May 20, 2018: Irrelevant victims (in German) – Memory of air raid at wedding – Daily life in air raids – Offensive at the west coast displaces ten thousands – Film: Taiz in ruins – Saudi blockade is illegal – 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
cp2a Allgemein: Saudische Blockade / General: Saudi blockade
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
cp9 USA
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis
cp12b Libanon / Lebanon
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms Trade
cp13b Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage
cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
cp15 Propaganda
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
Klassifizierung / Classification
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**
*
(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
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
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
(** B K P)
Belanglose Opfer: Nur bestimmte Tote sind für die westlichen Medien von Wert.
Edward Herman und Noam Chomsky unterscheiden in ihrem Buch „Manufacturing Consent“ (etwa „Einen Konsens fabrizieren“, Anmerkung der Übersetzerin) zweierlei Arten von Opfern: belanglose Opfer und beklagenswerte Opfer. „Beklagenswerte Opfer“sind (echte wie angebliche) Opfer aus der Gruppe der Staatsführer, die auf der Feindesliste der USA stehen, wie zum Beispiel Baschar al-Assad. Die „belanglosen Opfer“ dagegen haben die USA und ihre Satellitenstaaten wie Israel und Saudi-Arabien zu verantworten.
Die von den USA angeführte geheime Verbindung, die sich selbst „internationale Gemeinschaft“ nennt, ist außer sich, wenn es „beklagenswerte Opfer“ gibt. So zeigt beispielsweise Nikki Haley, die US-Botschafterin der UN, der ganzen Welt Bilder toter syrischer Babies. Beklagenswerten Opfern werden Menschenrechte zugestanden, und Assad verdient unsere Empörung.
Belanglose Opfer sind zum Beispiel die 50.000 jemenitischen Kinder, die verhungert sind, weil Saudi-Arabien eine Totalblockade gegen den Jemen verhängt hat – einschließlich eines Embargos für Essen, Wasser und Medizin. Belanglose Opfer „sind wohl selbst schuld“ und werden von der internationalen Gemeinschaft sowie den Mainstream-Medien ignoriert. Belanglose Opfer haben keine Menschenrechte. Der Jemen ist eine humanitäre Katastrophe, die deswegen ignoriert wird, weil Saudi-Arabien mit den USA befreundet ist.
Wenn Saudi-Arabiens Mohammad bin Salman (MbS) in den USA hergestellte Bomben aus von den USA hergestellten Flugzeugen wirft und ohne Unterschied jemenitische Männer, Frauen und Kinder ermordet, hört man aus den USA keinen empörten Aufschrei. MbS ist der neue Liebling der Neokonservativen, und Thomas Friedman verfasst Lobeshymnen über ihn, als sei es wirklich cool, im 21. Jahrhundert ein absoluter Herrscher zu sein. Der verstorbene Robert Parry beschrieb Friedman und die Neokonservativen als „von der Wirklichkeit abgekoppelt“.
Zehntausende Einwohner in Gaza demonstrieren nun schon seit Wochen legal für ihr Recht, zu ihren Häusern in Palästina zurückzukehren. Hier gibt es keinen empörten Aufschrei, wenn Netanjahu und sein Regime israelischen Soldaten befehlen, sie zu massakrieren – von David William Pear
https://www.rubikon.news/artikel/belanglose-opfer
Mein Kommentar: Zum Beispiel hat man von ihm in unseren Mainstreammedien nichts gehört und nichts gesehen:
(** B H K)
Feature: Yemeni family recalls horror of coalition airstrike on wedding celebration
On April 22, five-year-old Sameeh Damman was dancing on drumbeat in a wedding celebration in a poor rural village near the Red Sea in war-torn Yemen.
Soon after 7 a.m., when the dance and drumbeat reached the peak, a warplane from the U.S.-backed Saudi-led coalition fighting Iranian-allied Yemeni Shiite Houthi rebels, hit the wedding.
The celebration was taking place in an open, dusty area in front of Alrakah village in Bani Qais district in Yemen's northwestern province of Hajjah, which is under Houthis' control.
Villagers in nearby Jum'ah village said they felt the earth shaking under their feet during the airstrike.
"The lamps, powered by a small generator to decorate the wedding party, were destroyed into pieces and the sound of drumbeat went into complete silence," said 25-year-old Mohammed, the youngest brother of the drummer Sameeh's father Ali Shouey Damman.
"I heard the sound of the plane while walking on the road heading to the celebration, then very powerful explosion. When I approached the wedding, I heard sounds of cries and screams raising," Mohammed recalled as sitting by some drums left at the family's house by his deceased elder brother Ali.
Few minutes later, a second airstrike hit few meters away from the wedding gathering, the local residents said, women and children, who were not at the celebration area at that night, fled in panic from their houses over fears of possible more air attacks.
According to the residents of Alrakah village, a total of 33 people had been killed in the airstrike, including the bride, most of them torn to pieces, and more than 55 others wounded, including the bridegroom, who refused to meet journalists.
There is no hospital in the village nor in nearby areas. Medics and rescue workers were sent from Hajjah's provincial capital city. It took them around three-hour drive to the north to reach the remote village of Alrakah.
In Alrakah village, the little boy Sameeh Ali Damman, small, slim and wearing painful expression, received us in his family's small house.
Sameeh is still in shock after he lost his father, the 35-year-old chief of the popular musicians band, in the airstrike on the wedding party last month.
The little boy was seen in a heartbreaking footage recorded immediately after the airstrike by some residents and survivors' cell phones.
Sameeh appeared in the footage as covered with dust of the airstrike while hugging his bleeding father in the rubble. He refused the rescue workers or the residents to take the body of his deceased father for burial.
According to the residents, after many attempts by the rescuers and elder villagers to convince Sameeh, he eventually agreed after 24 hours to lift his both hands from the body of his father and allowed residents to bury him.
In the footage, the little boy apparently did not understand that his father had died. Instead, he kept crying and shouting loudly to his father's ear during the whole night: "Dad ... dad wake up, let's go home."
The disturbing footage went viral on social media, in which little Sameeh became a symbol of the horror of the country's civil war.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-05/19/c_137191356.htm
(** B H K)
Film: Jemen: Alltag unter Luftangriffen | Ärzte ohne Grenzen
Im Bezirk Haydan in der Provinz Saada im Nordwesten des Jemen leben die Menschen in ständiger Angst vor Luftangriffen. Seit einem halben Jahr wird die Region intensiv aus der Luft bombardiert. Sogar Krankenhäuser und Schulen wurden dabei zerstört. Das Leben der Menschen ist hart. Teilweise sind ihre Häuser noch von Jahre zurückliegenden Kämpfen beschädigt. Darum suchen manche Unterschlupf in Höhlen, wenn die Bomben fallen. Der Zugang zu medizinischer Versorgung ist völlig unzureichend. Nicht nur Krankenhäuser und andere medizinische Einrichtungen, auch viele Straßen wurden zerstört und die Beförderungskosten sind stark gestiegen. Für viele Menschen ist es daher schwierig, einen Arzt zu erreichen. Ganze vier Tage brauchte die Familie eines wenige Tage alten Babys, das an einer lebensbedrohlichen Atemwegsinfektion litt, bis sie unser Krankenhaus erreichte.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbZQEvJRFxs
(** B H K)
Special report: Testimonies from those living on the front line in Yemen
Just a few kilometres from the frontline is Haydan village in Saada governorate, a mountainous region with almost no medical facilities. The endless barrage of airstrikes has made transport here extremely challenging.
In March 2017, teams from Médecins Sans Frontières/ Doctors Without Borders (MSF) returned to the hospital in Haydan that had been bombed and destroyed by Saudi warplanes in October 2015. MSF teams provide healthcare to isolated communities in Haydan as well as the remote surrounding area.
The testimonies and stories told by patients at the hospital provide a glimpse into the dire conditions people have endured for more than three years of conflict.
Since the end of 2017, airstrikes from the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have escalated in Saada governorate, which was targeted by one-third of the 541 airstrikes recorded in December by the Yemen Data Project.
According to the organisation, this was the highest number of bombing raids registered in one month since January 2017 — up 67% from November.
The aerial bombardment campaign began after Houthi missiles were fired towards Saudi Arabia and its capital Riyadh. “As soon as a missile is fired at somewhere in Saudi Arabia, the Saudis respond almost immediately by bombing Saada,” comments Frédéric Bonnot.
The airstrikes hit public infrastructure, markets, houses and civilian vehicles, as well as military bases and Houthi-held checkpoints. On 29 March 2018, two coalition airstrikes targeted a truck barely 200 metres from MSF’s offices in Saada.
Roads are routinely targeted, particularly those of strategic value. “The road passing through Saaqain district we use to go from Haydan to Saada has been targeted several times since the beginning of the year. It’s the same in Yasnim where we provide support to a health centre,” continues Frédéric Bonnot. “This is impacting our ability to get around and refer patients to hospitals in Saada. There can be delays, and it’s often a question of life or death.” (with film, second link)
http://www.msf.org/en/article/photo-story-yemen-living-under-daily-coalition-airstrikes = https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/world/special-report-testimonies-from-those-living-on-the-front-line-in-yemen-843607.html and film also here: https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/videos/1746258375427185/
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Jemen: Heftige Offensive vertreibt gewaltsam Zehntausende
Gefahr, dass sich Kämpfe weiter in dicht besiedelte Gebiete ausbreiten
Zivilist*innen kämpfen inmitten heftiger Boden- und Luftangriffe in westlichen Küstenregionen Jemens ums Überleben. Doch das Schlimmste könnte noch bevorstehen, warnt Amnesty International nach intensiven Recherchen im Süden des Landes.
Bei einer Krisenmission interviewten Mitarbeiter*innen von Amnesty International 34 Zivilist*innen, die zwischen Jänner und Anfang Mai aus mehreren Dörfern und Städten im Gouvernement Hodeidah vertrieben worden waren und sich nun im Süden des Landes befinden.
Die Betroffenen erzählten von schrecklichen Mörserangriffen, Luftangriffen, Landminen und anderen Gefahren, denen sie aufgrund einer neuer Offensive ausgeliefert waren. Bei dieser Offensive versuchen Koalitionstruppen der international anerkannten jemenitischen Regierung sowie Bodentruppen und die Luftwaffe der saudi-arabischen Koalition die bewaffnete Gruppe der Huthi zurückzudrängen.
Rawya Rageh, Leiterin der Recherchen für Amnesty International im Jemen
„Wir sind sehr besorgt über willkürliche Attacken und andere Menschenrechtsverletzungen, die offenbar derzeit im Jemen stattfinden. Alle Konfliktparteien haben eine Verpflichtung, Zivilist*innen zu schützen. Die Konfliktparteien riskieren das Leben und die Existenzgrundlage von Tausenden”, sagt Rageh.
Nach Angaben der Vereinten Nationen haben aktuelle Zusammenstöße entlang der Westküste Jemens in den letzten Monaten rund 100.000 Menschen vertrieben – die meisten von ihnen aus dem Gouvernement Hodeidah.
Zivilist*innen tragen Hauptlast der Offensive
Seit Beginn der Offensive im Dezember 2017 sind Zivilist*innen eine Reihe von Menschen- und Völkerrechtsverletzungen beider Konfliktparteien ausgeliefert:
Überlebende erzählen, dass Huthi-Kämpfer*innen mit Mörsern wiederholt in bewohnte zivile Gebiete gefeuert hätten. Laut einem Augenzeugen aus Hays schlug eine Mörsergranate am 25. März in einen Krankenhaushof ein, verletzte seinen 13-jährigen Sohn und tötete einen Apotheker und eine Krankenschwester. Der Einsatz von Mörsern in der Nähe von zivilen Einrichtungen verstößt gegen das Verbot wahlloser Angriffe.
Huthi-Truppen gefährden die Zivilbevölkerung weiter, indem sie Truppen und Fahrzeuge in zivilen Wohnvierteln stationieren. Überlebende erzählten, dass sie Straßen vermint und Zivilist*innen daran gehindert hätten, das Gebiet zu verlassen. In anderen Fällen hätten sie Menschen aus ihren Häusern in Gebiete vertrieben, über die die Regierung kürzlich die Kontrolle verloren hatte.
Überlebende erzählten, dass Luftangriffe der von Saudi-Arabien geführten Koalition Zivilist*innen getötet hätten und sie ständig Angst um ihr Leben gehabt hätten. V
Verminte Straßen, Kontrollpunkte der Huthi und andere Gefahren auf dem Weg machten für einige die Flucht in den Süden des Landes zur schrecklichen Prüfung: Für eine Fahrt nach Aden – die im Durchschnitt sechs Stunden dauert – benötigte man nun bis zu drei Tage.
https://www.amnesty.at/de/jemen-heftige-offensive-vertreibt-gewaltsam-zehntausende/ und Kurzfassung https://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de/inhalt.jemen-zehntausende-fliehen-wegen-heftiger-kaempfe-im-jemen.d4b9e3d0-e4b5-4b53-8e0c-fd8f8bf0f3bd.html
and English version:
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Yemen: Fierce new offensive displaces tens of thousands of civilians from Hodeidah
Yemen: thousands flee fighting in Hodeidah - new testimonies
‘We saw dead bodies and we saw others ripped to pieces’ - 25-year-old woman from Qataba who had fled fighting
‘The most vulnerable among the civilian population are bearing the brunt of this new offensive’ - Rawya Rageh
Yemeni civilians are struggling to stay alive amid fierce ground and air attacks in the raging battle to retake western coastal governorates from the Huthi armed group, Amnesty International said today (17 May), after carrying out an investigation in the south of the country.
Civilians from Zabid, al-Jarrahi, Hays and al-Khawkhah - around 60-90 miles south of Hodeidah city - told Amnesty how they and many others had fled to Aden in the south of the country as fighting intensified. Some wept as they spoke of relatives and loved ones killed in the conflict.
Displaced civilians have described an exodus as the fighting has intensified, and according to the UN, clashes along Yemen’s western coast have displaced around 100,000 people in recent months, most of them from Hodeidah Governorate
Amnesty interviewed 34 civilians who had arrived in Aden after clashes displaced them from several villages and towns in Hodeidah Governorate between January and early May this year. They spoke of terrifying mortar attacks, air strikes and landmines amid the new offensive, as forces loyal to the internationally-recognised Yemeni government - supported by ground troops and air cover from the Saudi Arabia-led coalition - attempt to defeatHuthi forces.
Survivors have also said that Saudi-led coalition airstrikes had killed civilians, leaving them in constant fear for their lives.
Those displaced in recent weeks said the battle lines are constantly shifting as government and Huthi forces take control of different areas. Civilians caught in the middle face a range of violations of international humanitarian law by both sides.
Huthi fighters have repeatedly fired mortars - which are notoriously imprecise - into civilian areas.
Meanwhile, Huthi forces have also endangered civilians by basing troops and vehicles in civilian neighbourhoods. They have also allegedly mined roads and otherwise prevented civilians from leaving. In other cases, they’ve expelled people from their homes in areas recently taken from government control.
Meanwhile, several people told Amnesty about how they had attempted to leave Hodeidah Governorate up to three times before finally succeeding. Huthi forces allegedly branded some civilians “terrorists” for abandoning their towns and villages, and in other cases people said they were aware of Huthis forcing busloads of fleeing civilians to turn back.
In the absence of formal camps for internally-displaced persons, many of the displaced civilians interviewed by Amnesty in Aden have sought makeshift shelter in precarious settings, including buildings under construction or crumbling structures that were badly damaged in a previous round of fighting between Huthis and government forces in Aden in 2015.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/05/yemen-fierce-new-offensive-displaces-tens-of-thousands-of-civilians-from-hodeidah/ = https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/yemen-thousands-flee-fighting-hodeidah-new-testimonies and abridged by Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-amnesty/huge-numbers-of-yemenis-flee-hodeidah-as-fighting-nears-amnesty-idUSKCN1II000
(** B H K)
Films: Rare drone footage shows Yemen frontline city in ruins
Rare images from inside Yemen's city of Taiz show the devastation wrought by months of fighting between Houthi forces backed by Iran and Yemeni government forces, bolstered by Saudi Arabia and its US-equipped air power. They also expose the startling levels of hunger and disease in a conflict that so often goes unseen, even though a child under the age of five dies of preventable causes every 10 minutes.
The fight in Taiz has led to a slow victory for the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, but at a great cost to the city and its inhabitants.
Startling drone footage by Brazilian photographer Gabriel Chaim shows how barely a wall has escaped the force of Saudi air power, and at times Houthi shelling too.
