... ohne medizinische Hilfe – „Wo ist das Geld?“ – Die Huthis und die Stämme – Landminen der Huthis und humanitäre Hilfe – Spaltung in Hadramaut, Südjemen – Bellingcats Jemenprojekt – Bellingcat: Untersuchung von Luftangriffen vom 6.7.2015 und 7.10.2015 – Saudische Luftangriffe im März 2019 – Die jemenitische Fachleute-Diaspora – Massenexekutionen in Saudi-Arabien – und mehr
April 24, 2019: Yemen civil war going back decades – Assessing the impact of war in the development in Yemen – Mothers and children endangered without medical care – “Where is the Money?” – The Houthis and the tribes – Houthi landmines and humanitarian help – Divisions in Hadramawt, Southern Yemen – Bellingcat’s Yemen project – Bellingcat examination of July 6, 2015 and October 7, 2015 air raids – Saudi air raids in March 2019 – The Yemen professional diaspora – Mass executions in Saudi Arabia – and more
Schwerpunkte / Key aspects
Klassifizierung / Classification
Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics
cp1b Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah / Most important: Hodeidah battle
cp2 Allgemein / General
cp2a Allgemein: Saudische Blockade / General: Saudi blockade
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
cp8a Jamal Khashoggi
cp9 USA
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis
cp13 Wirtschaft / Economy
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
cp15 Propaganda
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
Klassifizierung / Classification
***
**
*
(Kein Stern / No star)
? = Keine Einschatzung / No rating
A = Aktuell / Current news
B = Hintergrund / Background
C = Chronik / Chronicle
D = Details
E = Wirtschaft / Economy
H = Humanitäre Fragen / Humanitarian questions
K = Krieg / War
P = Politik / Politics
pH = Pro-Houthi
pS = Pro-Saudi
T = Terrorismus / Terrorism
Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject
Einführende Artikel u. Überblicke für alle, die mit den Ereignissen im Jemen noch nicht vertraut sind, hier:
Yemen War: Introductory articles, overviews, for those who are still unfamiliar with the Yemen war here:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-einfuehrende-artikel-u-ueberblicke
Neue Artikel / New articles
(* B H)
Film: The War in Yemen: Most hospitals closed or in poor condition
Yemen has lost almost all its infrastructure to the ongoing war. And the handful of hospitals still standing, barely have any money left to provide treatment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-FHjxdhCCc&t=16s
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
Massenexekutionen: cp8 / Mass executions: cp8
(** B C)
Yemen: A Civil War Centuries in the Making
The current conflict has deep roots in how Yemen emerged as a nation, its treatment under British rule, its role during the Cold War, and now as a proxy for tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The fractures within Yemen make this humanitarian crisis one of the most complex to solve.
How and when did the situation in Yemen collapse to such an extent?
A deeper look might find the roots of the civil war in 2011 when the Arab Spring protests first broke out in Yemen.
In particular, Yemen’s northern population reacted virulently to the proposal to divide the contiguous northern region into three provinces as part of a new federalist state and the plan was a central grievance of the Houthi movement.
Yemen’s northern highlands have been united for centuries by common religious beliefs, tribal alliances, and a history of independence from colonial domination. The transitional government’s proposal to split this historically unified half of the country, while also blocking it from accessing the Red Sea, struck a nerve among a prideful tribal population.
Other analysts might venture even further back in history to 2004, when the first of six wars between the Yemeni government and the Houthi movement began
The original conflicts that precipitated the country’s first civil war during the 1960s remain at the core of the current conflict between the Houthi movement and the Republic of Yemen. Resolving this war will require not only a temporary cessation of hostilities, but also a more complete reevaluation of the Yemeni state.
The Famous Forty and the Birth of Modern Yemen
The Houthi Movement
Saudi Arabia and Yemen
A Fragmented Country
The ongoing war in Yemen is not a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran as is sometimes asserted. Nor is it a religious war between the Sunni and Shi’i sects of Islam. Rather this is a unique moment wherein the Yemenis must decide the future of their country.
The civil war that began in 2014 between the northern population and the republic can be seen as a continuation of the country’s first civil war between a traditional, religious, and tribal society from the northern countryside and a republic led by an educated and urban elite.
The secession of hostilities in 1970 can, in retrospect, be seen as only a temporary truce that resulted in the marginalization of the defeated northern highlands. The children and grandchildren of those same defeated tribesmen who had supported the deposed Imam al-Badr, have now returned to the capital city of Sana’a demanding political retribution and remaining undeterred by a republic bereft of its revolutionary legitimacy.
The republic founded in 1962 has since dissolved, leaving in its wake unresolved grievances and competing aspirations for independence within South Arabia. History has shown that neither two separate Yemeni states nor one centralized state can foster long-term stability for the region. Rather, a decentralized federalist state that provides equal degrees of autonomy and resource sharing to southern separatists, northern Houthis, and other traditionally independent regions in Yemen might form the foundations of a future Yemeni state—one that will both assuage Saudi fears of a strong Yemeni state and provide political and economic opportunity to a new generation of Yemeni leadership.
Throwing money at the problem will not immediately solve the crisis, nor will it ensure the long-term stability of South Arabia. Rather than isolate Yemen as a pariah state, the wealthy Gulf countries would benefit from incorporating 28 million Yemenis into the Gulf economy, alleviating border tensions, and empowering Yemenis to chart their own paths – by Asher Orkaby (many photos, infographs)
http://origins.osu.edu/article/yemen-civil-war-houthi-humanitarian-crisis-arabia-zaydi
(* B E H K)
Mehr als 20 verlorene Jahre
Der Krieg in Jemen hat das Land laut UN in seiner Entwicklung um mehr als 20 Jahre zurückgeworfen. Einer vom Entwicklungsprogramm der Vereinten Nationen in Auftrag gegebenen Studie zufolge hätte der Konflikt einen wirtschaftlichen Schaden von 88,8 Milliarden Dollar (78,9Milliarden Euro) verursacht, wenn er dieses Jahr enden würde. Sollte er noch bis 2030 andauern, blieben 71 Prozent der Bevölkerung in extremer Armut zurück, 84 Prozent unterernährt und der wirtschaftliche Verlust betrüge 657 Milliarden Dollar. Der für Jemen zuständige Repräsentant des Entwicklungsprogramms, Auke Lootsma, sagte: "Selbst wenn es morgen Frieden gäbe, könnte es Jahrzehnte dauern, bis Jemen zu den Entwicklungsniveaus vor dem Konflikt zurückkehrt."
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/jemen-mehr-als-verlorenejahre-1.4418746
(** B E H K)
Assessing the Impact of War on Development in Yemen
Yemen has already lost 2 decades of Human Development
UNDP-commissioned study on the human impact of war anticipates a 40-years set back by 2030
Ongoing conflict in Yemen has already reversed human development by 21 years, according to a UNDP-commissioned study released today. The study warns of exponentially growing impacts of conflict on human development. It projects that if the war ends in 2022, development gains will have been set back by 26 years — almost a generation. If it continues through 2030, that setback will increase to four decades.
Commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Yemen and conducted by researchers from the Frederick S. Pardee Centre for International Futures, Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver, the study entitled Assessing the Impact of War on Development in Yemen considers the impact of conflict on the priorities articulated in the globally agreed Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals.
The study compares three potential quantitative modelling scenarios for the conflict ending in 2019, 2022 and 2030 against a hypothetical scenario where the conflict did not escalate after 2014. Based on the scenarios, the study attempts to quantify the impact of conflict on multiple dimensions of development, including demographic outlook, economic conditions, infrastructures, health and education.
“Human development has not just been interrupted. It has been reversed,” asserted UNDP Yemen Resident Representative, Auke Lootsma. “Even if there were to be peace tomorrow, it could take decades for Yemen to return to pre-conflict levels of development. This is a big loss for the people of Yemen.”
The study projects that, if this conflict ends in 2019, economic output losses will add up to around US$88.8 billion –a reduction of US$2,000 (purchasing power parity) in the GDP per capita. By 2030, the study estimates that 71 percent of the population will be living in extreme poverty; 84 percent will be malnourished; and estimated losses in economic output will amount to around US$657 billion—more than doubling the decrease in GDP per capita to a staggering a US$4,600 (purchasing power parity). Indirect deaths, caused by lack of access to food, health care, and infrastructure services, will be five times greater than direct deaths.
“The long-term impacts of conflict are vast and place it among the most destructive conflicts since the end of the Cold War,” states the report; and further deterioration of the situation “will add significantly to prolonged human suffering, retard human development in Yemen, and could further deteriorate regional stability.”
The study is intended to advocate to the parties to the conflict on the consequences of the conflict on medium- and long-term development, as recovery to the pre-conflict levels would require two to three generations. At the same time the study intends to inform the general public, including the international community, about the level of devastation caused by the conflict in Yemen, and ask those who have influence over either party to the conflict to urgently push towards a sustainable peace deal and a stop to further escalation. The situation is already extremely severe. If it deteriorates further it will add significantly to prolonged human suffering, retard human development in Yemen, and could further deteriorate regional stability.
The ongoing conflict has further reduced the pace of development. The impacts of conflict in Yemen are devastating—with nearly a quarter of a million people killed directly by fighting and indirectly through lack of access to food, health services, and infrastructure. Of the dead, 60 per cent are children under the age of five. The long-term impacts of conflict are vast and place it among the most destructive conflicts since the end of the Cold War. The conflict has already set back human development by 21 years (Figure 1). If the conflict were to end in 2022, development would be set back 26 years—over one generation. If the conflict persists through 2030, the setback grows to nearly four decades, or more than one-and-a-half generations. In this case, one-in-five surviving Yemenis will be physically stunted because of the conflict.
This report is motivated by a desire to better understand the impact of conflict in Yemen across multiple pathways of human development. We assess this by calibrating the International Futures (IFs) model and using it to create four alternative scenarios. These scenarios reflect three potential pathways of conflict development (ending in 2019, 2022 and 2030), as well as a counterfactual world in which conflict did not escalate after 2014. These scenarios are then used to estimate the impact of conflict on development across multiple issue areas (demographic, economic, education, infrastructure, health, etc.).
The conflict in Yemen is devastating to development gains and disproportionally impacts children. By 2030 we estimate that indirect deaths (caused by lack of access to food, health care and infrastructure services) will be five times greater than direct deaths. Most of those deaths are to infants and children, with an estimated 1.5 million killed by 2030 if conflict persists. Table 1 shows the impact of ending the conflict in 2019, 2022 and 2030 on indicators of development compared with a No Conflict scenario.
It is difficult to conceptualize the scale of these impacts on development. To better contextualize this, we used quantitative clustering techniques to compare the conflict in Yemen with other conflicts since the end of the Cold War. We discovered that Yemen’s current conflict is similar to others that are large, last for a long time and have significant impacts on human development such as Iraq (2003–present), Democratic Republic of Congo (1992–present), Sierra Leone (1991– 2002) and Liberia (2000–2003).
and full report: https://www.undp.org/content/dam/yemen/General/Docs/ImpactOfWarOnDevelopmentInYemen.pdf
(** B H)
Mothers and children left to die in Yemen without access to medical care
Pregnant women and sick children in Yemen are struggling to reach timely medical care, four years into the war.
Lack of health facilities, people having to negotiate frontlines and checkpoints, and lack of funds to afford alternatives main reasons.
We urge the warring parties to ensure the protection of civilians and health workers, and to allow the wounded and sick to access healthcare.
Many expectant mothers experiencing complications in childbirth and parents of sick children are unable to reach medical care in Yemen in a safe and timely manner, often with deadly consequences, a report by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has found.
MSF’s new report, Complicated delivery: The Yemeni mothers and children dying without medical care, outlines the impact of the war on pregnant women, new mothers and children under 15 – who are some of the most neglected and vulnerable people in Yemen – as observed by MSF medical teams working in Taiz and Hajjah governorates.
Four years into the conflict, the warring parties in Yemen and their international backers have brought about the effective collapse of the country’s public health system, which cannot meet the needs of Yemen’s 28 million people.
Between 2016 and 2018, 36 mothers and 1,529 children died – 1,018 of whom were new-borns – in MSF’s Taiz Houban hospital, in Taiz governorate, and the MSF-supported Abs hospital, in Hajjah governorate. Of the deaths in Taiz Houban, almost one-third were children and new-borns who were dead on arrival. Many new-borns brought to MSF for care had a low birthweight or were born prematurely, at home or in small private clinics. The most common causes of deaths in neonates were prematurity, birth asphyxia and severe infection (sepsis).
The high numbers of deaths are linked to a number of factors, with most being from a direct result of the war. These include the lack of functioning health facilities in Yemen, people’s difficulties in reaching them, and their inability to afford alternatives. Many people have to cross frontlines, pass through no-man’s land or negotiate their way through multiple checkpoints in order to reach a hospital that is still functional.
Some of the mothers and children admitted to Taiz Houban hospital travelled across frontlines to get there. This exposes them to physical danger and increases journey times exponentially. Before the conflict, residents of Houban, on the outskirts of the city of Taiz, could reach a public hospital in the city centre in 10 minutes; the journey now can take six hours.
“This distance from medical care is a big problem,” says MSF midwife Sadeqa, in Abs hospital. “Patients are prevented from travelling because of airstrikes and clashes, and they do not go out at night because they are afraid they could be attacked. Once a car was hit by an airstrike, killing everyone inside.”
Medical staff face the same challenges accessing hospitals as their patients.
“The safety and security situation not only affects people in need of medical care, but it also has consequences for the medical staff providing the care,” says MSF’s Yemen Operation Advisor, Jana Brandt. “Our hospital staff prefer to work a 14-hour night shift to an eight-hour day shift so as to avoid travelling at night due to insecurity on the roads.”
As well as fearing insecurity on the journey, people also fear the hospital itself may be attacked – a feature of the war in Yemen so far.
“Abs hospital itself was hit before, and the whole Abs area has suffered many airstrikes over the course of the war,” says MSF mental health manager Khattab. “People are afraid they will be attacked on the road or that the hospital will be hit again. Many [of those patients who do reach us] show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.”
The barriers preventing mothers and children from reaching hospital are underpinned by the economic vulnerability faced by many families. Before the escalation of the conflict in 2015, most medical services in Yemen were provided by private health facilities, which were relatively affordable. Today, the ability of Yemenis to access healthcare of any kind has dramatically diminished, as the conflict has ravaged the economy and devalued people’s savings, leaving the vast majority dependent on what limited public healthcare is available.
The desperate situation for mothers and children in need of medical care is not limited to Taiz and Hajjah governorates, but is happening across the country, particularly in those areas most affected by the war.
https://www.msf.org/mothers-and-children-left-die-yemen-without-access-medical-care
and full report for download.
(** A H P)
"Where's our money ".. A campaign seeks the fate of 20 billion dollars in international aid to Yemen
Yemeni activists, in April, launched an online campaign on social media sites under the label # وين_الفلوس, " Where's the money ", to determine the fate of UN aid to Yemen during four years of war, to demand a transparent aid delivery mechanism, saying food is not reaching the hungry and that aid funds Seeping into a black hole.
The United Nations says that humanitarian aid is wide-ranging and has played an important role in reducing the severity of food security outcomes within Yemen, and that between January and May 2018, an average of 176 million people per month were provided with emergency food assistance through in-kind distributions and remittances, cash and vouchers.
During the years of war since 2015, the United Nations has announced a total of 10 billion dollars in donations from states, Governments and donors to implement its humanitarian plan in Yemen, while countries, organizations and federations have announced assistance worth at least $10 billion to fight poverty during the same period, yet the Yemen's economy suffers from suffocating crises, the local currency has continued its rapid decay, and the number of poor people has increased.
Funds were granted to dozens of United Nations agencies, international organizations and local non-governmental institutions, and among the largest organizations that received such funds were the World Food Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund, the World Health Organization and the Nations High Commissioner United refugees.
Activists said that the positive impact of humanitarian aid to Yemen depends primarily on the creation of practical and transparent mechanisms and the change of international organizations in their approach to providing emergency relief to sustainable, income-generating, economically beneficial and job-creating projects.
Abdul Wahid al-Aubali, one of the activists in the campaign " Where's the money ", explained that under the exceptional circumstances of Yemen and in the midst of the humanitarian crises that afflict Yemenis, humanitarian aid has flowed to mitigate the effects of the crises. However, in the light of the continued increase in the suffering of Yemenis and the decline of beneficiaries from one day to the next, the figures given in the volume of aid are now being questioned.
"The campaign was launched to put pressure on organizations working in Yemen to apply the criteria of transparency and enable community accountability efforts to do their part, and their motivation is to determine what corruption is and how much it is, who does it, where and when," al-Aubali said. Because of the many reports and complaints about the occurrence of manipulation and mismanagement of the purchase and distribution of aid.
Al-Aubali pointed to a research carried out by a group of financial review specialists and activists in the humanitarian business, and said: " It became clear that most of the organizations operating in Yemen, which administer these funds, operate according to their own mechanisms, without any governmental oversight, or even follow-up from donors. This calls for the need to activate the role of accountability and community oversight.
He explained that accountability begins as a first step by requiring all organizations operating in Yemen to publish and present their detailed and technical financial reports to the public based on their moral right to ensure that funds reach their beneficiaries, and to domestic and international laws that are bound to adopt a full transparency approach.
Scores of activists interacted with the campaign on social networking sites
and this is the Hashtag: #WhereIsTheMoney ( #وين_الفلوس)
and
(* A H P)
Yemeni Activists Question Transparency of Human Organizations
A list of 96 local and international organizations has triggered wide controversy in war-torn Yemen, which is one step away from starvation.
The list shows that these organizations received 2,652,595,525$ in 2018 from donors to be spent in humanitarian aid for the Yemeni people in the impoverished country.
Despite what organizations boast in taking part in helping Yemenis cope with the humanitarian crisis, many observers and activists have wondered how such an amount of money does not play a vital role in affiliating the suffering of Yemenis, for poverty keeps accelerating and has exceeded 82%.
Lately, many activists launched a campaign on networking sites with a hashtag written in Arabic translated “#Where_is_the_money.” The goal for the hastag is to put some pressure on these organizations to issue accurate reports on how they spend the donated money and that it went to those who need it the most.
According to activists, since 2015, over 10 billion dollars has been sent to Yemen by countries and donors, yet no more than 10% has reached the needy, poor people.
“What is happening is sort of “exploitation” and random work. How is it rational that 60% of the money goes to operating expenses?” wondered Nabeel Alsharabi, a researcher in economic affairs.
A Yemeni official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, has confessed that there is corruption in terms of managing humanitarian aid. “Most of corruption takes places in areas under the control of Houthi militia,” he adeed.
On the other hand, some other activists said it is logical that these companies spend some of the given money on salaries and operational activities. However, there is a need of transparency on how they do so.
https://republicanyemen.net/archives/16597
(** B P)
The Houthi–Tribal Conflict in Yemen
Despite Houthis’ victory over the Hajour tribe in Hajjah, the emergence of a serious threat in their northern heartland raises questions about their ability to assert control.
The most prominent battles have been between the Houthis and the tribes of Hajour in the governorate of Hajjah, where fighting broke out in January and continued for two months until the Houthis took control of the region on March 8. Even though the Houthis won the battle, the emergence of a serious threat in their northern heartland raises questions about their ability to assert control.
The battle of Hajour took place near the Houthi stronghold of Saada, and despite Houthi’s superior military might, the Hajour tribes were able to hold their own for two months nonetheless, spurred on by various political, sectarian, and foreign incentives. The Hajour tribe’s home region is of vital strategic importance in light of the war between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. Hajjah borders Saada governorate (the Houthis’ home base), Amran (the northern gateway to Sanaa), and the Harad district along the border with Saudi Arabia.
Tension between the Houthis and the tribes has been on the rise since Ali Abdullah Saleh was killed on December 3, 2017. The former Yemeni president represented the most powerful tribal wing of the alliance between the Houthis and the tribes.
