EXCLUSIVE: YEMEN BRACES FOR IMPENDING MASSIVE US-LED AIR AND GROUND CAMPAIGN

MAY 3RD, 2024

Source

Ahmed AbdulKareem is a Yemeni journalist based in Sana’a. He covers the war in Yemen for MintPress News as well as local Yemeni media.

Ahmed Abdulkareem

Senior military officials in Sana’a have informed MintPress News of ongoing military preparations by the US, UK, and Saudi-led Coalition over the past two weeks. According to these sources, there are plans to initiate a significant aerial assault on the Yemeni mainland, focusing particularly on coastal regions in the west, as well as areas in the south near the Saudi border. This assault is expected to be accompanied by ground offensives carried out by factions aligned with the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

MintPress News sources indicate a probable escalation, coinciding with significant military reinforcements. Notably, squadrons of US F-16 aircraft have been arriving at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, located less than 200 kilometers from the Yemeni border. Additionally, extensive air transport activities involving weapons and equipment have been observed over the past two weeks, with US cargo planes shuttling to and from military bases in Saudi Arabia and Djibouti.

On April 29, the Aviano Air Base in Italy declared the deployment of F-16 Fighting Falcon jets from its 510th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron to the Middle East. As stated on the Aviano Air Base website, these F-16s are set to undertake a range of missions, including safeguarding civilian vessels in the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, alongside other crucial force protection and deterrence duties

Sources near the Saudi-led coalition-backed government in Aden revealed to MintPress News that the United States and Britain have ramped up their dialogue with the Ministry of Defense in the Aden administration. This surge comes in response to recent Yemeni activities in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Indian Ocean.

Military and political insiders in Sanaa informed MintPress News about the military exercise held on April 24. The event, dubbed “Desert Flag 9,” saw the participation of Saudi Arabia, Israel, and other Arab nations at the Al Dhafra base in the Emirates. This maneuver is believed to be part of preparations for the announcement of a new military coalition, ostensibly aimed at safeguarding international freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Indian Ocean. At the outset of the exercise, General Charles Keough, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, lauded the collaboration among allies in countering perceived Iranian threats.

Numerous officials in Sanaa and among Ansar Allah have issued public warnings about alleged plans orchestrated by the United States and Britain, with support from certain Arab nations. The Supreme Political Council, the highest governing body in the northern region, has cautioned against any hostile escalation by the United States in Yemen. It asserts that ongoing suspicious preparations aimed at dissuading Yemen from supporting Gaza will prove futile. Emphasizing that any consequences of such escalation will extend beyond Yemen’s borders, the Council has urged Saudi Arabia to prioritize its national interests over those of the United States.

It seems evident that Saudi and Emirati endeavors extend beyond merely challenging the naval blockade imposed by Ansar Allah on Israel, currently engaged in what many legal experts have termed a genocide in Gaza. Rather, indications suggest that these oil-rich nations may be poised to actively participate in an anticipated U.S. and U.K. military intervention. Their aim? To dismantle the blockade on Israel imposed by Yemeni forces and quell Ansar Allah’s assaults on Israeli vessels—actions purportedly intended to halt the ongoing genocide and alleviate the siege on civilians within the embattled enclave.

In addressing the Yemen-Saudi border situation, Muhammad Ali Al-Houthi, a member of the Supreme Political Council, raised poignant questions: “Why does Saudi Arabia deliberately target civilians on the Yemeni border with French Caesar’s cannons? Wouldn’t it be wiser for the Saudi army to position these cannons near the borders of the northern kingdom to aid the people of Gaza?” He cautioned against reckless actions, stating, “Do not play with fire. We possess a strategic arsenal far beyond what you anticipate.”

Hussein Al-Ezzi, serving as the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Sana’a government, issued a stark warning:

“We are well aware of Washington’s hostile intentions. Henceforth, we hold Washington accountable for any dire consequences resulting from its reckless actions against Yemen. It may soon find itself devoid of safe havens in the region, as its interests become a common target for all those who value freedom.“

Seeking to entangle itself anew in the Yemen conflict and forge closer ties with Israel, the United States has pledged support to Saudi Arabia. This includes assistance for a Saudi nuclear program and designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally. Talks are ongoing to solidify a joint defense pact and enhance security cooperation, as reported by Saudi media.

IMPENDING ASSAULTS ON CRITICAL ASSETS

The peril isn’t just about the conflict’s escalation, but also the neighboring nations getting entangled in operations beyond their control. This risks sparking another tragic conflict, impacting not only war-torn Yemen but also neighboring countries like Saudi Arabia.

MintPress sources have confirmed that, in the case of a U.S.-led ground invasion of Yemen, planned assaults by Ansar Allah will target not only U.S. interests and bases within the involved nations but also critical facilities and assets belonging to those participating countries, such as oil installations.

Ansar Allah has issued a grave threat of launching a large-scale and aggressive assault aimed at crucial installations, including oil facilities, in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. This ominous warning mirrors previous attacks, such as the devastating strikes on the Abqaiq oil facilities in September 2019, which resulted in a significant disruption to half of Saudi Arabia’s oil production.

Ali al-Quhom, a Member of the Political Council of Ansar Allah, wrote on X, “The stage has changed, and with it, the rules of engagement have changed. Saudi Arabia and the UAE must realize this, and seven years are enough to learn the lesson. Yemen has become stronger with the increase in military capabilities at all levels. Escalation will be met with escalation, and this is a fixed and inseparable rule that will never change, ever. As you lost before, you will lose now, but this time your loss will be greater than before.” He added:

“There should be no submission or surrender on the part of neighboring countries to American, British and Israeli pressure and will, indicating that any American move from the territories of neighboring countries will lead to strong Yemeni responses, these countries will be the target of Yemeni operations, We have a target bank that includes strategic and vital targets in depth and in areas of economic importance.”

IMMINENT RETALIATION

Mounting tensions in Yemen and the broader region coincide with the withdrawal of an American aircraft carrier from the Red Sea. Yemeni analysts suggest that this move signifies not only the persistence of Yemeni operations targeting maritime navigation linked to the Israeli regime but also hints at a shift towards ground-based operations for a more extensive assault on Yemeni territory. Yemeni sources indicate that the departure of USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Gravely from the Red Sea is part of the preparations for the coming assault.

General Shamsan, the head of the Military Spokesmen Committee in the Yemeni Army, informed MintPress that concurrent with the withdrawal of the American aircraft carrier, a squadron of aircraft has arrived at Saudi bases. This development aligns with diplomatic and political maneuvers. The Americans seem compelled to pivot towards attacks from land bases to mitigate potential heavy losses from retaliatory strikes against U.S. aircraft carriers and destroyers at sea.

While certain Yemenis perceive the withdrawal of the American aircraft carrier from the Red Sea as a triumph, numerous political, military officials, and analysts interviewed by MintPress regard Washington’s move with deep suspicion, framing it within the context of ongoing operational preparations, as emphasized by Brigadier General Shamsan.

Last Friday, the U.S. Navy declared that USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Gravely departed from the Red Sea after an almost four-month presence. Despite their deployment, the U.S. battle group was unable to impede Yemeni operations targeting maritime navigation associated with the Israeli regime, as these operations persisted.

Additionally, there’s a possibility, as indicated by a Yemeni source linked to the coordination between Yemeni and Iraqi resistance forces, that certain groups within the Resistance Axis, notably the Iraqi resistance, may engage in retaliatory strikes against key American and Saudi targets in the region. This prospect hints at potential conflict not only in the Red Sea but also in the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Gulf, posing a genuine threat to American interests. However, such escalation could potentially be averted or delayed, especially considering the Russian front and the upcoming U.S. presidential elections.

Exclusive: Behind the Scenes of Ansar Allah’s Operations aboard the Galaxy Leader Ship

MOUNTING TENSION AND MILITARY PREPARATIONS

On the ground, clear signs of an impending conflict are emerging, particularly in the conflict zones of Taiz and Lahj, alongside other fronts. This coincides with significant military reinforcements being deployed by factions aligned with the Saudi-Emirati coalition from Aden to the strategic Tur al-Baha and Haifan fronts. These areas serve as vital contact points between Sanaa-aligned forces and coalition-backed militias. Tragically, in the Maqbanah area southwest of Taiz, an attack allegedly conducted by a drone affiliated with these factions resulted in the loss of two children and three women.

According to Yemeni military media, an American MQ9 drone was brought down above Saada Governorate while conducting a military operation. Footage released last Friday depicted Yemeni Armed Forces successfully shooting down the US MQ-9 aircraft using a missile.

12 minutes

— الإعلام الحربي اليمني (@MMY1444) April 27, 2024

مشاهد لعملية إسقاط الدفاعات الجوية للطائرة الأمريكية MQ9 أثناء قيامها بمهام عدائية في أجواء محافظة صعدةhttps://t.co/Hw6ko4NQVu#معركة_الفتح_الموعود_والجهاد_المقدس pic.twitter.com/6FcYTHoygh

— الإعلام الحربي اليمني (@MMY1444) April 27, 2024

In the days, military tensions between Yemeni forces and the American and British navies have surged to unprecedented levels. Reports indicate violent explosions along the coasts of Al-Khawkhah and Al-Mokha, spanning from Khor Amira, facing Bab Al-Mandab, to the southern shores of the country

Yemenis harbor a pervasive belief in the imminent likelihood of a ground invasion, a notion taken with utmost seriousness across the nation. Numerous officials, in interviews with MintPress, have openly discussed the potentiality of such an occurrence, grounded not in analysis but in raw data. Consequently, all regions, cities, and institutions have experienced a surge in recruitment efforts, operating under the banner of “Al-Aqsa Flood.”

YEMEN’S RESOLVE AMID ESCALATING TENSIONS

While Yemenis are earnestly grappling with the looming prospect of escalation, their resolve extends beyond merely halting attacks aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza and lifting the blockade. They’ve heralded an unprecedented development targeting Israeli vessels across the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden, and Bab al-Mandab. On Tuesday, the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) launched strikes against two United States warships in the Red Sea and targeted the Cyclades bulk carrier, achieving precise hits. Subsequently, military media footage surfaced, showcasing the moment of the Cyclades ship’s bombing in the Indian Ocean, underscoring the Yemeni army’s capacity to execute operations hundreds of kilometers from the Yemeni coastline.

مشاهد لحظة استهداف سفينة (CYCLADES) بطائرة مسيرة والتي كانت متجهة إلى موانئ فلسطينَ المحتلة في البحر الأحمر pic.twitter.com/BNC4jPj1SM

— الإعلام الحربي اليمني (@MMY1444) April 30, 2024

In a televised address to the nation last Thursday discussing the latest regional developments, Ansar Allah leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi stated that the Yemeni army is enhancing its presence in the Indian Ocean, aiming to block Israeli-affiliated vessels from navigating the Cape of Good Hope route or towards the Red Sea. He further remarked, “The Yemeni front will remain open, and the Yemeni Armed Forces’ (YAF) operations in support of Palestine will continue.”

Since Abdul-Malik al-Houthi’s speech, four Israeli, American, and British vessels have been hit. The Yemeni Navy struck the British ship ANDROMEDA STAR and the Israeli MSC Darwin ship on Saturday, along with an American warship and another commercial vessel named MAERSK YORKTOWN, and the Israeli MSC VERACRUZ on April 24. Preceding these events, the Yemeni army conducted four operations targeting two Israeli ships and two American ships on April 10.

