September 7, 2018: Aden and Sanaa – Cancer patients in Yemen – Womens‘ efforts to bring peace – Living in currency crisis – Geneva peace talks: Low expectations, still in limbo – 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
cp1b Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah / Most important: Hodeidah battle
cp2 Allgemein / General
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
cp9 USA
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis
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
Neue Artikel / New articles
(** B K)
Nobody knows how many people have died: the U.N. lost count more than two years ago, after 10,000 civilians were killed.
(* B K P)
Bürgerkrieg in Jemen
Nach über zwei Jahren sollen erstmals wieder Friedensgespräche zu Jemen beginnen. Regierungsvertreter und Vertreter der Huthi-Miliz kommen in Genf zusammen.
Wie kam es zu dem Konflikt und welche Kriegspartei steht für was? Wir erklären es im Video.
https://www.nzz.ch/international/buergerkrieg-in-jemen-ld.1417467
Mein Kommentar: Es ist schon längst kein Bürgerkrieg mehr.
(* B H K P)
Arte-Filme zum Jemen
https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/RC-016583/jemen-ein-weg-aus-dem-elend/
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
Friedensgespräche / Peace talks: cp7
(** B)
Aden and Sanaa: A tale of two Yemeni cities
Last May, photographer Lorenzo Tugnoli, on assignment for The Washington Post, visited Yemen, reporting on the humanitarian crisis resulting from the ongoing political conflict and the Saudi-led airstrikes that have rocked the country over the last few months and years. His work forms part of this year’s Visa pour l’Image photojournalism festival in Perpignan, France. In the following text, Tugnoli reflects on the contrasting aspects of Yemen’s two major cities, Aden and Sanaa, which have found themselves at the center of the current political and humanitarian crises.
At first, Aden and Sanaa feel like opposite cities. One surrounded by the sea, the other by mountains. The blues and the whites of the Gulf of Aden color the first, while the greens and browns of the mountains and of the old city mark the other.
At a closer look, these differences start to fade. They both feature billboards of bearded heroes and martyrs. Both are dotted by checkpoints and buildings gutted by the war. Teenagers carrying Kalashnikovs and wearing flip-flops roam the two cities, crowd restaurants, man checkpoints. They only wear different uniforms.
Capitals of two halves of a nation at war, both lie on fragile foundations; the two warring parties are both fractured among allies with diverging interests. So a sense of insecurity is always present, and sometimes it explodes into outright violence.
For a photographer, Sanaa is a difficult city to navigate. The Houthi rebels impose an Iranian-style control over journalists: government minder always at your side, hotel staff more concerned about checking your movements than hospitality. And, of course, the psychosis of photography and spies is everywhere. As is the case in Bashar al-Assad’s Syria, people are so suspicious that my government minder actually becomes handy: He would spend all his time giving explanations to anybody who caught a glimpse of my camera.
As soon as I step out of the car, every soldier in sight needs to see official authorizations, ask what I am doing or just have a chat to make sure I am acknowledging their authority. Unfortunately, the authenticity of a place is sometimes gone before I am allowed to raise my camera.
Aden, at first glance, appears more relaxed. Markets are stocked up, even if the good are often too expensive for many. There are no Saudi airstrikes, yet the war doesn’t feel that far away. Hospitals are understaffed and overwhelmed by malnourished refugees, and just outside the city, refugee camps are growing by the day.
Even the city center is unstable. One evening, we walked in a crowded area of town where young people gather in stylish cafes or around pool tables placed on the side of the road; a few days later, we found out that one of the latest targeted assassinations was carried out on the same street.
As often happens in an unstable country, its people are far more welcoming and gentle than its politicians. (with photos)
(** B H)
Jemen: Krebspatienten, die vergessenen Opfer (Fotostrecke)
Das Leid der Menschen im Jemen nach drei Jahren Bürgerkrieg ist unermesslich. Für Krebspatienten ist die Situation schier auswegslos. Neben Krieg, Hunger und Vertreibung müssen sie mit der unzureichenden medizinischen Versorgung in den Krankenhäusern zurechtkommen. Der Reuters-Fotograf Khaled Abdullah hat die Krebsabteilungen mehrerer jemenitischer Krankenhäuser besucht.
"Es ist sehr schwierig, Medikamente zu finden, und wenn man sie auf dem Markt findet, sind sie sehr unerschwinglich", sagt Mohammed, der ein Familienmitglied zur Behandlung begleitet.
Der Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) zufolge sind 35.000 der 23,3 Millionen Menschen im Jemen an Krebs erkrankt. Jedes Jahr werden 11.000 neue Fälle diagnostiziert.
Mohamed al-Hosami wird von den Bewohnern seines Dorfes Mahwit unterstützt, um seiner Mutter die Behandlung in kleinen Klinik in der Stadt Hudaida zu ermöglichen. "Es gibt keine Arbeit, kein Gehalt, wir können uns keinen Transport im Dorf leisten. Sie haben mir geholfen und mir Geld für die Behandlung gegeben."
Das Nationale Krebszentrum in Sanaa nimmt jeden Monat 600 neue Patienten auf. Letztes Jahr erhielt es nach Angaben ihres Direktors Ahmed al-Ashwal eine Million Dollar Spenden von anderen Staaten und NGOs. Aus diesem Grund verfügt es über die besten Einrichtungen des Landes.
Nach WHO-Angaben erhielt das Nationale Krebszentrum vor dem Konflikt 15 Millionen Dollar pro Jahr vom Staat. Das Budget wurde für den Kauf von Chemotherapie- und Krebsmitteln für Patienten im ganzen Land verwendet wurde.
"Jetzt hängt das Nationale Krebszentrum völlig von den Geldern ab, die von internationalen Organisationen, einschließlich der Weltgesundheitsorganisation und einigen gemeinnützigen Organisationen oder Geschäftsleuten, zur Verfügung gestellt werden, da der Regierungsfonds seit etwa zwei Jahren versiegt ist", zitiert Reuters einen WHO-Vertreter.
"Ein Zentrum, das Tausenden von Patienten zur Verfügung steht, kann nicht allein mit Spenden und Almosen funktionieren," Yasser Abdullah Noor, Direktor Al-Amal-Zentrums
Yasser Abdullah Noor, Direktor des kleinen Al-Amal-Zentrums, sagt, er habe Schwierigkeiten, seine mehr als 5.300 Patienten in Hudaida zu versorgen. Ohne öffentliche Unterstützung drohe ihm die Schließung. "Ein Zentrum, das Tausenden von Patienten zur Verfügung steht, kann nicht allein mit Spenden und Almosen funktionieren," bedauert er
http://de.euronews.com/2018/09/05/jemen-krebspatienten-die-vergessenen-opfer-fotostrecke
(** B H)
In photos: Suffering from cancer amid war in Yemen
hospitals in the Arab country are struggling to accommodate cancer patients.
The National Oncology Centre in Sanaa admits 600 new cases each month, but beds are limited. The few available are reserved for children, meaning many are forced to receive treatment from a chair or in the waiting area.
But despite growing demand for its services, the centre received just $1 million funding last year from state entities and international aid groups.
And treatment for patients is unaffordable for many.
"I spent all our valuables and had to borrow a lot of money to cover the expenses of my daughter's treatment," Khaled Ismael says of his 17-year-old daughter, Radhiya, who had her left arm amputated due to cancer. "In the end, we couldn't afford a good treatment."
"Because of our inability to travel abroad, my daughter did not get enough treatment and her arm had to be amputated," he added. "The war has devastated our lives."
Reuters photographer Khaled Abdullah visited the oncology area of several Yemeni hospitals to show their plight, and photographed cancer sufferers staying in charity houses or living with their illness at home.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are around 35,000 people suffering with cancer in Yemen, with 11,000 new diagnoses made each year.
(** B H P)
Time to recognize Yemeni women’s efforts to bring peace to their war-torn country
Ahead of UN-supported consultations to end the devastating war in Yemen, a new report from UN Women examines the role of women in peace-making in Yemen, Syria and Iraq, reiterating the call for wider participation of women in all efforts to end conflict.
Yemen has been locked in a devastating conflict that has killed or injured almost 60,000 people and displaced 3 million more. Yemeni civilians are facing indiscriminate armed attacks, a severe cholera outbreak and the looming threat of famine.
Risks facing women are even greater as gender-based violence is on the rise. Yet despite these grave risks, Yemeni women are also playing an active role in supporting peace and stability within their communities. They are leading humanitarian and conflict resolution activities at the local level to address the harsh impacts of fighting and to try to prevent further violence.
UN Women’s latest report, Women on the Frontlines of Conflict Resolution: Community Voices from Syria, Iraq and Yemen looks at how women in the region influence and shape local processes for conflict and dispute resolution. By showcasing Yemeni women’s diverse contributions to local mediation and peace, the report provides a dynamic image of women’s engagement for peace. Yet, these efforts are often dismissed as insignificant or irrelevant to international peace and security.
The report calls on the international community to recognize and support women’s contributions to local mediation and conflict resolution, and to improve the linkages between community peace initiatives and national peace processes.
This failure to adequately recognize women’s role in community conflict resolution in Yemen and across the region marginalizes their voices, and discounts the contribution that women’s skills, experiences and expertise in conflict resolution can bring to dialogue at both the national and international levels.
“Women in Yemen and the region are undeniably at the forefront of resolving conflict and seeking peace in their own communities. These efforts must be better linked to national peacemaking processes.” Said Mohammad Naciri, Regional Director of UN Women for Arab States. “The failure to hear their voices and harness their expertise will only make peace more elusive”
The purpose of this report is to amplify the voices and experiences of Syrian, Yemeni and Iraqi women who make significant contributions to the stability and security of their communities through resolving and managing local conflict, yet whose efforts are often marginalized, dismissed and misrepresented as insignificant. Presented as a series of case studies, the report examines how women in the region engage, influence and shape local processes for conflict and dispute resolution. Based on more than 40 remote interviews with women from the respective country contexts, particular attention is paid to illuminating the strategies, tools and tactics underlying their efforts and experiences to build peace from the bottom up.
In Yemen, limited but powerful evidence from Ibb and Shabwa Governorates points to the important contributions that women are making to local security through the tribal system and its traditional channels of dispute resolution. While often criticized by external observers as detrimental to national development and nation building, the Yemeni tribal system has proved to be a critical source of stability, even during times of conflict. However, years of political upheaval and war have also taken their toll on tribal structures, diminishing their capacity to resolve and de-escalate conflict. To this end, women are both directing and directly engaging in efforts to support and re-activate certain tribal processes intended to contain violence and, in many cases, steer local communities away from a downward spiral into armed conflict. In the process, they are also articulating and exercising, at times conflicting, understanding of meaningful engagement of women in mediating, negotiating and arbitrating disputes.
http://arabstates.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2018/9/time-to-recognize-yemeni-women and full report: http://arabstates.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2018/9/time-to-recognize-yemeni-women
(** B E H)
Currency crisis: Yemenis live off leftovers as they wait for prices to drop
Residents in Taiz say they hope the currency crisis, which fuelled country-wide protests this week, will pass so they can afford food again
Mohammed Saeed, a builder in his late 40s, typically visits the al-Awadhi street market every day to buy basic goods for the six members of his family.
But last Saturday, he discovered that prices at his regular spot had more than doubled. The money in his pocket wouldn’t stretch to cover what they needed.
So he returned home without anything, hoping the price spike was an aberration.
"The next day, I returned to the market and I found some traders had closed their stores and others were selling commodities with more expensive prices,” he told Middle East Eye. “When I asked about the reason, traders told me it is the collapse of currency.”
Since the start of the war in 2015, when the Yemeni rial was worth 215 to the dollar, it has lost more than half of its value, and the central bank has struggled to pay the salaries of public sector employees. On the street, the rial has dipped against the dollar from 480 to 630, though official currency converters still put it at 250 to the dollar, a price that is essentially unavailable to Yemenis.
Meanwhile, inflation has sent prices for basic goods flying. In 2015, a 50kg bag of wheat cost 4,500 rial. Today, it costs 13,000.
The currency crisis is overwhelming a population already struggling to survive.
Ahmed Saeed Shamakh, economist and head of the Sanaa-based Financial Media Studies Foundation, said 85 percent of Yemenis are jobless and living with the threat of hunger.
“This new collapse may lead them to starve to death, so we appeal the international community to pressure on warring sides to stop the war,” he said.
Meanwhile for many like Saeed – whose income hasn’t increased since 2011 - the only choice is to wait out the high prices, living off food already in the house.
"There is no work like before the war, so what can we do to support our families?” he said. "Needy people are the victims of this war and no one care about them in this world.”
But the challenges aren’t just for buyers. Many shopkeepers have been forced to close their stores over the past week.
This isn’t a protest, but a precaution: prices are rising so quickly, even within shop hours, that if they sell their goods, they won’t be able to buy new ones.
Walid al-Zazai, a trader in Taiz city, said: “They do not want to sell at a loss. The currency is collapsing in hours and not in days".
There were financial difficulties in Yemen before the war, but it is the conflict that is the critical factor behind the currency collapse, said Shamakh, the economist.
The biggest factor, he said, is that the conflict has halted the production and export of valuable commodities like oil, which used to make up 80 percent of the country’s budget. Factories, farms, laboratories and companies have also been shut down or had their production slowed.
To boost liquidity, the Yemeni government has been printing rials, but Shamakh said this approach has been problematic because the country only has $700m in foreign reserves.
'Meaningless solutions'
Over the past three years, experts said the Yemeni government has failed to take necessary action to stop the collapse.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/yemen-currency-crisis-shops-closed-food-rationed-1661762307
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics
(* A H)
According to the #WHO, the health situation in #Hodeidah is the worst in #Yemen. The Government Health Office in Hodeidah reported 19,217 AWD/suspected #Cholera cases since 01 Jan until 10 Aug 2018, while 175 confirmed positive by rapid test, with 17 associated deaths.
https://twitter.com/OxfamYemen/status/1037800102612545536
cp1b Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah / Most important: Hodeidah battle
(B H)
IOM Yemen Hudaydah Response Bulletin: 6 September 2018, Situation Report: 26 August - 1 September 2018
Supporting IDPs in 8 schools with hot meals and distribution of non-food items. Through these kitchens and other facilities, over 56,900 hot meals have been served since the current crisis began.
Provided medical consultation to 8,474 individuals, antenatal care to 986 pregnant women, reproductive health consultations to 1,233 individuals, MHPSS services to 834 individuals, and conducted health promotion activities among 3,318 individuals.
(A K)
Fierce clashes erupted again in and around the city over the heads of 1000s of people. Heliotrope Apache firing massively everywher. People describe tonight as a very bad nightmare.
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/1037475686540353536
Residents in #Hodeidah in western #Yemen describing their lives as they live in hell due to continued raiding by the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes. Three days of killing and terrifying innocent people. It considers the worst days ever being lived by residents there.
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/1037455058181517313
(A K pH)
The #Yemen-i Air Defenses announce shooting down of an Apache aircraft belonging to the forces of aggression near the Al Mandar area of view in the vicinity of #Hodeidah International Airport.
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.963391330380564/1911696092216745/?type=3
(A K pH)
Saudi warplanes target home in Hodeidah
US-backed Saudi aggression warplanes destroyed a citizen's home in al-Hally district of Hodeidah province on Wednesday, an official told Saba.
The strike flattened the home to the ground and badly damaged the nearby houses.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news507355.htm
cp2 Allgemein / General
(* A K P)
Interactive Map of Yemen War
(* B K P)
The war in Yemen: What the news isn’t telling you
Unravelling the spin surrounding the Arab World’s worst crisis of recent times
Considering the intensity of the humanitarian disaster alone, you would imagine Yemen would be the subject of daily news stories, global headlines, round-the-clock coverage. But this isn’t the case. What little we hear about Yemen is often crouched in vague platitudes that evoke our empathy for a few seconds, before shifting on to other issues.
In the few instances where the underlying dynamics of the conflict are discussed, it is framed as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran— nothing more than the natural result of regional powers vying for influence. In many cases, the proxy war angle receives a sectarian spin—the conflict becomes a religious battle between the Zaydi Ansar Allah movement (also known as the Houthis) as agents of Iranian Shi’ites against the Sunni Gulf Monarchies. In other cases, the conflict is presented as an internal Yemeni struggle between competing factions, with only the “internationally recognised government” having a legitimate claim over the Yemeni state. Drawing on Orientalist discourses, media pundits paint Yemen as just another case of Middle Eastern instability, another case of the Arabs’ incapacity for discipline, unity and peace—what Edward Said termed “the Arab Mind”. All these media narratives obfuscate the geopolitical and material realities that drive the conflict and the resulting humanitarian crisis. Notions of proxy wars, civil wars and sectarian strife imply a sense of parity between the two sides, leading us to believe that both are equally culpable for the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe.
But the facts on the ground suggest a narrative entirely different to catchlines repeated in the media. This conflict encompasses a coalition of the most reactionary actors in the region seeking to undermine the democratic will of the Yemeni people. More importantly, our own government and universities (including the University of Sydney) have been complicit in both the subversion of Yemeni political will, and the genocidal war of aggression waged against the population.
Arguably, Saudi aggression is just the latest iteration of Western imperial attempts to dominate Yemen. Indeed, maintaining influence in Yemen is vital for US imperialism, and its subcontractors in the Gulf. This is because the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, off the coast of Yemen, is one of the most important shipping routes in the world— known as the Southern Entrance to the Red Sea. Control of this passage has important geopolitical implications, as it forms a vital link between the Persian Gulf, the Mediterranean and Asia.
The Government of National Salvation they aligned themselves with, while often painted as nothing more than “Houthi rebels”, is comprised of not only Ansarullah, but a broad coalition of nationalists and communists. To paint the Houthis as Iranian proxies ignores the fact that they have the support of the bulk of the Yemeni state, Yemeni political parties and the mass of the population – by Swapnik Sanagavarapu
http://honisoit.com/2018/09/the-war-in-yemen-what-the-news-isnt-telling-you/
My comment: The author’s view on the West is obviously true. The Houthi-dominated government at Sanaa is seen through rose-coloured spectacles, however.
(* B H K)
«Das Land steht kurz vor dem Kollaps»
Die UNO spricht von der grössten humanitären Katastrophe weltweit. Journalist Paul-Anton Krüger hat das Land bereist.
Sie waren in Aden, im von der Koalition kontrollierten Gebiet im Süden des Landes. Dort finden seit drei Jahren keine Kämpfe mehr statt. In welchem Zustand ist diese Stadt?
