Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 699b- Yemen War Mosaic 699b

Yemen Press Reader 699b: 7. Dezember 2020: Fortsetzung von Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 699, cp6 - cp19 / December 7, 2020: Sequel to Yemen War Mosaic 699, cp6 - cp19

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Dies ist die Fortsetzung von Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 699, Teil 1 / This is the sequel of Yemen War Mosaic 699, part 1:

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-699-yemen-war-mosaic-699

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: Coronavirus und Seuchen / Most important: Coronavirus and epidemics

cp1b Am wichtigsten: Großer Gefangenenaustausch / Most important: Great prisoner swap

cp2 Allgemein / General

cp2a Allgemein: Saudische Blockade / General: Saudi blockade

cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation

cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees

cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis

cp6 Separatisten und Hadi-Regierung im Südjemen / Separatists and Hadi government in Southern Yemen

cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks

cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia

cp9 USA

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

cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain

cp11 Deutschland / Germany

cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis

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 Kampf um Hodeidah / Hodeidah battle

cp19 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

cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government

Siehe / Look at cp1

Aden verbleibt in der Hand der Separatisten im Süden. Ihre medien verbreiten eine große Menge von parteiischen Berichten, die das Narrativ der Separatisten überihren Hauptgegner, die Islah Partei (genannt "Muslim-Bruderschaft"), über die Kämpfe in Abyan und Shabwa, ihre Herrschaft in Aden und den von ihnen kontrollierten Gebieten verbreiten.

Aden remains in the hands of southern separatists. Their media are spreading a bulk of biased reports, showing their narrative of their foes from Islah Party (labeled “Muslim Brotherhood”), the fighting at Abyan and Shabwa, their self-rule at Aden and the areas under their control.

(A K P)

Islah Party calls on several political, military officials to leave #Marib The Saudi-led coalition allowed on Sunday 17 military and civilian officials loyal to the Islah Party to leave the city of Marib, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The sources revealed the move came through a mediation led by the military leader in the Islah party, Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar. The sources affirmed that Al-Ahmar pleaded the coalition to allow 10 military leaders and 7 civilian leaders, who are close to him, to leave the city with their families to Shabwa province. The move came also after the Yemeni [Sanaa gov.] army has advanced militarily to close to and take control over the coalition-held city.

https://twitter.com/BinCoronavirus/status/1335657424116723714

(A K P)

Yemeni gov't alters Shabwa into open war ground: Houthis

The Yemeni official government seeks to transform Shabwa into a field for open war, Houthi-appointed governor of the southern governorate said Sunday.
Plans to move HQs of the 3rd, 6th and 7th military regions from Marib to Ataq and Baihan in Shabwa are but a plot to change the governorate into battlefield in the future, Ahmed al-Hassan al-Amir added.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-21643.html

and by Saba https://www.saba.ye/en/news3118917.htm

(A P)

Angry protests continue in Lahj over soaring food prices

http://en.adenpress.news/news/30683

and more: https://debriefer.net/en/news-21642.html

Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgpWdNc8_tc

(B P)

Between Yesterday's And Today's Occupations... Aden Celebrates Its "Independence"

In the 53rd anniversary of the independence of Aden and the southern Yemeni governorates from the British occupation, the Yemenis commemorated it amid a bloody war by the Saudi-led coalition.

Since the entry of its forces into Aden in 2015, the UAE has been trying to re-implement the British scenario to divide Yemen, creating a region that extends from Hodeida in the western coast to Aden in the south with the separation of Hadhramaut and Al-Mahrah as an eastern region, and keeping the south and north of Yemen in a permanent conflict.

https://english.almasirah.net/post/16509/Between-Yesterday-s-And-Today-s-Occupations...-Aden-Celebrates-Its-Independence-

(A P)

PM urges to address chaos in Taiz

Yemen's internationally recognised government on Saturday ordered the local authorities to address growing chaos and security in Taiz province.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-21631.html

(* A K P)

Aden transformed into open battleground

The city of Aden has been transformed into an open battlefield for confrontations between two major factions loyal to the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) militias, which has left many people dead and wounded.

This was reported by Yemen News Portal, based on local sources.

The directorates of Dar Saad, Mansoura and Sheikh Othman have witnessed sporadic clashes, somewhat similar to guerrilla warfare, in which a number of the Security Belt forces were killed and injured

The Security Belt forces themselves accuse Aden security units of launching attacks on its forces led by Shalal Shayea.

However, local sources confirmed that the fighting is regionally motivated, pitting mercenaries from different provinces against one another.

The latest clashes are an extension of tensions that began last week, when the Saudi occupation forced the so-called Shayea faction to hand over camp al-Nasr and the vicinity of Aden International Airport to the Security Belt.

Abdullah Abdul Samad, a leader of the Democratic Rally Party, has stated that the chaos in Aden is being caused by the formation of STC factions on a regional basis.

https://hodhodyemennews.net/2020/12/05/aden-transformed-into-open-battleground/

(* A K P)

Gov't troops claim new wins in Yemeni Abyan, STC denies

The Yemeni official government troops have seized new sites in Abyan, military sources said Sunday, after clashes with the Emirati-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces in the southern governorate.
The government troops on Saturday made relative gain in Zinjobar, and approached the rear road linking al-Tariah area to Ja'ar city, the sources added.
The troops took full control of al-Katheeb and al-Jablain sites at the northwestern fringes of al-Tariah bordering Batees and al-Hisn areas in Ja'ar city, and are about to seize STC supply routes, according to the sources.
The STC forces denied the government claimed advancement, noting that they fended off troops' unsuccessful attempts and burnt their machines.
The Yemeni government-STC infighting in Abyan left at least 17 deaths and 24 injuries from Thursday to Saturday, according to medical and local sources.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-21647.html

and

(A K P)

UAE sends military reinforcements to its militants in Yemen's Abyan

UAE sent on Saturday military reinforcements to its militants in Yemen's Abyan province, sources told Yemen Press Agency.
The sources confirmed that the southern transitional council sent tens of military pick-up and armored vehicles from Aden city to fight Islah militias in Taria front of Abyan province.
Previously, the sites of the southern transitional militiamen were attacked by Islah militants over the past hours.

https://en.abna24.com/news//uae-sends-military-reinforcements-to-its-militants-in-yemens-abyan_1092641.html

and

(* A K P)

Violent infighting persists in Abyan south Yemen

Fierce fighting persisted on Saturday in the Yemeni southern governorate of Abyan between the official government troops and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces.
The fiercest battles took place in the flashpoints of Sheikh Salem and al-Tariah near to Zinjobar city, local sources said, as the infighting expanded to fringes of Khanfar district.
Military vehicles transported injuries to hospitals in Shoqra (a district in Abyan) and Aden port city, the sources added.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-21621.html

and also https://hodhodyemennews.net/2020/12/05/heavy-fighting-continues-between-southern-yemeni-separatists-and-saudi-backed-forces/

(A P)

Photo: The Yemeni Women's Union in al-Mukalla held a protest to denounce the increasing violence against women and to demand penalties to be introduced against the perpetrators. Four women were killed as a result of beating and torture in one week.

https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1335234975365353472

and

(A K P)

Gov't forces press forward on militia-held areas in south Yemen

A military source said on Saturday the government forces have pressed forward on areas held by the UAE-created militia of the STC.

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-43645

(A K P)

Man killed by Al-Qaeda in Shabwa

http://en.adenpress.news/news/30671

(A)

Yemen Airways to Resume Aden to Dubai Flights

http://en.adenpress.news/news/30669

(A K P)

Brotherhood's infiltration bid foiled in Abyan

http://en.adenpress.news/news/30668

(A P)

Security official killed in Taiz clashes

A companion of the assistant security director of Taiz, who is loyal to the Islah Party. was killed in clashes on Thursday, sources said.

The sources said the militants loyal the Saudi-led coalition opened fire at the assistant security director, killing him and injuring others.

The sources affirmed that clashes happened between protesters and bodyguards of an oil company in the city.

https://hodhodyemennews.net/2020/12/04/security-official-killed-in-taiz-clashes/

(A P)

Ex-minister calls pressed Hadi to remember Yemen's sovereignty, honor

The Yemeni President is under Saudi-Emirati huge pressures, Yemen's resigned transport minister tweeted on Thursday, as the Arab coalition's two partners push Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi to "make more concessions and ok their expansionist plots" in the war-torn country.
"Mr. President, we fully appreciate how hugely you're pressed," Saleh al-Jabwani added, "but don't forget that the matter is linked to Yemen's fate, sovereignty and honor.
"Don't waive. What would remain if you give up. It's one death. Bloods shed in Abyan, Marib and Jawf call upon you don't yield," the ex-minister said.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-21601.html

(A K P)

Hostilities renew in Abyan south Yemen

Thursday saw skirmishes renewed between the Yemeni UN-recognized government troops and the Emirati-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) in the southern governorate of Abyan.
The government troops attacked STC forces' sites in Sala Valley west Shoqra district in Abyan, spokesman for the STC-led fourth military region tweeted.
The STC forces "foiled the attack and inflicted painful blows to the government troops," Mohamed al-Naqip added.
The government troops tried to launch an attack towards al-Tariah east Zinjobar and Barbara area in the left sector, the spokesman said.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-21577.html

and also https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201204-yemen-clashes-between-uae-backed-militias-government-forces-resume/

and

(A K P)

Senior pro-Islah commander killed in Abyan

http://en.adenpress.news/news/30660

(A P)

Lamlas confirms support for reopening media institutions in Aden

Basalim reviewed reasons behind stopping the work of these institutions led by looting and sabotage acts. TV building and Yemen News Agency were the key institutions looted and sabotaged when Houthi militia stormed Aden city during their triggered war on the country in 2015.
For his part, Lamlas pointed out to significance of activating state media institutions in Aden for performing their national duty these days when Aden province is witnessing developmental and constructional work.

http://en.adenpress.news/news/30651

(A K P)

Brotherhood's militias suffer heavy losses in Abyan

At least ten fighters of the pro-government Brotherhood's militias (Islah Party) were killed and countless others were injured in renewed clashes with the southern armed forces on the fronts of al-Thoriya and Wadi Sala in Abyan province on Thursday.
The clashes erupted following a large-scale attack conducted by the Brotherhood's militias to regin lost ground, military official told the press.

http://en.adenpress.news/news/30653

(B P)

Local authority of #Marib said it has planted 30k different trees in the provincial capital of the governorate during the last three years. (photos)

https://twitter.com/Alsakaniali/status/1334690589007355904

cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks

Siehe / Look at cp1

(* B P)

How to End the War in Yemen in 2020?

The Yemen conflict is striking in that the entire global community and all the actors involved have achieved a singularly powerful consensus that there is no future for a solution achieved by force and a political solution is the only option.

Many convincing texts have been written about the war’s negative impact

In 2020, the expert community has demonstrated unprecedented unanimity in focusing on clearing the hurdles blocking a Yemen crisis settlement.

By the end of the year, experts, politicians and Yemen’s people have once again started to hope owing to the possibility of a Joint Declaration (JD) on a ceasefire being signed and to the partial lifting of the economic and transport blockage imposed by the command of the Arab Coalition (AC) in March 2015.

Yet, if we take a closer look, these seemingly positive trends are moving in opposite directions and could ultimately generate new clashes.

Understanding that finding a solution to the pivotal problem of national unity is crucial for settling the crisis inevitably means to understand that it is the Yemenis themselves who have the principal right to decide this matter. Otherwise, progress in implementing the RA or achieving peace in Yemen, in general, can hardly be expected.

Let us suppose that the joint government envisaged by the RA is, indeed, formed. What will the united military and law enforcement block do now if, in the year since the RA was signed, pro-Saudi and pro-Emirati wings of the AC, represented by the IRP and the STC, have failed to move from confrontation to compromise in the southern governorates of Shabwa and Abyan? The situation in Hadharamaut, Yemen’s largest governorate, which various AC wings have divided into Inner and Coastal Hadhramaut, continues to intensify.

Sadly, year in year out, we see Yemen’s hopes of a speedy settlement of the military conflict disappear as if dashed against an invisible wall; in the long run, these hopes repeatedly turn into increasingly dangerous humanitarian, geopolitical and military-political situations.

Recently, international fora have been voicing more and more well-founded criticisms of the UN Security Council Resolution 2216 adopted in April 2015. There are many reasons for such critical statements but the main one is that, during the past years of war, the balance of power in the crisis area has utterly changed. One major impediment to the resolution being revised appears to be the conviction th

Why is the strengthening of the IRP’s actual role in the settlement process important? The IRP alone has the legal right to make sovereign decisions that the global community has to take into account since it recognised the IRP in 2015. The IRP can spearhead initiatives for ending the war. This idea seems naive to many but it might, in time, give the IRP a chance to turn the tide that has long been going against it.

