Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 480 - Yemen War Mosaic 480

Yemen Press Reader 480: 13. November 2018: Die größte humanitäre Krise der Welt – Hungersnot im Jemen? – Kinder im Jemen – Kann Sokotra gerettet werden? – Khashoggi-Mord, Audio-Aufnahme, Salman

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... Hodeidah: Vormarsch der Koalition, heftige Kämpfe und Luftangriffe, Zivilisten in Gefahr – und mehr

November 13, 2018: World’s largest humanitarian crisis – Famine in Yemen? – Children in Yemen – can Socotra be saved? – Khashoggi murder, audio recording and Crown prince Salman – Hodeidah: Coalition advancing, heavy fighting and air raids, civilians in danger – and more

Schwerpunkte / Key aspects

Klassifizierung / Classification

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

cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important

cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics

cp1b1 Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah: Deutsch/ Most important: Hodeidah battle: German

cp1b2 Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah: Englisch / Most important: Hodeidah battle: English

cp2 Allgemein / General

cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation

cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees

cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis

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

cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks

cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia

cp8a Jamal Khashoggi

cp9 USA

cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain

cp11 Deutschland / Germany

cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries

cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms Trade

cp13b Mercenaries / Söldner

cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy

cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism

cp15 Propaganda

cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids

cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War

cp18 Sonstiges / Other

Klassifizierung / Classification

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**

*

(Kein Stern / No star)

? = Keine Einschatzung / No rating

A = Aktuell / Current news

B = Hintergrund / Background

C = Chronik / Chronicle

D = Details

E = Wirtschaft / Economy

H = Humanitäre Fragen / Humanitarian questions

K = Krieg / War

P = Politik / Politics

pH = Pro-Houthi

pS = Pro-Saudi

T = Terrorismus / Terrorism

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

Eingebetteter Medieninhalt

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

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

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

Neue Artikel / new articles

(* B H K P)

Menschenleben gegen Profit: Im Jemen opfert der Westen ein ganzes Volk

Nach vier Kriegsjahren leidet jeder zweite Jemenit an Hunger. Parallel breitet sich die Cholera rasend schnell aus. Maßgeblich verantwortlich für die prekäre Lage ist Saudi-Arabien. Der Westen reagiert empört - will aber dennoch weiter Geschäfte machen.

https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Im-Jemen-opfert-der-Westen-ein-ganzes-Volk-article20717813.htmlDas Elend ist allgegenwärtig im Jemen. Seit einigen Tagen hat es auch einen Namen: Amal Hussein. Das siebenjährige Mädchen stirbt Anfang November in einer Klinik in Hajjah. Ein Foto ihres bis auf die Knochen ausgemergelten Körpers geht um die Welt - und wirft neues Licht auf einen Konflikt, in dem auch Deutschland kein besonders gutes Bild abgibt.

Unter anderem Frankreich stellt sich gegen eine Exportsperre. Das sagt viel aus über die Art und Weise, wie im Westen rote Linien gezogen werden. Saudi-Arabien hat seit Kriegsbeginn mit einer Seeblockade und der systematischen Zerstörung der jemenitischen Infrastruktur maßgeblich zur prekären Lage der rund 27 Millionen Zivilisten beigetragen. Doch weder das langsame Aushungern des Landes noch Luftschläge gegen zivile Ziele - wie etwa der Bombenangriff auf ein Krankenhaus von Ärzte ohne Grenzen 2016 - wurden von der internationalen Gemeinschaft wirksam sanktioniert.

Das führte dazu, dass sich Riad in seinem radikalen Vorgehen ermutigt sah - gestützt auch durch den Rückhalt der Vereinigten Staaten, den das saudische Königshaus seit Amtsantritt von Präsident Donald Trump erfährt.

In diesem Konflikt hält er den Iran für den eigentlichen Gegner - nicht die Huthi-Rebellen, die nach Ansicht Saudi-Arabiens und der USA aus Teheran mit Waffen versorgt werden.

Ein Krieg gegen die Zivilbevölkerung

Für den Verlauf des Bürgerkriegs hat das alles schwerwiegende Folgen. Nach wie vor kann sich Jemens Präsident Abed Rabbo Mansur Hadi auf die Schlagkraft der saudi-arabischen Luftwaffe verlassen. Für ihn ist das eine Frage des politischen Überlebens. Denn ohne den mächtigen Partner hätte er die Schwäche des eigenen Militärs kaum kompensieren können.

Der Hafen der Stadt sichert derzeit die Versorgung des Landes mit Hilfsgütern. Wird er durch andauernde Kämpfe blockiert oder gar zerstört, droht dem Jemen eine noch größere Hungerkatastrophe.

Trotzdem entfalten die vielen Alarmsignale, die aus dem ohnehin bitterarmen Land kommen, international kaum irgendeine Durchschlagskraft

Nicht nur das Welternährungsprogramm der Vereinten Nationen (WFP) kündigte an, seine Lebensmittelhilfen für die notleidende Bevölkerung fast zu verdoppeln. Auch Saudi-Arabien und die verbündeten Emirate haben bereits im April auf einer UN-Geberkonferenz jeweils 500 Millionen Dollar Hilfsgelder für den Jemen zugesagt. Gleichzeitig verhindern sie jedoch mit ihrer Blockade immer wieder, dass Schiffe mit Versorgungsgütern für den Jemen dort ankommen, wo sie benötigt werden - und das womöglich mithilfe von Patrouillenbooten aus deutscher Produktion – von Judith Görs

https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Im-Jemen-opfert-der-Westen-ein-ganzes-Volk-article20717813.html

cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important

Eingebetteter Medieninhalt

(** B H)

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: Dispatch from Yemen - Tackling the world’s largest humanitarian crisis

Arriving in Aden, a mere 45-minute plane ride from Djibouti, there is little doubt that one is entering a country deeply affected by conflict.

Immediately after landing, one can’t help but notice the tanks and large sand bags all over the tarmac.

It is a stark reminder of a conflict that is now entering its fourth year and has devastated the country. The human impact of the conflict can hardly be overstated. Over the past six weeks, it has become even worse as a deep, rapidly unfolding economic crisis has gripped the country.

If a famine takes hold in Yemen, it will be “much bigger than anything any professional in this field has seen during their working lives,” the top UN humanitarian official, Mark Lowcock, warned the UN Security Council in October.

This economic crisis is the main reason why the risk of famine is now growing. Since September, the Yemeni currency has depreciated by 20 per cent – bringing total depreciation over the past year to nearly 50 per cent. Because Yemen imports 90 per cent of its staple food and nearly all fuel and medicine, prices have soared. Food is more than twice as expensive since the crisis started. Very few Yemenis have any source of income, meaning many can’t cope with the price hikes. Since 2015, the economy has shrunk by half, and more than 80 per cent of Yemenis now live below the poverty line. If current trends continue, the total number of people facing pre-famine conditions could rise to 14 million – or half the country’s population.

The fierce battle for Hudaydah, which escalated in June 2018, is also bringing Yemen closer to the brink. Most of Yemen’s imports come through Hudaydah and nearby Saleef ports. Millions of people depend on these ports for the goods they need to survive, and keeping them open and operational is essential. Roads and civilian infrastructure must also remain open and safe for travel so essential goods can reach markets across the country.

Given the scope of the needs, relief agencies have had to ramp up operations in Yemen. In Aden alone, the World Food Programme (WFP) capacity to store up to 30,000 tons of food. Supplies ranging from flour bags to rapid response rations are unloaded, stocked and finally dispatched all over the country. This process is repeated in other warehouses across the country. On average, WFP and partners .

The conflict in Yemen has impacted infrastructure throughout the country. Water and sanitation systems as well as health facilities have been affected – either because they have been directly damaged by conflict, or because of poor maintenance and disrepair. The deterioration in infrastructure – in addition to salary arrears for health workers, sanitation staff and other public employees – has been a major contributing factor to the 1.2 million cases of acute watery diarrhoea and cholera reported since April 2017. Yemen’s cholera outbreak is the worst in modern history. Although the number of new infections in 2018 was much lower than the previous year, infection rates in September jumped precipitously – raising fears of a “third wave” in the ongoing epidemic.

The conflict is also leaving a trail of landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO) and other explosive remnants of war (ERW) that imperil civilian life, limit access to land and infrastructure, and impede the ability of displaced people to return home safely and rebuild their communities. Through technical support, training, running costs and allowances for specialized staff, UNDP supports efforts to identify and remove ERW and UXO. Since January 2018, the Yemeni Executive Mine Action Centre (YEMAC) cleared more than 115,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance.

One of the most blatant signs of the war’s impact lies in the mass population movements that have wracked the country since 2015.

Some 2.3 million people remain internally displaced across the country.

More than 3 million people have experienced the shock of displacement since conflict escalated nearly four years ago. Today, about 2.3 million people remain displaced from their homes.

This number has been increasing recently. Since 1 June alone, escalating conflict has forced more than 570,000 people from their homes across Hudaydah Governorate. Emergency programmes have reached nearly all Hudaydah IDPs with relief packages containing food rations, hygiene supplies and items to preserve dignity. Additional assistance is also provided based on assessed needs (photos, films)

https://unocha.exposure.co/dispatch-from-yemen

(** B H)

Deaths before data

How war, politics, and a lack of reliable information are complicating a famine declaration in Yemen

What is happening in Yemen looks like “famine” as it is commonly understood – children, for instance, are dying of starvation. Yet the difficulty of collecting data means that an official famine, which has a technical definition and a high threshold, may still not be declared.

Even before the battle for Yemen’s Red Sea port city of Hodeidah intensified in the past week, threatening to cut off one of the country’s key lifelines, millions of Yemenis did not have enough to eat.

Last month, the UN’s humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock delivered the latest in a series of dire warnings about the food situation in Yemen – a country that has been at war for more than three and a half years and heavily reliant on food imports for decades. The number of people facing “pre-famine” conditions, Lowcock said, had reached 14 million – half the country. That meant there was “a clear and present danger of an imminent and great big famine.”

As the fight for Hodeidah puts an increasing number of civilians in the line of fire, the UN may have a strategic interest in making such strong statements. Declarations of famine, or even the threat of them, often lead to greater leverage, increased funding, and more media attention.

But the UN cannot declare a famine simply because large numbers of people are going hungry, or even dying. It adheres to the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) system – a method of analysing food insecurity designed to pull the process of declaring famine away from politics by using uniform measures that can be reliably compared across countries.

This is fine in principle, but in practice can be problematic.

“Data collection in Yemen has been horribly difficult since the start of the conflict,” said Michael Neuman, director of studies at MSF-Crash, an affiliate of the medical charity that conducts analysis of MSF’s work.

The last time famine was declared was in South Sudan in 2017, in two counties. By the time the UN made it official, it is estimated most of the hunger-related deaths had already happened, and many more died in areas where there was never, technically, a famine.

As Peter Thomas, an analyst at Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET), a US-funded food security monitor, put it: “By the time we get to famine, a response is almost already too late.”

Crossing a threshold in the IPC system and making a declaration may make no immediate difference on the ground, where children still die and parents mourn, but it can have longer-term ramifications. One Security Council diplomat, who asked to remain anonymous, told IRIN that it would at least push diplomats, who this year passed a Security Council resolution on food security and conflict, to further action.

A famine declaration would likely be a major PR hit for the government of internationally recognised President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the Saudi Arabia-led coalition that backs it. Despite their own interference in relief efforts, for the Houthi rebels, it could be an image win, as they have long argued that the coalition and its allies are to blame for the humanitarian crisis.

A declaration would be especially politically charged given the international spotlight on Saudi Arabia – and its US and UK ties – since the killing last month of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khasshogi in its Istanbul consulate.

José López, IPC global programme manager at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, confirmed to IRIN that analysis was taking place in northern and southern districts. He said final results were expected by the middle of the month. “However, this schedule is subject to change given the evolving situation in Yemen,” he cautioned

Others were less sure and said famine “could” be present, or predicted that it would not be declared at all – possibly because the required data remains unavailable. In a grim irony, famine may prove impossible to declare because humanitarians are unable to count the dead in pockets of the country from that very famine.

Some aid groups, including Médecins Sans Frontières, have been sceptical of the most alarming warnings coming from Lowcock and others, cautioning against getting too far ahead of hard figures. “There is no quality data available to declare that a famine is imminent,” MSF said in response.

Do declarations come too late?

The lack of data doesn’t make the suffering less immense, as past famines and near-famines have shown.

“Even in phase 4, before reaching phase 5, there is an association with high levels of increased malnutrition,” said Thomas of FEWS NET, which uses the same methodology as the IPC but conducts its own research.

The fact is that the data often follows the deaths. Thomas pointed out that in Somalia, where famine struck in 2011, more than half the starvation-related deaths were adjudged to have occured prior to the UN’s phase 5 declaration.

“It may be that we are going to have a non-famine declaration [in Yemen], but an indication that hundreds of thousands may have died,” de Waal said. “A million people could die without a [phase] 5 famine being declared.”

The monitoring group said that if imports through Hodeidah and a nearby port were to halt, the places most likely to fall into famine first were those that depend heavily on their trade, have ongoing conflict, and a large number of displaced people. These include the provinces of Hodeidah, Taiz, Sana’a, Hajjah, and Saada.

Political considerations are especially pressing in Yemen, as the UN hopes peace talks – already delayed – will start at the end of the year and the groups fighting on the ground are keen to use the humanitarian situation to bolster their positions.

“Different stakeholders have different reasons that they want it to be declared or not declared,” said Christopher Mzembe, head of programmes for the Norwegian Refugee Council in Sana’a – by Samuel Oakford

https://www.irinnews.org/analysis/2018/11/12/Yemen-war-conflict-deaths-data-famine

(** B H)

UN Children's Fund: UNICEF Fast Facts: Yemen Crisis (November 2018)

Child Protection
- 6,639 children were killed or injured (2,575 killed and 4,064 injured)
- 2,706 children recruited into the fighting
- 323 attacks and military use of schools
- 133 attacks and military use of hospitals
- Child marriage has increased, with two thirds of girls under 18 marrying in 2017 against 52 per cent in 2016
- More than 570,000 people were displaced since violence escalated in Hodayda in June this year

Education
- One in five schools in Yemen can no longer be used because they were damaged, destroyed, are sheltering displaced families or being used for military purposes.
- 135,000 teachers and education professionals have not been paid for two years.
- More than 2 million children are out-of-school compared to 1.5 million before the conflict.

Nutrition
- 400,000 children under the age of five suffer from severe acute malnutrition and are fighting to survive.
- The deepening economic crisis and escalating violence could make an additional 3.5 million people food insecure, including 1.8 million children.
- 90,000 additional children could become severely malnourished in the coming months without scaling up lifesaving assistance.
- The plummeting value of the Yemeni Riyal has increased the price of food and fuel by 25 and 45 per cent respectively since September. Compared to before the violence escalated in 2015, essential commodity prices have increased by 140-204 per cent and fuel by 280-357 per cent.

Health
- Only half of all health facilities are functional and even these face severe shortages in medicine, equipment, and staff.
- Since the outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea AWD/cholera on 27 April 2017 to September 2018, there have been over 1.2 million suspected cases with more than 2,500 associated deaths.
- Children under the age of 5 continue to represent more than a quarter of all suspected cholera/acute watery diarrhoea cases.
- Nearly 8.4 million children require basic health care assistance.

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
- An estimated 8.1 million children do not have access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene.
- Overall, only one third of people in Yemen is connected to a piped water network.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/unicef-fast-facts-yemen-crisis-november-2018

(** B)

Can Socotra, Yemen’s ‘Dragon's Blood Island,' be saved?

Between Africa and Arabia lies an island of rare biological oddities—one that’s buffeted now by development, cyclones, and civil war.

Socotra, an island archipelago in the Indian Ocean between Somalia and Yemen, is unlike anywhere else: a zoological and botanical treasure trove, and a refugia for relic species that died out long ago elsewhere. Long protected by the traditions and stewardship of Socotrans like Aliyu, the island is now buffeted by geopolitics and rapid development and climate change. Earlier this year, I was part of a four-person team to visit the island and investigate what’s at stake as it faces an uncertain future.

It has been called the “Galapagos of the Indian Ocean.” There are parallels, certainly. Of the 825 plant species found on Socotra today, 307—37 percent— are endemic, meaning they live nowhere else. Some of the flora provide resources, like the sweet and fragrant frankincense of the Boswellia trees. Others, like the squat and bulbous subspecies of Adenium obesum, commonly called the desert rose, paint the landscape with color and oddity. The islands play host to as many as 11 unique bird species, and over 90 percent of reptiles and molluscs are endemic too.

Offshore, multiple biogeographical areas converge around Socotra creating an equally fertile, if less exceptional, marine environment (photos, film)

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/11/socotra-yemen-biodiversity-photography/

(** B P)

‘Tell Your Boss’: Recording Is Seen to Link Saudi Crown Prince More Strongly to Khashoggi Killing

Shortly after the journalist Jamal Khashoggi was assassinated last month, a member of the kill team instructed a superior over the phone to “tell your boss,” believed to be Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, that the operatives had carried out their mission, according to three people familiar with a recording of Mr. Khashoggi’s killing collected by Turkish intelligence.

The recording, shared last month with the C.I.A. director, Gina Haspel, is seen by intelligence officials as some of the strongest evidence linking Prince Mohammed to the killing of Mr. Khashoggi

While the prince was not mentioned by name, American intelligence officials believe “your boss” was a reference to Prince Mohammed. Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, one of 15 Saudis dispatched to Istanbul to confront Mr. Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate there, made the phone call and spoke in Arabic, the people said.

Turkish intelligence officers have told American officials they believe that Mr. Mutreb, a security officer who frequently traveled with Prince Mohammed, was speaking to one of the prince’s aides. While translations of the Arabic may differ, the people briefed on the call said Mr. Mutreb also said to the aide words to the effect of “the deed was done.”

“A phone call like that is about as close to a smoking gun as you are going to get,” said Bruce O. Riedel, a former C.I.A. officer now at the Brookings Institution. “It is pretty incriminating evidence.”

Turkish officials have said that the audio does not conclusively implicate Prince Mohammed, and American intelligence and other government officials have cautioned that however compelling the recording may be, it is still not irrefutable evidence of his involvement in the death of Mr. Khashoggi.

Even if Mr. Mutreb believed the killing was ordered by the crown prince, for example, he may have had an inaccurate understanding of the origins of the order. Prince Mohammed is not specifically named on the recording, and intelligence officials do not have ironclad certainty that Mr. Mutreb was referring to him – By Julian E. Barnes, Eric Schmitt and David D. Kirkpatrick

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/12/world/middleeast/jamal-khashoggi-killing-saudi-arabia.html

cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics

(* B H)

Mercy Corps: In Yemen, one family’s fight against cholera

As Abdullah sits by his daughter Nehan’s bedside, he comforts her in the familiar language of a parent’s love: adjusting her blanket, delicately smoothing her hair, gently holding her hand. He is quiet and careful with his words, but Abdullah’s eyes are full of love and concern for his child.

At just 7 years old, Nehan is fighting for her life in a cholera isolation ward in the Mahweet province of Yemen. The humanitarian crisis in Yemen, caused by ongoing violent conflict, has left millions of families like Nehan’s hungry and vulnerable to disease. A staggering statistic demonstrates the horror of this conflict: a child in Yemen dies every 10 minutes from preventable causes.

According to the UN, 14 million people may now be on the brink of famine in Yemen. The food that is available has skyrocketed in price, and families have resorted to skipping meals or eating leaves to survive. Just in the last month, Mercy Corps teams in Yemen have reported that cases of acute malnutrition have doubled in certain areas.

Cholera cases are on the rise, too. As of October, the WHO reported that 10,000 new cases were being documented each week. The crisis is so large that the numbers can be hard to fathom — but behind every case of malnutrition or cholera is a family doing everything they can to survive.

Abdullah is a banana farmer and a father of seven, including Nehan. When the family can’t make ends meet, Abdullah cuts firewood to sell to his neighbors. Just like any parent living amidst conflict and crisis, he is always thinking of food, water and safety for his children.

When Nehan became sick, Abdullah brought her to a local Mercy Corps-supported health clinic the very next day. “There is no clean water,” he says. “We used to drink from the streams.” Nehan is now receiving treatment, and Abdullah watches over her hoping for a full recovery.

This clinic has seen thousands of cholera cases since the latest outbreak began in July 2017. Afra, the clinic’s chief nurse, has been helping cholera patients for more than a year. “There were a lot of cases,” she says. “Staff couldn't keep up, we worked day and night. Even the head of the hospital had to work with them, even though he was not in good health. At the beginning we had to put patients on the floor, because there were not enough beds.”

The clinic is better-equipped to help people now — Mercy Corps has provided additional beds, cholera prevention kits, IV fluids and helped install much-needed equipment. Afra is thankful for all of the support, especially given the serious nature of the crisis. She tells us that many patients arrive in a state of shock, a sign of late-stage cholera, often carried in the arms of family members. “It’s so dangerous,” she says. “This is the worst thing I've ever seen. Our area is endemic with malaria and malnutrition, but cholera is the worst.”

