Dies ist die Fortsetzung von Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 700, Teil 1 / This is the sequel of Yemen War Mosaic 700, part 1:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-700-yemen-war-mosaic-700
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
cp8a Jamal Khashoggi
cp9 USA
cp9a USA-Iran Krise: Spannungen am Golf / US-Iran crisis: Tensions at the Gulf
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
cp12b Sudan
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade
cp13b Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage
cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
cp15 Propaganda
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
cp18 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
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
(A P)
Saudi crown prince's lawyer seeks dismissal of ex-spy chief case in U.S. court
Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s lawyer has asked a U.S. court to dismiss a case filed by a former top-ranking Saudi intelligence official, claiming it has no jurisdiction over the prince, according to court documents viewed by Reuters.
The filing rejects claims that Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MbS, sent a hit squad to kill former spy chief Saad al-Jabri, and says the crown prince is immune from prosecution in the United States.
Jabri, who currently lives in exile in Canada, in August filed a 107-page lawsuit in a U.S. court alleging the crown prince “dispatched a “hit squad” to kill him in October 2018, but Canadian authorities foiled the attempt.
The lawsuit against MbS and 24 others was filed in federal court in the District of Columbia.
(* B P)
Saudi Arabia: Time to face the music
Having lost its staunchest supporter in Washington, MBS now has to tread carefully on the international scene.
With President Donald Trump’s defeat in the US elections, Riyadh lost its staunchest ally at the White House. The monarchy is now obliged to tread carefully, walk back some of its mistakes and avoid any new risky moves before a less friendly administration takes over next month.
Biden has already made it clear that he will reverse much of Trump’s appeasement of Saudi Arabia and his hostile policies towards Iran.
This explains Riyadh’s recent overtures toward Turkey, after more than two years of hostility, and its keener attempts at resolving the Gulf crisis with Qatar, which may lead to relations being restored at the GCC summit later this month.
The same goes for alleged attempts at ending the disastrous war in Yemen. Reports about Riyadh trying to expedite a settlement of the war, that includes a “joint declaration” by the two warring Yemeni parties will, if serious, prove a step in the right direction.
And the same applies to Saudi Arabia’s recent engagement with Iraq. After years of snubbing Baghdad, Riyadh sent a top-level delegation to the Iraqi capital earlier this week. And last month, Riyadh opened the Arar border crossing for trade with Iraq for the first time in 30 years.
By taking these and other steps, Saudi Arabia seems keen to show willingness and ability to act independently and without foreign interference, when in reality, it is eager to move quickly to preempt and placate potential future American pressure.
After shrewdly getting away with almost everything he wanted from the Trump administration, thanks in no small part to the gullibility of its emissary, Jared Kushner, MBS must now face the new reality, both in Washington and the region.
The honeymoon is over. It is time to face the music and deal with the consequences.
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2020/12/8/saudi-arabia-time-to-face-the-music/
(A P)
Film: #Saudi Monarchy supported by @SecPompeo razes #Imam Hussain Mosque where #Sheikh Nimer AlNimer prayed & delivered his speeches. This is #POMPEODoctrine
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1335907720545890305 = https://twitter.com/nashetqatifi/status/1335873850249269250
(* B K P)
Saudi Arabia: The Ally From Hell
MbS has made the U.S. complicit in war crimes and committed murder. The new administration should stand up to him.
If the Trump administration had merely maintained civil relations with yet another authoritarian regime, there would have been little controversy. However, the president and secretary of state turned complicity with brutality into an art form. Rarely has a president so ostentatiously welcomed such a dictator to the White House, assiduously protected such a dictator from accountability, and effectively armed such a dictator to commit further villainy.
The KSA was always a dubious partner for America. An absolute monarchy in which fear of Islamist radicalism caused the princely libertines in private to enforce Islamic purity in public, Riyadh won the affection of U.S. officials with its vast oil reserves. Western governments averted their gaze from royal repression and welcomed spendthrift princes and princesses seeking a luxurious and sybaritic retreat.
Indeed, reported the Financial Times, “Waves of crackdowns have continued. Hundreds of activists remain in prison, according to human rights groups. One veteran activist died in custody this year and another writer died shortly after he was released.” Although the KSA always has been repressive, one Saudi activist living in the West observed that torture is “now a regular part of imprisonment” and “retroactive arrests are made for things now deemed unacceptable.” There is no safe harbor: you “no longer know the red lines, that you once could navigate around.”
Rather than adopt reforms, the regime responds with carefully crafted lies and misdirection. Particularly disingenuous was a recent talk by the Kingdom’s ambassador to America, Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. In flawless English, she dismissed those who “still cling to outdated, outmoded completely obsolete views of the Kingdom” and argued that for human rights, “progress is not a straight line but curved, and that what matters most is that the end of the curve is towards equity, equality, diversity, and inclusion in line with our values, culture, and tradition.” Unmentioned was the most fundamental issue—liberty, and the political repression that has become almost total under MbS.
The crown prince’s crimes are not only internal. He took a reliable and cautious gerontocracy and turned it into a reckless and wanton aggressor. Ironically, Saudi Arabia has become more dangerous than Iran, on which the Trump administration has foolishly fixated.
The crown prince’s greatest crime is the war in Yemen.
As a result of Riyadh’s own folly, what was to be a five-week campaign turned into a five-year-and-counting war. The Saudis today whine about “cowardly” Houthi missile attacks after committing murder and mayhem in Yemen.
Unfortunately, both the Obama and Trump administrations backed Riyadh’s invasion.
Alas, this was not Riyadh’s only effort to spread tyranny abroad. The Saudis used troops to sustain the dictatorial Sunni monarchy in Bahrain against pro-democracy protests by the Shia majority—naturally blamed on Iran by royal regimes as ruthless as that in Tehran.
All told, Saudi Arabia is the ally from hell, its rulers brutal but incompetent, murderous but reckless, and ever craving support while exuding arrogance. President Joe Biden appears to know what must be done.
Most importantly, Washington should end U.S. support for the war in Yemen – by Dough Bandow
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/saudi-arabia-the-ally-from-hell/
cp8a Jamal Khashoggi
(* A P)
US Judge Orders Partial Disclosure Of Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi Murder Files
The judge also instructed the Central Intelligence Agency and Office of the Director of National Intelligence to explain why they are withholding the tape and a CIA report on the gruesome killing.
A New York judge on Tuesday ordered US intelligence agencies to acknowledge they possess a tape recording of the 2018 murder of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, in a ruling hailed by rights activists.
The judge also instructed the Central Intelligence Agency and Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to explain why they are withholding the tape and a CIA report on the gruesome killing.
The CIA concluded that the young royal had been responsible for the killing, straining relations between the United States -- where Khashoggi lived -- and Riyadh.
President Donald Trump later said he protected Prince Salman from Congress, boasting "I saved his ass," according to a book by veteran journalist Bob Woodward.
The Open Society Justice Initiative, founded by billionaire George Soros, filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information act seeking access to intelligence agency records related to the assassination.
The CIA and ODNI rejected their request and failed to even confirm the existence of the documents, citing national security reasons.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-judge-orders-partial-disclosure-of-saudi-journalist-jamal-khashoggi-murder-files-2336060 = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/us-judge-orders-partial-disclosure-of-khashoggi-murder-files/articleshow/79635982.cms
(B P)
Seen initially as harbinger of freedom and democracy
It didn’t take long before Mohammed bin Salman showed his true colours and initiated a ruthless and relentless campaign to eliminate his rivals and critics, inside the royal court, inside the country, in the region or beyond. The Khashoggi case that sparked international outrage was no aberration but only the tip of the iceberg.
Over the past few years, Bin Salman’s men have made attempts to pave his way to the throne by abducting, arresting, detaining and even killing Saudi citizens who think the young prince is not the best choice as the next king.
Bin Salman’s main targets have turned out to be rights activities, political dissidents, prominent businessmen, and influential royals.
My remark: From Iran.
cp9 USA
Siehe / Look at cp1, cp9a
(* B P)
What Saudi Arabians want from Antony Blinken, Biden's pick for secretary of state
Over the past four years, a combination of Saudi authoritarianism and American enablement has produced a toxic mix of repression at home and adventurism abroad.
We understand that America’s relationship with Saudi Arabia is complex and multifaceted. While there are important economic and security considerations that cannot be ignored, and notwithstanding the aberrations of the past four years, the world still looks to the U.S. as a beacon of justice. Millions of Saudis and others around the globe will be watching to see whether and how the Biden administration chooses to exercise its moral authority.
It is long past time to cancel the blank check that Washington has written to Riyadh. If the U.S. is serious about returning to the world stage as a credible advocate for human rights, it must secure the immediate and unconditional release of Saudi prisoners of conscience.
U.S. interests lie in a secure and stable Saudi Arabia. As long as the kingdom remains at war with its own people, however, America’s moral stature is imperiled. Saudi Arabia’s rulers are sowing the seeds of their own destruction by sacrificing justice for power.
(A P)
Senator Rand Paul in Senate: Any real advocate for ending the war should ‘vote against this monstrosity’
The best part of any debate is when you see people twisting themselves in knots, going against their own alleged principles to get their desired results.
Today, the subject is war powers. The hawks and neocons somehow want you to believe, in contrast to all logic, that the President of the United States has the unitary power to go to war anytime he wants, anywhere, free from interference from Congress. That’s their stated position anytime war comes up.
Yet, they now say a President cannot leave a war without their permission. How absurd is that? It’s exactly the opposite of what both the constitution and logic would dictate.
Now these same people who advocated for virtually unlimited commander in chief powers have put forth limits to restrain a president from removing troops from a country.
In reality, the neocons are enamored of their theory of unbounded Presidential power only when that power is used to foment war. The minute a President decides to end war, their true stripes are exposed as they beat their chests and proclaim, as 535 generals might, that the President will not be allowed to remove troops without Congressional permission.
(* B H P)
HRW: Yemen: Houthi Terrorism Designation Threatens Aid
US Action Risks Lives of Millions Already Facing Starvation
The Trump administration’s potential designation of the Houthi armed group in Yemen as a “foreign terrorist organization” would threaten humanitarian aid on which millions of Yemenis rely for survival, Human Rights Watch said today. Over 20 million people in Yemen – nearly two-thirds of the population – require food assistance.
If the US government designates the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization, then anyone in the United States or abroad suspected of providing support or resources to the armed group could be prosecuted under various federal laws, including those banning material support for terrorism. This could prevent numerous nonprofit groups and humanitarian aid organizations from operating in areas under Houthi control, where the bulk of the country’s population lives. The material support restrictions could also create serious obstacles for outside mediators involved in peace negotiations between the Houthis and other parties by making it a criminal offense to provide any property or service – including expert advice or assistance – to a designated organization.
“Many Yemenis are already on the brink of starvation, and US actions that would interfere with the work of aid organizations could have catastrophic consequences,” said Afrah Nasser, Yemen researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Any designation of the Houthis should at a minimum provide clear and immediate exemptions for humanitarian aid, but millions of lives should not have to depend on that.”
A federal statute grants the US secretary of state broad authority to designate any foreign entity a “foreign terrorist organization” once the State Department determines that it engages in “terrorist activity,” has the “capacity and intent” to do so, and that such actions threaten US nationals or US national security. A related executive order permits the government to label individuals or groups that assist or are “associated” with terrorist organizations as “specially designated global terrorists” and to block their assets. The law provides few legal protections to those designated.
The US designation is being considered as part of the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, media reported. In the administration’s waning days, the US has imposed additional sanctions on Iran or Iranian officials every week. Iran has supported the Houthi armed group, which has controlled the capital, Sanaa, and much of western Yemen since late 2014.
International aid groups have said that a US terrorism designation would “cause even greater suffering.” Members of the US Congress said that the designation would have “a disastrous impact on the ability of aid organizations to provide relief to millions of Yemenis who depend on their assistance for survival.”
NBC News reported that the head of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) John Barsa appealed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo not to make the designation after the agency carried out a detailed analysis of the possible negative impact. The head of the UN World Food Program, David Beasley, reportedly expressed “grave concerns” to Pompeo about the possible designation.
“The US has stood by as Saudi and UAE forces have committed war crimes in Yemen, sometimes with US weapons,” Nasser said. “It adds insult to injury that the Trump administration – as a parting gift to its Gulf allies – would take such drastic action that is sure to harm even more civilians.”
https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/12/10/yemen-houthi-terrorism-designation-threatens-aid
(* A P)
Three key factors driving U.S. debate on naming Yemen's Houthis terrorist group - U.S. diplomat
The targeting of civilians by Yemen’s Houthis, their “deepening” ties with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and use of kidnappings are driving a Trump administration debate on naming the movement a foreign terrorist organization, a U.S. diplomat said on Thursday.
