Allgemein / General
24.11.2015 – Yemen News Today
About naming the various actors in the Yemen war
These terms like 'rebel' 'popular resistance' 'Yemen army' 'loyalists' have no meaning to those that are not familiar with Yemen politics, because both 'sides' use the terms to describe different groups. Basically, there is the Houthi-Saleh alliance on one side that have little outside support and little money, and the anti-Houthi on the other, led and funded by Saudi Arabia.
The Houthi-Saleh alliance includes at least 70% of the old Yemeni army, and the Saudi-led coalition includes air support from most of the GCC countries plus Morocco, Jordan, Sudan and maybe Egypt, with assistance from UK, USA, France, and Italy, and tens of thousands of international troops from Saudi, UAE, Malaysia, Senegal, Qatar, Bahrain, Colombia, Sudan, maybe Egypt, many of them mercenaries.
They are assisted by Yemeni troops mostly from religiously conservative brigades historically associated with Ali Muhsin, Yemeni troops newly trained in Saudi Arabia mostly from the old South and Taiz, Sunni Islam Militias including Islah (Muslim Brotherhood), Salafist militias, Al Qaeda, Daesh, local militias in Taiz, Aden and other southwest cities, secessionist militias (Al Hirak).
The support is not divided purely on sectarian lines - a number of Zaidis are Islah supporters who are fighting on the Saudi side, and Sunni Muslims who see the Saudi-led coalition as foreign invaders support the Houthi-Saleh alliance as they see them as the only group that is defending Yemen, but the geographic split is more significant between the old North minus Taiz, and the old South plus Taiz.
Many in the old South refuse to fight in the North, because they view it as a different country, and want independence. Many Yemenis from all over Yemen, like me, deplore foreign interference but do not support one militia over another, thinking they are all Yemenis and they must together search for peace and they hate all the killing and destruction, and see the leaders of both sides using propaganda to build up hatred amongst Yemenis and create the atmosphere to perpetuate war.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1062647403887750
24.11.2015 – Foreign Affairs Review
The Hidden War in Yemen
Introduction into the situation.
Circumstances for Yemeni citizens have been made even harder by the Saudi-led coalition’s imposition of a “de facto” blockade of Yemen by land and sea. While this was officially put in place as a means to defeat the Houthis, the fact that so few vessels have managed to reach Yemen is having a disastrous impact on the whole population. Even before the Civil War began and additional aid became required, Yemen depended on imports for 70 per cent of its fuel and 100 per cent of its medicine. Josephine Hutton, Middle East programme manager at Oxfam, summarised the situation when she said: ‘Civilians are in the firing line, not only by weapons but also by the ever-tightening blockade which is strangling the country’s essential services and its economy.’
It is worth remembering, moreover, that it is not only the coalition that plays a role in the airstrikes that are presently killing Yemeni civilians. The international community has given its permission in the form of a UNSC resolution backing the action. Despite questions over whether the Saudi-led coalition has broken international military law, consent of its actions has not been revoked. In the last 8 months, American and British missiles have both been used to target civilian spaces. The UK sold approximately £1.1 billion worth of military equipment to Saudi Arabia last year alone, and has recently sold the state another consignment of 500-pound “Paveway IV” bombs. It is only in the last few weeks that the British Government has begun to question its support of the coalition’s airstrikes – by Loui Marchant
http://foreignaffairsreview.co.uk/2015/11/the-hidden-war-in-yemen/
Kommentar: Der letzte Satz stimmt nicht. Der britische Außenminister wird hier deutlich missinterpretiert. Er plädiert eindeutig für weitere Waffenlieferungen an Saudi-Arabien – und tut dabei so, als gäbe es keine Hinweise auf saudische Kriegsverbrechen. So sieht seine „Forderung“ nach einer Untersuchung aus – eben als gäbe es nicht schon reichlich Zeugnisse für diese Kriegsverbrechen.
23.11.2015 – Khumaer.com
Yemen Stands Alone
Given the critical lack of journalists and diplomats, the hundreds of aid workers active in the country are a crucial source of updates from the field. UN agencies and charities like the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) maintain a significant presence.
It is tragic that, even before the current crisis began, 61% of Yemenis needed humanitarian aid according to UN reports. That went on for around a decade with hardly any coverage in the media, so no wonder now when the situation is in dire need of facts reporting and live and up-to-date journalism, one hears nothing about it on the western mainstream media.
With the Yemeni conflict concealed by the constant ISIS propaganda, it is still surprising that the nature of the Arab intervention in the country has failed to raise enough eyebrows even within the Arab communities. The very fact that the double standard Saudi monarchy is pushing tyrannical regimes like that of Egypt and Sudan into the gruesome attack of one of world’s worst-off countries should surely have grabbed the full attention of western media to pay a much closer look to Yemen, but it didn’t.
Or rather they just choose to look the other way. They choose to explode the internet and the media with full-coverage of the Paris attacks for example while turning a blind eye to the malicious Saudi attack inflicted upon the people of Yemen for almost ten months now.
Meanwhile, the US State Department has recently approved the sale of bombs worth nearly USD 1.3bn to Saudi Arabia amid the Riyadh regime’s intensive air strikes in Yemen. The sale includes about 22,000 smart and general purpose bombs, which will definitely not be seen falling on the heads of ISIS terrorists in the region, but rather sadly will take more lives of innocent Yemeni children – by Marwa Osman
http://khumaer.com/yemen-stands/
Commentary: As soon as people find out what is happening in Yemen, they cannot believe that such things are happening and not at the top of the news every day. But against the Houthi-Saleh alliance (which includes most of the Yemeni army) we have a coalition of those bombarding Yemen with air assaults - Saudi in the lead, UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Morocco, Sudan, Egypt, and ground forces - Senegal, Malaysia, UAE, Saudi, maybe Egypt, Colombia, Sudan, Qatar, Bahrain. And others giving military assistance- USA, UK, France, Italy. To say nothing of ISIS and Al Qaeda. Plus the navys of Saudi, UK, USA and France helping with the blockade to stop humanitarian aid and goods getting in to Yemen. On the side of the Houthi-Saleh alliance there is Iran offering rhetoric but no other big role despite the hype, and one report of Ethiopian mercenaries - but I am not sure who would pay them because the Houthis have no money. And still the Saudi led coalition can't win. The whole thing is at stalemate. And Yemenis keep dying,and Yemen is being destroyed. The world is silent.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1062124667273357
23.11.2015 – Albawaba
A working list of the countries involved in Yemen's conflict
Here is a working list of the countries involved in the fight and what they do.
Kuwait: This tiny, oil-rich country contributes 15 fighter jets to Saudi’s coalition.
Bahrain: 15 Bahraini fighter jets are involved. In September, reports also emerged that five Bahraini soldiers had been killed in a missile attack by Houthi militants.
Pakistan: By April, the country had agreed to back an arms embargo for the Houthis and talks were underway to send war ships to Yemen. Today, it contributes both warships and aerial support to Saudi.
Qatar: Along with 10 fighter jets, 1,000 Qatari troops had been deployed in Yemen by September, one of whom became Qatar’s first casualty earlier this month.
UAE: In September, the UAE stepped up involvement in airstrikes using the 30 warplanes they’ve sent to Yemen. They’ve also suffered a number of ground troop casualties.
Jordan: Though the involvement of the Hashemite Kingdom has been more low profile, Jordan has contributed six fighter jets to the Saudi coalition.
Sudan: In addition to three jets, Sudan sent 300 troops to the Yemeni port city of Aden in October, Reuters reported, to "help maintain security.” This month, Al Monitor reported Sudan received $2.2 billion from Saudi and Qatar for joining the fight.
Egypt: Four Egyptian warships have been deployed, along with up to 800 ground troops, according to a Reuters report in September.
Morocco: The North African country has six fighter jets in Yemen, one of which the Houthis claimed to have downed early on in the campaign, on March 11.
Iran: The Iranian government has been intermittently accused of supporting the Houthis with weapons and a robust media campaign against the Saudi coalition. Yet, at least in the public eye, Iran has denied direct involvement in the fight.
US: President Barack Obama has authorized logistical intelligence support for Saudi's campaign. Meanwhile, the cluster munitions Saudi keeps being accused of dropping on civlian areas are US-made, not to mention illegal to use in the majority of the world.
Saudi Arabia: This campaign has come at a high cost in terms of public opinion and sky-high death toll—some 6000 Yemeni civilians have died over 10 months and most of the country's infrastructure is in shambles.
http://www.albawaba.com/loop/working-list-countries-involved-yemens-conflict-772434
12.11.2015 – Catherine Shakdam
Yemen’s blockade runners: How Yemenis are fighting imperialism
Whether directly or indirectly, Washington has had a hand in the demise of Yemen and its people, slowly engineering this poorest country's sectarian remapping while advocating democracy-building and the war on terror.
Just like in Syria, Iraq, Bahrain and Libya, Yemen has been selected for socio-political and ethno-sectarian engineering.
Hussain Al Bukhaiti, a pro-Houthi activist said: "With the help of Washington, Saudi Arabia is working to destroy Yemen' social and religious fabric, systematically targeting Zaidi Muslims, all the while telling the world they want to help Yemen become more democratic. This is a lie! The US wants to control Yemen and it is using the Saudis to do destroy all resistance."
While US officials continue to school the international community on democracy and international law, advocating political self-determination and civil liberties as the foundations of modern civil states, Washington has sold Saudi Arabia billions of dollars worth of weapons, in the knowledge its bombs, warplanes and other weaponry would be indiscriminately used against civilian populations in Yemen.
Tighe Barry, activist with the CODEPINK in Washington said: "Yemen is the Gaza Strip of the Arab Peninsula. It is inconceivable that the United States would help the largest violator of human rights to destroy the poor people of Yemen but it is also inconceivable that the United States would be arming and logistically helping and scientifically helping the regime in Tel Aviv to destroy the poor people of the Gaza Strip and to keep the people in the West Bank in such turmoil. I believe that the United States is responsible for what is going on right now, allowing Saudi Arabia to murder these people in Yemen."
The US has also turned a blind eye to Saudi Arabia's humanitarian blocus on Yemen, putting 26 million souls at risk of starvation, disease and abject misery. In the face of international law and in negation of all human rights conventions and treaties the US has quietly condoned the massacre of an entire people, watching from afar as schools, hospitals, residential areas and charitable organizations have burned under Saudi fire.
“International humanitarian law is clear that belligerents must take all possible steps to prevent or minimize civilian casualties. But the cases we have analyzed point to a pattern of attacks destroying civilian homes and resulting in scores of civilian deaths and injuries. There is no indication that the Saudi Arabia-led military coalition has done anything to prevent and redress such violations,” said Donatella Rovera, Senior Crisis Response Advisor at Amnesty International.
More troubling still the US has provided Saudi Arabia with illegal weapons of war - signing off for the sale of cluster bombs and white phosphorus. By 2015, the Obama administration sold weapons to Saudi Arabia worth $46 billion. Some sources have estimated this figure to be closer to $60 billion.
