The Yemen war in the media - 10 ways of modern war - Peace talks a stalemate - Heavy air raids and fights - Coalition fighters destroy Sarari village - and more
Schwerpunkte / Key aspects
Klassifizierung / Classification
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
cp2 Allgemein / General
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche/ UN and peace talks
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
cp9 USA
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
cp13 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
cp15 Propaganda
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
cp17b Sarari
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
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
25.7.2016 – Muftah (** B K P)
Twittering the Saudi Intervention in Yemen
The event triggered global reactions on Twitter, with users in different countries reacting to the news. In this global digital space, the nation state was a common frame of reference. Even though people from around the world discussed the intervention, these discussions often revolved around national politics.
At the same time, Twitter also served to connect like-minded people across borders, enabling the emergence of transnational spaces of solidarity for those with a particular perspective on the Saudi intervention.
Out of all the countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the Saudi Twitter community is the largest.
With few exceptions, since the intervention began, Arabic-language tweets have supported the Saudi intervention.
Most Gulf Twitter users adopted a domestic lens on the Saudi intervention. Sectarian language was accompanied by (Arab) nationalist references and underpinned with geopolitical arguments.
These pro-Saudi users hailed the intervention, including the Saudi role, as bringing stability to the region and defending the Saudi nation and all Sunni Muslims.
Taken together, these discourses produced a transnational Sunni space of solidarity, between anti-Houthi Yemenis and Gulf users.
On Twitter, the most outspoken, distinctively Shiite, Arabic-language, anti-intervention voices came from Lebanon, where proponents and critics on either side could speak out without fear of persecution.
Not all anti-interventionist voices framed their arguments in sectarian language, however.
In terms of nationalities and themes, the English-language debate was more diverse than its Arabic counterpart. Generally, English-language Twitter users were more outspoken against the war, though national groups still viewed the intervention through a domestic lens.
In the English-language Twitter arena, a transnational space of solidarity also crystalized around human rights concerns. This discourse connected individuals who were against both Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. Here, users from Yemen, the Yemeni diaspora, influential Arab users across the Middle East, Europe, and the United States, political analysts, journalists, and human rights activists and organizations often discussed the intervention from a humanitarian perspective.
As these trends suggest, a North-South, pro- and anti-Houthi divide was prominent in this transnational network of Yemeni and non-Yemeni users. Those associating closely with the North were more outspoken against the Saudi intervention, focusing on Saudi airstrikes on Houthi dominated Sanaa. Those connected with the South, where the Houthis were aggressively expanding and the Saudi intervention was widely supported, were less critical of the Saudi intervention – by Mareike Transfeld
http://muftah.org/twittering-saudi-intervention-yemen/#.V5YCO9kkqUl
and on the same subject:
03-2016 – Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (** B K P)
#HashtagSolidarities: Twitter Debates and Networks in the MENA Region – by Mareike Transfeld and Isabella Werenfels, especially the chapter: Saudi Intervention in Yemen: Domestic Lens, Regional Solidarity, #OpDecisiveStorm
https://www.swp-berlin.org/fileadmin/contents/products/research_papers/2016RP05_trs_wrf.pdf
25.7.2016 – Muftah (** B K P)
Understanding the Role of the “Southern Question” in Yemen’s War
In short order, the Arab and Western media’s discourse on the war became reduced to naïve narratives about a bipolar confrontation between the Yemeni government and local Shiite insurgents and, by implication, a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Within this framework, local conflicts and social movements were either ignored or subsumed, further obscuring the nuances of the war and the motives of local actors.
A case in point is the Southern Movement (al-Hirak al-Janubi), which purports to represent the southern provinces of Yemen that were part of the former socialist People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY, 1967–1990). The PDRY merged with the northern Yemen Arab Republic (YAR) in 1990 to form the Republic of Yemen.
Al-Hirak’s involvement in the current conflict is fueled by a combination of historical grievances given new salience as a result of the civil war. Instead of appreciating this, however, news coverage on al-Hirak tends to depict it as merely a local protest movement. Since the Saudi-led intervention began, most reporting on southern Yemen has failed to comprehend the deep frustration and alienation in the South and the historical and political factors that created them.
Claims that the whole of Yemen has suffered equally under the Saleh and Hadi regimes or that al-Hirak is just a civil rights movement vastly underestimate the political agenda of the southern movement and ignore the real demands of southerners.
The roots of al-Hirak’s role in the current conflict stretch back at least twenty years. The Southern Question, that is, the relationship between the former PDRY provinces and the central Yemeni state, has been a part of Yemeni politics since the country’s 1994 civil war.
The Saudi intervention in Yemen brought the country to the forefront of international media, albeit for a brief period of time. But, thanks to the nature of the conflict and virtually complete blockade on media reporting from Yemen, Western news outlets have failed to accurately represent both the southern perspective and events taking place across the country.
For these reasons, there is a wide gulf between the ways in which the Southern Movement and its agenda have been depicted outside Yemen, and how southerners themselves think of their predicament.
Southerners feel that the injustices perpetrated against the South by the Saleh and Hadi regimes have not received adequate attention from the international community. They perceive their struggle to be one of national liberation and determination, and not as a minority rights issue. Coupled with a lack of access to and representation in various diplomatic negotiations currently taking place to end the war, southern society has been alienated, now more than ever, from ongoing political processes in Yemen – by Thanos Petouris
http://muftah.org/southern-question-yemen-war/#.V5ib_TVpn3F
Comment by Judith Brown; An interesting article on the motivation of the Southern Movement (Al Hirak), their grievances, and their relationship to Yemen governments under Saleh and in particular Hadi. This is a really important issue relating to Yemen's future but is rarely discussed in the international media, that just generally describe the southern fighters as pro-Hadi - which is far from reality.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10154548861888641
25.7.2016 – Muftah (* B K P)
An Interview with Sara Al-Zawqari: the Voice of Progressive Radio in Sanaa
Sara Al-Zawqari is a Yemeni broadcast journalist and media consultant, currently working as a media delegate and spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Iraq. In Sana’a, Sara is well-known for having hosted the daily hit radio show “Tea with Milk,” which discussed social issues in a sarcastic and humorous manner.
Sara Al-Zawqari: Yemeni media has been playing a negative role in society and adversely affecting local communities. Media has substantial influence on people in Yemen; the public gets its information, news, and almost everything else it knows from the media. During the current conflict, the high illiteracy rate in Yemen has enabled various powerful players to fuel clashes through propaganda and rumors. Generally, I would describe this situation in one word: BAG (Bias, Attacks, Gap).
GAP: There is a huge gap between the type of content people really need and what is being delivered on local and regional media platforms targeting Yemenis. Media platforms are focused on their own political agendas, ignoring their audience’s needs and preferences. They do not address the public directly, remain focused only on foreign affairs, and fail to provide any sort of solutions to meet people’s basic needs. This represents a gap between those in influential positions and the public – by Sara Al-Zawqari & Mareike Transfeld
http://muftah.org/sara-al-zawqari-progressive-radio-yemen/#.V5ic7jVpn3F
25.7.2016 – Muftah (** B K P)
Moving Beyond “The Brink”: the Need for Nuance in Yemen Reporting
While the conflict(s) in Yemen is deeply complicated, international media portrays it in black and white terms. Yemen, the reader is told, is in the midst of a “proxy war,” as fighting between “Shi’it rebels” and “government loyalists” has pushed the country “to the brink” (of what, exactly, is often unclear).
These descriptions are not wholly wrong, but they obfuscate more than they elucidate. The vast majority of those who write on Yemen, including Yemenis themselves, frequently fall into using these easy, unhelpful expressions.
For these reasons, in evaluating the media’s role in Yemen, it is necessary to understand the flawed nature of the terminology frequently used to frame the country’s conflict(s).
The “Proxy War” in Yemen
Emerging out of a part of the country considered peripheral even by many Yemenis, the Houthi movement has long been deeply misunderstood.
Since its emergence in 2004, the group has been painted with a sectarian brush, described as Iran’s proxy by Yemeni officials hoping to exploit historical American anxieties about the Islamic Republic and curry favor with Yemen’s Gulf neighbors.
Contrary to these depictions, however, the Houthi movement is firmly rooted in societal developments in northern Yemen. […]
“Shiite Rebels”
In truth, these “Shi’ite rebels” are not always Shi’a. […]
“Government loyalists”
When it comes to those fighting the Houthis, true “Hadi loyalists” are but one of many groups. The internationally-recognized Yemeni government-in-exile is a mix of strange bedfellows. In addition to proper “Hadi loyalists,” it includes the Islamist Islah party, which incorporates the bulk of the Yemeni Muslim Brotherhood; secular and leftist elements of the establishment opposition; separatist-leaning southern factions that have thrown their lot in with Hadi; and some mainstream Salafists.
Moving Past “the Brink”
[Conclusion:] what is key is a nuanced understanding of ongoing events in the country and a move away from simplistic narratives that ultimately have little to do with what is happening in Yemen.
Such a task is not an easy undertaking. All of the key factions in Yemen’s ongoing conflict(s)—like protagonists in most conflicts—have plenty of reason to cast the situation as black and white. That only makes the task of breaking through the rhetoric all the more important – by Adam Baron
http://muftah.org/moving-beyond-the-brink-yemen/#.V5idqTVpn3F
Comment by Judith Brown: A good piece of work that starts to explain the complexity of the fighters in Yemen. In particular, the weak alliances, where in particular it outlines the tensions between the so called 'pro-Hadi' alliance. The article doesn't describe the tensions between the Houthi-Saleh alliance that has its own problems, and many think that what is holding that alliance together is the aerial bombardment by Saudi Arabia and the foreign armies and mercenaries that have been fighting in the Aden area. They are seen as invaders and occupiers within Yemen, which has been a powerful unifying theme that has kept the Houthi-Saleh alliance together.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10154549098343641
25.7.2016 – Muftah (** B K P)
Challenges to Supporting Yemen’s At-Risk Human Rights Defenders and Journalists
Yemeni human rights defenders (HRDs) and journalists face immense barriers to relaying war reporting and rights investigations to international audiences. At home, travel restrictions, digital security risks, and physical attacks make their professions dangerous, if not impossible. Internationally, oversimplified and sectarian-driven ideas about “objectivity” limit how nuanced their reporting can be. Articles and reports deemed comprehensible to international audiences can put an HRD or journalist’s life in danger locally, for example, if they fail to adequately represent all parties involved.
Given the misrepresentation and confusion surrounding the Yemen conflict, it is critical that local experts participate in global dialogue and policy making on Yemen. There are, however, key risks and barriers facing Yemeni HRDs and journalists, as they attempt to communicate conflict developments and human rights violations to the broader world.