“If those things weren’t happening, there would be no debate,” Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Timothy Lenderking told reporters in a teleconference on U.S. policy in the Gulf.
His comments were among the most extensive made publicly by a U.S. official on the deliberations on blacklisting the Iran-backed Houthi movement, which has been battling a Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen since 2015.
Lenderking, declining to detail internal administration deliberations, outlined what he said were key reasons for considering designating the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization.
“The Houthis do things that are akin to behavior of a terrorist organization. They target civilians,” he said. “They use kidnapping as a tool of war. If anything, they seem to be deepening their relationship with the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), which from our point of view is a designated terrorist organization.”
“If they are to play as a legitimate political actor inside Yemen, we would see that these activities would have to stop,” he said.
My comment: LOL. If these three factors woule be any reason to name any group “terrorist”, then the US must name US, Saudi Arabia and Israel “terrorists” first.
(A P)
USA verhängen Sanktionen gegen den Jemen
Das US-Finanzministerium hat am Donnerstag fünf jemenitische Einzelpersonen unter dem Vorwand der Verletzung der Menschenrechte auf die Sanktionsliste gesetzt.
Laut dem US-Finanzministerium sind der Leiter der Sicherheitsorganisation der Regierung der Nationalen Rettung Abdul Hakim al-Khiwani, sein Stellvertreter Motlagh Amer Al-Marani und ein Mitglied der jemenitischen Ansarollah-Bewegung Abdul Qadir al-Shami von den Sanktionen betroffen.
Die Ansarollah-Bewegung reagierte auf die US-Sanktionen. Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, Vorsitzender des Obersten Revolutionskomitees des Jemen, bezeichnete das US-Vorgehen als terroristisch.
Dieser hochrangige Verantwortungsträger der Ansarollah-Bewegung schrieb auf Twitter, die Sanktionen der USA, die selbst eine Führungsrolle bei den Aggressionen und Angriffen auf das jemenitische Volk haben, sei verurteilt und illegal. Es gäbe kein Gesetz, das es den USA erlaube, andere zu sanktionieren, so al-Houthi.
https://parstoday.com/de/news/middle_east-i54829-usa_verh%C3%A4ngen_sanktionen_gegen_den_jemen
(A P)
US sanctions five Houthi members in Yemen for 'serious human rights abuses'
Designations come days after Washington blacklisted Iran's envoy to Houthis
The US Treasury Department on Thursday issued sanctions against five members of the rebel Houthi group in Yemen, as the Trump administration continued to push forward on its "maximum pressure" campaign, viewing the Houthis as an Iran proxy group.
In a news release, the Treasury said it had designated Sultan Zabin, head of the Sanaa criminal investigation department; Abdul Hakim al-Khaiwani, deputy minister of the interior; Abdul Rahab Jarfan, former head of the national security bureau, as well as Houthi members Motlaq Amer al-Marrani and Qader al-Shami.
The sanctions were lodged in light of "serious human rights abuse", the department said.
The Treasury said that the Houthi group has targeted, illegally arrested and mistreated women, activists, journalists, aid workers, political opponents and members of the Bahai faith community.
The sanctions announcement comes days after the Trump administration blacklisted Iran's envoy to the Houthis, Hasan Irlu, who the administration labelled as an official of Iran’s elite Quds Force, the overseas arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-yemen-houthi-sanctions-rights-abuses
(A P)
U.S. blacklists Chechen leader, others in Russia, Haiti, Yemen for rights abuses
as well as five people connected to Yemen’s Houthi-controlled security and intelligence agencies.
(* B K P)
Biden Must Block Trump’s Arms Sale to the UAE
It will escalate a regional arms race and strengthen a regime guilty of war crimes and other human rights violations.
The Biden administration must seize the opportunity to roll back a deal that would cause devastating harm to both the people in the Middle East and America’s standing in the region.
The proposed arms sale, involving 50 stealth F-35 strike fighter jets, 18 MQ-9 Reaper drones, and $10 billion worth of bombs and other munitions, violates the principle of “first, do no harm” that is championed by both liberal and conservative foreign policy makers. That principle derives from a recognition that policy-makers have too often, under the guise of protecting national security or promoting democracy, inflicted devastating damage upon the world and our own national interest.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has rather incredibly stated that the arms deal would enable the UAE to defend itself against Iran. The truth is that in a war with Iran without US support, the UAE, a country with a mere 1 million citizens, would be overrun within days by the battle-hardened Iranian military, which would relish the chance for some target practice at the gleaming skyscrapers of Dubai.
MBZ’s military interventions have also damaged US interests. He has exacerbated regional instability and lashed out at neighbors near and far—from Iran, Qatar, and Yemen to Syria, Libya, and Turkey. He has also tethered the United States to guilt by association in the eyes of the region’s people, given America’s role in aiding and abetting the UAE’s military horrors.
If the past serves as prologue, the introduction of more sophisticated weapons will only expand the scale of the UAE’s destruction and further undermine US national security.
The proposed arms deal would also escalate the regional arms race, as other countries—in particular, Iran—seek to counter the UAE’s arsenal upgrade.
To first, do no harm, the incoming Biden administration must do everything in its power to quash the proposed UAE arms deal.
https://www.thenation.com/article/world/biden-trump-middle-east/
(* A K P)
Senate falls short of halting Trump’s $23B arms sales to UAE
The Senate fell short Wednesday in trying to halt the Trump administration’s proposed $23 billion arms sales to the United Arab Emirates, despite bipartisan objections to the package of F-35 fighter jets and drones stemming from a broader Middle East peace agreement.
Senators argued the sale of the defense equipment, which Secretary of State Mike Pompeo formally authorized last month after the Abraham Accords normalizing relations with Israel, was unfolding too quickly and with too many questions. The administration has billed it as a way to deter Iran, but UAE would become the first Arab nation — and only the second country in the Middle East, after Israel — to possess the stealth warplanes.
“Can a lasting peace be purchased with more weapons?” said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., in a speech ahead of the vote.
Congress has shown a willingness to confront Trump in one main area — on defense policy. But on Wednesday the effort to turn back the arms sales failed to reach the 51-vote majority needed for passage. Trump was expected to veto the two resolutions anyway.
The showdown over the sale, alongside sweeping bipartisan support for the annual defense bill despite Trump’s threats to veto it, is potentially a final power play between the executive and legislative branch in the final weeks of Trump’s presidency. The Senate will take up the broader defense bill soon.
Action is halted for now, though the House, where Democrats have control, would likely be able to pass them easily.
(* A K P)
Senate Effort to Stop Trump Arms Sales to UAE Fails
But the vote laid down a marker for the incoming Biden administration on Democrats' opposition to Middle Eastern arms sales and U.S. involvement in the conflict in Yemen.
The U.S. Senate narrowly struck down legislation that would block billions of dollars’ worth of arms sales to the United Arab Emirates, marking the latest showdown between the White House and lawmakers over America’s relationship with Persian Gulf countries involved in the deadly conflict in Yemen.
The Senate voted 49 to 47 against the resolution that would block the sale of F-35 fighter jets to the UAE and 50 to 46 against blocking the sale of MQ-9 Reaper drones to the UAE. The outcome of the vote dashed hopes for some lawmakers to offer a final rebuke of the Trump administration’s aggressive arms sales policies in the final weeks of his administration.
The vote fell mostly on party lines, with Democrats supporting the measure and Republicans against it, sending a stark signal to the incoming Biden administration about his party’s opposition to the sales.
Though the resolutions stood little chance of blocking the sales even if passed—Trump threatened to veto the measures if it came across his desk—lawmakers proceeded with the vote anyway. Congressional aides said the move was meant to lay down a marker for the administration and to send a signal to the incoming administration that they are unlikely to support U.S. arms sales to the Gulf and U.S. military support for the Saudi- and UAE-led coalition in Yemen.
The vote distilled years of fierce debates over some of the Trump administration’s most controversial foreign-policy priorities: its cozy relationship with Gulf countries, the president’s authorities to engage in military activities abroad without prior congressional approval, the administration’s hard-line policies toward Iran, and U.S. involvement in the conflict in Yemen, which is considered the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, speaking on the Senate floor on Wednesday, said he opposed the arms sales because they did not go through proper Congressional review channels and the administration hadn’t adequately addressed concerns from lawmakers about how the UAE would handle high-end U.S. military technology.
(* B P)
Biden Needs a Yemen Policy That Doesn’t Look Back
The Sana’a Center Editorial
The outsized impact the US has had in Yemen through three successive administrations has come in the absence of any coherent foreign policy regarding the country itself. Rather, for American presidents (and the Washington establishment generally) Yemen has not been a policymaking consideration beyond its function in pursuing two cardinal US interests: counterterrorism and preserving the US relationship with Saudi Arabia. While both will remain key White House priorities, Joe Biden taking office in January 2021 could lead to a new US approach in which deescalation of the Yemen war, and the establishment of a sustainable peace thereafter, also feature on his agenda. It seems just as plausible, however, that the former vice president will stack his offices with Obama-era staffers who will repackage the priorities and policy approaches of the last Democratic administration in the guise of a ‘fresh start’.
UNSC resolution 2216 – which forms the legal basis for the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen – was passed in April 2015 and comes up for its annual renewal in February 2021. Negotiating an update to this document at the Security Council would be an ideal place for a Biden administration to start. These negotiations should also include expanding the criteria and scope of the Yemen Sanctions Committee’s work.
The need for the new US president to prioritize peace in Yemen should be clear. Absent a sustainable peace deal in Yemen, the most likely outcome is continued dissolution in the south and, in the north, a Houthi-run statelet along the Saudi border with access to the Red Sea – both of which would pose long-term threats not only to Saudi Arabia, but also to Washington’s economic interests and regional security priorities.
https://sanaacenter.org/publications/the-yemen-review/12172 = https://sanaacenter.org/publications/the-yemen-review/12070
My comment: Sanaa Center shows a clear preference for the Hadi government which isn’t justified by anything. This government’s term endet in February 2015. Since 2015, it’s exiled in Saudi Arabia, having little confidence and legitimacy in Yemen. The Houthi state in Northern Yemen isn’t a “statelet”: the Houthis control 70 % of the Yemeni population; by occupying Sanaa in 2014, they inherited Yemen’s whole government structures and installed a formal and regular government. This is a main difference between “statelet” and “state”. This government might be an example of “bad governence” (a horrible example of this is given here in the report of the experience in a Houthi prison), but it’s a “state”. – Secondly, it’s quite naïve to think the US could (and should) play any constructive role as mediator in a peace process. The US is party to the conflict and always acted as a such. Any US-sponsored “solution” for Yemen would be fixed according to US geopolitical and economic interests and nothing else. Do you know any war or civil after 1945 which had been ended through US as a neutral mediator? I do not remind any. Apart from the fact, that the US claims worldwide dominance and worldwide interests – this taken alone already would exclude that the US could be a neutral mediator – the US themselves were involved in most wars happening in the last decades. The best thing the US just could do for Yemen: Keep off!!
(* B P)
Yemen is teetering on the edge of total destruction
While the beginnings of peace need to be Yemen led and owned, the incoming US administration can do much to support this process, starting with the basic decision to focus on national reconciliation. Or will it opt for an alternative path?
From the time that Biden enters the White House, he has a golden opportunity to salvage the lives of millions of Yemenis. Within his first hundred days in office, he can broker a durable ceasefire between the coalition and the Houthis that builds up to an interim agreement which at least opens up the country for the safe passage of humanitarian aid.
Next, the Biden administration can follow through with promises made during the lead up to the presidential election to retract support for the coalition forces, in terms of funds and weapons. It should be pointed out that the US has the right kind of influence to persuade or even coerce parties involved in the war to stop perpetuating the conflict.
During his campaign, Biden stated unambiguously that he was opposed to US involvement in Yemen and threatened to cut off arms sales to the Saudi coalition. If he perseveres, there is an opportunity — albeit a very narrow one — that Yemen may yet be spared from total destruction. As it stands, though, it is teetering on the edge.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201210-yemen-is-teetering-on-the-edge-of-total-destruction/
(* B P)
If Joe Biden keeps his word, he could end the Saudi war on Yemen
The end of the bombing cannot come soon enough, with Doctors Without Borders warning that Yemen’s healthcare system has “collapsed” under the weight of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Such a move could also serve to fundamentally alter US relations with Saudi Arabia and the wider region, with Biden telling the Council on Foreign Relations that the US “will never again check its principles at the door just to buy oil or sell weapons”. The implications of this will not be lost on Saudi royalty, which may explain why bin Salman took a full 24 hours to congratulate Biden on his victory.
