US helps Saudi-led bombing missions in Libya

Ever since the Saudi-led bombing campaign began a year ago in late March, the Saudis and their allies have depended on U.S. tanker planes to refuel their aircraft while in flight,

Timothy Smith, spokesperson for the Air Forces Central Command(AFCENT) told the Air Force Times that the fueling continues: "We've flown 709 sorties involving 3,720 receivers, And we've offloaded 26,591,200 pounds of fuel" to foreign aircraft," AFCENT has been keeping track of its missions since April 3, 2015 shortly after the bombing campaign began. During the first few weeks a host of countries had jets involved in the bombing including Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE and other Gulf nations.

Houthi rebels captured much of western Yemen including the port of Aden before the bombing campaign began. The internationally recognized government of Manour Hadi fled into exile in Ryadh, Saudi Arabia. With the Saudi-led campaign, the Houthis were driven out of Aden and much of south western Yemen but still hold the capital and areas in the north west. The Hadi government has moved to Aden. The Houthis are Shia Muslims supported by Iran, hence the large contingent of Sunni Arab states supporting the campaign to reinstate the Hadi government. The Saudi-led campaign has displaced more than 2 million people and killed thousands, many civilians. While the number of attacks have declined they are still ongoing. Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said that while the air strikes are less frequent than they used to be, Sana'a, the capital, and the Taiz area as well as Marib are still hit on a semi-regular basis.

The Saudi-led bombing has been sharply criticized for bombing civilian targets and even medical facilities run by Doctors Without Borders. There was also a critical report from a UN panel. Usually, the Saudis simply deny accusations but they have now announced a "high-.level independent committee" to investigate the bombardments, which some rights groups have even termed war crimes. The coalition also said that it was establishing a hotline with Doctors Without Borders. Three of its facilities have been subject to attack in recent months.

The coalition has been accused of using cluster bombs a number of times, including on Sana'a, the capital controlled by the Houthi rebels. While the coalition denies using them, evidence seems to show they were used. Some of the cluster bombs appear to come from the U.S. While there is an international ban on cluster bombs neither the Saudis nor the Americans have signed on to the treaty.

Saudi-led bombings on Sanaa reportedly used cluster bombs

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that air-strikes by Saudi Arabia using cluster bombs in the capital Sanaa may amount to a "war crime."

Stephane Dujarric said Ban was deeply concerned by the intensification of the air-strikes in residential areas. The strikes are reported to have hit the Chamber of Commerce, a wedding hall and even a center for the blind. Dujarric said the UN had received reports of cluster bombs being used in Sanaa. The bombs have been used earlier but in the north, not in a large city such as Sanaa. Dujarric said: "The use of cluster munitions in populated areas may amount to a war crime due to their indiscriminate nature." There is an international ban on the use of cluster bombs but neither the US, nor Saudi Arabia have signed on to the ban. Human Rights Watch, a human rights group, reported their use in Sanaa and claimed they were manufactured in the US. It would seem that they are very old stock. Perhaps the U.S. were glad to find a buyer for the bombs:

The human rights advocacy group identified the munitions “as US-made BLU-63 antipersonnel/anti-material submunitions and components of a CBU-58 cluster bomb. It added that parts of the bomb remnants had markings indicating that it was manufactured in the US in 1978. According to US export records obtained by HRW, Washington transferred 1,000 such bombs to Saudi Arabia sometime between 1970 and 1995.

The Saudi strikes also hit a Doctors Without Frontiers hospital in the north in the Saada governorate, the heartland of the Houthi rebels, but this was just one of many health facilities hit: UNICEF said the hospital in Saada was the 39th health center hit in Yemen since March. "More children in Yemen may well die from a lack of medicines and healthcare than from bullets."

Iran claimed its embassy in Sanaa was bombed intentionally. This is bound to increase already tense relations between the two countries subsequent to the recent execution of a prominent Saudi Shia cleric. This caused widespread protests that included an attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran. In response, the Saudis broke off diplomatic relations with Iran. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hossein Ansari, said: "Saudi Arabia is responsible for this action, as well as for compensating Iran for injuries to the embassy personnel and the damages to the embassy building,.. Iran reserves the right to (legally) pursue this matter."As often happens, the Saudis denied that the bombing incident even happened. They claim the Iranian allegation was simply a lie and that there were no air-strikes anywhere near the Iranian embassy. Whatever the truth about this particular strike, certainly there is verification of the use of cluster bombs and residential buildings being hit. Perhaps the Iranians will provide photographic evidence. But the Saudis might just ignore this.