Over 4000 civilians - mainly women and children have died in Yemen, killed by weapons made in the US, tens of thousands have been injured and hundred of thousands have been displaced.
Leah Bolger, a US Navy veteran who is president of Veterans For Peace said: “It’s really been quite some time that the US has been violating international laws and committing war crimes and now Saudi Arabia is doing the same thing [in Yemen]. I’m afraid that because Saudi Arabia is a strong ally of the United States, it is not receiving the critical attention and response that it should receive and would receive if another nation committed the same kind of acts.” – by Catherine Shakdam
http://ahtribune.com/human-rights/114-yemen-blockade-fighting-imperialism.html
10.11.2015 – Tariqali.tv
The War in Yemen
Tariq Ali talks about the important history of Yemen, its culture, its people and their religions as well as Saudi Arabia’s secret war against it, backed by the West, but rarely mentioned in Western media
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hid33ZGP6NI
Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
24.11.2015 – Doctors Without Borders
Goodbye Yemen
My project is located in Abbs in the northwestern part of the country, 60km away from the border where conflicts were most intense. We supported a hospital there and provided water as well as mobile clinics (still in preparation at that time) to the displaced people who came from the border. The biggest challenge there was the limited human resources and supplies. There were only two iNGOs working here for the populations, far from sufficient to meet the needs of the displaced. It was difficult to send in expatriates because of visa issues, and there were also restrictions on imports of supplies.
As I started to tidy up the mess, the front line was moving slowing towards Abbs. The surrounding areas of the hospital were bombed and there were several gunshots and grenade explosions in the local market. Whenever there was airstrike, we had to put down our work and hide in the designated windowless safe room until it stopped. The nearest airstrike was only several kilometres away from the hospital. After the bombing, a child came and showed me some fragments of the bomb he picked up from the streets. There was another time when the airstrikes hit at night and our hospital received a lot of wounded patients. We quickly went back to the hospital to provide support. The ongoing conflicts have made our work much more difficult.
Our work in the logistics team was hindered because of insecurity. The field coordinator implemented safety measures as the situation evolved, and the team could only go to the hospital twice every day. All extra movements would need to be approved. Moreover, some suppliers and workers stopped working because they were afraid of the airstrikes, so a lot of logistical work like procurement, hospital constructions and water supply service at the displaced camps were affected.
The situation in Abbs started to stabilise in September. With two experienced international staff joining the team, there was significant progress in the project. Our new head of logistics team took over the base and coordination while I focused on the logistical work in the hospital. I immediately threw myself into new constructions of the hospital, including the building of OT, waste management centre, electric system, pedestrian roads and water drainage system. Compared to South Sudan, where I had my first mission, it’s easier to launch constructions in Yemen as the raw materials were cheaper and the workers had better expertise. Everything went smooth and well – by Eric Leung
http://msf-seasia.org/blogs/16730
24.11.2015 – Detector.fm
Wird Jemen zum neuen Syrien?
Die Lage im Jemen ist inzwischen so dramatisch, dass auch Vergleiche zu Syrien gezogen werden. Die Zerstörungen sind enorm und umso erschreckender, da sie in deutlich kürzerer Zeit geschehen sind. Dass wir bisher in Deutschland verhältnismäßig wenige jemenitische Flüchtlinge empfangen haben, hängt vor allem damit zusammen, dass der Jemen lediglich zwei Grenzen hat und ansonsten von Wasser und Wüste umschlossen ist. Die Menschen fliehen daher vor allem innerhalb des eigenen Landes.
Über die Konflikte im Jemen hat detektor.fm-Moderator Konrad Spremberg mit Marie-Christine Heinze vom Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient in Bonn, gesprochen.
http://detektor.fm/politik/buergerkrieg-im-jemen
24.11.2015 – UN News Center
UN: more than 21 million people in Yemen need basic humanitarian aid
Some 21.2 million people in Yemen – or 82 per cent of the population – require some kind of assistance to meet their basic needs, according to a recently-published overview of the country’s humanitarian needs for the next year carried out by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
In its 2016 Humanitarian Needs Overview, OCHA also notes that the severity of needs among vulnerable people has intensified across sectors amidst the conflict’s ongoing conflict. The overview finds that six months of violence have taken a “severe toll” on civilians’ lives and basic rights. Since 26 March, health facilities have reported more than 32,200 casualties – many of them civilians.
In the same period, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has verified 8,875 reports of human rights violations – an average of 43 violations every day. Verified incidents of child death or injury from March to September are reportedly almost five times higher than 2014 totals.
OCHA’s overview finds that millions of people in Yemen need assistance to ensure their basic survival. An estimated 14.4 million are food insecure, including 7.6 million who are severely food insecure, while another 19.3 million lack adequate access to clean water or sanitation, and nearly 320,000 children are severely acutely malnourished.
The overview also focuses on how the collapse of basic services in Yemen continues to accelerate. UN partners estimate that 14.1 million people lack sufficient access to healthcare, three million children and pregnant or lactating women require malnutrition treatment or preventive services, and 1.8 million children have been out of school since mid-March.
OCHA further notes that solid waste removal has come to a halt in several areas, with service availability rapidly contracting due to direct impact of conflict and insufficient resources to pay salaries or maintain services.
Turning to the effects of displacement, the overview says that UN relief partners estimate that 2.3 million people are currently displaced within Yemen – about half of whom are in Aden, Taiz, Hajjah and Al Dhale’e governorates – and an additional 121,000 have fled the country. OCHA estimates that about 2.7 million people now require support to secure shelter or essential household supplies, including internally displaced persons (IDPs) and vulnerable host families.
Finally, OCHA says IDPs are currently sheltering in 260 schools, preventing access to education for 13,000 children.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=52638#.VlSgXHYvfct
23.11.2015 – World Food Programme
Situation overview
The 2016 Humanitarian Needs Overview has been released. Here following the main findings:
21.2 million people (82 percent of the population) are in need of humanitarian assistance;
14.4 million people are food insecure;
19.3 million people lack adequate access to clean water or sanitation.
In response to the cyclones, the Logistics Cluster continues to facilitate humanitarian assistance namely:
Air transport: four airlifts to Socotra Island are planned to take place this week.
On behalf of WHO, 4.1 mt and 19 m3 of health items are planned to be moved from Djibouti to Socotra.
On behalf of IOM, with 48.1 mt and 173 m3 of shelter, protection and WASH items planned from Nairobi to Socotra through Djibouti. o Road transport: as of 23 November, 27 trucks reached Shabwa, Mukalla and Mahara.
Additional three trucks, on behalf of UNHCR and WHO, did not reach final destinations due to insecurity on the way and delays in receiving security clearances. o Sea transport: One vessel from Djibouti reached Aden on 16 November, with 18 mt of medical supplies for WHO.
http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-situation-update-23-november-2015 and in full: http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/logistics_cluster_yemen_situation_update_151123.pdf
23.11.2015 – UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Humanitarian needs & Key figures
Ongoing conflict is devastating Yemen. Humanitarian partners now estimate that 21.2 million people – or 82 per cent of the population – require some kind of humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs or protect their fundamental rights. The severity of needs among vulnerable people has also intensified across sectors.
1. Protection of Civilians
Six months of conict have taken a severe toll on civilians’ lives and basic rights. Since 26 March, health facilities have reported more than 32,200 casualties – many of them civilians. In the same period, OHCHR has veried 8,875 reports of human rights violations – an average of 43 violations every day. Veried incidents of child death or injury from March to September are almost ve times higher than 2014 totals.
2. Basic survival
Millions of people in Yemen need assistance to ensure their basic survival. An estimated 14.4 million are food insecure (including 7.6 million severely food insecure); 19.3 million lack adequate access to clean water or sanitation; and nearly 320,000 children are severely acutely malnourished. Conict has exacerbated chronic vulnerabilities in all these sectors.
3. Essential services
The collapse of basic services in Yemen continues to accelerate. Partners estimate that 14.1 million people lack sucient access to healthcare; 3 million children and pregnant or lactating women require malnutrition treatment or preventive services; and 1.8 million children have been out of school since mid-March. Solid waste removal has come to a halt in several areas. Service availability is rapidly contracting due to direct impact of conict and insucient resources to pay salaries or maintain services.
4. Effects of displacement
Partners estimate that 2.3 million are currently displaced within Yemen – about half of whom are in Aden, Taizz, Hajjah and Al Dhale’e governorates – and an additional 121,000 have ed the country. About 2.7 million people now require support to secure shelter or essential household supplies, including IDPs and vulnerable host families. IDPs are currently sheltering in 260 schools, preventing access to education for 13,000 children.
http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/2016-humanitarian-needs-overview and in full http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/2016_HNO_English_%20FINAL.pdf
17.11.2015 – UNICEF
UNICEF Yemen Crisis Humanitarian Situation Report (3 - 17 November 2015)
The new inactivated Polio vaccine (IPV) which was introduced in Yemen on 1 November entered its second round, targeting a total number of 5,039,936 children. IPV will be used alongside the oral vaccine (OPV).
UNICEF launched its first ever humanitarian cash transfers in Sana’a on 14 November 2015. A total of 4,051 vulnerable households were reached with cash transfers of YR 21,500 (roughly $100) for each family during the first three days.
Within a few days, two rare cyclones made landfall in Yemen (Chapala which first hit Mukalla on 3 November, and Cyclone Megh which hit between 8—10 November). The storms left 26 dead, dozens injured and 47,000 displaced. UNICEF continues to assist the cyclone response, providing health and WASH supplies.
Nearly eight months have passed since the escalation of conflict in Yemen, causing 21.1 million people (over 80 per cent of the population) to need some kind of humanitarian assistance. In addition to the ongoing violence, two cyclones hit Yemen during this reporting period: first, Cyclone Chapala which made landfall on 3 November and then Cyclone Megh which hit Yemen shortly after, on 8 November, triggering heavy rains, strong winds and substantial flooding. According to OCHA, the cyclones left 26 dead, dozens injured, and 47,000 people displaced. Currently, UNICEF supports the UN cyclone response with much needed medical and WASH supplies and the response is being coordinated through existing clusters.
The shortage of basic goods such as water, electricity, medicine and fuel is causing more and more disruption to people’s lives. In addition, the sharp increase in prices of food coupled with loss of jobs and lack of work opportunities continues to increase poverty and malnutrition among the most vulnerable groups of Yemeni society.
