Jan. 27, 2019: Breaking A Renewed Conflict Cycle in Yemen – Western propaganda of Houthis as Iranian proxies – The endless US war in the Middle East – and more
Schwerpunkte / Key aspects
Kursiv: Siehe Teil 2 / In Italics: Look in part 2: https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-619b-yemen-war-mosaic-619b
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
cp8a Jamal Khashoggi
cp9 USA
cp9a1 USA-Iran Krise: Wachsende Spannungen am Golf: Deutsch / US-Iran crisis: Mounting tensions at the Gulf: German
cp9a2 USA-Iran Krise: Wachsende Spannungen am Golf: Englisch / US-Iran crisis: Mounting tensions at the Gulf: English
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
cp12b Sudan
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms Trade
cp13b Mercenaries / Söldner
cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
cp15 Propaganda
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
Klassifizierung / Classification
***
**
*
(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
Ältere einführende Artikel u. Überblicke für alle, die mit den Ereignissen im Jemen noch nicht vertraut sind, hier:
Yemen War: Older introductory articles, overviews, for those who are still unfamiliar with the Yemen war here:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-einfuehrende-artikel-u-ueberblicke
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
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International Crisis Group: Breaking A Renewed Conflict Cycle in Yemen
Heavy fighting has started again in Yemen after one of the war’s quietest months. Battles on the northern front lines highlight the flaws of the piecemeal approach to negotiating an end to the war – and the pressing need for a coordinated multi-track effort.
The narrow window of opportunity to end the Yemen war that opened in late 2019 may fast be closing. Fighting along key front lines in northern Yemen, along with Huthi rebel missile strikes and the resumption of Saudi-led aerial bombardment, threatens to tilt the conflict toward a major escalation, reversing tentative steps toward dialogue. There is still a chance to break the cycle by expanding newly opened communication channels between Huthi rebels (who call themselves Ansar Allah) and Saudi Arabia to include the internationally recognised Yemeni government and others in order to negotiate a truce on all major fronts. But success will require a coordinated and continuous regional and international effort.
The swing from stalemate and de-escalation to shooting war was sudden. On 18 January, after a month that UN Envoy Martin Griffiths described as one of the conflict’s quietest periods, the government alleges that the Huthis launched missiles at one of its military camps in Marib governorate (the Huthis refuse to confirm responsibility
Saudi Arabia, in turn, has ramped up its air campaign, launching dozens of raids in what the Huthis argue is a breach of a putative cross-border truce. Saudi officials label the fighting a Huthi attempt to take advantage of border ceasefire negotiations under way since October. For now, neither the Huthis nor the Saudis wish to abandon the talks, but the de-escalation process is under severe strain.
The fighting underscores the limitations of the current piecemeal regional and international approach to ending the war. This approach, in which Saudi Arabia has taken the lead on the key negotiating tracks in the south and on the border, has been as much about firefighting as conflict prevention. The UN is struggling to sustain the year-old Stockholm Agreement to prevent a battle for the Red Sea port of Hodeida.
Progress in demilitarising Hodeida would, under this view, build confidence among the Yemeni parties; the Riyadh Agreement would prevent a war-within-a-war and lay the groundwork for forming a more inclusive government; and the Saudi-Huthi talks would help remove Yemen from the regional power struggle between the U.S. and its allies, on one hand, and Iran, on the other.
Recent events, however, suggest that the piecemeal approach rests on inherently weak foundations: a series of bilateral agreements designed to halt specific parts of the conflict without tackling their underlying causes, something only national multiparty talks can achieve. Left unaddressed is the fighting between government-aligned forces and the Huthis on fronts in the north and south, making the approach’s success or failure vulnerable to events on the ground. The cause of the sudden escalation in the north is contested, with both the Huthis and the government claiming they are taking defensive measures in response to their rivals’ premeditated aggression.
Regardless, it is clear that both parties had been preparing for renewed hostilities in the north after a long period of stalemate. The Huthis and the government each claimed their rivals were planning major new operations in the weeks and months before the escalation. Huthi fears may have grown in recent weeks as government forces previously based in the south of Yemen were redeployed to Marib as part of the Riyadh Agreement.
The fighting in the north will have a knock-on effect on each of the ongoing negotiation tracks
Pro-government news sites and social media have spread an unlikely rumour that either the United Arab Emirates (UAE) or the STC, the secessionist grouping aligned with Abu Dhabi, fired the missiles.
The fighting could spark renewed conflict elsewhere in Yemen. Many in the anti-Huthi bloc see it as an opportunity to attend to unfinished business. The widespread narrative in their ranks is that the Stockholm Agreement forestalled a pivotal battle that would have weakened the Huthis and allowed for a national political settlement on more equitable terms. With fighting already raging in the north and in the southern governorate of al-Dhale, many in the anti-Huthi camp believe they could make a renewed push for Hodeida and reignite battles along the border in a rare, coordinated multifront campaign. Many Huthis suspect such a battle was the Riyadh Agreement’s real aim all along.
An expansion of the conflict would be a devastating blow to current efforts to end the war. Senior Huthi officials have staked their reputations on the de-escalation initiative with the Saudis, and would likely lose considerable capital within the movement if it fails. Saudi as well as Huthi military leaders were already sceptical of the de-escalation effort and may decide that the only option now is outright military victory. In addition, developments in the U.S.-Iran rivalry may well have motivated Riyadh’s decision to negotiate with the Huthis,
The uptick in violence is extremely worrying, yet actors supporting the political track may still be able to reverse the current trajectory. Crisis Group recommends the following:
The present scenario is wearyingly familiar: modest advances toward a political settlement undone by local fighting that explodes into a national escalation, driven by overconfidence or miscalculation on the part of key protagonists. There still is time to stop this dangerous slide, but it may fast run out.
https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/gulf-and-arabian-peninsula/yemen/breaking-renewed-conflict-cycle-yemen = https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/breaking-renewed-conflict-cycle-yemen
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USA geben zu, dass die Houthis im Jemen kein Stellvertreter des Iran sind, während die Zahl der Toten steigt
Seit Beginn des Krieges im Jahr 2015 hat die Regierung der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika kontinuierlich einen Punkt im Gespräch gehalten: Die Houthis sind ein Stellvertreter des Iran im Jemen. Regierungsvertreter und Vertreter der Massenmedien haben diesen Punkt immer wieder angesprochen, ohne jemals Beweise zur Untermauerung dieser Behauptung vorzulegen.
Die wiederholte Behauptung, dass die Houthis ein iranischer Stellvertreter sind, erlaubt der US-Regierung zu versuchen, das, was täglich im Jemen geschieht, zu rechtfertigen. Alles, was die Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika tun müssen, wenn ein Regierungsbeamter eine Frage über den Krieg im Jemen beantworten muss, ist den Iran zu erwähnen. Ganz egal, wie unvertretbar Amerikas Beteiligung am Krieg im Jemen geworden ist, die Rechtfertigung für die Gräueltaten im Jemen wird nie nachlassen, es ist die Schuld des Iran.
Die Mainstream-Medien plapperten die Behauptung der Regierung nach, der Iran unterstütze die Houthis, indem sie die Houthis in Artikeln und wichtigen Nachrichtensendungen endlos als "die vom Iran unterstützten Houthis" bezeichneten. Als der Krieg voranschritt und die Zahl der Todesopfer stieg, wurde die internationale Gemeinschaft gegenüber der Gewalt im Jemen gefühllos. Die Vereinten Nationen behaupteten, dass die Zahl der Todesopfer im Jemen drei Jahre lang unverändert bei 10.000 lag.
Wenn internationale Gremien wie die Vereinten Nationen die Öffentlichkeit mit Desinformationen, die mit Krieg zu tun haben, absichtlich in die Irre führen, wird eine Strategie aufgezeigt, die seit Vietnam eine Taktik des militärisch-industriellen Komplexes ist. Es liegt im besten Interesse der internationalen Gemeinschaft, den Krieg im Jemen zu zensieren. Frankreich, Italien und Großbritannien haben zu diesem Krieg beigetragen und davon profitiert, ebenso wie Deutschland und Norwegen, die beide später nach öffentlicher Empörung keine Waffen mehr an Saudi-Arabien verkauften. Jedes dieser Länder profitierte von den Gräueltaten im Jemen, wobei sie die Ausrede benutzten, die Houthis seien ein Stellvertreter des Iran und behaupteten, sie würden "die iranische Aggression bekämpfen".
Es gibt nicht nur keine direkten Beweise dafür, dass die Houthis ein Stellvertreter des Iran sind, sondern auch eine Menge Hinweise darauf, dass sie es nicht sind.
Warum fälschlicherweise behaupten, dass die Houthis ein Stellvertreter des Iran sind, und dies als Vorwand benutzen, um Waffen an Saudi-Arabien zu verkaufen, während sie den Jemen in den letzten fünf Jahren bombardiert haben? Weil die Vorstellung, dass die Houthis ein Stellvertreter des Iran sind, zu der allgemeinen, immer wiederkehrenden Erzählung passt, dass der Iran der Bösewicht ist und an allen Fronten bekämpft werden muss. Obwohl es im Jemen aktive Gruppen von ISIS und al-Qaida gibt, werden diese Gruppen nur so nebenbei erwähnt, wobei die vom Iran unterstützten Houthis das Hauptthema im Zusammenhang mit dem Krieg im Jemen sind.