US to provide $1.29 billion worth of smart bombs to Saudi Arabia

The sale of the bombs will help replenish supplies used mostly in the bombing of Houthi insurgents in Yemen, although the Saudis participated in some attacks on the Islamic State in Syria as well.

 

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The Defense Security Cooperation Agency(DSCA) that facilitates arms sales to other countries, notified the U.S. Congress last Friday that sales of the bombs had been approved. Congress could block the sale but that is highly unlikely. President Obama already has pledged to bolster U.S. military aid to the Saudis as well as other allies in the Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC). The pledge was meant to compensate those countries who were opposed to the U.S. nuclear deal with Shiite Iran. Iran supports the Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The agency said the sale would help the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) replenish dwindling weapons supplies while providing reserves for future missions. Most of the bombs were used against the Houthis in Yemen. The bombing campaign began in March of this year. The agency said:"This acquisition will help sustain strong military-to-military relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia, improve (the ability of Saudi forces to work) with the United States, and enable Saudi Arabia to meet regional threats and safeguard the world's largest oil reserves."The agency also said providing the munitions showed the U.S. commitment to the RSAF's ability to carry out combat operations. No doubt, as well, the provision of the arms shows U.S. commitment to generate profits for its arms manufacturers.

The U.S. even has sold cluster bombs to the Saudis. Though there is a global treaty banning the use of the bombs, neither the US nor Saudi Arabia have signed it. The bombs have been used by the Saudis against the Houthis in Yemen.

The agency described the items to be provided as follows:The proposed sale includes 22,000 smart and general purpose bombs, including 1,000 GBU-10 Paveway II Laser Guided Bombs, and over 5,000 Joint Direct Attack Munitions kits to turn older bombs into precision-guided weapons using GPS signals.The weapons are made by Boeing Co (BA.N) and Raytheon Co (RTN.N), but the agency told lawmakers the prime contractors would be selected in a competition.The sale is just one of several recent multi-billion dollar sales to Saudi Arabia.

In September the sale of 600 Patriot-PAC-3 air defense missiles made by Lockheed Martin Corp was valued at $5.4 billion. In October the US also approved the sale of four Littoral Combat Ships made by Lockheed for $11.25 billion. The US has supplied more than $90 billion worth of military equipment to the Saudis from 2010 and 2015..

Amnesty International complained that some of the types of bombs the US is providing to the Saudis have been used previously in strikes that violated international law. Last month Amnesty released a report that uncovered a number of attacks that were directed against civilians, and other unlawful strikes that could be war crimes. The group asked the U.S. and other countries to stop selling certain types of arms to the Saudis. A hospital run by Doctors Without Borders was hit but numerous other hospitals have been targeted. Also heritage sites have been damaged or destroyed.

An estimated 5,604 people including 2,577 civilians have been killed since the Saudi campaign began in March. The campaign is attempting to restore the Mansour Hadi government which until recently had been in exile in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. Forces loyal to the government have retaken the port city of Aden and other areas in the south, and Hadi is establishing his government again in Aden. However, Houthis still occupy the capital, Sanaa, and there are fierce battles ongoing. The Saudis have supporting troops from the UAE, Sudan and elsewhere. While there have been several attempts at peace talks so far they have been unsuccessful and the Houthis have objected to some features of recent proposed talks. The Saudi forces are launching an offensive in the Taez area. The conflict has created a huge humanitarian disaster with many people fleeing combat areas or even the country. There are shortages of basic necessities in many areas, particularly those under Houthi control due to the Saudi blockade.

Saudis talk peace but are preparing an offensive against Houthi rebels

The Saudi coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen, some time ago decided that the bombing campaign alone was not sufficient to defeat the Houthis. Special forces and military equipment were sent to bolster local militia in Aden.

