Krieg im Jemen: Neue Artikel zum Nachlesen 31

Jemen Weiterer saudischer Luftangriff auf Hochzeit mit vielen Toten - Zähe Verhandlungen über Voraussetzungen für Friedensgespräche - Feine Propaganda - Kritik an Saudis

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9.10.2015 – New Eastern Outlook

Yemen: The Tragedy Continues

A coalition of Saudi troops actually shared control of the southern Yemeni cities with militants of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), without ever challenging them. Detachments of this terrorist group entered the city of Zinjibar and Aden in southern Yemen and shared control over these areas with the troops of the Saudi coalition. Residents of this port city puzzled Reuters reporters with claims that the city was flooded with militants fighting under a black banner once the Houthis left. All this can be explained quite simply. AQAP militants and the troops of the Saudi coalition are not allies, but while in desperate need to launch an offensive into the central part of the country, the Saudis decided to make an agreement with these terrorists and give them control of the southern cities.

Lately Saudi rulers, knowing that their troops are unlikely to be able to score any victories on the filed of battle, have called for the help of extremely proficient Egyptian soldiers. A number of news agencies reported the transfer of at least 800 Egyptian servicemen along with armored vehicles to Yemen. Yet, it might be said that Egyptian troops were forced to come to Yemen, as they initially refused supporting Saudi Arabia at the initial stages of its military intervention in Yemen. However, the purchase of the French Mistral ships on the money provided by the UAE and the ongoing rearmament of Egyptian troops sponsored by the Saudi royal family forced Cairo to take part in the war. It is quite clear that Egyptian military personnel won’t be eager to die for this cause, and will instead hold their ground where they must.

Lately military experts have been voicing concerns that the Saudi military intervention in Yemen has every chance to backfire, plunging the kingdom into a hostile environment. If one is to take a look at the map, we can see that toward the north of the KSA the Islamic State is waiting for a chance to launch an attack against it, in the east the KSA has problematic areas with predominantly Shia populations that are critical for Saudi oil production, and they can start a revolt at any given moment. Neighboring Bahrain has been struggling to contain a smoldering crisis for a while now too. The majority of local people are Shia’a who rebelled against Sunni power during the so-called “Arab Spring”. Saudi regular troops that entered the country to restore order have managed to stop the revolution in Bahrain, but the dissatisfaction of the people has remained. Thus, the situation in and around Saudi Arabia remains unstable, and in the foreseeable future it may reach a boiling point due to the struggle amid local elites and the intensification of the struggle for power within.

The most insightful media sources have already voiced concerns that if the Houthis get the support of the Shia population of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom will stand no chance in fighting them. This can lead to the country being divided in four historic areas. The current situation is worsened by the presence of the Islamic State, created with the money of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and whose actions are leading to the collapse of Iraq and Syria.

In any case, the sitting Saudi rulers are facing a serious challenge, since the continuation of the illegal war against its neighbor leads to a number of serious risks to the very existence of the Kingdom. Attempts to compromise with Yemeni political forces in the current situation will inevitably lead to the loss of Saudi Arabia’s authority in the region, and can also be a catalyst of the disintegration of the state itself. Bewildered by the huge financial resources at their disposal, Saudi leaders have got themselves into a no-win situation. And should they seek to pursue a military solution any further, it would only exacerbate the situation they got themselves in – by Viktor Mikhin

http://journal-neo.org/2015/10/09/yemen-the-tragedy-continues/

8.10.2015 – Die Zeit

Hello Sana'a, can you hear me?

Ein Telefongespräch über den vergessenen Krieg im Jemen. Die Lage ist ähnlich schlimm wie in Syrien. Nur die Flucht ist viel schwieriger. Niemand gibt den Jeminiten Visa.

"Unser Tag", sagt Mahmoud, "fängt oft um fünf Uhr morgens an. Da wecken uns die ersten Explosionen der saudischen Angriffe. Das geht bis mindestens acht oder neun Uhr. Dann schicke ich eine SMS an Freunde und Kollegen, um zu sehen, ob alle okay sind. Wenn es ruhig bleibt, gehe ich ins Büro. Aber keiner hier weiß, ob er den nächsten Tag überlebt. Oft wird auch nachmittags bombardiert oder nachts.

Am Geburtstag meines Sohnes im September schlug eine Bombe in unserer Nähe ein. Er rief immer wieder 'Ich will nicht sterben, ich will nicht sterben...' und wollte panisch aus dem Haus laufen. Der Junge ist neun Jahre alt. Es tut weh, wenn man sein eigenes Kind in diesem Zustand sieht."

Nach Angaben der britischen NGO Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) und des UN-Nothilfeprogramm OCHA sind im Jemen in den vergangenen neun Monaten mehr Menschen durch Sprengwaffen – Bomben, Raketen, Minen, Mörsergranaten, Sprengfallen – getötet oder verletzt worden als in Syrien. Über 80 Prozent der Opfer, so AOAV, seien Zivilisten, die größte Verheerung richteten Luftangriffe an.

Für das sunnitische Königreich zählt der kleine Nachbar Jemen zum geostrategischen Hinterhof. Hinter der Rebellion der schiitischen Huthis steckt nach Überzeugung Riads der Erzfeind Iran. Wenn es mal so einfach wäre. Aber das Schema des ewigen Kampfes zwischen Sunniten und Schiiten passt hier nicht. Im Jemen verlaufen die Fronten kreuz und quer: Zwischen dem Norden und Süden, die bis 1990 zwei miteinander verfeindete Staaten waren; zwischen mächtigen Stämmen; zwischen sunnitischen Muslimbrüdern und schiitischen Huthis. Eine Sammlung von Karten, zusammengestellt vom European Council on Foreign Affairs, illustriert die Geschichte dieser Frontverläufe sehr gut.

Die Folgen dieses Krieges sind für das Land verheerend. Auch, weil das anhaltende Chaos der Terrororganisation Al-Kaida ermöglicht, sich im Jemen weiter auszubreiten – und sich als Teil einer sunnitischen Allianz gegen die Huthis zu gerieren. Was wiederum dessen Konkurrenten vom "Islamischen Staat" auf den Plan gerufen hat, der nun mit Selbstmordschlägen seine Präsenz deutlich macht – von Andrea Böhm

http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2015-10/jemen-krieg-flucht/

7.10.2015 – Die Zeit

Zerstörungen wie in Syrien

Der Sitz der jemenitischen Führung wird beschossen, die Offensive stockt, Alliierte gehen auf Distanz. Saudi-Arabiens Intervention im Jemen droht zu scheitern.

Der spektakuläre Anschlag auf das provisorische Regierungszentrum in Aden, zu dem sich der "Islamische Staat" bekannte, schürt neue Zweifel an dem gigantischen Militärabenteuer, welches das saudische Königshaus im März im Nachbarland Jemen angezettelt hat. Durchschlagende Erfolge gegen die Houthis aus dem Norden, die mit Ex-Präsident Ali Abdullah Saleh verbündet sind, können die golfarabischen Kriegsherren nicht verbuchen. Wichtige Alliierte wie Ägypten gehen mittlerweile auf Distanz.

Auch die seit Wochen angekündigte Bodenoffensive in der Provinz Marib, mit der die Hauptstadt Sanaa von den schiitischen Rebellen zurückerobert werden soll, stockt. Vor allem die Koordination der Bodentruppen mit der saudischen Luftwaffe funktioniert nicht.

Bewohner von Aden berichten unterdessen, auf den Straßen herrsche Chaos und Anarchie – von Martin Gehlen

http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2015-10/jemen-sanaa-krieg-aden-regierungssitz

7.10.2015 – Bloomberg

Saudi Arabia's Choice in Yemen

Yet not only is an outright military victory against the Houthis highly unlikely, it will do nothing to solve Yemen's underlying political problems. In addition to pitting the Houthis in the north against the central government, the war has also revived secessionist hopes in the south, which until 1990 was a separate country. Worse, the turmoilhas created openings for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and forIslamic State.

Saudi Arabia and its neighbors intervened in part because they feared that Iran was using the Houthis, who belong to a Shia-related sect, to enlarge its sphere of influence. Yet their military campaign has driven the independent-minded Houthis even closer to the Iranians. It has also opened a widening gap between Yemen's Sunnis and the Houthis' Zaidi sect, which encompasses nearly half of Yemen's population.

The Obama administration has unenthusiastically backed the Saudi campaign, in part because it didn't want to further alienate an important ally already shaken by the U.S.-led nuclear deal with Iran. But enough is enough. Billions in weapons sales and intelligence support have already made the U.S. complicit in a looming humanitarian disaster. Meanwhile, the unwinnable war against the Houthis saps the fight against al-Qaeda and Islamic State -- the putative common enemies of the U.S., its Gulf allies, Yemen's legitimate government and the Houthis.

The stated willingness of the Houthis and their ally, former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, to join U.N.-sponsored peace talks offers a chance to stop this dead-end dynamic.

The onus is now on the Saudis to respond. If they balk, the Obama administration should quietly remind them that some members of Congress are themselves balking at the future sale of munitions for their Yemen campaign.

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-10-07/saudi-arabia-s-choice-in-yemen = http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-wp-blm-bg-editorial-saudi-dd98fbea-6db2-11e5-91eb-27ad15c2b723-20151008-story.html

7.10.2015 – The American Conservative

Why Enabling the War on Yemen Must Stop

Hitting civilian targets has become an only too common occurrence over the last six months of the Saudi-led bombing campaign. Proponents of providing the coalition with precision munitions like to argue that such weapons will make Saudi targeting more accurate, but that misses the point. The problem in this conflict is that the Saudis and their allies repeatedly strike targets that have no possible military value and they appear to do so on purpose. This is just the latest example in a well-documented pattern of coalition airstrikes hitting civilian targets.

It is because of attacks like this one that Amnesty International has called on both the American and British government to halt weapons deliveries to the Saudis and their allies because of the use of these weapons in the commission of war crimes.

If the U.S. and Britain have provided weapons used in the commission of war crimes, they are partly responsible for those crimes as well. For their own good and for the sake of the civilian population of Yemen, the U.S. and Britain should halt their weapons sales to the Saudis and other GCC states at war in Yemen. That won’t redress the many wrongs that have already been done, and it won’t excuse the U.S. and British support for the war to date, but it is the very least that can be done to limit the American and British role in this atrocious conflict – by Daniel Larison

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/why-enabling-the-war-on-yemen-must-stop/

7.10.2015 – Amnesty International

JEMEN: MUTMASSLICHE KRIEGSVERBRECHEN DURCH SAUDISCHE KOALITIO

Im neuen Bericht "'Bombs fall from the sky day and night': Civilians under fire in northern Yemen" legt Amnesty International eine genauere Untersuchung von 13 Luftangriffen vor, bei denen insgesamt rund 100 Zivilpersonen, darunter 59 Kinder getötet wurden. Dokumentiert wird auch der Einsatz von Streubomben.

