Allgemein / General
11.11.2015 – Vocativ
Despite Weakening Grip, Saudis Hype "Final Phase" Of Yemen War
The kingdom and its allies have failed to make inroads in its months-long blistering air campaign against rebels in Yemen, the Arab world's poorest country
Saudi Arabia’s political leaders are striking a decidedly confident tone about the war they’re leading in Yemen, despite a series of stalled offensives and setbacks that threaten to undermine the military campaign.
Speaking to a group of foreign policy experts and international leaders in Bahrain last week, Adel Al-Jubeir, the kingdom’s foreign minister, claimed that the months-long conflict, which has killed thousands and triggered a humanitarian crisis in the Arab world’s poorest country, was nearing an end.
But the air of confidence is beset by the political and military realities on the ground, analysts say. Despite months of relentless airstrikes and a swelling ground force that now includes troops from Sudan, Eritrea and the United Arab Emirates, as well as local militias, the Saudi-led northern advance across Yemen has stalled. It’s been months since its coalition has managed to seize any major portion of the country. And it appears no closer to making a push toward recapturing Sana’a, Yemen’s capital, which is now under rebel control, than it did in August.
Meanwhile, the coalition’s conquest of the southern port city of Aden, once hailed as a “turning point” in the war, appears to be unraveling. Jihadist groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula have spied an opening there to inflict their own instability.
“Expanding jihadist activity is likely to further reduce Saudi Arabia’s and the UAE’s appetites for relying on their own ground forces, resorting instead to contingents of non-[Gulf Cooperation Council] forces and Yemeni proxies for offensive and security operations,” wrote IHS Jane’s, a defense and intelligence firm, in a report last week.
By contrast, the Houthis, Saudi Arabia’s main target in the conflict, havereportedly retaken parts of southern Yemen they lost over the summer and may soon be in a position to advance on Aden – by Shane Dixon Kavanough
http://www.vocativ.com/news/248958/despite-weakening-grip-saudis-hype-final-phase-of-yemen-war/
Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian Situation
11.11.2015 – The Migrationist
YEMEN’S WATER COLLAPSE: THE IMPENDING ARABIAN HUMAN MIGRATION CRISIS
Water is an often-overlooked component of the current security crisis in Yemen. As the current Saudi Arabian air strike campaign drags on, a pressing long-term challenge looms deep beneath Yemeni soil. Mired by immense poverty and thirty years of political instability, Yemen has endured an unprecedented water crisis over the past forty years. Water and food shortages are common around the capital, Sana’a, a city of over 4 million, and 84% of Yemenis are water insecure, problematic in a nation where nearly 45% of freshwater sources are allocated to a profitable narcotic, qat. Limited government oversight over water usage has led to the formation of illegal wells and water cartels that further deplete meager supplies. Already, Yemenis allocate up to 30% of their annual income towards water, and half of the population lives on less than $2 USD a day. It is estimated that 169% of the nation’s renewable water supply is withdrawn each year, outpacing natural replenishment rates amidst one of the worst water crises in the world. This could have potentially catastrophic consequences for its two major urban centers, Sana’a and Aden, which must accommodate most of the nation’s burgeoning population growth of 4.2% a year.
As early as 2017, Sana’a may officially run out of water. Given consumption trends, the rest of the nation may follow, especially given long-term climatic shifts that render Yemen more susceptible to periods of drought and low levels of precipitation. Drought has sparked communities to move into urban areas, as crops are difficult to grow with a lack of water supply and subsidy trends; climate change is projected to only make droughts longer and more severe. Severe natural disasters correlated to warming waters in the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf may give rise to such events as cyclones and tropical storms. The extreme loss of water retention in the soil makes it unable to hold water, causing extreme flooding and destroying fragile infrastructure. As a measure of last resort, individuals consume contaminated sources that pose a significant risk in water borne diseases, including cholera, dengue fever and malaria. Threats emanating from extreme water insecurity, coupled with severe food insecurity, create inhospitable conditions that are not conducive to sustaining human life; anthropogenic climate change will only exacerbate this environmental catastrophe.
Consequentially, extreme water insecurity may have a profound effect on human migration patterns in the Arab Gulf, particularly Saudi Arabia.
Humans cannot survive without water. The impending collapse in Yemen’s water supply has dire consequences for the lives of 25 million individuals residing south of the Saudi Arabian border. It is well within human nature to seek out such vital opportunities for survival. An environmental catastrophe in Yemen poses a significant risk of a crisis that could rival migration out of Syria; with impending projections of climate change on arid climates, a waterless Yemen is a very real consequence of such alterations in environment. Thus, it is the responsibility of Yemen’s neighbors to work towards developing sustainable solutions. Simple water catchment systems, implementation of local governance of groundwater resources and agricultural subsidies for crucial crops are steps that can taken to mitigate a potential human migration crisis and protect the regional security of the entire Arab Gulf – by Adela Jones
Kommentar: Vielleicht einmal noch schlimmer als der Krieg? In Saada war der Grundwasserspiegel bereits vor 12 Jahren von ursprünglich 12 bis auf 300 m gefallen.
11.11.2015 – Yemen News Today
The death toll of civilians in Yemen, due to conflict, treatable disease, and starvation caused by the aerial bombardment and the blockade, is much larger than the official death toll. The dead are only counted if they get to hospital - who takes bits of corpses to hospital for a death certificate - when you have no petrol to get you there? And who is counting those who are dying of disease in this hell that is Yemen today.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1051676244984866
11.11.2015 – Sputnik News
Yemen hospitals ‘deliberately’ targeted in 100 attacks since March – ICRC
Medical facilities in war-torn Yemen are being ‘deliberately’ attacked, with some 100 incidents reported since the Saudi-led coalition began airstrikes in March, the International Committee of the Red Cross said, calling on all sides to cease hostilities.
“Close to a hundred ...incidents have been reported since March 2015,” the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said in a statement, condemning the shelling of the Al-Thawra medical hospital in Taez on Sunday. According to the NGO, one of the city’s main hospitals that catered for around 50 patients was reportedly shelled several times.
https://www.rt.com/news/321522-yemen-hospitals-deliberately-targeted/
10.11.2015 – Yemen News Today
Just a simple question referring to the article by ICRC on the situation at Taiz linked to in Press Reader 47.
I don't understand why the coalition can drop weapons to Taiz, but can't drop medical equipment.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1050989208386903
Kommentar: Das zeigt eben die Prioritäten der Saudis.
Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
11.11.2015 – South Front
YEMEN MAP OF WAR – NOV. 11, 2015
The past week has seen massive gains by the Houthi alliance in southwestern areas of Saudi Arabia and recovery of many of the districts lost in the south of Yemen, northeast of Aden. What will the Saudi coalition priority be: recover one of their cities in the Kingdom now occupied by the Houthi alliance or try to hold Aden against a determined attack?
Day for day Nov. 5 to Nov. 10 – by Akram Abu Abs
http://southfront.org/yemen-map-of-war-nov-11-2015/
11.11.2015 – Geo TV
13 rebels killed in south ambush by Yemen loyalists
Pro-government forces on Wednesday killed 13 rebel fighters in an ambush in Yemen´s south after the insurgents took back several positions in the area, a military source said.
The Huthi rebels were travelling in two military vehicles south of Damt, the Daleh province´s second-largest city, which they and their allies recaptured on Saturday.
Forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi attacked them with rocket-propelled grenades and machineguns, the source said.
The loyalists, backed by Saudi-led coalition strikes, supplies and troops, pushed the rebels out of Daleh and four other southern provinces in July.