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The change in tactics has enabled the coalition and allies in Aden to retake the port of Aden and much of the rest of southern Yemen. However, with the recent buildup of troops have come casualties. Both the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and even Bahrain suffered casualties, with sixty killed in one day recently. One report, puts the total number of coalition troops on the ground at 10,000. Yemeni officials report much lower numbers and from only Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar. Officials claimed there were at least around 2,000. No doubt the presence of so many foreign troops in Yemen may turn even those opposed to the Houthis against their "liberators" especially given the destruction and civilian casualties caused by the bombing campaign.

Egypt has now sent between 150 and 200 troops to join battle in Yemen. Sudan has committed to sending 6,000 troops according to a source close to the Qatari military. Newly arriving Qatari troops are bringing Apache helicopters, armored vehicles, and rocket launchers. One reportputs the number of Qatari troops at 1,000. Troops appear to be massing in the central province of Marib for a march on the capital Sanaa to the north.

Ex-president Saleh has close ties with the tribal leaders in the area. Authorities are trying to determine how the Houthis managed to get coordinates to a weapons depot that they successfully hit in a rocket attack that killed many coalition troops. The tribal leaders are for the present fighting alongside forces loyal to Hadi and the coalition troops but many in the armed forces are loyal to Saleh who up until now has supported the Houthis. Saleh may perhaps be changing sides for the moment but still helping the Houthis on occasion.

Special UN envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ahmed, announced that the warring parties in Yemen have agreed to take part in peace talks next week. There have never been actual peace talks. The UN has passed a resolution demanding that the Houthis withdraw from all the territories they have seized. In a statement yesterday, Mansour Hadi, the president of the "internationally recognized" government of Yemen now located in Ryadh, Saudi Arabia, said he would attend the talks but that for negotiations to take place the Houthis must pull back from all the areas seized since last year. This would include Sanaa the capital. This is tantamount to a surrender and saves the coalition a bloody fight to regain territory. More than 4,500 people have been killed since the conflict began last March. Many people have been internally displaced while other fled to Djibouti and even Somalia. There is a dire humanitarian crisis with many hungry, depleted medical services and supplies, and diseases spreading. Many of the Arab States see the conflict as a battle with Iran which supports the Houthis.

The situation is more complex than this as the Houthis have support from ex-president Saleh and troops loyal to him and his son. Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula(AQAP) appears to be one of the winners in this battle as it has extended its area of control and alliances with local Sunni leaders. The coalition has not attacked AQAP as long as it has confined its activity to fighting the Houthis but when Hadi was in power the group launched devastating attacks on the government and its military. Another winner will be the southern separatist movement. Their flag can be regularly seen in areas taken from the Houthis and in military convoys. This group will insist on autonomy or even separation of southern Yemen from the north. When Hadi was in power before they often clashed with the armed forces and they reject Hadi's plan to divide Yemen into six federated regions. In this opposition they actually agree with their Houthi opponents. Even should the coalition be successful in retaking the rest of the areas occupied by the Houthi, there is no guarantee of any peace or stable government under a regime headed by Hadi.

Saudi-led bombing in Yemen exacerbates the humanitarian disaster

Hodeida - White House National Security Council spokesperson Alistair Baskey said that the US is very concerned over recent Saudi-led air strikes on the Yemeni port city of Hodeida in Yemen.

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The port is used by the UN as a key entrance to deliver aid to areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthi rebels. The strikes that are supposedly aimed at the Houthi rebels in control of Hodeida, reportedly killed dock workers and damaged infrastructure needed for the port to function properly. Baskey said:"We are deeply concerned by the August 18 attack on critical infrastructure at the port of Hodeida in Yemen.The port is a crucial lifeline used to provide medicine, food and fuel to Yemen's population."Saudi bombing has before interfered with delivery of aid. In the capital the runway at the Sanaa airport was bombed to prevent an Iranian aid plane from landing. The Saudis suspected the plane carried military equipment. However, the bombing prevented UN aid planes from landing as well.

