Why Do Houthi Insurgents Insist on War?

[The SC]

Thursday, 24 June, 2021 - 08:30

A funeral service for Houthi combatants in Sanaa (EPA)

Aden – Ali Rabee

So far, Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen continue to refuse to engage with any UN and international community proposals for achieving a ceasefire and bring about peace to Yemen.

For many Yemenis, Houthis evading peace efforts can be traced back to a mix of the very nature of the militia, its violence-oriented ideology, and the goal of advancing Iran’s expansionist ambitions in the region.

For the regime in Tehran, dominating the south of the Arabian Peninsula would give it a serious grip on one of the key routes for international trade.

Houthis rejecting peace efforts mounted by both the UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths and US Special Envoy Tim Lenderking over the last few weeks begs a fundamental question: “What leverages do Yemenis and the official state have against this group?”

The Iran-backed insurgency has constantly dodged conciliatory efforts and exploited the protracted conflict to achieve political and military gains. They do so by secretly piggybacking their personal goals on humanitarian relief agendas.

Each day, the challenge of forcing compliance from the group and moving it away from Iran’s expansionist program becomes tougher—especially that the militias are working nonstop towards the “Houthification” (Houthi sectarian indoctrination) of local communities.

“Houthis have no regard to politics, nationalism or authority in Yemen,” warns Yemeni academic and political researcher Fares al-Beil.

“They simply refuse peace efforts because peace would spell their end,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat, adding that militias thrive only during wars.

“War constitutes life for militias, while peace ends their raison d’être.”

According to Beil, Houthi militias were created to add fuel to the fires of battle in Yemen, and this has nothing to do with love for their country.

“There is no connection between their Yemeni identity and their Iranian undertaking,” explained the researcher, adding that Houthis exclusively serve their mission without holding “any respect or value for their future.”

Iran’s ultimate plan for Houthis is that they remain a proxy for spreading destruction in the region.

For Beil, It’s wishful thinking to believe that Iran, after Houthis succeeded in turning parts of Yemen into military bastions that answer directly to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, would accept giving up its influence in exchange for peace.

“It is not reasonable for Iran to give up all of that and go with Houthis partnering in an authority or government and giving up their weapons, projects, and ambitions,” said Beil.

Iran believes that it has accomplished a lot with the militia, so it is a far shot that it would abandon all this and hand the militias over to a Yemeni national project and a state of peace and concession.


https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3044786/why-do-houthi-insurgents-insist-war

 

[The SC]

US Accuses Houthis of Using Relief Aid for War Effort




Friday, 25 June, 2021 - 07:00

The US envoy appears on the screen during a State Department press briefing. (Reuters file photo)

Washington - Muath Alamri

US Special Envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking implicitly acknowledged that Washington was in contact with the Iran-backed Houthi militias to persuade them to join the peace process and reach a peaceful solution in the war-torn country.

At the same time, he said that the ongoing fighting in the Marib province will deepen the current humanitarian crisis, accusing the Houthis of weaponizing the crisis for their interests.

Speaking at a webinar sponsored by the National Council on US-Arab Relations on Thursday, he remarked: “My experience from the Houthis is that they have spoken about a commitment towards peace in Yemen.... We continue to engage with them.”

“My experience from the Houthis is that they have spoken about a commitment towards peace in Yemen and I think there are certainly elements within the leadership that favor that. I think continued engagement with them, from the Omanis, from other actors, from Saudi Arabia, from ourselves, is an essential piece.”

“I think we have to continue to incentivize them,” he added.

“I have spoken on a number occasions about the legitimacy of the Houthis which is to say that the US recognizes them as a legitimate actor. We recognize them as a group that has made significant gains. No one can wish them away or out of the conflict, so let’s deal with the realities that exist on the ground and bring that international consensus and also the humanitarian prerogatives,” Lenderking said.

“I encourage the Houthis to support the UN-led process and the efforts that are underway to support peace and a political transition.”