There is a widespread opinion that the IRP’s standing in the Yemen crisis rests mostly on this resolution and any steps to amend it will automatically undermine it. We will attempt to prove the opposite by studying the resolution’s real influence on the IRP’s standing on Yemen’s scene and on the tactics adopted by the UN mission in Yemen, which the settlement process had depended on – by Sergey Serebrov

https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2020/12/06/how-to-end-the-war-in-yemen-in-2020/

My comment: Thinking that peace could be achieved by helping the Hadi government to regain souvereignty does not take into account: 1) it is missing any confidence and legality in Yemen; 2) its term ended in Feb. 2015 already, 3) this policy did not work for almost 6 years now.

(* A P)

Houthi group calls for peace talks in Yemen

The Houthis call for tangible steps in humanitarian and economic fields, chairman of the group's Supreme Political Council said Friday, to help give a push for any potential peace talks with the Yemeni UN-recognized government.
The group is deeply keen to support all efforts aimed at "stopping the war and lifting the blockade imposed on Yemeni people," Mahdi al-Mashat added at virtual meeting with the UN envoy to Yemen, Sana'a-based Saba reported.
Mashat meeting with Martin Griffiths was positive, as it discussed the "nature of studious efforts exerted by the UN envoy to achieve peace in Yemen," the Houthi-run news agency added.
The Houthi official reiterated interest to support good efforts that would protect the Yemeni people's full rights and enhance chances for successful peace process in the war-torn country.
For years, the UN has been exerting efforts to end Yemen's 6-year war and to persuade rivals to resume negotiations, but no progress has been seen with two parties trading blames for escalation.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-21623.html

(A P)

UN Special Envoy Meets with Civil Society Representatives from Taiz

Representatives of civil society from Taiz met virtually today with the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths to gather their views on a solution for Taiz in line with the Stockholm Agreement and solicit ideas on how to improve the current situation.

Mr. Griffiths acknowledged the vital importance of Taiz to peace in Yemen and its longstanding role as an epicenter of Yemen’s history, politics, economy and culture. He regretted that no progress has been made on the Statement of Understanding on Taiz, which was agreed in Stockholm in December 2018. He deplored the dire humanitarian situation due to the continued closure of roads, sustained military activity and insecurity and condemned all violence against civilians, including children, and attacks against civilian infrastructure in the city and governorate from all warring sides.

“The human cost of the war in Taiz is unacceptable. We will continue our efforts to bring about a political solution that will eventually silence the guns and benefit all Yemenis, including the people in Taiz,” Mr. Griffiths said.

The civil society representatives discussed with Mr. Griffiths their efforts and priorities and exchanged views and recommendations for possible UN support in a solution for Taiz

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/un-special-envoy-meets-civil-society-representatives-taiz

(A P)

6 Houthi prisoners released in Marib swap

Chairman of the group's prisoner affairs committee, Abdulqadir Al-Murtada, wrote on Twitter that the fighters were released through local mediation.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-21593.html

and also https://www.saba.ye/en/news3118651.htm

(A P)

IBB receives two released prisoners in prisoner swap with mercenaries

https://www.saba.ye/en/news3118650.htm

cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia

(* B P)

Wenn sich Staaten stylen – Geheimwaffe Nation Branding

Nation Branding. Als ich im Sommer 2018 nach Saudi-Arabien kam, hatte ich davon keinen Begriff. Ich war nur überrascht, dass Saudi-Arabien mich überhaupt einreisen ließ. Der vom Königreich entfesselte Jemen-Krieg lief gerade auf vollen Touren. Tagtäglich zeigten internationale Medien, mit welcher Grausamkeit Saudi-Arabien ihn führte, mit welchen Folgen besonders für die jemenitische Bevölkerung.

Statt Innenministerium oder Religionsbehörde meldete sich ein Kevin O` Brian aus Berlin. Auf Deutsch, mit leichtem englischen Akzent. Er sei ein ehemaliger Kollege, stellte er sich vor. Lange Zeit tätig für New York Times und Handelsblatt. Durch saudische Regierungsstellen habe er von meiner Recherche erfahren. Er sei beauftragt, mir zu helfen. – Und arbeite für eine Berliner PR-Agentur namens WMP Eurocom, die ihrerseits von den Saudis dazu beauftragt worden sei. Er werde sich erlauben, mir so bald wie möglich ein paar Vorschläge für Interviews zu schicken.

Der Internetauftritt von WMP Eurocom ließ sich leicht finden. Die Firma gilt als eine der führenden deutschen Lobbyfirmen und als Netzwerker zwischen Wirtschaft, Medien und Politik, wofür auch das Kürzel W-M-P steht. Als seine Spezialität verzeichnete sie: „Nation Branding.“

Berlin, Regierungsviertel. Hier, in unmittelbarer Nähe zum Bundestag und zu den Zentralen der politischen Parteien, hat „Bohnen Public Affairs“ ihre Büros. Die PRAgentur von Johannes Bohnen. Zum ihrem Aufgabenbereich gehört auch Nation Branding, also Staaten zu behandeln wie eine Marke, die auf dem Markt platziert wird.

Ein Land mit gezielten Methoden positiv zu vermarkten, ist etwas für alle Nationen, die mit einem Negativ-Image entsprechenden Schlagzeilen zu kämpfen haben, so meinen PR-Berater wie Johannes Bohnen.

https://www1.wdr.de/radio/wdr5/sendungen/dok5/nation-branding-102.pdf

(A P)

#Saudi govt publishes a tribal song “Shailah” to celebrate rapprochement with #Qatar . #GCC The song is full of #AntiShia & #AntiHindu slogans (listen)

https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1335672044504178693

Comment: The #Hindus were thrown under the bus just to get the rhyme straight. These guys use racism & bigotry as “art for art’s sake”, it seems. The big question is: what are they going to do with the past years’ venomous songs, policies, articles, & s.m. posts against #Qatar

https://twitter.com/DrAbbasKadhim/status/1335659332558577670

(A P)

Breaking: New opposition block has been announced against the #UK -backed #Saudi Monarchy. The Transitional Federal National Parliament is the 2nd opposition formed this year. Best wishes. Please support them.

https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1335658985727414272

referring to https://twitter.com/AL_QAHTANI_D_3/status/1335362617842540544

(A P)

Saudi prince strongly criticizes Israel at Bahrain summit

A prominent Saudi prince harshly criticized Israel on Sunday at a Bahrain security summit that was remotely attended by Israel’s foreign minister, showing the challenges any further deals between Arab states and Israel face in the absence of an independent Palestinian state.

The fiery remarks by Prince Turki al-Faisal at the Manama Dialogue appeared to catch Israel’s foreign minister off guard, particularly as Israelis receive warm welcomes from officials in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates following agreements to normalize ties.

Left unresolved by those deals, however, is the decades-long conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

https://apnews.com/article/bahrain-israel-summits-dubai-united-arab-emirates-87030fa2372a480358f732f5fb7f3748

and also https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/saudi-prince-strongly-criticizes-israel-at-bahrain-summit-1.9351596

(B P)

Detained former Saudi crown prince at risk after social media attack, say lawyers

Exclusive: YouTube asked to remove video claiming Mohammed bin Nayef plotted to bring down current regime

Mohammed bin Nayef – the detained former Saudi crown prince and interior minister – has been the victim of a sustained and coordinated attack from inside Saudi Arabia on social media that risks endangering his personal safety, lawyers acting for him have warned.

The lawyers have written to YouTube demanding it take down a video, saying the content claiming he had been plotting to bring down Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman runs the risk of inviting serious retribution and harm to him. YouTube has not yet acted on the complaint.

Separately, it has emerged that an apparently spontaneous surge in the number of tweets ahead of the US elections claiming Mohammed bin Nayef was part of a Democrat-led “deep state” plot to destabilise the Saudi Arabian royal family was orchestrated largely through bots run by supporters of Bin Salman, research shows.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/04/detained-former-saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-nayef-at-risk-after-social-media-attack-say-lawyers

(A P)

Film: #Saudi Monarchy forces razes schools near #NEOM just weeks after visit by pro #Apartheid @SecPompeo & meeting with #MBS

https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1335205838638755841

(A P)

Saudi Arabia Sentences to Death, Prison Members of Terrorist Cell

A Saudi court issued on Thursday death and prison sentences against 12 persons accused of forming an armed cell to illegally enter Yemen. One of the members was accused of killing two security officers at a border checkpoint.

The terrorist crime dates back to Nov. 5, 2012, when a border guard patrol in the Sharurah sector in Najran (southern Saudi Arabia) was ambushed by a number of persons armed with automatic rifles. The attack left two security officers dead, but the rest of the patrol was able to chase and arrest the aggressors as they were trying to cross the Saudi border into Yemeni territory.

A statement said that a preliminary verification of the identities of the attackers and their criminal records revealed that the arrested Saudis were previously detained for their involvement in crimes but later released. The statement added that they were attempting to join terrorist organizations in Yemen.

The court sentenced the first defendant to death, while the remaining members of the cell were handed prison sentences for periods ranging between 8 and 25 years.

https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2663961/saudi-arabia-sentences-death-prison-members-terrorist-cell

and also http://en.adenpress.news/news/30665

(B P)

»Sie wollen meine Schwester brechen«

Die saudische Aktivistin Loujain Al-Hathloul sitzt seit 2018 im Gefängnis. Ihre Schwester Lina ist auf freiem Fuß, kämpft von Deutschland aus für ihre Freilassung und sieht nun Berlin in der Pflicht.

Lina Al-Hathloul: Das Gericht ist für seine harten Urteile bekannt. An den Anklagepunkten selber hat sich aber nichts geändert: Meine Schwester wird beschuldigt, an internationalen Konferenzen teilgenommen und mit Journalisten und Amnesty International über die Menschenrechtssituation in Saudi-Arabien gesprochen zu haben. Im ersten Prozess beantragte der Staatsanwalt die Höchststrafe, das waren ein paar Millionen Riyal und fünf Jahre Haft. Solange es bei diesen Anschuldigungen bleibt, wird es wohl nicht zu einem höheren Strafmaß kommen. Was nun genau passieren wird, ist aber schwer abzusehen.

https://magazin.zenith.me/de/gesellschaft/lina-al-hathloul-%C3%BCber-ihre-saudi-arabien-inhaftierte-schwester-loujain

(A P)

Film: Jailed Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul accused of passing classified information

Jailed Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul is accused of contacting "unfriendly" states and providing classified information, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister told AFP Saturday, after the campaigner's trial was transferred to a terrorism court.

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

(A P)

A new book on Saudi Arabia

Glad to receive my copies of the book.

https://twitter.com/MadawiDr/status/1334517288867942402

(B P)

Executions based on confessions extracted through torture

Zakiah al-Bakheet, a young Saudi widow, has long been begging the Saudi officials to return what's left of her husband: his belongings including his books and notebooks, his bank documents and, above all else, his corpse.

Zakiah says, "I want to bury him in a place that suits him, not like someone whose identity is unknown, or like someone who’s committed an ugly crime."

The story of Zakiah is the tragic story of many other Shia women in Saudi Arabia who have lost their husbands to a sinister system of injustice, entrenched deeply in the kingdom, against religious minorities.

Zakiah's husband Abbas al-Hassan was beheaded in 2019. He was one of the 37 prisoners executed en masse. Riyadh has refused to release at least 33 of the bodies to their families so far. All of these 33 men belonged to the Shia community in Saudi Arabia.

They were all convicted on "terrorism" charges after trials that Amnesty International said relied on confessions extracted through torture.

https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/02/639826/execution-torture-KSA-Shia-bodies-withheld

(B P)

Disturbing news that leading #Muslim cleric Sheikh #SalmanAlOdah has lost much of his eye sight in prison due to #Saudi torture & medical neglect. This is related to support @SecPompeo has provided to the #Saudi Monarchy against its people. Disgusting.

https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1334475188482797569

(A P)

Saudi sovereign fund PIF seeks loan of up to $7 billion - sources

Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is seeking a loan of up to $7 billion from banks, its third such debt raising since 2018, two sources familiar with the matter said.

The move comes three months after it paid back a $10 billion bridge loan raised last year.

