Im Gegenteil: Viele Amerikaner schauen ängstlich und sorgenvoll in die Zukunft.

Offensichtlich interessiert sich das Kriegsestablishment nicht für die Bürger, denn es führt in aller Welt niemals endende Kriege, während es gleichzeitig die bürgerlichen Freiheiten immer weiter einschränkt.

Den Hintergrund dieser zerstörerischen Zustände bildet ein subtiles Geflecht aus Führungsstrukturen, die sich zu einem kaum mehr durchdringbaren Konglomerat verdichtet haben. Dieses hat sich über einen Zeitraum von mehr als 60 Jahren in der Periode des Kalten Krieges und zum Teil schon weit davor entwickelt. Und so sickerten die ideologischen Glaubenssysteme der Manifest Destiny, des halluzinierten American Exceptionalism, des obszessiven und missionarischen Eifers, der ganzen Welt die Glückseligkeit einer pervertierten Demokratie und deren Pseudofreiheit überstülpen zu müssen, tief in die inländische politische Ökonomie ein. Diese gewaltbasierten Ideologiekonstrukte in Verbindung mit einem enormen bürokratischen Beharrungsvermögen mästen die finanziellen und politischen Fraktionen des Militär-Industrie-Kongress-Komplexes (MICC). Die grotesken Blüten dieser von Zbigniew Brzesinski formulierten Vorherrschaftsideologie und Welteroberungsstrategie finden sich in allen Regierungsdokumenten wieder. Stets geht es um die Aufrechterhaltung des globalen Führungsanspruchs.

Das Ergebnis ist ein unersättlicher Appetit auf Geld, der von einer eigensüchtigen Flut ideologischer Propaganda verdeckt wird und von einem stickigen Klima übertriebener Geheimhaltung geprägt ist. Der MICC hat die US-amerikanische Wirtschaft, Politik, die Universitäten und Schulen, die Medien, Think-Tanks und die Forschungslabore unterwandert und fest im Griff, er ist die eigentliche Regierung – von Ullrich Mies

https://www.rubikon.news/artikel/die-pentagon-zeitbombe

Mein Kommentar: Lesenswert, um besser zu verstehen, was der Hintergrund der nicht endenden US-Kriege im Nahen Osten ist – und damit auch eine der wesentlichen Voraussetzungen des Krieges im Jemen.

(** B K P)

Weapons for Anyone: Donald Trump and the Art of the Arms Deal

It’s one of those stories of the century that somehow never gets treated that way. For an astounding 25 of the past 26 years, the United States has been the leading arms dealer on the planet, at some moments in near monopolistic fashion. Its major weapons-producers, including Boeing, Raytheon, and Lockheed Martin, regularly pour the latest in high-tech arms and munitions into the most explosive areas of the planet with ampl eassistance from the Pentagon. In recent years, the bulk of those arms have gone to the Greater Middle East. Donald Trump is only the latest American president to preside over a global arms sales bonanza. With remarkable enthusiasm, he’s appointed himself America’s number one weapons salesman and he couldn’t be prouder of the job he’s doing.

Debate about the merits of that brutal war [Yemen] was, however, the last thing on the mind of a president who views his bear-hug embrace of the Saudi regime as a straightforward business proposition. He’s so enthusiastic about selling arms to Riyadh that he even brought his very own prop to the White House meeting with bin Salman: a U.S. map highlighting which of the 50 states would benefit most from pending weapons sales to the prince’s country.

In short, Donald Trump has headed down a well-traveled arms superhighway. Every president since Richard Nixon has taken that same road and, in 2010, the Obama administration managed to rack up a record $102 billion in foreign arms offers. In a recent report I wrote for the Security Assistance Monitor at the Center for International Policy, I documented more than $82 billion in arms offers by the Trump administration in 2017 alone, which actually represented a slight increase from the $76 billion in offers made during President Obama’s final year. It was, however, far lower than that 2010 figure, $60 billion of which came from Saudi deals for F-15 combat aircraft, Apache attack helicopters, transport aircraft, and armored vehicles, as well as guns and ammunition.

If Trump’s vision of an all-arms-sales-all-the-time foreign policy is realized, he may scale the weapons-dealing heights reached by the Obama administration. As Washington’s arms-dealer-in-chief, he might indeed succeed in selling American weaponry as if there were no tomorrow. Given the known human costs of unbridled arms trafficking, however, such a presidency would also ensure that whatever tomorrow finally arrived would prove far worse than today, unless of course you happen to be a major U.S. arms maker – by William Hartung

http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176405/tomgram%3A_william_hartung%2C_selling_arms_as_if_there_were_no_tomorrow/ = https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/04/02/weapons-for-anyone-donald-trump-and-the-art-of-the-arms-deal/

(** A P)

Saudi Crown Prince: Iran's Supreme Leader 'Makes Hitler Look Good'

This much, at least, can be said for Mohammed bin Salman, the putatively reformist crown prince of Saudi Arabia: He has made all the right enemies. Among those who would celebrate his end are the leaders of ISIS, al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, and Hamas, as well as Yemen’s Houthi rebels, and the entire clerical and military leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The well-protected Prince Mohammed does not seem particularly worried about mortal threats, however. He was jovial to the point of ebullience when I met him.

Prince Mohammed (who is known widely by his initials, MbS) seemed eager to download his heterodoxical, contentious views on a number of subjects—on women’s rights (he appears doubtful about the laws that force Saudi women to travel with male relatives); on Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, who is, in the prince’s mind, worse than Hitler; and on Israel. He told me he recognizes the right of the Jewish people to have a nation-state of their own next to a Palestinian state; no Arab leader has ever acknowledged such a right.

Prince Mohammed’s visit to the U.S. is mainly a hunting trip for investment, and an opportunity for him to sell his so-called Vision 2030, an elaborate, still mainly unexecuted plan to modernize the Kingdom and end its dependence on oil. But in our conversation, I tried to focus Prince Mohammed on some of the more challenging problems of the moment, including his country’s cold war with Iran; its often-brutal military intervention in Yemen against the Iranian-backed Houthi; the status of women in a country that has practiced a form of gender apartheid for decades; Saudi Arabia’s relationship with Israel and the Palestinians; and his country’s own past support for Muslim extremists of the type he now condemns.

Prince Mohammed dodges questions he doesn’t like, but he is still unusually direct for a Saudi leader.

The prince, in my conversation with him, divided the Middle East into two warring camps: what he called the “triangle of evil,” consisting of Iran, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Sunni terror groups; and an alliance of self-described moderate states that includes Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Oman.

About his bête noir, the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Prince Mohammed said, “I believe the Iranian supreme leader makes Hitler look good. Hitler didn’t do what the supreme leader is trying to do. Hitler tried to conquer Europe. … The supreme leader is trying to conquer the world.”

On issues related to human rights, openness, and the continued efficacy of the absolute monarchy model of governance, the crown prince was more circumspect and defensive, as you will see in this edited and condensed transcript of our conversation:

[on Yemen]: We fought to get rid of extremists in Syria and Iraq and then they started to create a haven in Yemen. It would be much harder to get rid of extremists in Yemen than Iraq or Syria. Our campaign is focused on helping the legitimate government and bringing stability. Saudi Arabia is trying to help the people of Yemen. The biggest donor to Yemen is Saudi Arabia. The people who are manipulating this aid in the 10 percent of Yemen not controlled by the government is the Houthis.

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/04/mohammed-bin-salman-iran-israel/557036/

My comment: Another interview of Prince Salman, showing his views / PR and propaganda. Might-be the interviewer is not as friendly as all these Saudi mouthpieces who up to now “interviewed” him. But also he does not interrupt when Salman tells clear lies, as. “people have the freedom to do whatever they want to do”. Neverteheless, in other cases, he insists - and Salman fully blocks. In one point, Salman confesses: “We don’t share values“. That’s it.

Comment: My favourite part of the MBS interview in the @TheAtlantic. This made me LOL so hard (image)

https://twitter.com/mehdirhasan/status/980897328491122689

My comment to comment: Oh yes, I join.

Comment: The fact that a prominent media outlet would compare Iran to Hitler, yet alone countenance the outrageous idea that anything could make that genocidal monster look "good," is vomit-inducing. I'm serious: this is Holocaust revisionism; it whitewashes Nazism

https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/980908378485678081

(** B P T)

To Truly Fight Terror, Counter Salafist Jihadist Ideology First

Now that the Islamic State has fallen and lost the battle on the ground, it is time to seriously consider the next steps to win the fight against terrorism in the long run.

The world, particularly Muslim communities, must counter the ideology behind these atrocities to ensure a complete and long-term defeat of terrorism. Note that al-Qaeda, a group defeated militarily years ago, its founder executed, swelled into a larger and more effective umbrella organization chiefly because the world failed to address its seductive ideology.

As both al-Qaeda and ISIS share the same root, Salafist jihadism, it is high time to counter it at its source. My interviews with more than 40 Islamic State defectors in Turkey during the past four years confirm that terror groups first rely on ideologies and secondly cult-like mental conditioning[4].

Salafism is usually described as an ultraconservative, puritanical, grim and fundamentalist branch within Sunni Islam established on the teachings of the 13th-century scholar Ibn Taymiyyah, whose ideas were introduced by puritanical scholar Muhammed ibn Abd al-Wahhab in the Arabian Peninsula during the mid-18th Century. Wahhab advocated a return to the traditions of the first generations of Muslims (the salaf).

ISIS and al-Qaeda appropriate foundational texts of al-Wahhab, including The Book of Monotheism (Kitab at-Tawhid), in their curriculum, in their Sharia (ideological) training in military camps[5], online training and the school systems they control[6].

Additionally, several ISIS defectors I interviewed specifically told me how al-Wahhab’s Kitab at-Tawhid was the chief and the most important part of their training, a book also widely and historically adopted by today’s Saudi Arabia.

This is the reason Sheikh Adel al-Kalbani, the former Imam of Kaaba, the Grand Mosque of the Prophet Muhammad in Mecca, and a Salafi himself, openly and sincerely admitted that “ISIS is a true product of Salafism, and we must deal with it with full transparency.[7]

The fact is, some Saudi princes, clerics, and charities for decades have been pouring out billions of dollars to promote their understanding of Islam, Wahhabism. They have found willing partners among the vulnerable populations in the Central Asian and Afghan-Pakistani regions, Africa, the Balkans and even in Europe. These funders indirectly assist ISIS and al-Qaeda-friendly organizations to fast-track their recruitments process on their behalf. In the leaked U.S. embassy cables, it was openly addressed that Saudi Arabia was “a critical source of terrorist funding[8]” where the money is mostly spent on training of Wahhabi clerics, production and distribution of Wahhabi textbooks, media outreach and donations to local schools or cultural centers[9].

Thanks to the Saudis spreading Salafism all over the world, these terrorists reach ideologically ripe people among their targeted groups who are already educated by the Wahhabis.

For a more comprehensive and effective long-term counterterrorism policy, the world should understand that regardless of the political costs and outcomes there is no true dealing of jihadi terrorism without countering the Salafist jihadist ideology – by Ahmet Yayla

https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/counterterrorism/to-truly-fight-terror-counter-salafist-jihadis-ideology-first/

cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics

(* A H)

Diphtheria outbreak kills 84 in Yemen: WHO

A diphtheria outbreak has killed 84 people in war-torn Yemen since late October, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday.

In a statement, the UN agency said some 1,516 suspected cases of diphtheria have been registered in 20 of Yemen’s 23 provinces.
It listed Ibb and al-Hodeidah provinces in central and western Yemen as the hardest-hit by the disease.

https://aa.com.tr/en/health/diphtheria-outbreak-kills-84-in-yemen-who/1106729

(* A H)

Yemen: 1,085,576 cholera cases as of March 31

WHO's Cholera Response Dashboard reports 1,085,576 cases and 2,270 deaths as of March 31. That is an increase of 271 cases and zero deaths in 24 hours. The case count is going down, but the war continues.

http://who-powerbi.net/bi/

cp2 Allgemein / General

(B K)

Film: The Saudi Bomb Campaign & Oklahoma Teacher Strikes: VICE News Tonight Full Episode (HBO)

13: 32 Houthi Rebels rally to mark three-years since start of Saudi-led bombing campaign. At least one in three Saudi-led coalition air raids hit civilian targets such as schools, hospitals, markets and mosque in Yemen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbF93Ngge6A

Comment: Good to see VICE actually covering the US-Saudi war on Yemen. Unfortunately this report (13:33-17:51) only once mentions in passing that the ruinous war is "backed by the US"—downplaying the key US role. It also falsely portrays it as a proxy war with Iran

https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/981300358155825153 n

(* B K P)

'UAE hired Israeli firm to create Yemen war game'

The United Arab Emirates hired an Israeli consulting company to create “game scenarios” before entering the deadly war on Yemen in March 2015, US news reports said on Tuesday.

The Emiratis contracted Wikistrat, an Israeli company founded in 2010, in the lead up to the Saudi-led coalition intervention after Houthi rebels overran the capital and other major cities across the country, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The Gulf state received game scenarios to assist their military in understanding the factions on the ground, including the Muslim Brotherhood.

The UAE was later provided with “intelligent lite”, according to a person close to the company, allowing it to liaise with “local on-the-ground sources to anticipate threats”.

https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2018/4/3/uae-hired-israeli-firm-to-create-yemen-war-game

(* B K P)

Into the quagmire: Saudi Arabia’s failed war on Yemen

After all, the regime had spent billions of dollars on the latest offerings from American and European arms manufacturers and it was time to put the huge inventory into good use.

The war, and the resulting hike in Riyadh’s military budget, reportedly turned the oil-rich kingdom to the fourth country by military expenditure in 2015 ($63.7 billion) and the third a year later ($76.7 billion). To put it into perspective, Russia spent $61.2 billion in 2017 and the UK $50.7 billion.

This extravagant spending has cost cash-strapped Saudis dearly, probably one of the reasons why the kingdom reportedly sold off $1.2 billion of its $9.2 billion holdings in European equities by the end of 2015.

The rulers in Riyadh have been keeping the costs of war a secret, but various estimates have been put forth by different sources and news organizations in recent years.

Lack of combat experience

All the potential firepower and the absolute air superiority that Saudis enjoy over Yemeni fighters, who only rely on ancient and often ineffective air defenses to keep off state-of-the-art fighter jets, have failed to give Riyadh the edge they thought they would have in the war.

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/04/03/557090/Saudi-Arabia-military-UAE-war-Yemen-Houthi-Ansarullah

Remark: From Iran.

(B K P)

Film: Saudi killing civilians to make Ansarullah unpopular: Pundit

In a bid to tarnish the popular uprising of the Houthi Ansarullah movement, “the Saudis and their backers from Europe and from America are trying to make the [fighters] unpopular,” Kenneth Fero told Press TV on Tuesday.

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/04/03/557298/Saudi-Arabia-Yemen-Children

(A K P)

Interactive map of Yemen

https://yemen.liveuamap.com/

(B K)

Film: Shadia, 17 Jahre, Jemen: "Ich weinte, als Steine auf mich herabfielen"

http://www.spiegel.de/video/krieg-im-jemen-seit-drei-jahren-leid-fuer-kinder-video-99015926.html

(* A B H P)

Yemen crisis: Does Saudi largess square with military campaign?

The Saudis have presented the UN with nearly a third of the $3 billion it is seeking for Yemen humanitarian aid in 2018. But critics say the kingdom is more concerned with its image, and that it's more important for the Saudi-led coalition to halt its military campaign.

That philanthropic largess will be welcomed tomorrow in Geneva, where the UN is convening a high-level pledging conference for Yemen.

But Yemenis affected by the war and analysts alike say the Saudi donation aims more at repairing the kingdom’s own damaged reputation than at ending a war where it plays the decisive role. Indeed, the Saudis have also hired American and British firms to wage a concerted public relations campaign.

“The money the Saudis are giving is like make-up on its face,” says Abdulrashid Al-Faqih, executive director of the Mwatana Organization for Human Rights in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, which has been under Houthi control since 2015.

“All the warring parties are responsible for this suffering, but first is the Saudi- and UAE-led coalition,” says Mr. Al-Faqih. “What would be better than this [money] would be if Saudi Arabia stopped the war in Yemen. It’s not enough for Yemen to receive humanitarian aid as long as the war continues.”

April Longley Alley, project director for the Arabian Peninsula for the International Crisis Group (ICG), articulates only a slightly more positive view of the Saudi initiative, though she reaches a similar conclusion.

“Over the last several months, it’s very clear the Saudis are taking the reputational damage seriously, and they are mobilizing resources to address it,” she says. “This is especially true around their humanitarian plan for Yemen that they just announced.

“But the larger picture has to be that humanitarian aid is a Band-Aid, and the reason we need that humanitarian aid is because of the conflict,” she says. “So as long as the conflict continues, it’s just going to create more of a need.”

https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2018/0402/Yemen-crisis-Does-Saudi-largess-square-with-military-campaign

(* A H P)

Record-breaking donation from Saudi Arabia, UAE sets stage for Yemen aid event

A $930 million cheque has broken records for humanitarian fundraising in the run-up to a UN pledging conference for aid to Yemen, but the motivations behind it are being questioned.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are together picking up a third of this year’s $2.96 billion relief bill for what the UN has called “the worst humanitarian crisis in the world”. But conflict analysts and human rights groups say Yemen’s needs wouldn’t be so intense if it weren’t for a war the two nations helped start, and how they fight it.

Tirana Hassan, crisis director at Amnesty International, described it as “rather twisted” that a large proportion of the UN’s funding plan will be paid by those who, she argued, have “played a significant role in creating and prolonging” the humanitarian crisis. Saudi Arabia and its allies, she added, ought to go “well beyond pulling out their cheque books”, by reducing civilian casualties and lifting humanitarian restrictions.

Diplomats, NGO executives, and other officials are due to attend the 3 April event at the UN in Geneva, which should bring more promises of cash for food, health, water, shelter, and other relief needs for Yemen’s struggling civilian population.

But expectations are muted.

Nabil Al Kumaim, of Yemeni NGO Yemen Family Care Association, based in the rebel-held capital of Sanaa, will be at the gathering. He told IRIN: “The people's suffering is increasing dramatically day by day” thanks to “access constraints to the seaports and airports and lowering purchasing power.” But he warned that emergency relief wasn’t solving the underlying problem: “Humanitarian work can make a difference, albeit for short impact, as ending the war is the lasting solution.”

The Saudi-UAE donation was “not unwelcome”, Munn said, but ought to be “matched with peace talks”, fewer restrictions on relief workers, and a recognition of the “collateral damage” that affects over 22 million people. He said his agency would not directly take Saudi money on principle.

For some, the Saudi funding signals a change of strategy.

Munn suggesting that the country is "looking for an opportunity to show a compassionate side".