“When I was appointed as special envoy, the president asked me to do two things, to engage on two tracks. One is the humanitarian track, and the other is a political track, to advance a durable solution to the conflict. I think the dual mandate reflects the US commitment to understanding the humanitarian crisis facing Yemenis, as well as our understanding that the humanitarian crisis and the war are connected,” continued the envoy.

“As long as the war continues, the humanitarian crisis will continue to worsen and at the same time, the increasing instability will likely fuel further conflict. So, we have a real need to address both of these tracks at the same time, but not let one wait on the other.”

“The roots of the crisis are deep. Years of instability and weak governance in Yemen have led to the erosion of basic services and a troubled economy and the disruption of a peaceful political transition and the outbreak of war almost seven years ago have greatly accelerated this trend,” he remarked.

“There aren’t any easy solutions to address the humanitarian crisis. Obviously, we’re going to talk more about the need of donors to do more, but we should be wary of those who do suggest there are easy solutions,” he stated without elaborating.

“What I’ve seen is these are often just the latest attempts by conflict actors to weaponize the humanitarian situation. And so really, for where I stand, I think the US also, the only way to durably address persistent constraints to the flow of goods, aid and people, is to stop the fighting. And the only way to begin addressing the root causes of the humanitarian crisis is to reach a political solution to the conflict. That is why the US continues to urge, and I do so again today, the need for a comprehensive nationwide ceasefire and swift transition to political talks.”

“On the positive side, I am glad to see there is engagement again on the Riyadh Agreement, which is the effort to bring the South into greater stability and that will improve basic services for Yemenis. We think as the Riyadh Agreement goes forward it will create more opportunities for the Yemen government to return to Aden and indeed for the provision of basic services, all the basic elements of infrastructure in the South to go forward.”

“There is a stronger international consensus to end the conflict than there has been over the course of the last six years.”

Lenderking urged the Houthis and Yemeni government to engage in the ceasefire and end the crisis of delivering aid and fuel. “We also urge the Houthis to avoid stockpiling and manipulating fuel prices which we fear has kept prices artificially high even as fuel has arrived through Hodeidah and over land through southern ports,” he added.

He also praised the role of Oman and its significance in supporting a solution to the crisis. “The Omanis sent a delegation to Sanaa just two weeks ago. They spent a long time there. We appreciate very much the engagements they had with the Houthi leadership in Sanaa.”

David Gressly, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, called on the international community to fulfill their pledges to increase funding for humanitarian assistance to Yemen and warned that aid programs could otherwise be forced to close by July and August, speaking of a pressing need for $2 billion.

He also said humanitarian organizations are having problems reaching some 6 million Yemenis.

“We do consider this the worst humanitarian crisis currently facing any country in the world at this time.”

“Eighty-two percent of the districts in the country have very limited and non-existent health services and in general basic services are in a process of collapsing and are in severe risk of not being able to continue to provide even the most minimal services,” he warned.

“Last month was the worst month in several years in fact in a number of civilian casualties in large part due to the fight that’s taking place in Marib,” he revealed.

On the economic crisis, Gressly said: “The economy has collapsed by about 50 percent since the beginning of the war. Yemen was the poorest country in the region before the war started, so you can imagine what 50 percent reduction of the economy means.”

Sarah Charles, US Agency for International Development Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance Assistant to the Administrator, said the US is gravely concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Yemen which remains one of the worst in the world.

“Two-thirds of the country’s population is now in need of humanitarian assistance. That’s more than 20 million Yemenis who struggle every day to survive without basic necessities, including more than 2 million young children facing deadly malnutrition this year,” he added.

“Over the course of this conflict, now entering the seventh year we’ve seen families uprooted over and over again as conflict lines shift and more vulnerable every time they are forced to flee,” she noted.

“We are seeing this most acutely now in Marib where the Houthis’ latest offensive is killing civilians and threatens to displace hundreds of thousands of more people. After years of conflict and growing poverty, Yemen is already in a precarious situation. While aid from the international community has so far prevented vulnerable populations from slipping into famine, this recent escalation of violence is only increasing humanitarian need and placing further strain on an already stretched humanitarian operation,” Charles warned.

