Allgemein / General
8.12.2015 – Yemen News Today
To: Yemen: ICRC staff abducted in Sanaa
Humanitarian aid is increasingly politicised - the lack of concern by international agencies for Yemen, the lack of a DEC appeal despite this being the most ferocious war in the world at this moment, shows that Yemeni people are being used as part of that game. Also aid workers are continuously targetted in war - they control resources and each 'side' sees is as their right to take over control We still haven't heard anything of the Tunisian woman who works for the ICRC in Yemen, who was kidnapped a week ago today; the is the subject of this media release. Forgotten in the rest of the media.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1069883009830856
8.12.2015 – Time
Originally from Minnesota, Alex Potter trained as a registered nurse and graduated from Bethel University in 2011, but wanted to transition to photojournalism. “I had studied abroad in Jordan and spoke some Arabic,” she says. “I thought the 2012 presidential election in Yemen would be a good place to start.” Since then, she has been largely based in Sana’a, focusing her work on the role of change in community, family, and tribe, and the effect of conflict on future generations.
For the five hours she photographed the strike’s [at Sanna old city] aftermath, and for the next day, the community worked ceaselessly to extricate survivors. As some dug into the wreckage, others brought meals and water. To those whose homes had crumbled, all the neighbors said, “Here, you can come live with us, of course.”
This outpouring of communal support, Potter realized, was the only possible response to the relentless destruction.
According to Potter, Yemen’s community-oriented social structure has helped dramatically to stretch remaining resources. Of the 2.3 million internally displaced Yemenis, few live in camps because most have been invited into other families’ homes, she says.
Potter hopes her coverage will help people outside of Yemen wake up to the reality on the ground – by Jen Tse, with photos by Alex Potter
http://time.com/4133496/photographing-the-cost-of-war-in-yemen/
8.12.2015 – Thomas Thielemans
Yemen: a full-fledged war
In March 2015, in the small Middle Eastern country of Yemen, a long-running political crisis escalated into a full-fledged war. Air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition, fighting on behalf of the disposed government has hit nearly as many civilians as rebels. The main fight is between forces loyal to the beleaguered President, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, and those allied to Zaidi Shia rebels known as Huthis, who forced Mr Hadi to flee the capital of Sanaa early 2015. Efforts to launch peace talks to end an eight-month-old war are currently being thwarted in part by Mr Hadi, who fears a negotiated settlement would drive him from power. More recently, fighting intensified in and around the city of Taiz, Yemen’s cultural capital. The arrival of over 450 Latin American troops adds to the chaotic stew of government armies, armed tribes, terrorist networks and Yemeni militias currently at war – by Thomas Thielemans
https://thielemanst.wordpress.com/2015/12/08/yemen-a-full-fledged-war/
8.12.2015 – Die Freiheitsliebe
Es braucht Druck auf Saudi-Arabien um den Krieg im Jemen zu beenden – Im Gespräch mit Ali Al-Dailami
Während der Krieg in Syrien in den deutschen Medien relativ ausführlich diskutiert wird, findet die Bombardierung Jemens so gut wie keine Erwähnung. Das liegt auch daran, dass der Westen kein Interesse hat Saudi-Arabiens Kriegsallianz zu stoppen. Wir haben mit Ali Al-Dailami, im Jemen geborenes Mitglied des Parteivorstand der Linken, über die Ursachen des Kriegs, die Rollen Saudi-Arabiens und der Huthi gesprochen.
Die Freiheitsliebe: Seit Monaten bombardieren Saudi-Arabien und seine Alleiirten den Jemen, was war der Auslöser?
Ali Al-Dailami: Letztlich war es das Erstarken der Ansarollah auch Huthis genannt, die bereits einen Großteil des Jemens einnehmen konnten. Im Übrigen ist es nicht das erste mal, dass Saudi-Arabien militärisch im Jemen interveniert. Saudi-Arabien betrachtet den Jemen als seinen Hinterhof in dem es schalten und walten lassen kann wie es möchte. Bereits im Jahre 2009 starteten die Saudis mit jemenitischen Regierung, um den mittlerweile gestürzten Präsidenten Saleh, eine „Anti-Huthi offensive“. Logistische und militärische Unterstützung erhielten sie hierbei von den USA die Ihren Einsatz mit der angeblichen Bekämpfung der Al-Kaida im Jemen begründeten.
Jordanische Kommandos aus der saudischen „Tabuk Military Base“ waren genauso beteiligt wie marokkanische und pakistanische Spezialeinheiten.
Gleichzeitig startete die Al-Kaida im Jemen Angriffe gegen Ansarollah und versuchte auch im Zuge der Kämpfe im Südjemen weiter Fuß zu fassen.
Tausende Menschen verloren ihr Leben, hunderttausende waren erneut auf der Flucht. Die massive Militäroffensive blieb jedoch fruchtlos. Zwar musste sich Ansarollah auf ihr Stammland zurückziehen, militärisch waren sie jedoch nicht zu bezwingen.
Das ist also der zweite große Anlauf den die Saudis gestartet haben um ihre Interessen im Jemen durchzusetzen. Der von Saudi-Arabiens Gnaden eingesetzte Präsident Hadi, der zuvor Vizepräsident war und dessen Amtszeit bereits 2013 abgelaufen ist, war nicht in der Lage die Konflikte zu lösen und hatte kaum Einfluss auf das Militär, welches weiterhin von der Familie des zuvor gestürzten Salehs kontrolliert wurde und sich mittlerweile in großen Teilen den Ansarollah angeschlossen hat.
Die Freiheitsliebe: Welchen Zweck soll der Krieg erfüllen, geht es wirklich um eine Befriedung, wie Saudi-Arabien behauptet?
Ali Al-Dailami: Hier spielt der Brandstifter Feuerwehrmann. Ohne Saudi-Arabiens Einmischung in die jemenitische Politik gäbe es den Konflikt nicht. Seit dem Sturz des zaiditischen Imamats im Jemen im Jahre 1962, bestimmte das saudische Königshaus die jemenitische Politik. Hinzu kommt, dass der Jemen als Armenhaus der arabischen Welt auch ökonomisch am Tropf der Saudis hing. Dass Ansarollah zugleich Zaiditen sind, also eine Gruppe innerhalb der schiitischen Glaubensgemeinde bilden, ist den Saudis ein Graus. Die Paranoia vor einem Erstarken der Schiiten, die seit Jahrzehnten die sunnitischen Königshäuser, allen voran das Saudische, erfasst hat, spielt ebenso ein Rolle. So verwundert es auch nicht, dass das saudische Königshaus in den letzten Jahrzehnten versuchte den vornehmlich wahhabitischen Islam im Jemen durchzusetzen. Dies geschah unter anderem mit der Gründung religiöser Einrichtungen aber auch der Unterstützung salafistischer Terrorgruppen im Jemen.
Die Freiheitsliebe: Inwiefern beteiligen sich westliche Staaten und Bündnisse, wie die Nato?
In den Medien war immer wieder die Rede davon, dass das eigentliche Ziel ist Ansarollah (Huthis) zu zerstören oder zumindest zu schwächen. Warum ist Ansarollah (die Huthi) ins Fadenkreuz geraten?
WAli Al-Dailami: Westliche Staaten sind seit über einem Jahrzehnt militärisch im Jemen aktiv. So erfolgen die US geführten Drohnenmorde aus deutschem Boden, nämlich Ramstein. Auf der Luftwaffenbasis befindet sich die zentrale Satelliten-Relais-Station, die die Piloten in den USA mit den Drohnen in Einsatzgebieten im Jemen verbindet. Diese haben viel Leid im Jemen angerichtet. Es wurden Hochzeitsgesellschaften, Schulen und medizinische Einrichtungen getroffen, tausende Zivilisten verloren dadurch ihr Leben. Drohneneinsätze trafen weniger die Al-Kaida sondern vornehmlich Ansarollah Stellungen. Gleichzeitig hat die Bundesregierung kürzlich erneut Waffen- und Panzerlieferungen an die saudischen und katarischen Diktaturen genehmigt, die beide völkerrechtswidrig in den Jemen einmarschiert sind. Sunnitische Milizionäre verteilten in der jemenitischen Hafenstadt Aden deutsche G3-Sturmgewehre. Sie waren mit Fallschirmen über der umkämpften Stadt abgeworfen worden. Auch an der Herkunft gibt es kaum Zweifel: Sie stammen aus Saudi-Arabien. Denn dort wurde das Gewehr des Herstellers Heckler & Koch seit 1969 solange in Lizenz produziert, bis die Bundesregierung 2008 eine weitere Lizenz für das Nachfolgemodell G36 genehmigte. Ohne deutsche Waffen wäre dieser Krieg so gar nicht möglich. Die Bundesregierung, die tatsächlich Saudi-Arabien als Stabilisator in der Region sieht, ist Teil dieses völkerrechtswidrigen Krieges.
Die Freiheitsliebe: Die Ansarollah (Huthis) haben sich der Ziele des arabischen Frühlings angenommen und den Präsidenten Ali Abdullah Saleh gestürzt, hatten sie den Rückhalt der Bevölkerung?
Ali Al-Dailami: Ja, denn ohne den Rückhalt eines Großteils der Bevölkerung wäre ihr Erstarken gar nicht erst möglich gewesen. Aufgrund ihrer Jahrzehnten langen Marginalisierung, in ökonomischer und politischer Hinsicht, ging Ansarollah rigoros gegen die weit verbreitete Korruption und Vetternwirtschaft vor. Auch ihr konsequentes Eintreten gegen die Spaltung des Jemens, in einen Nord und einen Südteil, traf auf große Sympathien innerhalb der Bevölkerung. Unabhängig davon ob sie Sunniten oder Schiiten sind.
Die Freiheitsliebe: Welche Ziele verfolgen Ansarollah (Huthis ) sonst, sind sie wirklich eine Organisation, die bedingungslos dem Iran folgt, wie einige Medien behaupten?
Ali Al-Dailami: Wer das behauptet ist ja bereits der saudischen Propaganda auf den Leim gegangen. Es zeugt auch von einer Unkenntnis der Materie. […] Sicher, es gibt seitens Ansarollah Kontakte zum Iran. Dem Iran kommt natürlich eine Schwächung der Saudis in einem Konflikt nicht ungelegen.
