Schwerpunkte / Key aspects
Klassifizierung / Classification
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
cp2 Allgemein / General
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
cp4 Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
cp 7 UNO / UN
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
cp9 USA
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
cp 13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade
cp 13b Flüchtlinge / Refugees
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
cp15 Propaganda
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
Klassifizierung / Classification
***
**
*
(Kein Stern / No star)
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
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
21.2.2016 – Avaaz (*** B P)
This is a new petition!!
Saudi Arabia must be tried as a war criminal
International Criminal Court (ICC) has the jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
The reason of establishing such a court is to prosecute the perpetrators of the above crimes in an independent inter-governmental court and to make them answer in front of the international society.
The officials of the Saudi Regime have to be prosecuted as a criminal in ICC over the unlimited murders against Yemeni civilians.
The accusations on Saudi Arabia:
Based on the published statistics by Legal Center for Human Development. (Until January 19, 2016)
1. Massacre of 8143 people in air and land attacks including 4628 men, 1519 women and 1996 children.
2. Leaving 15184 people wounded including 11826 men, 1576 women and 1782 children.
3. Displacing more than 1200000 Yemenis inside the country or leaving refugees outside borders due to Saudi attacks.
4. Attacking hospitals and medical centers, even bombing the hospital of the UN's doctors without borders.
5. Using banned weapons including cluster bombs.
6. Endangering the lives of Yemenis by total besieging and not allowing the humanitarian aid enter inside the country.
7. Bombing and destroying Yemen's economical frameworks and units including 14 airports, 10 harbors, 512 bridges and roads, 125 electricity generators and power plants, 164 water reservoirs, 970 governmental buildings, 546 food warehouses, 353 bazaars and trade centers, 409 food carrying convoys, 238 gas stations, 190 factories, 42 sports centers, seven grain store-pits and 125 units of animal and poultry.
8. Destroying houses and social service centers including, 325137 houses, 238 service centers, 569 schools and training institutions, 39 university complexes, 16 media complex, 615 mosques, 59 historical monuments and 119 tourist centers.
Please sign this petition if you support the prosecution of Saudi Arabia for war crimes in international courts.
22.2.2016 – Legal Center for Rights and Development (*** A P)
To all people , please attention:
As you know that Saudi Arabia and a number of participating countries have launched a war without justification on Yemen as they committed violent crimes in Yemen and used internationally banned weapons, as it bombed civilians' homes, monuments and other Institutions and want to destroy the infrastructure in Yemen.
Moreover, they imposed a blockade (land, sea and air) also, the civilians in Yemen, especially women and children are suffering from a lack of food and health service because of the blockage.
So I ask everyone to like and share this page, because Saudi Arabia wants to silence the voice of truth and report the page on Facebook to shut down and does not want the world to know its crimes in Yemen
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=593904340759935&id=551288185021551
Comment: This organization based at Sanaa - I do not have more information about it - reports the Saudi air raids. Since end of October, they post surveys of all raids at facebook – day by day., and report special raids by (graphic) photos. Since a longer time, the Saudis are keen to eliminate documentation of their war crimes at the social media (Twitter, facebook, youtube at special). They already had been successful in several cases. Thus, you do a good think if you “like” this site at facebook: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=593904340759935&id=551288185021551
22.2.2016 – BBC (** A K)
Yemen conflict: Al-Qaeda joins coalition battle for Taiz
The BBC has found evidence in Yemen that troops from a Saudi-led coalition force and al-Qaeda militants are both fighting Houthi rebels in a key battle.
On a visit to the frontline near the city of Taiz, a documentary maker filmed jihadists and pro-government militiamen, supported by UAE soldiers.
The coalition of 10 mostly Sunni Arab states is backing Yemen's government in its war against the Shia rebels.
But it denies co-operating with Sunni extremists also opposed to the Houthis.
During a visit to the frontline outside Taiz late last year, documentary maker Safa AlAhmad spoke to pro-government militiamen attacking Houthi fighters on a key hilltop with the support of troops from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who were providing tactical advice.
While there, Ms AlAhmad was warned by one group participating in the battle not to film them.
She was told they were members of Ansar al-Sharia, an affiliate of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), and that they were angered by the presence of a woman.
Ms AlAhmad said it appeared that AQAP - which has exploited the chaos and seized parts of southern Yemen, including the port city of Mukalla - had sent fighters to Taiz to increase the group's influence and spread its message.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35630194 and referring to this http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/yemen-conflict-saudi-arabia-led-coalition-fighting-alongside-al-qaeda-taiz-1545406
Comment: In western media, cooperation in fighting against the Houthis between Saudi, Yemen government and “resistance” forces always was labeled as Houthi propaganda. Well, now even the BBC admits that.
21.2.2016 – Voltairenet (** B P)
Die geheime Achse USA – Saudi-Arabien
Der Artikel der New York Times über die alten Verbindungen und die geheime Achse USA – Saudi-Arabien (zwischen der CIA und den saudischen Geheimdiensten) bringt keine neuen Erkenntnisse. Allerdings greift zum ersten Mal eine große US-amerikanische Tageszeitung diese Informationen auf und das hat zur Folge, dass die atlantische Presse die Artikel über die saudischen Verbrechen vervielfacht. Es sieht also so aus, als ob die Vereinigten Staaten Saudi-Arabien damit drohen, die Brücken abzubrechen. Manlio Dinucci deckt seinerseits auf, dass die Times sich mit der aktuellen Zusammenarbeit gegen Syrien befasst, aber die Zusammenarbeit gegen den Jemen außen vor lässt.
Codename „Timber Sycamore“ (Platanenholz): So nennt sich die Ausrüstungsmaßnahme und die Ausbildung der syrischen „Rebellen“ in Syrien, die „insgeheim durch Präsident Obama genehmigt sind“. Das dokumentiert eine Untersuchung, die am Sonntag von der New York Times veröffentlicht wurde.
Als sie vom Präsidenten beauftragt wurde, diese verdeckte Operation durchzuführen, „wusste die CIA schon, dass sie einen Partner hatte, der zur Finanzierung bereit war: Saudi-Arabien“. Zusammen mit Katar „lieferte es Waffen und mehrere Milliarden Dollar, während die CIA die Ausbildung der Rebellen leitete“. Die Lieferung von Waffen an „Rebellen“, inklusive „radikale Gruppen wie al-Qaida“, hatte im Sommer 2012 begonnen, als saudische Geheimagenten über ein Netzwerk der CIA in Kroatien Tausende von Sturmgewehren AK-47 mit Millionen Projektilen kauften und die Kataris auf dem internationalen Markt gekaufte tragbare chinesische FN-6-Raketen über die Türkei nach Syrien einschleusten. Als Ende 2012 die Waffenlieferungen gut in Gang waren, rief General Petraeus die Verbündeten in Jordanien zusammen, um ihnen seitens der Agentur eine noch schärfere Kontrolle über die gesamte Operation aufzudrücken. Einige Monate später, im Frühjahr 2013, ermächtigte Obama die CIA, die „Rebellen“ auf einem Stützpunkt in Jordanien und auf einem anderen in Katar auszubilden und ihnen Waffen einschließlich der Panzerabwehrraketen TOW zu liefern. Immer mit den Milliarden des „größten Wohltäters“ Saudi-Arabien. Nichts Neues bei dieser Art Operationen.
Durch diese und einige andere geheime Einsätze bis zu dem gegenwärtigen in Syrien hat sich „die lange Beziehung zwischen den Geheimdiensten der Vereinigten Staaten und Saudi-Arabiens“ zementiert. Trotz der „diplomatischen Annäherung“ zwischen Washington und dem Iran, die von Riad nicht begrüßt wird, „überdauert das Bündnis und wird durch Ströme von saudischem Geld und durch die Anerkennung der beiderseitigen Interessen über Wasser gehalten“. Das erklärt, warum „die Vereinigten Staaten zurückhaltend sind mit Kritik an der Verletzung der Menschenrechte durch Saudi-Arabien, an der Behandlung der Frauen und an der Unterstützung des extremistischen Flügels des Islam, des Wahhabismus, der zahlreiche terroristische Gruppen beeinflusst“, und warum „Obama Saudi-Arabien nicht für die Enthauptung von Scheich Nimr al-Nimr verurteilt hat, dem schiitischen reliösen Dissidenten, der die königliche Familie herausgefordert hatte“.
Hinzuzufügen ist die Tatsache, von der die New York Times nicht spricht, dass Außenminister John Kerry bei seinem Besuch in Riad am 23. Januar erneut bestätigt hat, dass „im Jemen, wo der Huthi-Aufstand Saudi-Arabien bedroht, die USA an der Seite ihrer saudischen Freunde stehen“ – von Manlio Dinucci
http://www.voltairenet.org/article190156.html = http://www.politaia.org/sonstige-nachrichten/die-geheime-achse-usa-saudi-arabien/
Kommentar: Referiert größtenteils den Artikel der NYT, der damit auch auf Deutsch zugänglich ist.
11.12.2015 – Amnesty International (** B H K)
Film: Yemen: Bombing of schools by Saudi Arabia-led coalition
Saudi Arabia-led coalition forces have carried out a series of air strikes targeting schools that were still in use, in violation of international humanitarian law, and hampering access to education for thousands of Yemen’s children, said Amnesty International in a new briefing published today. The coalition forces are armed by states including the USA and UK.
The briefing ‘Our kids are bombed’: Schools under attack in Yemen, investigates five air strikes on schools which took place between August and October 2015 killing five civilians and injuring at least 14, including four children, based on field research in Yemen. While students were not present inside the schools during the attacks, the strikes caused serious damage or destruction which will have long-term consequences for students.
“The Saudi Arabia-led coalition launched a series of unlawful air strikes on schools being used for educational – not for military – purposes, a flagrant violation of the laws of war,” said Lama Fakih, Senior Crisis Advisor at Amnesty International who recently returned from Yemen.
“Schools are central to civilian life, they are meant to offer a safe space for children. Yemen’s young school pupils are being forced to pay the price for these attacks. On top of enduring a bitter conflict, they face longer term upheaval and disruption to their education – a potentially lifelong burden that they will be forced to shoulder.”
In some cases the schools were struck more than once, suggesting the strikes were deliberately targeted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxPuYkekJKc&feature=youtu.be
cp2 Allgemein / General
23.2.2016 – Infosperber (* B K)
Streubomben gegen Zivilisten im Jemen
Beweise dafür legte die Organisation «Human Rights Watch» (HRW) am 14. Februar vor. Ein Bericht dokumentiert fünf Angriffe, die von Fotos, Augenzeugenberichten, Videodokumenten sowie von Amnesty International und der UN gestützt werden.
Ein Zeuge berichtet über das Bombardement des Hafens Al-Hayma neben dem gleichnamigen Fischerdorf Al-Hayma, der vor allem militärisch aber auch von Fischern und Schmugglern genutzt wird:
«Ich sass mit sechs Freunden aus dem Dorf..auf einem kleinen Hügel und sah das Bombardement. Plötzlich sahen wir in der Luft etwa 20 weisse Fallschirme, die auf den Hafen fielen. Weniger als eine Minute später stieg von jedem eine schwarze Rauchwolke auf, sie näherten sich dem Boden und explodierten. Es sah aus wie eine Serie aus vielen Bomben nebeneinander. Weniger als fünf Minuten später passierte es wieder. Eine andere Bombe entliess etwa 20 Fallschirme und das Gleiche geschah. Wegen des Winds fielen die Fallschirme plötzlich in Richtung unseres Dorfs.»
Ein Dorfbewohner, dessen Haus getroffen wurde:
«Etwas traf die Wand und brach hindurch. Ich liess mich sofort auf den Boden fallen. Das seltsame Ding landete etwa fünf Meter weit weg von mir. Es sah aus, wie eine kleine silberne Rakete. Ich hatte grosse Angst und versuchte, wegzukriechen. Ich wusste, es konnte jeden Moment explodieren. Aber als ich mich bewegte, folgte es mir. Es bewegte sich nicht in meine Richtung aber mit mir, wie in Zeitlupe. Etwa eine Minute später explodierte es.»