The overallsecurity situation in Yemen remains unstable. The situation in Taiz continues to deteriorate which is negatively affecting the humanitarian response, as access to many parts of the city remains a challenge. In addition, reports suggest that a blockade continues. The security situation in Aden remains volatile as well with sporadic incidents of assassinations, armed violence and robbery, indicating an ongoing fragile rule of law. The return of President Hadi and several government ministers to Aden on 15 November is considered significant.
http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/unicef-yemen-crisis-humanitarian-situation-report-3-17-november-2015 in full http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/UNICEF%20Yemen%20Humanitarian%20SitRep%203%20-%2017%20Nov%202015.pdf
Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
24.11.2015 – Almanar
20 Saudi-Led Mercenaries Killed in Yemen
Over 20 Saudi-led mercenaries were killed and 70 others were injured as the Yemeni army and popular committees frustrated their attempt to advance towards al-Omari military camp in Taiz province, according to battlefield sources. The Yemeni forces also bombarded a Saudi warship on Mocha coast in Taiz.
http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?eid=240909&cid=23&fromval=1
24.11.2015 – Fars News
Yemeni Forces Hit Positions of Saudi-Led Coalition Troops in Ta'iz
The Yemeni forces hit the Saudi-led strongholds in Tabe al-Shomali, Tabe al-Vakil and Asira in the Ta'iz province.
Tens of pro-Saudi forces were killed and dozens more were wounded in the Yemeni raids on their positions while their armored vehicles and arms depots were also destroyed.
Meantime, the Yemeni army blocked the Saudi-led aggressors' advance towards Al-Amri region in Ta'iz province and inflicted heavy losses on them.
The Saudi-led forces started their military operations to occupy the city of Ta'iz last week, but to no avail.
On November 18, the forces loyal to the fugitive former president Mansour Hadi were pinned down by the Yemeni army and popular forces in al-Wazya region in the Western parts of Ta'iz province, and a large number of them were killed or wounded.
A group of pro-Hadi militias had entered a bazaar in al-Wazya region in Ta'iz province, but they came under the siege of the army and popular forces hours later.
The battles took place in Al-Wazya, Zobab and Al-Mozareba in Ta'iz province as tens of Saudi-led coalition forces and pro-Hadi militias had been killed and hundreds more had been injured.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940903001327
Kommentar: Iranische Quelle. Yemeni forces: Huthis und Verbündete.
24.11.2015 – Emirates 24 7
Heavy clashes near Bab Al Mandeb: Coalition helicopter raids kill several rebels
Heavy clashes erupted on Monday when Yemen’s national army and resistance fighters attacked coup rebel positions in the Southwestern governorate of Taiz near the strategic Bab Al Mandeb waterway, a news network reported on Tuesday.
The fighters launched an offensive against the Iranian-backed insurgents after they shelled civilian areas in the province from their positions in the surrounding hills.
Masdar Online said the attack coincided with intensive raids by Arab coalition Apache helicopters on rebel targets in that area, resulting in the death of many insurgents and the destruction of several Houthi military vehicles.
“Heavy fighting flared after the army and resistance attacked the rebels in Dhubab near Bab Al Mandeb in Taiz,” the network said, quoting local residents.
It said the army and national fighters also attacked an area near Dhubab where the Houthis and their allies receive their arms supplies.
It said coalition jets continued their raids against the rebels in other areas as the army and resistance fighters push ahead with their offensive to seize the entire Taiz.
http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/heavy-clashes-near-bab-al-mandeb-2015-11-24-1.611603
Commentary: This was being held by the Saudi-led coalition, mainly the UAE troops that have now been withdrawn and replaced by troops from other countries. In the run up to peace talks, all sides are trying to boost their position. Only the Saudi-led side have the power to try to set back the date of the UN talks until a day when they think they have achieved the military victories that they want. So the talks are so far put back to an unspecified date in December - my own guess until a day when they have taken control of Taiz, which is being bitterly fought over, with each side apparently making advances and then losing ground. Stalemate in other words, as is the case in most assymetric wars.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1062735040545653
24.11.2015 – Fars News
Yemen Unveils New Generation of Home-Made Missiles
The Yemeni army and popular forces unveiled the second generation of their home-made Zalzal missiles that has already come into action in the war with Saudi Arabia.
The second generation of Zalzal missile is fully home-made and is the third type of missile made by the Yemeni forces.
In late May, the Yemeni revolutionary movement unveiled two Najm al-Saqeb (striking star) mid-range missiles with a range of 45km and 75km.
"The second generation of Zalzal has much higher precision than the first generation and several Zalzal missiles destroyed al-Qarn military base in Jizan province, Southern Saudi Arabia," Yemen's official news agency Saba quoted a military source as saying on Monday.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940903000714
Kommentar: “Yemen”, “Yemeni army” in dieser iranischen Quelle: Huthis und verbündete Teile der Armee.
24.11.2015 – Sahar
Yémen : tous les membres d’une famille tués dans un raid saoudien
Au Yémen, tous les membres d’une famille yéménite ont été tués par un raid aérien de l’aviation saoudienne contre la province de Jawf, dans le Nord.
Selon l’agence de presse officielle yéménite, Saba, tous les dix membres d’une même famille yéménite ont été tués par une frappe aérienne de l’aviation saoudienne contre une maison située dans le quartier de Jabal Al-Louz, appartenant à la province de Jawf.
24.11.2015 – Albawaba
Saudi airstrikes kill 15 across Yemen
Saudi fighter jets have carried out a new round of attacks on residential areas in four provinces in northern Yemen, killing more than a dozen people.
Yemen’s al-Masirah TV said on Monday that Saudi fighter jets launched attacks on various districts in two provinces of Jawf and Saada, killing 15 people.
The report said ten of the victims were members of a family in Jawf. Five others were killed in attacks which targeted a marketplace in the city of Haydan in Saada, a major stronghold of the Houthi movement and a repeated target of Saudi strikes over the past months.
Attacks were also reported in northern province of Sanaa, where several people were injured after Saudi warplanes bombarded houses and shops in Bani Zabyan. Bombs were also dropped in Hamdan city in the same province, with no immediate details available on the potential casualties.
Further to the northwest in Hajjah Province, Saudis attacked at least three cities, namely Mustaba, Hayran and Harad, with reports saying most of the attacks targeted trucks carrying food and agricultural products in the area.
http://www.albawaba.com/news/saudi-airstrikes-kill-15-across-yemen-772438 = http://myinforms.com/en/a/19626581-saudi-airstrikes-kill-15-across-yemen/
24.11.2015 – AFP
Rebels blow up bridges to hamper advance by Yemen loyalists
Iran-backed rebels in Yemen have blown up several bridges in the mountainous southwestern Taez province to hamper the advance of pro-government forces, military sources said Tuesday.
The Shiite Huthi rebels on Monday "blew up several bridges leading to Rahida to prevent the advance" of loyalist forces, said one of the sources in a reference to the province's second-largest city.
Military officials said this week that landmines planted by the rebels have already been hampering the progress of government forces and had caused casualties.
Loyalist forces are now stationed 12 kilometres (seven miles) away from Rahida after they regained several positions in clashes that lasted until early Tuesday and left five rebels and two pro-government fighters dead, according to the military sources.
Kommentar: Das Zerstören von Brücken war bisher eine gängige Vorgehensweise der saudischen Koalition.
Commentary: Now this is a bit rich! The Saudi led alliance has been bombing bridges and roads all through Yemen for 8 months. Do they think they have the monopoly on bombing infrastructure? And the media - do they not know what is happening in Yemen that they so confidently spread propaganda from one side with no conscience? All 'sides' are destroying Yemen for military advantage. I am heartbroken by it all. And the interchangeable and meaningless terms ''rebels" and "loyalists" again.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1062656420553515
24.11.2015 – Emirates 24 7
More Bahrain troops for Yemen
Join UAE forces in maintaining security in Aden
Bahrain sent more troops to Yemen to take part along with UAE forces in maintaining security in liberated Aden following the return of Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a Yemeni news website reported on Tuesday.
The new 300-strong force will join UAE troops that arrived in Aden in mid-November as part of troop replacement conducted by the UAE armed forces.
Yemen Press said the Bahraini force, the second to be sent by Manama to Aden in two weeks, is backed by tanks and armoured vehicles.
“The force will join UAE troops already deployed in Aden to maintain security and stability in the city,” the report said.
It quoted local residents as saying they saw the Bahraini soldiers deploying near Aden Airport and areas around foreign diplomatic missions.
The reinforcements by the UAE, Bahrain and other coalition members as well as Yemen’s national army and resistance coincided with Hadi’s return to Aden and an offensive launched by the national allies to liberate the Southwestern town of Taiz.
http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/bahrain-sends-more-troops-to-yemen-2015-11-24-1.611601
23.11.2015 – Al Araby
Pro-government forces advance on Yemen's Taiz
Pro-government forces in Yemen have made significant advances around Taiz after taking control of strategic highlands and clearing thousands of mines on the road that links Aden with the city
Pro-government forces in Yemen, backed by air and ground support from the Saudi-led coalition, have made significant advances in their operations to recapture the province of Taiz after clearing and destroying a large quantity of land mines.
Forces loyal to President Abd-Rabbo Mansour Hadi and allied Popular Resistance fighters took full control of the south-western and south-eastern areas of Taiz Province on Sunday and advanced towards Rahida, the province's second-largest city, on the main road linking the city of Aden with Taiz.
On Monday, coalition air raids targeted different areas in Rahida, as loyalist forces continued to make advances on the road leading to Taiz.
A pro-government field commander, Fouad al-Shaddadi, told al-Araby al-Jadeed that the Army and resistance forces have captured the highlands that "surround three governorates in southern Taiz," adding that the Houthi militia and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh are retreating in these areas after they became exposed to loyalists fire.
A source in Rahida who is in contact with the Yemeni military told al-Araby that loyalists were preparing for an incursion deep into the city "in the next two days after specialised forces managed to clear nearly eight thousand mines that the militias had planted between ash-Sharija and Rahida, according to military sources
A Yemeni commander confirmed that mines were hampering the progress of government forces and had caused casualties among fighters, without providing any figures.
http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2015/11/23/pro-government-forces-advance-on-yemens-taiz
23.11.2015 – Tasnim News
24 Terrorists Captured in Yemen’s Dhamar
Security forces and popular committees in Yemen arrested several Saudi hirelings in Western Yemeni province of Dhamar.
The Saudi-sponsored terrorists confessed that that they were heading for Shabwah province to join the Saud-led aggression against Yemeni positions, a security source announced on Sunday.
Another security source also said that the Yemeni army and popular committees have managed to counter a new attack by the Saudi regime and its regional allies on Ta’iz province, Yemen news agency reported.
Riyadh also lost a number of its military forces in the Saudi city of Jizan in several attacks made by the Yemeni army’s artillery units, security sources added.
Tens of rockets and heavy fires were also launched by Yemen’s missile units on Saudi positions in Jabal Hamdan, Nahvaqa, al-Makhruq, and al-Shorfa.
Meanwhile, Saudi fighter jets launched attacks on a school in Lahij province during which at least one was killed and six were injured.
They also incurred damages on several areas in Dhamar and Saada provinces.
http://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2015/11/23/924394/24-terrorists-captured-in-yemen-s-dhamar
Kommentar: Iranische Quelle, daher “Security forces”, “Yemeni army”: Houthis und verbündete Armeeeinheiten.
