... Konfliktdynamiken im Südjemen – Die veränderte militärische Landkarte im Südjemen – Der Weg zu einer neuen Legitimität im Jemen – Ein Dreistufenprogramm für Jemen – Huthi-Drohnen setzen saudische Ölanlagen in Brand, USA beschuldigen Iran, die Spannungen im Golf nehmen wieder zu – und mehr
Sep. 16, 2019: UN report on Human rights in Yemen – UN report and siege warfare, and indiscriminate attacks – „Everything is missing“ – Human Trafficking is booming in Yemen – Conflict dynamics in Southern Yemen – The changed military map in Southern Yemen – Towards a new legitimacy in Jemen – A 3-step program for Yemen – Houthi drones set Saudi oil facilities on fire, Us blames Iran, tensions in the Gulf are mounting again – and more
Dieses Jemenkrieg-Mosaik besteht aus zwei Teilen / This Yemen War Mosaic is divided in two parts
Part 1: https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-575-yemen-war-mosaic-575
Schwerpunkte / Key aspects
In Italics: Part 1
Klassifizierung / Classification
Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics
cp1b Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah / Most important: Hodeidah battle
cp1c1 Houthi-Angriff auf saudischen Ölanlagen: Deutsch / Houthi raids against Saudi oil facilities: German
cp1c2 Houthi-Angriff auf saudischen Ölanlagen: Englisch / Houthi raids against Saudi oil facilities: English
cp2 Allgemein / General
cp2a Saudische Blockade / Saudi blockade
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
cp6 Bürgerkrieg im Südjemen / Civil war in Southern Yemen
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
cp8a Jamal Khashoggi
cp9 USA
cp9a USA-Iran Krise: Wachsende Spannungen am Golf / US-Iran crisis: Mounting tensions at the Gulf
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
cp12b Sudan
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms Trade
cp13b Mercenaries / Söldner
cp13c Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage
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
cp2 Allgemein / General
(* A K P)
Interactive Map of Yemen War
(* A K)
MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 (MAP UPDATE)
https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-september-16-2019-map-update/
MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2019 (MAP UPDATE)
https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-september-15-2019-map-update/
MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2019 (MAP UPDATE)
https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-september-14-2019-map-update/
MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 (MAP UPDATE)
https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-september-12-2019-map-update/
(* B H K)
Covering Yemen's forgotten war
Journalists have been largely barred from Yemen. After a year of trying, DW correspondent Fanny Facsar was granted a visa. On her journey, she witnessed a deeply torn country devastated by a conflict that has been all but forgotten
Working as a journalist in a country where political alliances are this fluid is dangerous, especially as a foreigner. For this reason – and not just because I am woman in a deeply conservative country – it was necessary to conceal my identity by wearing a full veil. But as a woman in such a conservative society, one is sometimes granted access to parts of life off-limits to men. This is something I experienced while conducting research during a reporting trip in Saudi Arabia last year.
My journey took me to many different regions of Yemen. In some places, people can still afford to buy food in supermarkets, while in others, many people are incredibly desperate. At a local market, for example, an older woman vented her anger, shouting: "I have only got two fish for seven people. What are we supposed to eat?" At the same time, there are also regions in the country where African migrants, who know very little about the prolonged Yemen conflict, trek through the desert by the hundreds hoping to reach Saudi Arabia.
I met people who, despite the widespread misery, are keen to preserve and foster the country's cultural life. They dream of going to cinemas and watching theatre. They are not only aghast that people are dying of hunger, but also appalled that their people lack culture to nourish their souls.
Several days after I left the country, a suicide bomber struck a police station near the hospital where we filmed.
https://en.qantara.de/content/conflict-in-the-gulf-covering-yemens-forgotten-war
(* B K P)
Its Lifeblood Attacked, What Are Saudi Arabia’s Options Now?
What are Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s options and which is he likely to deploy?
Bigger Military Involvement in Yemen:
Saudi Arabia hasn’t blamed anyone for the attack, but hours after the raid, Saudi fighter jets pounded Houthi militia positions in the northern Yemeni provinces of Saada and Al Jawf.
Cyber attacks and covert operations:
Covert operations and cyber warfare will be the most likely response in the short term, said Ryan Bohl, a Middle East analyst at Stratfor. But that isn’t likely to be a game changer since the oil exporter’s cyber weapons arsenal is limited, Bohl said.
Talks
Negotiating a peace accord with the Shiite Houthi rebels remains the best long-term option for Prince Mohammed, whose objectives in launching the Yemen military campaign in 2015 seem increasingly out of reach.
Open Military conflict
While an open war between Saudi Arabia and Iran can never be ruled out, it’s highly unlikely as the preferred avenue for retaliation
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/its-lifeblood-attacked-what-are-saudi-arabia-s-options-now-1.1316424
and
(* B K P)
Saudis To Retaliate After Iranian-Backed Drone Attack
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced that it is devising retaliation plans for the drone attacks on its oil refineries, which have been claimed by the Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. In a call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman on Saturday, United States President Donald Trump offered support for Saudi self-defense.
Regardless where the attack originated, Iran remains the shadow culprit. The attack on the Aramco oil facilities will likely set the peace negotiations between the Arab Coalition and the Houthis back and further escalate the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran. While the US remains committed to Saudi security, the Trump administration does not seem willing to retaliate on behalf of Riyadh. Instead, the White House has provided strong political support and military aid to Saudi forces to take matters into their own hands.
https://t-intell.com/2019/09/15/saudis-to-retaliate-after-iranian-backed-drone-attack/
(* B K P)
Attack on Saudi Oil Facilities: The War Is in Yemen, the Solution Is in Washington
This is no longer a local conflict that developed into a proxy war; it is an international struggle for prestige and influence in a country that is very similar to Afghanistan
The massive attack by Houthis from Yemen on oil installations in Saudi Arabia was described by the Houthis as “the second balance of deterrence.”
This success will apparently fuel their desire to continue attacking Saudi targets 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) away, using drones supplied by Iran. Their hope is that the Saudis will follow in the UAE’s footsteps and stop their attacks on Houthi targets while handing the Houthis a position of power in the negotiations that will eventually lead to a diplomatic solution.
Driving a wedge between Saudi Arabia and the UAE has effectively dismantled the “Arab coalition” that Saudi Arabia formed in 2015 to halt Iranian influence in Yemen.
The recognition that there is no military solution to the war in Yemen – despite the superior military capabilities of Saudi Arabia’s and the UAE – along with President Donald Trump’s efforts to open direct talks with Iranian President Hassan Rohani, have spurred the U.S. administration to again try to negotiate with the Houthis, this time directly rather than through mediators.
Qassem stated that Iran was always in favor of a political solution in Yemen and that “if the parties reach an agreement, the agreement could expand and include all the parties involved and with influence.” In other words, this would lead to improved relations between the Gulf states and Iran
A diplomatic solution cannot be merely a cease-fire or a withdrawal of forces. It requires a political and economic road map for the postwar period. The distribution of political power and an equitable budget allocation, two issues that have served over the years as grounds for the war between the Houthis and the Yemeni government
Despite the internal disagreements among their leaders, the Houthis understand that the burden of rehabilitating Yemen will fall on Saudi Arabia and Gulf states and not Iran.
The Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb strait are not the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, in terms of trade volume or the quantities of oil flowing through them. Moreover, Yemen is surrounded by powerful entities such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the U.S. Navy, as well Israel, at a distance. They can guarantee free passage through the Red Sea without the conquest of Yemen even if Yemen ends up under Houthi leadership.
The concern is that Iran would increase its military presence in Yemen particularly along the coasts. But unlike Lebanon and Syria, for Iran to maintain army or naval forces far from its ports in the Persian Gulf is contrary to the strategy that it has adopted so far.
It is doubtful that the Houthis will be willing to fight for Iran or any other country once an agreement is reached on their stake in the regime, which is expected to be significant. It appears that, for all the parties, the war in Yemen has reached a stage that provides relatively good prospects for a diplomatic solution that would end the terrible human tragedy there – by Zvi Bar‘el
My comment: A thoughtful article, from Israel. But it must be said that the role oft he Iranian bogeyman is overrated.
(* B P)
Who’s the Terrorist Now — MBS or the Houthis?
MBS, the man who undoubtedly ordered the kidnapping, murder and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, has imprisoned and tortured Saudi citizens, has victimized the 12 percent of Saudis who belong to the Shia sect of Islam, has plundered the state treasury to finance the lavish lifestyle of his tribe and who has relentlessly bombed dissident Yemeni Houthis and their civilian families for over four years, now condemns the Houthis and their Iranian backers as terrorists. The horrors of Saudi war crimes, with military support of the United Arab Emirates, intelligence and mid-air refueling supplied by the United States and sophisticated military hardware bought from the United States, the United Kingdom and France have been well documented by the United Nations.
All the while, the Trump Administration has given its wholehearted support to this same MBS. And on September 14, Secretary of State Pompeo has took his wholehearted support of MBS one step further by attributing the attack on Saudi oil facilities to Iran. The Trump Administration’s hubris and sanctimonious lectures on who is and who is not a terrorist and on the sanctity of human rights will fall on deaf ears. The Trump Administration should well remember that a country is judged by what it does and who it supports, not by what it tweets.
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/150057/Who-s-the-Terrorist-Now-MBS-or-the-Houthis
(A B K P)
Film: Riyadh must end attacks on Yemen or face consequences: Analyst
Political Commentator Hussein al-Bukhaiti believes Ansarullah forces are sending a message to Saudi Arabia to either halt their attacks on Yemen or face its consequences.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/09/14/606173/Yemen-Saudi-Arabia-Ansarullah-attacks
(B P)
In violation of basic journalistic standards @NPRnewsdesk says “Iranian-backed Huthis” But fo not ssy #US-backed #Saudis.
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1172964359255089160
(B K P)
Yemen, pounded by war for five years
Impoverished Yemen has been mired in a devastating conflict since Iran-backed rebels seized the capital Sanaa five years ago.
The war escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coalition intervened in support of the embattled government, although Sanaa remains in rebel control.
https://www.france24.com/en/20190810-yemen-pounded-war-five-years
My comment: This is too short, and you will not understand much.
(* B K P)
Saudis Vulnerable to Yemeni Houthi Attacks
There's nothing civil about war in Yemen. It's Washington's war, waged by Bush/Cheney, Obama, and now Trump - Saudis partnered with the US for their own strategic interests.
They want pro-Western puppet Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi restored to power. Along with the US, Riyadh seeks control of the country, its oil, and a pipeline from the kingdom to a Yemeni port.
Houthi attacks on Saudi targets are taking their toll. The latest on Saturday showed the kingdom's crown jewels are vulnerable to be struck.
Is Riyadh getting war-weary? Fighting won't end as long as US dark forces want it continued.
(* B K P)
What is it like being a young person in Yemen? In 2017 we interviewed 1500 Yemenis aged 15-25 about their views on the war and their daily lives.
https://perceiving-yemen.org/?lang=en
(* B H K P)
Yemen Was Called the Forgotten War, but Activists Are Refusing to Forget
The situation in Yemen calls for multiple responses, but for the US, ceasing to contribute to the catastrophe should be job No. 1. Joining us now to talk about making that happen is Hassan El-Tayyab. He’s legislative representative for Middle East policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation. He joins us now by phone from Washington, DC. Welcome to CounterSpin, Hassan El-Tayyab.
Hassan El-Tayyab: It’s hard to overstate the degree of hardship that Yemenis are enduring and have been enduring. I’m not sure that it’s clear that we’re not talking about people “in the line of fire,” or people “engaged in a war”; it’s important to understand that it’s civilians that are bearing the brunt of this conflict, right?
Yeah, absolutely. As a result of the Saudi/UAE blockade around Yemen, we see 14 million people living on the brink of famine; 1.3 million cases of cholera, 10,000 new cases each week.
The reason why the United States is complicit is because of our military aid to the Saudi-led coalition. We are providing logistical support and intel-sharing for their aerial campaign; we’re doing spare-part transfers, making sure that all those F-15s that are dropping bombs on civilian targets in Yemen are up to speed; and we also are providing a moral cover by continuing this assistance.
For a long time, the Yemen civil war and the US part in it—you know, Yemen was called the “forgotten war,” but there have been some members in Congress that are refusing to forget, and activists around the country that are refusing to forget.
https://truthout.org/audio/yemen-was-called-the-forgotten-war-but-activists-are-refusing-to-forget/
(* B K P)
‘The world watches in silence’: an interview with Ahmed Jahaf
As the world’s largest arms fair takes place in London, Lydia Noon talks to Yemeni artist Ahmed Jahaf about living under a Saudi-led military siege.
Ahmed Jahaf: It’s difficult to live under bombardment, but after four and a half years, it’s not as difficult as it was. When I hear the jets flying over I worry about my two children but I also run to the places the bombs have hit to take pictures or to help people. Many airstrikes have targeted buildings near me. Many times the airstrikes have targeted the windows of my house. But I don't feel fear anymore and neither do many other Yemenis.
I left commercial designs – such as logos and motion graphics – and began to represent what was happening around me and get publicity for the ongoing situation.
Firstly, what is happening in Yemen isn't a civil war, it’s an aggression led by Saudi Arabia, which is fully supported by the White House. Yemen faces everyday airstrikes and a shortage of food and medicine because of the Saudi-led coalition blockade.
I still make ‘art for peace’ in Yemen after four years of war, as well as art about war crimes. But I also make artwork showing how Yemenis are strong and are still resisting this aggression.
In my artwork only two words appear: ‘war’ and ‘peace’. I'm just trying to show the ugliness of war, what happens because of war while the world is watching in silence. This is my way to protest against the injustice of this forgotten war and for peace.
Yemen’s war is not covered in the international media. Even if some media talk about it a bit, it’s not enough.
(* B P)
Yemen Conflict and OIC: The role of the powerful states
This worsening situation in Yemen have put some serious question on credibility of OIC. Organization of Islamic conference (OIC) which is now termed as organization of Islamic cooperation is second largest intergovernmental organization in the world after United Nation.
Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which always had supported solidarity in the Muslim world and had also tried to mediate between Shia-Sunni conflicts, is now taking side. It is the most important reason that OIC is failed to solve Yemen conflict.OIC is continuously supporting Saudis .Saudi Arabia is a dominant state in the Muslim world and also in the OIC. Domination of Saudi Arabia in OIC has few imperative reasons.
First of all Saudi Arabia is a leading state of Arab League and Arab Leagues have strong block in OIC.
Last but not the least Saudi Arabia is providing huge sum of money to OIC to carry out its activities.
https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2019/09/13/yemen-conflict-and-oic-the-role-of-the-powerful-states/
(B P)
Investigation: UAE In Yemen… Contrast Between Words And Deeds
The blatant contradiction is dominating the UAE’s behavior in Yemen, where it has been waging a criminal war for more than four years to serve its ambitions to loot wealth and assets and gain suspicious influence.
The UAE recently issued a statement confirming the support of the legitimate Yemeni government, while continuing to send military vehicles and armored vehicles to the interim Yemeni capital of Aden to support its separatist arms, in an attempt to naive neglect of Yemenis and the general interest of the Arab and international.
Until a month ago, the Emiratis, under the cover of the Saudi-led coalition, believed they had attached enough Yemen to publicize the plan to divide Yemen and add a new state to the Arab map, and they started a military campaign to topple the remaining state institutions in Aden, which has already been done. Those who support it should not step back.
This is what the people of Yemen touched to the reality of the project,
The entire UAE practice, including the use of aerial bombardment against government forces, was a powerful provocation, leading to a backlash in which Yemenis were united in a way that would not have occurred in the face of the country’s severe political crisis and divisions. In this situation, the issuance of a statement by the UAE talking about supporting the legitimacy, in light of the contrary practices turned into cynicism.
https://emiratesleaks.com/en/investigation-uae-yemen-contrast-words-deeds/
My comment: A ferce anti-Emirati viewpoint.
(B K P)
Saudi Allies Fighting Each Other Hands Yemen Initiative to Iran
What Next?
But restoring a degree of unity may prove beyond the kingdom. The fighting has drawn on long-held demands for the restoration of a separate state in the south of Yemen, which was only united in 1990. And it has been fueled by the central role in Hadi’s government of the Islamist Islah party, which the U.A.E. considers a terrorist organization linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.
The split in the south has raised questions about what the Houthis will do next.
“The Houthis could in theory burst out in a couple of places, at some point take advantage of the situation,” said Michael Knights, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute who was embedded with U.A.E. forces on four Yemeni battlefronts last year. “Or they could play the longer game.”
My comment: An US viewpoint, fixed on Iran.
(* B P)
Audio: Yemen gets curiouser and curiouser
William Morris of Hala London radio talks about the new situation in Yemen and its potential partition in to three distinct countries
https://www.buzzsprout.com/529801/1696135
(A K P)
Euro-Med and IRDG call for condemning coalition violations
(* B K P)
The U.S.-Backed Coalition Can’t Agree on Why It’s Bombing Yemen
As Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates clash over their goals, the people of Yemen are paying the price.
Throughout the war, the Saudi-led coalition has emphasized its commitment to reinstating Yemen’s president Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power. However, recent events show members of the alliance that is backed and aided militarily by the United States cannot even agree on the coalition’s goals in Yemen. Continued U.S. participation only serves to prolong an increasingly aimless intervention that, according to a recent United Nations report, may implicate the U.S. in war crimes. Especially in light of these developments, the moral travesty of the war in Yemen should be front and center of the Democratic debates on September 12.
To understand the importance of this conflict and its potential impact on the U.S.- Saudi intervention, an examination of Yemen’s recent history is important.
A coalition at war with itself?
In July, following announcements (and denials) of the UAE’s plan to pull back from the war in Yemen, the STC fighters launched an attack on Hadi government forces in Aden, capturing the city.
The view that this is a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, however, fails to recognize Yemenis’ own interests and separate them from the interests of those backing them. The latest events also further complicate the unconstitutional U.S. participation in the war.
Ostensibly, the U.S. supports the Saudi-UAE coalition’s 4.5-year-long attempt to reinstate Hadi to power. With one coalition member now openly supporting separatists who, like the Houthis, are in active rebellion against the Hadi government, Trump’s decision to remain in the coalition has little justification and dwindling legitimacy.
Respect for sovereignty
Ultimately, the only path for Yemenis to achieve their goals—not those of their occupiers—is to reject foreign interference altogether and return to the negotiation table – by Shireen Al-Adeimi
http://inthesetimes.com/article/22053/yemen-war-saudi-arabia-uae-hadi-government/
(? B K P)
Film by Arab Center Washington DC: The Future of Yemen: Between Internal Divisions and External Interference
Arab Center Washington DC held a briefing on the current situation in Yemen and the prospects for the future in light of the UAE's shift in strategy in the country and its crumbling alliance with Saudi Arabia. Panelists included Sama’a Al-Hamdani, Nabeel Al-Nowairah, and Kristian Coates Ulrichsen. Arab Center's Imad K. Harb moderated the discussion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dpntLtd8KU
(* B K P)
Yemen Continues Its Descent into Hell
There are really only two sides to the war in Yemen. There are the unarmed civilians. And there’s everyone else. The civilians are losing. Badly.
All of the belligerents, both domestic and foreign, have committed rapes, torture, extrajudicial executions and detentions, and have conducted indiscriminate attacks on civilians. These findings appear in a report to be presented this week to the UN Human Rights Council, but they will not be news to anyone who has followed the conflict.
