May 23, 2018: Mwatana: Human Rights report; Saudi Arabia must be held accountable; Open letter to US VIPs – Struggle for Socotra – Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the UN – Violence against girls – US preparing a new war – Trump’s politics of violence – Trump, Gulf princes and business – US sanctioning Iran – 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
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms Trade
cp13b Mercenaries / Söldner
cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
cp15 Propaganda
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
Klassifizierung / Classification
***
**
*
(Kein Stern / No star)
? = Keine Einschatzung / No rating
A = Aktuell / Current news
B = Hintergrund / Background
C = Chronik / Chronicle
D = Details
E = Wirtschaft / Economy
H = Humanitäre Fragen / Humanitarian questions
K = Krieg / War
P = Politik / Politics
pH = Pro-Houthi
pS = Pro-Saudi
T = Terrorismus / Terrorism
Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject
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
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
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Mwatana Human Rights: Executive Summary
In 2017, all parties to the conflict in Yemen committed violations against International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law. Woes of “Arabia Felix” is the first annual report released by Mwatana for Human Rights, documenting violations committed by parties to the conflict, as well as referencing significant developments related to human rights issues in Yemen within international mechanisms.
Mwatana for Human Rights produced Woes of “Arabia Felix” report based on investigative field research in 18 Yemeni governorates. In 2017, Mwatana conducted more than 1637 interviews in Arabic with the victims, victims’ families, eye witnesses as well as medical and humanitarian workers. The field research team conducted the interviews and researches while the research unit collected, reviewed, verified the information and visited several Yemeni governorates in separate field missions. An International Law expert reviewed the report and conducted legal analysis on the report. The English version of the report was then translated from Arabic.
Research was based on taking testimonies and information from main sources of information relating to human rights violations. Mwatana never offered financial or in-kind contributions to those who testified in the report. The identities of some of the witnesses are withheld for their protection.
This report is divided into two main chapters:
Chapter One: The Situation in Yemen under International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and international Mechanisms. This chapter is divided into four sections:
Section One: The Situation of the Yemeni conflict in the Context of International Humanitarian Law
Although Ansar Allah (the Houthis) group is widely considered the de facto authority in the ongoing conflict in Yemen, the general frame through which the International Humanitarian Law (laws of war) views the conflict has not changed. Hence, the ongoing conflict in Yemen is not considered an international armed conflict, based on provisions of the Geneva Conventions of 1949.
However, the fact that the conflict in Yemen is not of an international armed conflict doesn’t exempt the parties to the conflict from complying with the rules of the International Humanitarian Law, especially the common Article No. 3 of the Geneva Conventions and the customary rules of International Humanitarian Law. These Articles and Rules provide for a humane and non-discriminatory treatment for every person in captivity and care for injured persons during hostilities; including enemy’s combatants and injured, without discrimination. Moreover, the strict compliance with the rules of the humanitarian international law, in armed conflicts (international or otherwise), doesn’t require or presume reciprocity. In other words, the parties to the conflict are expected to comply with these rules, regardless of whether the other party complied with them or not.
Section Two: Yemen in the UN Security Council
Section Three: Yemen in Human Rights Council and the Establishment of International Inquiry Mechanism
Section Four: UN Secretary General’s List of Shame
Chapter Two: Most Significant Patterns of Human Rights Violations in Yemen
This chapter consists of 14 sections highlighting the most significant patterns of human rights violations committed by parties to the conflict in Yemen.
Section One: Starvation as War Tactic and Denying Access to Humanitarian Aid
During 2017, the two parties to the conflict in Yemen: the Arab Coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE and the government of President Hadi on the one hand; Ansar Allah (Houthis) group and their former ally President Saleh, on the other; both used starvation as war tactic and denied access to humanitarian aid.
In 2017, Mwatana documented no less than 26 incidents of denying access to humanitarian aid. Ansar Allah was responsible for most of these incidents in Sa’ada governorate (23 incidents). Popular Resistance forces and the pro-Hadi forces were responsible for three incidents in Dhalae, Shabwah and Taiz. In 2017, Mwatana documented no less than 26 incidents of access denial of humanitarian aid.
The blockade and the closure of Sana’a International Airport before commercial flights by the Saudi-led Arab Coalition have worsened the situation in Yemen. Pro-Hadi armed groups denied access to trucks carrying food or demanded money to grant them access.
Similarly, Ansar Allah (the Houthis) and the forces loyal to their former ally, President Saleh, blocked and confiscated trucks carrying humanitarian aid (food and in kind). They also intervened in the delivery of such humanitarian aid to the beneficiaries and imposed rigid restrictions on the work of humanitarian organizations in the areas under their control.
Section Two: Aerial Attacks
During 2017, Mwatana documented as many as 89 attacks, which the Saudi-Emirati-led Coalition carried out against civilians and civilian objects in 10 Yemeni governorates. These attacks have resulted in killing at least 357 civilians, including 161 children and 45 women, and wounding 294 others, including 101 children and 56 women. The Coalition has also carried out attacks against houses, markets, schools and farms, as well as fishermen.
On March 24th, 2017, Mwatana released a press statement, in which it condemned the Coalition’s attacks, documented by Mwatana and which led to the death and injury of hundreds of civilians. The statement called on the countries providing support to the Coalition, the U.S. and UK in particular, to stop arms sales to Saudi Arabia, because they might be used against civilians and civilian objects. Mwatana also indicated in this statement that it has also documented the Coalition’s use of Italian-made weapons, in addition to other attacks, in which U.S. and UK-made weapons were used.
Section Three: Indiscriminate Ground Attacks:
During 2017, Mwatana documented no less than 89 ground attacks, most of which in Taiz (66 incidents) in addition to other governorates such as Al-Jawf, Mareb, Sana’a, Abyan and Lahj. Ansar Allah (the Houthis) group was responsible for most of these bloody indiscriminate attacks, while the Popular Resistance and pro-Hadi forces were responsible for at least two of these attacks, as verified by Mwatana.
These attacks have led to the killing of no less than 160 civilians, including 99 children and 14 women, and wounding 184 civilians, including 92 children and 30 women.
Section Four: Civilian Casualties of Landmines
In 2017, Mwatana documented no less than 25 incidents of landmine explosions mostly in Taiz which were planted by Ansar Allah (the Houthis) group and the Pro-Saleh forces. In these incidents, Mwatana documented the death of at least 14 civilians, including three women and two children, and injuring of at least 46 others, including 19 women and 14 children.
Section Five: Enforced Disappearance
During 2017, Mwatana documented 33 enforced disappearance cases, which Ansar Allah (the Houthis) carried in six Yemeni governorates: Sa’ada, Sana’a, Al Baidha, Dhamar, Hodeida and Taiz. It also documented 68 cases, which armed groups – affiliated to the Saudi-Emirati-led Coalition and pro-Hadi forces– carried in six Yemeni governorates: Aden, Abyan, Lahj, Mareb, Hadramout and Shabwah.
Section Six: Arbitrary Detention
In 2017, a total of 69 cases of arbitrary detention, carried out by the Ansar Allah (the Houthis) in seven Yemeni governorates – Sa’ada, Sana’a, Al Jawf, Al Baidha, Taiz, Dhamar and Hodeidah – were documented. Fifty-one cases of detention were carried by armed groups affiliated to the Saudi-Emirati-led Coalition and pro-Hadi forces in seven Yemeni governorates – Aden, Abyan, Lahj, Dhalae, Mareb, Taiz and Hadramout.
Section Seven: Torture
During 2017, Mwatana documented “29 incidents committed by Ansar Allah (the Houthis), three of which led to death, in four Yemeni governorates, Sa’ada, Sana’a, Taiz and Hodeidah. Fifty-two incidents of torture committed by armed groups affiliated to the Saudi-Emirati-led Coalition and pro-Hadi forces in six Yemeni governorates:
Section Eight: Violations against the Baha’i Minority
Section Nine: Violations Against the Press and Journalists
Section Ten: Recruitment of Child Soldiers:
During 2017, Mwatana verified the recruitment and use of as many as 879 children, through 607 observations and interviews conducted by the Mwatana team. Ansar Allah (the Houthis) group and forces loyal to its former ally, Saleh, have recruited 58% of those children, particularly in Sana’a and Sa’ada. The Security Belt forces and the Hadramout Elite forces, affiliated to the Saudi-Emirati-led Coalition, recruited 21%, particularly in Abyan and Lahj. The pro-Hadi forces and Popular Resistance groups recruited 20%, particularly in Abyan and Al Jawf. The Jihadi groups recruited 1% in the governorates of Lahj and Taiz.
Section Eleven: Attack on Hospitals and Medical Teams
In 2017, Mwatana documented no less than 18 cases of attacks on hospitals and medical centers. These attacks were carried by Ansar Allah (the Houthis); the popular resistance groups and the Security Belt forces. Abdul Qader Al-Mutawakil Hospital in Sana’a was occupied by Ansar Allah (the Houthis) in early December 2017.
Section Twelve: Attacks on and Use of Schools
Section thirteen: Drone Attacks and U.S. Ground Operations
Section Fourteen: The Sana’a Events
http://mwatana.org/en/the-woes-of-arabia-felix/executive-summary/
and
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SAUDI ARABIA MUST BE HELD TO ACCOUNT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN YEMEN, SAY NGOS IN NEW REPORT
New report by leading Yemeni NGO and international human rights experts condemns Saudi airstrikes, and aid and travel restrictions, and urges UN to hold Saudi Arabia accountable
The international community must scrutinize Saudi Arabia’s military operation in Yemen, and urge Saudi Arabia to cease its relentless bombing campaign and devastating restrictions on aid and access to healthcare, said the Mwatana Organization for Human Rights and Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Clinic in a new report submitted to the United Nations for the UN’s review of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.
“No one has been spared in the war in Yemen—for more than three years, Saudi-led coalition airstrikes have killed and injured thousands of civilians, destroying homes, schools, hospitals, and even hitting weddings and funerals,” said Radhya Almutawakel, Chairperson of Mwatana Organization for Human Rights. “When governments review Saudi Arabia’s human rights record at the UN later this year, they must examine Saudi conduct not only in Saudi Arabia but also in Yemen, and offer recommendations to promote human rights and a peaceful solution to the conflict.”
The report, authored by international legal experts and experienced human rights investigators and based on the results of detailed investigations conducted in Yemen over the entire period of Saudi involvement in the war in Yemen, highlights the high rates of civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure caused by Saudi-led coalition airstrikes. Mwatana has documented a number of incidents in which civilians were harmed where the presence of military targets was not evident, raising serious questions about Saudi Arabia’s compliance with its legal obligations.
The new report also explains how Saudi Arabia’s continued restriction of vital food imports and humanitarian aid to Yemen has exacerbated what the United Nations has described as the “worst humanitarian crisis in the world.” Yemen is currently facing the largest recorded cholera epidemic, and more than eight million Yemenis are at acute risk of famine. The report also details how Saudi Arabia’s closure of the Sana’a International Airport prevents civilians from accessing lifesaving healthcare and violates international law.
“Saudi Arabia must act to ensure that urgently needed humanitarian aid can reach Yemenis,” said Tamar Luster, LLM ’18, a student in the Human Rights Clinic who helped draft the UN report. “Under international law, Saudi Arabia must allow rapid and unimpeded delivery of impartial aid and goods necessary for the Yemeni population, such as food, medicine, and fuel.”
This report will inform the review of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record through a process known as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the UN Human Rights Council. Every country in the world is reviewed every five years through the UPR, and Saudi Arabia is up for review in November 2018. Saudi Arabia’s review comes at a key moment, with its conduct already under scrutiny following the launch in 2017 of a UN inquiry into the war in Yemen, and is a key opportunity for other countries to signal their concern about Saudi abuses in Yemen and offer recommendations to advance rights.
“Saudi Arabia’s impunity for its human rights violations against Yemenis must end,” said Junteng Zheng, LLM ’18, a student in the Human Rights Clinic who also worked on the UN report. “UN scrutiny of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record is critical because Saudi Arabia’s own investigations into its own wrongdoing have been so inadequate.”
In March 2015, an international coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen’s internal conflict by launching air strikes against the armed group Ansar Allah (the Houthis). The UN has documented “widespread violations of international law,” including possible war crimes, by all parties to the conflict. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as of late December 2017, more than 9,245 people have been killed, and more than 52,800 people injured by all parties to the conflict. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reported in December 2017 that at least 5,558 of those killed and 9,065 of those injured were civilians.
and the full report is here: https://www.law.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/microsites/human-rights-institute/files/submission_to_the_un_universal_periodic_review_of_saudi_arabia_2018.pdf
and
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Re: Saudi Arabia is killing civilians in Yemen: Why don’t you speak out?
An Open Letter to Business Leaders and Actors, Directors, and Producers Who Met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, including …
We, the undersigned professors and civil liberties, human rights, and peace organizations, are writing to express our concern that you did not publicly speak out about Saudi Arabia’s grave human rights violations in Yemen when you met with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman on his recent trip to the United States. 1 As public figures, your activities and statements garner significant attention, and you wield national and global influence. You are uniquely positioned to exercise moral leadership and to help advance the rights of Yemeni civilians by delivering a message that credible allegations of Saudi Arabia’s serious abuses in Yemen will not be ignored.
By meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince but failing to raise concerns about Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations in Yemen, you allowed yourself to be instrumentalized in a public relations effort to whitewash Saudi Arabia’s abuses in the war in Yemen. Radhya Almutawakel, a prominent Yemeni human rights leader who has previously addressed the UN Security Council on the issue of Yemen, expressed the disappointment of many when asked about your actions during the Crown Prince’s trip to the US:
The widespread harms caused by Saudi Arabia’s actions in Yemen have been extensively documented and reported, including by leading Yemeni and international organizations, the United Nations, and the media.
Despite Saudi Arabia’s efforts to avoid scrutiny for its abuses,9 credible reports indicate that Saudi Arabia has killed thousands of civilians, including women and children, in disproportionate and indiscriminate airstrikes.
Your meeting with the Crown Prince was part of Saudi Arabia’s well-organized public relations tour of the United States. The meeting helped to create significant and positive press coverage for the Crown Prince and Saudi Arabia. There was no media coverage of any concerns raised by you with the Crown Prince or publicly about Saudi Arabia’s harmful actions in Yemen.
Your failure to speak out publicly against Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations in Yemen stands in stark contrast to the actions of other leaders in the United States.
By ignoring Saudi abuses in Yemen, you missed a valuable opportunity to pressure the Saudis to bring an end to the war and improve the desperate situation of civilians in Yemen. And you have sent a damaging message to Saudi Arabia, the international community, and the Yemeni people that violations of human rights and the laws of war will be met with dinners and parties rather than scrutiny, accountability, or concern—a message that must be corrected. As a leader in the United States, it is especially important that you raise concerns about Saudi Arabia’s abuses given the central role the United States has played in the war by providing essential political, economic, and military support for the Saudi-led coalition’s campaign in Yemen, 19 to such an extent that the United States itself is implicated in Saudi abuses.
We urge you to publicly express concern for the actions of Saudi Arabia in Yemen, and to call on Saudi Arabia to respect international law and to work towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
Sincerely, Center for Constitutional Rights Human Rights Clinic (Columbia Law School) and Mwatana Organization for Human Rights
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View from Socotra Island: Yemen War and Threats to the UN Charter
In 2016, unconfirmed rumors began circulating that Yemen’s President Hadi (who remains in exile in Saudi Arabia) had signed a 99-year lease with the UAE. The situation was exacerbated when Hadi was refused landing permission at the UAE-controlled airport in Aden in February 2017.
Tensions ratcheted up even further last month. On April 30, 2018, four UAE military aircraft landed on Socotra carrying at least 100 soldiers and two tanks.
This clash raises serious questions about President Hadi’s control over Yemen. As we discussed in an earlier article, Yemen’s consent is essential to the legality of the use of force by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen—and U.S. support for it.
President Hadi requested assistance from the UAE in his fight against the Houthis on March 24, 2015, thereby giving them permission to operate within Yemen’s territory. Hadi can revoke this permission at any time. The contest over Socotra and Hadi’s reference to the UAE as “occupiers” raises questions about whether his initial consent covers the UAE’s full range of activities in Yemen. (Not to mention the broader concern about the ongoing validity of Hadi’s consent to the actions of the Saudi-led coalition, given that he is under house arrest in Riyadh.)
For now, the confrontation between Yemen and the UAE seems to have abated and, as a result, the legal concerns raised here have receded—for now. Recent reports suggest, however, that Yemen may be subject to similar pressure from Saudi Arabia.
My comment: Interesting, but wrong in some important points: As „president“ Hadi‘s term had ended Feb. 27, 2015, his call for Saudi support was baseless, and the saudi intervention – and thus all US support for it – lack any legitimacy. Everything the Saudis are doing in Yemen is a violation of international law and a war crime, and the US is fully complicit to this.
