Islamic State in Yemen attacks presidential palace in Aden, Yemen

A suicide car bomber detonated his vehicle as he rammed into cement blocks protecting the gate of the presidential palace in Aden, Yemen, the local police chief Shalal Shaei told Al Jazeera.

Shaei said at least seven people were killed and another 15 people wounded by the blast. The dead included soldiers. Another report claimed five people were killed. A group affiliated with the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Islamic State is in competition with Al Qaeda in the Arabia Peninsula (AQAP), who has taken advantage of the civil war against the Houthi rebels to extend its area of influence and control in Yemen. It has also allied itself with local Sunni tribes to fight back against the Houthis. It virtually controls the province of Hadrahmut east of Aden and its capital city, Mukalla.

A Saudi-led coalition has beaten back the Houthis from the port city of Aden and surrounding areas. The Saudis have led an extensive bombing campaign against Houthi-held areas since last March. Prime Minister Mansour Hadi recently returned to Yemen to set up his government. He and his government had long been forced into exile in Saudi Arabia because of the Houthi advance.

A report by a panel of 18 UN experts documented 119 sorties by the Saudi-led coalition "relating to violations of international humanitarian law" and claimed that "many attacks involved multiple air strikes on multiple civilian objects." Rights groups in the U.S. and UK have called on their government to stop sales of weapons to the Saudis that could be used in these attacks. The report said all sides had violated international humanitarian law. Evidence shows that the Saudis used cluster bombs. There is an international ban on their use but neither Saudi Arabia nor the U.S. have signed on to the ban.

The aid agency Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) demanded an investigation of an attack on one of its hospitals that it claims killed six people and wounded at least seven others. Most were medical staff and patients. In the last three months MSF has seen two hospitals, a clinic and an ambulance hit.Raquel Ayora, MSF Director of Operations said: “The way war is being waged in Yemen is causing enormous suffering and shows that the warring parties do not recognize or respect the protected status of hospitals and medical facilities. We witness the devastating consequences of this on people trapped in conflict zones on a daily basis.”Nearly 6,000 people have been killed, around half of them civilians, since the coalition began air strikes in March of 2014..

Division reported in US administration over support for Saudi operations in Yemen

The Obama administration is reportedly divided on support for the Saudi war in Yemen, which has caused increasing carnage.

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Official estimates now place the death toll from Saudi-led airstrikes alone at about 1,500 civilians. There have been reports of the use of cluster bombs in the north, which hit a wedding party, a UN storage warehouse and port facilities in a Houthi-controlled port. Several residential areas in the capital, Sanaa, have also been bombed. A naval blockade in which the U.S. is a participant has made it difficult for aid supplies to reach Houthi-controlled areas.

The latest incident was the bombing of a hospital in the north run by Doctors without Borders. The attack ruined the hospital and wounded two staff members. The U.S. is reluctant to irritate the Saudis at this time because they are anxious to gain support for the nuclear deal with Iran, opposed by many U.S. allies including the Saudis and other Gulf states but Israel as well. On the issue of the Iran nuclear deal both Israel and many Arab states agree. Iran is a supporter of the Houthi rebels in Yemen the targets of the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen.

The Houthis took a large portion of western Yemen even south to the port of Aden. Since the Saudi campaign in March they have lost many southern areas including the port of Aden. The conflict has been a boon for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula which has formed alliances with local tribes to battle against the Houthis and has managed to gain control of large areas including the major port of Mukalla to the east of Aden. The group apparently has infiltrated into Aden. A recent suicide attack killed two members of a militia loyal to President Hadi's government which has established some offices in Aden in an attempt to restore a functioning recognized government in parts of Yemen again. There have been several other attacks, one shown on the appended image. Officials from the Hadi government and the president himself had been in exile in Saudi Arabia.

The UN has been trying to reach a peace agreement and political settlement for some time. However, the process is often fruitless since the UN has passed a resolution demanding that the Houthi's withdraw from all the areas they have taken and lay down their arms. Nevertheless, the Yemen government has agreed to a meeting to discuss implementation of the resolution and the Houthis as well.

Meanwhile, the Saudis are pressing for further gains supported by a large contingent of troops from the UAE. The Saudis are recruiting proxies for the battle to avoid political difficulties that might come from too many Saudi casualties. Sudan has agreed to send up to 6,000 soldiers to Yemen. The Saudis are in effect also hiring mercenaries to the tune of 800 former Colombian military. The first group of 100 under contract wtih Saudi Arabia already arrived in Aden this month. The group will wear Saudi uniforms but will be under the command of the UAE armed forces. This presence of foreign troops is not likely to go down well with locals.