Following Abdulmalik al-Houthi’s speech, four vessels affiliated with Israel, the United States and Britain were targeted by Ansar Allah. The Yemeni navy attacked the British vessel Andromeda Star and the Israeli MSC Darwinship on Saturday, as well as an American warship and a commercial vessel named Maersk Yorktown, and the Israeli MSC Veracruz on April 24. Prior to these incidents, the Yemeni army executed four operations against two Israeli ships and two American ships on April 10.

It’s worth noting that Ansar Allah has turned down several American offers aimed at halting their maritime attacks in support of Gaza. These offers included recognition of their group, revocation of their terrorist designation, payment of government employee salaries, and the signing of a comprehensive agreement with Saudi Arabia to end the war and initiate Yemen’s reconstruction.

Barbara Leaf, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, said in a press briefing that there are ongoing communications with Ansar Allah, urging the movement to engage in the Yemeni political process. However, she clarified that she wouldn’t characterize the discussions with strong language at this point. Leaf emphasized that “Washington is employing all available means, both diplomatically and militarily, to deter the Houthis from their actions,” which she described as “reckless” in the Red Sea.

Feature photo | Yemenis attend a massive rally against US-led airstrikes on Yemen and the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip in Sanaa, Yemen, March 1, 2024. Osamah Abdulrahman | AP

Delivering a ‘True Promise’: an insider account of Iran’s strikes on Israel

MAY 3, 2024

Source

Iranian firebrand MP Mahmoud Nabavian reveals the calculated strategy, diplomatic intrigue, and bold military prowess that showcased Tehran’s 13 April missile strikes on Israel.

The Cradle

Following the strategic success of Iran’s ‘True Promise’ retaliatory drone and missile operation in response to last month’s Israeli bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, The Cradle presents an exclusive insider‘s narrative provided by Iranian Member of Parliament Mahmoud Nabavian, a principalist who won the most votes in Tehran during the country’s March elections. 

His account of the retaliatory strikes against the occupation state offers unparalleled insights into the 13–14 April events. With access to military sources, Nabavian’s testimony serves as the most detailed view to date by an Iranian government official on Iran’s response, one that has sorely exposed the vulnerabilities of Israel’s air defense systems. 

In a closed Telegram posting, Nabavian explained that Israel’s “cowardly” attack, which led to the martyrdom of prominent leaders in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), occurred “on our soil” – a reference to the Iranian diplomatic mission in Damascus: 

“As the Imam [Ali Khamenei] said, the enemies made a mistake.” Iran’s full-on retaliatory strikes, he thus maintains, were justified and legal under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Below is a transcript (edited for length) from Nabavian’s important revelations about Iran’s military strikes on Israel and the flurry of international deal-making attempts that preceded them:

Two hours after the attack on the consulate in Damascus, the Iranian National Security Council convened and affirmed the inevitability of a response and gave a 10-day deadline to take the necessary diplomatic measures and for the armed forces to prepare their plan to respond.

Diplomatically, the first step was to go to the Security Council, even though we knew that this would be futile. But it was necessary to file a complaint about the attack on our land, assert our natural right to self-defense, and request a Security Council session. Because we are not members of the Council, we had to talk to member states to request that the session be held. 

China, Russia, and Algeria agreed. Russia submitted the request, and the session was held, but the US, Germany, Britain, and France did not allow a statement to be issued condemning Israel. The heads of our missions abroad were also active in informing the concerned countries that we would respond to the Zionist entity.

Due to these pressures, Israel denied it had attacked a diplomatic building and that those who were targeted were not diplomats. The consulate building, four of its five floors, were purchased 45 years ago and were designated for diplomatic work. It was indeed a diplomatic building.

After we assured the international community of our right to respond, some countries, such as the US, Germany, England, France, Canada, and Egypt, tried to convince us not to do so, and they confirmed their readiness to meet Iran’s requests. For example, some of these countries that were not previously willing to grant entry visas to our diplomats or officials suddenly decided to do so immediately.

When the US realized that we were serious, it sent a threat that if the response was launched from Iranian territory, it might attack Iran. Our response was that the US is not among our targets, but if it decides to involve itself in defense of Israel, we will respond by targeting it as well, and as you know, there are many American bases around us. 

Despite this, the US, Britain, France, and Germany insisted on the same message, yet our answer was that Israel crossed a red line. Then, they said, if we must respond, let it be from outside Iranian territory.

Why did they insist that the strike not be from inside Iran? Because for a long time, they have been assassinating our nuclear scientists and carrying out sabotage operations at the Natanz nuclear reactor. In the last six months alone, they have assassinated 18 members of our armed forces, and we have always responded through our allies [in the Axis of Resistance], but if we did that this time, we would lose face.

If Lebanese Hezbollah had responded to Israel, it could have bombed Beirut, and western powers would have seized upon this to say, ‘If this is a war between Iran and Israel, why did Hezbollah involve itself in it?’ They would also hold it responsible for the subsequent unrest in Lebanon.

Therefore, the insistence that the Iranian response should be through Iran’s allies was meant to distort Hezbollah’s reputation and unleash Israel to target it and other resistance forces in the region and to portray them as mercenaries of Iran. We read these western intentions well, and accordingly, the decision was taken to respond from within Iranian territory.

On the night of Eid al-Fitr, a meeting was held with the heads of diplomatic missions of the countries of the region, and we informed them that we are keen on good neighborliness, but if the US uses any of your countries to carry out action against us, we will strike the US bases on your lands.

This message was conveyed to Washington, and they realized that Iran was serious. They asked us to exercise restraint. The US, Germany, England, France, and Canada – these countries that support brutality and crime in the world and provide the weapons with which the people of Gaza are bombed – ask us to exercise restraint. 

[UK Foreign Secretary] David Cameron called the night after the Iranian attack and said he couldn’t sleep last night. This is the malicious British foreign secretary. Why? Because we sent 300 drones and missiles over the heads of the Israelis. The Iranian official who spoke to him said, ‘For six months, rockets have been falling on the people of Gaza, and you slept well every night.’ This is the same malicious Britain that encouraged the US to launch attacks on Yemen.

The important thing is coordination at all levels before responding, politically, diplomatically, and in the media. After the Leader [Ali Khamenei] affirmed in his Eid al-Fitr sermon that we will certainly discipline the enemy, messages came to us requesting that the response be proportionate and not forceful. 

Our answer was clear: that first, we would definitely strike Israel; second, that the attack would be direct from Iranian territory; and third, that the National Security Council decided that the response would be a deterrent.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan informed us that it had information that we would bomb the Israeli embassy in Baku, and they asked us not to carry out any action on their territory. I think this was a message that they could turn a blind eye to striking Israeli targets in a neighboring country, but we were already aware of that. 

The messages we received were not limited to the US and European countries, but we also received messages from some countries in the region. We tried to take advantage of the matter to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, and we told everyone that this might be a solution to the problem. 

They asked us whether a ceasefire in Gaza meant that we would refrain from responding. We answered that we would strike Israel in any case, but perhaps a decision like this would help reduce the severity of the attack. They asked that we give them a few days.

We asked our military forces to postpone the response for 24 hours and gave the countries of the world the opportunity to adhere to their obligations stipulated in international laws and for Israel to pledge not to attack Iranian forces and interests in the region and the world.

Regarding the Iranian request to conclude a permanent, complete, and immediate truce in the Gaza Strip: US President Joe Biden sent a message stating that he would work to achieve it himself, but he set a malicious condition, which is that the Palestinian resistance releases all Israeli prisoners in exchange for Israel releasing 900 Palestinian prisoners, after which the implementation of the truce begins. 

Of course, Hamas did not agree to the matter, and this was the correct decision. We understood that they [the Americans] are not serious about reaching a truce and that they are only looking to achieve their malign goals.

Everyone realized that we would attack Israel. The US, France, Britain, and even Italy harnessed all their military capabilities in Qatar, alongside the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. 

They equipped six missile launchers in the region’s waters with a range of between 2,000 and 3,000 kilometers. They harnessed all modern satellites and radars, moved 103 aircraft into the region’s airspace to strike our missiles, and placed all air defense systems under unified command under the supervision of the US to confront Iranian missiles in several stages. 

That is, if the Iranian missiles were able to pass any defense line, they would be targeted and shot down in the next.

What is interesting is that the German foreign minister, 24 hours before the Iranian operation was carried out, called us and was pleading that we not target Israel from inside Iranian territory. He said that our missiles would not be able to pass the obstacles and defense lines that they had prepared to intercept our missiles and that the US was using 70 drones in Iraq for that, and it would increase the number to 700.

They were monitoring the movements of our soldiers, missiles, and drones, and they believed that none of the Iranian missiles would reach Israel. They were confident that the missiles would not be able to penetrate air defense systems. 

At the Turkish Incirlik base, which includes 5,000 soldiers, a large number of AWACS planes and 15 jamming planes were harnessed to repel our attack.

As such, they were astonished at how Iran was able to evade the huge layers of defense they had activated, and what surprised them even more was that it took five and a half to seven hours for the drones to reach the Zionist entity, and their speed was not great, which meant that they were easy to shoot down.

Twenty-four hours before the operation, Washington sent a firm message stating that if we decided to attack Israel from our territory, they will respond militarily against Iran. This time, they did not talk about possibilities but rather said that they would definitely attack Iranian territory. Our answer was decisive, that we will definitely strike Israel from within our territories, and if you commit any mistake, we will target all your bases in the region.

We informed Saudi Arabia and the countries of the region that if Iranian territory is targeted from within your territory, we will definitely respond. Saudi Arabia announced that it would not allow any operation against Iran to be carried out from its territory, and the authorities in Cyprus also informed us of a similar message.

We knew that the Iraqi and Jordanian airspace was completely under US control. We thought about the Israeli targets that we were going to hit, and we faced two obstacles: the first was that their air defenses were very strong, and we had to find a way for our drones and missiles to pass them, and the second was not to take action that will lead to us being condemned. 

The decision was to strike two military targets: the first was the [Nevatim] airport from which the F-35 plane that bombed the Iranian consulate took off, and the second was an Israeli intelligence center in the Golan. By coincidence, the fighter jet that targeted the consulate fired its missiles from above this intelligence headquarters.

Our drones, numbering about 130, were launched, the majority of which belonged to us, and between two and three were sent by our allied forces. We also launched missiles carrying explosive warheads, a large number of which deflected the air defenses from their path. 

I will not talk much about the number of hits we targeted, but out of 17 missiles, 15 hit their targets, meaning 89 percent. The whole west was there, and we delivered an important message to the world.

In the aftermath of the operation, 15 countries contacted and said that they were seeking a ceasefire in Gaza and asked Israel not to respond. 

The British and German foreign ministers contacted us and said that international law does not include the term “punishment.” We answered them: If that does not exist in international law, why did you propose punishing Hamas after 7 October? The calls continued to ask whether we would attack Israel again. We said that if we were attacked, we would respond tenfold.

The countries of the region have now understood Iran’s capabilities and it seems that they will seek to significantly improve their relations with Iran. The Israelis realized that when the spirit of despair takes hold, as Ben Gurion says, ‘we will begin to fall down the slope that leads to the abyss,’ and this has become clear to the world. 