Hassan of Amnesty said this year’s donation must not be “a free pass when it comes to being held to account for the serious violations” committed in Yemen.

http://www.irinnews.org/analysis/2018/04/02/record-breaking-donation-saudi-arabia-uae-sets-stage-yemen-aid-event

(* B K P)

Yemen’s destructive identity crisis

Yemen’s society has fragmented. The formal and informal ties that hold citizens and groups together continue to fray.

Social cohesion has always been dismissed as something that could be addressed after the end of the civil war rather than before. This relegation of social cohesion to an aspect of little consequence can in part be attributed to the assumption that Yemen’s social fabric is strong. After all, observers are often deceived by the level of civility and cordial attitudes that Yemenis have for one another in formal settings. It could also be attributed to the manipulation of facts at the state level, including controlling the narrative on aggrieved communities through media blackouts and misinformation. The civil war and chaos that ensued are ultimately the result of this weakened fabric being torn to shreds on both the state and societal level.

Whether distrust, prejudice, poverty or security is the impetus for the formation of a group’s identity, all narratives converge on a similar “us versus them” mentality. With the presence of so many different identities vying for control, conflict is inevitable. In Yemen, civil war has served to exacerbate this toxic mindset, but it is important to remember that, at the core of everything, it was the prolonged disintegration of social cohesion that caused such regional fragmentation. At this point, it is nearly impossible to reconcile Yemen as a unified state, but if equilibrium is ever to be restored in the future, it is important to remember the factors that stripped Yemen of its identity in the first place – by Fatima Abo Alasrar

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1277836 = http://www.eurasiareview.com/04042018-yemens-destructive-identity-crisis-oped/

My comment: On a Saudi website, but a somewhat reasonable article nevertheless (even if blaming the Houthis of course is not missing).

(B K P)

Nobel Prize laureate Karman: 'Humanity dies in Yemen'

Yemeni activist Tawakkol Karman praises Turkey’s role in easing suffering in her country

"Humanity dies in Yemen and a crime against humanity is underway," Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Yemeni activist Tawakkol Karman said on Monday.

In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Karman voiced her concern about the conflict in her country and underlined Turkey’s important role in attempting to ease tensions.

“Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates [UAE] and Iran turned Yemen into a battlefield to claim power for themselves. Yemen is becoming increasingly unbearable. This issue must be moved to the international community's agenda urgently,” Karman said.

https://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/nobel-prize-laureate-karman-humanity-dies-in-yemen/1106224

(B P)

USA calls to end Yemen war, whilst selling Saudi Arabia more weapons

The Trump administration has once again shown its unwillingness to fully address the Yemen crisis, by making half-hearted calls to end the conflict, whilst simultaneously giving Saudi Arabia the means to continue its war on the country.

While Matthis and others may comment on how bad the Yemen war is, only decisive action from Western governments towards Riyadh, such as holding it account for war crimes and halting weapons sales, can truly make a difference. For now, it is clear the United States and the other Saudi backers are not serious about peace in Yemen.

https://jonathanfentonharvey.com/2018/03/24/usa-calls-to-end-yemen-war-whilst-selling-saudi-arabia-more-weapons/

(* B K P)

Film by Arte: Yemen – Chaos and Silence

With over 10,000 dead, 2 million refugees, and epidemics of both Cholera and Diphtheria , Yemen is experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. This documentary offers an exclusive journey across a devastated country.

https://www.arte.tv/en/videos/069931-000-A/yemen-chaos-and-silence/

Remark: After the German and the French versions, now also with English subs. It’s great when western journalists come to Yemen, and their films are aired. But, to my opinion, this films stays below of what actually could have been done: In large parts, it is a sort of road movie.

(* B H K)

Film: Highlights: Ending the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen

On March 21, 2018, Arab Center Washington held a briefing on the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen. Speakers included, Abdulwahab Alkebsi, Deputy Director of Programs at the Center for International Private Enterprise, Nabeel Khoury, Nonresident Senior Fellow at Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East of The Atlantic Council, and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kYnlrS_B1k

(* B K P)

Human Rights Watch: Saudi Arabia/Yemen: Houthi Missile Attacks Unlawful

Coalition Should Lift Restrictions on Aid, Access

Houthi forces in Yemen violated the laws of war by launching ballistic missiles indiscriminately at populated areas in Saudi Arabia on March 25, 2018, Human Rights Watch said today. The attacks killed an Egyptian migrant worker and injured two others in the capital, Riyadh, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

During the three-year armed conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis, Houthi forces have fired artillery into populated cities in Yemen and launched missiles toward populated areas in Saudi Arabia. In November, the coalition blocked all Yemeni land, air, and sea ports in response to a Houthi ballistic missile attack on Riyadh’s international airport. The coalition eased some restrictions in late 2017 but has continued to impede aid and commercial imports from reaching Houthi-controlled ports and has kept Yemen’s main airport closed since August 2016, worsening the country’s humanitarian catastrophe.

“The Houthis should immediately stop their indiscriminate missile attacks on populated areas of Saudi Arabia,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “But just as unlawful coalition airstrikes don’t justify the Houthi’s indiscriminate attacks, the Saudis can’t use Houthi rockets to justify impeding life-saving goods for Yemen’s civilian population.”

Attacks with unguided ballistic missiles such as the Burkan H2 or Qaher 2M are often indiscriminate, particularly at long ranges, where they cannot accurately target military objectives. When deliberately or indiscriminately directed toward populated areas or civilian objects, such attacks violate the laws of war. Those ordering such attacks may be responsible for war crimes.

When used in densely populated areas, ballistic missiles with large payloads of high-explosives have a wide-area destructive effect that cannot distinguish adequately between civilians and military objectives, almost invariably resulting in civilian casualties. Military commanders, as a matter of policy, should not use ballistic missiles with wide-area effects in populated areas, Human Rights Watch said.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/04/02/saudi-arabia/yemen-houthi-missile-attacks-unlawful

Comments by Haykal Bafana: To @hrw: Your legal interpretation is flat wrong. Yemen's armed forces repeatedly demanded Saudi Arabia to cease its airstrikes on Yemeni civilian targets, failing which Yemen would the same. Yemeni reprisals are legal, until Saudi airstrikes on Yemeni civilian targets cease.

https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/980750727722258432

I'm not certain this is a correct statement of IHL & international laws of war. Reciprocity is a practical, if not de jure, requirement. Yemen's forces have warned repeatedly (& correctly) that Saudi attacks on Yemeni civilian targets make Saudi civilian sites lawful targets.

https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/978249938474807296

Comment by Sarah lea Whitson, HRW: I am certain this is a correct statement of international humanitarian law. There is never a justification to target civilians. "The other side does it" is not a justification.

https://twitter.com/sarahleah1/status/978254067997794304

Comment to comment by Haykal Bafana: The doctrine of reprisals provides an exception when the enemy is itself in violation of IHL. In this instance, Yemen missile forces warned many times that unless Saudi Arabia stops bombing Yemeni civilian sites, Yemen will respond in kind. Saudi stops, Yemen stops: It's lawful.

https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/978255521097580544

Comment by MoA: You miss the point @BaFana3 The Saudis pay up whenever @KenRoth comes begging for money, the Yemenis don't. That's all the "interpretation", legal or otherwise, @HRW knows.

https://twitter.com/MoonofA/status/980772874221965314

(* B H K)

Krieg im Jemen: UNO fordert Saudi-Arabien zu einer politischen Lösung auf

Die Vereinten Nation warnen vor einer Rückkehr der Cholera im Jemen. Zudem zeigt ein nun veröffentlichter UNICEF-Bericht, dass wegen des andauernden Kriegs zwei Millionen Kinder nicht zur Schule gehen können. Nächste Woche findet eine Geber-Konferenz für den Jemen statt.

[Übersicht]

https://deutsch.rt.com/international/67636-krieg-im-jemen-uno-fordert-politische-loesung/

(B H K)

Films (Norwegian): Krigen som ofte glemmes, men som ikke tar slutt

[Oslo-Aden: Scandinavian TV in #Yemen. in Norwegian with video]

https://www.nrk.no/urix/nrk-matte-flere-ganger-flykte-fra-trusler-i-jemen-1.13979729 and one with Englisg subs: https://twitter.com/Moyenne1/status/980510924388872192

(* B P)

56 Violations against Journalists Registered by WJWC in First Quarter of 2018

Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) has reported a total number of 57 cases of violations against journalists, media professionals and media facilities have been registered.

The cases include media workers being abducted and detained, 3 killed, 4 injured, 4 fired from jobs, two prosecuted, one subjected to an assassination attempt, one denied access to treatment and one physically abused, as well as 6 cases of storming and burning media institutions.

The organization also indicated that Aden’s al Hizam Security forces and Hadrami elite forces - backed by the United Arab Emirates that is a member of the Saudi-led Arab coalition in Yemen – topped the list of violators of press freedoms during the first quarter of this year.

The security belt and Hadrami elite forces came first with a number of 24 cases of violation (43%), followed by the Houthi militia with 14 cases (25%), while the pro-government forces came third with 10 cases (18%).

The rest of violations have been committed by other parties as follows: four by political forces, two by media institutions, one by the Arab coalition and two by unknown.

http://almasdaronline.com/article/97950

(A K)

Australian family on dream sailing trip are almost attacked by stalking fleet of PIRATES off the coast of Yemen – only for Japanese and Pakistani warships to come to their rescue

The family are on a round the world sailing trip when they were threatened

The pirates spent hours stalking the family and sizing up their prey

Thankfully Japanese and Pakistani war ships were nearby and heard radio calls

A helicopter and plane were sent to guide the family toward the warships

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5567209/Australian-family-sailing-trip-attacked-fleet-PIRATES-coast-Yemen.html

Comment: Given the fact the waters off the Coast of #Yemen are not safe (and they should have known): what were, respectively, a Japanese and a Pakistani warship doing in the area?

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1697083857011304

(A K P)

KSrelief holds an awareness course on child recruitment dangers in Marib, Yemen

King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) held here today an awareness course on the dangers of child recruitment and the legal responsibility of parents and the society for 27 parents whose children have been recruited by Houthi militias within the framework of its humanitarian operations plan in Yemen.
The parents expressed their gratitude to King Salman Center for its care of their children through its support for Rehabilitation Center for Recruiting Children.

http://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1746700

My comment: By Saudi press agency. This is emphasized for propaganda purpose of course.

Comment: Well false news and propaganda is spread by all sides. Let's get this clear - due to the ongoing war, of which Saudi Arabia is doing more to damage the country's infrastructure than any other warring party, schools have been damaged, teachers are not being paid, and the only employment starving boys can get it work in a militia. So they join a militia. Stop the war, help Yemen to reconstruct, and the militias will no longer recruit boys. And boys will want to go to school rather than risk their lives in a fighting group.

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156554371248641

(* B K P)

The Glorification of Mohammed bin Salman in U.S. Media

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s current trip to the United States has been accompanied by efforts in U.S. media to portray the leader of the absolutist monarchy as a progressive reformer. By depicting his marginal attempts at long-overdue reforms as glorious achievements, much of mainstream media has reflected the U.S. government’s unequivocal support for the Wahhabi kingdom.

Marketing MBS as a pro-American leader who hates Iran helps to secure popular support for (or at least diminishes any opposition to) the destructive U.S.-Saudi alliance. This relationship is fundamentally important for U.S. geopolitical hegemony in the Middle East, while also securing Washington’s access to Saudi money and oil. It also comes at a high price for human rights in the region. By whitewashing Saudi Arabia and MBS’s crimes, the American media is doing little more than facilitating these grave crimes.

https://muftah.org/the-glorification-of-mohammed-bin-salman-in-u-s-media/#.WsCvDohuaUm

(* B K P)

War in Yemen

Ceasefire talks between the two sides have started and been aborted several times. There have occasionally been glimmers of hope that the talks might lead to an end of the fighting – at least in the north of the country, the South being very fractured. I was asked to attend ceasefire talks in Kuwait on behalf of the UN. I had the privilege of being the only non-Arab person on the UN team invited to meetings between senior military officers from each side. We sat together twice a day round a table with the parties to the conflict, many of whom knew each other from before the war. We helped them to look for ways to de-escalate the fighting and reduce tension.

I had hopes that the politicians on each side might follow this example in the days that followed the military talks. But this was not to be. The politicians did not personally share the dangers to which their soldiers were exposed – they had less ‘skin in the game’ – and no doubt they wanted to present a strong stance to their constituencies.

As a result the fighting continues and Iran no doubt draws considerable satisfaction from the resulting distractions, expenditure and international opprobrium experienced by Saudi Arabia. The war was arguably avoidable. Like most wars – especially those fought by incompetent militaries – it is most unlikely either to have a decisive outcome or to benefit any one group. It will be remembered mainly for the suffering and death imposed on innocent people and for the immense and needless damage caused to a beautiful country, its buildings, infrastructure, economy and culture. And many observers will argue that the British government bears some of the blame – by John Deverell

http://www.salisburyreview.com/articles/war-in-yemen/

(* B K P)

To End Yemeni Starvation, Stop Saudi Arabia

The case for US Support of the Saudi intervention in Yemen rests on two assumptions, that the US is a moderating force in the campaign, preventing further death and destruction, and that the war is a regional proxy struggle against a revisionist Iran. Both assumptions are erroneous, the war is anything but ‘moderated’ and before the intervention, the link between the Houthi rebels and Iran was tenuous at best. Moreover, I argue that to give Iran the sole title of destabilizing power obscures more than it reveals.

The U.S, the U.K, France, and other major powers should halt its support of Saudi Arabian campaign in Yemen. By providing arms support to the Saudis, the powerful states, in fact, are contributing to the deaths of thousands of civilians including children in Yemen. What is Saudi Arabia’s motivation? It is not humanitarian aid, but a political machination to exert its influence and dominance in the region.

http://blogs.shu.edu/diplomacy/2018/03/to-end-yemeni-starvation-stop-saudi-arabia/

(B K P)

UN Always A Rubber Stamp for US-Israeli Schemes: US Analyst

An American political analyst deplored the United Nations’ inaction on the “barbaric behavior” and war crimes committed by the Saudi regime in Yemen and said the UN has always been a rubber stamp for US-Israeli schemes.

“…We need to remember that the UN is and always has been a rubber stamp for Western, American, and Zionist schemes and barbarism,” Mark Glenn, from Idaho, said in an interview with the Tasnim News Agency.

“Anyone hoping to utilize the UN in bringing about any kind of political solution to Saudi butchery will not do it until the last Yemeni is murdered, at which point the UN will offer only some mealy-mouthed resolution embedding its regret,” he said.

The following is the full text of the interview:

https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2018/03/28/1688650/un-always-a-rubber-stamp-for-us-israeli-schemes-us-analyst = https://www.ilfarosulmondo.it/un-always-rubber-stamp-us-israeli-schemes/

cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation

Eingebetteter Medieninhalt

(* B H)

Yemen’s women as warriors of peace

Amid the tragedy of Yemen’s long war and the loss of men, women are being forced into new roles. Foreign aid helps many rebuild their lives and the country’s social fabric.

In Yemen, where years of conflict have created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, the war’s end is hardly in sight. But the rebuilding has begun. And, say aid workers, it is focused mainly on women.

The idea is to restore households one at a time, building islands of peace amid a landscape of conflict, or what is called an inkblot strategy. If enough women-led families can be saved and revived, they will reconnect the social fabric of Yemen, create conditions for peace, and perhaps help end the war.

War often affects women in cruel ways, but in Yemen’s case, women may also be one way out. Many of them are finding themselves in charge for the first time. With enough foreign assistance, they might just be those needed islands of peace.

https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2018/0403/Yemen-s-women-as-warriors-of-peace

(* B H)

Taiz people face threat of imminent famine

The people of Taiz, Yemen's third largest city, are facing the threat of an imminent famine, an NGO has said.

Scope Center for Humanitarian Studies issued a report this week saying "the disaster of starvation threatens civilians in Taiz because of food insecurity, the collapse of the economy, disruption of basic services and devastation of infrastructure due to the war and siege that has been imposed by the Houthi militia on the city for more than three years."

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-17076

(* B H)

If you have clean drinking water, earn more than $1 a day, live under a roof, have cooking gas, and don’t fear for your life from air bombardments. Then you’re living a better life than 22 million Yemenis.

https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/981280867334094850

(* A H K P)

Film: UN Aid conference for Yemen: "It''s much more urgent to find a political solution"

Interviewy: Elisabeth Kendall

http://www.france24.com/en/video/20180403-un-aid-conference-yemen-its-much-more-urgent-find-political-solution

(* A H P)

UN-Geberkonferenz: Zwei Milliarden für die Menschen im Jemen

Um das Leid der Zivilbevölkerung zu lindern, haben die UN auf ihrer Geberkonferenz viel Geld eingenommen - einen Großteil jedoch von zweifelhaften Spendern.

Mit zwei Milliarden US-Dollar (1,62 Milliarden Euro) hilft die internationale Gemeinschaft, die dringendste Not im Bürgerkriegsland Jemen zu lindern. Das ist das Ergebnis einer UN-Geberkonferenz in Genf. "Das ist ein bemerkenswerter Erfolg", sagte UN-Generalsekretär António Guterres. Es sei fast doppelt so viel Geld zugesagt worden wie bei der Geberkonferenz 2017. Er sei auch zuversichtlich, dass noch fehlende Mittel im Lauf des Jahres eingesammelt werden könnten.

Guterres mahnte erneut dringend eine baldige politische Lösung des Konflikts an. "Vor allem brauchen wir einen ernsthaften politischen Fortschritt"

Zweifelhafte Großspender

Saudi-Arabien und die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate (VAE) haben laut UN 930 Millionen Dollar versprochen. Die EU will für das laufende Jahr weitere 107,5 Millionen Euro bereitstellen. Menschenrechtsorganisationen beurteilten die rekordverdächtige finanzielle Hilfe durch die Kriegsparteien Saudi-Arabien und VAE jedoch zwiespältig. Beide Staaten spielten eine zentrale Rolle bei der Entstehung und beim Verlauf des Konflikts

https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/jemen-geber-101.html

(* A H P)

Elend im Jemen: Zwei Milliarden Dollar gegen die schlimmste Katastrophe der Welt

Der Jemen ist laut Uno-Generalsekretär Guterres die "weltweit schlimmste humanitäre Krise". Die internationale Gemeinschaft hat jetzt zwei Milliarden Dollar für die Not leidende Bevölkerung zugesagt.