Over the last two years, banks have lent billions to the fund, which is the engine of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s economic transformation plans for Saudi Arabia.

https://www.reuters.com/article/saudi-pif-loan-int/saudi-sovereign-fund-pif-seeks-loan-of-up-to-7-billion-sources-idUSKBN28D14L

cp9 USA

Siehe / Look at cp1, cp9a, cp15

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US-Demokraten pochen auf erneute Welt-Führerschaft Amerikas

Joe Biden und Hillary Clinton zeigen: Die US-Demokraten fordern statt «America first» jetzt «America must lead the world again».
«America First!» Das propagierte der abgewählte US-Präsident Donald Trump. «America must Lead the World Again», fordern nun die Demokraten. Der neu gewählte US- Präsident Joe Biden und die frühere Aussenministerin Hillary Clinton haben es in zwei Grundsatzpapieren dargelegt.
Das Auffälligste an diesen Essays: In beiden kommen die Vereinten Nationen (UNO) überhaupt nie vor. Dafür beteuern sie mehrmals, dass «Amerika bereit ist, wieder zu führen». Denn «das internationale System, das die Vereinigten Staaten einst so sorgfältig konstruiert» hätten, drohe gerade aus den Fugen zu geraten – «coming appart at the seams»; dies wegen der vierjährigen Herrschaft Trumps. (…)
Der künftige Präsident Joseph R. Biden, hat seine weltpolitischen Vorstellungen schon im März dieses Jahres in der Zeitschrift «Foreign Affairs» (Aussenpolitik) publiziert. Titel seiner Darlegungen: «Warum Amerika wieder führen muss” («Why America Must Lead Again»).
Das zweite Papier hat Hillary Clinton nun in derselben Zeitschrift veröffentlicht. Sie legt dar, wie Bidens globaler Führungs-Anspruch militärisch kostenwirksamer («More Bang for the Buck», wie es in den USA heisst) umgesetzt werden könnte. Titel: «Eine nationale Sicherheits-Aufrechnung.» Clinton schreibt, zu den höchsten Prioritäten zähle die Modernisierung des US-Militärs. Konkret: Weniger Geld für teure, überkommene Waffensysteme wie etwa die elf US-Flugzeugträger, schwere Kampfpanzer oder den Super-Kampfjet F-35. Stattdessen Milliarden-Investitionen in neue, moderne U-Boote und in den Langstrecken-Bomber B-21 Raider.

«Verteidigung» als militärische «Intervention» zur Durchsetzung von «US-Interessen» weltweit: Das hat in Washington Tradition – von Korea über Vietnam bis in den Irak. Aktuell nennt Clinton «the skies and seas of East Asia» (Luftraum und See in Südostasien): Da sei «die Überlegenheit der USA nicht länger gesichert». Darum habe sie als US-Aussenministerin noch ein Abkommen ausgehandelt, um 2500 Marines auf einer US-Basis in Australien direkt am Südchinesischen Meer zu stationieren.

https://www.infosperber.ch/Artikel/Politik/US-Demokraten-pochen-auf--erneute-Welt-Fuhrerschaft-Amerikas

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Schenker, Yemeni Vice President, discuss listing Iran-backed Houthis terrorist

The Yemeni vice president stressed the importance of expediting the Houthi group's inclusion in the lists of terrorism on Sunday, reported local news agency.

He emphasized that the criminal approach of the coup militias places the international community in front of a significant responsibility to implement its global decisions and pressure them and their financiers in Tehran.

During a meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker, and the US ambassador to Yemen, he said

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/12/07/Schenker-Yemeni-Vice-President-discuss-listing-Iran-backed-Houthis-terrorist

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Progressives Debate Whether to Oppose Michèle Flournoy for Defense Secretary

Joe Biden named key members of his national security team last week, but the president-elect conspicuously avoided announcing his choice for Defense secretary. The presumptive favorite, Michèle Flournoy, remains a deeply polarizing figure for progressive advocacy groups

Flournoy has worked for the Defense Department in multiple Democratic administrations. Outside of government, she has maintained close ties to the defense industry through the think tank she co-founded, the Center for a New American Security. But progressives opposed to her nomination have raised alarm primarily about her other work, which includes serving on the board of defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton and co-founding WestExec Advisers, a consulting firm that does business with tech and defense companies. Her role in helping to escalate US military involvement in Afghanistan and her support for the NATO intervention in Libya have also not won her many fans in the antiwar movement.

During Wednesday’s Zoom call, Medea Benjamin, who co-founded Code Pink, pushed strongly for groups to unite around opposing Flournoy. To her, anything less would be contrary to progressive values.

But others on the call resisted additional criticism of Flournoy, according to people involved in the conversation. Arms Control Association executive director Daryl Kimball, who signed an open letter last month supporting Flournoy’s nomination, spoke out in favor of her. Kimball said criticism of Flournoy’s ties to the defense industry could just as easily apply to the other nominees Biden is considering.

At least some Hill progressives say they have no objection to opposing Flournoy, according to people Mother Jones spoke with about the call. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who has been a leading voice against the United States’ involvement in the conflict in Yemen, tweeted last week that he’s inclined to support Biden’s cabinet but that he needs to see Flournoy commit to a full withdrawal from Afghanistan and a ban on arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/12/progressives-debate-whether-to-oppose-michele-flournoy-for-defense-secretary/

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Biden Can’t Ostracize Riyadh

Branding Saudi Arabia a pariah state would be counterproductive to regional stability.

Republican and Democratic members of Congress are fed up with Saudi Arabia.

Holding Saudi Arabia accountable for pursuing nuclear weapons and committing human rights violations makes sense. The question is how to do it. Making the kingdom a pariah state will not curb its nuclear ambitions or its human rights violations.

If Washington wants reform in Riyadh, it should consider what worries Saudi Arabia most—abandonment by the United States. The Saudi government’s fear of abandonment has its roots in the Arab Spring, which began nearly a decade ago. At the time, the administration of then U.S. President Barack Obama supported pro-democracy protestors in Egypt as ostensible U.S. ally—and dictator—Hosni Mubarak clung tenuously to power. Members of the Saudi monarchy recognized it was within the realm of possibility that they, too, could be betrayed.

Saudi anxieties have metastasized since then. The Iran nuclear deal of 2015 was regarded inside the kingdom as a U.S. attempt to betray Saudi Arabia and befriend Iran

If the Biden administration makes Saudi Arabia a pariah state, it’s unlikely that the kingdom’s behavior would improve—even if it doesn’t immediately acquire a nuclear bomb. The other U.S.-sanctioned pariah states—Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Cuba—are some of the

If turning the United States’ back on Saudi Arabia won’t cool its nuclear weapons ambitions or its human rights violations, showing a long-term commitment to the region just might. What could ease Saudi insecurities is encouraging Riyadh to join a new league of Western and Middle Eastern states that cooperate multilaterally on matters of military, energy, economics, and social development. Even if the coalition started somewhat small—just the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Saudi Arabia, and smaller Arab states such as Jordan, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Tunisia—it would demonstrate that the United States and its Western allies will not soon leave the kingdom at the mercy of Iran or other outside powers. This alone should placate Riyadh’s fears enough to make nuclear weapons and indiscriminate bombing campaigns far less attractive – by Johan Spacapan

https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/12/06/biden-cannot-ostracize-riyadh-saudi-arabia-mohammed-bin-salman/

My comment: This is what we could have waited for – the old “Saudi Arabia is guaranteing regional stability” geopolitical bullshit. A try to find new arguments for this decades-old form of US interference in the region, now in form of Trmp’s idea of a Middle East “NATO” – off course led by the US. Such an alliance would even more cement US dominance in this region. And Yemen is not mentioned once. Instead, “Iranian adventurism” is mentioned. The main “adventurosm” in the Middle east is demonstrated by Saudi Arabia and the US. Wars in Yemen, Syria, Libya…

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Film: Nach dem Wahlsieg von Joe Biden – Welche Außenpolitik verfolgen die USA?

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

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Film: #Saudi dissident & ex diplomat responds to #American embassy #Riyadh trolling #LoujainAlHathloul

https://twitter.com/anaharoon/status/1335198211456294912

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U.S. considering blacklist for Yemen's Houthis - Oman foreign minister

Oman’s foreign minister said on Saturday the top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East had discussed with his country the possibility of Washington designating Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement as a terrorist group.

“Yes, that was raised,” Sayyed Badr Al Busaidi told a Bahrain summit in response to a question on whether the potential blacklisting had been broached by David Schenker during a recent visit to Muscat.

“I don’t think there is a solution based on classifying or blockading one key player in that conflict and not bringing them to the negotiating table,” the Omani minister added.

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-yemen-security-oman/u-s-considering-blacklist-for-yemens-houthis-oman-foreign-minister-idUSKBN28F0B8

and also https://www.rt.com/news/508793-us-yemen-houthis-terrorist-list/

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The Next President Should Get Us Out of Yemen

This is at most a conflict of regional import in which the US role has been to protract hostilities, facilitate unconscionable treatment of innocents, and unintentionally benefit the very terrorists we oppose.

But US military intervention in Yemen isn’t an effective means of suppressing AQAP — quite the opposite.

And speaking of Saudi Arabia, the more visible part of Washington’s involvement in Yemen is US support for the coalition of regional powers meddling in the Yemeni civil war, an arrangement Trump has maintained thanks to an indefensibly close relationship with Riyadh

All this happens with Washington’s help, first under Obama and now under Trump, despite opposition from the American public and the irrelevance of Yemen’s civil strife to vital US interests. This is at most a conflict of regional import in which the US role has been to protract hostilities, facilitate unconscionable treatment of innocents, and unintentionally benefit the very terrorists we oppose. However our presidential election turns out, it is time to end US military intervention in Yemen.

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/12/04/next-president-should-get-us-out-yemen

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Biden Must Address Yemen on Day One and Move Immediately to Prevent Future Wars

oing on six years of war and four years of President Trump’s complete disregard for the lives of millions of Yemenis caught in the crossfire, President-elect Joe Biden has promised a policy reset. He has repeatedly called for an end to U.S. participation and weapons in the brutal Yemen conflict.

These long-overdue course corrections will help save lives and accelerate an end to this terrible war, but the Biden administration must do more. It should work to restore and expand humanitarian assistance across Yemen, pressure the Saudi coalition to end its blockade and lead with determined diplomacy to pressure all parties back to the negotiating table to finally find a lasting peace.

This policy reset will come at a critical time, as the UN is warning of famine in the next few months if conditions don’t improve.

To end U.S. complicity in this war, President-elect Biden must start his policy reset on day one by stopping weapons deliveries to the Saudi-UAE coalition, including Trump’s recently proposed $23 billion sale to the UAE. Biden must work with Congress to pass a Yemen War Powers Resolution prohibiting intelligence sharing, logistical support and spare parts transfers for coalition airstrikes. Such a demonstration of support from Congress will help Biden exert meaningful pressure on the warring parties to end the violence.

Additionally, becoming the first president to sign a war powers resolution into law will help Biden prevent similar future catastrophes by recognizing the constitutional role of Congress in decisions to go to war. It will set a powerful precedent, deterring presidents from using military force without congressional debate and an affirmative vote to approve such action.

https://truthout.org/articles/biden-must-address-yemen-on-day-one-and-move-immediately-to-prevent-future-wars/

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Film: Will Biden End US Involvement in Yemen? | The Mehdi Hasan Show

Professor Shireen Al-Adeimi and journalist Spencer Ackerman join Mehdi Hasan to discuss whether the Biden administration will keep its campaign promises to end America's involvement in the Saudi-led war on Yemen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LMvgJgE2f4

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US military training mission in Saudi Arabia extended for $350m

The US Department of State has extended the US Military Training Mission to Saudi Arabia for five years in return for $350 million, a statement reported by Arabi21 said yesterday.

The US Military Training Mission to Saudi Arabia (USMTM) is based in the capital Riyadh, with around 330 US personnel and contractors working from the centre to train the Saudi military.

According to the statement, the US State Department greenlighted the extension of the mission which includes military training in Riyadh and retention of support services and consultations.

The money would be used to pay the salaries of the US military, residence and communication expenses and fees for teaching their children.

"Our mission is to enhance U.S. national security through building the capability and capacity of the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces (SAAF) to defend our common interests in the Middle East region," the US Military Training Mission to Saudi Arabia said on its website.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201203-us-military-training-mission-in-saudi-arabia-extended-for-350m/

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U.S. to designate pro-Iran Houthis as terrorists this week

Officials said it was not yet clear whether the administration would promptly issue waivers that would allow U.S. government employees, and the aid groups they fund, to continue their work. If they aren’t in place in time, all U.S. and U.S.-funded activities will be forced to halt immediately. Officials have already prepared “cease and desist” letters in case that happens.

http://en.adenpress.news/news/30652

My remark: Only this news site claims they really will do. Wait and see.

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Members of Congress Demand the Withdrawal of US Forces from Yemen

Thirteen US lawmakers from the Republican and Democratic parties joined the list of signatories to a bill calling on the US president to withdraw US forces from participating in the war on Yemen.

The bill - signed by 20 lawmakers from both sides - states that "unauthorized US military participation in Yemen has contributed to the world's largest humanitarian crisis." The bill calls for the president to withdraw US forces from hostilities in Yemen, no later than 30 days from the date of its adoption.