Sectarian Narratives & Imposed Standards
For many Western media outlets, the alleged Sunni-Shia binary drives coverage of the Gulf States and Yemen. As most clearly demonstrated by reporting on Yemen and Bahrain, the sectarian narrative is used to explain everything from domestic to regional conflicts. Complex political struggles, legitimate demands for economic reform, and social issues are painted with this broad, Sunni-Shia brush. In the process, local actors – from human rights defenders to armed militias – are often stripped of their agency, and represented as “pawns” of “Sunni” Saudi Arabia or “Shia” Iran.
Digital Security & Communication Strategies
For HRDs working to document and publicize human rights violations in Yemen, safely communicating with one another and external support networks is key.
Physical Threats & Restricted Access
Yemeni HRDs face immense threats to their physical well being, including arrest, attacks, armed raids, beatings in detention, and killings.
Travel & Access
With the many restrictions on accessing Yemen, international organizations supporting Yemeni human rights defenders and journalists often cannot witness and learn, first-hand, about the threats and persecution they are facing. Even more critically, HRDs are themselves often unable to travel out of Yemen to share their reporting and experiences inside the country.
[Conclusion:] To begin addressing the severe gap in coverage from, by, and featuring local HRDs and journalists, media outlets need to actively seek sound bites, quotes, and expertise from Yemeni activists and journalists who are gathering and analyzing information in their own communities, towns, and regions.
Yemeni HRDs and journalists are in need of diverse, creative support to safely communicate their first-hand reporting, investigations, and expertise on the country. In raising the profile of their work by featuring more of it, international media outlets can make valuable contributions to this cause – by Erin Kilbride
http://muftah.org/challenges-supporting-yemens-risk-human-rights-defenders-journalists/#.V5ie6TVpn3F
25.7.2016 – Muftah (** B K P)
The Iranian Media and the War in Yemen
Depending on the media outlet, Iran’s role in this conflict has been depicted as nefarious or benevolent, sectarian or liberating. There is both truth and error in many of these media representations.
Much of the Western narrative has falsely portrayed Iran’s control over and relationship with the Houthis, while Iranian outlets, broadcasting in various languages, have, unsurprisingly, communicated a biased Iranian perspective on the conflict, including about Iran’s role in the war. Iranian media accounts also shed much light on the Islamic Republic’s perspective on the Yemeni war, which is critical to understanding what Iran is doing in Yemen and why it is doing it.
There has, however, been no evidence, in the media or otherwise, suggesting the Houthis are indeed Iran’s proxy in technical or practical terms. Iran does not enjoy command and control over the Houthis, and has not played a critical role in shaping Houthi decision-making.
Iran has used the Yemen war to advance its regional hegemonic ambitions. The Iranian government views the war in Yemen through the prism of its rivalry with Saudi Arabia. This competition is a complex and multi-layered one, rooted in sectarian (Shia versus Sunni), ethnic (Persian versus Arab), ideological (pro-American versus anti-American), geopolitical, and strategic concerns.
Iran is, however, also using the conflict to promote certain ideological narratives.
First, Iranian media, as well as other outlets aligned with Iran, have presented the war in Yemen as the struggle of “the oppressed”- that is, the struggle of the Houthis, the Zaydi or Shiite communities, against the oppressors.
Second, the Iranian government has portrayed the Yemeni conflict as fitting within a concept of the “Islamic awakening,” according to which uprisings across the Arab world follow in the footsteps of the 1979 Iranian revolution.
Notably, Iranian leaders have not deployed a sectarian language on the Yemen conflict, in the press or otherwise. Instead, a more general, sect-neutral Islamic language has been used.
Where the Yemen conflict is concerned, the Islamic Republic has relied mainly on soft power to spread its narrative on the conflict beyond its own borders. Through various satellite TV stations, broadcasting in different languages, including Arabic, English, and Persian, the Iranian government has attempted to shape and influence public opinion in the region.
Iran has encountered significant limitations in shaping regional opinion on the war. This is particularly true for Sunni audiences.
One of the reasons for Iran’s more limited impact is the Arab media, primarily those outlets controlled or funded by Saudi Arabia. These platforms have been very influential in counterbalancing Iran’s narrative, for several reasons – by Majid Rafizadeh
http://muftah.org/iranian-media-war-yemen/#.V5XtQqJpn3E
24.7.2016 – Nation of Change (** B K P)
10 Ways to Wage Wars
Many people will be shocked to hear that the “progressive” Obama administration engineered regime changes in Honduras, Brazil and Ukraine; destroyed a prosperous and stable country – Libya; has been waging a bloody war against Syria for five years; has drastically expanded U.S. military bases in Africa; and continues to antagonize both Russia and China, alarmingly escalating the prospect for major wars. And, oh, we are still in Iraq and Afghanistan, the latter being the longest war in U.S. history.
There are two reasons why the American public is largely oblivious to such facts.
First, foreign policy is rarely discussed in depth in the corporate media or even in the presidential campaigns. World News on TV is just like the World Series in sports– it’s really all about America. Second, modern wars are mostly waged inconspicuously. However, we can’t escape from the consequences – covert and overt wars still cost tens of trillions of dollars, kill thousands of American soldiers, destabilize large parts of the world, turn millions of innocent people into refugees, and create blowback from terrorism.
This article is a discussion of the clandestine strategies used in modern conquest and warfare.
Direct and Obvious Wars – Proxy Wars, Using Neighbors – Proxy Wars, Fueling Civil War – Proxy Wars, Using Mercenaries – Proxy Wars, Using Terrorists – Economic Wars, Sanctions – Economic Wars, Debt – Coups: Military, Democratic, Civil Uprising – Coming Wars – by Chris Kanthan
http://www.nationofchange.org/news/2016/07/24/10-ways-wage-wars/
cp2 Allgemein / General
27.7.2016 – Almasdar (A P)
Arab NGO to sue Saudi Arabia over Yemen war
The Egypt-based Middle East Organization for Development and Human Rights (MEODHR), in cooperation with other international legal entities, is launching a campaign to prosecute Saudi Arabia over the war in Yemen.
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/arab-ngo-sue-saudi-arabia-yemen-war/
27.7.2016 – Alwaght (* B K)
Reasons behind Saudi Arabia’s Failure in Yemen
Saudi Arabia’s failure in Yemen is multidimensional and indisputable. Riyadh’s intervention, which included spearheading a coalition of nine Arab states, began in 2015 and continues to prove unsuccessful on several levels. Codenamed Operation Decisive Storm, the war on Yemen seems to be regressing into a show of weakness, a petty cyclone destined to swallow back the havoc it has wrought.
Yet what is gaunt is its army, not for lack of funding or numbers but of experience and motivation. The Saudis have been building up their army for years but have not yet engaged in successful combat experiences. Despite being heavily equipped and armed, the Saudi army has not exhibited memorable performance on the battlefield.
During its war against the Houthis between 2004 and 2009, the kingdom’s military did not emerge with any kind of considerable military success.
Notably, the Saudi army is also flawed with the shortage of a key element in any war: purpose. Compared to the Ansarullah movement’s men, the Saudis’ motivation is scant.
Riyadh’s fiasco in Yemen is not merely the result of internal factors but it also extends regionally.
The Saudi military was already known to be inefficient on the battlefield so authorities decided to seek help from Arab and non-Arab states to bomb Yemen. Nine members comprised the Saudi-led coalition but some fell short of remaining part of the operations till the end of the offensive.
http://alwaght.com/en/News/62082
26.7.2016 – The Duran (B K P)
Setting the Record Straight: Yemen, War Crimes and the Lies Nations Tell
The war in Yemen is quite simply a brutal act of aggression perpetrated by outside powers - first and foremost Saudi Arabia - against a small and poor country.
I will tell Yemen’s war from the perspective of a people whose land, sky, lives, hope and dreams have been pounded, hijacked and robbed by powers greater than their own.
I will tell you dear readers of the hypocrisy and lies of those nations you most likely call your own. I will tell of a reality so brutal, and disturbing that few ever dared look sit squarely in the face – never mind take responsibility for.
Yemen is no longer the forgotten conflict of our decade, it is the unspoken shame of our generation! Yemen has become a bleeding and starving euphemism for genocide – the land where men, women, and children have been made to die in.
First thing first … Let’s talk terminology!
Most media have been singing long drawn out ballades about the Houthis … you know those Shia rebels the world has learnt to hate since they dared threatened Yemen’s true president: Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
But did anyone ever explain to you who those Houthis are, where they come from, and most importantly how the heck they managed to take power, retain it, and then wage war against a coalition of super-powers? – by Catherine Shakdam
http://theduran.com/setting-record-straight-yemen-war-crimes-lies-nations-tell/ = https://www.sott.net/article/323324-Genocide-war-crimes-and-lies-Saudi-Western-coalition-is-brutally-suppressing-a-popular-uprising-in-Yemen
Comment: A very pro-Houthi view. Do not forget that there are hardly any "good guys" in power in Yemen.
26.7.2016 – Critical Threats (A K P)
Gulf of Aden Security Review
[Reports Day by Day, from July, 26 backqards]
http://www.criticalthreats.org/yemen/gulf-aden-security-review
26.7.2016 – Alistair Reign (* B K P)
Film: Yemen War: The US-Backed Saudi War - NGO Groups Describe "Catastrophic" Humanitarian Crisis. (2016).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFOTSEsMUCo
26.7.2016 – The Economist (* B K P)
The role of the West in Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen
The war in Yemen has certainly been lucrative. Since the bombardment began in March 2015, Saudi Arabia has spent £2.8 billion on British arms, making it Britain’s largest arms market, according to government figures analysed by Campaign Against Arms Trade. America supplies even more.
Western support might have helped reduce Saudi Arabia’s ire at the nuclear deal America and other world powers signed easing sanctions on Iran. But it has also fuelled another conflict in the Middle East. Together with the ground war and the Saudi-led blockade, it has devastated infrastructure in what was already the Arab world’s poorest country, displaced over 2m people and brought a quarter of Yemen’s population of 26m to the brink of famine [Overview article]
26.7.2016 – Amnesty International (* B H K P)
Yemen: Blocks to humanitarian aid delivery violate international law, causing 'dreadful suffering'
Restrictions on the delivery of vital humanitarian aid to civilians in Yemen are exacerbating the country’s humanitarian crisis and endangering lives, Amnesty International said as it called on all parties to the conflict to allow full and unfettered access to organisations providing critical supplies.
The call comes days after the UK government retracted previous comments the Foreign Office had made in Parliament concerning investigations into Saudi Arabia’s conduct in Yemen.
