... gesamt 3 Millionen – Lobbyismus der Saudis und Emirate in den USA – Denguefieber und Malaria breiten sich im Jemen aus – und mehr
Nov. 15, 2019: Background information by Initiative Jemen (in German) – Yemen: The worst humanitarian crisis in photos – “War in Terror” has killed over 801,000 people, totally 3 million – Saudi, UAE lobbying in the US – Dengue fever and malaria are spreading in Yemen – and more
Schwerpunkte / Key aspects
Klassifizierung / Classification
Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics
cp1b Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah / Most important: Hodeidah battle
cp2 Allgemein / General
cp2a Allgemein: Saudische Blockade / General: Saudi blockade
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
cp6 Separatisten und Hadi-Regierung im Südjemen / Separatists and Hadi government in Southern Yemen
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
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
cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis
cp13 Wirtschaft / Economy
cp15 Propaganda
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
Klassifizierung / Classification
***
**
*
(Kein Stern / No star)
? = Keine Einschatzung / No rating
A = Aktuell / Current news
B = Hintergrund / Background
C = Chronik / Chronicle
D = Details
E = Wirtschaft / Economy
H = Humanitäre Fragen / Humanitarian questions
K = Krieg / War
P = Politik / Politics
pH = Pro-Houthi
pS = Pro-Saudi
T = Terrorismus / Terrorism
Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject
Einführende Artikel u. Überblicke für alle, die mit den Ereignissen im Jemen noch nicht vertraut sind, hier:
Yemen War: Introductory articles, overviews, for those who are still unfamiliar with the Yemen war here:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-einfuehrende-artikel-u-ueberblicke
Neue Artikel / New articles
(** B H K P)
Vortrag: Jemenkrieg – die vergessene Katastrophe
Würde man den jemenitischen Durchschnitt auf eine Person runterbrechen, hätten wir ein traumatisiertes, hungerndes Kind ohne Perspektive vor uns. Der Jemen ist seit langer Zeit Opfer des Drohnenkriegs, seit 2015 Zielscheibe nationaler wie auch internationaler Machtkämpfe und seit Jahrhunderten von geopolitischem Interesse. Dem Volk fehlt jegliche Aussicht auf Selbstbestimmung, Freiheit und Frieden. Auch Deutschland setzt in dieser Region seine Interessen durch. Daher ist es unsere Aufgabe, den Druck auf die Bundesregierung zu erhöhen, nach ihren propagierten Werten zu handeln.
Die Militärintervention im Jemen dauert seit 2015 an, doch die Vorgeschichte dazu beginnt schon früher. Im Großen und Ganzen hat sich das Narrativ verbreitet, im Jemen tobt ein Krieg zwischen Schiiten und Sunniten bzw. ein Stellvertreterkrieg zwischen Iran und Saudi-Arabien. Das ist jedoch nur halbrichtig, der Konflikt ist komplexer. Es gibt mehr als zwei Konfliktparteien. Auch die Interessen der jeweiligen Verbündeten weichen voneinander ab. Daher ist es sinnvoll, den Konflikt tiefer zu beleuchten, um die Interessen zu verstehen.
Der Jemenkrieg ist kein Stellvertreterkrieg zwischen Saudi-Arabien und dem Iran. Er ist auch kein Bürgerkrieg zwischen Schiiten und Sunniten. Es geht vielmehr um die Vorherrschaft in dieser Region. Die Hintergründe und Interessen ausländischer Mächte sind sehr vielschichtig. Selbst Deutschland hat Interessen in dieser Region. Es gibt nicht nur einen einzigen Kriegsgrund, sondern gleich mehrere. Der Jemenkrieg bestätigt einmal mehr Egon Bahrs Aussage von 2013: „In der internationalen Politik geht es nie um Demokratie oder Menschenrechte. Es geht um die Interessen von Staaten“, und diese Staatsinteressen werden immer durch edle Motive verschleiert. Wir wollen nicht hören, dass unser Steuergeld dafür verwendet wird, wirtschaftliche Interessen durchzusetzen. Mit dem Gedanken, dass wir überall auf der Welt Demokratie und Menschenrechte unterstützen, können wir ganz gut schlafen.
Henrietta Fore (UNICEF Executive Director) sagte am 15. Mai 2019 vor der UNO: „Der Jemen ist eine Prüfung unserer Menschlichkeit. Und im Moment bestehen wir diesen Test nicht.“31 Die Humanitäre Katastrophe im Jemen hat Dimensionen erreicht, die man sich schwer vorstellen kann, und wird von der Gesellschaft (vermutlich für den Seelenfrieden) erfolgreich ignoriert.
Deutschlands Interesse in der Region um Jemen ist groß. Nicht umsonst ist die Bundeswehr auch in Dschibuti vertreten. Mit edlen Motiven lässt sich das jedoch nicht rechtfertigen. Eine beliebte Strategie der Politik, seit Angela Merkel, ist es nichts zu wissen, Nachfragen zu ignorieren oder Antworten auf nicht gestellte Frage zu geben. So kann man sich nicht die Zunge verbrennen. Nach außen zeigt man sich besorgt, doch hintenrum unterstützt man die Unterdrücker-Herrschaft des saudischen Königshauses, weil man sich davon vor allem wirtschaftliche Vorteile verspricht.
Hintergrund
Der Krieg im Jemen unter Führung Saudi-Arabiens hat laut UNO zur „weltweit schlimmsten humanitären Katastrophe“ geführt. 14 Millionen sind von Hungersnot bedroht, jedes zweite Kind ist chronisch unterernährt, das Leben von Hunderttausenden hängt am „seidenen Faden“. Eingesperrt in ihrem Land, kann niemand fliehen, denn die saudische Hafen- und See-Blockade macht jede Flucht unmöglich. Rund 20 Millionen der 27 Millionen Menschen, sind nach Angaben von Misereor, dringend auf die Lieferung von Lebensmitteln und Medikamenten angewiesen. Zudem ist Jemen, laut Oxfam, mit dem größten Ausbruch von Cholera konfrontiert, der je aufgezeichnet wurde. Mehr als 1,2 Millionen Fälle sind dokumentiert und tausende Menschen sind bereits gestorben. Viele Menschen können der Epidemie nichts entgegensetzen. Durch Krieg, Not und Hunger sind sie geschwächt und demoralisiert.
Deshalb veranstaltet die „Initiative Jemen“ mit dem Aktionsbündnis gegen die „NATO- Sicherheitskonferenz“, in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Münchner Friedensbündnis ein Benefizkonzert für Jemen. Mit den Einnahmen aus Konzert und Spenden sollen konkrete Projekte von Misereor und Oxfam im Jemen finanziell unterstützt werden.
Weitere Infos:
Bombardement, Blockade, Epidemie, Hunger, Flüchtlinge, Drohnenkrieg im Jemen, Waffenhändler
Bombardement
Laut der NGO Jemen Delta Projects trifft ein Viertel der Luftangriffe Zivilisten. Krankenhäuser, humanitäre Einrichtungen, Privathäuser, Märkte oder Schulen – vor nichts macht die saudische Militärkoalition halt.[1] Und immer wieder wird die sogenannte double-tap-Taktik eingesetzt, bestehend aus zwei Luftangriffen, um die Überlebenden und herbeieilenden Helfer ebenfalls zu treffen.
Die Luftangriffe auf den Jemen werden ausschließlich von Saudi-Arabien und den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten geführt. In den ersten vier Wochen der Operation Decisive Storm flog die Militärkoalition etwa 2.000 Luftangriffe gegen die Huthi-Rebellen und deren Verbündete. In den folgenden vier Wochen waren es weitere 2.300 Angriffe.[2] Laut Yemen Data Project sollen seitdem etwa 20.000 Luftangriffe geflogen worden sein.
Die Bombardements der Kriegskoalition fallen immer wieder durch ihre rücksichtslose Brutalität auf. Im Oktober 2016, während einer Zeremonie für den gestorbenen Vater eines Ministers, bombardiert ein saudisches Flugzeug die Trauerhalle. Der Pilot wartet ab und feuert ein zweites mal (double-tap Strike), um die herbeieilenden Helfer ebenfalls zu treffen. Laut offiziellen Zahlen sollen bei den Angriffen 140 Menschen getötet und 525 verletzt worden sein. Der Vorfall werde untersucht – in Riad.
Im August 2018 hält ein Schulbus auf dem Markt in Dahyan. Die Schüler kamen von einem Ausflug zurück. Ein saudischer Kampfjet nähert sich und feuert eine MK-82-Bombe (Lockheed Martin, USA) auf den Schulbus ab. Wieder wartet man kurz und bombardiert ein zweites Mal aus bekannten Gründen. Bei diesem Angriff starben 40 unschuldige Schulkinder. Sie stellten weder eine Gefahr dar, noch waren sie in irgendeiner Weise an diesem Krieg beteiligt. Dieses Kriegsverbrechen spiegelt die Grausamkeit der Bombardements wider, die von Saudi-Arabien und den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten täglich durchgeführt werden. Dies veranlasste die Bundesregierung jedoch noch nicht, einen Rüstungsstopp gegen Saudi-Arabien zu verhängen.
https://www.initiative-jemen.de/
Blockade
Mit Beginn der Operation Restoring Hope im April 2015 begann man auch mit der furchtbaren See- und Luftblockade. Bereits vor dem Krieg war Jemen darauf angewiesen 90 Prozent der Lebensmittel zu importieren.[1] Dass eine Luft- und Seeblockade zu einer Katastrophe führen muss, war absehbar, denn auch Hilfslieferungen kommen nicht ins Land.
„Wir können diese Blockade nicht akzeptieren“, sagte UN-Sprecherin Alessandra Vellucci. Immer wieder fordern die Vereinten Nationen und internationale Hilfsorganisationen ein Ende der Luft- und Seeblockade in den Jemen, jedoch seit Jahren ohne Erfolg.
Der Seeweg und Luftraum Jemens wird von Saudi-Arabien vollständig kontrolliert. Sensible bereiche werden auch vermint. Allein zwischen 2014 und 2016 sollen im Jemen mehr als 1.500 Menschen durch Minenexplosionen getötet und weitere 3.000 verletzt worden sein. Es gibt kein Rein und kein Raus. Die Menschen sind gefangen, weshalb wir uns in Deutschland auch nicht über jemenitische Flüchtlinge beklagen können. Es ist gefährlich aus Jemen zu flüchten und genauso riskant den Jemen anzusteuern. Anfang 2017 griff die saudische Kriegskoalition mit einem Apache-Helicopter ein Boot mit somalischen Flüchtlingen an. Dabei starben mindestens 42 Menschen, darunter auch Frauen und Kinder.
https://www.initiative-jemen.de/hintergrund/blockade/
(B H K)
-#Yemen is in clear danger of mass deaths from starvation. -It could become one of worst in living memory. -War&economic collapse have driven around 10 million people to the brink of famine. -The non-payment of government worker salaries has left many households without incomes.
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1194772869517074432 = https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1194772869517074432.html
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
(** B H)
The World’s Worst Humanitarian Crisis: Yemen in Photos
The United Nations has called Yemen “a living hell for children.”
Yemen is experiencing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. More than four years of brutal civil war has left over 24 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and 20 million in need of food.
The suffering inflicted on Yemeni people is entirely manmade, and is having a disproportionate impact on women and girls, who are exposed to increased risk of violence, exploitation and abuse. Due to ongoing violence and a severe economic decline, access to healthcare is difficult and expensive, especially for women and girls. Only half of Yemen’s healthcare facilities are fully functional.
The United Nations has called Yemen “a living hell for children.” More than 2 million children do not attend school, and 1.8 million children suffer from acute malnutrition, resulting in 30,000 child deaths every year. Every 10 minutes in Yemen, a child dies from preventable diseases.
“As a humanitarian organization working to help 1.5 million Yemenis a month, CARE sees daily the catastrophic impact of war on the people of Yemen,” Jolien Veldwijk, CARE Yemen’s Program and Operations Director said in a press release following an escalation of hostilities in Aden last summer. “Peace in Yemen is only possible through political means.”
The following photos give a glimpse into life for the millions of Yemenis whose lives have been devastated by the ongoing war.
Najwa, 32, holds two of her seven children. After fleeing her hometown Al Sabriah due to the conflict, she spent two years living under a tree with her family. The family currently stays in a home, but since there is only one bed, most of them sleep outside in the courtyard.
The war has had devastating impacts for Najwa’s family. Her husband is no longer able to find work, is depressed, and abusive.
“I am very concerned about my children. Many are constantly sick and I can’t even provide three meals a day to them,” she says. CARE supports Najwa with cash assistance, which she’s using to buy food for her children.
Amaal, 10, and her family fled their hometown of Hodeidah because of the war and resettled in Aden, Yemen. They live in an old wooden house and currently have no income.
Amaal’s father explains that the family has few options. “Our life is hard here but it’s better than watching my own children die in front of me. I am very sad I can’t send Amaal and her siblings to school. I just can’t afford it,” he says.
Amaal is heartbroken that she can’t attend school. “I sit by our door and wait to see the girls walk home with their beautiful uniforms. I know my father can’t afford it.”
Amaal is still determined to learn, so she attends Quran reciting lessons at a nearby mosque, which gives her an opportunity to read Arabic.
http://news.care.org/article/the-worlds-worst-humanitarian-crisis-yemen-in-photos/
(** B K P)
The So-Called War on Terror Has Killed Over 801,000 People and Cost $6.4 Trillion: New Analysis
"The numbers continue to accelerate, not only because many wars continue to be waged, but also because wars don't end when soldiers come home."
The so-called War on Terror launched by the United States government in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks has cost at least 801,000 lives and $6.4 trillion according to a pair of reports published Wednesday by the Costs of War Project at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs.
"The numbers continue to accelerate, not only because many wars continue to be waged, but also because wars don't end when soldiers come home," said Costs of War co-director and Brown professor Catherine Lutz, who co-authored the project's report on deaths.
"These reports provide a reminder that even if fewer soldiers are dying and the U.S. is spending a little less on the immediate costs of war today, the financial impact is still as bad as, or worse than, it was 10 years ago," Lutz added. "We will still be paying the bill for these wars on terror into the 22nd century."
The new Human Cost of Post-9/11 Wars report (pdf) tallies "direct deaths" in major war zones, grouping people by civilians; humanitarian and NGO workers; journalists and media workers; U.S. military members, Department of Defense civilians, and contractors; and members of national military and police forces as well as other allied troops and opposition fighters.
The report sorts direct deaths by six categories: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria/ISIS, Yemen, and "Other." The civilian death toll across all regions is up to 335,745—or nearly 42% of the total figure. Notably, the report "does not include indirect deaths, namely those caused by loss of access to food, water, and/or infrastructure, war-related disease, etc."
Indirect deaths "are generally estimated to be four times higher," Costs of War board member and American University professor David Vine wrote in an op-ed for The Hill Wednesday. "This means that total deaths during the post-2001 U.S. wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, and Yemen is likely to reach 3.1 million or more—around 200 times the number of U.S. dead."
"Don't we have a responsibility to wrestle with our individual and collective responsibility for the destruction our government has inflicted?" Vine asked in his op-ed. "Our tax dollars and implied consent have made these wars possible. While the United States is obviously not the only actor responsible for the damage done in the post-2001 wars, U.S. leaders bear the bulk of responsibility for launching catastrophic wars that were never inevitable, that were wars of choice."
Referencing the project's second new report, United States Budgetary Costs and Obligations of Post-9/11 Wars Through FY2020: $6.4 Trillion (pdf), Vine wrote, "Consider how we could have otherwise spent that incomprehensible sum—to feed the hungry, improve schools, confront global warming, improve our transportation infrastructure, and provide healthcare."
"At a time when everyone from Donald Trump to Democratic Party candidates for president is calling for an end to these endless wars, we must push our government to use diplomacy—rather than rash withdrawals, as in northern Syria—to end these wars responsibly," he concluded. "As the new Costs of War report and 3.1 million deaths should remind us, part of our responsibility must be to repair some of the immeasurable damage done and to ensure that wars like these never happen again."
The project's $6.4 trillion figure accounts for overseas contingency operations appropriations, interest for borrowing for OCO spending, war-related spending in the Pentagon's base budget, medical and disability care for post-9/11 veterans (including estimated future obligations through FY2059), and Department of Homeland Security spending for prevention of and response to terrorism.
Both reports were released as part of the project's new "20 Years of War" series – by Jessica Corbett
licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.
and „Cost of War“ site: https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/
and
(** B K P)
Reckoning with the costs of war: It's time to take responsibility
But this is only the direct death toll from combat. Indirect deaths, caused by war’s destruction of health, sanitation and other local infrastructures, are generally estimated to be four times higher. This means that total deaths during the post-2001 U.S. wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan and Yemen is likely to reach 3.1 million or more — around 200 times the number of U.S. dead.
We quickly lose any sense of how it would feel to have one’s life irreparably damaged by war, to have a loved one’s life taken or forever harmed. It becomes hard to focus on a single death, a single life lost, a single family shattered.
Meanwhile, entire neighborhoods, cities, societies have been shattered by war. The total number of injured and traumatized extends into the tens of millions. In Afghanistan, in 2002, 42 percent of the population showed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Almost 70 percent showed signs of major depression. Recent research in Iraq showed one in five suffering from mental illness, with 56 percent of young people exhibiting signs of PTSD. More than 12.5 million have been displaced from their homes in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Yemen alone, according to UNHCR. Even more hidden have been the tens of thousands of dead and wounded in the other wars where U.S. troops have fought since 2001, including in Somalia, Libya and the Philippines.
Don’t we have a responsibility to wrestle with our individual and collective responsibility for the destruction our government has inflicted? Our tax dollars and implied consent have made these wars possible. While the United States is obviously not the only actor responsible for the damage done in the post-2001 wars, U.S. leaders bear the bulk of responsibility for launching catastrophic wars that were never inevitable, that were wars of choice.
The appalling harm is worse when we consider that U.S. taxpayers will ultimately spend more than $6.4 trillion to wage war in Afghanistan and Iraq alone, according to a Costs of War estimate. Consider how we could have otherwise spent that incomprehensible sum — to feed the hungry, improve schools, confront global warming, improve our transportation infrastructure and provide health care to people like Russell Madden and his son.
