... Der UN-Sicherheitsrat und der Jemenkrieg – Khashoggi-Mord und Jemenkrieg – Westliche Medien, Khashoggi und Jemen – Westliche Mittäterschaft im Jemenkrieg – Rufe der USA nach Frieden eine Täuschung – Fünf Mythen über Saudi-Arabien – Britische Kurzsichtigkeit – Hodeidah: Heftige Kämpfe, viele Luftangriffe, Milizen der Emirate und Hadi-Regierung rücken vor, Zivilisten in der Falle, Krankenhäuser bedroht – und mehr
November 6, 2018: Iona Craig on Yemen – Figures of victims – Yemeni pregnant women in danger – Corruption in Yemen – Personal aspects of the Yemen War– The UN Security Council and the Yemen War – Khashoggi murder and Yemen war – Western media, Khashoggi and Yemen – Western complicity in the Yemen War– US calls for peace a scam – Five myths about Saudi Arabia – British myopia on Yemen – Hodeidah: Heavy fighting, many air raids, UAE/Hadi government militia advancing, civilians trapped, hospitals in danger – and more
Dieses Jemenkrieg-Mosaik besteht aus zwei Teilen. Teil 1:
This Yemen War Mosaic consists of two parts. Part One:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-477-yemen-war-mosaic-477
Schwerpunkte / Key aspects
(Kursiv: Teil 1 / Italics: Part 1)
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
cp2a Allgemein: Saudische Blockade / General: Saudi blockade
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
cp8a Jamal Khashoggi
cp9 USA
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis
cp13a Mercenaries / Söldner
cp13b Wirtschaft / Economy
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
cp15 Propaganda
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
Klassifizierung / Classification
***
**
*
(Kein Stern / No star)
? = Keine Einschatzung / No rating
A = Aktuell / Current news
B = Hintergrund / Background
C = Chronik / Chronicle
D = Details
E = Wirtschaft / Economy
H = Humanitäre Fragen / Humanitarian questions
K = Krieg / War
P = Politik / Politics
pH = Pro-Houthi
pS = Pro-Saudi
T = Terrorismus / Terrorism
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
(A P)
Days after Sweden announced its willingness to host consultations. Swedish Government delegation visits Aden
A Swedish government delegation visited the interim capital of Aden on Tuesday morning and met with Prime Minister Maeen Abdul Malik.
According to the Yemeni news agency Saba, the prime Minister at the government headquarters in Aden received the Swedish ambassador to Yemen, the Special Envoy of Sweden to the Middle East and North Africa, Peter Simbay, and foreign Ministry envoy Hans Grand Berg.
This comes about a week after the Swedish government announced its readiness to host the new round of Yemeni peace consultations between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels.
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160671
(* A P)
Großbritannien fordert UN-Sicherheitsrat zum Handeln auf
Bislang sind alle Bemühungen gescheitert, den Krieg im Jemen zu beenden. Großbritannien sieht nun erstmals die Gelegenheit, alle Konfliktparteien zu Friedensgesprächen zu bewegen.
Der britische Außenminister Jeremy Hunt sagte, es sei Zeit für den UN-Sicherheitsrat zu handeln. "Zu lange haben im Jemen-Konflikt beide Seiten geglaubt, dass eine militärische Lösung möglich ist". Das habe katastrophale Folgen für die Menschen. Jetzt scheine sich zum ersten Mal die Gelegenheit zu bieten, beide Seiten an den Verhandlungstisch zu holen und damit das Töten zu beenden. Eine politische Lösung sei langfristig "der einzige Weg aus der Katastrophe", betonte Hunt.
Er stimme mit dem UN-Sondergesandten für den Jemen, Martin Griffith, überein, dass es der richtige Zeitpunkt für den Sicherheitsrat sei, um die Friedensbemühungen der Vereinten Nationen zu unterstützen. Welche Schritte Großbritannien genau unternehmen wird, sagte Hunt nicht.
Aus Diplomatenkreisen hieß es, dass das Vereinigte Königreich gemeinsam mit den USA an einem Entwurf für eine Resolution arbeite, in der ein Ende der Kämpfe im Jemen gefordert werde.
https://www.dw.com/de/gro%C3%9Fbritannien-fordert-un-sicherheitsrat-zum-handeln-auf/a-46153389
Bemerkung: Mehr unten auf Englisch.
(A P)
Saudi-Arabien zur Deeskalation bereit
Saudi-Arabien und seine Verbündeten haben angekündigt, zur Beilegung des Krieges im Jemen beizutragen.
Man unterstütze entschieden den von der UNO angestrebten politischen Prozess, verlautete nach Angaben der Nachrichtenagentur Afp aus dem Militärbündnis.
https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/krieg-im-jemen-saudi-arabien-zur-deeskalation-bereit.1939.de.html
Mein Kommentar: Das ist, hart gesagt, gelogen. Die Saudis und die Emirate eskaliren gerade den Krieg (Luftangriffe; Vormarsch in Hodeidah).
(A P)
Saudi, allies say committed to de-escalating Yemen conflict
Saudi Arabia and its allies said Monday they are committed to de-escalating hostilities in Yemen, only days after launching a renewed offensive on a port crucial for humanitarian aid.
"The coalition is committed to de-escalating hostilities in Yemen and is strongly supportive of the UN envoy's political process," a source in the Saudi-led coalition told AFP on condition of anonymity.
My comment: Lies, exactly when they are escalating the conflict.
(A P)
Aggression escalation is attempt to impede peace talks: Head of Revolutionary Committee
Head of the Supreme Revolutionary Committee, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, on Monday considered the military escalation of Saudi-led aggression coalition an attempt to hinder any talks aimed at stopping the war and bringing peace.
"This escalation is evidence of the falseness of US statements demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities, while it is the actual commander in the war " al-Houthi said in a statement.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news513437.htm
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=3602&cat_id=1
and
(A P)
Head of the National Delegation in Response to Recent US Statements
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=3600&cat_id=1
(A P)
Saudi Arabia vows to prosecute Khashoggi killers, defends rights record at U.N.
Saudi Arabia told the United Nations on Monday it would prosecute those responsible for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at its Istanbul consulate, and defended its human rights record.
Bandar Al Aiban, the head of the Saudi government delegation at the first U.N. review of the kingdom’s record in five years, heard calls from other envoys for a credible investigation into the killing and for the protection of critics of the government.
He told the hearing that King Salman had instructed the Saudi public prosecutor to “proceed with the investigation into this case according to the applicable laws and preparation to reaching all facts and bringing all the perpetrators to justice”.
In the remarks, which did not appear in an advance transcript of the speech, Aiban gave no details on the status or whereabouts of the 18 Saudi nationals detained in connection with the case.
My comment: The propaganda scam continues.
(* B P)
Russia Can Help Secure Saudi Interests Within The US-Run Yemeni Peace Process
In the realm of “realpolitik”, the US is fully aware that a “political solution’ to the War on Yemen would likely lead to the de-facto partition of the country largely along the lines of its pre-1990 division into a largely autonomous North Yemen and a UAE-influenced South Yemen, possibly legitimized through forthcoming constitutional changes that might promulgate a federal system. The Saudis would doubly lose in that case because they hardly have any influence over North Yemen while it would be risky for them to compete with their Emirati allies in South Yemen, especially when considering that Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed (MBZ) is supposedly MBS’ mentor, so Riyadh would essentially be left with no tangible benefit after spending billions upon billions of dollars on this campaign over nearly the past half-decade. Still, it’s difficult to think of any other scenario for resolving this conflict.
Faced with the fait accompli of their American ally basically backstabbing them with this abrupt turnaround, which despite its Machiavellian intentions is nevertheless a positive step in the direction of seriously ending this war, the most pragmatic recourse that Riyadh has is to seek Russia’s “balancing” services in having Moscow diplomatically intervene as a counterweight to US influence over this process. Russian-Saudi relations are currently at their best-ever level in history, while Russia also enjoys excellent ties with the UAE and Yemen, so it’s sensible to see it play a neutral mediating role within the forthcoming UN-brokered talks, especially considering that the country is also a member of the Security Council. This could prospectively see Russia ensuring the fair interests of each respective Yemeni “half”, as well as the two very close but somewhat competing Gulf Kingdoms, even if it ends up irking Iran.
My comment: Russia certainly could try to play such a “neutral mediating role“ – but if doing so, it could not „Help Secure Saudi Interests“. This is what the US is doing in this „peace process“ by itself. A neutral mediator would not.
(A P)
Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen: Martin Griffiths Convenes A Consultative Meeting with Independent Yemeni Figures
The Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, held a consultative meeting with a group of independent Yemeni figures, who represent a wide spectrum of the Yemeni society, to discuss the current situation in Yemen, and his endeavors to resume the political process. More than 30% of the Yemeni figures taking part in this meeting were women. This one-day meeting, which convened in Amman under Chatham House rules, is the second of its kinds that brings together independent Yemeni figures and the Special Envoy, as the first meeting took place in Wilton Park-London, in August 2018.
(* A P)
Saudi, allies say committed to de-escalating Yemen conflict
Saudi Arabia and its allies said Monday they are committed to de-escalating hostilities in Yemen, only days after launching a renewed offensive on a port crucial for humanitarian aid.
"The coalition is committed to de-escalating hostilities in Yemen and is strongly supportive of the UN envoy's political process," a source in the Saudi-led coalition told AFP on condition of anonymity.
My comment: This will not be worth anything. For political reasons, they could not reject. But, actions (air raids, assault on Hodeidah) tell the opposite.
(* B P)
The U.S. Makes Noise but No Action Over Yemen
Last week, both U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense James Mattis declared the need for a ceasefire in Yemen.
The statements come as some semblance of public and congressional pressure builds against U.S. support for the Saudi-led catastrophe, which up until recently has been unflinching.
Yet the call for a ceasefire within the next 30 days is short on details and lacks a clear blueprint for concrete U.S. actions or forcing functions to make the detente a reality.
As with the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the U.S. expresses rhetorical support for ending the war in Yemen, but ultimately has failed to articulate an actionable theory of change to alter the current circumstance.
The U.S. has recently made several statements about the need to end the conflict via negotiations. On October 30, Secretary of State Pompeo stated that ’it is time to end this conflict, replace conflict with compromise, and allow the Yemeni people to heal through peace and reconstruction.’ Secretary of Defense Mattis has also made several recent statements about ending the conflict through negotiations, suggesting a cease fire to begin in 30 days during which time the Houthi rebels move back from their positions near the Saudi border. However, in both statements, there were no details as to how to bring the warring sides to the table, or how to restrain the Saudi bombing campaign. In fact, just after the U.S. tentatively called for a cease fire, Saudi jets pounded Sanaa with a series of air strikes, perhaps sending a message to Washington that Riyadh has its own timetable. The coalition also has moved thousands of troops into position for an expected push into the port city of Hodeida. It remains unclear whether the U.S. will actually pressure Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. with any meaningful leverage beyond the statements supporting a cease fire. In the aftermath of the Khashoggi murder, there is renewed scrutiny of U.S. support for the Saudi government, though whether that scrutiny turns into action is uncertain at best.
However, in both statements, there were no details as to how to bring the warring sides to the table, or how to restrain the Saudi bombing campaign. In fact, just after the U.S. tentatively called for a cease fire, Saudi jets pounded Sanaa with a series of air strikes, perhaps sending a message to Washington that Riyadh has its own timetable. The coalition also has moved thousands of troops into position for an expected push into the port city of Hodeida. It remains unclear whether the U.S. will actually pressure Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. with any meaningful leverage beyond the statements supporting a cease fire.
https://www.thecipherbrief.com/column/soufan-center/the-u-s-makes-noise-but-no-action-over-yemen = http://www.soufangroup.com/intelbrief-the-u-s-makes-noise-but-no-action-over-yemen/
(* A P)
Britain pushes for U.N. Security Council action on Yemen crisis
British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt said on Monday he would push for new action at the United Nations Security Council to try to end hostilities in Yemen and find a political solution to the war there.
Hunt had agreed with UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths that the time was right for the Security Council to act to bolster the UN-led process, the Foreign Office said in a statement, without specifying exactly what action Britain would take.
“The action the UK takes forward at the UN Security Council will help towards that goal, ensuring that a full ceasefire, when it comes, is fully implemented,” the statement said.
U.N. diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Britain was working with the United States on a draft resolution to stop the fighting in Yemen. This follows U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s call last week for a cessation of hostilities n Yemen.
Britain said a ceasefire would only have an effect on the ground if it was underpinned by a political deal between the warring parties.
https://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCAKCN1NA009-OCATP
and official government site: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-secretary-commits-to-action-in-un-security-council-on-yemen
My comment: Two fully biased states, which are warring parties in Yemen themselves, camouflaging themselves as peace brokers, certainly will produce another totally biased resolution. This whole play is a farce.
And
(* A P)
Britain urges UN Security Council to back ceasefire in Yemen, in dramatic foreign policy U-turn
Britain will urge the United Nations Security Council to act over a devastating humanitarian crisis in Yemen, marking a stark reversal in British policy and the end to the UK’s controversial refusal to call on a Saudi Arabia-led coalition and the Houthi rebels to halt the conflict.
On Monday foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said there now “appears to be a window” for a peace deal. He said he agreed with Martin Griffiths, the UN’s Yemen envoy, “that the time was right for the council to act to bolster the UN-led process”. It indicated the UK would finally back a UN resolution to pile pressure on both sides.
“For too long in the Yemen conflict both sides have believed a military solution is possible with catastrophic consequences for the people. Now for the first time there appears to be a window in which both sides can be encouraged to come to the table, stop the killing and find a political solution that is the only long-term way out of disaster,” the foreign secretary said in a statement.
He added: “The UK will use all its influence to push for such an approach … There is a small but real chance that a cessation of hostilities could alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people. This must be the first priority as we seek to put in place a longer-term solution.”
And
(* A P)
UK backs UN call for Saudi Arabia and Houthis to end Yemen bloodshed
Hunt said in the statement that the UK was talking to the other 14 security council member states about increasing action to help the population of the Arab state, which has been torn apart by sectarian fighting since 2015.
He said: “Now, for the first time, there appears to be a window in which both sides can be encouraged to come to the table, stop the killing and find a political solution that is the only long term way out of disaster.
“The UK will use all its influence to push for such an approach. I met UN special envoy Martin Griffiths on Tuesday, and there is a small but real chance that a cessation of hostilities could alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people. This must be the first priority as we seek to put in place a longer term solution.”
(* A P)
US demand for Yemen ceasefire, launch of political talks ‘total farce’: Ansarullah
The spokesman for Yemen’s Houthi Ansarullah movement has described a demand by US President Donald Trump’s administration for a ceasefire and the launch of UN-led political talks to end the ongoing war in Yemen as “nothing but travesty.”
“The United States continues to support the Saudi-led military aggression against Yemen at all levels. Washington, prior to the recent call for cessation of hostilities in Yemen, had completed an elaborate military preparation for an onslaught on Hudaydah. The US call for a new round of negotiations is, in fact, an attempt to get away from global pressure in the face of the sufferings of the Yemeni people,” Yemen’s Arabic-language al-Masirah television network quoted Mohammed Abdul-Salam as saying on Saturday.
He added that no national Yemeni delegation had so far received a call or invitation from the United Nations or international parties for a new round of negotiations, stressing that the UN was not effective and its decisions were in the hands of other parties.
and http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13970813000490 and http://www.newnewss.net/us-support-to-saudi-led-war-on-yemen-continuing-ansarullah-spokesman/
(* A P)
UK to introduce UN resolution to spur Yemen peace push
Amid a new push to finally end the war in Yemen, the United Kingdom is planning to introduce a United Nations Security Council resolution to support that effort, according to a Security Council diplomat and two sources familiar with discussions.
Days after the Trump administration announced a 30-day deadline to reach a ceasefire, it's another sign that after nearly four years of devastating fighting, food shortages and starvation, and disease, there is a real push underway by Western powers to bring the conflict to an end following years of support for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates' fight against Houthi rebels.
One source familiar with discussions said that the U.K. and the U.S. are serious about working toward this new push for peace, and that the British could introduce the resolution as soon as next week.
It's unclear what specifically the resolution would require, but one source said it would call for a humanitarian ceasefire and the safe passage of food and other aid, for support for the cratering Yemeni economy, and on both sides to fully engage with the U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/uk-introduce-resolution-spur-yemen-peace-push/story?id=58935252
My comment: I am skeptical. Any useful resolution should be neutral. The UK is not at all neutral in this war. I fear the new resolution would be as biased in favor of the Saudis and the Hadi government as former resolution 2216. Because of this bias, this resolution blocked all peace efforts since 3 ½ years.
(A P)
Guterres fordert Ende der Gewalt im Jemen
UN-Generalsekretär António Guterres hat ein Ende der Gewalt im Jemen gefordert. Das Bürgerkriegsland stehe "am Rand des Abgrunds", sagte Guterres am Freitag in New York. Es gebe aber Hoffnung auf ein Friedensabkommen. Diese Chance müsse nun ergriffen werden, sagte der UN-Generalsekretär. Die USA hatten ihren Verbündeten Saudi-Arabien kürzlich zum Ende der Luftangriffe im Jemen aufgerufen und Friedensgespräche angemahnt.
https://info.arte.tv/de/afp/Neuigkeiten/guterres-fordert-ende-der-gewalt-im-jemen = https://www.welt.de/newsticker/news1/article183210148/Diplomatie-Guterres-fordert-Ende-der-Gewalt-im-Jemen.html
(A P)
U.N. chief appeals for end to Yemen war, outlines next steps
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday appealed for an end to the war in Yemen and laid out steps the parties in the conflict must take to move forward, warning that continued fighting would result in the country’s worst famine in a decade.
He said recent political developments had created signs of hope for a settlement, and he urged the warring parties to halt the violence, especially around cities and critical infrastructure.
and how Saudi propaganda tells it: https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1447981/guterres-urges-houthis-stop-missile-attacks-saudi-arabia
My comment: Another sterile statement; Yemen needs more now.
(* A P)
Martin Griffiths to CNN: There is an Urgent Need to De-escalate the Conflict in Yemen
The Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Yemen, Martin Griffiths stressed the importance of turning the calls for de-escalation in Yemen into action. Speaking to Becky Anderson, on CNN's Connect the World on Thursday, Griffiths mentioned that there is "a very strong desire to move from war to peace in Yemen", adding that the challenge now is to turn the calls for de-escalation into action. "What we now urgently need to do is to see what are the first steps that we can make on de-escalating this conflict to give some space for the political process." Griffiths clarified that while a ceasefire is not a pre-condition for resuming political consultations, stressing that "the urgent need now is to do something on the issue of downing the temperature of the war while we move towards talks." The Sepcial Envoy confirmed that he is working on re-launching the political talks this month, adding that no firm date and venue have been decided yet.
https://osesgy.unmissions.org/martin-griffiths-cnn-there-urgent-need-de-escalate-conflict-yemen = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/martin-griffiths-cnn-there-urgent-need-de-escalate-conflict-yemen
(* A P)
UN envoy: The killing of ' Khashoggi ' played a role in advocating peace in Yemen
Martin Griffith, UN envoy to Yemen said that the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi played a role in pushing the US government to a surprise call for a ceasefire in Yemen and the "transition from war to peace,".