The conflict in Yemen has put every community into survival mode — and we’re working to help in as many ways as we can. In Abdullah and Nehan’s community, the signs of Mercy Corps’ support dot the landscape as seen from the health clinic’s roof. The clinic itself now has more supplies and a solar-powered clean water pump. In the village, an enclosed clean water point now stands tall. There are houses scattered around it of families who’ve received emergency cash from Mercy Corps. And in the distance lies another village where our teams have provided lifesaving support.

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https://www.mercycorps.org/articles/yemen/yemen-one-familys-fight-against-cholera = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-one-family-s-fight-against-cholera

cp1b1 Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah: Deutsch/ Most important: Hodeidah battle: German

(** A H K)

Sturm auf den Hafen der Huthis

Der Westen verlangt eine Waffenruhe für den Jemen - doch Saudi-Arabien forciert die Angriffe auf die Hafenstadt Hudaida. Die Eskalation ist auch Folge der Affäre um den ermordeten Journalisten Khashoggi.

In der vergangenen Woche starteten Milizen, die von Saudi-Arabien und den VAE unterstützt werden, eine Bodenoffensive auf Hudaida. In der Stadt am Roten Meer befindet sich der wichtigste Hafen des Landes, über den 80 Prozent der Hilfslieferungen in den Jemen gelangen. Der Hafen ist zudem eine der wichtigsten Einnahmequellen der Huthi-Rebellen.

Nach Angaben der Vereinten Nationen sind seit Juni rund 445.000 Zivilisten aus Hudaida und der umliegenden Provinz geflüchtet. Wie viele Menschen noch ausharren, kann niemand mit Bestimmtheit sagen.

Für Saudi-Arabien und seine Verbündeten war Pompeos Forderung nach Friedensgesprächen offenbar das Signal, loszuschlagen. Es sieht ganz so aus, als wolle die Militärkoalition Hudaida vor Ablauf der Frist erobern, um damit ihre Verhandlungsposition gegenüber den Huthis entscheidend zu verbessern. Entsprechend rücksichtslos führen die Kriegsparteien ihren Kampf. Die Huthis haben Hunderttausende Landminen rund um Hudaida vergraben. Anfang November stürmten sie ein Krankenhaus am Stadtrand. Heckenschützen bezogen in dem Gebäude Position, Ärzte und Patienten, die dazu in der Lage waren, flüchteten. Am vergangenen Freitag eroberten Anti-Huthi-Kämpfer das Krankenhaus.

Ähnliche Szenen spielten sich laut Ärzten im "Krankenhaus der Revolution" in Hudaida ab. Am Montagvormittag flogen Apache-Helikopter und Kampfjets der saudi-arabischen Koalition Luftangriffe auf Ziele in unmittelbarer Umgebung des Hospitals. Die Patienten flüchteten in Panik. "Ich sah einen Mann, der wegrannte, so schnell er konnte. Er war immer noch an einen Urinkatheter angeschlossen", berichtete ein Krankenhausmitarbeiter Amnesty International. Das "Krankenhaus der Revolution" ist das einzige nicht-private Hospital in Hudaida. 1500 Patienten wurden hier täglich versorgt. Nun ist es nach Angaben von Ärzten wegen der Kämpfe kaum noch erreichbar – von Christoph Sydow

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/saudi-arabien-will-im-jemen-fakten-schaffen-und-attackiert-die-stadt-hudaida-a-1238181.html

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NRC: PRESSEMITTEILUNG:Aktuelle Informationen zur Situation in Hodeidah, Jemen

“Hodeidah steht am Rande der Auslöschung. Wir haben die internationale Gemeinschaft gewarnt, dass eine Offensive gegen die Stadt kommen würde, und sie kam. Wir haben gewarnt, dass die Gewalt eine weitere halbe Million Menschen zur Flucht zwingen würde, und so war es. Jetzt warnen wir, dass die Konfliktparteien und ihre internationalen Geldgeber für Tod, Verletzung und Leid von Millionen von Menschen verantwortlich sein werden, wenn wir das weiterhin zulassen“, sagt Mohamed Abdi, Landesdirektor der NRC Flüchtlingshilfe im Jemen.

„Die humanitären Kosten dieses Krieges betragen in diesem Jahr fast 3 Milliarden US-Dollar, aber die Kosten für die Menschen sind überhaupt nicht abschätzbar. Sinnlose Angriffe auf die Zivilbevölkerung, verhungernde Menschen und verzweifelte Bitten humanitärer Organisationen – all das hat wenig mehr als Anteilnahme von einer internationalen Gemeinschaft hervorgerufen, die längst hätte eingreifen können. Insbesondere die Untätigkeit der Vereinigten Staaten und Großbritanniens ist vollkommen verantwortungslos.“

Aktueller Lagebericht

  • Eine Woche Tage seit Beginn einer erneuten Offensive in Hodeidah berichten Zivilisten von unablässigen Luftangriffen, tief fliegenden Jets und Kampfhubschraubern, Minenwerfern und Raketen am Stadtrand und im Umkreis von 5 km um den wichtigsten Hafen des Landes.
  • Allein am vergangenen Mittwoch wurden in den Gouvernements Hodeidah und Hajjah mindestens 18 Zivilistinnen und Zivilisten durch Luftangriffe, Artilleriebeschuss und Landminen getötet und 17 weitere verletzt, nachdem mehrere Tage lang massive Angriffe auf Farmen, Fabriken, Trucks, Häuser und Märkte stattgefunden hatten.
  • Berichten von Anfang letzter Woche, dass Ansar Allah-Kämpfer auf dem Dach eines Krankenhauses am Stadtrand Hodeidahs Stellung bezogen hätten, folgten am Freitag Berichte von drei Luftangriffen auf die Einrichtung, bei denen das Krankenhausgebäude beschädigt wurde, woraufhin es evakuiert werden musste, was die Patienten in große Gefahr brachte.
  • In der letzten Oktoberwoche hatte die Internationale Organisation für Migration (IOM) über 545.000 Menschen registriert, die seit dem 1. Juni dieses Jahres aus ihrer Heimat vertrieben wurden. Das entspricht fast 3.700 Menschen jeden Tag. 83 Prozent dieser Vertriebenen stammen aus dem Gouvernement Hodeidah und weitere 14 Prozent aus Hajjah im Norden von Hodeidah.
  • Derzeit existiert nur noch eine funktionierende Landroute von Hodeidah nach Sana’a. Es besteht ein sehr hohes Risiko, dass weitere Luft- oder Landangriffe auf Straßen oder Brücken die Verbindungswege zwischen den Städten vollständig unterbrechen könnten. Dadurch würde die letzte Versorgungsroute für Nahrung, Treibstoff und Medikamente für viele der schätzungsweise 20 Millionen Jemenitinnen und Jemeniten, die zur Deckung ihrer Grundbedürfnisse auf die Importe über Hodeidah angewiesen sind, abgeschnitten.
  • Fünf Hauptverkehrsstraßen im Gouvernement Hodeidah sind derzeit gesperrt oder durch Kämpfe abgeschnitten und zwei weitere sind nur stark eingeschränkt nutzbar.
  • Die humanitären Organisationen werden nach wie vor bei der Bereitstellung kritischer Hilfe für die Menschen in Not in Hodeidah, Hajjah oder anderen schwer betroffenen Gouvernements behindert. Davon sind auch Cholera-Präventionsmaßnahmen betroffen.

https://www.nrc-hilft.at/nachrichten/2018/november/pressemitteilungaktuelle-informationen-zur-situation-in-hodeidah-jemen/

(* A K)

Saudi-Arabien sucht Entscheidung im Jemen

Kampfjets kreisen über der Stadt. Granaten prasseln auf die Wohnviertel, schwarze Rauchsäulen stehen am Himmel. „Es ist die Hölle“, klagen Bewohner der jemenitischen Hafenstadt Hodeida, die verzweifelt versuchen, in ihren Häusern Schutz vor den Raketen zu finden. Die Schlacht um den strategischen Umschlagplatz am Roten Meer, der wichtigsten Lebensader des Jemen für Nahrungsmittel, Benzin und Hilfsgüter, steht offenbar vor ihrem blutigen Finale.

„In den letzten 30 Minuten hatten wir mehr als 15 Luftangriffe“, berichtete Mariam Aldogani, örtliche Mitarbeiterin der Hilfsorganisation „Save the Children“. Märkte und Geschäfte sind geschlossen. Kaum ein Zivilist traut sich noch ins Freie, während sich schiitische Huthi-Rebellen und die von Saudi-Arabien ausgerüsteten Regierungstruppen in der Innenstadt von Haus zu Haus kämpfen.

Mit dieser Eskalation hat sich die gerade erst geweckte Hoffnung auf eine Waffenruhe wieder zerschlagen.

Derweil zieht sich der Ring um die belagerte Küstenstadt immer enger, auch wenn der unersetzbare Hafen von den Kämpfen bisher verschont blieb. Mindestens 400 Menschen starben in den vergangenen sieben Tagen, viele hunderte wurden verletzt, ein Krankenhaus von Raketen getroffen. Die meisten Ausfallstraßen sind blockiert, während die Huthi-Milizen überall Minen auslegen und ihre Scharfschützen auf Hausdächern postieren. Kommunale Helfer versuchen derweil, Familien in weniger umkämpfte Stadtteile zu evakuieren – von Martin Gehlen

https://www.swp.de/politik/ausland/saudi-arabien-sucht-entscheidung-im-jemen-28316414.html

cp1b2 Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah: Englisch / Most important: Hodeidah battle: English

(* A B H K P)

Nightmarish battle over a port which could save millions in Yemen is worsening

More than 14 million people are anxiously watching what happens in one city where bloody fighting could decide whether they live or die.

As bullets, shrapnel and bodies are strewn across the streets of Hodeida — a vital Arab port city in the impoverished, war-torn Yemen — more than 14 million pairs of eyes are firmly fixed on what happens next.

It could decide whether they live or die as the country sits of the brink of a famine.

That’s because just under half of the Arab nation’s emaciated population desperately need food, medicine and supplies and more than 75 per cent of it is fed into Yemen through the crucial Red Sea port.

But the fighting in Hodeida — home to more than 2.5 million people — is far from over.

https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/world-economy/nightmarish-battle-over-a-port-which-could-save-millions-in-yemen-is-worsening/news-story/d1d828c70f5f1cb26cb282634cb10eba

(* A K)

#Hodeidah: At least eight displaced passengers were killed and others injured on Tuesday in a Saudi-led coalition’s airstrike on the main road in al-Jarahi district.

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.963391330380564/2006211632765190

Death toll from Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on #Hodeidah’s passengers rises to 9

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.963391330380564/2006358836083803

2 hours ago, 9 people were killed and others wounded by #Saudi-led coalition airstrike targeted civilians in the main road of al-Jarahi district, #Hodeidah governorate.

https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1062390608063590400

and this seems to be void:

(** A K P)

Coalition, Yemen rebels agree on informal truce

An informal agreement to reduce hostilities between Saudi-led coalition forces and rebels in and around Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeida has taken hold, military officials said Tuesday, in a move that could be a prelude to peace talks that would end the ruinous war in the poorest Arab country.

The officials said hostilities have ceased for the second consecutive day, with both sides respecting the truce. Only three coalition airstrikes were carried out in the last 24 hours, targeting rebel positions outside the city.

The truce followed advances by the coalition in their latest attempt to retake the city from the Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, with its forces now 5 kilometers (3 miles) short of the port, Yemen's traditional lifeline.

The officials said efforts were being made to persuade the Houthis to abandon the city and hand over control to an independent Yemeni party that would run the port under U.N. supervision. The Houthis, who had in the past rejected the proposal, said the coalition accepted the truce because of its heavy casualties and because it came under international pressure to spare some 500,000 civilians inside the city the death and destruction that come with street-to-street fighting, which already began this week.

The military and Houthi officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/britain-saudi-led-coalition-yemen-evacuations-59158589

My comment: I am in doubt.

(A K pS)

Film: New footage for the battles, in which the Joint Resistance Forces are engaged against the #Iran-backed #Houthi militia fighters, where the earlier managed to secure a number of state facilities in the port city of #Hodeidah in west Yemen.

https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1062407810368053249

(* A H K)

Families get food in Yemen's Hodeidah during lull in fighting

After a night of air strikes on Yemen’s Hodeidah, calm descended to allow hungry families to stock up on food in the Houthi-held Red Sea port city on Tuesday.

World Food programme (WFP) executive director David Beasley arrived in Yemen on Sunday to assess food security in the impoverished Arab country that has been pushed to the brink of famine by more than three years of war.

He visited a school in Hodeidah on Tuesday to oversee the distribution of food coupons which allow families to obtain a basket containing flour, sugar, milk, oil and canned beans.

“Thank God there is calm and security today. We went out to buy things for the house without fear,” said Fattoum Ahmad, a housewife and a resident of Hodeidah city. “There were no explosions or gunfire. I wish the war would not resume.”

It was unclear if the fighting stopped because of Beasley’s visit and whether the U.N. had liaised with the Saudi-led coalition.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-humaniterian/families-get-food-in-yemens-hodeidah-during-lull-in-fighting-idUSKCN1NI1WS

(* A H K)

Siege fears rise in Hodeida as Yemen war hits streets

In the heart of Yemen's port city of Hodeida, caught in a war of attrition between rebels and a regional military alliance, Mohammed fears his family will be trapped -- but he cannot bring himself to leave.

Father to an 11-month-old daughter, Mohammed lives in the Dahmiya district, just three kilometres (1.8 miles) from the frontline between Yemen's Huthi rebels and pro-government troops.

"I lost my job because of the war," said the 30-year-old, who was a pharmaceutical representative until a few weeks ago when armed clashes brought his city to a standstill.

"What I'm most afraid of is that the war will drag on, and that we'll somehow be trapped here, and that we'll have a hard time finding water, food, medicine," he said.

"But I'm not even considering leaving. I'll wait for this to be over, and then I'll find a job again."

The people of Hodeida do not like to talk politics, at least with journalists -- no declarations of allegiance, resistance or readiness to fight.

"The only thing we talk about is when this war will end and how," said Lubna, who lives in southern Hodeida.

She is terrified, she says, by talk of an all-out attack on the port, or on the only remaining road in or out of the city, to the north.

"We're afraid of food shortages. We're afraid of a humanitarian disaster."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-6385119/Siege-fears-rise-Hodeida-Yemen-war-hits-streets.html

(* A K)

#Hodeidah latest: air strikes resumed around nightfall yesterday after 24 hours of relative calm, and looks like major push towards the port from east this morning. Jeremy Hunt on KSA and UAE trip pushed for ceasefire before Friday, when Yemen will be discussed at UN.

https://twitter.com/mck_beth/status/1062299144939847680

(* A K)

Violence calms in Yemen's Hodeida amid diplomatic pressure

Clashes between Saudi-backed troops and rebels in the Red Sea port city of Hodeida abated Tuesday, after nearly two weeks of fighting which left nearly 600 people dead, including civilians.

But residents in Hodeida, home to a port vital for food imports and the delivery of humanitarian aid to millions at risk of starvation, say they now fear a siege on the city, where exit routes are being blocked one by one and hospitals seized by armed fighters.

Rebel-held Hodeida was hit Monday night by what multiple sources said were two air strikes -- the first targeting of the docks since government forces launched a major offensive to retake the port five months ago.

The port's deputy director, Yahya Sharafeddine, said the main entrance to the docks had been "the target of air raids" but was fully functioning Tuesday.

Three security guards were wounded in the attack, he said.

Four employees in Hodeida port who requested anonymity told AFP that a rebel commander had been killed in the Monday attack.

The Huthis, who seized Hodeida in a 2014 takeover that included the capital, on Tuesday accused the government of the attacks on the port via their Al-Massir

Pro-government troops reached residential neighbourhoods in Hodeida Sunday, triggering fears for civilians who could be trapped in the city.

Residents reported Tuesday that the fighting had slowed overnight, and rebel media -- which regularly claims attacks on loyalists -- did not report any new fighting.

"The violent battles stopped on Monday night. We heard a few gunshots here and there at night, but it seems to be calm this morning," a resident told AFP by telephone, requesting anonymity.

"We haven't heard any explosions, unlike the past two weeks."

Other residents have said they feared being trapped in the city, where only one major exit route is still open to traffic and the transport of food and aid, on the northern edge of the city.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-6384173/Violence-calms-Yemens-Hodeida-amid-diplomatic-pressure.html

(* A K pH)

Yemeni Fighters Beat Back Saudi Push in Eastern Hudaydah

Yemeni forces pushed back a large-scale assault by militants and mercenaries on the port city of Hudaydah, a source in the so-called Saudi coalition has told Agence France-Presse.

Ansarullah fighters and their allies, however, have pushed back the massive offensive to occupy Hudaydah, the news agency admitted, citing a source in the coalition as saying.

Residents told AFP that Yemeni snipers had taken positions on rooftops in Eastern Hudaydah, a few miles from the port on the Western edge of the city, in preparation for street battles.

Battle-hardened Ansarullah fighters and their allies are expected to fare better in street battles. To overwhelm them, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are most likely to resort to heavy bombing of the city in order to pave the way for ground advances.

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13970822000271

Remark: Yemeni fighters / Yemeni forces, here: pro-Houthi fighters.

(* A K)

Port still running in Yemen's Hodeida after air strikes

Two Saudi-led air strikes hit the main entrance to the rebel-held port of Hodeida but the docks were still operating normally on Tuesday, the port's deputy director told AFP.

The vital docks, through which 80 percent of Yemen's commercial imports and nearly all UN supervised humanitarian aid pass, has been at the centre of international concern about a new drive to recapture Hodeida which the Yemeni government launched with Saudi-led support on November 1.

Monday's strikes, in which port staff said four rebels were killed and four wounded, was the first to hit the docks in 12 days of intensified bombardment and ground fighting in the Red Sea coastal city of some 600,000 people, many of whom have fled or now fear a siege.

The main gate "was the target of air strikes... but the port is operating normally," the port's deputy director Yehya Sharafeddin told AFP by telephone. He said three guards had been wounded.

Four other port employees told AFP that one strike had killed a rebel commander and three of his guards, while a second strike had wounded another commander and his guards.

They said a single-storey guardroom had taken a direct hit from the strikes.

Rebel-controlled media reported two air strikes but made no mention of casualties.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-6383671/Port-running-Yemens-Hodeida-air-strikes.html

and

(*A K)

Warplanes target main entrance to Yemen’s port city of Hudaydah

The military coalition led by the Saudi regime has carried out airstrikes targeting the main entrance to Yemen’s western port city of Hudaydah, some five months after coalition forces, backed by armed militia loyal to the former Yemeni government, launched a full-scale offensive to seize the vital port.

The main gate “was the target of airstrikes... but the port is operating normally,” said the port’s deputy director Yahya Sharafeddin on Tuesday, adding that at least two airstrikes had hit the entrance, leaving three guards wounded.

Other reports said that a single-storey guardroom had taken a direct hit from the strikes, which killed at least one soldier.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Sharafeddin said that despite the air raids, the vital docks were operating normally. Some 80 percent of Yemen's commercial imports and nearly all UN supervised humanitarian aid pass through these docks.

Meanwhile, Yemen’s Arabic-language al-Masirah satellite television network reported that Saudi-led airstrikes had claimed the lives of at least eight people and wounded several others in Jarrahi district of Hudaydah.

https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/11/13/579919/Yemen-Hudaydah-

and

(* A K)

Saudi-led coalition renews air strikes on Yemen's Hodeidah port

The Saudi-led coalition resumed air strikes on Yemen’s main port city of Hodeidah after a lull on Monday as Western allies pressed Riyadh to end a war that has left the impoverished country on the verge of starvation.

Air strikes against the Iran-aligned Houthis’ fortifications were halted for more than 12 hours on Monday and street battles, which had been raging for a week on the outskirts of the Red Sea city, trapping civilians and endangering hospitals, died down, residents said.

Coalition spokesman, Colonel Turki al-Malki, said the offensive on the Houthi-held city was still on.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security/saudi-led-coalition-renews-air-strikes-on-yemens-hodeidah-port-idUSKCN1NH1WU

(* A K)

Film: Yemen: Battle for Hodeidah rages around university quarter

Saudi-backed coalition forces and Houthi armed groups have been engaged in fierce fighting close to Hodeidah University on Sunday. Footage shows Saudi-led coalition troops firing weapons and mortars allegedly targeted at Houthis forces in densely-populated areas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzyW9qc7OGw

(A H K)

Houthis cut landlines in Hodeidah this morning, making it much harder to get hold of people. Wifi almost non-existent. Developments: actually relatively quiet today, with some movement of civilians on the streets even in front line areas. Schools shut but market open.

Some people took the opportunity to leave for Sana'a or Taiz. One aid worker on ground said that some people are actually moving back from Sanaa to Hodeidah, however, because Sanaa (Houthi-held capital) is so expensive they can't afford to eat.

Hard to gauge numbers though. Here's hoping de-escalation sticks as international pressure piles on Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to call a ceasefire, as per Houthi request.

https://twitter.com/mck_beth/status/1062022845562269698

One of the horrors of current conflict is having to make choice for family and children to either escape the raging battles in Hodeidah or risk of starvation in Sana'a. Caught between the hammer of war and the anvil of poverty in #Yemen

https://twitter.com/omeisy/status/1062058880283369474

(* B K P)

How Pentagon Officials Involved In Planning The New Saudi-Led Attack On Hodeida

Pentagon officials have been involved in planning the new Saudi-led attack on Hodeidah, the Intelligence Online news website said.

