Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 473 - Yemen War Mosaic 473

Yemen Press Reader 473: 27. Oktober 2018: Die Tragödie des saudischen Krieges – Zahlen von Kriegsopfern – Westliche Anti-Terror-Gesetzgebung verstärkt Hungersnot – Einheimische Söldner, Killer..

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... Killer im Südjemen – Jemen, Khashoggi, Saudis und die westliche Elite – Die Zukunft Saudi-Arabiens – Diphterie – Hungersnot in Hodeidah – und mehr

October 27, 2018: The tragedy of Saudi Arabia’s war – Figures of war victims – Western anti-terror legislation fuels hunger – Local mercenaries, killers in Southern Yemen – Yemen, Khashoggi, Saudis and the Western elite – The future of Saudi Arabia – Diphteria – Famine at Hodeidah – 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

cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain

cp11 Deutschland / Germany

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

Klassifizierung / Classification

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**

*

(Kein Stern / No star)

? = Keine Einschatzung / No rating

A = Aktuell / Current news

B = Hintergrund / Background

C = Chronik / Chronicle

D = Details

E = Wirtschaft / Economy

H = Humanitäre Fragen / Humanitarian questions

K = Krieg / War

P = Politik / Politics

pH = Pro-Houthi

pS = Pro-Saudi

T = Terrorismus / Terrorism

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

Eingebetteter Medieninhalt

Eingebetteter Medieninhalt

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

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

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

cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important

Eingebetteter Medieninhalt

Mord an Jamal Khashoggi / Jamal Kashoggi murder:

Medienschau 6a, b (27. Okt.) / Media review 6a, b (Oct. 27)

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/saudi-dissident-khashoggi-medienschau-6a

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/saudi-dissident-khashoggi-medienschau-6b

(** B H K P)

THE TRAGEDY OF SAUDI ARABIA’S WAR

CHEST HEAVING AND EYES FLUTTERING, the 3-year-old boy lay silently on a hospital ward in the highland town of Hajjah, a bag of bones fighting for breath.

His father, Ali al-Hajaji, stood anxiously over him. Mr. Hajaji had already lost one son three weeks earlier to the epidemic of hunger sweeping across Yemen. Now he feared that a second was slipping away.

It wasn’t for a lack of food in the area: The stores outside the hospital gate were filled with goods and the markets were bustling. But Mr. Hajaji couldn’t afford any of it because prices were rising too fast.

“I can barely buy a piece of stale bread,” he said. “That’s why my children are dying before my eyes.”

The devastating war in Yemen has gotten more attention recently as outrage over the killing of a Saudi dissident in Istanbul has turned a spotlight on Saudi actions elsewhere. The harshest criticism of the Saudi-led war has focused on the airstrikes that have killed thousandsof civilians at weddings, funerals and on school buses, aided by American-supplied bombs and intelligence.

But aid experts and United Nations officials say a more insidious form of warfare is also being waged in Yemen, an economic war that is exacting a far greater toll on civilians and now risks tipping the country into a famine of catastrophic proportions.

Under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi-led coalition and its Yemeni allies have imposed a raft of punitive economic measures aimed at undercutting the Houthi rebels who control northern Yemen. But these actions — including periodic blockades, stringent import restrictions and withholding the salaries of about a million civil servants — have landed on the backs of civilians, laying the economy to waste and driving millions deeper into poverty.

Those measures have inflicted a slow-burn toll: infrastructure destroyed, jobs lost, a weakening currency and soaring prices. But in recent weeks the economic collapse has gathered pace at alarming speed, causing top United Nations officials to revise their predictions of famine.

“There is now a clear and present danger of an imminent and great, big famine engulfing Yemen,” Mark Lowcock, the under secretary for humanitarian affairs, told the Security Council on Tuesday.

“People think famine is just a lack of food,” said Alex de Waal, author of “Mass Starvation” which analyzes recent man-made famines. “But in Yemen it’s about a war on the economy.”

The signs are everywhere, cutting across boundaries of class, tribe and region. Unpaid university professors issue desperate appeals for help on social media. Doctors and teachers are forced to sell their gold, land or cars to feed their families. On the streets of the capital, Sana, an elderly woman begs for alms with a loudspeaker.

“Help me,” the woman, Zahra Bajali, calls out. “I have a sick husband. I have a house for rent. Help.”

And in the hushed hunger wards, ailing infants hover between life and death. Of nearly two million malnourished children in Yemen, 400,000 are considered critically ill — a figure projected to rise by one quarter in the coming months.

“We are being crushed,” said Dr. Mekkia Mahdi at the health clinic in Aslam, an impoverished northwestern town that has been swamped with refugees fleeing the fighting in Hudaydah, an embattled port city 90 miles to the south.

Flitting between the beds at her spartan clinic, she cajoled mothers, dispensed orders to medics and spoon-fed milk to sickly infants. For some it was too late: the night before, an 11-month old boy had died. He weighed five and a half pounds.

Looking around her, Dr. Mahdi could not fathom the Western obsession with the Saudi killing of Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul.

“We’re surprised the Khashoggi case is getting so much attention while millions of Yemeni children are suffering,” she said. “Nobody gives a damn about them.”

She tugged on the flaccid skin of a drowsy 7-year-old girl with stick-like arms. “Look,” she said. “No meat. Only bones.” – by Declan Walsh (with impressive photos)

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/26/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-war-yemen.html

and

(** A K P)

Why We Are Publishing Haunting Photos of Emaciated Yemeni Children

The images we have published out of Yemen may be as unsettling as anything we have used before. Here’s why we made the decision to publish them.

Some readers may feel they want to look away, too. And if experience is any guide, some are going to demand to know why we are asking them to look at all.

But we are asking you to look — and not just at Amal, but also at Shaher al-Hajaji, a scarred 3-year-old boy in the grip of malnutrition, and at Bassam Mohammed Hassan, an emaciated, listless young boy with an empty look in his eyes.

This is our job as journalists: to bear witness, to give voice to those who are otherwise abandoned, victimized and forgotten. And our correspondents and photographers will go to great lengths, often putting themselves in harm’s way, to do so.

Times editors don’t decide lightly to publish pictures of the dead or the dying. The folders of photo editors bulge with powerful images that did not make the cut because they were considered too horrific, too invasive or too gratuitous.

The images we have now published out of Yemen may be as unsettling as anything we have used before. But there is a reason we made this decision.

The tragedy in Yemen did not grow out of a natural disaster. It is a slow-motion crisis brought on by leaders of other countries who are willing to tolerate extraordinary suffering by civilians to advance political agendas.

The story of Yemen and all its suffering is one that must be told, and as powerful as Declan’s writing is, it cannot be told in words only.

Yes, Tyler’s images are hard to look at. They are brutal. But they are also brutally honest. They reveal the horror that is Yemen today. You may choose not to look at them.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/26/reader-center/yemen-photos-starvation.html

My comment: Yes, it's great and necessary that the NYT had published these photos. But, be honest: it actually is 3 1/2 years too late... - "This is our job as journalists: to bear witness, to give voice to those who are otherwise abandoned, victimized and forgotten. " In the case of Yemen, the NYT had failed for 3 1/2 years. They simply did not do what they claim is their job. Instead of this we got Thomas L. Friedman and his pro-Saudi sycophantism. - "The tragedy in Yemen did not grow out of a natural disaster. It is a slow-motion crisis brought on by leaders of other countries who are willing to tolerate extraordinary suffering by civilians to advance political agendas.": "Other countries?" It#s Not just saudi Arabia or the UAE - it the US which in the case of Yemen was and is "willing to tolerate extraordinary suffering by civilians to advance political agendas." Since 3 1/2 years. - "And yet somehow the vast catastrophe has failed to catch the world’s attention". Somehow? The catastrophe as subject in this sentence, having "failed"? How a catastrophe could do that? It's a failure of the media, and of the media only, that this catastrophe did not "catch the world’s attention". And the NYT is one of the most import media in the US. Thus, the correct sentence would be: "We, the NYT, failed to bring the catastrophe to the world's attention".

(** B K)

The Yemen war death toll is five times higher than we think – we can't shrug off our responsibilities any longer

The absence of credible figures for the death toll in Yemen until now, has made it easier for foreign powers to shrug off accusations they are complicit in a human disaster

One reason Saudi Arabia and its allies are able to avoid a public outcry over their intervention in the war in Yemen, is that the number of people killed in the fighting has been vastly understated. The figure is regularly reported as 10,000 dead in three-and-a-half years, a mysteriously low figure given the ferocity of the conflict.

Now a count by a non-partisan group has produced a study demonstrating 56,000 people have been killed in Yemen since early 2016. The number is increasing by more than 2,000 per month as fighting intensifies around the Red Sea port of Hodeidah. It does not include those dying of malnutrition, or diseases such as cholera.

“We estimate the number killed to be 56,000 civilians and combatants between January 2016 and October 2018,” says Andrea Carboni, who researches Yemen for the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), an independent group formerly associated with the University of Sussex that studies conflicts and is focusing attention on the real casualty level. He told me he expects a total of between 70,000 and 80,000 victims, when he completes research into the casualties, hitherto uncounted, who died between the start of the Saudi-led intervention in the Yemen civil war, in March 2015, and the end of that year.

The oft-cited figure of 10,000 dead comes from a UN official speaking only of civilians in early 2017, and has remained static since. This out of date statistic, drawn from Yemen’s patchy and war-damaged health system, has enabled Saudi Arabia and the UAE – who lead a coalition of states strongly backed by the US, UK and France – to ignore or downplay the loss of life.

Casualties are rising by the day as Saudi and UAE-directed forces try to cut off Hodeidah – the last port controlled by the Houthi rebels – from the capital, Sanaa.

Loss of life from fighting should be easier to record and publicise, and the fact this has not happened in Yemen is a sign of the lack of interest by the international community in the conflict. Carboni says ACLED has been able to tally the number of civilians and combatants killed in ground fighting and bombing by drawing on the Yemeni press and, to a lesser extent, international media. – by Patrick Cockburn

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/yemen-war-death-toll-saudi-arabia-allies-how-many-killed-responsibility-a8603326.html

My comment: The figure certainly is still higher, as there will be quite a great number of victims who actually never appear in the media; others, just being counted among those injured, have died later.

(** B H P)

Governments are starving Yemenis through anti-terror legislation

Far-reaching counter-terrorism laws are directly blocking the delivery of food and humanitarian aid in Yemen

What is little discussed, however, is the degree to which many - mostly western - governments around the world are complicit in Yemeni people's starvation, using far-reaching counter-terrorism laws which directly block the delivery of aid, including food aid, and prevent humanitarian organisations from doing their work.

While these laws are ostensibly aimed at reducing the chances of aid money ending up in the hands of terrorists, in reality they make it extremely difficult for aid organisations to carry out their life saving work in regions where they are often needed most, and cut off besieged populations from key supplies such as food.

Though similar measures had been in place in many countries since the 1970s, these laws were expanded after 9/11 to apply to any group or individual perceived as being associated with terrorism.
This means that organisations working in 'high risk' places such as Yemen must guarantee that neither they, nor any of the people they work with, are in some way benefiting terrorist groups - a level of compliance that most aid organisations find difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.

Banks and other financial institutions have also followed suit, using this legislation to block, delay or freeze funds to organisations working in conflict zones.

In Yemen, research by the Overseas Development Institute found delayed financial transactions meant critical food assistance programmes have been delayed or shut down for lack of funds. In one case, food was left to rot in a warehouse while the distribution company waited for money to come in.
Funds transfer restrictions have also crippled the Central Bank of Yemen, depriving local traders of important sources of cash and credit, rendering Yemenis unable to purchase what food and other goods make it into the country. It has also delayed or blocked transactions from US and European banks, forcing aid organisations to stop or reduce aid programmes because of a lack of funds.

By cutting off key relief lifelines, counter-terrorism legislation is also enabling the very behaviours these restrictions are supposed to address. In the case of Yemen, the restrictions on official aid have forced many to turn to the black market for food, fuel and money transfers where money is more likely to end up in the accounts of terrorist organisations.

And governments' increasingly inconsistent and unachievable set of counter-terrorism demands have left aid organisations feeling frustrated and confused. Despite having well-developed and sophisticated mechanisms that comply with global transparency standards and counter-terrorism legislation, many are seeing their finances delayed, bank accounts frozen or closed, operations stalled, and staff threatened with legal action.
Often, their response is simply to suspend work in the worst hit areas to avoid the risk of prosecution. We saw this same pattern in Somalia in 2011, where widespread famine killed 250,000 people due to the aid blockages and restrictions placed on relief supplies and aid organisations in large swathes of the country controlled by al-Shabab.

Criminalising historically legitimate and lawful forms of humanitarian engagement and cutting aid organisations off from the resources they need makes them slower and less effective, wastes relief supplies, and ultimately, destroys the lives of destitute people. In the case of Yemen, such laws are putting millions of Yemenis on the brink of famine.

Governments must rethink current counter-terrorism legislation now to ensure that aid gets through.
The clearest way of doing this would be to exempt humanitarian action in counter-terrorism legislation, or frame counter-terrorism offences more narrowly to avoid conflict with humanitarian operations.
If what happened in Somalia in 2011 is any indication, large-scale famine in Yemen is almost assured if Yemenis' access to food and other forms of humanitarian assistance isn't unlocked – by Christina Bennett, head of the Humanitarian Policy Group at the Overseas Development Institute

https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/comment/2018/10/25/governments-are-starving-yemenis-through-anti-terror-legislation

(** B P T)

Mosques imams assassinations in Aden... Did local mercenaries inherit the mission initiated by foreign mercenaries?

Last Tuesday evening, an unknown rifle killed the most present and most effective unknown in the city of Aden in front of a new mosque Imam in one of the city's neighborhoods.

As usual the news media published the news but the trading this time came late and about 24 hours after the operation happened and it did not increase the usual form that unknown gunmen riding a motorcycle, assassinated Sheikh Hamid al-Athwari, in front of the mosque of al-Furqan, in the Al Nasr district in the Alsawlaban area in Aden .

Contrary to previous operations, which were often aimed at imams, preachers, intellectual, advocacy and sometimes political activities, the latter was aimed at an elder who had no political affiliation and had no activity other than to attend the mosque and lead the people to pray in the absence of the main imam of the mosque In addition to being the Athwari is the muezzin of the Friday in the same mosque.

With the information and details provided by the American newspaper on the rental of mercenaries by the United Arab Emirates to carry out assassinations in Yemen, the aspect still the untold story is the parallel role played by local mercenaries. The UAE, being in control of the provinces of South and south-east Yemen, began early in the establishment of several directly affiliated armed formations, from which it receives funding, training, and supervision. Neither the head of the country nor the Army commander nor the Minister of the Interior can communicate with these formations or account for or change Those responsible.

Many observers argue that local militants (mercenaries) and armed formations have played the biggest role in assassinations since mid-2016 after receiving doses of training that make the operator dispense with or diminish the role of foreign mercenary companies that cost large sums.

These formations also proved to have high capacity and willingness to hijack political opponents, administer secret prisons and carry out torture without the need for victims to have real charges.

Through the implementation of a series of operations targeting leaders of the Islah party and others affiliated with the anti-Hani Ben Brik Salafist stream, one of the local agents of the UAE in southern Yemen, these formations and armed groups have demonstrated a great ability to execute without leaving a trace. By networking with its counterparts in Aden, the security forces have begun to close the files of all these assassinations one after another, restricting them against an unknown, not allowing any investigations to be carried out or exposing any of the perpetrators to accountability.

Returning to the last assassination that killed Sheikh Hamid al-Athwari and is personal No. 23 on the list of mosque imams killed in Aden, local media outlets working for the UAE and following the Southern transitional council (an entity demanding the secession of South Yemen and receiving support from the UAE) To cover up and deny this crime completely takes a new dimension in dealing with assassinations.

Posts were repeated on social media sites and responses to the tweets deny the occurrence of this process, as Southern tweets working in one Direction appeared to be a unified operating room, insisting that the process was a rumor invented by the Media of the Reform Party, a story they always repeat to cover Any of the crimes that the city is teeming with, especially crimes of a political nature.

The UAE did not deny what was reported in the investigation published by the American newspaper (Buzzfeed News) and appeared not to be needy in the absence of a Yemeni reaction, and the UAE only managed a media campaign against the Islah Party, which is one of the most effective Yemeni parties and presence on the scene and a supporter of operations Of the coalition-run military in Yemen, and the UAE has tried to work local public opinion on the case for the al-Houthi Islah alliance, a charge that it has been accusing for nearly a year and rising in the UAE's crimes of exposure in Yemen.

http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160152

(*** B P)

KHASHOGGI KILLING EXPOSES MORAL EMPTINESS OF OUR RULING CLASS

The killing of Jamal Khashoggi is not a "step too far" for the Saudi regime — it is business as usual.

The media appears to be finally waking up to the fact that Saudi Arabia, a country that many Western states ship billions of dollars worth of arms to each year, is run by a clan of murderous psychopaths.

This has all been triggered by the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. Since his disappearance inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the Saudi regime has concocted a variety of bizarre and implausible theories to explain away his untimely demise. The strangeness of this excuse-making is that it’s all being done in the open: the Saudis are publicly floating trial balloons of various narratives that pin blame elsewhere. It’s such a weak PR effort that one gets the sense they don’t care whether anyone believes them or not.

This has all been quite awkward for both our ruling class — who want to continue selling weapons to the Saudis with minimal fuss — and their mouthpieces in the media. One of the most prominent of these messengers is New York Times opinion-haver Thomas Friedman, who just last year was writing what amounted to cribbed PR statements for the Saudi regime and its crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman — or “MBS” as he affectionately refers to him.

A full recounting all the cringeworthy moments of Friedman’s puff pieces on Saudi Arabia could fill a book, but one example stands out in his Times profile of MBS.

Anyway, now that MBS apparently sliced up one of Friedman’s colleagues with a bone saw, he was forcedto pen a perhaps even more nauseating column in which he notes that if MBS was in fact behind the killing, “it will be a disaster for the regime of Mohammed bin Salman.” A disaster for who? Not the man dismembered by a team of assassins, but the regime of Mohammed bin Salman.

Friedman might be the worst offender in this genre of op-ed, but he’s far from the only organ of the ruling class who has been pushing a pro-Saudi line for years only to suddenly find much to object to in the regime’s treatment of dissidents and opponents.

Media critic Adam Johnson summed up the past week as “cockroaches scurrying around the kitchen after the lights turn on”, and that sounds about right to me. After all, as gruesome and horrific as Khashoggi’s killing was, it pales in comparison to the ongoing genocide being perpetrated by Saudi Arabia against the people of Yemen.

None of that, however, seemed to inspire much outrage in the people who are now so agitated about the Khashoggi killing. Writing for Bloomberg, Eli Lake decided that Khashoggi’s murder was “the kind of sinister statecraft to be expected from Russia, North Korea and Iran — not from a U.S. ally” and “crosses another line”. In the same piece, however, Lake warns that continuing the siege of Yemen — a policy that will result in the deaths of untold thousands — is critically important. Trump, Lake writes, must make it “clear that the U.S. remains committed to helping its allies counter Iran in Yemen.” Got all that? Blowing up school buses and starving an entire population: fine. Killing a journalist: that’s a step too far. Such has been the typical message from the mainstream press in the past couple weeks.

The entire affair is, of course, another reminder of the grotesque cruelty of the Saudi regime, and of the psychosis of authoritarian rule in general. But it’s also an exposé of the mindless hypocrisy of our own ruling class and the Very Serious Thought Leaders who serve them. Let’s just say what we all know to be true: the real interests of these people are financial, and the Saudis have deep pockets. Not only do they buy weapons in spades, they pony up for lucrative retainer contracts with consultants and PR hacks to whitewash their crimes. And once these spinners lose their edge, they can retire to a cushy sinecure at some Saudi-funded think tank, of which there are many.

This latest flare-up of concern around the morality of doing business with some of the world’s most vicious gangsters is inconvenient for the beneficiaries of Saudi largesse, and they have had to do some posturing on the matter to save face. But rest assured this is a temporary state of affairs: there will be some hemming and hawing, but all the usual suspects will be back to Saudi cheerleading soon enough. I know this because these are not moral people with consistent principles — anyone who met that description would recognize the murder of Khashoggi for what it is: not some line-crossing event, but just another episode in a long series of Saudi brutality. And if you can’t summon the integrity to damn the whole criminal enterprise — to say that doing business with genocidal regimes is an inexcusable sin, even when they have money — then of what use are your thoughts and prayers for Jamal Khashoggi? – by Taylor Scollon

https://thecable.co/khashoggi-killing-exposes-moral-emptiness-of-our-ruling-class/

(** B P)

The Khashoggi Affair and the Future of Saudi Arabia

If the Saudi power structure were to crumble in the wake of the Khashoggi scandal there would be chaos at home and a shift in power around the Gulf

If Donald Trump seems at a loss about how to respond to the Jamal Khashoggi murder, it may not be because he’s worried about his Saudi business investments or any of the other things that Democrats like to bring up to avoid talking about more serious topics. Rather, it’s likely because Trump may be facing one of the biggest U.S. foreign-policy crises since the overthrow of the shah in 1979.

At that time the U.S. counted on support from Arab Gulf states no less frightened by the Iranian revolution. That included Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, oil emirates Kuwait and Qatar, plus the Saudis themselves.

But if the Saudi power structure were ever to crumble in the wake of the Khashoggi scandal, there would likely be chaos because there is no alternative to replace it. The impact on the region would be significant. With its 55-percent Shi‘ite majority, Iraq is already in the Iranian orbit after the U.S. overthrow of Saddam; Qatar and Oman are on businesslike terms with Tehran, while Kuwait and the UAE could possibly reach an accommodation with Teheran as well. The upshot would be an immense power shift in which the Persian Gulf could revert to being an Iranian lake. That’s probably why the United States and Israel will do everything in its power to prevent the House of Saud from falling.

The consequences in terms of U.S. imperial interests would be nearly incalculable. For decades, America has used the Gulf to shape and direct its interests in the larger Eurasian economy. Thanks to trillions of dollars in military investment, the Saudis control the spigot through which roughly 24 percent of the world’s daily oil supply flows, much of it bound for such economic powerhouses as India, China, South Korea, and Japan. Should control pass to someone else, America would find its monopoly severely impaired. The effects would also be felt in Syria, where Israel is incensed by the Iranian presence. It would be even more so should the Saudi counterweight be removed.

Expert consensus is that the regime is conservative, consensus-oriented, and stable, and that all the king might have to do ensure the regime’s survival is to remove his son, Muhammad bin Salman (MbS), as crown prince.

However, the kingdom may be less stable than it appears. It was already in trouble when MbS began his rise in early 2015. The second generation of Al-Saud rulers appeared played out along with their economic model.

