Russian plane prevented from leaving Sanaa Yemen airport

Russia claims an Il-76 transport took "23 tonnes of humanitarian aid" to Sanaa, the capital of Yemen controlled by Houthi rebels. The aid was said to include food and tents.

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Houthi-controlled areas are being bombarded by a Saudi-led coalition and there are also ground battles including not just Saudi troops but also UAE forces and even soldiers on contract from Ethiopia. The plane was reported ready to fly back to Russia on Friday with 75 people on board anxious to flee the city that is constantly bombed. This is the first Russian flight to the capital since last July. As well as aid the plane was said to carry diplomatic staff.

Yemen Press news claimed ex-president Al Saleh had tried to board the Russian plane but the Saudi-led coalition that has control of flights in and out of Yemen would not allow the plane to take off. The article claims the plane had apparently received permission from the coalition air force to land. At least once the coalition bombed the runway at Sanaa airport to prevent an unauthorized plane from landing, creating a problem for all aid planes. Saleh supports the Houthi rebels and his connections in the Yemeni armed forces helped the Houthis advance throughout Yemen, especially in areas where Sunnis are predominant. The Houthis are a Shia sect supported by Iran. The Saudis ordered the Russian plane to fly to Bisha airport in Saudi Arabia for inspection. The pilots refused to do so. The Saudis took this as clear evidence that Saleh was aboard the plane. The Saudis also claimed Saleh had visited the Russian embassy in Sanaa on Tuesday. Saleh admits this but said he went to express his condolences for those killed in the crash of a Russian plane over the Sinai.

Another article suggests the Saudis prevented the plane from leaving because it had not gone through the coalition inspection process in Djibouti. The Al-Masirah TV quote a Russian diplomat as claiming there was no justification for not allowing the plane to depart. The Saudi-led coalition has imposed a ban on all travel by sea or air to Yemen since March in accordance with Security Council resolution 2216.

Russia is working on a plan together with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, that would allow it to provide humanitarian aid in Syria, Yemen and Iraq. Russian Emergencies Minister, Vladimir Puchkov, said: "Next year we will make a plan for the provision of humanitarian aid in different countries including Syria, Yemen and Iraq. This also applies to assist in the event of natural disasters."

Former Yemeni president in talks with US, UK, and UAE diplomats

Representatives of Al Abdullah Saleh, the former president of Yemen are talking with diplomats from the United States, Britain, and the United Arab Emirates in negotiations that may help end the war in Yemen, according to a member of Saleh's party.

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Saleh himself along with his son are sanctioned by the UN so he will not personally be at the talks. Saleh and his son are still powerful in Yemen with many of the Yemeni armed forces loyal to Saleh. Saleh has allied his group with the Houthi rebels. Without his support the Houthis would likely not have advanced nearly as far as they have especially in the south of the country. Perhaps, Saleh is contemplating changing his allegiance again in order to have more power within any new government. While he was president, Saleh often fought with the Houthis whose stronghold is in the north of Yemen. The Houthis are Shia while the majority of Yemenis are Sunni Muslims.

The exiled president Mansour Hadi, was vice-president under Saleh and took power in a deal brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC) with the support of the US. Saleh and his cronies were shielded from prosecution for any crimes committed during the Arab Spring demonstrations in which many protesters were killed by Saleh's security forces. Later, Hadi was elected president but was the sole candidate. Saleh has continued to influence Yemeni politics and when the Houthi's occupied the capital, Saleh provided support with troops loyal to him. He has continued that support since the Houthis took power after failing to negotiate a new government acceptable to them. Hadi escaped from Sanaa to Aden where he tried to set up a government but was forced out of the city to exile in Ryadh Saudi Arabia. Recently some ministers have returned to Aden. The airport is now open again.

Adel Shuja, a leader of Saleh's Congress party said:"There are negotiations in Cairo between the leaders of the Congress party and diplomats from the United States, Britain and the UAE in order to find a peaceful solution to the crisis in Yemen...These negotiations have made significant progress so far."