Vor Beginn der Geberkonferenz forderte Uno-Generalsekretär António Guterres rund drei Milliarden Dollar Hilfsgelder, am Ende wurden es immerhin zwei Milliarden: Die internationale Gemeinschaft verdoppelte damit im Vergleich zur Konferenz vor zwei Jahren ihre Unterstützung für die hungernde Bevölkerung im Jemen. "Das ist ein bemerkenswerter Erfolg", sagte Guterres. "Jemen erlebt die weltweit schlimmste humanitäre Krise", hatte er vor der Tagung beklagt.# Guterres forderte die von Saudi-Arabien geführte Koalition auf, die blockierten Häfen des Landes für humanitäre Lieferungen zu öffnen. "Alle Häfen müssen offenbleiben für humanitäre und kommerzielle Fracht, für Medizin, Lebensmittel und Benzin zum Ausliefern", sagte Guterres.

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/jemen-weltgemeinschaft-stellt-zwei-milliarden-dollar-zur-verfuegung-a-1201039.html

und auch http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2018-04/un-geberkonferenz-jemen-vereinte-nationen-antonio-guterres

(* A H P)

Krieg im Jemen und anderswo: Hitliste des Grauens

Wo tobt derzeit der schlimmste Krieg? Die Vereinten Nationen sind sich sicher - es ist der Jemen. Aber was sagt uns das? Ein Kommentar

Die Weltgemeinschaft kauft sich jetzt ein gutes Gewissen. Eine Geberkonferenz für den Jemen erbrachte am Dienstag zwei Milliarden US-Dollar. "Ein bemerkenswerter Erfolg", sagte Guterres, der zum wiederholten Male eine politische Lösung für den inzwischen drei Jahre andauernden Krieg einforderte.

"Geld allein reicht nicht, um der gewaltigen Not im Jemen zu begegnen", erklärte Mercedes Tatay, die medizinische Geschäftsführerin der Organisation Ärzte ohne Grenzen. Das ist so traurig wie wahr.

Das Leiden und Sterben wird weitergehen – überall auf der Welt. Es wird weitergehen, weil politische Machthaber ihre Einflussgebiete ausdehnen wollen, weil mit Terroristen nicht über Frieden zu reden ist, weil zu viele Staaten zu viel Geld mit Waffenexporten in Kriegsgebiete verdienen, weil die Weltöffentlichkeit trotz aller Bekenntnisse zu wenig tut, um neuen Kriegen vorzubeugen und alten Kriegen die Grundlagen zu entziehen – von Lutz Haverkamp

https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/krieg-im-jemen-und-anderswo-hitliste-des-grauens/21137260.html = http://www.pnn.de/titelseite/1272260/

(* A B H P)

Situation im Jemen: "Die Menschen zu erreichen, ist schwierig"

Bürgerkrieg, Hunger und eine fehlende medizinische Versorgung: Ärzte ohne Grenzen sind in Jemen mit über 500 Mitarbeitern vor Ort. Projektkoordinatorin Jana Brandt berichtet, ob Geld allein helfen kann und wie schwer es ist, dort zu arbeiten.

Geld allein reicht mit Sicherheit nicht aus, um die Not der jemenitischen Bevölkerung zu mindern. Denn es muss erst einmal vor Ort umgesetzt werden. Dazu brauchen wir internationale Mitarbeiter, die in das Land kommen, um Projekte aufzubauen. Der Bedarf im Jemen ist riesengroß. Auch Ärzte ohne Grenzen sind der Notsituation im Land nicht gewachsen, wir können nicht alles abdecken. Krankenhäuser sind zerstört, es gibt nicht genug Medikamente. Um wirklich helfen zu können, müssen administrative Hürden abgeschafft werden, die von vielen Seiten auferlegt werden, um dort zu arbeiten. Und natürlich muss es eine politische Lösung geben. Solange kein Wille da ist, wird sich an der Lage der Bevölkerung nichts ändern.

https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/situation-im-jemen-die-menschen-zu-erreichen-ist-schwierig/21138204.html

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Jemen: Geld und Hilfe können den Krieg nicht beenden

Krieg, Hunger, wenig Trinkwasser und Krankheiten: Internationale Helfer versuchen, die Bevölkerung im Jemen zu versorgen. In den Griff bekommt man die Lage damit aber nicht, sagt CARE-Nothilfekoordinator Marten Mylius.

Marten Mylius: Im vierten Jahr des Krieges geht man jetzt davon aus, dass 80 Prozent der Bevölkerung von humanitärer Hilfe abhängig sind. Besonders schlecht steht es um die Ernährungssituation. Weil der Jemen den Großteil seiner Lebensmittel importiert und es diese Blockade gibt, sind die Preise dermaßen in die Höhe gegangen. Gleichzeitig sind die Einkommen der Menschen weggebrochen. Das heißt, viele sind arbeitslos, die Staatsbediensteten werden seit mehr als zwei Jahren nicht mehr bezahlt. Die Menschen sind hoch verschuldet. Man hat also eine Situation, in der man in den Läden zwar Lebensmittel kaufen kann, die aber unerschwinglich für viele Menschen geworden sind. Deshalb leiden die Menschen unter sehr viel Mangel- und Unterernährung. Wir gehen davon aus, dass acht Millionen Menschen an der Schwelle zur Hungersnot stehen. Das muss man sich vor Augen führen: Das ist, als würde quasi ganz Niedersachsen an der Schwelle zur Hungersnot stehen.

http://www.dw.com/de/jemen-geld-und-hilfe-k%C3%B6nnen-den-krieg-nicht-beenden/a-43232490

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Remarks by the Secretary-General to the pledging conference on Yemen

Yemen is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

As the conflict enters its fourth year, more than 22 million people – three-quarters of the population – need humanitarian aid and protection.

Some 18 million people are food insecure; one million more than when we convened last year. And a horrifying 8.4 million of these people do not know how they will obtain their next meal.

Millions of Yemenis do not have access to safe drinking water. Last year, 1 million people suffered from watery diarrhoea and cholera. Half of all health facilities are shut or not working properly, meaning there is a high risk of another cholera epidemic.

Treatable illnesses become a death sentence when local health services are suspended and it is impossible to travel outside the country.

Civilians have been facing indiscriminate attacks, bombing, snipers, unexploded ordnance, cross-fire, kidnapping, rape and arbitrary detention.

Every ten minutes, a child under five dies of preventable causes. And nearly 3 million children under 5 and pregnant or lactating women are acutely malnourished. Nearly half of all children aged between six months and 5 years old are chronically malnourished and suffer from stunting, which causes development delays and reduced ability to learn throughout their entire lives.

Some two million children are out of school, and 2,500 schools have been destroyed or are not being used for their original purpose.

Children are being forcibly recruited to fight, or put to work to support their families. And families across the country are sliding into debt and coping in any way they can. Child marriage rates have escalated; nearly two-thirds of girls are married before the age of 18, and many before they are 15.

Three-quarters of displaced people are women and children, and women and girls among them face an increased risk of sexual and gender-based violence. And the number of women accessing services for gender-based violence has risen by at least 30 per cent, despite social constraints on reporting.

And these facts represent only a snapshot of the devastation.

Yemen’s situation today is catastrophic. But with international support, we can and must prevent this country from becoming a long-term tragedy.

https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2018-04-03/secretary-generals-remarks-pledging-conference-yemen-delivered = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/remarks-secretary-general-pledging-conference-yemen

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Near-Verbatim Transcript of the Press Stakeout on the Pledging Conference on Yemen by the United Nations Secretary-General

The pledges announced represent more than $ 2 billion and if you compare with last year’s Pledging Conference, we reached $ 1.1 billion. So practically, we have doubled the international commitment to Yemen from 2017 to 2018.
You will ask: you had requested almost $ 3 billion, but you only got $ 2 billion. But if you look at last year, at the Pledging Conference we had $ 1.1 billion, and afterwards we got more donations, and in the end, we had $ 1.7 billion. And even today, several countries have already announced that there will be more donations from now until the end of the year. So we are quite optimistic that we will be able to reach the level that corresponds to the needs detected in relation to the tragedy that the Yemeni people is facing.
But of course, humanitarian resources are very important, but they are not enough. It is essential that they reach the people in need. And for that, we need unrestricted access into Yemen; and we need unrestricted access everywhere inside Yemen; and we need all the parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law, and to protect civilians; and above all, we need a serious political process to lead to a political solution. Because there was never a humanitarian solution for any humanitarian crisis. The solution has always been political. And also in Yemen what we need is a political solution for this Pledging Conferences not to be repeated in the future.

https://www.unog.ch/unog/website/news_media.nsf/(httpNewsByYear_en)/86B0231452E61A01C1258264004C667C?OpenDocument and by Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-un/yemen-u-n-chief-seek-peace-talks-with-iran-allied-houthis-idUSKCN1HA0XJ

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Speech by Mr Ueli Maurer, Vice President of the Federal Council, Head of the Federal Department of Finance, Switzerland, High-level Pledging Conference for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/speech-mr-ueli-maurer-vice-president-federal-council-head-federal-department-finance

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Donors Pledge $2 Billion to Scale Up Aid Delivery in Yemen

International donors today pledged more than US$2 billion to support the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian aid to millions of people in Yemen during a pledging event in Geneva, co-chaired by the United Nations, Sweden and Switzerland.

Pledges were made by 40 Member States and organizations, including the Central Emergency Response Fund, for humanitarian action in Yemen in 2018. These pledges will support the UN and partners’ 2018 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan (YHRP) which requires $2.96 billion for lifesaving assistance to 13 million people, and other activities. On 27 March, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates provided $930 million toward the YHRP which is reflected in today’s pledging result. Securing full funding for this plan remains an urgent priority.

During the event, Sweden and Switzerland organized a panel discussion on humanitarian access in Yemen based on the Presidential Statement of the UN Security Council adopted on March 15. The discussion aimed to identify concrete measures on how to facilitate access based on humanitarian principles and ensure respect for international humanitarian law.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/donors-pledge-2-billion-scale-aid-delivery-yemen

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Nations that Bomb Yemen Raise $2 Billion to Help Civilians There

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies that are currently bombarding Yemen have pledged more than $1 billion to help civilians in the war-ravaged country in a donor conference convened by the United Nations.

U.N. secretary-general Antonio Guterres hailed the donor conference in Geneva as a “remarkable success” as the total pledges amounted to $2 billion, 30 percent less than the 2018 target in Yemen humanitarian appeal.

Guterres told reporters that in addition to the $2 billion already committed, multiple countries had promised more donations in the coming months, leaving him “optimistic that we will be able to reach the level that corresponds to the needs.”

https://www.theglobepost.com/2018/04/03/yemen-donor-conference/ and also https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/apr/03/saudi-arabia-united-arab-emirates-pledge-nearly-1bn-aid-yemen-un-conference

and Western media also join in praising those who bomb Yemen, as :

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Saudis, UAE Draw Praise for Pledging Aid to Yemen

https://www.voanews.com/a/saudis-uae-draw-praise-pledging-aid-yemen/4330307.html

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A total of $ 2.01 B #pledges to help #Yemen from 40 countries: The names of countries as below

https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/981281321346650112

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Joint INGO Statement for the High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen

This statement is made on behalf of 22 international NGOs current working in Yemen.

INGOs are delivering life-saving humanitarian assistance to millions of vulnerable Yemenis, despite the complex and serious nature of the security situation and sustained bureaucratic access constraints.

For the record, we would like to formally acknowledge the dedication and commitment of all national, international and UN humanitarian aid workers in Yemen. Delivering humanitarian assistance in Yemen is neither safe nor simple, particularly for the thousands of Yemeni staff whose work to deliver shows fortitude and courage.

The reality is that despite these gallant efforts, the humanitarian response is still failing to meet the basic needs of the 22 million Yemenis requiring assistance and protection. Yemeni people are dying of preventable illnesses, and the number on the brink of famine continues to rise.

As INGOs we are grateful for the financial commitments made by member states here today, but more is needed to tackle a humanitarian catastrophe of the scale we see in Yemen. What we need is a marked increase in engagement from the international community in the complexities of this conflict in order to reduce the suffering of the Yemeni people.

Therefore, today, INGOs are inviting donors and high-level Ministerial visits to Yemen, to enable you to ground your engagement and approach to supporting the country.

http://www.acted.org/en/joint-ingo-statement-high-level-pledging-event-humanitarian-crisis-yemen = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/joint-ingo-statement-high-level-pledging-event-humanitarian-crisis-yemen

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Yemen: $2bn pledged in aid - Oxfam reaction

International community must go further to address Yemen’s real needs

Oxfam welcomed the generous pledges of $2 billion worth of aid to deal with the crisis in Yemen made today in Geneva. The money will provide 70 per cent of the $2.96 billion UN appeal, which aims to help 13.1 million people out of 22.2 million in need of humanitarian assistance.

The international agency pointed out that while the immediate life saving aid was crucial it needs to be backed up with robust diplomatic efforts to end the fighting and put the country on the path to peace.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-2bn-pledged-aid-oxfam-reaction

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2018 Yemen High-Level Pledging Event ICRC Statement on behalf of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

It is with great sorrow that I address you today on behalf of the entire Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

I don't think I need to go into any detail about the humanitarian situation facing the people of Yemen today. You know it. We know it. The world knows it.

Like many present here, I have visited Yemen several times during the past few years.

My colleagues from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and supporting National Societies are working there now, alongside their fearless colleagues from the Yemen Red Crescent Society. Doing their best, against the odds.

A health system, crippled.

An economy, ruined.

A country, broken.

Insecurity and fear stalk every waking hour, of virtually every person living in Yemen today.

Put yourself in the shoes of the father who faces those terrible dilemmas every day: should I use the little money I have, to buy food for my family? Or medicines for my wife? Or school books for my children? Or fuel to run the generator which works the water pump?

Impossible choices.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/2018-yemen-high-level-pledging-event-icrc-statement-behalf-red-cross-and-red-crescent

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Yemen: People need more than money

On April 3rd, government leaders will gather in Geneva for a pledging conference for Yemen. Everyone, including the ICRC, hopes that donors will be generous. But humanitarians working in Yemen know that money alone will not solve the crisis.

The three long years of Yemen’s conflict have caused unspeakable suffering. Everything needed for survival is collapsing: the food chain, the health service, the water and sewer systems.

“We have a seen a peak of weapon wounded in January” says the ICRC’s director of operations for the Middle East Robert Mardini.

“In one week in January we had to treat close to 1000 people, wounded because of the fighting, and an important proportion of them were civilians. In addition to this you see many people who simply die because they cannot afford insulin, they cannot afford a dialysis session.”

The ICRC wants to remind all warring parties that if the basic laws of war were respected, some of Yemen’s destruction could be avoided, and civilians would suffer less.

“Stop targeting hospitals, stop targeting civilian neighbourhoods” says Robert Mardini. “Stop indiscriminate shelling, stop attacking health personnel. All this will reduce the needs.”

Facts and Figures ICRC Yemen 2017

The ICRC medical assistance helped treat more than 120’000 in need of emergency room stabilization care and/or surgery.

More than 86’300 suspected cholera cases treated thanks to ICRC support. (with film)

http://www.icrcnewsroom.org/open.asp?ID=2637&title=Yemen__People_need_more_than_money = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-people-need-more-money

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Yemen: The slow death of society could be reversed; progress is possible

This is what the slow death of society looks like:
A list of things that have collapsed in Yemen: The food chain. The health care system. The education system. The sewer and water system.
A list of things expanding in Yemen: Disease. Malnutrition. The deaths of civilians.

Government leaders gather in Geneva today for a pledging conference for Yemen.

The ICRC has been repeating the same message for three years: Do not target civilians. Do not target hospitals. Do not target ambulances. Do not target humanitarian workers. Allow an increased flow of commercial imports and humanitarian goods into and across the country. Those same messages need to be repeated today and, ultimately, they need to be adhered to. There is a significant gap between the words we hear in response to these requests and the reality we see on the ground.

https://www.icrc.org/en/document/yemen-slow-death-society-could-be-reversed-progress-possible

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Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, opening remarks at the High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen

On 5 January, the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) provided the first funding in 2018 to the Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan. We provided a grant of US$50 million.

Firstly, we need all the ports in Yemen to remain open without restrictions.

Secondly, we need public sector salaries to be paid across Yemen

Thirdly, we need better access across the country.

Fourthly and most importantly, we want to see progress towards an end to fighting and for the parties to work together with the Special Envoy for a sustainable peace.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/under-secretary-general-humanitarian-affairs-and-emergency-relief-coordinator-mark-4

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Médecins Sans Frontières: Yemen: Pledging conference – money alone is not enough

In response to the Yemen pledging conference in Geneva, MSF’s International Medical Secretary, Mercedes Tatay, said:

“Money alone is not enough to meet Yemen´s urgent humanitarian needs. The pledges made today by donor countries are obviously essential, however they must be complemented by much more robust action on the ground. From what our patients and our field teams tell us, humanitarian assistance is still failing to reach many affected communities in Yemen. This is largely due to ground fighting that has blocked certain parts of the country, and due to the administrative barriers that make it difficult, sometimes impossible, for aid supplies and aid workers to reach areas where the needs are highest.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-pledging-conference-money-alone-not-enough

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EU pledges €107.5 million to address urgent needs of Yemeni civilians

As the crisis in Yemen continues to worsen, the European Union has pledged €107.5 million in new funding for 2018 to help civilians most in need across the country.

The announcement was made at the High Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen held in Geneva today, bringing total EU funding to Yemen to €438.2 million since the beginning of the crisis in 2015.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/eu-pledges-1075-million-address-urgent-needs-yemeni-civilians

My comment: Better stop supporting slaughter by arms exports.

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USAID: Yemen ‑ Active USG Programs for Yemen Response (Last Updated 04/03/18)

https://reliefweb.int/map/yemen/yemen-active-usg-programs-yemen-response-last-updated-040318

Yemen - Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #6, Fiscal Year (FY) 2018

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-complex-emergency-fact-sheet-6-fiscal-year-fy-2018

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Yemen Humanitarian Update Covering 26 March – 03 April 2018 | Issue 9

More than 1.2 million people in need are located in the most inaccessible parts of Yemen

A fire at a WFP warehouse in Al Hudaydah destroyed over 3,420 MT of relief food items

A sharp escalation in aerial attacks was reported in Sa’ada and Al Jawf governorates

Donors at a high-level pledging conference pledged $2.01billion for the 2018 YHRP

More than 9.2 million people in need in areas with high access constraints

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-humanitarian-update-covering-26-march-03-april-2018-issue-9

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ANOTHER DAY IN THE WAR ZONE

Amira* felt like her whole world was falling apart. She’d been a pharmacist in a rural hospital in north-western Yemen for two years – working without payment, but determined to save lives.

She only had simple equipment and medications, and staff numbers were low because salaries weren’t able to be paid. Volunteering in a war zone, in a location vulnerable to bombings, only appeals to the most determined.

Amira was motivated to pursue her work despite such circumstances. She’d enjoyed studying pharmacology at university and was desperate to help those in need.

During the height of the cholera crisis 90 new cases of cholera came to the wards of her hospital in just one day. The drug store was empty and so many of the patients died. Amira felt helpless.
For days the situation didn’t improve and she lost the last glimmer of enthusiasm. It left her feeling she had no option but to quit and leave the hospital.

