Schwerpunkte / Key aspects
Klassifizierung / Classification
Am wichtigsten / Most important
Allgemein / General
Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage
Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
Saudi-Arabien und Iran / Saudi Arabia and Iran
Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
USA
Großbritannien / Great Britain
Ostafrika / East Africa
Terrorismus / Terrorism
Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
Klassifizierung / Classification
***
**
*
(Kein Stern / No star)
A = Aktuell / Current news
B = Hintergrund / Background
C = Chronik / Chronicle
D = Details
E = Wirtschaft / Economy
H = Humanitäre Fragen / Humanitarian questions
K = Krieg / War
P = Politik / Politics
PH = Pro-Houthi
PS = Pro-Saudi
T = Terrorismus / Terrorism
Am wichtigsten / Most important
24.1.2016 – Al Araby (* B H)
Children's future bleakens as Yemen conflict targets education opportunities
"From the beginning, even before the war, education was not a priority for the government. But now, it has been completely forgotten."
Khalil Abdallah, Yemen's schools' supervisor, says what was once a dire situation has now become "infinitely worse".
Amid the ravages of everyday life, and with no signs of an end to the deadly conflict, the future prospects of entire generations of Yemeni school children are being obliterated.
In the war between Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led coalition that backs Yemen's government, the Yemeni schooling system, which even in better days was already fragile and suffered from chronic underfunding, is now grinding to a halt.
Last year, the UN confirmed that children make up a third of fighters in armed group conflicts in Yemen.
For those fortunate enough to escape death, injury or forced conscription as child-soldiers, the haunting spectres of malnutrition, starvation, and psychological traumas still await.
Recent reports state that at least 7.4 million children will need psycho-social support to deal with the effects of exposure to violence.
Now added to the suffering of Yemen's children is the denial of any prospect of a basic education.
In a recent report, the UN estimated at least 2.9 million Yemeni children have been forced out of school since the start of the war in March.
In conflict areas, hundreds of schools have been destroyed or occupied by armed forces.
Classrooms have also become the final place of refuge for families forced from their homes.
Many teachers have been displaced; pupils often cannot get to classes - and when they can, teaching hours are reduced.
23.1.2016 – Huffington Post (** B H)
How Children Are Forced To The Front Lines Of Yemen's War
And what it means for the future of the country.
The WorldPost spoke to Julien Harneis, UNICEF's representative in Yemen, about how the war has pushed children into battle.
Are all sides of the conflict using child fighters?
Certainly, it is something we see more frequently with the Houthis. However, we also see it with the [pro-government] popular committees in the south of Yemen. So it’s not limited to any one group.
What is life like for a child fighter in Yemen -- do they get paid? Do they get sent into combat?
They do receive a small payment. Many of the children are guarding checkpoints on roads -- in fact I saw some this morning. But they’re also on the front line fighting as well. Many children have been captured by rival armed groups, and progressively children are also being killed in fighting.
What do you think is a realistic estimate for the number of child fighters in Yemen at the moment?
It’s really not possible to say, unfortunately. That would require us to be able to travel around the country and do a count, and that’s not possible in this context. Based upon driving around and working in different parts of Yemen, I can say that there is a very significant proportion of the fighters who are children.
Last year, you said up to one-third of fighters in armed groups were children. Does that still seem about right?
It’s very hard to put a number on it, but when I say a significant proportion, it is getting towards that sort of number.
What are the main factors that lead children to join the ranks of the fighters?
Part of it is social pressure. Children believe misguidedly that by doing this they’re doing the right thing by their society. Part of it is economic. Young children who join a fighting group receive a small amount of money, which encourages them to do so. However, we do see an increasing tendency for armed groups to go out and encourage children -- or even stronger than that, increase pressure on them -- to join the armed groups.
What does the participation of children in Yemen’s war portend for the future of the country?
It’s terrible to see children as young as 10 or 11 years old carrying Kalashnikovs. It’s just wrong.
It also destroys the education of hundreds, maybe thousands, of children. Instead of being able to contribute to society through their education, getting into business or work for the health services, they won’t have those chances. It will presumably contribute to making Yemen a more violent society, which is deeply regrettable – by Charlotte Alfred
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/yemen-child-soldiers_us_56a11eece4b0404eb8f09138
Comment: I am not sure that forced is the right word, but conditions that are created within society and within war make it more likely that children will enlist - willingly - into the army or militia groups. And in some ways, if children are literally starving but can get food and a small salary by fighting, there is no contest. The international society sit by wringing their hands but what is needed is to stop selling weapons to all parties involved in this war and to put much more effort and pressure into reconciliation and making peace.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1090742444411579
22.1.2016 – Middle East Eye (** B C P)
ANALYSIS: Southern Yemenis look for political payback after battle of Aden
Demands for autonomy or independence are growing after 12 months of war in which southern fighters played key role in fight against Houthis
Some southerners now feel betrayed by President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and say they are being sidelined despite paying a heavy toll in the fighting. Others believe they are now in a better position to impose their influence and win concessions from Sanaa. Which way their support falls could well decide Yemen’s future.
The north-south rift goes back decades
According to Ali al-Ghoraib, a leading separatist figure in Aden who was named Aden's deputy governor early in January, Hadi has for some months taken a much softer approach towards the separatists, not cracking down on southern activists and their activities.
In contrast to the months of Houthi domination, the South Yemen flag has been allowed to fly high across the region once again.
The new approach has led some in the south to conclude that the tide has turned in their favour and that they could finally be in the driving seat for the first time since unification.
Analysts say that Hadi seems genuinely convinced that if he manages to provide some reforms he will be able to make the south abandon its claims of independence.
But Hadi in many ways remains a northerner. He has publically endorsed continued unification and has a close relationship with some north-based forces such as the Islamist Islah party and the party of former president Saleh.
Separatist leaders have largely embraced Hadi only tentatively, taking his offers of promotions and administrative jobs but only reluctantly displaying their links with the man and intentionally trying to be pictured exclusively with the South Yemen flag.
Nasser Bagzgoz, a separatist activist from the city of Mukalla who attended the Swiss-based peace talks in December as part of the Houthi delegation, said that the Houthi leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, had indicated that he would stand by any solution agreed by southerners, including the possibility of independence.
“Personally I support the Cairo Group headed by Ali Nasser Mohammed [former South Yemen president] that proposed a solution based on a two-states [South and North] federation for [a transition period of] five years,” said Bagzgoz.
According to Bagzgoz, after the five-year transitional period, the southerners would have the right to vote to stay or to go outright.
Despite their strong opposition to any talks with the north before it recognises the demands for outright independence, some southerners are having second thoughts about how to reach that end.
Ghoraib said that some southerners are open to talks and would be prepared to travel to Geneva or any other place if they were sponsored by the UN.