Desinformation und unterschiedliche Arten von Propaganda werden benutzt, um die Öffentlichkeit zu verwirren und in die Irre zu führen, vor allem wenn sich die Verbreiter der Propaganda für ihre Handlungen schämen.
Nun haben die Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika zugegeben, dass die Houthis kein Stellvertreter des Iran sind. Brian Cook, der US-Sonderbeauftragte für den Iran, erklärte, dass "der Iran weder für die Houthis spricht, noch die besten Interessen des jemenitischen Volkes im Auge hat". Denise Natali, die stellvertretende Staatssekretärin für Konflikt- und Stabilisierungsoperationen, erklärte: "Nicht alle Houthis unterstützen den Iran."
Die plötzliche Kehrtwendung des Außenministeriums in Bezug auf die Houthis untergräbt ganz und gar die Argumentation der Regierung, warum das Schüren von Kriegsverbrechen und der größten humanitären Krise der Welt im Jemen gerechtfertigt ist.
Es wurde nie eine direkte Verbindung zwischen dem Iran und den Houthis im Jemen hergestellt. Die Vorstellung, der Iran unterstütze die Houthis, wird immer behauptet, aber nie bewiesen. Wenn beauftragte Regierungsvertreter eine Erklärung wie "der Iran bewaffnet die Houthis" abgeben, sollte die Folgefrage lauten: Wie bewaffnet der Iran die Houthis? Anstatt jedoch nach Beweisen zur Untermauerung der Erklärung des Regierungsbeamten zu fragen, wird die Erklärung einfach als Tatsache akzeptiert. Die Presse soll eine Kontrolle der Regierungsmacht sein, nicht das Futter für ihre Propagandakanonen – von Joziah Thayer
http://www.antikrieg.com/aktuell/2020_01_26_usa.htm
and original English version:
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US Admits Yemen’s Houthis Aren’t an Iranian Proxy as the Death Toll Climbs
Since the war started in 2015, the United States government has maintained one steadfast talking point. The Houthis are an Iranian proxy in Yemen. Government officials and those in mainstream media have repeatedly regurgitated this talking point without ever providing evidence to back up this claim.
By repeatedly claiming that the Houthis are an Iranian proxy, it allows the United States government to try and justify what is happening in Yemen daily. All the United States has to do whenever a government official has to answer a question about the war in Yemen, is mention Iran. No matter how undefendable America’s involvement in the war in Yemen has become the excuse to justify the atrocities in Yemen never falter, its Iran’s fault.
Mainstream media parroted the government talking point that Iran was supporting the Houthis by endlessly calling the Houthis, “the Iranian backed Houthis” in articles and major news broadcast. As the war progressed and the death toll rose, the international community became numb to the violence in Yemen.
When international bodies such as the United Nations purposefully mislead the public with disinformation involving war, it highlights a strategy that has been a tactic of the Military-Industrial Complex since Vietnam. It is in the international community’s best interest to censor the war in Yemen, France, Italy, and the UK contributed and profited from this war as well as Germany, and Norway who both later stopped selling arms to Saudi Arabia after public outrage. Each of these countries profited from the atrocities in Yemen while using the excuse that the Houthis were an Iranian proxy and stating that they were “combating Iranian aggression.”
Not only is there no direct evidence that the Houthis are an Iranian proxy, but a lot of evidence to suggest that they aren’t.
Why falsely claim that the Houthis are an Iranian proxy and use this as an excuse to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia as they bombarded Yemen for the last five years? Because the notion of the Houthis being an Iranian proxy fits the overall ongoing narrative that Iran is the bad guy and must be combated on all fronts. So even though there are active groups of ISIS and al-Qaeda in Yemen, these groups are only mentioned as an afterthought, with the Iranian backed Houthis being the main talking-point surrounding the war in Yemen.
Disinformation and different arrays of propaganda are used to confuse and mislead the public, especially when those spreading the propaganda are ashamed of their actions.
These war crimes were not carried out in a secretive way they were committed in the open for the world to see, and instead of standing up to Saudi Arabia for committing these atrocities in Yemen global powers like the US, UK, France, and Germany came together to supply Saudi Arabia with means to decimate Yemen.
Now the United States has admitted that the Houthi’s are not an Iranian proxy. Brian Cook the U.S. Special Representative for Iran stated that “Iran does not speak for the Houthis, nor has the best interests of the Yemeni people at heart.” Denise Natali, the Assistant Secretary of State for Conflict and Stabilization Operations stated: “not all Houthis support Iran.”
The State Department’s sudden about-face on the Houthis completely undermines the administration’s arguments as to why fueling war crimes and the world’s largest humanitarian crisis in Yemen is justified.”
There has never been one direct link made between Iran and the Houthi’s in Yemen. The notion that Iran is backing the Houthi’s is always asserted but never proven. When appointed government officials make a statement like “Iran is arming the Houthi’s” the follow-up question should be, how is Iran arming the Houthis? Instead of asking for evidence to back up the government official’s statement, the statement is just accepted as fact. The press is supposed to be a check on governmental power, not the fodder for their propaganda cannons – by Joziah Thayer
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Aftermath: The Iran War After the Soleimani Assassination
The first thing, the thing that is so sad and so infuriating and so centrally symptomatic of everything wrong with American political culture, is that, with painfully few exceptions, Americans have no idea of what their government has done. They have no idea who Qassem Soleimani was, what he has accomplished, the web of relationships, action, and respect he has built, what his assassination means and will bring. The last person who has any clue about this, of course, is Donald Trump, who called Soleimani “a total monster.” His act of killing Soleimani is the apotheosis of the abysmal, arrogant ignorance of U.S. political culture.
It’s virtually impossible to explain to Americans because there is no one of comparable stature in the U.S. or in the West today.
someone like World War II Eisenhower (or Marshall Zhukov, but that gets another blank stare from Americans.) Think I’m exaggerating? Take it from the family of the Shah:
Beyond his leadership of the fight against ISIS, you also have to understand Soleimani’s strategic acumen in building the Axis of Resistance—the network of armed local groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon as well as the PMF in Iraq, that Soleimani helped organize and provide with growing military capability.
Dressed to Kill
But it is not just Trump, and not just the assassination of Soleimani, that we should focus on. These are actors and events within an ongoing conflict with Iran, which was ratcheted up when the U.S. renounced the nuclear deal (JCPOA – Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) and instituted a “maximum pressure” campaign of economic and financial sanctions on Iran and third countries, designed to drive Iran’s oil exports to zero.
The purpose of this blockade is to create enough social misery to force Iran into compliance, or provoke Iran into military action that would elicit a “justifiable” full-scale, regime-change—actually state-destroying—military attack on the country.
From its inception, Iran has correctly understood this blockade as an act of war, and has rightfully expressed its determination to fight back.
The powers-that-be in Iran and the U.S. know they are at war, and that the Soleimani assassination ratcheted that state of war up another significant notch; only Panglossian American pundits think the “w” state is yet to be avoided.
crisis,” the Pentagon wants to avoid “publicly” bloodying its hands in the Saudi war in Yemen. Through two presidential administrations, it has been trying to minimize attention to its indispensable support of, and presence in, Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen
According to the ethic and logic of American exceptionalism, Iran is forbidden from helping the Houthis, but the U.S. is allowed to assassinate their advisors and help the Saudis bomb the crap out of them.
So, the Trump administration is clearly engaged in an organized campaign to take out senior Iranian leaders, part of what it considers a war against Iran. In this war, the Trump administration no longer pretends to give a damn about any fig leaf of law or ethics. Nobody takes seriously the phony “imminence” excuse for killing Soleimani
The U.S. is demonstrating outright contempt for any framework of respectful international relations, let alone international law.
The U.S.’s determination to stay in Iraq, in defiance of the explicit, unequivocal demand of the friendly democratic government that the U.S. itself supposedly invaded the country to install, is particularly significant. It draws the circle nicely. It demonstrates that the Iraq war isn’t over. Because it, and the wars in Libya and Syria, and the war that’s ratcheting up against Iran are all the same war that the U.S. has been waging in the Middle East since 2003. In the end is the beginning, and all that.
We’re now in the endgame of the serial offensive that Wesley Clark described in 2007, starting with Iraq and “finishing off” with Iran.
Since the U.S. has attacked, weakened, divided, or destroyed every other un-coopted polity in the region (Iraq, Syria, Libya) that could pose any serious resistance to the predations of U.S. imperialism and Israel colonialism, it has fallen to Iran to be the last and best source of material and military support which allows that resistance to persist.
It’s that one big “endless” war that’s been waged by every president since 2003, which American politicians and pundits have been scratching their heads and squeezing their brains to figure out how to explain, justify (if it’s their party’s President in charge), denounce (if it’s the other party’s POTUS), or just bemoan as “senseless.” But to the neocons who are driving it and their victims—it makes perfect sense and is understood to have been largely a success. Only the befuddled U.S. media and the deliberately-deceived U.S. public think it’s “senseless,” and remain enmired in the cock-up theory of U.S. foreign policy, which is a blindfold we had better shed before being led to the next very big slaughter.