Aid workers who spoke to Amnesty consistently described unlawful barriers hampering the delivery of humanitarian assistance in the country. These include the overly burdensome procedures for humanitarian organisations put in place by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, which entail informing the coalition of all their movements and providing coordinates of aid operations, so that they are not targeted.
Other obstacles identified include threats, intimidation, and the obstruction of humanitarian workers’ activities, interference by Huthi security branches in aid operations and the forcible closure of humanitarian programmes as well as the imposition of excessive restrictions on the movement of goods and staff.
The 2016 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan requests US $1.8 billion for aid. Yet by the end of June, only 25% of that funding had been received.
Under international humanitarian law, all parties to the conflict must grant humanitarian workers freedom of movement, and protect them from attack, harassment and arbitrary detention. They must also ensure rapid and unimpeded delivery of impartial humanitarian relief for civilians in need.
26.7.2016 – RT (A P)
Friedensverhandlungen im Jemen: Saudis spielen auf Zeit, USA verkünden neue Truppenstationierung
Im saudischen Königreich gibt es Stimmen, die einen vorzeitigen Friedensvertrag für „gefährlich“ halten. Inzwischen scheinen sich die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate aus dem Südjemen zurückzuziehen. Im Gegenzug kündigen die USA an, mehr Truppen dort zu stationieren.
Obwohl der Einmarsch eines Bündnisses der Golfstaaten international breit kritisiert wurde, bestimmen in Riad optimistische Perspektiven: Ein Großteil der Beamten geht davon aus, dass der Krieg sich für das Königreich „gelohnt“ habe, und dass der Faktor Zeit aufseiten der Saudis steht.
Zwar finanziert Saudi-Arabien den Aufenthalt seines Vertreters Mansour Hadi in Kuweit, bei den Gesprächen in Kuwait zeigt die saudische Regierung jedoch wenig Präsenz. Trotzdem geht das Bündnis um den jemenitischen Präsidenten Ali Saleh davon aus, dass die Saudis die eigentliche Entscheidungsbefugnis haben.
https://deutsch.rt.com/international/39641-friedensverhandlungen-im-jemen-saudis-spielen/
Kommentar: Recht oberflächlich, und Saleh ist Ex-Präsident.
26.7.2016 – Amnesty International (* B H P)
Yemen: Peace talks must prioritize getting aid to desperate civilians
Restrictions on the delivery of vital humanitarian aid to civilians in Yemen are exacerbating the country’s humanitarian crisis and endangering lives, said Amnesty International calling on all parties to the conflict to allow full and unfettered access to organizations providing crucial supplies.
A delegation from the organization visited Huthi-controlled parts of Yemen in May 2016 and spoke to 11 local and international humanitarian aid organizations who described unlawful restrictions on aid by both Huthi and Saudi Arabia-led coalition forces. The organization is urging that the removal of impediments to aid delivery is given top priority at the peace talks currently underway in Kuwait before they conclude this week.
Aid workers who spoke to Amnesty International consistently described ad-hoc and unlawful barriers hampering the delivery of humanitarian assistance in the country. These include the overly burdensome deconfliction procedures for humanitarian organizations put in place by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, which entail informing the coalition of all their movements and providing coordinates of their operations so that they are not targeted.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/07/yemen-peace-talks-must-prioritize-getting-aid-to-desperate-civilians/ = https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/yemen-blocks-humanitarian-aid-delivery-violate-international-law-causing-dreadful = http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-peace-talks-must-prioritize-getting-aid-desperate-civilians
26.7.2016 – Aljazeera (A P)
Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya top Arab League summit agenda
Arab leaders, speaking at the opening of the Arab League summit in the Mauritanian capital, have pledged to "defeat terrorism" , with the ongoing threat of violence in the region dominating the agenda.
Chaired by Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, the two-day conference opened on Monday inside a large tent in Nouakchott, with the crises in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya the main focus of talks.
Yemen's president called on his country's Houthi fighters to surrender their weapons and withdraw from territories they control as Arab coalition air raids continue to strike the armed group's positions.
Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who has fled the Arabian Peninsula country, called the continuation of air strikes "a spark of hope".
"The only solution to the crisis is for the [Houthis] to abide by the recommendations of the Gulf Arab initiative and UN Security Council resolution 2216 which calls for them to withdraw from areas they seized and lay down the heavy arms they have," Hadi said.
Comment: Hadi telling the same as always. Surrender of one side is no peace.
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
27.7.2016 – UN Development Programme (* A H K)
Infographic: Yemen: Emergency Mine Clearance - Pilot Support (10 February - 05 May 2016)
390,933 sqm: Total area cleared
5,754: Total number of Explosive Remnants of War (ERWs) cleared
2,146: Explosive Remnant of War (ERW) destroyed
32: Teams working exclusively on humanitarian demining.
24: Districts covered
4,907,000: Direct & indirect beneficiaries
27.7.2016 –UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (A H)
Infographic: Yemen: Organizations 3W Operational Presence (as of 30 June 2016)
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/3W%20June%202016%2025062016.pdf
27.7.2016 – World Food Programme (A H)
Infographic: UNHRD Operations Update - Response to the Crisis in Yemen, as of 26 July 2016
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/yemen_snapshot_as_at_26072016.pdf
27.7.2016 – WAM (A H)
ERC opens health clinic in Hadhramaut Governorate of Yemen
The Emirates Red Crescent, ERC, has opened a health centre in the Shihr District of the Hadhramaut Governorate of Yemen, which will provide healthcare services to more than 3,000 families.
The fully-equipped facility is part of a number of vital projects being implemented by the ERC in the governorate to help re-build its infrastructure and meet the needs of the local population.
http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates-international-aid/1395298216079.html
Comment by Judith Brown: Good news, although much of Yemen is still without significant health facilities, which are suffering from the Saudi led embargo.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10154553652178641
26.7.2016 – Middle East Eye (* A H K)
Houthis may lift Taiz siege to allow thousands of injured to leave
Some 8,000 people are seriously ill or injured in Yemen's Taiz but are unable to leave to receive medical help
With the city under siege by Houthi fighters for almost a year, and 80 percent of the hospitals in the war-torn city now forced to close due to the fighting that began in March 2015, resources have been almost totally depleted even as casualty figures continue to rise almost daily.
There are currently believed to be some 8,000 sick or injured people in Yemen’s third largest city. Many have been left stranded for months on end with little or no medical care. A local official told Middle East Eye that 200 people were in critical condition and need immediate surgery.
Yet as the war has dragged on, their plight has only increased and their chances of recovery dwindled, as they are unable to leave, and medicines unable reach them.
After months of pressure from residents and the country’s politicians, however, this deadly impasse could be about to change, with the Houthis suggesting that they will open the roads for the ill and injured.
The head of the Houthis' revolutionary committee Mohammed Ali al-Houthi announced last week that he had formed a committee, headed by Taiz governor Abdu al-Ganadi, to decide who was eligible to leave for treatment – by Nasser Al-Sakkaf
26.7.2016 – Doctors Without Borders (A H)
Yemen: Dialysis treatment at breaking point
Dialysis treatment centers in Yemen are at a breaking point as they have been struggling since the beginning of the war to obtain materials needed for dialysis sessions, the international medical organisation Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF), announced today.
“People with renal failure are at a critical moment as there is a lack of essential medical supplies in the country. Patients usually need three dialysis sessions per week but under current circumstances, for most, this has been reduced to two sessions,” said William Turner, MSF head of mission in Yemen.
“There are treatment facilities in the country and adequate numbers of trained staff. The imperative now is for these centers to receive regular medical supplies and continue to provide reliable life-saving treatment. The war has crippled the health system’s financial ability to import the necessary supplies making the need for external support the highest priority” says Turner.
http://www.msf-me.org/en/news/news-media/news-press-releases/yemen-dialysis-treatment-seminar.html = http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-dialysis-treatment-breaking-point
26.7.2016 – Doctors Without Borders (A H)
the capacity & staff exist in the dialysis centers. All they need is financial support or dialysis materials. #Support_dialysis #Yemen
It's expensive for renal failure patients to afford it. Each session costs around 100$- 3 times a week #Yemen
https://twitter.com/msf_yemen/status/757828561231224832 and https://twitter.com/msf_yemen/status/757823634807238656
and as reported by AP:
26.7.2016 – AP (A H)
The international medical aid agency Doctors Without Borders is warning that thousands of Yemeni patients in need of dialysis face a life-threatening satiation after their treatment centers have been pushed to a "breaking point" because of the ongoing conflict.
The group, also known by its French acronym MSF, said on Tuesday that Yemeni dialysis centers are struggling with supplies amid import restrictions imposed by the Saudi-led coalition battling Shiite rebels known as Houthis. The coalition has blockaded Yemen's entry points, including the airport in the capital, Sanaa.
Adel Al-Hagami, head of the Dialysis Treatment Centre in a Sanaa hospital, says patients who can't get their weekly dialysis treatment "will die." – by Ahmed Al-Haj
https://www.yahoo.com/news/aid-group-yemens-dialysis-centers-breaking-point-120948324.html
This report was reused by many editors. Look what later happened:
27.7.2016 – AP (A P)
Correction: Yemen story
In a story on July 26 about Yemen’s dialysis centers reaching a breaking point, The Associated Press erroneously reported that Doctors Without Borders said import restrictions in Yemen are caused by the Saudi-led coalition waging war on Yemen’s Shiite rebels. While rights groups have attributed Yemen’s blockade to the coalition, the group has not directly linked the import restrictions to the coalition.
A corrected version of the story is below: [this had been changed]:
Rights groups have previously blamed Saudi-led coalition battling Shiite rebels known as Houthis, for imposing a blockade on Yemen’s entry points, including the airport in the capital, Sanaa.
And that is why:
26.7.2016 – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (A P)
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Responds To Inaccurate Story on Yemen
Washington. The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia has issued the following statement:
Media reports that import restrictions put in place in Yemen by the coalition to support the legitimate government have affected supplies in dialysis treatment centers in Yemen are not correct. There are no restrictions on the entry of humanitarian assistance, including medical supplies and equipment into Yemen. There is an inspection mechanism to ensure that no weapons are smuggled into Yemen but this mechanism does not impede the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Yemen. The coalition is the largest provider of humanitarian assistance to Yemen, including medical supplies and equipment. Saudi Arabia alone has provided more than $500 million in humanitarian aid, making it the largest single provider of humanitarian assistance to Yemen.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-kingdom-of-saudi-arabia-responds-to-inaccurate-story-on-yemen-300304519.html and by Gulf News: http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/yemen/riyadh-denies-reports-on-yemen-medical-aid-curbs-1.1869228
Comment: It is correct that MSF just mentioned “import restrictions”. Anyway, facts stay facts: There are no other “import restrictions” blocking medical goods than the Saudi blockade of Houthi held harbours and imports to Houthi-held parts of Yemen. The “rights groups” mentioned in the new version just name the facts. The so-called “inspection mechanism to ensure that no weapons are smuggled into Yemen” blocks all imports into Houthi-held Yemen. The humanitarian aid mentioned here is just about 0,5 % of what Saudi Arabia for the aerial war against Yemen: I destroy your house, and then I donate you a basket of dates and want to be honoured as benefactor. Notice what a propaganda war is this. And: When Saudis cry, the others jump.