Disaffected royals thus demand political change along with angry mullahs, obsessed jihadis, and millions of jobless young people. By flooding Saudi Arabia with oil revenue and high-tech armaments and allowing it to attack whomever it pleases, the U.S. has contributed to an increasingly dangerous build-up of highly combustible forces. Liberals may hope that a constitutional monarchy emerges out of the current mess, but it’s unlikely in the extreme. The Saudi crisis is likely instead to intensify – By Daniel Lazare

https://consortiumnews.com/2018/10/25/the-khashoggi-affair-and-the-future-of-saudi-arabia/

cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics

(* A H)

World Health Organization: Outbreak update – Cholera in Yemen, 25 October 2018

The Ministry of Public Health and Population of Yemen has reported 13403 suspected cases and 26 associated deaths during epidemiological week 40 (1–7 October) in 2018. 11% are severe cases. The cumulative total number of suspected cholera cases from 27 April 2017 to 7 October 2018 is 1236028 and 2556 associated deaths (CFR 0.21%).

Since the beginning of the current outbreak, 22 out of 23 governorates and 306 out of 333 districts in Yemen have been affected.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/outbreak-update-cholera-yemen-25-october-2018

(** B H)

After Cholera.. « Diphtheria» appears in debilitating Yemen

In Sanaa, Yemen, under the control of the militants of the Ansar Allah (Houthis) since 2014, the "diphtheria" epidemic has re-emerged.

In the Seventieth for motherhood and Childhood" hospital in central Sana'a, the number of people infected with the epidemic reached 65, within days.

Amid the sick lie-down Lounge, the Deputy Director of the Department « diphtheria » In the hospital, Doctor Yasser Sultan, puts a mask on his nose. "Ten people have died, and the health authorities are trying to save 55 others," Sultan told Anadolu.

"Medical drugs and vaccines related to the epidemic have not met the required needs," he added. Some medications are available at a low rate, which exacerbates the spread of the epidemic. "

"The problem is not about the epidemic itself, but its complications, which often lead to death a few days after it is infected, given the lack of medicines and vaccines," he added.

Through a germ, called the " Corynebacterium diphtheriae ", the disease is transmitted "diphtheria", mainly affects the mouth, eyes, nose, and sometimes the skin, and the incubation period of the disease lasts from two to six days.

The outbreak of diphtheria in Yemen coincides with the cholera epidemic since late April 2017. Cholera has resulted in the deaths of more than 2,000 and 200 people, with the number of suspected cases exceeding one million, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Preparations for a "diphtheria" epidemic remain weak because of the war, which has led to epidemics and the closure of many health facilities in one of the world's poorest countries.

At the Al-Seventieth Hospital for motherhood and Childhood, the Minister of Health and population of the Houthi government (not recognized), Taha al-Mutawakel, urged the evacuation of some medical departments to absorb the infeted. This action came after six people from a single family who had contracted the epidemic arrived at the hospital, from the Haraz area west of Sana'a.

The hospital receives medical vaccines and drugs from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other health organizations. "Without that health support, Yemen has seen the worst health tragedy," one nurse said, requesting that his name not to be published to Anadolu.

Because of the weakness of the accurate medical diagnosis in Yemen, dozens of patients think that the initial symptoms of diphtheria are the symptoms of seasonal fevers and diseases that only need antibiotics.

In August 2017, the first case of diphtheria was diagnosed, according to the spokesperson for the Ministry of Health of the Houthi government, Yusuf al-Haderi, to Andulo: "To date, the ministry has registered 2537 cases, of which 141 have died."

http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160100

cp1b Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah / Most important: Hodeidah battle

Siehe / Look at cp16

(* A K)

MAP UPDATE: SAUDI-BACKED FORCES CONTINUE THEIR ATTEMPTS TO REACH YEMEN’S AL-HUDAYDAH

Forces loyal to the Saudi-UAE-led coalition continue their attemts to reach the key Yemeni port city of al-Hudaydah, which is currently controlled by the Houthis (Ansar Allah) and their allies.

https://maps.southfront.org/map-update-saudi-backed-forces-continue-their-attempts-to-reach-yemens-al-hudaydah/

(A K)

Emirati-backed Yemeni forces seized multiple naval missiles hidden by al Houthi forces in the Kilo 10 area of al Hali district, eastern al Hudaydah governorate, western Yemen on October 25. The missiles were Russian-made, according to Emirati news sources.[4]

https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-october-26-2018

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Fighting has been the violent since the beginning of the Hodeidah battles. Residents: Clashes reach residential neighborhoods

Local residents in the western city of Hodeidah said Thursday that their fierce battles--the violent since the fighting began in the south of the city in mid-May--erupted yesterday evening between government troops and Houthi militants.

The Al-Masdar online correspondent quoted the residents as saying that his battles had taken place for more than 10 hours, southwest of the city towards the roundabout and the May 22 platform west of the airport.

They described the fighting as the most violent since the beginning of the Hodeidah battles, as both sides used heavy and medium weapons.

They added that the battles were extended to the vicinity of Hodeidah University and the airport roundabout, while the "Apache" fighters of the Saudi Arabian coalition led long hours in the sky of the city, and launched raids, in addition to attacks with heavy machine guns.

The residents said that the helicopters continued to attack the Houthis who withdrew to al-J’abali Street in the al-Rabsa neighborhood, as well as their withdrawal to sites and neighborhoods behind the Tehama Development Authority building in the south of the city.

http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160096

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UAE Backs Renewed Push to Take Hodeidah

The Saudi-backed government of Yemen said Wednesday that it is launching a renewed assault to take the port city of Hodeidah, which has been held by Houthi rebels since the beginning of the Yemeni civil war. It is the country's most important port for the delivery of food and medicine, including critical aid supplied by the United Nations and partner agencies.

Yemeni government officials told reporters that armored vehicles have been delivered from the UAE, a member of the Saudi-led coalition, in advance of the assault. In addition, more troops have reportedly been brought into Yemen from Sudan.

"Thousands of trained fighters, including thousands of Sudanese soldiers, were transported to the southern areas of the port city of Hodeidah as a part of big preparations for a wider offensive aimed . . . to take full control over the city and its ports," said Colonel Mamoon Al Mahjami of the Yemeni government's Giant Brigade, a former Yemeni Army unit that has been re-equipped by the UAE.

Airstrikes and intermittent skirmishes have continued on Hodeidah's periphery.

https://maritime-executive.com/article/uae-backs-renewed-push-to-take-hodeidah

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In Saudi-besieged Hodeidah, Yemen's famine has already struck

Food prices have doubled, cholera is spreading and millions are starving. It may only be the beginning for Yemen's beleaguered population

Hunger bites

In recent months, Hodeidah has become the hottest front in a largely gridlocked conflict.

Most Yemenis with the means to do so have fled the city on the Red Sea coast, leaving only those like Morie who cannot pay for transportation out, and have nowhere else to go.

“I was just about able to find a house in the city and I don’t have shelter elsewhere, so I haven’t left. We live amid war and hope that [aid] organisations can help us,” he said.

Aid organisations have been able to help allieviate the suffering of some, but according to Morie it just hasn’t been enough.

"We received soap and blankets from some organizations, but there is no one that provides us with enough food,” he said.

As his children rapidly lose weight and show signs of malnutrition, Morie’s neighbours have urged him to take them to hospital. But he can't. He doesn't have the money.

For four-year-old Nashwan Mukhtar it is a similar story. He’s suffering from malnutrition, and though he has been treated at a Hodeidah hospital, his bones can still be seen jutting out through his skin.

Nashwan is smaller than any four-year-old should be, and finds it difficult to speak.

His father, Reslan Mukhtar, works as a motorcycle courier and earns no more than 1,000 Yemeni rials ($1.5) a day, not enough to buy milk and fruit for his seven children.

"Nashwan was born at the beginning of the war and daily incomes have reduced because of the fuel crisis and the increase of prices. So I could not buy milk for Nashwan," he told MEE.

"Nashwan did not get breastfed because my wife herself couldn’t get proper food and I hardly ever managed to buy bread, rice and beans. Now the result is my child suffers from malnutrition."

With no solution on the horizon – rather, the promise of an uptick of violence as the pro-government forces close in – families such as this one can only resort to praying.

Sordid streets

As malnutrition becomes more prevalent, diseases and infections are spreading.

According to Dr Firdous Monasar, who works in Hodeidah, since the Saudi-led coaltion’s offensive on the city began in June the number of cholera cases has spiked heavily.

"Residents of Hodeidah are the poorest in the country and they barely get any food to eat. The recent battles forced them to flee their houses and live in dirty environments, sometimes outdoors," Monasar told MEE.

"The recent battles and increase of prices left more hungry people, more IDPs [displaced people] live outdoors and this means more diseases spread among them because they do not get the proper food that helps their bodies resist diseases."

Some aid organizations are providing hospitals in the city with medicine, she said, but it is important that people are given food, because prevention is better than a cure.

"I believe hunger will continue to spread in Hodeidah because of the currency’s collapse and the ongoing war," she said.

Between June and August, Save the Children-supported health facilities across the Hodeidah governorate recorded a 170 percent increase in the number of suspected cholera cases, from 497 in June to 1,342 in August.

According to the World Health Organisation, 30 percent of all suspected cholera cases are children under five years old.

The number of beggars on Hodeidah’s streets has been increasing dramatically, and you can find men, women and children moving from shop to shop asking for help.

According to Abdul Salam Ismail, a social worker in Hodiedah’s social affairs office, most residents used to depend on farms and fishing, but the war has deprived them from their work.

"The farms are in conflict zones and fishing has been forbidden by the Saudi-led coalition, so this doubled the suffering of Hodeidah residents and we started to see more people begging in streets," Ismail told MEE.

"The suffering of Hodeidah's residents is incredible, as people only seek bread and rice, and many families do not eat fruits, vegetables or meat."

Ismail said that famine has already spread in Hodeidah, but the percentage of people affected is not clear yet because aid workers cannot reach all families that suffer from starvation.

"The famine spread in the outskirts of the city that became conflict zones and we cannot reach them. But I call on INGOs to intervene and help families in conflict zones where diseases kill people," he said, adding that Hodeidah should be a priority to aid organisations and all parties that can help hungry people.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/saudi-besieged-hodeidah-yemens-famine-has-already-struck-1012983946

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Film: The situation in #Yemen's vital port of #Hodeidahafter the escalation of #Saudi led coalition.

https://www.facebook.com/StopTheWarOnYemen/videos/vb.319595141544022/325296531385954/?type=2&theater

cp2 Allgemein / General

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Interactive Map of Yemen War

https://yemen.liveuamap.com/

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Im Zermürbungswettbewerb

Nach dem Mord an Jamal Khashoggi wächst auch die Kritik am Krieg im Jemen. Der Vormarsch des von Riad geschmiedeten Bündnisses stockt – und das Land hungert

www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ausland/krieg-im-jemen-vormarsch-saudi-arabiens-stockt-und-das-land-hungert-15858717.html

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Just imagine... The response if Jamal Khashoggi had been Russian

The wrong perpetrators

Just Imagine… if, on August 9, 2018, the Syrian air force had bombed a school bus killing 40 boys aged six to eleven who were being taken on a school trip along with eleven adults. And that the 227kg laser bomb which had caused the carnage had been supplied by Russia?

You can be sure that there would have been renewed calls for airstrikes on Syrian government targets and for protests outside Russian Embassies worldwide. There would also have been calls for the UK Parliament to be recalled from summer recess. Pro-war MPs would have demanded that President Assad stood trial at The Hague.

But it wasn’t the Syrian air-force who bombed the school bus in August. It was the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. And the bomb was supplied by the US, not Russia.

So the neocons and ‘humanitarian interventionists’ stayed as silent as Trappist monks with sore throats.

https://www.rt.com/op-ed/442280-khashoggi-russia-iraq-assange/

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For a few hours after The New York Times published an article about conflict and hunger in Yemen, Facebook temporarily removed posts from readers who had tried to share the report on the social platform.

At issue was a photograph of a starving child.

Facebook had addressed the issue by Friday night.

“As our community standards explain, we don’t allow nude images of children on Facebook, but we know this is an important image of global significance,” a spokeswoman said in an emailed statement. “We’re restoring the posts we removed on this basis.”

Dozens of people complained about similar issues on social media or in emails to the journalists who originally reported the story. But it is unclear how many people were affected.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/26/business/facebook-blocks-nyt-yemen.html

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Deutschland liefert, Saudi-Arabien tötet

Krieg im Jemen: Die Saudi-Emirate-Koalition bombardiert eine Fabrik und tötet 16 Zivilisten. Die Bundesregierung genehmigte 2018 Rüstungslieferungen in Höhe von 416 Mio. € an die Saudis.

Die Aufmerksamkeit der geneigten, an Krieg und Frieden interessierten Leserin lag gestern – womöglich – auf drei Nachrichten mit Bezug zum Jemen. Eine aus Hodeida, eine aus Berlin und eine aus New York.

Saudi-Emirate-Koalition tötet 16 Zivilisten

Die erste Nachricht: In Bayt al-Faqih, 70 km südlich von Hodeida im Westjemen fielen gestern Bomben auf eine Fabrik zur Verpackung von Gemüse. 16 Menschen wurden getötet, berichtet Reuters unter Berufung auf Rettungskräfte und Anwohner. Zwölf weitere wurden verletzt. Das Gesundheitsministerium spricht von 21 Toten. Ein Sprecher der Saudi-Emirate-Koalition versprach – wie immer – eine „vollständige Untersuchung“.

Rüstungsexporte an die Saudis auf Rekordhöhe

Die zweite Nachricht kam in der Tagesschau, gestern über einen Rüstengsexportbericht von Wirtschaftsminister Peter Altmaier (CDU) berichtete. Laut diesem genehmigte die Bundesregierung allein in den ersten drei Quartalen 2018 Rüstungsexporte nach Saudi-Arabien in Höhe von 416 Millionen Euro, im Jahr zuvor waren es insgesamt 254 Millionen Euro. Eine Verdopplung zum Vorjahr ist demnach für 2018 absehbar – auch wenn Merkel nun einen vorläufigen Exportstopp nach Saudi-Arabien ankündigte.

Ein Satz von Tagesschau-Sprecherin Judith Rakers war bemerkenswert: „Vor allem die Lieferungen an Saudi-Arabien sind nach der Tötung des kritischen Journalisten Khashoggi umstritten.“

Der Mord an Jamal Khashoggi ist abscheulich und ist bezeichnend für die Mentalität des Tyrannen Mohammed bin Salman (MbS). Doch ebenso bezeichnend ist der Umstand, dass nicht dreieinhalb Jahre versuchter Völkermord des Tyrannen MbS im Jemen Waffenlieferungen nach Saudi-Arabien „umstritten“ machten, sondern der Mord an einem einzigen Journalisten.

Der Verrat der Regierung

Bereits im Koalitionsvertrag der aktuellen GroKo-Ausgabe steht unmissverständlich geschrieben: „Wir werden ab sofort keine Ausfuhren an Länder genehmigen, solange diese unmittelbar am Jemen-Krieg beteiligt sind.“ Die Regierung hat es bis heute nicht geschafft, eine Liste zu erstellen, auf welche Länder dies überhaupt zutrifft. „Es gibt Gespräche“, erklärt Regierungssprecher Steffen Seibert und ist auf Nachbohren von Tilo Jung so hilflos wie selten.

Doch entgegen dem Standpunkt der Regierung ist dies keine Ansichtssache, sondern eine Sache von Fakten

Doch die Bundesregierung verrät nicht nur die jemenitische Bevölkerung, sondern auch die deutsche und begeht offensichtlichen Wortbruch an ihrem eigenen Papier

Komplizenschaft an Genozid

Die Saudi-Emirate-Koalition begeht im Jemen einen versuchten Völkermord. Unablässiger Bombenterror tötet jeden Tag unschuldige Menschen – und zerstört deren ohnehin marode, dafür umso lebensnotwendigere Infrastruktur: Kraftwerke, Stromnetze, Straßen, Wohnviertel, Brücken, Häfen – von Jakob Reimann

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/jakob-reimann-justicenow/deutschland-liefert-saudi-arabien-toetet = https://diefreiheitsliebe.de/politik/deutschland-liefert-saudi-arabien-toetet/

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Conflict in Yemen

The Brookings Institution hosted a discussion about the conflict in Yemen and the U.S. policy toward the ongoing violence and related humanitarian issues. Panelists talked about many factors contributing to the crisis, and made suggestions for what they thought the U.S. and international community should do to end the war and help the Yemeni people, many of whom-upwards of 14 million, according to a U.N. assessment-are on the brink of famine. Speakers: Daphna Hochman Rand; Bruce Riedel; Nathan B. Sachs (film; full transscripts)

https://www.c-span.org/video/?453579-1/brookings-forum-examines-us-policy-war-yemen

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Saudi Arabia's role in the Yemen war

With Saudi Arabia in the spotlight over the Jamal Khashoggi case, The National takes a closer look at its role in Yemen's war. The kingdom has drawn international criticism because of what's happening to civilians there. Save the Children released a report describing Yemen’s collapsing economy. This after the United Nations said there is danger of an imminent famine in a country where survival is a daily struggle.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/thenational/saudi-arabia-s-role-in-the-yemen-war-1.4879186

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Der Hals schwillt gern bequem

Rolex oder Cum-Ex, Jamal Khashoggi oder Jemenkrieg? Die öffentliche Empörung sucht sich oft nicht die größten Ziele, sondern die einfachsten.

Auch heute werden im Jemen 130 Kinder an den Folgen von Unterernährung sterben, vielleicht ein paar weniger, vielleicht auch einige mehr. Das macht 50.000 tote Kinder pro Jahr. Die Hälfte der Bevölkerung, 14 Millionen Menschen, ist von einer akuten Hungersnot bedroht. Das heißt: Sie kann sich nicht mehr selbst ernähren, sondern ist komplett auf fremde Hilfe angewiesen. Der Beauftragte der UN sagt, die Katastrophe sei in dem Land, in dem seit dreieinhalb Jahren Krieg herrscht, "viel größer als alles, was die Experten auf diesem Gebiet in ihrem Berufsleben je erlebt haben".

Entscheidend dafür ist Saudi-Arabien, dessen Flugzeuge im Jemen Wohngebiete, Märkte, Beerdigungen, Hochzeiten, Gefängnisse, zivile Schiffe und Krankenhäuser bombardieren. Jetzt empört sich die westliche Welt über Saudi-Arabien. Aber nicht wegen des Kriegs im Jemen. Sondern wegen des Mordes an dem Journalisten Jamal Khashoggi.

Das brachte selbst Volker Perthes, den altgedienten Direktor der Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, zu der Feststellung: "Es ist eigentlich erstaunlich, dass Saudi-Arabien plötzlich wegen eines Mordes, egal wer letztendlich dafür verantwortlich war, am Pranger steht und nicht wegen des seit Jahren anhaltenden Jemenkrieges, der mindestens so viel Kritik notwendig hat."

Recht hat er. Das ist erstaunlich.

Woran liegt das?

Es hilft zu verstehen, dass die Empörung der wütende Zwilling des Mitgefühls ist. Das eine ist negative Anteilnahme, das andere positive. Das Mitgefühl für Opfer eines Terroranschlags in Paris ist in Deutschland viel höher als das für Terroropfer in Beirut oder Ankara, ja, oft ist gar das Mitgefühl für die Schicksalsschläge im Leben eines Promis höher als das für Kriegsopfer. Mitgefühl und Empörung sind beides Gefühle, die sich nicht an die Kriterien der Rationalität zu halten scheinen.

Früher gab es ein wirkmächtiges Raster, das heute wunderbar zum Fall Cum-Ex passen würde. Es heißt: Klassenkampf. Es war unter sozialistisch bis sozialdemokratisch Gesinnten selbstverständlich, Bereicherungen von Reichen auf Kosten der Mehrheit als direkten Angriff zu verstehen, auf die Gerechtigkeit und auf einen selbst. Diese Menschen hätten Cum-Ex sehr persönlich genommen. Aber Klassenkampf ist abgesagt. Klare Fronten sind heute verpönt, weil ja angeblich Komplexität die Ideologie abgelöst hat.

Die Fronten wären herstellbar, denn die Regeln der Empörung lassen sich verändern.

Ganz anders verhält es sich bei Cum-Ex und dem Jemenkrieg. Wer sich über sie empört, müsste als Wählerin oder Wähler konsequenterweise auch die eigene Weltanschauung und Wahlentscheidung überdenken. Die Linkspartei setzt sich seit Jahren sowohl für mehr steuerlichen Druck auf Reiche als auch für ein Ende aller Waffenlieferungen an Saudi-Arabien (und an alle anderen Staaten) ein. Also Linkspartei wählen? Vielleicht würde deren Programm aber in anderen Punkten den eigenen Interessen schaden, den eigenen Ansichten widersprechen? Dann müssten die Empörten abwägen

https://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/zeitgeschehen/2018-10/empoerung-moralische-entruestung-indignation-oeffentlichkeit-medien

Mein Kommentar: Guter Artikel, der aber die Rolel der Medien (die „Zeit“ eingeschlossen) bei der bewussten Steuerung der öffentlichen Empörung auf (im Sinn der neoliberalen Agenda und der geopolitischen Interessen der USA) unbedenkliche Ziele. Das kommt auch in Kommentaren unter dem Artikel zum Ausdruck:

Kommentar O: Erst kommt die inszenierte Erregung, Skandalisierung und Hyperinformationsagenda, die eigentlich Desinformation massenweise erzeugt, dann erst beginnt die "öffentliche" Erregung der Menschen. Sie sind also eher Opfer als Täter!

Kommentar GO: Sie vergessen in der Kritik an der Empörungsungerechtigkeit einen wichtigen Aspekt, den Bernadette Grubner in einem Essay hier sehr gut beschrieben hat. Darin geht es um die auch von ZON vorangetriebene gefühlige Empörungsmaschinerie für die vermeintlichen Diskriminierungserfahrungen jeder noch so kleinen Randgruppe hinter der die großen sozialen und wirtschaftlichen Ungerechtigkeiten unseres Wirtschaftsystems zurückstecken müssen. In der Aufmerksamkeitsökonomie wird den echten und universellen (unabhängig von Ethnie und Geschlecht) Klassenkämpfen dadurch viel zu wenig Gewicht beigemessen und zurechtdefinierte Gruppen gegeneinander ausgespielt. Gefühl schlägt Ratio, individuelle Kränkung tatsächliche Ungerchtigkeit. Die Sieger sind der Neoliberalismus, der Kapitalismus, und die oberen Gesellschaftsschichten (Cum-Exler z.B.). Verlierer im Grunde alle anderen incl. der Kinder im Jemen.

