... Es ist Zeit, die US-Unterstützung für den saudischen Krieg zu beenden – Hodeidah: Waffenstillstand, Kämpfe flauen ab – und mehr
December 20, 2018: Yemen, the volitional catastrophe – Progress Toward Peace in Yemen, But Hard Work Remains – A road map to Yemen peace talks – Houthi child soldiers – It's Time to End U.S. Support for the Saudi War on Yemen – Hodeidah: Truce, fighting calms down – 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
cp15 Propaganda
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
Klassifizierung / Classification
***
**
*
(Kein Stern / No star)
? = Keine Einschatzung / No rating
A = Aktuell / Current news
B = Hintergrund / Background
C = Chronik / Chronicle
D = Details
E = Wirtschaft / Economy
H = Humanitäre Fragen / Humanitarian questions
K = Krieg / War
P = Politik / Politics
pH = Pro-Houthi
pS = Pro-Saudi
T = Terrorismus / Terrorism
Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject
Einführende Artikel u. Überblicke für alle, die mit den Ereignissen im Jemen noch nicht vertraut sind, hier:
Yemen War: Introductory articles, overviews, for those who are still unfamiliar with the Yemen war here:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-einfuehrende-artikel-u-ueberblicke
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
(** B K P)
Die gewollte Katastrophe
Für Werner Ruf ist der Krieg in Jemen Teil eines regionalen Machtkampfes, in dem sich Saudis und Iraner gegenüberstehen
Der Krieg ist Teil jenes regionalen Machtkampfs in der Nah- und Mittelostregion, in dem sich Saudi-Arabien und Iran gegenüberstehen. Die neu entstandene Achse Riad-Tel Aviv, bedingungslos unterstützt von den USA, sieht diesen Krieg als Teil des Kampfes gegen »das Böse«, verkörpert durch die Islamische Republik Iran. Dabei zeigt eine genauere, der Chronologie folgende Untersuchung des Konfliktverlaufs, dass die iranische Unterstützung für die rebellierenden Stämme der Huthi erst relativ spät und zögerlich einsetzte, während der Westen den Aggressor Saudi-Arabien von Beginn an bedingungslos unterstützte.
Dies dürfte erklären, warum - im Gegensatz zum Krieg in Syrien - das massenhafte Morden in Jemen nie in die Schlagzeilen geriet. Dabei wissen die Regierenden sehr genau, welcher Natur das saudische Regime is
Während der Westen nicht müde wird, in seiner Rhetorik Menschenrechte, Demokratie und Rechtsstaatlichkeit zu beschwören, unterstützt er nahezu bedingungslos die finsterste Despotie der Welt und den kriegerischen Massenmord an der jemenitischen Bevölkerung. Ja, es scheint, dass die gigantischen Waffenkäufe der Saudis, der VAE und anderer Golfstaaten inzwischen bestimmend geworden sind für außenpolitische Entscheidungen, die sich keineswegs an »Werten«, sondern zunehmend an den Interessen der Rüstungsindustrie orientieren.
So ordnet sich dieser Krieg ein in jenes Great Game einer Neugestaltung des Nahen Ostens, das seit einem Vierteljahrhundert von den USA betrieben wird. Neben der Ukraine und Syrien wird hier ein weiterer Konfliktherd angeheizt, der nicht zuletzt aufgrund der Unberechenbarkeit »unserer Partner« zu einer globalen Konfrontation führen kann – von Werner Ruf
https://www.neues-deutschland.de/artikel/1108368.krieg-im-jemen-die-gewollte-katastrophe.html
Mein Kommentar: Kurz und knapp: So ist es.
(** B P)
Progress Toward Peace in Yemen, But Hard Work Remains
To be sure, there are plenty of daunting issues that need to be addressed in order to achieve a lasting peace in Yemen. These issues were not addressed in the talks in Sweden. While negotiators failed to reach agreement on the economic and political issues fueling the war in Yemen, the talks deliberately prioritized humanitarian issues, starting with the main access point for international aid: the port city of Hodeidah.
This round of talks, initially described as mere consultations so as not to raise expectations, cannot by itself bring peace to Yemen.
The credit for the breakthrough in Sweden goes to representatives of the Yemeni government as well as the Houthi rebels. Ending the nearly four-year war will, of course, require significant political concessions from the main warring parties.
It is still unclear whether the Stockholm Agreement will be honored. The follow through will test the seriousness of the warring parties to end the conflict. Meanwhile, there are four critical issues to ponder.
First, structural flaws in the peace talks have limited options for negotiations and disincentivized serious discussions on a roadmap for a sustainable and comprehensive peace. Direct talks between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia—the two have previously spoken directly—are crucial as Yemen’s internationally recognized government and Hadi might not have the final decision-making power to engage in talks because that say lies with the Houthis’ leader, Abdul Malik Al Houthi, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Additionally, the war in Yemen has fragmented the state and produced numerous non-state actors whose absence from peace talks stands as an impediment that Griffiths will at some point have to address.
Second, the specific factors that paved the way for these talks could change, thereby risking the durability and sustainability of the peace process. The recent international pressure on Saudi Arabia and the push for a reassessment of US-Saudi relations following the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and the humanitarian crisis in Yemen pushed Riyadh to the negotiating table in a manner not seen previously.
More importantly, there is substantial international pressure to stop military action in and around Hodeidah because of the vital role the city and port play in staving off famine and death for millions of Yemenis.
Third, the serious deterioration of Yemen’s economy was largely neglected during the talks in Sweden.
Fourth, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) needs to be more active in the peace process. The next round of Yemen peace talks—scheduled to be held toward the end of January—are in desperate need for a push from the UNSC. The UNSC’s Resolution 2216 on Yemen must be revised as the situation in the country has significantly changed since that resolution was adopted in 2015. A new resolution supported by the five permanent members of the UNSC—the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, and China—must call for a comprehensive ceasefire and adopt new language that takes into account the changed situation and the desires and goals of the main parties to the conflict.
Achieving a lasting peace in Yemen is an extremely complicated and difficult mission. The desired solution must take into account all the local, regional, and international factors and players. The talks in Sweden provided a good start, but the hard work has only just started – by Afrah Nasser
(** B P)
A Roadmap for Yemen Peace Talks
Saudi Arabia needed U.S. support to start its war in Yemen and it will need U.S. support to end it.
No other country has sufficient leverage to influence Saudi behavior.
The UN special envoy to Saudi Arabia has the space and the talent to propose some creative diplomatic steps, but absent sustained and significant U.S. pressure these will be steps that come and go and the war will continue. It has happened before—in previous years with previous special envoys—and it can happen again.
There is, as has been clear for years, no military solution to this conflict. Saudi Arabia’s military options are limited
The sad truth is that right now fighting is easier than making the difficult compromises necessary for peace. Neither side is under much domestic pressure to end the war.
Yemen, as should be clear, has a Humpty Dumpty problem: the country has broken into several different pieces and is unlikely to ever be put back together again. Its three wars—a war on terror, a regional war, and a local civil war—are happening simultaneously and bleeding into one another.
With such a chaotic, seemingly hopeless environment in the country, the international community has, for much of the past four years, simply thrown up its hands and looked away. Humanitarian organizations have issued increasingly dire warnings, and UN panels have written sobering reports—but nothing has changed. The UN Security Council, the last stop for the world’s unsolvable problems, has appointed three special envoys in four years. Each has operated under Resolution 221614 and each, so far, has ended their term in failure.
That trend of willful ignorance and diplomatic failure likely would have continued had it not been for Saudi Arabia’s decision to murder Jamal Khashoggi
Creative Diplomacy
What Yemen needs is creative diplomacy, and the sort of intense and sustained international pressure that can not only force all sides to the negotiating table, but keep them there. Getting the warring parties in Yemen to talk is the easy part; what’s difficult is getting them to agree and then stick to their agreement.
Saudi Arabia, despite little evidence, is convinced the Houthis are receiving smuggled Iranian ballistic missiles through Hudaydah (the more likely route is that the missiles come overland from eastern Yemen through government-held territory).21 Saudi Arabia also wants to deprive the Houthis of an outlet to the sea, which is why Hudaydah has emerged as such a flashpoint over the past year.
Both sides of the deal—reopening the airport and a Houthi pullback from the Hudaydah port—have risks. The Saudis are worried that the Houthis would receive smuggled weapons and material from Iran should the airport be reopened, and the Houthis worry that Saudi Arabia may try to tighten its economic blockade on the country if they withdraw from the port.
Currently, ships going into Hudaydah, which already are facing high insurance premiums because of the war, are forced to undergo two separate inspections: one by the UN verification and inspection team (UNVIM) and one by the Saudi-led coalition. This should stop. It creates needless delays; drives up the price of goods (as does illegal Houthi taxation on the material coming into the country), thereby contributing to famine; and does nothing to stop the flow of weapons into the country. Instead, the Saudis should allow the UN inspectors to do their job, while also arranging for similar UN inspectors at the airport in Sanaa.
Resolution 2216 also calls for the complete disarmament of the Houthis. That is almost certainly a non-starter. Instead, the special envoy should work on “transitional arms control.” In such a scenario, Saudi Arabia would agree to cease all airstrikes in Yemen in exchange for the Houthis placing all their ballistic missiles under lock and key. The Houthis, however, would keep the key. Should they feel threatened or should the Saudis break their deal and continue to bomb in Yemen, the Houthis would be able to access their ballistic missiles. This is a confidence building measure that stops the fighting but doesn’t require a final peace deal.
Finally, the most important thing that the special envoy can do is to convince Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the Yemeni government to once again pay salaries to civil servants in areas controlled by the Houthis. Early in the war, the Saudi-led coalition and the Yemeni government decided on a two-tiered approach: military strikes and economic pressure.23 The idea was that airstrikes would weaken the Houthis and the economic depravations would stir domestic unrest and create internal security issues for the Houthis, essentially forcing them to fight on two fronts simultaneously. That has not happened. Instead, Yemen’s starving civilians, who are under aerial bombardment, have largely given the Houthis a pass on governing.
The airstrikes have done little to dislodge the Houthis, while all too frequently killing civilians. Similarly, economic decisions, like not paying salaries24 and splitting Yemen’s central bank,25 have done little to weaken the Houthis’ hold on power.
International Pressure
These diplomatic steps, however, will only happen if there is sustained international pressure. Without it, the sides will sit down and negotiate, but they won’t compromise, and they won’t come to an agreement – by Gregory D. Johnsen
https://tcf.org/content/report/roadmap-yemen-peace-talks/
(** B H K)
Children as young as 10 fight, kill and die in Yemen's war
Mohammed was among 18 former child soldiers interviewed by The Associated Press who described the Houthis' unrelenting efficiency when it comes to the recruitment, deployment and even battlefield deaths of boys as young as 10.
While both sides in the four-year civil war have sent children into combat in violation of international human rights conventions, the Houthis are believed to have recruited many more than the coalition — often forcibly.
The Houthis have inducted 18,000 child soldiers into their rebel army since the beginning of the war in 2014, a senior Houthi military official acknowledged to the AP. He spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information.
That figure is higher than any number previously reported. The United Nations was able to verify 2,721 children recruited to fight for all sides in the conflict, the large majority for the Houthis, but officials say that count is likely low, because many families will not speak about the issue out of fear of reprisals from Houthi militiamen.
The Houthis say officially that they don't recruit children and send away those who try to enlist.
Some of the children told the AP they joined the rebels willingly, mainly because of promises of money or the chance to carry a weapon. But others described being forced into the service of the Houthis — abducted from schools or homes or coerced into joining in exchange for a family member's release from detention.
Many can be seen manning checkpoints along main roads across northern and western Yemen, AK-47s dangling from their narrow shoulders. Others are sent to the front lines as foot soldiers.
A 13-year-old named Riyadh said half of the fighters he served with on the front lines in Yemen's mountainous Sirwah district were children. Rebel officers ordered them to push forward during battles, even as coalition jets zoomed overhead, he said.
A former teacher from the city of Dhamar said that at least 14 pupils from his school were recruited and then died in battle. Their pictures were placed on empty classroom seats in 2016 during the Week of the Martyr, which the Houthis celebrate each year in February. Most of them were fifth and sixth graders, he said. An education official from Dhamar confirmed his account. The two spoke on condition of anonymity because of fear of retribution.
The teacher said some of the dead children's parents were Houthi leaders who willingly sent their sons to the front lines. "It's painful because this is a child and they are all my children because I was their teacher," he said. "They were taken from the school and returned in coffins."
Top Houthi officials heap praise on young soldiers who have died in a conflict they describe as a sacred war against America, Israel and other outside powers they believe are trying to take over the country.
Under the Houthi-controlled Defense Ministry, the rebels have pursued what they call a "national voluntary recruitment campaign."
Brig. Gen. Yahia Sarie, a spokesman for the Houthis' armed forces, told the AP "there is no general policy to use the children in the battles," but he acknowledged that some young people do volunteer to join the fight. – by Maggie Michael, AP
https://www.apnews.com/082c0b7b6253468e97da5ee0c3f43066 = https://www.foxnews.com/world/children-as-young-as-10-fight-kill-and-die-in-yemens-war
and a shorter version https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12179800
and five fates in thread: https://twitter.com/mokhbersahafi/status/1075307693655670784
and film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlXA5l-NWa0 = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BM0Pbb8U7fQ
(** B K P)
It's Time to End U.S. Support for the Saudi War on Yemen
America should seek a regional balance, not Saudi hegemony.
Contrary to Trump administration claims, memorialized in an atrocious op-ed under Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s name, not everything in the world is about Iran. The conflict in Yemen continues decades of internal strife. Saudi Arabia’s invasion internationalized a decade-long domestic fight. Riyadh’s hubris gave Tehran an opportunity to bleed the Saudis militarily.
The greatest challenge to U.S. policy in the region is royal stupidity in Saudi Arabia rather than Islamist hostility in Iran. The latter is outgunned, overmatched and badly stretched.
In contrast, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is ruled by an immature authoritarian known mostly for his myopia, ruthlessness, brutality, recklessness, ambition and arrogance. His misadventures are legendary
The outcome of these policies has been highly negative for America, often generating the opposite of the intended results.
With friends like the KSA America doesn’t need enemies.
Washington should draw a line at Yemen. So far, unfortunately, the administration remains committed to backing Riyadh in a murderous war against one of the world’s poorest nations
The United States should leave the Yemen War.
The United States did all this despite Yemen’s minimal significance. Gen. Joseph Votel, commander of U.S. Central Command, predictably called the country a “vital interest,” suggesting that in his view nowhere on earth is not vital. In reality, Yemen, in turmoil for decades, is not even an important interest, other than having entangled Washington in a wholly unnecessary conflict.
Long-term impacts of U.S. involvement are entirely ill. Washington has turned many Yemenis into enemies and potential terrorists while rewarding Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s worst impulses.
Moreover, Tehran has never controlled the Houthis, did not start the present conflict, and has only limited influence even now
It is, to coin a phrase, time for a change in policy toward Saudi Arabia. The U.S. administration should stop acting as the monarchy’s public relations agent and the U.S. military should stop acting as the royal family’s bodyguard. Most importantly, Washington should stop supporting a war it should never have backed. Only then will it be possible to reform America’s relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – by Dough Bandow
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/skeptics/its-time-end-us-support-saudi-war-yemen-39062
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics
(* A H)
Sudden outbreak of measles epidemic in al-Hada – Dhamar kills 5 children
Local sources said that five children died in the Directorate of Al-Huda, Dhamar province, as a result of the sudden spread of measles among children in the past 24 hours, the epidemic began to spread among the children since the beginning of the week, and in the past hours five cases of death.
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/162346
(* B H)
Cholera and starvation in Yemen is preventable, Stanford pediatrician says
What disturbs Stanford pediatrician Paul Wise, MD, most about the cholera epidemic in Yemen is that it’s hitting children hardest and is completely preventable.
“Children in Yemen are not only the most vulnerable to this ongoing cholera epidemic but they are also suffering from a disastrous famine,” Wise told me in an interview for Stanford Health Policy. He is a core faculty member at the Department of Pediatrics, Stanford Health Policy and the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law.
“The cholera and starvation that is currently afflicting Yemen’s children are completely manmade and preventable,” he added. “They are the product of a brutal, protracted war and the ongoing complacency of the international community.”
Wise, who leads Stanford’s Children in Crisis project, joined colleagues at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to study the preparedness and response to the cholera epidemic, at the request U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Their report was issued earlier this month.
If caught early, cholera can be treated with oral hydration salts, though more severe cases require intravenous fluids and antibiotics. But the bacterium found in food and water sources has overwhelmed Yemen because its health care facilities and infrastructure have been devastated.
“What is critical to remember is that these cases and deaths are all preventable,” said Wise. “And children are always the most vulnerable to the indirect effects of war, the effects resulting from the destruction of the essentials of life, like food, water, shelter, and health care.”