US Role
Since 2015, the US has been assisting the Saudi-led coalition with target spotting, intelligence sharing, and (until November 2018) in-flight refueling of coalition aircraft. Many of the bombs dropped on innocent Yemenis are supplied by the US
The South Will Rise Again
A fissure has opened in the Saudi-UAE coalition.
That’s about as obvious as a rift can get. Nevertheless, the Saudis and the UAE are publicly trying to keep up the appearance of a unified coalition as Yemen totters on the brink of fracturing permanently. Whatever happens, unless the war ends, the people of Yemen will be the losers.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/09/12/yemen-continues-its-descent-into-hell/
(* A P)
Yemen launches boycott campaign against UAE
"Boycott UAE Products" comes in response to Emirati war crimes and participation in invasion of Yemen
Yemeni activists have orchestrated an online campaign encouraging people around the world to boycott products made in the United Arab Emirates, in a move that aims to punish the regime for its crimes against the people of Yemen in the Saudi-led war against the impoverished country.
Dubbed “Boycott the UAE Products,” the initiative has been already endorsed by social media users as well as some key Arab figures, said Abdullah al-Harazi, one of the founders of the “campaign.
He told the al-Khaleej Online news website that the campaign seeks to first produce a list of well-known Emirati firms to avoid harming Arab and Islamic firms that only operate in the country as part of their business.
The ultimate goal of the campaign was pressuring Abu Dhabi into ending its atrocities in Yemen by putting economic pressure on Emirati businesses.
https://www.uprising.today/yemen-launches-boycott-campaign-against-uae/
(* B K P)
Audio: Nasser Arrabyee on the Ongoing War in Yemen
Nasser Arrabyee is a Yemeni journalist based in Sana’a, Yemen. He is the owner and director of yemen-now.com. You can follow him on Twitter @narrabyee.
https://scotthorton.org/interviews/9-9-19-nasser-arrabyee-on-the-ongoing-war-in-yemen/
(* B K P)
UAE air strike in Yemen exposes fissures in Saudi alliance
On August 29th the UAE confirmed that it carried out air strikes against forces loyal to the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, but that the UAE called "terrorist militias". In June the UAE—nominally Saudi Arabia's main partner in the coalition supporting the government of the president, Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, in the Yemen war—began a gradual military withdrawal from Yemen that the UAE government has justified as consistent with a UN-sponsored truce between the Saudi‑led Arab coalition and the rebel Shia Houthi movement. The UAE has sought to distance itself from the core Yemen conflict, leaving Saudi Arabia saddled with the burden of prosecuting the war.
The latest air strikes have further soured Saudi Arabia's ties with its putative ally and reportedly prompted the Saudi king, Salman bin Abdel‑Aziz al‑Saud, to express "extreme irritation" with the Emirati leadership. The air strikes have exposed and deepened the strains in the UAE-Saudi relationship, with the Riyadh-based Yemeni government of Mr Hadi openly calling for the expulsion of the UAE from the Saudi‑led coalition.
Escalating regional tensions are causing difficulties between allies
There have been differences in priorities between the UAE and Saudi Arabia throughout the military campaign. Saudi Arabia has been keen to defeat what they view as Iranian proxies in the Houthi rebellion and to keep Yemen united and has been willing to work with Islamist groups. In contrast, the UAE has been willing to support secessionist groups in Yemen, viewing Islamist groups as a bigger threat to its security.
(* B K P)
How the UAE and Saudi Arabia have destabilised the Arab World
From the war in Yemen and support for renegade Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar to the blockade of Qatar, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are intimately involved in contributing to instability in the Middle East.
Since the start of the Arab uprisings in 2011, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have actively intervened in several states to put an end to the democratic aspirations of the citizens of those countries.
In some instances, the two states have not shied away from direct military intervention, supporting warlords and imposing economic boycotts, in order to get their way.
http://www.newnewss.net/how-the-uae-and-saudi-arabia-have-destabilised-the-arab-world/
(*B K P)
[From 2016:] The Middle East Impasse - Human & Political Cost of the Faustian Gulf Armageddon
Alarmed by the rise of a group they believed to be backed militarily by Iran, Sunni Arab states began an air campaign aimed at restoring Mr Hadi's government, which believes the solution to Yemen's 2½ year-old civil war will likely come through military rather than political means. Other writers believe the route to sustained stability requires active engagement of all stakeholders in the conflict and a complete abandonment of the 'no negotiations' stance that has all too often plagued the conflict.
The UN must initiate an immediate ceasefire and start the peace negotiations in a multilateral context in order to establish an inclusive government in the war-torn country. The conflict in Yemen can be resolved. A key move to this end involves Western countries ending their support of the Saudi military intervention, and also increased pressure on the Saudi monarchy to understand the necessity of change in the country. Riyadh must accept the fact that Yemen cannot return to its pre-Arab spring form and reality. It is necessary to help foster a Yemeni state with sufficient legitimacy to permit a sustained rebuilding process.
An inclusive regional agreement may be the best path to do so because Yemeni leaders do not trust one another. Of course, regional leaders do not agree either, but there may be no other path to peace. Most observers agree that there is no military solution to the conflict. If there is no military solution, there appears to be no peaceful solution either. A regional settlement that includes Russia and Iran on the side of the Houthis and Saleh, and the US and Gulf states on the Hadi side, is one way to give enough confidence to local actors to the effect that peace is possible.
The only region in the world without a security framework must at long last set about the task of creating one that can give due consideration to harmonising the mandate of the regional security framework with the UN Charter, while ensuring that the framework has enough teeth to thwart aggression and react to security threats against its members.
Indeed, the frustration for the well-meaning international humanitarian community is that the Yemeni peace suggests itself seems within reach only to elude and appears readily practicable only to resist realisation. It submits itself, seems within grasp only to elude, and appears readily doable only to resist fulfilment – by Costantonos Costantinos
cp2a Saudische Blockade / Saudi blockade
(* B K P)
YPC Warns of Worsening Humanitarian Situation in Yemen
Yemen petroleum company spokesman, Director of the Department of Agencies, Transport and Insurance, Amin Al-Shatebi warned of worsening the humanitarian situation in Yemen because of the continued detention of oil derivatives ships by the coalition and preventing their access to Hodeidah port .
Al-Shatebi explained to Almasirah channel that the coalition of aggression is still holding six oil ships despite that they had entry permits from the United Nations in order to increase the citizens suffering.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=8772
(* B K P)
Coalition holds 13 food, oil tankers from access to Hodeidah port
The coalition, led by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates continued to seize and prevented 13 tankers of basic food commodities and oil derivatives from access to Hodeidah port.
The move came in light of ongoing escalation and economic war by the coalition to push millions of the Yemeni people to the brink of starvation.
http://en.ypagency.net/131753/
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
Siehe / Look at cp1
(A H)
U.N. aid chief says Saudi Arabia to pay $500 million for Yemen aid next week
My comment: Wait and see.
(B H)
World Food Programme, Logistics Cluster: Yemen: Passengers Transport Overview - Djibouti - Aden - Djibouti, August 2019
(B H)
UN Children's Fund, Protection Cluster: Yemen: Child Protection Area of Responsibility - Dashboard on Need, Response and Gaps (2019 First and second Quarter)
(A H)
@monatrainingce is part of @monarelief
and will enable many people to get real skills through different programs that being adopted by Mona Training Center which will focus on providing youth, women and orphans the skills that they need to join labour market. (photos)
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/1172956612035796999
Give a man a fish & you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish & you feed him for a lifetime. I believe in this Chinese proverb, & for that reason I spent my last 6 months in preparing to set up a @monatrainingce which will b specialized n providing training courses to #Yemen-is (photos)
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/1172956309651697669
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/1172956179192012800
(A H)
I'm so proud to tell you that @monarelief will launch very soon a health clinic center to provide treatment for free to IDPs and the most vulnerable families in Sana'a. Our clinic will focus as well on taking care of children who they are suffering from malnutrition (film)
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/1172957792854056960
(B H)
HOPE IN YEMEN: AMAAL’S STORY
War is hard for everybody, but it is infinitely harder on children. Their hopes and dreams are quite simple: a new toy, a cone of strawberry ice cream, playing outdoors or even going to school. But for millions of children across Yemen, these seem like impossible dreams. This is the case for Amaal, a ten-year-old Yemeni girl whose family, like thousands of others, had to flee their home in Hodeidah because of the war.
Amaal and her family finally settled in the Al Buraiqah district of Aden. They live in an old wooden house that they now call home, but they have no income and little hope.
https://care.ca/2019/09/hope-in-yemen-amaals-story/
(B H)
Heartbreaking video: This man is holding a sign in Sana'a says that he has a cancer and he needs encouragement. Look how #Yemen-i people responded! He is not sick with cancer but he is testing people's reactions. He couldn't bear acting sick and he cried finally.
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1172525869530849281
(* B H)
UNDP describes situation in Yemen as First class humanitarian disaster
The Administrator of the United Nations Development Program” UNDP” appealed to the Chair of the United Nations Group on Sustainable Development Achim Steiner on Wednesday the international community that the situation in Yemen is as First class humanitarian disaster and he appealed not to make people starve to death.
“The situation is catastrophic and could worsen,” Steiner said in an article in the German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau after his visit to Yemen.
He added” economic life has reached a dead end where Roads, schools, houses and agricultural land were destroyed and Gross domestic products ” GDP” has halved in the four years since the war broke out.
While the war in Yemen brought the country back 20 years which the equivalent of almost a generation.
He pointed that 80% of the population depend on aid, while most people you may die of starvation or disease whereas the country is threatened by the spread of cholera again.
“The situation in Yemen can be described in one word as an intolerable situation” the UN official added.
https://sabanews.net/en/news3067182.htm
(* B H)
Feature: Hunger kills Yemen's children in silence, no one hears
The UNICEF reported on July 31 that about 357,000 children under 5 years old are suffering Severe Acute Malnutrition in Yemen.
Millions of Yemenis have become not able to secure one meal a day for their children. The five-war-long running war and economic blockade have killed thousands of Yemen's children, while millions are struggling to escape the silent killer. (photos)
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-09/14/c_138391605.htm
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-09/12/c_138387582.htm
(* B H)
WHO: Funding shortages threaten lives of millions of Yemen children
The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned yesterday that a lack of funding is threatening the lives of millions of children in Yemen.
“Funding shortfalls prevent patients from getting free or subsidised treatment and put their lives at risk,” the organisation’s office in Yemen said on Twitter.
WHO stressed the need to meet pledges given in this regard so as to save the lives of Yemeni people.
UN agencies working in Yemen have already complained of a lack of funding limiting their ability to carry out many humanitarian and health programmes in the country.
„When money doesn’t come, people die.” – Lise Grande @UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen,” the international organisation warned in a tweet.
(* B H)
UN Children's Fund: Exclusive breastfeeding, a simple practice that saves lives
Since the current war broke out in Yemen in March 2015, over 3.5 million people have been internally displaced, and 46,660 families are newly displaced since January 2019 alone.
Internally displaced persons, especially women and children lack access to all basic services, making them more vulnerable, to food insecurity, diseases, malnutrition, and poverty.
More than four years of the conflict, have considerably worsened the situation of women and children in Yemen. Today, the majority of children are deprived of a healthy diet and nearly 360,000 under five years of age suffer from severe acute malnutrition. In fact, only 10 per cent of children under six months are exclusively breastfed in Yemen and a newborn who is not breastfed is at heightened risk of death – directly through malnutrition, and indirectly through increased susceptibility to infections. An integral part of UNICEF-supported nutrition interventions across Yemen is to promote and improve child feeding practices, especially among vulnerable populations, such as displaced communities.
https://www.unicef.org/yemen/stories/exclusive-breastfeeding-simple-practice-saves-lives
(* B H)
Emergency Health and Nutrition Project Photobook
The health system was on the verge of total collapse. People had to travel hundreds of kilometers across rough terrain to reach the nearest hospital—unsure if they would even get the treatment they so desperately needed.
The World Bank, UNICEF and WHO through the Emergency Health and Nutrition Project (EHNP), have made health care accessible for millions. They are investing in improving and strengthening human capital for the future—Yemen’s future. People no longer have to travel hundreds of miles to seek care, there are now health facilities that have been equipped through the Project to meet their needs.
The EHNP also supports the water and sanitation services in Yemen. Since the beginning of the project, more than 1.5 million people have gained access to safe water. Around 2 million now have safe access to sanitation services. Water quality has improved by 50% in areas at high risk of diseases in several governorates.
This Nexus has resulted in greater functionality; some facilities that were once damaged are now fixed. Greater functionality has led to greater service availability, ensuring millions now have access to healthcare
https://www.unicef.org/yemen/reports/emergency-health-and-nutrition-project-photobook = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/emergency-health-and-nutrition-project-photobook
(* B H)
It is hard to work when you are asking yourself how to feed your own children
“It is difficult for a teacher to do his work and pass on his knowledge to students that don’t have anything else than a piece of bread to eat,” says the teacher Hamoud Hassan Qaed when asked about the main challenges in his profession. “And I cannot teach them properly if I have to walk two hours every day from my home to the school and back because I don’t have money to pay for transportation,” Hamoud continues. “Sometimes, I have to make an impossible choice between buying breakfast for my children or use the money to pay for transportation to school,” says Hamoud.
Hamoud is a chemistry teacher at Al-Mokhtar High School in Sana’a. He is 47 years old and a father of eight children. He has been working in the education sector for the past 18 years. However, he is forced to look for other jobs in the last three years since he is not receiving his public servant salary anymore.
“What do we expect from teachers who haven’t received their monthly payment for three years?” Hamoud asks himself. “We count the days, the months, the years waiting for a glimmer of hope to be able to withstand more. But it is hard to work when we are busy asking ourselves how to feed our own children,” he says.
When he heard about the UNICEF-supported conditional cash assistance project for school- based staff and teachers, Hamoud regained some hope.
(B H)
Map: iMMAP, Protection Cluster: Child Protection Area of Responsibility - Yemen: Thematic 3W (Who, What, Where) in 2018
(B H)
World Food Programme, Logistics Cluster: UNHAS Flight Schedule, October 2019
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/unhas-flight-schedule-october-2019
(* B H)
US Agency for International Development: Yemen: Health Fact Sheet - September 2019
USAID supports life-saving maternal, child health and family planning services, and a stronger health system that reaches the most vulnerable populations.
In Yemen,19.7 million people lack access to basic health services. A driving force in the complexity and urgency of Yemen’s humanitarian and health crisis is the burden of the current food security crisis. Approximately 15.9 million people in Yemen are severely food insecure – currently the most significant amount globally. As of 2019 there were over 360,000 children under five years old suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) creating irreversible stunting, as well as wasting and increased mortality due to starvation. An estimated 7.4 million people are in need of nutrition assistance, with 4.4 million people who require treatment for acute malnutrition.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-health-fact-sheet-september-2019
(B H)
US Agency for International Development: USAID Yemen: Country Profile
OUR WORK
HEALTH
USAID health programs focus on expanding access to reproductive health services and supporting the World Health Organization to conduct routine polio surveillance. USAID is also exploring ways to improve maternal and child health outcomes in a protracted conflict environment.
WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE (WASH)
USAID assistance programs are improving access to adequate WASH systems for vulnerable populations and increasing their knowledge of hygiene practices reaching over 380,000 people in the Al-Mahwit, Dhamar, Sana’a and Taizz governorates.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/usaid-yemen-country-profile
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
(B H)
International Organization for Migration: Rapid Displacement Tracking (RDT) DTM-Yemen - Reporting Periods: September 01 - 07, August 25 – 31, 2019
DTM’s Rapid Displacement Tracking (RDT) tool collects and reports on numbers of households forced to flee on a daily basis, allowing for regular reporting of new displacements in terms of numbers, geography and needs
(B H)
International Organization for Migration: Flow Monitoring Points | Migrant Arrivals and Yemeni Returns from Saudi Arabia, August 2019
(B H)
Yemen: UNHCR Operational Update, 13 September 2019
The fourth cash-based intervention for 2,143 IDP families living in Hadramaut,
Heavy rains and flash floods continued in Abs district, Hajjah governorate, damaging a number of IDP and host community shelters
UNHCR, through partner Jeel Al-Bena, has completed the distribution of basic household items and emergency shelter kits to 1,824 IDP families affected by recent flooding in two northern districts of Hudaydah
IDP families living in sites in Abyan governorate were reportedly forced to flee their shelters after clashes erupted nearby.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-unhcr-operational-update-13-september-2019
(* B H)
Film: Abeer aus dem Jemen
Abeer ist mit ihren Kindern aus dem Jemen geflohen, zuerst in die Türkei. Dort lernt sie ihren Mann kennen. Doch nach Drohungen ihres Exmannes aus der Heimat flieht sie weiter nach Europa. Jetzt lebt die junge Frau mit ihrer Familie in Deutschland. Ob sie hier bleiben dürfen, ist noch unklar. Wir begleiten Abeer zu ihrem BAMF-Interview.
https://www1.wdr.de/mediathek/av/video-abeer-aus-dem-jemen-100.html = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq2Yj2lHKtM
(* B H)
UN: 350,000 Yemenis displaced in 2019
About 350,000 people have been displaced by the ongoing conflict in Yemen in 2019, the United Nations said today.
In a tweet, the UN’s International Organisation for Migration said that the body’s Displacement Tracking Matrix covers more than 42,000 sites, to help understand the needs, numbers, locations and population conditions in Yemen, including IDPs, returnees and migrants.
It found that in 2019 alone, about 350,000 people were displaced in Yemen.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190912-un-350000-yemenis-displaced-in-2019/
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
(* B P)
3544 Enforced Disappearances by Houthi militia in 4 years
A Yemeni human rights watchdog says it has documented 3544 cases of enforced disappearances in several Yemeni provinces from September 2014 , when Houthi militia overthrew the government, to December 2018.
Speaking in Geneva seminar today, a representative of the Yemeni Coalition for Monitoring Human Rights Violations, Murad Al-Gharati said, “Among the disappeared are 64 children, 15 women and 72 elderly.”
http://en.26sepnews.net/2019/09/14/3544-enforced-disappearances-by-houthis-in-4-years/
(A P)
Houthi militia kidnaps mosque preacher in Sana’a for criticizing its racial sectarian rituals
(A P)
Criminal Court Seizes 70 Yemeni Leaders’ Funds Accused Of Collaborating With Aggression
The criminal prosecution directed accusation against 124 leaders with committing war crimes and collaborating Saudi Arabia United States, Britain and Israel and United States, and support and help by the exiled Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi against the Yemeni people.
The decision charged the leaders with criminal acts and conspiracy against independence, unity and territory the Republic of Yemen, its sovereignty, as well as disclosing the secrets of the defense force, destroying infrastructures of the Yemeni people.
https://sabanews.net/en/news3067929.htm
(A P)
Ansarollah member says US does not allow an end to aggression on Yemen
In a tweet on his Twitter account, the member of Yemen's Supreme Political Council Muhammad Ali al-Houthi has reacted to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo remarks claiming that Iran had a hand in the yesterday’s drone attacks on oil facilities in the east of Saudi Arabia.
"The US handles the anti-Yemeni coalition, and Washington opposes all parties that want peace, including Congress. That's why Adel al-Jubair (Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs) and Turki al-Maliki (anti-Yemen coalition spokesman) say the war has been imposed on them."