Comment by Judith Brown: I think that Saudi has been rattled with this story of the embargo. However, my sources in Yemen have confirmed that the situation for many with chronic illnesses including renal disease is dire and sadly I cannot believe this protest of innocence.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10154553657958641
23.6.2016 – AAP (A H)
UN predicts Yemen food shortfalls
The UN needs $US200 million to keep its food distribution in Yemen at current levels.
The UN will be forced to scale back already limited food distribution in Yemen by August because of severe funding shortages, a senior official says.
About 14 million people, or roughly half the country's population, suffer from food insecurity at "crisis" or "emergency" levels, said George Khoury, head of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Yemen.
Emergency level is just one step before famine on the UN's food insecurity scale.
The World Food Program currently reaches about 3.5 million people in Yemen every month.
Khoury said in an interview on Wednesday that without more funding, "we don't have enough money to feed even these people".
The WFP would need about $US200 million ($A268 million) to keep its food distribution at current levels in the coming months, he said.
UN agencies requested $US1.8 billion in overall aid for Yemen in 2016, but only 20 per cent of that money has arrived, Khoury said.
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/06/23/un-predicts-yemen-food-shortfalls
Comment by Judith Brown: Can you believe this? Scaling back food in a country already starving. So shocking.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10154553737423641
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
27.7.2016 – Nasser Arrabyee (A P)
Taking2streets on Thursday afternoon2deplore UN&world silence over US-backed Saudi war crimes
https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/758319884241690624
26.7.2016 – New News (A T)
Blast kills three people at mosque in Yemeni capital
At least three people were killed and over a dozen injured in an explosion at a mosque in the Yemeni capital Sana’a.
On Tuesday, Yemeni media reported that an explosive device went off at the mosque in southern Sana’a.
According to local reports, a grenade was the source of the blast – by Ahmed Alkhazzan
and more details:
27.7.2016 – Xinhua (A T)
Gunman kills four worshipers in Yemen for sect revenge
A gunman threw grenades and opened fire on worshipers at a mosque in Yemen's southern capital Sanaa late on Tuesday, killing four people and wounding 15 others, a security official said.
"The Shiite gunman hurled two grenade bombs and opened fire on the worshipers in Bani Bahlol mosque during evening prayers, killing four and injuring 15 others," the official said on condition of anonymity.
The gunman fled, said the official, adding that the incident was apparently for "political and sectarian revenge from Sunni branch of Islam."
http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2016-07/27/content_38964135.htm
24.7.2016 – Saba Net (A T)
IED defused in Ibb province
The security services and popular committees managed to dismantle an improvised explosive device (IED) in the city of al-Qa'da in Ibb province, a security official said Sunday.
The IED was found by citizens inside a rotten tire next to a shop in the public street near the junction of Thi-Sefal town, the official explained.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news434471.htm
23.7.2016 – Asharq Al-Awsat (A P)
Houthis Stop Civil Rights Organizations from Documenting Insurgency Crimes
Civil rights organizations in Yemen called on the swift intervention of international forces and human rights organizations to pressure Houthis and ally ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh to allow the documentation of cases of abduction and arbitrary arrests.
Houthi militias had recently closed down all windows of communication between the captives and their families.
Civil rights organizations and institutions in Yemen have long been enduring Houthi hostility which had sieged and limited the free work of those organizations.
With difficulty in documenting cases of abduction rising, civil rights organizations estimate that the number of cases of abductions by mid-2016 have reached 17 thousand, six thousands of which have gone undocumented or justified.
Some reports of civil rights organizations operating under insurgency-held territory reveal the intolerable size of suffering and torture those held captive by Houthi militias are suffering – by said Al-Abyad
Comment: Yes, the Houthis commit these crimes. But from Saudi Arabia, itself violating human rights in Yemen even more heavily, as in the own country, such an article is a bad joke.
Comment by Hisham Al-Omeisy: Saudi controls 80% of #Yemen & lack of humanitarian aid is Houthi lie, yet Houthis ones blocking NGOs in "Yemen" !?
https://twitter.com/omeisy/status/758197527824965633
cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
27.7.2016 – Nasser arrabyee (A T)
Tribal leader Tarik Saadi was killed 2day in Aden south where Qaeda/ISIS dominate & assassinations almost everyday (image)
https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/758348106794725376
27.7.2016 – AFP (A T)
Marketplace bomb in Yemen kills 7
A bomb explosion Wednesday in an open market in Yemen's oasis city of Marib killed seven people and wounded 18, security and medical sources said.
The blast targeted a market selling qat, the mild narcotic leaf popular in the Arabian Peninsula country, a security official in Marib said.
A medical source at the city's public hospital confirmed the toll.
Forces loyal to President Abed-Rabbo Mansour Hadi control Marib, which is east of Yemen's rebel-held capital Sanaa.
27.7.2016 – Nasser Arrabyee (A T)
26 people killed or injured by explosion in market of Mareb east Yemen where US-backed invaders &Qaeda/ISIS takeover (image)
https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/758345761100890112
26.7.2016 – Carpo (not rated B P)
Returning to Transitional Justice in Yemen A Backgrounder on the Commission on the Forcibly Retired in the Southern Governorates
Southern attempts to seek international and regional support for the creation of an independent ‘South Arabia’ have so far met with great reluctance, however. The dominant regional and international perspective on this matter seems to be that the unity of Yemen is to be preserved. If that is indeed considered the way forward, the only path towards preserving Yemeni unity peacefully is by taking concrete and earnest steps to rebuild trust between North and South through transitional justice, once the war has come to an end. Such a trust-building process, which will be much more difficult now that the South has once more experienced the invasion of northern forces, can – amongst others – build on the work of two commissions established in the framework of the GCC Initiative. The work of one of these, namely, the Commission on the Forcibly Retired in the Southern Governorates, is the focus of this report. The data presented here is based on the author’s work as legal advisor for UNDP in Yemen in 2014 – by Jens Kambeck
http://carpo-bonn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/carpo_policy_report_03_2016.pdf
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
27.7.2016 – European Council on Foreign Relations (* A P)
While Kuwait peace talks smoulder, Yemen burns
The third effort to bring an end to the civil war in the Arab world's most impoverished country began with high hopes. But three months after they began, the talks have reached a stalemate reflecting that seen on the battlefield. Hopes of quick progress following a two-week long break for the Eid al-Fitr holiday were dashed by escalation on numerous military fronts, particularly along the Saudi-Yemen border. And there has been little progress in bridging a still wide gap between the negotiating positions.
The Houthis and their allies, who include backers of Yemen’s former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, have called for the formation of a unity government before all else. But representatives of the internationally-recognized government have demanded the Houthis and their allies’ full withdrawal from Yemeni cities as an essential precondition for any political steps. While some international diplomats have spoken of promising progress, the talks have yet to lead to any concrete results.
International actors cannot treat high-level political talks as their only task. Instead, parallel processes should be launched to address Yemen’s many local tensions. The ongoing use of traditional processes of conflict resolution—which, for example, have seen tribal mediation lead to prisoner of war swaps across the country—should be encouraged and bolstered. Second, efforts must be taken to prevent Yemen’s economy and institutions from collapse by supporting local governance authorities and, if necessary, by facilitating meetings between technocrats and representatives from varying warring factions to broach common ground – by Adam Baron
http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_while_kuwait_peace_talks_smoulder_yemen_burns
27.7.2016 – Xinhua (A P)
News Analysis: Yemen peace talks deadlocked as warring sides lack goodwill
Observers argued that this political failure should be blamed on lack of goodwill from all sides, as it appears to be "a game of conflict and peace by international and regional players in the Middle East."
Fuad Alsalahi, a political sociology professor at Sanaa University, said a key reason the peace talks are unproductive is that all sides don't put the country's interest above anything else.
"Yemeni factions are holding talks for one goal: quotas in power. They don't care about the interests of the people," he said.
"The problem is getting worse because the international community is backing this trend. All should give priority to what matters most: catastrophic crises. Just if they think like that, a breakthrough will be made," Alsalahi said.
Observers argue that peace requires two immediate actions, and the first is to find a way to execute the UN resolutions on Yemen.
The other is to ensure that regional and international players act as facilitators of peace talks.
Observers argue that peace requires two immediate actions, and the first is to find a way to execute the UN resolutions on Yemen.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-07/27/c_135544282.htm
Comment: The UN resolutions are totally one-sided and a very bad base for any peace. New, really equally sided UN resolutions would be necessary if peace should get a positive push from outside.
26.7.2016 – Asharq Al-Awsat (A P)
Yemeni Rebels Agree to Withdraw From Cities and Hand Over Weapons
Asharq Al-Awsat has been informed that the rebel delegation in Kuwait has agreed to withdraw from cities, hand over their arms and release detainees on condition that that this is within the framework of a comprehensive agreement that also includes political, economic and humanitarian aspects.
The head of the Houthi delegation to the consultations Mohamed Abdel Salam claimed that the coming days will be decisive, and hinted that his delegation will take part in a comprehensive discussion to resolve political, security, military and economic issues in order to stop the war, lift the siege and give Yemenis the freedom of movement.
He added that the rebel delegation has informed the UN special envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed that the delegation has agreed to a comprehensive agreement concerning political, military, security, economic and humanitarian issues, and that it does not have a problem with starting to work on the military and security aspects of the agreement. The rebels took this step at a time when the positions of the government delegation adhere to Kuwait 2.
http://english.aawsat.com/2016/07/article55355185/yemeni-rebels-agree-withdraw-cities-hand-weapons
Comment: Saudi source. This article gives the impression as if the Houthis had promised to withdraw etc. without nothing else, without any general agreement containing a new government, power-sharing and guarantees. This impression is fixed by repeating president Hadi's general propaganda and claims as his idea of “peace” is.
25.7.2016 – Algeria Pres Service (A P)
Algeria calls on Yemenites to give precedence to country's high interests
lgeria on Monday urged the conflicting Yemenite parties to give precedence to the country's high interests to reach an inclusive, consensual, political solution, wishing that inter-Yemenite peace talks would manage to bring together the people of Yemen.