My comment: And even more: Stop bombing water facilities, water drills, water wells, sewage systems…
(* A H)
First mortality of suspected swine flu case recorded in Ibb
A medical source told the Almasdar online that a reported death of the citizen was recorded as the doctors diagnosed his case that he had swine flu (N1H1) Two days after he entered the hospital during which he entered the intensive care room until he passed away.
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/162302
cp1b1 Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah: Deutsch/ Most important: Hodeidah battle: German
(* A K P)
Film: Waffenstillstand im Jemen scheint zu halten
Die bei Friedensgesprächen vereinbarte Waffenruhe für die Hafenstadt Hudaida soll der UN zufolge weitgehend halten. Millionen Jemeniten hoffen nun auf ein baldiges Ende des Krieges.
https://www.handelsblatt.com/video/politik/buergerkrieg-waffenstillstand-im-jemen-scheint-zu-halten/23785624.html = https://www.nrz.de/video/waffenstillstand-im-jemen-scheint-zu-halten-id216056841.html
(* A K P)
Komitee zum Truppenabzug im Jemen zusammengekommen
Nach der Waffenruhe für den strategisch wichtigen Hafen Hudaida im Bürgerkriegsland Jemen ist das Komitee zum Truppenabzug in New York zusammengekommen. Bei dem Treffen gestern seien Pläne für die Überwachung der Waffenruhe besprochen worden, sagte UNO-Sprecher Stephane Dujarric.
Alle Beteiligten hätten ihre Unterstützung für die Hilfe der Vereinten Nationen und den ehemaligen niederländischen General Patrick Cammaert ausgesprochen, der als Vorsitzender des Komitees den Abzug der Truppen beider Konfliktparteien koordinieren soll. Cammaert soll ein Team aus Beobachtern in Zivilkleidung leiten, das heute aus New York in den Jemen reisen soll.
https://orf.at/stories/3104927/ = https://www.greenpeace-magazin.de/ticker/komitee-zum-truppenabzug-im-jemen-zusammengekommen
(* A K P)
Jemen: Gegenseitige Beschuldigungen über Bruch des Waffenstillstands
Jemens Kriegsparteien haben wechselseitige Anschuldigungen bezüglich des gebrochenen Waffenstillstand in Hodeidah erhoben, der von den Vereinten Nationen vermittelt wurde
Der Fernsehsender Al-Masirah beschuldigte die von Saudi-Arabien geführten Koalitionstruppen, den Waffenstillstand gebrochen zu haben, indem sie mehrere Gebiet beschossen, darunter einige Orte östlich des Flughafens. Die Nachrichtenagentur WAM der Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate zitierte eine jemenitische Quelle, die die Houthis beschuldigte, das 22.-Mai-Spital in einem östlichen Vorort mit Mörsern und Raketen beschossen zu haben.
https://www.mena-watch.com/jemen-gegenseitige-beschuldigungen-ueber-bruch-des-waffenstillstands/
https://orf.at/stories/3104927/
(* A K P)
Waffenruhe in Jemen hält vorerst
Die Montag nacht in Kraft getretene Waffenruhe für den strategisch wichtigen Hafen Hodeida in Jemen hält nach Ansicht der UNO vorerst. Das gehe aus aktuellen Lageberichten aus dem Konfliktgebiet hervor, hieß es aus offiziellen UN-Kreisen am Dienstag. Es soll nun so schnell wie möglich ein Komitee die Arbeit aufnehmen, das den Abzug der Truppen beider Konfliktparteien koordinieren soll.
https://www.jungewelt.de/artikel/345734.waffenruhe-in-jemen-h%C3%A4lt-vorerst.html
(* A K P)
Lage im Jemen beruhigt sich vorerst
Nachdem zuerst trotz Waffenruhe in der jemenitischen Hafenstadt Hudaida weitergekämpft wurde, scheint der Waffenstillstand nun zu halten. Das gehe aus den Lageberichten aus dem Konfliktgebiet hervor, hieß es dazu aus offiziellen Kreisen der Vereinten Nationen.
Die in der Vorwoche bei Friedensgesprächen ausgehandelte Feuerpause trat um Mitternacht (Ortszeit, 22.00 Uhr MEZ) in Kraft. Unmittelbar danach wurden Vorwürfe laut, die Waffenruhe werde nicht beachtet. Um 3.00 Uhr Ortszeit wurden die Kämpfe laut Vertretern der regierungstreuen Armee sowie laut Bewohnern eingestellt.
https://www.dw.com/de/lage-im-jemen-beruhigt-sich-vorerst/a-46780387
http://www.ostsee-zeitung.de/Nachrichten/Politik/Waffenruhe-im-Jemen-wie-die-Uno-versucht-einen-Krieg-zu-beenden (mit Hintergrundinfo)
cp1b2 Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah: Englisch / Most important: Hodeidah battle: English
(** A H K)
Film, Transcript: Critical Yemeni port city clings to fragile truce
Houthi rebels control the critical Yemeni port of Hodeidah, but they are now encircled by fighters loyal to the country’s internationally recognized government. In the ravaged city, fighting between the two sides continued up until a UN-brokered cease-fire took effect Tuesday. Special correspondent Jane Ferguson obtained rare access to Hodeidah and reports on the fragile situation there.
JF: We were given rare access to the city through the one road in and out not yet cut off by the fighting and watched closely by the Houthis, piles of earth and metal containers dragged across the road, the first sign that this is a war zone.
When troops loyal to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates pushed inside the city in November, the battle reached into ordinary people's homes and neighborhoods.
Yemeni troops backed by the coalition are just about 500 yards in that direction. And this neighborhood, which has been hit by airstrikes, is a residential one, filled with civilians.
This apartment building took a direct hit two weeks ago, people told us. The house next door was also hit. Thirteen-year-old Mohammed Qudaish showed us the cuts on his body he received while running for his life.
His grandma needed surgery to remove shrapnel from her body. Little Mohammed collected parts of the missile that hit his house and killed his sister.
Mohammed is one of a growing number of children injured in this war. Across town in the Al-Salakhana Hospital, battle-scarred youngsters fill the rooms. Too young to understand the war, all they know is, their playgrounds have become death traps, those like 10-year-old Aisha Mohim.
She was playing inside her house when a stray bullet hit her and ended up lodged in her foot. In a bed nearby lays 8-year-old Qaddifa Baria. Still traumatized, Qaddifa doesn't speak. She was injured when an airstrike hit the street she was playing in. Her father struggles to bear the pain.
Across town, Hodeidah's main hospital, Al-Thura, is packed with people hoping to find help. With the fighting just yards away, it can barely cope, overwhelmed with people desperate for all kinds of medical care.
This hospital is very close to the front line here in Hodeidah, and it is absolutely packed. It treats people for everything from malnutrition to war wounds.
Ofah Hadi, a nursing student, lost six extended family members when an airstrike hit her apartment building. She also lost her left leg.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/critical-yemeni-port-city-clings-to-fragile-truce
(* A K P)
'Uneasy calm' in Yemen's Hodeida as combatants await UN truce team
An uneasy calm returned to the battleground Yemeni city of Hodeida on Thursday after new overnight skirmishes as the warring parties await the promised deployment of UN staff to oversee a hard-won but fragile truce.
Military officials and residents have reported intermittent fighting between Saudi-backed government forces and Huthi Shiite rebels since a new UN-brokered ceasefire came into effect in the Red Sea port city on Tuesday.
A pro-government official told AFP that four loyalists were wounded on Wednesday night in an exchange of fire.
"The exchange of fire lasted for about half an hour, and there is uneasy calm this morning," he said.
The official added there has been intermittent fighting on a number of battlefronts in Hodeida province, including the districts of Hays and Al-Tuhayta.
Pro-government forces and Huthi rebels exchanged accusations on Thursday that the other side was violating the ceasefire agreement reached at talks in Sweden earlier this month.
(A K)
The local joke in Hodeidah is that the continuous explosions despite the ceasefire are that of landmines and IEDs being destroyed by intentionally triggering them. Sporadic short bursts of gunfire is celebratory, ya know, expressing joy that peace finally here
https://twitter.com/omeisy/status/1075627698637148161
My comment: I just hope this is true.
(* A K P)
Explosions rock Yemen's main port for second day after truce
Explosions rocked Yemen’s Red Sea city of Hodeidah for a second day on Wednesday despite a U.N.-mediated ceasefire meant to pave the way for peace negotiations to end nearly four-years of war.
Residents said six missiles blasts near the 7 July eastern suburb broke the calm, but it was not clear who was responsible.
A U.N.-chaired committee formed to oversee the truce and troop withdrawal from Hodeidah city and three ports held its first meeting on Wednesday using video link and phone with representatives from both sides.
Retired Dutch General Patrick Cammaert, chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee, will travel to Jordan on Thursday, then on to Sanaa and Hodeidah, with a small initial advance team, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
The ceasefire deal, which covers only Hodeidah, will see international monitors deployed in the city and port with all armed forces pulling out within 21 days of the truce.
(A K pH)
Saudi-led mercenaries' artillery hit Hodeidah
The shelling took place in Tuahita district using guided missiles, causing damages to citizens’ properties, the official said.
Meanwhile, the shelling hit several areas nearby Union Palace Hotel in Hali district leaving huge damages
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news519480.htm
(* A K pH)
Brigadier Saree: US-Saudi Aggression Mercenaries Continue Violating Cease-Fire Agreement in Hodeidah
Spokesman for the Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Sare'e confirmed that the US-Saudi mercenaries continued for the second day their violations of the ceasefire agreement in Hodeidah, by firing artillery shells, rockets and medium weapons on residential neighborhoods.
He pointed out in a press statement that the warplanes, reconnaissance and Apache continue to fly heavily in the skies of Hodeidah, the mercenaries of the aggression bombed a city with 10 shells and shelled by artillery, medium and light weapons Alduraihmi city.
Pointing out that the mercenaries fired 9 Katyusha rockets, artillery and various medium weapons towards the positions of Yemeni Army and Popular Committees forces in Aljabaliah. The mercenaries' bulldozers are building new bulwarks east of Al Shaab city.
The spokesman explained that reinforcements of 120 mercenaries soldiers moved towards the city of Hodeidah, and two battalions of mercenaries had completed training at the Assab base and are being to transfer to the West Coast Front within the next 48 hours.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=4431&cat_id=1
(A K pS)
Houthis commit 21 violations in Hodeida
Sources of the Arab Coalition told AFP that the Houthis committed 21 violations since the midnight of Monday, affirming that the Houthis still ignore the agreement reached in Sweden last week.
The sources further said that the government forces defend themselves when it is necessary, pointing out that they would continue to act with restraint and responsibility.
Meanwhile, military sources told Alsharq al-Awsat newspaper that the Houthis bombarded with mortars populated neighborhoods in al-Hawak district of Hodeida, forcing residents to displace.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-26219
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UN ceasefire monitors set to leave for Yemen
UN News Service: UN-led Yemen ceasefire monitoring team gets ready to begin operations
A UN-led team tasked with overseeing the ceasefire which came into effect on Tuesday around a number of critical Yemeni ports, has begun planning operations with a conference call to discuss the general outlines of its work, including agreement of a code of conduct, the UN Spokesperson said on Wednesday.
The Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) is led by retired Major General Patrick Cammaert, who previously served in a variety of peacekeeping roles at the United Nations, including as Force Commander of the former Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), and Military Adviser to UN peacekeeping (DPKO).
The RCC members are drawn from military and security representatives of the Yemeni Government and the Houthi militia, with General Cammaert in the role of Chair. In addition, several international observers may be deployed in the city and port of Hudaydah, as well as Saleef and Ras Isa: these ports are critical to the delivery of aid to the country, which has for months now, been home to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
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Hadi government Foreign Minister Khalid al Yamani and al Houthi movement spokesperson Mohammed Abdul Salam announced their representatives to the Redeployment Coordination Committee that will monitor the al Hudaydah ceasefire on December 17 and 18, respectively.[3]
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Yemen's warring sides trade blame for truce breach, swap prisoner lists
Yemen’s warring parties blamed each other for violations of a U.N.-mediated ceasefire in Hodeidah meant to avert an all-out battle for a port city vital for emergency aid supplies and pave the way to peace negotiations.
Residents reported shelling late on Tuesday, the first day of the truce, for nearly one hour on the eastern and southern outskirts of the Houthi-held Red Sea city, a lifeline for millions at risk of famine. Calm prevailed on Wednesday.
But a source in the Saudi-led coalition arrayed against the Iran-aligned Houthis told Reuters that if international monitors were not deployed in Hodeidah soon, the deal reached under of U.N.-brokered confidence-building process could falter.
The United Nations was due to convene the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government by video link on Wednesday to discuss a troop withdrawal from Hodeidah city and three ports under the truce deal agreed at talks in Sweden last week, the first in more than two years.
Houthi-run al-Masirah TV accused coalition forces of shelling several sites in Hodeidah, including areas east of the airport. The United Arab Emirates news agency WAM quoted a Yemeni source as saying the Houthis fired mortar bombs and rockets at the May 22 Hospital in the eastern suburbs.
“We will continue to give them (Houthis) the benefit of the doubt and show restraint, but early indicators are not promising,” said the coalition source, who declined to be named.
“If the U.N. ... takes too long to get into (the) theater, they will lose the opportunity altogether and the Stockholm agreement will (be) a dead duck.”
and also
(A K pS)
These images in #Hodeidah via @baseem_aljenani shows the Houthis built fortresses in the city after the ceasefire officially announced (photos)
https://twitter.com/BShtwtr/status/1075361662750875650
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U.N. to convene Yemen's warring parties by video on truce deal
The United Nations will convene Yemen’s warring parties by video link on Wednesday to discuss the redeployment of all forces from Hodeidah city and three ports under a ceasefire deal agreed last week, a U.N. spokesman said.
It will be the first meeting of a Redeployment Coordination Committee that oversees the ceasefire and withdrawal of forces, said U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
“It will include military/security representatives from the two sides,” Dujarric told reporters.
“The full mutual redeployment of all forces from the city of Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Saleef and Ras Isa shall be completed within a maximum period of 21 days after the cease-fire enters into force,” Dujarric said.
The committee will be chaired by retired Dutch Major General Patrick Cammaert who will leave New York later this week to travel to Yemen with a team.
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Dutch general Patrick Cammaert faces 'huge challenge' in Hodeidah
Known for his tough reputation, Cammaert is tasked with monitoring ceasefire in Hodeidah, withdrawal of warring sides.
The Dutch general tasked with monitoring the ceasefire in Hodeidah faces a daunting task in policing the government and rebel forces massed around Yemen's port city.
Major General Patrick Cammaert will leave New York this week to travel to Yemen and oversee the truce between the Houthis and the Saudi Arabia-backed government after the two sides reached an agreement in Sweden last Thursday.
That committee will be led by Cammaert, a retired general with experience in Sri Lanka, Cambodia and DR Congo, where he was known for his tough approach during peacekeeping missions.
Under his mandate in Yemen deal, a yet-to-be-defined group of "local security forces" will be tasked with patrolling the city and ports.
According to Muhammedally, Cammaert will likely struggle to find candidates for this force who are acceptable to the Houthis and the government. He may opt for a group of former police officers from the Hodeidah area, she said.
"The composition of the internal security force will be a challenge," Muhammedally, a lawyer, told Al Jazeera.
"Getting the right force, which is seen as legitimate by people in Hodeidah, is essential. The mandate, competencies and training to engage with civilians is also critical."
"The full mutual redeployment of all forces from the city of Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Saleef and Ras Isa shall be completed within a maximum period of 21 days after the ceasefire enters into force," Dujarric said.
The security force will not be a UN blue helmet operation and its members "will not be armed," Dujarric said.
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Hodeidah residents dare to hope as first day of ceasefire holds
Residents trapped in Hodeidah were daring to hope on Tuesday that the misery facing the besieged Yemeni city was abating, after the first day of a UN-brokered ceasefire appeared to hold.
Both Houthi rebels in control of the city and forces loyal to Yemen’s exiled government agreed to a cessation of hostilities at midnight on Monday night.
Residents said sporadic gunfire punctured the truce but there has been no movement on the east and southern fronts in the battle for the city – a marked improvement after six weeks of intense fighting for Hodeidah’s vital port, Yemen’s main aid lifeline.
“I could only sleep two hours last night because I was so alert and kept watching for any signs of breaches of the ceasefire,” said resident Baseem al Janani.
“The first day has been good. It is quiet. God willing it will hold.”
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United Nations says a team of cease-fire monitors will be deployed to Yemen within 24 hours
A team including members of Yemen’s warring sides will be dispatched within a day to monitor a truce deal in Hodeida city, a United Nations official said Tuesday.
“The Redeployment Coordination Committee is expected to start its work within the next 24 hours,” said the official, who requested anonymity.
The RCC includes members of the Saudi-backed government and the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels but is chaired by the United Nations.
“Both parties said publicly they are abiding by the cease-fire,” the U.N. official said.