Der zaiditisch geprägte Norden des Jemens mit seinem Bergland wurde systematisch benachteiligt. Radikale sunnitische Kräfte, vor allem aus Saudi-Arabien finanziert und von der Regierung toleriert, bedrängten die Zaiditen in ihrem Stammland in der Provinz Sa´da. Zusätzlich waren sie Angriffen der Al-Kaida im Jemen ausgesetzt. Bereits 2004, also lange vor dem „arabischen Frühling“, begann der Aufstand der Zaiditen gegen die Regierung unter ihrem Oberhaupt Hussein Badreddin Al-Huthi. Er endete 2008 mit einem Waffenstillstand und dem Tod des zaiditischen Oberhauptes, dem sein Bruder folgte. Daher kommt auch die nicht stimmige Bezeichnung als Huthis.
Es geht Ansarollah um ein Ende der Korruption im Lande. Sie wollen die Einheit des Landes, die tatsächlich bedroht ist, erhalten. Gleichzeitig wollen sie ein Ende ihrer bisherigen Bedrohung durch sunnitische Extremisten. Ebenso erheben sie den Anspruch an der Macht im Jemen beteiligt zu sein.
Die Freiheitsliebe: Welche Möglichkeiten, gibt es den Krieg dauerhaft zu stoppen?
Ali Al-Dailami: Auf Vermittlung des UN-Sondergesandten Jamal Benomar wurde im September 2014 das „Abkommen für Frieden und Nationale Partnerschaft“ geschlossen. Aufgrund der mangelnden Bereitschaft der beteiligten Golfdiktaturen an einer diplomatischen Lösung des Konflikts mitzuwirken, gab der UN Sondergesandte im April diesen Jahres auf. Darüber hinaus war die eigentlich nicht mehr im Amt befindliche Regierung nur solange zu Gesprächen bereit solange sie militärische Rückschläge zu erleiden hatte. Ansarollah und ihnen nahe stehende Kräfte waren und sind zu einem Dialog und einer friedlichen Beilegung des Konfliktes bereit. Es bedarf also einer Rückkehr aller beteiligten jemenitischen Akteure an den Verhandlungstisch und die Wiederaufnahme des nationalen Dialogs. Der von der UN damals bereits initiierte Friedensplan könnte eine Grundlage bieten.
Vor allem, und das ist die Voraussetzung um eine diplomatische Lösung herbeizuführen, muss von aussen Druck auf die saudische Kriegsallianz geübt werden. Dies scheint allerdings bisher nicht im Interesse der westlichen Staaten zu liegen. Zumal mit dem Syrienkrieg die Weltöffentlichkeit kaum Notiz von dem Krieg im Jemen nimmt. Ohne Druck auf Saudi-Arabien diesen völkerrechtswidrigen Krieg zu beenden wird es keine diplomatische Lösung geben.
Ali Al-Dailami ist Mitglied des Parteivorstandes der Partei DIE LINKE.
Er wurde im Jemen geboren und wuchs dort auf. Ein Teil seiner Familie lebt heute noch im Jemen.
http://diefreiheitsliebe.de/politik/alialdailami/
Kommentar: Interessante Hintergrundinformationen.
7.12.2015 – Critical Threats
2015 Yemen Crisis Situation Report: December 7
Growing instability in Aden presents an increasing challenge for the Saudi-led coalition and the Yemeni government under President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The coalition’s local partners against the al Houthi-Saleh alliance may now be pursuing their own objectives.
The Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS) assassinated its first high-profile target in Yemen. ISIS Wilayat Aden-Abyan claimed credit for the attack that killed the Governor of Aden, Jaafar Mohammed Saad, on December 6 and threatened additional attacks on Yemeni government officials
Gunmen assassinated at least four officials and officers in Aden in two days.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is reconstituting its presence in neighboring Abyan governorate.
The al Houthi-Saleh alliance continues to attack coalition targets.
A humanitarian ceasefire is expected to begin within days.
The proposed ceasefire is unlikely to hold while both sides grapple for advantage on the ground. The Saudi-led coalition will become further entrenched in the Yemen conflict as it responds to counterattacks by the al Houthi-Saleh alliance and struggles to secure Aden against jihadist and other security threats, likely prolonging instability in Yemen – by Emily Estelle
http://www.criticalthreats.org/yemen/yemen-crisis-situation-reports-december-7-2015
7.12.2015 – Al Araby
War crimes and humanitarian resistance in Yemen
The situation is desperate, yet the devastating violence is being supported by the international community, which can't see what's coming next
There has been no pressure on Saudi Arabia by the "international community" to cease its airstrikes and come to the negotiating table. In fact, the opposite has taken place. The West continues to resupply the Saudis for this conflict, making it seem as if it has given Riyadh the green light for the bombardment. The US cut an arms deal with Saudi Arabia worth over $1.3 billion in November, while the UK cut its own deals with Riyadh. Furthermore, the West has prevented any condemnation of Saudi Arabia's conduct in the UN chambers - including at the Human Rights Council. Indifference to the suffering in Yemen is scandalousIt shows a lessening of humanity. That the West has continued to resupply Saudi Arabia shows that it too is complicit in the slaughter. The West's control over international institutions means that the "international community" will not ever take notice of the crimes against humanity and war crimes in Yemen.
Meanwhile, the small voices of history move forward.
Dr Riaz Karim and Fatik al-Rodaini formed Mona Relief in August. Their goal has been to get aid directly into the hands of the Yemeni people. Volunteers across North Yemen have drawn on whatever resources Mona Relief has been able to pull together to help tens of thousands of people.
"A quiet network of humanitarian resistance is shaping up in Yemen," said Catherine Shakdam, who works with Mona Relief and is director of Veritas. "People are increasingly relying on old trade routes to bypass main roads
The Saudi blockade can only be broken in this way. "Of course, this has been dangerous as tribesmen are often looting convoys, demanding that people pay for the right of passage."
Humanitarian resistance is merely about survival. There is no vision for a future from these gestures. But they are essential.
When the dust clears in Yemen, it will be a country in ruins. What fearful phoenix will arise from its ashes? – by Vijay Prashad
http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/comment/2015/12/2/war-crimes-and-humanitarian-resistance-in-yemen
7.12.2015 – NSNBC
The Wounds of Yemen
These changes [in government arranged by president Hadi] would have passed unnoticed had the Yemeni Vice President and Prime Minister, Khaled Bahah, not rejected them as “illegal.” And there is good reason for doing so: the cabinet was reshuffled without his consent; the changes were apparently made to weaken his position. Some Arab mass media even called this decision an “undeclared dismissal of Khaled Bahah.” President Rabbuh MansurHadi has long being looking to settle a score with his PM favored not only by his Saudi masters, but also by many countries of the Persian Gulf, which perceive the Yemeni President as a politician with no future and a person who ultimately managed to fray relations with all political forces. In Yemen he is thought of as a Saudi puppet, who managed to throw the country into the turmoil of foreign intervention. Bahah, on the other hand, is seen as a young, energetic politician with high potential.
The UN also favours Bahah considering him a more capable politician, whose reputation has not been tarnished as severely, a person who supports national dialogue and who is perceived as a trustworthy party to the dialogue by other Yemeni political forces and, first of all, by the supporters of Houthis and former President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh,
Going back to the topic of the governmental crisis it can be noted that considering the current situation in Yemen, it is not the best time for a crisis to break out. The government is splitting right at the moment when its unity is as vital as ever. It has just recently been relocated to Aden, a town in southern Yemen completely devastated by the war. The tormented population doesn’t need the maneuvering of politicians, but resolution of such vital issues as the recovery of electric power and the restoration of gas and water supply, but above all, the introduction of basic security measures
Things do not look bright on the battlefront either. Though the coalition organised by Saudi Arabia has driven Houthi and supporters of A. Saleh, former President of Yemen, from Aden, it has not achieved strategic advances and got bogged down in battle for the town of Taiz.
Houthis and supporters of former President Saleh are also between the rock and the hard place: they are isolated in the inland regions of the country and receive almost no assistance from the outside.
It seems right now that the conflict cannot be resolved through military operations – by Maxim Egorov
http://nsnbc.me/2015/12/07/the-wounds-of-yemen/
Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi government
8.12.2015 – AFP
Yemen's Aden living in fear as jihadists grow
Yemen's temporary capital Aden is gripped by fear as the government struggles to stem growing threats by jihadists carrying out deadly attacks on officials and intimidating civilians.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), long active in Yemen, and the emerging Islamic State group appear to be vying for influence in the main port city, to which President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi returned from exile in November. The Saudi-led coalition battling the Shiite Huthi rebels since March has not targeted the jihadists.
In recent days, armed and sometimes masked jihadists have been massively deployed in Aden's central Tawahi district, where governor Jaafar Saad was killed Sunday in an attack claimed by IS.
"We live in fear. We don't know where those gunmen roaming on our streets came from," said 35-year-old resident, Ahmed. "Tawahi has turned into a ghost town."
The gunmen have set up roadblocks in Tawahi and are spotted in other Aden districts such as Mualla, Dar Saad, Sheikh Othman, and Mansura, according to residents.
Their typical targets are government officials -- policemen, soldiers, or even judges.
Civilians have not been spared. On Monday gunmen killed a resident, Abdulaziz Ahmed, in Tawahi over accusations he was practising witchcraft.
"As night descends, these men move around in their vehicles spreading terror," said Saleh Ahmed, a resident of Mansura.
They are members of "Daesh or Ansar al-Sharia," he said, using the Arabic acronym for IS and another name for AQAP.
"Aden is heading towards catastrophe if the situation persists and the government does nothing to quickly restore security," said Ahmed.
Security sources also say AQAP and IS are recruiting fighters from the Popular Resistance, an alliance of loyalist militiamen and troops who have become frustrated by unfulfilled promises to merge them with the security forces.
"Out of 59,000 Popular Resistance candidates who had applied, only 1,500 fighters have been integrated into the police and army in Aden, Daleh, Abyan, and Lahj," said a senior security official, referring to four of five southern provinces recaptured by Hadi loyalists since July.
Due to a lack of funds, "the initial list of candidates was reduced the first time to 20,000, and then again to 15,000," said the official who requested anonymity.
http://news.yahoo.com/yemens-aden-living-fear-jihadists-grow-162952155.html
8.12.2015 – Sputnik News
IS attackiert Arabische Halbinsel: Jemen-Lösung droht zu scheitern
Die für den 15. Dezember geplanten Friedensverhandlungen zwischen den Konfliktparteien im Jemen drohen zu scheitern. Die Terrorgruppe „Islamischer Staat" (IS) hat die Verantwortung für den Tod des Gouverneurs der jemenitischen Provinz Aden übernommen.
Experten zufolge könnte sich der Süden der arabischen Halbinsel wegen der möglichen Vereitelung der Versuche zur friedlichen Regelung der Situation im Jemen in ein vollwertiges Kampfgebiet der IS-Miliz verwandeln, schreibt die Zeitung „Kommersant“ am Dienstag.