23.11.2015 – Fars News
Yemeni Missiles Destroy 4 US-Made Abrams Tanks of Saudi Arabia
The Yemeni missiles hit the Saudi army's military positions in the city of al-Rabou'a in Asir province on Sunday evening and destroyed four Abrams tanks and an armored vehicle, the Arabic-language al-Ahd news website reported on Sunday.
Meantime, the Yemeni army's artillery unit destroyed two military vehicles of the Saudi army in an attack on Alib military base in Najran province, the Arabic-language Yemen al-Youm reported.
Also, the Yemeni forces took full control of al-Shabaka military base in Zale province after heavy clashes with Saudi Arabia's Sudanese mercenaries and the militias loyal to the former fugitive President Mansour Hadi.
Destruction of the US-made Abrams tanks by the Yemeni army's 40-year-old Konkurs missiles these days proves what Washington has sold to the Persian Gulf Arab countries at a high price is no more than a piece of clunker.
Recent footage released on the web shows the Yemeni army and popular forces attack an Abrams tank with Konkurs missile which fully destroyed it instantly, of course to much surprise.
Although one of the tank's crew manages to flee the scene, the footages show the tank is set ablaze and destroyed completely.
Konkurs is a SACLOS wire-guided anti-tank missile made by what was once known as the Soviet Union. Its NATO reporting name is AT-5 Spandrel. The missile entered service in 1974.
The Abrams is an American third-generation main battle tank produced by the United States.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940902000554
22.11.2015 –BeforeitsNews
Yemen Update
The Yemeni army and popular forces took control of a strategic military base in the province of Najran, Southern Saudi Arabia.
The Yemeni forces captured al-Shabaka military base in Al-Sharafa region in Najran province on Saturday evening.
“The Yemeni forces seized three Abrams tanks from the Saudi army in Al-Shabaka military base,” a commander of the popular forces Hadi al-Rotabi said on Saturday.
On Tuesday, the Yemeni forces fired a barrage of rockets at the main Saudi military base in the province of Jizan, Southern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
The Yemeni forces fired several rockets at the main military base in the al-Khobe district of Jizan in retaliation for the kingdom’s aggression against their nation.
The Yemeni Forces pounded the pro-Hadi militias’ positions in Ma’rib with a barrage of missiles after Yemen’s former fugitive Prime Minister Khaled Bahah entered the province.
The Yemeni army and Ansarullah fighters hit several positions in Ma’rib province after Bahah entered Safer region in Ma’rib from the Sharoura region in Saudi Arabia.
On Saturday, Ansarullah fighters and army troops took a strategic mountain in Ma’rib from the Saudi-backed militants.
The Yemeni forces gained full control over Al-Ashqari mountain in Ma’rib.
http://beforeitsnews.com/politics/2015/11/yemen-update-11222015-men-vs-tanks-2758880.html
Kommentar: Yemeni forces hier Huthis und verbündete Armeeeinheiten.
24.11.2015 – Yemen News Today
On the situation at Taiz
This was an interview by Al Jazeera aired on Al Masirah TV - which has Houthi sympathies. The man speaking is Al Mikhalafi, who is a member of the Islah militias. The gist of the conversation is that the Houthis were prepared to negotiate a peace deal in Taiz 6 month ago, before Taiz was destroyed, but the local militia only wanted a military victory. That tied in with the article I posted a few days ago, which interviewed a Yemeni army officer fighting on the pro-Saudi coalition side, stating that Taiz would never accept a peace deal, only a military victory.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1062162257269598
Südjemen / Southern Yemen
23.11.2015 – AFP
UAE blames Islamists for delay against rebels in Yemen province
A key member of a Saudi-led Arab coalition has blamed Islamists for delays in its military operations to expel Shiite Huthi rebels from the key southwestern province of Taez.
The advance has also been slowed down by the "betrayal of some Popular Resistance fighters", another military source said.
Emirati State Minister for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash tweeted Sunday that "had it not been for the failure of Al-Islah and the Muslim Brotherhood to act," Taez would already have been "liberated".
The Islamist party Al-Islah is a main component of the Popular Resistance which also groups tribesmen, soldiers and southern separatists.
The party, highly influential in Taez, is linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, which the UAE has banned as a "terror" group.
http://news.yahoo.com/uae-blames-islamists-delay-against-rebels-yemen-province-144202631.html see also http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uae-blames-islamists-delay-against-rebels-yemen-province-979771572
For this subject:
This is a really interesting headline, although for people who have not followed the conflict closely might not immediately understand the significance. If you read the text, you see that UAE is critical of the actions of Islah, which is mainly Muslim Brotherhood but also with Salafist links. It is funded and weaponised by Saudi Arabia - strangely as Saudi opposes Muslim brotherhood in Egypt, and it is as you see a banned group in UAE. In fact, Islah, which centres in the Tihama and especially Taiz, was funded by Saudi Arabia as a political group to take part in the first elections after the unification of Yemen. The southern political groups - the socialists from the Old South - were hoping to win seats here in the election, as they had a much better system of governance and also superior health and education systems, but they were disappointed because of the rise in support for Islah. For the Southerners, already feeling marginalised, it was the last straw and led to the civil war of 1994. UAE ground forces are now taking a much less prominent role in Yemen, having been replaced by mercenaries from Sudan and Columbia, but that has caused a weakening of the coalition ground forces. Some Yemenis tell me that UAE did not agree with the Saudi government encouraging Sunni extremist militias such as Islah and Al Qaeda joining in with the fight against the Houthis, and in particular being left in control of a 'liberated' Aden. In essence, this article seems to make a fit with those rumours that have already been fed to me. Islah supporters are amongst the most uncompromising - for example, I know supporters in Sanaa who despite the extensive damage, the loss of life, and the effects of the Saudi led siege, tell me that they still support Saudi Arabia. Many in Taiz still insist it is the Houthis alone who are killing and destroying, despite evidence of an on-going ground war, including pictures they have posted of their own weapons including the firing of them in densely populated civilian areas, and despite reports of civilians killed in Saudi-led coalition aerial assaults. An army officer from Taiz was reported as saying that Taiz would not negotiate peace but would only accept a military victory in which the Houthi were defeated, and this too fits with the Al Jazeera video in which a militia leader says the same thing. So the capture of Taiz is crucial before any peace talks begin, because of the position of Islah and sympathetic forces.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1062765713875919
23.11.2015 – Emirates 24 7
Armed robbery at Yemen bank in Aden
An armed robbery took place at a branch of the Yemen International Bank in Aden yesterday (Saturday
Meanwhile, a security source told the Arabic daily newspaper ‘Al Ittihad’ that unidentified gunmen had robbed about 60 million Yemeni riyals from the bank.
The security source added that the armed gang attacked a branch of the bank in the directorate of Al Mansoura and threatened employees and office workers.
He added they proceeded to loot the treasury which contained the money and fled. The incident is under investigation to track down the militants.
http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/armed-robbery-at-yemen-bank-in-aden-2015-11-23-1.611557
Kommentar: Die Ordnung in Aden ist nach der “Befreiung” durch die saudische Koalition weitgehend zusammengebrochen.
Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
20.11.2015 – New York Times
Saudi Arabia, an ISIS That Has Made It
Black Daesh, white Daesh. The former slits throats, kills, stones, cuts off hands, destroys humanity’s common heritage and despises archaeology, women and non-Muslims. The latter is better dressed and neater but does the same things. The Islamic State; Saudi Arabia. In its struggle against terrorism, the West wages war on one, but shakes hands with the other. This is a mechanism of denial, and denial has a price: preserving the famous strategic alliance with Saudi Arabia at the risk of forgetting that the kingdom also relies on an alliance with a religious clergy that produces, legitimizes, spreads, preaches and defends Wahhabism, the ultra-puritanical form of Islam that Daesh feeds on.
Wahhabism, a messianic radicalism that arose in the 18th century, hopes to restore a fantasized caliphate centered on a desert, a sacred book, and two holy sites, Mecca and Medina. Born in massacre and blood, it manifests itself in a surreal relationship with women, a prohibition against non-Muslims treading on sacred territory, and ferocious religious laws. That translates into an obsessive hatred of imagery and representation and therefore art, but also of the body, nakedness and freedom. Saudi Arabia is a Daesh that has made it.
The West’s denial regarding Saudi Arabia is striking: It salutes the theocracy as its ally but pretends not to notice that it is the world’s chief ideological sponsor of Islamist culture. The younger generations of radicals in the so-called Arab world were not born jihadists. They were suckled in the bosom of Fatwa Valley, a kind of Islamist Vatican with a vast industry that produces theologians, religious laws, books, and aggressive editorial policies and media campaigns.
One has to live in the Muslim world to understand the immense transformative influence of religious television channels on society by accessing its weak links: households, women, rural areas. Islamist culture is widespread in many countries — Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Mali, Mauritania. There are thousands of Islamist newspapers and clergies that impose a unitary vision of the world, tradition and clothing on the public space, on the wording of the government’s laws and on the rituals of a society they deem to be contaminated.
All of which leaves one skeptical of Western democracies’ thunderous declarations regarding the necessity of fighting terrorism. Their war can only be myopic, for it targets the effect rather than the cause. Since ISIS is first and foremost a culture, not a militia, how do you prevent future generations from turning to jihadism when the influence of Fatwa Valley and its clerics and its culture and its immense editorial industry remains intact?
Jihadism is denounced as the scourge of the century but no consideration is given to what created it or supports it. This may allow saving face, but not saving lives.
Daesh has a mother: the invasion of Iraq. But it also has a father: Saudi Arabia and its religious-industrial complex. Until that point is understood, battles may be won, but the war will be lost. Jihadists will be killed, only to be reborn again in future generations and raised on the same books – by Kamel Daoud
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/21/opinion/saudi-arabia-an-isis-that-has-made-it.html?_r=1
Kommentar: Genau das ist das Problem, das der Westen leugnet.
23.11.2015 – Hispan.tv
Arabia Saudí libera criminales para luchar en Yemen
El régimen saudí ha liberado a yemeníes presos en su país para enviarlos a Yemen a luchar contra el Ejército y los combatientes del movimiento popular Ansarolá.
Según un documento al que ha tenido acceso el portal independiente Mepanorama, las autoridades saudíes han excarcelado a criminales yemeníes acusados de asesinato y violación que se encontraban en las cárceles del reino árabe, a condición de que participen en la guerra en Yemen.
El portal ha indicado este domingo que, según este acuerdo, las familias de los prisioneros yemeníes quedarán como rehenes en Arabia Saudí, pero reciben unos 1400 dólares al mes.
Además, añade que el régimen Al Saud ha utilizado este método ya en el pasado, mandando decenas de prisioneros a Siria para combatir contra el Gobierno del presidente sirio, Bashar al-Asad.
