Krieg im Jemen-Neue Artikel zum Nachlesen 115

Yemen Press Reader 115: US-Hilfe für die Saudis. Der Weg in den Krieg - Einblick ins saudische Kommandozentrum - Aufstieg von Al Qaida im Jemen - Medizin für Kinder - Luftangriff mit 120 Opfern

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Schwerpunkte / Key aspects

Klassifizierung / Classification

cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important

cp2 Allgemein / General

cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation

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

cp11 Deutschland / Germany

cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries

cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade

cp13b 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

14.3.2016 – New York Times (*** B K P)

Quiet Support for Saudis Entangles U.S. in Yemen

Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia’s urbane, well-connected ambassador to Washington, arrived at the White House last March with the urgent hope of getting President Obama’s support for a new war in the Middle East.

Iran had moved into Saudi Arabia’s backyard, Mr. Jubeir told Mr. Obama’s senior advisers, and was aiding rebels in Yemen who had overrun the country’s capital and were trying to set up ballistic missile sites in range of Saudi cities. Saudi Arabia and its Persian Gulf neighbors were poised to begin a campaign in support of Yemen’s impotent government — an offensive Mr. Jubeir said could be relatively swift.

Two days of discussions in the West Wing followed, but there was little real debate. Among other reasons, the White House needed to placate the Saudis as the administration completed a nuclear deal with Iran, Saudi Arabia’s archenemy. That fact alone eclipsed concerns among many of the president’s advisers that the Saudi-led offensive would be long, bloody and indecisive.

Mr. Obama soon gave his approval for the Pentagon to support the impending military campaign.

By the time Mr. Jubeir arrived at the White House last year, Saudi officials had already been engaged in informal talks with the Pentagon about the prospect of American military aid for a Saudi-led campaign in Yemen, according to several officials.

Houthi rebels had overrun Yemen’s capital, Sana, and the Yemeni government had asked Saudi Arabia and other Sunni countries for help beating them back, Mr. Jubeir told Mr. Obama’s advisers. Mr. Jubeir, who has since become the Saudi foreign minister, also spoke of his fears of an Iranian takeover of the Middle East that carried echoes of the “domino theory” articulated by American officials during the Cold War.

He said that in recent years Iran had effectively gained control of Iraq, Lebanon and Syria. If the Houthis — a Shiite group that had received some financial and military support from Shiite Iran — established control over Yemen, he said, then Iran for the first time would have a strategic foothold on the Arabian Peninsula.

American intelligence officials had long thought that the Saudis overstated the extent of Iranian support for the Houthis, and that Iran had never seen its ties to the rebel group as more than a useful annoyance to the Saudis. But Mr. Obama’s aides believed that the Saudis saw a military campaign in Yemen as a tough message to Iran.

“Their main objective was to give Iran a bloody nose,” said Philip H. Gordon, a top White House official at the time and now a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Several American officials said that in the two days of White House discussions that followed Mr. Jubeir’s visit, Mr. Kerry was the most forceful advocate in arguing that the United States had an obligation to help the Saudis at a time when the Iran talks had left the kingdom questioning America’s priorities in the region. Samantha Power, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, said American military support might mean fewer civilian casualties.

After Mr. Obama authorized the assistance, trouble soon followed. The first problem was the ability of Saudi pilots, who were inexperienced in flying missions over Yemen and fearful of enemy ground fire. As a result, they flew at high altitudes to avoid the threat below. But flying high also reduced the accuracy of their bombing and increased civilian casualties, American officials said.

American advisers suggested how the pilots could safely fly lower, among other tactics. But the airstrikes still landed on markets, homes, hospitals, factories and ports.

The American advice and assistance to the campaign, which has included intelligence gathered from reconnaissance drones flying over Yemen, has limits. The help is coordinated by a 45-person American military planning group with personnel in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and overseen by Maj. Gen. Carl E. Mundy III, the deputy commander of Marines in the Middle East.

“We offer them coaching, but ultimately it’s their operation,” General Mundy said in a telephone interview. – by Mark Mazzetti and Eric Schmitt

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/14/world/middleeast/yemen-saudi-us.html?_r=0

Comment by Nasser Arrabyee: Read to know, how stupid Obama and Kerry are!

https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/709302105492889600

Comment: A long and very interesting article revealing much more details on the US assistance for the Saudi war in Yemen, its beginning and backgrounds. Absolutely worth reading in full length at the original site. The article shows how decisions on war or not war are made by the US authorities. That really is gruesome: a decision just based on the stories told by an ally (how insubstantial these stories relay were, at least showed up a little later), on a very few anticipated own interests in the region – that’s all you need to decide on war if you are the President of America! And all that within just two days, in a time you certainly also cared for lots of other things much more important to you. I also doubt whether there was asked much more information from the own intelligence services, which certainly are the most expensive and largest worldwide. Deciding on war: just between coffee table and dinner, so it is looking.

Just one crazy statement reported in the later part of the article: “Samantha Power, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, said American military support might mean fewer civilian casualties.”

There are 284 comments up to now. They are worth reading, too. Here just a few.

Carolyn Egeli

The U.S. is run by a shadow government, I've come to believe, that is our security/military apparatus, that does the bidding of the truly powerful..a more or less cartel of self fulfilling missions. They are the energy, banking and war profiteers. Once a president gets in, he is faced with the truth of the limitation of his powers. Ditto our elected representatives, who are not allowed to know the inner trappings of our security unless specifically privleged.

Ryan R

It is moral failing that the Obama administration gave in to the paranoia and insecurity of the Saudis to aid their feckless assault on, primarily, the civilian population of Yemen. Unfortunately, no one who matters cares about the people of Yemen.

Anyone with an ounce of knowledge about the history of Yemen would know that any connection between Iran and the Houthis is marginal at best. Yes, they're both Shia, but they're both Shia in the same way that Quakers and Roman Catholics are both Christian: a shared history to a point, but enormous divergence since.

Of course, it's not like things were going well in Yemen before Saudi Arabia got visibly involved. There are no easy solutions. Nonetheless, dramatically ramping up civilian casualties without improving the overall situation in any way by giving the green light to the inept Saudi armed forces was certainly not a good answer.

Robert

We seem to be incapable of learning. We need to exit this part of the world. As usual, we are blamed by all sides and things are a complete mess which they would have been anyway, whether or not we were involved. Iraq was Bush's mess (and HRC's), but, Libya and now Yemen are Obama's.

Nick Metrowsky

Funny, Saudi Arabia exportation of state sponsored terrorism has finally come back to haunt them. They help create ISIS. the situation in Yemen, and much of the ills that affect the Arab-Muslim world. This, in their war to eliminate Shia sect.
And to top if off, the United States kowtows to the House of Saud. Something that goes back to the days oil was discovered in Arabia, in the 1930s. And this country continues to look the other way, while Saudi Arabia continues to export terrorism. And, the US accepts the fact that Ira is the real enemy, the real state sponsor of terrorism.
There were no Shia's or Iranians on those planes on 9/11, but there were all Sunnis and most Saudis, though.

Mike

The actions of Saudi Arabia only serve to increase violence and destabilize Yemen in the long run.
It was already a politically fractious and economically poor country; now that SA is bombing the country to smithereens, it may never recover and have any chance to overcome the two biggest problems that have hindered development in Yemen.
Apart from the fact that this war serves only to keep a bombastic, bloated, and hateful family feel safe, it is also shameful that SA has done absolutely nothing to help Yemenis now or indeed in the past.
However disagreeable are the Houthis, or indeed Ali Abduallah Saleh (who is an untrustworthy weasel) before Hadi, are to SA, it is far better to work with the government of Yemen (whoever it may be) to try to help and build a future for Yemen; a future not based on endless emigration of Yemenis to SA, which by the way has made many Yemenis come back completely stultified by extremist nonsense - a mentality that doesn't characterize Yemenis well and doesn't fit into their history and culture.
Yemen would be a far more secure country if there was economic opportunity. This could be made possible if outside actors, such as SA, made a serious plan to help Yemen. I also believe it is their moral duty to do so as Yemen is a neighbor of SA, they share the same religion, and are Arabs. So where is the solidarity?
Nope. Because SA is a fantastically cynical and culturally deprived place. And we call them our allies...

Stanley Heller

The key lie is by Sec. of State Kerry that "the kingdom was threatened 'very directly' by the takeover of neighboring Yemen by the rebels, known as Houthis". Yemen was ruled by dictator Saleh (a staunch U.S. ally) for decades. In 2011 a Yemen "spring" of huge rallies made his position difficult. Instead of supporting full democracy in Yemen, the Saudis and U.S. connived and put in Hadi for a term that was to end at the start of 2015. The Houthis and Saleh objected and allied and started conquering parts of the country. This civil war was NO threat to the Saudis at all. They (and certainly the U.S.) had no business getting involved. The Saudi-U.S.-Sudanese attacks are the international crime of aggression. As I understand it whatever physical support Iran gave to Saleh-Houthi came AFTER the Saudi aggression. At any rate this support must be minimal from far away Iran. Yemen is awash with weapons from years of support of the U.S. to Saleh and from the $500,000,000 in weapons U.S. special forces left on the ground in Yemen when they fled at the start of 2015. Agree with Senator Murphy. No weapons to the Saudis. In fact "End the U.S.-Saudi Alliance".

WimR

After the local Arab Spring uprisings, Hadi was more or less appointed by the Gulf States as the successor to Saleh. That decision was then confirmed by "elections" where he was the only candidate.
Unfortunately Hadi proved to be a disappointment. His sectarian policies divided the country and favored Al Qaeda. It was in that climate that the Houthi uprising - that used to be marginal and local - got wings and massive support.
The Houthi's didn't intend to rule the whole of the country. For many months they didn't go much beyond Sanaa - hoping instead to get some agreement on a new government that was more inclusive. Only when mosques in Sanaa were bombed did they feel that they had no other choice but to conquer the rest of the country.
But Saudi Arabia never wavered in its support for Hadi and obstructed all efforts to reach some inclusive agreement. Never mind that popular support for Hadi is now very low. Never mind that Hadi's term has expired long ago.
Saudi Arabia wants to make a statement regarding international policy. And just as in Syria it doesn't care how that works out for the local population. But it is more about its own sense of superiority than about any Iranian threat. It is a shame that the Obama administration is enabling this behavior.

Johnchas

For those of us who find our alliance with Saudi Arabia at best deeply troubling and at worst downright counterproductive to our national interest this article only reinforces that conclusion. Beyond the symbiotic relationship derived from oil we have no other real interest in common. Those pointing to common opposition to Iran fail to make a case that the Saudis are any better than the hardline Iranians and do far more in spreading Islamic fundamentalism both in the Middle East and world wide. The myopic view of the foreign affairs establishment in D.C. that Saudi Arabia is our ally blinds them to the damage done by the extremist religious component of Saudi society. We forget or were deliberately misled by the Bush administration concerning the role played by Saudi nationalist in the 9/11 attacks as well as earlier attacks worldwide and here. In the end is the ransom of oil price stability and availability provided by the Saudis worth the damage done to world stability by Saudi inspired terrorism. For me I say emphatically "no"!