Im Unterschied zur Mehrheit der Provinzen, auf deren Gebiet der militärische Widerstand andauert, ist Aden ein strategisches Gebiet im Süden mit dem Haupthafen Jemens, der von den Huthi-Rebellen befreit wurde. Aden erhielt faktisch den Status der Hauptstadt des Landes unter Leitung der international anerkannten Regierung.
“IS” zeigt sich im Jemen nicht zum ersten Mal: Neben der anderen dort agierenden radikalen sunnitischen Gruppe „al-Qaida“ hatte er auch zuvor die Verantwortung für die Terroranschläge übernommen. Jedoch kann der Anstieg der IS-Aktivitäten im Jemen kurz vor dem Start der offiziellen Verhandlungen zwischen den Huthi-Rebellen und den Vertretern der von ihnen gestürzten Führung des Landes, ernstere Folgen haben. Die Konsultationen sollten ein wichtiger Schritt unter dem Gesichtspunkt der Umsetzung der Resolution des UN-Sicherheitsrats N2216 sein, demzufolge die Huthi-Rebellen auf Gewalt verzichten und ihre Truppen vom Gebiet aller von ihnen in ihre Gewalt genommenen Regionen, darunter Sanaa, abziehen sollen.
Der stellvertretende Außenminister der Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate, Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, kritisierte diesen Vorfall und versicherte: Saudi-Arabien und seine Verbündeten werden weiter alles daran setzen, um im Jemen die legitime Regierung wiederherzustellen, und „die Versuche, dies mit terroristischen Methoden zu stören, werden keinen Erfolg haben".
Politikexperte Alexander Ignatenko schloss nicht aus, dass auch in dieser Situation der “IS” nicht zum Nachteil, sondern entsprechend den Interessen Saudi-Arabiens agieren kann. Dem Experten zufolge kann die Ermordung des Gouverneurs der von Er-Riad unterstützten Führung Jemens vorteilhaft sein — als Maßnahme zum Kampf gegen die separatistischen Stimmungen im Süden der Insel, die in dieser Provinz traditionell besonders ausgeprägt sind.
http://de.sputniknews.com/zeitungen/20151208/306280039/jemen-loesung-droht-zu-scheitern.html
7.12.2015 – European Council on Foreign relations
Power vacuum in Aden will fuel more unrest
While the death of the well-liked governor left many in shock, violence has remained disturbingly common since Saudi-backed forces succeeded in forcing backers of the Houthis out of the city in July.
Al Qaeda militants have seized control of a number of towns in the neighboring province of Abyan, while consolidating their grip on the eastern port of Mukalla, which they took hold of earlier this year.
The continued instability in areas that have been cleared of Houthis has fueled a great degree of politically motivated analysis. Backers of Saleh and the Houthis have cast it as a vindication, claiming that Hadi and the Saudis are in league with Al Qaeda and IS; backers of Hadi and the Saudi-led coalition have blamed it on Saleh and the Houthis themselves, casting the attacks as false flag operations carried out by remnants of the former president’s intelligence network. Such talk ultimately misses the point. The violence and instability in Aden—and for that matter, the rest of the country—remains fueled by patterns of instability that are, at their essence, rooted in years, if not decades, of failure by Yemen’s political leaders. Exacerbated by the ongoing conflict, this power vacuum has only grown in Aden as efforts by the Hadi government and its international allies to bolster the port city’s security have yet to move beyond the nominal stage.
Regardless of the veracity of claims of political intrigue surrounding recent events in Aden, the ultimate reasons for continued violence and assassinations are rather straightforward: the absence of tangible government authority, the flood of arms to and militarisation of the city over the course of the battle to clear the city of the Houthis and their allies, and the failure to incorporate locals into a revamped security structure has fueled a deep climate of instability. Left unresolved, the power vacuum in Aden—to say nothing of the rest of the country—will only breed more unrest – by Adam Baron
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1069540313198459
7.12.2015 – AFP
Yemen president replaces assassinated Aden governor
Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi named a new governor for second city Aden on Monday to replace Jaafar Saad who was killed in a car bomb claimed by the Islamic State group.
Hadi appointed Aidarus al-Zubaidi, the leader of the pro-government Popular Resistance militia in Daleh province, according to a presidential decree.
UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
8.1.2015 – AFP
UN announces 'press blackout' around Yemen peace talks
Peace talks between Yemen's warring factions set to kick off next week will be held in a secret location, with no media access, the United Nations said Tuesday.
United Nations envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed "has decided that the venue of the meeting will not be made public, in order to give the talks every chance of success," the UN said in a statement.
Ould Cheikh Ahmed announced the new round of talks on Monday, stressing a swift halt to the fighting was imperative for those caught up in what has increasingly become a regional conflict.
8.12.2015 – Sputnik News
Houthis Working to Make Upcoming Yemen Peace Talks Successful
The UN-brokered peace talks on Yemen will only succeed if all the warring parties genuinely support the political dialogue to end violence, rather than using the talks as a means to stall for time, a member of the Houthi opposition movement told Sputnik on Tuesday.
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20151208/1031416010/yemeni-peace-talks.html
Commentary: This is a report from Russia Today, who generally speaking have had some very balanced reports on the Yemen crisis. The Houthis have been attending talks in Muscat with the UN for months, so I guess that means they must be serious about these talks. I just hope that the other side have too. And that the arms companies don't do a bit of background manipulating to scupper any quests for peace - they are enjoying a lot of tests for their terrible, terror-full weapons on the poor people of Yemen.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1069962276489596
8.12.2015 – Zeit Online von AFP
Mit Friedensverhandlungen soll im Jemen auch Feuerpause beginnen
Parallel zu den in der kommenden Woche beginnenden Friedensverhandlungen zwischen den Konfliktparteien im Jemen soll auch eine Feuerpause in Kraft treten. "Eine Vereinbarung über eine Feuerpause zwischen der Regierung und den Aufständischen soll am 15. Dezember mit Beginn der Gespräche wirksam werden", sagte Außenminister Adel Malak al-Mechlafi am Dienstag der Nachrichtenagentur AFP. Aus Kreisen des Kabinetts von Präsident Abd Rabbo Mansur Hadi hieß es, geplant sei eine von der UNO überwachte Feuerpause von sieben Tagen, die auch verlängert werden könnte. Die Huthi-Rebellen äußerten sich zunächst nicht dazu.
8.12.2015 – Spiegel Online
Vor den Friedensgesprächen: Jemens Präsident schlägt siebentägige Waffenruhe vor
Der Uno-Sondergesandte für den Jemen unternimmt derzeit einen neuen Anlauf, den Krieg in dem Land zu beenden. Am 15. Dezember sollen dazu in Genf Friedensgespräche beginnen. Ismail Uld Scheich Ahmed hat die Konfliktparteien aufgerufen, während der Verhandlungen einen Waffenstillstand einzuhalten, um günstige Bedingungen für die Gespräche zu schaffen. Nun hat auch Jemens Präsident Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi eine solche Feuerpause vorgeschlagen. Sie solle vom 15. bis zum 21. Dezember gelten, schrieb das Staatsoberhaupt in einem Brief an Uno-Generalsekretär Ban Ki Moon.
8.12.2015 – Aljazeera
Yemen's Hadi urges week-long truce for peace talks
Proposed ceasefire to coincide with UN-sponsored negotiations beginning on December 15 aimed at ending conflict.
Yemen's president has asked the Saudi-led Arab coalition to begin a seven-day ceasefire beginning on December 15.
President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi told the UN on Monday that the proposed truce is to coincide with the UN-sponsored peace talks aimed at ending months of fighting that has killed at least 5,700 people.
"I have notified the leadership of the coalition of our intention to cease fire for a period of seven days, starting December 15 until December 21," Hadi said in a letter to Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general.
"This will coincide with the starting of consultations and will automatically be renewed upon commitment by the Houthis."
Hadi's letter confirmed remarks made earlier on Monday by Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the UN special envoy to Yemen
8.12.2015 – Press TV Iran
UN peace role disappointing over Yemen
Press TV has interviewed Ken Stone, with the Hamilton Coalition to Stop the War, in Hamilton, Canada, on the prospects of peace in Yemen.
The following is a rough transcription of the interview.
Press TV: Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the UN envoy to Yemen, seems pretty sure that there will be a ceasefire in place before the talks on December 15. Do you think that is a possibility though?
Stone: Well, one can only hope that the UN envoy is correct that in hopping and in predicting that there will be a ceasefire, because already 7,500 Yemeni civilians have been killed and 15,000 have been wounded.
But on the other hand, the Ansarullah movement is completely within its rights when it says it will not go to the talks in Switzerland unless the Saudi government stops its illegal aggression against the sovereign country of Yemen.
And we need to note that the Saudi government is not engaging in this invasion alone. It has the backing of the United States of America and Israel. On top of that, it couldn’t wage this aggression without arms purchases from the West and has made huge arms purchases from the government of Canada, France, Britain, the US and also because it has no infantry divisions of its own that are reliable, it is forced to rent its mercenaries from Morocco, from Sudan, even from Colombia.
So, we can say that the Saudi government is engaged in a massive war crime with the complete backing of the neo-colonial powers of the West. And the Ansarullah movement is completely justified in saying, ‘Until that aggression ends, we won’t come to talk.’
Press TV: Right now, Mr. Stone, as you say, that Saudi Arabia has been conducting its aggression against Yemen with the backing of the West; then it raises the question about the UN’s role when it comes to bringing peace in Yemen. Many are claiming that the UN has been very complacent in trying to bring this aggression to a halt.
Stone: Unfortunately, the UN has been disappointing in its role as the peace-broker of the world and specifically in the case of Yemen, because it has not condemned Saudi Arabia for its aggression against Yemen. And that’s because, at the United Nations currently, the Western powers seem to have the predominance of power.
In fact, Saudi Arabia has a privileged relation with the countries of the West because it provides for them the boots on the ground; by boots on the ground I mean the terrorist mercenaries that they use in Syria and Iraq for example and now even in north of Yemen, these Daesh mercenaries.
So, the Saudi government has not been condemned at the United Nations in the way it should have been.
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/12/08/440816/Yemen-Saudi-Arabia-UN-Stone = http://newzsentinel.com/un-peace-role-disappointing-over-yemen-activist/
7.12.2015 – UN News Center
Yemen: Peace talks to start next week among warring parties, regional actors, says UN envoy
After several weeks of intensive consultations with the warring parties in Yemen, as well as with regional and international players, the United Nations Special Envoy for the country today announced that the parties have agreed to open on 15 December in Switzerland, a series of talks aimed at establishing a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.
