Al Qaeda group takes over army base in South Yemen as US and UK close embassies

Both the US and UK close their embassies in Yemen as security deteriorates after Houthi rebels took over government. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula(AQAP) took control of an army base in the south.

Only four Yemeni soldiers and one AQAP fighter were killed in the raid. Members of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, took control of the base, a garrison for the Yemeni army’s 19th brigade, then freed some 60 captured soldiers, according to government officials and a media liaison for AQAP. The attackers seized many weapons and even off road vehicles. The base is in the southern province of Shabwa. AQAP has had repeated clashes with the forces of the Houthi rebels who recently took power in Yemen after the failure of a political compromise. This is AQAP's biggest success on the battlefield since the Houthis took power. The US has closed it embassy in Yemen temporarily. A statement from the embassy in the capital Sanaa said: "Recent unilateral actions disrupted the political transition process in Yemen, creating the risk that renewed violence would threaten Yemenis and the diplomatic community in Sana’a,"

Reports say that US vehicles were seized at the airport as embassy staff were evacuated. State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said the vehicles had been confiscated. Hower, Hussein Ezzi, a Houthi spokesperson, said that 30 US vehicles that were at the airport would be handed over to the UN and that the whole affair was a misunderstanding. Only a few moments later the UK embassy also announced it was evacuating its staff as well and closing: "The security situation in Yemen has continued to deteriorate over recent days. Regrettably we now judge that our embassy staff and premises are at increased risk. We have therefore decided to withdraw diplomatic staff and temporarily suspend the operations of the British Embassy in Sana'a." France, Germany, and Italy also closed their embassies citing the security situation.

The move may be a prelude to cutting aid to the Houthi government after it forced the resignation of US and western ally former president Mansour Hadi before finally taking power themselves. The UN special envoy to Yemen Jamal Benomar in an interview said: “We believe the situation is very dangerous. Yemen is on the brink of civil war”. While the Houthi are bitter enemies of AQAP, they are also anti-American and opposed to drone strikes. The former government cooperated closely with US operations in Yemen.

 Although the Yemen embassy may be closed, drone operations could very well continue and there are also special forces in Yemen who may remain. Presence of US forces was confirmed as long ago as 2012. While US operations against terrorism in Yemen will continue, they may not have the support of the Houthi government even though AQAP is a common enemy. Apparently, many of the army brigades in the south are opposed to the Houthi rule. This might explain why the battle for the base appears to have been brief with few casualties. It would also explain why the captured soldiers were released by AQAP. AQAP may be taking advantage of splits within the armed forces that are now under the control of a Supreme Security Council dominated by Houthi members. AQAP attacked the base after learning that the base was to be handed over to Houthi forces. The base would provide a staging area that the Houthis could use for attacks on adjacent Sunni dominated areas in Marib and Shabwa provinces. Some Sunni tribes are becoming allies of AQAP in battling the advance of Houthis into Sunni areas.

Critical comments removed from report on USAID in Egypt

After Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in 2011, the US Agency for International Development(USAID) paid several nongovernmental organizations(NGOs) to begin pro-democracy programs even though they were not registered to work in Egypt.