These negotiations are taking place just as local forces, loyal to the exiled government, have made gains in the south taking over the port city of Aden and reopening the airport at Aden. The loss of the port happened within just a few days suggesting that perhaps Saleh had ordered his forces to withdraw.

Saleh was able to rule Yemen for 33 years by playing off rival armed and tribal groups against one another. He may be at it again, even though before he relinquished power he was almost killed in an attack on the presidential palace and sought medical treatment in Saudi Arabia and the US. The Houthis will be unable to hold territory in the south without help from Saleh. However, they also had been in talks earlier in Oman with members of the Southern Movement who are active in the fight against them in Aden. Oman has been key to mediation between the warring groups. There may be a concerted effort on the part of both rebel groups to reach a political solution as they realize continued military actions are devastating the country without much hope of final military success for either side. There will probably be increased pressure to give the south more autonomy. The separatist Southern Movement that has been a key force opposed to the Houthis often clashed with the former Hadi government. They now have significant numbers of armed fighters who will demand some political power in any new government.

Houthi rebels in talks with opponents in Oman

Ismail Ahmed, the UN special envoy for Yemen has warned that Yemen is on the verge of famine with 31 million now in need of assistance versus 7 million just two years ago.

The continued struggle between forces of the Houthi rebels, together with forces loyal to former president Saleh, and groups loyal to the government in exile of President Mansour Hadi has exacerbated the situation. Hadi and his government have all fled to Saudi Arabia. There are also places in Yemen where Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula(AQAP), allied with local Sunni groups, is also fighting the Shia Houthis. Ahmed blamed all the parties in the conflict for the drastic humanitarian situation for failing to agree to a ceasefire. On Wednesday, ground fighting together with Saudi-led airstrikes killed almost 100 people.

The Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in September last year after UN-sponsored talks between the Hadi government and opposition members failed to create a government approved by the Houthis. Hadi resigned as president. He was under virtual house arrest in Sanaa but was able to flee to Aden, where his attempt to set up a government there failed and he was driven out. In March, a Saudi-led coalition began a bombing campaign and blockade to restore the Hadi government to power. So far it has only resulted in more carnage, with the Houthis losing little ground. Conditions in the south have led to a severe outbreak of dengue fever, adding one more misery to the conditions faced by Yemenis. The World Health Organization says that there have been more than 3,000 suspected cases of the disease since March 20, but some non-governmental organizations put the number at twice that.

A rare piece of good news was that a ship from Oman carrying 1,000 tons of food and three large generators had been allowed to dock in Hodeida a port held by the Houthi rebels. There have been problems delivering aid. When an Iranian aid plane attempted to land in Sanaa some time ago, the Saudis bombed the runway, making it impossible for aid planes from any source to land.

Ahmed showed some optimism about the future, even after recent failed peace talks in Geneva. He said that "both sides showed signs of constructive engagement and there is an emerging common ground upon which we can build to achieve an eventual cease-fire coupled with withdrawal of combatants." There are talksongoing between Houthi rebels and the southern separatist movement, one of the main opponents of the rebels in the south and the port of Aden. The southern separatists for now claim loyalty to the Hadi government according to news reports. However, they want a separate southern state in Yemen, or at the very least more autonomy. They were opponents of Hadi and particularly of his plan to divide Yemen into six regions. They believe there should be two main regions. On this issue they agree with the Houthis who also rejected Hadi's plan. The separatists may very well seek a cease fire and ultimately a political deal with the Houthis but this might not help Hadi's cause at all.

Oman has played a constructive mediator role throughout this conflict. It is the only member of the Gulf Cooperation Council not to join the Saudi-led military campaign. This has left Oman in a unique position of being able to mediate between the two sides. It has already had talks with the Americans that may have helped free an American held by the Houthis. It also was able to arrange for passage of a UN plane carrying the Houthi delegation to Geneva. The plane had been stuck in Djibouti for almost 24 hours. Oman shares a border with Yemen. No doubt it is anxious not to have conflict on its border.