We call on the parties to the conflict in Yemen to "show responsibility, give precedence to dialogue and put Yemen's high interests above any other consideration, to preserve the unity and sovereignty of the people of Yemen as well as the country's territorial integrity and to restore stability and security throughout the country."
Comment: An “inclusive, consensual, political solution” and “precedence to dialogue” is what the Hadi government does not want at all.
24.7.2016 – Press TV Iran (* A P)
Yemen peace talks need to be extended: Houthis
Yemen’s Houthi Ansarullah movement has called for an extension of the peace talks with the Saudi-backed former regime officials in Kuwait, saying the planned two-week time for the negotiations is quite insufficient to reach a comprehensive solution.
Houthis’ chief negotiator Mohammed Abdulsalam made the remark in an interview with the Kuwaiti newspaper Al Rai on Sunday, over a week after the Houthis resumed UN-brokered peace talks with representatives of the resigned president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, in Kuwait following weeks of deadlock.
“It is up to the host country, Kuwait, and the United Nations, to extend the negotiations, but as we told earlier, a two-week time is wasting time since it is not long enough to discuss so many details... Lots of sessions are needed,” Abdulsalam said, adding that the movement would welcome direct talks with Saudi officials to resolve border disputes.
He also criticized the current round of peace talks for concentrating on military and security issues and neglecting the political matters.
Ansarullah’s top negotiator insisted on the necessity of establishing a presidency council, which would be followed by the formation of a national coalition government, comprising all parties and groups in Yemen.
He said according to Ansarullah, a political solution to Yemen’s crisis would require a transitional period of 18 months or even two years, which, in turn, would lead to holding general elections and forming a government.
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/07/24/476732/Yemen-Ansarullah-Houthis-peace-talks
Comment by Judith Brown: Well I guess they can talk for months but the result each negotiator wants is too elusive. And the result the USA and its western allies want is for Arabs and Muslims to continue killing Arabs and Muslims. And so the killing goes on
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10154547968653641
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
25.7.2016 – Press TV Iran (A P)
Israel, Saudi Arabia against peace, security in Mideast: Pundit
Saudi Arabia and Israel have both been hatching plots to derail the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) reached between Iran and the six world powers. Both regimes have been cooperating to support terrorist groups in Syria, Iraq and Yemen in recent years, a commentator said.
http://presstv.com/Detail/2016/07/25/476770/Saudi-Arabia-Israel-Palestine-Mousawi-Millet
Comment: Iranian view, but not quite wrong nevertheless.
Comment by Judith Brown: Absolutely true. And both regimes hand in hand with USA and UK governments.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10154548099428641
24.7.2016 – Telesur (A P)
Ex-Saudi General Visits Israel, Calls Palestinians 'Terrorists'
While the Saudis and Israelis appear to be enemies, the two in fact agree on many regional issues and are the two biggest U.S. allies in the Middle East.
A former senior Saudi military general traveled to Israel and met with government officials this week in Saudi Arabia’s latest move to forge relations and ties with Israel despite appearing to be one of its main public critics and branding itself as the defender of Palestine and its people.
cp9 USA
26.7.2016 – Sophie (A P)
Hillary's VP nominee is a vocal supporter of the war on Yemen: (image: text)
https://twitter.com/sophiegeeking/status/758038146277904385
25.7.2016 – The American Conservative (* B K P)
The Terrible Cost of the War on Yemen
Remember that the damage being done to Yemen goes beyond the destruction directly wrought by the Saudi-led intervention and the fighting on the ground between the warring parties. The conflict that the Saudis and their allies escalated last year has pushed the country’s health care services to the brink of collapse, driven many medical specialists to flee the country, wrecked the country’s infrastructure, cut the country off from the imports on which the civilian population relies, and created near-famine conditions in much of the country.
The U.S. should not only have no part in this atrocious war, but should be actively pressing the Saudis and their allies to halt their campaign and blockade. Instead, the Obama administration continues to back the Saudi-led coalition as it has from the beginning – by Daniel Larison
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/the-terrible-cost-of-the-war-on-yemen/
23.7.2016 – New York Post (* B T)
The claim that the Saudis are innocent for 9/11 is total bull
Saudi Arabia and an army of K Street lobbyists are now claiming that several Saudi government suspects named in the newly released “28 pages” have all been “exonerated” from 9/11 involvement. The gullible mainstream media are parroting the latest spin, but it’s total bull.
Saudi lobbyists are circulating a 38-page “refutation” of the 28 pages on Capitol Hill. This tissue of lies claims investigators for both the FBI and 9/11 Commission chased down all the leads in the 28-page section of the earlier congressional inquiry into 9/11 and came up empty.
So don’t be misled. Neither the FBI nor the 9/11 Commission ever exonerated the Saudis, in spite of what Riyadh and the eight different lobbying, legal and consulting firms it employs in Washington say. The multimillion-dollar propaganda campaign they’re waging to discredit the 28 pages can’t whitewash the facts about Saudi complicity in the 9/11 attacks, which are growing clearer and clearer – by Paul Sperry
http://nypost.com/2016/07/23/the-claim-that-the-saudis-are-innocent-for-911-is-total-bull/
22.7.2016 – Middle East Eye (** B P T)
The Saudis, 9/11 and the 28 pages: America has gone to war for much less
The declassified sections of the report paint a far more damning picture of Saudi links to the 9/11 attacks than media reports would suggest
The story almost vanished. No smoking gun, said the news reports.
But this interpretation of the pages is a little misleading. Did these writers actually read the documents or just the statements from the FBI and CIA? Yes, the 28 pages do not show that senior Saudi ministers directly told the hijackers to fly planes into buildings or provide them the means to do it. Yet the claim of a lack of definitive links to the Saudis can only hold if they mean the smoking gun was not found still hot in the hands of the crown prince or king himself.
Only those who don’t want to see the links won’t find them here, although there are caveats.
First, there are still lots of blacked out names and lines in the report so we can’t see everything
Second, the document says the FBI and CIA both did not investigate the Saudis in the United States before 9/11 because the Saudis are allies of the US.
Third, according to the 28 pages, the Saudis did not cooperate in the investigation.
Fourth, the 28 pages only deal with one small part of the 9/11 plot - the San Diego cell, and touch on the Florida connection.
Yet even with these limitations, a close reading of the newly released pages, combined with what is known about the people mentioned in them, paints a damning picture. The links between Saudi intelligence operatives who assisted the Flight 77 hijackers Khalid al-Midhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi and senior members of the Saudi government are clear – by Joe Gill
http://www.middleeasteye.net/essays/saudis-911-and-28-pages-america-has-gone-war-less-299880797
Comment by Judith Brown: A MUST READ describing links between the Saudi embassy and the 9/11 hijackers - who if you recall were mainly Saudi citizens. This is from the 28 redacted pages. The US intelligence didn't follow up Saudi nationals for fear of upsetting relations with KSA apparently. Instead as we know they decided to kill innocent civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10154552204583641
Comment: Just imagine if Saudi was replaced in the 28 pages of 9/11 report with Russia or Iran.
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1071241482928881
cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain
27.7.2016 – The Independent (A P)
British government signed off £3.3bn of arms exports to Saudi Arabia in first year of brutal Yemen bombardment
The UK has ignored claims the bombs are being used for war crimes – by Jon Stone
27.7.2016 – Human Rights Watch (* A K P)
Saudi Arabia is using British weapons to kill civilians in Yemen – it is time Britain admitted that
Britain's foreign office must condemn Saudi Arabia's war crimes in Yemen
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have together documented more than 69 unlawful coalition air strikes that killed more than 900 civilians, plus another 19 attacks using internationally banned cluster munitions.
After each of these trips, I have flown to Washington DC, London, Paris, Brussels, Geneva, and other capitals to push policymakers to urge Saudi Arabia's allies to help stop the abuses.
Of all these meetings, the most frustrating have been those with UK officials. In August last year, after presenting a new Human Rights Watch report that documented 12 unlawful air strikes that killed at least 59 civilians in Yemen, diplomats from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) told me that they had read our report with interest, but their analysis differed.
Foreign Office officials had looked into each of the incidents we had documented, they said, and in theirview the Saudi-led coalition had not committed a single laws of war violation since entering the conflict in March that year – by Belkis Wille
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/saudi-arabia-using-british-weapons-kill-civilians-yemen-it-time-britain-admitted-that-1572857 = https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/07/27/after-thousands-dead-uk-foreign-office-steps-back-its-denial-yemen-war-crimes
27.7.2016 – The Independent (* A P)
Our government is facing legal action over its arms sales to Saudi Arabia – and trying to amend what Philip Hammond once said
The government appears to be tinkering with Hammond’s past statements because it could be forced to make public what it has been doing to ensure Saudi Arabia is not using British bombs and planes in alleged war crimes on Yemeni civilians
The Foreign Office released a statement hours before Parliament rose for summer recess that “corrected” six awkward statements by its former foreign secretary.
The revisions removed Philip Hammond’s assurances that Britain was conducting investigations into alleged violations of international humanitarian law by Saudi Arabia in Yemen, as well as his claims that no evidence had been found in these investigations of war crimes or other international law violations.
The government appears to be tinkering with Hammond’s past statements because it could be forced to make public what it has been doing to ensure Saudi Arabia is not using British bombs and planes in alleged war crimes on Yemeni civilians.
The evidence that serious violations of international law have taken place in this conflict is now, however, overwhelming, and any impartial observer will see that these crimes are happening – by Diane Abbott, MP
26.7.2016 – The Guardian (* A P)
Boris Johnson urged to back inquiry into alleged Saudi war crimes
Select committee calls for new Foreign Office approach to claims international law was breached on both sides in Yemen
The foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, is facing calls to reverse UK policy and back an independent international investigation into alleged Saudi breaches of international humanitarian law in Yemen.
The call from the international development select committee came as new figures showed the UK granted arms export licences for use in Saudi Arabiavalued at £530m in the first quarter of this year. The figures were compiled from official government figures by the Campaign Against the Arms Trade – by Patrick Wintour
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/26/boris-johnson-inquiry-alleged-saudi-legal-breaches and also http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-3708749/MPs-call-investigation-war-Yemen.html
25.7.2016 – They work for you (A P)
MPs asking the government
[Tobias Ellwood still repeating his nonsense statement that the Saudis would investigate thei own war-crimes – which Ellwood of course not labels as such]
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2016-07-15.42913.h&s=Yemen
Comment by Jamila Hanan: Why no independent investigation on #Yemen? asks @steve_mccabe Because we investigate ourselves says @Tobias_Ellwood
https://twitter.com/JamilaHanan/status/757869210672455680
25.7.2016 – The National Scot (* A P)
SNP urge Boris Johnson to impose immediate ban on UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia
FOREIGN Secretary Boris Johnson has faced calls from the SNP to introduce an immediate embargo on arms sales to Saudi Arabia and to back an international probe into allegations of human rights abuses in Yemen.