The one big war makes perfect sense when one understands that the United States has thoroughly internalized Israel’s interests as its own. That this conflation has been successfully driven by a particular neocon faction, and that it is excessive, unnecessary and perhaps disruptive to other effective U.S. imperial possibilities, is demonstrated precisely by the constant plaint from non-neocon, including imperialist, quarters that it’s all so “senseless.” – by Jim Kavanagh
https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/01/24/aftermath-the-iran-war-after-the-soleimani-assassination/
My comment: Israel is an important explanation, but it’s not sufficient. Apart from Israel, the US elite is fighting to establish and to defend a worldwide US hegemony – not just in the Middle East. The same applies to Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Far East, Russia. The US-Israelian relationship cannot explain this at all. Of course, all this pursuit of worldwide hegemony, with all its wars and aggression, does not comply with US interests at all – will say, with the interests of the 99 % in the US. But, it’s perfect to the elite’s 1 % interests. That’s it. Even without any Israel existing, they would do it.
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics
(B)
Hodeidah beaches witness high turnout, despite aggression escalation
Hodeidah province and its beaches, which are characterized by a moderate climate these days, are witnessing a high turnout by vacationers and visitors from various provinces, despite the aggression escalation and the continued siege.
A number of visitors to Hodeidah city from different provinces of the country expressed their happiness by enjoying its charming atmosphere and moderate weather to escape cold weather, especially in the mountainous provinces.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3086028.htm
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Film: Yemen: playing without the worry of cholera
Imagine children running and playing, without having to worry about catching a potentially fatal disease. In most countries it seems the most normal thing, but not in Yemen. The ongoing civil war has left its devastating effects on the country’s sewerage system. Even in Yemen’s temporary capital Aden, sewage has been flowing into people’s homes, exposing them to water-related diseases such as cholera, malaria, and typhoid. The EU is helping UNICEF address this public health threat. In just 4 months, rapid response teams were able to restore the entire sewerage network of Al Saisaban, a poor neighborhood of Aden.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3r-lBZSUQU
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IOM: More than 900 suspected cases of cholera in #Yemen in early January.
https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1221482257778724867
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Hundreds of people have died from the H1N1 virus since last December, in light of the deterioration of the health system as a result of the war.
https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1221482025120563201
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Yemen's frontline port struggles to fight deadly fever
In the grounds of a bombed-out building in the port that has become the main front of Yemen’s war, workers use a hose mounted to a truck to suck up a green, insect-filled expanse of stagnant rainwater, then shovel in soil to fill it, trying to save lives.
The trash-strewn pools are perfect breeding grounds for the mosquito that spreads dengue fever, which aid workers say is killing people every day near the frontlines in Hodeidah.
War has complicated efforts to fight the world’s fastest-spreading mosquito-borne virus, wrecked Yemen’s health system and public sanitation, and made an impoverished and displaced population more vulnerable to the disease.
In a crowded children’s hospital, flies crawled over the eyes and mouths of children struggling to breathe under the pain caused by the virus. Walid Yahya Mansour sat with two family members; two others had stayed home, too sick to travel.
“Dengue has been spreading fast,” he said.
Hodeidah, which has an active frontline on its eastern edge where the United Nations is trying to enforce a ceasefire and troop withdrawal, is reporting the highest number of suspected dengue cases and deaths, an International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) report said.
The WHO said 76,768 suspected cases, including 271 deaths, were recorded last year across Yemen, although numbers started to fall in recent weeks.
“The dengue cases began in mid-November,” said Ahmad Mu’ajam, a doctor at Thawra hospital in Hodeidah. “With time, there were fewer cases in the countryside areas, but they increased inside the city.”
Authorities in the parts of Hodeidah city controlled by the Iran-aligned Houthi group have been filling in pools of stagnant water to remove mosquito breeding grounds, said Abdrahman Jarallah, the head of Hodeidah’s health department.
But frontline areas are hard to access, and most cases in Hodeidah are coming from those areas, the WHO said. Communities there, who collect rainwater for drinking in open basins, are being advised on how to reduce mosquito breeding grounds themselves.
cp1b Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah / Most important: Hodeidah battle
(A K pH)
verstoße gegen den Waffenstillstand
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3086062.htm
(A K pH)
US-Saudi Aggression’s Daily Update for Sunday, January 26th, 2020
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=10931
(A K pH)
US-Saudi Aggression’s Daily Update for Saturday, January 25th, 2020
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=10918
(A K pH)
Houses in Hodeidah Destroyed in New Saudi-mercenaries’ Violations of Ceasefire
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=10924
(A K pS)
Giants Brigade Accuses Houthis of Bombing Joint Observation Point in Hodeidah
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2100076/giants-brigade-accuses-houthis-bombing-joint-observation-point-hodeidah = http://en.adenpress.news/news/17321
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Film: Houthi infiltration and militias thwarted the city of Hays with missiles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoVYPa0r7Ak
(A K pH)
Zwei Zivilisten getötet und vier weitere verletzt in Hodeidah und Saada
Eine Militärquelle berichtete der jemenitischen Nachrichtenagentur (Saba), dass ein Kind bei einem Bombenanschlag der Invasoren auf das Wohngebiet in der 7. Juli Stadt in Hodeidah getötet und ein Bürger verwundet worden sei. Die Aggressionstruppen sieben Granaten auf die Häuser und Grundstücke der Bürger in der 50. Straße abgefeuert hatten.
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3085888.htm
(A K pS)
The joint forces shot down a Houthi reconnaissance plane, north of the Al-Duraimi Directorate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0S5Vhhe8C0
(A K pH)
Erheblicher Schaden am Eigentum der Bürger durch Bombardierung der Aggressionsstreitkräfte
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3085839.htm
(A K pH)
US-Saudi Aggression’s Daily Update for Thursday, January 23rd, 2020
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=10892
cp2 Allgemein / General
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Interactive map of Yemen war
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IN MAPS: SAUDI-BACKED FORCES ARE ON RETREAT IN NORTHWESTERN YEMEN
Saudi-led forces are retreating in norhwestern Yemen under pressure from Ansar Allah (the Houthis).
According to pro-Yemeni sources, Ansar Allah have delivered a major blow to Saudi-backed forces on the frontline in the areas of Nihm, Hazm and Marib.
If the defense of pro-Saudi forces continue collapsing, Ansar Allah will be able to develop its advance even further and deploy in a striking distance from the town of Hazm.
https://southfront.org/in-maps-saudi-backed-forces-are-on-retreat-in-northwestern-yemen/
MILITARY SITUATION IN YEMEN ON JANUARY 26, 2020 (MAP UPDATE)
https://southfront.org/military-situation-in-yemen-on-january-26-2020-map-update/
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Yemen Rebels Vow to Treat, Free 64 Captive Child Soldiers
Yemen's Huthi rebels said Monday they had transferred 64 child soldiers captured during fighting to a rehabilitation centre and planned to release them in two months.
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) said it welcomed the move.
Abdulqader al-Murtadha, the head of the Huthis' prisoners of war committee, told AFP in Sanaa that "these children were captured on the war fronts while fighting (alongside) government troops".
The children would be handed over to the rebel administration's social affairs ministry for a two-month rehabilitation course before their final release, Murtadha said.
Murtadha accused the Yemeni government and the "countries of aggression", a reference to the Saudi-led coalition fighting there since March 2015, of recruiting teenagers and sending then to the frontlines.
A UN source said all the 64 captured combatants are under 18 years of age.
http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/268563-yemen-rebels-vow-to-treat-free-64-captive-child-soldiers = https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/yemen-rebels-vow-to-treat-free-64-captive-child-soldiers-120012701293_1.html
Film: https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1222185994046377986
and
(* A K P)
Houthis capture 64 child soldiers in Yemen
Houthi rebels have captured 64 child soldiers in Yemen who would have fought alongside the Yemeni government army. A rebel spokesperson announced this on Monday. The children have all been taken to a rehabilitation center and are expected to be released in two months. A Unicef representative said on Twitter that he was pleased with "the release of 64 children allegedly imprisoned during military operations." She also said she hoped for a peace agreement in Yemen to "put an end to the recruitment and use of children during the Yemen conflict." The UN Children's Fund also welcomes the action of the Houthis.
https://www.trouw.nl/buitenland/houthi-s-nemen-64-kindsoldaten-gevangen-in-jemen~b5cc5ce3/
(* B P)
Film: Yemen cut off from world as internet remains weak
At internet cafes in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, many are struggling to get online. Damage to a sea cable has dramatically disrupted the internet service across the country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8AfjtpnEng
(B K P)
British Ambassador to Asharq Al-Awsat: Comprehensive Yemeni Solution Needed to End War
Britain stated that the Stockholm agreement reached between the legitimate Yemeni government and Iran-backed Houthi militias was important and reached significant results within a year, however, new changes on the ground require a comprehensive political agreement.
British Ambassador to Yemen, Michael Aron told Asharq Al-Awsat that such an agreement must cover the whole of Yemen, not just one region alone, to ensure a complete end to the war on all fronts.
Commenting on the government’s statement that the Stockholm deal has become a problem, not a solution, he explained that it meant that it wanted to see more progress on the ground. He cited however, the changes that have taken place since its signing in December 2018
My comment: Arsonist are firefighter.