(B P)

Why waste your social media on Yemen when Goatgate will get you more likes?

I know what you’re thinking, again, the same as me – pictures of kids dying, especially foreign kids in faraway atrocities, don’t seem to carry much mileage online these days, do they? That market peaked three years ago with the Syrian kid on the Turkish beach. Post something on Facebook about Yemen right now and it’s good for, what, four or five likes maybe, not worth the investment of one’s social-media credibility capital.

So my tip for the social-media stock exchange – forget Larysa Switlyk. Post about the new Laurel and Hardy film. In no time flat you’ll be run over by a stampede of big red love hearts.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/25/yemen-goatgate-social-media-likes

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12 Examples of How Saudi Arabia Mimics Israel’s Genocidal Strategy for Yemen Crisis

It seems as though Saudi Arabia is taking notes directly out of Israel’s playbook. A close look at the Yemen crisis reveals several similarities as both oppressors attempt to beat their subjects into submission. And in both cases, the subjects refuse to submit.

The Yemen crisis provides virtually a mirror image of Gaza in terms of the oppressor’s strategy. Here are just a few ways the Saudi and Israeli strategy overlaps.

1. Inhumane Blockade and Collective Punishment in Yemen Crisis

Saudi Arabia imposed a land, sea, and air blockade over its southern neighbor in 2015 shortly after revolutionary forces took control of the capital, Sana’a. Yemenis and human rights groups alike say these measures amount to collective punishment.

2. Hyper-restricting the Flow of Movement

The Rafah Border Crossing is Gaza’s only point of access to the outside world via Egypt. Israeli Occupying Forces handed control of the gateway to Egyptians in 1982 who effectively operate on Israel’s behalf in this instance. For years, Egyptian forces have opened and closed Rafah sporadically and arbitrarily.

In comparison, Saudi Arabia’s allies control Yemen’s only access points to the outside world with the only operational airport in the occupied city of Aden. Anyone entering or leaving the country must pass through checkpoints controlled by Saudi or Emirati-backed mercenaries or troops.

3. Destroying Economy and Civilian Livelihood

The Saudi-led coalition has also launched an economic war against Yemen through their blockade. In October, the Yemeni rial plunged to a record low of 830 amounting to just one U.S. dollar.

This war against Yemen’s economy has prohibited public sector workers from receiving their salaries for years. As a result, many public sector employees like teachers, engineers, doctors, nurses, and sanitation workers to seek employment in the private sector.

4. Control of International Dialogue on Yemen Crisis

Saudi Arabia has effectively isolated Yemen from the international community on several fronts by controlling and manipulating the international dialogue to its advantage.

Waleed Al Ibrahim founded the Middle East Broadcasting Center in 1991 in London and later moved the company’s headquarters to Dubai. This media conglomerate controls about a dozen outlets — including Al Arabiya, a Saudi-owned pan-Arab television news channel broadcast throughout the Middle East.

Another influential Saudi tycoon, Al-Waleed bin Talal, is the grandson of the first Saudi king, Ibn Saud. He also happens to be the second largest voting shareholder of 21st Century Fox. Subsidiaries of this conglomerate include the Fox News network, National Geographic, Star TV, Regency Enterprises, and even Hulu. In late 2011, Al-Waleed invested $300 million in Twitter, which amounted to over a 3 percent share at the time.

In June of 2017, Saudi investor Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel purchased a stake of between 25 percent and 50 percent in London-based outlet The Independent.

Outside the public eye, Riyadh utilizes various embassies and subscriptions to guide the narrative wherever possible. Through embassies, the Saudis can monitor local media agencies to spot outlets ripe for manipulation.

The “Saudi Cables,” published by WikiLeaks, display how precisely the kingdom takes a systemic approach to projecting a positive — or at least neutral — image across the Arab world and beyond.

5. Erasing History and Cultural Identity

6. Famine and Disease as a Weapon to Create Yemen Crisis

Famine and disease isn’t just an unintentional byproduct of the blockade — it’s a weapon of war in the Yemen crisis.

Saudi Arabia imposed its blockade over Yemen shortly after revolutionary forces took control of the country’s capital, Sana’a, in 2015. This land, air, and sea blockade severely restricts imports, exports, and the flow of movement – by Randi Nord

http://geopoliticsalert.com/yemen-crisis-saudi-arabia

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Low-Profile Killing: Unlike Khashoggi Case, New Saudi Slaughter in Yemen Evokes Little Concern

As news of the brutal dismemberment of Saudi Khashoggi’s captivated international media, the bodies of women and children lie dismembered following a Saudi airstrike on a vegetable market in Yemen.

As international pressure mounts on Saudi Arabia over the murder of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi-led coalition has carried on with its brutal military campaign against Yemen’s port city of Hodeida.

Twenty-three-year-old Mohammed, who lost his brother in the attack on the vegetable market, complained that coalition attacks on Yemen are being ignored by the international community:

The world is busy with Khashoggi while we are being killed in much worse ways. Maybe if my brother worked at the New York Times or was a Saudi, the reaction over his death would have been different.”

Although the coalition, led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, has killed numerous civilians in Yemen since October 2, when the saga of Khashoggi began, much of the corporate media, and even the U.S. government, have shown little concern over continued Saudi attacks on Yemeni civilians.

In fact, the same day that news of Khashoggi’s disappearance broke, a Saudi warplane targeted a family displaced by the war — killing a man, his wife, and their nine-year-old daughter along with 10 other civilians. And as news of the brutal dismemberment of Saudi Khashoggi’s captivated international media, the bodies of an entire family of beekeepers in Yemen lay dismembered following a Saudi coalition airstrike on their small family farm.

Shortly after the marketplace attack, MintPress was able to photograph fragments of the bomb likely used in the attack. The weapon, a Mark 82 (MK-82) bomb, is jointly manufactured by U.S. weapons companies Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics.

https://www.mintpressnews.com/low-profile-killing-unlike-khashoggi-case-new-saudi-slaughter-yemen-evokes-little-concern/251028/

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Paul Vallely on Saudi Arabia: First the statistic, now the tragedy

Saudi Arabia’s crimes, large and small, should elicit a response

IT IS puzzling that the death of one man should have triggered such outrage and disgust at the regime in Saudi Arabia, when three years of ruthless bombing in Yemen — and the death of more than 10,000 men, women, and children — failed to generate a similar ire.

The international response to the death of the Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi tells us something about our politics, and perhaps something deeper about human nature.

Politicians are normally coy about making public the private calculation that political and economic interests outweigh ethical concern for those who suffer as “collateral damage”. President Trump is a different kind of creature. He openly admits that Saudi Arabia’s status as a strategic and economic ally tempers his response to the regime’s savage and premeditated murder of Mr Khashoggi. Every time he speaks, the number of American jobs at stake goes up: first 40,000, then 400,000, then 450,000, 500,000, 600,000, and now a million.

Others do not imitate the President’s response. Dozens of governments and business leaders have pulled out of the prestigious Saudi “Davos in the Desert” investment conference. Germany and Spain have stopped weapons exports to Riyadh. Opinion polls show that most British people want to do the same, even if our Foreign Secretary is equivocating.

We do not have such vivid detail about the death of the 10,000 civilians in Yemen. But we would do well to exercise our moral imagination and our indignation on them, too.

https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2018/26-october/comment/columnists/paul-vallely-on-saudi-arabia-first-the-statistic-now-the-tragedy

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Yemen: The bigger lie

While Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) frantically tries to scrub Jamal Khashoggi’s blood off his hands like a Middle Eastern Lady Macbeth – “Here’s the smell of blood still. Not all the sweet perfumes of Arabia will sweeten this hand.” – could we have a word about his war in Yemen too?

When the war in Yemen is discussed in the Western media, two phrases recur constantly. One is the “internationally recognized president”, a phrase meant to suggest that the man in question, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, is somehow the legitimate and even the democratically elected leader of the country.

The other misleading phrase is the “Iranian-backed Houthi rebels”, a formulation meant to suggest that the Houthis, who have controlled most of Yemen for the past three years, are mere pawns of the evil Iranians.

“Iranian-backed” is also meant to suggest that the Houthi rebels are actually being supplied with weapons by Iran, an allegation that is used by Arab countries beholden to Saudi Arabiaand by MbS’s American and European arms suppliers to justify their support for his war on Yemen. Both phrases are deliberately misleading.

Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi came to power in Yemen in 2012, when the “Arab spring” revolt that overthrew long-ruling dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh was threatening to topple into civil war. Saleh had always resisted Saudi Arabia’s attempts to control its far poorer Yemeni neighbor, and the Saudis exploited his fall to put their own man, Hadi, into power.

Hadi was “elected” president in 2012, in a vote where nobody else ran, to serve a two-year transitional term while the country sorted out a new constitution. He was effectively overthrown by Houthi tribal militia in 2014, partly because he was a Saudi puppet but mainly because he supported a Saudi scheme to create a federal system that would impoverish the Houthis.

Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen is really about putting its own placeman, Hadi, back into power. He is ‘internationally recognized’ (although his mandate ran out four years ago), but that’s no great accomplishment. Even Saddam Hussein was ‘internationally recognized’.

Iran certainly approves of the Houthi revolt, partly because the Houthis are fellow Shias but mainly because they overthrew a Saudi puppet president. But there is no reason to believe that Iran actively encouraged the revolt – the Houthis understand their own interests quite well – and absolutely no evidence that it has supplied the Houthis with weapons.

It’s just not necessary: Yemen is flooded with weapons, and always has been. Besides, there is no way for Iran to get weapons and supplies in to the Houthis. Yemen is a thousand kilometers from Iran, with Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies in between. Saudi Arabia and its allies control the seas around Yemen and the airspace over it. The whole idea is nonsense.

The Saudis make a great fuss about the missiles that the Houthis occasionally launch at Saudi Arabian targets, in a pathetic retaliation for the intense Saudi air attacks they live under every day. Riyadh claims that the missiles must be Iranian, because the Yemenis are too primitive to handle that technology.

This is more nonsense. The missiles are just upgraded Scuds, a 1950s Soviet design that was sold to half the countries in the Third World. The Yemeni armed forces had them, the Houthis captured them, and Yemeni technicians are perfectly capable of extending their range to reach Riyadh and other Saudi cities. But they have not managed to make them accurate at those ranges: they rarely hit anything.

The Houthis are not an admirable lot, but they are just fighting their corner. There are no Iranians in sight, but Saudi stories about them win American support for MbS’s war. And the Western media almost never question these much bigger lies, although they are having a collective meltdown over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi – by Gwynne Dyer

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/opinion/gwynne-dyer/yemen-the-bigger-lie-138280

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Amid famine, anger at Khashoggi murder, will Saudis be pressed to end Yemen war?

“There is an opportunity in all this for us,” Riedel said. “Refocus attention on Yemen and on quitting the war as quickly as possible.”

The United States needs to “find a way to bring the regional conflict to a halt, [but] recognize that [Yemen’s] internal conflict is not likely to end,” Riedel said.

Riedel noted that in one of his final columns for the Washington Post, Khashoggi last month proposed that the Saudi-led military coalition declare a unilateral cease-fire in Yemen, lift the blockade and convene a peace conference of all the Yemeni parties to try to come up with a new solution.

“Peace talks will provide Saudi Arabia with a golden opportunity. Riyadh will almost certainly find international support if it enters into a cease-fire as negotiations take place,” Khashoggi wrote in the Washington Post Sept. 11, 2018. “Obviously, Riyadh will not get all of what it wants and would leave Yemenis to sort out their differences with their fellow Houthis in a National Congress — instead of on bloody battlefields.”

https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/10/trump-congress-press-saudi-arabia-yemen-khashoggi.html

(* B K P)

The Saudi Butchery In Yemen And The World's Apathy

The cold-blooded killing of the journalist Khashoggi, however gruesome, pales compared to the brutality and gross human rights violations Saudi Arabia is committing in Yemen.

The saddest part of this unfolding tragedy is that the US and other Western powers are supplying the Saudis with the weapons they need to massacre the Yemenites

The Trump administration, which views Iran as the greatest threat to the region's stability and has concerns over its nuclear ambitions, is probably the only power broker that can end this conflict. The human catastrophe being inflicted on Yemen may well provide the US the opportunity to change the dynamic of multiple conflicts in the region by taking a new initiative that can achieve four significant objectives:

First, it will bring to an end the calamitous war in Yemen and save the lives of millions of Yemenites

Second, Iran is fully aware of the fact that the Trump administration, regardless of the Khashoggi episode, will not abandon Saudi Arabia as long as the kingdom continues to cooperate. Iran too is not oblivious to the fact that it cannot win this costly war, and its prospect to obtain a permanent foothold in the Arabian Peninsula is very slim. It may well opt to cut its losses, especially if it believes that its cooperation may well help lift US sanctions in conjunction with a revised nuclear deal with the US.

Third, regardless of Iran's public refusal to renegotiate the Iran deal, the US sanctions are becoming increasingly painful and the public is showing growing frustration in the way their government is addressing their economic hardship. Those in the Trump administration who are entertaining the illusion that the public outcry resulting from crippling sanctions could precipitate a regime change in Iran should also disabuse themselves of this wishful thinking. The Iranian government is there to stay, as it continues to enjoy the full support of the military and is more than capable of dealing with any public unrest by whatever ruthless means necessary

Fourth, ending the war in Yemen and mending relations with Iran will have major positive implications on the entire region. The prospect of an Israeli-Palestinian peace will dramatically improve

Neither Iran nor Saudi Arabia can become the region's hegemon. They can fight in proxy wars in Syria and Yemen for 100 years, but in the end neither can gain the upper hand -- not now and perhaps not ever.

It is time for Muslims to stop killing each other – by Alon Ben-Meir

https://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Saudi-Butchery-In-Yeme-by-Alon-Ben-Meir-Food_Houthis_Iran_Killing-181025-514.html = https://www.globalresearch.ca/saudi-butchery-yemen-worlds-apathy/5658060

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The Triumph of Evil

The murder of Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Arabian embassy in Turkey is unprecedented in its audacity. The response from Washington and the Canadian government is to sell more weapons to Saudi Arabia, weapons that are being used by the Saudis in their destruction of the Yemeni population. The Russian response, if the report I saw was not fake news, is to sell the Saudis the S-400 air defense system.

What we can conclude from this is that armament profits take precedence over murder and genocide.

Genocide is what is going on in Yemen. I heard a report today on NPR that Yemeni are dying from starvation and from a cholera epidemic that has resulted from the Saudi destruction of the infrastructure in Yemen.

The aid worker giving the report was obviously sincere and upset, but had difficulty connecting the high death rate to the Washington-sponsored war, blaming instead a 20% devaluation of the Yemen currency that raised food prices out of the reach of most Yemeni. She said that the solution to the crisis was to stabilize the currency!

It is difficult to understand why in the Western media and among Western politicians there is so much demonization of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, North Korea, China, and Russia. It is not these demonized countries that are murdering people in their embassies, conducting wars of aggression (war crimes under the Nuremberg Standard), and embargoing food and medical supplies to the populations that are being bombed. These crimes are being done by Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United States and its NATO vassals.

Obviously, the Yemeni, like the Palestinians, don’t count. Their slaughter doesn’t cause a moral ripple in the West.

We can conclude from the acceptance of Saudi crimes and Western indifference to Washington’s withdrawal from the NFL Treaty that morality takes a back seat to material interest. We can also conclude that evil has achieved dominance over good, with the consequences that avarice and lawlessness will escalate their destruction of truth, peoples, and life on earth – by Paul Craig Roberts

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2018/10/paul-craig-roberts/the-triumph-of-evil/ = https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-10-26/paul-craig-roberts-triumph-evil

(B K P)

One civilian killed every three hours in Yemen fighting - Oxfam

One civilian has been killed every three hours in fighting in Yemen since the beginning of August, with many more people succumbing to disease and hunger, Oxfam said today. The Saudi-led coalition and the internationally recognised government are battling with the Houthis to control key ports and cities in the country.

Yemenis face the triple threat of war, disease and hunger. Between 1 August and 15 October, 575 civilians were killed in the fighting, including 136 children and 63 women. There have been more than 1.1 million cases of cholera in the last 18 months, with over 2,000 of those proving fatal. And there have been over 100 deaths from diphtheria over a similar period. The UN warned this week that more than 14 million could die from starvation if the war continues.

Muhsin Siddiquey, Oxfam’s Country Director in Yemen said: “Every single life lost to this shameful conflict, be it through armed attacks, or through starvation and disease, should be an international outrage.

“Backers of all the warring parties should realise that they are complicit in this man-made crisis. Governments must comply with all international legal obligations to do their utmost to prevent civilian casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure. The international community urgently needs to do everything it can to get all sides in this war to agree a ceasefire.”

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/one-civilian-killed-every-three-hours-yemen-fighting-oxfam

cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation

Siehe / Look at cp1

(* B H)

Film: More Yemeni children die as medicine prices skyrocket

Spiralling inflation in Yemen has nearly doubled the cost of feeding a family, while at the same time halving incomes.

Medicine prices have soared as well, with some people unable to buy any at all and others forced to buy and take less than they need.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/10/yemeni-children-die-medicine-prices-skyrocket-181026160501311.html = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vef5S13a5X0

(* B H)

Film: Yemen crisis: The sick children trapped by the war

The United Nations says dozens of children are dying every day, because Yemen's medical services are close to collapse.

Nine million people in the country need urgent healthcare, with many suffering severe malnutrition.

More than three years of civil war has led to the crisis - with Yemen divided between Houthi rebels - backed by Iran - and government forces supported by a Saudi-led coalition.

The BBC's Orla Guerin meets two children who are unable to be treated for their conditions because of the conflict.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-middle-east-45998946/yemen-crisis-the-sick-children-trapped-by-the-war

(* B H)

Zentel: "Kinder sind die ersten, die sterben"

Während die Welt über Sanktionen gegen Saudi-Arabien diskutiert, sorgen die Kriegsparteien im Jemen für eine Verschlimmerung der Lage. Care-Generalsekretär Karl-Otto Zentel war vor Ort und berichtet von der Situation.

Was wäre jetzt im Jemen dringend notwendig? Das Wichtigste wäre ein sofortiger Waffenstillstand, damit Hilfsgüter, die schon im Land sind, aber nicht aus den Häfen herauskommen, bewegt werden können. Die UN haben berichtet, Nahrungsmittel in Lagern zu haben, die 3,7 Millionen Menschen für einen Monat versorgen könnten. Doch sie können die Mittel aufgrund der Kampfhandlungen nicht aus den Lagern herausholen.

Es braucht kommerziellen Handel von Nahrungsmitteln und anderen Gütern des täglichen Bedarfs, es braucht die Garantie von freiem Transport im Land und uneingeschränkten Zugang zu den Menschen in Not.

Als ich jetzt dort war, gab es schon die ersten Berichte aus Distrikten, dass Menschen dort wirklich verhungern. Das hatten wir vor 18 Monaten auch noch nicht. Damals sind zwar Menschen gestorben, aber das war eine Kombination aus Erkrankungen, Mangelernährung und anderem. Jetzt ist es wirklich einfach akute Unterernährung, die gerade Kinder extrem trifft, weil sie die geringsten Reserven haben. Und das sind dann die Ersten, die sterben.

https://www.dw.com/de/zentel-kinder-sind-die-ersten-die-sterben/a-46058491

(* B H)

Jemen: Hungersnot steht unmittelbar bevor

Die Situation im Bürgerkriegsland Jemen verschärft sich weiter. Hunderttausende Kinder sind so stark mangelernährt, dass ihr Leben in Gefahr ist. Insgesamt sind 14 Millionen Menschen von einer Hungersnot bedroht – mehr als die Hälfte der Bevölkerung. UN-Nothilfe-Koordinator findet deutliche Worte.

Im Bürgerkriegsland Jemen sind laut UN-Kinderhilfswerk UNICEF 400.000 Kinder unter fünf Jahren lebensbedrohlich mangelernährt. Fast jedes Kind im Jemen – über elf Millionen – ist auf humanitäre Hilfe angewiesen.

Der Nothilfe-Koordinator der Vereinten Nationen, Marc Lowcock, hat am Mittwoch (24. Oktober) vor dem UN-Sicherheitsrat vor einer weiteren Verschärfung der humanitären Situation im Jemen gewarnt.

Schlimmer als alles, was bisher bekannt ist

14 Millionen Menschen sind laut UNO von einer bevorstehenden Hungersnot bedroht. "Es gibt jetzt die klare und aktuelle Gefahr einer unmittelbar bevorstehenden und großen Hungersnot, die den Jemen in den Abgrund stürzen könnte: Viel größer als alles, was irgendein humanitärer Mitarbeiter in seinem ganzen Arbeitsleben je gesehen hat", sagte Lowcock.

Noch wurde offiziell keine Hungersnot erklärt, weil genaue Ergebnisse einer aktuellen Untersuchung erst für Mitte November erwartet werden.

Doch schon jetzt sprechen die Vereinten Nationen von der Situation im Jemen als einer der schlimmsten humanitären Katastrophen weltweit.

Auswirkungen des Kriegs auf Kinder im Jemen

Gesundheitssystem ist zusammengebrochen

Das Gesundheitssystem ist nahezu zusammengebrochen. Nur noch die Hälfte der Krankenhäuser und Gesundheitsstationen sind funktionsfähig, und diese haben häufig kaum Personal, Ausrüstung und Medikamente zur Verfügung.

Frieden ist die einzige Option

https://web.de/magazine/unicef/jemen-gefahr-hungersnot-33262530

(B H)

This incredible 15-year old Yemeni girl survived horrific circumstances including child marriage & losing her best friend to suicide after forced marriage. @nadalahdal turned the hardships she faced into energy to help Yemeni children go to school & to end child marriage.

https://twitter.com/Ndawsari/status/1055414887369842688

(B H)

Empowering Communities; Restores Their Confidence & Self-Reliance

One large vulnerable community is that of Al Raqqa Al U’lia and Al Sufla (the upper & lower residents of a mountainous terrane) in Sharas district of Hajjah Governorate, who has been struggling with diseases for quite some time. The 870-people community has been fighting with malaria and diarrhea problems since their sole source of water, an unprotected well, was swamped and left contaminated with floodwater, animal waste, and falling plant leaves since 2016.

The situation remained so, until “SFD-Tamkeen Team” (a capacity building team) of the Social Fund for Development (SFD) launched several awareness campaigns at the village for the causes of such diseases. The campaign sessions included both men and women and were meant to educate and empower them as part of the European Union funded and supported Social Protection for Community Resilience Project (SPCRP).

This community-involvement activity was initiated to form a Village Cooperative Council (VCC) to revive the teamwork spirit among the local community, empower them, help them define their community needs & priorities and then achieve them through community-based initiatives.