The bill also provides for the withdrawal of US forces participating in the activities of leadership, coordination, movements, or accompanying Saudi or Emirati regular or irregular military forces within the framework of operations against the Army and the Popular Committees in Yemen.

https://english.almasirah.net/post/16455/Members-of-Congress-Demand-the-Withdrawal-of-US-Forces-from-Yemen

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Biden facing growing pressure over secretary of defense pick

President-elect Joe Biden is facing escalating pressure from competing factions within his own party as he finalizes his choice for secretary of defense.

A coalition of at least seven progressive groups warned Biden to avoid Flournoy in an open letter to Biden obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press that referenced her record of “ill-advised policy decisions” — particularly in relation to Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Afghanistan — and an “opaque history of private-sector activity.”

“Ms. Flournoy’s consistent support for military interventions has contributed to devastating crises around the world, including in Yemen,” said Jehan Hakim, chairperson of the Yemeni Alliance Committee, which helped organize the letter.

https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-politics-cabinets-saudi-arabia-yemen-1d1b1bde892a43bab2509cdeba9a81c7

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Six Reasons Why a Terrorist Designation for Yemen’s Houthis is a Bad Idea

The Trump administration is understood to be close to designating Yemen’s Houthi militia as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). The move is part of a wider effort by the Trump administration to pressure Iran, which has provided the Houthis with arms and other support. The designation would prevent U.S. persons or organizations from almost any interaction with the Houthis, even though they control a portion of Yemen where 80 percent of the population lives. The humanitarian impact of the decision cannot be understated. Long-suffering Yemenis will pay the price for Trump’s last-ditch attempt to inflict pain on Tehran. Here are six reasons why an FTO designation on the Houthis is a bad idea.

First, the designation will interrupt the humanitarian response in Yemen. Yemen has long been the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with roughly 80 percent of the country’s almost 30 million civilians needing some form of aid to survive. Relief efforts are already under significant strain from the continued fighting and aid interference by the parties to the conflict. Although sanctions resulting from a terrorist designation can formally exempt humanitarian aid, the processes for doing so tends to be lengthy and burdensome. The designation could also restrict the ability of humanitarians to engage with key actors like the Health Ministry or other government agencies controlled by the Houthis. NGOs will have to put aid programs on hold while they navigate these challenges.

Second, a new sanctions regime will have a “chilling effect” on aid in general. Sanctions associated with counter-terror legislation tend to slow relief efforts, even when they explicitly exclude humanitarian activities from their scope. The complex regulatory framework and high risks associated with violating sanctions have led humanitarian actors to err on the side of caution, sometimes self-regulating beyond what is legally required.

Third, humanitarian exemptions are unlikely to unblock critical relief and recovery efforts. In protracted crises like Yemen’s, the lines between humanitarian relief and development can blur, because rebuilding infrastructure is essential to providing humanitarian assistance. Efforts to rebuild water, sanitation and school facilities can be subjected to enhanced scrutiny.

Fourth, the designation will erode the economy by further stifling imports. In its campaign against the Houthis, the Saudi-led coalition has relied heavily on economic warfare. Initially, this took the form of an official blockade of the country’s ports. Over time, the Saudi chokehold evolved into unofficial measures and delays that stifled Yemen’s commercial imports, devastating a country that imports 90% of food supplies, 85% of medical supplies, and most of its fuel. By imposing additional costs and processes on importers, an FTO designation could further weaken what remains of the country’s economy.

Fifth, a terrorist designation is likely to torpedo diplomacy.

Sixth, the move will neither protect Americans from terrorism nor alter the trajectory of the conflict in Yemen

The litmus test for U.S. policy on Yemen is simple: does it help end the conflict, or keep alive the millions of suffering Yemenis? A terrorist designation of the Houthis fails on both counts. Sadly, the Trump administration knows this. In 2018, it decided against designating the Houthis because “it could complicate aid deliveries.” Yet despite worsening humanitarian indicators, President Trump has now decided to push forward.

Luckily, President-elect Biden and his team will shortly be in a position to roll back a designation

https://www.justsecurity.org/73677/six-reasons-why-a-terrorist-designation-for-yemens-houthis-is-a-bad-idea/

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Meeks win gives Saudi, India inside line to House foreign affairs panel

Saudi Arabia and India are among several countries that could see their recent investment in lobbying firms close to the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) pay off after House Democrats today picked Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) as the first African American chairman of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Several foreign nations have taken note of the group’s growing influence in recent months and flocked to lobbying firms that boast of their close ties to the CBC.

These include Saudi Arabia and India, both of which recently hired The Williams Group, a firm founded by Michael Williams, a former special assistant for legislative affairs under President Bill Clinton and generous political donor to CBC candidates. Working alongside Williams at the firm is Director Yvesner Zamar, a former aide to CBC members Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) and the late John Conyers(D-Mich.). The two countries are the firm’s first foreign lobbying clients.

“There’s an uptick in outreach to the CBC across the board in the lobbying space,” Williams said in a recent appearance on The Influencers,

https://www.foreignlobby.com/2020/12/03/meeks-win-gives-saudi-india-inside-line-to-house-foreign-affairs-panel/

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

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BIP-Aktuell 149: Der Mossad und seine Morde

Die Tötung von Prof. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh trägt die Handschrift des Mossad
Zusammenfassung: Ob der Iran ein geheimes Atomwaffenprogramm entwickelt, ist strittig, aber die Ermordung des mutmaßlichen Leiters dieses Programms wird die entsprechenden Bemühungen des Iran verstärken. Die Ermordung von Fakhrizadeh sollte die politischen Optionen des gewählten Präsidenten Biden einschränken und schadet daher den langfristigen Beziehungen zwischen der israelischen und der US-amerikanischen Regierung, außerdem erhöht sie die Gefahr eines Krieges im Nahen Osten. Das Attentat bietet die Gelegenheit, den Mossad und seine Operationen darzustellen. (…)
Ronen Bergmans Buch „Rise and Kill First“ (der Titel auf Deutsch: „Der Schattenkrieg – Israel und die geheimen Tötungskommandos des Mossad“) basiert auf einer Reihe von Interviews mit ehemaligen Mossad-Agenten und erzählt die Geschichte der zahlreichen israelischen Attentate gegen militärische und politische Feinde. Bergman behauptet, dass seit der Gründung des Staates Israel etwa 3.000 Menschen durch den Mossad und andere israelische Geheimdienste ermordet wurden.

https://bibjetzt.wordpress.com/2020/12/05/bip-aktuell-149-der-mossad-und-seine-morde/

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IRGC: Satellite equipment used in assassination of Iran’s top nuclear scientist

Satellite equipment has been used in the assassination of Iran’s top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, says the spokesman for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

He added that “the Zionists are well aware that their measures [against Iran] will not go unanswered and this issue has been proven to them in the past.”

https://parstoday.com/en/news/world-i130410-irgc_satellite_equipment_used_in_assassination_of_iran%E2%80%99s_top_nuclear_scientist

(A P)

Trump failed to reduce Iran oil exports to zero: Iran’s president

Iran’s president says despite the economic war launched by the administration of US President Donald Trump against Tehran, Washington has failed in its efforts to shrink the Islamic Republic’s oil exports to zero.

https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/06/640141/Rouhani-Trump-Iran-oil-exports-zero-sanctions-economic-war

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US Navy official says ‘uneasy deterrence’ reached with Iran

The top U.S. Navy official in the Mideast said Sunday that America has reached an “uneasy deterrence” with Iran after months of regional attacks and seizures at sea, even as tensions remain high between Washington and Tehran over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

Vice Adm. Sam Paparo, who oversees the Navy’s 5th Fleet based in Bahrain, struck an academic tone in comments to the annual Manama Dialogue hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. He described having a “healthy respect” for both Iran’s regular navy and the naval forces of its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

“We have achieved an uneasy deterrence. That uneasy deterrence is exacerbated by world events and by events along the way,” the vice admiral said. “But I have found Iranian activity at sea to be cautious and circumspect and respectful, to not risk unnecessary miscalculation or escalation at sea.”

https://apnews.com/article/bahrain-dubai-iran-united-arab-emirates-persian-gulf-tensions-27e71b153a012c8a864bcff38550f5f8

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Zarif tells German FM Maas, E3 to correct own conduct before lecturing Iran

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif fires back at his German counterpart over the latter’s call for renegotiation of the 2015 nuclear agreement and claims about Iran’s national defense program, saying the European parties to the Iran deal should first change their own harmful behavior before lecturing the Islamic Republic.

In an interview with Spiegel magazine released on Friday, Germany’s top diplomat, Heiko Maas, toeing the line of America, spoke of what he called a “nuclear deal plus” with Iran that would also cover the country’s conventional missile program and regional role.

Maas said “a return to the previous agreement will not be enough,” and that “there will have to be a kind of ‘nuclear deal plus’, which is also in our interest.”

The German minister — whose country currently holds the presidency of the European Union (EU) — said the Europeans have “clear expectations for Iran: no nuclear weapons, but also no ballistic rocket program which threatens the whole region. Iran must also play another role in the region.”

“We need this accord because we distrust Iran,” he added

In response, Zarif took to Twitter later in the day to remind the European signatories to the Iran deal — Germany, France and Britain — of their own “malign behavior” in the West Asia region and failure to live up to their obligations under the multilateral nuclear deal following the US’s unilateral pullout in May 2018.

Before speaking about Iran, Zarif said, the European trio — also referred to as E3 — should stop violations of the Iran deal, named the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which has been ratified by UN Security Council 2231.

https://parstoday.com/en/news/iran-i130335-zarif_tells_german_fm_maas_e3_to_correct_own_conduct_before_lecturing_iran

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Iran: Saudi policy of inflaming tension no longer tenable

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman says Saudi Arabia has to revisit its decades-old policy of fueling tensions throughout the region.

Tweeting on Thursday, Saeed Khatibzadeh reminded that “for decades, Wahabism—nurtured by colonial powers—has been the source of bigotry, hatred & terrorism in our region — and beyond.”

https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/03/639943/Iran-Saudi-Arabia-region-Zarif-Jubeir

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Israel urges citizens to avoid Gulf, cites Iran threat

https://apnews.com/article/travel-bahrain-israel-iran-united-arab-emirates-c375da2af1f863fbc3a249067a10d3d1

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How Israel deployed an intelligence deception to justify killing scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh

Israel’s Mossad has spent years on a propaganda campaign aimed at convincing the world Iran possessed a nuclear weapons program – and legitimizing its assassinations of Iranian academics.

The Israeli assassination of Iranian defense official Mohsen Fakhrizadeh is being treated as a triumph of Israeli intelligence, with ubiquitous references in the New York Times and other major media outlets to the killing of “Iran’s top nuclear scientist”. In fact, Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency eliminated Fakhrizadeh, a defense official, despite the knowledge that its public depiction of him as the key architect of an Iranian nuclear weapons program was a deception.

For years, US media outlets have portrayed Fakhrizadeh as Iran’s equivalent to J. Robert Oppenheimer, marketing him to the public as the mastermind behind an Iranian version of the Manhattan Project. This image was developed primarily through a carefully constructed Israeli disinformation operation based on documents that displayed signs of fabrication.

The origin of the Mossad propaganda operation on Fakhrizadeh lies in the early 1990’s, when the US and Israel first developed suspicions of Iranian ambitions to develop a nuclear weapon.

https://thegrayzone.com/2020/12/02/israel-intelligence-deception-killing-mohsen-fakhrizadeh/

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Iran Intelligence Ministry identifies individuals involved in scientist assassination: Govt. spokesman

The Iranian Government says the country’s Intelligence Ministry has identified the individuals involved in the assassination of senior scientist and researcher Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

“The Supreme National Security Council has already reported about it. The Intelligence Ministry, through efforts made, noticed certain moves and succeeded in gaining control of the region. The Intelligence Ministry has identified the relevant individuals and all aspects are being investigated, and when it is finalized, a reciprocal response will be planned,” Ali Rabi'ei said in an interview with a TV program on Wednesday.

According to Press TV, he did not provide further details.

The remarks came two days after Iran’s Intelligence Minister Seyyed Mahmoud Alavi said the country’s security forces had found a lot of new leads on the recent assassination of Dr. Fakhrizadeh.

https://parstoday.com/en/news/iran-i130225-iran_intelligence_ministry_identifies_individuals_involved_in_scientist_assassination_govt._spokesman

and

(A P T)

US official says Israel was behind assassination of Iranian scientist

A senior US administration official said Israel was behind the assassination of Iran's top nuclear scientist but declined to give details about whether the Trump administration knew about the attack before it was carried out or provided support.

The official said that in the past, Israelis have shared information with the US about their targets and covert operations before carrying them out but would not say if they did so in this instance. The Iranian nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was killed Friday, had been a target for the Israelis for a long time, the official added.