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Rivalry in the land of the dragon blood tree: Saudi, UAE make plans for Yemen's Socotra
The UAE arrived on the "Galapagos of the Indian Ocean” to help out after a cyclone - and then decided to stay
The UAE officially arrived on Socotra in 2015 – the year war broke out - to help the victims of Cyclone Chapala, which had battered the island from late October onwards.
I nitially, the UAE was welcomed by the government and locals alike, who appreciated its construction of emergency accommodation and its installation of water infrastructure and health care, including repairs to local health centres, providing patients with cheap, often free, treatment or even flights to medical facilities across the Gulf.
Over time, the UAE slowly but surely increased its presence. Socatri said he began to hear talk from Emirati officials, as well as sympathetic Yemeni administrators, that the residents of Socotra may end up as Emirati citizens. “That would be a dangerous development,” he said.
And then, in May 2018, the UAE sent troops to its military camp on the island, as well as usurping Yemeni forces from the sole airport and seaport.
That’s when the alarm bells began ringing loudly for many on the island.
What UAE wants from Socotra
The UAE has good reason to want an armed presence on Socotra, given its maritime ambitions. In recent years, the Emiratis have established ports on the Horn of Africa, which leads northwards into the Rea Sea and ultimately the Suez canal.
Ghamdan al-Yousefi, a political analyst and Yemeni journalist, fled the country in 2015 amid fears of a Houthi reprisal after he criticised the group. He said that Socotra is not under threat from any group – and so there is no reason for a UAE military presence.
“If there is a danger which threatens the island, then why have the UAE troops kicked out the Yemeni soldiers from their positions at Socotra's airport and seaport?
"What the UAE has done in Socotra is its implementation of an old ambition to invade the island and control its wealth,” he said.
Yousefi highlighted that Socotra was now another area of UAE control, after the southern Yemeni mainland ports of Aden, al-Mukallah, Nashtoon and others.
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As Saudi Arabia and the UAE struggle for control of Socotra, Yemen’s island paradise may just swap one occupation for another
The Independent presents the final article in an exclusive series from Socotra. The Arab coalition united against Yemen’s Houthi rebels has declared the infighting over the Unesco-protected island over: In reality, the supposed alliance is fracturing across Yemen
In the last two weeks the Arab coalition helping Yemen’s exiled government fight Houthi rebels on the mainland has ruptured in a standoff over geopolitically strategic Socotra. The island’s 60,000 inhabitants have taken to the streets demanding either the removal of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Yemeni government, or independence from both.
The UAE bought tanks and heavy artillery to the island for the first time, and kicked Yemeni workers out of the airstrip and port. The Yemeni government, enraged at the violation of its sovereignty, responded by inviting a Saudi delegation to act as peace broker. The Saudis also brought troops, which appear to have remained.
Yemen’s prime minister Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr announced on Monday that the “crisis on the island is over” and that Yemen’s flag is “flying above our sea and airports again”. But in conversations with residents, local leaders and activists in Socotra, The Independent has discovered the picture on the ground looks very different.
Our eyewitness report revealed how since Yemen’s war began the UAE has all but annexed Socotra, building a military base, conducting its own census and possibly even holding a Crimea-style referendum.
With Saudi Arabia beginning to assert itself on the island, the Emirates’ quiet ambitions in this part of the world are now being directly challenged.
A clever blend of Emirati hard and soft power is rapidly changing life for people in Socotra and southern Yemen, as well as Somaliland, Djibouti, Eritrea and Port Sudan – all places which touch the Red Sea, the world’s most important oil and gas shipping channel.
Socotra, the epicentre of this new power struggle, has become the first real challenge for the UAE as it strives to establish a 21st-century military empire to rival Saudi Arabia’s regional dominance.
Socotra now holds the key to the future of the strained Arab coalition and the future of Yemen, a country already coming apart at the seams.
Tarek Salam, the governor of Aden, Yemen’s interim capital which is de facto run and defended from al Qaeda by the UAE has been critical of Emirati activity on Socotra, which he says is continuing.
“They still want to transform this beautiful island full of protected landscapes into one of the Emirates, the ‘eighth Emirate’,” he said in an interview with UNews TV on Wednesday.
The UAE now has competition.
“Not only will the UAE not really leave Socotra, there are now Saudi forces there as well,” Karman said.
“We refuse to replace the UAE occupation with a Saudi one. These countries are just taking turns to devastate Yemen and impose control, and on Socotra that affects the rare ecosystem there too,” she added.
Remark: For the Socotra crisis, look at YPR 410–413.
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Scourging Yemen – OpEd
In their May 10th request, the Saudis asked the UN to implement “all relevant Security Council resolutions in order to prevent the smuggling of additional weapons to the Houthis, and to hold violators of the arms embargo accountable.” The letter accuses Iran of furnishing the Houthi militias with stockpiles of ballistic missiles, UAVs and sea mines. The Saudis’ letter omits mention of massive U.S. weapons exports to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Security Council resolutions invoked by the Saudis name the Houthis as a warring party in Yemen and call for an embargo, so the Houthis can’t acquire more weapons. But these Resolutions don’t name the Saudis as a warring party in Yemen, even though Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has, since March 2015, orchestrated Saudi involvement in the war, using billions of dollars of weapons sold to the Saudis and the UAE by the U.S. and the UK.
The Saudis have an undeniable right to call on the UN to work toward preventing the Houthis from acquiring ballistic weapons that could be fired into Saudi Arabia, but the air, sea and water blockade now imposed on Yemen brutally and lethally punishes children who have no capacity whatsoever to affect Houthi policies. What’s more, the U.S. military, through midair refueling of Saudi and Emirati warplanes, is directly involved in devastating barrages of airstrikes while the UN Security Council essentially pays no heed.
On March 22, 2018, Amnesty International called for an end to the flow of arms to the Saudi-led coalition attacking Yemen.
The UN Charter begins with a commitment to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. The UN Security Council has miserably failed the Yemeni people by allowing the scourge of war to worsen, year by year. By approving biased resolutions that neglect to even name the most well-funded and sophisticated warring parties in Yemen — Saudi Arabia; the United Arab Emirates; the United States — the Security Council promotes the intensification of brutal, apocalyptic war and enables western war profiteers to benefit from billions of dollars in weapon sales.
Earnest, honest and practical steps to stop the war are urgently needed. The U.N. must abandon its biased role in the Yemen conflict, so it can broker a peace in which the Houthi minority can retain some dignity and representation in majority-Sunni Yemen, which even before the Houthi uprising lacked any legitimate elected leader. The Houthis must be given an option to lay down arms without landing in any of the clandestine prisons operated by the UAE in Yemen, reported to be little more than torture camps. Even more urgent, the violence and economic strangulation by foreign invaders must cease.
At the very least, citizens in countries supplying weapons to the Saudi-Emirati coalition must demand their legislators forbid all future sales.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/05/22/scourging-yemen/ = http://www.eurasiareview.com/22052018-scourging-yemen-oped/
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Childhood in Yemen is at risk
The killing of young girls in Yemen outside the law, in less than a year, exceeded all limits of reason and logic.
Girls are killed through early marriage and forcing them to do so under inhuman pretexts, and those who refuse to do so are abused or killed under the pretext of honor and shame.
Only the marriage of underage girls in Yemen has become one of the most widespread things until it has become a commonplace in community life.
In addition, those who offer help to these victim girls or try to prevent parents from early marriage are attacked and threatened by tribal sheikhs and their situation becomes unsafe so as not to object again.
Hundreds of young girls under 18 are married daily, especially in rural areas, deprived of education and their basic human rights, and made them domestic servants, taking advantage of the absence of the government and the economic collapse.
Others were killed by their parents when they refused to marry for fear that they might love someone, because that would bring shame on the family, they claim.
Unfortunately, the courts do not respond to the appeals of minor children because the law does not protect women in general and especially minors because society is based on customary laws governed by tribes, customs and traditions.
http://www.nadaalahdal.com/blog_posts/childhood-in-yemen-is-at-risk/ and film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAsMS345cgM
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Vorbereitung auf den dritten Golfkrieg – Er ist jetzt wahrscheinlicher denn je
[Original English version: http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176422/tomgram%3A_michael_klare%2C_the_road_to_hell_in_the_middle_east/= https://www.thenation.com/article/donald-trump-is-driving-us-on-a-road-to-hell-in-the-middle-east/ = https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/washington-appears-be-gearing-third-gulf-war]
Mit Donald Trumps Entscheidung, das iranische Atomabkommen zu zerschlagen, die am vergangenen Dienstag angekündigt wurde, ist es Zeit für den Rest von uns, darüber nachzudenken, was ein dritter Golfkrieg bedeuten würde. Die Antwort, basierend auf den letzten 16 Jahren amerikanischer Erfahrung im mittleren Osten, ist, dass es nicht schön sein wird.
Die New York Times berichtete kürzlich, dass die U.S. Army Special Forces das saudi-arabische Militär heimlich gegen die von Iranern unterstützten Houthi-Rebellen im Jemen unterstützten. Es war nur das jüngste Zeichen vor der Ankündigung von Präsident Trump, dass Washington sich auf die Möglichkeit eines weiteren zwischenstaatlichen Krieges in der Golfregion vorbereitet.
Die ersten beiden Golfkriege – Operation Desert Storm (die Kampagne von 1990 zur Vertreibung der irakischen Streitkräfte aus Kuwait) und die US-Invasion im Irak 2003 – endeten in amerikanischen „Siegen“, die virulente Zweige des Terrorismus wie ISIS entfesselten, Millionen entwurzelten und den Nahen Osten auf katastrophale Weise unsicher machten. Der dritte Golfkrieg – nicht gegen den Irak, sondern gegen den Iran und seine Verbündeten – wird zweifellos zu einem weiteren amerikanischen „Sieg“ führen, der noch mehr schreckliche Kräfte des Chaos und des Blutvergießens entfesseln könnte.
Wie die ersten beiden Golfkriege könnte auch der dritte Krieg hochintensive Zusammenstöße zwischen einer Reihe amerikanischer Streitkräfte und denen des Iran, eines weiteren gut bewaffneten Staates, zur Folge haben. Während die Vereinigten Staaten ISIS und andere terroristische Einheiten im Nahen Osten und anderswo in den letzten Jahren bekämpft haben, steht ein solcher Krieg in keinem Verhältnis zu einem modernen Staat, der entschlossen ist, sein souveränes Territorium mit professionellen Streitkräften zu verteidigen, die den Willen, wenn auch nicht notwendigerweise das nötige Rüstzeug haben, den großen US-Waffensystemen zu begegnen.
Ein Dritter Golfkrieg würde sich von den jüngsten Konflikten im Nahen Osten durch die geographische Ausdehnung der Kämpfe und die Anzahl der Hauptakteure, die sich beteiligen könnten, unterscheiden. Aller Wahrscheinlichkeit nach würde sich das Schlachtfeld von den Ufern des Mittelmeers, wo der Libanon an Israel grenzt, bis zur Straße von Hormuz erstrecken, wo der Persische Golf in den Indischen Ozean mündet. Teilnehmer könnten einerseits der Iran, das Regime von Bashar al-Assad in Syrien, die Hisbollah im Libanon und verschiedene schiitische Milizen im Irak und Jemen sowie andererseits Israel, Saudi-Arabien, die Vereinigten Staaten und die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate (VAE) sein. Würden die Kämpfe in Syrien außer Kontrolle geraten, könnten sogar russische Truppen einbezogen werden – von Michael T. Klare
(** B K P)
The Caliphate of Trump And a Planet in Ruins
We here in the United States are, of course, eternally shocked by their extremism, theirwillingness to kill the innocent without compunction, particularly in the case of Islamist groups, from the 9/11 attacks to ISIS’s more recent slaughters.
Still, just for a moment, as a thought experiment, set aside that self-evident body of knowledge and briefly try to imagine our own particular, indispensable, exceptional version of extremity; that is, try to imagine ourselves as an extreme nation or even, to put it as extremely as possible, the ISIS of superpowers.
This subject came to my mind recently thanks to a story I noticed about another extreme wedding slaughter -- this one not by ISIS but thanks to a Saudi “double-tap” airstrike on a wedding in Yemen, first on the groom’s party, then on the bride’s. The bride and possibly the groom died along with 31 other wedding goers (including children). And keep in mind that this wasn’t the first or most devastating Saudi attack on a wedding in the course of its brutal air war in Yemen since 2015.
To take out a wedding, even in wartime, is -- I think you could find general agreement on this -- an extreme act. Two weddings? More so. And nowhere near the war’s battle lines? More so yet. Of course, given the nature of the Saudi regime, it could easily be counted as another of the extreme governments on this planet. But remember one thing when it comes to that recent wedding slaughter, another country has backed the Saudi royals to the hilt in their war in Yemen: the United States. Washington has supported the Saudi war effort in just about every way imaginable.
Imagine, for a moment, that a wedding party in some rural part of the United States had been wiped out by a foreign air strike and an Iraqi insurgent leader had responded as Mattis did or an Iraqi paper had used some version of the News’s headline. I don’t think it’s hard to conjure up what the reaction might have been here. Add another little fact to this: to the best of my knowledge, TomDispatch was the only media outlet that tried to keep a record of those American wedding slaughters; otherwise they were quickly forgotten in this country. So tell me, doesn’t that have a feeling of extremity and of remarkable callousness to it? Certainly, if those massacres had been the acts of al-Qaeda or ISIS and American brides, grooms, musicians, and children had been among the dead, there’s no doubt what we would be saying about them 24/7.
Now, for a moment, let’s consider the possible extremism of Washington in a more organized way. Here, then, is my six-category rundown of what I would call American extremity on a global scale:
Garrisoning the globe: The U.S. has an estimated 800 or so military bases or garrisons, ranging from the size of American small towns to tiny outposts, across the planet. They exist almost everywhere.
Funding the military: The U.S. puts approximately a trillion dollars annually in taxpayer funds into its military, its 17 intelligence agencies, and what’s now called “homeland security.” Its national security budget is larger than those of the next eight countries combined and still rising yearly.
Fighting wars: The United States has been fighting wars nonstop since its military invaded Afghanistan in October 2001. That’s almost 17 years of invasions, occupations, air campaigns, drone strikes, special operations raids, naval air and missile attacks, and so much else, from the Philippines to Pakistan, Afghanistan to Syria, Libya to Niger. And in none of those places is such war making truly over. It goes without saying that there’s no other country on the planet making war in such a fashion or over anything like such a period of time.
American-style war, despite invasions of countries thousands of miles away and the presidentially directed targeting of individuals across the globe for assassination by drone with next to no regard for national sovereignty is not considered extreme.
Destroying cities: Can there be any question that, in the American mind, the most extreme act of this century was the destruction of those towers in New York City and part of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., on September 11, 2001, with the deaths of almost 3,000 unsuspecting, innocent civilians? That became the definition of an extreme act by a set of extremists. Consider, however, the American response. Across significant parts of the Middle East in the years since, the U.S. has had a major hand in destroying not just tower after tower, but city after city -- Fallujah, Ramadi, and Mosul in Iraq, Raqqa in Syria, Sirte in Libya. One after another, parts or all of them were turned into literal rubble.
Displacing people: In the course of its wars, the U.S. has helped displace a record numberof human beings since the last days of World War II.
Arming the planet (and its own citizens as well): In these years, as with defense spending, so with the selling of weaponry of almost every imaginable sort to other countries. U.S. weapons makers, aided and abetted by the government, have outpaced all possible competitors in global arms sales. In 2016, for instance, the U.S. took 58% of those sales, while between 2002-2016, Washington transferred weaponry to 167 countries, or more than 85% of the nations on the planet.
And that’s only to begin to plunge into the topic of American extremity.
Think of this perhaps as a new kind of death cult, which means that Donald Trump might be considered the superpower version of an Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. As with all such things, this particular cult did not come from nowhere, but from a land of growing extremity, a country that now, it seems, may be willing to preside over not just cities in ruin but a planet in ruin, too. Doesn’t that seem just a little extreme to you? – by Tom Engelhardt
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176420/tomgram%3A_engelhardt%2C_extremists_%22r%22_us/ = https://www.thenation.com/article/the-united-states-is-the-real-extremist-country/
(** B P)
The princes, the president and the fortune seekers
After a year spent carefully cultivating two princes from the Arabian Peninsula, Elliott Broidy, a top fundraiser for President Donald Trump, thought he was finally close to nailing more than $1 billion in business.
He had ingratiated himself with crown princes from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who were seeking to alter U.S. foreign policy and punish Qatar, an archrival in the Gulf that he dubbed “the snake.”
To do that, the California businessman had helped spearhead a secret campaign to influence the White House and Congress, flooding Washington with political donations.
Broidy and his business partner, Lebanese-American George Nader, pitched themselves to the crown princes as a backchannel to the White House, passing the princes’ praise — and messaging — straight to the president’s ears.