Eine Streubombe besteht aus einem Hauptelement, das mehrere kleine Explosivladungen freisetzt. Diese verteilen sich über eine grosse Fläche und explodieren autonom. Etwa ein Drittel aller Submunitionen oder «Bomblets» explodieren nicht und werden zu Blindgängern. Ähnlich wie Landminen stellen Streubomben über Jahre oder Jahrzehnte eine Gefahr für Menschen dar.
Die Hauptausrüster Saudi-Arabiens, die USA, gehören nicht zu den Unterzeichnern, halten aber Beschränkungen ein. Das US-amerikanischen Exportgesetz bestimmt, dass Streubomben nicht in bewohntem Gebiet eingesetzt werden dürfen. Nach dem Bericht von Human Rights Watch hat Saudi-Arabien dieses Gesetz klar missachtet.
[Der Hersteller] Textron wirbt damit, dass sich nicht explodierte Bomben «binnen Sekunden» selbst deaktivieren und ein «sauberes Schlachtfeld» hinterlassen. Die Realität sieht anders aus – von Daniela Gschweng
http://www.infosperber.ch/Politik/Streubomben-gegen-Zivilisten-im-Jemen
22.2.2016 – First Post (* A K P)
When protectors turn tormentors: UN finds war crimes, breaches of humanitarian law in Syria and Yemen
The UN Commission of Inquiry (CoI) for Syria presented its latest report themed ‘Destruction of a country and devastation of a nation’ to the UN General Assembly on 22 February.
The countries ostensibly pushing for a peaceful solution are also feeding the military escalation, says the report.
“Since the first report at this level we have been repeating: not a single warring party respects international humanitarian law, the Geneva conventions or the conventions of human rights – there is an encompassing disrespect for the rules of engagement in this war,” Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, the Chair of the CoI for Syria, told journalists while releasing the report.
Yemen, another active conflict zone, faces a similar egregious fate as Syria with similar breaches of the IHL by governments and rebel groups of the Houthis. Air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition which includes the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and supported by the US, have killed at least 6,000 people and ambushed more than 600 health facilities and 1,170 schools, since the conflict began in March 2015 – by Shreerupa Mitra-Jha
Comment: An overview article on the situation in Syria and in Yemen – the latter often described in many articles linked in earlier Yemen Press Readers. Important: “Not a single warring party respects international humanitarian law, the Geneva conventions or the conventions of human rights” – the glorious “West” thus included.
22.2.2016 – Before it’s news (A K)
Yemen update 22/2/2016
Two films on Houthi-Saleh forces’ successes, one on trial in Riyad. And an article already listed here earlier.
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
23.2.2016 – Gulf News (B H)
Yemen aid goes to black market as industries vanish
‘Yemeni people want to eat and stay alive. That is all’
For a country that relies on industries such as agriculture, fishing and tourism, there aren’t many avenues left to generate income.
In strife-torn Yemen, the seaports and fishing waters are blocked for security reasons.
The conflict has destroyed farmlands and security threats have put a halt to tourism.
As aid agencies provide families with blankets and utensils, the goods are sold in exchange for exorbitantly priced staple food items.
On Tuesday, the second day of the Qatar Charity-organised Yemen Humanitarian Crises Conference saw focus shift from emergency needs such as health care and food insecurity to long-term planning for development and economic stability.
“There is a lack of coordination and understanding between international aid agencies and the needs of local people,” said Mohammad Allai who spoke on the economic emergency and lack of livelihood opportunities for the Yemenis.
Allai, who was representing Al Amal Microfinance Bank from Yemen, blamed the lack of a government-regulated system for economic uplift for the worsening standard of living in the country.
Participants agreed that when community empowerment is promoted in such conflict-affected regions, it grows into a more sustainable income-generating option than short-term employments.
Aid workers who have spent years working in Yemen spoke highly of the country’s culture of community spirit and coordination, which has gone missing as the inability of the breadwinner to put a meal on the table has overtaken all other responsibilities.
A representative of UK based Human Appeal International, Hassan (who only gave his first name), spoke of the sense of despondency for the future and urgency for the present.
“When you have kids as young as 11 or 12 holding guns instead of pens, or people waiting for hours in the sun to get a few litres of clean water, your mind doesn’t want to think about developing infrastructure or promoting cultural heritage.”
While participants and speakers disagreed on the manner in which aid work is being done or where it is being directed, they were all of the view that Yemen and its people need much more help than is being provided by the international community.
As Allai summed it: “Yemeni people want to eat and stay alive. That is all.”
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/yemen/yemen-aid-goes-to-black-market-as-industries-vanish-1.1678199
Comment: Stop the war would be the best charity of all. This meeting for a great part is just a propaganda event – those who destroy Yemen by air raids speaking about charity in Yemen. The aerial war is not mentioned at all. Nevertheless, there seem to have been serious contributions at this meeting, as this article shows.
22.2.2016 – Gulf Centre for Human Rights (** B H)
Gulf Centre for Human Rights Annual Report says human rights defenders are in peril across the region
As wars and conflict rage across the region, human rights defenders are at risk says the fourth Annual Report of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR), “Human Rights Defenders in Prison and in Peril throughout the Gulf and Neighbouring Countries”. This report outlines GCHR’s work in 2015 and the main issues faced by human rights defenders in ten countries in the Gulf region and neighbouring countries as they bravely carry out their peaceful and legitimate human rights activities at great personal risk.
According to our research based on documentation, missions and interviews, human rights defenders face increased harassment, intimidation, arrest, detention and torture as a result of their human rights work. Many prominent human right defenders remain in detention and are subjected to inhumane prison conditions as well as ill treatment at the hands of prison authorities. Freedom of expression continues to be seriously curtailed throughout the region and the exercise of this fundamental right has led to hundreds of arrests and judicial harassment throughout 2015.
Rather than protecting human rights defenders and promoting their work at a time when their role in peacebuilding is so desperately needed, the authorities have passed new laws such as cyber-crime laws, and clamped down on on-line expression, curtailing digital rights.
Maryam Al-Khawaja, GCHR Co-Director said, "At a time when there is so much focus on radicalisation and extremism, while reducing support for civil society, it is crucial to understand that grassroots civil society and human rights defenders are at the forefront of fighting these negative tendencies. It is when they are silenced, imprisoned or killed that there is more space for extremism. What the Middle East needs is more support for civil society and for those who are putting their lives on the line for the sake of human rights and fundamental freedoms. That is the main component to fight radicalization and extremism, not more violence and arms sales."
The report notes that despite this challenging environment human rights defenders continue their work tirelessly, refusing to be silenced through intimidation, harassment or detention.
Not only that, human rights defenders sounded a few notes of hope. Upon receiving the International Hrant Dink Award, Saudi human rights defender Samar Badawi said, “What motivates me more to survive is my responsibility, not only for raising my children, but also the responsibility of changing the dark reality in which we live now in order to build a future of justice, freedom and equality for all Saudi citizens. Remember that history does not forget, it will exalt those who have fought for freedom and cast aside the memory of those who succumbed to a life of humiliation and servitude.” Badawi is under a travel ban and has spent time in jail for her human rights activities.
http://www.gc4hr.org/news/view/1189
17.7.2015 – Deutsche Welle (* A K)
Audio: Treating Yemen's war-wounded
Christine Buesser talks to us about her work coordinating Medecins Sans Frontieres' operations in Al Dhale, Yemen
http://www.dw.com/en/treating-yemens-war-wounded/av-18592264
cp4 Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage
22.2.2016 – Hamed Ghaleb (A K)
My friend's house in the historycal city of kawkban ,,house is 400+ years old turnd2 dust by #Saudi terroriats jets (with photos)
https://twitter.com/HamedGhaleb/status/701851758193147904
22.2.2016 – Apollo Magazine (* B K)
Yemen, a country with three UNESCO world heritage sites – the Historic Town of Zabid, the Old City of Sana’a and the Old Walled City of Shibam – and a further 10 on the organisation’s tentative list, has suffered greatly since the eruption of civil war in February 2015. As well as the large-scale loss of life, important historic sites have been severely damaged, often as collateral damage, but also reportedly intentionally.
Among the four major kingdoms dividing South Arabia (modern-day Yemen) during the first millennium BC was that of the Sabaeans, who grew powerful thanks to their control of overland and maritime trade routes, as well as their trade in frankincense and myrrh. In the 7th century BC, the Sabaeans constructed the Great Dam of Marib – currently on Yemen’s tentative world heritage list – to capture and divert rainwater for the irrigation of fields around Marib, their capital, transforming the desert environment. Reconstructed repeatedly over its 1,000 years of use – first by the Sabaeans themselves and later by their conquerors, the Himyarites – at the dam’s zenith, when its retaining wall stood around 15 metres tall and 500 metres long, it was regarded as one of the greatest constructions of the ancient world. Today, only the dam’s two sluices survive, one of which was damaged by an airstrike in May 2015. At around the same time, the Dhamar Regional Museum – where many ancient Yemeni inscriptions were stored – was also destroyed; thankfully, many of the museum’s ancient inscriptions had already been digitised and so their content, at least, survives.
Another of Yemen’s ancient treasures is Baraqish, the 4th century BC capital of the Minaeans – whose kingdom was contemporary with the Sabaeans – famous today because of its well preserved ancient city wall. It was at Baraqish that the Minaeans built their temple to the god Nakrah, which was extensively damaged in September 2015, reportedly by Saudi-led airstrikes. The temple had been restored as recently as 2004
[More sites, like Sanaa; UNESCO emergency action plan] – by Garry Shaw
http://www.apollo-magazine.com/the-threat-to-yemens-heritage/ = http://www.english.alahednews.com.lb/essaydetails.php?eid=32259&cid=499#.Vs084PnhCUk
23.2.2016 - Il giornale delle arte (B K)
L'indifferenza dell'Occidente alle distruzioni nello Yemen
Gli attacchi dell’Arabia Saudita contro il patrimonio culturale yemenita compresi tre siti Unesco
Il mondo intero ha pianto per Palmira, Hatra, Nimrud. La distruzione del centro storico della capitale dello Yemen, Sanaa, non provoca invece la stessa onda di emozione. Non in Occidente. «Secondo la General Organisation for Antiquities, Museums and Manuscripts (Goamm), a partire da marzo 47 siti sono stati distrutti nel corso degli scontri in Yemen», rende noto da Parigi l’archeologa del Centre national de la recherche scientifique (Cnrs) Lamya Khalidi. Tra di essi, figurano tre dei quattro siti dello Yemen classificati Patrimonio dell’Umanità dell’Unesco: la stessa Sanaa, Zabid, capitale dello Yemen dal XIII al XV secolo, e Shibam, soprannominata la «Manhattan del deserto» per i suoi «grattacieli» costruiti nel XVI secolo.
Le ragioni di questa indifferenza occidentale? «Tradizionalmente, i rapporti tra gran parte dell’Europa e lo Yemen sono meno forti di quelli con la Siria. Il patrimonio yemenita, poi, non evoca l’antichità classica, come fa invece Palmira», suggerisce Samir Abdulac, vicepresidente del Comitato internazionale delle città e centri storici dell’Icomos (International Committee on Monuments and Sites). Ma le cause di questo silenzio sono senza dubbio politiche. Perché da marzo 2015, è una coalizione guidata dall’Arabia Saudita, alleata e partner dell’Occidente, a condurre violenti raid aerei sullo Yemen per scacciare le milizie sciite houthi.
La situazione è tanto più complessa in quanto la distruzione del suo patrimonio millenario è deliberata, non un effetto collaterale al conflitto.
La maggior parte delle distruzioni, però, sembra causata dalla coalizione guidata dall’Arabia Saudita. «Eppure, spiega Anna Paolini, direttrice dell’ufficio Unesco di Doha, che rappresenta i Paesi del Golfo e lo Yemen, era stata informata dall’inizio della guerra dei siti da evitare, dei quali l’Unesco aveva fornito le coordinate».
Perché allora non sono stati evitati? Alcuni siti possono certo rivestire un interesse militare strategico per gli Houthi, come la fortezza medievale di Al Qahera, a Taez.