The Pentagon provided Saudi Arabia and the UAE vital information to launch a vast offensive on Hodeidah port city, the site said.

Pentagon officials met in the Saudi capital of Riyadh with Saudi and Emirati officers to negotiate and plan out the attack on Yemen’s Hodeidah.

“Washington handed over two more surveillance and spy planes to Riyadh before the attack on Hodeidah,” the website said.

This comes in the context of the policy of the coalition carried out by the Saudi regime and the Emirates and alongside with the US against the people of Hodeidah and the destruction of their property amid international disregarding of the assault that could endanger the lives of millions in Yemen.

Last Friday, a statement was released by the puppet government of Yemen, which is operating from one of the hotels within Saudi Arabia, that they have begun a vast offensive on the port city of Hodeidah, located on the west of Yemen, in an attempt to take control of the province.

However, the large offensive has accomplished nothing but the killing of civilians and destroying vital infrastructure

http://www.newnewss.net/how-pentagon-officials-involved-in-planning-the-new-saudi-led-attack-on-hodeida/

and

(** B K P)

Intelligence Online Magazine: US officials plan Hodeidah’s attack

Pentagon officials have been involved in orchestrating a new Saudi-Emirati attack on Hodeidah, the French-based Intelligence Online Magazine reported.

According to Al-Jazeera TV channel, Pentagon’s officials have met in Riyadh with Saudi and Emirati officers and have planned the attack on the western coast of Yemen.

The Pentagon has provided Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates with vital information in this regard, Al-Jazeera reported in a series of breaking news on Thursday.

It said that Washington handed over two additional reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft to Riyadh prior to the attack.

https://yemen-rw.org/intelligence-online-magazine-us-officials-plan-hodeidahs-attack/

(* A K P)

Film: Yemen: Fighting reaches streets of Hudaydah

Interviewing Judith Brown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU-1nS-BMC0

Comment by Judith Brown: An interview with Press TV yesterday. I'd like to do interviews on more mainstream UK channels but I am never asked.

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10157143079558641

(** A K)

Saudi-Led Coalition Gains Ground in Key Yemen Port

Houthi rebels in Yemen are continuing to push back against Saudi-led coalition forces who are advancing on the eastern sector of the rebel-held Red Sea port of Hodeida.

The heavy Houthi resistance is keeping coalition forces bogged down in the clashes that reportedly have led to the deaths of 110 Houthis in recent days.

The heavy fighting continued as Houthi militia fighters dug into civilian and government buildings in order to slow down the advance of Saudi-coalition forces and their Yemeni allies. Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV reported that government forces had captured the Al Rabsa district, along with former president Ali Abdallah Saleh's house and a nearby school in eastern Hodeida.

Dubai-based Sky News Arabia reported that the Houthis had blown up a mosque and demolished a number of homes, apparently to stall advances by the Saudi coalition. The news channel broadcast video of explosives and land mines it said the Houthis had placed in a number of buildings in order to blow them up, should the coalition try to capture them.

Video footage broadcast on Arab news channels showed numerous Houthis lying dead in the streets of Hodeida. The French news agency reported that the Houthis lost more than 100 men in fighting. Arab media also reported that the Houthis had moved injured fighters from Hodeida to the capital, Sana'a.

A Houthi spokesman, Mohammed al Bakhiti, said in an interview with France 24 news channel that the Saudi-led coalition forces "have not entered the city of Hodeida, but that fighting continues outside the city along the 8- and 10 kilometer-points on the highway to Sana'a." Video shown on the Arab news channels, however, refuted his claim.

https://www.voanews.com/a/saudi-led-coalition-gains-ground-in-key-yemen-port/4655214.html

(A K pH)

3 civilians injured in 5 Saudi-led airstrikes on Hodeidah

More than three civilians were injured on Monday when the US-backed Saudi-led coalition warplanes waged five strikes on Hodeidah province, a security official told Saba.
The civilians were injured while two airstrikes targeted Hodeidah port.
A strike hit the west of Hodeidah university and another near the airport.
Other airstrikes hit civilian’s home in Ghalil area of Howk district

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news514465.htm

(** A H K)

Yemen: Patients and staff flee as Hodeidah's main hospital comes under attack

Eyewitness describes terrifying scenes as explosions rock hospital in central Hodeidah

Hundreds of patients and staff dodged a hail of shrapnel as they fled in panic

‘Deliberately attacking a functioning hospital is a war crime’ - Lynn Maalouf

Hundreds of medical workers and patients - including a malnourished woman carrying her daughter in a surgical robe and a man still hooked up to a catheter - fled in terror as a series of large explosions rocked a hospital in central Hodeidah yesterday, according to an eyewitness who spoke to Amnesty International.

Just before noon on Sunday, an attack reportedly carried out by the Saudi Arabia/UAE-led military coalition hit areas very close to al-Thawra hospital, Hodeidah’s largest public medical facility.

The pro-Saudi Arabia media outlet Al Arabiya reported that coalition warplanes and attack helicopters targeted Huthi positions yesterday, including in areas around the university, al-Thawra hospital and the 22 May hospital.

An al-Thawra hospital spokesperson told Reuters that doctors and nurses from intensive care, the burns unit and the emergency room stayed in the hospital during the attack. A hospital worker who was inside al-Thawra hospital at the time told Amnesty:

“A few brave doctors and medical staff chose to stay. I was among the majority that chose to leave.”

The medic said that that hundreds of patients and staff dodged a hail of shrapnel as they fled in panic. The sustained bombardment near the hospital lasted more than half an hour. Speaking to Amnesty just hours after the attack, the medic said explosions began at around 11.30am, though these initially appeared to be far away. But before long, the hospital’s hundreds of patients and staff realised they were in serious danger, with blasts close enough to shake water in water bottles inside the hospital and nearby explosions accompanied by the sound of anti-aircraft guns.

The medic told Amnesty:

“At five minutes to midday, the explosions intensified and were a lot closer. This time I was scared, also because I heard the sound of [anti-aircraft guns] for the first time. I ran to the reception area ... I heard many explosions, and either bullets or shrapnel were hitting the metal roof of the hospital entrance, falling like rain. I could still hear explosions as I got out of the hospital, but I couldn’t focus on it. We were all too afraid for our safety.”

He described how panicked people fled into Jamal Street outside the hospital and fled on foot or in cars and minibuses. Saudi Arabia and UAE-led coalition aircraft were flying overhead and smoke was billowing from the dentistry faculty in the university complex 500 yards away. He said it was widely known the faculty had been full of Huthi fighters, both inside the building and gunmen stationed on the roof.

His testimony continued:

“I saw a patient carrying another patient. It looked like a mother and daughter. The mother was skin and bones, she was malnourished, a typical Yemeni mother … Nonetheless, she was managing to carry her 15 or 16-year-old daughter in her arms. Her daughter was crying. I knew she had either just had surgery or had been in preparation for surgery because she was in a blue surgical robe. There are no words to describe how I felt at this moment … I also saw a man walking as fast as he could while carrying a bag of his own urine. He was still attached to a urinary catheter while making his escape. This scene will stay with me for the rest of my life. There were many children too. Some parents were carrying their children. I saw ten or 12 children among everyone else trying to flee.”

The medical worker said he returned to work at around 1pm. By that time, clashes had calmed down in the area but the hospital was semi-deserted.

Huthis turn roads near hospital into ‘military areas’

Hodeidah residents have told Amnesty that Huthi fighters have closed and barricaded two of the three roads outside al-Thawra hospital, declaring them “military areas”. Satellite imagery reviewed by Amnesty appears to corroborate this. As residents are forbidden from entering, they are unable to confirm what types of weapons or installations these areas now contain.

Last public health facility

In the aftermath of Sunday’s attack, a World Health Organisation staff member in Yemen said on social media that al-Thawra hospital “used to serve about 1,500 people per day [but] is now almost inaccessible as the ground fighting is raging.” Amnesty can confirm that it is the only public hospital in Hodeidah, serving the city and four outlying districts. There are other hospitals in the city but these are private.

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/yemen-patients-and-staff-flee-hodeidahs-main-hospital-comes-under-attack

(* A K)

Saudi-led coalition renews air strikes on Yemen's Hodeidah port

The Saudi-led coalition resumed air strikes on Yemen’s main port city of Hodeidah after a lull on Monday as Western allies pressed Riyadh to end a war that has left the impoverished country on the verge of starvation.

Air strikes against the Iran-aligned Houthis’ fortifications were halted for more than 12 hours on Monday and street battles, which had been raging for a week on the outskirts of the Red Sea city, trapping civilians and endangering hospitals, died down, residents said.

Air strikes started again later on several areas in Hodeidah province, residents and aid groups said. The coalition’s warplanes bombed the entrance of Hodeidah port two hours before the sunset killing three guards, a witness and Houthi media said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security/fighting-eases-in-yemens-hodeidah-as-western-pressure-mounts-idUSKCN1NH1WU

and

(* A K)

Fighting eases over Yemen’s Hodeidah as Western pressure mounts on Saudi-led coalition – report

Battles eased in Yemen’s main port city of Hodeidah on Monday in a possible sign of de-escalation as Western allies pressed the Saudi-led coalition to end the war against Houthi rebels.

However, coalition spokesman, Colonel Turki al-Malki, said in Riyadh: “The operation is still ongoing. It’s not true that there is a ceasefire in Hodeidah.”

https://www.rt.com/newsline/443774-fighting-eases-yemen-hodeidah/

(* A K)

#UPDATE At least 150 people have been killed in 24 hours of clashes in Yemen's #Hodeida, medics and military sources say, as international pressure mounts for a ceasefire in the vital port city (map)

https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1061985717092409345

(* A K)

Yemenis brace for street fighting as UAE-backed troops enter Hodeida residential areas

Yemeni troops, backed by the United Arab Emirates, pushed into residential areas of Hodeida Monday, sparking fears of street fighting as nearly 150 people were killed in 24 hours of clashes, according to medical and military sources.

Fighting intensified in the western Yemeni port city of Hodeida over the weekend, with at least 149 people, including civilians, killed in 24 hours of clashes between government loyalists and rebels, medics and military sources said Monday.

A source in Yemen's pro-government military coalition, which is backed by Saudi Arabia and its regional allies, said the Houthi rebels had pushed back a large-scale offensive aimed at moving up the Red Sea coastline towards the Hodeida port, a lifeline to 14 million Yemenis who face mass starvation.

Residents and government military sources have reported rebel snipers stationed on rooftops in civilian streets in eastern Hodeida, a few miles from the port on the western edge of the city.

A military official in Hodeida on Monday confirmed seven civilians had died, without giving further details.

Sources at the Al-Alfi military hospital, seized by the rebels during their 2014 takeover, said charred body parts had been delivered there overnight.

Military sources confirmed that the Saudi-led alliance had targeted the rebels with multiple air strikes.

The rebels have begun to transfer their wounded to Sanaa, the capital, which the Houthis seized during a 2014 takeover that included a string of ports on the Yemeni coastline.

https://www.france24.com/en/20181112-yemen-hodeida-fighting-uae-troops-humanitarian-disaster-saudi-arabia

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UN Food Storage Facility Targeted as Saudi Coalition Closes in on Hodeida

A UN World Food Program grain facility, responsible for milling about a quarter of the wheat flour that the WFP distributes to Yemen’s hungriest people, was destroyed after being hit with more than 10 airstrikes as well as targeted shelling.

Recent fighting in the besieged city of Hodeida places at risk an additional 600,000 civilians who are unable to flee the violence. Amnesty International has warned that civilians in Hodeida will pay a terrible price unless warring parties act immediately to protect them from the fighting.

So far, the violence has been still centered on the southern outskirts of the city, especially in the areas near the university, the international airport, and the Kilo 16 district. Fierce battles are ongoing.

Saudi-led coalition operations have begun towards the northern and the western sides of Hodeida, where first the first time since the coalition began its war on Yemen in 2015, the coalition has been successful in penetrating Houthi defenses. The Saudi coalition claims that its forces are progressing from all the sides of the city, but accounts from both the Houthis as well as local residents counter this claim.

The deliberate use of starvation as a weapon against the people of Yemen

One of the principal targets of coalition airstrikes was the Yemen Company for Flour Mills and Silos (YCFMS) which was being used by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) and was destroyed after being hit with more than 10 airstrikes as well as targeted shelling in Thursday’s attack. The YCFMS facility had been responsible for milling about a quarter of the wheat flour that the WFP distributes to the war-torn country’s hungriest people.

The Yemeni Human Rights Ministry said in a statement to MintPress News that the attack on Hodeida’s grain silos, where tens of thousands of tons of wheat and flour are stored, exposed the alliance’s “criminal intent to deliberately annihilate the people of Yemen [and] control and exploit our strategic facilities.”

WFP spokesman Herve Verhoosel warned that the attack on the critical facility could impact WFP’s ability to supply up to 3.5 million people in northern and central Yemen, where the dire need for basic food is acutely felt, for months.

Pentagon’s guiding hand directs Saudi-led coalition atrocities

The coalition’s latest escalation has resulted in a furious reaction by Yemenis toward Washington amid a rising sentiment that without U.S. support, the Saudi kingdom would be unable to sustain its offensive on Hodeida. The U.S. provides Saudi-led forces with satellite intelligence and satellite-guided radio navigation technology, air support, armaments logistical assistance.

Mohammed al Ameri, who lost his brother in a recent attack, told MintPress News:

Clearly, the 30-day window given by the Trump administration to wind down its support for Saudi Arabia’s violence in Yemen was a granting of permission to the Saudi-led coalition to begin its all-out offensive against the port city of Hodeida over the past week.”

Abdul Malik al Houthi told supporters in a televised speech broadcast that the Saudi-led attacks on Hodeida intensified when the Trump administration demanded the Saudis agree to a ceasefire within 30 days.

https://www.mintpressnews.com/un-food-storage-facility-targeted-as-saudi-troops-advance-on-hodeida/251696/

cp2 Allgemein / General

(* B K P)

Interactive Map of the Yemen War

https://yemen.liveuamap.com/

(* A B H K P)

The US says it wants the war in Yemen to stop. But it’s only getting worse.

Why the US has little leverage to end the Yemen crisis.

The US suddenly cares about stopping the Yemen war — but that may not mean much

“What money Yemenis have and are earning gets more and more worthless by the day,” Oxfam America’s Paul, who was in Yemen two weeks ago, told me. He also noted that certain Yemenis have skipped daily meals — some for as long as a year — to ensure others around them had enough to eat.

But he also noted the security situation isn’t much better since the Houthis have placed landmines in the city and surrounding areas. Many roads are completely closed off by rebel fighters or destroyed, making it harder for food that comes into ports to reach markets — leading to a spike in malnutrition. “Health outcomes are worsening,” says Paul. And they may only decline further as fighting is taking place about four miles outside of the city’s most populated areas.

Hodeidah’s health prospects are no better: More than 1,000 residents have contracted cholera, with the rate of victims tripling from June to August. It’s part of a larger outbreak in the country that has turned into one of the world’s biggest health crises.

The city only has one functional public hospital — which the coalition reportedly attacked over the weekend — where it’s hard to get working staff, tools, and medicine. But private hospitals in the city, some of which work with humanitarian organizations on the ground, have an easier time treating patients, Save the Children’s Basha told me.

The numbers of victims will surely increase in the coming days as more airstrikes, stray bullets, and bomb fragments puncture the city, likely overwhelming available medical care.

[Overview, various subjects]

https://www.vox.com/world/2018/11/13/18088004/yemen-war-saudi-uae-coalition-houthi-usa-mattis-un

(B P)

Why does the public ignore Yemen?

Despite living in the age of 24-hour news, there are only limited prime media slots. When so much of the UK news is consumed by Brexit, foreign affairs stories struggle for coverage and Yemen is forced to compete with issues like Syria.

Is Yemen just less suited to the British media than Syria?

Is the British public less inclined to care about Yemen because there is much less obvious impact on us? Or perhaps the public just has a limited bandwidth for foreign affairs and Syria, with its higher death toll, and Afghanistan, with more direct British involvement, take priority?

Finally, there is the fact that Yemen is a confusing country to outsiders.

Time for a change

https://www.bond.org.uk/news/2018/11/why-does-the-public-ignore-yemen

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Jemen: Beispiel für den Zynismus des Westens

Europäische Rüstungskonzerne haben viele Milliarden mit Waffenverkäufen an Saudi-Arabien und die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate verdient, die geleistete humanitäre Hilfe war nur ein kleiner Bruchteil davon

Immer wieder erstaunlich ist, wie offen eine Doppelmoral praktiziert werden kann. Während der Nato-Westen massiv vor einer humanitären Katastrophe warnte, wenn Idlib von den syrischen Truppen eingenommen würde, und militärische Konsequenzen androhte, geht es bei den Angriffen von Regierungstruppen, die von Saudi-Arabien unterstützt werden, auf die jemenitische Hafenstadt Hodeidah deutlich zurückhaltender zu. Dabei ist klar, dass die Versorgung der Hälfte der Bevölkerung, die auf humanitäre Hilfe angewiesen ist, gefährdet sein wird.

Im Augenblick sieht es so aus, als würde der Widerstand der Huthis zusammenbrechen. Man darf erwarten, dass Saudi-Arabien nicht gerade jetzt den Krieg abbrechen wird, wenn der Sieg kurz bevorstehen könnte. Nicht nur dringen die Regierungstruppen weiter in Hodeida ein, es zirkulieren auch Meldungen, dass immer mehr führende Huthi-Kräfte sich absetzen.

Humanitäre Hilfe nur ein Bruchteile der Gewinne durch Waffenverkäufe

Seit Beginn des Krieges 2015 haben EU-Mitgliedsstaaten nach Recherchen von Middle East Eye (MEE) Waffen für 86,7 Milliarden Euro an Saudi-Arabien und die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate verkauft. Nach den Zahlen, die für 2015 und 2016 vorliegen, sei dies das 55-Fache dessen, was die EU an humanitärer Hilfe während dieser Zeit geleistet habe. An den Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan (YHRP) der Vereinten Nationen wurden von 2015 bis 2018 1,56 Milliarden eingezahlt.

Am 6. November hat die EU beschlossen, weitere 90 Millionen Euro für humanitäre Hilfe zur Verfügung zu stellen. 2018 würden damit insgesamt 118 Millionen Euro an Hilfsorganisationen gehen, um die Menschen im Jemen zu unterstützen. Seit 2015 habe man damit 323,7 Millionen Euro für humanitäre Hilfe an Jemen geleistet. Auch das im Vergleich allein zu den Waffenverkäufen verschwindend wenig, wobei die humanitäre Hilfe noch dazu zynisch geleistet wird, weil man am Krieg und dessen Folgen mitverdient – von Florian Rötzer

https://www.heise.de/tp/features/Jemen-Beispiel-fuer-den-Zynismus-des-Westens-4219821.html

(B K P)

Der Jemen braucht jetzt Hilfe

Deutschland sollte bei den Verhandlungen über das Ende des Bürgerkriegs im Jemen mehr Verantwortung übernehmen. Ein Gastbeitrag

Pompeos Ankündigung spiegelt eine verzweifelte Realität wider. Die von Saudi-Arabien angeführte Koalition hat trotz der aggressiven Kriegsstrategie ihre Ziele nicht erreicht.

Inzwischen haben die Kriegstaktiken aller Seiten eine zivile Katastrophe ausgelöst.

Jetzt, da die Wirtschaft im freien Fall ist und die Preise für Grundnahrungsmittel unbezahlbar sind, stehen 12 Millionen Menschen am Rande einer Hungersnot. Die Gewalt macht humanitäre Hilfsmaßnahmen fast unmöglich.

Die Aussage von Pompeo ist notwendig, aber doch unzureichend. Es bedarf nun konkreter und schneller Maßnahmen, um seine Rhetorik in echten Druck auf die Konfliktparteien umzuwandeln, die Gewalt aufzugeben und den Kompromiss anzunehmen, der zur Beendigung des Kriegs erforderlich ist.

Erstens sollten die USA, das Vereinigte Königreich, Frankreich und Deutschland ihren politischen und militärischen Einfluss geltend machen, um die gegenwärtige Kriegsstrategie der Koalition zu beenden und die Waffenruhe einzuhalten. Die Aussicht auf Verhandlungen darf nicht zu kurzfristigen Offensiven führen, um weitere Gebiete zu sichern.

Die Entscheidung der deutschen Regierung, aktuell keine weiteren Waffen an Saudi-Arabien auszuliefern, ist ein Schritt in die richtige Richtung. Andere Partner sollten diesem Beispiel folgen – von David Miliband

https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/humanitaere-katastrophe-der-jemen-braucht-jetzt-hilfe/23627296.html

Mein Kommentar: Denkfehler: Iran ist nicht Kriegspartei und im Jemen nicht direkt engagiert, kann also auch bei den Friedensverhandlungen keine Rolle als „kriegspartei“ spielen.

(* B P)

The Houthis have no right to talk about freedom of the press

I was shocked to read – in The Post – the words of a leader of the Houthi rebel group trying to exploit the death of my fellow journalist Jamal Khashoggi. It made me reflect on the journey that I and hundreds of other Yemeni journalists have taken over the past three years.