During Saleh’s presidency, the area fell under the military influence of Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, the commander of the First Armored Division and an ally of the Islah Party, itself associated with the Muslim Brotherhood. Houthis and the tribes had previously fought each other when the Houthis first expanded into neighboring northern governorates after they took control of Saada during the 2011 popular uprising. In January 2012, successful tribal mediation resulted in a deal wherein the Houthis would not intervene in the area in exchange for the tribes remaining within their home regions. This agreement held up until January 2018—both sides accuse the other of violating the agreement, and there are varying accounts of how the latest round of fighting broke out.
The initial reasons for this fighting were likely local in nature, such as a dispute between Houthi supporters and their opponents. However, several other factors contributed to the clashes’ duration and expansion, as well as the failure of traditional tribal mediation attempts. These include a built-up desire for vengeance left over from previous fighting, the need to resolve the strategically significant area’s status, and foreign intervention.
Sectarian divisions have also partly fueled the conflict. The most prominent leader in the fight against the Houthis was Salafi leader Ahmed “Abu Muslim” al-Zaakri, who was killed by Houthi forces on March 10, 2019
Although the Houthis have no shortage of enemies and currently lack any political ally, they have consistently emerged victorious due to their enemies’ divisions and internal squabbling. The battle of Hajour illustrates this point clearly, where the Houthis took advantage of divisions within their enemies’ ranks to vanquish the tribe
These disagreements became evident after the Houthis won control of Hajjah on March 8 and the different sides began to blame one another in the media – by Maysaa Shuja al-Deen
https://carnegieendowment.org/sada/78969
(** B H K)
Yemen: Houthi Landmines Kill Civilians, Block Aid
Cease Use of Banned Weapons; Expand and Improve Demining
Houthi forces’ widespread use of landmines along Yemen’s western coast since mid-2017 has killed and injured hundreds of civilians and prevented aid groups from reaching vulnerable communities, Human Rights Watch said today. Yemeni law and the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty ban all use of antipersonnel mines; anti-vehicle mines have been used indiscriminately in violation of the laws of war, posing dangers to civilians long after hostilities have ceased.
Landmines laid in farmlands, villages, wells, and roads have killed at least 140 civilians, including 19 children, in the Hodeida and Taizz governorates since 2018, according to the Civilian Impact Monitoring Project, a humanitarian data source. Landmines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have prevented humanitarian organizations from reaching populations in need, left farms and wells inaccessible, and harmed civilians trying to return home.
Human Rights Watch researchers visited the southern port city of Aden in February 2019 and interviewed civilians injured by landmines as well as civilians fleeing mined areas, aid workers, and a deminer from Yemen Executive Mine Action Centre; analyzed video and photographs collected in country; and reviewed Houthi state and military media channels.
Human Rights Watch found evidence that in addition to laying anti-personnel landmines, Houthi forces planted anti-vehicle mines in civilian areas, modified anti-vehicle mines to detonate from a person’s weight, and disguised improvised explosive devices as rocks or parts of tree trunks. Human Rights Watch also found that the Houthis have used antipersonnel mines in Hayran, near the Saudi Arabia border, and confirmed their use of naval mines despite the risk to commercial, fishing, and aid vessels.
Victims and witnesses told Human Rights Watch that the areas where landmines caused deaths and injuries were previously controlled by Houthi forces and that civilians had not been harmed until the Houthi withdrawal, when the mines presumably were planted. A 25-year-old man displaced from Nakhil village in Tuhayta district said that Houthis laid mines in his village around May 2018: “[The Houthis] warned me and said, ‘Don’t enter this area, we’re mining it.’ They told me that the area was mined.”
Landmines have also left at least three western coast water facilities inaccessible, two aid groups said. In addition, mines have made it more difficult for villagers to feed themselves and maintain their income. Five people said that they had been injured or that relatives had been killed when landmines detonated in farmlands or grazing lands; many displaced people said mines prevented safe harvesting and killed valuable livestock.
Landmines have prevented humanitarian organizations from reaching communities in need along the western coast, Human Rights Watch said. These included villages and towns in the Tuhayta and Mawza’a districts, as well as the major port city of Hodeida. Three aid groups said they could not reach key places or provide services to areas because landmines were planted there or along the route. Many of these communities are only accessible by dirt roads, which are far more hazardous than paved surfaces.
The Houthis’ use of landmines, which deprives people of water and food sources, contributes to the humanitarian crisis that afflicts the entire war-torn country, Human Rights Watch said.
Civilians injured in landmine incidents or those fleeing mined areas, said that demining teams visited their villages or neighborhoods but that mined areas were not consistently marked, and that people often mistakenly understood their areas to be safe. “Bushra,” whose granddaughter was seriously injured in a landmine explosion near Kilo 16 in Hodeida city, said: (with photos)
https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/04/22/yemen-houthi-landmines-kill-civilians-block-aid
Film: https://twitter.com/hrw/status/1120334520379531270 = https://twitter.com/priyanica/status/1120180713398124544
(** B P)
“Two Hadramawts” emerge in a fractured Yemen
Yemen’s strategic and oil-rich eastern governorate of Hadramawt stands at a critical turning point, as feuds between competing political and military groups are coming to a head. Forces supporting the internationally recognized government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi have gained prominence in the north of the region (Sayoun and Wadi Hadramawt), while the Hadrami Elite Forces, which back the secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) and have played a major role in fighting al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), hold sway along the southern coast (in and around Mukalla). The risk of intra-regional clashes is on the rise, as two rival Hadramawts are emerging.
On the one hand, Saudi Arabia supports Hadi-linked forces in the north, in Sayoun and Wadi Hadramawt. The Saudis are committed to the fate of the recognized Hadi government, but they also aim to protect their own border, which is under heavy pressure from Houthi attacks and ambushes to the west (around Jizan, Asir, and Najran).
On the other hand, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) backs the Hadrami Elite Forces, which are deployed along the governorate’s southern coast. The Emiratis organized, trained, and equipped the Yemeni elite force.
Notwithstanding their distinct agendas in southern Yemen — where the Houthis are no longer present — Saudi Arabia and the UAE are likely to reach a political compromise on Hadramawt, informally agreeing to consolidate their emerging “northern” and “southern” spheres of influence inside the governorate in order to fulfil both of their national interests.
However, local political groups and militias may not be quite so eager to compromise, as they try to profit from the chaos of war and external patronage. Moreover, there may be other hurdles to overcome as well. Many of the forces deployed in the north of Hadramawt have tight linkages with Sanaa-based networks of power led by the Saleh family and Ali Mohsin. These networks are often perceived as northerners by most Hadramis, while the Hadrami Elite Forces are deeply rooted in the local tribal fabric. If President Hadi and the STC continue to disagree on Yemen’s future and political framework, clashes are likely to erupt in Hadramawt – by Eleonora Ardemagni
https://www.mei.edu/publications/two-hadramawts-emerge-fractured-yemen
Comment by Judith Brown: This is a very interesting article for Yemen war followers. The Houthis largely still hold the north despite inroads in Hodeida and near the Saudi border, but the old south is partly held by UAE and partly held by forces that do not like the Emiratis at all. It seems that Hadi is trying to unite these groups to support him - he has no real power in Yemen but he is hostile to UAE efforts in Yemen - but as this writer points out, that means a war between two 'sides' in the old South becomes more likely. The recent appearance of Hadi in Seyoon trying to form a government is one of the signs that the differences between UAE and KSA are more entrenched. In all protracted wars alliances break down and Yemen is a good example of this. The sad thing is that it does not make the emergence of peace any more likely, in fact it makes it less likely. There are obviously serious differences in the aims of KSA and UAE in this war and this is a new emerging front - these differences have been noticeable since the autumn of 2015.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10157525281053641
(** A K)
The Yemen Project: Announcement
Bellingcat and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) today announces the release of the first round of investigations as part of a new project examining the campaign of airstrikes carried out by a Saudi-led coalition, including the United States, in Yemen since 2015. Over the next five weeks, approximately 20 in-depth investigations into the airstrikes will be released on a weekly basis, accompanied by a searchable archive of verified open-source material used in each report.
Starting on the 22nd April, Bellingcat will be releasing one investigation per day for a week. On the 29th April Bellingcat will be launching yemen.bellingcat.com, which will host these investigations and data as a stand-alone website. After this Bellingcat will continue to add investigations and data on a weekly basis.
Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins said “Over the last several years Bellingcat has led the way in developing the use of online open source investigation. With this new project, we take it to the next level, taking everything we’ve learned and, with the help of GLAN, turning it into a groundbreaking process for archiving and investigation.”
This project employs Bellingcat’s innovative archiving and investigation process, developed from years of work on open-source analytical and fact-finding journalism. What makes this initiative unique is how GLAN has ensured that legal principles inform the evidence gathering process so that all information can support legal efforts around justice and accountability. The investigation process is also supported by expert input from Hunch.ly, the Syrian Archive and other groups.
While bringing to light critical details about one of the most under-reported conflicts in modern history, the project is focused on producing verified material viable for court cases, aiding advocacy groups with reliable information about the conflict, and working with other media organizations that wish to cover the engagement.
This is a multiyear project, aimed at documenting as many incidents as possible from the conflict in Yemen. In the process it builds Bellingcat and GLAN’s capacity to refine investigation and archiving processes, to deploy those processes to other topics beyond Yemen, and to share information with other organizations that wish to work in the same way. By developing an infrastructure for documenting and archiving incidents, and training on-the-ground organizations and community members to use it, Bellingcat ensures that investigators of future conflicts will have access to higher-quality information that better supports the work they do to promote the pursuit of accountability, justice and transparency.
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2019/04/22/the-yemen-project-announcement/
My comment: Bellingcat must be seen with a critical eye, for instance here: https://thegrayzone.com/2018/10/29/shamiwitness-how-bellingcat-and-neocons-collaborated-with-the-most-influential-isis-propagandist-on-twitter/. But in the case of Yemen, their first job looks quite well done:
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The Yemen Project: ADE10001 – Fayoush Market Strike
Incident ID: ADE10001
Location: al-Fayush Livestock [goats and sheep]/Qat Market, Lahj Governorate
Co-ordinates: 12.979582, 44.937651
Incident grading: Confirmed
Date: 06/07/2015
Time: 0545 AST (according to Yemeni government report) or mid-day according to the LA Times. Images from the scene appear to support the earlier time.
DISCOVERY PROCESS
Searches were carried out using English and Arabic variations of the name “Fayoush” combined with terms such as “airstrike”, “bombing”, “killed” etc. These search results were then narrowed-down using advanced searches on both social media and search engines which focused on the days immediately following the strike. These searches identified a large number of reports, images and videos which provided useful sources. A list of these sources can be seen below:
WHERE?
Where did this incident take place?
The incident took place in the livestock market (for goats & sheep) which lies next to the N1 motorway, the primary route between Aden and Lahj.
KEY FINDINGS
We identified the location of the alleged strike as the al-Fayush market. Using open sources, including images, videos and satellite imagery, we confirmed the strike took place in a livestock market near to a petrol station and multiple other services, such as a Qat market and restaurant.
Open source video and images taken after the strike show two distinct craters, supporting allegations that two munitions were dropped during this strike. It was not possible to assess if the second munition deliberately targeted people responding to the initial strike
WHEN?
All sources agree this incident took place on 06 Jul 2015
Several reports (Amnesty, the UN Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs) agree that the strike took place on 6th July, 2015. Key witness statements are taken and report that two airstrikes took place. Such information correlates with our findings, based on geolocational evidence and open source visual evidence that illustrates the impact and date of the strikes.
WHAT HAPPENED?
The video highlights that both human beings and animals (mainly goats and sheep) were killed or severely injured in the attacks.
There is no indication in open sources of people who could have been characterised as military, members of tribal militia, or generally combatants. There do not appear to be weapons present in either the video reports or the photographs.
STATEMENTS FROM PARTIES TO CONFLICT
ALLEGATIONS OF “DOUBLE TAP” AIRSTRIKE
Conclusion
On 6th July 2015, likely at around 0545 AST, what appears to have been an airstrike took place on the al-Fayush market which was likely full of civilians at the time. Although the presence of Houthi soldiers was mentioned by some witnesses, their presence could not be confirmed. Two munitions were dropped during this strike, and it appears to be a strong possibility the second munition may have killed and injured some of those trying to help the victims of the first. Overall, there was significant loss of civilian life, with reports ranging from 35 to 50 fatalities. (photos; sources, links)
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2019/04/22/the-yemen-project-ade10001-fayoush-market-strike/
and thread: https://twitter.com/bellingcat/status/1120297026900701185
More photos of this raid: http://poorworld.net/Yemen/YemenImages107.htm and http://poorworld.net/Yemen/YemenImages108.htm
(** B K)
The Yemen Project: DHA10002 – Sanaban Wedding Strike
Incident ID: DHA10002
Location: Sanaban, Dhamar, Mayfa’at Anss, Yemen
Coordinates: 14.426831, 44.664921
Incident Grading: Confirmed
Date: 2015-10-07
Time (AST): Approximately 2200 AST
We identified the location of the alleged strike as the house and courtyard located at coordinates 14.426831, 44.664921. Using open sources, including images, videos, and satellite imagery, we believe that the strike took place in an area primarily inhabited by civilians, while a wedding party was taking place.
– By comparing satellite imagery, media reports, and user generated content (UGC), We were able to determine that the strike occurred around 2200 AST on 07/10/2015.
– Contextual evidence and witness accounts indicate that this was an airstrike. The Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) confirmed that an airstrike did take place in this area on this date. However, it denies that the wedding was targeted.
WHERE?
Where did this incident take place?
Topography to the southwest of Sanaban matches that captured in video from the incident and led us to examine that Sanaban in greater detail.
In the aftermath video we can see three primary structures (Building 1 on the left, a minaret, and the building on the right) from the filming location facing southwest toward the mountain. We see that the remains of Building 1 are tall and thin, which matches satellite imagery taken after the strike.
We can also match up distinct features of Building 1 and its surroundings with features seen in satellite imagery.
What was the location being used for?
The location, according to reports (1, 2), was the house of Muhammed Saleh Ghouba “ محمد صالح غوبة” and was being used for the wedding of his sons.
On Wikimapia, a crowd-sourced mapping service, many of the tagged sites in the village al-Sanaban are local homes, a primary school, and a cemetery. No locations are marked as military on Wikimapia. The majority of these locations were added 5-11 years ago
Was there military activity in this location?
Analysis of the sources available to us do not indicate that there was any military activity in the immediate area of Building 1. According to several sources, Muhammed al-Sanabani was “a tribal leader known to support the Houthi rebels.” However, footage of the aftermath of the strike and from inside the hospital, as well as witness reports, indicate that most of the victims of the strike were civilians, including women and children.
In images posted to social media depicting the aftermath of the incident there do appear to be some people carrying weapons. It should be noted that these images appear to have been taken the next day, hours after this incident, and that carrying a weapon in Yemeni culture can be regarded as a mark of rank, and not necessarily a marker of a combatant. WHEN
Date
All media reports confirm that the strike occurred on 2015/10/07. Sentinel Hub satellite imagery appears to support this dat
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2019/04/23/the-yemen-project-dha10002-sanaban-wedding-strike/
and main points in thread: https://twitter.com/bellingcat/status/1120770282552201217
and many photos, links, reports of this raid: http://poorworld.net/Yemen/Sanaban-Wedding-1.htm and following, up to http://poorworld.net/Yemen/Sanaban-Wedding-7.htm
(** B K)
YEMEN DATA PROJECT AIR RAIDS SUMMARY FOR MARCH 2019
The month of March 2019 saw the highest number of civilian fatalities in coalition air raids* since November 2018 despite a significant low rate of Saudi/UAE-led coalition bombings. The Yemen Data Project recorded 100 civilian casualties in March. 44 civilians were killed including 19 children and a further 56 civilians injured in air raids, including 9 women and 14 children amongst the injured.
The rate of air raids in March (120) continued the downward trend seen in the past four months, reaching a notable low. Only in May 2016 - during the 2016 ceasefire - have fewer air raids been recorded in any single month since the coalition's aerial campaign began in March 2015. By contrast, in June 2016 when 120 air raids were also recorded, civilian casualties reached 39 for the month. Civilian casualties from air raids were 89% higher in March 2019 compared to the previous month of February, despite the 13% month-on-month fall in the number of air raids.
Deadliest bombings for civilians in March 2019
23 civilians dead 30 injured
10 March 2019, civilian houses, Kushar district, Hajja
9 women and 14 children amongst the dead. 14 children amongst the injured
8 civilians dead 8 injured
26 March 2019, fuel station, Kitaf market, Saada
5 children amongst the dead
4 civilians dead 3 injured
13 March 2019, civilian vehicle, Mustaba district, Hajja
3 civilians dead 9 injured
8 March 2019, civilian houses, Kushar district, Hajja
2 civilians dead 3 injured
13 March 2019, civilian vehicle, Al-Dhaher district, Saada
In March 24% of bombings hit civilian targets**, 23% hit military targets. In 53% of air raids in March the target could not be identified. Of the 56 air raids where the target could be identified 52% targeted non-military sites and 48% military.
Of the 56 air raids where the target was identified in March 2019
15 targeted residential areas resulting in 72 civilian casualties
4 targeted civilian vehicles and buses, including an air raid on a fishing boat, resulting in 12 civilian casualties
2 targeted transport infrastructure
2 targeted farms
1 targeted a fuel station resulting in 16 civilian casualties
1 targeted a UN World Food Programme (WFP) distribution point
Separate to our air raids data collection, as part of our work to enhance conflict monitoring and data sharing, YDP is collaborating with the Armed Conflict and Events Data Project on countrywide political violence data.
This extensive monitoring effort has allowed ACLED and YDP to provide the most comprehensive coverage of political violence across Yemen.
In March ACLED tracked violence across the country including in Taiz, Hajja, Al-Dhale, Al-Bayda,Sa'ada, Al-Hudaydah and Aden. The last week of March saw dozens of ceasefire violations reported in Al-Hudaydah including clashes that were described as being the most intense since the beginning of the ceasefire on 18 December 2018.
https://mailchi.mp/260be8f083d9/april2019-yemen-data-project-update-501127
and main findings in thread https://twitter.com/YemenData/status/1120309945482842112
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics
(* B H)
Film: Taiz hospitals lack the basic requirement for treating cholera
Hospitals in Taiz, northern Yemen, continue to face a lack in the most basic requirement for treating cholera. The Director of the Republican Hospital in Taiz, Dr. Mohammad Makharish, appealed to the relevant organizations and authorities to support the hospitals in Taiz by securing all the necessary medical supplies to treat cholera. He added that the disease swept across the city of Taiz in an alarming way in the last period of time, where official statistics listed 1,150 cases in March only, 800 of which were confirmed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1sQjPeuWyg
(* B H)
Film (April 11): Yemen | Cholera death toll rises in Sanaa
The capital Sana'a and its countryside recorded the highest number of cholera infections in Yemen, which amounted to 58 deaths.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt0eLUx6Akg
cp1b Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah / Most important: Hodeidah battle
(A K pS)
Houthis intensify violations against Hodeida truce
al-Mahjami said that the Houthis are using drones in bombing populated neighborhoods and areas of Hodeida.
He further said that the Houthis that the Houthis exploited Hodeida truce to plant landmines in roads and farms, killing scores of civilians since the beginning of the truce in December 2018.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-29385
(A K pS)
Houthis Threaten to Empty 1 Million Oil Barrels in Red Sea
Yemen’s Houthi militias have increased their violations of the truce in the province of Hodeidah after threatening to empty around one million oil barrels in the Red Sea.
High-ranking militia figure Mohammad Ali al-Houthi claimed in a tweet that the oil stored in the Safer tanker began leaking.
The Safer tanker is a floating oil storage and offloading facility about eight kilometers off the coast of Ras Isa terminal in the Red Sea.
Al-Houthi said the legitimate government and the Arab Coalition should be held responsible for preventing the militia from selling the stored oil.
An environmental disaster would hit the Red Sea if Houthis carry out their threat by emptying the oil stored at the Safer tanker.