Another diplomatic initiative is taking place through Moscow as a delegation from the party of ex-president Saleh ,an ally of the Houthis, has gone to Moscow where they will meet with Russian officials. The Russians may be able to influence Iran, and through Iran the Houthis, to agree to a ceasefire. The UN is in a difficult position since it has passed a resolution that the Houthis withdraw from all their positions and lay down their arms. They have also banned arms shipments to the Houthis and imposed sanctions on two important Houthi leaders as well as on ex-president Saleh and his son. They are hardly able to pose as neutral negotiators. At the recent peace talks the Hadi government insisted that the talks were only about how to implement the UN resolutions which are in effect a surrender demand. It is not surprising the talks failed. Yet, many of the major powers involved want at least a ceasefire and may even want a political solution. Iran supports the Houthis. However, even they and the Houthis themselves do not think that the Houthis can rule alone. The aim had always been to have the Houthis not as the government but as having the power to agree to whatever government opponents, and their allies should propose. This could still happen eventually. In the meanwhile a cease fire is also quite possible. The southern separatists could very well see eye to eye about what a future government should look like.

An Iranian official told Al-Monitor: “Oman right now is leading a new initiative for a solution in Yemen,They are trying to come out with a solution that can make all sides content. It’s difficult, but any other options might lead to worse scenarios. The Saudis are trapped in the mud in Yemen. They have been bombing for three months without any serious change on the ground, and they’ll strike for another nine months without any results, while today Ansar Allah is on the borders with a minimum strength. What if it decided to go to the next step?”

Ansar Allah is the name of the Houthi rebel movement. If the Saudis are willing to accept a more independent Yemen that is less under control of the Saudis a peace deal might be possible. Another scenario could be two separate states as was the case before the north and south united. Hadi may ultimately be sacrificed by the very powers that support him. He does not seem to have much support in Yemen. The Houthis understood this when during the Geneva peace talks they said they had no interest in talking to Hadi or his delegation, only to Saudi Arabia.

Yemeni Southern Movement militia capture town from Houthi rebels

The Popular Resistance militia group, associated with a Southern Yemen secessionist movement, have finally taken control of the small city of Dalea from Houthi rebels after battling for months.

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The militia finally pushed into the center of the city of about 90,000, capturing the 33rd Armoured Brigade base and killing seven Houthi rebels in the process. Another report, indicates that only some areas of the city including Bardan ad Akhaszan have been retaken. Significantly, in the areas retaken the flag of Southern Yemen is being raised, not the Yemen flag. Some in the Saudi coalition are claiming credit for the capture of the city as part of the Saudi-led war effort, since the city and surrounding area has been subject to constant bombing. Much of Dalea has been destroyed by bombing.

While the Southern Secessionists may be temporary allies with the Saudi-led coalition, they are enemies of Hadi and certainly would not welcome him back to Yemen unless he should agree to grant independence to the south. When the Hadi-government controlled the city last year their soldiers came under attack.

The secessionist movement and Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula( AQAP) as well are taking advantage of the Saudi battle against the Houthis to further their own aims and seize territory. In Aden, much of the battle against the Houthis is being waged by defense and militia groups who support the separatist movement. This feature of the conflict appears to be studiously ignored by many analysts. These people hate the Houthis but they hate Hadi too.

In other Yemen news, peace talks that were to be held in Geneva are postponed. President in exile, Hadi, had demanded that the Houthis give back some of the territory they had seized as a condition of attending the talks.

Yemen peace talks to be held in Geneva on May 28

The UN has set May 28 to begin Yemen peace talks in Geneva but only one party to the conflict may attend. The Hadi government based in Saudi Arabia demands that the rebel Houthis give up some of the territory they have taken as a condition of taking part.