And so on and so on………

And a summary of the NYT article:

14.3.2016 – Living in Yemen on the Edge (** B K P)

War on Yemen: How It Started

The details of the last hours leading up to the start of the large-scale military operation led by Saudi Arabia in Yemen in March 2015 as occurred in the corridors of the White House in Washington.
It happened that one year ago Saudi Arabia's Adel al-Jubeir met with President Barack Obama along with advisers as reported in lengthy report in The New York Times.
According to the report, Saudi Arabia asked and received support and assistance from the USA, despite the objections and concerns of a number of advisers; however, Obama gave his approval for the Pentagon to provide support requested from ally Saudi Arabia.
Adel al-Jubeir arrived to the White House in March 2015 asking the support of President Obama's new war in the Middle East and specifically in Yemen. He said Iran had moved into the backyard of the Kingdom by helping Houthis in Yemen.
Jubeir informed Obama that Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbors were ready to start a campaign to support the powerless Yemeni government and that the attack "would be relatively fast."
The report refers that the estimates provided by the Saudis were exaggerating the danger inflate the size of the Iranian support for the Houthis. But the Obama administration and the White House was in need to appease the Saudis while America was in the process of completing the nuclear deal with Iran.
During the two days of discussions in the White House, a number of senior advisers to the President of the United States expressed concern about the attack to Yemen and foreseeing "it will be long, bloody and inconclusive."
But Obama gave his approval to the US Department of Defense to support the impending military campaign in Yemen. The campaign has been going on for almost a full year.
The newspaper describes a full humanitarian catastrophe, where thousands of civilians were killed Yemenis and regional players are interfering along with Al Qaeda gaining control of large slices of the country.
There is an increasing criticism to the Obama administration, and although the US has given logistical support and made arms deals with the Saudi forces for the Kingdom´s military campaign in Yemen, the Saudis and Gulf countries are complaining of lukewarm support from the US.

https://www.facebook.com/961126490607048/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/986055371447493/?type=3&theater

14.3.2016 – BBC (** B K P)

Can Saudi Arabia fight two wars at once?

The Saudis are also starting to feel encircled by proxy militias of their arch rival, Iran, with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria, Shia militias in Iraq and the Iranian-supported Houthi rebels in Yemen.

So can Saudi Arabia fight on two fronts, in Yemen and in Syria? I put the question to Gen al-Assiri.

"I know it is exhausting in a matter of resources, in a matter of people," he says. "Today we face challenges in the south and our forces are stretched in the north and deployed since 2014. This is why - because we feel that our national security is in danger."

This twin campaign has come at a difficult time for the world's second biggest oil producer.

Stung by this international condemnation, the Saudis agreed to let me into their Air Operations Centre (AOC) inside the King Salman Airbase in Riyadh.

This is where Saudi intelligence officers, alongside their coalition partners, mostly from allied Arab countries, select their targets and generate the Air Tasking Orders (ATOs) to squadrons based around the country to carry out the air strikes.

In the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) cell, officers insisted that every single target was triple checked that it complied with International Humanitarian Law and the Law of Armed Conflict.

As part of what the Saudis call collateral damage mitigation (CDM), they told me they normally avoid hitting anything within 500m of civilians, an assertion likely to be challenged by Yemenis on the ground.

In some circumstances, said the Saudi officers, this safety margin is reduced to 200m when they use a high-precision laser-guided bomb.

They denied that their warplanes have ever deliberately targeted civilians, though they admitted there have been mistakes.

Upon the wall was a large digital map of Yemen with locations highlighted in green and red. This, I was told, is their No Strike List, a map of all the buildings they said are off-limits.

"The overall picture as you see on the map represents the theatre of operations," said Lt Col Turki al-Maliki, of the Royal Saudi Air Force.

Zooming into a close-up of the streets of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, he added: "This gives the restriction of those targets which go along with the Law of Armed Conflict like the medical places, historical places, schools, diplomatic quarters."

I pointed out that, to quote just one example alone, the humanitarian aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) complain their hospitals have been hit by air strikes three times in under three months.

Gen al-Assiri replied that world audiences have been deceived about the true situation in Yemen.

"No single accident happens without investigation," he told me. "And when we investigate, we publish the result. We make sure that we have a very clear intelligence… We regret any single injury, but this is a war."

When I interviewed Gen al-Assiri in Riyadh almost exactly a year ago, at the start of the Saudi-led air campaign, I sensed an expectation that the overwhelming firepower deployed against the Houthi rebels would soon force them to sue for peace.

That has not happened, although a Houthi delegation did visit Riyadh this month.

The Saudis say they will not tolerate an armed militia on their borders, especially one supported by Iran.

"We need time to achieve stability in Yemen," said Gen al-Assiri, pointing out that the US-led Nato force was in Afghanistan for 11 years and only achieved a partial success.

The question now is whether the Saudis have the money and the patience to be deeply involved in two coalitions on two fronts as the civilian casualty toll in Yemen grows ever higher – by Frank Gardner (With video !)

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35785416

Comment: A very interesting look into the Saudi Air operations Center. Well, what they show there to the visitor seems to have little to do with the reality of air war which they produce at the ground. It is also interesting to see that the Saudis take it for granted that they have the right to interfere in their southern neighbour country up to totally destroying it. Part of the video also https://twitter.com/trbrtc/status/709508117193760768

14.1.2016 – International Boulevard from Al-Akbar (*** B T)

While War Rages Nearby, Al-Qaeda Quietly Builds a Yemeni Emirate

While Saudi Arabia fights a bloody war against the Shi’ites of western Yemen, Al-Qaeda has quietly established an ‘emirate’ in the vast, but sparsely populated eastern region of Hadramaut. Al-Akhbar’s Adnan Bawzir surveys this Sunni “Emirate,” uncontested by the Saudis, and largely ignored by the rest of the world, and concludes that it is a product of a different form of Saudi expansionism.

The Hadramout coastal region in Yemen is an ideal location for a terrorist organization like al-Qaeda.

Given how sparse its population is compared to its size, the region has vast unpopulated areas and remote valleys. This creates the perfect environment for the un-monitored movement of al-Qaeda members. It is also suitable for setting up training camps and other activities. This is in addition to having open access to a 450 km long, mostly unpopulated, coastal frontier overlooking the Arabian Sea.

The region is of a particular importance to neighboring Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has long had an expansionist agenda in Yemen [and the Hadramout region in particular]. It previously annexed the Sharurah and al-Wadiah regions in the late 1960s. The Kingdom has ever since been discreetly encroaching on Yemeni territory, gradually and steadily annexing parts of Hadramout’s desert, while granting the Saudi citizenship to territories that fall under its influence. The Kingdom aims to fulfill its dream of expanding its area of influence farther to the south in order to have direct access to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean to facilitate its oil exports. The Arabian Sea would open up new frontiers for Saudi oil exports, compared to the current more restricted Saudi Arabian ports on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Arabia.

Many analysts have inquired into the timing of al-Qaeda’s capture of Hadramout’s port city of Al Mukalla in April, only one week after Saudi Arabia had announced the end of its Operation Decisive Storm in Yemen. Some have argued that Saudi Arabia wanted to block the ascending influence of the Houthis.

In order to understand how al-Qaeda was able to capture this vibrant Yemeni port city, which ranks third in importance after San’a and Aden, we need to talk about General Mohsen Nasser.

At any rate, Al-Qaeda’s capture of Al Mukalla is now a reality. This calm city has consequently fallen into a state of frightening chaos. The state is nowhere to be seen.

Al Mukalla was never known to have any significant al-Qaeda presence prior to its capture in April.

Yet, the choice of Al Mukalla makes sense only if we are to consider the hypothesis that the city’s military keepers have willingly surrendered to al-Qaeda.

Hadramout is now divided into three areas of influence: 1) the coastal region under al-Qaeda; 2) the southern plateau, where the “Hadramout Tribal Coalition” protects oil companies following an agreement between the coalition and the commander of the First Military District in Say’un; 3) the Hadramout hinterland under the commandment of the First Military District, and which includes the great valley region, urban and rural settlements, in addition to the deserts of al-Ubur and Thumud.

In Al Mukalla, al-Qaeda established a number of governing agencies.

Members of al-Qaeda roam around the city to preach via microphones around prayer times. They restrict women’s movement and monitor their behavior in markets and other public spaces. They apply some “hudud” [harsh medieval Islamic punishments]

One of the country’s six military districts, specifically the Second Military District, is stationed in Hadramout. Its military formation is composed of six major divisions (four of which within the Hadramout coastal areas captured by al-Qaeda: the 27th mechanized, 123rd infantry, 190th air defense, and the “oil companies protection” division). This is in addition to a number of highly skilled combat brigades: the presidential guard, special forces, missiles, coastal defense, and armored response. These military units are equipped with heavy artillery, armored vehicles and troop carriers, in addition to tanks, howitzers, navy boats, air defense systems and anti-aircraft missiles. The military formation additionally includes thousands of soldiers and officers. How then can an organization like al-Qaeda whose members do not exceed 200 or 300 individuals, equipped with just some machine guns, RPGs, and mortars, defeat the Second Military District’s strike force in only two days of “supposed skirmishes”? The official narrative of the capture of Al Mukallah is as farcical as the scenario of how the Iraqi city of al-Musul fell under the Islamic State’s control.

The general mood among the people of Hadramout is one of apprehension, as they live in anticipation of turmoil so long as they are under al-Qaeda’s rule. Not so long ago, Hadramoutis had mostly followed Sufism. The towns and cities of the Hadramout Valley, such as Say’un, Tarim, Harida and others, are widely acknowledged as the historic centers of Sufism in South Arabia, home for Sufi educational institutes, shrines, and mosques. In recent decades, however, Hadramout’s Sufism was crushed by a strong tide of heavily financed exclusionary Wahabi thought arriving from neighboring Saudi Arabia. Wahabi schools and mosques were established in the region by Saudi money. In addition, most educational missions were sent to the Kingdom. A new generation of young Hadramoutis have thus been reared and educated in Saudi schools and universities. This has led to the domination of Wahabi thought, while the popularity of Sufism dropped – by Adnan Bawzir

http://www.internationalboulevard.com/while-war-rages-nearby-al-qaeda-quietly-builds-a-yemeni-emirate/

Comment: Here just a few fragments of the article. Absolutely worth reading at full length.

Comment: This article is not new. But worth a reading. Prophetic

While Saudi Arabia fights a bloody war against the Shi’ites of western Yemen, Al-Qaeda has quietly established an ‘emirate’ in the vast, but sparsely populated eastern region of Hadramaut. Al-Akhbar’s Adnan Bawzir surveys this Sunni “Emirate,” uncontested by the Saudis, and largely ignored by the rest of the world, and concludes that it is a product of a different form of Saudi expansionism.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=985245891528441&id=961126490607048

14.3.2016 – AFP (** B T)

Rise of the jihadists in Yemen may be unstoppable: analysts

Rivals Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group are cementing their presence in south Yemen in the absence of state authority and little opposition from pro-government Arab coalition forces, experts say. For the first time since its campaign against Iran-backed Shiite rebels in Yemen began almost a year ago, warplanes from the Sunni Saudi-led coalition this weekend targeted jihadists in Aden. Analysts fear such action may be short-lived, however, and that the growing jihadist power in the south may be unstoppable.

In three months, 150 people have been killed in clashes in Yemen's second city and temporary capital Aden, where jihadists control some districts in defiance of the authorities and the coalition.

Critics of the government hold officials responsible for the rise of the jihadists, accusing some of collaborating with militants and sometimes even arming them. But one Western military expert said the relationship between jihadist groups and the recently reestablished state in south Yemen "is no alliance". "There is a de facto cohabitation," the expert said.