Of course, any steps towards ending arms sales will be fought tooth and nail by the war lobby. Contracts with Saudi forces are worth billions of dollars to Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and the other companies which have made a killing from the war. The US government is by far the world’s biggest arms dealer, and the companies with which it works will no doubt oppose any such measures.
There are other reasons to be sceptical, especially considering that Biden was vice president when the war began, and yet the White House refused to take the necessary action to stop it.
Opposition to the war and the US role in it has increased across all branches of government since then, but halting it would require a greater level of political commitment than we saw during Biden’s time as a senator or from the Obama administration in which he served.
An end to US support for the war would also cause problems for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his colleagues. The UK is one of few other governments that have continued to arm and support the Saudi-led war. The US may be the world’s biggest seller of arms to Saudi Arabia, but the UK comes a keen second.
The reality is that this war has never been a war of necessity. It has always been a political choice, enabled and exacerbated by the complicity and support of powerful governments and companies that have looked the other way while atrocities were inflicted.
Biden has spent decades at the heart of a system that has allowed these policies to flourish. Now, in the last act of his career, he could be the one who sets a powerful precedent by ending this support.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/if-joe-biden-keeps-his-word-he-could-end-saudi-war-yemen
and
(* B P)
Pro-Yemeni activists hope that Biden will stay true to his prior promise to stop funding the GCC's War on Yemen, but even if he does what's arguably the morally right thing, he'll probably be doing it for geopolitical reasons even if he tries to pass it off as a matter of principle for soft power sake.
It would arguably be the morally right thing for the US to stop funding the GCC's War on Yemen like Biden previously promised that he'd do if he succeeds in “winning” (read: stealing) the presidency, but he'd be doing it for the wrong reasons in the event that it ever comes to pass. Pro-Yemeni activists might hope that he'll be “principled”, but any such public claims by his potential administration would simply be for soft power sake. Biden doesn't care about stopping what the UN described as the world's largest humanitarian crisis, but his Obama-era “deep state” handlers are very interested in reattempting their risky rapprochement with Iran at Saudi Arabia's expense. That's why there's a lot of talk about the Democrat candidate possibly returning to the US to the Iranian nuclear deal in order to take another shot at slowly subverting Iran from within through the long-term economic and social strategy that Trump replaced with his much quicker and more brutally effective policy of so-called “maximum pressure”.
Cutting off funding for the GCC's War on Yemen could naturally occur in parallel with returning to the Iranian nuclear deal. It would deal a double blow to the Gulf Kingdoms, be misinterpreted by Iran as an act of “goodwill”, and provoke the GCC into at the very least rhetorically responding against the US in a way which could catalyze a self-sustaining cycle of distrust-driven “decoupling” between them exactly as the Democrats might be planning. That is, after all, similar in essence to what the Obama Administration cautiously flirted with doing back in 2015 when it first agreed to the nuclear deal. Although it continued to provide “Lead From Behind” assistance for the GCC-led War on Yemen, it opted against playing a front and center role like it could have theoretically done as a so-called “show of force” had the political will been present. The Trump Administration, to its credit, always declined to play such a role either, though it served GCC interests by pulling out of the nuclear deal and imposing the policy of so-called “maximum pressure”.
In the scenario that a “Biden” Administration (with “Biden” purposely being included in quotation marks since he's really just a pro-Democrat “deep state” puppet) stops funding that conflict, Saudi Arabia might be pressed to publicly normalize its not-so-secret relations with “Israel” in an attempt to replace lost American aid (if it doesn't already do so before that time).
Both Russia's and China's armaments are presumably being used in Yemen, and they'd likely explore the possibility of emergency military shipments if the US decides to stop providing its wares to Saudi Arabia in order to pressure it to pull out of that war. Even if Riyadh retreats, it wouldn't be able to “save face”, and hence it might reach out to the US' two rivals more eagerly as revenge.
In other words, any possible success that the US stores in pressuring the GCC to stop its War on Yemen could set into motion a larger chain reaction intended to once again revolutionize Mideast geopolitics after America lost control of this process over the past couple of years. It shouldn't be seen as a “principled” move, but as a cold, hard, geostrategic calculation meant to decisively change the state of affairs in ways which Washington might hope to exploit.
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/3613989778654026
and
(* B P)
BIDEN CAN, AND SHOULD, END AMERICA’S FOLLIES IN YEMEN
If the incoming Biden administration is looking for an easy foreign policy win that is both strategically salient and increasingly popular on Capitol Hill, it should pull the United States out of Yemen’s six-year civil war and cut any and all links to the conflict. Unfortunately, the Trump administration is considering designating the Houthis, a rebel group in Yemen, as a foreign terrorist organization — an action that would narrow opportunities for peace and prolong the suffering of Yemenis.
Yemen is a bipartisan foreign policy failure across two successive US administrations.
Given that the majority of Yemen’s population live under the de-facto Houthi administration, a terrorism designation would in effect render most of the country locked out of the loans and capital injections required to prop up Yemen’s currency. A US terrorist designation would also have a negative impact on the UN-facilitated peace process, the only mechanism that has kept the combatants talking
Why the United States would want to touch this war is difficult to explain. The Houthis are no paragons of virtue, but the organization is a nationalistic enterprise dedicated to ruling Yemen — not attacking US interests. The Houthi’s relationship with Iran is a source of concern in Washington, but these connections are driven by pragmatism rather than ideology.
The new administration doesn’t need to wait around for Capitol Hill to move. Biden can take action on his own. By doing so, he will not only right a wrong that was committed when he was vice president but will also be delivering a message to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and any other foreign power that nobody is entitled to US support.
https://inkstickmedia.com/biden-can-and-should-end-americas-follies-in-yemen/
(* B P)
Bipartisan disgust over US role in Yemen could incite early 2021 action
That means there will likely be similar legislation, perhaps in both chambers, early on in the new session. But the likely reception in the Oval Office could not be more different. There, it will meet a president-elect who has sworn that he will end U.S. support for the war in Yemen.
Rep. Ro Khanna, (D-Calif.) who helped to spearhead the War Powers Resolution bill that Trump vetoed in this Congress, said he is confident that new legislation will move quickly early next year.
DeFazio’s current resolution cites a number of activities the U.S. has conducted in support of the Saudi-led coalition, including training Saudi pilots, providing spare airplane parts, and sharing combat-related intelligence. These activities, the resolution argues, violate the 1973 War Powers Resolution.
The U.S. government, for its part, has denied that any of these activities are out of step with the WPR. And Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says, “ending the conflict in Yemen is a national security priority.”
But both of those justifications are dubious.
U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition has kept the war roaring, and at long last, there’s a clear exit in sight. The current resolution is directly in line with the wishes of Congress and the American public. It could put an end to the U.S.’s illegal support for the Saudis, and it could begin to mitigate Yemen’s woes. For the incoming Biden administration, the choice should be clear: It’s time to close this shameful chapter in our foreign policy for good.
(A K P)
Saudi Arabia, US start joint military drills
Coded 'Hawk's Claws 2/ 2020', the maneuvers are taking place in furtherance of previously jointly held exercises between the Royal Saudi Land Forces and its US counterparts, to consolidate joint military cooperation between the two friendly countries, and facilitate the exchange of expertise and percepts with the aim of raising the combat readiness to face off regional challenges, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
http://www.wam.ae/en/details/1395302893567
(A P)
Rep. Ro Khanna: Yemen needs our help, absolutely—but not our weapons. We need to continue sending USAID assistance while pulling out of a war that we should have never entered in the first place.
https://twitter.com/RoKhanna/status/1335380184552402944
Comment: If @JoeBiden & @KamalaHarris are serious about changing the catastrophic US policy in #Yemen and ending the ongoing #WarCrimes committed by #MBS then they can start by announcing @RoKhanna as a special envoy appointed to work on ending the humanitarian crisis starting
https://twitter.com/LuaiAlsadiq/status/1336418916139036673
(* B P)
Film: BIDEN IN ARABIA: Outlook for U.S.-Saudi Relations
Expert panel moderated by Frontline's Martin Simon, featuring: Danielle Pletka, American Enterprise Institute Sari Bashi, DAWN: Democracy for the Arab World Now Thomas W. Lippman, Middle East Institute Ali AlAhmed, Institute for Gulf Affairs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZrCCfPHqjk
(A P)
Jim Mattis Privately Defends Trump’s Biggest Arms Sale As Congressional Opposition Grows
Exclusive: The former secretary of defense is promoting the $23 billion package for the United Arab Emirates to senators ahead of a crucial vote, sources tell HuffPost.
Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is trying to save President Donald Trump’s massive weapons sale to the United Arab Emirates as skeptical senators worry about the country’s brutal track record across the Middle East, three people familiar with Mattis’ involvement in the sale told HuffPost.
The potential deal would be the largest weapons sale of Trump’s presidency. Mattis became involved in the congressional fight over the sale earlier this week ahead of a looming vote on bipartisan legislation to block the transfer, one of the sources said. The U.A.E.’s well-connected ambassador, Yousef Al Otaiba, has told more than one senator with concerns about the sale to call Mattis, another one of the sources said.
Mattis’ participation shows how the debate in Congress has quickly become a major national security flashpoint ― one that could cause a key defeat for Trump and for an influential U.S. partner that has so far escaped the kind of rebukes Capitol Hill has dished out to Saudi Arabia, despite the two countries’ close cooperation.
Mattis and a spokeswoman for the consulting firm where he works, the Cohen Group, did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment. The U.A.E. embassy also did not respond.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jim-mattis-donald-trump-uae-arms-sale_n_5fcfa77dc5b6787f2a9b1fea?tdf
(* B P)
The Senate Moves To Block Another Outrageous Arms Sale
The Trump administration has been pressing ahead with a $23 billion arms deal with the United Arab Emirates, but there is an effort in Congress to block the sale of advanced weapons
The UAE has been reckless and destructive in its regional conduct. Their military is responsible for war crimes in Yemen and Libya, and they have sponsored militias in both conflicts that have committed their share of war crimes.
John Bolton took to the pages of The Wall Street Journal to support the arms sale for his predictable anti-Iranian reasons, and his argument for selling the weapons was just as dishonest and misleading as we would expect from him. For starters, he tells a bald-faced lie when he refers to “Tehran’s nuclear weapons,” and he recites the usual falsehoods about the “windfall” Iran supposedly received from sanctions relief. Of course, Iran has no nuclear weapons, and doesn’t even have a nuclear weapons program. He also uses the bogus claims about the “windfall” to justify additional arms sales, but the reality is that the UAE and its GCC neighbors already outgun Iran in conventional weaponry by quite a lot.
Bolton also misrepresents the war in Yemen as the result of Iranian “intrusion” into the Gulf states’ “backyard.” The truth is that Iran’s role in Yemen was negligible before the war, and to the extent it has grown it has done so in direct response to the indefensible intervention by the Saudi-led coalition. The UAE is still very much involved in Yemen, and it is disingenuous to pretend otherwise as Bolton does. William Hartung notes that the UAE still funds and arms proxies that continue to commit crimes against innocent Yemenis
Bolton says that blocking this weapons sale won’t ameliorate conditions in Yemen. That’s debatable, but allowing the sale to go ahead will almost certainly contribute to future UAE military adventurism at the expense of other countries in the region.
The U.S. has already flooded the region with weapons in the last decade, and that has only encouraged client governments in their reckless and dangerous behavior. The U.S. needs to be cutting back on weapons sales to these governments and ideally cutting them off. The UAE doesn’t need any more U.S.-made weapons, and their government has proven that it can’t be trusted with the weapons it has already received. It is more likely that selling these advanced weapons, including F-35 jets and MQ-9 drones, will encourage Iran to build up its defenses.