We quickly lose any sense of how it would feel to have one’s life irreparably damaged by war, to have a loved one’s life taken or forever harmed. It becomes hard to focus on a single death, a single life lost, a single family shattered.
Meanwhile, entire neighborhoods, cities, societies have been shattered by war. The total number of injured and traumatized extends into the tens of millions. In Afghanistan, in 2002, 42 percent of the population showed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Almost 70 percent showed signs of major depression. Recent research in Iraq showed one in five suffering from mental illness, with 56 percent of young people exhibiting signs of PTSD. More than 12.5 million have been displaced from their homes in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Yemen alone, according to UNHCR. Even more hidden have been the tens of thousands of dead and wounded in the other wars where U.S. troops have fought since 2001, including in Somalia, Libya and the Philippines.
Don’t we have a responsibility to wrestle with our individual and collective responsibility for the destruction our government has inflicted? Our tax dollars and implied consent have made these wars possible. While the United States is obviously not the only actor responsible for the damage done in the post-2001 wars, U.S. leaders bear the bulk of responsibility for launching catastrophic wars that were never inevitable, that were wars of choice.
The appalling harm is worse when we consider that U.S. taxpayers will ultimately spend more than $6.4 trillion to wage war in Afghanistan and Iraq alone, according to a Costs of War estimate. Consider how we could have otherwise spent that incomprehensible sum — to feed the hungry, improve schools, confront global warming, improve our transportation infrastructure and provide health care to people like Russell Madden and his son – by David Vine
(** B P)
How to Make American Foreign Policy Yours
The Perfectly Legal Ways Foreign Powers Subvert American Democracy
Foreign powers have a remarkably direct way of making sure their voices are heard in Washington: let their lobbyists script what various members of Congress say. That may sound wild, but it’s actually commonplace. Lee Fang of the Intercept reported a typical example of this recently. He discovered that, on November 13, 2017, Representative Ed Royce (R-CA), then chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, read verbatim into the congressional record a set of talking points given to his office by lobbyists working for the Saudi government.
In our post-Citizens United world where, thanks to that 2010 Supreme Court decision, money is considered speech when it comes to campaign finance, agents working on behalf of foreign governments regularly “speak” with their pocketbooks. The Foreign Influence Transparency Initiative at the Center for International Policy (CIP), where we work, has repeatedly reported on how agents of foreign governments make campaign contributions to the congressional representatives they’re contacting on behalf of foreign powers.
Sometimes they even make such donations on the very day they meet with the member of Congress. In investigating the Saudi lobby in 2018, we found at least five instances when lawmakers received campaign contributions on the day they or their staff spent time with someone working for the Saudis. Firms representing Saudi Arabia gave this way to Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Representative Mike Conaway (R-TX). Even more striking are contacts (and contributions) made just prior to important votes on Capitol Hill. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), for instance, received a total of $3,000 from Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, a firm representing the Saudis, in the four days before a March 20th, 2018, vote on a War Powers Resolution introduced to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. (One of those contributions came on the day of the vote.) Nelson, who has since lost his Senate seat, ended up voting against the Yemen resolution in line with Saudi interests.
Buying Think-Tank Thinking
Foreign powers have ample ability, through their lobbyists, to directly influence congressional legislation. They also have at least three indirect, perfectly legal avenues for trying to shift U.S. foreign policy in their favor: think tanks, the media, and academia.
As CIP’s recent report on the influence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in America documented, lobbyists hired by foreign powers often work directly with influential think tanks to shape the narrative about the countries they represent. They meet with think-tank experts, provide them with talking points, offer research assistance, and sometimes even give them all-expense-paid trips to the country in question.
Such talking points are disseminated to think-tank pundits in part to influence what they’ll write or say. Their work, in turn, is often shared by various congressional offices.
FARA filings show as well that Knights has a very close relationship with Richard Mintz, managing director of the Harbour Group, which also represents the UAE in Washington. He reportedly coordinated with Knights on four separate trips to visit UAE forces in Yemen. Afterward, Knights would write a distinctly uncritical analysis about UAE operations in Yemen, never, for instance, mentioning the targeted-assassination program that UAE officials oversaw there or the fact that those same forces gave U.S.-supplied weapons to al-Qaeda and other militant groups in that country. He also dismissed accusations of war crimes by UAE forces as just the work of “local proxies.”
While registered foreign agents legally have to declare anything they distribute on behalf of a foreign power, there is no such requirement for think-tank experts. In fact, such institutions don’t even have to disclose that they receive funding from foreign powers. Under current law it’s perfectly legal for scholars whose work is funded by a foreign government to craft an article with that government’s registered foreign agents without disclosing any of their ties.
The American political system, which has always been vulnerable to outside influence, is arguably more susceptible to foreign meddling now than it has been in decades -- and most of it is perfectly legal. From woefully inadequate disclosures regarding conflicts of interest by witnesses testifying before Congress to foreign agents filling campaign coffers and literally writing our laws, as well as influencing think tanks, media outlets, and universities, there remain a host of legalways for foreign powers to try to bend our policies and thinking to their will. While it’s imperative that we be vigilant in rooting out illegal foreign influence, if American democracy is to remain “of the people, by the people, and for the people,” a bright light should be directed onto allforms of influence that seek to undermine it. – by Ryan Summers and Ben Freeman
http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/176628/ = https://truthout.org/articles/the-perfectly-legal-ways-foreign-powers-subvert-us-democracy/
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics
(A H)
[Sanaa gov.] Human Rights Minister Calls on International Organizations to Curb Spread Dengue Epidemic
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=9756
[Hadi gov.] Prime Minister Ma’een Abdulmalik ordered for all possible measures to be taken as dengue fever is seeing resurging in Yemen’s central city of Taiz.
(* B H)
Film: Epidemics and diseases ally with the war to deepen Yemeni wounds The health official in Taiz province has declared a state of emergency in the province to cope with the dengue epidemic after the number of infected people has reached alarming levels, the official has also pointed out that the health sector has equipped 12 health centers to receive cases of fever, as well as 24-hour operations room, in addition to several government hospitals, pointing to the record of 4 deaths out of 5,200 cases monitored since the beginning of 2019.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuLbXm19Y3w
and
(A H P)
Taiz health officials discuss combating Dengue fever
http://en.26sepnews.net/2019/11/13/taiz-health-officials-discuss-combating-dengue-fever/
(** B H)
Yemen reveals statistics of malaria and dengue fever spread
Infectious diseases spreading throughout the country
[Sanaa gov.] Minister of Public Health and Population in the National Salvation Government, Dr. Taha al-Mutwakil, has revealed the total number of malaria and dengue fever infection cases, as well as the number of confirmed and reported deaths.
“There are 116,522 confirmed cases of malaria, 500,000 cases of suspicion, and about 23,000 cases of dengue fever,” Dr. al-Mutawakil said in a press statement.
He explained that the cases of confirmed deaths from dengue fever reached 11.
The Health Minister revealed the source of the epidemic of malaria and dengue fever. “Most diseases and epidemics are transmitted from areas under the occupation,” he said.
He stressed that “all are concerned with the fight against diseases and epidemics and the delivery of healthcare.”
https://www.uprising.today/yemen-reveals-statistics-of-malaria-and-dengue-fever-spread/
and
(* B H)
Yemen declares health emergency over epidemics
Yemen's health authorities declared a health emergency on Tuesday, citing that they were battling malaria and dengue fever.
The epidemics spread over Yemeni northern provinces, including Hodeidah, Hajjah, Raymah, Mahweet, Taiz, Ibb and Saada.
"A total of 116,522 confirmed cases of malaria and 23,000 confirmed cases of dengue fever have been recorded since January," the health authorities said in a statement obtained by Xinhua.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-11/13/c_138550146.htm
and
(* A H)
[Sanaa gov.] Health Minister declares emergency to combat vectors of dengue in Hodeidah
The Minister of Health Taha al-Mutawakkil announced on Tuesday an internal emergency to combat vectors of dengue and malaria diseases in Hodeidah province.
"There are 11 suspected cases of dengue fever and 51 deaths," the minister added.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3078661.htm
and
(* B H)
Dengue fever has swept through Tahama in #Yemen's western province of Hodeidah killing children amid shortages of medical staffs and medicines and unequipped hospitals. Hodeidah, the poorest city in Yemen, has been most affected by famine and diseases as war continues. (photo)
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/1194568796993998850
and
(A H)
HEALTH TEAMS START WORKING TO COMBAT DENGUE FEVER IN HODEIDAH
Emergency intervention teams from Sana’a governorate to participate in combating dengue fever in Al-Hodeidah governorate in the early hours of Wedneday started to control and in health education.
The Director of the Health Bureau in Hodeidah Governorate, Dr. Abdul Rahman Jar-Allah and the Director of the Directorate of Surgical Taha Al-Muaiti that the medical teams began their work in the treatment of cases of dengue fever and malaria, in addition to health education and epidemiological surveillance.
https://www.yemenpress.org/yemen/health-teams-start-working-to-combat-dengue-fever-in-hodeidah/
(* B H)
EPIDEMICS AND DISEASES THREATEN THE LIVES OF DOZENS IN HODEIDAH
Dengue fever and malaria threaten the lives of dozens of people in the surgical directorate in the Hodeidah governorate due to the continued aggression and siege that caused the biggest health disaster in Yemen.
Suffering is increasing day by day due to the spread of diseases and epidemics, especially dengue fever and malaria, which claimed the lives of many citizens, especially children in the Hodeidah and Saada provinces.
Hajjah, and Rima provinces in fear of the return of a new wave of cholera despite the efforts of the Ministry of Health and its partners in curbing the spread of these diseases and epidemics.
Dengue fever and malaria are currently sweeping the surgical directorate in Hodeidah province, which has increased the suffering of its children, especially in light of the escalation of aggression and its repercussions that have caused the deterioration of the health situation and lack of medicines.
https://www.yemenpress.org/yemen/epidemics-and-diseases-threaten-the-lives-of-dozens-in-hodeidah/
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In Aljarrahi district in Hodeida, 50 died in a dengue fever outbreak last week. She was one of the victims (photo)
https://twitter.com/Ndawsari/status/1194131905349902336
and also https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1194405124476690432
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In one year, 128 people died of cholera in Ibb
The health authority in Ibb governorate said that cholera claimed lives of dozens of people and hundreds were confirmed infected with the epidemic since the beginning of this year.
The health officials in Ibb reported that the cholera outbreak is back again in several areas of the governorate.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-34276
cp1b Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah / Most important: Hodeidah battle
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In Hodeidah, the forces of aggression reportedly have constantly bombarded different areas in the districts of Hays and al-Tuhyata.
The sources indicated that a military bulldozer belongs to the aggressive forces has developed fortifications east of al-Salah City. Invader warplanes flew over the city of al-Tuhyata and threw light explosives west of the city.
https://www.uprising.today/seven-saudi-air-raids-hit-northern-yemen/
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Film: Joint forces fail three Houthi attacks on Tahita and Asir in their grip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzHQu293aCY
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Forces from the UAE-backed Giants Brigades clashed with al Houthi forces south of al Hudaydah port city in western Yemen on November 13. The Giants Brigades claimed to kill an al Houthi commander, Abu Jaafar Talbi, along with dozens of al Houthi soldiers.[2]
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Civilians’ houses damaged by Houthis’ attacks in Hodeida
The sources said that the bombing damaged a number of citizens’ houses and private properties.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-34253
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US-Saudi Aggression’s Daily Update for Wednesday, November 13th, 2019
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=9737
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Die Aggressionstruppen führen in Hodeidah und an mehreren Fronten neue Übergriffe und Verstöße durch
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3078695.htm
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The Yemeni government accused Houthi rebels of "continuing their escalation and daily breaches of the UN truce by attacking various areas in Al-Hudaydah province."
For its part, Houthis accused government forces of bombing a civilian's farm in Al-Hudaydah province, according to the Houthi-run Saba news agency.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/dozens-of-houthi-rebels-killed-in-western-yemen-clashes/1643801
(A K pH)
Houthis continue their attacks on Hodeidah
http://en.adenpress.news/news/14780
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Aggressionskoalition verstößt weiterhin gegen das Waffenstillstandsabkommen in Hodeidah
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3078527.htm
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3078445.htm
cp2 Allgemein / General
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Interactive Map of Yemen War
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MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON NOVEMBER 14, 2019 (MAP UPDATE)
https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-november-14-2019-map-update/
MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON NOVEMBER 13, 2019 (MAP UPDATE)
https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-november-13-2019-map-update/
MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON NOVEMBER 12, 2019 (MAP UPDATE)
https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-november-12-2019-map-update/
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Film: What's Happening in Yemen? with Aisha Jumaan
Join Aisha Jumaan, the founder and president of the Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation, a nonprofit that provides relief to the people of Yemen and supports peace building efforts, to learn more about what’s happening in Yemen and what we can do about it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErDutBfumzE
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Film: Jemen - Die vergessene Katastrophe | Kontext & Lösungen
In diesem Interview sprechen wir mit Matthias Gast, dem Gründungsmitglied der "Initiative für Jemen", über den Konflikt im Jemen und was getan werden kann, um die Situation dort zu verbessern. Darüber hinaus untersuchen wir die Hintergründe des Jemenkonflikts und analysieren die Rolle der Medien und der Bundesregierung.
Für weitere Hintergrundinformationen und Recherchen besuchen Sie: https://www.initiative-jemen.de/hintergrund/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vOErpm59yw
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Yemen’s ‘Handshake moment’: What other peace processes can tell us about the Riyadh Agreement
Not a ‘war within a war’
The paradigm of a ‘war within a war’ does not accurately describe the nature of the ongoing conflict between Hadi and the STC. Rather, the conflict is only the latest violent manifestation of political developments going back some 30 odd years. The STC is a faction of the Southern Movement, itself a loose coalition of organizations with ever shifting memberships and alliances subscribing to varying degrees of southern independence.
However, the Southern Movement has always been factionalised and vulnerable to divisive tactics by national-level politicians.
In a deteriorating political climate after 2014, the goal of Southern secession intensified and was seen by many southerners as the only means of separating themselves from northern political tumult and corruption. Disagreement over the six-region federal system forced through by Hadi in 2014 was another factor driving separatism whereby proponents worried that political divisions in the South would again allow for the government in Sanaa to plunder southern natural resources.
The STC billed itself as a unifying entity of Southern factions and as a representative able to by-pass the Hadi government and communicate directly with the international community. However, from its announcement in May 2017 multiple Southern factions (including those led by Hassan al-Baum, Nasser al-Nuba, Fadi al-Baum, among others) challenged the primacy of the Council.
Primary Aims of the Riyadh Agreement
The strategic aim of the Riyadh Agreement is to re-concentrate military efforts towards defeating the Houthis.
The other aim is to solve the governance problem caused by a proliferation of armed groups in Southern Yemen and in Aden,
Politically, another key aim of the agreement is to ensure the primacy of the GCC Initiative and the continued rule of President Hadi.
For the STC, however, the adherence to the three references is contrary to their stated aim of independence.
What other peace processes can tell us concerning the Riyadh Agreement
The features of the Riyadh Agreement are quite standard for framework peace agreements – in addition to extensive security provisions, the agreement provides for a 24-member unity government and anti-corruption clauses as well as a solution to the central bank issue. Many of these design features however feature trade-offs made by the mediators and negotiating parties – so what can we learn about the Riyadh Agreement in the context of other peace agreements and processes?
Conclusion
The Riyadh Agreement is a framework agreement providing for a temporary solution of internal tensions within the pro-Hadi factions in the Yemeni civil war. While the agreement can be praised for its success in broadening representation within the Yemeni government and providing greater guarantees to Southerners in their ability to have a say in the future of Yemen, the agreement contains multiple pitfalls that are common to transitional power-sharing arrangements. Moreover, despite the opportunity to move beyond the formal UN-led peace process structure underpinned by UNSC resolution 2216, the agreement rather brings southern representatives into an otherwise limiting framework. Saudi Arabia’s role as the guarantor and broker of the agreement will be key in implementation. However, as evident from the events in August 2019, competing loyalties with actors on the ground and rival visions of Yemen’s future may undermine these efforts. One unresolved matter is how the STC will continue to push their independence agenda within the framework of the central government – that is yet to be seen – by Robert Forster
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Report: Over 130 attacks on medical facilities in Yemen war
A database project says it has documented over 130 attacks on medical facilities in Yemen since April 2014 in apparent war crimes by all parties to the conflict.
The Yemen Archive says Thursday that the Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-aligned Houthi rebels has been allegedly responsible for 72 attacks, while the Houthis were blamed for at least 52 attacks.
It attributed three attacks to al-Qaida militants and the remaining six to other or unknown sources.
https://apnews.com/b244bb5179174b03bd25405e3a81f60e
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Opinion: We’re quickly moving toward a world where drone executions are the norm
For a decade now, many of us working in human rights have warned Western nations about the dangers of running covert assassination programs. U.S. drone strikes have terrorized communities, killed civilians and generated hatred.
Don’t care about those impacts? At least think about the new normal you risk creating: a world where other states use the same rationale to take out their enemies.
That risk has become a reality.
Erdogan used the United States’ own drone program as justification: “Some countries eliminate terrorists whom they consider as a threat to their national security, wherever they are. Therefore, this means those countries accept that Turkey has the same right,” he reportedly said.
For more than a decade now, the U.S. and its European allies have pioneered the use of drones to target and kill suspected terrorists far from traditional battlefields. Those drone strikes have killed thousands of innocent civilians far outside combat zones — in places like Yemen and Pakistan where, thanks to the drone program, many people’s first and only engagement with the West is when a missile lands on their doorstep.
And that is the problem. Almost two decades into the so-called war on terror, the U.S. and its European allies have abandoned their long-held democratic principles. From torture to rendition to assassinations, fear has driven these governments to bend the rules and their values to the breaking point.
It should come as no surprise, then, that Turkey has said: See, they’re doing it; so can we. Which raises the question: If we don’t reverse course, who will be next to follow our lead? – by Jennifer Gibson
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-11-13/drone-killings-war-syria-turkey
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Is UAE Setting Up Stage for a Face-saving Exit in Yemen?