The observers are due to oversee the implementation of the truce, the withdrawal of both warring parties from Hodeida city and the pullout of Houthis from its major ports.
The committee chair is expected to report to the U.N. Security Council on a weekly basis.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/12/18/world/united-nations-says-team-cease-fire-monitors-will-deployed-yemen-within-24-hours/ = https://thedefensepost.com/2018/12/18/yemen-ceasefire-monitors-hodeidah/
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Yemen: fighting dies down in Hodeidah as ceasefire starts
Yemen’s warring parties are observing the first day of a UN-negotiated ceasefire in the key port city of Hodeidah, opening the way for monitors to enter the area and start the process of administering a formal withdrawal of troops over the next month.
The UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, who negotiated the breakthrough agreement at talks in Sweden last week, said he expected the retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert to be deployed to Hodeidah by Wednesday under UN authority to oversee the ceasefire and the two-phase troop withdrawal.
Griffiths said the ceasefire was breached soon after it came into force at midnight on Tuesday but since then the skies had been silent.
He told BBC Radio 4: “So far, so good, fingers crossed. There was some skirmishing between one and two o’clock on the frontlines. The skies are quiet above Hodeidah. The pattern at the moment is a positive one.”
He said the monitoring committee chaired by Cammaert would meet for the first time on Wednesday. The aim was for the first phase of withdrawal to be completed by the end of the year and the second phase – taking troops out of the port area – by the middle of January, allowing aid to travel freely on the road from Hodeidah to the capital, Sana’a.
(* A K)
Yemen's Hodeida calm after ceasefire takes effect
Yemen's flashpoint city of Hodeida was calm on Tuesday following heavy clashes that erupted after the UN-brokered ceasefire started at midnight, pro-government sources and residents said.
"There has been complete calm since 03:00 am Yemen time (1200 GMT) in the city of Hodeida," a military source loyal to the government told AFP on Tuesday.
The ceasefire agreement struck at the UN-sponsored peace talks in Sweden came into effect at midnight Monday but heavy clashes and air raids continued after the deadline, pro-government sources and residents in the city told AFP.
The residents confirmed by phone that there has been no fighting between the government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition and Iran-aligned Huthi rebels since 03:00 am.
But it was not possible to determine if the halt in fighting was in response to the ceasefire or just a temporary stoppage.
(* A K)
Blasts heard in Yemen's main port city on first day of truce: residents
Four blasts were heard in Yemen’s main port city of Hodeidah late on Tuesday on the first day of a ceasefire agreed between the Iran-aligned Houthi movement and the Saudi-backed government at U.N.-led peace talks last week, residents said.
One resident told Reuters the blasts sounded like artillery shelling on the eastern and southern outskirts of the Red Sea port city, vital for food and aid supplies to Yemen. Other residents said they had heard similar explosions.
It was not immediately clear which side was responsible.
Fighting persisted before coming to a halt when the truce went into effect at midnight (2100 GMT) on Monday, but Hodeidah had been calm throughout the day on Tuesday.
(* A K P)
Yemen government, Houthis trade blame for ceasefire breaches
Yemen’s Aden-based government has accused Houthi rebels of violating a ceasefire that came into force late Monday night in the western Al-Hudaydah province.
Government spokesman Mamoun al-Mehmaji told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday that the Houthis had attacked government troop concentrations — with machine-guns and artillery — in Al-Hudaydah’s regional capital.
Yemen’s Houthi-linked Al-Masirah television channel reported Tuesday that government forces had carried out an “infiltration operation” in Al-Hudaydah’s southern Haias directorate.
(A K pH)
Yemeni Houthi fighters foil Saudi-backed militiamen’s push for Hudaydah, inflict losses
Yemeni Houthi Ansarullah movement says army soldiers and allied fighters from popular committees have managed to frustrate a large-scale offensive by Saudi-sponsored militiamen loyal to Yemen's former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi in Hudaydah, hours after a UN-brokered ceasefire started at midnight in the strategic port city.
Ansarullah, in a statement released on Tuesday, said Yemeni troops and their allies engaged in fierce clashes with Saudi mercenaries in the Hays district of the province, leaving scores of them killed and injured, Yemen’s Arabic-language al-Masirah television network reported.
(A K pH)
Dec. 18: In Hodiedah, US-Saudi forces targeted with machine-guns a village in Kilo-16 and Al-Shabab city in Al-Hali district, targeted with heavy and medium arms Hodiedah University and a number of areas.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=4422&cat_id=1
(A K P)
Intermittent flying of US-Saudi Aerial Aggression in Hodeidah Skies After Announcing Ceasefire Activation
The US-Saudi warplanes flew over the city of Hodeidah and a number of its districts hours after the announcement of ceasefire to go into effect at midnight Tuesday in accordance with the agreement reached in the Yemeni peace talks in Stockholm.
Ansarullah handed over Monday evening the names of their representatives on the Redeployment Coordination Committee chaired by the United Nations to oversee the ceasefire in Hodeidah.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=4411&cat_id=1
(A P)
Houthis launched an Abductions campaign prior to ceasefire in Hodeidah
Militants of the al-Houthi group have stepped up the kidnapping campaign against civilians since the Swedish agreement between the Yemeni parties last Thursday according to human rights sources in Hodeidah said Tuesday.
The sources said the Houthis raised the state of alert in the city under their control before entering the ceasefire agreement, dawn on Tuesday, and anyone who opposes the group became a target.
It noted that anyone must cooperate with the group and give the militants praise and commendation, despite escalating violations against civilians and the deployment of cannons in residential neighborhoods.
According to eyewitnesses, the Houthis kidnapped a civilian who was driving a motorcycle, tried to joke with them in good faith at one of their points.
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/162272
Remark: As reported by an anti-Houthi (Islah Party) website.
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The UN should move swiftly on Hodeidah to avert disaster
Against these encouraging signs, there have been some disturbing developments. Mohammed Abdel-Salam, the leader of the Houthi delegation, and his lieutenant have both published their own slanted understandings of the outcome of the Sweden talks, especially regarding Hodeidah.
They disagree with what the UN sought to convey about the agreement. It is not clear whether these Houthi statements about the talks are intended for consumption by their supporters, or whether they represent their genuine positions.
According to Abdel-Salam, the first phase should be withdrawal of the “invading forces” from Hodeidah’s city outskirts. The second phase would be “suspending military activity from all sides.” He reiterated that the agreement means “withdrawal of the invaders” from the whole southern part of the “province” of Hodeidah, not just the city or ports.
Abdel-Malak Al-Ajri, another member of the Houthi delegation, was more strident. In a detailed statement he published in an official Houthi publication, he dismissed the “rumor” of leaving the ports as a propaganda ploy by the other side. He stressed that the agreement does not include leaving the ports, but only “withdrawal by the aggression militias and mercenaries from the city outskirts.”
It spells disaster for Yemen if these Houthi statements represent their operational understanding of the solution to Hodeidah. The UN should work to disabuse the Houthis of these notions by swiftly moving to establish a peacekeeping, peacebuilding presence in Hodeidah.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1423061
My comment: By a Saudi site. Well, it is true that these Houthi statements are not fitting to the Sweden agreement.
cp2 Allgemein / General
(B P)
Jahresbilanz der Pressefreiheit: Weltweit 80 Medienschaffende getötet
Die Länder mit den meisten getöteten Journalisten, Bürgerjournalisten und Medienmitarbeitern waren 2018 Afghanistan (15 Medienschaffende getötet), Syrien (11), Mexiko (9), Jemen (8) und Indien (6).
Auch die Zahl der inhaftierten Bürgerjournalisten stieg 2018 sprunghaft an: um 40 Prozent von 107 auf 150. Nachdem sie bereits gegen traditionelle Medien hart durchgegriffen haben, überarbeiten Länder wie China, Ägypten, Iran und Saudi-Arabien jetzt ihre Unterdrückungsstrategien. Neue Internetgesetze etwa erleichtern es ihnen, gegen Online-Journalisten und Nutzer von sozialen Netzwerken vorzugehen.
Insgesamt saßen am 1. Dezember 2018 weltweit 348 Medienschaffende wegen ihrer Arbeit in Haft – mehr als die Hälfte von ihnen in nur fünf Ländern: in China (60), Ägypten (38), der Türkei (33), Iran (28) und Saudi-Arabien (28).
(B K)
AP reported that Houthis have recruited 18.000 Yemeni children since the war began in 2014. I think the real number is much higher than this. Q: How many Houthis have been killed since 2014? By the way, all groups including UAE-backed militias in south have recruited children.
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/1075436274813714432
(* B K P)
A Shift: Repudiating War on Yemen
And yet, a shift in public perception regarding war on Yemen could liberate others from the terrible spectre of early death.
Writing during another war, while he was exiled from Vietnam, Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh imagined the birth of a “Peace Child.” He ends his poem by calling on people to give both their hands for the chance to “protect the seeds of life bursting on the cradle’s rim.”
I think of Iraqi mothers who lost their babies as bombs exploded just outside their maternity ward. The shift in public perception is painfully too late for innumerable people traumatized and bereaved by war. Nevertheless, the chance to press with all our might for a continuing and growing shift, repudiating war, could point us in a new direction.
The war in Yemen is horrific and ought to be ended immediately. It makes eminent good sense to give both our hands and all the energies we can possibly summon, to end the war in Yemen and vow the abolition of all war – by Kathy Kelly
http://www.eurasiareview.com/20122018-a-shift-repudiating-war-on-yemen-oped/
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Yemen: Stability impossible?
Will negotiations in Stockholm produce for Yemen a resolution previous rounds failed to provide? Hopes are not high, but urgency is
Mohammed Al-Mikhlafi, professor of law, undersecretary-general of the Yemeni Socialist Party and minister of legal affairs from 2011 to 2015, urges a return to the outcomes of the national dialogue, namely the need to establish decentralised government and the need to resume the democratisation process.
But how would Yemen be divided in a decentralised system?
“The national dialogue conference did not stipulate a particular formula,” he said. “However, Yemen does not have to reinvent the wheel. There are international criteria for decentralised, federal systems of government. We can choose what is right for us.”
The criteria for decentralised government might be political, geographic, economic or ethic/sectarian. It appears that Yemen still has to contend with the battle over which of these criteria to adopt and how.
Meanwhile, regardless of the results of the consultations in Sweden, the Stockholm stage will have an impact. The parties to the conflict in Yemen cannot return to where they were before. The world can no longer tolerate more failure in the face of the spectre of an impending humanitarian catastrophe for which all will pay the price.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/26123.aspx = http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentP/48/320515/--/Yearender--Yemen-Stability-impossible.aspx
Remark: Wider overview article, going back in history, from Egypt.
(* B K P)
The forgotten war in Yemen
The devastating humanitarian crisis in Yemen, where people are struggling to survive and save themselves from diseases, has gone largely unnoticed for years
The world has been witnessing severe atrocities being committed in Yemen. Some even claim that a possible genocide is on the way in the country. The highest percentages of those who are killed as a result of the bombings of schools, marketplaces, residential areas and weddings are innocent children and women. Various reports by international institutions such as Amnesty International have documented proof of crimes against humanity and violations of the rules and principles of international law.
There are too many lives at risk and the world cannot afford inaction any longer. World public opinion must take necessary measures against those who are responsible – namely Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the Yemeni government, the Houthi rebels, and Iran – for the crimes on Yemeni soil. Lastly, Western countries must stop supporting these regional actors.
https://www.dailysabah.com/columns/ataman-muhittin/2018/12/19/the-forgotten-war-in-yemen
My comment: This is from Turkey: reflecting a changing approach of the Erdogan government?
(* B P)
A Canadian Yemeni’s Struggle to Shed Light on the War on Yemen
Hamza Shaiban, president of the Yemeni Community in Canada, a nonprofit organization that promotes peace in Yemen.
Yemenis, including Shaiban, had hoped that the outrage over the recently viral photo of a Yemeni father sitting beside his two brutally murdered children would cause much needed change, but even that was short-lived and subsequent action close to nonexistent.
As leader of the Yemeni Community in Canada, he has helped organize protests, spoken at local colleges and universities, passed out pamphlets, and advocated for an end to the Canadian-Saudi arms deal.
https://truthout.org/articles/a-canadian-yemenis-struggle-to-shed-light-on-the-war-on-yemen/
(* B K P)
3 Ways to Change Yemen
The violence in Yemen will continue to wreck the lives of the country's impoverished citizens until a stable government steps in and takes control of the situation.
How should the United States balance the pursuit of a Yemeni peace while countering hostile forces in the Middle East?
A December 12 discussion at the Center for the National Interest sought to shed light on these questions.
Byman began his introduction by noting that one important caveat on the statistics surrounding the conflict in Yemen is that there are “incredible problems” with the data collected. “Very basic questions, such as roughly how many people have died in the war, are not known within any certain margin of error,” he said. Byman explained that it is virtually impossible to answer a question about how long the war has lasted. Did it start five years ago or fifteen years ago? Nobody can agree on the time frame.
And who exactly are the key players in the ongoing Yemeni civil war?
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/skeptics/3-ways-change-yemen-39082
My comment: “until a stable government steps in and takes control of the situation“: the problem is, where should such a government come from? Looking back in history, you must ask, when did Yemen ever have such a government?
Comment: See, this is how a typical ill-advised American shit storm starts.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/1075399106141569024
(* B K P)
Film: Will the ceasefire in Yemen hold?
UN-brokered ceasefire begins in the besieged port city of Hodeidah, but what are the chances of a lasting settlement?
What are the chances of a lasting political settlement? And what would that mean for the Saudi-Emirati-led alliance?
Presenter: Laura Kyle; Guests: Sigurd Neubauer - non-resident fellow at Gulf International Forum; Afrah Nasser - Yemeni journalist and non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council; Simon Mabon - Senior lecturer in International Studies at Lancaster University
https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2018/12/ceasefire-yemen-hold-181218173047752.html = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCPEkaPfiUU
and
(* B K P)
Film: Will Yemen's first truce in years hold?
Yemen's port city of Hodeidah is enjoying a fragile calm after a UN-brokered ceasefire deal between Houthi fighters and forces loyal to the government came into effect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmgpXotjxn0
(? B K P)
Film and texts: Wilson Center Discussion on Yemen
The Wilson Center hosted a discussion on the prospects of peace talks to stop the civil war in Yemen, which is supported by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran, and has caused wide-spread famine and disease.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?456100-1/wilson-center-discussion-yemen
(* B H K)
The Many Saudi Coalition Massacres at Sea
The New York Times reports on the Saudi coalition’s massacres of fishermen at sea as part of their blockade of Yemen.
Saudi coalition attacks on fishermen and refugees at sea have been a regular part of the war on Yemen for the last three and a half years. The shelling and shooting of fishing boats and their crews are part of the coalition’s systematic targeting of Yemeni food production and distribution that Iona Craig and others have reported on for a long time. Because these war crimes take place at sea, it is more difficult to show their aftermath and as a result they are not as well-known as aerial attacks on targets on the mainland. This report is a valuable corrective to that neglect.
There were six attacks in August and September of this year, and they all followed the same pattern.
There is no real question that the Saudi coalition’s forces are responsible for these attacks. They are the ones enforcing a naval blockade of the country, and they are the only ones that have helicopters to carry out attacks on the fishing boats. Like the slaughter of Somali refugees by a coalition helicopter over a year and a half ago, these attacks could have been carried out only by the Saudis and their allies.
Just as they have been with their numerous other war crimes, Saudi coalition “investigations” of attacks on fishing boats are predictably worthless. The NYTarticle mentions the attack on the refugees here:
Attacking fishing boats serves the coalition’s attempt to starve Yemenis into submission in two ways: it deprives the people living along the western coast of the means to obtain food for themselves, and it takes away the means to make a living. The coalition deliberately strangles Yemen’s food supply and chokes its economy, and they do this to create conditions for mass starvation – by Daniel Larison
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/the-many-saudi-coalition-massacres-at-sea/
(B K P)
Minister of Fisheries: we seized 13 Iranian ships in Yemeni waters over the past three years
The Yemeni authorities have seized 13 Iranian vessels inside Yemeni territorial waters over the past three years, including nine ships seized in the Socotra archipelago and the others in different areas, according to the Minister of Fisheries Fahd Kafayen.
This was during his speech at a seminar on the social and economic dimensions of the interference of Iranian ships in Yemeni waters and their negative impact on the activity of fishermen, the fishery sector and maritime navigation in Yemeni and regional waters, organized by the Ministry of Fisheries in coordination with the fisheries Authority and the University of Aden.
"Those ships that were seized are among the 43 vessels that illegally entered Yemeni waters and practiced various prohibited activities during 2016, and legitimate government seized ships loaded with arms for more than once on its way to the Houthi militia.
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/162271
Remark: Hadi government minister.