Iran has blamed Israel for the attack and said the operation bore the hallmarks of Israel's foreign intelligence agency, the Mossad. While Iran has provided no evidence of Israeli involvement, Israel has neither denied nor claimed responsibility for Fakhrizadeh's death.

The New York Times first reported that a US official said Israel was behind the attack over the weekend.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/02/politics/iran-scientist-israel-assassination-us/index.html

(B P)

EXPLAINER: How could US drawdown in Iraq aid IS, Iran?

In a quest to root out Islamic State group hideouts over the summer, Iraqi forces on the ground cleared nearly 90 villages across a notoriously unruly northern province. But the much-touted operation still relied heavily on U.S. intelligence, coalition flights and planning assistance.

While the planned U.S. troop drawdown in Iraq from 3,000 to 2,500 by mid-January is unlikely to have an immediate impact on the campaign against IS remnants, there are concerns that further withdrawals could set the stage for another resurgence of the extremist group.

Although Iraqi forces have become more independent in combat missions, the country is reeling from ongoing anti-government protests, rampant corruption and political divisions that reach into the security apparatus. All of that means foreign support is still crucial.

There are already signs of a possible Islamic State comeback as the group exploits security gaps widened by a year of protests and the pandemic. It’s a worrying trend for Iraq’s security forces, whose collapse in 2014 allowed IS to seize a third of the country and sent American troops rushing back less than three years after they had withdrawn.

So how could the American drawdown help IS and Iran? Here are three key ways.

https://apnews.com/article/iraq-iran-islamic-state-group-coronavirus-pandemic-us-news-72a65818e96586e5b163855abef5968d

My comment: This sounds like US geopolitical bullshit: The US is the world police man – no, it’s not!

(* B P)

Doppelte Standards: Iran: Attentat auf Atomforscher

Genau wie die vom scheidenden US-Präsidenten Donald Trump persönlich angeordnete Ermordung des bedeutendsten iranischen Generals Kassem Soleimani im vergangenen Januar birgt der Anschlag, für den Teheran Israel und die USA verantwortlich macht, das Potential einer brandgefährlichen Eskalation mit nicht kalkulierbaren Folgen. Trump sinnt auf Rache für seine gescheiterte Iran-Politik und will sich in seiner Geltungssucht noch so viele Denkmäler wie möglich setzen.

Der wegen Korruption in drei Fällen und fragwürdiger U-Boot-Deals mit Deutschland innenpolitisch mächtig unter Druck stehende Netanjahu braucht dringend außenpolitische Erfolge.

Und so liegt der »Weltfrieden« ein weiteres Mal in der Hand der iranischen Regierung, der zugleich vorgeworfen wird, diesen zu bedrohen. Neben UN-Generalsekretär António Guterres ruft auch das deutsche Außenministerium zu Zurückhaltung auf, und konnte sich noch nicht einmal zu einer Verurteilung des Anschlags durchringen, der nach den Worten des ehemaligen CIA-Chefs, John Brennan, »staatlich geförderten Terrorismus« darstellen könnte.

»Der Anschlag war der Preis, den der Iran für Trumps Wahlniederlage bezahlen musste«, hat es die iranische Journalistin Sahra Asghari in seiner ganzen Absurdität auf den Punkt gebracht. Würde das Opfer aus einem anderen Land stammen, hätte der deutsche Außenminister mit Sicherheit deutliche Worte gefunden.

https://www.jungewelt.de/artikel/391522.doppelte-standards.html

cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain

Siehe / Look at cp1

(A P)

Bahrain: UK Secretary of State for the Home Department visits Muharraq Police

The UK Secretary of State for the Home Department Priti Patel visited on Sunday the General Directorate of Muharraq Governorate Police.

The visit was in the side-line of her participation in the Manama Dialogue.

https://www.policemc.gov.bh/en/news/ministry/111066

This is apparently the place where women were tortured and raped 3 years ago.

Learn more about the place

https://twitter.com/SAlwadaei/status/1335719997033893889

(A P)

Activists in London call for trial of Bin Zayed as war criminal

http://en.ypagency.net/199980/?fbclid=IwAR35HI2_bG3_m3BmNiOph7eNXiBXGnjkX8jPMSdY8AuRciOJ6wOvv7sprLw

(* B K P)

George Galloway: Britain’s £1bn in “aid” to Yemen as it sells bombs to Saudi is the very definition of blood money

Does the British government’s cynicism know no end? Confirming multi-million pound aid packages for war-torn Yemen while facilitating attacks by the Saudis is treachery of the highest standard.

The British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab’s announcement of a further £14 million in “aid” to famine-wracked, cholera-swept, devastated Yemen is surely the perfect example of ‘blood money’. The new tranche takes the total aid from the UK to the war-torn country since 2015 to over £1 billion – and £214 million of that has been in 2020 alone.

That nearly £5 billion-worth of UK weapons sales to Saudi Arabia have been made in the very same time period is a second dot that the government is hoping you don’t join. Because, of course, most of those weapons have been used against Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East, by Saudi Arabia, the richest country in the Middle East.

In Raab’s case, while private British arms corporations reap billions in profits tooling up the obscurantist royal dictatorship in Saudi, he uses British taxpayers’ money to come to the “aid” of its victims in Yemen. Nice work if you can get it.

Of course, “aid” is a much-abused word. Many countries have discovered British aid – and NGO aid – ends up supporting them just as the rope supports the hanging man. A look at the Twitter timeline of the British ambassador to Yemen – funnily enough, ensconced for the duration in Riyadh – is to see what British ‘diplomacy’ has become. Gunboat diplomacy, without the gunboats to spare.

It’s like Hitler dropping food parcels on the East End of London during the Blitz. It is the deepest cynicism, even by British standards.

Perfidious Albion is us.

https://www.rt.com/op-ed/508723-galloway-uk-aid-yemen-saudi-bombs/ = https://www.rt.com/shows/sputnik/508685-unseen-yemen-car-chaos/ = https://www.islamtimes.org/en/article/901735/britain-s-1bn-in-aid-to-yemen-as-it-sells-bombs-saudi-is-the-very-definition-of-blood-money

(A P)

UK pledges urgent aid for people facing starvation in Yemen

Foreign Secretary calls for international action and announces new UK aid as report shows thousands of Yemenis are facing “starvation, death, and destitution”.

The UK has announced emergency funding to help millions of people in Yemen, as a new report says the worsening crisis has left thousands living in ‘famine conditions’ and facing starvation, death and destitution.

The Foreign Secretary has urged the international community to step up

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-pledges-urgent-aid-for-people-facing-starvation-in-yemen

and the government propaganda film: https://twitter.com/FCDOArabic/status/1334587710196117512

My comment: British hypocrisy at its worst. Britain is one of the main forces responsible for fueling and keeping going this war.

cp11 Deutschland / Germany

(* A K P)

Berlin schließt Wiederaufnahme von Waffenlieferungen nicht aus

Deutsche Exporte von Kriegsgerät nach Saudi-Arabien sind bis Jahresende verboten. Ob es dabei bleibt, lässt die Regierung offen. Derweil poliert das Königreich fleißig sein Image.

Bis Ende des Jahres gilt ein umfassendes Verbot für deutsche Waffenlieferungen nach Saudi-Arabien. Ob es verlängert wird, hält sich die Bundesregierung bislang offen, wie aus der Antwort auf eine Anfrage der Linksfraktion im Bundestag hervorgeht, die der Süddeutschen Zeitung vorliegt. "Die Bundesregierung entscheidet zu gegebener Zeit über das weitere Vorgehen", heißt es da nur lapidar. Begründet worden war das Embargo, wie im Koalitionsvertrag zwischen Union und SPD vorgesehen, mit dem Jemen-Krieg und darüber hinaus mit der Ermordung des Journalisten Jamal Khashoggi.

Von der aktuellen Lage in Saudi-Arabien zeichnet das Auswärtige Amt in der Antwort ein Bild mit Licht und Schatten. "Während die Bundesregierung im Bereich der sozialen Rechte und insbesondere der Frauenrechte in den letzten Jahren Fortschritte feststellen kann, sieht sie insbesondere die Einschränkung der Meinungsfreiheit mit großer Sorge", heißt es da. Die Aufarbeitung der Ermordung des Journalisten Khashoggi verfolge man "weiter sehr aufmerksam".

Für viel zu lau hält das die Linke. "Der blutige Krieg im Jemen, der Mord an Jamal Khashoggi und die brutale Verfolgung anderer Oppositioneller im Land sowie die Unterdrückung von Frauen müssen von der Bundesregierung unmissverständlich verurteilt werden", fordert die Linken-Abgeordnete Kathrin Vogler. "Besonders skandalös" sei, dass die Bundesregierung die Wiederaufnahme deutscher Rüstungsexporte nicht kategorisch ausschließe.

https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/ruestungsexporte-sicherheitspolitik-ruestungsindustrie-waffenexporte-politik-saudi-arabien-1.5136792

und auch: https://presse-augsburg.de/bund-schliesst-waffenlieferungen-nach-saudi-arabien-nicht-aus/670307/ = https://www.deutsches-wochenblatt.de/Bund-schliesst-Waffenlieferungen-nach-Saudi-Arabien-nicht-aus-116089.html

(* B P)

Deutschland ist Mittäter. Punkt.

Das Bundesverwaltungsgericht hat in der vergangenen Woche entschieden: Die Bundesregierung muss nichts gegen die Rolle Ramsteins im illegalen US-Drohnenkrieg unternehmen. Zugegeben, das hätte sie wahrscheinlich sowieso nicht getan. Doch das Gerichtsurteil beweist nur abermals, wie sehr der Drohnenkrieg westliche Rechtsstaatlichkeit abgebaut hat.

Dass weite Teile der deutschen Bevölkerung mitfühlen würden, sofern sie über das Geschehen informiert wären, liegt im Bereich des Möglichen. Dass die politischen Eliten in Berlin sich ihrer Verantwortung – oder um es deutlicher zu sagen: ihrer Mittäterschaft – stellen, umso weniger. Nun erhielten sie hierfür auch noch Schützenhilfe von Seiten des Bundesverwaltungsgerichts in Leipzig, das die Klage der Jemeniten abwies und der Öffentlichkeit mehr oder weniger zu verstehen gab: Deutschland muss den USA in Sachen Drohnenkrieg nichts untersagen. Die Einhaltung des Völkerrechts ist uns schnuppe. Stattdessen demontieren wir weiterhin jene Rechtsstaatlichkeit, auf die wir angeblich so stolz sind.

Und außerdem: Natürlich sind wir derart modern, humanistisch und fortgeschritten, dass wir gegen die Todesstrafe sind. Dies betrifft allerdings nicht den extralegalen, auf Verdacht beruhenden Drohnenmord, der sich regelmäßig in der jemenitischen Wüste, in den afghanischen Bergen und anderswo abspielt.

Dabei hatte noch im vergangenen Jahr das Oberverwaltungsgericht in Münster zu Gunsten der Drohnenopfer entschieden.

Dass alle bestehenden (und frei zugänglichen!) Fakten zur Rolle Ramsteins oder zum Drohnenkrieg im Allgemeinen diesmal von einer derart angesehenen und wichtigen Institution unter den Teppich gekehrt werden, ist tatsächlich ein Skandal, der seinesgleichen sucht – und dank Corona, Biden-Sieg und Co. dennoch unbeachtet bleiben wird.

Ohne Deutschland wäre der Drohnenkrieg Washingtons nicht möglich. In einem klassischen Kriminalfall wäre der Sachverhalt deshalb eindeutig: Die USA sind Täter, Deutschland ist Mittäter. Die amerikanischen Tötungswaffen würden ohne deutsche Hilfe nicht funktionieren. Doch im bestehenden Kontext wird dieser Umstand nicht im Geringsten eingesehen.

https://www.nachdenkseiten.de/?p=67666

(* B P)

Kein Individualanspruch auf weitergehendes Tätigwerden der Bundesregierung zur Verhinderung von Drohneneinsätzen der USA im Jemen unter Nutzung der Air Base Ramstein

Im Jemen lebende jemenitische Staatsangehörige können von der Bundesrepublik Deutschland nicht unter Berufung auf eine aus Art. 2 Abs. 2 Satz 1 GG folgende Schutzpflicht verlangen, dass die Bundesregierung über die bisher schon durchgeführten diplomatischen und politischen Konsultationen sowie die Einholung rechtlicher Zusicherungen hinaus Maßnahmen ergreift, um sicherzustellen, dass die Nutzung der Air Base Ramstein durch die USA für Einsätze bewaffneter Drohnen im Jemen im Einklang mit dem Völkerrecht erfolgt. Dies hat das Bundesverwaltungsgericht in Leipzig heute entschieden.

http://go.anwaltsblogs.de/u/https://www.michael-kirchhoff.com/bundesverwaltungsgericht/kein-individualanspruch-auf-weitergehendes-taetigwerden-der-bundesregierung-zur-verhinderung-von-drohneneinsaetzen-der-usa-im-jemen-unter-nutzung-der-air-base-ramstein

und

(* B P)

Macht vor Recht: Bundesverwaltungsgericht rechtfertigt deutsche Beihilfe zu US-Drohnenmorden

Das aktuelle Urteil ist bedeutsam. Es zeigt schwarz auf weiß, wieviel Regierung und Gerichten der Schutz von Menschenleben wert ist, wenn globale Interessen des deutschen Imperialismus auf dem Spiel stehen: Gar nichts. Die Rechtmäßigkeit von Drohnenmorden in beliebigen Ländern aufgrund eines selbst proklamierten globalen „Kriegs gegen den Terror“ ist diskutabel. Die bloße „Zusicherung“, das eigene Handeln sei rechtmäßig, reicht aus, wenn es von einem (derzeitigen) Bündnispartner kommt. Die Unterbindung von völkerrechtswidrigen Drohnenangriffen muss Deutschland nicht einmal „in Betracht ziehen“, wenn es dadurch seine „außen-, bündnis- und verteidigungspolitischen Belange“ gefährdet sieht.