All community members; men and women, were then successfully organized and motivated to implement their first self-help initiative. Everyone picked up their tools and started removing the trees around the well, building a protection wall, and then cleaning the well of all wastes that had fallen into it. When they were done, they had a much cleaner source of safe and fresh water.

http://www.ye.undp.org/content/yemen/en/home/stories/empowering-communities--restores-their-confidence---self-relianc.html

and in short: https://twitter.com/UNDPYEMEN/status/1055732125536866304

(* B H)

UN High Commissioner for Refugees: UNHCR cash provides lifeline for Yemeni war displaced

UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic said the assistance was a lifeline for Yemen’s most vulnerable displaced families, helping them to meet their urgent needs.

“Current pre-famine conditions and cholera outbreak in Yemen come on top of the disastrous impact the conflict has had so far -- massive displacement and mounting civilian casualties,” he told a press briefing in Geneva.

“Therefore, it remains vital that the critical life-saving activities — including protection and emergency shelter — are addressed and supported in parallel with food, health and education programmes.”

The 20,000 or so families benefitting from the assistance have fled fighting to safe areas or have returned to their homes after being displaced. Many often find their homes in ruins and struggle to survive.

UNHCR is working with Al Amal Bank to distribute cash directly through a so-called hawala system, which functions in Yemen despite the conflict. Families are notified by SMS message about their entitlements and can then collect their assistance from any of the bank’s agents in the country.

This allows UNHCR to provide assistance to families in hard-to-reach and remote areas. The cash avoids the need to resort to desperate measures, such as child labour and forced marriage.

So far this year, UNHCR has distributed almost US$33 million in Yemen. During October alone, more than 22,000 vulnerable families – about 150,000 people in total – received cash payments from UNHCR.

By the end of the year it aims to distribute more than US$41 million, benefiting 700,000 internally displaced people, returnees and host communities affected by conflict, as well as 130,000 refugees and asylum-seekers in the country

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/unhcr-cash-provides-lifeline-yemeni-war-displaced

(* B H)

Relief for Yemeni teachers who haven't had regular pay for two years

Thousands of school teachers affected by the conflict in Yemen are to be paid regular salaries for the first time in two years.

Three years of fighting have seen 10,000 people killed, over 2500 schools damaged and destroyed, and 14 million people facing starvation.

About two million children are out of school - and there have been warnings that many more could be deprived of education as unpaid teachers quit to find ways to provide for their families.

“More than 135,000 Yemeni teachers have not received their salaries in more than two years,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore.

She revealed that from next month the United Nations children's agency will make monthly payments to teachers across Yemen.

Fore added: “Classrooms are where children feel some semblance of normalcy in their lives and a place to prepare themselves for their future lives. The stipends will help teachers stay in classrooms.”

https://theirworld.org/news/unpaid-yemen-teachers-to-get-regular-wages

My comment: This is paid with Saudi / UAE blood money now. It’s ca. 1/3500 of the sum Saudi Arabia had spent for its bombing war up to now.

(* B H)

«Yemen, les enfants de la guerre » : « Quand ils ont bombardé, c’est comme si je pleurais des larmes de sang »

La réalisatrice Khadija Al-Salami a confié des caméras et des téléphones portables à de petits Yéménites. Yeux d’enfants mais maturité précoce, ils documentent ce conflit meurtrier et lancent des appels à l’Union européenne.

L’originalité de son bouleversant documentaire tient au fait qu’il montre le pays à travers les yeux de ses enfants. A son arrivée à Sanaa – elle a mis deux ans à obtenir l’autorisation, délivrée par les Saoudiens, de rentrer dans son pays – la réalisatrice surprend un jeune garçon Ahmed, 11 ans, en train de s’amuser à tirer sur les avions saoudiens. Elle lui confie une caméra et un téléphone. Procède de même avec sa sœur Rima, 8 ans, et leur neveu, Youssef, 9 ans. Les gamins se prêtent au jeu : les voici reporters de guerre pour raconter la leur. Celle qui laisse leur pays exsangue. Ils partent à la rencontre de leurs copains, recueillent les témoignages d’enfants – premières victimes du conflit – qui vivent dans la peur des bombardements, sont blessés à l’hôpital ou ont perdu leurs parents. Ils interrogent aussi des adultes. Le résultat de leur travail apporte une lueur d’espoir.

A tous, ces enfants demandent de lancer un message à l’Union européenne, seule capable de mettre un terme à cette guerre.

https://www.nouvelobs.com/ce-soir-a-la-tv/20181024.OBS10039/yemen-les-enfants-de-la-guerre-quand-ils-ont-bombarde-c-est-comme-si-je-pleurais-des-larmes-de-sang.html

My comment: there already had been detailed recording of this project.

(* B H)

JEMEN: GEFAHR EINER UNMITTELBAR BEVORSTEHENDEN HUNGERSNOT

UNICEF HILFT IM JEMEN UND RUFT ZU SPENDEN AUF

Im Bürgerkriegsland Jemen sind laut UN-Kinderhilfswerk UNICEF 400.000 Kinder unter fünf Jahren lebensbedrohlich mangelernährt. Fast jedes Kind im Jemen – über elf Millionen – ist auf humanitäre Hilfe angewiesen.

Der Bürgerkrieg hat verheerende Auswirkungen auf Kinder. Zwischen 2015 und 2017 wurden 1.839 Kinder getötet und über 2.000 Kinder von bewaffneten Gruppen rekrutiert. Das sind nur die Fälle, die von den Vereinten Nationen überprüft werden konnten – die tatsächliche Zahl ist möglicherweise höher. Auch die Zahl der Kinderehen hat in Folge der Not deutlich zugenommen: Zwei Drittel der Mädchen waren 2017 bereits vor ihrem 18. Geburtstag verheiratet, im Vergleich zu 52 Prozent im Vorjahr.

Das Gesundheitssystem ist nahezu zusammengebrochen. Nur noch die Hälfte der Krankenhäuser und Gesundheitsstationen sind funktionsfähig, und diese haben häufig kaum Personal, Ausrüstung und Medikamente zur Verfügung. Seit April 2017 herrscht eine Cholera-Epidemie im Land. Seitdem wurden über 1,1 Millionen Verdachtsfälle registriert. In einem Viertel der Verdachtsfälle von Cholera und wässrigem Durchfall waren Kinder unter fünf Jahren betroffen. Insbesondere für durch Mangelernährung bereits geschwächte Kinder sind Krankheiten wie Cholera lebensbedrohlich.

„Der einzige Ausweg aus dem Alptraum im Jemen ist, Frieden durch eine umfassende politische Lösung herzustellen“, sagte die UNICEF-Exekutivdirektorin Henrietta Fore in New York.

UNICEF ist vor Ort im Jemen im Einsatz und arbeitet rund um die Uhr daran, die Kinder und Familien mit dem Nötigsten zu versorgen. Allein von Januar bis Juli 2018 wurden 244.000 Kinder unter fünf Jahren mit schwerer akuter Mangelernährung versorgt. Rund 1,5 Millionen der ärmsten Familien – neun Millionen Menschen – profitieren von finanzieller Unterstützung, damit sie ihre Kinder versorgen können. Während einer Feuerpause konnten Anfang Oktober über 306.000 Menschen (darunter 164.000 Kinder) mit Unterstützung von UNICEF und WHO gegen Cholera geimpft werden.

UNICEF ruft weiterhin dringend zu Spenden für die Kinder im Jemen auf

Spenden und helfen Sie jetzt

https://www.unicef.de/informieren/aktuelles/presse/2018/bevorstehende-hungersnot-im-jemen/177254

(A H)

JEMEN: EIN LAND IM FREIEN FALL

Im Jemen verschlimmert sich die Lage rasant: Hunderttausende Menschen sind unterernährt und damit auch anfälliger für Krankheiten. Die Cholera breitet sich wieder aus. In 12 Gesundheitseinrichtungen behandeln die Teams von Ärzte der Welt die zivilen Leidtragenden des Bürgerkriegs

Die humanitäre Lage im Jemen entwickelt sich zu einer Katastrophe schrecklichen Ausmaßes

Seit 2016 betreibt Ärzte der Welt in den Regierungsbezirken Amanat Alasimah, Sana’a und Ibb 12 Gesundheitseinrichtungen, davon zwei Krankenhäuser. Die Teams konzentrieren sich ganz besonders auf Kinder unter fünf Jahren, auf Schwangere und stillende Mütter sowie andere Menschen, die besondere Unterstützung benötigen.

Ziel ist es, den Zugang zu einer kostenlosen, umfassenden medizinischen Grundversorgung und psychologischer Versorgung zu verbessern und Mangelernährung zu bekämpfen.
Gleichzeitig arbeitet Ärzte der Welt daran, Notfallpatienten besser an spezialisierte medizinische Einrichtungen weiter zu verweisen. Eine große Herausforderung dabei ist, dass etwa die Hälfte der medizinischen Infrastruktur zerstört ist. Ärzte der Welt betreibt in Dschibuti, auf der anderen Seite des Golfs von Aden, eine Basis, um schnell auf veränderten Hilfebedarf reagieren zu können.

Das Projekt wird vom Auswärtigen Amt und Sternstunden unterstützt.
Um unsere wichtige Arbeit im Jemen weiter fortführen zu können, sind wir dringend auf Spenden angewiesen. Bitte helfen Sie.

https://www.aerztederwelt.org/unsere-projekte/naher-osten/jemen/jemen-ein-land-im-freien-fall

(A H)

More than 1450 girls benefited from the rehabilitation of Aisha School in Al-Ghaydah district, Al- #Mahra (photo9

https://twitter.com/UNDPYEMEN/status/1055390649065840640

(* B H)

Save the Children: Advocacy Brief: The cost of the Currency Depreciation on the Yemeni Population

Cost of food nearly doubles putting thousands of lives at risk in Yemen

Failing economy is as big a threat to children as bombs and bullets, warns Save the Children

SANAA, October 25 – A failing economy and collapsing currency can be added to the long list of factors that are killing Yemen’s children from entirely preventable causes. The cost of basic food items like flour, rice, salt, sugar and cooking oil has nearly doubled since the conflict escalated in 2015 (see table in notes to editors). Many parents are struggling to provide enough daily nutrition to themselves and their children.

The situation is further compounded by a collapsing local currency which has plummeted to its lowest value in history. One US dollar (USD) used to be worth 215 Yemeni Riyals (YER) at the start of the crisis in 2015 but in October this year it was worth YER 727—a 238 per cent increase. This massive inflation is increasing the cost of essential commodities such as food, water, electricity, fuel and medicines.

Since the war escalated, the average annual income in Yemen has more than halved, from USD 3,547 in 2014 to USD 1,239 in 2017—or just USD 3.39 a day (measured as Gross National Income per capita in equivalent 2011 purchasing power parity). Over the past three years poverty has dramatically increased as a result of the conflict, to a point where more than half of the population (52 per cent) live under the international poverty line, up from 30 per cent in 2014.

The collapsing currency and failing economy are greatly affecting people’s ability to feed themselves and their families. Parents are skipping meals or even starving themselves just to feed their children.

Public sector salaries haven’t been paid in months, in some cases years. Civil servants make up almost a third of the workforce, so parents simply can’t afford to feed their families any longer. The UN recently warned that 13 million people are facing starvation if the situation in Yemen doesn’t improve quickly.

Dr. Mohammed, a medic in a Save the Children-supported clinic in Saada, said:

“There’s no petrol for my car and if there is, sometimes the price exceeds my daily wage, so I can’t cover the cost of transport for my family. I face difficulties getting the things my family needs, as prices are going up and things we need are often unavailable. Most of the time, we leave out things that aren’t really necessary and prioritise what we need. I’m not always able to secure nutritious food (…) and we often have to go without proper clothes or toys for my children.”

Tamer Kirolos, Yemen Country Director for Save the Children, said:

“The economic collapse is Yemen’s silent killer; many Yemenis are struggling just to survive. Parents tell our staff how they’re skipping meals or are going up to two days without food to give what little they have to their children. It’s a common story. Many parents say they only can afford bread and tea and can’t remember the last time they ate meat or fish. The economic situation is getting worse, money is worth less and people aren’t getting paid.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/advocacy-brief-cost-currency-depreciation-yemeni-population

(* B H)

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: Yemen Humanitarian Update Covering 7 October – 21 October 2018 | Issue 30

MILLIONS MORE COULD SUFFER FROM HUNGER AS YEMEN SLIPS CLOSER TO FAMINE

Yemen is already the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. Twenty-two million people, 75 per cent of the entire population, require some form of humanitarian assistance and protection, including 8.4 million Yemenis who do not know where their next meal will come from.
The rapid and uncontrolled depreciation of the Yemeni Rial since early September has worsened the crisis. The costs of a basic food basket increased 25 percent and fuel costs by as much as 45 per cent in hard-hit areas.

If current trends continue, an additional 3 million to 5.6 million Yemenis could become severely food insecure in the coming months, pushing the number of severely food insecure Yemenis up to 14 million in a worst case scenario. Those most likely to be affected include the 70 per cent of Yemenis living on less than US$1 per day and the hundreds of thousands of civil servants and pensioners, who have either not received salaries or pensions, or have only received them intermittently, since August 2016.

Women and children across the country are at grave risk. In addition to the 1.1 million pregnant women and the 400,000 children who are already suffering from severe acute malnutrition, as many as 1.8 to 2.8 million more children could become severely food insecure.

The impact of the economic crisis is felt across all sectors. The cost of water trucking and bottled water has doubled in the past month, forcing hundreds of thousands of households across the country to use alternative and unsafe water sources. Soaring fuel costs are also affecting the sanitation sector where key services, including solid waste collection and desludging, were suspended. With cholera cases surging, as many as 1.2 million additional Yemenis are likely to require urgent WASH support, if current trends continue, bringing the total number of people in need of water and sanitation services to more than 12 million. The cost of addressing this potential new crisis is enormous. The UN and humanitarian partners estimate that they will require at least $500 million more US dollars to deal with such a worst-case scenario. Even if funds can be secured, agencies warn that it will take weeks, perhaps months, to scale-up operations.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-humanitarian-update-covering-7-october-21-october-2018-issue-30

(B H)

United Nations Population Fund: UNFPA Response in Yemen: Monthly Situation Report #9 - September 2018

Yemen remains the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Marked economic deterioration, symptomized by the depreciation of the Yemeni Rial by some 30 per cent was witnessed between August and September 2018, compounded by the unprecedented increase in the price of fuel. An additional 3.5 to 5.6 million people are estimated to be added to the 8 million already severely food insecure as a result.

UNFPA's response in Yemen has reached more than half a million people to date, with continued expansion in coverage and size of operations

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/unfpa-response-yemen-monthly-situation-report-9-september-2018

(* B H)

CARE: Speech at UN side event on Women, Peace & Security

When I was asked to talk about the inclusive peace process in Yemen, I immediately thought about the women I meet in visits to different areas of Yemen.

I think about Noor, who despite the difficulties she faced with displacement is still fighting for girls’ education; Nema, the marginalised displaced woman who organised orderly lines for the community to fetch water because she couldn't stand watching people fight anymore; Elham, who is a GBV survivor devotes her time to linking women and girls GBV victims to protection service providers.

These women and other millions are struggling to survive the conflict but they are also inventing means of resilience for themselves and others.

After three and a half years of war, the humanitarian situation in Yemen has deteriorated to a point where today up to 14 million people are now at risk of famine.

And as the conflict shows no sign of ending, what should we be doing in addition to providing humanitarian aid? Yemen cannot survive on food baskets, hygiene kits and cash alone. This is a short-term solution.

Yes, there is a dire need for food as millions are starving, but there is also an imperative to look beyond humanitarian aid & ask ourselves: what will enable lasting peace?

One of the most crucial aspects in realising lasting and inclusive peace is making sure women participate as actors in the peace process. Our thanks to the Dutch government for their leadership on this. But we all know there is much much more that the international community can do.

We cannot deny that amidst the war in Yemen, opportunities have opened up for different types of women’s participation in public life. Women are being formally employed within national and international humanitarian agencies; they are also taking leading roles in community initiatives, and taking up membership in community committees.

Since this has been an organic development, all stakeholders need to invest in building the capacity of women, either as employees or members of community committees, as they represent potential for community leadership in future and can contribute extensively to track three of the peace process.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/speech-un-side-event-women-peace-security

(* B H)

Famine Early Warning System Network: Yemen Food Security Alert: October 24, 2018

Yemen faces the largest food security emergency in the world and the worsening humanitarian outlook requires urgent action to reduce the likelihood of significant loss of life. More than 15 million people require emergency food assistance each month, many of whom face food consumption gaps large enough to lead to increases in human mortality. The severe depreciation of the Yemeni Rial (YER) since July and closure of key trade routes could result in sharper price increases for food and essential commodities, and further deteriorate the food security situation. Although high-quality data on current outcomes is limited, awaiting improvements in data availability and quality may only confirm the severity of outcomes after they occur. All parties must act now to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and protect human life.

In June, the start of the ongoing military offensive in Al Hudaydah significantly increased the probability that key port facilities would be damaged, or that trade from the ports to urban areas of the country would be cut off for a prolonged period. In FEWS NET’s analysis, these events would likely lead to Famine (IPC Phase 5) in Yemen.

Separately, significant depreciation of the rial since July has led to broader fears that staple food prices could increase even further beyond the capacity for households to meet their basic food needs

Households in Yemen typically access a major share of their food by purchasing imported wheat. Sharp price increases, alongside already very low household income, significantly limit households’ ability to meet their food needs. As a result, households in worst-affected areas are likely engaging in severe coping strategies and/or face large food consumption gaps. In recent months, humanitarian actors have scaled up to provide essential food distributions to more than seven million of the more than 15 million people requiring emergency food assistance.

The likelihood that food security will deteriorate further in the coming months is highly concerning. First, the risk of significant trade disruption persists. Should humanitarian and commercial imports through Al Hudaydah and Salif stop or drastically decline for a prolonged period, FEWS NET estimates Famine (IPC Phase 5) would become likely in parts of Yemen. The areas where Famine (IPC Phase 5) would be likely to develop most quickly include areas more highly dependent on imports through Al Hudaydah and Salif, particularly those with intensive conflict and high numbers of IDPs, such as Hajjah, Sa’dah, and Ta’izz.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-food-security-alert-october-24-2018

(* B H)

UN Children's Fund: UNICEF Yemen Humanitarian Situation Report (September 2018)

The Yemeni Rial continues its depreciation against the US Dollar, causing prices of food and fuel to sharply rise. The decline in the currency will further weaken already destitute Yemenis and worsen livelihoods and current food insecurity levels. Compared to the pre-2015 period, essential commodity prices have increased by 140-204 per cent and fuel by 280-357 per cent.
- UNICEF Yemen continued the second round of an oral cholera vaccination campaign in five districts in the northern governorates of al Hudaydah and Ibb aimed at protecting an additional 540,595 people (over 1 years of age) against Cholera. This follows the first campaign held in five districts in Aden in May.
- The start of the new school year remains an urgent concern. 3.7 million children are at risk of missing schooling, mostly in the northern areas, as roughly two-thirds of the public school teachers are still awaiting their salaries after two years. In addition, 80 per cent of teachers in the south are conducting a strike, requesting a salary increment. This situation has a strong impact on access to education in the country.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/unicef-yemen-humanitarian-situation-report-september-2018

cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees

(* B H K)

Film: The displaced children of #Yemen

https://www.facebook.com/StopTheWarOnYemen/videos/556981804772885

(* B H)

Yemeni refugees yearn for peaceful life in Korea

Nearly two years after Esmail Alqublani escaped from a war-ravaged Yemen, his memories of plundering, bombings, kidnappings and slayings by armed rebels in the central city of Ibb are still haunting him.

The 30-year-old former journalist can hardly imagine a return to the scene of the grinding conflict cited as the world's worst humanitarian crisis -- a reason why he has been desperately seeking refugee status in Korea since his arrival on the southern island of Jeju in May.

"Every single thing in my whole life has been asking me to leave (Yemen) to survive, because if I stay there, I will fight (the rebels), be stuck with them or they will kill me," Alqublani said during a recent interview with Yonhap News Agency on Jeju.

"(The rebel group) is what made me escape from my city, from my house, from my life, from everything," he added, expressing deep sadness about his separation from his mother and younger brother still in the Arab country.

Ahmed Al Dram, a 37-year-old Yemeni on a master's degree course at Seoul's Hanyang University, raised the prospect of the young refugees serving as a bridge for future win-win economic cooperation between Korea and Yemen. He has been supporting the refugee applicants on Jeju.

"We think that Korea is complementary for Yemen and Yemen is complementary for Korea. ... We complete each other. What Korea is missing, Yemen can fill that perfectly," said Al Dram, who has been studying business administration at the university.

"Yemen is a very strategic place for logistics and marketing. Yemen is a good local market in the Gulf area and for Africa and Europe. It will be a very huge chance for them to extend Korean industries, such as electronics cars, green energy and services," he added.

Al Dram also voiced hope that the media will focus more on their urgent humanitarian needs rather than highlighting the rumors about alleged links to terrorist organizations or other negative aspects.

"Unfortunately some from the media, when they start to talk about Yemeni refugees, they start to talk about the refugees being dangerous for children and women. They make it really a big issue," he said.

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2018/10/26/0200000000AEN20181026003400315.html?input=rss

cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis

(A P)

Houthis urge Russia to intervene in Yemen crisis and host consultations

The group has asked Russia to play a bigger role and be more present in the Yemeni case, as it is balanced and close to all sides, said al-Houthi political bureau member Abdulmalik Alajri.

"It could play a mediating role in the Yemeni issue between Yemeni political forces and the Saudi side, and this is what was discussed in our visit," al-Ajri told Sputnik, who visits Russia with the group's spokesman Mohamed Abdel Salam.

http://www.almasdaronline.com/articles/160179

My comment: Russia tries to get a better relationship with Saudi Arabia, as shown by the Russian restraint in the Khashoggi case. Topics: Oil market, arms deals (SS 400).

(A P)

The al Houthi movement’s lead negotiator, Mohammed Abdul Salam, met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on the Middle East and Africa on October 25 in Moscow. The trio discussed the creation of an inclusive inter-Yemeni dialogue under the UN.[2]

https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-october-26-2018

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Yemen.. Shocking testimonies of brutal torture of detainees

On February 18, February 2016, Houthi militias kidnapped Yemeni journalist Abdullah al-Munaifi from Dhamar Province, south of the capital Sana'a.

For more than two years behind bars--four months in which he remained under enforced hiding--he underwent a number of brutal torture sessions, before being rescued by a tribal mediator who finally released him on March 4 March last year.

