A military campaign with heavy weapons in Sa'dah

[محمد النفس الزكية]

A military campaign with heavy weapons in Sa'dah
Abdulmalik alhothi : We do not know the reason for the campaign, and have received comprehensive war threat

Military forces shelled on Sa'dah evening today, Saturday, tanks and heavy weapons. The sources said that the military campaign went this morning to the area of Mathab located on the line Sanaa Sa'dah despite the absence of any justification for the arrival of the incident the military campaign.

Sources confirm the fall of the number of dead and injured had not been able to determine the exact number


Abdulmalik Alhothi the son of scholar Bader Al-Din Alhothi said :not any friction with the campaign since her arrival this morning
And that he told the mediation committee and the follow-up to know the reasons for the fall campaign and work to prevent any attack against the people of the region, and added that the mediation committee quoted him that some of the officials replied that knowledge and some paid no attention to the matter, and informed him of threats of a military commander of an all-out war against them.

He said in a statement to Al Shura Net that the war comes after Sa'dah witnessed the distribution of leaflets against terries speech coincided with the escalation of the media continued military promotes sectarian war aims ideas and ideology Zeidi.

The news arrived that the military campaigns of the day each of the bombed areas Sufian, and the Ammar, melted, and Almhazr on sadaa just because they are zidisom !!

As we received the news that there were killed and wounded on both sides !

[ALNASSER LEDEEN ALLAH]

SANAA, Yemen (Reuters) -- Six Yemeni soldiers were killed and 20 were wounded when Shi'ite Muslim rebels waged rare attacks on state forces in the northern province of Saada, a government official said on Sunday.

"A group of saboteurs led by Abdul-Malek al-Houthi carried out a rare attack yesterday (Saturday) on locations belonging to the armed forces and security in the province of Saada," the official said in a statement sent to Reuters.

Anti-U.S. Shi'ite Houthi is the son of Sheikh Badr el-Deen al-Houthi and the brother of slain cleric, Hussein, who tried to set up a Shi'ite regime. Hussein was killed in 2004 and his father's whereabouts are unknown.

"The local authority and the armed and security forces in the province of Saada ... will carry out their duties in preserving security and stability and ending these acts of sabotage carried out by these criminals," the statement by the Saada security committee quoted the official as saying.

The unidentified official did not name the installations targeted but a government source in Saada said the rebels attacked checkpoints and gatherings of soldiers.

"The situation is calm now and the state sent reinforcements to maintain calm," the source said.

It was not immediately clear how many assailants carried out the attacks.

Yemen has accused the rebels led by the Houthi clerics of wanting to install Shi'ite religious rule and of preaching violence against the United States.

In March 2006, Yemen freed more than 600 of the rebels as part of an amnesty that aims to put an end to two years of clashes that have killed several hundred soldiers and rebels.

Yemen, the ancestral homeland of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, joined the U.S.-led war on terrorism after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

Houthi's supporters are not linked to al Qaeda. Sunni Muslims make up most of Yemen's 19 million population, while Shi'ite Muslims account for about 15 percent.

Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/01/ ... index.html

[محمد النفس الزكية]

SAADA, Jan 28 — Local sources in the governorate of Saada said that the Yemeni armed forces confronted a group affiliated to Zaidi-Shiite Leader Badr al-Deen al-Houthi in Mathaab village located in the southern part the governorate. The exchange of fire resulted in over 26 casualties involving soliders, while the number of causlties among Al-Huthi followers has not been confirmed as the clash continues.

The armed clash between the two sides disrupted a cease-fire agreement signed between the al-Houthi followers and local authorities in 2005. Mr. AbdulMalik Al-Huthi, who is the son of Badr al-Deen al-Houti, confirmed that the arbitration committee set to solve the previous disputes with the authorities has been notified of the attack. He warned that this attack has violated the cease-fire agreement and will spark violence in the governorate. He also added that there is no clear reason for the attacks against civilians in the area.

Al-Huthi further noted this attack came after his followers received leaflets which target the beliefs and foundations of the Zaidi Islamic sect, adding that residents of Mathaab area are being targeted and discriminated against because of their religious beliefs and affiliation with Zaidi cleric Al-Huthi.

The attack on the Mathaab village came a few days after 45 Yemeni Jews evacuated their homes in Saada upon receiving threats from al-Houthi followers, an issue which raised concern around the situation of Yemeni Jews living in Saada

Sources close to Al-Huthi group, which is also known as the Believing Youth, indicate that they have nothing against the Jewish community and that al-Houthis did not threaten them or their livelihood in any way, adding that the government is using different tactics to distress them and use this problem to suppress them even further.

According to local sources in the province, the threatened Jews are still residing in a Hotel in Saada city and have not yet been able to return to their homes for fear of loosing their lives as the person who sent the threatening letter has not been identified.

http://www.armiesofliberation.com/

[عبدالله الحسني]

YEMEN: As clashes escalate, humanitarian crisis unfolds

SANAA, 21 February 2007 (IRIN) - Residents of the northern province of Saada could soon face a humanitarian crisis as clashes between government forces and followers of the deceased radical Shia leader Hussein Badr Eddin al-Houthi have escalated over the few past days, officials have warned.

Dr Hamboush Hussein, deputy director of the Health Office in Saada, told IRIN that Saada’s hospitals were not sufficient to deal with a high number of casualties and were not equipped well enough to handle more complex cases.

“The hospitals in Saada province lack some medications and equipment in addition to specialised staff,” he said, adding that there are only two surgeons in Saada.

According to Hussein, the province has seven hospitals, with about 650 health workers. He added that the hospitals were in dire need of operating theatres and surgeons.

“The badly injured people will have to be sent to Sana’a, the capital of Yemen, or to the Saudi-run hospital in Saada, al-Saalm,” he said.

The three-year sporadic battles with al-Houthi followers have claimed the lives of 727 government forces and wounded 5,296, the government said. The al-Houthi group, currently led by the grandson of the founder, is accused by the government of inciting anti-US sentiment.

The clashes in Saada were re-ignited in late January after al-Houthi supporters threatened to kill members of a small Jewish community in Saada if they did not leave the country within 10 days.

Suppressing the rebellion

Violence escalated after parliament on 10 February authorised the government to suppress the rebellion. The consultative Shoura council has also called on the government to settle the sedition in Saada in a way that maintains security and stability.

“By this rebellion, al-Houthi [the grandson], the terrorist, and his group want to enter the country into the kiln of conflicts in the context of a plot that aims to rip the nation apart and serve the interests of foreign parties,” Abdul-Aziz Abdul-Ghani, Shoura Council Chairman, said.

The government has now cut all communication with the province and as a result, food prices have shot up.

Hashem Hassan, a spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), told IRIN that about 200 people had fled their homes to escape the fighting. He said the ICRC was working closely with the Yemeni Red Crescent in Saada to offer displaced families tents, mattresses, other basic equipment and first-aid medication..

Hassan said his team faces difficulties gaining access to the most vulnerable because of the security situation.

Khalid al-Anesi, Executive Director of NGO the National Organisation for Defending Freedoms and Rights, said the clashes in Saada were impacting all areas of normal life, including education and agriculture, upon which most people depend on for their living in the province.

However, government officials have been underplaying the fighting in Saada, saying that it has not been extensive enough to warrant the region’s hospitals being put on alert.

“The war is taking place in the mountains. The rebels are fighting from their trenches in the mountains,” Salem al-Wehaishi, Deputy Governor of Saada, told IRIN.

On 16 February, the international rights organisation Amnesty International warned of a risk of grave human rights violations in Saada, calling on President Ali Abdullah Saleh to take all the necessary measures in accordance with international law to protect human rights in Saada.

“Dozens of people are reported to have been killed and at least 50 people have been detained since the clashes began at the end of January 2007,” Amnesty said.

In its letter to the president, Amnesty said it feared that continued clashes would lead to grave human rights violations, including unlawful killings by security forces, as a result of excessive use of force, in violation of international law.