Griffiths ' endorsement of that vision came during an interview with CNN, following an invitation from US Defense Secretary James Mathis and Foreign minister Mike Pompeo earlier this week to call for a ceasefire in Yemen "in the next 30 days."
"There is indeed a beginning of a strong desire to move from war to peace, but issues including the killing of Khashoggi have stimulated interests in these countries," Griffiths said.
Griffith said the most urgent factor justifying the movement of US foreign policy in Yemen was the threat of famine, explaining, "The threat of famine is a very real threat and risks doubling the numbers of people in Yemen who are at risk of dying from hunger or famine. This is the salt factor here. "
Griffith said he believes the US administration is taking this issue seriously, but he acknowledged that "the challenge now is to turn this call into action."
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160456
(* A P)
Yemen Can’t Wait for a Ceasefire
Former U.S. ambassador to Yemen Stephen Seche doesn’t think much of the administration’s proposal.
Seche’s point about the sequencing in the ceasefire proposal is an important one. Even when they say they want a halt to the fighting, the administration can’t help but give preferential treatment to the side they support. The administration has the greatest leverage with the coalition to make them halt their airstrikes at once, but as always they refuse to use it.
Iona Craig has been covering Yemen since 2010, and has been one of the best reporters on the war. She sees the administration’s proposal as an attempt to discourage support for H.Con.Res. 138 and S.J.Res. 54.
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/yemen-cant-wait-for-a-ceasefire/
(* A P)
The Trump Administration’s Call to End the Yemen War Is Too Little, Too Late
For one thing, the timing of these statements is transparently self-serving. It’s not as though the State Department and the Pentagon just discovered that this was a problem in urgent need of solving, or that we have the ability to help solve it. Since 2015, both the Trump administration and the Obama administration before it looked the other way as the conflict wore on, making, at most, perfunctory attempts to stop it. The administration is only paying attention to Yemen now because Congress and the American public are.
The killing of Saudi Arabian dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi last month has invited long-overdue public scrutiny of our problematic relationship with Saudi Arabia, including our support for its war against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Last week, the New York Timespublished a heartbreaking series of photos showing some of the Yemeni children who are starving to death in the famine caused by the ongoing blockade imposed by the Saudi-led coalition. The enormity of this disaster and our complicity in it have become impossible to ignore.
Goodness knows, the Trump administration has tried its best to have us look the other way.
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/11/u-s-call-to-end-the-yemen-war-is-too-little-too-late.html
(* B P)
What Secretary Mattis didn't say about Yemen peace talks
”When you dig into it a little bit, there is no cumulative consequence for not getting to peace,” Salisbury notes, “so we really have an announcement that the US wants these peace talks to go ahead within the next month.” But while Mattis called on all sides in the conflict — singling out the Houthi rebels, who control the Yemeni capital, plus US clients Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — to come to meet in Sweden, he has not said what will happen should they fail to participate.
The World asked Defense Department officials to clarify whether there would be consequences should parties refuse to meet this time. Pentagon spokesperson Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich replied by email, “Our statement is intended to emphasize the needed focus on political efforts in Yemen. Only a negotiated political agreement can secure the region and end Yemen’s humanitarian crisis.”
https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-11-02/what-secretary-mattis-didnt-say-about-yemen-peace-talks
My comment: It’s not up to the US to do anything about that – and the Houthis did not simply “not show up”.
(* A P)
UN member states 'must end deafening silence' over Saudi Arabia abuses
Amnesty International has called on United Nations member states to hold Saudi Arabia to account for human rights abuses in Yemen and at home amid pressure over the murder of critic Jamal Khashoggi.
The UN Human Rights Council will hold its first universal review of Saudi Arabia since 2014 on Monday as Riyadh grapples with the fallout from the killing of journalist Khashoggi in its Istanbul consulate last month.
"UN member states must end their deafening silence on Saudi Arabia and do their duty of scrutinising the cruelty in the kingdom in order to prevent further outrageous human rights violations in the country and in Yemen," Samah Hadid, Amnesty International's Middle East director of campaigns, said in a statement.
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2018/11/2/un-states-urged-to-end-silence-over-saudi-abuses
(A P)
Gulf Council hopes to resume Yemeni peace consultations
The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Abdul Latif al-Zayani, expressed his hope for the resumption of Yemeni peace consultations and the response of the Houthi group, as well as the importance of "halting the bloodshed".
This came during a telephone conversation with UN envoy Martin Griffiths, a council statement said.
Al-Zayani said he supports "the tireless efforts of the UN Secretary-General's envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, to resume peace consultations."
He expressed the hope that "al-Houthi will respond to these efforts, rebuild its position in the best interests of Yemen and its people, and not fail to participate in future consultations."
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160488
My comment: Saudi mouthpieces.
(* A P)
Saudi Arabia grilled over Khashoggi murder, Yemen at the United Nations
The so-called Universal Periodic Review - which all 193 UN countries must undergo approximately every four years
During Monday's review, Western countries especially voiced outrage at the [Khashoggi] killing, with many calling for a "credible" and "transparent" investigation, and some, like Iceland and Costa Rica, going further and demanding an international probe.
The Saudi delegation meanwhile barely mentioned the case, choosing instead to highlight the "progress made towards the protection and promotion of human rights", including reforms that among other things have allowed women to drive in the ultra-conservative country.
But the delegation chief and head of the Saudi Human Rights Commission, Bandar Al Aiban, did touch on the case briefly, stressing at the end of the review that "our country is committed to carry out a fair investigation."
"All persons involved in that crime will be prosecuted," he said, stressing that "the investigation is continuing in line with our domestic laws."
Diplomats urged Saudi Arabia Monday to take concrete steps to promote freedom of expression and protect human rights defenders and journalists.
The review also focused heavily on the use of the death penalty in the country, especially for alleged crimes committed when the perpetrator was under the age of 18.
The kingdom has one of the world's highest rates of execution, with suspects convicted of terrorism, homicide, rape, armed robbery and drug trafficking facing the death penalty.
Many countries urged Saudi Arabia to introduce a moratorium on the death penalty or to abolish it altogether, and to explicitly ban its use for juvenile offenders.
Women's rights were also high on the agenda.
The country especially faced criticism over its male guardianship system which allows men to exercise arbitrary authority to make decisions on behalf of their female relatives.
Saudi Arabia's role in Yemen's brutal civil war also faced criticism, with a number of countries urging it to halt the devastating bombing campaign there.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/saudi-arabia-grilled-over-khashoggi-murder-yemen-at-the-united-nations
(* A P)
UN to investigate Saudi Arabia's human rights record
Saudi Arabia faces international condemnation for its apparent murder of Jamal Khashoggi and its ongoing war in Yemen. The UK and the US are reportedly working on a joint resolution to end hostilities.
The United Nations Human Rights Council is to debate on Monday the dismal human rights record of Saudi Arabia following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The so-called Universal Periodic Review, a compulsory review carried out every four years, will also focus on Riyadh's role in Yemen's civil war.
Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he will lobby the UN Security Council to try and find a political solution to four years of hostilities in Yemen.
The half-day public debate will see a Saudi delegation, headed by the country's Human Rights Commission chief, Bandar Al Aiban, grilled by other nations over its human rights record.
Activists have urged countries to hold Saudi Arabia to account.
"UN member states must end their deafening silence on Saudi Arabia and do their duty of scrutinizing the cruelty in the kingdom in order to prevent further outrageous human rights violations in the country and in Yemen," Samah Hadid, Amnesty International's Middle East director of campaigns, said in a statement.
Ahead of the review, the UN rights office published a list of concerns about human rights in Saudi Arabia, including discrimination against women, continued use of the death penalty, and "extremely broad" definitions of terrorism that enable "the criminalization of some acts of peaceful expression."
https://www.dw.com/en/un-to-investigate-saudi-arabias-human-rights-record/a-46153199
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
Siehe / Look at cp1, cp9
(A K)
Map: US Special Operacion Command C146A Wolfhound MAGMA18 heading over #KSA probably from #Yemen
https://twitter.com/GDarkconrad/status/1059788073670721536
(* B P)
The truth about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record
Kingdom under fire at UN review amid accusations of violations of international law dating back years
Saudi Arabia has faced a grilling on its human rights record by members of the United Nations today as part of a review of the kingdom’s controversial practices.
The UN is conducting a Universal Periodic Review (UPR), an assessment of rights that occurs once every four years and that allows member states “to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries”.
The Saudi delegation is facing tough questions about the country’s “dismal” human rights record, as well as other key issues including “Riyadh’s role in Yemen's civil war”, says German newspaper Deutsche Welle.
The rights of Saudi citizens have long been a subject of controversy in the international community. Research group Freedom House gave Saudi Arabia the lowest possible rating on its 2018 Freedom in the World ranking, citing the “absolute monarchy” that “restricts almost all political rights and civil liberties”.
So how bad is Saudi Arabia’s record?
Discrimination
Amnesty International says that in the past year, authorities in Saudi Arabia have severely restricted freedoms of expression, detained activists and dissidents and cracked down heavily on religious and LGBT minorities.
Torture and execution
Saudi Arabia has a long history of using torture against prisoners. Authorities in the kingdom use anti-terrorism laws to “justify” mass torture, reports The Guardian, which says that more than 3,000 allegations of torture were formally recorded between 2009 and 2015.
Yemen
The most pressing issue for human rights organisations is the activities of the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in the Yemeni Civil War.
http://www.theweek.co.uk/97563/the-truth-about-saudi-arabia-s-human-rights-record
(* B P)
Mohammed bin Salman’s Media Obsession – and What it Means for Dissent
Control over the media is central to the Saudi crown prince’s transformation program – and to Jamal Khashoggi’s death.
The killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul has brought attention to the efforts of the kingdom’s government under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to eliminate dissent. In the past year clerics, intellectuals, businessmen, journalists, rival royals, and women’s rights activists have been jailed in an unprecedented campaign to silence critics. This crackdown accompanies a consolidation of power unparalleled since the founding of the kingdom. This represents a fundamental shift in the way Saudi Arabia is being ruled, with decisiveness celebrated over consensus building, and a new nationalism overshadowing Islamic legitimacy. At the center of this new management of the public is MbS and the media.
Courting and Disciplining Social Media
With the royal fiefdoms eliminated, MBS began looking to create a more direct connection with the young populace. This has been complicated as MbS, despite his strong youth appeal, is actually asking more of them
From the mid 2000s, Saudi Millennials have flocked to web-based and social media, seeking the connection and entertainment lacking in Saudi public life.
MbS and his confidants understood intimately the transformative power of these new forms of communication. In the past few years they have worked – methodically and at times ruthlessly – to establish state control over new media and to unify the public under a new national narrative. The effort has been both sophisticated and crude, involving both carrot and stick.
Yet no one should mistake this outreach and upgrade in Saudi media for free expression. The inducements to cooperate with the government have been paired with a ruthless elimination of competitors, whether they be influential critics on social media, the media moguls of rival networks, or a neighboring country known for its media empire: Qatar.
Taking on Qatar, Media Moguls, and Influential Critics
The biggest challenger to MbS’s project to consolidate media under his new national narrative is Qatar. The small peninsula country is well-known for Al Jazeera, the satellite channel that revolutionized Arab media.
Media Consolidation and the New National Order
Much as there has been a consolidation of power in Saudi Arabia in the hands of MbS, there has also been further consolidation of control over the Saudi media environment. This is most clearly felt in social media, which for a short time had experienced an openness that earned Twitter the name of the “Saudi Parliament.” But it extends as well to more traditional media outlets including print and television, where the influence over both editorial and entertainment content are being molded in a more nationalist direction, uniformly supportive of the crown prince and his initiatives. The domestic political impact of media beyond the control of the Saudi leadership, including the Qatari networks and voices like that of Khashoggi, who found a platform in Western media, are likewise being neutralized – through sanction or retribution even more final.
Thus far, the Khashoggi crisis has only intensified this nationalist approach. Opinion writers and influential social media personalities close to the government are portraying any criticism of the government as abetting Saudi Arabia’s enemies – Iran, Qatar, the Muslim Brotherhood, and, at times, Saudi Arabia’s American detractors – amplifying the need to rally around the country and its leadership – by Kristin Smith Diwan
http://agsiw.org/mohammed-bin-salmans-media-obsessed-and-what-it-means-for-dissent
(* B P)
Beyond America’s Bottom Line — How MBS Could Explode the Middle East
A few questions might have helped prevent Yemen’s unfolding famine, brutal civilians deaths, and a grand display of inhumanity played out to the tune of arms contracts and broad impunity.
As CNN puts it: “Trump’s uncritical embrace of MBS set the stage for Khashoggi crisis.”
But what if Khashoggi was but a foreword in a crisis that could unravel the region altogether, and lay bare old upsets?
I’ll get to that in a moment.
Evil it is said is not born but made. In this particular case I would say that evil was bred on our systematic refusal to hold criminality accountable. We ought to remember that Jamal Khashoggi is but one victim among many. How many men and women have had to be swallowed whole before the Crown Prince could feel so bold as to target a member of the elite?
And still, still many would love nothing better but to rationalise Khashoggi’s disappearance and alleged murder away from the Crown so that business could resume, and for feathers to be unruffled.
Why ask questions when answers will offend? Those days anger and outrage are not only relative, but pending geopolitical interests.
Washington’s argument so far, running contrary to European capitals, has been that Saudi Arabia is too great of an ally to abandon over the murder of one man; regardless of this man’s stature, more to the point regardless of what such crime conveys as to the nature of the regime that commanded it.
Mr Trump’s rationale runs on the assumption that Saudi Arabia can deliver on financial and political stability in that Riyadh will furnish America’s economy while playing fetch to Jared Kushner’s vision for the Middle East.
Only the Crown Prince has become the very definition of unstable. So much so in fact that his political tantrums and reckless decisions could explode the region into smithereens.
But of course Saudi Arabia’s lobby money so far has kept many ‘unsavoury details from surfacing.
With Qatar, Kuwait is the second country within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Saudi Arabia is at odds with.
Saudi Arabia’s list of foes has grown exponentially since 2015.
First there was Yemen and the making of one biblical humanitarian crisis, then came allegations that Riyadh may have played a hand in Turkey’s failed coup d’etat, then MBS orchestrated a particular show of force against all designated ‘enemies of the state’ aka rights activists and religious minorities within the Kingdom’s borders – by Catherine Shakdam
(* A P)
The #SaudiEmbassy in #Jordan is trying to lure dissident Sh.Hassan AlSaleh by threatening to expel his special needs' son from school unless he appears at the embassy to renew the boy's passport. #Saudi officials told his detained brother that Sh. AlSaleh will be "in prison soon"
https://twitter.com/nashetqatifi/status/1059045482738139136
My comment: The bone saw is ging to be prepared.
(* A P)
UPDATED: Saudi prosecutor seeks the death penalty for Israa al-Ghomgham, accused of peaceful demonstration
Reportsare saying that Israa al-Ghomgham was not brought to court for her second hearing on 28 October in front of the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC). The hearing has been adjourned until 21 November 2018 and she remains held in the Dammam General Intelligence Prison.
On 21 August, the public prosecutor in Saudi Arabia recommended a judge sentence six human rights activists, including a woman, Israa al-Ghomgham, to death by beheading. If the judge accepts the recommendation, the sentence will go to King Salman for his approval. If it is upheld, al-Ghomgham will become the first woman executed by Saudi Arabia for political crimes. Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) is deeply concerned about the potential death sentence, and calls upon Saudi Arabia to release her and to establish a moratorium on the use of the death penalty with the aim of its abolition.
Israa al-Ghomgham is among the six activists potentially facing the death sentence. A Shia activist, she was arrested in December 2015 along with her husband, Moussa al-Hashem, because of their role in organizing peaceful anti-government protests in Qatif in the kingdom’s Eastern Province in the wake of the Arab Spring, as well as for calling for human rights reform and the release of human rights activists.
(* A P)
Saudi journalist tortured to death in prison
Saudi journalist and writer Turki Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Jasser has died after being tortured while in detention, the New Khaleej reported yesterday.
Reporting human rights sources, the news site said that Al-Jasser was arrested and tortured to death after Saudi authorities claimed he administered the Twitter account Kashkool, which disclosed rights violations committed by the Saudi authorities and royal family.
The sources said that the authorities identified Al-Jasser as the admin using spies in Twitter’s regional office located in Dubai. He was arrested in March.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20181105-saudi-journalist-tortured-to-death-in-prison/
(* A P)
Saudis sent 'clean-up' team to Turkey after Khashoggi killing, official says
Saudi Arabia sent a two-man “clean-up team” to erase evidence of journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s killing a week after he disappeared at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, a Turkish official said on Monday, calling it a sign top Saudi officials knew of the crime.
Confirming a report in Turkey’s pro-government Sabah newspaper, the official said the chemist and toxicologist were tasked with erasing evidence before Turkish investigators were given access to the Saudi consulate and consul’s residence.
Sabah identified the two men as Ahmed Abdulaziz al-Jonabi and Khaled Yahya al-Zahrani, saying they arrived in Turkey as part of an 11-person team sent to carry out the inspections with Turkish officials.
A senior Turkish official confirmed the names of the men identified on Monday by Sabah. “We believe that the two individuals came to Turkey for the sole purpose of covering up evidence of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder before the Turkish police were allowed to search the premises,” the official said.
The two individuals carried out clean-up operations at the consulate and the consul’s residence in Istanbul until October 17 and left the country three days later, he said.
“The fact that a clean-up team was dispatched from Saudi Arabia nine days after the murder suggests that Khashoggi’s slaying was within the knowledge of top Saudi officials,” the official said.
(* B P)
Why Mohammed bin Salman is now circling the wagons
The Saudi crown prince's position is no longer secure. Whoever takes over would have to apply the lesson of his demise
Bin Salman, in less than a week, has gone from strutting the world stage to circling the wagons. His initial arrogance is well documented. Just re-read the interview he gave to Bloomberg a few days after Khashoggi's murder. It took a while for reality to dawn on him about the scale of the problems he faced.
A few days after the killing in the consulate, bin Salman sent his head of intelligence, Khaled bin Ali al-Humaidan, to Turkey. He returned worried about how much the Turks knew and reported back to Riyadh that the situation was very bad.
The king's counsellor and the governor of Mecca, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, was next to arrive in Ankara. He dangled a series of offers in his meeting with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: Saudi Arabia could help Turkey with investments. It could buy Turkish weapons. Erdogan cut him off in mid-flow, according to an informed source. "Are you trying to bribe me?" he asked outright. Prince Khaled was allowed to listen to the 15-minute tape of Khashoggi's murder. He returned with a sense of failure.