(* B H K)
These 11 Tweets Remind Us That Yemen Is Still Suffering
In what is probably reflective of how little airtime this crisis has garnered, we weren’t able to find a lot about it on Twitter. However, to give this humanitarian crisis the weight it deserves, we rounded up these tweets to help you stay informed:
http://muslimgirl.com/59062/these-11-tweets-remind-us-that-yemen-is-still-suffering/
(* B K P)
Film: U.S.-Iranian Tensions: Yemen
Ambassador Stephen A. Seche assesses the prospects for an end to the conflict in Yemen, in light of U.S.-Iranian tensions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNVQByQ1xNA
(A K P)
Ambassadors’ Statement on Yemen
The Ambassadors to Yemen of France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States are extremely concerned about the recent increase in conflict in Yemen which has caused civilian deaths and displacement of families, and which risks setting back the progress achieved in de-escalation. We urge leaders on all sides to immediately stop the fighting and to take all necessary measures to freeze military activities including movement of troops, airstrikes, missile and drone attacks.
https://ye.usembassy.gov/ambassadors-statement-on-yemen/
My comment: Western hypocrisy: US, UK and France are the greatest arms suppliers to Saudi Arabia.
(B P)
Yemen is plagued by war, famine, chronic diseases ....etc , but above all by leadership vacuum; #Yemen badly needs a REAL leader. Yemen has never seen such a leadership vacuum.
https://twitter.com/mohammedalqadhi/status/1221504981229953024
(A P)
Ending humanitarian crisis in Yemen needs resolve of Riyadh
Iran's ambassador in Oman said on Sunday that ending the humanitarian crisis in Yemen needs resolve of Saudi Government.
https://en.irna.ir/news/83648418/Ending-humanitarian-crisis-in-Yemen-needs-resolve-of-Riyadh
(* B H K P)
What's the best way to resolve the humanitarian disaster in Yemen? End the war.
In addition to providing humanitarian assistance, Oxfam and other organizations have urged governments and the United Nations to exert pressure on the warring parties to stop the conflict and engage in peace talks that include women and youth along with other civil society voices. In early 2020, parties to the conflict have taken long overdue steps to scale down the fighting and work toward peace.
Pressure to end US military support for the war in Yemen has come from Congress and voters in the form of legislation.
Oxfam supporters played an important role in pushing for peace in Yemen. In 2018 and 2019, they transmitted 26,348 emails to members of Congress and made 1,183 phone calls to urge lawmakers to take legislative action to cut off the flow of arms from the US.
Prominent actors in the US lent their support to the campaign, helping to raise awareness of the war
(* B K P)
ON FRAGILE FOOTING IN YEMEN AFTER THE SOLEIMANI STRIKE
What will happen in Yemen following the killing of Soleimani and the escalation in tensions between the United States and Iran? And how can Yemen’s civil war be insulated from the regional fallout?
At the same time, there is reason to hope that Yemen can avoid Iranian-backed escalation. But avoiding another round of escalation in Yemen’s civil war will require the active participation of the United States and regional actors.
Yemen’s Fragile Status Quo
One year after representatives of the Houthis and of Yemen’s internationally-recognized government agreed to a limited ceasefire as part of the Stockholm Agreement, little concrete progress to implement the agreement has been made:
Nevertheless, just a few weeks ago there were reasons to be cautiously optimistic that, after years of failed negotiations, the Saudi-led coalition’s intervention in Yemen may have been winding down. Soleimani’s assassination threatens to undo this fragile and halting progress.
What Will Happen Now in Yemen?
Iran is well aware that it would be badly overmatched in a conventional conflict, and is therefore likely to avoid all-out war with the United States. Rather, Iran’s leadership is likely to retaliate via the asymmetric resources that Tehran — in an effort led by Soleimani and the Quds Force — has successfully cultivated in the region.
The Houthis have assumed greater importance in Tehran’s regional strategy in recent years.
There are a few reasons to expect that Tehran could turn to Yemen as it formulates its response to Soleimani’s assassination.
Ramping up Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates would allow Iran to signal its displeasure with Washington while attempting to avoid escalation that could lead to a conventional war.
And although the Houthis certainly receive significant support from Iran in the form of material support, as well as advice and training from Hizballah operatives on the ground, they are not as strategically close to Iran as other proxies like Hizballah are thought to be.
Yet there are cautious signs that Houthi leadership could be willing to play along by following Iran’s lead in this instance.
The United States is well-positioned to reinforce de-escalatory dynamics in Yemen and support the nascent peace process there.
Players in the region will also continue to play a critical role in Yemen in the weeks and months ahead. Saudi and Emirati leaders are tired of the resource and reputational drain of a war that appears increasingly unwinnable, leading to their willingness to draw down the coalition’s intervention. With international support, regional actors like Oman and even the Gulf Cooperation Council can act as mediators and guarantors to deter potential spoilers and help implement any agreement.
Over the past century, Yemen has often been a site for actors in the region to play out their own conflicts. A relapse in fighting in Yemen could provide future grounds for intervention and will act as a driver of regional instability. By contrast, ending the war in Yemen will eliminate a critical source of Iranian leverage in the Gulf – by Alexandra Stark
(* B K P)
From 2018/19: Comparison of International Media Coverage of the Syrian and Yemeni Crises and its links to Foreign Policy Making
Abstract
Syria and Yemen are both countries in which the aftermath of the Arab Uprisings resulted in the eruption of a domestic conflict into a multiplied proxy war. Since then, many international media channels started reporting on the on-going events that occurred, especially in Syria. In Syria, many global key players started to get involved in the conflict such as the US, Britain, France and Russia. Yemen was marked as an important territory for regional hegemons such as Saudi Arabia and Iran which are involved in a proxy conflict in various countries in the Middle East, two of them being Syria and Yemen. With the emergence of global and regional players as well as international media channels in both conflicts, the correlation between foreign policy making and media is questioned. This thesis aims to examine how foreign policy making and media influence one another by analysing in which way politics in media intertwine in the cases of Syrian and Yemeni crises.
From Conclusion
Nonetheless, foreign policy makers still have great influence on the media. Many media experts still support the ‘manufacturing consent theory’ set by pioneers Herman and Chomsky which claimed that foreign policy makers use media as a platform to promote state propaganda. Moreover, other media experts after the transition to a multi-polarworld claim there are different tactics within the strategic framework of media management. For example, foreign policy makers can simplify the media narrative by using ethnocentric stereotypes such as the religious division of Sunni and Shia Muslims being the main cause of wars in the Middle East according to many Western media companies.
Furthermore, Russian newspaper company Russia Today followed the country’s political narrative since it is funded by the Russian government. It mainly focused on portraying US as a military interventionist in the Middle East, using the ‘balance of powers’ theory that dates back from the Cold-war era. Similarly, CNN follows the US foreign policymaking as it uses the same media narrative against Russia by blaming it for the chemical attacks since it is key ally of Assad in Syria.
To conclude, regardless of the transition from a bi-polar to a multi-polar world, foreign policy making still has a massive impact on media. Autocratic regimes such as Iran and Saudi Arabia still only enable policy makers to influence media and not vice versa.Whereas in democratic countries such as the UK and the US, the media is able to influence foreign policy makers – by Vanda Bajs
cp2a Allgemein: Saudische Blockade / General: Saudi blockade
(* A K P)
US-Saudi Aggression Continues Detaining 6 Oil Tankers in Yemeni Waters
An official source in Hodeidah's port stated that US-Saudi aggression continues to detain 6 oil tankers loaded with quantities of oil derivatives.
The source confirmed to Almasirah net that "the US-Saudi aggression detained 8 tankers, 6 of them are loaded with 150 thousand tons of gasoline and diesel, and other two tankers are loaded with 17 thousand ton of food." The aggression, also, detains, for the 8th day, a tanker after its offloading in Hodeidah port.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=10921
(A K P)
Closing Sanaa airport breaches int'l laws: Spokesman
A spokesman of the General Authority of Civil Aviation Mazen Ghanem affirmed on Sunday the closure of Sana'a International Airport continued by the Saudi-led aggression coalition, is a war crime and violations of the international law.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3086042.htm
and also https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=10935
(* A K P)
International Ambiguity About implementation of medical Bridge Agreement
Many hopes were held by thousands of Yemeni patients who need to travel by the medial air bridge to receive treatment abroad through Sana'a International Airport, which was scheduled to start on the twentieth of October last year. However, the hopes were quickly dissipated, as the agreement was not implemented and no trip has been conducted yet.
The Supreme Committee for the Medical Bridge temporarily suspended the screening of patients ’files due to the frequent postponement of the trip and the ambiguity of the international position about the medical bridge.
The United Nations renounced the agreement and invoked false pretenses, not caring the lives of 350,000 Yemeni patients who face the risk of death if they will not travel abroad for treatment. 30 patients die every day as a result of the continued closure of the airport.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=10903
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
(* B H)
Film: YEMEN: Living with Disabilities in Armed Conflict
Millions of people with disabilities in Yemen have not only endured years of armed conflict but arealso among those most excluded amid what the United Nations has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORj08Egqq04
(A H)
Film: Conclusion of community response and psychological support project for children
Al-Misrakh Directorate, like other districts of Taiz province in southern Yemen, was affected by the war taking place in the country, which particularly negatively affected children and women, therefore, the Social Fund in Taiz organized the community response project and psychological support that continued over the past 6 months and benefited more than 24,000 baby so far, the project also provided 126 job opportunities for the province's young men and women to help implement its plans, with the end of the program, the Fund organized a party yesterday, which included a theatrical performance and an exhibition of drawings and handicrafts that reflected the extent of the children’s response to what the program presented to them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePdl-mfuTpc
(B H)
World Food Programme, Logistics Cluster: Yemen: Sea Passenger Transport 2019 Overview
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-sea-passenger-transport-2019-overview
(A H K P)
Sana’a Gov. Hands Over 64 Children Recruited by Saudi Regime to Defend Its Borders
The National Committee for Prisoners' Affairs handed over 64 children that were recruited by the forces of aggression and captured on the frontlines, to the Ministry of Social Affairs under the auspices of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
With the Ministry of Human Rights, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor and the National Committee for Prisoners' Affairs organized Monday, in the capital, Sana’a, an event for handing over and receiving children who had been recruited by the Aggression Alliance and their mercenaries, under the supervision of UNICEF.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=10940
(A H)
Yemen trains war-handicapped for reconstruction
Yemen holds training courses for its war-handicapped of the Saudi regime's aggression to empower them so that they could play their role in Yemen's reconstruction.
