Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 632b- Yemen War Mosaic 632b

Yemen Press Reader 632b: 14. März 2020: Fortsetzung von Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 632, cp7 - cp18 / March 14, 2020: Sequel to Yemen War Mosaic 632, cp7 - cp18

Bei diesem Beitrag handelt es sich um ein Blog aus der Freitag-Community.
Ihre Freitag-Redaktion

Eingebetteter Medieninhalt

Dies ist die Fortsetzung von Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 632, Teil 1 / This is the sequel of Yemen War Mosaic 632, part 1:

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-632-yemen-war-mosaic-632/

Schwerpunkte / Key aspects

Kursiv: Siehe Teil 1 / In Italics: Look in part 1

Klassifizierung / Classification

Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject

cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important

cp1a Am wichtigsten: Seuchen / Most important: Epidemics

cp1b Am wichtigsten: Kampf um Hodeidah / Most important: Hodeidah battle

cp2 Allgemein / General

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: Spannungen am Golf / US-Iran crisis: Tensions at the Gulf

cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain

cp11 Deutschland / Germany

cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries

cp12b Sudan

cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms Trade

cp13b Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage

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

cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks

Siehe / Look at cp1b

(A P)

UN envoy for Yemen held a "constructive meeting" with Leader of Houthis in Sanaa

United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths said that he had held a "constructive meeting" on Thursday in the capital, Sanaa, with the leader of the Houthi group (Ansar Allah) Abdulmalik Al Houthi.

Griffiths added in a tweet published by his office on "Twitter", that during the meeting he expressed his concern about ongoing fighting in Al-Jawf and possible escalation in Marib.".

Unusually, the Houthi group did not report on the meeting nor did it address it in its media.

Earlier Thursday, the UN envoy met a number of leaders of the Houthi group, including sheikhs from the Marib governorate, and discussed with them the situation in the province, according to the Houthi-run Yemeni news agency "Saba".

https://debriefer.net/en/news-15598.html

(* A K P)

Security Council: Yemen

Briefings

MARTIN GRIFFITHS, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, emphasized that the county is at a critical juncture whereby the parties to the conflict will either move it towards de-escalation and a resumed political process or towards greater violence and suffering that will make negotiations difficult. Pointing to the military escalation in Al Jawf, he expressed concern about the impact of the violence on the people of that governorate, where thousands of families have been displaced and require shelter and assistance. The escalation could trigger conflicts in other governorates, creating a new cycle of violence with devastating humanitarian and political consequences, he warned, calling upon the parties to exercise maximum restraint and uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.

He went on to recall that, during his recent visit to Marib, he met with local government officials, political parties, tribal chiefs, leaders of civil society and displaced persons. He added that he heard a strong demand for peace, “but not a peace that would be dictated from a position of military dominance”, reiterating that there is no justification for military escalation in Marib. As for Hudaydah, he noted the continuing clashes in that city and in the southern part of the eponymous surrounding governorate, warning that developments since the recent incident at the joint observation post in Hudaydah city threaten to undermine de-escalation efforts and the achievements of the Redeployment Coordination Committee. He called upon both sides to work through established mechanisms to restore calm.

It is imperative that the parties agree to participate in a public, accountable, nationwide de-escalation mechanism that “quiets the tempo of war”, he continued, stressing that any discussion on de-escalation must be reinforced by efforts to resume the political process. All parties bear a responsibility to ease the impact of war on civilians, he added

RAMESH RAJASINGHAM, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Ad Interim, agreed that escalating hostilities have pushed peace further away, declaring: “This is dangerous territory.” Urging all parties to freeze military activities and work towards de‑escalation, he emphasized the urgent need to protect civilians, a requirement under international humanitarian law. He went on to point out that, although civilian casualties in 2019 fell by one third from the 2018 figures, children now account for 1 in 4 civilian casualties — up from 1 in 5 in 2018. More than half of all civilian casualties now occur in family homes, up from 40 per cent in 2018, he added.

Civilian casualties are rising again in 2020, with 187 killed or wounded in February alone, he continued, noting that the figure amounts to more than six people every day and a 20 per cent increase since January. Much of the increase is due to fighting in Al Jawf and Marib, he said, calling for an end to the violence and for a nationwide ceasefire. Equally important is safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access, he added, stressing that restrictions in the north have become untenable and “everyone agrees that a new approach is needed”. He said the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is intensifying dialogue with the de facto authorities to ensure conditions are in place to facilitate humanitarian efforts, preparing to adjust programmes in case they are not.

He went on to report that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is requesting that the de facto authorities process its 71 aid projects still pending approval. “We need more monitoring missions to be approved”, as well as urgent humanitarian assessments to proceed on the basis of global standards, he added. “These points are essential.” There are other challenges in Government-controlled areas, he said, noting that the Government has left 44 humanitarian projects pending approval and that a multi-sector needs assessment has again stalled in the south due to shifting Government demands. On funding for United Nations aid operations, he said more than 13 million people receive food and other assistance each month, but with delayed assessments in both the north and south, it is not yet possible to quantify any changes over the last year, he said.

And: statements of delegates

https://www.un.org/press/en/2020/sc14142.doc.htm

Briefings in full:

https://osesgy.unmissions.org/briefing-united-nations-security-council-un-special-envoy-yemen-%E2%80%93-mr-martin-griffiths and film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=an7LNtN_Liw

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/assistant-secretary-general-humanitarian-affairs-and-deputy-emergency-relief-3 and main points. https://www.unocha.org/story/yemen-thousands-flee-fighting-call-de-escalation

Deutsche Stellungnahme / German statement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjBkWKF0kDM

My comment: All the statements do not tell anything new: Western hypocrisy and Yemeni' Hadi government's anti-Houthi blame game (look at cp15 below).

(* A K P)

UN blasts ‘new and irresponsible’ offensive in northern Yemen

The United Nations peace envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths on Thursday criticised a rebel offensive in Al Jawf province as the “most alarming military escalation” currently occurring in the country’s gruelling civil war.

Addressing the UN Security Council, Mr Griffiths said he was troubled by the Houthi rebel seizure earlier this month of provincial capital Al Hazm after clashes with government forces and the subsequent exodus of refugees.

“I am deeply concerned about the rationale driving these escalations and the impact of the violence on Al Jawf’s people,” Mr Griffiths told diplomats in New York via a video-link.

“This escalation could trigger conflicts in other governorates and drag Yemen into a new and irresponsible cycle of violence.”

Describing his visit last week to Marib, a neighbouring province to Al Jawf, Griffiths spoke of violent clashes and raised tensions there, warning that “Marib must not become the next epicentre of the conflict.”

Also addressing the council, UN aid official Ramesh Rajasingham said “tens of thousands” of Al Hazm residents had fled the city, often heading to “remote desert areas” or to Marib, which is already home to 750,000 civilians displaced by previous rounds of fighting.

UN officials were “intensifying” talks with Houthi militia leaders about humanitarian operations, added Rajasingham, amid claims from aid agencies that the rebels have obstructed and diverted aid flows in the country’s north.

“We are intensifying dialogue with the de facto authorities to ensure the right conditions are in place to facilitate this work,” said Rajasingham. “We are also preparing to adjust programmes in case those conditions are not in place.”

https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/un-blasts-new-and-irresponsible-offensive-in-northern-yemen-1.991959

(A K P)

Yemeni [Hadi] gov't official says Houthis obstructs prisoner swap deal

The Houthi group impedes the application of prisoner swap dealinked in Jordan last month, a Yemeni official negotiator said Wednesday, two days after Houthi similar charges against the "legitimate" government.
"The Houthis have presented fake names and asked for their release," the Saudi Okadh paper quoted the official as saying, "Although we confirmed they had no existence in our prisons, Houthis are still insisting [on their release], leading to stalled deal."
"There are numbers and names already agreed to and prepared for swap, but the Houthi group make it conditional on the release of those named in sham lists," he added on condition of anonymity.
Disputed names are under discussion, as the government is waiting for UN and ICRC stance and necessary steps, the negotiator said.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-15567.html

(* B P)

Yemen in Focus: Financial reports expose millions of dollars in lavish UN 'corruption' budget

Financial reports that have surfaced online have exposed the United Nation's increasing budget for its Yemen office, where more than 22 million people are on the brink of famine.

The documents, first posted on Twitter by Yemeni activist and director of Peace Track Initiative, Rasha Jarhum, reveal millions of dollars in UN budgets across Yemen, including a $17 million 2019 budget for the office of UN Yemen envoy Martin Griffiths (OSESGY) as well as $56 million for the UN Mission for Implementing Hodeida Agreement (UNMHA).
The expected 2020 budget for OSESGY also shows an increased budget of $18 million, the documents reveal.