“Our brave partners are urgently scaling up assistance in Marib despite very significant challenges affecting the community. With US aid support, the humanitarian community provided emergency aid, including shelter, health, safe water and hygiene supplies to nearly 14,000 families who have been forced to flee the fighting since January,” she revealed.

“But it remains extremely dangerous and logistically difficult for aid workers to travel to Marib. And the Houthis’ indiscriminate attacks on civilian populations puts out partners’ brave staff on the ground, who are almost all Yemeni, in constant danger. We are also hearing reports of humanitarians in Marib being detained and harassed by security forces, putting them in even more risk and further re-hampering the urgently needed scale of assistance.”


https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3046341/us-accuses-houthis-using-relief-aid-war-effort

 

[Ceylal]

Thursday, 24 June, 2021 - 08:30

A funeral service for Houthi combatants in Sanaa (EPA)

Aden – Ali Rabee

So far, Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen continue to refuse to engage with any UN and international community proposals for achieving a ceasefire and bring about peace to Yemen.

For many Yemenis, Houthis evading peace efforts can be traced back to a mix of the very nature of the militia, its violence-oriented ideology, and the goal of advancing Iran’s expansionist ambitions in the region.

For the regime in Tehran, dominating the south of the Arabian Peninsula would give it a serious grip on one of the key routes for international trade.

Houthis rejecting peace efforts mounted by both the UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths and US Special Envoy Tim Lenderking over the last few weeks begs a fundamental question: “What leverages do Yemenis and the official state have against this group?”

The Iran-backed insurgency has constantly dodged conciliatory efforts and exploited the protracted conflict to achieve political and military gains. They do so by secretly piggybacking their personal goals on humanitarian relief agendas.

Each day, the challenge of forcing compliance from the group and moving it away from Iran’s expansionist program becomes tougher—especially that the militias are working nonstop towards the “Houthification” (Houthi sectarian indoctrination) of local communities.

“Houthis have no regard to politics, nationalism or authority in Yemen,” warns Yemeni academic and political researcher Fares al-Beil.

“They simply refuse peace efforts because peace would spell their end,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat, adding that militias thrive only during wars.

“War constitutes life for militias, while peace ends their raison d’être.”

According to Beil, Houthi militias were created to add fuel to the fires of battle in Yemen, and this has nothing to do with love for their country.

“There is no connection between their Yemeni identity and their Iranian undertaking,” explained the researcher, adding that Houthis exclusively serve their mission without holding “any respect or value for their future.”

Iran’s ultimate plan for Houthis is that they remain a proxy for spreading destruction in the region.

For Beil, It’s wishful thinking to believe that Iran, after Houthis succeeded in turning parts of Yemen into military bastions that answer directly to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, would accept giving up its influence in exchange for peace.

“It is not reasonable for Iran to give up all of that and go with Houthis partnering in an authority or government and giving up their weapons, projects, and ambitions,” said Beil.

Iran believes that it has accomplished a lot with the militia, so it is a far shot that it would abandon all this and hand the militias over to a Yemeni national project and a state of peace and concession.


https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3044786/why-do-houthi-insurgents-insist-war

It was imposed on them…idiot!

US Accuses Houthis of Using Relief Aid for War Effort




Friday, 25 June, 2021 - 07:00

The US envoy appears on the screen during a State Department press briefing. (Reuters file photo)

Washington - Muath Alamri

US Special Envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking implicitly acknowledged that Washington was in contact with the Iran-backed Houthi militias to persuade them to join the peace process and reach a peaceful solution in the war-torn country.

At the same time, he said that the ongoing fighting in the Marib province will deepen the current humanitarian crisis, accusing the Houthis of weaponizing the crisis for their interests.

Speaking at a webinar sponsored by the National Council on US-Arab Relations on Thursday, he remarked: “My experience from the Houthis is that they have spoken about a commitment towards peace in Yemen.... We continue to engage with them.”