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
27.7.2016 – Gulf News (A P)
Yemen crisis ‘easy to solve’ — Oman
Says Gulf states back Hadi government because it is the legitimate government of Yemen
The war in Yemen is one of the Arab world’s easier crises to solve because it is one that can be solved by Yemenis themselves, Oman’s foreign minister has said, adding that he is expecting the war to come to an end soon.
He also said that Gulf states’ backing of the internationally-recognised government of Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi was not based on self-interest but due to the government’s legitimacy and the Gulf states’ keenness to support Yemeni people.
Bin Abdullah added that the fragility of the Arab world was result of its strategic location and subsequent foreign interests, which lead to the complexity of finding solutions for its problems.
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/yemen/yemen-crisis-easy-to-solve-oman-1.1869223
Comment: Hadi’s legitimacy expired Feb. 25, 2015. Stressing it as if still valid, is bullshit.
More on Bahrain (Films by Press TV Iran):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh1bDZrND-s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQBWZf5DsDE
cp13 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
27.7.2016 – UN High Commissioner for Refugees (A H)
Infograph: New Arrivals in Yemen Comparison 2013 - 2016 (As of 30 June 2016)
http://reliefweb.int/map/yemen/new-arrivals-yemen-comparison-2013-2016-30-june-2016-enar
27.7.2016 - UNCHR (A H)
UNHCR Regional Update - Yemen Situation #40 (June 2016)
Yemen: On 13 June, the Humanitarian Country Team adopted its strategy on the centrality of protection, underlining that protection of affected populations is the responsibility of all humanitarian actors.
Djibouti: According to Yemeni refugees in Markazi camp, refugees return to Yemen only to attend urgent family matters. In general, refugees are fully aware that conditions in Yemen are not suitable for sustainable return.
Somalia: Arrivals from Yemen to the port of Bossaso, Puntland decreased in June. All new arrivals were registered by UNHCR in collaboration with local authorities and partners in the Reception Centre; and received subsistence allowance for three months
http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/unhcr-regional-update-yemen-situation-40-june-2016 and in full: http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/UNHCR%20Yemen%20Situation%20Update%20_40.pdf
25.7.2016 - World Food Programme (A H)
WFP Djibouti Country Brief, June 2016
According to UNHCR, as of 15 June, a total of 35,562 people of mixed nationalities from Yemen had arrived in Djibouti since the crisis in March 2015. Of those, 19,636 persons (56 percent) are Yemeni nationals; 13,962 (38 percent) are transiting migrants and 1,964 persons (6 percent) are Djiboutian returnees.
According to UNHCR, as of 15 June, a total of 35,562 people of mixed nationalities from Yemen had arrived in Djibouti since the crisis in March 2015. Of those, 19,636 persons (56 percent) are Yemeni nationals; 13,962 (38 percent) are transiting migrants and 1,964 persons (6 percent) are Djiboutian returnees
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Djibouti%20CB_June%20OIM.pdf and in full http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Djibouti%20CB_June%20OIM.pdf
cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism
27.7.2016 – Gulf News (* A T)
Dozens of Al Qaida and Daesh militants surrender in Lahj
Dozens of Al Qaida and Daesh militants including senior figures in Yemen have surrendered to security services in the southern province of Lahj, the security chief of the province told Gulf News on Tuesday.
“Eight senior figures in Daesh and Al Qaida have given themselves up to security authorities,” Brigadier General Adel Al Halimi said. “Abdul Rahman Al Adani, a senior Al Qaida militant who masterminded terrorist attacks in Aden and Lahj, surrendered to security services nine days ago.”
Al Halimi thinks that Al Qaida threat to the province has waned and the militants would not be able to make a comeback. “The province is out of danger. This bogeymen [Al Qaida and Daesh] were defanged”.
The security official cited two main driving factors behind the successes of his forces in purging the militants from the province. “We have applied an iron fist policy and approached local dignitaries, tribal chiefs and preachers. We have asked them to convince the deluded people to abandon Al Qaida.” - by Saeed Al-Batati
Comment: Of course, this article also is PR for the Emirati and Hadi forces fighting against Al Qaida – with an up to now quite doubtfull success.
26.7.2016 – Al Araby (A K T)
[Overview: Terrorist attacks]
26.7.2016 – Nasser Arrabyee (A T)
YemenQaeda/ISIS Banned male&female working together N Jemhori hospital of Taiz where groups backed by US-backed Saudis
https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/757838159463915521
Comment: In the part of the city held by the anti-Houthi forces.
23.7.2016 – Consortium News (* B T)
Study Says Drones Generate More Terrorism
Using lethal drones to kill “bad guys” on the other side of the planet is offensive to many people on moral grounds, but a new study finds it is also ineffective in reducing terrorism – by ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar.
https://consortiumnews.com/2016/07/23/study-says-drones-generate-more-terrorism/
cp15 Propaganda
26.7.2016 – Almasdar (A P)
Saudi FM: ISIS funding claim is ‘preposterous’
Saudi Foreign Minister, Adel al-Jubeir, dismissed claims that Saudi Arabia is funding Isis as “preposterous” and called terrorists “a collection of criminals, psychopaths“ and ”perverts”.
He continued by claiming that his country was at the “forefront of fighting extremism and terrorism in the region, and in the world”.
Speaking during an interview with Euronews, the minister said: “Why would we support an ideology whose objective it is to kill us? We are the target of extremists.
“[ISIS] want access to Mecca and Medina, and so we have suffered in terms of terrorist attacks, we have suffered in terms of loss of security personnel trying to defend the innocent, we are on the forefront of fighting extremism and terrorism in the region, and in the world.”
He continued: “For somebody to say the Saudis are funding extremism, or their ideology is funding extremism, is preposterous.
“We are going after the men, the money and the mindset that is behind this.”
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/saudi-fm-isis-funding-claim-preposterous/
Comment: LOL. The only problem the Saudis really have with IS is that these terrorists also have turned against Saudi rule.
25.7.2016 – Asharq Al-Awsat (A P)
Yemeni Army Official: Houthis Will Not Rule Yemen
Col. Misfer Al Harthy , the commander of the 19th trooper brigade assigned to the Bayhan District in the Shabwah Governorate.
Responsible for a strategically military zone, taking into account that it is hub to rich oil wells and natural gases, Col. Harthy reiterated that Houthis will not be allowed to take over the country even should supplies come to an end.
Col. Harthy stated with both bravery and utter solidarity stated that “we will fight them with knives should our arms run out of ammo.”
He confirmed that liberating Bayhan entirely from all Houthi and pro-ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh militias, was a unanimous decision made by both legitimate political and military leaderships.
Col. Misfer Al Harthy wears precision to the point, whether with his timings or explanation.
Col. Harthy is the commander of the 19th trooper brigade assigned to the Bayhan District in the Shabwah Governorate.
Responsible for a strategically military zone, taking into account that it is hub to rich oil wells and natural gases, Col. Harthy reiterated that Houthis will not be allowed to take over the country even should supplies come to an end.
Col. Harthy stated with both bravery and utter solidarity stated that “we will fight them with knives should our arms run out of ammo.”
He confirmed that liberating Bayhan entirely from all Houthi and pro-ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh militias, was a unanimous decision made by both legitimate political and military leaderships.
http://english.aawsat.com/2016/07/article55355101/yemeni-army-official-houthis-will-not-rule-yemen
Comment by Judith Brown: Complete rubbish in the Saudi papers again. They are on the brink of nothing, let alone complete victory. And one of the sources of Houthi weapons is apparently arms sold by people in the Saudi funded Yemen army to the Houthi-Saleh alliance. You can hardly blame them doing so when their families are starving.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10154547992993641
Comment: But they cannot be obliterated from the face of Yemen, either. Paranoid
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1069234629796233
24.7.2016 – Arab news (A P)
Kingdom’s 80 programs benefit 62 million people
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) has taken up 29 programs in urgent humanitarian assistance for the people of Yemen, benefiting 17.7 million people at a cost of $193 million, a report issued by the center said.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/958776/saudi-arabia
22.7.2016 – Arab News (A P)
Saudi Arabia deserves title of ‘Humanitarian Kingdom’
Yemen is the top recipient of Saudi aid at the international level, thanks to the benevolent policy of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, says a report.
The annual report by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center said the Red Crescent and Red Cross have declared the Kingdom as the world leader in supporting humanitarian and relief work.
It said Saudi Arabia deserves the title of Humanitarian Kingdom in view of its initiatives and the magnitude of its donations and assistance to peoples afflicted by wars and natural disasters.
“Humanitarian projects consistently undertaken by the Kingdom are in line with the teachings of our religion, which commands us to provide relief to the needy and to help them, and the directives of King Salman,” said Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, supervisor general of the center – by Rashid Hassan
http://www.arabnews.com/node/957846/saudi-arabia
Comment: Saudi propaganda of self-praising as the “humanitarian kingdom” really takes more and more bizarre forms. This is one of the main themes of Saudi propaganda.
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
27.7.2016 – Legal Center (* A K PH)
26-7-2016
Targeting and bombing civilians by the warplanes of Saudi Arabia and its alliance.
Casualties and Damages [complete list]:
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=665961563554212&id=551288185021551
26.7.2016 – Living in Yemen on the Edge (A K PH)
Saudis jets stroked on mahfed area on ibbian province in Yemen so the results more than 5 killed and many sheep (images)
https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/posts/1566060997023222
26.7.2016 – Yemen Post (A K)
Deadly BOMBS: 60 Saudi airstrikes rock #Yemen today killing 8 civilians & destroy 6 family homes in war torn nation.
https://twitter.com/YemenPostNews/status/757974630330163200
26.7.2016 – Legal Center (* A K PH)
25-7-2016
Targeting and bombing civilians by the warplanes of Saudi Arabia and its alliance.
Casualties and Damages (complete list):
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=665489746934727&id=551288185021551
25.7.2016 – Shapban (A K PH)
#Saudi-coalition raid killed 10 civilians today in Ja'ar, Abyan in south #Yemen.
https://twitter.com/shapban/status/757709398525566977
25.7.2016 – Yemen Post (A K)
Apache SHOT DOWN: Saudi Warplane shot by Anti Air Defense & crashes in #Yemen region Mareb killing 2 Saudi pilots.
https://twitter.com/YemenPostNews/status/757657422853013510
The same story from the other side:
25.7.2016 – Saudi Press Agency (A K PS)
Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy in Yemen announces martyrdom of two Saudi helicopter pilots
The Command of the Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy in Yemen announced, in a statement on Monday, the martyrdom of Captain pilot Ayman Alfifi and First Lieutenant pilot Mohammed Al-Hassan belonging to the Saudi Royal Land Forces' air force.