Mayhoub, a US aid worker from Washington, DC, set up a charity in Taiz after finding himself trapped in the city by the war when visiting his sick mother. He happened to be in hospital when he saw an eight-year-old girl come in with horrific injuries from shelling.
"A little girl came into the hospital with her heart out," Mayhoub told CNN, without giving his full name as aid workers are often targeted in Taiz. "And you could see her heart pumping. It's inhumane. Who sends shells into the most heavily crowded city in Yemen?"
Mayhoub led Chaim, the photographer, around the city, explaining where the Houthis retained positions from where they could shell Taiz. The conflict in the city has been further complicated as the Houthis' enemies have begun fighting among themselves, making a reprieve in the violence even less likely.
The impact on the youngest Yemenis is also acute, as images from Camp al Mahu -- a haven near Lahj -- devastatingly show. Here, tiny nine-year-old Mailiki Seif weighs just 2 kilograms, reduced to twigs of bone. Her mother, Mariam, says this is actually an improvement.
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/16/middleeast/yemen-drone-footage-intl/index.html and film also here https://www.scmp.com/video/world/2146505/devastation-yemens-forgotten-war and https://www.facebook.com/cnninternational/videos/10156390380899641/ and https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/videos/1744184155634607/
(** B H K P)
War in Yemen (2): Why the Saudi-led coalition has not obeyed the law of naval blockade and violates IHL
In the first comment I concluded that it appears difficult to claim that a blockade can be imposed legally in a non-international armed conflict (NIAC). However, I assume that a blockade in a NIAC can be lawful. Against this background, this comment assesses whether the coalition nevertheless obeyed the law of naval blockade and standards of international humanitarian law (IHL).
The law of naval blockade consists of four major rules. First, under Article 94 SRM the blockading State shall officially
‘specify the commencement, duration, location, and extent of the blockade and the period within which vessels of neutral States may leave the blockaded coastline.‘
The announcement must literally be brought to the knowledge of States; it does not suffice to simply provide information to be called up. If the announcement does not entail details about commencement or the blockaded area, it is invalid under Article 10 London Declaration. As a consequence, ensuing enforcement measures would violate international law.
If it were the case that the coalition only issued press releases, as the one in which Major General Al-Asiri has been cited, and the press releases did not entail the required information, it will be a reason to render the announcement legally invalid.
Has the coalition obeyed IHL?
Forth, a blockading State must obey the standards of IHL to legally enforce the blockade.
But assessing the scenario anticipated by Article 102 lit. b), I argue that if a population, like the Yemeni, is subject to the worst global famine, half a million children under the age of five are severely malnourished and every six months more than 2,100 people die of cholera, as purported by the media and HRW, a blockade per se contravenes the prohibition of Article 102 lit. b) SRM, no matter how great the concrete and direct military advantage may be. Such an extreme exceptional case does not necessitate a case-by-case decision.
The coalition has been further criticized for delaying and blockading urgently needed humanitarian deliveries. If the population of a blockaded area is inadequately provided with food and other essential objects, allegedly like the Yemeni population, the blockading State under Article 103 SRM is obliged to provide for free passage of the foodstuffs and objects. Thereby the blockading State has the discretion to make the deliveries depending upon prior authorization and inspections. Like the question of impartiality, however the facts at hand do not suffice to decide on this point.
To summarize, neither has the coalition’s blockade been imposed in accordance with the law of naval blockade nor have the enforcement measures been conducted properly. I further opine that UN Security Council Resolution 2216 of April 2015 and the law of contraband are no adequate legal grounds, because the legal regimes do not provide for wide-ranging enforcement measures as exercised by the coalition. Thus, the naval enforcement measures by the Saudi-led coalition contravene international law – by Oliver Daum
https://www.juwiss.de/44-2018/
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics
(* A H)
Taking steps to prevent a diphtheria outbreak in Yemen
FHI 360, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), Aden Health Cluster and the Yemen Ministry of Public Health & Population, is working to slow the spread of diphtheria by strengthening the disease outbreak surveillance system and guiding prevention and control measures.
In April 2018, medical epidemiologists from FHI 360 and WHO conducted a trainer’s workshop in Aden-Hub in southern Yemen for 16 participants involved in surveillance and clinical case management. The workshop provided information about the latest science on diphtheria outbreak preparedness and response. Participants identified challenges and prioritized actions to strengthen diphtheria surveillance and clinical case management.
https://www.fhi360.org/news/taking-steps-prevent-diphtheria-outbreak-yemen
(* A H)
Audio: Cholera-Impfung im Jemen gestartet
Kurz vor Ramadan wurden 350.000 Menschen geimpft. Denn im Jemen gab es im vergangenen Jahr den größten bekannten Cholera-Ausbruch der Geschichte.
https://www.ardmediathek.de/radio/Impuls/Cholera-Impfung-im-Jemen-gestartet/SWR2/Audio-Podcast?bcastId=3138&documentId=52488680 = https://swrmediathek.de/player.htm?show=625a93a0-59c6-11e8-9c74-005056a12b4c
cp2 Allgemein / General
(A K P)
Interactive Map of Yemen
(B K P)
Yemen - The Unspoken War
Conflicts like the war in Syria or the Rohingya crisis are regularly in the news. However, the civil war in Yemen is almost never covered – some people don’t even know that there is a war there. This article is aimed at trying to understand this complex conflict.
http://samfunnsvitern.com/yemen-the-unspoken-war/
My comment: This article mainly misses its goal.
(* B K P)
Ending the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen
The Arab Center Washington DC (ACW) hosted a March 20 panel discussion to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
Abdulwahab Alkebsi, managing director for programs at the Center for International Private Enterprise, warned that Yemen was facing the worst famine the world has seen in 50 years. He explained that the belligerents, including political parties, warring factions and tribal leaders, profit from the war by securing external aid and smuggling weapons and contraband.
According to Alkebsi, both the Saudi and Houthi fighters have “phobias” that need to be addressed before the conflict can end. The Saudis believe that Iran is trying to dominate Yemen. A “stable, militarily strong, economically viable, politically pluralistic Yemen that would be...a model for Saudi opposition” is also an unacceptable outcome, he added. The Houthis have a phobia about being annihilated, and are fighting a war for survival. The Houthis will want a say in national decision-making.
Dr. Nabeel Khoury, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, urged Washington to rethink the prism of terrorism through which it has viewed the conflict. U.S. strategy should focus on domestic politics and development needs, not drone strikes, Khoury said. He called for the creation of an international development fund for Yemen to rebuild infrastructure, including roads, schools, clinics and water management.
Saudi Arabia blames Iran for attacks by Yemeni Houthis, Khoury said, but by that logic Yemen should be blaming the U.S. for attacks by the Saudis.
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Ph.D., a Middle East fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, said that increasing the political costs to the Saudis and Emiratis could end the war.
https://www.wrmea.org/waging-peace/ending-the-humanitarian-crisis-in-yemen.html
(B H K)
Yemen e democrazia mancata
[Swiss Radio (Italian) with article and video by Laura Silvia Battaglia: #Yemen, The Endless War]
Il Paese è diviso e conteso tra Huthi e al-Hirak, mentre ogni 10 minuti un bimbo di non ancora 5 anni muore per cause evitabili (Film)
https://www.rsi.ch/news/oltre-la-news/Yemen-e-democrazia-mancata-10469621.html
(* B H K)
A Cry For Yemen
Atrocities should never be ignored.
Most of you do not know anything about the distant land that is Yemen. It is a Middle Eastern country on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula right under Saudi Arabia and next to Oman. Yemen has been ranked as one of the worst countries in the world to be a woman, to be a Christian, and one of the worst for freedom and education. It is a failed state, with 80% of the country living without food security. Water runs through the pipes of the capital city of Sana’a once a week on average.
Thanks to our Western bubbles and news media, almost no one knows anything about what is going on in Yemen. Most people simply do not care what happens to strangers’ half-way around the world. After all, they’re Muslim and living in the Middle East, didn’t they practically ask for terrorism to come knocking on their doors?
But we should care. Yemen is going through the worst humanitarian crises the world has seen in our lifetime. Worse, even, than the devastation in Syria and ISIS in Iraq--not to lessen the tragedy of those events, or other crises around the world. Entire families are dying in airstrikes. Innocent lives are being taken every day, and no one in the Western world knows.
The New York Times publishes the occasional article about Yemen, though I’m not sure if anyone actually reads those articles and is prompted to action. Yemen is never talked about on the news. And when the Middle East is mentioned, usually in reference to terrorist attacks or government problems, most Westerners barely pay attention because it does not affect us.
We in the West are selfish. You are frantically denying that right now, but you are. So am I. In first world countries we are taught to be selfish, practically raised that way thanks to culture. Everything rotates around us as children—when is my practice, what do I want to eat, what do I like to wear. This practices continues later in life, so we hardly give a thought to the world that we do not come in contact with.
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/cry-for-yemen
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Yemen Situation Report
The Saudi-led coalition is setting the stage for an offensive to retake al Hudaydah port. A renewed anti-al Houthi offensive could hobble the UN Special Envoy’s efforts to resume peace talks.
Emirati-backed Yemeni forces began an offensive to seize control of southern al Hudaydah governorate, which will position forces to advance on al Hudaydah port.
Divisions within the anti-al Houthi coalition surfaced over the issue of the UAE’s military presence on Socotra Island.
Al Houthi leadership may be preparing for the upcoming offensive against al Hudaydah and possibly other parts of northern Yemen by consolidating power in Sana’a and sustaining aggressive military actions against Saudi Arabia.
The new offensive in al Hudaydah may hinder UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths’ attempts to engage al Houthi leadership in a new round of consultations and planned negotiations.
A Saudi-led coalition offensive towards al Hudaydah port may undermine UN-led efforts to resume negotiations. Control of al Hudaydah is likely an unstated precondition for the Saudi-led coalition to support renewed peace talks. The al Houthis may justify abstaining from talks because of the coalition’s offensive, which is unlikely to deal a significant enough blow to the al Houthis strength to bring them to the table.
(* B K P)
Houthi Missiles: The Iran Connection; Scuds Are Not Dead Yet
The Saudi and US governments have accused Iran of manufacturing ballistic missile used in attacks by Houthis against targets in Saudi Arabia.
The longest-ranged flights reached Riyadh, a distance of roughly 950 km, with a missile called the Burkan 2-H (Figure 1 above).
In terms of the physical damage they can cause, these missiles with their 500 kg payload make for a relatively poor weapon. However, their speed makes them difficult to intercept (the flight time is only about nine minutes).
But are the Iranians really behind these, or are they modified missiles from North Korean in origin? Visually, the similarities between the Burkan 2-H and the Iranian Qiam-1, which is a development of the Soviet Scud missile, are hard to deny. The missiles have the same configuration with a so-called triconic warhead and without the large stabilizing fins common to other Scud versions.
In this article I take a closer look at the Burkan 2-H and how its increased performance was achieved. I do this using computer simulations of ballistic missile trajectories, with missile parameters based on properties of the Scud from open sources and an analysis of photographs and a launch video.
It has been speculated that the Burkan-2H may be an indigenous Yemeni development using a North-Korean Hwasong-6 as its booster. The computer modeling indicates this is unlikely.
Of course, it is theoretically possible that the Burkan 2-H airframe was produced in Yemen rather than in Iran. However, this would be far beyond anything previously seen from Yemen’s limited industry. That also applies to the more advanced flight control system required for a missile without stabilizing fins. It is also possible that the Qiam-1 and Burkan 2-H both originate in North Korea, although there are no known North-Korean Scud variants without stabilizing fins. All in all, even without a detailed forensic investigation of the wreckage, it seems unlikely these missiles originate from anywhere other than Iran – by Ralph Savelsberg
https://breakingdefense.com/2018/05/houthi-missiles-the-iran-connection-scuds-are-not-dead-yet/
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Yemen government proposes prisoner swap with Houthi rebels
The proposal was made Wednesday evening as Muslims around the world welcomed the month of Ramadan.
The ministers called for Red Cross and Red Crescent to mediate and ensure all prisoners can return home for the holy month.
This includes 14 Yemeni journalists held by the Houthis and an unspecified number of foreign detainees.
Tribal mediation has in the past led to the release of hundreds of prisoners by the warring parties. The number of those still detained is unknown.
and
(A P)
Yemen’s Houthis propose prisoner swap with Aden govt
Yemen’s Houthis on Friday offered to carry out a prisoner swap with both the Yemeni government and Saudi Arabia, which has led a military coalition against the rebel group since 2015.
“We are ready to carry out a wide-ranging prisoner exchange, either directly or through the Red Cross,” Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, a leading Houthi official, tweeted Friday.
Yemen’s Aden-based government says the Houthis have rejected past attempts to exchange prisoners, accusing the group of abducting thousands of Yemenis, including political and military leaders.
There are no reliable figures as to the number of prisoners being held by the Houthis or those being held by the Yemeni government or the Saudi-led coalition.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/yemen-s-houthis-propose-prisoner-swap-with-aden-govt/1149930 and https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180519-we-are-ready-for-yemeni-and-saudi-prisoner-swap-says-houthi-official/
and
(A P)
Head of Houthi Revolutionary Committee said Friday his group is ready to swap all prisoners with Govt & Saudi directly or through ICRC. I've talked to ICRC abut it, he wrote on Twitter. Govt demands the release of all prisoners within measures to build trust before peace talks.
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/997431476793806848
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There is a veiled vision to divide Yemen: UNESCO ambassador
Ahmad al-Sayyad, Yemen's ambassador to UNESCO, sees Saudi-UAE synergy in wake of row over troop deployment to Socotra.
There is a hidden plan between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to divide Yemen, the ambassador of the UN's cultural agency in Yemen has told Al Jazeera.
In an interview on Wednesday, UNESCO ambassador Ahmad al-Sayyad said, "there is synergy between the roles of Saudi Arabi and the UAE. There is a veiled vision to divide Yemen."
Referring to shifting alliances in Yemen, al-Sayyad said, "after three years now, the coalition still does not know what it wants in Yemen".
"It's time to sit down with the Saudi-led coalition and find out what they want in Yemen."
My comment: I think up to now nobody still really knows, I don’t think that the Saudis do have any real plan for Yemen.
And also
(* A P)
Yemeni delegate to UNESCO : the Saudi and Emirates presence at Socotra is illegal
The Yemeni delegate to UNESCO Ahmed Al Siyad said any military presence of the Arabic coalition at Socotra out of the governmental approval is illegal.
And he added in his interview with (Aljazeera channel), Socotra is safe and there is no justification for any military presence at the island.
There is a harmony between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and hidden intentions to divide Yemen into North and South he said.
He added there is a military presence of UAE at South of Yemen supporting the separation movement and the government not agreeing with them in this direction and returning Ali Saleh family to the authority.
The war must stop he said, and it's about time to sit with the coalition and knows what really they want from Yemen.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/98956
(* A K)
Ince: bulker was hit by missile off Yemen
Turkish owner says Russian wheat cargo undamaged by attack.
Turkish owner Ince Shipping has confirmed that a bulker damaged by an explosion off Yemen was hit by a missile. The Deniz Haber website published a statement by the company saying the 52,000-dwt (subscribe)
http://www.tradewindsnews.com/casualties/1493164/ince-bulker-was-hit-by-missile-off-yemen
Remark: Houthi leaders contend that the Inebolu was struck by Saudi coalition warplanes, not by rebel forces.
In a statement, Houthi ministry of transport told Saba News that the vessel "was targeted by [the Saudi coalition] after taking the permit to enter from the [UN Verification, Inspection and Monitoring] office in Djibouti."
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1744981505554872
(A P)
Saudi Arabia renews its firm stance in favor of a united Yemen
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-18483
(* B H)
Film, Transcript: Yemen was poor before, but ‘the war just finished us’
Special correspondent Marcia Biggs was able to enter the country to learn how its people are struggling, with support from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.
Biggs: But after months of waiting, we were able to get permission to enter the country through the southern city of Aden, the new de facto capital of Yemen’s government, controlled by the Saudi-led coalition.
We were hoping to get to areas under siege, but kept hitting a wall.
So, it’s incredibly difficult to access the northern Houthi-controlled areas to cover what’s going on there. Even if you can secure permission from the Houthis, it’s getting there that’s the problem.
So we went to a village called Basateen on the outskirts of Aden, to try to tell the story as best we could.
So, since we can’t get to the north to the Houthi-controlled areas, we’re going to talk to some people that have recently arrived to find out what life is like there.