The large increase is due to "the basic operational needs, including the high costs of maintenance and security services, the acquisition of armoured vehicles for security needs, and the high costs of telecommunications services, networks and information services,” the report details.

In contrast, the UN's Syria office receive a budget of $16 million, as shown on the report.

A breakdown of the documents reveal Griffiths' office $1.3 million for aviation resources per annum since 2019, a stark increase from 2018 when just $276,000 was spent.

In Hodeida, UNMHA spent between $2.4-4.6 million per month to cover the costs of the mission, including the 138 personnel employed. A 2020 forecast shows plans to increase the number of employees to 159.

Most shockingly, a total of $3.8 million was spent by the UNMHA to rent a hotel for 2019 in Yemen's Hodeida city, as part of a total $56 million budget that is expected to decrease by $3 million in 2020.

The revelations sparked outrage on the social media platform, which raised questions on the investments made in Yemen, where millions face poverty and starvation as the brutal conflict continues for a fifth year.

“Accessing the information about the budgets by political missions in Yemen was not easy. Even with these two reports produced by the UN advisory committee, not all information is available. Only the budget about core operational funding was available without detailed breakdowns,” Rasha Jarhum told The New Arab.

“However, still the information was very shocking about exaggerated allocations on logistics. Especially when you think about what OSE and UNMHA have achieved in the peace process, which is nothing, while women led organisations doing the real peace-making work are facing so many challenges to obtain any funding at all,” she added.

As the war edges towards its fifth year, UN efforts to mediate between the warring Houthi rebels and Yemen's internationally-recognised government have failed to blossom into little more than prisoner swap deals and temporary ceasefire agreements.

https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2020/3/11/yemen-in-focus-leaked-financial-reports-expose-un-budget

and what the Hadi government makes out of this:

(A P)

Hadi government: UN mission failed to implement Stockholm Agreement despite $56 million budget

Yemen’s Information Minister Muammar Al-Eryani called on the UN to assess the performance of its Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement

Yemen’s internationally recognized government criticized the United Nations Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) for failing to make progress in implementing the agreement, which averted a potentially devastating battle for the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, despite huge annual budgets.

"The UN mission failed to force the Houthis to fulfill any of its obligations in the agreement, withdraw from the ports and city of Hodeidah, and control the ceasefire violations,” Yemen’s Information Minister Muammar Al-Eryani said in a series of tweets after reviewing leaked financial documents revealing the UNMHA's 2019 budget of $56 million. The documents also contained the budgets of the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen (OSESGY), led by Martin Griffiths.

Al-Eryani said that the UNMHA "confirmed through its latest statement that it is being held hostage by the Houthis, is blackmailed and pressured and so unable to perform its duties professionally and impartially."

https://al-masdaronline.net/national/454

(A P)

Jemen-Sonderbeauftragte Martin Griffiths kommt in Sanaa an

https://www.saba.ye/de/news3090511.htm

(A P)

Griffiths arrives in Sanaa to discuss stopping escalation in Marib and prisoners' file

Martin Griffiths and his deputy, Maeen Soreim, arrived on board an UN plane on Wednesday in the capital Sanaa.

An international source said, during his visit to Sana'a, Martin Griffiths will discuss with the leadership of Ansar Allah group (Houthis), reducing the military escalation with the internationally recognized government forces in the Marib Governorate.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-15564.html

and also https://www.uprising.today/un-envoy-arrives-in-sanaa-for-new-consultations/

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2176471/griffiths-visits-sanaa-briefing-security-council

(A P)

Yemen’s Legitimacy Holds Onto 3 References

Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik said on Tuesday that his country holds onto the three references as a condition for comprehensive peace with Houthi militias.

“The path to a peace (deal) between the government and the Houthi militants is clear but faces the obstacle of Houthi intransigence,” the PM said.

The three references are represented by the Gulf initiative, its executive mechanism, outcomes of the national dialogue and relevant UN resolutions, mainly resolution 2216.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2174281/yemen%E2%80%99s-legitimacy-holds-3-references

My comment: This is the Hadi government’s permanent maximalism, the greatest obstacle to peace. They claim: Any peace must be our victory. We are the only „legitimate“ government. The Houthis must disarm.

cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia

(A H P)

Film: Disturbing trend in #SaudiArabia limiting healthcare. This #Arab tribal woman was not allowed to give birth in #Dammam hospital because her family is “bidoon” without. She gave birth inside an SVU. Saudi monarchy is against real Arabs

https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1238544737331748864

(* B P)

Trump stays silent as Saudi Arabia's crown prince orchestrates another brazen power grab

What has allowed the prince such a free hand? Certainly he has benefited from the unalloyed support of his father, but he also has innumerable enablers.

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is facing some existential problems. He's losing the war in Yemen, the coronavirus has forced him to scale back visits by millions to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, and the plummeting price of oil on the back of a supply war with Russian President Vladimir Putin are together shaking the most fundamental underpinnings of his leadership — not to mention threatening a global recession.

So what does he do? He takes a leaf out of President Donald Trump's playbook by getting rid of some of his most (allegedly) troublesome opponents. Instead of a simple purge, however, the crown prince, known by his initials, MBS, took the far more dramatic step.

Throughout, criticism of the crown prince has quietly been mounting at home. He wants desperately to succeed his father on the throne; King Salman is now 84 and said to be frail.

What has allowed the crown prince such a free hand? Certainly he has benefited from the unalloyed support of his father, who seems to accept his son's overt power grabs. Unanimity is vital since the next king is not chosen until the previous one has died. The crown prince clearly wants nothing left to chance.

But he also has innumerable enablers — world leaders and business leaders alike — who have repeatedly failed to confront the leader. Amazon's Jeff Bezos was photographed beaming next to him not long before the crown prince was revealed to have ordered the disastrous hacking of Bezos' cellphone.

Trump is a particularly bad offender.

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/trump-stays-silent-saudi-arabia-s-crown-prince-orchestrates-another-ncna1155976

(A P)

Saudi Arabia is the queen of coronavirus disinformation. They've put the minority Shia region under a quasi military blockade, used their media to accuse the locals of spreading the virus purposefully (treason), and strictly forbade reporting cases outside the region.

https://twitter.com/LuaiAlsadiq/status/1238114366865670145

(A P)

Breaking: Since the arrests of #Saudi monarchists Mohamed bin Naif & others in the ruling family, the country’s strongman #MBS hasn’t not been seen & skipped the weekly cabinet meeting. His last outing was March 3 with @MorganStanley CEO James Gorman

https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1238210651769769984

https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1238217746078367749

(* B P)

The Saudi royal family appear unaware of the dangers of settling scores among themselves

The kingdom was never the pool of tranquillity that its rulers have claimed – it’s history has been one of coup and counter-coup

The royal family has said nothing – it has certainly issued no denial – but there is much talk, as there always is among the dictatorships of the Middle East, of a plot to overthrow the effective ruler of the kingdom, of an impending coup d’etat, and of rank treachery towards MbS himself.

Intriguingly, Reuters quoted a “source” in the region saying that Crown Prince Mohammed had accused the new detainees “of conducting contacts with foreign powers, including the Americans and others, to carry out a coup d’etat”. Even more intriguingly, the western media – including the Wall Street Journal, which broke the original story – did not speculate on just who the “Americans and others” might be. Instead, MbS’s actions were described in the press as “desperate”, “rash”, “paranoid” and the crown prince himself as “mercurial”.

This is perhaps a bad sign for MbS: “mercurial” was the designation that we gave Colonel Gaddafi when he first showed signs of antipathy towards the west; he had first been feted by us as a fresh and reformist Libyan leader after the overthrow of corrupt King Idris. And Gaddafi ended up, we may all recall now, as a “tyrant”.

MbS hasn’t yet achieved this exclusive moniker. But who, if all these reports are correct, are the “Americans” who were supposedly keen to back a coup by the assorted princes? Surely not the equally “mercurial” Donald Trump. Nor Jared Kushner, the philosopher king of Israeli-Arab peace who is believed to be especially “close” to the 34-year old heir to the throne of Saudi Arabia – the heir who launched the frightful war on Yemen in 2015 that has so far directly caused the death of at least 10,000 civilians.

So far as the US administration is concerned, Crown Prince Mohammed is one of America’s most valued arms buyers, even if his desire to buy what Trump calls his “beautiful” weapons is not always matched by the billions of dollars that he has promised Washington.

However, there’s little doubt that the American intelligence services take a quite different view of the plucky crown prince.