Das Urteil ist nicht nur eine Verbeugung vor dem künftigen US-Präsidenten Joe Biden, der US-Vizepräsident war, als die Drohnenangriffe stattfanden, die Gegenstand des Verfahrens waren. Tatsächlich will Deutschland selbst baldmöglichst Kampfdrohnen einsetzen

https://www.wsws.org/de/articles/2020/12/04/rams-d04.html

Meine Bemerkung: Ausführliche Besprechungen und Meldungen in vorigen Jemenkrieg-Mosaiken.

cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis

(* A P)

Saudi Arabia says resolution of Gulf dispute seems within reach

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on Friday a resolution to a bitter dispute with Qatar seemed “within reach” after Kuwait announced progress towards ending a row that Washington says hampers a united Gulf front against Iran.

The United States and Kuwait have worked to end the dispute, during which Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt have imposed a diplomatic, trade and travel embargo on Qatar since mid-2017.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s senior adviser Jared Kushner had held talks in Doha on Wednesday following a visit to Saudi Arabia.

“We have made significant progress in the last few days thanks to the continuing efforts of Kuwait but also thanks to strong support from President Trump,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud told a Rome conference via videolink.

“We hope this progress can lead to a final agreement which looks within reach and I can say I am somewhat optimistic that we are close to finalising an agreement between all the nations in the dispute.”

A source in Washington familiar with the discussions said a tentative deal had been reached by the parties and that it could be signed in a few weeks.

“They’re working towards taking what’s an agreement in principle and getting it actually signed,” the source told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-gulf-qatar/saudi-arabia-says-resolution-of-gulf-dispute-seems-within-reach-idUSKBN28E12M

and also https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-qatar-boycotts-doha-united-arab-emirates-024035bbc7640e3f7f59d7f4782b0a71

(A P)

Pompeo says U.S. 'very hopeful' Gulf rift be resolved, doesn't say when

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-gulf-qatar-pompeo/pompeo-says-u-s-very-hopeful-gulf-rift-be-resolved-doesnt-say-when-idUSKBN28E2G3

and

(A P)

Yemen [Hadi gov.] welcomes agreement to end Gulf crisis

https://debriefer.net/en/news-21632.html

(A P)

Qatar rules out normalization of Israel ties for now

https://apnews.com/article/bahrain-israel-italy-united-arab-emirates-qatar-7a1b9defebe7c8f2efeda54403b265e9

cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade

Siehe / Look at cp19, cp10, cp11

(* B P)

Made in Europe. Bombed in Yemen

A year ago, ECCHR, Mwatana for Human Rights, Amnesty International, Campaign Against Arms Trade, Centre Delàs, and Rete Italiana Pace e Disarmo filed a complaint at the International Criminal Court.

We asked the court to investigate the criminal liability of weapons exporters and the European states that have licensed arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Both states are committing war crimes in Yemen, where the greatest humanitarian catastrophe of our time is unfolding. They are not the only parties committing war cimes in Yemen, but European arms exporters supply them with the means to do so.

Arms exporters, state officials and governments act as if this is just business as usual, as if it has nothing to do with them.

Petition:

That European weapons are used to fuel the war in Yemen is outrageous and we can no longer accept it. We have the power to stop it.
Back ECCHR’s call for an investigation and demand that your government immediately ban these murderous exports. Sign the petition now.

https://www.ecchr.eu/ourweaponisjustice?fbclid=IwAR3CgxYVXDCjg9Wy_3kz3C8L-BwPEcM0ZaC3RYxEFjasmRgfYGw8bbfxHKg

cp13b Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage

(C)

Photos: Weltmuseum / World Museum: Online Collection / Yemen: 29 of 6.300 objects

https://www.weltmuseumwien.at/en/onlinecollection/?q=Yemen

(A P)

GOPHCY, SDF launch traditional building methods workshop

The General Organization for the Preservation of Historic Cities in Yemen (GOPHCY) and the Social Fund for Development (SDF) launched on Wednesday a workshop for documenting and revival of traditional building methods in the old city of Sana'a.

https://www.saba.ye/en/news3118562.htm

cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy

(* A E P)

Yemeni rial decline sparks civil disobedience in Lahj

Yemenis in the southern governorate of Lahj staged an inclusive civil disobedience on Sunday in protest of decline in local currency and surge in food prices.
Sellers closed stores in al-Hauta, Lahj provincial capital, in objection to the record depreciation of Yemeni rial, eyewitnesses said.
The traders called on the official government-run Central Bank of Yemen (CBY) to control the exchange rates and stop the currency's unprecedented drop.
The Yemeni rial is experiencing the worst ever decrease against hard moneys, with one US dollar is worth 894 rials on Sunday, leading to huge upsurge in prices of different commodities, consumer in particular.
Earlier, the Aden-based CBY management took some measures and decisions in a bid to curb this decline, but no signs of improvement.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-21642.html

Film: https://debriefer.net/en/news-21642.html

(* B E P)

With A Dying Economy in Yemen, Hadi's Government Exports 2 MMbbl of Oil for Accounts of Its Officials

The Yemeni riyal has been depreciated to its lowest levels in the past few days in the governorates under the control of the Hadi’s government, the pro-aggression government.

The price of the dollar reached nearly 900 riyals, creating confusion in the exchange markets, which were closed on Friday to the public in the governorates of Taiz and Aden, as the Money Changers Association called on, in a statement, all companies and institutions of the banking sector to close until further notice.

The decline of the riyal caused panic among the citizens, especially after it caused a significant increase in the prices of foodstuffs that exceeded the reasonable and created a state of discontent that sparked angry demonstrations against the Saudi-led coalition and the Hadi government in Lahj governorate.

Economists said that moving the Central Bank from Sana’a to Aden in mid-September 2016 was the most dangerous and stupid decision. The past years have proven this, especially with the inability of the Central Bank of Aden to control the banking market, and the Hadi’s government continuing to flood the market with more banknotes printed in Russia without a cash cover, the last of which was the arrival of new funds early this week, regardless of the disastrous effects on the national economy and their repercussions on citizens' purchasing power.

The failure of the Hadi’s government to manage the economy is subject to local and international consensus, despite its possession of the most important economic resource represented by oil, using this for personal interests under unacceptable justifications.

In the momentum of this economic disaster, press sources have revealed a new shipment of Al-Masila crude oil, containing approximately two million barrels of crude oil, will leave the Dhabba oil port in the coming days for the oil market. However, its revenues will not benefit the country’s economy but rather the bank accounts of officials on the coalition and the Hadi’s government, according to the sources.

https://english.almasirah.net/post/16492/With-A%C2%A0Dying-Economy-in-Yemen%2C-Hadi-s-Government-Exports-2-MMbbl-of-Oil-for-Accounts

and also https://hodhodyemennews.net/2020/12/06/up-to-two-million-barrels-of-yemeni-oil-set-to-be-smuggled-illegally-by-hadi-henchmen/

(* B E P)

Yemen currency war sees inflation spiral as Saudi-led fuel siege intensifies

As fighting has lessened in recent months, Yemenis say the economic war being waged is just as devastating

While the violence of the war in Yemen generally captures the headlines, and has lessened in recent months, escalating in the background is an economic battle that has further impacted the suffering of many Yemenis.

In January, Houthi authorities banned the circulation in their areas of new currency printed by the government-run Central Bank in Aden, essentially creating two central banks competing for control over the Yemeni rial.

The ensuing dual monetary policies has led to different exchange rates between Sanaa and Aden which, according to the Sanaa Center, had reached a record high by the end of August, with the rial valued at 33 percent less in government areas than in Houthi areas.

The rial is currently trading at YR625 to the dollar in Sanaa, while in Aden the rial has reached YR830 to the dollar.

Prices of goods have skyrocketed in government areas due to the currency collapse.

For their part in the economic battle, the Saudi-led coalition, which supports the internationally recognised government in Aden, has stopped issuing clearances for fuel ships to offload in the port of Hodeidah, which is under the control of the Houthis.

According to an oil company in Sanaa, some fuel ships received approval from the United Nations a few months ago, but the coalition did not allow them to dock at the strategic port and only a few have been offloaded.

This Saudi-led siege has led to a severe fuel crisis in Houthi-controlled areas and almost all petrol stations were closed last week.

Fuel was available on the black market for prices of up to YR20,000 ($32) for 20 litres of petrol, while it costs just YR7,000 ($11) in public petrol stations.

The currency ban and blockade of Hodeidah have had a profound effect on the lives of Yemenis.

On the other side of the economic conflict is the Saudi-led coalition's blockade of Hodeidah.

Earlier this month, all petrol stations in Houthi-controlled areas were closed and the price of 20 litres of petrol increased to up to YR20,000 ($32) on the black market.

On Friday, some petrol stations reopened after a fuel ship offloaded in Hodeidah. But the queues for petrol stretched as far as the eye could see and drivers spent the night in their cars queuing in order to be allowed to obtain just 30 litres.

A source at an oil company in Sanaa, who wished to remain anonymous, told MEE: “[The Saudi-led coalition] and the government are besieging Yemenis by preventing fuel ships from offloading in Hodeidah.

“This is a kind of economic siege that the aggressor countries have been imposing on Yemen since 2015.”

The Houthis have accused the government and the Saudi-led coalition of preventing 15 fuel ships from offloading in Hodeidah, arguing that the vessels had been given permission by the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen (UNVIM) to do so.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/yemen-civil-war-banknotes-blockades-weapons

(A E P)

[Southern] Yemen shuts exchange firms in Aden as currency collapses

The Foreign Exchange Dealers Association in the interim Yemeni capital of Aden announced on Wednesday the closing of all exchange firms, following the significant deterioration of the local currency.

The Yemeni riyal recorded a historic collapse against the US dollar, as the price of one dollar during the past two days reached 880 riyals, for the first time since the start of the war in the country.

The association issued a circular, calling on local money transfer networks, owners of exchange firms and all institutions, facilities and networks of the banking sector in Aden to suspend their exchange activities starting from Thursday.

The association stated that the country's public interest requires the closures of exchange firms following: "The significant deterioration of the local currency against foreign currencies, reaching a record low."

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201203-yemen-shuts-exchange-firms-in-aden-as-currency-collapses/

and also https://debriefer.net/en/news-21585.html

cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism

(A T)

Officials say gunmen kill secular thinker in southern Yemen

Local officials in southern Yemen say that a known university professor and secular thinker has been killed in a drive-by shooting

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/officials-gunmen-kill-secular-thinker-southern-yemen-74557822

and also https://debriefer.net/en/news-21619.html

https://hodhodyemennews.net/2020/12/05/academy-teacher-assassinated-in-dhalea/ (with photos)

and

(A T)

The commercial stores closed and armed men circulated in al-Dalea city after unidentified armed men killed the dean of the Education College, Khaled al-Humaidi.

https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1335574185024876545

(A T)

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) released a statement on November 27 vowing to continue fighting the US. It accused the US of intentionally bombing Muslims in Yemen due to religious and political motives. AQAP previously released a statement in early November urging Sudanese Muslims to revolt against their government and attack US and Jewish interests in East Africa.[1]

https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-december-4-2020

(A P T)

Presence Of ISIS, Al Qaeda In Parts Of Yemen Needs To Be Addressed: India

India has said the presence of terrorist elements like ISIS and Al Qaeda in parts of Yemen and their continued attacks on civilian population needs to be addressed, stressing that the international community must unite to fight the "dark forces of terror" globally and hold those who support and shelter such terror groups accountable.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/presence-of-isis-al-qaeda-in-parts-of-yemen-needs-to-be-addressed-india-2334261

cp15 Propaganda

(A P)

The U.A.E. Needs U.S. Arms to Ward Off Iran

Misguided opposition in the Senate bodes ill for U.S. Mideast policy in the Biden administration

Senate opposition to the proposed U.S. arms sales to the United Arab Emirates reflects a dangerous reversion to the Obama-era understanding of the Middle East. While opponents of the deal claim that the Emirates have misused other U.S. weapons in Yemen, the real issue is much broader.