The Senate measure to block the deal may fail, or Trump may end up vetoing it as he has vetoed every other resolution aimed at stopping these outrageous arms sales. That doesn’t change the fact that there is no good reason why this arms sale should go forward. Yemeni and Libyan civilians will pay the price of a better-armed UAE, and it is dangerous to entrust a client state with such a dubious record with some of the most sophisticated conventional weapons available – by Daniel Larison
(* A P)
USA sanktionieren neuen iranischen Botschafter im Jemen
Das US-Finanzministerium hat am Dienstag in einer Erklärung ohne Hinweis auf die militärische Unterstützung der von Saudi-Arabien geführten Angreifer-Koalition im Jemenkrieg durch Washington, Hassan Irlu, den neuen iranischen Botschafter im Jemen auf seine Sanktionsliste gesetzt.
https://parstoday.com/de/news/iran-i54811-usa_sanktionieren_neuen_iranischen_botschafter_im_jemen
(* A P)
US State Department: The United States Sanctions IRGC Facilitators in Iran and an IRGC Official in Yemen
Today, the United States is designating Hasan Irlu, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Qods Force (IRGC-QF) officer Iran recently sent to Sana’a Yemen to serve as the group’s liaison to the Houthi Movement. The United States is also designating Al-Mustafa International University, an Iranian university with over 50 international branches which provide a platform for the IRGC-QF’s operations, and Yousef Ali Muraj, who has supported IRGC-QF recruitment operations in the Middle East and United States. We are designating these individuals and this entity pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended.
The IRGC-QF is the Iranian regime’s primary tool to sow chaos and destruction across the Middle East. The United States will continue to take action against the IRGC-QF to disrupt its facilitation networks and cut off resources that support the terrorist group’s activities.
Iran’s support for the Houthis fuels the conflict in Yemen and exacerbates the country’s instability. By dispatching Irlu to Yemen, the IRGC-QF is signaling its intent to increase support to the Houthis and further complicate international efforts to reach a negotiated settlement to the conflict.
My comment: Looking at the US role in Yemen, these objections against Iran are absurd.
and
(* A P)
U.S. blacklists Iranian envoy, possibly to pressure Yemen's Houthis
The United States imposed terrorism sanctions on Iran’s envoy to the Houthis on Tuesday, a step possibly aimed at pressuring the group to reach an accord to end the five-year war in Yemen
Kirsten Fontenrose, a former White House National Security Council Gulf expert now at the Atlantic Council think tank, described the sanction as partly a warning to the Houthis that they may be next.
“Come to the table, have these political talks in seriousness, and recognize that this designation is on your doorstep,” she said of the U.S. message to the Houthis. “We are taking another step closer.”
Jon Alterman of Washington’s CSIS think tank said that might be the intent but was skeptical it would work.
“They may have a theory that this is going to change the strategic calculations of the Houthis, but if the Houthis are strategic, and I think they are, they are not much affected by what the administration does on its way out the door,” he said.
(A P)
Ansarullah berichten über geheimen Brief der USA für Jemen
Mohammed Ali al-Houthi der Vorsitzende des Obersten Revolutionskomitees im Jemen hat am Montagabend enthüllt, dass die Ansarullah-Bewegung einen geheimen Brief von den Amerikanern bezüglich der Schaffung von Frieden im Jemen erhalten habe.
Auf seinem Twitter-Account schrieb al-Houthi am Montagabend, dass die Amerikaner über Dritte einen Brief an die Ansarullah geschickt hätten und darin hieß es, wenn sie (die Ansarullah) nicht bereit wären Frieden im Jemen zu schaffen, würde es keinen Frieden geben, selbst wenn Saudi-Arabien dazu bereit wäre.
Er fügte hinzu, dass der US-Botschafter hinter dem Verhandlungstisch bei den Gesprächen über Frieden im Jemen, mit der Delegation aus Sanaa in Kuwait gedroht habe, Washington würde den jemenitischen Rial zerstören.
Dieser hochrangige Verantwortliche der Ansarullah bezeichnete dies als einen Faktor der tödlichen Belagerung des jemenitischen Volkes durch die USA.
Er betonte auch, dass die US-Regierung im März 2020 zusammen mit Saudi-Arabien und den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten die Hilfen für den Jemen ausgesetzt hätten, während sie nach internationalem Recht voll und ganz für die Bereitstellung dieser Hilfen verantwortlich seien, da diese Länder in den unabhängigen und souveränen Staat Jemen eingedrungen seien und ihm eine allseitige Blockade auferlegten.
(A P)
US conveys important, confidential message to Sanaa
Chairman of Yemen’s Supreme Revolutionary Committee Mohammed Ali al-Houthi on Tue. revealed on his Twitter account the secret message of the United States to Sanaa.
In its message, Americans have acknowledged that peace in Yemen is in their hands, not Saudi Arabia.
"Americans have sent us a message through mediation, saying that if we do not agree to peace, there will be no peace, even if Saudi Arabia is satisfied with it," he wrote on Twitter.
In this tweet, Al-Houthi used the hashtag meaning 'US siege is the killer of the Yemeni people'.
In another tweet with the same hashtag, he wrote that the US ambassador threatened the collapse of Yemeni rial against other currencies and this is a reason why the US siege is the killer of the Yemeni people.
Al-Houthi added that in March 2020, Donald Trump administration, along with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, decided to suspend aid to Yemen, while under international law, they are fully responsible for providing aid to Yemen as an independent state, because, they have attacked to Yemen as an independent country with sovereignty and besieged it.
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/166901/US-conveys-important-confidential-message-to-Sanaa
(* B P)
Eine Katastrophe zum Abschied
Trump will Huthi-Rebellen im Jemen auf Terrorliste setzen – Folgen wären gravierend
https://www.pressreader.com/germany/schwaebische-zeitung-riedlingen/20201207/282110639182408
(* A P)
Trump Determined To Designate Pro-Iran Groups As Terrorist Organizations – OpEd
President Donald Trump wants his years in the White House to be remembered as the most anti-Iranian in the recent history of the US. He does not want to launch a war against Tehran, but he wants to make tough statements that include practical actions to contain Iran. In this regard, there are serious attempts now being pushed forward in Washington to classify both the pro-Iranian Houthis in Yemen and the Badr militia in Iraq as terrorist groups. There are many important implications for such a strategy. It is also critical to mention that there are those who oppose the Trump administration designating these two groups as terror organizations.
This move faces many difficulties. In Yemen, the UN, a number of European countries, such as Germany and Sweden, and some refugee and relief organizations doing humanitarian work are against labeling the Houthis as terrorists. They fear that such a categorization would make humanitarian work more dangerous and lead to a hardening of the Houthis’ position in the negotiations currently being conducted. Ultimately, they fear this could intensify the civil war in Yemen.
The Trump administration wants to hold the Houthis and Badr militia responsible for the destruction of their two nations. It is defending the rights of other groups and individuals that are fighting against these two organizations. The US government knows a great deal about them. They have been subject to much surveillance and monitoring by American agencies. Therefore, the Trump administration can be fair in designating these two groups as terrorists.
It is noticeable that there is a subtle division of labor in the pursuit to classify the Houthis and Badr Organization as terror groups.
On the other hand, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has emerged as the most articulate campaigner against the Houthis in Yemen. He has insisted that proclaiming the Houthis a terror group would be one more step in the direction of isolating Iran and making the containment of Tehran a more aggressive Western-American strategy.
The classification of the Houthis and Badr as terror groups would also identify a number of their members as persons subject to sanctions
Finally, a number of steps have to be taken if the Trump administration’s wishes are to be fulfilled. The legislation has to garner as much support as possible among both Republicans and Democrats. The move must also be requested by the governments of Yemen and Iraq.
This way, the American effort to establish the Houthis and Badr militia as terror groups would be complementary to the political stance embraced by these two Arab countries.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1774956 = https://www.eurasiareview.com/10122020-trump-determined-to-designate-pro-iran-groups-as-terrorist-organizations-oped/
and
(* B P)
The U.S. Shouldn’t Make Dire Situation in Yemen Worse
A good rule of thumb for an outgoing administration should be to do no harm. Instead, the actions of Trump officials now threaten to deepen the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is reportedly close to classifying Yemen’s Houthi rebel movement as a foreign terrorist organization.
The designation threatens to do far more harm than good. If it goes forward, aid groups working in Houthi-controlled areas — which encompass 70% of the population as well as the capital and major ports — would have to suspend their activities or risk financial sanctions and prosecution.
Sanctions would also likely derail struggling efforts to negotiate a cease-fire in Yemen. They would have little impact on Houthi leaders, who don’t travel abroad or hold international assets.
President Donald Trump’s administration should heed calls to hold off on the designation.
If Pompeo proceeds regardless, Biden’s options will be limited in the short term. But his advisers can and should issue their own assurances to aid workers, making clear that they appreciate the need to balance human-rights considerations against the challenge of combating illicit activity.
Once inaugurated, Biden should press the Treasury Department to prepare a general license as swiftly as possible.
It is past time for the U.S. to stop backing the disastrous Saudi campaign in Yemen, as Biden has pledged to do; he should move to cut off logistical support to the Saudi-led coalition, and impose conditions on the sale of offensive weapons to Riyadh.
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/the-u-s-shouldn-t-make-dire-situation-in-yemen-worse-1.1533374 = https://www.startribune.com/in-yemen-don-t-make-a-tragedy-worse/573350251/
(A P)
Hey people: boycott @netflix. They are now running propaganda for #Saudi Monarchy & planning to air a short film praising #MBS “ reforms” . Anything for a buck.
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1336120132242968576
referring to https://twitter.com/NetflixWorId/status/1336033829824368643
Comment: Super stupid: Officially: Producing a short series of 6 episodes that talks about the march of the young prince "Mohammed bin Salman" to confront terrorism, support women and others! Do they have episodes on Yemen war, Jamal Khashogchi, Bahrain uprising, people torturing .
https://twitter.com/yousofazizi/status/1336121944400388096
(A P)
Biden nominiert Afroamerikaner Lloyd Austin als Pentagon-Chef
Der 67 Jahre alte Austin soll als erster Afroamerikaner die Spitze des Pentagon übernehmen. Die Wahl des ehemaligen Vier-Sterne-Generals ist allerdings nicht unumstritten.
Der pensionierte Vier-Sterne-General Lloyd Austin soll als erster Afroamerikaner der Geschichte amerikanische Verteidigungsminister werden. Der gewählte amerikanische Präsident Joe Biden gab die Nominierung des 67-Jährigen am Dienstag bekannt
2016 ging der Absolvent der Militärakademie West Point in den Ruhestand und heuerte beim Rüstungskonzern Raytheon Technologies. Seine Nominierung als Verteidigungsminister ist deswegen nicht unumstritten: Normalerweise gilt für Wechsel von den Streitkräften an die Pentagon-Spitze eine Karenzzeit von sieben Jahren. Austin wird deswegen eine Sondererlaubnis des Kongresses benötigen. Er muss dann noch vom Senat im Amt bestätigt werden.
und auch https://taz.de/Biden-nominiert-Verteidigungsminister/!5736993/
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/meinung/profil-lloyd-austin-1.5141453
und
(A P)
Joe Biden will Lloyd Austin zum Verteidigungsminister berufen
Austin gilt bei einigen progressiven Gruppen als umstritten, da er unter anderem im Vorstand des Waffenherstellers Raytheon Technologies sitzt.
und aus den Kommentaren: "Er leitete das US-Zentralkommando Centcom, das für die US-Einsätze unter anderem im Irak, in Syrien und in Afghanistan verantwortlich ist."
Eine Erfolgsgeschichte! Libyen, sollte man noch erwähnen. Und das er eine Ausnahmegenehmigung braucht und bei Raytheon im Aufsichtsrat sitzt ist nur konsequent. Zusätzlich sitz er noch im Aufsichtsrat des Stahlherstellers Nucor, der lt. Wikipedia ein erklärter Gewerkschaftsfeind ist.
Immerhin nicht Michele Flournoy, das ist die, die Morde in Libyen immer noch gut findet und die Ukraine in 2015 mit schwerem Gerät ausrüsten wollte. Dazu überall mehr Raketen aufstellen will.
und
(A P)
Bidens Kandidat ist nicht unumstritten
Progressive Amerikaner kritisieren außerdem, dass mit Ex-General Austin ein weiteres Mal ein Mitarbeiter des US-Rüstungskonzerns Raytheon ins Pentagon einziehen soll. Austin saß zuletzt im Aufsichtsrat des Unternehmens, das Rüstungsaufträge von der Armee in Milliardenhöhe erhält. Unter anderem liefert Raytheon Bomben für die Einsätze der saudischen Armee im Bürgerkrieg in Jemen. Das ist selbst im US-Kongress umstritten.
https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/usa-verteidigungsminister-lloyd-austin-101.html
(* A P)
Biden reportedly taps retired general Lloyd Austin as defense secretary
President-elect Joe Biden is expected to name retired Gen. Lloyd Austin as his defense secretary, according to a new report, a choice that seemed a long shot as recently as last week.
Austin, the former commander of US Central Command, emerged as a front-runner in recent days as Biden came under increasing pressure to make more black appointments to high profile cabinet positions, according to a Politico report.