As the master of the resistance [Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah] expresses, ‘Israel is weaker than a spider’s web,’ and, God willing, this operation will be a deterrent against the assassinations that were occurring against us. Now, this is the only thing that Israel can do, and we must be more vigilant, and we must instill hope in the peoples of the region and not care about the rulers.

Mahmoud Nabavian’s account not only exposes the meticulous planning behind the Islamic Republic’s response but also reveals a resolve to defend sovereignty and impose a credible deterrence against future violations – at all costs. 

Tehran’s military response should be interpreted beyond the current regional war centered on Gaza and signals a broad recalibration of power dynamics in West Asia. As western and neighboring states assess the implications of Iran’s new assertive military posture, alliances, and strategies will require careful reconsideration.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.

Precision over power: How Iran’s ‘obsolete’ missiles penetrated Israel’s air defense

APR 19, 2024

Source: The Cradle

Iran’s successful breach of Israel’s highly regarded air defenses, despite the multi-nation alliance that joined those defense efforts, ultimately served as an Iranian political message to Tel Aviv.

A Cradle Contributor

Iran’s 13 April retaliatory missile strike on Israel, dubbed Operation True Promise, managed to overcome the occupation state’s integrated air defense systems and external foreign support. 

The strike, intended to deter future actions by Israel against Iranian personnel and facilities, was notably executed to avoid casualties and serious damage. The operation was especially bold as it targeted Israel, an undeclared nuclear power.

Open-source intelligence from videos and photographs identified multiple warheads striking Ramon airbase in the Negev, not Nevatim, as previously reported, although the occupation army confirmed strikes on Nevatim and released images showing minor damage. This suggests a systematic failure of Israel’s lauded air defenses against those five missiles that hit their target, one after the other.

A look at the missiles used

As Brigadier-General Ali Hajizadeh, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force’s commander, later stated: 

We attacked Israel using obsolete weapons and minimal means. At this stage, we did not use Khorramshahr, Sejjil, Shahid Haj Qassem, Kheibar Shekan[-2], and Hypersonic-2 missiles.

So what missiles did Iran deploy from its significant domestically-produced arsenal, and why?

Ghadr: Despite being 20 years old, this missile proved effective by deploying decoy warheads to exhaust Israel’s Arrow-2 intercept capabilities. While traversing in space, the Ghadr releases about 10 decoy warheads to lure Arrow-2 to launch 10 interceptors each at all 10 Iranian decoys – draining the enemy’s munitions stock.

The images of Israeli interceptors responding to a range of “lights in the skies” were, in fact, often just firing at decoys. The actual Iranian warheads, if not differentiated by Arrow-2’s systems and destroyed by its interceptors, reached their targets.

The missile is still relevant in Iran’s arsenal as it can create additional targets for the enemy’s missile defenses and suppress the operation of large-area assets, such as airbases. 

Dezful: A compact, cost-effective missile with a 600 to 700-kilogram payload, apparently used specifically to strike at an Israeli intelligence base in the occupied northern Golan, demonstrating its strategic deployment within its range limits. 

This is a low-cost, single-stage precision missile weighing just about 6 tons, yet able to reach Israel – a revolutionary advancement for Iran when Dezful entered service five years ago – but not Nevatim, because its range is about 1,000 kilometers. 

Emad: Approximately a decade old, this was used to test Iran’s countermeasures against newer air defense systems like Israel’s Arrow-3 and the American SM-3. It releases inflatable decoys in space to evade interception before re-entry.

Kheibar-Shekan-1: (early model, not the Kheibar-Shekan-2): IRGC’s answer to Israel’s Arrow-3. Kheibar-Shekan-1 entered service with IRGC Aerospace Force in 2022. It counters Arrow-3 by flying on a “depressed trajectory.” 

During the terminal phase of its flight, the Kheibar-Shekan-1 performs aerodynamic maneuvers designed to evade interception from multiple defense systems, including Arrow, Patriot, and David’s Sling.

These maneuvers, likened to a boxer dodging punches, complicate the interception process by forcing defense systems to delay their responses or deploy multiple interceptors, reducing their overall effectiveness. 

The Kheibar-Shekan-1 forces missile defenses to launch in the “launch-on-remote” mode, meaning several interceptors are required against a single missile. The successful strikes attributed to this missile, as indicated by Israel – with nine confirmed hits – underline its effectiveness and represent a significant evolution in missile technology despite being a generation behind the most recent IRGC models.

Kheibar-Shekan-1’s maneuverability makes it the most likely candidate to have achieved the successful strikes captured by video imagery.

Iranian media has since quoted Hajizadeh saying, “At this stage, we did not use the Khorramshahr, Sejjil, Shahid Haj Qassem, Kheibar-Shekan[-2], and Hypersonic-2 missiles,” which are all part of Iran’s advanced missile arsenal. That does not necessarily preclude Iran’s use of the older Kheibar-Shekan-1 missile, which still appears to be the most likely Iranian missile used to achieve direct hits successively. 

‘Weaker than a spider’s web’ 

Despite Israel’s integrated air defense system, which is bolstered by data from a US monitoring station in the Negev Desert and 36-hour prior notification of the strike from Tehran, multiple Iranian missiles successfully struck their targets. 

The US station monitors Iranian missile launches, with the collected data intended to enhance Israel’s defensive response. But despite the support of a multi-nation coalition, which included Jordan defending its airspace and Saudi Arabia and the UAE providing intelligence, Israel’s defenses were breached.

While Israel engaged in GPS jamming before the Iranian attack, its efforts proved futile. Such “electronic warfare” measures cannot counter Iran’s ballistic missiles. Although older drone models are susceptible to this, Iran’s Shahed-136 drone models have been “hardened” against GPS jamming.

This is likely based on Russian experiences in the Ukrainian military theater that were shared with the IRGC Aerospace Force. IRGC’s missiles use “inertial guidance systems,” which rely on built-in guidance systems like gyroscopes and computers. 

An inertial guidance system receives input at and just after launch. At this point, it ceases to receive data from the IRGC launch base and relies solely on its onboard systems. That the missiles traveled 1,000 to 1,200 kilometers and struck targets with pinpoint accuracy guided solely by onboard systems is a superlative achievement by Iran. 

Israel’s defense credibility at stake 

Israel and its allies claim hundreds of missiles and drones were launched by Iran. However, estimates favorable to the Iranian side suggest only 50 to 60 missiles were launched, with 9 to 15 striking their designated targets. 

The Israeli military’s propagandist claim of a 99 percent interception rate would fall to about 50 or 60 percent if the above estimate is accurate. The Israeli claim on the number of missiles may be inflated if they are counting the decoys deployed by Ghadr missiles. If so, the picture would look much grimmer for Israel’s missile defense performance. 

Hence, to save face and contain escalation, a politically driven inflation of overall launches is evident. This is in line with US interests, which seek to prevent escalation by Israel. Whether Washington’s aim of containing the crisis would allow it to publish the true number is unclear, particularly if the Iranian salvo was small. If it were proven that a relatively small Iranian salvo managed to defeat a complex missile defense system, Israel would lose its aura of invincibility.

Sending a clear message 

The types and quantities of missiles Iran chose to use in this strike are not just military tactics but also political messages intended to demonstrate capabilities and expose vulnerabilities in Israel’s air defense systems. 

What is evident, though, is that once multiple Iranian warheads penetrate Israel’s air defense systems and strike critical targets, an equation-changing political-military event has occurred. This is to say, Iran made a powerful statement by breaking through Israel’s air defenses and doing so with older ballistic missiles.

In response to threats from Israel about targeting Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities, the resilience of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure poses a significant challenge to the occupation state’s conventional capabilities. 

Despite the drawbacks, the potential political gains from such an attack might be considered favorable by embattled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing, nationalist government. 

In contrast, Iran’s response to any Israeli attack on nuclear facilities like Natanz or Fordow would likely be intense, drawing on the full capabilities of the IRGC Aerospace Force. It would also – to the horror of Tel Aviv and Washington – potentially lead to a revision of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear doctrine – as was suggested on 18 April by Iran’s Nuclear Centers Protection and Security Corps, Brigadier General Ahmed Haq Talab. 

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.

Axis of Resistance’s mission is to defend Palestine: IRGC’s Navy Cmd.

April 9, 2024

Source: Al Mayadeen

The commander of the IRGC’s Navy, Read Admiral Alireza Tangsiri. (Al Mayadeen Net)

By Al Mayadeen English

In an exclusive interview with Al Mayadeen, the Commander of the IRGC’s Navy, Alireza Tangsiri discusses Iran’s development as a world power, the efforts of the Axis of Resistance to champion and defend Gaza, and the fate of “Israel” and its allies.

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Al Mayadeen conducted an interview, which was broadcast on Tuesday, with the commander of the IRGC’s Navy, Admiral Alireza Tangsiri. You can find the full, translated text of the Admiral’s answers below:

I welcome you here, as well as our dear viewers, and welcome to the city of Bandar Abbas and the Strait of Hormuz.

Following the Islamic Revolution’s victory, Washington imposed a complete embargo on Iran, which did not own any material capabilities at the time. Most of our equipment and arsenal were US-made. Later, they would embroil us in an inadequate war against Saddam’s regime, in addition to an abundance of internal conflicts. However, with the grace of God, we managed to persevere and move forward after eight years of war, which prepared us for the upcoming confrontations.

Despite the embargo, sanctions, and economic predicaments Iran was faced with, it was able to advance in multiple military fields, build up its combat strength, manpower, special military training, and manufacture its own equipment.” 

“Right now, we are at a level that allows us to export weapons, including rockets, warships, and radars, to naval forces, defense ministries, and armed forces, and we take pride in this capability, which makes rocket and ship manufacturing possible amid the embargo. We also take pride in the size, speed, assimilation, and resistive characteristics of our home-produced ships, which expedites their abilities throughout maritime battles.” 

“Today, after over 40 years, we have emerged as a world power, and are the primary decision-makers in West Asia, whether it’s derived from the quality of our manufactured equipment or the preparedness of our armed forces. Today, we are proud to say that Iran is at the forefront in regional power, and produces all it needs to defend its sovereignty,” he said. 

On ‘Israel’s’ crushing defeat in Gaza

Speaking on the genocide in Gaza, Tangsiri described “Israel’s” extensive war as “heinous crimes against the oppressed yet brave and resilient Gaza”. 

He revisited the Israeli war objectives from the war and affirmed that the occupation did not manage to achieve a single one.

In detail, the Rear Admiral said:

“They claim three determinants for their success in Gaza:

1. Defeating Hamas, but Hamas is stronger than ever, and sustained fewer losses. 

2. The people’s desperation and hopelessness; but look at the highly spirited people in Gaza, who have lost their homes and their loved ones but remained resilient and faithful. The Zionists failed to break Gaza’s defiant and steadfast spirit. 

3. The swift elimination of Gaza; but the entire world opposes the Zionists today. The “army” that claimed to be the strongest in West Asia, and third strongest in the world, being supported by the US military with aid and developed weapons used in modern wars, employed to kill Gazan children, has failed to achieve victory, whether militarily, politically,  or socially.”

When asked about how such an entity could be fought, Tangsiri stressed the importance of Muslim unity.

