Dies ist die Fortsetzung von Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 769, Teil 1 / This is the sequel of Yemen War Mosaic 769, part 1:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-769-yemen-war-mosaic-769
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
cp9 USA
cp9a USA-Iran Krise: Spannungen am Golf / US-Iran crisis: Tensions at the Gulf
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis
cp12b Sudan
cp12c Libanonkrise / Lebanon crisis
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade
cp13b Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage
cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
cp15 Propaganda
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
cp18 Kampf um Hodeidah / Hodeidah battle
cp19 Sonstiges / Other
Klassifizierung / Classification
***
**
*
(Kein Stern / No star)
? = Keine Einschatzung / No rating
A = Aktuell / Current news
B = Hintergrund / Background
C = Chronik / Chronicle
D = Details
E = Wirtschaft / Economy
H = Humanitäre Fragen / Humanitarian questions
K = Krieg / War
P = Politik / Politics
pH = Pro-Houthi
pS = Pro-Saudi
T = Terrorismus / Terrorism
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
(A P)
PM receives UN envoy in Aden
Prime Minister Ma'een Abdulmalik received Sunday UN Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg in his second visit to Aden to inform him on results of his regional and international tour and his local meetings within UN efforts to resume political process in Yemen.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/34025
and also https://www.arabnews.com/node/1963386/middle-east
(A P)
Local [Hadi gov.] authority of #Marib refused to receive UN hum. coordinator in #Yemen David Gressly over UN inaction during Houthi siege on Abdiya district, accor 2 local sources. It also accused him of bias & whitewashing crimes after his visit w/ Houthi leaders 2 Al-Abdiyah, sources added
https://twitter.com/Alsakaniali/status/1457203718886154244
(A P)
UN Envoy: Military Escalation in Yemen Undermines Peace Efforts
The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, has called for supporting UN efforts to find a negotiable settlement to the conflict in Yemen, warning that military escalation undermines peace efforts in the war-torn nation.
Grundberg, after concluding a visit to Tehran, expressed his serious concern over the escalating military activities in Yemen, which are causing significant civilian casualties, including children, and are undermining peace efforts.
(A P)
Grundberg concludes his visit to Iran
http://en.adenpress.news/news/34007
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
(B E P)
COP26: Grüne Wüste - Saudi-Arabien und der Klimaschutz
Saudi-Arabien, weltweit größter Ölexporteur, will mit mehreren Initiativen zum Umweltschutz beitragen. Kritiker halten das Programm zwar für glaubwürdig, sehen aber große Widersprüche zur Wirtschaftspolitik des Landes.
https://www.dw.com/de/cop26-gr%C3%BCne-w%C3%BCste-saudi-arabien-und-der-klimaschutz/a-59713281
(B E)
Saudi non-oil private sector output highest in nearly four years -PMI
Saudi Arabia's non-oil private sector notched a 14th month of consecutive growth in October as output expanded at the fastest rate since December 2017, signalling the sector's continued strengthening, a survey showed on Wednesday.
cp9 USA
Siehe / Look at cp9a
(A K P)
Progressive RI lawmakers want Reed to cut aid to Saudi Arabia
Thirteen progressive Rhode Island state lawmakers and 10 political groups are pushing Sen. Jack Reed to use his clout as chair of the Senate Armed Services to cut off U.S. support for Saudi Arabia in its war against Yemen.
"For years, we have seen the disturbing impact of U.S. support for this war: widespread starvation, bombed-out school buses, innumerable casualties from countless airstrikes and blockaded ports that prevent access to already scarce food and medicine," the Democratic lawmakers wrote in a letter posted Wednesday. "We cannot continue to support these inhumane policies."
(* A P)
Washington ‘Continues’ to Consider Classifying ‘Houthi Entities’ on Terrorist Lists
Lenderking to Asharq Al-Awsat: Houthi Attacks Kill Civilians, Including Children, in Marib
Asharq Al-Awsat interviewed the American envoy and tried to find out what the US official holds "tools" for bringing peace, especially since he is not new to the region, as he counted five achievements he believes he has been able to achieve since his appointment last February.
First, he had an intensive engagement with the parties to the conflict. Second, creating an international consensus on the issue, third, classifying many Houthi leaders and their financial networks on sanctions lists. Fourth, raising the level of humanitarian aid, and finally supporting the UN envoy. Here is the text of the interview:
What have you achieved during +10 trips to the region since becoming SE?
First, I have been intensively engaged with the UN Special Envoy and Yemeni and regional leaders to advance a durable resolution that improves the lives of Yemenis and creates the space for them to collectively determine their own future. This has translated into important building blocks to pave the way for peace in Yemen. Together, we have helped build an unprecedented international and regional consensus on the need for an immediate, comprehensive ceasefire and political resolution. The Republic of Yemen Government and Saudi Arabia have announced their support for a ceasefire and resumption of political talks. Oman is also playing a critical and proactive regional role.
Second, the United States has designated several Houthi leaders and financial networks.
These are having a real impact on Houthi operations, and we will continue to pursue designations of individuals and entities that foster instability and commit atrocities against civilians.
Third, the United States has taken vital steps to ease the humanitarian situation.
What is your view of the Houthis’ engagement? Do you believe they really want peace?
While at times engaging constructively, the Houthis have not shown a genuine commitment to a peace process. The United States condemns all Houthi attacks. “Civilians will suffer as long as the brutal Houthi military offensives continue,” said Secretary (Antony) Blinken on Oct 4. We are not alone. On October 22, the UNSC members issued a joint statement calling for an immediate nationwide ceasefire and condemning the Houthis for their continuous attacks in Yemen and against Saudi Arabia.
and also http://en.ypagency.net/243004/
My comment: LOL. The US demonstrates that it is a wariing party, not a peace broker, in Yemen.
(A P)
Lenderking to visit Aden on Thursday
http://en.adenpress.news/news/34009
(A P)
US Envoy in Oman to push for peace in Yemen
http://en.adenpress.news/news/34008
(* A K P)
US-Regierung genehmigt möglichen Raketenverkauf an Saudi-Arabien
Dem Außenministerium zufolge handelt es sich um defensive Waffen zur Verteidigung gegen den Jemen. Die USA wollen offensive Operationen im Jemen-Krieg nicht mehr unterstützen.
Das US-Außenministerium hat den möglichen Verkauf von 280 Luft-Luft-Raketen an Saudi-Arabien im Wert von bis zu 650 Millionen Dollar (563 Millionen Euro) genehmigt. Eine entsprechende Mitteilung sei an den Kongress übermittelt worden, teilte das Außenministerium am Donnerstag (Ortszeit) in Washington mit. Ein Ministeriumssprecher betonte, es handele sich um defensive Waffen zur Verteidigung gegen Luftangriffe aus dem Jemen. US-Präsident Joe Biden hatte im Februar kurz nach seinem Amtsantritt verkündet, die Vereinigten Staaten würden offensive Operationen im Jemen-Krieg nicht mehr unterstützen, „einschließlich entsprechender Waffenverkäufe“.
Der Ministeriumssprecher sagte, die Raketen vom Typ AIM-120C mit mittlerer Reichweite würden nicht für die Bekämpfung von Bodenzielen eingesetzt. Der mögliche Verkauf „steht in vollem Einklang mit dem Versprechen der Regierung, den Konflikt im Jemen auf diplomatischem Wege zu beenden und gleichzeitig sicherzustellen, dass Saudi-Arabien über die Mittel verfügt, sich gegen Luftangriffe der vom Iran unterstützten Huthis zu verteidigen“. Die von Saudi-Arabien bislang eingesetzten AIM-120C-Raketen hätten entscheidend zur Abwehr von Drohnenangriffe beigetragen, die auch Amerikaner bedroht hätten.
Nach dem US-Gesetz zur Kontrolle von Waffenexporten müssen geplante Lieferungen von wichtigen Rüstungsgütern an Länder wie Saudi-Arabien ab einem bestimmten Volumen formell dem Kongress gemeldet werden. Danach beginnt eine 30-tägige Frist, in der das Parlament in Washington das geplante Geschäft überprüfen kann.
https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/militaer-us-regierung-genehmigt-moeglichen-raketenverkauf-an-saudi-arabien/27771808.html = https://www.wiwo.de/politik/ausland/militaer-us-regierung-genehmigt-moeglichen-raketenverkauf-an-saudi-arabien/27771812.html
und auch https://de.rt.com/der-nahe-osten/126719-kriegsverbrechen-im-jemen-biden-regierung/
und
(* A K P)
Waffen-Deal mit Saudi Arabien
Damit sollen die engen Beziehungen beider Militärs und die Wehrkraft der Saudis gegenüber den Houthi gestärkt werden (Link). Die rund 900 Raketen sind für den Luft-Luft-Einsatz gedacht. Da die Houthi bekanntlich nicht über Luftstreitkräfte verfügen, erscheint diese Begründung angesichts der immensen humanitären Kosten der saudischen Kampagne im Jemen zumindest für Laien als dubios (Link). Bemerkenswert ist zudem, dass die Demokraten im Repräsentantenhaus jüngst erneut mit einer Resolution das sofortige Ende der amerikanischen Unterstützung für den Jemen-Feldzug der Saudis gefordert haben (Link).
https://www.tachles.ch/artikel/news/waffen-deal-mit-saudi-arabien-0
(* A K P)
The US is set to sell $650 million worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia
The US State Department says the sale "is fully consistent" with the Biden administration's pledge "to lead with diplomacy to end the conflict in Yemen".
The United States State Department has approved its first major arms sale to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under President Joe Biden with the sale of 280 air-to-air missiles valued at up to $650 million, the Pentagon says.
While Saudi Arabia is an important partner in the Middle East, US politicians have criticised Riyadh for its involvement in the war in Yemen, a conflict considered one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters.
They have refused to approve many military sales for the kingdom without assurances US equipment would not be used to kill civilians.
The Pentagon notified Congress of the sale on Thursday. The deal would be the first sale to Saudi Arabia since the Biden administration adopted a policy of selling only defensive weapons to the Gulf ally.
The State Department had approved the sale on 26 October, a spokesperson said, adding that the air-to-air missile sale comes after "an increase in cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia over the past year."
Raytheon Technologies makes the missiles.
The sale "is fully consistent with the administration's pledge to lead with diplomacy to end the conflict in Yemen," the State Department spokesperson said in a statement.
The air-to-air missiles ensure "Saudi Arabia has the means to defend itself from Iranian-backed Houthi air attacks," he said.
Comment: This has nothing to do with making the world a better place and everything to do with fueling our defense economy. America’s economy should not be built around merchandising death.
https://twitter.com/marwilliamson/status/1456358437017858060
and
(* A K P)
Warnings of 'More Death and Suffering' in Yemen as US Moves to Sell Saudis Missiles
The Biden administration called the proposed sale of $650 million in air-to-air missiles "fully consistent" with its efforts to end the war that's killed, wounded, displaced, and starved millions of Yemenis.