The statement explained that they were martyred following the fall of their Apache helicopter due to bad weather during an operational mission within the Yemeni territories in Marib.
http://www.spa.gov.sa/viewstory.php?lang=en&newsid=1521906 and by Janes: http://www.janes.com/article/62552/saudi-arabia-says-apache-crashed-in-yemen
26.7.2016 – Living in Yemen on the Edge (A K)
YEMEN: 2 Saudi pilots killed in Apache helicopter crash. KSA claims due to bad weather. Houthis claim shot down
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1069899036396459
Comment: Orwellian wording.
25.7.2016 – Legal Center (A K PH)
24-7-2016
Targeting and bombing civilians by the warplanes of Saudi Arabia and its alliance.
Casualties and Damages (Complete list)
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=665087993641569&id=551288185021551
24.7.2016 – Saba Net (A K PH)
Saudi raid kills 10 in Mocha
At least ten people were killed on Sunday in a Saudi airstrike on the coastal district of Mocha in Taiz province, a local official said.
The airstrike targeted a house, which was completely destroyed, the official said, adding the killed, including women and children, were of one family and others also were wounded in the airstrike.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news434425.htm and death toll rising to 15: https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/757228213915484160 and film (graphic): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETv3shax7BM and images (graphic): http://www.almasirah.net/%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AE%D8%A7-%D9%88%D8%B5%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%84%D9%86-%D8%AA%D8%B3%D9%82/ (or here: https://twitter.com/StopDestroYemen/status/757687152666931200 or https://t.co/ULLVTDcfIc
and what propaganda made: http://english.chinamil.com.cn/news-channels/international-military-news/2016-07/25/content_7171648.htm and http://www.radio.gov.pk/25-Jul-2016/20-rebels-killed-in-yemen
26.7.2016 – Dr. Karim (A K)
#Yemen:Children among victims of latest #Saudi-led massacre in Mokha #Taiz. GRAPHIC pic here (graphic image)
https://twitter.com/StopDestroYemen/status/757687152666931200
Various air raids:
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/758307124111867906
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news434633.htm
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news434602.htm
https://www.facebook.com/SaudiArabia.war.crimes.against.Yemen/videos/1565709400391715/ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcR8WEmPESw (University, Sanaa North, film)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB7h3CrNaIY (Dhahian, Saada province, film)
https://twitter.com/YemenPostNews/status/757605144674664451
https://twitter.com/YemenPostNews/status/757592851052171264
https://twitter.com/BelqeesTV/status/757495074011971584
https://twitter.com/yemen_updates/status/757485946673754112
https://twitter.com/khabaragency/status/757213283413848064
https://twitter.com/khabaragency/status/757203969311662080
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news434438.htm
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news434420.htm
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/757255531056824321
https://twitter.com/Fatikr/status/757241826596315136 (photos)
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
27.7.2016 – Saba Net (A K PH)
Dozens hirelings killed in missile attack east Mareb
About 52 hirelings were killed or injured in a missile attack targeted their gatherings in Nehm district east of Mareb province, a military official confirmed on Wednesday.
The official explained that a ballistic missile hit reinforcements coming from Mareb for the aggression mercenaries in al-Majawiha area in Nehm district, leaving 52 dead and wounded.
The missile force fired on Wednesday morning a ballistic missile of Zelzal-3 type, targeting reinforcements of the hirelings’ in Nehm.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news434840.htm
26.7.2016 – Activist Post (A K PH)
Houthi Rebels Invade Saudi Arabia, Launch Ballistic Missile In Counter-Offensive
In a story that went virtually unreported in the West, the Houthis managed to wrest control of three Saudi military bases in Saudi Arabia’s Jizan province, located near the Saudi-Yemen border in January of this year. The bases Jabal al-Doud, al-Aril, and Madba were all seized by Houthi forces and fighters with “allied Popular Committees.”
In addition, the Houthi forces along with Yemeni soldiers launched retaliatory shelling strikes inside Saudi Arabia’s al-Makhrouq military base in the southern Najran region.
Now, in July, 2016, Houthi forces are launching ballistic missiles into Saudi Arabia – by Brandon Turbeville
26.7.2016 - Al Manar (A P)
Mujtahid: Saudi command misleading its people on Yemen losses; real losses much more the announced
Saudi whistle-blower Mujtahid, lashed out at the Saudi command over misleading its people on the losses in the Yemen war, stressing that the real losses are much more the announced.
“Unfortunately, the Apatchi was downed by Houthis, it was not crashed due to bad weather. The Apatche operates during hard conditions. They (Houthis) also destroyed three Abrams tanks,” Mujtahid tweeted.
The Saudi casualties are many more than announced, Mujtahid said, noting that the Houthis revolutionaries, who are also known as Ansarullah, managed to announce their names and ranks “at a time that (spokesman of the Saudi-led coalition, General Ahmed) Assiri doesn’t know the number of the Houthi casualties.”
“Our sources in the battlefield say that the Houthis are fully prepared for the confrontation while our forces are in a state of chaos.”
http://english.almanar.com.lb/adetails.php?eid=279750&cid=23&fromval=1 = http://hidayat.tv/mujtahid-saudi-command-misleading-its-people-on-yemen-losses-real-losses-much-more-the-announced/ = http://en.abna24.com/service/middle-east-west-asia/archive/2016/07/27/768240/story.html
26.7.2016 – Middle East Eye (A K)
Saudi jets target Houthi fighters after fierce border clashes
Border skirmishes between Houthi militia and Saudi forces have flared up again as UN peace talks in Kuwait continue to prove fruitless
Saudi jets launched air strikes on Tuesday against Houthi militiamen close to the kingdom’s southern border with Yemen, after a series of deadly incursions the previous day.
Al Arabiya reported that “tens of Houthi” fighters were killed in the aerial attacks.
The bombing raids came after Houthi fighters managed to cross the border into the Saudi border province of Najran on Monday and kill five Saudi border guards.
The Houthi attacks led to eight hours of clashes between the tribesmen and Saudi forces on Monday, according to the official SPA news agency.
25.7.2016 – Middle East Online (A K)
Dozens dead in 5 days of Yemen fighting
At least 80 pro-government and rebel troops have been killed in fighting since last week in northwest Yemen near the border with Saudi Arabia, military sources said on Monday.
The clashes began on Thursday when government forces launched an offensive aimed at retaking the towns of Haradh and Midi in Hajja province on the border.
"At least 48 (Shiite Huthi) rebels and forces loyal to (ex-president) Ali Abdullah Saleh were killed" in the fighting, said one of the sources.
Thirty-four loyalist soldiers were also killed, a pro-government source said
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=77916
25.7.2016 – Reuters (A K)
Five Saudi border guards killed in clashes in south: TV
Five Saudi border guards were killed on Monday in clashes with armed groups seeking to enter from Yemen, state television al-Ekhbariya reported, citing the Saudi interior ministry.
A ministry statement added the border guards detected attempts by "hostile" armed groups to cross the border on several fronts in the southern region of Najran on Monday morning. Eight hours of clashes ensued.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-military-yemen-idUSKCN1051YL and by Saba Net: http://www.sabanews.net/en/news434839.htm
25.7.2016 – Shapban (A K P)
#Yemen - resistance in #Taiz says will no longer coordinate with #Saudi coalition after several airstrikes killed resistance comrades
https://twitter.com/shapban/status/757709863418036224
25.7.2016 – Press TV Iran (A K PH)
Yemen ballistic missile ‘kills dozens of Saudi troops’
Dozens of Saudi troops have reportedly been killed and injured in a retaliatory ballistic missile attack by Yemen against a military base in Saudi Arabia’s southwestern region of Jizan.
The Yemeni army and Popular Committees launched a Tochka ballistic missile at the military camp in the Ahd al-Masarha district of Jizan on Monday morning, Yemen’s al-Massira television quoted a military source as saying.
The military source said anonymously that the camp housed command centers, a pad for Apache helicopters and scores of vehicles and trucks loaded with munitions.
According to the report, the rocket successfully hit the target, destroying the camp and leaving scores of Saudi troops dead and injured.
http://presstv.com/Detail/2016/07/25/476786/Yemen-ballistic-missile-Saudi-camp and on map: https://twitter.com/HussainBukhaiti/status/757501987881648128
Should this be the same incident as the following report??
25.7.2016 – GDN (A K PS)
Saudi national killed in border shelling from Yemen
Saudi national was killed in the province of Jizan in a border shelling from the Yemeni territories.
Civil Defence announced on Twitter that a military projectile launched from neighboring Yemen fell on the citizen’s house which caused his death, reported local Arabic daily Al-Riyadh.
http://www.gdnonline.com/Details/102650/Saudi-national-killed-in-border-shelling-from-Yemen and also http://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2513648&Language=en
More Houthi rockets:
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news434702.htm
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news434418.htm
Saudi coalition's / mercenaries' shelling:
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news434704.htm
Fighting:
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/webtv/reports/2016/07/26/Coalition-artillery-pounds-Houthi-sites-on-Yemen-border.html (Saudi report, but it’s the Saudis who try to capture Harad)
https://twitter.com/AhmadAlgohbary/status/758044391588163584
https://www.facebook.com/LivingInYemenOnTheEdge/posts/1070084546377908 (graphic image)
https://twitter.com/Yemen411/status/757958472336044032
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news434836.htm and film: http://eng.kurdistan-insider.com/2016/07/26/yemen-houthis-undermining-the-saudi-mrap-punitive-the-district-of-al-khadra-province-of-najran/
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news434465.htm
24.7.2016 – Saba Net (A K PH)
Clashes between tribesmen, mercenary militia in Mareb
Violent clashes broke out Sunday between a group of Jada’an tribe sons and militia of the mercenary Hashim al-Ahmar in al-Jafrah area in Mareb province.
A local official said two of al-Ahmar militia were killed and three others were injured and four of the Jada’an tribe were wounded in the clashes.
He explained that the clashes broke out when the mercenary militia established checkpoints in the main road in al-Jafrah area, which was considered a provocation and an affront to the people of the area.
Such clashes come within the rejection of the mercenary militia existence in the tribal areas, the official said, pointing out that the last month witnessed fierce confrontation between Abidah tribes and the mercenary militia.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news434468.htm
23.7.2016 – New News (A K)
The Aggression’s Mercenaries kill each other
A new episode of conflict between the aggression’s mercenaries in Taiz province . Today , a member of what they call Military Council called ” Malek Kharsan” was killed in Al-Tahreer Street in front of an Exchange Shop , Taiz province by unknown armed men . This person was one of Al-Eslah Party leaders , and one of the leaders for the Military Council which follows the mercenaries under the leader of Sadeq Sarhan.
