Dies ist die Fortsetzung von Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 725, Teil 1 / This is the sequel of Yemen War Mosaic 725, part 1:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-725-yemen-war-mosaic-725
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
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
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade
cp13b Wirtschaft / Economy
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
cp15 Propaganda
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
cp17a Kriegsereignisse: Schlacht um Marib / Theater of War: Marib battle
cp18 Kampf um Hodeidah / Hodeidah battle
cp19 Sonstiges / Other
Klassifizierung / Classification
***
**
*
(Kein Stern / No star)
? = Keine Einschatzung / No rating
A = Aktuell / Current news
B = Hintergrund / Background
C = Chronik / Chronicle
D = Details
E = Wirtschaft / Economy
H = Humanitäre Fragen / Humanitarian questions
K = Krieg / War
P = Politik / Politics
pH = Pro-Houthi
pS = Pro-Saudi
T = Terrorismus / Terrorism
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
(B P)
Ahmed bin Fareed: “Two-state solution is best solution for Yemen”
The Riyadh Agreement signed between the STC and the government of president Hadi for some reasons among them is how to provide together the necessary services to the citizens of the south and how to manage the economy and achieve security and stability and the most important how avoid military conflicts between the STC and the government in order to unite our strength against our enemy which is the Houthi’s militia. This is the main job of the Riyadh Agreement. Therefore, this Agreement doesn’t come to solve our national case because we believe that the political solution to the whole crisis of Yemen would come through the peace process led by the UN especial envoy Mr. Griffiths. But in the same, yes, we still believe that a two-state solution is best solution not only for us or for the north of Yemen but for the region and the world.
We in the STC understand how much the whole situation is complicated, it isn’t easy to settle things down as everyone wants and there is no other way for all of us but to sit down together and talk about the future for the sake of our people and because war didn’t bring peace or victory to anyone of us but blood, disasters and tragedies. If we do this, I think we can reach with all parts to a solution based on respecting the will of our people in the south which is very clear to everyone. Unity cannot stands by force. And our people have decided that they will not accept any shape of unity, and because of that we are asking our partners to tell us where is the wisdom of ignoring our people’s will and using force to determine their future.
It is not a secret to say that Al-Islah party (the Muslim brotherhoods of Yemen) are actually dominating the decisions of President Hadi. Moreover, the vice president Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar is very supportive to this party and have with them very long and historic relations based on common interests and Islamic concepts. They actually ruled the so-called legitimacy government by corruption and military failures when it comes to the battle ground with the Houthis.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/32432
My remark: The separatists’ viewpoint.
(A P)
Photos: From the city of Marib, the capital of the Sheba region, we celebrate #International_Women's Day with 60 women entrepreneurs who have been rehabilitated, as part of the Seb project to empower women economically, and despite the Houthi bombing of our city with ballistic missiles and the continued attacks on the outskirts of our governorate, they will not be afraid of the Houthi death project.
https://twitter.com/AlqadhiYasmin/status/1369281516577165314
(A P)
Mass rallies in Saudi-held Lahj and Abyan provinces demand expulsion of puppet government
Hundreds of people took to the streets of Lahj and Abyan provinces, south of Yemen, on Tuesday to protest against the deterioration of living conditions.
At a protest rally, the protesters set fire to tyres in the main streets of city of Al-Houta of Lahj. The protesters called for the governor, Ahmed Turki, who was appointed by Hadi’s government, to step down and leave.
Hundreds of citizens in Abyan province also demonstrated in front of the headquarters of governor Abu Bakr Hussein, demanding his expulsion from the office due to his “utter failure in managing the province,” amid accusations of his depleting resources to fund the Islah Party.
The protesters raised banners denouncing the deterioration of living conditions and rising food prices.
In the two rallies, the participants accused the Lahj and Abyan leadership, which both belong to the Islah Party, of failing to control economic and security conditions and to improve the essential services.
and
(A P)
Protests continue over poor services, power outage, high prices
People continue on Tuesday to take to the streets of al-Hawta, the capital of the southern governorate of Lahj in protest against the breakdown of essential public services.
The protesters blocked the main road of the provincial capital and the road to Aden, in addition to set rubber tires on fire to express their anger over the continuous power cuts, currency decline and soaring prices of food and petroleum products.
The protest went on to demand the dismissal of Lahj Governor Ahmed Turki, accusing him of collusion with the Islah party
http://en.adenpress.news/news/32427
(A P)
Clashes erupt in the Shabat neighborhood in Yemen's southern city of Aden. It's not known yet who are the belligerent parties! ( local media )
https://twitter.com/Naseh_Shaker/status/1369047431317499912
(A E P)
Aden governorate has just suffered a nationwide power outage tonight amid fuel shortages (media)
https://twitter.com/Naseh_Shaker/status/1369050253333237763
(* A T)
Thirteen civilians abducted in bus attack in Abyan province
Unidentified gunmen, believed to be affiliated with Al-Qaeda, have kidnapped 13 passengers from a mass transit bus in Abyan province, southern Yemen on Monday.
According to local sources in Abyan, the gunmen stopped a bus for mass transit at the Al-Quoz Junction near Modiyah district, forced 13 passengers from Dhalea and Yafa areas to disembark and took them to an unknown destination.
The gunmen kidnapped the citizens at gunpoint, without mentioning the reasons, the sources added.
This comes amid the absence of any state authority control in areas controlled by the Saudi-led coalition since the second half of 2015.
https://hodhodyemennews.net/2021/03/08/thirteen-civilians-abducted-in-bus-attack-in-abyan-province/
(A P)
Armed clashes erupt between STC forces, protesters in Yemen's Aden
Armed confrontations broke out yesterday morning between security units loyal to the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and hundreds of protesters in Yemen's southern port city of Aden.
Local sources said hundreds of protesters closed roads in the city of KhorMaksar in Aden governorate using stones and burnt rubber tyres in protest against the deterioration of public services.
The sources said an exchange of fire took place between the Security Belt forces of the UAE- backed STC and the protesters at the intersection of the Al-Jumhuriyah Hospital in the city.
According to the sources, the armed confrontations erupted when the Security Belt forces fired in the air to disperse protesters who in turn responded by opening fire.
The exchange of fire did not result in any injuries, the sources said.
The Security Belt forces have been controlling the city of Aden since August 2019, after expelling pro-government forces from it.
and also https://hodhodyemennews.net/2021/03/08/uae-backed-separatists-open-fire-on-protesters-in-aden/
(A P)
Fishermen in Socotra protest against UAE sabotage of fishing industry
The leaders of fishermen’s associations in Socotra province have called on the UAE occupation force to pay the fishery tax, which the Emiratis have evaded since the beginning of its work in the archipelago.
Fishermen in Socotra said the occupying forces were forcing them to deliver the fish they caught to a UAE-run fish factory.
The fishermen added that they face pressure in their work and abuses under the management of UAE representative Abu Mubarak al-Mazroui.
The fishermen pointed out that the UAE occupation forces also prevent ships of Yemeni fishermen – in Socotra, Hadhramaut and Mahrah – from fishing around the island.
They explained that the heads of the fishery associations demanded that UAE delegates should pay the tax on fish like everyone else.
(A P T)
Transitional Council presidency issues statement about terrorist operation targeted convoy of support forces commander and its staff
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
(A P)
#USEnvoyYemen Lenderking stopped in Jordan to meet with @OSE_Yemen and discuss his latest round of meetings on Yemen. They are committed to working together to bring about a ceasefire and political negotiations to end the conflict.
https://twitter.com/StateDept_NEA/status/1369307550156472343
and report in Aeabic: https://www.yemenakhbar.com/2731241
(A P)
Bahah, Griffiths discuss Yemeni crisis
Former Yemeni vice president and prime minister, Khaled Mahfouz Bahah met in Jordan's capital Amman on Tuesday, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/32429
(B H P)
Jemen: Voraussetzungen für einen dauerhaften Frieden schaffen
Eröffnungsansprache von António Guterres, Generalsekratär der Vereinten Nationen, zur hochrangigen Geberkonferenz für den Jemen am 1. März 2021 im UN-Hauptquartier in Genf
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
(* B P)
Profit for Propaganda: Twitter Still Complicit in Whitewashing the Murder of Jamal Khashoggi
US Tech Companies like Twitter probably breathed a sigh of relief when Biden announced that he was not going to directly sanction Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for ordering the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
Not because Twitter bares any ill will towards murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but because the Saudi Market and the cult of personality around the Crown Prince, in particular, offer a lucrative revenue stream for the US company – one that would risk drying up if the US officially sanctioned MBS.
Indeed, the use of digital technology to facilitate authoritarian rule has become the lesser known face of the arms trade, and the Saudis are big customers. Part of this is due to MBS, who has attempted to position Saudi as a key player in technological investments both at home and abroad. Saudi's Public Investment Fund is considered one of the biggest 'swinging chequebooks' in Silicon Valley with considerable stakes in companies like Uber, Slack, and other start-ups.
Indeed, the amount of Saudi money in Silicon Valley has raised concerns that it will become a 'reputation-laundering machine for one of the least admirable regimes on earth'. And not without good reason, especially considering that MBS chairs the Public Investment Fund.
MBS's obsession with reputation has meant that control over traditional social media is key to achieving his reforms. As such, he has overseen the creation of a system of 'technological authoritarianism,'; a comprehensive surveillance and propaganda assemblage that spies and digests content and data points from mobile devices and social media platforms.
The Saudi regime have gone so far as to send spies into Twitter, infiltrating its headquarters in San Francisco and extracting private information on thousands of Twitter accounts, including many dissidents. Saudi spies also facilitated the verification of Saudi Twitter accounts, building digital capital around MBS's propaganda machine.
The Saudi regime has also deployed armies of trolls and bots to intimidate and silence critics, both at home and abroad. After China, 'Saudi has the highest number of accounts removed by Twitter for information operations, more than either Russia or Iran. While Twitter has banned thousands of such accounts, it has not curbed the problem.
Twitter has, since the release of the report, suspended 3500 accounts that commented on the ODNI report but have stopped short of attributing them to a specific actor or state.
Profit for Propaganda
Perhaps more alarmingly though, is the use of a legitimate Twitter functions to incentivize the promotion of pro-MBS propaganda.
Through an advertising function, Twitter allows paying customers who have applied for the service to send tweets containing a picture and a 'tweet' button. When someone presses the 'tweet' button, they are instantly able to repost the exact same content posted by the original advertiser.
Although this is designed for businesses generating hype around a particular product, it has been utilized as a propaganda tool. On the day of the release of the report, thousands of accounts used this function to tweet the identical message, '"I am Saudi and proud of this great country and trust and have faith in the wise leadership'.
While one might think such behaviors run afoul of Twitter's political advertising policy which 'globally prohibits the promotion of political content, they'd be wrong. Bizarrely, Twitter has a caveat that states 'cultural customs and local protocols to show allegiance or provide salutations do not fall under this policy.' Even though the stated purpose of the policy is that political messaging reach should be 'earned not bought'.
In other words, it's against Twitter's policy to pay money to promote candidates in a democratic society, but promoting dictators in an authoritarian country where no political parties exist is a legitimate revenue stream – by Mark Owen Jones
(A P)
A mass hunger strike by the detainees in Al-Ha’ir prison .. What will bin Salman do with Biden?
The human rights account for the “Prisoners of Conscience” in Saudi Arabia confirmed that a number of political detainees in Al-Ha’ir prison in Riyadh entered an open hunger strike two days ago.
The account concerned with human rights and detainees’ affairs in the Kingdom, was quoted in a tweet he had on Twitter, which was monitored by Watan, on the authority of the detainee’s wife, Dr. Muhammad Fahd Al-Qahtani. More than 30 detainees went on strike.
and
(A P)
30 detainees in al-Ha’ir prison are going on hunger strike joining ACPRA members!
https://twitter.com/AreejASadhan/status/1369160173550399492
referring to https://twitter.com/aalodah/status/1369002783928619008
and
(A P)
The Times: Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Nayef is being tortured, and Biden is pressured about him
The British “Sunday Times” newspaper published a report by its correspondent in the Middle East, Louise Callaghan, in which it confirmed that US President Joe Biden was under pressure to secure the release of Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, according to which the accounts of those close to him confirm his loss of the ability to walk without a stick as a result of torture.
“Many are deeply concerned after reports of ill health and ill-treatment at the hands of the authorities,” Callaghan quotes an “unnamed person familiar with the situation” as saying.