Hadi's administration has failed to establish its authority fully in five southern provinces, including Aden, which were recaptured from the rebels last summer.

- War's 'main beneficiaries' -

And now jihadists from Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and IS are exploiting this to broaden their influence. "AQAP and IS are arguably the war's principal beneficiaries," an International Crisis Group report said last month.

- AQAP 'more powerful' -

Al-Qaeda has been active in Yemen for more than 20 years and is well entrenched.

Jihadists are implementing a "strategy of expanding their territories", a diplomat warned. "There is a risk of ending up with a substitution caliphate (Islamic regime) in Yemen if they (Islamists) are defeated in Iraq and Syria."

http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/rise-jihadists-yemen-may-be-unstoppable-analysts

2016 – Go fund me (** A H)

YEMEN: Medicines for children

Blessla is a children wellfare association in Barcelona and Madrid, Spain giving aid to children of over the world. We have now a big emergency for medicines and related items in Sana'a, Yemen, for the children injured in the war.
On the night of 26 March 2015 a coalition of 9 countries headed by Saudi Arabia decided to declare war on Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the world. The aim was to restore the government of resigned and fugitive President Abo Mansoor Hadi who had, in the meantime, fled to Saudi Arabia.
Since 2 am of that same night, airstrikes began hitting the country with devastating consequences.
According to humanitarian agencies, 11 months of war waged on the country have led to the worst humanitarian crises of our times.
Out of a population of 25 million people, 21 millions of Yemenis are food and water insecure, have no access to medical care.
300,000 homes have been destroyed, 2.5 million people are internally displaced.
Yemen has been under an imposed siege since March 2015. Almost no food enters the country, along with no fuel, medicines, building material, basics for every day life.
Few NGOs and humanitarian relief agencies are allowed to enter and operate in the country. And the ones operating inside Yemen are being bombed (see the pounding on 3 MSF hospitals in the region of Saada).
Over 8000 people have died, 30.000 injured.
While the war continues with the use of illegal arms (documented the use of cluster and chemical bombs) wiping Yemen off the map, we ask the international community to help us raising money to help buy medicines and prosthetics for the Yemeni Relief Fund for the Handicapped and Disabled.
The Fund, which is 100% Yemeni and operates on the entire territory, is appealing to the international community to receive medicines and be able to assist, on the spot, all those in need.
Even a few dollars or euros could make a huge difference in someone else´s life.
We really need your support to make their life a little bit better providing them with the medicines they require.

https://www.gofundme.com/fzskpyf4

cp2 Allgemein / General

14.3.2016 – Foreign Policy (* B K)

Saudi, Yemen, and U.S. help. We’re coming up on the one-year anniversary of the Saudi-led bombing campaign of Houthi rebels in Yemen, and the war doesn’t appear to be going very well for anyone involved. After thousands of civilians have been killed in airstrikes, many in the United Nations and the international community have started to question what the strikes have achieved. Worryingly, Saudi Arabia’s minister of information admitted earlier this year that no one is sure what comes next. “We hoped at the beginning it would be a quick thing, and that the Houthis would come to their senses that attacking Saudi Arabia has no purposes for Yemenis,” the minister, Adel al-Toraifi, said during a think tank event in Washington. But now, “there is no endgame.”

None of the raids could happen without direct U.S. support. The U.S. military provides intelligence for the Saudi strikes, along with refueling for bombers. And then there’s the billions in arms sales that keep the missiles flowing. According to numbers the Defense Department provided to SitRep, between April 2015 and the end of February, American planes have flown 747 aerial refueling sorties totaling over 6,300 flying hours, and provided over 27 million lbs. of fuel to almost 4,000 bombers from Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. And as of Dec. 26, the estimated total cost of that support was approximately $81 million – by Paul McLeary with Adam Rawnsley

http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/03/14/situation-report-saudis-ponder-next-steps-in-yemen-kerry-angry-at-damascus-afghan-air-force-not-ready-ivory-coast-attacks-new-anti-isis-weapon-and-lots-more/

cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation

14.3.2016 – UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Infograph: Yemen: Snapshot on Shipping, Food and Fuel Imports for February 2016 (issued on 11 March 2016)

During February 2016, the number of ships berthing, as well as the volume of food and fuel imports into Yemen decreased compared to January 2016. This has led to a decrease in the availability of both food and fuel in local markets, resulting again in an increase in prices. This month fuel imports are only 15 per cent of the monthly requirements.

Commercial and humanitarian food imports in February 2016 decreased by 24 per cent compared to January 2016 and by 4 per cent compared to December 2015. This month, humanitarian food imports constituted 15% per cent of the total. On average, food prices in February 2016 were 7 per cent higher than pre-crisis levels.

Fuel imports in February 2016 had a sharp decrease, reaching 78,887 MT, compared to 464,138 MT in January 2016. The February 2016 imports represent only 15 per cent of the monthly needs. Despite better fuel imports in January 2016, scarcity of fuel persisted in most governorates due to challenging movements and insecurity that slowed down the supply to fuel stations in local markets. The average monthly price of fuel in February 2016 remained at over 55 per cent higher than pre-crisis.

In February 2016 the number of berthed and anchored ships in Yemeni ports decreased by 38 per cent compared to January 2016. In February, a total of 48 ships berthed and 58 ships anchored compared to 77 ships berthed and 92 ships anchored in January. This is largely attributable to increased bureaucratic challenges, rising insurance costs and demurrage charges, and credit line uncertainties.

Despite the decrease in the number of ships entering Yemen, delays still exist in all major ports. In February 2016, Aden Port experienced the highest delay at 31 days at anchorage and 17 days at berth. Ships are still facing bureaucratic problems obtaining clearances to enter ports. Saudi Led Coalition forces diverted the Mainport Cedar, a WFP humanitarian ship, to Jizan Port for security reasons and delayed its entry to Al Hudaydah Port.

http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Shipment_snapshot_09032016_v.6%20copy.pdf

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

13.3.2016 – AFP (A T)

Deadly clashes in Yemen's Aden as loyalists press Taez offensive

At least 17 suspected Al-Qaeda militants and two policemen have been killed in two days of clashes in Aden, the temporary base of Yemen's government, security sources said.

The fighting in Aden raged in the jihadist stronghold of Mansura, a residential area which loyalist forces backed by aircraft from a Saudi-led coalition have been trying to recapture since Saturday.

Coalition fighter jets and Apache helicopters carried out air strikes overnight that hit at least three vehicles and a local council office occupied by the jihadists, security sources said.

"At least 17 Al-Qaeda fighters and two policemen have been killed since Saturday," a security official told AFP, adding that most of the jihadists were killed in air raids.

Dozens of gunmen in balaclavas carrying the Al-Qaeda flag deployed to push back police trying to enter the central Aden neighbourhood, witnesses said.

The police said in a statement that fighting against the "armed terrorist gangs in Mansura will continue to ensure the safety of residents" in Yemen's main southern city.

Security sources estimate that around 300 heavily armed Al-Qaeda fighters are entrenched in Mansura.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/deadly-clashes-in-yemen-s-aden-as-loyalists-press-taez-offensive/article/460051

13.3.2016 – Reuters (A T)

Helicopters kill 17 as Yemen government moves against Aden militants

Saudi-led helicopters attacked al Qaeda militants in Aden overnight in an effort to dislodge them from a stronghold in the southern port city, killing at least 18 people, medics and a security official said on Sunday.

The assault took place as Saudi-backed forces supporting President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi fought to widen their control of Taiz in the southwest of Yemen after breaking a siege there on Friday.

Witnesses and medics said Apache helicopters from the Saudi-led coalition struck armored vehicles and a government compound used by the militants in al-Mansoura district, a stronghold in north Aden. There was no immediate comment from the coalition.

Medics said a total of 18 people have been killed -- 17 suspected militants and one civilian bystander -- and at least 23 civilians and militants were wounded. Three members of the security forces were also injured.

Security forces cordoned off an area of al-Mansoura district where dozens of suspected militants are believed to be holed up, while warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition dropped leaflets on the area telling residents to stay home and report any militants to authorities.

A tenuous calm in the district was broken occasionally in the afternoon with bursts of gunfire. A Reuters reporter saw the rubble of a butcher's shop and the wreckage of cars. Electricity was cut across the district and food shops remained closed.

Shops and businesses closed as security forces sealed off a block in the area, where dozens of suspected militants are believed to be holed up.

The city's governor said the operation was the second phase of a government campaign to restore state control over the city, the temporary seat of the Yemeni government – by Mohammed Mukhassaf

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-idUSKCN0WF08S

12.3.2016 – Alla quercia di mamre / Quotidiano (A T)

Yemen: l’ultima lettera delle suore prima di essere uccise

"Abbiamo ritrovato in questi giorni - ha proseguito suor Serena - una loro lettera e rileggendola abbiamo compreso ora un significato molto più profondo e diverso alla luce di questi ultimi fatti". Nella missiva, riferisce la religiosa "le suore ci hanno scritto così: 'Ogni volta che i bombardamenti si fanno pesanti noi ci inginocchiamo davanti al Santissimo esposto, implorando Gesù misericordioso di proteggere noi e i nostri poveri e di concedere pace a questa nazione. Non ci stanchiamo di bussare al cuore di Dio confidando che ci sarà una fine a tutto questo. Mentre la guerra continua ci troviamo a calcolare quanto cibo potrà essere sufficiente. I bombardamenti continuano, le sparatorie sono da ogni parte e abbiamo farina solo per oggi'".

http://www.allaquerciadimamre.it/religioni/cristianesimo/711-yemen-l-ultima-lettera-delle-suore-prima-di-essere-uccise = http://www.quotidiano.net/yemen-suore-uccise-1.1971923

11.3.2016 – Middle East Monitor (B P)

Omissions in BBC coverage portray ‘misleading’ perception of Yemen conflict

The way that the Yemen conflict has been portrayed in the mainstream British media has varied over the past year. Generally, though, the recurring themes are the future of the Saudi monarchy, UN-sponsored peace talks when they occur, the fact that Yemen is a forgotten conflict and, most importantly, the humanitarian crisis. Domestic politics and some historical context are two factors that have shaped Yemen’s current political situation dramatically, as has the role of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

I spoke to some local officials in Taiz who watched the BBC documentary, in order to get their opinion about it. “It spoke clearly about the siege,” said the city’s deputy governor, Ali Almamry, “but it was ambiguous with regards to who exactly is besieging the city. Just as it is important to cover the siege, it is equally important to describe clearly who is behind the siege.” He suggested that the BBC failed to display the systematic destruction of the city by the Houthi-Saleh forces, and thus presented a “misleading” perception about where the source of the crisis lies. “It is very important to us that the media portrays an accurate and well-rounded perception of what is happening, and doesn’t just look at one side of the political situation.”

In its coverage of the anti-Houthi resistance, the paradigm used by the BBC was too simplistic, relying purely on the Houthi vs Salafi/Al-Qaeda/Daesh dynamic.