Anti-war activists on Thursday accused the Biden administration of throwing fuel on the flames of the Saudi-led war in Yemen after the U.S. State Department notified Congress it approved a new $650 million missile sale to the repressive Middle Eastern monarchy.
Defense News reports the Pentagon said the Saudi government requested to purchase 280 AIM-120C-7/C-8 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles and 596 LAU-128 missile rail launchers in a deal that would also include spare parts, support, and logistical services. The missiles would be fitted to Saudi warplanes including Eurofighter Typhoons and McDonnell-Douglas F-15s.
The missiles are made by Raytheon, whose board Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin joined upon retiring as head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in 2016.
A State Department spokesperson called the proposed sale "fully consistent with the administration's pledge to lead with diplomacy to end the conflict in Yemen while also ensuring Saudi Arabia has the means to defend itself from Iranian-backed Houthi air attacks."
Peace advocates scoffed at the claim that selling more weapons to the Saudis would help bring about peace.
If approved by Congress, the sale would be the first to Saudi Arabia since President Joe Biden's February announcement that the U.S. was ending support for "offensive operations"—including weapons transfers—in the atrocity-laden Saudi-led war that has killed and wounded hundreds of thousands of Yemenis, while displacing hundreds of thousands more and exacerbating famine-like conditions through a crippling economic blockade.
Critics say the new sale is at least the third violation of Biden's "offensive operations" promise this fall. In May, Pentagon officials acknowledged the U.S. was still servicing Saudi warplanes via contractors, and in September, peace and human advocates denounced the State Department's approval of a $500 million contract to maintain the kingdom's military helicopters.
and
(* A K P)
Warnings of 'More Death and Suffering' in Yemen as US Moves to Sell Saudis Missiles
Anti-war activists on Thursday accused the Biden administration of throwing fuel on the flames of the Saudi-led war in Yemen after the U.S. State Department notified Congress it approved a new $650 million missile sale to the repressive Middle Eastern monarchy.
Peace advocates scoffed at the claim that selling more weapons to the Saudis would help bring about peace.
Critics say the new sale is at least the third violation of Biden's "offensive operations" promise this fall. In May, Pentagon officials acknowledged the U.S. was still servicing Saudi warplanes via contractors, and in September, peace and human advocates denounced the State Department's approval of a $500 million contract to maintain the kingdom's military helicopters.
http://www.stationgossip.com/2021/11/warnings-of-more-death-and-suffering-in.html
(? B P)
Biden Needs a Plan B for Yemen If Houthis Win
An end to the war will generate a new set of problems.
Lenderking isn’t to blame. Successful diplomacy depends on effective leverage, which Washington lacks. To be sure, the United States can pressure Saudi Arabia, but these days Riyadh doesn’t need any persuasion to want to end the war. In fact, in recent years, the Saudis have engaged in what are, by all accounts, good-faith talks on the future of Yemen, including with arch-foe Iran. The problem is the Houthis, who have proved consistently recalcitrant and are now playing for time as they make slow but steady progress on the battlefield. Indeed, the Houthis have little incentive to come to the table when the Hadi government and its local allies’ forces are splintered, insufficiently armed, and frequently fighting one other—a series of conditions the Saudis have been unable to rectify.
The Houthi inclination toward a military rather than a negotiated solution is paying off.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/11/04/yemen-biden-war-houthi-saudi-iran/
My comment: The US as center of the universe.
(A P)
US Accuses Yemen’s Houthis of Obstructing Peace Efforts
The US envoy to Yemen, Tim Lenderking, has warned that the economic instability in Yemen and the ongoing "brutal" Houthi offensive on Marib are exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and obstructing peace efforts.
Lenderking met a Saudi delegation in Washington to discuss developments in Yemen and the offensive of the Houthi militias.
(B P)
How Dems’ plan to grill Pompeo on the Soleimani strike fell apart
It’s an inside story of how Congress failed to hold the executive branch accountable for a big misstep in US foreign policy.
(* B P)
Washington’s Blank Check for the United Arab Emirates Must End
The UAE’s bad behavior harms U.S. interests in the Middle East and at home.
The United Arab Emirates, nicknamed “Little Sparta” by former U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis due to Abu Dhabi’s disproportionate military capabilities relative to its small geographic size, is repeatedly highlighted as one of the United States’ most critical partners in the Middle East. According to this perspective, Abu Dhabi is a vital ally for deterring Iran, countering terrorism, and promoting regional stability.
Recently, the UAE has come to be considered an essential component of Washington’s desire to “offshore” its regional burdens in the Middle East as it pivots to Asia. Although the UAE may at times engage in regional interventions or commit human rights abuses, this point of view argues that such actions are not harmful to U.S. interests and the Emirates remains a symbol of stability and progress in a turbulent neighborhood.
The Biden administration appears to have assumed this position, approving the $23 billion weapons sale (which includes F-35 aircraft) to Abu Dhabi that was initiated under the Trump administration and hailing the UAE as a “major security [partner]” of the United States.
The policies advanced by the Emirates in the Middle East have been inherently destabilizing, exacerbating many of the region’s ongoing civil wars, violating international laws, and actively subverting attempts for democratic change. Coupled with these regional endeavors are the UAE’s repeated attempts to interfere in U.S. domestic politics at the highest levels and surveil diplomats and government officials around the world.
The United States needs to reassess those “allies” it seeks to offshore its interests to in the Middle East before pivoting to other theaters, and must hold accountable those who seek to illegally interfere in U.S. domestic politics. To do so, Washington’s blank check for the United Arab Emirates must end.
U.S. policy in the Middle East has for decades been dominated by what is referred to as the “myth of authoritarian stability.” This term refers to the flawed belief that Middle East autocrats “can protect American interests by imposing political and social order on disempowered citizens.” However, as Nader Hashemi, director of the University of Denver’s Center for Middle East Studies, argues, the inverse is true: These authoritarian regimes “are key sources of regional instability, both in terms of the nature of their rule and the policies they have pursued.”
The United Arab Emirates is the epitome of this myth: Lack of accountability at home and a blank check from the United States have encouraged actions that are inherently destabilizing and anathema to U.S. interests.
Awash with advanced U.S. weapons, the UAE has emerged as one of the region’s most interventionist states, pursuing policies that have prolonged the region’s civil wars, created humanitarian crises, crushed democratic aspirations, and fueled the underlying grievances that lead to unrest.
The UAE’s regional and international actions also serve to damage the United States’ global reputation and make U.S. President Joe Biden’s promise of pursuing a U.S. foreign policy centered on human rights appear rather hypocritical.
But it is not just U.S. interests abroad the UAE has undermined. Abu Dhabi has sought to directly interfere in domestic U.S. politics in what should be considered a direct assault on U.S. democracy.
It is time for Washington to end its blank check for “Little Sparta” and formally recognize the role it has played in helping destabilize the Middle East, undermine democratic advances in the region, and its efforts to illegally interfere in U.S. domestic politics. The most immediate way to do so is by ending U.S. arms sales to the Emirates, which are used to prolong regional conflicts, commit human rights abuses, and advance policies that are not in the United States’ interest.
Although such actions may jeopardize the future of the United States’ air base at Al Dhafra, this opportunity should be seized to reconsider the extensive U.S. military presence in the region, which has itself been destabilizing. Reassessing the United States’ relationship with the UAE should serve as a catalyst for a more fundamental reexamination of Washington’s broader strategy in the Middle East underpinned by the flawed myth of authoritarian stability – by Jon Hoffman
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/11/03/us-uae-relationship-arms-sales-human-rights-biden/
(A P)
U.S. Special envoy for Yemen to travel to Middle East on Thursday -State Department
U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking will travel to the Middle East on Thursday for talks with the Yemeni government and civil society representatives, regional government officials, and other international partners, the State Department said.
(A P)
Tim Lenderking met Saudi ambassadors to discuss ways to support against attacks
US envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking met the Saudi ambassadors to the US and Yemen to discuss recent Houthi offences in the Gulf country's Marib governate.
They discussed ways the US could strengthen its support for the kingdom in its defence against Houthi attacks.
Mr Lenderking said discussions covered “how the brutal Houthi offence on Marib is obstructing peace" and how economic instability is exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
cp9a USA-Iran Krise: Spannungen am Golf / US-Iran crisis: Tensions at the Gulf
Siehe / Look at cp9
(A P)
Iran begins annual war games ahead of nuke talks with West
(A P)
Iran says has enriched over 210 kilograms of uranium to 20%
Iran’s atomic agency said Friday that its stockpile of 20% enriched uranium has reached over 210 kilograms (463 pounds), the latest defiant move ahead of upcoming nuclear talks with the West.
The figure, attributed to agency spokesman Behrouz Kamalvan, was carried in a report by the semi-official Tasnim and Fars news agencies.
(B P)
What after Iranian-American Cold War in Sea of Oman and Gulf of Aden?
The battle of the Iranian-American mutual escalation has moved to the waters of the Sea of Oman and the Gulf of Aden.
Oil tankers, passing through this sensitive pivotal corridor, represented an important arena for what could be described as an increasing “bone-breaking battle” between the two sides.
The conflict between Tehran and Washington has moved from the fields of media, politics and nuclear negotiations to the most important commercial shipping line in the world.
In this regard, Tehran announced today, Wednesday, that it thwarted an American attempt to seize an oil tanker carrying Iranian oil in the Sea of Oman.
http://en.ypagency.net/242760/
(A P)
Iran marks anniversary of 1979 takeover of US Embassy
Thousands of Iranians gathered on Tehran streets Thursday for the anniversary of the 1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy, chanting “Death to America” and “Death to Israel,” and burning American and Israeli flags. The embassy takeover triggered a 444-day hostage crisis and break in diplomatic relations that continues to this day.
The government-organized commemoration, long a venue for voicing anti-Western sentiment, typically draws angry crowds each year.
(* B P)
The limits of Saudi-Iranian détente
At the very least, an incremental process of détente might lower political temperatures in the Gulf while winning support from Western leaders
Two seemingly contradictory but ultimately compatible logics are driving the recent efforts to advance détente between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The first is the logic of improvisation: the leaders of both countries are making it up as they go along. Their chief concern being regime survival, they must demonstrate a capacity for adaptability at home and abroad. Such tactical concerns present Iranian leaders with the task of forging consensus on the key foreign policy challenges. This is no simple matter because on several vital issues, not least of which is the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), there seems to be no small amount of confusion. It is therefore wise for the new and largely untested leadership team in Tehran to keep juggling several balls, one of which is the Saudi question.
For Riyadh, forging consensus is perhaps less complicated because there is only one voice that really matters: that of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS). But he has far less political and geostrategic room to maneuver than his Iranian counterparts.