Sie ist nach wie vor einem verheerenden Zustand. Die ausgebombten Gebäude stehen immer noch, vom Wiederaufbau ist nicht viel zu sehen. Die Sicherheitslage ist prekär. Einen Tag bevor ich gekommen bin, gab es einen Bombenanschlag auf einen Provinzgouverneur. Es gibt regelmässig Schiessereien in der Stadt und die jemenitischen Kollegen haben mir empfohlen, mich als Westler möglichst nicht in der Stadt zu bewegen.
Ist also auch die Bedeutung des international anerkannten Präsidenten Abed Hadi gering?
Der Süden wird mittlerweile dominiert von separatistischen Milizen. Die jemenitische Flagge sieht man in Aden im Prinzip nur am Präsidentenpalast und den umliegenden Gebäuden. Die Checkpoints werden dominiert von Milizionären einer südlichen Separatistenbewegung. Wenn Sie weiter Richtung Norden fahren, kommen noch andere Gruppen dazu. Aber eine wirkliche Präsenz des Präsidenten sieht man nicht.
Lebensmittel sind für viele Menschen unerschwinglich teuer geworden. Wie gestalten die Menschen ihren Alltag?
Das kommt darauf an, von wem man spricht. Es gibt in Sanaa und auch in Aden in den Supermärkten alles, was man sich vorstellen kann. Das Problem ist nur, dass die Menschen kein Geld mehr haben, das zu kaufen. Und jedes Mal, wenn die Preise steigen – und das tun sie kontinuierlich seit drei Jahren – fallen wieder ein paar hunderttausend durch das Raster durch. Sie sind nicht mehr in der Lage, sich aus eigener Kraft zu ernähren.
Fast der gesamte Bedarf an Lebensmittel wird in den Jemen importiert. Der Grossteil über die Hafenstadt Hudeydah, die unter der Kontrolle der Huthi steht, nun aber auch von Regierungstruppen belagert wird. Gibt es in dieser umkämpften Stadt überhaupt noch einen Alltag für die Menschen?
Es gibt wieder einen Alltag. Jemenitische Freunde, die drei Wochen vor unserer Reise dort waren, haben von einer Geisterstadt berichtet. Nachdem der geplante Sturmangriff der Milizen mit Unterstützung der Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate fürs Erste abgewendet worden ist, sind einzelne Menschen zurückgekehrt. Die Menschen, die da sind, gehen wieder auf die Strasse, aber die Situation ist prekär. Es landen immer wieder Geschosse in der Stadt. Am Flughafen wird nach wie vor gekämpft, und es gab in den vergangenen Wochen immer wieder Tote.
Die Versorgungslage in Hudaydah selber ist katastrophal.
https://www.srf.ch/news/international/krieg-im-jemen-das-land-steht-kurz-vor-dem-kollaps
(B K P)
AFP: Key players in Yemen conflict
http://jordantimes.com/news/region/key-players-yemen-conflict
My comment: Missing: The US, the UK, Southern separatists.
(B H K P)
Friedensgespräche für ein vergessenes Land
Der Jemen, wie ein Bus voller Jemeniten, der auf einen Abgrund zurast, sagt Auke Lootsma, einer der verzweifeltsten UN-Mitarbeiter überhaupt. Er ist der Direktor des UN-Entwicklungshilfeprogrammes für den Jemen. Aber das einzige, was sich entwickele, sei die Katastrophe.
https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/jemen-konferenz-101.html
Mein Kommentar: Oberflächlicher Überblicksbericht. „Gerade erst hat Russland im Sicherheitsrat eine von Großbritannien eingebrachte Resolution für ein Waffenembargo gegen den Jemen per Veto blockiert.“ Was soll denn das sein??? Großbritannien, der zweitgrößte Waffenlieferant für den Jemenkrieg!
(B K)
Film: 28 airports have been forcibly closed, bombarded, destroyed.
The Coalition is playing with the lives of 28 MLN people.
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/videos/230399887656723/
(* B P)
In the absence of elections, no de facto ruling faction present on Yemeni territory or ruling by writ from overseas bears any legal legitimacy or represents the people of #Yemen. All represent only themselves, no matter what the United Nations or your Uncle Ahmad says.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/1037617947865481216
(* B K P)
Audio, Transcript: Detailing America's role in the world's worst crisis with Shireen Al-Adeimi: podcast & transcript
Chris Hayes speaks with professor and advocate Shireen Al-Adeimi about the civil war currently raging in Yemen, the country she calls home.
Why is the U.S. involved in a conflict that has left an estimated tens of thousands dead and millions more displaced? Why is the U.S. providing weapons to a coalition that launched an airstrike killing dozens of children? How did Yemen get to this point? Shireen Al-Adeimi has the answers for us, having worked tireless to raise awareness of the civil war in the country she calls home.
SHIREEN AL-ADEIMI: Well that's a really good question, Chris. I think what's really important to realize is that there's a tremendous humanitarian crisis going on in Yemen. There are people starving every single day. Every ten minutes a child dies in Yemen because of starvation or preventable diseases like cholera. And then people, of course, are dying because of the air strikes that are just ongoing, on a daily basis.
But this is done in our name, using our bombs that we've sold to the Saudi Arabians and the Emirates. It's done with our military advising. It is our done with U.S. Army refueling the jets that are bombing civilians and other infrastructure. So this as much America's war as it is Saudi's war. But people really don't really know that ... first of all, that there's a war going on over there; and the extent of U.S. involvement.
And I think once people realize how involved the U.S. has been, unfortunately, in creating the world's worst humanitarian crisis, then hopefully they can feel empowered to do something about it as American citizens.
... this was brought on directly by this war because you take a country that was already poor and struggling, and you put a coalition together of really the world's superpowers and the richest Arab countries in the region ... and they've been bombarding this country that doesn't even have a way to defend itself against this barrage of international attackers.
And you can imagine what it's done to the people living there. And it really has cut across all economic strata. Doesn't matter if you were wealthy before. Most people are struggling to survive.
SHIREEN AL-ADEIMI: Well there's no question some people support the Saudi led intervention. They think that the Houthis are a big problem and that the Saudi led intervention will lead to a society without Houthis. Other people are vehemently against any kind of foreign intervention, whether or not they support the Houthis. So they might say, "Well yeah, we're against the Houthis. They're criminals as well, but we don't support the Saudi led intervention or any intervention in our country." And then you have the people who have been supporting the Houthis and perhaps those numbers have grown as well, given the resistance that we see in the country. And so there are various factions, but I think people would agree that there needs to be an independent investigation into the crimes that are going on and not have Saudi Arabia or any other party that's part of this coalition to investigate itself. It's just preposterous to think that we would allow criminals or people accused of crimes to investigate themselves, and that's what we see in Yemen over and over again. But I think most people just want the war to end. They want to resume their daily lives.
Again, the Saudis rely on the U.S. every step of the way and if people could take time out of their day to just call their congressperson or their senator and say, "Hey, we want you to support resolutions and bills in congress that would end U.S. participation in the war." This is not a call for intervention. That should be easy for American citizens. We're not ... Yemenis don't want Americans to come help them, to come save them. Yemenis want Americans frankly, to stop bombing them, to stop helping Saudi Arabia bomb them, and That's really what I hope that people would feel empowered to do.
(* A K P)
Saudi-led coalition admits may be at fault for attack that killed 23 Yemeni children
Colonel Turki al-Maliki says 'there might have been collateral damage and civilian casualties' after strike on fleeing family
The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen’s war admitted on Thursday that it may have been at fault for a strike that killed on fleeing civilians that killed 23 children.
The 23 August attack, on a vehicle in the city of al-Duraihimi south of Hodeidah, killed 26 people in total – all women and children – according to the United Nations’ humanitarian operations chief Mark Lowcock.
On Thursday, the coalition’s spokesman acknowledged the deaths.
"According to the results of the comprehensive review... there might have been collateral damage and civilian casualties," Colonel Turki al-Maliki said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.
“All documents relating to this incident have been handed over to the Joint Incidents Assessment Team [JIAT] pending assessment and announcement of results," he added, without elaborating on what they might be.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-6137783/Coalition-says-Yemen-raid-killed-civilians.html
My comment: The same procedure as happened on the August 9 school bus raid.
(* B P)
Westliche Doppelmoral: Saudi-Arabien, Russland und Syrien
Der westliche Verbündete Saudi-Arabien kann ungeniert Massaker an Kindern anrichten und die Repressionsspirale anziehen
Saudi-Arabien kann mit seiner Koalition, unterstützt vom Westen, vor allem von den USA und Großbritannien, ungehindert und konsequenzenlos einen brutalen Krieg gegen die mit dem Iran verbundenen Huthis und ihren Verbündeten im Jemen führen. Während US-Präsident Donald Trump gerade wieder mit erhobenem moralischen Finger Russland und Syrien vor der geplanten Offensive in Idlib warnt, stammen die Bomben, die saudische Kampfflugzeuge auch gegen Zivilisten und Kinder richten, aus den USA.
Donald Trump, der mit Saudi-Arabien seine Anti-Iran-Politik durchzog, ist das egal, er ließ ab 2017 wieder Bomben an Saudi-Arabien liefern und schwärmte von den guten Waffengeschäften mit der repressiven islamistischen Monarchie. Auch weiterhin rechtfertigt Saudi-Arabien den Angriff auf den Schulbus als legitimes Ziel.
Man muss sich nur vorstellen, welche Entrüstung es im Westen gegeben hätte, wenn russische oder syrische Flugzeuge ähnliches in Syrien gemacht hätten. Der interessengeleitete doppelte Maßstab hatte sich auch gezeigt, wenn man die Berichterstattung über die Offensive auf Aleppo mit denen auf Mosul und Raqqa vergleicht. Während Politik und Medien zu letzteren schwiegen oder höchstens leise Kritik geübt haben, waren die Vorwürfe gegen Russland und Syrien schrill.
In die aufgeladene Stimmung mit starker Schwarz-Weiß-Malerei zwischen dem Westen und Russland passt, dass Saudi-Arabien die Repression im Inneren weiter anzieht, nachdem sowieso schon Bürger- und Frauenrechtler verfolgt, eingesperrt und mit hohen Strafen verurteilt wurden.
Und er kann das mit der Duldung der westlichen Staatengemeinschaft machen, die ihre angeblichen Werte nur dort kraftvoll zur Geltung bringt, wo es ihr geopolitisch und wirtschaftlich nicht schadet – von Florian Rötzer
(* B K)
UNICEF: Film: What does peace mean to you?
https://twitter.com/UNICEF_Yemen/status/1037336269087485952
(* B K)
Krieg forderte im August besonders viele zivile Opfer
Die Zahl der zivilen Opfer im Jemen-Krieg hat im August einen neuen Höchststand erreicht. Schuld daran seien die Rücksichtslosigkeit der Kriegsparteien gegenüber Zivilisten und das Versagen der politischen Unterstützerstaaten, das Massensterben zu stoppen, kritisierte die Nothilfe- und Entwicklungsorganisation Oxfam anlässlich der am Donnerstag in Genf stattfindenden Friedensgespräche. Oxfam fordert, den Schutz von Zivilisten ganz oben auf die Agenda zu setzen.
"Im Jemen wird inzwischen auf alles und jeden geschossen", sagte Muhsin Siddiquey, Oxfams Landesdirektor im Jemen. "Menschen, die auf Hochzeiten, Beerdigungen oder zum Markt gehen, riskieren ihr Leben. Das Leid, dem die Menschen ausgesetzt werden, ist unerträglich, ein Angriff auf unsere gemeinsame Menschlichkeit. Die mächtigsten Staaten dieser Welt versagen dabei, für die Einhaltung ihrer Werte einzustehen. Es ist ein schändliches Kapitel doppelzüngiger Diplomatie, verdeckten Deals und offener Scheinheiligkeit. Im Jemen finden regelmäßig Kriegsverbrechen statt. Die Täter und direkt Beteiligten müssen hierfür zur Verantwortung gezogen werden. Das Massensterben muss enden."
(* B K)
August the cruellest month in Yemen: 300 children amongst almost 1000 civilian casualties
August has been the bloodiest month this year for civilians in Yemen due to a combination of the warring parties’ reckless disregard for civilian lives and the failure of their political backers to offer any action to prevent the carnage said Oxfam today.
The grim warning comes as the first talks in two years take place in Geneva to try to secure peace between the Saudi-backed forces and Houthi rebels.
Reports collated by the UN’s civilian impact monitoring department show in the first nine days of August there were more than 450 civilian casualties including 131 children. By 31 August 981 civilians had been killed or injured, including over 300 children. It is likely that these reports, gleaned from open sources, are not capturing all civilian casualties.
Muhsin Siddiquey, Oxfam’s Country Director in Yemen said:“Yemen is now a free-fire zone where people gathering for weddings, burying their loved ones or going to market are risking their lives. The suffering of the people of Yemen is an affront to our shared humanity and a failure of powerful countries to uphold any sense of the values they are fond of espousing.
“It is a shameful chapter of diplomatic double speak, underhand dealings and downright hypocrisy. How many more children will be killed before the backers of this war will face up to their complicity? War crimes are being committed regularly. The perpetrators and those who are actively involved need to be brought to account. The carnage has to end.”
Ending the killing of civilians needs to be a priority for all parties and communities in Yemen. Today’s talks in Geneva offer them an opportunity to draw a line in the sand and stop the attacks on civilians.
(* B H K)
Yemeni families mourn at new cemetery built for children killed in air strike
Hafidh Abdullah al-Khawlani watched as his father arranged some plastic flowers on top of one of dozens of small, fresh graves lining the dusty new cemetery in Saada, north Yemen.
On Wednesday, thousands of Yemenis massed in Saada city, calling for the prosecution of the Saudi-led military coalition over the air strike on the bus, which drew horrified reactions from around the world.
“We were coming back (from a school trip) and my brother was sitting next to the bus door,” Hafidh said.
“On the bus, the teacher told us that everyone should hold his brother’s hand, and then mine was martyred.”
So many died that a new cemetery had to be built to accommodate the bodies. Inside the hastily erected wall, some of the graves are still empty.
In Hafidh’s home, a modest house of baked mud bricks in the outskirts of Saada city, a portrait of Waleed hung on the wall, his image laid over a green background - the color of the Houthis - and printed with their slogan: “Death to America, Death to Israel”.
The boys had been on a school trip to visit the graves of Houthi fighters killed in the war when their bus was struck.
“The bus was completely destroyed. When I asked about my kids, they warned me that warplanes would strike again ... we searched and found body parts and other wounded children, but could not see mine,” said Hafidh’s father, Abdullah al-Khawlani.
“I found Hafidh in the hospital and asked him about his brother Waleed ... he said they took him and his eyes were closed.”
A few blocks away lies the mangled wreckage of their bus, now a playground for the neighborhood children.
(* B H K)
Yemeni boys excited for bus trip before deadly strike, father recalls
Little Ali begged his father to let him and his brothers go on a class trip in northern Yemen this summer. None of them would come home alive.
Weeks after the August 9 bombing of a school bus in the Yemeni province of Saada, the boys' father is still in shock after having to bury his three young children.
"They waved to me from the bus, and I said 'go with God'," said Zaid Tayyeb at his home in Dahyan in Saada province, a stronghold of the Iran-backed Huthis bordering Saudi Arabia.
Tayyeb had refused to send them on the Muslim youth camp trip earlier in the summer, fearing for their safety in Yemen's deadly conflict between the Huthi rebels and a government backed by Saudi Arabia and its allies.
But following his children's pleas, he relented and allowed them to board the bus after another group of students returned safely after taking the same route.
"When I woke up that morning, they were all dressed in their new clothes. So I asked them what was going on, acting like I had no idea where they were going," Tayyeb told AFP.
"They laughed and reminded me that the faithful never lie. That I had promised to let them go on the (Koranic studies) class trip after they got top marks.
"They hugged me tight, got on the bus and waved to me as it pulled away. I turned and walked maybe 100 or 150 metres when the bus was hit."
Tayyeb turned and ran back towards the bus.
"There was smoke and debris everywhere. I grabbed the first body I could reach. It was face down on the ground," he said.
"It was my son. Ahmed," who was 10 years old.
On the wall of the family's living room hang pictures of each child: Ahmed, his little brother Ali, 9, and 13-year-old Youssef.
Each photograph is accompanied by the date of their death -- "Martyred on 9/8/2018 in the massacre of children in Dahyan".
Tayyeb's only surviving son, five-year-old Mohammed, stands under his big brothers' pictures, wearing rebel military garb tailored to his tiny frame.
He was too young to take the class trip.
https://www.afp.com/en/news/23/yemeni-boys-excited-bus-trip-deadly-strike-father-recalls-doc-18v2xk1
film: https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1037631994132410368
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
(B H)
Mona Relief has shared 53 photos with you!
Mona Relief hat 53 Fotos mit dir geteilt!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/monareliefyemen/shares/X3Y13o
(B H)
Funded by #EU the #SPCRP Home Garden Program implemented by @SFDYemen not only provides short-term #employment for vulnerable households, but also help them create a #sustainable source of #food & income keeping them safe of harm.
https://twitter.com/UNDPYEMEN/status/1037624818781368321
(* B H)
Film: Inside a hospital in #Yemen
No graphic footage, just a quick tour inside a hospital in #Yemen.
One of the few still standing and operative.
With a child smiling back at the camera. Priceless
https://www.rescue-uk.org/video/inside-hospital-yemen = https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/videos/534045987065595/
(* B H)
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: Yemen: Commodity Tracker (as of 4 September 2018)
Since the November 2017 blockade monthly clearance requests have declined 35% on average.
Since the blockade the number of vessels berthing at Hudaydah and Saleef have declined 43% on average.
Food and fuel volumes increased slightly between July and August 2018, however the post-blockade averages have not changed.
Food prices are 68% higher than pre-crisis.
The Yemeni Rial has depreciated nearly 180% since the escalation of the conflict in March 2015.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-commodity-tracker-4-september-2018
(B H)
We send you our eighth summary report of the Yemen Friends Relief Initiative August 2018 Newsletter
In the past months “Yemen Friends –Relief- Organization” was able to implement many emergency projects and relief activities that targeted and helped more than 359 displaced, affected families in Yemen.