“The only way to fight the Zionists is through the formation of an Islamic power and a coalition of Islamic armies. To quote Imam Khomeini, may his soul rest in peace, If every Muslim poured a bucket of water on Israel, it would be washed away. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Here, I speak to all Muslim nations that think they would attain greater glory by counting on the Zionists’ friendship. The solution to removing the corruptive and criminal parasite is the unification of all Muslim nations and their armies. If we were united, we could bring an end to it. But this is not what is happening. The Zionists are not only treating Muslims this monstrously but have also shown our Christian brothers and sisters no mercy.

They destroyed churches and massacred Christians in Lebanon. The Zionists are not merciful towards anyone, not even their own supporters.

Unfortunately, the Zionists are striking Muslims with warplanes loaded with fuel supplied by Muslim nations. This is a disgrace, and the solution remains in unity against Zionism to ultimately remove it from existence.”

Iran advocates security in region

Tangsiri also detailed the West’s interests in the region, specifically the United States, and emphasized that Iran has always sought peace and security in the spirit of good neighborliness. However, he did not shy away from condemning the actions Iran’s neighboring countries have undertaken, particularly inviting Zionists into the region. 

During talks with neighboring countries regarding the Strait of Hormuz, our message has always been that of peace and friendliness. Iran suffered under the oppression of a tyrant, so it revolted and offered martyrs in the quest for victory, but since then, we have been faced with the enmity of those same countries, as well as the United States and more. The US Army has now come to the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, but they do not belong in our waters. We previously told our neighbors that the Persian Gulf and Oman’s Sea are national concerns of both them and Iran and that Iran’s security is theirs. We told them the West does not want this region to be stable or secure. The West considers these countries as a “milk cow”, but when the milk runs out, as in oil and gas resources in the region, it would slaughter us.

“Therefore, we have always advocated for the security of the region, and have assured that we can host joint military exercises in the Strait, in collaboration with our brothers from the Persian Gulf’s neighboring countries. We can maintain the region’s peace and security. Our oil and gas terminals are close to those of the neighboring countries. If we really wanted to, we could close these waterways down.

But we do not do this, because as long as we use this waterway and strait, then our neighbors would also have to, and should. But they have to recognize that we will not accept the presence of Zionist supporters in their governments because this is considered a security threat to Iran. We hope they do not make such errors, and reconsider their choices. Should the enemy come and restrain us, and act provocatively in an attempt to incite change in the region, then that is a different issue, to which a different decision would be made, at a later time. 

Zionists in countries neighboring Iran

He revealed that Iran is now the main proponent for security of the region and that of the Hormuz Strait, and the constant traffic of more than 85 tankers carrying oil and gas cargo that safely pass through the strait every day.

However, he revealed that the arrival of the Zionists to the region, and their settlement within countries neighboring Iran, does not speak to peace or good neighborliness.

“Iran has relations with Arab countries, and the seven nations of Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq, but bringing Zionists to our region… We know full well that they do not come for economic purposes or to establish bilateral relations between those countries and the child-killing criminals the world has begun rejecting.”

“What does it mean for a country to take pride in welcoming Zionists to the region?”, he asked. 

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“What are we to understand from such a gesture to us, to a country whose sea spans the entire length of the Persian Gulf, to a country that has beaches in the sea of Oman, to a country with such glory and greatness? Should we not consider this a threat? Is bringing Zionists to a neighboring country not a threat? They should acknowledge that if harm comes in our country’s way, then the place they came from will cease to exist. If they [neighboring countries] were indeed looking for security, then they would know that there is no room for Zionists in the region. 

“I assure you, once again, that we would not attack a Muslim country unless it attacked us… Before the Islamic Revolution’s triumph, Iran had a Ministry of War. Today, we have a Ministry of Defense instead, which signifies that we would not attack any country if we were not attacked or conspired against. Those who choose to conspire and attack us though, will receive a hard blow, just like Saddam and his movement did. 

“Therefore, we do not make threats and do not accept threats. Sometimes, a threat is merely speech. The Zionists’ presence in neighboring countries, which we fully acknowledge is not for economic purposes, but rather military and security ones, is a threat that should not materialize. This is a consideration we should always keep in mind. 

US forces present in our neighbors’ waters

On the role of the US in the region, Tangsiri affirmed that it is but a plot to incite rifts and destabilize the region and its peace. 

The US forces, he stated, are not present in Iran’s waters or territory. However, they are unfortunately present in Iran’s neighbors’ waters, not international ones.

“The United States should realize that the Persian Gulf is not an international sea, but Iran’s and its neighboring countries’. The US does not sail in international waters strait passing through our islands. We are constantly monitoring them, their movements, actions, and behavior. Our naval mission, under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is to defend our facilities in the Persian Gulf. We believe that if they enter the region, with their nuclear equipment, then the waters would not be viable for use for years after. We would be the ones affected by their presence.

But it is of their nature to create enemies, why? First, for weapons. And for an excuse to sell weapons. If there was no enemy to fight, then the region would not need weapons. Second, to ensure their presence in the region… If they did not claim an enemy was present in the region, then they would not need to remain in it. If they did, then it would be unjustifiable. 

“Therefore, the constant sales of arms and weapons and their illegal presence in the region necessitates their claim of Iran being an enemy to its neighboring countries. If one of these countries gets attacked tomorrow, they will set fire to this land, leave it, and leave us affected. Which is why we should all remain careful and wary.”

The Resistance’s Mission

When asked about the Axis of Resistance, its emergence, and its role in the region, the IRGC commander stated that the Resistance’s mission has always been to champion Palestine and its liberation against “Israel” and its allies. 

“The Axis of Resistance has always responded to threats in defense of the Palestinian people, because their lands are occupied and because Gaza’s resilient people are oppressed. We had never seen a people as resistant as that of Gaza. Countries backing the Zionists should be ashamed of themselves. The US supplied the Zionists with special bombs, which were dropped on women and children in Gaza. France, Britain, and others rushed to back the criminal, dirty, malicious, and child-killing Netanyahu… I do not know, are they really human? Do they call themselves human? A little child in fear, and shaking like that… a torn up child and a mother holding her children… I saw a father holding his martyred children in his hands… These countries are only helping this criminal. I believe the blood of over 14,000 children and women and all those innocents will seek retribution for their sins and will be the reason for “Israel’s” demise and end. 

Their message was clear: Defend the occupation. And they announced the reason for their presence in the region in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. If you recall, in the early days of the war, a US aircraft carrier traveled through the Strait of Gibraltar and remained stationed in the Mediterranean. 

What is the message it is carrying? That it intends to defend the Israeli occupation, which marks an eternal disgrace for them [the US]. The United States, in all its might – as it claims – and capabilities, and Britain and its capabilities, as well as France… They all came to murder innocent people. How could they raise their heads high as a moral army? Every army has pride, but it comes from respecting and adhering to the laws of war. But this is not a war. This is a people, in a very small land, surrounded and defenseless. But God is with them, and through Him, they will prevail. 

At the start of this interview, I noted that the Zionists are so far defeated, and have not achieved any of their war objectives. Did they retrieve their captives? No. Did they destroy Hamas? No. Were they able to achieve their goal of victory? No, they did not emerge victorious, defeat Hamas, or release the hostages. So, they lost. It has been six months. And we cannot forget that six Arab Muslim nations did not achieve victory in the six-day war,” the leader reiterated. 

Yemen, Hezbollah role in war

During the interview, Tangsiri was also asked about Yemen and Hezbollah’s role in the war against “Israel”. 

To that, he stated that Hezbollah today is heroic, it is far stronger than it was at the beginning of the war, but until this moment, Hezbollah has not responded to the Zionist enemy, and were it to respond, it would have been an onslaught. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had previously announced that Hezbollah’s response would be fierce. Yemen today is much more solid than before, and Iraq and Iraqi Hezbollah are far stronger than before… The Resistance movements that surround the Zionist entity are the more powerful…

He called for trust in the Resistance, saying, “Do not worry about the Resistance; it is today capable of doing everything, and it is far stronger than it was in the earlier days of the war.”

Attack on Iranian consulate

Commenting on the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria, he denounced the deliberate airstrike and highlighted the West’s hypocrisy in that regard. 

According to Tangsiri, this crime did not happen in any other war. Embassies are meant to be safe places and are considered the territory of their respective countries. In that embassy, there were not only military advisors, but also women, children, and men.

“This attack is a crime. First of all, if we had done this, which we would never have, they would have strongly condemned us for committing such a crime. Look at the world, at the Europeans who watch these crimes and support the most corrupt people, and at the US which plays a very democratic and liberating role… We expected the United Nations to confront this crime more firmly, but they paved the way for us to do away with this ugliness.”

He also reaffirmed that Iran intends to respond to “Israel” for its crime.

“As our dear leader said, it will be responded to, but we do not act impulsively or hastily. We are not the kind of people who turn the other cheek after being hit. At the appropriate time, the relevant officials will deliver a strong blow, God willing. At the head of our armed forces is a scholar who knows God, is patient, wise, and rational and logically governs the Iranian armed forces. We act and respond when we see fit. But we will definitely respond, and as the leader said, we will not leave the matter unanswered.

“We are a force ready for battle. We are military men. We are ready for any mission they order us to carry out. Do you expect me to say what we will do? That is not correct. We are 100% ready for any order that may be issued. Today, the naval forces of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and our heroic army are ready to pluck out the eye of anyone who wants to harm our country and will carry out the orders that may be issued at the appropriate time.”

Western powers have brought in their ships to support the occupation, but the brave Yemenis withstood against them. As our leader said, if Yemen was not under siege, we would have certainly aided it. Yemen today produces its own artillery, missiles, and boats, and is standing strong against the enemies, against the US and Britain, in support of the oppressed people of Palestine and Gaza.

Glorious Yemen

Discussing Yemen’s development as a Resistance power as well, Tangsiri said that after eight years of an imposed and harsh war against the country, Ansar Allah, and the Yemeni Army, it has now reached a level where it can confront great powers such as the United States.

He said that Ansar Allah is manufacturing missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and has established a naval force, despite the embargo and sanctions imposed on the country.

Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi affirmed that they could target the West’s ships, even if they were in Southern Africa. Today, Tangsiri said, Ansar Allah is targeting ships 600, 700, and even 1,000 kilometers away. Day after day, Ansar Allah keeps developing its capabilities. There are brave men taking control of the force and defending their country. 

He stressed Yemen’s independence from Iran despite being allied and part of the Axis of Resistance, against claims that Resistance factions in the region serve as Iran’s proxies. 

“Yemen is an independent country, and the Resistance is an independent force that was born to crush oppression. Yemen and its Resistance do not wait for our orders, but we are indeed concerned with the Resistance. 

“We love the Palestinians, and we support anyone who takes a stance against oppression and struggles in the fight for the cause. We saw injustice in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and although we did not have common borders with them, and their population included both Muslims and non-Muslims, we helped them and offered them moral support, and never fell short in the help we could offer. We stand with the oppressed. We love and appreciate the men of the Resistance in Yemen, and take pride in them. The Islamic world must take pride in them. They do not need a force that leads them, because they have a leader. Just like Hezbollah has a leader, and Yemen and Iraq have leaders, and they act based on their interests. They have enough wisdom to know when and how to act.”

The Final Message

Before concluding the interview, the IRGC admiral called on Muslim nations, specifically those neighboring Iran, and said ‘Life is fleeting, and if we do not defend those that are oppressed, we will be asked about it on Judgment Day. I am addressing Muslim leaders who own the means of governing. Take the opportunity, because while Christians and followers of other religions protest in solidarity with Gaza, it is a disgrace that Arab countries do not hold such marches and protests.’