This imposing reality brings us to the second logic, and that is strategic. Iran’s leaders have long shared the conviction that the ultimate objective of Tehran’s regional and global enemies is to lay economic, diplomatic, and (if need be) military siege to the Islamic Republic. This perception animates Tehran’s resolve to weaken the threat of “encirclement” by forging a diverse set of relationships that give Iran the capacity to impose varying degrees of pain on its opponents. Riyadh views this strategy as offensive rather than defensive. In its bid to deter what Riyadh sees as Iran’s “expansionist” or hegemonic aspirations, it has depended on the US military umbrella. Riyadh’s escalation of the war with the Houthis signaled a bid by MbS to push back against Iran by striking at its closest regional ally.
But the policy has backfired, thus signaling not only the limits of Saudi Arabia’s military might but also the absence of any coherent strategy for addressing Iran. That Riyadh is improvising on both the tactical and strategic levels gives Iran a real advantage that Saudi Arabia is unlikely to remedy, even if it tries to compensate by bandwagonning on the “Abraham Accords” between Israel, the Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco (and Sudan, although that agreement may now be in jeopardy following the recent coup).
Yemen, the JCPOA, and the diplomatic waiting game
Reiterating Iran’s confidence, Abbas Neil Foroshan, who serves as the assistant for operational affairs in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), stated on October 14 that Saudi Arabia has no choice but to negotiate a conclusion of the Yemen war.
But as one analyst notes, Iran “still has to prove it has real influence over the Houthis—at least enough to make them sit down for peace talks.” If, as suggested here, Tehran’s capacity to push Houthi forces to the negotiating table were in fact limited, its capacity to leverage the Yemen conflict for its strategic advantage may also be constrained. This prospect will surely influence the calculation of Saudi leaders, who will wonder if Tehran has the political will or even the means to deliver on the Houthis.
The significance of these contending calculations will ultimately rest on the course of US-Iranian relations and the fate of the JCPOA. Recent statements by Iranian negotiators that talks will resume in Vienna by the end of November could indicate a real desire to get back to the negotiating table.
At the end of the day, both Iran and Saudi Arabia will benefit from a process of détente which, if it advances, could provide substantial economic benefits.
Thus, whether by design or default, the confusion occasioned by the various promises and statements made by Iranian leaders
At the very least, an incremental process of détente might lower political and strategic temperatures in the Gulf while winning a measure of support from western leaders. In the Gulf, as elsewhere, détente is more about managing rather than transcending conflicts.
https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/the-limits-of-saudi-iranian-detente/
(A P)
Vietnam seeks information from Iran about seized oil tanker
(* A P)
Iranian claims that US tried to detain tanker false, Pentagon says
The Pentagon on Wednesday (Nov 3) rejected claims by Iran's Revolutionary Guards that they thwarted an attempt by the United States to detain a tanker carrying the Islamic Republic's oil in the Sea of Oman.
"I've seen the Iranian claims, they are absolutely totally false and untrue ... it's a bogus claim," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
"The only seizing that was done was by Iran," Kirby said.
American officials said that in reality Iranian forces had seized a Vietnamese-flagged oil tanker last month, and U.S. naval forces were just monitoring the situation.
"With the timely and authoritative action of the Guards naval forces, the US terrorist Navy's operation to steal Iranian oil in the Sea of Oman failed," Iran's elite Guards said in a statement published by Iranian state media earlier on Wednesday.
"The tanker carrying Iran's oil docked at the port of Bandar Abbas on Oct 25."
While Iranian media identified the seized tanker as "SOTHYS" - the name tanker tracking websites give for a Vietnam-flagged vessel - state TV aired footage showing a red tanker surrounded by about 10 speedboats. It also included a recording of what TV said was the encounter between Iranian and US forces.
Iran has repeatedly warned the United States about its military activities in the Gulf, saying that the Guards' naval forces have increased patrols to also secure the passage of Iranian ships and combat fuel smuggling.
DRONES
Giving details of the reported incident, Press TV said the Guards had reacted "promptly" when the Iranian oil tanker was detained in the Sea of Oman.
"Members of the Guards naval forces carried out a heliborne operation on the detained tanker's deck, gained control of the vessel, and directed it back toward Iran's territorial waters," Press TV reported.
Separately, American officials told Reuters that several drones, believed to be Iranian, had come close to the US Navy amphibious assault ship Essex in the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours.
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iranian-state-tv-says-iran-thwarts-us-attempt-steal-oil-sea-oman-2021-11-03/ = https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/iranian-claims-us-tried-detain-tanker-false-pentagon-says-2288751
and
(* A P)
Officials tell AP that Iran seized Vietnamese oil tanker
Iran seized a Vietnamese-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman last month and still holds the vessel, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday, revealing the latest provocation in Mideast waters as tensions escalate between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Iran’s powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard troops took control of the MV Southys, a vessel that analysts suspect of trying to transfer sanctioned Iranian crude oil to Asia, on Oct. 24 at gunpoint. U.S. forces had monitored the seizure, but ultimately didn’t take action as the vessel sailed into Iranian waters.
Iran celebrated its capture of the vessel in dramatic footage aired on state television, the day before the 42nd anniversary of the 1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
and
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2021/10/31/the-limits-of-saudi-iranian-detente/
(A P)
Film: Iran's state news agency Fars publishes what it says "first images of the IRGC navy colliding with American ships" that happened 9 days ago.
https://twitter.com/Naseh_Shaker/status/1455925204736163852
https://twitter.com/FarsNews_Agency/status/1455913416934281221
Film: #Iran's footage of today's incident in the Strait of Hormuz is revealing -- the #IRGC-N has no qualms in getting VERY close to U.S. vessels, as there's no cost associated with doing so.
https://twitter.com/Charles_Lister/status/1455928656803532801
(* B K P)
Threatening Military Attack on Iran Is Against the U.S. Interest
Nothing would be more likely to strengthen the arguments of hawks in Tehran who believe Iran needs a nuclear deterrent—which in the past it had taken some steps toward acquiring—than threats of foreign military attack against their country.
Whatever the reason, appeals for enhanced saber-rattling directed at Iran have come recently from several voices, including both Dennis Ross and Michael Singh of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and Blaise Misztal and Jonathan Ruhe of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA).
The saber-rattlers get some things right. The JINSA authors, for example, are correct in describing Iran’s acceleration of its nuclear activities during the past couple of years as a bargaining chip intended to induce the United States to negotiate seriously, which is basically the same way the Iranians were using an expanding nuclear program when the JCPOA was first being negotiated.
If Ross is now saying that it is only more recently that Iran started seeking a threshold capability, then blame that development on the Trump administration’s folly of abandoning the JCPOA, not on some longstanding and unstated Iranian scheme.
Ross acknowledges how isolated the United States became from the other JCPOA parties under the Trump administration but has an odd way of trying to overcome the isolation. He correctly notes that Russia, China, and the Europeans don’t want a new major armed conflict in the Middle East. However, he contends that his formula for isolating and threatening Iran is the way to assuage their concerns because, he says, such threats are needed to contain the Iranian nuclear program, which, if not contained, “would produce” the feared major new armed conflict. Most analysts of Russian, Chinese, and European thinking would be unlikely to agree that issuing threats of armed attack would reassure those governments regarding the dangers of a new war in the region, rather than just alarming them more.
Missing from all of the saber rattlers arguments is the central fact that after the JCPOA was signed, it was working; It closed the paths to a possible Iranian nuclear weapon, and Iran complied with all of its restrictions until a year after the Trump administration totally reneged on the U.S. obligations under that agreement. It is because of that reneging, not because of some new game that the Iranians have decided to play, that the current diplomatic impasse exists.
None of these authors come close to describing accurately the nature of that impasse since negotiations began in Vienna on restoring compliance with the JCPOA.
In fact, the Iranian administration of President Hassan Rouhani, who was in office until August of this year, made clear that Iran would accept a clean, simple return to the JCPOA as originally negotiated. This Iranian position was underscored by Tehran’s continued observance of the JCPOA limits for a full year after the U.S. reneged. That a return to compliance has not happened this year can be attributed more to the Biden administration’s dilatoriness and introduction of new demands than to Iran playing a new game.
To the extent that Iran has countered with a new demand of its own, it has centered on getting assurances that it will receive all the economic relief it was owed under the original agreement. The enforcement side of the JCPOA is very one-sided and stacked against Iran – by Paul R. Pillar
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/threatening-military-attack-iran-against-us-interest-195829
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
Siehe / Look at cp6
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Film: MEMO in conversation with Toby Cadman
Watch our conversation with international law specialist Toby Cadman as we discuss details of the legal case he filed to the UK police and the Crown Prosecution Service about alleged Saudi and UAE war crimes in Yemen
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20211103-memo-in-conversation-with-toby-cadman/
cp11 Deutschland / Germany
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Germany alarmed over tensions between Lebanon, Gulf states
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Mehrere hundert Illegale allein im November
Der Migrationsdruck aus Weißrußland hält auch im November ungebremst an. Allein die Bundespolizeidirektion Berlin hat in den ersten drei Tagen des Monats 199 illegale Einreisen über die deutsch-polnische Grenze in Brandenburg registriert. Der Großteil der Migranten, die von Weißrußland aus über Polen nach Deutschland kamen, stammte aus Syrien, dem Jemen und Iran.
https://jungefreiheit.de/politik/deutschland/2021/mehrere-hundert-illegale-allein-im-november/
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
Türkei / Turkey: Siehe / Look at cp1
(A H)
Spain: They detain a Yemeni man in Cartagena for keeping his two nieces kidnapped for eight years
The police investigation began last year when they denounced that four women from a foster family lived in full submission to the man.
The National Police have arrested a 54-year-old male of Yemeni nationality who allegedly held his two nieces, one of them a minor, kidnapped for eight years when he left their country of origin with them in 2014 without authorization.
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The Taliban have gone to the UAE to support the Afghan national cricket team against India Ahmadullah Waseiq, the Taliban government's deputy spokesman, said in a video that they had come to Abu Dhabi with a group of Taliban officials in support of the Afghan national cricket team against India.
https://twitter.com/aamajnews24/status/1455904029654102016
cp12a Katar-Krise / Qatar crisis
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#Saudi cedes important corridor to #Qatar , impacting #American base in #AlOdaid. Ras Abu Qamis was ince Qatari until #Saudi Clan annexed it.
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1456317178475696128
cp12b Sudan
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Sudan forces disperse anti-coup protesters, arrest dozens
Sudan’s security forces dispersed demonstrators and rounded up more than 100 people Sunday in the capital of Khartoum, in the latest crackdown on pro-democracy protesters after last month’s military coup.
The Sudanese military seized power Oct. 25, dissolving the transitional government and arresting dozens of officials and politicians. The coup has drawn international criticism and massive protests in the streets of Khartoum and elsewhere in the country.
The takeover has upended the country’s fragile planned transition to democratic rule, more than two years after a popular uprising forced the removal of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir and his Islamist government.
Teachers and education workers protested the coup outside the Education Ministry in Khartoum’s district of Bahri, according to the Sudanese Professionals’ Association, which led the uprising against al-Bashir.
Security forces used tear gas to disperse the protesters and arrested at least 113 people, mostly teachers, said lawyer Moez Hadra. There were sporadic protests elsewhere in Khartoum, he said.