Ya anteriormente, el activista saudí Bin Yamal había tuiteado que el régimen de Riad había liberado prisioneros de Al-Qaeda para participar en la guerra de Yemen.
http://www.hispantv.com/newsdetail/Yemen/76116/arabia-saudi-criminales-carcel
Kommentar: Saudi-Arabien lässt demnach Kriminelle wie auch gefangene Al Qaida-Leute frei, um im Jemen gegen die Huthis zu kämpfen.
USA
23.11.2015 – Sach Times
US AMENABLY BACKINGS AL SAUD'S CRIMES IN YEMEN
The White House undoubtedly backs Saudi policy and the military strikes against the Yemeni civilians. Over 200 days ago Saudi Arabia got engaged in a full-scale war in Yemen, a proxy war which has brought over billions of dollars in profits for the US. And all of its expenses were paid by Saudi Arabia from its oil incomes, which were supposed to be spent on Saudi people who are just unlike their rulers suffering from a lot of economic and social troubles.
The Saudi aggression has so far left over 7000 civilians dead, mostly defenseless women and children. The American praise for Saudi regime's policy is not a new case, because since the beginning of US-led war in Afghanistan, and even before and after that, Saudi Arabia has been implementing the US policies in the region in the best possible way, just as the Americans expected.
Naturally, the US admires the Saudi regime's actions, because it sells its arms while observing the situation without paying any price or receiving any damage. The US keeps following its new plan for the West Asian region, known as "Greater Middle East Project", which it failed to realize on the ground after defeat in July 2006 Lebanon 33-Day war.
However it is not true to say that they think alike, because the US, which is one of the supporters of terrorism across the world, disguises itself under the cover of the sham claims of defending the freedom and backing the oppressed, however, Saudi Arabia is an open supporter of terrorism and it punishes its political opposition.
Along with US open role, Saudi Arabia secretly sent arms and the Wahhabi terror militants. It also facilitated suicidal attacks and arranged sectarian disputes and domestic conflicts. Cooperating with the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Saudi Arabia has founded, directly or indirectly, the ISIS terrorist organization. Additionally, in Syria war Saudi Arabia noticeably presented financial aids to the terrorists and provided them with arms and ammunitions. Besides, the Wahhabi clerics who always encouraged the young people to go to Syria for jihad, have helped the Saudi regime with its plans.
Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf Arab states' extravagant arms purchases from the American military industries is the most important factor making the US pleased with Saudi policies. The Arab countries spend billions of dollars of their budgets on buying arms. Despite having fighter jet fleets as well as arms and missiles, the Arab countries are not able to produce any ammunition for their military facilities. So, they unavoidably resort to the US arms industries, which play a big role in directing the country's foreign policies.
http://www.sachtimes.com/en/analysis/4111-us-backings-al-saud-yemen
23.11.2015 – Expose Facts
Academic’s Research Shows NY Times, Wash. Post Don’t Do Follow-up Reporting to See if Civilians Killed in U.S. Drone Strikes
By now you know the drill: The CIA or U.S. military forces unleash a drone strike or other aerial bombardment in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia or any other country that the United States claims the right to attack.
A U.S. government spokesperson reports 5 or 7 or 17 or 25 or whatever number of “militants” killed — Taliban, or al Qaeda or ISIS/ISIL/Islamic State fighters — according to its fill-in-the-blanks press release. Wire services, mainstream newspapers, television newscasters dutifully report in brief fashion on another successful drone or missile strike, fulfilling minimal journalistic standards by attributing it to the Pentagon, or intelligence or U.S. government sources — sometimes even naming the spokesperson who issued the news release.
And then — usually nothing. Yes, sometimes someone with a little clout raises a stink — say the Afghan president, or some prominent local official who was an eyewitness to the attack, or Doctors without Borders after the U.S. attack on their Afghanistan hospital in October. (* See footnote.) In such challenges to the Americans’ claims of killing only “militants,” these pesky eyewitnesses contend that many of those killed were actually noncombatants, even women and children.
But on those occasions when U.S. officials are confronted with too-strong evidence of civilian casualties, they typically issue an apology (while not usually admitting civilians were actually killed), promise an investigation — and then that’s the last we ever seem to hear of it in the mainstream press.
Now, an American University (A.U.) academic, Jeff Bachman, has documentedwhat some readers may have surmised in reading drone news coverage over the years, but didn’t have the data to back it up. In examining articles by The New York Times and Washington Post in the immediate aftermath of U.S. drone strikes between 2009 and 2014, Bachman concluded:
“Both papers have substantially underrepresented the number of civilians killed in drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen, failed to correct the public record when evidence emerged that their reporting was wrong and ignored the importance of international law.”
Bachman, professional lecturer in human rights and the co-director of Global Affairs M.A. Program at A.U.’s School of International Service, examined a sample of 81 Times articles and 26 Post articles published within two days of particular drone strikes between 2009 and 2014. He then compared the two papers’ reporting to the research and tracking of drone strikes by the London-based The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ). He said he considered TBIJ’s data authoritative “because they used a methodology that has been endorsed by the Center for Civilians in Conflict and Human Rights” at Columbia University’s Law School.
“This trend of underreporting of civilian casualties means readers are not being informed of the real consequences of drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan,” Bachman wrote. “It represents a failure by journalists at these papers to view critical government claims regarding who is killed in particular strikes.”
Even worse, Bachman reports what happened when he contacted both newspapers to question them “about the inaccuracies in their reporting on civilian casualties, and to see whether either newspaper published corrections” about civilian deaths from drone strikes. “The answer from both was that they had not,” he wrote.
“Without government transparency and accurate reporting, whistleblowers, like the source of The Intercept’s ‘Drone Papers,’ are the only source for information that will allow us to understand the real consequences of the drone strikes,” Bachman concluded – by John Hanrahan
https://exposefacts.org/academics-research-shows-ny-times-wash-post-dont-do-follow-up-reporting-to-see-if-civilians-killed-in-u-s-drone-strikes/ = http://warisacrime.org/content/academic%E2%80%99s-research-shows-ny-times-wash-post-don%E2%80%99t-do-follow-reporting-see-if-civilians-kill#.VlR9QtPVD68.facebook see also http://theconversation.com/the-new-york-times-and-washington-post-are-ignoring-civilians-killed-by-us-drone-strikes-49416
23.11.2015 – Foreign Policy
In Yemen, a Saudi War Fought With U.S. Help
Some of that blame [at the Saudis] should land at Washington’s feet: the daily bombing campaign would not be possible without the constant presence of U.S. Air Force tanker planes refueling coalition jets, and the billions worth of precision-guided munitions sold to Riyadh and its allies by American defense contractors.
American planes began taking off in support of the campaign on April 5, less than two weeks after the bombs started falling in Yemen in late March. As of Nov. 13, U.S. tankers have flown 471 refueling sorties to top off the tanks of coalition warplanes 2,443 times, according to numbers provided by the Defense Department. The American flights have totaled approximately 3,926 flying hours while delivering over 17 million lbs. of fuel.
The mostly American-made fighter planes guided by Arab pilots are also primarily dropping American-made munitions, bolstered recently by the $1.29 billion in weaponry Washington agreed to sell Saudi Arabia. The sale includes 22,000 bombs, featuring 1,000 laser guided bombs, and over 5,000 “kits” that can transform older bombs into GPS-guided bombs.
Despite the civilian toll from the airstrikes, top U.S. military officials haven’t shied away from talking about their involvement in planning the war. American military personnel are currently working out of a Saudi Arabian planning center helping the Saudis plan the daily airstrikes and providing intelligence help to coordinate flights, Lt. Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the commander of the U.S. Air Force’s Central Command, told an audience earlier this month at the Dubai Air Show.
The Obama administration, meanwhile, has stood solidly behind its Gulf allies. Earlier this month, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said“the reason the Saudis are there conducting these airstrikes is because of the ongoing violence stoked by Houthi rebels.” He acknowledged that the strikes have resulted in civilian casualties but stopped short of holding any single party responsible, saying that U.S. policy makers “always call for restraint in conducting these kinds of airstrikes” when they are near civilian areas.
The air campaign, and the civilian fallout, has been a black eye for Washington, however – by Paul McLeary
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/11/23/in-yemen-a-saudi-war-fought-with-u-s-help/ = http://www.english.alahednews.com.lb/essaydetails.php?eid=31144&cid=499#.VlRrT7-Sn3E
23.11.2015 – Salon
Brutally bombing Yemen is helping “accomplish significant progress,” according to Secretary Kerry
The U.S.-backed coalition has utterly ravaged Yemen, yet Kerry applauded the UAE's role in the war during his visit
“War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength” was the slogan of the totalitarian government in George Orwell’s canonical novel “1984.” We can now add another phrase to the dystopian motto: “Brutally bombing poor countries is helping ‘accomplish significant progress.'”
Secretary of State John Kerry visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) today to meet with Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan. The UAE — a close Western ally with some of the world’s largest oil reserves — is a federation of seven absolute monarchies which base their laws on an extreme interpretation of Sharia (Islamic law). Although it tries to present itself as practicing a semblance of democracy, the roles of the UAE’s president and prime minister are effectively hereditary in nature, passed down to the emirs of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The New York Times has described the UAE as “an autocracy with the sheen of a progressive, modern state.”
In his trip Monday morning, Kerry applauded the monarchic, theocratic state for its work in the region.
“We respect what United Arab Emirates has been able to do to be able to accomplish significant progress in Yemen,” Kerry said.
What exactly does Kerry mean by “significant progress”? He means the UAE has helped wage a destructive war on Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East.
Although the coalition is led by Saudi Arabia, the UAE has played an important role.
“We understand completely and support the reasons that Saudi Arabia and the UAE felt compelled to take acts of self-defense and to protect the security of this region,” Kerry said. But is the UAE acting in self-defense?
Leading human rights organizations suggest otherwise. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and more have accused the coalition of committing flagrant war crimes. Around two-thirds of civilian deaths and property destruction have been caused by the Saudi-led coalition, according to the U.N. Amnesty International also noted that“more civilians have died as a result of coalition airstrikes than from any other cause during the conflict in Yemen.”
“Eight months of conflict have had a devastating effect on all aspects of life in Yemen, with the health and education sectors the hardest hit,” said the Head of Operation for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. This is what Secretary Kerry characterizes as “accomplishing significant progress.”
Kerry continued, adding, “I know that the UAE has made sacrifices in that effort. We understand those sacrifices in the United States, and we respect what has been achieved, and we respect the values that the UAE is standing up for.” – by Ben Norton
Kommentar: Angesichts der Tatsachen ein dummes, menschenverachtendes Geschwätz. Ja, Kerry entlarvt sich selbst im letzten Satz: „Wir respektieren die Werte, für die die VAE stehen“ – das glaube ich ihm aufs Wort. Autokratie, Menschenrechtsverletzungen und religiöse Borniertheit – da ist Kerry zu Hause.