With a population of some 700,000, according to a 2004 census, Saada governorate includes 15 districts stretching over 11,375 square kilometres.




http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... irin06.htm

[عبدالله الحسني]

Uprising May Widen, Warns Yemen Rebel Leader
Arab News

SANAA, 26 February 2007 — A Yemeni lawmaker accused of being a leader of a deadly three-year uprising in the mountainous north of country warned yesterday that rebels might widen their campaign.
Yahia Badruddin Al-Houthi, the brother of Hussein Al-Houthi who led the uprising until he was killed by security forces in 2004, told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the rebels “have opened new fronts” in their stronghold in the northern province of Saada.
“It is not unlikely that confrontations could spread outside the province,” he said from Germany, where the newspaper said he was currently based.
The rebellion — which the government claimed to have crushed in April 2005 — flared up again in January following a presidential ultimatum on the rebels to disarm, and 42 Yemeni soldiers were killed in the space of a week.
Earlier this month, Yemen requested the extradition from Libya of Houthi while he was on a visit there, saying he was wanted for the “major role he has played and continues to play in the sedition.”
Asharq Al-Awsat quoted Houthi as saying he had been invited by Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi who wanted to mediate in the conflict.
Houthi also accused the government of spreading false information that the rebels were targeting Jews in Saada, saying they are “not a target.”
However, earlier this month, the MP’s other brother, rebel leader Abdel Malak Al-Houthi, said that threats had been made against Jews in a village in Saada to force them to leave.

[عبدالله الحسني]