“We think that talks [would] serve our cause if they were held or sponsored by the UN agencies. People will not learn about our demands unless we go there and tell them,” said Aden’s deputy governor – by Saeed Al-Batati
23.1.2016 – Telepolis (** B P)
"Unser Rechtsstaat befindet sich in Erosion"
Jörg Becker über die deutsche Kriegsberichterstattung und den bellizistischen Kurs von Rot-Grün - Teil 2
Mit dem Kosovokrieg haben sich viele Politiker und Medien von den Lehren des Zweiten Weltkrieges verabschiedet und propagieren mittlerweile völkerrechts- und grundgesetzwidrige Auslandseinsätze der Bundeswehr. Ein Gespräch mit Jörg Becker über den aktuellen Verfall der politischen und medialen Kultur in Deutschland.
Herr Becker, welche Rollen spielen Elite-Netzwerke und PR-Agenturen bei der aktuellen Berichterstattung?
Jörg Becker: Natürlich spielen sie eine enorm wichtige Rolle. In solchen Netzwerken wird soziales Einvernehmen hergestellt, man einigt sich informell auf dieselben spins, man springt in seiner eigenen Karriere vom Fernsehen zur Unternehmensberatung, vom Bundesministerium zur NATO oder von der Rüstungsindustrie in das Parlament. Solche Netzwerke sind in den USA sehr viel ausgeprägter als bei uns, aber Deutschland "amerikanisiert" sich auch hier kräftig.
Warum wohl sitzt Genscher im Aufsichtsrat der Berliner PR-Agentur WMP-Eurocom AG, warum war Lothar de Maizière Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender der früheren PR-Agentur Hunzinger AG in Frankfurt und warum war der frühere hessische Minister Volker Hoff gleichzeitig Geschäftsführer der Wiesbadener Werbeagentur Zoffel-Hoff-Partner?
In dieser Welt des dauernd hohen Adrenalins, der Funktionalität, der Leistung, des Könnens und der Exzellenz stören Inhalte. Pecunia non olet: Da kann ein Thomas Hüser, Werbe- und Agenturprofi aus Essen, einfach aus der CDU austreten, um zukünftig den SPD-Chef Sigmar Gabriel im Wahlkampf zu beraten.
Politiker sitzen in solchen Gremien und Agenturen nicht aus Jux und Dollerei, natürlich nicht. Vielmehr geht es um Reputation, Macht, do-ut-des-Geschäfte, kleine und große Gefälligkeiten und Medien- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit. Im Übrigen und nicht zufällig geht es hier um verschwiegene "Herrenrunden", oft von aus dem Amt geschiedenen Politikern.
Die Grünen haben in Sachen Kriegspolitik eine 180-Grad-Wende vollzogen. Warum gelten diese in den Medien immer noch als pazifistische Partei?
Jörg Becker: Die Meinung der politischen Elite gegenüber Krieg und Frieden hat sich in Deutschland in den letzten zwanzig Jahren drastisch geändert, im Übrigen nicht die der meisten Menschen, sind doch nach wie vor stabile siebzig Prozent der Meinung, Deutschland solle sich aus Kriegen heraushalten. Es war der Kosovokrieg, der die einst grünen Pazifisten in grüne Bellizisten und viele Friedensforscher in Kriegsbefürworter umdrehte.
Die Grünen stehen immer noch für viele Themen aus ihrer Gründungszeit, von denen sie sich aber in ihrer realen Politik längst abgewandt haben: Der Lack bei den Grünen ist ab. Der alte Mythos funktioniert aber noch.
Gegenwärtig führt eine "Koalition der Willigen" Krieg gegen den "Islamischen Staat". Die erste Kriegspartei ist ein loses Staatenbündnis ohne jeden rechtlichen Status und die zweite Kriegspartei nennt sich "Staat", ist es aber nach allen völkerrechtlichen Kriterien nicht. Diese enorme Verhunzung und in den Dreck-Ziehung internationalen Rechts ist ungeheuerlich. Das Morden in Syrien ist ein absurdes Theaterstück und bedeutet das Ende einer Zivilisierung von Krieg. Das Töten von Zivilisten ist kein Kriegsakt, sondern ein Verbrechen – Reinhard Jellen befragt Jörg Becker
http://www.heise.de/tp/artikel/47/47172/2.html
Allgemein / General
24.1.2016 – WND (* B C P)
YEMEN: SAUDI ARABIA'S MANIFEST DESTINY
Master plan seeks mineral riches, land bridge
LoBaido examines Saudi Arabia’s multidimensional interests in Yemen, the ongoing war gripping that beleaguered nation, as well as Saudi Arabia’s (and the UAE’s) grand design to connect Arabia and North Africa with a land bridge – the Bridge of Horns – spanning Yemen and Djibouti. This vital and strategic maritime chokepoint, the “Bal Al Mendeb,” means “The Gate of Tears” in Arabic. Development of the energy resources of the vast Empty Quarter nestled between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, as well as the rich oil fields of Ethiopia, is also part of this scenario in a broader context.)
We're told Yemen is turning into Saudi Arabia's Vietnam. There can be no doubt that Saudi Arabia has caught the ire of journalists around the world for waging this vicious war against her impoverished southern neighbor.
One wonders exactly what's at stake in Yemen for the Saudis, and at what cost to Riyadh morally, politically and economically. It must be a pearl of great price. Some claim Saudi Arabia will be completely bankrupted in five years if it continues to wage this war, if the price of oil remains exceptionally low, and if other ancillary internal and external Saudi budgetary expenditures are not readdressed. CNN detailed this conundrum in an eye-opening article. Others wonder if Saudi Arabia has already been bankrupted morally by destroying Yemen, its relentless domestic human rights abuses, its hatred, mutilation and crucifixion of Christian converts, and various ancillary geostrategic imperatives.
Ultimately, the broad strategic architecture of Saudi Arabia's (and some of her geographical neighbors') plans for Yemen – including access to energy resources in the Empty Quarter, a land bridge spanning the Asian and African continents, as well as potentially wider linkages via the development of oilfields in Ethiopia – is a bold and audacious strategy worthy of further introspection. Ironically, in antiquity, Eritrea and Ethiopia were loosely linked to the empire of Sheba in Yemen. Perhaps we are witnesses another beginning, or closing, of a very old cycle and circle of globalization.
Journalism in the 21st century is a multidimensional jigsaw puzzle where multiple realities are all simultaneously coexisting. Objective reality suggests that Saudi Arabia's public relations machine in the U.S. cannot hide the fact that one of the Middle East's richest nations is destroying one of the poorest. Yemen deserves our pity, like Somalia and Haiti, not more American and British bombs. Pro-life Republicans in the United Stations might consider standing up for Yemen as allies fighting against ISIS and AQAP. May we as Americans not be blind, like those who used to congregate at the Yemen center for the blind. As the old adage goes, "There are none so blind as those who refuse to see." Selah, the ousted leader of Yemen who has no doubt seen and learned much during his tenure, was quoted by the Wall Street Journal as saying that ruling Yemen is "like dancing on the heads of snakes."
Whether one is a hesitant "Doubting Thomas," or a bold adventurer like Marco Polo, the battle for the heart and soul of Yemen is an enigma wrapped inside a riddle in dire need of further deconstruction. As for Saudi Arabia, both the monarchy and citizenry are busy learning the pitfalls of empire building. Yemen is clearly in the way of Saudi Arabia's master plans for the Middle East and the Horn of Africa. Yet while the karmic wheel of the universe continues to spin around in its mad game of roulette, how long will it be before the transnational elite realize Saudi Arabia is also in the way?
One should not forget that, as noted, Saudi Arabia is an artificial construct composed of various tribes. And as noted, be it the Incas, the Aztecs, the Zulus and Afrikaners, the American Indians, the Hmong, Karen, Montagnards and even the Eskimos have all faced their own private version of Armageddon. If the last 500 years of human history have a constant theme, it's that tribes simply are not welcomed by the powers that be.
The day will arrive when the weakening of the petrodollar and the unlimited support for Wahhabi jihad by Saudi Arabia no longer serve the plans of the globalist paradigm. Saudi Arabia's crucifixion and torture of Christian converts (by "the religion of peace"), weirdo support for ISIS, cruelty toward women, lack of basic human rights, rumored assistance to the deranged 9/11 hijackers, summary executions and long-standing quest to finance and acquire battlefield-ready nuclear weapons via Pakistan underscore its nutty national resume.
Yet all of those things, horrific as they may be, can't compare to the daily carnage Riyadh is currently inflicting on poor Yemen. Sadly, many ordinary Saudis support the war in Yemen, seeing it as a "coming-out party" of muscle flexing. This is what happens when humans choose the pride of life, the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh over pursuing the pure spirit of the Supreme Being.
Despite the cynical support of public relations prostitutes in Washington, D.C., the truth about Saudi Arabia and its war on Yemen is like a lion. The lion doesn't need to be defended. Let us set the lion free, so the lion can defend itself – by Anthony C. LoBaido
http://www.wnd.com/2016/01/yemen-saudi-arabias-manifest-destiny/
Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
Siehe auch "Am wichtigsten" / look also "Most important"
24.1.2016 – Süddeutsche Zeitung / Basler Zeitung (* A H)
«Luftangriffe und Granatbeschuss gehören zum täglichen Leben»
Ein blutiger Konflikt tobt im Jemen. Doch gesicherte Informationen darüber gibt es kaum. Jamie McGoldrick von der Uno war vor Ort und berichtet.
Jamie McGoldrick, Sie hatten die Möglichkeit, die seit Monaten belagerte Stadt Taizz zu besuchen, die von humanitärere Hilfe weitgehend abgeschlossen ist. Wie ist die Situation dort?
Die Folgen der Kämpfe und der Belagerung sind offensichtlich, die Schäden an der zivilen Infrastruktur. Es sind nur sehr wenige Geschäfte geöffnet. Die Menschen riskieren ihr Leben, um Wasser, Lebensmittel und Benzin und Gas über die Linien in die abgeschnittenen Teile der Stadt zu bringen. Es liegt Müll in den Strassen, weil ihn niemand abholt, was die Gefahr von Krankheiten erhöht. Wir haben eines der wenigen noch arbeitenden Krankenhäuser der Region besucht, das wie andere medizinische Einrichtungen in diesem Konflikt mehrmals getroffen wurde und nicht in den Schutz kommt, den das Völkerrecht vorsieht.
Neben dem Krankenhaus sind auch viele andere Gebäude in Mitleidenschaft gezogen, Wohn- und Geschäftshäuser. Sie tragen vielfach Spure von massivem Einsatz von automatischen Waffen, aber auch von Granaten-, Raketen-, und Mörser-Einschlägen. Die Front bewegt sich vor und zurück, und die Zivilisten sind dazwischen gefangen. Sie haben keinen Strom und kein Wasser, und wegen der Kämpfe sind die Gebiet nicht zugänglich für Hilfslieferungen.
Es gibt viele Regionen in Jemen, in denen der Zugang für humanitäre Hilfe schwierig oder unmöglich ist. Wir sprechen von Enklaven mit etwa vier Millionen Menschen, die dringend Hilfe benötigen. Wir hoffen auf das Verständnis beider Seiten und erinnern sie daran, dass wir neutral sind – Interview durch Paul-Anton Krüger
http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/jemen-zivilisten-sind-zwischen-den-fronten-gefangen-1.2833101 = http://bazonline.ch/ausland/naher-osten-und-afrika/Luftangriffe-und-Granatbeschuss-gehoeren-zum-taeglichen-Leben/story/21350054 zum Thema auch http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/jemen-eingekesselt-zwischen-den-fronten-1.2831986
24.1.2016 – UN News Centre (A H)
After first-hand visit to besieged Yemeni city of Taiz, senor UN official calls for unlimited access for aid
Senior United Nations humanitarian officials today called on the authorities and various factions in war-torn Yemen to allow sustained access into the besieged central city of Taiz after seeing first-hand the desperate state of its inhabitants, who lack critical medical supplies, food and other basic needs for survival.
“I witnessed the impact of conflict, particularly on civilian infrastructure and saw the difficulties people are facing,” UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen Jamie McGoldrick said on his return to Sana'a, the capital, from a visit with senior UN officials to Taiz and Ibb Governorates, and in particular to three districts of Taiz city where access has been difficult for many months.
“Only a few shops are open. Food and other basic goods needed to survive are in short supply. Basic services are scarce, including access to water and fuel. I visited the Al Thawra Hospital, which has been repeatedly hit. Like other health facilities in Yemen, it has not been spared by this conflict and should be protected against attacks under international humanitarian law.
“The hospital, one of the few functioning health facilities in the enclave, is critically short of medical supplies. Medical personnel in Taiz, as is the case elsewhere in Yemen, continues to work despite the dangers they face, often unpaid and with meagre resources. Everywhere I went I saw the trauma the conflict is causing to the women, men, and children, who have been living in this enclave and under these conditions for months.”
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=53077#.VqUGEvnhCUk
24.1.2016 – Finanznachrichten (A H)
UN fordern Zugang zu Belagerten im Jemen
Der UN-Nothilfekoordinator für den Jemen, Jamie McGoldrick, hat ungehinderten Zugang von Hilfsorganisationen zu allen Notleidenden im Land gefordert. Nach einem Besuch in dem seit Monaten belagerten Taizz, der drittgrößten Stadt des Landes, sagte er der "Süddeutschen Zeitung" (Montagsuasgabe), er hoffe, dass die Konflikt-Parteien die Neutralität der UN und anderer Hilfsorganisation anerkennen und es gelinge, einen entsprechenden Mechanismus zu etablieren.
Taizz ist seit Monaten umkämpft zwischen der von Saudi-Arabien geführten Militärkoalition und den aufständischen Huthi-Milizen. Etwa 200.000 Menschen sind dort eingekesselt und von Hilfslieferungen abgeschnitten. Insgesamt können die Helfer derzeit etwa vier von elf Millionen bedürftiger Menschen landesweit nicht erreichen, sagte McGoldrick. Die Folgen der Kämpfe und der Belagerung seien in Taizz augenfällig, sagte er, die zivile Infrastruktur schwer beschädigt.
"Es sind nur sehr wenige Geschäfte geöffnet. Die Menschen riskieren ihr Leben, um Wasser, Lebensmittel sowie Benzin und Gas über die Linien in die abgeschnittenen Teile der Stadt zu bringen. Es liegt Müll in den Straßen, was die Gefahr von Krankheiten erhöht."
Kommentar: Im ganzen Nordjemen sieht es nicht viel besser aus, seitdem die Saudis den Zugang zur See blockieren. Es gibt nicht nur Taiz.
24.1.2016 – Humanitarian Response (A H)
YEMEN: Humanitarian Snapshot (24 January 2016): Response Overview. Infographs and figures (March - December 2015)
Continued conflict, months of import restrictions, a collapsing economy and rapidly deteriorating basic services are deepening humanitarian needs in Yemen. These needs have been exacerbated by the disregard - by all parties to the conflict - for international humanitarian law, targeting and using civilian infrastructure for military purposes. In 2015, at least 8.8 million women, men, and children were reached with humanitarian assistance across Yemen’s 22 governorates. These results have been achieved with a limited presence of international staff and despite access and security constraints, as well as bureaucratic impediments imposed by parties to the conflict. High insecurity persists in many parts of the country and ten humanitarians have lost theirs lives while providing life-saving assistance to people in need.
https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/system/files/documents/files/hum._sanpshot_20012016v.7.pdf
23.1.2016 – UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen (A H)
Statement of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick on his visit to Taizz, Ibb and the city of Taizz
I have just returned from Taizz and Ibb Governorates where I travelled with United Nations senior officials to meet with authorities and the armed groups, to see for my-self the humanitarian situation, and to discuss this and access issues with local authorities. As part of this mission, I also travelled to Taizz City to see firsthand the humanitarian situation there. Humanitarian access to three districts within the city has been difficult for many months and we are seeking to find mechanisms with parties on the ground to ensure sustained, unfettered, and unconditional access.
In the enclave, comprising the three districts, I witnessed the impact of conflict, particularly on civilian infrastructure and saw the difficulties people are facing. Only a few shops are open. Food and other basic goods needed to survive are in short supply. Basic services are scarce, including access to water and fuel. I visited the Al Thawra Hospital, which has been repeatedly hit. Like other health facilities in Yemen, it has not been spared by this conflict and should be protected against attacks under international humanitarian law. The hospital, one of the few functioning health facilities in the enclave, is critically short of medical supplies. Medical personnel in Taizz, as is the case elsewhere in Yemen, continues to work despite the dangers they face, often unpaid and with meager resources. Everywhere I went I saw the trauma the conflict is causing to the women, men, and children, who have been living in this enclave and under these conditions for months – by Jamie McGoldrick
http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/statement-humanitarian-coordinator-yemen-jamie-mcgoldrick-his-visit-taizz-ibb-and-city or http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/HC%20for%20Yemen%20statement%20on%20Taizz%20and%20Ibb%20-%2023%20January%202016%20-%20English.pdf
22.1.2016 – Saba News (A H)
20 trucks aid arrive in Taiz
Around 20 trucks loaded with relief aid have entered Taiz city, Relief International (RI) supervisor in Taiz said on Thursday. The aid were provided by the World Food Program (WFP) in conjunction with a field visit of the UN delegation to the city, Abdulrahim al-Futaih added.
Abdulrahim al-Futaih said the aid shipment contains 3,000 wheat bags, sugar, legumes and oil dedicated to residents of al-Qahirah district in the city and for those who did not receive their aid before due to security events.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news416822.htm
23-1-2016 – WAM (A H)
ERC distributes 40,000 food baskets to people of Wadi Hadramaut
The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) has intensified its humanitarian programmes and relief operations for the benefit of the people of Wadi Hadramaut in Yemen.
The ERC's voluntary teams continued distribution of 40,000 food baskets to the victims of the current events, as part of the its efforts to bridge the gap in demand and availability of food in the Yemeni governorates.
http://www.wam.ae/en/news/[Emirates]/1395290659156.html
17.7.2015 – Deutsche Welle (B H K)
Treating Yemen's war-wounded (Audio)
Christine Buesser talks to us about her work coordinating Medecins Sans Frontieres' operations in Al Dhale, Yemen
http://www.dw.com/en/treating-yemens-war-wounded/av-18592264
Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage
23.1.2016 – ABNA (A K)
Saudi aggression destroys 136 mosques in Yemen's Sana'a
More than 49 mosques have been targeted directly and others damaged indirectly, said Ayman Abdulqader, director general of endowments and guidance office in Sana'a province.
He affirmed that over 80 per cent of the destroyed mosques are part of the heritage and religious history of Yemen, especially those have exceeded hundreds of years old, like the mosque and shrine of Imam al-Sana'ani.
http://en.abna24.com/service/middle-east-west-asia/archive/2016/01/23/731586/story.html
23.1.2016 – Shafaqna (A K)
Saudi Arabia targets Yemen’s mosques in air raids
Yemen official news agency confirmed this Saturday that Saudi Arabia, which has run a violent and relentless military campaign against its neighbour, on account it wishes to impose its political and religious diktat, is now systematically targeting mosques in Northern Yemen – hoping to break people’s resolve and redact Yemen’s religious history.
As noted Imam al-Wazir in exclusive comments to Shafaqna, “The kingdom is simply following the methods of its Wahhabi forefathers … if you recall the early 19th century, al-Saud and the Ikhwans [Wahhabi mercenaries bought by al-Saud] were already raided villages. This is actually how al-Saud rose to power in the first place: blood-letting and sectarian-based violence. The holy city of Karbala was raided in 1803, then it was Medina and Mecca the Ikhwans turned their attention to. No one speaks about this because the Saudi regime has made sure that its past remains buried. What you see today is simply a repeat of al-Saud early crimes. Just as al-Saud did then, they are doing now … killing, carving, destroying.”
He added, “Yemen has a long and deep attachment to Islam … especially in the North. Yemen was one of the first countries in Arabia to convert to Islam. Wahhabis are trying to severe this link under cover of a liberation war. This is not a liberation it is a religious genocide. Worse actually it is an attempt to rewrite Yemen’s religious history by obliterating its people memory. Our memories live in our monuments, our stones, our elders … why do you think North Yemen is living under such a terrible fire? Our mosques trace back to the early days of Islam, our books and traditions are as old as Islam … It is this aspect of the war no one ever talks about.”
http://en.shafaqna.com/news/26612
Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government
Siehe auch “Am wichtigsten” / Saa also “Most important”
24.1.2016 – AFP ( A T)
Gunmen kill police colonel, 4 others in Yemen's Aden
Unidentified gunmen have killed a police officer and four others in Yemen's Aden in a wave of attacks targeting security forces in the violence-plagued port city.
Assailants on Sunday opened fire on a police vehicle carrying Colonel Taha al-Sobeihi in Aden's Mansura district, killing him along with a bodyguard and a female bystander, a security official said.
http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/gunmen-kill-police-colonel-4-others-yemens-aden = http://www.voanews.com/content/gunman-kill-five-in-yemen-violence-plagued-aden/3160462.html
22.1.2016 – Federation of Arab News Agencies (A E)
Yemen’s Minister of Tourism, Moammar Al Erynani today said Socotra island will become a tourist destination.
He told the Yemeni news agency that the government is working to overcome all difficulties and launch direct international flights to and from Socotra, issue tourist visas and train tourism staff.
The minister noted that Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, who takes great interest in the island, had issued an order to make Socotra a governorate to boost development and accommodate international tourists.
Al Eryani said his ministry seeks to set up a company to run tourism investments in the island, in partnership with business people from members of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC).
http://www.fananews.com/en/uae/294673/
Comment: Wasn’t there a war in your country??
Saudi-Arabien und Iran / Saudi Arabia and Iran
24.1.2016 – Foreign Policy (*A P)
The War for Islam
Amid a roiling Middle East, Iran and Saudi Arabia are fanning the fires of sectarianism and playing politics in a zero-sum proxy war of religious fervor.
Since the Iraq War, sectarian conflict between Shiites and Sunnis has emerged as a major fissure in Middle East politics — fueling conflicts in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen; a resurgence of extremism and the scourge of the Islamic State; and an escalation in tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia which has become the most significant clash between regional rivals in decades. From country to country, across the region, sectarian conflict is the thread that runs through each crisis, tying them into a strategic Gordian knot.
The common refrain in the West is that this is a 14-century-old feud we don’t understand.
Sectarianism today is a perfect storm — the product of a confluence of factors at play in the region. The first culprit in stoking sectarian conflict is Islamism. This modern-day ideology, born in the 1930s, calls for an ideal Islamic state built on the foundations of Islamic law and sharia. The Islamic state is a utopian panacea that looks to religion to perfect modernity. But the Islamic state is not a generic idea, as it requires harkening to either Shiite or Sunni conceptions of Islam.
Shiites and Sunnis each have their own methodology, interpretation, and practice of law. As such, there can be no such thing as a non-sectarian Islamic state. In a region in which Islam matters so much to politics, it is inevitable that the critical question then becomes “what Islam” and “whose Islam.” The rise of narrower and more extreme forms of Islamism have only exacerbated sectarianism.
The West’s focus in the Middle East is, for now, on the Islamic State and the war in Syria. But that’s just a slice of the wider conflict. Even a successful end to the war in Syria would not end the Saudi-Iranian rivalry or bridge the sectarian divide. Moreover, the United States needs close cooperation with Shiite Iraq and Iran to defeat the Islamic State, which would only unsettle Riyadh. Peace talks in Vienna are approaching, but it is difficult to see how either Washington or Moscow could overcome Saudi Arabia’s uncompromising mood to get to a diplomatic settlement in Syria. A stable Yemen is an even more distant prospect. Without regional consensus supporting the peace, sectarian tensions lying just below the surface could ignite new conflagrations.
So where will this end? The Middle East needs a new order. But the fundamentals in the region have changed. Shiites have again found their voice and are claiming their place in regional politics. The wall of containment keeping Iran out of the region has broken down — it appears, with American acquiescence. Saudi Arabia and many Sunnis yearn for the pre-2003 Middle East, but it is time to adjust to the new reality : a Middle East that is more Shiite, with greater Iranian say in its affairs. Not until the region comes to terms with this new political equilibrium will there be peace between Iran and Saudi Arabia. And only then can we talk about tamping the fires of sectarianism – by Vali Nasr
http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/01/22/the-war-for-islam-sunni-shiite-iraq-syria/
13.4.2015 – Your Middle East (B P)
Middle East sectarianism explained: the narcissism of small differences
Who is messing up the minds of the people in the Middle East?
The tool of sectarianism has evolved from a last resort to a weapon of premier choice in the Middle East. The noble cause of religion has been hijacked, bigotry reigns. “Democracy didn’t work, so I am pro al-Baghdadi and the Islamic State to fight the occupiers and the Shia", one Yemeni citizen said in a BBC report from Yemen in march of 2015.
Unfortunately there is not much reason for optimism that the weapon of sectarianism willcease to be used anytime soon. “The painful reality is,“ Marc Lynch wrote, “that sectarianism proved too useful to too many powerful actors, and too compelling a narrative in a violent, turbulent, and uncertain time, to be avoided." – by Victor Argo
Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
24.1.2016 – Washington Post (* A P)
Tumultuous 1st year for Saudi King Salman’s ‘decisive’ reign
His reign so far has been marked by a boldness that one Western intelligence agency labelled as “impulsive.” However, supporters and admirers of the monarch prefer to describe him as “decisive.”
Salman has led his country into an aggressive new stance confronting longtime regional rival Iran, leading a military coalition fighting Iranian-allied rebels in Yemen and unsuccessfully lobbying against Iran’s newly implemented nuclear deal with world powers. Domestically, he has urgently taken on economic reforms to counter the impact of plunging oil prices. Salman has also continued to concentrate power in the hands of his son, Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman – by Aya Batrawy
23.1.2016 – Deutsche Welle (B P)
Kommentar: Saudi-Arabien am Tiefpunkt
König Salman ist seit genau einem Jahr in Riad an der Macht. Ob innen- oder außenpolitisch - die Bilanz fällt niederschmetternd aus. Saudi-Arabien braucht dringend umfassende Reformen, meint Naser Schruf.
Noch nie zuvor in der Geschichte Saudi-Arabiens war ein saudischer König mit so vielen existenzbedrohlichen Problemen auf einen Schlag konfrontiert.
König Salman trat an und verkündete optimistisch, dem Königsreich Stabilität und Sicherheit zu geben. Doch das Gegenteil ist passiert: Seit fast neuen Monaten führt Saudi Arabien Krieg im Jemen und verbreitet täglich "Erfolgsmeldungen". Die Wirklichkeit sieht anders aus: immer mehr Elend, immer mehr zivile Opfer - und zunehmende Instabilität in der gesamten Region. Internationale Menschenrechtsorganisationen werfen dem Königreich gravierende Menschenrechtsverletzungen und Einsatz geächteter Waffen vor.
Das Image von Saudi-Arabien dürfte international noch nie so schlecht gewesen sein wie unter König Salaman. Es ist am Tiefpunkt – von Naser Schruf
http://www.dw.com/de/kommentar-saudi-arabien-am-tiefpunkt/a-18999564
Kommentar: Genau die angemahnten Reformen mit mehr Freiheiten für die Bürger, einem Ausweg aus dem Jemenkrieg und eine Neuorientierung in der Außenpolitik sind aber völlig illusorisch und wird es nicht geben. Die Gründe sind vielfältig, ein wesentlicher liegt schon im Wahabismus, der nicht nur Staatsreligion, sondern mehr als das, Staatsräson ist. Ohne Wahabismus auch keine Saudi-Monarchie mehr.
USA
24.1.2016 – RP Online (A P)
Kriege im Jemen und Syrien beenden: Kerry preist Freundschaft zu Saudi-Arabien
US-Außenminister John Kerry will die Kriege im Jemen und in Syrien gemeinsam und mit Hilfe von Saudi-Arabien beenden. Er bezeichnete die Freundschaft zum Königreich nach seinem Besuch in Riad am Sonntag als so stark wie niemals zuvor. Daran habe das Atomabkommen mit dem Iran nichts geändert.
http://www.rp-online.de/politik/ausland/kerry-preist-freundschaft-zu-saudi-arabien-aid-1.5713966
Kommentar: Jeder sucht sich seine Freunde selber aus. Mit Kopf-ab-Gotteskriegern können die USA nun einmal gut. Und: „John Kerry will die Kriege im Jemen und in Syrien gemeinsam und mit Hilfe von Saudi-Arabien beenden“: USA und Saudis sind diejenigen, die den Jemen-Krieg, aber auch den Syrienkrieg selbst entscheidend angefacht haben – wie dumm darf Propaganda eigentlich sein? Plausibel sollte sie schon wenigstens sein.
24.1.2016 – AP (A P)
Secretary of State John Kerry says the US friendship with Saudi Arabia is stronger than ever and that they will work together to try to end wars in Syria and Yemen
Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday that the U.S. friendship with Saudi Arabia is stronger than ever and that the two will work together to try to end wars in Syria and Yemen.
"We have as solid a relationship, as clear an alliance and as strong a friendship with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia as we have ever had, and nothing has changed because we worked to eliminate a nuclear weapon with a country in the region," he said, referring to the Iran nuclear deal.
He added that Saudi Arabia is "committed to work with us in the efforts to try to stabilize Syria and calm down this hyped-up, exploited division between Sunni and Shia." – by Matthew Lee
http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2016-01-24/kerry-says-us-saudi-friendship-stronger-than-ever and see also http://www.rferl.mobi/a/iran-saudi-arabia-kerry-visit/27507538.html
Comment: How stupid propaganda really can be? USA and Saudi “will work together to try to end wars in Syria and Yemen”. They both exactly are those who have fueled the Yemen war most. For Syria, it is little different. Saudi Arabia would be 2committed to work with us to … calm down this hyped-up, exploited division between Sunni and Shia” : Sice decades, Saudis had fueled the Sunni-Shia conflict.
24.1.2016 – Daily Times (A P)
US supports Saudi war in Yemen, says John Kerry
US Secretary of State John Kerry has reiterated Washington’s support for Saudi Arabia’s ongoing war on Yemen, which has so far claimed the lives of at least 8,000 people.
Kerry, who spoke in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, after attending a meeting with his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir on Saturday, said the Saudi decision to launch airstrikes in Yemen was aimed at dealing with the Ansarullah movement and al-Qaeda operatives in the Arab country.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/foreign/24-Jan-2016/us-supports-saudi-war-in-yemen-says-john-kerry
Comment: The Saudi aerial war “was aimed at dealing with the Ansarullah movement and al-Qaeda operatives in the Arab country”. With al Qaeda? The Saudis did no harm at all to Al Qaida, only to those who most severely fought against Al Qaida.
23.1.2016 – (A P)
White House raises concerns about harm to civilians in Yemen
The White House on Saturday said it was deeply concerned about reports of harm to civilians amid escalating violence in Yemen, and called on all sides involved in the conflict to resume peace talks.
"The United States takes all credible accounts of civilian deaths seriously and we again call on all sides of the conflict in Yemen to do their utmost to avoid harm to civilians," said National Security Council spokesman Ned Price in a statement.
Price noted recent attacks that killed an ambulance driver associated with Medecins Sans Frontieres in Dahyan, a freelance journalist near Sana'a, and civilians in Sana'a and at the Ras Isa oil terminal.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-yemen-usa-whitehouse-idUKKCN0V10X9
Comment: This is an enormous hypocrisy. The US has been a major player of doing all these killings. From the very beginning of this war. A a reminder, just this from April 2015: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/world/middle-east/article24782785.html . Whoever could believe that the US “takes all credible accounts of civilian deaths seriously”. That is ridiculous.
23.1.2016 – AFP
Kerry in Riyadh to reassure allies over Iran
US Secretary of State John Kerry, on a visit to Saudi Arabia, sought Saturday to reassure Gulf allies concerned about a perceived warming of ties between Washington and Iran.
Kerry spoke in Riyadh after meeting his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir and other foreign ministers from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council. – by Nicolas Revise
http://news.yahoo.com/kerry-riyadh-saudi-iran-tensions-simmer-081229557.html
22.1.2016 – CNN (A P)
John Kerry to land in Riyadh as U.S.-Iran relations spook Saudis
It shouldn't be difficult for the White House to pick between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
After all, the desert kingdom, now locked in an escalating showdown with Tehran that threatens to send the Middle East spiraling further into an abyss of instability, is a steadfast ally long at the center of American policy toward the region.
America, meanwhile, has waged a diplomatic, strategic and covert struggle with Iran since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. It has branded the country a state-sponsor of terror and is frequently blasted in Iran as the "Great Satan."
Yet Washington has done everything it can to avoid coming down too strongly on one side or the other in the current showdown
The measured American response is more than just another instance of the Obama administration trying to keep its distance from the Middle East. It's a sign of changing power dynamics in a region that has been reordered by a hardening of sectarian lines and the tumult unleashed by civil wars in Syria and Iraq and the rise of ISIS.
The U.S. position, however, is complicated by the fact that American influence with the Saudis is not what it once was, given the intense strain introduced into the relationship during the Obama presidency.
[There is] a disconnect between the way that the White House and the Saudis view the region, which has at its heart a disagreement both on the political evolution of democracy and on how to manage Iran. Saudi Arabia's record on human rights and women's rights is often a cause for controversy in the United States –by Stephen Collinson and Elise Labott,
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/22/politics/saudi-arabia-iran-john-kerry/
Comment: Well, this contains a lot of pro-Saudi propaganda.
22.1.2016 – National Interest (* B P)
What happens when Washington's allies decide to act on their own? Saudi Arabia is one of the most glaring examples of a US ally tempted to "go it alone," American scholars note.
While US partners in the Persian Gulf are increasingly willing to act on their own, the question arises whether their foreign policy always aligns with Washington's interests in the region, US scholars Renanah Miles and Brian Blankenship underscore in their article for The National Interest.
Miles and Blankenship call attention to the fact that Riyadh has adopted a more active foreign policy: the kingdom unleashed a war against Shiite Houthis in Yemen, announced the creation of a new coalition against Daesh (Islamic State/ISIL) and ignited serious tensions with Iran by beheading Saudi Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.
However, "Saudi Arabia's increasingly assertive posture has already resulted in behavior that arguably runs counter to US preferences. Saudi Arabia has prioritized quashing Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen over fighting the Islamic State [Daesh] and is openly ambivalent about the nuclear deal with Iran. Behavior that inflames tensions promises to deepen regional conflicts, not resolve them," the scholars emphasize.
In response, the US political establishment has not hidden its exasperation at the Saudis: Saudi Arabia's foreign policy agenda does not align with Washington's geopolitical objectives in the region.