Michele Flournoy was widely considered to be the frontrunner for the job after serving as a defense undersecretary under President Barack Obama and deputy assistant secretary of defense under President Bill Clinton, and would have been the first woman to run the Pentagon.
Biden has vowed to create the most diverse cabinet in US history and on Sunday announced he had selected California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to serve as his secretary of Health and Human Services.
The announcement of Austin as Biden’s Pentagon chief could come as early as Tuesday, Politico reported.
and
(* A P)
Biden picks retired general Lloyd Austin to run Pentagon
In picking Austin, Biden has chosen a barrier-breaking former four-star officer who was the first Black general to command an Army division in combat and the first to oversee an entire theater of operations. Austin’s announcement could come as soon as Tuesday morning, people familiar with the plans said Monday.
Biden had been under growing pressure to nominate a Black person to be his defense secretary in recent weeks. He chose Austin after also considering former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson for the job, several people familiar with the discussions said.
A person familiar with Biden’s decision said the president-elect chose Austin because he is crisis-tested and respected across the military. Biden also trusts Austin, as they worked together when Biden served as vice president and had a large foreign policy portfolio.
and
(A P)
Joe Biden: Why I Chose Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense
We need a leader who is tested, and matched to the challenges we face in this moment.
Lloyd Austin, as part of our diverse national-security leadership team that reflects the lived experiences of all Americans, will be an essential part of this work. He shares my profound belief that the United States is strongest when we lead not only with the example of our power, but with the power of our example. He knows what is at stake, and he knows how much work lies ahead. And I know that, under his leadership, the Department of Defense will never fail to advance the security of the American people in ways that honor our highest values and ideals.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/12/secretary-defense/617330/
My comment: LOL.
and
(B P)
The person Biden has reportedly picked to lead the Department of Defense is on the board of Raytheon, a key supplier of bombs to the U.S.-Saudi war in Yemen that has lobbied aggressively in opposition to curbs on arms sales to the Saudi-led coalition.
https://twitter.com/sarahlazare/status/1336121262771408896
referring to https://www.rtx.com/Our-Company/corporate-governance/lloyd-j-austin-iii
(* B P)
After Tanden’s thinktank got millions from UAE, it went easy on Yemen slaughter and MBS
Neera Tanden’s nomination for a post in Joe Biden’s Cabinet is in trouble — and part of her problem is the financial ties between the liberal think tank she ran and the United Arab Emirates, the undemocratic Gulf oil sheikdom.
Tanden has headed the influential Center for American Progress for the past 9 years. The Washington Post, to its great credit, scoured the CAP’s donor list — and found worrying links to powerful U.S. financial firms.
The Post didn’t even get to the UAE connection until Paragraph 23 of its exposé, explaining that the sheikhdom gave between $1.5 million and $3 million in recent years. So far, Tanden is hiding from the paper’s reporters who sought her response.
The UAE link looks very bad, because the Post article suggested that Tanden’s organization may have not criticized the UAE and the sheikhdom’s close ally, Saudi Arabia, because of the gift. The Intercept had already sharply raised doubts, in January 2019, charging that CAP had “fired two staffers suspected of being involved in leaking an email exchange that staffers thought reflected improper influence by the United Arab Emirates within the think tank.”
The Washington Post provided several pieces of evidence that the UAE financial link may have corrupted Tanden’s organization:
“After Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 murder at the hands of Saudi officials, CAP put out a statement denouncing the “heinous and reprehensible act” but stopped short of demanding specific consequences to punish the kingdom. The think tank also declined to go to bat for a bipartisan resolution in the Senate aimed at ending U.S. involvement in the war in Yemen.”
Why would a liberal think tank take money from the United Arab Emirates?
and also https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/12/05/neera-tanden-biden-omb-cap/
cp9a USA-Iran Krise: Spannungen am Golf / US-Iran crisis: Tensions at the Gulf
(A P)
Zarif: US Must Earn Right to Rejoin Iran Deal by Fulfilling Obligations
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the US is obliged to return to the 2015 nuclear deal, but it should first strive to earn the right to do so by fulfilling its obligations under the UN-endorsed pact that it abandoned over two years ago.
(A K P)
US B-52H bombers fly to Middle East in mission to deter Iran
In a new show of military might, two American bomber aircraft took off from the United States and flew over a swath of the Middle East on Thursday, sending what U.S. officials said was a direct message of deterrence to Iran.
The flight of the two massive B-52H Stratofortress bombers over the region, the second such mission in less than a month, was designed to underscore America’s continuing commitment to the Middle East even as President Donald Trump’s administration withdraws thousands of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
(A P)
Russischer Botschafter in Israel: "Das Problem in der Region sind nicht die iranischen Aktivitäten"
Laut dem russischen Botschafter Anatoli Viktorow destabilisiert Israel den Nahen Osten mehr als Iran. "Israel greift die Hisbollah an, die Hisbollah greift Israel nicht an", so Viktorow. Nun hat das israelische Außenministerium den Botschafter zu einem Gespräch vorgeladen.
https://de.rt.com/international/110305-russische-botschafter-in-israel-problem/
(A P)
Iran’s foreign minister advises neighbors to exclude US, E3 regional talks
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has called on the neighboring countries to the Islamic Republic to hold talks about regional developments without foreign interference.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/8/640287/Zarif-Iran-neighbors-US-E3-talks
(A P)
UN urges Iran to address nuclear, ballistic missile concerns
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is urging Iran to address concerns raised about its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and return to “full implementation” of its 2015 nuclear deal with major powers.
The U.N. chief expressed regret in a report to the Security Council obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press that the Trump administration withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions against Tehran, and at Iran’s 2019 decision to violate limits in the deal including on centrifuges and enriching uranium.
Guterres said in the report on implementation of a council resolution endorsing the 2015 nuclear agreement that for the last five years the nuclear deal “has been largely viewed by the international community as a testament to the efficacy of multilateralism, diplomacy and dialogue, and a success in nuclear nonproliferation.”
(A P)
US sanctions block Iran’s purchase of COVID-19 vaccine: CBI governor
The governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) says inhumane sanctions imposed by the United States against Iran prevent the country from purchasing coronavirus vaccine as the deadly virus takes its toll on the Iranian nation.
(A P)
Iran: Germany trying to achieve what Trump did not versus Tehran
Iran says Germany’s demand for a renegotiation of the 2015 nuclear agreement is in fact a new push to achieve what Washington's “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran failed to fulfill.
According to Press TV, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Sa'eed Khatibzadeh made the remarks on Monday after German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called for a “nuclear deal plus” with Iran that would include its defensive missile program and regional role.
According to the top German diplomat, this was needed “because we distrust Iran” and “a return to the previous agreement will not be enough.”
Addressing a virtual press briefing, Khatibzadeh suggested that the proposal by Berlin amounted to a renewed attempt to realize the goals of the abortive American campaign.
(A P)
Iran’s president vows to continue supporting Syria
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday his country will continue to support Syria, urging Damascus to confront Israel in the occupied Golan Heights.
https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-damascus-bashar-assad-tehran-830bf34cf58a2f3d35686fd3eb6189fb
(A P)
Iran says US ‘got the message’ on tense exchanges in Gulf
Iran said Monday it was glad the United States “got the message” and modified its behavior in the Persian Gulf, after the top U.S. Navy official in the region said his forces had reached a state of deterrence with Iran after months of regional attacks and seizures at sea.
“We are happy that the other party has got the message and made its behavior more respectful,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters. He said the U.S. military is the “main source of tension” in the region and that Iranian forces have always acted professionally.
“Unfortunately, the U.S. has often had an unprofessional approach toward Iran’s navy,” he said.
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
(A P)
Minister James Cleverly: Today the UK & Sweden bought together donors at the @UN, urging them to step up & donate to the UN response to tackle the humanitarian crisis in #Yemen. This follows a dire warning from @theIPCinfo: without urgent & collective action, millions risk starvation in 2021.
https://twitter.com/JamesCleverly/status/1337078522968502272
and also https://twitter.com/UKUN_NewYork/status/1337092370521788423
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/1337134943974150154
My comment: British hypocrisy on Yemen, sequel 5.679
(A P)
UK Special Envoy Warns of Exacerbated Risk of Famine in Yemen
The UK's first Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs Nick Dyer, in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, warned that thousands of Yemenis risk famine and urged allocating more resources in support of the humanitarian response.
Dyer, who is on his first Gulf tour since his appointment as special envoy last September, said Saudi Arabia was “absolutely central over the last couple of years in preventing famine in Yemen,” and praised the Kingdom’s support of the Yemen Central Bank and UN agencies.
https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2669191/uk-special-envoy-warns-exacerbated-risk-famine-yemen
My comment: This is the most absurd propaganda bullshit by an European politician I have read for many months.
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
(* A K P)
Regierung stoppt Rüstungsexporte nach Saudi Arabien für weiteres Jahr
Der Exportstopp gilt seit 2018. Grund ist der Krieg im Jemen. Vollzogen wurde der Stopp aber erst, nachdem der Journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul getötet wurde.
Die Bundesregierung hat den Rüstungsexportstopp für Saudi-Arabien um ein Jahr bis Ende 2021 verlängert und sogar noch verschärft. Bereits erteilte Genehmigungen, die bisher nur auf Eis lagen, werden widerrufen - mit Ausnahme von Zulieferungen für europäische Kooperationsprojekte.
Neue Genehmigungen für Rüstungsexporte erteilt die Bundesregierung im kommenden Jahr weiterhin nicht. Aber auch hier sind wie bisher Gemeinschaftsproduktionen mit europäischen Partnern ausgenommen. Allerdings müssen die deutschen Unternehmen bei solchen Projekten darauf bestehen, dass die endmontierten Güter zunächst nicht nach Saudi-Arabien oder in die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate ausgeliefert werden.
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/ruestung-saudi-arabien-bundesregierung-1.5143182 = https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/ruestungsexporte-ruestungsexportstopp-fuer-saudi-arabien-um-ein-jahr-verlaengert/26704374.html = https://taz.de/Ruestungsexporte-bleiben-verboten/!5737393
(A H P)
Asyl: Augsburger setzen sich für den geflüchteten Nabil ein
Seit eineinhalb Jahren wohnt Nabil aus dem Jemen in Göggingen. Doch sein Asylantrag wurde abgelehnt, er soll nach Griechenland abgeschoben werden. Dagegen regt sich Protest.
(* A K P)
Mehr Panzer für Mittelost
Berlin erlaubt Panzerverkauf an Qatar. Im Konflikt zwischen den arabischen Golfstaaten rüstet Deutschland beide Seiten auf.
Die Bundesregierung genehmigt neue Waffenlieferungen an das Emirat Qatar. Wie aus einem Schreiben von Bundeswirtschaftsminister Peter Altmaier an den Wirtschaftsausschuss des Bundestags hervorgeht, hat der Münchner Panzerbauer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) die Erlaubnis erhalten, 15 Flugabwehrpanzer des Typs Gepard an Qatar zu verkaufen. Sie sollen bei der dortigen Fußball-WM im Jahr 2022 bereitstehen, um im Falle eines Terrorangriffs mit bewaffneten Drohnen diese abschießen zu können. Beobachter urteilen, die Lieferung diene KMW zugleich dazu, in Qatar einen „Fuß in der Tür“ zu behalten: Das Emirat, dessen Armee zuletzt mit einer milliardenschweren Lieferung von Kampfpanzern und Dutzenden Militärfahrzeugen aus der Produktion von KMW aufgerüstet wurde, wolle weitere kostspielige Waffenkäufe tätigen, heißt es.
In dem Konflikt hat sich Deutschland dadurch hervorgetan, dass es beide Seiten stark aufrüstete: Während Qatar von KMW Kampfpanzer und Militärfahrzeuge für zwei Bataillone erhielt, erlaubte die Bundesregierung zugleich milliardenschwere Waffenlieferungen an die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate und bis vor kurzem auch an Saudi-Arabien…
https://www.german-foreign-policy.com/news/detail/8466/
(* B K P)
Audio: Wie viel Verantwortung trägt Deutschland?
Muss die deutsche Bundesregierung besser überprüfen, ob die USA über den deutschen Stützpunkt Ramstein völkerrechtswidrig Drohnen steuern? Erst nein, dann ja, dann nein. Was bedeutet das neue Urteil des Bundesverwaltungsgerichts?
Bislang vertritt die Bundesregierung die Meinung, dass alles, was in Ramstein passiert, mit deutschem Recht vereinbar ist und sie nicht weiter kontrollieren muss, was passiert. Diese Auffassung ist umstritten. Weniger umstritten ist nämlich, dass einige der US-Angriffe völkerrechtswidrig sind. Muss Deutschland also intervenieren?