But the rebels this weekend recaptured several positions in the south.
Battles continued in the area Wednesday as the rebels were trying to advance on Daleh´s provincial capital, which carries the same name, the military source told AFP.
Other fighting flared in Al-Madaribah on the border between the neighbouring Lahj and Taez provinces, leaving five rebels and three loyalist fighters dead over the past 24 hours, military sources said.
The coalition, formed in March to halt the rebels´ advance across Yemen, has dispatched military reinforcements to Al-Madaribah to prevent it falling to rebel hands, the sources said.
Late Tuesday rebels fired Katyusha rockets at regional military headquarters held by loyalist troops in the oil-rich Marib province east of the capital Sanaa without causing casualties, a military source there said.
http://www.geo.tv/article-203837-13-rebels-killed-in-south-ambush-by-Yemen-loyalists
11.11.2015 – Emirates 24 7
Coalition forces set to seize Red Sea islands off Yemen
Coalition will land troops on islands to seize Al Hudaydah port
Arab coalition forces have completed military preparations to seize a number of Red Sea Island off Yemen’s coast to cut off weapons supply routes ahead of an offensive to fully control the Western port of Al Hudaydah.
The Saudi-dominated coalition, fighting to end an Iranian-backed coup and reinstate the legitimate government, is expected shortly to land troops on those islands to eject the Houthis and their allies and take full control of them.
“The move is intended to secure all the islands in that area to besiege Al Hudaydah port and prevent Iran from smuggling weapons to the rebels,” the Dubai-based Arabic language daily ‘Al Bayan’ said, quoting military sources in Yemen.
It said Houthi spokesman Sharif Lukman admitted that coalition troops have advanced on the Western coast in a bid to seize Al Hudaydah and the nearby Taiz province
Albayan quoted the sources as saying the Houthis and their allies have started to move heavy weapons and anti-aircraft guns to the hills overlooking Al Hudaydah port to counter an imminent coalition offensive, backed by the national army and resistance.
“The rebels have moved heavy weapons to that area. It seems that they intend to shell Al Hudaydah after it is liberated since the seizure of this pot city will cut off the weapons supplies to the rebels in Taiz,” one source said.
Commentary: This maybe explains why they killed Yemeni fishermen in cold blood just a few weeks ago.
10.11.2015 – Aviation Week
UAE Officials Lift Lid on Yemeni Operations
Emirati defense officials have lifted the lid on the country’s support to the Saudi Arabian-led coalition operation in Yemen.
Major General Ibrahim Naser Al Alawi, the commander of the United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF), told delegates at the Dubai International Air Chiefs Conference on Nov. 7 that UAEAF aircraft had now flown some 40,000 flight hours in support of the ongoing operation in Yemen, with operating from six locations in Saudi Arabia and inside Yemen.
“None of this would have been possible without a professional fighting force,” Al-Alawi told air chiefs.
Officials were unwilling to answer further questions on the ongoing operation which began in March with airstrikes on the Houthi rebels who had deposed president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.
The UAE is reported to have a large involvement in the Yemen operation. Air assets involved are known to include around 10-15 F-16E/F Fighting Falcons, and UAEAFAirbus A330 Multi-Role tanker transports as well as the C-17 and C-130 airlifters. Recent TV images from Al-Anad air base near Aden showed UAEAF Iomax AT-802 Border Patrol Aircraft being flown by Yemeni pilots suggesting they had been gifted to that country. The same images also showed UAE Bell 407MRHs operating from the same location – by Tony Osborne
http://aviationweek.com/dubai-air-show-2015/uae-officials-lift-lid-yemeni-operations
10.11.2015 – Aviation Week
UAE Puts Airborne C2 Back On The Agenda
The United Arab Emirates Air Force's (UAEAF) plan to introduce a new fleet of airborne early warning and control aircraft is part of a push to enhance the air and missile defense capability of the Gulf state.
Recent operations in which the UAE had played a role as part of a wider coalition has driven the country to invest in more capable command and control capabilities.
Brigadier General Staff Pilot Rashed Al-Shamsi, the commander of the Khalifa Bin Zayed Air College, told delegates at the Dubai International Air Chiefs Conference on Nov. 7 - before the new Global Express platforms were ordered on the second day of the Dubai Airshow - that the new C2 platforms would “provide more overhead surveillance and share early warning capabilities,” and “allow for a rapid flow through of information for sensor to shooter.”
Al-Shamsi said the UAE was also investing in a new air operations center that would “serve as the hub for linking together advanced tactical and operational capabilities.”
The air arm has also opened what Al-Shamsi called the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Center of Excellence (IAMDC), part of an “aggressive step” towards the training preparation for emerging ballistic missile threats in the region. The IAMDC has been developed as a result of the UAEAF’s experience with the Advanced Tactical Leadership Course (ATLC), a large-scale air exercise held in the UAE with regional and international air forces including the U.S. and U.K. air arms.
“The long term goal of IAMDC is to use a multilateral approach and co-operation exercise and training with regional partners like with the ATLC,” said Al-Shamsi.
The center will pave the way for new missile defense programs including the planned Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD) system which is expected to be delivered to the UAE shortly. THAAD would allow the formation of a multi-layered missile defense capability in conjunction with in-service systems including Patriot and Hawk.
“These systems will provide the UAE with a more timely and upper and lower tier response capability,” Al-Shamsi said – by Tony Osborne
http://aviationweek.com/dubai-air-show-2015/uae-puts-airborne-c2-back-agenda
Südjemen / Southern Yemen
11.11.2015 – Dubai 92
Arab coalition disarms hundreds of landmines in Yemen
Arab coalition forces in Yemen have intensified operations to clear residential neighbourhoods, streets and markets of land mines planted by Houthi rebels.
The militia, backed by the deposed president Ali Abdullah Saleh, planted the devices in villages along the southern provinces of Yemen.
In a single month, there have been 100 deaths and 225 injuries as a result of the land mines being set off.
Coalition forces have already removed and disarmed hundreds of explosive devices across the country.
http://dubai92.com/arab-coalition-disarms-hundreds-of-landmines-in-yemen/
10.11.2015 – Yemen Post
LOOTING in Aden: Militants loot government institutions & buildings as city gradually turns lawless
https://twitter.com/YemenPostNews/status/664124046842400768
UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
11.11.2015 – Middle East Monitor
The UN solution in Yemen
The UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, has said that the conditions for the political solution in the country are in place. Hence, he seems to be optimistic about a meeting being held soon between the rivalling Yemeni parties, face to face, at the same negotiation table. Given the complications of the situation in Yemen, his optimism seems cautious and his calculations careful. This is because the fierceness of the fighting is growing the longer that the war goes on, and the humanitarian crises are increasing, with the majority of the Yemeni people on the verge of starvation and disease.
Ould Cheikh Ahmed’s optimism is supported by a number of elements that would make a political solution more likely than the continuation of the war. The first is the exhaustion of those who are fighting on both sides. Despite the fact that the legitimate government has some tangible achievements and victories against the Houthis and forces loyal to the ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh, it still finds it hard to make any progress on the ground. If it were not for the military and financial support provided by some Gulf countries, mainly Saudi Arabia, the achievements on the ground would have been modest. Since these countries are strongly committed to supporting Yemeni legitimacy, they would prefer the Yemenis to reach a solution that would stop the bloodshed from which all sides are suffering.