“We strongly believe that the only way to end the suffering of the Yemeni people and to rebuild confidence, trust, and mutual respect is through peaceful and inclusive dialogue,” the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, told reporters in Geneva.
The Special Envoy said that both the Government of Yemen, the Houthis and other relevant parties have committed to participate in the talks, which he will chair and will also include eight negotiators and four advisors for each delegation. The talks are also set to secure improvements in the humanitarian situation and a return to a peaceful and orderly political transition.
He added that the aim is to develop a plan for the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions, including a measure adopted in April 2015 which demanded that all parties, in particular the Houthis, immediately and unconditionally end violence and refrain from further unilateral actions that threatened the political transition.
According to the Special Envoy, implementing the relevant texts will bring the country back to a peaceful and orderly transition based on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Initiative and the outcomes of the national dialogue.
Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed thanked all the participating stakeholders of the discussions for their conciliatory and courageous attitude and their commitment to bring a lasting peace to Yemen, and added that he was “very optimistic” of the parties reaching a permanent ceasefire.
“I call upon the parties to engage in good faith in search of a durable political solution for Yemen which meets the legitimate aspirations of Yemeni people for peace, stability, and prosperity,” he stressed, adding that making peace requires “a lot of courage, personal sacrifice and tenacity.”
Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed said that he had been strongly encouraging the parties to work on confidence building measures, including implementing a ceasefire, releasing prisoners, and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian supplies that would constitute positive steps in the efforts to lessen tensions and ease the path to a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Yemen.
“On behalf of the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, I call on the parties to adhere to a ceasefire effective 15 December in order to create an environment conducive to peace talks, save lives and give hope to the Yemeni people,” the Special Envoy concluded.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=52749#.VmcUlbjhCUl
7.12.2015 – Der Standard
Friedensgespräche im Jemen werden wiederaufgenommen
Jemens Präsident Abed Rabbu Mansour Hadi bereitet sich darauf vor, am 15. Dezember einen Waffenstillstand auszurufen. Parallel dazu werden am selben Tag die von der Uno geleiteten Friedensgespräche in Genf wieder aufgenommen, sagte der UN-Vermittler Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed am Montag. Vorangegangene Versuche, unter UN-Vermittlung eine politische Lösung zu erzielen, waren gescheitert.
Es gebe eine Reihe guter Anzeichen, dass ein Waffenstillstand auch eingehalten würde, sagte Ahmed. Er hatte bereits in der vergangenen Woche Vorgespräche mit Regierung und Rebellen geführt. - derstandard.at/2000027105281/Jemens-Praesident-will-Waffenstillstand-ausrufen
http://derstandard.at/2000027105281/Jemens-Praesident-will-Waffenstillstand-ausrufen
7.12.2015 – Deutschlandfunk
Die Konfliktparteien im Jemen haben sich nach Angaben der UNO auf Friedensverhandlungen geeinigt.
Sie sollen am 15. Dezember beginnen. UNO-Vermittler Scheich Ahmed teilte in Genf mit, an den Gesprächen würden nur die jemenitischen Bürgerkriegsparteien teilnehmen, keine Ausländer. Vorgesehen sei zunächst ein Waffenstillstand, um die humanitäre Lage der Menschen zu verbessern. Auch Gefangene könnten dann frei kommen.
7.12.2015 – Reuters
Yemen peace talks to start December 15 alongside ceasefire: U.N.
Yemen's warring parties are expected to observe a ceasefire and start U.N.-sponsored peace talks in Switzerland from Dec. 15 in a bid to end months of fighting that have killed nearly 6,000 people, the United Nations said on Monday.
Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, U.N. special envoy to Yemen, said that the exiled Yemen government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and Iran-backed Houthis were committed to the peace process laid down by the Security Council last April.
Resolution 2216 called on all sides to end the violence and avoid unilateral actions that jeopardize a political transition. It demanded that the Houthis withdraw from all areas seized since the conflict began in September last year.
"I have been strongly encouraging the parties to work on confidence-building measures including implementing a ceasefire, the releasing of prisoners and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian supplies," Ould Cheikh Ahmed told reporters in Geneva where he announced the talks.
Ould Cheikh Ahmed said Hadi has given him a commitment that he is ready now to call for this ceasefire starting the 15th of December.
"But definitely the (Saudi-led) coalition is on board and the coalition will ensure all necessary support to make sure that the ceasefire will be holding," he added.
"The Houthis have approved the agenda blueprint," an official in Hadi's office told Reuters. "Within days a humanitarian ceasefire will be declared and steps to free prisoners and lifting the siege on the cities would begin."
The Houthi spokesman, in a posting on his Facebook page, confirmed that his group had discussed "the venue and the date for the talks planned for the middle of this month".
"Ways for a ceasefire and subsequent confidence-building steps were also discussed, and we expressed our openness to conduct a responsible and serious dialogue," the spokesman, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, added.
The talks, at a Swiss venue to be announced, would be "Yemeni-Yemeni", the U.N. mediator said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-talks-idUSKBN0TQ0ZW20151207#u0l1sBecGI5KhsRl.97
7.12.2015 – Reuters
Yemen president ready to call ceasefire on Dec. 15 - U.N.
Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi is prepared to call a ceasefire on Dec. 15 to coincide with the start of U.N.-led peace talks in Switzerland, the United Nations mediator said on Monday.
Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, speaking to reporters in Geneva said: "They (the coalition) are certainly on board regarding our discussion on the ceasefire but they made it very clear that the ceasefire request has to come from President Hadi. I went to Aden to meet President Hadi -- as you know, I was in Aden two days ago -- and President Hadi has given me his commitment that he is ready now to call for this ceasefire starting on Dec. 15."
http://in.reuters.com/article/yemen-security-talks-hadi-idINKBN0TQ1FI20151207?rpc=401
7.12.2015 – Al Araby
Yemen humanitarian ceasefire expected ahead of talks
A humanitarian ceasefire is expected to be announced in Yemen within days, an official from the president's office said on Monday, as warring parties agree to peace talks.
The talks for a humanitarian ceasefire comes as Yemen's President, Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, agreed with the country's United Nations mediator to open long-delayed peace talks on 15 December in Geneva.
The UN special envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, has met Hadi in Aden and Houthi officials in the Omani capital Muscat with a proposed agenda for the talks.
"The Houthis have approved the agenda blueprint," an official in Hadi's office told Reuters.
"Within days a humanitarian ceasefire will be declared and steps to free prisoners and lifting the siege on the cities would begin."
http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2015/12/7/yemen-humanitarian-ceasefire-expected-ahead-of-talks see also http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-talks-idUSKBN0TQ0ZW20151207#wsKblJaGmerVA7Bu.97
Saudi-Arabien / Saudi-Arabia
7.12.2015 – The Australian
Saudi Arabia: House of Saud in danger of collapsing
The kingdom has the potential for serious social unrest and fears it like nothing else. With 70 per cent of the population under 30, with students returning from foreign universities fizzing with Western ideas, with youth unemployment high, corruption rife and the Shia Muslims in the eastern province becoming increasingly angry, there is trouble ahead for the princes.
Ignoring this ferment, we in the West grapple with the question of whether Saudi Arabia is part of the solution to the rolling Middle East crises, or part of the problem.
And of course the British government wants more: it wants the Saudis to be in the forefront of countering the whole idea of the Islamic State and its fake caliphate. That would entail domestic reforms, the phasing out of public flogging, fewer or at least gentler executions, women allowed to drive their own cars. We seem to be aiming for a Norway with palm trees.
Saudi Arabia cannot deliver any of those demands and is destined to disappoint us as an ally.
For King Salman and his many princes catastrophe could come in many forms. The one they prepare for most thoroughly is a galloping series of demonstrations that become increasingly violent, prompting the fall of the House of Saud, and oil revenue suddenly flowing into the coffers of Islamists.
The West has a vested interest in the stability of Saudi Arabia, however unjustly it may be ruled. At the heart of this stability, though, is an unstable pact between the House of Saud and the Wahhabi clerics, first sealed in the 18th century by Ibn Saud and Ibn Abd al-Wahhab. Under the unwritten deal, the royal family doesn’t interfere with the country’s strict Sunni tenets demanded by the conservative clergy. In return the House of Saud is given legitimacy.
The power and freedom of the clerics has grown while the House of Saud has lost its confidence in modernising society.
This has come back to haunt the Saudi leadership. The same jihadis are all too likely to open a new front in their home country. In The Times last week Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf al-Saud, the ambassador to London, pointed out that his country was taking stiff measures to stop blowback from jihadists:
These are understandable reflexes, an attempt to project strength. In reality they conceal the fact that the country is on the edge of a nervous breakdown. We want the Saudis to be a full and honest partner in the war against Islamic State. Yet the kingdom is first and foremost at war with itself – by Roger Boyes
Commentary: A very interesting piece by an Australian newspaper. There have been a few articles recently on the same theme - and as regular readers might remember, that was an idea that I thought of some months ago, so its gratifying to see that some other thinkers are moving along the same lines.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1069557759863381
1.10.2015 – Jews News
Saudi Arabia displays beheaded Yemenis in public…you realize they lead the UN Human Rights Council, don’t you?
Kommentar: Schockierend / Shocking.
Vereinigte Arabische Emirate / United Arab Emirates
8.12.2015 – Middle East Eye
UAE conspiring to end Tunisia's fledgling democracy: Source
Army chief told Algerian counterpart he would end 'Obama experiment' and get back to 'business as usual', according to details of meeting
The United Arab Emirates is seeking to end Tunisia’s democratic transition and return the country to authoritarian rule, according to details of a meeting between top military officials from the Gulf state and Algeria.
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/details-emerge-uae-desire-end-tunisias-democracy-1134923414
Kommentar: Dieser Artikel hier deswegen, weil uns Leute wie der amerikanische Außenminister Kerry und andere weismachen wollen, die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate würden im Jemen (und in Syrien ebenso) für „Demokratie“ kämpfen – die sie im eigenen Land ja mit allen Mitteln BEkämpfen.
USA
4.12.2015 – Counterpunch
Do Mass Killings Bother You?
We now know this. A young man who had successfully killed on a large scale went to his religious leader with doubts and was told that mass killing was part of God’s plan. The young man continued killing until he had participated in killing sprees that took 1,626 lives — men, women, and children.
I repeat: his death count was not the 16 or 9 or 22 lives that make top news stories, but 1,626 dead and mutilated bodies. Do such things bother you?
What if you learned that this young man’s name was Brandon Bryant, and that he killed as a drone pilot for the U.S. Air Force, and that he was presented with a certificate for his 1,626 kills and congratulated on a job well done by the United States of America? What if you learned that his religious leader was a Christian chaplain?