Amnesty fordert einen sofortigen Stopp von Waffenlieferungen an Länder der von Saudi-Arabien angeführten Anti-Huthi-Koalition. Mutmassliche Kriegsverbrechen müssen genau und von unabhängiger Stelle untersucht und die Verantwortlichen zur Rechenschaft gezogen werden.

Beweise für Kriegsverbrechen

"Dieser Bericht liefert noch mehr Beweise für rechtswidrige Luftangriffe, die von der Koalition unter Führung von Saudi-Arabien begangen worden sind. Einige davon sind ziemlich sicher Kriegsverbrechen", erklärte Donatella Rovera, Expertin von Amnesty International für Krisenregionen, unter deren Leitung die Untersuchungsmission der Menschenrechtsorganisation stand.

"Der Bericht belegt mit vielen grauenvollen Details, wie wichtig es ist, dass keine Waffen mehr geliefert werden, mit denen derart schwere Menschenrechtsverletzungen begangen werden", so Rovera. "Die USA und andere Staaten, die den verschiedenen Konfliktparteien im Jemen Waffen liefern, müssen gewährleisten können, dass Waffenlieferungen, die sie bewilligen, nicht zu schweren Verletzungen des humanitären Völkerrechts beitragen."

Ganze Städte zu Kriegszielen erklärt

Die im Bericht dokumentierten Luftangriffe betrafen das Gouvernement Saada im Nordwesten des Landes. Dessen Hauptstadt Saada wurde massiver als jede andere Stadt im Jemen von den Bombardements der Koalition zerstört. Ohne Rücksicht auf das Leben der Zehntausenden von Bewohnerinnen und Bewohnern und in kompletter Missachtung des Völkerrechts wurden Saada und deren Nachbarstadt Marran in ihrer Gesamtheit zu Kriegszielen erklärt. In mindestens vier der untersuchten Angriffe wurden Häuser von Zivilpersonen mehrfach hintereinander bombardiert, obwohl offensichtlich war, dass die Häuser nicht für militärische Zwecke verwendet wurden.

"Dass große, dicht bevölkerte Gebiete zu militärischen Zielen erklärt und Wohnhäuser mehrfach bombardiert wurden, beweist, wie wenig die Koalitionstruppen sich um die völkerrechtlich vorgeschriebenen Vorsichtsmassnahmen zur Verhinderung ziviler Opfer scheren", kritisierte Rovera.

Einsatz verbotener Waffen

Das Team von Amnesty International fand unter anderem auch Überreste verschiedener Typen von Streubomben. Streubomben sind völkerrechtlich verboten. Ein Teil der Streumunition explodiert nicht sofort beim Aufprall und bleibt daher über lange Zeit eine tödliche Gefahr für alle, die mit ihr in Kontakt kommen könnten.

Amnesty International fordert die Militärkoalition zum sofortigen Verzicht auf den Einsatz von Streubomben auf, und verlangt von allen Staaten einen sofortigen Stopp der Lieferung solcher Waffen.

https://www.amnesty.de/2015/10/7/jemen-mutmassliche-kriegsverbrechen-durch-saudische-koalition siehe auch http://pressejournalismus.com/2015/10/kriegsverbrechen-in-jemen-amnesty-fordert-stopp-von-waffenlieferungen/

7.10.2015 – Amnesty International

– sehr ausführlicher Bericht, 41 Seiten –

A devastating air bombardment campaign launched in March 2015 by a coalition led by Saudi Arabia has killed and injured hundreds of civilians in Yemen, many of them children. The governorate of Sa’da has been particularly targeted, as it is the stronghold of the Huthi armed group, and its capital Sa’da city has suffered more destruction as a result of relentless coalition airstrikes than any other city in Yemen. Much of the city and its surroundings are in ruins and most of the civilian population was forced to flee. This report details the results of Amnesty International field investigations into 13 airstrikes in Sa’da carried out between May and July 2015.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde31/2548/2015/en/

6.10.2015 – Amnesty International (Film)

Amnesty International reports on the extensive damage to human lives and infrastructure by the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes. Over 50% of the dead are children according to the report. The use of prohibited cluster munitions by the coalition which has been provided by the U.S. to Saudi Arabia, has been clearly documented by Amnesty International and other human rights organizations, yet the UN fails to stop and condemn the illegal war on Yemen.

Saudi Arabia-led coalition, some of which amount to war crimes. It demonstrates in harrowing detail how crucial it is to stop arms being used to commit serious violations of this kind,” said Donatella Rovera, Amnesty International’s Senior Crisis

https://www.facebook.com/yemen.crisis/posts/519724261527148

Humanitäre Lage

9.10.2015 – Humanitarian Response

YEMEN: Humanitarian Funding Update

The Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan (YHRP) is 46% per cent funded, with US$732 million in contributions made against the $1.6 billion in requirements for the year. An additional $373 million has been contributed to humanitarian programmes outside the appeal and mainly by regional partners. The outstanding pledges for the YHRP amount to $80 million that remains unpaid and $96 million is pledged outside the appeal.

https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/system/files/documents/files/yhf_update_september2015_20150930.pdf

2.10.2015 – UNICEF

Six months of violence in Yemen leave more than 500 children dead, some 1.7 million at risk of malnutrition: UNICEF

Six months of unremitting violence in Yemen have left at least 505 children dead, 702 injured and more than 1.7 million at risk of malnutrition, UNICEF said today.

Across the country, nearly 10 million children – 80 per cent of the country’s under-18 population – need urgent humanitarian assistance. More than 1.4 million people have been forced to flee their homes.

“With every day that passes, children see their hopes and dreams for the future shattered,” said UNICEF Representative in Yemen Julien Harneis. “Their homes, schools and communities are being destroyed, and their own lives are increasingly threatened by disease and malnutrition.”

ven before the conflict, the nutrition situation was dire as Yemen produces less than 10 per cent of its food needs and relies heavily on imported foodstuffs. But the escalation of the fighting has caused food insecurity to spiral and malnutrition to spike. The consequences for children are dramatic:

The number of children under 5 at risk of severe acute malnutrition has tripled in 2015, with 537,000 children now at risk, compared to 160,000 children before the conflict.

Almost twice as many children under 5, a total of 1.2 million children, are projected to suffer from moderate acute malnutrition this year, compared to 690,000 before the crisis.

Food shortages and poor access to markets caused by the conflict, reduced access to health facilities and sanitation, and the disruption of livelihood opportunities are the main causes for the deterioration. The scarcity of fuel, electricity, gas, water and other services and utilities is further exacerbating the situation.

Finding safe water has become a daily struggle for survival for over 20.4 million people. More than 15 million people have lost access to basic health care; the education of over 1.8 million children has been interrupted by school closures; and more than 20 million people are struggling to get the safe water and sanitation they need.

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/media_85714.html

Kriegsereignisse

9.10.2015 – Total UAE

19 civilians martyred in Yemen's Taiz city by militia

At least 19 civilians were martyred in the Yemeni city of Taiz today as Houthi militias and their supporters fired rockets on the city, according to the official Yemeni news agency.

The agency added that the militias continued targeting civilians while tightening their siege of the city by preventing entry of relief materials, drinking water and medicine.

http://www.totaluae.com/news/19-civilians-martyred-in-yemens-taiz-city-by-militia/

9.10.2015 – Me Confidential

Yemen: Coalition to continue fighting, Spokesman

The spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition, Brig. Gen Ahmed Asiri, has stressed that fighting is still going on and there are no plans to halt operations because they are yet to receive official information from the Houthi Movement and their allies.

His statement comes a day after the U.N reported that it received a letter from the Houthis declaring their will to abide by the U.N’s Security Council resolution 2216 as well as the Muscat Principles agreed upon with the world body during talks in Oman last month.

Asiri stressed that the coalition forces will continue to pursue the goals of the resolution and if there is to be any valid ceasefire agreement or change of plans by the coalition, “it will be formally announced by the Yemeni government and the United Nations.”

http://me-confidential.com/10836-yemen-coalition-to-continue-fighting-spokesman.html

9.10.2015 – My Informs

Arab coalition deploys Patriot to Yemen

The Arab coalition has deployed two Patriot fire units to defend its base in Yemen's Marib province

The deployment corroborates claims that the base was hit by a ballistic missile on 4 September

Airbus Defence and Space imagery showing Arab coalition helicopter and Patriot air-defence systems deployed at the Safir airstrip in Yemen's Marib province on 1 October.

http://myinforms.com/en/a/17466009-analysis-arab-coalition-deploys-patriot-to-yemen/

9.10.2015 – Southfront

Yemen Map of War – Oct. 1-8, 2015

Airstrikes by the Saudi coalition against the Houthi alliance have increased in intensity and mindlessness during the past week as little progress is being made towards the Houthi ‘capital Sana’a. It is not only tactical frustration as the cause, but also strategic desperation that is setting the pace.

The Saudi coalition has made little tactical progress against the Houthi alliance in the past week as the fighting moves to the mountainous areas of historical Houthi settlements with ambush opportunities everywhere. The Saudi coalition is proceeding with the destruction of infrastructure and killing of civilians as their training and desperation dictates. “If we can’t have it, we will leave it in ruins!”

No doubt, this war will end in some negotiations and the probable break-away of the historic South Yemen. The only ‘unknown’ at this time is whether the Houthi alliance will manage to wrestle some of historical Houthi provinces away from Saudi Arabia in the South West.

International pressure is mounting and with King Salman nursing his dementia in a hospital somewhere, who can predict what the nephews are plotting? Will we see a family coup in the next few days?

http://southfront.org/yemen-map-of-war-oct-1-8-2015/?COLLCC=2509102510

8.10.2015 – Khaleej Times

Coalition liberates Yemen town

The Saudi-led Arab coalition forces are on track to liberating the most strategic areas in Yemen from the grip of Houthi militias and pro-Saleh forces, said Staff Brigadier Ali Saif Al Kabi, Chief Commander of the Coalition Forces in Marib.

He was speaking to Sky News Arabia after retaking Sirwah town, west of Marib, after fierce battles with the Houthi militia and forces loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Brig Al Kabi said a number of Houthi militiamen have been killed and taken prisoner during the battle.

"The fall of Sirwah means a lot to the legitimate Yemeni forces, the Arab coalition forces because Sirwah is considered the last strategic supply route in the enemy hands." He said, adding that it also meant the retreat of enemey forces northward.

Ali Al Zekri, an expert in Yemen affairs, told Khaleej Times that Sirwah is strategically very important because it opens the west door of Sanaa, and connects Al Kuf camp and other military zones in the area.