I also wish to address the leaders that are fueling the Zionist enemy’s jetplanes… [How can] they take our oil and turn it into fuel for a bomb they drop over the heads of Muslims who say ‘There is no god but God, God is great, and God is sufficient for us’? Are they not the people that are dropping bombs on Gaza’s people? The war will end, and God willing, The people of Gaza will emerge victorious. But what have we offered during this time? 

“We ask God to raise the martyrs of Gaza and the Resistance, whether in our dear Lebanon, dear Iraq, or dear Yemen, to where the prophet of God and his holy Imams rest.”

In his last address to the Al Mayadeen crew conducting the interview, he expressed his thanks, saying “I profoundly thank you, particularly for coming here twice. Forgive us for the warm weather, and perhaps the circumstances were more difficult for you, but we fully know that your cameras are important, and powerful, just like Al Mayadeen. It is the voice of the oppressed, and you represent their voices. God willing, He will note what you have done for the oppressed, and you will hold your heads high before the Resistance’s martyrs and the oppressed people of Gaza.”

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War on Gaza

THE US AND ISIS: IT’S COMPLICATED

APRIL 2ND, 2024

Source

Alan MacLeod is Senior Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent, as well as a number of academic articles. He has also contributed to FAIR.org, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, and Common Dreams.

ALAN MACLEOD

While ISIS-K has claimed responsibility for the Moscow shooting, Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that the United States might have been behind the attack.

Although he provided no evidence for his claim, it is true that ISIS and the United States government have a long and complicated relationship, with Washington using the group for its own geopolitical purposes and that former ISIS fighters are active in Ukraine, as MintPress News explores.

A BRUTAL ATTACK

On March 22, gunmen opened fire at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, killing at least 143 people. Authorities apprehended four suspects who they claim were fleeing towards Ukraine. The attack was only one of a number planned. After receiving international tip-offs, Russian police foiled several other operations.

ISIS-K, the Islamic State’s Afghanistan and Pakistan division, immediately took responsibility for the shooting, with Western powers – especially the United States – treating the matter as an open and shut case. Vladimir Putin, however, felt differently, implying that Ukraine or even the United States might have been somehow involved. “We know who carried out the attack. But we are interested in knowing who ordered the attack,” he said, adding: “The question immediately arises: who benefits from this?”

Moscow has long accused Ukrainian intelligence services of recruiting ISIS fighters to join forces against their common enemy. Far-right paramilitary group Right Sektor is believed to have trained and absorbed a number of ex-ISIS soldiers from the Caucuses region, and Ukrainian militias have been seen sporting ISIS patches. However, there are no clear and official links between the Ukrainian government and ISIS, and the suspects – all Tajiks – have no publicly known connections to Ukraine.

Since 2015, Ukraine has also trained the extremist Crimean-Tatar “Krym” Battalion to fight against Russia. pic.twitter.com/scHasqU92g

— MintPress News (@MintPressNews) March 26, 2024

This is not the first time that ISIS has targeted Russia. In 2015, the group took responsibility for the attack on Metrojet Flight 9268, which killed 224 people. It was also reportedly behind the January 2024 attacks on Iran that killed more than 100 people, commemorating the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian general responsible for crushing ISIS as a force in Iraq and Syria.

GIVING BIRTH TO A MONSTER

A host of U.S. adversaries have claimed that ISIS enjoys an extremely close working relationship with the U.S. government, sometimes acting as a virtual cat’s-paw of Washington. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, for instance, has accused the U.S. of ferrying ISIS fighters around the Middle East, from battle zone to battle zone. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai stated that he considers ISIS to be a “tool” of the United States, saying:

I do not differentiate at all between ISIS and America.”

And just this week, the Syrian Foreign Ministry demanded:

the U.S. should end its illegitimate presence on Syrian territory, and end its open support and fund for Daesh [ISIS] and other terrorist organizations.”

It was in Syria that the goals of ISIS and the United States most closely aligned. In 2015, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, the former Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (D.I.A.), lamented that ISIS arose out of a “willful decision” by the U.S. government. A declassified D.I.A. report says as much, noting that the “major forces driving the insurgency in Syria” were ISIS and Al-Qaeda. “There is the possibility of establishing a declared or undeclared Salafist principality in Eastern Syria,” the report noted excitedly, adding that “[T]his is exactly what the supporting powers to the opposition [i.e., the U.S. and its allies] want.”

Throughout the 2010s, images of ISIS’ brutality consistently went viral and led to news bulletins around the world, providing the United States with a convenient enemy to justify keeping its troops in Iraq and Syria. And yet, throughout the decade, the U.S. and its allies were also using ISIS to weaken the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. As then-Vice President Joe Biden said, Turkey, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were:

 [S]o determined to take down Assad and essentially have a proxy Sunni-Shia war, what did they do? They poured hundreds of millions of dollars and tens, thousands of tonnes of weapons into anyone who would fight against Assad.”

This included ISIS, Biden said. He later apologized for his remarks after they went viral. Nevertheless, the U.S. also supported a wide range of radical groups against Assad. Operation Timber Sycamore was the most extensive and most expensive C.I.A. project in the agency’s history. Costing more than $1 billion, the agency attempted to raise, train, equip and pay for a standing army of rebels to overthrow the government.

It is now widely acknowledged that large numbers of those trained by the C.I.A. were radical extremists. As National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in an email published by WikiLeaks:

AQ [Al-Qaeda] is on our side in Syria.”

Clinton herself was well aware of the situation in Syria, noting that Qatar and Saudi Arabia were:

providing clandestine financial and logistic support to ISIL [ISIS] and other radical Sunni groups in the region.”

While ISIS regularly attacked a wide range of enemies in the Middle East, it actually apologized to Israel in 2017 after its fighters mistakenly launched a mortar attack on the IDF in the occupied Golan Heights region of Syria.

That same year, the United States launched a significant attack on ISIS-K in Afghanistan, dropping the GBU-43/B MOAB bomb on a network of tunnels in Nangarhar Province. The bomb was the largest non-nuclear strike ever recorded and reportedly killed at least 96 ISIS operatives. Yet ISIS did not appear particularly interested in striking back at the U.S. Instead, it waited until the American departure from Afghanistan to launch a series of devastating attacks on the new Taliban government. This included a bombing at Kabul International Airport, killing more than 180 people, and the Kunduz Mosque Bombing two months later. The Taliban accused ISIS of carrying out a U.S.-ordered campaign of destabilization.

GLOBAL TERROR NETWORK

While the precise relationship between ISIS and the United States will surely never be known, what is clear is that, for decades, Washington has armed and trained terrorist groups around the world. In Libya, the U.S. joined forces with jihadist militias to topple the secular leader Muammar Gaddafi. Not only was Libya transformed from North Africa’s most prosperous country into a political and economic basket case, but the fighting unleashed a wave of destabilization across the entire region – something which continues to this day.

In Nicaragua, the U.S. sponsored far-right death squads in an attempt to overthrow the leftist Sandinistas. Those forces killed and tortured vast numbers of men, women and children; U.S.-trained groups are thought to have killed around 2% of the Nicaraguan population. The Reagan administration justified their intervention in Nicaragua by stating that the country represented a “mounting danger in Central America that threatens the security of the United States.” Oxfam retorted that the real “threat” Nicaragua posed was that it was a “good example” for other nations to follow.

How a Notorious Georgia Army School Became America’s Training Ground for Global Torture

Meanwhile, in Colombia, successive administrations helped to arm and train conservative paramilitary forces that prosecuted a brutal war against not only leftist guerilla forces but the civilian population as a whole. The extraordinary violence led to the internal displacement of more than 7.4 million Colombians.

Donald Trump once quipped that Barack Obama was “the founder of ISIS.” While this is not true, there is no doubt that the United States did indeed nurture the group, watching it expand into the force it is today. It has, at the very least, turned a blind eye to its operations and abetted it in its attack against their common enemies. In this sense, at least, with every ISIS attack, there is some blood on Washington’s hands.

Feature photo | A US-backed anti-government fighter mans a heavy machine gun next to a US soldier in al Tanf. Hammurabi’s Justice News | AP | Modification: MintPress News

Alan MacLeod is Senior Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent, as well as a number of academic articles. He has also contributed to FAIR.org, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, and Common Dreams.

A potential UAE-Hezbollah thaw?

MAR 31, 2024

Source

Radwan Mortada

The veiled details behind the recent visit of Wafiq Safa, head of Hezbollah’s Liaison and Coordination Unit, to the UAE remain undisclosed. Rumors propagated by Saudi media have tried to insinuate that the Lebanese resistance party aims to placate its stance towards Israel, possibly even contemplating concessions. 

This narrative seeks to undermine or distort any real achievements gained during the rare trip. Despite all the conjecture, one development is undeniable: there has been a nascent shift in thawing the longstanding hostilities between Hezbollah and the UAE — a prominent Arab ally of both the US and Israel.

Strained relations 

The sudden revelation of Safa’s visit to the Persian Gulf state on 19 March was indeed astonishing — a first by a senior Hezbollah official in many years — particularly given Abu Dhabi’s active role in clamping down on even pro-Hezbollah sentiments within the UAE. 

The UAE’s track record includes arbitrary arrests and expulsions of Lebanese nationals under all sorts of dubious charges, often subjecting them to inhumane treatment, exemplified tragically in the case of Lebanese businessman Ghazi Ezzeldin, who was tortured to death while in Emirati custody last year. 

News reports suggest that seven Lebanese citizens — four serving life sentences; two others facing 15 years in prison — remain incarcerated in the Emirates under charges of laundering funds for Hezbollah and Iran, and for the spurious claim of having made contact with Hezbollah. All of the detainees deny these charges. 

In short, UAE authorities need little justification to accuse Lebanese individuals of ties to Hezbollah, which is designated a terrorist entity in the Emirates.

The UAE, it should be noted, is Tel Aviv’s closest Arab ally in West Asia, marked by Abu Dhabi’s decision in 2020 to normalize relations with the occupation state — with Bahrain, the first Arab state in the Persian Gulf to do so. Despite Israel’s genocidal war against Gaza, economic ties between the UAE and Israel continue to flourish, further entrenching their alliance against common adversaries. 

Against this backdrop, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad emerges as an unexpected mediator, leveraging his amicable relations with the UAE leadership, united in their opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood. 

Behind the scenes, the UAE has been quietly leveraging its international clout to lift US Caesar Act sanctions on Syria, with an eye on participating in the war-torn country’s reconstruction efforts. As the first Arab state to break Assad’s diplomatic isolation, the UAE has now seized the opportunity to engage with Hezbollah via its renewed Damascus channel. 

Preliminary discussions, facilitated by Syrian General Intelligence Director Major General Hossam Louka, bridged the gap between the two parties. These exchanges, held on Syrian soil, involved representatives from both Hezbollah and UAE officials. 

Louka also visited Lebanon and the UAE to meet with Emirati officials and the leadership of Hezbollah and convey a detailed message to Assad.

Contrary to the many sensationalized reports in regional media, informed sources tell The Cradle that Safa encountered no explicit demands from UAE officials during his visit. Instead, discussions centered on two pivotal objectives: first, securing the release of Lebanese detainees unjustly incarcerated in the UAE under charges of affiliation with Hezbollah, and second, improving the precarious conditions Lebanese expatriates face in the UAE, where their presence is securitized by the state. 