(* B E P)
‘Everyone is freaking out’: Saudi Arabia’s ultimatum rattles big business
Multinationals face pressure to relocate HQs to kingdom as crown prince seeks to transform Riyadh
For decades, most top foreign executives popped in and out of Saudi Arabia for business while setting up homes in Dubai as the latter’s more liberal, western-style lifestyle trumped the oil-rich kingdom’s ultra-conservative culture when it came to establishing a regional base. But now some are worried that their lives, and those of their families, could be upended after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman delivered an ultimatum to multinationals: move your regional headquarters to the kingdom or forget about securing prized government contracts. The move, announced in February, is Prince Mohammed’s boldest attempt to accelerate his ambitions to transform Riyadh, the once sleepy Saudi capital, into the premier business and finance hub for the Middle East, Africa and parts of western Asia. Companies have been given three years to adapt to the measure, which will be enforced by entities including “agencies, institutions, and funds owned by the government” and comes into effect at the beginning of 2024. But many executives view it as an attempt to strong-arm global companies to bend to Prince Mohammed’s will and are struggling to work out exactly what it would mean for those that have traditionally preferred to locate their regional headquarters in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Manama. “Everyone is freaking out. We are used to governments offering carrots, but this time a big stick has come out of the bag,” said one regional manager of a multinational company. “Frankly, it’s offensive.”
https://www.ft.com/content/3a93b6a6-dbec-4cc7-98e5-a37804fe3fa6
(A P)
A sudden flurry of foreign leaders are visiting #Saudi this week, many for talks with MBS - Malaysia's PM, Jordan's king, Russian FM, Sudan's PM, Bahrain's CP. Something going on?
https://twitter.com/AnujChopra/status/1369297130293239813
(* A E P)
Saudi Arabia’s Bold Plan to Rule the $700 Billion Hydrogen Market
Sun-scorched expanses and steady Red Sea breezes make the northwest tip of Saudi Arabia prime real estate for what the kingdom hopes will become a global hub for green hydrogen.
As governments and industries seek less-polluting alternatives to hydrocarbons, the world’s biggest crude exporter doesn’t want to cede the burgeoning hydrogen business to China, Europe or Australia and lose a potentially massive source of income. So it’s building a $5 billion plant powered entirely by sun and wind that will be among the world’s biggest green hydrogen makers when it opens in the planned megacity of Neom in 2025.
The task of turning a patch of desert the size of Belgium into a metropolis powered by renewable energy falls to Peter Terium, the former chief executive officer of RWE AG, Germany’s biggest utility, and clean-energy spinoff Innogy SE. His performance will help determine whether a country dependent on petrodollars can transition into a supplier of non-polluting fuels.
“There’s nothing I’ve ever seen or heard of this dimension or challenge,” Terium said. “I’ve been spending the last two years wrapping my mind around ‘from scratch,’ and now we’re very much in execution mode.”
Blueprints are being drawn and strategies are being announced, but it’s still early days for the industry. Hydrogen is expensive to make without expelling greenhouse gases, difficult to store and highly combustible.
Green hydrogen is produced by using renewable energy rather than fossil fuels. The current cost of producing a kilogram is a little under $5, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.
Saudi Arabia possesses a competitive advantage in its perpetual sunshine and wind, and vast tracts of unused land. Helios’s costs likely will be among the lowest globally and could reach $1.50 per kilogram by 2030, according to BNEF. That’s cheaper than some hydrogen made from non-renewable sources today.
It’s more expensive to produce renewable energy in Europe, and the continent’s anticipated demand while implementing a Green Deal should exceed its own supply, Terium said. That $1 trillion-plus stimulus package will try to make the continent carbon-neutral.
“By no means will they be able to produce all the hydrogen themselves,” he said.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-07/saudi-arabia-s-plan-to-rule-700-billion-hydrogen-market = https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-07/saudi-arabia-s-plan-to-rule-700-billion-hydrogen-market
cp8a Jamal Khashoggi
(* B K P)
Film: Jamal Khashoggi on “MBS’s War” in Yemen
In never-before-seen interview footage from years before his murder, Jamal Khashoggi praised the military campaign against Iran-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen, launched by then-defense minister Mohammed bin Salman, while talking with FRONTLINE’s Martin Smith. “Look, for Saudi Arabia it is a 1939 moment,” Khashoggi said, comparing Iran to Nazi Germany.
https://video.ninepbs.org/video/jamal-khashoggi-mbss-war-yemen-t28cuj/
(* A P)
Dems who think Biden soft on MBS step up with their own punishments
Two House Democrats are proposing sanctions on Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman in the wake of an intelligence report blaming Saudi Arabia’s young monarch for the assassination of Saudi-American journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Rep. Tom Malinowski (D–N.J.) has proposed a sanctions package that would ban Saudi officials responsible for Khashoggi’s death from entering U.S. soil, while Rep. Ilhan Omar (D–Minn.) has put forward an even-stronger bill that would impose personal financial penalties on bin Salman, often known by his initials “MBS.”
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Robert Menendez (D–N.J.) has also called for “concrete measures” against MBS.
All of these proposals “show that Biden’s decision to not sanction Mohammad bin Salman is not a done deal,” says Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now, or DAWN, a nonprofit organization founded by Khashoggi.
Omar’s bill — the MBS Must Be Sanctioned Act — would both impose a visa ban on the crown prince and freeze his U.S.-based assets.
The sanctions would be lifted if MBS stands trial for the killing, is otherwise proven innocent, or has “paid an appropriate consequence for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and any other instances of forced disappearance, torture, extrajudicial killing, and other grave human rights abuses, and has credibly committed to not engage in such activities in the future.”
“Every minute the Crown Prince escapes punishment is a moment where U.S. interests, human rights, and the lives of Saudi dissenters are at risk,” Omar said in a statement. “From Iran to Russia, the United States regularly sanctions foreign leaders who commit destabilizing or violent acts. We must treat the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince no differently.”
The bill led by Malinowski — cosponsored by Reps. Jim McGovern (D–Mass.) and Andy Kim (D–N.J.) — does not specifically impose sanctions on MBS. Nor does it include an asset freeze. The bill instead imposes a visa ban on officials named in the declassified intelligence report, which implicitly includes the crown prince.
cp9 USA
Siehe / Look at cp1, cp9a
(* B K P)
Is the new national security strategy ending or merely pausing ‘forever wars’?
Do these steps point the way towards an end to America’s endless counterterrorism wars? In a recent report for New America, I present a framework for analyzing endlessness in America’s wars, which can help answer the question. The main finding: endlessness is at its core about objectives and their achievability. Wars become endless when a belligerent pursues objectives it cannot achieve but is also not at risk of being defeated or denied access to the battlefield.
Let’s apply that framework to the steps the Biden administration has taken.
There is much to be thankful for in the recent steps. Even interim improvements in transparency and the conduct of wars can be stepping stones towards ending endless war. But only if people continue to demand an answer to the core question: what are the objectives this administration will pursue via war and how can they be achieved in a way that does not require constant application of violence. The steps so far give room for hope but they do not yet supply an answer.
(* B P)
The world has changed, and now Biden needs to change how the US deals with Saudi Arabia
The US relationship with Saudi Arabia is in a state of turbulence
The Biden administration has taken pains to thread the needle between accountability for the killing of a journalist and permanent US resident and the need to maintain a constructive relationship with the kingdom. In general, this is the correct approach. As despicable as bin Salman's behavior has been since he rose from obscure prince to day-to-day ruler, the US blowing up the entire relationship would not be wise.
This, however, doesn't mean the relationship isn't in need of serious work. The US has too often based its engagement with Saudi Arabia as if the world was still in the 20th century.
President Joe Biden needs to reset the terms at an institutional level, getting away from an oil-for-security paradigm no longer as durable today as it was 30, 20, or even 10 years ago. Instituting a travel ban on problematic Saudis, slapping financial sanctions on certain Saudi entities and cutting Prince Mohammed off from Biden are surface-level gestures. What Washington needs is real reform.
Just because the US is importing less Saudi oil, of course, doesn't mean the kingdom's oil reserves are not important. But what it does mean is that the old oil-for-security model that has dominated bilateral relations for so long is less relevant in 2021 than it was during the Cold War.
Biden has a golden opportunity to rewrite the old, 75-year-old contract governing the US-Saudi relationship, one where the US approaches the kingdom like any authoritarian state with a terrible human rights record: skeptical and at arms-length, but ready to do business when US national security interests demand it.
(A P)
Top Senate Dem accused of helping hawks sabotage Biden on Iran
The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee had joined an AIPAC-backed effort to pressure President Joe Biden on diplomacy with Iran, sparking a backlash from pro-diplomacy advocates.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Robert Menendez (D–N.J.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R–S.C.) circulated a letter Monday urging President Biden to use “the full force of our diplomatic and economic tools…to come to an agreement that meaningfully constrains [Iran’s] destabilizing activity throughout the Middle East and its ballistic missile program.”
Menendez and Graham have both opposed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that Biden has pledged to rejoin. Biden may already be taking a somewhat harder line on Iran in fear of Menendez’s wrath, Politico reported earlier this month.
(B P)
Biden’s backhanded support for the Saudis, despite mass opposition to its war against the Houthis and barbaric murder of insider turned dissident Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey in October 2018, rests on Washington’s reliance on Riyadh as its client along with Israel—to promote an anti-Iranian axis that threatens to push the region into a catastrophic new war.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/03/10/yeme-m10.html
(A P)
US senator urges UK to follow Biden in curbing arms sales to Saudi Arabia
Chris Murphy, key opponent of Saudi war in Yemen, says UK and US should not be interested in ‘perpetuating war crimes’
A leading voice in the US Congress against the Saudi war in Yemen has called on the UK to follow in the Biden administration’s footsteps and end offensive weapons sales to the kingdom, saying Britain ought not to have any greater interest in “perpetuating war crimes” than the US does.
Senator Chris Murphy, an influential Democrat on the foreign relations committee, told the Guardian that he believed the Biden administration was poised to continue using arms sales as a lever in its relationship with the Saudi government, in addition to the ban on offensive weapons sales for use in Yemen it has already announced.
“I think there’s still a lot more to come when it comes to how the US will use arm sales in order to try to incentivise good decision-making in Riyadh,” Murphy said.
Even as he expressed optimism that the US would continue to try to wrangle concessions out of Saudi Arabia, Murphy made a moral argument for Britain to follow suit, despite the reluctance Boris Johnson’s government has expressed to join the Biden administration’s offensive weapons ban.
The senator also called on the Biden administration to be “very vigilant” that weapons it did agree to sell were “purely defensive” in nature, because the Saudis were sure to adopt a “very expansive definition” of which weapons it believed were defensive.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/mar/09/us-uk-saudi-arabia-yemen-senator-chris-murphy
(A P)
U.S. says Yemen's Houthis have to stop attacking and start negotiating
U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Monday that the Houthis must demonstrate willingness to engage in a political process to achieve peace in Yemen, after the group claimed responsibility for drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia.
The leaders of the Iran-aligned Houthi movement “have to demonstrate their willingness to engage in a political process. They need to quite simply stop attacking and start negotiating,” said Price. “Only then will we be able to make progress towards the political settlement that we’re after.”
(A K P)
Saudi 515-SA Fighters, US Strategic B52 Bombers Conduct Bilateral Exercise
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2198284
Comment: Call me a cynic if you wish but how is @usairforce flying with the racist #Saudi air-force that bans Blacks from piloting military jets.
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1369245239286829057
(A P)
His father taught him English every night. Now, Raleigh man is first Yemeni judge in US
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article249480425.html
(* A K P)
Houthi-Angriffe: USA besorgt über Sicherheitsbedrohung für Saudi-Arabien
Die Vereinigten Staaten äußerten sich vergangene Woche alarmiert über „reale Sicherheitsbedrohungen“ für Saudi-Arabien durch die mit dem Iran verbündeten Houthis im Jemen und andere Akteure in der Region. Die US-Erklärung erfolgte nach Angriffen auf das Herz der saudischen Ölindustrie und enthielt die Zusicherung, Amerika werde Saudi-Arabien bei der Verbesserung seiner Verteidigungsmaßnahmen unterstützen.
Zuvor hatte die US-Botschaft in Riad erklärt, Washington sei entschlossen, Saudi-Arabien nach dem Drohnen- und Raketenangriff vom Sonntag zu verteidigen, der gegen eine für den Ölexport wichtige saudische Anlage gerichtet war. „Wir sind alarmiert über die Häufigkeit der Angriffe der Houthi auf Saudi-Arabien. Eskalierende Angriffe wie diese sind nicht die Aktionen einer Gruppe, die es mit dem Frieden ernst meint“, sagte die Pressesprecherin des Weißen Hauses, Jen Psaki.
„Wir verstehen, dass die Saudis mit echten Sicherheitsbedrohungen aus dem Jemen und anderen Ländern in der Region konfrontiert sind. Wir werden nach Möglichkeiten suchen, um Saudi-Arabien bei der Verbesserung seiner Fähigkeiten zu unterstützen, sein Territorium gegen Bedrohungen zu verteidigen“, sagte Psaki in einem Pressebriefing in Washington.
https://www.mena-watch.com/usa-besorgt-ueber-sicherheitsbedrohung-fuer-saudi-arabien/
(* A K P)
U.S. commits to Saudi defence after Houthi attacks on oil heartland
The United States said on Monday it is committed to defending Saudi Arabia following drone and missile strikes claimed by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement, including on a Saudi facility vital to oil exports.
“The heinous Houthi assaults on civilians and vital infrastructure demonstrate lack of respect for human life and disregard for peace efforts,” the U.S. embassy in the kingdom said in an Arabic-language Twitter post.