Now, in December 2017, Broidy was ready to be rewarded for all his hard work.
It was time to cash in.
In return for pushing anti-Qatar policies at the highest levels of America’s government, Broidy and Nader expected huge consulting contracts from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, according to an Associated Press investigation based on interviews with more than two dozen people and hundreds of pages of leaked emails between the two men. The emails reviewed by the AP included work summaries and contracting documents and proposals.
The two men barely knew each other. But Broidy had the ear of the president. Nader claimed he had the crown princes’.
On Feb. 7, 2017, Broidy wrote to a staffer for the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee about a bill aimed at sanctioning Qatar for alleged support of terrorist groups— part of what Nader called “hammering Qatar,” emails show.
The next day, Broidy forwarded Nader questions about a potential contract with Saudi Arabia to train Arab troops to fight in the escalating war in Yemen.
Broidy and Nader proposed multiple plans to the princes for more than $1 billion of work. One pitch was to help create an all-Muslim fighting force of 5,000 troops. A second was aimed at helping the UAE gather intelligence. A third would strengthen Saudi maritime and border security. Still another was related to setting up counterterrorism centers in Saudi Arabia.
In a note to Broidy, Nader said the princes were very happy with the proposed contracts, particularly the crown prince of Abu Dhabi.
But first, emails show, they had to focus on the lobbying campaign. They proposed a budget upward of $12 million to “expose and penalize” Qatar and get the U.S. to pressure it to “aid in coercive action against Iran,” according to a March 2017 document - By DESMOND BUTLER and TOM LoBIANCO
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics
(** B H)
Cholera epidemic in Yemen, 2016–18: an analysis of surveillance data
In war-torn Yemen, reports of confirmed cholera started in late September, 2016. The disease continues to plague Yemen today in what has become the largest documented cholera epidemic of modern times. We aimed to describe the key epidemiological features of this epidemic, including the drivers of cholera transmission during the outbreak.
We divided the epidemic into three time periods: the first wave (Sept 28, 2016, to April 23, 2017), the increasing phase of the second wave (April 24, 2017, to July 2, 2017), and the decreasing phase of the second wave (July 3, 2017, to March 12, 2018).
From Sept 28, 2016, to March 12, 2018, 1 103 683 suspected cholera cases (attack rate 3·69%) and 2385 deaths (case fatality risk 0·22%) were reported countrywide. The epidemic consisted of two distinct waves with a surge in transmission in May, 2017, corresponding to a median Rt of more than 2 in 13 of 23 governorates. Microbiological analyses suggested that the same Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa strain circulated in both waves. We found a positive, non-linear, association between weekly rainfall and suspected cholera incidence in the following 10 days; the relative risk of cholera after a weekly rainfall of 25 mm was 1·42 (95% CI 1·31–1·55) compared with a week without rain.
Our analysis suggests that the small first cholera epidemic wave seeded cholera across Yemen during the dry season. When the rains returned in April, 2017, they triggered widespread cholera transmission that led to the large second wave. These results suggest that cholera could resurge during the ongoing 2018 rainy season if transmission remains active. Therefore, health authorities and partners should immediately enhance current control efforts to mitigate the risk of a new cholera epidemic wave in Yemen.
Even healthy individuals can die of cholera within hours after symptoms begin.5 Vibrio choleraeproduces a profuse watery diarrhoea that can quickly progress to dehydration and hypovolaemic shock, and can kill up to 50% of patients if fluids are not properly replaced.6 However, the case fatality risk (CFR) can be less than 1% with appropriate case management.5
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(18)30230-4/fulltext
(* A H)
Yemen: Cholera Suspected Cases (From 27 April - 18 May 2018)
https://reliefweb.int/map/yemen/yemen-cholera-suspected-cases-27-april-18-may-2018
(*A H)
Yemen: Cholera Attack Rate (%) Population (From 27 April - 14 May 2018)
https://reliefweb.int/map/yemen/yemen-cholera-attack-rate-population-27-april-14-may-2018
(* A H)
Yemen: Cholera Response Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin: W19 2018 (May 07 - May 13)
1,089,737 suspected cases, 2,288 deaths.
cp2 Allgemein / General
(* B H K P)
PODCAST: How Shipping Containers Explain the Conflict in Yemen
The politics and the basic logistics of getting goods into these two ports offers key insights into the dynamics of the conflict in Yemen and can explain why Yemen is experiencing such a profound humanitarian crisis.
My guest today, Scott Paul, is the humanitarian policy lead at Oxfam America. He recently returned from a fact finding trip to the Port of Aden and some of its surrounding towns. He wrote about that experience in a piece on the website Just Security. In this conversation, we briefly discuss the background of the conflict and its main drivers before having a longer conversation about the explanatory power of shipping containers for understanding this conflict.
https://www.undispatch.com/podcast-how-shipping-containers-explain-the-conflict-in-yemen/
(? B H K P)
Film: What next for Yemen’s tragic war?
The Brookings Doha Center hosted a policy dialogue on May 9, 2018 to discuss challenges and prospects for Yemen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1Ef-xmDrKw
(A H K)
UNDP: To protect civilians' lives and help recover local businesses, #UNDP, in #Yemen, in #partnership with int'l donors support #YEMAC in conducting mine action activities. In #Aden, last week, 240 landmines, 8 Katyusha rockets, 2 shells and 68 other ERWs have been denoted. (photo)
https://twitter.com/UNDPYEMEN/status/998844689448079360
(* A K P)
US Special operation Command C146A Wolfhound landing at YLNG (Yemen Liquefied Natural Gas) Line strip #Yemen (image)
https://twitter.com/GDarkconrad/status/998602552215265281
(* B P)
The parties to the conflict in Yemen meet to kill the Knights of the Media
[For those who read Arabic, this is my report about attacks on social media activists in #Yemen since 2011. All governments and factions have been involved in killing, hunting, threatening, kidnapping and arresting social media activists]
Social networking activists are in the range of fire from Hodeidah west to Al-Mahara in the east, despite their differences; whether they sympathize with the Arab Alliance or with Ansar Allah or against them, independent or opposition. Everyone is equal. The economic class is unshakable and the religious belief does not deliver.
In 2017, a record of 221 violations was recorded against social networking activists between murder, arrest, threats and torture. All political parties are partners in violating the Yemeni constitution and stifling freedom of opinion and expression through social media. In front of the Ansar Allah group known as the Houthis, followed by the legitimate government and its affiliated arms, and then unknown al-Qaeda, according to the Center for Studies of Economic Information – by Fuad Rajeh
http://daraj.com/newsletters/index.html
(B K P)
Wie der Jemen zum Schlachtfeld der Großmächte wird
Saudi-Arabien und der Iran ringen mit aller Macht um die Führung in der Region – vor allem im Jemen kämpfen sie immer härter gegeneinander. Eine Analyse.
Trotz fast 10.000 Toten im Jemen und großer Not setzen beide Seiten offenbar auf die militärische Karte. Das gilt vor allem nach dem Ausstieg der USA aus dem Atomabkommen mit dem Iran: Teheran mischt mehr und mehr die Nahostregion auf und macht Front gegen die Saudis.
Andererseits steht für den 32-jährigen Kronprinzen fest, dass durch den Vormarsch der Huthis im Jemen nationale Sicherheitsinteressen bedroht sind. „Außerdem werden in Riad die Rebellen als fünfte Kolonne Irans wahrgenommen.
Damit ist aus saudischer Sicht die Intervention ohne Alternative“, sagt Sebastian Sons von der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik. Doch klar ist inzwischen auch: Ein militärischer Sieg liegt in weiter Ferne.
Mein Kommentar: Eine “Analyse”, die von falschen Voraussetzungen zu falschen Schlüssen kommt. Der jemenkrieg ist kein saudisch-iranischer “Stellvertreterkrieg”, weil der Iran dort militärisch, aber auch politisch nur eine untergeordnete Rolle spielt. Alles andere ist saudische und US-Propaganda. Die Großmacht, die den Jemen zum “Schlachtfeld” ihrer Interessen gemacht hat – dadurch, dass sie die Saudis massiv unterstützt – wird hier überhaupt nicht in dieser Rolle vorgestellt: Die USA.
(* B K P)
Stellvertreterkonflikt in Jemen
Iran und Saudi-Arabien kämpfen um Kontrolle am Eingang zum Roten Meer
Präsident Hadi und die von Saudi-Arabien dominierte Militärallianz lassen keinen Zweifel daran, dass aus ihrer Sicht »Verhandlungen sinnlos« sind, so ein Sprecher Hadis. Denn vor allem in Saudi-Arabien sieht man den Krieg gegen die Huthi-Milizen nun verstärkt als Feldzug gegen den iranischen Einfluss in der Region.
In den vergangenen Wochen wurden immer wieder Raketen aus dem Jemen auf Saudi-Arabien abgeschossen, die stets abgefangen wurden. Dies sei ein deutliches Zeichen, dass der Iran seine Unterstützung für die Huthi verstärkt habe, so saudische Regierungssprecher. Die iranische Regierung bestreitet dies.
https://www.neues-deutschland.de/artikel/1088877.stellvertreterkonflikt-in-jemen.html
Mein Kommentar: Ebenfalls wenig Tiefgang, z. T. Fehler (es sind die Huthis, die Landminen einsetzen). Und es ist eben kein saudisch-iranischer Stelvertreterkrieg.
(A K P)
Interactive Map of Yemen
(* B K P)
The War on Yemen and Pompeo’s Propaganda
Pompeo’s Iran speech was awful in many ways, including its completely one-sided and dishonest portrayal of the war on Yemen:
In Yemen, Iran’s support for the Houthi militia fuels a conflict that continues to starve the Yemeni people and hold them under the threat of terror.
The IRGC has also given Houthi missiles to attack civilian targets in Saudi Arabia and the Emirates and to threaten international shipping in the Red Sea.
What Pompeo doesn’t mention here is that the conflict was escalated by the Saudi coalition with U.S. backing that continues to this day. The people of Yemen are being starved in large part because of the coalition blockade that the U.S. supports. Yemeni civilians are most often terrorized by indiscriminate coalition bombings of their cities and towns. All indiscriminate attacks should be condemned, but the reason why there are missiles being fired at Saudi Arabia and the UAE is their relentless and bloody bombardment of Yemen that has caused thousands of civilian casualties, devastated the country’s infrastructure, and helped to cripple its health care system. If there had been no Saudi-led intervention, these attacks would not be happening, and if the intervention ended the attacks would likely come to an end as well. The administration has no demands for the governments that are actually destroying Yemen, but rather looks for excuses to continue helping them with their indiscriminate and reckless bombing.
If all Iranian support stopped tomorrow, the war wouldn’t end because Iran’s involvement has always been minimal – by Daniel Larison
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/the-war-on-yemen-and-pompeos-propaganda/
Remark: Pompeo’s speech here, and morein cp9: https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2018/05/282301.htm
(B P)
How Iran's role differs in Syria and Yemen war
The differences in Iranian involvement in the Syrian and Yemeni wars offer insights into Tehran's priorities
However, Iran has chosen to launch its bloodiest interventions in Syria and Yemen, where civil wars allow the Islamic Republic to sow its influence.
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2018/5/21/how-irans-role-differs-in-syria-and-yemen-war
My comment: Iran# “bloodiest interventions in Syria and Yemen?? What a bullshit.
Comment by Haykal Bafana: Pompeo to Iran: no more acceptance of missiles landing in Riyadh & Golan. "Look, Iran, let US & Saudi & UAE proxies rain Yemen with all bombs. Let US destabilize Mideast with terrorists & counterproductive interventions. Go out Iran. Let us kill Arabs with help from Israel"!!!!
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/998916668331036672
(* A P)
Gargash says claims of UAE ambitions in Yemen 'unfortunate'
The UAE minister reiterates that his country has no ulterior motives in Yemen
UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said some Yemeni officials’ statements on the Emirates’ role in the war were “unfortunate”.
“It is unfortunate that some Yemeni government officials are comparing the Emirati role with Iran’s role,” he tweeted on Monday.
“Those losing the compass will not let us forget our main mission within the Arab coalition to beat the Houthi rebellion and reinforce the state and projects of development.”
Dr Gargash responded to statements made by Yemen’s Interior Minister Ahmed Mysari, who reportedly criticised the UAE’s role and tried to cast doubt on its ambitions in the country.
“Should I remind Minister Ahmed Al Mysari of the sacrifice of the martyr, Saeed Al Hajeri, and his colleagues on the field? Aim your bullets towards the Houthis, your excellency, the minister,” Dr Gargash tweeted on Sunday.
Al Hajeri, a member of the UAE Armed Forces, was killed last week in battle in Yemen.
Dr Gargash has repeatedly said that neither his country nor the Arab coalition has “greedy ambitions” in Yemen or territorial ones on the Yemeni islands of Socotra.
My comment: This is political propaganda at a 100 % rate.
(* B H K)
Europe’s guns & hypocrisy roar loud in Yemen
While the European Union, every now and then, continues to express its ‘anger’ over the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria, even more evident is the conspicuous absence of likewise criticism in EU of the atrocities being committed in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia has waged a devastating war against Yemen’s Asnarullah and the revolutionaries.
The EU’s silence is not just meaningful; it is even criminal as a number of big members of this union continue to remain major providers of weapons to the House of Saud and its primary ally, UAE. Salman Rafi Sheikh, research-analyst of International Relations and Pakistan’s foreign and domestic affairs, has written a short article on the EU’s hypocrisy.
The EU’s silence, therefore, throws significant light on the political economy of the war in Yemen, whereby both the wager and the sponsor profit either in terms of their so-called ‘national security’ or in terms of earning high profit. The Yemenis, of course, remain the targeted field.
With major European countries thus being the prime suppliers of weapons to Saudi Arabia, they are not only violating the ATT of which all of these countries are signatory, they are also violating the EU code of conduct on arms export, according to which the members are not to supply weapons, use of which may contribute to ruin the regional stability.
Europe, by thus directly feeding the war in Yemen, has established its standards of hypocrisy. And, while the EU has brought no resolution against the Saudi atrocities in Yemen, it was vocal enough to table and support a resolution against Iran for what they unfoundedly called ‘violation of embargoes on supply of arms to Yemen’!
Earlier in February 2018, all the major suppliers of weapons to Saudi Arabia (the US, the UK, and France) went to the United Nations, which has ironically itself repeatedly criticized Saudi Arabia for creating a worst humanitarian crisis, to mull Iran over alleged violations.
http://parstoday.com/en/radio/middle_east-i85308-europe%E2%80%99s_guns_hypocrisy_roar_loud_in_yemen
Remark: from Iran.
(*B K P)
For US and Saudi Arabia, Yemen War Is a Luxury They Can Afford
Yemen’s only sin is that it has geo-strategic importance. The country borders two US allies and sits at the convergence point of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, overlooking the Bab el Mandab Strait - a key trade route, particularly for oil. A daily 4.7 million barrels of oil are transported through that strait.
The Saudis claim as the war continues and Iranian influence grows, Tehran may seek to expand its leverage by escalating the potential threat to ships passing through the waterways. Again, this is rubbish. It is the Saudi-led war that has been devastating for Yemen’s civilians and regional stability. Iran has always been trying to encourage a political settlement. It is Saudi Arabia and the United States who are not willing to see it into fruition. To prove the claim, it would be enough to note that the Gulf of Aden was an insecure waterway and ships came under attack by the Somali pirates on a daily basis. But since Iran's naval forces deployed in there, they have secured voyage not just for Iranian vessels, but also for all cargo ships and oil tankers of the world countries. A major part of the several thousand anti-piracy missions conducted by the Iranian Navy has been for the rescue of foreign ships. In one of such cases, they rescued a Chinese vessel that later brought Beijin's official appreciation and admiration for the brave mission.
Any settlement will be impossible until Saudis stop stoking the fire with their indiscriminate airstrikes. Without a solution to end the airstrikes, Yemen’s humanitarian crisis will only get worse. It gets worse. With the US military already fueling Saudi jets, the White House is escalating the conflict, from sending troops to the border regions to further intelligence sharing and direct US military intervention in the war. The United Nations can stop the US from fueling the bloodshed. But it is doing nothing even though there's an American imprint on every civilian life lost there.
This conflict is not complex and multi-faceted. On the surface, it is a power struggle among the political elite, but it is in fact driven by long-term American-Israeli-Saudi designs for the region at the expense and marginalization of the majority of the Yemeni population. Their gambit to control the region has helped fuel the ongoing war, and must be addressed to bring lasting peace.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13970230001123
Remark: From Iran.
(* B H K)
The Disabled Is Not an Exception from the Saudi To-Target List in Yemen
Damage to the disabled as a result of the Saudi-led coalition and siege is not limited to losses of resources and the warplanes targeting infrastructure of the institutions of the disabled, the US-backed coalition left thousands with disabilities.