The sources affirm the constructive nature of the meetings and indicate there may be imminent releases of the Lebanese detainees before the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

What do both parties want?

But the timing of Safa’s visit, as Israel escalates airstrikes on Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, raises speculation about the implications of this renewed relationship. Safa himself is on a US sanctions list, while Hezbollah retains its designation as a terrorist organization by both Washington and the Persian Gulf states.

The UAE, having previously subjected Lebanese nationals to unjust treatment, now initiates efforts to mend ties with Hezbollah. Conversely, Hezbollah, having waged a war to free prisoners from Israeli detention, displays a willingness to engage in dialogue, even if the optics of its representative shaking hands with UAE officials may not be well-received back home. 

Following the visit, Hezbollah issued a very brief statement: 

“The head of the Liaison and Coordination Unit, Hajj Wafiq Safa, visited the United Arab Emirates as part of the ongoing follow-up to address the case of a number of Lebanese detainees there, where he met with a number of officials concerned with this case, and [a solution to this issue will be reached hopefully].“

Nevertheless, the underlying question remains: What does the UAE seek to achieve? Did it initiate this thaw in relations merely to reopen its embassy in Lebanon after years of closure and diplomatic strife? Does the UAE have hidden intentions concealing these superficial objectives — and what role could Hezbollah play in this equation?

Outreach to Iran via its allies 

Early this year, as the regional war expanded, CIA Director William Burns wrote in Foreign Affairs magazine: “The key to Israel’s — and the region’s — security is dealing with Iran.”

Abu Dhabi too, knows that the relationship with Tehran is pivotal to resolving crises in the region. Hence, the UAE has taken a significant stride towards Hezbollah, recognizing its critical regional role. While this unusual meeting could have taken place in Damascus, in secret, the UAE opted instead for a public airing and even arranged for Safa’s transportation via plane to the Emirates. 

Moreover, Abu Dhabi’s interest in improving relations with Hezbollah and its leadership could have direct security benefits. The Lebanese party has influence with Yemen’s Ansarallah resistance movement, whose naval operations in the Red Sea and other waterways are impacting international navigation and, thus, Emirati interests from the Persian Gulf to the Horn of Africa.

While a Syrian source tells The Cradle that the meeting yielded positive outcomes and is likely to be followed by further engagements, the visit carries implications that extend well beyond the immediate parties involved. 

Beyond improving Hezbollah-UAE or Iran-UAE understandings, it will be essential to monitor the subsequent actions of Saudi Arabia’s leadership after this event. 

In essence, these developments could lead to improved future relations between Hezbollah and Arab states of the Persian Gulf, in turn reversing Washington and Tel Aviv’s strategic target of clinching further normalization deals for Israel in West Asia.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.

CHRIS HEDGES: ISRAEL’S TROJAN HORSE

MARCH 20TH, 2024

CHRIS HEDGES

Washington DC — (Scheerpost) — Piers allow things to come in. They allow things to go out. And Israel, which has no intention of halting its murderous siege of Gaza, including its policy of enforced starvation, appears to have found a solution to its problem of where to expel the 2.3 million Palestinians.

If the Arab world will not take them, as Secretary of State Antony Blinken proposed during his first round of visits after Oct. 7, the Palestinians will be cast adrift on ships. It worked in Beirut in 1982 when some eight and a half thousand Palestine Liberation Organization members were sent by sea to Tunisia, and another two and a half thousand ended up in other Arab states. Israel expects that the same forced deportation by sea will work in Gaza.

Israel, for this reason, supports the “temporary pier” the Biden administration is building to ostensibly deliver food and aid to Gaza – food and aid whose “distribution” will be overseen by the Israeli military.

“You need drivers that don’t exist, trucks that don’t exist feeding into a distribution system that doesn’t exist,” Jeremy Konyndyk, a former senior aid official in the Biden administration and now president of the Refugees International aid advocacy group, told The Guardian.

This “maritime corridor” is Israel’s Trojan Horse, a subterfuge to expel Palestinians. The small shipments of seaborne aid, like the food packets that have been air-dropped, will not alleviate the looming famine. They are not meant to.

Five Palestinians were killed and several others injured when a parachute carrying aid failed and crashed onto a crowd of people near Gaza City’s Shati refugee camp.

“Dropping aid in this way is flashy propaganda rather than a humanitarian service,” the media office of the local government in Gaza said. “We previously warned it poses a threat to the lives of citizens in the Gaza Strip, and this is what happened today when the parcels fell on the citizens’ heads.”

If the U.S. or Israel were serious about alleviating the humanitarian crisis, the thousands of trucks with food and aid currently at the southern border of Gaza would be allowed to enter any of its multiple crossings. They are not. The “temporary pier,” like the air drops, is ghoulish theater, a way to mask Washington’s complicity in the genocide.

Israeli media reported the building of the pier was due to pressure from the United Arab Emirates, which threatened Israel with ending a land corridor trade route it administers in collusion with Saudi Arabia and Jordan to bypass Yemen’s naval blockade.

The Jerusalem Post reported it was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who proposed the construction of the “temporary pier” to the Biden administration.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who has called Palestinians “human animals” and advocated a total siege of Gaza, including cutting off electricity, food, water and fuel, lauded the plan, saying, “it is designed to bring aid directly to the residents and thus continue the collapse of Hamas’s rule in Gaza.”

“Why would Israel, the engineer of the Gaza famine, endorse the idea of establishing a maritime corridor for aid to address a crisis it initiated and is now worsening?” writes Tamara Nassar in an article titled “What’s the Real Purpose of Biden’s Gaza Port?” in  The Electronic Intifada. “This might appear paradoxical if one were to assume that the primary aim of the maritime corridor is to deliver aid.”

When Israel offers a gift to the Palestinians, you can be sure it is a poisoned apple. That Israel got the Biden administration to construct the pier is one more example of the inverted relationship between Washington and Jerusalem, where the Israel lobby has bought off elected officials in the two ruling parties.

Oxfam, in a March 15 report, accuses Israel of actively hindering aid operations in Gaza in defiance of the orders by the International Court of Justice. It notes that 1.7 million Palestinians, some 75 percent of the Gaza population, are facing famine, and two-thirds of the hospitals and over 80 percent of all health clinics in Gaza are no longer operable. The majority of people, the report reads, “have no access to clean drinking water” and “sanitation services are not functioning.”

The report reads:

The conditions we have observed in Gaza are beyond catastrophic, and we have not only seen failure by Israeli authorities to meet their responsibility to facilitate and support international aid efforts, but in fact seen active steps being taken to hinder and undermine such aid efforts. Israel’s control of Gaza continues to be characterized by deliberate restrictive actions that have led to a severe and systemic dysfunctionality in the delivery of aid. Humanitarian organizations operational in Gaza are reporting a worsening situation since the International Court of Justice imposed provisional measures in light of the plausible risk of genocide, with intensified Israeli barriers, restrictions and attacks against humanitarian personnel. Israel has maintained a ‘convenient illusion of a response’ in Gaza to serve its claim that it is allowing aid in and conducting the war in line with international laws.

Oxfam says Israel employs “a dysfunctional and undersized inspection system that keeps aid snarled up, subjected to onerous, repetitive and unpredictable bureaucratic procedures that are contributing to trucks being stranded in giant queues for 20 days on average.” Israel, Oxfam explains, rejects “items of aid as having ‘dual (military) use,’ banning vital fuel and generators entirely along with other items essential for a meaningful humanitarian response such as protective gear and communications kit.” Rejected aid, “must go through a complex ‘pre-approval’ system or end up being held in limbo at the Al Arish warehouse in Egypt.” Israel has also “cracked down on humanitarian missions, largely sealing off northern Gaza, and restricting international humanitarian workers’ access not only into Gaza but Israel and the West Bank including East Jerusalem too.”

Israel has allowed 15,413 trucks into Gaza during the past 157 days of war. Oxfam estimates that the population of Gaza needs five times that number. Israel allowed 2,874 trucks in February, a 44 percent reduction from the previous month. Before Oct. 7, 500 aid trucks entered Gaza daily.

Israeli soldiers have also killed scores of Palestinians attempting to receive aid from trucks in more than two dozen incidents. These attacks include the killing of at least 21 Palestinians and the wounding of 150 on March 14, when Israeli forces fired on thousands of people in Gaza City. The same area had been targeted by Israeli soldiers hours earlier.

“Israel’s assault has caught Gaza’s own aid workers and international agencies’ partners inside a ‘practically uninhabitable’ environment of mass displacement and deprivation, where 75 percent of solid waste is now being dumped in random sites, 97 percent of groundwater made unfit for human use, and the Israeli state using starvation as a weapon of war,” Oxfam says.

There is no place in Gaza, Oxfam notes, that is safe “amid the forcible and often multiple displacements of almost the entire population, which makes the principled distribution of aid unviable, including agencies’ ability to help repair vital public services at scale.”

Oxfam blasts Israel for its “disproportionate” and “indiscriminate” attacks on “civilian and humanitarian assets” as well as “solar, water, power and sanitation plants, UN premises, hospitals, roads, and aid convoys and warehouses, even when these assets are supposedly ‘deconflicted’ after their coordinates have been shared for protection.”

The health ministry in Gaza said Monday that at least 31,726 people have been killed since the Israeli assault began five months ago. The death toll includes at least 81 deaths in the previous 24 hours, a ministry statement said, adding that 73,792 people have been wounded in Gaza since Oct. 7. Thousands more are missing, many buried under the rubble.

None of these Israeli tactics will be altered with the building of a “temporary pier.” In fact, given the pending ground assault on Rafah, where 1.2 million displaced Palestinians are crowded in tent cities or camped out in the open air, Israel’s tactics will only get worse.

Israel, by design, is creating a humanitarian crisis of such catastrophic proportions, with thousands of Palestinians killed by bombs, shells, missiles, bullets, starvation and infectious diseases, that the only option will be death or deportation. The pier is where the last act in this gruesome genocidal campaign will be played out as Palestinians are herded by Israeli soldiers onto ships.

How appropriate that the Biden administration, without whom this genocide could not have been carried out, will facilitate it.

Feature photo | Israel’s Trojan Horse | Mr. Fish

Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist who was a foreign correspondent for fifteen years for The New York Times, where he served as the Middle East Bureau Chief and Balkan Bureau Chief for the paper. He previously worked overseas for The Dallas Morning News, The Christian Science Monitor, and NPR. He is the host of show The Chris Hedges Report.

Stories published in our Daily Digests section are chosen based on the interest of our readers. They are republished from a number of sources, and are not produced by MintPress News. The views expressed in these articles are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect MintPress News editorial policy.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect MintPress News editorial policy.

Republish our stories! MintPress News is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 International License.

India, UAE launch IMEC trade route initiative: Bloomberg

February 28, 2024

Source: Agencies

Containers are piled up at a terminal at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Mumbai, India, Thursday, June 29, 2017 (AP)

By Al Mayadeen English

The project was initially announced in September 2023 but was later delayed due to the outbreak of the war on Gaza.

Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing Indian diplomat Sunjay Sudhir, that India and the UAE have begun to work on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), an initiative that aims to establish an alternative trade route from India to Europe. 