Many of the militia who supported the Saudi offensive in Aden and area are southern separatists. They have no love for the Saudis or Hadi and local tribes are not likely to be happy with what is happening. An article in the Washington Post by Peter Salisbury an associate of the UK think-tank Chatham House, gives a good account of the difficulties of negotiating any successful political solution in Yemen. He fears that the West and the Saudis will press for a solution that may meet the wishes of the Hadi government, and traditional power brokers within Yemen but will leave out important players contributing to continuing instability within Yemen. The Hadi government is unlikely to have much support in Yemen, and even those who have supported it such as the southern separatists do so only to advance their own political interests. If these interests are ignored, rebellion and conflict will break out again.

UN imposes sanctions on Houthis as conflict continues in Yemen

Sanaa - In a sign that the Saudi-led bombing campaign and offensive against Houthi rebels is not going well, the newly minted vice-president appointed by the internationally recognized president Mansour Hadi has urged the Houthi fighters to end their offensive.

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Vice-President Khaled Bahah urged the Houthis to end their offensive in the south, particularly in the port city of Aden. He said that this could be a good will gesture that could lead to peace initiatives. He does not mention that Iran has already proposed peace initiatives. Of course Iran has no right to propose peace initiatives. As Abdulrahman al-Rashed, described as a veteran and internationally acclaimed journalist puts it: If the Houthis and deposed president Saleh are serious about a reconciliation, then they know who to turn to - to the Gulf Cooperation Council who represents the regional and familial system that’s closer to Yemen.

Of course the Gulf Cooperation Council is the same group that supports the Saudi-led bombing and offensive against the Houthis, and of which Saudi Arabia is a leading member. With opinions such as this it is clear why al-Rashed has such high status as a journalist.

Bahah is an obvious figure to put forth this apparently conciliatory gesture since he was accepted by the Houthis as a candidate for prime minister back in January during a failed attempt to form a government acceptable to the Houthis. Hadi no doubt realizes he has a very tarnished brand and little support, and is attempting to bolster his legitimacy through appointing Bahah and have him propose this move.No doubt, Hadi learned these types of tricks while he himself was Vice President under former president Saleh. Saleh is now allied with the Houthis but while in power he continually attacked them. Saleh ceded power to Hadi after a deal brokered by that familial system al-Rashed references that gave Saleh and his cronies immunity from crimes committed during the Arab Spring uprisings in which many protesters were killed. As with Hadi, Bahah speaks from the safety of the Saudi capital Ryadh. All this is no doubt done with the approval of the Saudis. The Saudis would be happy if the Houthis withdraw from the south and Aden. The Houthis no doubt might even agree but would surely want action in return such as the cessation of bombing and a ceasefire by militia fighting them while negotiating a government acceptable to each side. Of course none of this will have any effect on the battle of Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula(AQAP) and its advance s against the Houthis often allied with local Sunni tribes. Bahah also called on all troops and security force personnel to accept the command of the Hadi government and protect the country.

A perceptive article in the International Institute for Strategic Studies(IISS) notes that there is an irony in Saleh's support for the Houthis since he was their mortal enemy during his own presidency. However, Saleh wants to promote the military and political power of his son in opposition to Hadi and those loyal to him in the armed forces.. There is always the possibility of his changing sides if the right deal were offered to him. The pro-Hadi forces are even weaker it would seem then they appear to be since those fighting the Houthis in the south in many cases are local separatist militias who do not want to be part of a Hadi government either: As the IISS article puts it: " The role of southern militias in restoring Hadi is highly contentious, since they have consistently advocated independence from northern Yemen. This suggests that they are fighting to secure territory to pave the way for secession. This prospect has become increasingly viable since the war united southern factions, while airdrops of weapons may finally give them a military advantage. Southern militias have in fact framed their role as defending south Yemen rather than affirming Hadi’s legitimacy, thus casting doubt over the very notion of Aden as the ‘government’s last stronghold’."

In the video appended below the tank seen at the first is flying not the Yemeni flag but the flag of the southern separatist movement:

The UN has long been a supporter of the "familial system," which also includes the US. The UN Security Council had already imposed sanctions on Saleh and two Houthi leaders way back in November of last year and the other important family member the US dutifully followed suit:"The United States hit Yemen’s former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and two Houthi rebel commanders with sanctions Monday, two days after Saleh walked out on the new government. The US Treasury said it was blacklisting Saleh, Abdullah Yahya al-Hakim and Abd al-Khaliq al-Huthi “for engaging in acts that directly or indirectly threaten the peace, security or stability of Yemen”.The UN Security Council has now imposed an arms embargo on the Houthi rebels and also Saleh and his son. The US again followed suit by imposing sanctions on Saleh and two Houthi leaders once again:"The U.S. Treasury Department named Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi, and leading backer Ahmed Ali Saleh, son of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, to its blacklist, freezing any assets they might have on US property and forbidding Americans from dealings with them."These actions indicate that at present the "family" are not really interested in a negotiated solution so much as an imposed solution backed by military force and sanctions. Perhaps the Houthis will give in but this is doubtful unless they are offered more to give up their struggle. No matter what happens, AQAP is gaining considerable ground in the conflict and southern separatists will be in a position to push their demands.

The UN answers to the demands of the family as is shown in the appended video. Jamal Benomar who has worked tirelessly for a political solution was still attempting to do so but this ran afoul of the desires of the family and so he had to resign, to move on to another assignment,.

Houthi rebels in Yemen consolidate power by seizing presidential palace

Sanaa - In Yemen, Houthi rebels are reported to be in control of the presidential palace in the capital Sanaa. President Mansour Hadi is thought to be inside. Al Jazeera reports, based on witness accounts and security sources, that the seizure took place after a brief clash with the security guards at the presidential compound. Yesterday, the rebels seized a military base on a hill overlooking the palace. Yesterday as well, officials claimed that a ceasefire had been declared after a six hour fight between the Presidential Guard and the rebels.

There were troops deployed around the residence of President Hadi in Sanaa. Information Minister Nadia al-Sakkaf said that the Houthis have taken control of the state-run Republic of Yemen television station as well as the news agency Saba. She said: "This is a step toward a coup and it is targeting the state's legitimacy." There were two separate ceasefires agreed to, designed to facilitate ongoing negotiations today. The chief negotiator for the Houthi movement Ansarallah delivered a speech listing the Houthi grievances against the government. He claimed that president Hadi had failed to implement the terms of a peace deal with the Houthis agreed to last year in September, the Peace and National Partnership Agreement(PNPA). The Yemeni government accuses the Houthis of breaking the deal.

 Al Jazeera's producer in Sanaa, Khaled al-Hammadi said that Houthi fighters have "taken over and controlled completely the presidential palace." He claimed that the Third Brigade of the presidential guards surrendered without resisting and simply left the palace in spite of the fact that the brigade is said to have 280 Russian late-model tanks. Another report from Al Jazeera reporter Omar al Saleh said he had received reports that although Hadi was safe, his residence was surrounded by Houthi fighters.

The UN Security Council is holding consultations on the worsening situation in Yemen. Jamal Benomar, the UN special envoy to Yemen. had reported to the group on the latest situation but was now on his way back to Yemen. Most members of the Council were opposed to any military intervention in Yemen. The UK ambassador to the UN said that the meeting's goal was to release a statement expressing support for Hadi and his government and "making it clear that the international community will not tolerate the spoilers of the transitional government". Hadi was affirmed as the "legitimate authority". The statement called for implementation of the PNPA agreement, and finalizing of the constitution.

 Reporter, Hashem Ahelbarra, from Al Jazeera said it appeared that the Houthis were giving Hadi a last chance to agree to a political settlement. Houthi leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi on TV claimed that the recent two days of fighting that has been condemned by both US president Obama and the UN's Ban Ki-moon were attempts to protect a power-sharing deal, the PNPA. His speech was critical of President Hadi a staunch US ally. The accord is strongly supported by the Houthis since it grants them participation in all military and civil state bodies. He said: "We ... will not hesitate to impose any necessary measures to implement the peace and partnership agreement."

The Houthis have denied that they are attempting to topple the Yemeni government. Although there had been earlier gunfire at the house of Hadi, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti a member of the Houthi Politburo said there were no plans to target Hadi. He also claimed that Popular Committees had acted at the presidential palace to stop a local officer who was attempting to steal weapons from the compound. Obama's senior adviser Valerie Jarret claimed Obama was following events in Sanaa closely. Jarret said: ""He's obviously is in touch with the folks on the ground, our embassy, he's getting regular updates from his national security team...We are in close touch with our embassy.".." President Hadi has supported US drone strikes against Al Qaeda and joint operations as well.

More problems in Yemen with Special Forces mutiny

As if Yemen did not have enough problems dealing with rebel Houthis and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula(AQAP) there has now been a mutiny within the elite Special Forces.