Local authorities announced the resumption of school classes in the capital for the first time since the coup.
Sunday was the first of two days of nationwide strikes called by the SPA, which vowed to continue protesting until a full civilian government is established to lead the transition. Several shops and businesses in Khartoum were seen open, according to a video journalist with The Associated Press.
The fresh crackdown has also come as mediation efforts between the military and civilian leaders have stumbled, according to a military official with knowledge of the ongoing efforts.
Mediators, including the United Nations envoy in Sudan, were still working to soften the stand of each side, as both are still stick to their pre-conditions before engaging in “meaningful, possibly direct talks,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.
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After the Coup, Restoring Sudan’s Transition
Mass protests have erupted throughout Sudan following the 25 October coup, prompting backlash from the security forces. In this Q&A, Crisis Group expert Jonas Horner outlines de-escalatory moves that could reinstate the constitutional order – and reset the country’s transition.
What has been the reaction to the coup over the past two weeks?
The Sudanese people have mobilised swiftly and peacefully against the 25 October coup, recalling the protests that toppled the dictator Omar al-Bashir in April 2019. Since the generals wrested full control of government from the civilian-military power-sharing arrangement made to oversee the post-Bashir transition, men and women in the capital Khartoum and other towns have taken to the streets, culminating in coordinated countrywide demonstrations numbering hundreds of thousands on 30 October. Many Sudanese workers are meanwhile striking, paralysing the country’s economy, though banks and key businesses such as pharmacies have occasionally reopened as organisers sought to ease the burden on the public. Protesters have also erected roadblocks in Khartoum, leaving most streets not being used for demonstrations deserted. Further protests are expected in the days ahead with a nationwide set of gatherings scheduled for 7 November.
The military, which has declared a state of emergency, has shown it is ready to use force. Reports indicate that security forces have killed at least twenty protesters since 25 October, with soldiers in some instances firing directly into crowds. The generals have also turned off the internet and arrested many activists, as well as those ministers from the ousted civilian cabinet whom they see as particularly effective opponents.
What do military leaders want?
The generals claim to have acted in the Sudanese people’s interest, saying the civilian cabinet had failed to get the country’s economy moving or to calm tensions that could spark conflict. Underpinning the coup, however, was the generals’ fear that a civilian would chip away at their powers and protections if one were to assume ch
What negotiations are under way and how are they going?
Negotiations between the FFC and Burhan are under way. While the civilian negotiators are publicly pushing for the return of Hamdok and his full former cabinet, it is unclear if they can achieve this goal given how much power the military now wields.
https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/horn-africa/sudan/after-coup-restoring-sudans-transition
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Sudan activists reject power-sharing with army, call strikes
Sudan’s protest movement has rejected internationally backed initiatives to return to a power-sharing arrangement with the military after last month’s coup, announcing two days of nationwide strikes starting Sunday.
The movement called for the establishment of a civilian government to lead a transition to democracy.
The call came as a leader of the country’s main political party accused the military leadership of negotiating in bad faith.
The Sudanese Professionals Association, which led the uprising against al-Bashir, said late Friday that mediation initiatives which “seek a new settlement” between the military and civilian leaders would “reproduce and worsen” the country’s crisis.
The association vowed to continue protesting until a full civilian government is established to lead the transition.
Under the slogan of: “No negotiations, no compromise, no power-sharing,” the association, which has a presence across the country, called for strikes and civil disobedience Sunday and Monday.
On Thursday, the top U.S. diplomat spoke separately by phone with the military leader, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and Abdalla Hamdok, the deposed prime minister who was put under house arrest during the coup.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged for an immediate return to a civilian-led government
Al-Wathig al-Berier, the secretary general of the Umma party, urged the international community Friday to pressure the military to de-escalate. Since the coup, the generals have continued to dismantle the transitional government and arrest pro-democracy leaders. The Umma is Sudan’s largest political party and has ministers in the now-deposed government.
“We truly need to prepare the atmosphere and de-escalate matters so that we can sit at the table,” al-Berier told The Associated Press. “But clearly the military faction is continuing with its plan and there are no efforts to show good will.”
He was referring to Thursday’s arrest of leaders from the Forces for Freedom and Change, a coalition that was born out of the 2019 protest movement. The military detained three leaders of the movement shortly after they met with U.N. officials in Khartoum. The meeting was part of U.N.-led mediation efforts.
Al-Berier said the mediation efforts have yet to produce results, blaming the military for that failure. He warned of possible bloodshed since the military and the protest movement have become increasingly entrenched in their positions.
He urged the international community to increase pressure on the military leaders to reverse the coup.
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UN rights body holds urgent session in wake of Sudan coup
https://apnews.com/article/europe-middle-east-africa-sudan-geneva-16e60245c999e12392984c19f1c2757b
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Report: Sudan military to free 4 ministers detained in coup
Sudan’s top general on Thursday ordered the release of four ministers of the now-deposed government who were detained amid a widely condemned military coup last week, the country’s state-run news agency reported.
Thursday’s development comes as the country’s top generals and former civilian leaders are locked in tense negotiations for a way out of the crisis sparked by the military takeover last week. International pressure to resolve the crisis and re-install the civilian transitional government has been mounting. Meanwhile, protest leaders and rights workers are warning of a widespread arrest campaign against activists and opposition leaders.
https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-africa-sudan-united-nations-667c286e05f443323b4644f0c3f1ca75
(A P)
Family of slain Sudan protester vows to resist coup
https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-africa-sudan-9934176e4ac711b381e060a196bc3467
(A P)
Saudi, UAE join foreign pressure to overturn Sudan's coup
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and Britain called on Wednesday for the restoration of Sudan's civilian-led government in the latest show of international pressure to reverse a military coup.
cp12c Libanonkrise / Lebanon crisis
(A P)
Arab League holds talks in Lebanon over Gulf row
A senior Arab League official held talks in Lebanon on Monday in a bid to ease a rift with Saudi Arabia over criticism of its role in the Yemen war, saying the crisis could have been defused if the minister who made the comments had resigned.
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Saudi-Arabien erklärt dem Libanon den Krieg: Warum hat Mohammad bin Salman seinen Verstand verloren?
Was ist der Grund für diese unverhältnismäßige saudische Reaktion?
Verdient die Meinung eines libanesischen Ministers zum Krieg im Jemen diese Eskalation, oder wurden Kordahis Worte von Riad als Vorwand benutzt, um ein bestimmtes politisches Ziel zu verwirklichen – so wie die Ermordung des österreichisch-ungarischen Thronfolgers als Vorwand für die Auslösung des Ersten Weltkriegs diente? Und wohin wird diese Konfrontation führen?
Eine vorgeplante saudische Eskalation
Die Eskalation Saudi-Arabiens gegen den Libanon ist keine Reaktion auf die Haltung eines libanesischen Ministers zum Krieg gegen den Jemen.
Vielmehr ist sie das Ergebnis einer im Voraus getroffenen Entscheidung des saudischen Kronprinzen Mohammad bin Salman (MbS), die libanesische Arena zu sprengen.
Am 2. Oktober enthüllte der ehemalige Korrespondent von Al-Arabiya (von Saudi-Arabien finanzierte Medien), Ali Noun, in einem Interview des libanesischen Senders Al-Jadeed – einen ganzen Monat vor Kordahis Jemen-Erklärung -, dass „es bestätigte Informationen über Diskussionen gibt, die in den Korridoren des Golf-Kooperationsrates stattfinden, um eine einheitliche Position zu finden, die für die Interessen des Libanon nicht positiv sein wird“.
Noun hat diese feindselige Eskalation bereits vor einem Monat aufgedeckt. Warum also bereitet sich Saudi-Arabien mit arabischer Unterstützung darauf vor, den Libanon ins Visier zu nehmen und zu isolieren? Was ist der Grund für dieses spezielle Timing?
Eine diplomatische Quelle erklärt gegenüber The Cradle, dass „Saudi-Arabien die libanesische Angelegenheit seit langem mit der jemenitischen Angelegenheit verknüpft hat“. Während der saudi-iranischen Verhandlungen, die auf Einladung des irakischen Premierministers Mustafa Kadhimi im Irak stattfanden, schlug der Iran vor, das libanesische Dossier zu erörtern, aber die Saudis antworteten, dass der Libanon für uns keine Priorität sei.
Als die Saudis den Iran um eine Intervention baten, um die Houthis zu einer Einigung im Jemen zu drängen, antwortete die iranische Seite, dass sie nur als Freund des jemenitischen Widerstands, der Ansarallah, beteiligt sei, Teheran aber keine Kontrolle über sie habe.
Dies verärgerte Riad, auch wenn daraufhin fast ein Dutzend weiterer direkter Gespräche zwischen den Saudis und den Houthis folgten, von denen keines zu einer Einigung führte. Die Gespräche hatten keine nennenswerten Auswirkungen auf das Schlachtfeld im Jemen, und die saudischen Niederlagen in der entscheidenden Region Marib hielten unvermindert an.
Eine der libanesischen Widerstandsbewegung Hisbollah nahestehende Quelle bestätigt gegenüber The Cradle ebenfalls, dass Saudi-Arabien sich zu einer Eskalation im Libanon entschlossen hat, obwohl die Feindseligkeiten Riads gegenüber Beirut seit langem in der Öffentlichkeit bekannt sind – spätestens seit der Entführung des damaligen libanesischen Ministerpräsidenten Saad Hariri 2017 in Saudi-Arabien
Hinzu kommt die persönliche Abneigung Mohammad bin Salmans gegen Hariri, die dazu führte, dass Saudi-Arabien seiner politischen Partei, der Zukunftsbewegung, die materielle Unterstützung entzog und Hariri de facto vom Amt des Premierministers ausschloss.
Der Leiter eines libanesischen Sicherheitsdienstes erklärte gegenüber The Cradle anonym, dass der Führer der Libanesischen Streitkräfte (LF) im Zusammenhang mit dem blutigen bewaffneten Überfall auf Demonstranten in Beirut Mitte Oktober, der angeblich von der rechten Partei Lebanese Forces (LF) organisiert wurde, „Samir Geagea das getan hat, was Saad Hariri abgelehnt hat“.
Das bedeutet, dass die Saudis im Libanon von Bord gegangen sind. Sie haben ihre zersplitternde politische Bewegung mit sunnitischer Mehrheit für die rechtsextremen christlichen Arme von Geagea aufgegeben, der bereits seine Bereitschaft gezeigt hat, die Hisbollah in eine bewaffnete Konfrontation zu locken.
Wie Hariri hat auch der derzeitige libanesische Ministerpräsident Najib Mikati kein gutes Verhältnis zu Saudi-Arabien, da er sein Kabinett mit grünem Licht der USA und Frankreichs und nicht Saudi-Arabiens gebildet hat.
Eine hochrangige libanesische Medienquelle berichtet The Cradle, dass im vergangenen Monat mindestens ein großer, von Saudi-Arabien finanzierter Medienkanal im Libanon im Stillen Untersuchungsberichte über „Mikatis Korruption“ in Auftrag gegeben hat.