“My experience from the Houthis is that they have spoken about a commitment towards peace in Yemen and I think there are certainly elements within the leadership that favor that. I think continued engagement with them, from the Omanis, from other actors, from Saudi Arabia, from ourselves, is an essential piece.”

“I think we have to continue to incentivize them,” he added.

“I have spoken on a number occasions about the legitimacy of the Houthis which is to say that the US recognizes them as a legitimate actor. We recognize them as a group that has made significant gains. No one can wish them away or out of the conflict, so let’s deal with the realities that exist on the ground and bring that international consensus and also the humanitarian prerogatives,” Lenderking said.

“I encourage the Houthis to support the UN-led process and the efforts that are underway to support peace and a political transition.”

“When I was appointed as special envoy, the president asked me to do two things, to engage on two tracks. One is the humanitarian track, and the other is a political track, to advance a durable solution to the conflict. I think the dual mandate reflects the US commitment to understanding the humanitarian crisis facing Yemenis, as well as our understanding that the humanitarian crisis and the war are connected,” continued the envoy.

“As long as the war continues, the humanitarian crisis will continue to worsen and at the same time, the increasing instability will likely fuel further conflict. So, we have a real need to address both of these tracks at the same time, but not let one wait on the other.”

“The roots of the crisis are deep. Years of instability and weak governance in Yemen have led to the erosion of basic services and a troubled economy and the disruption of a peaceful political transition and the outbreak of war almost seven years ago have greatly accelerated this trend,” he remarked.

“There aren’t any easy solutions to address the humanitarian crisis. Obviously, we’re going to talk more about the need of donors to do more, but we should be wary of those who do suggest there are easy solutions,” he stated without elaborating.

“What I’ve seen is these are often just the latest attempts by conflict actors to weaponize the humanitarian situation. And so really, for where I stand, I think the US also, the only way to durably address persistent constraints to the flow of goods, aid and people, is to stop the fighting. And the only way to begin addressing the root causes of the humanitarian crisis is to reach a political solution to the conflict. That is why the US continues to urge, and I do so again today, the need for a comprehensive nationwide ceasefire and swift transition to political talks.”

“On the positive side, I am glad to see there is engagement again on the Riyadh Agreement, which is the effort to bring the South into greater stability and that will improve basic services for Yemenis. We think as the Riyadh Agreement goes forward it will create more opportunities for the Yemen government to return to Aden and indeed for the provision of basic services, all the basic elements of infrastructure in the South to go forward.”

“There is a stronger international consensus to end the conflict than there has been over the course of the last six years.”

Lenderking urged the Houthis and Yemeni government to engage in the ceasefire and end the crisis of delivering aid and fuel. “We also urge the Houthis to avoid stockpiling and manipulating fuel prices which we fear has kept prices artificially high even as fuel has arrived through Hodeidah and over land through southern ports,” he added.

He also praised the role of Oman and its significance in supporting a solution to the crisis. “The Omanis sent a delegation to Sanaa just two weeks ago. They spent a long time there. We appreciate very much the engagements they had with the Houthi leadership in Sanaa.”

David Gressly, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, called on the international community to fulfill their pledges to increase funding for humanitarian assistance to Yemen and warned that aid programs could otherwise be forced to close by July and August, speaking of a pressing need for $2 billion.

He also said humanitarian organizations are having problems reaching some 6 million Yemenis.

“We do consider this the worst humanitarian crisis currently facing any country in the world at this time.”

“Eighty-two percent of the districts in the country have very limited and non-existent health services and in general basic services are in a process of collapsing and are in severe risk of not being able to continue to provide even the most minimal services,” he warned.

“Last month was the worst month in several years in fact in a number of civilian casualties in large part due to the fight that’s taking place in Marib,” he revealed.

On the economic crisis, Gressly said: “The economy has collapsed by about 50 percent since the beginning of the war. Yemen was the poorest country in the region before the war started, so you can imagine what 50 percent reduction of the economy means.”

Sarah Charles, US Agency for International Development Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance Assistant to the Administrator, said the US is gravely concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Yemen which remains one of the worst in the world.