Even the interviews and civilian accounts in the documentary appeared to be one-sided. According to Almamry, the aim of the documentary seemed to be to prove the presence of Al Qaeda in Taiz. “It is clear that the accounts given in the documentary were chosen to suit this narrative,” he claimed – by Diana Alghoul

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/articles/middle-east/24449-omissions-in-bbc-coverage-portray-misleading-perception-of-yemen-conflict

Comment: The speaker of the pro-government militia in Taiz complaining about the BBC report. Well, Al Qaida fighters fighting alongside these pro-government militia (which are related to the Islah party) have been reported more often. On this, also see: here filmed by BBC: Pro-Hadi-Al Qaida fighters do not want to be filmed: https://twitter.com/Lady_Afrah/status/709093256542482432 , and, showing a scene from Taiz: People in a car with IS flag dragging a dead man sayed to be a Houthi through the streets of Taiz: https://twitter.com/HamedGhaleb/status/709123603711791104 . And a longer film on IS fighting in Taiz here (graphic!!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTtuQaoFoCk

cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks

14.3.2016 – Press TV Iran (A P)

Yemen Houthis say open to peace talks with Saudis

Yemen’s Houthi Ansarullah movement says they are open to holding peace talks with Riyadh in a bid to bring an end to the Saudi aggression.

"We will not turn our backs on any understandings or initiatives that could lead to the halt of aggression and lifting the suffering from the Yemeni people," said Saleh al-Sammad, head of Houthis' political wing, in a statement on Monday.

He also referred to a recent prisoner exchange with Saudi Arabia, saying it was part of an “initial and preliminary” stage of negotiations that could be followed by “gradual steps” if the Saudi authorities are willing to halt their aggression.

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/03/14/455707/Saudi-Arabia-Yemen-Houthi-Ansarullah-Sammad-Hadi

14.3.2016 – Living in Yemen on the Edge (A K P)

The implementation of a cease-fire is under way along the Saudi--Yemeni border.
Informed sources reported that a special committee is working on the implementation of a cease-fire concerning the Saudi-Yemeni border.
This comes after days of negotiations between Saudi Arabia and Houthis.
It is to be considered a primary step towards full implementation of a complete cease-fire on the border and across the country.
According to Khaber news agency "The negotiation is ongoing and there are repeated meetings between the two parties"

https://www.facebook.com/961126490607048/photos/a.961595153893515.1073741828.961126490607048/985943864791977/?type=3

cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia

15.3.2016 – Press TV Iran (A H P)

Saudi Arabia to fire 35,000 Yemenis from mobile sector jobs

Saudi Arabia will be firing some 35,000 Yemenis working in the country’s mobile phone sector, in a “Saudization” plan that is apparently aimed at easing the country’s economic difficulties caused in large part by a deadly war on Yemen.

According to Yemeni media reports on Tuesday, 35,000 Yemenis who are working in the field of mobile phone trade and maintenance will go unemployed following the Saudi decision of restricting working in this sector to Saudis.

The reports further said that the Yemenis, who financially support over 100,000 families in Yemen, have only three months to quit their jobs.

Yemen’s media also published an appeal letter by thousands of Yemeni employees who urge the Saudi king Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to help them, asking to be excluded from the decision due to the critical condition and war in Yemen.

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/03/15/455856/Saudi-Arabia-mobile-phones-sector-Saudization-Yemenis/

15.3.2016 – Instituto Manquehue (A P)

Saudi Arabia due to behead three teenagers on Friday

Ali al-Nimr, the teenage nephew of a Shia cleric executed in January, is said to be among those to be beheaded this weak.

Saudi Arabia is reportedly going to complete its new wave of mass executions that started in January.

The monarchy put more than 47 people were executed that nonth, although some state affiliated media claimed the number to be 52 people.

In a new article published in Okaz, the most read liberal newspaper in Saudi Arabia, the kingdom is going to behead three convicted prisoners imminently on Friday.

“The three terrorists are waiting for the implementation of retribution against them will complete the first batch of 47 on Saturday (2 January)” the report Said.

The report says that the prisoners are convicted of affiliation with terrorist groups” “embracing a takfirist approach contrary to the Quran and Sunnah”.

The Saudi newspaper report did not mention the prisoners name but human rights groups says that there are three underage prisoners who were arrested after attending anti-government protests in 2012.

Ali al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoon and Abdullah al-Zaher were 16 and 17 when they were arrested at a peaceful protest.

Among them Ali al-Nimr is of more distinction due to his kinship with Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, the Shia cleric put to death in January after what human rights groups called a “politically motivated and grossly unfair trial”.

http://en.institutomanquehue.org/issues/global-affairs/saudi-arabia-due-behead-teenager-friday.html

15.3.2016 – Saudi Gazette (A P)

Cigarettes off shelves as tobacco prices doubled

The prices of all kinds of tobacco have been doubled in the Kingdom since Thursday under a decision adopted by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Subsequently, cigarettes have disappeared from the shelves.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-arabia/cigarettes-off-shelves-tobacco-prices-doubled/

Comment by Haykal Bafana: Saudi Arabia scraping the bottom of the money barrel : Cigarettes off shelves as tobacco prices doubled - new taxes. This is crazy economics : In Yemen, cigarette prices have gone down since the war started.

https://www.facebook.com/haykal.bafana/posts/970525469694130

14.3.2016 – Middle East News Agency (A P)

Saudi Arabia Threatens To Punish Hezbollah Supporters

Saudi Arabia announced Sunday that the Kingdom would set severe punishment for those linked to the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah.

“The Ministry of Interior confirms that any citizens or expatriates who endorse, show loyalty to the so-called Hezbollah, sympathize with it, promote it, donate to it, communicate with it or house or cover those who belong to it will be subjected to the severe penalties stated in the regulations and orders, including the regulation on crimes of terrorism and its financing, in addition to the deportation of any expatriates found guilty of such actions,” the ministry said in a press statement, Press TV reported.

The Saudi move comes after Gulf Arab countries declared Hezbollah a terrorist organization, raising the possibility of further sanctions against the group.

Riyadh’s move appears to be part of the monarchy’s anti-Shia campaign, including a severe crackdown on nationals residing in Eastern Province. Last year, the kingdom executed prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, which drew widespread condemnation from rights groups and various states.

http://middleeastpress.com/english/saudi-arabia-threatens-to-punish-hezbollah-supporters/

12.3.2016 – Hudson Institute (* A P)

Saudi Arabia's 'Islamic Alliance': Major Challenge for Al-Baghdadi's Islamic State, or Potential Opportunity?

Abstract

Saudi Arabia’s announcement of the formation of an ‘Islamic Alliance’ to combat terrorism in mid-December 2015 incurred the concern of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the ‘caliph’ of the Islamic State. His propagandists were unprepared to address the ideological ramifications of such a paradigm shift in Saudi behavior. The anti-Saudi ideological formulations and narratives that the jihadists had developed over a number of years did not factor-in the possibility that Saudi state would undertake aggressive military operations beyond its borders, operations directed primarily against themselves. Saudi thinking may be premised on the idea that the Islamic State—seeking local support in Iraq and Syria by claiming to act in defense of Sunnis against tyranny and sectarianism—would crumble easily and quickly if faced with an ‘Islamic Alliance’ that aims to liberate Sunnis from both the Islamic State and Iranian hegemony alike. The announcement has raised popular expectations of an impending ‘new order’ in the Middle East among those heartened by what they consider ‘long-overdue’ Saudi activism. However, the new Saudi initiative is a dangerous gamble that may backfire on rhetorical and ideological grounds if the campaign fails or takes too long

[…]

The Saudis have raised expectations, and the expectations will constitute significant internal push and external pull factors for future Saudi decision-making. Even though the Saudis have not stated any clear and well-defined objectives for the Islamic Alliance (or perhaps because they have not), these expectations have taken on geostrategic implications of their own. The Deputy Crown Prince described a modest effort in his press conference, but prevailing sentiments inside Saudi Arabia and across the region projected high expectations onto the term “Islamic military alliance.” The Northern Thunder maneuvers, launched shortly after the announcement, were interpreted as part of this alliance.30 The Saudi state has said little to dispel these expectations, which suggests that it finds them useful, at least for now.

However, when expectations are not met, either fully or in a timely manner, then the new Saudi gambit may backfire. It could arm the likes of al-Baghdadi with a cache of new talking-points directed at a disillusioned Saudi public. The consequences and effects of a lingering impasse in a Syrian terrain where neither side would win—similar to the quagmire that Saudi Arabia currently faces in Yemen—may cast a shadow on the efficacy of the Saudi state. In this respect, the Islamic State and others can use historical precedents and analogies, which often color media and ideological narratives, to argue that the third Saudi realm has run its course. The monarchy, it can argue, has neither the legitimacy nor the military might to protect Muslims. However, if the Islamic Alliance quickly rolls back the Islamic State from several strongholds in Syria, then the Saudis can use imagery and ideology to deal a significant blow to the narratives, old and new, emanating from al-Baghdadi and his ilk. In such a situation, the old anti-Saudi narrative is unhelpful for al-Baghdadi unless it convinces a significant number of Saudi soldiers not to fight on behalf of their imam. Al-Baghdadi hopes these soldiers will defect to his side to fight under the banner of a caliph-imam if his troops confront the Islamic Alliance. If that does not happen, then the Saudi state could easily leverage current events through the agency of historical analogies to flesh out an ideological narrative that the Islamic State is unprepared for and may prove difficult to counter given the stark battlefield realities.31 This is probably what al-Baghdadi had concluded about the new challenge the Islamic Alliance presents. How the alliance performs and what al-Baghdadi and his media organs will have to say about it could consequently turn out to be one of the most relevant and impactful areas of research into jihadist ideology in the years to come as it relates to the Islamic State.– by Nibras Kazimi

http://www.hudson.org/research/12291-saudi-arabia-s-islamic-alliance-major-challenge-for-al-baghdadi-s-islamic-state-or-potential-opportunity

29.1.2016 – Gulf Center for Human Rights (A P)

Update: Saudi Arabia: Systematic targeting of members of ACPRA continues

The authorities in Saudi Arabia continue their repeated attempts to dismantle the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA), in addition to systematically targeting its members, according to the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR).

The ACPRA was established on 12 October 2009 to promote civil and political rights and to respond to increased arrests following the second Gulf war. Their activities range from open letters and petitions, community outreach events, participating in international human rights activities and direct communications with the relevant authorities in Saudi Arabia. The group aimed to document human rights violations, use the international mechanisms including the United Nations system to protect people’s rights, increase the awareness of civil and political rights, empower the marginalised and vulnerable populations, and promote the framework of human rights as a compatible concept with Islamic principles.

A couple of years after its foundation, ACPRA members were targeted by the authorities on charges of inciting public dissent and the information technology crimes law (paragraph one of article 6) has been used to justify charges against ACPRA members. In addition, “ta'azir”, or deciding a penalty by the religious judge as he deems appropriate, has been applied to justify the lengthy imprisonment, lashing, and travel bans applied in sentencing ACPRA members for their peaceful and legitimate human rights activities. Most trials of the members took place at the Specialised Criminal Court (SCC) assigned to cases of allegedly terror-related crimes.