Yemenis who were handicapped in the Saudi aggression on Yemen completed a training course on the basics of computer and information technology at the Bonyan Institute in Sanaa, capital of the country.
https://iranpress.com/en/middle_east-i143200-yemen_trains_war_handicapped_for_reconstruction
(B H)
Film, photos: Doctors struggle to treat acute malnutrition cases in Yemen
(* B H)
Film: Fishermen in war-torn Yemen grapple to stay afloat
In the port city of Aden, fishing is no long as profitable as it once was. Yemeni fishermen complain of high prices and unsafe working conditions.
The war in Yemen has had its toll on the cost of fishing. "The war affected the life of the fisherman negatively, in terms of the standard of living, in terms of production, and in many aspects. The war led to increased prices and higher costs of production, in such a crazy way that a fishermen could have never imagined that prices would increase that much," says fisherman Abdullah Yehya.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq-IyEJoKIA
(A H)
Salam my Friends, Thanks to God & then the generosity of our donor friends, We provided medicines to 29 patients & Children with special needs in Sana'a & remote villages. Allah will reward all good in this world & the hereafter. For help via link https://www.gofundme.com/f/food-and-medicine-for-yemen (photos)
https://twitter.com/ghalebalsudmy/status/1220864826945175553
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
(* B H)
International Organization for Migration: IOM Yemen: Situation Report December 2019
Yemen continues to struggle through the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. Due to the conflict 11,646 people were displaced in December, bringing the total number of people displaced over the course of 2019 to more than 413,000. The humanitarian community in Yemen strives to reach the most vulnerable, despite operating in a restrictive nonpermissive environment in certain areas of the country. Near the end of December, an attack on a non-governmental organizations’ (NGO) compound in Al Dhale governorate demonstrated the real risks humanitarian workers face on the ground in Yemen. Migrants continued to make the journey from the Horn of Africa to and through Yemen, with 10,938 people arriving in December and a total of nearly 140,000 migrants arriving in 2019. With the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) being the intended destination for 88 per cent of those arriving in Yemen, many migrants fall victim to abuse and exploitation by criminal networks, smugglers and traffickers. December saw a third strike on a market in Sa’ada governorate in four weeks where those killed or injured were predominantly Ethiopian migrants waiting to cross the border.
With offices in Sana’a, Aden, Al Hudaydah, Marib, Ibb and Hadramaut, and satellite presences in all 22 governorates, IOM supports the most vulnerable throughout Yemen
https://www.iom.int/sitreps/yemen-situation-report-december-2019
(* B H)
International Organization for Migration: IOM Yemen Water, Sanitation & Hygiene 2019 Quarter 4 Report, October – December
Through its water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities, IOM supports the most vulnerable communities in Yemen, including displaced persons, host communities, people at risk of famine and malnutrition, and people living in cholera-affected areas. IOM combines the restoration and maintenance of existing WASH systems and the direct provision of WASH services, including the distribution of basic hygiene kits, chlorine tablets, accompanied by hygiene promotion, water trucking and capacity building of local partners to ensure a sustainable response. Over the course of 2019, IOM reached over 1.3 million people with critical WASH services.
(B H)
UN High Commissioner for Refugees: Yemen: UNHCR Operational Update, 23 January 2020
Due to the temporary challenges faced regarding the implementation of humanitarian activities under the de facto authorities (DFA) in Sana’a, monitoring activities were unable to take place, including the management of the 11 community centres by UNHCR. In 2019, these community centres provided various Protection services such as legal counselling, legal assistance and psychosocial support, assisting some 94,000 individuals including the vulnerable host community, while also facilitating cash assistance for more than 86,000 IDP families.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-unhcr-operational-update-23-january-2020
(B H)
Qatar Red Crescent Society: QRCS backs vital services for kidney patients in Yemen
For the second year in a row, it has distributed medications for 150 kidney failure/transplant patients in Sanaa.
https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/qrcs-backs-vital-services-kidney-patients-yemen
(* B H)
United Nations Population Fund: Flash Update: Escalation and Response in Marib Al Jawf and Sana'a Governorates - Issue #1 | 26 January 2020
Since 19 January 2020, a heavy military offensive commenced in Marib, Sana'a and Al Jawf Governorates, resulting in the displacement of more than 900 households (6,300 individuals), with reportedly increasing displacement.
Most households have been displaced to Marib, Sana’a and Al Jawf Governorates; in particular to districts of Al Hazm, Al Khalq, Bani Husheish and Ma’rib Al Wady.
Of those newly displaced, 36 percent are displaced to collective sites, while the remaining 64 percent are residing with the host community.
Urgent needs as reported by partners include additional food assistance, nonfood items, clothing and protection of civilians still trapped between the frontlines
(* B H)
Displaced in Ibb... Extremely harsh conditions, absent support
The ongoing US-back Saudi-led aggression coalition against Yemen for five years has forced more than 3.8 (Three million and 800 thousand citizens) to flee their homes and turned the country into home for the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations.
These displaced persons, who have been divided into 15 provinces, live precarious lives at risk due to the lack of basic needs for shelter, food, medicine, drinking water and sanitation, and the displacement affects host communities, with increasing pressure on their meagre resources.
Ibb province, one of Yemen's provinces that have received 32,462 displaced families, has 227,234 people, according to reports of the Supreme Council for the Administration and Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and International Cooperation.
"The displaced and families affected by the aggression are in dire need of support to alleviate their suffering and difficult living conditions," said Ibb Governor Abdul Wahid Salah, noting that the numbers of displaced people exceeded the local authority's capacity to provide shelter, food and health services, but provided them with shelter, food and health services. The camps provided services and assistance to those families according to the availability.
"The local authority has set up seven shelters for displaced people in the provincial center and a number of districts and provided them with some necessary needs according to the available resources," he said.
He stressed that the priority of the local authority in the province during the current conditions to provide the needs of the affected and communicate them to them with ease.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3085943.htm
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
(A P)
Umsetzung die Entscheidung des Präsidenten und Zahlung alle zwei Monate ein halbes Gehalt
Das Finanzministerium gab den Abschluss der Verfahren zur Umsetzung des Beschlusses des Präsidenten des Obersten Politischen Rates, Mahdi Al-Mashat, bekannt, eines halben Gehalts an Staatsbedienstete alle zwei Monate zahlen. Und die disziplinierten Beschäftigten monatlich was ist möglich aus ihren regelmäßigen Gehältern das Recht zu geben.
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3086060.htm
Mein Kommentar: Also bekommen sie jetzt 25 % ihres Gehalts, nachdem sie über drei Jahre gar nichts bekommen haben. Davon kann auch niemand (über)leben.
(A P)
Präsidialamt einweiht das Programm der ersten Phase der nationalen Vision für den Staatsaufbau
Das Amt des Präsidenten der Republik hat heute das Programm der ersten Phase der nationalen Vision für den Aufbau des modernen jemenitischen Staates "Resilienz, Wiederaufbau und wirtschaftliche Erholung" eingeweiht.
Hamed war der Ansicht, dass es an sich schon ein Erfolg ist, die nationale Vision zu besitzen.
Er sagte: "Die vorherigen Regime hatten keine Vision, den Staat aufzubauen, sondern hatten eine Vision, Aktien und Investitionen im Ausland aufzubauen, während wir heute eine nationale Vision haben, den modernen jemenitischen Staat trotz der Aggression und der Blockade aufzubauen."
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3086037.htm
Mein Kommentar: Das ist mehr Propaganda als Realität. Die erste Phase müssten ja ein Ende des Krieges wie auch ein Ende der derzeitigen Willkürherrschaft sein.
(A P)
Geistliche Gelehrte aus dem Jemen verurteilen die Normalisierung der saudisch-israelischen Beziehungen
Eine Gruppe von Religionswissenschaftlern aus dem hat einen kürzlichen Besuch des hochrangigen saudischen Geistlichen und ehemaligen Justizministers, Scheich Muhammad bin Abdul Karim bin Abdulaziz al-Issa, im ehemaligen Konzentrationslager Auschwitz in Polen zusammen mit einer jüdischen Gruppe und nachdrücklich verurteilt.
(A P)
Yemeni Scholars Condemn Wahhabi Normalization with Jews
Yemen Scholars Association condemned, Sunday, the steps of Wahhabi normalization with the Jews, declaring solidarity with the preacher and Mufti of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Ikrima Sabri and denouncing any threat or abuse on him by Jews.