Das Bundesverwaltungsgericht hat das Urteil des OVG Münster nun aufgehoben, das Bundesverteidigungsministerium hat damit einen Teilerfolg errungen. Und jetzt? Darüber spricht detektor.fm-Redakteurin Rabea Schloz mit dem Rechtsanwalt Dr. Achim Doerfer und dem Staatsrechtler Dr. Felix Boor.
https://detektor.fm/politik/ist-das-gerecht-drohnen-im-jemen = https://podcasts.apple.com/ye/podcast/drohnen-im-jemen/id979729160?i=1000501747351 = https://podcasts.apple.com/lu/podcast/drohnen-im-jemen/id345287512?i=1000501744867
Transkript: https://detektor.fm/politik/ist-das-gerecht-drohnen-im-jemen
(A P)
"Sind uns die Menschenrechte so wenig wert?"
Bushra Al-Maktari, Autorin aus dem Jemen, und der Hongkonger Verleger Gui Minhai sind am 6. Dezember mit dem Johann-Philipp-Palm-Preis für Meinungs- und Pressefreiheit ausgezeichnet worden. Für Laudator Alexander Skipis, Hauptgeschäftsführer des Börsenvereins, zeigt der Fall Gui Minhai exemplarisch, welches Gift die Gesellschaft zersetzt - auch bei uns. Informationen zu den Preisträgern und die Laudatio auf Gui Minhai im Wortlaut.
https://www.boersenblatt.net/news/boersenverein/sind-uns-die-menschenrechte-so-wenig-wert-157365
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
(A K P)
Schweiz: Nationalrat gegen Kriegsmaterialexporte an Jemen-Kriegsallianz
Der Nationalrat hat einen Vorstoss der SP angenommen, der den Stopp von sämtlichen Kriegsmaterialexporten an die Kriegsallianz im Jemen verlangt.
Der Nationalrat hat einen Vorstoss der SP angenommen, der den Stopp von sämtlichen Kriegsmaterialexporten an die Kriegsallianz im Jemen verlangt. Wirtschaftsminister Guy Parmelin wies vergeblich auf die vergleichsweise restriktive Bewilligungspraxis des Bundes hin.
Der Rat hiess das Anliegen nach einer Abstimmungswiederholung im zweiten Anlauf mit 98 zu 94 Stimmen bei einer Enthaltung gut. Die Motion geht noch in den Ständerat.
Der Bundesrat habe ziemlich systematisch, gestützt auf früher erteilte Bewilligungen, immer wieder Munitions- und Ersatzteillieferungen zugelassen. Das damit verbundene aussenpolitische Signal sei unerträglich, sagte Antragstellerin Priska Seiler Graf (SP/ZH).
https://www.parlament.ch/de/services/news/Seiten/2020/20201210131603746194158159038_bsd103.aspx = https://www.nau.ch/politik/bundeshaus/nationalrat-gegen-kriegsmaterialexporte-an-jemen-kriegsallianz-65833996
(A P)
Singaporean man detained under ISA for involvement in Yemen civil war, working for foreign power: ISD
A Singaporean man has been detained under the Internal Security Act for taking part in the Yemen civil war and working for a foreign power as a paid agent while in the Middle Eastern country, said the Internal Security Department (ISD).
In a statement on Wednesday (Dec 9), the ISD said Sheik Heikel Khalid Bafana, 48, who was detained in March last year, had acted in a manner prejudicial to Singapore's security and interests.
In disclosing the case, the ISD emphasised Singapore's "stern stand against anyone who supports, promotes, undertakes, or makes preparations to undertake armed violence".
Heikel had assisted one of the factions in the civil war after migrating to Yemen with his family around 2008, said the ISD.
He volunteered to take up arms and fight alongside this faction, which the ISD did not identify. An ISD spokesman said in response to ST’s queries that he first had the intention to engage in armed violence in 2017.
and also https://mothership.sg/2020/12/sheik-heikel-yemen-isa-isd/
My remark: Haykal Bafana had been a well-informed observer of the Yemen War. meanwhile, Twitter had removed his account: https://twitter.com/BaFana3
(A P)
Two Shocking Israel-UAE Developments Just Occurred. The More Significant One Was in D.C.
Israel is now publicly lobbying congress to approve Trump's massive arms deals with UAE, amid growing criticism on Capitol Hill (paywalled)
(A P)
UAE sheikh buys stake in controversial Israeli soccer club
Israel’s Beitar Jerusalem soccer club, which has gained notoriety for its racist fans and refusal to have an Arab player on its roster, announced on Monday that an Emirati sheikh has purchased a 50% stake in the team.
cp12b Sudan
(* B P)
UN-African Union envoy says mistrust deep in Sudan’s Darfur
The joint U.N.-African Union envoy for Darfur cautioned on Wednesday that mistrust still runs deep in Sudan’s troubled region and urged the transitional government in Khartoum to embark on the “huge task” of gaining the trust of the local people.
(A P)
Top Saudi diplomat on 1st Sudan visit since al-Bashir ouster
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister arrived in Khartoum on Tuesday, Sudan’s state-run news agency reported, the first visit by the kingdom’s top diplomat since Sudan’s military overthrew former autocratic President Omar al-Bashir last year.
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade
(* A K P)
Danish Pension Funds Caught Funneling Millions Into Foreign Arms Manufacturers
Danish pensioners' savings are indirectly involved in the supply of weapons to the UAE and Saudi Arabia – two countries heavily involved in the conflict in Yemen that the UN has designated as the worst current humanitarian crisis in the world.
Fifteen of Denmark's 16 largest pension funds have invested almost DKK 3 billion ($500 million) kroner in foreign weapons manufacturers supplying countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, a new report from Oxfam IBIS has revealed, accusing the pension funds of profiteering.
(B K P)
Since the war in #Yemen started in 2015, the Saudi-led coalition has indiscriminately attacked civilians, homes, hospitals, schools and cultural heritage sites! European #ArmsExporters enable these war crimes by selling their bombs, missiles, aircraft and fighter jets to the Saudi-led coalition. We must stop these arms sales! Let’s show politicians that we will not accept their continued inaction. Sign our petition (http://ow.ly/BG3950CDT9v) to stop morally corrupt and illegal arms exports!
https://www.facebook.com/ecchr.eu/photos/a.755408364552237/3584476104978768
cp13b Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage
Siehe / Look at cp1
cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy
(B E H)
Yemen: Female labor force participation
For that indicator, we provide data for Yemen from 1990 to 2020. The average value for Yemen during that period was 13.22 percent with a minimum of 5.69 percent in 2020 and a maximum of 21.83 percent in 1999. The latest value from 2020 is 5.69 percent. For comparison, the world average in 2020 based on 182 countries is 51.90 percent.
https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/Yemen/Female_labor_force_participation/
(* A E P)
Weaponzing currency: No ethical boundaries in seeking to topple government
“Die,” Abdullah Sayf demands during a tiff with his wife on the phone as she calls him from Sana’a. He was trudging out of a money exchange shop in Aden, disappointed that the fees he has to pay to send her YR 100,000 has now risen to YR 47000, obviously close to half the amount.
“The fees have been rising and rising. I hardly accepted it when the fee for sending YR 100,000, was YR 35,000 months ago. But now I don’t know what to do. It is a an outright rip-off to be able to send only half the amount in your hand to your relatives and pay the other half as a remittance fee!”
Sayf, like millions of other Yemenis, is the victim of Houthi measures including a ban in December 2019 of the newly printed currency in the theocratic militia-controlled Sana’a, measures President Hadi’s legitimate government and independent economic analysts called at the time as “vandalism.”
Before the Houthis imposed the ban, there was one exchange rate for the old new notes of the Riyal in the country: YR 560 for one US dollar.
Since the ban, the Central Bank of Yemen split into Sana’a-based and Aden-based rivals.
Today, Thursday, one USD converts to YR 922 in Aden, loosely dubbed the “seat” of the government, and YR 600 in Sana’a, the stronghold of the Shia extremists. “And the gap is increasing day by day, unless this nonsense is stopped and the international community such that the Houthi militia and other malign actors are stopped from dividing Yemen along economic fault lines,” says economic analyst, Ahmed Ba-Abbad. “It is true that inflation in the government-run territories is one cause, but that is because the legit government is paying salaries. Houthis are not. Cash is rare in Sana’a. They have not paid the salaries of more than four years. They hoard the money in the basements of their warlords.”
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-43741
My comment: There is a part of information and a part of propaganda in this article. Blaming the Houthis for the economic division of Yemen is putting facts upside down. The split did not originate in the Houthi ban against the new nabknotes introduced by the Hadi government, but in the Hadi government’s foolish division of the Yemeni Central Bank.
(A E P)
Yemeni pro-[Hadi] gov't official calls for relocating central bank to Sana'a
The Yemeni national currency's decline should be urgently halted, even though by relocating the Central Bank of Yemen (CBY) from Aden to Sana'a, pro-government Shura councilor tweeted on Tuesday.
Under a decree by President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, the CBY's head office was moved to the interim capital in September 2016.
"If it would stop the national currency's depreciation and help rial to recover, even to acceptable levels, I call for CBY's relocation to Sana'a," Eisam al-Soraim added.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-21705.html
(A E H)
The continuous deprecation of the local currency and money transfer fees of 50% have raised the prices of basic foods, and many people demand to export oil and gas to mitigate this crisis.
https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1336766150739435520
(A E H)
Currency crisis #Yemen: People in Aden & Taiz are desperately searching for bread after many bakeries have shut down. Sharp depreciation of Rial has pushed prices to unprecedented heights. Today Rial is trading at 900 per dollar in Aden & a 50kg bag of wheat flour sold for $23.
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/1336972911706591232
and
(A E)
$1USD now = YR900 in some parts of #Yemen
https://twitter.com/peterjsalisbury/status/1336363410951450629
(A E)
Photos: Money exchange stores and bakeries closed in #Taiz city due to the collapse of #Yemen's currency.
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1336378134824955912
(A E P)
[Hadi] Government, rich partners ignoring deepening economic crisis in Yemen
Yemen's interim capital Aden and other government-controlled regions have been experiencing economic woes for years. The crisis has recently started to worsen because of the fall of the national currency to its lowest level against foreign currencies.
However the situation in the Houthi-run regions is relatively stable.
It seems that the government and its Saudi partners are not searching for solutions to address the crisis that has crushed the Yemeni people.
On Tuesday, prime minister Maeen Abdulmalik held the Houthi group responsible for the deterioration of the economy and humanitarian situation in the country.
At a meeting with Nick Dyer, the UK's Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs, he said: "The prevention of the circulation of the new banknotes, blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid and stealing aid in Houthi-run regions has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Yemen".
He warned of further economic deterioration which would seriously be reflected on the humanitarian situation, urging to mobilise aid for the programs of the government in order to prevent the collapse of the economy.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-21693.html
My comment: They hardly can blame the Houthis for an economic crisis in Hadi gov. / STC held territories.
(A E P)
Exchange companies partially resume operations in south Yemen
The Yemeni exchangers association announced that exchange companies on Sunday partially resumed their activities after three-day closures forced by the collapse of the national currency.
The move comes in response to the growing humanitarian need for remittances and after getting assurances from the Central Bank of Yemen to address the rial crisis, it said in a statement.
It affirmed that buying and selling foreign currencies is still halted, urging exchangeers to demonstrate commitment.
The Yemeni rial has sharply dropped against foreign currencies in recent months. It is trading at 898 per US dollar, the lowest level ever.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-21652.html
and also https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/category/region/middle-east/yemen/
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
(A T)
Terrorist cells arrested, terror attacks foiled in Hadramout
http://en.adenpress.news/news/30714
(* A T)
Suspected al-Qaeda gunmen kill five south Yemen separatists
If confirmed, the attacks mark militant group's biggest operation in months
Suspected al-Qaeda gunmen murdered five south Yemen separatists in Abyan province on Monday, in the terror group's biggest attack in the region for months, a secessionist security official said.
The five members of the Security Belt separatist force, which is dominated by the Southern Transitional Council (STC), were killed at dawn on the outskirts of Lawdar city, the official told AFP.
"It was gunmen believed to be from al-Qaeda who launched the attack and managed to escape," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A medic in Lawdar confirmed the death toll, while al-Qaeda has yet to issue any statements on the attack.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/yemen-south-separatists-killed-suspected-al-qaeda
http://en.adenpress.news/news/30692
https://debriefer.net/en/news-21663.html
cp15 Propaganda
(A P)
US State Department official: Houthis in Yemen behave like a terrorist organization
A US State Department official said Thursday that Yemen’s Houthi militia does things akin to the behaviour of a terrorist organization.