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/150067/Ansarollah-member-says-US-does-not-allow-an-end-to-aggression
(A P)
Mohammed Al-Houthi Comments on US Statements after 2nd Operation of Balanced Deterrence
"The US in its statements confirms that he serves his goals in the region only and his first concern is how to carry out his adventures at the expense of others who grinned by the smile until he considers it an achievement, and extort a statement," Mohammed Al-Houthi said in a tweet.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=8805
(A P)
Houthis Order Seizure of Assets of 35 Deputies
The public prosecution run by the Iran-aligned Houthi militias in Yemen's Sanaa, according to well-informed sources, issued an order to seize assets of 35 deputies, who were allegedly charged with national treason.
Sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, pointed out that [Hadi government‘s] parliament Speaker and General People's Congress (GPC) leader Sultan al-Burkani was one of the figures affected by the Houthi decision. Other targeted lawmakers mostly belonged to the GPC and reformist parties, such as al-Islah, otherwise known as the Yemeni Congregation for Reform.
Last week, the Houthis in Sanaa referred the 35 deputies to court after lifting their immunity.
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1903216/houthis-order-seizure-assets-35-deputies
(A P)
Film: Opening of Sanaa University in the shadow of Saudi-led war
Opening of Sanaa University in the shadow of Saudi-led war.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2497071317193595
(A P)
6 civilians killed and wounded by Houthi gunmen and sporadic security incidents in Ibb
Three civilians have been killed and three others injured in incidents in different areas of Ibb governorate, amid a massive security chaos in the Houthi-controlled province.
A local source told Al-Masdar Online that the boy Shamsan, Al-Suraimi ,"18 years old", was shot dead by a gunman named Issam Jalal al- Suraimi, in al-Karba area, in the isolation of Bani Omar in al-Qafar district north of Ibb province.
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/171568
(* B P)
Houthi rape of women prisoners; a silent agony avoiding stigma
During those protests alone hundreds of women were in rounded up to jails, nevertheless.
In their capacity as "holy warriors" Houthi militiamen have been indulging themselves to the right of rape of those prisoners as a reward they claim to be allowed by God, according to their extremist interpretation of Islam.
This is the most sensitive and stigmatizing an issue can be in Yemen- the issues that have to do with honor. Families of the jailed are not open to the press about their ordeal and the Yemeni press community are aware of that and so don't cast much light on it.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-33089
(A P T)
Salvation Government Condemns Terrorist Act That Targeted Home Of Minister Of Water And Environment.
https://sabanews.net/en/news3067343.htm
(A E P)
Not Accepting Dollar 2003-2006 Notes Is Illegal Practice: Central Bank Governor
https://sabanews.net/en/news3067338.htm
My comment: Western media forget that there still is the original Yemeni central bank at Sanaa.
(A E P)
YPC Confirms Oil Supply Situation Stability
Yemen Petroleum Company (YPC) on Thursday confirmed the stability of the oil supply situation, noting that the petroleum materials available in reservoirs and at the port are sufficient to cover the needs of citizens during the coming period.
“The state of panic and crowding by citizens in front of the fuel stations that appeared during the past few hours suddenly in the capital Sanaa was resulting from rumors adopted by the black market brokers,”
https://sabanews.net/en/news3067329.htm
(* A P)
Houthis take children from schools to warfronts
In the sidelines of the 42nd Session of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council in Geneva, a group of Yemeni human rights defenders have shared some of children’s plight in Yemen.
The most serious issue that threatens childhood in Yemen is the continuous military recruitment of children by the Iran-backed Houthis, according to three human rights activists who spoke in a symposium organized by Union of Foreign Communities on the issue.
Until now, the Houthis have recruited over than 18,000 children, according to Arwa Al-Khatabi, a Yemeni female human rights activist.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-33064
My comment: „The most serious issue that threatens childhood in Yemen is the continuous military recruitment of children by the Iran-backed Houthis“: obviously not.
(* A H P)
UN Food aids expire in Ibb
Around 62,000 expired Tuna cans were destroyed at store of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Ibb governorate.
This happens amid continuous failure by aid organizations to access millions of vulnerable people because of interventions in the relief work by the Houthis officials.
The Houthi officials restrict movements and work of the aid organizations by requiring relief agencies to distribute aids to only lists approved by their de facto authority in the northern parts of Yemen.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-33054
My comment: By an anti-Houthi news site, but certainly true in this case.
(A P)
[Films, Ashura day rallies]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNrtKRF_UTE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNELxnaEcWg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YxMjPKXxdI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKt77z0yEkM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvY5Y9VbZQI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkj3jbKn_gM
(A P)
Interior Ministry Announces Execution of Assassin who Killed Martyr Ibrahim Al-Houthi
The Interior Ministry announced on Wednesday the execution of Mohammad Ali Qayid Dhawi, 54, the main perpetrator of the assassination of Martyr Ibrahim Badruddin Al-Houthi and his companion Mohammed Al-Ayani.
In the statement, the ministry explained that the operation was carried out after an investigation and the collection of accurate information through which the involvement of certain persons and entities in the assassination of the two martyrs was proved. The investigations proved the link of the so-called “Dawi,” to the Saudi enemy Intelligence.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=8736
(B P)
Film: Shawqi Al-Jabali Tortured for One Year by Houthis in Al-Hodeidah Prisons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFzVGtlkz2k
Snippet: https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1172897800306253824
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
Siehe / Look at cp1
(*B P)
Emiratis ambivalent about Yemen's unity:US diplomat
Events seen by the Yemeni southern port city of Aden have reflected a Saudi-Emirati disagreement and divergent goals in Yemen, former US ambassador to Yemen said Friday.
Gerald Feierstein, currently senior vice president at the Middle East Institute, dubbed the recent clashes in southern Yemen, between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), as "very unfortunate".
"There no doubt in my mind that, in fact, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have divergent goals in Yemen," he added in interview with the London-based SharqwaGharb website."The Saudis have a much stronger commitment to the unity of Yemen. The Emiratis are ambivalent about that.I think that in certain instances, certainly in terms of what's happening in the South and also what's happened in the east in Mahara governorate, the two have found themselves in different positions on developments. So there are certainly differences between Saudi Arabia and the Emirates."
"Of course, this is a level of tension that stood there for some time. It is not new. In fact, there were similar clashes earlier in 2018 that were resolved through the intervention of the Saudis and the Emiratis.
Now, I think we have the Saudis inviting the leadership to Jeddah to negotiate. My expectation is that once again, the Saudis and the other parties will be able to paper over this conflict and get everybody back onto the same page."
"There needs at some point in the future to be another political negotiation and another effort at reconciling the parties, in order to agree on the way to address the divisions between the North and the South," former US envoy to Yemen said.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-11337.html
(A K P)
Southern resistance targets Islah militants in Shabwa
http://en.adenpress.news/news/13301
(A P)
Southern flag raising campaign launched in Abyan (Photos)
http://en.adenpress.news/news/13298
(A P)
SCMC distributes toys, school supplies to Socotra (Photos)
A delegation from the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, SCMC, currently visiting the Yemeni island of Socotra, distributed 11 tonnes of toys, gifts and school supplies to the island’s children, as gifts from Emirati youth.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/13296
My comment: How separatists are fishing for sympathy.
(A P)
Statement of the Inclusive Consultative Meeting of Shabwa
Shabwa, an inclusive consultative meeting was held attended by massive crowds of Shabwa citizens
the meeting states the following:
We denounce this barbaric invasion of Shabwa and other southern governorates by Al-Eslah militias including terrorist and tribal northern element with all that came forth of anti-humanity crimes.
We demand all invasion troops to retreat from all southern territories where they are deployed under no terms or conditions.
The meeting declares all territories where Al-Eslah militias are deployed as occupied territories and demand al Shabwa citizens and the southern resistance to lineup for liberating our lands and exhausting the attacks of the enemy and fighting all projects of terrorism.
We warn all citizens of Shabwa and the whole south from the risks of enlisting in Muslim Brotherhood militias or collaborating with them as those who will do so will be considered enemy too.
https://en.smanews.org/statement-of-the-inclusive-consultative-meeting-of-shabwa
My comment: More separatist propaganda against Islah Party (Muslim Brotherhood).
(A K P)
Eslah militias of Muslim Brotherhood turned some mosques in Ataq into military barracks regardless of its holiness.
My comment: And still more of this.
(A K P)
Racist and extrajudicial killings and arbitrary arrests by UAE-backed militias are continuing in south Yemen. These militias are targeting northerners and government fans
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/1172933040357724160
and
(A K P)
Film: Unfortunately, with huge pain & sorrow this is #Yemen Footage shows some elements in southern province of Aden carrying guns & shooting dead other elements. After 5 years of restoring Hadi's legitimacy here is the result, #Yemen-is are being killed by #Yemen-is with cold blood.
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/1172947248193384448
while separatist propaganda claims:
(A P)
Al-Khabgi: Dialogue is A Wat to Achieve Goals and We Are Ready for All Posibilities
Nasser Al-Khabgi of the STC indicated the importance of continuing the efforts to reconstruct the southern state with being ready for all possibilities. He also indicated that dialogue is only a means for achieving major objectives and what will come will be better.
and this ist he voice of separatist militia:
Commander of Aden Security Belt: Our Forces are Ready for Any Emergencies
Waddah Omar Abd Al-Aziz, commander of Aden Security Belt forces, indicated that his forces are ready for any urgent danger that may threatens Aden. He indicated that all forces are fully ready for dealing with those who try to disturb the security of citizens,
https://en.smanews.org/commander-of-aden-security-belt-our-forces-are-ready-for-any-emergencies
My comment: What he means, look above.
(B P)
Heart-rending video of a woman from #Yemen's #Taiz breaking down in tears when talking about her brother who's imprisoned in #UAE secret jails in #Aden. She appeals all int'l and huma rights orgs to help find and set him free.
https://twitter.com/Alsakaniali/status/1172579142262493184
(A K P)
Military Analyst: Attack of Al-Houthis to Al-Dhala’a was Coordinated by Muslim Brotherhood
More separatist conspiracy theory propaganda to blame Islah Party (Muslim Brotherhood).
(A K P)
Soldier injured, three arrested for opposing military reinforcements in Shabwa
A soldier was injured this morning in clashes between army forces and a group of saboteurs who set up an armed ambush for military reinforcements, in Qarn Al-Soda area of Habban district in the southeastern province of Shabwa.
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/171601
(* A K P)
Government forces push military reinforcements to Shaqra town east of Abyan
Local residents and witnesses told Al-Masr online that military reinforcements of government forces arrived in the town of Shaqra, east of Abyan province, in the south of the country, on Friday afternoon to support government forces stationed in the area since late August.
Witnesses in the town of Al-Khadira, near Modya, told "Al-Masdar Online" that reinforcements including trucks loaded with tanks, rocket launchers, troop carriers, and military vehicles arrived in the town, which is located along the road leading to the Al-Orquob mountain range, to support government forces stationed in Shaqra is located about 30 km from Zanzibar, the capital of Abyan province, which is under the control of the southern Transitional Council.
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/171593
(* A K P)
STC sends massive reinforcements to Abyan fronts
The Southern Transitional Council sent more troops to back up the fronts in the governorate of Abyan, military sources reported on Friday.
The same sources explained that massive military reinforcements arrived in Abyan, including hundreds of fighters along with armored vehicles in addition to military and logistic equipment to further strengthen the fronts of Shuqrah and Wadi Hassan.
STC sources told the press that the southern forces are waiting for the zero hour to launch a major military operation to cleanse Abyan of all the terrorist groups and gangs of Islah party and al-Qaeda,
http://en.adenpress.news/news/13276
My comment: In reality: to fight against Hadi government troups.
(A P)
STC Reiterates Southern Calls for Sustainable Political Solution
The Southern Transitional Council (STC) joined on Friday, hundreds of Southern civil society and diaspora community members from across Europe to renew demands for a credible political solution for South Yemen.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/13274
(A K P)
Yemen's internationally recognised government says the UAE has turned Yemen LNG Plant into a military barracks & is preventing the reopening of the plant. The French-Yemeni project in Shabwa province has been shut down since the Saudi-led coalition intervened militarily in 2015.
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/1172476436210434049
(* A K P)
The UAE delivered anti-armor mines to STC-aligned al Hizam Security Forces stationed in Jaar district north of Zinjibar, Abyan’s capital, on September 13, according to anti-STC media. Hadi government-aligned forces in tanks and armored vehicles separately traveled from neighboring Shabwah governorate to Mudia district in Abyan on September 13. Pro-STC media reported that the vehicles are traveling to Shaqra, a coastal town in Abyan.[3]
(A T)
Unidentified militants detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) targeting members of the Hadi government-aligned 23rd Mechanized Brigade in Hadramawt governorate in eastern Yemen on September 13. This was the second IED attack in Hadramawt in two days.[2]
(A P)
Khalid bin Salman meets Yemeni president, reaffirms Saudi support for legitimacy
Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman met with Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi in Riyadh on Friday, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported, where he reaffirmed the Kingdom’s stance in supporting legitimacy in Yemen to counter the Iranian-backed Houthi militia and to preserve the country’s unity, security and stability.
(* B P)
The Saudi-UAE game in Yemen
Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are exchanging roles in Yemen. While the former pretends to be completely biased in favour of the legitimacy, which requested its interference, the latter has adopted a clear position in favour of its military militias in the south.
It is true that there is a difference between them reflected in some of their positions, statements and media policy, but that remains within the details, and not the objectives. Their objectives are very much shared, at least in the short and medium terms.
There is an explanation circulating that the coalition wants the situation to remain as it currently is, where Aden, part of Abyan, along with Ad Dali, and Lahij remain in the hands of the STC and the forces of “legitimacy” remain on the doors of Zinjibar. This leaves it unable to regain its temporary capital until it agrees to talks with the new rebels in order to legitimise their reality. This opinion is reinforced by the statements made by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, which continuously reiterate the call for immediate and unconditional dialogue. This simply means legitimising the coup and including those who staged it in the legitimate government, which still remains committed to its position of refusing any dialogue before the current situation is brought to an end.
The legitimate government has no other choice but to remain committed to this position, exercise political manoeuvres and play all of the cards it has. These include threatening to lodge a complaint at the UN Security Council against the UAE’s actions as well as filing suits against it in international European courts, thus exposing its crimes in several forums.
On the ground, it must take certain steps to impose a fait accompli and invest popular and tribal support in strengthening its political and military position. It needs to avoid the trap of relying on the game of time and waiting for the situation to cool down, which is what the coalition wants.
It should not agree to dialogue before legitimacy and its civilian and military institutions are restored to Yemen and the rebel militias are disbanded.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190913-the-saudi-uae-game-in-yemen/
(A P)
He said al-Burkani refused to condemn the army's targeting. Jubbari: President Hadi and Saudi Arabia hold the responsibility for stopping UAE tampering in Yemen
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Abdul Aziz Jubbari said that President Hadi's silence and government and party leaders on the practices of the Arab alliance in Yemen, is a "betrayal", blaming the president and Saudi Arabia for deviating from its objectives in Yemen.
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/171556
(* A P)
Yemen’s Islah Party Calls for Forming Small Cabinet
Yemen’s al-Islah party has called for the formation of a small cabinet that brings together various political parties and for holding a national conference to combat extremism and terrorism.
Party leader Mohammed Abdullah al-Yadumi called in a speech for the formation of a small cabinet, whose members would be selected on the bases of national partnership, efficiency, and integrity to run the phase stipulated by the Gulf Initiative.
Yadumi warned against attempts to form the cabinet against the people’s will, stressing the party's rejection of extremism and terrorism in all its forms and means.
He said al-Islah backs the legitimate leadership represented in Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and the Saudi-led Arab Coalition, and slammed the sides that view such support as an attempt to serve the party’s interests.
Yadumi further expressed confidence in the Kingdom’s ability to contain the repercussions of the rebellion in the interim capital Aden and to guarantee the return of the state’s role in the city.
and
(* A P)
He condemned the UAE attack and renewed confidence in Saudi Arabia. Yadoumi: Rebellion in Aden is a distraction from the existential battle with the coup
Mohammed al-Yadoumi said that "The dramatization of role of the Islah Party “Islah” in the Government and the obliteration of the reality of its representation, and the attempts to overthrow the government under the pretext of the control of Islah Party are only an expression of intentions not only to exclude it , but also to perpetuate the factors of the conflict in Yemen and block the way to any political solutions."
The head of the Supreme Commission of the Yemeni Reform Rally “Islah”, in a speech on the occasion of the 29th anniversary of the party in September 13, 1990, added that Islah, while rejecting these claims, confirms at the same time that the new rebellion, in an indication to the events of Aden, "distracted the Yemenis from their existential battle with the Houthi coup."
"They should realize that they have opened gaps in the wall of legitimacy that serve primarily the coup in Sana'a, and those behind them are only forces that have targeted the national project and harmed the state and its institutions and therefore the interests of citizens and their basic rights and needs," he said. This is the logic of chaos, destruction and undermining stability."
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/171569
My remark: Islah Party lashes back against separatists.
(A H P)
STC provides food assistance to Ariaf in al-Mukalla
http://en.adenpress.news/news/13271
(A P)
Al Jaadi Warns of the Muslim Brotherhood Interfeing in Jeddah Talks
The Southern Transitional council warned of the Muslim Brotherhood's interfering in the Jeddah talks and tries to trick the Arab coalition.
Member of the presidency of the STC Fadhl Al Jaadi said that under the guidance of the minister of defence of legitimacy Mohamad Almaqdashi and the governer of Mareb Sultan Alardah as well as General chief of staff Abdulla Alnakhie, the Muslim Brotherhood Party continues to equip its forces with heavy weapons towards Shabwa governorate.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/13262
My comment: Southern separatists claim Islah Party is their main foe in Southern Yemen, and they want make to believe that their war against the Hadi government Mainly is a fight against Islah Party, which is connected to terrorism by separatist propaganda.
(A P)
Shabwa Fights Back in Face of the Islah Invaders and Thanks the Arab Coalition
Sheikhs, tribesmen and social figures gathered this morning in the al-Arm area in Shabwa governorate, to declare to the world that the Islah forces (Muslim Brotherhood) occupied the governorate.
The Shabwani men demanded that the invading forces must leave their land. They called on the men and tribes of Shabwa and the south to cleanse their land from the occupation.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/13263
My remark: Supporters of the separatists.
(A K P)
Tribal militiamen attacked a checkpoint of forces aligned with the Transitional Political Council for the South (STC), a southern Yemeni secessionist movement, in al Mahfad district in Abyan governorate in southern Yemen on September 13. The tribal militiamen injured STC official Nasser Ali Awad al Hazalah in the attack.[1]
(A K P)
STC blocks key southern road
Tribal gunmen loyal to the Southern Transitional Council have on Wednesday blocked the main road in al-Mahfad area, between the occupied provinces of Shabwah and Abyan, to prevent any supplies from reaching Hadi forces, sources reported.
The move came hours after the looting of supply vehicles belonging to STC
https://www.uprising.today/stc-blocks-key-southern-road/
(A K P)
Shabwah gas plant turned into military barracks
Hadi forces reinforce in expectation of separatist attacks
The so-called governor of Shabwah province in Hadi’s government-in-exile, Mohammed bin Adio, has on Wednesday said that the UAE has turned the Balhaf facility project for exporting liquefied gas into a military barracks.