As for the rebel camp, the picture is disastrous, as the Houthis and Saleh’s troops appear to be on a suicide mission reaping neither military nor political fruits. Instead, it translates into daily human and economic losses as well as discord within the ranks. Hence, they are also leaning towards a face-saving solution which gives them a role in any future political arrangements. There is no doubt that they believe that the foundations for the upcoming meeting in Geneva set by Ould Cheikh Ahmed are very suitable, because they have given the other parties the chance to put their cards on the negotiations table without any pre-conditions. The UN will provide an atmosphere that will help absorb the tension, and it is working hard to avoid a repeat of the last Geneva conference, the organisation of which was characterised by haste and improvisation. This led to a catastrophic failure and further exacerbated the crisis.
The second element providing cause for optimism is the rebels’ agreement to implement UN resolution 2216. In an exclusive interview with Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Ould Cheikh Ahmed confirmed that he received a promise from both sides that they would uphold the terms of the resolution as a part of a comprehensive deal, to include accepting observers of a ceasefire.
The third element boils down to the alignment of the positions of the international and regional parties and their discussion of the formulation of the solution. In this regard, we can take a look at the Iranian position in general, as there are many indicators that Tehran is on the verge of giving in and accepting defeat – by Basheer Al-Baker
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/articles/middle-east/22203-the-un-solution-in-yemen
Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
11.1.2015 – Yemen News Today
Saudi Arabia is about to donate $244 million to Yemen. That is about $10 dollars for one day for each of the people living in Yemen. What good is that going to do for God's sake? 25 million people - many without homes, the majority without adequate water, without adequate food, without cooking fuel, without hospitals, without medicines, without work, without means of transport, without money, without hope due to this war. This paltry sum is an insult to Yemenis who have suffered at the hands of Saudi and for over 8 months.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1051670188318805
Vereinigte Arabische Emirate / United Arab Emirates
10.11.2015 – Al Araby
The Yemen war and the UAE's charm offensive
This weekend, Emirati soldiers were welcomed home from missions in Yemen. But the campaign is being held up as the UAE's mission to stabilise the Gulf against outside forces.
In a broader view, the expedition is a way of the UAE affirming its position as a "force for good" on the Arabian Peninsula, and committed to stability in the region.
UAE military leaders have been quick to declare the success of the Gulf-Arab military force in Yemen, despite a stalemate in the ground offensive around Taiz and conceding ground in other parts of the country.
Still, it is claimed that 70 percent of Yemen has now been "liberated" from an alliance of Shia-Zaydi Houthi fighters and soldiers loyal to ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
For those who dismissed the UAE and Gulf militaries as expensive but ineffective armies, the GCC ground offensive - known as Operation Golden Arrow - has been suprisingly effective.
What many analysts say is clear is that there is no quick or easy victory in sight for the coalition forces in Yemen.
So far, the UAE army has proven to be one of the Gulf's most effective military forces, said Michael Stephens, research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.
It is why there is a glowing sense of pride in the armed forces' performance at home, and a growing sense of militarism is said to be palpable since the Yemen campaign began.
Authorities have been careful to portray the war in Yemen as an "existential battle" that the UAE has been forced to face up to, Stephens said.
Media and propaganada has been directed at portraying the UAE as a force committed to "freedom and security" in the Arabian Peninsula.
The Emirates have also introduced conscription, which has been widely backed by men and women in the country.
The UAE and its Gulf allies appear proud to show the world that they are capable of fighting without direct Western support, and soldiers look primed for future overseas operations.
Their rival, Iran - and now Russia - have become entrenched in Syria and Iraq's wars propping up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and aiding Shia militias in Iraq, while the US has stood aside.
An end to sanctions and subsequent rapprochment with the West will undoubtedly extend Tehran's influence in the region.
Stephens said that the message the UAE wants to send to Iran with its Yemen campaign is that the Gulf would be happy to intervene in the region to protect its interests.
When they first intervened in Yemen they might have also been telling Assad "watch out, you're next" - until Russian military intervention made this unlikely.
All-in-all, the parade laid on for the UAE's returning soldiers fitted the narrative that times are changing and the Gulf is united and ready to respond to any threats from Tehran.
"The way it has been covered and held shows a strong nationalistic tint," said Stephens. "And clearly there is a sense that the soldiers have been serving a just cause. They were saying what the UAE is doing is moral and this is liberation rather than interference overseas."
The heroes' welcome also shows a maternalistic side of government, taking care of its soldiers, as the summer offensive grinds to a halt and generals prepare their soldiers to "dig in".
"There needs to be momentum behind the campaign as it is going to be long war," the analyst added.
So far, it appears that most Emiratis are behind the war, but if heavy casualties occur - such as the repeat of the Marib rocket attack which killed 45 Emirati soldiers - then support might wane.
There is also the challenge of justifying high military spending while oil prices remain low, and cuts in other quarters might have to be made.
Unity at home has been assured for now, but divisions are said to be emerging between the coalition's two principle allies, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh spearheaded the campaign against the Houthis and takes a lead in the air offensive, while the UAE is more committed to the ground war.
While it is not clear how many Emirati soldiers are in Yemen, Stephens believes that the UAE could have committed up to 1,500 soldiers, making up the bulk of the coalition's ground forces.
Abu Dhabi's strategic interests diverge from Riyadh's and a long campaign could see this lead to wider divisions in the coalition, although a public spat would be unlikely.
The UAE has directed military matters in Yemen hand-in-hand with a relatively successful public relations campaign, showing aid handed out to Yemeni civilians - even those in Houthi-held Sanaa.
Abu Dhabi also looks more committed to finding a political solution to the conflict than Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia remains fearful of the Zaydi-Shia Houthi rebels on its southern border, as well as any possible Iranian interference in the Gulf, and is hugely distrustful of its former ally Saleh.
In brief, Riyadh's motives appear political and ideological, while the UAE appears a more pragmatic partner.
"The Yemen war is massively complex and there are so many different factions that the Gulf states have to deal with," said Stevens.
There will have to be an element of diplomatic flair and policing of occupied areas if the Gulf forces want to minimise any potential fallout from the myriad of forces jostling for control of Yemen.
This includes managing Yemeni nationalists and southern seperatists; al-Qaeda militants and Muslim Brotherhood-alligned politicians; conservative tribal leaders against old school socialists.
Meanwhile, there is the very real threat that the Islamic State group could profit from a power vacuum, poverty, and lawlessness. "The narrative still is that the Emiratis have gone in to liberate the country and free it from Iranian-backed tyranny. They say they are trying to rebuild the country and bring prosperity to Yemen," said Stephens.
"I think that the line being taken is this - if you side with the UAE, then good things will happen." – by Paul McLoughlin
http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/11/10/the-yemen-war-and-the-uaes-charm-offensive
USA
10.11.2015 – Daily Kos
U.S. complicit in war crimes in Yemen
The United States has found itself in bed with a lot of revolting characters in the past 14 years of Global War Against Evil.
Whether it is our Warlord/Drug Lord allies in Afghanistan, our Shia jihadist allies in Iraq, or our Sunni jihadist allies in Syria.
However, our involvement in the Saudi-led coalition war against Yemen is possibly be the worst War Of Choice yet.
Human rights groups have warned about war crimes and the continued humanitarian calamity in Yemen
Complicit in the growing humanitarian disaster is the United States and its unchecked arms sales to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies. The Barack Obama administration agreed to transfer more than $64 billion in weapons and services to members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) during its first five years...
On top of the weapon sales, the U.S. provides "logistical and intelligence support to GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council]-led military operations.” So in other words, we do everything but drop the bombs, and it doesn't stop there.