Timothy Lenderking, deputy assistant secretary of state for Arabian Gulf Affairs, said Iran has continued to fuel conflict in Yemen.
He said the US is working with Gulf countries to counter Iranian threat in the region.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1775366/middle-east
(A P)
Saudi Arabia’s approach towards empowering women embodies a unique example that should be followed globally, Al-Shammary says at an Arab parliament sub-committee meeting
The committee of social, educational, cultural, women, and youth affairs, an affiliate of the Arab Parliament (AP), concluded a meeting today, chaired by Dr. Mastourah bint Obaid Al-Shammari, in preparation of the 2nd general assembly of the AP scheduled to be held on Saturday at the headquarters of the Arab League.
Following the meeting, Al-Shammari said the plan of the committee for the forthcoming period includes a number of events and activities and enacting a number of guiding rules including Arab family and combating illiteracy in the Arab world.
She hailed the efforts being exerted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and HRH the Crown Prince, in support of education in its capacity as the base of progress and renaissance and a main pillar of the Arab national security.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2167032
(A P)
Houthi maximalism is met with a UN leniency: Yemen gov’t spokesman
The maximalism of the theocratic militia of Houthis is met with leniency from the side of the United Nations, the spokesman of the Yemeni government Rajeh Badi said on Tuesday.
In an interview with the London-based Alsharq Alawsat daily, Badi said, “Since the [UN special envoy’s] presentation of the Joint Declaration six months ago, there is no positive sign from the Houthi side. There is an escalation on all fronts and Houthis say in their secret meeting with the diplomats they are seeking a military resolution.” And that “maximalism is met with UN leniency,” he said.
Badi said the UN’s remarks towards the Houthi crimes including the recent massacres in Durayhimi and Taiz were “shy condemnations that even refrained from pointing finger at the Houthis as the obvious perpetrator though it is known to everyone.”
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-43719
(A P)
Houthi militants in Hajjah province shoot their legs and hands to claim that they have sustained injuries and get excused by supervisors for leaving the warfronts./Voice of Yemen.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-43718
(A P)
A video is going viral as a child in the besieged city of Taiz appeals to President Hadi to provide the local army with seven tanks to be able to break the six-year-long Houthi siege and liberate the city./ Yemen Time.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-43716
(A P)
Yemeni [Hadi] gov't says UN slackens at Houthi obduracy
The UN slackens at Houthi obduracy to efforts for peace in Yemen, spokesman for the Yemeni official government said Tuesday.
All the government's efforts and positive dealing with UN calls and initiatives are met by Houthi obstinacy and elusion, Rjih Badi added in remarks carried by Asharq Al-Awsat.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-21689.html
(A P)
Iran’s changing tactics
Through its Houthi proxy, Iran appears to be escalating attacks in the world’s key oil shipping lanes beyond Arab coalition partners, writes Ahmed Eleiba
The two attacks mark a dangerous precedent that indicate that Houthi militias, with Iranian support, have begun to escalate hostile activities targeting international commercial navigation in the Red Sea. Previous attacks carried out by the Houthis were restricted to vessels belonging to coalition members or its main allies.
The Saudi-led Coalition also reported that the Houthis planted 164 mines in the Red Sea near Bab Al-Mandab — an additional sign that the Houthis are bent on increasing the risks to international maritime traffic.
The escalation comes at a time of a growing Iranian footprint in Yemen following the arrival of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders under diplomatic cover. In October, Tehran announced that it had appointed Hassan Eyrlou, an IRGC leader, as its plenipotentiary and extraordinary ambassador to Sanaa.
According to coalition reports since 2016, the Houthis have staged numerous terrorist attacks against coalition ships, starting with the UAE auxiliary ship HSV-2 Swift using a Chinese made C-801 missile. In October 2016
As the foregoing tells us, there is an upward trajectory in the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist threat in the Red Sea. When we compare the recent operations to the abovementioned ones, we notice a number of significant trends. One is the salient qualitative shift towards a lack of discrimination between vessels belonging to coalition members/allies and those belonging to other nationalities. The tanker struck two weeks ago was Greek. It follows that there is a strong possibility that the Houthis and Iran have shifted to a strategy of threatening maritime traffic in the Red Sea in general.
Also significant is the diversity in means: maritime mines, missiles (made in China and modified in Iran), and, with greater frequency, explosive laden boats.
(A P)
Managing The Relationship Between The U.S. And Saudi Arabia
The new Biden administration will encounter a Middle East that is very different from the one President Trump inherited from President Obama in 2017, and nowhere is the change more obvious than in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom is undergoing a dramatic process of transformation that includes the unprecedented consolidation of power in the hands of Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman (MBS), the adoption of policies of social liberalization focused primarily on youth and women, and the implementation of a plan for economic diversification to lessen dependence on oil revenue. In addition, Saudi Arabia is asserting itself as a regional power and is no longer hyper cautious as it once was about making its influence felt.
In trying to achieve its ambitious goals, the kingdom has scored some notable accomplishments such as expanding freedoms for women, curbing corruption, increasing government efficiency, cutting the royal family down to size while containing the reactionary and militant religious forces in society.
The Saudi leadership remains committed to maintaining a strong strategic alliance with the US and to being a responsible steward of its unrivaled oil production capacity, a role that is important for the global economy, as the world witnessed during the last energy market crisis in March 2020.
There is a lot of baggage and misapprehensions that have to be overcome between the Biden administration and the leadership in Riyadh for the relationship to be mutually beneficial.
On the other hand, Biden and the Democrats are resentful that MBS was able to cultivate a special relationship with President Trump, and in so doing helped advance his agenda
Each side in the relationship must accept some realities and offer the other certain concessions. The Biden administration has to realize that MBS is very likely to be the absolute monarch of Saudi Arabia for many decades to come and its relationship with him is therefore about America’s long-term interests and engagement with this country.
What this means in practice is that MBS will perceive any external call to change his domestic policies as an infringement on the country’s sovereignty and he will surely dig in his heels.
On the war in Yemen, the Biden administration will find Riyadh willing to explore a number of ideas to see an end to Saudi participation in this conflict. MBS is exhausted by this conflict and has reached out repeatedly to the Houthis to find a mutually acceptable solution. Thus far, the Houthis have refused to compromise
The most promising and historical achievement for the Biden administration with respect to Saudi Arabia is the prospect of a peace agreement between the kingdom and Israe
More immediately there is a gesture the Saudis can make to the Biden administration that will not only show goodwill but also underscore that the relationship is about mutual interests and respect. Saudi Arabia can take 30 of the 40 remaining prisoners in Guantanamo Bay Detention Center
https://www.hoover.org/research/managing-relationship-between-us-and-saudi-arabia
(A P)
Shatara: Don't test Southerners with long-term policy
Member of the Presidency of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), Vice-President of the National Assembly for Control and Inspection, Lufti Shatara warned against the use of long-term policy to subjugate the people of the South.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/30706
(A P)
UAE embassy to the US: Follow this thread for Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba’s complete response to Sen @ChrisMurphyCT on the UAE’s defense modernization package including the F-35.
The proposed sale of US defense equipment to the UAE is important to both of our countries. Sen @ChrisMurphyCT is right – this sale is different. So, Congress should have all the facts and understand how it is critical for the UAE and US.
As the most open and tolerant society in the Middle East, the UAE has a lot to protect at home and in the region. This includes our shared interests and values with the US.
The UAE has always fought alongside the US. And through hundreds of joint missions & participation in 6 US-led Coalition efforts, we have learned that the key to military coordination is interoperability.
The UAE F-35 package is much more then selling military hardware. It is about advancing a more stable & secure Middle East. It enables the UAE to take on more of the regional burden for collective security, freeing US assets for other global challenges - a bipartisan US priority.
Second, on Yemen, Senator Murphy is aware that the UAE ended its military involvement in Yemen in October of last year. We are eager to see the war end, are supporting initiatives to restart a political process & continue to provide massive humanitarian aid to the Yemeni people.
The UAE’s intervention liberated large parts of the country from Iranian-backed Houthi control in the West and, working with the US, diminished the AQAP threat in the East.
It helped to protect international shipping in the Red Sea, facilitated the distribution of humanitarian aid and prompted the Houthis to enter a political dialogue.
The UAE Air Force mission in Yemen focused on hostile Houthi forces, terrorist cells and FON operations. UAE targeting procedures & precision weapons greatly limited civilian casualties to rates below or comparable to those of US/NATO air forces involved in combat in Afghanistan.
https://twitter.com/UAEEmbassyUS/status/1334547309112283138
My comment: LOL, LOL, LOL.
Comment: is there another #Yemen other than the one we live in?
https://twitter.com/Alsakaniali/status/1335694426748956672
(A P)
WATCH: Iran-trained sniper killed in al-Dhale
http://en.adenpress.news/news/30699
(A P)
Al-Awlaki: Brotherhood provides governmental cover for terrorism
The Muslim Brotherhood organization within Yemen's legitimacy has managed to provide a governmental cover for their militia and al-Qaeda, said the member of the Presidency of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), Salem Thabet al-Awlaki.
Al-Awlaki explained on his official Twitter account that 'the governmental cover' is used by paramilitary groups and al-Qaeda militants in Wadi Hadramout, Shabwah and Abyan to support the Muslim Brotherhood in their battle against the STC and the southern armed forces.
This cover also provides terrorists with camps, lectures, platforms, media outlets, money, weapons and ammunition, al-Awlaki added, concluding his tweet by affirming that terrorism will always be present and active as long as this cover remains.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/30700
My remark: As claimed by the separatists
(A P)
Saudi Arabia has changed beyond recognition. But will tourists want to visit?
I've been visiting Saudi Arabia for close to two decades and in that time I've experienced some incredible things.
These days the religious police have mostly been consigned to desk duties. Decades of oppressive psychological pressure to conform to the conservative strictures of Islam have fallen away.
And today, freedom is blossoming, albeit still controlled by the invisible lines of most Gulf states: enjoy, have fun but don't get ahead of the leadership.
Outdoor cafes along new festive looking pavements are abuzz with men and women out for fun, to meet, to shop, to chat, to relax.
Nearby, fashionably dressed without a headscarf (an omission enough to get her pulled off the street a few years ago), is Tutu, a 42-year-old kindergarten teacher. She told me she loved the sense of "freedom" and "more energy."
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/saudi-arabia-fun-tourists/index.html
Remark: The author of this article, Nic Robertson, was listed as a recipient of Saudi government-funded advocacy material per FARA disclosure:
https://twitter.com/kenklippenstein/status/1335860260939116544
referring to https://s3.amazonaws.com/fara2.opensecrets.org/5666-Supplemental-Statement-20170830-27.pdf
(A P)
Iranian experts manage Houthi missile force while missiles fired at Marib Iranian-made, investigations say
The terrorist cell arrested in Marib city has admitted to having direct links with the Iran-backed Houthi rebel militia and involvement in terrorist crimes.
Targeting the homes of citizens and densely populated neighborhoods with ballistic missiles and Katyusha rockets are from the crimes of this terrorist cell in Marib province, north-eastern Yemen.
The confessions of a member of the terrorist cell confirmed his connection to the Houthi leader Abdulhakim Al-Khaiwani, who is listed as a terrorist leader.
From a house in the capital Sana’a, with the help and supervision of Iranian experts who manage the militia’s missile force, Al-Khaiwani runs the so-called Security and Intelligence Service of the Iran-backed Houthi rebel militia, carrying out terrorist crimes.
The confessions of the member of the terrorist cell also confirmed that he had received detailed instructions on the mechanism of action from Iranian experts.
He was then equipped with Iranian-made software, equipment and techniques, to monitor information and maps.
Moreover, the confessions confirmed that the Houthi terrorist cell sent information about the activities and meetings of army leaders, and the dates of national celebrations in Marib city.
and
(A P)
Iranians guiding Houthi missiles, says captured spy
Basim Ali Al-Samet was recruited last year and passed sensitive information to the militia
A Houthi spy who was captured in the Yemeni city of Marib said he received training on intelligence information gathering and location sharing from Iranian and Iraqi missile experts in Sanaa.
Yemen’s Defense Ministry recently announced capturing a Houthi cell of two spies who passed locations of military sites to the group.
State media aired a video showing their confessions. According to the video, they provided the militia with sensitive military information and locations of senior army commanders who were hit by Houthi missiles and drones.