Al-Munaifi recounted to Al Jazeera the details of his ordeal, which began abducting him after encircling the place where he resided, storming him and dragging him into a dark room in the city of Ma’abar (30 km north of Dhamar). On the second night, al-Munaifi says, "I was severely tortured, until my underwear was colored with my bleeding blood."

Three days later, the 39-year-old journalist kidnapped in the background of his anti-Houthi journalist was transferred to a prison in Sana'a, formerly a Quran school for girls before turning into a center for interrogation and torture.

Al-Munaifi said he had been subjected to nearly 28 interrogation and torture sessions, including severe beatings, electrocution, flogging, suspension and other means.

"In one of the sessions, I kept hanging from my hands to the ceiling from 9 p.m. to the morning, and I lost consciousness twice," Afterthought said, "Even the scars from the suspension rope are still in my hands."

Torture stories

A report released last week by the Association of Mothers of Abductees in Yemen, titled "When Death Becomes a wish", revealed the heinous methods and methods of torture suffered by abductees and detainees in the Houthis ' prisons and the prisons belonging to the Emiratis and their loyal organs in southern Yemen.

The association is a legal human rights association, which is responsible for monitoring the affairs of abductees and is made up of mothers, wives, relatives abducted and forcibly hidden, as well as women human rights activists.

According to its report, the association documented 950 cases of violations and torture of detainees and abductees, as well as 128 deaths in detention, between 71 cases of torture to death and 48 cases of liquidation and execution in prisons.

The head of the association, Professor Amat Al-Salam Haj, said that the total number of abductees and notaries in the al-Houthi group who are still under abduction is 2247, and the number of forcibly hidden 192.

The number of people forcibly hidden by coalition-backed military formations and their notaries is 31, and the number of detainees in Bir Ahmed prison in Aden is 69, she added.

She noted that the numbers were even greater, with no new abduction or enforced disappearance a day in months.

The report reviewed shocking testimonies of abducted torture stories, in which the association said it had relied on direct hearings with some of the released victims, leaked letters written in the hands of a number of victims, and other testimonies from their parents.

Psychological torment

The methods of torture, according to testimonies contained in the report of the association, varied between suspension, flogging, burning, electrocution, needle injections, beating with hot skewers, cutting ears and some body organs, starvation and deprivation of toilets, while some detainees in coalition prisons spoke of rape and sexual harassment.

"They were tying us up for hours in positions that cause terrible pain, and then we cannot stand, as well as psychological torture such as the threat of liquidation, the human shields, or the taking of our children to the fronts," said Al-Munaifi,to the Al Jazeera journalist.

http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160124

Remark: Earlier reporting: Yemen War Mosaic 472, cp1.

(A P)

Oman announces agreement with Al-Houthi to allow defense minister to reach out to his family

Omani television said that the Sultanate of Oman was able to persuade the Houthi militia to allow Yemeni defense Minister Mahmoud al-Subaihi to communicate with his family.

According to Omani state television, the militia agreed with Oman to allow Al-Subaihi to communicate with his family in Sanaa as well as his visit.

http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160116

Remark: It’s the Hadi government defense minister.

(A P)

Yemeni journalists syndicate said that the #Houthis arrested today 20 journalists including renowned writer and former chief of the syndicate Abdulbari Taher after they stormed a hotel in Sana’a , hosting a symposium on hate speech in the #Yemen media.

Good news ; they have been freed except two journalists !

The two journalists have been released. All are now free!

https://twitter.com/mohammedalqadhi/status/1055395944269791237

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

Siehe / Look at cp1

(A H P)

PM Saeed: The tropical storm #Luban that struck Al-Mahra is catastrophic. - Bridges & roads washed away -100s of houses demolished -1000s of families displaced -1000s of students couldn't return to schools in Rahdeed - Fishermen boats washed away We are working to ensure reconstruction. (photos)

https://twitter.com/DrMaeenSaeed/status/1055499665939030016

(A P)

Several articles, propagating the activities of the Southern Traditional Council (separatists), it’s care for humanitarian needs, and a positive role of their UAE-backed militia.

The Southern Transitional Council Sends Humanitarian Aids Campaigns to Al-Mehra to Face Diverse Effects of Laban Hurricane

https://en.smanews.org/the-southern-transitional-council-sends-humanitarian-aids-campaigns-to-al-mehra-to-face-diverse-effects-of-laban-hurricane

Department of Woman and Child Holds a Seminar about “Southern Woman as A Political Decision-Maker”

https://en.smanews.org/department-of-woman-and-child-holds-a-seminar-about-southern-woman-as-a-political-decision-maker

Southern Transitional Council Continues Consultations with Southern Political Parties and Components with a Meeting with the Southern Democratic Coalition

https://en.smanews.org/southern-transitional-council-continues-consultations-with-southern-political-parties-and-components-with-a-meeting-with-the-southern-democratic-coalition

Security Belt of Lahj Confiscates Smuggled Ammunition to Aden

https://en.smanews.org/security-belt-of-lahj-confiscates-smuggled-ammunition-to-aden

Shbwa Elites Attack Al-Qaeda Posts in Khoura – West of Shabwa

https://en.smanews.org/shbwa-elites-attack-al-qaeda-posts-in-khoura-west-of-shabwa

cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks

(A P)

Griffith plans to hold a round of talks between Yemenis before the end of 2018

UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths said he plans to hold a new round of talks between the Yemeni parties before the end of 2018, and the two places proposed for the talks are the Swiss city of Geneva or the Austrian capital of Vienna.

Speaking to Al-Arabiya television on Thursday, the UN envoy said that the talks would be held at the end of November.

http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160104

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-24795

(A P)

Yemen UN Envoy Urged to Persuade Houthis to Yield to Int’l Resolutions

Yemen’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak held talks in Washington on Thursday with UN special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths on his efforts to resume peace consultations in the war-torn country.
Bin Mubarak stressed the legitimate government’s support for the UN efforts. He added that it remains committed to any UN-led efforts to end the coup by the Iran-backed Houthi militias.
A solution to the conflict must be based on the Gulf Initiative, national dialogue outcomes and UN Security Council resolutions, he added.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1439586/yemen-un-envoy-urged-persuade-houthis-yield-int%E2%80%99l-resolutions

My comment: Nothing new, no progress since 3 ½ years. Looking at the biased UN Security Council resolutions, this claim translates to: A solution to the conflict must be based on the Houthis are capitulating and we get sole power. And thus, peace does not come. – And, further: Gulf Initiative (from 2011), national dialogue outcomes (from 2014) had been outdated by the war, a totally new approach is needed.

(A P)

Qatar is facilitating reconciliation talks between the al Houthi movement and al Islah party assisted by the Turkish government, according to an anti-al Houthi news source. The parties sent letters on social media sites to assess reactions to an alliance between the two parties from their respective supporters.[4]

https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-october-25-2018

(A P)

Iran Renews Support for Int'l Efforts to End to Saudi Massacre of Yemeni Civilians

Special Assistant to Iran's Foreign Minister in Political Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari renewed the Islamic Republic's support for global efforts to put an end to the killing of the Yemeni people by Saudi Arabia.

"My recent visit to Moscow was aimed at consultations between Iran and Russia to find ways to put an end to the Saudi-led war in Yemen," Jaberi Ansari said while referring to his talks with his Russian and Turkish counterparts in a recent visit to Moscow.

The senior diplomat said that Iran strongly supports efforts which would bring to a halt Saudi Arabia's aggressions against the Yemeni people.

Jaberi Ansari also pointed to the start of talks on Yemen with four European countries and the EU, and said, "The aim of these consultations is to find a solution to help Yemen out of the current conflict in a way that warmongers can find a way out of their self-made crisis through the window of peace."

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13970804000396

cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia

Siehe / Look at cp1

(* B P)

Saudi Arabien – erst Business, dann Moral

Finanzier des Terrors

Jemen - sinnloser und absurder Krieg

Wen interessiert’s?

Deutschen Unternehmen und vielen Politikern, welche bei uns gerne den Moralapostel geben und sich auf christliche oder sozialdemokratische Werte berufen ist all das offensichtlich vollkommen egal. Erst der Fall des in den USA lebenden Journalisten Jamal Khashoggi lässt die Diskussion nicht mehr unterdrücken.

Bis zu dem jetzigen berechtigten medialen Aufschrei war zahlreichen deutschen Unternehmen und Politikern das Gebaren Saudi Arabiens offensichtlich herzlich egal. Warum?

Saudi Arabien benötigt Waffen und wir das Öl

Bundesaußenminister Heiko Maas: ein Heuchler oder nicht mehr bei Sinnen?

All das erklärt auch, warum der Obermoralapostel und seines Zeichens Bundesaußenminister Heiko Maas vor Saudi Arabien zu Kreuze gekrochen.

Topkomiker Joachim Pfeiffer

Big Business für Trump und die USA

Von den USA und Tump dürfte das Regime aus Riad keinen sonderlichen Gegenwind erwarten. Im April dieses Jahres besiegelten die USA den Verkauf von Artilleriesystemen im Wert von 1,31 Milliarden Dollar. US-Präsident Trump verkündete sogar, dass man den Saudis Waffen für mehr als 100 Milliarden Dollar verkaufen werde. Trumps geschäftliche Verbindungen mit Saudi-Arabien sind über Jahrzehnte belegt.

Fazit:

Wir müssen unverzüglich die irrsinnige Aufrüstung der arabischen Halbinsel stoppen. Ansonsten brauchen wir uns über die nächste Flüchtlingskrise nicht wundern. Sollten all die Anschuldigungen in Jamal Khashoggi tatsächlich der Wahrheit entsprechen, dann müssen alle Demokratischen Länder unverzüglich den Kontakt zu Saudi-Arabien bis zur völligen Aufklärung des Verbrechens und Bestrafung der Täter und ihrer Auftraggeber abbrechen. Heuchler wie Maas, Pfeiffer und viele andere unverzüglich zurücktreten. Botschafter und Konsule mit all ihren Angestellten müssen ausgewiesen werden. Alle Vermögen der Verantwortlichen dieses Verbrechens müssen eingefroren werden. Es müssen Einreiseverbote in die EU und alle Länder in denen Menschenrechte und Pressefreiheit nur einigermaßen etwas bedeuten für die Verantwortlichen dieses Verbrechens erteilt werden. Ferner muss ein Wirtschaftsembargo wie die USA gegen Kuba verhängt hat implementieret. Dies wird jedoch nicht geschehen, denn die Devise lautet: erst Business, dann Moral. Außerdem ist Kuba ja auch wesentlichgefährlicher für die westliche Welt als Saudi Arabien.

https://www.freiewelt.net/blog/saudi-arabien-erst-business-dann-moral-10076069/

(* B P)

Der Kronprinz strebt nach Dominanz im Nahen Osten

Im Westen findet Saudi-Arabiens Thronfolger trotz aller Warnungen Unterstützung.

»Mein Eindruck ist schon seit Langem, dass die saudische Regierung wie ein kleines Kind die Grenzen austestet«, sagt Ismail Ould Scheich Ahmed, der bis Februar UN-Sondergesandter für Jemen war: »Die Frage in den Verhandlungen war oft nicht, ob man einen guten Plan auf dem Tisch hat, sondern wie weit Saudi-Arabien gehen kann, und die Antwort war und ist: sehr weit.«

So weit, dass es mittlerweile selbst Republikanern im US-Kongress reicht: Seit Monaten versuchen Politiker beider Parteien, der US-Unterstützung für die saudische Kriegsführung in Jemen per Gesetz Beschränkungen aufzuerlegen. Bislang vergeblich. Vehement blockieren das Weiße Haus und der rechte Rand der Republikaner. Man sorgt sich, dass mit Rüstungsaufträgen Jobs in den USA verloren gehen. Und noch mehr als das spielen unter amerikanischen, europäischen, aber auch israelischen Konservativen weit verbreitete Denkmuster eine Rolle: Während die saudische Regierung in den europäischen und amerikanischen Medien scharf kritisiert wird, stellen konservative Think Tanks, aber auch John Bolton, Sicherheitsberater von US-Präsident Trump, Saudi-Arabien als Bollwerk gegen Iran und damit als unentbehrlich für die Sicherheit des Staates Israel wie auch für die Weltwirtschaft dar. Die saudische Kriegsführung in Jemen wird dabei als notwendig gesehen, um zu verhindern, dass Iran über die Huthi-Milizen Stützpunkte am Bab al Mandab aufbauen kann.

https://www.neues-deutschland.de/artikel/1104439.jamal-khashoggi-der-kronprinz-strebt-nach-dominanz-im-nahen-osten.html

(A P)

Arrested in Saudi Arabia, and then disappeared: Yemeni writer Marwan Almuraisy

More than four months after he was arrested, the whereabouts of Yemeni writer Marwan Almuraisy remain unknown. He was last seen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he resides.

Security officers arrested Almuraisy on June 1. Human rights organisations say he was transferred to an unknown location and that he is being held incommunicado:

Al-Muraisy's family have been denied information about the charges against him, the location where he is being held and are unable to visit him.

It remains unclear why he was arrested. On his personal Twitter account, where he has nearly 100 thousand followers, he mostly tweeted on news related to technology, innovation and science. He also posted motivational tweets and videos to inspire others.

https://globalvoices.org/2018/10/25/arrested-in-saudi-arabia-and-then-disappeared-yemeni-writer-marwan-al-muraisy/

(A P)

Human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia do not end. A Kenyan maid was whipped and murdered. The Saudi Arabia sent her body to Kenya saying she committed suicide (film)

https://twitter.com/HussamSanabani/status/1055909107474071553

(* B P)

Fact Sheet – Beyond the Murder of Jamal Khashoggi: Repression in Mohammed bin Salman’s Saudi Arabia

https://pomed.org/fact-sheet-beyond-the-murder-of-jamal-khashoggi-repression-in-mohammed-bin-salmans-saudi-arabia

(A E P)

Saudi-Arabien feiert Investorentreffen als Erfolg

Saudi-Arabien bezeichnete seine Investorenkonferenz ungeachtet der internationalen Proteste als Erfolg. Energieminister Chalid al-Falih sagte am Donnerstag im Staatsfernsehen, sein Land habe mehr als 25 Verträge unterzeichnet im Gesamtwert von 56 Milliarden Dollar. Der Großteil davon sei mit US-Unternehmen geschlossen worden. "Die USA werden ein wichtiger Bestandteil der saudiarabischen Wirtschaft bleiben", ergänzte er. Die Konferenz in Riad sei zwar von einer Boykott-Kampagne geschwächt worden. Diese sei aber letztlich gescheitert.

In Reaktion auf den Tod Khashoggis hatten mehr als zwei Dutzend führende Regierungsvertreter und Konzernchefs ihre Teilnahme an dem Treffen abgesagt. Dazu gehörte Siemens-Chef Joe Kaeser.

https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/ermittlungen-der-tuerkei-saudi-arabien-khashoggi-wurde-vorsaetzlich-getoetet/23229276.html

(* A E P)

Khashoggi Killing Overshadows Saudis’ Grand Economic Ambitions

This year, many of those investors stayed away as the killing of the dissident Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi cast a shadow over the prince’s trademark investment conference and his wider ambitions to reform the kingdom’s economy.

“It is both a political and an economic crisis,” said Karen E. Young, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. “The economic reform agenda is somewhat derailed. I don’t think it’s over, but this is a clear stall, mostly because it’s so dependent on foreign investment and this is the worst timing.”

The conference, known as the Future Investment Initiative, concluded in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Thursday and served as a litmus test of sorts for where the prince’s vast reform efforts stand.

Thousands of executives and businessmen still showed up, the government said. Repeat attendees noted fewer Americans and Europeans were present this year, but more Russians, Asians and Arabs. That could indicate a shift in the kingdom’s pursuit of economic partnerships if the scandal over Mr. Khashoggi leads to permanent damage to its relationships with the West, analysts said.

“The U.S. will remain a key part of the Saudi economy because the interests that tie us are bigger than what is being weakened by the failed boycotting campaign of the conference,” Mr. Falih told Saudi state television.

Some of the biggest hits over the Khashoggi case have been in sectors the prince has pitched as emblematic of the new Saudi Arabia.

The crown prince showed no signs of worry, saying there was no challenge too big for “the great Saudi people” and that all was on track.

Economists have pointed to some positive signs. A new bankruptcy law suggests wider regulatory reform, and unemployment has remained stable, despite lackluster job gains. They also cite a rise in women’s employment as well as efforts to replace foreign workers with Saudis in some sectors.

Others doubted that the killing of Mr. Khashoggi would fundamentally shift how foreign business people viewed the kingdom. Critics have long blasted Saudi Arabia over human rights issues with little effect on the kingdom’s oil industry or ability to buy arms from countries like the United States. And many business people won’t hesitate to work in authoritarian states if the price is right.

“Practically, is this going to delay M.B.S.’s ambitions? Yes. Is it going to wreck them? No,” said Denis Florin, a partner at Lavoisier Conseil, a consulting firm specializing in energy. “I do not see a major revolution in the business attitude toward the middle and long-term prospects of Saudi Arabia.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/25/world/middleeast/saudi-khashoggi-economy.html

(* A E P)

Back to the future: Saudi investor forum saved by old mainstay oil

Saudi Arabia’s investment forum was designed to showcase the kingdom’s new future away from oil, but it was black gold and old allies that rescued this week’s event from the furor over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Riyadh inked multi-billion dollar agreements, mainly energy deals, despite a boycott of the event by dozens of high-level Western politicians, bankers and top executives scheduled to speak at the three-day gathering that ended on Thursday.

Yet the event paled in comparison to the 2017 inaugural investment conference, when robots roamed the venue as the kingdom turned its focus to the promise of new technology and announced plans to build a $500 billion mega city of the future.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto Saudi ruler, told Bloomberg earlier this month that Riyadh would announce an “amazing deal” at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) forum this year, vowing “big numbers” in a sector “far away from oil”.

But when the final session ended, no such announcement had been made.

“It’s going back to old economy while the FII was supposed to be about the future. Old economy coming to the rescue of the new economy,” said one participant at the investment conference.

Saudi Arabia signed 25 agreements on Tuesday worth more than $55 billion in the energy, petrochemicals, infrastructure and transportation sectors.

Out of the total, state oil giant Saudi Aramco alone signed memoranda of understanding worth $34 billion with some of its key longtime partners such as France’s Total (TOTF.PA), and international service companies Schlumberger, Halliburton (HAL.N) and Baker Hughes (BHGE.N).

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-investment-forum/back-to-the-future-saudi-investor-forum-saved-by-old-mainstay-oil-idUSKCN1MZ2A9

and

(A E P)

Saudis trumpet $56 billion deals as conference ends amid partial boycott

Saudi Arabia said it signed $56 billion of deals at an investment conference this week and expected the United States to remain a key business partner despite a partial boycott of the event over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-investment-deals/saudis-trumpet-56-billion-deals-as-conference-ends-amid-partial-boycott-idUSKCN1MZ0XI

My comment: The boycott was “partial”: Larger CEO’s were replaced by smaller CEO’s, and deals were made.

And

(A E P)

Saudi Arabia still moving ahead with three major development projects

Saudi Arabia is still moving ahead with three major development projects, NEOM, the Red Sea tourism project, and an entertainment development that will include a Six Flags theme park.

Saudi Arabia’s mega business zone called NEOM is still proceeding with prospective partners, despite the fallout over Khashoggi, NEOM’s chief executive Nadhmi al-Nasr said on Thursday.

“I’ve had tens of meetings last couple of days with all the partners we’ve been talking to for last few years. The feeling is ‘let’s go,’” al-Nasr said.

There will be 16 sectors in the NEOM economy, sectors that are meant to become competitive multinational corporations, al-Nasr said.

Theme park operator Six Flags (SIX.N) is going ahead with plans to open in Saudi Arabia, Michael Reininger, the chief executive of Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-entertainment-sixflags/saudi-arabia-still-moving-ahead-with-three-major-development-projects-idUSKCN1MZ0Y2

(A E P)

Saudi says it will offer series of privatization deals by March

Saudi Arabia will offer international investors the chance to invest in a raft of privatization deals from grains to healthcare and water desalination over the next six months, Economy Minister Mohammed al-Tuwaijri said on Thursday.

“From now until the first quarter of 2019 we have four opportunities in silos and grains,” Tuwaijri said, adding that deals in the education, healthcare and water desalinization sectors would also be offered in this period.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-investment-privatisation/saudi-says-it-will-offer-series-of-privatization-deals-by-march-idUSKCN1MZ10L

(A E P)

Saudi announces $4.4 billion of construction and housing deals

Saudi Arabia’s government has signed deals worth $4.4 billion to develop its housing and construction sectors, the state investment promotion agency said on Thursday.

The deals, reached on the sidelines of a major business conference in Riyadh, include an agreement by U.S.-based construction company Katerra to help a Saudi housing aid program to use modern building methods.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-investment-construction/saudi-announces-4-4-billion-of-construction-and-housing-deals-idUSKCN1MZ13R

(A E P)

Saudi hopes to attract $427 billion in investments by 2030

Saudi Arabia expects to attract investments of more than 1.6 trillion riyals ($427 billion) by 2030 in its push to boost industry, Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said on Thursday, according to state TV al-Ekhbariya.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-investments-development-program/saudi-hopes-to-attract-427-billion-in-investments-by-2030-idUSKCN1MZ161

(* B P)

Wie Riad Kritiker verfolgt: Khashoggi ist nicht der Einzige

Die Tötung des Journalisten Khashoggi zeigt, wie das saudische Königshaus mit Kritikern umgeht. Wer protestiert, dem droht die Haft oder Schlimmeres. Hinrichtungen finden öffentlich statt - mit dem Schwert.

Nicht erst der mutmaßliche Mord an dem regierungskritischen Journalisten Khashoggi zeigt, wie katastrophal die Menschenrechtslage in Saudi-Arabien ist. "Kritik am Königshaus, Staat oder Geistlichen Rat wird unter Strafe gestellt und schon im Keim erstickt. Friedliche Aktivisten und Andersdenkende werden inhaftiert und zu hohen Haftstrafen verurteilt", sagt Regina Spöttl von Amnesty International Deutschland n-tv.de.

Die Beispiele für Menschenrechtsverletzungen in dem Land sind zahlreich und brutal zugleich. Der saudi-arabische Blogger Raif Badawi sitzt seit mehr als sechs Jahren hinter Schloss und Riegel. In seinem Blog hatte er kritisiert, wie hart die strenge Auslegung des Islam durchgesetzt wird. 2014 wurde er wegen "Beleidigung des Islam" zu zehn Jahren Haft, tausend Peitschenhieben und einer Geldstrafe verurteilt.

"Es ist nicht so, dass die in Haft sitzenden Menschen gegen den König und die Monarchie sind.