Ein saudischer Plan zur Rückeroberung des Libanon
Saudi-Arabien wird seine Eskalation im Libanon bis zu den Parlamentswahlen im nächsten Jahr fortsetzen, so die der Hisbollah nahestehende Quelle. Die Wahlen sind der Schlüssel zum saudischen Plan – sie sind der Mechanismus, auf den Riad setzt, um seinen politischen Einfluss im Libanon wiederzuerlangen.
https://uncutnews.ch/saudi-arabien-erklaert-dem-libanon-den-krieg-warum-hat-mohammad-bin-salman-seinen-verstand-verloren/ = https://greenpass.news/warum-hat-mohammad-bin-salman-seinen-verstand-verloren-uncut-news-ch/
(B P)
Between Lebanon and Yemen’s Marib.. Why is the confusion in Saudi...
Estimates indicate that the reason for the increasing confusion in Saudi policies in the region is what is happening in Marib, where Riyadh is fighting a battle to stop the war there with all its cards, for fear of inevitable defeat.
Director of the Office fields In Beirut, Ugarit Dandash said that “in light of what is happening in the entire region, especially what is happening in Marib, the approach of complete control of this strategic region, and consequently the complete defeat of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and behind it the defeat of the Saudi project in front of the axis of resistance in particular, It is natural to expect this party of madness, to continue, and to use all available means.”
On the Israeli side, Israeli writer Seth Frantzman commented in the “Jerusalem Post” newspaper, saying that “Riyadh wants to limit Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon, and Iran responds to it in Yemen.” to Iraq, Syria and Lebanon,” adding that “th
In this context, the writer in political affairs, Ghassan Saud, in an interview with fields, “The lack of morals expressed by Saudi Arabia reflects the resounding defeat,” noting that “Riyadh finds it easy to insult the Lebanese because no Lebanese official objects to what it is doing.”
Saud stressed that “the Lebanese should act with Saudi Arabia as the losing team,” adding that “Saudi Arabia’s performance in Lebanon reinforces the impression of naivety.”
He added, “The Lebanese citizen knows that the Saudi-backed channels aim to drag them into sedition,” noting that “Saad Hariri paid a huge price because of his refusal to go ahead with Saudi Arabia’s desire for the civil war in Lebanon.”
Saud pointed out that “the Saudi project in Lebanon was defeated three years ago, when
(A P)
Bahrain: Demonstranten solidarisieren sich mit George Kordahi + Video und Bilder
(* B E P)
Saudi import ban deals another blow to reeling Lebanese industry
At Oriental Paper Products and businesses across Lebanon, the impact is already being felt.
The company had been producing $500,000 worth of books and office supplies destined for Saudi Arabia, when the ban came into force.
"We already had our problems and now they (Lebanese politicians) increased them. God help the Lebanese," Chief Executive Officer, Ziad Bekdache, told Reuters.
The row comes at a particularly bad time for the Lebanese economy.
Industries had sought to leverage increased competitiveness due to the currency's collapse to boost exports to Saudi Arabia from $240 million in 2020 to $600 million, said Bekdache, also the deputy head of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists.
"Now, it's zero," he said, noting several Lebanese companies had begun moving factories to countries including Oman, Turkey and Cyprus to evade the Saudi ban.
Non-food Lebanese exports to Saudi Arabia include aluminium, gold and jewellery, machinery, soaps and paints.
"It's as if there is a plan to break the economic and industrial sectors in Lebanon, in addition to cutting the ties and connections between Lebanon and the world, and especially the Gulf and Saudi Arabia," Bekdache said.
Lebanese businesses have been battered by one of the worst economic crises in the country's history. This was compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and a massive explosion at Beirut's port last year that wrecked parts of the capital.
The Lebanese pound, tethered to the U.S. dollar for more than two decades, has depreciated by more than 90 percent since 2019, slashing the purchasing power of locals, while the global shutdown drastically reduced exports.
Then in April, Saudi Arabia blocked imports of Lebanese agricultural products and food after a spike in drug smuggling that Saudi authorities said Lebanon had failed to address.
Lebanon says it has taken measures to address the problem since then, including several major drug busts.
(* B P)
Analysis: Lebanon a new setting for Bin Salman’s self-harm
Riyadh’s gamble to topple PM Mikati
The fact that Saudi Arabia has been exerting influence and pressure on Lebanese politicians for years to weaken Hezbollah in the Lebanese political arena and remove Hezbollah from the cabinet formation process is undeniable. The high popular legitimacy of Hezbollah, which is caused by its defense of the national security and sovereignty in the face of the Israeli hostility and a source uplift to national pride, has been alarming to its enemies. Although the current critical economic conditions are a result of decades of wrong policies of the Saudi and Western-backed parties in Lebanon, the Western-Arab-Israeli camp are seeking to paint the current economic predicament an effect of Hezbollah presence in the government. Western sanctions on Lebanese figures and banks with links to Hezbollah or fabricating the documents about the devastating Beirut port explosions are precisely driven by anti-Hezbollah intentions and meant to aggravate the crisis in Lebanon.
Now that amid a mass of foreign obstructionist efforts to perpetuate the political crisis the cooperation of political parties, with the centrality of Hezbollah, has led to the end of a political stalemate and the formation of a cabinet, Riyadh is striving for collapse of Mikati's fledgling government.
So far, Mikati has tried to ease the tensions by persuading Saudi Arabia and other sanctioning countries to soften their tone, in a show of difference between his views and those of his minister Kurdahi. On the other hand, Mikati does not want to give up to the Saudi pressures and resign in disgrace because this will damage his legacy of three terms in office as PM. He knows that his surrender to Riyadh would be considered damaging to national pride by public opinion.
Bin Salman is resorting to a political gamble again and this time can bring him a defeat heavier than those brought by Qatar crisis. It should not be ignored that Qatar, Oman, Jordan, and Egypt, which are part of the so-called Saudi coalition in Yemen war, did not side with Saudi Arabia in the boycott of Lebanon. This reality means that even forcing the Lebanese government to expel Kurdahi from the cabinet will not bring honor and respect to Riyadh. To conclude, the current controversy has been nothing but disgraceful to Saudi Arabia.
(B P)
Hezbollah-Saudi crisis deepens and could impact Israel – analysis
Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have expelled Lebanon’s ambassadors in recent days. Hezbollah may see an opening and could increase tensions
A crisis between Hezbollah and Saudi Arabia is growing.
“We are facing a crisis created by one of the countries in the region, which is waging a brutal war against another Arab country,” said Mohammed Raad, head of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese parliament.
The regional tensions could also affect Israel.
Raad was quoted in Iranian media in recent days. His comments refer to Saudi Arabia’s “hostile” actions against Lebanon. I
(A P)
Head of #Saudi chamber of commerce calls for a total boycott of #Lebanon. He previously called for boycotting #Turkey
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1456595885245222917
referring to https://twitter.com/ajlnalajlan/status/1456294024898355210
(A P)
Outspoken Lebanese Minister Reiterates He Will Not Resign Under Saudi Pressure
Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi stressed that he will not step down as a result of the ongoing political row between Beirut and Riyadh, days after Saudi Arabia launched a campaign of pressure on Lebanon in response to his comments critical of the kingdom's devastating war on Yemen.
(A P)
Lebanese Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah Bou Habib downplayed the importance of Saudi financial support for #Lebanon, stating that #Gulf states, and #SaudiArabia in particular, have spent a lot of money in Lebanon on elections, but the state did not directly benefit.
Referring to #Hezbollah, Bou Habib said Lebanon was “ailing” and unable to find a cure for its ailment.
He revealed that he had told an official of the previous #US administration: “If you send 100,000 Marines, rid us of #Hezbollah and want to celebrate, then the champagne is on us.”
https://twitter.com/megaphone_news/status/1455869017885917193
(A P)
Hisbollah-Offizieller im saudischen Streit: Libanon wird Drohungen nicht nachgeben
(A P)
Lebanon condemns Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia
Foreign Ministry expresses solidarity with Saudi Arabia after Houthi assaults on its territories
The statement comes amid a diplomatic row between Beirut and Riyadh over comments by Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi on the war in Yemen.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/lebanon-condemns-houthi-attack-on-saudi-arabia/2411844
My comment: LOL.
(A P)
Lebanese PM urges minister to ‘take right decision’ over GCC rift
Najib Mikati calls on Information Minister George Kordahi to prioritise national interests as pressure grows over his remarks on the Saudi-led war in Yemen.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has called on beleaguered Information Minister George Kordahi to make Lebanon’s national interests a “priority” on Thursday, hinting that he should resign after his remarks on the Saudi-led war in Yemen which led to a continuing diplomatic rift with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
“I call on the minister of information to listen to his conscience, take the position that should be taken and give priority to the national interests,” Mikati said in a speech on Thursday.
“We are determined to resolve our relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the brotherly Gulf countries,” he added.
Pressure continues to mount on Kordahi
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/4/lebanese-pm-suggests-minister-should-resign-over-gcc-rift
(A P)
Lebanon draws up 'roadmap' to end row with Saudis - presidency
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Thursday he had agreed with President Michel Aoun on a "roadmap" to solve a diplomatic row with Saudi Arabia, according to a Lebanese presidency post on Twitter.
(A P)
#Saudi ambassador @bukhariwaleeed told a group of #Lebanese politicians & media mouthpiece loyal to #Saudi monarchy that they are not getting any more money. He shouted at the March 14 Alliance politicians “The begging policy is over.”
https://twitter.com/AliAlAhmed_en/status/1455819161960165383
(B P)
Some Lebanese believe that there is no harm in sacrificing George Kordahi in order to avoid Saudi economic sanctions, and this is a superficial and erroneous understanding, because this means sacrificing what remains of Lebanese sovereignty
https://twitter.com/HussainBukhaiti/status/1454930833341616128
(A P)
Lebanon seeks dialogue with Saudi Arabia despite new tension
Lebanon on Wednesday sought a dialogue with Saudi Arabia to resolve an unprecedented diplomatic rift over a Lebanese Cabinet minister’s comments, even as new reasons for tension emerged.
(A P)
Hezbollah on Saudi Row: Lebanon Won’t Give In to Threats
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000812000588/Hezbllah-n-Sadi-Rw-Lebann-Wn%E2%80%99-Give-In-Threas
(B P)
Beirut a battleground in the power struggle between Iran and Saudi Arabia
Attending the dedicated climate change summit (Cop26) underway in Glasgow, Prime Minister Mikati has been in contact with Arab and Western leaders to plead Lebanon's case. Among these leaders are French President Emmanuel Macron and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. The French head of state expressed the importance for Paris of "economic and political stability in Lebanon".
In fact, neither France nor the United States want the resignation or the paralysis of a government born after many months of efforts and essential guarantor - with the army - of stability, in a nation otherwise in collapse.
Washington would have decided to mediate between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. Its intervention, as well as that of France, is all the more vital because the Wahhabi kingdom and its Gulf neighbors are considered the main donors on which Lebanon's partners rely to bring a breath of fresh air to the government.