The bombing of Hodeida has been criticized also by the EU and the UN. A UN aid official told the UN Security Council that the attacks were 'in clear contravention of international humanitarian law'. Stephen O'brien who is head of UN aid said that the raids could severely impact an already deepening humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Almost 80 percent of Yemen's population of 26 million are now in need of aid with more than a million forced to leave their homes because of the conflict. After more than 150 days of conflict, nearly 4,500 have been killed since the Saudi-led air campaign began. Hospitals and rescue teams have been targeted making it too dangerous in some instances for medical aid agencies to help. At the same, medical facilities lack critical supplies. Even in Aden, recently retaken by forces loyal to the Hadi government-in-exile the situation is so bad that the Red Cross has withdrawn its personnel because of the security situation. Part of Aden is now under control of fighters from Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula.

The UN health agency notes that nearly half of Yemen's health facilities have simply shut down leaving wounded civilians fewer and fewer places to receive treatment. In contested areas such as the central city of Taiz the situation is drastic. Dr. Ahmed Shadout of WHO said: “In Taiz, the ongoing crisis has led to the closure of many health facilities and access to health facilities for the injured civilians and doctors is almost becoming impossible; shortages of basic and lifesaving medicines, medical supplies, laboratory reagents in the health facilities are fast dwindling with limited access for replenishing,”Funds for WHO operations are meagre with the organization receiving only $25 million of $132 million it had requested.

The Saudis have targeted residential areas in some instances most recently in Taiz and Hodeida.The Saudis have also been accused of using cluster bombs in some bombing attacks. While there is an international treaty banning their use, neither the US nor Saudi Arabia have signed on to the treaty. A Pentagon official told US News that "the US is aware that Saudi Arabia has used cluster munitions in Yemen". The US considers the bombs a legitimate military weapon.

Fierce fight in Yemen for key city of Taiz as Houthi rebels lose ground

Although early reports claimed forces loyal to the Yemen government-in-exile had retaken Taiz, it appears only parts of the city are under their control.

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Taiz is the third largest city in Yemen and has been called "the gateway to Sanaa," the capital which is still occupied by the Houthi rebels. An entire 24 hours of fighting has killed at least 81 people, 50 Houthis and 31 loyal to the Saudi-based government-in-exile of President Hadi. The civilian toll in the fighting is unknown. The loyalists are backed by Saudi air strikes. The city has been contested for some time.

Recent reports indicate the loyalist forces captured intelligence headquarters in the city and also command a mountaintop nearby that they had captured earlier. However, Houthis and their allies are said to still occupy two military bases in the city. With the advance of the Saudi-supported forces throughout the south following the capture of Aden, the country increasingly looks to be divided between a north held by Houthis and their allies and the south that is held by forces loyal to the Hadi government. Many of the local militia in the south fighting the Houthis belong to the Southern Movement that will demand more autonomy or even independence for the south. In the past the south was a separate state the Republic of South Yemen with unification taking place in May 1990. The Saudi-led coalition has provided forces supporting Hadi modern heavy equipment, including tanks and armoured personnel carriers. Some Yemeni soldiers have been trained in Saudi Arabia.

The governor of the recaptured southern port city of Aden said that the city would be declared the capital of Yemen for the next five years. He also said it would be the focus of reconstruction in that period. This declaration has led some analysts to wonder if the Hadi government considers that it may take a half decade to regain control of the northern areas and the capital. The southern movement may attempt to convince the Hadi government that the south should be independent again. When in power, Hadi had been in conflict with the southern movement. The southern movement militia may not have the same agenda as the Hadi government-in-exile.

So far the civil war has killed more than 4,300 people, many civilians. It has spread disease and hunger throughout the country creating a humanitarian disaster. Recent bombings have resulted in more civilian casualties.

UN envoy to Yemen trying to broker a peace deal with Houthi rebels

Aden - Ismail Ahmed, the UN envoy to Yemen, will travel to Kuwait on June 27 and then travel to Ryadh Saudi Arabia for a week's stay. Finally, he will move on to Sanaa, Yemen for another week to try and reach a preliminary peace deal to end the conflict.