In the Middle East today, every autocrat fears the Arab revolt that first emerged in Tunisia in 2010. Will it end in Saudi Arabia, the land where Islam was born, in a battle not between the people and the king but in fratricidal strife between the thousands of princes who now seek prestige and power beneath the umbrella of mutually antagonistic members of the royal family? And can Mohammed bin Salman really be blamed if he fears this very outcome? – by Robert Fisk

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/saudi-arabia-royal-family-arrests-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-warning-a9398126.html

(* B P)

Analysis: There is a perfect storm brewing in Saudi Arabia

Saudi royals and officials have been arrested in what appears to be an effort by MBS to consolidate power. But why now?

The decision to make these arrests has been met with surprise by some who have questioned why and why now.

Two separate issues are at play here. First is the sense of a crown prince on a mission to eradicate all forms of dissent and to ensure a smooth transition to becoming king. In line with this, the arrests sent a strong message to critics within the kingdom, consolidating power and calling on members of the ruling family to "fall in line" behind the "son king".

Arresting three prominent members of the house of Saud is a symbolic demonstration of power from the crown prince. Indeed, in arresting Mohammed bin Nayef, the former crown prince, MBS is sending a clear message to those across the kingdom that opposition will not be tolerated.

Prince Ahmed, the king's brother, had recently returned from London and had allegedly been given guarantees of his safety on moving back to Saudi Arabia. While in London, Ahmed appeared to court controversy when he seemed to suggest that the king and crown prince, rather than the Al Saud family more generally, ought to be held responsible for the kingdom's military exploits in Yemen.

Since being named crown prince, MBS has wielded almost complete power across the Saudi state.

Why now?

The second issue concerns the timing. Facing a range of parabolic pressures from domestic and international sources, the Saudi state is in a precarious position, with much at stake for MBS, the architect of the kingdom's future trajectory.

Hugely popular among the youth, the crown prince quickly embarked on a wide-ranging programme of social, cultural and economic reforms that have sought to transform the kingdom away from a reliance on oil and to reduce the power of religious leaders.

However, the speed of transformation has been a source of anger among the more socially conservative elements of society

Although social transformations and liberalisation have been welcomed by many, these come at a cost and will not assuage everyday concerns about the cost of living and pressures to find jobs in the private sector.

As the kingdom embarks on a costly battle with Russia and the US over shale gas, this economic pressure will only increase, bringing with it the scope for further anger at the status quo.

Having been appointed crown prince in 2017, MBS has steadily sought to erode all forms of dissent and opposition to his rule, both in the kingdom and beyond – by Simon Mabon

https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/analysis-perfect-storm-brewing-saudi-arabia-200310053406818.html

(A P)

A source close to Belqees Channel said that the authorities of al-Wadea land border crossing prevented Yemenis from entering Saudi Arabia, including residents and Umrah performers. The authorities allowed only trucks and large goods vehicles to pass

https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1237905805510393856

(A P)

Saudi Arabia widens travel ban; Kuwait reassures citizens

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-saudi-travel/saudi-arabia-widens-travel-ban-kuwait-reassures-citizens-idUSKBN20Z03K

(A P)

Saudi Arabia suspends travel, flights to EU, several other countries over coronavirus

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-saudi-travel/saudi-arabia-suspends-travel-flights-to-eu-several-other-countries-over-coronavirus-idUSKBN20Z03K

(* B P)

EXCLUSIVE: Top Saudi intelligence official 'chased' to Canada by MBS

Even after he reached Canada, source says Saad al-Jabri was harassed by Crown Prince and may have been the target of a rendition attempt

The Canadian government gave refuge to a powerful former Saudi intelligence official deemed a threat to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's rule, three sources familiar with the matter have told Middle East Eye.

Saad al-Jabri, once a trusted top adviser to the crown prince's rival Mohammed bin Nayef, the former interior minister with deep ties to western intelligence agencies, is described by some observers as the most wanted Saudi outside the kingdom.

Jabri fled the kingdom in 2017 just before bin Nayef was put under house arrest and replaced as crown prince by his 31-year-old cousin.

His refuge in Canada raises new questions about an unprecedented diplomatic row between Ottawa and Riyadh in the summer of 2018.

A second source says even in Canada, the former official continued to be pursued, receiving intimidating messages from Mohammed bin Salman. There was also concern that there was a rendition attempt on Canadian soil to bring Jabri back to the kingdom, the source said.

MEE has been unable to independently verify this source’s account. Canadian Security Intelligence Services declined to comment.

Chased to Canada

After initially fleeing through Germany in the summer of 2017, Jabri travelled on to the US and is believed to have stayed in the Boston area. During this time, he wrote a blog post for Harvard University’s Belfer Center.

However, despite extensive relationships with the US intelligence community as Nayef’s aide, two sources informed on the matter said he did not feel safe in the US with Donald Trump in power. Instead, he went to Canada where officials secured his refuge in November 2017 and, a month later, several members of his family.

A third source with knowledge of Jabri’s situation told MEE that when he arrived in Canada, he was being chased by the Saudis who were willing to do anything to get him back.

'MBS is the camel'

Revelations of the Canadian government’s assistance to Jabri and his family will raise questions about the diplomatic row that broke out between Ottawa and Riyadh in August 2018.

Until now, the spat has been understood to have started after Canada’s embassy in Riyadh tweeted in Arabic, calling for the release of rights activists including Samar Badawi.

Off the radar

Aside from his blog post, Jabri has been off the public radar since he left the kingdom although several Saudi and Gulf sources told MEE that they had heard that he was in Canada – by Dania Akkad

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/exclusive-top-saudi-intelligence-official-fled-canada-crown-prince

(* A P)

Saudi Arabia has asked state agencies to implement big budget cuts: sources

Saudi Arabia has asked state agencies to submit proposals for cuts of at least 20% to their budgets in a fresh austerity drive to cope with a sharp drop in oil prices, four sources familiar with the matter said.

They said the requests were made more than a week ago due to concerns about the impact of the coronavirus epidemic on crude markets and ahead of the collapse of an oil output deal between OPEC and its allies on Friday.

The Saudi finance ministry instructed government agencies to submit proposals for cuts of between 20% and 30% in their 2020 budget, the four sources said. The sources declined to be identified as the cuts have not been made public.

The foreign ministry has already implemented a 20% cut, one of the sources said, adding that the cuts will not impact salaries but projects could be postponed and contracts yet to be awarded could be delayed.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-economy-budget/saudi-arabia-has-asked-state-agencies-to-implement-big-budget-cuts-sources-idUSKBN20Y0QA

(A E P)

Saudi, UAE economies rocked by plunging oil prices and virus

The one-day 25% drop in oil prices on Monday sent world markets tumbling amid disruptions across the globe due to a new and fast-spreading virus. In the Gulf, more than $400 billion was sold off in markets on the first two days of trading this week before regaining some of those losses by mid-week

Stock in the kingdom’s mostly state-owned oil company, Saudi Aramco, plunged dramatically before rebounding almost 10% on Tuesday only to drop again Wednesday, pushing its shares to below the December IPO price.

The volatility comes as Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman embarks on another round of risky gambles, this time in response to challenges from the new coronavirus.

https://apnews.com/89eb9c497a7ce5203c7b57abd8517f9a

and

(A E P)

Saudi Aramco to boost capacity; Abu Dhabi to increase supply

Saudi Arabia steamed ahead on Wednesday with its new energy play by directing the kingdom’s oil company Aramco on Wednesday to increase its maximum production capacity, while Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas company ADNOC followed suit by saying it was boosting output by 25% to 4 million barrels per day.

https://apnews.com/2620b12074954047023c5f7740591cf9

(* B E P)

Ein komplettes Blutbad

Saudi-Arabiens Ölpreiskrieg zielt auf USA und Russland ab
Die Erdölnachfrage ist unter anderem wegen der Auswirkungen der Corona-Krise eingebrochen, weshalb das Ölkartell OPEC zusammen mit Russland weitere Förderkürzungen durchsetzen wollte. Doch Moskau lehnte ab, woraufhin Saudi-Arabien die Hähne aufdrehte und einen Ölpreisschock auslöste.
(…) Doch die Entscheidung Saudi-Arabiens, mit der Öffnung von Ölschleusen die Märkte mit dem schwarzen Gold zu überfluten, sorgte für einen dramatischen Preisverfall des Ölpreises, der die ohnehin panischen Börsen am Montag auf rekordverdächtige Talfahrten schickte.
Mit der Überflutung der Märkte mit billigem Rohöl erklärte Saudi-Arabien insbesondere Russland und den USA eine Art Preiskrieg. Dabei geht es um den Kampf um Marktanteile, die Riad befürchtet weiter zu verlieren.