Anwar Gargash, United Arab Emirate’s minister of state for foreign affairs, is speaking the language of a person who might have finally begun to recognize the futility of his country’s four-year long effort to gain influence in the war-torn Yemen.
At a political conference in Abu Dhabi, Gargash said the Houthis will have a role to play in Yemen’s future and urged all sides to maintain momentum for a political resolution. This is inexplicable and beyond rare. Granting the Houthis, UAE’s principle adversary, the prospect of a political legitimacy could only have come after realizing that the unflinching rebels are unbeatable.
Peace Deal Among Warring Allies
It’s quite curious and comical to see the two allies fighting against the enemy, the Houthis, and among themselves as well.
However, reports indicate the UAE will continue to covertly impose its will in south Yemen, undermining Hadi’s government, making the peace deal fragile. But what really happens for a fact will only be clear in the coming weeks and months. Right now, an effort is being made to present a united front between the Saudis and the Emiratis and many will look at it skeptically.
What also remains to be seen is whether the peace deal between the partners will lead to a more meaningful resolution to a larger problem. Unless the Houthis sit across the table and discuss a peaceful resolution, peace in Yemen will remain a pipe dream. Hadi and STC joining hands only resolves an internal family matter, so to speak.
But the story here is the statement made by Gargash and its larger implication.
When you cannot defeat the enemy, find an honorable way to leave the battlefield. Is that what he is attempting to convey on behalf of the UAE?
Exit Strategy?
The Saudis and the UAE have invested time and money in Yemen. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had claimed that the coalition would end the war swiftly, but it’s been four years now and there is no sign of an end. Reputations are at stake. So ending the conflict by conceding defeat can never be acceptable to the coalition.
By sounding like a statesman and suggesting Houthis also deserve to be part of Yemen’s future, Gargash is most likely attempting to set the grounds for a termination of war without appearing to have failed to win it.
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Iran displeased by deal between Yemeni government, southern separatists
On Nov. 6, Iran condemned the Riyadh Agreement, which integrated the Southern Transitional Council into the Cabinet of Yemen’s internationally recognized government. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said the Riyadh Agreement would lead to the “occupation of southern Yemen” by Saudi Arabia, and “will by no means help settle the problems of Yemen.”
Iran’s strident opposition to the Riyadh Agreement can be explained by its apprehensions about the deal’s impact on the balances of forces in Yemen and concerns about escalating tensions with Saudi Arabia. Ali Ahmadi, a Tehran-based geopolitical analyst, told Al-Monitor that Iran views the Riyadh Agreement as “not a step toward peace” but a mere “reorganization of forces on one side of the conflict.” Although the Riyadh Agreement received praise from the international community for preventing a protracted civil war in southern Yemen, Iran views the restoration of unity within the Saudi-led coalition as a negative development. Ahmadi said Iran views the conflict in Yemen as an “illegal war of aggression caused by Saudi-Sunni sectarian expansionism,” and sees “friction among those forces as a positive step toward their eventual withdrawal.”
Although Saudi Arabia has reportedly engaged with Iraq and Pakistan on deescalating tensions with Iran, the Iranian foreign policy community remains wary of Riyadh’s intentions. Maysam Behravesh, a former Iranian intelligence analyst and academic at Lund University in Sweden, told Al-Monitor, “Iran’s strong rejection of the Riyadh Agreement is driven by its perceptions of Saudi and US involvement in the Iraq and Lebanon protests.” By criticizing Saudi diplomatic efforts in Yemen, Iran is sending a signal to Riyadh that it views Yemen as a lever to retaliate against Saudi Arabia’s efforts to contain Iran.
Although Iran remains the international community’s most strident critic of the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen, Tehran’s opposition to the Riyadh Agreement suggests that it is equally opposed to a Saudi-led diplomatic resolution of the war. In order to constrain Saudi Arabia’s freedom of action in the Middle East and derail the momentum of its diplomatic initiatives, Iran could strengthen its alliance with the Houthis and expand its own arbitration initiatives in Yemen in the coming months – by Samuel Ramani
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Yemen: A Beleaguered Saudia Opting for a ‘Political Solution’?
While the agreement signed is still a far cry from a genuine step towards a settlement in Yemen between all parties and still allows a significant Saudi military presence and control of Yemeni cities, including Aden, in the south as well, it is not just usual to see the Saudis speaking of political solutions. The war, as a matter of fact, is taking a heavy toll in both military and economic terms.
Military, the loss of coalition soldiers has been huge.
Already after Houthi drone attacks inside Saudia Arabia on the Kingdom’s oil facilities, the Pentagon officials had reportedly said that he war in Yemen had degenerated into “an unwinnable quagmire” and that negotiations were/are inevitable to end a war that has created one of the worst humanitarian crisis of recent times. Accordingly, as US officials confirmed in September, they, too, were in talks with the Houthis to end the war in Yemen.
Beleaguered although Saudia and the US are, some reports have indicated that their basic term of reference in the on-going negotiations with the Houthis is the imperative of weaning them away from the influence of Tehran. This appears to be the cardinal point of bargain whereby the Saudis would end their war and let the Houthis become a part of the political system.
Anwar Gargash, minister of state for foreign affairs in the UAE, in fact recently confirmed that the Houthi rebels will have a wider role to play in the country’s future.
At the same time, however, it is quite evident that the war in Yemen, like the war in Afghanistan, will not be settled on the battle field. Given the Saudi inability to wage a war for an unlimited period of time, the emphasis on ‘political solution’ will only increase in the coming days. This process, however, will not be a simple and straightforward one – by Salman Rafi Sheikh
https://journal-neo.org/2019/11/13/yemen-a-beleaguered-saudia-opting-for-a-political-solution/
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Sana’a Calls on International Community to Stop Saudi-led Aggression Violations Against Fishermen
The first meeting, of the committee responsible for setting up a mechanism to follow up the cases of Yemeni fishermen kidnapped by the US-Saudi Forces, was held at the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, chaired by Foreign Minister, Hisham Sharaf Abdullah. During the meeting, the Foreign Minister pointed out that the Saudi-led aggression, as part of its policy of collective punishment, have been targeting the fishermens' boats, fishing ports and fishermens' houses in coastal villages since the beginning of the aggression.
He stressed that the case of those kidnapped fishermen has the attention of the Supreme Political Council, pointing out that the Foreign Ministry has raised this issue constantly with the international community and organizations concerned with such violations.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=9733
(B K P)
Yemen Gets A Rare Shot at Peace
So it would be easy, even expedient, to regard with skepticism the reports of back-channel negotiations between two key belligerents, Saudi Arabia and the Houthi rebels. But a flurry of other developments in the past two weeks allow for a resurrection of hope.
Meanwhile, elements of the Arab coalition, especially the United Arab Emirates, were tiring of the endless war.
The real test of Houthi agency, independent from Iran, lies in whether the rebels can make a long-term deal with the Saudis — even if that doesn’t fit into Tehran’s plans. Equally, reaching that deal will be a test of Riyadh’s ability to pry a proxy away from the Iranian grip, using diplomacy where kinetic means have failed.
There’s little the U.S., or any other nation, can do to help beyond encouraging the Saudis to stick to the jaw-jaw instead of the war-war. But the international community can, and should leap at the opportunity to get more humanitarian assistance to the Yemenis. Rescuing optimism from its Yemeni grave will take time, but this is as good a time as any to start digging.
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/yemen-gets-a-rare-shot-at-peace-1.1347115
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Advisor Lauds Yemeni’s Resistance as Only Way to Force Riyadh Accept Peace
Senior Advisor to the Iranian Parliament Speaker Hossein Amir Abdollahian, in a meeting with Yemeni Ambassador to Tehran Ibrahim Mohammad Mohammad al-Deilami, praised the Yemeni nation’s resistance against the Saudi-led aggression, adding that there would be no better way to make Riyadh-led invaders stop their hostility in the war-torn country.
“The resistance and faith of the Yemeni people have made the aggressors seek a political solution for the current quagmire they have created [in that country],”
https://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13980822000390
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Film: Youth of Yemen Building Peace" Yazeed Al Jeddawy | HagueTalks
HOW ARE YOUTH TRANSFORMING THE WORLD? Often framed as victims or perpetrators of violence, young people as positive agents of conflict transformation and peacebuilding are frequently overlooked by policy-makers and practitioners in the sector. Since the historic adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security in 2015, meaningful mainstreaming of youth perspectives in the peace and security sphere remains insufficient.
This HagueTalks young peace builders from all continents -some of whom have been denied visas to speak at the United Nations and beyond—will share their local experiences as young peacebuilders in diverse conflict settings. ABOUT THE SPEAKER Yazeed’s work seeks to empower youth and build their capacities. He believes that the power of their reselience, strength, enthusiasm, and innovation can help in transforming communities into a more peaceful and developed ones. So, by working with youth and for youth he helps them unleash their potentials and their positive energy in a way that helps them lead the change in our country. Young people in Yemen should be seen and perceived as partners not as perpetrators of violence. In times of distress and armed conflicts the majority of young people play positive roles in their communities but what they do is often overlooked. The political elites often tend to overlook the great work of young people so that they can use them for fueling the conflict. Yazeed Al Jeddawyis a Yemeni youth advocate and project coordinator at Youth Without Borders Organisation in Yemen, where he is deeply involved in youth-led movements and initiatives that illustrate the positive role youth play for change, peace, and development.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWnm5iRzwL8
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The end of the war in Yemen?
Gulf and Western commentators are optimistic that this week’s Riyadh Agreement might lead to the end of the war in Yemen
Such hopes are not only based on the Saudi-brokered peace agreement signed last week in Riyadh between the internationally recognised government of Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the Southern Transitional Council (STC). There are other signs coming from the two main countries in the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, about a possible reconciliation with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the country.
Though it is not the first time that covert contacts with the Houthi rebels to reach a negotiated solution in Yemen have been reported, this might be the first official acknowledgement by the Saudis that they are already happening. Media reports have quoted an unnamed Saudi official confirming that the talks with the Houthi rebels, probably in the Omani capital Muscat, are ongoing.
A year after the coalition started its military operation in Yemen to reinstate the legitimate government ousted by the Houthis, there were failed attempts to negotiate with the rebels. But now, after four and half years of war, it looks as if the current attempts are more serious for many reasons.
One of the main reasons is the earlier UAE decision to redeploy the Emirati forces in Yemen
After years of a devastating war in Yemen that has left hundreds of thousands of causalities and millions of displaced and starving, all the parties seem to be coming to the conclusion that a military solution is not achievable.
Allies of the coalition countries in the West are also becoming more wary of the situation and its humanitarian and moral toll.
However, the UAE will not easily tolerate the presence of the Muslim Brotherhood in Yemen, represented by the Islah Party allied with the government. But for the sake of ending the war, the Emirati position on this might also change.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/355820.aspx
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Yemen in Focus: UAE changes its tune on Houthi rebels following Riyadh agreement
This week we focus on UAE's 'friendly' gesture toward the Houthis, the government's return to Aden and much more.
Anwar Gargash, minister of state for foreign affairs in the United Arab Emirates urged all sides to maintain momentum for a political solution after a recent peace deal between the government and southern separatists triggered optimism that the move could lead to a wider solution.
Iran’s response
Though the developments have been positively received as a step in the right direction, Iran - which backs the Houthi rebels in the north of Yemen, has slammed the peace deal, claiming it enforces the "Saudi occupation.”
More destruction
Despite the developments on the political field, destruction has yet to halt in Yemen. An international medical relief agency said on Thursday that a hospital it runs in western Yemen was damaged by a recent attack, causing the medical centre to be closed.
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Film: Humanitäre Katastrophe im Jemen - und die Welt schaut weg
Während im Westen vorwiegend Syrien und Iran die Berichterstattung über den Mittleren und Nahen Osten dominieren, bleibt die größere humanitäre Katastrophe unserer Zeit im Dunkeln. Durch Krieg und Sanktionen der von Saudi-Arabien angeführten Kriegsallianz sind im Jemen rund 80 Prozent aller Einwohner auf humanitäre Hilfe angewiesen, um überleben zu können. Schulen, Krankenhäuser, Lebensmittellager liegen in Trümmern. Im Barcode mit Norbert Fleischer berichten der Friedensaktivist Matthias Tretschog und der Sanitäter Yahya al-Sharafi, aus dem Jemen, über die täglichen Entbehrungen – und über die tägliche Angst, wieder vom Tod eines nahen Angehörigen hören zu müssen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXFaaPrP9BU
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Where is Yemen headed amid turbulent situation?
In general, the UAE has realized that the risks far outweigh benefits if it keeps on fighting the Houthis, and troops’ withdrawal was a reasonable choice to make.
UAE’s engagement won’t solve any problem, and the purpose of withdrawing the troops is to solve the civil conflicts in Yemen through political mediation, said Yu Guoqing, a researcher at the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Unlike Saudi Arabia, UAE doesn’t border with Yemen, and its focus is on stabilizing southern Yemen through the Southern Transitional Council, so as to ensure the safety of its trade routes along the Yemeni coast. As the Yemeni legitimate government and the Council are to jointly form a new government soon, obviously pulling the troops out can better serve UAE interests.
Gao held that other countries that have a hand in Yemen’s civil war will follow the steps of UAE too, especially Saudi Arabia
Gao also believed UAE and Saudi Arabia will manage to bridge the gap between the Hadi administration and the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council before they pull out, and combine them into a relatively unified southern political force that stands a better chance against the Houthis in the north.
In Yu’s opinion, the agreement has some positive effects on the Yemeni situation, but its execution is still questionable – by Li Shurui
http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/view/2019-11/12/content_9673968.htm
cp2a Saudische Blockade / Saudi blockade
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#UK backed #Saudi Monarchy is still refusing to allow the reopening #Sanaa airport. It is a sticking point so far in the ongoing nrgotations with the real #Yemeni government.
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1194953063758516224
(A K P)
#Yemeni journalist says , civilian flights to #Sanaa to resume Saturday 5 years after they were stopped by #Saudi war
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1194705417907167238
referring to https://twitter.com/ahmedalashafa/status/1194541577772916736
My comment: Wait and see.
(A P)
Die Ankunft eines mit Diesel beladenen Schiffes im Hafen von Hodeidah
Das Gesellschaft teilte in einer bei der jemenitischen Nachrichtenagentur (SABA) eingegangenen Erklärung mit, dass das mit 17.000 und 364 Tonnen Diesel beladene Schiff (Volanti) im Hafensterminal von Hodeidah ankam, nachdem es 34 Tage lang von der Aggressionskoalition festgehalten worden war.
In der Erklärung wurde darauf hingewiesen, dass die Koalition der Aggression immer noch sechs Ölschiffe hält und sie daran hindert, in den Hafen von Hodeidah einzudringen, um die Schrauben an den Bürgern festzuziehen und ihr Leiden zu erhöhen.
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3078796.htm
(A P)
Two oil ships carrying diesel arrive at Hodeidah port
The Yemeni Petroleum Company (YPC) on Tuesday announced the arrival of two oil tankers carrying 59,499 tons of diesel at the port of Hodeidah after they were detained by Saudi-led aggression coalition for 33 days and 23 days.
"The coalition forces deliberately hold the ships of oil derivatives and prevent them from entering the port of Hodeidah in order to tighten the screws on citizens and increase their suffering despite the urgent need for petroleum materials," the company said in a statement.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3078656.htm
(B K)
Rasd Coalition documented between September 2014 to October 2018 the bombing of 922 public and private objects, including 833 private objects, mainly houses and 89 public objects, in 21 #Yemeni governorates.
https://twitter.com/ycmhrv/status/1194900745000275968
According to #Yemeni coalition, most of the bombed 922 Private and public objects were 756 houses , 36 #schools, and educational facilities.
https://twitter.com/ycmhrv/status/1194902413758648321
My comment: It obviously is much more.
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
Siehe / Look at cp1
(* B H)
Film: This is why they march – Yemen
This year, world leaders are coming together in Nairobi to revisit the commitments made in Cairo 25 years ago. Because it’s time for concrete actions that spark real change. There’s a lot we can learn from the women and men, girls and boys who work every day to make rights and choices a reality in their communities – sometimes risking their lives, and always giving of themselves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T528WLye5mU
(* B H)
HUNGER IM JEMEN UND DER WELTTOILETTENTAG
Auch im Jemen bestand gerade in den ländlichen Regionen noch ein großer Mangel an Toiletten, in den Städten war die Sanitärversorgung besser. Doch durch den Krieg, der seit 2015 im Land wütet, ist inzwischen die Infrastruktur in vielen Regionen zusammengebrochen, Städte sind zerstört und 3 Millionen Jemeniten sind in ländlichere Gebiete des Jemen geflohen oder in Flüchtlingscamps untergekommen. So sind fehlende Toiletten, schlechte hygienische Bedingungen, verschmutztes Trinkwasser und sich schnell ausbreitende Krankheiten zu einem großen Problem geworden.
Was haben Toiletten mit Essensversorgung und Hunger zu tun?
Nothilfe und Versorgung mit Nahrungsmitteln sind existenziell. Hier sind wir als Tearfund Deutschland auch beteiligt. Doch die Menschen brauchen nicht nur genug Nahrung, sondern müssen sie auch aufnehmen und bei sich behalten können. Hygiene als Prävention ist entscheidend gegen Magen-Darm-Erkrankungen und Durchfall. Sauberes Trinkwasser, funktionierende Toiletten und Abwasser-Entsorgung sind hier entscheidend.
Aus dem Leben: Eine funktionierende Toilette verändert das Leben von Eltern und Kindern
Im Rahmen unseres Wasserprojektes konnten wir sanitäre Anlagen bauen. Auch Frau Sadeah und ihre sechs Kinder haben jetzt Zugang zu einem sauberen WC – ein großer Unterschied zu vorher. Die Dreckpfützen rund ums Haus sind verschwunden. Und die Kinder sind nicht mehr dauernd krank! Frau Sadeah ist überzeugt, ihre neue Toilette ist der Grund für diese positive Entwicklung.
