This post contains about a weeks worth of assorted news items related to Yemen- Hence my reference to Donald Rumsfeld statement after 9/11. As always, share some information or thoughts on the subject!Working back from Today:*UPI: Saudis conduct massive airstrikes on YemenThe raids were conducted on the Dar Sad and downtown sections of the city.
“The raids, late Thursday, targeted the Dar Sad neighborhood of the port city of Aden regarded as a Houthi stronghold, as well as the city's downtown area and a sports stadium”
A downtown neighbourhood?- Still striking civilians- That was clear from the moment the US encouraged bombing runs began*Independent UK- Britain and America are helping Saudi Arabia push Yemen towards total collapse America is helping with more then intelligence or the logistics necessary to kill civilians on a massive scale*U.S. steadily deepening involvement in war in Yemen
-U.S. military officials said Tuesday that the United States has stepped up weapons shipments to the Saudi-led Sunni Muslim coalition-Additionally, the number of U.S. military personnel assigned to what U.S. officials have called a “joint fusion center” in Saudi Arabia to oversee the air campaign has risen to about a dozen, Warren said. -U.S. military assets had been used to rescue two Saudi pilots March 26 from the Gulf of Aden after the engine of their F-15 fighter failed.- U.S. had agreed to provide refueling services for the coalition’s aircraft, though it had not yet been called on to do so and would not do so over Yemeni territory.
It’s quite clear the US is extremely active, participating in a range of tactics aimed at keeping Saudi Arabia engaged and destroying Yemen, completely.Could one reason for keeping the Saudis engaged in Yemen, have anything to do with giving Saudi Arabia their own Vietnam?*WaPo-Yemen conflict’s risk for Saudis: ‘Their Vietnam’
For the Saudi government and its allies, the military operation in Yemen may be turning into a quagmire, analysts say.“What’s a potential game changer in all of this is not just the displacement of millions of people, but it’s this huge spread of disease, starvation and inaccessibility [of] water, combined with an environment where radical groups are increasingly operating in the open and recruiting,” said Jon B. Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.”
The displacement of all these Yemenis, their ensuing misery, disease and starvation will spread into neighbouring countries- Including Saudi Arabia.And speaking of radical groups operating openly...*Al-Qaeda in Yemen offers bounty for Houthi leader Interesting how Al Qaeda is always taking actions that are useful to US/Israeli interests?
"Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has announced that it is offering 20 kilograms of gold to anyone who kills or captures the leader of Yemen’s Houthi movement, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.The AQAP, in a message posted online Wednesday, offered the bounty worth about $774,000 for the murder or arrest of Saleh and al-Houthi"
Maybe this explains a bit about Libya’s missing gold? Just a thought.Other Interesting developments?*Janes-Pakistan will not assist Saudi Arabia:
"The parliament of Pakistan expresses serious concern on the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Yemen and its implications for peace and stability of the region," the resolution, passed on 10 April, said. But it added, "Pakistan should maintain neutrality in the Yemen conflict so as to be able to play a proactive diplomatic role to end the crisis."
*Turkey and Iran are also talking diplomacy?What role does the construction of the Iran/ Pakistan Pipeline have to do with these calls for diplomacy?*Consider the Peace Pipeline also known as IPI
Iran-Pakistan-India Gas Pipeline (IPI)
Location Iran-Pakistan-India - IR Investment 1,500,000,000 USD Announced 2/15/2002 Completion 12/15/2018 Scope Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) pipeline project (also called peace pipeline) was aimed at constructing a 1,620-mile (2700 km) pipeline from Iran's South Pars fields in the Persian Gulf to Pakistan's major cities of Karachi and Multan and then further to Delhi, India. Because of Iran is the most geographically convenient supplier of gas to both countries; Iran is offering to cover 60 percent of the construction costs of the pipeline.
* Iran Pakistan Pipeline to be completed by 2017Two interesting news items from the beginning of the week*WaPo again
The Sanaa Legal Right Center said at least 122 people were held by the rebels, including top members of the Sunni group al-Islah, which is active in Yemen and has ideological ties to Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood.
Now that's interesting, no? al-Islah ties to the alleged outlawed Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt? Yet Egypt is fully participating in this attack on Yemen & al Islah allies with Muslim Brotherhood supports the coalition of the massive killing???
Ali Alfakih, deputy editor of al-Masdar newspaper in Sanaa, said similar raids were reported in other rebel-held areas, but details could not be confirmed.An Islah leader, Fat’hi Alazab, was taken into custody at a mosque, said his brother, Rajab Mohammed Alazab.“He was taken just like that, without even being accused of anything,” he said. “It seems that this has to do with the political statement issued by Islah supporting the coalition war.
*Bloomberg:Yemenis dig graves to bury the victims of a reported airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition against Shiite Huthi rebel positions in the village of Bani Matar, 43 miles West of Sanaa, on April 4, 2015
“We have always agreed to the principle of dialogue,” al-Kahoum said in a telephone interview late on Sunday. “But Hadi is completely out of the political scene. His legitimacy won’t be restored by planes or on the back of tanks.”
Al-Kahoum, the Houthi official, didn’t rule out accepting renewed UN efforts to mediate and denied the group was imposing conditions by insisting on Hadi’s ouster.
“He is the one who resigned. He is finished,” he said.
Hadi left. This is a fact. It's not difficult to understand. I've covered it on more then one occasion and cannot believe the careless or willful ignorance being spread in this regard. Hadi stepped down.The Houthis did not overthrow him.
“Security forces won’t show any tolerance toward those who act as agents to foreign powers,” al-Kahoum said. Al-Islah’s support of the Saudi-led bombing is a “national treason,” he said
Al Islah, again. Linked with Egypt and the Saudis.