In August 2018, with your contributions for our Humanitarian Appeal for the Al-Hodeida campaign, we were able to distribute food baskets and children's clothing to 32 displaced families, and refugees who had been forced to move from their homes in Al-Hodeida and are currently living in Sana’a and don't have access to food. Each food basket containing 50kg of flour, 10kg rice and 10kg Sugar, 4 litres of cooking oil, 2kg of milk powder, 3kg of lentils and some sweets for children.
In total we now managed to distribute food parcels to about 359 families and have helped more than 2,250 people in Yemen.
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1911069685612719
(B H)
World Food Programme, Logistics Cluster. Yemen Situation Update, 15 July - 31 August 2018
Due to ongoing fighting around Hodeidah and a resulting increase in humanitarian activities targeting Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), the Logistics Cluster has been tasked with coordinating Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) deliveries to Humanitarian Service Points (HSPs) and Transit Points (TPs) which were established as locations to provide IDPs with relief items.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-situation-update-15-july-31-august-2018
(B H)
UN Children's Fund, Nutrition Cluster: Yemen: Nutrition Cluster Dashboard (January to July 2018)
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-nutrition-cluster-dashboard-january-july-2018
and more:
https://reliefweb.int/map/yemen/yemen-nutrition-cluster-bsfp-plw-gap-analysis-31-july-2018
https://reliefweb.int/map/yemen/yemen-nutrition-cluster-bsfp-u2-gap-analysis-31-july-2018
https://reliefweb.int/map/yemen/yemen-nutrition-cluster-iycf-gap-analysis-31-july-2018
https://reliefweb.int/map/yemen/yemen-nutrition-cluster-mam-gap-analysis-31-july-2018
https://reliefweb.int/map/yemen/yemen-nutrition-cluster-mnp-gap-analysis-31-july-2018
https://reliefweb.int/map/yemen/yemen-nutrition-cluster-plw-gap-analysis-31-july-2018
https://reliefweb.int/map/yemen/yemen-nutrition-cluster-sam-achievements-31-july-2018
https://reliefweb.int/map/yemen/yemen-nutrition-cluster-gam-rate-classification-23-july-2018
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
(* B H)
Film: “We left everything behind”: These refugees in Yemen are desperately searching for safety
Saleh al-Asri, the principal of the Abu Bakr al-Saddiq school in one of the largest cities in Yemen, was preparing in June to give an exam to his 600 students when UAE-backed forces began fighting just down the highway.
The military was there to seize the port city of Hodeidah from the Houthi rebel militia, which has controlled it since an uprising in 2014. Hodeidah is one of the country’s biggest trading routes, and its port brings in cargo that generates millions in taxes for the Houthis, making it a valuable target. But the fighting quickly made the city uninhabitable for civilians, and people began pouring out.
“We just opened our doors to take in people,” al-Alsri told VICE News. “All of the refugees came to us.”
Since then, hundreds of displaced Yemeni families have passed through al-Asri’s school on the outskirts of Sana’a on their way to displacement centers in the capital. According to estimates, at least 300,000 people have fled since the start of the operation.
Most of those displaced by the fighting left in a hurry — and in fear for their lives.
Mohammed Alsaidi made it out with his family of six after fleeing in the middle of the night and boarding bus after bus until they reached Sana'a.
“We left everything behind, except for the clothes on our backs,” Alsaidi said.
Just days after the family arrived at the school, they were displaced again and forced into a refugee camp in Sana’a.
The war has left Alsaidi at the mercy of a political fight taking place far overhead.
(B H)
UN High Commissioner for Refugees: Somalia: Refugees and Asylum-seekers Statistical Report with UNHCR (As of 31 August 2018)
From Yemen. 11,781
(* B H)
International Organization for Migration: IOM Regional Office for East and Horn of Africa - August 2018 Bulletin
On 6 August, IOM and its partners, launched a Regional Migrant Response Plan for the Horn of Africa and Yemen appealing to the international community for USD 45 million. It is the first of such plan to be launched ever.
Irregular migration from the Horn of Africa to the Gulf countries has been steadily increasing over the past few years, with approximately 100,000 people entering Yemen in 2017. The countries on this route are grappling with humanitarian challenges. In Yemen, for example, partners estimate that more than 22 million people need humanitarian assistance, while Somalia and Ethiopia are also in the grip of complex emergencies because of conflict and recurrent disasters.
Developed in coordination with regional and country-level non-governmental and intergovernmental partners, the plan details support to migrants on the move in the Horn of Africa and Yemen from 2018 to 2020. The plan targets some 81,000 people.
https://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/iom-regional-office-east-and-horn-africa-august-2018-bulletin
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
(* A E P)
Al-Houthi closes 67 exchange outlets in Sana'a and the governorates under their control
The al-Houthi authorities have closed 67 exchange shops in contravention of the central bank's instructions in Sana'a and a number of provinces under their control.
"The ministry has closed 37 exchange shops in Sanaa, 20 in Al Baydha, 5 shops in Dhamar and 5 others in Ibb province," Saba news agency the al-Houthi version quoted a source in the government's Ministry of Finance of the militia.
The campaign was still going on, he said.
He noted that "the competent authorities continue the campaign to close the unlicensed exchange shops and contrary to the instructions of the Central bank in a package of measures to control the exchange rates as much as possible and limit the manipulation of the currency."
"The high exchange rate is a result of the systematic destruction of the national economy by the Government of mercenaries and the states of aggression by printing the currency substantially and continuing to disrupt the work of the central bank in Sana'a, to double the blockade and to close down the land, sea, and airports," he said.
(A E P)
Minister of Finance: Delivering Revenues to Central Bank in Sana’a Guarantees Paying Salaries
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Dr. Hussein Maqbuli, confirmed the readiness of the Salvation Government, to pay the salaries of all state employees, after the delivery of all the revenues of the governorates of the Republic to the Central Bank in Sana'a.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=2638&cat_id=1
My comment: The original central bank at Sanaa is totally neglected by the media.
(A E P)
Office of Industry and Commerce close metal water factories in Sanaa
The Office of Industry and Commerce closed on Tuesday metal water factories of, Shamla, Hada and Sana because ofraising price, where the price of a liter of water rose from 100 to 150YR, in a statement obtained to Saba on Wednesday.
The director of the industry office Kalad al-Kolany said that closing the factories is temporarily because of the greed of traders and manipulation of price.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news507316.htm
(A K P)
Thousands in Yemen's Saada protest over air strikes that killed children
Thousands of Yemenis massed in the Houthi stronghold of Saada on Wednesday, calling for the prosecution of the Saudi-led coalition for an air attack last month that killed dozens of people, including 40 children traveling on a bus.
The protesters carried huge pictures of some of the children killed in the air strikes as they walked along a main road in the city. Other banners urged a boycott of U.S. products.
Addressing the crowd, a Houthi official and called on the U.N. Security Council and the International Court of the Justice to “prove their humanity”.
“We insist that all countries supporting this criminal coalition with weapons are directly involved in the bloodshed against children and women in our country,” Abdel Salam al-Seliehy said.
(A P)
Senior Houthi delegation visits Lebanon, Iraq and Iran
A high-ranking delegation from Yemen’s Houthi rebels is reported to have recently visited Lebanon, Iraq and Iran.
visited the headquarters of Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia in Dahiya in southern Beirut on 18 August.
The Houthi delegation is believed to have visited the Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Najaf loyal to Iraq’s Shia leader, Moqtada Al-Sadr, whom Saudi Arabia has been working with to gain his support for months now without any success.
According to the site, the Houthi delegation’s last stop was the Iranian capital of Tehran, where it arrived on 2 September.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180905-senior-houthi-delegation-visits-lebanon-iraq-and-iran/
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
(A P)
Massive demonstration in Mukalla on the coast of Hadramout against the exclusion of the southern issue from Geneva negotiations and in support of the Southern Transitional Council against the government of Ben Dagher
https://twitter.com/Mukalla_Now_EN/status/1037777236529688576
(A P)
Sayoon.. Army forces arrest a number of protesters after blocking city streets
A source in the city of Sayoon said that the army troops Thursday morning arrested youths protesting against the deterioration of the currency after they closed the main roads of the city.
"He heard gunshots in the city with army troops opening the streets and removing iron barriers," the source added.
(A E P)
Hadramawt Governor threatens to stop oil exports if government fails to stop currency collapse
The governor of the eastern province of Hadramawt, General Faraj Salem al-Bahssani, on Thursday threatened to stop exporting oil from the province if the government did not intervene to deal with the collapse of the local currency.
Al- Bahssani, commander of the second military region, said in a statement that if the economic situation continues without rapid and urgent treatment by the government, the local authority will have to stop exporting oil.
and
(A E P)
Hadramout governor is threatening to half oil exports from Yemen's eastern province if government does not respond to demands of people who have been protesting against economic crisis for days. Protests are continuing in Hadramout and southern cities of Aden, Lahj and Dhale.
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/1037755852604825601
(* A P)
STC is attempting to leverage ongoing economic protests to garner support. Southern secessionists issued a call for mass demonstrations across southern #Yemen on Thursday to protest deteriorating economic conditions and their exclusion from the 06 SEP UN Geneva consultations.
https://twitter.com/MaherFarrukh/status/1037282153455865856 referring to
(* A P)
Local leaders of the council in all southern provinces and regions call for a popular uprising on Thursday
Local leaders of the Southern Transitional Council called for a mass uprising and mass demonstrations on Thursday to denounce the deterioration of the situation in all areas in the south and coincide with the start of the Geneva negotiations scheduled for Thursday.
The local leaders of local councils in the southern governorates of Aden, Lahj, Abyan, Redfan, Dali, Shabwa, Hadhramout, Skatri and Mahara launched calls for the mobilization of a major popular uprising and demonstrations in response to the statement of the leadership of the transitional council. The manipulation of the exclusion of southerners in the Geneva negotiations by the Houthis and legitimacy.
http://www.stcaden.com/news/8753
(A P)
Islahi leader: Islah has no relation to protests in South Yemen
Head of the Islah party’s s media and culture department Adnan al-Odani has denounced claims of the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash who accused, in a tweet, the Islah party of standing behind protests in South Yemen.
“We think the comment of Gargash does not reflect the opinion of the UAE leadership which the Islah party highly appreciate their support for Yemen” al-Odaini added.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-22327
My comment: It’s the UAE-backes separatist movement who are backing these uprsisings (article above)
(A P)
Gargash condemns ‘disgraceful’ anti-coalition acts in Yemen
The UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, on Wednesday condemned what he called “disgraceful” acts against an Arab coalition fighting Iran-allied Al Houthi militants.
“The disgraceful behaviour against figures representing the emirates and the Coalition in [the province of] Hadramout and some southern areas will not discourage us from shouldering our mission,” he said in a tweet.
“Our conviction is that it is pursued by a partisan minority that does not wish anything good for Yemen,” added the official, apparently referring to anti-coalition slogans chanted this week by some protesters decrying the dire economic situation in Yemen.
“The coalition, seeking to make stability hold, will not be shaken by these acts,” Gargash said.
Comment: In Hadhramaut, Hadhramis can decide who they want. And they do not want you, ya #UAE.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/1037391689739104257
(* A P)
Pictures of the demonstration of the southern movement with freedom opposed the transition, legitimacy and alliance
On Thursday, the city of Atiq witnessed a massive demonstration of the southern movement opposing the southern transitional council.
The Southern Movement organized a separate demonstration from a demonstration of the Southern Transitional Council.
Demonstrators marched in the middle of the fence and chanted slogans against the government and the Arab coalition.
http://adengad.net/news/335501/
(* A P)
Film: Protests continue in Aden over Yemen's ailing economy
More protests took place in southern Yemen over the government's failure to take measures against rising prices and the collapse of the currency.
Protesters have been out on the streets in southern Yemen for a third consecutive day.
Although the war in Yemen has seen many outrages, including the recent Saudi bombing of a school bus, these protests are in response to the increasingly difficult struggle that Yemenis face to survive, outside of the violence of the conflict.
The protesters are demonstrating against the worsening economic situation, including rising prices and the collapse of the currency.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/09/protests-continue-aden-yemens-ailing-economy-180905152332878.html = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upTIsnlpwAo
(* A P)
Film: Yemen: Protests in Aden over rising living costs enter fifth day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2PjbHqFGAQ
(* A P)
The local authority in Hadramout declares its support for the popular uprising and demands that the government take full responsibility for the situation
The leadership of the local authority in Hadramout province and the leadership of the second military zone supported and supported the popular uprising. It also called on the government to shoulder its full responsibility in addressing the overall situation in the country, especially the collapse of the currency and the deterioration of the national economy.
This came during a statement issued by the local authority in Hadramout and obtained "Aden tomorrow" a copy of the importance of publishing the text:
In light of the deteriorating conditions experienced by the homeland, which cast a shadow on the internal situation in the province of Hadramout and negatively affected the level of life of people because of the sudden decline of the local currency and its collapse in front of foreign currencies and the resulting rise in many consumer goods and luxury .. In front of it The leadership of the local authority in Hadramout province and the leadership of the second military zone have clearly stated its position with the citizens of Hadramout in general and their support in expressing their dissatisfaction with the deterioration of their living conditions and in peaceful ways guaranteed by the constitution and all the laws in force. We call upon the government to assume its full responsibility in dealing with the situation in which the country is going through, particularly the collapse of the currency and the deterioration of the national economy, and called for speedy remedies for this issue, in which we declared our position.
http://adengad.net/news/335293/
(A P)
The protests & riots in south #Yemen are neither a surprise nor a "conspiracy." It's been almost 3 years since Houthis were pushed out of the south & the situation there is worse than it was even during the war n Aden.People r fed up with lies & empty promises by govt & coalition
https://twitter.com/Ndawsari/status/1037635604098547712
Mukalla: A mass rally was launched to denounce the deterioration of the economic situation and demand the dismissal of the government (photos)
https://twitter.com/hakar__1/status/1037736389603991553
Photos from protest in Aden
https://twitter.com/ahmedalqadi001/status/1037789653695377413
On the day of anger, protests and civil disobedience continue in the #Aden city and in most South #Yemen cities until the overthrow of #Hadi government (photos)
https://twitter.com/NajTV/status/1037702062417608704
Protests continue in southern cities in #Yemen; 8 protesters reportedly injured in #Mukalla after security forces opened gunfire to disperse them. Security forces must respect the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and avoid use of force to disperse nonviolent assemblies.
https://twitter.com/RashaMoh2/status/1037287231952748544
The protesters who were shot have probably been without a salary (among 1.25 million govt employees) for over 2 years now. Three years of military intervention that failed to defeat the Houthis, fueled & created internal tensions & exacerbated already dire humanitarian situation
https://twitter.com/Ndawsari/status/1037309177541091329
Tonight in Al Mukalla city, Hadhramaut. (photos)
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/1037386872119590912
The second day of civil disobedience is taking place in the city of Mukalla and popular protests sweeping the city to protest the deteriorating economic situation and the collapse of the currency. (photos)
https://twitter.com/Mukalla_Now_EN/status/1037396519643697152
Pictures of slogans calling for the fall of the Saudi occupation of the UAE from the streets of the city of Mukalla # Hadramout # Yemen
https://twitter.com/B4Zaman/status/1037297768740610048
Protesters in #Mukalla, the capital of #Hadramout province, burn the images of the #UAE rulers, whose forces occupy most of the southern provinces and pictures of the so-called #Yemen legitimate president. It is worth mentioning that the UAE has been occupied Hadramout for 3years (film)
https://twitter.com/B4Zaman/status/1037484015266217985
The continuation of popular protests and demonstrations for the fourth day against #UAE and #Saudi presence in the southern governorates. (photos)
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1912494232136931?__tn__=-R
For the first time since the beginning of #Saudi and #UAE war in #Yemen Protesters in southern provinces rallying against #UAE. Protesters put down the picture of the president of UAE and the flag of Emanates is under the feet of a southern protester. (photos)
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/1037438350280597504
Continued civil disobedience in South #Yemen cities against #Hadi government and angry protesters in #Hadramout tear up The pics of #UAE princes and flags of the Arab Coalition countries !! (photos)
https://twitter.com/NajTV/status/1037317943577784320
(A)
In the escalation of the "Southern transition". Gunmen destroy Qat and cause losses to farmers
Armed elements of the so-called Southern Transitional Council on Thursday destroyed a large amount of Qat crop, which belonged to farmers from Murais, Qattaba, and Ibb.
Eyewitnesses told Almasdar online that an armed group of the transitional elements cut the highway to the farmers who were heading for that quantity to the city of Aden, the interim capital (southern), to sell there.
They said that the militants forced the farmers to unload their cargo and began to destroy that amount, which is estimated to be millions of riyals.
The incident came as part of the escalation announced by the southern transition on Wednesday, threatening a "popular revolt" against the government to protest the collapse of the local currency and its arrival at the lowest point of collapse, with the price of one dollar to 640 riyals.
This aggressive behavior provoked the indignation of the population and the Qat farmers and called on the authorities to put an end to it.
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Yemen Govt. Voices its ‘Good Intentions’ ahead of Consultations in Geneva Thursday
The legitimate government in Yemen vowed on Tuesday that it will set the people’s interest above all else as it gears up for Thursday’s fourth round of UN-sponsored consultations in Geneva.
The Houthi delegation will meanwhile be headed by their spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam Flita. It will also include a number of members of its branch of the General People’s Congress (GPC).
The militias are attempting to transform the party into their political arm after they murdered its leader and founder former President Ali Abdullah Saleh in December.
Non-Houthi aligned members of the GPC condemned the militias for including members of the party. They interpreted it as a sign of bias to the Houthis by the UN special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths, which will consequently facilitate their efforts to seize control of the GPC.
They voiced their commitment to the recommendations of Saleh, who had broken off his alliance with the Houthis in December, a move which cost him his life.
They stressed that they will remain committed to this stance, refusing the participation of GPC members in the Geneva consultations. They explained that only independent party members that are not affiliated with the Houthis should attend the meeting.
This position reflects the stance of GPC members inside and outside Yemen, they stressed. The Houthi delegation will meanwhile be headed by their spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam Flita. It will also include a number of members of its branch of the General People’s Congress (GPC).
The militias are attempting to transform the party into their political arm after they murdered its leader and founder former President Ali Abdullah Saleh in December.
Non-Houthi aligned members of the GPC condemned the militias for including members of the party. They interpreted it as a sign of bias to the Houthis by the UN special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths, which will consequently facilitate their efforts to seize control of the GPC.
They voiced their commitment to the recommendations of Saleh, who had broken off his alliance with the Houthis in December, a move which cost him his life.