In an interview with Al-Jazeera, bin Adio said that the local authorities are working to “stabilise” the province through the redeployment of security and military forces.
https://www.uprising.today/shabwah-gas-plant-turned-into-military-barracks/
(A P)
Two explosions rock Yemen’s Aden
https://www.uprising.today/two-explosions-rock-yemens-aden/
(A K P)
STC forces block major road on Socotra islands
Separatists attack Saudi-backed troops sent to retrieve stolen generators
Groups of the so-called Southern Transitional Council militias, which funded by the United Arab Emirates, have blocked the highway leading to the city of Qalansiyah on Socotra island, local sources reported.
According to the sources, “The UAE delegate in Socotra has on Friday mobilised armed groups and ordered them to cut off the roads of Qalansiyah to prevent forces belonging to Saudi Arabia from entering and returning the generators that were looted from the electricity establishment and turned into a private UAE institution.”
https://www.uprising.today/stc-forces-block-major-road-on-socotra-islands/
and
(A K P)
Socotra . UAE loyalists intercept Saudi fuel tankers dedicated to Qlansya electricity
Groups belonging to the pro-UAE Transitional Council (STC) in the Socotra archipelago, southeastern Yemen, on Friday intercepted a fuel tanker belonging to the Saudi Office of Reconstruction of Yemen and prevented it from entering the city of Qalansya.
A local source told Al-Masdar Online that supporters of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) prevented a fuel tanker from entering to supply the city's power plant.
The source explained that the situation remains tense, noting that security or the army have not intervened at this time.
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/171594
and
(* A P)
New Emirati escalation in Socotra. "Transitional" controls the Electricity Corporation of Qalansia and transfer it into a commercial company
Local sources in the Socotra archipelago said that gunmen from the Southern Transitional Council and the UAE took control of the State Electricity Corporation and disconnected power cables and connected them to generators belonging to an Emirati company.
The sources added to "Al-Masdar Online" that the transitional gunmen, instigated and directed by Brigadier Khalfan al-Mazroui, who arrived on the island yesterday, took over the electricity company in the Directorate of Qalansia and turned the connecting cables into generators belonging to the Emirati company "Daxm" .
The sources explained that this escalation by UAE, comes as part of efforts to overthrow the state institutions and to allow the pro- UAE militias to control the public and private affairs in the archipelago.
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/171553
and how the separatists tell it:
(A P)
Public Uprising Against Al-Eslah Troops in Kalansia – Socotra
According to eye-witnesses, military troops of Al-Eslah party moved towards the electric power station to stop it and return generators to the station yard according the directives of governor of Socotra. This decision was publicly rejected as the station was reopened by Khalifa Ben Zayed Organization and thousand of citizens in Kalansia moved to stop these troops and prevented them and any other committee loyal to the legitimacy from entering the station.
https://en.smanews.org/public-uprising-against-al-eslah-troops-in-kalansia-socotra
My comment: The separatists‘ public uprising is against the orders oft he governor oft he province, as admitted here.
(* A P)
Accused Al-Mazrouei of breaking into the electricity company. Socotra Governor: We will stand in the face of UAE tampering in the province
Socotra Governor Ramzi Mahrous pledged Wednesday to stand up to any hand that tries to tamper with the archipelago and not allow the spread of sedition, stressing that the actions of the UAE delegate and his tools to attack state institutions are reprehensible and unacceptable and should be stopped immediately.
The governor accused UAE delegate Khalfan al-Mazroui, who is in charge of the Khalifa Foundation for Humanitarian Work, of breaking into the electricity company in Socotra province along with a number of transitional elements, taking control of generators and transformers and pulling them out of the plant.
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/171555
(* A P)
Socotra: UAE continues to train militias amid coup plot against Yemen government
The UAE is intent on executing a coup on the Yemeni island of Socotra, according to adviser to the government’s Ministry of Information, Mukhtar Al-Rahbi.
In a series of tweets, Al-Rahbi claimed Emirati official, Khalfan Al-Mazrouei, who is working as a representative of the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, is actually plotting with local collaborators to implement a coup against Yemeni authorities on the island.
“The UAE sends its representative to Socotra, Brigadier Khalfan Al-Mazrouei, to cause chaos,” Al-Rahbi said in a tweet. He went on to say the Emirati had met with local groups and security officials “to orchestrate a coup under the guise of providing necessary services”.
Al-Rahbi added that there is a conspiracy against Socotra by UAE-backed militias, some of whom have received training in Abu Dhabi. He acknowledged that some of these fighters were local to the island and others had been recruited from Dhale and Yafa on the mainland.
There are fears that the UAE-backed militants could wrest control over the island
(A P)
Young man killed in Al-Mu’alla in central Aden by security belt forces member
A local source told Al-Masdar Online that a 20-year-old man was killed Thursday morning by gunmen at a checkpoint belonging to local UAE-backed forces near al- Mu’alla district in the southern city of Aden.
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/171565
(A P)
Yemeni Minister of Defense Appreciates the Kingdom's Efforts to Restore his Country
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1968597
My comment: LOL.
(* B P)
Nightmares of sexual abuse in the "Dream Room." This is how the Committee of Experts documented the crushing of the humanity of prisoners in UAE prisons in Aden
including "the rape of six men and one boy, as well as other cases of sexual abuse and forced nudity."
The report explained that "in a number of cases, victims have been raped several times."
Military personnel in the UAE committed verbal and physical rape with objects and penises, the report said. This included gang rape by multiple military personnel. In all cases, sexual violence was used as a method of interrogation and torture."
"The violence and threats used are escalating and the ultimate threat is rape," detainees told the experts. When military personnel in the UAE failed to achieve their goals by other means, they raped or sexually assaulted the victims."
"Every time I didn't confess or say anything exactly the way they wanted, he put his penis in my mouth," said a former detainee at al-Buraiqa base. I had no psychological support and did not see any doctor. I'm still very damaged."
The report referred to 12 cases of rape, as well as other sexual assaults, and forced nudity. Detainees were subjected to verbal and physical rape, including rape with a penis, rape with objects and gang rape. Sexual assaults included beatings of detainees' testicles and humiliate them".
In March 2018, UAE officials collectively stripped nearly 200 detainees, forcibly examined their anus, and raped several detainees with fingers, tools and sticks, the report said.
The report referred to the "Dream Room", a name given by Emirati officers to a place at the Arab Alliance base in al-Buraiqa area, west of the interim capital Aden, where members of the UAE army are torturing and threatening and it is a part of a large detention center located within the borders of the military base is intended to detain and torture leaders of the resistance, the army, parties and preachers , whom the UAE considers a threat to its objectives.
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/171567
and
(* B P)
UN experts: UAE forces sexually abuse inmates in Yemen
The chairman of a UN body of experts on Yemen has confirmed the involvement of UAE forces in the sexual abuse of detainees held in secret prisons in the country’s south.
In a television interview with Al Jazeera, Kamel Jandoubi exposed the detention and use of girls and women held as hostages in the Yemen war.
Jandoubi said the UN’s Group of Regional and International Eminent Experts on Yemen documented 37 cases of sexual violence committed by the UAE-backed security belt and Emirati personnel.
“We have 600 testimonies and huge documents and reports of international institutions to indicate violations in Yemen,” he explained.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190912-un-experts-uae-forces-sexually-abuse-inmates-in-yemen/
(* A K P)
Islah Party receives new Saudi equipment
Muslim Brotherhood branch threatens new attack on Aden
A military leader in ranks of Islah Party on Wednesday revealed that Islah’s factions involved in Hadi’s forces have received Saudi military weapons in Shabwah province and they are ready to enter Aden in peace or by war.
“All military gear in Ataq city of Shabwa province are still new from al-Wadeia crossing to Dothina and Shoqra cities in Abyan province, “Major General Salim al-Awlaqi in Hadi’s forces said in a tweet, noting that Ataq is only a transit station.
Al-Awlaqi added “either they hand over Aden in peace or they will do by war,” referring to the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council
https://www.uprising.today/islah-party-receives-new-saudi-equipment/
(A K P)
Hadi loyalists send reinforcements to Shabwah
New reinforcements arrive amidst increasing tensions
Saudi-backed Hadi loyalist forces, in cooperation with Islah party militants, have on Tuesday brought military reinforcements to Yemen’s southern province of Shabwah, sources said.
The reinforcements, including a number of military tankers carrying tanks, armored vehicles, and Katyusha rockets, moved from Ma’rib and headed to Ataq city, the capital of Shabwah.
https://www.uprising.today/hadi-loyalists-send-reinforcements-to-shabwah/
(A P)
Hadhramaut governor orders end of oil exports to put pressure on Hadi
Hadi government blamed for gross mismanagement and lack of basic services in southern province
The Hadi-appointed so-called governor of Hadhramaut province, Faraj Salmeen al-Bahsani has issued directives to halt all oil export from the province, sources reported on Wednesday.
According to the sources, al-Bahsani took this decision following the Hadi government’s deliberate negligence for the demands by people of the province regarding their needs for basic services and development.
The decision comes after popular pressure on the local authority in Hadhramaut, and in response to the province’s proportion from the proceeds of oil shipments export not being paid, the sources explained.
https://www.uprising.today/hadhramaut-governor-orders-end-of-oil-exports-to-put-pressure-on-hadi/
(A T)
3 soldiers killed and injured in bomb blast targeting government vehicle in Hadhramaut Al-Sahra
A soldier was killed and two others were wounded Thursday when an explosive device targeted a military vehicle belonging to government forces in al-Abbr district, in Hadhramaut desert, eastern Yemen.
A military source told Al-Masdar online that a soldier of the 23rd Brigade Mika stationed in al-Abbr district was killed when an explosive device planted by unknown persons exploded near the site of the "Al-Afarit".
The device targeted the car of the commander of the 23rd Brigade Meka camp, which passed through the road, but exploded as another vehicle carrying members of the 2nd Battalion of the same brigade passed, causing its damage
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/171566
(A T)
Hadhramaut.. Soldier and citizen injured in targeting military force in Shebam city with a booby-trapped motorcycle
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/171557
(A T)
An unidentified militant detonated a vehicle borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) outside the district headquarters in Shibam district in Hadramawt governorate in southeastern Yemen on September 12. The attack injured several people and destroyed multiple vehicles.[2]
and
(A T)
An explosives-laden motorcycle was detonated at a military task force in the historic city of Shibam in Yemen's eastern province of #Hadramout on Thursday. A soldier and a civilian were injured and 3 vehicles burned, authorities said, blaming terrorists for the "cowardly attack".
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/1172083869581041674
(* B P)
Revival, not revolution in southern Yemen
Omar Ahmed interviews Salah Al-Noud of Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council
The political landscape has changed drastically since the days of Soviet patronage but assisting me in understanding the current, fluid situation was the UK spokesperson for the STC, Saleh Al-Noud, who spoke to MEMO over the weekend at a pro-UAE demonstration in London.
In the eyes of many southern Yemenis who have been campaigning peacefully since at least 2007 for secession under the Hirak umbrella movement, this development signifies a big step in the path towards the revival of a South Yemen state. The People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen existed from 1967 to 1990, when it was reunited with the north and was the only communist Arab country in the world.
The political landscape has changed drastically since the days of Soviet patronage but assisting me in understanding the current, fluid situation was the UK spokesperson for the STC, Saleh Al-Noud, who spoke to MEMO over the weekend at a pro-UAE demonstration in London.
“Saudi versus the UAE?
However, these ambitions are at odds with the pro-unity stance of coalition leader Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government.
When asked about these tensions, the STC spokesperson acknowledged that “To a degree, I think there is a slight difference.” The UAE, he said, is clear in what it wants to achieve in Yemen in terms of creating stability and fighting against terrorism. “Evidence has shown that there is some relation with the legitimate government… it’s a card that it has played in the past,” he insisted, in reference to the Islah links and Al-Qaeda affiliations.
Proof of ongoing collaboration, Al-Noud suggested, is a “massive army in the city of Marib” which is an Islah stronghold situated in a northern province of the same name. “They should be fighting with the coalition against the Houthis,” but when tensions arose in the south, the Islah militia headed in that direction, despite being “ready, able to fight and fully equipped” to tackle the Houthis.
The Saudis were not exclusive in their support of the Muslim Brotherhood-aligned Islah Party in this current conflict. “Initially, even the Emiratis backed it,” explained Al-Noud, but once it became clear that they had their own agenda, such support ended.
Indeed there is speculation that with both countries deploying more troops in the south, such actions may raise the prospects for clashes and escalation of the conflict from mere disagreements to something more serious between the Gulf neighbours.
“I don’t think they will come to that,” said Al-Noud dismissively. He believes that the Saudis have bigger concerns in supporting the so-called legitimate government. “It’s what gives the Saudis and the coalition the mandate to be involved.” Hence it is in Saudi interests to keep it going. The reality is, though, that it is a fragile government which presents the Saudis with a serious problem in terms of maintaining some legitimacy and involvement.”
Regional autonomy
Concerning the contested city of Aden, its British-based spokesperson says that the STC is open to dialogue with the Yemeni government and has “no problem with a government,” but it needs to be “restructured and re-evaluated.” He went as far as to say that the STC is open to Hadi remaining in authority over the south, on the condition that it is a “transitional period and in that period, we run the south,” including its own security.
It would be a regional government, with no military presence in the south, so that it can focus more on the north to show that it has some legitimacy. Al-Noud argued that the Saudis must have “some effort towards the north”, otherwise, he asked, what is the point in their continual support of the Yemeni government?
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190912-revival-not-revolution-in-southern-yemen/
(* B P)
Public services halt in Lahj and Aden
The separation rebellion in Lahj and Aden brought public services to nearly a complete standstill, local sources confirmed.
The public electricity supply has already stopped in Lahj and the service outage is likely to extend to Aden.
The daily power outage in the city of Aden has gone up to 12 hours per day compared to only less than three hours a day prior seizure of the city by separation rebels supported by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Residents who talked to Alsawha Net have confirmed that all state services have suspended in most districts of Aden.
The governor of Aden and his deputies have also stopped going to their offices amidst continuous security raids by the separation rebels against pro-government officials.
The situation has also caused shortage of water access in several quarters of the city, the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat Daily Newspaper quoted local residents.
Officials of the Public Electricity Corporation headquarters in Aden said that power stations are running out of fuel.
The government blamed the separation Southern Transitional Council (STC) rebellion for the suspension of public services in Lahj and Aden.
A government official quoted by Asharq Al-Awsat said that the rebels’ intervention in the work of the government services have resulted into this deterioration.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-33052
(A P)
Gunmen storm Ministry of Information Headquarters in Aden
Gunmen led by former government official have stormed on Tuesday temporary headquarters of the Yemen’s Ministry of Information in Aden, the ministry said on Wednesday.
The state-run Saba News Agency quoted a source from the ministry who confirmed the incident.
It indicated that Ayman Al-Nawasri, who used to be the undersecretary of Information, brought a group of armed men who stormed the ministry’s building in Al-Moa’lla of Aden and changed locks of the administration offices’ doors.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-33063
(A P)
First Statement from the STC members in Riyadh Talks.
The statement did not include any details of the negotiations between the two sides which are under the auspices of Saudi Arabia.
Al-Khabaji said in a tweet: One hand protects and the other builds. Dialogue is a means to achieve great goals we require patience and willingness to face all possibilities. As long as we people have like the people of the south we will succeed.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/13253
and look also http://en.adenpress.news/news/13260
My comment: Separatists‘ view.
(A P)
Al-Garalla: Divorce Between North and South is No Longer a Desire but a Regional Necessity
In his editorial for “Al-Siasa”, the prominent Kuwaiti newspaper Ahmed Al-Garalla, dean of Kuwaiti journalists, wrote:
Divorce between north and south is no longer a desire. In fact it is now a reality that the southern can not abandon especially when they found themselves without any cover for the legitimacy that instead of gathering all parties against Al-Houthis they made an alliance with Al-Eslah, the political arm of Muslim Brotherhood, the trojan horse of all terrorist groups starting with Al-Qaeda and ISIS and reaching for Al-Houthis and coup gangs.
https://en.smanews.org/13270-2
My comment: A Kuwaiti newspaper adopts southern separatists‘ conspiracy theories.
(A P)
The National Southern Anthem in Lahj Schools
As part of the program of Al-Houta local leadership of STC, Khadija School in Al-Houta started the school day with the southern national anthem
https://en.smanews.org/the-national-southern-anthem-in-lahj-schools
and more https://en.smanews.org/stc-of-al-mansoura-launches-the-new-school-year
My comment: Separatist rule in the south.
(A P)
STC Spokesman: The Council Welcomes the Arab Coalition Statement that is Eager for Unifying Efforts Towards Peace, Stability and Partnership
Nizar Haitham, official spokesman of the Southern Transitional Council said: “The council welcomes the Saudi – Emirati joint statement issued on Sunday that reflects the eagerness of Saudi Arabia and UAE for unifying efforts towards peace, stability and partnership to serve the Arab agenda led by the coalition”.
My comment: The Saudi-UAE statement is a document of stalemate and perplexity. And the separatists are interested in comforting the Saudis.
(* A P)
UAE releases 200 Convicted terrorists in southern Yemen
Emiratis release detainees after Saudi request
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) occupation forces have on Tuesday released 200 members of various terrorist groups from secret detention facilities in Aden and Hadhramaut provinces, informed sources reported.
According to informed local sources, the UAE has released 170 extremists who had been detained for years on charges of terrorism in Bir Ahmed prison, while about 30 others were released from the UAE prison located at al-Rayyan military base in Mukalla.
The sources explained that the UAE’s release of extremist detainees came in order to control areas from which its militias have withdrawn in the wake of an advance by the forces of the Saudi-backed Hadi government.
The UAE has previously rejected orders for the prisoners’ release, and even ignored human rights reports of torture and abuses against them.
https://www.uprising.today/uae-releases-200-convicted-terrorists-in-southern-yemen/
My comment: really “terrorists” or what?
(A P)
Media activist abducted by UAE-backed separatists in Aden
Mohamed Ali Saeed al-Missari kidnapped by STC forces
The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council militias have been imprisoning media activist Mohamed Ali Saeed al-Missari for nine days, since he was kidnapped in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden.
According to al-Missari’s family, his fate remains unclear, as is the location where he has been held since his abduction after a raid on his home in Mahrah neighborhood of Al-Briqa district.
https://www.uprising.today/media-activist-abducted-by-uae-backed-separatists-in-aden/
(A)
3 injured in renewed clashes between local gunmen north of Aden
Local residents and eyewitnesses told Al-Masdar Online that gunmen and one civilian were injured Wednesday afternoon in clashes between local gunmen in Sheikh Osman district north of the southern city of Aden in renewed armed clashes a month ago between gunmen belonging to the directorates Dar Saad and Sheikh Osman.
A local source told Al-Masdar Online that light and medium weapons used in the clashes and expanded in the neighborhoods linking sheikh Osman and Dar Saad.
Eyewitnesses said that gunmen from al-Sila neighborhood in Sheikh Othman clashed with gunmen from al-Mahariq neighborhood of Dar Saad district in connection with the assassination of a young man from al-Sila neighborhood and accusation of his family and colleagues to a gunmen from al-Mahariq neighborhood of being behind the assassination.
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/171531
(A K P)
Unidentified militants ambushed security forces aligned with President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s government in Lawder district in Abyan governorate in southern Yemen on September 10. The attack injured multiple soldiers.[2]
(A K P)
A powerful explosion has rocked #Aden, local sources said late on Wednesday night, adding that clashes in several parts of the city in south Yemen followed the explosion.
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/1171928437197615105
(A P)
New clashes break out in Socotra
Arrival of senior Emirati official sparks new protests
Major disputes have erupted between the local authorities and UAE-backed militias in Socotra province, local sources said, following the return of a senior Emirati official to the island.