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Riad Yassine, the foreign minister, at first insisted the Houthis would need to implement all of UN Security Council Resolution 2216 in order for the Hadi government to agree to talks. Resolution 2216 was passed back on April 15th:Adopting resolution 2216 (2015) by 14 affirmative votes to none against, with one abstention (Russian Federation), the Council also demanded that the Houthis, withdraw from all areas seized during the latest conflict, relinquish arms seized from military and security institutions, cease all actions falling exclusively within the authority of the legitimate Government of Yemen and fully implement previous Council resolutions.

In other words, after driving the Hadi government into exile and setting up their own government as well as occupying much of the western part of Yemen, the Houthis are to give up the territory they have occupied and cede power to the government in exile operating from the Saudi capital, Ryadh.

Sometimes, it seems as if the UN operates in a different reality as it ignores what is happening on the ground. Instead it publishes moralistic rhetoric and issues demands or resolutions that are not kept. However, in this case the UN is simply pimping for the big powers that count in the area — the Gulf Cooperation Council including Saudi Arabia plus the U.S. Hadi is their man and even though he has been driven out of Yemen, even from his refuge in the south in Aden, he is still regarded as the rightful president. He has little real power on the ground in Yemen but that matters little if the legitimate use of force in Yemen is the coalition bombing Yemen to bits and any groups fighting the Houthis, who are claimed to be loyal to the Hadi government. Some in the south fighting the Houthis are probably loyal to the southern separatist movement and many fighting the Houthis in the east are loyal to Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula and at war with the Hadi government.

Powerful governments often believe that their power ensures that they can create the situation they want. In this case Gulf Arab countries including Saudi Arabia believe that the return of the Hadi government can be attained using their superior military power. As a result, they think it reasonable that negotiation means the surrender of their opponents instead of the each side recognizing the interests of the other side.

However, even Yassine appears to realize his original precondition did not have the slightest chance of being accepted. He later suggested that at least the Houthis should give back to the Hadi government a major city such as Aden or Taez. In the past, the Saudis have ruled out peace talks without a full disarmament and surrender. Yassine said a withdrawal from some captured territory by the Houthis would be a sign of goodwill. The April UN resolution placed an arms embargo on the rebels and also imposed sanctions on the son of Saleh the former president. It reiterated sanctions imposed last November on the ex-president and also two Houthi leaders. Given these moves it is not clear who would be able to negotiate on behalf of the Houthis or Saleh, who with his son controls much of the Yemeni armed forces. Saleh is allied with the Houthis.

Yemen's ambassador to the UN Khaled Alyemany said the talks in Geneva would be designed "to convince the Houthis to give up what they are doing and be part of the solution." These do not sound like "peace talks" but surrender talks. Given the situation on the ground there does not seem to be any motivation for the Houthis to surrender. Certainly many Yemenis hate the Houthis and want the conflict to stop but continued bombing by the Saudis directly supported by Hadi and other politicians from their safe haven in the Saudi capital will hardly generate support for the return of the previous government. For talks to have any chance of success they must begin with neither side placing preconditions on participation. Both sides have set preconditions for participation.

The Houthis have suggested as a condition for their attending that the two sides agree to the Peace and Partnership agreement the Hadi government signed when the Houthis took over the capital last September. The Houthis said: "The only way to solve the political problem is dialogue in a neutral country over what has been agreed upon in advance in the peace and partnership agreement," Maybe no one will show up for the peace talks.

The agreement did not result in a government the Houthis would approve and Hadi resigned. He was virtually under house arrest but escaped to Aden, claimed he was still president, and tried to set up a rival administration to the Houthis who took power when the negotiations failed. Hadi was driven out of Aden and took refuge in Ryadh where he enlisted Arab countries to try to put him back in power.

Saudis claim an end to "Decisive Storm" bombing raids on Yemen

"Operation Decisive Storm" a Saudi-led bombing operation targeting Houthi rebels who control much of Yemen will be ended after nearly a month.