The same night, King Salman made his first telephone call to Erdogan. As a result of that, a joint investigation was set up.
In Erdogan's calls with King Salman, sources familiar with the conversation told me, the Saudi monarch appeared to be reading from a piece of paper. "When you asked him a question, he could not answer," one of those present in Erdogan's office said. Erdogan was unbending. He told King Salman: "If the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia wants to save itself, we want the body."
Absolving the king of blame (Erdogan said he did not "believe for a second" that Saudi King Salman personally ordered the hit on Khashoggi), the president likened the murder to Watergate.
"The murder of Jamal Khashoggi involves a lot more than a group of security officials, just as the Watergate scandal was bigger than a break-in and the 9/11 terror attacks went beyond the hijackers. As responsible members of the international community, we must reveal the identities of the puppetmasters behind Khashoggi's killing and discover those in whom Saudi officials - still trying to cover up the murder - have placed their trust."
There can be no clearer message that the price of closure in this affair is bin Salman's head.
There are two scenarios now for Prince Ahmad to pursue. The first is to get bin Salman to strike a deal. He abandons his position as crown prince along with his security portfolio, the defence ministry, interior ministry and security services. In exchange, he retains his role as an economic reformer.
The second is to go for his defenestration. The chairmanship of the Allegiance Council, which nominally at least vets and approves royal appointments, is vacant after the death of Prince Meshaal bin Abdulaziz last year. If Prince Ahmad were nominated chairman of the body, he would play the role of kingmaker.
Ahmad's mission depends on two factors. First, the extent to which he can galvanise opinion within the House of Saud that something has to be done about his nephew and that the crown prince has now made too many mistakes to be considered a future king. There is the war in Yemen, the kidnapping of a Lebanese prime minister, the siege of Qatar, the failure of the Aramco IPO, abandoning East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state, and now the killing of Khashoggi.
The list is long and threatens to get longer if bin Salman becomes king.
The second is the position of America – by David Hearst
https://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/why-mohammed-bin-salman-now-circling-wagons-2013703846
(A P)
Saudi king to make week-long domestic tour amid Khashoggi crisis
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman will embark on a week-long domestic tour on Tuesday, a senior government official told Reuters, as the absolute monarchy faces its worst political crisis in a generation over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
It is the first such trip for the 82-year-old king since he acceded to the throne of the world’s top oil exporter in 2015.
(* B P)
The Warrior Prince
Mohammed bin Salman will weather the Khashoggi murder, his tightening grip over Saudi security explains why.
Speculation continues that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may be forced from office, or severely diminished, as a consequence of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul earlier this month.
However, this outcome is highly unlikely, despite demands from some Western governments for a proper investigation and the decision by leading world finance officials and some global businesses to pull out of the international investment conference held in Riyadh on October 23–25. So strong a stance is unprecedented. However, even if this leads to more severe penalties should Prince Mohammed’s responsibility for the crime be proven, he will not only survive, but will also use the backlash to entrench himself further domestically.
When under pressure, autocratic rulers do not relinquish power, they double down, no matter what the cost, and Mohammed bin Salman is in a better position than most.
http://carnegie-mec.org/diwan/77570
(* B P)
Saudis want Yemen’s oil & gas – Max Blumenthal
Saudi Arabia is in a financial crisis and wants to access and exploit untapped gas and oil resources in Yemen, investigative journalist and author Max Blumenthal told RT.
RT America’s Rick Sanchez spoke with Blumenthal about the possibility that the US call for peace and a ceasefire in Yemen could have negative repercussions and cause an intensification of violence in the short term.
Earlier, former Pentagon official Michael Maloof commented on this possible power struggle in Saudi Arabia, which could lead to the end of the Crown Prince’s rule. “This is going to get dirty. And I think what they’re hoping for is that the US and Britain and the other Western powers support somebody who will carry that out. We may be a little premature in saying that it is going to happen… Internally, I think it is conceivable because MBS has upset so many members of the royal family, he has made tremendous enemies from within. And it’s just a question of time.”
Max Blumenthal agreed with Maloof, saying that “he’s right that the US would like to remove him or at least elements within the national security architecture.”
“Basically, you have a situation where the Mafia Don has sent his wise guy out to make a hit and the wise guy winds up taking a bone saw to the victim and throwing him in front of the police station. And the Mafia Don saying ‘You’re embarrassing me.’” Max Blumenthal said.
https://www.rt.com/news/442975-saudi-arabia-yemen-oil/
(A P)
Film: "At this time, we have no credible info that any crime took place in NYC. It’s entirely credible that they entered the water alive.” @NYPDDetectives update on Tala & Rotana Farea
https://twitter.com/NYPDnews/status/1058419365131874307
Comment: Emphasis on, They would rather kill themselves than to return back to #SaudiArabia. This isn’t a far fetched reality many Saudi women myself included would literally rather die than return to that enslaving hell hole.
https://twitter.com/amani_aal/status/1058530253759373314
Remark: The case of the two Saudi young women found dead in the US, look at Yemen war Mosaic 476, cp8. Film here: https://twitter.com/trtworld/status/1058135346041536512
cp8a Jamal Khashoggi
Siehe / Look at cp9
(** A P)
Khashoggi's body parts transported in suitcases: Report
Corpse of Saudi journalist was dismembered and put into five suitcases after he was strangled, Turkish daily reports.
Jamal Khashoggi's body was dismembered and put into five suitcases after he was strangled upon entering Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul last month, according to a report by a Turkish pro-government newspaper.
Citing unnamed officials, Sabah reported on Sunday that the suitcases were then taken to the Saudi consul-general's residence near the consulate the day the journalist - a critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS - was killed on October 2.
The officials said that Maher Mutreb, Salah Tubeigy and Thaar al-Harbi were the three key figures from a 15-member hit squad reportedly involved in dismembering Khashoggi's body and removing it from the premises.
Mutreb was a direct aide to MBS, while Tubeigy was the head of the Saudi Scientific Council of Forensics and a colonel in the kingdom's army.
Al-Harbi was reportedly promoted to lieutenant in the Saudi royal guard last year for bravery in the defence of the crown prince's palace in Jeddah.
Sabah's report came 48 hours after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he believed that the order to kill the journalist came from the "highest levels" of the Saudi state.
Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons, reporting from Istanbul, said on Sunday the latest information added detail to the picture being formulated by Turkish prosecutors who say Khashoggi was strangled and dismembered soon after entering the building.
Simmons said that Mutreb, a senior intelligence official, appeared to be leading the operation, while Tubeigy has experience in forensic pathology.
CCTV footage shows the three individuals travelled in a number of vehicles from the consulate to the consul-general's residence 200 metres away after Khashoggi's murder at about 3pm.
Less than two hours later, Mutreb is seen leaving the residence, according to the footage.
It is at the residence that they reportedly disposed of the body parts, although it is unknown how this was done.
"This is a looming question. No one knows where the body went," Simmons said.
My comment: This footage is known since long time, it was published on Oct. 22. It’s hardly understandable why it drew so little attention. https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1054204896998842368 and https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1054204739469144064
(* A P)
Exclusive: Khashoggi sons issue emotional appeal for the return of their father's body
The sons of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi issued an emotional appeal for the return of their father's body, in their first interview since he was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul a month ago.
Salah and Abdullah Khashoggi, who called their father "courageous, generous and very brave," said they have endured weeks of anguish and uncertainty following his disappearance and death.
"I really hope that whatever happened wasn't painful for him, or it was quick. Or he had a peaceful death," Abdullah Khashoggi, 33, told CNN during a sit-down interview in Washington with his brother, Salah, 35.
But what has really come to trouble his two sons, their two sisters and their mother are the lies, they say, that have sprung up since Khashoggi's death.
Abdullah and Salah say their father has been misunderstood and intentionally misrepresented for political reasons.
"Jamal was a moderate person. He was liked by everybody. He had differences and common values with everyone," Salah said, describing Khashoggi as a genuine, happy person and an "amazing" father.
"I see a lot of people coming out right now and trying to claim his legacy and unfortunately some of them are using that in a political way that we totally don't agree with."
"Public opinion is important... but my fear is that it's being over politicized. People are throwing analysis that may direct us away from the truth." (with film)
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/11/04/middleeast/salah-khashoggi-abdullah-khashoggi-intl/index.html
and
(* A P)
Sons of slain Saudi journalist Khashoggi appeal for return of his body
The sons of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Sunday issued an appeal for the return of their father’s body and said they wanted to return to Saudi Arabia to bury him.
In an interview with CNN, Salah and Abdullah Khashoggi said that without their father’s body, their family is unable to grieve and deal with the emotional burden of their father’s death.
“It’s not a normal situation, it’s not a normal death at all. All what we want right now is to bury him in Al-Baqi (cemetery) in Medina (Saudi Arabia) with the rest of his family,” Salah Khashoggi said. “I talked about that with the Saudi authorities and I just hope that it happens soon.”
(? B P)
Film: Questions Needing Answers about the Khashoggi Murder - The Struggle
TSVN's Stanley Heller asks why the Administration and Congress are not pressing the obvious questions to the Saudi government
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztPZlw1KYIw
(A P)
Saudi Prince Alwaleed: Khashoggi probe will exonerate leader
Saudi Arabian billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, an international businessman from the kingdom, said on Sunday that an official investigation into the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi will exonerate the country’s leader.
Saudi Arabia should publicly release the findings of the murder investigation which would surely exonerate Saudi Arabia’s leader, Prince Alwaleed said on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”
“I ask Saudi Arabia now publicly, through your program, to have the investigation made public as soon as possible,” he said. “I believe the Saudi crown prince will be 100 percent vindicated and exonerated.”
My comment: There are no Saudi “investigations”, but just white-washing propaganda efforts.
(A P)
We just renamed the street outside the Saudi embassy in London (photo)
https://twitter.com/KreaseChan/status/1058361274378174464
My comment: This should really officially be done.
(A P)
Saudis execute Indonesian maid after she killed boss while being raped
Saudi Arabia has executed an Indonesian maid who killed her employer while she was being raped, sparking outrage in Jakarta.
Ms Tursilawati, who was working in the city of Ta'if, was found guilty of killing her employer in June 2011.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo called Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, demanding to know why Jakarta had not been informed about Monday's execution of mother-of one Tuti Tursilawati, the Daily Mail reports.
It was the fourth time in three years that Saudi Arabia had failed to notify Jakarta before executing an Indonesian migrant worker.
(* B P)
Going to begin a thread on prisoners of conscience in Saudi Arabia. After Khashoggi's murder, it's more important than ever that we raise awareness about who these people are.
Loujain al-Hathloul, a prominent women’s rights activist who has been detained since May. She was previously arrested in 2014, spending more than 70 days in prison for defying the ban on women driving.
Waleed Abulkhair, a human rights lawyer and activist who founded the Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Specialised Criminal Court (SCC), which was set up to try terrorism suspects.
[and more]
https://twitter.com/DanielWickham93/status/1058733448343576576
There’s also Kamel al-Ahmed, arrested in 2012 as part of a broader crackdown against the 2011–2012 protests against anti-Shia discrimination. The arrest is also believed to be in retaliation for his brother’s (@AliAlAhmed_en) activities as an expatriate Saudi dissident.
https://twitter.com/amelscript/status/1058828879459057664
cp9 USA
Siehe / Look at cp1
(B P)
Editorial: U.S. must push Saudi leaders to end atrocious war in Yemen
The administration's call for a cease-fire is unlikely to have much impact unless the U.S. makes clear to the Saudis that it is prepared to end its support if the Saudi side refuses to de-escalate. The U.S. has been supplying the coalition with weapons, refueling some of its warplanes and sharing intelligence.
It seems obvious that the administration's view of the coalition's compliance was shaped by its partiality toward Saudi Arabia. It has seen the kingdom as a bulwark against Iranian influence and a potential partner in negotiating peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
With Saudi leaders on the defensive after the appalling murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Trump administration may have more leverage to insist that the kingdom change its behavior in Yemen or face a loss of U.S. support. It should use that influence to help bring this atrocious war to an end.
http://www.dailycamera.com/editorials/ci_32252936/editorial-u-s-must-push-saudi-leaders-end
(B K P)
Other voices: End U.S. complicity in this slaughter and starvation
What ought to gall Americans is that the Trump administration isn’t making greater efforts to stop the slaughter.
Pompeo’s call for a cease-fire should be accompanied by an immediate halt to all American military support to the Saudi coalition campaign in Yemen. That would send the Saudis a message that the call for a cessation in fighting is serious. And it would do what should have been done a long time ago — end U.S. involvement in a conflict that is accomplishing nothing more than systematically starving and killing innocent Yemenis.
(* B P)
Despite Saudi Crisis, US Increases Threats Against Iran
Though the U.S.-Saudi alliance may have been weakened because of the Khashoggi murder, both countries are still targeting Iran as new US sanctions are announced on Sunday
The alleged torture, murder and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, widely believed to have been carried out on orders of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, may put a crimp in Donald Trump’s plans to escalate his aggression against Iran.
Saudi Arabia, the United States and Israel are unified in their hatred of Iran, albeit with different motives. Iran has been in the crosshairs of the United States since the 1979 Iranian Revolution overthrew the vicious, US-installed puppet Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi
White House officials are worried the mushrooming crisis with Saudi Arabia could “derail a showdown with Iran and jeopardize plans to enlist Saudi help to avoid disrupting the oil market.”
Trump will need Saudi military and political cooperation if, “as threatened,” Iran retaliates against his oil embargo by taking “reciprocal, physical action to halt Saudi and Gulf states’ oil exports via the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf and the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, at the mouth of the Red Sea,” Simon Tisdall noted in The Guardian. “If this crisis point is reached, escalating confrontations across the region cannot be ruled out.”
The Trump administration is relying on Saudi Arabia to pump extra oil once Iran is out of the market. But Congress is considering whether to punish Saudi Arabia for the Khashoggi case.
https://consortiumnews.com/2018/11/04/despite-saudi-crisis-us-increases-threats-against-iran/
(* B P)
How Yemeni Immigrant Activists in NYC Are Changing a Whole Community’s Mindset
An estimated 400,000 Yemenis are living in America (and over 50,000 in New York City), but up until now, Alhirdi had been dealing with his family’s immigration process by himself. Even within Brooklyn’s robust Arab and Muslim Communities, Alhirdi says that he felt isolated and alone.
The fact that Alhirdi is even sitting in a Yemeni community center and asking for help (and also freely telling his story to a journalist) may not seem, on the surface, significant. But for the Yemeni community, nothing about this scenario would have seemed plausible less than two years ago.
What happened? Trump happened. And so did his travel ban, which set into motion an unexpected and unprecedented response from the immigrant Yemeni community that was accustomed to “living in the shadows.”
“I was overwhelmed with despair when Trump announced the travel ban,” Widad Hassan—a 29-year-old, Brooklyn-born, Yemeni-American activist—recalls one afternoon over coffee, her posture deteriorating, causing an edge of her hijab to dangle freely off her shoulder.
She is referring to President Donald Trump’s Jan. 27, 2017, executive order, that effectively banned foreign nationals from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Yemen was one of them.
“My entire community was devastated. But one week later,” Hassan continues, reviving into a pose worthy of a portrait, “was the [New York] Yemeni bodega strike. It is the proudest I’ve ever been of my community.”
Within hours of Trump’s announcement, thousands of New Yorkers mobilized at John F. Kennedy International Airport to protest the executive order. One of them was Zaid Nagi, a Yemeni business owner.
“Seeing the response to Trump’s ban at JFK really inspired me and a few other merchants to try and tap into the Yemeni community. To say that we are part of America. That we have rights,” Nagi shares with me one afternoon in his Bronx, New York, cell phone store.
They solicited the help of other community activists. The idea of a Yemeni bodega strike was born. And they had four days to put it together.
(* B P)
Trump to Evade Responsibility for Crimes Committed by US-Saudi Aggression on Yemen
US President Donald Trump tried to evade responsibility for crimes committed by the US-Saudi aggression against the people of Yemen, accusing Saudi Arabia of misuse of US weapons.
Trump accused Saudi Arabia of misusing US weapons in Yemen and described the crime of targeting a bus carrying schoolchildren in Dahyan on August 9 as "horrific."
In response to a question: Can the United States stop the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia? Trump said, "we are closely watching the situation in Yemen, this is the most horrible place on Earth now ... I will talk to Saudi Arabia, I do not want our weapons to fall into the hands of people who do not know how to use these weapons" .
This is the first accusation issued by the US president of the misuse of American weapons in Yemen. These statements appear to absorb international outrage after the voices and calls to stop arms sales to Saudi Arabia have been increased due to the large number of civilian casualties in the air raids carried out by the US-Saudi airstrikes.
Remark: This is the Houthi viewpoint.
(* B P)
The Saudi-US Crisis Will Pass
Washington and Riyadh Have Had Worse Crises and Will Survive Khashoggi Murder
Maintaining good relations with the Saudi royal family has been a high bipartisan priority since President Franklin D. Roosevelt and King Abdul Aziz ibn Saud made their Faustian bargain in 1945: The U.S. would shield the Saudi kingdom’s tyranny from criticism in exchange for a share of oil revenues and Riyadh’s political loyalty (and American arms sales).
The relationship has continued this way in the decades since—and will still do so. The U.S. has covered up a long history of Saudi crimes and conspiracies; during the Cold War it used the Saudis to spread extremist jihadi ideologies to counter secular Arabs that tilted towards Moscow. More recently, the Saudi regime was not freelancing when it cultivated the likes of Osama bin Laden: He was part of a Saudi-U.S.-Pakistani effort to recruit, arm, and finance fanatical Muslims from around the world to undermine the progressive secular regime in Afghanistan.
If history is any guide, it is highly likely that Washington and Riyadh are collaborating behind the scenes to cover up the truth of the Khashoggi case and preserve the relationship as it has been for the past 85 years.
Beside the current crisis, there have been other dust-ups in the history of U.S.-Saudi relations.
This is the background from which to view the current, relatively minor crisis in comparison. The Khasshogi killing wouldn’t have amounted to much if the U.S. mainstream media didn’t make a strong case against the Saudi royal family (while suddenly discovering the Saudis’ war on Yemen), and if the Turkish government hadn’t leaked so many gruesome details about the murder in the Saudi’s Istanbul consulate.
Trump’s Waffles
The Trump administration—in line with successive U.S. administrations–—first tried to minimize the significance of the crime.
It’s not a stretch to believe the Trump administration has been working covertly with the Saudis to come up with a coverup story. The Saudi’s multiple explanations have been unconvincing from the start. The intent of CIA Director Gina Haspel’s trip to Istanbul seemed to be to shield the Saudi regime from the murder and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman’s involvement.
The U.S. almost certainly wanted the Turkish government’s raw intelligence to better advise the Saudis on the coverup. After Haspel’s meeting with Trump upon her return the Saudis admitted it was premeditated murder.