Do such things still bother you?
What if you learned that most of the people killed by U.S. drones are civilians? That the pilots “double-tap,” meaning that they send a missile into a wedding party or a house and then wait for people to try to help the injured and send a second missile into them? That as a result one hears the injured screaming for hours until they die, as no one comes to help? That a drone pilot sent a missile into a group of children from which three children survived who recognized their dead brothers but had no idea that various pieces of flesh were what was left of their Mom and Dad and consequently cried out for those now gone-forever individuals?
Is this troubling?
What if President Obama’s claim of few or no civilian deaths was proven false by well-documented reporting? And by the fact that most victims are targeted without even knowing their names?
What if a leading candidate for president in the past week were to both declare that the way to win a war is to start killing whole families, and stage a public Christian prayer session in order to win over a certain demographic of voters?
Is that bothering?
What if it became clear that police officers in the United States have been murdering people at a higher rate than drone pilots? Would you want to see police videos of their killings? Would you want to see drone videos of their killings? We have thus far gained limited access to the former and none to the latter.
What if it were discovered that gun murders in San Bernardino are almost routine. Would they all be equally tragic?
My point is not to cease caring about the tragedy that the television stations tell you to care about. I wish everyone would care 1,000 times more, and even better do something to take away the guns and the hatred and the culture of violence and the economic injustice and the alienation.
My point is that there are other tragedies that go unmentioned, including larger ones. And exploiting one tragedy to fuel hatred toward a large segment of the human population of earth is madness – by David Swanson
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/12/04/do-mass-killings-bother-you/
Großbritannien / Great Britain
8.12.2015 – Huffington Post
Overlooked By the Outside World, Conflict in Yemen Continues Unabated
Largely overlooked by much of the outside world, the conflict in Yemen continues unabated, with a devastating toll on civilians.
here is mounting evidence that war crimes are being committed in Yemen. The UN, the ICRC and other NGOs have accused all parties to the conflict of deliberately targeting civilians and civilian objects, including attacks in Taiz by Houthi forces, an attack on a wedding party and the destruction of an MSF-supported health facility by Saudi-led coalition airstrikes. These are violations of humanitarian law and must be addressed.
Last week, Save the Children published a new report highlighting the devastating impact of the war on Yemeni children. It reported that a significant proportion of child deaths result from explosive weapons, such as missiles, large aircraft bombs, rockets and mortars. When used in populated areas, these weapons not only kill and injure civilians, but also damage and destroy civilian facilities, including hospitals needed to treat the ever-increasing number of injuries. The few medical facilities that are still in operation are running severely low in supplies and are desperately understaffed, with health workers killed, injured or forced to flee the violence – by David Jones
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/david-jones-mp/yemen-crisis_b_8750348.html
Kommentar: Der Artikel bringt nichts wesentlich Neues. Interessant ist, dass der Autor ein Parlamentsabgeordneter der britischen Konservativen ist –also genau der Partei, deren Vertreter sowohl die Kriegsverbrechen der Saudis geleugnet als auch die britischen Waffenexporte an die Saudis forciert haben. Hier erste Zeichen einer (noch bescheidenen) Kurskorrektur? Und: „Overlooked by the outside world“: Fassen Sie sich doch an die eigene Nase, Herr Angeordneter.
Deutschland / Germany
7.12.2015 – Bundespressekonferenz
Erklärungen des Sprechers/der Sprecherin des Auswärtigen Amts in der Bundespressekonferenz vom 07. Dezember 2015
Kampf gegen ISIS und Interviewäußerungen des Bundeswirtschaftsministers zu Saudi-Arabien
ZUSATZ: Na ja, ich interpretiere das Interview von Herrn Gabriel ‑ vielleicht ist das meine Interpretation; das kann durchaus sein ‑ ein bisschen kritischer als das, was am Freitag hier zu Saudi-Arabien gesagt worden ist.
SEIBERT: Ich glaube, wir sollten jetzt nicht die Pressekonferenz vom Freitag noch einmal „durchkämpfen“. Ich erinnere mich aber doch, dass wir am Freitag sehr klar gesagt haben, dass es einerseits die Tatsache gibt, dass wir ein konstruktives Verhältnis zu Saudi-Arabien brauchen und die konstruktive Mitwirkung Saudi-Arabiens brauchen, wenn wir zur Lösung der zahlreichen Probleme in der Region kommen wollen. Das ist die eine Seite.
Dann haben wir auch gesagt, dass das selbstverständlich nicht heißt, dass es zwischen uns und Saudi-Arabien ‑ unserer Vorstellung von Freiheit und Menschenrechten und der in Saudi-Arabien herrschenden ‑ nicht auch erhebliche Differenzen gibt, dass diese Differenzen nicht auch immer Thema sind, wenn es zu Gesprächen zwischen deutschen und saudischen Regierungsvertretern kommt.
CHEBLI: Vielleicht noch einmal zwei Worte von mir: Es gibt in der Region natürlich ideologische Strömungen, die uns nicht nur fremd sind, sondern die auch unseren Grundwerten widersprechen. Es ist auch bekannt, dass es Privatpersonen ‑ private Spender ‑ gibt, die eine bestimmte Auslegung des Islam in der Welt fördern. Was auch, wie ich glaube, in der deutschen Öffentlichkeit ein wenig zu kurz kommt, ist die Tatsache, dass Saudi-Arabien seit vielen Jahren selbst einer terroristischen Bedrohung gegenübersteht. Allein im letzten Jahr gab es verschiedene Anschläge auf schiitische und sunnitische Moscheen in Saudi-Arabien. Das waren brutale Anschläge mit vielen Toten.
Deswegen kann man, glaube ich, durchaus sagen, dass auch Saudi-Arabien ein Interesse daran hat, gemeinsam mit uns den Terror zu besiegen. Terror hat keine Religion. Die meisten, die vom Terror von ISIS betroffen sind, sind Muslime. Deswegen bedroht dieser Terror gleichermaßen alle: Christen, Muslime, Juden, Atheisten, Sunniten, Schiiten. Gemeinsam mit Saudi-Arabien und vielen anderen Ländern in der Region sind wir Teil der Anti-ISIS-Koalition und versuchen auf verschiedenen Handlungsfeldern, ISIS zurückzudrängen, ISIS den Nährboden zu entziehen. Ich glaube, das muss man immer wieder ganz klar sagen: Es gibt kein Schwarz-Weiß. Es gibt nicht die Aussage: Es ist alles richtig, was in Saudi-Arabien läuft. Ja, Saudi-Arabien ist unser Partner. Aber es gibt viele Bereiche, in denen wir nicht einer Meinung sind. Das ist ein sehr differenziertes Bild, das keiner mit einer klaren Ja-Nein- oder Schwarz-Weiß-Antwort beantworten kann.
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/_ElementeStart/Sprecher_node.html
Kommentar: Nur den Saudis nicht wirklich zu nahe treten, lautet die Devise. Da eiert man dann herum.
6.12.2015 – Reuters
German Vice Chancellor warns Saudi Arabia over Islamist funding
German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel urged Saudi Arabia on Sunday to stop supporting religious radicals, amid growing concern among some lawmakers in Berlin about the funding of militant mosques by the world's biggest oil exporter.
"We need Saudi Arabia to solve the regional conflicts," Sigmar Gabriel, the head of the Social Democrats (SPD) who share power with conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel, told the mass-circulation newspaper Bild am Sonntag.
"But we must at the same time make clear that the time to look away is past. Wahhabi mosques are financed all over the world by Saudi Arabia. In Germany, many dangerous Islamists come from these communities," he said.
In a statement, the Saudi Arabia embassy in Berlin said the Kingdom was interested in countering the radicalization of young people and referred to a previous statement in which it denied wanting to build 200 mosques in Germany.
"Like Germany, we are part of the anti-Islamic State coalition and fighting side by side against terror," it said.
http://news.yahoo.com/german-vice-chancellor-warns-saudi-arabia-over-islamist-135521960.html see also http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/12035838/German-vice-chancellor-accuses-Saudi-Arabia-of-funding-Islamic-extremism-in-the-West.html
Commentary: See “Neue Artikel 61.” The statement of Saudi embassy at Berlin is funny: the state which for the most part is responsible for the radicalization of Muslim people exactly is Saudi Arabia.
Propaganda
8.12.2015 – Emirates 24 7
Taiz: Key target of Yemen's legitimacy
Liberation of Taiz may open way to Sanaa
The governorate has been the main target of a military campaign by the legitimate army and resistance, backed by the Saudi-dominated Arab coalition, to expel the Iranian-backed Houthis and forces loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The governorate, nearly 250km south of the capital Sanaa, is strategically located between North and South Yemen and overlooks the vital Bab Al Mandeb waterway.
Its capital is Taiz city, which has been besieged by the insurgents for several weeks and has been a target for random shelling from rebel positions in the surrounding mountains.
“The liberation of Taiz is now a matter of time. It is moving slowing but it will be seized by the army and resistance despite the heavy fighting in many areas. “Liberation of Taiz may be easier than the liberation of Sanaa,” a source said.
“Once the rebels are ejected from Taiz, the way to Sanaa will be open and the battle for the liberation of the capital will then begin.
http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/taiz-key-target-of-yemen-s-legitimacy-2015-12-08-1.613165
Commentary: And here we have another arena where the battle is fierce, this time Taiz. The leaders of the Taiz militias - the majority Islah, but some salafists and others such as socialists, nationalists, are very uncompromising and have said they will not negotiate for Taiz Abd will only accept a military victory. There are huge numbers of mercenaries and newly trained Yemeni troops fighting on the side of the pro-Saudi coalition. This is the only report I have seen today in an Emirati media outlet.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1069887939830363
8.12.2015 – WAM
A UAE paper has said that the car bomb, claimed by a group affiliated with Daesh and which exploded next to a convoy, killing the governor of Yemen’s southern Aden, Jaafar Mohammad Sa’ad and six of his bodyguards, will not deter the allies fighting to restore legitimacy.
"This attack shows that there remain elements inside Yemen that are prepared to use any means to thwart international efforts to restore security and peace in the country," said Gulf News in an editorial on Tuesday.
"The first step in this just mission is restoring the legitimate government of President Adb Rabbo Mansour Hadi and eliminating Al Houthi rebels who usurped that government’s authority.
"The UAE, along with its international coalition partners in a United Nations-backed mission, are determined that lawlessness and violence will be eradicated. It matters not whether the source of that violence is Al Qaida, Daesh, Al Houthis or any other group that views Yemen and its people as targets of opportunity to be exploited for a misguided cause. The UAE and its partners will not be deterred by cowards who spread mayhem and disorder.