https://deutsch.rt.com/international/99046-komplettes-blutbad-saudi-arabiens-oelpreiskrieg/

cp9 USA

Siehe / Look at cp1

(* A K P)

US-Kongress will eigenmächtige Militäraktion Trumps gegen Iran verhindern

Eine Mehrheit der Abgeordneten stimmte für die Beschränkung der Militärbefugnisse des Präsidenten. Der kann dagegen ein Veto einlegen
Der US-Kongress hat eine Resolution verabschiedet, mit der die militärischen Befugnisse von Präsident Donald Trump im Konflikt mit dem Iran beschnitten werden sollen. Der bereits im Senat beschlossene Text passierte am Mittwoch mit 227 zu 186 Stimmen auch das Repräsentantenhaus. Die Maßnahme ist allerdings weitgehend symbolisch: Trump dürfte sein Veto gegen die Resolution einlegen. Der Text untersagt dem Präsidenten den Einsatz militärischer Gewalt gegen Teheran ohne vorherige Genehmigung des Kongresses. Allerdings erlaubt er ausdrücklich Maßnahmen, um einen drohenden Angriff gegen die USA zu verhindern.

https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000115671053/kongress-will-eigenmaechtige-militaeraktion-trumps-bei-iran-verhindern

(A P)

Detroit-Based Shiite Imam Hassan Qazwini Praises Houthis for Saudi Oil Field Attacks, Says: If Iran Launched the Attacks, It Is Trump's Fault Because He Withdrew from the JCPOA

https://www.memri.org/tv/detroit-based-shiite-imam-qazwini-praise-houthi-iran-abqaiq-khurais-trump-fault-jcpoa

cp9a USA-Iran Krise: Spannungen am Golf / US-Iran crisis: Tensions at the Gulf

(* B P)

Kriegsgefahr und Lebenslügen

Der Mord an Soleimani und die Heuchelei der globalen Linken
Trumps illegaler Mord am iranischen General Qassem Soleimani brachten die Welt so nahe an einen katastrophalen US-Iran-Krieg wie seit der Islamischen Revolution von 1979 nicht. Im Zuge des Soleimani-Mords verfielen viele in der globalen anti-imperialistischen Bewegung einmal mehr infantilen Dichotomien und glorifizierten den brutalen iranischen General zu ihrem „anti-imperialistischen Helden“ – wie wir es immer wieder auch im Kontext von Russland, Syrien und Iran beobachten können.

http://justicenow.de/2020-03-13/kriegsgefahr-und-lebensluegen/ = https://www.freitag.de/autoren/jakob-reimann-justicenow/kriegsgefahr-und-lebensluegen

(* B P)

Film: The US Kills Iran with Covid-19

U.S. sanctions against Iran are making Covid-19 deadlier.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2531090970442273

(* A P)

FM Zarif writes letter to UN chief, urges US brutal sanctions to be lifted for fighting coronavirus

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Thursday that Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a letter to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for removing all the unilateral sanctions imposed by the US to help fight coronavirus.

Mousavi wrote on his Twitter account that in his letter, a copy of which was sent to all international organizations' chiefs and foreign ministers of all countries, Zarif stressed the need for lifting all US' illegal and unilateral sanctions in order to be able to counter the highly contagious virus.

https://en.irna.ir/news/83711680/FM-Zarif-writes-letter-to-UN-chief-urges-US-brutal-sanctions

(* A P)

Iran asks for billions in loans as virus death toll climbs

Iran said Thursday it asked the International Monetary Fund for a $5 billion loan to fight the coronavirus, the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that it has sought such assistance, in a staggering admission of how fragile its economy has become amid the epidemic and punishing U.S. sanctions.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that the Washington-based IMF should “stand on right side of history & act responsibly” by releasing the funds. He also said the fight against the virus, which has infected more than 10,000 people in Iran and killed hundreds, has been “stymied by vast shortages caused by restrictions,” a reference to the U.S. sanctions.

Even before the virus struck, Iran’s economy was being battered by plunging oil prices and the sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump since May 2018 after he unilaterally withdrew the United States from the nuclear deal that Tehran struck with world powers.

https://apnews.com/1fef4a291cb9332d2c86941318b51f74

(B P)

Bundeswehr bleibt: Doppelter Betrug an den Bürgern Iraks und Deutschlands

Gegen den Willen des irakischen Parlaments soll der Bundeswehreinsatz in Irak verlängert werden. Das widerspricht auch Ankündigungen der SPD. Dieses Vorhaben erscheint imperialistisch und anmaßend – und es lässt „russische Einmischungen“ im Vergleich zu jenen des Westens einmal mehr harmlos erscheinen. Zusätzlich wird der Erosion der Demokratie auch in Deutschland Vorschub geleistet. Von Tobias Riegel.

https://www.nachdenkseiten.de/?p=59218

(* A K P)

Vergeltungsangriff der USA auf schiitische Miliz im Irak

Nach dem tödlichen Raketenangriff auf Truppen der US-geführten Anti-IS-Koalition im Irak haben die USA Luftangriffe gegen eine Iran-treue Schiitenmiliz geflogen. Das Pentagon teilte mit, Ziel des „defensiven Präzisionsschlags“ am Donnerstagabend seien fünf Waffenlager der proiranischen Miliz Kataib Hisbollah gewesen. Die Miliz wird für den Raketenangriff auf den Stützpunkt Tadschi nördlich der irakischen Hauptstadt Bagdad verantwortlich gemacht.

https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article206527059/Irak-US-Vergeltungsangriffe-gegen-Schiitenmiliz.html

und

(* A K P)

US-Vergeltungsschlag verstärkt Spannungen im Irak

Nach dem Angriff auf einen US-Stützpunkt haben US-Streitkräfte mehrere Ziele im Irak attackiert. Der irakische Präsident Barham Salih rügt das Vorgehen, das Außenministerium bestellte den britischen und den US-Botschafter ein.

Der Präsident des Irak, Barham Salih, hat die amerikanischen Bombenangriffe auf mehrere Ziele in verschiedenen irakischen Provinzen als Angriff auf die Souveränität des Landes bezeichnet. Das meldete die irakische Nachrichtenagentur INA. Der irakische Staat werde gefährlich geschwächt und drohe, ins Chaos abzugleiten. Das Außenministerium in Bagdad bestellte die Botschafter der USA und Großbritanniens ein.

https://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/irak-us-vergeltungsschlag-verstaerkt-spannungen-a-8461bd25-9e32-474f-bf2c-27a7a9575613

(* A K P)

Iraq summons US, UK ambassadors over air raids

Iraq's army denounces overnight US air attacks that killed six, including civilian, calls them violation of sovereignty.

Iraq's foreign minister has summoned the ambassadors of the United States and United Kingdom over a series of deadly air raids against Iraqi military positions overnight.

It came after Iraq's military said at least one civilian and five security personnel were killed in the US raids, which it denounced as a violation of sovereignty and a targeted aggression against Iraq's armed forces.

The civilian killed in the overnight attack was a cook working at an airport under construction in Karbala, the military said in a statement. The death toll included three soldiers and two policemen, while four soldiers, two policemen, one civilian and five militiamen were wounded, it said.

Reporting from Baghdad, Al Jazeera's Simona Foltyn said there had been "widespread condemnation" of the attacks that targeted different southern positions belonging to the Popular Mobilisation Forces, an umbrella organisation of several armed militias, with the latest incident likely to once again ignite calls in Iraq for the expulsion of US troops.

Citing the military's statement, Foltyn said the "fatalities suggest that these air strikes were not as precise as the US said that they were, and this is rather embarrassing for the US because the Iraqi army and police are its partners under the coalition to fight ISIL.

"Essentially, rather than deterring Kataib Hezbollah and other Iranian-linked groups from conducting further attacks on US servicemen, the US in fact ended up further rupturing the relationship between its Iraqi partners and its presence here in Iraq."

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/civilian-killed-air-raids-iraqi-military-200313100551640.html

(A K P)

Hezbollah Brigades in Iraq Praises Taji Operation, Calls for More Operations to Expel US Troops

Hezbollah Brigades in Iraq praised the perpetrators of the operation that targeted the US troops at Iraq’s Camp Taji base, explaining that the time for carrying out the operation was appropriate and successful.

In a statement issued Thursday, Hezbollah Brigades called on all national and popular forces in Iraq to resume their operations to expel the occupation forces and aggressors from their Land.

https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=11665

(* A K P)

Iraq army says US strikes kill 5 security forces, 1 civilian

Iraq’s military said five security force members and a civilian were killed early Friday in a barrage of U.S. airstrikes launched hours after a rocket attack killed and wounded American and British servicemen at a base north of Baghdad.