My comment: There had been no reports on these Iranian ships loaded with arms before; sounds quite dubious and might be a deflection of what really affects Yemeni fishermen (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/17/world/middleeast/yemen-fishing-boats-saudi.html)
(* A P)
Iran Urges UN to Remain Unaffected by Pressures over Yemen
IRAN’S FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN BAHRAM QASSEMI HAS EXPRESSED HOPE THAT THE UN WOULD BE ABLE TO PLAY ITS KEY ROLE IN ESTABLISHING PEACE IN YEMEN WHILE REMAINING UNAFFECTED BY DIFFERENT PRESSURES.
The solution that we have always believed in has been an end to the aggression on Yemeni people and allowing Yemenis to achieve their objectives through dialogue. Today, these talks have got underway in Sweden, and we hope this trend will result in an end to the aggression while safeguarding Yemenis’ rights. Yemeni people can achieve their goals in intra-Yemeni talks and take steps towards the reconstruction of this country, as much of Yemen’s infrastructure has been destroyed by aggressors.
It is natural that a country which easily commits crimes and slaughters Yemeni people could level such accusations against Ansarullah, and the Riyadh government is likely to make such nonsense comments. If the negotiations in Sweden receive more support from the United Nations and are attended by international observers in Yemen, such blame games could be prevented to some extent, and given the media and international communications, the aggressors will suffer another defeat if they want to make another mistake.
https://ifpnews.com/exclusive/iran-urges-un-to-remain-unaffected-by-pressures-over-yemen/
Remark: A long interview, the Iranien viewpoint on Yemen.
And
(A P)
Senior Iranian MP: Aggressors Should Leave Yemen for Success of Stockholm Talks
A senior Iranian legislator underlined the need for the withdrawal of the Saudi-led coalition from Yemen to help success of the recent agreements made for the ceasefire in Hudaydah port city.
"We welcome the understanding and agreement on Yemen and think that good steps have been taken to this end," Seyed Hossein Naqavi Hosseini, a senior member of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said on Tuesday.
"Iran's unchanging strategy has included Yemeni-Yemeni talks because I believe that the Yemeni people (themselves) should decide for their country," he added.
Naqavi Hosseini, meantime, said that the talks and agreements can be successful when aggressors and hegemonic power leave Yemen and stop meddling in the country's affairs.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13970927000348
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
(* B H)
Die Grenzen der Ärzte ohne Grenzen
Unsere Autorin setzt von Berlin aus Projekte von Ärzte ohne Grenzen im Jemen um. Hier berichtet sie von der dramatischen Lage vor Ort. Sie fordert die Bundesregierung dazu auf, bei der Beseitigung der Ursachen des Leides zu helfen.
Dass eine so grundlegende medizinische Versorgung fast nicht mehr existiert, können wir uns hier kaum vorstellen. Für 27 Millionen Menschen im Jemen ist das seit Jahren bittere Realität. Das Gesundheitssystem ist zusammengebrochen, und das trifft Kinder, Schwangere, alte Menschen und chronisch Kranke besonders hart.
„Einfache“ Krankheiten werden schnell lebensbedrohlich. Wenn zum Mangel an Impfungen noch eine schlechte Versorgung mit sauberem Trinkwasser hinzukommt, ist die Gefahr von Epidemien wie Cholera groß. Und es kehren überwunden geglaubte Krankheiten zurück – wie Diphtherie.
Der Bedarf an medizinischer Hilfe im Jemen ist immens. Doch mehr als die Hälfte der Gesundheitseinrichtungen sind zerstört, es fehlt an Ausstattung, Medikamenten und Personal. Seit August 2016 hat ein Großteil der gut ausgebildeten medizinischen Mitarbeiter kein Gehalt mehr bekommen.
Der Weg ins nächste Krankenhaus ist wegen der Frontlinien und Checkpoints oft weit oder schlicht unmöglich.
Zu vielen Gebieten des Landes haben wir keinen Zugang, dort wo wir arbeiten können, ist das nur unter strengsten Sicherheitsvorkehrungen möglich. Sechsmal wurden Einrichtungen von Ärzte ohne Grenzen angegriffen.
Die humanitäre Hilfe wird von allen Kriegsparteien instrumentalisiert und behindert. Das zu ändern ist nur mit politischen Mitteln möglich.
Wir können als humanitäre medizinische Organisation nur die Symptome dieses Krieges bekämpfen. Jeder Tag, an dem gebombt und geschossen wird, verschlimmert die Lage der Jemeniten.
(B H)
Film: Yémen : la guerre fait un carnage, raconte MSF
https://actu.orange.fr/monde/videos/yemen-la-guerre-fait-un-carnage-raconte-msf-VID0000002JomM.html
(B H)
World Food Programme: Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Sea Transport Services (27 November 2018)
This document provides an overview of the logistics services to be made available through the Logistics Cluster, how humanitarian actors responding to the crisis in the Republic of Yemen may access these services, and the conditions under which these services are to be provided.
(* B H)
CARE: Yemen: We can only do our best
Whenever I speak about my country I feel pain and sadness. The place I lived in my entire life which carries so many beautiful memories is being destroyed in front of my eyes. And with each story we see or hear in the news we feel like nothing will ever be the same for us again.
We continuously try to hope that things will be better, but it is getting worse day after day. Seeing children and women starve is heart breaking. Seeing a mother not eating for two days to keep whatever food she receives for her children and starving herself is devastating.
Every day the hope gets less and less and I am scared that one day it will disappear completely.
We live in constant fear of whether the future will be darker than the past. This war has affected everyone.
I am a humanitarian worker and I am not able to provide my children with everything they need, so imagine how the situation is for more vulnerable people: people living in the villages who lost their jobs, and those who lost their homes and everything they own – By Khailieh Hassan, a CARE Field Officer in Yemen
https://www.careinternational.org.uk/stories/yemen-we-can-only-do-our-best
(* B H)
“Doctors Without Borders” announces the treatment of 751 wounded in Yemen last November
The Doctors Without Borders (MSF) organization said in a tweet published on the official account of its office in Yemen on Twitter, that it treated this 751 of wounded in its medical facilities in the province of Hodeidah, the Directorate of Abbs in the province of Hajjah, the city of Aden and the Directorate of Mocha in the province of Taiz.
"Of those injured, 335 were shot, 334 were injured during explosions and 65 from shrapnel," it said.
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/162328
(* B H)
Film: Time running out for starving children in Yemen ahead of ceasefire
CBS News has seen the desperation firsthand. Having fled from Saudi airstrikes and vicious fighting, people in remote northern Yemen are now up against another killer: malnutrition.
Inside one tent, a woman named Fatima was frozen with grief and shock. Nurse Makia Mehdi explains her baby starved to death just last week.
A teenager named Sara is also deeply traumatized. In 2015, Saudi warplanes bombed another camp in the area and 43 people died. Sara saw it all and hasn't said a word since.
Makia guessed that 15,000 people in this district alone are marooned in misery and utterly broke. The cruel paradox is that a few miles away on the main road, there's plenty of food the desperate can't dream of buying.
In this rugged landscape, the Aslam Clinic is a beacon of hope.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ahead-of-ceasefire-time-running-out-for-starving-children-in-yemen/
(* B H)
“A dream come true!… my daughter won't miss her classes anymore”
To improve access to drinking water and support vulnerable households in Al-Hamami and other villages of Bani Al-Awwam District- Hajjah Governorate, the Social Fund for Development (SFD) employed members of those vulnerable households in constructing their own rainwater harvesting reservoirs. Community members received cash assistance while securing their access to clean drinking water.
“I used to leave the village and look for work in the city to support my family and usually return for the farming seasons to work on my land”, said Mutahhar Hadi, a resident of the village and father of two. “Now, I had the opportunity to work with help of my family on building our own rainwater harvesting reservoir”, he added. Mutahhar’s 9-years-old son said, “it takes me and my elder sister half a day to go and fetch two 20-liter jerrycans on the back of the donkey from the spring down the valley.” He added; “We usually go in the morning in summer, but during school… we used to miss few classes… I hope won’t need to, when our tank is ready…”
The rainwater harvesting reservoirs project comes as part of the EU-funded and supported Social Protection for Community Resilience Project (SPCRP) to enhance the resilience of vulnerable communities in partnership with UN Development Programme (UNDP) to support 317 households in Bani Al-Awwam district alone.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/dream-come-true-my-daughter-wont-miss-her-classes-anymore
(B H)
UN Children's Fund: Yemen: Education Cluster Humanitarian Response Dashboard (January - November 2018)
(B H)
Relief and Development Peer Foundation: Yemen: Monthly Situation Report No. 8 (November 2018)
Distribution of 246.65 Metric tons of Nutrition commodities (Super Cereal Plus, Plumpy'Doz and Plumpy’Sup) for 60, 309 (34, 709 PLW and 25,600 Children).
Blanket Supplementary Feeding Program (BSFP) in 104 Food Distribution Points (FDPs) in Four Districts (Far Al-Udayn, Hazm Al-Udayn, Mudhiakhera, and AlUdayn), Ibb Governorate.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-monthly-situation-report-no-8-november-2018
(* B H)
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: Yemen Humanitarian Update Covering 1 - 13 December 2018 | Issue 34
Key Issues
Recent IPC analysis indicates that over 20 million face severe food insecurity in Yemen.
The upsurge in Yemen’s migrant arrivals exceeds 2018 arrivals to Europe via the Mediterranean Seaw.
Polio campaign reaches 4.6 million children, 84 per cent of target.
The trend of suspected cholera cases remains stable.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-humanitarian-update-covering-1-13-december-2018-issue-34
(* B H)
UN Children's Fund: Yemen Joint Market Monitoring Initiative (November 2018)
The JMMI incorporates information on market systems including price levels and supply chains. The basket of goods to be assessed comprises eight non-food items (NFIs), including fuel, water and hygiene products, reflecting the programmatic areas of the WASH Cluster. Since September 2018, the JMMI tracks all components of the WASH Survival Minimum Expenditure Basket (SMEB).
KEY FINDINGS
The value of the US dollar exchange rate registered on the parallel market was 540 YER, showing an depreciation of 27.5% compared to the value registered in October.
KEY PRICE FIGURES
The depreciation was accompanied by an overall decrease in the median price of assessed items. Treated water and water trucking experienced the greatest decrease: 22.6% and 24.1% respectively.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-joint-market-monitoring-initiative-november-2018
(* B H)
Half a million homeless Yemenis on brink of famine face winter freeze – Oxfam
More than half a million people who have fled fighting in Yemen are facing a double threat of famine and near freezing temperatures Oxfam said today, as it called on the warring parties to respect the ceasefire agreed in Sweden last week.
People forced to flee their homes are set for a winter struggle to survive in areas of the country which are one step away from famine and often without adequate shelter to protect them or fuel to keep them warm as temperatures plummet.
Almost 20,000 displaced people are facing winter weather in districts already experiencing famine conditions.
Winter temperatures are likely to drop to below freezing in highland areas of Yemen and rain brought in by southwest winds can fall in heavy torrents, leading to flooding. Many of the 530,000 displaced people living in these areas are in makeshift shelters with no insulation or weatherproofing.
Humanitarian agencies have identified over 75,000 displaced, vulnerable families in districts across the country who will need help to cope during the winter months, and there are likely to be more who haven’t been included in the assessment. 2658 of these families are in districts with catastrophic levels of hunger.
https://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases/2018-12-18/half-million-homeless-yemenis-brink-famine-face-winter-freeze = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/half-million-homeless-yemenis-brink-famine-face-winter-freeze-oxfam
(* B H)
How will Ahmed’s Family Survive Winter in Yemen?
During the winter, the suffering of the Yemeni people has only increased as they struggle to survive the cold season with little to no food.
Ahmed Mohsen Hussein al-Sourai suffered his first stroke six years ago. He and his wife have four children, two boys and two girls, and the consequences of continual war and the onset of winter have been particularly harsh for their family.
‘From the time of this incident, I bear all the concerns and sufferings of the family alone,’ his wife says. She explains that Ahmed has had multiple strokes and his left leg was amputated a year ago, leaving him disabled. This put an end to his career in construction and left him jobless at just 42 years of age.
The family rents a flat in Sana’a. With food prices soaring, it is becoming increasingly difficult to pay the rent, and Ahmed’s wife worries they will be evicted in the winter. With no relatives close by and no sustainable income, they will have nowhere to go.
But, like most Yemenis, lack of food is the number-one struggle she faces. ‘Sometimes we only eat one small meal all day,’ she says. Right now, over 8 million people are on the brink of starvation in Yemen. Many of them rely on humanitarian aid to provide them with even the most basic ingredients.
Without food, Ahmed’s wife is worried that the cold winter nights will make her husband and children ill. The family sleep in one room to preserve heat, and sometimes her son goes out to gather wood for burning. Most of the time, it is too cold to replenish the wood supply. (photos)
https://muslimhands.org.uk/latest/2018/12/how-will-ahmed-s-family-survive-winter-in-yemen
(* B H)
Map: Yemen: Access Constraints as of 17 December 2018
https://reliefweb.int/map/yemen/yemen-access-constraints-17-december-2018
(* B H)
Film: We spent the day with one doctor in one of Yemen's poorest districts where at least one in six children is severely malnourished.
https://www.facebook.com/YemenNotAlone/videos/2144077105651425
(B H)
Turkey carries out over 90 projects in Yemen
Turkey’s state-run TIKA runs more than 90 projects, humanitarian activities over past 6 years
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency’s (TIKA) office in the capital Sana, which opened in 2012, have realized projects mainly in the areas of health, education, agriculture and infrastructure.
https://www.yenisafak.com/en/world/turkey-carries-out-over-90-projects-in-yemen-3469547
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
(B H)
UN High Commissioner for Refugees: UNHCR Yemen Situation: 2018 Funding Update (as of 18 December 2018)
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/unhcr-yemen-situation-2018-funding-update-18-december-2018
(B H)
Film (Arabic): The suffering of refugees
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9jXkN3MYT8
(B H)
Registered Persons Of Concern Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Jordan (excluding SYR and IRQ) (15 December 2018)
14,104 from Yemen
https://reliefweb.int/report/jordan/registered-persons-concern-refugees-and-asylum-seekers-jordan-excluding-syr-and-irq-15 = https://reliefweb.int/report/jordan/registered-persons-concern-refugees-and-asylum-seekers-jordan-15-december-2018
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
Siehe / Look at cp1
(A P)
The #Houthis have stormed the house of Sheikh Ghaleb Al-Ajd'a al-Muradi in Al-Safiya neighborhood, downtown Sanaa and looted everything inside it, against the background of his son Hassan Ghaleb, leading the battles in Nehm front, east of Sanaa.
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1075139058794418176
(B K P)
The empty houses,in Al-Shaqp area of Sabar al-Moadem district in the city of Taiz - whose owners have fled to seek for a safer refuge - have been entirely looted and then bombed by the fighters of the #Iran-supported #Houthi militia, according to #Mwatana Org for #Human_Rights. (photo)
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1075498021884977152
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
(* B P)
Region Mahra: Saudi-Arabien führt Hilfsprogramm im Jemen durch - doch in der Region regt sich Widerstand
Im hiesigen Bezirk Mahra hat Saudi-Arabien begonnen, ein massives Hilfsprogramm aufzuziehen. Während die vom Königreich angeführte Militärkoalition über anderen Regionen des Jemens weiter Bomben abwirft, soll in Mahra der Aufbau beginnen. Vom Krieg gegen die Huthis ist die Region weitgehend verschont geblieben, doch wirtschaftlich und politisch ist sie jahrzehntelang vernachlässigt worden.
Verschiedene lokale Stämme haben die Herrschaft in Mahra unter sich aufgeteilt, in der Abwesenheit einer jemenitischen Zentralregierung waren sie lange die einzige administrative Autorität.
In Mahra scheint diese Seite des Krieges weit weg. Die Region rund 800 Kilometer von der Hauptstadt Sanaa entfernt, hat nicht nur kulturell wenig mit dem Norden des Landes gemein.
Hier hatten bislang vor allem die Sheikhs das Sagen, die Anführer großer Stämme oder Clans, die über verschiedene Gebiete der Region wachen. Ein saudischer Arzt in Al Ghaydah erklärt: “Das System hat sich etabliert, weil die Regierung weg ist. Es funktioniert, aber wir selbst wissen wenig darüber. Wir mischen uns da nicht ein.”
Auch sonst ist es nicht einfach, gesicherte Informationen über Mahra zu bekommen.
Eine Google-Suche spuckt nur rund ein Dutzend aussagekräftige Bilder aus der Gegend aus, wenige Wissenschaftler und Analysten haben sich je mit dem Gebiet beschäftigt. Ein abgehängter Landstrich, so scheint es.
Die Hilfe aus Riad
Ali al-Shahri, Brigadegeneral der saudischen Armee: “Es geht hier sehr schnell aufwärts. Wie bekämpfen den Schmuggel, wir bekämpfen die illegale Migration. Wir sorgen für Sicherheit.” Das gelinge auch deshalb, weil die Menschen den saudischen Soldaten vertrauen würden.