"Sunday’s blast serves as a reminder that any peace in Yemen will also have to be built with the support of the international community and with the inputs of partners who recognise the government’s legitimacy and disavow violence. Such groups have been reluctant to join peace negotiations in Geneva, and while they speak of wanting an end to the crisis, their words ring hollow," concluded the Dubai-based daily.
http://www.wam.ae/en/news/[Emirates]/1395288958098.html
Commentary: There is an irony here, as the 'victors' in Aden included UAE troops and extremist Sunni militias - AQ and Daesh. The victors were from such a wide spectrum that it was obvious that there alliance would not hold. This story follows the assassination of the Adeni governor yesterday - which has been widely covered now with maybe hundreds of reports located.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1069897803162710
Kommentar: Die übliche Propaganda von “Legitimität”. Und: Obwohl der Anschlag vom IS verübt wurde, werden die Huthis im Zusammenhang damit als Gegner erwähnt. Ja, es geht ja nun mal gegen die Huthis und nicht gegen Al Kaida und IS.
7.12.2015 – Emirates 24 7
Proud my sons are serving the nation in Yemen: RAK Ruler's wife
RAK Crown Prince and brother serving with UAE Armed Forces
Sheikha Hana bint Juma Al Majid, wife of his Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council member and Ruler of Ras al Khaimah expressed her pride in the heroism and valour of the UAE soldiers in Yemen.
In an exclusive interview with ‘Al Bayan’ she expressed her deep appreciation for the great sacrifices made in the battle in Yemen.
She expressed appreciation for the mothers of the martyrs who lost their lives in defense of the homeland and supporting the legitimacy of the government in Yemen.
She appreciated the decision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the armed forces, for the establishment of an office for martyrs families affiliated to his court.
“I am an Emirati mother and am proud to be able to give my sons Sheikh Mohammed bin Saud Al Qasimi, Ras Al Khaimah Crown Prince, and his brother Sheikh Ahmed, to be among the soldiers of the nation.”
Kommentar: Heldenkult klassischer Art, wie man ihn bei uns inbrünstig vor allem noch im 1. Weltkrieg betrieben hat.
7.12.2015 – Fars News
Saudi Arabsat Bans Al-Manar, Al-Mayadeen for Covering Yemen War
The Saudi-owned “Arabsat” broadcast network and satellite service provider has banned the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen News and Al-Manar News from the list of channels that are offered in its dish package for covering war developments in Yemen.
This deliberate refusal of service comes just days after the Saudi Regime issued a list of Lebanese citizens that were banned from entering Saudi Arabia due to their alleged affiliation with the Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement.
The Saudi regime has made it apparent that they will not tolerate any news coverage of the War on Yemen if it contrasts their own political agenda.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940916001226
Commentary: he Saudis are managing to stop the other 'side' from getting their story out into the Western media, but they are obviously rattled concerning the coverage on some Arab media and they are putting a stop to it. Not that it will make a difference in Yemen - no-one except a handful of the very rich has enough electricity to run a TV set - most in the north have no electricity at all except for solar panels or generator - when they can get petrol to run it.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1069325513219939
Kommentar: Die Saudis wollen auf diese Weise ihre Sicht auf die Dinge durchsetzen.
7.12.2015 – WAM
Nothing can shake Yemen stability goal: paper
A UAE paper has said that the assassination of Governor of Aden Jaafar Mohammed Saad is yet another cowardly and heinous act by treacherous terrorists.
"If at all anything, the attack will only strengthen the international community’s determination to intensify united efforts amongst governments and institutions to counter such enemies of humanity," said The Gulf Today in an editorial on Monday.
The spread of violent extremist groups and their malicious and hateful ideologies pose a huge challenge to the entire global community.
"Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, has already made it clear that such crimes will not discourage the common resolve to restore security and stability throughout the brotherly nation of Yemen.
"As he himself stated, the UAE and the Saudi-led Arab coalition will spare no effort in its quest to achieve these goals.
"The UAE Armed Forces have been playing a very prominent role since the first day of the incursion of the Houthi militias into the city of Aden and have been participating in the military operations as part of the Arab coalition right since its inception.
"It may be noted that the significant role of the Arab coalition forces in general and the role played by the UAE Armed Forces in Aden in particular had drawn praise from Brigadier General Ahmed Abdullah Turki, Commander of the Third Brigade and the Commander of the western sector and the coastal strip in Yemen.
"In Brig. Gen. Turki’s own words, "Our Emirati brothers surprised us with their high morale and unique combat skills as they involved in various fronts. They also demonstrated high combat and military skills in the management of the operations and offensive plans that culminated with complete successes."
"It is sad that the common people in Yemen have suffered for too long in the hands of rebel Houthi and Saleh militias. The Houthi and Saleh militias also committed ignominious violations against women in Aden.
"The Voices of Women of Aden, a Yemeni non-governmental coalition, recently said 196 women were killed in five months during the war waged by the rebel Houthi militia and forces loyal to ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh on the governorate.
"Some of the women victims were killed in their houses by the rebel militia’s random bombing, while others were targeted in the streets by the rebel snipers or succumbed to their wounds in hospitals.
"As Yemen looks forward to a new phase of security, peace and reconstruction, there can be no doubt that the people of Yemen will treasure the support extended by the UAE," concluded the Sharjah-based daily.
http://www.wam.ae/en/news/general/1395288904733.html siehe auch http://www.totaluae.com/news/daeshs-emergence-in-yemen-makes-it-a-two-front-war-paper/
Commentary: This opinion piece is in a UAE news agency - and interestingly, I have heard from other local sources in Yemen over a few months that UAE does not approve of KSA's dalliance with extremist militias in Yemen. On a few occasions the UAE concern with AQAP and Daesh in Yemen has been expressed in UAE newspapers; Saudi newspapers rarely mention extremist militias, except when they attack the Hadi government or Hadi appointed politicians. This article does not mention the AQ and Daesh fighters that were openly fighting against the Houth-Saleh alliance alongside UAE troops and other pro-Saudi troops in Aden in July.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1069347533217737
7.12.2015 – UAE Interact
Abdullah bin Zayed receives Deputy Prime Minister of Yemen, Minister of Foreign Affairs
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, received yesterday at the ministry, Abdul Malik Abdul Jalil Al Mukhlafi, Deputy Prime Minister of Yemen and Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is currently visiting the country.
Sheikh Abdullah welcomed the Yemeni official and wished him a successful tour.
During the meeting, Sheikh Abdullah and Al Mukhlafi discussed the latest regional and international developments, and exchanged views on a number of issues regarding Yemen. They also tackled the humanitarian situation and its repercussions on the civilians affected by the unfolding violence unleashed against them by the Houthi militias and the Saleh group.
The UAE foreign minister reiterated the UAE's historic support to Yemen and its people, as well as its unwavering commitment to restoring legitimacy to ensure security and stability in the sisterly state of Yemen, and safeguarding its sovereignty and unity. He stressed the strength of relations between the peoples of the two countries.
Sheikh Abdullah said the UAE is keen on providing support to Yemen so as to overcome the tribulations, chaos, sabotage and the deteriorating humanitarian situation.
For his part, Al Mukhlafi thanked President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan for the UAE's huge support to restoring legitimacy in Yemen, which is part of the Arab coalition, led by Saudi Arabia to restore hope to Yemen and help it safeguard its security and stability, and consolidate its legitimacy.
The two sides reviewed the fraternal relations in the light of the developments in Yemen, and ways to restore stability there. They stressed their keenness to preserve Yemen's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and its Arab identity.
Kommentar: Es sind offenbar immer wieder die ganz genau gleichen Propagandafloskeln, die bei derlei Besuchen geäußert werden. Das hier ist der neue Außenminister, den Präsident Hadi ernannt und den Regierungschef Bahah nicht anerkannte.
Waffenhandel / Arms trade
7.12.2015 – Nachdenkseiten
Wer sagt, Kriege würden geführt, damit der Umsatz der Waffenindustrie stimmt, dem wird das Etikett verpasst: Verschwörungstheoretiker!!
Leider keine Theorie, wie Intercept berichtet: Vertreter der Verteidigungsindustrie benennen „Vorteile“ der eskalierenden Konflikte im Mittleren Osten und Geschäftsführer der Waffenindustrie sagen, dass Massenschießereien gut seien für das Geschäft. Es folgt die Übersetzung eines Teils dieser Quelle A und dieser Quelle B
Vertreter der Verteidigungsindustrie benennen „Vorteile“ der eskalierenden Konflikte im Mittleren Osten
Vertreter von Raytheon, Oshkosh, und Lockheed Martin, bedeutende Unternehmen der Verteidigungsindustrie, versicherten Investoren auf einer Tagung der Credit Suisse in West Palm Beach in dieser Woche, dass sie wahrscheinlich von den eskalierenden Konflikten im Mittleren Osten profitieren werden.
Bruce Tanner, stellvertretender Vorstandsvorsitzender von Lockheed Martin, berichtete den Tagungsteilnehmern, sein Unternehmen erwarte „indirekte Vorteile“ vom Krieg in Syrien, er bezog sich dabei auf die kürzlich getroffene Entscheidung des türkischen Militärs, einen russischen Kampfjet abzuschießen.
Tanner sagte, der Vorfall erhöhe das Risiko der US-Militäroperationen in der Region, dies führe „aufgrund der Dynamik dieses Umfeldes und unseren Produkten im Einsatzgebiet zu einem immateriellen Auftrieb“. Er betonte außerdem, dass die russische Intervention den Bedarf an F-22- und F-35-Kampfjets hervorheben würde, die beide von Lockheed Martin hergestellt werden.
Und für „Verbrauchsmaterial“ wie Raketen, fügte Tanner hinzu, bestehe steigende Nachfrage, auch seitens der Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate und Saudi Arabien wegen des Kriegs im Jemen.
Hören Sie Tanners Bemerkungen während der Third Annual Industrials Conference.
Wilson Jones, der Präsident des Rüstungsherstellers Oshkosh, ließ die Tagungsteilnehmer wissen, dass „mit der wachsenden ISIS-Bedrohung“ mehr Länder am Kauf von Oskosh M-ATV Panzerfahrzeugen interessiert seien. Jones sprach über eine Geschäftsreise, die er vor kurzem in den Mittleren Osten gemacht hat, und sagte, dass die Länder dort „ihre Infanterie motorisieren wollen“.