“The United States stands by Saudi Arabia and its people. Our commitment to defend the Kingdom and its security is firm.”
and
(* A K P)
US vows to stand by Saudi Arabia after 'heinous' Houthi attacks
The U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia tweeted in Arabic that its commitment to defending the Kingdom’s security is “unwavering,” following a rising number of back and forth attacks between Riyadh and the Houthis, the latest targeting Saudi oil facilities.
“The US Embassy condemns the recent Houthi attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The heinous Houthi attacks on civilians and vital infrastructure demonstrate their lack of respect for human life and their interest in the pursuit of peace,” the embassy tweeted in Arabic.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Monday said the Biden administration is “alarmed by the frequency of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia” and said the administration is looking for ways to support Riyadh’s ability to defend itself.
“As a part of our interagency process, we’ll look for ways to improve support for Saudi Arabia’s ability to defend its territory against threats,” she said.
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby further condemned the Houthi attack, which also targeted the southwest Saudi city of Khamis Mushait and the coastal city of Jeddah.
"These attacks are unacceptable and dangerous, they put the lives of civilians at risk including U.S. citizens," Kirby said. "We remain deeply concerned by the frequency of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Attacks like these are not the actions of a group that is serious about peace. We continue to maintain there’s no military solution to end the conflict in Yemen. We want the Houthis to demonstrate their willingness to engage in the political process, stop attacking, start negotiating."
My comment: LOL. For what on earth the US should be “committed to defending Saudi Arabia”? This is not US’, but Saudi business alone. By such a statement, the US proves that it was and still is a warring party in the Yemen War and that empty phrases by John Biden did not change that.
(* B P)
After Khashoggi murder, Saudi Arabia shifts lobbying firepower to 'middle America' with women's rights message
"They've made a calculated decision that says, 'You know, we're really losing the battle here (in Washington). We've got to take this battle out into America,'" said Ben Freeman, director of the Foreign Influence Transparency Initiative at the Center for International Policy, a nonprofit foreign policy research group.
Before Khashoggi's murder, Saudi Arabia was known in Washington for its lobbying firepower, fueled by an expensive roster of politically wired consultants and public relations operatives. But as the gruesome details of the Washington Post columnist's slaying emerged, marque lobbyists who had collected millions from the Saudi government quickly nixed their lucrative contracts.
As the kingdom's influence on Capitol Hill began to evaporate, it pivoted and hired a consulting firm based in Iowa.
"I can't recall any country ever launching such a pervasive campaign to garner influence in middle America the way the Saudis are," Freeman said. "It kind of seems like what they're doing is 'astroturf,'" he added, referring to the tactic of making a campaign appear to stem from grassroots activists, when in fact, it's orchestrated by well-heeled consultants.
Critics say the Saudi's strategy is savvy.
Outside Washington's foreign policy circles, few Americans are likely following the horrors of the war in Yemen
"If you present (Saudi's pitch) to an audience that doesn't otherwise know about the reality of Saudi Arabia ... then you might be hoodwinked into going along and saying, 'Well, it's a transformation in Saudi Arabia'," said Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), a human rights group Khashoggi helped found.
In one of the federal disclosure reports, the country's Iowa lobbyists wrote that their work was aimed at informing "the public, government officials and the media about the importance of fostering and promoting strong relations between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."
"The scandal of Jamal Khashoggi's murder really just destroyed any of the social capital and PR capital that Mohammed Bin Salman had been trying to build up," Whitson said. "And the Saudis just dug in and made it worse with every passing day, when they would offer up new lies and denials."
Now, the Khashoggi case is again in the spotlight
If the kingdom's lobbying activity is any indication, Saudi officials have decided on a new tactic for weathering any further rebukes from the White House. Although the government's spending on lobbying has ticked down from a high of $34 million in 2018, the year Khashoggi was killed, the kingdom still doles out millions: approximately $17 million in 2019 and about $6 million last year, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks money in politics.
That does not include spending by Saudi-related entities, such as the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation
Records show that the Saudi government has not abandoned its Washington-focused lobbying. Their consultants reported more than 650 contacts with the House and Senate and another 123 with D.C.-based think tanks, according to the Foreign Influence Transparency Initiative's analysis. However, there's been a remarkable shift in focus, said Freeman: more than 1,000 of the country's nearly 2,000 reported lobbying contacts in 2020 were to individuals and groups outside the Beltway.
"We're seeing them reach out to local Chambers of Commerce," along with Jewish organizations and synagogues, Freeman said.
The Saudi influence campaign has also targeted smaller media outlets outside Washington.
The main lobbying firm behind the new strategy is the LS2group, based in Des Moines, Iowa, which the Saudi government paid more than $1 million in lobbying fees in 2020, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
(A P)
US Envoy to Yemen Extends Regional Tour ‘Indefinitely’
United States envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking has extended his tour of the region indefinitely after visiting a number of Gulf countries.
His tour was supposed to last ten days, but it has so far taken 14. This is his second visit to the region since his appointment earlier this year.
He has so far visited the Saudi capital, Riyadh, where he met with Saudi and Yemeni officials.
He also paid a visit to the Omani capital, Muscat, where he met with a Houthi delegation in late February, reported Reuters.
The envoy also traveled to all Gulf countries, except Bahrain. He did, however, hold telephone talks with its foreign minister.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said the extension of his tour reflects Washington’s keenness on reaching a diplomatic solution to the “grueling” conflict in Yemen.
My comment: All this is void unless he cames to Sanaa. Just speaking to one’s allies isn’t brokeriung peace.
(* B P)
Is This the Week Biden Returned to ‘the Blob’?
A flurry of geopolitical decisions last week is beginning to stoke opposition from a left that was always wary of Biden. “Honeymoon over,” says a senior Hill staffer.
President Biden’s foreign policy has shown some encouraging early signs for those invested in breaking with America’s disastrous, decades-old geopolitical trajectory.
But interviews with half a dozen progressive and socialist activists, Hill staffers, foreign-policy experts and former Obama administration officials in touch with Bidenworld point to deep dissatisfaction over what they consider an alarming drift toward the traditional, bellicose Washington foreign-policy consensus—what former Barack Obama aide Ben Rhodes famously termed “the Blob.”
“This has been a terrible week for Biden’s foreign policy,” said historian Stephen Wertheim of the left/right antiwar Quincy Institute, author of Tomorrow, The World: The Birth of U.S. Global Supremacy. “I credit the Biden administration with picking some low-hanging fruit early. But I refuse to accept a situation where the U.S. can do incredibly destructive and stupid things like aid the war in Yemen and then everyone has to cheer when an administration stops doing such things despite continuing the quest to extend armed dominance across the glob. And since we don’t know yet what exactly the administration’s Yemen policy is, we should remain cautious even on that front.”
Biden demoralized many on the left by sanctioning the hitmen of Mohammed bin Salman for the grisly murder of Jamal Khashoggi rather than the Saudi crown prince himself, even after releasing the U.S. intelligence assessment pinning the blame on bin Salman.
“The U.S. government said underlings should look out but leaders can get away with murder, and I think that’s a huge blow to the Biden administration’s attempt to prioritize human rights in its engagement with the rest of the world,” said Andrea Prasow of Human Rights Watch. “Why would any other abusive leader feel they have to fear the wrath of the U.S. if they also believe they have something in the US strategic interest, like oil or counterterrorism cooperation?”
the administration opposed, on jurisdictional grounds, an International Criminal Court investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Israel and Palestinian militants.
Added to that is uncertainty around pivotal foreign-policy decisions still in flux—especially about the future of the 20-year War on Terror.
The administration’s review of the Afghanistan war has revealed a vocal contingent in favor of an extended U.S. presence, something that might herald “a more intense war in Afghanistan that Joe Biden now owns,” Wertheim said.
Beyond Afghanistan, spokesperson Jen Psaki on Friday expressed Biden’s willingness to remove certain post-9/11 war powers – but not outright.
Biden wants them “replaced with a narrow and specific framework” for counterterrorism instead. How narrow that will prove to be remains to be seen.
Few consider themselves surprised by Biden’s actions. Several consider the past week-plus’s decision-making to be consistent with Biden’s five-decade experience in foreign policy. The Biden team, mindful of the president’s record, has long said they don’t seek to restore American power to the Obama-era status quo ante. But “they actually are, and that was apparent in the campaign,” said a former Obama administration official who requested anonymity. “It was a restorationist approach: we had the right policies as a Democratic administration four years ago. I think that’s lazy and not true. There was way more that could have and should have been done.”
The Biden team is “feeling some heat, and that’s good. We need to keep it up,” assessed a senior congressional aide who requested anonymity. “They need to understand: Honeymoon over.” – by Spencer Ackerman
https://www.thedailybeast.com/is-this-the-week-biden-returned-to-the-blob
(B H K)
Reprieve: Fatim Saleh Mohsen al Ameri was shot multiple times by US Navy SEALs while running for safety and trying to protect her two-year-old son. He survived because of her - she did not.
Fatim was a victim of the US government’s reliance on bad intelligence to create its infamous ‘Kill List’. She posed no threat to the US or its citizens. She was a mother trying to keep her children fed and safe in rural Yemen. Now, Fatim’s own mother - her son’s grandmother - is left to pick up the pieces and provide for the family. Thanks to you, we’re fighting to expose the injustice of the US ‘Kill List’ and get accountability for the wider al Ameri family. Thank you
https://www.facebook.com/ReprieveHQ/photos/a.397846964287/10159046823854288/
(B K P)
A video on social media by a #Saudi solider injured in the war on #Yemen reveals he is being treated in the #US for his injuries in the war. This is another part of American involvement in this war.
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1368949844384096257
referring to https://twitter.com/sawt_muatin/status/1368904579518263296
(B K P)
Film: NEERA TANDEN TEASER: "Limited strike!"
https://twitter.com/demswatchdog/status/1366215966842101762
(* B P)
Trump’s Muslim Ban Left Thousands in Limbo—Biden Must Decide Their Fates
The Biden administration this week will determine the fate of people who were impacted by the Muslim ban, which ultimately targeted a large number of African countries. Rescinding the ban was a critical step toward restarting our immigration system and providing equitable access to Black and brown immigrants. But what about the people who would have received visas during the past four years—some of whom spent their life savings on the process but were nevertheless denied simply because of a discriminatory ban? Trump created this catastrophe, but it’s now Biden’s responsibility to remedy it.
In President Biden’s proclamation rescinding the ban, he directed the State Department to send him a report in 45 days. That deadline is Saturday. This report will advise on many things, including how to address Trump’s rampant denials of immigrant visas—that is, visas intended for people to come to the United States, become permanent residents, set down roots, and eventually become citizens.
The Biden administration must do everything possible to undo the Trump administration’s harms, including reopening previously denied cases to fairly reassess their claims, waiving fees (especially for those who would have to pay a second time), expediting their cases, and ensuring people are not penalized for the previous administration’s visa denials. There are glimmers of this hope in Biden’s order, as these issues are explicitly outlined for consideration.
The critically unknown question is how the Biden administration will help people and their families who were denied opportunities through our diversity visa program.
From beginning to end, the countries listed under the Muslim ban completely overlapped with countries eligible for America’s diversity visa program. As a result, people who spent their life savings traveling with their partners and children—often through war zones—to embassies for interviews and processing found themselves ultimately denied because of Trump’s ban. Yemenis have been particularly impacted by Trump’s ban. Yemen is in the midst of war, which makes the physical process to get one’s visa approved arduous. It also makes leaving the country even more critical when such an opportunity is received.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-muslim-ban-left-thousands-in-limbobiden-must-decide-their-fates
cp9a USA-Iran Krise: Spannungen am Golf / US-Iran crisis: Tensions at the Gulf
Siehe / Look at cp9
(A P)
Iran denies it attacked Israeli-owned ship in Gulf
(A P)
Russia welcomes US intention to return to Iran deal
Russian foreign minister suggests Iran, US make synchronized steps to restore Iran nuclear deal
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov welcomed on Tuesday the US intention to return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal.
Speaking at a news conference in Abu Dhabi, following a meeting with his UAE counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Lavrov said Iran and the US could make "synchronized steps" to restore the JCPOA.
"We welcome the decision of the Joe Biden administration to return to the JCPOA. However, it has not yet been implemented, because in the US itself, as I understand it, there is a process of understanding how to do this," the minister said.
Lavrov added that simultaneous steps on behalf of Iran and the US would allow avoiding disputes about who should take the first step forward.
"If we now rest on who should be the first to return to compliance with their obligations, the bargaining can go on indefinitely," he said.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/politics/russia-welcomes-us-intention-to-return-to-iran-deal/2169831
and
(A P)
Russia says no need for new topics in JCPOA, proposes synchronized US-Iran steps
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has once again dismissed calls for an “updated” version of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that would include subjects irrelevant to the Islamic Republic’s nuclear work.
“Some say louder and louder that the JCPOA (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) should be recovered in an updated, modernized format,” Lavrov said on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi during a joint press conference with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan.
They intend to discuss Iran’s missile program and the country’s policy on its neighboring states and in the Middle East and North Africa on the whole, he added.