The U.S. likely mediated between Erdogan and MbS, given the animosity between the Turks and Saudis. Outlines of a deal are emerging.
Western and Turkish media keeps the Khassoghi story alive. But AIPAC, UAE and Israeli pressure has been exerted on the U.S. not to abandon bin Salman. For Israel, he is the opportunity of a lifetime
It is to Washington’s advantage that MbS has been weakened. He might now abandon his proclivity for adventurism and become a more traditional Saudi despot deferring to DC on key decisions.
The relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia has survived previous crises. It will survive this one – by As’ad AbuKhalil
https://consortiumnews.com/2018/11/05/why-the-saudi-us-crisis-will-pass/
and
(* B P)
The Untouchable US-Saudi Relation Is a Core Element of US Imperialism
Nixon’s decision in 1971 to withdraw the United States from the gold standard greatly influenced the future direction of humanity. The US dollar rose in importance from the mid-1950s to become the world reserve currency as a result of the need for countries to use the dollar in trade. One of the most consumed commodities in the world is oil, and as is well known, the price is set by OPEC in US dollars, with this organization being strongly influenced by Saudi Arabia.
It is therefore towards Riyadh that we must look in order to understand the workings of the petrodollar. After the dollar was withdrawn from the gold standard, Washington made an arrangement with Riyadh to price oil solely in dollars. In return, the Saudis received protection and were granted a free hand in the region.
The agreement made between Washington and Riyadh guaranteed that the latter would receive protection from the former and Washington would look the other way regarding Riyadh’s behavior within its kingdom and in the region – so long as Saudi Arabia sold its black gold in US dollars alone. This agreement was clearly a controversial one and has been kept away from the general public, even in the light of Khashoggi’s death and the liberal mainstream media’s piling on the Kingdom. Yet this is not the only reason why US-Saudi ties are so close. The initial agreements between the Saudis and the Americans concerned the petrodollar; but after the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979 (Iran’s nationalist prime minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh, had been previously overthrown by the US and UK in 1953), Riyadh and Washington decided to declare war on their common enemy, with the hearty approval of Israel. The cooperation between Riyadh and Washington became even closer in the 1980s, through the common campaign against the USSR in Afghanistan through the use of jihadists recruited, trained and armed by the Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the US secret services. The use of jihadist terrorism as a geopolitical weapon has been a main feature of Riyadh’s statecraft.
The relationship between Saudi Arabia and the US evolved from a mere economic and protection agreement, to a full-fledged collaboration against the shared enemies of Washington, Tel Aviv and Riyadh, expanding on the existing cooperation since the 1980s of using jihadism to advance strategic objectives. The situation with Iran became of primary importance for US strategy in the region. Riyadh, with the passage of time, assumed a triple role, namely, that of being the guarantor of the petrodollar, a facilitator in the use of Islamic terrorism as a geopolitical weapon, and a regional opponent of Iran.
This relationship has been mutually beneficial. The House of Saud has been free to run its country according to the strict strictures of Wahhabism without Western interference; and Washington enjoys a capacity for unlimited military spending (especially after the 2008 crisis and the beginning of quantitative easing) simply through the printing of debt in the form of government bonds that are immediately acquired by other countries. Washington has effectively been printing waste paper and obtaining consumer goods in return, a state of affairs that has allowed the United States to squander six trillion dollars in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan without suffering significant economic consequences.
The use of jihadism and petrodollars as political and financial weapon against Washington's adversaries is reason enough to quickly forget Jamal Khashoggi and go back to ignoring the various abuses committed by Saudi Arabia. In this phase of the transition from a unipolar to a multipolar world, the US cannot afford to renounce some of the most potent weapons in its arsenal to wield against its geopolitical foes – by Federico Pieraccini
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2018/11/04/untouchable-us-saudi-relation-core-element-us-imperialism.html = https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-untouchable-us-saudi-relation-is-a-core-element-of-us-imperialism/5658903?fbclid=IwAR0j-UzJnZKisKUcGVKVPoSr4ydwqgd0X7vvfw1bdOkwG-ak1orW9m5tB20
(* B K P)
End Yemen’s Agony
Stop the bombing and start a large-scale relief effort.
Though much remains clouded in the murder of the Saudi journalist-in-exile Jamal Khashoggi, this much is clear: Saudi Arabia’s rulers are ruthless and not to be trusted or believed. It is now time to recognize those realities in the kingdom’s unspeakably cruel war in Yemen. The Trump administration has been prodded into demanding a cease-fire, but that seems only to have provoked new fighting. The United States, Britain and other enablers of the Saudi campaign can and must demand an immediate halt to the carnage.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, revealed his true face in his lies about how Mr. Khashoggi met his end
Trump administration officials finally seem to have understood the horror and pointlessness of the war, in which the United States is deeply entangled by the ordnance, targeting and refueling it provides the Saudi-led coalition.
Both demands are long overdue, and they should have been made by President Trump along with a concrete warning that the United States will pull the plug on the military assistance if the Saudis persist in their irresponsible and indiscriminate bombing.
Minus a concrete threat, the Saudis seem to have taken the calls as a signal to make what gains they can now.
Yet all along, Mr. Trump seems to be more worried about protecting the lucrative arms deals and maintaining his cozy relationship with Prince Mohammed than curbing the prince’s excesses and lies. But as Secretaries Pompeo and Mattis have recognized, a continuing blood bath in Yemen serves neither American nor Saudi interests; on the contrary, the United States, according to Amnesty International, stands “at risk of making itself an accessory to war crimes.”
The secretaries have taken a first step. The next must be to demand an immediate halt to the bombing, combined with the start of negotiations and a large-scale, global relief effort led by the United States. And if the prince hesitates, pull the plug on the arms – by NYT Editorial Board
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/05/opinion/yemen-war-saudi-arabia-trump.html
My comment: Hey, you are right, but: For 3 ½ years, the New York Times itself had been part of the system whixch kept the Yemen war running!! Greetings to Thomas L. Friedman!
(* B P)
What will the US do about Khashoggi? Yemen? The answer might be in Iran sanctions
Trump’s plan to squeeze Iran involves cutting its oil exports by imposing sanctions on countries that continue to import its oil in addition to other sanctions.
With those sanctions taking effect on Monday and the countdown for exceptions ticking, the obvious question is where will countries pushed to cut imports from Iran turn to for oil?
Saudi Arabia seems well aware of this fear, and entirely willing to stoke it in order to prevent U.S. from taking action for the reprehensible murder of Khashoggi and withdrawing support from the war in Yemen.
That leaves Washington even less likely to hold the kingdom accountable. Instead, the easiest path seems to be brushing the unpleasant business of Khashoggi’s murder under the proverbial rug, along with those heartfelt objections to U.S. support for the deadly war in Yemen and the civilian casualties resulting from Saudi coalition air strikes.
In the unfortunate and long-lamented cycle of U.S. adventures and diplomacy in the Middle East, it all comes down to keeping the oil flowing and keeping prices down. Never mind the humanitarian expense.
Khashoggi, like the war in Yemen, will hardly provide a new source of oil to complement U.S. policy in Iran. Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, will be only too happy to oblige, remaining a U.S. ally.
(* B P)
WEAPONS MAKERS RUSHING CAMPAIGN CASH TO DEMOCRAT IN LINE TO CHAIR DEFENSE INDUSTRY’S KEY HOUSE COMMITTEE
WEAPONS MAKERS ARE moving last-minute money to the Democratic congressman in line to chair the defense industry’s key House committee, as he is under assault from a fellow Democrat, who is attacking his pro-war record just ahead of a rare intra-party general election.
If Democrats take the House of Representatives, the next chair of the Armed Services Committee, which oversees military affairs and defense spending, will likely be Rep. Adam Smith, a hawkish Democrat from Washington state who represents a district in the Seattle-area, where important elements of the military-industrial complex are concentrated.
Sensing an opportunity to influence the race and the potential future committee chair, major weapons contractors have given the lawmaker last-minute campaign support. Lobbyists and executives associated with General Dynamics, one of the largest weapons makers in the world, have given over $10,000 in recent weeks, in addition to the $9,500 from the company over the last quarter.
In just the last week of October, Teresa Carlson, an Amazon industry executive overseeing the company’s bid for a $10 billion military IT contract, gave $1,000; Bechtel, which managed Iraq reconstruction contracts, gave $1,000; Rolls-Royce, which manufactures parts for a variety of military jets, including a model of the controversial F-35, gave $3,500; and Phebe Novakovic, the chief executive of General Dynamics, gave $2,700.
Adam Smith has served in Congress since 1997 and has compiled a relatively interventionist voting record.
(* A K P)
End U.S. Support for the War on Yemen Before It’s Too Late
Bruce Riedel comments on the Saudi coalition’s escalation in the days following Mattis and Pompeo’s call for a ceasefire in 30 days
It is likely that the Saudis and Emiratis don’t take the administration’s ceasefire demand seriously, and so far they have no reason to do so. There is no hint that Trump will withdraw support from the coalition if they refuse to comply with the demand, and administration officials have made such a habit of covering for coalition wrongdoing that the Saudis and Emiratis have to assume that they are not in any danger of losing the administration’s backing. The Soufan Center notes in its analysis of Pompeo and Mattis’ statements that both of the statements are toothless:
Regardless, another month of intensified fighting in and around Hodeidah threatens the lives of millions of Yemenis who depend on the port for their food supply. Even if the ceasefire demand is genuine and the coalition eventually takes it seriously, there could be irreparable harm done to the civilian population before a ceasefire takes effect. If the administration is trying to buy time for the coalition, it is time that millions and millions of starving Yemenis can’t afford to waste.
If the Saudis and Emiratis take for granted that they still have the administration’s full support, nothing less than cutting off all U.S. military assistance and halting all arms sales will get the message through to them that they no longer have a blank check from Washington. Since the administration is still unwilling to do that, Congress has to do it for them. The House should pass H.Con.Res. 138 and the Senate should pass S.J.Res. 54 to put an end to U.S. involvement. Congress has to act to end our involvement and pressure the Saudi coalition to stop the war, because we know the administration will almost certainly do nothing.
(* A P)
The U.S. wants Saudi Arabia to end the war in Yemen. And it has leverage.
Washington supports Saudi Arabia and its ally, the United Arab Emirates, through billions in arms sales. It also refuels their jets mid-air, provides training and shares intelligence. So if the U.S. were to try to force the Saudis' hands, it has leverage.The best way to force the Saudis to change their ways it to stop sending weapons, according to Human Rights Watch's Yemen researcher Kristine Beckerle.
Considering the humanitarian crisis, some experts believe the deadline proposed by Mattis last week is too long to wait."More needs to be done to reach a cease-fire immediately, before the 30-day deadline, for talks to start," warned Jane Kinninmont, who specializes in peace and conflict in the Middle East and works with The Elders, a group of world leaders.
https://www.euronews.com/2018/11/05/u-s-wants-yemen-war-end-will-it-stop-selling-n929921
My comment: “The U.S. wants Saudi Arabia to end the war in Yemen”: Really?
(* B K P)
Our Responsibility for the Destruction of Yemen
Lara Seligman interviews Sen. Chris Murphy on the need to end U.S. involvement in the war on Yemen.
There is a significant and growing bloc of opposition to the war in Congress today, and much of that is because Sen. Murphy has been relentlessly demanding a change in policy. He has insisted on calling attention to the catastrophe that the war has created in Yemen. There is now a real chance that both houses could pass resolutions later this month requiring the administration to halt its support for the Saudis and Emiratis in Yemen. As the senator says, that is the necessary first step to ending the war, and Congress has both the authority and the responsibility to help stop it.
The Norwegian Refugee Council issued a statementyesterday on the deteriorating conditions this has created.
This underscores the point Sen. Murphy was making about U.S. responsibility. Our government has been backing the side in the war that bears the largest responsibility for causing civilian casualties through their bombing campaign that is made possible with U.S. support, and our government has supported the coalition while it blockades one of the poorest countries in the world. There are now up to 14 million people who are at risk of starvation by year’s end, and our government’s policy of unconditional support for the Saudis has helped bring that about. The U.S. has enabled the Saudi coalition in its destruction and starvation of Yemen for more than three and a half years, and Congress has an opportunity to put a stop to that role. Ending U.S. involvement won’t save the people of Yemen by itself, but the very least that our government can do at this point is to stop helping making things worse.
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/our-responsibility-for-the-destruction-of-yemen/
(* A P)
‘There Is an American Imprint on Every Single Civilian Death Inside Yemen’
Sen. Chris Murphy believes that Jamal Khashoggi’s killing could sway Congress to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led war.
Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, believes the tide is finally turning. Shortly after the U.S. midterm elections on Nov. 6, Murphy, along with Sens. Bernie Sanders and Mike Lee, plans to reintroduce legislation that would end all U.S. support—in the form of aerial refueling, targeting assistance, and intelligence information sharing—to Saudi forces. Though the legislation was tabled when it was first introduced in March, Murphy believes the mood in the Senate has changed because of the killing of the Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi and greater awareness of the increasingly catastrophic conditions on the ground in Yemen. What follows are excerpts from his conversation with Foreign Policy.
Chris Murphy: The Khashoggi case is earth-shattering. There were a lot of members of Congress who were giving Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman the benefit of the doubt on Yemen, and I think those same members of Congress are now changing their minds.
The war in Yemen and the Khashoggi case are connected in one very important way. The Saudis have been telling us that they were not intentionally bombing civilian targets inside Yemen. We trusted Mohammad bin Salman. We trusted the Saudis. Now, when they’ve spent two weeks lying through their teeth about what happened to Khashoggi, it has started to draw real questions from members as to whether the Saudis were telling us the truth about what is happening inside Yemen.
I think there is an American imprint on every single civilian death inside Yemen. We sell them the bombs, we help them with the targeting, we fuel their planes in mid-air, and we give them moral cover. So I don’t think there is any way around complete American culpability for the humanitarian nightmare that is happening there.
We also have made no meaningful effort at all to try to find a path to peace. The Trump administration has been totally AWOL on the political process. They have outsourced it to the U.N., and there is no sign that the U.N. is making any progress. It stands to reason the Saudis will never move until the United States commands them to move.
So, yes, I think we are very much responsible for every terrible thing that’s happened inside Yemen today. I’m not saying if we pulled our military support, peace would blossom, but the first step to getting the parties to the table is for the Saudis to feel like they don’t have a blank check from the United States.
(* A P)
77 reps have now cosponsored #HConRes138! Check out this list & urge your reps to add their names. I'll start with mine: @RepMikeBishop & @RepMoolenaar, please cosponsor this bill & help end the war on #Yemen before 14 million people starve to death
https://twitter.com/shireen818/status/1058797112568233984
referring to
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/138/cosponsors
(B P)
Excellent thread by @AveekSen on how the US government is falsely, absurdly accusing Iran of supporting the very same far-right (anti-Shia) Salafi-jihadist groups that the US and its allies Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have in fact historically supported
@AveekSen points out the US State Department is accusing Iran of supporting the Taliban — but the US also condemned Iran for supporting anti-Taliban militias from Afghanistan's Shia Hazara minority.
https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1059246947935100929
referring to https://twitter.com/aveeksen/status/1059198431569174529
(A P)
A Saudi Prince Says Harvard Disinvited Him After Killing of Jamal Khashoggi
A week in residence for Turki al Faisal was canceled, he told The Daily Beast, after he reportedly was dispatched to the U.S. to repair the kingdom’s reputation.
(* B E P)
Consulting Firms Keep Lucrative Saudi Alliance, Shaping Crown Prince’s Vision
As Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia charmed Goldman Sachs bankers and Silicon Valley executives on an American tour this spring, some of his most trusted lieutenants were taking care of business in Washington.
In a low-key ceremony two blocks from the White House, Saudi officials signed an agreement with Booz Allen Hamilton, the American consulting company, to help train the kingdom’s growing ranks of cyberfighters.
The agreement would “open great horizons” by improving the skills of the kingdom’s cybersecurity experts, Saud al-Qahtani, a top adviser to the crown prince overseeing the deal, said in Saudi Arabia in a statement to the official press. It did not mention his continuing campaign to silence critics both inside the kingdom and online.
Mr. Qahtani was fired last month after Saudi officials linked him to the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi
But while Mr. Khashoggi’s death prompted investors from around the globe to distance themselves from the Saudi government, Booz Allen and its competitors McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group have stayed close after playing critical roles in Prince Mohammed’s drive to consolidate power.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/04/world/middleeast/mckinsey-bcg-booz-allen-saudi-khashoggi.html
(* B K P)
Ending The Yemen War Before It Ends Yemen
Throughout much of 2015 and 2016, the American press was hyper-focused on the primaries and subsequent presidential election. Meanwhile, both journalists and elected lawmakers in Washington paid inadequate attention to the war in Yemen. Now, three-and-a-half years after the Saudi-led coalition entered Yemen, the American media as well as officials on Capitol Hill have fortunately begun shifting focus toward the conflict.
Although the U.S. military has not directly fought the Houthis, the Americans have provided the Arab coalition support in the form of intelligence sharing, air-to-air refueling, and large arms sales since March 2015. At the start of the Saudi-led campaign, officials in Washington accepted the flawed Saudi narrative that the coalition’s actions were necessary to push back Iranian influence.
If a change in U.S. policy could indeed lead to an improvement in Yemen’s humanitarian crisis—albeit without ending it—Washington faces a serious moral dilemma. Yet the cogent arguments in favor of shifting the U.S. course in Yemen and limiting or freezing Washington’s support for the coalition are not based on morality alone. To be sure, a prolongation of the Yemeni crisis, which has placed millions on the brink of famine and has already resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, threatens U.S. national security. Clearly, the only victors in Yemen are al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) forces, which bear responsibility not only for the deaths of many Yemenis but also for a planned attack on a Detroit-bound flight and which have been strengthened by Saudi and Emirati actions. Foreign policy decisionmakers in Washington who are committed to an “America First” agenda should clearly prioritize efforts to defeat AQAP in Yemen.
Preventing the human suffering in Yemen from worsening and pushing the warring parties toward a resolution of the crisis serve U.S. national interests. Helping to create a unified Yemeni state with a centralized and representative government is necessary for winning the struggle against AQAP and other violent extremists in Yemen.
Yet, regardless of how challenging it would be to bring about a diplomatic resolution, Washington must accept that there is no viable military solution to the war in Yemen.
https://lobelog.com/ending-the-yemen-war-before-it-ends-yemen/
(* A P)
Bernie Sanders: ‘We Should Not Be Allied With A Dictatorship Like Saudi Arabia’
During a Reddit “ask me anything” session today, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders addressed the burning issue of US relationship with Saudi Arabia, urging the Trump administration to get out of Yemen.
The Yemen war is “an unbelievable and horrific humanitarian disaster,” Senator Sanders said, adding that the war is also unconstitutional “because Congress, which has the war-making authority in our form of government, has not authorized it.”