Yemeni journalists have paid a high price in fighting for freedom of the press in recent decades. They sacrificed their blood to gain their rights, especially during the revolution against former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2011. After Saleh was forced to step down, the Yemeni media landscape blossomed: Dozens of news outlets opened almost overnight. Journalists enjoyed unprecedented freedom — some even began to joke that they didn’t know what to do with all this openness. This golden period continued until the Iranian-backed Houthis conducted a military coup in September 2014. The media immediately became Public Enemy No. 1. In the Houthi narrative, all journalists are spies for the West and enemies of Yemen. The group quickly shut down media outlets that did not fall in line. Hundreds of journalists were kidnapped and tortured, sometimes to death.

As of the end of 2017, 13 journalists were in Houthi custody, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. They have since arrested at least three more that we know of.

It is time for the world to take action. Some in Washington have called on the current administration to stop arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Though this is a vital first step, on its own it will not be enough to stop the war.

The international community should remember that the Saudis are not the only ones responsible. The role of the United Arab Emirates is just as influential and controversial as Saudi Arabia’s, if not more

The Houthis, meanwhile, continue to wage internal war, including a long and devastating siege of the city of Taiz

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/democracy-post/wp/2018/11/12/the-houthis-have-no-right-to-talk-about-freedom-of-the-press

Comment: When key journalist @adammbaron was arrested and detained and deported by the then #Yemen government of Abdo Rabbo Hadi... golden period.

https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/1062317029074632704

(* B K P)

Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen has failed

We should all hope that U.N. talks, led by the able British mediator Martin Griffiths, succeed — but we should also be realistic. Even if the Saudis and their Emirati partners show up ready for compromise, the Iran-backed Houthis, who control much of Yemen today, are sadly unlikely to reciprocate. Having survived years of economic isolation and relentless Saudi bombing, the Houthis know all the pressure is now on the other side. Their Iranian backers, in turn, likely assume they have nothing to gain from compromise either given the Trump administration’s hostility to the Tehran regime. Houthi rejectionism would give the Saudis and Emiratis a pretext to resume the war, possibly including a bloody assault on the port of Hodeidah

The Saudis claim they will have no choice but to escalate the war if they cannot reach an agreement at the talks, but here’s a better alternative: Declare victory and go home. Given all they have invested after three and a half years of war, and their legitimate concerns about Iranian influence and Houthi threats, that might seem irrational, and it would certainly be a bitter pill to swallow. But it would be far better than continuing with a war that has had incalculable humanitarian, financial, strategic and reputational costs for the Saudis but has not remotely advanced their own declared objectives.

In fact, on almost every measure, Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen has failed. Three and a half years after the launch of what was meant to be a quick military operation, the Houthis are stronger than ever; Iran’s influence has only grown; al-Qaeda terrorists remain a major threat; Yemenis are suffering in what may be the worst humanitarian situation on the planet

Bearing these high costs would be more justifiable if there were any realistic hope that staying the course would achieve their goal of restoring the pre-Houthi regime to power, but that is unlikely even in the long run.

For the Saudis, “going home” in Yemen would not mean abandoning the legitimate objectives of limiting Iranian influence or containing threats from Houthis. On the contrary, even if they end the current bombing campaign, there are a number of steps the Saudis could take to defend their national interests and increase their security.

The United States should continue to urge the Saudis to come to peace talks and pursue a negotiated settlement – by Philipp H. Gordon

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2018/11/12/saudi-arabias-war-in-yemen-has-failed = https://www.cfr.org/article/saudi-arabias-war-yemen-has-failed

My comment: This really is a somewhat twisted article. Yes, the Saudi war has failed; yes, the Saudis should stop it. But the geopolitical frame the author limits himself to is odd. The Yemen War had little to do with Saudi “security” from its very beginning, but evidently was a war of aggression. And putting everything under the scale of a supposed Iranian threat is twisted.

(* B H K)

Film: The conflict in Yemen: 'Our goal is to show what’s happening there'

The U.S. is involved in a proxy war in Yemen that has killed at least 10,000, and left more than 22 million in dire need of help. Ali Velshi talks with New York Times contributing writer Robert Worth and photojournalist Lynsey Addario about their eye-opening and heart-wrenching reporting on the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

https://www.msnbc.com/ali-velshi/watch/the-conflict-in-yemen-our-goal-is-to-show-what-s-happening-there-1368542787814

(* B P)

The Yemen war: a proxy sectarian war?

Scholars and policy analysts moved quickly to examine the Yemen war as a by-product of Saudi-Iranian rivalry and another manifestation of a region-wide war between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims. Yet, the crisis in Yemen is more complex; it is neither an international proxy war nor a sectarian confrontation.

First, the Iranian role in Yemen has been exaggerated and even deliberately distorted by the Saudi Kingdom to legitimize its military intervention. The Houthi movement is a tribal group that is rooted in the Yemeni political context, and the group’s decisions and political goals are rooted in its local Yemeni leadership.[2]Some evidence suggests that Iran’s links to the Houthis might have increased at the end of 2014.[3] Yet, this evidence remains suggestive at best. The UN Panel of experts on Yemen has stated in January 2017 that there was ‘no sufficient evidence to confirm any large-scale direct supply of arms from the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran’.[4]

Second, depicting the political struggle in Yemen as a mere sectarian binary is simplistic. Although the Houthi movement belongs to the Zaydi sect, a branch of Shiism, it is wrong to assume that the Yemen crisis is driven by primordial identities.

Instead, the recent crisis in Yemen can be viewed as a civil war between groups in a political struggle, and with international interference. Although sectarianism is alien to Yemeni religious culture, several observers have noticed a growing sectarian polarization in Yemen that relies on borrowing sectarian slurs from the conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. The Houthi movement is often called as ‘Twelver Shiites’, ‘the new Hizballah of the Arabian Peninsula’ or an ‘Iranian puppet’. The Houthis have also used sectarian terms to refer to their opponents, such as takfiris and daeshites.[7]

Iran’s ambitions in Yemen are limited and do not wish to escalate the conflict with Saudi Arabia. Yet, local actors involved in the conflict have an interest in borrowing sectarian narratives to mobilize international support and resources by situating their struggle in the regional meta-narrative. President Hadi has adopted an anti-Shiite narrative in his confrontation with the Houthis to maintain the support from Gulf countries, who perceive the Iranian expansion in the region as the most dangerous threat. The Houthis would like more support from Iran by adopting slurs from the ‘’Twelver Shiite’’ vocabulary and using famous historical symbols, such as the name of Hussein. The Saudi Kingdom is also interested in providing legitimacy for its military operation, especially at home, and sectarianism provides a wide support for the operation. In short, sectarianism in Yemen remains alien to the local culture but has grown as a strategic war narrative used by local and international actors – by May Darwich

https://fpc.org.uk/the-yemen-war-a-proxy-sectarian-war/

(* B K P)

Starving for autonomy: Tawakkol Karman on the current crisis in Yemen

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Tawakkol Karman discusses the ongoing war in Yemen with Communications Coordinator Sumaya Attia and talks about the future of the country outside of foreign intervention.

Tawakkol Karman (TK): ‏First, it is very important to know that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) don’t want this war to end, whether militarily or politically. This war has brought them benefits they didn’t expect since their states came into existence, such as occupation, hegemony and guardianship over Yemen, and destabilizing the Republic of Yemen, which was on the threshold of a fully-fledged federal democratic state.

It is also very important to know that the September 2014 coup d’état led by the deposed President Ali Abdallah Saleh in alliance with the Houthi militia was exploited by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to destabilize the Yemeni state and its legitimacy, which was recognized by the U.N. resolutions and in consensus of the Yemeni people.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE used this coup to justify their military interference in Yemen, and (under the pretext of restoring Yemeni legitimacy) have led a coalition consisting of several Arab countries with American and international support ostensibly to restore the Yemeni government’s legitimacy, regain control over Yemen, return to national consensus, and resume the transition period from where it stopped before, based on the National Dialogue outcomes agreed upon by different Yemeni entities, including the Houthi and Saleh party before the coup.

The Houthis, Ali Abdallah Saleh, or anyone else would not have stood up to this strong coalition and its global support for a few months if the declared goals of supporting the legitimacy were really the main motive behind the Saudi and UAE military intervention in Yemen. However, the truth is that both countries have a hidden agenda to undermine Yemen demographically and geographically through blockade, starvation, airstrikes, ‘militarization,’ and the fragmentation of the country.

While the Yemeni legitimate government was supposed to take over the liberated areas, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have prevented the legitimate authority from returning to Aden, the temporary capital, or any other liberated provinces. They have occupied islands, ports, coasts, and government buildings. Furthermore, they have established and empowered new militias that reject the legitimacy of the Yemeni government. As a result, the Yemeni government’s loyalty lies only with the new occupiers: Saudi Arabia and the UAE. For me, I figured it out early and named them ‘the occupying states,’ and their coalition ‘the coalition of betrayal and treachery’, and their war ‘the war of dismembering Yemen and taking it over.’

(SA): What are the steps toward national reconciliation within Yemen? Do you believe the different parties within Yemen are ready to reconcile?

(TK): Of course, Yemenis are ready and yearn for peace and national reconciliation. Throughout history, they have become involved in many wars and conflicts but, in the end, they have always reconciled.

If the foreign intervention is stopped (the Saudi-Emirati, as well as the Iranian intervention in Yemen) we will not only make peace, but we will also establish a free democratic state, a state of justice and rule of law, and be a strategic partner in maintaining the world’s security and stability.

The steps to achieve national reconciliation need to begin with stopping the war, lifting the siege, and ensuring the Saudi-Emirati withdrawal from the country. Secondly, it is important to form a U.N.-brokered military commission entrusted with removing weapons from all militias so that only the state has the exclusive right to use weapons and build the army. This will help ensure the security and territorial integrity of the country.

It is also essential to resume the political process thwarted by the coup and the war

https://www.brookings.edu/on-the-record/starving-for-autonomy-tawakkol-karman-on-the-current-crisis-in-yemen/

(* B K P)

Jemens Reichtum als Kriegsgrund? Zweiter Versuch

Fragen wir uns noch einmal: Was steckt hinter dem Saudi/Emirati/US/GB-Krieg gegen den Jemen wirklich?

Wer keine Fehler macht, lernt nichts. Ahmed, der Kairoer Taxifahrer und einer der klügsten unter meinen Bekannten, meint, das würde auch für das Nachdenken über Politik gelten. Stellen wir uns also die Frage aus meinem vorigen Jemen-Beitrag (vom 30. Okt 2018: Der wahre Grund des Jemen-Kriegs) noch einmal: Was steckt hinter dem Saudi/Emirati/US/GB-Krieg gegen den Jemen wirklich? Dass diese Frage weiterhin eine offene sein soll, quält mich immer noch - und vielleicht auch einige andere.

Trotzdem: Die an meinem Artikel vorgebrachte Kritik ist zum Teil berechtigt. Durch die zahlreichen Reaktionen hoffentlich etwas gewiefter geworden, stelle ich in diesem neuen Beitrag mein Untersuchungsmikroskop nunmehr entsprechend schärfer ein.

Klärendes zum Grund des Kriegs

Neben Öl ist der Jemen wegen seiner strategischen Lage bedeutsam

Epistemische Asymmetrie

https://www.heise.de/tp/features/Jemens-Reichtum-als-Kriegsgrund-Zweiter-Versuch-4218943.html

(* B K P)

Film: What the media won't tell you about Yemen

An angry Yemenite briefing the situation in Yemen with details the mainstream media fails to address, for reasons shown in the video.. I touch upon the U.S. and Sweden's involvement in the war, and how they plan to create peace negotiations in Sweden to end the war in Yemen. I also address my support for the rightist political party in Sweden. A video of helplessness and a bit of knowledge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ8KztCo4zw

Comment: This is a from the heart and angry message about Yemen from an articulate young Yemeni living in Sweden. I do understand what he is saying and why he is saying it. It really is worth watching. His historical perspective is from a Zaidi viewpoint and he tells his 'truth' - in all conflicts there are alternative 'truths' but the thing is they are often all accurate although they often have opposing views and it's important to listen to views from all 'sides' so that you can understand where the fault lines are, and why each 'side' feels as they do. For me, I feel that I had 'my yemen' too and the loss of it has been so painful. So I do feel the loss that this man feels although obviously not as acute and deep.

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10157143114653641

(* B H K P)

Film: US & UK Not Truly Committed to Ending Saudi ‘Total War’ on Yemen

While the US and UK have called for a ceasefire in Yemen, Col. Larry Wilkerson says they are not truly committed to ending Saudi Arabia’s “total war” on Yemen. Trump and May are saving face after the Khashoggi killing, and the kingdom is still bombing civilian areas with American and British help

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjy4fp4NDHM

(* B K P)

Who Is to Blame for Death and Destruction in Yemen?

Washington - during both the Obama and Trump administrations - has been a co-belligerent with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in the failed war on Yemen.

Of course, that hasn’t stopped Washington from blaming Iran for the death and destruction there!

Discussing the US-backed Saudi invasion of Yemen, Pompeo has just declared Iran to be to blame for the death and destruction in the country!

Pompeo’s silly narrative blaming Iran is built around Saudi allegations that Iran is secretly in league with the Houthis (Ansarullah popular movement) who are resisting their criminal invasion. In practice, Ansarullah has never had more than nominal ties with Iran, and Iranian statements of public support is mostly built on criticizing the Saudis, and calling on the US to end its complicity in Saudi war crimes which has gotten well out of hand.

One of the most visible aspects of such complicity is midair refueling of Saudi warplanes bombing the country. Washington claims this has come to an end which should be good news. But that’s not enough. The US needs to do the next best thing which is ending its diplomatic and military support, including arms sales.

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13970821001168

Remark: From Iran; nevertheless, obviously true.

(B K P)

Explainer: West wants end to Yemen war, but will it happen?

Western powers provided arms and intelligence to the Saudi-led coalition waging war against Houthi insurgents in Yemen for more than three years, despite criticism from rights groups and lawmakers.

They are now pressing for an end to the conflict that has killed more than 10,000 and pushed Yemen to the brink of famine.

British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt is visiting coalition leaders Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates this week to push for an end to hostilities.

Analysts say Riyadh and Abu Dhabi want to end the costly Yemen quagmire, but any peace efforts must overcome deep mistrust on all sides, while the Houthis may see an opportunity to profit from any pressure on the Saudis.

WHY NOW?

The West toughened its stance after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi policy, at Riyadh’s consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.

WILL WESTERN PRESSURE WORK?

The coalition has intensified attacks against the Iranian-aligned Houthi insurgents, aiming to weaken them by focusing on the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, the group’s main supply line.

But Western pressure on Riyadh may give the Houthis an incentive to hang on, analysts say. The group controls populous highlands and the capital Sanaa.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-explainer/explainer-west-wants-end-to-yemen-war-but-will-it-happen-idUSKCN1NH1YO

My comment: Does the West really want to stop the war? And does the West really pressure the Saudis?

Comment: The West SAYS it wants to end the Yemen war. But really it wants to continue to sell weapons and it wants Saudi Arabia to be weakened by war effort so that it can be dominated by US and U.K., and their assets stripped.

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10157143158258641

And

(B K P)

Factbox: Who is fighting in Yemen's disastrous war?

The parties to Yemen’s messy civil war each have their own agenda, making the conflict hard to resolve. Here are some of these groups and what they want:

https://in.reuters.com/article/yemen-security-factbox/factbox-who-is-fighting-in-yemens-disastrous-war-idINKCN1NH1YS

My comment: It’s odd to mention Iran and to omit the US and the UK.

Comment: A sort of run down of the fighting parties but it leaves out some significant actors like Abu Abbas and Islah militias in Taiz and elsewhere, and regional warlords, and in particular the role of Ali Muhsin.

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10157143152438641

(B K P)

US and the end of Yemen War, Washington’s attempt to save Riyadh’s ruling family

James Mattis, US Secretary of Defense in a meeting in Washington also urged all sides involved in the Yemen War to take steps towards peace talks within the next 30 days.
After almost four years of Saudi Arabia led invasion of Yemen, that claimed 30,000 lives of Yemenis, wounded hundreds of thousands, displaced millions, and gave rise to famine and disease, the US has suddenly become concerned and called for peace talks in November in a third country.

Exposure of Khashoggi’s murder and intentional pressure on Saudi Arabia

Today, Al-Saud has become a hated regime by public more than ever before. Despite the unwillingness of great powers to call for punishment of the Saudi leaders, the support for the crimes committed by the Saudi-led coalition against Yemen has is getting harder by day.

It is quite clear to everyone that MBS initiated the ongoing Yemeni on war. Now that all the eyes are on the brutality of the Saudi regime, it is not easy to send weapons to Riyadh, and give them intelligence and logistic support, as well as comprehensive media and political backing, a plan that is to prevent the deterioration of the situation for Riyadh’s rulers.

It seems that Saudi Arabia has not been able to reach the goals that Washington has drawn for it in the Yemeni war.

https://en.mehrnews.com/news/139551/US-and-the-end-of-Yemen-War-Washington-s-attempt-to-save-Riyadh-s

Remark: from Iran.

(* B K P)

West not taking real steps toward peace in Yemen: Activist

Western countries have not taken any real steps to pressure Saudi Arabia to put an end to its military aggression against Yemen after the murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, says an activist, adding that as long as Riyadh enjoys the full support of the United States, UK and France it will continue its war on the impoverished Arab nation.

“We know that Germany and Norway have decided not to sell any weapons to Saudi Arabia but of course we cannot compare the amount of weapons sales by these two countries with the United States, UK and France. All those three countries actually have insisted they will keep selling weapons and this has given a green light to the Saudis that they can continue their war in Yemen,” Hussein al-Bukhaiti told Press TV in an interview on Monday.

“I don’t think the Saudi campaign in Yemen or the aggression on Yemen will stop or even reduce because of Khashoggi’s case but … after the killing of that journalist I am sure that many international media, especially the Washington Post, have realized that they cannot actually take down [Saudi Crown Prince] Mohammed bin Salman or the Saudi regime because of Khashoggi’s case so they have only one way to continue attacking Saudi [and that] is through the case of … Saudi crimes in Yemen,” he added.

https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/11/12/579812/Yemen-Saudi-Arabia-weapon-sales-Khashoggi-murder-war-crimes-media

(* B K P)

Film: An angry Yemenite briefing the situation in Yemen with details the mainstream media fails to address, for reasons shown in the video.. I touch upon the U.S. and Sweden's involvement in the war, and how they plan to create peace negotiations in Sweden to end the war in Yemen. I also address my support for the rightist political party in Sweden. A video of helplessness and a bit of knowledge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ8KztCo4zw

Comment: You should watch this young Yemeni's honest take about what's what. He also sings a song he wrote: 'Nobody Gives A Fuck About Yemen'

https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/1061958188172484608

(* B K P)

The Mangel-wurzel, monster of endless war

What would it take to rein in the monster, to break the cycle of endless war?

The response after World War Two was to set up the UN Security Council for “the maintenance of international peace and security”. Yet its permanent members and veto holders – the United States, France, China, Russia and the United Kingdom – are now five of the world’s top six arms exporters. The Council “calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means” even as its permanent members are busy selling the tools of death. And when one of the permanent members decides to use its veto, as Russia has done consistently with resolutions on Syria, there is no way the Council can make a difference.

When the permanent members want to act, the Council can be effective – imposing sanctions, sending in peacekeepers and even authorising the use of force against recalcitrant regimes. But it was set up primarily to prevent conflict between one nation and another; it stumbles when crises take place within nations, even if they are thinly disguised proxy wars. The Yemen war is such a conflict.

How could we bust out of this sickening cycle in which wars effectively happen because the Security Council lets them happen? I can think of two answers.

One is to fix the Security Council, by widening the permanent membership to make it more representative and by limiting or abandoning the use of the veto. Most countries – including Britain, Russia and France – agree on the first idea. The new permanent members most commonly mentioned are Brazil, Germany, India and Japan. But each of those countries faces one or more outspoken rivals. As for the veto, the current permanent members are likely to use their veto to prevent any change to their veto.

Which brings me to the second idea. Perhaps it’s not up to the Security Council. Perhaps it’s up to us.

“I think the Saudis have learned what they can get away with in Yemen — that Western tolerance for pretty bad behaviour is quite high,” the Yemen specialist Peter Salisbury told The New York Times. That may be true of Western governments, but is it true of their citizens? Do we really think it’s OK that crimes against humanity are being perpetrated hourly in Yemen?

Some people just don’t care, and never will. The experts call it moral disengagement, and its current champions seem to be Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. But the vast majority of the public see war as unnecessary. One study showed that only 20% of young people in the United States and 9% in five European countries thought war was necessary.

“There is a disconnect between public opinion and the policies and actions of states and armed groups,” the International Committee of the Red Cross found in 2016 when it surveyed public attitudes to war. “Violations of the laws of war – including the targeting of civilians, humanitarian workers and hospitals – continue. Yet the survey results clearly show that the majority of people understand that these practices are wrong and that civilians and health-care workers and facilities must be protected.”

Many non-governmental organisations work in Yemen (and every other war zone), and/or report on what is happening there. They speak up and sometimes get governments to take notice, but individually their voices struggle to be heard. Collectively – and tapping into their large number of individual donors – they could shame governments into action.

There is also a need to reconnect public opinion with the facts about civilian deaths in war. A recent poll in Britain showed that 42% of the public didn’t even know about the war in Yemen.