Tribes living in Sirwah support the legitimate government of Yemen - a fact the coalition forces can liverage on in order to march towards Sanaa.

The battle for Sirwah started three days ago. The coalition forces managed to liberate places like Tabat Al Masariya, the Dam area, Al Fao farms, Al Jafina, Al Taba Al Hamra and Tabat Al Qanasah.

Pressure on the enemy was ongoing, Brig Al Kabi said, adding that enemy forces were seen running helter-skelter, mostly fleeing to the north and surrounding mountains.

"The route to Sanaa, most likely, has been secured especially after the fall of Sirwah and cutting off the supplies line to the enemy."

"Civilians have returned to Sirwah after hearing the good news of exercising full control over the county, Brig Al Kabi noted.

"Some urgent relief materials have been distributed among local inhabitants and, God willing, we will keep providing dwellers with relief materials until their living conditions are improved."

Earlier, eyewitnesses said the Houthis militias and Saleh forces have fled in large numbers from Marib, which was their last stronghold.

The early hours of Tuesday saw their withdrawal from Fadhat Nahm, a locality close to the capital Sanaa after the Arab coalition forces and the Yemeni army moved into the capital – by Mustafa Al Zarooni

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/region/mena/coalition-liberates-yemen-town

Kommentar: Wie auch immer – schon die Sprache ist von Propaganda durchtränkt.

8.10.2015 – Japan Times from AP

Last Houthi outpost in key province falls to Yemen forces

A Yemeni military official says government forces and their allies, including troops from a Saudi-led coalition, have captured the last outpost of Shiite rebels in a key province.

Col. Ayed al-Moradi says that the anti-rebel forces on Wednesday took the town of Sirwah — the last outpost of the rebels known as Houthis in Marib province. Sirwah is about 88 km (55 miles) east of the rebel-held capital, Sanaa. The forces’ advances had been stalling for weeks in Marib.

Medical officials say 70 Houthis and more than 50 pro-government fighters were killed in three days of fighting for Sirwah.

Independent security officials say few Houthi pockets remain in the town. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/10/08/world/last-houthi-outpost-key-province-falls-yemen-forces/#.VhZmpitpn3F

9.10.2015 – Middle East Eye

UN aid chief demands probe into deadly Yemen wedding strike

The United Nations' top aid official has called for a swift investigation into a suspected Saudi-led airstrike that killed dozens of people at a wedding in Yemen on Wednesday night.

Stephen O'Brien, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said he was "deeply disturbed" by news that civilians had been killed in the bombing of a triple wedding party.

"I call for a swift, transparent and impartial investigation into this incident," O'Brien said in a statement.

"Real accountability for parties to conflict, whether they are states or non-state groups, is urgently needed, to ensure that the commitment under international law to protect civilians is meaningful," he added.

O'Brien quoted Yemen's Houthi-controlled ministry of public health as saying that at least 47 people were killed and 35 injured, among them many women and children, in the strike.

Estimates of the death toll have varied widely, although medical sources have confirmed at least 28 deaths to AFP.

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/un-aid-chief-demands-probe-deadly-yemen-wedding-strike-1243091806

8.10.2015 – Stern

Bei dem Bombardement einer Hochzeitsfeier im Jemen sind nach Angaben des jemenitischen Gesundheitsministeriums mindestens 51 Zivilisten getötet worden. Unter den Toten bei den Angriffen etwa 100 Kilometer südlich der Hauptstadt Sanaa seien auch drei Bräute und zwei Bräutigame, teilte ein Sprecher des von den Huthi-Rebellen kontrollierten Ministeriums der Deutschen Presse-Agentur am Donnerstag weiter mit. Die Behörde machte Luftangriffe der saudisch geführten Militärkoalition für den Vorfall verantwortlich.

Den Angaben zufolge trafen die Bomben in der von Rebellen kontrollierten Stadt Sanban einen Pavillon, in dem drei Paare ihre Vermählung feiern wollten. 30 weitere Menschen seien nach Angaben des Ministeriums verletzt worden.

Die aufseiten von Regierung und Militärkoalition kämpfende Armee dagegen gab den Huthi-Rebellen die Schuld an dem Angriff: Die Hochzeit sei von den Aufständischen beschossen worden, sagte ein Sprecher dem Nachrichtenkanal Al-Arabija.

Erst Ende September waren bei einem Luftangriff auf eine Hochzeit im Westen des Jemens 131 Menschen gestorben. Auch hier soll es sich um ein Bombardement der Militärkoalition gehandelt haben.

http://www.stern.de/politik/ausland/hochzeitsfeier-im-jemen-bombardiert---51-tote---saudisch-gefuehrte-militaerkoalition-beschuldigt-6491302.html

Kommentar: Die Art der Darstellung wertet die absurde Behauptung der saudischen Koalition auf. Sie behaupten IMMER, sie wären es nicht gewesen. Bezeichnend auch die Formulierung im letzten Satz: „soll … gehandelt haben.“ Nein, „hat sich gehandelt“. Diese Art der Relativierung war auch nach dem amerikanischen Luftangriff auf das Krankenhaus von Kunduz identisch in US- wie in deutschen Medien zu sehen.

8.10.2015 – T-Online

51 Tote bei Luftangriffen auf Hochzeit im Jemen

Bei zwei Luftschlägen auf eine Hochzeitsfeier im Jemen sind nach Angaben des jemenitischen Gesundheitsministeriums mindestens 51 Menschen getötet worden. Bei den Angriffen der saudisch geführten Militärkoalition südlich der Hauptstadt Sanaa auf einen Pavillon seien weitere 30 Menschen verletzt worden, teilte ein Sprecher des von den Huthi-Rebellen kontrollierten Ministeriums der dpa mit.

http://www.t-online.de/nachrichten/id_75713234/ministerium-51-tote-bei-luftangriffen-auf-hochzeit-im-jemen.html

8.10.2015 – Huffington Post

The Life And Death Gamble Of Attending A Wedding In Yemen

The wedding was almost over. Three brothers waited at their father's house, as is tradition in Yemen, for their new brides to arrive.

Then, according to relatives of the victims, the bombs fell.

Medics say more than 20 people were killed in the airstrikes on Sanban on Wednesday night, while health officials in the country's capital of Sanaa said over 50 people died -- the latest mass civilian casualty in Yemen's six-month war. The death toll was expected to rise as people were trapped under the rubble and many had been severely wounded.

Immediately, the facts of the tragedy in the remote town were in dispute. Residents and local media reported that warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition bombed the wedding, while a spokesman for the coalition -- which is made up of several Arab nations -- denied they had conducted any airstrikes in the area and instead blamed local clashes.

over 100 people came out to celebrate the marriage of Abdulrahman and his brothers Ayman and Muaiad, who are also in their early 20s.

Another relative, who requested anonymity to protect his immediate family, said the strikes hit around around 9 p.m. local time, leaving guests scrambling to find survivors in the dark with candles and flashlights. The relative said the celebration was the first major wedding in Sanban since the war broke out -- an act of courage designed to lift the morale of the small town nestled in the mountains of the Dhamar region, about 50 miles south of the capital.

"People are afraid now to have weddings but many strangely [still go]," Yemeni freelance journalist Zaid al-Alaya'a told The WorldPost via Twitter. "Yemenis are very tough people and resilient, they love life and dig for any source to be happy." – by Charlotte Alfred

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/yemen-wedding-airstrike-sanban_56169152e4b0dbb8000d62b1

8.10.2015 – Huffington Post from Reuters

Wedding Air Strike In Yemen Kills At Least 22, Residents Say

hree brothers preparing to get married were killed in a rocket attack alongside at least 22 other people in southwest Yemen on Thursday, residents reported, saying Saudi-led coalition jets were probably to blame.

The three brothers were waiting for their brides' party to arrive when a missile hit their house in the town of Sanban in Dhamar region, residents told Reuters. At least 50 people were wounded, but the brides were unharmed, locals and medics added.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/yemen-air-strike-wedding_5616919ee4b0dbb8000d62f8

8.10.2015 – DPA

At least 51 killed in airstrikes on Yemen wedding party

At least 51 civilians are dead - including three brides and two grooms - after two airstrikes on a wedding party in a rebel-held town in Yemen, a health official said Thursday.

Health Ministry spokesman Tamim al-Shami said the strikes were launched Wednesday night by forces with the Saudi-led coalition seeking to restore the country's internationally recognized government. The ministry is controlled by the Houthi rebels, who overran much of the country a year ago. The missiles hit a pavilion hosting a wedding for three couples in the town of Sanban, around 100 kilometres south of the rebel-held capital Sana'a. Thirty others, including children, were wounded in the raids, al-Shami told dpa. Yehia al-Mujahed, a local council member, accused the Saudi-led alliance of mounting the attack. "The raids targeted the pavilion when the traditional procession of three brides and their grooms arrived at the site." However, the spokesman for Yemen's pro-government army, Samir al-Haj, blamed the bombing on the Houthi rebels. "Dozens were killed in shelling of the wedding ceremony by the Houthi militia," he told Saudi broadcaster Al Arabiya, referring to Yemen's Iran-backed rebels.

http://www.dpa-international.com/news/international/yemen-rebels-allies-agree-to-un-peace-plan-a-46787037.html

Kommentar: Auch wieder: die Opferzahlen steigen. Auch wieder: Vorwurf an die Gegenseite. Nur: In diesem Gebiet finden derzeit keine Kampfhandlungen statt. Es bleibt nur ein Luftschlag. das Ableugnen ist dreist.

8.10.2015 – CNN

At least 30 killed after airstrikes hit wedding in Yemen, officials say

Coalition forces said they have no ongoing operations in the southwestern province in Yemen where the incident occurred.

"Not every explosion that takes place in Yemen is as airstrike - it could be a missile, car bomb, or weapons cache," coalition spokesman Ahmed Asseri said.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/10/08/middleeast/yemen-violence/index.html

8.10.2015 – Aljazeera

Deadly air strike reported on Yemen wedding party

"Coalition warplanes launched the attack. The house was completely destroyed," Taha al-Zuba, a witness and local resident, said. "Warplanes were heard in the area ahead of the attack."

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/10/deadly-air-strike-reported-yemen-wedding-party-151008073704528.html

8.10.2015 – BBC

Yemen conflict: 'Deadly attack' on wedding party

At least 13 people have been killed an explosion at a wedding in a rebel-held village in Yemen, medics say.

Residents of Sanban, about 80km (50 miles) south of the capital Sanaa, said a missile had struck a house where three brothers were getting married.

They said the missile was fired by an aircraft from the Saudi-led coalition that has conducted air strikes against the rebel Houthi movement since March.

But the coalition denied responsibility and blamed rebel propaganda.