Lavrov, however, said Russia is confident that there is no need to “overload the goal of recovering the JCPOA in full with some other matters and concerns, albeit important ones.”
He was apparently referring to calls by the European parties to the Iran deal for a “nuclear deal plus” that would also cover Iran's conventional missile program and regional role besides its nuclear program.
(A P)
Russia to US: End ‘meaningless’ pressure policy so Iran deal can function normally
Russia has called on the United States to abandon its “meaningless” campaign of so-called maximum pressure against Iran in order for the 2015 nuclear deal to get back on track.
“The US is sending signals of readiness for dialogue to restore the JCPOA. It is welcomed,” Russia’s Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said in a Russian-language tweet on Monday, using an acronym for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the official name of the nuclear accord.
“It’s time to put an end to the meaningless policy of maximum pressure on Iran and ensure the normal functioning of the nuclear deal, the most important component of the nuclear non-proliferation regime,” he added.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/09/646877/Russia-Ulyanov-US-pressure-Iran-
(B K P)
Iran deployed medium-range ballistic missiles in Yemen
Iran continues its aggressive actions against Israel, fueling the “cold” war between them in recent decades. Russia’s Aviapro news agency claims that the Iranians have delivered and deployed dozens (some say hundreds – ed.) of ballistic missiles in Yemen.
The Yemeni Houthi rebels are the ultimate recipients of ballistic missiles. They are medium-range, the agency said. This type of missile has a range of at least 2000 km. This missile range means that anyone can easily hit any point in Israel.
Aviapro’s military expert says that by deploying ballistic missiles in Yemen, Iran is not allowing Israel to control possible directions of attack. In recent years, the failures of the US Patriot air defense system could also be a critical factor in a “successful Iranian attack.”
In-depth analyzes and comments from sources in the area suggest that Yemeni rebels are ready to fight on Iran’s side, but not at this time. However, a possible “Israeli aggression” against the Islamic Republic would be why the Houthi rebels got involved in the Iran-Israel proxy war. The Ansar Allah (or Houthi – ed.) movement recently expressed a similar view.
https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2021/03/09/iran-deployed-medium-range-ballistic-missiles-in-yemen/
(A P)
@SecBlinken: Iran’s moving in the wrong direction. It continues to take steps that lift the various constraints of the agreement and is making its program more dangerous, not less dangerous. We want to see Iran come back into compliance with its obligations.
https://twitter.com/StateDept/status/1368531878026743808
Comments: Iran moving in the wrong direction started with Trump violating the terms of the JCPOA in 2018. Unfortunately, @JoeBiden is keeping Trump’s crippling sanctions in place. If the US comes back into compliance, Iran said it will follow. It seems only fair that the US go first here. https://twitter.com/HassanElTayyab/status/1368657277385859073
Iran is moving in the correct direction. Iran deals with a nation that signed a treaty, violated it immediately, and the dropped it completely. Iran just takes the steps to live, there is no compliance without a treaty. Why Iran and not who left the treaty?
https://twitter.com/pmsingel/status/1368873658400137218
WHY is Iran moving in the wrong direction? Because your administration has not rejoined the JCPOA, like it promised. Your administration is keeping Trump’s brutal sanctions on Iran. If YOU change direction, so will Iran.
https://twitter.com/StateDept/status/1368531878026743808
(A P)
Saudi military chief accuses Iran of supplying missiles used by Houthis to strike its oil facilities
Saudi Arabia’s defense spokesman has accused Iran of supplying missiles and drones to Houthi rebels in Yemen, for use against Saudi targets. Meanwhile, the US has made similar accusations regarding Iran-backed forces in Iraq.
Speaking on Saudi national television on Monday, Colonel Turki al-Malki accused Tehran of smuggling the weaponry into Yemen, where Houthi rebels have been launching cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia.
https://www.rt.com/news/517518-saudi-blames-iran-missile-attacks/
My comment: LOL. Might be the Iranians did. But how the Saudis can lament on this – as they receive ca. 1000 times more weapons from the US and other Western countries?
(A P)
Iran will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground if Israel makes mistake: defense minister
Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami on Sunday strongly responded to Israeli threats against Iran by saying that Tehran will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground if Israel makes a mistake against Iran.
“Sometimes, the Zionist regime [Israel] out of desperation makes big claims against the Islamic Republic of Iran to allegedly threaten it while this regime knows and if it doesn’t know, it must know that if it does a damn thing, we will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground,” the defense minister said on Sunday.
Hatami made the remarks at a ceremony held on Sunday to appreciate Iranian soldiers.
He said Iran is now capable of maintaining stability and security.
(A P)
No negotiation will take place between Iran, US before all sanctions removed: Source tells Press TV
There will be no negotiations between Iran and the United States on any matter before Washington removes all illegal sanctions it has unilaterally imposed on Tehran, an informed security source tells Press TV.
The security source, which talked to Press TV on condition of anonymity on Sunday, noted that the Western countries’ interpretation of recent remarks by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif about a new plan for negotiations with the United States are erroneous and no such plan exists.
“The idea of a step-by-step plan for starting talks between Iran and the United States has been rejected at the highest levels of the Islamic Republic and there will be no contact between Iran and the US before sanctions are removed,” the security official added.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/07/646766/Iran-US-talks-sanctions
(A P)
B-52s again fly over Mideast in US military warning to Iran
A pair of B-52 bombers flew over the Mideast on Sunday, the latest such mission in the region aimed at warning Iran amid tensions between Washington and Tehran.
The flight by the two heavy bombers came as a pro-Iran satellite channel based in Beirut broadcast Iranian military drone footage of an Israeli ship hit by a mysterious explosion only days earlier in the Mideast. While the channel sought to say Iran wasn’t involved, Israel has blamed Tehran for what it described as an attack on the vessel.
The U.S. military’s Central Command said the two B-52s flew over the region accompanied by military aircraft from nations including Israel, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. It marked the fourth-such bomber deployment into the Mideast this year and the second under President Joe Biden.
My comment: Warning of what? Itt’s 7,000 miles away from the US. What about Iranian / Russian / Chinese aircraft flyiing between Cuba and Florida?
and
(A P)
US flies bombers over Middle East in apparent message to Iran
Saudi, Israeli and Qatari jets accompanied two American B-52 bombers 'at different points during the flight', Pentagon says
The US Air Force - in cooperation with Israel, Saudi Arabia and Qatar - flew jet-powered long-range bombers over the Middle East on Sunday in an apparent show of force against Iran.
"A pair of US Air Force B-52H 'Stratofortresses' flew a multinational patrol mission across the Middle East today to deter aggression and reassure partners and allies of the US military's commitment to security in the region," US Central Command (Centcom), the Pentagon's command unit responsible for the Middle East, said in a statement.
"Multiple partner nations and US Air Force fighter aircraft accompanied the US bombers at different points during the flight, including Israel, Saudi Arabia and Qatar."
It is not clear if the exercise included direct coordination between Israel, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The two Gulf countries do not have formal relations with Israel.
On Monday, Saudi Arabia described the flyover as a "bilateral exercise" involving F-15s from the kingdom's air force and American B-52 bombers.
"This exercise highlights the abilities and aerial control and operational compatibility, and it is a continuation of the joint cooperation between the Royal Saudi Air Force and the US Air Force to preserve the security and stability of the region," the Saudi government said through its official news agency, SPA.
The joint exercise comes weeks after US President Joe Biden pledged to end US support for Saudi Arabia's "offensive operations" in Yemen.
(A P)
Rouhani: Iran ready to take steps when US lifts sanctions
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Sunday his country was prepared to take steps to live up to measures in the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers as soon as the United States lifts economic sanctions on Iran.
In a meeting with Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, Rouhani said: “Iran is ready to immediately take compensatory measures based on the nuclear deal and fulfill its commitments just after the U.S. illegal sanctions are lifted and it abandons its policy of threats and pressure.”
Rouhani criticized the European signatories of the historic nuclear deal for what he said was their inaction on their commitments to the agreement. He said Iran is the only country that kept its side of the bargain.
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
(* B H P)
‘A struggle for survival’: Yemen braces for impact of UK Government's aid cuts
In Yemeni capital Sana’a, Steve Claborne of Mercy Corps is trying to guide the Edinburgh-based charity’s team through the funding cuts.
He told The National: “The most vulnerable, marginalised human beings on the planet will pay the price for the decision the UK has made to cut aid. These cuts will have a devastating impact and likely lead to less food for Yemen’s people, fewer medicines for children suffering from preventable diseases, and less support for education, and financial support.
“The UK Government must urgently reconsider these budget cuts so that millions of Yemeni people are not left behind.”
and
(* B H P)
UK cuts aid to Yemen as UN warns of country’s “death sentence”
Britain announced it is to reduce its grant aid to Yemen by nearly 50 percent as the UN pleaded at an international donor conference for an increase to stave off a humanitarian disaster.
James Cleverly, Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, said that London would provide “at least” $120 million, down from more than $200 million last year. This is a pittance compared to the $6 billion of weaponry sold to the Saudi Arabian military that has devastated Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest country.
Cleverly justified the cut, saying “recent global challenges”—meaning the pandemic—had “meant a difficult financial context for us all,” making no mention of the billions made available to big business and the financial institutions, including the arms manufacturers.
A few days later, leaked documents revealed that Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who had earlier pontificated that Britain should be a “force for good in the world,” is planning to slash the aid budget to other conflict and war zones. These include Syria, Libya, Somalia, Nigeria and the Sahel, where Britain has played a filthy role in pursuit of its geo-strategic interests.
Last year, the government announced the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) takeover of the Department for International Development. Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the House of Commons that henceforth the FCO would decide which countries would receive Britain’s “help.” He said, “For too long, frankly, UK overseas aid has been treated like a giant cashpoint in the sky, that arrives without any reference to UK interests.”
Millions of starving Yemenis do not square with Johnson’s plans to use the aid budget to explicitly boost Britain’s business and military interests, rather than as a form of soft power. They are just so much collateral damage.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/03/10/yeme-m10.html
and
(B H P)
From slashing 0.7% to Yemen cuts: what’s happening with UK aid?
So much has happened regarding the UK’s aid budget cuts, which have hit NGOs, programmes and the world’s most marginalised.
To help you stay up to date, here’s our summary of the key facts and stats on what’s been going on, from dropping the 0.7% commitment to the recent cuts to Yemen and other countries experiencing humanitarian disasters.
https://www.bond.org.uk/news/2021/03/from-slashing-07-to-yemen-cuts-whats-happening-with-uk-aid
(* B H P)
Britain must act now to cut arms sales to Saudi Arabia following Khashoggi report
Britain must act now to end arms sales to Saudi Arabia for use in the war in Yemen, amid new evidence published by the US CIA report on Jamal Khashoggi. Fresh calls have been made by human rights groups and activists, in light of the Khashoggi report, detailing that Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman had indeed ordered the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
However, Britain continues to be the second-largest exporter of arms sales, estimated to have £11 billion worth of orders – £1.4 billion of which were sent to Saudi Arabia after unrestricted arms sales resumed on 7 July, 2020. It is therefore ironic that Britain has cut vital aid to Yemen in a move that politicians have strongly condemned, and instead chooses to continue arming Saudi Arabia.
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
Australia: Siehe / Look at cp13a
(A P)
Singaporean who took part in Yemen civil war and became foreign agent released from ISA detention
A Singaporean man detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) two years ago for taking part in the Yemen civil war has been released and placed under a restriction order (RO), the Internal Security Department (ISD) said on Wednesday (Mar 10).
Sheik Heikel Khalid Bafana, 49, had volunteered to take up arms and worked as a paid agent for a “foreign power” by collecting intelligence on Yemen.
He was placed under the RO in March, ISD said.
Remark: Haykal is finally released! It was his online activism against Gulf monarchies & their allied Yemenis that led to his arrest, first by Saudi backed govt in Yemen then by Singapore.Cradling an AK & speaking your mind isn't involvement in an armed conflict
https://twitter.com/Shuaibalmosawa/status/1370104382163980293
(A K P)
Within 24 hours, 6 fighters of the Saudi Royal Air Force will leave #KSA To Greece.
RSAF F-15SA fighters will be deployed at Saudi Air Force Base on the island of #Crete, with complete ground crews of Saudi support staff, engineers and personnel
https://twitter.com/HSajwanization/status/1369390545945116680
My comment: Greece joining with killers.
and, fitting well:
(A P)
Greece condemns attack on Saudi oil infrastructure
In a statement today, Greece’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “such actions violate the rules of International Law and compromise security and stability in a very important region.”
“Once again, we stress that such actions substantially undermine the international efforts, which Greece fully supports, towards a comprehensive political solution that benefits all the people of Yemen.”
https://greekcitytimes.com/2021/03/09/greece-saudi-oil-port/
(* A K P)
Reporting from Yemeni and Qatari media claims that the UAE has bolstered its presence on the island of Perim (Mayyun) in the Bab el Mandeb strait following the dismantling of its basing in Assab, Eritrea.