23.11.2015 – US State Department
Remarks With United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan After Their Tour of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
FOREIGN MINISTER BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN: It’s a great honor for myself to have Secretary of State of the United States, my friend, John Kerry, to the UAE, and it was wonderful to join him on a tour in Sheikh Zayed Mosque. But this morning we had a very fruitful meeting with Sheikh Mohammed, and we very much rely on the Secretary’s friendship and the strong relationship between the UAE and the United States. So welcome.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. First of all, let me just – I want to thank Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed for a very warm welcome here today. I want to thank them for the privilege of visiting this remarkable mosque, the bin Zayed Mosque, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, which is one of the great mosques of the world, and for my money one of the truly most beautiful mosques that I’ve had the privilege of visiting. It’s an extraordinary architecture and a great tribute to Islam and to this country. And I congratulate them on this remarkable accomplishment, built in nine years starting in 1995, and it really is quite amazing.
I’m very grateful to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed for his welcome today and for the time we spent on some very serious conversations about the situation throughout the Middle East. We respect what United Arab Emirates has been able to do to be able to accomplish significant progress in Yemen. We understand completely and support the reasons that Saudi Arabia and the UAE felt compelled to take acts of self-defense and to protect the security of this region. And I know that the UAE has made sacrifices in that effort. We understand those sacrifices in the United States, and we respect what has been achieved, and we respect the values that the UAE is standing up for. […]
So again, a profound thank you to my friend and my colleague Sheikh Abdullah, who works very closely on all of these issues. We’re very, very grateful for the support of the UAE and all of its leadership. Thank you.
http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2015/11/249895.htm
Kommentar: Kerrys Kernsätze über Jemen: We respect what United Arab Emirates has been able to do to be able to accomplish significant progress in Yemen. We understand completely and support the reasons that Saudi Arabia and the UAE felt compelled to take acts of self-defense and to protect the security of this region. Was ist für Kerry “significant progress”?? Und der Jemen-Krieg als “Selbstverteidigung” von Saudi-Arabien und den Emiraten ist reichlich irrsinnig. Dass der Krieg dazu dient, „to protect the security of this region”, ist nicht weniger irr. Das entspricht Orwells Neusprech: Krieg ist Frieden, Freiheit ist Sklaverei, Unwissenheit ist Stärke." Nicht minder irr Kerrys Aussage: “And I thank the UAE for their commitment to trying to make sure that radical religious extremism is pushed back in favor of a broad-based, tolerant, secular governance which allows the people of Libya to be able to choose their future”: Die Emirate drängen den religiösen Extremismus zurück und setzen sich für einen säkulären Staat ein??? Das ist lachhaft.
23.11.2015 – Nile Net Online
US Openly Supports Al Saud's Crimes in Yemen
The White House undoubtedly backs Saudi policy and the military strikes against the Yemeni civilians. Over 200 days ago Saudi Arabia got engaged in a full-scale war in Yemen, a proxy war which has brought over billions of dollars in profits for the US. And all of its expenses were paid by Saudi Arabia from its oil incomes, which were supposed to be spent on Saudi people who are just unlike their rulers suffering from a lot of economic and social troubles.
The American praise for Saudi regime's policy is not a new case, because since the beginning of US-led war in Afghanistan, and even before and after that, Saudi Arabia has been implementing the US policies in the region in the best possible way, just as the Americans expected.
Naturally, the US admires the Saudi regime's actions, because it sells its arms while observing the situation without paying any price or receiving any damage. The US keeps following its new plan for the West Asian region, known as "Greater Middle East Project", which it failed to realize on the ground after defeat in July 2006 Lebanon 33-Day war.
However it is not true to say that they think alike, because the US, which is one of the supporters of terrorism across the world, disguises itself under the cover of the sham claims of defending the freedom and backing the oppressed, however, Saudi Arabia is an open supporter of terrorism and it punishes its political opposition.
The best example concerning the case is the US occupation of Iraq.
Along with US open role, Saudi Arabia secretly sent arms and the Wahhabi terror militants. It also facilitated suicidal attacks and arranged sectarian disputes and domestic conflicts. Cooperating with the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Saudi Arabia has founded, directly or indirectly, the ISIS terrorist organization. Additionally, in Syria war Saudi Arabia noticeably presented financial aids to the terrorists and provided them with arms and ammunitions. Besides, the Wahhabi clerics who always encouraged the young people to go to Syria for jihad, have helped the Saudi regime with its plans.
Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf Arab states' extravagant arms purchases from the American military industries is the most important factor making the US pleased with Saudi policies. The Arab countries spend billions of dollars of their budgets on buying arms. Despite having fighter jet fleets as well as arms and missiles, the Arab countries are not able to produce any ammunition for their military facilities. So, they unavoidably resort to the US arms industries, which play a big role in directing the country's foreign policies.
http://en.nilenetonline.com/world/17347-us-openly-supports-al-saud-s-crimes-in-yemen.html
23.11.2015 – The American Conservative
Yemen and the War on ISIS
Matt Purple wonders if the renewed focus on the war on ISIS will cause the U.S. to drop its support for the war on Yemen.
It’s a good question, but we already know what the answer is: no, the U.S. won’t withdraw its support, and the clients that are waging the war on Yemen will continue to neglect the “real fight” because it isn’t the fight that matters to them. Contributions from the Gulf states to the campaign against ISIS were minimal from the start and were never going to be that great. Their support for the “broad coalition” was useful primarily in that it allowed the U.S. to point to regional support for the intervention in Iraq and Syria. No one seriously expected the Gulf states to do more than mount a token effort, because it was understood that this was all that would be offered. When you hear presidential candidates boast that they will use U.S. “leadership” to form a regional Sunni military force to wage a ground war in Syria, as Rubio has done recently, it is safe to laugh at them.
The relatively much greater commitment that the Saudis and their Gulf allies have made in Yemen reflects how much more they care about combating Iranian influence even when there is scarcely any Iranian influence to combat. The campaign in Yemen diverts their resources from what Washington considers the higher priority, but our clients have never seen the war on ISIS this way and it seems unlikely that they are going to start. The U.S. ought to stop supporting the Saudis and their allies in Yemen, but that would be the right and smart thing to do regardless of the effect it might have on any other issue. Unfortunately, we can be fairly sure that isn’t going to happen.
Even if the U.S. withdrew its support from the war on Yemen and prevailed on the coalition governments to halt their campaign and blockade, that wouldn’t necessarily mean that they would increase their support for the war on ISIS. This article helps explain why.
The U.S. wants these client states in the anti-ISIS coalition because their countries are predominantly Sunni, and yet it is because of sectarian considerations that they would rather focus on attacking the allies and proxies (real and imagined) of Iran. The thing that supposedly makes these states valuable in opposing ISIS is what makes them ignore the fight against ISIS in favor of attacking Shi’ites and their allies across the region. The U.S. should end its involvement in the war on Yemen, and it should also seriously reevaluate what benefit the U.S. derives from having clients that consistently work at cross-purposes with our policies – by Daniel Larison
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/yemen-and-the-war-on-isis/
22.11.2015 – The National Interest
After Paris, 5 Big Foreign Policy Questions the West Must Ask Itself
The Paris attacks have called our foreign policy into question. Whereas after 9/11 the problem was that we didn’t have a strategy to fight terrorism, after 11/13 the problem is that our strategy doesn’t appear to be working.
Here, in no particular order, are five questions the West needs to ask itself. Some are peripheral while others cut to the heart of our foreign policy, but all are integral to the fight against ISIS terror.
1. Can we shift our Middle East thinking from cold war to war on terror?
2. Can Europe successfully integrate its large Muslim populations?
3. How comfortable are we with the Russian-Iranian-Assad axis in Iraq and Syria?
4. Will we finally walk away from the war on Yemen?
America’s Sunni allies initially paraded their solidarity against ISIS. The warplanes were launched, King Abdullah appeared looking fetching in a flight suit—and then everyone dashed off to Yemen. The sudden diversion of our allies’ aircraft to the campaign against the Houthis has made America look increasingly like it’s waging a unilateral war. As of November 7, the Saudis hadn’t bombed ISIS in Syria since September; the Jordanians hadn’t since August.
The United States is bankrolling this distraction by providing equipment and logistics to those attacking Yemen. That bloody little war was always a bad idea. Will we finally withdraw our support and nudge our Sunni allies back to the real fight?
5. What happens the day after ISIS is neutralized? – by Matt Purple
http://nationalinterest.org/feature/after-paris-5-big-foreign-policy-questions-the-west-must-ask-14410 see also http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/22/arab-states-under-pressure-fight-isis-iran-syria-saudi-arabia
20.11.2015 – World Socialist Web
Das Pentagon-Handbuch zum Kriegsrecht, Teil 1
Eine Anleitung für den totalen Krieg und die Errichtung einer Militärdiktatur. Das neue vom US-Verteidigungsministerium herausgegebene Handbuch zum Kriegsrecht ist eher eine Anleitung zum Brechen des Völkerrechts und der US-Gesetze und zum Begehen von Kriegsverbrechen. Das im Juni 2015 vorgelegte 1.165-seitige Dokument, das erst kürzlich online gestellt wurde (s. http://www.dod.mil/dodgc/images/law_war_manual15.pdf), entspricht nicht dem geltenden Recht, zeigt aber, wie das Pentagon damit umgeht.
Nach diesem Handbuch setzt das Kriegsrecht, wie es vom Pentagon interpretiert wird, nicht nur die Menschenrechte, sondern auch die US-Verfassung außer Kraft. Das Handbuch erlaubt die Tötung von Zivilisten in bewaffneten Konflikten und schafft die Voraussetzungen für massenhafte Inhaftierungen durch das US-Militär. Journalisten dürfen nicht nur zensiert, sondern auch als Spione behandelt werden, wenn die Militärs das für notwendig halten.
Das Handbuch stellt den Einsatz von Atomwaffen frei und lässt auch Napalm, Geschosse aus abgereichertem Uran, Streubomben und andere schreckliche Waffen zu. In diesem Handbuch geht es nicht nur um das Kriegsrecht, es ist eigentlich eine Anleitung für den totalen Krieg und die Errichtung einer Militärdiktatur.
Das Handbuch ist der Beweis dafür, dass imperialistischer Militarismus und Demokratie nicht miteinander vereinbar sind. In den 25 Jahren seit dem Zerfall der Sowjetunion und besonders in den 14 Jahren seit Beginn des so genannten "Krieges gegen den Terror" haben die USA fast ununterbrochen Krieg geführt und ihren wirtschaftlichen Niedergang durch Drohungen und militärische Gewalt rund um die Welt zu vertuschen versucht. Es ist kaum zu erwarten, dass eine Regierung, die mit Hilfe von Faschisten in der Ukraine einen Staatsstreich inszeniert hat, eine repressive Militärdiktatur in Ägypten unterstützt und die Verwüstung des Gazastreifen und den Massenmord an Palästinensern billigt, in den USA selbst die Gesetze einhält und demokratische Prinzipien achtet.