In less than a year, Egypt charged 43 workers with operating in the country illegally. Sixteen of those charged were Americans. The son of then-U.S. transportation secretary Ray Lahood was one of those arrested. In March 2012 the US workers were freed but only after USAID secretly paid $4.6 million for "bail." As the Washington Post reports, just two months afterward the Office of the Inspector General(OIG) of AID did a confidential draft audit that brought into question the legality of the program and of the "bail" payment. However, when the IOG office issued its final audit five months afterwards, what had been originally a 21-page report was now just nine. The earlier questioning and criticism of the "bail" payment were gone along with other critical remarks. In recent interviews, a number of current auditors and other employees anonymously complained about the censoring of audits between 2011 and 2013. While these negative comments were sent via "management letters" to senior USAID officials, the letters are confidential and not usually made available to the public.
 Some employees complained that the OIG whose function was to be an internal watchdog of the agency, had instead become a defender of it against any internal criticism. More than 400 negative references had been taken out of the draft audits before the final versions were released. Under the acting inspector general Michael Carroll, some auditors complained that he did not want to create controversy during the period he was awaiting his confirmation as the permanent inspector general. His actions seem to have had the opposite effect. Carroll withdrew his nomination just last Wednesday after it had been pending for a year and four months. He declined to discuss why he made the decision.
 State Department spokesperson Jen Psakii said on Thursday that the OIG's draft report on programs in Egypt contained "inaccuracies" that were cleared up during a meeting with OIG staff and Anne Patterson who was then US ambassador to Egypt. Psaki said that the bail money was paid by non-governmental organizations with money they received for the Egyptian programs. Psaki claims the role of the US government in the payment was revealed publicly in 2012. This hardly explains why criticism of the payment should have been removed from the report nor does it explain why the "bail" was a proper use of the NGO's funds.
 Darren Roman an audit supervisor at the OIG who retired back in 2012 said: “The office is a watchdog not doing its job. It’s just easier for upper management to go along to get along. The message is: ‘Don’t make waves, don’t report any problems.’” A number of auditors and other employers felt that their authority had been undermined by the changes made in drafts that were critical of the organization. According to Jen Psaki it is standard practice for government officials to meet with OIG officials prior to a report being issued. Perhaps it is government pressure that also intervenes to remove negative comments. As shown by the appended video USAID programs often are intended to promote US government agendas while appearing to be independent NGO's. As in Egypt,  this can sometimes land NGO employees in hot water in host countries.

Abbas' anti-Israel rhetoric annoys the US and Israel

The US expressed annoyance at the UN speech of Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority. Abbas accused Israel of carrying out acts of genocide during the recent Operation Protective Edge.

Abbas also accused Israel of planning another "Nakba" or "disaster" referring to events before and after Israeli independence: During the 1948 Palestine War, an estimated 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled, and hundreds of Palestinian towns and villages were depopulated and destroyed.[2][3] Abbas termed the latest round of conflict in the Gaza strip "a series of absolute war crimes carried out before the eyes and ears of the entire world, moment by moment" and claimed that the devastation was unmatched in modern times. Abbas also accused Israel of undermining any chances for peace during the earlier 9 months of negotiations as well as consistently trying to "fragment our land and our unity." While Israel may very well be guilty of war crimes, Abbas' use of the term "genocide" is hardly accurate.
 Israel has been upset not only by Abbas' rhetoric but by the formation of a unity government with Hamas regarded by both the US and Israel as a terrorist organization. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman was quite critical of Abbas and suggested he could not be a partner in future peace talks:"Abu Mazen's (Abbas') words at the UN General Assembly sharply clarify again that Abu Mazen doesn't want and can't be a logical partner for a political settlement. Abbas isn't a member of joint government with Hamas for no reason." Senior officials in Israeli Prime Minister's Benjamin Netanyahu's office also denounced the speech.
The US joined the chorus of criticism with State Department spokesperson, Jen Psaki, saying: "President Abbas' speech today included offensive characterizations that were deeply disappointing and which we reject. Such provocative statements are counterproductive and undermine efforts to create a positive atmosphere and restore trust between the parties." Abbas' rhetoric may be designed to show his constituency that he is tough on Israel. Abbas has lost support while Hamas has gained it by standing up to Israel in spite of the devastation wreaked upon the Gaza Strip because of Hamas' continued resistance and firing of rockets into Israel.
Abbas may be strong in his rhetoric but failed to follow through with actions. He did not say anything about joining the International Criminal Courts. His aides have often said he is prepared to do so, an action that would irritate the Israelis. Abbas said:"We will not forget and we will not forgive, and we will not allow war criminals to escape punishment." Abbas failed to indicate how this was to be accomplished and said nothing about taking the issue to the International Criminal Court.
 Abbas' aides also claimed that Abbas would press for a new UN Security Council resolution that would set a three year schedule for Israel to withdraw from all Palestinian territories captured during the 1967 war. The aides said as well that if the UN did not accept the resolution Abbas would seek membership in more international agencies including the International Criminal Court. Abbas could bring to the court not only the war crimes issue but also Israeli construction of settlements in the West Bank that the Palestinians see as part of their future state.
  Hamas and the Palestinian Authority(PA) have reportedly negotiated a "comprehensive" agreement that will see officials of a unity government take over the civil administration of Gaza. The unity government is led by President Abbas. Both groups hope that this agreement will pave the way for easing of the Gaza blockade imposed by Israel with the help of Egypt.
 A recent study by the Palestinian Authority estimates costs of reconstruction in Gaza to be $7.8 billion. Under the agreement, the PA will take control of the border crossings of the Gaza Strip including the key Rafah crossing into Egypt. Abdel al-Sisi the Egyptian president had demanded that the PA and not Hamas control the crossing. The agreement will end Hamas' seven year long sole rule of Gaza after it won elections in 2006. The agreement comes after complaints by each side about the other including Hamas' anger at the PA refusal to pay the salaries of 45,000 civic employees in Gaza. If the new agreement holds and the new government operates smoothly this will be a giant step forward in resolving the constant bickering between Hamas and the PA that continually threatens Palestinian unity and prevents a common front in negotiations with Israel.