The news media could do a much better job, right from the outset of deadly conflicts.

https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/11-11-2018/the-mangel-wurzel-monster-of-endless-war/

(* B K P)

Yemen’s blockade runners: How Yemenis are fighting imperialism

A wolf in sheep's clothing, the US has over the past decades become a grand master of deception - the promoter and instigator of abject violence in the name of neo-imperialism and its sister in arms, capitalism.

To better carve itself an empire and assert its hegemonic ambitions the US has exploited its regional alliances in the Middle East, calling on its vassal states: Saudi Arabia and the GCC countries to play by its rule and to its tune.

Whether directly or indirectly, Washington has had a hand in the demise of Yemen and its people, slowly engineering this poorest country's sectarian remapping while advocating democracy-building and the war on terror.

Just like in Syria, Iraq, Bahrain and Libya, Yemen has been selected for socio-political and ethno-sectarian engineering.

Tighe Barry, activist with the CODEPINK in Washington said: "Yemen is the Gaza Strip of the Arab Peninsula. It is inconceivable that the United States would help the largest violator of human rights to destroy the poor people of Yemen.

The US has also turned a blind eye to Saudi Arabia's humanitarian blocus on Yemen.

Led in Yemen by Fatik Al Rodaini, the Mona Relief organization has run Saudi Arabia’s blockade, distributing humanitarian aid in those areas the kingdom purposely locked out in the name of sectarianism.

Several millions of Yemen’s poorest and most vulnerable have been profiled by Riyadh, condemned to starve and wither away for their faith does not meet Wahhabis’ religious seal of approval. Those are the stories mainstream media has refused to run as they paint a reality the public will unlikely tolerate.

Ostracized by imperial Saudi Arabia for they dared remain true to their traditions, the Zaidis (Shia Muslims) of Yemen are fighting for more than just their land. They are fighting for their spiritual survival. Not longer just another power-hungry colonial power, Saudi Arabia has become a genocidal monster, a force which intends to annihilate Shia Islam by systematically targeting its people, exploiting its political alliances and immense wealth for cover – by Catherine Shakdam

https://ahtribune.com/human-rights/114-yemen-blockade-fighting-imperialism.html

cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation

Siehe / Look at cp1

(* B H)

Film: Der Hunger ist so groß, dass die Menschen Blätter essen

Millionen Jemeniten droht der Hungertod. Besonders schlimm ist die Lage in der Hafenstadt Hudaida. Anruf bei Makkia Ahmad-Mahdi, Leiterin einer Krankenstation im Hinterland.

http://www.spiegel.de/video/jemen-humanitaere-lage-ist-katastrophal-video-99022599.html

(B H)

Film: Maud Bellon Leiterin der HI-Programme im Jemen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXSYZy951vk

(A H)

In partnership with @DirectRelief, @YemenAid_US has successfully delivered shipment of medical supplies to #Yemen’s Aden port. Specifically, they will be used for patients through public health facilities in western coast of Al-Khokha district, Hodeidah (photos)

https://twitter.com/YemenAid_US/status/1062409606113181702

(A H)

Turkish agency distributes aid in war-torn Yemen

Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation provides aid to 13,255 civilians in western Yemen

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/todays-headlines/turkish-agency-distributes-aid-in-war-torn-yemen/1309988

(* B H K P)

Massensterben fernab der Weltöffentlichkeit

Im Frühjahr 2015 glaubte Saudi-Arabien, eine kurze Angriffswelle würde ihre Feinde im Nachbarland Jemen schnell vernichten. Dreieinhalb Jahre später haben die Huthi-Rebellen, die als Verbündete des Erzfeindes Iran gelten, noch nicht aufgegeben. Zehntausende Zivilisten und Zivilistinnen verloren seither ihr Leben, Millionen droht der Hungertod.

Nach vier Jahren der Verheerungen steuert der Krieg im Jemen auf einen neuen Höhepunkt zu: die entscheidende Schlacht um die Hafenstadt Hudaida am Roten Meer, wo die meisten Importe und internationalen Hilfslieferungen umgeschlagen werden.

Riad findet Verbündete

Tod und Verwüstung

Inzwischen hat der Krieg einen Großteil des Jemen in Brachland verwandelt, nach groben Schätzungen wurden bisher zwischen 10.000 und 60.000 Menschen im Kampf getötet, deutlich mehr dürften an Hunger und Krankheiten gestorben sein. Die Huthis haben einen Großteil des einst eroberten Territoriums wieder verloren, doch ihr Kampfeswille hat sich nur noch gestärkt. Sie kontrollieren ihren Einflussbereich mit kriminellen Methoden, erpressen Geld mit Entführungen, unterdrücken jeden Widerspruch.

Der Aufstieg der Huthis kann als fatale Reaktion auf die Langzeittaktik Saudi-Arabiens verstanden werden, den armen Nachbarstaat möglichst instabil zu halten und ihm seine ultrakonservative Auslegung des Islam aufzuoktroyieren. Diese Politik könnte nun die schlimmsten Befürchtungen der Saudis wahr machen, schrieb die „New York Times“: Huthi-Offizielle hätten erklärt, Taktiken des Vietcong studiert zu haben und den Krieg bis zum Untergang des Hauses Saud führen zu wollen.

Warum im Westen so wenig von der größten humanitären Katastrophe der Gegenwart die Rede ist, beantwortete Susanne Krüger, Geschäftsführerin der Hilfsorganisation Save the Children, im Interview mit N-tv.de so

Militärexperten halten den Tankstopp freilich für „nicht ausreichend“, um Saudi-Arabien unter Druck zu setzen. Auch die Verschiebung des zunächst für Mitte November geplanten Waffenstillstandes auf Ende des Jahres zeige, dass Washington seinen Verbündeten im Jemen noch immer freie Hand lässt. In diesem Krieg wird es keine Gewinner geben – und der Westen wird erklären müssen, warum er jahrelang die Augen vor einer historischen Katastrophe verschlossen hielt.

https://orf.at/stories/3100389/

(B H)

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: Yemen: Commodity Tracker (as of 12 November 2018)

Key Points

One year since the Nov. 2017 blockade food and fuel imports have declined and only one containerized shipped was permitted to offload at Hudaydah.

Since Nov. 2017, food imports are meeting 78% of estimated national food requirements, on average each month, an a decline of 2% from Sept. and 18% below the pre-blockade average.

Fuel imports are meeting less than one-quarter of estimated national fuel requirements, with no change to the average since Sept., but still 6% below the pre-blockade period.

Since the blockade, on average 20 vessels are berthing and discharging at Hudaydah and Saleef, a 41% reduction from the pre-blockade the average of 35 vessels.

There is a 35% decline in vessel clearance requests (26) compared to pre-blockade average of 40 vessels.

In October 2018, food imports declined 53% while fuel imports rose 19% from September levels.

As of 12 November four vessels carrying 52,835 metric tons of fuel are being denied permission by EHOC, at the request of the GoY. This cargo is equivalent to 42 percent of the post blockade monthly average (Nov 17 to Oct 18). All four of these vessels have been inspected in Djibouti and issued UNVIM clearance certificates.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-commodity-tracker-12-november-2018

(* B H)

Yemeni families in dire straits

For the past two months, Fardous Hamran has only been able to give her two children a single meal a day. Relying on food handouts from friends, the 39-year-old manages to feed her 9-year-old son, Sam and 7-year-old daughter, Mayar, a simple meal of traditional Yemeni lahooh bread plus yogurt. Her children are losing weight fast – Sam has lost 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) within a matter of months.

"I am scared to death thinking that my children will be next to be shown on TV as malnourished children," she admitted from her home in the capital, Sanaa.

For Safia Abduh, a mother of five, the days in which she packed her children off to school are becoming a distant memory. Her husband, a worker at the Electricity Ministry was among the 500,000 civil servants and government workers whose salaries weren't paid for two years. Unable to pay the tuition fees for their children's private education, they transferred them to a nearby public school.

Two years on, after her husband became one of the victims of the ongoing cholera epidemic, two of Abduh's children are now the main breadwinners in the family. Fifteen-year-old Samir earns less than 1,500 Yemeni rial (€5) a day, for eight hours of work at a plantation for khat, a plant chewed by millions of Yemenis, in the suburbs of Sanaa.

His 13-year-old brother, Fadhel, spends his days collecting empty plastic bottles from streets and dumpsters and selling them to recycling plants in the city. Between them, they struggle to make €132 a month.

For their 46-year-old mother, their decision to leave school was heart-breaking, but she knew they had no choice. "When they broke the news to me about dropping out of school, I could not stop them," she said. "There are three other children in need of food."

Abduh and Hamran's stories are not unique in Yemen today. Rather, they are becoming the norm in a country where the UN says the crisis has become the worst in the world.

Around 22 million Yemenis, or 75 percent of the population, are in dire need of food, water and medical supplies and nearly 2 million children are severely malnourished.

The country's economy has been hit particularly hard by the war – by Gouri Sharma and Mohamed Hussein

https://en.qantara.de/content/bearing-the-brunt-of-the-war-yemeni-families-in-dire-straits

(* B H)

No end in sight for disastrous war on Yemen

Nov. 7 — This week, as before, the war in Yemen is not on the agenda of the U.N. Security Council. At the internet portal Relief Web, an information service of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the war-torn country only makes it to sixth place on the “hit list” of international crises and disasters.

Every year 30,000 children die because they do not get enough to eat; due to malnutrition they are also susceptible to diseases, said Cappelaere. There is not just one Amal in Yemen, “there are many thousands.”

In Yemen, 1.8 million children suffer acute malnutrition and 400,000 face death daily. Forty percent of them live in the province of Hodeida and in neighbouring regions, where the war is raging at its worst. According to the UNICEF coordinator, only one hospital is still in operation there. The Al-Thawra hospital is less than two kilometers (1.24 miles) from the front – Overview, by Karin Leukefeld

https://www.workers.org/2018/11/12/no-end-in-sight-for-disastrous-war-on-yemen/

(* B H)

International Organization for Migration: IOM Provides Mental Health Services and Safe Spaces for Vulnerable Yemeni Families

The protracted conflict and subsequent displacement has also halted the education of nearly two million children, that the Ministry of Education and UNICEF estimate, are not attending school. Recognising the need for children to have a safe place to play, IOM has established 31 Child Friendly Spaces in Yemen.

IOM safe spaces allow children a respite from conflict – a place to play, learn and regain a sense of normalcy. Children participate in a variety of activities including games, artwork, puppet theatre, and storytelling. More than 170,000 girls and 230,000 boys have been served in centres operating in Aden and Sana’a to date.

Since March 2016, IOM has provided community based psychosocial support to nearly 400,000 children that utilize these spaces. More than half of these children have been displaced from their homes and live in informal sites throughout the country.

According to Anwar Al- Shami from IOM Yemen, “Our teams have learned of several incidents of child suicide, sexual and labour exploitation, family separation and recruitment since the war broke out in Yemen. We are striving to provide a safe place where children and families feel supported.”

IOM staff psychologists have provided more than 100,000 psychosocial consultations for children and their guardians the CFSs since 2016. IOM also provides MHPSS in 61 health facilities across the country.

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/iom-provides-mental-health-services-and-safe-spaces-vulnerable-yemeni-families

cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees

(B H)

International Organization for Migration: Cross Border Movements - Somalia (October 2018)

To Yemen: 5,072; from Yemen: 245.

https://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/cross-border-movements-somalia-october-2018

(* B H)

Yemen: Emergency Tracking Tool Report #15 - Displacement from Al Hudaydah (1 June to 06 November 2018)

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-emergency-tracking-tool-report-15-displacement-al-hudaydah-1-june-06-november

cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis

(A P)

Murder in Yemen’s Hamdan Leads to Tribal Revolt against Houthis

The al-Hattab tribe in the Hamdan region north of the Yemeni capital Sanaa revolted against the Iran-backed Houthi militias after they murdered one of the locals.
Local sources and witnesses told Asharq Al-Awsat that the militias raided a wedding in Hamdan under the pretense of cracking down on guests who had fired gunshots into the air in celebration.
The Houthis promptly arrested the groom, identified as Amer Ali Hadi al-Hattabi, and his father, before the situation escalated and left the groom dead at one of the Houthi-controlled police stations in the Darwan region.
His death sparked clashes between the residents of the Hattab village with the Houthis.
The sources said that two Houthis and four villagers were killed, amid tribal pleas in Hamdan for assistance in putting an end to the militia aggression.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1460676/murder-yemen%E2%80%99s-hamdan-leads-tribal-revolt-against-houthis

Remark: By a Saudi news site.

(A P)

Yemen defections hint at Al Houthi collapse

Yemeni government seeks to build on battleground headway to encourage militia’s breakup

Recent high-ranking defections among erstwhile allies of Al Houthis signal further such splits as the Iran-aligned militia suffers setbacks at the hands of the Saudi-led coalition, experts said.

His defection came days after Abdullah Al Hamadi, who used to serve as deputy education minister in the so-called Al Houthi government, defected and also escaped to Saudi Arabia.

“The growing defections in Al Houthi ranks show their allies are jumping from the militia’s sinking ship,” said Adnan Mansour, a Yemeni analyst living in Cairo. “In fact, Al Houthis started losing trust among their allies inside Yemen after they killed former president Ali Abdullah Saleh,” Mansour told Gulf News.

Last December, Al Houthis gunned down Saleh after he fell out with them and switched alliance to the Arab coalition.

“Since then, Al Houthis have gradually lost political covering, which is exposed with every new defection,” added Mansour.

“Another reason behind these defections is the realisation among many senior supporters inside Yemen that Al Houthis’ days are numbered, in view of their successive defeats on the ground — especially in their strongholds of Hodeida and Saada,” Mansour added.

https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/yemen/yemen-defections-hint-at-al-houthi-collapse-1.60322501

My comment: From the Emirates, thus quite biased.

(A P)

Two people killed in clashes between Houthis and tribal militants north of Sanaa

Local sources told Al-Masdar online that the al-Houthi gunmen kidnapped Hamid Ali Hadi after he disputed the dowry case concerning his son's marriage and drove him to the Al-Muammar area under their control.

According to the sources, immediately after the arrival of the groom to demand the release of his father, the Houthis shot him and killed him, prompting tribal gunmen from the al-Hattab area to go to the security station and arrest the accused of murder, after which clashes broke out between them and the Houthi militants

http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160909

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

(A P)

The leadership of the “Islah” in the hospitality of the "Arch ally". Beyond the sudden appearance of Al- Yadumi and Ansi in Abu Dhabi?

The emergence of the Yemeni Islah Party “Islah” leadership at a dinner held in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi in honor of welcoming the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to the British Foreign Secretary has sparked a wide debate on social media pages.

The meeting is not the first to be held between the leadership of the Islah and the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, but the secrecy of the visit made it appear to be controversial, especially after the wave of tacit and announced hostility from Abu Dhabi towards the Islah party, which is included in the list of currents of the Muslim Brotherhood and included in the war waged by The UAE is on the community in a number of Arab countries.

The television footage of the Islahleadership meeting of the arch-ally was striking and raised wide-ranging ques

http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160961

and

(A P)

KSA backed #Yemen Islah leaders are in Abu Dhabi and UAE backed Southern Transitional (STC) leaders are in Riyadh. What is the coalition up to?

https://ad-sinistram.blogspot.com/2015/09/die-armutsgefahrdung-die-von-oben.html

(A K P)

Yemen Chief of Staff Announces Naval Drills with South Korea

Yemen’s new Chief of Staff Abdullah Al-Nakhi announced on Monday that his country’s naval forces will hold drills with their South Korean counterpart in regional water off the Nishtun port.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that Seoul’s agreement to hold the drills is a message to the world that the Yemeni regional waters were almost secure.
He therefore, called on navies throughout the world to cooperate with Yemeni forces to rehabilitate their units to allow them to protect regional waters from terrorist acts and smuggling operations.
The “Red Star” drills will take place in January, he said.

Nakhi also spoke of military cooperation between Yemeni, American, British and French forces, as well as the Saudi-led Arab coalition, in training his country’s troops.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1460561/exclusive-yemen-chief-staff-announces-naval-drills-south-korea

My comment: In war time, this sounds strange.

(A P)

Al-Houthi Spy Cell Supporting Terrorist and Sabotage Acts Arrested in Abian

https://en.smanews.org/al-houthi-spy-cell-supporting-terrorist-and-sabotage-acts-arrested-in-abian

My comment: UAE-backed separatist militia are propagated as guaranteeing “law and order”.

(A P)

Al-Gaadi Accuses Corrupt Powers of “Maashik Legitimacy” of Surrendering Dumt Back to Al-Houthis

FAdler Al-Gaadi, member of the Southern Transitional Council’s presidency, accused the corrupt power of “Maashik Legitimacy”, controlled by Muslim Brotherhood, with causing Dumt, north of Al-Dalia, to fall back at the hands of Al-Houthis after being liberated.
In post on his official page on Face Book, Al-Gaadi said that recent decisions of appointing a new minister of defense and new chief of staff who are loyal to these corrupt powers led to the fall of Dumt

https://en.smanews.org/al-gaadi-accuses-corrupt-powers-of-maashik-legitimacy-of-surrendering-dumt-back-to-al-houthis

My comment: Separatists blame the Hadi government and its new prime minister Maashik.

cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks

Siehe / Look at cp1b (Informal ceasefire at Hodeidah)

(A K P)

Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen; The Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Yemen welcomes reports of reduction of hostilities in Hudaydah

The Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, welcomes reports of a reduction of hostilities in and around Hudaydah city. Griffiths stresses that de-escalation is a crucial step to prevent further humanitarian suffering, and to build a more enabling environment for the political process.

“I call upon all parties to the conflict to show continued restraint. The people of Yemen have suffered enough. I am confident that the parties are ready to work on a political solution and am encouraged by the constructive engagement received from all sides. The logistical preparations are under way to prepare for the upcoming round of consultations. We are in a position to move forward.”

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/special-envoy-secretary-general-yemen-welcomes-reports-reduction-hostilities-hudaydah

(* A P)

Ein kleiner Hoffnungsschimmer für Jemen?

Die Saudi haben eingewilligt, verletzte Huthi-Kämpfer zu evakuieren. Damit steigen die Chancen, dass die geplanten Friedensgespräche in Stockholm doch stattfinden. Menschenrechtler fordern jedoch konkrete Schritte, die der Zivilbevölkerung zugute kommen.

Der britische Aussenminister Jeremy Hunt reiste am Montag zu Gesprächen nach Abu Dhabi und anschliessend nach Riad, um die Verbündeten zu Zugeständnissen gegenüber den Huthi-Rebellen im Vorfeld der geplanten Verhandlungen in Stockholm zu bewegen.

Zumindest in einem Punkt gelang ihm ein Durchbruch. So willigte die saudische Führung in die Evakuierung von bis zu fünfzig verletzten Huthi-Kämpfern ein. Daran war der letzte Anlauf des Uno-Sondergesandten Martin Griffiths für Gespräche im September gescheitert. Das Militärbündnis erlaube der Uno eine medizinische Evakuierung der Huthi zu beaufsichtigen, erklärte Hunt am Dienstag.Die Kämpfer könnten im Vorfeld der geplanten Friedensgespräche in Schweden Ende des Monats nach Oman evakuiert werden.

Hunt bezeichnete das saudische Zugeständnis als vertrauensbildende Massnahme. Die Aussichten auf Gespräche, um den verheerenden Krieg zu beenden seien durch «die Ausräumung des grössten Hindernisses» realistischer, erklärte Hunt.

https://www.nzz.ch/international/ein-kleiner-hoffnungsschimmer-fuer-jemen-ld.1436247

(* A P)

Film: Why the West is now pushing for peace in Yemen

Western powers provided arms and intelligence to the Saudi-led coalition waging war against Houthi insurgents in Yemen for more than three years, now they are pressing for an end to the conflict.

https://uk.reuters.com/video/2018/11/13/why-the-west-is-now-pushing-for-peace-in?rpc=401&videoId=482631591&feedType=VideoRSS&feedName=LatestVideosUK&rpc=401&videoChannel=117759

(* A P)

Yemen peace hopes rise as wounded Houthis cleared to leave Yemen

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the move made prospects for peace talks later this month more real

The Arab coalition has given assurances that 50 wounded Houthi fighters can be evacuated to Oman for medical treatment as part of a package of confidence-building measures to clear the way for peace talks in Sweden later this month, the UK government said on Tuesday.

The move was announced after British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt travelled to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi for talks this week to try to eliminate the problems that led to the failure of talks in Geneva in September.

The issue of medical evacuations was one of the key stumbling blocks for those talks, which were abandoned after a Houthi delegation failed to show up. Saudi agreement for the removal of the wounded fighters is subject to conditions on who would travel with them, said Mr Hunt.

Mr Hunt said the Houthi rebels needed to do their part by ending missile and drone strikes against Saudi Arabia. “Those two are the things that provoke some of these strikes,” he said.

https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/yemen-peace-hopes-rise-as-wounded-houthis-cleared-to-leave-yemen-1.791372

My comment: The last sentence quoted here might understand who wants – I don’t.

Comment: This is but one of the "confidence building meaures". Important to note that this will have little impact on catastrophic medical conditions in #Yemen as evacuation priority is for Houthi leaders/fighters, and even then but for a few dozen wounded, and NOT the general public.

https://twitter.com/omeisy/status/1062303415143940096

(* A P)

Britain's Hunt says real prospect for Yemen peace talks but situation still desperate

British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt on Tuesday said prospects for talks to end Yemen’s nearly four-year-old war were “more real” after Saudi Arabia confirmed its willingness to evacuate 50 wounded Houthi fighters to Oman for medical treatment.