Die Regierungen der beiden Präsidenten Bush und Obama haben den "Krieg gegen den Terror" zum schrittweisen Abbau demokratischer Rechte in den USA genutzt, mit dem Patriot Act polizeistaatliche Einschränkungen beschließen und die Bevölkerung von der NSA und anderen Geheimdiensten uneingeschränkt überwachen lassen, die Polizei militarisiert und nicht nur Vorkehrungen für die Inhaftierung und Ermordung von US-Bürgern ohne Anklage und Gerichtsverhandlung getroffen sondern bereits die ersten Präzedenzfälle geschaffen. Das Pentagon-Handbuch ist ein wichtiger Meilenstein auf dem Weg in einen US-Polizeistaat – von Tom Carter
http://www.luftpost-kl.de/luftpost-archiv/LP_13/LP21215_201115.pdf
English original (Part 1 to 4)
3.11.2015 – World Socialist Web
The Pentagon’s Law of War Manual: Part one
The new US Department of Defense Law of War Manual is essentially a guidebook for violating international and domestic law and committing war crimes. The 1,165-page document, dated June 2015 and recently made available online, is not a statement of existing law as much as a compendium of what the Pentagon wishes the law to be.
According to the manual, the “law of war” (i.e., the law of war according to the Pentagon) supersedes international human rights treaties as well as the US Constitution.
The manual authorizes the killing of civilians during armed conflict and establishes a framework for mass military detentions. Journalists, according to the manual, can be censored and punished as spies on the say-so of military officials. The manual freely discusses the use of nuclear weapons, and it does not prohibit napalm, depleted uranium munitions, cluster bombs or other indiscriminate weapons.
The manual might have more properly been titled A Manifesto for Total War and Military Dictatorship.
The manual is an expression of the incompatibility of imperialist militarism and democracy. In the 25 years since the liquidation of the USSR, and especially over the 14 years since the launching of the so-called “war on terror,” the United States has been almost perpetually at war, seeking to offset its economic decline by threats and military violence around the world.
The same government that orchestrated a coup led by fascists in the Ukraine, that backs a military dictatorship and repression in Egypt, and that supports mass killings and destruction in Gaza can hardly be expected to remain true to the rule of law and democratic principles at home.
Through both the Bush and Obama administrations, the “war on terror” has been accompanied by a steady abrogation of democratic rights within the United States, including a barrage of police state legislation such as the Patriot Act, unrestricted spying on the population by the National Security Agency and other agencies, the militarization of the police, and the establishment of precedents for the detention and assassination of US citizens without charges or trial.
In this context, the Pentagon manual is a significant milestone in the drive to establish the framework of a police state – by Tom Carter
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2015/11/03/laws-n03.html
Sudan
23.11.2015 – Almonitor
Sudan gets $2.2B for joining Saudi Arabia, Qatar in Yemen war
Riyadh has reached out to Sudan and other African nations for on-the-ground support. Ultimately, Saudi Arabia’s ability to secure a commitment from the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) must be analyzed within the context of Sudan’s domestic problems, which have left the country on the verge of total economic collapse.
Since 1997, US-imposed sanctions on Sudan’s central bank have weakened the country’s access to global financial markets and hard currency. Ongoing conflicts between the SAF and rebel movements in Darfur and the provinces of South Kordofan and Blue Nile have drained resources and undermined investor confidence. When South Sudan seceded in 2011, Sudan lost one-third of its territory and the majority of its oil. Low oil prices have also resulted in diminished revenue. These dismal conditions have led officials in the capital of Khartoum to seek financial assistance from its Gulf Arab allies.
Members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have indeed provided a crucial financial lifeline for heavily sanctioned Sudan. Khartoum recently announced that officials in the Saudi capital of Riyadh had deposited $1 billion in Sudan’s central bank earlier this year. The Qataris deposited $1.22 billion shortly after Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir visited Doha last year. Additionally, the Bank of Khartoum’s three main shareholders are Dubai Islamic Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and Sharjah Islamic Bank.
But support for Sudan is not being delivered without strings attached.
Khartoum is now paying for the aid by fighting in Yemen. In the past several weeks, hundreds of Sudanese officers and soldiers have joined the roughly 1,000 SAF troops already fighting there. In October, Sudanese Defense Minister Awad bin Auf said, “There are 6,000 fighters from special forces, ground forces and elite troops ready to participate when requested by the leadership of the coalition. … Even if more troops and military contribution is needed, we are ready for any developments.”
Sudan joined Riyadh’s coalition despite having spent several years strengthening ties with Iran. Last year, however, Sudan's relationship with Tehran took a new turn. In September 2014, Sudanese authorities closed Iranian cultural centers in Khartoum and other locations, citing Iran’s alleged efforts to spread Shiism in Sudan. In reality, Sudan’s tiny Shiite minority poses no true threat to the regime, and the closure of the cultural centers can be explained only within the context of Sudan's geopolitical pivot toward Saudi Arabia.
The International Criminal Court wants to try Bashir for his alleged war crimes, so Sudan’s participation in the US-sponsored coalition has raised eyebrows among human rights activists in the West.
The Saudis, of course, impose no human rights litmus test for their partners in their Yemen intervention. The truth is that SAF has years of experience combatting insurgencies, and given the refusal of some of Riyadh’s other traditional military allies to send a substantial on-the-ground force to Yemen, it was logical that the kingdom would turn to Sudan for greater manpower.
Although friction between Saudi Arabia and Sudan previously stemmed from Khartoum’s support for Hamas and the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, those tensions appear to be dissipating. As Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud seeks to unite the Sunni Arab world behind the kingdom to counter Iranian influence, Riyadh sees Sudan as an actor in this foreign policy strategy .
The price Sudan pays for this financial lifeline is participation in Yemen’s escalating civil war. – by Giorgio Caffiero
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/11/sudan-saudi-arabia-war-yemen-houthi-economy.html
Kommentar: So haben die Saudis und die Golfstaaten den Sudan "gekauft" - übrigens eine der Diktaturen, die der Westen auf der Schurkenstaaten-Liste hat. Interessant wäre hier ja auch die Frage: gehen die sudanesischen Soldaten freiwillig oder werden sie gezwungen, ihre Haut im Jemen zu Markte zu tragen? Und wer verdient daran außer dem sudanesischen Regime? Was bekommen denn die Soldaten?
Propaganda
24.11.2015 – Emirates 24 7 from WAM
Yemen President commends UAE: Significant role in regaining peace and stability
President of Yemen Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi has praised the efforts made by the UAE in the liberation and re-building of Aden and neighbouring provinces.
During a meeting with the leaders of political parties and non-government organisations in Aden, President Hadi said the UAE played a significant role in regaining peace and stability, rebuilding schools and hospitals, supplying water and electricity and providing humanitarian assistance.
"The current stage requires that we join hands to ensure that life returns to normal in Aden. Soon, several schemes will be implemented in the areas of security, administration, services and development," he added.
http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/yemen-president-commends-uae-2015-11-24-1.611642
24.11.2015 – Dubai Eye
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince receives Yemen tribal chiefs
Yemen can face all challenges and re-build their state on a purely Yemeni and Arab foundation, said His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. According to national news agency WAM, His Highness made the remarks while receiving chiefs and dignitaries of Yemen’s Marib tribes yesterday.
The guests thanked the UAE for supporting Yemen during the fight against Houthi rebels. Sheikh Mohammed also affirmed that Yemen was able to regain its sovereignty with the significant help of the Saudi-led Arab Coalition.
http://dubaieye1038.com/abu-dhabi-crown-prince-receives-yemen-tribal-chiefs/
24.11.2015 – Khaleej Times from WAM
We will always stand by you, CP tells Yemen
His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has said that the people of Yemen are capable of facing all challenges and re-building their state on a purely Yemeni and Arab foundation.
Shaikh Mohammed made the remarks while receiving chiefs and dignitaries of Yemen's Marib tribes at Al Shati Palace on Monday, headed by Marib Governor Sultan bin Ali Al Arrada and accompanied by Brigadier Mussalam Al Rashedi, Commander of Marib Liberation Force. The guests thanked the UAE for supporting Yemen during the recent plight, after the coup staged by the rebellious militias and their allies against legitimacy and international consensus.
Shaikh Mohammed welcomed the Shaikhs and dignitaries of Marib tribes and said the UAE shared blood with brothers in Yemen. The late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan stood with you in the past, we stand with you today and tomorrow and May Allah the Almighty grant your country and your people peace, stability and prosperity."
He added that the Saudi-led Arab Coalition contributed significantly in helping Yemen regain its sovereignty, under a vision that serves the aspirations of the Yemeni people for stability and development.
"The UAE, under the leadership of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, always stand by brothers in the times of trials. The sacrifices of our sons and the sons of Yemen and of the other Arab Coalition countries will not go in vain. Such sacrifices will lay the foundation for a historic phase in the region that will preserve the Arabic Yemen from external interventions and ensure regional security," he added.
Shaikh Mohammed affirmed the Arab Coalition's determination to continue its support to the legitimate government in Yemen and to enable it deliver its duty in clearing Yemen from the remnants of rebellion, mutiny, extremism, ignorance and violence.
"At the same time," he continued, "we support political solutions and implementation of relevant international resolutions when genuine intentions and tangible steps are taken by the militias to end their rebellion."
The Yemeni tribal chiefs and dignitaries thanked the UAE for its firm and historic stand and for the sacrifices offered to see a strong Yemen, capable of facing up to all challenges and regional and sectarian ambitions that seek to sow sedition and destruction in Yemen.
They also applauded efforts of the President and his directives to provide assistance to the Yemeni people affected by the war launched on them by the rebellious militias, and added that the projects being implemented by the UAE have contributed in stepping up return of the people to their homes in many liberated provinces.
Shaikh Al Arrada conveyed the greetings of Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his thanks to the government and people of the UAE. He said the delegation was visiting the UAE to offer condolences on the death of Emirati martyrs who made heroic sacrifices defending Yemen.
Shaikh Al Arrada said some regimes, especially in Yemen, tried to drive a wedge between the Yemeni people, who are bound by the same blood, history and faith. He praised the UAE and the Arab Coalition countries for the sacrifices made to end the crisis.
He recalled the deeds of the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his contributions to the development of Yemen and Marib province in particular, including construction of the Marib-Sana'a highway and of Marib dam.
He also said Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan meant every word when he said before the liberation of Marib that soon, the Yemeni and Emirati flags will fly over Zayed Dam.
"Shortly after, the two flags did fly there, thanks to the sons of the UAE and their brothers in the Arab Coalition."
A delegation member recited a poem, recalling the glorious role of the UAE and the Arab Coalition.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/government/we-will-always-stand-by-you-cp-tells-yemen
Kommentar: Alle Propaganda-Versatzstücke sind altbekannt, schon mehrmals hier kommentiert. Ich schenke es mir diesmal.