They stressed that they will remain committed to this stance, refusing the participation of GPC members in the Geneva consultations. They explained that only independent party members that are not affiliated with the Houthis should attend the meeting.
This position reflects the stance of GPC members inside and outside Yemen, they stressed.
My comment: The former GPC party of ex-president Saleh is broken into several parts following the front lines of the Yemen war. This is from the anti-Houthi part backing “president” Hadi. – Calling themselves “independent party members” is bit of a joke. – But this comes with a somewhat strange demand.
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Yemen government demands rebels release slain Saleh's body
Yemen's government will demand the release of the body of ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, killed by rebels last year, at upcoming peace talks in Geneva, a minister said Wednesday.
Saleh, for decades the most powerful politician in troubled Yemen, had sided with the Huthi rebels for three years before shifting alliances in the country's armed conflict. He was killed by the rebels in December.
President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi will demand the rebels release Saleh's body via a government delegation at the UN-sponsored talks in Geneva, which open Thursday, according to Yemen's information minister.
"This is an important message that all within [Saleh's] General People's Congress should take into consideration to turn the page of the past and move forward towards the future to restore the state," tweeted Moammer al-Eryan.
My comment: Do they think the “legitimacy” within the GPC party depends on who possesses the body of the party’s great figure? – What will be the sense of these peace talks? Negotiating on a dead body??
Comment: Why drag him back into your politics? Leave the man in peace.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/1037243213197783040
Comment: Yemen's president, Hadi: release of former president's body will be high on agenda of Geneva talks. He is putting a dead body ahead of interest and lives of 30 million people. Not only that, he is giving top priority to security of Saudi Arabia.
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/1037635398040801280
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Demonizing the Victim
Recently, I’ve read several articles and watched several talk shows that tried to demonize the southern people and accuse them with every possible crime. The last of these was the statement of Reform Party in Aden. This particular political party is completely involved in killing southern citizens and destroying the south. But now, the criminal is trying to accuse the victim with his own crimes using a massive official and party media machine in addition to all governmental capabilities just to serve his agenda!
In response to this ridiculous campaign to demonize the south, here are some of what the south has suffered at the hands of those who try to demonize it now.
https://en.smanews.org/demonizing-the-victim
Remark: Southern separatists against Islah Party (Muslim Botherhood), which backs “president” Hadi.
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After prisoner tries to commit suicide, mothers of abductees protests in Aden
Mothers of the abducted and enforcedly disappeared persons protested Wednesday before the house of the Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ahmed al-Maysari in Aden, demanding to swiftly release their abducted sons.
The mothers demanded to refer the abductees to judiciary and release those who the General Prosecution previously ordered to release them.
They spelt out that two prisoners, who orders were issued to release them, attempted to commit suicide during the two past days, pointing out that they are held without any charges.
This protest came one day after the abductee, Mohammed Abdullah Ahmed, tried to commit suicide due to the security authorities’ constant procrastination of releasing him.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-22325
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
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Die Voraussetzungen stimmen nicht
Allerdings ist nichts zu sehen, was jetzt Zuversicht verbreiten könnte. Der UN-Sondergesandte für Jemen, der Brite Martin Griffiths, vermochte es jedenfalls nicht.
Schon die von ihm vorgenommene Herabstufung des Genfer Treffens zu »Gesprächen«, nicht etwa Verhandlungen, deutet an, dass wieder bei Null angefangen werden soll.
Das ist nicht verkehrt, eher Teil eines realistischeren Ansatzes als bislang, der aber nur dann erfolgversprechend sein kann, wenn er statt fruchtlosen Palavers eine Basis für zunächst einen Waffenstillstand schafft. Unumgänglich Voraussetzung dafür ist erstens die Einstellung des Luftkrieges, ansonsten müssten dem saudischen Mörder-Regime mindestens internationale Sanktionen angedroht werden; und zweitens die Gleichstellung der jemenitischen Verhandlungsparteien. Solange der schon vor drei Jahren nach Saudi-Arabien geflohene »Präsident« Hadi als einzig legitimer Vertreter angesehen wird, die seit 2015 in Sanaa herrschenden Huthi jedoch nur »Rebellen« sein dürfen, sind realistische Verhandlungsergebnisse kaum zu erwarten – von Roland Etzel.
Mein Kommentar: Exakt, kurz und knapp.
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Jemen-Friedensgespräche drohen zu platzen
Die geplanten Jemen-Friedensgespräche in Genf stehen auf Messers Schneide. Die eigentlich bereits am Donnerstag in der Schweizer Stadt erwartete Delegation der Huthi-Rebellen stellte mehrere Bedingungen, um die Reise anzutreten. Die Delegation der jemenitischen Regierung stellte wiederum ein Ultimatum und drohte mit einer Abreise aus Genf. UN-Vermittler Martin Griffiths äußerte dennoch vorsichtigen Optimismus.
Er sei zuversichtlich, dass die Rebellen nach Genf kommen, erklärte Griffiths. Es gehe darum, den "politischen Prozess" in dem Bürgerkriegsland voranzubringen. Er wolle deswegen alle "Hindernisse überwinden", um das Treffen zustande zu bringen.
Eigentlich sollten am Donnerstag in Genf unter UN-Vermittlung Friedensgespräche mit den Konfliktparteien im Jemenkrieg beginnen. Während die Regierungsdelegation bereits am Mittwoch anreiste, befand sich die Rebellen-Delegation am Donnerstag noch in der von ihnen kontrollierten jemenitischen Hauptstadt Sanaa.
Rebellenvertreter Hamid Assem stellte dort drei Bedingungen für eine Reise nach Genf: Dass die Delegation in einem Flugzeug des Oman nach Genf geflogen wird, dass Verletzte von Sanaa aus in die omanische Stadt Maskat geflogen werden, und die Garantie, nach den Friedensgesprächen in Genf nach Sanaa zurückkehren zu können.
Mit den Vereinten Nationen habe es eine entsprechende Vereinbarung gegeben - die UN habe aber "ihre Versprechen nicht eingehalten", sagte Assem. Außerdem habe das von Saudi-Arabien angeführte Militärbündnis, das hinter der jemenitischen Regierung steht und den Luftraum des Landes kontrolliert, den Flug noch nicht genehmigt.
In Genf drohte der jemenitische Regierungsvertreter Hamsa Alkamali mit einer Abreise der Delegation, sollten die Rebellen nicht "binnen 24 Stunden" ankommen. "Diese Sitzung ist seit zwei Monaten geplant", sagte Alkamali. "Heute sind wir alleine hier."
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Rebellen noch immer nicht zu Jemen-Gesprächen aufgebrochen
Die Delegation der Rebellen ist noch immer nicht zu den geplanten Jemen-Gesprächen aufgebrochen, die an diesem Donnerstag in Genf beginnen sollten. Der arabische Nachrichtenkanal Al-Arabiya berichtete, eine von Saudi-Arabien geführte Militärkoalition habe den Houthi-Rebellen eine entsprechende Flugerlaubnis erteilt, aber diese weigerten sich zu fliegen.
Die Delegation der Rebellen ist noch immer nicht zu den geplanten Jemen-Gesprächen aufgebrochen, die an diesem Donnerstag in Genf beginnen sollten. Der arabische Nachrichtenkanal Al-Arabiya berichtete, eine von Saudi-Arabien geführte Militärkoalition habe den Houthi-Rebellen eine entsprechende Flugerlaubnis erteilt, aber diese weigerten sich zu fliegen.
Das Bündnis kontrolliert den Luftraum über dem Jemen. Der Chef der Rebellen-Delegation, Mohammed Abdel Salam, sagte dagegen dem Houthi-nahen TV-Sender Al-Masirah, man habe gar kein Flugzeug, dem die Militärkoalition eine Flugerlaubnis geben könnte. Quellen am Flughafen in der jemenitischen Hauptstadt Sanaa berichteten der Deutschen Presse-Agentur, die Flugerlaubnis gelte für einen Jet der Vereinten Nationen, den die Houthis aber nicht in Anspruch nehmen wollten. Sie verlangten, mit einem omanischen Flugzeug zu fliegen, in dem sie Verwundete transportieren wollten und das nicht durchsucht werden dürfe.
Mein Kommentar: Der Skandal fängt doch schon damit an, dass die Saudis überhaupt „Flugerlaubnisse“ für den Flughafen Sanaa erteilen oder verweigern dürfen.
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Die Huthi-Vertreter sind noch nicht eingetroffen: Die Friedensgespräche zu Jemen sind bereits erfolgreich, wenn sie tatsächlich stattfinden
In Genf hätten am Donnerstag Gespräche zwischen der jemenitischen Regierung und den Huthi-Rebellen starten sollen. Die Miliz ist allerdings noch nicht in der Schweiz eingetroffen.
Das Einzige, was sich in Jemen entwickelt, ist die Katastrophe. Von den Friedensgesprächen zwischen der Regierung und den Rebellen, die am Donnerstag in Genf hätten starten sollen, erwartet niemand die Vereinbarung eines Waffenstillstands. Ein Erfolg besteht zunächst darin, dass das Treffen überhaupt stattfindet.
Allerdings ist unklar, ob das Treffen überhaupt wie geplant startet. Die Rebellen-Delegation war am Donnerstagmittag noch nicht in der Schweiz eingetroffen. Offenbar verweigerte Saudiarabien den Huthi, die in Sanaa abfliegen wollten, zunächst die Überflugserlaubnis. Laut unabhängigen jemenitischen Berichten hätten mit der Maschine auch verletzte Kämpfer ausgeflogen werden sollen. Das könnte ein Grund für die Blockade gewesen sein.
Später sollen die Huthi die Erlaubnis zwar erhalten haben, doch weigerten sie sich, nach Genf zu fliegen. Laut der Nachrichtenagentur AFP sagte ein Vertreter der Huthi, die Uno halte sich nicht an die vereinbarten Bedingungen. Diese besagten unter anderem, dass verletzte Kämpfer nach Oman transportiert werden dürften.
Mein Kommentar: „Die Miliz ist allerdings noch nicht in der Schweiz eingetroffen.“ ???? Die Schweiz würde sich bedanken, wenn Huthi-Milizen in dem Land auftauchen.
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Die schwierige Suche nach Frieden
Nach dreieinhalb Jahren Bürgerkrieg herrscht im Jemen militärisch ein Patt. Nun wagen die UN einen neuen Anlauf, zwischen den Gegnern zu vermitteln.
Und so startet die erste Vermittlungsrunde in Genf mit sehr geringen Erwartungen. Ziel sei es, auszuloten, wie ernst es die Kriegsparteien mit der Aufnahme echter Verhandlungen meinten, erklärte UN-Sprecher Stephane Dujarric. Seine Mission beginnen will Griffiths mit Themen wie Gefangenenaustausch und Status der Hafenstadt Al-Hudeida, über die Lebensmittel ins Land kommt.
Die Huthis haben 3000 Gefangene in ihrer Gewalt, die saudische Koalition etwa 5000. „Ein Gefangenenaustausch könnte helfen, ein wenig Vertrauen zu schaffen“, erklärte Randa Slim, Expertin am „Middle East Institute“ in Washington und Mitglied des UN-Verhandlungsteams von 2016. Das Interesse an einem echten Frieden jedoch schätzt sie als gering ein. „Die Führer beider Lager haben sich mittlerweile mit dem Krieg eingerichtet. Sie alle profitieren bestens von der Kriegsökonomie.“
http://www.fr.de/politik/krieg-im-jemen-die-schwierige-suche-nach-frieden-a-1576527
Weitere deutschsprachige Berichte, auch mit allgemeiner Hintergrundinformation:
https://www.merkur.de/politik/erste-jemen-gespraeche-seit-jahren-zr-10216449.html
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UN optimistisch vor Friedensgesprächen zum Jemen-Krieg
"Ich bin von den vergangenen Diskussionen ermutigt", sagte Martin Griffiths vor den an diesem Donnerstag beginnenden Verhandlungen in Genf. Der Sondergesandte der Vereinten Nationen (UN) zeigte sich zuversichtlich, dass beide Seiten - also die international anerkannte Regierung des Jemen und die Huthi-Rebellen - die Lösung des Konflikts als Ziel für die Friedensgespräche ansähen.
Ziel der Verhandlungen in der Schweizer Hauptstadt sei es, dass zunächst einmal Vertrauen zwischen den Konfliktparteien aufgebaut werde, sagte Griffiths. Beide Seiten sollten unter Vermittlung der UN die Basis für die Aufnahme formaler Friedensverhandlungen schaffen und vertrauensbildende Maßnahmen erörtern. Die Konsultationen sind bis Sonntag angesetzt. Ein Durchbruch in dem mehr als drei Jahre wütenden Konflikt wird aber nicht erwartet.
Noch nicht alle vor Ort
Zudem war zunächst unklar, ob die Gespräche überhaupt wie geplant am Donnerstag mit beiden Seiten starten können, weil die Rebellen-Delegation offenbar Probleme bei der Einreise in die Schweiz hatte und noch nicht am Konferenzort eingetroffen war.
https://www.dw.com/de/un-optimistisch-vor-friedensgespr%C3%A4chen-zum-jemen-krieg/a-45376698
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Film: Jemen-Gespräche in Genf beginnen
Nach zwei Jahren sollen in Genf an diesem Donnerstag erstmals wieder Jemen-Friedensgespräche starten. In den kommenden Tagen sollen sich Delegationen der Regierung des Bürgerkriegslandes sowie der Huthi-Rebellen in der Schweiz treffen.
Dabei geht es nach Angaben von UN-Vermittler Martin Griffiths zunächst einmal darum, Vertrauen aufzubauen. Ein Durchbruch im mehr als drei Jahre wütenden Konflikt wird nicht erwartet. "Ich glaube, es gibt eine Chance auf Hoffnung", sagte Griffiths dennoch.
(A P)
As long as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar (aka Iran) are not parties to the peace talks, the war in Yemen will not end. Not even if it goes on for 10 years.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/1037653225795735553
(A P)
UN Envoy working to ‘overcome obstacles’ barring resumption of Yemen peace talks
The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen met Government representatives on Thursday at the start of what were due to be the first peace talks involving both warring parties to be held in two years, vowing to “overcome obstacles” which have so far prevented the Houthi rebel delegation from showing up
Martin Griffiths met the delegation headed by Yemen's Minister of Foreign Affairs Khaled al Yamani, where, according to a statement issued by the Envoy, they discussed “the expectations of these consultations and relevant issues to the peace process, in particular Confidence Building Measures.”
The Special Envoy thanked the Yemeni Government for “their positive engagement with his efforts to relaunch the peace process” and acknowledged the efforts made by them and the Saudi-led Coalition that is supporting their military campaign to oust Houthi rebels from the country, “to facilitate the convening of these consultations.”
https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/09/1018601
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Yemen peace talks on hold as U.N. mediator awaits Houthi team
U.N.-mediated Yemen peace talks hung in the balance as the government delegation warned that it would leave on Friday if representatives of the Houthi movement had not shown up.
The United Nations announced on Thursday night that U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths was not expected to hold any talks at its Geneva offices on Friday.
Two sources in the government delegation told Reuters that they had given the international envoy additional time to noon on Friday to persuade the Houthis to come to the Swiss city.
“By 12 pm if the Houthis don’t leave Sanaa, I think the government delegation will decide to leave (Geneva),” said one.
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Yemen peace talks hit snag as mediators await Houthi team
United Nations-mediated peace talks on Yemen appeared to be in jeopardy on Thursday with no sign in Geneva of the delegation from the Houthi movement on the first day.
Martin Griffiths, the U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen, said in a statement that he had discussed confidence-building measures with Yemen’s foreign minister Khaled al-Yamani. He later returned to the same Geneva hotel ahead of a key government meeting with Arab ambassadors.
But with the Houthi delegation yet to arrive, Griffiths called for the Iranian-allied group to attend the talks, aimed at relaunching peace negotiations after nearly three years.
Griffiths conceded there were “challenges” in bringing the parties together in the Swiss city, but still wanted to see the delegation from the Houthi-held capital of Sanaa arrive.
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Yemen peace talks in balance as parties trade ultimatums
Scheduled peace talks in Geneva between Yemen's government and Huthi rebels hung in the balance Thursday as both sides traded ultimatums and a UN envoy scrambled to mediate.
The rebel delegation, still in Sanaa, insisted the UN must meet a list of conditions before it will travel to Switzerland, prompting government representatives already in Geneva to give the Huthis a 24-hour deadline or it "will leave".
UN envoy Martin Griffiths, who said the planned meeting offered a "flickering signal of hope" for an end to the years-long conflict, had to postpone the start of the talks.
"He continues to make efforts to overcome obstacles to allow the consultations to go forward," his office said in a statement Thursday, adding that Griffiths remained "hopeful" the rebels would come.
Asked about the Huthi claims, Griffiths said Wednesday: "We are working on that."
The government delegation said it would wait only another 24 hours, until midday (1000 GMT) Friday.
"We have this scheduled meeting since two months ago ... Today we are alone," delegation member Hamza Alkamali told journalists, and claimed the rebels were making it clear "they don't want peace".
"We want them to come, and we are pushing them to come," said Alkamali. However, "we will leave, if they don’t come... in the next 24 hours."
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UN Envoy for Yemen to the press: Arrangements for all delegations to be present are being finalized, and we are working hard to make sure this happens and we are able to begin the consultations.
https://twitter.com/OSE_Yemen/status/1037390761048911873
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Security Council Press Statement on United Nations Consultations with Yemeni Parties
The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Nikki R. Haley (United States):
The members of the Security Council expressed their full support for the UN-led political process in Yemen and the efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General to bring about a political settlement.
The members of the Security Council reiterated that there can only be a political solution to the conflict in Yemen. They reiterated their call for full implementation of Security Council resolutions and statements, including resolution 2216 (2015).
In this regard, the members of the Security Council welcomed the United Nations-led consultations with representatives from the Yemeni parties scheduled for 6 September 2018 in Geneva
My comment: This is senseless and hypocritical bla bla, told us by the fox guarding the hen-house. – And UN SC resolution 2216 is totally biased and the UNs greatest obstacle to any peaceful solution.
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STATEMENT OF THE SPECIAL ENVOY FOR YEMEN TO THE PRESS ON THE CONSULTATIONS IN GENEVA
Since my appointment, it has been a race against time, to face the complexity and urgency of the situation, which affects, as you know, millions, millions of Yemenis. I have been listening to Yemenis and leaders of opinion for the last seven months. I have had thorough discussions with diplomats, civil society, women’s groups, members of the international community and political and social leaders from every part of Yemen’s society. And my abiding impressions from those detailed discussions is this: we have all agreed that time has come to begin a new process, to relaunch the process which will lead to a resolution of this conflict, which has so tragically marked the lives of so many Yemenis, and continues to do so.