“India and UAE being the first two countries in the corridor, it is very important for us to take the lead,” Indian Ambassador to the UAE, Sunjay Sudhir, told Bloomberg.

A significant portion of India’s trade with Europe passes through the Red Sea, he said, noting that the creation of alternative routes is essential given the present geopolitical context.

During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UAE from February 13-15, India and the UAE signed a framework agreement to initiate work on the IMEC, Sudhir said.

He added that India’s government ministries responsible for ports and shipping commenced discussions with the port authorities in Abu Dhabi regarding this initiative.

Read more: Israeli war on Gaza disrupts US geopolitical trade route, IMEC

This comes against the backdrop of heightened tensions between China and India. Observers have argued that the construction of the corridor is explicitly aimed at containing China in global trade.

A report by Politico in December 2023 detailed that the purpose of the project is to create an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, from which India, as well as the US, will benefit.

Related News

• Israeli war on Gaza disrupts US geopolitical trade route, IMEC

“American interest in exploring and developing Indian supply chains has intensified under Biden,” a senior Indian diplomat based told Politico. “The US is committed to making this a success; it’s a big part of their design,” he said.

The project was initially announced in September 2023 but was later delayed due to the outbreak of the war on Gaza.

The genocide has sparked several resistance movements across the region to initiate operations targeting “Israel” or Israeli-linked elements.

Among them are the Ansar Allah resistance movement in Yemen. Since the start of the Gaza genocide, they have been actively targeting Israeli-linked vessels.

Besides Israeli-linked vessels, transit through the Red Sea is normally safe for all commercial ships and vessels.

However, due to aggressions perpetrated by US-UK naval forces on Yemeni positions, the Red Sea route has become difficult to access.

The construction of the IMEC corridor will thus bypass the Red Sea route by building a trade route stretching from India to Europe and will involve both sea routes and rail routes.

Starting from India, the corridor will first transit through the UAE, followed by Saudi Arabia, the occupied territories, to finally reach Europe.

Read more: Unlike China, India will not become an economic superpower: Report

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Question in Beirut: Will the Syrians, Saudis, Iranians strike a new Lebanon deal?

FEB 22, 2024

Source

The visit of former Lebanese PM Saad Hariri to Beirut has tongues wagging. Will the impetus of the expanding Gaza war force a Saudi–Syrian settlement that can once more impose stability in Lebanon?

Photo Credit: The Cradle

Malek al-Khoury

The visit of former Lebanese PM Saad Hariri to Beirut has tongues wagging. Will the impetus of the expanding Gaza war force a Saudi–Syrian settlement that can once more impose stability in Lebanon?

On 21 February, a Syrian website, citing sources in Damascus, broadcasted news that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) would shortly pay a visit to Syria, causing an uproar in regional political circles. Despite government-aligned newspaper Al-Watan denying the report, the prospect of a top Saudi visit evoked memories of an era past when Syrian–Saudi understanding secured Lebanon’s internal balances, which are shaken or resolved based on the tempo of West Asia’s hegemons and the status of their relations with one another.

عاجل – مصدر سوري مطلع لـ"الوطن": لا يوجد أي شيء رسمي حول زيارة محتملة لولي العهد السعودي الأمير محمد بن سلمان إلى سورية.

— جريدة الوطن (@alwatan_sy) February 20, 2024

A decisive response to rumors of an impending MbS visit remains elusive. A Syrian diplomatic source would only confirm to The Cradle that “Syrian–Saudi communication is gradually developing, and the discussions have become more detailed about the mutual common interests of the two countries” concerning the “post-war scene in Gaza.”

While the source did not deny or confirm Bin Salman’s visit, he suggested that the development of communications might reach the stage of “mutual visits” not only with Saudi Arabia “but also with Egypt.”

While the improvement in relations between Syria and Arab states is not limited to Saudi Arabia, discussions with Riyadh have become more significant recently – to the extent that an Arab foreign minister, believed to be the Emirati FM, made an effort in mid-February to persuade members of the US Congress to retract its Syrian boycott law, which US-based anti-Syria activists insist on upholding. A source tells The Cradle that these activists “train with a US agency, alongside the Iranian opposition, on formulating and marketing these lobbying projects and forming pressure groups” to halt any policy reversals in Washington.

But the discussion about reopening relations with Damascus is no longer only taking place in Arab corridors. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, in an announcement following talks last week with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, revealed “the work of the Republic of Cyprus in cooperation with other member states” to advance European–Syrian ties. 

The EU, in general, shares that view about opening up member-states’ relations with Damascus, in discussions which the Syrian source says are also progressing, especially in the matter of identifying “the parts of Syria that are sufficiently safe” for the return of refugee populations.

On 16 February, on the sidelines of the 60th Munich Security Conference in Germany, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with EU Foreign Affairs Chief Josep Borrell to discuss several regional issues, including Syria, reports Anadolu Agency, which quotes Turkish Foreign Ministry sources as saying “both sides” stressed the need to involve Damascus “in the political process.”

As for the Americans, the White House is engaged in difficult negotiations with many Arab states “in search of a diplomatic achievement” for the Joe Biden administration as his re-election campaign heats up. Washington is busy seeking mechanisms to consolidate its interests in West Asia within the significant barriers created by the Chinese-brokered Saudi–Iranian rapprochement agreement, which, for the US, has been maddeningly stable thus far. Indeed, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan went to bat in Munich for his “Iranian neighbors,” saying the Iranians “do not want escalation in the region.”

As US–Iraqi negotiations over US troop withdrawal pick up pace, a Syrian source tells The Cradle that an American delegation “visited northeastern Syria, to discuss the possibilities of maintaining a US presence there in the event of withdrawal from Iraq.” Interestingly, the head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units, Faleh al-Fayyad, visited Turkiye on 20 February to discuss “the future of the process of securing the borders from Kurdish organizations in the event that the US–Iraqi negotiations lead to the dismantling of the US military bases and the retention of officers as advisors only,” according to an Iraqi journalist source.

Where does this leave Lebanon?

There is no doubt that the recent Beirut visit of former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri – who currently resides in Abu Dhabi, which enjoys friendly relations with Syria – resonated deeply in Lebanon. It was viewed as a harbinger of the return of “Hariri-ism,” which comes laden with regional political settlements and top-level shuttle diplomacy – and reflected a tacit sign of new Saudi approval.  

During his visit, Hariri spoke in the language of his father – former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, assassinated in Beirut on 14 February 2005 – about “peace and stability” in Lebanon and its neighborhood, and even invoked, during an interview with Saudi news channel Al-Hadath, his father’s key political role in Lebanon’s civil war in paving the way to the Saudi-brokered Taif Agreement that settled the 15-year conflict.

It is important to note that Riyadh–Hariri relations have been estranged for years – unlike the close Saudi relations his father enjoyed. Tensions between them grew during the war in Syria, with Hariri’s inability or unwillingness to curb Lebanon’s Hezbollah from defending the Syrian state from a Saudi-backed war.

While Hariri said during his Beirut stopover that the time was not yet ripe for him to return to Lebanon’s muddy political arena, he offered his “intervention” if he “felt that the Sunni community in Lebanon was leaning toward extremism.” Many have linked his comments to the trial of 84 civilians in the UAE last week, charged with membership in “Muslim Brotherhood” (MB) organizations – a group banned in the UAE – as well as Turkiye’s remarkable withdrawal of MB leading figure Mahmoud Hussein’s citizenship amidst Ankara’s thrust to mend ties with Abu Dhabi.

A Lebanese source who accompanied Hariri on his visit hints to The Cradle that “concern over the Muslim Brotherhood may pave the way for the return of Hariri’s relations with Syria.” In other words, the former PM could gain support from the anti-MB Saudis, Emiratis, and Syrians if he toes this political line within Lebanon. Interestingly, a Lebanese figure close to pro-MB Qatar attacked Hariri immediately upon his arrival at the airport via X (formerly known as Twitter).

Regional winds appear to be shifting direction, in large part because the Gulf’s traditional “guarantor” of security, the United States, is knee-deep in fanning an untenable crisis by unconditionally supporting Israel’s assault on Gaza. In Munich, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry sought a “Palestinian consensus” that would pave the way for a “two-state” settlement, in which, according to him, Hamas is excluded. The Arab–Islamic consensus is currently seeking a long-term Palestinian solution after the dust in Gaza settles, which would necessarily include luring “Hamas” and “Fatah” into a national consensus government.

In Beirut, former President Michel Aoun senses this consensus and has made a show of opposing any links of “Lebanon’s fate to Gaza.” Aoun, who once opposed the Taif Agreement, awaits the opportunity to oppose it again. This is, of course, a domestic play mainly to ensure the country’s minority Christian voice is heard in whatever political arrangements lie over the horizon. 

But Gaza remains unavoidable in Lebanon, with Israel waging war against Hezbollah on the country’s southern border, which reached 45 kilometers into the country this week when Tel Aviv struck civilian sites near Sidon. The Gaza war is now being played out in multiple theaters – in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, and Yemen – and has the potential to expand and deepen further. It is this war waged by Israel and its US ally that is rapidly drawing Arab states to recalibrate the region’s direction from within and amongst themselves. 

This begs the question now frequently heard in Beirut: What if Damascus, Riyadh, and Tehran agree this time? Everyone is waiting for that moment to reserve their seats in West Asia’s latest theater.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.

As Israel mulls full-fledged ground invasion of Rafah, spotlight is on Egypt

Sunday, 18 February 2024 9:43 AM  [ Last Update: Sunday, 18 February 2024 9:43 AM ]

By Iqbal Jassat 

As the world increasingly reacts with alarm at Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu’s declared goal of leveling the southern Gaza city of Rafah to the ground, the spotlight has fallen on Egypt.

Will the North African heavyweight stand idly by, allowing the Tel Aviv regime to intensify its ongoing genocide in Gaza, or make good its threat to annul the so-called “peace treaty”? 

Authorities in Cairo would know that plans by Israel to populate Gaza with Jewish settlements require Egypt’s collaboration to absorb Palestinian refugees into parts of the Sinai. 

What it translates to is that Gaza is ethnically cleansed of 2.3 million Palestinians and replaced with an exclusively Jewish settler colony. 

However, the sticky point is Rafah, where more than a million and a half Palestinians who were violently forced to evacuate their homes in the North are huddled in tents and makeshift shelters, facing death from relentless air strikes, hunger, cold and thirst. 

In addition, the dire need for essential medical supplies has spawned the worst humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, something the world has never seen in the modern era. 

So, the big question is, how will Egypt respond to these developments? 

Egypt, of today, under the military rule of General Abdel Fateh el-Sisi, is a far cry from the leadership of Mohamed Morsi. 

During the exciting but short-lived era of the Arab Spring, tens of thousands of protesters across Cairo flooded Tahrir Square demanding the removal of Hosni Mubarak from his thirty-year reign. 

Following the popular mass revolt against his brutal dictatorship, Mubarak was forced to resign. It marked a period that saw the country transitioning from tyranny to democracy when Morsi was elected to lead Egypt in its first free and fair democratic election. 

The change of fortunes did not sit well with Western powers that began a series of dirty tricks to oust him, notwithstanding the fact that Morsi had acquired a comfortable majority during the elections. 

A classic case of a regime-change plot began to be engineered when a number of countries connived to unseat him through a bloody military coup. 