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade
Siehe / Look at cp9
(A E)
#Yemen: fees of money transfer between regions run by the government and those run by the Houthi militia have increased to 150% of the value of the transaction. That means when someone wants to transfer 100,000 rials from Aden to Sanaa, exchangers charge a fee of 150,000 rials.
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/1457426524244746251
(* B K P)
Were Saudi Arabia’s Apache Attack Helicopters Really Used ‘Defensively’ in Yemen War?
If not, it could have repercussions for Biden's promise to end all offensive operations in Yemen.
But on September 16, 2021, the U.S. Defense Security & Cooperation Agency approved a $500 million Maintenance Support Service contract to arrange for the upkeep of Saudi Arabia’s military helicopters, including notably its dozens of heavily armed AH-64D/E model Apache attack helicopters and attack-capable Bell 406 Combat Scouts.
The deal, if approved by Congress, would see 350 civilian contractors and two U.S. government officials oversee maintenance to keep Saudi Arabian helicopters and their weapons operational, train crew to operate them, and implement upgrades.
The authorization is perceived as reflecting a softening of the Biden administration’s critical stance towards Riyadh but has been defended on the basis that Saudi attack helicopters have been primarily employed for defense of the Saudi border against insurgent attacks, rather than the airstrikes infamous for killing or wounding an estimated eighteen thousand Yemeni civilians.
If the aim of Biden’s vow was to cut funding for any equipment sustaining Riyadh’s war in Yemen, then even, say, troop-carrying UH-60L/M utility helicopters listed in the maintenance contract might be considered objectionable. But if the ban targets systems directly implicated in the indiscriminate air attacks, then it matters whether Saudi Arabia’s Apache helicopters were used offensively and in operations that killed civilians.
With that in mind, this article surveys what media reports and the book Hot Skies Over Yemen Vol.2 by aviation historian Tom Cooper (with whom I also corresponded) reported regarding where and how Saudi Apaches were used in the conflict, as well as where they crashed or were shot down.
Summary of Findings
Sources confirm the loss of at least five Saudi and one UAEAF Apache, including at least two to hostile fire. An additional AH-64 crash-landed in Yemen after being struck by a missile, and one more forced to land due to ‘technical failures’. Pro-Houthi sources claim six more Apaches were shot down, without confirmation.
It appears true that the Saudi Apaches were extensively used to combat Houthi forces along the border area, and often well inside Saudi territory. However, several sources report Saudi Apaches also supported ground offensives targeting cities like Hajjah city and Hudaydah. Though Apache attacks reportedly targeted legitimate military targets like enemy mechanized units, supporting offensives seeking to capture cities in Yemen cannot be described as “defensive.” Nor can the continuation of a naval blockade. Furthermore, Saudi Apaches are confirmed to have crashed in Marib province and been based in al-Mahra province, far from the border.
Saudi Apaches are alleged to have caused mass civilian casualties in at least three incidents totaling 114 civilian deaths. In one incident, Saudi authorities claimed Yemeni fishermen were smuggling arms and were, therefore, a valid target. In two other incidents, Saudi authorities deny responsibility.
cp13b Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage
(B C)
Film: Old Sanaa
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/1457020554477768711
cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy
(* A E)
The Yemeni riyal continues to free-fall against other currencies reaching all-time low of 1520 against the US dollars in the STC-militia controlled Aden and affiliate government-held towns of Marib and Taiz/Multiple websites
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-52004
(A E P)
[Sanaa gov.] Police seize amount of illegal currency in Taiz
Security forces in Taiz province seized 3, 623,400 riyals of illegal and fake currency printed by the US-Saudi aggression coalition for the purpose of harming the national economy [banknotes rejected by the Sanaa gov.]
The province’s security units in the province said it seized 3,464,000 riyals of illegal currency and 577,000 riyals of fake currency in the category of 1,000 riyals encoding the letter “D”.
They also seized 705,500 riyals off the national currency that violates a circular issued by the Central Bank of Yemen for travelers not to carry more than 100,000 riyals.
The seized funds were referred to the competent authorities.
http://en.ypagency.net/243136/
(* A E H)
Southern provinces witness unprecedented surge in food prices
Citizens in the southern provinces have complained of an unprecedented rise of food prices after the continued collapse of Yemen’s riyal against foreign currencies.
” The price of the roti bread reached 50 riyals, after the price of the bag of wheat weighs 50kg exceeded 40,000 riyals, and the price of a gallon of cooking oil of 4 liters hit 10,000 riyals in Taiz, Aden and Lahj provinces,” activists said on social media.
They blamed Saudi-led coalition and Hadi government for the economic collapse, calling for a speedy creation of real remedies to save citizens’ lives from a possible humanitarian disaster.
Food prices in Aden recorded an unprecedented rise due to the collapse of the Yemeni riyal in the southern provinces against the US dollar, which exceeded 1,540 Yemeni riyals.
http://en.ypagency.net/243139/
(A E P)
Yemeni PM: Rial decline steered battle amid foreign money auction
The rial depreciation is a steered battle, the Yemeni prime minister said on Thursday, as the Aden-based Central Bank of Yemen (CBY) announced an auction to sell and purchase foreign moneys.
"It's incorrect to think that the national currency's decline is just procedural matter," PM Maeen Abdulmalek said at meeting with CBY officials in Aden.
"It's rather a steered battle involving speculators and profit-makers. Thus, everyone should cooperate in order to win" this battle.
Decline in the rial exchange rate has disastrous complications to people's daily livings, so work should be integrated and all efforts mobilized in order to find urgent solutions, Yemen's PM said.
The government supports measures taken by the CBY to bring back cash flow to the banking system, he added.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-27636.html
(A E P)
Yemen invites banks to auction foreign currencies next week
The Central Bank of Yemen in Aden called on commercial banks to participate in a public auction for buying and selling foreign currencies next week.
The bank said in a statement Thursday; This step aims to counter the disruptions in the working mechanisms of the money market and relieve pressure on buying hard currencies from the market, which is causing the current rapid deterioration of the local currency.
https://middleeast.in-24.com/business/384176.html
(A E P)
rial continued to plunge against US dollar in government-run regions on Thursday, hitting its lowest level in the country's history. It's trading at 1,495 per US dollar, exchangers in Aden said. A US dollar was buying 930 rials in May, and 215 rials before war in 2014.
https://twitter.com/FuadRajeh/status/1456331714104528897
(A E P)
UN warns of unprecedented collapse of Yemeni riyal
The United Nations warned on Wednesday, of an unprecedented collapse of the value of the local currency in southern Yemen, which further aggravates the economic, living and humanitarian conditions in the poor country that has been wracked by a bloody war for seven years.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/34002
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
(B T)
Britische Terroristin soll nun im Jemen kämpfen
Es gibt wieder eine Spur, die zu einer der meistgesuchten Terroristinnen der Welt führt: Lange wusste man nicht, wo sich die Britin Samantha Lewthwaite aufhält. Britische Medien berichteten nun, dass die zum Islam konvertierte und als „Weiße Witwe“ bezeichnete Extremistin zuletzt im Jemen gesehen wurde. Dort soll die 37-Jährige an der Seite von Dschihadisten im Bürgerkrieg kämpfen. Lewthwaite soll bereits mehr als 400 Menschen auf dem Gewissen haben.
(B T)
White Widow Samantha Lewthwaite feared to be alive and fighting with jihadis in Yemen
WHITE Widow Samantha Lewthwaite is feared to be alive and fighting with jihadis in Yemen — ten years after becoming the world’s most wanted woman.
The extremist, once married to a 7/7 suicide bomber, first fled investigators in Africa for a haven in the Middle East, sources believe.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/16666427/samantha-lewthwaite-fighting-with-jihadis-in-yemen/ = https://editorials24.com/2021/11/white-widow-samantha-lewthwaite-feared-to-be-alive-and-fighting-with-jihadis-in-yemen/
(A T)
#AlQaeda in #Yemen issues more claims of IEDs on Houthi vehicles in Bayda. What's interesting. Forgets Fits recent pattern of #AQAP claiming sole focus is Houthis (which suits Houthi narrative) But may also mean AQAP doesn't recognise or has junior role in ops in south (image)
https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/1456658177563533318
cp15 Propaganda
(A P)
Iran, everywhere?
The religious clerics in Tehran do not understand that the era of conquest and occupation is over.
A few months ago, the father-in-law of the Iranian president, Ibrahim Raisi, the Friday Imam in Mashhad, Mullah Alam Al-Huda, delivered a sermon where he spoke openly about the reality of the Iraqi, Lebanese, Syrian, Yemeni and Palestinian proxy militias and their functions.
He actually said, “Iran today is not limited by geographical borders. Today, Iran is the Popular Mobilisation Forces. It is also Lebanon’s Hezbollah. It is Ansar Allah in Yemen. It is the National Front in Syria. It is the Islamic Jihad and Hamas in Palestine and aren’t the Yemeni drones that caused such damage to the Saudis also Iran?” You say that the drones came from the north and not from the south. North or south, what is the difference? Iran is both.
From these statements, three things emerge even if the Iranian mullahs, who are blinded by racism and arrogance, cannot not see them.
The second is that serious shifts have occurred in the region and the world, which do not serve the interests of the Tehran regime and its expansionist project. These shifts are instead ratcheting up pressure on the regime and on the Iranian people as well.
The regime’s insistence on acquiring a nuclear weapon has increased its isolation and that of the Iranian people.
https://thearabweekly.com/iran-everywhere
(A P)
Film: The Saudi / #UAE genocide against the people of #Yemen, supported by #US + EU continues. Was a bit shocking to listen to efforts of Ambassadors from Saudi + Yemen to explain away the genocide - The #EU refusal to pressure #Saudi to stop the destruction of Yemen is depressing
https://twitter.com/wallacemick/status/1455912600227696641
(A P)
Cartoon: Turning a blind eye to #Houthi crimes in #Yemen
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1456283577512079360
(A P)
Saudi Arabia Reiterates Support for Yemeni People
The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) in Yemen provided about $4 billion-worth assistance distributed through more than 625 projects and programs covering various vital sectors.
Advisor at the Royal Court and General Supervisor of KSRelief Abdullah al-Rabeeah met with Yemeni Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Muammar al-Eryani at the center's headquarters in Riyadh.
Rabeeah affirmed that the center would continue to provide humanitarian and relief support for the Yemeni people in implementation of the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.
https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3284726/saudi-arabia-reiterates-support-yemeni-people
(A P)
More Saudi coalition „We are benefactors“ propaganda
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2302037
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2302016
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2301802
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2301797
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2301792
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2301651
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2301638
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2301485
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2301452
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
(A K pS)
A missile expert for Hezbollah was killed in a raid in Yemen| battalions
Military sources said, on Sunday, that dozens of Houthi militia loyal to Iran were killed, including an expert from the Lebanese Hezbollah and 3 senior leaders of the Houthi militia, in an Arab coalition raid on the southern fronts of Ma’rib Governorate, northeast of Yemen.