Auch in einer Stadt im Norden konnten wir Familien mit funktionierenden Sanitäranlagen ausstatten.
https://www.tearfund.de/hunger-im-jemen-und-der-welttoilettentag/
(* B H)
Eine heftige Heuschreckenwelle bedroht die Landwirtschaft in der Tihami-Ebene
Winterbrutgebiete in der Tihama-Ebene ziehen durch die gewalttätigste Heuschreckenwelle, die die Befürchtungen der Landwirte weckt, ihnen eine fruchtbare landwirtschaftliche Saison zu entziehen.
Das Vermessungs- und Kontrollteam für Heuschrecken teilte der jemenitischen Nachrichtenagentur (Saba) mit, dass die Situation der Heuschreckenzucht und -ausbreitung in Winterbrutgebieten katastrophal ist und erhebliche wirtschaftliche Verluste für landwirtschaftliche Kulturpflanzen in den Tälern und Böden der Ebene verursacht.
Er wies darauf hin, dass die Ausbreitung von Heuschrecken in hoher Dichte in den meisten dieser Täler ein Problem für die Landwirte geworden ist und ihre Befürchtungen vor den Gefahren dieses Schädlings, der von Tag zu Tag häufiger und intensiver wird, zunimmt.
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3078828.htm
(B H)
Campaign Targets UNESCO’s Tie-up with ‘Saudi Spies’
@monarelief's team was able to reach out today 150 families in Sana'a with food aid baskets based on a fund sent by our partners in Poland Schools for Peace @SzkolydlaPokoju along with @monareliefye's online fundraising campaign in indiegogo.
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/1195016955993952260
(B H)
Film: YR 250 turns the life of a mother and daughter for the better in Taiz
With a small sum of 250 Yemeni riyals, Faiza from Taiz managed to lift herself and her daughter out of poverty and distress as a result of the wars that have deciled the country and the people, after Aisha was forced to live in an area where fighting does not stop, her idea started from her daughter who donated her long-saved allowance to create a small project within the house of only one room, indeed this modest amount enabled Aisha to raise her standard of living and her daughter’s after the expansion of their work, now they own a small shop selling food and simple goods to the neighbors.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ncS14e6uW8
(* B H)
Yemen: Tragedy of 800 children hungry and cold in orphanage
Every morning, Ahmed Al-Jawhar wakes up in a room he shares with five others in an orphanage in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. The child goes to eat breakfast — which is basically whatever the orphanage can put together due to food shortages — before heading to a school where even the most basic resources are missing.
There are around 800 orphans living in Ahmed’s orphanage; the youngest is seven years old. The orphanage lacks the most basic necessities, and its situation is worsening day by day in the absence of support to ensure a decent life for those children. Even simple humanitarian gestures to improve their living conditions would be welcome.
The New Arab visited the orphanage in Sanaa and observed everyday life there, as well as the poor living conditions.
“We are hungry,” explained young Ahmed. “We eat only small portions, so we feel hungry all the time, and we do not have enough blankets to stay warm in winter, when the cold gets worse.”
Rooms are unfit for living a normal life; the doors look like those found in prisons, and there are very old beds with a shortage of blankets. The bathrooms are unusable because of a lack of maintenance and hygiene; they are infested with insects of all kinds.
In winter, the orphans’ suffering increases as they have to wash in cold water, which their small bodies cannot endure. Even if they had washing machines — which they don’t — there is no electricity, so their clothes are also washed by hand.
The situation has been exacerbated since 2015 by the ongoing war in Yemen
(* B H P)
The Dilemma of Beating a Dead Horse in Women’s Empowerment Interventions in Yemen
There is a consensus that war and conflict bring pain and despair, and simultaneously solicit destructive social change. In Yemen’s conflict, where men are giving up their traditional role as the breadwinner to fight on different frontlines in the current conflict, women are taking over this responsibility alongside their traditional role as caregivers. The dual responsibility of women has ramifications on women’s well-being and increases their vulnerability in a country inherently governed by traditions and tribal rules. Indeed, gender inequality has been one of the main factors that hinder sustainable development in Yemen even before the conflict escalation in 2015. In recent years, there has been an influx of funds to the Yemeni government which was meant to advance gender-responsive development interventions and women’s empowerment. Furthermore, Yemen has also hosted hundreds of international staff and experts from INGOs tasked with supporting the government in decreasing the Gender Index gap. In spite of all these efforts, the impact on gender equality and women’s active involvement in decision making has been minimal. In fact, Yemen remained behind on its gender development goals during peace times, and the situation during conflict became even worse.
I personally believe that the dominance of patriarchal values has a significant impact on the agenda for women’s empowerment. However, there are positive examples of women-led initiatives taking place across Yemen.
Indeed, empowerment is the self-realization of the individual capacities to lead change in the community. However, without the support of the community and the approval of the gatekeepers, it is difficult for women to actively engage and participate. Without challenging the patriarchal norms, there may be a temporary improvement in living conditions, but no genuine and lasting empowerment can take place. For this reason, any intervention that aims to empower women must understand the context and prevalent cultural norms to determine the best entry points to encourage the community to value women’s engagement in the community – by Ghaidaa Motahar
(B H)
Anger in Yemen as UN agency distributes rotten date bars to schools for second year
Unable to afford food at school, children were happy to receive the bars from the WFP but said some smelt bad and had weevils inside
The WFP currently distributes date bars for 665,000 children in more than 1,500 schools. From January 2020, the organisation will reach 1.2 million children around Yemen, the WFP says.
The students are in need of something to eat at school so they do not hesitate to eat the date bars even if they suspect they might not be fresh.
“Usually the date bars are good but the unlucky students receive rotten date bars, which become black with a bad smell and sometimes there are weevils inside them,” said Wafaa.
“When I receive a rotten date bar, I throw it in the rubbish but when I receive a good one I eat it. Recently, many of us were unlucky and we received rotten ones.”
Mohammed Aidarous, a school principal in Taiz, confirmed that some of the date bars supplied to schools are good and others are inedible, stating that good and bad date bars can be found in the same carton.
“We know there are rotten date bars and we advise students not to eat them but we cannot decide which are rotten or valid until we open it,” Aidarous told MEE.
(* B H)
Films: Yemen: The World's Worst Humanitarian Crisis - Islamic Relief USA
Yemen is being called the “world’s worst humanitarian crisis.” Over 20 million people are at risk for famine, and aid agencies are desperately funneling as much aid as possible to at-risk families.
Recently, IRUSA's president Anwar Khan visited projects in Yemen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc5sFYQ9ZaY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KrZU35XHPs
(B H)
World Food Programme, Logistics Cluster: Yemen: Passengers Transport Overview - Djibouti - Aden - Djibouti, October 2019
(B H)
Film: Remnants of war are indiscriminate. Mohammed is one of many who lost a limb in #Yemen. The ICRC provides weapon wounded surgeries to patients affected by the conflict.
https://twitter.com/ICRC_ye/status/1194601184495058949
(* B H)
How Water Shortages and Lack of Sanitation Affect the Future of Yemen
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) predicts that the number of deaths in Yemen will reach around a quarter of a million by the end of 2019. This damage is delaying Yemen from achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for a generation, nearly 30 years.
Gunfire and military attacks are not the only cause for countless deaths in Yemen, but the spread of disease, lack of health services, and lack of safe water sources are other underlying causes as well.
Contaminated drinking water is not the only source of cholera infection; eating vegetables that are sprayed with untreated water can cause infection. Cooked grains left at room temperature may also become a suitable environment for the growth of cholera bacteria.
In Yemen, the lack of fuel for water treatment or access to it leads to contamination of irrigation water. Lack of fuel also leads to a lack of electricity, which means that household food cannot be stored properly.
Fuel shortages are not the only reason for the lack of electricity supply to the population. Some studies estimate that nearly 55 percent of Yemen’s energy sector assets (including transmission lines and power plants) are currently damaged to some extent, while 8 percent of them are destroyed.
The lack of water, the lack of sanitation facilities, as well as the lack of fuel and electricity, are all reasons for denying thousands of students in Yemen access to classrooms.
War, the geographic and demographic nature of Yemen, make things more complicated.
Girls in Yemen are most at risk of being denied education due to a lack of sanitation and water sources.
If the conflict in Yemen is to come to an end, one of the main areas of focus of the reconstruction effort will be to provide safe drinking water and sanitation in the war-torn country – by Muneer Binwaber
(B H)
Film: Houthis bury the flag under the ruins of schools and are trying to sow ignorance over them
The shade of trees in Hajjah governorate turned into classrooms, where dozens of students from the province go to attend their lessons that have been absent since their schools turned into piles of stones and sand as a result of being blown up by the Houthis.
My comment: This subject is misused for a propaganda film here.
(B H)
UN High Commissioner for Refugees: Yemen: UNHCR Operational Update, 8 November 2019
UNHCR Sub Office (SO) Aden commenced the sixth round of cash assistance payments for a total of 5,099 households in the southern governorates to help pay for basic services and rent. As of October, UNHCR supported close to 110,400 IDP families (773,000 individuals) with cash assistance.
UNHCR, in close coordination with the local authorities, is prioritising the search for accommodation solutions for over 700 IDP families in Aden, southern Taizz, Abyan and Hadramaut governorates by the end of 2019.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-unhcr-operational-update-8-november-2019
(B H)
World Food Programme, Logistics Cluster: Yemen Monthly Overview October 2019
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-monthly-overview-october-2019
from 2018: The weight of war
On the front lines in Yemen, home to the world’s worst hunger crisis
Before humanitarians can move anywhere in the country, both sides of the conflict must agree on when and where you can go. This is monitored by radio communications and from above the ground via the large numbers on the roofs of our vehicles. These numbers identify vehicles with clearance to move within the country. Then your actual movement is slowed by the destroyed roads and bridges, checkpoints and traffic.
The inability for humanitarian organizations like WFP to go where people are in need when they are in need is one of the greatest obstacles we face when working in war zones. It’s all about access, and if you can’t get food to people who can’t flee, have lost their homes, had their fields and markets destroyed, then they might starve.
Saada is a governorate around 2,000 meters up, along the border with Saudi Arabia. It’s the Houthi heartland and Yemen’s fruit basket where apples and pomegranates are grown. But as I traveled through the area, I didn’t see a single bridge intact. If farmers don’t have fuel or roads to get produce to market, then it’s hunger that grows. Today, Saada has one of the highest malnutrition rates in the country (photos)
https://insight.wfp.org/the-weight-of-war-8f14d0683ac6 = https://www.wfpusa.org/stories/see-yemen-through-eyes-journalist-they-might-starve/
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
(* B H)
Film: Yémen : la route des migrants éthiopiens | ARTE
Chez eux, en Éthiopie, les Oromos n’ont rien. Par centaines de milliers, ils migrent vers l’Arabie Saoudite, richissime contrée où ils s’imaginent un avenir. Mais la route est longue, périlleuse, impossible. Elle se pratique à pied, faute de pouvoir payer les passeurs et elle est semée d’embuches. Les montagnes de Galafi, à la frontière de Djibouti, irradiées par un soleil brûlant, mettent à terre les plus vaillants, terrassés par la soif. A Obock, un petit port sans charme, les migrants sont convoyés de nuit vers des boutres surchargés qui affrontent les vagues de la Mer Rouge. Et, ultime danger : au Yémen, l’industrie migratoire est infiltrée par les mafias locales. Là-bas, les migrants oromos deviennent des proies. Les plus pauvres sont les plus vulnérables. Déviés de la route, aux prises avec des passeurs sans scrupules, ils sont torturés jusqu’à ce que leurs familles paient la rançon, parfois ruinées par la vente de toutes leurs terres pour tirer un fils ou une fille de l’enfer des maisons de torture. D’une rive à l’autre du Golfe d’Aden, Charles Emptaz et Olivier Jobard ont marché avec ces migrants éthiopiens, animés par une idée fixe et lancinante : gagner un jour son pain. Des bribes de cette odyssée, ils tentent de reconstituer le récit d’une traversée mortelle, dessinant en creux le portrait d’un peuple transfiguré par l’épreuve, les Oromos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQDZh5KZd-U
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
(B P)
Yemen's Houthis Transform Civilian Lands to Cemeteries
Houthi militias are creating dozens of graveyards designated for the dozens killed in the battle waged against the internationally-recognized government and state institutions in Yemen. Most these cemeteries are marked land plots in coup-held areas.
Local sources in the capital Sanaa, Ibb, Dhamar, Amran, Mahwit and Saada, speaking under the condition of anonymity, revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the militias have recently created scores of new graves in these governorates due to the increasing number of deaths caused in clashes with the national army.
Sources also pointed out Houthi militiamen used force to seize and transform privately-owned land plots that belong to Yemenis living outside. Some of the land also belongs to the Islamic Awqaf authority.
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1991376/yemens-houthis-transform-civilian-lands-cemeteries
My remark: by a Saudi news site, of course including propaganda bias.
(A P)
Journalists facing fabricated charges and imminent Houthi sentencing
10 Yemeni journalists are about to face unconstitutional sentencing at the hands of an extremist Houthi judge
The Defense Committee of Detainees and Abductees said that the Specialized Criminal Court, which is under Houthi control in the capital Sanaa, has referred the trial file of 10 focrsfully abducted journalists to a fanatical Houthi judge, according to a Facebook post of the chairman of the Committee of the Defense of Detainees, lawyer Abdul Basit Ghazi.
The specialized criminal court, which is controlled by Houthis in Sana'a, held several hearings to hear the charges against the journalists, with defence lawyers claiming these charges to be malicious and fabricated.
The group accuses journalists of collaborating with countries of aggression, referring to those participating in the Saudi-led coalition. Additional charges include sharing coordinates of sensitive sites, and publishing anti-Houthi content on social media sites and in newspapers.
https://al-masdaronline.net/national/85
(A P)
Besprechung der Haftbedingungen in einer erweiterten Sitzung unter dem Vorsitz des Direktors des Präsidialamts
Heute fand in Sanaa eine Sitzung unter dem Vorsitz des Präsidenten des Präsidialamts Ahmed Hamed statt.
Das Treffen war der Erörterung der Haftbedingungen und -probleme sowie der Möglichkeiten zur Verbesserung der Haftbedingungen von Gefangenen und Gefangenen gewidmet.
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3078613.htm
und
(A P)
Tawoos bespricht mit dem Vizepräsidenten des IKRK die Möglichkeit, Gefängnisse zu unterstützen
Der Generalsekretär des Hohen Rates für die Koordinierung und Koordinierung der humanitären Angelegenheiten und der internationalen Zusammenarbeit, Abdulmohsen Tawoos, traf heute mit dem Vizepräsidenten des Internationalen Komitees vom Roten Kreuz (IKRK), Alexandre Ekoy, zusammen.
Der Generalsekretär des Obersten Rates für humanitäre Angelegenheiten lobte die Interventionen des Internationalen Komitees vom Roten Kreuz und dessen humanitäre Unterstützung und betonte die Notwendigkeit, die notwendigen Dienste für Gefängnisse bereitzustellen.
Er betonte, wie wichtig es sei, dass der Ausschuss seine Aktivitäten fortsetze, sich für mehr Gefängnisinterventionen einsetze und die notwendige und angemessene Unterstützung für Korrekturen leiste.
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3078758.htm
Mein Kommentar: Beendet willkürliche Verhaftungen und Folter.
(A P)
Expanded meeting in Sanaa discusses prison conditions
Head of the Presidential Office Ahmed Hamid on Tuesday chaired an expanded meeting to discuss the problems of prisons, and ways to improve the conditions of prisons and prisoners.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3078659.htm
My comment: Stop arbitrary detainments and torture.
(A P)
Treffen diskutiert den Status des Schiffes Safer im Roten Meer
Bei einem Treffen in Sanaa wurden heute die Verkehrsminister Zakaria al-Shami, Öl- und Mineralieningenieur Ahmed Dares, der Status des Safer-Schiffes und die potenzielle Umweltkatastrophe, die die Länder des Roten Meeres bedroht, erörtert.
Das Treffen befasste sich mit den Problemen, mit denen das Schiff Safer konfrontiert war. Die Aggressionskoalition hinderte das technische Team daran, es zu erreichen, um die Mengen an Bord zu warten und zu entladen, die auf eine Million und 278.000 Barrel Öl geschätzt wurden, um eine große Katastrophe für die Meeresumwelt zu vermeiden.
Das Treffen befasste sich mit der Umweltkatastrophe, die auftreten kann, wenn Öl ausläuft oder wenn der Stausee des Schiffes explodiert, und mit der Verschmutzung, die das Rote Meer bis zum Suezkanal verursachen kann, wodurch Meereslebewesen und Korallenriffe geschädigt werden.
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3078608.htm
(A P)
Houthi group released the journalist Ihab al-Shawafi who was arrested in #Taiz city and hidden for more than 4 years.
https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1194345407733739523
(A P)
Die Wirtschaftskommission fordert die Vereinten Nationen erneut auf, ihren Lohnpflichten nachzukommen
Die Hohe Wirtschaftskommission hat die Vereinten Nationen erneut aufgefordert, ihre Pflichten zu beschleunigen und die andere Partei zu verpflichten, ihren Verpflichtungen aus dem schwedischen Abkommen nachzukommen, indem sie das Defizit zwischen den Gesamtlohnkosten und dem auf dem Lohninitiativenkonto angesammelten Saldo angibt.
In einer bei der jemenitischen Nachrichtenagentur (Saba) eingegangenen Erklärung bekräftigte der Ausschuss seine Bereitschaft, alle von den Vereinten Nationen überwachten Mechanismen umzusetzen, durch die die Gehälter aller Beschäftigten der Republik Jemen, die seit mehr als drei Jahren gelitten haben, bezahlt werden.
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3078520.htm
(A P)
Economic Commission: Ready to Implement Any United Nations-Supervised Mechanisms to Pay Salaries
The Supreme Economic Commission has renewed its call for the United Nations to speed up its efforts, responsibly shoulder its duties, and commit the other party to fulfill its obligations under the Stockholm Agreement by supplying the deficit in the total amount needed to b the salaries, which should be deposited to the designated account. In a statement, the committee affirmed its continued readiness to implement any mechanisms supervised by the United Nations to pay the salaries of all the state employees, who have suffered for more than three years.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=9714
(A P)
Politbüro von Ansar Allah verurteilt die Ermordung des Führers Bahaa Abu al-Ata durch den zionistischen Feind
Das Politbüro von Ansar Allah verurteilte aufs Schärfste das tückische und feige Verbrechen des zionistischen Feindes, den Führer Mujahid Bahaa Abu Al-Ata und seine Frau heute im Morgengrauen zu ermorden, indem er sie in ihrem Haus im Gazastreifen angriff.