“Two-thirds of the country’s population is now in need of humanitarian assistance. That’s more than 20 million Yemenis who struggle every day to survive without basic necessities, including more than 2 million young children facing deadly malnutrition this year,” he added.

“Over the course of this conflict, now entering the seventh year we’ve seen families uprooted over and over again as conflict lines shift and more vulnerable every time they are forced to flee,” she noted.

“We are seeing this most acutely now in Marib where the Houthis’ latest offensive is killing civilians and threatens to displace hundreds of thousands of more people. After years of conflict and growing poverty, Yemen is already in a precarious situation. While aid from the international community has so far prevented vulnerable populations from slipping into famine, this recent escalation of violence is only increasing humanitarian need and placing further strain on an already stretched humanitarian operation,” Charles warned.

“Our brave partners are urgently scaling up assistance in Marib despite very significant challenges affecting the community. With US aid support, the humanitarian community provided emergency aid, including shelter, health, safe water and hygiene supplies to nearly 14,000 families who have been forced to flee the fighting since January,” she revealed.

“But it remains extremely dangerous and logistically difficult for aid workers to travel to Marib. And the Houthis’ indiscriminate attacks on civilian populations puts out partners’ brave staff on the ground, who are almost all Yemeni, in constant danger. We are also hearing reports of humanitarians in Marib being detained and harassed by security forces, putting them in even more risk and further re-hampering the urgently needed scale of assistance.”


https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3046341/us-accuses-houthis-using-relief-aid-war-effort

Another Arab news…it does look like it was written by a Moroccan Makhzeni news paper…

 

[Imran Khan]

this should be thinking before starting that war . coalition was claiming we will wipe out missiles and drone bases with in 2 weeks for war and hold the ground with in 40 days of war . and here we are after many years .

 

[TNT]

Why should they sit for negotiations when they are winning on the ground? Its clear the arab alliance have failed to even deter a militia. If they have the guts, send in the army and take over and clean up.

Maybe the filthy Wahhabis should not have imposed war on the Yemenis ?

Not an arab supporter but what is with using the term wahabis? Never seen anyone curse the people of their Prophet SAW. Why try to turn everything into a sectarian issue? Would u be ok if we use the terms like filthy shia or filthy grave worshippers??

 

[Wilhelm II]

It was imposed on them…idiot!

Another Arab news…it does look like it was written by a Moroccan Makhzeni news paper…

Why I'm not surprised

Maybe the filthy Wahhabis should not have imposed war on the Yemenis ?

Every one can say BS. speak like a normal person

 

[Muhammed45]

When USA speaks on behalf of its Arab sheikhdoms of fkholes.

 

[Pak-Canuck]

Who started the war? Did the Houthis start the conflict by launching drones and missiles at the Saudis? And who caused the economic blockade of Yemen which basically is the whole cause of the humanitarian crisis?

 

[Ceylal]

Why I'm not surprised

Every one can say BS. speak like a normal person

The essential, they are winning and they will impose their will on the Sauds..

 

[Trango Towers]

Its so sad to see muslism killing Muslims each saying Allah o akbar and the lanat of Allah on both. The only benefactors are the kaffirs and yahodis who test their weapons on Muslims.

Jahil Muslim ruler, jahil ulema and no umma

 

[The SC]

Who started the war? Did the Houthis start the conflict by launching drones and missiles at the Saudis? And who caused the economic blockade of Yemen which basically is the whole cause of the humanitarian crisis?

Well if you do you research brfore commenting you won't be saying this.. as in fact it is the Houthis who had attacked Saudi Arabia first..

Why should they sit for negotiations when they are winning on the ground? Its clear the arab alliance have failed to even deter a militia. If they have the guts, send in the army and take over and clean up.

Easy talk and gratuitous comments.. these houthi guys hide withing the population ..so with your guts you are suggesting to go in and wipe everything out..!?

 

[Pak-Canuck]

Well if you do you research brfore commenting you won't be saying this.. as in fact it is the Houthis who had attacked Saudi Arabia first..