The sources revealed that a missile expert named Hussein Diab, affiliated with the Lebanese Hezbollah, was killed in one of the raids of the Arab coalition fighters, in addition to the killing of the Houthi leader, Ahmed Ayed Sharaf al-Din, nicknamed “Abu Barout” with his companions,
https://middleeast.in-24.com/News/393049.html
My comment: As claimed by the Saudi side. Did they manage to arrange a passport control of victims on the ground?
(* A K)
Saudi-led coalition says 138 Houthi rebels killed in Yemen
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Sunday that it killed 138 Houthi rebels over the previous 24 hours in raids near the government stronghold of Marib.
The coalition, which has militarily backed the internationally-recognised Yemeni government since 2015, has reported strikes on a near-daily basis with high tolls each time.
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/saudi-led-coalition-says-138-houthi-rebels-killed-yemen
My comment: Fancy figures.
(A K pH)
Yemeni child, man killed in Saudi airstrike on Saada
A child and a man were killed when an airstrike by Saudi-led coalition warplanes targeted a citizen’s house in Saada province, northern Yemen, on Saturday.
A security source in the province stated that the coalition aircraft launched an airstrike on the home of the citizen Misfer Hermes Raq’a in Al-Lajbah area in Al-Safra district in Saada, which led to the killing of Jassar Misfer Raq’a, 15-year-old child, and Hassan Saeed Alawi.
https://en.abna24.com/news//yemeni-child-man-killed-in-saudi-airstrike-on-saada_1196169.html
and also http://en.ypagency.net/243025/
https://hodhodyemennews.net/en_US/2021/11/07/saudi-airstrike-kills-two-civilians-in-yemens-saada/
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3163000.htm
(* A K)
Saudi-led coalition says over 150 Houthis dead in Yemen raids
More than 150 more Houthi rebels have been reportedly killed in Saudi-led military coalition air strikes over the past 24 hours, according to the kingdom's state news agency.
The Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen said Saturday it has killed more than 150 more Houthi rebels in the past 24 hours in raids around the northern pro-government bastion of Marib.
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/saudi-led-coalition-says-over-150-houthis-dead-marib
and also https://debriefer.net/en/news-27650.html
(* A K)
Militärkoalition: Über 120 Houthi-Rebellen im Jemen getötet
Bei neuen Luftangriffen im Jemen sind nach Angaben der von Saudi-Arabien angeführten Militärkoalition mehr als 120 Kämpfer der Houthi-Rebellen getötet worden. Bei Angriffen in der Nähe von Marib seien binnen 24 Stunden 126 Rebellenkämpfer getötet und 16 Militärfahrzeuge zerstört worden, teilte die Koalition am Freitag mit.
(* A K)
Saudi-led coalition claims killing another 126 Houthis in Yemen
The Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen said on Friday it has killed another 126 Houthi rebels in the past 24 hours in raids around the northern pro-government stronghold of Marib.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1656247
(* B H K)
Hodeidah.. A Life in the Middle of Rubble
Despite the war, the inhabitants of Hodeidah Governorate are struggling to run their lives, and keep the pulse of life going. The observer of the situation, with its positive, peace-loving image vibrant with life, sees farmers undeterred – by war or high prices- from carrying on their farming and crop production activities, and workers toiling in factories and companies, sticking together in their posts, despite the hardships of life and hazards of war that took away their best colleagues while they were doing their jobs…and so many other scenes.
In the heart of Saleef port in Saleef district of Hodeidah, the Yemen International Company silos are located, with no less than 200 workers, struggling with the hardships of everyday life and contributing to maintaining activity and production in the governorate. The fires of clashes have not yet reached there. In comparison to other Governorate districts, Saleef has been living in relative peace and security. The company’s employees were working in unison, coming from and going to their workplace without worry or dread. However, this sensation did not endure long.
One night, the company’s workforce were in their beds, resting their bodies, falling into deep sleep, after a hard and fulfilling day’s work, in order to get up to work on the next day’s morning.You can imagine the nightmare of a person sleeping on a bed carrying his exhausted body as if this piece of wood is his paradise, separating him from the world, and suddenly he finds himself on the ground in the middle of rubble, debris and wood, and his bed is turned over above him restricting his movement rendering him unable to escape and save his soul, and there is no air to breathe but only smoke and dust.
When one of the victims, Nasser Maher (a pseudonym) (32 years old) was asked about what happened, he described his situation by saying:“I can only remember that I woke up in the middle of rubble and wood, unable to move, unable to breathe, trying to save myself.” He continued: “On the fourth day of the incident, I found myself on a hospital bed, surrounded by medical equipment, and unable to move the left part of my body as a result of the severe injury to my head.”
The air strike had not only physical consequences for the injured, but also psychological traumas for the entire workforce.
https://mwatana.org/en/hodeidah/
(* A K)
Mehr als 140 Huthi-Rebellen im Jemen getötet
Bei erneuten Luftangriffen im Jemen sind offenbar mehr als 140 Huthi-Rebellen getötet worden. Binnen 24 Stunden seien mehrere Angriffe in der Nähe von Marib ausgeführt worden, teilte die von Saudi-Arabien geführte Militärkoalition heute weiters mit
https://orf.at/stories/3235215/ = https://www.sn.at/politik/weltpolitik/mehr-als-140-houthi-rebellen-im-jemen-getoetet-111853138
(* A K)
More than 100 Houthis killed near Yemen’s Marib: Arab Coalition
The Arab coalition in Yemen said Thursday it had killed 115 Houthis in 24 hours in air raids near Marib, the final northern stronghold of pro-government forces.
Fourteen military vehicles have been destroyed and 115” Houthis killed in the latest 24 hours, the Arab coalition said in a statement published by Saudi Arabia’s official SPA press agency.
(* A K)
Saudi-led coalition: 145 Yemen rebels killed near Marib
The Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen said Wednesday it has killed 145 Huthi rebels in 24 hours in air raids near Marib, the final northern stronghold of pro-government forces.
My comment: Fancy figures.
(A K)
SAUDI-LED COALITION SHARES FOOTAGE OF RECENT AIRSTRIKES ON HOUTHIS IN MA’RIB, AL-JAWF
On November 3, the Saudi-led coalition shared footage showing some of its recent airstrikes on Houthis forces in the provinces of Ma’rib and al-Jawf, in central and northern Yemen.
Saudi-led coalition warplanes carried out 32 airstrikes between November 2 and 3. The airstrikes killed 145 Houthis fighters and destroyed 18 military vehicles of the Yemeni group, according to the coalition’s own claims.
Film: https://twitter.com/SPAregions/status/1455954672032833541
(A K pH)
More Saudi coalition air raids
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/180489/Saudi-fighter-jets-bomb-Sa-dah-Sana-a-in-Yemen Sanaa p., Saada p.
http://en.ypagency.net/243124/ / https://hodhodyemennews.net/en_US/2021/11/07/saudis-conduct-25-airstrikes-across-yemen-2/Marib p., Saada p., Hajjah p.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3163091.htm marib p.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3162951.htm / http://en.ypagency.net/243022/ Marib p.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3162889.htm Najran
http://en.ypagency.net/242866/ Several prov.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3162842.htm Marib p.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3162781.htm Marib p.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3162719.htm Saada p.
http://en.ypagency.net/242754/ Marib p., Jawf p.
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
Siehe / Look at cp1, cp18
Im Jemen herrscht ein militärisches Patt. Eine größere Offensive mit größeren Erfolgen und Geländegewinnen für eine Seite bleiben seit der Offensive der saudischen Koalition gegen Hodeidah im Jahr 2018 aus. Kleinere Offensiven, ständige gegenseitige Angriffe und Gefechte mit Toten auf beiden Seiten und Opfern unter der Zivilbevölkerung gibt es aber ständig. Besonders betroffen sind die Provinzen Hodeidah, Taiz, Al Bayda, Al Dhalea, der Bezirk Nehm in der Provinz Sanaa, die Provinzen Al Jawf, Marib, Hajjah und Saada.
There is a military stalemate in Yemen. A larger offensive with greater successes and territorial gains for one side has been absent since the Saudi coalition's offensive against Hodeidah in 2018. Smaller offensives, constant mutual attacks and skirmishes killing fighters of both sides and causing victims among the civilian population are constant. The provinces of Hodeidah, Taiz, Al Bayda, Al Dhalea, the district of Nehm in the province of Sanaa, the provinces of Al Jawf, Marib, Hajjah and Saada are particularly affected.
(A K pS)
Houthis are deploying hundreds of children to the warfront against the government in Marib, says Information Minister/Aden Alghad
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-52004
(A K pS)
KSrelief Masam Project Dismantles more than 1,400 Mines in Yemen During One Week
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center's (KSrelief) project for clearing mines in Yemen (Masam) demined 1,443 mines during the first week of November 2021, including 6 antipersonnel mines, 520 anti-tank mines, 915 unexploded ordnance and 2 explosive devices.
Since the beginning of the project, as many as 286,080 mines, planted by the Houthi militias, have been dismantled.
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2302051
(A K pH)
Citizen killed, 3 injured due to Saudi bombing on Saada
A citizen was killed and three others were wounded as a result of Saudi shelling on the border areas of Saada province, northern Yemen.
A security source in the province reported that the citizen Mahdi Mohammed Hassan Abdo, 34, was killed, while three others were seriously injured when the Saudi army targeted civilians with mortar shells and live bullets in separate areas of the border districts of Munabeh and Baqim.
http://en.ypagency.net/243108/
(* A K pH)
4 citizens killed, 6 injured by Saudi enemy fire in Saada
4 citizens were killed and six others were wounded, on Friday, by the fire of the Saudi enemy army in Sa'ada province, a security official said.
The official stated that the Saudi enemy army opened fire on civilians in separate areas of the Munabeh district, which caused in killing 4 citizens and the wounding of 6 others.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3162889.htm
and also https://hodhodyemennews.net/en_US/2021/11/06/at-least-four-civilians-killed-in-saudi-attack-on-border-districts/ = http://en.ypagency.net/242973/
(A K pS)
Coalition destroys Houthi drone targeting Saudi airport
Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed an explosives-laden drone launched by the Iran-aligned Houthis to target Abha International Airport in the southwestern part of the kingdom, the state news agency said on Saturday.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/34021
and also https://debriefer.net/en/news-27661.html
(A K)
Riyadh claims it intercepted, downed Yemeni army drone
Saudi sources claimed that Saudi Arabia's Air Defense Forces have intercepted and downed a Yemeni drone that has intended to target Khamis Mushait in the south of the country.
Yemeni sources have not yet issued a statement confirming or denying the operation
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/180411/Riyadh-claims-it-intercepted-downed-Yemeni-army-drone
(A K pH)
[Sanaa gov.] Yemeni forces take control of last Saudi stronghold in Marib
Yemeni military sources announced on Friday that Army forces and popular committees had taken control of the Umm Rish military barracks in Ma'rib province during an operation.