“We should not be allied with a dictatorship like Saudi Arabia who is leading the effort in that war. Let’s get out of Yemen as soon as possible and help bring humanitarian help to that struggling country.”
https://www.inquisitr.com/5144906/bernie-sanders-saudi-arabia-yemen-war-trump/
(* B P)
Saudi Arabia ignores Trump administration on Yemen
Saudi Arabia has responded to the Trump administration’s call for the end of hostilities in Yemen by ratcheting up the war. The war between the Saudi-led coalition backing President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and the Iranian-supported Zaydi Shiite Houthis is a catastrophe for Yemen, the region and the United States, but Riyadh’s leaders do not want to be losers.
The administration has promised its support for the UN negotiations with much more coordination and emphasis than ever before. The premeditated murder of Jamal Khashoggi by the Saudis has put the administration under unprecedented pressure to rein in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s reckless and dangerous behavior. The war in Yemen is the crown prince’s signature policy initiative.
But the Saudis have escalated their airstrikes on Sanaa and Hodeidah instead. T
Much diminished in stature abroad by the Khashoggi murder, Prince Mohammed is reluctant to appear to back down in Yemen. His 3½ years of war have cost the kingdom a fortune. The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is a public relations disaster for the House of Saud, and a boon for Iran.
The crown prince is counting on the Trump administration to stick with him given the blank check it has provided for Saudi Arabia in the last two years. The Khashoggi affair will fade away, and the president will never take serious action regarding the war. So far he has been right.
Last week the administration was clear and direct that the war must be brought to an end. By controlling the logistics and spare parts necessary for the Royal Saudi Air Force to conduct operations Washington has tremendous influence on the Saudi military. The Saudis cannot get spare parts for F-15s in Moscow or Beijing. The administration has the leverage to save millions of Yemenis. It is time to use it – by Bruce Riedel
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/11/saudi-arabia-ignores-trump.html
My comment: The Trump administration will not do this. – They do not want to achieve peace in Yemen – they simply want to win time, to slow down opposition in Congress: Until the midterm elections are over, until the Khashoggi murder has totally faded out of the news. The main intention is to continue as before. Saudi Arabia is needed as ally for the anti-Iranian policy and as buyer of US arms.
(* A P)
Trump wirft Saudi-Arabien dilettantischen Umgang mit US-Waffen vor
Der US-Präsident Donald Trump hat Saudi-Arabien einen ungeschickten Umgang mit den US-amerikanischen Waffen in Jemen vorgeworfen. Trump äußerte sich zu dem Thema im am Montag veröffentlichten Interview mit dem Informationsportal „Axios“.
Demnach bezeichnete Trump den im August stattgefundenen Luftangriff der arabischen Koalition, bei dem ein Bus mit Kindern getroffen worden sei, als einen „gruseligen Vorfall“.
„Das, was in Jemen mit dem Bus mit Kindern passiert ist, ist schaurig… Ob dies mich beunruhigt? – Das ist kein genügend starker Ausdruck (dessen, was ich fühle). Das sind Leute, die einfach nicht wissen, wie sie mit den Waffen umgehen sollen“, so Trump.
„Wir beobachten die Situation in Jemen sehr genau. Derzeit ist das der schrecklichste Ort auf der Welt… Ich werde mit Saudi-Arabien reden. Und ich hätte es nicht gerne, dass die Waffen von den Menschen eingesetzt werden, die nicht wissen, wie man mit diesen Waffen umgeht“, so beantwortete der US-Staatschef die Frage, ob die USA die Waffenlieferungen an Saudi-Arabien stoppen könnten.
Mein Kommentar: Der Verstand eines Sechsjährigen.
(* A P)
Trump: The Saudis "don't know how to use" U.S. bombs
"Axios on HBO" asked Trump whether it bothered him that the Saudi-led coalition has been using U.S. bombs to kill civilians.
"Bother's not strong enough," Trump replied. "That was basically people that didn’t know how to use the weapon, which is horrible."
Axios' Jim VandeHei then asked Trump if this gave him pause about selling American weapons to the Saudis.
"I don't want to see that," Trump replied. "That is a terrible thing. What's going on in Yemen generally is a terrible thing, and we're gonna see and we're looking at Yemen very carefully right now. We are actually studying Yemen very, very carefully."
I asked if Trump would handle the war differently if he were in the Saudis' place.
"I'll be talking about a lot of things with the Saudis," he continued, "but certainly I wouldn't be having people that don't know how to use the weapons shooting at buses with children."
https://www.axios.com/trump-saudis-arabia-yemen-bombs-4253534a-0043-457c-b3aa-84d6bca18ce3.html and film https://twitter.com/axios/status/1059250463638544384
and also https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/05/trump-says-yemen-bus-attack-was-due-to-bombers-not-using-weapon-properly and https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-saudi-arabia-didnt-know-how-to-use-us-made-bombs-in-yemen
My comment: He certainly is a bloody idiot – emphasizing “bloody”.
Comment: Obvious answer: Stop selling them
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/1059796141791793152
(* A P)
Pompeo’s Shameful Answers on Yemen
Mike Pompeo gave a typically evasive answer at the end of his interview with Chris Wallace earlier today
Pompeo didn’t answer either of the questions that Wallace asked him, and instead tried to change the subject to complaining about Iran. His failure to answer those questions says quite a lot about the Trump administration’s policy. Secretary Pompeo is likely very comfortable with the role the U.S. has played in supporting the war, since he lied to Congress only a few weeks ago to ensure that U.S. refueling for coalition planes wouldn’t be shut down. He couldn’t answer the second question because he and the rest of the administration have no good answer to give. The administration is giving the Saudis and their allies at least another month because they feel no sense of urgency about the country’s humanitarian crisis. If they had, they would not have approved of the Hodeidah offensive that has already exacerbated the crisis and threatens to plunge the country into full-blown famine. Arms sales are a higher priority for this administration than preventing the worst famine in decades, and their actions have made that perfectly clear.
The Trump administration has been desperate to make the war on Yemen all about Iran for more than a year and a half, and that has required them to exaggerate Iran’s role in the war while whitewashing and denying the harm done by the coalition. Pompeo’s suggestion that Iran is “responsible for the starvation in Yemen as well” is unadulterated propaganda, and there is nothing to support that claim. The lion’s share of the responsibility for the impending famine goes to the coalition of governments that has been maintained an air and sea blockade of the country for more than three and a half years and to the Saudi-backed puppet government that relocated the central bank to Aden and stopped paying public sector salaries. Iran’s limited role does not account for “much of the harm” in Yemen, and Pompeo is saying this to deflect attention from the fact that the administration continues to aid and abet the coalition’s war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Saudi coalition and its Western patrons created the famine conditions in Yemen and they own the consequences, and no amount of last-minute blame-shifting can change that.
Unfortunately, Pompeo was allowed to get in the last word in this interview, so he was able to get away with his shameful evasions and misrepresentations.
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/pompeos-shameful-answers-on-yemen/
referring to
(* A K P)
Interview With Chris Wallace of Fox News Sunday
QUESTION: Meanwhile, you and Defense Secretary Mattis this week called for negotiations and a ceasefire within 30 days between the U.S.-backed Saudi forces and the rebels that are fighting in a war inside Yemen. There are reports that up to 16,000 Yemeni civilians have been killed in this conflict and that around 14 million Yemenis are now on the brink if not already in famine conditions.
Two questions. First of all, are you comfortable with the role that the U.S. has played in backing Saudi Arabia in this effort in Yemen? And secondly, if the humanitarian crisis is so urgent, why allow this to continue for another month, sir?
SECRETARY POMPEO: Chris, we did make a statement this week, Secretary Mattis and I. Frankly, it’s nothing new. We have been urging all the parties to come to the table and recognize that there’s no military victory that can be achieved in Yemen. We’ve asked the Iranians to do that too, Chris. Much of the harm that is taking place there comes from the fact the Iranians continue to supply weapons and missiles to the Houthi rebels that are fighting there in Saudi Arabia. They are responsible for the starvation in Yemen as well.
https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2018/11/287110.htm
(* B P)
Midterms poised to shake up US-Saudi defense ties
The midterm elections could bring critical changes to U.S. support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen.
Democrats, if they win back the House majority, are expected to try to reverse major decisions President Trump made in support of the Yemen war. And their hand has been strengthened by the uproar over the killing of a journalist at the Saudi consulate in Turkey.
Democrats would have a limited ability to enact change with Trump in the White House and the Senate likely to remain in GOP hands. But the party is expected to try and flex its muscle on a number of foreign policy and national security issues, including support for the Yemen war, oversight of special operations missions, border wall funding and building low-yield nuclear weapons.
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/414707-midterms-poised-to-shake-up-us-saudi-defense-ties
(* B P)
The Observer view on the ‘cessation of hostilities’ in Yemen
Donald Trump’s intervention in the Yemen war would be welcome if it didn’t seem so cynical and ill-judged
The US proposal, backed by Britain, for a “cessation of hostilities” in Yemen, to be followed by UN-led peace talks, is welcome. But it raises a number of questions. Why has it taken so long for the Trump administration to act, given that the appalling, avoidable toll on Yemeni lives exacted by the Saudi-led, western-backed bombing campaign has been well documented over the past three years?
Could it be that this sudden burst of American diplomatic activity is linked to last month’s murder by Saudi government agents of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi? In point of fact, there seems little doubt the two events are connected. Donald Trump has shown little or no interest in the Yemen war until now, viewing it as but one of many theatres in a wider, strategic contest between the US, Israel and its Gulf Arab allies on the one hand and Iran on the other. Iran’s backing and arming of Yemen’s Houthi rebels was apparently sufficient reason to turn a blind eye to civilian suffering. In any case, Trump has no appetite for the hard slog of peace-making, as Syrians, Palestinians and Koreans know to their cost.
What Trump is interested in is preserving America’s military, intelligence and economic relationships with the Saudis and, in particular, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is widely believed to have ordered Khashoggi’s murder. Trump has been at pains to shelter Prince Mohammed from the torrent of international condemnation that followed the Istanbul killing. But he could not stop the furore shining a new spotlight on the Saudi leader’s personal responsibility for, among other bad things, the unfolding catastrophe in Yemen.
Authoritative reports from Washington last week suggest the US has now decided to stick by Prince Mohammed despite the Khashoggi affair. There will be no real punishment. Why? Because Trump needs Saudi support for his destabilisation campaign against Iran, which intensifies on Monday with the imposition of a global oil embargo. Trump sees Prince Mohammed as a key ally, along with Israel, the UAE and Egypt’s dictator, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, in effecting regime change in Tehran. He also wants to maintain bilateral co-operation on Islamist terrorism, a Syrian postwar settlement, and lucrative arms sales.
But Trump is under growing bipartisan pressure in Congress over the humanitarian disaster in Yemen, for which the Saudis are primarily blamed.
(* B P)
What's the Future of U.S. Support for the Saudi War in Yemen?
In recent days, high-ranking U.S. officials made their strongest coordinated public call for a pause in the civil war that has been raging in Yemen since late 2014. Rising concerns in the public sphere and U.S. Congress about the length and humanitarian toll of the war are motivating this sterner posture. Ultimately, though, Riyadh views U.S. aid for the Saudi-led military coalition fighting Iranian-backed Houthi rebels as an important sign of alignment — the United States and Saudi Arabia share a common goal of containing Iran's influence in the Arabian Peninsula. The White House wants to continue extending its support to Saudi Arabia in Yemen to counter Iran and eliminate the missile threat posed by the Houthis. However, the civilian toll of combat and growing opposition will make that goal increasingly difficult to sustain politically.
Political pressure, from within the United States and the world at large, has increased on the White House to moderate its support for the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen, especially in the wake of the kingdom's response to the apparent murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The kingdom's shifting explanations for his disappearance from the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, have created a breach of trust between Riyadh and members of the U.S. Congress, where skepticism of the Saudi war effort in Yemen was already high. U.S. lawmakers opposed to the war are preparing legislation that would cut support for the Saudis there. Meanwhile, a new United Nations report has raised alarms about the high risk of impending widespread famine in Yemen.
Even in the face of growing U.S. and global opposition, however, Riyadh will not easily shift its stance in Yemen. The Saudi involvement there is driven not only by its desire to deny Iran a foothold on the Arabian Peninsula through its Houthi allies, but also by the historical animosity between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
No matter how strong congressional opposition becomes, the United States is unlikely to entirely cut off ties to the Saudi war effort because of shared goals when it comes to containing Iranian influence and combating the threat of ballistic missile launches into Saudi and Emirati territory from Houthi-held positions in Yemen. With or without U.S. support, the Saudi war effort is not likely to end, regardless.
Finally, any shift in the U.S. presence in Yemen as it relates to the Saudi-led coalition's fight against the Houthis would not affect Washington's ongoing counterterrorism efforts there. The United States will not back away from its fight against al Qaeda, whose Yemeni-based franchise (al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) remains strong in the central and southern parts of the country.
https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/whats-future-us-support-saudi-war-yemen
(B P)
Yemen cease-fire call, Trump’s last resort to assuage public opinion
Washington’s Wednesday call on Saudi Arabia for a swift cessation of hostilities in Yemen, was, in fact, a measure of last resort for US President Donald Trump’s administration to escape public opinion’s pressure on the White House.
Thus, the US government had no other option but to find a way out of the international pressures.
Therefore, it chose the most convenient route: Imposing sanctions on a number of Saudi citizens. Public opinion, nevertheless, demanded something more than that. The Trump administration eventually decided to react to this issue adopting a strategy that does not lead to any alteration in the Arab state’s structure, but would assuage public opinion inside the US – ahead of the November 6 midterm elections – and outside the country.
Calling for a cease-fire in Yemen, which was favored by both Washington and Riyadh, was the best ploy the Trump administration could resort to, to solve this problem
http://www.irna.ir/en/News/83086877
Remark: From Iran.
(? A B P)
AMERIKA UND DER JEMEN-KRIEG: Jetzt, auf einmal?
Seit Jahren wird der Jemen mit Waffen aus Amerika, England, Frankreich oder Deutschland verheert. Jetzt wünschen die Vereinigten Staaten ein Ende des Kriegs. Die Gelegenheit ist günstig – der Grund eigennützig.
Ganz unabhängig von den Erfolgsaussichten des genannten Zusammenraufungssignals: an der Washingtoner Friedensinitiative lässt sich sehen, wie gleichsam über Nacht Moral zu einem Posten der Realpolitik werden kann (wie bei Bedarf sie, die Moral, auch wieder rückabgewickelt, als Realie aus dem politischen Prozess wieder ausgeschieden werden kann) – wenn nur der politische Wille es will, wie herum auch immer. Was drei Jahre lang gegen die Regeln des humanitären Völkerrechts vor sich hin verhungerte, vor sich hin siechte, vor sich hin schrie, soll jetzt auf einmal einen Platz auf der politischen Rettungs-Agenda erhalten. (nur Abonnenten)
(A P)
Richard Nephew: This is frankly disgusting. I was responsible, directly, for U.S. sanctions against Iran for a long while. I took pride in their development, design and use. But not joy. Having to do this is lamentable and will impose very real, human costs. Take this seriously, please.
https://twitter.com/RichardMNephew/status/1058392105255612417
Liberalism in a nutshell: I took PRIDE in imposing crippling sanctions that starved people, made their lives hard, & killed those who couldn't get medicine they needed... but at least I didn't boast with a fake movie poster like our cartoon villain leader!
https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1058520584630534145
(* B P)
The Other Murderous Gulf
Since the murder of Jamal Khashoggi by a Saudi hit squad in early October, Mohammed bin Zayed, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and patron of Saudi Arabia’s own crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), has resembled the cat that swallowed the canary. The disastrous regional adventurism and ruthless despotism of his protégé has averted Washington’s gaze from the UAE’s own responsibility for the carnage that is roiling the region. But the UAE should not be given a get out jail free card. If the White House refuses to hold the Emirates accountable for undermining U.S. interests, Congress should use its constitutional power to step into the leadership void.
Throughout Yemen’s three-and-a-half-year civil war, the Emiratis have been as brutal and reckless as the Saudis. While Saudi aircraft slaughter innocent civilians at wedding halls, funerals, homes, markets, schools, and ports, UAE boots on the ground have also contributed to the humanitarian disaster. The UAE-led military offensive in and around the port city of Hodeidah has been a catastrophe
The UAE may not be in the Saudis’ league as far as domestic repression and human rights abuse go, but it’s no rookie either.
The UAE is nearly as bad as Saudi Arabia, but less ham-handed and more competent. That’s allowed it to fly under the West’s radar screen and escape closer scrutiny. Like the Saudis, it takes for granted Washington’s unquestioned diplomatic and military support.
If Congress can find the spine to sanction Russia, Syria, and hopefully Saudi Arabia for their murderous behavior and human rights abuses, it shouldn’t be so supine about the UAE’s transgressions. America’s interests and moral values demand no less.
https://carnegieendowment.org/2018/10/30/other-murderous-gulf-pub-77606?utm_source=carnegieshare
My comment: A reasonable article? Yes, the US should stop its close alliance with the UAE. – But, be honest: This article is full of US mainstream thinking. The crux of the matter are “America’s interest” ( that means: Its grip on the world as master of the universe) and “American values”. In American foreign politics, the only values have been: keeping America’s worldwide control tight, thus giving the opportunity for exploiting all countries, making money, money, more money. There are no other values in US foreign policy. Get that.
(* B P)
Trump and the Saudis keep fumbling after Khashoggi’s killing
Yet the crisis over Khashoggi has called MBS’s own position into question. As my colleagues reported in a lengthy exposé, the crown prince reached his place of power within the court by ruthlessly sidelining, arresting or otherwise subduing rivals within the royal family, including some princes well known in Washington circles. The pressure is now on his father, the aging King Salman, to rein in his son.
“The question now is whether King Salman will decide there is wisdom in curtailing Mohammed’s powers, or at least in appearing to do so," my colleagues wrote.
Reports of the return of one of the king’s younger brothers, who had been living abroad out of fear of arrest, deepened speculation over the maneuvering taking place within the palace. One hypothetical scenario would see MBS compelled to share power with a more senior relative, who would work to restore international confidence in the kingdom.
“There’s going to be Americans, presumably even in the Trump administration, who are going to be telling the Saudis you’ve got to put some guardrails around this guy, and the most public way you can do that is by having a senior member of the family [become] foreign minister,” Gregory Gause, an expert on the kingdom at Texas A&M University, said to HuffPost.
Indeed, the administration — which seemingly gave MBS carte blanche to wage a ruinous war in Yemen, trigger a regional crisis by blockading Qatar and allegedly detain the Lebanese prime minister — may be reaching its limits.
But after Khashoggi’s murder, the mood is changing.