On Sept. 30, the Obama Administration reportedly helped defeat a Dutch proposal for an independent U.N. inquiry into the war crimes being committed in Yemen. This matters because there is a law against giving military assistance to foreign forces who commit human rights abuses.
Let's not forget the Saudi-led naval embargo which has delayed the imports of food into a nation that imports 90% of its grains, threatening famine upon tens of millions of people.
The biggest benefactors of this war and chaos has been al-Qaeda, which now controls the provincial capital of Mukalla and large part of the southern capital of Aden. The jihadists have become very well-armed.
Security officials said al-Qaida and other extremist Islamic groups in Aden obtained more than 55 armored vehicles, 22 tanks, anti-aircraft missiles and large amounts of other weapons during the fighting and hid them underground and in fields.
The Saudis have not turned a blind eye to the rise of al-Qaeda in Yemen, they've been an active partner of al-Qaeda.
Saudi Arabia's alignment with "terrorist" groups in Yemen was highlighted in June when the Saudi-backed exiled Yemeni government of Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi sent Abdel-Wahab Humayqani to Geneva as one of its delegates in the failed UN-sponsored roundtable talks. In December 2013, the U.S. Treasury Department designated Humayqani a "Specifically Designated Global Terrorist," having allegedly served as a recruiter and financier for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and having orchestrated a car bombing in March 2012 that targeted a Yemeni Republican Guard base, killing seven....
The de facto partnership between Riyadh and AQAP is made further evident by the fact that the Saudi-led military coalition has entirely avoided bombing AQAP targets, despite its aggressive bombing of other territories under Houthi control.
It seems crazy that we are giving indirect help to al-Qaeda in Yemen through Saudi Arabia, while it commits war crimes.
And yet that still isn't the end of it, because it could still get much worse.
Just weeks after the UN said Eritrean soldiers may be on the ground in Yemen, Sudan has reportedly sent hundreds of additional troops to fight for the Saudi-led coalition.
The apparent arrival of reinforcements from Saudi Arabia's unsavory allies — both Eritrea and Sudan have dismal human rights records — not only has the potential to plunge Yemen even deeper into chaos, but it puts the United States, a de facto member of the coalition, in the extremely awkward position of backing a side that includes fighters from at least one nation that it has repeatedly criticized for committing atrocities....
The monitoring group found that Eritrea's reported compensation, including money and fuel supplies, would violate a 2009 Security Council resolution that imposed an arms embargo on the country and financial sanctions and travel bands on its leaders – by gjohnsit
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/11/10/1448386/-U-S-complicit-in-war-crimes-in-Yemen
11.11.2015 – Fox News
Mystery surrounds death of American contractor detained in Yemen
The State Department said Tuesday that an American contractor had died in Yemen weeks after being detained in that war-torn country.
State Department spokesman William Cocks confirmed the death of John Hamen Tuesday, but did not provide a cause of death. A statement provided to the Cincinnati Enquirer said that further details were not being made available "out of respect for the privacy of Mr. Hamen’s family."
The Enquirer reported that Hamen's wife Jen posted on Facebook that she was told of her husband's death on Friday afternoon by "a few people from different agencies." Her post said that Hamen had "died while in detainment and then was taken to a hospital."
"Our family is heartbroken right now," Jen Hamen continued. "I have lost the love of my life, my best friend, and my 7 kids have lost the best dad ever!"
John Hamen was detained Oct. 20 after arriving in the conflict-ravaged Arab country on a U.N. aircraft last month, according to his wife's post. He was working for a company that manages U.N. facilities in the capital, Sanaa, which is controlled by Shiite Houthi rebels.
A native of Ohio who lived with his family in Virgina, Hamen was an Army veteran who most recently served as a Joint Training Team Communications Observer at the U.S. Special Operations Command Air Force Base in Florida, according to his Linkedin page. He left that position in February 2012.
Michael Bruns, a childhood friend of Hamen's told the Enquirer that Hamen will be buried with full honors at Arlington National Cemetery
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/11/11/mystery-surrounds-death-american-contractor-detained-in-yemen/ see also http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/american-held-houthi-rebels-yemen-dies-n460941
10.11.2015 – Vice News
An American Citizen Has Died in Custody in Yemen — And No One Knows What Happened
Hamen's Linkedin profile lists his profession as "Diplomatic Support." The Cincinnati, Ohio, native's profile says he previously served as a master sergeant in the US army, worked as a communications observer and trainer at US Special Operations Command, and was a member of the group Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans. Among the top skills listed on his profile are "Security Clearance" and "Top Secret."
A GoFundme crowdsourcing page set up by his family said Hamen was the father of seven children and died "2 weeks, 3 days" after being detained. That would indicate he passed away late last week . The page also referenced stories that "falsely accused" Hamen of "being a CIA agent or spy." – by Samuel Oakford
10.11.2015 – Daily Mail
American army vet and father-of-seven dies at the hands of Yemeni rebels who kidnapped him from the country's airport
John Hamen, from Chesapeake, Virginia, was detained on October 20
Was held by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital city of Sanaa
Last week wife, Jen, was told that he had died while being held prisoner
State Department confirmed the death, but did not release further details
A former U.S. Army master sergeant working as a contractor in Yemen has died two weeks after being detained by rebel forces in the country's capital Sanaa, the State Department has confirmed.
John Hamen, a father-of-seven from Chesapeake, Virginia, died in detention last Friday after being stopped at the country's airport on October 20, according to a Facebook post from his wife, Jen.
The State Department confirmed Mr Hamen's death, though gave no further details on how it happened 'out of respect for the privacy of Mr Hamen’s family'.
'Yesterday around 5.30pm a few people from different agencies came to our home to notify us that John had died while in detainment and then was taken to a hospital.
'His body will arrive in Dover [Air Force Base in Delaware] in less than 48 hours. I plan to post any further details here.
'I am sorry that I was not able to call many of his friends, but his phone and laptop were with him when he was detained and I do not have any of his contacts.
'Our family is heartbroken right now, I have lost the love of my life, my best friend, and my seven kids have lost the best dad ever.'
According to a previous CBS article, which was reposted by the family on a GoFundMe page for Hamen, he was working at the U.N. based in Sanaa, located inside the U.S. embassy.
While he was not contracted directly to the U.N., he was reported to be working for a company that manages the facilities the organization uses inside Yemen.
On Hamen's LinkedIn page, his most recent role is described as a Special Operations Forces joint training team – by Chris Pleasance
Kommentar: Die vollen Hintergründe der Geschichte hier: http://www.moonofalabama.org/2015/11/yemen-un-help-for-us-spies-endangers-its-employees.html. Es ist sehr dubios, was dieser Mann jetzt im Jemen zu tun hatte. Dass er jetzt auf dem Heldenfriedhof in Arlington beerdigt wird, sagt schon aus, dass er wohl entschieden mehr war als er zu sein vorgab. Auffällig, typisch für westliche Medien: Die Nachricht von Hamens Tod findet große Aufmerksamkeit, wird von vielen Medien gebracht. Hier mit Menschlich-Familiärem vermischt. Der Tod von 100 Jemeniten – vor allem, wenn die eigenen Verbündeten sie auf dem Gewissen haben, wird nicht beachtet. Das Typische: 1 Amerikaner ist soviel wert wie 1000 Araber, von den Medien bekommen wir das täglich vorgeführt.
Großbritannien / Great Britain
11.10.2015 – Huffington Post
Philip Hammond: I Want Us To Sell More Weapons To Saudi Arabia Even Though They Are Being Used In Yemen
Philip Hammond wants more UK trade with Saudi Arabia, despite calling for a “proper investigation” into claims of breaches of international humanitarian law by the Middle East country in Yemen.