UN brokers Yemen peace deal between government and Houthi rebels

The Houthi rebels in Yemen accepted a UN-brokered peace deal after capturing much of the capital Sanaa. The deal will require disarmament and withdrawal from areas they seized recently.

The deal was signed by the Shiite rebels along with political rivals the Islah party linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, with other parties signing as well. The Houthis appear to be the strongest force in the capital Sanaa. They have thousands of fighters in the city, man checkpoints, and are well supplied with weapons seized from army barracks. The Houthis may be reluctant to give up their present power status. While the Shiite Houthis are a minority among the Sunni majority in Yemen as a whole, they are a majority in their strongholds in the north. However, separatist rebels in the south also oppose the central government.
 Even while the deal was being signed some Houthi fighters fought with security guards at the house of the national security chief Ali-Ahmadi. Two Houthi fighters were killed in the fighting. Al-Ahmadi is in charge of the security apparatus that coordinates attacks on Al-Qaida with the US. The Houthis were apparently trying to storm the house.
 The US embassy told US citizens to leave Yemen because of the security situation just a day ago. Government staff have been reduced at the embassy. The Yemeni president and staunch US ally Mansour Hadi claimed that Yemen could be heading for civil war.
 On Saturday a rocket attack was launched against special police guarding the US embassy in Sanaa. The attack was said to be in retaliation for a US drone strike on Friday in the north of Yemen. Ansar al_Sharia, affiliated with Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula(AQAP) claimed responsibility for the attack. The rocket hit about 200 meters from the embassy and injured at least two of the special police guarding the facility. Tribal sources confirmed that 2 Al-Qaeda members were killed in a drone strike in Al Jawf, Friday, and some children were reported wounded. Another attack in the capital targeted an armored vehicle of security guards who were protecting a building rented by the US embassy. A man fired a portable missile from a motorcycle. It caused a large explosion but no one was injured. US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said: "We are aware of an attack with an assault weapon in Sanaa today. We have no indication that the U.S. Embassy was the target of the attack,"
  The US Embassy in Sanaa has been the target in the past of AQAP operations. The US provides training for Yemeni counter-terrorism forces and also carries out drone strikes again suspected militants. He is strongly supported by President Hadi even though there is considerable opposition among the population. Many Yemenis are angry that Yemeni citizens in Guantanamo have not been released back to Yemen. The president sides with the protesters on this issue.
 The Houthis have agreed to join the fight against Al Qaeda although they do not support US drone strikes. The agreement will give Houthis some executive power as the president will name an adviser from the group and another from the southern separatist movement which is also a challenge to the central government. A new government is to be formed within a month. So far the Houthis have not agreed on who should be the new prime minister. The appended video discusses the chances of the peace deal holding.