At the same time a Tearfund partner organisation began providing the hospital with more medications for cholera, and special beds for treating patients.

https://www.tearfund.org/en/2018/04/another_day_in_the_warzone/

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Q&A: How women are surviving as Yemen enters its fourth year of war

The conflict has thrust many women into the unfamiliar role of serving as breadwinners for families fractured by the ongoing fighting, explains Yemeni Suha Basharen, a gender specialist with the international relief organization CARE. She spoke with Devex in a recent phone interview on the ongoing humanitarian situation and the changing role of women in her country.

https://www.devex.com/news/q-a-how-women-are-surviving-as-yemen-enters-its-fourth-year-of-war-92389#

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UN launches $3 billion Yemen appeal

The United Nations asked donors on Tuesday for nearly $3 billion to help an estimated 13 million people who urgently need aid in war-ravaged Yemen.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched the funding drive at a conference in Geneva aiming to raise $2.96 billion (2.4 billion euros) for this year.

Last year's Yemen appeal was for $2.5 billion, which was 73 percent funded, but the needs have intensified in a country battered since 2015 by a Saudi-led military offensive aimed at repelling Iran-backed Huthi rebels who control the capital.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5572677/UN-launches-3-billion-Yemen-appeal.html

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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: Yemen: Commodity Tracker (as of 1 April 2018)

This tracker monitors commercial imports to Hudaydah and Saleef ports via the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) and prices of food and fuel. The map below illustrates the final stages vessels progress through before reaching the port of destination.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-commodity-tracker-1-april-2018

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UN hoffen auf Milliarden-Geberkonferenz für den Jemen

Zur Linderung der Not der Zivilbevölkerung im Bürgerkriegsland Jemen hoffen die Vereinten Nationen bei einer Geberkonferenz in Genf auf großzügige Zusagen. UN-Generalsekretär Antonio Guterres will am Dienstag in Genf um Mittel werben. Die Vereinten Nationen brauchen nach eigener Schätzung in diesem Jahr 2,96 Milliarden Dollar.

http://www.faz.net/agenturmeldungen/dpa/un-hoffen-auf-milliarden-bei-geberkonferenz-fuer-jemen-15523806.html und auch https://www.nzz.ch/international/geberkonferenz-fuer-jemen-milliarden-fuer-notleidende-bevoelkerung-ld.1371252

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WFP Scales Up Response in Yemen to Prevent Famine

WFP is scaling up its emergency response this year to reach almost 10 million desperate people as the brutal conflict exacerbates an already devastating hunger crisis in Yemen. WFP will also continue to support efforts of other partners by leveraging its logistics capacity and providing emergency telecommunications support.

In Yemen, nearly 18 million people - more than 60 percent of the population - need food assistance. In 2017, three years into conflict, 1.6 million additional people were pushed to severe hunger bringing the number of people who cannot survive without food assistance to 8.4 million.

Meanwhile, the potential of an entire generation is at risk with nearly three million children and pregnant and nursing mothers battling malnutrition.

In 2018, WFP is adopting new approaches to tackle extreme hungry and to invest in Yemeni children.

http://www.wfp.org/news/news-release/wfp-scales-response-yemen-prevent-famine

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WHO keeping hospitals and feeding centres alive in Yemen

It takes Aisha Jaafar one hour to reach the main health centre in Aslam district, Hajjah governorate, one of the most impoverished and remote areas of Yemen.

The journey through bumpy and mountainous roads is necessary, as this mother is desperate to get treatment for her 4-year-old daughter, Yusra, whose tiny body is weakened by acute malnutrition and bloody diarrhoea.

Like thousands of Yemenis, Aisha cannot afford the cost of transportation to the nearest health centre. At times, she has no choice but to keep her sick daughter at home.

“I have to borrow money for transportation to the health centre and I often cannot find anyone to lend it to me. I cannot even afford to buy diapers for my daughter who is constantly battling diarrhoea,” said Aisha.

Severe financial hardship is not only faced by patients and their families; health workers also suffer the same challenges.

Recently, the WHO Representative to Yemen Dr Nevio Zagaria visited 4 districts in Hajjah plagued by poverty and fatal diseases. The aim of the visit was to discuss urgent health needs with local health authorities, enhance partnerships, and scale-up WHO support to health needs for people living in remote areas.

“Hajjah is one of several remote areas in Yemen that is far from the main health centre, making access difficult for the most vulnerable. To resolve this, we are decentralizing the treatment of children with severe acute malnutrition and medical complications to local health centres that are closer to affected communities. WHO is committed to strengthening healthcare delivery at district level in order increase people’s access to it, regardless of their location.”

“Even in times of crisis, health is a basic human right. No one should die just because they lack access to healthcare, or cannot afford the cost of transportation to the nearest health facility,” said Dr Zagaria.

http://www.emro.who.int/yem/yemen-news/who-keeping-hospitals-and-feeding-centres-alive-in-yemen.html

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Since being diagnosed with #renal_failure four years ago, Shams has been living at the Al-Shafqa center in #Sanaa. She sells water for income, while philanthropists support Shams with her transportation costs to Al-Jomhori Hospital, as well as visits to her blind father and disabled mother who both live in a distant village. On top of these difficulties, Shams also has to attend #dialysis sessions twice a week. (photos)

https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/posts/1796373867325266

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Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Yemen Emergency Livelihoods Response Plan: Support to agriculture-based livelihoods in Yemen, 2018

Yemen is facing the world’s largest food security crisis following two and a half years of airstrikes, armed clashes and attacks on civilian infrastructure, which have also caused the spread of cholera at an unprecedented scale. Yemeni people are increasingly exhausting their coping mechanisms and as a result the humanitarian crisis remains extremely widespread. The expansion of the conflict has also led to large-scale displacement compounded with existing high levels of vulnerability, including high rates of malnutrition.

In response, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) developed the Emergency Livelihoods Response Plan (ELRP) 2018. This plan guides FAO’s response to prevent the levels of food insecurity and malnutrition from worsening. It sets out key emergency agricultural livelihood interventions to be implemented within the framework of the 2018 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP).

The overall goal is to improve food security and nutrition, alleviate rural poverty, and enhance Yemen’s capacity to manage and respond to risks and threats in the agriculture sector through a resilience-based approach.

http://www.fao.org/emergencies/resources/documents/resources-detail/en/c/1113467/ = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-emergency-livelihoods-response-plan-support-agriculture-based-livelihoods-yemen-0 and full report: http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/emergencies/docs/1_web_I9019EN_YEMEN_ELRP2018.pdf = https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/web_I9019EN_YEMEN_ELRP2018.pdf

and

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Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: Yemen: FAO Plan of Action 2018-2020

The overall goal of the three-year Plan of Action is to make a significant contribution towards improving food security and nutrition and strengthening the resilience of vulnerable rural and peri-urban households while restoring the agriculture sector of the country. As a dynamic document, the Plan of Action will be implemented through a flexible twin-track approach that can be tailored to its target areas for different types of intervention based on the conflict dynamics and changing circumstances in the country over the next three years. Strategic decisions on targeting will be informed by conflict analysis and regular conflict monitoring that ensures conflict-sensitive interventions.

http://www.fao.org/emergencies/resources/documents/resources-detail/en/c/1113449/ = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-fao-plan-action-2018-2020 and in full: http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/emergencies/docs/Yemen_FAO%20Plan%20of%20Action_02%20April%202018.pdf = https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Yemen_FAO%20Plan%20of%20Action_02%20April%202018.pdf

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Norwegian Refugee Council: More than money needed to stop humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen

As donors convene in Geneva for a high-level pledging event on Yemen 3 April, aid workers in the country assert that it will take more than donations from the international community to keep millions of Yemeni people alive.
The price tag on this year’s Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan is $2.96 billion, an increase of 80 per cent since 2016. Three years of war in Yemen have systematically destroyed social safety nets and pushed millions of people towards aid dependency.

“More and more people need assistance that is becoming harder and harder to deliver,” said Norwegian Refugee Council Secretary General Jan Egeland. “We need more than money alone, we need help to ensure we can deliver critical aid where it is needed most. Above all, we need to see an end to the duplicity of nations trading in arms and bombs being used on Yemeni civilians while pledging money in an attempt to keep them alive.”

In addition to challenges reaching people in need, humanitarian actors are grappling with the impact of collapsing public services and a crumbling economy, which have led to world’s largest cholera outbreak in decades that is now threatening to return with the impending rainy season expected to start this month.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/more-money-needed-stop-humanitarian-catastrophe-yemen

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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: Yemen CERF-funded response in 2015-2018 (as of 2 April 2018)

Since 2015, the CERF has allocated $134.7 million for people affected by the conflict.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-cerf-funded-response-2015-2018-2-april-2018

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Drei Jahre Bürgerkrieg in Jemen

In Jemen spielt sich eine der grössten humanitären Krisen ab, die die Welt je gesehen hat. UNICEF Regionaldirektor Geert Cappelaere zeichnet nach einem Besuch im Land ein düsteres Bild: Gewalt, Hunger und Krankheiten bedrohen Millionen Kinder, Armut und fehlende Schulbildung rauben ihnen die Zukunft.

«Der Bürgerkrieg gilt zu Recht als eine der schlimmsten humanitären Krisen, die die Welt je gesehen hat», sagte er am Freitag vor den Medien. «Es ist nicht übertrieben zu sagen, dass heute praktisch jedes einzelne Kind in Jemen dringend auf Hilfe angewiesen ist. Drei Jahre Krieg, jahrzehntelange Unterentwicklung haben etwas bewirkt – und leider nichts Gutes.»

http://www.fricktal24.ch/Schweiz.247+M502dc812a32.0.html

(* B H)

Film: In #Yemen, over 15 million people lack access to clean drinkable water.

https://twitter.com/ICRC/status/980119021361205248

(* A H)

Jemen: Brand in Lagerhallen mit UN-Hilfsgütern

In der jemenitischen Stadt Al-Hudaida sind mehrere Lagerhäuser mit Hilfsgütern des Welternährungsprogramms der Vereinten Nationen (WFP) abgebrannt. In den Hallen befanden sich laut Aussagen von Arbeitern vor allem Brennmaterial für Kochstellen, Nahrungsmittel und Matratzen für Vertriebene in Flüchtlingslagern (mit Film)

http://de.euronews.com/2018/03/31/jemen-brand-in-lagerhallen-mit-un-hilfsgutern und auch Film http://www.spiegel.de/video/krieg-im-jemen-lagerhallen-mit-hilfsguetern-abgebrannt-video-99016634.html und https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpvXZVOGi1Y

und die Hadi-Regierung benutzt auch dieses Feuer für ihre Propaganda:

Ein Mitglied der Regierung von Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi forderte die vor Ort vertretenen Vereinten Nationen (UNO) auf, Untersuchungen einzuleiten, um die Brandursache festzustellen. Der Minister für die Lokalverwaltungen, Abdel Raguib Fath, machte die Houthi-Rebellen, unter deren Kontrolle Al-Hudaydah steht, indirekt für das Feuer verantwortlich, als er dazu aufrief, die „Verursacher dieses Verbrechens zu bestrafen“.

http://www.tt.com/home/14195086-91/jemen-krise---hilfsgüter-bei-brand-zerstört.csp

und

(* A H)

Hilfsgüter für jemenitische Bevölkerung bei Brand zerstört

In den vier verwüsteten Lagern des UNO-Welternährungsprogrammes seien Nahrungsmittel und Brennstoff zum Kochen aufbewahrt worden, berichteten Hafenarbeiter. Schätzungen zufolge wurden rund 50 Tonnen Hilfsgüter zerstört.

Hafenarbeitern zufolge dürfte das Feuer jedoch von einem elektrischen Kurzschluss verursacht worden sein. Dabei wurden auch Hunderte Matratzen zerstört, die für Vertriebene und Opfer des seit mehreren Jahren andauernden Konfliktes vorgesehen waren.

https://www.derstandard.de/story/2000077153327/hilfsgueter-fuer-jemenitische-bevoelkerung-bei-brand-zerstoert

(* A H)

Major fire at Yemen's Hodeidah port destroys aid supplies

A fire broke out at the Houthi-controlled Yemeni port of Hodeidah early on Saturday, destroying warehouses filled with cooking fuel and foodstuffs, port workers said.

They told Reuters that, as of 1100 GMT, fire trucks had not been able to put out the blaze in the warehousing area, which they said appeared to have been caused by an electrical short circuit (photos)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-port-security/major-fire-at-yemens-hodeidah-port-destroys-aid-supplies-idUSKBN1H70DU and also http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/fire-yemeni-port-destroys-humanitarian-aid-462153999

and photos: https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/posts/1795583160737670 and https://twitter.com/HussamSanabani/status/980078335568109568 and films: https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/videos/1696042310448792/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpyv-6HH8Pg

and the Hadi government even exploits this for propaganda:

(A P)

Meanwhile, an official from Yemen's internationally recognised government urged UN agencies deployed in the country to investigate the blaze.

Abdel Raguib Fateh implicitly accused the Houthis of responsibility, saying the "criminals behind this fire should be punished".

https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2018/3/31/blaze-ravages-un-food-agency-warehouse-in-starving-yemen and also https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-17031

cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees

(B H)

Yemen: Passengers Transport Overview - Djibouti - Aden - Djibouti, March 2018

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-passengers-transport-overview-djibouti-aden-djibouti-march-2018

(A H)

UNHCR Somalia: Response to Yemen situation 1 - 28 February 2018

Ongoing conflict in Yemen is forcing many families to flee their homes. As of 28 February, UNHCR supported over 6,200 Yemeni refugees who have arrived to Somalia with protection assistance.Protection assistance for Yemeni refugees include

During February, 126 Yemeni refugees fled Yemen and arrived to Somalia by boat, entering through the Ports of Berbera and Bossaso

https://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/unhcr-somalia-response-yemen-situation-1-28-february-2018

(A H)

Yemen: Al Hudaydah / Taizz Displacement Update (25 - 29 March 2018)

During the reporting period, the number of displaced families inside Al Hudaydah was increased by 7% (487 families) with 341 families were displaced in Jabal Ras district and 59 families in Al Hudaydah city (Alsaleh City).

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-al-hudaydah-taizz-displacement-update-25-29-march-2018

(B H)

UNHCR Somalia Repatriation Update, 1-28 February 2018

Between 8 December 2014 and 28 February 2018, a total of 79,941 Somali refugees have repatriated, including 78,088 from Kenya, 1,215 from Yemen and 638 from other countries of asylum.

https://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/unhcr-somalia-repatriation-update-1-28-february-2018

(* B H P)

Film: African migrants held at detention centre without food in Yemen

MORE ON MIDDLE EAST

Hundreds of African migrants are being held at a detention centre without food, in the port city of Aden.

Most of them made dangerous journeys from the Horn of Africa despite the war in Yemen.

Like thousands before them, the hope of getting well-paid work in wealthy Gulf states made the risk of travelling through a warzone worthwhile.

Now, they are facing deportation.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/03/african-migrants-held-detention-centre-food-yemen-180331115014622.html and cutting of the film https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/videos/1695864460466577/

cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis

Siehe / Look at cp1 (Houthis and Iran)

(A T)

Al Houthi security forces killed an AQAP explosives expert in al Nadirah district, Ibb governorate, central Yemen on April 3, according to al Houthi state media. The security forces intercepted the AQAP militant at a checkpoint.[4]

https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-april-3-2018

(A E P)

President directs Oil Ministry to prevent monopoly of domestic gas

President of the Supreme Political Council Saleh Al-Sammad on Tuesday stressed the need to take firm measures to prevent any manipulation or monopoly of domestic gas.

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news492140.htm

(A P)

Yemen President Samad in graduation of security forces in Sanaa Monday, Urging all Yemenis to protect women from Saudi-UAE rapists! (photos)

https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/981034526129426432

Remark: Referring to rape, cp13b

(A P)

Today, The #Houthis have released Jamal al-Ma'amari following two years in their prison in the capital #Sanaa ; however, his family were shocked upon his arrival that he was totally paralyzed due to Houthis torture. Photos upon his arrival at #Marib.

https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/980854796482699264

(A K P)

President stresses importance of documenting aggression crimes

President of the Supreme Political Council Saleh Al-Sammad on Monday stressed the important role of Human Rights Ministry in documenting the aggression coalition’s crimes and violations, especially in the provinces under the control of Saudi and UAE occupation.
This came during the president’s meeting with Minister of Human Rights, Alia Faisal Abdullatif.

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news492057.htm

(* A K P)

The Houthis have upgraded missiles and all options are possible, says leader

The head of the Supreme Revolutionary Committee of the Houthis in Yemen has confirmed that the group has upgraded Russian and Korean missiles. Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi pointed out that they have a wide range of options available to fight back against Saudi Arabia.

“We are developing missile that have been made in Russia and Korea, and not in Iran, and we are also manufacturing them,” Al-Houthi told France 24 TV. “We do not care if the aggressors believe it or not that we have a developing missile industry. What concerns us is to deter them.”

He stressed that the Houthis will use all available means in the Yemen conflict.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180402-the-houthis-have-upgraded-missiles-and-all-options-are-possible-says-leader/

(A P)

Photos: Yemen President Saleh Samad Cuts the ribbon today in Sanaa for opening the exhibition of Inventors, innovators, and producers.

https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/980793666599116801

(A P)

Houthis abduct children from Sana'a orphanage into war front lines

Yemeni activists have discovered that the Houthis kidnapped children from the orphanage in Sana'a, deploying them to front lines and returning them to their families only as dead bodies.

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-16994

My comment: By anti-Houthi Islah Party media site. This reports seems to have been recycled again, as this one, referring to an event that had been reported some weeks ago: https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-16995

(A P)

Houthis Seeking to Impose New Taxes

Yemeni Member of Parliament exposes that the Houthis are imposing new taxes, as they are seeking to legitimize such a move through the House of Representatives (HoR) in Sanaa.

http://republicanyemen.com/archives/4618?lang=en

(A P)

The #Houthi authorities have arrested Major General Ahmad Qarhash - one of the symbols of the September 26 revolution - on the basis of an article in which he expressed his opinion, in the capital #Sanaa.

https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/980428126349156352

(A P)

Abductees Mothers Association: Houthi militants have forced abductees to drink sewage water. Abductees have suffered serious illnesses bcz of maltreatment and torture inside Houthi jails. Outside jails, our sons "abductees" have been tried unfairly.

https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/980261889807650816

(* A K P)

Yemenis would have conquered Riyadh if Iran had been able to provide military aid: Houthi official

The president of the Houthi Revolutionary Committee has strongly dismissed allegations that Iran is providing arms to Yemeni forces in the fight against the Saudi-led military aggression against Yemen, stressing Yemeni army soldiers and fighters from allied Popular Committees would have conquered Riyadh if Iran had been able to provide military aid.