Speaking on BBC’s Newsnight this evening, the Foreign Secretary admitted some UK-made weapons are being used by the Saudi’s in its intervention in the ongoing Yemeni civil war.
Last month, a coalition of countries led by the Netherlands tried to get the United Nations to conduct an investigation into allegations of war crimes by Saudi Arabia and groups it is backing in the conflict.
The plan was dropped after opposition from Saudi Arabia and its allies.
In an interview with Newsnight, Mr Hammond was asked if he would like to see the current £5.4billion of weapons trade with Saudi Arabia increase.
He replied: “We’d always like to do more business, more British exports, more British jobs and in this case very high end engineering jobs protected and created by our diplomacy abroad.”
When quizzed about how those weapons were being used, Mr Hammond said: “I know that some of them are being used in Yemen, that doesn’t fall foul of the export licensing criteria.
“It would be hypocritical to think we could have a large defence industry exporting weapons systems and that they never get used.
“What matters is they are used legally in compliance with international humanitarian law and we monitor that very carefully.”
He added: “Those weapons are being used in Yemen, the important thing is they are being used legally in an international armed conflict. There have been accusations of breaches of international humanitarian law. We regularly intervene with the Saudi’s to encourage them to be transparent with us.”
Mr Hammond said he raised concerns over the Saudi’s actions in Yemen with the country’s leaders last month, and that: “The Saudi’s deny there has been any breaches of international humanitarian law.
“Obviously that denial alone is not enough, we need to see proper investigations, we need to work with the Saudi’s to establish that international humanitarian law has been complied with.
“We have an export licensing system that responds if we find that’s it not. If we then find we cannot licence additional shipments of weapons.” – by Owen Bennett
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/11/10/philip-hammond-saudi-arabia-weapons_n_8526880.html
Kommentar: Gibt im Wesentlichen noch einmal Hammonds Aussagen wieder. Das Beste und die prägnanteste Kurzinterpretation ist die Überschrift!
11.10.2015 – Amnesty International
Arms to Saudi Arabia: Philip Hammond's remarks on Yemen investigation are 'grossly inadequate'
‘We need an independent investigation into whether UK arms supplied to Saudi Arabia have been used to commit appalling attacks on civilians in Yemen’ - Kate Allen
Amnesty writing to Mr Hammond to establish nature of investigations
Amnesty International has warned that recent comments from the Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond about investigating whether weapons supplied by the UK to Saudi Arabia have been used to commit war crimes and other breaches of international humanitarian law in the conflict in Yemen are “grossly misleading”.
Speaking on the BBC Newsnight programme last night, Mr Hammond said that there need to be “proper investigations” into whether weapons supplied to Saudi Arabia have been misused in Yemen, adding that “we need to work with the Saudis to establish that international humanitarian law has been complied with.” The Foreign Secretary also remarked: “We regularly intervene with the Saudis to encourage them to be transparent with us.”
However, Amnesty has called for the UK to immediately suspend arms exports to Saudi Arabia where there is a risk that the weapons could be used to commit human rights abuses in Yemen. Amnesty is insisting that, rather than apparently relying on Saudi Arabia to conduct its own investigation, the UK should conduct its own rigorous investigation into how weapons supplied to Riyadh have been used in Yemen.
Amnesty is writing to Mr Hammond urging him to act quickly, with the organisation laying out the necessary investigatory measures the government should undertake.
Since the conflict in Yemen began eight months ago, more than 2,000 civilian - including at least 400 children - have been killed, and the vast majority of civilian deaths and injuries have been caused by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition’s often reckless and indiscriminate aerial bombing campaign.
The UK is a major supplier of arms and other military equipment to Saudi Arabia, and Amnesty has repeatedly drawn UK officials’ attention to the Saudi-led military coalition’s appalling disregard for civilian lives in Yemen. Last month, the Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood acknowledged that weapons supplied by the UK to Saudi Arabia had “probably” been used in the conflict in Yemen, a reaction that Amnesty criticised as “far too relaxed”. UK ministers have repeatedly said that they relied on Saudi Arabia’s own “assurances” over the proper use of UK-supplied weapons by its forces in Yemen.
In an apparent change of policy, Mr Hammond’s said during his Newsnight interview that Saudi denials that UK-supplied weapons had been misused in Yemen were “not enough”.
Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said:
“Philip Hammond’s remarks about ‘investigations’ over Saudi war crimes in Yemen are grossly inadequate.
“We need an independent investigation into whether UK arms supplied to Saudi Arabia have been used to commit appalling attacks on civilians in Yemen.
“Rather than meekly accepting Saudi assurances over Yemen, the government should have been urgently investigating mounting reports of Saudi war crimes all along.
“It shouldn’t have taken more than 2,000 Yemeni civilian deaths for the Foreign Secretary to finally realise that simply relying on Saudi denials over war crimes was always a disastrous course of action.”
UK arms to Saudi Arabia
The UK recently diverted a consignment of 500-pound “Paveway IV” bombs to Saudi Arabia. The weapons are used by Tornado and Typhoon fighter jets, both of which are manufactured and supplied to Saudi Arabia by the UK arms company BAE Systems. The Tornado and Typhoon jets have been used by Saudi Arabia in its military operations in Yemen. When pressed on the matter, UK ministers have previously said that Saudi Arabia has provided it with “assurances” of their proper use.
Amnesty is specifically calling on the UK to:
Suspend all transfers to members of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition which are carrying out attacks in Yemen, of general purpose bombs, including but not only those bombs which Amnesty has found evidence of use in a manner which violates or facilitates the violation of international humanitarian law in the conflict: in particular bombs from the MK (Mark) 80 series, specifically MK 82, MK 83, MK 84.
Suspend the transfer to members of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition which are carrying out airstrikes in Yemen of fighter jets, combat helicopters and associated parts and components.
Kommentar: Bravo.
10.11.2015 – The Guardian
Calls for investigation into Saudi Arabia's actions in Yemen
Philip Hammond says UK will stop supplying weapons if kingdom is found to have breached humanitarian laws.
There must be “proper investigations” to ensure that Saudi Arabia has not breached international humanitarian law in the war in Yemen, according to Britain’s foreign secretary, who said that shipments of UK-supplied weapons would be halted if the Saudis fell foul of those probes.
Philip Hammond’s comments came as Britain is being urged to halt the supply of weapons to Riyadh in the light of evidence that civilians are being killed in Saudi-led attacks on rebel forces in Yemen.
Amnesty International has warned that “damning evidence of war crimes” highlights the urgent need for an independent investigation of violations and for the suspension of transfer of arms used in the attacks.
Speaking during a visit to the US, Hammond told BBC’s Newsnight on Tuesday that he had discussed the use of the weapons in Yemen when he visited Saudi Arabia recently.
“The Saudis deny that there have been any breaches of international humanitarian law,” he said. “Obviously that denial alone is not enough. We need to see proper investigations. We need to work with the Saudis to establish that international humanitarian law has been complied with. We have an export licensing system that responds if we find that it is not. We will then find that we cannot licence additional shipments of weapons.”
Saying that he was aware that some British weapons were being used in Yemen, Hammond added: “That doesn’t fall foul of the export licensing criteria. It would be hypocritical to think that we could have a large defence industry exporting weapons systems and that they never get used. What matters is that they are used legally in compliance with international humanitarian law and we monitor that very carefully.