Auch die Todesstrafe ist in dem autoritären Königreich üblich - wobei Henker den Verurteilten mit einem Schwert öffentlich den Kopf abschlagen.

Die Menschenrechtslage hat sich Spöttl zufolge schon 2011 im Zuge des Arabischen Frühlings verschlechtert. Gleiches beobachtet sie seit 2017, seitdem König Salman seinen Sohn Mohammed bin Salman zum Kronprinzen ernannt hat.

https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Khashoggi-ist-nicht-der-Einzige-article20686736.html

(* A P)

I believe my friend Turki Al-Jasser, whose identity was revealed by a Saudi spy who worked once at @Twitter , has been killed in Saudi prisons. I call upon the human rights organizations, the media and Twitter to highlight and investigate his case.

My friend Abdulrahman al-Sadhan’s identity was also exposed by @Twitter. He’s probably dead by now, or at the very least being subject to severe torture. We demand an immediate intervention by Twitter to somewhat atone for the cyber crimes committed by its personnel.

Since their arrest,the activists’ families lost all contacts with them..no communication whatsoever, not even with lawyers. As of this moment,nobody knows their fate,or is able to confirm their safety.Some internal sources mentioned they're tortured,others say they were killed!!

https://twitter.com/oamaz7/status/1055497107401068545

Comment by Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW: If reported harm to Saudis exposed by @Twitter employee are true, Twitter owes more than an apology and a firing. Need restitution, remedy and a big fat Saudi Freedom Fund to support activists, journalists, writers in need.

https://twitter.com/sarahleah1/status/1055562116332048384

(A P)

Saudi women would run the country quite differently ... if they were 'king'

Their responses were powerful AF.

In recent months, Saudi women won several of their most basic rights, including theright to drive.

Though the kingdom has been making strides when it comes to women's rights in the past few years, there's still so much to be done.

The shortcomings that have yet to be addressed were brought forth by women in the kingdom in response to a viral hashtag launched earlier this week.

"What would you do if you were king?" took over Saudi Twitter as thousands tweeted through it.

https://stepfeed.com/saudi-women-would-run-the-country-quite-differently-if-they-were-king-9788

My comment: They won’t write what they really think, look at tweets linked above and at Jamal Khashoggi.

(* B P)

Mohammed bin Salman’s Star is Crashing Down to Earth

Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman was billed to the world as a “young visionary reformer.” But his alleged role in the disappearance and apparent murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi has signalled to many in and out of Saudi that he was not have been a reformer after all: he has just been a despot.

Bin Salman has enjoyed a meteoric rise to global fame, but the fallout from Khashoggi’s disappearance has brought him crashing back down onto Earth, where he faces an international backlash that Saudi is struggling to contain.

Time, however, is on bin Salman’s side: the PR blacklash from Khashoggi does not appear to threaten the position of Saudi as a influential ally to the U.S. Saudi is still a prime asset in the Middle East, and bin Salmans is just as dedicated to counter growing Iranian influence as Trump's White House.

If Saudi Arabia can survive the media fallout from Khashoggi and remain a key partner of the U.S., a sense of normalcy will be restored and the U.S.-Saudi friendship will continue to flourish under Trump and bin Salman, even if that relationship is precisely what empowered bin Salman to besiege Yemen and silence his critics in the first place.

After all, without staunch U.S. support, Saudi wouldn’t have the army or international leverage required to engage in acts that defy international human rights norms.

Behind bin Salman's thin veneer as a 'liberal reformer,' has always been the kind of ruler who would order the assassination of a critic, says Yahya Assiri, a prominent Saudi rights activist with Al-Qst to Al Bawaba in a conversation back in May. “There is no real reform or liberalization and it is just a huge propaganda and PR [campaign].”

“Women driving only came after real and continued work from activists. Internal and external pressure on the government. When the government made that decision, it didn't even apologize to the Saudis for banning a right for more than 30 years without any reason!” exclaims Assiri. He adds that the government actually called activists and warned them to stay silent and not comment on the decision.

“The positive reception wasn't due to modern policies he is implementing inside the Kingdom,” Assiri says, “but it was for the money that he brought to the Western government.” That money is quickly drying up.

“For many Saudi observers,” explains Barbara Slavin, director of the Atlantic Council’s Future of Iran Initiative, “this was the proverbial last straw. MBS has been a cause for concern rather than inspiration for a long time, beginning with the bone-headed war in Yemen, followed by the unnecessary blockade of Qatar, the shakedown of princes and other wealthy Saudis at the Ritz Carlton, the detention of Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri and the constant stream of arrests of civil society and women's activists as well as the ramping up of the propaganda war against Iran.”

For some in the royal court, MbS’ mounting mistakes may be more trouble than he is worth. “He has also alienated much of the rest of the royal family and it is possible they will work to push him aside before his father passes from the scene,” Slavin says.

David Andelman of Reuters spoke with a senior member of the Saudi royal family, who explained the process bin Salman needs to go through to actually become king. “A senior prince who is part of the Allegiance Council, a 28-member group of princes that formally selects the next king, explained to me on a visit to Riyadh that this body wants to feel that next ruler had been thoroughly tested through any numbers of challenges and met them – acquiring the wisdom and temperament that only age can bring. MbS, it is beginning to appear, has acquired little or none of this wisdom, “ he writes. If the council rejects him, they would also likely hand the crown prince position to someone else they feel will steer the country back into good favor with the West.

“The Khashoggi affair could prove to be quite an existential threat to MbS’s plan to succeed to the Saudi monarchy and break the stranglehold on power so long held by his elders,” Andelman furthers.

https://www.albawaba.com/news/mohammed-bin-salman%E2%80%99s-star-crashing-down-earth-1200908

cp9 USA

Siehe / Look at cp1

(* B P)

US stands against Iran’s proliferation of weapons and funding of 'proxy terrorists'

James Mattis says Tehran's support for insurgences in Yemen, Iraq and Syria must end

US defence secretary James Mattis said on Saturday that Washington vows to end Iran's support for the proliferation of weapons and its funding of militias in the region.

Mr Mattis critiqued Iran's "outlaw regime", saying that it has fuelled insurgencies in Yemen and Iraq, backed Bashar Al Assad's brutal regime in Syria and fostered chaos across the region.

"The US stands against Iran’s proliferation of advanced conventional weapons and its funding of and technical assistance to lethal militants and proxy terrorists," he told Arab leaders in Manama, Bahrain.

He reiterated Washington's support for its regional partners to defend themselves against Iranian-backed Houthi attacks on their territories and at the same time called for an urgent end to the fighting.

"Proxy forces [supported] by Iran’s regime doesn't lessen their accountability [and] we will stand against Iran's effort to enhance its nuclear programme," he said.

On Yemen, Mr Mattis said that all wars in the region must end.

“We strive to build the capacity of legitimate Yemeni forces, calling for urgent end to the fighting,” he said. "Compromise must replace combat".

He told leaders that there is no role for Iran in this conflict, stressing that diplomats should be allowed to "work their magic in Yemen. It's in the interests of the Houthi rebels to engage with UN Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths."

https://www.thenational.ae/world/the-americas/us-stands-against-iran-s-proliferation-of-weapons-and-funding-of-proxy-terrorists-1.784675

My comment: The US is going to achieve a regime change in Iran, by which means ever. Therefore, odd anti-Iranian propaganda is increasing more and more, and it became official politics. – “Iran's support for the proliferation of weapons and its funding of militias in the region” and similar “Iran’s proliferation of advanced conventional weapons and its funding of and technical assistance to lethal militants and proxy terrorists,": It’s very small, compared to US and Saudi “support for the proliferation of weapons and its funding of militias in the region” and US and Saudi Iran’s proliferation of advanced conventional weapons and its funding of and technical assistance to lethal militants and proxy terrorists," – Iran's "outlaw regime" has some legitimacy by partly-free elections. The real Iran's "outlaw regime" in the Middle East is the Saudi regime. – “Washington's support for its regional partners to defend themselves against Iranian-backed Houthi attacks on their territories”: This is putting upside down. The Saudis 8with US support) started attacking Houthi territory, not vice versa. The Saudi war is NO war of defence, but a war of aggression. – ““We strive to build the capacity of legitimate Yemeni forces”: The US is a WARRING PARTY in Yemen.

(* B P)

A guide to Congress’s immoral inaction on Yemen

Congress, who possesses the power to end U.S. support for the war, has largely ignored our ally’s transgressions. The closest they have come to holding the Saudis accountable was a Senate resolution to end support for the coalition, which was defeated due to ten Democrat defectors earlier this year. In recent months, after a few especially egregious bombings, all they could muster was a strongly worded letter to the Trump administration, signed by nine Senators. What explains the continued support for such an obviously immoral war?

First, at some level, we’ve become numb to the deaths of poor Middle Easterners. The U.S. has been bombing the region for decades, and during the Obama administration drone strikes and civilian casualties became the norm. Public opinion has consistently supported these strikes, even as the war on terror treads water and civilian casualties mount. Representatives respond to their constituency; if the constituency doesn’t care, they won’t either.

Second, the defense industry’s power poses an obstacle to congressional action. America’s resident war profiteers use their political sway to keep the conflicts raging and the money flowing. It can be political suicide to stand up to major arms dealers like Boeing or Lockheed Martin, especially in communities which are dependent on the jobs these companies provide. Representatives risk losing elections if contractors threaten to move their operations elsewhere.

In the 2016 election cycle, the defense industry spent 160 million dollars on lobbying and campaign contributions, buying influence over large swathes of Congress. As Saudi Arabia is the U.S. defense industry’s largest customer, the industry, and by extension the candidates they support, have a vested interest in prolonging the war in Yemen.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, admitting the truth, that war crimes have been committed in Yemen, will tarnish the American image. The fact of the matter is, we don’t simply tolerate Saudi human rights abuses in order to promote a broader anti-Iran, anti-terrorism strategy, as supporters of the war often claim. Rather, we actively aid and participate in said abuses. We train the Saudi military; refuel their jets that flatten hospitals and funeral homes; sell them bombs that are used to murder children on school buses; lend our air reconnaissance to pinpoint which wedding they’d like to blow up and support their blockade which threatens hundreds of thousands of lives.

Unfortunately, it’s not politically tenable to admit we have been committing war crimes, an assessment which numerous independent arbiters, such as the Human Rights Watch and the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, agree with. In a country that already struggles to fully acknowledge past atrocities, it seems unlikely that we will own up to any present day sins.

This shouldn’t be an excuse for lawmakers.

http://dailycampus.com/stories/2018/10/26/a-guide-to-congresss-immoral-inaction-on-yemen

(B P)

Where is our regard for the sanctity of life in Yemen?

Who are the “worthy victims” of our world, the ones who deserve our attention, our compassion, our empathy and our action? Children are now dying in Yemen as a result of a Saudi-led war effort aided by our government. Considering that this has gone on for some time, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that Americans either do not care or find this acceptable.

But after the appalling murder of Washington Post journalist and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, our relationship with Saudi Arabia has come under new scrutiny. For decades, the United States has maintained an alliance with that nation because of our demand for Saudi oil and our appreciation for a friend, even if an unreliable one, in a tumultuous region. Economic and national security interests have long led the United States to overlook egregious human rights violations in Saudi Arabia.

The complexities of U.S. foreign policy should not be oversimplified. Nonetheless, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion thatthe United States could end the war in Yemen if we wanted to. We have the opportunity for an unmasking about the state of our true selves. How do we regard the sanctity of life in Yemen?

We must speak out. The children of Yemen need an advocate. Even if a break with Saudi Arabia costs us financially, those who are co-crucified with Christ belong to a different economy than that of the earthly world concerning the price of life.

You are not our own. You were bought with a price. So glorify God with your body.

https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2018/10/26/where-our-regard-sanctity-life-yemen

(* A P)

«Trump hat eine Schwäche für starke Männer»

Ben Rhodes begleitete die Präsidentschaft Barack Obamas aus nächster Nähe, unter anderem als dessen Redenschreiber. Im Interview blickt er zurück und wagt einen Ausblick auf die USA nach den kommenden Zwischenwahlen.

Das Verrückte ist, dass bin Salman glaubt, sich im Umgang mit den USA alles erlauben zu können. US-Präsident Donald Trump hat ihm seine Nahost-Politik untergeordnet. So konnte sich bin Salman erlauben, in den Krieg im Jemen einzusteigen, eine Blockade gegen Katar zu verhängen und in der ­libanesischen Politik mitzumischen.

Sie sehen die Trump-Administration in der Mitverantwortung für die Ermordung Khashoggis. Wie kommen Sie darauf?
Nicht nur die Trump-Administration, das ganze politische Establishment in den USA hat den roten Teppich für den Prinzen ausgerollt. Er wird in grossen Teilen der Wirtschaft und der Medien als Reformer und Modernisierer gefeiert. Als er in den USA war, wurde er mit offenen Armen empfangen, obwohl der Krieg im Jemen schon im Gang war.

Warum diese Appeasement-Politik?
Trump hat eine Schwäche für starke Männer. Und Jared Kushner ist der perfekte Kontaktmann für die Saudis, er ist ja in einer ähnlichen Kronprinzenrolle wie bin Salman. Es geht um Geld. Die finanziellen Verbindungen der Saudis in die USA wären eine Untersuchung wert.

https://bazonline.ch/ausland/amerika/Trump-hat-eine-Schwaeche-fuer-starke-Maenner/story/26881240

Mein Kommentar: Jetzt kommen die Obama-Leute und äußern sich kritisch, soweit es gegen Trump geht. Damit kritisieren sie jetzt genau die Politik, die sie selbst unter Obama zu verantworten hatten. Krasses Beispiel hier: Nicht Trump hat den saudischen Jemenkrieg möglich gemacht, wie hier behauptet, sondern Obama 2015.

(A P)

2 Iranian fast attack boats came w/in 300 yards USS Essex in Persian Gulf Friday while Gen Joe Votel 4* head of @CENTCOM was on board. "safe and professional" encounter Iranians likely didn't know Votel was there: defense officials. but one Iranian boat crossed in front.

https://twitter.com/barbarastarrcnn/status/1055843394742824961

Whoa! Iranian boats... in the *Persian* Gulf! The only thing strange about this is that a giant US warship is sitting 7,000 miles away, near Iran. This would be like if Iran had a warship in the Gulf of Mexico and complained about Mexican boats there

https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1056017729789063169

(* B P)

Does Saudi money leave room for an honest debate?

WASHINGTON NEEDS to have a thorough debate about Saudi Arabia and whether the bilateral relationship as it now stands serves U.S. interests. That raises a difficult question: Is it possible to have an honest discussion when so many American experts are, in one way or another, on the Saudi payroll?

Many countries spend heavily to influence Congress or U.S. public opinion, but the Saudi operation dwarfs most of them. In the decade after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, in which 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals, the regime spent more than $100 million to rebuild its image here, according to Ben Freeman of the Center for International Policy. Last year alone it spent $27.3 million on lobbyists and consultants, according to public records; more than 200 people have registered as Saudi agents.

Prominent Washington think tanks, including the Middle East Institute and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, have accepted millions in Saudi money; so have universities, museums and other cultural organizations. U.S. financial firms are brokering big deals for the Saudi government, which is effectively controlled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Members of Congress or journalists looking for expert advice on Saudi Arabia might typically turn to former ambassadors or former chiefs of the Pentagon’s Central Command. But a number of them are connected to those think tanks or financial firms.

Over time, however, the Saudi lobby will seek to reassert itself, just as it did after 9/11. That will confront those former senators, ambassadors and generals with a critical choice: Can they still argue the Saudi case in good faith?

In the long run, a total break in relations would not serve anyone’s interest. But future cooperation ought to depend on whether there is full accountability for Mr. Khashoggi’s murder — including the identification and punishment of every perpetrator. By pushing for such accountability now, the Saudis’ Washington advocates would best serve the alliance — while helping to preserve their own integrity.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/does-saudi-money-leave-room-for-an-honest-debate/2018/10/24/678654c2-d7bb-11e8-aeb7-ddcad4a0a54e_story.html

My comment: the question in the headline is right. – But: “But future cooperation ought to depend on whether there is full accountability for Mr. Khashoggi’s murder”: That’s it? What about the Saudis’ and the US “full accountability” for Yemen???? – And, dear WaPo, forgotten: How often you gave space to pro-Saudi sycophants yourself? When will you fire David Ignatius?

(* B P)

Khashoggi killing spotlights Saudi money flowing to Harvard, MIT

MIT, which had staunchly defended its relationship with the Saudis, despite the country’s brutal three-year war in Yemen, announced this week that it is reexamining its ties to the kingdom in light of Khashoggi’s death. Harvard said it is “following recent events with concern” and “assessing potential implications for existing programs.”

Neither university has provided a full accounting of the many partnerships they have formed with the kingdom, but a review of those that have been publicly disclosed shows how difficult it would be to unravel the extensive ties, even if that were something the universities were considering.

MIT has accepted at least $25 million from Saudi Aramco, the state oil company, since 2012, using the money to launch the MIT Energy Initiative, which is focused on developing clean and renewable energy. The prince’s foundation, MiSK, recently became a “member company” at the MIT Media Lab, which requires a commitment of at least $250,000 a year over three years, according to the technology website CNET.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/10/25/khashoggi-death-prompts-questions-about-saudi-money-powering-programs-harvard-mit/3bcclb9hS12q9m0WbvQf3L/story.html

(* B P)

Dissident Saudi Professor Asks, “Is America Just an Arms Dealer?”

We speak with Madawi Al-Rasheed, a Saudi dissident and visiting professor at the Middle East Center at the London School of Economics. She was stripped of her Saudi citizenship in 2005 for criticizing Saudi authorities. Her new piece in the New York Times is titled “Why King Salman Must Replace M.B.S.”

MADAWI AL-RASHEED: Therefore, I think we really need to concentrate on the context of all this and how the United States is still not wanting to make a break or maybe acknowledge that the Saudi regime, whether it is Mohammed bin Salman or his so-called rogue elements within the regime, are responsible for this. But I can’t imagine how a journalist entering the Saudi state disappears, and this is — we have the video of that — without actually the fingers pointing to the involvement of the Saudi regime and possibly the top person in the Saudi regime, and that is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

MADAWI AL-RASHEED: However, when we come to the present and we come to the election of Mr. Donald Trump — Saudi Arabia, as you said, of course it did receive President Obama in Saudi Arabia and, frankly, President Obama sold more weapons to Saudi Arabia than any other president, but there was one issue that they did not agree on, and that is the Iran nuclear agreement, which allowed Iran to be rehabilitated into the international community and accept the conditions of the agreement to stop its nuclear program.

And Saudi Arabia felt threatened by that, because it felt that President Obama went behind it, and behind closed door, and did not involve them in the agreement or the negotiation. In fact, Saudi Arabia at the time wanted the United States to bomb Iran together with Israel and wanted to keep the momentum of the rivalry and the antagonism between the US and Iran to make sure that it is the only regional power that the US could rely on in its relation with the rest of the Arab world. But this agreement went ahead and the relationship went into some kind of tension at the time, until the election of Mr. Trump, who wanted to turn the page and reverse all of these agreements. He felt that there was an opportunity, money, in Saudi Arabia, and Mohammed bin Salman was the right person to negotiate, because I think they both share some common characteristics in the sense that they are both eclectic, after money, use a lot of media and PR, and also do not actually look at the facts.

So what happened is that there is a project at the moment that Mohammed bin Salman is critical for it to happen, and that is, first of all, opening the Saudi economy to international capital and also involving American corporations even more in the development of a kind of neoliberal economy in Saudi Arabia. But at the same time, there are the political issues.

So there are economic issues in this relationship, strategic and also the political aspects of that relationship should not be ignored. However, I think at the moment Mohammed bin Salman and the Saudi regime are increasingly becoming an embarrassment and a burden on their partners, especially the US, because the world and the civil society, human rights organizations, are very vocal in condemning the abuses that take place inside Saudi Arabia. Therefore, public opinion is shifting.

Americans should ask themselves this question: Is America just an arms dealer, a manufacturer of heavy armament to be sold to dictatorships around the world, or is there something else that America stands for? Does it stand for democracy? Does it stand for human rights? Does it stand for a global order where individuals are respected and are secure?

https://truthout.org/video/dissident-saudi-professor-asks-is-america-just-an-arms-dealer

(* B P)

Trump, Saudi Arabia and the Khashoggi Murder

Is there no crime so obvious, so egregious and so blatant that it won’t be overlooked by United States President Donald Trump, if doing so suits his twisted needs?

He excuses, with barely a mention, the Saudi bombing of a school bus full of Yemeni children. And now he is overlooking the cold-blooded murder of a Saudi journalist, which that government even concedes, after several rather incredulous stories, that it is, indeed, responsible for.

Any other U.S. president, Democrat or Republican, would certainly see this as a reason to at least review the U.S.’s unqualified support for the Saudi regime.

But not Trump; he was first happy to say that there must be some other explanation for why Jemal Khashoggi.

Then, after numerous denials by the Saudi government that it had no knowledge of what may have happened, they stated that Khoshoggi died in a fistfight in the embassy! While this may be a prize winner in any contest for the most outrageous and unbelievable statements any government has ever made, Trump was happy to accept it.

Then, when the Saudi regime finally said that ‘rogue’ members of the government (are there any other kind in Saudi Arabia?) were responsible, Trump seemed perfectly content with that explanation. What consequences the perpetrators will experience is not known, nor are any expected. Certainly, none of this will impact U.S. relations with the Saudi regime.

One need not wonder why this is. Trump has set the U.S.’s deadly sites on Iran, and seeks Saudi support to implement whatever destructive and illegal plans he may have for that nation. Never mind that Saudi Arabia supports such terrorist groups as Jibhat al-Nusra, an organization that is on the U.S.’s official ‘terrorist’ list. The U.S. happily supports other terrorist groups in Syria and other locations around the world, so why object to one that the U.S. itself condemns?

And so what if the brutal Saudi war on Yemen is causing millions of people to die of starvation? Why should the U.S. object to that, as long as it can enlist Saudi Arabia in its anti-Iran plans. Trump has stated more than once that the U.S. needs Saudi Arabia for that purpose, so basically whatever horrendous atrocities Saudi Arabia commits will be overlooked.

Since the U.S. is so busy condemning Iran while it ignores the unspeakable human rights abuses of some of its allies, including Saudi Arabia, let’s see what it is that Iran has done that has brought about Trump’s wrath.

It may be difficult for Trump, who’s attention span rivals that of a 2-year old, who believes that if he or she can’t see something, it no longer exists, to understand the rich history and culture of Iran.

But according to the U.S. government, it is Iran that is the world’s foremost sponsor of world terrorism. It is Iran that is the major abuser of human rights. It is Iran that is causing untold trouble around the world.