Im Herbst dieses Jahres aber berichteten Medien aus Mahra, es gebe Protest gegen die verstärkte Saudi-Präsenz. Ein Einwohner sagte der britischen Nachrichtenseite “Middle East Eye”: “Die Saudis haben die Kontrolle des Bezirks übernommen. (...) Es gibt aber keinen Grund, weil hier keine Huthis sind und wir sie nicht gefragt haben, uns zu beschützen.“
Andere Quellen berichten von kleineren Aufständen gegen saudische Soldaten, die entlang der Küste rund zwanzig Kontrollpunkte eingerichtet hätten. Auch Stammesoberste hätten gegen die Konstruktion der Saudi-Basen protestiert, die Fertigstellung einiger Stützpunkte sei unterbunden worden.
Für Saudi-Arabien ist die Küste nicht nur aus Sicherheitsgründen ein wichtiges Gebiet. Das zeigt ein Besuch am Hafen von Nishtun.
Perspektivisch hat das Königreich aber wohl noch andere Hafen-Pläne in der Region. Laut “Al Jazeera” strebt Saudi-Arabien an, einen Ölhafen für den Export von Öl durch eine Pipeline zu errichten. Berichten zufolge hat der Bau dieser Pipeline bereits begonnen. Durch den Ölhafen wäre das Königreich nicht länger an die Straße von Hormusim Persischen Golf gebunden, um sein Öl zu transportieren. Der Iran hatte zuletzt gedroht, die Meerenge zu blockieren.
Stabilität soll Mahra also nicht nur dem Jemen bringen, sondern auch dem saudischen Öl-Geschäft – von Lennart Pfahler
https://www.focus.de/politik/ausland/panorama-jemen-waehrend-im-westen-bomben-fallen-fuehrt-saudi-arabien-im-osten-einen-anderen-kampf_id_10093269.html = https://www.huffingtonpost.de/entry/jemen-wahrend-im-westen-bomben-fallen-fuhrt-saudi-arabien-im-osten-einen-anderen-kampf_de_5c19107fe4b08db99057fdf6
Mein Kommentar: Die saudische Einmischung in Mahra wird hier insgesamt sehr positive dargestellt. Die Saudis möchten sich aus den im Artikel genannten Gründen dauerhaft in der Provinz festsetzen. Der Widerstand der Stammeselite und der Bevölkerung ist erheblich, es gab zahlreiche Berichte. Insbesondere wehrt man sich auch dagegen, dass die Saudis hier ein neues geistliches Zentrum zur Verbreitung ihres Wahabismus errichten wollen. Saudische Schulbücher sind z. T. schlimme Wahabismus-Schleudern: indem sie diese jetzt als angebliche humanitäre Wohltat in Mahra verbreiten, besorgen sie die Wahabisierung der Bevölkerung von Kindheit an.
(A T)
Security authorities raide an explosives factory of extremists were stationed east of Taiz
The security services seized 25 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), two motorcycle booby-trapped tanks and nine canisters and pipes, including gas cylinders containing high explosives, the lieutenant Colonel said in a statment to local media.
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/162312
(A)
Bodies of three soldiers found in Taiz city
The security services on Tuesday found three bodies of soldiers buried in mysterious conditions in a house east of the southwestern city of Taiz.
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/162296
(A P)
Today: In the presence of the Advisor to the President of the Republic Khaled Bahah Launching celebrations of the festival of the gift of Hadramia in the city of Shahr
https://tarebh-today.blogspot.com/2018/12/blog-post_990.html
(A P)
Today, the Government of Yemen signed in Aden a Roadmap for the implementation of the Action Plan to end the use and recruitment of children by its armed forces. It was an excellent way to end 2018!!
https://twitter.com/RelanoMeritxell/status/1075048169417990146
Remark: The greatest part of anti-Houthi fighters are militia, and not the regular army (look at Yemen war Mosaic 492, cp1).
(A P)
Lamlas to the Southern People: Don’t Worry, We will never Give Up Sacrifices of Our Sons
Ahmed Hamed Lamlas, secretary general of the southern transitional council, asserted that southern sacrifices for victory and the rightful southern cause will never be given up.
(A P)
#Yemenia airline (the only one flying civilians in #Yemen) told me they were ordered by Aden authorities not to allow anyone to board flights using passports issued in #Sanaa. Many who took long journey south and tried to leave the country turned away at airport.
https://twitter.com/JaneFerguson5/status/1074953364818014208
There’re official instructions from the head of the Immigration & Passports Authority, who lives in Riyadh! to the head of #Yemen Airways, who lives in Cairo! to prevent Yemenis from traveling if they don’t carry passports issued by occupied territories of the UAE & Saudi regimes (images9
https://twitter.com/I4Yemen/status/1074995409163042817
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
Siehe / Look at cp1, cp1b
(B P)
I've read so far 73 vastly differing interpretations in Arabic & English of what the UN's #Yemen Hodeidah ceasefire agreement means, and what it requires. This is a hallmark of an agreement so poorly drafted that from the legal perspective the document means nothing at all.
https://twitter.com/BaFana3/status/1075649282059976705
My comment: Let’s hope he is wrong.
(* B P)
«Die Frauen müssen angehört werden»
Bei den Friedensgesprächen zum Bürgerkrieg im Jemen sind Frauen bisher enorm untervertreten. Die beiden Aktivistinnen Nisma Mansur und Muna Luqman setzen sich dafür ein, dass sich das ändert.
Luqman: Die Menschen müssen eine Verbesserung spüren. Die Löhne der Staatsangestellten müssen endlich bezahlt werden, von der Regierung und den Huthi. In Schweden wurde das nicht klar geregelt. Im Abkommen wurden die Löhne mit dem Hafen von Hodeidah verknüpft: «Die Einnahmen des Hafens sollen an den Zentralbanksitz in Hodeidah überwiesen werden für die Lohnzahlungen in Hodeidah und im ganzen Land», heisst es. Die Leute hungern, weil sie kein Geld für Lebensmittel haben. Seit fast drei Jahren gab es keinen Lohn.
Luqman: Die tödlichen Luftschläge der von Saudi-Arabien geführten Koalition müssen gestoppt werden. Wir sind froh, dass der US-Senat etwas Druck gemacht hat. Aber selbst wenn die wahllosen Bombardierungen jetzt aufhörten, gäbe es noch keinen Frieden. Milizen töten und kidnappen Menschen, die nichts mit dem Krieg zu tun haben. Für den Krieg gibt es lokale, regionale und internationale Gründe.
Mansur: An der Konferenz des Nationalen Dialogs von März 2013 bis Januar 2014 hat die Frauenbewegung erreicht, dass in allen politischen Gremien mindestens dreissig Prozent Frauen vertreten sein sollen. Wir erleben aber einen Rückschritt: Bei den Friedensverhandlungen jetzt in Schweden war unter allen Teilnehmenden nur eine einzige Frau, und zwar in der Regierungsdelegation.
https://www.woz.ch/1851/nisma-mansur-und-muna-luqman/die-frauen-muessen-angehoert-werden
(* B P)
Krieg im Jemen: Nur eine Vorstufe zum Frieden
Vorerst planen die Konfliktparteien im Jemen nur Schritte, die die Not lindern sollen. Von politischen Verhandlungen ist man weit entfernt Die Waffenruhe in Hodeidah – dem jemenitischen Hafen, von dem die Versorgung des gesamten Nordjemen abhängt – ist äußerst brüchig. Das war zu erwarten und ist nicht die einzige Sorge. Vor allem muss man wissen, dass sie nur der erste, noch relativ einfache Schritt zur Umsetzung der vergangene Woche in Stockholm getroffenen Vereinbarung zwischen der jemenitischen Regierung und den Huthi-Rebellen ist: Und diese ist wiederum nur ein erster Schritt in Richtung politischer Verhandlungen, die zum Ende des Kriegs führen sollen. Das eine garantiert nicht das andere.
https://derstandard.at/2000094345536/Krieg-im-Jemen-Nur-eine-Vorstufe-zum-Frieden = https://www.derstandard.de/story/2000094345536/krieg-im-jemen-nur-eine-vorstufe-zum-frieden
(* A P)
As U.N. mulls how to back Yemen truce, U.S. wants to call out Iran
The United States wants the United Nations Security Council to condemn Iran in a draft resolution being negotiated to back a ceasefire deal in Yemen’s Hodeidah region, but Russia has rejected the move, diplomats said on Wednesday.
The 15-member Security Council is now considering a British-drafted resolution to endorse the deal and ask U.N. chief Antonio Guterres to submit proposals on how to monitor the ceasefire and redeployment of forces.
The initial draft text, seen by Reuters, condemns “the supply, from whatever source, of weapons and associated materiel in contravention of the arms embargo provisions,” but does not name any countries.
The United States wants to specifically condemn Iran, according to diplomats and a revised draft seen by Reuters, but Russia has objected to the language. Diplomats have said the aim is to try to adopt a resolution this week.
In February, Russia vetoed a U.S.-led attempt to have the council call out Tehran in a resolution on Yemen. A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, France or Britain to pass.
The draft council resolution condemns indiscriminate attacks and targeting of civilians. It does not mention the Saudi-led coalition.
U.N. diplomats also said some countries wanted the current draft resolution on Yemen to be specifically focused on the ceasefire deal reached in Sweden and for language addressing the humanitarian crisis in the country to be removed.
My comment: The US claim is really odd. A possible Iranian arms supply is neglectable compared to US arms sales to Saudi Arabia and its allies. The greatest arms seller of this war is lamenting on the smallest. – It is even more odd that the Saudi coalition is not mentioned in this draft at all. – And, which countries are those which want “for language addressing the humanitarian crisis in the country to be removed.”? Is there no humanitarian crisis in Yemen????
Comment: Really disappointing to hear that negotiations on UN Security Council resolution on #Yemen affirming Stockholm agreement is being held up because member states 1) want to strip it of humanitarian language and 2) want to use it to sling arrows at other member states. Not the time.
https://twitter.com/peterjsalisbury/status/1075497929656492033
Newest remark: Russia told UK that they will veto the latest version of UK YEMEN draft if US amendment accepted , to include Iran in OP9 as violator of arms Embargo. UK is trying tonight to convince the US to leave Iran’s name out of it. The US might ask in return more streaming of the draft.
https://twitter.com/TalalAlhaj/status/1075527740592439296
Remark: Mohammed Qahtan was forcibly disappeared after his active engagement in peace talks fostered by #UN in 2014.Unofficial reports of releasing him as part of the prisoners exchange signed in #Stockholm consultations.He& other prisoners of consciousness shld be released.
https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1075505967759024128
(* A P)
Britain putting forward UN resolution on Yemen ceasefire
The UK is putting forward a UN Security Council resolution on the war in Yemen to be voted on later this week, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told parliament on Wednesday.
“I have instructed our mission in New York to resume working on a draft resolution with the Security Council partners with a view to adopting it later this week,” Hunt said.
“We will ask the Security Council to vote on the draft in the next 48 hours,” he said, adding that he had “urged all parties to stick to the terms agreed last week.”
The resolution would endorse the terms of the agreement, authorize the UN “to monitor their implementation” and set out “urgent steps to alleviate the humanitarian crisis.”
http://www.atimes.com/article/au2/
(* B P)
Why the Time Has Come for a Peace Deal in Yemen
- The ceasefire agreement brokered in Sweden must end the fighting in Hodeidah to save lives and turn the tide of war towards peace.
- Trigger-happy Saudi Arabia and the UAE must agree to allow humanitarian aid through Yemen’s lifeline – in addition to Hodeidah port.
On which note, the new process should require an immediate end to Saudi-led airstrikes in Hodeidah; unhindered access for humanitarian aid; full cooperation with UN investigators towards a political solution; and full compliance with international laws. The new process should also allow transparent investigation by the UN into possible breaches of those laws by Saudi Arabia and its allies. It must contain proper accountability mechanisms to ensure that compliance with its terms - particularly on humanitarian access and the end of Saudi-led airstrikes - is independently monitored, with clear sanctions ready to be enforced if they are breached.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13970928001095
My comment: From Iran. The war and western politics are the best supporters of Iranian “propaganda”: They just must tell the truth.
(* B P)
The good and the bad in the new peace agreement on Yemen
The Stockholm Agreement marks a much-needed breakthrough on Yemen, but there are major issues with its provisions.
The ceasefire is a highly significant development given that Hodeidah's port is the entry point for most of Yemen's food imports, commercial goods and humanitarian aid; currently the country relies on imports for some 90 percent of its food and basic commodity needs.
This also marks the first time that Houthi forces have agreed to withdraw from one of the conflict's most significant front lines. This makes the agreement seem "too-good-to-be-true", and indeed, this may turn out to be the case. Various points in the agreement are vaguely worded and open to different interpretations by the warring parties.
For example, it talks of "the mutual redeployment of forces from the city of Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa"; the Houthis interpret this as removing military presence but not withdrawing, while the other side think that the Houthis should withdraw fully. This will be a key point of contention in the coming months.
Furthermore, the timeline of implementation is unreasonably tight. Another challenge is the fact that Houthi forces and their affiliates have become highly entrenched in Hodeidah. Even if and when Houthi military forces make their exit, the handover of power would not be achieved immediately as local security forces - such as the police - are full of Houthi partisans and sympathisers. Dismantling these unofficial networks to re-balance civilian power will be difficult and will need to be approached carefully.
Making progress on Taiz is crucial, but the provision in the agreement, which calls for the formation of a joint committee from both sides of the conflict and the Yemeni civil society to determine the working mechanisms for upcoming consultations has not really resulted in any real action on the ground – by Osma al-Rawhani
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/good-bad-peace-agreement-yemen-181218082222574.html
Comment: "Dismantling these (Houthi) unofficial networks to re-balance civilian power will be difficult and will need to be approached carefully." Indeed, hard enough to walk obvious military/militia out door, but then local loyalists back through window in positions of authority.
https://twitter.com/omeisy/status/1075405826477703168
(* B P)
International Crisis Group: Making Yemen’s Hodeida Deal Stick
On 17 December, the UN announced a ceasefire in the contested governorate of Hodeida. Thus far, after some initial wobbling, it has held. In this Q&A, Crisis Group’s senior Yemen analyst Peter Salisbury unpacks the ceasefire and assesses its prospects.
The ceasefire announcement launches a period of concerted international pressure on the two sides to turn the agreement into reality. Mutual withdrawals are meant to happen within a mere three weeks. To that end, the UN will form a Redeployment Committee composed of representatives from the two rival factions, likely to be chaired by a UN military expert, Patrick Cammaert of the Netherlands. The committee will be responsible for working out a detailed plan for the phasing of withdrawals and the limits of what will effectively be a demilitarised zone surrounding the Red Sea trade corridor.
At the same time, the UN must negotiate local security and governance arrangements that work for the Huthis and the government, as well as the Saudi-led coalition that backs the latter.
What are the chances of success?
The next few weeks will be a high-wire act for the UN envoy and his team, with the odds stacked against them. The Hodeida agreement came about in a rush, and critics have assailed it as too vague and open to interpretation. In public, the government of President Abed-Rabbo Mansour Hadi and the Huthis have described the deal quite differently: the government claims its ministries will take over the port and city after withdrawals take place, whereas the Huthis say they will leave some of their forces in place to secure the city and Red Sea trade corridor. For the government, this translates to a Huthi-free Hodeida, while the northern rebels expect to retain a degree of control. More broadly, the need for last-minute U.S. intervention in Sweden suggests that the sides may not live up to their agreement – or reach further ones – without a decisive push from Washington and elsewhere.
Griffiths will now have to build on this imperfect but highly welcome and overdue agreement, which, as Crisis Group has argued, the UN Security Council should endorse via a new resolution.
What needs to happen to make it stick?
Concerted international pressure was instrumental in getting an agreement in place. It needs to continue, if not intensify, in the coming weeks. The U.S. role will be critical. The Saudis and Emiratis should be aware of the probable fallout of the agreement’s collapse: with a new U.S. Congress coming in, a failed ceasefire likely would prompt even greater scrutiny of both countries’ foreign policies – by Peter Salisbury
https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/gulf-and-arabian-peninsula/yemen/making-yemens-hodeida-deal-stick = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/making-yemen-s-hodeida-deal-stick
= https://lobelog.com/making-yemens-hodeida-deal-stick/
and main points in thread: https://twitter.com/peterjsalisbury/status/1075389340895887367
(* B P)
Yemen remains on precipice of large-scale famine
There was no real agreement in Sweden. Inside Yemen, there is bewilderment about what is going on. Haykal Bafana, a lawyer who lives in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, told me, “It remains unclear to me what the actual terms of the ceasefire agreement are, or even whether an agreement was mutually agreed.”
Griffiths told the Security Council much the same, but with language that indicated hope. The agreement does not end the fighting, he said. It is a “humanitarian stopgap to save lives and turn the tide of war towards peace.”