“The important thing is that they are being used legally in an international armed conflict. There have been accusations of breaches of international humanitarian law. We regularly intervene with the Saudis to encourage them to be transparent with us.” – by Ben Quinn and David Smith
Kommentar: Die eindeutigen Beweise für saudische Kriegsverbrechen liegen mindestens zu Dutzenden vor. Wenn dieser Minister hier so tut, als wäre er selbstverständlich dafür, die Waffenlieferungen zu stoppen, wenn es „proper investigations“ gegeben habe, dann stellt er sich einerseits als jemand hin, der selbstverständlich gegen das Töten von Zivilisten im Krieg ist. Aber er spielt natürlich einfach auf Zeit, wenn er vor den „proper investigations“, die es bereits gab, den Kopf in den Sand steckt, und vor der massenweise vorliegenden “damning evidence of war crimes”, wie es Amnesty formuliert hat, ebenso. So kann er weiter Waffen an die Saudis liefern. Entlarvend der Satz: „It would be hypocritical to think that we could have a large defence industry exporting weapons systems and that they never get used.” Eben darum geht es, mit Waffenexporten tragen wir nun einmal zu Mord und Totschlag bei. Für einen wie Hammond ist das halt so. Dann bitte auch klar sehen: Leichen pflastern seinen Weg. „Defence industry“ ist angesichts der Realität eh eine Vernebelung durch „wording“, die Realität würde „attack industry“ treffen.
Auch ein Witz-Satz: „The important thing is that they [the arms] are being used legally in an international armed conflict.” Ein regulärer “international armed conflict” ist der Jemenkrieg eben genau nicht, sondern ein aus den Fugen geratener Bürgerkrieg. Für einen „international armed conflict” gibt es ja ein genaues Procedere mit formeller Kriegserklärung etc. Im Grunde ist dieser Krieg aber einer der vielen hybriden Kriege, der – das dieses Procedere fehlt – unter der Schwelle eines formellen „ordentlichen“ Krieges gehalten wird, aber deswegen ja nicht weniger mörderisch ist.
Noch ein Witz-Satz: “The important thing is that they are being used legally in compliance with international humanitarian law”, man überlege, was das eigentlich für eine Hohlphrase sein soll. Und noch ein Witz-Satz: “We need to work with the Saudis to establish that international humanitarian law has been complied with.” Wo hätten die Saudis im eigenen Land wie auswärts je sich um irgendwelche Menschenrechte gekümmert? Außer dass die Saudis und die Briten nach Ausweis von bekanntgewordenen Dokumenten sich gegenseitig in den UN-Menschenrechtsrat geklüngelt haben… Da bleibt halt ein Nachgeschmack, gefolgt von dem Witz-Satz: „We regularly intervene with the Saudis to encourage them to be transparent with us“. Wie transparent die Saudis hierbei sind, haben sie ja bewiesen, als sie eine unabhängige Untersuchung durch den UN-Menschenrechtsrat vereitelt haben, dazu ihre Dauerschleife, die Hammond hier auch wieder zum Besten gibt: „The Saudis deny that there have been any breaches of international humanitarian law“. Hammond kann ja ganz beruhigt sein, die von ihm selbst angeblich erwünschten „proper investigations“ wird es dank der saudischen Manöver im UN-Menschenrechtsrat noch für lange Zeit nicht geben. So kann ein Hammond weiter den Menschenfreund mimen und gleichzeitig Waffen an die Saudis liefern lassen.
One more commentary: This is a real stitch up isn't it? They have been told that Saudi has been committing war crimes by Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, and many other humanitarian charities. But is seems that the British government prefers to rely on assurances by the Saudi government. So as long as Saudi tells UK that it not committing war crimes - then the sale of weapons and munitions is ok. This is actually a way of UK endorsing the killing spree of Saudi - look, we are providing arms, so they MUST be ok. So double faced. I am ashamed.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1051480568337767
Deutschland / Germany
10.11.2015 – World Socialist Web
Bundesregierung plant weltweite Kriegseinsätze
Im Verteidigungsministerium, den Führungsstäben der Bundeswehr und außenpolitischen Thinktanks werden gegenwärtig neue Militäreinsätze der Bundeswehr in Afrika, im Nahen und Mittleren Osten und in Asien diskutiert und vorbereitet. Als Begründung und Vorwand dient die „Bekämpfung von Fluchtursachen“.
Der Artikel „Die Weltverbesserer“ in der aktuellen Ausgabe des Nachrichtenmagazins Der Spiegel gibt einen Überblick über die weitreichenden Pläne. Die Vorhaben sind so massiv, dass sie selbst der Spiegel als „Projekt zwischen Verzweiflung und Größenwahn“ bezeichnet.
Das Ziel der Bundesregierung sei es, „dafür zu sorgen, dass sich so wenige Flüchtlinge wie möglich nach Deutschland aufmachen“, und „große Teile der Welt zu einem besseren Ort [zu] machen“, schreiben die Spiegel-Autoren. Bundesverteidigungsministerin Ursula von Leyen (CDU) zitieren sie mit der Aussage: „Wir müssen staatliche Macht und Stabilität in Ländern wie Syrien, Irak, Afghanistan oder Libyen wiederherstellen.“
Der Artikel lässt keinen Zweifel daran, dass dies durch eine massive Ausweitung der deutschen Militärmissionen im Ausland erreicht werden soll. „Von Mali über den Irak bis nach Afghanistan“ würden „Einsätze der Bundeswehr geplant und erweitert, an die noch vor wenigen Monaten niemand gedacht hätte“, schreiben die Autoren. So prüfe die Regierung gegenwärtig „sogar einen Einsatz deutscher Aufklärungs-‚Tornados‘ am Rande des Syrienkonflikts“.
Mit anderen Worten: nach den USA, Frankreich, Großbritannien und Russland bereitet sich nun auch Deutschland darauf vor, mit seiner Luftwaffe direkt in den Syrienkrieg einzugreifen.
Ähnliches ist für Afghanistan geplant.
Forsche deutsche Offiziere“ gingen „sogar noch weiter“. Domröse habe bereits von möglichen Einsätzen in Syrien oder dem Irak gesprochen. „Es macht doch Sinn, das Feuer bei unseren Nachbarn militärisch auszutreten, sonst bleiben nur Elend und Millionen Menschen, die die Flucht zu uns antreten“, zitiert ihn der Spiegel.
Natürlich erklären weder das Nachrichtenmagazin und schon gar nicht Domröse und die Bundesregierung, wie es „sinnvoll“ sein soll, die Flüchtlingsströme mit genau den gleichen militärischen Mitteln zu „bekämpfen“, die in Afghanistan, im Irak, in Libyen und in Syrien ganze Länder verwüstet und Millionen zu Flüchtlingen gemacht haben.
In Wirklichkeit treibt die deutschen Eliten nicht das „Elend“ der Millionen, das sie selbst mit ausgelöst und zu verantworten haben, sondern der Drang nach Märkten, Rohstoffen, strategischem Einfluss und Weltmacht. Mit häufigeren und „gefährlicheren Militäreinsätze im Ausland“ (Spiegel) vollziehen sie die außenpolitische Wende, die Bundespräsident Gauck und die Bundesregierung bereits auf der Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz 2014 offen verkündet hatten – von Johannes Stern
http://www.wsws.org/de/articles/2015/11/10/mili-n10.html
Propaganda
11.11.2015 – Albashir
Yemeni President Lauds Sudan Stances in Support of Yemen
President of the Republic, Field Marshal Omer Al-Bashir, received Tuesday evening at his residence in Riyadh the Yemeni President, Abdu-Rabu Mansour Hadi.