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The old operation will replaced by a new one called "Operation Restoring Hope" according to Saudi state-run television. The Saudis are aiming to restore the former president Mansour Hadi, a staunch ally of both the Saudis and other Arab states in the Gulf Cooperation Council, and of the United States. Brigadier Gen. Ahmed Assiri, a spokesperson for the Saudi military, said the campaign had achieved its objectives "by a very good planning, very precise execution, by the courage of our pilots, our sailors, our soldiers."

Those killed and who had their houses destroyed in the bombings may question the "precise execution" of the bombings:At least 46 people are dead tonight and several hundred others wounded after Saudi warplanes launched attacks on the outskirts of a missile depot in the Yemeni capital city of Sanaa.No military casualties were reported in the strikes, which set off a string of explosions around residential neighborhoods in Sanaa. Many of the casualties were from explosions blowing out windows in people’s homes.Saudi officials responded to the heavy death toll with no military casualties by claiming the fact that the strikes had caused explosions showed that Houthi rebels had stored small arms in the area.This means that the Saudis will bomb a military target even though they know quite well it will cause multiple civilian casualties because of its location. Saudi officials claim that their airstrikes have degraded Houthi military infrastructure, including key buildings in Sanaa. This may be true but the Houthis are far from beaten and the Saudis may be degrading their support among many Yemenis opposed to the Houthis by the destruction and casualties caused by the bombings.

Brigadier-General Ahmed al-Assiri, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition said that the "Restoration of Hope" operation would aim at protecting civilians and combating "terrorism." The month long bombings could have combated terrorism by bombing Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula (AQAP) as they took control of the capital of Hadramawt province Mukala and seized a huge amount of weapons from military facilities. Instead the Saudis bombed urban areas in Sanaa, Taiz, and Aden, controlled by Houthis. Operation Restoration of Hope is said to be a "combination of political, diplomatic, and military action."

As if from another planet, al-Assiri went on:"The coalition has completed the 'Decisive Storm' campaign at the request of the Yemeni government and the President of Yemen. The primary goals of the campaign have been achieved and sovereignty has been protected. We are able to confirm that the Houthis are no longer a threat to Yemenis or neighbouring countries. The Yemeni government will now undertake all necessary actions to start rebuilding the country."The sovereign leaders have not set foot in Yemen and dare not as yet. The sovereign officials are far off in the safety of the Saudi capital Riyad. A naval blockade of Yemen will continue to stop the flow of weapons to the Houthis. As with AQAP the Houthis no doubt capture many weapons supplied to the Hadi government by the US and others.

Al Jazeera correspondent, Mohamed Vall, reporting from the Saudi Yemen border noted that there had been signs that Saudi policy was changing:"Iranian officials were optimistic of a ceasefire earlier in the day with US naval ships arriving in the region and greater levels of contact between the US and the Saudi monarchy. Most likely Iran, Saudi Arabia and others have come to some kind of agreement on the conflict."

The US had been attempting to persuade the Saudis for several days to let up on their bombings of Yemeni cities.They have sent warships to help patrol the waters off Yemen.

Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Zarif, has called for dialogue with the US and Western allies to help solve the crisis in Yemen. Iran had actually advised the Houthis against seizing the capital last September. Iran hoped that a political solution could be found in which the Houthis were able to negotiate a government agreeable to them. Instead no agreement was reached even after they seized the capital back last September. Since then they have extended their reign over much of the country even though they are a minority in Yemen and cannot hope to rule on their own. However, former president Saleh and troops loyal to him have helped the Houthi advance even to the southern port of Aden possible. Some of those fighting in Aden, I notice in photos, fly the southern separatist flag of South Yemen not the national flag, an ominous sign that separatists who are fighting the Houthis may not support a return of Hadi.

There is unlikely to be a ceasefire in areas controlled by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, but there could possibly be at least cessation of hostilities in most areas where the Houthis are facing others. The Houthis themselves may realize they cannot win control of the country. The World Health Organization(WHO) estimates that just between March 19 and April 17, hostilities have killed 944 people and wounded 3,487. WHO warned health services in Yemen were on the point of collapse:"Major hospitals will soon be completely unable to provide humanitarian and emergency services or to perform operations and provide intensive care to needy patients.This increases the risk of communicable diseases such as measles, which is prevalent in Yemen, as well as polio, which has been eliminated but is now at risk of reappearing,"Even a pause in the fighting would help alleviate the humanitarian situation.