Local sources confirmed that the UAE has cut off the electrical wires that connect the electricity supply to the houses at the general power station in Qalansiyah district, and connected them to their own generators after the power outage, under the pretext of “providing service to the residents.”
According to the sources, this new escalation followed the arrival of UAE representative, Khalfan Al Mazroui to the island two days ago from Abu Dhabi.
They added that “this action has angered the local authority, due to the steps taken by the UAE without its approval, which were deemed as an violation of its role.
The same sources indicated that the UAE has transferred Qatari citizens from Al Rayyan Airport in Mukalla to Socotra airport with two free flights, in a promotional flight as part of efforts to improve its image on the island.
https://www.uprising.today/new-clashes-break-out-in-socotra/
(B K P)
ACLED Regional Overview – Middle East (11 September 2019)
Last week in the Middle East, battles continued in Yemen between pro-Hadi and pro-Houthi forces, as well as with separatist movements backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the south.
https://www.acleddata.com/2019/09/11/regional-overview-middle-east-11-september-2019/
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
Siehe / Look at cp1
(* A P)
UN Security Council #Yemen Briefing happening now:
-Condemns attacks on #Saudi oil facilities but too soon to lay blame (except US rep who squarely blames #Iran)
-Condemns #STC for seizing state institutions by force
-Praises Saudi mediation efforts
-Small progress in #Hodeidah
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/1173610755381485568
and
(* A P)
BRIEFING OF THE SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL
Today I will argue, on the basis of the facts in front of us, that we have no time to waste before moving forward with purpose and resolve towards the political solution to end the conflict in Yemen. At my last briefing to this Council I made just such a call. If anything, the facts before us now make this even more compelling.
What are the reasons behind this appeal?
Mr. President, the first reason is the worrying military escalation.
It is always and inevitably invidious to choose for attention one event in a war as broad and complex and violent as the one we face in Yemen. But we do so and I do so on this occasion to illustrate the horror of the war, and that is an appeal to the collective conscience, and an emphasis on the terror faced by ordinary people in Yemen on a daily basis.
Mr. President, the second reason for my appeal is the situation in the south.
Events there present to us an eerie calm.
Mr. President,
Despite this admittedly very grim picture, we had some limited progress this month.
https://osesgy.unmissions.org/briefing-special-envoy-security-council
and
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The U.N. humanitarian chief is criticizing "a persistent pattern of attacks in Yemen that kill and injure civilians, or damage critical civilian infrastructure," and says the operating environment for aid agencies "has perhaps never been worse."
Mark Lowcock gave a grim assessment to the U.N. Security Council on Monday, saying that attacks — such as the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes two weeks ago that killed over 100 people in a rebel-run detention center — are "shocking, but otherwise, this kind of attack is disturbingly common."
He says aid agencies reported 300 incidents that hindered humanitarian assistance in June and July, affecting 4.9 million people. He says most of those were due to restrictions imposed by the Houthi Shiite rebels fighting Yemen's government.
On a positive note, Lowcock has announced that Saudi Arabia plans to transfer $500 million on Sept. 25 to fulfill a humanitarian pledge it made in February.
https://www.bradenton.com/latest-news/article235133217.html
and
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Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on the Situation in Yemen
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
https://usun.usmission.gov/remarks-at-a-un-security-council-briefing-on-the-situation-in-yemen-7/
My comment: Bla bla by one of the main sources of all this mess. And more by another one:
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Violations of international humanitarian law in Yemen
Statement by Ambassador Karen Pierce, UK Permanent Representative at the UN, at the Security Council briefing on Yemen
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/violations-of-international-humanitarian-law-in-yemen
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Yemen faces an existential threat, says UN special envoy
Griffiths told the BBC that Yemen faced “the risk of fragmenting and threatening its own existence, which is a massive threat to stability in the region”.
“In these circumstances what we need to do is waste no more time, but to get to the table to get the political agreement in place to end that conflict”.
He will call at the UN on Monday for all sides to come together to hold wide-ranging political talks on the country’s future
Griffiths told the BBC he could not personally attribute responsibility for oil facility attack, or substantiate the Houthi claim that they fired the drones into Saudi Arabia
(A P)
Iran says it's ready to work for Yemen peace with U.N. and others
Iran is ready to cooperate with the United Nations and countries seeking peace and stability in Yemen and the region, an Iranian government spokesman said on Monday.
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Amid Economic Crisis Iran May Be Aiming At Truce In Yemen
The British Ambassador in Tehran Rob Macaire posted a highly serious and meaningful tweet, in which he thanked the Iranian Foreign Ministry for hosting a meeting between the Ansarallah /Houthi delegation and British, German and French diplomats, adding that it was "important to have dialogue both on political track and humanitarian crisis."
The tweet sheds light on what was behind Khamenei's "absolute trust" in the Houthi representative. In other words, Abdulsalam and the delegation that accompanied him were looking for peace negotiations as the Islamic Republic explored some kind of peace in Yemen.
Iran's financial and political bottleneck as a result of U.S. sanctions is so serious that lending continues support to Houthis has become hard, if not impossible for Tehran.
Iran’s assistance to the Houthis comes mainly in the form of financial assistance, but now U.S. sanctions on Iran have also hit the Houthis in Yemen. So, they are looking for a way to make peace.
The disintegration of Yemen is a serious threat. Many believe that reconstructing a single government in Yemen is an impossible today.
Amid the chaos, the Americans are also thinking of peace in Yemen as they know Saudi Arabia's war against Houthis will get them to nowhere and that it is not easy to neutralize the Houthis in the short-run.
https://en.radiofarda.com/a/amid-economic-crisis-iran-may-be-aiming-at-truce-in-yemen/30162914.html
My comment: This report tries to claim a positive impact of US sanctions on Iran – certaily a very twisted view.
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Pro Saudi-led Aggression Government Prevented Head of UN Panel of Experts Entering Yemen
The head of the UN expert team charged with investigating war crimes in Yemen, Kamal Jendoubi, said that Hadi's government and the coalition prevented the team from entering Yemen to investigate violations and crimes and did not any answer inquiries or questions so far.
Al-Jendoubi explained in an interview with Almasirah channel that the UN team's approaches are based on facts about violations that are studied and investigated by all sources and that the methodology of the investigation requires meetings with victims whether inside or outside Yemen.
"Our approach is not to say to any party that we are with you or against you," Jendoubi said, stressing the impartiality of his team and its reliance on international references in the field of human rights.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=8770
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Emmanuel Macron complice de crimes de guerre commis au Yémen selon l'ONU
Le dernier rapport de l'ONU sur le conflit au Yémen est sans appel : la France est complice de crime de guerre. Le Comité Contre la Famine au Yémen demande la publication des personnes responsables de ces crimes internationaux identifés et transmis à la haut-commissaire aux droits de l’homme
Des personnes responsables de ces crimes internationaux sont identifés et transmis à la haut-commissaire aux droits de l’homme, Michelle Bachelet. Seulement, cette liste reste confidentielle.
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Achieving A Sustainable Peace in Yemen Lies with Locally Driven Initiatives
The conflict in Yemen will not be solved by a peace agreement between the Houthis and the internationally recognized government due to the increased fragmentation of internal political and economic structures.
The UN has found it difficult to convince the Houthis and the internationally recognized government to engage in negotiations, let alone commit to a comprehensive peace agreement. One substantial hurdle is that both the Houthis and the government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi will most likely lose influence as a consequence of a peace agreement. At the same time, the involvement of regional actors in the conflict, such as Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), complicates negotiations. Nevertheless, the EU, including Denmark, should push for a comprehensive peace agreement and an end to the Saudi-led military campaign. However, this is only one element in bringing a sustainable peace to Yemen. A second point of focus should be support to long-term political and economic development, including local development due to the Yemen’s fragmented political reality.
Political fragmentation
Economic collapse
Locally led development can help stabilize Yemen
Yemen has a long tradition of local development, and extended family networks continue to show remarkable innovation in stretching limited resources. However, whereas the political and economic fragmentation underscores the need for locally relevant approaches, local sources of authority should not be seen as a panacea for all Yemen’s problems. While some local authorities work to mitigate the consequences of the conflict, others are benefitting from its continuation through smuggling, skimming off aid, or taking advantage of the collapse of the central state to keep taxes or incomes from natural resources.
The political and economic fragmentation means that local actors are increasingly focused on their own areas, whereas the Yemeni central state, which has never had much of a presence outside the larger cities, is seen as obsolete at best and an obstacle at worst.The Yemenis must decide whether there is a future for a united Yemen, but regardless of the overall political structure, locally led decentralization can help stabilize Yemen.
What can be done?
First, in order to work effectively in Yemen, with its high degree of political and economic fluidity, it is crucial to prioritize the building of close links with local actors.
Second, the limited capacity of formal state structures should not lead to the establishment of parallel donor-funded structures.
Finally, an end to the Saudi-led military intervention is a precondition for peace, but it will not in itself bring peace to Yemen. The international community needs to commit itself to long-term engagement in Yemen if the cycle of continued internal violence is to be broken, as the current conflict has exacerbated political, cultural and economic cleavages – by Maria-Louise Clausen
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
(A P)
Amnesty raises concerns over Anthony Joshua fighting boxing rematch in Saudi Arabia
Rights organisation calls on British boxer to be prepared to speak out about kingdom's 'abysmal human rights record'
(A P)
Saudis are instructed not to tweet or retweet any info or videos except that from official Saudi news agencies as enemies may benefit from exposing magnitude of damage at oil fields! On which planet do the instructors live ?
https://twitter.com/MadawiDr/status/1173261954909126656
(B P)
Film: Moronic Muslim [Saudi] imam lectures Muslim idiots about sex with 19,674 virgins after death
Moronic Muslim imam lectures Muslim idiots about sex with 19674 virgins after death. March 23 2013. 4 wives, each owns 70 virgins in 'Paradise', each of whom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gb2QbwyEUo
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Mystery Surrounds Saudi Crown Prince's Enforcer in Year Since Khashoggi Death
Saud al-Qahtani poisoning rumor sparks speculation over role
Khashoggi killing nears one year with few questions answered
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had a trusted enforcer inside the Royal Court until the murder of columnist Jamal Khashoggi nearly a year ago.
In the wake of that killing, Saud al-Qahtani disappeared and quietly ended his role in the day-to-day management of the prince’s affairs. But after months of chatter in diplomatic circles and on social media about whether he was still working behind the scenes for his patron -- his name resurfaced in recent days in speculation about whether he was dead.
Oslo-based Saudi critic Iyad el-Baghdadi, citing sources he didn’t identify, said that al-Qahtani may have been fatally poisoned. The Saudi government never commented on his alleged death and the country’s embassy in Washington declined to comment. But two people familiar with al-Qahtani said he’s alive.
The poisoning speculation renewed interest in a man feared by many in the kingdom and considered a fall guy by some for an ambitious crown prince set on controlling OPEC’s largest producer at any cost -- and intolerant of dissent that embarrasses the de facto ruler. Al-Qahtani, who the U.S. sanctioned for his alleged role in the Khashoggi killing, was one of the masterminds behind a broader e
“Saudi Arabia certainly has not done enough to address Khashoggi’s murder,” said Paul Pillar, a former U.S. Central Intelligence Agency officer who’s now a non-resident senior fellow at Georgetown University. “If al-Qahtani has met his downfall as a result of his part in the Khashoggi affair, this also exemplifies how the more a regime moves toward one-man rule, the more vulnerable even influential advisers are to being sacrificed for the sake of the one man at the top.”
Until the fallout from the Khashoggi murder, there were only a few advisers as close to the crown prince as al-Qahtani,
“The regime has never come completely clean about the case,” Pillar said. “Its handling of the matter has been designed not to serve justice but instead to protect MBS.”
Al-Qahtani built his career on offering that protection, whether through public propaganda or quiet intimidation. His fate may ultimately hinge on whether he’s able been to keep doing that for Saudi Arabia’s future monarch from behind the scenes, or has become too much of a liability for the kingdom to bear -by Glen Carey
(A P)
Saudi Arabia Sentences Shia Clergyman to 12 Years in Prison, Imposes Travel Ban on him
(A P)
Saudi princess complicit in beating up worker in luxury Paris flat: French court
(A P)
#Saudi Monarchy religious militia arrests a social media influencer & shackles him #Makkah https://twitter.com/thesaudirock/status/1171910236678103040?
This arrests exposes as a lie all the fake reporting that #MBS has clipped the wings of his regime religious enforcers.
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1171972590455480320
referring to https://twitter.com/thesaudirock/status/1171910236678103040
cp8a Jamal Khashoggi
(** B P)
New leaks .. Khashoggi's assassins tried to kidnap him first
Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was planned to be kidnapped from his country's consulate to the villa of a Saudi businessman in the Yalova area on the outskirts of Istanbul, security sources said.
According to the confidential testimony of the defendant Maher Abdul Aziz al-Mutrab, forensic physician Salah Mohammad al-Tabiqi was responsible for cutting Khashoggi's body in five suitcases and removing it from the consulate, in addition to the fact that al-Tabiqi was responsible for concealing the aftermath of the crime.
The newspaper pointed out that according to audio recordings intercepted by Turkish intelligence, the head of the assassination team, Mansour Abu Hussein, called the day before Khashoggi's murder of Saudi businessman Mohammed bin Ahmed Al-Fawzan asks him about the time required to reach his home.
Turkish security concluded that the assassination team intended to send Khashoggi to the villa subject of the conversation in Yalova if he brought him alive for questioning or concealment.
Sabah newspaper reported in its issue yesterday that a Saudi citizen provided information from close to the Saudi intelligence service at the Ankara embassy in Ireland, about a person named Saleh al-Nashaa entered a false Jordanian passport to Istanbul, and supplied the crime inside the consulate.
The newspaper noted that the source claimed the existence of the role of Jordanian intelligence in the murder of Khashoggi.
The three death squads
The same newspaper also published a report saying that Ahmed Asiri, the former deputy intelligence chief, established three divisions: the first for intelligence, the second for persuasion and negotiation, and the third for logistical support, with General Mansour Abu Hussein responsible for all of them.
She pointed out that "for the first time it becomes clear that the leader of the implementation team consisting of three groups is Abu Hussein, not as previously thought to be the singer in charge of the negotiation process with Khashoggi, and is the second man in the team."
According to the newspaper, Asiri shirk responsibility for the killing, and said in his statement that he had instructed Abu Hussein to bring Khashoggi to the Kingdom of persuasion, and did not ask him to bring him by force, while this testimony contradicted the statement of Abu Hussein himself, who said that Asiri asked him to bring the journalist even asylum To force.
Abu-Husayn added that Asiri collected him with al-Qahtani, who ordered him to bring Khashoggi to the kingdom.He pointed out that he had formed three teams and contacted the consul general in Istanbul and told him that he would come with 15 people, without giving him any detailed information.
The second man in the assassination team (singer) said that he decided to kill Khashoggi if he was not convinced to leave the country, and was initially planning to bury him in the garden of the consulate, but he did so for fear of being discovered.
Regarding what happened with Khashoggi, he said that they sat with him and tried to persuade him to go with them to Riyadh, and at the same time put on the table in front of him a towel and dust and substance: "Khashoggi asked me what will you do? I said I will get rid of you and punish you."
The forensic doctor and a member of the assassination team (al-Tabiqi) said he injected Khashoggi with a large amount of a banned drug that he had brought from Cairo, before cutting his body to pieces.
cp9 USA
Siehe / Look at cp1c, cp9a
(* A K P)
Sen. Bernie Sanders: Mr. Trump, the Constitution of the United States is perfectly clear. Only Congress—not the president—can declare war. And Congress will not give you the authority to start another disastrous war in the Middle East just because the brutal Saudi dictatorship told you to.
https://twitter.com/SenSanders/status/1173423272869974018
(* B K P)
Yemen: country at war
When General Wesley Clark, years and years ago, has spoken about the famous list of seven Middle Eastern countries to be demolished in five consecutive years, he has done nothing but remark, for the last time, if there was any need, Washington's willingness to redesign the Middle East within a more general framework of global domination. With Russia that stubbornly remaining afloat despite the profound post-Cold War existential crisis and the Yeltsin presidencies and continuing unabated to sell gas and oil to the rest of the world, the United States, prisoners of the grip of their neocons, had to necessarily take possession of the countries of the Arab world and of the neighboring North Africa so as to be able to control the local oil supply routes and then launch the definitive attack on their enemy par excellence.
The peoples of Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Iran were therefore trampled so that the destruction of Russia could take place, which would have gone from being a united and sovereign country to a western protectorate divided into at least three parts. This would have been the final move of the Brzezinski doctrine.
However, something has definitely gone wrong: of the seven countries in question, only Tunisia has been subverted quickly, completely and essentially without blood.
And then Yemen. It must have been the penultimate country on the list to fall, before the great attack against Iran and before the biggest attack against Russia. But here, too, things did not go as the Americans had thought.
With Libya reduced to the chaotic condition of a civil war of all against all, Syria that slowly but evidently was heading for victory against its enemies and Iran that extended its influence far beyond simple regional borders, in Washington someone, drugged of poker, thought it was appropriate to raise, sparking a proxy war against the Yemeni population. This did not work either
Richard Black, Virginia state Senator, is among the few western politicians to whom the brain still runs fine and who maintains a natural sense of honor. Always opposed to the war against Syria, a few hours ago he declared:
"Saudis tried using cruel bombardment to install a puppet regime in Yemen. They thought they could muscle the poor Houthi tribesmen, but they were wrong. The dramatic success of their attack on Saudi oil production is a huge victory for the Houthis of Yemen and a huge loss for Saudi Arabia's Prince Mohammad bin Salman."
We can say that it is a mistake in which not only the Saudis have fallen, but also the Americans. Black then continued:
"The U.S. has backed Saudi Arabia's losing ventures. Cut them loose now and end America's brutal war against the people of Yemen.
The point is just this: Black understands what the Saudis seem unable to understand. And with them, their sponsors in Washington. Richard Black is perhaps one of the last American patriots.
http://www.pravdareport.com/opinion/142743-yemen/
My remark:An anti-US view from Russia.
(A P)
National organizations team up to pressure Jack Reed on Yemen
Demand Progress and Avaaz mobilize public to end United States role in ongoing calamity
https://upriseri.com/2019-09-11-peace/
(* B K P)
A Crumbling Saudi-Emirati Alliance In Yemen May Change U.S. Gulf Policy
Khashoggi and Yemen Taking a Toll on Gulf Unity
Linkages between Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been under some stress for several reasons at least since October of 2018, when the US-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul
The Yemen war, however, proved to be a more significant stressor of the relationship. Despite Abu Dhabi’s movement in apparent lockstep with Riyadh militarily and diplomatically, after the Saudi-led intervention began in 2015 on behalf of the internationally recognized Hadi government, it has become apparent over the last 18 months or so that, in reality, Saudi and Emirati interests in Yemen were never identical.
US Changing Course on Yemen, with Iran on Its Mind
These events prompted Washington to take a fresh look at its policies and its friends in the Gulf, and some changes with regard to both seem to be in store.
Indeed, the increasing pace and scopeof Houthi drone and missile attacks against Saudi oil and other economic infrastructure, despite having caused little serious damage so far, highlight the kingdom’s vulnerabilities in the event of increased tensions. This factor has probably influenced the administration’s change of course and may have helped persuade the White House to try to convince, or compel, the Saudis to join the talks with the Houthis.