“It’s thrown open the doors of doubt to the entire Saudi version of the war in Yemen,” Elisabeth Kendall, a Yemen scholar at Oxford University, said to The Post’s Sudarsan Raghavan. “It is no longer able to just tell the world what it wants it to think without the world now being suspicious and skeptical.” – By Ishaan Tharoor
(* B K P)
Trump's pressure on Saudi Arabia overdue
Washington should lead a global relief effort to stave off starvation and disease among the Yemenis.
The Trump administration’s decision to push Saudi Arabia to bring the war in Yemen to an end and lift its blockade of Qatar is overdue. These were costly misadventures that should have been halted already. Now that the killing of Jamal Khashoggi has weakened the hand of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the architect of both policies, there’s a better chance that outside pressure will succeed.
http://www.startribune.com/trump-s-pressure-on-saudi-arabia-overdue/499459541/
My comment: A typical “liberal” US mainstream product. As long as further US meddling in the Middle East is propagated (Iran), this policy will not change, and other wars like the Yemen War are to come – started, supported or inflated by the US and its geopolitics. A game that never ends, an arms sellers bonanza that never ends.
(* B K P)
Foreign Correspondent: Murder of Saudi Journalist Builds Opposition to Yemen War
Khashoggi’s death is finally focusing world attention on Saudi atrocities in Yemen, and U.S. midterm elections could reverse Trump’s policies that support the war.
The murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has backfired on the Saudi royal family by focusing new attention on its vicious war on Yemen.
The Khashoggi murder has fundamentally shifted opinions on Capitol Hill about U.S.-Saudi relations, Representative Khanna told me in a phone interview. He likened it to one partner in a marriage having an affair.
"The marriage may last but it will never be the same,” he said. “It's opened people's eyes."
As I’ve reported previously, the Trump administration could end the war within days. U.S. technicians fuel and maintain Saudi fighter planes manufactured by Boeing. Trump could order the technicians to stop work, as provided in the Boeing contract.
The United States has dominated the Middle East in the post-World War II era and seeks to maintain its power in an alliance with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel. It has massive military bases in Bahrain and Qatar. The U.S. Navy keeps the sea lanes open for U.S. and allied oil corporation. And by sheer coincidence, oil and munitions companies make billions of dollars in profits. Funny how “national interests” are of great interest to the rich but not to the nation.
But things could change after the November 6 midterm elections. Neither Obama nor Trump ever formally declared war in Yemen, and the fighting there has nothing to do with combating terrorism.
If the Democrats win the House, and particularly the Senate, they could put tremendous pressure on Trump to reverse his disastrous Mideast policies
https://progressive.org/dispatches/murder-of-saudi-journalist-builds-opposition-to-yemen-war-181102/ = https://original.antiwar.com/reese_erlich/2018/11/02/murder-of-saudi-journalist-builds-opposition-to-yemen-war/
My comment: They will not, I fear. These wars had been a project of the whole US elite, Republicans and Democrats alike, and they will not really change this,
(* B K P)
In Yemen, Many Die, Including This Girl
Oxfam America calls on the United States to end its support for the Saudi coalition, and readers react to the “gut-wrenching” images of starving Yemeni children.
I was in Yemen in July with Oxfam and saw the devastation of years of conflict and deprivation with my own eyes, and it pains me to watch the situation only get worse.
In this man-made crisis, a civilian is dying every three hours in the fighting. The limited function of airports and seaports and economic collapse have pushed the prices of basic goods out of reach for most, worsening hunger and inequality.
I saw fully stocked stores and markets while Yemenis struggled to feed their families. Even without an official declaration of famine, we know that millions of Yemenis are on the brink of starvation, that preventable diseases like cholera and diphtheria continue to kill, and that this tragedy is unfolding on our watch.
We welcome calls by the United States for a cease-fire, but strong words are not enough. The United States must end its support for the Saudi coalition’s war in Yemen immediately — and use all means to save lives by publicly condemning the continuing attacks on innocent civilians and civilian infrastructure by all parties; ending refueling for the coalition; and canceling any pending arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/02/opinion/letters/yemen-saudi.html
(* B P)
Why wait? Jim Mattis can pull the US out of Yemen now, not in 30 days
Even so, the Trump administration’s words are utterly meaningless without concrete action attached to it. Calling for a halt to hostilities may make us feel better, but it does nothing whatsoever to incentivize the warring parties to actually heed those demands. Right now, U.S. policy in Yemen is the same jumbled batch of contradictions that it’s been from the moment Washington first decided to provide the Saudis and Emiratis unconditional support to their military campaign. At the same time the administration is lobbying for peace talks, it continues to provide the Saudi coalition with the fuel it needs to keep its combat aircraft in the air. To use one imperfect analogy, Washington’s strategy in Yemen mimics a distressed parent who gives his 5-year-old son candy so he stops crying in the supermarket; it may buy you some time, but at the cost of rewarding bad behavior.
The most effective way for the U.S. to bring the Saudis, Emiratis, Yemeni government forces, and the Houthis into a serious diplomatic process is to remove itself from the war entirely.
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
Siehe / Look at cp1
(* B K P)
Press release: '30 pilots from Saudi Arabia are being trained at Valley to use their new skills in the atrocious war which is killing thousands in #Yemen'
https://twitter.com/JamilaHanan/status/1059830820574318592
and
(A K P)
Wales peace groups to hold vigil for #Yemen at gates of RAF Valley Wed 7th Nov
Peace and justice groups across North Wales strongly oppose the use of RAF Valley and Welsh airspace by pilots from Saudi Arabia as they prepare to contribute to the war in Yemen.
They call upon their supporters to gather outside the main gates of RAF Valley to hold a vigil at 5.30pm on Wednesday 7th November. “We are saddened and disappointed to learn that pilots from Saudi Arabia are being trained at RAF Valley’, said Anna Jane Evans, spokesperson for Cymdeithas y Cymod. She added, “The Westminster Government is selling weapons of war worth many millions to the oppressive Saudi government, and the contract includes training the pilots in how to use them. Let us be perfectly clear this leads directly to the killing of children and innocent people who have nothing to do with the war in Yemen.”
The organisations call upon the Welsh government to condemn this use of RAF Valley and to intervene urgently to persuade the Westminster government to stop using Welsh land and airspace for the purpose of preparing for the slaughter of the inhabitants of Yemen.
http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sqn8fg
(* A P)
Legal Challenge to UK Arms Sales to Saudis
Groups Will Provide Evidence of Attacks against Yemeni Civilian
Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and RW UK have received permission to intervene in a court case challenging the United Kingdom’s continued sale of arms to Saudi Arabia. The case will be heard by the Court of Appeal in April 2019.
The landmark legal case, brought by Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), seeks to establish that the UK government is breaking its own arms export licensing criteria by continuing to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia, given the clear risk the weapons would be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law violations in Yemen. The High Court in London dismissed the case in 2017, but the Campaign Against Arms trade won the right to appeal, and the three groups again received permission to intervene.
“The October 2 murder of Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate only highlights the government’s lack of credible investigations and accountability demonstrated during the years-long Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen,” said Clive Baldwin, senior legal adviser at Human Rights Watch. “The UK has contributed through its arms sales to a campaign that has killed or wounded thousands of civilians and brought the country to the brink of disaster.”
Since the coalition began its aerial campaign in Yemen in 2015, the UK has licensed at least £4.7 billion(about US$6.1 billion) worth of arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Human Rights Watch researchers have regularly visited Yemen and documented the use of weapons, including weapons made in the UK, in strikes that appear to be unlawful.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/11/05/legal-challenge-uk-arms-sales-saudis
(* B K P)
Trigger warning: If you’re not angry about UK support for Saudi Arabia, you will be
What will it take for people to get the message that the United Kingdom is supporting a murderous regime – and revealing the corruption at the top of our politics – by arming Saudi Arabia?
How about the fact that 29 top Tories have enjoyed all-expenses-paid trips to the Middle Eastern state? Doesn’t that show the Saudis are able to exert influence that is too great to be tolerated?
Read:
“Since 2015, the government of Saudi Arabia has spent at least £222,000 jetting UK MPs out to the oil rich middle eastern country.
The rise in visits since the start of the Saudi-led military action in Yemen is a major cause for concern.
Also a major cause for concern is the fact that Tory ministers have ordered the training of more than 100 Saudi air force pilots in the UK, at a time when we are hearing allegations of serious human rights breaches in the conflict in Yemen.
Now read this:
“Tory ministers have been accused of having “blood on their hands” after admitting the RAF has trained more than 100 Saudi pilots in the UK.
“Royal Saudi Air Force chiefs enjoyed the honour despite allegations their regime is breaching human rights in Yemen’s brutal civil war.
“The government has confirmed 102 Saudi pilots were trained at RAF bases over the last decade.
(A K P)
As if the Region doesn’t Have Enough, Britain Intends to have a New Military Base in Oman
Britain announced, on Monday, it would open a joint military training base in Oman in March 2019 as the United Kingdom looked to strengthen ties with its allies in the region. British Defense Secretary, Gavin Williamson, announced the opening of the British-Omani training base during a visit to the Sultanate to follow up the conclusion of a large-scale joint military exercise involving thousands of people trained in desert fighting.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=3610&cat_id=3
(A K P)
Film: International Development Committee: Questions over Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia
The UK Government continues [refuses???] to sanction arms sales to Saudi Arabia, despite their continued use in Yemen as famine grips. The aid directed to Yemen is a drop in the ocean in value compared to the worth of these sales. In questioning the UK Minister for International Development today, I echoed the comments of many groups in calling for the UK to end their support for Saudi Arabia.
https://www.facebook.com/StopTheWarOnYemen/videos/184903909064378
(* B K P)
Audio: Britain's role in Yemen crisis
Three years into a devastating civil war in Yemen, 9 million people are in urgent need of medical care and the UN has warned of an imminent famine. The Guardian’s Middle East correspondent, Bethan McKernan, has been reporting on the war in which all sides have killed civilians, and some are using British-made weapons. Plus: naturalist Bernie Krause on what he’s learnt documenting wildlife through sound
Bethan McKernan has been reporting on the complex conflict from its beginning in 2015. The Houthi rebels who overthrew the Yemeni government have deep links to Iran while Saudi Arabia has led the brutal pro-government military response with an arsenal of modern military hardware bought from Britain and the United States.
We hear from Ahmed, a Yemeni from Hodeidah whose family videos of outings to the local beach now show a scene that is almost unimaginable amid the destruction.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2018/nov/06/britains-role-in-yemen-crisis-podcast
(A P)
Iran-backed rebels to blame for Yemen humanitarian crisis, UK-arms sales committee chief claims
MP likens missile strikes on Saudi targets to Nazi attacks on Britain
The chairman of a committee scrutinising British arms sales has blamed Iranian-backed rebels for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, amid an intensifying row over Saudi Arabia’s role in the civil war.
MPs from across the political spectrum have criticised the government for continuing to sell weapons to the Saudi-led coalition, which is fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen.
But Labour’s Graham Jones said responsibility for the spiralling emergency in Yemen lay with Tehran-backed Ansar Allah rebels, likening their missile attacks on Saudi targets to Nazi V2 attacks on Britain during the Second World War.
Mr Jones, who chairs the Commons Committees on Arms Exports Controls (CAEC), told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that, aside from environmental issues, the well-armed Houthi group “represent the greatest threat on the planet now”.
“You talk about the humanitarian disaster of course. This is caused by Ansar Allah,” he said.
“If you read the ambassadors at the UN and the unanimous decision to back the Hadi government, it’s not hard to come to the conclusion that the way we find peace and security is to stop the Ansar Allah advance into other tribal areas and the oppression that goes with it.”
My comment: This obviously is nonsense. – it would be interesting to find out which are the connections driving him to tell an even more absurd Saudi propaganda than the Saudis themselves.
(A P)
UK must stop turning a ‘blind eye’ to Yemen crisis and halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia
Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2018/11/03/uk-must-stop-turning-a-blind-eye-to-yemen-crisis-and-halt-arms-sales-to-saudi-arabia-8102175/?ito=cbshare
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetroUK/
Britain should suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia to put pressure on them to stop the devastating war in Yemen, an aid organisation has said. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) said the UK could ‘no longer turn a blind eye’ to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, which now sees 14,000,000 at risk of famine. The charity called on the UK government to use its political might to bring Saudi Arabia to the negotiating table and capitalise on worldwide condemnation following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
(? B K P)
Parliament: Yemen autumn update 2018
As humanitarians warn that Yemen could be heading for the biggest famine for a century, the Trump Administration has called for a ceasefire and substantive negotiations within 30 days. Could this be the beginning of the end?
There is considerable opposition to the UK’s policy of selling arms to members of the Saudi-led coalition in the context of Yemen. The Government argues that it would not license exports if there was a danger of serious violation of international law. The UK supports a political solution. UK humanitarian aid to Yemen amounts to £570 million since 2015, including £96 million to tackle malnutrition announced in October 2018 [the link does not work]
https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-8433
(* B H K P)
‘Irresponsible and incoherent’: British-backed bombing raids destroy UK aid in Yemen
'On the one hand British aid is a vital lifeline, on the other British bombs are helping to fuel an ongoing war,' says Oxfam, urging UK to withdraw support for war
Aid projects funded by Oxfam in Yemen have been hit in Saudi-led coalition airstrikes, it has emerged, as the British government faces mounting pressure to halt arms sales to Riyadh.
Oxfam’s head of advocacy, Toni Pearce, called British policy towards Yemen “irresponsible and incoherent”, three years into a war which has sparked the world’s largest humanitarian crisis in numbers of people and pushed the country to the brink of famine.
She said: “On the one hand, British aid is a vital lifeline, on the other, British bombs are helping to fuel an ongoing war that is leading to countless lives being lost each week to fighting, disease and hunger.
https://www.rt.com/uk/443060-yemen-oxfam-facilities-bombed/
(* A B K P)
After the latest report of violence and destruction in Yemen, Britain must stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia
British ministers are plainly embarrassed by the actions of Saudi Arabia – and their own failure to do anything to restrain its rulers from bombing Yemen into submission, if not back to the Stone Age
Why is Britain still selling arms to Saudi Arabia? The cruel absurdity of what is happening is highlighted in the latest news from Yemen. For arms that have been by supplied by one of its Western allies are now being used by Saudi Arabia to destroy aid projects funded by Britain. Oxfam reports that a cholera treatment centre and a water plant have been hit by air strikes from the Saudi-led coalition. The circle of destruction has itself come full circle.
It is a further grotesque aspect of a war that has been pitiless – and claimed huge loss of life
The response to this situation should be to bring UK defence support to the Saudi regime to an end, at least until peace has been delivered.
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/editorials/yemen-saudi-arabia-arms-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-a8615076.html
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
(A P)
Southern Feminist Front in Germany Officially Established
Women of the Arab South in Germany officially declared the establishment of the Southern Feminist Front in Germany to serve the southern cause and introduce it to EU. The front works for providing southern women inside the Arab South with humanitarian aids in addition to supporting women’s rights. SMA News received the statement of the Southern Feminist Front in Germany as follows:
https://en.smanews.org/southern-feminist-front-in-germany-officially-established
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
(A P)
Iran, Russia Discuss Syria, Yemen
Senior Iranian and Russian officials in a meeting in Tehran discussed the latest regional developments, Syria and Yemen in particular.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13970815000921
(* B H)
Every day, 10 Indian workers die in the Gulf
The data was provided by Indian missions in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia but the Embassy in the UAE refused to give information.
In a shocking disclosure, a human rights group has said that over the past six years, 10 Indian workers died every day in the Gulf countries, which account for more than half the foreign remittances received by India annually.
There are more than 30 million Indians overseas, with over 9 million concentrated in the six Gulf nations.
"Available data indicate that at least 24,570 Indian workers died in the six Gulf countries between 2012 and mid-2018. This number could increase if the complete figures for Kuwait and UAE are made available publicly. This amounts to more than 10 deaths per day during this period," PTI quoted Venkatesh Nayak from the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative as saying.
This translates to 117 deaths per $1 billion remitted to India from the region, he said, based on his analysis of data provided by the External Affairs Ministry and responses to parliamentary questions about the number of Indian workers who had died in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates from January 1, 2012 to about mid-2018.
(A H P)
Humanitarian aid: EU steps up humanitarian assistance for crisis in Yemen with additional €90 million
The Commission has allocated an additional €90 million in humanitarian aid for civilians in Yemen, as the conflict-torn country plunges into the world's worst hunger crisis.
The new funding brings total EU humanitarian assistance in Yemen in 2018 to €118 million and will be channelled exclusively through humanitarian organisations.
Christos Stylianides, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management said: “We are in a race against time to avoid a famine in Yemen. That is why the EU is stepping up its life-saving humanitarian assistance to the Yemeni people. Some 8 million vulnerable people will benefit from our additional funding, that will be directed at covering - among others - nutritional, health, sanitation and protection needs. However, the only way to stop this ongoing humanitarian tragedy is through a political solution that puts an end to the violence."
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-18-6264_en.htm
My comment: This is hypocritical, as long as EU states fuel the war by selling arms to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
(* B P)
U.S. and Israel weigh whether Saudi crown prince can deliver on Mideast peace and Iran
U.S. and Israeli officials have expressed concern that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may have less leeway to pursue the gradual warming of relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors amid the political fallout from the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The fate of the crown prince, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, has implications for the Arab-Israeli peace package developed by the Trump administration and for cooperation among opponents of Iran.
“We should not allow an action like that to go unanswered,” the Israeli ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, told an audience last week, referring to Khashoggi’s killing. “But we also have to be careful about not throwing away a relationship that has strategic value.”
“I think the administration, when they know all the facts, are going to have to decide, how can they on the one hand make clear that this action is unacceptable, but also not throw out the prince with the bathwater, let’s put it that way.”
and
(* A P)
Netanyahu: Events at Istanbul Consulate 'Horrendous,' but Saudi Stability Must Be Maintained
Netanyahu breaks silence on killing of Saudi journalist Khashoggi, says Israel helped foil two Iranian-planned terror attacks in Europe.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu broke his silence Friday on the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, saying that while what happened in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul is horrifying, Iran is a larger problem.
"What happened in the Istanbul consulate was horrendous and it should be duly dealt with. Yet at the same time I say it, it is very important for the stability of the world, for the region and for the world, that Saudi Arabia remain stable," Netanyahu said.
"I think that a way must be found to achieve both goals. Because the larger problem is Iran and we have to make sure that Iran does not continue the malign activities that it has been doing over the last few weeks in Europe," Netanyahu continued.
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/netanyahu-events-at-istanbul-consulate-horrendous-1.6615648
My comment: Israel of course wants to continue business as usual. Fighting against Iran justifies everything. Let’s forget Khashoggi (while Yemen never had been worth any considerations).
(B P)
Egypt's Sisi answers questions about Yemen, Khashoggi's murder and Egypt's NGOs law at World Youth Forum
El-Sisi defended Egypt’s stance on the crisis in Yemen, saying that the conflict in the war-ravaged country is far more complex than simply a struggle between the government and the Houthis.