The Association said in a statement that the suspicious visit with the permission and encouragement of the Saudi regime for some bad scholars and the trumpets of normalization with the usurping Zionist entity inclouded the former Saudi Minister of Justice, the Secretary-General of the so-called Association of the Islamic World Muhammad Al-Essa and some bad scholars.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=10927
(A P)
Ansarullah’s Spokesman Condemns Saudi’s Normalization with the Zionist Enemy in the Name of Islam
The Spokesman of Ansarullah, Mohammed Abdulsalam, said that the move of the so-called Secretary General of the Muslim World League and the former Saudi Minister of Justice, Mohammad Al-Issa, towards the normalization of relations with the Zionists in the name of Islam is condemned.
"The miserable Kingdom of Saudi Arabia must stop using Islam for the benefit of the colonists," Abdulsalam said in a tweet.
A delegation led by Al-Issa, the most senior group of Muslims representatives, is the first to ever visit a Nazi death camp. In a bold and unprecedented step towards normalization in the name of Islam and human values.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=10919
and also https://www.uprising.today/mohammed-abdulsalam-salms-hypocrisy-of-world-muslim-league/
(A P)
Film: Yemen TV Host: Islamic Scholars’ Visit to Auschwitz - Harsh Provocation against Arab, Islamic World
On the Houthi affiliated Al-Masirah TV, TV host Hamid Rizq referred to the visit to Auschwitz of a delegation of the Muslim World League, led by the Saudi Sec.-Gen.of the League, Muhammad Al-Issa. Rizk said that delegation’s visit to “the camps of the so-called Holocaust” is “another venomous strike [Saudi Arabia has dealt] to the body of the Arab and Islamic nation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16N6cNHdy7s
(A P)
Yemen: Volunteers from “Boland” organization join Sanaa hygiene campaign
Volunteers in civil and community organizations continue to clean streets, sidewalks, and public squares within their residential neighborhoods in Sana’a Municipality directorates in the framework of an annual campaign that started on January 1 and continues until January 20, 2020, with the participation of all groups of society, and comes in conjunction with the International Day for Hygiene
https://newyemenen.com/yemen-volunteers-from-poland-organization-join-sanaa-hygiene-campaign/
(A P)
Local sources: Tribal Sheikh Abdo Mohammed Alwaeel was shot to death today in Ibb province for refusing to send 50 tribesmen to fight along with #Houthis in #Nehm.
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1221121823263395840
(A H P)
Seizing Large Amount of Expired Drugs Provided by International Organization
The security services in Sana’a have seized two trucks carrying 66 tons and 680 kilograms of drugs that were provided by a United Nations organization, all of which were expired and the organization was about to distribute them to hospitals.
The Health Office explained that the drugs are for treating cholera while laboratory tests showed that they do not meet the specifications, and that it exacerbates the disease in addition to the expiration of them, as it is written on each box of these drugs.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=10911
(A P)
Film: Taiz journalists: Houthis are concerned about suppressing freedom of opinion and expression
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZpzl5oTOhw
cp6 Separatisten und Hadi-Regierung im Südjemen / Separatists and Hadi government in Southern Yemen
(A P)
Wide outrage among Yemenis at Hadi & his government as govt forces lost key locations in Nehm to the Houthis. This photo sums it all. It describes the “Legitimacy’s [term used to describe Hadi’s govt] frontline.” Extremely corrupt, careless, incompetent,& living abroad! (Cartoon)
https://twitter.com/Ndawsari/status/1221797504729133057
(A P)
Teacher strike storms ministry building in Aden
Teachers demand long overdue payment of wages
Dozens of teachers in Yemen’s southern city of Aden have held a protest rally against the Saudi-backed exiled Hadi’s government, sources said on Monday.
At the rally, the protesters stormed and closed a headquarters of the Ministry of Education in the province, calling for the payment of wages due.
https://www.uprising.today/teacher-strike-storms-ministry-building-in-aden/
(* A E)
Gas stations in southern Yemen shut down amidst extreme fuel crisis
Surge in black market sales as fuel prices soar to an extreme level
Fuel stations in the southern port city of Aden have closed their doors to citizens on Sunday due to the extreme fuel shortages, local media reported.
According to media sources in the city, hundreds of cars were parked in long queues in front of the stations, which refrained from direct selling to citizens on the pretext of the high price of foreign exchange in the occupied southern provinces.
Moreover, the sources confirmed that the closure of the oil stations itself has led to a significant increase in the cost of transportation, with reports claiming price hikes of up to 200%
Furthermore, the sources added that the trade in oil derivatives has revived on the black market
https://www.uprising.today/gas-stations-in-southern-yemen-shut-down-amidst-extreme-fuel-crisis/
(A T)
Al-Qaeda members deployed in Abyan
Terrorist members of al-Qaeda were deployed heavily in Dethina sector of Abyan governorate and they were seen at checkponts of al-Raiais junction, Security Belt forces reported on Monday.
Al-Qaeda has resumed its activities in several districts of Abyan, a number of terrorist attacks were carried out against the Security Belt forces in recent times, the same source added.
A soldier was killed and two civilians were injured in an ambush set by al-Qaeda in the eastern parts of Modya district in Abyan, local news websites said on Sunday.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/17324
(A K P)
Marib’s Security Committee calls for high alert to foil Houthis’ plot
The security committee of Marib said on Saturday that it instructed security and military personnel to be on high security alert and readiness to foil terror plots by terror groups and the Iran-backed Houthis militants.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-37543
(* A P)
The head of the Anti-Corruption Commission demands an investigation, according to his facilitator’s call, for the accusation he was accused of wasting public money
The media mutual accusation between the Prime minister Moein Abdul-Malik and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Ahmed Al-Maisary, continued in which the Prime minister accused Al-Maisary of looting the salaries of the Ministry of Interior with amount exceeding one billion Yemeni riyals.
The Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission in southern Yemen, consultant Akram Al-Shatry said: “Since today, the issue of returned salaries of employees of the Ministry of Interior has been raised through the accusations made by Prime Minister Moein Abdul-Malik to the Minister of Interior Ahmed Al- Maisary, by expressly referring to the responsibility of the authorities in dispelling them and what was the response to these accusations by the Minister of Interior Ahmad Al- Maisary, who came during a televised interview with Al-Jazeera, as he said”.
(A K P)
Yemen’s information minister calls for firm stance against Houthis
Yemen’s Information Minister Muammar al-Iryani called upon the international community on Sunday to take a firm stance against the Houthi militia, amid recent military escalation which undermines all agreements and understandings.
(A P)
Al-Awlaki to “SMA News”: The legitimate government in Yemen does not want stability in the country, otherwise it would have implemented #Riyadh Agreement
My comment: Separatist propaganda, blaming the Hadi government.
(* A K P)
Islah Party moves focus to Hadhramaut
Ikhwan militias to reinforce their positions in Hadhramaut after facing setbacks in most of Yemen
The influence of the Islah Party, the Yemeni branch of the Muslim brotherhood , which controls the so-called First Military Region in the eastern Province of Hadhramaut in eastern Yemen has reportedly expanded, leading to many people demanding the expulsion of these militants.
With the increase of the violations against citizens and tribesmen of the valley directorates, most recently the attack by Al-Islah militants on the Al-Hariz tribe last week, which left 4 dead and wounded, discontent among the valley’s residents has reached peak levels.
After receiving military setbacks in Aden, Abyan and Taiz, and more recently in Ma’rib, the Islah Party has changed its focus towards maintaining and increasing its influence in Hadhramaut, the site of some of Yemen’s largest oil fields.
https://www.uprising.today/islah-party-moves-focus-to-hadhramaut/
(A K P)
Vice President praises heroic victories by army forces in different warfronts
Vice President General Lieutenant Ali Mohsen Saleh has praised heroic victories achieved by the army forces in the warfronts and the sacrifices they made for defeating Iran-backed Houthi militia and regaining the state.
(* A K P)
Saudi-led military committee moves heavy weapons outside Aden
A military committee led by Saudi officers in Yemen has transported heavy weapons from bases in the southern port city of Aden, a committee member told Arab News on Friday.
“We’ve moved tanks, cannons and ammunition from Aden military bases to a military outpost in Ras Abbas, on the outskirts of Aden,” said the member on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
Under the Riyadh Agreement, the internationally recognized government and the separatist Southern Transitional Council are obliged to hand over their heavy weapons to the Saudi-led military committee, which is tasked with collecting them at a location outside Aden before dispatching them to battlefields.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/17316
(* A K P)
Gov: Houthis exploit Stockholm agreement for military expansion
The legitimate government of Yemen said on Saturday that the United Nations (UN) sponsored Stockholm agreement which it signed with the Houthis in December 2018 is not effective anymore due to a large military mobilization by the Houthis in several fighting fronts.
Spokesman of the government, Rageh Badi said in press quotes to the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat Daily Newspaper that the agreement brought no good results since its signing more than one year ago.
He said that the Stockholm agreement on Hodeida has become a problem rather than a solution because it enabled the Houthis to mobilize their resources for other fighting fronts.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-37542
and
(* A K P)
Yemeni Government to Asharq Al-Awsat: Stockholm Agreement Became a Problem, not a Solution
The Yemeni government has said that the UN-sponsored Stockholm Deal, which was signed with Houthi militias on December 2018 in Sweden, is “dead” because it allowed the rebels to continue their military operations and deploy more forces at Yemen’s battlefronts.