Alcuni esperti sospettano così l’Arabia Saudita di scegliere come obiettivo proprio il patrimonio yemenita. A titolo d’esempio, l’archeologa Lamya Khalidi cita la diga di Ma’rib, l’antica capitale del Regno di Saba, costruita nell’VIII secolo a.C. e il maggiore sito antico della penisola araba, quasi integralmente polverizzata. «Si trova in una zona desertica. Quanti conoscono lo Yemen come me sanno che non può avere alcun interesse strategico e che non può nascondere nulla. L’Arabia Saudita disponeva delle coordinate di questo sito, che non può essere colpito per sbaglio», aggiunge. Stessa cosa per il Museo Nazionale di Dhamar, che ospitava 12mila reperti archeologici, distrutto a maggio perché alcuni ritenevano potesse nascondere delle armi. «Il personale della Goamm controllava l’accesso al museo 24 ore su 24. Come avrebbero potuto nascondervi delle armi?», denuncia Lamya Khalidi. Una distruzione ideologica, quindi, in sintonia con i crimini degli islamisti in Iraq e in Siria - die Marie Zawisza
http://www.ilgiornaledellarte.com/articoli/2016/2/125628.html
19.2.2016 - UNESCO (* B K)
UNESCO Director-General calls on all parties to protect Yemeni heritage
“I am sincerely distressed by the recent attacks against cultural heritage in Yemen. These attacks increase the human suffering and deprive the people of Yemen of their culture, which is an essential element of their identity, a source of fulfillent and a major asset for the future recovery and development of the country” declared the Director General of UNESCO, Ms. Irina Bokova
According to official Yemeni sources and media reports, on 3 February 2016, the National Museum in Taiz was shelled. The museum, which hosted rare manuscripts, pre-Islamic objects and traditional artefacts, was almost completely burnt. On 14 February the Historic City of Kawakban was targeted, leaving its main gate, the archaeological citadel, Imam Shams al-Deen dome and a number of houses dating back to the 2nd century AD located in al-Qashla (Citadel) zone heavily damaged. Two historic monuments in Amran governorate were also targeted, the Al-Shuna building (Muslims’ finance house) and Imam Saif al-Islam Muhammed al-Bader house. The Ibn Ismail shrine in Hadramaut was intentionally destroyed.
“Cultural heritage belongs to all Yemeni people and to humanity as a whole. I once again call on all parties to refrain from targeting cultural heritage sites as well as from using them and their immediate surroundings for military purposes, in respect to the obligations under international humanitarian law, in particular the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.” the Director-General added.
Since the outbreak of the conflict, UNESCO has been cooperating closely with the General Organization of Antiquities and Museum (GOAM) and the General Organization for the Preservation of Historic Cities in Yemen (GOPHCY) to safeguard Yemen’s cultural heritage. An Emergency Response Action Plan on the Safeguarding of Yemeni Cultural Heritage was agreed at an expert meeting in July last year. UNESCO has also alerted the States currently involved in military operations in Yemen and provided them with the coordinates of the country’s main cultural sites.
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
23.2.2016 – AF P (A K P)
Yemen's Hadi appoints top general in bid to rally tribes
Yemen's president has appointed a veteran general as armed forces deputy commander in a bid to rally support from tribes and troops in the rebel-held Sanaa region, military sources said.
President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's decision to appoint Saudi-based General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, a northerner known for his close ties to Sunni Islamists, was published on the government's official sabanew.net website late Monday.
Hadi himself is supreme commander of the armed forces.
Ahmar's troops played a prominent role in the 2011 uprising that ousted strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, whose loyalists are now allied with Iran-backed Shiite rebels who control the capital.
In 2013, Hadi named the influential general his military and security affairs adviser after dramatically restructuring the military to curb the influence of those linked to Saleh.
Military sources explained Hadi's decision as an attempt to gain the confidence of tribal dignitaries and senior army commanders in the Sanaa region, where Ahmar wields much influence.
His Al-Ahmar clan has historically led the influential Hashid confederation in northern Yemen.
http://news.yahoo.com/yemens-hadi-appoints-top-general-bid-rally-tribes-094711662.html
Comment: Well, a man of the old Yemeni regime, supporter of Wahabism and enemy of the Houthis, a 100 % opportunist friendly spoken: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Mohsen_al-Ahmar.
Comment by Judith Brown:
The conservative Ali Mohsen has now been appointed as head of the armed forces in Yemen - the deputy commander to the President. Ali Mohsen held the same position under Saleh for many years and thought he would become president himself after Saleh retired - but when Saleh started grooming his son for that position they fell out, and Ali mohsen's brigades split from the main army in the 2011 so called Yemen Spring, which called for a removal of the old regime. But it looks like the old regime is still alive and kicking - Saleh's deputy for 16 years, Hadi, and Ali Mohsen still trying to run the show - and like their neighbour Saudi Arabi, determined that Yemeni people will never have the chance to become a vibrant democracy, as Yemenis want.
Comments by Jane Novak: Gen Ali Mohsen known as major oil smuggler, top al Qaeda facilitator, led bloody Saada Wars, land grabber.
New old US ally #Yemen's Gen Ali Mohsen facilitated jihaddist training camps (oft w/in mil camps) before during & after the Iraq War.
https://twitter.com/JNovak_Yemen/status/702135592050630656 and https://twitter.com/JNovak_Yemen/status/702144423971463168
And on this man Hadi bases a great part of his regime see here:
23.11.2011 - Washington Institute (A P)
Yemeni Military Leader Tied to Terrorism Pledges to Protect Protesters
General al-Ahmar is one of Yemen's most important military figures and is seen by some as a possible successor to Saleh. He has already deployed soldiers to a main square in Sanaa, vowing to protect protesters and positioning himself as defender of the Yemeni people. Yet General al-Ahmar is also paradigmatic of the challenges that the United States and Western governments will face if and when Saleh steps aside. His longstanding ties to militant and extremist organizations, both in Yemen and abroad, should be of great concern to the West, given the threat posed by the Yemen-based al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
According to press reports, in a 2005 cable the U.S. embassy in Yemen described Gen. Ahmar as "the most powerful" of the country's military leaders and a leading contender for president should Saleh fall out of favor. But the embassy also noted his "questionable dealings with terrorists and extremists." Such dealings have been known for some time, including suspicions that the general was involved in training terrorist recruits.
According to a November 2000 New York Times report, citing U.S. intelligence sources, "General al-Ahmar traveled to Afghanistan in the 1980s to meet Osama bin Laden, and assisted in recruiting militants from across the Muslim world for the Afghan struggle." General al-Ahmar was suspected of relocating from Afghanistan to Yemen those so-called "Afghan-Arab" mujahedeen no longer welcome in their home countries. Citing Yemeni and Western intelligence sources, the Times went on to state that the general "was in charge of $20 million supplied by Mr. Bin Laden to help settle Arab Afghan fighters in Yemen." General al-Ahmar's ties to radical Islamists were reportedly solidified by his marriage to a sister of Tariq Nasr al-Fadhli, a prominent Afghan-Arab militant suspected of leading the cell behind one of the first documented al-Qaeda attacks: the failed attempt in December 1992 to bomb two hotels housing U.S. forces en route to Somalia. According to a primer on General al-Ahmar, he "trained partly in Iraq and [was] close to the Yemenite Muslim Brotherhood, he commands the artillery units of the Northerner army and is responsible for the defense of the Sanaa district."
Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar's ties to terrorist and extremist groups came under the spotlight in 2005, when his name came up in a series of wiretaps submitted as evidence in a 2005 terrorism-related trial in New York.
Comment: Really a niece figure. In the west, this seems to disturb no one anymore today. Hadi is one of "our good guys", and thus all his followers are.
22.2.2016 – Al Arabiya from AFP (A T)
Yemen army commander shot dead in Aden
A gunman killed a senior Yemeni army officer in Aden on Monday, as violence in the southern port city which is the headquarters of the Saudi-backed government showed no let-up, military sources said.
The gunman, who was on the back of a motorcycle, killed General Abedrabbo Hussein as he was leaving his home in the Sheikh Othman district of the city, the sources said.
Hussein was commander of the 15th Infantry Brigade which operates in Abyan province, west of Aden, where Al-Qaeda has seized several large towns in recent weeks
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/02/22/Yemen-army-commander-shot-dead-in-Aden-.html see also at http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160222/1035160685/yemen-murder-president.html
cp7 UNO / UN
23.2.2016 – Human Rights Watch / Amnesty International (* A P)
Joint Letter to HRC: Create an International Investigating Mechanism for Yemen
We, the under-signed non-governmental organizations, write to reiterate the calls made by a group of international, regional and national civil society organizations[1]prior to, and during, the 30th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) to create an international mechanism to investigate alleged serious violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of international human rights law committed by all parties to the conflict in Yemen.
On 2 October 2015, the Council adopted HRC resolution 30/18[2] on “Technical assistance and capacity-building for Yemen in the field of human rights,” which requested the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights “to provide technical assistance and to work with the Government of Yemen, as required, in the field of capacity-building, and to identify additional areas of assistance to enable Yemen to fulfil its human rights obligations.” The resolution “specifically request[ed] the Office of the High Commissioner to assist the national independent commission of inquiry in meeting its work in accordance with international obligations.”
Since then, the fighting, as well as serious violations of international law, have continued unabated. […]
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have documented 61 airstrikes between March 2015 and January 2016 that appear to have been unlawful […]
The OHCHR has reported that it “had also received alarming information on the alleged use of cluster bombs by coalition forces in Hajjah Governorate. […]
On 8 May 2015, Brig. Gen. al-Assiri, the military spokesman for the coalition, declared the entire cities of Saada and Marran, another Houthi stronghold, to be military targets.[8] In an interview with Reuters on 1 February 2016, al-Assiri spoke about Saudi civilian casualties from Houthi and pro-Saleh forces’ firing across the border.[9] He said: “Now our rules of engagement are: you are close to the border, you are killed.” Treating an entire area as the object of military attack violates the laws-of-war prohibition on attacks that treat distinct military objectives in a city, town or area as a single military objective. Doing so unlawfully denies civilians protection from attack.
Since the adoption of HRC resolution 30/18, the Houthi armed group and forces allied to it have continued to repeatedly violate international humanitarian law and commit abuses of international human rights law, including by firing weapons indiscriminately into civilian populated areas, deploying within densely-populated residential areas, recruiting children, and laying anti-personnel landmines. Throughout the conflict, both anti-Houthi and Houthi armed groups have been operating in the midst of residential neighbourhoods, launching attacks from or near homes, schools and hospitals, and endangering civilians […]
In addition to the ongoing deterioration of situation on the ground, in early January 2016 the Yemeni Government failed to act in good faith to uphold the spirit and purpose of HRC resolution 30/18. […]
As of today, according to the information gathered by our organizations, members of the national independent commission appointed by Presidential Decree No. 13 (2015) have not carried out any substantive work. […]
On 22 January, the Panel of Experts on Yemen established pursuant to UN Security Council resolution 2140 (2014) presented its final report prepared in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2204 (2015).[17] The Panel of Experts recommended considering the establishment of “an international commission of inquiry to investigate reports of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law in Yemen by all parties and to identify the perpetrators of such violations with a view to ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.” […]
The victims of violations committed by all parties to the conflict cannot afford to wait until a national inquiry mechanism is effectively functioning and able to deliver accountability. The Human Rights Council should act to fulfill its mandate to promote accountability and establish an international mechanism to investigate alleged serious violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of international human rights law committed by all parties to the conflict in Yemen.
The inquiry should establish the facts, collect and conserve information related to violations and abuses with a view to ensuring that those responsible are brought to justice in fair trials, and with relevant assistance from OHCHR, assist the Yemeni national independent commission of inquiry in carrying out its duties, once it has been fully operationalized.
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
22.2.2016 – Washington Post (A P)
Concerns in Saudi Arabia over signs of more military involvement in Syria
Saudi Arabia is flexing its muscles as pro-government forces in Syria’s civil war make sweeping advances, but concerns have mounted about its expanding military involvement in the conflict.
Saudi Arabia is fighting a war in Yemen, and the prospect of the kingdom becoming entangled in another costly conflict at a time when it is facing economic troubles has unsettled many Saudis.
The Saudi armed forces appear bogged down in Yemen against Iranian-aligned rebels in a drawn-out war that seems to be spilling over into the kingdom. Increasingly the rebels, known as Houthis, have been mounting assaults into southern Saudi Arabia, forcing the kingdom to deploy tens of thousands of troops to defend its border.
On the domestic front, finances are in rough shape.