Recent satellite footage of Perim (Mayyun) shows continued development activities on the strategically located island, including the establishment of foundations for a possible new runway on its northern edge. Work on the larger runway ceased in 2017 (film & satellite images)
https://twitter.com/Ambrey_Intel/status/1367056297586270215
and
(* A K P)
United Arab Emirates Airfield in Perim Island - Bab El Mandeb Strait
Ongoing leveling and grading activities as a consequnce of the relocation of UAEAF Presence in Assab Airport (Eritrea) to Perim Island (Yemen) in Bab El Mandeb Strait.
The runway in construction will be 1800 meters long and 50 meters wide, which is well within the requirements for a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III to land and take off.
Two protected light structures possibly serving as UAE contigent Headquarters are located on the south border of the existing main apron, both structures seem to be powered by electric generators. VHR Satellite Imagery from March 8th, 2021 shows uphill, a protected position is in the making, comprising two high walls and fresh asphalt. This uphill location could be reserved for a future AD system or EW/SIGINT hardware. (with film)
https://www.intel-lab.net/post/united-arab-emirates-airfield-in-perim-island-bab-el-mandeb-strait
For Perim Island: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perim
(A P)
15 British MPs co-sign Euro-Med Monitor petition calling on UAE to release 14 detainees
15 Members of the United Kingdom’s Parliament co-signed a petition launched by Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor calling on the UK’s Government to pressure the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to release 14 individuals held in Emirati prions after serving their full respective sentences; a practice the petition deemed a violation legal obligations under international law. The individuals in question include one British national, Bryan Smith, 54, who is being held despite the end of his prison term without any legal basis.
The petition noted that the UAE’s arrest of Smith, despite the end of his prison term, is an extrodinary precedented in an otherwise deeply rooted practice by Emirati authorities against their own nationals, where they have been holding 13 UAE nationals for extended periods of time after the end of their prison sentences, using National Law No. 7.
As of now, said UAE nationals are being held in counseling centers that are used to detain prisoners beyond their sentences until further notice. This practically allows the UAE government to detain individuals indefinitely, including human rights defenders in the country, in an attempt to silence voices that call for reforms and political change.
This includes Princess Latifa, the daughter of the ruler of Dubai, who is currently being held in a heavily garuded villa against her will without acc
(A P)
UAE: Sheikh Mohamed present Sergey Lavrov, Russian Minister of @mfa_russia with the UAE's Order of the Union, and his deputy Mikhail Bogdanov with the Order of Zayed II. These awards from the UAE President, acknowledge their efforts to strengthen ties between our nations. (photos)
https://twitter.com/HSajwanization/status/1369309210727571468
(A P)
Saudi Arabia – Yemen – Missile and drone launches targeted against Saudi territory (7 March 2021)
France utterly condemns the missile and drone launches targeted once again, in violation of international law, against several cities in Saudi Arabia on March 7. The intensification of these attacks, for which the Houthis have claimed responsibility, represents a dangerous escalation. France reaffirms its strong commitment to the security of Saudi territory and regional stability, to which the proliferation of drones and missiles poses a serious threat.
My comment: France, one of Saudi Arabia’s main arms suppliers, demonstrates that it is a warring party in the Yemen war which adopts Saudi narratives. The greatest part of Houthi targets are military structures at airports and air force bases. And Frande hardly ever decries saudi air raids in Yemen.
(A P)
Ansarullah official: Continuation of aggression on Yemen leads to terminating Saudi kingdom
The Chairman of the Yemeni Supreme Revolution Council stressed that the continuation of the Saudi regime's aggression on Yemen would lead to the termination of the Al-Saud kingdom.
According to a Tuesday report of Al-Mayadeen, Mohammad Ali al-Houthi emphasized that the maintenance of real peace was subjected to the end of blockade and invasion of Yemen.
(B P)
#Bahrain’s opposition Al-Wefaq movement recorded a total of 408 human rights violations throughout the kingdom in February alone. According to a report published by the group on Monday, the violations include the arbitrary arrest of 37 people.
https://twitter.com/LuaLuaEnglish/status/1369051867280338946
(A P)
Moroccan court starts hearing Saudi Australian extradition case
A Moroccan court on Monday began hearing the extradition case of a Saudi-Australian national whose wife fears he may face torture and even death if sent to Saudi Arabia.
(A P)
Malaysia: Amid Saudi visit, former defence minister, deputy urge PM against further involvement in Yemeni civil war
In order to sustain diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, former defence minister Mohamad Sabu today urged Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to refrain from engaging on the Yemeni civil war unless it is clearly mandated by the United Nations (UN).
In a joint statement with former deputy defense minister Liew Chin Tong, he added that the interest of citizens should be prioritised in the handling of the country’s foreign policy — and that the lives of its military personnel cannot be abused solely for political interests.
(A P)
European Union: Yemen: Statement by the Spokesperson on escalating attacks
The European Union condemns the latest missile and drone attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia claimed by Ansar Allah, and is following closely with concern Coalition attacks on Sana’a.
Attacks against civilians are unacceptable. The European Union urges all parties to the conflict in Yemen to agree on a ceasefire without delay. Recent efforts of the International Community to establish a conducive momentum towards a political resolution of the conflict must not be undermined.
The European Union continues to support and work with the UN Special Envoy towards reaching a political solution, reviving the crippled Yemeni economy and providing assistance for the Yemeni people, who are suffering from the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.
(* A K P)
Turkey reportedly agreed to join Saudi-led invasion of Yemen
The Turkish Army website has on Sunday revealed a Saudi-Turkish agreement for the participation of the Turkish army in the war on Yemen.
The “Turkish Army Correspondent” website, which is concerned with transmitting the most important news of the Turkish army, said in a tweet today, that the “Turkish Bayraktar flag arrives in Yemen after the Turkish-Saudi agreement” in the face of the Sana’a forces.
The site confirmed that the Turkish support to Saudi Arabia will be logistical support through sending Turkish drones, participation in air strikes, the providing of intelligence information and the participation of Turkish naval forces in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean
https://hodhodyemennews.net/2021/03/08/turkey-reportedly-agreed-to-join-saudi-led-invasion-of-yemen/
referring to
(* A K P)
Saudi Arabia asked Turkey for support in its war on Yemen, and Turkey agreed The Turkish presence will be logistical and military support, training and providing Turkish "marines" to deter the "Houthi militia." There will be several points where the Turkish forces will be located in # Yemen and on the borders of # Saudi Arabia
https://www.facebook.com/NewsTurkey1/posts/759867971556497
and
(A P)
Mustafa Sejari, political head of one of the Turkish-backed rebel groups in Syria, calls for Turkey to unite with Saudi Arabia against Iranian influence in Yemen. It comes amidst rumors (see tweet below) that Turkish-backed rebels are being recruited as mercenaries in Yemen.
https://twitter.com/matthew_petti/status/1368627854590808073
referring to https://twitter.com/MustafaSejari/status/1368480243623862272
(A P)
Continuation of war to bring shame on European Union
A member of the European Parliament said that the continuation of the war in Yemen is a shame for the European Union and its members.
The war in Yemen continues to bring shame on the EU and its Member States who still facilitate the 'collective punishment' of the people of Yemen, said Mick Wallace, a member of the European Parliament in his Twitter account, adding, “It also exposes the hypocrisy of the so called 'European Values' - I'm sure the Yemenis would prefer if we didn't export them...”
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/170851/Continuation-of-war-to-bring-shame-on-European-Union
(* A P)
At Dubai airport, travelers’ eyes become their passports
Dubai’s airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, can already feel surreal, with its cavernous duty-free stores, artificial palm trees, gleaming terminals, water cascades and near-Arctic levels of air conditioning.
Now, the key east-west transit hub is rolling out another addition from the realm of science fiction — an iris-scanner that verifies one’s identity and eliminates the need for any human interaction when entering or leaving the country.
It’s the latest artificial intelligence program the United Arab Emirates has launched amid the surging coronavirus pandemic, contact-less technology the government promotes as helping to stem the spread of the virus. But the efforts also have renewed questions about mass surveillance in the federation of seven sheikhdoms, which experts believe has among the highest per capita concentrations of surveillance cameras in the world.
Dubai’s airport started offering the program to all passengers last month. On Sunday, travelers stepped up to an iris scanner after checking in, gave it a good look and breezed through passport control within seconds. Gone were the days of paper tickets or unwieldy phone apps.
In recent years, airports across the world have accelerated their use of timesaving facial recognition technology to move passengers to their flights. But Dubai’s iris scan improves on the more commonplace automated gates seen elsewhere, authorities said, connecting the iris data to the country’s facial recognition databases so the passenger needs no identifying documents or boarding pass. The unusual partnership between long-haul carrier Emirates, owned by a Dubai sovereign wealth fund, and the Dubai immigration office integrates the data and carries travelers from check-in to boarding in one fell swoop, they added.
“The future is coming,” said Major Gen. Obaid Mehayer Bin Suroor, deputy director of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs. “Now, all the procedures have become ‘smart,’ around five to six seconds.”
cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis
(A P)
Saudi FM meets Qatar’s Amir Tamim in first Doha visit since 2017
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud met Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on Monday in his first ever visit to Doha since the 2017 blockade, Qatar News Agency [QNA] reported.
According to the state news agency, Al Saud came carrying a verbal message to the Amir from Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. However, no details about the contents of the message were disclosed to the public.
On the same day, the Saudi diplomat met with Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani to discuss the development of relations between the two states after signing the historic Al-Ula Declaration.
https://www.dohanews.co/saudi-fm-meets-qatars-amir-tamim-in-first-doha-visit-since-2017/
(A P)
Saudi-backed Yemeni government says restores ties with Qatar
Yemen’s internationally recognized government said on Sunday it had restored diplomatic ties with Qatar after four years of boycott led by Saudi Arabia and joined by other Arab countries.
The foreign minister had met his Qatari counterpart in Doha on Sunday, according to the Yemeni foreign ministry. An agreement was reached to restore ties, it said in a statement, and published an image of the Yemeni flag being raised at the embassy in Doha.
A statement by the Qatari foreign ministry said the two ministers reviewed bilateral relations but did not mention restoration of ties.
Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani during the meeting underlined the need for a political solution to end the six-year war in Yemen, the statement said.
and also https://debriefer.net/en/news-23620.html
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade
Siehe / Look at cp1
(* A K P)
Australia Draws Fire Over High-Tech Weapons Deal With Alleged War Criminals
An advanced "chain-driven machine gun" is being developed for the United Arab Emirates—despite accusations of war crimes in Yemen.
Human rights groups have raised serious concerns over an Australian company’s agreement to help develop and produce a new, high-tech, "chain-driven machine gun" for the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—a nation that has been accused of committing war crimes in Yemen.
Electro Optic Systems (EOS), a Canberra-based defence company, signed an agreement with the UAE's Tawazun Strategic Development Fund (SDF) last month to begin work on the weapons system. The end product aims to deliver "lighter weight, improved accuracy, lower stoppage, reduced recoil and enhanced logistic support" for machine guns supplied to the UAE.
Australia’s Department of Defence declined to say whether the arrangement complies with the country’s treaty obligations
In any case, Elaine Pearson, Australia director at Human Rights Watch, said the deal was "really concerning".
Australia has thus far refused to commit to a blanket ban on military equipment exports to Saudia Arabia and the UAE, saying only that it will weigh “emerging risks” when considering export applications.
“At the very least Australians deserve to know that this is how their government is spending our money,” Nikita White, campaigner at Amnesty International Australia, said in a statement. “But really, it’s time for the Australian government to stop supplying arms to any parties involved in the conflict in Yemen.”
https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7aykp/australian-weapons-deal-uae-war-criminals
(* B K P)
Would Saudi Arabia Buy Weapons from Russia or China?
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will likely seek alternative arms suppliers if the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden follows through on canceling arms shipments to the Arab Gulf countries.
Despite the potential economic costs to U.S. firms, human rights and the end-use of U.S.-produced weapons platforms will remain key drivers in Washington’s calculus for both current and future arms deals to Arab Gulf states.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates’ numerous human rights violations, as well as their conduct in regional proxy theaters like Yemen and Libya, have fueled bipartisan support in Congress for reviewing Washington’s relations with Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. These dynamics will continue to hamper future arms deals between the United States and its Arab Gulf allies. However, the White House is likely balancing its emerging policy with the multi-billion-dollar value of the current deals and the impact of their loss on American defense jobs.
Moreover, the new administration does not want to signal that it is scaling back its support for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who are both longstanding U.S. allies — particularly in the face of Iranian harassment in the region.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/would-saudi-arabia-buy-weapons-russia-or-china-179413
cp13b Wirtschaft / Economy
(A E)
The exchange rate of Yemen’s Riyal collapses to 900 versus one US dollar./ Multiple websites
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-45567
(* B E H)
Solar-powered heroine: The woman inspiring positive change in rural Yemen
“Being featured in the BBC list of 100 Most Influential Women for 2020 gives great pride to me, my business partners, and Yemen as a whole,” says Iman, a solar power plant manager from Abss, Yemen.