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/180403/Yemeni-forces-take-control-of-last-Saudi-stronghold-in-Marib
and
(A K pH)
Yemeni Army Forces Capture Key Military Base in Ma’rib, Inch Closer to Energy Resources
Yemeni forces and allied fighters from Popular Committees captured a key military base occupied by Saudi militants loyal to former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi in the country's strategic oil-rich province of Ma’rib, and moved closer to the heart of energy reserves in the area.
Local military sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said army troops and their allies launched intense attacks in the Al-Jubah district of Ma’rib, and managed to seize Umm Reesh base following hours of fighting with Saudi mercenaries on Friday, presstv reported.
The sources added that the Yemeni forces raided the military base from various directions, and forced the Saudi-backed militants to withdraw from the area.
They noted that the base includes training centers, and it is the last bastion for Saudi-sponsored forces in the Southern part of Ma’rib.
and also: http://en.ypagency.net/242976/
https://en.abna24.com/news//yemeni-army-forces-capture-key-military-base-in-marib_1196228.html
and also, with video: https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2021/11/06/2602836/yemeni-forces-take-control-of-crucial-military-base-in-ma-rib-video
Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vf7Txv9QZ4&t=3s
(A K pS)
Saudi project clears 1,759 Houthi mines in Yemen
The Saudi Project for Landmine Clearance dismantled 1,759 mines in Yemen during the last week of October.
The figure comprised 11 antipersonnel mines, 569 anti-tank mines, 1,174 unexploded ordnances, and five explosive device.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1962356/saudi-arabia
(A K pS)
#Yemeni [Hadi] govt forces repelled new Houthis attacks today in al-Jubah south of #Marib and regained many sites in Arak & al-Amoud in a counterattack after arrival of new mltry reinforcmnts led by pro-govt com. of 4th Amalqa brigade, accor 2 a mltry source. Fighting never stops (map)
https://twitter.com/Alsakaniali/status/1456736033572282376
(A K pS)
Coalition foils Houthi drone attack on Jazan
The Saudi defenses successfully intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone targeting Saudi Arabia’s Jazan, the Arab Coalition said in a statement on Friday.
http://en.adenpress.news/news/34015
(B K pS)
Film: #Houthi crimes against civilians in #Marib
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1456621242308603908
(A K pH)
At least one civilian killed and six wounded in Saudi attack on border districts
At least one citizen was killed and six others were wounded when Saudi-led coalition forces bombed several areas in Saada province, northern Yemen, a security official said on Thursday night.
The Saudi army opened fire on the al-Sheikh area in the border district of Monabbih, killing a civilian, the source explained.
Moreover, the Saudi army launched random shelling on several areas in the border district of Shada, wounding six civilians, the official added.
https://hodhodyemennews.net/en_US/2021/11/04/at-least-one-civilian-killed-and-six-wounded-in-saudi-attack-on-border-districts/ = http://en.ypagency.net/242885/
(A K pH)
National Salvation Government of Yemen offers peaceful surrender to Saudi-led forces in Ma'rib yet again
Head of the Comprehensive National Reconciliation and Political Solution Committee, Youssef al-Feishi has revealed on Wednesday the latest developments regarding efforts to take over Ma’rib city without a fight.
“We have called on the militias in the city of Ma’rib to respond to the initiative of Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi to avoid bloodshed, repeated calls, but they insisted and acted arrogant,” al-Feishi said in a tweet on his account.
https://hodhodyemennews.net/en_US/2021/11/04/national-salvation-government-of-yemen-offers-peaceful-surrender-to-saudi-led-forces-in-marib-yet-again/ = http://en.ypagency.net/242723/
(A K pH)
Fifty-two prisoners released by [Sanaa gov.] Yemeni forces
Head of the National Committee for Prisoners’ Affairs in Sana’a, Abdulqadir al-Murtadha, has on Thursday announced the release of all 52 captives from al-Abdiyah district in Ma’rib province.
Al-Murtadha confirmed in a tweet that the captives’ release came as part of the implementation of the directives of Sayyid Abdul-Malik al-Houthi to pardon them, after a meeting with a delegation of sheikhs and dignitaries of the district.
https://hodhodyemennews.net/en_US/2021/11/04/fifty-two-prisoners-released-by-yemeni-forces/ = http://en.ypagency.net/242802/
and also https://www.saba.ye/en/news3162777.htm
Photos: http://en.ypagency.net/242856/
(* A K pH)
1500 fighters from Ma'rib province defect from Saudi side and join [Sanaa gov.] Yemeni forces
Deputy Foreign Minister in the National Salvation Government, Hussein Al-Ezzi, on Thursday confirmed that about 1,500 fighters from the people of Ma’rib in the ranks of the Saudi-led coalition forces have defected and returned to Sana’a.
In a tweet on his Twitter account, Al-Ezzi welcomed the returnees, saying: “We welcome the honorable free people, and we say welcome to them in your capital and among your family and your home.”
https://hodhodyemennews.net/en_US/2021/11/04/1500-fighters-from-marib-province-defect-from-saudi-side-and-join-yemeni-forces/ = http://en.ypagency.net/242810/
(A K pH)
Aggression injures 4 people in Sa'ada
Four people, including two Africans, were injured in the Saudi enemy's fires on al-Raqw area in Munabeh border district in Sa'ada, a military official said.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3162719.htm
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Vor allem die Stadt Marib ist umkämpft
Im Jemen sind in Gefechten zwischen Regierungstruppen und Huthi-Rebellen in den vergangenen zwei Tagen mindestens 200 Kämpfer getötet worden.
Wie Sicherheitskreise beider Seiten bestätigten, wurden außerdem Hunderte Menschen verletzt. Das Zentrum der Kämpfe ist die ölreiche Provinz Marib.
https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/jemen-vor-allem-die-stadt-marib-ist-umkaempft.1939.de.html
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Officials: 200 fighters killed in clashes in central Yemen
At least 200 fighters were killed in clashes between Yemen’s government forces and Houthi rebels in and around the strategic central province of Marib over the last two days, security officials from both sides said Thursday.
Most of the casualties belonged to the Houthi forces, who have recently wrestled from their rivals most of Marib’s 14 districts, according to the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.
They added that hundreds were wounded in the same clashes.
(A K pS)
Hadhramaut governor orders to form reserve force amid Houthi advances in Shabwah, Marib
Hadhramaut governor Maj. Gen. Faraj Al-Bahsani on Wednesday ordered to build a reserve force and put the armed and security forces on high alert to face potential threats against the province in eastern Yemen.
He met with the chiefs of the provincial security committee, the military units and the districts and ordered to recruit at least 5,000 of young volunteers as a reserve force, his office said in a statement.
https://debriefer.net/en/news-27615.html
(A K pS)
Taiz battles leave 18 Houthis killed, injured
https://debriefer.net/en/news-27613.html
(A K pS)
Houthis kill three new civilians in Taiz
The Houthi militia shell Jabal Habashi one of Jabal Habashi's villages in Taiz killing and injuring five civilians/Al-Rashad Press
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-51943
Film: Targeting Vehicles' Houthi Militia Kills Three in Taiz
According to local sources, three civilians were killed and others were injured in attack on a civilian vehicle in Taiz, southwest of Yemen. One Houthi Militia group fired a shell targeting a vehicle that was carrying civilians in Al-Ashaab area of Jabal Habashi district, west of Taiz governorate, killing three civilians and Injuring four others.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thqAENq9m3s
(A K pS)
Iran-backed Houthis targeted cell phone towers location in eastern Balq Mt with a ballistic missile this evening, according to local sources. Now Sabafon mobile service has fully stopped in #Marib city and Marib al-Wadi district.
All mobile networks and internet service completely disrupted in #Marib governorate since this morning.
https://twitter.com/Alsakaniali/status/1455996243214278659
(A K pH)
The Houthi militia shell Jabal Habashi one of Jabal Habashi's villages in Taiz killing and injuring five civilians/Al-Rashad Press
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-51943
(* A K pH)
On the verge of victory in Maarib
In a series of tweets posted on Tuesday, Yahya Saree, [Sanaa gov.] Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman, elaborated on the second phase of the Rabi Al Nasr (Spring of Victory) Operation, explaining that almost 70% of the strategic governorate of Maarib is in control of Ansarallah.
In the tweets, Saree announced that only the city of Maarib and the Valley of Dhana are still under the control of the Saudi-led coalition, and Yemeni armed forces are in control of the province.
He added that Al-Juba and Jabal Murad districts in Maarib governorate were liberated in the second phase of the Rabi Al Nasr Operation.
A total area of 1100 km2 was liberated, according to the spokesman.
Experts believe that the Yemeni armed forces have now reached the doorsteps of the city of Maarib, and the fall of the Saudi-led coalition is not far away.
The occupation troops find themselves in a dilemma, as they are now surrounded, unable to recapture the thousands of square kilometers liberated by the advancing army.
“According to strategic and military implications … we declare today to the whole world that international aggression against Yemen has already been defeated,” Yemeni Defense Minister Mohammad Al-Atefi told Lebanese media on October 27.
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/466669/On-the-verge-of-victory-in-Maarib
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Yemen's Marib city battens down as Houthis advance through energy-rich province
Expecting a possible siege, pro-government forces in central Yemen are preparing to defend Marib city, their last northern stronghold, against advancing Houthi fighters bent on taking full control of one of Yemen's key energy-producing regions.
Government forces say they will not cede. Trenches, sand bags and land mines are in place around the city, two military sources and a local official said.
"If the Houthis move through the desert towards oil and gas fields east of Marib City they will be easy prey for coalition warplanes, so they will try to encircle the city from three fronts, but we can withstand and break them," a military commander, who declined to be named, told Reuters.
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/houthis-advance-through-energy-rich-province
(A K pH)
[Sanaa gov.] Yemeni Forces Liberate Two More Ma’rib Districts
The Yemeni Army announced the liberation of two more districts in the strategic West-Central province of Ma’rib from pro-Saudi militants, urging the mercenaries to surrender “before it is too late".
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000812000350/Yemeni-Frces-Liberae-Tw-Mre-Ma%E2%80%99rib-Disrics
and also https://en.mehrnews.com/news/180331/Yemeni-forces-reach-10-km-of-Ma-rib-province
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)
Child injured after hail of bullets at Hodeida
A child was injured on Sunday after a hail of bullets were fired by the Saudi-led coalition forces at residential areas of Hodeida province.
A security official in the province affirmed that the coalition forces heavy opened fire at the isolation of Al-Suwaiq in al-Tuhaita district.
http://en.ypagency.net/243118/
(A P)
The government reiterates its call on the UN mission in Hodeidah to relocate its headquarter to a neutral zone away from the influences of Houthi militants/Multiple websites
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-51943
cp19 Sonstiges / Other
(* B)
Film by Indigo Traveller: Harsh Conditions on Streets of Yemen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o8PBiwo_oM
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-768-yemen-war-mosaic-768
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-768 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-768:
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:
