Recent Appearances...

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Recent Appearances...

-Obits-

AQAP announces the death of its emir Khalid Batarfi

2024-03-11

[Twitter]

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) announces the death of its emir Khalid Batarfi. pic.twitter.com/yvzlcAiWg2
— FJ (@Natsecjeff) March 10, 2024

Le Monde adds:

Batarfi had appointed his successor back in February 2020, following the death of his predecessor, Qassim al-Rimi, in a US dronezap or Yemen.

Al-Qaeda's branch in Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
has announced the death of its leader Khalid Batarfi and named a successor, SITE Intelligence Group reported Sunday, March 10. The monitoring service said Batarfi's body was shown in footage released by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
...the latest incarnation of various Qaeda and Qaeda-allied groups, including the now-defunct Aden-Abyan Islamic Army that boomed the USS Cole in 2000...
(AQAP) in a burial shroud and wrapped in a flag bearing the jihadist group's name.

"God took his soul while he patiently sought his reward and stood firm, immigrated, garrisoned, and waged jihad," SITE quoted an AQAP veteran as saying of Batarfi in the nearly 15-minute video. There were no immediate details of the time or cause of Batarfi's death. He was believed to be in his 40s.

The United States considers al-Qaeda's Yemen branch the most dangerous faction of the global jihadist network, and the State Department designated Batarfi in 2018 a "global terrorist". SITE said the group had named its new chief Saad bin Atef al-Awlaki, who last appeared in a video released in February 2023 urging Sunni rustics to join AQAP.

The Sunni bad boy group thrived in the chaos of years of war since 2014 between Yemen's Saudi-backed government and Iran-backed Iran's Houthi sock puppets
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him...
s. AQAP has carried out operations in Yemen against both the Huthis and government forces.

It has also carried out sporadic attacks abroad, including on the offices of the French satirical publication Charlie Hebdo
...Pix/Hebdo2.pngA lefty French satirical magazine, home of what may well be the majority if the active testicles left in Europe...
in 2015 and a 2019 mass shooting at a US naval base in Florida, in which a Saudi Air Force officer killed three American sailors.

Update from the Times of Israel at 2:15 p.m. ET:

Khalid al-Batarfi had a $5 million bounty on his head from the US government over leading the group al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula over years that saw him imprisoned, freed in a jailbreak, and governing forces in Yemen amid that country’s grinding war.

Though believed to be weakened in recent years due to infighting and suspected US drone strikes killing its leaders, the group known by the acronym AQAP has long been considered the most dangerous branch of the extremist group still operating after the killing of founder Osama bin Laden.

Al-Qaeda released a video showing al-Batarfi wrapped in a white funeral shroud and al-Qaeda’s black-and-white flag. Terrorists offered no details on the cause of his death and there was no clear sign of trauma visible on his face. Al-Batarfi was believed to be in his early 40s.

In the announcement, the group said Saad bin Atef al-Awlaki would take over as its leader. The US has a $6 million bounty on him, saying al-Awlaki “has publicly called for attacks against the United States and its allies.”

Why is the new guy worth 20% more than the dead one was?

Estimates provided to the UN put AQAP’s total forces as numbering between 3,000 and 4,000 active fighters and passive members. The group raises money by robbing banks and money exchange shops,

…how very tawdry and commonplace…

as well as smuggling weapons, counterfeiting currencies, and ransom operations, according to the UN.

…smuggling weapons and ransom operations being the usual occupations of Yemeni lads when they’re feeling feisty. Currency counterfeiting is a bit more technical than they usually get up to, but every group contains at least a few eager to learn and better themselves…

Under al-Batarfi, AQAP fell further under the influence of al-Qaeda fighter Saif al-Adel, now believed to lead the terror group after the killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri in a US drone strike in Afghanistan in 2022. That came as Yemen has been locked in a war between the Houthi rebels, who hold the capital, Sanaa, and a Saudi-led coalition backing the country’s exiled government based in Aden.

“Since 2020, Saif al-Adel has been able to convince al-Batarfi of his strategic approach, focused on confronting Western states and their allies in Yemen — the Saudi-led coalition, the Aden-based government, the United Arab Emirates and its allies — rather than confronting the Iranian-backed Houthi movement,” a 2023 report by the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies said.

Al-Adel is believed to be in Iran, part of a longtime al-Qaeda presence in the Islamic Republic. That’s long been denied by Tehran but backed up by documents seized in the 2011 US raid in Pakistan that killed bin Laden, who orchestrated the September 11, 2001, attacks on the US.

Good to know.

Al-Batarfi’s ties to al-Adel had strained relations in AQAP, experts say. However, it has seen the terrorists become armed with bomb-carrying drones — something the Houthis now use to target shipping in the Red Sea amid the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Very interesting — a hint that not only is Iran sheltering Al Qaeda’s top leaders, but supplying at least one of its key franchises as well.

AQAP “developed unmanned aerial systems capabilities, establishing a specialized drone unit, with operational training from the Houthis,” a UN report from January says.

That goes well beyond hinting. And the Houthis would only help their enemy on direct orders from Tehran.

“It prioritizes liberating its prisoners to replenish ranks; in September, the Houthis released several AQAP members and explosives experts.”

The Shiite Zaydi Houthis have previously denied working with AQAP, a Sunni extremist group. However, AQAP targeting of the Houthis has dropped in recent years while the terrorists continue to attack Saudi-led coalition forces.

Me and my brother against my cousin. Me and my cousin against the outside world.

Yemen’s history and tribal structure long has seen alliances rapidly shift, something its late strongman President Ali Abdullah Saleh referred to as “dancing on the heads of snakes.”

Al-Batarfi, born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, traveled to Afghanistan in 1999 and fought alongside the Taliban during the US-led invasion. He joined AQAP in 2010 and led forces in taking over Yemen’s Abyan province, according to the US.

In 2015, he was freed after an AQAP raid that saw the terrorists capture Mukalla, the capital of Yemen’s largest province, Hadramawt, amid the chaos of the war. A photo at the time showed al-Awlaki with a Kalashnikov rifle, posing inside a government palace there.

AQAP was later pushed out of Mukalla but has continued attacks and been the target of a US drone strike campaign since the administration of then-president George W. Bush.

In 2020, there had been claims that al-Bartafi had been detained, which later were denied. In 2021, he appeared in a video by the terror group and referred to the January 6 riot at the US Capitol as “only the tip of the iceberg of what will come to them, God willing.”

Link

Arabia

UAE-affiliated elements attack Hadi forces in southern Yemen

2021-02-20

[AlMasdar] Armed elements affiliated with the UAE in southern Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
attacked forces of the ousted president Hadi.

Armed elements affiliated with the UAE in southern Yemen attacked forces of the ousted president Hadi who were going towards the eastern Yemeni province of Marib.

According to sources familiar with the matter armed elements affiliated with the so-called "Southern Transitional Council"

...the STC is the UAE-backed faction based in Aden. It includes the governors of five southern governorates and several former government ministers, and wants to revert to the two-Yemens situation that existed until the 1990 unification under President Ali Abdullah Saleh. There is also a Saudi-backed faction, headed by Saleh’s successor Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and allied with Yemen’s Islah party (the Muslim Brotherhood in Yemen), to which the STC used to be allied, but that ended in 2019. In traditional Arab fashion, they seem to spend as much time fighting each other as they do fighting the Houthis...

attacked a convoy of military vehicles belonging to ousted president Hadi government forces in the al-Mahfadh region in Abin province.

According to the sources, Hadi troops were moving towards Marib province, where they are fighting the advancing Yemeni Army forces and popular committees.

...ie. the Houthis, supported by Iran...

In the attack, three members of the Hadi forces were maimed and taken to Ataq Hospital in the center of Shabwa, and the rest of the forces continued their way towards Mairib.

The advances of the Yemeni army and popular committees towards the strategic city of Marib in eastern Yemen in recent days have caused fear among the ousted government and the Saudi-American coalition.

Link

Arabia

Houthis threaten to execute prisoners

2018-01-17

The Yemeni pro-Iranian group has threatened to execute military detainees, who are loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, on charges of participating in the uprising the latter has called for last month and ended with his death and abuse of his relatives and hundreds of members of his party, according to security sources opposed to Houthi militias in Sanaa.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the Houthi group continued mobilizing people for the fighting front at the level of the provinces and the directorates that fall under its control, in an attempt to assign their ranks on various fronts while the National Army, which is supported by Saudi-led coalition forces continue their progress.

The sources said that the leader of the group, who is appointed deputy coup minister of interior Abu al-Karar al-Khaiwani, gathered Sunday about 600 of the military detainees loyal to the former president in the central prison in Sanaa and threatened to execute them.

The Houthi leader asked the detainees to write down their confessions on the roles they played during the confrontations between the militias and the former president's guard in several political districts in December, the sources added. He told them to include in their confessions the names of the leaders from whom they were receiving direct instructions.

According to the sources, who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat and requested to remain anonymous for security reasons, the Houthi official gave orders to subject Houthis to torture and extract confessions from them by force.

Leader of the Houthi so-called Supreme Political Council Saleh al-Samad issued what he called a "general amnesty" for the civilian participants in the uprising of the former president, whom the group described as "sedition of treacherous militias," exempting soldiers, most of whom were among the escorts of the houses of Saleh and his relatives and headquarters for his party, General Peoples Congress (GPC).

The Houthi group has released during the past two weeks some civilian detainees and pro-Saleh tribal leaders while activists from the GPC say that about 2,000 members of the GPC are still being held by Houthi militias in secret prisons in Sanaa and cities controlled by them.

Link

Arabia

UN Envoy for Yemen: Houthi militias violate international law

2017-12-16

[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The United Nations
...where theory meets practice and practice loses...
Special Envoy for Yemen

...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic...
Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, said on Friday evening that "what is happening in Sanaa is unacceptable and contrary to international law," in reference to Houthi
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews ...
militia’s killings, raids and kidnappings affecting those who were loyal to late President former President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh

... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it...
, and their opponents.

Ould Cheikh Ahmed stressed the need to "put an end immediately to the attacks targeting the leaders of the General People's Congress, activists and their families and terrorizing them."

The UN envoy said in a series of tweets through his official Twitter account that he had met with "a group of big shots of the General People's Congress", but he did not specify the names of those leaders and the date of the meeting.

He added that he offered his sincerest condolences for the death of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Ould Cheikh Ahmed said he had discussed with leaders of the Popular Congress "the best way to end the conflict in Yemen."

He had "productive and constructive" meetings with UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Anwar Gargash and senior UAE officials "to discuss the conflict in Yemen, the humanitarian situation and the best way to reach a political solution," he added.

Link

Arabia

Saleh officially announces dissolution of partnership with Houthis

2017-12-04

[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Yemen’s former President former President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh

... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it...
has officially announced the dissolution of his partnership with former Houthi
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews ...
militia allies.

"Zero hour is coming to the battlefield in Sanaa... The country had to be saved from the madness of the Houthi group," Saleh said in statements on Monday morning.

Saleh urged an end to "militia rule on Yemeni land," adding that Houthis had continued their "provocative acts against Yemeni citizens."

The past three days have witnessed deadly festivities between supporters of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his former Houthi militia allies. The fighting raged at dawn on Saturday between the two sides, which led to at least 80 supporters from both sides killed.

Link

Arabia

What we know so far about the situation in Yemen

2017-12-03

[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Former Yemeni President former President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh
... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen

...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic...
in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it...
said on Saturday he was ready for a "new page" in relations with the coalition fighting in Yemen. The call came as his supporters managed to control the majority of Sanaa.

So far, here are the recent developments:

-Three mediations between Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Houthis have failed since yesterday.

-UAE said that Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates...
has attempted to mediate in order to save Houthis.

-On Saturday, Saleh called on the Arab coalition to halt its operations, promising to open a "new page" with them after two years of fighting, especially after being an ally to the Houthi
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews ...
rebels.

- Saleh called upon the soldiers and officers who were excluded to return to their camps, in a clear message for escalation and confronting the Houthis.

- In a televised speech broadcast by al-Masirah channel, al-Houthi described the events in Sanaa as a coup and a betrayal.

- Every two or three hours, confrontations against Houthi militia resume in the neighborhoods controlled by Saleh and his followers in the political district and Al Jazaer-Algeria neighborhood.

- The festivities extend to other neighborhoods in the direction of Saleh’s house west of the Kamim market.

- Four hours ago, Saleh’s followers took control of a Houthi headquarter in the political district near Ibn Majid school.

- Since 1 am on Saturday, festivities between the followers of Saleh and al-Houthi have spread to important neighborhoods and they are still ongoing.

- The Houthis stationed four tanks in the streets to intimidate the people in Sanaa, and one of the tanks was headed to the political district but could not enter.

- The general situation in Sanaa is tragic amid fears of a war.

- The majority of the rescue guard and the military police rejected the orders of the Houthi leaders.

- Tribes began to move to bolster the position of Saleh and took control of the South Sanaa gate.

- The slogan of the marches is: ’No more Houthis after today.’

- A front man for al-Houthi militias said that killing former president Ali Abdullah Saleh is now justified

- Three Houthi leaders have been killed since yesterday, in addition to dozens of deaths of individuals. These Houthi leaders are Hamza Yahya al-Mukhtar, Ali Khraim and Abdullah bin Salem Sharif.

- Two Houthi leaders, Mutahar al-Kahlani and Ibrahim al-Wajih, were nabbed
Drop the rod and step away witcher hands up!
during the liberation of two military institutions.

- Saleh’s supporters control the headquarters of the presidency, military sites and important Arab embassies.

- Meanwhile,
...back at the comedy club, Boogie ducked another tomato...
the Arab coalition forces are calling on Yemenis to circumvent the ’intifada’.

- Saleh's forces, with a help from tribes, control ministries of Interior , defense and the north entrance of Sanaa.

Link

Arabia

Yemen’s President Hadi: We support every party facing Iran-backed Houthis

2017-12-03

[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] A statement issued by the Yemeni presidency on Saturday evening said they supported all parties facing the coup allies, which they described as "an arm of the Persian Iranian project in Yemen" in the first comment on former president former President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh
... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen

in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it...
’s call for a popular uprising against the Houthis.

Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi said all those who have identified a clear position in support of the popular uprising aimed at ending the coup and the restoration of the state "will all be partners in the present and future of Yemen".

Yemen's General People's Congress (GPC) forces, allied to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, gained control of key areas in the capital Sanaa on Saturday. The forces expelled Houthis from Mahwit city and were also able to control the defense ministry complex in Sanaa.

The statement was issued after a meeting between Hadi and his advisers to form a broad national alliance in the face of the militias Houthi. He said that the Houthi
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews ...
militias had been seeking "in various ways to reproduce the model of the mandate of the Iranian jurist, and bet on the decision of Yemen and its illusory sovereignty to the malignant evil and mischief in Qom and Tehran".

Link

Arabia

Houthis take over second largest Saleh camp in Sanaa

2017-10-12

[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Various Yemeni sources confirmed on Tuesday that the Houthis have taken full control of the Dabwa camp, the second-largest Republican Guard camp in Sanaa, and imposed a new Houthi leader replacing former commander Brigadier General Ali Mohamed al-Masoudi who was kidnapped a month ago.

Yemeni news websites quoted sources in the Republican Guard as saying that al-Houthi militia have given dozens of officers and military personnel at the camp an open leave a month ago, before imposing a fellow Houthi leader on the camp.

In fact, reports claims that several officers told Saleh of the Houthis' plan to control the camp, but he ignored the Intel and did not take any course of action or give them orders, forcing them to surrender to the Houthis and their new leadership at Camp Dabwa.

The Dabwa camp south of Sana'a is within the geographical range of Sanhan (the birthplace of the Saleh), which is the area that housed the Central Command of the Republican Guard and three military brigades.

Saleh still has one remaining camp in the area, Rima Hameed, his last stronghold and a group of the Republican Guard. In addition to the Special Forces camp led by his nephew and the responsible for his personal security, Brigadier General Tariq Saleh.

Houthi militias sought to disable the military and political “claws” of Saleh and intimidated his supporters with arrests, according to local observers.

Link

Arabia

Yemeni members of political party arrested

2017-10-12

[ArabNews] ADEN: Security forces in the southern Yemeni city of Aden arrested 10 members of a radical partner in the internationally recognized government, the Islah party said on Wednesday.

Aden is dominated by local forces backed by the UAE, a key member of the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015 to restore President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to power but is hostile toward hard-liners.

The arrests could raise tension within the coalition fighting the Iran-aligned Houthi movement and forces loyal to deposed President Ali Abdullah Saleh who seized much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.

Islah said security forces raided the home of its No. 2 man in Aden, Mohammed Abdel-Malek, and arrested him, along with a member of the party’s local Shoura Council as well as a local militia commander.

Security forces also closed down the party’s office in Al-Qaloua district of Aden, Islah said in a statement.

A security source in Aden confirmed four people were arrested and said the move was related to the assassination of a Salafi imam in Aden on Tuesday by a bomb planted in his car.

While both in the radical camp, Salafis and Islah are at odds as some of the former back a secession of south Yemen while the latter wants the Arabian Peninsula state to remain intact.

It was unclear if the arrested Islah members had been formally charged.

“(Islah) directs a call to public opinion, the government and the coalition demanding they shoulder their responsibility to swiftly release brother Abdel-Malek and his colleagues and to stop these arbitrary measures,” Islah’s statement said.

With thousands of fighters deployed on battlefronts against the Houthis, Islah has been an important ally of Hadi and the Saudi-led coalition trying to reinstate his government.

But Islah, seen as linked with the Muslim Brotherhood, has come under pressure since a rift erupted between Qatar and the Anti-Terror Quartet — comprising the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia — in June over allegations Qatar backs radical militants. Qatar denies this.

Since the coalition intervened in Yemen, Islah has tried to distance itself from the Brotherhood in an effort to ease Gulf rulers’ anxiety about its radical ideology.

The Brotherhood denies accusations from conservative Arab governments of involvement in terrorism, saying it seeks change only by peaceful means.

And so they do, because peaceful means disturb current rulers less than violence while the Moslem Brotherhood is gaining control. On the other hand, they have no objection to violence when peaceful means are stymied.

Link

Arabia

Houthis Besiege Saleh’s Journalists

2017-09-17

London- Houthis have tightened the noose on journalists associated with former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh after besieging them to choose between speaking in support of a united rhetoric or keeping silent.

The latest Houthi threat came in light of the dispute that erupted last month between both parties.

Yemen’s Minister of Information Muammar al-Iryani told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday that “the general behavior of Houthis with journalists is marked by exclusion. The rebel groups do not miss a chance to silence any voice that does not respect their ideologies, even if their moves were at the expense of their partners in the coup.”

The minister said Houthis should release all prisoners, especially journalists.

Yemeni political analyst Najib Gholab explained that Houthis were currently expanding their threatening approach.

“They arrested some journalists and threatened others. Journalist Nabil al-Soufi who is close to Saleh, already announced that he will not speak about politics, and cynically said he will talk about cooking and fashion in order to avoid being arrested,” Gholab said.

He said that several social media activists considered the fact of submitting to the threats as not a right decision.

Yemeni political analyst Abdullah Ismail told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday that “Houthis have started early to target pro-Saleh journalists,” adding that those insurgents do not accept any kind of criticism.

“Several journalists were subject to distortion and threats,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Foreign Ministry denied Iranian claims that Saudi Arabia requested Iranian mediation with Houthis.

Director of Media Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Osama Ahmed Nugali, refuted the statements of Hossein Amir Abdollahian, senior advisor to the Iranian Parliament Speaker, carried by Iranian News Agency (IRNA) that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia requested Iranian mediation with Houthis in Yemen.

He further confirmed that these claims are outright baseless and unfounded.

Early this month, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir said that Tehran’s propaganda of rapprochement with Riyadh is “ridiculous.”

Link

Arabia

Houthis imposing demands for continued alliance

2017-09-14

Aden- Houthis have taken new restrictive steps against former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, including putting new conditions for the continuity of coalition with him, Yemeni sources revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Conditions consist of Saleh not holding any events, handing out some camps and approving their latest decisions.

Sources, which preferred to remain anonymous, said that Saleh al-Sammad, the chief of the so-called Supreme Political Council, summoned on Tuesday General People’s Congress general-secretary Aref al-Zoka and informed him of the Houthis’ demands so that he conveys them to the former president.

The delivered messaged included the following demand: the party not organizing any events, and considering its latest event in Al Sabeen Square the final one.

These developments coincide with a period of constant meetings for Saleh’s party (General People’s Congress) to face the updates. Also, the pro-Saleh political council held a joint meeting among leaders in the insurgent government.

In a statement, the council expressed sorrow for the deterioration in the relation between Saleh and Houthis. “Unfortunately, the General People’s Congress faced huge challenges in the sake of preserving the partnership based on previously signed deals,” added the statement.

The pro-Saleh General People’s Congress affirmed that “despite the keenness showed by the congress and allies to overcome disputes via dialogues and constant understandings, unfortunately, the breach of all partnership regulations continued.”

The statement added that “the strange thing is the planned political and media attack against the General People’s Congress represented in its leader Ali Abdullah Saleh… This campaign escalated through the mobilization and provoking even by private mass media not to mention in mosques, festivals and social media.”

Link

Arabia

Internal cracks appear in Houthi alliances

2017-08-21

SANAA, Yemen: A long-simmering power struggle between Yemen’s Shiite insurgents and former president Ali Abdullah Saleh has burst into the open, threatening to undermine their alliance against the internationally-recognized government and its Saudi-led Coalition backers.

Armed men suspected of links to the rebels on Sunday tore up poster portraits of Saleh and his son and one-time heir Ahmed in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital.

The vandalism took place in a part of the city where Saleh’s Popular Conference party is due to hold celebrations on Thursday marking the 35th anniversary of its founding. Adding to the tension, an unusually high number of armed men could be seen in Sanaa on Sunday, fueling fears that the two sides may clash on the streets of the capital.

Saleh has complained that the rebels, known as Houthis, have sidelined him and his loyalists, leaving them out of military and political decisions, as well as UN-sponsored negotiations to end Yemen’s civil war.

Rebel leader Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi made thinly-veiled charges against Saleh and his loyalists late Saturday, saying his rebels have been “stabbed in the back while fighting the enemy in good faith.”

Without mentioning Saleh or forces loyal to him by name, he suggested that they were not fighting pro-government forces in earnest.

“Look who is on the front lines? Visit the graves (of fallen fighters) to see who is buried there and where they come from?” he said.

In a recorded address scheduled to be broadcast later on Sunday, Saleh dismissed the charges and complained of what he called the domination of decision-making by the Houthis’ Revolutionary Committees instead of the National Salvation government the two sides have jointly set up.

The rift between the Houthis and Saleh adds another layer to the vexing complexities of Yemen’s ruinous civil war.

Yemen’s civil war began in 2014, when the Houthis and their allies swept down from the country’s north and captured Sanaa. The Saudi-led coalition has waged a blistering air campaign since March 2015, seeking to dislodge the Houthis and restore the internationally recognized government, which has been confined to the southern port city of Aden for the past two years.

The war has killed over 10,000 civilians, displaced 3 million people, and pushed the country to the brink of famine. An outbreak of cholera has killed 2,000 people and infected an estimated 500,000, according to the UN’s World Health Organization.

More UN finger wagging at the Yemeni combatants

DUBAI: Internal strains afflicting both sides in Yemen’s conflict have deepened, as the UN warned that the failure of the country’s political elites to settle their differences has prolonged the suffering of millions already beset by famine and disease.

In a briefing on Sunday, UN envoy to Yemen Ould Cheikh Ahmed said the intractable two-year-old conflict was exposing ordinary people to death and hardship.

“Yemen today continues to traverse a critical and agonizing period as civilians pay a terrible price of an unending power struggle,” Ould Cheikh Ahmed said.

“Those who survive the fighting face death by famine or disease as the economic situation continues to deteriorate ... The political tensions in Yemen continue to undermine the state institutions on which many Yemenis depend.”

The internationally recognized government based in the southern city of Aden has yet to impose its writ over a kaleidoscope of armed factions there, one of which camped out with its weapons in a protest at a main square on Sunday.