Iman Hadi, an entrepreneur from Yemen’s rural north, is no stranger to the great poverty and misery that plagues much of the country’s remote villages where basic services are almost non-existent. But she felt a sense of responsibility and decided to do something about it. “I realized to what extent people in my area, women in particular, are suffering so I decided to go beyond social and cultural barriers and take action,” she says.
Iman leads a group of 10 women who installed a solar power plant to provide clean, low-impact energy for residents in Abss, Hajjah Governorate. “The high cost of diesel-generated power has deprived many poor families of electricity access. But now, the solar power plant provides affordable energy for 43 households…so far,” says Iman. “I can say with confidence, we could alleviate the suffering of vulnerable people and ease the economic burden from their shoulders,” she adds.
Recently, Iman was announced as one of the world’s most influential women for leading positive change and making a difference during Yemen’s turbulent times.
Her father was also opposed to Iman’s work in the beginning, but through discussion and increasing their knowledge about the importance of her work, she was able to convince her family to give her the chance to run her own business. “This was the beginning of a journey of real change in society's convictions regarding women, their role, their rights, and the importance of giving them an opportunity to prove themselves,” she says proudly.
Since she started her business two years ago, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European Union, the number of customers has increased from 25 to 43 and the net profit has reached 1,200,000 Yemeni Riyals (approximately US $2,070) – a significant sum in rural Yemen.
“We have purchased five additional batteries to meet increasing demand and are currently working on expanding the plant to employ more women and extend electricity to more families,” describes Iman. “In the near future, I plan to establish another solar power plant in one of the neighboring areas where 47 families need power. In the long run, I dream to launch a large solar power plant to extend solar services for all 3060 households in the Al-Ghadi area,” she announces confidently.
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
(A K T)
Al-Murtada: Al-Qaeda Individuals Fighting alongside Saudi-led Forces in Marib
The [Sanaa gov.] Deputy Interior Minister, Major General Abdul Majeed Al-Murtadha, confirmed in a statement to Almasirah TV that a report found out that Al-Qaeda is now fighting openly alongside foreign forces and invaders in Marib.
cp15 Propaganda
(A P)
Saudi envoy to US blasts Yemen’s Houthis: ‘They believe they can act with impunity’
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States on Wednesday lashed out at the Iran-backed Houthis for their “egregious terrorist attacks” against the Kingdom, warning the international community that the Yemeni militia group believes it can act with impunity.
“We are exercising extreme restraint in the face of a daily barrage of weaponized drones and ballistic missiles,” Princess Reema Bandar said in a statement posted to the Saudi Embassy in Washington’s website.
“The Kingdom is committed to ending the war in Yemen through a political resolution, but on the other side of this conflict is a group driven by the extremist ideology of the Iranian regime,” the Saudi ambassador said.
She added: “The Houthis continue to show callous disregard for the suffering of our Yemeni brothers and sisters. Quite simply, by their actions, they show they are not interested in the type of serious dialogue it will take to end the nightmare in Yemen.”
and statement in full: https://saudiembassy.net/statements/statement-saudi-ambassador-united-states-peace-efforts-yemen-and-escalating-attacks
My comment: LOL. The Saudis do not believ, but they know that “They believe they can ‘act with impunity’.
(A P)
Joe Biden’s Minimum-Pressure Campaign
Concessions to the Houthis encourage more Houthi attacks.
Step one in the Biden Administration’s peace campaign in Yemen: Take the Houthis off the U.S. terror list and reach out to their patrons in Iran for a new nuclear deal.
Step two: End U.S. support for the Arab coalition supporting the internationally recognized government fighting the Houthis in Yemen, put U.S. arms sales to the Saudis on hold, and talk loudly about a “recalibration” of U.S.-Saudi relations.
Step three: The Houthis go on the offensive and on the weekend launch missiles and drones at several Saudi cities and Saudi Aramco facilitiies. The coalition says it intercepted most of the missiles and drones, but the attacks briefly caused an oil price spike. This incident followed other Houthi attacks and U.S. State Department lectures that the Houthis should cease and desist. They didn’t get the message.
Is anyone outside the U.S. State Department surprised? The Houthis are growing bolder as they understandably assume that the Saudis have lost U.S. support. Rather than negotiate, they’re looking to expand their territorial gains in Yemen and keep the military pressure on the Arab coalition. The attacks on Saudi cities and oil facilities are likely to increase, and sooner or later they could do serious harm.
The stakes here are larger than a brawl over real estate on the Saudi peninsula. Oil prices are rising for several reasons, not least growing global demand as the pandemic eases. But significant damage to Saudi production could send oil prices much higher given the pandemic slump in drilling capacity in U.S. shale.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/joe-bidens-minimum-pressure-campaign-11615332864
(A P)
Are they really interested in empowering women?
The British ambassador to Yemen in his tweets and the UN Special Envoy for Yemen in his facebook posts have recently highlighted the importance of engaging women in the political process to end the conflict.
When these international “peace sponsoring” officials say Yemenis need to “engage women” or when the overall western writes come to say “women may hold the key to” ending the conflict, they all assume that we, the Yemeni people, have a fish’s memory span.
The 203-2014 National Dialogue Conference was a historical landmark in opening the doors for women to participate in life and in creating durable peace in Yemen.
But the UN, the peace sponsoring countries and the international community’s hypocrites let down the Yemeni women as Houthis ruined their political future, not only by marginalizing them, but also by killing, maiming, arresting, displacing, impoverishing and otherwise abusing them. As all other constituencies of the Yemeni society.
They have failed to enforce the UN resolutions, because Houthis are the spoilers of Yemen’s transition.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-45589
(A P)
Biden wants the Yemen war to end. One expert says his actions may be making it worse
Biden’s move will not help to end the war in Yemen because the U.S. will not have concessions to offer to the Houthi rebels, according to Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
U.S. President Joe Biden wants to end the war in Yemen, but it’s not likely that the conflict can be dialed back anytime soon, according to Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for research at the hawkish Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
“In fact, if anything, I think this is likely to make the conflict grow worse,” he told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” on Tuesday.
Schanzer said Biden’s move will not help end the war in Yemen because the U.S. does not have concessions to offer to the Houthis, who now have less incentive than before to make compromises.
“What the Biden administration has done is, it has taken the military option off the table for the United States, even by way of proxy through the Saudis,” he said.
“What is left right now is diplomacy,” Schanzer said.
“The reality that we are now facing is that we’ve taken really all of our other leverage off the table, and we’re simply going to hope that an Iran-backed militia will come to the table and act reasonably,” he said. “Unfortunately, I think this is wishful thinking.”
My comment: This is propaganda BS. Of course, the US could offer serious concessions to the Houthis. But it’s out of the mind of US war hawks and US exceptionalism fans as well that the US should make any concessions to anyone. They just claim others must make concessions to the US. What the US actually could do? Lenderking could come to Sanaa. The US could offer to stop its participation in the blockade of Northern Yemen; to really press on Saudi Arabia to stop air raids, as leverage against the Houthis.
(A P)
Trump's former envoy to State Department: Condemn the Houthis, unequivocally
Jason Greenblatt criticizes State Department spokesman's weak condemnation of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia: This is not standing by our ally.
“Calling on ‘all parties to seriously commit to a ceasefire’ while Houthi terrorists attack [the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia] is not standing by our ally. Condemn the Houthis, unequivocally. Make clear KSA must defend its citizens, unequivocally. Period-full stop. Then talk about how unserious the Houthis are.”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/298131
(A P)
Houthi escalation in Marib and Saudi ‘shows a continuous smuggling of Iranian arms’
[Hadi gov.] Yemen’s Information Minister said the Houthi escalation of attacks on Marib city and Saudi Arabia shows that the Iranian arms continue to be smuggled to the radical militia.
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-45568
(A P)
Houthis’ escalations coincide with attacks on civilians in Saudi Arabia: [Hadi gov.] Yemeni minister
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1821716/middle-east
(A P)
Cartoon: #Houthis & their loyalists VS #Yemen
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1368685388647309325
(A P)
More Saudi coalition „We are benefactors“ propaganda
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2198201
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2198200
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
(* A K pH)
Saudi coalition air raids and shelling day by day
March 7: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/a.551858951631141/1956838711133151/
March 6: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/a.551858951631141/1955997167883972/
March 5: https://www.facebook.com/lcrdye/photos/a.551858951631141/1955134267970262/
(A K pH)
Citizen injured by cluster bomblet in Sa'ada
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3131693.htm
(A K)
Jemen: Koalition fliegt Angriffe auf Ziele der Huthi
Rauch steigt auf über Sanaa. Saudi-Arabien hat nach eigenen Angaben Ziele in der Hauptstadt von Jemen bombardiert. Auch auf andere Regionen seien Angriffe geflogen worden. Ziel sei es gewesen, militärische Einrichtungen der mit dem Iran verbündeten Huthi-Rebellen zu treffen.
(A K)
Saudi-led coalition says bombs Houthi targets in Yemen
The Saudi-led coalition engaged in Yemen on Sunday said it had launched air strikes on military sites of the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Sanaa and several other provinces, the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television channel reported.
and by a pro-UAE news site: http://en.adenpress.news/news/32411
and
(A K pH)
Aggression warplanes launch series of raids on capital Sana'a
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3131446.htm
and film: Fear and panic of children and women ... what was achieved by the aggression's raids yesterday on the capital
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa22fL47Tt8
and film: Saudi-led Coalition releases footage of yesterday’s airstrikes that targeted the Iranian-backed #Houthis ballistic missiles & drones storage and assembly workshops in #Sanaa. Notice the secondary explosions
https://twitter.com/MbKS15/status/1368975227791769601
and more footage:
Photos: https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/3846745095378492
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/3846726565380345
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/1368514953959923724
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1368568261802082310
https://twitter.com/MahaNagi/status/1368616148544221196
Films: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfDQecMN_C4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qU6ijBnEmk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt-X_FCI3Pc
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1368590065170083848
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1368588949636186116
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1368583401259868169
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1368582246752530436
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1368568261802082310
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1368530439321845762
https://twitter.com/HussainBukhaiti/status/1368528124628107267
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1368777906718117889
and
(A K pH)
Film: #Watch the horror experienced by our children as a result of the Saudi coalition bombing rids on the capital, Sanaa, today.
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1369440912661708800 = https://twitter.com/ghalebalsudmy/status/1368649654628388867
and
(A K pH)
Civilians injured in Sana'a by Saudi airstrikes
The Ministry of Public Health and Population confirmed on Sunday the injuring of the number of civilians by the US-Saudi aggression airstrikes on the capital Sana'a.
The ministry’s spokesman Dr. Najeeb Al-Qubati told Saba that three citizens seriously injured were treated at hospitals in the capital.
He indicated that the number is expected to increase, as ambulances transport the injured from the targeted places.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3131474.htm
https://hodhodyemennews.net/2021/03/07/at-least-four-civilians-injure-in-saudi-airstrikes-on-sanaa/
(A K)
Saudi-led coalition launches air strikes on Yemeni capital after foiling drone attacks -witness
A Saudi-led military coalition conducted air strikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Sunday, a Reuters witness and residents said, after it said it had destroyed drones launched by the Iran-aligned Houthis, including at least five fired towards Saudi Arabia.
In the Houthi-held Yemeni capital Sanaa, a Reuters witness and two residents reported several air strikes. The Houthi-run Al Masirah TV station said coalition warplanes conducted seven air raids.
(A K pH)
More Saudi coalition air raids
https://english.almasirah.net/post/18190/US-Saudi-Aggression-launched-Series-of-Raids%2C-Sana-a%2C-Dhamar%2C-Sa-adah / https://english.almasirah.net/post/18194/US-Saudi-Aggrition-s-Daily-Update-for-Tuesday%2C-Mar.9.2021 / https://hodhodyemennews.net/2021/03/09/saudis-wage-41-airstrikes-across-yemen/ Various prov.
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1369417863069655042 / https://twitter.com/Shuaibalmosawa/status/1369430254050287629 Sanaa city
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3131867.htm Marib p.
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1369301046682615818 Snaa city / Dhamar city
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3131786.htm Sanaa city
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3131715.htm Saada p.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3131695.htm / https://english.almasirah.net/post/18173/US-Saudi-Aggression-Launches-Series-of-Raids-on-Marib Marib p.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3131485.htm / https://english.almasirah.net/post/18149/US-Saudi-Aggression-Violates-Stockholm-Agreement%2C-Launching-Raid-on-Hodeidah Hodeidah p.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3131411.htm Marib p.
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
Siehe / Look at cp1, cp17a, cp18
Im Jemen herrscht ein militärisches Patt. Eine größere Offensive mit größeren Erfolgen und Geländegewinnen für eine Seite bleiben seit der Offensive der saudischen Koalition gegen Hodeidah im Jahr 2018 aus. Kleinere Offensiven, ständige gegenseitige Angriffe und Gefechte mit Toten auf beiden Seiten und Opfern unter der Zivilbevölkerung gibt es aber ständig. Besonders betroffen sind die Provinzen Hodeidah, Taiz, Al Bayda, Al Dhalea, der Bezirk Nehm in der Provinz Sanaa, die Provinzen Al Jawf, Marib, Hajjah und Saada.