23.11.2015 – Emirates 24 7
Ready for battle: Sanaa Governor
Awaiting orders from Yemeni President
The Governor of Sanaa in Yemen says forces loyal to the legitimate regime in the governorate are ready for the liberation battle and that they are awaiting orders from the country’s President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.
Abdul Qawi Sharif said clashes over the past couple of days between the coup rebels and two Sanaa tribes, Bani Dibyan and Khoulan, showed that the battle to liberate the capital and its areas has already started.
“We are prepared militarily, tactically and logistically for the Sanaa battle.
“We are awaiting instructions to launch this battle to liberate the governorat.
“We are working closely with the resistance and are now waiting for instructions from President Hadi,” he said, quoted by Yemen’s press.
He said Yemen’s national army and resistance fighters are present in most areas in Sanaa governorate and that they are waiting for “the zero hour”.
Sharif ruled out a political settlement with the Houthis and forces loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
“I don’t think there will be a political settlement with these people.
“How do you expect a settlement with people who know only the culture of killing,” he said.
“I believe a solution is possible only when the coup rebels recognise and believe in the legitimate authority, but so far, they believe only in war and fighting.”
http://www.emirates247.com/news/ready-for-battle-sanaa-governor-2015-11-23-1.611457
Kommentar: Von Hadi ernannter Gouverneur von Sanaa, das aber noch von den Huthis beherrscht wird. Was er sagt, ist nichts Neues. Dazu:
Now the governors are appointed by Hadi - and he has appointed people loyal to him, which I guess is sensible from his perspective of wanting to hold on to power. So any views from a governor had to be seen in that context. These current statements of Sanaa soon are a bit more based on politics than fact. They are trying to turn the screw before the peace negotiations to try to to get a more favourable outcome. I don't care what the outcome is personally except I want one that is seen by most Yemenis as the best deal on offer, and one that can create the first step for peace.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1062808803871610
23.11.2015 – The National UAE
Emiratis say Yemen has given them new level of respect for soldiers
Soldiers making the ultimate sacrifice for their country have given Emiratis a greater appreciation of the security they enjoy and the work the Armed Forces do.
News of deaths on the front line in Yemen “was like a slap in the face”, said Fatma Fikree, 27, who lost relatives and friends in the conflict.
With the UAE military playing a key role in Operation Restoring Hope, fighting Houthi rebels destabilising Yemen, came a greater realisation by many Emiratis of the safety and prosperity they enjoy in the UAE.
“This conflict has given Emiratis a greater appreciation for people in uniform and what they do to keep us safe,” Ms Fikree said.
Having lost three brothers-in-law and friends in the conflict she said observing Commemoration Day on November 30 was something people should be doing in their own way every day.
“For what our martyrs have given to us they need to be remembered every day,” she said.
Ms Fikree, a mother of two small children, said the conflict had united the Emirati community, not only with their fellow citizens but also with their Arab brothers who were fighting alongside them.
“Being together in times like these is important for Muslims and Arabs to show the rest of the world how united we are,” she said, adding that she would constantly remind her children of the sacrifices Emirati soldiers had made in their name.
Aiding her in teaching her children about honouring the nation’s heroes will be the memorial to be built near Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. “This is not only for the next generation but for many generations, so we can remember the soldiers for centuries to come,” she said.
Abdulrahman Al Shamsi, a financial analyst for Image Nation, said the memorial was important to remember the names of every soldier who gave his life for the country. The 29-year-old, who will be enlisted for national service in January, said he felt tremendous pride in getting the chance to serve.
“Name one country that gives as much to their citizens as the UAE does. Now is our time to give back.” Commemoration Day, he said, would be a bitter-sweet celebration. “We will mourn those who have died, but it is also a celebration of their sacrifice,” he said – by Thamer Al Subaihi
Kommentar: Klassische Heldenpropaganda im Stil des frühen 20. Jahrhunderts, gemischt mit ein paar Versatzstücken der bekannten Propaganda dieses Krieges.
23.11.2015 – WAM
We will be in Sana'a soon, says Khaled Bahah in Marib
Vice President of Yemen and Prime Minister, Khaled Bahah, has said that his government would continue to move in the governorates liberated by the legitimate government to establish its authority over them.
While chairing the meeting in Marib, he said today, "Soon we will be in Sana'a," hinting to the decisive battle to liberate Sana'a and retake it from the Houthi rebels and Saleh group.
He praised the sons of Marib in the resistance, in the army and in the authority, describing them as "the backbone of the resistance and steadfastness."
http://www.wam.ae/en/news/[International]/1395288349579.html
Terrorismus / Terrorism
23.11.2015 – IMRA
AQAP Intervenes In Yemen War
Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has intervened in the war
in Yemen.
Security sources said AQAP has resumed attacks on positions of both the Iranian-backed Houthis as well as the Saudi-backed Yemen Army. On Nov. 19, AQAP attacked a Yemen Army base loyal to ousted President Abbed Rabbo Mansour Hadi in the eastern province of Hadramaut in which some 30 people on both sides were killed. "We believe this is the first of several attacks in the province," a source said.
The sources said this marked the first major operation by AQAP in Hadramaut since at least July 2015. They said Al Qaida began with a suicide car bombing at the 35th Brigade army base, located near Shibam, followed by the storming of up to 30 fighters. Later, Islamic State of Iraq and Levant claimed responsibility for the suicide strike.
It was not clear why AQAP intervened in the war in Yemen. But the sources said Al Qaida, which controlled much of the southern part of the province, wanted to send a message to the Yemen Army not to advance in Hadramaut.
"There are contacts between AQAP and elements of the Saudi coalition," another source said. "But there is no way AQAP will withdraw from the territory it is now holding."
http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=69079 = http://beforeitsnews.com/middle-east/2015/11/aqap-intervenes-in-yemen-war-2537502.html
23.11.2015 – Twitter
IS in #Aden destroyed British graveyard located in Tawahi. Graves, headstones and crosses broken to pieces
https://twitter.com/NasserMaweri/status/668734531034349568
23.11.2015 – Iran German Radio
IS-Terroristen setzen sich von Syrien nach Jemen ab
Kämpfer der Terrormiliz "Islamischer Staat" (IS) haben Medien zufolge begonnen, ihre Stellungen in Syrien zu verlassen und sich über die Türkei nach Jemen abzusetzen.
Das Nachrichtenportal "Emirates 24" berichtete am Sonntag unter Berufung auf die kuwaitische Zeitung "Al-Qabas": Nach heftigen russischen Luftangriffen sowie der Bodenoffensive der syrischen Armee ist die IS-Terrormiliz militärisch zerfallen.
Dem Bericht zufolge gerät die Terrormiliz auch zunehmend in finanzielle Notlage.
Bei den Syrischen Luftangriffen mit Hilfe der russischen Kampfflugzeuge sind seit 30. September hunderte IS-Terroristen in Syrien getötet worden.
http://german.irib.ir/nachrichten/nahost/item/293685-is-terroristen-fliehen-aus-syrien-in-den-jemen
Kommentar: dank des saudi-amerikanischen Eingreifens im Yemen findet ISIS dort den benötigten Schutz- und Ruheraum vor.
Flüchtlinge / Refugees
24.11.2015 – International Organisation for Migration
Regional refugee and Migrant Response: Impact of the Yemen Crisis, 15 November 2015
Humanitarian actors involved in the response to the outflow of civilians from Yemen due to the current conflict are committed to providing life-saving assistance and protection to those fleeing Yemen, pending durable solutions.
166,658 Total out of Yemen
75,778 Arrivals in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan.
23,594 Total evacuated (as of 29 October, IOM)
More than 165 000 people have left Yemen since the beginning of hostilities, including 44% third country nationals, 31% Yemenis and 17% Somalis.
Story from the field
The life of a refugee must be particularly daunting for children. Take two-and-a-half-year-old Fatuma who lived with her extended family in Yemen. She could run around, go out and play. Then in March 2015 her family suddenly moved to Obock in Djibouti. Life in Obock was harsh, with high temperatures, and no running water. The family soon split, with seven people, including Fatuma, moving to Djibouti city. The aim was to bring her brother Abdulaziz, five, who is gravely ill, closer to adequate medical care. Other family members remained in Obock. Fatuma and her family rarely go out of t heir tiny bare city apartment and Fatuma can’t play with Abdulaziz, owing to his illness. Their mother, Maria, 20, is Abdulaziz’s constant care giver and strives to keep all her three children happy. But Fatuma is too young to understand why Maria devotes so much time to him. It is all too confusing for the little girl. Through its partners, notably African Humanitarian Action and the Lutheran World Federation, UNHCR does ever ything within its means to extend support to Fatuma’s vulnerable family. This includes material, financial and much-needed psychosocial aid, as well medical treatment for Abdulaziz .
http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/regional-refugee-and-migrant-response-impact-yemen-crisis-15-november-2015 and in full: http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Yemen%20Situation%20factsheet%2020151115.pdf
24.11.2015 – UNCHR
UNHCR Video Shows Yemen's Refugees in Djibouti
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUMzD3ZkNb4
22.11.2015 – Die Welt
Flüchten – oder gut bezahlter Terrorist werden
Die Zahl der Flüchtlinge dürfte im nächsten Jahr noch deutlich steigen. Die Not in den Krisenländern vertreibt die Menschen. Vor allem im Jemen und in Eritrea haben sie oft nur eine sehr bittere Wahl.
Die starke Zuwanderung aus Afghanistan ist nur der jüngste Trend, der die Flüchtlingszahl hierzulande hochgeschraubt hat. Die meisten Menschen, die nach Deutschland kommen, sind noch immer Syrer: 90.000 allein im vergangenen Monat. Doch auch aus vielen anderen Regionen machen sich die Menschen auf den Weg. Vor allem der internationale Terrorismus verbreitet vielerorts Angst und Schrecken. Und kein Land der Welt verzeichnet mehr Asylanträge als Deutschland. Rund eine Million Flüchtlinge werden in diesem Jahr erwartet. Es ist so etwas wie der Anfang einer Völkerwanderung.
Ähnlich verheerend sieht es im Jemen aus, dem ärmsten, bevölkerungsreichsten und wohl korruptesten Land der Arabischen Halbinsel. Staatliche Strukturen sind so gut wie zusammengebrochen. Im Norden regieren die gefürchteten Huthi-Rebellen, im Osten und Süden hat der lokale Al-Qaida-Ableger die Macht übernommen. Die brutale – gegen die Rebellen gerichtete – Militäraktion Saudi-Arabiens und starke Stürme haben das Land verwüstet. 80 Prozent sollen auf humanitäre Hilfe angewiesen sein, die aber kaum ankommt, weil Saudi-Arabien das Land abriegelt – von Stefan Aust , Manuel Bewarder, Florian Flade, Ileana Grabitz, Thilo Maluch, Christian Putsch
Neue Artikel zum Nachlesen 1-53: / Yemen Press reader 1-53:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose oder / or
http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
Fotos von saudischen Luftangriffen / Photos of Saudi air raids
(18 +, Nichts für Sensible, Graphic!)
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