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1691241/houthis-threaten-empty-1-million-oil-barrels-red-sea
(A K pH)
US-Saudi Invaders Target Yemen’s Hodeida , Injuring A Child
A child at the age of 14 injured when the US-Saudi mercenaries on Sunday fired a mortar bomb in Yemen’s Hodieda (photos)
http://www.newnewss.net/us-saudi-invaders-target-yemens-hodeida-injuring-a-child/
(A K pH)
In Hodeidah, US-Saudi mercenaries targeted with 10 Kattyusha missiles Kilo-16 and targeted with machineguns 7-Yolio area. The mercenaries also targeted with machineguns and artillery shells the Airport and several areas in Hais district.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=6545
(A K pH)
Army downs new Saudi-led reconnaissance aircraft in Hodeidah
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news533830.htm
(A K pS)
Houthis target al-Amalika in al-Jabaliya, south Hodeidah
http://en.adenpress.news/news/4045
(A K pS)
Houthis continue their violations of U.N. ceasefire in Hodeidah
http://en.adenpress.news/news/4047
and also http://en.adenpress.news/news/4057
(A K pH)
US-Saudi Forces Continue to Violate Cease-Fire in Hodeidah
targeting a number of residential areas with artillery shells and medium arms.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=6528
(A K pS)
Film: The injury of a child not more than two years old shot by a Houthi sniper in Tahita
Local sources reported that the militia snipers targeted the citizens who gathered in front of a health center to receive food aid for children in the area and wounded a child who was standing next to his mother to receive the food.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKpGr9aJTYo
photo: https://twitter.com/Ndawsari/status/1120273594142089216
(A H K pS)
Yemen's Houthis block relief convoy and use civilians as human shields in Hodeidah
Residents, mainly senior and disabled citizens and women, held in a small neighbourhood under control of the Iran-backed rebels
Houthi rebels on Saturday stopped relief convoys from reaching dozens of civilians, some of whom were being used as human shields in the centre of the Al Durayhimi district, eastern Hodeidah.
The Iran-backed rebels, who control a small neighbourhood in Al Durayhimi, prevented an Emirates Red Crescent relief convoy from providing aid to 50 civilians in the district, which was 90 per cent liberated by pro-government forces in August 2018.
and also https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-29361
My comment: While the Houthi side objects that UAE-payed fighters are besieging al-Duraihmi for more than 200 days now and are blocking all relief aid.
Comment: ...says UAE. Each warring party blames the other 'side'
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10157522706753641
(A K)
Supreme Political Council renews commitment to Sweden Agreement
The Supreme Political Council on Sunday renewed its commitment to Sweden Agreement, confirming its positive engagement with any measures to ensure the success of the political process and avoid a humanitarian disaster in the province of Hodeidah.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news533747.htm
(A K pH)
Army downs Saudi-led reconnaissance aircraft in Hodeidah
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news533764.htm
(A P)
"Murderer of the Yemeni Children" - Donald Trump's picture burned in Hodeida, Yemen as a sign of condemnation for the US military support for the Saudi-UAE led Coalition in Yemen (photos)
https://www.facebook.com/waseemphf/posts/10218587581545888
cp2 Allgemein / General
(* A K P)
Interactive Map of Yemen War
(* A K)
MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON APRIL 24, 2019 (MAP UPDATE)
https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-april-24-2019-map-update/
MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON APRIL 23, 2019 (MAP UPDATE)
https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-april-23-2019-map-update/
MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON APRIL 22, 2019 (MAP UPDATE)
https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-april-22-2019-map-update/
MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON APRIL 21, 2019 (MAP UPDATE)
https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-april-21-2019-map-update/
(* B K P)
Whose Fault is the Cholera Epidemic in Yemen?
Actually trying to find out who is behind the outbreak is a difficult task.
On one hand, most media outlets in the Middle East are state-run, and most of those states are a warring party to the conflict, so the information they choose to provide is mostly for propaganda purposes. On the other, independent international outlets rarely cover the Yemen conflict, because it remains a niche issue with only pockets of interests despite the fact that it’s suffering the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophe right now.
In both cases, it does not pay to accurately report on the war in Yemen or its human cost, so the conflict goes on in obscurity, with few ever knowing anything about it.
Attempting to assess culpability for the outbreak; however, is instructive to understanding how each warring party conducts itself in the war. So here, we’ve broken down the roles of the Saudi-led coalition, its international backers, the Houthis and Iran in exacerbating the cholera outbreak.
Though the Saudi-led coalition may bear the most responsibility, every other actor involved in the war has significantly contributed to the spread and lethality of the disease.
https://www.albawaba.com/news/whose-fault-cholera-epidemic-yemen-1281785
(? A B K P)
Film by The Last American Vagabond: : Prepping For Iran Regime Change: Social Media Censorship, Terrorist Accusations & Yemen Destruction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rrf2r0GBbrw
(* B K pS)
Over 9800 Houthis killed across Yemen in 2018
At least 9800 of Iran-backed Houthi rebels were killed by national army and coalition strikes on various fronts in 2018.
The Monitoring Unit of Al-Asema Media Center revealed that hundreds of Houthi leaders were among the killed militia, including Saleh Al-Sammad the head of the so-called political council and also the second wanted in the blacklist announced by Arab coalition late in 2017.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/4064
(A P)
Yemen’s judiciary preparing to file lawsuit against Saudis amid war crimes
Yemen says it is filing a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice against the Saudi war crimes. Yemen’s judiciary says it has documented many such Saudi crimes perpetrated during the years-long war in preparation for the lawsuit.
My remark: By the Houthi government at Sanaa.
(* B K)
UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Protection Cluster: Civilian Impact Monitoring Report, January - March 2019
Executive Summary
There has been an overall reduction In Incidents of armed violence impacting on civilians The number of Indents of aimed violence reported to have impacted on civilians in Q1 2019 has fallen sightly compared to Q4 2018.
The weekly average civilian casualty rate has dropped from Q4 2018 to Q1 2019 nationwide, and has halved In Al-Hudaydah governorate
Despite the ceasefire, Al-Hudaydah remains the most heavily Impacted governorate
The number of civilian casualties in Ahiludaydah governorate has reduced since the ceasefire started The total number of civilian casualties in Al-Hudaydah governorate halved from 567 in Q4 2018 to 283 in Q1 2019. The reduction coincides with the ceasefire, which came into force on 18 December 2018.
The weekly average civilian casualty rate has tripled In Hajja and doubled In Taiz governorate
Hajja saw a turbulent start to 2019 Hajja saw 51 incidents of armed violence impacting upon civilians In Q1
Hostilities In Taiz have had an increased Impact on the local population 205 civilian casualties were recorded in Taiz governorate in the quarter.
The country has seen an Increased civilian casualty toll from fire from small arms and light weapons
Civilian houses continue to be the most impacted structure
This quarter saw 1.698 civilian houses estimated to have been directly Impacted by Incidents of armed violence.
(* B K P)
IntelBrief: The Consequences of Collapse in Yemen
President Trump’s veto of attempted Congressional limits on U.S. involvement in the war in Yemen increases the likelihood of a protracted conflict.
Saudi Arabia faces no credible pressure to seek a negotiated political settlement in Yemen.
Terrorist groups including al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and ISIS-Y, a Yemeni branch of the so-called Islamic State, are able to exploit the conflict in Yemen for their own gain.
The single goal of the Saudi war—to roll back Iranian influence in Yemen—has failed miserably. On the contrary, Iran’s influence in Yemen has grown.
And while it remains difficult to fathom the situation deteriorating further, it can and likely will get worse. The growing conflict between Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. on one side and Iran on the other has resulted in a hardening of resolve for the parties involved.
http://www.soufangroup.com/intelbrief-the-consequences-of-collapse-in-yemen/ = https://www.thecipherbrief.com/column/soufan-center/the-consequences-of-collapse-in-yemen
(A H P)
Notre-Dame hat genug. Spendet für andere!
Die Anteilnahme nach dem Kathedralenbrand in Paris schießt über das Ziel hinaus. In nur zwei Tagen kamen 900 Millionen Euro zusammen. Was ist mit den Toten im Jemen? Mit dem unsichtbaren Leid? Wir müssen unsere Empathie gerechter verteilen.
Der Grund für diese Schieflage ist so offensichtlich wie fatal: Es liegt an der Macht der Bilder. Sie lösen Emotionen ungefiltert und direkt aus und dominieren die digitale Berichterstattung.
Umgekehrt kümmert uns unsichtbares Leid viel zu wenig. Vom aktuellen Krieg im Jemen gibt es so gut wie kein Bildmaterial. Und doch sind dort in den letzten vier Jahren mindestens 56.000 Menschen getötet worden. Noch heute verhungern Menschen, die Cholera ist zurück.
Mein Kommentar: Ja, „spendet für andere“. Aber bitte: „Vom aktuellen Krieg im Jemen gibt es so gut wie kein Bildmaterial.“ Das ist schlichtweg falsch. Es gibt Bildmaterial in riesigen Mengen, aber es wird von den „Mainstream“-Medien im Westen (die „Welt“ eingeschlossen) nicht gezeigt, weil der Westen selbst in diesen Krieg verstrickt ist und an ihm Milliarden verdient.
(B K P)
Yemen: The Triumph of Barbarism
The war in Yemen has reached a level of barbarism as few wars in recent history. It has become a humanitarian nightmare that only a cessation of hostilities by Saudi Arabia and the provision of immediate assistance to the people in Yemen can help solve. The Trump administration, however, has chosen to continue supporting the Saudi regime.
The war against the Yemenis by Saudi Arabia flaunts international law and basic humanitarian principles.
The war in Yemen is a flagrant violation of the principle of proportionality.
Mr. Trump also said that he agreed with Congress that “great nations do not fight endless wars.” What he didn’t say is that the war in Yemen is a carnage that gives a new meaning to the word “barbarism”.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/04/21/yemen-triumph-barbarism = http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/51469.htm?fbclid=IwAR08vkJmDUL6LD9Yd8OookW0XTjEI7-2GKMDbUlB2aIdnykU56ziK1ksEjM
(* B K P)
Secret Reports Reveal Saudi Incompetence
A secret report reveals Saudi incompetence and widespread use of US and French weapons in the Yemen war.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2638728886353439
(B H K)
Video | The Forgotten War in Yemen
During 4 years of aggression, thousands of precious little children have lost their lives to the Saudi-American airstrikes, leaving grieving parents behind.
The sight of their dead children is forever imprinted behind their eyes.
It is time for the international community to hear the real stories of these parents, without just showing vague statistics. Personal stories are necessary to open the eyes to the public of the world.
http://www.english.iswnews.com/5251/video-the-forgotten-war-in-yemen/
My comment: For me, only sound, no video.
(A P)
Abductees’ Mothers Association Calls on Forming Legal Alliance to Release Their Children
Ibb-based Abductees’ Mothers Association called Saturday on Yemenis to form a national, social and legal alliance in which efforts gather to enable the abductees to exercise their right to freedom and cooperate to clear the prisons and prevent kidnapping.
The Association explained that these responsibilities include providing freedom, preserving human dignity and punishing those who violate these rights by abducting and torturing innocent civilians.
These calls were made during a protest organized by the Association in Ibb city, on Saturday morning, in conjunction with the “Abductee’s Day”, April 18.
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1688941/yemen-abductees’-mothers-association-calls-forming-legal-alliance-release-their = http://en.adenpress.news/news/4046
(A K P)
This is humane. Now, Yemenis don't want this tower to go dark to honour thousands of children killed and "millions" of children starved and malnourished. All we want is stop selling arms to countries destroying and starving Yemen. Just Conscientiousness.
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/1120099909951205376 referring to https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/21/europe/eiffel-tower-lights-off-sri-lanka/index.html
cp2a Saudische Blockade / Saudi blockade
(* A E P)
Film: Yemen | Fuel crisis paralyzes Sana'a
Sana'a, the Yemeni Capital, is witnessing a deficiency of each and every one of the oil derivative as a result of the difficulties faced by merchants in regard to importation, which led to propagated queues, of thousands of cars, in front of gas stations, in different streets of the capital, in conjunction with an insane rise of gas prices a large diffusion of it in the black market.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgJ1MNe8vrM
(A E P)
Film: Fuel crisis in #Sanaa
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1120411059272261632
(B E P)
#YEMEN, crisis por el gas y el petróleo y bencina. El bloqueo sigue funcionando en contra los yemenis, los buques no han podido desembarcar los combustibles (photos)
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=324916711555615&id=269413290439291
(A P)
YPC holds so-called Aden commission responsible for continued oil derivatives vessels' detention
The Yemen Petroleum Company (YPC) on Sunday held the so-called Aden economic commission, the legal and moral responsibility for all the consequences of the continued detention of vessels of oil derivatives and prolong the crisis and the suffering of the Yemeni people.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news533668.htm
(A P)
Government Ministries Organized Protests at UN Headquarter in Sana’a, Condemning Detention of Oil Derivatives Vessels
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=6525
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
Siehe / Look at cp1
(B H)
Midwife Samira owns a small clinic in Arhab. Her everyday mission is to provide health services to women & children in her area. Her clinic was damaged because of war, BUT she stood back up with private health sector support & continued with her mission. She makes a difference! (photo)
https://twitter.com/SMEPSYEMEN/status/1120729624353415168
(* B H)
UN Development Programme: YECRP: A ‘New Way of Working’ to help the Yemeni people in Conflict-ridden Yemen
“My children and I went to bed hungry many nights. We didn’t find enough food to eat. There were times I told them I wasn’t hungry so that whatever food I put on the table would be enough for them,” said Samiah, a mother of three now living in Hodeidah.
This heartbreaking story is no different than the stories of nearly 18 million mothers, fathers and children in Yemen who constantly struggle with not having enough food.
Food insecurity. Famine. Starvation. The dire reality facing the Yemeni people has been caused by nearly a four-year devastating war. The war has crippled an already-ailing economy, caused mass displacement, disrupted salary payments, hiked food and fuel prices, paralyzed delivery of key services, and led to a deadly cholera epidemic.
The loss of income for 8 million Yemenis, coupled with the disruption of salary payments for 1.25 million civil servants, have further exacerbated the humanitarian situation and set the country back by decades. There is immense pressure to provide relief.
The limited access to key goods, coupled with the decreasing and fluctuating national currency, has led to skyrocketing food prices, making food inaccessible to even Yemenis with steady income.
In 2016, amid this worsening crisis, the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) partnered to prevent a full-blown famine in Yemen. This partnership was designed to respond to the food shortages plaguing Yemen.
Through the Yemen Emergency Crisis Response Project (YECRP), a USD $300 million project, the World Bank and UNDP work together to shore-up two key national institutions. Despite the conflict, the Social Fund for Development (SFD) and the Public Works Project (PWP) have been able to continue their community-based services while working in harmony with humanitarian partners to help Yemenis.
With YECRP and the International Development Association’s (IDA) support, the World Bank and UNDP have brought a ‘New Way of Working’ into reality in Yemen bringing together humanitarian and development efforts to prevent local communities from falling into further fragility.
To help Yemenis cope, YECRP has successfully created jobs by utilizing SFD’s and PWP’s existing capacities. In 2018 alone, more than 2,017 large-scale cash-for-work sub-projects were implemented, benefiting over 3 million Yemenis.
The sub-projects created jobs for over 328,000 people, 18 percent of whom are internally displaced and/or returnees. The jobs are generally associated with the repair of key basic services for vulnerable people and communities. This includes building domestic water supply systems, protecting farmland to maintain optimal production, paving roads to provide safe access to health care and food, and rebuilding damaged schools for students to continue their education.
Empowering Yemenis by providing crisis-affected families with basic needs builds resilience across the country.
http://www.ye.undp.org/content/yemen/en/home/presscenter/articles/2019/yecrp--a-_new-way-of-working-to-help-the-yemeni-people-in-confli.html = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yecrp-new-way-working-help-yemeni-people-conflict-ridden-yemen
(A H)
Chair of @APPGforYemen Keith Vaz MP asks about Geneva pledging conference. @UNReliefChief says only around 10% received so far this year
https://twitter.com/APPGforYemen/status/1120617051838668801
(* B H)
Handicap International - Humanity & Inclusion: "I want to be a doctor and help people with disabilities"
Fleeing bombs in Sana'a
When he woke up in the hospital and realized his leg had been amputated, five-year-old Anwar began screaming. No one could calm his tears. He was inconsolable. Anwar could not understand why his leg disappeared and continued asking relatives if he could have it back.
While fleeing the bombings alongside his family and neighbors in Sana’a, Anwar’s leg was hit by a shard of metal. Hours later, it was amputated.
The trauma of amputation
After being discharged from the hospital, Anwar continued to have significant pain and confusion. He eventually returned to school, but cut himself off from classmates and refused to take part in activities.
The hospital staff provided him with a prosthesis, but it was too heavy, forcing him to use crutches, which considerably reduced his mobility.
Rehabilitation care gives new hope
When Humanity & Inclusion’s rehabilitation team in Yemen met Anwar a few months ago, the young boy, who is now nine-year-old, was scared and withdrawn. Aiman Al Mutawaki, a physical therapist with HI, provides special care to Anwar. He receives physical therapy and is being fit with a new prosthesis, which will be properly adapted to his size. This has given Anwar new hope.
Anwar is particularly enthusiastic. In addition to physical therapy, he also receives psychological support from HI’s team. Therapy calms his anxiety. He also feels better knowing he is not alone–other people have also had amputations like him.
Today, Anwar is more outgoing and plays with other children his age. At school, he draws, plays soccer with his friends, and studies hard. "I want to be a doctor,” he says. “I want to help people with disabilities and support my family.”
Humanity & Inclusion and the Yemen crisis
Humanity & Inclusion (which operates under the name Handicap International in Yemen) operated in the country from the early 2000s up to 2012, focusing on physical rehabilitation. Since returning in 2014, our mission has grown. Today, we provide direct services to individuals affected by the ongoing conflict, particularly people with disabilities, through rehabilitation care and psychosocial support at eight public health facilities in and around Sana’a city. Learn more about our work and the Yemen crisis.
https://www.hi-us.org/yemen_news_i_want_to_be_a_doctor_and_help_people_with_disabilities_humanity_inclusion = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/i-want-be-doctor-and-help-people-disabilities
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Armed Conflict Location and Events Dataset: Sexual Violence in the ACLED Dataset
With the release of its new sub-event type categorization ACLED now includes a ‘Sexual violence’ sub-event type under the larger ‘Violence against civilians’ event type. This sub-event type includes all political/public violence of a sexual nature. Sexual violence events captured within the ACLED dataset include “sexual violence in conflict” or “conflict-related sexual violence”, such was war-time rape in addition to other sexual crimes perpetrated by an armed, organized actor. Events are recorded during ‘war time’ or in periods of political instability more broadly, where the use of sexual violence as a strategy to reinforce power structures is not unusual. The category includes events targeting women, men, and children.
Collecting accurate data on violence events is difficult due to a lack of detailed, verified reporting during active violence. Further, the count of victims of violent events – whether counting fatalities or casualties, or the number of sexual violence victims specifically – is often the most biased and poorly reported component of data around political violence. These numbers can vary widely, especially as there can be incentive to overstate or underreport these numbers by both those engaged in the violence.
In the context of sexual violence specifically, underreporting by victims is common due to backlash or normative concerns.
ACLED collects data on sexual violence regardless of the gender of the victim.
Since January 2018 across Africa, South & Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe,[4] well over three-quarters (84%) of all recorded sexual violence events are reported in Africa.