“It is a desperate humanitarian situation and so I impressed on everyone the urgency of the situation we’re facing,” he told Reuters in an interview after meeting leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in a trip to both countries’ capitals.

Hunt also said he believes there will be “rapid progress” in bringing to justice the people responsible for last month’s murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and expects to hear something about those legal proceedings “quite shortly”.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-khashoggi-britain-hunt/britains-hunt-says-real-prospect-for-yemen-peace-talks-but-situation-still-desperate-idUSKCN1NH2MM

and also, more details: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-khashoggi-britain-exclusive/exclusive-britains-hunt-sees-prospect-for-yemen-talks-news-on-khashoggi-inquiry-idUSKCN1NH1AU

(* A P)

Saudi-led coalition to allow Houthi medical evacuations from Yemen, UK says

The announcement comes following a visit from British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt

The Saudi-led coalition will allow medical evacuations for Houthi rebels from Yemen, Britain's Foreign Office announced on Tuesday.

The coalition will allow the UN to oversee the transportation of up to 50 wounded fighters to Oman for medical treatment ahead of peace talks in Sweden.

This has been a stumbling block to peace in Yemen, along with the release of prisoners, which UN envoy Martin Griffiths discussed with the Yemeni foreign minister on Monday.

"Coalition forces will now permit the UN to oversee a Houthi medical evacuation, including up to 50 wounded fighters, to Oman ahead of another proposed round of peace talks in Sweden later this month," Britain's foreign ministry said.

It follows British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt's trip to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi this week.

In a statement, Mr Hunt thanked the UAE and Saudi Arabia for their co-operation, saying there was a "window of opportunity" to tackle the humanitarian disaster in Yemen.

https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/saudi-led-coalition-to-allow-houthi-medical-evacuations-from-yemen-uk-says-1.791372

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UN envoy and Yemeni Foreign Minister discuss release of prisoners from Houthi jails

Martin Griffiths and Khaled Al Yamani also discussed a political solution to the conflict

The United Nations special envoy to Yemen and the country's foreign minister discussed plans to secure the release of prisoners from Houthi controlled jails at a meeting in Riyadh on Monday.

Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled Al Yamani briefed the UN envoy on the progress in releasing all of the prisoners captured by Houthi rebels, the pro-government Saba news agency reported.

The release of prisoners is seen as the first step in building trust between the internationally recognised Yemeni government and the Houthi militants.

It is unclear if they discussed the release of Houthi prisoners.

Mr Yamani and Mr Griffiths also discussed confidence-building measures and ending the humanitarian crisis in the country.

https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/un-envoy-and-yemeni-foreign-minister-discuss-release-of-prisoners-from-houthi-jails-1.791306

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"There’s a total abdication of the UN Security Council on #Yemen, not because of the body itself which has all the necessary tools, but because of the lack of common sense and common dignity from its members" @BrunoStagno @hrw speaking at #ParisPeaceForum

https://twitter.com/BenJeannerod/status/1062026870399602694

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Exclusive: Britain's Hunt sees prospect for Yemen talks, news on Khashoggi inquiry

British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt on Tuesday said prospects for talks to end Yemen’s 3-1/2-year-old war were “more real” after Saudi Arabia confirmed to him its willingness to evacuate 50 wounded Houthi fighters as a confidence-building measure.

Following meetings in Riyadh with the Saudi king and crown prince - the main proponent of Saudi military intervention in Yemen - Hunt also said he anticipated “rapid progress” in bringing to justice those responsible for last month’s murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

“I was led to believe that certainly the legal processes are going to be starting very soon indeed and we should hear something about that quite shortly,” Hunt told Reuters in an interview.

Hunt’s trip, which included a meeting in the United Arab Emirates with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, comes as Riyadh, already under scrutiny for civilian deaths in Yemen air strikes, is facing global criticism and potential sanctions over Khashoggi’s killing inside its Istanbul consulate on Oct. 2.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-khashoggi-britain-exclusive/exclusive-britains-hunt-sees-prospect-for-yemen-talks-news-on-khashoggi-inquiry-idUSKCN1NH1AU

and by the Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/nov/12/uk-dials-up-pressure-on-saudis-and-uae-in-yemen-ceasefire-bid

My comment: Britain is a close ally to Saudi Arabia and a co-warring party in Yemen. When Hunt now plays the role of peace broker, this is a hypocritical chamouflage. – If the Guardian even headlines: “UK increases pressure on Saudis and UAE in Yemen ceasefire bid“ this is misleading the reader.

And

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Prospect for Yemen talks rise as Saudi agrees to evacuate Houthis

Saudi Arabia confirms to UK minister willingness to evacuate 50 wounded fighters as a confidence-building measure.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt on Tuesday said prospects for talks to end Yemen's devastating war were "more real" after Saudi Arabia confirmed to him its willingness to evacuate 50 wounded Houthi fighters as a confidence-building measure.

The evacuation of Houthi fighters, which Hunt said would have conditions about who travels with them, was a Houthi condition for peace talks that collapsed in September after the armed group's delegation failed to show up.

"If this unblocks that, then that makes the prospect of those peace talks happening more real and that will be very important," Hunt said.

"It's about confidence-building measures on both sides, but certainly [from] the people I've spoken to today, there is a real willingness to engage in those."

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/prospect-yemen-talks-rise-saudi-agrees-evacuate-houthis-181113013158601.html

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Destruction of Yemen's Hodeida port would be 'catastrophic': UN chief

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned Monday that the destruction of the Yemeni port of Hodeida, a vital lifeline for millions of starving civilians, could trigger a "catastrophic" situation.

"If the port at Hodeida is destroyed, that could create an absolutely catastrophic situation," Guterres told France Inter radio during a trip to Paris.

Yemen is already facing a "disastrous" humanitarian situation, Guterres said, adding: "The hostilities must stop."

The Saudi-led coalition currently "appears determined to take Hodeida, which in my opinion will still not allow the real start of a political solution", Guterres said.

"The fighting must stop, a political debate must begin, and we must prepare a massive humanitarian response to avoid the worst next year."

"There is already a framework for a solution which has been presented to the different parties," he said.

"The early reaction has been relatively positive but in my opinion things are frozen due to the Hodeida situation."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-6379883/Destruction-Yemens-Hodeida-port-catastrophic-UN-chief.html

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Yemen's former prime minister says peace deal still possible

The UN plans to hold peace talks at the end of the year

“If they delay the peace process [again], then they will lose everything and the international community will deal with them as a terrorist organisation just like ISIS,” Mr Bahah told The National on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate (ADSD) conference.

“They will be categorised as a terrorist group because of the chaos and destruction they have caused in Yemen,” Mr Bahah said, adding that there was still an opportunity for a political solution.

Mr Bahah said that he is optimistic about upcoming talks, considering that a preliminary framework for a potential solution is already in place.

“The environment for talks is positive considering that we have a draft constitution that the Houthis have agreed to and signed three years ago,” he said. “We won’t start all over again, even if the Houthis came to the negotiation table…we have (already) agreed on a political outline,” he said.

If rebels fail to show up, Mr Bahah said that the Yemeni government has drafted a proposal for a political settlement that will be unilaterally presented to the UN. However, he called on all sides of the conflict to ensure that Houthi rebels do participate in the next round of talks. Their absence, he said, would botch attempts to broker a solution to the conflict.

https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/yemen-s-former-prime-minister-says-peace-deal-still-possible-1.791088

My comment: Which role does Bahah actually play? Does Hadi want to reactivate him? – Bahah’s anti-Houthi propaganda is not helpful. A great part of the chaos he mentions is due to the Saudi war.

cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia

Siehe / Look at cp1

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Saudi king to tour northern region, address Shura Council next week

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman will resume a domestic tour and make an annual address to the Shura Council next week, as the country grapples with its worst political crisis in a generation over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-politics/saudi-king-to-tour-northern-region-address-shura-council-next-week-idUSKCN1NI0Z9

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Media Silent as Another Journalist is Tortured to Death by Saudi Arabia

A Saudi journalist was arrested and tortured to death after authorities claimed he administered a Twitter account which disclosed human rights violations committed by Saudi authorities and the royal family.

Saudi journalist and writer Turki Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Jasser has died after being tortured while in prison, the New Khaleej recently reported.

The news outlet cited human rights sources, claiming 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 the royal family.

According to the sources, Saudi authorities used moles in Twitter’s offices in Dubai to identify the journalist as the account’s administrator.

These Twitter moles are considered part of an alleged “Saudi Cyber Army,” established by Saud Al-Qahtani, a former aide of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In a tweet, Al-Qahtani has said that the fake names on Twitter would not protect those behind the accounts from the Saudi authorities.

https://www.mintpressnews.com/media-silent-another-journalist-tortured-death-saudi-arabia/251588/

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Saudi crown prince loses his lustre over Khashoggi case

Mohammed bin Salman faces scrutiny as journalist’s disappearance ends era of western indulgence

For three years, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been creating waves across the Middle East seemingly unchecked as he has shaken up the conservative kingdom and pursued an assertive foreign policy.

But the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi journalist, may mark the end of indulgence for Prince Mohammed, who finds his increasingly authoritarian rule under unprecedented scrutiny.

A former diplomat to the region said the reputational damage to the 33-year-old was “irreparable”. “The Saudis need a ladder to climb down, but even if they find a ladder, they can’t ignore that this is the system that Mohammed bin Salman built,” the former diplomat said. “They need to fix the system, but at the heart of this they will still have a reputationally damaged crown prince.”

Until now, western governments and executives had mostly been willing to ignore human rights issues. But that dramatically changed in the wake of the disappearance of such a high-profile figure.

Inside the kingdom, where a critical tweet risks imprisonment, the media has rushed to the government’s side, blaming rival powers such as Qatar, and casting doubts over the Turkish allegations. Some believe one incident will not alter Prince Mohammed’s course.

“The direction of the country, what Mohammed bin Salman is thinking about, will not be affected, at least in the short run,” said Saeed al-Wahabi, a Saudi writer. “The poor public image will continue for months, even years, but for the long run the ultimate justification . . . is we are moving towards change and we are not the conservative, no-action Saudi Arabia any longer.” But the concentration of power around Prince Mohammed has alarmed some Saudis.

King Salman now appears to be asserting himself to manage the crisis, acting as “a shock absorber for the system”, the former diplomat said.

“We know there is pressure [from within the family] already on King Salman because they don’t like Prince Mohammed, but are they powerful or not? I don’t know,” said Yahya Assiri, a Saudi human rights activist. “The pressure from the west will make the difference, not from inside the kingdom, because nothing protects the regime except the west.”

https://www.ft.com/content/e405be08-d0ad-11e8-a9f2-7574db66bcd5?fbclid=IwAR2rV_9d9AhiZfS7dqFTJfeSCITCjhodSl7Z7-UXFU4sJbwyn8ZnE6gGNZw

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Saudi crown prince faces attempts to rein in his powers

Impulsive decisions and Khashoggi affair make crown prince a high risk for western allies

Mohammed bin Salman’s authority is under threat as the Saudi crown prince faces domestic attempts to curb his wide-ranging powers in the wake of the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to western officials. The officials said Prince Mohammed’s ailing father, King Salman, would like to restrain some of his son’s decision-making authority in response to the death of Khashoggi at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul. The western officials described “reckless” Prince Mohammed as a power-hungry young man seeking domination of his country and the broader region, but added that despite unease about him inside and outside the kingdom he was likely to remain in his position as heir-apparent.

Prince Mohammed’s impulsive decisions, from the apparent abduction of the Lebanese prime minister and the bloody war on Yemen, to the Qatar boycott and now the Khashoggi affair, have made him a high risk for western allies, who regard the kingdom as a bedrock of regional stability and a bulwark against Iran. King Salman has already curbed his son’s enthusiastic backing for the White House’s Middle East peace plan deemed too tough on the Palestinians. He may now expand the circle of influence in Riyadh beyond Prince Mohammed’s cabal of advisers, the western officials said. But one person close to the government denied plans for any such changes.

https://www.ft.com/content/2f853996-e5d3-11e8-8a85-04b8afea6ea3?fbclid=IwAR2eg45WZBW0M87km--_DDzrXr4dI4rHRAW0Ge1wGP7GAqHwIGdR5C0VQIA

Remark: MBS and the Saudi royals are blaming Turkey for the crisis in their ruling circles as Erdogan did not keep to the usual norms of telling lies.

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10157143138838641

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Film: Crown Princes wings clipped as Khashoggi death rattles Riyadh World news

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG1F75jfILU

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Are You Buying Oil from Saudi Arabia?

The strong response to Jamal Khashoggi’s brutal murder stands in stark contrast to the relative indifference the West has shown to the vastly larger number of victims of the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen. To rein in the Saudi regime, the West must not only stop selling it arms, but also stop buying its oil.

The famine is also the outcome of Saudi actions.

The fact that Khashoggi was a journalist who wrote for the Washington Post no doubt goes some way toward explaining the attention given to his death. His story is also an example of the so-called identifiable victim effect: the fate of a single identifiable individual does more to arouse our emotions and move us to action than that of a vastly larger number of people.

Perhaps Khashoggi’s murder will open our eyes to the Saudi regime’s other murderous activities. For decades, the Saudis have been using the money we pay them for oil to indoctrinate their population with a fundamentalist strain of Islam. Not content with spreading this ideology within their own country, the Saudis have spent billions of dollars on propaganda designed to transform tolerant and moderate Islamic communities in other countries into fundamentalists. Saudis are believed to have provided most of al-Qaeda’s funding, and more of the group’s foreign fighters in Iraq came from the Kingdom than from any other country.

Halting arms sales to Saudi Arabia is only a first step. To reduce the Kingdom’s power, we need to stop buying its oil. To achieve that, we need transparency in the oil industry. We should demand that every major oil company reveal to the public what proportion of its retail products comes from Saudi Arabia. Then we can see which products customers, armed with this information, choose to buy.

If that happens, Jamal Khashoggi may not have died in vain – by Peter Singer

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/stop-saudi-arms-sales-and-oil-purchases-by-peter-singer-2018-11

cp8a Jamal Khashoggi

Siehe / Look at cp1

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Trudeau's Spy Chief Has Heard Audio Recordings in Khashoggi Case

The head of a Canadian spy agency has listened to audio tapes related to the death of Jamal Khashoggi, and traveled to Turkey to discuss the matter.

David Vigneault, the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, traveled to Turkey at the request of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a spokesman for the agency said. Trudeau said in a news conference Monday that Canadian officials had listened to the audio tapes, but that he personally hadn’t.

Trudeau said earlier Monday from Paris that Canadian officials had listened to the audio recordings but didn’t reveal their content. “Canada has been fully briefed up on what Turkey had to share,” he said at a press conference, adding he’d thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his “strength in responding to the Khashoggi situation.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-12/trudeau-s-spy-chief-has-heard-audio-recordings-in-khashoggi-case

cp9 USA

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Ist Präsident Trumps Iranpolitik „normal“?

Es kommt nicht oft vor, dass US-Regierungsvertreter ehrlich sind, wenn sie über unsere Außenpolitik sprechen. Der unprovozierte Angriff von 2003 auf den Irak wurde als "Befreiung" bezeichnet. Die von den Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika geführte Zerstörung Libyens im Jahr 2011 war eine "humanitäre Intervention". Und so weiter.

So war Außenminister Mike Pompeo in gewisser Weise erfrischend ehrlich letzte Woche, als er der BBC sagte, dass die iranische Führung "sich dafür entscheiden müsse, dass sie will, dass ihre Leute essen". Es war ein ehrliches Eingeständnis, dass neue US-Sanktionen dazu bestimmt sind, die Iraner auszuhungern, es sei denn, die iranische Führung akzeptiert die Forderungen der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika.

Seine Aussage zeigt auch, wozu die Neokonservativen bereit sind, um ihren "Regimewechsel" im Iran zu erzwingen. Genauso wie die damalige Außenministerin Madeleine Albright sagte, es sei "wert", dass eine halbe Million irakische Kinder wegen unserer Sanktionen gegen dieses Land gestorben sind, lässt uns Pompeo wissen, dass auch ein paar Millionen tote Iraner "es wert" sind, wenn die Regierung in Teheran gestürzt werden kann.

Der US-Außenminister hat gefordert, dass der Iran "wie ein normales Land handelt" oder dass die Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika ihren Druck fortsetzen, bis die iranische Wirtschaft zusammenbricht. Wie verdreht ist die US-Außenpolitik, die Washington für "normal" hält, nämlich Sanktionen zu verhängen, die speziell darauf abzielen, das Leben für Zivilisten beschwerlich - oder noch schlimmer - zu machen.

https://www.radio-utopie.de/2018/11/13/ist-praesident-trumps-iranpolitik-normal/

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How Washington Destroyed Yemen

Years of damage done to Sana'a under the policies of the Obama administration have forced the Trump team to focus on damage-control duties.

The recommendation from the former Obama administration officials is the right one: “[T]he time has come for us to end our support for and involvement in this brutal conflict.” However, not once do they acknowledge how unjustifiable and constitutionally dubious U.S. involvement in Yemen’s civil war was in the first place. Outside of admitting their failure to bring the war to a resolution, the authors of the letter also neglect to take primary responsibility for setting America on a course that Washington is finally beginning to reevaluate.

U.S. refueling of Saudi aircraft, the provision of intelligence support to Saudi military planners, and full diplomatic backing of Riyadh in international fora was a policy established, executed, and funded by the Obama administration . Some of the same people now pleading for a U.S. withdrawal were defending American involvement when serving in the Obama administration.

Take Samantha Power, who has been quite vocal against Saudi Arabia for errant bombings of Yemeni civilians and the humanitarian disaster looming over the country.

Now that former Obama officials are out of government and living under a White House of the opposite party, they feel the need to speak out for a course correction. But when many of these officials were in government, they presided over the very policy they are now complaining about.

Apart from the combatants themselves, the foreign-policy establishment encompassing both political parties are responsible for what Yemen is today: a country that is in fact no longer a country in the traditional meaning of the word. Until U.S. foreign policy is created and implemented by leaders who exercised some strategic restraint, it’s likely the U.S. will continue intervening in wars it has no national security interest in – by Daniel R. DePetris

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-east-watch/how-washington-destroyed-yemen-35992

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Mike Pompeo ignores his own staff and doubles down on supporting Saudi Arabia’s Yemen war.

The Wall Street Journal isreporting that the secretary of state has sidelined humanitarian objections to America’s backing of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in their proxy war in Yemen

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has pushed for the Trump administration to cut support for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in this war.

Documents how that State Department officials agree with this congressional push but have been vetoed by Pompeo. As the Journalnotes, “Pompeo overruled concerns from most of the State Department specialists involved in the debate who were worried about the rising civilian death toll in Yemen. Those who objected included specialists in the region and in military affairs. He sided with his legislative affairs team after they argued that suspending support could undercut plans to sell more than 120,000 precision-guided missiles to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to a classified State Department memo and people familiar with the debate.”

https://newrepublic.com/minutes/151323/mike-pompeo-ignores-staff-doubles-supporting-saudi-arabias-yemen-war

referring to https://www.wsj.com/articles/top-u-s-diplomat-backed-continuing-support-for-saudi-war-in-yemen-over-objections-of-staff-1537441200

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In Yemen, Trump's 'America First' Has Morphed Into 'Saudi First'

It was yet another reminder that when it comes to Yemen, instead of making decisions independently, the U.S. remains at the beck and call of Saudi Arabia.

For four years, the U.S. has supported Saudi Arabia in the war in Yemen through intelligence sharing with coalition forces, logistics support, and facilitating billions of dollars in arms sales.

Prior to taking office, Trump campaigned on breaking away from the foreign policy establishment. But in many ways, he has embraced its most hawkish elements. The appeal of weapons’ sales seems a likely motivation for continuing to stay involved in Yemen. Saudi Arabia is the U.S.’s largest buyer of weapons

It also is why he has tried to stay out of conflict on other issues with the Kingdom, such as pulling the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal and cautiously responding to the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Trump’s “America first” has morphed into “Saudi first,” and innocent Yemeni children, women, and men are paying the price. U.S. involvement in the conflict has contributed to thousands of civilian deaths, a majority of which were a result from airstrikes carried out by the Saudi-led coalition.

Ceasing coalition refueling won’t be enough to end the nightmare. But it does present an opportunity for concerned Americans to demand accountability in our participation in a conflict that is sorely lacking in U.S. direction and decision.

Washington’s involvement in the terrible war in Yemen in order to promote Saudi Arabian interests has gone on long enough. Continuing on this dangerous path taints America’s standing in the world as a supporter of egregious human rights violations, provides minimal to no economic benefits for the country, and could potentially lead us to war with Saudi Arabia’s regional rival, Iran. The U.S. must take responsibility for its role in this horrendous conflict and terminate the blank check and unquestioning support of a regional power unconcerned with the repercussions within and outside the Middle East – By WARDAH KHALID

http://time.com/5452128/us-yemen-saudi-arabia-involvement/

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Opinion: Americans must demand an end to support for atrocities in Yemen

Momentary shock and condemnation are not enough

With attacks on marketplaces, hospitals, funerals, weddings and schools, there are few safe places left for civilians.