Living in this one room are Souad, her two sons, and daughter-in-law. Souad says she fled daily airstrikes near her home in Hudaydah one month ago, but the lack of food was worse than the bombs.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/yemen-was-poor-before-but-the-war-just-finished-us = http://pulitzercenter.org/reporting/survival-struggle-rubble-yemens-war
and
(* B H)
Film, Transscript: Survival is a struggle in the rubble of Yemen’s war
Tonight, again in partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, special correspondent Marcia Biggs reports.
Marcia Biggs: Life here is a grind. Everywhere you go, you see destruction like this. There’s been virtually no rebuilding. Trash piles up in the street. There are open sewage lines. They may have driven the Houthis out of this part of the country, but the official Yemeni government is massively fractured. The result? A failed state.
Ahmed bin Ahmed al-Maysari is Yemen’s interior minister, a cabinet member of embattled and exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
Ahmed bin Ahmed al-Maysari (through translator): We don’t regret that Emiratis are here. They helped us. But you can’t go to the port without permission from UAE. You can’t go to the airport without permission from UAE. You can’t enter Aden from without the permission of UAE.
I — as the minister of interior, I don’t even have authority over the prisons. What is my value as the minister of interior? The coalition originally came to fight Houthis with us, so wherever there are Houthis, the Saudis and the UAE must be there. But once an area is liberated, the legitimate government should be allowed to rule it.
Marcia Biggs: Do you feel occupied?
(LAUGHTER)
Marcia Biggs: Am I not correct? It sounds like occupation to me.
Ahmed bin Ahmed al-Maysari (through translator):
It’s undeclared. We have a lot of indicators on the ground that support what you just said, but we still think good of UAE. And the answer to your question will come in the next few months.
It’s either that the coalition countries prove that they came to support the legitimate government, and they enable us to do our work, or they will prove the thing you just said, and I myself will go and say it in a press conference, but not now.
[…]
Hanan Mohamed Ali Hasan (through translator): The Yemeni government has no control over Yemen. This is our country, but the coalition treat us like slaves in our country. They are occupying us. They have helped us once, and we thank them, but they need to leave.
Marcia Biggs: Here in the south, the silence of stalemate is a far cry from the scream of airstrikes in the north. And life goes on amid the rubble of yesterday’s war, with little hope for tomorrow.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/struggling-to-survive-in-the-rubble-of-yemens-war
and film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p07oUWKIZpk = https://video.wttw.com/video/struggling-to-survive-in-the-rubble-of-yemen-s-war-1526601338/
(* B H)
Film, Transscript: Scarred by war, Yemen’s children carry burdens beyond their years
In Yemen, some of the most vulnerable victims are the 2 million children on the brink of starvation, or those who lost limbs during the fighting. In Aden, many children have been fit with prosthetic limbs, but with rudimentary materials and old technology, they are sometimes barely functional. Special correspondent Marcia Biggs reports in partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.
Tonight, we meet and hear from the youngest and smallest victims, who bear the weight and scars of war, all the while trying to remain who they are, children.
Again in partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, special correspondent Marcia Biggs reports.
MARCIA BIGGS: This is the scene all over the southern port city of Aden, scars that have not healed from a war that will not end. Even amid the relative peace of Aden today, neighborhoods sit frozen in wartime.
“We had my room just over there,” 18-year-old Moawad tells me. His neighborhood was ground zero in a battle between Yemen’s government and Houthi rebels back in 2015. His home is still a pile of rubble, but, luckily, he and his family were not home when the missile hit.
But Imad wasn’t so lucky. He was just 5 years old when his home was hit. He lost both his legs, but not his spirit. Now 8 years old, he’s one of many children being fitted with prosthetic limbs here at the Prosthesis and Physical Therapy Center in Aden.
But he prefers to bound around on his hands. “I’m strong,” he tells me, “and first in my class.” Then he sings me to me, his version of a Saudi pop song playing on the radio.
SAMAH MOHAMMED, Prosthesis and Physical Therapy Center: When I saw them playing and smiling, they are missing limb, but still smiling, really, they giving me support. I’m learning from them. With film)
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/scarred-by-war-yemens-children-carry-burdens-beyond-their-years
and
(* B H K)
Film: How food became a weapon of war in Yemen
Marcia Biggs: in this pediatric ward in Aden, every room tells a version of the same story. 11-Month old Malika Al Khader clinging to life. Weighing only seven pounds, she’s just one of the 17 million Yemenis who aren’t getting enough food to survive. We only eat one meal a day, her mom tells me. We fled from Mokha three months ago and we’re living in a camp.
“Is there food in the camp?”
There is only rice, tomato sauce, and a little bit of wheat she says, and I’m breastfeeding.
“When did your baby become sick?”
Malika can’t get the nutrients she needs because her mother doesn’t have enough food. Malika is half the weight she should be at eleven months old. Her immune system vulnerable, she contracted measles and went into sepsis. Today, both sides in the conflict use food as a weapon of war.
The Houthis by hiking food prices to finance their war effort and the Saudi coalition by attempting to starve the Houthi side into submission. For two months last year, the Saudi Government blockaded the Houthi held port of Hodeidah in an attempt to choke its supply lines.
For a country that historically has relied on imports for 90% of its food, it was catastrophic. Amid international outcry, the Saudis eased the blockade in January. But in order to control who gets both food and fuel entering Yemen, the coalition requires some ships to be be diverted to the already crowded port of Aden, which the coalition oversees.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-food-became-a-weapon-of-war-in-yemen#transcript
Video here: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-food-became-a-weapon-of-war-in-yemen and here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjuzev_UigQ
(* B H)
Yemenis fall deeper into poverty on eve of Ramadan
Marketplaces in Yemen's rebel-held capital Sanaa were stacked with produce on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan, but there were barely any customers with the means to buy.
Prices have spiked over the course of Yemen's conflict
During Ramadan, the breaking of the fast at sunset is a sacred tradition, which usually begins with dates.
But in the bustling Sanaa souk, date vendor Ali Saleh said there were few customers stopping by his stall -- stacked high with the traditional sweet.
In the heart of Sanaa's old city, the wartime prices are out of reach for most of the inhabitants.
"The prices ahead of Ramadan are very high and don't match with what people are making, especially those with ration cards," lamented Abdullah Mofaddel, a resident of the capital.
Unable to pay the salaries of many civil servants, the rebel administration has distributed ration cards instead so people can buy basic necessities.
Residents say truckers transporting food are extorted at checkpoints belonging to the rebels and government forces alike, and the cost gets tacked on before the food reaches the markets.
The price of a 40-kilogramme (90-pound) sack of rice has risen by a third in the past few days alone, while a 50-kg bag of sugar has gone up 25 percent, Sanaa residents told AFP.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5736389/Yemenis-fall-deeper-poverty-eve-Ramadan.html and film on the same subject: https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/996886199347408896
cp2a Saudische Blockade / Saudi blockade
Siehe / Look at cp1
(B H P)
Sign petition: Lift Saudi led blockade of Yemen before millions die because of Famine
If situation remains the same, in what will be the world's worst famine crisis in decades, millions of Yemani citizen will die. Saudi-led military coalition must end this inhuman and devastating air, sea and ground blockade and allow humanitarian aid into the Yemani territory.
Yemen is facing worst form of sea, air and ground blockade and unless Saudi led coalition lifts it, there will be a famine in the country.
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
Siehe / Look at cp1
(B H)
Med. Versorgung von Kindern in Hudaydah, die an akuter Unterernährung leiden
In der Hafenstadt Hudaydah und Umgebung befinden sich die Gebiete, an denen die meisten Kinder an Unterernährung leiden. Deshalb wird der Verein Kinder Jemens in Not e.V. mit Ihrer Hilfe den Kindern, die an Unterernährung leiden, durch Bereitstellung verzehrfertiger Nahrung eine Überlebenschance verschaffen. Die Notnahrung enthält angereichertes Milchpulver und alle nötigen Nährstoffe, um Mangelerscheinungen abzuwehren, so dass das Kind wieder an Gewicht zulegen kann. Diese Fertignahrung ist lange haltbar und benötigt keine weitere Zubereitung.
(* B H)
YEMEN: Interview With Founder of Mona Relief Humanitarian Aid
Fatik: I started working as a humanitarian after the Saudi-led coalition launched a bombing campaign in Yemen in March 2015. I could not stay home or watching while my country was in need of all of us. When the humanitarian situation started to deteriorate because of ongoing war and blockade, I decided to do something to help affected people. My humanitarian work has been focused on saving lives of IDPs and most vulnerable people in Amanat Al-Asimah “Sanaa the capital”, Sanaa the governorate, Amran, Saada, Hodeida, Marib, Dhamar, Mahwit and Hajjah.
I am the CEO of MonaRelief and have two main tasks, the office task is focused on daily and weekly communications with donors, international and local aid agencies and people that come to my office and ask for help. I also attend meetings of the UN and international organizations to discuss the situation and coordinate activities in Yemen. Moreover, I network with local organizations and support individual aid initiatives.
The field task: I am the leader of my field crews. I visit cities and areas to distribute and supervise the delivery of aid to the needy people. I also assess where, how, why and to whom aid must be given, besides supervising the performance of the field crews in order to guarantee everything is done in a good way.
You can find more information about our work on our website monareliefye.org; our twitter account @monarelief or @monareliefye; Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/monareliefarbaic, and Flickr http://www.flickr.com/monareliefyemen.
The blockade has affected my work largely. It has been preventing my organization from receiving aid cargoes “mostly food, clothes and medicines” and financial aid sent by foreign donors. We have been unable to receive financial aid through our bank accounts because Yemen was sanctioned and money transfers into it suspended.
(B H)
Yemen, in una tinozza l'orrore nascosto al mondo
[A skeleton baby put in a bucket to be weighed and war on #Yemen
Hidden horror of the world]
https://www.avvenire.it/rubriche/pagine/yemen-in-una-tinozza-l-orrore-nascosto-al-mondo
(B H)
An experience. Around 26 hours to #Seyoun in the bus to travel to Cairo. #Sana'a airport NEEDS to be re-open! Hundreds of patients struggle for hours everyday, doubling the pain & the cost for them! A kid I saw, who's a special need had to go through this too, WHY IS THIS OKAY?!
https://twitter.com/FarahWazeer/status/997363913367916545
Comment: Majnoon..... Nowadays, it takes 26 hours by road, from Sanaa to Seiyun, Hadhramaut. I used to drive it in 5+ hours.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/997626363317227521
(A H)
Film: Watch this group of some friends in #Sanaa got some support to do a charity kitchen, which gives free food rations for the poor. Yemen's young people are the country's brightest hope.
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/997604571492048897
(* B H)
More than 22 million Yemenis need humanitarian assistance every day. Here’s how you can help
More than 22 million Yemenis need humanitarian assistance every day. Here’s how you can help
Three years after a Saudi-led coalition began to bomb Yemen, the country is hanging on by a thread, workers for international aid organizations say.
The country’s protracted war has decimated much of its infrastructure, and 22 million people — at least 75 percent of the country’s population — require humanitarian assistance every day. Nearly 9,000 people have died since the conflict began, according to the U.N.’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, though other estimates have placed the toll much higher.
“All basic infrastructure has been affected and this affected the majority of the Yemeni population,” said Mirella Hodeib, a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross based in Yemen’s capital, Sana’a.
“There is nothing very joyful or promising optimistic in any way,” she said.
Saudi-led blockades of ports and land routes into Yemen have strangled the supply lines for food, medical supplies and other forms of aid in the country. Before the yearslong war, Yemen was importing 90 percent of its goods.
International Rescue Committee
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Mwatana Organization for Human Rights
(* B H)
One Human Family-One World-Yemen
We are collecting funds to help the children of Yemen. During Ramadan it is fundamental to give to the poor. These children live in a country that is in the worst humanitarian crisis in the world! These families need food,medicine and health care. Right now there are over 22 million people who are starving! Many are IDP’s(Internally Displaced Persons).
By giving a generous amount of only 28$, you are helping feed an entire family containing of six person for one month, or providing a tablet of medicine or enroll a student in a school.
Several of projects have been carried out since we started, and over 10,000 families fed and this great works returned to our donors. We believe that in spite of heavy humanitarian crisis but there is a hope for patient to cure and no one deserve to die hungry
Please take a moment to learn about YOUR ABILITIES ORG website and learn about many projects carried out in many aspects like response relief, medical, educational projects and psychological support for children affected by cancer. www.yourabilities.org
The only way for these children and poor and displaced families is by donate to the charity organization inside Yemen. YOUR ABILITIES organization's caring in all aspects, starting of child care to youth care to family care and to society care, which make YOUR ABILITIES a destination for who want to help. Draw a smile on faces, pleasure to their hearts and create an environmental education to all is a duty that YOUR ABILITIES found for that. All funds raised will now be sent via western union or money gram each time the sum raised reaches $3,000.
Distribution of food baskets... for more visit our website:
http://www.yourabilities.org/en/en-mu-events/en-mu-event-compaing
The benefit of donating though GoFundMe to Yemeni charity is that nearly 100% of your money(minus small GoFundMe fee) is used to purchase food, medicine, Rehabilitation and treat children, that will be hand-delivered to the families in communities where are suffering terribly from lack of food, warm clothing, medical and education.
This campaign receives donation is in Dollar and Euro currency. " The poor and displaced families and children of Yemen need urgent help and they need it now". The humanitarian group that will benefit from 100 percent of your donation is the YOUR ABILITIES organization for development.
YOUR ABILITIES organization medical & health projects on children affected by cancer and patient in kidney dialysis.
https://www.gofundme.com/One-human-family-one-world-Yemen
(* B H)
Film: Ramadan im Jemen für viele unmöglich
Für gläubige Muslime ist der Ramadan der heilige Fastenmonat, in dem von Sonnenaufgang bis Sonnenuntergang gefastet wird. Weil im Jemen aber viele Muslime flüchten mussten, sind sie zum Fasten zu schwach.
https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/ramadan-jemen-krieg-101.html
(A H)
Based on a fund provided by @PartnersRelief to feed IDPs and most vunerable families in #Yemen @monarelief delivered 103 food aid baskets in al-Raqeh area of Bani Quiss in Hajjeh where Saudi airstrikes hit wedding party there. #monarelief #Ramadan2018 cc @monareliefye (photos)
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/997182933436977153
(B H)
Defending the rights of vulnerable population through the election of community committee
It’s most unfortunate that a small village where an estimated 168 vulnerable households are extremely food insecure and living mostly below the poverty line. Al-Hagnoon is a village which has never received any humanitarian assistance, nor has it been provided with the needed support through any humanitarian actors before. This village is located in Alzakeria sub-district, Ash Shamayatayn district of Taizz governorate. Its inhabitants are acutely suffering from lack of food, and they are in a desperate need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
As a result, Relief and Development Peer Foundation (RDP) in partnership with Bena Charity for Human Development (BCHD) has been implementing the project of "Emergency Food Assistance to the most Affected and Vulnerable Households" in Ash Shamayatayn district since December 2017. It is funded by Yemen Humanitarian Pool Fund (YHPF). This project aims to increase sufficient access to food rations for vulnerable households in Al-Asabih, Adeem, Hadharem, and lately Alzakeria sub-districts.
On May 10th, 2018, 22 staff members of our FSL field team did a great job organizing a remarkable election to form a community committee in AlHagnoon village of Alzakeria sub-district. Duties, roles, and responsibilities of a community committee were clarified for the huge gathering of hundreds of people and highlighted in a banner as well. Significantly, the whole community has been fully briefed on the project's objectives, activities, frequency of distribution, and the selection criteria of beneficiaries.
(B H)
Remembering Hanna Lahoud: ‘He cared for everyone around him’
Hanna Lahoud, 37, died in Yemen on April 21 after being shot by an unknown gunman while on an ICRC work trip to visit a prison. Friends and colleagues Patrick Youssef, Fadi Farra and Majda Flihi share their memories of Hanna’s fierce friendship and his love of the Red Cross mission.
I really do believe that some people are not born just to live but to give lessons to others, and he gave a lot of lessons to many, especially about justice, honesty and the true meaning of friendship. He cared for everyone around him.
https://www.icrc.org/en/document/remembering-hanna-lahoud-he-cared-everyone-around-him
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
Siehe / Look at cp1
(* A H)
International Organization for Migration: IOM Yemen Weekly Situation Report 6 - 12 May 2018
IOM’s coastal search and rescue teams for migrants found 313 new arrivals (80 boys and 233 men) in Lahj.
These migrants were provided with information, food, water, NFIs, and medical assistance, as necessary.