One piece of evidence for the “humanitarian stopgap” is that all sides agree to allow humanitarian aid through Yemen’s lifeline, the Hodeida port. “The ghastly prospect of famine,” Griffiths said, “has made solving Hodeida urgent and necessary.”
Near-famine is as bad as famine. Annihilation of Yemen remains in the cards.
Hisham al-Omeisy, a prominent Yemen-based political analyst, told me that both Saudi Arabia and the UAE “are trigger-happy at this point, but neither wants to be blamed for foiling agreements that came through immense international pressure.” There is a massive “global wave of public discontent,” Omeisy said. “Hodeida will be the real litmus test for success of the process.”
Haykal Bafana worries about the entry of the UN peacekeeping force. “Composed of foreign troops,” he told me, the force “will be a dangerous new dynamic that may just start a completely new war in Yemen.” There are so many guns in Yemen, so much more mayhem possible
Complications
Saudi Arabia and the UAE still have a lot of money. They have used this money liberally through the UN system, helping fund this relief operation and that. Even now, UN envoy Griffiths had to thank Saudi Arabia and the UAE – bizarrely – for their injections of foreign currency to stabilize Yemen’s rial and their funds toward relief for Yemen – by Vijay Prashad
http://www.atimes.com/yemen-remains-on-precipice-of-large-scale-famine/ = https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/12/18/yemen-remains-precipice-large-scale-famine = https://www.salon.com/2018/12/20/yemen-remains-on-the-precipice-of-a-large-scale-famine_partner/
(* A P)
Konfliktparteien bereiten Gefangenenaustausch vor
Die Kriegsparteien im Jemen haben nach Angaben des Internationalen Roten Kreuzes Details zum geplanten Gefangenenaustausch vereinbart.
Es sei unter anderem eine Liste mit 16.000 Namen von Inhaftierten ausgetauscht worden, teilte die Nichtregierungsorganisation mit. Vertreter der jemenitischen Regierung und der Huthi-Rebellen hatten sich bei Friedensgesprächen in Schweden auf den Austausch geeinigt.
https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/jemen-konfliktparteien-bereiten-gefangenenaustausch-vor.1939.de.html
(* A P)
Yemen prisoner exchange could involve up to 16,000: Red Cross
Yemen’s warring parties have exchanged lists with a total of 16,000 names of people believed to be detained as part of a prisoner swap deal agreed last week, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Wednesday.
The Iran-aligned Houthi movement and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government are to free prisoners simultaneously next month as part of confidence-building measures agreed at United Nations peace talks in Sweden.
“The parties to the conflict have exchanged lists of 16,000, they now have six weeks to make sure that the lists are accurate, that those people are detained,” Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC regional director for the Middle East, told a briefing.
Each side’s list had 8,000 names of people they are looking for who may be detained - supposed to reflect “all” people in custody - but some may be dead, missing or duplicates, he said, speaking on return from Yemen.
The operation will require the Saudi-led coalition to guarantee that air space is secure for flights, Carboni added.
and
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Complex Preparations Under Way for Release of Yemeni Prisoners
Complex preparations are under way for a mass prisoner exchange between the Saudi-backed government in Yemen and Houthi rebels toward the end of next month, the International Committee of the Red Cross reports.
The ICRC says the parties have 40 days from Dec. 11, when the agreement was signed, to check the accuracy of the names of prisoners on the lists. It notes some of the people named might already have been released or are missing.
After that process is completed, ICRC regional director for the Near and Middle East, Fabrizio Carboni, says the Red Cross will have 10 days before the release takes place. During that time, Red Cross delegates will interview the detainees to make sure they want to go back to their places of origin.
"And after there is the logistic of taking people from one place to another," Carboni said. "We will have a plane. We need to secure the place where the plane will land. We need to make sure that all the parties involved in the conflict guarantee the security of the operation. It is going to be a long one, an intense one. No doubt there will be hiccups."
and
(* B P)
Yemen's warring sides agree to swap thousands of prisoners
The ICRC will have 10 days to arrange transfers of the prisoners under the deal signed by Houthi rebels and Yemeni government. The exchange is likely to include detainees held outside the country.
The Yemen government and the Houthi rebels have agreed to release 16,000 detainees under the deal signed last week, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced on Wednesday.
The government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and the Shiite Houthi rebels, which are supported by Iran, exchanged lists with the names of detainees.
The lists will be subject to a four-week review to verify the identities of individuals named. Starting from January 21, the ICRC will have 10 days to arrange transfers of those released.
It is "highly probable" that they will include people detained outside Yemen, as well as some foreigners held in the country, Fabrizio Carboni, the regional director for the Near and Middle East for the ICRC, told a briefing.
The ICRC is to act "as a neutral intermediary and provides technical support" to facilitate the transfer. The organization has been in direct contact with the respective detention authorities and has had access to some of the detained individuals.
Representatives of the Red Cross have verified the conditions of detention and helped establish contacts between the detainees and their families
https://www.dw.com/en/yemens-warring-sides-agree-to-swap-thousands-of-prisoners/a-46800527
and
(* B P)
- Thousands of men and boys (and, to a smaller extent, women) have been arbitrarily or abusively detained across #Yemen.
- Back to the agreement: Many of those detained are not fighters or politicians--they are activists, or journalists, or kids who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The warring parties are *not* their advocates, but they deserve to be released.
- In a context where informal facilities have sprouted up like weeds, where there is no transparency on who is detained or where, and where trumped up allegations of criminal activity routinely made: control of lists and interpretation is power to determine outcomes.
- Worth pushing (again and again until implemented) that those lists--and ultimately those released--include the too many civilians arbitrarily detained and disappeared at the warring parties' whims.
- Those individuals--the activists, the journalists, the members of the Baha'i community, those accused of something absurd and given no legal process to challenge it--need advocates now more than ever for the deal to be read to include them.
- Back to positive: Hodeida agreement doesn't explicitly reference coalition--> detainee agreement does:
- On accountability: Senior officials in #Sanaa, #Aden and across #Yemen implicated in detainee abuse retain positions of authority. They need to be investigated and held to account for their role in likely war crimes. To ensure these abuses stop happening.
- Warring parties have weaponized the detention file throughout conflict, but #Yemen-i activists (incl. some amazingly courageous women) have been pushing for change--an end to abuse, the release of the arbitrarily detained, disappearances never again.
https://twitter.com/K_Beckerle/status/1075292237930614785
and
(A P)
Abductees Mothers Statement about the most recent developments in the abductees situation under the Swedish convention_ Abductees Mothers Association looked forward to the moments of releasing their abducted and force disappeared children (document in image)
https://twitter.com/abducteesmother/status/1075428707152654336
(* B K P)
Fragile Cease-Fire Takes Effect in Yemen. Why Now and What’s Next?
Why such strong global interest in Yemen now?
One reason: The prospect of a catastrophic famine has focused minds.
But the new focus on Yemen is also a product of international politics.
Global revulsion at the murder of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in October set off a wave of hostility directed at the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, who the C.I.A. believes is responsible for the killing.
So this is good news for war-weary Yemenis, right?
Yes and no. The sudden international focus on Yemen pressured both sides to come to the negotiating table.
But there are also worries the two sides will struggle to deliver on the promises made in Sweden — and that if the fighting does resume, it could be fiercer and exact a higher human cost than ever.
And even as Hudaydah fell quiet, fighting continued on other fronts in Yemen, like in the northern province of Hajjah.
What’s next for Hudaydah?
“The biggest reason for optimism right now is that both sides have agreed to meet again in January,” said Farea al-Muslimi of the Sana Center for Strategic Studies. “Otherwise, it all depends on so many ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’. So we will have to see.” By Declan Walsh
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/18/world/middleeast/yemen-cease-fire.html
(* B K P)
Truce brings hope for Yemen, but peace could prove elusive
[Overview article]
(* B P)
A Reality Check of Sweden Consultations in Light of Developments on the Ground
To end this catastrophic situation, Yemen needs ceasing fire, breaking siege on Hodiedah port and opening Sana'a airport. These three issues have been discussed in the latest peace talks that were taken place in Sweden in early December. After considering the consultations of Sweden as a first step on the path of peace for the Yemeni People, doubts has been expressed about United Nations' assertions in recent peace deal on the city port of Hodeidah. The agreement for implementing a ceasefire in the northwestern port city is yet to be finalized. If the agreement wasn’t implemented or nobody announces a serious ceasefire, this means that nothing happened, the war will continue, and it means that the UN has failed to do anything, and that UN envoy Martin Griffiths has failed and another round of consultations are required.
(* B P)
Yemen peace efforts miss a critical factor
But though the leaders of the Yemeni peace process plan to resume talks in January, they continue to overlook a critical strategy that could increase the likelihood of peace: the inclusion of women.
Including women at the peace table is not just a matter of fairness – it is a strategic imperative. Research suggests that when women participate in a peace process, the resulting agreement is 64 percent less likely to fail and 35 percent more likely to last at least 15 years.
Despite ample evidence demonstrating the importance of women’s involvement in peace talks, a Council on Foreign Relations report tracking women’s participation in peace processes from 1990 to the present found that women comprise only two percent of mediators, five percent of witnesses and signatories, and eight percent of negotiators around the world. The negotiators of the Yemeni peace process have an opportunity to improve upon these dismal numbers.
Here are three ways they have already made a difference:
First, they work across divides. Yemeni women from all backgrounds have formed new coalitions, including the Yemeni Women Pact for Peace and Security and the Women’s Solidarity Network.
Second, they promote local security.
Third, they are seeding the ground for post-conflict recovery.
Including women at the peace table is not just the right thing to do – it’s the smart thing to do.
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-bigio-yemen-commentary/commentary-yemen-peace-efforts-miss-a-critical-factor-idUKKBN1OG2IP?rpc=401& = https://opinion.bdnews24.com/2018/12/18/yemen-peace-efforts-miss-a-critical-factor/
(A P)
Yemen Govt. Criticizes UN Envoy’s Security Council Briefing
The legitimate Yemeni government criticized a briefing by United Nations special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths before the Security Council in which he said that the government had expressed reservations on the framework of the recent Sweden consultations.
Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani expressed his government’s reservations to Griffiths’ claims before the council on December 14.
In a letter to the envoy, he questioned him for making such criticism, noting that he failed to mention the Iranian-backed Houthis’ rejection of an initiative to reopen Sanaa airport to international flights via Aden airport.
He also noted that he deliberately ignored the fact the Houthis had rejected an economic proposal that would have led to the payment of salaries of civil service employees throughout Yemen.
My comment: Hadi government blame game: WE are the good guys, the others are the bad guys.
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
(* A P)
Saudis slash military spending: Could an end to Yemen war be in sight?
Riyadh's budget for 2019 sees military spending fall for the first time since the kingdom's intervention in the war in Yemen in 2015
Saudi Arabia has announced its 2019 budget, the largest in its history, with plans to spend $295bn, and an expected deficit for the year of $35bn.
But the budget features a large reduction in military spending compared with an increase in spending on other sectors, which could be an important indicator of Saudi Arabia's intention to stop the war in Yemen or to reduce the intensity of the fighting.
According to the budget that the Ministry of Finance released late on Tuesday evening, spending on the military sector will fall for the first time in three years to 191bn Saudi riyals ($51bn), which is 12 percent less than Saudi Arabia spent in 2018, and 16 percent less than in 2017.
While the financial allocations for the military sector have declined, they have risen significantly for other sectors. Expenditures on municipal services will rise by 15 percent in 2019, transport spending will rise by 28 percent and health spending will rise by eight percent.
Nehad Ismail, a London-based economist, stressed that the reduction of Saudi financial allocations to the military sector was caused by "international pressure on Saudi Arabia to stop military operations in Yemen, in addition to some countries’ threats to stop arms sales to Saudi".
Ismail added that "Saudi military spending reached its peak in 2017, when almost one-third of the budget was allocated to the military sector."
However, Saudi Arabia could not tolerate this burden, as it registered a deficit of $52bn that year.
and how Saudi propaganda sees it: https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1511041/finance-minister-faster-pace-achieving-saudi-vision-goals-2019
and
(B P)
Saudi Arabia Imposes Additional Fees on Expatriates to Cover Deficit
Saudi Finance Minister, Mohammed Al-Jadaan, said in a news conference on Wednesday that additional fees will be imposed on expatriates. He said that fees will be imposed on the appointment of expatriates and the issuance of residency visas for their families, and is scheduled to be increased next year.
Fuel prices such as gasoline, diesel and kerosene may increase in 2019, he said, adding that fuel prices are subject to periodic review. In the past year, the Saudi regime imposed a fee of 300 to 400 Saudi Riyals per person, while 200 Saudi riyals were imposed on the cost of a member of their families and their dependents. The number of foreign workers is expected to double over the next two years.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=4437&cat_id=2
(* B K P)
No, Khashoggi and Yemen are not Saudi Arabia’s 'internal' affairs
Saudi Arabia's criticism of the US Senate resolution is unconvincing and is a sign that US-Saudi relations could be further tested under a Democrat-led Congress next year.
However, far from being an internal Saudi affair, the Khashoggi murder is more like the infernal affair that simply won’t be put to bed.
For Riyadh to claim that the killing of Khashoggi is an internal affair, one would at least expect for the crime to have occurred within Saudi Arabia’s borders. Instead, it occurred brazenly within Turkey’s borders, and Turkish police and intelligence services were directly responsible for bringing many of the dark deed’s details to the world’s attention.
How, then, can the war in Yemen or the murder of Jamal Khashoggi be internal Saudi affairs?
The answer is, of course, that they are not, and the world should resolve the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and the crisis in justice that has so far seen the real culprits behind Khashoggi’s killing escape justice.
Remark: From Turkey.
(B P)
Saudi collected more than 50 billion riyals in 2018 from Ritz settlements: minister
Saudi Arabian government collected more than 50 billion riyal ($13.33 billion) so far this year from settlements reached with detainees in a crackdown on corruption launched at the end of last year, said Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan on Tuesday.
My comment: Ca. 12,5 billion US$. – Call it what it really was: Blackmail and shakedown.
(* B P)
The unsuccessful whitewashing of MBS's image as peacemaker
Since Mohammed bin Salman became crown prince in 2015, Saudi Arabia has been at the heart of a spate of regional crises.
According to analysts, Prince Mohammed has relied on three pillars to maintain his power: his proximity to Israel, his financial generosity towards Trump and his launching of a series of reforms in the kingdom, such as building cinemas and allowing women to drive.
On several occasions, Riyadh has managed to avoid UN resolutions that condemned its role in Yemen despite the war causing the deaths of more than 85,000 Yemeni childrenunder the age of five.
During a trip to Washington earlier this year, MBS met leaders of the Jewish lobby and reportedly assured them of his intention to consolidate bilateral relations with Israel.
While in the United States, public relations firms on the payroll were active in whitewashing MBS's image, attempting to distract people from the plight of Yemen's people, while focusing on the prince's openness towards opening cinemas and having concerts in Saudi Arabia.
But MBS did not make good use of this high-priced PR.
Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi : But Riyadh's denials and Trump's defence of Prince Mohammed did not convince the US Congress or Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
So Prince Mohammed began looking for a way out of the disastrous war in Yemen.
Yemeni Abdul Rahman Abu Talib condemned Saudi Arabia's attempt to transform a defeat into a victory, saying: "They were vowing to expel the Houthis, but they ended up boasting about victory amid the negotiations that are yet to see the Houthis leave the port."
Despite the efforts of Trump adviser Jared Kushner to change the perception of Prince Mohammed, many are not convinced of his portrayal as a man of peace.
cp8a Jamal Khashoggi
(* B P)
»Die Araber haben ein Recht auf Demokratie«
Der folgende Beitrag basiert auf einem Vortrag, den Khashoggi am 26. April bei einer Konferenz des Center for Middle East Studies der Universität Denver und des Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy in Washington gehalten hat.
Ich komme aus Saudi-Arabien, wo Demokratie und Islam sehr relevante Themen sind. In der Vergangenheit war es so: Wollte ein saudischer Regierungsvertreter die Debatte über die Demokratie abwürgen, stellte er stets in Frage, ob sie mit dem Islam vereinbar sei. Aber das hat sich mit dem Arabischen Frühling endgültig erledigt. Seinerzeit unterstützten die Menschen in der arabischen Welt die Proteste für einen demokratischen politischen Wandel. Das galt vor allem für die Jugend, aber sogar für die Islamisten, einschließlich einiger Salafisten, die zuvor der Demokratie immer kritisch gegenübergestanden hatten. Andere Salafisten behielten diese Haltung allerdings bei. Sie betrachten die Demokratie nach wie vor als „Kufr“ oder unislamisch, weil sie in ihr eine Zurückweisung religiöser Werte sehen.
Insgesamt jedoch zeigten die langen Schlangen, die sich 2012 vor den Wahllokalen in Tunesien und Ägypten bildeten, klar, dass die Menschen in der arabischen Welt bereit für den Wandel waren – von Jamal Khashoggi
(* B P)
The Courtroom Drama of the Jamal Khashoggi Murder
The Saudis and the White House agree that the divine right of a crown prince must not be interfered with. The Daily Devil’s Dictionary explains.