Tom Kennedy, der CEO von Raytheon, machte ähnliche Anmerkungen, indem er den Tagungsteilnehmern verkündete, dass er für „Verteidigungskonzepte in mehreren Ländern des Mittleren Ostens durch die Bank einen signifikanten Aufwärtstrend“ erwarte. Er erwähnte ein Treffen mit König Salman von Saudi Arabien und sagte: „Es ist all der Aufruhr dort momentan, ob im Jemen mit den Huthis, ob in Syrien oder im Irak mit ISIS.“
Die letzte gute Nachricht für die Unternehmer ist der neueste Beschluss für den Haushaltsplan im Kongress. Nach Jahren der Kosteneinsparungen, genehmigt der Beschluss 607 Milliarden Dollar für Verteidigungsausgaben, das sind nur 5 Milliarden weniger, als das Pentagon gefordert hat, was DefenseNews ein „besonderes Vergnügen“ für die Industrie nannte.
„Unsere Programme werden [vom Haushaltsplan] gut gestützt“, sagte Tanner von Lockheed während der Tagung. „Wir denken, man hat uns sehr gut behandelt.“ – von Lee Fang und Zaid Jilani
http://www.nachdenkseiten.de/?p=29402
English:
4.12.2015 – The Intercept
Defense Contractors Cite “Benefits” of Escalating Conflicts in the Middle East
Major defense contractors Raytheon, Oshkosh, and Lockheed Martin assured investors at a Credit Suisse conference in West Palm Beach this week that they stand to gain from the escalating conflicts in the Middle East.
Lockheed Martin Executive Vice President Bruce Tanner told the conference his company will see “indirect benefits” from the war in Syria, citing the Turkish military’s recent decision to shoot down a Russian warplane.
The incident, Tanner said, heightens the risk for U.S. military operations in the region, providing “an intangible lift because of the dynamics of that environment and our products in theater.” He also stressed that the Russian intervention would highlight the need for Lockheed Martin-made F-22s and the new F-35 jets.
And for “expendable” products, such as a rockets, Tanner added that there is increased demand, including from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia because of the war in Yemen.
Listen to Tanner’s remarks to the Third Annual Industrials Conference
Wilson Jones, the president of the defense manufacturer Oshkosh, told the conference that “with the ISIS threat growing,” there are more countries interested in buying Oshkosh-made M-ATV armored vehicles. Speaking about a recent business trip to the Middle East, Jones said countries there “want to mechanize their infantry corps.”
Raytheon Chief Executive Tom Kennedy made similar remarks, telling the conference that he is seeing “a significant uptick” for “defense solutions across the board in multiple countries in the Middle East.” Noting that he had met with King Salman of Saudi Arabia, Kennedy said, “It’s all the turmoil they have going on, whether the turmoil’s occurring in Yemen, whether it’s with the Houthis, whether it’s occurring in Syria or Iraq, with ISIS.”
The last bit of good news for the contractors is the latest budget deal in Congress. After years of cuts following the budget sequester, the deal authorizes $607 billion in defense spending, just $5 billion down from the Pentagon’s request, which DefenseNews called a “treat” for the industry.
“Our programs are well supported [in the budget],” said Lockheed’s Tanner at the conference. “We think we did fare very well.” – by Lee Fang and Zaid Jilani
Söldner / Mercenaries
8.12.2015 – Press TV Iran
Six Colombian troops, Australian commander killed in Yemen clashes
Six Colombian troops and an Australian commander have been killed in clashes with Yemen’s Houthi fighters and allied forces in the southwestern part of the country.
Yemen’s al-Marssad news agency said on Tuesday that the six Colombian soldiers were killed after fighters from the Houthi Ansarullah movement and the allied army units launched attacks on Saudi-led forces in al-Amri region in Bab-el-Mandeb area, in Ta’izz Province.
The report said an Australian commander, identified as Philip Stitman, who was leading the Colombian forces was also killed in the operation.
Previous reports by Yemeni sources who had said that at least 800 troops from Latin American nations are contributing to Saudi Arabia’s war on Yemen.
http://presstv.ir/Detail/2015/12/08/440879/Yemen-Saudi-Arabia-Colombian-Australian-troops
Kommentar: Die Kolumbianer sind demnach schon im Kampfeinsatz. Und Söldner aus „westlichen“ Ländern sind auch dabei.
7.12.2015 – Middle East Monitor
The effect of ‘secret’ UAE activities in Yemen
A New York Times report not only confirmed the presence of the Columbian soldiers, but said that there are also Panamanian, Salvadoran and Chilean soldiers currently fighting in Yemen. They have not been deployed on behalf of the wider Saudi-led coalition, but by the UAE. Unlike the Saudi deployment of Senegalese, Egyptian, Ethiopian and Sudanese troops to help organise and assist the Yemeni troops in the anti-Houthi campaign in northern and central Yemen, the Latin American troops have been deployed to intercept Al-Qaeda and the new Daesh threat, meaning they are stationed in southern Yemen.
Without even looking at further details of the deployment, many questions arise: What will their role be in Yemen? Why Latin American? How will they affect the Yemeni fighters or how the wider coalition operates?
Before anything it’s important to understand that this decision was not random. There is context behind it. At the start of the Arab Spring, insecurity in the UAE meant officials set up a mercenary army to help intercept any revolutionary sentiments that may leak into the country. Instability in the Gulf of Aden was also a reason, as the threat of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and Somali pirates loomed.
The situation becomes increasingly problematic when looking at how the mercenaries were formed. Erik Prince, the man who helped form this army, is a controversial figure in the military industry. He was one of the founders of Blackwater, a divisive private American military company and security consulting firm that had contracts with the White House to set up mercenaries to fight on America’s behalf during the Iraq invasion.
The company was forced to rename itself after it was revealed that the mercenaries were committing war crimes in Iraq. Prince moved to Abu Dhabi in 2010 and under a $529 million contract he started to secretly build an 800 man mercenary for the UAE. He repeatedly denied it, but he denied doing so on the behalf of Blackwater, which at that point did not exist.
This is not to say the decision is welcome by the whole of the GCC. Saudi Arabia, who despite being in an alliance with the UAE, has expressed distrust towards them, due to their relations with former Yemeni dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh. Riyadh has repeatedly reiterated its suspicions that Abu Dhabi is still in an alliance with Saleh, a cause of much diplomatic tensions. Saudi has also rejected the Latin American troops’ deployment by the UAE because they preferred the presence of Sudanese troops, approved directly by Riyadh and who arrived in October.
This not only reflects on the element of distrust between the two GCC countries leading the war, but the way the Yemen conflict is going. It is not only dangerous for the UAE to secretly deploy mercenaries that was initiated by the founder of a notorious company, but digging further divisions at a time in which the Saudi led coalition needs to be as united as possible. This is also reflective of the UAE’s military ambitions in the Middle East. They have invested heavily in their military capabilities, which are growing rapidly, but it is evident that they would want to do this, while having the luxury of putting as few of their own citizens in dangerous war zones as possible – by Diana Alghoul
7.12.2015 – CIP Americas / Counterpunch
Mercenaries in Yemen–the U.S. Connection
Latin American mercenaries are leaving the ranks of the national armies of their countries to fight in the deserts of Yemen, wearing the uniform of the United Arab Emirates. They have been contracted by private US companies and in some cases directly by the government of the Arab country, which, thanks to vast oil reserves, has the second largest economy of the region.
An article in the New York Times revealed that 450 Latin American soldiers, among them Colombians, Panamanians, Salvadorans and Chileans, have been deployed to Yemen. The mercenaries receive training in the United Arab Emirates before deployment, in part from U.S. trainers.
The presence of Latin American mercenaries in the Middle East is not new. Colombian news media have interviewed mercenaries returning from the Middle East for years. They tell of being recruited by transnational companies with promises of salaries far beyond what they’d receive at home. However, the conflict in Yemen seems to be the first time that Latin American mercenaries have been sent into combat.
Colombia contributes the largest number. According to the New York Times, the UAE military recruits Colombians because of their experience fighting the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in the jungles and mountains of their country. But there is another reason.
Since the beginning of Plan Colombia, between 2000 and 2015 the U.S. spent almost $7 billion to train, advise and equip Colombia’s security forces. In the last few years, the U.S. government has carried out a strategy to prepare the Colombians for an emerging industry: the “export of security.”
And apparently, one way to export security is to become a U.S.-trained mercenary for Washington’s wars in other parts of the world.
Colombian troops, drilled in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency techniques, instead of exporting security are exporting the United States’ geopolitical agenda of permanent war. They end up doing the dirty work of their ally to the north, who, as a consequence, avoids exposing its forces to harm or facing accusations of interventionism.
According to analyst William Hartung, the United States government has trained a total of 30,000 soldiers from the four countries that make up the Latin American mercenary force in Yemen. A recent investigative report from El Salvador cites a Ministry of Defense source affirming that there are about 100 Salvadorans operating in Yemen. While the Colombians claim to have contracts directly with the Emirati military, in El Salvador the source states that contracting goes through a national company subcontracted by Northrup Grumman.
The same Salvadoran source affirms that there are also Mexicans in Yemen. Mexico was not included in the New York Times report, but has a close relationship with the United States security complex through the war on drugs.
It cannot be known for sure if the hundreds of Latin American mercenaries were trained in the United States or by the U.S. military in their own countries. The U.S. government does not reveal the names of the soldiers or police that it has trained. Nor is there a public registry of mercenaries. Although the practice is legal in certain contexts, it forms part of the underground world of war, in which shadow powers dictate the conditions in which we live–and often die.
What is certain is that contracting Latin American mercenaries follows the logic of the new style of war designed by the Pentagon. This strategy reduces risks to U.S. troops, increases civilian deaths and feeds war profits. Drones–unmanned airplanes–kill thousands of civilians without risking a single life on the part of the aggressors. They’re shielded from the blood of their victims and the horror of their screams.
While technology makes long-distance war possible, another aspect of proxy war is to get others to fight your battles. A sad reflection of patriarchal violence and economic inequality, the recruitment of foreign mercenaries is central to modern-day warfare.
In the case of Yemen, the populations of the countries that are involved in the conflict or feel threatened by it, such as the United Arab Emirates, have no desire to go to war. In recent months the UAE has suffered increasing casualities on the ground while the U.S. and Saudi members of the coalition keep to the skies.
And the United States has strong interests in the region, but does not want to pay the political price of seeing its soldiers return home in body bags. The solution? Hire mercenaries from impoverished Latin American countries.
Recruiting young men from Latin American countries feeds the U.S. war industry. American companies like Blackwater, which has changed its name but remains Erik Prince’s empire of death, and Northrup Grumman, headquartered in Virginia, squeeze more out of their juicy government contracts by reducing soldiers’ pay. According to Colombian reports, their mercenaries receive less than half what European or U.S. soldiers get. Despite the gouging, they still make on average five times more than what they would earn in their home countries.