There is a military stalemate in Yemen. A larger offensive with greater successes and territorial gains for one side has been absent since the Saudi coalition's offensive against Hodeidah in 2018. Smaller offensives, constant mutual attacks and skirmishes killing fighters of both sides and causing victims among the civilian population are constant. The provinces of Hodeidah, Taiz, Al Bayda, Al Dhalea, the district of Nehm in the province of Sanaa, the provinces of Al Jawf, Marib, Hajjah and Saada are particularly affected.
(* A K pH)
Released photos show massive damage to Saudi military structures after Yemeni retaliation strikes
Activists on social media have circulated aerial photographs showed one of the important Saudi military positions at King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait, showing the before and after if a targeted bombing launched by Yemeni army forces in the past few days.
The photographs showed severe damage to the site, its almost total destruction and leveling of military structures to the ground.
According to observers, the images proves the accuracy and strength of the Yemeni forces targeting systems, as well as the falsehood of Saudi claims that Yemeni retaliation strikes target civilian neighborhoods. (photos)
(A K)
Top Houthi commander killed as fighting rages in Yemen's Taiz
Abu Asad, literally meaning 'father of the lion', was killed along with scores of Yemen's Iran-backed rebels in the eastern front of the embattled city of Taiz, according to a spokesman for forces loyal to the internationally-recognised government.
and
(A K pS)
[Hadi gov.] Army liberates new key positions west of Taiz
http://en.26sepnews.net/2021/03/09/army-liberates-new-key-positions-west-of-taiz/
(A K pH)
[Sanaa gov.] Army's Ballistic hit sensitive military target at Abha International Airport
The Yemeni Armed Forces Ballistic missile hit on Monday evening a sensitive military target at Abha International Airport, the army's spokesman said.
The attack was carried out by the army's missile force new ballistic missile that entered service recently and was not disclosed yet, Sari'e told Saba.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3131684.htm
and also https://debriefer.net/en/news-23659.html
and
(A K pH)
Dozens of Jeddah Airport Flights Canceled in Saudi Arabia
Middle East: Saudi activists reported that Jeddah airport was closed hours ago, while radar application data indicated that dozens of incoming and outgoing flights have been canceled.
In the context, Saudi tweeters reported that successive explosions were heard in Jeddah, while others reported hearing explosions in Riyadh.
https://english.almasirah.net/post/18164/Dozens-of-Jeddah-Airport-Flights-Canceled-in-Saudi-Arabia
Image: https://twitter.com/B4Zaman/status/1368727729626025985
(A K pH)
A man who was injured by the Saudi mercenaries' shelling last Thursday in al-Misrakh district in Taiz province has died of his injuries, a military official said on Monday.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3131569.htm
(* A K)
Huthi-Rebellen: Haben Anlage von Ölkonzern Aramco getroffen
Die Huthi-Rebellen im Jemen haben nach eigenen Angaben erneut eine Anlage des Ölkonzerns Aramco (Aramco (Saudi-Aramco)) im benachbarten Saudi-Arabien angegriffen. Saudi-Arabiens Energieministerium bestätigte am späten Sonntagabend, dass ein Öllager im Hafen Ras Tanura am Sonntagmorgen vom Meer aus mit Drohnen angegriffen worden sei. Am Abend seien Raketensplitter in die Nähe eines Wohngebiets für Aramco-Mitarbeiter in Dhahran am Persischen Golf gefallen. Verletzte oder Schäden habe es nicht gegeben. Das saudische Verteidigungsministerium nannte die Angriffe eine "terroristische, feige Aggression", die auf die Energieversorgung der Welt abzielte.
Die Huthis hatten zuvor mitgeteilt, dass sie im Küstenort Dammam am Persischen Golf sowohl Einrichtungen Aramcos wie auch militärische Ziele getroffen hätten, teilte Huthi-Militärsprecher Jahja Sari am Sonntagabend mit. Die Angriffe seien Teil einer größeren Attacke auf das Königreich mit 14 Drohnen und acht ballistischen Raketen gewesen.
https://www.boerse-online.de/nachrichten/aktien/roundup-huthi-rebellen-haben-anlage-von-oelkonzern-aramco-getroffen-1030157645 = https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Huthi-Rebellen-greifen-Ollager-der-Saudis-an-article22408904.html
und auch https://www.dw.com/de/attacke-auf-das-herz-von-saudi-arabien/a-56801195
(* A K pH)
[Sanaa gov.] Army's drones reach Saudi Aramco in Dammam
The Yemeni Armed Forces announced on Sunday waging drones and ballistic missiles to several Saudi cities, including Dammam city.
"The air force managed to carry out a large offensive operation with 14 drones and 8 ballistic missiles targeted the Saudi territories," said the armed forces in a press release issued on Sunday evening.
In an operation called the "Sixth Deterrence Balance", the air forces launched 10 "Samad 3" drones and a ballistic missile of "Thulfiqar" type on the Saudi company of "Aramco" in Ras Tanura port and other military targets in Dammam city.
It indicated that other military sites in Asir and Jizan were targeted with 4 Qasef-2k drones and 7 Badr missiles. All the drones and missiles hit their targets accurately.
The attacks come within the normal and legitimate response to the continuation of the siege and aggression against the Yemeni propose, the press release read.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3131557.htm
https://english.almasirah.net/post/18165/Saudi-Arabia-Witnesses-Real-War-for-First-Time%C2%A0
and
(* A K pH)
What Worries Riyadh More After 6th Op of Balanced Deterrence?!
Shortly after the Yemeni Armed Forces' statement on March 07, 2021, about the targeting of Aramco's headquarters in Ras Tanura oil port, in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi regime acknowledged the operation, seeking the world's support in preserving what it called the security of global energy supplies. .
For long hours, Saudi airspace was empty of the usual commercial air traffic, and global air traffic tracking sites revealed that air traffic was disrupted and dozens of flights were cancelled at the main Saudi airports.
The Saudi citizens kept hearing in more than one area the launch of the Patriot Anti-Ballistic missiles and the shrapnel of those missiles fell on the residential neighborhoods.
The importance of the Yemeni broad operation is because it was the largest operation since the start of the US-Saudi aggression against Yemen, so it indicated the growing of Yemeni military capabilities.
The arrival of Yemeni missiles at Ras Tanura port, the largest oil port in the world, and hitting it constitutes a new development in the Yemeni responses against the ongoing aggression and the blockade as this point is the farthest from the Yemeni border.
Ras Tanura port, which was established on the Gulf in 1939 by an American company that acquired the right to explore for oil in the Ras Tanura area, is the largest port in the world for the export of oil in the world.
and
(A K P)
Saudi cabinet says Yemen's Houthis attacks target world economy - SPA
The Saudi cabinet said on Tuesday two “terrorist attempts” targetting a port and a residential neighbourhood were a blatant violation of international laws and norms that were also aimed at the world economy, state news agency SPA reported.
and
(A K P)
Iran Asks S. Arabia to End Yemen War Instead of Blame Game
The Iranian foreign ministry rejected Riyadh’s allegations about Tehran’s involvement in the recent Yemeni army’s drone attacks against the Saudi targets, saying that Saudi Arabia should end the war in Yemen instead of blaming others.
“The root cause of the crisis we witness in Yemen today is the war; the war that the Saudi crown prince thought could end within three weeks by killing the Yemeni people. For six years now, the Yemeni people have been defending themselves empty-handed against the European and American bombs and the most sophisticated and advanced weapons of Saudi Arabia and different bombings that have hit parts of Yemen several times with cluster bombs,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters in Tehran on Monday.
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13991218000508/Iran-Asks-S-Arabia-End-Yemen-War-Insead-f-Blame-Game
and also https://en.irna.ir/news/84256897/Only-way-out-is-to-end-war-in-Yemen-spokesman
and
(* A K pS)
The Ministry of Defense: An Aggression Attempt Against One Of The Petroleum Tank Farms In Ras Tanura Port, And Saudi Aramco Facilities in Dharan A Cowardly Terrorist Attempt To Target Global Energy Supplies And Security
Statement by the Official Spokesman of the Ministry of Defense Brigadier General Turki Al-Malki
“In reference to the statement issued by the Ministry of Energy in regards to the failed attempted targeting of one of the Petroleum Tank Farms in Ras Tanura Port in the Eastern Province using a bomb-laden UAV that came from the sea, and the attempt to target Aramco facilities in Dhahran. Those failed attempts did not target the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s security and economic assets, but the core of global economy and its oil supplies, as well as the security of global energy.
The attacking bomb-laden UAV that came via the sea was intercepted and destroyed prior to reaching its target. The ballistic missile that was launched to target Aramco facilities in Dhahran was intercepted and destroyed as well. The interception resulted in scattered debris that fell in close proximity to civilians and civilian objects.
The Ministry of Defense will undertake all necessary, deterrent measures to safeguard its national assets in a manner that preserves the security of global energy, puts an end to these acts of terrorism, guarantees the security and stability of oil supplies, protects security of petroleum exports and safeguards freedom of shipping and international trade.”
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2197893
and
(* A K pS)
An official spokesman at the Ministry of Energy condemned an attempt to target the Ras Tanura Port and the residential area in Dhahran emphasized that such repeated acts of sabotage and hostility target petroleum supplies to the world
An official spokesman at the Ministry of Energy said that one of the petroleum tank farms at the Ras Tanura Port in the Eastern Region, one of the largest oil shipping ports in the world, was attacked this morning by a drone, coming from the sea.
The spokesman added that another deliberate attempt was also made this evening to attack Saudi Aramco’s facilities. Shrapnel from a ballistic missile fell near Saudi Aramco’s residential area in the city of Dhahran, where thousands of the company’s employees and their families from different nationalities live.
The spokesman said that both attacks did not result in any injury or loss of life or property.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2197888
and
(* A K)
Yemen's Houthis attack Saudi oil heartland with drones, missiles
Yemen’s Houthi forces fired drones and missiles at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s oil industry on Sunday, including a Saudi Aramco facility at Ras Tanura vital to petroleum exports, in what Riyadh called a failed assault on global energy security.
The Saudi energy ministry said an oil storage yard at Ras Tanura, the site of an oil refinery and the world’s biggest offshore oil loading facility, was attacked with a drone coming from the sea. The defence ministry said the armed drone was intercepted and destroyed prior to reaching its target.
Shrapnel from a ballistic missile fell near a residential compound in Dhahran used by state-controlled Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest oil company, the ministry said, adding that neither attack resulted in casualties or loss of property.
“Such acts of sabotage do not only target the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but also the security and stability of energy supplies to the world, and therefore, the global economy,” a ministry spokesman said in a statement on state media.
The Saudi-led coalition earlier said it intercepted 12 armed drones aimed at “civilian targets” without specifying a location as well as two ballistic missiles fired towards Jazan.
The sites attacked on Sunday lie on the Gulf coast in Eastern Province, home to most of Aramco’s production and export facilities.
Films: https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1368616395991351300
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1368618285072347139
https://twitter.com/Naseh_Shaker/status/1368642409010184193
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpqjCH5CxPk = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyK4dqiANPA
and
(* A K P)
Arab coalition resumes airstrikes on Houthi positions
Following the coalition’s resumption of its air operations in Sana’a, Saudi political researcher Ali Arishi told The Arab Weekly, “In light of the political process led by the US Envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking and the UN envoy Martin Griffiths, which aims to achieve a political solution to the Yemeni issue, it seemed natural for the coalition to reduce airstrikes on Sana’a as a goodwill gesture.”
“However, it is foolish of the militias to think that this is a blank check,” he said. “The brutal Houthi offensive and the continuing militia attacks on Marib as well as the remarkable rise in Houthi terrorist operations against Saudi civilian targets, whether using drones or ballistic missiles can be described as an unjustified escalation. The Arab Coalition is now trying to re-contain the threats of the Houthi militias with specific painful strikes on Sana’a, so that the militia’s senior leaders realise that they are not safe and that they must review their calculations and immediately stop their terrorist operations against Ma’rib and Saudi Arabia.”
https://thearabweekly.com/arab-coalition-resumes-airstrikes-houthi-positions
My comment: Apologetics of the Saudi coalition still want to make forgotten that Saudi air raids had started all this mess.
and
(A K P)
Yemen [Hadi gov.] Denounces Houthi Terrorist Attacks against Saudi Arabia
The Republic of Yemen denounced, in strong terms, the Houthi militia's terrorist attacks against civilian objects in the Saudi cities with missiles and bomb-laden UAVs, while the forces of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen have managed to intercept and destroy them.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2198241
and
(A K P)
[Hadi gov.] Yemeni Parliament Condemns Houthi Terrorist Attacks Targeting Saudi Arabia
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2198372
and
(A K)
Security Alert: Reports of Missile Attacks in Dammam Area (March 7, 2021)
There are reports of possible missile attacks and explosions this evening, March 7, in the tri-city area of Dhahran, Dammam, and Khobar in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. Consulate General Dhahran urges U.S. citizens to review precautions to take in the event of an attack and stay alert in case of additional future attacks.