Lacking a judicial framework to stage the trial of the assassins of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the media have become the virtual courtroom and the international public as the jury. As no one can agree on the venue — neither in Turkey where the crime took place nor in Saudi Arabia, where the criminals reside — Washington, DC, has become the theater for the public trial, with the US Senate playing the role of prosecution and the White House as the defense, while also claiming to be the judge.
In Western cultures, sovereignty is an attribute of the nation and its territory. This notion applied even in the era of absolute monarchs. Sovereignty has always referred to “supreme authority within a territory.” For the Saudis, “within” isn’t enough. Which explains why, under the veil of sovereignty, MBS felt free to order the murder in a place that was without, of a citizen living and working without.
If, in this virtual trial, the presiding judge were anyone other than the defense attorney (President Donald Trump), the objection of the prosecution that a third party’s decision to stop doing business with the accused cannot be deemed “interference in [the accused’s] internal affairs” would be sustained. It violates the notion of the other party’s sovereignty, the ability to decide what takes place within its own territory. But this is no ordinary courtroom in which logic, unimpeded testimony, preponderance of the evidence and the assessment of motivation may be factors leading to a verdict. The result is that Trump has put Saudi sovereignty above American sovereignty.
cp9 USA
Siehe / Look at cp1
(* B P)
U.S. needs a different role in Yemen
In other parts of the globe, like the Republic of Yemen, lethal forces are stalking victims whom Americans cannot always picture in complicated political scenarios we may not quickly grasp. So the average American blinks, and in that blink opportunists make deals with undemocratic, unprincipled bullies.
It's just a shame that the Senate didn't act until hundreds of thousands of noncombatants were allowed to die, including one skeletal little girl whose photograph in The New York Times helped Americans to see what this war our country has been supporting really looks like. The child has since died.
A sectarian conflict, which the Yemen war clearly is, presents a challenge to the United States and other Western-style democracies. In the case of Yemen, however, the immediate choice has to be to save the people. The United States must do whatever it can to sustain the ceasefire, foster the next round of talks in January, and support the United Nations peacekeeping work.
Saudi Arabia needs to understand it has gone too far, and the Trump administration needs to know the world won't stand for another genocide while the United States blinks.
https://www.theday.com/editorials/20181219/us-needs-different-role-in-yemen
(* A P)
Film: Senator Chris Murphy on the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen
The U.S. is partly responsible for the worst humanitarian crisis in the world — this senator says it's time Congress ends our involvement in the war in Yemen.
https://nowthisnews.com/videos/politics/senator-chris-murphy-on-the-humanitarian-crisis-in-yemen
(* B P)
Are Saudi Arabia and MBS Becoming a Liability for the White House?
So, the Senate’s action, though toothless for now, taken in conjunction with the ceasefire negotiated in Stockholm, spells good news for a Yemeni population in desperate need after nearly four years of war and deprivation.
The Senate’s unanimous condemnation of Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS, will be more significant for the US-Saudi relationship. Though MBS’ position appears secure for the moment — and all evidence points to his likely ascension to the Saudi throne after his father, King Salman — he will be forever marked by the US Congress for his role in the Khashoggi execution. It is difficult to see how he overcomes such an unprecedented handicap as the leader of a nation previously viewed as one of America’s most important allies. In fact, it would be hard to find the leader of any close American ally in recent history with such a cloud over his head.
With the mercurial, impulsive and politically toxic Mohammed bin Salman at the helm, it is difficult to see how the sides can come together to rebalance this vital relationship to serve their mutual interests – by ex-ambassador Gary Grappo
(B H P)
For a Yemeni in N.Y., the Agony of Who’s Been Left Behind
Many of Ahmed Abdulwahab’s family members have made it out of Yemen, but his wife is stuck in Djibouti because of the travel ban, and his modest income is no match for the expenses.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/17/nyregion/uber-driver-yemen-wife-trump.html
(A H P)
Mutter aus dem Jemen verabschiedet sich von sterbendem Sohn in den USA
Nach zahlreichen Appellen an die US-Regierung hat eine Mutter aus dem Jemen zu ihrem sterbenskranken kleinen Sohn in die USA reisen können. Schaima Swileh kam am Mittwoch am Flughafen in San Francisco an, wo sie von einer Unterstützer-Gruppe mit Plakaten begrüßt wurde. Sie konnte ihren Sohn bisher nicht am Krankenbett besuchen, weil der Jemen eines von sechs Ländern ist, gegen deren Bürger die Regierung von US-Präsident Donald Trump ein Einreiseverbot erlassen hat.
(A H P)
Yemeni mother wins visa fight to see her dying child in a California hospital
The US State Department granted a Yemeni mother, whose 2-year-old son is on life support in an Oakland hospital, a waiver Tuesday to travel to the United States, according to officials with the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/18/us/oakland-child-life-support-yemeni-mother-travel-ban/index.html
and
(A H P)
Yemeni mom lands in US to see dying son
Shaima Swileh simply wanted to give her son one more kiss before he dies.
After a long battle, the Yemeni woman arrived in the United States Wednesday night to see 2-year-old Abdullah, who is on life support.
Swileh won a waiver from the Trump administration’s travel ban, allowing her to fly to California.
https://apnews.com/19a84dc40ff6465380aeb0c755c2d1f4
and film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fafZYBUkQzY
(A P)
US Senators Brush Off Saudi Anger Over Resolutions on Yemen, Khashoggi Death
Members of the U.S. Senate are brushing off Saudi Arabia’s anger over resolutions the chamber approved pertaining to the war in Yemen and the killing of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
“I care that Saudi Arabia change its vicious and brutal policies toward Yemen and killing innocent civilians and murdering children there," Blumenthal said. "
Alabama Republican Richard Shelby said the Senate could not remain silent after the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi
Remark: For the Saudi reaction Yemen War Mosaic 492, cp8.
(* B P)
Historic Senate Vote Sets Stage For End To U.S. Role In Yemen
While acknowledging the importance of the vote, much of the press coverage accompanying the measure took a far too narrow view of its significance. Some news outlets suggested that the Senate vote was “symbolic” because a parallel measure in the House was sidelined via a parliamentary maneuver that blocked it from coming to a vote.
The Senate vote on Yemen was reminiscent of past Congressional efforts to stand up to ill-conceived presidential wars.
The ultimate goal should be to end all forms of U.S. support for the Saudi/UAE war in Yemen
Claims that last week’s Senate vote was symbolic are further undercut by the fact that Congressional opposition to the war has already had an impact. The Senate action and prior signs of Congressional opposition have helped push the Saudi/UAE-backed government to the peace table, where they agreed to a prisoner exchange and a ceasefire around the critical port of Hodeidah with the Houthi rebels. Diplomats with knowledge of the talks have confirmed that this important progress would not have happened without Congressional action.
The Yemen vote could also mark the beginning of a new period of Congressional assertiveness in opposition to the current U.S. policy of endless war – by William D. Hartung
https://lobelog.com/historic-senate-vote-sets-stage-for-end-to-u-s-role-in-yemen/ = https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/comment/2018/12/19/senate-sets-stage-for-ending-us-role-in-yemen
(* B P)
Warum die Senats-Abstimmung zur Beendigung des Jemen-Kriegs so wichtig ist
In der letzten Woche geschah etwas Historisches im US-Senat. Zum ersten Mal innerhalb der vergangenen 45 Jahre stimmte eine Kammer des US-Kongresses zugunsten eines Rückzugs von amerikanischen Militärkräften aus einem Konflikt unter Bezugnahme auf den im Jahr 1973 verabschiedeten War Powers Act ab.
Während es vielerlei Dinge am War Powers Act zu kritisieren gibt, erwies sich das Gesetz in der aktuellen Situation als ein durch eine breite Senatskoalition genutztes und sehr wichtiges Instrument, um US-Präsident Trump dazu aufzufordern, die Partizipation der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika am Krieg der Saudis gegen den Jemen – von Ron Paul (nur im Abo)
English version: http://www.ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2018/december/17/why-the-senate-vote-to-end-yemen-war-is-so-important/ = http://www.campaignforliberty.org/ron-paul-senate-vote-end-yemen-war-important
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
(* B P)
Britain Should Stand Up for Saudi Women Activists
Chilling Reports of Saudi Torture Should Not Be Met With Silence
Last week, the British Foreign Office celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Human Rights Day by highlighting the courageous work of human rights defendersaround the world.
When it comes to Saudi Arabia, however, the UK government’s support for human rights defenders is virtually nonexistent. It has been silent about the credible reports of torture, sexual harassment, and assault of Saudi women activists, who are detained in Saudi prisons for their peaceful activism.
If the UK is serious about championing human rights defenders globally, it should urgently act on the shocking reports of Saudi Arabia’s brutal torture of women’s rights activists and publicly demand that Mohammad bin Salman and his government release all detained activists immediately.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/12/19/britain-should-stand-saudi-women-activists
(A P)
Yemen – in the House of Commons at 2:47 pm on 19th December 2018.
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2018-12-19a.831.5&p=24835
(A P)
Last month, I travelled to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who lead the coalition fighting to restore Yemen’s legitimate government. I later visited Iran, which supports the Houthi rebels.
In every capital, I urged my counterparts to use all their influence to help bring the parties to the negotiating table.
For as long as necessary, this country will continue to use all the diplomatic and humanitarian tools at our command to help settle this terrible conflict. Our values demand no less.
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/foreign-secretary-statement-to-parliament-on-yemen
My comment: Hypocrite, arsonist playing fire fighter, arms dealer playing peace broker and humanitarian.
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
(* B K P)
Die Auslöschung des Jemen: Größte Katastrophe der Gegenwart
Die Stellvertreterkrieger
Endlich Friedensaussichten für den fast völlig zerstörten Jemen? Die Tagesschau verströmte am 6. Dezember eine große Portion Optimismus in einem noch größeren Paket Falschinformation. Die Aufnahme von Friedensgesprächen in Stockholm unter Leitung des UN-Vermittlers Martin Griffiths bot ausreichend Gelegenheit, das mörderische Geschehen im Jemen und die ihm zugrunde liegenden Interessen wieder einmal gründlich zu vernebeln [1]
Sprecherin Linda Zervakis liest nur vom Teleprompter ab, was ihr die ARD-aktuell-Redaktion aufgeschrieben hat: Bockmist, Neudeutsch: Bullshit.
Nur: Die Tagesschau greift nicht auf solche Informationen zurück. Ihre Redakteure recherchieren nicht eigenständig, sondern müssen mit dem rechnergestützten Redaktionssystem „OpenMedia“ der ANNOVA Systems GmbH arbeiten. In die Tagesschau-Variante der OpenMedia werden lediglich folgende Agenturen eingespeist: Deutsche Presseagentur (dpa), Agence France-Presse (AFP), Reuters (amerikanisch-britisch), Associated Press (AP, amerikanisch) und der Sport-Informations-Dienst (sid): reinste, US-verbundene Atlantikbrücke.
Andere, nicht-westliche Agenturen bleiben mit voller Absicht außen vor. Chefredakteur Dr. Kai Gniffkes weltanschauliche Einäugigkeit bestimmt das Programm — und damit, in welche Richtung das Publikum des Ersten Deutschen Fernsehens zu blicken hat.
Aber was bringen Qualitätsjournalisten nicht an Formulierungskünsten auf, wenn einem wüsten Krieg des Westens Scheinlegitimation verschafft werden soll? Als Krieg, den eine „international anerkannte“ Regierung gegen wilde „Rebellen“ führen muss?
Die Information, dass auch die Bundesrepublik in das Geschehen verstrickt ist, unterschlagen Tagesschau & Co. allerdings konsequent. Begreiflich wird das nur, wenn man den regierungsfrommen Konformismus der ARD-aktuell bedenkt. Die Bundesregierung verstößt mit den fortgesetzten Waffenlieferungen eindeutig gegen die Jemen-Resolution 2216 des Weltsicherheitsrates [14]. Aber Qualitätsjournalisten verlautbaren eben nur, was im Sinne des Berliner Schießbudenkabinetts ist: Der Kampf gegen die Huthi sei ein „Stellvertreterkrieg“ zwischen Saudi-Arabien und dem Iran.
Bockmist, wie gesagt. Kein Stellvertreter-Krieg, denn die USA machen mit — höchstselbst.
Auf Deutsch, übersichtlich und schön flüssig lesbar, sind Informationen über den Jemen-Krieg auch auf der Seite „Stop The War in Yemen“ zu finden, herausgegeben von deutschen Sachkennern und Friedensbewegten [18].
ARD-aktuell hätte den Jemen-Krieg nie zum regionalen Stellvertreterkrieg herunterlügen und damit eine weitere Propagandastory der USA versenden dürfen. Die Tagesschau verletzt ihre Objektivitätspflicht grundlegend, indem sie den historischen Zusammenhang des grausamen Geschehens verschweigt – von Friedhelm Klinkhammer, Volker Bräutigam
https://kritisches-netzwerk.de/forum/die-ausloeschung-des-jemen-groesste-katastrophe-der-gegenwart = https://www.rubikon.news/artikel/die-stellvertreterkrieger
(* B P)
Die Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa und der Rüstungsexportbericht 2018
Die dpa ist die größte Nachrichtenagentur in der Bundesrepublik und versorgt praktisch alle deutschen Medien. Doch die Meldungen der dpa sind mit Vorsicht zu genießen. Das neueste Beispiel liefert die Berichterstattung zum Rüstungsexportbericht 2018.
Die beiden großen christlichen Kirchen in Deutschland werfen der Bundesregierung öffentlich die Förderung eines Bruchs des Völkerrechts vor.
Bei der dpa wird das Zitat des Vorsitzenden der GKKE, honi soit qui mal y pense, nur sehr selektiv wiedergegeben.
https://deutsch.rt.com/inland/81337-lueckenpresse-deutsche-presse-agentur-dpa/
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
(A P)
Canada: Scheer opposes ending Saudi arms deal
Federal Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer says the Official Opposition is firmly opposed to any move by the Liberal government to cancel exports of Canadian light-armored vehicles to Saudi Arabia.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-scheer-opposes-ending-saudi-arms-deal/
(* A P)
UAE backs Saudi rejection of US Senate vote on Yemen
Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it stands with Riyadh in promoting stability in the Middle East
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that it stands in solidarity with Saudi Arabia in rejecting recent US Senate resolutions that called for an end to US support for the war in Yemen and blamed the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the ministry said that it stands against anyone attempting to undermine the Kingdom’s position and its regional status.
“The UAE expressed support for Saudi Arabia’s statements condemning the decision by the US Senate and is against anyone who attempts to tarnish the kingdom’s role in the region,” the WAM statement read.
“The ministry also reaffirmed its stalwart stance towards Saudi Arabia in its effort to fight terrorism and extremism,” the statement continued.
https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/uae-backs-saudi-rejection-of-us-senate-vote-on-yemen-1.804042
My comment: “stands with Riyadh in promoting stability in the Middle East“: This really is a joke – as Saudi Arabia really is champion in destabilizing the Middle East.
cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis
(A P)
WTO to investigate Qatari allegations of Saudi piracy
The World Trade Organization (WTO) said on Tuesday it would investigate Qatar’s allegations of intellectual property breaches against Saudi Arabia, despite the kingdom’s objection that the WTO had no standing to hear the case.
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade
(* B K P)
Canada Looking for a Way Out of Complicity in Saudi War Crimes
Mind you, Canada is not the only Western government that talks about human rights and international humanitarian law while at the same time fuelling the unnecessary bloodshed and humanitarian disaster in the poorest country in the Middle East. The United States, United Kingdom and several other Western governments are also under immense international pressure to end their complicity in Saudi war crimes in Yemen. Some have already ended arms transfers, but there are others like the US that is yet to do the same.
Just like Canada, these Western governments have been fueling the Yemeni humanitarian crisis through lucrative weapon sales to Riyadh used in the three year plus bombing campaign.
Under the UN arms trade treaty, Canada has an obligation to halt the supply of weapons as they are being used for serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law in the besieged port city of Hodeida
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13970927000690
Remark: From Iran – nevertheless, obviously true. – For Canada: Yemen War Mosaic 492, cp12.
cp13b Mercenaries / Söldner
(A K P)
Sudanese troops will remain in Yemen: Al-Bashir
“Our position [on Yemen] remains unchanged,” al-Bashir said in a statement. “We will continue exerting efforts to ensure the stability and security of the Arab region.”
He added: “Our membership in the [Saudi-led] Arab coalition, which is aimed at securing Yemen’s legitimate government, is only one example in this regard.”
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/sudanese-troops-will-remain-in-yemen-al-bashir/1342396
and also
and
(A K P)
Sudan’s al-Bashir asserts continued participation in Yemen war
the Sudanese President stressed continued participation in Yemen war.