The third and often ignored element of the new remote-control war is weapons sales. U.S. arms sales are booming, bringing millions of dollars to the U.S. defense industry–a powerful lobby in Congress. US strategists recognize that arms sales effectively advance the geopolitical agenda by changing the balance of power in strategic conflicts.
The Pentagon and its promoters in Congress openly talk about the advantages of killing from a distance. Critics cite the many lethal attacks on civilians, including large numbers of women and children that are characteristic of this type of war. The UN calculates that the war in Yemen has already led to the deaths of 2,500 civilians, among them women and children; almost 500 were killed by U.S. drone strikes – by Laura Carlsen
http://www.cipamericas.org/archives/17786 = http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/12/09/mercenaries-in-yemen-the-us-connection/
Terrorismus / Terrorism
6.12.2015 – Chicago Tribune
Photos: Yemen car bombing
(siehe/ see “Neue Artikel” 61)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-photos-yemen-car-bombing-20151206-photogallery.html
5.12.2015 – Press TV Iran
‘Al-Qaeda working hand in glove with Saudis in Yemen’: Activist
Press TV has conducted an interview with Hussain al-Bukhaiti, an activist and political commentator in Sana’a, to discuss Saudi Arabia's ongoing military aggression against Yemen.
The following is a rough transcription of the interview.
Press TV: Well let’s talk about those extremists. They just released a video and it was pretty brutal, so the reports indicate at this point that both al-Qaeda and ISIL (Daesh) are gaining ground. There are people that are being obviously influenced by both groups. However, the area of the AQAP is an area that is not being targeted by Saudi Arabia. Do you think Saudi Arabia wants al-Qaeda since they are fighting the Ansarullah fighters not to be targeted, that is they are not targeting them because of their gains against perhaps Ansarullah fighters which is not reported that widely at this point?
Bukhaiti: Exactly. This is the reason to start this war because Saudi Arabia and its coalition and the United States, UK and France have noticed that Ansarullah, the Houthi and the Yemeni army has cleared many areas in the south like Abyan, Shabwah, Lahij and Aden from al-Qaeda members and they want Yemen to be the next al-Qaeda hub after Syria, Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan because those fighters of al-Qaeda and extremists, they have to be moved from one country to another country and we have seen that any area that the Saudi money and American weapons are interfering like in Iraq and Syria and Libya, we have seen that they make al-Qaeda exist in those areas.
There was no al-Qaeda or Daesh in Syria. Now we have it there as well in Libya and the same way in Iraq and from the start of this war on Yemen they have not targeted any members of al-Qaeda, which I mean the Saudi coalition has not done that. They used to move freely especially in Hadhramaut and on the top of that after the invasion of Aden we have seen al-Qaeda seizing and controlling area used to be under Ansarullah control and the Yemeni army and they have used as well weapons like Humvees provided by the United Arab Emirates to attack and target civilians in the south.
And in this latest video it is the first time that we have seen the same style Daesh or al-Qaeda used in Iraq and Syria and in Libya by making their victims wear a red uniform and using explosive to kill about six people in a boat and another nine were slaughtered, another four they used Katyusha rocket against them. So this is a clear evidence of al-Qaeda in the south and this is clear evidence that Ansarullah, the Houthi and the Yemeni army they used to fight al-Qaeda and al-Qaeda was working side by side with the Saudis and the United Arab Emirates. Until now there are no clashes or any attack from the coalition against al-Qaeda who move freely in a large convoy across the south.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1069403236545500
Commentary: I don't know how the U.S. UK and Saudi governments can go on making statements about the fight on extremist Sunni militias with a straight face - their duplicity is laughable. Since the start of the Yemen war in March Al Qaeda operatives held Mukalla, and an interview with an AQ sympathiser a couple of months ago on Al Jazeera said that AQAP were asked to do this by KSA and they have been openly in control there ever since - and certainly not subject to Saudi bombs. Then when the land invasion started in Aden in July militias with black flags have been openly photographed fighting alongside those in the Saudi led coalition, and since then I have seen video snips of AQ trucks passing unchallenged through military checkpoints in Aden, and there are many reports of areas in Aden controlled by AQAP. In Taiz the Saudis dropped weapons to militias under control of the Salafist Abu Alabbas - it was openly reported in a UAE newspaper. The current reports of an ISIS assassination of a Hadi loyalist in Aden has been widely circulated in the international media, but none of the earlier assassinations of probable Houthi militias wearing orange overalls murdered in horrific ways by ISIS in the southwest of Yemen were reported in the Western media - although they have been reported in the Iranian news agencies. This article in Press TV confirms the many other reports I have seen.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1069403236545500
Flüchtlinge / Refugees
7.12.2015 – UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Somalia Task Force on Yemen Situation: Weekly Inter-Agency Update #48 (24 - 30 November 2015)
There were two new arrivals recorded at the Berbera Port, Somaliland, for a total of 54 individuals, during this reporting period.
One boat carrying 28 individuals arrived in Berbera on 24 November.
A second boat carrying 26 individuals arrived on 28 November.
There were no new arrivals recorded at Bossaso port during the reporting period.
http://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/somalia-task-force-yemen-situation-weekly-inter-agency-update-48-24-30-november-2015 in full: http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/%2348Somaliainter-agencyupdate24-30November2015_0.pdf
Öl / Oil
Yemen Oil Production: The Arab Spring’s Quiet Revolution
A newly formed government just may help Yemen produce 500,000 barrels of oil per day, or more.
In fact, Iraq is just one example of a country where oil production has steadily risen since reforming its government. According to International Business Times, Iraqi oil production is expected to hit a 30-year high in 2012.
http://www.investmentu.com/article/detail/27944/yemen-oil-production#.VmcM7bjhCUl
Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
8.12.2015 – AP
Yemen officials: Battle for key military base in country's south kills dozens of fighters
Airstrikes by a Saudi-led coalition targeting Yemen's Shiite rebels and ground clashes over a key military base killed and wounded dozens of fighters on Tuesday, Yemeni security officials said.
According to the officials, at least 35 pro-government and rebel fighters died in the battle for the base in the southwestern port city of Mokha. The base is located along a vital road to the heavily contested western city of Taiz, the officials said – by Ahmed Al-Haj
http://www.startribune.com/battle-for-key-yemeni-base-in-south-kills-dozens-of-fighters/360957611/ = http://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/battle-for-key-yemeni-base-in-south-kills-dozens-of-fighters-1.382769
8.12.2015 – Fars News
Yemeni Forces Prevail over 80 Percent of Ma'rib Province
The Yemeni army and popular forces have seized most strategic regions in Ma'rib and will soon complete control over the entire province, a senior Ansarullah commander announced on Tuesday, adding that his forces are also pounding several military bases in Southern Saudi Arabia in another front.
"The popular forces and the army backed by the Yemeni tribal forces are now in control of 80 percent of Ma'rib province," senior Ansarullah Commander Ali al-Houthi told FNA on today.
The Yemeni missiles, meantime, have destroyed a number of Saudi military sites, including Al-Burj al-Abyaz, Al-Saleh, Al-Buhtit and Al-Mo'anaq in Jizan province.
The Yemeni forces have also targeted Malteh military site in Asir province with numerous mortar shells.
On Saturday, the Yemeni army and popular forces continued nonstop advances on the Saudi soil and seized several military bases and sites in Saudi Arabia's Southern provinces after heavy clashes with the kingdom's troops, FNA dispatches said.
The Yemeni forces captured a number of Saudi military bases in Jizan province, Yemeni Army Commander Ebrahim Moussa al-Hamdani told FNA.
Al-Hamdani noted that the army and popular forces also seized the Riyadh government's strategic military positions in Najran province after several hours of clashes with the Saudi forces, seizing heavy machinery and a large cache of weapons and military tools, including mortar-launchers.
The clashes are still underway in multiple fronts in Najran province.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940917000610
Commentary: I have been concentrating on the media itself his week - this story has so far only appeared in this one Iranian news agency. But again, note use of the words - unless you area seasoned in looking at news of this disgusting Yemen war, the headline is meaningless. There are Yemen forces on all 'sides'. This time, they mean the Saleh-Houthi alliance. All sides are trying to win maximum territory before the peace talks, to give them better negotiating chips in Geneva.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1069885113163979
7.12.2015 – Emirates 24 7
Yemeni resistance seizes more positions in Taiz
Rebels shell residential areas
Yemen’s national resistance fighters seized more rebel positions in Western Taiz on Sunday as they and the national army pushed ahead with a major offensive to expel the coup insurgents from the Southwestern governorate.
The defeats on some fronts prompted the Iranian-backed Houthis and their allies to intensify shelling of residential areas in the besieged city, Yemen’s news network ‘Masdar Online’ said, quoting resistance sources.
“Although they are fighting with light weapons in Western Taiz, the resistance men continued to advance on rebel positions,” the report said.
It said seized areas include Zankal, Taiz University, Al Saqr Club and the old airport, adding that the rebels launched attacks to retake those positions but were repelled.
The report quoted the sources as saying heavy fighting was still raging late Sunday between the resistance and the rebels in an area close to the 35th army Brigade loyal to the insurgents.
It said the resistance fighters were advancing slowly in that area because of street battles and the absence of sufficient air support.
“The Western front is very important and is a strategic area because it will help the resistance break the siege on the city,” a military source said, adding that the insurgents are sending daily reinforcements to their forces near Taiz.
Commentary: More confusing propaganda-like talk - which is used by all sides but makes it impossible for the uninformed to make sense of this report. Yemen national army = the Yemen army under the direction of the Saudi-led army. Resistance = used by both sides and in this case those resisting the Houthi-Saleh alliance. Rebels = Houthi militias plus the army loyal to x-President Saleh. I've only found this in this Emirati newspaper.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1069321949886962
7.12.2015 – Iran English Radio
Saudi warplanes bomb Yemen, martyr dozen civilians
A dozen people from the same family have been martyred as Saudi Arabian warplanes continue bombing Yemen. According to reports, they were martyred in the Sirwah district in the central Ma’rib Province on Sunday.
A dozen people from the same family have been martyred as Saudi Arabian warplanes continue bombing Yemen.
According to reports, they were martyred in the Sirwah district in the central Ma’rib Province on Sunday.
In return, Yemeni army soldiers, backed by fighters from popular committees loyal to the Ansarullah movement, targeted a number of Saudi bases in the kingdom’s Jizan region.
Yemeni army also destroyed Saudi military vehicles in Ma’rib and martyred a number of Saudi forces.
http://english.irib.ir/news/world/west-asia/item/219662- see also http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940916000652
Neue Artikel zum Nachlesen 1-61: / Yemen Press reader 1-61:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose oder / or
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