Gunfire was reported within the headquarters' building. The Yemen presidential guard has cordoned off the entire area. The mutineers are demanding their new commander Mohammed Mansour al-Ghadraa be removed from his post. Rumors abound that former president Ali Saleh is behind the mutiny. His relatives had led the forces until being ousted when the present president, Mansour Hadi, had purged many of them. However, Saleh still has considerable support in parts of the armed forces.
A later report claims that the mutiny has ended with the appointment of a new commander: Yemen's official SABA news agency reported on Friday that Interior Minister Galal al-Rowaishan has appointed Abdel-Razak al-Marouni as a new commander of the Special Forces. The SABA report made no mention of Mohammed Mansour al-Ghadraa, the commander who led the unit until Thursday's apparent rebellion against his authority. Al-Gadraa had been appointed just in September.
The mutineers shouted "leave, leave" and tried to storm al-Ghadraa's office. Saleh is alleged to be helping Houthis who have occupied considerable areas of Yemen including occupying the capital in September. Hadi agreed to a new government of technocrats but the Houthis objected to some of those appointed. The Houthis are also angry because the UN has sanctioned two of their commanders as well as Saleh. Ironically, during the presidency of Saleh the Houthi's often fought the Saleh government until a truce in 2010 after six years of battle.
  In the deal that convinced Saleh to transfer power to his then vice-president Mansour Hadi, Saleh, and his relatives were granted immunity from any trial for crimes they might have committed when in power. His government killed many protesters. His party also kept a share of power. The ruling party, the General People's Congress, is split between Hadi and Saleh supporters. The Congress moved to dump Hadi as party leader and replaced him with a senior aide. This action was in direct response to the UN action. Some party leaders in the south of Yemen have claimed that the party's dismissal of Hadi was "void." The government however has problems ruling in the south where separatists have used the Houthi advances as an opportunity to advance their own agenda of creating a separate state in the south such as had existed previously.
The Houthis and the Hadi government are also fighting against Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula(AQAP) fighters in central areas of Yemen. Local tribes in some areas are allied with the group in fighting off the Houthi advance. The US has continued bombing raids against the group which launches constant terror attacks against the Hadi government.
AQAP itself is facing internal divisions as some of its units have sworn allegiance to the Islamic State a group that was ejected from Al Qaeda. A group in Egypt the Ansar Beit al-Magdis has also pledged allegiance and there is local support for IS in Libya as well. A video released by AQAP pledged continued allegiance to bin Laden's successor Ayman al-Zawahri rather than al-Baghdadi who is leader of the Islamic State and demands that all Muslims pledge allegiance to his new caliphate.
  Meanwhile in light of the deteriorating security conditions in Yemen, the Philippine government is asking all Filipinos to leave the country as soon as they are able. The Philippine Embassy said: “A total ban has been imposed on all travels to Yemen,” The embassy has set up a Crisis Management Team in Sanaa to assist Filipinos in leaving the country.

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.

President Hadi of Yemen claims he personally signs off on each U.S. drone attack

The president of Yemen Mansour Hadi confirmed today that he personally signs off on each drone attack made by the U.S. in Yemen. This is a complete turnaround from previous policy which was to refuse to acknowledge U.S. involvement in attacks.

President Hadi was formerly vice-president under the long-ruling Saleh regime. In a deal brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council with the support of the U.S., Saleh stepped down and turned over power to Hadi in return for immunity for him, his family, and cronies for any crimes committed during an uprising against his regime that killed many protesters. Later Hadi, supported by the U.S., ran unopposed for president. and won. Hadi warned that Yemen is still unstable and unless proper security measures are taken could descend into a civil war worse than Afghanistan. Hadi said that unrest could continue as well if an upcoming months-long national dialogue is unable to resolve the Arab Gulf state's deep political and societal rifts.

Hadi noted that he had an excellent counter-terrorism relationship with the U.S. and said that he personally "signs off" on every drone strike conducted by the U.S. This statement is quite extraordinary since the U.S. position is that the Yemen drone program is classified. This should make the ACLU suit under the freedom of information act more powerful since so far the Obama administration claims that to even affirm or deny that the program exists would jeopardize U.S. security. The ACLU has been seeking in vain to obtain information about the drone program.

The president praised the precision of the drones and claimed that past "mistakes" were being avoided. This might be a reference to Yemeni civilians who had been killed by drones. Hadi said he had visited the center from which the drone strikes are launched and said that he could see the operations unfolding "step by step."

The Yemeni military, with U.S. aid, was able to drive Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and other militant groups from territory that they had occupied last summer. However the militants have retreated to the mountains and underground to wage a guerrilla type terror warfare which still takes its toll on the government. The government attacks upon the towns taken over by Islamic militants ruined many houses and destroyed infrastructure so that many inhabitants still remain in cities such as Aden as refugees.

Yemen is still plagued by separatist movements both in the north with Houthi rebels, and separatists in the south, as well as Islamic militants. As with his predecessor Hadi uses the threat of Islamic militants to plead for aid from the U.S. and others. There are still divisions within the Yemeni government and armed forces as well, with members of former president Saleh's family and supporters still having considerable influence.

In a recent Friends of Yemen meeting in New York about $1.5 billion was pledged to help the country bringing the total promised by international donors to $8 billion. How much of this money will go for humanitarian purposes or for reconstruction or how soon was not made clear. No one knows how much of the aid will be siphoned off through corruption either!