“If we had [had] the alleged Iranian support, we would have been in Riyadh today, even if we had [had] the alleged Iranian technology, we would have targeted them from the first day,” Mohammed Ali al-Houthi said in an exclusive interview with France 24 television news network.

He added, “We will continue to target (Saudi Arabian Oil Company) Aramco and vital Saudi fa

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/03/31/557024/Yemenis-would-have-conquered-Riyadh-if-Iran-had-offered-assistance-Houthi-official and http://www.newnewss.net/president-of-the-supreme-revolutionary-committee-in-an-interview-with-france-24-tv/

cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government

(A P)

Islah won't be discouraged by Dowkam's assassination

The Yemen Congregation for Reform Party (Islah) has said it won't be discouraged from pursuing its nationalist role by the assassination of its member Omar Dowkam in Taiz.

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-17075

(* A T)

The official al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) Telegram channel claimed multiple attacks against Emirati-backed forces in southern Yemen and al Houthi forces in central Yemen. [3]

https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-april-3-2018

(* A P)

Saudi Arabia is To Expel Official Personnel in the Legitimacy after Their Involvement in Campaigns against the Arab Coalition in Yemen is Confirmed

Saudi authorities are about to expel several official personnel of the Yemeni legitimacy government on the background of confirmed information about their involvement in media campaigns against the role of Arab Coalition in Yemen and the interest of several regional states. A Yemeni close source indicated that Saudi Authorities acquired sufficient evidence convicting high-rank Yemeni officials, including ministers in the legitimacy government headed by Ahmed Ben Daghar. the source, who prefer to remain anonymous, indicated that most convicted officials are members of the Reform Party, the political arm of Muslim Brotherhood in Yemen.

http://en.smanews.org/saudi-arabia-is-to-expel-official-personnel-in-the-legitimacy-after-their-involvement-in-campaigns-against-the-arab-coalition-in-yemen-is-confirmed

Remark: As claimed by Southern Yemeni separatists.

(A T)

Militants detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) outside a security administration headquarters and a military camp in Khormaksar district, Aden city, southern Yemen on April 2. Hadi government Presidential Protective Forces use the camp.[3]

https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-april-2-2018

(A T)

The death of a Yemeni cleric
A Yemeni cleric died on Monday of wounds sustained following an assassination attempt last Friday in the central province of Taiz.

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1698246906894999/?type=3

(A P)

Government forces torture a young man ''On charges he was Houthi''

A local source in Hays district southern al Hodeida province, western the country, that a young man was subjected to violent torture by the government and resistance forces, on charges of belonging to the Houthi group.

http://almasdaronline.com/article/97951

(A P)

Unknown gunmen in military uniforms stormed the home of a fourth-generation soldier today and kidnapped him before they burned his house completely.

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1696076290445394/?type=3

(A K P)

From the Southern separatists’ news site, a lot of reports which show the great role of the UAE-backed pro-separatist militia , fighting against the Houthis, against Al Qaeda, playing the role of police, and taking control:

Al-Dalea Security Belt Receives the First Security Post on Senah – Kataba Border Line

http://en.smanews.org/al-dalea-security-belt-receives-the-first-security-post-on-senah-kataba-border-line

Security Belt of Al-Mahfed Arrest a Terrorist of Al-Qaeda

http://en.smanews.org/security-belt-of-al-mahfed-arrest-a-terrorist-of-al-qaeda

Tens of Al-Houthis, including three leaders, were killed, injured or captured in Hammalat Karsh

http://en.smanews.org/tens-of-al-houthis-including-three-leaders-were-killed-injured-or-captured-in-hammalat-karsh

Five Martyrs and several injuries in Karsh and Southern Resistance Achieves Major Advances

http://en.smanews.org/five-martyrs-and-several-injuries-in-karsh-and-southern-resistance-achieves-major-advances

Armed Clashes in Thurra and Bombard on Loder

http://en.smanews.org/armed-clashes-in-thurra-and-bombard-on-loder

(A H)

Photos: Thrilled to see these boys in #Mahra, east #Yemen, enjoy an unforgettable day trip with the peace-building & #stability programme. They learned a bit about farming & the environment & just had fun in their first ever swimming pool encounter. Thanks to grass-roots NGO @MahraYouth

https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/980060102064558080

cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks

Siehe / Look at cp3 (Geberkonferenz in Genf / Geneva pledging conference)

(A P)

Yemeni foreign minister calls for peace talks, says aims to open ports

Yemen’s foreign minister called on Tuesday for a return to the negotiating table to end the war in the Arabian peninsula’s poorest country, where Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces are fighting Iran-aligned Houthi fighters.

“We need to find the ideal solution which is a return to the talks table, to put an end the war, to return to a sustainable system supported by the people of Yemen,” Abdel-Malek al-Mekhlafi said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/yemen-security-un-minister/yemeni-foreign-minister-calls-for-peace-talks-says-aims-to-open-ports-idUSL5N1RG1XD?rpc=401&

My comment: This certainly is nothing more than nice words. With insisting on its preconditions, the Hadi government had brought all peace efforts to an early failure. And: “aims to open ports” is a bad joke, as Hadi’s Saudi puppet masters themselves are blocking Yemeni ports.

Comment: Reuters says that peace talks are needed. Really the obstacle to peace is the skewed UNSC resolution 2216 and Hadi's determination to stick with it - in spite of his unpopularity in most of Yemen.

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156560561743641

(A P)

UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths remarks to the press

I just completed my first visit to Sana’a as Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen.

I spent time listening to the parties and to representatives from a broad range of political parties and gatherings about their aspirations to end the war. What I have heard has inspired me and gives me hope that we can find a path to peace. All the people I met, both in Riyadh and Sana’a, spoke about their strong desire to move ahead with a political solution. There is no doubt of a desire for peace, and I will work hard with the parties to achieve it.

https://osesgy.unmissions.org/un-special-envoy-martin-griffiths-remarks-press

Comment: Well they keep saying there is no military solution but they keep selling weapons. Most of the largest suppliers of weapons are permanent members of the Security Council, so are you surprised that they seem to have no desire at the UN to seek peace in Yemen, they say the words but don't do the deeds.

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156552685638641

(* A P)

Southern Leader: Any Solution that Ignores the Southern Transitional Council Will Fail

Mansour Saleh, a prominent leader of the southern transitional council indicated that the meeting between the new UN delegate to Yemen and council’s leaders is a must if peace is to be achieved. In his interview with Sputnik Agency last Tuesday, Saleh said: Martin Griffith knew a lot about Yemen and its problem, and he knows well that there will be no solution unless the southern transitional council is part of it”.

http://en.smanews.org/southern-leader-any-solution-that-ignores-the-southern-transitional-council-will-fail

cp7a Saudi-Arabien und Iran / Saudi Arabia and Iran

(* A P)

How Mohammed bin Salman unites usually divided Iranians

These statements quickly triggered reactions in Iran, where people took to social media to express their anger. Many criticized Mohammed on Twitter, with some arguing that despite its powerful army and three years of war, Saudi Arabia has yet to succeed in Yemen. While Persian social media is usually sorely divided over political issues, there seems to be a consensus when it comes to condemnation of Mohammed's words.

In addition to condemning the Saudi-led war in Yemen, other Iranians were quick to point out the contradictions in Mohammed's statements.

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/03/iran-saudi-mbs-60-minutes-threats-unity-reaction-iranians.html

cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia

Siehe / Look at cp1, cp9

(A P)

Saudi king reiterates support for Palestinians after Israel comments

King Salman reiterated Saudi Arabia’s support for a Palestinian state after his son and heir apparent said Israelis were entitled to live peacefully on their own land - a rare statement by an Arab leader.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians-saudi/saudi-king-reiterates-support-for-palestinians-after-israel-comments-idUSKCN1HA19H and also http://www.bernama.com/en/world/news.php?id=1450617

(A P)

Saudischer Kronprinz spricht Israelis Recht auf eigenes Land zu

In einem überraschenden Schritt hat der saudiarabische Kronzprinz Mohammed bin Salman Israel das Recht auf ein eigenes Land zugesprochen. "Ich glaube, dass alle Menschen, überall, das Recht haben, friedlich in ihrem Staat zu leben", sagte der 32-Jährige dem US-Magazin "The Atlantic" in einem am Montag (Ortszeit) veröffentlichten Interview. "Ich glaube, dass Palästinenser und Israelis das Recht auf ihr eigenes Land haben." Um für alle Stabilität zu gewährleisten und normale Beziehungen zu unterhalten, bedürfe es jedoch eines Friedensabkommens.

http://www.t-online.de/nachrichten/ausland/internationale-politik/id_83490782/saudischer-kronprinz-bin-salman-spricht-israelis-recht-auf-eigenes-land-zu.html

(A P)

Saudi crown prince says Israelis have right to their own land

Saudi Arabia’s crown prince said Israelis are entitled to live peacefully on their own land in an interview published on Monday in U.S. magazine The Atlantic, another public sign of ties between Riyadh and Tel Aviv appearing to grow closer.

“We have religious concerns about the fate of the holy mosque in Jerusalem and about the rights of the Palestinian people. This is what we have. We don’t have any objection against any other people,”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-prince-israel/saudi-crown-prince-says-israelis-have-right-to-their-own-land-idUSKCN1H91SQ

(A P)

Saudi law punishes snooping through spouse's phone with jail

Spying on your spouse’s phone in Saudi Arabia now carries a hefty fine and up to a year in prison, under a new law that aims to “protect morals of individuals and society and protect privacy”.

The punishment will apply to both men and women in the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-rights-privacy/saudi-law-punishes-snooping-through-spouses-phone-with-jail-idUSKCN1HA13R

(A P)

Film: This woman is begging for her life after being violently abused by her family but she could still face charges because of Saudi guardianship laws

https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye/status/979425460844154880

(* B P)

A Saudi Prince’s Quest to Remake the Middle East

In his work with the White House, is Mohammed bin Salman driving out extremism, or merely seizing power for himself?

But, as sweeping as M.B.S.’s economic and cultural reforms may be, he has expressed no interest in liberalizing the country’s political system. Indeed, the model that seems to best conform to his vision is China, with its dynamic economy, literate population, and authoritarian rule. Experts on the Saudi system, including those who admire M.B.S., say that his efforts are being carried out with one overriding goal: to preserve the House of Saud.

In the White House, Kushner’s power has been diminished, as his security clearance was revoked amid a series of scandals. But the appointments of Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State and John Bolton as national-security adviser presage an even more hawkish era, in which there will be few constraints on M.B.S.’s regional ambitions. “No one would have thought that the Saudi leader could take on the royal family, the clerical establishment, and the country’s most powerful businessmen, but he did,” a former American official who has dealt with M.B.S. told me. “But success at home convinced him he could get away with the things he did abroad. M.B.S. has always had a combination of vision, hubris, and arrogance, all of which are now playing out. What troubles me about M.B.S. is, he learns from his successes, but not his failures. That’s the danger.” – by Dexter Filkins

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/04/09/a-saudi-princes-quest-to-remake-the-middle-east

(A P)

An Update On Saudi Arabia’s New Tourist Visas

http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2018/04/01/saudi-arabia-tourist-visa-update/

(B P)

EXCLUSIVE: The world’s most expensive painting cost $450 MILLION because two Arab princes bid against each other by mistake and wouldn't back down (but settled by swapping it for a yacht)

Leonardo Da Vinci's 'Salvator Mundi' sold at an auction last November for a record-breaking $405.3million

It was later revealed the painting's buyer was Saudi Prince Bader bin Abdullah

Palace insiders said the purchase was on behalf of the country's crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman, whose regime was criticized for the purchase

De-facto United Arab Emirates ruler Mohammed Bin Zayed also sent a representative to bid on the painting at the Christie's New York auction

Neither knew the other was bidding, instead they both feared losing the auction to reps from the Qatari ruling family - fierce rivals of UAE and Saudi Arabia

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5554969/Two-Arab-princes-cost-450MILLION-bidding-war-Da-Vincis-Salvator-Mundi.html

(A P)

#Saudi strongman & leading corrupt official #MBS just bought a multi million dollar mansion in Los Angles where he is arriving Today

https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/980237296015495169

(A P)

Saudi Arabia Says No Plans for Crown Prince to Visit Iraq

Saudi Arabia on Saturday refuted the reports of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Iraq.

http://www.basnews.com/index.php/en/news/middle-east/426143

(* B P T)

Film (2003): How Saudi Arabia Financed Global Terror

Funding Jihad? (2003) - Did the Saudi Royal Family really finance 9/11? Although a key Middle Eastern ally of America and Britain, the Wahhabist Saudi regime is nevertheless suspected of financing terror groups around the world.

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

cp9 USA

Eingebetteter Medieninhalt

Siehe / Look at cp1

(* B K P)

'US may try to stay at arm’s length, but its weapons are being used in Yemen'

The US may try to distance itself from the Yemen crisis, but it is involved as it sold the Saudis billions in arms and its weapons are used to kill civilians, says Jack Rice, former CIA officer and international lawyer.

JR: The real problem that we have right now is that the Saudis continue to kill civilians. The US can absolutely influence Saudi Arabian foreign policy and their military ventures. The Americans just sold the Saudis $12.5 billion in arms and they provide ongoing military strategic and intelligence support to the Saudis. They do have a very strong influence on the Saudis and the problem right now is that the Americans seem to be just fine with allowing this to continue to play out as it has. I think one of the problems the US has is they have their own ongoing problems with their own credibility in the region. For them to turn around now and tell the Saudis that they have been killing civilians when in fact the Americans and others too, frankly, had similar problems in other war zones, including Syria, may be very difficult for the Americans to do or say anything about that.

https://www.rt.com/news/423091-saudi-arabia-yemen-us-weapons/

(A E P)

Virgin Hyperloop One Solidifies Commitment to Vision 2030 Through Pod Unveiling with His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and Richard Branson

Executives from Virgin Hyperloop One (VHO) today hosted His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during his visit to Virgin Galactic test site in the Mojave desert. During his visit, HRH the Crown Prince unveiled the Vision 2030 Hyperloop Pod, further cementing the commitment between the Kingdom and VHO to bring hyperloop technology to Saudi Arabia.

https://hyperloop-one.com/virgin-hyperloop-one-solidifies-commitment-vision-2030-through-pod-unveiling-his-royal-highness-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-bin-abdulaziz-and-richard-branson and film https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/981192499334123521

My comment: While he bombs and starves Yemen to death.

(A H P)

US Agency for International Development: United States announces additional humanitarian assistance for Yemen

Today, the United States announced nearly $87 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help the people of Yemen, who face the world's largest food-security emergency and worst cholera outbreak, driven by more than three years of war. This funding brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance for the Yemen response since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2017 to more than $854 million.

We thank the donors who have helped relieve this urgent crisis - including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have recently fulfilled large pledges to the United Nations - and call on other donors to step up in this grave time of need.

https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/apr-3-2018-united-states-announces-additional-humanitarian-assistance-yemen 0 https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/united-states-announces-additional-humanitarian-assistance-yemen-0

My comment: A little bit of blood money by those who try to make the greatest profit from continuing the war.

(A K P)

U.S. should stop supporting Saudi Arabia's attacks on Yemen

The American sin is equally as grave as we continue to strike arms deals and raise no legitimate objection to these foul crimes against humanity — crimes that will last for generations to come.

I find it beyond bewildering that conservative Americans reserve such lust for armed conflict yet emphatically march to the beat of the pro-life mantra. The absence of sincerity therein indicts the contemporary conservative movement.

I have been to combat and I have witnessed the horrors of frivolous warfare. Many of our elected officials have not. Shame on Saudi Arabia, shame on Sen. Toomey and shame on silent westerners.

http://www.mcall.com/opinion/letters/mc-george-toomey-vote-sanders-lee-resolution-20180402-story.html

(A K P)

Photo: Mar. 30, 2018: Royal #Saudi Air Force F-15SA (SA-2 aircraft) during a test flight with 12x AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles at #Palmdale.

https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/980772923119161344

(* B K P)

The US, the war in Yemen, and the War Crimes Act – Part I

Editor’s Note: This is the third piece in ourforum on the Yemen crisis and the law.

The number of U.S. strikes in Yemen increased from at least 21 strikes in 2016 to 131 in 2017.

The War Crimes Act of 1996 (18 U.S.C. § 2441) makes it a criminal offense for U.S. nationals and members of the U.S. armed forces to commit certain violations of international humanitarian law. The Act defines a war crime to include, among other conduct, “grave breach[es] of Common Article 3” of the Geneva Conventions. It further defines such grave breaches to include torture, cruel or inhuman treatment, performing biological experiments, murder, mutilation or maiming, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, rape, sexual assault or abuse, and taking hostages.

Importantly, the War Crimes Act also defines “grave breach” of Common Article 3 to include “murder,” which in it in turn defines as:

Nonetheless, there is a strong argument that “grave breaches” of Common Article 3, as defined by the War Crimes Act, do apply to the conduct of hostilities. First, many sources of international legal jurisprudence, authoritative commentaries, and UN expert bodies have recognized that the prohibition on murder in Common Article 3 extends to protection from indiscriminate and disproportionate targeting during the conduct of hostilities. Second, the language in the War Crimes Act itself appears to contemplate the commission of ‘murder’ during the conduct of hostilities.

There has never been a prosecution under the War Crimes Act, so the precise bounds of liability under the Act remain untested. Regardless, it appears unlikely that U.S. persons will face direct liability under the Act because there is no public evidence that the United States is directly engaged in ‘grave breaches’ of Common Article 3 in Yemen as defined by the War Crimes Act.

https://www.justsecurity.org/54444/us-war-yemen-war-crimes-act/

My comment: What really should mean “there is no public evidence that the United States is directly engaged in ‘grave breaches’ of Common Article 3 in Yemen”. Exactly this must be doubted.

(* A P)

A Wild Ride Behind the Scenes as Saudi Crown Prince Does America

Seeking a new transparency after decades of secret dealings

The result is often chaos on a three-week cross-country tour

How that will play out is far from clear as officials lurch between traditional silence and promises of openness. The result is often a bizarre blend, a kind of twilight zone where something -- it’s just not always clear what -- is being announced.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-02/a-wild-ride-behind-the-scenes-as-saudi-crown-prince-does-america

My comment: The simple fact that all this is a propaganda blitz for one of world’s worst war criminals stays unmentioned.

(A P)

Saudi Crown Prince, Richard Branson tour Mojave Air and Space Port

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived at the Mohavi Air and Space Base in the California desert.