“The security of the two Holy Mosques is a red line and Sudan is carrying out an ethical and sacred duty. The Sudan Armed Forces would continue to participate in the coalition according to the agreement between the two countries’ he said
He also underlined the need to enhance cooperation between the two armies on all fields particularly training and development and the joint military exercises.
Al-Bashir has been under pressure to withdraw his troops from Yemen because Gulf countries particularly Saudi Arabia do not provide financial support to the country to overcome its economic crisis.
The Saudi chief of staff is visiting Sudan to attend the class of 2018 graduation ceremony at the Nimeiry Military Academy which included 19 Saudi officers. He will also take part in the conclusion of Sudanese army’s exercise on the Red Sea coast.
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article66789
My comment: “The security of the two Holy Mosques” has nothing to do at all with the Yemen war.
And
(A K P)
Sudanese Army Chief of Staff Kamal Abdel Ma’arouf stated on December 18 that Sudanese forces will remain in Yemen as part of the Saudi-led coalition. Ma’arouf suggested that the number of Sudanese forces in Yemen could double.[2]
and
(A K P)
Yemen's Houthis blast Sudan for planned war deployment
Yemen’s popular Houthi Ansarullah movement has condemned Sudan for seeking to retain and even increase its troops in a Saudi Arabian-led coalition that has invaded the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country.
http://en.abna24.com/news//yemens-houthis-blast-sudan-for-planned-war-deployment_921238.html
cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy
(* B E P)
A bank divided: Yemen's financial crisis hits food imports
The central bank of Yemen, split into two rival head offices reflecting a country divided by war, has been slow to finance imports of food needed to fend off widespread hunger, sources with knowledge of the matter have told Reuters.
Saudi Arabia agreed in July to lend $2 billion to the central bank office located in the southern port of Aden, the seat of the Riyadh-backed government, to help finance imports of basic goods.
The loan would enable importers to exchange Yemeni rials for dollars to buy food for a country where a collapse in the currency has left many unable to afford basic foodstuffs.
But an Aden central bank document circulated in November, seen by Reuters and corroborated by two of the sources, made clear that only a little over $170 million had been authorized for payment.
The rival central bank headquarters in Sanaa, the national capital now controlled by the Houthi group that has been fighting a coalition led by the Saudis for almost four years, did not receive any funds from the Saudi loan.
That was to be expected, given the realities of the war. But with the Saudi loan going to Aden, money has been directed away from Houthi-controlled areas in the north where most food imports arrive.
Traders who previously did business through the central bank in Sanaa are now scrambling to work through Aden, a switch that has created more hold-ups and payment problems.
Some traders say the Aden office favors government-held areas. Hobeishy denied that, saying there was no question of his bank issuing letters of credit to those doing business in some areas of the country and not others.
He also cast doubt on the status of the central bank in Sanaa. “There is no such thing as two central banks in Yemen, there has always been just one bank and we moved to Aden,” he said.
My comment: Fot the last paragraph quoted here: No, this was no “move”. Claiming theis is propaganda. The central bank at Aden had been newly funded, in the very beginning without funds, without personel, without equipment.
(A E)
OMV resumes exporting Yemeni oil from Shabwah
Austrian Mineral Oil Administration (OMV) has resumed exporting oil from the southern Yemeni governorate of Shabwah.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-26220
cp15 Propaganda
(B P)
Stopping the ‘Hezbollahisation’ of Yemen
As with Hezbollah, the EU should designate the Houthis as terrorists, argues Julie Lenarz.
The alternative is the ongoing “Hezbollahisation” of the conflict. Iran has applied the “Hezbollah model” successfully across the region in a concerted effort to destabilise the Middle East. Examples are the Islamic Republic’s links to militias fighting in Syria and Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon and most recently the Houthis in Yemen.
From the conflict’s start, the Houthis have deployed tactics straight from the Hezbollah handbook at the expense of the Yemeni people. They embed themselves among the civilian population, deliberately intimidating entire communities.
Iran is the common benefactor that binds these two groups together.
A well-armed and Iran-aligned Yemen could vastly complicate a regional conflict that has already been described by the UN as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The “Hezbollahisation” of Yemen must be stopped at all costs, before Iran can carve out a state within the state and further fulfil Tehran’s foreign adventurism under the guise of governance – by Julie Lenarz, Director of the Human Security Centre in London and a Senior Fellow at The Israel Project in Washington D.C.
Remark: A mad propaganda article. Hezbollah is a political party with a militia; The Houthis are less “terrorsits” than the Saudis, the US or the UK would be. – For the author’s background: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Project and https://rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/the_israel_project/ and https://en.everybodywiki.com/Human_Security_Centre
(B P)
Dennis Horak: Iran-Saudi tensions dim prospects for real peace in Yemen
Tehran didn’t start this war, but it has exploited it. Ending up with a Hezbollah-type ally on the troubled Saudi border would be a bonus
At its core, the Yemen war is about internal issues and divisions.
But for the Saudis, their intervention in Yemen was about Iran and the need to confront the perceived strategic threat posed by the victory of “Iranian-controlled” Houthi rebels. It is a paranoia that Iran has consistently fed through its own actions in Yemen.
It would have been very hard for any Saudi leader to ignore a call for help from an ally and neighbour in these circumstances. Letting another Arab capital “fall into the hands of Tehran” would have irreversibly undercut the kingdom’s position and standing in the region.
The Saudi nightmare is an Iranian proxy government in Yemen that would create for Riyadh the same sort of strategic challenge Israel faces daily with Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Iranian-Saudi mistrust is mutual and visceral
What’s left to them are proxy battles in places like Yemen – by Dennis Horak, Canada’s ex-Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Yemen
My comment: The Yemen war is NO Saudi-Iranian proxy war; Iran’s role is a minor one.
(A P)
Difference between winter in Sweden and in Yemen
As we all know the history of the Houthi group, we believe that when they engage in peaceful dialogue and negotiations in the search for a political solution in Yemen, it is not because of their patriotism or because they have recovered their senses or that their conscience has suddenly awakened.
It is instead due to two main reasons. The first is the huge military pressure applied by Yemeni forces supported by coalition forces to support legitimacy. Second, and most importantly, the negotiations have guaranteed that the Houthis have transformed from an outlaw militia, as they were classified before, into a political party that is recognized internationally. This is a huge win for them and their plan B, as it means that if they cannot control Yemen, then there is no problem in becoming the second party and part of the equation for the political future of Yemen.
(A P)
The Sweden peace talks
A tinge of frustration was visible in the eyes of the Houthi delegates to the opening session of these talks because of the continuous defeats they suffered at the hands of the legitimate Yemeni army. The Houthis were worried that if they would not reach a peaceful solution to save their dignity to end their coup and exit from a situation that they have put themselves in.
They knew that if these talks failed, it meant the end of the Houthi militias. This was visible during the talks where the Houthi delegates were issuing positive statements through social media searching for peace. They were ready to offer more concessions now unlike during previous negotiations. This was evident as they were ready to withdraw from Hodeida and its seaport within a specific period.
In the past, the talk of withdrawal from Hodeida was a red line for the Houthis because it was the main supply line of Iranian support for them.
We know for sure that the Houthis would not have offered these concessions unless the Yemeni people, who have been seething in a living hell since the start of this conflict, ran out of their patience.
http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/550646/Opinion/Local-Viewpoint/The-Sweden-peace-talks
(A P)
Truce ‘dead duck’ if Houthi breaches go on: Coalition
A hard-won truce in the battleground Yemeni city of Hodeidah will collapse if militia violations persist and the UN does not intervene, the Saudi-led coalition said on Wednesday.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1423216/middle-east
similar
(A P)
Al Houthis must commit to peace in Yemen
But the shelling on Tuesday from Al Houthi positions is a flagrant breach of ceasefire conditions and the UN will do well to investigate and hold these usurpers responsible.
Any breach of this UN-agreed ceasefire is indeed a serious offence, and one can only assume that the actions by Al Houthi rebels reflect a general lack of commitment that militia’s leadership have shown in ending their calamitous campaign
https://gulfnews.com/opinion/editorials/al-houthis-must-commit-to-peace-in-yemen-1.61021474
(A P)
Saudisches Entwicklungsprogramm sendet Bücher und Materialien an 150 Schulen im östlichen Jemen
(A P)
Qatar-Iran-Turkey alliance erodes regional security - Arab Weekly
Qatar has quietly formed an alliance with Iran and Turkey, taking a stand against its former Arab allies that undermines regional security.
Intentionally or unintentionally, Qatar is funnelling its resources into the hands of unreliable allies that could turn against it at any moment.
https://thearabweekly.com/qatari-ties-iran-turkey-undermine-regional-security = https://ahvalnews.com/qatar-turkey/qatar-iran-turkey-alliance-erodes-regional-security-arab-weekly
(A P)
Sweden success proves Houthis will only respond to force
This week the government of Yemen and Houthi rebels made the most significant advance yet in the quest for peace in Yemen, which was torn apart by the 2015 Houthi coup.
The truth is, for the Yemeni government this latest victory was the culmination of a year-long peace process which began December 6, 2017, a year to the day before the Houthi delegation landed in Stockholm. Coalition and Yemeni government forces had then liberated the two Southern cities of Aden and Mukhalla from the Houthis and Al Qaeda, respectively. Following liberation, the Yemen government sought peace talks, triggered by the rising humanitarian costs in Houthi-controlled northern territories.
The Houthis had shunned any attempts to negotiate and were diverting or extorting the aid that the international community was trying to inject via Hodeidah. Their leaders were enriching themselves and funding their war machine, while the citizens around them grew hungrier and hungrier – by Jaber Al Lamki, Executive Director of Media & Strategic Communications at the United Arab Emirates' National Media Council.
https://us.cnn.com/2018/12/18/opinions/yemen-peace-talks-houthis-opinion-intl/index.html
My comment: Why CNN adopts such an obvious propaganda story, stays a mystery.
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
(* A K pH)
Saudi coalition air raids day by day
Dec. 18: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1545280300./1202302696586760/
Dec. 17: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1545149155./1201555699994793/
(A K)
Anti-al Houthi sources reported that Saudi-led coalition airstrikes killed Abdul Khaliq al Houthi, an al Houthi military commander and brother of al Houthi movement leader Abdel Malik al Houthi, in southwestern Sa’ada governorate, northern Yemen on December 18. Anti-al Houthi reported Abdul Khaliq al Houthi’s death in separate instances in August and September.[4]
(A K)
Erstmals seit Waffenruhe wieder Luftangriff auf Jemens Hauptstadtflughafen
Zum ersten Mal seit Beginn der Waffenruhe in der jemenitischen Hafenstadt Hodeida hat die Militärkoalition unter Leitung Saudi-Arabiens wieder den Flughafen der von Rebellen kontrollierten Hauptstadt Sanaa angegriffen. Bei dem Luftangriff sei eine kurz vor dem Start stehende Drohne zerstört worden, erklärte am Mittwoch die Koalition, die Jemens Regierung unterstützt. Sie warf den schiitischen Rebellen erneut vor, den Flughafen als Militärbasis zu missbrauchen.
https://www.nau.ch/news/ausland/jemen-erlebt-erstmals-wieder-luftangriff-seit-waffenruhe-65466188 = https://www.zeit.de/news/2018-12/19/erstmals-seit-waffenruhe-wieder-luftangriff-auf-jemens-hauptstadtflughafen-20181219-doc-1bp8ae
(A K)
Saudi-led coalition bombs air base in Yemen's capital
The Saudi-led coalition bombed an air base in Yemen's rebel-held capital on Wednesday as a local cease-fire held around the Red Sea port city of Hodeida.
In comments aired by Saudi state-run TV, the coalition said it struck the air base next to Sanaa's international airport, destroying a rocket launcher and a drone that it said was preparing to carry out an attack.
Yemen's rebel-run al-Masirah TV said the airstrikes hit the base and surrounding areas. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/saudi-led-coalition-bombs-air-base-in-yemens-capital
and
(A K pS)
Arab Coalition Destroys Drone at Sanaa Airport
The Coalition for the Support of Legitimacy in Yemen said Wednesday that it targeted an unmanned aerial vehicle before its execution of an imminent terrorist attack.
The Coalition said in a statement that it "destroyed” the aircraft’s base at Sanaa international airport.
It said the attack comes in line with international humanitarian law.
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1511091/arab-coalition-destroys-drone-sanaa-airport
My comment: If this story really is true, this question remains: The Saudis could not now what would have been the target the drone actually should hit. In case of a military target, this could not have been a “terrorist attack”, as claimed here. It’s war, stupid. If this Saudi source would call “terrorist” when civilian targets are involved, the Saudi coalition is “terrorist” from the first day of its intervention in Yemen.
and
(A K pH)
2 Saudi-led air raids target Sanaa
The US- backed Saudi-led aggression coalition on Wednesday launched two air raids on al-Dulmi air base in the capital Sanaa
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news519492.htm
Targeting Sanaa Airport impedes UN efforts: Army Spokesman
The armed forces spokesman on Wednesday said targeting of Sanaa International Airport under baseless pretexts reflects Saudi-led aggression coalition's real intentions to obstruct the United Nations efforts to reopen the airport, as a humanitarian and moral demand.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news519516.htm
(A K pH)
More Saudi coalition air raids recorded on
Dec. 19: http://www.sabanews.net/en/news519594.htm Saada p.
Dec. 18: http://www.sabanews.net/en/news519444.htm and http://www.sabanews.net/en/news519471.htm Hajjah p.
(* B K)
"Sam": the coalition bombed a prison in Sanaa and may knew the presence of detainees there
The Geneva-based SAM Organization for Rights and Freedoms issued a human rights report on Wednesday, which included an investigation into the bombing of the Sanaa military Police prison, and the release of the report coincided with the first anniversary of the incident and named "joint crime".
The report included statistics on the number of deaths and injuries, documented testimonies of detainees and injuries that miraculously survived their day of death, and testimonies of relatives of detainees who had died in prison.
Sam said the coalition might have been aware that the target building contained civilian detainees based on the testimony of detainees released just before the shelling, one of them, journalist Yusuf Ajlanwho said, Houthis told the kidnapped, who were transferred from the central prison to the military police headquarters, that The Red Cross has been informed of their transfer to the military police headquarters."
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/162313
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
Siehe / Look at cp1b
(A K pS)
Houthis mines kills three civilians in Mawia-Taiz
In a statement of the director of Mawia directorate “Abdul Jabbar Al- Sarari” said that three civilians were killed Wednesday afternoon by a landmine planted by the Houthi terrorist militia in the district of Dhabah, in the province of Mawia- Taiz.
http://almasdaronline.com/articles/162329
(A K pH)
Film: A systematic demolition of populated villages in Baqem border district, Sa'ada governorate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm_TYAMLeTE
(A K pS)
Mortar Shell of Al-Houthis Fall Near Humish Arfan – Thurrah – Abian
https://en.smanews.org/a-mortar-shell-of-al-houthis-fall-near-humish-arfan-thurrah-abian
(A K pH)
More Saudi coalition shelling recorded on
Dec. 18: http://www.sabanews.net/en/news519442.htm Saada p.
(A K)
Al Houthi forces claimed to fire four Zilzal 1 ballistic missiles towards Jizan region, southern Saudi Arabia on December 17. The strikes have not been confirmed.[5]
(A K)
Senior Yemen military commander killed by Houthi missile
A senior Yemeni military commander was killed in a mortar shell fired by the Houthis in the Naham district, east of the capital Sanaa, yesterday, a government official said.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20181218-senior-yemen-military-commander-killed-by-houthi-missile/
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
(C)
Film: When coexistence used to be the strength of Yemenis: The beautiful Jewish people of Yemen.
https://twitter.com/HanaalShowafi/status/1075682305648271360
(* C)
The Ottomans were once humiliated by Yemeni rebels – today, the Houthis have done the same to Saudi Arabia – by Robert Fisk
(A P)
Facebook censoring images of starving Yemen children
Social media giant Facebook has been censoring images of starving children in Yemen, claiming that pictures of malnourished girls constitute “sexual content”.
The social network has repeatedly blocked images attached to a New York Times article about the on-going conflict, which has seen more than 100,000 people killed and over three million displaced.
Freelance journalist Shady Grove Olive tweeted screenshots of her attempts to post the article on Facebook; despite making several appeals highlighting the journalistic nature of the article, Facebook repeatedly refused to acknowledge it as anything other than “sexual content”.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20181219-facebook-censoring-images-of-starving-yemen-children/
and
(A P)
NY Times Columnist Nick Kristof Led The Charge To Get Facebook To Censor Content, Now Whining That Facebook Censors His Content
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-492-yemen-war-mosaic-492
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-492 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-492:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose oder / or http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
Der saudische Luftkrieg im Bild / Saudi aerial war images:
(18 +, Nichts für Sensible!) / (18 +; Graphic!)
http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
http://yemenwarcrimes.blogspot.de/
und alle Liste aller Luftangriffe / and list of all air raids:
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