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3078549.htm
(A P)
Ansarullah Political Bureau Condemns Zionist Targeting of Jihad Commander, Confirms Standing by Palestinian Resistance
The Political Bureau of Ansarullah on Tuesday condemned the crime of the Zionist enemy by assassinating the commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s military wing, Al-Quds Brigades Baha Abu al-Ata in Gaza and the son of the Islamic Jihad official Akram al-Ajouri in the Syrian capital Damascus.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=9723
(A P)
SONS OF AMRAN PRESENT A CONVOY IN SUPPORT OF FRONTS WORTH 200 MILLION RIYALS
Sons of Amran province, on Monday, presented a convoy of cash and in-kind valued at more than 200 million riyals in support of the army with committees on the fronts of fighting on the occasion of the anniversary of the Prophet’s birth.
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
(* B P)
Optimism and frustration on Yemen
Will the Riyadh Agreement between the internationally recognised government of Yemen and the Southern Transitional Council finally give the country the peace it deserves
However, despite the air of optimism, for some the reality on the ground is that internal conflicts and civil wars do not come to an end with the signing of one agreement or a settlement reached in the first round.
The Yemeni conflict may be no exception to this rule, since the Yemeni parties have already signed several deals, and the southerners who demand a return of the former Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen) have repeatedly engaged in conflicts with the internationally recognised government of Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
Each time the two parties have reached a settlement or ceasefire, Hadi’s government has had to operate from its temporary capital in Aden.
Yet, the Riyadh Agreement may be different deal, as it is sponsored by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two prominent partners in the Arab Coalition against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
For the first time, all the parties acknowledge that the southern Yemenis and their demands are an integral component of the legitimate government. The Riyadh Agreement gives Yemen a government of no fewer than 24 ministerial portfolios, half of which are to go to the Southern Transitional Council and its allies.
The deal also engages the southerners in talks between Hadi and the Houthis, which means that Saudi Arabia and the UAE will likely accept whatever the Yemenis agree on, even if they have to “accept a Southern Yemen Republic”.
The agreement integrates the southern forces into the government ones, with the former having to hand in medium and heavy weapons to the coalition.
But the application of the Riyadh Agreement will be challenging, as a lack of trust between the two parties reigns supreme. The south is accusing the government of being controlled by northerners, particularly the Islah Party, the political front of the Muslim Brotherhood in Yemen.
The majority of the Islah Party is made up of elements from what was previously known as North Yemen. Islah has always had a weak presence in the South, which saw the semi-dominance of Sufi movements and intellectuals with communist leanings.
The Southern Transitional Council was then in a prominent political position because Hadi’s government needed its support in its war against the Houthis.
“The southerners and Hadi’s government don’t trust each other,” said Mohamed Al-Mekhlafi, Yemen’s former minister for legislative affairs. “It will be difficult for the southerners to give up their weapons and integrate their forces into the army after they have reached semi-autonomy in return for ministerial seats that everybody knows have no rule over the country,” he added.
“Group negotiations will not give us back South Yemen nor remove the control of the north over the south,” said Aden-born Fadl Al-Ali, a resident of the UK who is active in the ranks of the Southern Transitional Council in Europe.
Despite the signing of the Riyadh Agreement, Yemen still has a long way to go – by Haitham Nouri
(A P)
Council of Ministers deliberates govt’s priorities in view of Riyadh Agreement
The Council of Ministers held a session on Thursday presided over by the Prime Minister Dr. Ma’een Abdulmalik.
The session devoted to discuss the government’s top priorities in light of Riyadh Agreement between the Government and South Transitional Council.
The Cabinet discussed President Hadi’s instructions to the government that it must act on to put the Riyadh Agreement in place. The Cabinet has ordered the Ministries in charge to take urgently every necessary measure to carry out the agreement’s articles.
The Cabinet has affirmed that arrangements for the government return to the interim capital Aden are in full swung in coordination with the brethren in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). It stated that final touches of logistical arrangements which are overseen by the Arab Coalition are going to be accomplished soon and the government will be shortly in Aden.
The Council of Ministers voiced deep gratitude to the vitally important role of the leadership of the KSA headed by the Custodian of the Two Holly Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khaled bin Salman and Saudi government and people in supporting Yemen and the Yemeni peoples in different fields and stages.
(A P)
Government demands UN to stop illegal prosecution by Houthis
The government of Yemen demanded on Thursday the United Nations (UN) to move and stop the Houthis-run illegal trial against human rights activists, journalists, members of the parliament and female activists.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-34274
(A P)
Riyadh agreement big step to unite efforts to counter Iranian plots in Yemen, Yemeni government says
The Yemeni government today described the Riyadh-sponsored agreement reached between Yemeni parties as a major step towards redressing imbalances in the liberated areas.
In its meeting today, the Yemeni cabinet reiterated its keenness to ensure the successful implementation of the Riyadh agreement as it establishes a new phase of normalization of the situation in the liberated areas, and unites efforts to counter Iranian-backed Houthi militias in Yemen.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1998758
(A P)
STC Starts Implementing the Terms of the Jeddah Agreement
Member of the presidency of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) Lutfi Shatara confirmed that the STC’s leadership began implementing the terms of the Jeddah Agreement.
‘The STC begins its’ preparations to implement the terms of the Jeddah Agreement which is sponsored by the Arab coalition’ this came in his social media accounts.
Shatara said, ‘The Institutions’ Protection Force [a new name for a separatist militia] is preparing to assume its responsibility in this regard. The Human Rights Department of the STC, headed by lawyer Dhikra Maatouk, has completed a legal and advisory course for the soldiers who are operating in Force’.
He concluded his message by confirming that the STC is the true partner of the Arab Coalition.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/14796
My comment: This sounds like a joke. The separatists tell that they claim their militia will “secure” Hadi government institutions at Aden.
(* A K P)
#Another blow to #Saudi #Riyadh agreement . #Yemeni tribes have besieged #Saudi #UAE forces in so-called “security quadrant”. In few weeks, most #Saudi backed forces #Yemen with the exception of #ISIS & #AQAP will defect to join #Sanna government. Many #DC supremests will cry
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1195113183201103872
(* A K P)
Riyadh Agreement faces setback as first deadline passes without implementation
The Riyadh Agreement was signed by the government of Yemen and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) on November 5, 2019, overseen and mediated by Saudi Arabia. As the first of many political, military and security clauses in the agreement, Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik was to start his work from Aden within seven days of the signing of the agreement, corresponding to Tuesday, November 12th.
Clause 3 of the Political and Economic Annex of the agreement states the following:
A government source, who asked not to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the press, told Al-Masdar Online on Tuesday that the prime minister's return to Aden was postponed for “logistical reasons.” According to the government official, the logistical reasons relate to the arrangements by the Saudis for Al-Ma’ashik Palace (the Presidential Palace) in Aden and other looted facilities, in addition to security arrangements.
Regarding the expected date of the government’s return to the interim capital, the source said that the prime minister was scheduled to return to Aden on Friday, in order to allow sufficient time to complete the necessary arrangements, but added that there is "no date is certain" and it is possible the government will not return until next week.
The Saudi government, the sponsor and guarantor of the Riyadh Agreement, as of publication time had not provided any explanation for the failure to implement the first clause.
https://al-masdaronline.net/national/83
and
(* A P)
RIYADH AGREEMENT NOT TO BE IMPLEMENTED ON GROUND, TRANSITIONAL COUNCIL REJECTS RETURN OF HADI GOVERNMENT
It appears that the Southern Transitional Council signed Riyadh agreement with the suspension of its implementation, as confirmed by the propaganda in Aden and the rest of the southern governorates leading leaders in the “Southern Transitional Council” of the UAE, Hadi’s government talk of the return of a number of its ministers to Aden, in violation of Riyadh agreement signed between the two parties last week .
Among the terms of the agreement was the return of Hadi’s government to Aden within a week of the signing of the agreement signed last Tuesday, but none of this has been done so far.
and
(* A P)
Premier to return to Aden within days
The Yemeni Prime Minister, Maeen Saeed, is expected to soon return from Saudi Arabia to Aden, along with government ministers.
Their return within the next three days is part of an agreement signed in Riyadh between the government and the Southern Transitional Council.
“The prime minister and more than eight ministers in the current government are getting ready to fly to Aden within a few days," an official said.
"They were supposed to be in Aden according to the agreement signed in Riyadh but the preparations haven’t been wrapped up.
"The Coalition has been repairing the government headquarters and the Presidential Palace in Aden, where the government is supposed to stay."
Mr Saeed confirmed that he would return to Aden as soon as the repairs were completed, the state owned Saba news agency reported on Thursday.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/14797
(A P)
The fact that PM @DrMaeenSaeed hasn't arrived to #Aden today as the #RiyadhAgreement stipulates - on whatever grounds - shows that the simplest component cannot be implemented in time. This sets the bar of expectations concerning everything else, including contentious issues?
https://twitter.com/Ibrahim4Yemen/status/1194317930957332480
(A K P)
UNKNOWN GUNMEN ASSASSINATES SENIOR MILITARY COMMANDER LOYAL TO HADI IN ABYAN
Sources in the government of Hadi confirmed that the Colonel, Mohammed Hussein al-Labassi, who is known with Abu Sayila, the commander of Saudi-paid forces in Thi Na’m front was assassinated with an ambush, where his bodyguard ,Aseel Saleh al-Mashebh, was wounded in Mudia district in Abyan governorate. The source believes that the assassination for al-Lelbassi comes within the framework of assassination of the Hadi government , where the later threatens to take revenge from the Security Belt, the first one to be accused with this in operation.
(A K P)
CITIZENS PREVENT SECURITY BELT SOLDIERS FROM SPREADING ON PUBLIC GROUND IN ADEN
In the light of the ongoing looting operations on the citizens and state lands in Aden, armed clashes broke out between citizens and gunmen affiliated to the Security Belt in the road of Aden-Taiz.
Local sources said that gunmen loyal to the Security Belt, along with military vehicles have spread over a public space behind the Hajjaji hotel, noting that citizens intervened to prevent the gunmen to develop into clashes between gunmen and citizens and no one was injured.
(A K P)
Hadhramaut plagued by assassinations
Islah militias unable or unwilling to stop the attacks
The city of Seiyun and several other directorates in the occupied province of Hadhramaut are witnessing ongoing assassinations against soldiers, politicians, clerics and activists.
According to security sources, these crimes are being recorded against an unknown person, which raises many questions, especially with the presence of military points belonging to the First Saudi-backed military zone in the province.
The people of the city of Seiyun did not rule out the existence of joint coordination between these terrorist groups and the leadership of the First Region camp and the Al-Sawiri camp in Trim district, to carry out assassinations against anyone who opposed and rejected the presence of terrorist groups.
https://www.uprising.today/hadhramaut-plagued-by-assassinations/
(A P)
Islah’s spokesman: Our sole choice is to support state of rule
Chief of the Islah Party’s Media Department, Ali Al-Jaradi, affirmed on Tuesday that his party is a political party that use political and legal means within the war against the Houthis’ coup and other similar rebellion in Yemen.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-34238
(A P)
Sira Fortress Reopened to Public in Aden
Sira Fortress has been reopened to the public in a special ceremony, after a four-year closure, since the Houthi war on Aden.
The director of the Culture Office, Ahmed Hussein and the director of Sira district, Khalid Sido reopened the fortress to allow citizens and tourists to visit it
http://en.adenpress.news/news/14794
(A P)
Southern separatists block public staff from going to work
The southern separatists known as the Southern Transitional Council (STC) have blocked on Monday the Ministry of Information workers from entering the ministry’s interim office in Aden.
Deputy Ministry of Information, Hussein Ba Saleem said in a letter to the Minister of Information that the STC militants have banned the workers from entrance to the office.
The public staff in Aden attempted to resume work in line to instructions by the President Abd Rabo Mansour Hadi that all state institutions to restart their services, according to the letter signed by Ba Saleem.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-34240
(A P)
Shatara: Political gains can be made if we stop crying over the past
Member of the Presidency of the Southern Transitional Council, Lutfi Shatara said that the Southerners can obtain significant political gains at the domestic level and they can make the world respect them and respect their political will to restore the southern state, if they stop crying over the past and start thinking of the future and addressing youth issues.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/14792
(* A K P)
Hadi’s interior minister escapes assassination attempt
Even UAE wants Hadi officials dead
Ahmed al-Maisari, the self-proclaimed interior minister of Hadi’s exiled government has on Tuesday survived an assassination attempt in Mahrah province, eastern Yemen.
According to sources, a drone belonging to the UAE flew over a graduation ceremony attended by al-Maisari in Ghaydha city, but was forced to leave after air defences shot at it.
Al-Maisari visited Mahrah in the past two days, and was harassed during his movements by Saudi occupation forces in the province, despite being part of the Saudi-led puppet government.
https://www.uprising.today/hadis-interior-minister-escapes-assassination-attempt/
(A K P)
AN ARMED ATTACK TARGETS SECURITY BELT IN ADEN
A soldier was wounded in the Security Belt in an armed attack on a checkpoint in Aden.
Local sources said that armed clashes erupted between gunmen and members of the Security Belt after an armed attack targeted a checkpoint of the Belt forces in Ghazi Alwan neighborhood at the eastern entrance of the Aden city, wounding a soldier of the Security Belt .
https://www.yemenpress.org/yemen/an-armed-attack-targets-security-belt-in-aden/
(A P)
SAUDI FORCES DROP THE SOUTH FLAG FROM ADEN AIRPORT
The southern flag, which has been flying for more than two years in Aden International Airport, was fallen by the Saudi troops yesterday amid warm applause from those who are affiliated to Hadi’s government.
https://www.yemenpress.org/yemen/saudi-forces-drop-the-south-flag-from-aden-airport/
(A P)
A UNIVERSITY STUDENT ABDUCTED IN KHORMAKSAR IN ADEN
Students at the Faculty of Arts said that gunmen kidnapped the student, Mohammed bin Azzun, under the demolition of weapons and took him to an unknown place.
https://www.yemenpress.org/yemen/a-university-student-abducted-in-khormaksar-in-aden/
(A P)
Economic Quartet: Riyadh Agreement must be fully implemented
The Economic Quartet Committee which includes the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America held a meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday at the level of senior officials and ambassadors, Saudi Press Agency said on Wednesday.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/14782
(A P)
US, Germany Back Yemen Govt. in Implementing Riyadh Agreement
The United States and Germany underlined on Tuesday their support for the Yemeni government as it seeks to implement the Riyadh Agreement
(A P)
Almasdar Online investigates: the killing of Yasser Al-Marfadi
A young man has died after being tortured by members of STC forces. Almasdar Online investigates the circumstances of the killing of Yasser Al-Marfadi
Three days ago, Yasser Al-Marfadi was walking through the streets of Ja’ar, Abyan governorate’s largest city. The day after, he was found dead with signs of torture, in a house located in the city center.
The body of the 30-year-old was taken to the Al-Razi Hospital near where his body was found. A local source told Almasdar Online that his family is refusing to bury him until the perpetrators are arrested. The signs of torture his body display are reminiscent of the torture and detention centers run by local militias backed by the UAE.
The family of the deceased have called on residents of Ja’ar city to stand with them and hold accountable those that Yasser’s brother, y Anis Al-Marfadi, claims planed to torture and kill his brother.
How was Yasser Al-Marfadi killed?
https://al-masdaronline.net/local/78
(A P)
STC Discussed the detainees in Shabwa's Brotherhood Prisons
The Southern Transitional Council discussed in its periodical meeting on Tuesday the current situation of the prisoners of war in the Brotherhood’s prisons in Shabwa governorate. The STC called for prisoners relief who were detained because they participated in peaceful activities.
The topic of the southern flag raised concerns of the Southern people and activist. The leaders at the meeting stressed that the consequences will escalate the situation and become out of control if it was not addressed in time.
The meeting pointed out that the southern flag is a symbol of the southern sovereignty and it represents the sacrifices of the southerners as well as it is the emblem of the united south.
The southern people fought in all the governorates against the Houthi invaders and still are till this day in Shabwa and Abyan in the battlefronts defending the Southern land.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/14775
(A P)
Activists warn against removing southern flag
Many southern activists took to the social media to launch a hashtag campaign under the title # Southern Flag is a Red Line, in warning against removing the flag of the South from any government institution in the capital Aden.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/14774
(A P)
Shatara outlines groundwork for development in the South
In response to a bid to create regional quotas in the southern governorates, the member of the Presidency of the Southern Transitional Council, Lutfi Shatara reviewed a number of foundations for the development of the South.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/14771
(* A K P)
Separatist militia to be partially disarmed by Saudi forces
Security Belt militia set to lose all heavy and medium weapons
A southern political activist said the Riyadh accord has disarmed the UAE-backed Security Belt forces.
Political activist Obaid al-Berri confirmed that under the Riyadh agreement, the STC forces “would only have kalashnikov rifles” left for their self-defence.
Al-Bari said the government would continue to retain all its weapons and equipment.
He added: “The Riyadh agreement stipulated the disarmament of medium and heavy weapons of various kinds from all military and security forces in Aden and the rest of the southern provinces, while the forces that went to invade Aden retain all their weapons.”
https://www.uprising.today/separatist-militia-to-be-partially-disarmed-by-saudi-forces/
(A P)
Students in Taiz rise up against Muslim Brotherhood
Hundreds of students protested in the city of Taiz on Sunday, 10 November, to demand the evacuation of the schools Bakthir and Saba of the Brotherhood members stationed since 4 years, wanting to turn them into military barracks.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/14787
(* A P)
Intense Diplomatic Efforts Precede Implementation of Riyadh Agreement on Yemen
Yemeni government officials intensified their diplomatic activities as they prepare to implement the first steps of the Riyadh agreement.