In the course of reading the map of the disabled Yemeni civilians as a result of the Saudi-led coalition, which deliberately targets the population centers and civilian targets, we face major massacres that were more cruel and barbaric. Such war crimes have boosted the number of civilians handicapped.
The report of the Fund for the Welfare of the Disabled confirms funding about 125 associations working with persons with disabilities in different governorates of the Republic, but it was mostly interrupted by the ongoing Saudi-led war as well as the result of the cessation of income of the Fund.
All associations and physiotherapy centers working for people with disabilities have stopped operating in most governorates. About 32 associations and a natural treatment center in Taiz stopped working, which is the total number of associations and centers working for people with disabilities and that were supported and funded by the Fund.
Twelve societies and centers in Shabwa and Abyan have stopped functioning because of the Saudi-led war. In addition, the associations working for people with disabilities who had been supported by the Fund in Dhale governorate also had the same fate of closure and a number of associations and physiotherapy centers working for people with disabilities have recently returned to Aden. The associations and centers working with people with disabilities in Marib, Saada, Jawf have also almost entirely stopped operating.
“Like other Yemeni civilians, people with disabilities in Yemen have been subjected to random bombardments in the capital Sana’a and several governments, and because they can not migrate and move like others, they are at risk of death and serious injuries. The war has produced new handicapped people from various parts of Yemen, most of them unarmed civilians,” he said.
“Their infrastructure and specialized centers were also subjected to direct bombardment.
“There are other buildings with special needs that have been damaged, which means that the aggression on Yemen has caused a major and unprecedented setback for people with disabilities at various levels,” he stressed.
cp2a Saudische Blockade / Saudi blockade
(A H P)
UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen: Infographic: UNVIM Weekly Situation Report #106, 9 - 15 May 2018
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/unvim-weekly-situation-report-106-9-15-may-2018
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
Siehe / Look at cp1
(A H)
UNICEF: Community volunteers are working hard in #Ramadan! In rural areas of South #Yemen (Shabwa, Dhale, Lahej and Abyan) volunteers are engaging families whilst they relax Iftar so that they can learn about hygiene practices and eliminating open defecation, with support from @DFID_UK (photos)
https://twitter.com/UNICEF_Yemen/status/998458019624218625
(B H)
Film, Arabic: The suffering of hundreds of patients with renal failure in the province of Hodeidah 22-05-2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFvxX16v20Q
(A H)
Real time pictures Salam guys, @monarelief distributing now food aid baskets to the most vulnerable families in Amanat Al-Asimah Sana'a.
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/998560588090535936
https://twitter.com/MohammedHojily/status/998668808939343873
(A H)
Human Needs Deve-HND: "25" food packs were distributed to those most valuable families in two of #Sanaa districts, #Yemen. (photo)
https://twitter.com/HndOrg/status/998630986949722112
(* A H)
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: Yemen Humanitarian Update Covering 15 – 21 May 2018 | Issue 16
Despite ongoing conflict, humanitarian access to parts of Al-Wazi’iyah and Mawza districts in Taizz Governorate has improved, including from Aden and Al-Turbah City.
Hundreds of families have fled military operations in Altuhayat District, Al Hudaydah Governorate, with an estimated 705 arriving in Zabid and Al-Garrahi districts.
Heavy rains affected several governorates in the southern coastal areas as Cyclone Sagar passed the Gulf of Aden, but minimal damage was reported.
Data collected by WHO from functioning health facilities indicate that from March 2015 to April 2018, 9,559 people have been killed and 55,616 injured in Yemen’s conflict.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-humanitarian-update-covering-15-21-may-2018-issue-16
(* B H)
In war-torn Yemen, a devastating childbirth injury, then a glimpse of hope
Shaima, 20, has experienced more than her share of suffering. Displaced by conflict, she was married off at 14, then endured pregnancy after pregnancy before her body was ready. She developed devastating complications in childbirth, including an obstetric fistula – a traumatic injury that can have lifelong consequences.
On Wednesday, the world will observe the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, which calls for action to end the marginalization and inequality that perpetuate this preventable injury.
Girls who are pregnant too early, such as child brides, are especially vulnerable to this affliction, as are women who are malnourished. Malnutrition and recourse to child marriage are both on the rise in Yemen, where grinding conflict has uprooted communities, increased extreme poverty and caused the health system to collapse.
“In our community, girls are married off at a young age, like 9 or 10,” Shaima told UNFPA. “For me, I was 14 and it was considered late. I did not have a choice but to marry the first one who offered to take me. So, I wedded a widower.”
https://www.unfpa.org/news/war-torn-yemen-devastating-childbirth-injury-then-glimpse-hope
(* B H)
Film: How are families celebrating Ramadan in war-torn Yemen?
https://twitter.com/ajplus/status/998271135505567744
(A H)
SAY: 2day, thanks 2 those who believe in our work & commitment,we distributed 85 packages of medicines (photo)
https://twitter.com/Living_Yemen/status/998353543689068546
(* B H)
The young men of Enabling Aden run their 3D printer day and night to try to make hands for those who have lost theirs in the years long civil war in #Yemen. (photo)
https://twitter.com/mfbiggs/status/997593118483546112
(* B H)
Report: 6 million Yemenis lives in poverty due to stoppage of salaries
An economic report issued by the studies and economical media center (non-governmental), the stoppage of employees’ salaries in the past 19 months led to 6 million to live in poverty.
The report called to pay the salaries as soon as possible especially at the health and educational systems, the report was surprised by the ignorance and careless from all parties toward this human tragedy which increased with Ramadan with the extra needs for those families.
It indicates also that the minimum wages have decreased in Yemen to less than 45 USD per month due to the retreat of the national currency by 145 % since the start of the war.
The employees live in Houthis territories lives in more default situations.
While the ones live in governmental territories, since the salaries are paid in more regular fashion the report said.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/99006
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
(A H K)
Houthi rebels displace 44 families in Taiz: NGO
Houthi rebels displaced 44 families in Bilad al-Wafi villages of Jabal Habashi region and al-Hayma in Yemen's southwestern province of Taiz last month. Houthi rebels displaced 44 families in Bilad al-Wafi villages of Jabal Habashi region and al-Hayma in Yemen's southwestern province of Taiz last month.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-18597
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
(A P)
“Abductees Mothers “ at Hodeida ,Houthis prevent the Iftar and Sahoor admission to our sons
Abductees Mothers “ association at Hodeida said the Houthis is preventing admission of Iftar and Sahoor food to their sons at prisons.
A statement for the association said, “in each Ramadan, our sons bear the unbearable heat in addition to the physical and psychological tortures by Houthis and the medical neglect, Houthis prevent admission of food to the prisoners with not forgetting the homicides “.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/99048
(A P)
Ansarollah warnt vor Belagerung südlicher Provinzen im Jemen
Wie Ansarollah-Sprecher Mohammad Abdul Salam am Sonntagabend bekannt gab, werden die Jemeniten keinen Kompromiss mit jemand schließen, der versucht, einen Teil des Landes abzutrennen.
Er sagte, die Blockade des Jemen habe gezeigt, dass derartige Aggressionen auf wirtschaftliche, militärische und sicherheitsbezogene Habgier zurückzuführen seien.
Als Begründung für seine Aussagen wies Abdul Salam auf die Besetzung der Inseln, Häfen und strategischen Punkte im Jemen, darunter die Inselgruppe Sokotra, durch die Aggressoren hin.
(A P)
Houthi leader @hamedalbukhiti announced new strategic aims: Ballistic missiles will continue drubbing all facilities in Najran, Asir & Jizan until #Saudi control of these 3 historically #Yemen territories is ended.
New strategic aims: Yemeni Houthi ballistic missiles will continue drubbing all facilities in Najran, Asir & Jizan until #Saudi control of these 3 historically #Yemen territories is ended.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/998475286202257409
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/998474581953433602
My comment: Looking at the situation in Yemen, this simply is stupid.
(* A P)
Houthis Brutality in the prisons, terrifying stories form inside
Beating with batons, taking nails off and impersonate with a snake for 24 hours, this and many other treeifying stories told by newly freed abductees by Houthis about what they have faced in Houthis prisons.
In a press conference by the abductee mothers association in Marib (Sunday evening) recently freed abductees talked about their stories in Houthis prisons, Yahya Alheej ,Moaz Alshamiri and abdulhadi alshami were the main speakers since they have been released in an exchange deal with Houthis.
Alheej said I have been tortured until I lost my ability to move and we were under constant psychological torture by hearing our inmates being tortured during the interrogation.
Also, he mentioned some of the abductees disabled by tortured and called the government to interfere and work on rehabilitating the freed prisoners and provide them with medical and psychological help.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/99030
(A P)
A new activist dies of torture in Houthi jails
Another activist detained by Houthis in Sana'a has died of torture in the Islamist rebels' jails. Al-Sahwa news website has learnt from sources close to the family of Mohammed Ghorab, a peaceful oppositionist to the Houthi coup, that he died in the Political Security (Intelligence) jail in the Houthi-held capital Sana'a on Sunday after three years of detention and continuous torture.
The sources said that Houthi rebels contacted Ghorab's family to just them that he had died "of cholera", and that the family have no doubt that the cholera is more than a cover-up on the real cause of death.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-18630 and also https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/998633273042534401
(A P)
A child hangs herself after Houthis attempt to kidnap her father
http://almasdaronline.com/article/99045
(A P)
Latest Houthi Measures Raise Fears of Monopoly of Yemen's Medicine Market
The newly appointed health minister in the Houthi government kicked off a series of measures aimed at allowing the militant group to seize the medicine market in Sanaa and other areas under its control.
Minister Taha al-Moutawakel, one of the group’s most hardline and sectarian members, began imposing new fees on local medicine companies and manufacturers, which will go to funding the Houthis’ war effort.
He also ordered that injured militia members receive free medical treatment.
Informed sources in Sanaa revealed that he had also compiled a list of dozens of health sector employees and hospital directors that he wanted to fire and replace with sectarian and pro-Houthi figures.
Remark: As claimed by Saudi media, which for a great part are propaganda only. There seems to have started a new propaganda campaign of “The Houthis block medical treatment for the people”, thus diverting from the disastrous effects of Saudi air raids and the Saudi campaign for the health sector. Look at cp15 also.
(A H P)
Health Minister meets UNICEF representative
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496721.htm
(A H P)
Sanaa: Longline Women,kids andElderly waiting under the sun to collect one meal aday from Charitable Institute. There are many families can't get their meal. People who don't die by airstrikes or shells they die because lack of food (photo)
https://twitter.com/alneamyyy88/status/997194973895430144
and how this is used for propaganda:
Film: After the #Houthis cut off salaries, ignited the fuse of corruption, and exhausted the people with a war in which they had no strings attached... This is how #Sanaa looks like ( Hundreds of #women wait for a breakfast served by a benefactor under heavy rain)
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/998161023524921344
My comment: This suffering is less the fault of the Houthis than of the Saudi blockade and the endless war.
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
Siehe / Look at cp1 (Socotra)
(* B P)
Feature: Unity absent as Yemen marks 28th anniversary of Unity Day
As Yemen marked the Day of National Unity on Tuesday, unity was absent as the country remains divided between the rebel-held north and the south controlled by the internationally-backed Yemeni government.
This year marked the 28th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Yemen in 1990, when former South Yemen state and North Yemen merged peacefully.
Ironically, there were no celebrations to mark the Unity Day in the south, where Yemenis are divided on the issue of reuniting with the north.
Some of them believe that the separation would bring about stability and security, while others hold that a unified federal state is the only solution to the current civil war.
Most government institutions, including the pro-government military forces, in Yemen's southern port city of Aden were not allowed to organize parades to celebrate the Unity Day publicly this year.
It was feared that such pro-unity celebrations in Aden would lead to armed confrontations with the forces loyal to the pro-secession Southern Transitional Council (STC) .
Ahmed AlSaleh, a politician and analyst, told Xinhua that "the southern people consider the unity day as a pessimistic and catastrophic anniversary and it has been treated like this since 2007 across the southern provinces."
But in the eyes of Majed Aldairy, a Yemeni political analyst and journalist in Aden, the dream of southerners to achieve reunification with the north was already dead in the early stages.
"Southern people are just waiting for the end of this war and then they will have the right to decide the fate of their regions under the supervision of the international community," Aldairy told Xinhua.
On the other side, many southerners started to think differently as their desire for separation from the north has decreased sharply, said Abdul-Raqeeb AlHidyani, a political analyst and writer.
"Nowadays many people in southern Yemen do not see the separation as the key solution that will bring stability and security to their region like the situation in the past," AlHidyani told Xinhua.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-05/23/c_137198664.htm
(* B K P)
Saudi-Arabien ersetzt VAE-Truppen auf jemenitischer Hauptinsel
Anfang Mai kam es zu einer medial recht unbeachteten Entwicklung: Die Streitkräfte der Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate besetzten die Insel Socotra vor der Küste Jemens, die größte Insel des Landes und Verkehrsknotenpunkt für den internationalen Handel am Roten Meer und dem Persischen Golf. Nach etlichen Protesten der Bevölkerung, jemenitischen Regierung(en) und einer Intervention Saudi-Arabien scheinen sich diese Truppen nun größtenteils zurückzuziehen und dafür Platz für Soldaten des größten Golfstaates zu machen, die nun jemenitische Truppen vor Ort ausbilden sollen.
(A)
Saudi-Backed Militias Kill Eachother Over Loot in Yemen’s Marib
On Sunday, different factions of the Saudi-backed mercenary forces in Ma’rib province, started shooting eachother in a bloody conflict that reportedly was caused by disagreements on how to divide the loot they had plundered.
http://www.newnewss.net/saudi-backed-militias-kill-eachother-over-loot-in-yemens-marib/
(A E P)
Aden ports decrease ports fees by 70% for fueling ships
http://almasdaronline.com/article/99047
(A P)
International players continue to seek influence in the strategic #Mahra region of east #Yemen. #Saudi delivered 10 powerful generators as “gifts” 2 weeks ago. Now #Oman has supplied 8 more. Mahris are grateful to both. Note Oman has a long & laudable legacy of quiet aid to Mahra (photos)
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/998513187598360576
(* A P)
UAE wants to rule Yemen and decide about fate of Yemeni people as a reward for its participation in Saudi-led coalition. Today it said Govt must change ministers and improve its speech, days after interior minister said he can't do his job in Aden except with permission from UAE
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/998614128251097088
(* B H P)
My journey to Aden
In October 2017, I departed on vacation from Amman to Yemen. When I arrived in Aden, my hometown, Aden received me with its sunny and hot weather that melted the icy coating around my intense longing to see the city again and the pain of being away from my family and beloved country for over two and a half years.
But I was extremely shocked from the moment I stepped into the airport lobby. I was taken aback by the poor services and the stunningly peculiar treatment. There was an unfamiliar culture that didn’t exist before.
Aden International Airport, once known for its quick services and proper treatment, had now become one of the most unfortunate airports, needing urgent redevelopment and service enhancement.
In addition to the enormous decline in food supply, thousands of government employees complain that their salaries have not been paid for nearly 20 months because of Yemen's financial distress. The purchasing power of Yemeni people has decreased due to the enormous rise in prices, and especially in the prices of food due in part to high import costs.
Water is not available anymore in many residential neighborhoods.
As for jobs, there are no opportunities in the city, in addition to the lack of resources needed for salaried employees.
These are just a few of the dire circumstances and major changes I have witnessed.
http://blogs.worldbank.org/arabvoices/my-journey-aden
My comment: A look at Hadi’s “libertated” paradise. And also at Aden, the salaries of the state employees no more can be payed – a fact which the anti-Houthi propaganda just is telling for Sanaa, putting the blame on the Houthis.
(A T)
Militants kill two presidential guards in Taiz
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-18598
(A H T)
Aden's Ramadan is weary as terrorist attacks see no letup
Over the past several months, dozens of mosque preachers, soldiers, doctors, activists and ordinary civilians, male and female have been killed.
Dr. Fikri al-Qadi, professor of sociology at the University of Aden, told Al Sahwa that disasters always have an impact on societies, especially the disaster of war, often leaves a psychological and social impact on individuals, groups and societies.
He said in that that one of the causes of the spread of crime in Aden is the absence of law enforcement agencies, courts, and prosecutions.
"The proliferation of weapons, poverty, destitution, lack of job opportunities and the spread of drugs are also among the reasons that led to the spread of crime in Aden," he added.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-18595
(A P)
UAE's Gargash says Socotra presence 'not strategic'
The statement comes after criticism over claims the UAE was establishing a base on the Yemeni archipelago
The UAE does not have territorial ambitions on the Yemeni islands of Socotra, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs has said.
Dr Anwar Gargash said the UAE has a humanitarian role on the islands, where it has worked since 2012 on development projects and providing aid.