Assessment of returnee Yemenis from Saudi Arabia – conducted on a daily basis in the Hadramout Governorate – finding over 6,600 Yemenis returned from KSA in April 2018, with 61% returning without travel documents.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/iom-yemen-weekly-situation-report-6-12-may-2018
(* B H)
UN High Commissioner for Refugees: Yemen UNHCR Update, 15 - 30 April 2018
The two million people displaced across Yemen, nearly 90 per cent of whom fled their homes more than a year ago, are among the most vulnerable. Many families experiencing protracted displacement have exhausted their coping mechanisms and rely on humanitarian assistance for their survival.
In addition, the intensification of the conflict in Yemen’s Red Sea coast has prompted the displacement of 100,000 new IDPs since December 2017 alone. Women and children constitute three quarters of the displaced and are particularly vulnerable. Over one third of displaced Yemenis live in female-headed households, including many headed by female children below the age of 18. Displaced families are seeking temporary lodging in abandoned buildings, collective centres, spontaneous settlements, or host families, with large families often sharing one room.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-unhcr-update-15-30-april-2018
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
(A H)
Photos: Nearby Yemen grand mosque at the old Sanaa,3,000 years old city!
This is what life looks like NOW in the afternoon of Ramadan days.
Life here is like no other!
Where you have a panorama of everything of the very far past & present.
Despite non-stop malicious bombings!
https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/997846945669550080
(A H P)
UN orgs blamed for IDPs catastrophic situation in Hodaida: Official
Director of the National Authority for Management and Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Jaber al-Razehi, on Sunday said the UN organizations are responsible for the catastrophic situation of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Hodaida province.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496681.htm
My comment: UN orgs hardly can be blamed for this. The UN of course could be blamed for having politically failed in the Yemen war – due to its pro-Saudi bias.
(A H P)
Health Minister meets WHO representative
Minister of Public Health and Population Taha Al-Mutawakil on Saturday met with the representative of the World Health Organization, Navio Zagaria.
In the meeting, the officials discussed the ways to improve health services, emergencies, intensive care and improve the quality of work in rural and central hospitals to relieve the burden on patients.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496642.htm
(A P)
Houthis Impose Taxes on Sanaa Residents
Abdulbasit Alshajae, director of Alasima Media, said that there have also been rising complaints in Sanaa and other Yemeni cities ruled by Houthis after taxes at the start of Ramadan reached 200 percent.
Rising condemnation by Yemeni citizens over the tax hike was met by arrests, he said.
Alshajae added in remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that since the start of Ramadan, the Houthi militias have also arrested imams after they rejected to turn off loudspeakers while performing Tarawih prayers.
He confirmed of tension running high among Houthi members, saying many prominent commanders including Mohammed Ayash, editor-in-chief of Al Oula Newspaper, have fled in the past days.
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1272336/houthis-impose-taxes-sanaa-residents
My comment: By Saudi media, with propaganda bias. – Please show me the country where no taxes are imposed on residents. Taxes reached 200%? That’s impossible. If you earn $ 2.000 and are taxed 20 % you must pay $ 400. If you are taxed 100 % you must pay the whole 2.000. If you are taxed 200% you must pay 4.000???
(A P)
Yemen media claim: Houthis banned all mosques from reading Sura At-Tareq during prayers, viewing it is a call to support General Tareq Muhammad Abdullah Saleh.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/997264671169269760
(A H)
Photos of my friend's graduation party in the capital #Sanaa #Yemen. My friend @Las_Alsanani said"I will not lose hope, I will keep fighting to achieve my dream."
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/996846587765755905
(A P)
Mohamed Houthi to American Government: You Do Not Have the Right to Speak
In response to the US State Department’s statement, the head of the Supreme Revolutionary Committee, Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, stressed that there is no officially recognized Baha’i entity in the Republic of Yemen, and that the issue is to divert attention from the Trump decision in Palestine.
My comment: This is certainly true but does not absolve the Houthis in the Bahai matter.
(A P)
Yemen’s martyr families endlessly supply frontlines against Saudi forces
The family of the martyr Ahmed Saleh Mohsen Maasar from the district of Al-Al-Hida, Dhamar province, supplied the frontlines with a food convoy in support of the Yemeni Army and Ansarullah against Saudi Forces.
(* B P)
Former detainee tells of ‘horrific torture’ in Houthi jails
A former detainee on Wednesday told of torture and murder in the jails and camps of the Iranian-backed Houthi militias and called for international human rights organizations to inspect the conditions of thousands of detainees across Yemen.
Addressing a crowded press conference at the Yemen Embassy in Riyadh on Wednesday, Gamal Al-Maamri, a Yemeni activist released by Houthi militias in a prisoner swap, shared details of his ordeal after he was abducted in March 2015 and taken to the National Security Bureau prison in Sanaa.
A video showing Al-Maamri’s torture, which sparked anger and condemnation of Houthi brutality, was also shown during the press conference.
Al-Maamri said that many prisoners had died because of excessive torture.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1304171/saudi-arabia and this is the video (graphic):
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156685760508641
and
(* B P)
Yemeni Captive Reveals Secrets of Houthi Prisons: ‘We Endure Systematic Ethnic Cleansing’
Yemeni Sheikh Jamal al-Maamari, a freed captive who was released from Houthi jails recently, described what he saw in these prisons as death under the whip.
Maamari, who is from Amran governorate and was paralyzed by systematic torture from Iranian-backed Houthi militias, spoke of dozens of captives inside Houthi camps, who have been there for three years and live in tragic conditions without the knowledge of their families and relatives.
Sheikh Jamal also revealed that there are prisoners from various nationalities, including Saudis, Emiratis, Americans, Hungarians and French, and are under the influence of militias- without disclosing their information to the public.
“We endure systematic ethnic cleansing in Yemen,” Maamari said.
Narrating his arrest story, Sheikh Jamal said that the Houthi militias arrested him on March 13, 2015 from Armani Hotel in Sanaa.
“After I was arrested, they beat me until they thought I was dead, and threw me to the morgue. I was lucky to have survived."
They were surprised that I did not die and brought me back to the torture rooms. Then they kept me awake for eight days – with sessions of torture taking place every 15 minutes,” Maamari said.
My comment: By Saudi media, while the Saudis torture as well.
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
(A P)
Relatives of assassination victims form pressure group
The relatives of many government soldiers, mosque preachers, human rights activists and ordinary civilians killed in a mysterious wave of assassinations in the temporary capital Aden over the past two years have formed a pressure group.
The relatives of the assassinated and a large number of lawyers and CSOs and rights activists organized a ceremony in Aden on Saturday and announced the launch of League of Relatives of the Assassinated.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-18567
(A T)
Interior Ministry says it arrested wanted persons including Daesh leader
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-18564
(* A P)
Retired Saudi general calls for South Yemen independence
A retired Saudi Arabian general is engaged in a Twitter campaign which calls clearly for an independent South Yemen. Anwar Eshki is now the head of the Middle East Centre for Strategic and Legal Studies in Riyadh and has also said that South Yemen should be part of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
“I pray to God to bless the south, which spread Islam in East Asia and Africa, with independence and prosperity in this world and a sky-sized and earth-sized Heaven in the Hereafter,” he wrote.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180519-retired-saudi-general-calls-for-south-yemen-independence/
Comment: Note the appearance at the Council on Foreign Relations. This is the public face of the Bilderbergers.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156693508933641
(* B P)
Yemeni Minister: we can’t enter Aden without prior permission from UAE
Yemeni interior minister Ahmed Almaysari revealed the domination of UAE armed forces in Aden and said in his talk to the American channel PBS that He cant visit Aden port or Aden Airport or even entering Aden without prior permission from the United Arab Emirates.
Almaysari and according to Balqees channel, the government has no authority or control over the prisons.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/98977
Remark: The PBS report (film) in cp2 above.
(A P)
Marib police command denies the clashes at the governorate
The police command in Marib Said “the allegations made by Houthis of clashes at the governmental complex in Marib is not true”
The command issued a statement about the incident” what truly happened is and during the process of paying the salaries by the salaries committee at the governmental complex a crowding occurred and one of the organizing soldiers had to shoot some round in air to reorganize the crowds which they receive their salaries and there were no injuries”
http://almasdaronline.com/article/98976
(A T)
Unidentified gunmen shoot dead man in Sheikh Othman
It seems that the spate of assassinations in the temporary capital Aden, as well as other government-held provinces, has no end. On Wednesday evening, unknown gunmen assassinated a man in Sheikh Osman district in the temporary capital Aden.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-18521
(* A K P)
Militants attacked a #Saudi base in al Ghaydah city, al #Mahrah, eastern #Yemen. #SaudiArabia began deploying troops to al Mahrah in NOV 2017 to counter smuggling in the governorate, sparking fears that their deployment will destabilize the area.
https://twitter.com/MaherFarrukh/status/997318183785848834 referring to http://adengd.net/news/318860/
(A H)
Residents in Al-Bustan neighborhood in #Yemen's UAE-run Aden found half of a 13-year child's body on Thursday. Top part wasn't found. 3rd crime in city in last 48 hrs. A security official said crime bore hallmarks of organ trade. Whatever it was, they've failed to protect people.
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/997270388559278080 and also https://twitter.com/I4Yemen/status/997200810936332290
(* B P T)
Assassinating Yemen’s Moderate Clerics
According to an Associated Press report, more than 25 clerics have been assassinated in southern Yemen since the beginning of 2016.
Even as the UAE denies its militias are behind the killings, local sentiment is turning against the UAE.
While supporting the return of exiled President Hadi, the UAE targets Yemen’s branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, which also supports Hadi.
The Saudi-led coalition against the Iran-supported Houthis continues to be a nightmarish quagmire, with coalition partners UAE and Saudi Arabia competing with each other for influence.
There is much fear among religious clerics and scholars in the country, but few answers, with rumors swirling as to who is behind the murders. What is clear is that targeting moderate clerics is a tried and true method of intimidating communities and silencing alternative voices—allowing extremism to fill the void. That most of the murdered clerics were affiliated with Islah, Yemen’s branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, has added more layers of intrigue—and will likely have lasting negative repercussions for the country and region.
The heavy military presence and the political maneuverings by the UAE have led to resentment against them in Aden and other parts of Yemen. Local sentiment has grown even more negative over the ongoing killing of clerics. The UAE denies it or the militias it supports have had anything to do with the killings; however, the UAE is vehemently opposed to anything related to the Muslim Brotherhood, and the killing of so many Islah-affiliated clerics has thrown suspicion on the UAE.
http://www.soufangroup.com/intelbrief-assassinating-yemens-moderate-clerics/
Comment: This is one of two articles that I have found today that discuss the division of Yemen. This one describes the killing of moderate voices of opposition, leaving only extremists as opposition to occupying forces; comparing the situation to the one that occurred in Iraq. It refers to the increasing unpopularity of UAE in the South, in part because of the assassination of clerics who are associated with a Islah, whom UAE designate as a terrorist organisation; many blame UAE although they say they are not guilty. Islah followers and militias currently mainly support Hadi and the Saudi led coalition, but they don't trust UAE. They didn't always do so - when Hadi was still in charge of Yemen Islah opposed Hadi.
Not all support Hadi and Saudi now - a notable dissident who once supported the coalition but now doesn't is Tawokkel Karmen the peace laureate - though I think she still notionally supports Hadi but probably because there is an absence of alternatives. Once people thought she was a possible candidate for the presidency; maybe her changing political position is to get back into the presidential chase. Some dissidents from Islah support Saudi but not Hadi and UAE. It's complicated to keep on top of what actually is happening as alliances on all sides split - the war is still broadly in stalemate, despite the big push on the Red Sea coast that is causing deaths, destruction and displacement. It's horrific. Yemen needs peace and if they can get that who cares who is president.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156688179913641
(A P)
Yemeni government bans civilians carrying of arms in Aden
The Yemeni government issued a ban on civilians carrying arms in the interim capital Aden, Al Ekhbariya reported.
In an urgent memorandum to the Minister of Interior, Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr said that his government is moving toward consolidating and unifying the work of the security services.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1304291/middle-east
(A P)
KUNA : Yemeni President appreciates efforts of joint cmte on Socotra Island
Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi on Saturday spoke highly of the efforts of the joint military committee that led to the normalization of the situation in Socotra Island.
https://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2728163&language=en#
(* A P)
UAE military withdraws from Yemen's Socotra under Saudi deal
Riyadh promises development plan and security training for locals as unwanted Emirati troops leave island
The UAE has withdrawn the majority of its solders from the Yemeni island of Socotra, in a deal brokered by Saudi Arabia that defused a military and political row with Yemen over their unwanted presence.
Three UAE planes departed on Thursday with troops and their equipment, Andalou agency reported.
Their withdrawal came after the Saudi-backed Yemen government said the UAE had not sought permission to deploy, and considered their presence "an act of aggression".
Emirati troops were first deployed to Socotra at the end of April. A force in the hundreds had been built up since then.
They will be replaced by Saudi soldiers under the agreement, who will train Yemeni security forces and allow them to operate the island's airport and the port.
Saudi Arabia would ensure water and electricity supplies in Socotra, according to the deal.
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uae-begins-evacuating-forces-yemen-s-socotra-2088005109 and photos: https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/997232775949414401
(B H P)
Saudi Ambassador to Yemen: Surprise for #Socotra island
Mohamed Al Jaber said that under the guidance of King Salman and his Crown Prince and in coordination with the Yemeni government, Saudi Arabia will ensure all the needs of electricity and water on the island are met in order to reduce the price of electricity and water costs.
My comment: Now the Saudis will use Socotra island for it’s strategic value, having driven out the Emirates. That’s jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
(* B P)
Unnecessary Socotra crisis
“No one knows why the UAE is so interested in the Islands,” Al-Zubaidi said. “Some say it wants to transform them into a tourist destination or use them for mineral and oil exploration, while others argue it wants to have a presence on a global trade route.”
The Socotra Archipelago is composed of six islands 300 km from Mukalla on the southern coast of Yemen, with the distance between them and Somalia being less than 280 km. By adding Socotra, the UAE, along with its investments in Berbera and its ability to transform its military presence in Asab into an economic role, could benefit from transforming the four ports of Mukalla, Socotra, Berbera and Asab into logistics centres for international shipping through the Red Sea.
Zayd Hassan, a researcher in Aden, said “it would be too expensive to transform Socotra into a tourist destination, and the UAE already has millions of foreign tourists,” however.
“The UAE already has a trade and economic presence in the Horn of Africa, which means it does not need to take control of Socotra. However, Yemen and the UAE would both benefit if the Islands became a logistics station.”
Hassan believes the Muslim Brotherhood and the Houthis will take this opportunity to close ranks, especially since the Transitional Council for the South, backed by the UAE, defeated the Reform Party and removed its forces from Aden a few months ago.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/24582.aspx
(A)
The state of emergency announced in the province of Aden and the southern coasts
Authorities , loyal to the Saudi-led coalition, in Aden have declared their readiness to face a possible hurricane expected to hit the coast of Aden within 72 hours.
Aden governorate officials have set up an operations room and set an emergency budget for each of Aden’s districts to face a possible hurricane in Aden and other coastal areas in southern and western Yemen.
(* A P)
Southern Yemen: UAE forces arrest 60 fishermen from Shahair fishermen and take them to a secret prison
The UAE violent practices against the people of the South of Yemen , special forces , belonging to the UAE, on Tuesday evening arrested 60 fishermen, some of who were protesting at the gate of Al-Rayyan airport in protest against the prevention of the UAE forces from fishing in the vicinity of Al-Rayyan.
According to local sources, the special forces , belonging to UAE, took the fishermen to the Rabwa prison in Mukalla which belongs to the UAE intelligence .
Earlier this morning, the UAE forces arrested the head of the Fishermen’s Association in the town of Shahir ,Salah al-Shabibi, and took him to al-Rabwa detention center in Khalaf al-Mukalla, which is under full American control.
It is worth mentioning that the fishermen of Shammer have held several demonstrations and protests in front of Al-Rayyan airport, which was assigned as the special headquarters for the leadership of the UAE and Saudi Arabia .. It is also used as a prisoner of enforced disappearance.
(* B P)
A number of abductees die under torture at Saudi/American mercenary prisons in Marib
Well-informed sources in the province of Marib confirmed that the Islah militias are torturing the abductees from the people of Marib province and some of the prisoners, pointing to the existence of a large number of deaths in the ranks of the kidnapped and prisoners as a result of torture.
A local source said that Hassan Abdullah Zayed Al-Sharif was one of the abductees who died as a result of torture in the prisons of the American-Saudi mercenary militia in Marib.
The official news agency quoted a source as saying that Hassan al-Sharif was subjected to psychological and physical torture for two years of detention until he died in the prison controlled by Saudi/American mercenaries.