About half of all reported sexual violence events occur at the hands of political militias – armed ‘gangs’ or wings of political parties, often doing the bidding of elites – or are carried out by unidentified armed groups – groups which may remain unidentified strategically, capitalizing on their anonymity to carry out violence. Nearly one-third of events occur at the hands of state forces – with the remainder of events perpetrated by rebel groups, communal militias, external forces, and mobs. This perpetrator composition is true for both attacks on men and boys as well as women and girls
Looking specifically at reported sexual violence events since 2018 in which men or boys are the victims, the largest proportion of events occurs in Yemen, DR-Congo, and Burundi.
https://www.acleddata.com/2019/04/23/sexual-violence-in-the-acled-dataset/ = https://reliefweb.int/report/world/sexual-violence-acled-dataset
(* B H)
Yemen: Uptick in fighting forces IRC to suspend critical life-saving programming
A major uptick in fighting on the frontline between Ansar Allah (Houthi) and forces loyal to the Hadi government in Al Dahle’e governorate has forced the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to suspend and relocate critical life-saving programming including mobile health clinics, cholera treatment, education and livelihoods support. Over the past 72 hours, 85 people are reported to have been killed on this single frontline.
Fighting in this area of northern Al Dhale’e, a main transport route between Aden and Sana’a is also complicating the already difficult task of moving vital medical and nutrition supplies around the country.
The IRC reaches over 10,000 people every week with urgently-needed nutrition support for children and mothers, healthcare, immunization, cholera treatment and education for out of school children. We are relocating some services to support those displaced by this latest round of fighting, but others including our education programs cannot continue until the fighting calms.
(* B H)
World Food Programme: Yemen mVAM Bulletin #43: March 2019 - In addition to being food insecure, around 47% of sampled households reported severe constraints in access to health or education
Key Points
Households continue to have poor access to food in Yemen. Despite increased assistance, the percentage of households with adequate food consumption did not improve over the last six months.
Dietary diversity of women is exceptionally low and worse than for the rest of the population. The majority of women report eating mainly grains and pulses.
Food insecurity measured by food consumption score and reliance on food coping strategies is worse in households with poor access to education, that lack sufficient income sources, that are displaced, or that host displaced individuals.
Marib governorate depicted a significant increase in percentage of households reporting inadequate food consumption. In Marib has the highest IDP population.
We included violence, hosting displaced individuals, access to education for school-aged children, and access to health services for the first time in the survey. Large shares of the population are deprived in each of these dimensions, and half the respondents report experiencing more than one deprivation at a time.
https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP-0000104474/download/ = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-mvam-bulletin-43-march-2019-addition-being-food-insecure-around-47-sampled
(B H)
Yemen mVAM Bulletin #39: November 2018 - Overall food security indicators remain very poor across the country
In November, overall levels of food consumption don’t show any sign of improvements
In Al-Hudayda food consumption among households is sharply deteriorating
Food assistance helped to stabilize and slightly reduced food coping strategies across the governorates
(B H)
Finn Church Aid to assist Yemen in water supply with 100 000 euro
(A P)
Saudi-Arabien startet 11 neue Entwicklungsprojekte in der jemenitischen Provinz Haddscha
Das saudische Entwicklungs- und Wiederaufbauprogramm für den Jemen (Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen, SDRPY) hat im Bezirk Midi des Gouvernements Haddscha im Nordwesten des Jemen neue Fabrikanlagen eingeweiht.
https://www.finanzen.ch/nachrichten/aktien/saudi-arabien-startet-11-neue-entwicklungsprojekte-in-der-jemenitischen-provinz-haddscha-1028131909 = https://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2019-04/46525941-saudi-arabien-startet-11-neue-entwicklungsprojekte-in-der-jemenitischen-provinz-haddscha-007.htm
Mein Kommentar: der haupttäter spielt den Wohltäter.
(A P)
New Saudi Development Projects Launched in Yemen's Hajjah Province
The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) has launched 11 new projects in the Midi Directorate of northwest Yemen, continuing its work in the region. The initiatives span the agriculture, fisheries, electricity, healthcare and water sectors, and will help increase life expectancy, restore sources of income, and reinvigorate economic activity in Midi and the surrounding areas.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/new-saudi-development-projects-launched-yemens-hajjah-province
My comment: The greatest perpetrator playing donor.
(B H)
World Food Programme, Logistics Cluster: UNHAS Flight Schedule, May 2019
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/unhas-flight-schedule-may-2019
(* B H)
Saba: A chance for survival in Yemen
This is the story of Saba, a baby girl from Hudaydah suffering from severe acute malnutrition. When she arrived at the hospital, Saba weighed only 5.7 kilos when children of her age are supposed to weight 8 kilos. After an intensive treatment at UNICEF-supported Therapeutic Feeding Centre of Al-Zaidiah, she is now getting better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV-DRfVMrks
(B H)
Film (English subs): AlMadina medical center is considered a key provider for certain medical tests which are essential & was not found. Many healthcare facilities shut down because of conflicts, but AlMadina developed & sustained!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uPoXdWIxc4
(* B H)
The Charitable Society for Social Welfare: A Hospital Rises from the Ashes
Shuqra Hospital was built in 2010 to serve Khanfir District, the largest by population in Yemen’s Abyan governorate, which lies along the coast of the Arabian Sea, just east of Aden.
In this environment, Shuqra Hospital suffered the same fate as many other health facilities throughout Yemen: with transportation lines constantly interrupted and control of surrounding territories continually shifting, it had no reliable means of supplying itself. As hundreds of clinics and hospitals throughout Yemen crumbled, Shuqra Hospital never opened its doors.
The CSSW then took the lead, coordinating the efforts of the Yemen Ministry of Public Health, Abyan health officials, and others in a concerted effort to open Shuqra Hospital within six months.
The effort succeeded. After nearly a decade, and with the gracious support of Minister of Public Health and Population Dr. Nasser Mohsen Baoum, Abyan Governor Abu Bakr Hussein Salem, and General Director of the Health Office in Abyan Dr. Jamal Nasser, Shuqra Hospital opened its doors in January 2019
Shuqra Hospital is the most striking example of the services rendered by an overwhelmingly successful program. Over the months of August through December 2018, facilities supported by the MSP provided critical medical care to 165,635 patients who otherwise might well have gone unserved.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/hospital-rises-ashes
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
(B H)
UN High Commissioner for Refugees: Yemen: UNHCR Operational Update, 19 April 2019
Key figures: 24 M people in need; 3.65 M displaced since March 2015; More than 80 per cent have been displaced more than a year; 1.28 M IDP returnees; 264,921 refugees; 9,557 asylumseekers
Funding: USD 198.6 M required for 2019 operations; USD 55.6 M received as of 16 April 2019
IDP Response: Over the first quarter of 2019, the northern governorates have remained the focus of UNHCR’s assessments, emergency distributions and protection assistance. Until March of this year, a total of 16,295 IDPs and vulnerable host community families have been assessed for vulnerability across the country, with 51 per cent of the assessments (8,310 families) conducted in Hudaydah (3,289) and the northern governorates of Hajjah (3,028) and Sa’ada (1,993). In the same period, UNHCR distributed a total of 8,763 core relief items (CRIs) and 4,100 emergency shelter kits (ESKs); 25 per cent of the CRIs and 50 per cent of the ESKs were distributed to IDPs in Hajjah. This year, UNHCR aims to distribute 85,000 CRIs and 45,000 ESKs as a life-saving emergency response, prioritizing the most vulnerable.
The protracted situation continues to weaken the traditional coping mechanisms and resilience such as community and family support.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-unhcr-operational-update-19-april-2019
(B H)
International Organization for Migration: IOM Yemen Quarterly Update - Q1: January-March 2019
With offices in Sana’a, Aden, Al Hudaydah and now Marib and satellite presences in all 22 governorates, IOM supports the most vulnerable throughout Yemen, including displaced people, conflict-affected communities and migrants. The Organization provides multisector humanitarian response, namely health, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), shelter, non-food item (NFI) and cash-based assistance, camp coordination and camp management (CCCM), protection and displacement tracking (DTM). IOM continues to look for additional areas in which to expand operations
https://www.iom.int/sitreps/yemen-quarterly-update-q1-january-march-2019 = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/iom-yemen-quarterly-update-q1-january-march-2019
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Feature: Hundreds of illegal African migrants flock to Yemen despite instability
Hundreds of illegal African migrants continue flocking into several southern Yemeni provinces despite the ongoing military conflict taking place in the war-ravaged Arab country.
Many African migrants and asylum seekers, mostly from Ethiopia and other countries, continue to arrive in the southern port city of Aden, where the Saudi-backed Yemeni government is temporarily based since 2015.
The Yemeni security authorities began a detention campaign against hundreds of illegal African migrants who arrived in Aden over fear of being recruited by militant group for military activities.
The security campaign ended up in seizing large numbers of illegal African migrants who were collected by different security patrols from Aden's main streets and placed inside a sports stadium in the city.
But the newly-recruited security authorities in Aden face problems and still haven't decided the post-seizure procedures regarding the fate of the detained migrants (photos)
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-04/23/c_137999280.htm
and
(A P)
IOM begins evacuation of African migrants from Aden
Local activists showed African immigrants while standing on the roof of a security force building in Sheikh Othman District, north of the southern city of Aden.
According to a local source, these numbers of African immigrants have been transferred from some streets of Sheikh Osman and Mansoura directorates through the security forces, in a precautionary manner to prevent their deployment in anticipation of any possibility of infection to some diseases, and on the other hand they said the transfer is due to security concerns.
https://www.almasdaronline.com/articles/166906
(* B H)
Film: Yemen | Hundreds of internal refugees are lacking basic services in Sa'dah
Approximately, 600 internal refugees from" Al Azhour and Atif tribes", who have fled to the north towards the Yemeni-Saudi border due to military battles in the Governorate of Sa'dah, are suffering from a lack of refuge services ,most of them are living in small tents, and others beneath the trees and outdoors, in addition to the severe shortage of food, medicine and safe drinking water, this continues in light of a disregard by the government agencies and local and international humanitarian organizations towards their tragedy that had begun about a year ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKMfXwNVi10
(* B H)
Film: Yemen | Mass displacement in Hajjah governorate.
Various villages in Hajjah governorate are experiencing mass displacement due random shelling of their houses, in addition to Houthis forcing them on the battlefield and chasing them down if they refuse as stated by displaced people. Several displaced people confirmed that they have no destination of displacement but are homeless with nowhere to go. They asked concerned parties to care for them and help them mitigate their suffering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBYCNGcFs4Y
(B H)
Dozens of displaced people live a very difficult situation in Al-Safya camp in Al-Shamayten district in Taiz governorate with the absence of the role of the public and private organizations and the lack of basic necessities (photo)
https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1120431098738171904
(B H)
UN High Commissioner for Refugees: Yemen: Shelter/NFI/CCCM Monthly Dashboard for March 2019
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-shelternficccm-monthly-dashboard-march-2019
and also https://reliefweb.int/map/yemen/yemen-shelternficccm-cluster-sub-national-structure-april-2019
(B H)
Relief and Development Peer Foundation: RDP Humanitarian Story - Victim of two wars
Talib Ali Abdullah Aqila’an, an eighty-year-old man, has eight children (3 sons – 5 daughters). He is originally from AlHudaydah Governorate, which is known for its severe poverty, and thousands of its people suffer greatly from the basic necessities of life.
In 1994, Talib lost his hand and had a broken leg as a result of the deadly war back then. Tragically, this war had forced him to flee to a safe area called (Haiys) in Al-Hudaydah Gov.
However, in 2018, the same tragic incident happened to Talib and his family. Another war has forced him to abandon his house for the second time and flee to a neighboring area.
Sorrowfully, the poor old man with his innocent children are now living in a room with no walls just a ceiling to keep them out of the dying sunshine. I
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/rdp-humanitarian-story-victim-two-wars
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
Siehe / Look at cp1
(A K P)
Yemeni Activists Blast Houthi Recruitment of All-Female Militias
Yemeni human rights activists decried Houthi militias over their wide-reaching campaign for recruiting women and girls in territories under their control.
In a fashion which is foreign to Yemen’s Arab heritage, drafted women and minor girls are being trained in armed combat and tasked with specialized missions.
The Iran-backed insurgency group has recently celebrated graduating a new all-female brigade, which joined the religiously branded ‘Zaynabiyat’ force.
The new unit is said to be led by Zainab al-Gharbani and holds light arms and electricshock weapons.
My comment: By Saudi news site. Which „Yemeni human rights activists“? Simply an invention? For women in the Yemeni army in 2010, look at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i6bc6nHiLE. Female soldiers in Saudi Arabia: https://www.yemenpress.org/world/saudi-arabia-starts-to-enlist-female-soldiers/ and https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/society/2018/2/25/g-i-jamila-riyadh-could-soon-enlist-women-for-war
(A K P)
Video: Houthi MP Confirms His Group’s Involvement in Planting Landmines
A Member of Parliament, run by the Houthi militia, has revealed that the group’s gunmen have booby-trapped Hodeidah University and planted unmarked landmines inside the university.
“The Deputy Minister of Higher Education visited Faculty of Medicine at Hodeidah University ,and saw the mines planted all over the college,” Abdo Bishr, Houthi MP, said during the so called Houthi House of Representatives.
The MP urged Houthi de facto authority to accommodate students of Faculty of Medicine at Hodeidah University __ who displaced their city and came to Sana’a, rebel-held capital __ at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sana’a.
https://republicanyemen.net/archives/16651
(A P)
Houthis begin proceedings to try Members of Parliament participating in Seiyun meeting on charges of treason
Al-Houthi militias in Sanaa began proceedings to try members of the House of Representatives who attended the parliament meeting in Seiyun city in Hadramawt on April 13.
https://www.almasdaronline.com/articles/166895
(A P)
Yemen: US demands Houthis release Baha’i prisoners
Washington concerned about reports of Baha'i mistreatment and torture in Yemen
The US has demanded that Houthis rebels release all the detained followers of Yemen’s Baha’i faith that are being prosecuted for unfair charges.
Houthi leaders are indicting dozens of Baha’is, including Hamed bin Hayadara who has been in Houthi detention in Sanaa since 2013.
The prominent leader was sentenced to death by a Houthi court for charges of espionage and apostasy in January 2018.
Members of the community describe the accusations as “baseless”.
“We are deeply concerned about credible reports that the Houthis continue to severely mistreat, arbitrarily detain, and torture Baha’is in Yemen,” State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement on Monday evening.
https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/yemen-us-demands-houthis-release-baha-i-prisoners-1.852689
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AMA: 70 former abductees experience mental suffering
Abductees’ Mothers Association (AMA) has revealed that about 70 former abductees who were recently released by the Houthis still experience mental suffering.
During a hearing session for the abductees held in Taiz, a representative of AMA Asma al-Rae said the number of abductees taken by the Houthis in 2018 amounted 553 in Taiz as a lone and 1442 in Yemen as a whole.
According to Al-Rae, many abductees do not report about their abductions due to the fear of the Houthi revenge against them.
A Yemeni advocate, Ali al-Hadaqi said that most of the Yemeni abductees are civilians who were taken from their job locations and checkpoints without any crimes or accusations.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-29360
(A K P)
Yemen's Houthis say Saudi, UAE in missile range if Hodeidah truce cracks
Yemen’s Houthi forces have missiles that could be fired at Riyadh, Dubai and Abu Dhabi should violence escalate in the main Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, where a fragile ceasefire is now in place, the leader of the Houthi movement said on Monday.
My comment: It’s selecting facts: Western agencies just report this part of the interview. Even if the Houthi missile capacity is no news. – More (the interview lasted two hours!):
(* A P)
Leader of Revolution: Saudi Arabia is always aggressor on Yemen, they must change their policy
The leader of the revolution, Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badr al-Deen al-Houthi, reiterated that Yemen did not represent a threat to Saudi Arabia, adding that they themselves was always the aggressor of Yemen and interfere in its affairs on a continuous basis, indicating that the Saudi negative policies toward Yemen are well known.
"We have not launched a war on Saudi Arabia a day from Yemen, and Saudi Arabia has always been the aggressor," he said.
He pointed out that the Saudi authority should change its hostile attitude and negative outlook towards Yemen.
He pointed out that Saudi Arabia is required to change its vision of Yemen to hoping the country to be weak and torn.
"We have always offered to establish relations with Saudi Arabia on the basis of good neighborliness and non-interference in internal affairs.
The problem of Saudi Arabia is not that they have concerns that the situation in Yemen poses a threat to it, but in the ceiling of the relationship that Yemen wants to be weak and vulnerable to."
He pointed out that the Saudis should be convinced that the factor of reassurance and stability is the establishment of a relationship of mutual respect and good neighborliness with Yemen.
On the UAE role between the leader of the revolution that the UAE is stuck in the problem in Yemen, and this will pose real risks to their economy in the future .
Sayyed al-Houthi stressed that the coalition of aggression reached a dead end in this battle. "We have an important horizon as a result of our steadfastness in the confrontation," he said.
He pointed out that the region is witnessing a serious crisis and major events linked to the American and Israeli intervention in the manufacture of these events.
He pointed out that the Swedish agreement was based on giving the United Nations a supervisory role in the port of Hodeidah and neutralizing Hodeidah militarily, while maintaining its administrative and security status related to the authorities in Sanaa.
"The coalition of aggression tried to circumvent the administrative and security issue in the Hodeidah agreement, and it bears the responsibility to impede implementation," he said.
"There is now an opportunity to implement the first step in the Swedish agreement and reach understandings on the concept of port-related operations based on the implementation of the initial withdrawal of Emiratis and traitors from some areas," he affirmed.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news533918.htm = https://www.yemenpress.org/yemen/leader-of-revolution-saudi-arabia-is-always-aggressor-on-yemen-they-must-change-their-policy/
My remark: This is a full survey of the interview
(A P)
Direct dialogue with Saudi Arabia is possible on basis of mutual respect, to end the conflict, Says Yemen Houthi top leader, Abdul Malik, in his first ever televised interview tonight (full interview in film; in Arabic)
https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/1120379509054803969
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_55dQD4QzA
Comment by Judith Brown: The leader of the Houthis rarely gives political speeches so this one is important. And he sees the possibilities of directly talking to the Saudis to bring peace. This speech should be translated into English so that those outside the Arab world can understand the war from various viewpoints, not just that of the UK and US governments.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10157525331213641
(A K P)
The Houthis blow up a "Wateef" bridge and cut off a road between Ibb - Qa’tabbah permanently
Houthi militias blew up one of the important bridges on the road between Ibb and Al-Dale governorates, causing a total stop to traffic for vehicles and trucks.
Dozens of trucks loaded with food and merchandise have been stuck since yesterday evening in the general line in Qa’atabbah district amid appeals to end their suffering and find solutions to avoid the consequences of the events and confrontations in the district of Qa’atabbah between the government forces and the Houthis
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/166854
(A H P)
Houthis seize 20 relief trucks
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Sunday seized 20 relief trucks of the World Food Programme (WFA).
Minister of Local Administration Abdul-Raqeeb Fatah strongly condemned the seizure of trucks carrying medical assistances and relief to Ibb governorate.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-29362
and also: http://yemeninews.net/show774436.html
http://en.adenpress.news/news/4050
My remark: As claimed by the Hadi government. – It looks like whether the Hadi government propgates the blowing up of the bridge and blocking the road (look at article above) as “seizure” of the trucks.
(A)
Veterinary vaccination campaign targets 308,000 sheep in Sanaa
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news533748.htm
(A P)
Parliament listens to report of Public Freedoms Committee
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news533699.htm
(A K P)
Love, Brotherhood, Regards To Our Brothers In South Of Yemen: Deputy FM
Al-Ezzi on his Twitter account said that the attack and controlling on areas in Qatabah and Morais of Dhalea province made by the army is against the Saudi-led coalition mercenaries and isn’t against our brothers in the south of Yemen.
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.963391330380564/2236120949774256
(A P)
Court in capital compels prosecution to execute decisions to arrest Hadi, others traitors, detain their properties
The Criminal Court of First Instance in the capital Sanaa on Saturday ordered the Public Prosecution to carry out its previous decisions to arrest defendants, whose names will be mentioned, on charges of treason and to seize their money, namely Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, Maeen Abdel Malik and Khalid Al Yamani.