It also again rejected claims that it bombed a wedding reception on Yemen's Red Sea Coast on 28 September, killing as many as 130 people.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34471968

8.10.2015 – New York Times

Yemen Airstrike Said to Kill 23 at a Wedding

Airstrikes by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia hit a house south of the capital on Wednesday, killing at least 23 people who were attending a wedding party, said witnesses and a local medical worker.

The airstrikes on Wednesday were in Dhamar Province, about 50 miles south of Sana, the capital, on the house of Muhammed al-Sanabani, said a cousin, Tawfiq al-Sanabani, who was nearby.

Three of Muhammed al-Sanabani’s sons were to be married in a joint ceremony on Wednesday night, the cousin said. The airstrikes occurred just as the brides had arrived at the house. At least one of the sons was killed in the attack, Mr. Sanabani said.

“I saw bodies lying in the yard, decapitated, charred,” he said.

Safwan al-Ansi, the chief of the emergency department at the Dhamar health office, said that 23 people had been killed but that more bodies were still under the rubble of the house. Mr. Sanabani said he did not know why the house had been targeted – by SHUAIB ALMOSAWA and KAREEM FAHIM

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/08/world/middleeast/yemen-airsrike-said-to-kill-23-at-a-wedding.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0 see also http://www.newsweek.com/three-bridegrooms-among-25-killed-yemen-rocket-strike-381273

7.10.2015 – Press TV Iran

Yemeni forces destroy Saudi warship in Bab al-Mandab Strait

Yemeni army soldiers backed by allied popular committees loyal to Ansarullah fighters have launched a missile attack against a Saudi warship and managed to destroy it.

The warship was wrecked off the southwestern coast of Yemen on Wednesday, in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, Yemen's Saba news agency reported, adding that other Saudi battleships fled the area following the attack.

According to the report, the sunken ship had repeatedly fired rockets on residential areas in the southwestern province of Ta'izz, inflicting casualties and destruction there.

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2015/10/07/432453/Yemen-Saudi-Ansarullah-warship-Taizz-Jizan-Hadi-UN

Kommentar: Yemeni army soldiers backed by allied popular committees = Huthis und verbündete Teile der jemenitischen Armee

Hadi-Regierung

Yemeni president dismisses Houthi concessions as 'maneuver'

Yemen's government dismissed as a "maneuver" on Thursday the Houthis' acceptance of a U.N.-sponsored peace plan and demanded that the Iran-backed group hand back territory it has seized since last year.

The Houthis, who control much of Yemen along with the party of ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, said on Wednesday they had officially informed U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of their readiness to join talks to end more than six months of fighting in which more than 5,000 people have died.

Asked about the overture from the Houthi-Salah camp, however, President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's press secretary, Mokhtar Alrahbi, said: "The government's position is unchanged. There must be an announcement of willingness to implement all articles of the (U.N.) resolution without any changes."

"We are ready to go to any talks after a clear acceptance of the implementation of the U.N. resolution," Alrahbi said, adding that the Houthi and Saleh acceptance had come with conditions.

"We consider this (Houthi acceptance) a maneuver, especially after the painful strikes they received," said Alrahbi, referring to the advances by the coalition east of the Yemeni capital Sanaa and the capture of the Bab al-Mandab strait in south-western Yemen.

In their letter to U.N. chief Ban last week, the Houthis accepted an April U.N. Security Council resolution calling for them to quit Yemeni cities.

They also urged Ban to convene talks on a seven-point peace plan proposed by the United Nations in talks in Oman last month.

Sources close to the Houthis have said that diplomats from the European Union helped to draft the Houthi letter to Ban to try to overcome any objections from Hadi to resuming the talks.

Hadi, in a letter of his own to Ban dated October 5 and obtained by Reuters, said his administration was ready "for a peaceful solution and to resume political consultations".

But he said this willingness "hinged only on the side which carried out the coup (Houthis-Saleh) to commit to implement" the U.N. Security Council resolution, which he said provided the basis for any political dialogue.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/08/us-yemen-security-politics-idUSKCN0S21GC20151008

8.10.2015 – WAM

Yemen's Foreign Minister hails roles of Saudi Arabia, UAE and other GCC states

oreign Minister of Yemen, Riyadh Yaseen, has praised the contributions of Saudi Arabia, UAE and other GCC states to Yemen since the beginning of Operation Decisive Storm to the current Operation Restoring Storm, besides political, diplomatic, military and relief roles.

Yaseen told Emirates News Agency (WAM) in an interview on the sidelines of meetings of the executive committee of UN relief agency, that the UAE demonstrated a role model that should emulated in terms of aid quantity to Yemen and enormous efforts to normalise life in Yemen through services, including the restoration of electricity to the liberated areas, installation of water networks and reopening of schools, and rebuilding of presidential and government institutions.

"What has been done by the UAE in a record time could not be done by many countries put together," he said.

The Yemen's Foreign minister stressed that the victories scored so far in Yemen reflect the wisdom of Saudi, UAE and other GCC states' leaders, citing the establishment of the coalition. "The support of the legitimacy in Yemen is not an accidental resolution, but reiterates the resolve of the Saudi and UAE leaders to build the military capacities is sound and wise strategy," he said.

He added that the achievements of the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other GCC states in the coalition "disproves the claims of sceptics on the capacity of the GCC armies. The experience of Yemen each day disproves those claims."

Yemen's Foreign Minister stressed that the UAE people have proven beyond doubt they are friends indeed in time of need to carry out their humanitarian, moral and fraternal duty, as described by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

Yaseen said that the statement of Sheikh Mohamed expresses the authenticity of the people of the UAE and clear vision of its leadership.

Yaseen said that the words were not enough to give the UAE its rightful due. "We are proud of Emirati martyrs who fell in Yemen while fighting for the truth. Our happiness and proud were doubled when we learnt the martyrdom increased Emiratis' resolve to keep on fighting for the right cause."

He added that the Houthis and Saleh group made the pledge to the UN special envoy to abide by the UNSC Resolution, but no signs show they will. By repeating their claims about humanitarian situation, Yaseen said, the Houthis try to blackmail the international community, adding that their efforts to impede delivery of humanitarian aid is quite known by the international community.

Yaseen added that the Yemen's experience demonstrates that the GCC states are capable to defend their security, noting that the force of Yemen's population of 25 million will be later added to the force of the GCC as a token of gratitude to the role being played by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other GCC states in the coalition.

https://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395286471113.html

Kommentar: Lobhudeleien für diejenigen, die sein Land zerstören.

Huthis

7.10.2015 – UNO

Houthis reaffirm acceptance of Security Council resolution aimed at ending violence in Yemen

The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, has welcomed the latest statements by the Houthis reaffirming their acceptance of a UN Security Council resolution aimed at ending the country’s months-long conflict, the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.

“This is an important step,” Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at the regular press briefing at UN Headquarters, as resolution 2216, other Security Council resolutions, the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative and the Outcomes of the National Dialogue have been at the core of the UN-led peace process.

In the resolution, adopted by a vote of 14 in favour to none against, with Russia abstaining, the Council demands that the Houthis withdraw from all areas seized during the latest conflict, relinquish arms seized from military and security institutions, cease all actions falling exclusively within the authority of the legitimate Yemeni Government and fully implement previous Council resolutions.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=52195#.VhczNfntlHy

7.10.2015 – Aljazeera

Yemen's Houthis confirm commitment to peace plan

Rebels say they accept UN Security Council resolution calling for ceasefire and withdrawal of fighters

The Houthi rebels in Yemen have said they are willing to commit to a peace plan to end the country's conflict, and the UN has announced that its envoy is going to the region to see how Yemen's government will respond.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday that the Houthis accepted a UN Security Council resolution that calls for an end to violence, withdrawal of their forces from all areas they have seized, and a halt to undermining the political transition in the country.

The decision was confirmed by the General People's Congress, the party of ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is aligned with the Houthis.

The party and Houthi representatives pledged to commit to the seven-point peace plan brokered by the UN in Oman, including ceasefire and the return of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government to the capital, Sanaa.

Dujarric said the UN special envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, who has been trying to end the conflict, welcomed the Houthis' latest statements accepting the resolution.

He said Cheikh Ahmed will be returning to the region on Thursday to try "to gel what is being said into something a little more concrete". He will also seek the support of the government, the Houthis and regional powers for peace talks, Dujarric said.

A UN source, however, told Al Jazeera that he did not expect any breakthrough in Yemen’s crisis in the near future and that the Houthi letter to the UN would not change the situation as long as President AHadi and the Saudi-led coalition backing him reject talks.

The General People's Congress Party on Wednesday called for the start of negotiations on devising an "implementation mechanism" for the UN resolution.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/10/yemen-houthis-peace-plan-151007225858111.html

UNO

(Zur Zustimmung der Huthis siehe oben unter Huthis)

8.10.2015 – American Conservative

Squandering an Opportunity for Peace in Yemen

Predictably, the Hadi government dismissed the [Houthis’] agreement to the U.N. terms as a “maneuver” and appears to have no intention of participating in the talks. The U.S. should still try to pressure the Saudis to change Hadi’s position, but the fact that Hadi remains intransigent presumably reflects the coalition’s preference to continue the campaign. Even so, there is an opportunity here to resume peace talks and potentially halt this most unnecessary and senseless of wars. To make the most of it the U.S. has to use whatever influence it has with its clients to get Hadi to participate in that process. The U.S. should never have been involved in this war, but because it has been supporting for more than six months it is incumbent on the Obama administration to do what it can to repair the damage it has helped to cause.

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/squandering-an-opportunity-for-peace-in-yemen/

8.10.2015 – IRIN

Yemen’s Houthi rebels formally committed this week to a UN-brokered peace plan, but their rival for power, President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, dismissed it simply as a “manoeuvre.”

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s spokesman Stéphane Dujarric described the written pledge to the seven-point scheme, which would see the Houthis withdraw from captured territories and give up arms, as “an important step.”

IRIN canvassed expert opinion about the significance of the move:

Adam Baron, visiting fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations: “I think it remains to be seen how this will unfold. The Houthis and their allies among [backers of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh] have agreed to this – in principle – previously, but they’ve been short on actions to suggest that they mean it.”

“There's no question that some sort of return to the political process is in everyone's interest, particularly as the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate across the country. Still, with distrust among Yemen's various factions at an all time high – in addition to the mammoth amount of arms floating around the country – the task of bringing key factions from the battlefield to the negotiating table is far easier said than done.”

Hisham al-Omeisy, independent Sana’a-based political analyst: “The point everybody is arguing about is whether the Houthis will really commit and fulfill [UN Security Council Resolution 2216, the basis of the plan]. The Houthis have said they will, but the government is pushing for more guarantees.”