Angry about the mysterious assassination of a local commander, the militia traded gunfire with security forces.

President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and most of the government remain in exile due to security threats in Aden while the central bank complained last week that it has no access to cash badly needed to shore up the economy.

Ruling from the capital Sanaa in the north, the government’s foes in the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah, appeared to fall out with a major ally over the worsening economic crisis.

Its leader launched an unprecedented verbal broadside against its main military and political partner on Sunday over the course of the two-year war, veteran ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in a speech entitled “Maintaining the unity of internal ranks.”

Houthi leader accuses allies of perfidy

London – Houthi rebels’ leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi accused General People’s Congress, party of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, of backstabbing him and exerting “political extortion”, admitting to his group’s weaknesses.

In a 74 minutes televised speech, Houthi sent a message accusing his insurgency allies. Observers stated the alliance between Saleh and Houthi is now shaken and it is safe to say that the two are no longer as they were.

Houthi spoke after UN Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed announced that Hodeidah port will be placed under the control of a third party, which also was criticized by the leader.

Yemeni Ambassador to UK Yassin Said Nomaan stated that Houthi’s speech is clearly directed at his primary ally.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Nomaan described the speech as the “speech of the desperate who can’t see things clearly and is mainly complaining about things.”

During his speech, Houthi underscored the need for fighting corruption and implementing reforms in Yemen’s judiciary system to “hold back traitors.”

He added that the country is currently in a state where it is not right to extort the situation politically. He accused Saleh of using issues that were long used during internal wars and civil clashes, referring to the six wars between Houthi and Saleh.

Houthi, however, admitted to the mistakes of insurgency government institutions and corruption within the judiciary system. He stressed that corrupt officials must be held accountable even if they were Houthis, adding that if they were from within Saleh’s party it will not be acceptable for them to be covered by the party.

He stated that his members are no more than fourth of the insurgency government and declared that Houthis represent a 1 percent of civil servants.

Political analyst Najieeb Gallab considers that Houthi focused in his speech on four axis all of which include direct and indirect threats for Saleh – which reflects the bad state of Houthis on the battle fronts and in power.

Gallab stated that Houthi made it clear that he doubts Saleh’s policies in providing political initiatives and preparing for the 35th anniversary of the establishment of General People’s Congress.

He also directly accused the party of following policies that support the coalition.

In the second axis, in a defensive move, Houthi tried to pin the blame for corruption on his allies. He attempted to accuse Saleh’s party of the failure especially that people can no longer withstand Houthis’ control.

The political analyst believes that Houthi wanted to reestablish the idea that the struggle is primarily a military one and all activities of Saleh and other factions do not serve the purpose, stating that only Houthis are fighting while the rest are running media and political wars against Houthis.

He added that Houthi wanted to send a message that there are some parties serving the legitimacy and coalition’s purposes by pretending to be neutral or blaming Houthis for every problem.

The fourth point addressed in Houthi’s speech according to Gallab was the leader’s attempt to form a unified supporting bloc that can pressure Saleh’s Congress and portray Houthis as the only steadfast front against the legitimacy. Houthi also wanted to send a message that the peace promoted by Saleh’s bloc and other parties is a threat to Yemen and its interests.

Houthis didn’t just criticize their allies or the coalition, they also threw accusations over the UN Special Envoy.

In a statement following Houthi’s speech, spokesperson Mohammed Abdul Salam stated that blaming the UN, international community or the Special Envoy will not create peace. He also added that postponing and justifications will not end wars, but rather deepen the differences.

Political analyst Gallab believes that Houthi’s speech is an evident of the ongoing internal struggles between insurgency allies and that it will become political war. He added that Saleh is no longer capable of controlling objections piling within his Congress, while Houthi is aware that public discontent with them has become a pressure point against them.

Hence, according to Gallab, Houthis is trying to defend his position and blame others for this decline of situation inside Yemen. He explained that Yemeni people are aware that Houthis mean prolonged war and cause corruption.

He concluded that Yemeni citizen knows that Houthis are the main obstacle before any political solutions for the crisis, which places Houthis in big trouble.

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