“At all levels in Saudi society, including the royal family itself, there is serious concern about our involvement in all these foreign conflicts,” said the prominent Saudi by Hugh Naylor
22.2.2016 – Schweiz Magazin (B K P)
Saudi-Arabien: „Wir haben die Atombombe“
Ein politischer Analyst aus Saudi-Arabien hat auf dem Fernsehsender Memri TV zugegeben, dass das Land die Atombombe besitzt. In den nächsten 6 Wochen soll sie getestet werden.
Eine Stimme aus Saudi-Arabien hat jetzt erstmals öffentlich zugegeben, dass das Land Atombomben besitzt. Sie sollen die Bodeninvasion von Syrien durch die Türkei und Saudi-Arabien schützen.
In einem Fernseh-Interview wurde diskutiert, warum viele in der arabischen Welt das Bedürfnis verspüren, dass der syrische Präsident Bashar al-Assad von der Macht entfernt wird, und dass eine Bodeninvasion nicht nur notwendig sei, sondern auch stattfinden werde.
Im Zusammenhang mit der bevorstehenden Invasion skizziert der Analyst Dahham Al-'Anzi die Raketen, Flugzeuge und anderes Kriegsmaterial, dass das Königreich von westlichen Staaten wie den VSA, Grossbritannien, Deutschland und der Schweiz erworben hat und offenbarte dann: „Wir haben die Atombombe. Ein Nukleartest könnte in wenigen Wochen stattfinden.“
Dahham Al-'Anzi weiter zum Interviewer beim Fernsehsender Memri TV: „Warum glaubst du, erhalten wir all diese Waffen, wenn nicht für die Verteidigung der Rechte der Araber und Muslime? Auf die etwas konsternierte Antwort des Reporters: „Das sind aktuelle Nachrichten, ich höre zum ersten Mal davon“, antwortete Al-'Anzi: Das sind keine aktuellen Nachrichten. Die Supermächte wissen das. Wir haben gesagt, dass, wenn der Iran unverschämt einen Atomtest ankündigt, wird Saudi-Arabien ebenfalls einen ankündigen. Kein Problem.“
http://www.schweizmagazin.ch/nachrichten/ausland/26122-Saudi-Arabien-Wir-haben-die-Atombombe.html
Kommentar: Man wird sehen, ob da etwas dran ist. Ein Kommentator: Pakistan hängt wirtschaftlich am Tropf der (von ihnen verhassten)Amis und hat Atombombe... Saudiarabien hat Geld.
22.2.2016 – RT (A P)
Film: Why are we buying missiles & airplanes? We've had a nuclear bomb for over 2 years now." Saudi political analyst
https://www.facebook.com/NotoWahabism/videos/842019379259979/
21.2.2016 – Sott News (* A P)
Bombshell CIA confirmation: Saudi Arabia has four to seven nuclear bombs, deliverable by missile or aircraft
Founding Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Counter-Terrorism Operations Center publicly confirms Saudi Arabia has deliverable nuclear bombs.
Last week, on "The Hal Turner Show" Mr. Turner told his audience that, based on his years of experience as a National Security Intelligence Asset with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, Saudi Arabia is in possession of nuclear weapons. He also made clear that a CIA asset had (earlier) made this revelation in public, on FOX NEWS CHANNEL, and this revelation was a staggering breach of Classified Information protocols.
Turner went on to say that "the only way a guy from the CIA would reveal such information is if Washington WANTED the information revealed; otherwise the person who exposed the classified material could be criminally prosecuted."
Given the fact this revelation comes at a time when Syrian and Russian forces, battling Rebels and Terrorists inside Syria, may soon face a massive invading ground force, backed by massive amounts of tanks, the Russians may have to use Tactical (Battlefield) Nuclear Weapons to defend themselves from being over-run. Thus, the release of this information by the CIA on FOX NEWS CHANNEL is actually a THREAT to Russia; don't use tactical nukes or the Saudis will nuke them back!
Arabian Peninsula countries included Saudi Arabia and Bahrain who ratified or acceded to the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty in 1988, Qatar and Kuwait in 1989, UAE in 1995, and Oman in 1997.
The fact that Saudi Arabia now admits they took possession of nuclear bombs despite having signed the Treaty means something very simple: Saudi Arabia's "word" cannot be trusted. Even with something as serious and solemn as a Treaty, their "word" is no good. Even when their "King" signs a treaty, the word of their King is now proved to be no good. To put it in street terms, Saudis are "shifty."
http://www.sott.net/article/312716-Bombshell-CIA-confirmation-Saudi-Arabia-has-four-to-seven-nuclear-bombs-deliverable-by-missile-or-aircraft and see film by Fox News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt3trHKqdiM
Nearly 9 month old, a contradiction:
11.6.2015 – Washington Post (* A P)
Why Saudi Arabia can’t get a nuclear weapon
Saudi Arabia has been periodically dropping hints that, should Iran’s nuclear ambitions go unchecked, it might just have to get nuclear weapons itself. This week, the Saudi ambassador to London made yet another explicit threat, warning that “all options will be on the table.”
Oh, please! Saudi Arabia isn’t going to build a nuclear weapon. Saudi Arabia can’t build a nuclear weapon. Saudi Arabia hasn’t even built a car.
Where would Saudi Arabia train the scientists to work on its secret program?
And who would work in Saudi Arabia’s imagined nuclear industry?
It is often claimed that Pakistan would sell nukes to the Saudis. And it’s true that the Saudis have bailed out Pakistan many times. But the government in Islamabad is well aware that such a deal could make it a pariah and result in sanctions – by Fareed Zakaria
Comment: We will see. Or was this just a bluff addressed at Russia?
Comment: Things have shifted drastically since last July and we can only hope that the reasons and deterrents reported in the article are still valid.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=974620855924278&id=961126490607048
22.2.2016 – Xinhua (A P)
News Analysis: What are the hidden messages from Saudi's massive military drill?
Despite Saudi Arabia's official line that an upcoming massive military drill targets no third party or directed at any specific operation, analysts say that the primary aim of the maneuver is to tilt the balance in Syria and Yemen in its favor.
The drill, code-named "Ra'ad Al-Shamal" (Northern Thunder), is set to begin on Friday. The three-week event will bring together Gulf Arab countries as well as Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania, Djibouti, Comoros, Pakistan, Malaysia, Senegal, Chad, the Maldives and Mauritius.
Many regional observers and analysts believe that Saudi Arabia's decision to organize such massive war games is closely related to the situation in Syria and Yemen.
The upcoming military drill might be intended to exert pressure on the Syrian government. Given Saudi Arabia's earlier announcement that it is willing to send ground troops into Syria if needed, the war games could also be a test of Saudi Arabia's combat readiness for a possible ground offensive, analysts said.
Meanwhile, by inviting 19 other countries for the military drill, Saudi Arabia may also want to send a message to Russia and Iran that they should act cautiously on Syria.
By hosting the largest-ever military drill in the history of the region, Saudi may also want to intimidate its enemies in Yemen so it can get untangled soon from a worsening crisis there, observers said.
All in all, the upcoming event would mark a significant move by Saudi Arabia to boost its role as a key regional player.
Saudi Arabia has three main targets in regional politics now, namely to unseat Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to be able to withdraw from Yemen and to weaken Iran, said senior media commentator Nabeel Abdu. But he noted that the kingdom's waning influence means that it is no easy task for Saudi Arabia to achieve any of these goals.
http://en.chinagate.cn/2016-02/22/content_37844919.htm
22.2.2016 – Reuters (A P)
Saudi Arabia says war games will boost military ties with Muslim allies
"The council of ministers ... expressed the hope that these exercises achieve what was defined as their goals in exchanging expertise and raising the level of military coordination," Saudi Arabia's cabinet said in a statement.
The statement also praised "the levels of preparedness and administrative and supplycapabilities" shown by the nations participating in Northern Thunder exercises.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-security-idUSKCN0VV1D7
15.2.2016 – Wiener Zeitung (* B P)
Autofahren kann die Eierstöcke schädigen
Der saudische Außenminister Adel al-Dschubeir sprach auf der Sicherheitskonferenz in München ein großes Wort gelassen aus: Dass Frauen in Saudi-Arabien nicht Autofahren dürfen, sei "eine gesellschaftliche Frage und nicht eine Frage des Glaubens". Damit weckt der Minister den Anschein, als kenne er weder die saudische Verfassung noch das islamische Rechtssystem seines Landes.
Das Königreich Saudi-Arabien definiert sich in Artikel 1 seiner Verfassung als islamischer Staat: "Allahs Koran und die Verhaltensregeln seines Propheten Mohammed sind dessen Verfassung". Daher leitet die Regierung "ihre Macht vom heiligen Koran und der Tradition des Propheten ab" (Art. 7) und nicht von der Zustimmung der Regierten. Dem entsprechend müssen die Bürger "dem König gemäß dem heiligen Koran und der Tradition des Propheten in Unterwerfung und Gehorsam die Treue halten" (Art. 6). Die Verfassung bestimmt, dass der König "eine legitime Politik der Nation in Übereinstimmung mit den Vorschriften des Islam führt; er überwacht die Verwirklichung der islamischen Scharia" (Art. 55).
Die strenge Auslegung des Islam bestimmt somit die saudische Politik und daher auch die Lösung "gesellschaftlicher Fragen" – darunter so bedeutender wie Führerschein für Frauen.
Dieser "gesellschaftlichen Frage" auf den medizinischen Grund ging vor drei Jahren der saudische Scheich Saleh al-Lohaidan, Mitglied des Hohen Gelehrtenrates, Berater der saudischen Regierung und Exponent des konservativen saudischen Klerus. Er fand heraus: "Eine Frau, die regelmäßig Auto fährt, gefährdet ihre und ihrer Neugeborenen Gesundheit, weil die Körperhaltung beim Autofahren das Becken nach oben drückt und die Eierstöcke schädigen kann." Der Scheich berief sich auf "geheime wissenschaftliche Beweise" – von Clemens M. Hutter
6.3.2015 – Middle East Monitor (A P)
Saudi woman to get 200 lashes after being raped
A woman who was violently gang raped in Saudi Arabia has been sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in jail after being found guilty of indecency and talk to the media.
The 19-year-old was in a car with a student friend when two men got into the vehicle and drove them to a secluded area. She says she was raped by seven men, three of whom also attacked her friend.
The Shia Muslim woman had initially been sentenced to 90 lashes after being convicted of violating the Kingdom's religious diktats on segregation of the sexes.
After the sentences were handed down following the rape in 2006, the woman was sentenced to 90 lashes; however her lawyer appealed to the Saudi General Court. It then doubled her sentence. At the same time, they also doubled the prison sentences for the seven men convicted of raping her, according to Saudi news outlets.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/17365-saudi-woman-to-get-200-lashes-after-being-raped see also http://anonhq.com/saudi-woman-gang-raped-court-still-gives-her-200-lashes-and-jail-term/
cp9 USA
23.2.2016 – AFP (A P)
US failing to explain deadly drone policy: report
According to a study by the Stimson Center, a Washington-based nonpartisan think tank, President Barack Obama's administration has failed to provide basic transparency into the drone program that has become a keystone in America's counterterrorism efforts.
"In terms of the justification for the program and all the legal basis -- that still remains out of reach of the American public," study author Rachel Stohl told AFP.
The report card gave the Obama administration an "F" -- or a failing grade -- in three areas: a lack of progress on releasing information on targeted drone strikes, developing better accountability mechanisms and explaining the US lethal drone program's legal basis.
http://www.timeslive.co.za/world/2016/02/23/US-failing-to-explain-deadly-drone-policy-report
22.2.2016 – RT (** B P)
„FYI-Good News“: Hillary Clinton freute sich über F-15-Deal mit Saudi-Arabien
Zu Weihnachten 2011 freute sich Hillary Clinton über ein besonderes Geschenk. Ein hoher saudischer Beamter bestätigte einen riesigen Waffendeal mit den USA. Sein Name: Salman al-Saud – der heutige König der Ölmonarchie. Mit den damals verhandelten Kampfflugzeugen zerstört Saudi-Arabien heute den Jemen. Die UNO spricht von Kriegsverbrechen. The Intercept veröffentlicht Clintons E-Mails.