Hadi’s recent statements suggest he has “toned down his rhetoric a little bit… the government was caught in a corner, repeatedly insisting on not having talks until the resolution was fulfilled. Now they are caught in an awkward situation … the government is basically prancing around this. They don't want to be seen as being pushed or manhandled.”

“This political jousting and exchanges of words have been going on for some time now, but it doesn't really matter [what happens] here in Sana’a. What matters is what the Saudis say.”

http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-peace-deal-real

5.10.2015 – Notes by Noon

A comparison between the Dutch and Saudi Resolutions in UNHRC on Yemen

Many Human Rights Organizations have decried the latest adopted United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution on Yemen, after Netherland withdrew its draft resolution which was strongly opposed by Saudi Arabia. Although at first glance one would think that both drafts are similar (both available in this link), however a close examination to the points and wording of both shows the difference between them and hence explains why it was opposed by Saudi Arabia.

First, the Dutch draft resolution was under the title “Situation of human rights in Yemen” while the Saudi resolution was entitled “Technical assistance and capacity-building for Yemen in the field of human rights” . The Saudi resolution dilutes the dire human rights situation in Yemen and reduces it to technical and capacity building in a country that is in armed conflict.

Second the preamble of the resolution is the same borrowed from the Dutch version but one paragraph was omitted (paragraph 9): “Aware of reports by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs that the existing humanitarian emergency affects the enjoyment of social and economic rights, and also of the appeal by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator that the parties to the conflict must ensure that humanitarian aid is facilitated and not hindered,”….. why does Saudi Arabia want to downplay and dilute the importance of any reports on the humanitarian situation in Yemen published by UN agencies and the appeal in this regard?

Upon examing each point individually one can notice how the difference in the wording can have an affect on the meaning and therefore the action.

In point (3) Dutch which is (2) Saudi

The Dutch express deep concern at human rights violations “by all parties”, this was omitted in the Saudi resolution.

“including indiscriminate attacks resulting in the killing and injuring of civilians” was omitted from the Saudi draft because it also points to them. There was also a statement on the militias in the Dutch draft.

Dutch point (4) was omitted “Also expresses deep concern at the ongoing armed violence in Yemen, and in particular the recent escalation of violence approaching Sana’a;”

Dutch point (5) calls upon all parties to respect their obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law, to stop immediately attacks on civilians, to ensure humanitarian access to the affected population nationwide, and to allow commercial imports to all Yemeni ports; (underlined phrase was omitted from Saudi text because they are applying the blockade replaced by (3) Saudi “Calls upon all parties in Yemen to respect their obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law to stop immediately attacks on civilians and to ensure humanitarian access to the affected population nationwide”; note the phrase IN YEMEN.

Dutch point (6) which is Saudi (4) has two major omissions. The Dutch version calls on to “ensure an effective investigation, in accordance with international standards” which was omitted from the Saudi text so was the phrase “while securing the viability of that investigation”.

Dutch point (7)” Calls upon all Yemeni parties to enter into a political process in an inclusive, peaceful and democratic way, ensuring that women are part of political and peacemaking processes, also calls upon all Yemeni parties to implement fully the relevant Security Council resolutions, the implementation of which will contribute to the improvement in the human rights situation, and notes that Security Council resolution 2216 (2015) contains specific concerns and/or places particular demands on Saleh- and Houthi-led militias, including to release safely political prisoners and journalists”

which is Saudi point (5) stresses SC resolution 2216 as a basis because it refers to the militias and Saleh and makes it sound the base for the rest of the paragraph while the Dutch stresses first “enter into a political process in an inclusive, peaceful and democratic way, ensuring that women are part of political and peacemaking processes, also calls upon all Yemeni parties to implement fully the relevant Security Council resolutions and notes SC resolution 2216

As such the Saudi text excludes the coalitions role in human rights violations and their role in putting in place a blockade for the past 6 months which has hindered humanitarian assistance and access. Not to mention the credibility and impartiality of the national commission which the Dutch tried to draw attention to, and the call to abide with international law is addressed to the Yemeni parties not the coalition.

http://notesbynoon.blogspot.de/2015/10/a-comparison-between-dutch-and-saudi.html?spref=tw&m=1

Saudi-Arabien

9.10.2015 – Tavernkeepers

The Saudi Arabia scandal that could bring down King Salman?
on September 24, 2015 a stampede during the annual Hajj led to the deaths of at least 1300. The Saudi government was quick cast blame on the pilgrims themselves, claiming that a group of pilgrims from Africa had ignored safety rules and that their actions led to the deaths. The government has now doubled down on the narrative with plans to execute of the surviving pilgrims for causing the incident. According to the Daily al-Diyar of Beirut:

This religious decree will be issued immediately in Mina tomorrow; they will be charged with violating security issues and disobeying orders which claimed the lives of more than 1000 pilgrims and brought disrepute for Saudi authorities.

ABNA goes on to state that King Salman may order the executions to occur by beheading and as soon as tomorrow. If this does in fact happen, it will show just how eager the King is to close the incident. If Zee News of India is right, there is a lot to the story the King wants covered up. Witnesses are reporting that the stampede did not occur due to unruly pilgrims, but instead was caused by the convoy of the king’s son, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who had come to take part in the Hajj.

Meanwhile, the report in the Lebanese daily said that Salman, accompanied by a huge entourage and tight security, arrived at Mina, about 5 kilometres from Mecca, early Thursday.

His presence led to a change in the direction of the movement of the pilgrims, which eventually led to the stampede.

The daily added that Salman and his entourage quickly abandoned the scene and the Saudi authorities are trying to crush the story.

If the rumor’s of Prince Mohammed’s involvement in causing the stampede do not die, especially accompanied by the execution of 18 pilgrims, it could be the proverbial “straw to break the camel’s back.” On September 28, 2015 the UK publication The Guardian reported that members of the ruling family are considering a coup to remove King Salman and Prince Mohammed. An anonymous prince stated in an interview:

http://tavernkeepers.com/the-saudi-arabia-scandal-that-could-bring-down-king-salman/

Kommentar: Nach Mekka zu pilgern ist unter saudischer Herrschaft doppelt gefährlich: Nach dem Tod bei einer Massenpanik kann man auch noch mit dem bei den Saudis so beliebten: Kopf ab! zu Tode kommen.

8.10.2015 – Youtube-Video

WATCH: Imam of the Holy Mosque in Mecca Fires Artillery into Yemen

The Imam of the Holy Mosque in Mecca, one of the most important religious officials in Saudi Arabia, has ceremonially fired Saudi artillery into Yemen.

The worst-case scenario for the Middle East is a regional sectarian war. When a prominent religious authority participates in military propaganda like this, it’s yet another sign that creeping, violent polarization could spread beyond the immediate situation in Yemen

http://www.the-american-interest.com/2015/10/08/watch-imam-of-the-holy-mosque-in-mecca-fires-artillery-into-yemen/ and film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdI53gn7fZI

7.10.2015 – Saudische Botschaft in London

Statement from The Royal Embassy of the Kingdom Saudi Arabia, London

Military operations in Yemen

Recent allegations claim that war crimes have been committed by the coalition in Yemen as a result of the deliberate targeting of civilians. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia firmly denies these allegations. The coalition has not intentionally bombed civilians and any accusation of such intentions is a false claim spread by those who support the rebels attempting to wreak havoc in Yemen.
The Kingdom-led intervention in Yemen began earlier this year in response to requests for assistance from the internationally recognised Yemeni government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who appealed, in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, to a coalition of ten countries, including Saudi Arabia, to help bring peace to Yemen. Hadi made the appeal because Houthi and Saleh forces had chosen the path of aggression. And while Saudi Arabia has continually stated that the solution to the divide in Yemen is political, these same forces have refused to negotiate.
The airstrikes in Yemen ordered and carried out by the coalition were aimed at the Iran-backed Houthi militia in its northern stronghold of Saada. This militia and its supporters had carried out attacks on Saudi territory. Hence, the Kingdom took action to secure its own self-defense by attacking those who had masterminded an offensive against its homeland.
Prior to the airstrikes, Brigadier General Ahmed Assiri advised all Yemenis to stay away from Houthi strongholds for their own safety. All precautions were taken to avoid the death of civilians. Precision weapons were used on targets identified and scrutinised by a multinational council that meticulously vets target coordinates to ensure that they do not include civilians or non-essential military elements.
The report that contains the allegation of war crimes against the coalition is tragically biased. No attempt is made to explain why the conflict had arisen and no references are made to Houthi actions against civilians. No criticism is made of Houthi and Saleh attacks against Saudi clerics and Yemeni villages and towns or the fact that they have repeatedly blocked crucial humanitarian assistance from reaching the Yemeni people. These biases render the report so deceptive and one-sided as to be useless at best and malicious at worst.
As the coalition seeks to restore the legitimate Yemeni government and free the Yemeni people from a rebel scourge, it will do everything in its power to avoid injuring civilians. The coalition's goal is to simply bring peace and order to Yemen. Any accusation that civilians are being intentionally targeted by the coalition is simply propaganda being disseminated by those who are using Yemen as a staging ground for their violent, revolutionary agenda.

http://embassies.mofa.gov.sa/sites/uk/EN/AboutDiplomaticMission/MissionNews/Pages/Royal-Embassy.aspx

Kommentar: Schöne Propaganda. Das Beste:” Prior to the airstrikes, Brigadier General Ahmed Assiri advised all Yemenis to stay away from Houthi strongholds for their own safety.” Wie die Ereignisse zeigen, ist mit “Houthi strongholds” hier das komplette Land gemeint, soweit es von Huthis kontrolliert wird: Alle Städte, Dörfer, das platte Land, alles. „Stay away: Seine Grenze zum Jemen sichert Saudi-Arabien übrigens durch einen Highttech-Grenzzaun ab.

7.10.2015 – Foreign Policy

It’s Time for the United States to Start Worrying About a Saudi Collapse

As if there weren’t already enough problems to worry about in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia might be headed for trouble. From plummeting oil prices to foreign-policy missteps to growing tensions with Iran, a confluence of recent events is mounting to pose some serious challenges for the Saudi regime. If not properly managed, these events could eventually coalesce into a perfect storm that significantly increases the risk of instability within the kingdom, with untold consequences for global oil markets and security in the Middle East.

Here are some of the percolating problems that could throw the country off kilter.

Fissures Within the Royal Family.

The Yemen War. The longer it drags on, the greater the risk that the Saudi intervention against Houthi rebels could become a serious source of internal dissension. In its story on the prince’s letters, the Guardianreported that “many Saudis are sickened by the sight of the Arab world’s richest country pummelling its poorest.” Particular blame is attached to Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who also serves as the kingdom’s defense minister and by all accounts has been the driving force behind the war effort. Tagged with the unofficial nickname “Reckless,” Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been accused of rushing into Yemen without a clear strategy or exit plan, resulting in mounting costs in blood and treasure, an ever-expanding humanitarian crisis, and growing international criticism.