An Iran-backed Shiite militia group vowed to exact revenge for the U.S. strikes, potentially signalling another cycle of tit-for-tat violence between Washington and Tehran that could play out inside Iraq.

U.S. officials said the airstrikes’ intended targets were mainly weapons facilities belonging to Kataib Hezbollah, the militia group believed to be responsible for Wednesday’s attack on Camp Taji base.

However, Iraq’s military said the strikes killed three Iraqi army commandos and two federal police officers. A Shiite endowment in the holy city of Karbala said the strikes resulted in the death of one civilian in an airport complex being constructed by the endowment.

https://apnews.com/146e44c061e8a524d3605ba452357200

photos: https://twitter.com/IraqiSecurity/status/1238843449115369473

https://twitter.com/OIRSpox/status/1238802120314404869

and

(* A K P)

US general: US strikes destroy weapons depots, more remain

The U.S. retaliatory airstrikes against militants in Iraq destroyed five weapons depots, but the top U.S commander for the Middle East acknowledged Friday that there are many similar sites that the U.S. has so far not hit because of potential civilian casualties and political sensitivities with the Iraqi government.

Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie said the U.S. decision to target the Iranian-backed Shiite militia group that killed American and British troops in a rocket attack this week sends a strong message to Iran and its proxies. But he said that as the threat of continued attacks remains high and tensions with Iran have not gone down, the U.S. is beefing up military assets in the region.

“What should now be obvious to everyone is you’re not going to be able to fire those at a U.S. or coalition base, hurt or kill our people, and escape unscathed,” McKenzie told Pentagon reporters

https://apnews.com/5ff9d48d1bdb2d2b1e4243d18930b159

and

(* A K P)

Pentagon: US strikes Iran-backed group that hit Iraq base

The U.S. launched airstrikes Thursday in Iraq, targeting the Iranian-backed Shia militia members believed responsible for the rocket attack that killed and wounded American and British troops at a base north of Baghdad, the Pentagon said..

U.S. officials said multiple strikes by U.S. fighter jets hit five locations and mainly targeted Kataib Hezbollah weapons facilities inside Iraq. A Defense Department statement said the strikes targeted five weapons storage facilities “to significantly degrade their ability to conduct future attacks.”

The strikes marked a rapid escalation in tensions with Tehran and its proxy groups in Iraq

“The United States will not tolerate attacks against our people, our interests, or our allies,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper said. “As we have demonstrated in recent months, we will take any action necessary to protect our forces in Iraq and the region.”

https://apnews.com/5ff9d48d1bdb2d2b1e4243d18930b159

and

(* A K P)

US wages airstrikes against multiple Hashd Sha’abi positions across Iraq

The United States has carried out a string of airstrikes against multiple locations of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), better known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha’abi, only a day after more than a dozen of the Iraqi fighters were killed by airstrikes targeting an area in Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour.

The Iraqi Interior Ministry's Security Media Cell announced in a statement that “at 01:15 local time on Thursday (2215 Wednesday) an American aerial bombardment struck headquarters of Hashd al-Sha’abi, emergency regiments as well as commandos from the 19th Division of the army.”

The statement added that the airstrikes targeted positions in Jurf al-Nasr town, located about 60 kilometers southwest of the capital Baghdad, Musayyib town in the central province of Babil, the holy shrine city of Najaf as well as the ancient central city of Alexandria.

https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/03/13/620748/US-wages-airstrikes-against-multiple-Hashd-Sha%E2%80%99abi-positions-across-Iraq

(* A K P)

US Airstrikes on Iraq Kill Three Iraqi Army Soldiers, Injure Four Others

Three Iraqi army soldiers were killed and four wounded, police in Babel province said in a statement. Five military fighters and one policeman were also injured, they said, adding that the fate of two more policemen was unknown.

https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=11678

(* A K P)

Drei Soldaten der US-geführten Koalition im Irak getötet

Auf dem Stützpunkt Tadschi im Irak hat es einen Raketenangriff gegeben. Drei Soldaten sollen dabei getötet worden sein.

Bei einem Raketenangriff im Irak sind nach offiziellen Angaben drei Soldaten der US-geführten Koalitionstruppen getötet worden.

Zwölf weitere Soldaten seien bei dem Beschuss einer Basis verwundet worden, teilte die von den USA angeführte Koalition gegen die Terrormiliz Islamischer Staat (IS) mit. Auf dem Stützpunkt Tadschi seien «ungefähr 18» Katjuscha-Raketen eingeschlagen. Irakische Sicherheitskräfte hätten wenige Kilometer entfernt ein Fahrzeug gefunden, das für den Abschuss von Raketen umfunktioniert gewesen sei. Tadschi sei eine irakische Basis, auf der sich Koalitionstruppen zur Ausbildung und Beratung aufhielten.

https://www.lkz.de/%C3%BCberregionales_artikel,-drei-soldaten-der-us-gefuehrten-koalition-im-irak-getoetet-_arid,585846.html

(* A K P)

2 Americans and 1 British national killed in rocket attack on base in Iraq

Two Americans and a British national were killed in a rocket attack on a military base in Taji, Iraq, that one US official said is likely the work of Iran, raising the prospect that military tensions could flare up in the region once again.

US Central Command spokesman Capt. William Urban confirmed that two US service members and one coalition service member were killed in the Katyusha rocket attack.

The US will go after the perpetrators inside Iraq, a second defense official told CNN, adding that based on weapons and tactics used, there is every reason to believe Iranian-backed fighters or Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corp were behind the attack.

The Iraqi military found a pick-up truck with a rocket launcher mounted in the back and three rockets still in the chambers that was believed to be involved in the attack on the the Taji military base north of Baghdad.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/11/politics/americans-killed-iraq-rocket-attack/index.html

and

(A K P)

"ISIS doesn't have this capability," I am told by a US military source. The US military is still treating the wounded right now, which number more than 11.

https://twitter.com/JenGriffinFNC/status/1237831760207130625

and

(A K P)

Reminder: Pres Trump threatened military action against Iran in a Jan tweet after Soleimani's death, promising to hit Iran "VERY FAST AND VERY HARD" if Tehran struck US troops / assets. If US confirms Iran is behind today's strikes, it could cross Trump's line for a kinetic reply

https://twitter.com/JackDetsch_ALM/status/1237851192778035205

and

(* A K P)

Coalition airstrikes targeted headquarters of Fatimiyoon in al-Hazm and Sak area; and Iraqi KH headquarters in Sina’ah area; Iraqi KSS, and headquarters on the road between Suwayiah and Badiya area; and Iraqi HAN headquarters in Albu Kamal.

https://twitter.com/hushamalhashimi/status/1237864648252112897

(A P)

The Iranian government released an official coronavirus app for Iranians, but Google pulled it from its app store

The Iranian government released a coronavirus app named AC19, but Google removed it from its Play Store this week.

The app „tries to reach a clinical decision by asking a few medical questions,“according to its description.

Though some worried that the app was intended as a spying tool for the Iranian government, a ZDNet report found the software free of spyware.

Instead, it’s said to have been removed by Google due to a claim that it could detect coronavirus patients solely through the app.

The answer appears to be more simple than that: Iranian developer accounts aren’t allowed on Google Play, according to public terms of service statements from Google.

https://www.businessinsider.de/international/iran-coronavirus-app-pulled-by-google-2020-3/?r=US&IR=T

(A P)

Iran urges S. Arabia to shun politicizing coronavirus disease

https://en.irna.ir/news/83709360/Iran-urges-S-Arabia-to-shun-politicizing-coronavirus-disease

(* A K P)

The Americans are in Iraq on a mission of destruction: Scholar

“The Americans are in Iraq on a mission of destruction,” according to Kevin Barrett, an American scholar and political commentator.

The Pentagon on Sunday announced that two US troops have been killed by “enemy forces” while accompanying Iraqi security forces in Iraq.

“Well, the Pentagon just announced that two more American soldiers have been killed by what they called enemy forces in Iraq. The term enemy forces could refer, of course, to all sorts of things because the United States is in Iraq as an occupier and an aggressor. And under international law, every Iraqi has the right if not the duty to use force to expel the occupying power. So pretty much everybody in Iraq would be considered an enemy of the occupation,” said Barrett, an author, journalist and radio host with a Ph.D. in Islamic and Arabic Studies.

https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/03/10/620572/%E2%80%98Americans-are-in-Iraq-on-a-mission-of-destruction%E2%80%99

cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain

(A P)

"The world's worst humanitarian crisis can't afford to deteriorate any longer"- Calling for de-escalation in Yemen

Statement by Ambassador Karen Pierce, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the Security Council briefing on Yemen.