(B P)
Rule of law has not been implemented in freed provinces. Security is deteriorating, assassinations on the rise, community safety is crumbling. Legal structure is not given any attention in provinces such as #Aden. This is having negative impact on human lives. #Yemen
https://twitter.com/ToEducate/status/996518026395648000
Comment: As well as on the trust of the people in those responsible for governing them, I might add.
https://twitter.com/MarieHeinze/status/996608632258285568
Comment: for a reason all this security deterioration in the south and one of the reasons for a situation like this is the legitimacy government which became a game in the hands of Islahis in corporation with terrorist groups who's refusing the demands of Southren people
https://twitter.com/goldensla/status/996595896556163072
(A P)
A clash between Security authorities in Taiz kills 2 civilians
The clash was between the security of the governorate and soldiers from Aljudairi police station.
According to a security source, the head of the Aljudairi police station blocked the road in the front of the oil company( the governorate temporary headquarter) which made the military police interfere and try to prevent them, the situation escalate and both sides opened fire, the fire shoots reached the governorate building and the governor residence.
The source added the guards of the governorate and military police respond to the sources of fires which led to the kill of 2 and injury of few others without knowing their identities yet.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/98939
(A T)
Assassination of Aden University dean sparks outcry in Yemen
The University of Aden has condemned the murder of its dean of sciences and her son and granddaughter, who were killed in her apartment in the de facto government capital of Yemen.
“The academic community, the city of Aden, and all of Yemen were shocked by the assassination of Dr. Naja Ali Moqbel, the dean of the Faculty of Sciences, and her son Sameh and granddaughter, after a gunman stormed her home,” a statement said Wednesday.
Neighbours of Dr. Moqbel in the western Inma residential district managed to catch the gunman and the security services arrived soon after, according to the statement.
It said the university president had convened an emergency meeting in the wake of the killings, appointing a task force mandated to press for a timely and transparent investigation of the case.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1304416/middle-east
(A T)
Unknowns Kills a Dean in Aden university
Armed men have killed the dean of medical sciences at Aden University and two of her sons –(Tuesday night), at Aden -South Yemen.
A source said, armed men stormed Dr.Najat Ali apartment at Enmaa city and killed her and two of her family and flee the scene.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/98931
and
(A T)
Unidentified gunmen have killed the Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Aden, Dr. Najat Muqbil and her son Sameh Haiderah, and her four-year daughter, "Lian", inside their home in the district of al-Mansoura in Aden late last night. (photos)
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/996705623726313472 and also (from Northern Yemeni government) http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496448.htm
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
(A P)
The #US Secretary of State has met with the #UN Special Envoy for Yemen Mr. Martin Griffiths on Friday and discussed the need of de-escalation and dialogue among parties to Yemen conflict.
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/997817857894436865
My comment: Arsonist and fire fighter…
(A P)
UN Envoy to Present Peace Plan on Yemen Before Mid-June
UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths is planning to present the “general framework” of his peace plan on Yemen before mid-June and is looking forward to a formal re-launch of peace negotiations afterwards, a statement issued by the UN said on Tuesday.
“The Special Envoy is making good progress towards the production of a framework for negotiations as promised in his briefing to the UN Security Council in April. He plans to put that to the council in the first half of June,” the statement said.
It added, however: “We are all gravely concerned by the negative impact of the recent escalations of attacks on the political process.”
Griffiths reiterated his calls that all parties take urgent measures to de-escalate.
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1270011/un-envoy-present-peace-plan-yemen-mid-june = https://www.albawaba.com/news/un-envoy-presents-new-yemen-peace-plan-mid-june-1132416
(B K P)
Yemen, continua la conta dei morti mentre si accende una speranza per i nuovi colloqui di pace
[Italian media sharing some optimism for the next peace talks concerning #Yemen.
Optimism not shared on the ground]
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
(A P)
Saudi Arabia releases 1,000 Ethiopian prisoners
Saudi Arabia has agreed to release 1,000 Ethiopian nationals who have been in prison in the Gulf state for a variety of offences, Ethiopian state affiliated media said on Saturday.
The decision was made following a request by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who was in Riyadh on an official visit this week, Fana Broadcasting Corporation reported.
Officials in Riyadh are in the process of deporting more than 500,000 illegal Ethiopian migrants. So far, 160,000 have arrived back in the Horn of Africa country.
(A P)
Saudi media brands women's rights activists 'traitors'
Pro-government media outlets in Saudi Arabia have accused eight women's rights activists who were detained of betrayal and of being traitors.
The activists persistently called for an end to the driving ban and stressed this was only a first step toward equality. Part of their demands include scrapping the mahram ("guardianship") system that gives men final say over whether a woman can marry, travel or get a passport.
The pro-government SaudiNews50 Twitter account, with its 11.5 million followers, splashed images of those arrested with red stamps over their face that read "traitor" and saying that "history spits in the face of the country's traitors".
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2018/5/19/saudi-media-brands-womens-rights-activists-traitors
(A P)
Rights groups condemn Saudi women activists' arrests
International rights groups have condemned the arrests this week of seven prominent Saudi Arabian women’s rights activists who previously campaigned for the right to drive, which the deeply conservative kingdom is set to grant from next month.
“It appears the only ‘crime’ these activists committed was wanting women to drive before Mohammed bin Salman did,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.
(A P)
Saudi Arabia arrests women activists ahead of lifting of driving ban
Saudi Arabia has arrested at least five people, mostly women who previously agitated for the right to drive and an end to the kingdom’s male guardianship system, rights activists said on Friday.
Last year’s decision to end a decades-old ban on women driving cars, set to come into effect next month, has been hailed as proof of a new progressive trend in the deeply conservative Muslim country under reform-minded Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
But it has also been accompanied by an apparent crackdown on dissent against critics, ranging from Islamist clerics to some of the very women who campaigned for years to end the ban.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-arrests/saudi-arabia-arrests-women-activists-ahead-of-lifting-of-driving-ban-idUSKCN1IJ1Z5 and https://www.wsj.com/articles/saudi-arabia-arrests-activists-who-campaigned-for-womens-right-to-drive-1526645528 (subscribers only)
and statement by Saudi Press Agency
(* A P)
General / security spokesman for the Presidency of State Security: the arrest of seven people who have contacted the suspected parties with external support for their activities and recruitment of people working in sensitive government sites
The security spokesman for the Presidency of State Security said that the competent authority monitored a coordinated activity of a group of people through which they organized work to overcome the religious and national constants, the suspicious contact with external parties in support of their activities, the recruitment of people working in sensitive government sites and the financial support of hostile elements abroad
https://www.spa.gov.sa/1767612
and
(* A P)
Saudi Arabia detains activists so they don’t take credit for getting women the right to drive
Activist are being rounded up to make sure they don't say anything at all about the Crown Prince's decison.
“Activists say the detentions are intended to prevent anyone from stealing credit for the decision from the government,” reported the WSJ, which also noted that even when the announcement was made in September, dozens of activists received calls from the government forbidding them from commenting on social media or speaking to the press — even in praise — about the Gulf Arab kingdom lifting the driving ban for women.
There’s tremendous frustration over the fact that activists in Saudi Arabia can’t even celebrate their victory.
“It’s so unimaginably stupid. All of these people would have happily talked about how glad they were about the change – just let them have five percent of the credit!” a source who is in contact with activists in Saudi Arabia told ThinkProgress.
Prisoners of Conscience reported that that Aziza al Yousef, Eman al-Nafjan, Muhammed al-Rabia, and Ibrahim Al-Mdmyegh — none of whom are named in the WSJ story — are among the activists detained:
Shortly after the decision was announced, an unnamed Saudi man interviewed by Agence France Presse said, “You can revoke the ban, but you cannot force men to allow their sisters and wives to drive. As head of my family, I make the decisions — not the women.”
Another man posted a video on YouTube, declaring of female drivers, “I swear to God, I will burn her and her car.” He was arrested shortly thereafter.
https://thinkprogress.org/saudi-detains-activists-womens-right-to-drive-6e9e46e1ccd6/
Comment: I suspect Saudi Arabia may just be about to cancel its planned cancellation of the ban on women driving.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/997632578374029312
I'm telling y'all: The hardcore Wahhabis of Saudi Arabia have seized power & toppled MBS and his ridiculous cotton candy Saudi bikini beach reform dreams. "Traitor" "Traitor" "Traitor" "Traitor"
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/997649918402727937
(B P)
Saudi authorities must reveal the fate of Saudi poet
The organizations expressed their deep concerns that the detention of al Rasheed may be associated with the fact that he is a Qatari national in light of Qatar-Gulf crisis, given that Saudi authorities have not issued any arrest orders or charges against him.
(A E P)
Saudi high-speed rail line to start operating in September
A high-speed railway linking Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia, which has been plagued by delays, will finally start operating in September, the Spanish consortium building the project said Thursday.
It will begin operating in September with four trains per week, before offering daily service by September 2019.
Saudi Arabia in 2011 awarded the contract worth 6.7 billion euros ($7.1 billion) to the consortium of 12 Spanish companies and two Saudi firms for the project which aims to improve transport between the two cities during the annual hajj pilgrimage.
(A B P)
Saudi Crown Prince is a partner of Israel, says Israel envoy to Egypt
The powerful Saudi Crown Prince has become an ally of Israel, the Israeli ambassador to Egypt has said, in the latest sign of warming relations between the two longtime enemies.
"The Saudi Crown Prince joining the vision of stability and economic development shared by Egypt and Israel is an important milestone,"
(B E P)
Außenhandelskammer in Riad: Saudi-Arabien blockiert Geschäfte deutscher Firmen wegen Spannungen
In der andauernden diplomatischen Krise zwischen Deutschland und Saudi-Arabien werden deutsche Unternehmen immer öfter bei ihren Geschäften im Königreich blockiert. Die Firmen seien deswegen "zunehmend beunruhigt", sagte der Chef der Außenhandelskammer in Riad, Oliver Oehms.
Medienberichten zufolge geht Berlin davon aus, dass deutsche Firmen momentan bei Ausschreibungen im Königreich nicht einmal berücksichtigt werden.
Die politischen Spannungen eskalierten vor einem halben Jahr, nachdem der damalige deutsche Außenminister Sigmar Gabriel Saudi-Arabien mit deutlichen Worten kritisiert hatte.
(** B P)
‘I Am the Mastermind’: Mohammed bin Salman’s Guide to Getting Rich
The heir to the Saudi throne and his family members have used businesses connected to government to make their fortune, including a mammoth deal involving Airbus
Prince Mohammed bin Salman was a teenager when he realized his father, Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, was, by Saudi royal standards, a pauper.
While other sons of Saudi Arabia’s founder grew wealthy from government business, Salman, then the governor of this capital city, supported his family with handouts from his brother the king. Mohammed decided to change that, he later told associates.
Nearly two decades later, Salman is king, and Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, is the crown prince who says he wants to crack down on corruption and remake the Saudi economy along more modern lines. Prince Mohammed is also fantastically wealthy.
How the prince amassed his wealth exemplifies ways that the autocratic kingdom, essentially a family business, continues to intermingle commercial ventures and Saudi government connections to a degree far from Western norms. While it’s been long known the Saudi royal family keeps a share of the nation’s oil income, other business dealings involving the family’s dominant branch have been held more closely.
Among the connections: Prince Mohammed is managing director—and 20% owner—of a chemical producer that supplies large, state-controlled firms, Saudi corporate filings showed as recently as last year. A company majority-owned by two of the crown prince’s younger brothers was awarded a coveted broadband license from the government, Saudi records showed.
Additionally, in 2015, Prince Mohammed helped engineer a multibillion-dollar deal between European plane giant Airbus SE and Saudi Arabia’s state-owned Saudia Airlines, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal and interviews with more than a dozen people involved in the transaction. The deal is worth tens of millions of dollars to his family, the documents show.
The story of the Airbus deal suggests this mixing of business and government remains a staple of the Saudi economy, despite the crown prince’s highly publicized crackdown on many other royals who the prince said abused their power to get rich. Indeed, Airbus decided to go into business with the king’s family despite its reservations over the blurry distinction between private and public financial interests, according to people familiar with the matter.
Prince Mohammed finalized the deal during a 2015 visit to France, says a Saudi official with knowledge of the transaction. Not long after, at a gathering in a Saudi palace, the crown prince took credit for the transaction, according to a person who was present.
“I am the mastermind behind this deal,” the prince said, explaining how it showed his success in balancing state financial interests with his family’s – by Justin Scheck and Bradley Hope
https://www.wsj.com/articles/i-am-the-mastermind-mohammed-bin-salmans-guide-to-getting-rich-1526487353?mod=fox_australian and based on this article also here: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-05-16/while-preaching-anti-corruption-mbs-gets-rich-through-politically-connected-deals
Comment: If the prince wants to convince us that he's really serious about rooting out corruption, maybe he could start to understand that when one finger points forward, three more point back
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1744976308888725
(* A P)
Saudi crown prince goes into hiding since last month's attack on royal palace
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has not been seen in public since heavy gunfire and explosions reported from outside the royal palace in the Saudi capital Riyadh late last month.
No new photo or video of bin Salman has been released by Saudi state media since that incident, which happened just after the young heir to the throne wrapped up a whirlwind global tour meant to advertise himself as the new power in the kingdom.
Bin Salman was not even seen on camera when new US Secretary of State Mike Popmeo paid his maiden visit to Riyadh in late April.
Although reports said the crown prince had hosted a working dinner with the top American diplomat, only images of Pompeo’s meetings with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir were published.
The long disappearance has raised speculation about the fate of the crown prince.
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/05/16/561951/Saudi-Arabia-Mohammed-bin-Salman-Palestine-Kushner
Remark: Some sources claimed the attack on April 21 was part of a coup led by Saudi royals who are opposed to King Salman, while other reports indicated that the shooting occurred when the palace guards targeted a small drone which came too close to Salman's residence.
And this causes rumours like this:
(A P)
Daily: Arab Intel Says Saudi Crown Prince Likely Killed in Coup
According to the Persian-language newspaper, Keyhan, a secret service report sent to the senior officials of an unnamed Arab state disclosed that bin Salman has been hit by two bullets during the April 21 attack on his palace, adding that he might well be dead as he has never appeared in the public eversince.
Heavy gunfire was heard near the Saudi King’s palace in Riyadh Saudi Arabia on April 21, while King Salman was taken to a US bunker at an airbase in the city.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13970227000578 = http://www.newnewss.net/daily-arab-intel-says-saudi-crown-prince-likely-killed-in-coup/
Remark: From Iran.
And
(A P)
Rumours of Saudi clown prince MBS's death or wounding in a coup attempt in Riyadh on 21st April have been dispelled by a 'consultant' to the Saudi embassy in Washington. He posted this photo as 'evidence' - what do you think?
https://twitter.com/QuietManc/status/997244752146980864
referring to
Photo shows (from left to right) King Hamad of #Bahrain, #Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, President Sisi of #Egypt & Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed VP of Abu Dhabi following a meeting hosted by Pres Sisi a few days ago.
https://twitter.com/fanazer/status/997229097205075968
cp9 USA
(* B P)
Trump Jr. met Gulf princes' emissary in 2016 who offered campaign help
The meeting was first reported by the New York Times on Saturday and confirmed by an attorney representing Trump Jr.
The meeting was a chance for the envoy to offer help to the Trump presidential campaign, according to The New York Times.
The newspaper said the meeting, held on Aug. 3, 2016, was arranged by Erik Prince, the founder and former head of private military contractor Blackwater, who attended the meeting. Joel Zamel, a co-founder of an Israeli consulting firm, was also in attendance.
Alan Futerfas, Trump Jr.’s attorney, said on Saturday that nothing came of the meeting.
Comment: The real collusion nobody cares about is between the trump campaign and the UAE, Saudis and an Israeli firm that specializes in manipulating social media
https://twitter.com/RaniaKhalek/status/997965522045161474
and
(* B P)
REPORT: TRUMP JR. ALSO MET SAUDI ARABIA, UAE EMISSARY FOR CAMPAIGN HELP, NOT JUST RUSSIA
Trump Jr., who has already faced scrutiny for the June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer who claimed to have damaging political opposition research on Donald Trump’s then-opponent Hillary Clinton, held the meeting at Trump Tower in August 2016 with the emissary, George Nader, and private security contractor Erik Prince, The New York Times reported Saturday. Israeli and apparent social media expert Joel Zamel was also present at the meeting.
The meeting could represent another example of the Trump campaign meeting with the representative of a foreign government intent on helping the billionaire claim victory in the 2016 election.