And it is for that reason that we are inviting the two main parties of Yemen to the consultations here in Geneva. I’ve invited the Government of Yemen and also Ansarullah to the consultations; delegations from both sides have been formed. Arrangements for all delegations, from both sides, for both delegations to be present, are being finalized, and we are working hard to make sure this happens and we are able to begin the consultations. I have also invited – and they are here, they have been here for more than a day - a technical advisory group of Yemeni women, chosen on the basis of their professional merits and technical expertise. This is an unusual arrangement because this will be a group of women who have a larger diaspora and a larger constituency with which they will be in constant contact. They will be helping me throughout the process of this first round of consultations and those that follow.
As you know, it has been two years, two years too long, since the parties last met. They met in Kuwait thanks to the hospitality and the leadership of the Emir of Kuwait. I had a pleasure of meeting him the other day, and it has been a process in Yemen, they started discussions in Geneva, they went to Biel, they went to Kuwait. Two years have passed since they met. This is an opportunity this week, for that page to be turned and that corner to be turned.
We are talking about consultations – that word is carefully chosen – this is not a formal negotiation. We are still in the process of trying to understand how the leadership and others in the two parties want to engage with each other, on what issues, in what sequence, in what place. I am also being very actively involved in seeking advice and input from Yemenis who are not part of the two parties. The women’s group I mentioned but we are also very keen to receive the views and issues from the South. I had an opportunity to meet a group of independent Yemeni figures in August in the United Kingdom, and this will go on. There will be a process of continuing consultations. The Security Council resolution requires – apart from the end of the war, the disarmament, and withdrawal of forces – an inclusive political settlement, and that is what we intend to produce and I hope that will start here in Geneva.
The consultations will focus on two main aspects: to reactivate the peace process - as I say in suspension these two years passed, and to lay the groundwork then on the basis of discussions we’ll have this week for formal negotiations which will come later. And the second aspect is confidence building measures, and if I may, I’d like to spend a moment on the issue of confidence building measures. As you know, in any conflict, the confidence between the parties is usually at an all-time low at the time when they start to engage and talk to each other. Building confidence between parties so that they can address issues together, resolve issues through compromise, concession and principle, requires trust in each other. Confidence building measures are designed partly to help build this trust through agreements on them, partly to actual deliver some benefits for the people of Yemen, and partly to send a signal to the international community and the people of Yemen that something is happening.
The people of Yemen, like in any other conflict, are desperately in need of a signal of hope. We’d like to think that the work we will do together in these next days will begin to send a flickering signal of hope to them.
https://osesgy.unmissions.org/statement-special-envoy-yemen-press-consultations-geneva = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/note-correspondents-transcript-press-conference-united-nations-special-envoy-secretary
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Major UN push for peace to end Yemen’s ‘hot war’ begins in Geneva
“The time has come to begin a new process, to relaunch a process which will lead to a resolution to this conflict, which has so tragically marked the life of so many Yemenis and continues to do so,” he told journalists.
Speaking at UN Headquarters in the Swiss city, the veteran diplomat noted that it had been “two years; two years too long” since the belligerents had last met to discuss a peaceful end to the brutal conflict, whose roots date back to uprisings in 2011.
“This is quite a hot war, as you well know better than me, and a lot of bad things happen in a hot war and that’s not been absent in the last weeks,” Mr Griffiths said. “So, to come to the table and to talk to your opponents, requires quite a lot of courage and quite a lot of confidence that it is worth it.”
Although he was reluctant to share details of the agenda for the Geneva Consultations on Yemen, the Special Envoy explained that the aim of these meetings was “to lay the groundwork” for formal negotiations to be held at a future date. He added that the initial focus should be on building confidence between the parties.
By way of an example, Mr. Griffiths explained that the mass cholera vaccination programme carried out in Hudaydah governorate in recent weeks, had been shown to deliver “tangible benefits” to the people of Yemen.
Other trust-building measures will be explored in coming days, he added, including the issue of prisoner release “at scale” - something that both sides had been keen to see happen.
“What I think we can do this week, for example, assuming that the parties would agree to this, is agree on a way to do it together…Exchanges of prisoners obviously depends on cooperation, but it’s been remarkable how strongly the feeling has been conveyed to me that this must happen, and this must happen at scale.”
Asked about possible interference in the consultative process by other regional powers, Mr. Griffiths said he was guided by UN Security Council resolutions on Yemen.
Earlier in the day in New York, the UN Security Council members expressed their “full support” for the consultations to bring about a political settlement.
“There can only be a political solution to the conflict in Yemen,” the members of the Council said in a Press Statement, which reiterated their call for full implementation of Security Council resolutions and statements, including Resolution 2216 of 2015.
Back in Geneva, the UN Special Envoy insisted that the politics of Yemen was a matter for the Yemenis and the Council’s resolutions all pointed “in the direction of the reconstitution of the Yemeni state, based on an inclusive political settlement”.
“These are Yemeni-Yemeni discussions,” he said. “Yemenis need to resolve their differences in order to build their nation. It’s not for other countries to determine for them, their future.”
https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/09/1018432
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With Yemen in turmoil, U.N. seeks to build trust as first step towards peace
Yemen’s first round of peace talks in almost three years aims to build confidence between the warring sides, U.N. mediator Martin Griffiths said on Wednesday, playing down a delay in the arrival of one delegation.
Griffiths wants Yemen’s Saudi-backed government and the Iranian-aligned Houthi movement to work towards a deal to end the war, remove foreign forces from Yemeni territory, and establish a national unity government.
“The people of Yemen ... are desperately in need of a signal of hope. We’d like to think that the work we will do together in these next days will send a flickering signal of hope to them,” Griffiths said, adding that both sides had consistently pressed him for a release of prisoners.
Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi was “quite impatient for rapid progress”, Griffiths said.
The Houthi movement’s al-Masirah TV reported the coalition had prevented the Houthi delegation from flying to Geneva. But Griffiths brushed off the delay, saying it was nothing unusual and he was confident it would be resolved.
He told reporters the first stage of talks would focus on how formal peace negotiations would work. The format was flexible and the two delegations did not need to be in the same room, he said.
“We need to discover ... what the parties are prepared to do and what they are prepared to prioritize, both in terms of substance, which will come in a later round, and in terms of these confidence building measures,” he said.
Warring Yemenis due to attend the first peace talks since late 2015 on Thursday face an uphill struggle to rescue attempts to end a war marked by mass civilian casualties and fuelled by rivalry between regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Iran.
U.N. Special Envoy Martin Griffiths wants Yemen’s government and the Iranian-aligned Houthi movement to work towards a deal to end the war, remove foreign forces from Yemeni territory, and establish a national unity government.
Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the Houthi supreme revolutionary committee, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday that the negotiators at the U.N.-mediated discussions must take a resolute stand against the humanitarian impact of the war.
“I call on the delegation of the Yemeni people, if they are allowed to reach Geneva, to protest by refusing to begin the consultations until the nations commit to putting in place urgent economic solutions to confront the deterioration of the rial and rising prices due to the American-Saudi economic aggression against Yemen,” he wrote.
In the capital Sanaa, Yemeni citizen Khaled al-Hosly told Reuters it was a “failed dialogue”.
(A P)
Pro-Hadi delegates to peace talks to be held in Geneva tomorrow has arrived in Geneva today as the pro-houthis delegates is still in Sanaa after the #UN flight for Sanaa delegates was cancelled today. With whom is pro-Hadi delegates would negotiate? Of course, with no one. (photo)
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/1037445907799781376
And
(A P)
Yemeni government delegation arrives in Geneva to participate in negotiations
Dr. Abdullah al-Alimi, director of the presidential office: "These consultations, like other previous rounds, are basically aimed at examining ways and mechanisms to implement UN Security Council resolution 2216 and its objectives of ending the coup d'état, restoring the state, disarming the militia and resuming the political process of the references and without it will be neither peace nor stability.,"
My comment: This is no agenda for peace talks but a “We are continuing war” political statement.
(* A P)
UN envoy to Yemen upbeat on peace talks despite delay
The talks, initially scheduled to begin on Thursday, have been pushed back to Friday morning in the Palais de Nations. The UN didn't specify the reasons for the delay.
The two factions were due to be in Geneva on Wednesday ahead of the talks the next day. So far only the Yemeni government delegation has arrived.
Mr Griffiths stressed the Houthis wanted to attend the talks and that he would make sure they did, adding that the Omanis were also intervening to guarantee their arrival in Geneva.
However on Wednesday the Houthi media channel, Al Masirah, said their contingent had yet to leave Sanaa due to delays.
Sources in Sanaa told The National that the Houthis had made last-minute demands, including a change of aircraft and to allow non-delegation members to travel without inspection.
"We are working at it, I think this issue will sort itself out. Yemen talks have always had a delay to begin, we are going to make it happen," Mr Griffiths said hesitantly, adding that the UN, Oman and others were working to ensure the arrival of the Houthi delegation.
Mr Griffiths will act as the intermediary between the government officials and representatives of the Houthi rebels, as the rivals are unlikely to engage in face-to-face talks.
However both the government and the Iran-backed rebels have said they expect no breakthrough at the talks.
https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/un-envoy-to-yemen-upbeat-on-peace-talks-despite-delay-1.767410
My comment: By UAE media. From Western media, it’s more clear:
(* A P)
'Flickering signal of hope' for Yemen despite talks delay
While representatives of the Yemeni government arrived in Geneva Wednesday, the rebels remained stranded in Sanaa, amid claims the Saudi-led coalition backing Hadi was preventing them from leaving for the talks.
The Huthis said the UN had been unable to "secure authorisation" from a Saudi-led coalition backing the government for a plane to transport the rebel delegation, along with wounded insurgents, out of the country, according to the Huthis' Al-Masirah TV.
The UN meanwhile announced that there would be no meetings at its European headquarters in Geneva on Thursday as previously planned.
But Griffiths said his "informal consultations" with the government side would begin immediately.
"I am looking forward to meeting their leader right after this, Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani," he said at a press conference.
That meeting is expected to take place in a Geneva hotel, as are any other meetings that might happen on Thursday, while more formal consultations could kick off at the UN on Friday.
"We are not going to waste time," Griffiths said.
He emphasised that the Geneva talks were "not formal negotiations," but said they aimed to pave the way towards bringing the parties back to the negotiating table.
Comment: Doesn’t bode well for #Yemen peace process. The whole point of the UN Geneva consultations was to get some agreement over confidence building measures but they can’t even agree on terms to get the Houthis to the consultations...
https://twitter.com/MaherFarrukh/status/1037397948810838016
(* A P)
Yemen rebels refuse to join Geneva talks until conditions met
Yemen's Huthi rebels said Thursday they will not join peace talks in Geneva until their conditions are met, accusing the United Nations of failing to keep its promises.
Hameed Assem, a member of the rebel delegation scheduled to attend the talks on Thursday, said it was "ready" to travel but would not do so as the UN had not met three conditions they had previously agreed.
The conditions include the transport of wounded rebels to Oman, the repatriation of rebels who have already received treatment there and a guarantee that the Huthi delegation would be allowed to return to the rebel-held capital Sanaa after the talks.
(A P)
Al-Maliki denies coalition disruption of departure of Houthi delegation participating in Geneva consultations
The spokesman of the Saudi-led Arab coalition, Col. Turki al-Maliki, on Thursday, denied the coalition's disruption of departure from the capital of Sanaa of the Houthi delegation participating in the Geneva consultations, on Wednesday.
Al-Maliki, in a telephone conversation with Saudi Arabia's al-Arabiya news channel, said that "what the Houthi militia flags about the disruption of the coalition are absolutely untrue", accusing the Houthis of lack of seriousness in the consultations.
He explained that the United Nations had submitted a request to the coalition to give the delegation of the Al-Houthi a permit to travel to Geneva, and the permit was already granted, but the coalition received, on Wednesday, a further request fr
My comment: There is absolutely no justification why any Saudi permits should be needed for those flying from and to Sanaa. Saudi claims are odd here.
and
(* A P)
Foreign Ministry: US-Saudi Aggression Obstructing National Delegation Participating Geneva Consultations
The Foreign Ministry has accused the US-Saudi aggression of putting obstacles to prevent the national delegation from participating in Geneva consultations. The Ministry said in a statement today that these obstacles come after the military escalation on the ground on all fronts and the massacres against civilians and children.
"The political leadership of the National Salvation Government have dealt positively with the efforts of the Special Envoy, of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to Yemen, Martin Griffith, by agreeing to hold the Geneva consultations," the ministry said in a statement. "We were surprised by the obstacles imposed by the forces of the aggression in which they have refused to grant a license to operate an Omani aircraft - as the safe and usual means to transfer our national delegation - after this was requested as part of the understanding and coordination. This can only be done in order to prevent our delegation from participating in the Geneva consultations."
The Foreign Ministry expressed hope on the United Nations and the international community efforts to pressure the aggression forces to grant a license to an Omani plane transporting the national delegation from Sana'a.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=2636&cat_id=1
and
(A P)
Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam tweeted on Tuesday that the UN had "made promises on facilitating the transport of the wounded... abroad" and accused the world body of stalling.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-6134891/Yemen-rebels-stranded-eve-Geneva-talks.html
and
(* A P)
Houthis prevented from attending Geneva peace talks: Yemen Houthi TV
Yemen’s Houthi movement said on Wednesday its delegation was prevented from flying to attend United Nations-sponsored peace talks in Geneva, the group’s al-Masirah TV reported.
Al-Masirah said the United Nations could not secure required authorizations from the Saudi-led coalition which controls Yemen’s airspace.
The Saudi-led coalition could not immediately be reached for comment, while the U.N. Special envoy’s office did not respond to Reuters request for comment.
(* A K P)
Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore on the eve of Yemen peace talks
“Unless we act now, the impact of this war will haunt us all for generations to come. Even if the conflict were to end today, it would take years for the country to rebuild.
“I urge the warring parties in Yemen, who are expected to convene for peace talks for the first time in three years, as well as their allies, to put the protection of children at the center of discussions and outcomes.
“Specifically, I call on the warring parties to immediately and unconditionally:
Guarantee unimpeded and safe access to all children in need, in accordance with humanitarian principles and in line with international humanitarian and human rights law.
Stop airstrikes and attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure not least to protect children’s lives;
Stop the recruitment and use of children in the conflict and release all children associated with armed forces or groups;
Stop the arbitrary arrest and detention of children, including those detained for alleged association with armed opposition groups, release all children detained on these security-related charges, and provide them with reintegration support.
“The children of Yemen need to heal. They need justice. They need lasting peace, now.”
(* A P)
Really important letter, in advance of this week's Geneva consultations, from the @abducteesmother to @OSE_Yemen. English-language summary of some important parts below
Letter begins by noting that these mothers "lived optimistic days" during the 2016 Kuwait talks, only to see Houthis extort their suffering; now again "before optimism's doors" that UN process can secure their sons' release. Speaking out for more than 3,000 forcibly disappeared.
Throughout conflict, the disappeared and their mothers have suffered deprivations of war -- those living under poverty line unable to access humanitarian aid, under threat from front line fighting, airstrikes.
Meanwhile, prisoner exchanges that have occurred have followed dictates of armed actors -- hundreds have been displaced by terms of unfair deals. Also notes that arrest of dissidents has increased, ties this to silence of int'l community.
Final two paragraphs urge that the release of the forcibly disappeared be the first trust-building measure prioritized in Geneva, and that there is no peace except through the release of their children.
And importantly, given all that we don't know, urges parties to circulate lists of names of those they release.
https://twitter.com/YemenPeaceNews/status/1037387542369329152
(A P)
Joint statement ahead of the Geneva consultations on 6 September 2018 by INGOs in Yemen
A commitment from parties to the conflict to engage in an inclusive political process is now absolutely critical. The voices of women, youth and civil society are indispensable to have the needs of all parts of Yemeni society addressed. Peace in Yemen is the only way forward.
and
(A P)
Ceasefire and humanitarian access urgent for Yemen civilians ahead of peace talks
David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, said: “While diplomacy has been at a standstill, humanitarians have been left to pick up the pieces - and Yemenis have borne the tragic cost of this war with their lives.
"Peace talks are not only essential, but a critical development in Yemen, where an inclusive political agreement is the only viable means of ending the war. These efforts must be accompanied by an urgent and indispensable effort to cease hostilities - relieving pressure on civilians who bear the brunt of the conflict and allowing the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid.
"It is absolutely critical that global powers tied to the Saudi and Emirati-led coalition - namely the US, UK and France - as well as the UN Security Council use their influence to immediately and unconditionally end the violence. It is achieving no strategic purpose and only furthering misery.
(B P)
Unravelling the diplomatic steps needed for peace in Yemen
Peace talks in Geneva are a first step but they do not include all interested parties
On the eve of the Geneva meeting, a row emerged over the non inclusion of Yemen's Southern Transitional Council, an umbrella body that runs much of the south and eastern territory that has been wrested from control of the Houthis and the Islamist extremists.
The STC was angered by being excluded from the talks, and in a statement said Martin Griffiths, the UN Secretary General's special envoy for Yemen, had "moved away from a reasonable path of getting a resolution as a result of Houthi and other pressure". The group would not be "bound by any consultations or negotiations that the STC is not a part of," the group added.
Mr Griffiths issued a statement reassuring his interlocutors in the south that he would not neglect their interests.
The STC commands the loyalties of five regional governors, including Hadramawt’s Farraj Al Bahsani.
The grouping's flag flies in the streets and there is a consensus in the city that Hadramawt’s interest lies in running its own affairs within a very loosely-bound Yemeni federal republic.
My comment: Asking ordinary people and reporting what they tell in case they tell what is wanted to hear.
(* A P)
UAE-backed south Yemen body disinvited from UN talks
The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) has been disinvited from the UN brokered Geneva talks over the Yemen war after the internationally recognised President of Yemen, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, rejected the presence of the STC at the negotiation table.
In its official response, the STC accused Martin Griffiths, the UN’s special envoy to Yemen, of being unreasonable.
Griffiths had however praised the STC’s “positive role” in finding political solutions to the conflict late last month in Jordan’s capital, Amman.
The STC were “surprised” by Hadi’s position, adding that they were frustrated that the Iranian aligned Houthis were “required” to join talks at Geneva.