The conflict cannot be solved on the battlefield and I want to talk about the continuing obstructions put on the Redeployment Coordination Committee by the Houthis. I note the announcement today that the Government of Yemen has suspended its participation in the Committee. Less engagement is not the route to bringing peace to Hodeidah or to Yemen as a whole. Again, the United Kingdom urges and implores all the parties to constructively cooperate with General Guha and UNMHA.

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-worlds-worst-humanitarian-crisis-cant-afford-to-deteriorate-any-longer-calling-for-de-escalation-in-yemen

My comment: Bla bla. The UK has fueled this conflict by arms sales and heavy support for one side of the conflict. Simply keep out. At least, she had to say something reasonable on Hodeidah, quoted here.

Comment: "So the United Kingdom says today to all the parties, please act in good faith." Meanwhile the UK continues to enable the Saudi-led war on Yemen through arms sales and logistical support. They are in no position to ask others to act in "good faith".

https://twitter.com/YemenSource/status/1238180021715505161

cp11 Deutschland / Germany

(* A K P)

Keine Rüstungsexporte für die Jemen-Militärkoalition Offener Brief von mehr als 32 Organisationen: Rüstungsexportmoratorium muss ausgeweitet werden
24 Millionen Jemenit*innen leiden seit 5 Jahren

Am 31.03.2020 endet das Rüstungsexportmoratorium gegen Saudi-Arabien. Deswegen fordern 32 deutsche und internationale Organisationen erneut einen umfassenden Rüstungsexportstopp für alle Länder der von Saudi-Arabien geführten Militärkoalition im Jemen-Krieg. Jetzt, da die Bundesregierung erneut über das Moratorium entscheidet und die Lage im Jemen weiter verheerend ist, wenden sich die Organisationen in einem offenen Brief an die Mitglieder des Bundessicherheitsrates und appellieren an sie, konsequent zu handeln:

"Es braucht ein umfassendes, rechtlich verbindliches und zeitlich nicht befristetes Rüstungsexportverbot für alle Mitglieder der von Saudi-Arabien geführten Militärkoalition, solange diese am bewaffneten Konflikt beteiligt sind oder die Gefahr besteht, dass auch deutsche Rüstungsgüter zu Menschen- und Völkerrechtsverletzungen im Jemen beitragen", heißt es in dem offenen Brief.

Die unterzeichnenden Friedens-, Hilfs- und Menschenrechtsorganisationen fordern zudem die Abschaffung bestehender Ausnahmen für deutsche Komponentenlieferungen im Rahmen europäischer Gemeinschaftsprojekte und die Ausweitung des Verbots auf bereits erteilte Exportgenehmigungen.

https://www.presseportal.de/pm/6745/4546868

und

(A K P)

Rund 60 Organisationen und Verbände fordern umfassendes Rüstungsexportverbot für Jemen-Militärkoalition

https://www.lebenshaus-alb.de/magazin/012852.html

cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries

(A E P)

UAE joins Saudi in opening oil taps as row with Russia hits crude prices

The United Arab Emirates joined Saudi Arabia on Wednesday in promising to raise oil output to a record high in April, as the two Gulf Arab oil producers in OPEC took a united stand in a standoff with Russia that has hammered global crude prices.

The extra oil the two Gulf allies plan to add is equivalent to 3.6% of global supplies and will pour into a market at a time when global fuel demand in 2020 is forecast to contract for the first time in almost a decade due to the coronavirus outbreak.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-aramco-output-capacity/uae-joins-saudi-in-opening-oil-taps-as-row-with-russia-hits-crude-prices-idUSKBN20Y0PO

and also https://apnews.com/2620b12074954047023c5f7740591cf9

cp12b Sudan

(* B K P)

Where Next for Sudan’s Soldiers of Fortune? Army Withdrawal from Yemen Signals Wider Reform

The Gulf Origins of Sudan’s Army-for-Hire and its Inherent Political Limit

At the outset of the Yemeni civil war in 2015, Saudi Arabia aimed to build up its ground forces with the armies of both allies and potential allies. Then-dictator Bashir offered his experienced soldiers to Saudi Arabia and the UAE in exchange for funds that Sudan desperately needed (Terrorism Monitor, October 27, 2017). For roughly five years, tens of thousands of Sudanese troops (including youths in their early teens) cycled in and out of deployments, often engaging in the heaviest of the fighting. Many Sudanese sought out the mission in Yemen for its high rate of pay, which posed an alluring sum in Sudan’s dire economy (Al-Jazeera, December 29, 2018).

While Sudan’s regular military mostly deployed to the border areas between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, it was the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from Darfur, led by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, (a.k.a “Hemedti”), who were deployed directly inside Yemen (Middle East Eye, December 22, 2019).

The mission was unpopular, and while exact casualty numbers are unknown, Houthi rebels claim 4,000 Sudanese troops have been killed and other accounts indicate that upwards of 3,700 have been wounded (Press TV, November 2, 2019; Middle East Eye, November 10, 2019). Sentiment against the country’s presence in the war has persisted within Sudan’s government and the wider population, including members of the political movement that would eventually help topple the Bashir regime in April 2019 (Radio Dabanga, April 30, 2019).

Normalization: Sudanese-style

Just four months after the revolution, despite aspirations of reform, reports surfaced of possible additional Sudanese deployments to a separate conflict altogether, in Libya (Africa News, July 17, 2019). For the time being, it appeared the old regime’s patterns had remained in place. Some Yemen experts believed Sudan’s post-revolution government was still too military-dominated for the country to buck the trend and withdraw its troops from overseas (Al Araby, September 13, 2019).

Nonetheless, a July 2019 deal for a new, post-revolution government arrangement established the position of prime minister, which was taken up by Abdullah Hamdok on August 21 (Gulf News, August 22, 2019). Hamdok began his tenure by quickly moving to establish himself as a normalizing figure,

Hamdok repeatedly stated that Sudan would reduce its role as a destabilizing factor in its region and draw down its involvement in foreign wars (Middle East Eye, December 15, 2019; YouTube, December 5, 2019). Just days later, he followed these statements with an announcement that 10,000 troops had returned home to Sudan from Yemen (YouTube, December 9, 2019). In February 2020, a military spokesperson stated that Sudan’s force in Yemen had been reduced further to just 657 soldiers (Press TV, February 10; Al-Monitor, February 3). A new foreign policy had paralleled the transitional government’s formative stage and set the tone for Hamdok’s strategy.

Meanwhile, in Libya, Sudan plays a much murkier role than in Yemen.

One does not have to look far back into history—or lingering current issues—to see less preferable directions for Sudan’s future. Sudan’s wars are unpopular, and its principal benefactors (the RSF) are linked to some of the worst humans rights abuses of the 21st century.

In this context, Hamdok will likely attempt to further limit the inherited Bashir-era arrangements that could damage Sudan’s recovering reputation.

Finally, the potential legitimacy gained from taking on popular public grievances—indeed the cause of the April revolution— against the regime’s self-serving war-making, could also ultimately help to shield Hamdok from military factions, who remain Hamdok’s greatest threat, as demonstrated by a March 9 assassination attempt (Sudan Tribune, March 9; Middle East Eye, March 9) – by Cameron Evers

https://jamestown.org/program/where-next-for-sudans-soldiers-of-fortune-army-withdrawal-from-yemen-signals-wider-reform/

cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade

(* B K P)

Ending arms sales to parties to the conflict in Yemen: exploring CARE’s advocacy in France, Germany and the United States

As a humanitarian organisation, protecting civilians caught up in armed conflict is at the heart of CARE’s mandate. As such, we consistently advocate for governments to use their political influence to urge warring parties to halt violations. Yet as the crisis in Yemen rages on, the diplomatic efforts of influential countries such as France, Germany and the United States are being undermined by the sale and transfer of weapons to parties to the conflict.

With the Yemeni a population having been constantly under fire and no end to the crisis in sight, CARE determined that joining forces with civil society actors to call on these influential nations to stop putting civilian lives at risk and undermining peace by selling weapons to the parties waging war in Yemen was integral to upholding the humanitarian imperative of saving lives and alleviating suffering.

France: challenging the system of export controls and building on public mobilisation

CARE France is an active member of a coalition of human rights and humanitarian organisations advocating for increased transparency around arms sales and the suspension of arms transfers to parties to the conflict. A permanent parliamentary committee of enquiry ensures that France meets its international commitments under the Arms Trade Treaty and the European Union common position on arms exports. Although the French government submits an annual report on arms exports to parliament, French parliamentarians do not have the mandate or resources to control government action in an opaque system with little transparency around arms sales.