Saudi Arabia has been sharply criticized for its indiscriminate attacks and indifference to mass civilian suffering. However, Saudi Arabia’s bombing campaigns have also been enabled and legitimized by a close partnership with our own government. The U.S. has been intimately involved as an advisor, partner and weapons dealer.

This kind of partnership forms part of a dark pattern in the history of U.S. foreign policy. Similar weapons deals and partnerships have enabled mass civilian suffering in the past and have even provided the weapons for genocide in countries like Pakistan and Guatemala. In each past case, coalitions of concerned journalists, activists and members of Congress have tried to end U.S. weapons deals before it was too late. Without engaged support and attention from the American public, however, these movements have frequently fallen short.

However, history has shown us that momentary shock and condemnation are not enough to end these kinds of military partnerships, and even the best leaders cannot end them without the engaged support of the public. The crisis in Yemen is once again testing American citizens’ ability to hold our government accountable and live up to the best of American values. We must do better this time for the people of Yemen.

It is too late to save Amal Hussain, but there are countless other civilians whose lives hang in the balance. As Americans, we can and must do our part by calling our elected officials and urging them to do everything in their power to end this deadly partnership.

http://www.theeagleonline.com/article/2018/11/americans-must-demand-end-in-yemen

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Quaker Lobby Calls on Congress to End Illegal U.S. War in Yemen

The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) welcomed the Pentagon’s decision late last week to stop mid-air refueling of Saudi-led coalition aircraft bombing Yemen. It also called on Congress to pass legislation ending all forms of U.S. military support for the Saudi-led coalition and to press Saudi Arabia and its allies to immediately end the war in Yemen.

“We must end all U.S. military support, including arms sales to Saudi Arabia, that is fueling this unauthorized war in Yemen,” said Diane Randall, FCNL executive secretary. “This disastrous war in Yemen is one America should not have been entangled with in the first place. It has spawned the largest humanitarian crisis in the world today.”

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181112005741/en/Quaker-Lobby-Calls-Congress-Illegal-U.S.-War

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Washington Post Editorial: To rescue Yemen, the U.S. must end all military support of the Saudi coalition

Mohammed bin Salman’s apologists whisper that he has been chastened by the backlash against the Khashoggi murder; that his wings have been clipped; that his militant advisers have been replaced by older and wiser heads. If so, there is no evidence of it in Yemen. On the contrary, the Riyadh regime is all but spitting in the face of one of its last defenders — the Trump administration, which has been trying to protect the crown prince. On Sunday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Mohammed bin Salman and “reiterated the United States’ calls for a cessation of hostilities,” according to the State Department. But at the same time, Mr. Pompeo continues to pretend that Mohammed bin Salman can “hold all of those involved in the [Khashoggi] killing” responsible — even though the crown prince himself is a prime suspect.

The United States is rightly supporting a U.N. effort to launch peace negotiations on Yemen by the end of the year. But it has become clear that the only way to force a cease-fire and rescue the millions facing famine and cholera is to end all military support for both Saudi forces and those of its United Arab Emirates allies. There should be no more sales or deliveries of munitions and spare parts; all U.S. intelligence and technical support should be frozen. If the Trump administration will not get tough on the crown prince, on whom it has unwisely pinned much of its Middle East strategy, Congress should act in its place.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/to-rescue-yemen-the-us-must-end-all-military-support-of-the-saudi-coalition/2018/11/12/aca29358-e6ad-11e8-b8dc-66cca409c180_story.html

My comment: Yes, this is true. But do not forget that the WaPo had supported US interventionist politics for decades and had supported the Saudis by sycopahnting them and by neglecting the Yemen War. Greetings to David Ignatius, for instance.

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A Saudi Murder Becomes a Gift to Iran

The assassination of a journalist has further hurt the Trump administration’s frail strategy of buddying with Saudi Arabia to restrain Iran’s expanding influence.

The Trump administration is not ready to admit it, but its Middle East strategy is in deep trouble, now compounded by the murder of the dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Turkey last month. The administration’s recent pressure on the Saudis to seek a truce in their war in Yemen is a clear signal of just how much the credibility of Saudi Arabia, which is at the heart of that strategy, has shrunk, perhaps even in President Trump’s eyes.

The strategy’s goal was to work with the Saudis to contain Iran’s influence in the Middle East. Instead, we can now expect a growing sense of ease in Tehran about exerting its influence, even as it adjusts to the tough economic sanctions that were reimposed last week.

Now, the leaders in Tehran may well expect that a weakened Saudi Arabia could be compelled to end both its military campaign in Yemen and its blockade of Qatar. All along, the Iranians have sought talks with the Saudis, who may be ready to talk to them — especially if the Saudis take American advice and decide to end the Yemen war. The government in Riyadh may also find it necessary to mend relations with Iran to rebalance its relations with Turkey, which has been aligned with a buoyant Qatar and was further angered by the Saudi assassination on Turkish soil.

From the start, the Trump administration thought it could rein in Iran’s regional influence by forging a close partnership with Saudi Arabia’s young crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. But a series of heavy-handed Saudi missteps, culminating in the murder of Mr. Khashoggi, have backfired, leaving Iran with much more room for strategic initiatives.

Relying on Saudi Arabia to contain Iran was always questionable. Saudi Arabia has never been truly successful at rolling back Iran’s regional presence, and in recent years Iran’s influence in the region has only grown.

As for Iran, it doesn’t need to flex its muscles. It just needs to wait for the Trump administration to fully appreciate the balance of power in the Middle East. As Mr. Trump’s mirage of an Arab order evaporates, a stark reality emerges: There is no credible Arab challenge to Iran’s regional influence, nor is there any prospect of reducing it with American threats and bluster – by Vali R. Nasr

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/12/opinion/saudi-murder-jamal-khashoggi-iran.html

My comment: The whole Middle East as ssen by US anti-Iranian paranoia?

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Security Brief: Yemen Refueling Halt Won’t Satisfy Critics

The United States’ decision on Friday to stop refueling Saudi and coalition aircraft involved in the three-year Yemen civil war will do little to assuage the critics, who over the weekend continued calls for President Donald Trump’s administration to do more to end the violence.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/11/12/security-brief-yemen-refueling-halt-wont-satisfy-critics-israeli-covert-operation-exposed/

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No More Vietnam Syndrome

If only the lessons of Vietnam, or even of Iraq, would actually stick.

"Vietnam syndrome" restricted our foreign conflicts, for a time, to such swift and relatively petty adventures as 1983's post-coup invasion of Grenada.

But in 1991, the U.S. resumed big-time war waging in order to reverse Iraq's conquest of Kuwait.

After September 11, 2001, the U.S. military fully re-entered the world stage. The last 17 years have seen a variety of wars, quasiwars, and ongoing interventions with a mix of shifting rationales, from revenge for the attacks to spreading peaceful democracy in the Middle East to targeting specific bad actors to simply helping our Saudi allies as they work to reduce Yemen to a charnel house. None of these more recent efforts have worked out well on a geopolitical level. Meant to end Islamic terrorism worldwide, our post-9/11 warmaking multiplied it.

We have not stopped putting boots on the ground; we just deploy fewer of them with less fanfare. Thousands of U.S. troops are embedded in the madness of Syria and in Afghanistan, despite candidate Donald Trump's suggestions that he would pull our people out.

And though we may be warring differently, our rationale for visiting calamity on the rest of the world feels quite familiar. We haven't given up opposing our former Soviet foe, continuing to train troops, sell arms, and fork over hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Russia's Ukrainian rivals.

President Trump is more openly hostile to Iran than was his predecessor

But the more hideous cost—especially poignant for those who remember the cries of "Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?"—is in lives. That same Watson Center study estimates that there have been 370,000 deaths from direct war violence since 2001; 200,000 civilian deaths; and over 10 million people displaced by the harm to property and municipal functionality.

As The Washington Post paraphrased a phone call from then–Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to a Pakistani official in 2012, "The United States reserved the right to attack anyone who it determined posed a direct threat to U.S. national security anywhere in the world." Over many administrations, that remains the core of U.S. foreign policy.

If only the lessons of Vietnam, or even of Iraq, would actually stick.

https://reason.com/archives/2018/11/11/no-more-vietnam-syndrome

(A P)

"Arab Shield 1": The birth of an Arab NATO?

As naval, air, and ground units from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) conduct war games in western Egypt this month, joined by observers from Morocco and Lebanon, many speculate that this could represent the birth of the so-called “Arab NATO.” The military exercises, held from Nov. 3-16 and codenamed “Arab Shield 1,” are the first time the six Arab states have conducted joint war games at the same time. Despite this display of coordination, however, there are major political obstacles to establishing an Arab NATO.

The Trump administration has been pushing Washington’s closest Arab allies to create a regional security pact that it calls the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA). As the White House sees it, MESA would serve U.S. interests by strengthening pan-Arab resolve to counter Iran’s actions in the region. It would also establish a local force to fight violent extremist groups and ease the military and strategic burden on the U.S. The fact that the six Arab states brought together their armed forces just over a month after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on their governments to establish an alliance highlights the U.S.’s interest in making MESA a reality.

https://www.mei.edu/publications/arab-shield-1-birth-arab-nato

cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain

(* B K P)

Britain’s deep ties to Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen

The Ministry of Defence must be asked urgent questions about its knowledge of Saudi Arabia’s attacks in YemenIn your welcome editorial on UK and western complicity in violations of civilian rights by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen (12 November), you point out that “until we stop selling arms and sharing intelligence, we remain complicit”.

UK support for Saudi Arabia’s conduct in Yemen goes a lot further than that. According to the summary of the high court in June 2017, based on the account of the government’s official witness, “the UK provides significant logistical and technical support to the Saudi military. In particular, the Ministry of Defence Saudi armed forces projects team, comprising over 200 UK armed forces and MoD personnel, provides advice to the Saudi military on the equipment supplied by BAE Systems.” Furthermore, “UK liaison officers in the Saudi Arabian military HQ have a significant degree of insight into Saudi Arabia’s targeting procedures and access to sensitive post-strike coalition mission reporting. The RAF chief of air staff liaison officer in Riyadh has unparalleled access to the decision-makers in the Saudi air force HQ.” The MoD also provides training to Saudi armed forces in targeting, compliance with international law and the operation of weapons and munitions.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/13/britain-deep-ties-to-saudi-arabia-war-in-yemen

(A P)

Tory hypocrisy over famine in Yemen

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt called on Saudi Arabia to “stop famine and cholera intensifying” in Yemen ahead of meeting with the country’s rulers this week.

He already knew that British arms sales to the dictatorship weren’t on the agenda when he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Those British arms are responsible for inflicting suffering on the Yemeni people.

The Ministry of Defence and BAE Systems service Saudi planes that carry out daily bombing raidson Yemen. Further sales of fighter jets are in the pipeline.

https://socialistworker.co.uk/art/47490/Tory+hypocrisy+over+famine+in+Yemen

(A P)

Aid agencies call on Jeremy Hunt to back Yemen peace moves

Aid organisations have implored Britain's foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt to use the influence of the UK government to bring to an end the long-running conflict in Yemen.

Christian Aid and CAFOD are among nine agencies to have written an open letter highlighting the desperate condition of the country's civilian population.

https://www.christiantoday.com/uk/aid-agencies-call-on-jeremy-hunt-to-back-yemen-peace-moves/130924.htm

My comment: An arsonist as firefighter.

(* B P)

At least when Jeremy Hunt was health secretary, he wasn’t insulting dead Yemeni children

But a look behind the scenes shows that Britain is in a “unique position” for other reasons:

UK military personnel are helping Saudi Arabia in their airstrike command centres. And they have had access to lists of targets.

The UK military is training Saudi pilots at RAF Valley in Wales.

The UK government has licensed over £4.7bn worth of arms to Saudi Arabia since the nation began bombing Yemen in 2015.

British personnel are advising Saudi Arabia in its main war base in Riyadh.

That’s despite the horrific consequences of the bombardment. Saudi-led blockades, bombing, and economic reverberations of the war are preventing supplies reaching Yemeni people, in a country that imports over 80%of its food. The spiralling man-made famine means over eight million Yemenis could starve to death.

A leading Conservative may be talking in favour of peace now, but the bombing campaign has been going on for three years. And the Conservative-led government has done nothing meaningful to stop it. In fact, the government seems to have done well at keeping the war (and its complicity) hushed up.

https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2018/11/12/at-least-when-jeremy-hunt-was-health-secretary-he-wasnt-insulting-dead-yemeni-children/

(A P)

British Government: Foreign Secretary: building blocks for Yemen solution are in view

Jeremy Hunt has returned from meetings in Saudi Arabia and the UAE on the situation in Yemen

serious consideration is being given to a set of political ideas and confidence-building measures that would allow for the start of political talks in Sweden by the end of November

coalition agrees to Houthi medical evacuation, with agreed conditions; this is a major development given that this was a prior block to talks

UK to continue to discussions with partners on how Security Council can support political process and lead to improvements on the humanitarian situation

Following the visit of Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the Saudi-led Coalition have agreed to the evacuation of wounded Houthis from Yemen, one of the key stumbling blocks to the UN Geneva talks in September.

Subject to final reassurances, Coalition forces will now permit the UN to oversee a Houthi medical evacuation, including up to 50 wounded fighters, to Oman, ahead of another proposed round of peace talks in Sweden later this month.

The Foreign Secretary’s trip to the Middle East, during which he met with the senior leadership of the Saudi, UAE and Yemeni governments, and spoke with the Foreign Minister of Oman, helped improve understanding on steps that would lead to a cessation of hostilities.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-secretary-building-blocks-for-yemen-solution-are-in-view

and

(A P)

British Government: Foreign Secretary travels to the Gulf to push for end to Yemen bloodshed

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will visit Saudi Arabia and the UAE today [Monday 12 November] to press for an end to the bloodshed in Yemen.

In the Gulf he will meet King Salman of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Yemeni Vice President Ali Mohsen and Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled Al Yamani. The Foreign Secretary is seeking to build support among international, and particularly regional, partners for new action in the UN Security Council to bolster the UN-led peace process, following his meeting with UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths at the end of October.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-secretary-travels-to-the-gulf-to-push-for-end-to-yemen-bloodshed

My comment: “to push for end to Yemen bloodshed“ sounds good, but trhe British Tory government had kept this war running by ist arms sales (and other support) to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

and

(A P)

In Riyadh, Britain's Hunt calls for Khashoggi justice, end to Yemen war

Hunt is due to meet later with the kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a main proponent of the Saudi military intervention in Yemen.

The visit comes as Riyadh, already under scrutiny for civilian deaths in Yemen air strikes, is facing global criticism and potential sanctions over Khashoggi’s killing inside its Istanbul consulate on Oct. 2.

“The human cost of war in Yemen is incalculable: with millions displaced, famine and disease rife and years of bloodshed, the only solution is now a political decision to set aside arms and pursue peace,” Hunt said in a statement ahead of the trip.

“So today I am traveling to the Gulf to demand that all sides commit to this process.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-khashoggi-hunt/in-riyadh-britains-hunt-calls-for-khashoggi-justice-end-to-yemen-war-idUSKCN1NH1AU

cp11 Deutschland / Germany

(* A K P)

Bundestag lehnt Anträge zum Stopp von Rüstungsexporten ab
Die Fraktionen Die Linke und Bündnis 90/Die Grünen sind mit ihren Initiativen für ein generelles Rüstungsexportverbot beziehungsweise für eine restriktivere Rüstungsexportpolitik gescheitert. Zwei entsprechende Anträge fanden am Freitag, 9. November 2018, im Plenum keine Mehrheit (19/1339, 19/1849). Das gilt auch für zwei weitere Anträge, in denen sich beide gegen die Waffenlieferung auf die arabische Halbinsel beziehungsweise an die im Jemen Krieg führenden Länder wandten (19/833, 19/834). Dazu lagen Beschlussempfehlungen des Auswärtigen Ausschusses (19/1744, 19/1745) und des Ausschusses für Wirtschaft und Energie (19/5582) vor. (…)

[mit Reden; Anträgen]

https://www.bundestag.de/dokumente/textarchiv/2018/kw45-de-stopp-ruestungsexporte/577244

cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries

(A P)

Frankreich: Es reicht mit dem saudischen Krieg im Jemen

Im Zuge der Welle der erst jetzt erfolgenden Reaktionen der westlichen Länder bezüglich des Jemen-Krieges hat der französische Außenminister Jean-Yves Le Drian die internationale Gemeinschaft aufgefordert, den von Saudi-Arabien angeführten Krieg gegen den Jemen zu stoppen.

Le Drian nannte am Montag in einem Gespräch mit dem zweiten französischen Fernsehen 'France 2', den saudischen Krieg gegen den Jemen einen "schmutzigen Krieg" und sagte, es werde keinen Gewinner in diesem Krieg geben, deshalb müsse man die Kosten stoppen.

http://parstoday.com/de/news/middle_east-i44551-frankreich_es_reicht_mit_dem_saudischen_krieg_im_jemen

Mein Kommentar: Ein „schmutziger Krieg“, in der Tat, zu dem ihr die Waffen geliefert habt.

(A P)

France Calls The "International Community" to Stop The War in Yemen

French Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Laudrian, on Monday urged the international community to press to end the war on Yemen, which has seen the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, according to the United Nations. "The international community has to say enough, that's what the United States says, what we say and what the British say," he told France 2 television.

https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=3737&cat_id=3

and

(A P)

Yémen: Le Drian demande «d'arrêter les frais»

Le ministre français des Affaires étrangères, Jean-Yves Le Drian, a exhorté aujourd'hui la "communauté internationale" à "arrêter les frais" au Yémen, en proie à un conflit meurtrier qui a entraîné la pire crise humanitaire au monde selon l'ONU.

"Il faut que la communauté internationale dise ça suffit. C'est ce que disent les Etats-Unis, c'est ce que nous disons, c'est ce que disent les Britanniques", a déclaré le chef de la diplomatie française sur la chaîne de télévision France 2.

http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2018/11/12/97001-20181112FILWWW00127-yemen-le-drian-demande-d-arreter-les-frais.php

My comment: More hypocrisy by Saudi Arabia’s third largest arms supplier.

And

(A P)

Yemen - Q&A - Excerpts from the daily press briefing (12.11.18)

France has been expressing its concern over the intensification of the fighting taking place around Hudaydah and now inside the city. It’s leading to fears of a new deterioration in the humanitarian situation, which is already critical, and the worsening number of civilian victims.

The port of Hudaydah is Yemen’s main port, through which 85% of food and medical aid and 70% of the country’s imports pass. It’s therefore vital to keep the port operational. France, together with its American and British allies, is calling for a ceasefire enabling negotiations to resume as soon as possible, because the crisis in Yemen can be resolved in a lasting way only through a political solution.

https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/yemen/events/article/yemen-q-a-excerpts-from-the-daily-press-briefing-12-11-18

(A P)

Bahrain: 4 Citizens Executed in Case of a dispute with a Policeman

A Bahraini court sentenced four people to death after being convicted of killing a policeman in a 2017 bombing.

The prosecutor, Ahmed Hammadi, said in a statement that the Grand Criminal Court convicted the accused of murder and the acquisition of explosives and weapons without a license.

https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=3744&cat_id=2

(* B P)

EU-Saudi Relations After Khashoggi: Business As Usual?

This comes on the heels of the resolution the EP adopted on October 25 voicing similar demands. As the text of the document makes clear, the MEPs are convinced that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MbS) is the mastermind behind Khashoggi’s murder. Remarkably, only one MEP voted against the resolution—a far right Czech libertarian Euroskeptic.

During the debate preceding the vote, the MEPs not only focused on Khashoggi’s murder but also rolled out a long catalogue of Saudi misdeeds.

Rarely has the house been so united on a foreign policy issue. It almost felt like Khashoggi’s murder prompted the MEPs to release all the pent-up anger they’d accumulated about the kingdom’s behavior. That they felt encouraged to do so testifies to the deep unpopularity of Saudi Arabia in Europe and the ineffectiveness of the expensive campaigns to polish its image.

The question remains whether the outrage over Khashoggi’s murder will finally trigger punitive EU action against Riyadh. So far, strong political messages from the EP have not led the EU governments to adopt a unified position on Saudi Arabia the way they did in response to the Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Halting arms exports to Saudi Arabia as long as it continues its war in Yemen could be one obvious way to express a disapproval of Saudi policies.

French president Emmanuel Macron was even more explicit, dismissing those who demanded an arms embargo against Saudi Arabia in response to Khashoggi’s murder as “populists.” In reality, as one of the EU’s top arms exporters, France is unwilling to lose lucrative Saudi business.

The close diplomatic and strategic ties of some key EU member states with Saudi Arabia further complicate matters.

The Khashoggi affair may have dissipated any lingering illusions about Mohammed bin Salman as a “modernizer,” but influential member states still associate him with the stability of Saudi Arabia. Others may not share this view. But the lack of a common EU position means that whenever a country like Sweden or Germany takes a critical stance toward Saudi Arabia, others see it not as an opportunity to show European solidarity but as an invitation to grab economic or strategic benefits that the offending party ceases to enjoy as a result of Saudi retribution. To a large extent, European common foreign policy continues to be an aspiration more than a reality – by Eldar Mamedov

https://lobelog.com/eu-saudi-relations-after-khashoggi-business-as-usual/

(* A P)

MEPs draft resolution calling for arms embargo on Saudi Arabia

MEPs have prepared a draft resolution with the call for EU member states to urgently impose an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia and extend it to all members of the Saudi coalition in Yemen, RIA Novosti reported.