Basim Ali Al-Samet, identified by the ministry as the most dangerous member of the cell, described receiving military training and lessons on gathering information and sending locations of military sites and movements of army commanders from Iranians and Iraqis in the capital.
Houthis recruited Al-Samet in early 2019 and installed him in the Ministry of Defense in Marib with the help of his military officer uncle, who also said he had colluded with the Houthis.
Al-Samet spent months in Marib, collecting information about military camps and meetings of ministry officers before traveling to Sanaa to pass the information to his recruiter Zayed Al-Mouyed, a Houthi military commander.
At a meeting with senior Houthi intelligence officers, Al-Samet saw three masked men along with Gen. Abdul Hakim Al-Khewani, the commander of Houthi intelligence, Al-Mouyed and two Houthi figures who listened to the information he had gathered from Marib.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1774006/middle-east
My comment: This sounds like a propaganda story – as they could have been constructed quite easy.
and
(A P)
Treason Networks – Film reveals story of terrorist cell working for Iran-backed Houthi militia in Marib
Moral Guidance Department of the Yemen’s armed forces distributed a film revealing the crimes of the terrorist cell that was working for the Iran-backed Houthi militia and in Marib.
However, the national army’s intelligence services succeeded to dismantle it and arrest its members.
The film which was aired by the Yemeni satellite channel showed that the cell trained by Iranian experts and used by the Houthi militia to target the army commanders and civilians as well.
The terrorist cell has followed the movements of the Defense Minister, Chief of Staff, locations of secret meetings, and gatherings of army leaders in Marib province.
Moreover, the film exposed that the terrorist cell was involved in crimes against civilians, targeting homes and housing areas over the past months, until it was captured by military intelligence.
Yemen, US jointly face terrorism, Iran ambitions: Yemeni VP
Yemen and the United States face joint challenges and cooperate in combating terrorism and curbing Iran's devastating ambitions in the region, the Yemeni Vice-president told Assistant to the US Foreign Secretary for Near Eastern affairs and US ambassador to Yemen.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-21665.html
My comment: LOL. Vice president Mohsen is an old Al Qaeda affiliate.
(A P)
More Saudi coalition „We are benefactors“ propaganda
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2166070
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2166056
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
(* A K pH)
Saudi coalition air raids and shelling day by day
Dec. 7: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/a.551858951631141/1878594618957561/
Dec. 6: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/a.551858951631141/1878589165624773/
Dec. 5: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/a.551858951631141/1878588502291506/
(A K pH)
Aggression launches nine raids on Amran
The aggression's airstrikes targeted the communications network in the district
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3119199.htm
and
(A K pH)
Today, Tuesday, December 8th The American aggression's aviation targets the communication stations in Amran governorate with nine raids and destroys them completely. And the American bombs used testify that the criminal is America (photos)
https://twitter.com/AlnomeirMosfer/status/1336351056381538304
and also https://debriefer.net/en/news-21692.html
Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zt7IHTOQFA
and the separatists claim:
(A K pS)
Coalition airstrikes hit Houthi air defense systems
http://en.adenpress.news/news/30701
My comment: Look at the photos and realize what a propaganda BS this is.
(A K pH)
More Saudi coalition air raids
https://english.almasirah.net/post/16554/Casualties-and-Losses-on-Sa-adah-Due-to-Saudi-Attacks%C2%A0 Saada p.
https://english.almasirah.net/post/16534/US-Saudi-Aggression-s-Daily-Update-for-Tuesday%2C-Dec-8%2C-2020 / https://english.almasirah.net/post/16547/US-Saudi-Aggression-s-Daily-Update-for-Wednesday%2C-Dec-9%2C-2020 Several prov.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3119288.htm Marib p., Jawf p., Sanaa p.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3119178.htm Marib p.
https://english.almasirah.net/post/16519/US-Saudi-Aggression-s-Daily-Update-for-Monday%2C-Dec-7%2C-2020 Marib p., Saada p.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3119038.htm Saada p.
https://english.almasirah.net/post/16514/US-Saudi-Aggression-s-Daily-Update-for-Sunday%2C-Dec-6%2C-2020 Several prov.
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.
(* B K pS)
Film: Mines of Houthi militia kill the children of Yemen
The mines planted by the Houthi militia deprived Elham of walking as she had her legs amputated because of an explosion of a landmine while she was on her way to her parents' farm taking food to them. "Al-Shouei" family suffer by being unable to treat their daughter, who is one lot of victims of landmines in Yemen. It is reported that thousands of anti-personnel and vehicle mines are spread in different areas where the legitimate government forces and the Houthi militia have fought, starting from Aden and its surroundings in the south to Saada and the borders with Saudi Arabia in the far north. The Saudi “Masam” project seeks to clear mines in Yemen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouTFS-ma89A
(A K pH)
At least one dead in Saudi border shelling
At least one civilian was killed in an artillery shelling carried out by Saudi-led coalition forces targeting several border areas in Saada province, northern Yemen, a security official said.
According to the official, the coalition forces launched missile and artillery attacks on Raqaw area in Monabbih border district, leaving one civilian dead.
https://hodhodyemennews.net/2020/12/10/at-least-one-dead-in-saudi-border-shelling/
and also https://english.almasirah.net/post/16554/Casualties-and-Losses-on-Sa-adah-Due-to-Saudi-Attacks%C2%A0
(A K pH)
Saudi shelling injures man in Sa'ada
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3119444.htm
(A K pS)
A 50-year-old woman, Alema Qaed, was killed when a landmine planted by the #Houthi group exploded as she was herding sheep close to her house in al-Modam district, south #Taiz governorate.
https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1336340258913316871
(A K pS)
The Houthi militia set one school ablaze in Aljawf./Almashehad Alyemeni.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-43718
(A K pS)
A Houthi sniper shoots dead 60-year-old man (Ghaleb Faysal) in Mawiya east of Taiz./ Yemen Talk
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-43716
(A K pS)
The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: Interception, Destruction of Bomb-Laden USV Launched by Terrorist, Iran-Backed Houthi Militia from Hodeida Governorate
Statement by the Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Brigadier General Turki Al-Malki
“Coalition Navy Forces detected this evening (Wednesday, 09 December 2020) an attempt by the terrorist Houthi militia to carry out a hostile, terrorist act in Southern Red Sea using (2) bomb-laden Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) launched from Hodeida Governorate.
The USVs, which pose a threat to regional and international security, Sea Lines of Communication and International Trade, were destroyed.
The Houthi militia is using Hodeida Governorate as a ballistic-missile, bomb-laden UAV, USV launch site, and a point of indiscriminate deployment of naval mines in a clear, blatant violation of the international humanitarian law and the Stockholm Agreement’s ceasefire provisions.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2166805
My comment: Terrorists should not label others as “terrorists”.
(A K pS)
KSrelief Masam Project Dismantles 1,630 Mines in Yemen during 1st Week of December
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief)'s Masam Project for Clearing Mines in Yemen demined 1,630 mines during the first week of December 2020, including 15 anti-personnel mines, 187 anti-tank mines, 1,422 unexploded ordnance and 6 explosive devices.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2166695
(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=2166492
(A K pS)
Saudi project clears 1,385 more mines in Yemen
The Saudi Project for Landmine Clearance (Masam) in Yemen dismantled 49 antipersonnel mines, 115 anti-tank mines, and 1,218 unexploded ordnance and 3 explosive devices — totaling 1,385 mines — during the fourth week of November.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1774001/saudi-arabia
(A K pS)
The Houthi group launched intense missile attacks on Al-Sha'afa village in Jabal Morad district, south of Marib governorate. Eye witnesses said the Katyusha rockets set fire to a civilian's house but there were no casualties.
https://twitter.com/BelqeesRights/status/1335966545827151873
(B K pS)
Yemeni Observatory for Documenting Mines Victims in #Yemen: The most areas contaminated with landmines are: * Mocha district, #Taiz. *Al Durayhimi district, #Hodeidah. * Khoob Wa Sheef district, #Al_Jawf.
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1335972454553034754
(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=2166069
and also look at air plane https://twitter.com/A7medJa7af/status/1335955059037904896
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.
(* B K P)
Norwwegian Refugee Council: Yemen: People still killed and maimed daily two years since Stockholm Agreement
A new wave of violence has flared in the governorate at the heart of Yemen’s Stockholm Agreement, threatening the ceasefire signed in December 2018 to halt fierce fighting in Hodeidah port city. Two years on from that agreement, over a thousand people (1,249) have been maimed or killed by armed conflict in Hodeidah governorate. This single governorate accounts for almost a quarter of all deaths and injuries in Yemen since the agreement was inked. New figures show that this spike in violence is happening across different parts of the country. October was the most violent month recorded all year, bringing the total number of casualties in Yemen since the agreement to 5,267 – or 7 civilians a day.
Clashes are taking place in residential neighbourhoods, roads are being blocked, and aid agencies struggle to get through safely. In the two last weeks, three mass casualty events shook the country: multiple children were killed and injured in both Taiz and Hodeidah, and factory staff were killed while at work in a Hodeidah industrial complex. There has also been a 40 per cent increase in armed attacks affecting health facilities, leaping from 12 last year to 17 so far in 2020, the majority in Hodeidah and Taiz.
“The Stockholm Agreement was the most hopeful development in five years of war and averted a humanitarian catastrophe,” said Mohamed Abdi, Yemen Country Director for the Norwegian Refugee Council. “But the events of the last few weeks are a wake-up call. Despite initially reducing levels of violence, implementation of the agreement has stalled. Hodeidah remains the most dangerous place in Yemen to be a civilian. Violations of the ceasefire are reported on a daily basis. These appalling attacks on civilians are happening in the middle of a global pandemic, when famine is knocking at the door. Warring parties must hold their fire, and immediately return to the negotiating table.”
(A K pS)
The commander of the Tihami Resistence Abdurahman Hajri has called upon the government to assume its responsibility towards the suffering of the people of Tihamah, Hodeidah, declare the failure of the Stockholm Agreement and double down on liberating Hodeidah port from Houthis as an important first step prior to a comprehensive peace./Alharf 28
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-43716
(A K pH)
Daily violations
Saudi coalition violated Yemen ceasefire 6,569 times in Nov.
A source in the Liaison and Coordination Officers Operations Room to monitor violations announced that the Saudi-led coalition violated the Stockholm Agreement over 6,000 times in November in Al Hudaydah.
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/166969/Saudi-coalition-violated-Yemen-ceasefire-6-569-times-in-Nov
cp19 Sonstiges / Other
(B H P)
MEET MISK AL-JUNAID, YEMEN
Misk Al-Junaid is the Executive Director of the Tawakkol Karman Foundation and co-founder of the Women4Yemen Network. The Tawakkol Karman Foundation was established in 2016 by Yemeni Nobel Peace laureate Tawakkol Karman. Misk is a writer, trainer, researcher and human rights activist. In Yemen, Misk worked with several local, national and international organizations on conflict management, democracy-building, women’s rights, and youth integration. She has also worked as a producer and presenter for Belqees TV, an independent broadcaster reporting exclusively on Yemeni news. Misk has a degree in Chemistry from Taiz University in Yemen. She lives in Turkey.
MAJ: The Tawakkol Karman Foundation believes that development, in its comprehensive sense, is the real key to sustained peace. Although the Foundation implements many humanitarian relief projects to meet immediate and urgent needs, it is working in parallel on peace-building programs and development programs that focus on education, health and small projects. We mainly target women. We have a project named “Haven for Humanity” which supports more than 40 small projects mostly led by women — women impacted by war, who have lost their jobs and their families.
https://nobelwomensinitiative.org/meet-misk-al-junaid-yemen/
Foundation website: http://www.tkif.org/en/
(-)
Photo: Yemen is home to all types of wildlife, including Hamadryas Baboons which live in the mountainous terrain of western Yemen. Here, a Baboon wanders the highway in al-Mahwit governorate.
https://twitter.com/NavantiGroup/status/1336309562240995329
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-699-yemen-war-mosaic-699
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-699 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-699:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose oder / or http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
Der saudische Luftkrieg im Bild / Saudi aerial war images:
(18 +, Nichts für Sensible!) / (18 +; Graphic!)
http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
http://yemenwarcrimes.blogspot.de/
Liste aller Luftangriffe / and list of all air raids:
http://yemendataproject.org/data/
Untersuchung ausgewählter Luftangriffe durch Bellingcat / Bellingcat investigations of selected air raids:
Untersuchungen von Angriffen, hunderte von Filmen / Investigations of attacks, hundreds of films:
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