Germany: keeping the German arms export stop in place

In 2018 CARE Germany joined civil society actors in advocating against the sale of German arms to parties to the Yemen conflict and others. In late autumn, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced a complete ban on all German arms exports to Saudi Arabia, including exports that had already been approved. The moratorium was subsequently renewed three times, before pressure from European partners led to the partial lifting of the export ban in March 2019. Germany has still stopped direct exports, but continues to contribute German parts to joint European arms sales.

The decision to keep most of the moratorium in place is due at least in part to the commitment of CARE and other humanitarian agencies, which advocated with parliamentarians and spoke out publicly.

The United States: aligning US policy in Yemen with the will of Congress and the American people

Conclusion

For CARE, advocacy involves a delicate balance: speaking truth to power(s) without compromising our ability to safely reach people in need. This requires a constant negotiation of humanitarian principles, weighing risks to our independence and neutrality while also considering the humanitarian imperative.

The case of Yemen starkly illustrates the reality that aid alone cannot end the suffering of a population subjected to years of war. Yet continuous pleas for parties to the conflict to uphold the laws of war have yielded little change in the conduct of hostilities, and there is minimal incentive to prioritise a diplomatic solution despite the clear link between arms sales to parties to the conflict and the loss of countless lives, immeasurable suffering and decades-long impacts on Yemen’s development – by Fanny Petitbon, Anica Heinlein, Dhabie Brown

https://odihpn.org/magazine/ending-arms-sales-conflict-yemen-advocacy/

(A K P)

America and Western countries manufacture armored vehicles with the latest specifications. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the countries participating in the aggression against Yemen buy these armor in millions of dollars. And the Yemeni fighter [Houthi] takes it for free. (photos)

https://twitter.com/AggressionY/status/1237818275079376897

(* A K P)

Saudi arms imports increased by 130%

According to SIPRI, which keeps the only publicly available database on the transfer of arms, “arms imports by countries in the Middle East increased by 61 per cent between 2010-14 and 2015-19, and accounted for 35 per cent of total global arms imports over the past five years.”

Saudi Arabia has seen a 130 per cent increase compared with the previous five-year period making it the world’s largest arms importer in 2015-19. The volume of weapons purchased by Riyadh accounted for 12 per cent of the global arms imports in that period.

The USA and the UK remain the main source of arms for the kingdom. A total of 73 per cent of Saudi Arabia’s arms imports came from America while 13 per cent of its arsenal were supplied by UK, despite major concerns in both countries over Riyadh’s military intervention in Yemen.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200309-saudi-arms-imports-increased-by-130/

cp13b Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage

(* B D)

In pictures: Meet the man trying to rescue Yemen's musical heritage

In March 2018, Yemeni musician Abdullah al-Daby set up a music institute in the capital, Sanaa. A former member of the country's National Orchestra, 54-year-old al-Daby hopes his students will go on to form their own orchestras and perform around the country, and maybe even abroad. His other priority is to save old Yemeni songs, traditionally passed on by imitating and memorising, from potential obscurity. Al-Daby is now recording these in musical notation that can be shared with future generations. (All photos by Mohammed Hamoud)

https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/yemen-music-heritage-rescue-sanaa-abdullah-daby

cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy

(* B E P)

Disclosure of UAE Measures for Oil Drilling in 7 Marine Sectors in Yemen

UAE started new measures to dominate oil sites in Yemen, as part of its efforts to seize the country's wealth, after it was able, through intervention in the war on Yemen, to control the country’s ports and airports, Yemeni sources said.

The sources indicated in an interview with the daily newspaper Al-Arabi Al-Jadid that Abu Dhabi identified 7 marine sectors to start drilling for oil there, after carefully studying these sites since 2016, noting that four of these sectors are in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and the rest on the western coast of Yemen on the Red Sea, including sites in Ras Omran near Bab al-Mandab.

Over the years of its presence in Yemen, the UAE has sought to control the oil areas in the governorates of Shabwa and Hadramawt

https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=11658

cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism

(B T)

Audio: Great chat with @Dr_E_Kendall for @AlAanfmRadio on which way AQAP will go under Batarfi. In this English original of the interview, we also hear Dr. Kendall recite poetry in Arabic

https://soundcloud.com/alaanfm/zmahxhg7nxgx

(* A T)

Ein Verbrechen von Al-Qaida in Al Bayda

Eine militärische Quelle bestätigte der jemenitischen Nachrichtenagentur (Saba), dass die Takfiri-Mitglieder der Aggression "Al-Qaida" einen Mord an einem Mann, seiner Frau und seinem Kind begangen haben, nachdem sie ihr Auto im Gebiet Al-Dahra im Distrikt Al-Quraishia im Gouvernement Al-Bayda unterbrochen hatten.

https://www.saba.ye/de/news3090661.htm

(* A T)

Al-Qaeda Militia Backed by US-Saudi Aggression Committed Murder against Family in Al-Baidha

Al-Qaeda militia affiliated with the US-Saudi aggression forces committed a murder on an entire family in Al-Baidha governorate.

A source in Al-Baidha told Almasirah Net that al-Qaeda's takfiri militia killed a man, his wife and his child, after interrupting their car in the Al-Dhahra area of Al-Quraishyah district.

https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=11659

https://debriefer.net/en/news-15588.html

cp15 Propaganda

(A P)

Yemen’s ambassador to UN: Consultations cannot succeed under Houthi obstinacy

The Government of Yemen has confirmed that any political consultations will not succeed under Houthi breaches of previous international agreements, military escalations and economic war, aggressive measures against humanitarian workers and looting relief from the mouths of the hungry people.

“The admirable objective is realizing sustainable peace in Yemen on the bases of the agreed upon references; the GCC Initiative and its implementation mechanism, the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference and the Security Council’s relevant resolutions led by Resolution 2216,” said Yemen’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Abdullah al-Sa’adi in Yemen’s release made in the Security Council’s session on Thursday.

He added that neglecting war’s causes is just a type of tricks of prolonging the war and frustrating hopes of Yemeni people in building a new federal Yemen based on the principles of justice, equality, the rule of law, just distribution of wealth and power and eradicating and correcting all past mistakes.

http://en.26sepnews.net/2020/03/13/yemens-ambassador-to-un-consultations-cannot-succeed-under-houthi-obstinacy/

(A P)

Calling for de-escalation is meaningless. The UN Envoy

@OSE_Yemen fails yet again to call #Iran-backed #Houthis to withdraw from the territory they acquired by force. The UN is not offering leadership, strategy, or vision. Just useless statements. #Yemen deserves better.

https://twitter.com/YemeniFatima/status/1238139498099363840

The UN Envoy pressured the Yemeni government & coalition to STOP the battle on Hodiedah, he can do the same w/ Houthis and pressure them to withdraw. Since he was appointed the situation has been regressing in Yemen, militarily & politically.

https://twitter.com/YemeniFatima/status/1238157069674569728

My comment: Blaming the UN for not taking sides with the Hadi government - even if the UN does exactly this.

(A P)

A cartoon on Yemeni media indicates that the UN's role is feeding Yemen to the Houthis

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-38367

(A P)

Phenomenon that needs study: Houthi quick brainwashing of UN officials

The current mediator Martin Griffiths who visited the government stronghold of Marib for the first time since his appointment to Yemen in 16 February 2018 said in a press conference during his one-day visit: "We will either silence the guns and resume the political process, or we will slip back into large-scale conflict and suffering that you have already seen here in Marib.”

His visit was only days after 25 thousand refugee families in the northern city of Al-Hazm fled to Marib as a last possible haven for refuge after the Houthi militants captured the city. "Griffiths never warned the Houthis when they were attacking Al-Hazm

Nabil Adel, a social media activist, says "the consistent bias of UN officials in Yemen in favor of Houthis is shocking."

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-38347

My comment: The UN clearly is biased in favor of the Hadi government, as it only recognizes Hadi’s “legitimacy” and biased Resolution 2216, which sanctions the Houthis, still is valid.

(A P)

Riyadh: Iran Supports Terrorism in Yemen, Lebanon

Saudi Arabia said Iran’s preoccupation with supporting terrorist groups in Yemen and Lebanon has deprived its citizens of their right to development and the rights of citizens of those countries to enjoy security and stability.

During a meeting of the UN’s Human Rights Council on Tuesday in Geneva, third secretary of Saudi Arabia's permanent delegation to the UN Mohammed bin Essam Khashan called on Tehran to comply with the international treaties and covenants to which it has signed up.