The Yemeni President has appreciated the stance of Sudan government and people in support of the stability in Yemen.
He said that the Sudanese people have remained supporting to their brothers in Yemen.
He expressed thanks to President Al-Bashir over the stance of his stances in support of stability and Yemen.
Presidents Al-Bashir and Hadi have discussed means of cementing the relations between Sudan and Yemen for the interest of the two peoples.
Kommentar: Da war doch etwas mit dem sudanesischen Präsidenten Bashir? Aus dem Wikipedia-Artikel: „Wegen Völkermordes, Verbrechen gegen die Menschlichkeit und Kriegsverbrechen imDarfur-Konflikt hat der Internationale Strafgerichtshof (IStGH) in Den Haag Haftbefehl gegen al-Baschir – und damit erstmals gegen einen amtierenden Staatschef – erlassen.“ Nun, da ist Hadi ja richtig.
11.11.2015 – Press TV Iran
Riyadh pushing for UN resolution against Iran, Russia
Saudi Arabia has presented a draft resolution to the UN General Assembly’s human rights committee against Iran and Russia over their involvement in Syria.
The non-binding draft resolution prepared by Saudi Arabia is co-sponsored by Qatar, some other Arab nations as well as the US, UK, France and other Western powers. It was presented to the UN General Assembly's Third Committee, which focuses on human rights, during Tuesday meeting of the committee.
The draft resolution, which will be put to vote as early as next week, condemns and calls for an immediate end to all attacks against what it describes as the Syrian moderate opposition. It claims that such attacks benefit Daesh and other terrorist groups, including al-Nusra Front.
During the committee's session, a Syrian delegate read a statement criticizing the resolution, saying Saudi Arabia and Qatar have no right to lecture anyone on human rights. An Iranian delegate also echoed the Syrian delegate's remarks.
Kommentar: Die Realität toppt immer wieder jede Satire.
11.11.2015 – Emirates 24 7
UAE troop replacement to help Taiz liberation: Yemeni military chief
Seizure of city now matter of time
The UAE decision to replace its troops in Yemen a few months after they were sent to support an Arab coalition to end an Iranian-backed coup would bolster a military campaign to liberate the besieged Taiz city, a national army officer has said.
Brigadier Sadeq Sirhan, head of Taiz’s military council, said the UAE followed a military norm applied in many armies worldwide when it decided to replace its troops in Yemen, adding that it was intended for the performance of a new task.
“It is a significant move that will give a strong push to our military and field efforts,” he told the semi-official UAE daily ‘Al Ittihad’.
“These developments mean that the defeat of the Houthis and their allies has become a matter of time as they themselves know that they are on the brink.
“Planting landmines and shelling civilian areas are the methods of only those who are defeated.
“Therefore, I can say now that we will soon celebrate the liberation of Taiz as we have celebrated the liberation of Marib, Lahaj, Dhale and other areas.”
Asked when he expects an allied military offensive to be launched to seize Taiz, he said the coalition and the national Yemeni army and resistance are awaiting the “zero hour.”
“The battle will be finished very fast. The Houthis and their allies have become weak and are getting even weaker. They now have no choice but to bow to the legitimacy.”
Another Yemeni army officer said he expected the coalition and the resistance to control Taiz and expel the insurgents within a week.
“Military reinforcement to the city are continuing. The coalition and the resistance are now ready for the Taiz battle. We will be in control of the city within a week,” Brigadier Abdullah Al Subeihi, head of Aden military region, told the UAE daily ‘Al Khaleej’.
Kommentar: Diese Siegesgewißheit steht hier mal unter Propaganda. Siehe hierzu auch im Yemen Press Reader 47 zu den geplanten Friedensverhandlungen. Nach Aussage des jemenitischen (Hadi-Regierung) Aussenministers ist es ja ein Beweis dafür, dass die Huthi es mit dem Frieden nicht ernst meinen, wenn sie vor den Verhandlungen noch schnell möglichst viel Geländegewinne machen wollen.
One more commentary: They keep saying liberation will be in a few days - they want to take Taiz before the peace talks. Just like the Houthi-Saleh alliance want to hold on to it and indeed, take back some of the cities and towns they have lost in the southwest. So the people of Yemen keep suffering - because the leaders of the fighting parties are too proud, or too frightened of the consequences, to agree to peace.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/?fref=nf
11.11.2015 – Yemen News Today
“Saudi officials recently stated that around 75% of Yemen is back in the control of Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi’s government.”
Commentary: About 75% now in control of the 'Yemeni government' of President Hadi - can this official seriously stand there with a straight face and say this? No government of Yemen has EVER controlled that much of Yemen; one of the perennial problems of Yemen was that the government could not control all of it due to the strength of the tribes. Now Al Qaeda - which has morphed from the tribes - is in control of most of Hadramaut, by far the biggest governate in Yemen and with a relatively small population. Most of the old north is still controlled by the Houthi-Saleh alliance; Taiz is a contested governate and he scene of active warfare, under no-one's control. The part that is notionally under the control of Hadi - the southwest - is hardly that. Hadi set up a government - well, 8 men - in Aden that is simply not in control of anything, not even the city of Aden, which is controlled by militias. The surrounding areas are gradually been retaken by the Houthi-Saleh alliance, or in the control of Al Qaeda militias. Only the ports and airports have any 'control' and that tenuous.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1051471278338696
Flüchtlinge / Refugees
11.10.2015 – Reliefweb
From Yemen to Somalia: Helping families return home
Since March 2015, the situation in Yemen has deteriorated dramatically as fighting and violence have intensified. More than 65 000 people have arrived in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan after fleeing the crisis. Almost 30 000 were Somalis returning to their home country. With European Commission funding, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is helping these ‘returnees’ travel to their areas of origin in south-central Somalia and get settled again. On arrival, families are given essential items and hygiene kits. In Beletweyne, where we meet 27-year-old Quaraysh, Danish Refugee Council has provided 340 families with such support.
With support from the European Commission, the Danish Refugee Council covered the costs of the necessary onward transportation allowance and bills, supporting 25 households such as that of Quaraysh to reach Beletweyne from Bossaso. These were families who were willing to return but were unable to do so due to lack of finances to support their travel.
The transportation allowance helped to support returnees to access a dignified and safe system of transport. They may not have made the journey otherwise and could have remained stuck in Bossaso.
http://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/yemen-somalia-helping-families-return-home
11.10.2015 – UNCHR
As fighting in Yemen intensifies, more flee to Djibouti
Yemeni fisherman Seif Zeid Abdulah was riding home on his motorbike when an airstrike pounded his native Bab El Mandab region.
A sudden, concussive blast sent the 27-year-old flying. His left leg shattered by shrapnel, he found he was bleeding heavily from a wound that would require months of rehabilitation and treatment.
"I'd lived in fear that something like this could happen to a close family member, a friend or a neighbour. Then all of a sudden my leg is torn and I am crippled," he said.
As fighting intensifies in Yemen, over 120,000 refugees and migrants have fled since April 2015. More than 15,000 refugees like Zeid Abdullah have sought safety across the Gulf of Aden in Djibouti, a small country in the Horn of Africa.
As the civil war engulfed their homeland, many have lost their homes, others their livelihoods. Most feel unable to join their loved ones in other parts of the country because they fear for their safety.
Like millions of Yemenis, Zeid Abdullah was already enduring economic hardship before the civil war erupted in March. A decade of political instability, tribal tension and sectarian turmoil had also weakened public services, adding to their difficulties.