SA’ADA, Feb. 25 — Bloody clashes which broke out a month ago between the Yemeni army and Al-Houthi-led rebels in Sa’ada governorate, located 245 km. north of Sana’a, have grown fiercer. The fighting killed dozens on both sides, provoking controversy and an exchange of accusations between the opposition and the ruling party.
“Government forces used all kinds of land and air weapons in the fierce clashes that erupted last Monday and continued until Friday,” Sa’ada sources reported, adding, “Hundreds on both sides were killed or injured in the fighting. Up to 71 soldiers were killed and 202 others injured, but Al-Houthi casualties haven’t been reported because relatives can’t transfer victims to the city hospital while the government is imposing a media blackout.”
Blocking medical treatment again, like in 2005 when doctors were arrested for treating wounded Houthis and civilians in general were left without medical care for injuries sustained in the war, usually by bombs dropped by the Yemeni government.
According to the same sources, the Yemeni army has launched military operations against Al-Houthi supporters on the outskirts of Sa’ada and confrontations have shifted to the nearby mountains in Al-Talh, Al-Awairah, Al-Salem and Sahar.
Spreading, we knew it would spread. The more brutal the response, the further its going to go.
Media sources reported that dozens of Al-Houthi loyalists donned military uniforms similar to those of military soldiers, assaulted a military site near the city of Sahar and clashed with government troops for hours, killing or injuring dozens on both sides. Government air forces carried out offensives in some villages and areas, thus paving the way for advancing troops toward Al-Houthi positions.
Two days ago, security authorities stopped a car loaded with military uniforms, similar to those of the Yemeni army, headed for Al-Houthi followers and confiscated them. However, authorities didn’t mention who had sent the uniforms.
The tactics of the Iraqi insurgents and other terrorists before them have eroded the norms of war generally. When the same tactics of disguise by uniform or civilian clothing are applied against US troops, there’s little condemnation.
Local sources revealed that Al-Talh locals are enraged over the killing of prominent tribesman Jarallah Fardan and one of his daughters last Tuesday in a mortar attack by government troops positioned on the road connecting Sa’ada city to the market. Al-Talh tribal leaders met late last week to discuss the repeated army strikes which damaged 26 homes in one of Sa’ada’s most important markets.
Several sheikhs warned that locals may begin supporting the rebels and engaging in the war against government troops if artillery strikes and mortar attacks continue on the villages and homes of those who don’t back Al-Houthi. They demanded authorities determine Al-Houthi positions exactly in order to limit the fight with the loyalists to specific areas in the restive governorate.
2005 all over again. Bombing villages, their own citizens. Maybe its not intentional just very poor warfare, but the judgement call was made to take the risk- ie, killing Houthis is a higher priority than keeping Yemenis alive. And this is not an enemy population, just regular Yemenis.
Member of Parliament Yahya Badraddin Al-Houthi, who currently resides in Germany, distributed a Feb. 24 statement, a copy of which the Yemen Times obtained, alleging, “Such confrontations are an aggressive war!” and further accusing Yemeni authorities of foiling all peaceful mediation efforts.
“The Yemeni army is striking villages in such a way that violates basic human rights and the authorities cut off all telecommunications in the governorate so that nobody can see what’s happening,” the statement added.
Yahya = not a terrorist. All he does is write to the media and try to end the violence through mediation.
In a recent statement, Abdulmalik Al-Houthi, leader of the rebellion, welcomed the Joint Meeting Parties’ initiative to tackle the issue peacefully. He denied any relations with Iran or Libya, as authorities allege, confirming that he’s ready for any peaceful solution to the crisis to ensure his tribesmen their constitutional rights to express themselves.
Al-Houthi’s statement continued, “Government efforts in this regard are unacceptable behavior because it paves the way for foreign interference at the expense of Yemenis and their blood, as well as the nation’s security and stability.”
Good point. Its not an internationalized conflict now, but it could become one.
The statement, which was distributed to the media, warned of the official media’s addresses regarding sectarianism. “We reject the authorities’ attempts to spark sectarian sedition between Zaidis and Shafis. We affirm that we are brothers who love each other without any difference between Zaidis and Shafis,” the statement clarified.
On behalf of Al-Houthis, the statement criticized official media for using language regarding blasphemy against Zaidis and other Islamic sects.
Yes the offical media and government officals have tried to turn this into a sectarian conflict when the only side making that claim is the government. Zaidis and Shaifis have no problem with each other and frankly are a regional model of pluralistic religious co-existance.
Regarding his attitude toward President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s call for Al-Houthis to form a political party, abandon their mountain positions and surrender their heavy arms, the rebel leader responded, “We welcome any peaceful solution that ensures us citizenship rights and freedom of expression in conformity with the Yemeni Constitution. We accept the president’s call for us to form a political party according to the Political Parties and Organizations Law.”
Stop the presses. They accept the regimes offer to stop fighting and form a party assuming they have equal citizenship rights. Also note he didn’t reject the idea of the democratic process, so maybe he’s not a monarchist after all. Ok we know all along he’s not a monarchist but has a domestic agenda that does not include re-instating the Imaminate but does include chanting Death to America.