He also urged it to focus on the development of Iran and providing better lives to its citizens

Khashan said Iran needs to halt its interventions that are leading to human rights violations in neighboring countries.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2174296/riyadh-iran-supports-terrorism-yemen-lebanon

My comment: The last sentence quoted here is the best. It’s from the Saudis who are bombing Yemen since 5 years now!

(B P)

Tamim Ist Der Hauptbefürworter Der Afrikanischer Söldner Im Jemen .

Die katarische Mafia setzt ihr Geld weiterhin ein , um dasChaos und Krisen unter den Ländern der Region zu verbreiten , und diese korrupte Bande schikaniert die Spannungen in der arabischen Gesellschaft und erhöht ihren Druck , bis sich die Situation in allem verschlechtert .

Das katarische Regime veröffentlicht ein neues Sabotageschema , um die Bemühungen der arabischen Koalition im Jemen zu stören . und einige Französische Berichte zeigten , dass Doha die Armen und Landlosen aus Somalia und dem Sudan lockt , um als Söldner zu arbeiten , um seine Agenden im Jemen umzusetzen

https://amsterdamweek.com/tamim-ist-der-hauptbefuerworter-der-afrikanischer-soeldner-im-jemen/

(A P)

More Saudi coalition „We are benefactors“ propaganda

http://en.adenpress.news/news/18627

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2046613

cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids

(* A K pH)

Saudi coalition air raids and shelling day by day

March 10: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/pb.551288185021551.-2207520000../1599564806860545/

(B K P)

Film: Saudi Arabia bombs Naham [Sanaa province] schools after they were liberated by army heroes and people's committees

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL3swJtVVEo

(* A K pH)

[Sanaa-] Gesundheitsministerium: Bombardierung der Aggressionsluftwaffe von 2 Krankenwagen in Marib und Al-Dschouf ist Kriegsverbrechen

Mit der saudi-amerikanischen Aggression verbundene Kriegsflugzeuge bombardierten heute zwei Krankenwagen in den Gouvernoraten Marib und Al-Dschouf unter offenkundiger Verletzung aller Normen, Chartas und des humanitären Völkerrechts.

Der offizielle Sprecher des Gesundheitsministeriums, Dr. Youssef Al-Hadiri, sagte der jemenitischen Nachrichtenagentur (Saba), dass die Kampfflugzeuge der Aggression zwei Krankenwagen in Marib und Al-Dschouf bombardierten und diejenigen, die getötet wurden, den Märtyrertod erlitten.

https://www.saba.ye/de/news3090521.htm

(* A K pH)

Aggression coalition targets 2 ambulances in Marib, Jawf: Health Ministry

The US-backed Saudi-led aggression coalition's warplanes on Wednesday targeted two ambulances in each of Marib and Jawf provinces, in flagrant violation of all norms, charters and international humanitarian law.

"The aggression coalition aircraft targeted two ambulances in Marib and Jawf, killing their crews," Dr. Yusef al-Hadhri, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, told Saba.

https://www.saba.ye/en/news3090481.htm

(A K pH)

More Saudi coalition air raids recorded on:

March 12: https://www.saba.ye/de/news3090633.htm / https://www.saba.ye/en/news3090613.htm / https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=11669 Marib p., Jawf p.

https://www.saba.ye/de/news3090631.htm / https://www.saba.ye/en/news3090607.htm / https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=11669 Saada p.

https://www.saba.ye/en/news3090575.htm Hajjah p.

March 11: https://www.saba.ye/de/news3090417.htm Hajjah p.

https://www.saba.ye/de/news3090536.htm / https://www.saba.ye/en/news3090524.htm Marib p.

https://www.saba.ye/de/news3090514.htm / https://www.saba.ye/en/news3090454.htm Jawf p., Marib p.

cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War

Siehe / Look at cp1, cp1b (Houthi advance in Marib)

(* A K pS)

Three civilians killed in Houthi shelling in Taiz

Three civilians including a child were killed in Houthi shelling in eastern Taiz on Friday, Saba News Agency quoted local sources as saying.
A source told Saba the Iran-affiliate militiamen fired heavy shells on Azahraa neighborhood east of the city killing the three civilians and injuring others who were hospitalized right away.

http://en.adenpress.news/news/18628

http://en.26sepnews.net/2020/03/13/houthi-shelling-kills-three-civilians-in-taiz/

(B K pS)

Saudi project clears 148,427 mines planted by Houthis in Yemen

The Saudi Project for Landmine Clearance (MASAM) in Yemen dismantled 14 anti-personnel mines, 310 anti-tank mines, two explosive devices and 2,637 unexploded ordnance — totaling 2,963 mines — during the first week of March.

A total of 148,427 mines have been extracted since the beginning of the project

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1640861/saudi-arabia

(A K pS)

Four civilians killed and injured by Houthi shelling in Al-Bayda

Two civilians have been killed and two others including a woman injured after Houthi militia shelled a residential neighborhood in Yemen’s central province of Al-Bayda on Tuesday.

http://en.26sepnews.net/2020/03/11/four-civilians-killed-and-injured-by-houthi-shelling-in-al-bayda/

(* A K)

Yemen Houthi control strategic areas in Marib governorate

Yemen’s Houthi on Tuesday seized strategic areas in the governorate of Marib, adjacent to the capital Sanaa, after heavy battles with the Yemeni government forces; Al-Hurra news reported.

The new development comes more than a week after the Houthis controlled the strategic city of Al-Hazm, the capital of Al-Jawf governorate.

A news agency affiliated with the group said the Houthis were able to clear strategic areas in the Sirwah District, west of the city of Marib, and take control of the town of Tabab Al-Bara which led to tightening controls over the strategic Tala Hamra hills.

The Saudi-led coalition has launched ten airstrikes on the strategic Jabal Heelan (Mount Heelan) in Sarawah directorate in a bid to prevent the Houthis from capturing it.

By controlling most of the governorate and its directorates, Marib becomes the third Yemeni governorate adjacent to Saudi Arabia to be controlled by Houthi forces after the provinces of Saada and Hajjah.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200312-yemen-houthi-control-strategic-areas-in-marib-governorate/

(* A K)

Yemeni Marib` battle caught fire and reports say Houthis took control of Serwah Yemeni military sources said that violent clashes have been taking place since Tuesday morning and did not stop with the entry of the first hours of Wednesday, between government forces and Ansar Allah group (Houthis) in the Serwah district of Marib Governorate, northeast of Yemen.

The sources confirmed that the fighters of the Ansar Allah group (Houthis) launched a violent attack on the positions of the government forces in Serwah.

Sources in the Ansar Allah group (Houthis) said that its fighters were able to advance in several areas in Serwah and took control of strategic locations overlooking the city of Marib, Tabat Al-Bara`a and Tala`at Al-Hamra`a.

The sources confirmed that the group's fighters have finally resolved the battle of Sarwah, while local sources say that the violent battles are still going on between the two parties.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-15553.html

and

(A K pH)

Marib hails army triumphs in Serwah

[Sanaa gov.] Marib governor Ali Muhammad Tuaiman hailed on Wednesday the great triumphs made the Yemeni army against the Saudi-led aggression coalition and its mercenaries in Serwah district.

https://www.saba.ye/en/news3090487.htm

cp18 Sonstiges / Other

(-)

Film: Out of trash heaps, art finds a way in Yemen

A Yemeni artist finds the beauty hidden in the least likely of places: the waste bin. He collects and refurbishes discarded items, turning them into art.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u96Lqbaxk0Y

(-)

Film: Sheikha al-Saadi of Yemen has mastered the art of cinematic make-up and visual tricks Sheikha al-Saadi is a Yemeni artist who has made her way in the field of film making and visual tricks, in Aden governorate, southern Yemen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYyI5XdlJco

Vorige / Previous:

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-631-yemen-war-mosaic-631

Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-631 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-631:

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/

http://www.yemenwar.info/

Liste aller Luftangriffe / and list of all air raids:

http://yemendataproject.org/data/

Untersuchung ausgewählter Luftangriffe durch Bellingcat / Bellingcat investigations of selected air raids:

https://yemen.bellingcat.com/

Untersuchungen von Angriffen, hunderte von Filmen / Investigations of attacks, hundreds of films:

https://yemeniarchive.org/en

Dieser Beitrag gibt die Meinung des Autors wieder, nicht notwendigerweise die der Redaktion des Freitag.
Geschrieben von

Dietrich Klose

Vielfältig interessiert am aktuellen Geschehen, zur Zeit besonders: Ukraine, Russland, Jemen, Rolle der USA, Neoliberalismus, Ausbeutung der 3. Welt

Dietrich Klose

Was ist Ihre Meinung?
Diskutieren Sie mit.

Kommentare einblenden