Egypt chose not to interfere in the Yemeni crisis because the war in Yemen is a proxy war in which other countries are involved, the president said, answering a question on the issue.
The conflicts in the world, and in the Islamic world, including in the Arab countries, are complicated and need great efforts and a huge influencing power to be settled, he said.
Egypt is very much aware of its limits and its powers and its stance in the case of Yemen has been based on its knowledge that it cannot influence some of the parties involved in the conflict, he argued.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/315753/-.aspx
My commwnt: he is telling wrong: Egypt is a Saudi ally in this war, is a member of the “Saudi coalition”, and helps bombing Yemen.
(* B P)
Arab neighbours hope Khashoggi outrage will rein in Saudi prince
Killing confirms risks of prince’s ill-judged regional operations, regional officials say
Arab countries are hoping that the fallout from Jamal Khashoggi’s death will lead Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to temper aggressive policies that have unsettled the region since his ascent to power in Riyadh.
Arab governments in the Gulf and the Middle East have fallen over each other to defend Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler as a Turkey-led campaign singled out some of his closest aides as alleged perpetrators of the killing of the Saudi journalist in the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate.
But privately, diplomats and senior officials from those countries have told the Financial Times that the death of the Saudi regime’s critic had confirmed their early concerns over the prince and was the latest in a series of ill-judged operations destabilising the region and threatening to sour relations with the Gulf’s protector, the US.
“Don’t be taken in by all those protestations of how much they love him,” said an Arab diplomat who requested anonymity for fear of Saudi retaliation. “They’re anxious. They see a young prince who can stay on the throne for decades. And they fear that if he continues in this manner, making fast and unstudied moves which do not place reason above force, then he will be taking the region to a difficult place.”
Arab governments are unlikely to criticise Saudi Arabia publicly over Khashoggi’s killing. But privately diplomats from across the region told the FT that King Salman needed to implement more checks and balances to curb his son’s impulses.
“Their hope is that going forward there would be more prudence in the way MBS conducts himself,” explains Michael Wahid Hanna, an analyst at the Century Foundation think-tank, using the prince’s nickname. “It is not useful to have a close alliance or partnership with someone who endangers the entirety of the endeavour.”
https://www.ft.com/content/0e5cf31e-ddf2-11e8-8f50-cbae5495d92b
(* A H P)
Malaysian Yemen Humanitarian Fund launched
The Foreign Ministry has called on Malaysians to contribute humanitarian aid to victims of the civil war in Yemen.
Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said the move was necessary to ease the burden of Yemenis, especially women and children who are suffering from an ongoing crisis.
"We urged all Malaysians to come forward to contribute as the assistance from the people in this country will go a long way to help the people in Yemen who are badly in need of food and health treatment.
"Apart from that, we hope the financial contribution could be collected soon to prepare war victims for the impending winter," he told reporters after launching Yemen Humanitarian Fund at Karangkraf Complex, here today.
(A E P)
Softbank's Son says to carry out responsibility to Saudi people
SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) CEO Masayoshi Son condemned the killing of a journalist by Saudi security forces, but defended the firm’s financial ties with Saudi Arabia, saying SoftBank will continue carrying out its responsibility to that country’s citizens.
“It is true that a horrible incident happened. On the other hand, we have a responsibility towards the Saudi people, and we must carry out our responsibility rather than turn our backs on them,” Son said on Monday.
My comment: What a scam. Your only responsibility is making more money for Soft Bank.
(A E P)
SoftBank's Saudi ties in focus as CEO Son makes first appearance since journalist murder
Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) Chief Executive Masayoshi Son will face questions on Monday about his company’s dependence on Saudi Arabia, in his first public appearance since the murder of a journalist by Saudi security forces sparked global outrage.
(* B P)
A tale of two Gulf crown princes
The fallout of Khashoggi's murder is also threatening the interests of UAE's Mohammed bin Zayed.
Mohammed bin Zayed (known as MBZ), the crown prince of Abu Dhabi has entered into several foreign adventures with MBS, the two most notable being the Yemen war and the air, land and sea blockade of fellow Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member Qatar.
Both causes have not fared well: the war in Yemen, now dragging on for a fourth year, is stalemated with horrible consequences for the Yemeni people; and Qatar has ridden out a blockade which was supposed to bring the tiny state to its knees within days. If anything, the Qataris have emerged stronger than when the blockade was launched.
Still, for MBZ, either can be seen as moderately successful efforts. In Yemen, the Emiratis have allied themselves with secessionist forces in the south and have secured the key trading port of Aden for what could become the capital of a South Yemen nation independent of the north, but effectively a client state of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
As for the Qatar crisis, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have managed to resist pressure from the US State Department to end the blockade.
In addition, MBZ has pushed for an increasing political and economic rapprochement with Saudi Arabia through an initiative launched in December of last year, which has garnered little attention. The "Strategy of Resolve" is a bilateral trade and defence agreement with the Saudis that the Abu Dhabi crown prince called "an historic opportunity", adding "we are the two largest Arab economies, forming the two most modern armed forces."
Rather than having to deal with the often contrary and bumptious views of five other members, MBZ is now in the position of having to influence only one and the biggest of them all.
He was quick to capitalise with an announcement in June of 44 strategic projects with the Saudis. The first meeting of what was called the Joint Coordination Council took place, not in the Saudi capital Riyadh, but in Abu Dhabi. It was co-chaired by MBZ and his young Saudi protege, MBS.
Intriguingly, the senior Emiratis present were all from MBZ's ruling family, the Al Nahyan.
It is still much-debated whether Mohammed bin Salman will survive. My bet is that he will, but with a seriously diminished international reputation and a weakened domestic power base. For MBZ, that is worrying. He has invested a lot in Mohammed bin Salman who has, unwittingly, played the frontman for his ambitions in Yemen and in the Gulf.
Now the frontman is linked to a vicious act that has caused global revulsion. It will be interesting to watch how MBZ plays his cards in the short term. Were he to cut MBS loose, it would be a signal that the Saudi crown prince is in serious trouble indeed.
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/tale-gulf-crown-princes-181101131901710.html
(* A B K P)
Concern over sharp rise in Swiss arms sales to Gulf
Swiss sales of war equipment to Saudi Arabia, Bahrein and the United Arab Emirates have risen sharply this year, despite the fact that these countries are involved in the Yemen war, reports the Sonntagszeitung newspaper.
Between January and September, exports of war materiel to the three countries were worth CHF14.7 million (USD14.7 million) compared with only CHF8.4 million in the whole of 2017. This is surprising, says the paper, given that since 2016 the government has adopted a more restrictive policy on such exports to countries involved in the Yemen war.
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) told the paper that arms exports were “very volatile” and that a single transaction could account for significant fluctuations.
Since the Yemen war broke out in 2015, Switzerland has delivered hundreds of guns and weapons to the region, writes the Sonntagszeitung, citing figures it says were verified by SECO. Many of these weapons landed in private hands, but the UAE army also took deliveries.
This year the government authorized F-5 fighter jet parts that had been repaired in Switzerland to be sent back to Bahrein, according to the article. SECO told the paper it had no indications the F-5s would be used in Yemen, but Sonntagszeitung says Bahrein has used F-5 planes to carry out attacks in Yemen in the past.
The Swiss government this week abandoned plans to ease arms exports, following public criticism. It also decided in the wake of the Khashoggi affair not to approve any arms exports to Saudi Arabia until further notice.
cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis
(A P)
Qatar's ruler hopes Gulf crisis will end for sake of region
Qatar’s ruler voiced hope on Tuesday the country’s bitter dispute with Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies would pass, saying it had harmed regional security by weakening a Gulf Arab bloc.
cp13a Mercenaries / Söldner
(* B K P)
Australian mercenaries referred to ICC
Accusations of war crimes involving Australian mercenaries in Yemen have been sent to the International Criminal Court, catching the government seemingly unaware.
The complaint, filed by a French law firm late last year, followed reports of Australians being killed in the conflict and flew so far under the radar that a senior adviser to then foreign minister Julie Bishop began asking questions about it only four months ago.
In a July 11 email released under Freedom of Information laws, the unnamed ministerial adviser on the Middle East and Africa posted a link to a blog post about the complaint with “ICC and Australians in Yemen” in the subject line and asked: “Has anyone heard about this previously?”
The complaint to The Hague, backed by British-based human rights activists, targets the alleged hiring by the United Arab Emirates of “mercenaries” from Australia, South America and South Africa to fight in Yemen, which the human rights lawyers allege was in breach of international law.
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade staff replied to the July email to suggest there might have been a “vague accusation” made in the past.
One added that much of the media reporting around Australian links to the UAE military had focused on retired major general Mike Hindmarsh, who is the commander of the UAE’s presidential guard.
The complaint appears to focus on those who have fought on the ground in Yemen as part of a Saudi Arabia-led intervention.
and
(* B K P)
Australian govt ‘took months to realise’ its citizens were being accused of war crimes in Yemen
Australian mercenaries on the UAE payroll could face accusations of war crimes in the International Criminal Court for their role in the war in Yemen. The Australian government appears to be unconcerned, FOIA emails reveal.
Last November, French law firm ANCILE Avocats and the Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR) filed a complaint with the ICC accusing the UAE of war crimes in Yemen. It also said the Gulf state was using foreign mercenaries from countries including Australia and Chile to fight.
The Australian reports that it was only in July that an advisor to Australia’s then-Foreign Minister Julie Bishop began to ask questions about the role Australian citizens are playing in the Yemen war, as revealed in emails released through a Freedom of Information Act request.
“Has anyone heard about this previously?” the advisor asked in an email with a link to a blog post about the mercenaries. Staff from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade responded, saying there may have been a “vague accusation” made in the past.
The Australian reports the government does not appear to have been contacted by the ICC. “Under Australian law, it is an offence to engage in a hostile activity in a foreign country, unless serving in or with the armed forces of the government of a foreign country,” a DFAT spokesman told the news outlet.
https://www.rt.com/news/443250-australian-mercenaries-yemen-uae/
cp13b Wirtschaft / Economy
Siehe / Look at cp1
(A E P)
Central bank discusses listing Al-Hittar exchange and other companies on blacklist
The central bank in the southern city of Aden on Tuesday discussed the effectiveness of measures that have contributed positively to halting currency deterioration and improving the exchange rate of the riyal against other foreign currencies.
According to a press release published by the Chairman of the Economic Commission Hafez Muaiad, on his Facebook page, the central bank is studying the new steps in Listing al-Hittar exchange and a number of exchange shops as a result of their manipulation and continued trading in the national currency.
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160656
(A E P)
170 million dollar volume of the last week withdrawals of the deposit to cover imports of major commodities
Central bank governor Mohamed Zammam said the bank last week approved three withdrawals from the deposit for a total of $170 million, representing the fourth and fifth installments and the previous second and third payment arrears.
The funds are distributed to all advanced banks to cover imports of wheat, rice, sugar, milk, edible oil and Levantine corn, the official Saba news agency quoted the report as saying, adding that the price is 585 riyals per dollar for basic materials
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160519
(A E P)
The Central bank announces the amendment of the riyal exchange rates against other currencies (details)
The central bank of Yemen, on Sunday, announced the amendment of the exchange rates of the riyal against other currencies, to cover the bank credits for commodities financed by the Saudi deposit and the bank's own resources, as well as the prices of the sale of currencies for the medical cases
In a statement, the central bank said it would start selling the dollar under the previous instructions to SR 570 for the dollar starting November 5, 2018.
He noted that he follows a flexible currency policy so that he is close to the real market prices of minus ten to fifteen points.
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160596
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-25014
(A E P)
USD = 625.. Yemeni rial sees significant improvement in foreign exchange
The Yemeni riyal today saw a significant improvement in foreign exchange, and the exchange rate of the dollar reached In the city of Aden, the temporary capital (south of the country) to 620 riyals.
According to al-Masdar online, the riyal has recovered over the past three days and decreased from 750 riyals to 620, the highest rate of riyal since the start of the collapse. They said the price of the Saudi Riyal amounted to 165 riyals.
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160533
and
(A E P)
Lots of confusion in the #Yemen currency market today. This afternoon exchange in #Sanaa was $ 1 = 720YR this evening exchangers trading at 645 and other outlets on the same street at 585 in line with memo from Central Bank based in #Aden.
https://twitter.com/Wesamqaid/status/1059114221101821954
(A E P)
Hadramawt governor directs government agencies to approve their accounts at the central bank
The governor of Hadramawt Province (east of the country), Major General Faraj al-Bahssani, paused all accounts of government institutions and directorates departments with banks and opened them at the Central bank branch in Mukalla or a government bank.
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160498
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
(A T)
#IslamicState claims it killed 2 Houthis in an ambush on 4 November in Bilad al-Jawf region of al-Bayda'. That makes 7 #ISIS claims in #Yemen over the last month. All have been small scale military activity, all in a-Bayda', 4 against Houthis & 3 against #AQAP.
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/1059857922144923648
cp15 Propaganda
(A P)
Saudi Arabia’s Relief Contribution to Yemen Exceeds $11 Bn
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has confirmed its continuous support for the Yemeni people and their legitimate government, upon their request, against Houthi militias.
The volume of Saudi aid to Yemen has exceeded $11 billion since 2015, said President of Saudi Arabia’s Human Rights Commission Dr. Bandar al-Aiban, who also heads the Kingdom’s delegation at the 31st Session of the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva, Switzerland.
“The Coalition forces are doing their best to spare civilians, particularly women and children, civilian sites, and infrastructure as a side-effect of the armed conflict,” Aiban said, adding that Saudi communities near the border with Yemen continue to come under attack from the rebel Houthi movement’s militias.
He noted that Saudi Arabia also continues to defend its territory against indiscriminate bombardment by the militias against cities and villages adjacent to the southern border of the Kingdom.
Aiban stressed that the militias are firing rockets towards major Saudi cities and villages, resulting in the killing and wounding of hundreds of civilians, including children, elderly and women.
He pointed to the Kingdom’s commitment to "abide by the rules of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the military operations led by the coalition to support legitimacy in Yemen."
My comment: Air raids? Nope. Blockade? Nope. – The cost of reconstruction of a destructed country are about the same than the cost of the war destructing it. The Saudi aerial war against Yemen is ca. US$ 2oo million a day. 1321 days now = 264.2 US$ billion.
(A P)
The #Houthi militia fighters are forcing the private #hospitals in the port city of #Hodeidah to receive the militia's wounded and treat them without even paying anything, according to medical sources in the port city.
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1059525569984036865
My comment: It’s war, stupid.
(A P)
Two tweets reveal Saudi paradoxes, KSA the mother cat eat their own kittens. In the murder of Khashoggi "Saudi Arabia is keen on its citizens" and in the killing the children in #Yemen "Your children is our children" (images)
https://twitter.com/HussamSanabani/status/1059587757394329600
(A P)
Ending the Yemen war
Saudi Arabia and its allies are not having fun in Yemen and they do not have any plans to stay in the country forever or interfere in its internal affairs.
NO one wants the war in Yemen to continue forever. The military intervention in Yemen, led by Saudi Arabia, aimed at preventing the creation of the environment for a bigger war that would destroy all the neighboring countries.
Imagine the condition of Yemen had the outlawed Houthi militias assumed full control of the country and succeeded in turning it into an Iranian missile base, threatening the southern Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa countries.
Saudi Arabia and its allies succeeded in preventing Yemen from falling victim to a country with a theocratic government that is supported by religious clerics who think their legitimacy came from the heavens.
So when the international community demands an end to the war in Yemen, they need to define on what bases the war will stop. They need to have a road map to shape the future that is awaiting the Yemeni people, so their sacrifices will not go in vain, like the people who lost their lives during the Houthi coup and the subsequent military operations in their efforts to stick on to power and suppress any opposition.
The Houthis believe in the same Iranian ideology, which sacrificed hundreds of thousands of people during the Iran-Iraq war.
http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/547286/Opinion/Local-Viewpoint/Ending-the-Yemen-war
My comment: repeating the old propaganda stories again and again. New “highlight”: Wahabi Saudis blame the Houthis for “a theocratic government that is supported by religious clerics who think their legitimacy came from the heavens”!! – And, if you had not lost memory, you would know that the Iran-Iraq war started because of Iraq attacking Iran, not because of any “Iranian ideology”.
(A P)
Yemen war requires a political solution
Al Houthis should attend talks to end the war and the suffering of the Yemenis
The suffering of the people in Yemen is unacceptable.
A solution can only spring from negotiations. The Al Houthis have an aversion to peace talks, and previous attempts to bring them to the negotiating table have collapsed spectacularly. The efforts of UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, to organise talks to find a political solution is laudable and should receive all-round support. But the Al Houthis seem to make a mockery of such initiatives as was evident from their refusal to attend the Geneva talks in September. The rebels may have good reason to keep the fires of conflict burning. The war has been a money-spinner. Take the case of the Red Sea port of Hodeida, the lifeline of millions of Yemenis who depend on humanitarian supplies that come through the port. The Al Houthis run the port operations and generate enough revenue to bankroll the war. The port also helps run their smuggling operations and allows them to bring in the consignments of weapons shipped from Iran.
Four years of fighting and the Al Houthis have not been able to achieve their ambition to take control of the country.
https://gulfnews.com/opinion/editorials/yemen-war-requires-a-political-solution-1.2298159
My comment: By an Emirati news site – while the Emirates and their Yemeni militiaanswer to calls for ceasefire and negotiations by a new push against Hodeidah. The claim that Houthis would refuse negotiations is an old propaganda claim. – and “The suffering of the people in Yemen is unacceptable”: largely caused by Saudi / UAE intervention.
(A P)
Western media portray causers of Yemen's misery as victims
Most of the US and British media outlets covering Yemen's conflict and the concomitant suffering seem not concerned with the principle of truthfulness.
Covering the conflict between the Arab Coalition-backed government and the Houthi extremists since March 2015, these websites and TVs have been portraying the causers of this Yemeni misery, the Houthis, as victims.
Houthis had sabotaged the historical National Dialogue, mounted a sectarian military coup and ghastly bloodsheds months before the Saudi-led Arab Coalition intervened upon Hadi's request.
Ever since, the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Guardian, the Independent, the Associated Press, Reuters, the Antiwar and many more websites, have consistently been attributing the start of the war to the Arab Coalition's "bombing campaign."
Is there a more blatant standing of facts on head than this?
Relying on sources from the Houthis or under the influence of Houthis in Sana'a, the media go on to mislead the audience that the Coalition's airstrikes target children mostly and deliberately.
These journalists are misleading (only) the US and European audience, keeping them in the dark about the fact that Houthis maintain a manpower of mostly radicalized children who kill children.
The Houthis are the only warring party that uses landmines and hundreds of civilian casualties have been incurred in different parts of the country as a result of mines.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-25016
My comment: Oh my Gof. For the conduct of war, it’s less interesting which coup happened in the very beginning. – Just the last phrases quoted here, what has to be added: “The Saudis and their allies are the only warring party that uses air raids and thousands of civilian casualties have been incurred in different parts of the country as a result of air raids.“ Just to put things straight.