Für das Online-Magazin The Intercept berichtet dessen Autor Lee Fang über neue E-Mails, die nach dem Gesetz über die Informationsfreiheit in der vergangenen Woche freigegeben werden mussten.
Vor wenigen Jahren, noch als Außenministerin, räumte Hillary Clinton den Waffenexporten an die saudische Regierung „höchste Priorität“ ein, berichten ihre engsten militärischen Berater. Wie aktuell veröffentlichte E-Mails zeigen, ließ sich die Außenministerin über den gesamten Genehmigungsprozess intensiv informieren. Dabei ging es darum, für 29,4 Milliarden Dollar im Jahr 2011 bis zu 84 F-15 Kampfflugzeuge an Saudi-Arabien zu verkaufen.
Die Firma Boeing stellte die Jets einschließlich eines technischen Upgrades her. Zu dem Deal gehörte auch eine Modernisierung der bereits bestehenden saudischen Luftkampfflotte aus 70 F-15-Flugzeugen, sowie Munition, Ersatzteile, Schulung, Wartung und weitere Logistik.
Das Geschäft wurde am Weihnachtsabend 2011 abgeschlossen. Jake Sullivan, zunächst Clintons stellvertretender Stabschef und jetzt ein leitender Politikberater in ihrem Wahlkampf, schickte ihr eine feierliche Mail mit dem Betreff: „Zu Ihrer Information - eine gute Nachricht“.
Die E-Mails sind Teil einer neuen Veröffentlichung von Clintons privatem Server, die am Freitag nach einer Klage nach dem Informationsfreiheitsgesetz in den USA veröffentlicht werden mussten. Ein Beamter, dessen Name in den E-Mails geschwärzt ist, schreibt, dass er gerade die Bestätigung erhalten habe, dass Prinz Salman den Waffen-Deal genehmigte. Damals war Salman wichtigster Verbindungsbeamter der USA in Saudi-Arabien. Heute ist er König.
Die E-Mails aus dem Außenministerium haben durchgehend einen feierlichen Ton: „Kein schlechtes Weihnachtsgeschenk“, schreibt ein Beamter an die Außenministerin. Ein anderer, dessen Name ebenfalls geschwärzt ist, bestätigt, dass ein Saudi-General „zufrieden, wie alle von uns“ ist, und sagt, er hätte die Führungskräfte bei Boeing kontaktiert. Alle Beteiligten freuen sich über das Waffengeschäft: „Gute Nachrichten!“
Am 26. Dezember 2011 meldete sich Jeremy Bash, der damalige Stabschef im Pentagon, mit einer E-Mail unter dem Betreff „F-15SA Weihnachtsgeschenk“ bei Sullivan, der sie an Clinton weiterleitete.
David Sirota und Andrew Perez berichteten im letzten Jahr bereits in der International Business Times, dass Clintons Außenministerium maßgeblich an den Waffenverkäufen nach Saudi-Arabien beteiligt war. Nachdem die Waffentransfers genehmigt wurden, traten sowohl das Königreich Saudi-Arabien als auch Boeing als Spender für die Clinton-Stiftung auf. Die Washington Post recherchierte, dass Boeing bereits frühzeitig Lobby-Arbeit und Fundraising für die Präsidentschaft von Hillary Clinton machte.
https://deutsch.rt.com/wirtschaft/36933-fyi-good-news-hillary-clinton/
Kommentar: Wie die Infographik zeigt, gehörten zu diesem Waffendeal 76 F-15-Kampfflugzeuge, ein Upgrade für 70 ältere F-15-Kampfflugzeuge, und 178 Hubschrauber. Alles kommt jetzt bei den Luftangriffen auf den Jemen zum Einsatz, die von Kampfjets und auch von Hubschraubern geflogen werden.
22.2.2016 – The Intercept (** B P)
Emails Show Hillary Clinton Aides Celebrating F-15 Sales to Saudi Arabia: “Good News”
The shockingly brutal Saudi air campaign in Yemen has been led by American-made F-15 jet fighters.
A few years earlier, as secretary of state, Hillary Clinton made weapons transfer to the Saudi government a “top priority,” according to her closest military aide.
And now, newly released emails show that her aides kept her well-informed of the approval process for a $29.4 billion sale in 2011 of up to 84advanced F-15SA fighters, manufactured by Boeing, along with upgrades to the pre-existing Saudi fleet of 70 F-15 aircraft and munitions, spare parts, training, maintenance, and logistics.
The deal was finalized on Christmas Eve 2011. Afterward, Jake Sullivan, then Clinton’s deputy chief of staff and now a senior policy adviser on her presidential campaign, sent her a celebratory email string topped with the chipper message: “FYI — good news.”
The congratulatory tone continues through the email chain with other officials, also with redacted names, calling the weapons deal “Great news!” – by Lee Fang
https://theintercept.com/2016/02/22/saudi-christmas-present/ = http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511310229
22.2.2016 – Mondoweiss (A P)
Weapons manufacturers support Hillary Clinton more than any other presidential candidate
4.9.2015 – Vocativ (* B P)
The Price For Saudi Support On Iran Deal? U.S. Help In Yemen War
The U.S. has supplied intelligence personnel, sold billions in arms, and done little to abate the staggering humanitarian cost of the war in Yemen – by Shane Dixon Kavanaugh
http://www.vocativ.com/news/227617/the-price-for-saudi-support-on-iran-deal-u-s-help-in-yemen-war/
Comment: An older article I not had listed yet, still worth a read.
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
17.2.2016 – Morning Star (** B P)
UN heaps more shame on Britain’s role in Yemen
It is possible to speculate why Prime Minister David Cameron has declared it his mission to scrap the Human Rights Act.
It appears he simply does not believe in human rights. For example, the fact that Saudi Arabia executed (in some instances beheaded) 47 people in one day last month and displayed their bodies from gibbets didn’t deter Cameron from letting British military experts work with their Saudi counterparts.
Those experts advised on which targets and people to bomb in Yemen. Parliament has not been consulted; thus democracy too has been suspended. The fact that in May 2013 Saudi also beheaded five Yemenis and used cranes to display their headless bodies against the skyline also did not trouble him. Neither did the fact that by November 10 2015, the year’s total of executions had already reached 151, the highest for 20 years, in what Amnesty International called “a bloody executions spree.”
But why care about human rights or outright savagery when there are arms to be sold? As I have previously pointed out, in one quarter last year we sold Saudi Arabia £1,066,216,510 in export licences for bombs, missiles, rockets, and components of those items.
Cameron’s government treats such barbarism with astonishing sanguinity. For instance, it has come to light that in 2011 Britain drew up a list of 30 “‘priority countries’ where British diplomats would be ‘encouraged’ to ‘proactively drive forward’ and make progress towards abolishing the death penalty over five years.” Saudi Arabia was not on the list — an omission which Amnesty International’s Head of Policy Alan Hogarth called “astonishing” in the Independent.
However, a Foreign Office spokeswoman told the Independent that “a full list of countries of concern was published in March 2015 in the Annual Human Rights Report and that includes Saudi Arabia and its use of the death penalty.” Wrong. In the report under “Abolition of the Death Penalty,” there is much concentration on countries in the “Commonwealth Caribbean” and a casual, subservient nod at the US, but no mention of Saudi.
Under “The Death Penalty” Jordan and Pakistan were mentioned, and “Asia and the Commonwealth Caribbean” attract particular focus. Singapore, Malaysia, China and Taiwan, Japan (which executed three people in 2014), Suriname and Vietnam are cited. Saudi Arabia is nowhere to be found. Under the heading “Torture Prevention,” there is a quote from David Cameron: “Torture is always wrong,” attributed to December 9 2014. Paragraph one makes plain that “the impact on victims, their families and their communities is devastating. It can never be justified in any circumstance.” A number of countries are listed. No prizes for guessing, in spite of medieval torture practices, which is not.
However, under “Criminal Justice and the Rule of Law” it states that “the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) issued revised guidance on the human rights aspects of OSJA (Overseas Security and Justice Guidance) in February 2014. The guidance ensures that officials do their utmost to identify risks of UK actions causing unintended human rights consequences.”
What an irony, as David Cameron is currently moving heaven and Earth to halt legal action against British soldiers accused of extreme human rights abuses in Iraq. As Lesley Docksey has pointed out, “hundreds of complaints have been lodged with the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT), which was investigating between 1,300 and 1,500 cases.
Many are simple complaints of ill treatment during detention, but some are far more serious [including] death[s] while detained by the British Army, deaths outside a British Army base or after contact with the British Army [and] many deaths following ‘shooting incidents’.”
Worse, the British government is considering taking action against Leigh Day, one of the law firms dealing with some of the cases. Public Interest Lawyers is also in their sights. The government has sold weapons to 24 of 27 countries on its own list of “countries of humanitarian concern,” according to the Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT), with Saudi Arabia in a £4.5 billion deal to purchase 72 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft from us.
“The overriding message is that human rights are playing second fiddle to company profits,” said CAAT spokesperson Andrew Smith. He added: “The government and local authorities up and down the country are profiting directly from the bombing of Yemen. Challenging them to divest from Saudi Arabia … is something people can do directly.”
In the light of a 51-page UN report on the bombing of Yemen obtained by various parties on January 27, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called for an immediate suspension of arms sales to Saudi pending the outcome of an independent inquiry.
Cameron stated, farcically, that: “Britain had the strictest rules governing arms sales of almost any country, anywhere in the world.”
However the UN report states: “The panel documented that the coalition had conducted air strikes [in Yemen] targeting civilians and civilian objects, in violation of international humanitarian law, including camps for internally displaced persons and refugees; civilian gatherings, including weddings; civilian vehicles, including buses; civilian residential areas; medical facilities; schools; mosques; markets, factories and food storage warehouses; and other essential civilian infrastructure, such as the airport in Sana’a, the port in Hudaydah and domestic transit routes.”
It adds: “The panel documented 119 coalition sorties relating to violations of international humanitarian law.”
It also reported cases of civilians fleeing and being chased and shot at by helicopters. Moreover, it stated that the humanitarian crisis was compounded by the Saudi blockade of ships carrying fuel, food and other essentials that are trying to reach Yemen.
The panel said that “civilians are disproportionately affected” and deplored tactics that “constitute the prohibited use of starvation as a method of warfare.”
David Mepham, UK director of Human Rights Watch, commented: “For almost a year, [Foreign Secretary Philip] Hammond has made the false and misleading claim that there is no evidence of laws of war violations by the UK’s Saudi ally and other members of the coalition.”
The Ministry of Defence, declining to say how many British military advisers were in Saudi command and control centres, said that the UK was “offering Saudi Arabia advice and training on best-practice targeting techniques to help ensure continued compliance with international humanitarian law.”
Yet another quote for the “you could not make this up” files. It has to be wondered whether the Ministry’s “best practice targeting techniques” include the almost 100 attacks on medical facilities between March and October 2015, a practice which compelled the International Committee of the Red Cross to declare itself in November “appalled by the continuing attacks on healthcare facilities in Yemen.”
It issued its statement after “alThawra hospital, one of the main healthcare facilities in Taiz which is providing treatment for about 50 injured people every day, was reportedly shelled several times.” The statement continued: “It is not the first time health facilities have been attacked … Close to a hundred similar incidents have been reported since March 2015. “Deliberate attacks on health facilities represent a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.”
An earlier attempt to have the UN Human Rights Council establish an inquiry failed due to objections from Saudi Arabia, who, with help from Britain, currently chair an influential panel on the same Human Rights Council. Farce is alive and well in the corridors of the UN.
The repeated attacks on a medical facility and buildings and places of sanctuary protected under international humanitarian law are testimony to the total disregard for it by Britain, the US and their allies — and those they “advise.”
British Foreign Office Minister Tobias Ellwood, an US-born former soldier visited Saudi Arabia last month and was quoted in al-Watan newspaper as attacking “the ignorance of the British to the notable progress in Saudi Arabia in the field of human rights, confirming throughout the visit of a British FCO delegation ... that he had expressed his opinion regarding the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia before the British Parliament, and that the notable progress in this area has been obscured.”
The Foreign Office strongly denied that Ellwood had expressed such a view. The Saudi-led, British-advised and US “intelligence-led” coalition is reported to have formed “an independent team of experts” to assess “incidents” (which should be described as outrages and war crimes) in order to reach “conclusions” and “lessons learned.”