Yemeni Prime Minister Dr. Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed and a ministerial team are expected to return Tuesday to the interim Yemeni capital, Aden where they should resume their work in line with the Saudi-sponsored agreement signed last week to end a crisis in the war-torn country's south.
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
(A P)
Campaign Targets UNESCO’s Tie-up with ‘Saudi Spies’
The United Nations faces renewed criticism over its partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Misk Foundation amid revelations that the charity is headed by the mastermind of a recent Twitter spying operation.
An online petition against the tie-up has received some 6,000 signatures, with organisers saying the U.N.’s cultural agency, UNESCO, should “have nothing to do” with Misk, the private charity of Saudi crown prince and de facto ruler Mohamed bin Salman.
The campaign comes days before Misk takes part in the Nov. 18-19 UNESCO Youth Forum in Paris, and days after revelations that Misk official Bader al-Asaker led a Saudi effort to gather private details about dissidents via their Twitter accounts.
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/11/campaign-targets-unescos-tie-saudi-spies/
(A P)
UN Envoy fails to start new round of negotiations
Martin Griffiths could not bring aggressor countries to the table
Member of the Supreme Political Council Mohammed Ali al-Houthi has confirmed the failure of the UN envoy’s arrangements for a new round of peace negotiations.
“Martin Griffiths has been arranging a new round for some time, but has not succeeded until today, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi said on Twitter on Wednesday night.
He added that “the UN envoy has not received a result of stopping the aggression or lifting the blockade or embargo, with no coalition countries sitting at the table.”
“The arrangements do not match the level of negotiation,” Mohammed al-Houthi said.
https://www.uprising.today/un-envoy-fails-to-start-new-round-of-negotiations/
(A K P)
FIVE CAPTIVES OF YEMEN ARMY RELEASED IN A NEW EXCHANGE DEAL
The National Committee for Prisoners Affairs announced on Wednesday that five caltives of the Yemeni army and the popular committees in a new exchange deal with the forces of US-Saudi invasion and aggression’s paid-mercenaries.
https://www.yemenpress.org/yemen/five-captives-of-yemen-army-released-in-a-new-exchange-deal/
(* B P)
Saudi Arabia discussing Yemen truce in informal talks with Houthis: sources
Saudi Arabia is intensifying informal talks with the Iran-aligned Houthi movement on a ceasefire in Yemen, sources familiar with the discussions said.
The talks were launched in Jordan in late September, three of the sources said, with Riyadh taking sole responsibility for military efforts by the Arab alliance fighting in Yemen after the exit of its main partner, the United Arab Emirates.
The discussions began after the Houthis offered to halt cross-border missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities if the Saudi-led coalition ended air strikes on Yemen, they said.
A fourth source said “discussions on finalizing the security pact are moving very quickly now through a number of channels” but that Riyadh still had concerns about its border security.
“We have had an open channel with the Houthis since 2016. We are continuing these communications to support peace in Yemen,” a Saudi official said.
A Houthi official, who declined to be named, confirmed the group was discussing a broad ceasefire with Riyadh but cautioned that the group’s patience was “wearing thin”.
Comment: I would give anything for peace. However, weary of deal may preserve a de facto status quo in #Yemen; direct Saudi vs Houthi war ends, while factional and proxy wars internally drag on. Need silencing of guns on all fronts AND with a just peace guaranteeing rights and freedoms.
https://twitter.com/omeisy/status/1195060117852577792
and
(A P)
Hadi government scared of Saudi negotiations with Yemen [Sanaa gov.]
Hadi administration fears "betrayal" by Riyadh as Saudis negotiate with National Salvation Government in Oman
After international media reported that there is a peace talks in Oman between Sana’a and Riyadh, Hadi’s advisor Abdul Aziz al-Jabari has expressed fears of Saudi betrayal of Hadi’s “legitimacy.”
“The government of the legitimacy has remained in the dark about what the Saudis are negotiating with the Houthis,” al-Jabbari told The Associated Press, using the imperialist word to designate Ansarullah.
Jabbari also expressed his fear that Saudi Arabia would be able to contact a deal with the National Salvation Government to end the war in areas under their control, saying that “this would be a grave mistake and deeply regrettable on the part of the Saudis.”
https://www.uprising.today/hadi-government-scared-of-saudi-negotiations-with-yemen/
(A P)
Iran reiterates peaceful settlement of crisis in Yemen
Ali Asqar Khaji, a senior aide to the Iranian foreign minister, on Wednesday underscored Tehran’s long-held policy that a comprehensive Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue will be the best choice to put an immediate end to the crisis in Yemen.
In a meeting with Sweden's Special Envoy for Yemen Peter Semneby in Tehran, Khaji laid emphasis on Tehran’s all-out efforts to restore peace and security to Yemen.
“An immediate stop to clashes, removal of siege on the country and holding Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue are some necessities leading the country towards accessing a comprehensive solution to the protracted crisis,” Khaji said, adding that Iran welcomes continued cooperation with Sweden in this regard.
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/441995/Iran-reiterates-peaceful-settlement-of-crisis-in-Yemen
and also https://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13980823000182
(A P)
Films: Audition de M. Griffiths sur la situation au Yemen
Hier en commission des affaires étrangères, j’ai interrogé M. Martin Griffiths, rapporteur spécial de l’ONU pour le Yemen, sur les opportunités de pacifier les relations entre l’Iran et les monarchies sunnites dans la région
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_Ug2oPFVA8
(* B P)
Saudi Arabia, Yemen’s Houthi rebels in indirect peace talks
Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed rebels are holding indirect, behind-the-scenes talks to end the devastating five-year war in Yemen, officials from both sides have told The Associated Press.
The negotiations are taking place with Oman, a Gulf Arab country that borders both Yemen and Saudi Arabia, as mediator. Oman has positioned itself as a quiet mediator in the past and in a possible sign the back-channel talks could be stepping up, Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman arrived in Muscat on Monday.
The two sides have communicated via video conference over the past two months, according to Gamal Amer, a negotiator for the Yemeni rebels known as Houthis. They have also talked through European intermediaries, according to three Houthi officials.
The Oman-mediated talks began in September, after a Houthi-claimed drone struck a key crude processing plant in Saudi Arabia — the world’s largest — and dramatically cut into global oil supplies. The United States blamed Iran, which denied involvement.
The current talks focus on interim goals, such as re-opening Yemen’s main international airport in Sanaa, shut down by the Saudi-led coalition in 2016. Also under discussion is a buffer zone along the Yemen-Saudi border in areas under Houthi control.
Abu Bakr al-Qirbi, a former Yemeni foreign minister, told the AP from Oman that the Saudis’ main concerns include dismantling the Houthis ballistic and drone capabilities and the kingdom’s border security.
The Saudis are looking for assurances the Houthis will distance themselves from Shiite power Iran, the Sunni kingdom’s archrival. Riyadh has long feared the Houthis could establish an Iranian presence along the Saudi-Yemen border.
These talks could pave the way for more high-profile negotiations early next year, said one of the Houthi officials.
Last week, a senior Saudi official told a group of reporters in Washington that, “there is a sense that we need to move to resolution of this conflict.” He said the ongoing talks are also focusing on prisoner exchanges between the warring sides.
There are signs all involved in the fighting are seeking a way out – By AHMED AL-HAJ and MAGGIE MICHAEL
https://apnews.com/cb393079f7be48d2951b3ae3f2d4361b
cp7a Saudi-Arabien und Iran / Saudi Arabia and Iran
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
(A P)
#Saudi Monarchy led by #MBS & strongly backed by #UK has expelled a dozen high school girls #Hail for wearing white ribbons in solidarity with women trapped in Saudi “Care homes” prisons who are not allowed to leave, study & seek a life of their own. Why is #UK supporting this?
#Saudi police showed up at the 9th Giles High-school #Hail today after the school principal & regional education office called them to arrest “Atheists” The expulsion came 2 days after #UK ambassador to #Riyadh met with #Saudi officials. #UK insidious history in our country..
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1194966115778211841
(A K P)
Under the Patronage of HRH Crown Prince, an international forum discusses ways to guarantee security and safety of sea lanes
Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, the Saudi Royal Naval Forces will organize, during 24-26 November 2019 here, the Saudi International Maritime Forum for Sea Patrol Ships under the theme "Importance of Securing Strategic Sea lanes".
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1998170
(A P)
Film: #Saudi Monarchy Nouveau Riche mindset runs strong. It gave one of its members a solid gold statue.
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1194704582028484610
(A P)
Saudi Crackdown: Yet another Detainee Martyred Under Torture!
After the detention of Hussein Abdul Aziz Al-Ribh in 2017, activists concerned with the injustice taking place against the Saudi kingdom’s Shia minority population reported that the man was martyred as a result of the inhumane systematic torture at the hands of the General Intelligence staff in the notorious Dammam General Intelligence Prsion.
https://www.english.alahednews.com.lb/50502/390
and
(A P)
In one week, the #Saudi Monarchy killed two prisoners. The 1st is Shia Arab Hussain AlRebh from #Awamia #Qatif a 35 year bodybuilder arrested in 2016 for protest. 2nd is Fahd AlQadhi, 60, former Wahhabi religious police official who died of lack of basic medical care
The two received no mention from international human rights organizations. AlRebh for being a Shia Arab, long ignored by HR orgs & sectarian outlets,. The 2nd for his religious choice of being a devout Wahhabi, also ignored by int HR orgs but celebrated by sectarian outfits.
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1194977159489691651
(* A P)
Saudi authorities backtrack on description of feminism as extremism
Saudi Arabia’s state security agency distanced itself on Tuesday from a promotional video that categorized feminism, homosexuality and atheism as extremist ideas, blaming it on an action by individuals.
The animated clip was posted on Twitter at the weekend by a verified account of the State Security Presidency which reports directly to the king. It has since been removed.
In a statement published by state television, the security agency said the video contained a number of mistakes in defining extremism, and that the individuals who made the video did not do their job properly.
In a separate statement, the state-affiliated Saudi Human Rights Commission said feminism was not a crime and that the kingdom “accords the utmost importance to women’s rights.”
Neither statement referenced homosexuality and atheism -which have long been illegal and punishable by death in the absolute monarchy.
(A)
Yemeni man arrested for stabbing performers on stage in Riyadh
Two men and a woman were wounded in a knife attack Monday evening as they performed on stage in a park in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, marking the first such incident since the kingdom began loosening restrictions on entertainment.
"Riyadh police have arrested a 33-year-old Yemeni male resident of Saudi Arabia in possession of a knife after he stabbed two men and a woman who were members of a theatrical group,"
http://en.adenpress.news/news/14772
(A P)
Saudi court convicts 38 people on terrorism-related charges
A Saudi Arabian court has convicted 38 people of terrorism-related crimes, state-run Al Ekhbariya television reported on Tuesday.
The TV channel said they were charged with financing terrorism and with takfir - the Islamist militant practice of labeling followers of other schools of Islam unbelievers. It said one of them “set up a terrorist organization in prison”.
My comment: Translation of Saudi wording: „Terrorism“ means „opposition“.
(A E P)
Giant Aramco listing a critical test for young Saudi exchange
The imminent listing of oil giant Aramco will be a pivotal moment for Saudi Arabia’s young and untested Tadawul stock exchange.
The Tadawul has said it has been preparing for years and is primed for the long-awaited share sale in coming weeks. But hosting possibly the biggest initial public offering in history represents a huge leap into the big league for a 12-year-old exchange that only admitted foreign investors four years ago.
(* B P)
From July 2016: Creating Frankenstein: The Impact of Saudi Export of Ultra-Conservatism in South Asia
Continued doubts about the longevity of the Saudi ruling family are fuelled by its Faustian bargain with Wahhabism - a conservative, intolerant, discriminatory and anti-pluralistic interpretation of Islam.
It is a bargain that has produced one of the largest dedicated public diplomacy campaigns in history. Estimates of Saudi Arabia’s spending on support of ultra-conservative strands of Islam, including Wahhabism, Salafism and Deobandism, across the globe range from $70 to $100 billion. Saudi largesse funded fund mosques, Islamic schools and cultural institutions, and social services as well as the forging of close ties to non-Wahhabi Muslim leaders and intelligence agencies in various Muslim nations. In doing so, Saudi Arabia succeeded in turning s largely local Wahhabi and like-minded ultra-conservative Muslim worldviews into an influential force in Muslim nations and communities across the globe.
The campaign is not simply a product of the marriage between the Al Sauds and the Wahhabis. It is central to Saudi Arabia’s soft power policy and the Al Sauds’ survival strategy. One reason, albeit not the only one, that the longevity of the Al Sauds is a matter of debate, is the fact that the propagation of Wahhabism is having a backlash in countries across the globe, as well as on Saudi Arabia itself. More than ever before, Wahhabism, and its theological parent, Salafism, are being put under the spotlight due to their theological or ideological similarities with jihadism in general, and the ideology of the Islamic State (IS) group in particular.
Attitudes fostered by Saudi funding, as well as Saudi Arabia’s willingness to look the other way when its youth leave the kingdom to join militant groups, undermine Saudi Arabia’s international image and its efforts to create soft power.
The problem for the Al Sauds is not just that their image is under attack and that their legitimacy is wholly dependent on their identification with Wahhabism; it is also that the Al Sauds since the launch of their Islamist campaign, have often been only nominally in control of it. As a result, the Al Sauds have let a genie out of the bottle that now leads an independent life and cannot be put back into the bottle. Wahhabi and Salafi-influenced education systems played into the hands of Arab autocrats, who for decades dreaded an education system that would teach critical thinking and the asking of difficult questions.
The current backlash of Saudi support for autocracy and funding of the export of Wahhabism and Salafism, coupled with the need to radically reform the kingdom’s economy, means that the Al Sauds and the Wahhabis are nearing a crunch point, one that will not necessarily offer solutions, but in fact could make things worse. It risks sparking ever more militant splits, that will make themselves felt across the Muslim world and in minority Muslim communities elsewhere, in multiple ways. One already visible fallout of the Saudi campaign is greater intolerance towards minorities and increased sectarianism in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia.
A key to understanding the Saudi funding campaign is the fact that while it all may be financed out of one pot of money, it serves different purposes for different parties. For the Wahhabi ulema, it is about proselytization, about the spreading of Islam; for the Saudi government, it is about gaining soft power. At times the interests of the government and the ulema coincide, and at times they diverge. By the same token, the Saudi campaign on some levels has been an unparalleled success, on others, success is questionable and one could argue that it risks becoming a liability for the government – by James M. Dorsey
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2813898 = https://www.academia.edu/27365600/Creating_Frankenstein_The_Impact_of_Saudi_Export_of_Ultra-Conservatism_in_South_Asia
(B T)
Film: Tulsi Demands Info On Saudi Involvement In 911 Attacks
Guest: Tulsi Gabbard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_0_CQ7umic
(B T)
Tulsi Gabbard wants findings of probe into possible Saudi 9/11 involvement declassified
Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, expressed support for plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit seeking the release of documents they detail links between some of the September 11 hijackers and the Saudi government.
Gabbard claimed Thursday on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” that Saudi Arabia is “undermining” American national security interests and that the U.S. government is “hiding the truth” about any potential links between Riyadh and the 2001 terror attacks.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/tulsi-gabbard-saudi-arabia-report-september-11-government
(* B E P)
Aramco’s Profit Slide Shows Scale of Risk for Investors
Saudi Arabia’s ability to protect Aramco’s facilities will be an important factor for investors calculating the company’s value in its planned IPO
Aramco revealed a steep drop in profit related to attacks on its facilities in September that briefly halved the Saudi company’s oil output, highlighting the risks to investors ahead of what could be the world’s largest initial public offering.
The Saudi Arabian Oil Co., as Aramco is officially known, delayed its highly anticipated initial public offering last month until it had published the earnings, hoping to demonstrate the resilience of its operations. At the launch of the IPO last weekend, Chairman Yasir al-Rumayyan. (subscribers only)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/aramcos-profit-slide-shows-scale-of-risk-for-investors-11573398229
(* B E P)
Saudis Are Urged Not to ‘Miss the Train’ on Aramco IPO
Among Saudi Arabia’s middle class, anticipation is mounting for oil giant’s stock-market debut
Saudi Arabia’s middle class is preparing to invest billions of dollars in Aramco shares, as the populace gets the chance to own a sliver of the kingdom’s prized asset—the world’s most profitable company—for the first time.
Fueled by a mix of national pride and fear of missing out, Saudi citizens are getting ready to shell out to be part of the oil giant’s initial public offering, which promises to be the largest ever. A bombardment of marketing around the long-awaited share sale is aimed directly at them. (subscribers only)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/saudis-are-urged-not-to-miss-the-train-on-aramco-ipo-11573560000
(A E P)
Saudi Aramco’s IPO Prospectus Doesn’t Reveal How Much It Plans to Sell
Oil giant releases preliminary prospectus, but key details that investors are focused on were missing
(B P)
On 12 March 2018, humanitarian worker Abdulrahman AlSadhan was forcibly disappeared from his workplace. Over 20 months on, he remains disappeared, & his family have not been allowed any contact with him. The #Saudi authorities must reveal his fate & whereabouts immediately.
https://twitter.com/ALQST_En/status/1195051792293355522
cp9 USA
Siehe / Look at cp1
(A P)
Sen. Bob Mendez: Deeply disturbed by recent reports of @Twitter employees allegedly spying for Saudi Arabia by using the company’s private information on particular dissidents about whom the Kingdom was interested. @SecPompeo and Amb. Abizaid need to give us answers (letter in image)
https://twitter.com/SenatorMenendez/status/1195095517887422465
(* B P)
Efforts to tie Trump’s hands on Iran and Saudi Arabia hold up key defense bill
Congress’ efforts to constrain President Donald Trump’s activities in Iran and the Persian Gulf have stalled as Democrats and Republicans struggle to agree upon final defense authorization and spending legislation before the end of the year.
While the partisan gridlock largely centers around an agreement to fund Trump’s proposed US-Mexico border wall, several provisions on Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Iraq have thrown further wrenches into the process. The numerous stumbling blocks have raised doubts as to whether Congress can even coalesce around final legislation this year.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., is currently negotiating with the White House and the Republican-held Senate to reach a compromise defense bill. Domestic issues aside, he has still not breached the gaping fissure between House and Senate leadership over Middle East war powers, arms sales and sanctions authorities.