"The UAE’s role in Socotra is not strategic," he told state news agency WAM on the sidelines of the annual Globesec forum in Bratislava Slovakia. "The UAE does not have any ambitions on the archipelago. It is a Yemeni territory," he stressed.
https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/uae-s-gargash-says-socotra-presence-not-strategic-1.732148
My comment: Odd propaganda, after the UAE had got pressure from Saudi Arabia.
(* A H P)
OCCUPIED YEMENI PROVINCE BY SAUDI-LED COALITION UNDER SECURITY CHAOS
For the last five days, civilians of the Yemeni coastal Aden province are deprived of any medical services inside the Friendship Hospital, as a result of the protests that are being held by the staff within the aforesaid hospital. The demonstrations were carried out as a result of an assault on the hospital staff by the security guards who are in charge of protecting the hospital.
According to local sources, at the end of last week, unidentified elements stormed the hospital after one of the doctors slowed down the transfer operation of a relative of the armed elements from the German hospital to the Friendship Hospital.
The sources added that Dr. Ahmed Bahala and Dr. Nahla Arishi were the victims of these armed groups, where Dr. Bahala was just leaving the place after he was done with his job, two soldiers from the hospital and security guards intercepted him, beat him and shot him, then they physically assaulted him.
This incident led the medical staff to suspend their work until the armed elements who attacked the medical staff and violated the hospital and the staff is exposed and arrested.
The occupied Saudi-UAE southern province, Aden, is witnessing a frightening security chaos that escalated with the attacks and assassinations of civilians and medical institutions.
and
(A H P)
Yemen: Aden’s biggest hospital is threatened with closure
The protests at the General Hospital of Friendship in Sheikh Osman, Aden province of Yemen, entered for the sixth day in a row after a hospital guard assaulted doctors on Monday.
The hospital is now threatened with closure due to the lack of response by the Saudi-backed Ben Daghr’s authorities to the complaint made by the hospital staff over the assault.
The Hospital is one of the largest health facilities in Yemen, from which benefit several other provinces, including the province of Lahj, Abyan and Dhale.
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
Siehe / Look at cp1
(* A P)
MARTIN GRIFFITHS looking for Americans Help in Yemen
A Yemeni Source said that the UN special envoy to Yemen asked the American administration for help to push the peace talks after his failure in reaching a reliable point can start or build on for the new rounds of talks.
(Arabic Quds ) the newspaper said according to the source” Martin Griffith reached a dead end in his effort to start a new round of talks after he faced plenty of obstacles condensing the Yemeni parties to sit on negotiation table"
The special envoy spend 3 months listening to all parties in an attempt to reach a formula can be accepted for all parties and build on it to push the peace process but the results were disappointing.
He indicated that all Yemeni parties rejected the UN Formula he suggested as a start to revive the negotiations.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/99010
My comment: What the US actually could or would do? The US is a warring party in Yemen by itself.
(* B P)
Peace in Yemen needs more than two parties
Southern secessionists and loyalists of late president Saleh seek place at table as UN envoy prepares to unveil peace plan
A peace plan for Yemen will begin with the internationally-recognised government sitting down for talks with the Houthi rebels, but its success can be ensured only by involving all parties in negotiations over the war-weary country.
The UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, told the Security Council last week he would present a peace plan before June 15.
Providing a framework for peace negotiations will deliver on a pledge Mr Griffiths made to the council in his first briefing in April, two months after he was took over from his largely ineffective predecessor, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed. He had outlined “good and bad news”, saying “a political solution to end this war is indeed available” but that military escalation could “in a single stroke take peace off the table”.
Details of the upcoming talks are not known, but Mr Griffiths will have to bring two increasingly bellicose sides to an agreement and maintain peace in a political landscape that the late long-serving president Ali Abdullah Saleh likened to “dancing on the heads of snakes”.
"The UN is going to bring the Houthis and the Yemeni legitimate government to one table because the international community sees the war has driven the country to the brink,” he told The National.
Mr Harmal said the talks must include the Southern Transitional Council, a secessionist body whose fighters are battling the Houthis alongside government forces.
"The political process comes after, in which the Southern Transitional Council is going to play a big role, as Martin Griffiths promised in his meeting with the STC leaders," he said.
https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/peace-in-yemen-needs-more-than-two-parties-1.732179
My comment: By Emirati media, but a very serious article anyway.
Comment by Judith Brown: Actually this is quite a good article as it gives voice to groups like the two GPC parties (it split after the death of Saleh) and the STC. It generally is factual and not leaning in one direction, so it gives a reasonable understanding of the complexities of politics inside Yemen. Worth a read.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10156696635778641
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
(A P)
Schon zehn Frauenrechtsaktivisten in Saudi-Arabien festgenommen
Die Behörden in Saudi-Arabien setzen nach Angaben von Menschenrechtsorganisationen ihren Feldzug gegen Frauenrechtsaktivisten fort. Mittlerweile seien in dem erzkonservativen Königreich bereits zehn Frauenrechtsaktivisten, unter ihnen mindestens sieben Frauen, festgenommen worden, erklärte am Dienstag die Menschenrechtsorganisation Amnesty International. Das Golf-Zentrum für Menschenrechte sowie ein saudi-arabischer Aktivist sprachen von insgesamt zwölf Festnahmen. Trotz internationaler Kritik seien die Aktivisten wegen "ihrer friedlichen Aktivitäten für die Menschenrechte" inhaftiert worden, sagte die Amnesty-Kampagnenleiterin für den Nahen Osten, Samah Hadid
https://derstandard.at/2000080212465/Schon-zehn-Frauenrechtsaktivisten-in-Saudi-Arabien-festgenommen
(A P)
Saudi Arabia expands crackdown on women's rights activists
Saudi Arabia has arrested at least three more women’s rights activists in a widening crackdown just weeks before a ban on women driving is set to end, international rights watchdogs said on Tuesday.
(B P)
Loujain al-Hathloul: Junge Feministin aus Jeddah will Gesetze machen
Die saudi-arabische Frauenrechtsaktivistin wurde vor einigen Tagen verhaftet
Die Forderung, männliche Vormundschaft über Frauen müsse abgeschafft werden, brachte sie aber in noch gefährlicheres Fahrwasser.
https://derstandard.at/2000080129655/Loujain-al-Hathloul-Junge-Frau-aus-Jeddah-will-Gesetze-machen
(* B P)
A closer look at 10 arrested Saudi women’s rights activists
Saudi Arabia’s arrest of 10 women’s rights advocates just weeks before the kingdom is set to lift the world’s only ban on women driving is seen as the culmination of a steady crackdown on anyone perceived as a potential critic of the government.
The group includes women ranging in age from their 20s to their 70s who have pushed to lift the ban on women driving and for equal rights, as well as men who have supported them. State-linked media and rights advocates have circulated the names of those detained.
Here’s a look at who the detained activists are and how they became icons of the women’s rights movement in Saudi Arabia:
(* B P)
How Mohammed bin Salman Has Transformed Saudi Arabia
In just a few years, the crown prince has seized unprecedented power and wealth, imposed brutal repression to silence critics, and furthered a reckless foreign policy.
Upon acceding to the throne in 2015, at the age of 79, King Salman did just as many had expected and feared. Almost overnight, his regime reorganized government, regularly reshuffling top administrators in the bureaucracy. It also espoused an unprecedentedly belligerent foreign policy, the devastating effects of which have been all too tangible in Yemen, Syria, Libya, and Qatar.
Much has been written about Mohammed as the architect of the ongoing war in Yemen, even as the war’s devastating effects have been largely obscured in the mainstream media. But what, exactly, was Mohammed doing on the domestic front? Immediately after King Salman appointed him deputy crown prince in April 2015, the regime began quietly arresting hundreds of citizens, including religious scholars, preachers, writers, journalists, activists, and bureaucrats. These ranged from people who opposed the regime outright to those who called for political, economic, and other reforms, even if within an Al Saud–led state. Those familiar with Saudi regime tactics understood these wide-ranging arrests as punitive and a prelude to unpopular policy changes, about which the regime wanted to silence and preempt all forms of criticism and dissent.
It was in this broader context of foreign-policy failure and local opposition that Mohammed began to consolidate his economic power in order to strengthen both his political and financial positions. With the absence of serious resistance to the state-led and highly public campaign of last November, Mohammed has, in theory, secured his reign. While many of his investors have expressed concern about the viability of investing in such a volatile Saudi Arabia and in meeting a similar fate as the country’s once-esteemed tycoons and investors, the crown prince is not worried.
Despite having upended the traditional balance of power and cut the historically powerful branches of Al Saud to their size, Mohammed knows that his relatives will fall in line. Indeed, it would be premature, if not altogether simplistic, to celebrate the beginning of the end of the Al Saud. The monarchy is one of only two post–World War I regimes to survive into the second decade of the 21st century.
https://www.thenation.com/article/how-mohammed-bin-salman-has-transformed-saudi-arabia/
(* B P)
Call for coup in Saudi: Dissident prince urges uncles to seize power
Prince Khaled: I have received a large number of emails from within the police and army in support of my call
A dissident Saudi prince has called on his uncles to depose King Salman and take over the country.
Prince Khaled bin Farhan made the appeal to Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz and Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, saying that the damage being done to the Saudi royal family and the kingdom by Salman’s “irrational, erratic and stupid” rule had gone beyond the point of no-return.
In an interview with Middle East Eye, Prince Khaled, who was given political asylum in Germany in 2013, said that if Ahmed and Muqrin were to unite ranks then “99 percent of the members of the royal family, the security services and the army would stand behind them”.
Prince Khaled is a distant member of the Saudi royal family. But Riyadh is sensitive to any member breaking ranks, however distant he may be to the line of succession, and has tried to lure him back.
The prince said that recent statements by Mamduh bin Abdulaziz, one of the eldest surviving brothers of King Salman, indicated wider resentment within the family as a whole.
“There is so much anger within the royal family,” Prince Khaled said, “I took this information and appeal to my uncles Ahmed and Muqrin, who are the sons of Abdulaziz and are highly educated, well versed and able to change things for the better. I can say that we are all behind them and support them.”
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/coup-saudi-dissident-prince-khaled-bin-farhan-urges-uncles-seize-power-mbs-1776042904 and film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuAPAn-WbVE
and
(* A P)
Exiled Prince Claims Saudi Arabia Could ‘Descend Into Chaos’, Destabilize Europe
“I would like to say to Europeans that the situation in Saudi Arabiaresembles a volcano that is about to erupt. And if this volcano erupts, it will not only affect the situation inside Saudi Arabia or in the Arab region, but it will also have an effect on you too. This is because Saudi Arabia is diverse in terms of its make-up, whether it's tribal, societal or even generational,”
“So, if Saudi Arabia descends into a state of chaos, there will be global chaos, and it [Saudi Arabia] will be a source of terrorism for the entire world as it will support and sustain international terrorism,” he claimed.
“The first thing, allowing women to drive cars. This isn’t generosity, it is a woman’s right to drive, it’s her basic right. Second, he restricted the influence of the Saudi religious authority. This religious authority is a government organization. It is supportive of it even in matters that violate Islamic law, if we’re talking about Islamic law.”
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201805221064692972-saudi-chaos-terrorism-prince/
(* A P)
Are reports of Mohammed bin Salman’s death greatly exaggerated?
Has Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman been assassinated, had a breakdown or gone into hiding? Or is that just wild internet conjecture? I ask only because he has barely been seen in public since prolonged heavy gunfire was heard at the royal palace in Riyadh in the middle of the night on April 21.
Social media is ablaze with rumours of the young ruler’s murder. Users are sharing reports of a supposedly secret intelligence dossier that states MBS, as the Crown Prince is known, has been shot twice.
It could be, of course, that MBS, exhausted after a whistle-stop media tour of Europe and the United States, is actually holed up on a luxury yacht on a long holiday. But it does seem strange that his retreat from public view appears to have come soon after the sound of heavy gunfire at the palace.
(* A P)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Gone Missing
It seems like the story line that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has not been seen in public since late April 2018. This just goes to show that when news is capped in secrecy, the real news may surface much later, or is often the case remain off limits for the world to know…
The House of Saud feudal dynasty has ruled Saudi Arabia in various phases since 1744
So where is MBS – Mohammad bin Salman?
http://www.newspressed.com/saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-gone-missing-42557
(* A P)
Bekannteste saudische Frauenaktivistin als "Verräterin" in Haft - derstandard.at/2000080084532/Bekannteste-saudische-Frauenaktivistin-als-Verraeterin-in-Haft
Mit Hathloul wurden am Freitag drei weitere Aktivistinnen verhaftet, Iman al-Nafjan, Aziza al-Youssef und Aisha al-Manea, auch sie Vorkämpferinnen für das Frauenfahrrecht. Als – im saudischen Kontext – sozusagen harmlose Erklärung für die derzeitigen Repressalien wurde deshalb genannt, dass die Frauen daran gehindert werden sollten, sich den großen Tag im Juni auf die eigenen Fahnen heften und andere Anliegen promoten zu können. Schon im September 2017, als das Ende des Fahrverbots verkündet wurde, soll ihnen beschieden worden sein, besser den Mund zu halten. Die Modernisierung Saudi-Arabiens muss allein das Verdienst von Kronprinz Mohammed bin Salman bleiben.
Aber die Bösartigkeit der Kampagne lässt auf mehr schließen. Saudische Medien zeigten die Fotos der Frauen versehen mit dem Stempel "Verräterin". Sie hätten mit den gleichzeitig verhafteten Männern eine "Zelle" gebildet, die eine Gefahr für die Staatssicherheit darstellt, vorgeworfen wird ihnen "Kontakt mit ausländischen Entitäten mit dem Ziel, die Sicherheit und den sozialen Zusammenhalt des Landes zu unterminieren".
https://derstandard.at/2000080084532/Bekannteste-saudische-Frauenaktivistin-als-Verraeterin-in-Haft
(A P)
Rights groups condemn Saudi women activists' arrests
International rights groups have condemned the arrests this week of at least seven prominent Saudi Arabian women’s rights activists who previously campaigned for the right to drive, which the conservative kingdom is set to grant from next month.
(* A P)
Detained Saudi women's rights activists could face death penalty - report
Charges of treason and conspiracy against the state could lead to capital punishment, legal experts warn
Seven detained Saudi women’s rights activists, who campaigned for the ban on women driving to be lifted, may face the death penalty, newspaper Okaz reported on Sunday.
According to Saudi lawyers and judges, the prominent women’s rights activists, who were arrested last week and branded as "traitors" by government-aligned media outlets, may by sentenced to death should investigations result in the charge of treason and conspiracy against the state.
A Saudi activist, who did not wish to be named due to fears for their own safety, told Middle East Eye: “What we are seeing is that there is no tolerance of any kind for any type of [activist] activity.
“It is meant to send a clear message to the people that no one is supposed to speak on public affairs, nobody is supposed to be part of any engagement in society other than the state.”
and
(* A P)
Saudi Arabia: Chilling smear campaign against women’s rights defenders
In a chilling development, the Saudi Arabian authorities and government-aligned media launched a public smear campaign last night to try to discredit six prominent detained women’s rights defenders as “traitors” following their arrest this week, Amnesty International said today.
After midnight local time, official statements in state media accused six activists and one other individual of forming a “cell”, posing a threat to state security for their “contact with foreign entities with the aim of undermining the country’s stability and social fabric”. A related hashtag describing them as “Agents of Embassies”, along with a graphic showing the six activists’ faces, have also been circulating on social media.
It is believed that the official statement refers directly to six prominent human rights defenders arrested earlier this week, whose names had not been publicly announced. Among them is Loujain al-Hathloul, the well-known campaigner against the ban on women drivers in Saudi Arabia.
“This chilling smear campaign is an extremely worrying development for women human rights defenders and activists in Saudi Arabia. Such blatant intimidation tactics are entirely unjustifiable,” said Samah Hadid, Amnesty International’s Middle East Director of Campaigns.
and
(* A P)
Saudi Women's Activists Arrested Prior To Lifting Of Driving Ban
Remark: Earlier reporting in YPR 414, cp8.
(A P)
Riyadh to release Saudi-Ethiopian tycoon detained in anti-graft swoop: Ethiopia PM
Saudi Arabia will soon release Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi, an Ethiopian-born Saudi billionaire arrested in November during a crackdown on corruption, Ethiopia’s prime minister said.
(* B P)
UN commitee expresses its Concerns from the Saudi Violation of Human Rights and practicing Discrimination against them: Recommendations to adjust legislations, protect women and to enhance Women Human Rights Defenders’ Role
On March 9th, 2018 the CEDAW Committee submitted its concluding recommendations to the Saudi Kingdom, after considering the two periodic reports the third and the fourth which were submitted by the Saudi delegation under its ratification of the Convention in September 2000.