It has been said that if one tells a lie often enough, eventually it will be believed. Trump seems to rely on this, as he attempts to prepare the hapless U.S. citizens for another needless, deadly, devastating war. But those citizens should beware: Iran is not Iraq. It is a large and powerful country, with powerful allies. The U.S. will wage war on Iran to its own detriment. It is hoped that such a war will never happen – by Robert Fantina

https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/10/26/trump-saudi-arabia-and-the-khashoggi-murder/

(* B P)

Film by Rep. Ro Khanna: Stopping a famine that is impacting 12 million people in Yemen should not be a partisan issue. Regardless of the politics, we should demand a cessation to the violence in Yemen so that aid can enter the country and end the humanitarian crisis.

https://twitter.com/RepRoKhanna/status/1055805653124612096

(* B P)

THE UAE’S POWERFUL AMBASSADOR IS STILL HOBNOBBING IN WASHINGTON AFTER JAMAL KHASHOGGI’S MURDER

THE MAN IN Washington most responsible for elevating Mohammed bin Salman to the position of crown prince of Saudi Arabia has largely escaped scrutiny in the wake of the murder and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

And on Tuesday, life goes on as normal for United Arab Emirates Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba, the diplomat who lobbied Washington heavily to support the crown prince’s internal efforts to disrupt the line of ascension and put himself next in line for the throne. When MBS — as the crown prince is known — was given his title in June 2017, and as he went on a ruthless power grab in the months that followed, the Washington foreign policy establishment nodded along and touted him as a reformer.

Otaiba, according to an invitation obtained by The Intercept, will be hosting a dinner party Tuesday night for former Obama administration Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker at his Virginia mansion. The invite identifies Pritzker by her current role as chair of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Otaiba’s dinner parties are a thing of legend in the Washington social scene.

The UAE believed that with MBS in power, the smaller nation would be able to influence the bigger one.

“Our relationship with them is based on strategic depth, shared interests, and most importantly the hope that we could influence them. Not the other way around,” said Otaiba in an email, explaining the strategy behind the UAE’s embrace of MBS.

Otaiba has been one of the most influential diplomats in Washington, and is treated by many foreign policy hands as a neutral arbiter of Middle East affairs. His endorsement of MBS was crucial to the young prince’s rise; without support in Washington, his move to jump the line in Riyadh would have been impossible.

One of the things Otaiba did was introduce Saudi Arabia to the public relations firm that represents the UAE in Washington, the Harbour Group, which then also took on Saudi Arabia as a client. Amid global outrage over Khashoggi’s murder, the Harbour Group dropped Saudi Arabia as a client, but it continues to work with the UAE.

In the wake of Donald Trump’s election, Otaiba became close with the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and helped forge what would become a bond between Kushner and MBS. Kushner successfully lobbied to make Saudi Arabia the first foreign country Trump visited.

Kushner, in a Monday interview with CNN’s Van Jones, dodged a question about whether he believed the Saudis’ widely ridiculed official statement that Khashoggi died in a fist fight with rogue operatives at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. “With regards to the situation in Saudi Arabia,” Kushner said, “I’d say that right now, as an administration, we’re more in the fact-finding phase.”

In that same interview, Kushner also said that he doesn’t really have much to do with the Middle East.

https://theintercept.com/2018/10/23/yousef-al-otaiba-khashoggi-washington/

(A P)

Anti-War Voices Applaud 'Must-Read' Sanders Op-Ed Demanding End to US Complicity in Yemen Carnage

Anti-war voices are praising a new "must-read" New York Times op-ed in which Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called on Congress "to redefine our relationship with Saudi Arabia, and to show that the Saudis do not have a blank check to continue violating human rights" by revoking U.S. support for the Saudi and UAE-led war in Yemen.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/25/anti-war-voices-applaud-must-read-sanders-op-ed-demanding-end-us-complicity-yemen

Remark: Sanders' statement was presented in Yemen War Mosaic 472, cp9.

(* B P)

It’s time to put the brakes on Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen

As the Trump White House comes to grips with the Saudi government’s role in the killing of writer Jamal Khashoggi, it confronts a major dilemma that has bedeviled previous American administrations: How do we punish a country with which the United States is locked in a relationship of profound mutual dependence?

The kingdom needs American military protection, despite having the world’s third-largest military budget and lots of shiny Western weaponry. And the United States, despite the North American shale revolution, still relies on Saudi oil (in the sense that the world oil market cannot function without it). The Saudis are also a vital partner for counterterrorism. For these reasons, American punishment for the murder of Khashoggi, a Post contributing columnist, is likely to consist of the usual wrist-slapping: no high-level summits for a while, a bit less pomp in any official meetings for some time after that and maybe a visa ban or two for complicit individuals. Congress, for its part, may issue a resolution expressing its collective outrage.

That would be a woefully inadequate response.

One tempting option would be to stop U.S. arms sales — a measure that could impose pain on Riyadh without disrupting America’s de facto security guarantee, or the world’s unquenchable thirst for Saudi hydrocarbons. Yet President Trump resists this step, arguing that American jobs are on the line.

But there’s a natural compromise. We should use this crisis as a chance to do what we should have been doing all along — namely, to force the Saudis (and, ideally, their key ally, the United Arab Emirates) to rethink their disastrous war in neighboring Yemen.

Complete victory over the Houthi-led and Iranian-supported forces of northern Yemen is not attainable for Saudi Arabia and its mostly southern and Sunni allies. Nor is it necessary. American, and Saudi, and broader regional interests can be adequately protected by continuing targeted strikes against al-Qaeda elements in Yemen, and reaching some kind of power-sharing agreement that would give Houthi factions more autonomy in northern Yemen with more resources for the rebuilding of the country.

To ensure that Riyadh takes such a more realistic approach in Yemen, Washington should make its military assistance for the war conditional. The United States has considerable influence. Saudi Arabia depends, in part, on the United States and U.S. contractors for intelligence and logistics. Riyadh also values America’s good opinion (and, if anything, values Trump’s support more than it did Obama’s), so it is sensitive to U.S. criticism.

None of this will solve all the problems between the United States and the kingdom. At least, though, we will no longer be compelled to follow the military lead of a young Saudi prince who has now proven to the world on multiple occasions that his judgment cannot be trusted – by Dan Byman and Michael O’Hanlon, senior fellows at the Brookings Institution and professors at Georgetown University.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2018/10/23/its-time-to-put-the-brakes-on-saudi-arabias-war-in-yemen/

My comment: This is not totally wrong and it could be appreciated if the US would act in this way. Nevertheless, this is another of those typical articles be want-be US strategists, based on US geopolitical interests.

cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain

(A P)

Tories abstain as European parliament overwhelmingly backs EU-wide arms embargo on Saudi Arabia

The European parliament has called for an EU-wide arms embargo against Saudi Arabia, piling pressure on Theresa May to follow Angela Merkel’s lead and suspend weapons sales to the autocracy.

The vote comes the same day as Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor confirmed that the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was “premeditated”, and amid renewed calls for the west to stop supplying the country’s bloody war in Yemen.

British Conservative MEPs were branded “disgraceful” after they abstained in a specific vote on whether to impose the arms embargo on the kingdom, which passed 242 votes to 23 – though they ultimately backed a wider motion condemning the Saudi’s conduct.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/conservatives-european-parliament-weapons-embargo-theresa-may-saudi-arabia-jamal-khashoggi-a8601591.html

(A P)

"An answer is being prepared ..." Yet another opportunity for #UKGov to try to hide the truth about the role of UK personnel in preparing/maintaining/operating the bombs being dropped on innocent civilians in #Yemen. (text in image)

https://twitter.com/julie_maxon/status/1055861003664138240

(* A P)

Film: Criminal, lying, genocidal UK Regime - May actually admits they support Saudi Arabia's genocide in #Yemen - using fake legitimacy of fugitive-ex-president Mansour Hadi to cover up UK's murderous imperialist project in Yemen, led by BAE. Remember May's husband is linked to BAE.

https://www.facebook.com/vanessa.beeley/videos/10158463594563868/

https://www.facebook.com/presstvuk/videos/342644542975477/

(* A P)

(A P)

Demonstrators gather outside Saudi embassy to protest Yemen bombings and Khashoggi killing

Dozens of people gathered outside Saudi Arabia’s embassy in London on Thursday evening to protest against the gulf state’s war in Yemen and the killing in Turkey of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Demonstrators holding signs and placards chanted outside the residence in Mayfair, with many calling on the UK government to withdraw arms sales from the country in light of its devastating bombing campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

“Stop arming Saudis!” protesters shouted, while others responded “Justice for Jamal!”.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/saudi-embassy-yemen-war-jamal-khashoggi-killing-murder-arms-sales-a8601996.html

cp11 Deutschland / Germany

(B K P)

Schwan: Keine Waffenlieferungen an Saudi-Arabien

Wenn man in der internationalen Politik das Spannungsfeld zwischen Moral und Realpolitik aufhebe, sei man als Demokratie verloren, betonte die SPD-Politikerin Gesine Schwan im Dlf. Nach Saudi-Arabien sollte man keine Waffen liefern. Umso wichtiger sei es, sich als Land nicht von der Waffenlobby abhängig zu machen.

https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/ruestungsexporte-schwan-keine-waffenlieferungen-an-saudi.694.de.html

(* B P)

Völkermord im Jemen? Fiderallala

Bombardements auf Schulbusse und Marktplätze, alle zehn Minuten stirbt ein Kind in diesem Krieg – aber ARD-aktuell behandelt den Genozid nachrangig

Über den Völkermord im Jemen berichtet ARD-aktuell in der Hauptausgabe der Tagesschau um 20 Uhr seit Kriegsbeginn vor drei Jahren allenfalls sporadisch. Die westliche Kriegsallianz – es sind ja beileibe nicht bloß Saudi-Araber – bombt tagtäglich zivile Einrichtungen in Grund und Boden, nimmt Schulbusse, Marktplätze und alle Menschenansammlungen unter Raketenfeuer, und seien es auch „nur“ Beerdigungen oder Hochzeitsfeiern.

Die USA, Frankreich und die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate sind mit Bodentruppen dabei, Großbritannien mit Militärberatern; die Westliche Werte-Gemeinschaft liefert das Mordwerkzeug und verdient sich an den Rüstungsexporten ins Kriegsgebiet dumm und dämlich. Dass diese „Wertegemeinschaft“ verantwortlich ist für die größte humanitäre Katastrophe dieses Jahrhunderts, rückt die Tagesschau allerdings nicht nachhaltig ins öffentliche Bewusstsein.

Im Jemen führen ja auch keine Russen völkerrechtswidrigen Krieg und machen sich übelster Kriegsverbrechen schuldig, sondern dort morden Deutschlands „Partner“ und „Verbündete“, geführt von den USA. Daher bleibt die Tagesschau vornehm zurückhaltend. Sie serviert ihr dürftiges Informationsangebot nur in Nebengewerken, auf tagesschau.de oder dem Sendeplatz tagesschau24, allenfalls in einer ihrer Vorausgaben am Nachmittag. Sie vermeidet vor allem direkte und klare Sprache:

„Bei einem Luftangriff auf einen Schulbus sind im Jemen mindestens 39 Menschen getötet worden, unter ihnen viele Kinder. Das Land macht die von Saudi-Arabien geführte Koalition dafür verantwortlich … Sie führt seit 2015 Krieg gegen die Huthi-Rebellen.“ (1)

Verschleierndes, empathieloses Agenturdeutsch. „Es sind …getötet worden“, „das Land macht … die Koalition verantwortlich“. Warum nicht einfach: „Saudische Kampfflugzeuge haben im Jemen einen Schulbus bombardiert und 51 Zivilisten umgebracht. 29 davon waren Kinder. Der Westen ist damit für ein weiteres Kriegsverbrechen verantwortlich.“?

Das journalistische Versagen der ARD-aktuell hat keine formalen und unvermeidlichen Ursachen, etwa Platzmangel wegen der Kürze der Sendungen. In ihrer eingangs genannten 20-Uhr-Tagesschau wurde beispielsweise berichtet, dass Schwangerschaftsabbrüche in Argentinien jetzt wieder strafbar seien. Solche Fakten profund zu ventilieren, ist zwingend für ARD-aktuell und die Kreuzworträtselbildung ihrer Gebührenzahler auf dem Sofa.

Die boulevardeske Nachrichtenauswahl ist nicht zufällig. Sie hat System und Tradition. Als die Saudis in Allianz mit der Westlichen Wertegemeinschaft am 15. März 2016 bei einem Bombenangriff im Jemen 103 Menschen umbrachten, erfuhren die 6 Millionen Zuschauer der 20-Uhr-Tagesschau und der Tagesthemen absolut nichts über das Verbrechen. Stattdessen übermittelte das “Erste Deutsche Fernsehen” an diesem Abend folgendes Themenangebot:

Fiderallala. Eine Meldung über das absichtliche Massaker der Saudis – ein Gemüsemarkt wurde von Tieffliegern beschossen – kam lediglich über Text auf tagesschau.de. (4)

Chefredakteur Dr. Gniffke hält es eben für journalistisch sauber, Saudi-Arabien nicht als eine mörderische und bis ins Mark korrupte Despotie zu bezeichnen, sondern die Formel „erzkonservative Monarchie“ zu verwenden.

Man darf der Tagesschau auch in diesem Fall verschleiernde Absicht unterstellen. Denn dass das „Eingreifen“ der US-Saudi-usw.-Kriegskoalition im Jemen ohne UN-Mandat geschieht, unterschlägt die Tagesschau ja ebenfalls sehr konsequent.

https://publikumskonferenz.de/blog/2018/10/26/voelkermord-im-jemen-fiderallala/ = https://kritisches-netzwerk.de/forum/dr-gniffkes-macht-um-acht-voelkermord-im-jemen-fiderallala

(B H P)

Not lindern und Lösungen unterstützen: Deutsches Engagement in Jemen

Deutschland hat allein dieses Jahr bislang 100 Mio. EUR für humanitäre Hilfe in Jemen bereitgestellt. Damit stellen unsere Partner des Welternährungsprogramms (WFP) und Nichtregierungsorganisationen wie ADRA, Ärzte der Welt, Oxfam und Save the Children dringend benötigte Nahrungsmittel und Trinkwasser zur Verfügung. Insbesondere in Regionen, in denen Binnenvertriebene Schutz suchen, werden mangel- und unterernährte Kinder und schwangere bzw. stillende Frauen versorgt.

Die Bundesregierung setzt sich außerdem für den uneingeschränkten Zugang der Bevölkerung zu Hilfsgütern ein. Seitens der Konfliktparteien muss alles unternommen werden, um den Schutz von Zivilisten und ziviler Infrastruktur in den Vordergrund zu stellen.

Deutschland engagiert sich für eine politische Lösung der Krise. Dabei unterstützt die Bundesregierung die Arbeit des UN-Sondergesandten Martin Griffiths.

https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/aussenpolitik/laender/jemen-node/deutsches-engagement-jemen/2154534

mein Kommentar: Das ist also die offizielle Lesart. 100 Millionen Euro sind sicher nicht wenig; das sind knapp 4 Euro pro Jemenit(in). Dagegen stehen: Waffenverkäufe an die Saudis und die politische Positionierung in diesem Krieg.

(A H P)

Caritas fordert Öffnung der Häfen

Caritas international hat Deutschland dazu aufgerufen, die Konfliktparteien im jemenitischen Bürgerkrieg zu einer dauerhaften Öffnung der Häfen zu verpflichten.

https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/hilfe-im-jemen-caritas-fordert-oeffnung-der-haefen.1939.de.html

(A P)

"Shatarah " and “Ben Brik " Face embarrassing questions from supporters “Southern transition" in Berlin

The two leaders are visiting the so-called "Southern Transitional Council " Hani Ben Brik and Lotfi Shatarah, the German capital of Berlin, and meet a number of Council supporters there.

http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160150

(A P)

Hungerkatastrophe im Jemen verhindern

Iran trägt eine Hauptverantwortung, aber auch Saudi-Arabien muss jetzt eine humanitäre Lösung ermöglichen

Hierzu erklärt der außenpolitische Sprecher der CDU/CSU-Bundestagsfraktion, Jürgen Hardt:

„Die Krise im Jemen ist eine der schlimmsten humanitären Krisen unserer Zeit.

Iran trägt durch seine Unterstützung der Houthi-Rebellen und die fortgesetzte Destabilisierung des Landes eine Hauptverantwortung. Der Iran ist aufgefordert, seine Unterstützung für die Aufständischen umgehend zu beenden. Die aggressive Regionalpolitik des Iran, die im Jemen wie auch in anderen Staaten des Nahen und Mittleren Ostens vor Waffeneinsatz und Terrorunterstützung nicht zurückschreckt, ist zentraler Kritikpunkt der Völkergemeinschaft am Regime in Teheran. Aber auch Saudi-Arabien als Konfliktpartei an der Seite der legitimen jemenitischen Regierung trägt eine besondere Verantwortung. Gerade nach dem Fall Khashoggi ist Saudi-Arabien nun in der Jemen-Krise gefordert, internationale Verantwortung zu beweisen, dem Kriegstreiben ein Ende zu setzen und sich für eine echte politische Lösung zu engagieren.“

https://www.cducsu.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/hungerkatastrophe-im-jemen-verhindern

Mein Kommentar: HÄÄ???

(A P)

Grüne fordern Rüstungsexportgesetz und mehr Parlamentskontrolle über Waffenverkäufe

Angesichts anhaltend hoher deutscher Waffenexporte nach Saudi-Arabien fordert die Grünen-Vorsitzende Annalena Baerbock ein Rüstungsexportgesetz und eine schärfere parlamentarische Kontrolle. "Wir brauchen endlich ein restriktives Rüstungsexportgesetz", sagte Baerbock der Nachrichtenagentur AFP. "Denn an die bestehenden Richtlinien oder den eigenen Koalitionsvertrag hält sich die Bundesregierung nicht." Zudem müsse der Bundestag in "besonders heiklen Fällen" über anstehende Genehmigungen vorab informiert werden.

"Rein gar nichts ist geblieben von der Vereinbarung im Koalitionsvertrag, Saudi-Arabien nicht weiter mit Rüstungsgütern für den Jemen-Krieg zu beliefern", kritisierte Baerbock. "Die Bundesregierung hat Saudi-Arabien in diesem Jahr sogar zum zweitbesten Kunden deutscher Rüstungsunternehmen aufsteigen lassen."

https://info.arte.tv/de/afp/Neuigkeiten/gruene-fordern-ruestungsexportgesetz-und-mehr-parlamentskontrolle-ueber = https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Gruene-verlangen-Ruestungsexportgesetz-article20689409.html

cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries

(A P)

Lopsided foreign ties

THE tightrope that Pakistan must walk in balancing its interests in relations with predominantly Muslim countries in the region and beyond is becoming ever more difficult. Forces unleashed by the Arab Spring and foreign military interventions from Libya to Syria have drawn the Arab world and Gulf countries into increased rivalries, hostilities and even outright war. From the wars and humanitarian catastrophes in Syria and Yemen to the blockade of Qatar, to Turkey and Saudi Arabia’s competition for influence in the Muslim and Arab worlds, Pakistan has friends and allies on both sides of the complex struggles for power and influence that have broken out in the greater Middle East. Prime Minister Imran Khan has now claimed that his government will try and mediate to end the Saudi-led war in Yemen. By itself, that is a welcome sentiment. If Pakistan can help its friends and allies end their wars among themselves, navigating a fraught region could become somewhat easier for this country.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1441413/lopsided-foreign-ties

(* A P)

EU calls for Saudi arms embargo to halt Yemen war

Europe is mulling an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia to punish it for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The EU parliament on Thursday passed a non-binding resolution to this effect. Austria says such action could help end "the terrible war in Yemen."

"We think it’s a very good initiative," says Cécile Coudriou, president of Amnesty International France.

"This continuous sale of arms has fueled the conflict," she told RFI.

"Even during a war, there are still rules, and Saudi Arabia but not just them--the United Arab Emirates--don't respect these rules. And in a way, countries that sell weapons to Saudi Arabia become an accomplice of these terrible violations," she said.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday the sale of weapons "has nothing to do with Khashoggi" and that "one shouldn't mix everything up."

In 2017, Paris sold 1.7 billion dollars worth of weapons to Riyadh, ignoring protests overs arms sales it deems vital to jobs.

Elsewhere Britain--which is about to leave the EU--exported arms and equipment worth at least 1.4 billion dollars.

"A country like France, but also the UK, very often claim that human rights is on the agenda, that they are sensitive to these issues but when it's about economic interests, it's often in contradiction with their principles," reckons Amnesty's Coudriou. (with audio)

http://en.rfi.fr/middle-east/20181026-EU-calls-Saudi-arms-embargo-halt-Yemen-war-Khashoggi-murder

(A P)

Austria calls for EU-wide halt in arms sales to Saudi Arabia

The European Union should halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia following the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl told a German newspaper, saying such action could also help end “the terrible war in Yemen”.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-khashoggi-austria/austria-calls-for-eu-wide-halt-in-arms-sales-to-saudi-arabia-idUSKCN1MZ34T

(B K P)

Operiert Pilatus in Saudi-Arabien illegal?

Die Geschichte um die Supportverträge des Schweizer Flugzeugbauers Pilatus mit Saudi-Arabien dreht sich weiter. Wie gestern bekannt wurde, unterhält Pilatus in Saudi-Arabien eine Belegschaft, die sich um die gelieferten PC-21-Flieger kümmert.

Nun zeigen Recherchen des Tages-Anzeigers, dass die Pilatus-Werke trotz Meldepflicht das Schweizer Aussendepartement (EDA) im Dunkeln liessen.

Angeblich habe Pilatus die zuständigen Behörden in Bernnicht über die Supportverträge und die Tätigkeiten vor Ort informiert. Das würde gegen das sogenannte Söldnergesetz verstossen. Solche Verstösse können mit Haftstrafen von bis zu einem Jahr oder Geldstrafen bestraft werden.

https://www.watson.ch/schweiz/wirtschaft/602819937-operiert-pilatus-in-saudi-arabien-illegal

und

(A P)

Hans Wicki verteidigt Pilatus

Der Bund nimmt ein heikles Geschäft des Flugzeugherstellers mit der saudischen Luftwaffe genauer unter die Lupe. Der FDP-Bundesratskandidat sieht keinen Gesetzesverstoss.

https://www.luzernerzeitung.ch/schweiz/hans-wicki-verteidigt-pilatus-ld.1064931

(* B P)

Schweiz: Sanktionen: Nicht gegen den Unrechtsstaat Saudi-Arabien

Mit Recht und Gerechtigkeit haben Sanktionen wenig zu tun. Meistens sind sie ein Instrument der Macht und der Erpressung.