(A P)
Hadi reiterates: Soon the Yemen flag will be raised in Marran Sa'ada
President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi reiterated his emphasis on raising Yemen's flag in Marran, Sa'dah Governorate, the stronghold of the leader of the al-Houthi armed group, in northern Yemen.
Hadi, in a tweet on his Twitter page, said, "Soon the flag of the Republic will be raised in the peaks of the Marran Mountains."
Hadi vowed to liberate the capital Sanaa, saying "these specific military operations will continue until the liberation of the capital Sana'a and the realization of the dream of the Yemeni people in the modern federal civil state."
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160526
and
(A P)
Mohsen: Yemeni flag agreed by Yemenis in the year 90 must be raised throughout the country
Vice President Ali Mohsen Saleh said that the flag that flies today on all the liberated fronts and governorates is the one that the Yemenis agreed to in the year 1990.
Mohsen met with a number of heads of agencies and Department of Defense departments in the presence of the Chief of General Staff, Maj. Gen. Dr. Taher Aqili, in Marib Governorate.
"All military leaders must abide by Hadi's directives to raise the national flag high in all governorates of the Republic, units, and fronts, and to topple the Iranian-Houthi flag, and the old revolutionaries have dropped the flags of occupation on the day of evacuation," Mohsen said, according to Saba State agency.
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160592
My comment: As the Yemeni flag is used by gthe Houthis alike, this here is propaganda bullshit.
(A P)
Brothers in Arms – Dissecting Iran-Houthi Ties
They may follow different branches of Shia Islam, but Yemen’s Houthis are tied to Iran through a shared political ideology and a worldview of opposition to Saudi Arabia and Western “imperialism,” argues Baraa Shiban
In December 2017, Nikki Haley, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, hosted a news conference to demonstrate how Iran was interfering in Yemen’s affairs by providing military support to Ansarullah, the militia of Yemen’s Houthis fighting a Saudi-Emirati coalition.
Haley showed the media debris from a ballistic missile that had been launched from Yemen and intercepted in Saudi airspace above the capital Riyadh. The components of the missile carried some unique characteristics that clearly tied its origins to Iran.
The news conference was just one example of many of mounting evidence that Iran has become a principal backer of Ansarullah in order to allow Tehran to gain a toehold, through its Yemeni ally, on the southern flank of its regional enemy, Saudi Arabia.
Yet many researchers and journalists still voice skepticism of the Islamic Republic’s involvement in Yemen. An often-heard argument is that the Houthis of Ansarullah are of a different religious sect than Hezbollah in Lebanon or al Hashd ash Shaabi in Iraq and therefore cannot have the same relationship with Iran.
This, however, is a fundamental misunderstanding of the links between Ansarullah and its predecessor movements on the one hand, and the 1979 Iranian revolution on the other. Religion is not the driving force behind their union. It is political ideology and a shared world view, specifically pertaining to what the Islamic world’s natural relationship with the West should be.
In a speech in February 2002, Hussein Baddruddin al Houthi, a founding member of the Houthi movement, praised Iran’s Islamic revolution and warned that all those that opposed it – Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia – had suffered militarily and economically as a consequence.
“Today Yemen is following the same footsteps in fighting [for] the Islamic revolution,” he said. “ – by Baraa Shiban
https://the-brief.co/brothers-in-arms-dissecting-iran-houthi-ties/
My comment: The author is an anti-Houthi propagandist, disguised as “a Yemeni human rights activist. He is a researcher for the human rights organization Reprieve and previously served as the organization’s Project Coordinator in Yemen“.
(A P)
Merkel Pivots Further toward Iran at the Expense of Saudi Arabia
German Chancellor Angela Merkel froze military sales to Saudi Arabia last week in response to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Germany does not sell arms to Iran, but the Merkel administration still permits the sale of dual-use technology that Tehran puts to use on the battlefield.
While the chancellor believes that her policies favor nuclear nonproliferation and stability in the Middle East, they are viewed by the Saudis and other Middle Eastern states as policies that favor Iran. Holding Riyadh accountable for the Khashoggi murder is certainly laudable. But the move will ring hollow among Arab states if Berlin neglects to hold Tehran to account, as well.
My comment: “Berlin neglects to hold Tehran to account, as well”: ??? Hold Iran to account for the Khashoggi murder??? – By another of these propaganda “think” tanks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_for_Defense_of_Democracies
(A P)
Turn Saudi Arabia into trusted partner in Middle East conflict
The Middle East is a tangled web, but American interests have been largely consistent across administrations, with the commitment to security of Israel, containment of Iran, and suppression of Islamist extremism. The commitment to Israel is straightforward, executed through aid and trade, and support for those at peace with the Jewish state. The questions of Iran and Islamist extremism are more complex, with policy in these areas vacillating from president to president.
On their face, the arguments against Saudi Arabia are compelling. The kingdom is the godfather of Sunni extremism, working for decades both to put its ultra conservative stamp on Islamic practice worldwide and stifle more moderate iterations of Islamic interpretation. Individual Saudis have underwritten terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and others, making possible the attacks that have killed thousands of Americans.
But there have been substantial changes since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The regime cracked down, first on financing of extremist groups, and then, to a certain extent, on the export of religious radicalism. Since coming to power, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman has further throttled back support by the kingdom for Sunni extremists and defanged the religious establishment at home. He is, as he readily admits, no liberal reformer. But the reforms under his leadership are indisputable.
At the same time, since accepting the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran nuclear deal, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been cruising. Notwithstanding a commitment from Barack Obamathat the nuclear deal did not imply a blank check for Tehran predations in the region, Iran has stepped up its destabilizing efforts from Iraq to Yemen, Bahrain to Syria, and further afield. Enter Saudi Arabia.
Saudi relations with Yemen have long been fraught, but the collapse of the Sunni government in the wake of the Arab Spring, and the decision by Iran to support the Zaydi Shiite Houthis, brought Riyadh and other Middle East allies including the United Arab Emirates into the conflict. Like other Iranian proteges across the region, the Houthi conflict began with legitimate grievances which Tehran then exploited and escalated.
That the Saudis feel threatened by yet another Iranian proxy on their doorstep is not irrational.
My comment: This is a typical US propaganda piece, trying to achieve a “damage limitation” to keep up the US-Saudi relationship as it had been before, to further follow “US interests” in the region. On the author: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danielle_Pletka and https://www.bustle.com/p/who-is-danielle-pletka-the-meet-the-press-guest-says-america-is-waging-a-war-on-men-2973113 and for the “think tank” she comes from https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Enterprise_Institute
(A P)
Yemeni President: Military Operations in Saada Will Continue until Sanaa is Liberated from Houthi Militias
President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi of the Republic of Yemen has assured that the ongoing military operations in Saada Governorate will continue until the Capital Sanaa is liberated from Iranian-backed Al-Houthi Militias.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1837381
My comment: Well, he does not want “peace” but “victory”.
(A P)
Yemen VP Urges Houthis to Return to Negotiations Table
Yemeni Vice President Lt. Gen. Ali Mohsen Saleh welcomed on Saturday all calls for restoring peace in his war-torn country, calling on the Iran-backed Houthi militias to return to the negotiations table, reported the Saudi Press Agency.
Peace must be based on the three references: The national dialogue outcomes, Gulf imitative and relevant United Nations resolutions.
The Houthis, Saleh continued, must stop the war, end their coup against legitimate forces and cease launching ballistic missiles at densely populated regions in Saudi Arabia.
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1448316/yemen-vp-urges-houthis-return-negotiations-table
and also https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1837200
My comment: Clinging to the Hadi government’s “three references” actually means: The Houthis must capitulate. For any peace negotiations, these three references mean: back to Square One, and we stay there for the rest of our life and beyond.
(A P)
#KSA Committed to Continuing Its Efforts to Promote and Protect Human Rights (image)
https://twitter.com/KSAmofaEN/status/1058457578978586627
Comment: "#KSA Committed to Continuing Its Efforts to Promote and Protect Human Rights" Examples: By sword #SheikhNimr By saw #KhashoggiMurder By war #Yemen By coup #Egypt By troops #Bahrain By weapons #Syria By prisons #SaudiArabia After all, KSA IS committed!
https://twitter.com/nimramen/status/1058527904055902208
(A P)
KSRelief opens village for Yemeni refugees in Djibouti
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1398146/saudi-arabia
(A P)
More saudi / UAE „WE are benefactors“ propaganda
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
(* A K pH)
Saudi coalition air raids day by day
Nov. 5: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1541506812./1171292803021083
Nov. 4: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1541409632./1170590416424655/
Nov. 3: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1541409632./1169905949826435
Nov. 1: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/a.551858951631141/1169184269898603
Oct. 31: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/a.551858951631141/1169183099898720
(* A K pH)
2 citizens killed, 24 wounded in Saudi-led airstrikes on Hodeidah
Two civilians were killed on Monday and 24 others wounded in Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on Hodeidah province, a security offiical told Saba.
The US-backed Saudi-led fighter jets waged many airstrikes on several areas in the province, killing two citizens and injuring 24 others as an initial death toll, the official said.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news513569.htm
(* A K pH)
Aggression warplane wages 23 airstrike on Hodeidah province
The US-backed Saudi-led coalition waged 23 airstrike overnight on Hodeidah province, a local official told Saba on Monday.
The warplane targeted Killo-16 with 23 airstrike and neighboring areas of al-Khamseen street over the two past hours, said the official.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news513564.htm
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news513537.htm
film: crimes of aggression in the city of Hodeidah 05-11-2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8xFaeRUmcA
(A K pH)
New War Crime, US-Saudi Aggression Targets Central Prison, Hodiedah
The US-Saudi aggression targeted Central Prison Building in Hodiedah governorate, injuring five inmates.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=3613&cat_id=1
(A K pH)
Child killed in Saudi raid on Saada
A child was killed when the US-Saudi aggression coalition's warplanes launched several airstrikes on citizens' houses and farms in Haydan directorate.
Meanwhile, the coalition hit many places populated in Raza district, causing huge losses in properties of the civilians.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news513434.htm
or killed by missile shells?: https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=3593&cat_id=1
(A K pH)
Saudi jet fighters bombard Al Hudaydah 80 times
The Saudi warplanes have bombarded the city of Al Hudaydah, Yemen 80 times over the past few hours, Yemeni TV Channel 'Al-Masirah' reported on Monday morning.
http://www.irna.ir/en/News/83089391
(A K pH)
Father and a mother were killed and their child was wounded in the air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition on their home in the July 7 area of #Hodeidah province.
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.963391330380564/1994150623971291
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=3589&cat_id=1
(* A K pH)
58 Saudi aggression airstrikes hit Hodeidah
The US-backed Saudi-led aggression coalition targeted on Saturday 58 air raids on different places in Hodeidah province, an official told Saba on Sunday.
The coalition fired fifty air raids in Mander , 16 kilo and Hodeidah airport in al-Haly.
Meanwhile, eight airstrikes in al-Doryhmi .
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news513341.htm
(A K pH)
Dozens of Saudi-led mercenaries killed by friendly fire in Asir
Dozens of the Saudi-led coalition militiamen were killed and wounded when the US-backed Saudi-led coalition warplanes waged on Saturday series of strikes on their militiamen’s gatherings in Asir border province, a military official told Saba.
The fighter jets attacked militiamen’s gatherings in Aleeb crossing.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news513319.htm
(A K pH)
Desperate to Advance, US-Saudi Aggression Targets Kilo-16, in Hodiedah, with over 60 Airstrikes
The US-Saudi aggression launched over 60 raids on Kilo-16 and its surrounding areas in Al-Hale district in the past hours.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=3562&cat_id=1
and
(A K pH)
3 civilians, child injured in Saudi led airstrikes on Hodeidah
Four civilains were killed in four Saudi-led airstrikes which hit Hodeida province, a security official told Saba.
The airstrikes hit kilo 16 area in Hali.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news513138.htm
The text does not fit: 4 were wounded.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=3557&cat_id=1 giving the number of 4
and
(A K pH)
Names of wounded:
- Waseem Ayesh 7 years old. Type of injury: - Fragments in the brain are serious
- Mohammed Ayesh Saeed 7 years old. Type of injury: - amputation of the fingers with a large wound in the forearm
- Marwan Ayesh Saeed 3 years old. Type of injury: - Slit in the left leg
And their wounded uncle:
- Salem Saeed Hassan 65. Type of injury: - Shrapnel in the right forearm (photo)
https://twitter.com/A7medJa7af/status/1058405588974125057
film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roYk4e1vBHM
(A K pH)
More Saudi coalition air raids recorded on:
Nov. 6: http://www.sabanews.net/en/news513611.htm and http://www.sabanews.net/en/news513585.htm Saada p.
Nov. 5: http://www.sabanews.net/en/news513527.htm Saada p.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news513537.htm Hodeidah p.
Nov. 4: http://www.sabanews.net/en/news513325.htm and http://www.sabanews.net/en/news513436.htm Saada p.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news513306.htm Najran
Nov. 3: Saada p., Hajjah p.
Nov. 2: https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=3558&cat_id=1 Saada, Hajja p., Hodeidah p.
(A K pH)
Film, air raid at truck with bee cells: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ0T3gmOZQA
Earlier recording, photos: https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=3539&cat_id=1
https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/posts/1922980974664554 and https://twitter.com/MohammedHojily/status/1058011700832690178
(A K)
Militärkoalition greift angeblich Luftwaffenstützpunkt an
Die USA forderten Friedensgespräche im Jemen - und setzten damit Saudi-Arabien unter Druck. Das Militärbündnis mit dem Königreich an der Spitze setzt seine Angriffe laut Berichten zufolge aber fort.
Die von Saudi-Arabien geführte Militärkoalition soll Angriffe auf einen Luftwaffenstützpunkt in der Nähe des internationalen Flughafens in der jemenitischen Hauptstadt Sanaa geflogen haben. Das meldete die saudi-arabische Staatsagentur.
Remark: English reporting: Yemen war Mosaic 476, cp16
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
Siehe / Look at cp1b
(A K pS)
#Houthi militia fighters rely mainly on mines to detain the advancements of the Army Forces, not giving the slightest damn about #civilian lives and the what mines can cause to the infrastructure. In Al-Bayda province, the Houthis planted the waterway in the main roads (photo9
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1059890637812785152
(A K pH)
Army shoots down Saud-led reconnaissance aircraft off Jizan
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news513691.htm
(A K pH)
Citizen killed, others wounded in Saudi-led mercenaries' shelling on Hajjah
A citizen was killed on Tuesday and others injured when the ,mercenaries of the Saudi-led coalition shelled populated villages in Hajjah province, a local official told Saba.
The shelling targeted villages in Mastba district leading to kill a citizen and wound others,
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news513682.htm
(* A K pS)
Sa'dah is no longer a stronghold of al-Houthi. The army is approaching the group leader's hideout
Since the first day of its outbreak, Sa'dah fronts have been a major and confusing pressure factor for the people who are symbolic of this province, being the stronghold of the group intellectually and ideologically and the point at which it was launched militarily.
Since the first bullet hit the Ketaf front in October 2016, after the Houthis mobilized their fighters to prevent any progress from legitimate government forces backed by the coalition, government forces have been able to defeat them and control large areas, which has created some sort of Confusion and trauma within Sa’da community, which was illusion by al-Houthi media, that the group militants controlled the governorates of Najran and Asir, Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis did not waking up the shock of the news of the Ketaf front until they were shocked by the opening of the "”Aleb" front in November 2016, the most painful and influential fronts to them, for its proximity to the most important areas of leadership such as "Dhahyan" and the areas «Matrah» and "Naq’ah" of the group leader AbdulMalik al-Houthi hideout.
This front, the Front of Aleb and Baqem, is the most devastating blow to the Houthis who have lost their balance and debunked the misinformation that their flags have been doing to the particularly large crowds.
Razeh front was no less influential than the rest of the fronts, but the geographical conditions were in favour of the Houthis, in addition to the poor planning and preparation of the front.
The second front in terms of influence was the front of the "al-Malaheedh" and "Shada", which was able to beat them in the killing of what made them desperate in an attempt to prevent the progress of the government army, especially after many areas fall into the hands of the army coming from the direction of the Saudi border.
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160657
Remark: The Hadi government claims advance in Saada province, the Houthi heartland.
(A K pH)
Saada p.: the rocketry and artillery of the enemy shelled populated border area of Haidan.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news513585.htm
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news513611.htm
(A K pH)
killing of a child with a rocket attack by the Saudi-led coalition on the border district Haidan of #Saada province.
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.963391330380564/1994150623971291
(* A K pS)
KSRelief's MASAM Project Removes 15,265 Mines in Yemen Planted by Houthi Militias
The MASAM project of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) has cleared 15,265 mines, planted by Iranian-backed Houthi militias in Yemeni governorates.
During the month of October only, the project removed 8,718 mines planted by the Houthi militias in Yemen. They tried to hide them in different shapes, colors, and roads, killing many children, women and elderly people.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1837110
(A K pH)
Saada p.: Saudi missiles and artillery shells also targeted the houses and farms of civilians in Munnabih, Baqim, Shida and Haidan border districts, killing a woman and injuring a child.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=3558&cat_id=1
(A K pH)
Air Force Drone Strikes, again, King Khaled Military Base in Aseer
The Air Force launched an attack on King Khaled Military Base in Aseer with a drone, Qasif 1. A military source confirmed that the attack hit the military base accurately.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=3559&cat_id=1
(A K pS)
Spokesman: Interception of a ballistic missile by the Houthis in the direction of Saudi Arabia
A spokesman for the Arab Alliance, Col. Turki al-Maliki, said that Saudi air defenses intercepted on Friday a ballistic missile fired by the Houthi militia towards the kingdom.
Al-Maliki said that the Saudi air defense Forces, which were able to intercept and destroy the missile inside Yemeni territory, had been fired from Sa'ada Governorate in the direction of Najran, south of the country.
The destruction of the missile "did not result in any injuries," he said.
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160469
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
(B H)
Film: A friend sent me this video of #Yemen-i kids showing off their marksmanship by shooting cups from top of echothers' heads using AK47s. This is NOT okay. Parties to conflict encouraging and using #ChildSoldiers is NOT okay. Don't normalize this under "culture", denounce and STOP.
https://twitter.com/omeisy/status/1059741739563520000
(A)
Stena-Tanker entgeht vor Jemen einer Piratenattacke
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-476b-yemen-war-mosaic-476a
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-476B-yemen-war-mosaic-476B
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-476 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-476:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose oder / or http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
Der saudische Luftkrieg im Bild / Saudi aerial war images:
(18 +, Nichts für Sensible!) / (18 +; Graphic!)
http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
http://yemenwarcrimes.blogspot.de/
und alle Liste aller Luftangriffe / and list of all air raids:
Was ist Ihre Meinung?
Kommentare einblendenDiskutieren Sie mit.