I dont think in the US people are allowed to congregate and chant slogans advocating genocide. And this stupid thing with the slogan seems to have been instrumental in re-igniting the conflict at various points. Is this what the deaths, the destruction, the billions in losses is all about, they want to chant the slogan? Otherwise I dont know what they want, and havent seen any good other explanation of the Houthi agenda either.
Abdulmalik said he accepts the regime offer. So everybody should find a way to stop the whole thing now, a temporary cease fire even, to see if they mean it. Everyday people are killed, soldiers, houthis and civilians. The priority has to be immediately ending the cycle of violence.
The JMP renewed its rejection of any foreign interference in the Sa’ada rebellion, but it urged rebels to surrender their arms and continue the struggle in a peaceful manner. Deputy JMP spokesman Mohammed Al-Sabri told the Emirati Al-Bayaan newspaper, “The opposition emphasizes the necessity of suggesting solutions to all national issues.”
He pointed out that the JMP opposed the Yemeni government’s manner of dealing with the issue from the very beginning, but declared that they are ready to participate in any peaceful efforts to end the crisis.
The opposition parties affirmed that peaceful democratic options are the only means to express political and social demands, thoughts and opinions. They called upon all to continue the peaceful struggle in order to embody such an option in the nation’s political life because it’s the only correct way toward a new Yemen.
The JMP got trashed for this statement by that GPC media dog. Also the regime is missing the opportunity to get the advice of the JMP in ending the fighting (which is one of the largest threats to Yemeni stability, foreign investment and economic development.) Instead the regime is villifying the JMP, but that’s nothing new.
Yemeni authorities are hunting and arresting anyone suspected of links with Al-Houthi in several governorates, including Dhamar, where local sources reported that as many as 10 individuals were arrested last week. In the capital, authorities arrested five students enrolled at Badr Religious Center, which is run by Zaidi imam Al-Murtadha Zaid Al-Muhatwari.
Additionally, the arrest campaigns targeted those who studied at the Great Mosque in Sana’a, others who belong to Al-Haq and the Popular Forces Union Party, as well as several individuals suffering mental disorders, such as Amiraddin Badraddin Al-Houthi, who is psychologically ill.
Arbitrary arrests again, like 2005, politicized arrests and targeting the parties, the mentally ill and anyone else.
Local Sa’ada authorities have announced that dialogue with Al-Houthi loyalists has reached an impasse. “Dialogue and negotiations with the terrorist elements have reached a deadlock. Al-Houthi supporters don’t understand anything except force,” September.net quoted a Sa’ada source as saying last Thursday, more than a week after mediation efforts were halted.
Other sources report that residents of Khawlan area in Sa’ada are experiencing harsh living conditions because they can’t obtain foodstuffs. The same sources added that locals refuse to engage in clashes against Al-Houthi aides in order for them to get foodstuffs.
No water, no food. Some people call it Yemen’s Darfur in that the regimes actions in cutting off the roads without providing the basic provisions is in essence targeting the population. Like during the first and second wars.
An official source threatened that tough measures are due to be taken against the Popular Forces Union Party-affiliated Shoura.net for publishing incorrect stories alleging that new jihadist groups have joined the rebellion to fight the Yemeni army.
The source described the story as a fabrication, noting that it’s strange for Shoura.net to publish such news because it’s known to back terrorism since the very beginning of the Sa’ada rebellion. He added that firm action should be taken against the web site for fabricating facts and harming the reputation of the nation, its army and security forces.
“That threat represents a series of official conducts targeting press freedom,” an official at Shoura.net reacted, pointing out that the official source can only deny the story’s authenticity without using language of intimidation or terrorism against the press.
He claims Shoura.net depended upon more than a local source in Abyan governorate when publishing news about the jihadist groups, adding that the web site welcomes any military or civilian comment on the story after its publication. The staff member affirmed that official sources must provide information to members of the press.
a) even i know that the jihaddis are there and I’m in the US and I didn’t hear it from al-Khaiwani either. b) the appropriate way to dispute an article is to issue a statement rebutting it. c) lay off al-Khaiwani, Im just saying.
U.S. Ambassador to Yemen Thomas C. Krajeski ascertained that his government would support Yemen in quelling the rebellion. “We are ready to hear and welcome Yemen’s request for support,” he declared in an interview with 26 September newspaper, “We neither back nor accept any armed rebellion against President Saleh’s government. We hope the rebels surrender their arms and end the crisis.”
Krajeski went on to say, “We’ve worked hard with the military and security forces in Yemen for about five years and I think this cooperation is due to last for some time,” concluding, “The Sa’ada issue is very difficult for the Yemeni government, which we back.”
It’s the first time the U.S. officially has declared its support for the Yemeni government regarding the Sa’ada rebellion. U.S. State Department reports have criticized the fighting in Sa’ada, in addition to Zaidi thoughts.
I liked Khoury’s statement much much better. Khoury says the US will not interfere, is concerned for the civilians, prefers a peaceful settlement, and doesnt buy the garbage about it all being a foreign conspiracy. Obviously they are speaking to two different audiences. A firm statement on humanitarian issues would be nice now that the US has finally broached the subject, also something about civil liberties would be good. Suggest a humanitarian truce perhaps