Das «Bundesgesetz über die Durchsetzung von internationalen Sanktionen» vom 22. März 2002 sieht «Zwangsmassnahmen» vor, welche

«der Einhaltung des Völkerrechts, namentlich der Respektierung der Menschenrechte, dienen»

Dieses kuriose Bundesgesetz soll nicht für alle Delinquenten gleichermassen nach klaren Kriterien gelten. Es soll – wörtlich – nur «Sanktionen durchsetzen, die von Organisationen der Vereinten Nationen (UNO), der Organisation für Sicherheit und Zusammenarbeit in Europa (OSZE) oder von den wichtigsten Handelspartnern der Schweiz beschlossen worden sind».

Sanktionieren tut die Schweiz also nicht einfach gleichermassen die schlimmsten Unrechts- oder Schurkenstaaten, welche das Völkerrecht oder die Menschenrechte systematisch verletzen. Sanktioniert wird von Bern aus nur, wer ins Sanktionen-Visier der UNO, der OSZE oder unserer «wichtigsten Handelspartner» geraten ist. Gemeint sind namentlich die EU oder die USA.

Konkret macht die Schweiz wohl oder übel als Trittbrettfahrerin bei Sanktionen mit, etwa gegen Nordkorea, Iran oder Russland.

Kurzum, es herrscht Willkür.

Veto-Mächte decken Unrechtsstaaten

Bei der UNO steht der Sicherheitsrat im Vordergrund. Dieser ist demokratisch nicht legitimiert. Ständige Mitglieder sind die USA, Russland, China, Frankreich und Grossbritannien, die sich nie einer Wahl stellen müssen. Sie verfügen zudem über ein Vetorecht, mit dem jeder einzelne dieser Vorrechtsstaaten sämtliche Beschlüsse des Sicherheitsrates nach Lust, Laune und Willkür blockieren kann, darunter auch alle einem ständigen Mitglied nicht genehmen Sanktionen.

Die Folge davon: Sanktioniert werden von der UNO nicht die Staaten, welche Völkerrecht und Menschenrechte am meisten missachten, sondern einseitig jene, mit denen keine der fünf UNO-Vetomächte «befreundet» ist. Ein Rekursrecht gibt es gegen solche Strafmassnahmen nicht.

cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade

Siehe / Look at cp 9, 10, 11, 12

(* A P)

U.S., U.N. seek to identify weapons seized off the coast of Yemen

U.N. experts on Thursday inspected a shipment of weapons recently seized by the U.S. Navy that American officials suspect could provide new evidence of Iranian support for Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The U.N. inspectors will seek to identify the origin of about 2,500 AK-47s seized in the Gulf of Aden on Aug. 28, U.S. officials said.

The weapons are being stored aboard the USS Jason Dunham, a guided-missile destroyer that confiscated the weapons from a vessel encountered about 70 miles off the southern coast of Yemen.

Vice Adm. Scott Stearney, the commander of U.S. naval forces in the Middle East, said American officials had conducted a preliminary examination of the weapons but would wait to determine how to handle them until the U.N. investigators reach their own conclusions.

“What the U.N. inspection team does is it allows us to have a level of validation that maybe is accepted on a broader scale,” Stearney told a small group of reporters. The team members have expertise in weapons coming out of Iran, Yemen and Somalia, “so, everything that connects this portion of the theater,” he said.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-un-seek-to-identify-weapons-seized-off-the-coast-of-yemen/2018/10/25/08a6763f-6deb-4294-8c4b-939a1c741b15_story.html

and

(* A P)

UN Investigating Whether Iran Supplied Weapons Seized By U.S. Navy Near Yemen

Yet U.S. forces patrolling the waters around Yemen have managed to seize only a handful of weapons caches like the one seized by the USS Jason Dunham in late August.

"It's one big traffic corridor," Vice Admiral Scott Stearney, commander of the U.S. 5th Fleet, told reporters on board the vessel on October 25, speaking of the Gulf of Aden and other waterways around Yemen.

Stearney declined to say if he thought Iran was responsible for the weapons seized by the Dunham's crew, but he said the UN inspectors were experts on illicit weapons from Iran, Yemen, and Somalia.

Navy Captain Adan Cruz, commodore of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, said the weapons could have been shipped from Somalia rather than Iran. The UN inspectors, he said, will determine the guns' origin and "see first-hand the weapons flowing into the region."

https://www.rferl.org/a/un-investigating-whether-iran-supplied-weapons-seized-us-navy-near-yemen-huthi-rebel/29564769.html

and also https://www.nbcnews.com/news/mideast/un-arms-experts-examine-possible-iranian-arms-seized-us-yemen-n924791

(* B K P)

'Khashoggi's murder is dreadful act, but weapon sales to Saudis should be stopped because of Yemen'

Jamal Khashoggi's killing is a dreadful act, but a far more important reason to stop supplying arms to the Saudis is that they would be used to kill civilians in Yemen, security analyst Charles Shoebridge told RT.

RT: What do you make of the reaction we've heard internationally to calls for the cancelation of these huge arms contracts? There is no surprise that many countries have got huge amounts of money involved. They are just saying 'no, we are not going to cancel these contracts'.

Charles Shoebridge: You are right. There is no surprise whatsoever, and also there will be no surprise, notwithstanding, as we've heard in the Spanish and the Canadian case blaming previous governments for entering into these arms contracts, we can also expect these current governments to do exactly the same. Because these contracts are worth vast sums of money. What is interesting is that today, since Khashoggi was killed in the way that he was, the emphasis has been on we should punish Saudi Arabia by canceling these arms contracts or stop having arms contracts with Saudi Arabia because they killed this journalist… But [a] far more important reason …is the consideration what these weapons are going to be used for. And in effect, in a very large number of cases these weapons, particularly aircraft bombs and shells are being used to carry out war crimes and human rights violations. And that is extremely well documented. And here we are talking particularly about the situation in Yemen. And Britain and the US are entirely complicit in that situation.

We occasionally see headlines in the West – the US and UK media – saying 'Yemen, the forgotten war'. They neglect to mention that reason it is forgotten is because the media themselves have chosen not to report it. And it must have been a choice not to report it because almost universally amongst the mainstream US and UK media, there has been, if not a blackout, certainly very limited coverage of the atrocities that are occurring there – not just from the bombing campaign itself, although that has killed thousands of civilians.

Now, to some degree, with Khashoggi's killing, in respect to him being a very famous and prominent Western journalist, that is now being used, increasingly in the US and UK media, only for last few weeks, as now a weapon to beat Saudi Arabia with. But it is very late in the day: for three years this war has been raging and these weapons have been used in this immoral and illegal way, and yet Britain and America have absolutely continued to supply them. In fact, the supplies are increasing.

https://www.rt.com/news/442271-saudi-arabia-khashoggi-yemen/

cp13b Mercenaries / Söldner

Siehe / Look at cp1

cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy

(A E P)

Economic Commission calls for the opening credits in exchange for the central commitment to cover the goods for 585 YR per dollar

http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160155

Remark: At Aden, Hadi government.

(* B E H)

UN Children's Fund: Yemen Joint Market Monitoring Initiative (September 2018)

Between August and September, the value of the Yemeni Riyal (YER) continued to depreciate against the US Dollar (USD). At the time of data collection the exchange rate in the parallel market was 670 YER per USD, an increase of 12% when compared to August.

  • Median price levels for fuel commodities increased between August and September. Fuel and water trucking prices had the greatest increase: 44.38% and 58.13% for diesel and petrol respectively, while water trucking prices increased by 41.67%, as water trucking prices are largely dependent on fuel prices.
  • Median price levels of other commodities also increased compared to last month with, among others, an increase of 25% for sanitary napkins, and of 21.74% for bottled water.
  • The aggregated median WASH Survival Minimum Expenditure Basket (SMEB) cost is 11,563 YER.
    SUPPLY OVERVIEW • Fuel prices were higher in districts supplied by the governorate of Al Hudaydah than by districts supplied by Aden. The highest prices were found in districts located in governorates of Hajjah,
    Amanat al Asimah and Sana'a, with prices up to 1,000 YER.
  • The median of restocking time reported by fuel vendors at national level was five days.
  • Price inflation and transportation issues remain the challenges most frequently cited by vendors. Shortage of fuel was increasingly highlighted as a main challenge.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-joint-market-monitoring-initiative-september-2018

cp15 Propaganda

(A P)

Saudi Arabia says it is beacon of 'light' against Iran despite Khashoggi crisis

Saudi Arabia and key ally Bahrain said on Saturday that Gulf states are playing a critical role in maintaining stability in the Middle East by combating Iran’s “vision of darkness”, as Riyadh faces its worst political crisis in decades.

Saudi Arabia is the lynchpin of a U.S.-backed regional bloc against growing Iranian influence in the Middle East but the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at its consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. has prompted a global outcry and strained Riyadh’s ties with the West.

“We are now dealing with two visions in the Middle East. One is a (Saudi) vision of light ... One is a (Iranian) vision of darkness which seeks to spread sectarianism throughout the region,” Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told a security summit in Bahrain.

“History tells us that light always wins out against the dark ... The question is how do we defeat them.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bahrain-summit/saudi-arabia-says-it-is-beacon-of-light-against-iran-despite-khashoggi-crisis-idUSKCN1N10DD

My comment: What they want to tell: “Whether Khashoggi or not, we are important for you and you need us. So calm down.”

(B P)

Panel: Iran Benefits from Saudi Arabia’s Involvement in Yemen

Iranian leaders are gaining leverage and advantage over Saudi Arabia and its allies as the conflict in Yemen drags on, a leading expert in Middle East security issues said Thursday.

Tehran has spent “a pittance” in support of the Houthis while the Saudis with American intelligence and support for its fighter and strike aircraft and ground forces have spent $50 billion since 2015 trying to defeat them, Bruce Riedel said at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.

Iran has used Hezbollah, its proxy based in Lebanon, to fight alongside the Houthis, whom he described as “ruthless thugs” and some financing to buy arms. Tehran also provided the expertise to finish ballistic missile construction the Houthis have used to attack Saudi capital Riyadh and targets in the United Arab Emirates.

“I think Iran has been telling the Houthis to fight to the last Houthi, to fight to the last Yemeni,” he added. Fatima Abo Alasrar, senior analyst for the Arabia Foundation, added, for Iran, “It’s the card they played,” knowing the Houthis had no political allies in Yemen but a fierce determination to fight for control of the country. The Iranians see the civil war as a way “to antagonize Saudi Arabia” because it is being waged on its borders and “exhaust it.”

https://news.usni.org/2018/10/26/panel-iran-benefits-saudi-arabias-involvement-yemen

My comment: Bruce Riedel is an estimated specialist, but in the case of Iran he seems to be somewhat infected by US anti-Iranian paranoia.

(A P)

The most annoying argument in #Yemen adopted by the left is stop Saudi intervention and full stop.... everything will be resolved There is an intervention because of a violent coup, if you are mad about the intervention then you should be more mad about the coup

https://twitter.com/BShtwtr/status/1055454660482531330

My comment: This is odd propaganda. However the “coup” should be valued, the “intervention” lasts for 3 ½ years now and has destroyed the living space of ¾ of the Yemenis. Where it originated from is much less important than what it had effected.

(A P)

Al Houthi movement leader Abdul Malik al Houthi will be smuggled out of Yemen, according to anti-al Houthi sources. The sources also stated that Abdul Malik al Houthi assigned two al Houthi officials, Ali Abu al Hakim and Mohamad Ali al Houthi, to plan and oversee the assassinations of senior figures in President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s government within the next two months.[3]

https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-october-26-2018

(A P)

The Strategic Role of Saudi Arabia

KSA plays four critical roles in the American-led world order.

Resisting Iranian Domination of Oil Routes. While it is true that the United States is increasingly independent, the market for oil is worldwide. Major trading partners in Asia depend on oil that comes from the gulf that is variously called “Persian” or “Arabian.” The contest of the name is symbolic of a very real contest for control. The outcome of that contest could leave Iran, and their allies Russia and China, in a position to use oil as a weapon against American allies in Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, and South Korea. Just as Russia already uses energy as a weapon to dominate much of Eastern Europe, and to influence even the heart of Europe, American allies in Asia are at risk if Iran succeeds in gaining control of oil routes.

Influence Over a Key Faction of Islam. For more than a century, the Saudi kingdom has nurtured the Wahabi faction of Islam as a means of self-defense and power projection. Schools of this faction exist widespread throughout the world. This is the school that gave rise to Al Qaeda and the 9/11 attacks, conducted as they were from caves in Afghanistan. It is a crucial interest of the United States and indeed of the whole world that KSA exert its leadership here in ways that lead this school of thought towards reform and co-existence rather than to a sense that war with non-Muslims is desirable.

The Security Studies Group (SSG) believes that reform is possible, and to be encouraged. We aspire to friendship rather than enmity.

Restraint of Refugee Flows into Europe.

Defense of Israel. There is some debate about whether or not defending Israel is a US interest, but it has been taken to be by successive administrations. Israel is, at least, a regional power that offers significant intelligence assets in support of American goals.

Conclusion

These four strategic interests show that it is necessary for America to continue its relationship with the Saudi leadership. That does not mean that we should not continue to press for social reforms, respect for human rights, and similar improvements within KSA. We certainly should do that, as a modernizing KSA is a better and more natural ally for the United States than one mired in beheadings and the suppression of religious minorities.

It is a commonplace criticism of American foreign policy that it has been insensitive to supporting awful strongmen in the face of even worse things. Perhaps that is true, but the answer is not to give in to the worse things. A clear-eyed assessment of our strategic interests must rule our actions. Using our influence to press allies for social and political reform is proper and wise. Abandoning our allies, and allowing authoritarian powers to dominate the world’s flows of energy, is neither proper nor wise. We must act in wisdom – by Brad Patty

https://securitystudies.org/the-strategic-role-of-saudi-arabia/

My comment: US global imperialism, unmasked.

(A P)

"Civilians do periodically get caught in the crossfires," acknowledges Mitchell Belfer, Director of the Euro-Gulf Information Centre in Rome.

"It's a terrible tragedy whenever a civilian dies, but to point the finger on one side and say that you are responsible is a terrible simplification," he told RFI, urging leaders to see the conflict in Yemen as "multi-dimensional."

"The assumption is that if Saudi Arabia is not involved there, Yemen’s going to be at peace. Yemen wasn’t at peace before Saudi Arabia’s intervention," he comments, insisting that Riyadh has done more than anyone to alleviate Yemen's humanitarian crisis, donating 11 billion dollars last year to its relief fund.

"Nobody else is doing that. Not the EU, not the UN, not the Americans."

http://en.rfi.fr/middle-east/20181026-EU-calls-Saudi-arms-embargo-halt-Yemen-war-Khashoggi-murder

My comment: Another so-called think-tank lobbying for the Saudis and mocking the victims of the war. Of course, the Centre’s website does not give any background information… Might-be you are interested in this, from Saudi Arabia: https://etidal.org/en/head-of-the-euro-gulf-information-centre-visits-etidal/. This Etidal is a Saudi propaganda scam: The extremists propagating anti-extremism, founded in 2017 and opened by Donald Trump during his Saudi visit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URP_8HMmwfA

(A P)

Yemen conflict not a war between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, says embassy

The Embassy of Yemen on Friday issued a clarification on local reportage of the Saudi-backed Yemen war, dismissing the notion that the conflict is a war between Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

“Some media outlets depict the situation in Yemen as a war between Yemen and Saudi Arabia,” the statement said. “This grave mistake misinforms the public and entails wrong conclusions and biased stances.”

The statement issued by the Yemen Embassy in Islamabad included the following ‘clarifications’:

The war is a result of a coup allegedly perpetrated by the ‘Iran-backed’ Houthi militia against the state of Yemen and its people. The militia seized state institutions and confiscated public wealth using violent means “to support their sectarian project”.

The legitimate Yemeni government “in order to safeguard the Yemeni people from the heinous acts of the Houthi militia, called for the assistance of Saudi Arabia and friendly countries to restore the state and end the coup”.

The people of Yemen and the government and its allies in the Saudi-led coalition “are standing side by side against the destructive sectarian project of the Houthi militia”.

The government led by self-exiled President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi “spared no effort peacefully end the war according to agreed upon references locally, regionally and internationally, including United Nations Security Council resolutions (particularly UNSC Resolution no. 2216). However, the Houthi milita rejected all peace and continue waging war against the Yemeni people.”

The Saudi-led coalition “continue also to exert tremendous efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people by all available means including humanitarian assistance and development projects”.

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/10/26/yemen-conflict-not-a-war-between-saudi-arabia-and-yemen-says-embassy/

(A P)
Int’l Community Welcomes Saudi, UAE Support to Yemeni Educators

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) praised Saudi Arabia and the UAE for recently allocating $ 70 million to fund outstanding salaries for Yemeni teachers across the war-ravaged country.
Statistics show that at least 135,000 Yemeni teachers have not received their salaries for over two years.
Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen encourage ignorance and backwardness among children and youth as a plan for their eventual recruitment, Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al-Jaber tweeted.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1438646/int%E2%80%99l-community-welcomes-saudi-uae-support-yemeni-educators

(A P)

Exclusive - Houthis Crackdown on Journalists in Sanaa, Hodeidah

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1438556/exclusive-houthis-crackdown-journalists-sanaa-hodeidah

My comment: They had been released within hours. – When Saudi media publish articles like this one it’s odd propaganda: What about journalists in Saudi Arabia? What a simple deflection from the Khashoggi murder!!!

(A P)

Iraner und Saudis müssen ihre Schuld im Jemen verringern

Die Hungersnot im Jemen ist die schlimmste humanitäre Katastrophe der Welt. Vor allem zwei Staaten müssen jetzt handeln: Iraner und Saudis. Ein Kommentar.

In dieser Situation sind zwei Staaten besonders gefordert, die maßgeblich am Konflikt beteiligt sind: Iraner und Saudis. Die einen unterstützen die Rebellen, die anderen die Regierung. Wenn beide zeigen wollen, dass internationale Standards humanitärer Politik doch etwas gelten, dann versuchen sie, ihre Schuld zu verringern – und verhindern, dass die Katastrophe noch größer wird.

https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/casdorffs-agenda-iraner-und-saudis-muessen-ihre-schuld-im-jemen-verringern/23232906.html

Mein Kommentar: Hää?? Seicht, seichter, Casdorff.

(A P)

Legitimacy Holds Houthis Responsible for Famine in Yemen

Yemen's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Marwan Ali Noman held Iranian-backedHouthi militias responsible for the deterioration of the humanitarian condition in the country and subjecting half Yemenis to famine, based on the latest reports of UN Aid Chief Mark Lowcock.

For his part, Noman stressed that the Yemeni suffering is caused by the Houthi militias, which are executing the agenda of Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah party in the region. He added that the militias practiced all kinds of murder, torture and forced displacement in all Yemeni cities that they invade.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1437546/legitimacy-holds-houthis-responsible-famine-yemen

Looking at the Saudi blockade and Saudi air raids deliberately targeting food facilities (agriculture, storage houses, markets, food trucks, roads) this is ridiculous.

cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids

(A K pH)

More Saudi coalition air raids recorded on:

Oct. 26: https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=3441&cat_id=1 Saada p., Hajjah p.

Oct. 25: https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=3425&cat_id=1 Saada p.

(* A K)

Saudi-led coalition kills 21 in strike on Yemeni factory in residential area

Most of those killed were factory workers or farmers who washed their vegetables at the facility because it was considered safe

Saudi-led air strike on Wednesday evening hit a vegetable packaging factory in the residential area of a Hodeidah province town, killing 21 people and injuring 11 others, a health ministry source told Middle East Eye.

Around half of the people were killed instantly, the source said. The rest died because they were unable to access the necessary healthcare quick enough, with the closest hospital now a six-hour drive away as a result of road blocks that have been put in place by warring parties.

Most were factory workers or farmers who often go to the facility in Bayt al-Faqeeh town to prepare their crops for market in Hodeidah city, about 70km away, a resident told Middle East Eye.

"Al-Masoudi neighbourhood is 10km from Bayt al-Faqeeh town and it is a safe area, so farmers go to wash and package their vegetables and fruit there,” said Jameel, who works in one of the town's restaurants.

A source in the health ministry in Sanaa told MEE, on condition of anonymity because of security concerns, the factory was “far from battles” and none of those injured were Houthis.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/saudi-coalition-hits-factory-residential-area-killing-21-people-611683684

film by AlMasirah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox03_xGZqs0

film by Aljazeera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5rQs0qh-0M

Remark: Full reporting: Yemen War Mosaic 472, cp1c.

And

(A K P)

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: Dozens of civilians killed and injured as a result of attacks in Hodeidah

“Civilians are paying a shocking price because of this conflict,” said Ms. Lise Grande, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen. “This is the third time this month that fighting has caused mass casualties in Hodeidah.”

“We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims,” said Ms. Grande.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/dozens-civilians-killed-and-injured-result-attacks-hodeidah-enar

My comment: “Attack”; “strikes”, by whom? Switzerland? Mongolia? Fiji???

cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War

Siehe / Look at cp1b

(A K pH)

Saada prov., Baqim border district. The houses and farms of citizens in the same district were also targeted by Saudi missiles and artillery shells.

https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=3441&cat_id=1

(A K)

Al Houthi forces claimed to fire three Zilzal 1 ballistic missiles at Jizan region, southern Saudi Arabia on October 26. The Saudi Ministry of Defense has not confirmed the missile strikes.[5]

https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-october-26-2018

(A K pH)

Saudi Spy Drone was Shot Down by Yemen Air Defenses In Jizan (photo)

http://www.newnewss.net/saudi-spy-drone-yemen-air-defenses/

https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=3438&cat_id=1

(A K pH)

In Saada, Saudi missiles and artillery shells targeted civilians' houses and farms in Baqim district. Also targeted populated villages in Shida border district, injuring a civilian.

https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=3425&cat_id=1

Vorige / Previous:

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-472-yemen-war-mosaic-472

Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-472 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-472:

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose oder / or http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm

Der saudische Luftkrieg im Bild / Saudi aerial war images:

(18 +, Nichts für Sensible!) / (18 +; Graphic!)

http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm

http://yemenwarcrimes.blogspot.de/

http://www.yemenwar.info/

und alle Liste aller Luftangriffe / and list of all air raids:

http://yemendataproject.org/data/

Dieser Beitrag gibt die Meinung des Autors wieder, nicht notwendigerweise die der Redaktion des Freitag.
Geschrieben von

Dietrich Klose

Vielfältig interessiert am aktuellen Geschehen, zur Zeit besonders: Ukraine, Russland, Jemen, Rolle der USA, Neoliberalismus, Ausbeutung der 3. Welt

Dietrich Klose

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