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For three months, the Saudis have led an extensive bombing campaign and blockade designed to restore president-in-exile Mansour Hadi to power. Although at one time Hadi resigned he later rescinded his resignation when he fled to Aden. He tried to set up a government there but was driven out and fled to Ryadh, Saudi Arabia. He has the support of the Saudis, and the Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC),as well as the U.S. Over the three months of bombing and land campaign by loyalists, more than 2,8000 people have been killed and huge numbers displaced. The campaign has created a humanitarian disaster. More than 80 percent of Yemenis or more than 21 million people are estimated by the UN to need humanitarian assistance. The Saudi blockade makes it difficult for aid agencies to deliver aid, especially to Houthi controlled areas. The chaos has helped Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula(AQAP) to extend its territory and consolidate its power often in alliance with local Sunni tribes. Added to the chaos the Islamic State has launched several attacks.

Although talks sponsored by the UN in Geneva broke up with no agreement a week ago, there was a general desire for a cease fire, hence Ahmed's travels to where he can work out issues with representatives of the two sides. UN spokesperson, Ahmad Fawzi, said of Ahmed:“He intends to spend more time in the two capitals [Riyadh and Sana’a] to discuss the draft principles paper which was developed here in Geneva — as he said, ‘until we reach a preliminary agreement."

There are already talks in Oman between the Houthis and opponents from the Southern Movement who are defending Aden and other parts of the south. Some units allied with the Houthis did withdraw from parts of Aden and journeyed north to provide reinforcements in the capital and other areas. This perhaps might have been part of an agreement. However, a storage tank in Aden was hit and set on fire by Houthi artillery fire, indicating that the battle is still ongoing in the port. The Saudis bombed numerous sites across Yemen on Friday. At least 10 people were killed in an air raid in Jawf a northern province bordering Saudi Arabia. The capital Sanaa was also bombed. Hadi's foreign minister said that his government had no interest in organizing a new meeting in Geneva. He simply wants to implement the UN resolution that demands the Houthis withdraw from all the areas that they have occupied and lay down their arms. Many other parties who support Hadi may hope for at least a ceasefire and then further negotiations.

Saudi bombing campaign helps to produce a humanitarian disaster in Yemen

After almost a month of bombing missions led by Saudi Arabia, which, mimicking US euphemisms, was called "Operation Decisive Storm," the Saudis announced they would end the bombing several weeks ago.

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A new mission was announced "Operation Renewal of Hope" which was to focus on the political process. Operation Decisive Storm was to end at midnight on Tuesday April 21: Brigadier-General Ahmed al-Asiri, the coalition's spokesperson, said on Tuesday that the coalition had achieved its military goals in Yemen and a new operation, called "Renewal of Hope", would aim to protect civilians and combat "terrorism".

The new operation started at midnight on Tuesday local time (22:00 GMT).Within a couple of hours bombing of Yemen began anew. The bombing has continued ever since, no doubt with the aim of protecting civilians and focusing on the political process.

The manner in which these raids protect civilians is illustrated by this report from a night attack Friday:Warplanes from a Saudi-led coalition struck a residential district of the Yemeni capital Sanaa overnight, killing eight to 10 civilians, residents said on Friday.Saba, the state news agency, of the Houthi rebels put the number killed in the Sawan district of Sanaa at 20 with more than 50 wounded. While many residents oppose the Houthi occupation, the Saudi bombings are unlikely to make many friends.

As a way of further showing their concern for protecting civilians the Saudis bombed the runway at the Sanaa airport several days ago to prevent an Iranian cargo plane from landing after it refused to obey orders from the coalition not to land. The Saudi-led coalition has established its own no-fly zone. The damage to the runway has prevented aid planes from landing. The Iranians claim that the plane was carrying aid. Even if it had weapons surely the plane could have been allowed to land and an attack made wherever the weapons were taken or there could have been an attack on those transporting them. The Saudi action made the humanitarian disaster even worse.

The UN World Food Programme(WFP) urged all those involved in the conflict to allow aid agencies and the commercial sector to bring fuel and food into the country. Violence has blocked shipments of food, fuel, and medical supplies. All airports are closed to civilian traffic and some such as the one at Sanaa have come under direct attack. Naval shipments are being delayed as well. Secretary General Bank K-moon called for an immediate ceasefire to allow for aid to be delivered. More than 1,200 have been killed so far in the conflict with 300,000 more fleeing their homes to avoid the violence.