Economic Problems.

[There] is a budget deficit approaching 20 percent, well over $100 billion, requiring the Saudis to deplete their huge foreign exchange reserves at a record rate (about $12 billion per month) while also accelerating bond sales. The Saudis have reportedly liquidated more than $70 billion of their holdings with global asset managers in just the past 6 months.

While there’s no danger that the kingdom will run out of money anytime soon, the longer this trend of large budget deficits, lower oil prices, and declining foreign exchange reserves continues, the more nervous international markets will become — with potential implications for key indicators like credit rating and capital flight.

Hajj tragedy. Two major disasters marred this year’s pilgrimage to Mecca: the collapse of a crane that killed more than 100, followed by a stampedethat left at least 769 dead — with many unofficial counts insisting that the real number trampled could eventually reach the thousands. In the aftermath, the Saudis have been hit by a wave of unprecedented criticism over their management of the hajj. This is serious business, indeed. The House of Saud’s stewardship over Islam’s holiest sites goes to the very core of its claim to run the country. Call into question the royal family’s continued fitness to serve as custodians of Mecca and Medina and you’re quickly calling into question the political and religious legitimacy of the monarchy itself.

Escalating Conflict With Iran.

U.S. Retrenchment. Russia’s dramatic intervention in Syria has underscored a much broader threat now rocking the kingdom: the growing reality that America is abandoning its traditional role as guarantor of Middle East stability. That’s of course very bad news for the Saudis, who have hitched their survival for 70 years to Pax Americana. Now, that U.S.-defended order appears to be unraveling before their eyes. Instead, the new normal is Washington cutting diplomatic deals that promise to embolden the kingdom’s worst enemy in Iran, while protesting meekly as its main geopolitical rival, Russia, seeks to overturn the region’s balance of power. As surely as night follows day, the rapid decline of American power and reliability inevitably leaves Saudi Arabia increasingly exposed and vulnerable.

No one has gotten rich betting on the House of Saud’s early demise. Over the decades, they’ve shown remarkable staying power in the face of political, ideological, and military currents that have swept away lesser regimes. So predicting that the royal family could now be on the cusp of real trouble is a bit of a fool’s errand.

That said, the dangers should be taken seriously. The regional environment that the kingdom faces is perhaps unprecedented in its hostility. The Middle East is collapsing, its state system in free fall. The Arab Spring long ago turned into an Islamist Winter. – by John Hannah

http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/10/07/will-the-united-states-help-if-saudi-arabia-starts-to-fall-apart/

Kommentar: Interessante Analyse, wenn auch die Ausfälle gegen Rußland und Iran und die Behauptung, das Chaos im Nahen Osten wäre entstanden, weil die USA auf aktive Einmischung in der Region verzichtet habe und nun ausgerechnet amerikanische Führung gefragt sei, absurd sind.

7.10.2015 – Bloomberg

Saudis on Hook for Rebuilding Yemen Just When Money Is Tight

Like most of Yemen, the southern port was already poor and run-down before the current civil war. Now, even restoring it to that level of functioning will be a long and expensive task -- and one that may fall to Saudi Arabia, already under financial pressure from the oil slump.

The Saudis and their ally the United Arab Emirates led a coalition that recaptured Aden in July on behalf of Yemen’s government, pushing Shiite Houthi rebels out. Gulf soldiers have been widely greeted as liberators, though they were also the target of a deadly attack on Tuesday. Without a rapid restoration of basic services, any goodwill they enjoy could erode, as it did for the U.S. army in Iraq.

“At this point, Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. sort of ‘own’ Yemen, and Yemeni expectations are high,” said Emile Hokayem, an analyst for the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. Stabilizing government-controlled areas will be “as hard as the military campaign,” and failure will “breed resentment,” he said.

Saudi Arabia is being dragged deeper into Yemen’s conflict, fueling concern that its intervention is turning what had been a predominantly internal war into a broader proxy conflict with regional rival Iran.

The Saudis and U.A.E. do have money -- but not as much as they once did: lower oil prices are pushing Gulf budgets into deficit. Saudi Arabia’s net foreign assets have dropped 10 percent this year as the kingdom dips into its savings, spurring speculation it may abandon a currency peg to the dollar. The U.A.E. has scrapped fuel subsidies for its citizens and is reviewing other perks.

For these countries, Yemen is an “unanticipated expense,” said Graham Griffiths, an analyst at Control Risks in Dubai. “They’ve committed themselves to seeing the conflict through,” and that “limits the room to maneuver they have” to cut spending, he said.

Even if the money is made available, it has to be used effectively. The U.S. spent hundreds of billions of dollars in Iraq after toppling Saddam Hussein in 2003. But the failure to restore security or electricity helped insurgents turn the public against the American military presence – by Glen Carey

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-08/saudis-on-hook-for-rebuilding-yemen-just-when-money-is-tight

7.10.2015 – Middle East Eye

Saudi Hajj disaster: Photos suggest true death toll in thousands

Evidence seen by Middle East Eye contradicts a Hajj death toll of fewer than 1,000 given by Saudi authorities

The number of people killed in Saudi Arabia’s Hajj disaster may be far higher than the 769 quoted by official sources, potentially making it the highest loss of life the annual pilgrimage has ever seen, Middle East Eye can reveal.

We have seen evidence suggesting that at least 2,432 people were killed on 24 September when pilgrims were crushed to death at a crossroads in Mina, inside Mecca and not far from the holy city.

Photos displayed at the Muaism Medical Emergency Centre in Mina, where people are being permitted to search for missing relatives until 30 October, appear to reveal a numbering system of those killed.

A Saudi source travelled to Mina on 30 September and spent four days visiting the centre, where he covertly took photos of what he found and sent them to Middle East Eye, requesting anonymity for fear of being arrested.

This would bring the death toll to at least a potential 2,432 people, which would make it easily the worst disaster ever to hit the annual pilgrimage, surpassing a stampede in 1990 that saw 1,426 pilgrims killed.

The source said that they believed the toll to be significantly more than the potential 2,534, claiming that a large number of people had been transferred to hospitals in the city of Taif, where a list of the dead has not yet been released.

Reports of a death toll in the thousands, rather than the hundreds, chimed with a doctor who worked in the accident and emergency section of a hospital in Mina on the day of the disaster.

The doctor spoke to Middle East Eye on condition of anonymity, saying medical teams at the scene could not believe that only hundreds were killed – by Rori Donaghy and Mary Atkinson

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/photos-suggest-true-saudi-hajj-death-toll-thousands-470867987

6.10.2015 – Daily Mail

Revealed: Saudi Arabia warns Twitter and Facebook 'rumour-mongers' they risk DEATH PENALTY in first ruling of its kind

The rules were announced by a government source to a state-run website. They claimed sites like Facebook and Twitter 'cause confusion in societies'

The punishments will range from a social media ban to the death penalty

It is the first rule of its kind although Saudi law does censor 'mass media'

Saudi Arabia has threatened to execute those who 'spread rumours' about the government on social media, a state-run website has reported.

It is the first time the Gulf nation, which has come under fire for issuing death penalties to protesters, has created a rule to punish ordinary people for what they say on Twitter and Facebook, human rights campaigners Reprieve told MailOnline.

There are already laws and departments to censor mass media in the country, which is known to crush dissidence with capital punishment.

Only the worst 'rumour-mongers' will be executed, while lesser offenders will be punished with lashes, imprisonment, travel bans, house arrest and a social media ban, a Ministry of Justice source is quoted to have said.

In an interview with the Saudi-based Makkah Online website, which was translated for MailOnline by Reprieve, the anonymous source said social media websites 'set the common view alight' and 'cause confusion in societies'.

They said a senior judge would be in charge of sentencing but the kind of post which would warrant a death sentence was not made clear - and there is no precedent because the rule is brand new.

MailOnline has not been able to independently verify these claims.

The director of Reprieve's death penalty team, Maya Foa said the new law is a way for the government to control a young, tech-savvy population.

She said: 'This looks like yet another heavy-handed attempt to crush dissent in Saudi Arabia, especially among the young.' – by Jay Akbar

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3261575/Saudi-Arabia-warns-Twitter-Facebook-rumour-mongers-risk-DEATH-PENALTY-ruling-kind.html

10.9.2015 – Algemeiner

Iranian Media Claims Saudi Arabia Planning Massive New Canal to Bypass Iran-Controlled Strait of Hormuz

Saudi Arabia is planning to build a massive canal through Yemen to bypass the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s semi-official state news agency Fars claimed on Wednesday.

The report cited Sa’ad Ibn Omar, head of the Arab Studies Center in Riyadh, who said, “Studies are underway on the construction of a waterway which starts from a part of Saudi Arabia’s water border in the Khour al-Adid area between the UAE and Qatar and stretches 950 km to the Arabian Sea.”

According to Omar, the purpose of the waterway, to be named the Salman Canal (after Saudi King Salman), is to enable the UAE and Kuwait to bypass the Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz when exporting their oil to other countries.

Omar added that the proposed canal, which is expected to cost $80 billion, would cut in half the current travel time it takes for ships to sail through the Strait of Hormuz.

http://www.algemeiner.com/2015/09/10/report-saudi-arabia-planning-new-canal-to-bypass-iran-controlled-strait-of-hormuz/#

Kommentar: Drei ??? Aber bei den Saudis wäre wohl auch eine solche Idee nicht unmöglich.

Vereinigte Arabische Emirate

9.10.2015 – Khaleej Times

8 reasons why UAE has to liberate Yemen

The UAE's security is linked to that of Yemen. The UAE's role in defending Yemeni territory also means it is defending its own national security, welfare and stability of its people.

The fear of turning Yemen into a subservient state of Iran through its Houthi proxies is just one of the reasons that justifies participation of the UAE in the Saudi-led Arab coalition. Restoring legitimacy as well as security, order and stability to the country is yet another reason.

In order to make people aware of the country's priorities, the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, has lined up a number of lectures to be delivered to students of government schools. The lectures are expected to give them an opportunity to take part in national dialogue and to understand the real reasons behind the coalition.

The UAE's security is linked to that of Yemen. The UAE's role in defending Yemeni territory also means it is defending its own national security, welfare and stability of its people. If Yemen is left to drown in chaos and is allowed to be controlled by terror groups with foreign links, there is a possibility of a spill-over of the trouble into the UAE.

Preserving the Arab identity of Yemen is of utmost importance. If the country is ruled by Houthis, it will be annexed by Iran, which already harbours plans to obliterate the identity of the whole Arab region.