Further to what GCHR has published in the past, including in September 2014 at http://www.gc4hr.org/news/view/752, below is an overview of the fate of 11 members of ACPRA to date

The Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR) believes that the targeting of the founding, principal and affiliated members of the ACPRA with arrest and imprisonment after show trials that include fabricated charges violates international human rights law, in addition to the international and national obligations of the Kingdom, in particular as a member of the UN Human Rights Council. The GCHR further believes that failing to grant a formal work permit to ACPRA, and other human rights groups such as Human Rights Monitor in Saudi Arabia (MHRSA) and Adalah Centre for Human Rights, represents further evidence of the pursuit of the Saudi authorities to eliminate the human rights movement and its constructive role in the defense of the people’s rights.

http://www.gc4hr.org/news/view/1168

Comment by Judith Brown: This is an absolutely critical article - it gives details of members of a human rights organisation in Saudi Arabia and the way that members have been harassed, persecuted, and imprisoned. This really answers any claims by Saudi Arabia that it defends human rights, and makes it even more shocking that Saudi Arabia has been able to chair the human rights committee at the UN.

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10154177674048641

cp9 USA

Siehe "Am wichtigsten" / See "Most important"

14.3.2016 – Middle East News Agency (A P)

Kerry To Saudi Prince: If You Drown The Market With Cheaper Oil, American Soldiers Will Defend Your Throne Against Any Possible Russian Threats

According to Russian Россия-24 news channel, the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry during his recent Middle-East tour met with Saudi Crown Prince and other senior Saudi officials. Muhammad bin Nayef, the next in line to Saudi throne complained that United States has been wavering in its life-time alliance with the oil-rich kingdom since Washington sealed the landmark nuclear deal with Riyadh’s arch enemy, Iran.

“Your Highness, on behalf of President Obama , I can guarantee that our soldiers will protect the Saudi crown but in order to hamper Iranian agenda we believe you must inundate the market with cheaper oil,” Россия-24 which obtained a transcription of the meeting quoted Mr. Kerry as saying.

“We, in the Saudi Arabia reach this bitter conviction that you [the American administration] can easily jettison our long history of friendship, thus we seek to substitute this moribund alliance by establishing strong ties with the United Kingdom or Israel,” the Russian news agency ITAR-TASS cited the 56-year old Saudi heir apparent, though Secretary Kerry has allegedly reassured his eminent interlocutor that Saudi Arabia’s security is something U.S. has always been committed.

Putin is trying to breathe life into USSR’s dead corpse, Kerry added, and we will definitely convince our colleagues in The Pentagon to draw new strategies and deploy more warships to the Gulf, hence I believe there is no reason for worry.

In late January, President Putin threatened Saudi regime by saying that Russia will bomb Saudi Arabia back to the Stone Age life unless Riyadh desists from supporting terrorism in Syria and neighboring Iraq.

http://middleeastpress.com/english/kerry-to-saudi-prince-if-you-drown-the-market-with-cheaper-oil-american-soldiers-will-defend-your-throne-against-any-possible-russian-threats/

Comment: I doubt at that. The oil market flooded with cheap oil is a menace to US oil industry.

cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain

15.3.2016 – Ekklesia (* A P)

Legal proceedings against UK government over arms to Saudi Arabia

Law firm Leigh Day, representing Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), has begun formal legal action in the High Court to challenge the government's decision to export arms to Saudi Arabia. This follows increasing evidence that Saudi forces are violating international humanitarian law (IHL) in Yemen.

If permission for the judicial review is granted, then the High Court will be asked to investigate whether the continued arms exports contravene the UK government’s commitments under UK and European arms export regulations.

As set out in the claim, a range of international organisations including a UN Panel of experts, the European Parliament and many humanitarian NGOs, have condemned the ongoing Saudi air strikes against Yemen as unlawful.

The violations of IHL law found by the bodies listed include:

A failure to take “all precautions in attack” as required by IHL

Attacks causing disproportionate harm to civilians and civilian objects The UN panel investigating the air strikes accused the Saudi-led coalition of “widespread and systematic” attacks on civilian targets.

A failure to adhere to the principle of distinction and/or the targeting of civilians and civilian objects and those not directly participating in hostilities, including facilities necessary to meet basic humanitarian needs such as electricity and water-processing plants.

The destruction of Cultural Property contrary to the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict 1954 and its Protocols and/or a failure to adhere to the immunity to be afforded to such property during armed conflict.

Despite these serious allegations the UK government has refused to suspend any military licences to Saudi Arabia or to call for an investigation into whether IHL has been broken.

UK arms export licensing criteria say that licences should not be granted if there is a clear risk that equipment might be used in violation of IHL.

According to Andrew Smith from CAAT: By any reasonable interpretation these criteria should prohibit all arms sales to Saudi Arabia that could be used in Yemen.

These points were raised in a letter before action sent in January this year to the Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills stating concern about arms sales to Saudi Arabia, particularly in light of alleged grave breaches of international humanitarian law.

The government’s response was received on 16 February and did not alleviate any of these concerns. As a result, the High Court legal action seeks the following action from the UK Government:

A refusal of further export licences for the sale or transfer of arms or military equipment to Saudi Arabia for possible use in the conflict in Yemen, pending a lawful review by the Secretary of State as to whether such sales comply with the relevant legislation.

A mandatory order requiring the government to suspend extant licences for the sale or transfer of arms or military equipment to Saudi Arabia for possible use in the conflict in Yemen, pending a lawful review by the Secretary of State as to whether such sales comply with the relevant legislation.

A quashing of the Secretary of State’s decision, communicated by letter of 9 December, to continue granting new licences for the sale or transfer of arms or military equipment to Saudi Arabia in respect of such equipment.

http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/22841

14.3.2016 – The Independent (*A P)

Despite UK enthusiasm for arms sales to Saudi Arabia, arms export law is very clear - we're in the wrong

The UN and the European Parliament have called out Saudi Arabian attacks on Yemeni civilians - so why is the UK still selling arms to the country?

However, it comes to Saudi Arabia and its international allies, the reports and the European vote have been ignored by the UK.

Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond pledged to "support the Saudis in every practical way short of engaging in combat." The UK government has provided almost uncritical political support, while licensing almost £3 billion worth of arms. Last year,Defense News reported that UK bombs earmarked for the RAF had been transferred to Saudi Arabia to aid the bombing.

For decades now, huge amounts of time and political capital have been spent on pushing weapons. The UK hosts major arms fairsand sends government ministers to lobby for arms sales abroad. There is even a 130 strong civil service body, UKTI DSO, that exists for the sole purpose of promoting arms exports.

Despite this enthusiasm for arms sales, UK arms export law is very clear. It says that licences for military equipment should not be granted if there is a “clear risk” that it “might” be used in violation of international humanitarian law. By any reasonable interpretation these criteria should surely prohibit all arms sales to Saudi Arabia that could be used in Yemen.

An end to the arms sales would mean that UK arms companies are no longer profiting from the misery being inflicted on Yemen – by Andrew Smith, Spokesperson for Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT)

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/despite-uk-enthusiasm-for-arms-sales-to-saudi-arabia-arms-export-law-is-very-clear-were-in-the-wrong-a6930071.html

cp11 Deutschland / Germany

8.3.2016 – Sardinia Post (A P)

Die Linke sulle bombe ‘sarde’ della Rwm: “Profitti che grondano sangue”

Incendiano il dibattito politico in Germania le bombe esportate in Arabia Saudita dallo stabilimento sardo della Rwm Italia Spa, controllata del colosso tedesco degli armamenti Rheinmetall. “Impensabile che una ditta tedesca invii bombe all’Arabia Saudita per distruggere lo Yemen: i 90 milioni di euro di utili conseguiti lo scorso anno dalla Rheinmetall grondano sangue”. Sono le dichiarazioni rilasciate dal deputato tedesco della Die Linke Jan van Aaken all’Ard, radiotelevisione pubblica tedesca che stasera manderà in onda l’inchiesta del giornalista Karl Hoffmann sulle bombe prodotte in Sardegna ed utilizzate dalla coalizione a guida saudita nello Yemen a partire dalla scorsa primavera.

Sulla vicenda interviene anche il ministero dell’economia tedesco diretto da Sigmar Gabriel, chiaro nell’affermare che “quella della Rwm è un’esportazione italiana, non tedesca”. In altri termini, il governo tedesco non ha nessun ruolo rispetto alle bombe spedite nella penisola arabica. Insomma, sebbene la Rwm Italia sia controllata dall società tedesca Rheinmetall, “non è Berlino a rilasciare le autorizzazioni per l’export”, spiegano al ministero dell’Economia.

In altri termini, per la Germania le bombe sono un prodotto italiano. E le autorizzazioni alla loro esportazione le rilascia Roma. La versione di Gabriel si discosta dunque da quelle offerte dal ministro della Difesa Roberta Pinotti a fine anno – di Piero Loi

http://www.sardiniapost.it/politica/die-linke-sulle-bombe-della-rwm-quei-profitti-grondano-sangue/

cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries

15.3.2016 – Noozz (A P)

Sudan handed over Saudi extremists to Riyadh: Bashir

udanese President Omer al-Bashir has disclosed that his government handed over unidentified number of Saudi extremists to Riyadh.

In an interview with the Saudi-based Okaz daily newspaper on Monday, Bashir refrained from mentioning the specific numbers of the Saudi extremists, saying several small groups attempted to base themselves in Sudan but were arrested and handed over to Riyadh.

“Security of the Kingdom [of Saudi Arabia] takes precedence over the security of Sudan because it is the security of the Two Holy Mosques,” he said.

The Sudanese president said he expressed readiness to help Riyadh to defend its borders against the Houthi’s attacks since the era of the late King Abdallah bin Abdel-Aziz, pointing he conatcted the Saudi monarch in this regard.

“I expressed our readiness because the security of the Kingdom [of Saudi Arabia] is considered a red line for us,” he said.

Bashir added that Sudan didn’t hesitate to participate in the Saudi-led “Decisive Storm” operation, saying the deteriorating conditions in Yemen posed a serious danger to the whole region not only Saudi Arbia.

“Because if the Huthi’s managed to control Yemen, it wouldn’t definitely be their final destination,” he said.

He revealed that Sudan provided the ousted Yemeni President Ali Abdalla Salih with ammunition during his war against the Houthi’s, saying Salih unexpectedly became an ally for the Huthi’s.

Sudan participates with over 850 troops in the Saudi-led “Decisive Storm” against the Iranian-allied Houthi militants in Yemen.

Sudanese troops are also participated in the “North Thunder” military manoeuvres in Saudi Arabia among 20 other Arab and Islamic nations.

The Sudanese military participation in the military campaign in Yemen and the Islamic alliance reconciled Bashir’s regime with the Saudi government, and marked the divorce with Iran.

http://noozz.com/sudan-handed-over-saudi-extremists-to-riyadh-bashir/

Comment: That is just “His masters voice”, playing the Saudi tune in this interview also when speaking of Syria and also of now. Sudan’s Bashir: The newest defender of democracy in Syria. That’s a joke, really.

13.3.2016 – The Global and Mail (*A P)

Transparency a casualty in arms deals with Saudis

The federal government is fond of boasting about how its controls on weapons exports are among the strongest in the world, but Canadians are left largely in the dark over precisely what military and security equipment is being shipped to foreign customers – including those with poor human-rights records.

For instance, Canada’s flourishing security and defence business with Saudi Arabia goes well beyond the controversial $15-billion sale of General Dynamics fighting vehicles to Riyadh, but Canadians must turn to the Internet, rather than their government, for details.

Saudi Arabian media coverage reveals how Terradyne Armored Vehicles, of Newmarket, Ont., has found a market in Saudi Arabia for its brand of tactical vehicles – which are advertised with options such as gun turrets and remote weapons systems. Photos of what military equipment experts identify as Terradyne Gurkhas have turned up in coverage of a demonstration exercise by Saudi special forces, in stories on Saudi border posts embroiled in Riyadh’s war with Yemen and elsewhere.