He was greeted by British businessman and Virgin Group Founder Richard Branson, who accompanied him on a tour of the base. (photos, film)

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/business/technology/2018/04/02/Saudi-Crown-Prince-Richard-Branson-tour-Mojave-Air-and-Space-Port.html and also https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/980717492967563264

(A K P)

Photos: #US Navy aircrew assigned to Patrol Squadron (VP) 5 demonstrate the systems onboard a P-8A Poseidon aircraft to members of the Royal #Saudi Naval Forces

https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/980546978634436608

(A E P)

Rupert Murdoch Dinner for Saudi Crown Prince Is Hollywood’s Hottest Ticket

Hollywood is rolling out the red carpet for Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia.

Rupert Murdoch will host a dinner for the Saudi leader on Monday night at his Bel Air estate, according to knowledgeable insiders. The guest list is filled with moguls and A-listers.

http://www.arabamerica.com/rupert-murdoch-dinner-for-saudi-crown-prince-is-hollywoods-hottest-ticket

(* A E P)

Rupert Murdoch, Oprah, Ari Emanuel…So Who Is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Meeting During U.S. Charm Offensive And Why?

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman is currently deep into a coast-to-coast U.S. charm offensive. Leading figures from the worlds of politics, business, entertainment and media are being lined up and are lining up to meet the most influential figure from the world’s leading oil exporter. But who exactly has made the cut?

What’s clear is that the Prince has reached out to a broad range of power players from across the political divide. And he has seemingly been welcomed with open arms.

But at a time when the Chinese government is cooling its Hollywood courtship, a more open and tolerant Saudi Arabia is now being welcomed by a broader range of businesss and entertainment kingpins. A huge investment in the country’s entertainment sector, including the reopening of the country’s movie theaters is proving a tantalizing proposition for the exhibition community in particular.

We reached out to Disney, WME, Oprah and PR firm Qorvis, which does work for the Saudi royal family. None were available for comment.

http://deadline.com/2018/03/rupert-murdoch-oprah-winfrey-ari-emanuel-saudi-arabia-crown-prince-1202355419/

(* A E P)

One of Silicon Valley's Fanciest Hotels Is Closed This Week, Likely For Saudi Crown Prince's Tech Tour

According to Axios, after swinging through Seattle to meet with Bill Gates, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and possibly Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson, the crown prince will meet with Apple chief Tim Cook, top Google executives, and venture capitalists in the San Francisco Bay Area this month.

https://gizmodo.com/one-of-silicon-valleys-fanciest-hotels-is-now-off-limit-1824243018

(A E P)

Saudi crown prince meets Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in Seattle as Trump continues his attacks against the company (photo)

https://twitter.com/ahmed/status/980067812940173317

(* B K P)

U.S.-Saudi Economic Ties: Why Saudi Arabia Matters

Americans should also be concerned with the stability of the Saudi economy, considering how closely its trajectory may be linked to that of the U.S. economy. Saudi Arabia and the United States are linked by investment ties, energy markets, and a shared interest in the stability of the global economy.

The Oil Link is Broken, the Energy Link is Not

Although the U.S.-Saudi economic relationship is transitioning away from an exchange based on crude oil exports for U.S. dollars, there remain strong connections in energy markets. A case in point: Saudi Aramco is not just a national oil company, but now a global energy company with aims to expand its production cycle to refineries globally and vast petrochemical operations.

Weapons Sales Mean More to the United States than to Saudi Arabia

According to a 2016 Deloitte study, the U.S. Aerospace & Defense (A&D) sector is one of the most significant employers and taxpayers in the U.S. economy.

U.S. Debt and Equity Markets May Need Saudi Arabia

But perhaps the most important aspect of U.S.-Saudi economic ties on the current agenda of the crown prince is access to U.S. capital debt markets and equity markets

U.S.-Saudi economic relations are strong, and growing, but their motivations have traditionally been rather short-sighted: in exchange for oil, defense contracts, and, now, for market access. The growth trajectories are linked and both governments would do well to consider how stable growth meets both of their economic needs. It is also vital to take seriously the nature of shared investments and how Saudi leverage might impact the nature of American innovation.

http://www.agsiw.org/u-s-saudi-economic-ties-why-saudi-arabia-matters/

My comment: Well, and? Human rights and Saudi warfare in Yemen seem not to matter at all for this author.

(A P)

US-Senator: USA müssen Beteiligung am Jemen-Krieg beenden

Der demokratische US-Senator Bernie Sanders hat die Passivität der Gesetzgeber des Kongresses gegenüber den Maßnahmen von US-Präsident Donald Trump im Jemen kritisiert.

http://parstoday.com/de/news/middle_east-i38778-us_senator_usa_müssen_beteiligung_am_jemen_krieg_beenden

(A P)

Bernie Sanders: Congress must assert its power and end American involvement in Yemen

Congress needs to seize back its constitutional power to declare war by ending American involvement in Yemen’s civil war, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said Sunday.

Sanders said on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday American support for Saudi Arabia in the conflict — which has devolved into a proxy war between the Saudis and Iran — must end.

“You're looking at one of the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, famine, a million people suffering from cholera, people drinking filthy water,” he said, “and what I and Sen. (Mike) Lee and Sen. (Chris) Murphy have insisted is that the time is long overdue for the U.S. Congress to accept its constitutional responsibility for war making and not giving that over to the president and that's been the case for many, many years.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/bernie-sanders-congress-must-assert-its-power-and-end-american-involvement-in-yemen

(* B K P)

The March We Need Is a March for Peace

Students march for gun control; women march for a variety of causes, and, well, against anything Trump; but who is marching for less American war in the Greater Middle East?

Why? Why isn’t there a passionate coalition willing to combat the American war machine? A machine that is, by now, on autopilot.

Sad because of what I know: that there is no constituency of any comparable size ready or willing to march against the single greatest disease in 21st century American society – creeping militarism and endless foreign war.

You can bet there will be hardly any mention of Yemen, Niger, Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, or Afghanistan – seven of the countries in which Americans have killed and been killed in the last year. There will be no cost-benefit analysis or discussions about which conflict – if any – is in America’s vital, national interest. There will be no nationwide antiwar protests to cover, no dissenting veterans interviewed, no investigative reporters on the ground with disgruntled local civilians in a Mideast locale.

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-march-we-need-a-march-for-peace-or-at-least-de-escalation/

(* B K P)

If the Trump Administration Gives You Déjà Vu, This Is Why

The president is an excellent recycler—of war crimes.

Fifteen years is an eternity in what Gore Vidal once called “the United States of Amnesia.” So why resurrect the ancient history of George W. Bush in the brave new age of Donald Trump? The answer is simple enough: because the Trump administration is already happily recycling some of those Bush-era war crimes along with some of the criminals who committed them. And its top officials, military and civilian, are already threatening to generate newones of their own.

We can’t blame the Trump administration for the decision to support Saudi Arabia’s grim war in Yemen, a catastrophe for the civilians of that poverty-stricken, now famine-plagued country. That choice was made under Barack Obama. But President Trump hasn’t shown the slightest urge to end the American role in it either.

https://www.thenation.com/article/if-the-trump-administration-gives-you-deja-vu-this-is-why/

(A E P)

Saudi Crown Prince discusses ties with top tech leaders

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman yesterday had productive discussions with three top technology leaders in Seattle, US.

met individually with Bill Gates, co-chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and co-founder of Microsoft; Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon; and Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.

http://www.tradearabia.com/news/IT_338488.html

(* A P)

In US Tour, Saudi Crown Prince Meets and Greets the Heavies of the Zionist Lobby

In an apparent bid to prove his reliability as an ally and his willingness to tackle the tough issues requiring “modernization,” bin Salman met with a veritable who’s-who of the hard-right pro-Israeli Jewish community. The list of groups includes hard-line organizations that have helped finance illegal settlement construction in the Occupied Territories, sought to outlaw the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement, and played the role of Israeli military mouthpieces during Israel’s multiple campaigns of aggression against the people of Gaza and occupied Palestine.

According to Israeli daily Haaretz, the 32-year-old crown prince met with officials and leaders from AIPAC, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Stand Up for Israel project, and the Jewish Federations of North America.

Other groups that the Saudi royal met include the American Jewish Committee (AJC), which has denounced progressive Jews who break from Tel Aviv’s right-wing party line as “anti-Semites;” and B’nai B’rith, a leading Jewish organization that has expedited settler-colonial activity in Palestine through fully subsidized “birthright” trips for U.S. youth.

https://www.mintpressnews.com/in-us-tour-saudi-crown-prince-meets-the-heavies-of-the-israel-lobby/239775/

(* A P)

Saudi crown prince tours Boeing on secretive Seattle visit

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia visited Boeing’s Everett jet assembly plant Friday and announced a military deal with the jetmaker. He plans to meet other business leaders during his secretive visit to the Seattle area

After a tour of the widebody jet plant that built his airplane, the 32-year-old crown prince looked on as Boeing Chairman and Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg signed a memorandum of agreement to set up a $450 million joint venture in Saudi Arabia that will provide maintenance and repair support for the kingdom’s military aircraft.

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/saudi-crown-prince-tours-boeing-on-secretive-seattle-visit/

and

(* A E P)

The joint venture agreement will provide sustainment services for fixed- and rotary-wing military aircraft of the KSA ‎military fleet and will be the sole provider of these ‎services for all military aviation platforms of ‎the KSA military fleet, strengthening the Kingdom's defense capabilities and enhancing its deterrent potential.

The MoA will further solidify the enduring relationship between Boeing and Saudi Arabia and result in the development of local research, design, engineering, manufacturing, and MRO abilities. The JV will continuously improve performance and growth, upgrade the readiness of and increase confidence in the Saudi military fleet, enhance maintenance capabilities, and reduce support costs throughout the fleet's life

http://www.aviationpros.com/news/12405723/saudi-arabian-military-industries-and-boeing-form-joint-venture-partnership-targeting-55-localization

(B H P)

See the Travel Ban Through Our Eyes: Women from Libya, Syria, Yemen, and More Speak Out

https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/see-the-travel-ban-through-our-eyes

(A P)

Film: When Trump shows off the arms sales.
And the world laughs.
Thanks to Tomy Pitera for the artwork

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/videos/1698966213489735/

(** B K P)

How Many People Has the U.S. Killed in its Post-9/11 Wars? Part 2: Afghanistan and Pakistan

The numbers of casualties of U.S. wars since Sept. 11, 2001 have largely gone uncounted, but coming to terms with the true scale of the crimes committed remains an urgent moral, political and legal imperative, argues Nicolas J.S. Davies, in part two of his series.

In the first part of this series, I estimated that about 2.4 million Iraqis have been killed as a result of the illegal invasion of their country by the United States and the United Kingdom in 2003.

Adding these figures to my estimate of Afghan combatants killed on both sides, we can make a rough estimate that about 875,000 Afghans have been killed since 2001, with a minimum of 640,000 and a maximum of 1.4 million.

If we accept the higher of these passively reported figures for the numbers of combatants killed on both sides and use historically typical 5:1 to 20:1 ratios to passive reports to generate a minimum and maximum number of civilian deaths, that would mean that between 150,000 and 500,000 Pakistanis have been killed.

A reasonable mid-point estimate would be that about 325,000 people have been killed in Pakistan as a result of the U.S. War in Afghanistan spilling across its borders.

https://consortiumnews.com/2018/04/03/how-many-people-has-the-u-s-killed-in-its-post-9-11-wars-part-2-afghanistan-and-pakistan/

cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain

(A H K P)

UK gives more emergency food for Yemen

A new UK aid package will provide life-saving food, medicine, clean water and sanitation to millions of desperate Yemenis facing disease and hunger, Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt announced today.

Speaking from Geneva at the UN High Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen, Minister Burt said:

„There can be absolutely no room for complacency in tackling the world’s worst humanitarian crisis […]

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-gives-more-emergency-food-for-yemen and report https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/uk-yemen-aid-package-starvation-civil-war-houthis-saudi-arabia-food-supplies-un-a8286711.html

My comment: This is blood money, as the UK is one of the main backers of Saudi Arabia and the second largest arms supplier to the Saudis.

(* A B K P)

Saudi Arabia: Military Aid:Written question - 133668

Q: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Saudi Royal Airforce pilots have been trained under UK military programmes or under programmes supported by the UK military; and how many such pilots so trained the Government knows have flown combat missions in Yemen.

A: Answered by: Mark Lancaster

Information is not held centrally on the number of Saudi pilots trained under UK military programmes or under programmes supported by the UK military. Saudi pilots have been trained under the umbrella of the long-standing government-to-government arrangements for over 30 years and further, detailed information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Government does not hold the information requested on how many of those so trained might have flown combat missions in Yemen.

https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2018-03-21/133668/

cp11 Deutschland / Germany

(* A K P)

Berichterstattung zum Jemenkrieg

Sehr geehrte Rundfunkräte,
hiermit erhebe ich Programmbeschwerde gegen folgende Beiträge:
http://www.ardmediathek.de/tv/Tagesscha ... d=51175176
http://www.tagesschau.de/multimedia/vid ... 88611.html
http://www.tagesschau.de/multimedia/sen ... -5881.html

Der Text zum Film ist eine blanke Verhöhnung der Realität und ist dann erst in seiner ganzen Dimension zu erkennen, wenn man ihn mit der Kampagne vergleicht, die ARD-aktuell bei der Befreiung der Bevölkerung aus den Händen der Terroristen aus Ost-Ghouta durch die syrische und russische Armee vollzogen hat.
Dass die Saudis seit 2015 durchgehend Massaker und Kriegsverbrechen durch gezielte Luftangriffe von Märkten, Schulen, Krankenhäuser und wichtige Infrastruktur begeht, bleibt unerwähnt, obwohl dies von der UN verurteilt wurde.

[und mehr, zahlreiche Details; Belege]

https://publikumskonferenz.de/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2556&p=8503

cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries

(A P)

Moscow supports ‘immediate end to hostilities in Yemen’ — Russian Foreign Ministry
"In sharing its views on the developing military-political and humanitarian situation in Yemen, the Russian side restated the goal of an immediate end to the hostilities in the Republic of Yemen as a prerequisite necessary to alleviate the suffering of the civilian population, and step up inclusive national dialogue on ways for a post-crisis arrangement for the Yemeni state," the Foreign Ministry stressed.
http://tass.com/politics/997269
(A P)

Jemeniten dürfen nicht mehr nach Bahrain einreisen

Die bahrainische Regierung hat die Einreise von jemenitischen Staatsangehörigen aus den Golfstaaten, selbst mit Besitz eines Diplomatenpasses, verboten.

http://parstoday.com/de/news/middle_east-i38738-jemeniten_d%C3%BCrfen_nicht_mehr_nach_bahrain_einreisen

(* A K P)

Fin de l’exercice El Himeimat 8 pour la section d’infanterie du #2REI aux Emirats Arabes Unis ! L'occasion d’approfondir les connaissances et savoir-faire du combat VBCI en milieux désertique mais aussi de resserrer les liens avec le partenaire émirien ! (photos)

[Military cooperation between France and UAE continues: ''The French army continues to train the forces of the United Arab Emirates '' Notwithstanding #Yemen

https://twitter.com/Chefdecorps2REI/status/979400132356648962

(A P)

BAHRAIN: Female Prisoner in Isa Town Prison Stripped Naked, as ill-treatment and Punitive Measures are Exposed

Female prisoner Medina Ali (28) on the second day of her hunger strike against ill-treatment in Isa Town Prison was stripped naked in a humiliating manner after a family visit, this considered to be unprecedented.

http://birdbh.org/2018/03/bahrain-female-prisoner-in-isa-town-prison-stripped-naked-as-ill-treatment-and-punitive-measures-are-exposed/

(* B P)

Eritrea's Qatar attacks don't come out the blue

Analysis: UAE and Saudi designs on the Red Sea have seen East Africa's Eritrea join the blockade of Qatar. Asmara's rhetoric against Doha now mirrors the Riyadh-led bloc's line.

Eritrea launched a series of surprise verbal assaults on Qatar this week, claiming the Gulf state and Sudan were both interfering in the East African state's internal affairs.
A bizarre statement issued by Asmara claimed that the two countries were backing an anti-government figure and that Doha sent fighter aircraft to an area of Sudan close to the Eritrean border.

https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2018/3/30/eritreas-qatar-attacks-dont-come-out-the-blue

cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade

(* A K P)

Spanish Activists to Kick Out Saudi Ship Loading Weapons for Yemen War

In the first days of March, a Saudi cargo ship docked on the Spanish port of Santander to load weapons with Yemen as its final destination and activists are trying to kick it away.

The Saudi Bahri Hofufship had been loading weapons since July in the Bilbao port until it got expelled due to pressure from individual activists and organizations in the Basque Country, including Green Peace's local chapter.

But that didn't mean the ship had disappeared from Spanish waters.

tracking the Saudi ship through its mandatory geolocator device when the Bahri turned it off for 24 hours, only to reemerge already docked in Santander.

https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Spanish-Activists-to-Kick-Out-Saudi-Ship-Loading-Weapons-for-Yemen-War-20180401-0014.html

cp13b Mercenaries / Söldner

(* A H P)

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir today confirmed the continuation of his country's forces in its tasks within the Arab alliance in Yemen.
"I renew here the continuation of our forces in the implementation of its tasks within the Arab coalition forces to support the legitimacy in Yemen, to achieve its noble goals by the will of God."

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1697994550253568/?type=3

(A H P)

Sudanese Saudi/UAE Mercenary Rapes Yemeni Woman in Khokha, Yemen

Yemeni activists are up and screaming in anger as a helpless Yemeni married woman was forcefully raped in Khokha, Yemen yesterday. The women was collecting firewood when a Sudanese soldier followed her and assaulted her.

https://yemenbreakingnews.wordpress.com/2018/03/31/sudanese-saudi-uae-mercenary-rapes-yemeni-woman-in-khokha-yemen/

and

(A H P)

But there is a fine line which can never be crossed: women.
Women have no place in war: women are already holding the country's entire sky. Women are our rocks and foundations. Our country would be nothing without our women.

the whole country will avenge the crime.

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1696188187100871/?type=3

and

(A H P)

#Yemen Women Solidarity Network published a condemnation Statement regarding a rape crime committed by a member of the #Coalition forces in #AlKhoukha district in #Hodaida. I'll publish it in a thread below-1

https://twitter.com/hayaatq/status/980401530900803584

and

(A H P)

Photo: Surgical women hesitate to stop protesting the accounting of a Sudanese soldier raped a girl in the Directorate of Jucca

https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/posts/1796304813998838

and

(A H P)

Millions Rials for Anyone Arrest or Kill the Sudanese Soldier Who Raped the Tahami Woman

The announcement of a number of Yemeni businessmen in Sana’a for a high financial reward for anyone who would arrest or kill the Sudanese soldier who raped the Tahami woman.

http://www.newnewss.net/millions-rials-for-anyone-arrest-or-kill-the-sudanese-soldier-who-raped-the-tahami-woman/

and

(A K P)

Film: Yemen: Thousands rally after rape of Yemeni girl by Saudi-coalition soldier

Thousands of women and children gathered in Sanaa on Monday, to show their anger against the Saudi-Arabian-led coalition, following the raping of a Yemeni girl by a soldier of the Saudi Arabian-led coalition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF22QBPHzOw and photos https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/981030146579881984

and

(* A P)

Saudi Coalition Uses Rape as Weapon against Yemen

The victim’s family reportedly went to the military camp the culprit resided in to demand his extradition, to which the Emirati commander, Abu Zar’ah Mahrami, responded by trying to bribe them off. When the bribe was categorically rejected, the commanding officer refused any further discussion with the family.