Thus, as ever, the arsonist is to investigate the cause of the fire. Amnesty, Human rights Watch, Medecins Sans Frontieres (who have had three medical facilities bombed) and the Campaign to Stop Bombing in Yemen have all called for an independent inquiry with the power to hold those responsible for atrocities to account.
None of which, however, would bring back the dead, restore the disabled, disfigured, limbless, or beautiful, ruined, ancient Yemen — another historical paradise lost – by Felicity Arbuthnot
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-3b44-UN-heaps-more-shame-on-Britains-role-in-Yemen
21.2.2016 – The Badger (* A P)
Cameron must be pressed on Britain’s involvement in Yemen
David Cameron has said repeatedly in Prime Minister’s Questions this year that the UK is not “directly” involved in the conflict. However, it is clear that in continuing to sell arms to Saudi Arabia, as well as having military advisors present in the command and control centre for the bombing campaign, the UK is essentially enabling this reportedly illegal intervention.
In fact, not only are British arms companies continuing to sell to Saudi Arabia, they are doing so at a much, much faster rate in wake of the conflict, at the consent of the British government. Of the £6 billion worth of arms sold to Saudi Arabia by Britain since Cameron took office, almost half of those sales (£2.8 billion worth) have occurred since Saudi Arabia started bombing Yemen last March. It seems that Britain’s arms companies are reaping economic reward out of the slaughter of innocents.
Unsurprisingly, advisors from our own Foreign Office have warned that our arming of Saudi Arabia could be in breach of international humanitarian law and that the UK could conceivably be pulled before the International Criminal Court to answer for its actions.
Furthermore, Cameron claimed on Wednesday that:
“We are backing the legitimate government of Yemen, not least because terrorist attacks planned in Yemen would have a direct effect on people in our country.”
Yet, as experts such as retired Major General Tim Cross have pointed out, it is the Saudi-led coalition we are aiding which has been central to creating the conditions for terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda to flourish in Yemen, with two-thirds of the total casualties thought to have been caused by its airstrikes.
In light of all this, Angus Robertson was right to challenge Cameron on the government’s compliance with Saudi Arabia in the Yemeni conflict last week – and he should continue to be pressed on the issue. The Saudi Arabian government is now not only committing human rights abuses in its own sphere, it is also committing human rights abuses in a neighbouring country.
If Cameron is remotely serious about his message of compassionate conservatism, both at home and abroad, then he must radically rethink Britain’s policy in regard to this increasingly hostile regime – by Ivor Jones
http://thebadgeronline.com/cameron-must-be-pressed-on-britains-involvement-in-yemen/
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
23.2.2016 – Bloomberg (B K)
Eritrea Denies It Sent Troops for Saudi Arabia's War in Yemen
Eritrea denied it sent soldiers to fight with a Saudi Arabia-led coalition in Yemen, accusing the United Nations of reporting flawed and “unsubstantiated” allegations against the Horn of Africa country.
Eritrea described the allegation of sending troops as “patently false,” in a statement on a government website. It accused the monitoring group of a “longstanding tendency to dwell on malicious hearsay so as to maintain the harassment of Eritrea.” It didn’t mention the other allegations of support.
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade
22.2.2016 – SIPRI (* B K P)
Die zehn größten Waffenimporteure und ihre größten Zulieferer – Infographic
Saudi-Arabien auf Platz 2 der Importeure mit 7 % des internationalen Waffenhandels. Lieferanten für die Saudis: USA zu 46 %, Großbritannien zu 30 %, Spanien 5,9 %, 12,1 % alle anderen.
https://twitter.com/pechosboys/status/701882805719056385
22.2.2016 – Alternet (** B K P)
Exporting Death: When It Comes to Arming the Planet, America Is Unrivaled
New report shows that over the past five years, the United States was the top arms exporter in the world.
The United States is driving the global surge in militarization, as the number one arms exporter over the past five years—during which it shipped deadly weapons to at least 96 countries—according to a disturbing new reportby the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
From 2011 to 2015, the U.S. oversaw the dramatic rise in weapons transfers, the global volume of which jumped a stunning 14 percent compared to levels seen during the previous five years.
The Middle East was the top recipient of American arms, and within the region, Saudi Arabia was the number one importer. These shipments continued despite human rights calls for an arms embargo, over concerns that the Saudi-led coalition is committing widespread war crimes in Yemen.
In fact, SIPRI researchers note that the coalition has been able to continue its relentless aerial assault of Yemen thanks primarily to U.S. and European shipments. “A coalition of Arab states is putting mainly U.S.- and European-sourced advanced arms into use in Yemen,” said Pieter Wezeman, senior researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Program.
Worldwide, U.S. arms exports over the past five years jumped 27 percent over 2006-2010 levels. Weapons exports are poised to rise even more.
“As regional conflicts and tensions continue to mount, the U.S. remains the leading global arms supplier by a significant margin,” said Dr. Aude Fleurant, director of the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Program. “[T]he U.S. arms industry has large outstanding export orders, including for a total of 611 F-35 combat aircraft to 9 states.” – by Sarah Lazare
http://www.alternet.org/world/exporting-death-when-it-comes-arming-planet-america-unrivaled and see also http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/02/22/purveyors-global-violence-us-continues-lead-world-arms-trade
22.2.2016 – The Guardian (** B K P)
Saudi Arabia leads surge in arms imports by Middle East states
Saudi imports up 275% in five years, with UK firms estimated to have sold £5.6bn of arms to the country, while imports by European states down 41%
The international transfer of weapons to the Middle East has risen dramatically over the past five years, with Saudi Arabia’s imports for 2011-15 increasing by 275% compared with 2006–10, according to an authoritative report.
Overall, imports by states in the Middle East increased by 61%; imports by European states decreased by 41% over the same period. Britain sold more weapons to Saudi Arabia than to any other country. Saudi Arabia is also the biggest US arms market and buys more American arms than British, the report shows.
UK companies are estimated to have sold more than £5.6bn of arms to the Saudis since 2010, and more than 100 new export licences have been approved since the bombing of Yemen began a year ago. British Typhoon strike aircraft sold to Saudi Arabia are embroiled in a growing controversy over the bombing of civilian targets in Yemen.
The figures are contained in the latest arms sales survey by Sipri, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
“A coalition of Arab states is putting mainly US- and European-sourced advanced arms into use in Yemen,” said Pieter Wezeman, senior researcher with Sipri’s arms and military expenditure programme. “Despite low oil prices, large deliveries of arms to the Middle East are scheduled to continue as part of contracts signed in the past five years.”
The report says Saudi Arabia is the world’s second largest weapons importer after India. Elsewhere in the Middle East, arms imports by Qatar rose by 279% over the same period, and imports by the UAE rose by 35%. Egypt’s imports rose by 37%, mainly as a result of a steep rise last year – by Richard Norton-Taylor (with infographs showing: Share of international arms exports (%), importers and exporters)
And this is the SIPRI report:
2.2016 – SIPRI (** B K P)
TRENDS IN INTERNATIONAL ARMS TRANSFERS, 2015
KEY FACTS
The volume of transfer s of major weapons in 2011–15 was 14 per cent higher than in 2006–10. The five biggest exporters in 2011–15 were the USA, Russia, China, France and Germany. Together, they accounted for 74 per cent of the total volume of arms exports. Combined, the USA and Russia supplied 58 per cent of all exports.
US, Russian and Chinese arms exports in 2011–15 were, respectively, 27, 28 and 88 per cent higher than in 2006–10. French arms export s decreased by 9.8 per cent between 2006–10 and 2011–15, and German exports fell by 51 per cent.
The five biggest importers in 2011–15 were India, Saudi Arabia, China, the UAE and Australia. Together, they received 34 per cent of all arms imports
The main recipient region in 2011–15 was Asia and Oceania (accounting for 46 per cent of global imports), followed by the Middle East (25 per cent), Europe (11 per cent), the Americas (9.6 per cent) and Africa (8.0 per cent).
Between 2006–10 and 2011–15 arms imports by states in Africa increased by 19 per cent, Asia and Oceania by 26 per cent, and the Middle East by 61 per cent. Imports by states in the Americas decreased by 6.0 per cent and fell by 4 1 per cent in Europe.
http://books.sipri.org/files/FS/SIPRIFS1602.pdf
22.2.2016 – Vice News (* A K P)
Sniper Rifles From the US and Canada Ended Up in Yemen's War
What is a Canadian-made sniper rifle doing in the war in Yemen?
Bolt-action .50 caliber rifles have been spotted, thanks to social media, in the conflict that has ravaged Yemen since last year, drawing focus on Canada's weapons exports to Saudi Arabia, which is engaged in a military campaign against Houthi rebels.
The social media reports, picked up by Armament Research Services (ARES) — an intelligence consultant agency that monitors the flow of weapons worldwide — indicate that the heavy-duty LRT-3 sniper rifle was "seized by Houthi forces on 11 June 2015 after clashes with Saudi border guards," ARS writes in a November, 2015 blog post.
Canadian broadcaster CBC reports that Saudi border guards appeared to be equipped with the Canadian-made rifles as of last year.
Other videos reportedly show Houthis brandishing American-made M82A1 semi-automatic rifles, also originally provided to Saudi Arabia by the United States.
"A pile of guns has been [stolen] on Tuwaiq mountain for the third time today and [Saudis] have yet to understand that their military defenses have been compromised and this is the opponent's weapon in the grip of the heroes of Yemen," reads the tweet, purportedly on behalf of the Houthi rebels.
https://news.vice.com/article/sniper-rifles-from-the-us-and-canada-ended-up-in-yemens-war
22.2.2016 – CBC News (* A K)
Canadian rifles may have fallen into Yemen rebel hands: arms experts
Discovery of Winnipeg-made weapons raises fresh concerns about military exports to Saudi Arabia
Canadian-made weapons may have fallen into the hands of Houthi fighters in Yemen's civil war, raising new concerns about Canada's arms exports to Saudi Arabia.
The rifles were most likely seized from Saudi forces, and it appears to have happened more than once, according to Armament Research Services, an international intelligence consultancy that traces arms.
The weapons first appeared in photos and video featured on a Houthi-linked TV channel and social media, showcased as "modern weapons" captured in battle with "Saudi border guards." It seemed a coup for a group that's been under a UN arms embargo for the past year.
Experts at ARES investigated the photos and concluded they almost certainly show an LRT-3 sniper rifle made by Winnipeg-based PGW Defence Technologies.
"There are a couple of paths the weapon could have followed, but for us the most likely is that it was captured, from Saudi land forces," says Jenzen-Jones.
The weapons in question were most likely exported legally to Saudi Arabia. One of a few indications: on a media tour last year, Saudi soldiers were photographed on Yemen's border carrying a rifle that weapons experts believe is a PGW Timberwolf.
The apparent presence of such rifles in Yemen's battlefields, and how they got there, raises difficult questions for the Canadian government.
"To have evidence of even one or two [weapons] is an indicator. It's like an iceberg: there's a visible part but there's far more below the surface," said Kenneth Epps, a policy advisor at Project Ploughshares, an anti-conflict organization which tracks weapons sales and exports.
According to a CBC News analysis, over the past decade Canada has shipped more than $28 million worth of Canadian-made guns and rifles to Saudi Arabia — this country's second largest weapons customer after the U.S.
Amnesty: "For many Western governments, selling weapons to the Gulf states was very convenient because they would place large orders … but [the weapons] actually wouldn't be used in conflict or repression. "That picture has changed."
The Canadian government says it has no information on Canadian weapons being used in Yemen.
17.2.2016 – I Politics (B P)
Trudeau may come to bitterly regret the Saudi arms deal
Mecca, Saudi Arabia. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, File)
Critics of the $15 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia have taken the federal government to task for failing to fully disclose the information it relies on to evaluate country risk. It’s part of the due diligence framework government officers must undergo when conducting arms sales to countries with dubious human rights records, ones that may be aid recipients, that may be at war or that may have governments that are in violation of international law.
The proposed sale came under scrutiny because of Saudi Arabia’s record of human rights violations, which we have documented on behalf of and in partnership with the Government of Canada in our evidence-based research on failed and fragile states.