The Saudi leadership, however, has turned a blind eye to Washington's displeasure, and has openly criticized the Obama administration's approach to the Syrian crisis, Iran's nuclear deal and the White House's Middle Eastern policy in general.
At the same time Riyadh's international image has deteriorated.
Washington did not rush to back its Gulf ally, demonstrating that it is unhappy with Riyadh as much as with Tehran.
"Washington faces trade-offs when it comes to choosing where to step back and let others step forward. Less dependence on Washington is in many ways exactly the point, but it comes at a cost," Miles and Blankenship remark.
While acting on its own, Riyadh should calculate the consequences of its actions and take responsibility for political stability in the region.
The Gulf kingdom should take steps toward mending the situation before it is too late.
According to Schruf, "Salman must swiftly find a way out of Yemen and realign Saudi Arabia's relations with other key countries in the region, such as Iraq, Syria and Iran."
This is the summary by Sputnik News. Article by: Brian Blankenship and Renanah Miles
http://nationalinterest.org/feature/the-risks-us-allies-going-rogue-14985 and http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160124/1033622565/saudi-arabia-foreign-policy-syria-daesh.html
Großbritannien / Great Britain
24.1.2016 – BBC (A P)
SNP's Angus Robertson seeks meeting with David Cameron over Yemen
Mr Robertson said the situation meant the UK was "effectively at war".
He has now asked for a meeting with Mr Cameron and has highlighted a report commissioned by Amnesty International which claimed Britain was "breaking national, EU and international law by supplying weapons used by Saudi Arabia in a bombing campaign in Yemen".
The SNP said since May 2010, the UK government had overseen more than £5.6bn worth of military licences to Saudi Arabia including fighter jets, tear gas military vehicles and targeting equipment.
Mr Robertson said: "David Cameron needs to provide a full and frank disclosure of the UK's relationship with Saudi Arabia, and the UK's involvement in the war in Yemen - the lack of transparency has been alarming.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-35391749
23.1.2016 – The Independent (* A P)
David Cameron's attack on war crimes 'industry' rejected by lawyers
David Cameron is behaving in a childish and disgraceful manner by attacking law firms representing victims of alleged abuse and unlawful killing by British soldiers, according to some of Britain’s most respected lawyers.
The criticism of the Prime Minister comes after he said on 22 January: “It is clear that there is now an industry trying to profit from spurious claims lodged against our brave servicemen and women who fought in Iraq.”
But Professor Michael Mansfield QC described the comments as setting “a very dangerous precedent” and told The Independent: “It’s for the courts to decide whether there’s a spurious claim or not.”
Mr Cameron’s remarks are the latest in a series of attacks made by the Government against law firms Leigh Day and Public Interest Lawyers (Pil) in recent weeks – by Jonathan Owen
Comment: Throwing another light on this Prime Minster and his foreign and military politics. This off course is relevant also for other places, like Yemen as well.
Comment: So this is how our beloved leader is dealing with the claims that we are complicit in war crimes.
https://www.facebook.com/yemennewstodayenglish/posts/1091130747706082
23.1.2016 – Global Research (* B P)
Today, I want to speak about the once-in-a-generation chance we have, together, to improve the way we enhance the cause of human rights, freedom and dignity. (David Cameron. Speech on the European Court of Human Rights, 25th January 2012.)
Definition of war crimes include: “intentionally directing attacks against buildings dedicated to religion, education, art, science or charitable purposes, historic monuments, hospitals and places where the sick and wounded are collected … “ and: “Attacking or bombarding, by whatever means, towns, villages, dwellings or buildings which are undefended and which are not military objectives.” (3)
None of which deters the UK from joining in. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has confirmed to Parliament that UK troops are helping the Saudi military identify targets. He said there had been “no evidence of deliberate breach of international humanitarian law.” (4) He clearly has not bothered to do the research.
There is worse. Apart from aiding and abetting potential war crimes, the British government is profiting in eye watering sums from the human misery, deaths and destruction with arms sales to Saudi Arabia increasing by 11,000 percent in one three month period alone.
In spite of the United Nations stating that civilians are being disproportionately killed in Yemen, in one just three month period last year arms sales rose to over one Billion £s, up from a mere nine million £s from the previous three months. (5)
Allan Hogarth for Amnesty International again confirmed that British advisors are: “ … actually located in the Saudi control room.”
David Cameron waffled inadequately with dismissive arrogance and supreme economy with the truth, that Britain was insuring that: “ … the norms of humanitarian law” were obeyed. Comments redundant.
Two days ago at Yemen’s Ras Isa port on the Red Sea, an oil storage facility was hit killing five people. The attack destroyed the part of the compound used to load tanker trucks with refined products for domestic distribution. So now a people, many of whom, the UN has warned are facing near starvation, will face further shortages to cook what little they have and to heat
So much for Cameron’s vow to: “improve the way we enhance the cause of human rights, freedom and dignity.” – by Felicity Arbuthnot
Ostafrika / Eastern Africa
22.1.2016 – World Affairs Journal (** B P)
Horn of Africa States Follow Gulf into the Yemen War
the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is fighting a major war in Yemen that has sucked in several other Gulf states and four Horn of Africa countries.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE, two key external belligerents, have small populations and large bank accounts filled with revenue from vast oil and gas reserves. The former has made the largest financial contribution with the latter supplying most of the troops.
When they decided to intervene militarily in Yemen, in March 2015, to halt a Houthi (a Zaydi, Shiite group) rebel takeover attempt, it became apparent that they would need additional boots on the ground. Conveniently situated ports and air bases were also needed. They found willing partners in Eritrea, Djibouti, Sudan and Somalia across the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden
Gaining supporters for the Yemen intervention wasn't simply about military power, but was also an assertion of diplomatic strength – particularly with Sunni Arab partners such as Sudan. Regional dynamics are thus likely to provide opportunities for willing partners in the Horn. Sudan, to take one example, has a complex relationship with the Gulf, historically based on two factors.
First, the weak economy has pushed many professional Sudanese to seek employment outside the country. Saudi Arabia hosts up to 900,000 Sudanese migrant workers, the UAE 75,000 and Qatar 30,000. Since the 1989 Islamist coup in Sudan, the diaspora has become a key source of remittances, propping up the very system they were forced to leave due to a stagnant employment market and repressive political culture.
Second, due to the parlous state of the economy, Sudan is perennially searching for new financial backers. In the late 1990s and 2000s, it experienced an oil boom, relying on Chinese, Indian and Malaysian companies to fill the investment gap left by Chevron (a US oil major), which exited in 1990. The 2011 secession of South Sudan brought a sharp dip in oil revenues and exposed the limited Asian appetite in the non-oil economy.
Eritrean, Djiboutian and Somali involvement in Yemen is more opaque. In Eritrea's case, the port of Assab is being used as an air-sea logistical hub for Saudi-Emirati operations. However, unlike Khartoum, Asmara has been silent as to whether it has deployed troops.