Such contact generated Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election in favor of the current president, and Mueller’s team is reportedly looking into the Emirates potential role or influence in the election as well.
http://www.newsweek.com/trump-saudi-arabia-uai-meeting-russia-935488?piano_t=1
(* A P)
Lawmakers seek to limit US involvement in Yemen's civil war
Lawmakers in the House are looking to restrain U.S. support for the Saudi-led military campaign in the Yemen civil war in an annual defense policy bill, so far filing at least nine amendments with that aim.
Lawmakers in both chambers of Congress have grown increasingly frustrated with Saudi Arabia in its campaign against the Houthi rebels. The civilian death toll in the conflict has been rising, with most of the casualties blamed on Saudi airstrikes.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who led the charge for the House’s resolution last year, has filed three amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act related to Yemen.
Khanna also introduced an amendment to limit U.S. support for the campaign during the House Armed Services Committee’s markup of the bill last week, but it was defeated in a 19-42 vote.
One amendment Khanna offered this week would require the Pentagon to issue a declassified report on the civil war’s effect on the growth of Yemen’s branches of al Qaeda and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Another would prevent funding from being used to refuel non-U.S. military aircraft for missions targeting the Houthis.
The third would require an investigation into whether U.S. military personnel, intelligence operatives or coalition partners violated federal law, the laws of armed conflict or Pentagon policy while conducting operations in Yemen.
The House Rules Committee is set to meet Monday and Tuesday to determine which amendments will get a floor vote, with the House expected to take up the National Defense Authorization Act later in the week.
My comment: Khanna for president.
(* B E P)
Trump Is Giving Saudi Arabia an Easy Path to Nukes
The world is yet to respond to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who keeps telling us that Riyadh will pursue a nuclear weapon if its regional rival Iran obtains one, a stance that has been stated more frequently at a time when the whole world has verified that Tehran's nuclear program is exclusively meant for peaceful purposes.
Unfortunately, his comment is yet to raise concerns at the International Atomic Energy Agency or the UN Security Council about nuclear proliferation at a time when the Saudis are seeking foreign technology for their nuclear energy program, including from the United States. It also comes at a time when President Donald Trump has scrapped the nuclear deal between Iran and the permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany.
Saudi Arabia has plans to build 16 nuclear power reactors within 25 years, according to the World Nuclear Association. The cost of the projects could reach $80 billion, a huge opportunity for the companies that build and operate nuclear plants. Perhaps, that’s why Trump the consummate has said nothing yet. Whatever this is, the Trump administration cannot be allowed to pursue that business, even if this could bolster the bankrupt nuclear construction industry in the US:
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13970227000954 = http://www.newnewss.net/trump-is-giving-saudi-arabia-an-easy-path-to-nukes/
(* B P)
Pompeo Rocks the Middle East: Lessons from a Former CIA Officer for the Secretary of State
Support by Tehran for Yemen’s Houthis is more fantasized than real with little actual evidence that Iran has been able to provide anything substantial in the way of arms. The Saudi massacre of 10,000 mostly Yemeni civilians and displacement of 3 million more being carried out from the air has been universally condemned with the sole exceptions of the U.S. and Israel, which seem to share with Riyadh a unique interpretation of developments in that long-suffering land.
https://ahtribune.com/world/north-africa-south-west-asia/2252-pompeo-iran-saudi-arabia-isreal.html
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
(* B P)
Are British ministers consistently misleading parliament on their Middle East policy?
The Iraq war enraged and sensitised the British public about political deception, but far from being an aberration, ministers misleading the public is as British as afternoon tea
The UK ministerial code, which Green breached, is very clear. It states: "It is of paramount importance that ministers give accurate and truthful information to Parliament, correcting any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity. Ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament will be expected to offer their resignation to the prime minister."
Yet if this is true, it is a wonder that many British ministers are still in post given their consistently misleading parliament on policies in the Middle East. This is not some technical problem – it is about the very nature of the British political system and whether Britain is in reality more a secretive, authoritarian state than a democratic one.
Withholding information on Britain's current wars goes back years. In July 2015, Defence Minister Earl Howe told Parliament that the government "would seek further Parliamentary approval before UK aircraft conducted air strikes in Syria". This was untrue – British aircraft were already secretly striking Islamic State targets in Syria.
Britain's war in Yemen is shrouded in similar obfuscation. Ministers consistently claim the UK is "not a party" to the war and "are not directly involved in the Saudi-led Coalition's operations in Yemen". These claims are nonsense: Britain is arming, advising and training the Saudis and is maintaining their aircraft bombing Yemen.
When ministers fail to answer a parliamentary question by omitting key information, this can also be tantamount to misleading parliament. Consider then, British arms exports to Israel. – by Mark Curtis
My comment: As the Yemen war is concerned, this happens almost daily. Just a recent example:
(A P):
Yemen: Military Intervention:Written question - 142760
Keith Vaz, MP: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of effect on the local population of the recent Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on the business district in Sana'a, Yemen.
Minister Alistair Burt: The UK does not have access to sufficient information to allow us to make accurate assessments of the effects of every individual action taken by the Saudi-led Coalition.
We are acutely aware that during armed conflict civilians often pay a heavy price. This underlines the imperative of reaching a political solution to the crisis. Peace talks are the top priority, as there can be no military solution to the conflict. A political settlement is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen and to address the worsening humanitarian crisis. The Yemeni parties must engage constructively and in good faith to overcome obstacles and find a political solution to end the conflict.
(* B P)
The Answer To Yemen Is Neither Bombs Nor Bribes - Britain Needs A New Plan
Whitehall is looking again at a plan for the country - we must redevelop a new plan to help our former tribal partners in eastern Yemen
Whitehall is looking again at a plan for Yemen. We have good reason to do so. It’s both a moral and practical problem. Thousands of Yemenis have been killed, not only by rebel Houthi forces occupying Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, but also by the Saudi-led coalition fighting them. We sell Saudi Arabia some of the bombs it uses.
The much-quoted United Nations figure of 10,000 dead hides a grimmer reality. The Yemen Data Project has recorded nearly 17,000 air raids by the Saudi-led coalition since military intervention began in March 2015. It calculates closer to 25,000 Yemenis have died since early 2017 alone.
Whilst much of the fighting is in Yemen’s west, there is good reason to believe that the east - and the province of al-Mahra in particular - holds some of the answers to Yemen’s problems. Why?
The UAE and their proxies in Yemen’s east and south have cracked down hard on al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), but they are not universally welcome. Many locals suspect the UAE of harboring a long-term commercial agenda and worry that their self-governance is under threat. Allegations of torture, forced disappearance and even assassination have also been aired.
There is much to do in Yemen, but if the UK wants to help end this pernicious and destructive conflict, it must engage positively to assist the US, UAE and Saudi. It must support Oman’s voice, and it should lend a military and developmental helping hand to the tribes. The answer here is neither bribes nor bombs, but something more subtle. The UK must redevelop a new full spectrum plan to help our former tribal partners in eastern Yemen – by Bob Seely, Conservative MP and Dr Elisabeth Kendall
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/yemen_uk_5af1c8e1e4b0ab5c3d6a7ea1
Comment by Haykal Bafana: This proposal by @Dr_E_Kendall for the UK to intervene militarily in #Yemen's Al Mahra province (and implicitly, create a separate state) is naive & ill-advised.
I understand the deep frustration of Whitehall (and Foggy Bottom too) that its wide spectrum support for Saudi & UAE's war in Yemen has not borne fruit. Listen:Stepping in yourselves will be a blindingly foolish mistake.
Stop your impassioned cries that 'we must help Yemenis': All us Yemenis know who y'all really are. Just stay the fuck out of Yemen, all of you.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/997226763272048647
and
(B P)
UK 'Looking At' Secret Military And Aid Plan To Help Tribes In Yemen, Tory MP Bob Seely Claims
Seely added that Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal underscored the need for a proper plan for the future of Yemen
“The partial collapse of the Iran nuclear deal last week is only going to increase dangers for countries like Yemen, where Iran is fighting for influence against Saudi Arabia. This means that a positive role for the UK, the US and other regional states is more important than ever,” he said.
Seely added that Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal underscored the need for a proper plan for the future of Yemen
“The partial collapse of the Iran nuclear deal last week is only going to increase dangers for countries like Yemen, where Iran is fighting for influence against Saudi Arabia. This means that a positive role for the UK, the US and other regional states is more important than ever,” he said.
My comment: This is a rotten egg. Such a plan would be less a support of peace than a support for the US and the Saudi coalition, combined with a larger anti-Iranian framing. Seely quite freely admits it.
(A P)
Actual Wow. While in London, Theresa May is silent as Erodgan justifies the arrest and torture of journalists by calling them 'terrorists.' Don't forget Turkey is not just an ally but a NATO member who get weapons supplied to them by Britain (film)
https://twitter.com/hapoelpolitics/status/996678707036254208
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
(A K P)
UAE leaders offer condolences to martyr's family
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, on Saturday evening offered his condolences to the family of martyr Saeed Mohammed Al Hajeri, who fell while performing his national duty as part of 'Operation Restoring Hope', led by Saudi Arabia to back the legitimate government of Yemen.
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/abu-dhabi/UAE-leaders-offer-condolences-to-martyrs-family
(A E)
Uh Oh: Emirates Cutting Pilot Staffing On Some Longhaul Flights Due To Pilot Shortage
Emirates has a pilot shortage at the moment, which is causing the airline to park planes at Dubai World Central and also to cut routes. Emirates pilots are leaving the airline to work at other airlines (especially in China) that offer more attractive compensation packages. There’s a global pilot shortage at the moment, and other airlines offer more pay and allow commuter contracts, while Emirates requires all of their pilots to live in Dubai.
https://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2018/05/18/emirates-reducing-pilot-staffing/
Comment: Emirates used to be #UAE's (Dubai's) success story.
Now even safety seems not to be a huge concern.
Perhaps less war on #Yemen and more keeping up with the once good standards, UAE!
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1746313752088314
My comment: What about your pilots flying fighter jets dropping bombs in Yemen. Stop this and “Fly Emirates!”
(* B K P)
Trudeau and Macron give Saudi crown prince a licence to kill
The two leaders have cast themselves as advocates of human rights, but when it comes to arms deals, their neoliberal values reign supreme.
they are also hypocrites for selling billions of dollars worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia
Amid the bloodshed, Macron and Trudeau have justified their arms deals while claiming to espouse liberal values. The message they are sending is clear: Defending human rights is fashionable, until money is at stake.
Doubling down on his decision, Trudeau's government later claimed that there was no evidence that Canadian arms were being used unlawfully in Yemen.
Such reasoning makes the liberal government look naive at best, and criminal at worst. It is Trudeau's responsibility to do his part to prevent the Saudis from committing more war crimes, rather than waiting until it's too late.
The lack of common sense doesn't end there. Trudeau's government has donated $65 million in aid and recently eased the process for Yemeni asylum seekers, something the liberal government proudly advertises. The paradox, of course, is that Canada is arming Saudi Arabia, exacerbating the crisis causing Yemenis to flee.
Last year, Macron told his ambassadors that it was possible to remain pragmatic while championing human rights, especially when dealing with nations such as Russia, China and Turkey. Oddly enough, Macron didn't mention Saudi Arabia. Perhaps because France enjoys a very profitable relationship with the kingdom.
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/comment/2018/5/16/trudeau-and-macron-grant-mbs-a-licence-to-kill
(A P)
Bahrain prevents entrance of Yemenis with Diplomat passports
According to our source, those decisions came after the uncontrolled diplomate passports issuing policy of the Yemeni government, which is depending on bribery more than being qualified to be granted a diplomate passport.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/98937
cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis
(* B P)
Why Al Jazeera is under threat
Is the Arab world’s leading news channel an independent voice or a propaganda tool?
Al Jazeera is now at the centre of a feud pitting Saudi Arabia against Qatar, its super-rich neighbour. Several Arab countries, including Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have joined the Saudis in isolating the tiny monarchy over its alleged support for terrorism and its ties to Iran. But what really irks them is how Qatar has used Al Jazeera to wield outsize influence in the region. They see it as a propaganda tool, promoting an agenda often at odds with their own.
Al Jazeera will probably survive this crisis: but the Qatari government may force it to tone things down.
https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2017/07/01/why-al-jazeera-is-under-threat
cp12b Libanon / Lebanon
(A P)
Gulf states put Hezbollah leadership on their terror lists
Saudi Arabia and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, placed 10 leaders of Lebanon’s Hezbollah on their terrorism lists on Wednesday, including Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and his deputy Naim Qassem, Saudi state news agency SPA said.
The move followed the U.S. Treasury which said on Wednesday imposed additional sanctions on Lebanon’s Hezbollah leadership
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade
(* B K P)
LECLERC MBT: YEMEN TESTING GROUND
From the beginning of the Saudi coalition intervention, after the appearance of the UAE contingent, many have been waiting for information over the employment of the Leclerc AMX-56 main battle tank (MBT) in the Yemeni war. Lost Armour publishes an article on this issue.
The MBT Leclerc was considered the most expensive in the world at the beginning of the 1990s and the UAE sheiks that had been used to live in luxury, focusing on the “super modern topping” and a decent price decided to invest with the French contractor. They received 388 tanks of the export modification Leclerc EAU, some of which received the additional protection AZUR for city fighting and 46 armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) Leclerc DCL.
The Leclerc tanks probably were gathering dust in the French and UAE warehouses as they were not popular among foreign customers, occasionally delighting owners during training exercises, but only once a year during target practices.
Chapter 8 – Al Hudaydah
After Saleh’s death in the brief internecine war with the Houthis in Sana’a, the Emirati and southerners continued to move along the West coast of Yemen as part of Operation Golden Spear and captured Al Khukha and Hais.
In December 2017, on the road between Mokha and Khukha, convoys of UAE’s troops were noticed. These convoys consisted of Leclerc MBT AMX-56, African mine-protected self-propelled howitzer G6 Rhino, American turreted self-propelled howitzer M109, multi-purpose mine-resistant ambush protected infantry mobility vehicle RG-31 Agrab, armoured personnel carrier (AMV) Patria, multi-functional vehicle platform WiSENT 2, Oshkosh M-ATV and armoured vehicle BAE Caiman.
Taking into account the experience of using MBTs in Mokha, only battle tanks with extra protection were used, some were armoured with the CLARA ERA defensive system, produced by the German company Dynamit Nobel Defence (DND). In 2016, more than 200 units, each worth more than 500 thousand euros, were supplied to the UAE.
https://southfront.org/leclerc-mbt-yemen-testing-ground/
(* A K P)
‘Deterrent to regional threats’? US approves $45mn sale of 3,200 bombs & bunker busters to Bahrain
The US has cleared the sale of 3,200 bombs valued at about $45 million, including powerful bunker busters, to Bahrain. The Persian Gulf monarchy is hosting the US 5th Fleet and has been involved in the Saudi-led bombing of Yemen.
The order would consist of 1,500 Mark-82 general purpose bombs; 600 Mark-83 bombs; 600 Mark-84 bombs; and 500 BLU-109 “bunker busters,” bombs armed with special warheads designed to penetrate hardened targets, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced on Friday.
The ordnance is intended for Bahrain’s US-made F-16 combat jets, and would come directly from US government stocks. Bahrain“will use these munitions as a deterrent to regional threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and execute counter-terrorism operations,” the agency said, as well as “operate with US-led and US-supported coalition operations.”
https://www.rt.com/usa/427166-us-sale-bombs-bahrain/
My comment: More bombs to be dropped on Yemen. And this is the official statement:
(* A K P)
Defense Security Cooperation Agency, News Release
The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Bahrain of General Purpose (GP) and Penetrator Warhead bomb bodies for an estimated cost of $45 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on May 17, 2018.
This proposed sale will enhance the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a major non-NATO ally which is an important security partner in the region. The purchase of these munitions will bolster the Royal Bahraini Air Force’s ability to conduct and sustain air operations with its F-16 combat aircraft. Our mutual defense interests anchor our relationship and the Royal Bahraini Air Force plays a significant role in Bahrain's defense.
The proposed sale will improve Bahrain’s capability to meet current and future security threats. Bahrain will use these munitions as a deterrent to regional threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and execute counter-terrorism operations.
http://www.dsca.mil/major-arms-sales/bahrain-munitions
My comment: The Copy and Paste standard formula for such sales are quite bizarre in this case.
(* B K)
Middle East drone wars heat up amid surge in armed UAV sales
Indigenous and Chinese drones are increasingly hoovering over the region as more players look to launch drone strikes, says new report
The number of states deploying armed drones has quadrupled in the past five years and is set to double in the next two years, according to a new report.