This came during a session chaired by the President of the Court, Judge Abdo Ismail Rajeh and in the presence of the prosecutor, Judge Khalid Omar Saeed.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news533666.htm
(A P)
VIDEOS: “RALLY OF GUNS” ATTENDED BY YEMENIS IN MANY YEMEN’S PROVINCES
Tens of thousands of Yemenis held demonstrations in the country’s capital, Sana`a, Hodeida, Saada and others provinces on Friday to condemn U.S. President Donald Trump’s veto of a U.S. congressional resolution directing him to end support for the Saudi-led Coalition’s war against Yemen.
https://www.yemenpress.org/yemen/videos-rally-of-guns-attended-by-yemenis-in-many-yemens-provinces/
(A P)
Video Footage: Houthis Blow up Three Houses in Arhab
The Iranian-backed militia blew up last Saturday three houses in Arhab, north the rebel-held capital Sana’a.
Houthis raided the district of Bani Ali and blew up three houses, a local resident told Republican Yemen on condition of anonymity.
“It all began when residents from Bani Ali and Bani Ajeen were in dispute over a piece of land. T
Then the people of Bani Ajeen called for Houthis to come and capture their adversaries,” the source said.
https://republicanyemen.net/archives/16610
Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL2scF_A97I = https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1120373427393781760
(A P)
Yemen's Houthi interior minister dies in Lebanese hospital
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
Siehe / Look at cp1
(A P)
Motorcyclists in al-Mukalla mark anniversary of liberation from al-Qaeda
Hundreds of motor-bikers roamed the streets of al-Mukalla on Tuesday night, to celebrate the the 3rd anniversary of the liberation of al-Mukalla and the districts of Sahel Hadramout from the grip of al-Qaeda terrorist organization (AQAP) that occupied their regions for more than a year in 2015.
The motor-bikers held the southern national flags and the flags of the Arab Coalition countries led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to express their gratitude for their support in the liberation of al-Mukalla and the districts of Sahel Hadramout (photos)
http://en.adenpress.news/news/4067
and film: https://twitter.com/Ben_ataf/status/1120805819434590209
My comment: A rally of separatists‘ supporters.
(A)
Happening in the so-called liberated #Aden Two days after his disappearance, the body of the child, Abdallah Hiba, was found inside a broken car in Khormaksar neighborhood. Rate of abduction, killing & rape of children in Aden has risen since the Saudi/UAE occupation begun (photos)
https://twitter.com/I4Yemen/status/1120948577029828609
(A P)
Security Manager to solve the gas crisis and Gen. in the Army for the cleaning fund.. Militarization of civilian jobs in Hadramawt
"Assigned by the governor of al-Bahssani.. The security manager of Hadramawt Brigadier General Al Tamimi conducts intensive meetings to address the domestic gas crisis "This was not a joke, it was the latest version of the bizarre methods, followed by the governor of Hadramawt, Major General Faraj Salem Al-Bahssani, to manage one of the major governorates of the Republic.
Although the governor of Hadramawt has a long line of agents and advisors, none of them seems to have sufficient authority to carry out his duties, which clearly shows the absence of the governor, as most of the services in the city of Mukalla collapse, and here there is an important question, are these officials so weak or stripped of their powers, in favour of empowering the security and military personnel.
In addition to cases of arrest and summons of local officials, which occasionally take place away from official routs, the phenomenon of militarization of the city seems to be on the way to escalating in the light of the fragility of the state and the weakness of the central Government and the monitoring and accountability agencies, which enhances the influence of the authorities in the provinces.
https://www.almasdaronline.com/articles/166901
(A P)
Possible resurgence of protests. Security authorities in Aden insist on not handing over the accused to the liquidation of the "Ref’at Danbaa"
Protesters in the city of Mualla, west of Aden, the interim capital of the South, returned about a week ago to close the main city street to protest the delayed handover of two suspects following a security force believed to have killed a young man named Ra'fat Danbaa in March.
When the family members closed the main road in Mualla the last time, Ra'fat's father intervened to persuade them to open the main road and waved his promises that the defendants could be extradited soon to be brought to trial.
However, the recent closure of the main road, which has recently been linked to the case of Ra'fat Danbaa, is a reminder of the lack of serious progress in resolving the issue, which triggered a wave of widespread protests in the city
https://www.almasdaronline.com/articles/166904
(A P)
Al-Barakani: We seek to resume Parliament sessions in Aden and we will discuss the feasibility of peace consultations
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Sheikh Sultan Al- Barakani said that efforts were being made to ensure the Council's work in the interim capital of Aden after Ramadan.
"The Council will discuss the resumption of all the issues on its agenda in the coming period, including the security and military situation, the discussion of the general budget of the State and the service aspects," he said in remarks to the Arab Independent. ", Adding that the Council will ask some ministers to attend the debate.
https://www.almasdaronline.com/articles/166897
and also https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-29386
(A E P)
Shabwah resumes export of oil after UAE forces apologies
A local source confirmed the resumption of the oil export operation in the province of Shabwah on Monday evening, three days after it ceased as a result of the closure of the pipeline by the commander of the UAE-backed elite forces.
"The UAE leadership summoned Arb’at Al-Alam sector leadership and apologized for what they had been subjected to by the leader of the al-Shabwani elite, Mohammed al- Buharr, on Friday," a source told al-Masdar online.
https://www.almasdaronline.com/articles/166896
(A P)
More than 60 staff from Taiz university educational staff to hold a protest demanding an improvement to their financial situation (photo)
https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1120568092373942273
(* B P)
Quba’ee ... A victim of secret prisons in the West Coast
Human rights sources have revealed the transfer of secret prisons from the south to the liberated areas of Hodeidah, western Yemen, by armed factions backed by the UAE.
According to sources for Al-Masdar online, there are two secret prisons in the west of Taiz, and another one in al-Khokha, south of Hodeidah, which is run by local militias receiving funding from the UAE, which is supervising the military operations on the West Coast.
According to the sources, there are many citizens in these secret prisons without real charges, most of them are subjected to severe torture, the visit is denied, and they are refused release after the deterioration of their health.
Emirati-funded "resistance" units are arresting youths on malicious charges and are being placed in the al-Khokha electricity prison, refusing to take them to court to adjudicate charges.
Among these young prisoners is Abdul Jabbar Mohammed Ahmed Quba’ee, arrested in al-Khokha district Electricity Prison for a year and nine months on malicious charges, and refuses to refer him and others to the court of prosecution (photo)
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/166860
(A P)
Sheikh Hani praises Djamila's long history of struggle for the South
http://en.adenpress.news/news/4053
My comment: This is southern separatists‘ hero propaganda.
(* A E P)
UAE-backed forces halt oil exports
A labor source with the oil company al-Oqlah said that the export of oil from the Shabwah fields to the oil port of Nashima stopped following the closure of the UAE-backed al-Shabwani elite forces, one of the stations in al-Rawdha district southeast of Shabwa.
The source added to the "Al-Masdar online " that the commander of the elite (non-governmental forces) Mohammed al-Buhar closed the valve in kilo (106) Al Rawdha Junction last Friday, on the pretext of demands in the name of the southern resistance, threatening workers to close the pipeline and stop the export if no claim is met.
According to the source, the pipeline maintenance team has been under constant harassment since the beginning of the resumption of export operations in late July- 2018, from the leader of the al-Shabwani elite in Azzan axis Mohammed Salem al-Buhar.
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/166850
(A)
A Circular to Al Rayan Airport Staff to start official work as its restart approaches
The governor of Hadramawt, General Faraj al-Bahssani, the security, civil and military departments operating at Al-Rayyan International Airport, began work starting on Sunday.
According to the circular, a copy of which was received by Al-Masdar online , the governor indicated to the soon re-opening of the airport.
The director of Al-Rayyan International Airport in Mukalla said in a press statement that the airport was ready to operate after the arrival of special inspection devices for the airport.
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/166853
(* A P)
@MSF Since Friday 19th April, heavy fighting has once again resumed inside #Taiz city. #MSF supported facilities have received some 91 wounded and recorded 5 deaths directly related to the fighting.
These clashes resulted in the temporary suspension of activities in one of the #MSF supported hospitals in the city center - the only public health facility still providing maternal healthcare to the population of #Taiz.
After 1 day of suspending activities, the hospital’s services have resumed. clashes continue to restrict patients & pregnant women access to medical care in #Taiz city. #MSF is concerned about the ability of medical staff 2 reach MSF supported hospitals & provide care.
https://twitter.com/msf_yemen/status/1120574572678590465
https://twitter.com/msf_yemen/status/1120580562945593344
https://twitter.com/msf_yemen/status/1120598182130585601
https://twitter.com/msf_yemen/status/1120604474731446274
and also https://www.almasdaronline.com/articles/166925
and
(* A P)
Clashes Continue Between Militias of US-Saudi Mercenaries in Taiz
Violent clashes continue between militants of US-Saudi mercenaries in the city of Taiz with various weapons, leaving civilian casualties, local sources reported.
The sources said that an armed faction affiliated to the Islah Party has been clashing with the other faction supported by the UAE under the command of Daesh terrorist, who is nicknamed Abu Abbas.
It pointed out that the clashes used medium and heavy weapons, resulting in loss from both sides along with civilians.
“Since Friday, violent clashes broke out in the city of Taiz, where medical facilities supported by the organizations received 91 wounded and 5 killed,” MSF said on its Twitter account on Tuesday.
The clashes "hinder the access of patients and pregnant women to medical care."
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=6554
and
(* B P)
Abu Al-Abbas and Islah militias are exchanging mortar fire in several parts of Yemen's #Taiz city. Their snipers are on rooftops killing militiamen and civilians. They have been fighting for three days. Militias are now everywhere in Yemen, thanks to coalition-backed warlords.
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/1119948573909618688
and
Taiz.. Intensifying of clashes between "Abu Abbas" brigades and security campaign to arrest wanted security forces in Wadi al-Madam
Clashes between the security campaign and "Abu Abbas " Brigades, under the 35th Armored Brigade, have increased, and a number of civilian and military casualties have fallen south of Taiz, southwest of Yemen.
Local sources told "Al-Masdar online " that the brigades “Abu Abbas" continues to confront the security campaign that went out to "Wadi al-Madam" to arrest the wanted security in the assassination of Captain Mahmoud al-Humaidi.
According to the sources, the leader of the brigades "Abu Abbas " Ahmed Al-Dalali Deploying military crews and mechanisms in the streets and snipers over the houses in Wadi al-Madam and al-Sawani neighborhood beneath the citadel of Cairo.
The snipers of the Abu Abbas brigades have tightened the targeting of security campaign personnel and civilians in conjunction with the shelling of the security campaign mechanisms with heat and mortar shells, which drives the campaign personnel to respond to the sources of fire.
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/166810
My remark: It seems what is called “security campaign” actually is the Islah Party militia.
and
(A P)
Cessation of the security in Taiz after the governor forced al-Hammadi and Abu al-Abbas to deliver the wanted
The city of Taiz has been in a cautious calm since the early hours of Sunday after the withdrawal of troops participating in the security campaign tasked with arresting security wanted stationed in the areas of control of Abu al-Abbas brigades.
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/166831
(A T)
Government forces officer killed by unidentified gunmen east of Marib
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/166813
(A P)
Security Belt forces remove IEDs and tank shells in Aden (Photos)
http://en.adenpress.news/news/4051
My comment: This is PR in favor of the southern separatists’ militia, which are feared for human rights violations.
(A P)
Southern Sheikh Vows Revolution to Stamp Out Saudi-UAE Presence in Occupied Provinces
A southern Sheikh, Ali Al-Bujairi vowed in a video, circulated by media activists, a southern revolution to stamp out the Saudi and UAE forces from the southern provinces, considering their presence as occupation and domination of Yemen sovereignty.
Al-Bujairi paid tribute to the people of Al-Maharah and Socotra provinces, who took a clear position on the Saudi-UAE presence, calling on the leaders of the remaining provinces to adopt the same move against the Saudi-UAE forces.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=6535
(A K P)
Al-Baydda provincial police chief resigns from position to protest the failing of resistance
protesting against the "great disregard by the Gov to the resistance and fronts of al-Baydha province "
The men of the popular resistance in Thi Na’em and al-Zahir have been facing al-Houthi war machine for almost five years, with their simple potential, complaining about the disregard of the legitimate government and coalition countries for their resistance.
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/166812
(A P)
The oil company's executive calls on the United Nations to protect the company's employees from Houthis
The Executive Office of the General Council of the Yemeni oil company, on Saturday morning, demanded that the United Nations protect the company's employees and trade unionists from Houthis, and pressure the Houthis to lift their hands on the branches and installations of the oil company.
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/166805
My comment: The Hadi government’s branch lamenting against the Houthi government.
(A P)
Film: Yemen | Collective wedding for 200 brides and grooms in Aden
A collective wedding was held in the capital Aden for 200 brides and grooms, and it was funded by the UAE Red Crescent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiMHU43WX14
(A P)
Film (April 10): Yemen | Life is back to normal in Abyan after chasing out Al-Qaeda members.
Life is back to normal in Abyan governorate of south Yemen after Security Belt forces chased out Al-Qaeda members and took control of large areas of the governorate, where Al-Qaeda was stationed. Officials in the governorate assured that the city is now safe after eradicating the terrorists who were in control of the majority of Abyan governorate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-_qDrIId2E
(B P)
Film: Watch: Soldiers accused of raping children in Yemen
This young boy symbolises the fallout from conflict in the contested city of Taiz. His mother says he has been raped by troops allied with Yemen's internationally-recognised government and the Saudi-led coalition.
A report by Amnesty International released last month found several cases of children being raped by members of a militia aligned with the local branch of the Islamist Islah party.
They claim some children are targeted while attending their local mosques. The report says the attackers are largely still free.
The mother of this 6-year-old boy says her son was raped at a nearby mosque, while they were living for more than a year in an area under the control of the Islah party,
http://www.looptt.com/content/watch-soldiers-accused-raping-children-yemen
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
Saudi interference in Sudan: cp12
(* B P)
A Fifty-Year Reign? MbS and the Future of Saudi Arabia
This essay, third in a series resulting from these sessions on succession, shifts the lens to Saudi Arabia, rather well known for eccentric leadership transitions since the modern kingdom was founded in 1932. One monarch, Saud, was forced to abdicate in 1964 under family pressure. The next, Faisal, was assassinated in 1975 by a nephew. King Khalid followed, but he was just a figurehead. And so on until the thirty-three-year-old phenomenon known as MbS, a modernizer who has quickly gained notoriety for his reckless administrative style. Whether he ultimately ascends the throne will entail plenty of plot twists, but it also holds serious implications for the kingdom, the future of the region, and U.S. interests.
Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (MbS) is expected to eventually become king of Saudi Arabia, replacing his father, King Salman. But when, and under what circumstances, is hard to predict. This study examines the issues and mechanisms by which MbS may, or may not, become king.
King Salman’s choice of the much younger MbS as his heir is variously ascribed to his apparent belief that MbS has the character of the king’s father, Abdulaziz, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, usually known as Ibn Saud. Or to Salman’s particular fondness for MbS. Or to Salman’s increasing dependence on and trust in the prince, who has always stayed close to his father.
It was long argued that shifting succession to the next generation—the grandsons of Ibn Saud—was the answer to the actuarial challenge of princes only becoming kings when their best years had passed. Whether by accident or design, MbS has emerged as the solution to that challenge. If MbS were to become king soon, he could rule for fifty years, emulating his grandfather Ibn Saud, who founded the modern kingdom and saw the establishment of oil as its economic basis. Intentionally or otherwise, King Salman’s reported vision of the young MbS as a modern Ibn Saud is an imaginative one that makes a measure of sense in historical terms.
Without MbS, Saudi policy on Yemen, and on Qatar, could change. It was notable that Prince Mitab bin Abdullah was reluctant to commit National Guard forces in Yemen during the early months of the war. And onetime crown prince MbN was said to have a good working relationship with Emir Tamim of Qatar.
In the current circumstances, the United States should work closely with MbS in order to limit the damage from his excesses, while also maintaining links across the spectrum of the royal family. – by Simon Henderson
https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/a-fifty-year-reign-mbs-and-the-future-of-saudi-arabia and full PDF: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/PolicyNote63-Henderson.pdf
(* A P)
Todesstrafe gegen 37 Saudis
In Saudi-Arabien sind nach Angaben des Innenministeriums 37 Menschen nach Terrorismus-Vorwürfen hingerichtet worden. Die saudischen Staatsbürger sollen unter anderem Terrorgruppen aufgebaut, Sicherheitskräfte angegriffen und terroristische Ideologie angenommen haben, berichtete die staatliche Nachrichtenagentur. Amnesty International dagegen kritisierte die «Massenhinrichtung» und sprach von einer alarmierenden Eskalation von Todesurteilen in dem arabischen Königreich.
Mein Kommentar: Das ist die DPA-Meldung. Die Berichterstattung in Deutschland ist schon erbärmlich. Lesen Sie nach dem Reuters-Artikel (den können Sie überspringen) auf Englisch weiter.
(* A P)
Saudi Arabia executes 37 in connection with terrorism: state media
Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry said on Tuesday it executed 37 people in connection with terrorism crimes, state media reported.
“The death penalty was implemented... on a number of culprits for adopting extremist terrorist ideologies and forming terrorist cells to corrupt and disrupt security as well as spread chaos and provoke sectarian strife,” the state news agency said in a tweet. The 37 were all Saudi nationals.
My comment: Keep in mind that almost every opposition is labeled „terrorism“ in Saudi Arabia. – The reuters report is a fine example of whitewashing by omission, read more:
And
(** A P)
Saudi Arabia carries out 'chilling' mass execution of 37 people for 'terrorism offences'
Most of those convicted were members of Saudi Arabia's Shia minority
Saudi Arabia executed 37 people for terror offences on Tuesday, the country’s interior minister said, in one of the largest mass executions in recent years.
Human Rights Watch described the punishment as "grotesque," and said the news represented a "day we have feared."
The country’s state news agency said the Saudi nationals were guilty of “adopting extremist terrorist ideologies and forming terrorist cells to corrupt and disrupt security as well as spread chaos and provoke sectarian strife.
The individuals were found guilty of attacking security installations with explosives and killing a number of security officers, the Interior Ministry said. It added that the executions were carried out by beheading, and that authorities pinned two of the bodies to a pole as a warning to others.
The killings were quickly condemned by Human Rights Watch, which said that most of the convicted were members of the country’s persecuted Shia minority.
Amnesty International called the execution "a chilling demonstration of the Saudi Arabian authorities callous disregard for human life."
and
(** A P)
Saudi Arabia puts to death 37 people in largest mass execution in past three years
It was the largest mass execution in Saudi Arabia since early 2016, when 47 people were put to death, also on terror-related charges. The vast majority of those executed on Tuesday were members of Saudi Arabia’s Shiite Muslim minority, according to Shiite activists.
Those put to death included at least three people who were minors at the time of their alleged crimes and confessed to prosecutors’ charges under torture, according to Reprieve, which said it provided assistance to five of the people executed.
The beheadings also occurred at a moment of spiking tensions between Saudi Arabia and its principal rival, the Shiite-led government of Iran.
Saudi Arabia’s prosecution of Shiites, who have complained of discrimination in the kingdom, has aggravated the rivalry.
Maya Foa, the director of Reprieve, said the executions on Tuesday, after convictions in the specialized terrorism court, were a “horrifying show of impunity by the Saudi government” and a “staggering violation of international law.”
and
(** A P)
Saudi Arabia beheads 37 for terrorism crimes; most Shiites
Saudi dissident Ali Al-Ahmed, who runs the Gulf Institute in Washington, identified 34 of those executed as Shiites based on the names announced by the Interior Ministry.
“This is the largest mass execution of Shiites in the kingdom’s history,” he said.
Al-Ahmed described Tuesday’s executions as a politically motivated message to Iran.
“This is political,” he said. “They didn’t have to execute these people, but it’s important for them to ride the American anti-Iranian wave.”
The individuals were found guilty of attacking security installations with explosives, killing a number of security officers and cooperating with enemy organizations against the interests of the country, the Interior Ministry said.