Thirdly, Emirati morals, passed down through generations, have made the country respond to the call of the legitimate Yemeni government and to support brethren of the war-torn country, and protect them. So the UAE took part in the GCC initiative, which has laid down the basics for a peaceful solution to the Yemeni crisis, and also submitted several initiatives to settle the crisis peacefully. But when the Houthis failed to respect any of these, the UAE resorted to military action.

Protection of Arab national security is another reason for being part of the coalition. Yemen is in control of the strategic Bab Al Mandab Strait, through which tankers laden with a large portion of oil meant for export to the world pass. A Houthi control on Yemen can turn the country into an arena of sectarian conflict, and thus inhibit the free sail of these tankers.

Moreover, a Houthi control of Yemen will be a repeat of Lebanon's Hezbollah experience, and turn it into a permanent threat to the GCC countries.

The sixth reason for the UAE joining the coalition is to put an end to the danger of an Iranian expansion in the region. If Iran controls Yemen, it will be encouraged to excert further interfere in the internal affairs of the GCC.

Defending Islamic holy places, and standing hand-in-hand with Saudi Arabia are important to the UAE. Any threat to the kingdom is a direct threat to the UAE.

The eighth reason is preventing Iran from devastating Yemen, as it did in Iraq and Lebanon. Tehran had turned the two states into battlegrounds with the aim of controlling the resources of the two war-torn countries – von Mustafa Al Zarooni

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/general/8-reasons-why-uae-has-to-liberate-yemen

Kommentar: Primitivpropaganda für Dummies mit dem Holzhammer. Das Schönste von mir hervorgehoben.

USA

8.10.2015 – Counterpunch

Why is the US Aiding and Enabling Saudi Arabia’s Genocidal War in Yemen?

Why is the US supporting a war that has achieved little beyond further empowering groups like AQAP and IS?

Yemen and its people are being offered up as a kind of sacrifice for Saudi Arabia’s and the Gulf Cooperation Council’s support for the nuclear arms deal with Iran. Most importantly US support for Saudi Arabia’s war has ensured a steady stream of new weapons orders. US-based arms manufacturers have sold 8 billion USD worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia since it launched ‘Operation Decisive Storm’ six months ago. This is a figure that adds almost ten percent to the 90.4 billion USD worth of weapons that US arms manufacturers have sold to Saudi Arabia since President Obama was elected.

In exchange for tepid Saudi support for the nuclear arms deal with Iran—support that the US does not need given that both Russia and China back the deal—and billions of dollars in weapons sales, the US has turned a blind eye to what can only be called state sanctioned genocide in Yemen. US support for Saudi Arabia’s disastrous war in Yemen is likely to have profound and lasting consequences for not only Yemen but also for the region, and in particular for Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi led war in Yemen was launched on the pretense of re-installing the exiled government of Yemeni President Hadi. The real aim of the war is to destroy Yemen’s Houthi Shi’a rebels which Saudi Arabia views as Iranian proxies. The Houthis are Zaidi Shi’a, a sect which is doctrinally closer to Sunnis than Iran’s Twelver Shi’a. The Houthi movement is deeply rooted in the socio-cultural context of north-west Yemen and while it undoubtedly has a relationship with Iran, it has never been—and likely never will be—an Iranian proxy. The Houthi movement and its leadership are fiercely independent.

Saudi Arabia’s fears about growing Iranian influence in the region have led it and its partners into a war that will consume their blood and treasure for years to come thereby guaranteeing years of healthy profits for US and British arms manufacturers. Yemen’s mountainous terrain and complex political landscape rival those of Afghanistan. The Houthis, while at the other end of the religious spectrum, are comparable to Afghanistan’s Taliban in terms of their capabilities as guerilla fighters. In many respects, they are superior.

By enabling Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, the US is not only ensuring the destruction of Yemen and the empowerment of AQAP and IS, it could also be inadvertently further tipping the balance of power in the Middle East in favor of Iran. The government of Iran can only be delighted as it watches Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates plunge ever deeper into the quagmire that is Yemen. The war, which, if negotiations are not pursued, could go on for years, will only weaken the governments of Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

US support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen has led to the deaths of thousands of civilians and helped erase fifty years of progress in Yemen. As the war grinds on for what could be years, it will produce blowback as significant as that generated by the US’ own ill-conceived invasion of Iraq which altered the balance of power in the Middle East and ultimately spawned the Islamic State. This is undoubtedly welcome news for arms manufacturers – by Michael Horton

http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/10/08/why-is-the-us-aiding-and-enabling-saudi-arabias-genocidal-war-in-yemen/

8.10.2015 – Foreign Policy

Yemen Doesn’t Need the Obama Administration’s ‘Deep Concern’

It needs help ending the war that has led to a humanitarian crisis.

The United States has professed its deep concern for the civilians who are dying and struggling to survive amid the fighting, but at the same time the Obama administration has provided military support to a coalition that has been decimating Yemeni cities and choking off the country’s shipping lanes since late March. This policy conflict is costing innocent lives and must end.

Yemenis were some of the poorest people in the world before the American-backed coalition began its military campaign in March. Now they’re also some of the most desperate.

The responsibility for Yemen’s descent into wanton destruction lies not with the United States, but with Yemen’s government in exile, the Houthis, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and other Yemeni political and military leaders; they are each pursuing their own short-sighted interests at the expense of an equitable and inclusive peace. But thanks to the U.S. government’s deep involvement in what many Yemenis call the “Saudi-American” military campaign, American hands are far from clean.

The destruction caused by the campaign has been shocking, even for the most seasoned humanitarian responders among us. … These, and hundreds of other attacks that critically damaged civilian infrastructure, were met with “deep concern” at the White House, as U.S. forces refueled American-armed Saudi warplanes for another round of airstrikes.

U.S. officials have not been altogether silent as the crisis has unfolded. They have privately sought to facilitate commercial shipments to Yemen and publicly advocated for pauses in the fighting. Late last week, the White House released a statement clarifying that it does not assist in targeting decisions the coalition makes although they do continue to provide targeting support. In practicality, this means that the United States is distancing itself from the decisions that lead to airstrikes although it still continues to supply information and support to the coalition. The careful parsing of the exact nature and definition of U.S. support to the coalition does not change the reality of the airstrikes that do not cease and the senseless loss of life that occurs on a daily basis. Simply put, the U.S. government’s concern for Yemen’s people will ring hollow as long as U.S.-supplied bombs continue to drop.

To truly stand with Yemenis, the Obama administration must adopt a radically different course: withdraw its support to the coalition including the transfer of arms to belligerent parties, publicly demand the free flow of commercial goods into all ports, and rally support at the United Nations Security Council for an immediate, unconditional cease-fire and inclusive political process to bring an end to the war – by Paul O’Brien

http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/10/08/yemen-obama-administration-end-war-humanitarian-crisis/

Kommentar: Wie soll man diesen Artikel einschätzen? Die – sagen wir einmal – Zweidrittel-Weißwaschung der USA ist auf keinen Fall angemessen. Die USA sind von Anfang an massiv in diesen Krieg involviert und damit auch verantwortlich. Die (Mit-)Verantwortung der USA setzt schon lange vor dem Beginn der saudischen Luftangriffe ein.

7.10.2015 – Al Monitor

Senate Democrats hold up arms sales for Saudi war in Yemen

Democrats on a key Senate panel are holding up bomb sales for the Saudi air campaign in Yemen amid growing concerns over the rising death toll, Al-Monitor has learned.

Congress was notified Aug. 19 of the Obama administration's intent to provide Riyadh with thousands of precision-guided munitions. The sale is linked to the administration's effort to placate Gulf countries' concerns about the Iranian nuclear deal, but it has hit a snag with Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who want to see the Saudi-led campaign reeled in.

“What we are concerned about is that there is not a military solution in Yemen,” Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the panel, told Al-Monitor. “What we want to do is get the parties serious about implementing a political solution. We thought we had a clear track to that, and it's off track right now. So we want to get it back on track.”

Cardin described the delay as a fairly routine matter of lawmakers and staff pressing the administration for answers and reassurances. He and others made it clear, however, that senators on the panel, particularly Democrats, have a wide array of concerns they want to see addressed.

“This proposal is receiving a considerable level of congressional scrutiny,” one Senate Democratic aide acknowledged.

A coalition of human rights and arms control groups has been working behind the scenes for weeks to try to get lawmakers to speak up against the Saudi-led air campaign in Yemen, which has been blamed for the deaths of more than 2,300 civilians over the past six months. Their message emerged in public Oct. 6 during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Yemen that saw several Democrats question the wisdom of rearming the Saudis.

“I fear that our failure to strongly advocate diplomacy in Yemen over the past two years, coupled with our failure to urge restraint in the face of the crisis last spring, may put the viability of this critical [US-Saudi] partnership at risk,” said Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass. “The Leahy Law prohibits US security assistance — and many forms of defense cooperation — with forces that have engaged in gross violations of human rights. If reports are accurate, the Saudi indiscriminate targeting in the air campaign and an overly broad naval blockade could well constitute such violations.”

Sale opponents told Al-Monitor that they'd like to see lawmakers introduce a resolution of disapproval against the sale or at least circulate a Dear Colleague letter. While the sale is almost certain to go through eventually, they hope to use it as leverage to win concessions on kick-starting political negotiations with the Houthis and lifting the blockade.

Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., declined to discuss the conversations taking place inside the committee. He did appear, however, to support the sale going through, pointing out that precision-guided munitions could lead to fewer deaths than Saudi reliance on so-called dumb bombs, echoing an argument State Department officials have also been making.

Corker did acknowledge the responsibility that comes with weapons sales. “That's why having a more strategic relationship with them would be important,” he said, “versus us just having a mercantile relationship where we're selling them a lot of arms.”

A number of committee Democrats echoed those sentiments.

“I am generally supportive of the Gulf states taking responsibility for the security of the region,”​ said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the committee's Near East panel. “But that doesn't mean we should write blank checks to our allies in the region when it comes to our support for their military operations

“Providing additional arms to Saudi Arabia would effectively give a green light to an ongoing military campaign that continues to cause immense suffering in Yemen,” said Scott Paul, senior humanitarian policy adviser for Oxfam America. “More than six months after airstrikes began, the Saudi-led coalition has not demonstrated a willingness to agree to engage meaningfully in a political process. With more than four out of every five Yemenis in need of some kind of aid to survive, the US must make crystal clear its desire to see an immediate cease-fire. Selling weapons to Saudi Arabia totally undermines that message.”

Critics of the sale in particular point out that Riyadh has been able to derive extra legitimacy from the US support for its campaign – by Julian Paquet

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/10/saudi-war-yemen-senate-arms-sale.html#

Drohnenkrieg

7.10.2015 – Nachdenkseiten

Terror der Todesengel

Abseits der Öffentlichkeit häufen sich in Afghanistan die Berichte über Drohnen-Angriffe. Das Land ist das am meisten von Drohnen bombardierte Land der Welt. Wer dabei getötet wird, ist oftmals unklar.