Really? I could have sworn they only attacked Saudi Arabia AFTER the Saudi led intervention that fired the first shots.

Saudi and Arab allies bomb Houthi positions in Yemen

At least 18 people reported killed in Saudi-led airstrikes in Sanaa, as Iran denounces operation as “US-led aggression”.

www.aljazeera.com

Saudi and Arab allies bomb Houthi positions in Yemen
At least 18 people reported killed in Saudi-led airstrikes in Sanaa, as Iran denounces operation as “US-led aggression”.

Adel al-Jubair, Saudi ambassador to the US, said on Wednesday that a coalition consisting of 10 countries, including the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), had begun airstrikes at 7pm Eastern time

“The operation is to defend and support the legitimate government of Yemen and prevent the radical Houthi movement from taking over the country,” Jubair told reporters in Washington.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And this was planned well in advance

Exclusive: Saudi Arabia building up military near Yemen border - U.S. officials

Saudi Arabia is moving heavy military equipment including artillery to areas near its border with Yemen, U.S. officials said on Tuesday, raising the risk that the Middle East’s top oil power will be drawn into the worsening Yemeni conflict.

www.reuters.com

Saudi Arabia itself was only attacked afterwards.

 

[The SC]

Really? I could have sworn they only attacked Saudi Arabia AFTER the Saudi led intervention that fired the first shots.

Saudi and Arab allies bomb Houthi positions in Yemen

At least 18 people reported killed in Saudi-led airstrikes in Sanaa, as Iran denounces operation as “US-led aggression”.

www.aljazeera.com

Saudi and Arab allies bomb Houthi positions in Yemen
At least 18 people reported killed in Saudi-led airstrikes in Sanaa, as Iran denounces operation as “US-led aggression”.

Adel al-Jubair, Saudi ambassador to the US, said on Wednesday that a coalition consisting of 10 countries, including the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), had begun airstrikes at 7pm Eastern time

“The operation is to defend and support the legitimate government of Yemen and prevent the radical Houthi movement from taking over the country,” Jubair told reporters in Washington.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And this was planned well in advance

Exclusive: Saudi Arabia building up military near Yemen border - U.S. officials

Saudi Arabia is moving heavy military equipment including artillery to areas near its border with Yemen, U.S. officials said on Tuesday, raising the risk that the Middle East’s top oil power will be drawn into the worsening Yemeni conflict.

www.reuters.com

Saudi Arabia itself was only attacked afterwards.

Go further your readings before swearing against facts..and why KSA acted only after a UNSC resolution..

 

[Pak-Canuck]

Go further your readings before swearing against facts..and why KSA acted only after a UNSC resolution..

I asked very clearly who started the war (i.e the Saudi-Houthi conflict), you said: "Well if you do you research brfore commenting you won't be saying this.. as in fact it is the Houthis who had attacked Saudi Arabia first.."

Which I disproved with clear evidence. Do what I did and provide a link that provides your proof that the Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia first instead of just saying "go further your readings" or "do your own research".

 

[The SC]

I asked very clearly who started the war (i.e the Saudi-Houthi conflict), you said: "Well if you do you research brfore commenting you won't be saying this.. as in fact it is the Houthis who had attacked Saudi Arabia first.."

Which I disproved with clear evidence. Do what I did and provide a link that provides your proof that the Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia first instead of just saying "go further your readings" or "do your own research".

2009-2010: Operation Scorched Earth – In August 2009, the Yemeni military launches Operation Scorched Earth to crush the Houthi rebellion in Saada. At this point, Houthi rebels begin fighting with Saudi forces in cross-border clashes. Fighting continues until, after rounds of offers and counteroffers, Saleh’s government agrees to a ceasefire with Abdul-Malik al-Houthi and the rebels in February 2010. The Yemeni military simultaneously carries out Operation Blow to the Head, a crackdown on both the rebels and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

http://arabcenterdc.org/policy_anal...e-yemen-crisis-from-the-1990s-to-the-present/

You should have done your work..