The CEDAW Committee indicated that it concerned over the Saudi rejection to withdraw its reservations on the Convention which constitutes an obstacle to the implementation of the Convention. The Committee also noted that this reserve doesn’t meet the Convention’s substance and purpose thus it is not acceptable. Furthermore, the Committee cleared that it is concerned over the Saudi identification of the principle of equality as an implicit harmony and integration not equal rights for women and men, besides the lack of a comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation.
The Committee recommended the State party to amend its basic law for governance, also to adopt and to implement effectively a comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation that includes a definition of discrimination against women covering direct and indirect discrimination, in public and private and in all fields included in the Convention.
Despite the issuance of a number of Royal orders and decisions of the Council of Ministers regarding Women’s Rights, the Committee indicated its concern over the existence of discriminatory laws, specially the legal provisions concerning personal status, Civil Code, Labor Code, Nationality Code and the guardianship system.
The committee expressed its concern toward the credible information which certifies that Saudi Arabia is responsible of the rights violations of Yemeni women and girls through the military operation in Yemen.
The committee urged Saudi Arabia to put an end for its military operations in Yemen and to use the peaceful ways to resolve the conflict between rival factions.
https://euh.global.ssl.fastly.net/en/?p=1671
(B P)
Four years after the arrest of Alaa Brinji for expressing his opinion: Saudi Arabia remains a prison for journalists
Brinji, who used to write for Al-Bilad, Al-Sharq and Okaz newspapers, is one of Saudi Arabia’s best-known journalists. His arrest was accompanied by several violations of his rights, including initially being held incommunicado, denied contact with the outside world, and denied access to a lawyer throughout his trial.
https://euh.global.ssl.fastly.net/en/?p=1652
(B P)
Kill them Children: A new dangerous governmental Saudi justification for legalizing children’s Beheading
In a dangerous progress related to the fate of a number of threatened children of being beheading, Saudi Arabia submitted on December 13th, 2017, a worrying response to the UN about specifying a loose definition of a child age which contradicts the Conviction on the Rights of the Child. It said that what specify the legal age of an individual are theexistence of “sensual and measured signs of maturity that give him the ability to fulfill religious obligations, engage in the financial transactions and to take criminal responsibility”, which is completely contradicted with its previous statements and reports.
https://euh.global.ssl.fastly.net/en/?p=1643
(B P)
Torture of a Detainee by Electrocution at GDI prison overseen by Saudi King Salman
Saudi Arabia continues practicing torture widely through the State security presidential system, where there is no opportunity to question or bring torturers to account, as the State security presidential system is directly linked, to the prime minister who is, currently, the Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz. The State security presidential system was established under a royal order on July 20, 2017. Amidst the absolute control of the King and the Crown Prince on all the State’s systems, as well as the lack of an independent judiciary, it is not possible to hold a system established by the King, and which refers to him directly for all decisions, accountable.
https://euh.global.ssl.fastly.net/en/?p=1408
(B P)
Saudi Arabia on World Press Freedom Day: Laws & Policies Legalize the Systemic Violation Of Press Freedom
Including Article 8 of the Press and Publications Act which stipulates that “freedom of expression shall be guaranteed by various means of publication within the scope of the Shari’a and regulations. There are also other articles in the same Act that limit or prevent freedom, like the Article 9: “Each official in the publication shall commit to the substantive and constructive criticism which aim at public interest based on facts and true evidence and it is prohibited to publish, by any means, any of the following:
https://euh.global.ssl.fastly.net/en/?p=1418
cp9 USA
Siehe / Look at cp1
(A K P)
Congress reviewing sale of precision munitions to Saudis, UAE
The Trump administration, working to increase exports of U.S.-made weapons, has asked the U.S. Congress to review the sale of more than 120,000 precision-guided munitions to allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, sources said on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump has thrown his political weight behind the arms export push to help job growth at home. Last year, his administration approved the sale of about $7 billion of the precision-guided weapons to Saudi Arabia.
That deal raised concerns from some members of Congress over American weapons being used in the Saudi-led campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen and the deaths of thousands of civilians there since March 2015.
(* A P)
USA belegen Iraner mit Sanktionen wegen Weitergabe von Raketentechnik an Huthi-Rebellen
Fünf Iranern wird vorgeworfen, Huthi-Rebellen im Jemen ermöglicht zu haben, Raketen auf Städte in Saudi-Arabien und auf ein US-Schiff zu feuern.
Unter dem Vorwurf der Weitergabe von Raketentechnik an Huthi-Rebellen im Jemen belegen die USA fünf Iraner mit Verbindungen zu den Revolutionsgarden mit Sanktionen. Das gab das Finanzministerium am Dienstag in Washington bekannt. Die Iraner hätten die Huthis dazu befähigt, Anfang Mai Raketen auf Städte in Saudi-Arabien und in Richtung eines US-Schiffes zu feuern, erklärte Finanzminister Steven Mnuchin.
„Die USA werden die iranische Unterstützung der Huthi-Rebellen, die unseren engen Partner Saudi-Arabien attackieren, nicht unterstützen“, erklärte Mnuchin. Die neuen Sanktionen stünden in Zusammenhang mit dem von US-Präsident Donald Trump erklärten Ziel, die Aggression des Iran im Nahen Osten neutralisieren zu wollen.
(* A P)
U.S. sanctions five Iranians it says assisted Yemen's Houthis
The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on five Iranians it said had provided Yemen’s Houthis with expertise and weaponry that were then used to launch missiles at cities and oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear-usa-sanctions/u-s-sanctions-five-iranians-it-says-assisted-yemens-houthis-idUSKCN1IN1Z9? And also https://www.reuters.com/article/iran-nuclear-usa-sanctions/u-s-sanctions-five-iranians-it-links-to-revolutionary-guard-corps-idUSL2N1ST0T3
(* A P)
US Treasury: Treasury Targets Iranian Individuals Providing Ballistic Missile Support to Yemen’s Huthis
T oday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated five Iranian individuals who have provided ballistic missile-related technical expertise to Yemen’s Huthis, and who have transferred weapons not seen in Yemen prior to the current conflict, on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF). These sanctions follow the United Nations Panel of Experts’ affirmation in late January that missiles and other military equipment employed by the Huthis against Saudi Arabia were Iranian-origin. The Huthis launched missiles at Riyadh as recently as May 9th, while previous targets have included Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport and a U.S. Navy ship operating in international waters.
“Treasury is targeting five Iranian officials who are associated with the IRGC-QF and Iran’s ballistic missile programs. Their actions have enabled the Huthis to launch missiles at Saudi cities and oil infrastructure. They have also disrupted humanitarian aid efforts in Yemen, and threatened freedom of navigation in key regional waterways,” said Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. “The United States will not tolerate Iranian support for Huthi rebels who are attacking our close partner, Saudi Arabia. All countries in the region should be on guard to prevent Iran from sending its personnel, weapons, and funds in support of its proxies in Yemen.”
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0392
(*AP)
USA präsentieren Iran Forderungskatalog
US-Außenminister Pompeo gibt sich nur bedingt diplomatisch: Sollte der Iran keinen neuen Kurs einschlagen, gebe es Strafmaßnahmen in beispielloser Härte. Nun reist Außenminister Maas zum Krisengespräch an.
Im Atomstreit mit Teheran hat die US-Regierung von Präsident Donald Trump eine Reihe von teils drastischen Forderungen an den Iran gestellt. Diese sollten in einem neuen Atomabkommen berücksichtigt werden, mit dem der Deal aus der Ära von Ex-Präsident Barack Obama ersetzt werden müsse, sagte Chefdiplomat Mike Pompeo. Sollte die iranische Regierung beim Militär und seinem Engagement in der Region keinen Kurswechsel vollziehen, drohten ihrem Land die „stärksten Sanktionen der Geschichte“.
Insgesamt stellte er zwölf Forderungen auf, darunter jene, dass die Islamische Republik eine Urananreicherung stoppen müsse. Außerdem verlangte er vom Iran, Kernelemente seiner Außenpolitik aufzugeben, etwa sein Engagement in Syrien, im Jemen, im Libanon und in Afghanistan.
Die EU-Außenbeauftragte Federica Mogherini beklagte, Pompeo habe keine Lösungsansätze präsentiert. Er habe auch nicht gezeigt, wie eine Abkehr vom bestehenden Abkommen den Nahen Osten sicherer mache.
(* A P)
US-Außenminister Pompeo kündigt "stärkste Sanktionen der Geschichte" gegen Iran an
Nach dem Ausstieg aus dem Atomabkommen mit Iran wollen die USA den Druck auf das Land erhöhen. Das sagte Mike Pompeo bei seiner ersten großen Rede als US-Außenminister.
Gleichzeitig verteidigte er den Rückzug seines Landes aus dem Abkommen. Bis heute lüge Iran über seine wahren Absichten, so Pompeo.
An die Adresse der Europäer gerichtet sagte Pompeo: Firmen, die "verbotene Geschäfte" mit Iran machten, würden "zur Verantwortung gezogen".
http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/atomabkommen-iran-pompeo-sanktionen-iran-1.3987946
und
(* A P)
US-Außenminister Pompeo kündigt "stärkste Sanktionen der Geschichte" gegen Iran an
Mike Pompeo konfrontiert Iran mit Forderungsliste der USA
Die USA wollen nach dem Ausstieg aus dem Atomdeal dem Iran eine Dominanz des Nahen Ostens verbauen. Dies mit Hilfe von finanziellem Druck.
Der US-Aussenminister Mike Pompeo präsentierte am Montag eine Strategie der USA im Umgang mit dem Iran.
Pompeo forderte den Iran auf, seine Unterstützung der Huthi-Milizen im Jemen und der Taliban in Afghanistan zu beenden.
Dazu sagte er, dass das Land der grösste Finanzier von Terrorismus sei.
Pompeo präsentierte am Montag eine Strategie der USA im Umgang mit dem Iran. Er forderte den Iran auf, seine Unterstützung der Huthi-Milizen im Jemen und der Taliban in Afghanistan sofort einzustellen. Auch solle Teheran seine Kräfte aus Syrien zurückziehen. Unter dem Schirm des Atomdeals habe der Iran Stellvertreterkriege im Nahen Osten geführt. Bis heute lüge der Iran über seine wahren Absichten. Das Land sei der grösste Finanzier von Terrorismus, sagte Pompeo.
«Der Iran darf niemals einen Freibrief haben, um den Nahen Osten zu dominieren», sagte Pompeo. Die USA wollten weiter mit Verbündeten in der Region zusammenarbeiten, um den Iran zurückzudrängen.
«Wir werden uns unermüdlich für das iranische Volk einsetzen», betonte Pompeo. Die USA wollten die Proteste gegen die Regierung in Teheran unterstützen.
https://www.nau.ch/nachrichten/ausland/2018/05/21/mike-pompeo-konfrontiert-iran-mit-forderungsliste-der-usa-65341429 und auch https://www.moz.de/artikel-ansicht/dg/0/1/1658081/
Mein Kommentar: Früher nannte man das Kanonenbootpolitik. Es ist simple Machtpolitik nach dem Motto: “Wir haben den dicksten Arsch”. Mehr zu dieser Politik der USA siehe cp1.- Das Räsonement ist hanebüchen. Die größten terrorfinanierer weltweit sind seit Jahrzehnten Saudi-Arabien und die USA. «Wir werden uns unermüdlich für das iranische Volk einsetzen» ist en übler Witz. Regime change und Einmischung offen.
(* A P)
U.S. toughens stance on Iran, lists sweeping demands
The United States on Monday demanded Iran make sweeping changes — from dropping its nuclear program to pulling out of the Syrian civil war — or face severe economic sanctions as the Trump administration hardened its approach to Tehran.
Pompeo took aim at Iran’s policy of expansion in the Middle East through support for armed groups in countries such as Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.
He warned that the United States would “crush” Iranian operatives and proxies abroad and told Tehran to pull out forces under its command from the Syrian civil war where they have helped President Bashar al-Assad gain the upper hand.
“Our demands on Iran are not unreasonable: give up your program,” Pompeo said, “Should they choose to go back, should they begin to enrich, we are fully prepared to respond to that as well,” he said, declining to elaborate.
Pompeo said Washington would work with the Defense Department and allies to counter Iran in the cyberspace and maritime areas.
The Pentagon said it would take all necessary steps to confront Iranian behavior in the region and was assessing whether that could include new actions or doubling down on current ones.
(* A P)
After the Deal: A New Iran Strategy
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speech at Heritage Foundation
We must begin to define what it is that we demand from Iran.
First, Iran must declare to the IAEA a full account of the prior military dimensions of its nuclear program, and permanently and verifiably abandon such work in perpetuity.
Second, Iran must stop enrichment and never pursue plutonium reprocessing. This includes closing its heavy water reactor.
Third, Iran must also provide the IAEA with unqualified access to all sites throughout the entire country.
Iran must end its proliferation of ballistic missiles and halt further launching or development of nuclear-capable missile systems.
Iran must release all U.S. citizens, as well as citizens of our partners and allies, each of them detained on spurious charges.
Iran must end support to Middle East terrorist groups, including Lebanese Hizballah, Hamas, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Iran must respect the sovereignty of the Iraqi Government and permit the disarming, demobilization, and reintegration of Shia militias.
Iran must also end its military support for the Houthi militia and work towards a peaceful political settlement in Yemen.
Iran must withdraw all forces under Iranian command throughout the entirety of Syria.
Iran, too, must end support for the Taliban and other terrorists in Afghanistan and the region, and cease harboring senior al-Qaida leaders.
Iran, too, must end the IRG Qods Force’s support for terrorists and militant partners around the world.
And too, Iran must end its threatening behavior against its neighbors – many of whom are U.S. allies. This certainly includes its threats to destroy Israel, and its firing of missiles into Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It also includes threats to international shipping and destructive – and destructive cyberattacks.
That list is pretty long, but if you take a look at it, these are 12 very basic requirements
https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2018/05/282301.htm and film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkfQP5-4yME
and his 12 points in short: https://twitter.com/ezzsaid/status/998560871034097664
Reply by Daniel Larison, look at cp2. Link here: http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/the-war-on-yemen-and-pompeos-propaganda/
Comment: There are so many outrageous lies in Mike Pompeo's Iran speech, but this is probably the most grotesque and shameless He is blaming Iran for what the US and its Saudi proxy are doing It's the US-Saudi blockade and bombing of food sites that is starving Yemenis, not the Houthis
For years now, the US-Saudi coalition has been intentionally bombing food production and agricultural sites in Yemen, using a "scorched-earth strategy" to starve the population into submission. Pompeo literally blamed his own government's crime on Iran.
https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/999053166657273856
referring to https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/12/bombed-into-famine-how-saudi-air-campaign-targets-yemens-food-supplies and http://indianexpress.com/article/world/yemen-food-crisis-is-man-made-partly-as-a-war-tactic-united-nations-4778287/
Comment: While he's at it he could also have asked #Iran to recognize that the #Trump inauguration was the biggest in history
https://twitter.com/ezzsaid/status/998560871034097664
My comment: A horrible fireworks of propaganda, lies, mobbying other countries, war mongering. - It is evident that the US demands are absolutely inacceptable for Iran, and that they actually SHOULD BE SO. Iran SHOULD be sanctioned in any case; the US aim is no new deal, not even a (in the US understanding) better behavior of the Iraian regime, but a regime change in Iran, by nearly all (or really all) means.
(* A P)
Iranischer Kommandant droht Pompeo nach Sanktionsankündigung
Ein hochrangiger iranischer Militärkommandant hat mit scharfen Worten die Forderungen von US-Außenminister Mike Pompeo im Atomstreit zurückgewiesen. Das iranische Volk müsse zusammenstehen, "und es wird dem amerikanischen Außenminister eins hart aufs Maul geben" sowie jedem, der ihn unterstütze, sagte Ismail Kovsari, Kommandant der Revolutionsgarden, am Dienstag. An Pompeo gerichtet sagte Kovsari laut iranischen Medien: "Wer sind Sie und Amerika uns zu sagen, dass wir die Reichweite unserer ballistischen Raketen begrenzen sollen?"
https://derstandard.at/2000080156623/Iranischer-Kommandant-droht-Pompeo-nach-Sanktionsankuendigung
(* A P)
"Who Are You To Decide?" Iran Dismisses US' "Strongest Sanctions" Warning
"This sting of sanctions will be painful if the regime does not change its course," Mike Pompeo had said earlier on Monday.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday warned Tehran would be hit with the "strongest sanctions in history" and cautioned European firms against continuing to do business with it, toughening up Washington's policy line after its withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.
In his first major foreign policy address since moving to the State Department from the CIA, the longtime Iran hawk and ardent opponent of the 2015 nuclear pact outlined an aggressive series of moves designed to counter Tehran, which he called the world's top sponsor of terror.
"We will apply unprecedented financial pressure on the Iranian regime. The leaders in Tehran will have no doubt about our seriousness," Pompeo said in a speech at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank.