The statement was carried across state-run media, including the Saudi news channel al-Ekhbariya. The statement read on the state-run news channel opened with a verse from the Quran that condemns attacks that aim to create strife and disharmony and warns of great punishment for those who carry out such attacks.
Al-Ahmed said among those executed was Shiite religious leader Sheikh Mohammed al-Attiyah, whose charges included seeking to form a sectarian group in the western city of Jiddah. Al-Ahmed said the sheikh publicly spoke of the need to work closely with Saudi Arabia’s Sunni majority and would lead small prayer groups among Shiites.
In a speech he gave in 2011 under then King Abdullah, the sheikh was quoted as saying that frank and open dialogue between Sunnis and Shiites could help strengthen Saudi unity.
Amnesty International said 11 of the men were convicted of spying for Iran and sentenced to death after a “grossly unfair trial.” At least 14 others executed were convicted of violent offences related to their participation in anti-government demonstrations in Shiite-populated areas of Saudi Arabia between 2011 and 2012.
Saudi analysts and pro-government writers brought in to discuss the executions on al-Ekhbariya said they are a powerful sign that the country’s leadership will not hesitate to use the full might of the judicial system to punish Saudis who seek to disrupt the kingdom’s security.
https://apnews.com/e653f1326ece453d9c2b4a9a733042f7
Comment: Many of the 37 individuals executed in #Saudi today were simply activists who participated in a peaceful protest to highlight government corruption. In what world do they deserve this!?
https://twitter.com/amani_aal/status/1120759868439220224
and as a reminder, from Nov. 2015, in NYT: Saudi Arabia, an ISIS That Has Made It: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/21/opinion/saudi-arabia-an-isis-that-has-made-it.html
and
(** A P)
Another Mass Execution in the ‘New’ Saudi Arabia
The U.S. should offer no support to a government that tortures people into confessing to crimes they didn’t commit and then kills them for things they haven’t done. The Saudi government appears to be growing even more abusive and cruel, and that is unlikely to change anytime soon. The torture and execution of these prisoners underscores the need for our government to intercede for the release of all U.S. citizens wrongfully detained by the Saudi government before they are subjected to the same treatment.
The Saudi government treats political dissent as terrorism, and then executes the dissenters after they are tortured into making false confessions. These abusive practices have tended to target Saudi Shiites most of all because they are severely discriminated against, but they are used against all Saudi dissidents.
Saudi laws define terrorism so broadly that it includes personal beliefs and peaceful political protest
One of those killed was a young student who planned to come to the U.S. for college. Like many of the others, he was subjected to torture to elicit a false confession
One of the others condemned to death was a Shiite religious leader who was known for advocating dialogue and cooperation between Sunnis and Shiites, but who was absurdly accused of fomenting sectarianism – by Daniel Larison
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/another-mass-execution-in-the-new-saudi-arabia/
and
(* A P)
In a gruesome bloodbath, #Saudi has executed 37 detainees, 33 of whom were Shiite activists, scholars and professionals from #Qatif, #Ahsa, #Madinah. Some of the executed martyrs were arrested as minors, and all of the victims were forced to confess under torture. (photos of 33)
https://twitter.com/PrintempsArabeS/status/1120819748021919745
Of the executed detainees, 12 were falsely accused of forming an alleged "espionage cell". The 12 tortured detainees, all respected academics, religious scholars, and bankers, were executed today. They were previously forced to consent to the donation of their organs! (photo)
https://twitter.com/PrintempsArabeS/status/1120819762525802496
and details on those executed (also in thread linked above):
Mujtaba Al Suwayket: https://twitter.com/PrintempsArabeS/status/1120819796550070276 and https://twitter.com/lenz_kimberly/status/1120854737484566528 and https://twitter.com/eshaLegal/status/1120775376081424384 and https://twitter.com/AnnaYearley/status/1120756353402904576 and https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1120848807791665154
Munir Al-Adam: https://twitter.com/PrintempsArabeS/status/1120819805890797568 and https://twitter.com/lenz_kimberly/status/1120864645688905728 and https://twitter.com/eshaLegal/status/1120781038387650560
AbdulKareem Al-Hawaj: https://twitter.com/PrintempsArabeS/status/1120819818066862080 and https://twitter.com/lenz_kimberly/status/1120867574168731648 and https://twitter.com/eshaLegal/status/1120762989609652229 and https://twitter.com/AnnaYearley/status/1120757030778748928
Abdullah Hani Al-Tarif: https://twitter.com/eshaLegal/status/1120846460629803008
Ahmed Hassan Ali Al Rabee: https://twitter.com/PrintempsArabeS/status/1120819869518376961 and https://twitter.com/eshaLegal/status/1120798913345224704 and https://twitter.com/tuggers1968/status/1120803256131903494
Hussain Al Rabee: https://twitter.com/eshaLegal/status/1120857408790761472 and https://twitter.com/IraqiSecurity/status/1120803220534767616
Abbas Al Hassan: https://twitter.com/PrintempsArabeS/status/1120819869518376961 and https://twitter.com/PrintempsArabeS/status/1120819778334097413 and https://twitter.com/eshaLegal/status/1120808489817915392
Salman Qureish: https://twitter.com/eshaLegal/status/1120865259856830472 and https://twitter.com/AnnaYearley/status/1120756819553673217
Abdullah AlSuraih: https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1120681631042420739 referring to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3hebMseDiY
Sheikh Mohamed AlAttiya: https://twitter.com/PrintempsArabeS/status/1120819770138427392 and https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1120723189355692036
and
(**A P)
Saudi Arabia: 37 put to death in shocking execution spree
The execution of 37 people convicted on “terrorism” charges marks an alarming escalation in Saudi Arabia’s use of the death penalty, said Amnesty International today. Among those put to death was a young man who was convicted of a crime that took place while he was under the age of 18.
“Today’s mass execution is a chilling demonstration of the Saudi Arabian authorities callous disregard for human life. It is also yet another gruesome indication of how the death penalty is being used as a political tool to crush dissent from within the country’s Shi’a minority,” said Lynn Maalouf Middle East Research Director at Amnesty International.
The majority of those executed were Shi’a men who were convicted after sham trials that violated international fair trial standards which relied on confessions extracted through torture.
They include 11 men who were convicted of spying for Iran and sentenced to death after a grossly unfair trial. At least 14 others executed were convicted of violent offences related to their participation in anti-government demonstrationsin Saudi Arabia’s Shi’a majority Eastern Province between 2011 and 2012. The 14 men were subjected to prolonged pre-trial detention and told the court that they were tortured or otherwise ill-treated during their interrogation in order to have ‘confessions’ extracted from them.
Also among those executed is Abdulkareem al-Hawaj – a young Shi’a man who was arrested at the age of 16 and convicted of offences related to his involvement in anti-government protests. Under international law, the use of the death penalty against people who were under the age of 18 at the time of the crime is strictly prohibited.
Amnesty International understands that the families were not informed about the executions in advance and were shocked to learn of the news.
And
(* A P)
Student slated to attend Western Michigan University beheaded in Saudi Arabia
A Saudi Arabian man who was arrested as a teenager as he was getting ready to fly to America to begin his studies at Western Michigan University was beheaded by the government Tuesday, according to a report from an official press agency.
Mujtaba al-Sweikat was 17 when he was detained at King Fahd International Airport in 2012. Earlier that year, Al-Sweikat allegedly attended a pro-democracy rally in the midst of the Arab Spring, which led to his arrest. He was intending to visit Western Michigan, where he had been accepted as a student, the university confirmed to the Free Press in 2017.
More than 35 people, including al-Sweikat, were listed on a release from the Saudi Press Agency, announcing the killings.
Sweikat was charged with armed disobedience against the king, as well as attacking, shooting and injuring security forces, civilians and passersby. He was also accused of destroying public property, causing chaos and disrupting the peace, by participating in a terrorist cell, to make and deliver Molotov cocktails.
During his time in custody, Sweikat was severely beaten all over his body, including the soles of his feet, and convicted on the basis of a confession extracted through torture, according to Reprieve, an international human rights group that has offices in New York and London and operates with partners around the world.
After his arrest, he was not allowed to contact anybody for three days, and his family were not allowed to visit him for three months, during which time he was kept in solitary confinement, according to Reprieve.
and
(B P)
Ali AlAhmed: The #Saudi mass executions of mostly protest activists yesterday exposed several things: 1- The terrorist nature of the Saudi Klan that has murdered 1/2 in our country since 1902 with outside help. 2- Human rights is used ,even by HR orgs, selectively to a bigoted level
3- Many Saudi nationals who claim they are human & women rights advocates, & celebrated with awards & speaking engagements #US, still harbor #ISIS mindset, that prevents them from condemning the executions of Shia Arab protesters.
4- This mass executions is not possible without outsiders’ support including certain Western governments, media & companies.
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1121024965099368449
and
(B P)
It is #Saudi's standard practice to torture, maim otherwise healthy detainees, causing them disabilities/ debilitating diseases. These detainees, along with those suffering pre-existing conditions, are left to writhe in pain, completely deprived of medical care! (photos)
https://twitter.com/PrintempsArabeS/status/1120095930890563589
(A P)
#Saudi newspaper @AlRiyadh says 1006 Saudi tourists have gone missing #Turkey . Escalating tensions between the countries appears on the horizon.
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1120288679749140483 referring to http://www.alriyadh.com/1751076
(A P)
Saudi sisters Maha and Wafa awaiting help in Georgia
Saudi sisters Maha and Wafa, awaiting help in Georgia, say they fled the kingdom because life had become unbearable because of torture.
The Saudi Al-Subaie sisters, Maha and Wafa, remain in Georgia awaiting an offer from a third country to take them in as asylum seekers.
“We decided to leave Saudi Arabia because life there had become unbearable from the torture. We were threatened and abused daily by our family, father and mother and brothers,” says Maha in an interview with RFI.
http://en.rfi.fr/europe/20190423-saudi-sisters-maha-and-wafa-awaiting-help-georgia
(A E P)
Saudi can raise oil output but will assess impact of Iran waivers ending: source
Saudi Arabia is willing to compensate for any potential loss of crude supply if the U.S. ends waivers granted to buyers of Iranian oil, but the kingdom will assess the impact on the market before raising its output, a source familiar with Saudi thinking told Reuters on Monday.
and
(A E P)
Saudi Arabia says to coordinate with other producers to ensure adequate oil supply
Saudi Arabia said on Monday it would coordinate with other oil producers to ensure an adequate crude supply and a balanced market after the United States said it would end waivers granted to buyers of Iranian oil.
and
(A E P)
Trump says OPEC can step up output after Iran waivers
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Saudi Arabia and other OPEC nations could “more than make up” for any drop in Iranian oil supplies to global markets now that his administration has decided to end waivers that allowed some nations to buy Iranian oil without facing U.S. sanctions.
(A P)
ANNOUNCING MANAL AL-SHARIF’S FREEDOM DRIVE CAMPAIGN
The Human Rights Foundation is delighted to announce that Manal al-Sharif – the pioneering Saudi women’s rights advocate, Oslo Freedom Forum speaker, and author of Daring to Drive – will drive from San Francisco to Washington, DC in April to raise awareness about ongoing human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia.
https://hrf.org/announcing-manal-al-sharifs-freedom-drive-campaign/
(* B P)
Saudi women’s activist ‘electrocuted and waterboarded in prison’
A women’s rights activist has been waterboarded, electrocuted and threatened with rape while in prison in Saudi Arabia, her brother has claimed.
Loujain al-Hathloul, 29, is one of 11 women on trial in the kingdom for protesting against the country’s male guardianship system and the now-overturned ban on women driving.
Walid al-Hathloul, Ms Hathloul’s brother, told the BBC that her torture has been overseen by Saud al-Qahtani, a confidant of Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince, who is also implicated in the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi. She alleges that Mr Qahtani laughed as he threatened to have her raped and murdered.
(A P)
Saudi security forces arrest 13 accused of planning attacks: SPA
Saudi Arabia said on Monday it had arrested 13 individuals in connection with planning attacks in the kingdom, a day after security forces said they had thwarted an attack north of the capital, state news agency SPA reported.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attempted attack on a state security building in Zulfi, a small city about 250 km (155 miles) northwest of the capital.
Security forces have said they killed four alleged Islamic State militants who had planned Sunday’s attack. They later raided a nearby rest-house they said the militants had rented for use as a bomb factory, and seized suicide vests, homemade bombs, Kalashnikov rifles and Islamic State publications.
(A T)
Four die as attack on Saudi police station foiled: Al Arabiya
Four people died as an attack on a police station in Saudi Arabia’s central Riyadh province was foiled, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television said on Sunday.
The four casualties had helped carry out the attack at the police station in Zulfi, a small city around 250 km (155 miles) northwest of the capital Riyadh.
cp8a Jamal Khashoggi
(A P)
Kushner says has urged Saudi prince to be transparent about Khashoggi killing
Taking questions at a Time magazine forum, Kushner was not specific about when he had spoken to the crown prince about the October killing of Khashoggi, a U.S.-based journalist, inside the Saudi consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul.
But Kushner spoke to Salman by phone in the days after the death and met with him in Riyadh during a February tour of Gulf capitals.
My comment: LOL.
cp9 USA
(* A E K P)
USA wollen Irans Ölexporte komplett verhindern - und Abnehmerländer bestrafen
Die Ölpreise steigen, weil Donald Trump Irans Exporte vollständig unterbinden will. Bislang waren noch acht Länder von US-Sanktionen ausgenommen - nun erhöhen die USA den Druck.
US-Präsident Donald Trump heizt den Streit mit Iran an. Er will die Ölexporte der Islamischen Republik ab Anfang Mai komplett verhindern und droht Käufern mit amerikanischen Sanktionen. Das Weiße Haus und US-Außenminister Mike Pompeoteilten am Ostermontag mit, alle Ausnahmeregelungen für acht Abnehmerländer zu streichen.
Betroffen hiervon sind unter anderem China, Indien und Japan, aber auch Italien und Griechenland sowie Südkorea und Taiwan. Diese Länder wurden bisher nicht bestraft. Die US-Regierung hatte im November erklärt, die Ausnahmegenehmigungen für diese Staaten seien den "besonderen Umständen" dieser Länder und dem Ölmarkt geschuldet.
Pompeo betonte, Ziel sei es, der iranischen Führung die Einkünfte aus dem Ölgeschäft zu entziehen und Teheranso davon abzuhalten, Terrorgruppen finanziell zu unterstützen und zur Destabilisierung des Nahen Ostens beizutragen. "Bis zu 40 Prozent der Einnahmen des Regimes kommen aus dem Verkauf von Öl", sagte er. "Das ist die wichtigste Einnahmequelle des Regimes."
https://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/usa-sanktionen-gegen-iran-oelpreise-steigen-a-1263921.html
und
(* A B E K P)
Ein weiteres Beispiel für die Weltmachtansprüche des US-Imperiums
Ab Anfang Mai wollen die USA alle Staaten bestrafen, die iranisches Erdöl importieren. Dies verstößt zwar gegen alle nur denkbaren internationalen Gesetze und Abkommen; dennoch folgen fast alle Staaten dem Befehl des US-Imperiums – allen voran übrigens die Maulhelden der EU, die zwar gerne über Trump lästern, jedoch auch stets die Ersten sind, die Männchen machen, wenn das Herrchen aus dem Weißen Haus den mahnenden Finger erhebt.
Im November 2018 haben die USA ihr bislang schärfestes Sanktionspaket gegen Iran in Kraft gesetzt. Der wohl bemerkenswerteste Teil dieses Sanktionspaket besteht dabei in der Drohung, künftig auch andere Staaten und Unternehmen aus Drittländern aktiv zu bestrafen, die sich ihrerseits nicht an die Richtlinien der US-Sanktionen halten. Dieser Passus bedeutet nichts anderes als eine „Lex Americana“, ein Anspruch des US-Präsidenten, Gesetze und Verordnungen zu erlassen, an die sich die gesamte Welt zu halten hat.
Im konkreten Fall kommt erschwerend hinzu, dass die unilateralen Sanktionen der USA gegen so ziemlich jedes internationale Regelwerk verstoßen. Die USA mischen sich unter Gewaltandrohung (Wirtschaftssanktionen sind ein Akt der Gewalt) in die Politik von Drittländern ein, die mit den politischen Problemen zwischen den USA und Iran gar nichts zu tun haben. Dies stellt eine massive Verletzung der Charta der Vereinten Nationen dar.
Ferner verstoßen die Sanktionen und genau so die Sanktionsdrohungen an Drittländer direkt und indirekt gegen das Allgemeine Zoll- und Handelsabkommen GATT der Welthandelsorganisation WTO.
Nach der Verabschiedung dieses völkerrechtswidrigen Sanktionspaket haben die USA im konkreten Fall der Öllieferungen Irans für acht Staaten eine „Auslaufklausel“ aufgelegt – dies betrifft die Staaten Italien, Griechenland, Türkei, Indien, Japan, China, Taiwan und Südkorea, die auch schon vor den Sanktionen die größten Importeure iranischen Öls waren. Diese Klausel läuft jedoch am 1. Mai aus und am Osterwochenende hat die Trump-Regierung nun klar festgestellt, dass sie mit dem Auslaufen der Klausel nun auch Strafen und Sanktionen gegen diese acht Staaten und dort ansässige Unternehmen verhängen wird, wenn sie fortan noch Öl aus Iran importieren.
Welcher Staat hatte jemals historisch die Macht, Handel zwischen zwei Staaten zu untersagen, die am anderen Ende der Welt liegen?
Als Ausgleichslieferanten schlägt Präsident Trump übrigens allen Ernstes das Königreich Saudi Arabien vor – also dem wohl schlimmsten Schurkenstaat der Region. Offiziell begründen die USA die Sanktionen übrigens damit, dass Iran den „Terrorismus“ finanzieren und den Nahen Osten „destabilisieren“ würde – sich also genau der Untaten schuldig macht, die die USA ohne Zweifel jahrelang begangen haben und immer noch begehen – von Jens Berger
https://www.nachdenkseiten.de/?p=51103
(* A K P)
The folly of war with Iran
Conflict with the Middle Eastern nation may be a neocon dream, but it’s not what Trump was elected to execute
Donald Trump continues to show that he is one of the boldest presidents in modern American history. He may also be the nuttiest. His decision to remove waivers on the purchase of oil from Iran has set America on an unwavering course for war with the Middle Eastern state.
Like Franklin Roosevelt, who tried to starve Japan into submission by halting its imports of oil, Trump seems intent on trying to bludgeon Iran into submission by preventing it from exporting any crude. The problem is that the Iranians aren’t cracking. Instead, they are likely to double-down. Already they are threatening to shut down the Strait of Hormuz. Trump will be in dire straits if Iran does that. A fifth of the world’s crude oil flows through it. The US military has positioned two carrier strike groups near Iran.
What Trump, or at least Bolton, seems intent upon is regime change. Trump, who campaigned against further wars in the Middle East, is now catering to Saudi Arabia and Israel, both of whom are intent upon toppling the regime of the mad mullahs in Tehran.
According to Aaron David Miller and Richard Sokolsky, the prospect of war has never been higher:[… ]
Gulp. The price of crude oil would soar. A new anti-war movement would emerge. War with Iran may be a neocon dream, but it’s not what Trump was elected to execute. There could be no faster coup de grace to his presidency than embarking upon a new Middle Eastern campaign – by Jacob Heilbrunn
https://spectator.us/folly-war-iran/
(* A E K P)
Will Trump Go to War with Iran?
Combined with early April’s IRGC designation, Monday’s sanction waiver announcement effectively criminalizes the Islamic Republic.
The Trump administration—namely, the hardline faction led by National Security Advisor John R. Bolton—furthered its de facto criminalization of Iran on Monday, announcing the cessation of sanctions waivers for major petrol importers.
“If Trump wants to avoid the mistakes of George W. Bush in the Middle East, he's following the wrong playbook with Iran,” Ryan Costello of the National Iranian American Council told me Monday morning. “With few results and time running out for Trump's pressure track, Bolton and his backers are burning through all of the sanctions options that they have, with the only concrete result a more intractable Iran.”