So despite having been forewarned that trouble was looming on the Saudi file, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has decided for now to push ahead with the deal. “Almost all our allies are selling weapons to Saudi Arabia,” said Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion. “It’s part of the world in which we are living.” – by David Carment and Teddy Samy
http://ipolitics.ca/2016/02/17/trudeau-may-come-to-bitterly-regret-the-saudi-arms-deal/
22.2.2016 – Defence Talk (* B K P)
Saab Erieye Radar Deal with UAE Criticized
A deal between the Swedish aerospace and defence company, Saab Group, and the United Arab Emirates is being criticized because the country is a dictatorship and involved in an armed conflict in Yemen.
Swedish Radio news reported that Saab Group signed a contract last year to develop the UAE’s airborne radar systems. Stig Henriksson, a member of the Left Party, who sits on the Exportkontrollrådet, a parliamentary body which provides council on export control, said the deal should not be approved.
“The United Arab Emirates fulfills almost all the points [for a country] for which we should be restrictive or say ‘no’: The country violates human rights; it’s not a democracy; and it’s involved in a war,” said Henriksson speaking with Swedish Radio.
In November of last year Saab announced the deal with the UAE for a radar and surveillance system called Erieye at a price of around SEK 10.5 billion. Among other things, the Erieye system involves radar mounted on an airplane, which is advertised as being able to detect helicopters and smaller watercraft. Saab has sold the system to Thailand and Pakistan and has previously sold an older version to the UAE.
The Inspectorate of Strategic Products (ISP), the authority that grants permission for Swedish arms exports, is currently considering whether to allow Saab to sell the Erieye system to the UAE.
http://www.defencetalk.com/saab-erieye-radar-deal-with-uae-criticized-66804/
22.2.2016 – RP Online (B K P)
Bericht des Friedensforschungsinstituts Sipri: Der globale Waffenhandel boomt
Der weltweite Waffenhandel boomt, Exporte und Importe steigen. Vor allem China legt beim Rüstungsgeschäft zu, während Deutschland seine Verkäufe ins Ausland weiter zurückfährt.
Im Mittleren Osten sind in den vergangenen vier Jahren deutlich mehr Rüstungsgüter importiert worden. Das geht aus einem neuen Bericht des Stockholmer Friedensforschungsinstituts Sipri hervor. "Eine Koalition arabischer Staaten setzt vor allem aus den USA und Europa stammende Waffen im Jemen ein", sagte Sipri-Experte Pieter Wezeman. "Trotz der geringen Ölpreise sind weitere große Waffenlieferungen in den Mittleren Osten geplant (...)." Die Region führte zwischen 2011 und 2015 im Vergleich zu dem Zeitraum zwischen 2006 und 2010 fast zwei Drittel mehr Waffen ein.
Saudi Arabien steigerte seine Importe in dieser Zeit um 275 Prozent. Mit einem Weltmarktanteil von sieben Prozent ist das Land zweitgrößter Importeur nach Indien (14 Prozent) und vor China (4,7 Prozent).
Große Empfänger sind neben Indien, Saudi Arabien und China auch die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate und Katar, die ihre Importe um 35 Prozent beziehungsweise 279 Prozent steigerten. Mit Hubschraubern, Verteidungssystemen, Tankern und Kampffliegern baue der Wüstenstaat sein Arsenal massiv aus, berichteten die Stockholmer Forscher.
Unter anderem, weil die USA eine teilweise Aussetzung der Waffenlieferungen an Ägypten aufhoben, führte das Land im untersuchten Zeitraum 37 Prozent mehr Waffen ein. "2014 und 2015 unterzeichnete Ägypten mehrere große Deals für Waffen aus Frankreich, Deutschland und Russland", hieß es im Sipri-Bericht. Auf der anderen Seite des Roten Meers steigerte der Irak seine Rüstungsimporte um 83 Prozent.
http://www.rp-online.de/politik/ausland/friedensforschungsinstitut-sipri-der-globale-waffenhandel-boomt-aid-1.5784836 mit identischem Wortlaut: http://www.watson.ch/Wirtschaft/articles/233882336-R%C3%BCstungsausgaben--Der-Nahe-Osten-im-Waffen-Kaufrausch
21.2.2015 – Wirtschaftsblatt (* B K P)
Das Geschäft mit dem Krieg: So kommen Waffen nach Syrien
Trotz Kritik beliefern westliche Länder - auch Deutschland - die Öl-Staaten mit Rüstung. Dass sich daran etwas ändert, dafür stehen die Chancen nicht überall gut, erklärt SIPRI-Forscher Pieter Wezeman.
Über welche Umwege kommen die Waffen dann nach Syrien?
Über die Länder in der Region, die in dem Konflikt involviert sind - vor allem Saudi-Arabien, die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate und Katar: Die Staaten hätten massiv in High-Tech-Militärausrüstung investiert, sagt Wezeman. "Sie wollen eine wichtige Rolle spielen und tun das auch." Während sie sich früher nur selten in regionale Konflikte eingemischt hätten, nutzten sie ihre Rüstungsgüter jetzt dazu. Die Staaten unterstützten aber nicht nur die US-geführte Koalition gegen die Terrormiliz IS in Syrien, sondern intervenierten auch selbst im Jemen. "Ähnliches konnte man jetzt in Libyen beobachten", sagt Wezeman.
Welchen Plan verfolgen die Staaten im Mittleren Osten mit ihrem Engagement in diesen Konflikten?
Das sei schwierig zu sagen, meint Wezeman: "Es sind sehr verschlossene Staaten, die nicht wirklich erkennen lassen, was ihre Pläne sind." In Katar sei eine Veränderung nach dem dortigen Regime-Wechsel zu beobachten gewesen. Auch die Türkei wolle ein größerer Player in der Region sein und habe zudem aufgrund des Kurden-Konflikts aufgerüstet.
Wer liefert die Waffen an die arabischen Staaten, die im Syrien-Krieg eingesetzt werden?
Saudi-Arabien und die anderen Länder bezögen ihre Waffen vor allem aus den USA und Europa, erklärt Wezeman.
Wie passt es zusammen, dass sich die USA und Europa für Frieden in Syrien einsetzen und zugleich Waffen in die Region liefern?
Die europäischen Staaten seien zwar der Ansicht, dass eine militärische Lösung in Syrien sinnvoll ist, sagt Wezeman. Sie nutzen ihre Mittel seiner Einschätzung nach aber anders, als es Saudi-Arabien tut. So lieferten sie etwa keine Waffen an Rebellengruppen in Syrien. Europas Rüstungsindustrie könne aber auch nicht überleben, indem sie nur an europäische Staaten liefere. Sie müsse deshalb Exportmärkte im Ausland finden - "mehr als jemals zuvor", meint Wezeman. "Der wirtschaftliche Druck, mit den Waffenlieferungen weiterzumachen, ist sehr hoch." – von Julia Wäschenbach, dpa
Siehe auch:
21.2.2016 – ntv
Saudis importieren 275 Prozent mehr. Rüstungshandel legt weltweit zu
Der Handel mit Waffen hat in den vergangenen Jahren deutlich zugenommen. Die Rüstungsverkäufe zwischen 2011 und 2015 seien im Vergleich zu den fünf Jahren davor um 14 Prozent gewachsen, teilte das Stockholmer Friedensforschungsinstitut Sipri mit. Zuvor war der Markt über rund 20 Jahre geschrumpft. Im weltweiten Rüstungsgeschäft stehen die USA vor Russland und China mit Abstand an der Spitze, gefolgt von Frankreich und Deutschland. "Während regionale Konflikte und Spannungen weiter ansteigen, bleiben die USA mit deutlichem Abstand führender weltweiter Waffenexporteur", sagte Sipri-Forscherin Aude Fleurant.
Die USA bauten in den vergangenen vier Jahren ihren weltweiten Marktanteil auf 33 Prozent aus. In den Jahren zwischen 2006 und 2010 hatte dieser Anteil noch bei 29 Prozent gelegen. Dabei verfügen die USA laut Sipri über die meisten unterschiedlichen Kunden - in den vergangenen fünf Jahren verkauften oder übergaben sie große Rüstungsgüter an 96 Staaten. Zudem habe die US-Verteidigungsindustrie große Exporte in Vorbereitung, darunter 611 Kampfflugzeuge F-35 für neun Länder.
http://www.n-tv.de/politik/Ruestungshandel-legt-weltweit-zu-article17049081.html
22.2.2016 – Spiegel Online (B K P)
Sipri-Bericht: Saudis rüsten auf - Waffenimporte steigen um 275 Prozent
Saudi-Arabien hat zwischen 2011 und 2015 deutlich mehr Waffen importiert als zuvor. Die Rüstungseinfuhren des Landes seien im Vergleich zu den vorangegangenen vier Jahren um insgesamt 275 Prozent gestiegen, teilte das Stockholmer Friedensforschungsinstitut Sipri in einem Bericht mit.
Damit ist das Königreich in der Region nicht allein. Insgesamt stieg die Nachfrage nach Waffen im Mittleren Osten in diesem Zeitraum deutlich, schreiben die Forscher. "Eine Koalition arabischer Staaten setzt vor allem aus den USA und Europa stammende Waffen im Jemen ein", sagte Sipri-Experte Pieter Wezeman. Die Region führte zwischen 2011 und 2015 im Vergleich zu dem Zeitraum zwischen 2006 und 2010 fast zwei Drittel mehr Waffen ein.
In den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten legten die Importe um 35 Prozent zu. Im benachbarten Katar stiegen die Einkäufe um 279 Prozent: Mit Hubschraubern, Verteidungssystemen, Panzern und Kampffliegern baue der Wüstenstaat sein Arsenal massiv aus, berichteten die Stockholmer Forscher.
Im internationalen Vergleich belegt Saudi-Arabien damit Platz zwei.
cp13b Flüchtlinge / Refugees
22.2.2016 – UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Somalia Task Force on Yemen Situation: Inter-Agency Update #3 (02 - 15 February 2016)
Highlights
During the reporting period, a total of 319 individuals arrived in Somalia in the ports of Berbera, Somaliland, (117 persons) and Bossaso, Puntland, (202 persons). A total of 279 new arrivals were registered by UNHCR in collaboration with local authorities and partners in the Berbera and Bossaso Reception Centres.
Key Figures
30,953 Arrivals from Yemen since 27 March at the early onset of the crisis
4,484 Yemeni arrivals registered in Somalia since 27 March (including Somalis with dual Somali-Yemeni citizenship)
19,238 Arrivals registered at Reception Centers in Berbera, Bossaso and Mogadishu since 27 March
53% Registered arrivals expressing intention to return to Mogadishu
9,835 Somali returnees provided with onward transportation assistance since 27 March
Funding
USD 39.3 million Requested for the Somalia Response Plan for Yemen Crisis (Jan–Dec 2016)
http://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/somalia-task-force-yemen-situation-inter-agency-update-3-02-15-february-2016 and in full http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/%233Somaliainter-agencyupdate02-15February2016.pdf
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
22.2.2016 – The Red Team Analysis Society (** B T)
Understanding the Islamic State’s System – Wilayat and Wali in Yemen
When we started our series to better understand the Islamic State system, we identified the wilayat (“what is taken charge of”, “what is ruled”) as unit of analysis and as a system, which can then be monitored to foresee and warn about the overall developments of the Islamic State (see Understanding the Islamic State’s System – Structure and Wilayat, 4 May 2015). Since then, evolution has taken place on the ground, while the body of knowledge gathered by students of the Islamic State has grown. This is notably the case for Yemen. Back in May 2015, our understanding, grounded in the evidence available then, was that there was one wilayat in Yemen, wilayat Sanaa, loosely categorised as part of those wilayat where fighting was preeminent and only extremely sparse administrative/Sharia’h activity took place (in light grey on our map). We now have seven wilayat in Yemen and, since 20 March 2015, the Islamic State has carried out there at least 29 attacks, which killed at least 389 people (see references in bibliography – the detailed spreadsheet of the attacks is available here for members only).
We thus focus here on the Islamic State in Yemen, to enhance our understanding of what is happening on the ground, start evaluating what could happen in the future, while using developments to test and update our understanding. We shall first look at what appears to be a “country-level” organisation for the Islamic State in Yemen. We shall then turn to the seven wilayat existing in Yemen, and analyse the situation there in a forward-looking way. We shall conclude with an assessment regarding the Islamic State in Yemen – an incomplete one as a full assessment would demand considering all actors on the ground – while reviewing main findings from the Yemeni case regarding our understanding of Islamic State’s wilayat for strategic foresight and warning.