The administration’s new tack on Yemen may prove to be well timed. With the apparent collapse of the Saudi-UAE alliance in Yemen, the White House will find it harder than ever to fend off pressure from congressional opponents of American military support for the Saudi campaign in Yemen
Wider Concerns: MESA, Counterterrorism
The fallout from Yemen could affect broader US regional strategy as well. For one thing, plans for a new Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA) to counter regional threats (mainly Iran) are likely to be jeopardized further.
The disputes among allies in the Yemen war may threaten other important US interests as well, particularly the fight to eliminate al-Qaeda elements in Yemen.
Alienation of Affection
Where could this lead next? It is possible, though not immediately likely, that the recent developments in Yemen will effect a shift in the administration’s Gulf policy, or at least the way President Trump regards his current princely allies – by Charles Dunne
https://lobelog.com/a-crumbling-saudi-emirati-alliance-in-yemen-may-change-u-s-gulf-policy/
(A P T)
U.S. Justice Department to release name of shadowy figure in 9/11 case
The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday said it would release the name of an individual sought by people who are suing the government of Saudi Arabia for alleged involvement in the Sept. 11, 2001, hijacking attacks.
U.S. prosecutors in New York said in a court filing that Attorney General William Barr had decided not to invoke state secrets and will share the person’s name with attorneys involved in the case.
The decision could help victims of the Sept. 11 attacks and their family members, who charge in a long-running lawsuit that the Saudi government supported the hijackers
(A P)
Saudi Arabia's MBS Hosts Delegation of U.S. Evangelical Leaders on Eve of 9/11 Anniversary
U.S.-Israeli leading visit urges lawmakers to 'see the reforms the crown prince is making' as the Kingdom attempts to improve its image post-Khashoggi's murder
On the eve of the 18th anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince hosted a delegation of evangelical Christian leaders from the United States at his Jeddah palace.
In a joint statement written by the delegation, they thanked the Saudi royals for their hospitality, and noted that the seemingly incongruous timing of their visit is no accident.
and more https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1968451
My comment: LOL.
(A P)
Sen. Todd Young, Film: Sat down with @BretBaier on @FoxNews’ @SpecialReport to discuss my visit to Oman, the UAE and Saudi Arabia and ways we can strengthen our nation’s security.
https://twitter.com/SenToddYoung/status/1171928342448300032
(A P)
Young, Murphy, Bipartisan Senators Urge Saudi Arabia to Live Up to U.N. Funding Commitment to Prevent Thousands of Deaths in Yemen
U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), both members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Wednesday led a bipartisan group of 8 senators encouraging Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to fulfill the Kingdom’s $750 million commitment to the United Nations to help fund critical programs aimed at alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. In the letter, the senators emphasized the point that 5 million people, in a country with the largest cholera outbreak in modern history, will lose access to clean water and the potential loss of life.
and
(*A P)
Congress inches closer to pulling US out of Yemen war
The amendment, introduced by Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., prohibits the Trump administration from using taxpayer dollars to support the anti-Houthi campaign until Defense Secretary Mark Esper certifies that the Saudis and Emiratis have ceased transferring US weapons to their Yemeni proxies.
“We now have this awful situation in Yemen where the Saudi-aligned forces are now fighting the Emirati-aligned forces, and the Emirati-aligned forces are the ones that reportedly have US equipment,” Murphy said ahead of the amendment vote. “We now have a situation in which US equipment is being used to fight the coalition in which we are a party.”
The Appropriations Committee adopted the amendment by voice vote despite objections from some Republican hawks
cp9a USA-Iran Krise: Wachsende Spannungen am Golf / US-Iran crisis: Mounting tensions at the Gulf
Siehe / Look at cp1c
(* B K P)
Will Trump take neocon bait and attack Iran over Saudi strike?
The recent attacks on Saudi oil facilities by Yemeni Houthi forces demonstrate once again that an aggressive foreign policy often brings unintended consequences and can result in blowback.
What is remarkable is that all of Washington’s warmongers are ready for war over what is actually a retaliatory strike by a country that is the victim of Saudi aggression, not the aggressor itself. Yemen did not attack Saudi Arabia in 2015. It was the other way around. If you start a war and the other country fights back, you should not be entitled to complain about how unfair the whole thing is.
The establishment reaction to the Yemeni oilfield strike reminds me of a hearing in the House Foreign Affairs Committee just before the US launched the 2003 Iraq war. As I was arguing against the authorization for that war, I pointed out that Iraq had never attacked the United States. One of my colleagues stopped me in mid-sentence, saying, “let me remind the gentleman that the Iraqis have been shooting at our planes for years.” True, but those planes were bombing Iraq!
The neocons want a US war on Iran at any cost. They may feel temporarily at a disadvantage with the departure of their ally in the Trump Administration, John Bolton. However, the sad truth is that there are plenty more John Boltons in the Administration. And they have allies in the Lindsay Grahams in Congress – by Ron Paul
https://www.dailybreeze.com/2019/09/16/will-trump-take-neocon-bait-and-attack-iran-over-saudi-strike/ = https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/09/17/606457/Neocon-lies-about-Iran-must-be-refuted
(* B K P)
US strike on Iran would be disastrous for the region — and likely for the US
Some experts say that a military strike would not only set off other conflicts in the region, but work against the US's interests. Iran is involved in multiple regional conflicts, which could ignite in the event of a US strike.
"What could start as a limited tit-for-tat has the potential of quickly turning into a regional conflagration," an expert told Insider.
Attacks on a major Saudi Arabian oil plant may driving the US and Iran ever closer to open war, after the US blamed the Islamic Republic for attacks on Saudi Aramco's facilities.
The US is building a case of Iranian guilt for the Saudi Aramco strikes, just as it did for June's tanker bombings, which could be a justification for retaliation strikes. But some experts say that a military strike would not only set off other conflicts in the region, but work against the US's interests.
Ali Vaez, the Director of the Iran Project at Crisis Group, told Insider the most likely scenario is, "a strike against one or several [Islamic] Revolutionary Guard Corps facilities, maybe even some of Iran's nuclear installations," pointing out that the latter would be risky, given that there are UN inspectors in Iranian nuclear facilities "all of the time." But the IRGC — an elite, paramilitary branch which the US sees as responsible for attacks at the Port of Fujairah in May, as well as June's attacks — is the assumed target for limited strikes.
Alternately, the US could order a "massive aerial bombardment" against Iran's air defense systems and nuclear infrastructure.
But none of these options, said Vaez, is ideal; "The best course of action, of course, is not to stumble into a conflict," which he said the US is doing right now as a result of its Iran foreign policy — or lack thereof.
Although the US would see a limited strike as a warning — "a bloody nose operation," according to Vaez — Iran would almost certainly retaliate.
Their response would almost certainly include using its proxies — Houthi rebels in Yemen, Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and militia groups in Syria and Iraq — to attack US forces or allies in the region.
https://www.businessinsider.de/us-iran-strike-middle-east-2019-6?r=US&IR=T
(* A K P)
China Slams as Irresponsible US Accusations of Iran Involvement in Saudi Oil Attack
China's Foreign Ministry has censured as “irresponsible” the US accusations that Iran was behind the recent attacks on Saudi Arabia’s key oil installations.
"Pondering who is to blame in the absence of a conclusive investigation, I think, is in itself not very responsible,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular news briefing in Beijing on Monday.
“China's position is that we oppose any moves that expand or intensify conflict," she added.
The spokeswoman also urged relevant parties to exercise restraint and “avoid taking actions that bring about an escalation in regional tensions.”
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/09/16/606318/China-raps-irresponsible-US-accusations-Iran
(* A K P)
Sen. Chris Murphy: And frankly, no matter where this latest drone strike was launched from, there is no short or long term upside to the U.S. military getting more deeply involved in the growing regional contest between the Saudis and Iranians.
https://twitter.com/ChrisMurphyCT/status/1173433835968745472
(* A K P)
Saudi oil attack reignites fears of Iran-US conflict in the Gulf
Iran's Revolutionary Guard warns it is ready to respond saying its missiles could hit US bases and ships within 2,000km.
Fears over an outbreak of fighting between Iranian and United States forces in the Gulf were revived on Sunday after Washington accused Tehran of carrying out devastating drone attacks on the world's biggest oil-producing facilities in Saudi Arabia.
On Sunday night US President Donald Trump said "there is reason to believe" that the White House knows the culprit of the attack, and that the military is "locked and loaded" to take action.
He said the US is "waiting to hear" from Riyadh "as to who they believe was the cause of this attack, and under what terms we would proceed."
Trump's warning followed a National Security Council meeting at the White House that included Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
On Monday, Iran dismissed the US allegations as "unacceptable" and "baseless", according to state television.
Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard force said on Sunday it was prepared for a "full-scale war".
In a not-so-subtle threat, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' aerospace arm noted Iran's missiles could hit US bases and ships within a range of 2,000km (1,240 miles).
"Because of the tension and sensitive situation, our region is like a powder keg," Brigadier-General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said.
"Neither us nor the Americans want a war. When these contacts come too close, when forces come into contact with one another, it is possible a conflict happens because of a misunderstanding," said Hajizadeh.
"Of course some forces facing each other in the field could do something by which a war could start. We have always prepared ourselves for a full-fledged war."
Hajizadeh said Iranian forces were ready for a counterattack if the US responded militarily for the oil facility attack, naming the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and al-Dhafra Air Base near Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates as immediate targets, as well as navy ships in the Gulf and the Arabian Sea.
(A K P)
Iranian general says country ready for ‘full-fledged war’ with US
Amir Ali Hajizadeh warns that American bases up to 2,000 kilometers away are ‘within the range of our missiles,’ after Washington blamed Tehran for Houthi attack on Saudi oil
https://www.timesofisrael.com/iranian-general-says-country-ready-for-full-fledged-war-with-us/
(* A E K P)
Mike Pompeo Just Ended Any Hopes for Iranian Oil
The chances of the U.S. easing sanctions fell to zero after the secretary of state blamed Tehran for the attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq facility.
The chances of President Donald Trump easing sanctions on Iran’s oil exports have dropped to zero after an attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil industry that his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has pinned on Tehran. The bigger challenge now will be reining in the U.S. hawks calling for retaliatory strikes on Iran’s energy industry facilities.
My comment: The US claims they are allowed to dictate the whole world whether to buy Iranian oil or not.
(* B P)
Iran hardliners likely to gain from tensions over Aramco attacks
A senior Iranian official said the heightened tensions over the assaults could tip the balance of power in Iran in favor of hardliners looking to constrain pragmatist President Hassan Rouhani’s ability to open up to the West.
Iran’s top authority Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s aversion to the United States remains a formidable barrier to any diplomatic solution, despite the likely benefits for Iran’s sanction-hit economy.
“There are hawks in Iran and America and in the region who want military conflicts,” said a senior Iranian government official, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.
“Such attacks will make a military confrontation inevitable and that is what hardliners in Iran and elsewhere want. Such confrontation will harm not only Iran but all the countries in the Persian Gulf.”
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-aramco-attack-iran-idUSKBN1W0052
(B K P)
Factbox: Attacks, incidents heightening Gulf tensions since May
My comment: This is a propaganda fact box: Western provocationd and aggressive acts simply are missing, Saudi coalition attacks and air rads are missing too. This ist he way how Western propaganda is made.
(A P)
Iran's Zarif says U.S., allies are "stuck in Yemen"
Iran’s foreign minister Mohammed Javad Zarif said on Sunday that the United States and its allies were “stuck in Yemen” and that blaming Tehran “won’t end the disaster”.
“Having failed at “max pressure”, @SecPompeo’s turning to “max deceit”.. US & its clients are stuck in Yemen because of illusion that weapon superiority will lead to military victory. Blaming Iran won’t end disaster,” Zarif said on Twitter.
(A P)
Talks with US meaningless while sanctions still in place, Rouhani tells Macron
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has informed his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that there is no point in talks with the United States as long as it keeps sanctions against the Islamic Republic in place.
Speaking to Macron over phone on Wednesday, Rouhani said the US violated its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal once it decided to quit it in May 2018.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/09/11/605945/Iran-France-Rouhani-Macron-US-sanctions-JCPOA-talks
(* B P)
Is Iran Abnormal?
It is fashionable among Trump administration officials to call Iran “abnormal.” Unless Iran behaves like “a normal nation,” says Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Washington’s “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign against it will continue.
Although Iranian regional policies are in some ways influenced by revolutionary ideology, neither Iran’s reach in the Arab world nor its support for non-state actors began with the revolution that overthrew the monarchy in 1979. Instead, the Islamic Republic’s regional policies are in many ways a continuation of the Pahlavi epoch and not purely a reflection of a revolutionary mindset.
The Shah’s Regional Agenda
After consolidating power within Iran by the mid-1950s, the Shah’s attention turned to growing Marxist and radical pan-Arab threats to his throne across the Arab world.
Of all Imperial Iran’s regional engagements, none is more interesting than Lebanon, which Iranian leaders both before and after 1979 have viewed as a key country in terms of projecting their influence in the Middle East.
The Shah’s policies were more or less in line with the centuries-old approach of Persian kings, who often bestowed upon themselves the extra-territorial title of the “Sultan of the Shia.”
Post-Revolutionary Continuity
After 1979, Lebanon remained at the heart of Iran’s regional strategy, now coupled with the internationalism of the revolution. A blend of revolutionary idealism and geopolitical challenges have been behind the Islamic Republic’s outreach to the Levant and the formation of the Damascus-Tehran axis.
Iraq is still among Iran’s top security challenges.
The continuity in Iranian regional policies before and after 1979 contradicts the hollow “normal nation” litany that Pompeo and others in the Trump administration are spouting to justify their “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran. The likenesses between the monarchical and clerical epochs show that Iran’s regional policies are bound by history and geopolitics. Both the Shah and the clerics pursued the strategy of backing non-state actors and utilizing historical and religious ties to Shii communities in the region for achieving deterrence against perceived threats – by Mohammed Ataie
https://lobelog.com/is-iran-abnormal/
(A P)
Saudi Arabia Calls on International Community to Take Deterrent Measures Against Iran's Violations of the Nuclear Agreement
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1968179
My comment: LOL. From the very beginning, Saudi Arabia had rejected this agreement.
(A P)
Iran will cut more JCPOA commitments if necessary: Rouhani
President Hassan Rouhani says Iran will take further steps towards suspending its commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal in the future if it deems necessary.
The president described the third step as the most important one compared to the previous two steps, adding, “If necessary, we will take further steps in the future.”
He highlighted the peaceful utilization of nuclear technology as Iran's principle, adding that if the remaining signatories to the JCPOA “fulfill their commitments, we will do the same, and if they violate it, we will also do so.”
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/09/11/605896/Iran-Hassan-Rouhani-JCPOA
(A P)
Adrian Darya never violated any commitment: Iran envoy to UK
Iran’s ambassador to the United Kingdom says a tanker that carried Iranian oil in the Mediterranean has not violated any commitment to a third party by selling its oil to a “private” customer.
In a post on Twitter on Wednesday, Hamid Baeidinejad dismissed concerns raised by the UK about the ultimate destination of Adryan Darya 1, the supertanker previously known as Grace 1 which spent more than a month under a US-instructed detention by British authorities in Gibraltar.
“Despite countless threats by America, the tanker sold its oil at sea to a private company and it has clearly not breached any commitment,”
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/09/11/605913/Iran-tanker-Adrian-Darya-UK-envoy-Baeidinejad
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
(A K P)
Film: The world’s largest arms fair takes place in London
Arms, arrests and debate.
As the world’s largest arms fair takes place in London, RT UK speaks to Philip Ingram and Andrew Smith to find out more about it.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1152956498426955
(A P)
Welsh Government's role at arms fair to be reviewed
The Welsh Government's stand at one of the world's biggest arms fairs is to be reviewed, the first minister has said.
Mark Drakeford said it attended Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) in London to support cyber security businesses, not those in the arms trade.
But Plaid Cymru AM Leanne Wood called the event "abhorrent" and condemned his government for attending.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-49680566
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Human Rights Watch: Will It Be Business as Usual for Saudis at London’s Arms Fair?
Conduct in Yemen War Means UK Government Should Not Resume Arms Sales
“The future for our defence sector is a very bright one.”
So said Fleur Thomas, head of exports for the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence, as her government prepares to help host Europe’s biggest arms fair in London this week. Many foreign countries will be represented, including several the UK considers to have serious human rights issues, including Egypt, Israel, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan.
Saudi Arabia will also send delegates to the fair, despite the UK suspending new arms sales to the kingdom following a landmark court ruling in June.
But June’s courtroom victory gives only temporary respite. The fear is the UK government will, after a brief cooling off period, announce it has reconsidered Saudi’s actions in Yemen, decided there is nothing to worry about, and reauthorize arms sales.
This should not be allowed to happen. Too many lives are at stake.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/09/11/will-it-be-business-usual-saudis-londons-arms-fair
(A P)
Photos: Demonstrations against Yemen war in Berlin, London
https://en.abna24.com/news//photos-demonstrations-against-yemen-war-in-berlin-london_975059.html
(A K P)
Saudi Ambassador to Britain Visits DSEI Exhibition in London
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1968291
(A K P)
Ministry of Defence, UAE Armed Forces participate in DSEI 2019 in London
A delegation from the Ministry of Defence and the General Command of the UAE Armed Forces, headed by Major General Pilot Mubarak Ali Al Neyadi, Head of the Executive Department of Policy and Cooperation at the Ministry of Defence, participated in the 20th Defence and Security Equipment International, DSEI, 2019, which began yesterday and will run until 13th September at the Exhibition Centre in London.
The delegation, accompanied by Mansour Abdullah Khalfan Belhoul, UAE Ambassador to the United Kingdom, UK, visited the UAE pavilion, which is managed by the UAE Defence Companies Council, in cooperation with the ministry and the Tawazun Economic Council.
http://www.wam.ae/en/details/1395302785950
(A K P)
Momentum backs end of Yemen war and no invasion of Venezuela
A LABOUR pressure group has said a Labour government will end the war on Yemen, The Argus has revealed.
Momentum, which supports Jeremy Corbyn, has proposed a string of foreign policies for this month’s Labour conference in the Brighton Centre.
They include halting “all conventional UK military operations in Yemen” and condemning the current Government for rejecting an investigation into alleged war crimes by Saudi Arabian forces in the country.
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/17887675.momentum-backs-end-yemen-war-no-invasion-venezuela/
(A K P)
UK has robust arms export controls but will reflect on Saudi ruling: Wallace
Britain has a robust control system for weapons sales but is reflecting on a ruling that it broke the law in granting licenses to export arms to Saudi Arabia, defense Minister Ben Wallace said on Wednesday.
An English court ruled in June that Britain broke the law by allowing arms sales to Saudi Arabia that might have been deployed in the war in Yemen, after activists said there was evidence the weapons had been used in violation of human rights statutes.
The British government is appealing the ruling and no new export licenses to Saudi Arabia can be granted in the meantime.
Asked by Reuters about the ruling after he gave a speech at the Defence and Security Equipment International arms fair in London, Wallace said the court had noted that Britain already had a robust system in place.
My comment: LOL. The Tory governments eagerly had neglected the law, thus their export controls were not “robust” at all.
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
(A K P)
Government of Germany: Support for Yemen
The war in Yemen continues to rage unabated. Germany is supporting the UN’s efforts to reduce the suffering of the population and to create scope for a peace process.
My comment: Stop bla bla and stop arming warring parties in Yemen.