The provision in the House bill would ban Trump from undertaking offensive military action against Iran absent congressional authorization. The House included the Iran language to the defense bill, which passed 220-197 in July after the Senate rejected the same provision 50-40 in June.
After Congress failed to muster the votes to override Trump’s veto of a resolution intended to end support for the Saudi coalition, Smith and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., added language that would ban US funding for Riyadh’s war efforts to the House defense bill.
That bill would also prevent funding to process and license arms sales for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, it would ban Saudi officials — and potentially Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — from entering the United States if the intelligence community finds that they were complicit in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi – by Bryant Harris
(A P)
US envoy to Yemen: We are ready to support Riyadh Agreement
The US is ready to support the Riyadh Agreement signed between the internationally backed Yemen government and UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council, US Ambassador to Yemen Christopher Henzel said yesterday.
This came in a meeting held in the Saudi capital between the US Ambassador and the Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed.
(A P)
Ex-Drexel student charged with hiding ties to anti-American rebel group in Yemen
Federal terrorism investigators have charged a former Drexel University student with hiding his ties to the anti-American insurgency group that has embroiled Yemen in a protracted and devastating civil war.
Prosecutors said Gaafar Mohammed Ebrahim al-Wazer — a 24-year-old Yemeni national who arrived in the United States five years ago — lied on his application for a student visa and later other immigration documents about his association with the Houthi rebel movement, also known as Ansar Allah or “Supporters of God.”
(* B P)
Shifting Poles In The Middle East: Implications For US Regional Strategy – Analysis
The Arab uprisings and subsequent civil wars sweeping the region beginning in late 2010 have fundamentally shifted the internal regional balance of power in ways that U.S. policy has yet to account for.
These developments have left the traditional centers of power in the Arab world in a state of atrophy while bolstering the relative power of the non-Arab states in the region: Iran, Israel, and Turkey. Saudi Arabia has emerged as perhaps the most significant exception to this trend as Riyadh has thus far successfully exploited its oil wealth, claims of religious leadership, and strong connections to Washington to bolster its domestic and international standing.
U.S. policy going forward will need to navigate carefully between these shifting regional poles of power in Tehran, Riyadh, Ankara, and Tel Aviv—seeking to capitalize on opportunities for joint cooperation with any party that constructively advances U.S. interests while avoiding unnecessary entanglements and commitments that would drain U.S. resources and otherwise restrict U.S. freedom of maneuver.
Implications for U.S. Policy
In a region increasingly under stress, the interaction of these four countries—with both divergent and complementary interests—will be the key to stability in the region. U.S. policy will need to take careful stock of these shifting internal balances and adopt policies that advance U.S. interests in an increasingly complex and constantly evolving security environment. Moreover, outside actors, such as Russia and China, will simultaneously be taking steps to promote their interests and expand their influence—often at the expense of the U.S. All four emerging poles of regional power—Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Israel—are actively seeking improved relationships with both Moscow and Beijing. All parties undoubtedly are exploiting these contacts both as a hedging policy given perceptions of U.S. disengagement from the region and as an additional source of leverage seeking even stronger U.S. backing to prevent just such a realignment. Meanwhile, all parties see economic benefits in improved relations with Beijing as an important outlet for regional energy exports and as a potential source of foreign investment linked to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Given the tremendous uncertainties surrounding the region’s future, U.S. policymakers should adopt a hedging approach—building diverse coalitions-of-the-willing to confront challenges as they emerge and avoiding large one-sided investments in any single country or partner.
My comment: A typical „The US interests are No. 1 on the world“ article.
cp9a USA-Iran Krise: Wachsende Spannungen am Golf / US-Iran crisis: Mounting tensions at the Gulf
(A P)
Powerful hard-liner: Iran should stop honoring nuclear deal
A prominent member of Iran’s powerful Guardian Council has told The Associated Press that the Islamic Republic should stop honoring all terms of the collapsing 2015 nuclear deal with world powers amid tensions with the United States.
The comments by Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei show an increasing willingness among Iran’s hard-liners to use the country’s atomic program to pressure Western powers.
https://apnews.com/5681530e00b047668a5705b271a3faf4
(A P)
Iran highlights dialogue as 'sole solution' to regional problems
Iran has once again voiced its support to maintaining political talks among the regional countries, saying that dialogue is the only means to reach a collective understanding and effective solution to challenges facing the region.
“The Islamic Republic has always underlined the importance of political talks as the sole solution to solve the problems; therefore, Tehran will use all its capacities to provide the grounds for a dialogue among the regional states,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Wednesday.
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/152235/Iran-highlights-dialogue-as-sole-solution-to-regional-problems
(* B P)
From the Syrian civil war to Yemen to energy, China has a larger role to play in the Middle East
The Middle East faces a transition to a post-oil economy, impeded by great power interference and inter-regional rifts
Solutions should come within the region, but Beijing is uniquely positioned as a partner, mediator and customer
On November 17, Saudi Aramco will launch what is likely to be the biggest IPO [1] in history. Valuations of the Saudi oil giant, the world’s most profitable company, vary by over US$1 trillion. This reflects both the continuing importance of oil to our global economy, but also two great uncertainties facing the company and the region as a whole.
The first uncertainty is regional security. A recent drone attack [2] on Aramco facilities, which instantly knocked out 5 per cent of global oil production and rattled markets, was a reminder of how fragile oil supplies are in an age of growing volatility and asymmetric threats.
The second uncertainty is the future of oil itself. Finite supplies, mounting climate change concerns and the shift to cleaner fuels cast a shadow over future oil revenues. Indeed, one reason for Aramco’s IPO is to raise funds to help the Saudi economy prepare for a post-oil future.
In many ways, Aramco’s historic offering embodies the promise and challenges facing not just one company, but the entire Gulf region.
The Persian Gulf’s energy riches have long made it an arena for great power competition. This has stirred tensions in a region of complex religious and ethnic fractures.
Finding solutions to the deteriorating situation in the Middle East was high on the agenda at the Core Group Meetings of the Munich Security Conference held in Cairo and Doha from October 26-29. At these meetings, I felt a growing expectation from the international community for China to do more to help mediate conflict in the region.
China’s ties to the region have grown steadily. Economics is the bedrock, with China a leading trade partner for many GCC members. Gulf states have 30 per cent of world oil reserves and China is the world’s largest oil importer, half of which comes from the Gulf. Qatar is the third largest supplier of gas to China. This trade will only continue to grow with China’s growing demand [8] for energy.
But China’s economic relationship with the Gulf is about much more than fossil fuels.
China’s approach dovetails neatly with Gulf states’ economic diversification programmes, such as Saudi Vision 2030. While the region is affluent, at present it lags in research and technological development. Chinese companies, with strengths in ICT, innovation and infrastructure, are ideal partners for this push. Indeed, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are among the nations taking part in the Belt and Road Digital Economy International Cooperation Initiative.
The belt and road scheme also gives China and its partners extra incentive to boost regional cooperation, as this will help to reduce risks and project costs and, in the long term, fully capture the mutual benefits of increased trade, investment and connectivity in the Middle East.
China’s growing economic ties in the region give it a large stake and the influence to be more active in helping to mediate conflict between its partners in the Gulf. There are other reasons why China is well-suited for this role. Unlike other major powers, China has stayed out of regional rivalries and forged ties with all sides. For example, Beijing has comprehensive strategic partnerships, the highest in China’s diplomatic hierarchy, with both Riyadh and Tehran. China also carries little of the historical or cultural baggage associated with other players in the region. As such, it is well-placed to serve as an honest broker in making dialogue possible – by Wang Huiyao
(A P)
Iran FM challenges European claim of upholding nuclear deal commitments
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has challenged a claim by the European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal that they are upholding their end of the bargain, saying the trio have, in fact, fulfilled none of their contractual commitments.
In a post on his Twitter account on Tuesday, Zarif reacted to a joint statement issued earlier by the top diplomats of France, Germany and the UK as well as EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) amid Iran’s suspension of parts of its commitments under the accord.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/11/12/611000/Iran-Mohammad-Javad-Zarif-EU-JCPOA
(A P)
Saudi Arabia says Iran being 'deceptive' on nuclear programme
Saudi Arabia’s cabinet on Tuesday said Iran was being “deceptive and evasive” about its nuclear programme and accused it of delaying giving information to the U.N. atomic watchdog.
My comment: This is rather propaganda bullshit.
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
(A P)
Erster Saudi-GB-Stabilisierungsworkshop in Riad
Beamte des "Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen" (SDRPY) haben gemeinsam den ersten saudi-britischen Stabilisierungsworkshop mit Kollegen der Stabilisation Unit (SU) des "Department for International Development" (DFID), des "Foreign and Commonwealth Office" (FCO), des Verteidigungsministeriums, der britischen Botschaft Riad und der britischen Botschaft in Jemen organisiert. Der Workshop behandelt den britischen Ansatz zur Stabilisierung des Sicherheits- und Justizsektors, der britischen Fusionsdoktrin und des regierungsweiten Ansatzes.
Der Workshop zielt darauf ab, Meinungen und Erfahrungen über Stabilisierungsprinzipien und Erfahrungen aus verschiedenen Kontexten auszutauschen, Interessengebiete zu diskutieren und die Fähigkeiten von mehr als 80 saudischen Experten aus 14 Ministerien und Regierungsstellen weiterzuentwickeln.
https://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20191113_OTS0003/erster-saudi-gb-stabilisierungsworkshop-in-riad = https://www.presseportal.de/pm/132628/4438222
Mein Kommentar: ?????
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
(A K P)
DIE LINKE vom 13. bis 15. November 2019 im Plenum
TOP 16 Antrag „Lücken bei der Rüstungsexportkontrolle schließen – Kontrollpflicht für die technische Unterstützung von Rüstungsproduktion erweitern, Rüstungsexportkontrolle auch bei kritischen Unternehmenserwerben und -beteiligungen im Ausland einführen “, Drs. 19/14917
m System der deutschen Rüstungsexportkontrolle gibt es zwei gravierende Regelungslücken: beim Export von technischer Unterstützung und im Fall von Investitionen deutscher Rüstungsunternehmen in ausländische Rüstungsunternehmen. Deutsche Rüstungsunternehmen können ohne Genehmigung im Ausland wirtschaftlich tätig sein, Kriegswaffen und sonstige Rüstungsgüter entwickeln und produzieren und damit die Rüstungsexportkontrollpolitik der BRD und der EU unterlaufen. (gemeinsamer Antrag mit BÜNDNIS90/ DIE GRÜNEN)
TOP 16 Antrag „Militärische Zusammenarbeit mit Saudi-Arabien umgehend beenden”, Drs. 19/11236
Saudi-Arabien ist immer wieder für massive Menschenrechtsverbrechen in den Medien, zuletzt wegen der Hinrichtung von 37 Menschen. Des Weiteren ist das Königreich einer der Hauptakteure im Jemen Krieg. Dennoch bildet Deutschland weiter saudische Offiziere aus, von denen nicht gesichert gesagt werden kann, dass sie ihr hier erworbenes Wissen nicht im Jemen Krieg einsetzten. Wir fordern daher die Einstellung der militärischen Zusammenarbeit.
(* A K P)
Rüstungsexporte auf Rekordkurs: Über sieben Milliarden Euro
Die deutschen Rüstungsexporte steuern auf einen neuen Rekord zu. Die Bundesregierung hat in den ersten zehn Monaten dieses Jahres fast 10.000 Genehmigungen für die Ausfuhr von Rüstungsgütern mit einem Gesamtwert von 7,42 Milliarden Euro erteilt.
Bereits zur Jahreshälfte hatten die Exportgenehmigungen mit 5,3 Milliarden Euro die des gesamten Vorjahres. Das ist schon jetzt fast so viel wie im bisherigen Rekordjahr 2015, als die große Koalition den Export von Waffen und anderen Rüstungsgütern für 7,86 Milliarden Euro erlaubte.
Die neuen Zahlen gehen aus einer Antwort des Wirtschaftsministeriums auf eine Anfrage der Linken-Bundestagsabgeordneten Sevim Dagdelen hervor, die der Deutschen Presse-Agentur vorliegt. Danach wurden vom 1. Januar bis zum 31. Oktober 268 Einzelgenehmigungen für Kriegswaffenexporte im Wert von 2,33 Milliarden Euro und 9590 Genehmigungen für sonstige Rüstungsgüter im Wert von 5,09 Milliarden Euro erteilt.
und
(A K P)
Linken-Politikerin Dagdelen kritisiert „Praxis des Durchwinkens“
Von Januar bis Ende Oktober hat die Bundesregierung nach vorläufigen Zahlen Rüstungsexporte im Wert von 7,42 Milliarden Euro genehmigt. Das geht aus einer Antwort des Wirtschaftsministeriums auf eine Anfrage der Linken-Bundestagsabgeordneten Sevim Dagdelen hervor. Für Dagdelen ist das ein Skandal.
https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/deutsche-ruestungsexporte-linken-politikerin-dagdelen.769.de.html
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
(* B K P)
Threats to Israel’s national security emerging from Yemeni civil war
Houthi control of Yemen’s Western coast from north of Hodeidah to al-Luhaya provides it with more than 100 kilometers of shoreline positioned adjacent to a key passage for Israeli maritime commerce.
Iran’s project to arm its partners throughout the region with precision missiles has expanded beyond Syria to include Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.
Beyond the threat Netanyahu mentioned of long-range and high-accuracy missiles launched from Houthi-controlled territory and landing in Israel, officials ought to monitor a variety of other challenges that Yemen could present for Israeli national security.
First, while it is undeniable that the range of Houthi weapons has been expanding rapidly in recent years, there is no open-source evidence indicating that Iran-backed Houthis are in possession of missiles capable of traveling the 2,200 kilometers to reach Israel.
Second, Houthi control of Yemen’s Western coast from north of Hodeidah to al-Luhaya provides it with more than 100 kilometers of shoreline positioned adjacent to a key passage for Israeli maritime commerce. Some $15 billion of goods pass through Bab al-Mandeb and the Suez Canal each year – meaning they pass by Houthi territory as well – on their way to and from Israel. Having already demonstrated animosity toward Israel as well as capabilities to mine the waters, launch anti-ship missiles and target traffic with explosive naval drones, the group has the potential to threaten Israel’s maritime traffic.
Third, Lebanese Hezbollah, widely classified as Israel’s most immediate strategic threat, reaps rewards from the ongoing conflict between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.
Despite its geographic distance from Israel, Yemen is undoubtedly an arena that affects Israel in key arenas, including its ability to cope with the Iranian threat and international trade. This is not to suggest that Israel should become militarily involved in Yemen – judging by the Egyptian and Saudi experiences, the costs are high and the benefits are few. But it may nevertheless prove important to keep close watch of the situation there, to prepare for the myriad of potential first- and second-order effects – by Ari Heistein
My comment: More a sign of Israeli paranoia than of real threats.
(A E P)
Norway’s sovereign wealth fund has banned investment in G4S because of the risk of human rights violations being committed by the company in Qatar and the UAE, the Guardian reported today.
“Norway’s Council of Ethics, which monitors investments in the country’s £860bn Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), said there was an ‘unacceptable risk of the company contributing to systematic human rights violations’,” the paper added.
“The company’s practice – in the worse cases – could place workers under constraint,” the council said.
(* A P)
President Aoun: Hezbollah Makes Third of Lebanese Population, Can’t Be Excluded
Lebanese President Michel Aoun stressed that no one has the right to force him to exclude Hezbollah from taking part in the new government, stressing that the Lebanese resistance party makes third of the Lebanese population.
In an interview with Al-Mayadeen TV channel on Tuesday, President Aoun stressed that Hezbollah doesn’t interfere in the Lebanese territories, noting that the sanctions which have been imposed against him targeted all the Lebanese people.
“Hezbollah has been since 2006 committed to UN resolution 1701, and he doesn’t interfere in any issue on the Lebanese territory. An economic blockade has been imposed against Hezbollah, but it targeted all the Lebanese people,” President Aoun said, noting that this blockade is aimed at sowing discord and clashes among Lebanese parties.
“They can’t force me to get rid of a party that represents at least a third of Lebanese.”
https://www.english.almanar.com.lb/869541
(A P)
87 muslimische Gelehrte fordern Boykott der VAE
Ein Aufruf zum Boykott der Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate (VAE) und ihrer Waren wurde von 87 muslimischen Gelehrten unterzeichnet, darunter der Mufti von Libyen, Scheich Al-Sadiq Al-Gharyani.
Der Aufruf forderte Geschäftsleute, die in den VAE arbeiten, auf, ein anderes Land für ihr Geschäft zu finden und die Häfen von den VAE zu boykottieren.
Die Gelehrten sagten, es sei offensichtlich, dass die Verbrechen der VAE aufgrund ihrer Interventionen im Jemen und in Libyen Millionen Opfer gefordert hat. Darunter getötete, verletzte und vertriebene Menschen.
Die Gelehrten sagten, der größte Teil des Geldes, das die VAE zur Finanzierung von Waffengeschäften und zur Zerstörung muslimischer Länder verwenden, aus dem Handel in Abu Dhabi stamme.
http://islamicnews.de/2019/11/14/87-muslimische-gelehrte-fordern-boykott-der-vae/
(A K P)
Emirati prince heavily injured in helicopter crash on Yemeni soil
Prince Zayed bin Hamdan in wheelchair after crash-landing in Shabwah province
https://www.uprising.today/emirati-prince-heavily-injured-in-helicopter-crash-on-yemeni-soil/
(A P)
Bahrain: The AlKhalifa regime's wave of arbitrary arrests continues on for the second week in a row, with a total of at least 43 innocent #Bahrain'i youths (and counting) arrested since November 1, including ex-detainees who have already served their sentence! (photos)
https://twitter.com/PrintempsArabeS/status/1194292165528227841
cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis
(* B P)
Signs Mount That Qatar Embargo May End as Mediation Gears Up
Saudi Arabia, U.A.E. to take part in Gulf soccer cup in Doha
Mediation efforts focusing on mending Qatar-Saudi ties
Efforts to resolve the standoff between Qatar and a Saudi-led bloc are gathering momentum, with an upcoming soccer tournament in Doha helping to pave the way for a possible breakthrough, according to a Gulf official with knowledge of the matter.