UPDATE: Some bombing has continued. Several raids took place just hours after the end of bombing was announced.

Appeal to Ban Ki-Moon concerning repression of media in Yemen by Houthi rebels

Here is an appeal to Ban Ki-Moon concerning the repression of media in Yemen by the Houthi rebels, who control much of the north including the capital Sanaa where my Facebook friend, Munir Alhemyari  resides: 
Mr. Ban Ki-moon
Secretary-General of the United Nations 
At the beginning of our speech, let us remind you that all international conventions and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirm that human rights and freedoms are non-separated, and the separation between them is a blatant assault on the human conscience and vanquish to the whole life and is considered as a prejudice to humanity as a moral value. 
From this respect, we, in Al-Shomoa Foundation for Press and Media are sending to your excellency this letter, and appeal your human conscience and duty placed upon you as occupying the highest global position .... What is happening until the moment against the capabilities and potentials of Al-Shomoa Foundation for Press and Media by the so-called Ansar Allah (Houthis) surpasses all kinds of oppression and the eradication of free speech. All this happens for nothing, but because Al-Shomoa is seeking the truth, struggling for it and rejecting all claims that don’t establish a coexistence which is unbelievable by this group, which occupies our Foundation by its militias, oppression, and intimidation for nearly one month.
Houthi Group is deliberately seeking to dispel our capabilities as the first leading media organization in Yemen, including tampering with its contents in a barbaric and unprecedented way in order to prevent its publications and impair the freedom of speech which we consider as the real presence of human meaning ... in a close distance to the occupied headquarter of our Foundation, is being hold the dialogue between the political and partisan components lead by UN Envoy Jamal bin Omar who keeps silent towards what is being committed against our foundation of violations against freedoms, disruption and destroy to the devices and chase to journalists, as well as threats we receive of killing.
All that happen under the knowledge of your representative Mr. Bin Omar who must say a word of truth and sincerity towards the unprecedented harm we suffer which is never happened in all countries of the third world.
Mr. Bin Omar must call on Houthis to stop their occupation, leave our Foundation, stop pursuing us and remove all the barbaric acts of Ansar Allah, as well as compensation of the heavy damages and material losses caused to the foundation....
How can dialogue be correct? While there is a conquer and terrorism against the word and freedom.
How can the dialogue succeed? While the first attack against it is violating the right of expression.
Mr. Ban Ki-moon
We appeal your humanitarian and moral conscience to stand firm – through your envoy in Yemen – in the face of tyranny that is practicing all forms of humiliation against the right of expression.
Also, we call on your representative in Yemen Jamal bin Omar, with his history of struggle, to stand in face of crimes being committed against Al-Shomoa Foundation for Press and Media, and be at the level of the honesty , with no ignorance to what is at the heart of the dialogue (respect for the freedoms and rights) in the forefront is the freedom of speech . without the respect of freedoms and rights, any dialogue is humanly unacceptable

Yemen president suggests peace talks be held in Saudi Arabia as political crisis continues

The "president" of Yemen, and US ally, Mansour Hadi proposed Ryadh, Saudi Arabia, as the site for UN-sponsored talks between Yemeni political groups and Houthi rebels.

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The Houthi rebels control the north of the country including the capital Sanaa. Hadi had earlier resigned from the presidency but after fleeing from Sanaa, where he was confined to his house by the Houthis, to the port city of Aden in the south, he "took back" his resignation and claimed to still be president of Yemen. The Houthis took power when UN-sponsored talks failed to come up with a political solution that was satisfactory to them. As a Shiite minority within a Sunni majority country, the Houthis hoped to control the formation of a government on their terms. When this did not seem to be working out, they seized power.