Assassinations especially this last period are increased between Hamood Al-Mekhlafi’s group and Abu-Abass’s group . The last one shared Al-Emarat’s forces in their assaulting against Al-Eslah leaders who were close to Hamood Al-Mekhlafi who run away to Saudi-Arabia during their existence in Aden last month – by Haifa Sharaf
cp17b Sarari
27.7.2016 – Saba Net (* A K T)
Mercenaries kill, abduct hundreds of al-Serari people
The Riyadh's mercenaries have killed and abducted hundreds and destroyed tens of houses of al-Serari village's citizens in Taiz province, a local report said on Wednesday.
The report showed that the mercenaries have abducted at least 125 civilians form al-Serari, al-Hyyar and Thi al-Brah villages in Saber-al-Mwadem district. The abductees are 90 people, 45 of them are children taken to unknown place and 35 women, some with their babies, captured at Hasban al-A'ala School.
The mercenaries have also executed five people, according to the report, which also confirmed that more than 15 people are missing.
The mercenaries have broken in the houses of the villages and burned about 30 houses, including 20 houses in al-Serari village and five houses in each of al-Hyyar and Thi al-Brah villages.
The report also said the mercenaries have burnt Sheikh Jamal al-Din Mosque, dug up his body and set it on fire and destroyed its shrine. They also slayed all livestock in the area and throw them on the roadsides to celebrate the killing and displacement of the villages' people.
The report underlined that the abduction, burning of houses and bombing mosques operations are still ongoing until the moment of writing the report.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news434826.htm
26.7.2016 – Saba Net (*A K T)
Hirelings burn over 50 houses in al-Sarari village
The Saudi aggression’s hirelings burned more than 50 houses after looting them in al-Sarari village in Taiz province, a local official said on Tuesday.
The official pointed out that the burning of houses and detaining of people is still continuing in al-Sarari village, noting that over 38 citizens were detained from al-Sarari village and the neighboring village of Thi-al-Barh.
The mercenaries also detonated Jamal El-Din’s Mosque in the al-Sarari village and demolished his tomb, he added.
http://sabanews.net/en/news434701.htm
26.7.2016 – Saba Net (A K PH)
Hirelings pound al-Sarari village in TaizThe Riyadh's hirelings pounded on Tuesday the Educational compound and houses in the besieged village of al-Sarari in Taiz province, a local official said.
The hireling's heavy artillery shelling forced al-Sarari villagers to leave their homes and flee to the neighboring villages, he added.
The Riyadh's hirelings targeted al-Sarari village on Monday night with more than 130 shells, the official said, pointing out the hirelings also burnt Jamal al-Addin's Mosque in the village.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news434658.htm
26.7.2016 - UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (A K T)
The Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen Jamie McGoldrick calls for an immediate humanitarian pause in Taizz governorate
I am extremely concerned by reports of rising tensions in Taizz Governorate and in particular the reinforcement of the closure on Taizz city as well as the escalation of hostilities in the area of Al-Sarari.
I remind all parties to the conflict of their obligation under International Humanitarian Law to allow sustained and unconditional humanitarian access to all people in need of assistance. It is unacceptable to hold civilian populations hostage and deprived of humanitarian assistance in pursuit of political and military gains. All parties who violate International Humanitarian Law must remember that they could be held to account.
I call on all parties to agree immediately to a humanitarian pause in order to protect civilians and work with the UN and humanitarian partners to facilitate the treatment and evacuation of the war wounded and the delivery of urgently needed medicine and other life saving assistance.
27.7.2016 – reuters (* A K P)
U.N. calls for humanitarian truce in Yemen's Taiz province
A Houthi envoy on a ceasefire committee assigned to oversee a shaky truce in Taiz wrote to the U.N. that Sarari residents had been subjected to "war crimes" including house burnings and the detention of 49 civilians including women and children.
"We call on you to swiftly intervene to stop these gangs and limit the massacres they have begun to commit against unarmed civilians," Ahmed al-Msawa said in the letter, seen by Reuters.
Two residents of a hamlet adjacent to Sarari said that at least 15 Houthi combatants were killed or wounded in the fighting. They said 40 other Houthis were taken prisoner but denied that any women or children were among them. They said most Sarari residents had fled to neighboring communities.
Hadi supporters have denied setting fires to houses and accused the Houthis of booby-trapping a Sarari mosque to try to kill as many Hadi supporters as possible.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-taiz-idUSKCN107195
26.7.2016 – 14Yemen (A K T)
Sarari village completely besieged by US-Saudi Coalition mercenaries
US-Saudi Coalition mercenaries kidnapped about 45 citizens from Sarari village #Coalition_Slaughters_Sarari
Ppl of Sarari talking about their relatives killed by coalition's mercenaries gunfire (film)
US-Saudi mercenaries profiling & Committing crimes in Sarari village in Yemen (film)
https://twitter.com/I4Yemen/status/758012062492680192 and https://twitter.com/I4Yemen/status/758011957509259268 and https://twitter.com/I4Yemen/status/758012047091195904 and https://twitter.com/I4Yemen/status/758012227312050176
26.7.2016 – Nasser Arrabyee (A K T)
18 Yemen human right groups Appealing to UN4rescuing 45 villagers Being tortured bySaudi-backed Qaeda/ISIS N Taiz
https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/758011848713175040 (with link to text in Arabic)
26.7.2016 – Josephjo1221 (A K T)
Image of abducation of Sarari people
https://twitter.com/JosephJo1221/status/758049925724708864
26.7.2016 – Ammar Basha (A K T)
1-Reports from #Taiz Resistant militants took control over Al Serari village. 2-Elderly ppl, women & kids were taken as hostages. Houses burned & leveled to ground
3-Militants also Exhume the body of Al Junid ancestors and burned the only mosque in the village.
4- Reports also points that resistant militants r going to hang over 50 war prisoners frm Al Junids at these moments. #Taiz #Yemen
Saudi militants also burned a library full of old books about sophism in Al Serari village
Al Juniad name is also a kin to prophet Mohammed, making it the second prophet family targeted by Saudi followers after Al Romiama.
https://twitter.com/ammar_basha/status/758022024711270400 and https://twitter.com/ammar_basha/status/758022979456466946 and https://twitter.com/ammar_basha/status/758024601108611073 and https://twitter.com/ammar_basha/status/758025608538497024 and https://twitter.com/ammar_basha/status/758069865299271681 and https://twitter.com/ammar_basha/status/758060126532145156
26.7.2016 - Aggression on Yemen (A K T)
US-Saudi mercenaries profiling & Committing crimes in Sarari village in Yemen (film)
https://twitter.com/AggressionY/status/758056458349051904
26.7.2016 - Aggression on Yemen (A K T)
The coalition Military escalations on Sarari village in #Taiz (film)
https://twitter.com/AggressionY/status/758066220621041668
26.7.2016 - Aggression on Yemen (A K T)
Ppl of Sarari talking about their relatives killed by coalition's mercenaries gunfire (film)
https://twitter.com/AggressionY/status/758065493114818560
26.7.2016 - Aggression on Yemen (A K T)
Sarari village witness stern siege 4 months by US-Saudi mercenaries under UN silence
US-Saudi mercenaries R using heavy artillery & mortars 2 shell the village of Sarari https://twitter.com/AggressionY/status/758065929540501505 and https://twitter.com/AggressionY/status/758065973870075906
26.7.2016 - Aggression on Yemen (A K T)
Graphic: One of many dead civilians by US-Saudi mercenaries #Coalition_Slaughters_Sarari (images)
https://twitter.com/AggressionY/status/758063590012293120
26.7.2016 – Yemen Today (A K T)
[Film on Sarari village]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-azpQQTTKE8
27.7.2016 – Nasser arrabyee (A K T)
Yemen Qaeda/ISIS May soon slaughter 45 hostages kidnapped this week from Sarari village Taiz central (image)
https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/758321606963986432
cp18 Sonstiges / Other
27.7.2016 – Reuters (A E P)
Exiled Yemen government sells crude to Glencore
Yemen has said it sold 3 million barrels of crude to Glencore, according to a news agency affiliated to the government in exile headed by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
The Sabanew.net news agency quoted an oil ministry official as saying the deal was the result of a tender, in which 29 international companies were invited to submit bids for the Masila crude grade.
The report did not say where the oil was being kept or where it was going to be shipped from. It said the revenues would be deposited into the government account as public revenue.
http://www.reuters.com/article/yemen-oil-idUSL8N1AD5HX = http://ameinfo.com/energy/oil-gas/exiled-yemen-government-sells-crude-to-glencore/
Comment by Judith Brown: Why on earth don't they keep it in Yemen where it's needed so badly ? There is NO electricity in much of Yemen.
https://www.facebook.com/judith.brown.794628/posts/10154554094363641
27.7.2016 – Petroleum Economist (* B E)
Light in the darkness for Yemen?
Yemen’s energy sector is trying to emerge from al-Qaida’s rule and a broader civil conflict. It is a slow process
PetroMasila believes it is in a strong position to resume operations at East Shabwa and Masila when the moment comes because its workforce is overwhelmingly Yemeni and is therefore already on the spot. By contrast, international oil companies, several of which have pulled out of Yemen over recent months, would need to be convinced that security and stability had returned before redeploying their staff there – by Gerald Butt
http://www.petroleum-economist.com/articles/politics-economics/middle-east/2016/light-in-the-darkness-for-yemen (free access only until Aug., 3)
26.7.2016 – Reuters (D)
Yemen's ancient art of brickmaking endures war
Traditional mud brick tower houses have always been a source of pride to Yemenis, and over a year into a devastating civil war, they are also providing some much-needed jobs in the ancient capital Sanaa.
At his traditional mud brick factory outside the city, Ali al-Sabahi oversees the process as it has was always been done, in happier days and now in dire ones – by Mohammed Al-Sayaghi and Khaled Abdullah
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-brick-idUSKCN1061HQ
7.2016 – Trading Economics (A E)
Yemen | Economic Indicators
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/yemen/indicators
27.9.2015 – Medium.com
Socotra, Yemen
Soul soothing pictures of the island of #Socotra – by Yumna Al-Arashi
https://medium.com/@yumnaaa/socotra-yemen-b5dbb762bdd6#.8gxpt6g0y
Comment: Now occupied by the UAE for 99 years…
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/krieg-im-jemen-neue-artikel-zum-nachlesen-173
Neue Artikel zum Nachlesen 1-173: / Yemen Press Reader 1-173:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose oder / or
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