The mediation is currently focusing on mending ties between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and will bring the United Arab Emirates on board later, the official said on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E. and Bahrain have agreed to take part in the Gulf soccer cup in Qatar in November, more than two years after severing diplomatic and economic ties with their gas-rich neighbor.
A senior Saudi official said in Washington last week that Qatar has also started taking steps to repair relations with its neighbors.
As Saudi Arabia prepares for the blockbuster share sale of oil giant Saudi Aramco, signs are emerging that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman could be trying to resolve conflicts that have cast a shadow over the kingdom’s political stability.
cp13 Wirtschaft / Economy
(* B E P)
[Sanaa gov.] Oil Minister: Aggression, Its Mercenaries Loot from Oil, Gas Revenues in Marib Daily What Covers Salary for All State Employees
The Minister of Oil and Minerals, Ahmed Daris, said that the total of oil and gas revenues that is looted by the aggression forces and their mercenaries in Marib alone, exceeds 700 million riyals per day.
"The current oil production is 80 thousand barrels per day and is sold on the black market by aggression and its mercenaries," he said. Adding that: "The current production of oil at can cover the salaries of a month and a half for all citizens from Sa'ada to Socotra."
Daris pointed out that "oil and gas represents 75% of state revenues and more than $ 7 billion annually and all of this is out of state control today."
The Minister of Oil and Minerals told a press conference in April that the cost of losses and damage to the oil and minerals sector due to the aggression amounted to 23 billion and 674 million dollars and 53 billion and 879 million riyals until the end of 2018.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=9760
cp15 Propaganda
(A P)
Saudi Arabia, More than 50 Countries Succeed in Adopting Resolution on Human Rights Status in Syria
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has succeeded with more than 50 countries in adopting a resolution that sheds light on the human rights situation in Syria, wishing that this decision would help the Syrian people achieve their legitimate hopes and aspirations towards justice, freedom, prosperity and stability.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1998829
(A P)
Commander of the Yemeni Joint Operations Lauds Support of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy to Yemen
Commander of the Yemeni Joint Operations General Sagheer Hamoud Aziz has lauded the fraternal stances provided by the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy to Yemen.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1998707
(A P)
Middle Eastern Gyrations
Oil, water, Islamism and anti-Zionism in flux
http://www.danielpipes.org/19134/middle-eastern-gyrations
(A P)
Discontent in Iraq and Lebanon is a way to expose Iran's corruption
The sanctions against Iran are obviously working as Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has again called for the United States to return to the 2015 nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Instead, the U.S. should continue the policy of “The worse, the better” and use the recent protests in Iraq and Lebanon against Iran’s “system” to create additional leverage against the clerical regime. Highlighting how Iran’s meddling in their countries has enriched Iran’s local placemen and the clerics, security officials, and regime insiders will strike a chord with the young crowds yearning for justice and economic opportunity.
Iran has been spending money on foreign adventures while ignoring urgent domestic needs, such as a deteriorating medical system, rapidly depleting ground water, and an environment “on the brink of crisis.” – by James Durso
(A P)
Yemeni politician: Houthis are like ISIS yet they use a modern style of terrorism
Yemeni politician and freelance writer Ali Albukhaiti has lashed out the international community for dealing with the Iran-backed Houthi group as a political movement, saying that Houthis are not different from ISIS in terms of committing terrorist acts despite the fact that they use different ways of terrorism.
“If the world had let ISIS establish their own state in Iraq and Syria, they would have used residents in their religious, useless wars and threatened their neighbors and the international waterways, just like Houthis do in Yemen,” Albukhaiti tweeted.
He also pointed out that the Houthi has one thing in common with ISIS in terms of spreading ignorance and manipulate the minds of citizens to use them in their pointless wars under the slogan of spreading God’s religion.
https://republicanyemen.net/archives/21801
(A P)
[Hadi gov.] Yemen Foreign Minister says UN tolerates Houthi atrocities
Yemen’s Foreign Minister said the United Nations is tolerating Houthi atrocities and violations of a ceasefire agreement with the government in the country’s western port of Hodeidah.
http://en.26sepnews.net/2019/11/12/yemen-foreign-minister-says-un-tolerates-houthi-atrocities/
(A P)
More Saudi coalition „We are benefactors“ propaganda
http://en.adenpress.news/news/14795
http://en.adenpress.news/news/14787
http://en.adenpress.news/news/14784
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1997465
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1997464
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1997416
http://en.adenpress.news/news/14773
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
(* A K pH)
Saudi coalition air raids and shelling day by day
Nov. 11: https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/photos/a.961595153893515/2607644832621864/
(A K P)
Film: London Students for Yemen - Alternative Remembrance Ceremony 2019
London Students for Yemen delivering a powerful and devastating testimony of aerial bombardment from Sanaa, provided by Abdellulah al-Fadhli.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aud5F-kPpaU
(A K pH)
Die Aggression hat in den letzten 12 Stunden mehr als 10 Luftangriffe abgeflogen
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3078642.htm
(A K pH)
10 Saudi-led aggression airstrikes hit Yemen: Spokesman
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3078667.htm
(A K pH)
More Saudi coalition air raids recorded on:
Nov. 14: Saada p., Marib p. https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=9751 and https://www.uprising.today/seven-saudi-air-raids-hit-northern-yemen/
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
Siehe / Look at cp1b
(A K pS)
Houthi militia shells populated neighborhoods in Taiz
http://en.26sepnews.net/2019/11/15/houthi-militia-shells-populated-neighborhoods-in-taiz/
(A K pS)
850 Houthi-laid mines destroyed in Al-Jawf
The National Program for Demining (NPD) and Saudi Project for Demining in Yemen (MASAM) managed to pull out, dismantle, collect and destroy 850 landmines, unexploded ordnances (UXO) and explosive devices, Yemeni News Agency (Saba) reported.
These amount of landmines and explosive devices planted by Iran-backed Houthi militia in different parts of the northern region of Aljawf governorate, namely the districts of Khap and Asha'af.
http://en.26sepnews.net/2019/11/15/850-houthi-laid-mines-destroyed-in-al-jawf/ = http://en.adenpress.news/news/14801
(A K)
Yemeni forces aligned with President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s government shot down an al Houthi drone in al Jawf governorate in northern Yemen on November 14.[3]
(A K pS)
Tribal Sheik, His Daughter Killed by Houthi Tank Shell
A tribal sheik and his daughter were killed Wednesday while the rest of his family sustained serious injuries when the Iranian-backed Houthi militia targeted their house in the southern province of Al Dalea with a tank shell.
https://republicanyemen.net/archives/21841
(A K pH)
In Sa'ada, Saudi missiles and artillery shells targeted populated villages in Razih district.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=9737
(A K)
Emirati soldier in Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen killed in Najran: WAM
An Emirati soldier in the United Arab Emirates troops that are part of the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen was killed in Saudi Arabia’s Najran area on Wednesday.
referring to http://www.wam.ae/en/details/1395302802652
(B H K)
ICRC: The cost of installing a mine = $ 3 While the cost of removing it = $ 300 The cost of a natural leg or foot = is priceless Landmines must be eliminated before more civilians are deprived of their normal lives
https://twitter.com/ICRC_ar/status/1194616123121192965
(* B K)
38 percent of victims of land mines in Yemen are children. . This practice stop now and maps should be submitted by the Houthi group.
https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1194638982719643649
(* A K)
Jemen: Angriff auf Militärlager
Bei einer Attacke auf ein Militärlager der international anerkannten Regierung im Jemen sind Armeekreisen zufolge mindestens fünf Menschen getötet und zehn weitere verletzt worden. Für den Raketenangriff werden die Ansarollah verantwortlich gemacht, wie dpa am Mittwoch aus Quellen des jemenitischen Militärs erfuhr.
https://www.jungewelt.de/artikel/366755.jemen-angriff-auf-milit%C3%A4rlager.html
und auch https://www.zentralplus.ch/jemen-raketenangriff-auf-militaerbasis-1653961/
(* A K)
At least five Yemeni soldiers killed by Houthi missile in Marib military base
Houthi militants fired a missile at the Saudi-led military coalition’s heaquarters in the city of Marib on Wednesday during a visit by the Yemeni defence minister, killing at least five soldiers, local officials said.
The base is the main military facility overseeing a ground offensive aimed at recapturing the capital Sanaa, controlled by the Iran-aligned Houthis since 2014, which lies 120 km (75 miles) to the west of Marib.
There was no immediate confirmation from the Saudi-led coalition, which has been has been battling the Houthis in Yemen for more than four years.
But Saudi-owned news channel Al-Arabiya said seven soldiers were killed in the attack. Local officials said five Yemeni soldiers were killed.
Mohammed al-Maqdishi, the defence minister of Yemen’s internationally recognised government, and Saudi military officers were in the compound at the time, the officials said.
and
(* A K)
Houthis attacked Gov't forces in #Marib again on Wednesday, reportedly, with a US rocket, killing 6 including senior army officers. Anyway, a source lately revealed Abu Al-Yamama, a STC leader assassinated in August, was the UAE man responsible for supplying Houthis with weapons.
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/1194729416582148097
(* A K P)
Video documents Houthi fighters speaking about bombing civilian facilities in Hajjah
A recent video reveals a Houthi bombing campaign targeting schools and water tanks in Hajjah governorate in northwestern Yemen. Members of the governments 5th military region forces found the clip inside the phone of a Houthi fighter who died during clashes on the front lines of Hajjah governorate in recent weeks.
In the clip, a Houthi explosives expert named Abu Hussein is seen trying to detonate an explosive device remotely, as well as confessing to blowing up schools and water tanks in the area. The clip also shows the Houthi operative discussing the remote detonation of IEDs proving the group's involvement in the bombing of civilian facilities.
https://al-masdaronline.net/national/75 = https://twitter.com/ycmhrv/status/1194904025969414144
(A K)
Dozens of Houthi rebels killed in western Yemen clashes
Scores of Houthi rebels were killed and a commander was injured in clashes with government forces in western Yemen, the country’s army said on Wednesday.
"Houthi commander Abu Jaffar al-Talbi was injured and tens of rebels were killed in a clash with the government forces in Al-Hudaydah province," the Yemeni army said in a statement.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/dozens-of-houthi-rebels-killed-in-western-yemen-clashes/1643801
and
(A K)
7 killed in clashes between gov't forces, Houthi rebels in southwestern Yemen
About four Houthi fighters and three government soldiers were killed during armed confrontations in Yemen's southwestern province of Taiz on Tuesday, a security official told Xinhua.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-11/12/c_138549760.htm
(A K pH)
Ein junges Mädchen wurde verletzt, nachdem saudische Armee das Feuer auf Razeh in Saada eröffnet
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3078641.htm
(A K pH)
In Sa'ada, a child was injured with Saudi gunshots in one of the border villages in Razih district. Saudi missiles and artillery shells targeted populated villages in Razih district. US-Saudi aggression launched a raid on Majz district.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=9730
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3078662.htm
(A K pS)
A farmer in the Al-Rahba district in Marib governorate has shot a Houthi drone out of the sky with his personal rifle: (photos)
https://twitter.com/MSDRENGLISH/status/1194243892306219008
(A K pS)
KSrelief Project "Masam" Dismantles 1528 Mines in 1st Week of November
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center's project for clearing mines (Masam) in Yemen demined 1528 mines during the first week of November 2019, including 9 antipersonnel mines, 438 anti-tanks, 1061 unexploded ordnances and 20 explosive devices.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1997434
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
(* B D)
FOOTBALL IN YEMEN: HOW THE NATION IS DEFYING THE ODDS AMIDST A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
Poverty, a cholera outbreak, destroyed infrastructure and trouble everyday. Yemen has endured a traumatic period but their football scene is doing better than it should be. Against all odds, this nation is excelling.
It’s astonishing to think that despite all the trouble faced at home, the country’s national team is doing well at football. They haven’t got a home ground, most clubs are out of money and most importantly, the local league is all but finished.
Since the war began, many players have dropped their football careers and joined the force to combat the Houthi rebels. Several of these names, such as Abdullah Aref, Ali al-Saudi and Mohamed al-Dailami, were killed in the fighting.
The local clubs have felt the negative effects of the fighting too. After the domestic league was suspended, clubs like Al Entelaq, Al Tilal, Al Saqr, and Al Yarmouk, amongst others, were all bombarded and destroyed. These clubs had their stadiums bombed, infrastructure ruined and their trophies destroyed.
Clearly, with little hope for the future of the game in the country as well as no facilities to practice in, many of these players have fled from the country in the bid to ensure they still have careers in the game. Nearby countries like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have provided a new home for many of these footballers, whilst some have moved far and wide to countries like Malaysia.
Naturally, not all players are lucky enough to go abroad and continue their careers, so the ones that do stay back end up playing in ad-hoc competitions.
Conditions aren’t easy for those still playing in Yemen. Most don’t earn well enough from football itself and must end up taking secondary jobs, such as working in a supermarket, driving taxis or getting government roles.
Amazingly, the Yemen Football Association has managed to survive this traumatic period, and that’s largely due to its willingness to cooperate with both sides – the Houthi rebels and President Hadi’s loyalists
and film:
(A)
YEMEN VS PALESTINE 1 0 All Goals & Extended Highlights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9yxXfgPtBY
(* B D)
Magical Socotra stands at a crossroads of conflict and conservation
The jewel in the crown of Arabia’s biodiversity is under threat. Often dubbed the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean, the unique Socotra archipelago is an Important Bird & Biodiversity and UNESCO World Heritage Site of global importance for its endemic wildlife and rich ancient cultures, but action is needed before modern-day pressures change these ancient islands forever.
Anyone who has ever visited the Socotra archipelago would describe it as like nowhere else on Earth; its dramatic landscapes and bizarrely shaped trees bring to mind an alien wonderland. Located in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Somalia and Yemen, the four-island archipelago is 250 km wide and has been isolated from the mainland for millions of years. This long geological separation has allowed the islands’ wildlife to evolve in unique ways, and over a third of its plant life is endemic, including its peculiar-looking Dragon’s blood tree Dracaena cinnabari, the crimson sap of which has been used for centuries for local medicines and dyes, and even as lipstick.
“Socotra’s unique ecosystems are one of the jewels in the crown of Arabia’s biodiversity,” says Richard Porter, BirdLife International’s adviser for Socotra, who has made multiple ornithological research trips to the archipelago over the last 25 years.
Until recently, this unique flora and fauna had remained relatively well preserved thanks to its long isolation and the strong traditional relationship between the local people and their environment.
However, the safe haven that Socotra has provided for wildlife for millennia is now under threat. Conservationists have recently raised concerns that there are a series of new pressures which are jeopardising the archipelago’s ‘outstanding universal value’. These include a rise in uncontrolled developments, increased use of insecticides, unsustainable use of natural resources and inadequate biosecurity regulations which risk the introduction of invasive alien species. There are fears that these threats could disrupt Socotra’s unique ecosystems, and UNESCO World Heritage Site status – which was declared in 2008, in part thanks to efforts by BirdLife.
(A H)
Possibly the oldest man in Yemen has died, leaving behind 183 children and grandchildren
Shabwa governorate witnessed the funeral of the oldest man in the governorate on Wednesday, it is thought he was also the oldest man on record in Yemen. The funeral of Ahmed Mohammed Ja'bel Al-Khaleifi, believed to be roughly 137 years old, happened today in Shabwa.
Al-Masdar online reporter spoke to a family member who said that Al-Kheleifi, a resident of Bakabir village, near the city of Ataq, died leaving 183 children and grandchildren, and married only two women throughout his life.
Al-Khaleifi" despite his old age, he was still in good health was fully autonomous until his death.
https://al-masdaronline.net/local/86
(* C)
Film: Jemen : Sanaa City LIfe around 1999
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDJFc3ybayo
(* B D)
Interview mit Guy Helminger über seinen Besuch im Jemen
Tee ohne Hintergedanken
Der Kölner Schriftsteller Guy Helminger hat den Jemen 2009, noch zu Friedenszeiten, besucht. Von seinen Eindrücken berichtet er in seinem Buch "Die Lehmbauten des Lichts". Gerrit Wustmann hat mit ihm gesprochen.
Sie beschreiben Sanaa als die schönste Stadt, die Sie je besucht haben...
Guy Helminger: Es hat etwas Berauschendes, durch diese Architektur zu gehen, das Leben in dieser Stadt zu sehen, das teilweise etwas Archaisches hat. Und es gab einen Moment, wo ich das Gefühl hatte, das Glück gefunden zu haben, so kitschig das auch klingen mag. Man hat die alten Häuser mit ihrem Gips-Stuck, man hat die Gerüche, die Menschen, und man geht auf wie Teig. Und dann fotografiert man und sieht hinterher: Bloß Häuser, einen Teil vom Markt, aber nicht das Glück.
Wie viel hatten die Menschen, die Ihnen begegnet sind, mit der enormen Wirkung der Stadt zu tun?
Helminger: Sehr viel. Was sollte ich in einer Stadt ohne Menschen? Klar ist die Architektur schön.
Inzwischen herrscht seit Jahren Krieg. Konnten Sie Kontakt halten?
Helminger: Kaum. Ich weiß aber, dass viele, mit denen ich zu tun hatte, inzwischen geflüchtet sind. Einige haben das Land schon vor dem Krieg verlassen. Natürlich verfolge ich, was passiert. Aber es ist längst nicht so einfach, wie es mit Stichworten wie 'Stellvertreterkrieg' immer dargestellt wird. Es gibt Altlasten, um die gekämpft wird; Süden und Norden waren getrennt; es gibt neue Gruppierungen, die nur ihre eigene Macht im Sinn haben; es gibt Überläufer; Ex-Präsident Salih arbeitete mit den Huthis zusammen, seinen ehemaligen Feinden; es gibt den IS, es gibt Al-Qaida. Man weiß nicht, wer wofür kämpft – außer, dass jeder für die eigene Macht kämpft. Aber für mehr auch nicht. Das Land ist ihnen egal, die Menschen sind ihnen egal, Hauptsache, sie können wieder Geschäfte machen.
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-597-yemen-war-mosaic-597
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-597 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-597:
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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