(A K P)
tagesgespräch: Peter Beyer (CDU, Transatlantik-Koordinator) zum Jemen-Krieg
"Deutschland müsse deeskalierend wirken", so Peter Beyer (CDU, Transatlantik-Koordinator der Bundesregierung, im politischen tagesgespräch über die angespannte Situation im Nahen Osten.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSzYjA6zSlk
(A K P)
Saudi-Arabien auf Waffenstillstand im Jemen verpflichten
Pressemitteilung von Sevim Dagdelen, 16. September 2019
„Es ist zynisch, wenn Bundesaußenminister Heiko Maas die Angriffe auf saudische Ölanlagen verurteilt, zum saudischen Bombenkrieg gegen die Bevölkerung im Jemen aber schweigt. Die Bundesregierung muss die US-Kriegsdrohungen gegen den Iran zurückweisen und sich für einen sofortigen Waffenstillstand Saudi-Arabiens im Jemen einsetzen. Dies ist der wichtigste Beitrag zur Deeskalation in der Region“, erklärt Sevim Dagdelen, stellvertretende Vorsitzende und abrüstungspolitische Sprecherin der Fraktion DIE LINKE. Dagdelen weiter:
Mein Kommentar: Überflüssig.
(* A K P)
Liefert Deutschland indirekt Waffen für den Jemenkrieg?
Und doch wurden 2019 wieder Rüstungsexporte in die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate genehmigt. Sören Bartol, stellvertretender Vorsitzender der SPD-Fraktion im Bundestag, ist darüber nicht glücklich: Doch die Formulierung im Koalitionsvertrag lasse einigen Interpretationsspielraum.
Welche Staaten sind unmittelbar, welche mittelbar am Jemen-Krieg beteiligt – diese Frage sei nicht so leicht zu beantworten, sagt Jürgen Hardt, außenpolitischer Sprecher der Unionsfraktion im Bundestag. Die Lage im Jemen müsse immer wieder neu beurteilt werden.
"Bei den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten habe ich den Eindruck, dass in den letzten Monaten keine Militäroperationen mehr stattgefunden haben. Auch Saudi-Arabien hat sich deutlich zurückgehalten."
Es ist also, so sieht es der CDU-Politiker, offenbar nicht so einfach, eindeutig zu beurteilen, welche Länder aktiv in die Kampfhandlungen verwickelt sind.
Außenminister Heiko Maas, SPD, sieht das ähnlich. Er sagte im Juli, dass es gar nicht möglich sei, festzustellen, wer direkt und wer indirekt beteiligt ist. "Weil jetzt im Moment dort ein Prozess in Gang gekommen ist, der eher darauf hinausläuft, dass immer mehr Partner aus dieser Koalition sich Stück für Stück zurückziehen."
Und so will auch die SPD mit Blick auf die genehmigten Rüstungsexporte für die Emirate nicht von einem Bruch des Koalitionsvertrags sprechen.
https://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/politik/ausland/ruestungsexporte-trotz-jemen-krieg100.html
Mein Kommentar: Peinlich. Erst kürzlich haben etwa die Emirate die Truppen der jemenitischen Regierung mit ca. 50 Toten bombardiert. Hardt ist ahnungslos, dann sollte er den Mund halten, oder lügt.
(* A K P)
Streit über Rüstungsexporte nach Saudi-Arabien
Während die USA im Jemen-Konflikt auf der Seite von Saudi-Arabien weiter Front gegen den Iran machen, wird in Berlin darüber gestritten, ob der Ende des Monats auslaufende Stopp von Rüstungsexporten jetzt beendet werden kann.
Die große Koalition erscheint uneins in der Frage, ob Rüstungsexporte nach Saudi-Arabien wieder aufgenommen werden können. Der wegen der Verwicklung des Landes in den Krieg im Jemen vereinbarte Stopp würde am 30. September auslaufen.
Der außenpolitische Sprecher der Unionsfraktion, Jürgen Hardt, sagte bei MDR AKTUELL, fertiggestellte Patrouillen-Boote könnten jetzt ausgeliefert werden. SPD-Fraktionsvize Sören Bartol erklärte hingegen, Saudi-Arabien sei weiter im Jemen-Krieg aktiv. Auch sei der Mord an dem Journalisten Jamal Khashoggi noch nicht aufgeklärt. Die Gründe für die Verhängung des Exportstopps seien also alle noch da.
https://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/politik/ausland/saudi-arabien-jemen-iran-ruestungsexport-100.html
(A P)
Photos: Demonstrations against Yemen war in Berlin, London
https://en.abna24.com/news//photos-demonstrations-against-yemen-war-in-berlin-london_975059.html
(A P)
Berlin, Außenminister Maas empfängt den UN-Sonderbeauftragten für den Jemen Griffiths (6 Bilder)
(* B K P)
Geschäft gegen Moral
Die deutsche Rüstungsindustrie zieht gegen den Exportstopp für Waffen an Saudi-Arabien zu Felde.
bis Ende September dieses Jahres darf kein Kriegsgerät an die Saudis gehen. Nun muss die Regierung entscheiden, wie es mit dem Embargo weitergeht. Rolf Mützenich, Fraktionschef der SPD im Bundestag, forderte jüngst im Spiegel eine Verlängerung
Dabei ist die Bundesrepublik keinesfalls der einzige Staat in Europa, der Waffenausfuhren nach Saudi-Arabien einschränkt. Zehn andere Länder mit nennenswerter Rüstungsindustrie verfahren ähnlich – oder haben sogar strengere Vorschriften.
Dennoch spricht die hiesige Rüstungsindustrie von einem deutschen Alleingang in Europa. "Die jüngsten Diskussionen um die Handhabung von Exporten nach Saudi-Arabien haben gezeigt, dass eine einseitige deutsche Verweigerungshaltung dazu führt, dass Deutschland im Kreise seiner engsten europäischen Verbündeten – wie Frankreich und Großbritannien – isoliert zu werden droht", warnte Hans Christoph Atzpodien, Hauptgeschäftsführer des Bundesverbands der Deutschen Sicherheits- und Verteidigungsindustrie, der wichtigsten Lobbygruppe der Branche.
Dabei ist das deutsche Embargo durchaus im Einklang mit Beschlüssen der EU und der Vereinten Nationen.
(* A K P)
Germany to resume training of Saudi border guards
German-Saudi cooperation resumes after having been suspended for a year since Khashoggi murder
Germany has officially announced the resumption of its training of Saudi border guards, after it was suspended last year in connection with the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, inside his country’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. This was confirmed by the German Interior Ministry on Monday.
Spokesman Stephane Roy Glosenkamp confirmed reports indicating Berlin’s decision to resume the training mission, the Associated Press reported.
“The protection of borders in the Near and Middle East serves Germany’s foreign policy interest and is an important means of effectively combating terrorism,” Roy stated.
He explained that the training focuses on “controls aimed at border protection and quality management, and the detection of forged documents.”
German Foreign Ministry spokesman Rainer Breuil said the training also included lectures on “principles of the rule of law and human rights”.
https://www.uprising.today/germany-to-resume-training-of-saudi-border-guards/
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
(A K P)
UAE military Airbase agreement remains the same-Somaliland President
Somaliland President on Sunday announced that the agreement between Somaliland and United Arab Emirates on Military base in the port city of Berbera will continue and the military base construction will also continue.
The military base at Berbera airport has been changed for civilian whilst the UAE military facility is under construction, but the president did not say where the military base will be constructed.
(A K P)
Kuwait says it's probing drone sighting, working with Riyadh
Kuwait is investigating the sighting of a drone over its territory and is coordinating with Saudi Arabia and other countries after Saturday’s attacks on Saudi oil plants, the cabinet said on Sunday.
(A K)
Six UAE servicemen killed in Yemen road accident
but
(A K)
The UAE announces the death of six of its soldiers "in an unknown place." Yemen or Libya?!
The Emirati version sparked controversy over the whereabouts of the Emirati soldiers killed and the reasons for hiding the place, so that the news of their possible death varies not from one region to another in Yemen, but rather in Yemen or Libya.
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/171598
and what it really was:
Libya’s GNA Air Force destroys Haftar’s defenses at Al-Jufra airbase, 6 UAE soldiers killed
The UAE official News Agency has announced that six of its soldiers were killed in a collision accident on the battleground, without saying where the battleground is.
My comment: A proof of UAE interference in Liby, they tried to hide this.
(* B P)
The Eritrean "Assab" was known by the Yemenis as a destination for immigration. Panel of Expert report explains how the UAE turned it into a detention and torture centre!
it recently became a detention and abuse center to which Yemenis have been taken over the past years, as documented by the report of the eminent international expert group on Yemen, formed by the Human Rights Council United Nations.
In the southern Province of Danakalia in the southern Red Sea region, the UAE established an air base and training center in the Eritrean city of Assab at the launch of the Arab Coalition's military operations in Yemen in March 2015.
The Base was the starting point for coalition air operations against the Houthis, and was linked to training and recruitment operations initiated by the UAE to establish security and military formations loyal to it, which handed over its leadership to former leaders of the so-called separatist movements, and to Salafist leaders. Until recently, was affiliated with terrorist organizations, according to the group of international experts.
After the defeat of Houthi militias from Aden and the provinces of Lahj, Abyan and Al-Dhalea by July 2015, the military base had a secret facility as a "Detention and Torture Center", the report says
https://almasdaronline.com/articles/171600
(B P)
Abuse of female political prisons on rise in Bahrain: Rights groups
Human rights organizations blow the lid off widespread torture and abuse against female political prisoners in Bahrain, implicating the US and the UK in the Manama regime’s human rights violations.
In a report on Wednesday, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) said that human rights violations against female activists and human rights defenders have increased since 2017, when Bahrain’s domestic spy service, the National Security Agency, was reinstated.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/09/12/605985/Bahrain-women-activists-torture-rights-groups
cp12b Sudan
(* B K P)
Yemen in Focus: Could a new Sudan withdraw from the Saudi-led coalition?
There are "between 8,000 and 14,000 Sudanese paramilitary forces are fighting in Yemen", Noha Aboueldahab, from Brookings Doha Centre, told Al Jazeera.
"Sudanese mercenaries, many of them children from Darfur, have been lured into fighting on the ground in Yemen in exchange for financial compensation."
The decision to join the Saudi-led war against Houthis in Yemen was made by former dictator Omar al-Bashir, whose current trial revealed he received millions in illicit cash funds from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Al Jazeera’s Tuesday report includes collected evidence on Saudi Arabia's trafficking of child soldiers to Yemen.
"I have never used a weapon… not a gun or a rifle," a child soldier told the broadcaster in an interview.
"I came because they told us we will be working in a kitchen and making 3,000 Saudi Riyals."
In December, The New York Times reported that Riyadh offered impoverished Sudanese families up to $10,000 to send their children to fight in Yemen.
"Families know that the only way their lives will change is if their sons join the war and bring them back money," the New York Times quoted one Sudanese child soldier as saying.
The report said that children made up at least 20 percent - and sometimes 40 percent - of the Sudanese battalion in Yemen.
But despite the progressive calls from a new Sudan, analysts believe the move is yet to be imposed.
"It is unlikely that anything will happen regarding a possible withdrawal of Sudanese soldiers from the Yemen conflict considering the transitional government is civilian-led and the armed forces are included within the council that came as a result of the agreement between the Sudanese opposition and the military," Yemen expert Mohammed al-Jaberi told The New Arab.
"The final say lies with the council itself and not the government and considering the strong connection between Hamiditi and Saudi Arabia and the UAE, it is unlikely for Sudanese forces to withdraw," he added.
"This is another clear example of the differences between the true powers that exist - the civil versus military."
It is estimated that hundreds of Sudanese have been killed in fighting in Yemen, in a conflict that has affected ordinary civilians as well as those from the highest ranks, among whom was the brother Houthi rebel chief Abdelmalik al-Houthi.
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade
(* B K P)
ARTE-Film: Die Waffenexporte der europäischen Staaten
https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/091513-006-A/die-waffenexporte-der-europaeischen-staaten/
(A K P)
Spain and Saudi sign $991 million dollar defence deal
Spanish shipbuilder, Navantia, and the Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) have signed a $991 million dollar deal earlier this week.
The partnership was announced at the Defence and Security Equipment international 2019 Exhibition in London.
The deal is to adapt Navantia’s combat management systems for Saudi navy corvette ships and is thought to be part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s modernisation programme called ‘Vision 2030’.
https://www.euroweeklynews.com/2019/09/12/spain-and-saudi-sign-991-million-dollar-defence-deal/
(B K P)
Film: Today I'm in UNHRC in #Geneva with the British HR activist discussing how arms sales to the #Saudi-led Coalition are a Human Rights concern.
https://www.facebook.com/aiman.garallah/videos/2415192325238272
cp13b Mercenaries / Söldner
(B K)
@BelqeesTV speaks to many civilians in al-Marzuh village in #Taiz who lost their sons who joined the conflict w/ #Saudi_Arabia to defend its borders from the Houthis.Fate of 13 people is unknown."I don't know now if my son is alive or dead",said Hussein Ali, one of the fathers
https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1171788484916502528
cp13c Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage
(* B D)
DAI hilft Jemen beim Kulturerhalt: Die Rettung kam per Satellit
Kulturerhalt in Krisenregionen am Beispiel des Jemen – Wissenschaftler des DAI arbeiten in Berlin an einem digitalen Denkmalregister
Doch die Außenstelle Sanaa der Orient-Abteilung des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts (DAI) ist immer noch geöffnet und arbeitet mit drei jemenitischen Lokalbeschäftigten sowie einer Schweizer Kollegin, die die Verwaltung regelt.
Was kann man von Deutschland aus tun, um dem Jemen zu helfen? Mit dem Projekt „Yemeni Museum at Risk: Sicherung und Archivierung von Museumsobjekten im Jemen“, das von der Gerda Henkel Stiftung gefördert wird, hilft das DAI, den Bestand der Objekte des Nationalmuseums von Sanaa sachgerecht zu sichern.
Zuerst ging es darum, die über 100 000 Objekte erstmals zu erfassen und zu dokumentieren. Manchmal helfen aber auch schon ganz einfache Dinge wie geeignetes Verpackungsmaterial, Fotoausrüstungen sowie ein Tresor für Schmuck und wertvolle Kleinfunde, die dem Nationalmuseum zur Verfügung gestellt wurden.
Da der Jemen kein nationales Denkmalregister hat, entwickeln die Orient-Abteilung in Zusammenarbeit mit dem IT-Referat des DAI einen digitalen Atlas, in dem alle Fundorte, Grabungsdaten, Fotos, Pläne und naturwissenschaftliche Daten eingearbeitet werden. Für diesen „Ancient Yemen Digital Atlas (AYDA)“ liefern auch die Jemeniten ihre Daten, die sie im Nationalmuseum gesammelt haben.
Mehr als 9000 Punkte sind seit 2017 mit Mitteln des Kulturerhalt-Programms des Auswärtigen Amtes auf einer Jemenkarte erfasst, die auf einem Geographischen Informationssystem (GIS) basiert. Das können ganze Städte wie Ma'rib sein, aber auch Turmbauten, Wasserwirtschaftsanlagen, archäologische Fundplätze. Man konzentriert sich auf archäologische Plätze, gleichwohl sind auch wichtige Bauwerke wie Moscheen und Museen erfasst.
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
(A T)
#AQAP releases photos of prisoner swap Friday with #Yemen's Houthis
Note:
1.Timing comes after uptick since Aug in AQAP ops on #UAE-backed southern forces
2.Arch enemies achieved this yet gov-Houthi swap brokered in #Stockholm hasn't happened. Politics outweighs sectarianism?
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/1173492281091010562
(* B T)
Widespread deployment of Al-Qaeda in Yemen since 1990
Al-Qaeda operatives are spreading in the central districts of Abyan province (south of Yemen), nearly four years after al-Qaeda in Yemen lost most of its top-tier leaders due to US airstrikes on its strongholds in southern Yemen.
Shabwa
The organization is stationed in the town of Azan in the governorate as well as in Bayhan. During the previous period, there were fierce clashes between them and the security forces to get out of the governorate and the members of the organization fled to the mountains of the province.
Abyan
Abyan province, located in the south of Yemen, is the main stronghold of al-Qaeda in the nineties, especially as the province is characterized by the nature of its rugged terrain, which helps al-Qaeda elements to infiltrate and spread.
Al-Qaida has two provinces in Abyan, Zanzibar and Jaar.
Albayda
Since then it expanded in Al-Bayda, and took over more than one city, including Al-Zaher and Al-Hmaikan.
Hadramawt
During 2015 and 2016, ISIS claimed control of parts of Hadramawt governorate and controlled several government buildings, including the presidential palace and the headquarters of the second military area, and freed 300 prisoners from the central prison in Mukalla.
They attacked the local administration of Hadhramaut governorate, which lies to the east of Yemen and occupies 36% of its area.
Sources of funding
In a July study by the Washington Sanctions and Financing Center, al-Qaeda makes tens of millions of dollars a year in criminal operations.
According to the study, one of the most important sources of funding for the organization in Yemen, oil and gas, taxes, smuggling of weapons and ammunition, kidnappings and ransom, and theft of money and banditry.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/13265
(* B P T)
Leaked documents show Al-Qaeda leaders receive Saudi salaries for terrorism in Yemen
Blacklisted terrorists reported in employment of Hadi government
Leaked official documents reveal that a leader of the al-Qaeda terrorist organization has received official funding from the Saudi regime through the coalition-backed Hadi government, under the guise of “monthly salaries” .
Local media circulated documents including the extradition of an al-Qaeda suspect to the United States of America on terrorism charges, Naif Saleh al-Qaisi who previously had received monthly salaries from the Saudi regime.
The documents showed that the wanted man on the US list of terrorists, Naif Saleh al-Qaisi, receives a monthly salary of nearly one million Yemeni per month, without regard to the American decision to put al-Qaisi on the list of terrorism.
The documents further showed the financing of those accused of supporting terrorism by the Saudi regime through Hadi’s puppet government, despite the continuation of their terrorist activities in Al-Bayda
Terrorism suspect Abdul Wahab al-Hamiqani is another name that continues to serve as an advisor to the exiled Hadi regime, in spite of a US decision to include Al-Hamiqani to the list of terrorism and officially imposing sanctions on him for financing terrorism.
My comment: This really is no news.
(* B T)
AQAP and Islamic State resume fighting in Yemen
Following sporadic raids against each other over the summer, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the Islamic State in Yemen (IS-Y) have engaged in open warfare in Yemen’s Al Bayda since late August.
Since Aug. 27, the two groups have claimed a combined 29 attacks against each other in Al Bayda’s Qayfa region. This region has seen fierce fighting between the two in the past and has historically been a critical area for AQAP.
Both sides have said its men have taken and retaken territory, launched improvised explosive device (IED) attacks against one another, sniped opposing militants and attacked various positions via mortars and rockets.
AQAP has been responsible for the majority of claims (23), while IS-Y has mainly reported its men repelling AQAP assaults. The heaviest days of fighting have so far been Sept. 1 and Sept. 9, in which the majority of the claims were published.
Islamic State photo reports of the fighting appear to back up the claims that its men have repelled AQAP assaults. Many of the photos detail dead bodies and captured weapons.
The renewed fighting has mainly taken place in Qayfa area and its surrounding villages, including Al Hamida, Al Zoub, Sarar, Awaja, Liqah, Al Najd, and Abu Ghayth. FDD’s Long War Journal has attempted to map out the fighting above.