“The deal became a problem rather than a solution,” Yemeni government spokesman Rajeh Badi told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday.
It has only provided a cover for Houthi military operations in addition to the deployment of militias on several fronts, he said. “We have found no positive outcome from this deal."
Badi said the Houthis wrongly benefited from the Stockholm deal while UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths and the world organization kept silence on the violations committed by the rebels.
My comment: Oups, the Hadi government wants to inflate the war again?
And
(* A K P)
After Marib attack, Yemeni government threatens to withdraw from Stockholm Agreement
“The blood of martyrs who died in the treacherous criminal targeting by the Iran-backed Houthi militia will not go in vain,” Abdu Abdullah Magli, spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, was quoted by the government-run Saba news agency.
The increase in fighting resulted in families fleeing military
exchanges. “The areas of Al Maradah, Al Hamra and Najd Munif are witnessing an exodus of dozens of families from their villages,” Al-Mashhad al-Yemeni news site said, citing witnesses.
My remark: The ceasefire (Stockholm agreement) is related to Hodeidah, not Marib. – This seems to be a campaign to either justify when the hadi government inflates war again, or such statements are used to blackmail the UN, especially special envoy Griffiths.
(B P)
Saudi Cupidity in Yemen’s Strategic Al-Mahrah Province (infographic)
https://www.english.alahednews.com.lb/51375/524
(A P)
Yemen's cultural festival attracts large crowds in southern port city of Aden
Hundreds of Yemeni people attended on Friday the third annual festival of cultural heritage in the country's southern port city of Aden.
A source of Aden's local government confirmed to Xinhua that the event attracted residents from Aden and neighboring provinces.
For the first time, the cultural festival saw international participation of some Arab and African countries, the source said.
Several provinces controlled by the government participated in the festival and presented their cultural heritage, he said.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-01/24/c_138731785.htm
photo: https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/1221058411313410049
and
(A P)
Film: So this is an Indian performance at the international culture festival happening in Aden. Performances/ contribution from northern areas within #Yemen, including Sanaa & Taiz, were denied participation at the festival! Ugly political message from organizers & donors. Shame!
https://twitter.com/HanaalShowafi/status/1220942198411333632
My comment: This festival obviously was managed by the separatists, who still rule Aden, violating the Riyadh agreement.
(A P)
Al-Jaadi: Defeating Houthis can never be made in relying on Brotherhood
http://en.adenpress.news/news/17318
and
(A P)
Activists launch hashtag campaign titled # Islah Hands Over Marib
http://en.adenpress.news/news/17315
My comment: Separatist propaganda against their internal foe Islah Party.
(A K P)
[Hadi gov.] Yemen Defense Ministry: No retreat from Sana’a liberation
Yemeni Defense Ministry said there will be no retreat from the goal of liberating capital Sana’a from Houthi militia’s control no matter what it takes.
http://en.26sepnews.net/2020/01/24/yemen-defense-ministry-no-retreat-from-sanaa-liberation/
My comment: Hadi government: “Make war, not peace!”
(A P)
Lamlas praises the community committee for its release of Prisoners of Southern Resistance
The Secretary-General of the Presidency of the Southern Transitional Council, Ahmed Hamid Lamlas, praised the role of the Community Committee for Following-up Prisoners in releasing prisoners of Southern Resistance from Brotherhood militias prisons in Shabwa governorate.[1]
(* A K P)
Hadi administration ceases implementation of Riyadh Agreement with separatists
Joint committees stop work on agreement after severe internal differences
The joint committees of the Saudi-led Hadi government have suspended all work on the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement signed between Hadi’s government and the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council in early November, informed sources reported on Wednesday.
The sources confirmed that the committees of Hadi suspended all its work, due to severe differences within its components, specifically between the Islah Party and General People’s Congress, which are arguing over its candidates for the formation of a new government.
The Islah militia refuses to withdraw from Shabwah province, under any condition.
The sources explained that the Islah militia requires that its militias will not be withdrawn from Shabwah, in response to the decision of the coalition to sack the Islah-backed governor in Shabwah.
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
(A P)
[UN envoy now speaking with separatist leaders]
Al-Khubaji discusses with the UN envoy to Yemen the implementation of Riyadh Agreement
Lamlas discusses with the UN envoy a number of political files
https://en.smanews.org/lamlas-discusses-with-the-un-envoy-a-number-of-political-files
(A P)
UN Jemen-Sondergesandte Martin Griffiths verlässt den internationalen Flughafen Sanaa
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3085852.htm
(A P)
UN Special Envoy leaves Sanaa
During his visit to Sanaa, Griffiths discussed with Leader of the Revolution Sayyed Abdulmalik Badr Al-Din al-Houthi the continuing obstacles and attacks by Saudi-led coalition countries, which stand in the way of peace efforts, in addition to the continuation of the blockade and the detention of fuel, medicine and food ships by the aggression coalition
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3085867.htm
and also https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2098826/yemen-un-envoy-leaves-sanaa-after-talks-houthis
(A P)
[Hadi gov.] Yemen's ambassador to US urges talks with Houthi rebels to end civil war
Military pressure and diplomacy needed to bring rebels to the table, Ahmed Bin Mubarak says
Yemen’s government wants to resume direct peace talks with Iranian-backed Houthi rebels to end a brutal five-year conflict, but getting the insurgents back to the negotiating table will require both military pressure and international diplomacy, the nation’s US envoy said.
“We want peace and want to end this war,” Ambassador Ahmed Bin Mubarak said. “Ending the war for us doesn’t mean just stopping the air strikes. The Houthis, when they ensure there is no military pressure on them, will never come to the table.”
The ambassador's comments in an interview to Bloomberg came as Yemen’s conflict risks escalating even further
My comment: „The Houthis, when they ensure there is no military pressure on them, will never come to the table.” This is propaganda bullshit: This really means: “before negotiating, we want to have bombed them to such a weakness that they are forced to fulfil all our demands.”
(* B K P)
Peace is difficult to reach in Yemen but not impossible
What unites most Yemenis is their common condition of poverty, hunger and disease.
It is no secret that many of those involved in the war decided to settle outside Yemen with their families. At the same time, those in control in the country are interested only in consolidating their positions and eliminating the competition.
This is a reality no one can dispute.
The second unfortunate reality is that the war has produced economic interest groups that have grown to abnormal proportions of power and wealth in the absence of oversight or accountability and have eroded the central state’s authority. It is common knowledge that those who benefit most from the continuation of the war are those who will feed the conflicts and place obstacles to peace.
The solution in Yemen depends on the wishes of two individuals: Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi and Abdelmalik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthi rebel group. Among the Houthis, decision making is only within the hands of the leader because the culture is based on absolute obedience.
Forget the institutions, parties, personalities or coalitions. The problem is that Hadi and the Houthis have opposite visions for Yemen.
There are several aspects that make a solution to the Yemeni dilemma difficult to achieve. The first scenario is to leave things as they are, with the “legitimacy” camp controlling parts of the country and the Houthis controlling the rest.
The problem with this solution is that it makes the daily lives of all Yemenis hostage to a struggle for power -- and not a struggle for Yemen and its future -- and will exacerbate the human tragedy that afflicts millions.
In areas under control of the “legitimacy” camp, many forces vie for power and control, which complicates the process of reaching a unified position that can crystallise an inclusive vision of the solution. The Houthis camp also suffers from divisions and being dependent on Iran's decisions.
The second scenario is premised on the notion that Hadi and al-Houthi are the real cause of the war and that what is happening in Yemen is a struggle for power, not for Yemen.
In this case, I do not expect either of them will extend his hand unconditionally to the other for the sake of Yemen.
A third aspect of the crisis is that the ongoing war has produced a discourse that buttresses sectarian and regional divisions. What unites most Yemenis is their common condition of poverty, hunger and disease, a situation that will not be easy to overcome quickly and which will be worsened by the continuation of the war.
The fourth aspect lies in that external interventions have produced interests that benefit from the outcomes of the war they fought, which makes the idea of a “Yemeni decision” impossible to achieve without consent of external partners.
The fifth aspect is that the long war has produced armed groups in all areas under control of the “legitimacy” camp, such as the so-called Republican Guard led by Tariq Saleh. Although these groups claim to work for the common project of “restoring the state,” they were formed outside the framework of the legitimate government.
Peace in Yemen will not be easy to achieve but it is not impossible, either. The search for change in the positions of either camp in the conflict is useless for the moment. What would be useful would be for them to stop the war, allow the return of the displaced and restore institutional work in the country so normal life could gradually return to Yemen.
This is not an option but a necessity because there are no opportunities left for the Yemenis besides those that have been wasted – by Musafa al-No’man
https://thearabweekly.com/peace-difficult-reach-yemen-not-impossible = https://middle-east-online.com/en/peace-difficult-reach-yemen-not-impossible
(A P)
[Sanaa-]Präsident Al-Mashat trifft den UNO-Sonderbeauftragte für den Jemen
Während des Treffens bekräftigte Präsident Al-Mashat seine Entschlossenheit, den humanitären Organisationen die notwendigen Einrichtungen zur Verfügung zu stellen, damit sie ihre Arbeit nach Bedarf ausführen können.