At least seven Middle East states now operate indigenous armed drones or have launched strikes from armed drones imported from China.
Countries that currently operate drones include Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel and Egypt.
The increase in drone usage also comes amid questions over the number of civilian casualties caused by drone strikes.
The report from Drones Wars UK, an Oxford-based pressure group, warned that the “so-called risk-free” strikes offered by drones had proved “attractive” in the Middle East and for “targeted killings”.
Drones Wars, however, also warned that there were “continuing about the number of civilian casualties caused by this type of warfare” and “whether the spread of armed drones will help or hinder the rule of law”.
Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE have all launched drone strike beyond their borders, including Iran in Syria, and Turkey in Syria.
The UK and US have used armed drones extensively across the Middle East to carry out thousands of strikes, to the dismay of rights groups, including in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen.
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/middle-east-drone-wars-hot-amid-surge-armed-uav-sales-1980204736 = http://www.newnewss.net/middle-east-drone-wars-heat-up-amid-surge-in-armed-uav-sales/
referring to
(* B K)
Drone Wars: The Next Generation
In 2014, the Saudi military ordered two CH-4 and potentially up to five Wing Loong armed drones from China.86 Delivery began in 2015 and by October 2016, two Wing Loong drones had been deployed to the Sharurah Regional Airport in Najran Province, near the border with Yemen, where, almost immediately, one was seen downed inside Yemen.
Saudi Arabia’s Wing Loongs have been deployed to the Sharurah and Jizan Regional airports near the border with Yemen. It is extremely likely that their presence indicates they are being used against Houthi forces in Yemen.
While we believe Saudi Arabia has used its armed drones to carry out strikes in Yemen, there has been no direct confirmation from Saudi Arabia. It is difficult to find independent verification since Saudi Arabia is also using manned aircraft to attack Yemen. In addition, US drones based in Saudi Arabia may be among those launching strikes in to Yemen, further complicating attribution.
In 2015, UAE signed a deal with General Atomics for an unknown number of unarmed Predator XPs. General Atomics confirmed in 2017 that deliveries had been completed and the UAE included a ‘fly-past’ by the new drone during an air show in March 2018.
Although hard to confirm, the Wall Street Journal and other sources report that the UAE and Saudi Arabia have undertaken armed strikes from their Wing Loong drones in Yemen.
https://dronewarsuk.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/dw-nextgeneration-web.pdf
(A K P)
May 16, 2018: Royal #Saudi Air Force F-15SA (SA-3 aircraft) carrying an AGM-154 #JSOW during a test at Plant 42. (photo)
https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/996642318043303936
Remark: US air force base, Palmdale, California.
And now it looks even better with the underwing tanks. By: Matt Hartman (photo)
https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/996736539500695557
Comment: Well how nice is this. Those who are bombed will appreciate.
And
Several configurations being tested at #Plant42 to ensure FBW control reliability, especially after activating STA-1/9. (photo)
https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/997147929319264256
https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/997507173210083329
cp13b Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage
(A)
#Sanaa police thwart smuggling of over 163 artifacts
Police in the capital Sanaa foiled the smuggling of more than 163 pieces of relics and precious stones. Media center of Interior Ministry revealed that the police seized large quantities of antiques in possession of two people while trying to smuggle them. The seized artifacts include 116 different colored stones with inscriptions, 47 pieces of antique coins and precious stones
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/1744371725615850/?type=3
cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy
(*A E H)
I went to the Western Union's office today to send a small support to 2 friends of mine in #Yemen so they can feed their family. The employee told me that the transactions to Yemen are closed. Blocked. I'm sick and upset. (from France)
https://twitter.com/RiseUp75/status/997484547393671168
Comment. This is unacceptable @WesternUnion. This much-needed support can literally be the difference between life and death for people in #Yemen.
https://twitter.com/YemenSource/status/997571679806205954
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
(A T)
#IslamicState in #Yemen makes show of being very active in Qayfa, al-Bayda' at present. Today it released 4 photos of it firing Grad rockets at Houthis in al-Zahra. Over past 10 days it has put out 3 photosets & 1 film, which includes gallery of 14 "martyrs" from the Qayfa front (photo)
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/997539818073739264
(A T)
Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS) Wilayat al Bayda released its first video since October 2017, titled “Good Citizens,” on May 16. The video glamorized jihadi life in al Bayda, provided instructions on firing mortars, and called on foreign fighters to join jihad. The video included a compilation of ISIS attacks on al Houthi forces, including the execution of a captured al Houthi soldier and the crucifixion of an al Houthi soldier that ISIS media had previously shared in August 2017.[1]
(A T)
US investigates allegations of civilian deaths after airstrike in Yemen
“This sounds like a continuation of the current rate, not an escalation to me,” Maher Farrukh, an al-Qaida analyst at the American Enterprise Institute, said.
“An increase in U.S. airstrikes and Emirati-led and supported counter-terrorism operations in the past year have disrupted AQAP fairly substantially,” Farrukh said. “At one point in 2017, AQAP was conducting near daily attacks against security forces in southern Yemen, now its down to maybe one a week.”
But CENTCOM’s announcement also took time to note the existential threat that al-Qaida poses to the United States from Yemen. That sort of justification appears necessary given the scrutiny America’s far-reaching foreign conflicts are coming under from Congress these days.
“Intelligence and defense communities have assessed AQAP as one of the terrorist groups most committed to and capable of conducting attacks in the United States,” CENTCOM’s statement noted.
Farrukh said al-Qaida is indeed “very active” in Yemen, and does pose a threat from the war-torn country.
However, “AQAP is much more active near the frontline of the civil war where it attacks al Houthi forces,” he added.
The Houthi forces are also the focus of the Saudi-led coalition, which the United States supports through intelligence sharing and aerial refueling — but reportedly not kinetic operations.
“The problem is actually that AQAP is participating in the civil war alongside Saudi-led, coalition-backed forces against the al Houthi movement in places like Taiz, al Bayda, and Ma’rib governorate,” Farrukh said.
My comment: Bombing Al Qaeda in Yemen for defending safety in the US? What a twisted view when the US involvement in the Yemen war has enforced Al Qaeda, has created thousands of potential terrorists which will threat the US in the future. And, as stated here, Al Qaeda is an ally of US proxies in the Yemen war, this means Al Qaeda itself is an US proxy in this war.
(A T)
#IslamicState in #Yemen releases 1st film since US bombed its 2 training camps in al-Bayda' Oct 2017. Ironically called "Good Things", half its 22 mins show extreme violence, incl crucifixion & power plays like prisoner (in orange jump suit) executed by jihadist in wheelchair (images)
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/997008860606066688
(* B T)
The Never-Ending War on Terror
Why the U.S. Keeps Fighting the Wrong Battle
It may appear as if a global victory over the Islamic State is near, but it is not. What U.S. policymakers never seem to learn is that when it comes to global terrorism, the mission is not yet accomplished. The Islamic State or some successor could one day return to Iraq and Syria to restore its physical caliphate. While the United States was fighting the Islamic State, other groups clearly benefited. Take, for example, the strengthening since 2011 of al Qaeda and like-minded factions such as Ahrar al-Sham and Jaysh al-Islam, among others, in northwestern Syria. Al Qaeda is seeking to reinfiltrate the ranks of Iraqi Sunni insurgents from its base in Syria. The U.S. intelligence community is already warning of a continued Sunni insurgency in Iraq, which would permit the rise of yet another extremist group in Iraq. A group calling itself the White Flags (in notable contrast to the Islamic State’s signature black flag) has surfaced in the Iraqi provinces of Kirkuk and Diyala. It’s possible that a so-called victory against ISIS may be even more short-lived than the one against its predecessor, al Qaeda in Iraq.
The United States is failing to win (registered only)
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2018-05-11/never-ending-war-terror
(* B T)
CENTCOM updates counterterrorism strikes in Yemen
In the past three months, U.S. forces have targeted and disrupted the al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula terrorist network in Yemen through 17 counter-terrorism airstrikes in four separate governorates. These include six air strikes against AQAP terrorists in February, seven air strikes against AQAP terrorists in March and four airstrikes against AQAP terrorists in April.
The April airstrikes included an AQAP training camp in western Hadramawt governorate April 11 and an AQAP checkpoint for asserting regional control and raising illegal revenue in al Bayda governorate April 23.
Other air strikes took place in al Bayda, Hadramawt, Zamakh and Shabwah governorates.
U.S. Central Command is aware of reports of alleged civilian casualties following the March 29 air strike against AQAP in al Bayda governorate. A credibility assessment is being conducted.
My comment: “civilian casualties following the March 29 air strike”: This certainly is not all.
Comment: More news of US activity in Yemen. The problem is that what they consider Al Qaeda might be tribal militias.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156687515078641
(A T)
AQAP militants kill al Houthi soldier in eastern al Bayda governorate [3]
(A T)
A civilian citizen was killed and his father injured in a roadside #bomb in the district of Khub Wa Sha'af in the oil-rich province of al-Jawf. (photo)
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/996769967579287552
cp15 Propaganda
(A P)
The Joint Forces Command Delivers Baby “Jamilah” to Her Family After Being Used in the Battlefield as a Human Shield.
The official spokesman of the Coalition “Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen” Col. Turki Al Malki stated that on Saturday 3rd of Ramadan 1439 AH baby Jamilah, who is 4 years old, was delivered to a representative of the legitimate government of Yemen in presence of representatives of ICRC, SRCA, HRC and director of the Child Protection Unit in the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition.
Col. Al Malki explained that the Yemen National Army captured the child’s father under the liberation operations of Sa’dah governorate.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1767821
My comment: Do you not have better propaganda stories while killing thousands of children at the same time?
(A P)
Why Hodeidah is a critical chapter of the Yemen war
Acknowledging these concerns, the Saudi-led coalition put forward an ambitious and detailed proposal for the UN to take over the administration of the port and transform the governorate into a “safe zone, free from armed conflict.” Despite growing international support for the idea, diplomatic efforts to convince the radical Houthi leadership of the merits of the plan were unsuccessful.
From the very beginning of the conflict, the Houthis have looked to expand their geographical reach and saw Hodeidah as a coveted prize.
There are very relevant implications, both political and humanitarian, of an offensive to retake Hodeidah from the Houthis. Politically, losing Hodeidah could either force the Houthis to recognize they will not be able to indefinitely stick to the present course, or further add to the group’s inflexibility to negotiate.
Overall, the capture of Hodeidah by Yemeni government and coalition forces would mean that the Houthis would find themselves landlocked again. In the case this has no effect on the peace negotiations, a likely scenario given that the Houthi leadership is dominated by hardliners, it would probably mean the conflict would eventually shift towards Sanaa.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1305751
My comment: This plan is more or less rotten egg. It’s a try to put hands on Hodeidah with little cost for the own side, i. e. by pulling the Houthis out with political means. This plan would make sense as part of a general peace agreement, not as a single measure. Also see nest article.
(A P)
Coalition’s perseverance paying off in Yemen
UAE Armed Forces have been at the forefront of the effort to free Yemenis from Al Houthi chokehold
If the past few weeks in Yemen are an indicator, the Arab coalition’s perseverance is paying off. Mountain range after mountain range, district after district, is falling to Yemeni national forces as they drive out the Iran-backed Al Houthi militias from its few remaining coastal strongholds.
Troops from Tehami Resistance, the Giant Brigades and the National Resistance, which is led by General Tariq Mohammad Abdullah Saleh, have launched a joint offensive against Al Houthi militants in Al Tuhayata and Al Jarrahi in Hodeida, and a number of mountainous areas west of Taiz. And the UAE Armed Forces have been at the forefront of this effort to free Yemenis from Al Houthi chokehold.
The current offensive in Taiz and Hodeida is part of a major military operation to take the city of Hodeida. The strategic importance of Hodeida city should not be underestimated, as it is home to a major seaport, which the Al Houthis have used to smuggle in weapons from Iran.
https://gulfnews.com/opinion/editorials/coalition-s-perseverance-paying-off-in-yemen-1.2223814
My comment: Yes, the “coalition” wants to take Hodeidah city and port – they do not want to make peace. The humanitarian catastrophe this will mean is evident. The effects of the offensive which already have happened (see in cp1) are just a first small glimpse at what is going to happen.
Comment: They call it the second phase of the offensive.
Situation on the ground?
#Hodeidah was declared military zone in February 2017: ever since there have been daily airstrikes, the killing siege is felt more here because fishermen and farms (the main income-producing sectors) have been targeted on purpose.
Famine (highest level in Yemen along with Taiz) has already killed enough and people are too weak, too poor, too hopeless to flee.
#UN is silent and question is: what about human cost?
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1747631425289880
(A P)
Gargash calls for Arab unity to counter Iran and Turkey
Regional issues need to be resolved internally, Minister of State says
Arab states must solve the region's problems among themselves, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash said on Friday as he called for an end to Iranian and Turkish inference in the region.
"Achieving stability in our region is not a task we can leave to America or Europe. We regional states have to take our future into our own hands," Dr Gargash told
My comment: Yes, stability is in best hands when managed by Saudis and UAE. LOL.
(A P)
Trump’s Rejection of Iran Deal Puts America First
We are once again actively taking economic steps against a regime that has affirmed its desire to destroy us and our allies. Don’t just take my word for it; observe the state-organized marches at which chants of “Death to America” ring out.
Iran is an evil nation, bent on opposing the United States and attacking us and our friends through its proxies. By dismantling the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and reinstating sanctions, the president is standing up for America. With clear eyes, we can now move forward down a more reasonable path and one that the American people are behind, enhancing safety not just for our nation, but also the world.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2018/05/17/trumps-rejection-of-iran-deal-puts-america-first/
My comment: Us propaganda of the most primitive kind.
(A P)
Sana'a: Houthis torture population with exorbitant prices, illegal levies
The price of food in the capital, Sanaa, under the control of the Houthis, is rising madly, increasing the suffering of people whose purchasing power declined significantly because of the war.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-18520
My comment: That’s blaming the Houthis for the effects of the Saudi blockade of Houthi-held aereas.
(A P)
Drawing Tactics from Kuwait Negotiation, Houthis Set to Thwart UN Envoy Talks Initiative
Houthi militias are set to practice the exact approach they used during Kuwait’s 2016 negotiations in upcoming talks, a senior Yemeni government official said.
UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths has recently announced the deadline on the roadmap for peace negotiations. But Houthis are searching for an escape for them to remain in the country’s political scene despite their ongoing battleground defeats and deeply-anchored involvement with militias compensating largely on their political leverage.
Houthis are now seen as an armed and political movement, following in Lebanon’s ‘Hezbollah’ footsteps. Both Houthis and Hezbollah receive and follow Iranian aid and agendas.
Commenting on a statement issued by UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths, the source told Asharq Al-Awsat that some of observations made by the UN official can set the Yemeni crisis back milestones.
The government official, who requested anonymity, said that Houthi up-to-date behavior does not show any readiness for peace and that the coup is hell bent on dominating the national scene, and shows no signs of seeking coexistence or settlement.
My comment: Exaggerating the blame against the Houthis for postponing the talks, and combining this with the well-known anti-Iranian conspiration theories.
(A P)
Yemen: Hadi Threatens Iran
Yemeni President Abed Rabbu Mansour Hadi vowed to continue the military operations against Houthi militias, which he described as an "Iranian tool" that threatened
the security of Yemen and the region.
"We renew the pledge that Yemen won't shed its Arab skin and lose its tolerant Islamic culture in favor of an outlandish sectarian culture," said Hadi, referring to the Khomeini Iranian expansion represented by Houthis.
Hadi said he would not allow his country to be a "maneuvering place or a backyard for infiltrators to undermine regional security through agents here or there who lack insight and gamble at a time when gambling is no more than a clear image of betrayal and treachery."
Hadi was quoted by Saba news agency as saying: "we renew our pledge that we won't accept for Yemen to be a backdoor for infiltrators to sneak through and disturb the regional security."
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1271216/yemen-hadi-threatens-iran
Comment: The man who cannot keep his country together, who fled, resigned, allowed the Coalition to destroy, kill and occupy #Yemen blames, threatens #Iran for his crimes
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1745097912209898
Comment: Another ridiculous article. Hadi can threaten no-one. He does not have a real following in Yemen and he doesn't have an army under his control - most of the original army supported the Houthi uprising and the bit that didn't is led by Ali Mohsin - who is Hadi's deputy, who says he backs Hadi but he has an eye on the main chance himself., especially since Saleh's death. The north mostly hate him with the exception of some in Taiz and he is unwanted in the South - with the exception of Marib. Most of the army that is notionally supporting Hadi is a new one, paid for by UAE and trained by UAE and Saudi. They are anti-Houthi but that doesn't equate to pro-Hadi - though some may be. But anything Hadi says you can bet are the words his Saudi masters tell him to say. He really has no independence at all, nor any power.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156688207478641
(A P)
Scene of Sana'a before Ramadan: Houthis have turned life a hell
In the popular street of Hayel, Khaled a salesman, said that there are too many people in the markets but are "spectators not buyers" because of the loss of incomes over the past years.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-18485
My comment: No air raids, no blockade, just Houthis: This is how propaganda looks like. For a serious report look at cp2.