Unless a Canadian company wants to talk about such deals – and they rarely do – transactions like these draw little attention at home.

The best way for Canadians to learn about them is to comb through social media and Internet postings of military aficionados who specialize in dissecting the latest kit on the battlefield.

The last report that was released on military exports covered until 2013.

Former Liberal justice minister Irwin Cotler, an advocate for human rights, says it’s time for Parliament to change this. In an interview with The Globe and Mail, he called for a Commons inquiry into the exports of military equipment to countries with bad human-rights records.

Mr. Cotler said MPs should begin probing foreign sales of military and security goods in much the same way Parliament previously scrutinized the conduct of Canadian mining companies abroad.

[…]

Last week, the Saudi embassy in Canada broke a long silence in the $15-billion General Dynamics deal, saying it will not accept criticism of its human-rights record and pointing out that Riyadh could have easily purchased the armoured combat vehicles elsewhere.

York University doctoral student Anthony Fenton, who is researching Canada’s relations with Persian Gulf Arab states, and who has amassed evidence of Terradyne’s foreign sales, said defence companies, with the “enthusiastic support of the Canadian government,” have boosted their sales to Mideast buyers in recent years.

Cesar Jaramillo, executive director of the anti-war group Project Ploughshares, which tracks arms shipments, said Canadians demand greater transparency from their government in 2016. “Canadians have a right to know whether their country’s economic well-being is linked to the suppression of human rights,” Mr. Jaramillo said. “Vital information is being withheld that allow Canadians to make a reasoned assessment of that situation.” – by Steven Chase

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/transparency-the-first-casualty-in-arms-deal-with-saudis/article29203772/

13.3.2016 – Malay Mail (A P)

Malaysia must not be a pawn in Saudi’s grandstanding

When announcing a 34-nation Islamic Military Alliance against terrorism in December, Saudi Arabia’s defence minister — and deputy crown prince — Mohammad Salman might have expected much applause, but instead it was met with doubts and scepticism due to its vagueness and haste.

Soon after the announcement, Pakistan, which was named as among the 34, was clueless about the list. Together with Malaysia, the two countries would not even play any military role in the alliance.

Indonesia and Algeria, with the biggest Muslim populations in Asia and Africa, were noticeably absent. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Iran and Iraq were excluded. So were Oman and Qatar, whose relationships with Saudi remain shaky.

Anonymous Saudi affair blogger Mujtahidd has since suggested that the empty gesture was just Mohammad’s way of deflecting claims that Saudi is a major sponsor of terrorism. The New York Times penned an op-ed claiming that the move was merely responding to pressure from US president Barack Obama, who has accused Sunni states of doing little in the war on terrorism.

The criticisms might have weight. Saudi declared that the alliance’s target is not only the Islamic State (IS), but “all terrorist groups and organisations”, leading some to speculate that its immediate target might be the Houthis in Yemen, where Saudi’s intervention is fast turning into a colossal failure.

Fast forward to February, the Thunder of the North military drill in northeastern Saudi had raised eyebrows, especially with Malaysia’s involvement despite our previous insistence of zero military role in the alliance.

Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has since clarified that the Armed Forces will stay away from any excursion into Yemen, and was only in the exercise to gain combat experience in “different environments”, such as desert warfare.

Despite that, an exclusive interview by Prime Minister Najib Razak with English-language site Arab News suggested a different take.

In the March 3 interview, the prime minister confirmed that Malaysia’s participation in the exercise was to ensure that it can not only operate as part of the alliance, but also to gauge whether the country will increase its level of participation.

Perhaps even more disturbing was the admission that Malaysia was there “to send a strong signal that the security of Saudi Arabia is very important” to it.

Such a stand by Putrajaya must be scrutinised with extreme vigilance. Especially when Malaysia has failed to differentiate between the holy land of Islamic theology, and the House of Saud that lays claim to it.

Malaysia’s participation in the alliance and military drill inevitably only contributes to Saudi’s portrayal that it is still a powerful political player in the region — even when it is increasingly crippled by foreign policy missteps and plummeting oil prices – by Zurairi AR

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/opinion/zurairi-ar/article/malaysia-must-not-be-a-pawn-in-saudis-grandstanding

cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade

Siehe cp10 Großbritannien, cp11 Deutschland, cp12 Kanada / See cp10 Great Britain, cp11 Germany, cp12 Canada

cp13b Flüchtlinge / Refugees

15.3.2016 – International organisation for Migration (A H)

IOM Evacuates 250 Most Vulnerable Ethiopian Migrants from Yemen

IOM in Yemen resumed humanitarian evacuations of stranded Ethiopian migrants on 15 March, assisting a group of 250 most vulnerable individuals, including 129 women, 94 unaccompanied minors, and 24 persons with medical cases.

Since mid-September (2015), IOM had paused the operations that evacuated 4,222 migrants from Yemen due to lack of funding. Having recently received new financial pledges, IOM and government partners in Yemen – including Ethiopia’s embassy – and throughout the region have been working continuously to relaunch the much-needed evacuation operation.

“The operational plan for 2016 starting this month – during its initial phase – aims to evacuate 1,250 migrants stranded in Yemen,” said Chissey Mueller, IOM Yemen’s Migrant Assistance and Protection Officer. She added: “They are caught between the conflict’s front lines and unable to move forward or turn back.”

http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/iom-evacuates-250-most-vulnerable-ethiopian-migrants-yemen

cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism

Siehe “Am wichtigsten” / See “Most important”

14.3.2016 – Stratfor (A T)

The Islamic State Will Linger in Yemen

Yemeni jihadists have proved to be fractious: Personal animosities, tribal rivalries and internal rifts prevented a unified front, limiting their capabilities until al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) formed in January 2009. The group united several jihadist factions from Yemen and Saudi Arabia into a coherent and potent organization.

In light of this discordant history, it was not surprising when a group of Yemeni jihadists declared allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi in November 2014. And they quickly distinguished themselves from AQAP: The Islamic State units in Yemen hit a number of targets beyond al Qaeda’s targeting guidance, including mosques in Sanaa.

There is little indication that the government, the Saudi-led coalition backing it or even other jihadists will be able to eradicate the Islamic State in Yemen. While the organization will retain the capability to conduct terrorist attacks within Yemen, it likely will be unable to carry out any large-scale insurgent operations or to seize and control large areas of the country as al Qaeda has. It will remain a limited but persistent threat.

https://www.stratfor.com/image/islamic-state-will-linger-yemen

13.3.2016 – Nasser Arrabyee (A T)

Yemen Qaeda/ISIS taking control of Raida district in the far east of Hudhrmout. The groups nearing to take the whole province of Mahra.

https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/709048644738097152

cp15 Propaganda

15.3.2016 – Gulf News (A P T)

Terror flourish in Yemen, analysts say

Filling power and security vacuum in south is top priority for Gulf states

Yemen, which has been plunged in deep-rooted internal problems for decades and recently in civil war, is facing a new threat: increasing presence of terrorist groups, namely Al Qaida and Daesh, a factor analysts say could have a major destabilising effect on neighbouring states and the wider region.

Gulf states, including the UAE, have made it clear that they will not allow Yemen to fall to terrorist groups that have taken advantage of the power vacuum left there after Al Houthis overran the city. The coalition has since reclaimed the city from the militias, but terrorist groups like Al Qaida and Daesh who regrouped and mobilised in the south during the fighting have used the opportunity to expand in the area in an attempt to create a safe haven for themselves, a factor that is increasingly seen with concern in Gulf capitals.

The terrorism threat particularly poses a new challenge to the Gulf region, and it can’t be eliminated without a political solutions to the Yemeni problems once the ongoing war is over, analysts said.

“The concerns of the [Gulf states] are legitimate, and I don’t think there is any country that can ignore this danger or limit it,” Abdul Khaliq Abdullah, a UAE political scientist, told Gulf News.

Responding to a question on the course of action the Gulf States will take to face the terrorism danger; Abdullah said “it will be a battle in every sense of the word. It will be a political, strategic and military (battle),” said Abdullah.

“Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states will not accept Daesh to be a thorn in its side,” he stressed.

After the coalition’s war against Al Houthis is over, a “political battle will start”, analysts said.

“In the long run, there will be an ideological battle, which is the most important one against terrorism and extremism,” Abdullah said.

Since Yemen, one of the most improvised countries in the world, cannot fight terrorism alone, analysts say there is a need for external assistance and coordination.

“Yemenis should stand up,” said Khaled Al Maeena, a Saudi political analysts and media consultant. “Yemenis should identify these people (terrorists). Who are these people? Where are they coming from?” he added to Gulf News.

Al Maeena strongly believes that the Yemenis themselves have a bigger share.

“It is for the Yemenis to realise the dangers. The Gulf states cannot be there forever ... It is for the Yemenis to choose peace and development over war and killing,” he said.

Yemeni analysts, especially in the south of the country believe that many “terrorist groups” in the south are mainly “human bombs planted by former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh and they are actually from the troops loyal to him,” according to Seif Al Jahafi, a political figure from the south.

“Should Saleh takes off his hand from the country, and mainly from the South, the threat will be eliminated,” he told Gulf News.

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/yemen/terror-flourish-in-yemen-analysts-say-1.1690930

Comment: The threat of terrorism especially in the south is real. Well, that are the parts of Yemen “president” Hadi had declared they are “liberated” now. And there are mixed in the stereotypes of ptropaganda: Blaming ex-president Saleh for Al Qaida; “the concerns of the Gulf states are legitimate”, their interference is needed etc. Compare this article to the two ones in cp1 about spreading of jihadism in Yemen. And what will be “an ideological battle” between jihadism and – well, Saudi Wahabism?

15.3.2016 – Arab News (A P)

A case of double standard

In February, the EU Parliament voted to ban weapons sales to Saudi Arabia citing the Kingdom’s military operation in Yemen without taking into account that Iranian-backed Houthi rebels not only overthrew the elected-government but also launched cross-border raids into Saudi territory.
The body’s criticisms were solely directed at Riyadh whereas the Saudi ambassador to Brussels pointed out in a letter Houthis had bombed civilians, deployed tanks in heavily populated areas, used child soldiers and had besieged towns leaving citizens without food, water and medicines.
What are they playing at when Saudi Arabia was invited by the legitimate Yemeni president to free his country from a minority of ruthless rag-tags funded by Tehran, which never ceases to boast about Iran’s domination of Arab capitals? – by Linda S. Heard

http://www.arabnews.com/columns/news/895316

Comment: The whole approach of this article, starting with the headline, is odd. The author calls it a “double standard” when “the body’s criticisms were solely directed at Riyadh”. Well, all the time before, world-wide official objections only were directed against the Houthis, a total arms embargo had been installed against the Houthis by the UN resolutions. When the EU parliament now asks for an arms embargo against Saudi Arabia as well, what should be a “double standard”? A “double standard” just would have been NOT to ask for an arms embargo against Saudi Arabia, as such an embargo against the Houthis already had existed before.

And after that, there follows the normal Saudi propaganda nobody any more can believe in. “The legitimate Yemeni president”: Since February 25, 2015, Hadi’s legitimacy as president of Yemen had ended. The Saudis would “free the country”. By bombing it?? And so on, as already often repeated.