[عبدالله الحسني]

suggesting this article from Asharq Alawsat English
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2007 15:13:55 -0000

Yemeni MP: Clashes May Spread Beyond Northern Yemen

Washington- Asharq Al-Awsat:- Yemeni Parliamentary Deputy Yahya Badr al Din al Houthi told Asharq Al-Awsat that he had left for Libya before the clashes erupted again in the Saada Province in northern Yemen. He stated that his visit was prompted by an invitation by the Libyan leader, Muammar Qaddafi. Al Houthi added that Qaddafi was seeking to mediate between the al Houthists [followers of the deceased rebel preacher Hussein al-Houthi] and the Yemeni government. Furthermore, he said that this came following a personal request form the Yemeni President, Ali Abdallah Saleh.
Yahya is the deceased Hussein Badr al Din al Houthi's brother the latter of whom was the founder of the Youthful Believers organization and who was killed in one of the confrontations with security forces in September 2004. Yahya al Houthi is responsible for triggering a diplomatic crisis between Sanaa, which wants him extradited, and Tripoli. Yahya's brother, Abd al Malik al Houthi who is cleric Badr al Din al Houthi's third son, is the leader of present rebellion in Saada which has left dozens dead, and the clashes remain ongoing. Sanaa is accusing Yahya al Houthi of orchestrating the rebellion from abroad.
Last Saturday in a telephone interview from Germany, Yahya al Houthi's place of residence, he pointed out that the Libyan mediation attempt has failed because the Yemeni government did not fulfill its pledges. He added that the Yemeni military forces "have found in war a source to make them wealthy and a means to trade weapons. The Yemeni government regards the war as a means to draw foreign aid. This is why it has shirked from its obligations to mediators from Yemen and other foreign countries."
Al Houthi said, "I met with members of my family in Libya after a long period in which we were not in contact. I have now returned to my place of residence in Europe. The president himself [Ali Abdallah Saleh] met with Qaddafi and they have discussed our issue. He requested that he [Qaddafi] intervene to settle the problem. Qaddafi only interceded to fulfill the president's wish."
Yahya al Houthi accused the Yemeni government of deluding international parties into believing that the al Houthists pose a danger to them as well as to Israel and the US. He pointed out that Yemeni Jews in the Saada province are not targeted in the ongoing clashes but that the Yemeni government was using them to serve its interest.
Al Houthi warned that the clashes could spread to other provinces, noting that his supporters had in fact opened up new fronts in Khulan Amer in the Saada province. He stressed that he cannot rule out the possibility of the confrontations spreading beyond the Saada Province. He denied that the Yemeni security forces, backed by Yemeni Army units, have succeeded in recapturing the locations, as the Yemeni media outlets have reported.
In response to the question as to his stand regarding the requests demanding that he be dismissed from the elected Yemeni parliament and revoking his parliamentary immunity, al Huthi said, "These threats are part of the psychological warfare. They do not scare me as I currently have international immunity after having obtained political asylum. I have European documents that prove that I have been subjected to persecution." Commenting on the Yemeni government's demand to the International Interpol to hand him over to Yemeni authorities, he said, "This talk also stems from the psychological warfare. The European countries know my status well, and such talk does not affect me."
Al Houthi said that the Yemeni authorities arrested his son, Olwi, in Sanaa even though he holds a diplomatic passport, and detained him from leaving the capital. Other Yemeni nationals who were also arrested after having been formerly guaranteed safety by the authorities. He added, "I have received information that the Yemeni authorities torture prisoners in all the prisons, seeking the help of the so-called Muslim Brotherhood, the Egyptians, Syrians and the Iraqi Baathists."
Discussing US Ambassador to Yemen, Thomas Krajeski's, statement supporting the Yemeni government's confrontation of the rebellion, al Houthi said "If this statement were in fact true, it will be of little use to the Yemeni authorities in the arena because the US aid can be represented in supplying the regime with some weapons, and much of these weapons have fallen into the hands of our supporters. Previously, our supporters did not have heavy- or medium-caliber weapons, but now they have a lot."
Regarding the US ambassador's call to al Houthists to lay down their arms, al Houthi said that it is a matter to be resolved between them as Yemenis. He said: When our brothers can be sure that their lives are safe and that it is no longer necessary to bear arms, naturally, they will disarm. The US ambassador should fulfill his diplomatic duties rather than go to the markets to buy arms; it is a mission that we do not believe is part of his duties.