For the Trump administration, as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said earlier this year, America is back in the Middle East—and taking sides. “It is a truth that isn’t often spoken in this part of the world, but I’m a military man by training, so I’ll put it bluntly: America is a force for good in the Middle East. Period,” America’s chief diplomat said in Cairo in a landmark speech in January.
Logistically, Pompeo’s vision has meant favoring the majority faction of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—specifically, the acute leadership of Mohammed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi, as well as the more controversial strongmen Mohammad bin Salman in Riyadh and General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo. The White House noted who its friends are Monday, and echoed the president’s assurances that global energy markets wouldn’t be rocked.
Monday’s announcement was no obvious victory for Pompeo—instead, more of an untrammeled triumph for Bolton, the hawk par excellence. Pompeo was widely reported to have been pushing behind the scenes against a move such as this, favoring instead a more graduated course – by Curt Mills
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/will-trump-go-war-iran-53732
(* A E K P)
President Donald J. Trump Is Working to Bring Iran’s Oil Exports to Zero
CUTTING OFF IRAN’S OIL EXPORTS: President Donald J. Trump is taking action intended to bring Iran’s oil exports to zero and deny the regime its principal source of revenue.
The Trump Administration has decided not to reissue Significant Reduction Exceptions (SREs) when they expire in early May.
This move aims to bring Iran’s oil exports to zero, denying the regime its principal source of revenue.
The United States, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, three of the world’s great energy producers, are working to ensure global oil markets remain well supplied.
The United States and its partners will take immediate action to ensure that supplies are made available to replace all Iranian oil removed from the market.
Forecasters expect global oil supply will keep pace with demand in 2019.
The Trump Administration is determined to expand and enforce its maximum pressure campaign against the Iranian regime.
IMPOSING MAXIMUM PRESSURE: The United States will continue to apply maximum pressure on the Iranian regime until its leaders change their destructive behavior.
President Trump has taken action to hold Iran accountable for the full range of its malign activities.
My comment: And the well-known propaganda stories on Iran. The US evidently is preparing war. – And also remember this, from Oct. 2018: https://www.thedailybeast.com/saudi-spy-met-with-team-trump-about-taking-down-iran.
Comment: President #Trump's planetarian concern on the well-being of people
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/2238497659536585
(* A K P)
US military well-positioned to defend Strait of Hormuz flows following Iran threat: spokesman
Iran on Monday repeated its threat to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, the world's busiest oil chokepoint, drawing a US military pledge to respond.
"The Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway, threats to close the strait impact the international community and undermine the free flow of commerce," Captain Bill Urban, a spokesman for US Central Command, told S&P Global Platts. "The US, along with our allies and partners, are committed to freedom of navigation and remain well-positioned to preserve the free flow of commerce."
On Monday, Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Naval Forces, said in an interview with the state-run al-Alam news channel, that Iran planned to block the strait if US sanctions prevented it from moving oil and other exports on to the world market.
"According to international law, the Strait of Hormuz is a marine passageway and if we are barred from using it, we will shut it down," Tangsiri said in the interview. "In case of any threat, we will have not even an iota of doubt to protect and defend the Iranian waters."
(A K P)
Air Force F-35As deploy to the Middle East
F-35As from Hill AFB in Utah have deployed to Al Dhafra AB in the United Arab Emirates to replace F-22s previously assigned there.
(* A E P)
American drillers surge, Saudi agrees to steady oil supply after Iran waivers cease
Some of the biggest beneficiaries of sanctions aimed at crippling Iran are oil companies on the other side of the world.
Drillers based in places like Texas, Oklahoma and California added billions of dollars in market value on Monday after the Trump administration announced it’ll no longer give nations like China and Italy a pass on sanctions barring purchases of Iranian crude. Brent futures jumped to the highest in almost six months.
Comment: We would have never guessed.
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/2238502372869447
(A P)
US Offers $10 Million Reward for Information on Hezbollah Finances
The United States is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information that disrupts the finances of Lebanon's Hezbollah militant organization.
The U.S. State Department announced the award Monday, saying it would be paid to those who give information about major Hezbollah donors and financiers as well as businesses that support the organization and banks that facilitate the group's transactions.
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-offers-reward-for-information-on-hezbollah-finances/4886664.html
Comment: Not so intelligent intelligence?
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/2238487672870917
(* B P)
Trump’s Iran Policy Is Not Changing the Regime’s Behavior
Increased economic pressure has created domestic shortages, but Tehran still provides key support to Syria’s Assad and to groups the U.S. calls terrorists.
But the new policy isn’t working. Iran still provides Hezbollah with an estimated $700 million a year in funding and bolsters its military capabilities, furnishes financial and military aid to the Shiite Houthi rebels fighting the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, and helps Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his country’s civil war. And despite assertions by U.S. officials in March that the sanctions against Iran’s banking, energy, shipping, and aviation sectors were having their desired effect, Hezbollah is still the strongest force in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen regularly attack Saudi troops on the border, and the Assad regime is consolidating power.
(* B P)
In a game of yo-yo policies, U.S. tightens Iran oil sanctions while granting exceptions on others
There are still a lot of unknowns about this new policy.
The Trump administration’s Iran policy is getting more complicated by the day.
Iran isn’t without options when it comes to retaliatory measures — beyond threats to shut down the Strait of Hormuz — that could really hurt U.S. interests, noted Barbara Slavin, director of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council.
Slavin calls the current U.S. strategy “a wanton overuse of sanctions” that will only force other countries — including our allies — towards using other currencies, reducing the utility of U.S. sanctions going forward.
“This is the United States drunk on unilateralism,” she added.
Slavin said this hardline approach towards Iran, which equals a “collective punishment against the world’s largest Shia state,” is a gift to extremist groups like ISIS, going back to President George W. Bush’s strategy of trying to make Iran an “axis of evil” pariah state.
“They see the world in zero-sums right? We could have Iran as an ally against these groups, instead, we chose to make them an enemy,” she said – by D. Parvaz
https://thinkprogress.org/u-s-tightens-iran-oil-sanctions-a0b16facb6ab/
(* A P)
Bernie Sanders makes plea for Senate to override Donald Trump’s Yemen veto
Senate will likely need to take procedural votes to dispense with joint resolution that would pull U.S. out of war in Yemen
President Donald Trump’s veto of a joint resolution to put an end to U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen is going to kick the matter back to senators when they return to the Capitol next week.
But Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders , one of the many Democratic presidential candidates, took a moment Monday to circulate a dear colleague letter seeking support for overriding the Trump veto.
“The Congress must now act to protect that constitutional responsibility by overriding the president’s veto,” Sanders wrote.
Sanders, who has been out on the presidential campaign trail himself, wrote in the letter that supporters of the American involvement in Saudi Arabia’s Yemen campaign should seek a floor debate and and vote on that effort.
www.rollcall.com/news/congress/bernie-sanders-override-trump-yemen-veto
and also https://thehill.com/policy/defense/440010-sanders-pushes-to-override-trumps-veto-of-yemen-resolution
and
(* A P)
Sanders' full letter is below:
I am writing to ask for your support for over-riding that veto.
The president’s action is a very serious challenge to Congressional authority that demands a response.
Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution states clearly: “Congress shall have power to . . . declare war.” While the president has the authority over the conduct of war once it has been declared, the Founding Fathers gave the power to authorize military conflicts to Congress, the branch most accountable to the people.
Under the War Powers Act of 1973, the assignment of a member of the United States armed forces to “command, coordinate, participate in the movement of, or accompany” another country’s military during a war constitutes the introduction of the United States into a conflict. Our military involvement in the war in Yemen, which has included logistical and intelligence support, as well as aerial refueling of Saudi war planes, clearly meets this definition.
For far too long Congress, under both Democratic and Republican administrations, has abdicated its Constitutional role with regard to the authorization of war. The historic passage of this resolution, the first time since the 1973 War Powers Resolution was passed that it has been successfully used to withdraw the United States from an unauthorized war, was a long overdue step by Congress to reassert that authority.
The Congress must now act to protect that constitutional responsibility by overriding the president’s veto.
(A P)
US Embassy to Yemen: Ambassador’s Op-Ed on Study in the USA
I want to congratulate all students in Yemen who have received offers of admission from one of the over 4,700 accredited institutions of higher learning in the United States.
Yemen has approximately 517 students studying in the United States, and several more outstanding Yemeni students are currently working through the application and enrollment process.
Graduates of U.S. universities have gone on to become leaders and innovators in many fields around the world, and you should be proud of the invitation to join this special and select group of young people whose lives will be changed forever by the dynamism, openness, and quality of campuses across the United States.
American colleges and universities welcome you, as do the American people and communities throughout our country.
As the U.S. Ambassador to Yemen, I personally congratulate and encourage those of you who have received offers of admission to accept this life-changing opportunity and join your peers in experiencing the unique value of an American higher education.
https://ye.usembassy.gov/ambassadors-op-ed-on-study-in-the-usa/
(* B K P)
The Constitutional Travesty of Our War in Yemen
Once again, a president has usurped war powers belonging to Congress, with disastrous results.
The interests cited to justify our participation in this obscure and distant struggle are difficult to discern.By classifying the conflict as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, you might be able to talk yourself into believing that U.S. involvement in Yemen forms part of a larger strategy to avert Iranian regional hegemony.But that argument rests on two problematic assumptions. First, that the United States has a dog in this fight; and second, that of the mutts involved, Saudi Arabia is the one deserving our support.Neither assumption can withstand scrutiny.
More to the point, no less an authority than President Donald Trump himself has admitted that the U.S. is standing with Saudi Arabia in Yemen because bountiful Saudi purchases of American-made weapons keep the military-industrial complex afloat.U.S. involvement in Yemen is not a realization of strategy.It’s about customer relations—keeping Saudi Arabia happy lest it take its business elsewhere.
So spare me, please, presidential claims that congressional action to end U.S. involvement in this war will endanger “the lives of American citizens and brave service members, both today and in the future.” That is pure tripe.
On the other hand, Trump’s reference to “my constitutional authorities” does merit our attention, although “extra-constitutional authorities” would be more accurate. What’s really at stake here is this president’s determination to preserve prerogatives that Congress has foolishly and irresponsibly forfeited to previous presidents of both parties – by Andrew J. Bacevich
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-constitutional-travesty-of-our-war-in-yemen/
(* B P)
There are no core US interests at stake in Yemen
Last Tuesday, Trump had an important opportunity to begin delivering on his promises by signing a bipartisan bill to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen. Instead, he vetoed the measure.
Prolonging American involvement in Yemen is reckless. The conflict offers the United States abundant risk and no reward. Trump’s national security strategy, published last year, described his administration’s approach to matters of war and peace as one of “principled realism,” prescribing a renewed focus on defending core U.S. interests. But there are no core U.S. interests at stake in Yemen.
Withdrawal, on the other hand, would respect the will of the American people, and maybe even open a path to resolution of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. It could also avert grave, unintended consequences for U.S. security.
Most Americans are not aware of that hazard, but they know enough to recognize this is not a conflict in which our country should be involved. Polling data on Yemen is sparse, but a YouGov survey late last year found that just 13 percent of Americans said they supported the same or increased levels of arms sales to Saudi Arabia and other U.S. partners in the Yemen intervention. Among those who had opinions about the conflict, 75 percent said they opposed U.S. involvement.
The most compelling case for removing the United States from Yemen’s civil war is that it could help bring the conflict to an end.
Trump’s decision to veto the Yemen bill lost him an easy political win and the chance to execute a significant and necessary shift in U.S. foreign policy with relative ease – by Bonnie Kristian
https://www.stripes.com/opinion/there-are-no-core-us-interests-at-stake-in-yemen-1.577977
(* B P)
Pockets over people: What Trump’s Yemen veto tells us about the president
Trump, the staunch Saudi ally, swam against the tide and wishes of Congress - including those of his own party - to retract the country's hand from the bloody war and instead followed through on his earlier stated intentions to veto the bill.
For years, questions surrounding the legality of Washington's involvement in the war have remained ignored but the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October prompted US lawmakers to kick into action.
Under the US Constitution, it is Congress and not the president which must sign off on all US roles in armed conflicts around the world, including Yemen, Jehan Hakim, the chair of the Yemeni Alliance Committee (YAC), told The New Arab. This simply means all US support, action and assistance to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen would be illegal if the bil had been signed into law.
"The US president has no constitutional authority to be involved in a foreign war, especially if it goes against the will of US lawmakers," Hakim said, noting neither matters of national security nor personal business partnerships provide a legal basis for Trump's defiance of Congress.
The decision to veto the resolution "is a clear indication that profits and interests come before human rights", she said.
"Trump chose to side with Saudi-UAE war criminals and put his financial ventures before the will of the American public, the House and the Senate," she added. In doing so, she said, Trump endangered the lives of millions in Yemen – by Sana Uqba
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2019/4/22/trumps-yemen-veto-was-pockets-over-people
(B P)
Film by Press TV Iran: Trump's support of Saudi Arabia miscalculation: Analyst
US President Donald Trump's support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen is a strategical "miscalculation" that will cost him the presidency, according to an American political commentator.
Political commentator Scott Bennett, who is a former US Army analyst, told Press TV in an interview on Monday that a decision to wage war against another country was not up to Trump.
He said that it was written in the US Constitution that only the people could take America to war, not the president.
He said that Trump's supports for the war is because he sees Saudi Arabia is purchasing arms from the United States.
"I think the president is making an error because the American people do not want to be participating in the Saudi-led genocide against the Yemeni people and that is what this is turning into," he said.
Bennett described Trump's support for the brutal Saudi regime as a miscalculation in foreign policy.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/04/23/594168/US-Trump-Interview-Yemen-Bennett
(* B P)
Yemen and the Way Forward
There is a lot of bad information out there about what the Department of Defense is doing in Yemen.
A New Approach
First and foremost, it is time to reexamine the U.S.-Saudi partnership. The Trump Administration seems to support the Saudis unconditionally while some Democrats are calling for total abandonment of the relationship. The best course of action is probably somewhere in the middle; the relationship doesn’t provide the United States the same national security benefits it did 20 years ago, but Saudi Arabia’s value to the United States is not zero.
Second, the U.S. national security apparatus needs to make it painfully clear that the ongoing conflict has not made Saudi Arabia or the region any safer.
Third, and relatedly, the administration needs to spend some political capital. It’s no secret the Trump Administration has a close relationship with the Saudis. This diplomatic capital should be exploited!
Why It Matters
Much has rightly been written about the human toll of the conflict in Yemen, but less has been said about why the war is problematic for U.S. security interests
https://medium.com/truman-doctrine-blog/yemen-and-the-way-forward-e4b24b451434
My comment: A typical US article: Staying soft with and not questioning US imperialism. – US “national security” is not defended in the Middle East, but between Miami and Hawai.
(* B K P)
Washington’s Propensity for Recklessness in Yemen
According to Oxfam, international aid agencies and human rights groups, the decision by President Donald Trump to veto a Congress resolution to end US military support for the Saudi-led war on Yemen sends a sobering message to Yemeni families caught in the daily hell of war: “US administration simply does not care. They see the end to their suffering a little further out of reach.”
The aid agencies warn that Trump’s decision to continue US military involvement will escalate the ongoing war in the trouble-plagued region. They also say the weapons used by the Saudis in the reckless bombing of mostly civilian targets, including schools and hospitals, are largely from the United States: F-15 fighter planes, Bell helicopters, drones, air-to-surface missiles, M60 battle tanks, laser-guided bombs and heavy artillery.
However, Trump’s veto on April 16 is designed to ensure the uninterrupted flow of these American-made weapons into the war zone described by the United Nations as the “world’s worst humanitarian disaster”.
At any rate, Trump’s veto only encourages a Saudi regime that has shown a propensity for recklessness in Yemen, a recklessness that the Armed Conflict and Location Event Data Project says has killed more than 70,000 in Yemen just since January 2016. At least 10,000 people were killed just in the past five months.
As the war grinds on and civilian casualties mount, the Trump administration must answer for its support of the Saudi campaign at the UN, which is prolonging the conflict. Even if Saudi Arabia balks at ending its airstrikes, it can’t keep up the war without US weaponry, intelligence, and logistical help. The Trump administration should stop this bloodshed.
As for the UN, the suffering in Yemen will not stop unless the world body stops supporting Saudi Arabia with top seats at the Human Rights Council and tacit consent. Yemen needs more than joint statements and emergency food aid appeals. UN statements need to follow with actions and aid has to reach the Yemenis.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13980201000485
My comment: This is from Iran – anyway, it’s simply true.
(B K P)
Film: Hussain Al-Bukhaiti interview on Trump’s veto, on Press TV Iran
https://www.facebook.com/alhossain.albokhaiti/videos/2849279078477909/
(B K P)
Tell Congress: Ban CIA drone strikes now!
But Congress can stop the CIA from waging secret air wars around the world — by banning the CIA from conducting drone strikes entirely. So it’s time for us to make sure Congress hears us loud and clear:
Tell your members of Congress to ban the secret CIA drone strikes NOW!
https://act.winwithoutwar.org/act/ban-cia-drone-strikes-now
(A P)
Film: US ambassador to Yemen affirms his country's support for peace process efforts
The United States ambassador to Yemen, Matthew Tueller, stressed his country’s commitment to support the efforts exerted by the UN Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths, in order to achieve stability in the country, adding that his country's best interest in Yemen lies in having a Yemeni government that is able to handle violent extremist groups, therefore fortifying its borders by land and sea. Tueller reiterated that his country welcomes the idea of assembling the House of Representatives in Seiyun, and he described this step as a major cornerstone of the state
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib0JS8TdIxQ
My comment: A document of hypocrisy and bias.
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
(A)
Zwei Männer aus Jemen festgenommen
Bundespolizisten haben am Montag zwei jemenitische Staatsangehörige festgenommen. Einer der beiden versuchte, unerlaubt nach Deutschland zu reisen.
https://www.pnp.de/lokales/berchtesgadener_land/3300569_Zwei-Maenner-aus-Jemen-festgenommen.html
(A K P)
Emirate verlangen Vertragstreue bei deutschen Rüstungsexporten
Die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate (VAE) haben Deutschland zur Vertragstreue beim Export von Rüstungsgütern aufgefordert. «Wir wissen, dass die deutsche Rüstungsindustrie bereit ist, alle Güter zu liefern», sagte der Botschafter der VAE in Berlin, Ali Abdullah al-Ahmed, der Deutschen Presse-Agentur. «Und wir erwarten, dass die von allen Parteien vereinbarten Vertragsbedingungen auch erfüllt werden.»
(B K P)
Bundesregierung genehmigt weniger Rüstungsexporte
Drei Jahre in Folge sind die Genehmigungen für Waffenverkäufe gesunken. Verantwortlich dafür sind vor allem die Einschränkungen für Länder außerhalb von EU und Nato.
Nach Angaben der Industrie ist dafür die besonders restriktive Haltung der Bundesregierung gegenüber Ländern außerhalb von EU und Nato verantwortlich.
Trotz des Exportstopps vom November zählte Saudi-Arabien im Gesamtjahr zu den besten Kunden der deutschen Rüstungsindustrie: Genehmigt wurden Exporte im Wert von 416 Millionen Euro. Allein von Januar bis Oktober 2018 exportierten deutsche Firmen Waffen im Wert von 160 Millionen Euro in das Land. Damit lag der Wert der Ausfuhren bereits in den ersten zehn Monaten um rund 50 Millionen Euro höher als im gesamten Jahr 2017.
und
(B K P)
Bundesrepublik exportiert weniger Waffen
Drei Jahre in Folge sind die Genehmigungen für Rüstungsexporte zurückgegangen. Auch in diesem Jahr bleibt es bei dem Trend - dank einiger Regelungen im Koalitionsvertrag.