A Senate vote on legislation to halt the $23 billion arms deal is expected in days. While opposition will likely fail—even if the bill passes, supermajorities would be needed to override the expected presidential veto—the thinking behind it foreshadows an ill-advised Biden administration policy toward Iran.

The Iranian threat to regional peace and security has altered the strategic reality of the Middle East since the misbegotten 2015 nuclear deal. Arab states increasingly fear Tehran’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, but also its support for terrorism in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, as well as its conventional military activities. The decision by Bahrain and the U.A.E. to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel shows how Iran’s increased—and largely unchallenged—belligerence has realigned the Middle East’s correlation of forces.

Many of these shifts stem from the nuclear deal, which released between $120 billion and $150 billion in frozen assets and freed Iran from arduous economic sanctions, providing Tehran the resources to expand its military and clandestine capabilities. Iran’s Quds Force used its share of the windfall to beef up support for Iraqi Shiite militias, Syria’s Assad, and Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria. In response, the Emirates and other U.S. friends rightly want more-advanced arms.

Less reported, but of vital importance to the Gulf Cooperation Council’s six Arab member states, was Iran’s dramatic expansion of support for Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Previous Iranian aid to the Houthis had been intended to stalemate Saudi and Emirati efforts to install a stable, pro-GCC government in San’a, but in 2017 Tehran ramped up shipments of sophisticated weaponry that could strike far beyond Yemen’s borders. This threatened Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure; important civilian airports in Riyadh, Dubai and Abu Dhabi; and commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, critical sea lanes to the Suez Canal – by John Bolton

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-u-a-e-needs-u-s-arms-to-ward-off-iran-11607295383

My comment: Now, the war hawks’ propaganda war against any idea of détente in the Middle East picks up speed. The Wall Street Journal even gives John Bolton (!!) a stage.

(A P)

Houthis accused to efface Yemeni identity symbols

The Houthi group is changing the political conflict into a cultural one and tries to efface Yemen's identity and republican symbols, the official [Hadi gov.] minister of human rights tweeted on Sunday.
"Identity swept is very perilous," Mohamed Askar added in response to Houthi decision to rename a public school, that had been named after a leader of 26 September Revolution.
"The Houthis try to replace the republican symbols with religious, sectarian ones," he said. "Unfortunately, this trend will absolutely change Yemen's conflict from political into a cultural one over identity."

https://debriefer.net/en/news-21645.html

(A P)

Saudi U.N. Ambassador: Houthi attack on civilians affirms their terrorist nature

The Saudi U.N. Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi said the expected US designation of Houthis as a terrorist organization will be a positive step.

In an interview with al-Arabiya TV, Al-Mouallimi said the militia "practice all the handiwork that affirms that they are terrorists."

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-43643

(A P)

Yemeni official says Houthis, STC two sides of same coin

The Houthis want national unity government but refuse to hand arms or join their militias into national army, Mukhtar al-Rahabi added, while the STC wants to partake in the government but also reject disarmament or involvement under official units.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-21584.html

My comment: As the greater part of the national army had sided with the Houthis, this is joke.

(A P)

Houthis seeking to impose sectarian, dynastic project by force of arms

The spokesman for the Guards of Republic Brigades, Brig. Gen. Sadiq Duwaid, on Friday accused the Houthi group of emptying the Yemeni constitutional institutions from their real content through its sectarian and dynastic project which is seeking to impose by the force of arms.
Yemen will not accept the return of the Imamate or imposing the system of the guardianship of the jurist and there is no room in it for sectarian and dynastic projects, he said in a speech to an event organised in Hodeidah province on the 3rd anniversary of the 2nd December Uprising against the group.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-21603.html

(A P)

Multiple explosions rock Sana'a airport’s vicinity

Yemenis in Houthi-run Sanaa have reported multiple explosions rocking the Sanaa International Airport which was transformed by militias into a military barrack and a warehouse for advanced weapons.
According to Asharq Al-Awsat, locals living in the airport’s vicinity said that successive explosions reverberated in different parts of the city, spurring a state of panic among residents.
Houthis frequently exploit the airport as a location to set up military outposts and arms depots. The Iran-backed militia also uses airport facilities as a launch pad for their terrorist attacks against civilian targets inside Yemen and neighboring Saudi Arabia.

http://en.adenpress.news/news/30656

My comment: Taking into account how many times the Saudis had bombed Sanaa airport the Houthis would be stupid idiots if they would store any military material, explosives or ballistric launchers there.

(* B P)

Biden Made Sure ‘Trump Is Not Going to Be President for Four More Years’

Here’s what Joe Biden had to say about the future in our interview.

Biden had a lot to say […] why he is ready to return to the Iran nuclear deal, if Iran does, and end President Trump’s sanctions on Iran.

On foreign policy, Biden made two significant points. First, I asked him whether he stood by his views on the Iran nuclear deal that he articulated in a Sept. 13 essay on CNN.com. He answered, “It’s going to be hard, but yeah.”

He had written that “if Iran returns to strict compliance with the nuclear deal, the United States would rejoin the agreement as a starting point for follow-on negotiations,” and lift the sanctions on Iran that Trump imposed.

The Iranians are clearly hoping for that. The Iranian foreign minister, Javad Zarif, said on Nov. 17 that a return to full implementation by the United States and Iran can be “done automatically” and “needs no negotiations.”

The nuclear deal was signed in 2015. Trump unilaterally withdrew from it in May 2018, reimposing crippling oil sanctions on Iran, claiming that it was a bad deal to begin with and that Iran was cheating — which was not the view of our European allies or international inspectors.

The view of Biden and his national security team has been that once the deal is restored by both sides, there will have to be, in very short order, a round of negotiations to seek to lengthen the duration of the restrictions on Iran’s production of fissile material that could be used to make a bomb — originally 15 years — as well as to address Iran’s malign regional activities, through its proxies in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Ideally, the Biden team would like to see that follow-on negotiation include not only the original signatories to the deal — Iran, the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France, Germany and the European Union — but also Iran’s Arab neighbors, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Earlier this week, I wrote a column arguing that it would be unwise for the United States to give up the leverage of the Trump-imposed oil sanctions just to resume the nuclear deal where it left off. We should use that leverage to also get Iran to curb its exports of precision-guided missiles to its allies in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq, where they threaten Israel and several Arab states. I still believe that.

Biden and his advisers are aware of that argument, and do not think it is crazy — but for now they insist that America’s overwhelming national interest is to get Iran’s nuclear program back under control and fully inspected. In their view, Iran’s development of a nuclear weapon poses a direct national security threat to the United States and to the global nuclear weapons control regime, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

“Look, there’s a lot of talk about precision missiles and all range of other things that are destabilizing the region,” Biden said. But the fact is, “the best way to achieve getting some stability in the region” is to deal “with the nuclear program.”

If Iran gets a nuclear bomb, he added, it puts enormous pressure on the Saudis, Turkey, Egyptand others to get nuclear weapons themselves. “And the last goddamn thing we need in that part of the world is a buildup of nuclear capability.”

Then, Biden said, “in consultation with our allies and partners, we’re going to engage in negotiations and follow-on agreements to tighten and lengthen Iran’s nuclear constraints, as well as address the missile program.” The U.S. always has the option to snap back sanctions if need be, and Iran knows that, he added.

There is going to be a lot of debate about this in the coming months – by Thomas L. Friedman

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/opinion/biden-interview-mcconnell-china-iran.html

My comment: Thomas L. Friedman was a saudi mouthpiece for years. Now he is agitating in favor of Netanyahu’s Israel against a détente with Iran. In this Interview, “Iran” is mentioned more than 2o times, Saudi Arabia and Yemen just in an anti-Iranian context, and otherwise both countries are not worth mentioning for Friedman. A fully flawed, propaganda BS interview.

(A P)

A terrorist-held oil tanker is about to poison the sea, and no one knows what to do

and later the headline was changed to: An oil tanker held by Yemen rebels is at risk of poisoning the ocean

The crisis of the FSO Safer will be familiar to many readers of The National. The 45-year-old, 1,200-foot tanker off the Red Sea coast of Yemen, containing over 1 million barrels of crude oil, is falling apart.

In the absence of dramatic intervention, the tanker’s disintegration is a question of “when”, not “if”. At that point, it will shed its load, not only devastating the world’s last known temperature-resilient coral reef and the global ecosystems that depend upon it, but also preventing aid reaching the stricken humanitarian disaster zone of Yemen. There is also a risk of the disaster disabling desalination plants along the Red Sea, leaving the states that surround it with only three days’ supply of locally produced drinking water.

And while the background to the Safer’s plight may be complex, the consequences are not. None will win, everyone will lose – by Charlotte Leslie, head of the UK Conservative Middle East Council

https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/comment/a-terrorist-held-oil-tanker-is-about-to-poison-the-sea-and-no-one-knows-what-to-do-1.1122347

(A P)

Iranian Arms, Fighters Bolster Maduro Government in Venezuela, U.S. Says

Top U.S. military commander for Central and South America cites ‘alarming and concerning’ presence of elite Quds Force

Iran has sent arms and dispatched paramilitary operatives to help Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro maintain his hold on power, the top U.S. military commander for Central and South America said Wednesday.

“We see a growing Iranian influence in there,” Adm. Craig Faller, the head of the U.S. Southern Command, told reporters, citing the “alarming and concerning” presence of military personnel from the elite Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/iranian-arms-fighters-bolster-maduro-government-in-venezuela-u-s-says-11606946275

Comment: There is zero evidence for this. The "source" is the US military and commander Craig Faller, the head of US Southern Command, which wants to recolonize Venezuela and all of Latin America. But DC think tank "experts" spread this US regime propaganda without an ounce of skepticism

https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1334483368621318146

(A P)

More Saudi coalition „We are benefactors“ propaganda

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2165755

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2165725

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2165436

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2165430

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2165428

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2165407

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2165302

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2165293

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2165253

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2165214

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2165014

cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids

(* A K pH)

Saudi coalition air raids and shelling day by day

Dec. 3: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/a.551858951631141/1876309879186035/

Dec. 2: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/a.551858951631141/1876308995852790/

Dec. 1: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/a.551858951631141/1876308065852883/

(A K pH)

Aggression airstrike hit MTN tower in Marib

Aggression's warplanes hit communications tower in al- Abdiya district in Marib province

https://www.saba.ye/en/news3118747.htm

(A K pH)

Ansarullah Spokesman tweets about the airstrike on Sana Airport:"Sanaa Int'l Airport is a civilian facility that's deactivated due to the blockade &has been bombed several times.Its repeated bombing is nothing but evidence of failure &confusion suffered by the Aggression Alliance

https://twitter.com/Naseh_Shaker/status/1334902812363411467

(A K pS)

Coalition airstrikes leave Houthis killed, injured in Yemen's Marib

Houthi fighters were killed or wounded on Wednesday when the Saudi-led coalition warplanes bombed the group's sites in the Yemeni northeastern governorate of Marib.
The Arab coalition launched more than 20 airstrikes targeting Houthi sites and reinforcements in Madghal, Sirwah and Rahabah districts, Yemeni military source said.
The raids left [indefinite] number of Houthis killed or injured, and military vehicles damaged, the source added in remarks carried by the International Sputnik.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-21578.html

(A K pH)

More Saudi coalition air raids

https://www.saba.ye/en/news3119019.htm Marib p., Sanaa p.

https://www.saba.ye/en/news3118737.htm Marib p., Jawf p.

https://www.saba.ye/en/news3118694.htm / https://english.almasirah.net/post/16477/Again..-US-Saudi-Aggression-Targets-Sanaa-International-Airport Sanaa airport, Saada p.

https://english.almasirah.net/post/16467/US-Saudi-Aggression-s-Daily-Update-for-Thursday%2C-Dec-3%2C-2020 / https://debriefer.net/en/news-21592.html / https://english.almasirah.net/post/16482/US-Saudi-Aggression-Launches-Series-of-Raids-on-A-Number-of-Governorates Several prov.

https://www.saba.ye/en/news3118631.htm Marib p.

cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War

Siehe / Look at cp18

Im Jemen herrscht ein militärisches Patt. Eine größere offensive mit größeren Erfolgen und Geländegewinnen für eine Seite bleiben seit der Offensive der saudischen Koalition gegen Hodeidah im Jahr 2018 aus. Kleinere Offensiven, ständige gegenseitige Angriffe und Gefechte mit Toten auf beiden Seiten und Opfern unter der Zivilbevölkerung gibt es aber ständig. Besonders betroffen sind die Provinzen Hodeidah, Taiz, Al Bayda, Al Dhalea, der Bezirk Nehm in der Provinz Sanaa, die Provinzen Al Jawf, Marib, Hajjah und Saada.