Comment: Oh what a terrible article. I am not in defence of the Houthi militias but I am sympathetic to all groups who contributed to the development of this war because when you follow Yemen's history you can see what they have become is a product of things that happened in the past - and the northwest around Saada has had its share of oppression and alienation, as did the South and Taiz, and the tribes from which Al Qaeda developed - all these militias had a reason for growing into what they are now.

But looking at the initial onset of this war - first, the legitimacy of Hadi. In February 2012 in an uncontested election he was voted as interim president for a period of two years. This was extended by the NDC for one year but that term expired early in 2015. In fact Hadi resigned - yes, under pressure from the Houthi militias - and reinstated himself. But he could have had a genuine appointment at the head of a five man ruling team until elections were held - in talks organised by the UN envoy Jamal Benomar - to which all parties had agreed. So an intervention by the KSA coalition was quite unneeded, yet Hadi - who had installed himself as president - who knew he was very unpopular throughout Yemen - decided to flee the country via Aden to Riyadh and ask his neighbour to bomb his own people and his own country. Yes the Houthis and other militias have done a great deal of damage and killed and maimed - but what Saudi Arabia has done is staggering in its scale, and it has made it impossible for Yemen to easily recover even if 'peace' was agreed by all tomorrow. And the war has entrenched positions and polarised society.
And as for refugees - hello!!!! Has USA agreed to take any???? Did I miss this important bit of news???? Or come to that - what about UAE, KSA, Kuwait, the ones who are doing the destruction? Saudi has formalised the arrangements of the Yemenis who were already living and working in KSA before the war started - not refugees at all, although it claims they are. UAE has blocked its borders and I have no news of Yemenis leaving for Kuwait. Some have been allowed into Jordan and Egypt, but those routes are more or less closed now. Yes what is happening to asylum seekers in Europe is inexcusable. But that does not excuse Saudi Arabia for its deeds in Yemen.

https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1111398332345990

14.3.2016 – The National UAE (A P)

Yemen war remains challenging

At challenging times like these, it is important to remind ourselves of the importance of the mission in Yemen. The country and its people are an integral part of the Arabian Peninsula. The region can’t risk Yemen becoming a failed state and a breeding ground for terrorism.

The war has gone on for longer than predicted – in part because of the stubbornness of the Houthi rebels and in part the meddling hand of their benefactors in Iran – but the GCC can’t lose sight of Yemen’s importance to the health and security of the region. A secure Yemen is part of the fabric of a secure GCC.

The only way to stop the suffering that the Houthis have brought to Yemeni civilians is to restore the internationally recognised government.

As positive developments on the ground continue, the internal cohesion of the Houthi rebels is breaking apart. In a stunning rebuke of Iran, senior Houthi official Yousef Al Feshi said that “Iran must be silent and leave aside the exploitation of the Yemen file". This admission demonstrates the nefarious role that Iran has played in Yemen and is further proof of the need for the coalition to rid the country of harmful foreign influence.

The last year has demonstrated that the spectre of terrorism continues to threaten the international community. For the GCC and the Middle East as a whole, the terroristgroups attempting to make Yemen into a launching pad for attacks on the region is a clear and present danger. As such, the GCC has chosen action over silence. We have organised ourselves and proven our determination to protect the Arabian Peninsula from the growing threat of terror.

http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/editorial/yemen-war-remains-challenging

Comment: Nice propaganda, the greatest nonsense sentence being this one: “The only way to stop the suffering that the Houthis have brought to Yemeni civilians is to restore the internationally recognised government.” Permanent propaganda: the fight against terrorism. There seldom has been be a better promotion of terrorism than the Saudi aerial war ravaging Yemen and giving AQAP and IS more or less free hand and vacuum of power in great parts of the country.

14.3.2016 – Arab News (A P)

Mr. Obama, we are not ‘free riders’

No, Mr. Obama. We are not “free riders.” We shared with you our intelligence that prevented deadly terrorist attacks on America.

We initiated the meetings that led to the coalition that is fighting Fahish (ISIL), and we train and fund the Syrian freedom fighters, who fight the biggest terrorist, Bashar Assad and the other terrorists, Al-Nusrah and Fahish (ISIL). We offered boots on the ground to make that coalition more effective in eliminating the terrorists.
We initiated the support — military, political and humanitarian — that is helping the Yemeni people reclaim their country from the murderous militia, the Houthis, who, with the support of the Iranian leadership, tried to occupy Yemen; without calling for American forces. We established a coalition of more than thirty Muslim countries to fight all shades of terrorism in the world.

We are the biggest contributors to the humanitarian relief efforts to help refugees from Syria, Yemen and Iraq. We combat extremist ideology that attempts to hijack our religion, on all levels. We are the sole funders of the United Nations Counter-terrorism Center, which pools intelligence, political, economic, and human resources, worldwide. We buy US treasury bonds, with small interest returns, that help your country’s economy.

Or is it [that Obama had spoken this way] because you have pivoted to Iran so much that you equate the Kingdom’s 80 years of constant friendship with America to an Iranian leadership that continues to describe America as the biggest enemy, that continues to arm, fund and support sectarian militias in the Arab and Muslim world.

No, Mr. Obama. We are not the “free riders” that to whom you refer. We lead from the front and we accept our mistakes and rectify them. We will continue to hold the American people as our ally and don’t forget that when the chips were down, and George Herbert Walker Bush sent American soldiers to repel with our troops Saddam’s aggression against Kuwait, soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder with soldiers. Mr. Obama, that is who we are – by Prince Turki Al-Faisal

http://www.arabnews.com/news/894826

Comment: Interesting point of view, of course repeating all the Saudi propaganda stereotypes. “We combat extremist ideology that attempts to hijack our religion”: That’s funny, as Saudi Wahabism a) is an “extremist ideology”, b) actually did “hijack our religion”. “We are the biggest contributors to the humanitarian relief efforts to help refugees from Syria, Yemen and Iraq.” The Saudis do not let come refugees into their country, There are lots of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Turkey, and Europe. Yes, it is true, Saudi Arabia pays for refugees in other countries. Yemen: The sum the Saudis had given for charity in Yemen equals the cost of 1 day 9 hours aerial war. – And something which off course is quite important: “We buy US treasury bonds, with small interest returns, that help your country’s economy”. Money certainly is an important part of US-Saudi relations. Hillary Clinton also knows.

Comment by Judith brown: Prince Turki seems to be somewhat irked by President Obama's statement a few days ago that Saudi Arabia has to learn to share the Middle East with his neighbours. Here is his reply

My comment: No they are not free riders - that is the problem. They are using their wealth to stir the Middle East in a manner that is likely to speed the downfall of the kingdom and maybe take down their powerful master the United States. And they are paying out so much on their little adventures that they are likely to bankrupt themselves if they carry on this way - and destablise the Middle East further.

https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10154178688078641

About this article, see:

15.3.2016 – Washington Post (A P)

The Saudi backlash to Obama’s Atlantic comments has begun

In his letter, Prince Turki takes aim specifically at the "free riders" comment, listing a broad set of examples of that he believes show Saudi leadership.

Despite the harsh words, the letter ends on a positive note. "We will continue to hold the American people as our ally and don’t forget that when the chips were down" -- such as the 1991 war that drove Iraqi forces from Kuwait -- Saudi and U.S. soldiers "stood shoulder to shoulder," Prince Turki wrote.

Prince Turki has criticized Obama before, accusing him of "failed favoritism towards Israel" in a 2011 column published in The Washington Post. Though he is no longer in the Saudi government, his high-ranking position in the Saudi royal family and his long career in the country's diplomatic and intelligence services lends his opinion weight. Notably, the letter was published in English and addressed directly to the president, suggesting its intended audience was American rather than Saudi.

The Saudi government did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Prince Turki's letter, but Fahad Nazer, a nonresident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and former political analyst at the Saudi Embassy in Washington, suggested that many in Saudi Arabia supported the sentiment.

"Many Saudis readily admit that they are now simply awaiting the end of President Obama's tenure," Nazer wrote in an email to WorldViews, "with some boldly proclaiming that 'anyone will be better than Obama.'" – by Adam Taylor

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/03/14/saudi-prince-writes-scathing-response-to-obama-comments/

14.3.2016 – Asharq Al-Awsat (A P)

GCC States Committed to Reconstructing Yemen

Riyadh-GCC’s Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Negotiations Abdul Aziz Hamad Aluwaisheg stressed that the GCC states are committed to reconstructing Yemen and that the legitimate Yemeni government has prioritized this project. He added that reconstructing Yemen is based on regaining stability and security in addition to restoring the government’s ability to finance itself.

Aluwaisheg’s remarks came within the sidelines of a workshop, held in Riyadh on Sunday, on lessons learned from international experiences in recovery, peace-building and reconstruction. The workshop was organized by the General Secretariat of the GCC in cooperation with the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation of Yemen and the development partners of Yemen.

The workshop comes within the framework of the implementation of the decision of the Supreme Council of the GCC to prepare for an international conference for reconstruction in Yemen. It is based on HRH King Salman bin Abdulaziz’s vision to boost joint Gulf work after reaching a political solution in Yemen.

Specialists from various international destinations presented different modules for the reconstruction of a number of countries and regions in order to draw the lessons and their applicability in the Yemeni case.

http://english.aawsat.com/2016/03/article55348478/gcc-states-committed-to-reconstructing-yemen

Comment: By this way, the GCC states are looking quite good. But, that would be so simple: No aerial bombing, nor reconstruction will be needed.

14.3.2016 – WAM (A P)

US, France praise UAE, Saudi for Yemen efforts

US Secretary of State John Kerry and French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault on Sunday expressed appreciation to Saudi Arabia and the UAE for playing a positive role in urging the Yemenis to engage in peace talks involving all parties to the crisis in Yemen.

In Paris, Secretary Kerry met with the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, UK and the EU's foreign policy chief came ahead of UN-sponsored Syria peace talks between representatives of regime and the opposition in Geneva.

In a press conference following the meeting during which they discussed the crises in Yemen, Libya and Ukraine, the two top diplomats expressed their countries' intention to intensify cooperation with the Arab states of the Gulf, namely Saudi Arabia and the UAE, to find a solution in Yemen and create humanitarian corridors to affected areas.

The French foreign minister said, "We discussed the crisis in Yemen. We are very concerned about the humanitarian situation in the country. We believe that dialogue between Yemeni parties and a political solution are the only way to end this humanitarian crisis."

"The solution should be based on United Nations Security Council resolution1622, the GCC Initiative and the outcome of the national dialogue," he added.

Minister Ayrault said the foreign ministers who met in Paris support the efforts of Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed.

US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed satisfaction over the roles of Saudi Arabia and the UAE in backing peace efforts in Yemen and stressed that his recent talks with Saudi and Emirati officials were fruitful in light of the desire of Washington and the Gulf Arab states to push towards establishing peace in Yemen and helping Yemenis overcome the humanitarian disaster in their country.