Deutsche Rüstungsfirmen verkaufen immer weniger Waffen ins Ausland. Vom 1. Januar bis zum 31. März genehmigte die Bundesregierung Anträge für Lieferungen im Wert von 1,12 Milliarden Euro - das sind knapp hundert Millionen weniger als in einem durchschnittlichen Quartal im Vorjahr. Den Wert gab das Bundeswirtschaftsministerium auf eine Anfrage des Grünenabgeordneten Omid Nouripour bekannt.
Die Industrie führt den Trend auf die besonders restriktive Haltung der Bundesregierung gegenüber Ländern außerhalb von EU und Nato seit ihrem Amtsantritt im März 2018 zurück.
Union und SPD wollen sich bis Mitte des Jahres auf neue Rüstungsexportrichtlinien einigen. Die Sozialdemokraten setzen auf eine strikte Regulierung.
Die Union befürchtet dagegen, dass eine zu restriktive Exportpolitik Deutschland außenpolitisch schaden könnte
https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/soziales/deutschland-exportiert-weniger-waffen-a-1263945.html
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
(* B P)
Oman’s rising diplomatic role in Yemen met with mixed reaction in GCC
Since the start of the Saudi Arabia-led military intervention in Yemen in March 2015, Oman has attempted to position itself as a critical mediator in the conflict. Unlike its Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) counterparts, Oman has consistently maintained a position of neutrality in Yemen, and questioned the feasibility of the Arab coalition’s efforts to subdue the Houthis through force alone. In order to burnish its credentials as a mediator, Oman has pursued a strategy of constructive engagement with the Houthis.
This policy has reaped fruit
In spite of these optimistic assessments of Oman’s diplomatic role, Muscat’s mediation gambit has received a mixed reception in Yemen and the GCC.
As Oman has maintained normalized relations with the Houthis since the start of the war and supported the eventual transformation of the Houthis into a legitimate political party, the Houthis are the leading advocates for the expansion of Muscat’s diplomatic role in Yemen
Oman is also viewed as an effective mediator by senior figures in Hadi’s coalition.
While Oman’s mediation ambitions are supported by the Houthis and Hadi’s government, Muscat might struggle to win over supporters of the UAE-aligned STC. According to Ward, Oman is not sympathetic to the cause of south Yemeni independence, because Muscat fears that a UAE-aligned state on its borders will leave it “trapped and narrowed in its border area.”
Meanwhile, Summer Ahmed, an analyst who works closely with the Southern Movement, presented a more optimistic view of STC-Oman relations.
Growing tensions between Oman and the Saudi Arabia-UAE alliance could also dilute the effectiveness of Muscat’s mediation ambitions in Yemen.
Although the Saudi-owned daily al-Hayat played a key role in popularizing Oman’s alleged involvement in transferring weapons to the Houthis, publicly exposed tensions between Oman and the UAE on Yemen arguably surpass the gripes Muscat has with Riyadh.
Although Oman has potentially laid the foundations for constructive intra-Yemeni dialogue and achieved notable diplomatic successes in its negotiations with the Houthis, Muscat’s growing assertiveness as a diplomatic arbiter has caused controversy within the GCC – by Samuel Ramani
(A P)
Australia: Former Liberal Minister, Peter Hendy, registers as working for the Saudi Ministry of Commerce and Investment on the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Register
https://twitter.com/Tim_Beshara/status/1120861071282032640 referring to https://transparency.ag.gov.au/SearchItemDetail/c88564d7-834f-e911-8123-0050569d617d
(* B P)
The Sudanese military: A pawn of the Saudis?
Saudi Arabia has shown support for the transitional military government in Sudan since the ousting of the country's longtime president. Observers suggest the Saudis are increasing their influence over Khartoum. But why?
Sudan's delicate balance of power between the civilian population and the military has entered its third week.
The uncertainty of the outcome has also sparked nervousness beyond the Red Sea. Shortly after the deposition, the governments of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia declared their intention to support the Sudanese military.
Saudi Arabia has maintained interest in Sudan for a long time, says Tobias Simon, a political analyst and expert on the Horn of Africa. "The Riyadh government also supported the former regime," he told DW. "They have always managed to buy followers there." At the beginning of the year, the Saudis transferred about $2.2 billion to the Al-Bashir regime.
Sudan and Saudi Arabia are also economically and militarily linked by the ongoing Yemeni Civil War
"Sudan wants to continue participating in this war," says Simon. "General al-Burhan has stated that Sudanese soldiers continue to be present in the international alliance, which is one of the reasons why Saudi Arabi has pledged support to the Sudanese military."
But the demonstrators remain skeptical of Riyadh's intentions. Ali Mahjoud Nathif, a member of the Communist Party of Sudan, told DW's Arab program Massaiya that it is reasonable for Saudi Arabia to pursue its own interests. He doubts that the interim military government would be able to make foreign policy decisions independently.
According to other observers, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are likely pursuing another goal in Khartoum. "Both states have a natural dislike of popular movements," Karim Bitar, research director of the Paris-based Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS) told DW. They are interested in maintaining the status quo. They fear that any rebellion or any national protest movement could trigger a landslide and spread to other regions."
In an effort to supress social revolution in Islamic countries, Saudi Arabia is joining forces with other conservative autocratic regimes
https://www.dw.com/en/the-sudanese-military-a-pawn-of-the-saudis/a-48433645
(A K P)
Sudan: Popular Demands to Withdraw Troops Participating in Aggression against Yemen
Sudanese Popular parties have rejected the participation of its forces in the aggression against Yemen, demanding the rapid withdrawal. Activists on social media sites shared a video clip of a Sudanese woman speaking to a crowd of protesters about the need to return Sudanese troops from Yemen. The Sudanese woman said that her country's army should distance itself from interference in other countries.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=6542
(* B P)
UAE destablising region
United Arab Emirates (UAE) is spearheading the plans to undermine stability and security of different countries in the region. The growing economic influence, military presence of UAE and Saudi in the Horn of Africa and their War in Yemen, will without a doubt, create further instability in the region than bringing peace.
Contrary to their evil intentions, these two countries try to present themselves as as a regional stabilizing actor and peace-broker in the region.
UAE does not care about its international obligations as its financial sector has become a haven for money laundering and illegal financial transactions, and its current attempt of meddling in Libya and Sudan is a glaring examples of interfering and undermining sovereignty of other counties.
On Friday, Turkish authorities announced that they had arrested men suspected of spying for the United Arab Emirates and it is probing whether these two men have relation with the brutal murder of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Anatolia news agency reported.
The two states have seen any country not consisting authoritarian, military rulers as a potential threat to their regimes inspiring change and challenge their own political status quo.
Therefore Saudi and UAE have provided a wide range of military supports to Khalifa Haftar to launch assault on Tripoli
https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/21/04/2019/UAE-destablising-region
Comment: And now Qatar. It's hardly going to say anything positive about UAE, but instead it focuses on negative aspects of their conduct. It's hard to imagine they were buddies a couple of years ago fighting the same war.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10157522710908641
(A P)
Pope Calls for Peace in Syria, Yemen, Libya, South Sudan
The pope's thoughts also turned to "the people of Yemen, especially the children, exhausted by hunger and war," and to the situation in Libya.
(* A H P)
Saudis und Emirate kündigen Milliardenhilfen an
Saudi-Arabien und die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate wollen dem Sudan drei Milliarden US-Dollar an Hilfen schicken.
Nach Angaben der staatlichen Nachrichtenagenturen beider Länder soll eine halbe Milliarde davon in Form einer Geldeinlage für die Zentralbank fließen, der Rest in Form von Lebensmitteln, Medikamenten und Ölprodukten.
https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/sudan-saudis-und-emirate-kuendigen-milliardenhilfen-an.1939.de.html
(* A H P)
Saudi Arabia, UAE grant $3 billion of support to Sudan
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have granted Sudan $3 billion in support, Saudi state news agency SPA said on Sunday.
The grant includes a $500 million deposit into Sudan’s central bank, while the rest will be in the form of food, medicine, and petroleum products, SPA said.
cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis
(B P)
Jordan, Qatar and GCC: Realignment within Arab cold war?
Jordan has very little interest, if any, in being part of any inter-Arab cold war, or wars. The current irrational and unjustifiable cold wars and their active theatres have caused significant economic and financial troubles for Jordan, and will threaten the stability of the region for a long time to come. Jordan will continue to pay a hefty price for it.
All countries in the region should have, by now, learned their lessons. The Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) internal strife is harming the GCC family and their cousins in the neighbourhood. It is not wise for the cousins to take sides in a family contention. Cousins and neighbours should help resolve the issues, not magnify them. They should play a positive and constructive role for the benefit of all.
Hence, the recent rapprochement between Jordan and Qatar attracts special attention.
It is never too late, especially when Jordan is going through a major economic crisis. Jordan stepped in when Qatar needed help since the 1970s until recently in theatres where Qatar was involved. It is hoped that ambassadors are to be reinstated soon and both countries are building more cooperation bridges.
http://jordantimes.com/opinion/fares-braizat/jordan-qatar-and-gcc-realignment-within-arab-cold-war
cp13 Wirtschaft / Economy
(A E P)
Yemen c.bank says it's ready to supply banks with foreign currency
The central bank has split into two rival head offices, reflecting the war between the Saudi-backed government and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, creating hold-ups and payment problems that have exacerbated an urgent humanitarian crisis.
The branch in the southern port of Aden, the seat of the internationally recognised government, issued a circular saying it was ready to sell banks foreign currency at a rate of 506 rials to the U.S. dollar or at market rates, “whichever is lower”, state news agency Saba reported late on Monday.
It cited the statement as saying this would cover letters of credit and financing guarantees for imports of goods not covered by a $2 billion grant from Saudi Arabia to help finance imports of basic goods and petroleum products.
and also https://www.almasdaronline.com/articles/166898
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
(* B T)
Al-Qaeda in Yemen Three Years after Mukalla’s “Liberation”
Shortly after the Saudi-led coalition entered Yemen, al-Qaeda’s local branch took over a major Yemeni city, Mukalla, for one year. Despite many hailing Mukalla’s April 2016 “liberation” by U.S.-backed forces on the ground as a major success in the struggle against terrorism in Yemen, the reality is that al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula remains a grave threat in the war-torn country for a host of reasons, including a willingness by some of Washington’s allies to coordinate with the group in their fight against Iran-allied Houthis.
Since AQAP’s loss of Mukalla, U.S.-backed Emirati operations against the terrorist group have also led to AQAP losing significant power. But AQAP’s fall in Mukalla and the UAE-led campaigns against it have not marked the demise of al-Qaeda’s Yemeni franchisee as an influential actor in the civil war. To the contrary, AQAP remains al-Qaeda’s most powerful enterprise, and although it is not the only jihadist group in Yemen, it is the country’s preeminent one. Since AQAP lost Mukalla, the terror group has relocated and carried out operations in the Bayda, Shabwah, and Abyan governorates, where it has combated a host of actors from the Houthis to Emirati-backed southern separatists and ISIL-YP. Despite the U.S. conducting a significantly lower number of airstrikes against AQAP in 2018 than in 2017, a spokesman for U.S. CENTCOM stated that the terror organization remains a “significant threat.”
Over the past three years, AQAP has benefited from its established financial networks and ability to recruit disenfranchised Yemenis who support the group’s Salafist ideology. AQAP’s success in maintaining its foothold in Yemen since losing Mukalla has been largely attributable to the organization’s projection of a more moderate image in the eyes of Yemenis who have observed AQAP’s focus on stabilizing impoverished parts of the country and providing locals with water, fuel, and electricity, as well as a form of security. Such a strategy has contrasted with AQAP’s previous ones which prioritized attacks against international targets. Moreover, AQAP has been social media savvy and used its accounts to spread its anti-Houthi and anti-Hadi narratives.
Another factor which has boded well for AQAP has been the Saudi-led military coalition’s focus on combating Houthis. As a consequence of the coalition prioritizing the struggle against Houthis over fighting al-Qaeda’s hand in Yemen, not only have resources been diverted away from campaigns against AQAP, but there have also been instances of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi’s allying with al-Qaeda’s Yemeni branch against Ansarullah – by Giorgio Cafiero
https://insidearabia.com/al-qaeda-yemen-three-years-mukallas-liberation/
cp15 Propaganda
(A P)
Film: Die aufeinanderfolgenden Niederlagen von Al Hamdeen im Jemen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoFYZBcmJAs
(A P)
Yemen FM to Asharq Al-Awsat: No New Talks before Implementation of Sweden Deal
The legitimate government of Yemen will not launch a new round of consultations with United Nations special envoy Marin Griffiths before the Iran-backed Houthi militias fulfill their commitments to the Sweden deal, declared Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yemany.
The government will not kick off new consultations before the deal is implemented, he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
My comment: What he really means: „… until all our claims had been fulfilled“.
(A P)
Saudi-Arabien startet 11 neue Entwicklungsprojekte in der jemenitischen Provinz Haddscha
Das saudische Entwicklungs- und Wiederaufbauprogramm für den Jemen (Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen, SDRPY) hat im Bezirk Midi des Gouvernements Haddscha im Nordwesten des Jemen neue Fabrikanlagen eingeweiht.
https://www.finanzen.ch/nachrichten/aktien/saudi-arabien-startet-11-neue-entwicklungsprojekte-in-der-jemenitischen-provinz-haddscha-1028131909 = https://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2019-04/46525941-saudi-arabien-startet-11-neue-entwicklungsprojekte-in-der-jemenitischen-provinz-haddscha-007.htm
(A P)
New Saudi Development Projects Launched in Yemen's Hajjah Province
The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) has launched 11 new projects in the Midi Directorate of northwest Yemen, continuing its work in the region. The initiatives span the agriculture, fisheries, electricity, healthcare and water sectors, and will help increase life expectancy, restore sources of income, and reinvigorate economic activity in Midi and the surrounding areas.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/new-saudi-development-projects-launched-yemens-hajjah-province
(A P)
The stakes in Yemen
Nowhere is the intractable misery of the Islamic Middle East and its impact on American interests more evident than in Yemen
Al-Houthi apparently wants Yemen to be modeled on the Islamic Republic of Iran. One of his books is called “Iran in the Philosophy of Hussein Houthi.” The Houthis do not like either America or the Jews. Street crowds routinely shout anti-American and anti-Semitic slogans, making the streets ring with shouts of “Allahu Akbar! Death to America! Death to Israel! Curse the Jews! Victory to Islam!”
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/apr/22/editorial-keeping-access-to-the-suez-canal-open-wo/
(A P)
Yemeni Vice President Reaffirms Commitment to Liberation Operations
General Ali Muhsin al-Ahmar, vice president to Abedrabbuh Mansur Hadi, praised advances made by national army forces on the battleground against Iran-backed coup militias.
Ahmar, as reported by the official Saba news agency, confirmed the political leadership's determination to continue to liberate Yemeni territory, defeat Houthi coup militias and ameliorate living conditions for Yemenis nationwide.
My comment: The Hadi government is committed to: Make war, not peace. Al-Ahmar is a corrupt dinosaur from former times, a long-time backer of Al Qaeda.
(A P)
The Intl’ Community’s Credibility is at Stake, Parliament Chairman
Yemen’s Parliament Chairman Sultan Albarakani said the harsh circumstances and humanitarian crisis are due to the Houthi coup and their tendency towards violence.
Stalling the implementation of Stockholm agreement is a setback to the peace process, that puts the International Community at stake for not being credible and transparent, said Albarakani during a meeting with Russian Ambassador to Yemen, Vladimir Dedushkin.
https://republicanyemen.net/archives/16595
(A H P)
More Saudi coalition “We are benefactors” propaganda
http://en.adenpress.news/news/4063
http://en.adenpress.news/news/4058
http://en.adenpress.news/news/4056
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
Siehe / Look at cp1
(* A K pH)
Saudi coalition air raids and shelling day by day
April 23: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1556093128./1291739924309703/
April 22: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1556093128./1291736350976727/
April 21: https://www.facebook.com/alhossain.albokhaiti/videos/2849279078477909/
April 20: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1555866432./1289544124529283/
April 19: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1555866432./1289536977863331/
April 18: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1555866432./1289538764529819/
April 17: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/a.551858951631141/1289494404534255/
(A K)
Heavy bombardment by #Saudi led coalition warplanes on #Damt area Aldhale Governorate
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1120788573429665793
(A K)
#Saudi led coalition air strikes targeted a house in Anes area #Dhamar governorate. #Yemen. The family were outside the home (photos)
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1120363839936184327
(A K pS)
The Saudi-led coalition conducted airstrikes against al Houthi positions in al Zahir district in al Bayda governorate in central Yemen on April 21. The airstrikes destroyed anti-aircraft missiles and two military vehicles.[2]
(A K pH)
More Saudi coalition air raids recorded on:
April 22: https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=6545 Saada, Sanaa p.
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
Siehe / Look at cp1b
(A K pH)
Army’s Air force launches drone’s airstrike on Saudi soldiers in Asir
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news534026.htm
My remark: On Saudi territory.
(B K pS)
Up to 3552 of Houthi militia's landmines destroyed in Aden
http://en.adenpress.news/news/4061
(A K pH)
Citizen Dies of Saudi Border Guards Gunfire in Sa’adah
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=6553
and also http://www.sabanews.net/en/news533950.htm
(A K pH)
April 22: In Sa'ada, Saudi missiles and artillery shells targeted populated villages in Munabbih district, injuring a civilian and killing a number of livestock.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=6545
(A K pH)
Army kills, injures tens of mercenaries, downs Saudi-led reconnaissance aircraft off Najran
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news533814.htm
My remark: On Saudi territory.
(A K pS)
MASAM removes 6218 mines in the past week
KSrelief Center’s Demining Project in Yemen “MASAM” announced on Sunday that it has removed 6,218 mines planted by Iran-backed Houthi militia in different Yemeni areas during the past week.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/4049
(A K pS)
Paving the way for al-Houthi to the secession border... Al-Masdar online traces the details of the full story of Al-Oud front
Last Thursday night was exceptional for the children of Al-oud areas, administratively affiliated to Al-Nadera, east of Ibb Province in the middle of the country, as a result of the accelerating events that ended with the control of the Houthi militia in all areas of Al-oud front in a shocking scene of many followers and members of the region.
During the past months, the Houthi militia has worked with all possible means to control Al-oud, Hamak and Qattaba areas in Ibb and Al-Dale governorates. Armed confrontations between government forces and the Houthis, which erupted on March 23, were only the final chapter of the process of completing the control project of the Houthi militia on Al-oud, it was preceded by the most important chapters and these chapters continued to be decisive in the declaration of Control and progress of the Houthi militia at the expense of the government forces.
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/166834
(A K pH)
Army downs Saudi-led reconnaissance aircraft off Najran
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news533640.htm
My remark: Saudi territory.
(A K pH)
Army fires ballistic missile at Saudi-led mercenaries’ gatherings off Jizan
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news533638.htm
My remark: Saudi territory.
(* A K pS)
Film: Yemen | Random mortar shells claim the lives of civilians in Taiz
Houthis continue the random shelling of citizens’ houses in Taiz of south Yemen. According to the citizens, Houthis continue to target neighborhoods with mortar shells leaving dozens of deaths and injuries, mainly children and women.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzRyPAVuRUM
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
(-)
Street life in Sanaa in pictures!
https://twitter.com/alialsonidar/status/1120367002118443009
(A D)
'10 Days Before the Wedding' Wins US Audience Award
The Adeni movie 10 Days Before the Wedding of Amr Gamal received on Saturday, the audience award at the San Diego Film Festival for Arab films, held recently in the United States.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/4044
(B)
Film: Yemenis explained in 30 seconds.
https://twitter.com/ammar82/status/1120283260406382593
(A H)
Film (April 3): Aden Children's Association for Autism organizes World Autism Awareness Day event
Aden Children's Association for Autism organized an artistic and entertaining event supported by the Transitional Council in Aden governorate south Yemen to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day on April 2nd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLx1MUjrSSA
Vorige / Previous
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-532-yemen-war-mosaic-532
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-531-yemen-war-mosaic-531
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-530-yemen-war-mosaic-530
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-529-yemen-war-mosaic-529
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-529/ Yemen War Mosaic 1-529:
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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