Er forderte die Vereinten Nationen auf, ihre Rolle beim Druck auf die Aggressionsländer zu spielen, damit das öffentliche Telekommunikationsunternehmen die Verlegung des Kabels kn Hodeidah abschließen kann, für das Millionen Dollar gezahlt wurden, abgesehen von dem abgetrennten Kabel.
https://www.saba.ye/de/news3085808.htm
(A P)
[Sanaa] President Al-Mashat Informs Griffiths of ’Serious Consequences’ of Aggression’s Escalation in Marib, Nahm
During his meeting with the UN envoy for Yemen, President Mahdi Al-Mashat warned of "serious consequences" for the escalation of the coalition of aggression and its armed forces in Marib and Nahm Front, stressing the need for the United Nations to play its role regarding its obligations and to enable the telecom corporation teams to extend the alternative cable of the Internet.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=10897
and also https://www.uprising.today/president-mahdi-al-mashat-meets-with-un-envoy-to-yemen/
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200124-houthi-backed-president-meets-with-un-envoy-to-yemen/
and
(A P)
Sayyed Abdulmalik Discusses with Griffiths, Obstacles, Continued Attacks by US-Saudi Aggression
Sayyed Abdulmalik Al-Houthi met today Martin Griffiths, the UN envoy to Yemen. During the meeting, they discussed obstacles and continued attacks by the US-Saudi aggression, which stand in the way of peace efforts.
https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=10893
and also https://www.uprising.today/sayyid-abdul-malik-al-houthi-has-met-with-un-envoy-to-yemen/
(A P)
Griffiths in Sanaa to Pressure Houthis on Unconditional Peace Talks
UN envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths arrived in Sanaa on Thursday with a plan to resume unconditional peace talks between the legitimate Yemeni government and Houthi militias.
His visit came after a delegation of European ambassadors ended their visit to Sanaa following talks with senior Houthi officials.
Before traveling to Yemen, the UN envoy held a series of meetings in Riyadh with members of the legitimate government as parts of efforts to holding a new round of consultations and discuss arrangements for a political solution to the country’s crisis.
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
(A P)
Israel approves travel to Saudi under limited circumstances
Israel on Sunday announced that it would permit Israeli citizens to travel to Saudi Arabia for the first time, under certain conditions that include Israeli entrepreneurs seeking investments, in a signal of warming ties.
and
(A P)
Saudi minister says Israeli passport holders cannot visit: CNN
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said Israelis were not welcome to visit the kingdom after Israel decreed that Israeli citizens could visit Saudi Arabia under certain circumstances
(* A P)
Huge Crowds Attend Mass Funeral for Young Dissidents in Saudi Arabia’s Qatif
Thousands of Saudis have turned out for the funeral of a number of young political dissents killed at the hands of Saudi regime forces in the kingdom’s oil-rich and Shia-populated Eastern Province, as a crackdown led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman against pro-democracy campaigners, Muslim preachers and intellectuals continues unabated in the country.
On Friday, people converged on Qatif, located more than 420 kilometers (260 miles) east of the capital Riyadh, from various regions in Eastern Province to attend the burial.
“Far from us is injustice. Death to Al Saud,” the crowd chanted, as they marched behind the coffins, held shoulder-high by local men. (with films)
Film also here: https://twitter.com/nashetqatifi/status/1220450714633351168
(* A P)
Film: Saudi Arabia's MBS faces another scandal I Inside Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r3-FTKQhGM
(* B E P)
Saudi Prince Courted Amazon’s Bezos Before Bitter Split
Pair worked cordially to try to establish an Amazon presence in kingdom before rift over alleged phone hacking
Through much of 2018, Amazon.com Inc. AMZN -1.22% founder Jeff Bezos and tech-savvy Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman seemed to be hitting it off.
Texting over WhatsApp about a plan for Amazon to build a huge data center in Saudi Arabia, the men forged a cordial and mutually beneficial relationship. “It is very important for me, my friend, that you come to Saudi during the future investment Forum and we announce this $2.8B Vision 2030 partnership,” the prince messaged Mr. Bezos on Sept. 9, 2018, according to a review of texts by The Wall Street Journal and people familiar with the situation.
Amazon stood to gain broader access to the Middle Eastern market. Prince Mohammed could be aided in his efforts to reform the Saudi economy as well as burnish his personal brand.
Now, one of the world’s richest men and one of the most powerful princes are archenemies, each accusing the other of betrayal.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/saudi-prince-courted-amazons-bezos-before-bitter-split-11580087674
(* A P)
Saudi Arabia hacked Jeff Bezos' phone and the Trump administration couldn't care less
The lack of official US reaction yet again provides Saudi Arabia with a sense that they can do pretty much anything
"The information we have received suggests the possible involvement of the Crown Prince in surveillance of Mr Bezos, in an effort to influence, if not silence, The Washington Post's reporting on Saudi Arabia," Callamard and Kaye wrote in a release, referring to Saudi Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman, or MbS.
"At a time when Saudi Arabia was supposedly investigating the killing of Mr Khashoggi, and prosecuting those it deemed responsible, it was clandestinely waging a massive online campaign against Mr Bezos and Amazon targeting him principally as the owner of The Washington Post."
The Saudis, of course, didn't pick Bezos out of thin air. Bezos' paper employed Jamal Khashoggi.
The Central Intelligence Agency later assessed with high confidence that the operation was ordered by MbS himself. If MBS could exhibit the arrogance and recklessness needed to assassinate a journalist working for one of America's most famous and influential newspapers, stealing the personal information from the cellphone of the world's wealthiest man (and the owner of that same newspaper) - not to mention blackmailing him - seems like small potatoes.
Unfortunately, in the days since the UN assessment was made public, Washington has barely said a word about the episode. The White House has yet to comment on the matter.
(* B P)
Bezos learns the harsh lesson of texting a crown prince fond of crucifixions
Perhaps the Amazon boss, who was supposedly hacked by Mohammed bin Salman, will be more careful in future
Even for the technologically naive among us, though, there are comically inept elements to the MBS/Bezos story. Not only was Bezos briefed on his phone about the phone hacking, but – in a development arguably linked to the latter – he then received a message on said phone from MBS saying: “Jeff all what you hear or told to it’s not true”. So yes, the Saudi mind trick needs a little more work before it equals the Jedi version.
Furthermore, in the looking-glass dynamics of the modern world, leaders who are compulsive weapons shoppers probably can’t afford to piss off the Omnicorporation. Like many other self-regarding self-styled liberals, MBS may try to resort to Amazon purchases as little as possible. But Bezos is hugely bullish about doing business with the US military and beyond. Sooner or later the only place laser-guided bombs or whatever are going to retail is on Amazon. Customers who bought this item also liked missile launchers and warplanes.
(A P)
Tiroler bilden saudi-arabische Fahrlehrerinnen aus
Seit Kurzem dürfen im Königreich Frauen Auto fahren. Doch es fehlen Fahrlehrerinnen - denn nur Frauen dürfen Frauen ausbilden.
https://kurier.at/wirtschaft/tiroler-bilden-in-saudi-arabien-fahrlehrerinnen-aus/400735638
cp8a Jamal Khashoggi
(A P)
Gesetzliche Frist verstrichen: US-Kongress vermisst Geheimdienstbericht über Mord an Khashoggi
In den USA wurde Ende 2019 ein Gesetz verabschiedet, welches den nationalen Nachrichtendienst aufforderte, binnen 30 Tagen einen Bericht über die Verantwortlichen am Mord des saudischen Journalisten Khashoggi zu übermitteln. Die Frist aber verstrich ohne eine Übermittlung.
Der Bericht des nationalen Geheimdienstes der USA, des DNI, hätte eine erste öffentliche Anerkennung von dem werden können, was die CIA bereits bestätigt hat. Die CIA war "mit hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit" zu dem Ergebnis gekommen, dass der saudische Kronprinz Mohammed bin Salman den Mord an Jamal Khashoggi im Istanbuler Konsulat angeordnet hatte.
Die Anweisung über den Geheimdienstbericht zum Mord an Khashoggi wurde im Rahmen des "National Defense Authorization Act" am 20. Dezember 2019 festgelegt. Vier Kongressausschüssen hätte der Direktor des nationalen Nachrichtendienstes, Joseph Maguire, den Bericht vorlegen sollen. Senator Ron Wyden aus Oregon forderte für den Kongress eine Erklärung angesichts der verstrichenen 30 Tage Frist. Diese gibt es bislang nicht. Unklar ist, ob der Bericht noch nicht fertiggestellt worden ist oder zurückgehalten wurde.
https://deutsch.rt.com/nordamerika/97254-gesetzliche-frist-verstrichen-us-kongress/
(A P)
U.S. senator presses for declassified report on Jamal Khashoggi's slaying
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said on Friday he will move to compel America’s intelligence chief to release information about the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi if the administration does not produce a report on the killing before the end of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.
Wyden was invoking the Senate’s power to unilaterally declassify intelligence material to push the Trump administration to release a report into the October 2018 killing of Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Such a report was due by law to have been released earlier this month, a deadline the Democratic senator said the administration had flouted.
Fortsetzung / Sequel: cp9 – cp18
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-619b-yemen-war-mosaic-619b
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-618-yemen-war-mosaic-618
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-618 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-618:
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 air raids:
Untersuchungen von Angriffen, hunderte von Filmen / Investigations of attacks, hundreds of films:
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