On 13 November 2014, al-Baghdadi’s announced in the audio message “Even if the Disbelievers Despise Such”, that the Islamic State and its Khilafah would now also extend to the land of Yemen, besides other areas (English transcript on Pietervanostaeyen website).
If wilayat and wali are announced for Yemen, in al-Baghdadi text (see image below), there is no further specification, about the practical administrative implementation of this expansion, following the general acceptation of all the pledges of allegiance made so far by Yemeni groups. The explanations given in the related Dabiq #5 (Al Hayat media center, 22 Nov 2014) are no more precise – by Helene Lavoix
https://www.redanalysis.org/2016/02/22/yemen-islamic-state/
Comment: A long, detailed study.
cp15 Propaganda
23.2.2016 – Arab News (A P)
King Salman Center provides housing units to Yemenis
The King Salman Center for Humanitarian Relief and Works (KSCHRW) has signed a contract for the construction of 300 housing units for displaced Yemeni refugees in Djibouti.
“The project aims to alleviate the suffering of displaced Yemeni people in Djibouti. The housing units will be airconditioned,” said Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, KSCHRW general supervisor.
He said that construction of the housing units will begin next week by a specialized company with whom the KSCRHW signed a contract – by Rodolfo C. Estimo jr.
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/884841
Comment: Blow up their homes and then build them new ones. Seems a costly waste of time to me.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1103451609807329
Comment: Well, it’s just 300 “housing units” – just compare to the 325.137 houses which have been destroyed or damaged by Saudi coalition air raids to 19/1/2016, have to be added the house targeted in one more month. 300:325.000, that not even is 1:1000. That figure will give you a good idea of Saudi “charity”.
23.2.2016 – WAM (A P)
Yemeni President says rebel Houthi militia fail to deliver on their pledges
Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour on Monday stressed that the rebel Houthi militia continue to fail to deliver on their pledges and commitments and turned against the outcome of the National Dialogue Conference in collaboration with their ally, the deposed president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Hadi was speaking during a meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Yemen, Matthew H. Tueller. The pair discussed the political and military developments in Yemen and the destruction and humanitarian disaster wrought on Yemen by the rebel Houthi-Saleh militias.
Hadi noted that the US and other powers sponsoring the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative for Yemen support his country to put an end to the current situation and the coup against the legitimate government.
He renewed commitment to UN Security Council Resolution 2216 and other pertinent resolutions on Yemen.
The US ambassador reiterated his country's support for Yemen and its constitutional legitimacy. He expressed the hope that fast paced developments and efforts would achieve peace and restore the country's legitimate government.
He noted that the war and the suffering being inflicted by the rebel militias have had seriously impacted the economy and the lives of ordinary Yemeni citizens.
http://www.wam.ae/en/news/arab/1395291932324.html
Comment: There is no more “legitimate” government in Yemen since Feb. 25, 2015, when Hadi’s term definitely expired. Even the Huthis’ government in Sanaa is more legitimate, as they rule in the capital city. They are as legitimate as the Maidan coup government was in Ukraine after having ousted president Yanukovich. The parallels of the events are evident. But while the west recognized the coup government at Kiev within 24 hours, they still cling to Yanukovichs’ fellow sufferer Hadi for a whole year now. – The US ambassador seems to bubble propaganda like Hadi: speaking of “suffering being inflicted by the rebel militias” without mentioning the Saudi coalition air raids is best Saudi/Hadi propaganda.
22.2.2016 – KUNA /NOOZ (A P)
Int’l conference on humanitarian crisis in Yemen kicks off in Doha
The International Conference on the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen kicked off Monday in the Qatari capital Doha, with the presence of over 90 regional and international humanitarian organizations, including around 150 specialists.
The conference, hosted by Qatar Charity Society, in conjunction with 13 regional and international organizations, will last for three days. It aims to tackle the humanitarian crisis in the wartorn Arab peninsula nation by concerting the views of all participants in the conference.
In a statement to journalists, Yemen’s Minister of Local Administration and Chairman of the Higher Committee for Relief Abdulraqib Saif Fath said that the conference is the first of its kind, adding that any relief aid to Yemen needs to be propped up by a comprehensive database that would dictate the scale of relief needed.
The conference would also serve as a platform for which to boost cooperation between regional humanitarian organizations, Fath noted. The conference comprises four main plans, belonging to Yemen’s Higher Committee for Relief, King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian works, Qatar Charity society and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
http://noozz.com/intl-conference-on-humanitarian-crisis-in-yemen-kicks-off-in-doha/ = http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2489027&Language=en
Comment: Strangely, no mention to the war. As if Yemen has turnt into hell on earth only on its own. No mention to the fact the so called 'charities' involved belong to countries joining the coalition destroying Yemen. Make what you want out of this article.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=974113389308358&id=961126490607048
The same also can be said of this longer article, no mention of the war and the air raids at all. And be aware, who is putting himself in a broad light there:
22.2.2016 – Gulf Times (A P)
For his part, Abdullah al-Ruwaili, Director of Humanitarian Aids Management at King Salman Centre for Relief and Humanitarian Aid, clarified that the Yemeni crisis needs huge support in order for the country’s different sectors to be covered. He pointed to the amount of urgent aid Yemen needs as estimated by the UN, which was around 2,500,000,000 USD.
Al-Ruwaili said that the disparity in the estimation of needs is ruled by the surveys actually conducted. “The situation in Yemen does not give us the opportunity to estimate the needs; however, the crisis shows that Yemen is in great need. We, in the Kingdom and Gulf, are committed to assisting our brothers and sisters in Yemen in whatever ways possible,” he added.
http://www.gulf-times.com/story/481062/Doha-hosts-mega-meeting-to-discuss-crisis-in-Yemen
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
02.2016 - Legal Center for Rights and Development (A K PH)
Alle saudischen Luftangriffe / All Saudi air raids
21. Feb.:
22. Feb.:
23.2.2016 – Albawaba (A K PH)
Airstrikes kill three civilians in Yemen
Three people have been killed by the Saudi aggression bombing on citizens' houses in Nehm district of Sanaa province.
The Saudi-led coalition waged an air raid Monday on the home of Nasser al-Nua'imi in Malah area, which led to the deaths of three citizens who lived near the house, a local official explained to Saba.
http://www.albawaba.com/news/airstrikes-kill-three-civilians-yemen-809124
22.2.2016 – News of Yemen (* A K PH)
25 people mostly women&children killed by 5 #Saudi #UAE coalition strikes #Saada #Yemen (with photos from the site)
25 people from five families were killed, mostly women and children in the area Gaferah in Al-Thaahr area in Saada province.
The first Saudi UAE led coalition strikes started as, Ahmed Hamzi, pick up car full with flour, milk, eggs and cooking oil arrived to his small shop. Then it was followed by two more strikes, completely destroying the homes of five families.
Eyewitnesses have said, that as soon as some of the survivors from the families run out of the targeted areas and took refuge in the near by field, The jets have targeted them directly with two more strikes. Their bodies were not fully recovered, “just pieces of bone, flesh and metal” as one eyewitness described it.
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
23.2.2016 – Fars news (A K PH)
Yemen: Mansour Hadi's Senior Commander Killed in Ta'iz Province
The Yemeni army and popular forces continued their advances in the Western part of Yemen, killing senior pro-Hadi militia commander in tough battle and cutting the supply line of the Saudi and Emirati forces in Ma'rib.
"Over 20 pro-Hadi militias, including their senior commander Colonel Mohammad Abde, were killed in fierce clashes with the militants over the past 24 hours," Senior Ansarullah commander Ebrahim al-Shari told FNA on Tuesday.
He noted that the Yemeni forces also cut the supply lines of the Saudi and the UAE forces in Ma'rib province.
"The popular forces have taken full control of villages in Northern Ma'rib province and seized several Saudi military vehicles.
In a relevant development on Monday, the Yemeni army and popular forces inflicted heavy casualties and losses on the Saudi and the Emirati forces in al-Jawf province, killing scores of them in heavy clashes.
Scores of militants were killed and wounded and their armored military vehicles were also destroyed in al-Khalifain front, FNA dispatches said.
Meantime, a group of other Yemeni forces killed a number of Saudi troops in al-Khanjar military base in al-Jawf province.
The Sabrin al-Maraziq region was also the scene of heavy clashes between the Yemeni forces and Saudi soldiers.
Also on Monday, the Yemeni forces seized back a strategic military base in Southern Saudi Arabia in tough battle with the kingdom's soldiers.
Al-Nahuqa military base in Najran province came under the full control of the Yemeni forces.
The Yemeni popular forces launched rocket attacks on Al-Nahuqa military base and then the Yemeni army entered the base.
The Saudi forces fled the military base as soon as the Yemeni soldiers entered it.
Al-Nahuqa military base's watchtower and an armored military vehicle were destroyed during the Yemeni forces' attacks.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941204000698
23.2.2016 – Iran German Radio (A K PH)
Jemenitische Scharfschützen erschießen zwei saudische Soldaten
Jemenitische Scharfschützen haben am Dienstag zwei saudi-arabische Soldaten in der Grenzstadt Dschazan im Südwesten der Arabischen Halbinsel erschossen.
Der Angriff erfolgte in der Militärbasis al-Fariza in Dschazan. Unterdessen haben jemenitische Volks- und Armeekräfte gestern und heute mehrere saudische Militärfahrzeuge in Dschazan zerstört. Auch die saudi-arabischen Militärstützpunkte "al-Ash und Akafa" wurden Ziel jemenitischer Raketenangriffe.
21.2.2016 – Fars News (B K PH)
Report: Over 1,600 Saudi Forces Killed in Ta'iz Province Since March
According to a report submitted by the Ta'iz governor general to fugitive Yemeni Prime Minister Khaled Bahah cabinet in Riyadh, a sum of 1,630 Saudi military servicemen have been killed since the outbreak of the Saudi war in late March.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941202001336
21.2.2016 – Fars News (A K PH)
8 Saudi Military Servicemen Held Captive, 5 Military Vehicles Destroyed in Midi Desert
Informed sources announced that the Saudi forces have sustained heavy losses and casualties in the Yemeni attacks on their positions in the Midi desert near the border with Saudi Arabia.
The Yemeni forces managed to purge terrorists from the Midi region in Western Yemen, killing scores of Saudi forces and taking 8 of them as captive.
At least 5 military vehicles of the Saudi troops were destroyed in the Yemeni forces' attack on their positions.
In a relevant development on Saturday, the Yemeni forces seized back a strategic mountainous region in Jawf province.
The Yemeni forces took full control of Sheihat and Qarn Jad'an strategic heights that overlook Hazm city, capital of al-Jawf province.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13941202000612
21.2.2016 – Yemen Fights Back (A K PH)
Film: Foiled advance of Invaders and mercenaries in Khanjar camp in Jawf by Yemeni fighters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azyAEgWpXVI
21.2.2016 – Press TV Iran (A K PH)
Saudi military base captured by Yemeni forces
Yemeni army forces, backed by fighters from allied Popular Committees, have gained control of a military base in Saudi Arabia’s Najran Province.
Yemen's Arabic-language al-Masirah news website reported that as part of the retaliatory campaign for relentless Saudi military attacks against the impoverished nation, Yemeni forces on Sunday managed to seize control of Nahuqeh military base.
The report said the Yemeni forces' attack on the base started with rocket fire and continued with a ground offensive, forcing the Saudi troops to flee.
Yemeni forces destroyed one military vehicle and an observation tower in this attack. They also seized a huge cache of munitions in the operation.
Al-Masirah also reported a separate retaliatory rocket attack by Yemeni forces on Sunday in the city of Rabu'eh in Asir Province, destroying two Saudi military vehicles and an ammunition depot.
http://presstv.ir/Detail/2016/02/21/451584/Yemen-Saudi-Arabia-agression-Najran = https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/saudi-military-base-captured-yemens-army/
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/krieg-im-jemen-neue-artikel-zum-nachlesen-105
Neue Artikel zum Nachlesen 1-105: / Yemen Press Reader 1-105:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose oder / or
http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
di Marie Zawisza
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