“We have become a major part of it [the war] and can not be stopped without us,” the STC statement read. The group added that it would not implement the outcomes of any consultation or negotiations made without it.
The STC called on the southerners to “reject” and “boycott” any consultation in which they are absent and to protest in a peaceful way.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180905-uae-backed-south-yemen-body-disinvited-from-un-talks/
My comment: “President” Hadi hindering any peace process, also in this way. – Why Hadi can decide on this? UN envoy Griffith wanted the STC to join the talks. Earlier reporting Yemen War Mosaic 453, cp6.
(A P)
To Mr. Martin Griffith …. A Peace Message from Aden…!
Tomorrow, the southern people will come out, peacefully, again, to deliver a peaceful message to you and to the world.
Your bonded with security council’s decision no. 2216. But we know, just as you, that this decision is not fulfilling the current stage requirements. Several changes took place and your wisdom is required to draw a clear and real image about these changes. You have to tell all facts as it is, not like some of them, who think that the end of this war and the rightful solution of the southern cause will threat their interests and privileges.
We hope that you will tell UN Security Council the following points:
We, the southern people, are on our soil. We didn’t invade anyone. We didn’t colonize any one. We have no intention to robe anyone’s lands or fortunes.
We, the southern people, went into this union voluntarily (according to a political agreement not referendum). But the union failed and resulted in death and devastation of both countries and both peoples.
Is it acceptable that thousands of southern cadres to be transferred to Sanaa again with their families under any government (central or federal)? This is nonsense.
Tomorrow, while you are sitting to the negotiation table with the aim of solving the Yemeni crisis, please remember that there are people in the south who are not represented on your table while you intend to discuss the affairs of their war and peace.
https://en.smanews.org/to-mr-martin-griffith-a-peace-message-from-aden
Remark: From Southern separatists.
And
(* A P)
Zubaidi, head of STC: Failed talks without the attendance of the Southern Transition Council
Representative of the South Arab Free States,
Can not reach any solutions without resolving the southern issue
The south is a state recognized by the United Nations
https://twitter.com/ahmadnaif009/status/1037544634149494784
My comment: “The south is a state recognized by the United Nations” ?????
(* B P)
Yemen’s War: No Longer Forgotten, but Still Unresolved
While greater attention to Yemen’s plight is to be welcomed, since the more scrutiny paid to the war, the more likely pressure will build to bring it to an end, it must be acknowledged that the reason the war is drawing more attention is because news from Yemen is so unremittingly bad that it has become difficult to ignore.
But if this all suggests Yemen’s war is no longer forgotten, that doesn’t mean it is any closer to coming to an end. Not even the U.N.-hosted talks set to convene in Geneva on September 6 – the first between the warring parties since April 2016 – offer much in the way of encouragement.
There appears to be little reason for the major combatants to see it in their immediate interest to agree to any substantial concessions.
As for Hadi, whose return to power remains one of the coalition’s putative goals, he may be the least interested in seeing negotiations commence. Considering his diminishing political support – whether among Yemenis or in the Saudi and Emirati capitals – it is generally conceded that whatever political solution emerges to end the conflict, Hadi‘s role in it will be fleeting.
Such recalcitrance hardly bodes well for the meeting in Geneva. In fact, the parties may have agreed to participate simply to avoid the perception that they are unconcerned about the impact the war has had on Yemen’s civilian population. Even so, it would be churlish to dismiss the importance of gathering the principal parties to the conflict for a discussion, particularly after such a long hiatus. It is, after all, the only formula imaginable for ending a war that may no longer be forgotten but is no less destructive and destabilizing – by Ambassador Stephen A. Seche
http://www.agsiw.org/yemens-war-no-longer-forgotten-still-unresolved/
My comment: This sentence is false: “And while the Saudis and Emiratis might be more inclined to entertain a negotiated settlement to the war, given mounting international concern, they see little room for compromise in light of continued Houthi noncompliance with U.N. Security Resolution 2216, which is the basis for their intervention in Yemen”. They certainly are not “more inclined to entertain a negotiated settlement”, and the UN SC resolution 2216 is so biased (it had been formulated by the Saudis and backed by the US and its allies) that it had been an obstacle for any peaceful solution.
(* B P)
Yemen – a new but difficult start to conflict resolution
Today, the choice–between an end to the armed conflict with negotiations for a renewal of a Yemeni State on the basis of the con-federal system proposed vs. continued fighting in the hope that one faction become a “winner-take-all”–is relatively clear. The Association of World Citizens is resolutely for an end to the armed conflict with serious negotiations on the structure of a future State.
Both Saudi Arabia and Iran have been backing separate and opposing factions. The lack of progress as well as the costs of the military operations may create a climate favorable to stopping the fighting. However, Saudi Arabia and its coalition are directly involved in the fighting while Iran only supplies some weapons and political support to its allies. Thus, of the outside actors, most responsibility for a change lies with the Saudi decision-makers.
There are two major issues that shape the future. The first is the possibility or not of forming a decentralized but relatively inclusive central government. Yemen remains largely a tribal society with political decisions made by the tribal head. Tribes usually have a specific geographic base. Thus a central government requires participation by members from the major tribal groups. However, through economic development, people from different tribes now live in the cities and larger towns. These more urbanized populations do not depend as much on the decisions or views of tribal chiefs.
The relative strength of the central government has been based on patronage strategies, offering major tribal leaders some economic advantages. Until March 2011, most people had little say as to government policy. In March 2011, in the spirit of the “Arab Spring”, there were popular demonstrations throughout the country demanding jobs, the end of corruption and some respect for all citizens.
The second major issue concerns the ability of Yemen to remain as one State or again to split into two with Sana’a as the capital of one State in the north and Aden as the capital of another State in the south.
Today, the choice–between an end to the armed conflict with negotiations for a renewal of a Yemeni State on the basis of the con-federal system proposed vs. continued fighting in the hope that one faction become a “winner-take-all”–is relatively clear. The Association of World Citizens is resolutely for an end to the armed conflict with serious negotiations on the structure of a future State. There seems to be little willingness to compromise and a general lack of “political imagination” to propose new avenues of governance. There is little of what can be called “civil society” in Yemen, but what little exists should have their voices heard in the negotiations. There may also be some role for less formal Track II efforts. We need to keep our eyes open for possibilities – by Rene Wadlow, president of the Association of World Citizens.
http://www.transconflict.com/2018/09/yemen-a-new-but-difficult-start-to-conflict-resolution-058/
Comment: The Association of World Citizens (AWC) is actually backing a 'Federal #Yemen solution' without realising it is already taking place and was the final outcome of the National Dialogue Conference. Comments?
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1910891212297233
(* A P)
Yemen govt threatens to end cooperation with UN investigators
Yemen's government on Thursday threatened to end its cooperation with a UN rights mission, accusing investigators of bias after a report raised fears of war crimes in the conflict-hit country.
The government, allied with a regional Saudi-led military coalition battling Yemeni rebels, came under fire last month after UN experts highlighted deadly air strikes by the alliance.
"With our allies in the coalition, we are studying the best way to deal with the UN team and looking at all options, including ending or not extending the team's mandate after they proved their bias and inaccuracy," Mohammed Asker, Yemen's human rights minister, told a press conference in Abu Dhabi
My comment: Even this report still euphemizes Saudi coalition war crimes, but at least it is more realistic and more neutral than other UN reports. But the Saudi coalition governments are accustomed not to be blamed – if they nevertheless are, they behave like pusued virginity.
(A P)
Trump to chair UN Security Council meeting on Iran
US President Donald Trump will chair a UN Security Council meeting on Iran this month to spotlight its “violations of international law” during the annual gathering of world leaders in New York, US Ambassador Nikki Haley said on Tuesday, Reuters reports.
The United States, which holds the council presidency for September, has unsuccessfully pushed the Security Council to call out Iran. Haley has regularly attacked Iran, accusing it of meddling in the wars in Syria and Yemen.
Haley told reporters Trump was chairing the meeting “to address Iran’s violations of international law and the general instability Iran sows throughout the entire Middle East region.”
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180905-trump-to-chair-un-security-council-meeting-on-iran/
My comment: It’s not necessary to invent any bizarre satire – reality is even better.
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
(* B P)
Xenophobia, tribalism and imagined enemies: Mohammed bin Salman's brand of Saudi nationalism
Being ‘Saudi’ rather than 'Arab' or 'Muslim' is now key to Saudi crown prince's plans to consolidate his power
It is debatable whether Saudi Arabia is a nation. But current Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, known as MBS, is determined to develop a new Saudi nationalism among the youth. The slogan of this trend is "Saudi Arabia for Saudis" and the Trump-like "Saudi Arabia first".
Both have been prominent in the discourse of writers enlisted in the state-owned press and social media. The new narrative is not simply a spontaneous grassroots movement but a state-led initiative under the auspices of the crown prince.
MBS: A role model?
Always reminding his audiences of the young age of his subjects - Saudis under 25 years old represent almost 51 percent of the population - the crown prince presents himself as a role model to be emulated if Saudis are to be counted among the modern nations. He plays on their needs and aspirations to foster a new sense of belonging.
Since they are his priority, MBS expects them to make Saudi Arabia theirs. He promises them greater employment, a flourishing national heritage and culture, an increasing connectedness with the outside world, and the illusion of future liberal modernisation. But the remaining 50 percent of the population seem to be forgotten.
By constructing the youth as a homogenous category, MBS defines their needs, dissolves their differences and abolishes their diversity. The new nationalism promises the youth a break from past economic stagnation, religious zeal and social conservatism. It is only after the destruction of the old that the new nation will be born.
The new Saudi nationalism is a top-down initiative. Its purpose is to create a glue that binds young people to the monarchy. Like all nationalisms, this new Saudi template needs intellectuals, entrepreneurs and young advocates to spread it at the grassroots level.
Being "Saudi" rather than "Arab" or "Muslim" is now key to MBS's plans for his own consolidation of power, the future outlook of Saudi Arabia and the success of his economic transformation - the three goals that underpin most of his policies.
MBS is a latecomer to the game of nationalism. His narrative about who Saudis are or should be, their destiny, responsibility and national characteristics suffer from the common contradictions of nationalism that has flourished elsewhere throughout the world.
(A P)
Professor @MadawiDr at Chatham house:comments on Saudi aggression in London streets
https://twitter.com/GhanemAlmasarir/status/1037040916903723008
(* B P)
Treat MbS as the War Criminal He Is
Almost ten months after he wrote his gushing love letter to Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), Tom Friedman has this to say about the crown prince.
It doesn’t seem to occur to Friedman that one half of the “package” he describes undermines and destroys the other.
Friedman says that the U.S. should “curb” the crown prince’s “bad impulses,” but he never says what that would mean in practice or why disciplining the reckless despot should continue to be our responsibility. U.S. indulgence has encouraged and fed Mohammed bin Salman’s worst impulses for the last several years, and yet I have never once heard or read Friedman demanding that the U.S. end military support or arms sales to the kingdom.
There may be incompetent Saudi and Emirati pilots, but to say that they are the ones that “botched” the war presupposes that there was a way for the Saudis and their allies to attack Yemen successfully that didn’t lead to the current disaster. Friedman can’t acknowledge that the main problem with the war is that it has always been pursuing unrealistic goals with inadequate means in the prosecution of an unjust military intervention in another country’s conflict, and his golden boy has been the one running the Saudi side of the war from the start.
Saudi coalition forces have been committing war crimes on Mohammed bin Salman’s orders for more than three years, and the crown prince is one of the biggest war criminals currently in power. Saudi war crimes in Yemen haven’t just happened because some pilots “botched” their assignments, but have been part of a deliberate campaign to devastate the country’s economy and infrastructure.
Mohammed bin Salman is an unabashed war criminal, and an honest assessment of his real record requires acknowledging that. We should all refuse to give him a pass because he might one day carry out the “reforms” he keeps promising but almost never delivers. Instead he should be treated with the same contempt that we show to other war criminals – by Daniel Larison
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/treat-mbs-as-the-war-criminal-he-is/
(A P)
Saudi 'seeks death penalty' for Muslim scholar Salman al-Awdah
Scholar, 61, charged with 37 counts, including incitement against the ruler and spreading discord, his family says.
Public prosecutors in Saudi Arabia are seeking the death penalty against prominent Muslim scholar Salman al-Awdah, local media, activists and his family members have said.
Awdah, who UN experts have described as a "reformist," was imprisoned a year ago, shortly after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched a crackdown on dissent and imposed a land, sea and air blockade on the kingdom's Gulf neighbour, Qatar.
Local daily Okaz reported that the public prosecution, which represents the Saudi government, had levelled 37 counts against Awdah and called for the death penalty.
According to London-based Saudi rights group ALQST and other activists, some of the charges included incitement against the ruler and spreading discord.
(A P)
Saudi royal denies reports that he ‘blamed’ the kingdom’s rulers for Yemen conflict
Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud says ‘Saudi King is responsible for the state’
Saudi royal Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has denied media reports that he “criticised” the country’s King and Crown Prince for the Yemen conflict.
“What was published in social media or media is inaccurate. I have made it clear that the King and the Crown Prince are responsible for the state and its decisions. This is true for the security and stability of the country and the people,” he was quoted as saying by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
His remarks came after media reports claimed that he blamed Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the war in Yemen.
http://gulfbusiness.com/saudi-royal-denies-reports-blamed-kingdoms-rulers-yemen-conflict/
and
(A P)
Saudi Prince Addresses Questions of Loyalty After London Video
Late Tuesday night, Prince Ahmed issued a brief, official statement, saying that he was merely clarifying that "the king and the crown prince are responsible for the state and its decisions."
The statement was published on the front page of several Saudi newspapers on Wednesday. "It is not possible to interpret what I said in any other way," he said.
Opponents of the government saw his words differently. London-based dissident Saad Al-Faqih -- long a thorn in the monarchy’s side -- hopped on television to interpret the video as criticism of the king and crown prince coming from "one of the most respected people in the family."
and
(A P)
Saudi King Salman summons brother following Yemen war remarks
Saudi Arbaia’s King Salman Bin Abdulaziz is said to be displeased with his brother, Prince Ahmad, who criticised the mismanagement of the war on Yemen.
Video footage circulated on social media showed Prince Ahmad engaging with protesters in London who questioned him about the war in Yemen and human rights abuses in Bahrain.
Remark: Earlier reporting: Yemen War Mosaic 453, cp8.
(** B C P)
Book: Saudis Destroyed Islam’s Holiest Stone
Saudi Monarchy destroyed the most sacred stone in Islam, a rare book by an Austrian academic has revealed.
The shocking discovery of a key event in Muslim history hidden for two centuries was reported by Alois Musil, a 19th century Czech-Austrian academic, explorer and author of several books on the Middle East.
In his book “Al-Saud”, Musil reported that the Blackstone, the original sacred stone at the corner of the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest building visited by millions of pilgrims every year, was destroyed by the Saudi dynasty who ransacked the city in the spring of 1806.
The Blackstone is Islam’s holiest stone and is sought by Muslims when they visit the Grand Mosque, the most revered in Islam. Muslims who are preforming pilgrimage (hajj) or minor pilgrimage (umrah) typically salute the stone or kiss it per prophetic tradition.
The Blackstone marks the beginning of the Muslim ritual of tawaf or circling the Kaaba seven times. Some Muslim sources say the Blackstone came from Heaven by the angel Gabriel. Others say it is the last original stone used in building the Kaaba by Prophet Abraham.
Musil’s account got a nod from a Makkah’s goldsmith, whose family has been maintaining the stone for over 100 years. Faisal Badr, the goldsmith in charge of maintaining the Blackstone told Saudi TV AlArabiya in June 2017 that only eight small pieces of the original stone remain today. He said that he uses a natural black tree gum called luk to hold them together and to give the oval orifice its shiny black appearance.
Badr said he repairs the stone three to five times a year by removing the old gum and applying a fresh coat. There is no independent evidence that these stone pieces are parts of the original Blackstone.
Saudi Ideology of Destruction
Musil’s discovery remains largely unknown due to enormous sensitivities surrounding the Kaaba. The Saudi Monarchy, which bills itself as the Muslim world leader and the Custodian of Islam’s most revered Holy Mosques, has kept this greatly embarrassing secret hidden, out of fear that it will reveal its deep-rooted extremist ideology of Wahhabism and contradicting Islam itself.
Destroying or harming the Blackstone undermines Saudi claims that they are serving Islam or upholding its basic tenets. It would be extremely damaging to the Saudi ruling clan if millions of Muslim pilgrims who travel to Makkah annually and bring billions of dollars to the Saudi state realized they were kissing tree gum and not the heavenly Blackstone they learned to revere.
It is hardly a coincidence that the Saudi Wahhabi ideology, which has destroyed Islam’s holiest stone and looted the Prophet Mohamed’s resting place, has also fueled the most devastating terrorist attacks around the world targeting Muslims and non-Muslim alike. It is a common thread that runs through the attacks of September 11, terror waves that struck many European capitals, and the multitude of bombings and mass killings in Iraq, Syria Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Forging the Sacred, Looting the Prophet’s Artifacts
Musil also reported that Saudi clan violated the sanctity of the Prophet Mohamed’s grave and robbed its treasures, including gifts from Ottoman rulers to the shrine. The valuables looted from the prophet’s resting place included an expensive diamond known as the Priceless Planet (AlKwakab AlDurri), which was commissioned and gifted by Othman Sultan Ahmed the First in 1613 to the Prophet Mohamed’s Shrine.
It was the Saudi looting of Makkah and Medina that prompted the Ottomans to take action and send the Egyptian army led by Ibrahim Pasha to sack Al-Dariya, the historical capitol of the Saudi state and to end its reign.
https://www.gulfinstitute.org/book-saudis-destroyed-islams-holiest-stone/
and a Saudi Aramco article on Musil: http://archive.aramcoworld.com/issue/200906/from.moravia.to.arabia.htm#.W49Z_sHrx7Q.facebook
cp9 USA
(* A K P)
Marine Corps F-35Bs Have Arrived Off the Coast of Africa For The Very First Time
The jets are there for training, not combat, but the deployment reflects the steady integration of the planes into routine Marine activities.
For the first time ever, U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs Joint Strike Fighters are on an operational deployment in the Gulf of Aden, bringing them the closest they've ever been to conflict zones in Iraq and Syria, Yemen, and Somalia. The stealthy jets and their pilots set to join thousands of other U.S. Navy sailors and Marines for a two-week training exercise while they're in the region, but there's still no indication they are headed for actual combat, at least not yet.
The Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), which includes the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex, the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23), and the Whidbey Island-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Rushmore, has been in the area since earlier in September 2018. The ships are carrying elements of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), which includes the detachment of six F-35Bs from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron Two One One (VMFA-211).
The entire ARG will participate in so-called Theater Amphibious Combat Rehearsal (TACR) off the coast of the East African country of Djibouti starting on Sept. 8, 2018. The drills will last two weeks and approximately 4,500 Navy and Marine Corps personnel will take part in total.
The Navy's Task Force 51, which oversees amphibious operations under U.S. Fifth Fleet command, will lead the exercise and the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) will manage Marine forces during the drill. The U.S. Fifth Fleet manages maritime operations on the Indian Ocean side of the Middle East, as well as around the Horn of Africa
(* B P T)
Film: US. Is Funding and Backing Al Qaeda in Yemen
Once again the U.S. government is supporting and funding Al Qaeda fighters, this time in Yemen. It is something we have seen before in Libya and Syria. So why does this continue to happen? Is it because the "War on Terror" is just a farce and is never meant to be won? Lets give it a Reality Check.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewQ3RjgvFpU
(B K P)
Film: With Arabic subtitles, the words of Col. Larry Wilkinson (retired US Army) are a reminder that the #US should have NO role in the war on #Yemenwhile it has chosen otherwise.
https://www.facebook.com/da3emm/videos/vb.756749307772878/752399005091530/?type=2&theater
(* A P)
American trainer killed in Riyadh helicopter crash: Saudi state media
An American trainer working with Saudi Arabia’s National Guard was killed on Thursday in a helicopter crash in Riyadh in the course of a routine activity, a statement published by state media said.
My comment: What the hell an US trainer has to do there? – The US is a warring party in the Yemen war.
(* A P)
House Democrats Launch New Challenge To Trump-Backed War In Yemen
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) is expected to officially announce the effort on Thursday.
A group of House Democrats is preparing a new bid to force the Trump administration and U.S. partners Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to rein in a devastating military campaign that has caused thousands of deaths in Yemen.
The lawmakers are crafting what’s called a privileged resolution ― a bill that must be acted on within a set number of days and cannot be allowed to quietly die as much flashy proposed legislation does.
In a public announcement of their plan that’s expected Thursday morning, they will specifically point to an Aug. 9 airstrike the Saudi-UAE coalition carried out with an American-made bomb that killed 40 children in an incident that brought rare sustained global attention to the war.
The congressional play is a long shot.
Now, some lawmakers and experts believe renewed public pressure has a shot at encouraging peace even if it does not ultimately force an up-or-down vote on the policy.
and
(* A P)
Dems plan resolution to withdraw US forces from Yemen civil war
“We are preparing to introduce a new, privileged resolution in September invoking the War Powers Resolution of 1973 to withdraw U.S. Armed Forces from engaging in the Saudi-led coalition’s conflict with the Houthis should additional escalations continue and progress fail to be made towards a peace agreement,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement.
“There has been no specific authorization for the U.S. Armed Forces to engage in hostilities with respect to the conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis in Yemen. We must take action to end U.S. participation in this catastrophic war in Yemen and work to bring about a peaceful conclusion to this conflict.”
and
(A P)
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: End the Unconstitutional War in Yemen Now
For too long, the United States has turned a blind eye to the atrocities being committed against civilians in #Yemen by the Saudi-U.S. coalition.
The U.S. must end its support for Saudi Arabia, and stop waging interventionist wars that increase destruction, death, and suffering around the world, drain our resources here at home, and threaten our own national security. (with film of speech)
https://twitter.com/TulsiPress/status/1037782569897615361
and press release by Rep. Adam Smith: https://adamsmith.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/hasc-ranking-member-adam-smith-rep-ro-khanna-cpc-co-chair-mark-pocan
and
(A P)
House Democrats Praised for New War Powers Resolution to End US Support for 'Catastrophic War in Yemen'
peace advocates praised a group of Democratic lawmakers on Thursday for announcing a new effort to revoke American support for the "catastrophic" conflict that has produced the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
(* A B P)
Congress’ Deadline for Yemen Certification Approaches
Next week is the deadline for Pompeo to certify that the Saudi coalition is meeting all of the conditions laid out by Congress in Section 1290 of the National Defense Authorization Act
When the president signed the bill, he listed Congress’ Yemen conditions among the sections that he intended to ignore, so it is possible that Pompeo will let the deadline pass without doing anything. It is more likely that Pompeo will issue the certification despite all of the evidence that shows that the Saudis and their allies haven’t met any of the conditions. The flaw in conditioning U.S. support in this way is that the administration has no interest in reducing or cutting off military assistance to the coalition, and it is going to use whatever loopholes that are available to avoid doing that.
In order to continue U.S. refueling of coalition planes, Pompeo has to certify that the Saudis and the UAE are 1) making a good faith effort to support diplomatic efforts to end the war; 2) taking “appropriate measures” to alleviate the humanitarian crisis; 3) taking “demonstrable actions” to reduce the risk to civilians and civilian infrastructure; 4) taking actions to reduce unnecessary delays in shipments into the country. The Saudi coalition is not doing any of these things.
Saudi coalition “aid” efforts are little more than a cynical P.R. stunt, and aid groups have criticized the Saudi aid “plan” as a war tactic. The Saudi coalition may pay lip service to supporting the work of Martin Griffiths, the U.N. envoy, but they have made a point of doing everything they can to make his job as difficult as possible. Just by launching the Hodeidah offensive the coalition has made it clear that they aren’t interested in ending the war through negotiations.
The recent Saudi “investigation” into the Aug. 9 massacre shows that the coalition isn’t taking the requirement to reduce harm to civilians seriously.
Pompeo can also use a waiver that allows U.S. support for the war to continue.
Given how invested the Trump administration is in this war and the relationships with Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, it is extremely unlikely that Pompeo is going to pass up the chance to keep the U.S. involved in the wrecking and starving of Yemen. The administration doesn’t want to rein in the Saudis and Emiratis. They just want to find excuses to deflect criticisms of an indefensible policy. Members of Congress will have to do more than place conditions on U.S. support, because the administration will always find a way to get around or abuse the requirements they have created. It is imperative that Congress cut off all assistance and arms sales to the Saudi coalition – by Daniel Larison
(A P)
Top US general meets Yemen chief of staff
The general overseeing US military operations in the Middle East visited war-torn Yemen's chief of staff in the de facto capital Aden on Wednesday, state media said, a day ahead of peace talks in Geneva.
US Central Command head General Joseph Votel met Major General Taher al-Aqili to discuss developing Yemen's coast guard, navy and special forces to "tackle the threat of terrorist militias and fight smuggling," the Saba news agency said.
The two also discussed the government's "efforts to restore the state and put an end to the coup by the Iran-backed Huthi militia", it said,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-6135831/Top-US-general-meets-Yemen-chief-staff.html
photo: https://twitter.com/mohammedalqadhi/status/1037368256384913408
My comment: The US is a warring party in Yemen. – And evidently, most of this is driven by US anti-Iranian paranoia:
And
(A P)
US Centcom chief visits Yemen in warning to Iran
Gen Joseph Votel's talks with Yemeni counterparts send clear signal to Tehran, says former US envoy to Yemen
The head of the US Central Command discussed support for Yemen's army and anti-smuggling efforts during a visit on Wednesday that a former US envoy to the country said was a warning to Iran.
Stephen Seche, a former US ambassador to Yemen and the executive vice president of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, said the “messaging from General Votel’s visit appears to be directed towards Iran and its relations with the Houthis more than counterterrorism against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.”
Expressions of support for the coast guard, countering smuggling and militias, are “a very clear message from the US to Iran that we are watching you in Yemen”, Mr Seche told The National.
“It’s also an indication on US intent to keep the Yemeni army well armed and trained,” he said.
In February, Gen Votel told Congress that “what it took 20 years for Iran to do in Lebanon with the Lebanese Hezbollah, they’re attempting to do in about five years with the Houthis in Yemen.”
https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/us-centcom-chief-visits-yemen-in-warning-to-iran-1.767845
(* B K P)
A Humanitarian Responsibility: End of US Support for Saudi-led Coalition in Yemen
One way to end the nightmare is for the United States to withdraw its support for the war, compel the Saudi-led coalition to accept a ceasefire and ensure a peace process that keeps millions more from unnecessary suffering.
United Nations mediators have already set a date in Geneva (Sept. 6) to discuss the Yemen crisis.
The Houthis seem willing to enter such a negotiation, but the Saudi-led coalition remains defiant.
Concern over Iran’s support for the Houthis was one reason the KSA backed the government of Sunni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Echoing the Saudi and Emirati portrayal of the Houthis as Iranian proxies, the Trump administration has continued to back the coalition in its onslaught of Yemenis as part of a broader pressure campaign against the Islamic Republic.
However, the war has only strengthened what had been relatively minor bonds between the Houthis and Iran, making Saudi concerns a self-fulfilling prophecy. Iran, for its part, has found a relatively inexpensive way of weakening Saudi Arabia, which is spending precious resources on this endless and cruel conflict.
The comments, letters, statements, and series of tweets from representatives of both parties make clear: facilitation of this war contributes nothing to US security and may actually diminish that security by stoking anti-Americanism and creating a bigger haven for terrorism. As a former US ambassador to Yemen has said, “It is not the responsibility of the United States alone to resolve this crisis, but American leadership is needed to bring it to an end. We shouldn’t mistake the absence of headlines for an absence of urgency.”
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
(A K P)
Breaking news: #Kyrgyzstan has joined Riyadh's military coalition to defend #Saudi Arabia's border against incessant raids by #Yemen militias.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/1037956489841917953
My comment: What does Kyrgystan have to do with the Yemen war? It’s certainly Saudi money.
(B K P)
Malaysia: No reason to be in Yemen
I REFER to the letter “Help bring peace to Yemen” (The Star, Aug 26) by Datuk Dr Fauziah Mohd Taib, a former colleague of mine in the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
I fully agree with Dr Fauziah that we have no business setting up another anti-terrorism centre in Malaysia at the behest of any country under whatever guise.
It is heartening to note that the King Salman Centre for International Peace (KSCIP) is in the process of being shut down. In the first place, we should never have agreed or acquiesced to the establishment of this centre to serve the international interests of one country (Saudi Arabia) and the domestic interests of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
By the same token, we also have no business whatsoever to be embroiled in the civil war in Yemen on the side of one country (again Saudi Arabia) without the formal endorsement of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which is the only international body that has the authority to sanction UN peacekeeping operations (UNPKOs) around the world.
https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/letters/2018/09/07/no-reason-to-be-in-yemen/
(A H K P)
Yémen: 16 ONG lancent un appel à Macron
Seize ONG humanitaires internationales appellent le président français Emmanuel Macron à condamner explicitement les attaques faisant des victimes civiles au Yémen et lui réitèrent leur demande d'une suspension des livraisons d'armes françaises à l'Arabie Saoudite et aux Émirats arabes unis. Dans une lettre envoyée mercredi à l'Élysée et disponible depuis ce matin sur internet, ces associations exhortent le chef de l'État français "à condamner publiquement et systématiquement toutes les attaques contre les populations civiles yéménites et autres violations du droit international humanitaire par l'ensemble des parties au conflit".
and letter here: https://www.carefrance.org/ressources/documents/3/645f4db-7516-180905_Yemen-Lettre-ONG-au-.pdf
(* A K P)
Spanien stoppt Verkauf von Bomben an Saudi-Arabien wegen Sorge um Zivilbevölkerung im Jemen
Spaniens neue Regierung hat den Verkauf von Bomben an Saudi-Arabien eingestellt, da sie befürchtet, dass diese für Kriegsverbrechen im Jemen verwendet werden. Bisher ziehen keine weiteren westlichen Verbündeten nach.
Die neue Regierung hat versprochen, alle Rüstungsdeals, die unter der früheren konservativen Regierung unterzeichnet wurden, zu überprüfen. Unter den konservativen Vorgänger-Regierungen wurde Spanien unter den EU-Mitgliedern zu einem der engsten Verbündeten Riads, zuletzt besuchte Kronprinz Mohammed bin Salman Madrid im April dieses Jahres.
Kristina Kausch, Senior Resident Fellow beim German Marshall Fund in Brüssel, sieht in der Entscheidung der spanischen Regierung "einen Trend zur abnehmenden europäischen Geduld hinsichtlich der humanitären Katastrophe im Jemen".
Die Menschenrechtsorganisation Amnesty International zeigt sich weniger optimistisch.
(* A K P)
#Yemen fact check : Spain has suspended its sale to Saudi Arabia of 400 laser-guided bombs worth $10M. Spain has NOT suspended its sale to Saudi Arabia of naval warships worth $2.2B.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/1037288941693612032
(* B K P)
Korean Special Forces in UAE a ‘trip wire’ in Yemini civil war: lawmaker
A South Korean Special Forces unit dispatched to the United Arab Emirates has become a “trip wire” in the ongoing Yemeni civil war, an opposition lawmaker said, calling for the unit’s immediate withdrawal from the region.
In an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Thursday, Rep. Kim Jong-dae of the minor Justice Party said that the 150-member Akh Unit could automatically be drawn into the UAE’s fight against rebel forces in Yemen.
The UAE has joined Saudi Arabia-led military campaigns against Houthi fighters in Yemen that are aligned with Iran. South Korea’s Akh unit has been stationed there since 2011 to provide military training and equipment for UAE forces.
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20180906000816
My comment: What the hell the Koreans are doing there???
(* B P)
Yemen And Egypt, A Close But Complicated Relationship
Due to its proximity and the two countries’ historically close relations, Egypt has not only been a favored destination for many Yemenis, but is also an influential player in Yemen’s politics. Notably, Egypt played a significant role in the course of Yemen’s September 26 Revolution and the Civil War that followed (1962-1970).
Egypt continues to play a role in Yemen’s ongoing conflict today. Since March 2015, it has been one of the members in the Saudi-led coalition that is fighting Houthis.
Despite this military intervention, Yemenis are still fleeing to Egypt. For many years, Yemen and Egypt had a mutual visa-free entry agreement, but, in 2013, things began to change. Egypt started to enforce visa requirements for Yemeni citizens, asking them to apply at the Egyptian embassy in Sanaa. Then, in 2014, the Egyptian embassy, like all other embassies in the city, was evacuated and Yemenis had to face fast-changing and complicated visa requirements and customs regulations stipulated by Egyptian authorities. Today, Yemenis under 16 and over 50 still benefit from free-visa entry, but all others must apply for a visa at the nearest Egyptian embassy. Yemenis coming to Egypt for medical treatment are exempted, but they must show an Egyptian medical report confirming their condition.
The discrimination Yemenis face while applying for visas worldwide is a long and old story that requires a separate article. Those I spoke to shared a great deal of anguish and heartache regarding the process. Having said that, many also highlighted the relative ease with which Egypt grants some Yemenis six-month residency permits, which are then reviewed, with the potential for renewal.
The number of Yemenis in Egypt is on the rise.
https://www.worldcrunch.com/migrant-lives-1/yemen-and-egypt-a-close-but-complicated-relationship
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade
Siehe / Look at cp12
cp13b Mercenaries / Söldner
(* A K)
Russian mercenaries deployed in Yemen – media
It is not specified whether these 'private military' are part of Wagner PMC units.
Russian private military unit has arrived in Yemen, reports say. "It is not specified whether these 'private military' are part of Wagner [PMC] units, known for their operations in Syria and African countries," WarGonzo Telegram-channel reported with reference to its own sources in Russian law enforcement agencies.
https://www.unian.info/world/10251345-russian-mercenaries-deployed-in-yemen-media.html
cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy
Siehe / Look at cp1
(* A E P)
Government decisions on exchange rate reduction and economic recovery (text of resolutions)
The Yemeni government on Wednesday issued resolutions on restricting the import of essential goods and derivatives by means of credits, collections and documentary remittances, and providing hard currency to fulfill needs abroad.
It also issued decisions regarding the seizure of foreign currency financial flows to banks from expatriate remittances.
According to pictures of the three resolutions issued by the Government and published by the Chairman of the Economic Commission Hafez Me’iad on his Facebook page, the first decision is to prevent the entry or import of any commodities and petroleum derivatives except through a bank certificate for the merchant.
The certificate is given to the merchant from the local bank with which it deals and under the supervision of the Central bank, and this certificate indicates the obligation of the merchant and importer to use the banking channels and financial instruments of foreign trade (credits, transfers or documentary collections).
The resolution stressed that permits for land, sea or air transportation of any such goods or petroleum derivatives would not be granted and not cleared from any outlet.
On the other hand, the government and the Central Bank are committed to providing the foreign currency required to cover all the funds and documentary remittances required for the five commodities declared, namely flour, rice, sugar, baby milk and food, and the market price for all merchants and across all banks.
It is also committed to providing the foreign currency necessary to cover all the funds and documentary orders required for petroleum derivatives from the market and all available sources in the organization and controls of the central bank.
According to the decision, the central bank is committed to migrating local banks ' stocks of foreign currency into their offshore accounts, after banks deposit that stock of currencies into their accounts in the bank's branches in the portfolios they specify.
The decision prohibits the release of any amount in any currency exceeding 10 USD per person unless authorized by the Central bank.
My comment: All this will not help, until the war ends and the economy can recover.
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
(A T)
New 41min spy film by #alQaeda #Yemen outs 7 spies paid by #Saudi + 5 ex-spies. One was hired to start fake #jihad group to rival #AQAP. Lists dozens of #drone victims including entire finance team + $70m cash (bombmaker ‘Asiri not named). Encourages any remaining spies to repent (images, text)
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/1037451481170026496
cp15 Propaganda
(A P)
Bin Daghr: Griffiths Has Made Some Right, Wrong Decisions
Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr said that the UN envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, had presented some right ideas to resolve the crisis, but “made mistakes in others.”
While he expressed appreciation for Griffiths’ efforts to find solutions to the crisis, he noted that the peace process in his country was complex, and depended on the implementation of the three basic references, including the Gulf Initiative and its implementation mechanism, the outcome of national dialogue and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, in particular, UNSCR 2216.
In an extended interview with Asharq Al-Awsat through the e-mail, Bin Daghr first underlined his government’s high appreciation to Saudi Arabia for its “brotherly stances towards the Yemeni people.”
He stressed his full support to all decisions made by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, for the interests of Yemen and Saudi Arabia, and also highly valued the positions of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
My comment: The so-called “three basic references“ are the Saudi coalition’s and Hadi government’s preconditions. They would include a de facto Houthi capitualtion and had been the main obstacvles to peace for more than 3 years now. – „full support to all decisions made by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz“: a perfect puppet’s voice.
(A P)
Yemen: Seeking Salvation With Spin
Iranian Spin Masters Stumble
One under reported Iranian contribution to the Shia rebel effort is an effective media manipulation capability. Not as massive or well-equipped as the ones created by China and Russia (the main practitioners of this) the Iranians do pretty well spinning news of events in Yemen to favor, as much as possible, the Shia rebels. The Iranians know what appeals to mass media, especially in the West, and what does not. Thus anytime a coalition airstrike kills civilians (or rebels who can be described as such) the Iranians see that pictures and stories are supplied to news media worldwide. Coverage of the nasty things the Shia rebels do to hostile civilians in areas they control is not reported because no journalists are allowed in rebel areas. Thus it is only later that it becomes known that the rebels were using civilians as human shields or letting them use a road the rebels know is constantly watched and most vehicles seen on it are hit with an air strike. The “hit anything that moves” policy can isolate a rebel force under attack and make the rebels easier to defeat.
The Iranians will also send out stories of rebel controlled civilians going hungry when that can be blamed on the coalition, the Yemeni government or the West. Another technique is to make false claims of damage from Shia ballistic missile or UAV attacks on Saudi or UAE targets. These claims are eventually found to be false but Spin Masters know that if you can get some traction with the initial story that is what most people will remember. Truth isn’t what counts here but supplying what editors are seeking at the moment.
Of late the Iranian spin machine has been having problems, mainly back in Iran. Iranians in general have noted that the overseas wars their government is waging, especially in Syria and Yemen, were more evidence of many lies Iranians were told about the state of Iranian military technology.
https://www.strategypage.com/qnd/yemen/articles/20180905.aspx
My comment: For Western propagandists, the problem is not the Saudi coalition air raids killing and destructing, but Iranian media reporting on it. And of course, there is only Iranian, Russian and Chinese “propaganda”. – The “problem” of iranian propaganda is that they simply can report the facts. – While this Western propaganda piece justifies the Saudi “hit anything that moves” policy, which is a blatant war crime according to international laws.
(A P)
Over 67,000 Yemenis either killed, injured or kidnapped in four years: Yemeni Human Rights Minister
Mohammed Askar, Yemeni Minister of Human Rights, stated that the recent report of the United Nations, UN, on human rights in Yemen is biased and unacceptable.
''The Yemeni government is, therefore, drafting an official response, and the ministry is about to issue its third report on human rights in Yemen, which will document the crimes of the Houthi militias and reveal that 14,220 Yemenis have been killed, due to their violations, including 1,500 children and 865 women, from September 2014 to September 2018,'' he added.
He further added that the total number of people injured by the militias amounted to 31,127, including 4,080 children and 4,253 women, and the mines they planted killed 1,593 people, injured 1,413, and causing permanent disabilities while pointing out that that the militias kidnapped 21,706 people and killed 86 through the use of torture in Houthi prisons, along with 30 journalists while 17 are still in detention.
Askar made this statement during a media briefing today in Abu Dhabi, in the presence of Fahad Saeed Al Manhaly, Yemeni Ambassador to the UAE.
Regarding the UN report, Askar stressed that a team of experts was formed as per a UN resolution, and their mission was to monitor the human rights situation in Yemen and provide technical support to the National Human Rights Committee.
He expressed his shock at the fact that the team exceeded this task, twisted facts and provided inaccurate information. Therefore, their report is unacceptable, due to its inaccuracies and bias, he affirmed while noting that the information in the report covers a period of less than a week, even though the team was given multi-purpose permits for six months.
Askar refuted some of the information mentioned in the report. "It made arbitrary judgements on some incidents. We presented official requests to the team to visit the cities that were destroyed, such as Taiz, and the team promised to do that. However, they did not fulfil their promise," he said.
http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302706925
My comment: Again the Un Human rights report. Blaming the saudi coalition is a sacrilege in saudi, UAE, Hadi government eyes. What simply is fact: by far the largest part of Yemeni civilians had been killed by the saudi coalition. – Propaganda reports like the one presented here which seems to ascribe 100 % of killed Yemeni civilians to the Houthis are political propaganda tools for rejecting serious reports as the latest UN report.
(A P)
Crazy Poor Middle Easterners
The Middle East could prosper if it would put its past behind it.
I have little doubt that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was the only one in his family who would have initiated the vital social, religious and economic reforms that he’s dared to do all at once — and that he is also the only one in that family who’d have undertaken the bullying foreign policy initiatives, domestic power plays and excessive personal buying sprees he’s dared to do all at once. These are two halves of the same M.B.S. package, and, as I’ve argued, our job is to help curb his bad impulses and nurture his good ones. But Trump — who still doesn’t even have an ambassador in Saudi Arabia — is AWOL.
To repeat: Democracy is not on the agenda in Saudi Arabia, but social, economic and religious reform is.
Lately, though, M.B.S. has undertaken a series of ill-considered steps that are hurting him, Saudi Arabia and us. M.B.S. has a few very extreme advisers who keep telling him to follow the “China model”.
Whatever good publicity M.B.S. got for letting women drive was undermined by his arresting Saudi women driving activists on charges of being related to some anti-Saudi groups in London. Seriously, is Saudi Arabia really threatened by women driving activists? And the Saudi-U.A.E. war in Yemen has been so badly botched by incompetents in the Saudi Air Force that they are now being accused of possible war crimes.
The future stability of the whole Arab Gulf depends on the reform process in Saudi succeeding; it’s that important. But it can’t succeed without significant investments by foreigners and Saudis to create a more vibrant and diverse private sector that can offer decent jobs to all the young Saudis, men and women, coming out of universities at home and abroad.
With so many things that M.B.S. has done in recent months, on the advice of old guard security types around him, he has put politics and security issues ahead of the need to attract investors and talent and ministers ready to take chances and tell him the truth – by Thomas L. Friedman
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/04/opinion/middle-east-riches.html
My comment: Oh my goodness. A very good reply here: https://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/treat-mbs-as-the-war-criminal-he-is/
Comment: Friedman wonders why the countries he's advocated bombing and invading the last two decades can't get their shit together.
https://twitter.com/thekarami/status/1037695320187056129
Comment: Blatantly racist, neo-colonial garbage, courtesy of the New York Times and its resident imperialist stenographer Thomas Friedman
https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1037725714831818757
and
(B P)
Thomas Friedman’s Crazy Poor Economics
As with many columns by Thomas Friedman, this one prompts the question: What is he talking about?
But to describe them that way is to blame the victims of intensely destructive foreign intervention.
Not that Friedman is unaware of that intervention—but he goes out of his way to downplay the US’s role in it. He describes the genocidal war in Yemen as “the Saudi/UAE war in Yemen,” which “has been so badly botched by incompetents in the Saudi Air Force that they are now being accused of possible war crimes.” That the US is providing essential support for the Saudi bombing campaign, which has intentionally targeted food production in order to starve the civilian population, goes unmentioned.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/09/07/thomas-friedmans-crazy-poor-economics
(A P)
Geneva peace talks on the brink after Houthi no-show
Mohammed Mousa Al Amiri, adviser to President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi and member of the government delegation, said Iran was the main reason these problems were occurring.
“All of what is happening in Yemen is due to Iran’s influence. The Houthis’ ideology, activities in Yemen are Iranian,” Mr Al Amiri told The National.
“The Houthis don’t want to find peace, because they are sectarian and racist group, they don’t want to participate in talks or collaborate with others," he said.
“When they feel they they are losing ground, that’s when they resort to consultations and peace talks.”
The drive to use the talks as a launch pad for a peace process had the active backing of both regional and international diplomats, including the US Ambassador to Yemen Matthew Tueller.
While he refrained from commenting on the development, the Houthi refusal to attend was described by another official as a surprise and dismaying.
https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/geneva-peace-talks-on-the-brink-after-houthi-no-show-1.767849
(A P)
Houthi last-minute demands delay Yemen peace talks in Geneva
Sources in Sanaa told The National on Wednesday that the Houthis had made last-minute demands, including a change of aircraft and a request to allow non-delegation members to travel without inspection.
On Thursday, a rebel spokesman told AFP they would not join talks unless the UN meets conditions that include the transportation of wounded fighters to Oman for treatment and a guarantee its delegation members would be allowed to return to rebel-held areas of Sanaa.
Mohammed Askar, Yemen’s minister of human rights, told reporters in Abu Dhabi the Houthis had shown a lack of goodwill and accused them of deception.
Yemen’s Minister of Information, Mohammad El Eryani, claimed that Iran was sabotaging efforts to end the crisis.
“It is clear that Iran and Hezbollah are working to disable the solution for Yemen’s political crisis. The militia leaders will bear responsibility for the consequences of the results,” Mr Al Eryani said on Twitter.
Remark: The Houthis’ delay used for propaganda. For the background, look at cp7.
(A P)
Houthis don't respect peace process: Yemen minister
Yemen's minister of human rights has said that Houthi rebels have no intention of respecting international community and the UN peace efforts.
Questioning Houthi militia's willingness to cooperate in peace talks, Mohammed Askar said: "Our delegation is already in Geneva. These militias have proven in front of the international community that they are not keen to respect international organisations and the UN delegation.
"Till now, they are saying they haven't received authorisation to leave Yemen to attend the talks knowing we did give it to them," said Askar, rubbishing the Iran-backed rebels' claims that they haven't received permission to visit Geneva.
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/region/mena/houthis-dont-/respect-peace-process-yemen-minister
(A P)
Houthis begin first steps to derail Geneva negotiations
The al-Houthi armed group has begun to obstruct the Geneva negotiations by refusing to leave the capital Sana'a without fulfilling one of its conditions.
A source of Almasdar online said that Houthi delegation that was required to leave Sanaa to go to Geneva in exchange for two conditions.
The first condition of the Houthis was the transfer of a number of al-Houthi wounded to the Omani capital of Muscat aboard the delegation's plane, while the second condition was the transfer of Houthi leaders from Muscat to Sana'a.
http://almasdaronline.com/article/houthis-begin-first-steps-to-derail-geneva-negotiations
My comment: This is how propaganbda puts it: How ever it could be acceptable that the Saudi coalition can decide who is on a flight and block the flight if they do not want special persons to fly on the plane? – The second condition simply is that the Saudi coalition controlling Yemeni air space refuses to guarantee that the Houthi delegation also could return to Sanaa after the Geneva talks are over.
(A P)
Yemen talks will build confidence
Right now, due to the chaos wrought by Al Houthi rebels in their selfish quest to impose their narrow sectarian agenda on the people of Yemen, there are tens of thousands left without adequate supplies of food, medicines and clean water. Humanitarian aid from international donors struggles to reach communities, while the rebel defensive positions deliberately use civilians as human shields.
Clearly, addressing this pressing crisis on the ground is a priority — and the peace talks in Geneva will need to focus on creating the conditions where nations such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia can continue to deliver the humanitarian aid they have provided so far and pledged for the future. And the only way where this can realistically happen is for Al Houthis to disarm and disengage.
It needs to be remembered that these talks in Geneva are but the latest attempt to bring security, peace and stability to Yemen. In each of the other rounds, Al Houthis were non-committal, intransigent and only acted after consultation from their political masters and armourers in Tehran. And they refused to hand over their artillery or tanks — and no realistic or practical efforts to restore a civilian administration can have a heavily armed militia holding those reconstruction efforts to ransom.
The Arab coalition acting on United Nations Security Council resolution 2216 — the UAE is indeed proud to play a key role in that coalition — is attempting to restore the legitimate government overthrown by Al Houthis. But the talks can only bring peace if all Yemeni parties engage constructively in the UN talks. And waiting for phone calls from Tehran cannot be construed as constructive engagement.
https://gulfnews.com/opinion/editorials/yemen-talks-will-build-confidence-1.2275115
My comment: LOL.
(A P)
Report: Yemen children in range of Houthi fire
Yemeni children, women and mosques are in range of fire from Houthi militias, due to their desperate attempts to cover their consecutive defeats on various battle fronts.
Children and women, such as Sanbani Obaid, Fakeera Saeed and Somaya Saadan, are victims of the Houthi war machine, which includes fighters, ballistic missiles and mortars smuggled from Iran.
Since its coup against the legitimate Yemeni government, the militias have targeted innocent civilians, as well as mosques, homes, schools and hospitals.
The militias recently bombed the liberated village of Ghalifqa in Ad Durayhimi District, Hodeidah Governorate, with an Iranian-made ballistic missile that killed a Yemeni child and injured dozens of civilians, including three who suffered serious injuries.
The militias have violated international laws that criminalise the targeting of civilians and civil facilities during war.
They also attacked Al Thawra Hospital and the fish market in Hodeidah with mortars, which led to scores of deaths and injuries.
http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302706883
My comment: By Saudi coalition media, while the Saudi coalition is killing and injuring much more children in Yemen than the Houthis certainly ever will, really is odd propaganda. – “They also attacked Al Thawra Hospital and the fish market in Hodeidah with mortars, which led to scores of deaths and injuries simply is a lie; it was either an Saudi coalition air raid or a UAE-backed militia shelling.
(A P)
More Saudi coalition “We are benefactors” propaganda
http://republicanyemen.com/archives/10674
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
(* A K pH)
Saudi coalition air raids day by day
(A K pH)
Citizen killed in Saudi-led airstrikes in Hajjah
A citizen was killed when the US-Saudi aggression war's fighter jet launched an airstrikes on Hajjah province, a security official told Saba on Thursday.
The airstrike hit Beni-kamg in Hauran district.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news507438.htm
(A K pH)
Film: amputation of a citizen by a raid on al-Suwaiq, 06-09-2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcL7zSkUex4
(* A K pH)
More Saudi coalition air raids recorded on:
Sept. 6:
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=2651&cat_id=1 Saada p., Hodeidah p.
Sept. 5:
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news507355.htm Hodeidah p.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news507317.htm Taiz p.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news507298.htm Hajjah p.
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
(* A K pH)
Jizan Airport targeted by Yemeni missile
Yemeni Army and popular committees targeted Jizan Airport in south of Saudi Arabia with a ballistic missile.
According to Almasirah News Network, the missile was of Badr 1 type.
Two days earlier, four ballistic missiles of the same type hit Aramco refinery and a petrochemical plant in Jizan.
Yemeni officials say the attack was in retaliation for massacre of the innocent women and children in the impoverished country of Yemen.
http://www.irna.ir/en/News/83025278
and
(* A K)
Saudi Arabia intercepts missile shot from Yemen
The Saudi-led coalition involved in a war in Yemen announced on Friday the interception of a missile shot by Houthi militias in Yemen toward border city Jazan.
The missile was spotted on Thursday evening and intercepted and destroyed by the Saudi air forces without reporting any injuries, said Turki Al Maliki, coalition spokesperson, in a statement through Saudi Press Agency.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-09/07/c_137452035.htm
(* A K pH)
Ballistic missile , Badr 1, targets Saudi National Guard Camp in Najran
The army and popular committees' missile force fired on Wednesday evening ballistic missile at the Saudi National Guard Camp in Najran, a military official told Saba on Thursday.
The missile hit his target accurately in the target camp
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news507390.htm
and
(* A K)
Saudi Arabia intercepts Houthi missile, 26 wounded by shrapnel
Saudi Arabia’s air defense forces intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthis in the southern city of Najran, wounding 26 people with shrapnel, Saudi civil defense said on Wednesday.
The Houthi-run al-Masirah TV said on Twitter the group had hit a Saudi National Guard camp in the border city. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said the missile launched from Saada province had been detected at 2008 (1708 GMT).
Saudi civil defense said two children were among the wounded in the latest missile interception. Eleven of the victims were taken to hospital for treatment.
and
(A K)
37 Saudis injured in Yemeni missile attack on military camp
In a rare announcement, Saudi Arabia has admitted that at least 37 people have been injured in a Yemeni missile attack carried out in response to the kingdom’s military aggression against the impoverished neighbor.
The Yemeni army and popular committees backed by the Houthi Ansarullah movement fired the missile at a Saudi National Guard camp in the southern province of Najran on late Wednesday.
Saudi officials said they had “intercepted” the missile and the injuries were caused by shrapnel, Saudi-owned news channel Al Arabiya reported on Thursday night.
According to the report, 23 of the injured were taken to hospital while the remaining 14 were treated on site. The debris also damaged 19 cars and 15 buildings.
Dozens of people were evacuated as a result of the attack, the report added. (photo)
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
(* B H)
Audio: Vom Leid der Menschen erzählen die Bilder von Murad Subay. Er malt sie auf der Straße, bunte, bittere Bilder, die nach Frieden rufen.
Der Künstler Murad Subay wirbt schon seit Jahren für Frieden in seiner von Kriegsverbrechen erschütterten Heimat: Mit Streetart auf den Ruinen mit bunten, aber meist bitteren Bildern, die ihm den Beinamen "Banksy des Jemen" eingebracht haben. Cornelia Wegerhoff über Kunst mitten im Krieg.
https://www.ardmediathek.de/radio/SWR2-Journal-am-Morgen/Der-Banksy-des-Jemen/SWR2/Audio?bcastId=8757890&documentId=55808590 = https://www1.wdr.de/mediathek/audio/wdr5/wdr5-scala-aktuelle-kultur/audio-murad-subay---streetart-in-jemen-100.html
(** B)
More than 1000 Photos: Yemen old historic pictures
https://www.facebook.com/elisabeth.wojnarski/media_set?set=a.1468208569858653&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/elisabeth.wojnarski/media_set?set=a.1468282503184593&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/elisabeth.wojnarski/media_set?set=a.1501689136510596&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/elisabeth.wojnarski/media_set?set=a.1619806511365524&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/elisabeth.wojnarski/media_set?set=a.1873635675982605&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/elisabeth.wojnarski/media_set?set=a.1978715738807931&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/elisabeth.wojnarski/media_set?set=a.2003243109688527&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/elisabeth.wojnarski/media_set?set=a.2057321007614070&type=3
and other Yemen photos
https://www.facebook.com/elisabeth.wojnarski/media_set?set=a.227018433977679&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/elisabeth.wojnarski/media_set?set=a.849267568419426&type=3
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-453-yemen-war-mosaic-453
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-453 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-453:
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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