Fearing that medical facilities might become targets – as they already have in the conflict – Zeid Abdullah and other war-wounded civilians are increasingly reluctant to seek public health care within Yemen. Moreover, soaring costs of private clinics are forcing them to seek alternatives.
A slight figure, whose shattered leg is held together by pins, he decided to save his scarce funds and cross to Djibouti in late October, believing he would have a better chance of survival as a refugee.
"In Yemen, I came across many men, women and children whose health is deteriorating due to unhealed wounds," he said. "I am glad that some have already crossed. I hope the remaining will manage to cross as well", he added.
Supporting himself on crutches, his wounds exposed to the air, Zeid Abdullah registered as a refugee in the port town of Obock. He is looking forward to safety, protection and medical assistance in nearby Markazi camp from UNHCR and its partners.
According to Abdul Rahman Mnawar, the community services officer at Markazi camp, one of the most urgent issues is providing counselling and emotional support to the refugees, especially those who witnessed violence and killings first hand.
"We have many refugees who recently arrived to the camp, and we can see from their faces and whenever we talk to them that they are traumatized. They have been through a lot during their flight," Mnawar said.
Imad Ali, 28, also fled in late October. Crossing the 30-kilometre strait with four other Yemeni men on a seven-metre-long boat, the fisherman left his parents and other siblings back in the port city of Aden, where they first sought refuge.
"I stayed in my native region of Bab El Mandab because someone had to work and provide for the big family despite the high risks," he said. "But I realised soon after this war is worsening, and I don't have the means to bring everybody to Djibouti."
He opted to cross to Djibouti to join his fiancée and her family who had settled beforehand as refugees in Markazi camp.
Since the end of September, more than 2,000 Yemenis have fled to Djibouti, bringing the number in Markazi camp to around 2,800. As violence at home rages on, seeking safety on the western shores of the Gulf of Aden is increasingly becoming the only resort for thousands of Yemenis.
"We are at about full capacity in Markazi camp," said Mnawar. "We already need to plan the extension of the camp to welcome additional refugees."
http://www.unhcr.org/5643218b6.html
Zyklon / Cyclone
11.11.2015 – Spendeninfo.at
Schwerer Zyklon trifft Jemen
Der vom anhaltenden bewaffneten Konflikt erschütterte Jemen wurde in kurzer Zeit von gleich zwei seltenen Zyklonen getroffen
Am 8. November, traf ein weiterer Zyklon auf die bereits von Chapala überfluteten und zerstörten Gebiete. Auf der nahezu selben Route traf Zyklon Megh auf die Insel Sokotra, wodurch weitere sechs Personen ums Leben kamen, 60 Menschen verletzt und 800 Häuser zerstört wurden. 16 Inselbewohner, darunter zahlreiche Fischer, werden noch vermisst.
Zwei Tage darauf sollte der tropische Wirbelsturm Megh östlich von Aden auf das Festland Jemens treffen. Während sich Zyklon Megh für die Bewohner Sokotras als folgenschwerer als Wirbelsturm Chapala erwies, blieben signifikanter Sturm und Niederschlag am jemenitischen Festland diesmal jedoch aus.
Das Auftreten des nun zweiten schweren Zyklons in so kurzer Zeit sei "ein absolut außergewöhnliches Ereignis", bekräftigt Clare Nullis, eine Sprecherin der Weltorganisation für Meteorologie der Vereinten Nationen.
Dieses außergewöhnliche Ereignis wird besonders schwerwiegende Folgen für jenen Teil der Bevölkerung nach sich ziehen, der bereits zuvor verstärkt unter dem bewaffneten Konflikt und der vorherrschenden humanitären Krise im Land litt.
https://www.spendeninfo.at/schwerer-zyklon-trifft-jemen+2500+1117588
11.11.2015 – Middle East Eye
Cyclone Megh makes landfall in Yemen, kills 14 on island
Cyclone Megh has killed 14 people on war-ravaged Yemen's Socotra island, the second rare tropical storm to hit the Arabian Peninsula country in a week, officials said.
The UN's humanitarian agency OCHA said Megh appeared to be getting weaker as it made landfall on Yemen's coast early onTuesday.
"A thousand houses collapsed and some 2,000 others were damaged" on Socotra, and hundreds of fishing boats were damaged and many livestock animals killed, officials said.
Heavy rain and strong winds also took Socotra's port out of service and caused extensive damage to the island's roads, 80 percent of which became impassable.
Around 800 residents of a small island near Socotra were evacuated to the neighbouring province of Hadramout on the mainland, a rights activist told AFP.
Cyclone Megh caused panic and prompted appeals for help for residents on Socotra, already badly battered by last week's cyclone Chapala.
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/cyclone-megh-makes-landfall-yemen-kills-14-island-1678956105
10.11.2015 – NASA
Yemen Braces for Another Cyclone
For the second time in a week, a major cyclone moved toward the Arabian Peninsula and the nation of Yemen. To have a cyclone or hurricane hit any nation twice in a week is not a common occurrence; to have two storms to hit one region of the Middle East is unprecedented. Only three cyclones have made landfall on the Peninsula across six decades of records.
Cyclone Megh has already battered Socotra, an island off the Yemeni coast in the Arabian Sea. The storm passed over the island on Nov. 8, 2015, with estimated wind speeds approaching 125 miles per hour. U.S. Navy forecasters predict that Megh will make landfall near Aden, on the mainland of Yemen, on November 10. The winds are likely to be tropical storm force by then, though the system should drop copious amounts of rain on the desert nation. Rainfall last week led to extensive flooding in central and eastern Yemen.
The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi NPP satellite acquired this view of Cyclone Megh in the narrow Gulf of Aden at 2:05 p.m. local time (10:05 Universal Time) on Nov. 9, 2015. At the time, the cyclone had sustained winds of approximately 75 knots (85 miles or 140 kilometers per hour).
http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/yemen-braces-for-another-cyclone
10.11.2015 – DRK
Vergangene Woche trafen zwei heftige Wirbelstürme, Chapala und Megh, die jemenitische Insel Soqotra sowie die Südküste des von Gewalt erschütterten Landes. Lebensgrundlagen und Infrastruktur wurden auf Soqotra zerstört, über 2.000 Familien mussten ihre Häuser vorrübergehend verlassen. Auch die Küstenregion ist stark betroffen, etwa 4500 Familien in Hadramaut, Shabwa und Abyan mussten vor den Unwettern fliehen.
Blick zurück / A look back
14.4.2015 – Counterpunch
Saudis Face Defeat in Yemen and Instability at Home – by Mike Whitney
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/04/14/saudis-face-defeat-in-yemen-and-instability-at-home/ = http://www.globalresearch.ca/saudis-face-defeat-in-yemen-and-instability-at-home/5442870
Commentary from Nov., 11:
This is an article from April, before the coalition ground troops entered Yemen. Pakistan withdrew from providing the ground troops that were mentioned here, but the main ground troops were from UAE supported by Saudi, and maybe Egypt, maybe Senegal and newly recruited and trained Yemeni soldiers (70% of the Yemen army supported the Houthis). Recently Sudanese and Columbian mercenaries have been added to the nations attacking Yemen - looks like WW3 to me. Not much else has changed except things have got worse, and even with massive numbers of ground troops, and support for the coalition from Al Qaeda, Da'esh, Islah and other militias - it looks like the conflict is fast approaching a stalemate - well, actually, a stalemate has existed for some weeks.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1051653568320467
Neue Artikel zum Nachlesen 1-47: / Yemen Press reader 1-47:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose oder / or
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