The document contains a proposal to develop in the future a mechanism for introducing penalties for EU member states that will not adhere to a unified position on arms exports. The draft document on arms exports was approved by the Foreign Affairs Committee and submitted this week for discussion at the plenary session in Strasbourg.

https://news.am/eng/news/480606.html

(A P)

Statement by the Spokesperson on the deteriorating situation in Yemen

The ongoing military offensive in and around the city and port of Hodeidah has intensified in the past few days with civilians caught in the crossfire and once again paying the ultimate price of the conflict. As in the past, civilian infrastructure has also been targeted by all sides in breach of international humanitarian law.

Cutting-off access into and from Hodeidah will push even more Yemenis to the brink of starvation, as the supply of basic commodities is disrupted.

Parties to the conflict must allow humanitarian organisations to assist Yemenis in need, guaranteeing humanitarian access in accordance with international humanitarian law. They should also facilitate the safe passage of civilian populations out of the conflict zones.

The European Union continues to fully back the UN-led process and in particular the efforts of the UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths for an immediate resumption of political talks.

https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/53641/statement-spokesperson-deteriorating-situation-yemen_en

My comment: As the EU backs this war by its arms sales and by its close alliance to the US, this is hypocrisy.

Comment: Yemen is more than a crisis. The crisis was a couple of years ago and now it is in post crisis meltdown. It clearly meets the international criteria for famine but the world is not announcing this. Shame shame shame on western governments that are facilitating this genocide.

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10157143144458641

(A P)

World responsible for ending human catastrophe in Yemen: Iran

Iran has expressed deep concern over the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Yemen, saying all nations in the world are responsible for putting an end to the ongoing human catastrophe in the impoverished country.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is deeply concerned about the terrible humanitarian situation in Yemen and the developments in the port city of Hudaydah during the recent days," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Monday.

Iran believes that the "disregard of aggressors for the warnings and concerns of the international community" has led to "such a dire and inhumane situation" in Yemen, the Iranian spokesman added.

https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/11/12/579839/Qassemi-Yemen-Hudaydah-Iran = http://www.iran-daily.com/News/234173.html

cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade

(* B K P)

EU-Waffenverkäufe an VAE und Saudis 55mal so hoch wie Jemen-Hilfe

„Die europäischen Regierungen und die Europäische Union beklagen in der Öffentlichkeit die ‚humanitäre Tragödie‘ und den Bedarf an ‚lebensnotwendiger Unterstützung‘ im kriegsgebeutelten Jemen. Allerdings haben Ermittlungen von Middle East Eye (MEE) ergeben, dass die EU und verschiedene europäische Länder in den vergangenen drei Jahren, in denen die von den Saudis angeführte Koalition das ärmste Land in der Region bombardiert hat, den Verkauf von Waffen im Wert von über $86,7 Milliarden an Saudi-Arabien und die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate genehmigt haben. Entsprechende Zahlen liegen bislang nur für die Jahre 2015 und 2016 vor. In diesen beiden Jahren wurden Lizenzen für Waffenverkäufe genehmigt, die mehr als 55mal so viel wert waren, wie die Spenden europäischer Länder und der EU an den unterfinanzierten Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan.

Fast alle europäischen Länder haben 2015/16 Waffen an Saudi-Arabien und die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate verkauft. MEE stellte dazu im Einzelnen fest:

Im Jahr 2015 erteilten 21 EU-Mitgliedsstaaten Lizenzen für den Export von Waffen, von Patronen bis zu Kampffliegern und spezialisierten Waffenkomponenten, im Wert von $25,3 Milliarden an Saudi-Arabien und 11,4 Milliarden an die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate, insgesamt also im Wert von $36,7 Milliarden. Davon entfielen $14,4 Milliarden auf Flugzeuge, Bomben und Granaten und somit auf jene Waffen, die in erster Linie für den Tod von Zivilisten verantwortlich sind.

Im Jahr 2016 erteilten 17 EU-Mitgliedsstaaten Lizenzen für Waffen im Wert von $18,3 Milliarden an Saudi-Arabien und $31,7 Milliarden, insgesamt also im Wert von $50 Milliarden. Die Waffenlieferungen waren somit noch umfangreicher als im Vorjahr.

Für das Jahr 2017 liegen noch keine vollständigen Zahlen vor. Die von einzelnen Ländern vorgelegten Angaben legen jedoch nahe, dass die Waffenlieferungen in etwa im gleichen Umfang fortgesetzt wurden. Großbritannien und Deutschland erteilten Lizenzen im Wert von $2,3 Milliarden für Waffenverkäufe an Saudi-Arabien und die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate, so die Regierungen der beiden Länder und die Campaign Against the Arms Trade. (…)

Während der Konflikt im Jemen fortdauert, fehlen dem humanitären Hilfsprogramm der UNO dieses Jahr 35 Prozent der erforderlichen Mittel. Die fehlenden $1,04 Milliarden entsprechen gerade einmal 1,1 Prozent des Werts der 2015 und 2016 von europäischen Ländern an Saudi-Arabien und die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate verkauften Waffen.“

https://www.mena-watch.com/eu-waffenverkaeufe-an-vae-und-saudis-55mal-so-hoch-wie-jemen-hilfe/

and original English version: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/perverse-cycle-european-arms-sales-saudi-and-uae-worth-sixty-times-aid-yemen-356882718

(* B K P)

Film: The #US Military Industrial Complex (#MIC) created for their elites to sale #weapons around the globe in the name of #demoncracy for killing innocent people to save the "Empire" - disgusting nation with well educated people to understand the difference

https://twitter.com/Syrian_Uruk/status/1061615770768158720

cp13b Mercenaries / Söldner

(* B K)

At least 20 Sudanese militiamen killed in Yemen

At least 20 fighters from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been killed and more than 100 were wounded in the fierce fighting that has been going on for days in Yemen.

Sudanese press were informed that 17 bodies of RSF fighters participating in the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen have arrived in Nyala, capital of South Darfur, on Sunday. The militiamen were killed in a missile attack on the borders of Hodeidah, 226 km from the Yemeni capital Sanaa.

One of the RSF commanders conveyed the news to the families of the dead in Khartoum on Saturday. He said that more than 120 injured soldiers have been transferred to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for treatment.

https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/at-least-20-sudanese-militiamen-killed-in-yemen

cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy

(* B E P)

Yemen's free-falling economy worsens famine

In the past two months, the Yemeni economy has faced its worst deterioration yet since the outbreak of the war, which is in its fourth year. The Yemeni riyal has lost more than 40% of its value as the price of the dollar has risen from 420 riyals to 750 riyals. As a result, prices soared, while citizens’ purchasing power dropped.
The World Bank released a report Oct. 11 estimating that Yemen’s gross domestic product (GDP) has contracted by about 50% since 2014. "This is coupled with the collapse of the purchasing power of millions of Yemenis,” the report noted.

The conflict between the internationally recognized government in Aden and the Houthi government in Sanaa has wreaked havoc on the country. The former moved the Central Bank from Sanaa to Aden in September 2016. Subsequently, the Aden government stopped paying the salaries of employees residing in Houthi-controlled areas. The Aden government is demanding that the revenues of state institutions in those areas be transferred to the central bank, which Houthis are refusing to do.

Ali Mahyoub al-Asaly, an economics professor at Sanaa University, told Al-Monitor, “The main reasons behind the economic deterioration include the disputing parties using the economy as a weapon in the raging war, then seeking to control the country and seize the power resources necessary for the production process. Consequently, the Central Bank becomes unable to perform its key functions — specifically, controlling the cash liquidity that came into the hands of new owners affiliated with the parties. Those [owners] use the cash in currency speculation and on the black market through exchange stores that were opened in different provinces without licenses or legal constraints.”

Asaly added, “Other reasons also led to the economic downturn, including printing local banknotes without [sufficient collateral or backing], deterioration of the overall economic performance in key economic sectors, declining GDP, rampant corruption in the state institutions and the low money supply due to recession and halted investments.”

The quickest way to solve the economic problems, Asaly believes, is to end the war.

The economic situation continues to worsen quickly.

Yemeni economist Abdul Wahed al-Obaly told Al-Monitor, “The economic crisis in Yemen is the worst compared with other countries at war in the region, such as Syria and Libya
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/11/yemen-war-un-calls-economy-situation.html

cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism

(B T)

Die vergessene Katastrophe (nur Abo)

https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/plus183711100/Jemen-Sie-schossen-den-Ordensschwestern-in-den-Hinterkopf.html

(A T)

Since start Oct, #IslamicState in #Yemen has claimed more attacks on #alQaeda than on Houthis. Latest is a 10-hour assault yday killing 10 #AQAP & wounding more in Za'j, al-Bayda'. It's possible this internecine #jihad conflict is linked to local rivalries &/or externally stirred

https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/1062145523581239296

cp15 Propaganda

(A P)

Male spokesperson: Al-Hodeidah is an authentic right of Yemen and Coalition to prevent the threat of navigation

The liberation of the port and city of Hodeidah (the western part of the country) is an authentic right of Yemeni government forces and the Coalition to prevent threats to the Red Sea, said Saudi Arabia-led Arab coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Maliki on Monday.

He told a press conference that the Coalition had targeted a coastal radar for Houthi militants on the Red Sea island of Al-Bawadi and a tunnel to store ballistic missiles in Sanaa, without details.

http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160937

(A P)

Human rights group condemns use of civilians as human shields in Hodeida

A human rights group, the Yemeni Alliance of Monitoring Human Rights Violations, has strongly condemned the use of civilians as human shields in Hodeida.

The group also said that the Houthis turned hospitals, schools and mosques into military barracks and planted mines inside them.

Meanwhile, Yemen Human Rights Ministry said on Monday that the Houthis position on roofs of civilians’ houses and use hospitals, schools and mosques as military barracks, reiterating that these violations are war crimes and breaches of the International Humanitarian Law and the four Geneva Conventions.

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-25230

My comment: Yes, they obviously do. But this city battle was enforced upon them by the UAE-backed assault against Hodeidah, thus Saudi coalition mouthpieces should keep quiet or criticize this assault as well.

(A P)

Important remarks from Britain’s minister of state Alistair Burt on how media is part of a smear campaign against Saudi Arabia’s role in Yemen

https://twitter.com/FadilaAlJaffal/status/1062305967709270016

My comment: This really is a joke.

Comment: Saudi media has a starkly different take on the UK minister's visit re Yemen war. Was something lost in translation? Or is it a British stiff upper lip forked-tongue thingy?

https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/1062326597364187137

(A P)

UN Envoy Informs Yemen FM of Plan to Release Prisoners

United Nations special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths held talks in Riyadh on Monday with Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani on the details of his plan to release prisoners from militia-run, government sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Yamani said that his government was dealing positively with the envoy’s call to end the suffering of the Yemeni people, adding however that its efforts were being obstructed by the Iran-backed Houthi militias.
He stressed that the international community must exert more pressure on the militias to make them accept peace.
Moreover, he revealed that the legitimate government was working at all institutions in the temporary capital Aden in order to improve the people’s lives and provide them with better services.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1459841/un-envoy-informs-yemen-fm-plan-release-prisoners

My comment: Looking at the real situation at Aden and at the assault against Hodeidah, such a statement mist be weighed as propaganda.

(A P)

Let the people eat date.. (look at image!

https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/1062130200937345024

cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids

Siehe / Look at cp1b2 (Hodeidah, Thawra Hospital)

(* A K pH)

Saudi coalition air raids day by day

Nov. 12: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1542119621./1176019149215115/

Nov. 11: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1542119621./1175997399217290

(* A K)

#Hodeidah: At least eight displaced passengers were killed and others injured on Tuesday in a Saudi-led coalition’s airstrike on the main road in al-Jarahi district.

https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.963391330380564/2006211632765190

2 hours ago, 9 people were killed and others wounded by #Saudi-led coalition airstrike targeted civilians in the main road of al-Jarahi district, #Hodeidah governorate.

https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1062390608063590400

(* A K)

Port still running in Yemen's Hodeida after air strikes

Two Saudi-led air strikes hit the main entrance to the rebel-held port of Hodeida but the docks were still operating normally on Tuesday, the port's deputy director told AFP.

The vital docks, through which 80 percent of Yemen's commercial imports and nearly all UN supervised humanitarian aid pass, has been at the centre of international concern about a new drive to recapture Hodeida which the Yemeni government launched with Saudi-led support on November 1.

Monday's strikes, in which port staff said four rebels were killed and four wounded, was the first to hit the docks in 12 days of intensified bombardment and ground fighting in the Red Sea coastal city of some 600,000 people, many of whom have fled or now fear a siege.

The main gate "was the target of air strikes... but the port is operating normally," the port's deputy director Yehya Sharafeddin told AFP by telephone. He said three guards had been wounded.

Four other port employees told AFP that one strike had killed a rebel commander and three of his guards, while a second strike had wounded another commander and his guards.

They said a single-storey guardroom had taken a direct hit from the strikes.

Rebel-controlled media reported two air strikes but made no mention of casualties.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-6383671/Port-running-Yemens-Hodeida-air-strikes.html

and

(*A K)

Warplanes target main entrance to Yemen’s port city of Hudaydah

The military coalition led by the Saudi regime has carried out airstrikes targeting the main entrance to Yemen’s western port city of Hudaydah, some five months after coalition forces, backed by armed militia loyal to the former Yemeni government, launched a full-scale offensive to seize the vital port.

The main gate “was the target of airstrikes... but the port is operating normally,” said the port’s deputy director Yahya Sharafeddin on Tuesday, adding that at least two airstrikes had hit the entrance, leaving three guards wounded.

Other reports said that a single-storey guardroom had taken a direct hit from the strikes, which killed at least one soldier.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Sharafeddin said that despite the air raids, the vital docks were operating normally. Some 80 percent of Yemen's commercial imports and nearly all UN supervised humanitarian aid pass through these docks.

Meanwhile, Yemen’s Arabic-language al-Masirah satellite television network reported that Saudi-led airstrikes had claimed the lives of at least eight people and wounded several others in Jarrahi district of Hudaydah.

https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/11/13/579919/Yemen-Hudaydah-

and

(* A K)

Saudi-led coalition renews air strikes on Yemen's Hodeidah port

The Saudi-led coalition resumed air strikes on Yemen’s main port city of Hodeidah after a lull on Monday as Western allies pressed Riyadh to end a war that has left the impoverished country on the verge of starvation.

Air strikes against the Iran-aligned Houthis’ fortifications were halted for more than 12 hours on Monday and street battles, which had been raging for a week on the outskirts of the Red Sea city, trapping civilians and endangering hospitals, died down, residents said.

Coalition spokesman, Colonel Turki al-Malki, said the offensive on the Houthi-held city was still on.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security/saudi-led-coalition-renews-air-strikes-on-yemens-hodeidah-port-idUSKCN1NH1WU

(A K pH)

In Sa'ada, 3 civilians and a child were injured by US-Saudi aggression in Baqim district.

https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=3735&cat_id=1

(* A K)

Saudi-led coalition renews air strikes on Yemen's Hodeidah port

The Saudi-led coalition resumed air strikes on Yemen’s main port city of Hodeidah after a lull on Monday as Western allies pressed Riyadh to end a war that has left the impoverished country on the verge of starvation.

Air strikes against the Iran-aligned Houthis’ fortifications were halted for more than 12 hours on Monday and street battles, which had been raging for a week on the outskirts of the Red Sea city, trapping civilians and endangering hospitals, died down, residents said.

Air strikes started again later on several areas in Hodeidah province, residents and aid groups said. The coalition’s warplanes bombed the entrance of Hodeidah port two hours before the sunset killing three guards, a witness and Houthi media said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security/fighting-eases-in-yemens-hodeidah-as-western-pressure-mounts-idUSKCN1NH1WU

(A K pH)

3 civilians injured in 5 Saudi-led airstrikes on Hodeidah

More than three civilians were injured on Monday when the US-backed Saudi-led coalition warplanes waged five strikes on Hodeidah province, a security official told Saba.
The civilians were injured while two airstrikes targeted Hodeidah port.
A strike hit the west of Hodeidah university and another near the airport.
Other airstrikes hit civilian’s home in Ghalil area of Howk district

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news514465.htm

(A K pH)

More Saudi coalition air raids recorded on:

Nov. 13: http://www.sabanews.net/en/news514550.htm and http://www.sabanews.net/en/news514548.htm Saada p.

cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War

Siehe / Look at cp1b

(* A K pS)

Government forces destroy more than 2,000 mines planted by Houthis in Hayran

The government forces ' demining teams on Monday destroyed about 2,000 mines planted by Houthi militias in the Hayran front northwest of Hajjah province.

The head of the Military Engineering Division in the 5th Military region, Yasser al-Rowhani, said that Houthi militias intensified the cultivation of various tasks, sizes and quantities of explosives that were on the farms of citizens, their villages and the general lines of the Hayran directorate where civilians were killed and wounded by the explosion of those Mines Some parents refrained from carrying out their daily lives on their farms in order to avoid their risks.

Mines pose a serious threat to the citizens of Hayran district, some of whom were injured by the explosion of landmines planted by the militia in some roads and neighborhoods of the Directorate.

http://almasdaronline.com/articles/160949

(A K pH)

Saudi shells border areas in Saada

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news514456.htm

(A K pH)

Army downs spy plane belonging to forces of coalition aggression in Jizan

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news514500.htm

(* B K pS)

Some of the mines/IEDs captured in yemen in the past few days. Everything from naval mines, anti-tank and anti-personnel mines to a range of IEDs.

and who can forget our favorite fake rock IEDs. Last fake rock pic looks like it has a claymore type charge in it that we've been seeing more and more of lately

basically, these look like Iranian M18A2 directional anti-personnel landmines. However, i think houthis received a large shipment of them or the technical knowledge to start copying their own. So a yemeni copy of an Iranian copy of an 1950s US claymore

another week another hundred(s?) mines cleared in yemen

and some more plus some good pics of the possible Iranian claymores. *arab media disclaimer* Yemens Director of Mine Action center says 500,000 mines have been planted over the last 3 years with 300,000 being diffused and with around 1000 civilian casualties w/ Taiz hit hard

roughly 200 AT mines in pic 1. The numbers are definitely inflated but still massive. In the late 90s Yemen campaigned 4 banning mines and hosted conferences but at the same time estimates of mines planted after their 94 civil war range from ~150,000 UN/US - 2 mill. aden official

Here you can see the size difference between a real claymore and the Iranian M18A2 then more AT mines and fake rock and other IEDs. Even some Soviet OFAB type aerial bombs h/t (photos)

https://twitter.com/LostWeapons/status/1001344854117433344

cp18 Sonstiges / Other

(* B P)

Imagining an Alternative Homeland. Humanism in Contemporary Yemeni Novels.

This study presents insights into alternative values and visions offered to society by leading contemporary Yemeni novelists with the aim of laying the basis for a better future of their country. CARPO Associate Fellow Abdulsalam al-Rubaidi analyzes six contemporary Yemeni novels, each of which is built around widely debated issues in Yemen, revolving around three main categories: regionalism, religious affiliations, and race. The study identifies a multidimensional humanistic space as the ultimate goal of literary narration – a vision which is based on love, respect, recognition, rationality, openness, environmental awareness and orientation towards peace.

This study presents the central findings of an analytical study of the construction of identities in six contemporary Yemeni novels.1 These novels share several commonalities: They have been written within the timeframe of the last decade, 2005-2015; they make the country’s past the background of their narrative; and they concentrate on collective identities in Yemen. The selection of the six novels from the bulk of the novels produced in Yemen during the last decade is based on the premise that these novels offer more material for studying the construction of identities in Yemen than others. More specifically, each of the six chosen novels is built around several themes or motifs depicting human experiences and attitudes that have to do with widely debated identity issues in Yemen. These issues revolve around three main categories or frames of identification: territoriality or regionalism, religious affiliations, and race. Although the study focuses mainly on six novels, throughout its analytical argument it also makes frequent references to other Yemeni novels as necessary and relevant. – by Abdulsalam al-Rubaidi

https://carpo-bonn.org/en/carpo-studies/

and full PDF: https://carpo-bonn.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/carpo_study_06_2018_al-Rubaidi.pdf or https://carpo-bonn.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/carpo_study_06_2018_al-Rubaidi_printerfriendly.pdf

and in Arabic: https://carpo-bonn.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/carpo_study_06_2018_al-Rubaidi_ARABIC.pdf

Vorige / Previous:

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-479-yemen-war-mosaic-479

Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-479 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-479:

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose oder / or http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm

Der saudische Luftkrieg im Bild / Saudi aerial war images:

(18 +, Nichts für Sensible!) / (18 +; Graphic!)

http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm

http://yemenwarcrimes.blogspot.de/

http://www.yemenwar.info/

und alle Liste aller Luftangriffe / and list of all air raids:

http://yemendataproject.org/data/

Dieser Beitrag gibt die Meinung des Autors wieder, nicht notwendigerweise die der Redaktion des Freitag.
Geschrieben von

Dietrich Klose

Vielfältig interessiert am aktuellen Geschehen, zur Zeit besonders: Ukraine, Russland, Jemen, Rolle der USA, Neoliberalismus, Ausbeutung der 3. Welt

Dietrich Klose

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