"This sting of sanctions will be painful if the regime does not change its course from the unacceptable and unproductive path it has chosen to one that rejoins the league of nations."
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani quickly dismissed the threats, saying the rest of the world no longer accepts Washington making decisions on their behalf.
"Who are you to decide for Iran and the world?" Rouhani said in a statement carried by multiple Iranian news agencies.
(* A P)
Mike Pompeo Says Iran Is Carrying Out “Assassination Operations” in Europe. What Is He Talking About?
But there have been no widely reported Quds assassination plots in Europe in recent years, and several Iran watchers told Slate on background that they could not recall any. The Guardian similarly reports that security experts and Iranian exiles are baffled by Pompeo’s accusation.
It appears that the secretary, who was CIA director until a month ago, was either revealing some classified information or relying on some fairly sketchy reports in his charges against Iran.
Comment: The world stage has witnessed something similar before: building an ad hoc narrative to justify the next bombing of a milk factory, perhaps
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1750922194960803
(A P)
Yemeni Prime Minister, US Ambassador Discuss Internal Situation Developments
The two sides discussed the continuation of Iranian support for the Houthi militias by providing them with ballistic missiles, threatening international navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
For his part, the US ambassador affirmed his country's full rejection of Iranian interference in the affairs of Yemen and its continued support for Houthi militias and threatening the security of neighboring countries, especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He said that his country will not allow threatening the security and stability of the region and the world, citing Iranian plots in the region.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1768538
My comment: Absurd when looking at the facts, when comparing the real Iranian support for the Houthis (facts and not Saudi and US propaganda) compared to the US support for Saudi Araia in this war) and taking into account the role US ambassador Tueller, a straight and very influential backer of Saudi Arabia, had played in this war: https://theintercept.com/2017/12/13/yemen-war-peace-talks-matthew-tueller/
(B H P)
Immigration waivers increasingly rare from Muslims countries
President Trump’s travel ban prevented Mohammed Al-Awadhi’s #Yemen-i wife from joining him in Arkansas, but he was certain she would qualify for a waiver: She has a serious heart condition, she’s married to a law-abiding US citizen and the rejection of her visa would tear apart their marriage and leave her in a nation ravaged by war and famine
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/05/22/immigration-waivers-increasingly-rare-from-muslims-countries/
(* B K P)
Fred Frederikse: Yemeni peace bad for business
Since the 1960s, US arms manufacturers have lobbied their government representatives about capitalising on the conflicts in the Middle East - it would be better for American businesses if these wars were fought with US arms, not those made by other members of the P5 (France, Britain, Russia and China) they reasoned.
In 2009, Saudi Arabia started fighting Yemen's Houthis with arms supplied by the Obama administration.
Incoming US president Donald Trump "decoupled humanitarian from security concerns" in Yemen and last year he signed a deal for another US$110 billion ($160 billion) of arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
He said the deal represented "hundreds of billions of dollars of investment in the US and jobs, jobs, jobs."
Trump's simplistic policy in the Middle East is to set Sunni and Shi'a Muslims against one another and then sell arms to create US jobs and pay for US oil imports.
Peace would be bad for the American economy.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12056249
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
(* A P)
https://twitter.com/hashtag/YemenAPPG?src=hash
Hugely impressive report by @APPGforYemen with powerful recommendations to bring about peace in this war torn country. A “must read” for anyone who wants to see a peaceful, political solution where humanitarian support would have a chance of success
https://twitter.com/DougChapmanSNP/status/998997611775496192
Great to see the publication of the #YemenAPPG report. @IslamicReliefUK contributed our stories of how humanitarian access is being held back by all sides to the conflct. Result - life saving aid not getting where it's needed.
https://twitter.com/rossb82/status/998979919521767424
A bit of levity brought to the #YemenAPPG by @UNICEF_uk ambassador @eddieizzard who was born in Aden. It's been a serious discussion so good to end with something of a smile. A well attended meeting and a good report so hoping there can be some small steps forward by UK Gov.
https://twitter.com/rossb82/status/998993230002905089
(* A H K P)
Keith Vaz MP: We cannot continue to stand by and watch the murder of innocent civilians in Yemen
Despite the horrific consequences for Yemen’s population, all sides remain wedded to a military solution and progress towards a ceasefire has been limited. Meanwhile, all of the major combatants have been accused of committing egregious violations of international humanitarian law. So long as the war continues, Yemenis will die in their thousands.
It was against this backdrop on the 13th of December 2017 that the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Yemen launched its inquiry into the United Kingdom’s policy towards Yemen. The five-month inquiry will end with the launch of the Report on Tuesday 22nd May, 28 years to the day that North and South Yemen were united as the Republic of Yemen.
The APPG’s inquiry has looked to provide tangible policy recommendations to the UK Government which has been lacking in concrete policy towards the country since the conflict began.
The APPG received written and oral evidence for 5 months about the situation in Yemen. The Group is grateful for all submissions that were made by stakeholders including charities, NGOs, academics and politicians. The full APPG report will be available this week on the Human Security Centre Website http://www.hscentre.org/.
Until the investigation and the findings of the OHCHR Eminent Experts have been completed and presented, the report recommends that the UK should, based on current available evidence, immediately suspend arms sales to all parties that have been accused of breaching international law. This is appropriate and necessary in view of the UK’s ethical and legal obligations.
Recalling the strong relationship between the UK and Saudi Arabia, the UK should work with the Saudis, publicly and privately and impress on them the need to fully and unconditionally lift the de facto blockade on Yemen’s ports. The UK should remind all the parties to the conflict of their legal obligation to open transport routes for civilians in accordance with Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In particular, allowing unfettered access to all Yemen’s ports – including Al Hudaydah and all Red Sea ports – is necessary to securing the rapid delivery of humanitarian aid, as well as commercial supplies of food, fuel and medical goods necessary to address cholera and prevent famine. All messages in this respect should be underpinned by a humanitarian footing with a focus on the challenges faced by civilians.
We as Parliamentarians will be judged on what we do with regards to Yemen. Just like Rwanda and Kosovo in the 1990’s this is the seminal humanitarian moment of our time. The "forgotten war" must be forgotten no longer. We cannot continue to stand by and watch the destruction of a country and the murder of so many innocent civilians. The government must take concrete steps to stop the suffering in Yemen.
(A K P)
MP’s Questions in Parliament to the Government
Stephen Twigg, MP: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effect of the blockade in Yemen on the price of and accessibility of fuel in that country.
Minister Alistair Burt: Yemen imports almost all of its fuel. Consistent fuel supplies are critical to an effective humanitarian response - fuel supports vital infrastructure including water supplies for major cities, grain mills, and hospital generators, as well as enables the delivery of urgent food supplies and clean water across the country.
While the level of fuel imported to Yemen has recently improved, it remains below the country’s needs - 81% of the monthly fuel needs were met through imports via all ports in April compared to 65% in March. Furthermore, the price of fuel remains higher than the level before restrictions were put in place in November. For example, diesel costs over 40% more than one year ago. This is partly due to a decrease in the value of the Yemeni currency.
The UK will continue to call on all parties to the conflict to allow unhindered humanitarian and commercial access throughout Yemen, including for fuel.
Comment: More UK diplomatic lying on Yemen. It continues to pretend it’s not a party to the war. And calls on “all the parties” (ie, itself) to stop the blockade which is starving the Yemeni people.
https://twitter.com/markcurtis30/status/998133014088638466#
Jonathan Edwards, MP: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse has been of Royal Air Force personnel serving in Saudi Arabia in each of the last five years.
Guto Bebb: The majority of RAF personnel working in Saudi Arabia are employed by the Ministry of Defence Saudi Armed Forces Projects (MODSAP) or on secondment with BAe Systems. There is no cost to the public purse for these individuals. There are other personnel where costs fall to the public purse, however, this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Comment: If you’re a UK taxpayer, you’re part-paying for the RAF to be in Saudi Arabia where they are helping to kill large numbers of people in Yemen.
https://twitter.com/markcurtis30/status/998133278346567680
(B P)
So, the UK government is considering a plan to full spectrum 'help' southern Yemen again (photos)
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/998596780437790722
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
(A P)
EU's Mogherini sweeps aside Pompeo's tough speech on Iran
European Union(EU) top diplomat on Monday swept aside U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's speech on Iran, reiterating that there is no alternative to the landmark Iran nuclear deal.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-05/22/c_137195999.htm
(B K P)
Pakistan: Arms smuggling to Yemeni rebels by Pak firm not proved
An inquiry into the alleged arms export to Yemeni rebels by a Pakistani arms firm has been closed as no evidence could be found into the matter, The News has learnt.
The inquiry which was launched on the complaint of the United States has been closed on the condition that if any reliable evidence came on record later, the matter would be investigated again.
Sources, privy to the developments, told The News that in March 2017 the US accused a Pakistani arms firm located in Lahore of exporting weapons to Yemeni rebels.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/320204-arms-smuggling-to-yemeni-rebels-by-pak-firm-not-proved
(* B K P)
Human Rights Watch: UAE: Abuses at Home, Abroad
Prominent Critic Detained; Possible War Crimes in Yemen
The United Arab Emirates was involved in abuses at home and abroad in 2017, arresting one of the last outspoken rights critics in the country and playing a role in torture and disappearances in Yemen, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2018.
In March, the UAE detained Ahmed Mansoor, an award-winning human rights activist, who had for years defended and spoken out on behalf of people the UAE was arbitrarily detaining or rounding up in its routine crackdowns on dissent. Mansoor is facing speech-related charges that include using social media websites to “publish false information that harms national unity.”
Labor abuses persist in the UAE. Migrant construction workers face serious exploitation
The UAE is a leading member of the Saudi-led coalition operating in Yemen.
“Whenever the US and others praise the UAE for its critical counterterrorism support in places like Yemen, they paper over a much darker reality – of disappearances, torture, and detainee abuse, and their own potential complicity in these abuses,” Whitson said.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/01/18/uae-abuses-home-abroad
(A P)
NYU Abu Dhabi blocks journalists from filming John Kerry
NYU Abu Dhabi is blocking journalists from filming a graduation address by former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
Kerry is speaking Sunday night in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The university invited journalists, then just before the ceremony said journalists from The Associated Press and others could not film his full remarks.
Kerry is likely to discuss the 2015 nuclear deal he helped strike between Iran and world powers.
My Comment: The Iran-deal paranoia continues.
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade
(B K P)
Riyadh’s Missile Defense Systems: Strategic Opportunities
Saudi Arabia needs missile defense systems to protect its territory from adversaries. While the US is the obvious choice as a supplier, Russia and Israel are also in the running.
The Iranian nuclear deal, Tehran’s missile development program (which has proceeded despite UN Security Council Resolutions), and the ongoing Yemen crisis – in which Houthi rebels have used ballistic missiles against Saudi targets – have heightened the urgency of Riyadh’s desire to field the most sophisticated missile defense systems currently available.
A robust missile defense system would enable Riyadh to enhance its “defense by denial” capability, which would negate the deterrent value of its adversaries’ offensive missile capabilities.
https://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/saudi-missile-defense/
My comment: A strange “Buy more weapons” propaganda, this time from Israel.
cp13b Mercenaries / Söldner
(A K P)
Sudanese mercenaries went unpaid for over 3 months
Lieutenant General Fahd bin Turki bin Abdul Aziz, commander of the joint Saudi forces, revealed for the first time a problem related to the Sudanese forces participating in the Arab Coalition.
According to Sudanese media, there has been a delay in the payment of salaries of the Sudanese forces fighting alongside the Saudis in #Yemen.
According to the official, payments will be made in advance from now on as 'We believe that the soldiers have their rights and must receive the just payment."
cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy
(* A E H P)
Yemen: UAE withholding $679m of state employee wages
UAE forces who are controlling the port of Aden have confiscated 170 billion riyals ($679 million) which are to be used to pay the salaries of state employees, video footage of Yemen’s Interior Minister Ahmed Al-Misri has revealed.
“The money is being held in the port of Aden on the order of an [unnamed] Emirati officer,” Al-Misri said.
“My personal money cannot be taken out, I am detained for no reason, only by the temperament of an Emirati officer,” Al-Misri said.
The funds, he explained, are to be used to pay the salaries of civil servants. They had been printed in Saudi Arabia with coordination by the International Monetary Fund and have been held by UAE forces for 28 days.
In an interview he gave last week, Al-Misri said the UAE was occupying Yemen.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180522-yemen-uae-withholding-679m-of-state-employee-wages/
(B E H)
Yemen: Safety Nets Alert Platform (SNAP) Country Dashboard - April 2018
The Yemeni Riyals further depreciated by 0.6% in April 2018 compared to previous month, and lost 126% of its pre-crisis value.
Improvements in imports of commodities in April 2018 led to better supply and availability in local markets across most of the governorates. Though availability of fuel improved in some governorates, scarcity persisted in most areas.
Retail prices of food commodities slightly increased by 1% in April compared with March, and 37%-102% higher than in pre-crisis period.
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
(A T)
Daesh/IS: Recruitment video from Yemen
A 23 minute video branded as from ‘al-Bayda province’ in Yemen was released on 16 May, calling for more recruits. It features various fighters making the argument that territorial losses are part of God’s ultimate plan and a test for believers – not a reason to give up hope. This reflects the narrative of core Daesh channels. Claims are made that God will reward those who join Daesh and punish those who do not. Various scenes of violence end with a fighter in a wheelchair shooting a captive to death. Portraying disabled fighters is a tactic that has been used in previous Daesh videos, likely in an attempt to shame able bodied men into action.
http://theglobalcoalition.org/en/counter-daesh-insight-bulletin-14-20-may/
(A T)
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) militants killed two al Houthi soldiers and seized their weapons in Mukayras district in eastern al Bayda governorate, central Yemen on May 20. [4]
(* A T)
CENTCOM releases some Yemen strike information, but gaps remain
In its first public update since early February, the US military has provided monthly totals and some details on American efforts to disrupt terrorist groups in Yemen. The United States has conducted 27 counterterrorism strikes in Yemen in 2018, but has only offered complete information on two. One of the attacks hit an AQAP training camp in Hadramout.
In addition to previously acknowledged strikes in Jan. 2018, the United States conducted:
– Feb. 2018: 6 strikes against AQAP
– Mar. 2018: 7 strikes against AQAP
– Apr. 2018: 4 strikes against AQAP
In a positive step for transparency, CENTCOM released the locations of three routine assaults against AQAP’s Yemen network.
Although the release of these details is an improvement, much more is required for adequate transparency. CENTCOM has not yet released the location, target, or even the exact dates of 24 of the 27 strikes conducted in 2018.
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2018/05/yemen-release.php
cp15 Propaganda
(A P)
Riyadh accuses Iran backed Houthi militia for the most abuse committed against Yemenis
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the UN Abdallah Al-Mouallimi has said that Iran is the “key actor” responsible for Yemeni suffering.
Al-Mouallimi was speaking at a Security Council open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict on Tuesday.
He added that it was laughable to hear Tehran’s representative speak at the UN in defense of Yemenis.
The Saudi-led Arab coalition in Yemen, he said, is taking extreme care not to harm civilians, and has, therefore, been constantly reviewing and updating its target lists.
He said that Iranian-backed Houthi militia have been committing the biggest abuses against Yemeni civilians since taking over power three years ago in the country.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1307816/saudi-arabia
My comment: Comparing the roles of Iran and Saudi Arabia in Yemen, this is highly laughable. The most odd: “The Saudi-led Arab coalition in Yemen, he said, is taking extreme care not to harm civilians“.
(A P)
Houthi-controlled Al-Hodeidah Port is launching platform for missiles, source of hostilities in Red Sea: Arab Coalition
The official spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, Col. Turki Al-Malki, confirmed that security investigations into a Turkish ship explosion, last week, showed that it was a deliberate attack coming out of Al-Hodeidah Port.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, SPA, Col. Al-Malki added that the "Houthi militias bear the legal responsibility for violating international law and the law of the sea in the zone."
During the regular conference of the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition, Col. Al-Malki said that Al-Hodeidah Port became a point for smuggling ballistic missiles and for hostilities in the Red Sea and the Bab Al-Mandab strait, pointing out that targeting of the Turkish ship will have grave repercussions on the environment as well as the safety of ships in the zone.
http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302690523 and http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/47148250bcf540aa9d462aab1f21aaa0
My comment: While the Houthis blame the Saudi coalition for this ship explosion. – Now, the Saudi coalition misuses this incident for their propaganda to justify the Saudi coalition’sassault against Hodeidah.
(A P)
Houthi Persecution of Baha'is Unacceptable
In Yemen’s capital of Sana’a, the Baha’i community is being persecuted by the Houthis. The Houthis seized control of Sana’a in 2014. “The United States,” declared State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert in a written statement, “is deeply concerned by the harassment and detention of Baha’is by the Houthis.”