Seit 2001 gehören Drohnen-Angriffe zum Alltag des Krieges in Afghanistan. Laut dem „ The Bureau of Investigative Journalism“ (TBIJ), einer in London ansässigen Journalisten-Organisation, ist das Land am Hindukusch das am meisten von Drohnen bombardierte Land der Welt. Allein im Zeitraum 2001 bis 2013 fanden in Afghanistan mindestens 1.670 Drohnen-Angriffe statt – mehr als in jedem anderen Land.

Wie viele Menschen durch diese Angriffe bis jetzt getötet wurden, ist unklar. Vor Kurzem wurde bekannt, dass mindestens 6.000 Menschen Opfer des Drohnen-Krieges wurden. Dank Recherchen von Organisationen wie TBIJ oder Reprieve, einer in Großbritannien ansässigen Menschenrechtsorganisation, wusste man zuvor, dass rund 3.000 dieser Opfer aus Pakistan, dem Jemen und Somalia stammen. Demnach kann man davon ausgehen, dass die 3.000 weiteren Opfer hauptsächlich Afghanistan zuzuordnen sind. Genau sagen kann man das jedoch nicht. Daten aus Afghanistan sind praktisch kaum vorhanden. Es existieren so gut wie keine Zahlen und Namen. Des Weiteren fliegen die Drohnen seit Jahren auch über den Irak und werden seit einiger Zeit auch in Libyen und in Syrien eingesetzt.

Vor wenigen Monaten kam TBIJ zum Schluss, dass lediglich zwölf Prozent der bekannten Drohnen-Opfer tatsächlich militante Kämpfer waren. Nur vier Prozent aller Opfer konnten auf Al-Qaida zurückgeführt werden.

Berichte über Drohnen-Angriffe in Afghanistan häufen sich in letzter Zeit. Vor allem der Osten sowie der Süden des Landes werden von den „Todesengeln“, wie die dortigen Paschtunen die Drohnen nennen, heimgesucht. Allein im Juni sollen um die zwanzig Drohnen-Angriffe stattgefunden haben. Dabei wurden über einhundert Menschen getötet.

„Es ist überhaupt nicht klar, wer bei diesen Angriffen getötet wird. Oft stellt sich erst im Nachhinein heraus, dass jene, die Regierungssprecher oder Medien als getötete Terroristen bezeichnet hatten, einfache Bauern, Jäger oder Nomaden waren“, meint etwa Waheed Mozhdah, ein in Kabul ansässiger politischer Analyst.

Was die Drohnen-Angriffe in den betroffenen Länder bewirken, wird in diesen Tagen deutlich. Im Jemen töteten Drohnen in diesem Jahr mehr Menschen als Al-Qaida. „Der Jemen war um das Zehnfache stabiler, bevor die USA dort vor fünf Jahren ihren Drohnen-Krieg begannen. Und Al-Qaida ist dort heute zehnmal stärker als zuvor“, meint etwa Chris Woods. Diese Ansicht teilen mittlerweile auch hochrangige US-Militärs wie Michael T. Flynn, ehemaliger General der US-Armee und vormaliger Direktor des militärischen Geheimdienstes DIA. „Der Drohnen-Krieg produziert mehr Terroristen als er tötet“, stellte dieser vor Kurzem fest.

Auch in Afghanistan ist diese Einschätzung zur Realität geworden. Vor allem wenn man den jüngsten Erfolg der Taliban – die Eroberung der Provinzhauptstadt des nordafghanischen Kunduz – in Betracht zieht. Nach vierzehn Jahren Besatzung ist der Status Quo in Afghanistan für die westlichen Staaten ein Armutszeugnis. Die Todesengel haben ihren Anteil dazu beigetragen, dass es so weit gekommen ist – und tun das auch weiterhin – von Emran Feroz.

http://www.nachdenkseiten.de/?p=27844

Großbritannien

7.10.2015 – The Guardian

UK-Saudi Arabia: the new special relationship

Arms sales and intelligence-sharing take priority over defending basic human rights

2012, a Shia activist, Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, then aged 17, was arrested. He faces death by crucifixion after being convicted of joining an anti-government demonstration.

Britain’s Ministry of Justice, meanwhile, has bidded for a £5.9m contract to provide prison expertise to the Saudis. The bid was put in by Justice Solutions International, the commercial arm of the MoJ set up by the last justice secretary, Chris Grayling.

Saudi Arabia is Britain’s largest arms market by far. It has sold 72 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to the country in a contract worth an estimated £4.4bn, upgraded Saudi Tornado aircraft (part of the controversial £40bn al-Yamamah contract signed by Margaret Thatcher) in a contract worth an estimated £2.5bn, and upgraded 70 US F15 combat jets in the Saudi air force.

The UK Ministry of Defence has gone out its way to help the Saudis by diverting 500 lb Paveway IV guided bombs originally earmarked for the RAF to Saudi Arabia to enable it to continue striking targets in Yemen and Syria. Paveway bombs are produced by Raytheon UK.

British-made Tornado GR4 ground attack fighters and Typhoons have been playing a major role in Saudi bombing strikes on Yemen where it is fighting Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

The soaring number of civilian casualties in the Saudi-led bombing campaign have provoked widespread criticism.

In a revealing interview on Tuesday with Channel 4’s Jon Snow David Cameron explained Britain’s close relationship with Saudi Arabia. “It’s because we receive from them important intelligence and security information that keeps us safe”, said Cameron. He said the government had raised al-Nimr’s case with Saudi Arabia. He made no mention of the lucrative Saudi market for UK arms sales.

Cameron may avoid the question but the fundamental contradiction between promoting human rights and exporting arms to authoritarian regimes seems to have been finally and openly acknowledged by Britain’s Foreign Office.

Sir Simon McDonald, the most senior official at the FO, has told the Commons foreign affairs committee that human rights was not “not one of our top priorities.”
Human rights no longer had the “profile” within his department that they had “in the past”, he said –– by Richard Norton-Taylor

http://www.theguardian.com/news/defence-and-security-blog/2015/oct/07/uk-saudi-arabia-the-new-special-relationship?CMP=share_btn_tw

Terrorismus

7.10.2015 – NDTV

Arab Coalition Faces New Islamic State Foe in Yemen Conflict

An unprecedented attack on Yemen's government claimed by the Islamic State terrorist group has raised a fresh challenge for the Saudi-led coalition backing the embattled president, analysts say.

IS bombings on Tuesday hit the government's temporary headquarters in the southern city of Aden and military installations used by the coalition which is fighting Shiite Huthi rebels, killing more than 15 people.

"Daesh is trying to expand its space in Yemen by apparently posing as an opponent of the coalition," said Jean-Pierre Filiu, an expert on contemporary Islam, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

The spectacular attacks by IS allow its militants to "differentiate themselves once again from Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula", following its deadly bombings of Shiite mosques in Sanaa, said Filiu, a professor at the School of International Affairs in Paris.

The Soufan Group intelligence consultancy based in New York has said: "The ongoing war in Yemen has been a disaster for almost everyone involved, except the Islamic State.

"The war in Yemen is a perfect laboratory for a terror group seeking regional expansion like the Islamic State."

Experts agree that the IS attacks further complicate the task facing the coalition, which despite seven months of air strikes and the deployment of thousands of troops on the ground has not managed to break the back of the rebels.

The attacks are "likely to spark some debate within the coalition about the direction of policy," said Jane Kinninmont, deputy head of the Middle East programme at London's Chatham House think-tank.

"In reality, these attacks were launched by tribal elements of IS, with old connections to the camp of Saleh," according to Mathieu Guidere, a professor and Middle East specialist at the University of Toulouse in France.

His theory is that Saleh has "reactivated his old connections with those elements to divert the efforts of the coalition towards fighting terrorism".

"If the Saudis fall into this trap and change their priorities by targeting IS, the camp of Saleh and Huthis would win some respite."

So far, the overall Saudi strategy remains unclear, said Neil Partrick from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"Saudi Arabia's lack of clear goals in Yemen is worsening the security vacuum and potentially undermining the kingdom's national security," he said.

http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/arab-coalition-faces-new-islamic-state-foe-in-yemen-conflict-1229476

Kommentar: Wo soll Saleh seine Finger noch drin haben? Absurd die geforderte Konsequenz, ISIS als das kleinere Übel zu betrachten und weiter gewähren zu lassen. So ging schon Syrien vor die Hunde. Aber wenn es im Moment den geostrategischen Interessen der USA dient…

7.10.2015 – American Enterprise Institute

Why yesterday’s bombings in Yemen matter

Security deteriorated rapidly as Yemeni factions—the al Houthis in a marriage of convenience with former President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s network, AQAP, southern secessionists, local tribal militias, et al.—all began carving out areas of influence and as members of what the international community still recognized as the central government escaped house arrest and fled to Aden. Pro-al Houthi forces rapidly pushed southward and threatened the Aden enclave. The first major ISIS attack in Yemen was on March 20. Six days later, an Arab coalition under Saudi leadership began an air campaign. Coalition troops began a ground offensive in mid-July, and (al Houthi-ousted) President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s government returned to Aden at the end of September.

Yes, it’s a factionalized, tribal, intra-Arab battle being fought along sectarian lines. Tempting to write it all off simply as a local nightmare and let God sort it out.

Unfortunately, what yesterday’s bombings in Aden made clear is that while AQAP and ISIS may be technically at odds, and both may be anathema to the United States, neither are in the gunsights of the Arab coalition now targeting Yemen. Those powers, especially the Saudis, are all about killing the al Houthis. Which leaves ISIS and AQAP free to recruit, expand territory, and plan the next attack.

The only question is against whom? – – by Katherine Zimmerman

https://www.aei.org/publication/why-yesterdays-bombings-in-yemen-matter/

7.10.2015 – AFP

Suicide bombing kills 7 in rebel-held Yemen capital

A suicide bombing outside a mosque in Yemen's insurgent-held capital killed seven people, rebel media and witnesses said on Wednesday.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but similar attacks have been carried out in the past by the Sunni extremist group Islamic State, which has targeted Shia Huthi rebels who control Sanaa.

A man wearing an explosives belt blew himself up yesterday evening among a group of Huthi rebels guarding Al-Nour mosque, where both Sunnis and Shias pray in the northwest of the capital, witnesses said.

The attack left "seven citizens dead and wounded three others," the rebel-controlled sabanews.net website reported.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Suicide-bombing-kills-7-in-rebel-held-Yemen-capital/articleshow/49259472.cms

Neue Artikel zum Nachlesen 1-30:

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

http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm

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

Dietrich Klose

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

Dietrich Klose

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