The next day, Mahrami attempted to threaten the woman and her family into submission, warning them to take the bribe or face dire consequences if they were to speak of the rape to anyone else. Insulted and enraged by the injustice done upon them, the victim and her family refused yet again, and published the news of the rape.
News of the terrible crime spread quickly all across Yemen, sparking outrage in millions of Yemenis, many of whom vowed vengeance.

A number of Tihamah tribes have called on the Saudi-led alliance to hand over the criminal, who found refuge in the Abu Musa al-Ash’ari camp in Khokah district, and promised a reward of 10 million riyals for anyone who arrests or kills the mercenary, thus avenging the honour of the victim.

UAE military forces have so far refused to extradite the Sudanese soldier, and some have even threatened the family of the victim.

http://www.newnewss.net/saudi-coalition-uses-rape-as-weapon-against-yemen/

cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism

(A T)

#IslamicState #Yemen claims it killed a Houthi by sniper today in al-Zahra area of al-Qurayshiyya district in al-Bayda'. Of interest here is that #AQAP issued 5 new claims yday: 3 were vs Houthis in al-Qurayshiyya district. Might indicate some level of coordination/cross-over

https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/981248264996556800

(A T)

Was #alQaeda #Yemen really behind decapitation of #UAE-supported Hadrami Elite forces 28 March? After 17 days silence #AQAP formal wire has posted 5 claims of ops for 19-30 March (2 vs Security Belt in Abyan; 3 vs Houthis in al-Bayda'). No mention of brutal Hadramawt attack (yet)

https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/981162789875081217

(* A T)

Hamza bin Laden warns of Shiite expansion in the Middle East

Al Qaeda’s propaganda arm, As Sahab, has released the latest episode in Hamza bin Laden’s lecture series on the history of Saudi Arabia. The series began in Aug. 2016, when the junior bin Laden called for the overthrow of the Saudi monarchy. Hamza has returned to criticize the Saudi royals several times since then.

Hamza uses the occasion to once again warn that the Shiites are expanding throughout the Middle East, including “toward the Two Holy Places,” meaning Saudi Arabia’s holy mosques. He accuses the Saudi government of being incapable of stopping this Iranian-led expansion and he calls upon Muslims to support the jihadists’ cause in the Arabian Peninsula.

https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2018/04/hamza-bin-laden-warns-of-shiite-expansion-in-the-middle-east.php

(A T)

New Hamza Bin Laden speech (17.5mins), 6th in series calling for uprising against #Saudi regime. #Yemen war is specifically used as rallying cry for young would-be jihadists, with pics of children killed by coalition (images)

https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/980368211215515648

cp15 Propaganda

(A P)

Houthis exploit soldiers' need for salary to enlist them in their ranks

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-17071

My comment: Normally, soldiers are paid for fighting, so what?

(A P)

Yemeni FM praises UAE, Saudi support

Abdulmalik Al Mekhlafi, Yemeni Foreign Minister, has applauded the continuous support provided by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to the people of Yemen, the last of which was contributing a total of US$ 1 billion by the two countries to support the UN Humanitarian Response Plan in Yemen for 2018.

Al Mekhlafi made the remarks while addressing a High-Level Pledging Event in Geneva for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen.

http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302679500

My comment: One of the main tasks of the whole Hadfi government: To praise their Saudi masters.

(A P)

Journalist lashes out at Qatar's betrayal in Yemen

He said the media industry has been struggling with fake news producers whose aim is to stir propaganda.

The situation in Yemen is a clear betrayal of Yemeni people, and if it wasn't for the interference of the Saudi-led coalition backed by the GCC, the situation would have been a disaster, according to a correspondent.

Mohamed Al Arab, correspondent at Al Arabiya News Channel, said that the Hamdeen regime of Qatar betrayed the Yemeni war and funded militias that killed thousands of people in Yemen. Al Arab also called for the developed world and human organisations to say enough to the Qatari regime.

"What happened in Yemen has been a genocide attempt against the Yemeni people and a conspiracy against the Yemeni culture and civilisation," said Al Arab during a session titled 'The Fight Against Fake News' at the 17th edition of the Arab Media Forum.

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/dubai/journalist-lashes-out-at-qatars-betrayal-in-yemen

My comment: LOL. Well, he would be right if he would have meant the Saudi PR campaigns leading to twisted and Saudi mouthpiece journalism in Western media. – And, the greatest PR nonsense / fake news he tells by himself: Without the intervention of the Saudi coalition Yemen would be a disaster??

(A P)

Army announced foils suicide attack coordinated between Houthis and ISIL

The armed forces in the province of Beidha have foiled a terrorist attack against their positions, coordinated between Daesh and Houthis in the central Yemen province.

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-17030

My comment: Odd. The only Houthis and IS have in common is their hatred against each other.

(A P)

Analysis: An Iranian SAM in the Arabian Peninsula

Last week, the Saudi Arabian embassy in Washington D.C. released a nine-page primer on Iran’s continued support to Yemen’s Houthi rebels. This document summarized findings from a March 26 press conference that followed a barrage of missile attacks against three Saudi cities on the eve of the third anniversary of the military operation in Yemen. Buried within the same document was photographic evidence of Saudi Arabia’s latest charge against Iran: the provision of the Sayyad-2C surface-to-air missile (SAM) to Houthi rebels.

The US must not lose any opportunity to highlight Iran’s nefarious role in the war in Yemen as well as in the region more broadly. A timely and robust US diplomatic response against Iran would serve four immediate policy goals:

With the conflict in the Arabian Peninsula having entered its fourth year, Iran appears more intent than ever to continue backing the Houthi rebels. In fact, Iranian material support for the Houthi insurgency in Yemen has evolved over time – by Behnam Ben Taleblu, Research Fellow focusing on Iran at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2018/04/analysis-an-iranian-sam-in-the-arabian-peninsula.php

My comment: Again, using the Houthis and a supposed Yemen-Iran connection to release anti-Iranian propaganda and to fire US aggressive politics against Iran. Background: It’s worth to read the Wikipedia article on this Foundation for Defense of Democracies, one more of these ominous “Think Tanks”.

Comment by Judith Brown: A hawkish look at the Iranian involvement in Yemen. Of course it's highly likely that Iran gives some support to the Houthis and this has increased as years have passed, but I and many others think it is overplayed. Neither Iran nor GCC countries are acting in Yemen's interest. But whether Iran is playing a more or less 'nefarious' role than Saudi Arabia is a matter of perspective.

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156557396628641

(A P)

Government source says no signs of political negotiations

It told the Saudi daily Okaz that the government's approaches for peace through mediators and meeting with foreign ambassadors and the UN envoy and those diplomat's with Houthis did not yield any new results, because of Houthis' maximalist attitude.

The source pointed out that the solution is no longer political, but will be a military one as the "terrorist militia's terrorist threat to Yemen and the region persists."

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-16993

My comment: odd as it’s the Hadi government insisting on preconditions which would mean that the Houthis would have to capitulate before any “peace” talks would begin.

(A P)

MBS’ visit to US has been a resounding success

the visit has already shone the spotlight on some very important facts and new realities.

First, it has illustrated the multidimensional nature of Saudi-US relations in dramatic fashion.

In short, many Americans have had a good chance to interact with Crown Prince Mohammed and hear him speak about his vision for the Kingdom and the role the US and its myriad institutions can play in helping make it a reality. It is hard to argue that the visit has been anything but a resounding success.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1277336

(A P)

Why the Houthis have escalated the Yemen crisis

Why the escalation? And why now?
First, the Houthis wanted to nip Griffiths’ mission in the bud. With this escalation, they wanted to send a message to the UN that they have no plans to submit to the international will to disarm and dispose of their ballistic missile arsenal, as mandated by Security Council Resolution 2216. The resolution also bars other countries from supplying them with weapons, including ballistic missiles.
Second, their patron and chief supporter, Iran, is facing pressure from the United States over the nuclear deal, its ballistic missile program, and its destabilizing activities in the region. It is in Iran’s interest to keep the pot boiling in Yemen to scuttle the renewed US efforts to confront its activities and renegotiate the nuclear deal. It thinks that, by showing resolve in Yemen, it can force the US to change course, as happened in Syria, for example.
Third, the Houthi militias’ efforts to intimidate and blackmail the UN have been successful in the past because the UN thought it needed their cooperation to deliver badly needed aid in areas under their control. As such, the Houthis used the suffering of civilians to their advantage. By threatening to end cooperation in allowing the passage of aid, they cowed the UN into acquiescing to their belligerent tactics.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1277391

My comment: Absurd when looking at the facts. Who had blackmailed the UN in the most aggressive way?

(A P)

Rabiah to Asharq Al-Awsat: ‘YCHO Plan Focuses on Sustainability’

Advisor to the Royal Court and General Supervisor of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) Dr. Abdullah al-Rabiah said that the center has many ways to ensure that Yemeni citizens, living in areas under Houthi militias’ control, can benefit from the aid provided by the center.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat on Saturday that these ways can be revealed and that he is reserving some of them to ensure the safety of workers on ground.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1223851/rabiah-asharq-al-awsat-%E2%80%98ycho-plan-focuses-sustainability%E2%80%99

My comment: Saudi “We are benefactors” propaganda.

(A H P)

Emirati “We are benefactors” propaganda.

http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302678785

(A P)

Al Houthis are not interested in peace

How can Yemen talks ever succeed while Tehran supplies the rebels with missiles and mines?

As the conflict in Yemen enters its fourth year, it’s worth reflecting on the provocative and perverse role being played by Iran in exacerbating the misery for our Arab brothers. In effect, the regime in Tehran has deliberately and wilfully frustrated all attempts to bring peace and stability once more to Yemen, and its Revolutionary Guards are continuing to arm Al Houthi rebels, all with the sole intent of establishing a hegemonistic administration there to advance Iran’s sectarian and political agenda.

Al Houthi rebels were nothing more than a tribal clan who used their links with Tehran to overthrow the legitimate government and administration of President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

http://gulfnews.com/opinion/editorials/al-houthis-are-not-interested-in-peace-1.2197966

(A P)

As long as Iran does not stop meddling in Yemen, there will be no end to the war

Using the Houthis is an intended strategy in Iran’s proxy war on Saudi Arabia and its allies.

From the beginning of the crisis in Yemen in 2011, and even before, the Houthis held a political and religious discourse that was typically Iranian. There was an obvious animosity towards the Gulf countries and there were calls to “continue the revolution for the recapture of the Two Holy Sites.”

The Saudi-led Arab coalition was boldly confronting real strategic threats to security in the Gulf. The military option was a last resort. In 2013, Riyadh sponsored internal negotiations to come up with a solution locally. The recommendations produced by that dialogue were literally shot down, which triggered an armed response.

Further public and secret negotiations in Kuwait, Muscat and other capitals produced nothing. It was obvious the Houthi side was not master of its decisions. Its choice of a no-solution policy was obviously dictated by Iran. In the Iranian plan, Yemen is to be part of an empire with Baghdad as its capital.

https://thearabweekly.com/long-iran-does-not-stop-meddling-yemen-there-will-be-no-end-war

(A P)

News website: UN envoy meets ghost groups in Sana'a, ignores Mothers of Abductees

Giffiths met several Houthi officials and some ghost groups that claim to represent Yemen's different political affiliations in the coupist militia-held Sana'a.

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-16944

(A P)

Yemeni Children: Double victims of Houthis

Secondly, the rebels have especially attacked children in their savage aggressions against civilians across the country.

In a seminar held on the sidelines of the 37th session of the Human Rights Council this month, Minister of Human Rights Mohammed Askar said that since they mounted their coup d'état in September 2014, the Iran-backed rebels "have killed 1353 children" across Yemen

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-16945

My comment: Horrible if this figure would be true; I have some doubts anyway. Anyway, as Saudi coalition air raids and consequences of the blockade, an estimated 90.000 children have been killed.

(A P)

Is terrorism against Yemenis not a terrorism?

What about a local sectarian religious group that kill the local civilian compatriots and have proven willingness to kill the last Yemeni person in their pursuit of theocratic rule? Houthis are this type of group in Yemen.

Yet few people understand this and that Houthis are not peaceable. Some western media outlets even take the side of these red-handed extremists and portray them as victims!

Houthis have sabotaged the country's historical transformation process (in 2014), mounted a coup characterized by savage sectarian bigotry, invaded cities with brutal force, killed people, plunged Yemen into the world's worst humanitarian crisis and wreaked havoc everywhere to deny the peace-loving Yemeni people the first chance ever to break free from the dictatorship of the northern traditional elite to a democratic state.

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-16947

(A P)

Houthi missiles will not wane Coalition's determination to liberate Yemen: Yemenis tell WAM

The continued launch of ballistic missiles against Saudi territories by the Iran-backed Houthi militias has been vehemently condemned by Yemeni citizens, who believe it's now more incumbent on UN than ever before to interfere and destroy the large ammunition depots and cashes used by the coup perpetrators against civilians in contravention of all relevant international laws and conventions.

"Saudi Arabia is a sisterly county and wholeheartedly supporting Yemeni citizens to lead a decent life with dignity; and launching such offensives against Saudi lands is not but a crime condemned by all relevant international resolutions

"Such heinous attacks against our Saudi brothers prove in no certain way that Iran is the main accomplice and supporter for the Houthi militias.

http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302678679

My comment: Nice propaganda to put the typical propaganda phrases into the mouths of claimed ordinary Yemenis. – The most ridiculous phrase: “"Saudi Arabia is a sisterly county and wholeheartedly supporting Yemeni citizens to lead a decent life with dignity”. LOL.

(A P)

Arab Coalition: ‘Iran denies its hostile actions like any criminal would’

Iran denies its hostile actions in the region as any criminal in the world would refuse to face up to his crimes, the spokesperson of the Saudi-led Arab coalition, Colonel Turki Al-Maliki, said on Thursday.

“We proved to the world that ballistic missiles launched from Yemeni territory by the Houthis are made in Iran,” he said, explaining that Iran would send parts of the missiles to be reassembled in Yemen before launching them towards Saudi Arabia.
The colonel’s statements came during an interview broadcast by American channel CNN in which he confirmed evidence had been provided to prove to the world that Iran was involved in supporting the Houthis.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1275671/middle-east

My comment: The same again and again. The claim of the headline is pretty: It perfectly describes the Saudiss’ treatment of the impact of their air raids and their ridiculous “investigation” team.

cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids

(* A K pH)

Saudi coalition air raids day by day:

April 2: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1522759142./1003997849750580/?type=3

April 1: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1522678477./1003457696471262/?type=3

March 31: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1522605104./1002862063197492/?type=3

(A K pS)

Arab Coalition Aircraft Destroys Reinforcements of Houthi Militia in Yemen

The Arab Coalition Aircraft launched today air strikes against reinforcements of the Houthi coup militias, located between Marib and Al-Bayda governorates.

http://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1747755

(* A K pH)

Sa'ada: 4 martyrs (inc. 2 women, 1 of which is 9 months pregnant), & 4 wounded by Saudi-Led Coalition airraid on home in Al-Doushah, Munabbih District.

https://twitter.com/commonsense575/status/981086621327032321

(A K pS)

Coalition Forces destroy missile launch pad of Houthis in Yemen

The Arab Coalition Forces, led by Saudi Arabia and backed by the UAE Armed Forces, have destroyed a missile launch pad used by the Iranian-backed Houthi militias in Al Faza region of Al Tuhayta Directorate, in the Red Sea Coast.

http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302679327

(A K pS)

VIDEO: #RSAF new F-15SA operating in the frontlines & providing air support to the legitimate forces in #Yemen.

https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/980897438356660225

My comment: Just supplied by the US, and at once bombing Yemen. This is it.

(* A K)

Saudischer Luftangriff tötet zwölf Mitglieder einer Familie im Jemen

Bei einem Luftangriff der von Saudi-Arabien angeführten Militärkoalition im Jemen sind mindestens zwölf Zivilisten getötet worden. Drei weitere seien verletzt worden, sagte der Leiter eines Kranenhauses in der Stadt Hodeida. Bei einem der Angriffe sei ein Wohnhaus getroffen worden, in dem Flüchtlinge aus dem Umland der Küstenprovinz untergebracht gewesen seien. Kampfflugzeuge hätten insgesamt drei Angriffe auf eine Wohngegend in der Küstenstadt geführt.

https://deutsch.rt.com/newsticker/67665-saudischer-luftangriff-totet-zwolf-mitglieder-einer-familie-im-jemen/ und auch https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/heute/luftangriff-trifft-wohnhaus-zwoelf-zivilisten-sterben-im-jemen-100.html

und

(* A K)

Verstümmelte Kinderleichen: Schock-Bilder nach arabischem Luftschlag im Jemen – VIDEO

Nach einem massiven Luftangriff der von Saudi-Arabien angeführten arabischen Koalition auf den Jemen ist im Internet ein Video aufgetaucht, das verstümmelte und verkohlte Kinderleichen zeigt. Bei dem Angriff waren am Montag im Westen Jemens zwölf Zivilsten ums Leben gekommen, darunter sieben Kinder.

Achtung: Diese Aufnahme enthält Szenen, die nicht für Minderjährige und sensible Personen geeignet sind.

Die Aufnahmen zeigen, wie verstümmelte Leichen vom Angriffsort weggebracht werden. Unter den Getöteten sind Kinder unter zehn Jahren sowie Säuglinge. Nach den ersten Erkenntnissen waren alle Opfer Mitglieder einer Familie. Sie sollen zuvor aus anderen Teilen des Landes geflohen sein, in denen der Krieg wütet.

https://de.sputniknews.com/videoklub/20180403320173620-kinder-opfer-leichen-angriff-jemen/

Bemerkung: Weitere Fotos, Filme, s. unten.

(* A K pH)

Aggression airstrike kills at least 14 at Hodeidah IDPs camp

An airstrike of US-Saudi- led aggression coalition jets killed and injured at least 26 people at a camp for displaced people in an initial toll at al- Hali district in Hodeidah west Yemen, an official in the health office told Saba on Monday.
The aggression fighter jets killed 14 civilian, most of them are women and children while 12 others were injured

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news492039.htm

and

(* A K)

Saudi-led air strike kills 12 civilians, including seven children: medics

An air strike by the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen killed 12 civilians, including seven children, in the costal city of Hodeidah on Monday, medics and a witness said.