President Donald Trump has made clear that protecting and promoting religious freedom is a foreign policy priority of the Trump administration.
https://editorials.voa.gov/a/houthi-persecution-bahai-unacceptable/4400425.html
My comment: Nauert statement here: https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2018/05/282075.htm . Yes, the Bahai are persecuted by the Houthis. But the US is misusing this for propaganda purposes. Background is the assumed Houthi-Iran connection and the US anti-Iranian war propaganda. The US better should care for discrimination in the own country. Just seen: https://twitter.com/MaxBlumenthal/status/998343584050008066 . And indeed, now this story is taken in Israel for anti-Iranian propaganda: https://www.algemeiner.com/2018/05/22/another-leading-iranian-export-religious-persecution/ not taking into account that there are Christians and Jews in Iran and religious persecution by the new Arab ally in Saudi Arabia is even worse than in Iran.
(A P)
On the 28th anniversary of the Unification of #Yemen, Hadi, the President in exile made a shocking revelation:
"The unity has been subjected to moral assassination multiple times, once through the people who sought richness, wealth, possession and personal glory, then by those who wanted to go back to the past and deny the long struggles, and then by those who deny the national consensus that we all achieved at the National Dialogue Conference. "
"Yemen is about to begin the transition to achieve the aspirations of the Yemenis following the completion of the draft constitution of the federal state," he said, adding that "the Yemeni state is at the core of Yemen's new project that guarantees a secure, stable and prosperous future and reorients all Yemenis to the north and south who have been subjected to confiscation. Without the coup d'état, which has plunged the country into a cycle of violence, chaos, war and destruction. "
My comment: This man is still living in his dream world, unable to realise his political faults.
(A P)
Houthis ‘Softening,’ But UAE Minister Says Yemen Security Could Still Require Foreign Troops
The Houthi rebellion in Yemen is “softening” under military pressure from the coalition of Saudi, United Arab Emirates, U.S. and others there, according to the UAE minister of state foreign affairs. But the possibility of a prolonged coalition presence in Yemen after the rebellion ends is very real, says Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash.
“I am hoping that this time once a political process starts and the Houthis recognize that there is international community intent on bringing this conflict to an end, politically, I hope… this will signal what you call the end of the conflict,” said Gargash. “The parties failed to solve it last time because the Houthis refused to pull their militias out of the capital and some of the urban centers.”
My comment: This is propaganda bullshit in fact setting as preconditions what just could be the result of peace negotiations.
(A P)
President al-Mashat: New invaders' ambitions will never be realized in Yemen
President of the Supreme Political Council Mahdi al-Mashat said on Monday that ambitions of new invaders will never be achieved in Yemen, because Yemenis are strong men and tough fighters.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496858.htm
Remark: This is from the Houtis at Sanaa.
(A P)
King Salman sent a letter of congratulations to President in exile Hadi on the occasion of the anniversary of his country's unity, according to the Saudi Press Agency SPA.
While bombing and blockading #Yemen, the King wrote: 'On behalf of the people and the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the King expresses his sincere congratulations and best wishes for the health and happiness of His Excellency and the Government and people of the brotherly Republic of Yemen for security and stability'
(A P)
Yemeni Government Reveals Looting of Humanitarian Aid
The Yemeni government has uncovered looting being committed by Iranian-backed Houthi militias of humanitarian aid to Yemen from United Nations relief agencies.
Yemeni Information Minister Muammar Al-Eryani said that the government has obtained a confirmed information from the capital Sana'a and areas controlled by the militias forcing the heads of the neighborhoods to approve new lists of families benefiting from the relief programs only for their followers, the families of victims and the injured recruited by the coup militias in addition to their establishment of a whole set of false institutions and associations under the umbrella of distribution of humanitarian aid, and looting and selling this aid in local markets.
Minister Al-Eryani warned of the escalation of looting of humanitarian aid by Houthi Militias.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1768231 and also http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/535337/SAUDI-ARABIA/Houthis-plundering-UN-relief-supplies
and
(A P)
Yemeni government condemns Houthis intervention in relief works, describing it as a terrorist act
Yemeni Minister of Local Administration and chairman of Higher Committee for Relief in Yemen Abdul Raqeeb Fateh has strongly condemned the continuation of Iranian-backed Houthis militias in their detention of relief aid and medical supplies for patients with kidney failure in Ibb governorate and preventing humanitarian access to the needy in a number of other governorates.
He also pointed out that the militias intervened in relief and humanitarian works, manipulating the names of those entitled to relief aid, circumventing international organizations, using them for war efforts, selling them on the black market, and dealing with relief organizations that belong to the coup d'état.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1768206
My comment. This seems to be a new propaganda campaign. – What actually “relief organizations that belong to the coup d'état“ should be? Do they want to smear certain relief organizations now??
(A P)
More Saudi / UAE “We are benefactors” propaganda
http://gulftoday.ae/portal/b77ffc68-f64c-4c91-9246-bd4af073fefb.aspx
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1767921
http://www.arnnewscentre.ae/erc-continues-ramadan-aid-initiatives-in-yemen
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
(* A K pH)
Saudi coalition air raids day by day:
(A K pH)
12 Saudi-led airstrikes, ground attacks target Yemen over 24 hours
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496811.htm
(A K pS)
Missile experts killed as Arab Coalition jets hit launch pads
The Arab Coalition's aircraft launched on Sunday morning air strikes on positions of Houthi militias in Baqem district, north of Saada province.
A local source told the correspondent of A l-Sahwa website that the strikes killed Houthi missile experts. Houthis use Saada, their stronghold, to launch missiles toward Saudi territories.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-18596
(A K pH)
Fisherman killed in coalition airstrikes on Hodeidah
A fisherman was killed, another injured and two were missed when the US-backed Saudi –led aggression coalition launched two airstrikes on their boat in Hodeidah province, an official told Saba news Agency on Monday.
The aggression warplanes targeted the boat in Turfah island of Durihimi district.
The coalition also targeted another boat in the same island and there are reports of casualties.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496819.htm
(A K pH)
Aggression warplanes wage 2 strike on Sanaa
The airstrikes targeted Subaha area next to oil company, which led to the burning of a locomotive and a number of homes and property of citizens were damaged.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496780.htm and
(A K pH)
Air strike led by Saudi Arabia destroy the second largest gas station in the capital Sanaa ..! (picture)
Air strikes carried out by the Saudi-led coalition forces hit a fuel station in the Yemeni capital in the early hours of Monday morning, destroying them.
The station, the second largest gas station in Sanaa, was completely destroyed along with a fuel truck near it.
http://www.yemenfeedback.net/news_details.php?sid=1640
(A K)
First photos of today's bombing by #Saudi-led coalition on a gas station and the main street in #Saada city
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/998364874781724672
https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/posts/1815419415420711
and film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hG1tDUFitU
(* A K pH)
More Saudi coalition air raids recorded on:
May 2: http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496948.htm Hodeidah p.
May 21:
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496820.htm Hajjah p.
May 20:
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496776.htm Saada p.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496718.htm Taiz p.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496692.htm Sanaa p.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496690.htm Saada p.
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
(* A K pH)
120 bodies of UAE-backed soldiers killed in clashes with Yemeni forces arrive in Aden
Hospitals in the southern port city of Aden received overnight 120 bodies of UAE-backed fighters from Yemeni southern provinces, said a military sources in Aden on Wednesday.
The dead soldiers were killed during the past two days in clashes with the Yemeni army and popular Houthi Ansarullah movement in the west coast battles, according to the sources.
The sources said the UAE established huge refrigerators to accommodate a large number of dead in the coastal city of Mocha in Taiz province.
(* A K pS)
Houthis blow up the water reservoir at Hees – Hodeida
Houthis militia blow up the water reservoirs today (Tuesday) at Hees- Hodeida west Yemen.
The activists Wadeea Atta said the militia have detonated the central water reservoir project at Hees – Hodeida.
According to an official at the water project Hees, Houthis detonate the reservoirs at Bani Zuhair village west – Hees, and the blast destroyed all the water pumps and the equipment, and they destroyed another tower reservoir was feeding many other villages between Hees and Khokha .
The activists said this came with the presence of the government forces and coalition at Hees and Khokha and they did not take any action to prevent this crime.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/99053
(* A K pS)
Arab Coalition: Houthi Missile Targeted Wheat-Carrying Turkish Vessel off Hodeidah
An explosion has damaged a Turkish vessel carrying wheat to Yemen’s Houthi-controlled port of Saleef, in the Hodeidah governorate.
The vessel was struck by a missile launched from another vessel sailing four nautical miles away.
Saudi-led Arab Coalition spokesperson Col. Turki al-Maliki said during a press conference that a Turkish ship carrying wheat was attacked by a missile recently off the port of Hodeidah.
“One of the boats approached the ship from four nautical miles, and attacked it with a rocket that penetrated its hull and hit the internal wall of one of the balance tanks, causing the rocket and shrapnel to bounce off,” he said.
and by Western media: http://www.janes.com/article/80239/saudi-spokesman-confirms-turkish-ship-attacked-off-yemen and https://maritime-executive.com/article/saudi-coalition-damaged-bulker-was-not-smuggling-explosives#gs.Lt3DRv4
My comment: While the Houthis blamed the Saudi coalition. The effect is: No wheat for the hungry people in Northern Yemen now – the Saudi coalition has brought the vessel to a Saudi harbour.
(* A K)
Jemen: Fünf Zivilisten getötet
Bei einem Angriff der Huthi-Rebellen in Marib im Osten des Landes sind fünf Zivilisten getötet und weitere 20 verletzt worden.
Nach Angaben der Verantwortlichen des Polizeipräsidiums von Marib hätten die Huthi-Rebellen mit Katjuscha-Raketen ein Wohngebiet in Sarvah im Westen der Provinz Marib, wo überwiegend Zivilisten leben, unter Beschuss genommen.
http://www.trt.net.tr/deutsch/welt/2018/05/22/jemen-funf-zivilisten-getotet-976055
(* A K pS)
Yemen: Seven killed by Houthi missile in Marib
At least seven people, including children, were killed and 25 wounded by a Houthi missile fired at the Yemeni city of Marib on Tuesday.
“The Houthis targeted the neighbourhood of Al Mujama near the Athban mosque in the centre of the city with a Katyusha missile in the early hours of Tuesday, killing seven civilians and wounding at least 25, which means the number of victims may rise,” Khalil Al Zikri, from the Yemen army’s moral guidance department, told The National.
“The Al Mujama neighbourhood is always crowded because it has many stores and a public market, and the rebels meant to target the area to kill innocent people, no more.”
https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/yemen-seven-killed-by-houthi-missile-in-marib-1.732735
and
(* A K)
Five killed, 22 wounded by Houthi missile in Yemen's city of Marib
Five people were killed and 22 wounded by a Houthi missile fired at the Yemeni city of Marib, which falls under control of the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, the SABA news agency reported on Tuesday.
“Iran-backed Houthi launched a Katyusha missile targeting a crowded popular market in the city center of Marib, killing 5 people and wounding 22,” SABA said.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security/five-killed-22-wounded-by-houthi-missile-in-yemens-city-of-marib-idUSKCN1IN01J and photo https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/998873999928111104
and
(A K P)
Yemeni Ministry of Human Rights Condemns Houthis' Targeting of Civilians, in Marib
Yemeni Ministry of Human Rights has strongly condemned firing of Katyusha rockets by Iranian-backed Houthis militias, at Marib city center, killing four civilians and injuring 22 others.
"The firing of rockets, at civilians and residential areas, is a crime against humanity and a flagrant violation of international law, including Security Council resolutions", the ministry said.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1768745
My comment: By the Hadi government. Can anyone tell me why this government stays silent on Saudi bombing of Northern Yemen. "The firing of rockets, at civilians and residential areas, is a crime against humanity and a flagrant violation of international law“, or does this depend on who does it????
(A K pS)
The Yemeni army advances north of Saada and imposes a siege on Baqam Directorate center
Yemeni national army forces have made a new ground progress against Iranian-backed al-Houthi militias in Saada province.
Brigadier General Yasser Al-Harthi, commander of the 102nd Brigade, said that the brigade's forces controlled large parts of Wadi al-Thuaban, Yafia al-Souqra mountain ranges, Tabab Yazhar and parts of al-Hadeed mountains during a military operation at the start of Ramadan.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1768218
Remark: „Yemeni national army“ = pro-Hadi Saudi-backed militia.
(* A K)
TV - Saudi-Arabien fängt Rakete über Jazan im Süden ab
Das saudi-arabische Militär hat einem Medienbericht zufolge erneut eine Rakete über dem Territorium des Königreiches abgefangen. Die Luftabwehr habe sie über der Stadt Jazan im Süden des Landes abgeschossen, berichtete das staatliche saudi-arabische Fernsehen am Montag.
Zuvor hatte der Sender Al-Massaria der Houthis im Jemen berichtet, die schiitische Miliz habe eine ballistische Rakete auf den Flughafen in Jazan abgefeuert. Details wurden nicht genannt.
https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Saudi-Arabien-faengt-Rakete-aus-Jemen-ab-article20443826.html = http://mobileapps.tt.com/home/14382309-91/tv---saudi-arabien-fängt-rakete-über-jazan-im-süden-ab.csp
(* A K)
Saudi Arabia intercepts missile from Yemen after Houthis target ‘military airport’
Saudi air-defense systems have reportedly managed to intercept a ballistic missile launched from Yemen after Houthi rebels said they had targeted a “military airport” in the city of Jizan.
The alleged Scud-type missile was destroyed before the projectile hit the intended target in the port city, which lies in the southwest corner of Saudi Arabia and directly north of the border with Yemen, local media reported.
https://www.rt.com/news/427268-saudi-yemen-missile-intercept/ and also https://www.thenational.ae/world/gcc/saudi-arabia-destroys-houthi-missile-over-jazan-1.732314
(A K pH)
Yemen army downs reconnaissance plane of coalition in Hajjah
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496758.htm
(A K pH)
Saada province: artillery and missile shells were fired toward several areas of Razih district, leaving heavy damage to residents’ properties.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news496690.htm
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
(A K)
Photo: Two victims of #Yemen war ,#Saudi funded Hadi soldiers holding cheetahs
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1660891937342830&set=a.415805615184808.1073741825.100002661202771&type=3 = https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1751144111605278
(* B D)
Yemen's Ella al-Shamahi: Unearthing the past, preserving the future
The paleoanthropologist, who by her own account studies "really, really old humans," is now the proud presenter and producer of BBC2's Neanderthals: Meet Your Ancestors, a show that travels the world to help redefine, rebrand and reintroduce the archaic humans who lived in Eurasia roughly 250,000 to 400,000 years ago.
Exactly three years to the week she made the valiant voyage, Yemen was ravaged with airstrikes.
But far from the cultural heritage sites in mainland Yemen, Ella was on a wooden cement-cargo ship hundreds of miles off the coast of the country to explore its one and only natural UNESCO heritage site – the Yemeni island of Socotra.
Despite growing up in the United Kingdom, Ella has remained connected with Yemen, and has even made several attempts to visit the country since the war escalated with the Saudi-led coalition intervention in March 2015.
"It's really important that all players and most importantly, people of the island, continue to talk about what is going on in Yemen, both in terms of politics and environment, and that solutions are found that protect both the people and its delicate natural gems."
When all is said and done, it's clear that while Ella is on a mission to unearth the history of mankind, her fight to preserve its future is just as, if not more, important.
(* A)
Gefährlicher Sturm bedroht Jemen und Oman
Erst vor wenigen Tagen traf der Sturm SAGAR auf die somalische Küste, es gab einige Tote und erhebliche Schäden. Nun verstärkt sich östlich von Somalia bereits der nächste Tropensturm, der aktuell aber noch keinen Namen hat. Der Sturm zieht aber nicht zum Golf von Aden, sondern voraussichtlich direkt nach Norden in Richtung Jemen und Oman. Er könnte als starker und möglicherweise katastrophaler Zyklon auf die Arabische Halbinsel treffen.
http://wetterkanal.kachelmannwetter.com/gefaehrlicher-sturm-bedroht-jemen-und-oman/
(* A)
TC 2A a Threat to Oman and Yemen
Tropical Cyclone 2A (TC 2A) formed on Tuesday morning in the Arabian Sea, and is expected to intensify rapidly before making landfall as a hurricane-strength storm near the Oman-Yemen border on Thursday night.
https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/tc-2a-threat-oman-and-yemen
(A)
Tropischer Sturm SAGAR hinterlässt Überschwemmungen
Der tropische Sturm SAGAR ist am Samstag auf den Norden von Somalia und Dschibuti getroffen und hat dabei für schwere Überschwemmungen gesorgt.
https://uwz.at/de/news/tropischer-sturm-sagar-hinterlaesst-ueberschwemmungen
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-414-yemen-war-mosaic-414
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-414 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-414:
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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