There is a military stalemate in Yemen. A larger offensive with greater successes and territorial gains for one side has been absent since the Saudi coalition's offensive against Hodeidah in 2018. Smaller offensives, constant mutual attacks and skirmishes killing fighters of both sides and causing victims among the civilian population are constant. The provinces of Hodeidah, Taiz, Al Bayda, Al Dhalea, the district of Nehm in the province of Sanaa, the provinces of Al Jawf, Marib, Hajjah and Saada are particularly affected.

(A K pS)

Film: An elderly citizen from the village of Al-Shaqab # Taiz Scream and cry, After her cousin, a scientist, was killed yesterday by a mine planted by the Houthis in front of their home. The scholar is considered the tenth from the family of this elderly woman who was killed by the Houthis.

https://twitter.com/taha_saleh_taiz/status/1335583014181621760

(A K pS)

Houthi indiscriminate shelling kills a child in Taiz

A child was killed on Sunday due to indiscriminate shelling launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia on residential areas in the five-year besieged city of Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city.

local sources said four-year-old Badea Maher was hit in the head with mortar shrapnel while he was playing near his home in Usayfira neighborhood, north of the city (photo)

https://republicanyemen.net/archives/26440

and also http://en.adenpress.news/news/30690

https://twitter.com/ycmhrv/status/1335614430718140417

Film: https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1335640354201231367

(A K pS)

Dozens of Houthi militants killed, injured south of Marib

http://en.26sepnews.net/2020/12/06/dozens-of-houthi-militants-killed-injured-south-of-marib/

[Hadi gov.] Army destroys Houthi militia’s weapons depot west of Marib

http://en.26sepnews.net/2020/12/04/army-destroys-houthi-militias-weapons-depot-west-of-marib/

(A K pS)

KSrelief Masam Project Dismantle 1,385 Mines in Yemen During Fourth Week of November

King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief)'s Masam Project for Clearing Mines in Yemen dismantled 1,385 mines during the fourth week of November 2020, including 49 antipersonnel mines, 115 anti-tank mines, 1,218 unexploded ordnance and 3 explosive devices.

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2165726

(A K)

Saudi artillery shelling north Yemen leaves nine casualties

Nine civilians have been injured, al-Masyra said Saturday, following Saudi artillery shelling on the Yemeni northern governorate of Sa'ada.
The Saudi bombing targeted al-Raqu area in Munabih at the Yemeni-Saudi borders, leaving nine civilians (including one seriously) wounded, the Houthi-run TV added.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-21626.html

and also https://english.almasirah.net/post/16494/Injuring-9-Civilians-with-Saudi-Shelling%C2%A0

https://www.saba.ye/en/news3118899.htm

https://hodhodyemennews.net/2020/12/05/nine-wounded-in-saudi-shelling-of-saada/

(A K pH)

Citizen Injured by Saudi Shells in Sa'adah Governorate

https://english.almasirah.net/post/16478/Citizen-Injured-by-Saudi-Shells-in-Sa-adah-Governorate

(A K pS)

[Hadi gov.] Yemeni defense ministry claims capturing Houthi intelligence cell

The Yemeni defense ministry has captured an intelligence cell working for the Houthi group in the northeastern city of Marib, the ministry-run september.net said on Thursday.
According to investigations, the cell is involved in reporting on vital military sites and machines to be targeted by Houthi missiles and shells, the website added.

https://debriefer.net/en/news-21597.html

and also http://en.26sepnews.net/2020/12/04/ministry-of-defense-uncovers-confessions-of-houthi-cell-linked-to-iran-involved-in-terrorist-crimes/

(A K pS)

The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: Interception, Destruction of Bomb-Laden UAV Launched by Terrorist, Iran-Backed Houthi Militia Toward the Kingdom

https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2165117

and effects on air liners:

https://twitter.com/A7medJa7af/status/1334649402766528519

https://twitter.com/A7medJa7af/status/1334649070665814017

https://twitter.com/A7medJa7af/status/1334648784991752197

https://twitter.com/A7medJa7af/status/1334645721874784258

https://twitter.com/A7medJa7af/status/1334645140007358465

https://twitter.com/A7medJa7af/status/1334644746283868163

https://twitter.com/A7medJa7af/status/1334643277413363719

https://twitter.com/A7medJa7af/status/1334642608912691208

https://twitter.com/A7medJa7af/status/1334642360966402050

https://twitter.com/A7medJa7af/status/1334641915543900162

https://twitter.com/A7medJa7af/status/1334641465272754179

https://twitter.com/A7medJa7af/status/1334640907233206272

https://twitter.com/A7medJa7af/status/1334640701557125122

(A K)

A video emerged from #Jazan where a #Yemeni missile or drone hit #SaudiAramco 2 days ago fuel storage driving gas prices to $15 a gallon [in Saudi Arabia]

https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1335388104564367366

Another video shows the long lines for gas [in Saudi Arabia]

https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1335388620895694849

cp18 Kampf um Hodeidah / Hodeidah battle

Seit dem Abkommen von Stockholm vom 13. Dezember 2018 gibt es einen Waffenstillstand für Hodeidah. Zwar bleiben größere Offensiven aus, kleinere Gefechte gibt es aber laufend, und beide Seiten werfen sich ständig Verstöße gegen den Waffenstillstand vor.

Since the Stockholm Agreement of December 13, 2018, a ceasefire has been in place for Hodeidah. There are no major offensives, but smaller battles are going on and both sides constantly are accusing each other of violating the ceasefire.

(A K pS)

The Saudi mine action program MASAM removes 1274 landmines and UXOs in Bab Almandab district in Yemen's western coastline./Maz Press.

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-43646

(A K P)

[Sanaa gov.] Member of the Joint Coordination Committee in Hodeidah: UN doesn't Act, just Watch US-Saudi War Crimes

Member of the national team in the Joint Coordination Committee, Major General Muhammad Al-Qadri, confirmed that the US-Saudi mercenaries target civilians with airstrikes and artillery shells, and this is a war crime that the United Nations mission just watch and doesn't act to stop it.

https://english.almasirah.net/post/16495/Member-of-the-Joint-Coordination-Committee-in-Hodeidah-UN-doesn-t-Act%2C-just-Watch-US

My comment: As in the last time the Sanaa government troops had committed the greatest massacres which had happened at Hodeidah province, such a claim sounds rather odd.

and

(A K P)

[Sanaa gov.] Yemeni diplomats meet with UN mission in Hodeidah

The Head of the National Team in the Redeployment Coordination Committee in Hodeidah governorate, Major General Ali Al-Mushki has discussed with the Head of the United Nations Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) and with the Chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee Lieutenant General Abhijit Guha and his team, regarding a number of issues related to the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement.

At the meeting, the National Team presented a comprehensive report on the ongoing violations of the aggression forces and their mercenaries in the western coast and Hodeidah governorate

https://hodhodyemennews.net/2020/12/05/yemeni-diplomats-meet-with-un-mission-in-hodeidah/

(* B K)

139 killed, injured in western Yemen since October

74 civilians killed, wounded in October, 49 in November in Al Hudaydah province, says UN humanitarian office

The UN said Saturday that at least 139 civilians have been killed or injured since October in western Yemen.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said 74 civilians were killed or wounded in October and 49 in November in Al Hudaydah province.

And six workers were killed and 10 injured in an attack Dec. 3 on a trade complex in al Hudaydah

No other information was disclosed about the number killed and injured, said the report.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/139-killed-injured-in-western-yemen-since-october/2067103

and also https://www.yenisafak.com/en/world/over-135-killed-injured-in-western-yemen-since-october-3555928

(A K pS)

Two men injured by Houthi laid-mine in Hodeidah

http://en.adenpress.news/news/30672

Photo: https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1335267693784686597

(A K pS)

Thirteen Houthis' spying drones detected in Hodeidah

http://en.adenpress.news/news/30673

(* A K)

Mehrere Tote bei Bombenangriff in jemenitischer Hafenstadt

Nun sind bei einem Bombenangriff auf einen Industriekomplex in Hudaida nach Regierungsangaben mindestens acht Menschen getötet worden. Zudem gebe es 13 Verletzte, sagte Informationsminister Muammar al-Irjani laut der staatlichen Nachrichtenagentur Saba. Er verurteilte die »Terrorattacke« und machte die von Iran unterstützten Huthi-Rebellen dafür verantwortlich.

Auch die Uno-Beobachtermission UNMHA verurteilte die Attacke.

https://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/jemen-mehrere-tote-bei-bombenangriff-in-hafenstadt-hudaida-a-4458ad1c-5556-4ff9-8761-cf4bd61da7a0#ref=rss

und auch https://www.jungewelt.de/artikel/391912.jemen-neun-tote-nach-beschuss.html

(* A K pS)

Yemen's Houthi rebels kill 10 in attack on food factory in Hodeidah

Six other workers were injured when the rebels shelled the plant on Thursday evening

Ten workers were killed and six others injured when Yemen's Houthi rebels shelled a food processing plant in Hodeidah province on Thursday evening.

Faris Al Hussam, an official at a media centre run by pro-government forces, said the rebels fired five rockets and two mortars at the Thabet Brothers factory complex near Hodeidah city a few minutes before the sunset.

“The shelling aimed to kill as many people as possible because they fired the rockets at a time the workers were still working," Mr Al Hussam said.

“Ten employees at the Thabet Brothers food plant were killed and six co-workers were injured as a result of the Houthi attack,” Dawood Kattab, manager of the government's health services in the coastal areas of Hodeidah, told The National.

Dr Kattab said the wounded workers, some of whom suffered serious injuries, were taken to a field hospital in Durayhimi district near Hodeidah, and to hospitals in Khokha and one run by Medecins Sans Frontieres in Mokha further south along Yemen's Red Sea coast.

Waleed Al Qudaimi, the Hodeidah deputy governor, said the Houthi shelling caused extensive damage to the plant just as it was resuming operations after a previous attack.

https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/mena/yemen-s-houthi-rebels-kill-10-in-attack-on-food-factory-in-hodeidah-1.1122721

and

(* A K pS)

Dozens of workers killed, injured by Houthis in Hodeidah

Dozens of workers were killed and injured in a heavy shelling carried out on Thursday night, by the Iranian-backed Houthi putschist militia, targeting the Thabet's Brothers Factories in Yemen's Red Sea city of Hodeidah, Al-Amalika Media Center (AMC) reported.
AMC quoted local sources and workers as saying that the pro-Iran Houthi militants used heavy machine guns and mortars to deliberately target the factories which resulted in death and injury to dozens of workers.
The victims, some suffer very serious injuries, were taken to the field hospital of al-Duraihimi for receiving medical treatment in the south of the province, amid fear of an increase in death toll, the same sources said.

http://en.adenpress.news/news/30659

and also https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/12/04/Eight-people-killed-in-Yemen-s-Hodeida-Houthis-likely-to-blame

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/4/eight-people-killed-in-shelling-at-yemens-port-of-hodeida

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-12/05/c_139564476.htm

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1772736/middle-east

Films: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZPD65dwZgc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51DWnI5tkJU

Photos: https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1334580889863528449

https://twitter.com/ycmhrv/status/1334750333659205633

https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1335219357694226438

and

(A K P)

UNHC: Artillery shelling kills six civilians in Al Hudaydah

“This is yet another senseless attack killing and injuring so many civilians within the span of one week,” said Mr. Laurent Bukera, Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen a.i. “We share our deepest condolences with the families of those who had been killed and wish those injured a full and quick recovery.”

https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/artillery-shelling-kills-six-civilians-al-hudaydah-enar

and

(A K P)

NGO: Houthi shelling of Hodeidah civilians a war crime that necessitates accountability

https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-43642

(A P)

Daily violations

Dec. 4: https://english.almasirah.net/post/16480/US-Saudi-Aggression-s-Daily-Update-for-Friday%2C-Dec-4%2C-2020

cp19 Sonstiges / Other

(-)

Watch Fearless Yemeni Drivers Prove All You Need Off-Road Is an Old Land Cruiser

https://www.thedrive.com/news/37950/fearless-yemeni-drivers-prove-all-you-need-off-road-is-an-old-land-cruiser

Films: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yfONcPjxbw

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

Vorige / Previous:

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-698-yemen-war-mosaic-698

Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-698 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-698:

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

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