The U.S. Consulate General in Dhahran urges U.S. citizens to review the Saudi Arabia Travel Advisory
https://sa.usembassy.gov/security-alert-reports-of-missile-attacks-in-dammam-area-march-7-2021/
and
(A K)
Witnesses in Saudi Arabia’s Dhahran City Hear Loud Bang
Two people living in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia -- where Saudi Aramco is headquartered -- said they heard a loud bang on Sunday. The sound shook windows, one of the people said.
Aramco had no immediate comment.
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/witnesses-in-saudi-arabia-s-dhahran-city-hear-loud-bang-1.1573653
and
(A E K)
Brent crude breaks $70 after Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities attacked by Yemen’s Houthis
(A K pS)
[Hadi] Yemeni gov't troops claim fully seizing Jabal Habashi rural west
https://debriefer.net/en/news-23630.html
(A K pS)
KSrelief's Masam Project Dismantles 1,846 Mines in Yemen in One Week
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) Project (Masam) for clearing mines in Yemen, dismantled, during the first week of March 2021, a total of 1,846 mines, including 19 anti-personnel mines, 954 anti-tank mines, 868 unexploded ordnance and 5 explosive devices.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2197726
(A K pH)
Child Injured By Saudi-mercenaries’ Gunfire in Taiz
Mercenaries of the US-Saudi aggression on Sunday shot at a bus carrying disabled people in Salh district in Taiz governorate.
Almasirah Net correspondent in Taiz stated that the mercenaries of the aggression targeted the bus, leading to its capsize and the injury of a disabled girl.
https://english.almasirah.net/post/18147/Child-Injured-By-Saudi-mercenaries-Gunfire-in-Taiz
and also https://www.saba.ye/en/news3131543.htm (with photo)
(* A H K)
Civilians mostly children suffer critical wounds by Houthi shelling in central Yemen
Seven civilians including five children have been critically wounded as Houthi extremists fired shells into a neighborhood in the central Yemeni city of Taiz on Sunday, local sources said.
Houthi mortar shells landed on Arowdha neighborhood, days after the Houthi self-proclaimed governor for Taiz, Salim Mughalles, vowed to make the oppositionists “cry.”
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-45544
and also https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-45543
(* A H K)
Children ‘pay the highest price’ in Yemen war, says Save the Children as seven injured while leaving school
Seven children were injured by an artillery shell attack as they left school this afternoon in Taiz city, Yemen, Save the Children can confirm.
This attack comes just three days after three children lost their lives and ten others were injured when artillery shells hit their homes in the same area, taking the total number of recent child casualties to 20.
Xavier Joubert, Save the Children's Country Director in Yemen, said:
“This is devastating news. We are witnessing another unacceptable increase in civilian casualties in the city of Taiz. After days of escalations of fighting in the area, children continue to pay the highest price in this war.
Film: https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1368627202447785991
Photos: https://twitter.com/ycmhrv/status/1368529860000419843
https://twitter.com/ycmhrv/status/1368528537985155072
https://twitter.com/ycmhrv/status/1368551734465998848
https://twitter.com/Alsakaniali/status/1368511342731231236
(A K pH)
[Sanaa gov.] Yemen's air defenses shoot down Saudi spy plane in Jawf: Spokesman
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3131501.htm
and also https://hodhodyemennews.net/2021/03/07/yemeni-air-defences-shoot-down-karayel-spy-plane-over-jawf/
https://debriefer.net/en/news-23629.html
(A K)
Saudi-Arabien fängt Huthi-Drohnen ab
Nach Angaben der saudi-arabischen Regierung sind zehn bewaffnete Drohnen der jemenitischen Huthi-Rebellen abgefangen worden.
Die Marschflugkörper sollen teilweise auf zivile Ziele in Saudi-Arabien gerichtet gewesen sein, teilte ein Sprecher mit. Weitere Details nannte er nicht.
cp17a Kriegsereignisse: Schlacht um Marib / Theater of War: Marib battle
(A K pH)
Report: Invaders Partially Withdraw from Ma’rib Amid Yemeni Army Advances
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have reportedly implemented a partial withdrawal from Ma’rib amid decisive advances by the Arab country’s armed forces in the west-central province.
Riyadh has pulled out its forces from Ma’rib, while Abu Dhabi has taken out its United States-made Patriot missile systems, Sultan al-Arada, Ma’rib’s governor loyal to Yemen’s former Saudi-backed administration, told Yemeni media on Tuesday.
(A K)
Gov't forces, Houthi rebels exchange prisoners in Yemen's Marib: military source
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-03/10/c_139798079.htm
(* A K pH)
Saudi-led invaders suffered over 18,000 deaths in recent battle for Ma’rib
Sultan al-Arada, the so-called governor of Ma’rib in the Saudi-backed Hadi puppet government, has revealed shocking information about the situation on the ground in Ma’rib, and the extent of casualties suffered by coalition forces in recent battles.
This was reported by Yemen Press Agency on Monday, citing Al-Arada’s statement.
Al-Arada said in a video statement at a press conference for Yemen’s international media program on Monday evening, that “the battle in Ma’rib is unequal,” and that “Sana’a forces excel in the battle, besieging the city of Ma’rib from three sides.”
Al-Arada said that the losses suffered by Saudi-led coalition forces in the recent clashes in Ma’rib province are estimated at 18,000 dead and 50,000 wounded.
He noted that the National Salvation Government forces “have shown superiority in the field battles, prompting Saudi Arabia to withdraw its troops from Ma’rib, and the UAE to withdraw its Patriot air defence system.”
Sultan Al-Arada affirmed that Sana’a forces are preparing to take control of the entire city.
Al-Arada’s remarks come as Yemen forces advanced and took control over a number of heights overlooking the city recently, including the Balqin Mountains, al-Alam and Hamat al-Sa’aid, and are approaching checkpoints at the northern gate of the city.
and also https://en.mehrnews.com/news/170921/Yemeni-forces-have-upper-hand-in-Ma-rib
and
(* A K pS)
Without the Arab Coalition’s help, battle would have been different, says Yemeni governor
The governor of Marib, one of the Yemeni government’s last two strongholds in the country’s north, said the Arab Coalition’s strikes backing the army to repel a fierce Houthi attack have “made a difference” and without that aerial assistance. the battle’s results “would have been different.”
In a virtual press conference, Sultan al-Eradah said the Houthis have recently launched a renewed “three-pronged” offensive on the eastern province but “the government forces backed by tribal forces … and the Arab Coalition[‘s strikes] are keeping these fierce attacks at bay.”
Al-Eradah said the government forces are “no match to the Houthis in terms of equipment and overall military hardware.”
He said, “The Houthis [during the 2014 coup] seized the state’s military resources … and in addition they keep receiving regional support from backers, on top of which is Iran.”
He said the Coalition has no Patriot systems left to defend Marib from Houthi ballistic missiles, but “without the [Coalition’s] warplanes, things would have been different probably” in reference to the results of the recent battles.
“The Houthis are therefore constantly campaigning to get the [Arab] warplanes stopped, by any means such as by lobbying for any local and international pressures.”
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-45590
(A K pS)
25 Houthi militants killed during battles with army west of Marib
(A K pH)
Jemenitisches Außenministerium [der Sanaa-Regierung] kritisiert voreingenommene UN-Erklärungen zur Schlacht von Ma'rib
In einer Erklärung der offiziellen Nachrichtenagentur Saba von Jemen am Samstag sagte das jemenitische Ministerium, dass den internationalen Erklärungen zu diesem Thema im Allgemeinen sogar „ein Minimum an Logik fehlen“ und diese nicht auf verständlichen Standards beruhen.
Es drückte sein tiefes Bedauern über einen derart voreingenommenen Ansatz in Bezug auf die Frage des Friedens im Jemen aus.
Das jemenitische Außenministerium stellte fest, dass die Erklärungen der Vereinten Nationen und internationaler Staaten sowie andere politische und mediale Positionen den Wunsch der Sana'a-Regierung nach Frieden zu Unrecht in Frage stellen und ihr „natürliches und legitimes Recht auf Selbstverteidigung“ ignorieren.
Nach Angaben des Ministeriums richtete die von Saudi-Arabien geführte Kriegskoalition gegen den Jemen die Ma'rib-Front ein, um in die Hauptstadt Sanaa einzudringen, und sie blieb der Ausgangspunkt für alle terroristischen Operationen gegen Sanaa.
(A K pS)
Houthi landmine kills man, injures another in Yemen’s Shabwah
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-45545
(A K pS)
Photo: Saudi-led Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki and Marib Governor Sultan al-Arada paid a visit to Marib Dam this afternoon.
https://twitter.com/Alsakaniali/status/1369316341157666824
and the day before:
(A K pH)
[Sanaa gov.] Yemeni forces reach Ma’rib Dam
Activists have circulated on social media pictures showing Yemeni army forces and Popular Committees in the areas of al-Balqin and on the historical site of Ma’rib Dam.
The photographs show Yemeni forces from the peaks of the Ablaq Mountains, and on the banks of the Ma’rib Dam.
https://hodhodyemennews.net/2021/03/08/yemeni-forces-reach-marib-dam/
Photos: https://twitter.com/Naseh_Shaker/status/1368593883513389059
https://twitter.com/yahiasham/status/1368472010817474560
(A K pS)
[Hadi gov.] Yemen’s army arrests child Houthi militants in Marib
Yemen’s army has arrested what it called “a new batch of child militants fighting in the ranks of the Houthi militia in the fronts of Marib” province.
The army’s Media Center said the militants published a video of scores of arrestees including children “below the age of 17.”
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-45566
Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBYYjxi5qn8 = https://twitter.com/Alsakaniali/status/1368653381145931781
(A K pH)
Marib Is on Verge of Liberation
The [Sanaa gov.] Yemeni Army and Popular Committees have escalated their defensive operations on Marib Governorate to liberate it, and simultaneously they hit various military sites in Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones.
With the military reports that indicated the collapse of the Sarwah front and the withdrawal of Saudi forces from Marib, the sudden sending of Hadi forces from the south to Marib were the best evidence of the imminent liberation of the Marib by Yemeni Army .
https://english.almasirah.net/post/18141/Marib-Is-on-Verge-of-Liberation
(A K pS)
Yemen: Fighting in Marib intensifies as pro-govt forces defend northern stronghold
(A K pH)
[Sanaa gov.] Yemeni Forces Closing in on Ma’rib for Key Battle Against Saudi-Led Troops, Mercenaries
Local media outlets reported that the Yemeni forces are now seven kilometers from Ma’rib, the last stronghold of pro-Hadi forces in Northern Yemen, the loss of which would mean the defeat of the Saudi-backed regime.
Over the past few weeks, Ma’rib has been the scene of large-scale operations by Yemeni troops and allied Popular Committees fighters, who are pushing against Saudi-sponsored pro-Hadi militants.
and also https://en.mehrnews.com/news/170775/Yemeni-forces-take-control-of-Ma-rib-strategic-areas
(A K pH)
Film: Scenes of the wreckage of the "Carial" spy plane that was shot down by air defenses in the skies of Al-Marazeeq
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9t13SouDcQ
https://southfront.org/houthis-release-video-of-downed-vestel-karayel-combat-drone-of-saudi-forces/
cp18 Kampf um Hodeidah / Hodeidah battle
Seit dem Abkommen von Stockholm vom 13. Dezember 2018 gibt es einen Waffenstillstand für Hodeidah. Zwar bleiben größere Offensiven aus, kleinere Gefechte gibt es aber laufend, und beide Seiten werfen sich ständig Verstöße gegen den Waffenstillstand vor.
Since the Stockholm Agreement of December 13, 2018, a ceasefire has been in place for Hodeidah. There are no major offensives, but smaller battles are going on and both sides constantly are accusing each other of violating the ceasefire.
(A K pH)
Mercenaries shelling kills girl in Hodeida
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3131715.htm
(A K pS)
Houthis continue to target people in Hays (Video)
Yesterday, a 35-year-old woman was severely injured in Houthi shelling targeted at the people's houses in Hays. She was taken to MSF hospital for receiving medical treatment, local sources told the press.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/32426
Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuK9UTmocc4
(A K pS)
Houthi sniper targets child in Hodeidah: Video
The 9-year-old boy Ghalib Ahmed Ghaleb was shot in his face by Houthi sniper which resulted in a fracture to his lower jawbone (mandible), medical sources said.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/32412
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ohrlxz1k2g = https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1368607374425133061
(A K pH)
Aggression warplanes launch airstrike on Hodeida
The aggression warplane targeted the al-Arj area in Bajil district with an airstrike, the official said.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3131485.htm
(A K pH)
Daily violations as claimed by the Houthi side
March 9: https://english.almasirah.net/post/18194/US-Saudi-Aggrition-s-Daily-Update-for-Tuesday%2C-Mar.9.2021
March 8: https://english.almasirah.net/post/18174/US-Saudi-Aggrition-s-Daily-Update-for-Monday%2C-Mar.8.2021
cp19 Sonstiges / Other
(-)
Music: Song of the Jews of Yemen
https://www.muso.ai/track/33150057
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-724-yemen-war-mosaic-724
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-724 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-724:
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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