Kerry said he agreed with Saudi and Emirati official to make all efforts to create humanitarian corridors to some affected and besieged areas in Yemen.

http://www.emirates247.com/news/us-france-praise-uae-saudi-for-yemen-efforts-2016-03-14-1.624104

Comment: Here labeled as “Propaganda”. And Kerry is partisan in this war, not broker.

cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids

15.3.2016 – Die Presse (A K)

Dutzende Opfer bei Luftschlag auf Markt im Jemen

Bei einem Luftangriff nordwestlich von Jemens Hauptstadt Sanaa sind dem Gesundheitsministerium zufolge mindestens 80 Menschen getötet oder verletzt worden. Nach Angaben eines Sprechers des von den aufständischen Houthi-Rebellen kontrollierten Ministeriums soll eine von Saudi-Arabien geführte Militärkoalition einen Markt in der Provinz Hajjah bombardiert haben.

http://diepresse.com/home/politik/aussenpolitik/4946811/Dutzende-Opfer-bei-Luftschlag-auf-Markt-im-Jemen-?_vl_backlink=/home/index.do und Film (18+, grausam!!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2GoBCakncw

15.3.2016 – AP (A K)

Warplanes bomb market in northern Yemen, wounding dozens

Yemeni health officials and witnesses say Saudi-led warplanes have bombed a busy market in a northern city, wounding dozens of people.

They say at least two airstrikes hit the market in Mastaba on Tuesday. The city is in Hajja province, which is controlled by Shiite Houthi rebels, but witnesses say there were no military targets near the market.

An official with the international aid group Doctors Without Borders says at least 40 of the wounded were transferred to a nearby hospital, three of whom were in critical condition.

Witnesses say they saw body parts and pools of blood after the strikes.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/03/15/warplanes-bomb-market-in-northern-yemen-wounding-dozens.html

15.3.2016 – Press TV Iran (A K PH)

120 dead or injured in Saudi raid in Yemen: Report

Saudi warplanes have pounded a crowded marketplace in the town of Mostaba in Yemen’s Hajjah Province, leaving about 120 people dead or injured.

Al-Masirah TV reported on Tuesday that a busy restaurant adjacent to the al-Khamis market was also targeted in the airstrikes.

Vendors from other places had gathered in the market to seek cover from the Saudi strikes.

Official Yemeni sources say at least 60 people were killed in the Saudi airstrike on the market.

Yemeni sources say Saudi jets also bombed several civilian targets in Ta’izz, Jawf and Sana’a provinces, but there was no immediate report on casualties.

http://presstv.ir/Detail/2016/03/15/455882/Saudi-bomb-Yemen-Hajjah

15.3.2016 – Albawaba (A K)

MSF: Dozens of civilians wounded in Saudi-led airstrike in Yemen

Dozens of civilians sought urgent medical help at a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) hospital in Yemen after being wounded by a Saudi-led airstrike on Haja province on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

MSF said on its Twitter account that more than 40 injured civilians - including women and children, and an eight-year old in critical condition - were admitted to the hospital following an airstrike in Mustaba.

Saba Net, the Yemeni news agency controlled by Houthi forces, reported that 65 people were killed in the attack and 55 further were wounded.

http://www.albawaba.com/news/msf-dozens-civilians-wounded-saudi-led-airstrike-yemen-817432 see also film by Almarisa TV (graphic!!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2GoBCakncw

03.2016 –Legal Center for Rights and Development (A K PH)

Saudische Luftschläge Tag für Tag / Saudi air raids day by day

13. März / March:

https://www.facebook.com/551288185021551/photos/a.551858951631141.1073741828.551288185021551/602177546599281/?type=3&theater

14. März / March:

https://www.facebook.com/551288185021551/photos/a.551858951631141.1073741828.551288185021551/602597156557320/?type=3&theater

cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War

15.3.2016 – Reuters (A K P)

Saudi coalition reaffirms pause in Yemen border fighting

The spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen on Tuesday said the pause in the fighting on the border between the two countries was continuing, as was work on clearing land mines, in comments reported by al-Arabiya al-Hadath news channel on Twitter.

Brigadier General Ahmed al-Asseri was quoted as saying the pause in fighting was confirmed and that mediation between the sides by local tribes was continuing. He was also quoted as saying the military situation in Taiz, in southern Yemen, was positive.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-idUSKCN0WH18Y

15.3.2016 – Almasdar News (A K PH)

Houthi forces carry out successful ambush against Saudi military personnel in Al-Jawf

At dawn on Tuesday morning, the Houthi forces – backed by the Yemeni Army’s Republican Guard – carried out a successful ambush against the Saudi-led Coalition in the Al-Sufaynah Mountains of the Al-Jawf Governorate. According to the Republican Guard spokesperson, the Houthi forces and their allies laid a successful ambush on the Saudi-led Coalition convoy, killing almost all the combatants that were making their way to the Al-Sufaynah Mountains after losing this site two days ago. The battle for the Al-Jawf Governorate has recently intensified as the Saudi-led Coalition attempts to retake large swathes of territory that were seized by the Houthi forces.
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/houthi-forces-carry-successful-ambush-saudi-military-personnel-al-jawf/

15.3.2016 – Khaleej Street (A K PS)

Yemen army captures strategic area in Taiz

Yemen's armed forces and popular resistance fighters captured the air defence camp in Taiz province on Monday, following fierce confrontations with Al Houthi militia and the ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh group.

A Yemeni military source said that the captured air defence camp is strategic and on top of a mountain overlooking many areas on the western front of Taiz city.

http://khaleejstreet.com/Yemen-army-captures-strategic-area-in-Taiz/

Comment: This is reported as a success of pro-government forces. Both sides again contradict each other:

15.3.2016 – Almasdar News (A K PH)

Yemeni Army, Houthis deliver the Saudi Army an embarrassing defeat in Taiz: 55+ killed

The Saudi-led Coalition and their mercenaries launched a large-scale assault at the provincial capital of the Ta’iz Governorate on Monday, striking the Houthi defenses at the western sector of this large city in southwestern Yemen.

However, the battle did not go according to plan for the Saudi-led Coalition and their allies, as they were overwhelmed by the Houthi forces and the Yemeni Army’s 33rd and 48th brigades of the Republican Guard in western Ta’iz on late Monday morning.

According to the Yemeni “Al-Jabhah News“, over 55 soldiers and mercenaries belonging to the Saudi-led Coalition were killed during the battle for western Taiz, including several squad leaders.

The following morning, the Yemeni Army reportedly killed a Saudi mercenary commander – Ghanem Al-‘Azazi – near the Air Defense Battalion Base in Ta’iz.

The Yemeni Army has reported that several Al-Qaeda militants are partaking in this offensive to seize the strategic city of Taiz, citing that many of these terrorists have been killed by the Republican Guard and the Houthi forces – by Leith Fadel

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/yemeni-army-houthis-deliver-saudi-army-embarrassing-defeat-taiz-55-killed/

14.3.2016 – Press TV Iran (A K PH)

Tens of pro-Saudi mercenaries captured in southern Yemen

Yemen’s military forces and their allies in the Houthi Ansarullah movement have captured 85 militants fighting for Saudi Arabia in its ongoing aggression of the impoverished country.

Yemen’s al-Masirah TV said on Monday that the "mercenaries" were detained in the cities of al-Watiah and Rada’ in the province of Bayda.

The report said the pro-Saudi forces were returning to their bases in the northern Ma’rib province when they were nabbed by the Yemeni forces.

Meantime, tens of other militants, some of them members of Yemen’s branch of al-Qaeda, were reportedly arrested or killed in the southwestern province of Ta’izz.

Yemenis also managed to seize control of two mountainous regions from militants in the northern province of Jawf.

The gains are the latest in a string of successful operations against elements who have been facilitating Saudi air campaign against Yemen.

Yemenis have used the captured Saudi soldiers and mercenaries as a bargaining chip in talks with opponents, including the fugitive former president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, who is backed by Riyadh. Earlier this month, the Yemeni side exchanged a captive Saudi army officer against seven fighters in the first case of direct negotiations with the Saudis.

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/03/14/455726/Yemen-Saudi-Qaeda-Houthi-Ansarullah

14.3.2016 – AFP (A K)

Kampfjet aus Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten in Jemen abgestürzt

Im Einsatz gegen regierungsfeindliche Rebellen im Jemen ist ein Kampfjet der Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate offenbar wegen eines technischen Fehlers abgestürzt. Das Flugzeug vom Typ Mirage wurde von den Emiraten am Montag zunächst als vermisst gemeldet. Die von Saudi-Arabien geführte Militärallianz im Jemen bestätigte später den Absturz.

Beide Piloten seien bei dem Unglück am frühen Morgen getötet worden, berichtete die amtliche saudiarabische Nachrichtenagentur SPA. Die Ursache des Absturzes sei ein technischer Fehler gewesen. Aus den Emiraten hatte es zuvor lediglich geheißen, der Jet werde vermisst.

https://de.nachrichten.yahoo.com/vereinigte-arabische-emirate-vermissen-kampfjet-einsatz-jemen-070957071.html and images: https://www.facebook.com/yemenipress/posts/948187881901091

Ergänzung: Unweit Aden.

14.3.2016 – The Guardian (A K)

Two UAE pilots killed as fighter jet crashes in Yemen

Saudi-led coalition fighting rebels backed by Iran says Mirage aircraft crashed due to technical fault as warplanes turn on Aden

Two Emirati pilots have been killed after their fighter jet crashed in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is battling rebels backed by Iran.

The Mirage aircraft crashed at dawn “due to a technical fault”, said a coalition statement published hours after the United Arab Emirates reported one of its jets missing without giving details.

It is the first known case of an Emirati jet from the coalition crashing since the campaign against the rebels began last March.

Coalition warplanes turned their attention towards Yemen’s second city, Aden – home to a growing jihadi presence – for the first time last week.

Security officials and witnesses in Aden told AFP that a jet had crashed into a nearby mountain on Monday as aircraft operated in the vicinity, after clashes erupted between Yemeni forces and jihadis.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/14/uae-reports-plane-missing-in-yemen

13.3.2016 – Antiwar (A K)

105 Killed as Pro-Saudi Forces Declare Victory in Yemen’s Taiz

Medical Officials Say Most Slain in Saudi Airstrikes

Heavy fighting that erupted on Friday in Yemen’s city of Taiz carried on into Saturday,leaving at least 105 people dead and a number of others wounded, as pro-Saudi officials claimed total victory in the city, at least for the time being.

57 people were reported killed by Friday evening, and an additional 48 were slain after that. Local medical officials said virtually everyone was killed in a 24-hour period, and the vast majority were slain by Saudi airstrikes.

Despite the claim of victory, officials were also predictinganother round of fighting around the Taiz airport and the city’s southeast, while the Houthis insisted they merely had a tactical withdrawal to try to avoid the airstrikes.

At least six civilians were among the slain, and potentially more, though the reports on who exactly died in the overnight airstrikes have yet to be made public. Saudi officials have attempted to blame the Houthis for civilian deaths in Taiz – by Jason Ditz

http://news.antiwar.com/2016/03/13/105-killed-as-pro-saudi-forces-declare-victory-in-yemens-taiz/

Vorige / Previous:

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/krieg-im-jemen-neue-artikel-zum-nachlesen-114

Neue Artikel zum Nachlesen 1-1114: / Yemen Press Reader 1-114:

https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose oder / or

http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm

Dieser Beitrag gibt die Meinung des Autors wieder, nicht notwendigerweise die der Redaktion des Freitag.
Geschrieben von

Dietrich Klose

Vielfältig interessiert am aktuellen Geschehen, zur Zeit besonders: Ukraine, Russland, Jemen, Rolle der USA, Neoliberalismus, Ausbeutung der 3. Welt

Dietrich Klose

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