Medics and a witness who saw the wreckage said the air strike had destroyed a house in al-Hali district, where displaced civilians from other provinces were settled.

The 12 victims were all from the same family, they said. (with photos)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security/saudi-led-air-strike-kills-12-civilians-including-seven-children-medics-idUSKCN1H90VB and also http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/saudi-coalition-air-attack-kills-12-yemen-including-seven-children-1051859963 and by Saba (just first report) http://www.sabanews.net/en/news491931.htm

and

An unborn baby was among the victims of today's carnage carried out by the Coalition. The tiniest bodies are the heaviest to carry (Reuters photo)

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1698143696905320/?type=3

and

(* A K P)

In what medics and residents in Yemen’s western port city of Al Hudaydah described as an instant midmorning slaughter in a residential housing area, the warplanes fired missiles at the civilians, literally cutting them to pieces as they sought relief from the 92-degree temperature .

“The ambulances could not cross into the targeted areas due to intensity of the jets,” Abdulrahman Jarallah, director of the city health bureau in Al Hudaydah, said by telephone. He said there had been no military presence nearby.

Medics in Al Hudaydah said that when they finally reached the missile-strike site, only two bodies could be identified. Most of the dead were in pieces.

“We believe that the targeted people were in the open to cool themselves as there was not electricity in the complex,” Mr. Jarallah said. “So missiles touched bodies directly.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/02/world/middleeast/saudi-yemen-bombings.html

photos:

https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/980753779594285056

https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/980754162202882049

https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/980754410853761024

https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/980756141893353476

https://twitter.com/A_mtrz/status/980757782096904192

https://twitter.com/HussamSanabani/status/980799720942686213

https://twitter.com/HussainBukhaiti/status/981209758400172032

http://geopoliticsalert.com/saudi-coalition-bombs-yemen-refugee-camp

and also here:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156258354997790&set=pcb.10156258355077790&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/photos/pcb.1796368740659112/1796368447325808/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/photos/pcb.1796366380659348/1796365927326060/?type=3&theater

films:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/yemen-children-14-dead-saudi-led-air-strike-hodeidah-180403071011061.html = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1RpR3hzIgE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r81Yr057Zls&bpctr

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRGJoHxg8DU and cutting https://twitter.com/zmdomxnxx80ehgm/status/980928155681685505

This wounded old man is screaming “my children are wounded wounded, search for them I want my children".

https://twitter.com/AmalAlYarisi/status/980843134736326656

https://twitter.com/alsahat_tv/status/980806799254224896

An extremely disturbing video, provided by Ruptly, shows the horrifying aftermath of the airstrikes carried out by the Saudi-led coalition: dead bodies of children, appearing to be up to 10 years old, are burnt and mutilated due to the explosions and scattered over the sand. The victims, mostly women and children, allegedly come from a camp for displaced people.

RT has not published the full-length footage due to its extremely graphic nature. The shocking video shows Red Crescent paramedics working at the site of the airstrike, searching through piles of sand and concrete rubble. The rescuers are seen collecting charred corpses and body fragments of the victims. At least one of them appears to be a new-born baby, while other child victims seem to be no older than 10 years old.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZX0_TwwwKGc = https://www.rt.com/news/423073-yemen-civilians-killed-airstrike/

and when looking at the photos of the many slain children, you can imagine what a bullshit report this must be:

(A K pS)

Air raid kills 16 near Yemen port of Hodeida: security sources

An air strike near the Yemeni port of Hodeida on Monday killed 16 people in a building where Huthi rebels were gathering, security sources told AFP.

There were conflicting reports on the number of rebels versus civilians killed in the strike which was believed to have been carried out by the Saudi-led coalition.

The strike occurred in the district of Al-Hali in Hodeida province, which is controlled by the Iran-backed insurgents.

The rebels' Al-Masirah news outlet also reported two air strikes in Al-Hali district, saying they targeted a camp for displaced people and that most of the victims were women and children.

The security sources said there was no camp for the displaced in the area.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5569765/Air-raid-kills-16-near-Yemen-port-Hodeida-security-sources.html

My comment: Please, tell: What kind of “security sources” this should have been? Hadi government? They could not be on the ground, so what apart from propaganda they could tell?

and

(* A K P)

Another Saudi Coalition Bombing Slaughters a Dozen Yemeni Civilians

There is no excuse for bombing this house and killing these civilians. This attack is a gross violation of international law and a war crime, and the governments responsible for it should be held accountable. This is what the coalition does with the refueling and weapons that the U.S. provides them. Refueling coalition planes just makes it easier for them to carry out more outrageous attacks like this one. Secretary Mattis tried arguing the other day that refueling gives coalition pilots more time to make better decisions about where to drop their bombs, but that ignores the reality that coalition governments have routinely shown blatant disregard for civilian life throughout the war. This latest attack is just the latest example out of the thousands and thousands of strikes on civilian targets that the coalition has carried out – by Daniel Larison

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/another-saudi-coalition-bombing-slaughters-a-dozen-yemeni-civilians/

and

(* A K P)

The Atrocious U.S.-Backed War on Yemen

The circumstances of this attack illustrate the many different ways that the coalition is punishing Yemen’s civilian population. The displaced people were there because they had been forced out of their homes by the fighting between coalition-backed forces and the Houthis. They would not have been in that place were it not for the Saudi-led intervention.

The intensity of the attack was such that first responders could not reach the site before everyone was dead.

The only good news here is that the ambulances did not reach the site, because if they had the coalition planes would have almost certainly carried out an outrageous “double tap” strike to kill the people coming to provide medical attention. That has been a standard tactic used by coalition forces throughout the Saudi-led war.

The latest attack on civilians was one of many thousands that have occurred since the Saudis and their allies began bombing Yemen. This was an egregious attack on civilians for which there is absolutely no excuse, and there have been many more like it enabled by U.S. arms and refueling. Until that military assistance is cut off, the U.S. will be aiding and abetting the coalition in carrying out atrocious attacks like this one.

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/the-atrocious-u-s-backed-war-on-yemen-2/

and

(A K P)

Statement attributable to Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa

“War on children continues raging in Yemen. Several children killed today in Hodeida.
Children in Yemen urge the international community for their safety and protection to be integral part of the generosity at the pledging conference in Geneva tomorrow.”

“There can be absolutely no justification for such blatant disregard for children’s rights and international humanitarian law.”

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/statement-attributable-geert-cappelaere-unicef-regional-director-middle-east-and-north

My comment: This is the only UN comment, and also Cappelaere avoids to name who is responsible. And, please do not forget: The latest Houthi missile attacks against Saudi targets, killing one person, had been heavily condemned by the UN Security Council. And now: Nothing. Silence. Total silence. Any more questions about UN heavy bias??

(A K pS)

Arab Coalition destroys Houthi weapons stores in western Yemen

The Saudi-led Arab Coalition has launched intensified air strikes against military reinforcements, weapons stores, ammunitions and gatherings of Iranian Houthi rebels on the western coast of Yemen. The air raids resulted in the destruction of weapons and ammunition stores in Al-Jah district of the Beit al-Faqih district and killing and injury of rebels in Al-Toheita farms in Hodeidah, according to the Emirates News Agency (WAM).

Dozens of rebels were killed in those strikes that confused the rebels and caused them to flee in droves.

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-17032

(A K pS)

Coalition targeting of Houthi position in Sa’dah continues in support of Yemeni advance in the province

Coalition airforce units have carried out more than 20 raids on Houthi militia positions in Sa’dah, Al Jawf and Al-Baidah.
Security sources confirmed the attacks targeted key positions for the Iranian-backed militia in Saudi Arabia namely, Baqim, Al-Buqua, and Malahiz

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1277856/middle-east and https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2018/04/02/Yemen-20-Arab-coalition-raids-on-Houthi-sites-in-Saada-and-al-Baida.html

My comment: Do not forget that the Saudis simply declared the whole province of Saada as a “military target”. Thus, every destroyed farm house is a “Houthi position”, every killed toddler is a “Houthi fighter”. And western mainstream accepts.

(A K pS)

Arab Coalition Aircraft Bombard Al-Houthi Militias' Locations in Al-Baydha, Yemen

Local sources said that the aircraft bombarded locations and groups of Al-Houthi Militias in the Central Security Camp in Al-Baydha

http://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1747103

(A K pS)

Six air raids hit Houthis sites in Ibb

The coalition aircraft launched six air raids on Houthis militia in Al-Sabra district, southeastern Ibb province.

The source added that three raids targeted the Houthi elements and mechanisms in the valley of Asmain village, while targeted by three more raids the camp of the brigade 30 Armored known as Hamzah camp in the same district.

http://almasdaronline.com/article/97968

(A K pH)

Cluster bomb kills civilian in #Saada
A cluster bomb previously dropped by the Coalition exploded and killed a civilian in Manbah district of Saada province

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1697207406998949/?type=3

(A K pH)

Film: destruction of houses and mosques, no place given

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzsABbYaeE4

(A K pH)

Film: Martyrdom of a girl and wounding two citizens in the Directorate of Al - Zaher West Saada governorate 31-03-2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80cep9xr46M

(A K pH)

Film: Targeting the American - Saudi Aggression Rima Governorate Building 30-03-2018

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

(A K pH)

Film: The raid of the Saudi-American aggression on the area of Ghamr Directorate of Razih in Saada 30-03-2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZRzB1avdI8

(* A K pH)

Film of the Saudi air raid at Saada city, killing 9, March 29, reported Yemen Press Reader 399

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOzL1lSg2nU

(A K pH)

Film: The crime of the Saudi - American aggression on the departments of Tahita and the house of the poor in the province of Hodeidah 24-03-2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnOPmOKbh7Q

(* A K pH)

More Saudi coalition air raids recorded on:

April 3:

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news492061.htm Hajjah p.

April 2:

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news491929.htm Al Bayda p.

March 31:

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news491773.htm Lahj p.

cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War

(A K pS)

Houthi sniper kills elderly man in Taiz

gunned down Abduraqib Ameer al-Kodahi, 85, years old in his own village of al-Domeina west of Taiz city.

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-17070

(A K pS)

Houthis militants ambush a government colonel in Saada

http://almasdaronline.com/article/98015

(* A K)

Saudi oil tanker hit in Houthi attack off Yemen: coalition

Yemen’s Houthi group hit a Saudi oil tanker off the main port city of Hodeidah on Tuesday, the Saudi-led coalition said, in an attack that could complicate a new United Nations push to end a war.

The Iranian-aligned Houthis said they had targeted a coalition warship in response to an air strike on Hodeidah on Monday that killed at least a dozen civilians, including seven children.

In a statement carried by Saudi media, the coalition said the oil tanker was in international waters when it came under “Houthi-Iranian attack” at around 1330 local time (1030 GMT).

A coalition warship conducted a “swift intervention” foiling the attack, it said, without identifying the type of weapon used in the assault. “As a result of that attack, the tanker was subjected to a slight but ineffective hit and it resumed its naval course northwards, escorted by a coalition warship,” the statement said.

A European Union naval force that operates in the region confirmed the ship was underway, adding that the crew were safe and unharmed.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-attack/saudi-oil-tanker-hit-in-houthi-attack-off-yemen-coalition-idUSKCN1HA1RT and also https://www.rt.com/news/423061-yemen-saudi-oil-tanker-hit/

My comment: Propaganda again, by Reuters (“The Iranian-aligned Houthis”) as of course by the Saudi spokesman: “Houthi-Iranian attack”.

Comment by Judith brown: An oil tanker was hit and slightly damaged by a missile - it was mistaken for a warship apparently. That's not chaos in the context of everything else that's happening in Yemen - it's almost normal in a war situation.

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156561676433641

and

(* A K pH)

Yemeni forces target Saudi warship off coast of Hudaydah

Yemen’s Ansarullah fighters have targeted a Saudi Arabian warship in retaliation to deadly airstrikes on the improvised country's province of Hudaydah.

On Tuesday, Yemeni forces announced that they attacked a "Saudi-led coalition warship" off the coast of Hudaydah in response to an air strike on Monday which claimed the lives of over 16 civilians, including women and children.

The kingdom has confirmed the attack but claims Yemeni forces targeted an oil tanker.

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/04/03/557347/yemen-saudi-warship-hudaydah

and

(* A K)

Houthis target Saudi ship off Yemen coast

Saudi media says ship was an oil tanker, while Houthis claim to have hit a 'warship' in response to air attack by the Saudi coalition in Hodeidah

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iran-backed-houthis-yemen-target-saudi-oil-tanker-red-sea-1916355562

(A K pH)

Badr-1 Ballistic missile hits al- Garbah Saudi camp in Asir

The missile force of the army and popular forces launched Badr-1 Ballistic missile on the Saudi al- Garbah camp in Dhahran Asir, a military official told Saba on Monday.
The missile hit its target directly, leaving huge losses in the enemy ranks and military equipment's

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news492028.htm and also http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/04/02/557222/Yemen-Saudi-Arabia-Badr1-missile-Asir-Jizan-najran-Lahij

and

(A K pS)

Houthi missile targets Dhahran Al-Janoub, falls short near Saudi-Yemeni border: Arab Coalition

A Houthi militia ballistic missile was launched late on Monday towards civilian areas in Dhahran Al-Janoub in Saudi Arabia, close to the southern border with Yemen.

The missile, according to Al-Maliki, fell on wasteland in Yemen two kilometres from the Saudi border

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1277986/saudi-arabia

My comment: The Saudis want to present themselves as victims of a bad militia, always claiming the Houthis missiles would have targeted civilian targets.

(A K pH)

Aggression mercenaries targeted houses, citizens farms in Marib

The US- Saudi- paid mercenaries targeted on Sunday houses and citizens farms in Hareeb al- Qarameesh district in Marib province with artillery and missile shelling

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news491915.htm

(A K pH)

Film: A citizen injured by a rocket and a Saudi artillery attack on the Directorate of Razih, Sa'ada Governorate 01-04-2018

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

(A K pS)

Houthis detonate culverts near Taiz to prevent army's advance

Houthis detonated on Friday the culverts between Toor al-Baha district of Lahj province and Hayfan district of Taiz province to the north to prevent the advance of government forces from Yemen's south.

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-16996

(A K pH)

Yemeni forces, allies hit Saudi military base with ballistic missile

Yemeni army forces, supported by allied fighters from Popular Committees, have fired a domestically-manufactured ballistic missile at a military base in Saudi Arabia’s southwestern border region of Jizan in retaliation for the Saudi regime’s military campaign against the crisis-hit country, Yemeni media report.

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/04/01/557120/Yemeni-forces-allies-hit-Saudi-military-base-with-ballistic-missile

My comment: Doubtful, as there are no reactions from the Saudi side.

(A K pS)

Three poeple were killed, including woman with others wounded in #Houthi mortar shelling that trageted a house in the Hays district of Hodeidah province. (map)

https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/980366084279762944

(A K pH)

Aggression battleships' targets al- Jar farms in Hajjah

The battles of the military aggression on Sunday targeted the district of Abs in Hajjah province, a security official told Saba.

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news491813.htm

Hadi government militia („army“) stared a new offensive in the north, at Saada province, from Saudi territory:

(A K pS)

Yemeni Army launches New Military Operation in Saada

The Yemeni Army has made new ground progress in Saada province, stronghold of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia.
A military source said in a statement to the official Yemeni News Agency that the army forces, backed by air force of the Arab Coalition carried out a qualitative military operation and a coincidence in province of Saada and managed during the early hours of the restoration of a number of important sites.

http://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1746484 and http://www.arabnews.com/node/1277151/middle-east and https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/thousands-of-yemeni-reinforcements-deployed-against-houthi-rebels-1.717749

(A K)

Ein Verletzter nach erneutem Raketenangriff in Saudi-Arabien

Die saudi-arabische Luftabwehr hat nach Militärangaben am Samstag eine von jemenitischen Rebellen abgefeuerte Rakete abgefangen. Das Geschoß sei auf die südliche Grenzstadt Najran abgefeuert worden.

Nach dem Abschuss der Rakete seien Trümmerteile auf ein Wohngebiet gefallen und hätten einen indischen Staatsbürger leicht verletzt.

https://www.sn.at/politik/weltpolitik/ein-verletzter-nach-erneutem-raketenangriff-in-saudi-arabien-26102581

(A K pS)

A three year old child has been killed in Yemen's central Taiz when Houthi rebels shelled Mate'a village in al-Dhabab outskirt to the west of city.

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-16946

(A K pS)

Houthi rebels are intermittently shelling the neighborhoods in downtown Taiz from their vantage point of Softel, a hilltop hotel and large surrounding yard

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-16946

cp18 Sonstiges / Other

(A)

Film: Yemen - Photographs And Sculptures Exhibition To Highlight The Natural And Environmental Diversity Of Aden

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkOOdfgoRl8

(-)
A Photographer Honors Her Great-Grandmother And The Traditional Art Of Face Tattoos

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/yumna-al-arashi-photography_us_5982058ee4b02b36343fa9cb

(-)

Film. A music Professor gives hope to students through free lessons.
Love and peace and arts are back on the table and they can change the course of history...

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/videos/1696763977043292/

(-)

Film: Watch: When life gives you a tin diesel can, you obviously make a musical instrument with it

If you don’t know how to, ask this man from Yemen.

https://scroll.in/video/873353/watch-when-life-gives-you-a-tin-diesel-can-you-obviously-make-a-musical-instrument-with-it

(-)
She may be the most unstoppable scientist in the world

Eqbal Dauqan became a scientist in one of the hardest places in the world to be a woman.

From a young age, however, Dauqan was determined to be a scientist even though her parents were not initially supportive and warned her that she might lack the intelligence for the field. Undeterred, she told her father: “I've heard a lot about scientists in chemistry. What is the difference between me and them? So I want to try.” Eventually, she won him over and she was able to attend college and won a scholarship to pursue a PhD in Malaysia. Today, Dauqan hopes that her example can be an inspiration to girls across the Middle East and, when they see her picture, they think "I could be just like her. I could be a scientist."

https://www.facebook.com/amightygirl/photos/a.360833590619627.72897.316489315054055/1468790659823909/?type=3&theater

Vorige / Previous:

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-399-yemen-war-mosaic-399

Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-399 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-399:

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

http://yemenwarcrimes.blogspot.de/

http://www.yemenwar.info/

und alle Liste aller Luftangriffe / and list of all air raids:

http://yemendataproject.org/data/

Dieser Beitrag gibt die Meinung des Autors wieder, nicht notwendigerweise die der Redaktion des Freitag.
Geschrieben von

Dietrich Klose

Vielfältig interessiert am aktuellen Geschehen, zur Zeit besonders: Ukraine, Russland, Jemen, Rolle der USA, Neoliberalismus, Ausbeutung der 3. Welt

Dietrich Klose

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