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2019/09/aqap-and-islamic-state-resume-fighting-in-yemen.php
cp15 Propaganda
(A P)
Yes, Iran Was Behind the Saudi Oil Attack. Now What?
This latest escalation is yet another reason the U.S. should not pursue talks with the regime.
Following the Houthi attack on Saturday on Saudi Aramco’s crude-oil processing facility, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an obvious and necessary point: Blame Iran.
It is obvious because the Houthi rebels in Yemen lack the drones, missiles or expertise to attack infrastructure inside Saudi Arabia. In 2018, a United Nations panel of experts on Yemen examined the debris of missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen into Saudi Arabia and concluded there was high probability the weapons were shipped in components from Iran – by Eli Lake
My comment: More warmongering propaganda.
(A P)
From Tokyo to Toronto: Why attacking Saudi Aramco affects the whole world
As such, an unhindered and uninterrupted production of oil, and its safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, is an absolute necessity for Japan’s continued growth.
The full force of the attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities does not just affect Japan. It affects the whole world — and the whole world needs to recognize that fact.
While many countries expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia, it is unfortunate that such a dramatic event did not garner enough of the right kind of attention in the international media. The perpetrators were not challenged as they should have been, and certainly not as they deserved to be.
This may partly be due to ignorance, but we cannot discount that fault-finding and dislike of Saudi Arabia is the new norm in much of the Western media. Outlets and publications are quick to portray Riyadh in a negative — and mostly inaccurate — light.
Many may think that because Saudi Arabia is rich, they need not worry about what happens there.
We have seen similar apathy and a lack of concern and outrage when the Houthis attacked sites near the holy city of Makkah.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1554871
(A P)
Iran’s role in Yemen part of regime’s ideological crusade
The attacks by the Iran-backed militia group are not only a threat to Saudi Arabia, but also to the world, as such offensive operations will likely have an impact on the world economy, as well as the security and stability of the Middle East.
The international community should not forget who is the major culprit and instigator besides the Houthis: The Islamic Republic of Iran. The Houthis are very fortunate due to the fact they have a powerful ally that is the top state sponsor of terrorism in the world.
The Iranian regime will make every effort to ensure the Houthis do not run out of ammunition in this fight
The number of attacks by Iran’s proxies is rising at an unprecedented level.
The Iranian regime’s ideology is a dangerous one that the international community needs to take seriously, because this recent episode of terror will most likely not be its final iteration and no country will be safe from Iran’s aggression and threats.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1554796
(A P)
Trump should prioritize US allies over new Iran deal
The author of “The Art of the Deal” is said to be so desperate for Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to talk to him at the UN General Assembly that he has reportedly been discussing showering Tehran with billions of dollars-worth of sanctions relief. This dumbfounding revelation is apparently what triggered the acrimonious departure from the Donald Trump administration of National Security Adviser John Bolton, the architect of efforts to ratchet up pressure against Iran.
A Rouhani adviser hailed Bolton’s departure as a “defeat of America’s maximum pressure strategy.” Trump, meanwhile, wistfully opines to journalists that “Iran wants to meet.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1554826
(A P)
Arab Quartet Condemns Iranian Intervention in Arab’s Internal Affairs
http://en.adenpress.news/news/13267
(A P)
Yemeni Rasd Coalition Condemns the Coordination of Eminent Experts with Militias on Internationally Wanted Lists
Yemeni Coalition for Monitoring Human Rights Violations in Yemen "Rasd" said that the human rights situation in Yemen has deteriorated since the coup of Houthi militia and their rebellion against the legitimate authority took place, pointing out that without the continuation of this ominous coup the violations of the Houthi militia of international human rights law and international humanitarian law would have not increased to the current extent.
Arwa al-Khattabi, member of Rasd coalition, said in her speech to the Human Rights Council that the group of eminent experts on Yemen relied in its report on meetings and visits arranged in cooperation with the militia, which means that it has overlooked many other violations and war crimes committed by the militia in areas not under its control.
She added that, the report of the team doesn't differentiate between recognized deliberate violations and the accidental mistakes that habitually occur in all wars, despite the fact that all investigation, disclosure and reparation measures have been taken in accordance with the principles of international law.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1968599
My comment: By this statement, „RASD“ devaluates itself as a Saudi coalition mouthpiece.
And more:
(A P)
"Rasd Coalition" Documents over 16,000 Arbitrary Detention, Abduction in Yemen, Slams GEE Report
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1968659
and
(A P)
Rasd Coalition" Documents over 16,000 Arbitrary Detention, Abduction in Yemen, Slams GEE Report 2 Geneva
Rasd Coalition explained that GEE team has departed from the tasks entrusted to it to monitor and investigate all violations of all parties since September 2014, pointing out that the team ignored the essence of the conflict which is the onslaught of Al-Houthi militias against the legitimately elected authority, and launched a war to control all Yemeni governorates, including bombing, killing and demolition in addition to the devastation of Yemen's human beings, institutions, infrastructure, social, economic and developmental life and the threat of regional and international security.
Rasd Coalition asserted that the report of the Group of Eminent Experts did not address these issues in their dimensions and depth.
It also stressed that addressing the roots of the political crisis in Yemen lies in ending the coup, restoring state institutions and extending its control over the entire territory of the Republic of Yemen,
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1968660
My comment: They parrot the well-known Hadi government political claims. This has nothing to do with the war crimes committed by any party of the war. The evaluation of any war crime does not depend on any (claimed) „legitimacy“ or „coup“.
(A P)
So that the Iranian Crescent Doesn’t Become a Full Moon
Whenever Saudi Arabia warns of the danger of another Hezbollah clone in Yemen, a negative and hesitant reaction resounds from the West and considers the warning an exaggeration.
Many Western especially European governments, think that such an idea is not only difficult, but impossible to happen.
However, the US special envoy to Iran, Brian Hook, in an opinion published by the Wall Street Journal, sounded the alarm over Tehran’s attempt to replicate the Lebanese experience in Yemen, warning that the world must face Iran’s ambitions; otherwise “the Iranian Crescent will soon enough become a full moon.”
Undoubtedly, Hook rang the alarm bells to all those who are incapable of dealing with Hezbollah
More Saudi coalition “We are benefactors” propaganda
http://en.adenpress.news/news/13294
http://www.wam.ae/en/details/1395302787102
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1969899
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1554581/saudi-arabia
http://www.wam.ae/de/details/1395302786580
http://www.wam.ae/de/details/1395302786579
http://en.adenpress.news/news/13281
http://en.adenpress.news/news/13280
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=196897
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1968975
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1968836
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1968753
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1968201
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
(* A K pH)
Saudi coalition air raids and shelling day by day
Sep. 15: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1568645544./1412950065522021/
Sep. 14: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1568645544./1412949528855408
Sep. 13: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1568477364./1411179495699078/
Sep. 12: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1568477364./1411174172366277/
Sep. 11: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000.1568477364./1411174212366273/
Sep. 10: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/a.551858951631141/1411171339033227/?type=3&theater
(* B K P)
Lawyers ask US and UK police to investigate Saudi coalition for Yemen war crimes
At least four political and military figures from Saudi-led coalition committed unlawful killings in 2016 funeral bombing, says legal complaint
Lawyers representing relatives of a Yemeni man killed when the Saudi-led coalition bombed a funeral in 2016 filed a universal jurisdiction complaint in the UK and the US on Monday over one of the war’s deadliest attacks.
The coalition strike on the Al-Kubra community hall in Sanaa killed 137 people, including children, and injured nearly 700 on the afternoon of 8 October as mourners attended the funeral.
"They bombed a funeral. There is no excuse that can be given for what they did. We are angry and we have suffered helplessly for too long."
The complaints – filed with the UK Metropolitan Police Counter Terror Command and the US Department of Justice – ask each body to investigate the attack, including a list of suspects “at the highest level who were in charge of the operation, and who bear the greatest responsibility”.
There are currently four suspects on this list, all high-level political or military officials and all either Saudi or Yemeni who would have been in charge of overseeing more junior officials who perpetrated the alleged war crimes.
Their names are not being revealed in order not to jeopardise the investigation and the suspect list could expand, according to the lawyers.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/lawyers-ask-met-police-investigate-saudi-arabia-yemen-war-crimes
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dominicdudley/2019/09/16/yemen-war-crimes-investigation/#56e599004cf0
(B K)
The coalition carried out 10 air raids on its own forces, military facilities and territory under its control in Aden, Abyan and Marib in August. Almost a quarter (24%) of coalition air raids on military targets in the month were against their own side.
https://twitter.com/YemenData/status/1172477301658963969
(A K pH)
Saada p., Sep. 12: US-Saudi aggression launched 2 raids on Bakil area in Razih district, injuring a man and a women and destroying civilians' houses. US-Saudi aggression launched 3 raids on Bani-Mueen area in Razih district and 2 raids on Al-Qad and Al-Hajlah areas in Razih.
US-Saudi aggression also launched 2 raids on Shida district. The aggression launched 4 raids on Adh-dhaher district and 2 raids on Haidan district.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=8755
(A K pS)
Coalition airstrike destroys weapons depot for Houthi militia in Hajjah
(A K pS)
Coalition airstrikes hit Houthi targets in Saada, Hajjah
http://en.adenpress.news/news/13264
(A K pH)
Saada p.: Almasirah Net correspondent in the province reported the injury of a man and a woman, as well as the damage of citizens’ homes as a result of two raids of aggression on the Bakil area of the Razih border district.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=8740
(* A K P)
JIAT Blasts Using Civilians for Military Purposes
The Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) of the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen held parties using civilian objects for military purposes liable for damages or victims, noting that there would no longer be any legal protection when an object is militarized.
JIAT Spokesman Mansour Ahmed Al-Mansour confirmed that the Geneva Conventions and human rights laws prohibit exploiting civilians for military gains. Civilians, once involved in battle, lose legal human rights protection and become a valid military target.
In a Riyadh presser held on Tuesday, Mansour revised a number of cases presented to JIAT on Arab Coalition strikes allegedly hitting civilian targets.
One of these cases included a civilian home in Yemen’s southern Abyan province. It was allegedly struck with two surface-to-air missiles back in August 2015, killing three and wounding six.
Speaking on the matter, Mansour said investigations found that the Arab Coalition, at the time, carried out a mission on a legitimate military site 86 kilometers away from the house in question, which is considered a safe distance. This concludes that Coalition forces did not target the house.
In another report on extrajudicial killings, Coalition jets are cited as striking a Hodeidah hospital, killing seven civilians.
On that matter, Mansour said: “Upon verification, it was found that Coalition forces did not target any hospital in Hodeidah on the presented date… On that date, Coalition forces carried out an air raid against Houthi militia concentrations 100 kilometers from Hodeidah using a precision-guided bomb that struck the target accurately.”
In another report, Mansour tackled claims on a 2018 airstrike resulting in a number of deaths and injuries in Sanaa.
“Upon verification, the panel found credible Coalition intelligence on a Houthi militia site used to store and equip ballistic missiles in Sanaa to strike Saudi Arabia.”
“Accordingly, the Coalition carried out an aerial mission on a legitimate military target using a precision-guided bomb that struck its targets accurately, noting that the target struck was 17 kilometers away from Sanaa,” Mansour noted.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/13256
My comment: Self-whitewashing by the Saudi fake “investigation” team continues.
(* A K)
Yemeni medics: 135 bodies found after Saudi-led airstrike
Yemeni medics say the final death toll from Saudi-led coalition airstrikes last week on a detention center operated by the Houthi rebels has reached 135 people.
The attack, which wounded 40 others, was one of the deadliest in more than four years of war in Yemen.
My comment: What is the real figure? The Houthi side already had reported 156 killed.
(A K pH)
More Saudi coalition air raids recorded on:
Sep. 15: https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=8798 Saada p., Hajjah p., Asir
https://www.yemenpress.org/yemen/four-air-strikes-hit-saada-province/ Saada p.
Sep. 14: https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=8782 Saada p., Al Jawf p., Asir
Sep. 13: https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=8769 Hajjah p., Asir
Sep. 11: https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=8732 Saada p., Hajjah p.
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
Siehe / Look at cp1b, cp1c
(A K pS)
KSrelief's Project "Masam" Dismantles 2,965 Mines in Second Week of September
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center's project for clearing mines (Masam) in Yemen demined 1,980 mines during the second week of September 2019, including two antipersonnel mines, 332 anti-tank, 1,629 unexploded ordnance and 17 explosive devices
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1969898#1969898
(* B K)
A timeline of Yemeni missile, drone attacks inside Saudi Arabia
The following is a timeline of such retaliatory raids on targets inside Saudi Arabia staring from May 14 — when the Yemenis carried out a major drone strike on Aramco facilities.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/09/16/606313/Yemen-war-Saudi-Arabia-drone-missiles
(A K pH)
In Al-Dhale'e, A civilian was killed with US-Saudi mercenaries' snipers' shots.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=8782
(A K pH)
Sep. 13: In Sa'ada, A child was killed with Saudi artillery shells that targeted populated villages in Shida district.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=8769
(A K pS)
Film: Clashes continue between government forces and the Houthis on the frontiers of the city
Clashes continue between government forces and the Houthis on the frontiers of the city of Haradh in Hajjah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy9ZzMRDKhc
(B K pS)
Yemeni army destroys 500 Houthi landmines eastern Haradh
Engineering teams of the First Brigade extracted hundreds of various landmines during the past few months from areas east of Haradh
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1554286/middle-east
(A K)
Houthis carry out raid in Saudi’s Jizan region
Footage displays Houthi fighters - backed by heavy artillery - capturing several sites in the Jahfan area, deserted by coalition forces.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190913-houthis-carry-out-raid-in-saudis-jizan-region/
(A K pH)
Saudi missiles and artillery shells targeted populated villages in Shida district.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=8755
(A K pH)
a woman was injured and citizens’ houses were damaged by Saudi rocketry and artillery shelling on populated villages in Razih district as well.
In Shada, a girl was seriously injured in the head by Saudi artillery shelling on populated villages in the district.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=8740
and
(A K pH)
Child Died of Wounds Sustained in Sa’adah
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=8762
Photos: https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/posts/2103708259925157
(A K pH)
Saada p., Sep. 11: Saudi missiles and artillery shells targeted populated villages in Razi district.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=8732
(A K pS)
Yemen's southern forces hold back Houthi assault
The offensive was the most severe rebel push in months
Nine Houthi fighters were killed and dozens injured when fierce clashes renewed between the Houthi militia and the Southern Joint Forces north of the coastal city of Aden on Tuesday night.
https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/yemen-s-southern-forces-hold-back-houthi-assault-1.909128
My comment: Propaganda purpose: Separatist militia described as fierce fighters against the Houthis.
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
(A D)
Film: Education Resumption in Arts and Humanities Faculty at Taiz University …After a 4 year stop
Arts and humanities faculty celebrated the beginning of the new semester at Taiz University and studying was resumption in it and that’s after 4 years disconnecting because of the war that Taiz witnessed south west of Yemen, while the students cleaned and arranged their college from war and also they fully prepared the class rooms to be able to contain students.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfJ4BJHsNUg
(* B D)
Film: Yemen: Culture in times of civil war
Since the beginning of Yemen's civil war, the country's cultural life has essentially come to a standstill. DW's Fanny Facsar met people there who believe that the best path toward peace and a return to normal life is through the pursuit of the arts.
https://www.dw.com/en/yemen-culture-in-times-of-civil-war/av-50294964
(-)
Photos: Stunning diversity of #Yemen landscapes. But nooo, media only shows you some crazy goons with guns running through the desert shooting at God knows what when we're in the news. No wonder many foreigner friends surprised when I tell them we have rivers, lakes, and green mountains.
https://twitter.com/omeisy/status/1172959162436919296
https://twitter.com/kassim_lina/status/1172947839909015552
(B H)
Have done all I could to sponsor/fund a football championship in my district/village in Ibb. Keeping the young busy in something interesting & joyful is rewarding, compared to chances that they’d be recruited by warring parties n #Yemen. Football saves us! 2day is semi-final Satisfied! (photos)
https://twitter.com/alasaadim/status/1172825772463202305
(B H)
Film: HOW TO EAT THE YEMENI WAY
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2327554234226814
(B H)
Behind the Nicab: rebellion is possible in Yemen even at war
Pedro Riera delves into the daily life of women in a country strangled by war in which there is still room for humor and sex
Pedro Riera has managed to reveal in 'Intisar in exile', the daily portrait of some Yemenis that destroys the prejudices of the West. The author lived in the country of the Arabian peninsula for a year between 2009 and 2010 because his wife began working in a school. From that experience emerged ' The Intisar car ' (with Nacho Casanova, EDT, 2011), an exhibition of situations that lived Yemenis embodied in a fictional character to avoid revenge and act freely.
https://www.laverdad.es/culturas/libros/detras-nikab-mujer-intisar-exilio-20190914223038-ntrc.html
(* B D)
Film: Jemen: Kunst in Zeiten des Bürgerkrieges
Seit Beginn des Bürgerkriegs im Jemen ist das kulturelle Leben im Land zum Erliegen gekommen. Doch es gibt Hoffnung: DW-Reporterin Fanny Facsar hat Menschen in der Hauptstadt Aden getroffen, die nach wie vor an die heilsame Wirkung der Kunst glauben.
https://www.dw.com/de/jemen-kunst-in-zeiten-des-b%C3%BCrgerkrieges/av-50362677
(A)
Desert Locust situation update 13 September 2019
Prevailing insecurity continues to restrict survey and control operations in Yemen.
http://www.fao.org/ag/locusts/en/info/info/index.html
(B D)
Film: Yemeni athletics training in a bombed stadium
https://www.ad.nl/video/atleten-in-jemen-trainen-in-gebombardeerd-stadion~p99780
(B)
Maps: Yemen - Flood Susceptibility - National Susceptibility to Flooding (19 August 2019)
https://reliefweb.int/map/yemen/yemen-flood-susceptibility-taizz-governorate-06-august-2019
https://reliefweb.int/map/yemen/yemen-flood-susceptibility-marib-governorate-06-august-2019
(B D)
The woman fighting for the arts amid conflict in Yemen
We meet one young Yemeni artist who’s working hard to change the perception of modern art in her conservative hometown, while struggling to raise funds for a flailing creative scene
The young artist was born in Aden, raised in the capital, Sanaa, and now lives with her mother and father in Mukalla, where Al Hadrami also has a small studio. She has been interested in art for as long as she can remember. “At home, I used to decorate cups, clothes and plates, and art was my favourite subject during primary school.” She flashes a smile and winks at her mother, who nods her head and shares her own memories of her daughter who, as a baby, broke cups while trying to paint them. They both laugh as they explain how Al Hadrami scratched and scribbled her drawings wherever she could find an empty space.
(A)
Film: Gewaltiger Sandsturm verschluckt Stadt im Jemen
Über die Stadt Aden im Jemen ist ein gewaltiger Sandsturm hinweggefegt.
https://www.faz.net/aktuell/gesellschaft/gewaltiger-sandsturm-verschluckt-stadt-im-jemen-16380569.html = https://www.msn.com/de-de/nachrichten/news-videos/gewaltiger-sandsturm-verdunkelt-stadt-im-jemen/vp-AAHb3Ei
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-574-yemen-war-mosaic-574
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-574 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-574:
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/
Liste aller Luftangriffe / and list of all air raids:
http://yemendataproject.org/data/
Untersuchung ausgewählter Luftangriffe durch Bellingcat / Bellingcat investigations of selected aur raids:
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