Russia has pushed for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the UN Security Council but it was not supported in the Council even though all countries agree the bombings and clashes have created a humanitarian disaster and many aid groups claim they will have to leave Yemen in a few days because they have no supplies to run their operations. The US apparently will only support a resolution that "insists the Saudis are totally blameless for the humanitarian crisis, and that it is the Yemeni Shiite Houthis who are at fault." The point should be to stop the fighting not apportion blame. This is not just a Sunni Shiite conflict either, the Shia rebels could never have gone as far as they have without the support of former president Saleh, to whom many in the Yemeni armed forces are loyal. Given recent developments that include more bombings in Yemen I would suggest that the two operations "Decisive Storm" and "Renewal of Hope" be combined into "Operation Decisive Hopelessness."

Evidence shows Saudi-coalition used cluster bombs in northern Yemen

Human Rights Watch claims to have credible evidence that the Saudi-led coalition used cluster munitions against Houthi rebels in bombings in Yemen as part of Operation Decisive Storm.

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Cluster bombs release small bomblets over a wide area and pose risks to civilians during attacks and long afterwards: During attacks, the weapons are prone to indiscriminate effects, especially in populated areas. Unexploded bomblets can kill or maim civilians and/or unintended targets long after a conflict has ended, and are costly to locate and remove.

A 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions bans, their use, production or distribution. Although 116 countries have signed the treaty Saudi Arabia and Yemen have not signed the treaty. Neither have the United States, China, Russia or Israel. Canada has.

Human Rights Watch has collected photographs, video, and other evidence since the middle of April 2015 showing that the munitions have been used in recent weeks. The attacks have been in areas that are traditional strongholds of the Houthis in the north of Yemen. Through satellite imagery it appears the bombs landed within 600 meters of several dozen buildings in four to six villages. Some of the photographs and other evidence can be found here. Steve Goose, of HRW said:"Saudi-led cluster munition airstrikes have been hitting areas near villages, putting local people in danger. These weapons should never be used under any circumstances. Saudi Arabia and other coalition members – and the supplier, the US – are flouting the global standard that rejects cluster munitions because of their long-term threat to civilians.”

The cluster bombs are likely provided to Saudi Arabia by the United States:"In August 2013, the US Department of Defense concluded a contract for the manufacture of 1,300 CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapons for Saudi Arabia by Textron. The contract stipulated that delivery of the weapons should be completed by December 2015. Human Rights Watch does not know when deliveries began, or if they have finished Additionally, the UAE received an unknown number of CBU-105 from Textron Defense Systems in June 2010, fulfilling a contract announced in November 2007:"Stephen Goose has been instrumental in pushing for the 2008 treaty banning cluster munitions. Even though a number of the big powers refused to sign on to the treaty, Goose and others thought that the very fact so many countries agreed to ban them would limit their use. The United States maintains that cluster bombs are a legal weapon and have a "clear military utility in combat."

This is not the first time that Saudi Arabia has used cluster munitions in Yemen. In 2009 Saudi planes dropped cluster bombs on Houthis in Saada, their home province. In the same year US naval forces fired one or more cruise missiles that contained cluster munitions on what was supposed to be an Al-Qaeda training camp

In 2009, the United States naval forces fired one or more cruise missiles on Al Majalah camp in Abyan province Yemen. Originally the attack was attributed to Yemeni forces but a Yemeni journalist Abdulelah Shaye visited the site and found fragments of a US Tomahawk missile and cluster munitions showing that the Yemeni government was lying to cover up US involvement: Shaye also reported that 21 children and 14 women had been killed in the attack. On August 16, 2010,[8] Shaye was arrested by the Yemeni government. After 34 days of confinement, he was convicted of "terrorism-related charges" in a trial regarded by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Committee to Protect Journalists, and the International Federation of Journalists as a sham trial and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment.[1][9] After a public outcry from tribal leaders in Yemen over Shaye's imprisonment, Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh was prepared to release Shaye, but he was swayed otherwise by a call from U.S. President Barack Obama on February 2, 2011 citing his "concern" over Shaye's imminent release.[7][10][11]On July 13 Shaye was finally released from prison and allowed to serve out the remaining 2 years of his sentence under a house arrest.

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,.