The internationalisation of the Yemen war is proving a major windfall for the Horn of Africa, providing a source of ready cash and diplomatic support for governments in the region. Their involvement illustrates how regional conflagrations can drag in multiple actors with their own varied motivations. In the meantime, the Saudi-led alliance-building with countries in the Horn is likely to increase. – by Magnus Taylor
http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/content/analysis-horn-africa-states-follow-gulf-yemen-war
Terrorismus / Terrorism
23.1.2016 – The Long War (A T)
Islamic State defector in Yemen apologizes to al Qaeda
Antar al Kindi claims to have left the Islamic State’s ranks in Yemen and joined al Qaeda.
A jihadist propaganda outfit named Al Hidayah Media Production released a video on Jan. 15 featuring a man who has purportedly defected from the Islamic State’s ranks in Yemen. The defector is identified as Antar al Kindi and he ends his testimony with an apology to Ayman al Zawahiri, as well as other al Qaeda leaders.
The video is part an ongoing propaganda battle between al Qaeda and the Islamic State, which are competing to lead jihadists around the globe.
A caption shown on screen describes al Kindi as the former leader of one of Abu Bakr al Baghdadi’s “groups in the Yemen branch.” He says he joined the Islamic State after the so-called “caliphate” was declared in June 2014 – by Thomas Joscelyn
24.1.2016 – Nasser Arrabyee
This is how Yemen Qaeda/ISIS destroyed main security HQ killing all inside in Huta Lahj south early Sunday.
https://twitter.com/narrabyee/status/691232661407436800
Propaganda
23.1.2016 – Khaleej Times
UAE 2nd largest donor of aid to Yemen
According to the UN Financial Tracking Service (FTS) the UAE is the second largest donor of aid to Yemen in the world (after Saudi Arabia), with approximately Dh1.6 billion given for infrastructure rehabilitation programmes through the end of 2015.
The UAE aid programmes in Yemen were carried out in four stages and focused on providing electricity, food, health, water, sanitation, fuel and transport in nine Yemeni provinces.
Between 1971 and 2015, Dh6.65 billion in UAE aid was given to Yemen.
According to report released by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Friday, the UAE ranked first globally as the largest donor of development aid for a second consecutive year.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/general/uae-2nd-largest-donor-of-aid-to-yemen
Comment: The figures taken for true, this article never the less is labeled as “Propaganda” here, if you take into account the aerial war. It destroys much more than the UAE ever has given to Yemen.
Saudischer Luftkrieg / Saudi aerial war
24.1.2016 – Saba News (A K PH)
Saudi aggression bombards areas in Sana’a violently
The Saudi-led coalition waged on Sunday violent raids on the capital Sana’a, targeting several areas in Al-Sabeen district
The brutual bombardment on those populated areas led to severe damage to the residential buildings and caused the displacement of many citizens to other places, the official added.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news417037.htm
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news417037.htm
24.1.2016 – Press TV Iran (A K PH)
Saudi military goes on with new airstrikes on Yemen
On Sunday, Saudi warplanes bombarded residential areas in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, more than twenty times.
The warplanes also targeted the Yemeni army’s headquarters in the Huth district of Amran Province. The Majzar district of Ma’rib Province came under four Saudi strikes.
Yemen’s al-Masirah news channel reported that the Sahar district of the northwestern province of Sa’ada was pounded by Saudi jets.
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/01/24/447112/Saudi-Arabia-Yemen-Houthi-Sanaa-Amran/
23.1.2016 – Press TV Iran (A K)
11 civilians hurt as Saudi warplanes hit northwest Yemen
Nearly a dozen civilians have sustained injuries when Saudi fighter jets carried out an airstrike in Yemen’s northwestern province of Sa’ada.
Saudi military aircraft bombarded a pedestrian crossing in the al-Safra district of the province, located 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of the capital, Sana'a, on Saturday morning, leaving eleven people injured, Lebanon-based Arabic-language al-Ahed news website reported.
Saudi warplanes also launched four aerial attacks against a number of residential neighborhoods in the Dhahyan district of the same Yemeni province. There were no immediate reports of possible casualties and the extent of damage caused. The development came only two days after at least 32 people, including 14 members of a family, lost their lives in two separate air raids against Dhahyan.
Additionally, Saudi jets targeted a government building and police headquarters in the central Yemeni city of al-Bayda, located about 210 kilometers (130 miles) southeast of Sana’a, on Saturday, though no reports of casualties were available.
Saudi warplanes also struck al-Mafraq district of Yemen’s northern province of al-Jawf, but there were no reports of casualties.
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2016/01/23/446980/Yemen-Saudi-Arabia-Saada-airstrikes-Dhahyan-/
23.1.2016 – Al Watan (A K)
Yemen: Residential areas in Sana’a bombed by Saudi jets
Saudi warplanes attack the Yemeni capital, targeting residential buildings and areas near the presidential palace, a day after several families were targeted in deadly bombings, PressTV reports.
On Friday, the Jabal al-Nahdain neighborhood in central Sana'a came under aerial attacks which also targeted areas around the presidential palace in al-Sabeen, Yemeni media reports said.
http://english.alwatanvoice.com/news/2016/01/23/855258.html
22.1.2016 – Saba Net (A K PH)
Two citizens killed in Saudi raids on Taiz
A man and his wife were killed in two Saudi raids on residential neighborhoods in al-Dhabab area of Taiz province, a local official said Thursday.
http://www.sabanews.net/en/news416819.htm see also http://www.sabanews.net/en/news416817.htm
Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
24.1.2016 – Asharq Al-Awsat (A K PS)
Houthi Leaders Killed by Coalition Forces in Saada
Yemeni Legitimacy forces, on Saturday, were capable of executing a swift military operation on Houthi militant headquarters in the Saada Governorate, which has resulted in the death of several of Houthi leaders while they were running militant operations against Saudi Arabian grounds and Yemeni governorates.
Among those killed were leadership-associated relatives of the Houthi head Leader, Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi, like Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi the son of the founder of the Houthi militant movement and one to lead the first insurgency in Saada in 2004, and Al Badr Hamid al Din al-Houthi, cousin of Abdul-Malikal-Houthi.
On the other hand, informed sources revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat, the changes in the plan of clearing up regions adjacent to the Capital city of Sana’a, and clans’ efforts to join legitimate forces.
http://english.aawsat.com/2016/01/article55346859/houthi-leaders-killed-by-coalition-forces-in-saada
Comment: “Yemeni Legitimacy forces” a rather stupid propaganda wording for Hadi government forces.
24.1.2016 – Almasdar (A K PH)
Fighters from Yemen ambush Saudi soldiers (Video)
http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/fighters-from-yemen-ambush-saudi-soldiers-video/
23.1.2016 – Alalam (A K PH)
Four Saudi Mercenaries Killed in Houthi’s Assault on Border Regions
Yemeni Houthi forces and military units have attacked Saudi positions in Jizan region in the Saudi Arabia’s southwest, killing four Saudi soldiers, Presstv reported.
http://en.alalam.ir/news/1782278
Neue Artikel zum Nachlesen 1-90: / Yemen Press Reader 1-90:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose oder / or
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