The Houthi rebels have wanted to hold the UN talks in Sanaa but Hadi had wanted to move the talks to Aden or Taiz both in areas of the south that the Houthis do not control. The alternative site now offered by Hadi would be in the headquarters of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Ryadh. This is the same group that negotiated for ex-president Abdullah Saleh to step down in favour of Hadi his vice-president. Saleh relinquished power in return for amnesty for any crimes he and his cronies committed during the Arab Spring protests in Yemen against his rule. Many protesters were killed by security forces. The deal was supported by Saudi Arabia and the US. Hadi later ran for president unopposed and was elected. He has been a staunch ally of the US.

Saleh was formerly supported by Saudi Arabia and the US. In 2011 he barely escaped with his life after an attack on his presidential compound and spent considerable time recovering both in Saudi Arabia and in the US. After returning to Yemen he has helped the Houthis, whom he formerly attacked while in power. All of this is anathema to the powers who believe that they should determine the political process in Yemen, the US, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf Cooperation Council. A UN resolution was passed intended to punish Saleh and his Houthi allies:The United Nations Security Council imposed targeted sanctions on Friday on Yemen's former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and two senior Houthi rebel leaders for threatening the peace and stability of the country and obstructing the political process.Lithuanian U.N. Ambassador Raimonda Murmokaite, chair of the council's Yemen sanctions committee, said all 15 members had agreed to blacklist Saleh and Houthi rebel military leaders Abd al-Khaliq al-Huthi and Abdullah Yahya al Hakim. The three men are now subject to a global travel ban and asset freeze.

Now the UN is sponsoring dialogue between the Houthis, Saleh, and their opponents.

That Hadi should suggest Ryadh and the Gulf Cooperation Headquarters as a site for talks is ludicrous. He surely knows that this suggestion would be rejected. What the suggestion shows is that Hadi's power comes not so much from within Yemen as from outside. Both the Houthis and the General People’s Congress (GPC) rejected Hadi's proposal.The GPC is Saleh's political party. The party actually supported Hadi's bid for the presidency in 2012. Saleh still.has considerable influence in the army as well as in politics.

Hadi insists that talks must be moved from Sanaa, the capital, because it is an occupied city. He said: “It’s impossible for the negotiations to continue in Sana’a and some parties have refused to hold talks in Aden or Taiz. Therefore, the negotiations must be held in Riyadh." In response, a spokesperson for the Houthis noted: “Hadi’s call to move [the talks] to Riyadh is an attempt to obstruct the negotiations. We all know that Saudi Arabia considers Ansar Allah [the Houthis] a terrorist group, so how can we go there to participate in negotiations?..We participated in the National Dialogue Conference [NDC] in Sana’a and two of our representatives, Ahmed Sharaf Al-Deen and Abdulkarim Jadban, were assassinated. But we didn’t demand that the dialogue be moved. Would Hadi and the other parties agree to hold negotiations in Sa’ada or Tehran?”The Houthis are supported by Iran. Sa'ada is the main base of the Houthis in the north of Yemen. A GPC spokesperson said that the talks should take place somewhere in Yemen and noted that Hadi himself had insisted that the National Dialogue Conference called to chart Yemen's future transition to democracy had to be held in Yemen. Apparently, now he is more interested in pleasing his foreign backers.

The US ambassador to Yemen, Matthew Tueller, is now working out of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as the US closed the embassy in Sanaa in February. However, he visited Hadi in Aden and declared that Hadi was still the legitimate president of Yemen. Several Arab countries are planning on moving their embassies to Aden. The Houthis are likely to agree to participate in talks to solve the crisis even though they are proceeding with the plans outlined in their constitutional declaration when they took power. All sides except Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula and a few militant Sunni tribes would like a political solution. The separatists in the south may use the situation as a way of achieving more autonomy or even independence. The Houthis want to establish themselves as power brokers. Unless the US, Saudi Arabia, and the GCC are willing to compromise and accept the fact that they simply cannot impose their own will on Yemen, a long and costly civil conflict could ensue.