(A P)
"Newly deployed Houthi naval mine" discovered in the Red Sea off #Yemen coast. (photo)
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/996850668215431168
(A P)
Saudi Envoy: Yemen’s Reconstruction will Begin from Socotra
Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed al-Jaber said that the Saudi-led reconstruction of Yemen through the Comprehensive Humanitarian Support Center (ESNAD) will begin with the Socotra Archipelago.
Al-Jaber launched in Socotra on Tuesday the distribution of relief aid provided by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) to the residents of the archipelago, through an air bridge that saw the arrival of the first two planes carrying about 20 tons of medical aid.
The ambassador stressed that the relief shipment was delivered through the humanitarian air bridge provided by KSRelief, under the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in coordination with the legitimate government.
The Governor of Socotra, Ramzi Mahrous, praised the efforts of the Kingdom and its leadership in supporting Yemen and Socotra.
My comment: This sounds really odd. – And the Emirates are out of the Socotra game now?
Comment: Misleading Saudis' journalistic tactic. #Socotra has been untouched by war. It has been neglected by the central government but never destroyed.
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1744165528969803
Comment: This is truly the most ludicrous posting in the whole war. How can you begin anything from Soqatra??? Let me tell you - Soqatra is an island not even close to the mainland of Yemen - or anywhere - although it is part of Yemen. It has been isolated for most of its existence simply because it is inaccessible, surrounded by high seas and ferocious winds. It was only accessible by boat or air at certain times of the year. Now with the wonders of transport it has become accessible and it is a major spoil of war as far as the Saudi-led coalition is concerned because of its strategic position at the mouth of the Red Sea - a major oil shipping route. So how do you start reconstruction of Yemen FROM SOQATRA??????? Or as it is more recently called, Socotra ? Do you send masses of construction materials to this precious UNESCO world heritage site? Come come Saudi your expensive PR advisers can surely do better than this.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156685525353641
Comment: There is nothing to rebuild there because nothing was destroyed- the destruction is on the mainland but this is imperialism at its best - when the Europeans colonized much of Africa they did so in the name of Christianity - these guys are colonizing in the name of “rebuilding” - bloody imperialist colonizers
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156685525353641
and
(A P)
Minister of Public Works & Roads, Moeen Abdul Malik said that the launch of the Yemen reconstruction program will be a milestone for various affected provinces, especially #Socotra, which is the first to start work to promote development in all service and vital sectors.
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/996672829583187973
(A H P)
More Saudi / UAE “We are benefactors” propaganda
http://dubaieye1038.com/thousands-in-yemen-to-benefit-from-uae-food-donations/
https://m.gulfnews.com/news/gulf/yemen/3-aid-ships-sent-to-yemen-s-socotra-island-1.2223925
Comment: 1. Subtle way of intending #Socotra was destroyed by the war. 2. The imperialist approach using aid. Whatever the perspective, the 'aid propaganda' is never for #Yemen's good: https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1747465771973112
http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302689914
https://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/yemen/uae-gave-dh13-82b-in-aid-to-yemen-since-2015-1.2223155
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/erc-distributes-700-food-parcels-displaced-people-abyan-yemen
https://www.facebook.com/cnninternational/videos/10156390380899641/
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/erc-examines-idps-needs-abyan-yemen
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
Siehe / Look at cp1
(* A K pH)
Saudi coalition air raids day by day:
(* B K)
Film: THIS IS what 30 DAYS in #YEMEN Feels like
https://twitter.com/CarlaOrtizO/status/997354061648355328
(A K pH)
Film: A child injured in a raid on the Saudi - American aggression on the Directorate of Mzaz, Saada governorate 19-05-2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEaVl84X7rk
(A K pH)
Saudi bombing destroys citizens' farms in Saada
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496613.htm
(* A K pH)
Tens of Yemeni Civilians Killed , Injured in US-KSA Air Strikes on Several Yemen’s Provinces
http://www.newnewss.net/4545-2/
(* A K pH)
More Saudi coalition air strikes on:
May 19: http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496689.htm Sanaa p.
May 18:
May 17:
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496545.htm Saada p.
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
Siehe cp1 (Offensive an der Westküste) / Look at cp1 (Offensive at west coast)
(* A K pS)
Asphalt road between Saadah and Hajjah falls in the hands of government
The governmental forces have seized control of the road between Saadah (hometown of Hothies) and Hajja (border city with Saudi Arabia).
http://almasdaronline.com/article/98998
(B K)
The kind of evil #Yemen has to deal with: land mines disguised as rocks, allegedly planted by Houthis on main Qayfa road (photos9
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/997914445480374272
(* A K)
Yemen’s Houthis claim ‘Saudi base’ strike as Riyadh says it intercepted missile fired at ‘civilians’
Saudi Arabia has managed to intercept a ballistic missile launched from Yemen into a “civilian area,” according to the Arab coalition. Houthi rebels meanwhile claimed they had targeted and successfully hit a Saudi military base.
Two ballistic missiles were fired on Saturday evening from Yemen into Saudi Arabia, allegedly targeting Khamis Mushait, a city in the south-west of the country, the coalition forces announced. One of the projectiles was reportedly destroyed by the Saudi air defense systems, while the other fell short of its intended target in the desert.
https://www.rt.com/news/427219-saudi-arabia-yemen-missile/
(* A K pH)
Yemeni ballistic missile targets Saudi base in Asir in retaliatory attack
Yemeni Ansarullah forces have launched a retaliatory missile attack at a Saudi military base in the kingdom's southwestern border region of Asir.
According to Yemen's al-Masirah television network on Saturday, Yemeni troops fired a domestically built Badr-1 ballistic missile at the base.
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/05/19/562290/yemen-saudi-asir-ballistic
(* A K pS)
Joint Forces Command of the Coalition (Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen): Royal Saudi Air Defense Detects two Ballistic Missiles Launched toward Khamis Mushait, Destroys one, the Other Fails
The official spokesman of the Coalition (the Coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen) Col. Turki Al-Malki stated that at 18:14 today 03/09/1439, corresponding to 19/05/2018, the Royal Saudi Air Defense detected two ballistic missiles launched from Sa’dah, Yemen aimed at Saudi Arabia.
Col. Al-Malki reported that the two ballistic missiles were launched deliberately by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia to target densely populated civilian areas in Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia, where one missile was intercepted and destroyed by the Royal Saudi Air Defense, and the other fell down in unpopulated desert area.
He continued: “No casualties were reported up to the time of this release”
http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/4d9f890b36324e1294614ce39667397a
My comment: The claim that these missiles “were launched deliberately by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia to target densely populated civilian areas” is odd as the missiles targeted at Saudi Arabia’s air base from where fighter jets bombing Yemen are starting (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khamis_Mushait ).– It’s the Saudis who “target densely populated civilian areas” – daily, since more than 3 years.
(* A K pS)
Governmental forces confiscate Landmines and detect money stash
The Governmental Forces confiscated a large number of landmines, advanced weaponry, and communications devices at many fronts at the coastal line – West Yemen.
The middle east newspaper said according to Colonel Abduh Mjally the spokesman of the Yemen Army, those landmines were in its way to Houthis at the west coast to build a defense line to slow the progression of governmental forces.
He added, the landmines made in Iran and were confiscated at Alghaza and Alaseen at Saadah governorate, with planting plans.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/98991 and https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-18566
(A K pH)
#Saada: shelling
Saudi rocketry and artillery bombardment targeted the border districts of #Saada province overnight.
The shelling targeted farms and private properties in several areas of Monabah, Baqim and Razih districts
(A K pS)
Following intensive training, new reinforcements have arrived to the West Coast front in #Hodeidah. They are due to join frontlines soon to liberate al-Taita district from the #Houthis. (photo)
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/997591278270537730
(A K pH)
Yemeni forces fire missile at Jazan Economic City in Saudi Arabia
A Yemeni military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the short-range Badr-1 missile struck Jazan Economic City, located 967 kilometers southwest of the capital Riyadh, with great precision early on Friday, Arabic-language al-Masirah television network reported.
(* A K)
Houthi threat to target UAE and Sudan with ballistic missiles credible, despite limited capabilities
On 17 May, Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier-General Sharaf Ghalib Luqman stated in an interview released to Houthi-controlled Yemeni media that Sudan and UAE were now on the militia’s target list in its ballistic missile campaign.
Brig Gen Luqman claimed that the Yemeni conflict was entering its second phase, with the Houthi ready to use new ballistic missiles with an increased range. (subscribers only)
(* A K pH)
Saudi battleships shell farms in Hodeidah
The US-backed Saudi-led aggression coalition battleships fired on Wednesday six missiles at citizens’ farms in Bajil district in Hodeidah province
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496478.htm
My comment: security of the Red Sea, Saudi style.
(A K pH)
Saada province: The Saudi missile and artillery shelling targeted several areas in the border districts of Razih and Monabah
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496545.htm
(A K pH)
Ballistic missile fired toward Anad base in Lahj
The rocketry force of the army and popular committees on Thursday morning fired a ballistic missile toward Anad military base in Lahj province, the defence Ministry said in a statement obtained by Saba News Agency.
The missile, Bader-1, targeted the military base accurately.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496505.htm and also by https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201805171064540121-houthi-missile-strike-saudi-base/
and
(A K pS)
Houthis kills a civilian by a ballistic missile
A civilian has been killed and one injured at Lahj (south Yemen) by a ballistic missile launched by Houthis and fall on a populated area.
A source said the missile landed on Aldukim village in Lahj governorate and resulted in killing a citizen called Aboud alkhorabi in his car and another civilian was with him inside the car.
The missile landed between the main road and Aldukaim village at the time the car was passing the area.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/98952 and also https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-18522
(A K pH)
Saudi attack on Saada leaves a child injured, a number of livestock killed
A child was wounded and a number of livestock were killed Tuesday after Saudi bombardment hit the northern province of Saada.
A child has sustained injuries while a number of livestock were killed in Saudi assaults on Manaba border district, source confirmed to YemenExtra.
(A K pH)
Saudi spy drone Shot down in Saada
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496485.htm
(A K pS)
Yemeni Army Achieves Progress in Houthi Coup Militias Stronghold in Saada Governorate
Yemeni national army, supported by the Arab coalition, achieved progress today in Kitaf district in Saada governorate, the Houthi coup militias stronghold.
In a statement, a military source told the official Yemeni News Agency that the army units launched a surprise attack on several areas in Kitaf district and liberated them.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1766881 and https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/996765697974915072
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
(* B)
Solar power could save water in thirsty Middle East, North Africa, analysis says
Thirsty Middle Eastern and North African countries could tap into their solar-energy potential to cope with freshwater scarcity, according to resource experts.
Water could be saved by switching to renewable solar energy from fossil fuel electricity generation that uses up water, said the World Resources Institute (WRI).
The findings show moving to clean energy has benefits aside from cutting planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, said Tianyi Luo, a senior WRI manager.
"A lot of times, the water savings, that kind of benefits from renewable projects are overlooked," Luo told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
http://news.trust.org/item/20180515003645-d2082/
(B D)
Jeder Sieg eine Sensation
Das kriegsgeplagte Jemen hat noch immer eine Fußball-Nationalelf. Erstmals schaffte sie es zur Asienmeisterschaft (nur im Abo)
https://www.neues-deutschland.de/artikel/1088467.fussball-in-jemen-jeder-sieg-eine-sensation.html
(A)
Film: Yemen - Cyclone "Sagar" Prevents Fishermen From Entering The Sea
As cyclone "Sagar" approaches to the temporary Yemeni capital of Aden with winds of varying strength between the medium and strong with high sea waves, which led to the lack of fishermen's ability to enter the sea. The city's civil defense is also preparing for any emergency events that may affect civilians and their property due to the cyclone despite the limited facilities and equipment available to them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=K59s5NX4fkU
(A)
Sagar causes the loss of 20 fishing boats
The Tropical cyclone named SAGAR which hit some of the coastal cities with the dawn of Friday led to the loss of 20 fishing boats at Abyan south Yemen.
Fishermen said to Anadolu news agency “ the tropical storm led to inversion and loss of boats at Shaqra (45 km east to Zanzibar – Abyan).
They added the high waves and strong wind flipped the fishing boats at the coast bore the have been dragged and buried in the mud.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/98985
(A)
Hadramawt calling for help
Local authorities said in a statement: the heavy raining and floods caused major damages to the public and privet properties with no human casualties recorded.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/98987
(A)
The southern city of #Aden was hit by strong winds on Friday morning as tropical cyclone #Sagar approached, prompting authorities to a call on residents to evacuate areas near the shore in the southern port city.
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/997814018168492032
(* A)
Yemen, Somaliland Brace for Cyclone Sagar
Tropical Cyclone Sagar is churning through the Gulf of Aden and is expected to make landfall on the coast of the Horn of Africa and parts of southern Yemen on Saturday, bringing with it high winds and heavy rainfall.
Direct Relief is in the process of moving medical material aid into the region which may be used by storm impacted communities in the coming weeks. Five pallets of hospital and fistula treatment-related medications and supplies are headed for Edna Adan Hospital in Somaliland, which is in the center of the predicted storm path.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-somaliland-brace-cyclone-sagar
(* A )
Cyclone Sagar brings heavy rain and strong winds to southern Yemen
Storm approaching Aden after damaging homes and causing power cuts in Hadramawt and Mahra provinces
Yemen's temporary capital Aden was hit by strong winds on Friday morning as tropical cyclone Sagar approached, prompting authoritiesto a call on residents to evacuate areas near the shore in the southern port city
Sagar has brought heavy rainfall to coastal areas in Yemen's Hadramawt and Mahra provinces and Socotra Island since forming in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday and moving westward. It was expected to affect Aden, Abyan and Shabwa province on Friday, the Yemeni meteorological department said.
Strong winds in Hadramawt and Mahra have damaged homes and led to power outages, said Adeeb Al Hudyani, a resident of Hadramawt's main city of Mukalla.
Sagar was packing winds of about 75kph and the main threat posed by the cyclone was heavy rainfall, the Weather Underground website reported.
The UK Meteorological Office warned in a special advisory issued on Wednesday that "severe flash flooding and river flooding across the region will lead to a loss of human life, livestock, and the destruction of crops, property and infrastructure".
"Very heavy rainfall occurring across Western Yemen is likely to promote cholera infection rates in the weeks ahead," the Met Office added.
(A)
India Meteorological Department Bulletin No. : 14 (ARB 02/2018) - Sub: Cyclonic Storm “SAGAR” over Gulf of Aden
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Cyclone Sagar lands in #Yemen : Heavy floods on coastal towns in Hadhramaut province. (photos)
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/997208755740790784
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Jemen: Himmel färbt sich blutrot
Ein heftiger Sandsturm hat über Teilen des Jemens alles in ein blutrotes Licht getaucht. Die Menschen auf den Straßen staunten aufgrund des fast schon apokalyptischen Anblicks nicht schlecht.
https://www.wetteronline.de/wetterticker?postId=post_201805162338496
https://twitter.com/Wissa_m86/status/994870986397962240 (Fotos)
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Rare Gulf of Aden tropical cyclone to bring flood risk to Yemen, Somalia
Cyclonic Storm Sagar has formed over the Gulf of Aden and will bring the threat for flooding rain to Yemen, Somalia and Djibouti during its short lifespan.
Sagar took shape over the warm waters of the Gulf of Aden on Thursday morning, local time.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/rare-gulf-of-aden-tropical-cyclone-to-bring-flood-risk-to-yemen-somalia/70004973 = http://www.newnewss.net/rare-gulf-of-aden-tropical-cyclone-to-bring-flood-risk-to-yemen-somalia/
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An Indian ship was heading to Yemen sank
Social media activists said that an Indian ship sank due to the storms hitting the Yemeni coasts.
The ship was carrying 99 cars and other cargo and sank on its way to Alsheher port.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/98946
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-413-yemen-war-mosaic-413
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-413 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-413:
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/
und alle Liste aller Luftangriffe / and list of all air raids:
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