America, Israel, UAE and Saudi Arabia’s candidate for regime change was the head of Egypt’s notorious secret service/intelligence unit – el-Sisi – who was also in charge of the military. 

Israel’s Rafah offensive smacks of desperation as resistance gains ground
As the Israeli regime moves ahead with its planned ground offensive on the southernmost city of Rafah, killing more than 100 Palestinians in 24 hours, it’s clear the regime has lost the plot.

In an elaborate scheme, a rebellion against Morsi was orchestrated as a prelude to the coup. Reports subsequently revealed that the UAE government funded the uprising. 

These regimes shared common misgivings about Morsi’s ties to the Muslim Brotherhood (Al Ikhwan Al Muslimeen) and were reluctant to have the Arab world’s most powerful nation-state in the hands of the Ikhwan. 

Chatham House reported that recordings leaked from the Egyptian Ministry of Defence and confidential testimony from US officials fingered the UAE as having provided funds to support the activity of Tamarrod, the movement that organized the rebellion against Morsi.

As soon as el-Sisi stepped in to take Morsi’s seat, Saudi Arabia and the UAE made no effort to conceal their approval. Both Western-backed oligarchs gleefully displayed their support with transfers of huge chunks of money. 

The background to the massacre is well documented. According to media reports, tens of thousands of Egyptians were out in the streets and city squares to demand the reinstatement of Morsi. 

To illustrate the brazeness of the UAE, its Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed led a delegation to Cairo in solidarity with coup leader el-Sisi, less than a fortnight after the horror of the Muslim Brotherhood, when around a thousand people were mowed down. 

On August 14, 2013, as the protests had entered their sixth consecutive week, thousands staged a sit-in at the Rabaa al-Adawiya Square, one of Cairo’s busiest thoroughfares, as they had for more than a month. 

Sisi’s forces moved in using armored vehicles and bulldozers, in addition to ground troops and snipers on rooftops carrying live ammunition, to attack the square from all sides and close off safe exits, according to witnesses and human rights organizations, as reported in media. 

Morsi, the elected president, was jailed where he subsequently died, while el-Sisi has now been in power for just over a decade. To date, there has been no accountability for the Rabaa massacre. 

From Rabaa to Rafah, el-Sisi’s dismal human rights record does not hold any promise that he will deter Netanyahu’s planned incursion into Rafah or stop him from expelling Palestinians from there. 

Egypt under el-Sisi has been reduced to a mere spectator, observing the slaughter of thousands of innocent Palestinians as the genocide intensifies in Gaza without any effort to flex its muscles. 

Iqbal Jassat is an executive member of Media Review Network, Johannesburg, South Africa.

(The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Press TV)

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HOW ARAB STATES ARE HELPING ISRAEL COMMIT GENOCIDE

FEBRUARY 16TH, 2024

Source

Mnar Adley

Palestine’s Arab neighbors seem to have taken a bold stance on Israel’s genocide of Gaza in a public show of solidarity with Palestinians. But behind those strong words, states like Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE are quietly assisting Israel.

These four nations are working together to circumvent the actions of one of the few regional actors who are challenging Israel concretely: Yemen’s Ansar Allah. In a bid to alleviate pressure on Israel from the Ansar Allah (a.k.a the Houthi) blockade of the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Jordan have established land corridors, ensuring cargo destined for the apartheid state arrives safely in Israeli hands.

According to Hebrew Channel 13, Israeli-linked cargo ships arrive in the UAE to unload goods. Trucks then transport these goods through UAE and Saudi highways to Jordan. They eventually reach Israel via the Jordan River Crossing.

German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd announced that it was working with Saudi Arabia and the UAE to create a land route “bypassing the Houthis,” which connects ports in the UAE and the Saudi port of Jeddah facilitating cargo movement to Israel through the Suez Canal.

Egypt has also joined the effort, operating container ships from its ports to the Israeli port of Ashdod, further supporting the land bridge initiative and assuring Israeli commerce is not interrupted amid its genocidal campaign in Gaza.

But that is just the start of their complicity.

Take Turkey, for example. Around 40% of Israel’s energy needs are met by an oil pipeline running through Turkey. President Erdoğan could simply shut the flow of oil off to Israel, which would shut down the economy and the military assault in days. But he continues not to do so, despite offering strong condemnation of Israel in words. 

Morocco, meanwhile, is building a military intelligence base for Israel near its border with Algeria. The site will be utilized for collaboration for military training, intelligence and security.

Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems also recently announced the establishment of two weapons factories in Morocco, helping to diversify Israel’s weapons production capabilities, as activists in other countries shut the factories down.

In 2021, Morocco also signed the Abraham Accords – a normalization treaty with Israel that Bahrain and the UAE had already agreed to. The Emirates has long been a hub for Israeli intelligence, and it is now well established that the two nations aid each other on intelligence matters.

Moreover, last year, Edge Group, a UAE state-owned corporation, invested $14 million in Israeli drone manufacturer Highlander Aviation. So the Israeli police employ their airspace management system, which was tested by the Israeli Air Force.

The relationship between the UAE and Israel has grown now that Elbit Systems established an entire subsidiary organization – Elbit Systems Emirates – in order to establish what it called “long term cooperation” with the UAE military.

Meanwhile, despite its rhetoric, Saudi Arabia has been quietly collaborating with Israel for some time. The Saudi-backed group Affinity Partners owns a stake in the Israeli company Shlomo Group.

During the conflict in Gaza, the Shlomo Group contributed trucks and military equipment to the Israeli military’s Shaldag and Maglan units, as well as food packages to the IDF.

Saudi Arabia is well-known to be one of the Israeli intelligence industry’s best customers. Saudi security forces have used Israeli tech provided by NSO Group and Cellebrite to spy on people and hack their phones, including for the infamous murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

These states could do so much besides empty rhetoric to help the people of Palestine and blunt the Israeli attack on Gaza, including arms embargoes, sanctions on trade and travel, and halting the military and intelligence collaborations.

The people of the Arab world are dead against the genocide in Gaza and collaborating in it. They have come out in mass across their countries protesting Israel’s war and have even vowed to march through their borders to Gaza to defend their Palestinian brethren.

But it is clear, for these leaders – their actions speak louder than their words.

Mnar Adley is an award-winning journalist and editor and is the founder and director of MintPress News. She is also president and director of the non-profit media organization Behind the Headlines. Adley also co-hosts the MintCast podcast and is a producer and host of the video series Behind The Headlines. Contact Mnar at mnar@mintpressnews.com or follow her on Twitter at @mnarmuh

“WE ARE PEACE LOVERS”: MOHAMMED ALI AL-HOUTHI OF ANSAR ALLAH DISCUSSES THE PROSPECTS OF ESCALATION, YEMEN’S BLOCKADE, AND BEYOND

FEBRUARY 2ND, 2024

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi

Ahmed AbdulKareem is a Yemeni journalist based in Sana’a. He covers the war in Yemen for MintPress News as well as local Yemeni media.

AHMED ABDULKAREEM

Following Israel’s war and siege against Gaza, which began in earnest on October 7 of last year and has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians, the Yemeni Army led by Ansar Allah declared a military operation against Israel. Its aim: to compel Tel Aviv to cease its destructive war on Gaza.

No stranger to famine, genocide, and the displacement of civilians thanks to a decade-long war waged against its people led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and backed by the United States, Ansar Allah has led arguably the most consequential resistance to Israel’s bloody campaign in the Gaza Strip, taking the bold and unprecedented step of targeting Israeli-owned, flagged, or operated ships in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea.

Ansar Allah, known colloquially in the West as the Houthis, declared the actions a response to the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and pledged to cease targeting Israeli-connected ships as soon as Israel’s aggression ceases. This mantra has been repeated by Ansar Allah leaders since the onset of its campaign and was confirmed to MintPress by Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, head of Yemen’s Houthi supreme revolutionary committee, a prominent member of the Ansar Allah movement and a key decision-maker in Yemen’s Sana’a based government.

In response to Ansar Allah’s campaign against Israel, Western powers, particularly the United States, deployed a large flotilla of warships under the pretext of protecting international freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Dismissed in much of the Western media as little more than pirates or an Iranian-backed militia. Western audiences rarely have the opportunity to hear the unfiltered perspective of Ansar Allah’s own leaders. For this reason, MintPress News correspondent Ahmed Abdul-Kareem sat down with Ansar Allah’s second-in-command, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, to discuss recent events in Yemen, Gaza and the Middle East.

MintPress News: What is Ansar Allah’s position on the killing of three American soldiers and the wounding of more than thirty soldiers in the attack that targeted Tower 22? And before that, two U.S. Navy Seals that the U.S. claims died while drowning? What is Ansar Allah’s official position about their deaths?

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi: The attacks – which we consider a natural reaction to the hostile actions carried out by the United States- are a clear message about the great extent of discontent in the Arab world towards the Americans due to their wrong policies, including the adoption of genocide in Gaza and the aggression on Yemen that puts their soldiers and interests in danger.

The Americans must understand that whoever attacks others will receive a response. As the Arab proverb says: “Whoever knocks on the door will find an answer.”

Regarding the two soldiers you mentioned in the other half of the question, that version of the incident is an American one. We do not trust what America announces.  But if the American account is true, there is perhaps a major crime that the Americans are trying to conceal. They revealed the news of their soldiers in order to hide something worse. It is unreasonable for a fully prepared military force not to know where their colleagues have gone. The event is ambiguous. It must be investigated to expose what America is hiding.

MintPress News: You are suffering in Yemen from the repercussions of a war that has lasted for more than eight years, and despite that, you have taken an advanced military and political position in solidarity with Gaza. Why take this position, and how what is your reaction to U.S. and British government statements claiming that your position has nothing to do with Gaza?

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi: First, our position is religious and humanitarian, and we see a tremendous injustice. We know the size and severity of these massacres committed against the people of Gaza. We have suffered from American-Saudi-Emirati terrorism in a coalition that has launched a war and imposed a blockade against us that is still ongoing. Therefore, we move from this standpoint and do not want the same crime to be repeated.  We respond to the demand of our people, who take to the streets every Friday in millions to demonstrate. We also respond to masses in Arab and Islamic nations and to all free people who ask us to defend their Palestinian brothers.

We cannot see the tragic humanitarian situation in Gaza, which has even been recognized by the International Court of Justice as a genocide, and do nothing. Therefore, our move is in this direction: to confront the arrogant ones who confront the oppressed. The oppressed are in a dire situation and endure horrific human suffering because of Israel and the United States, to such a point that they suspended their support for UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees], when instead they should have increased support for it so that it could continue to provide loaves of bread to Palestinians.

MintPress News: Western media represents the blockade of the Red Sea as threatening freedom of navigation for all ships traveling through it. Is this accurate? If not, what countries are allowed to use the Bab al-Mandab Strait without problems, and how does Ansar Allah determine which ships can pass and which are stopped? 

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi:  There is no blockade of the Red Sea, and what is being promoted in the Western media that we are targeting international navigation in the Red Sea and endangering international trade is not true. Navigation through the Red Sea is safe for all ships except those linked to Israel. Until recently, 4,874 ships have safely crossed since we announced our operations. Approximately 70 ships pass through Bab al-Mandab [Strait] daily without harm.

We have constantly confirmed that the ships being targeted are only ships linked to “Israel,” whether by heading to the occupied ports or those [ships] owned by Israelis or ships entering the port of Umm al-Rashrash [Eilat port]. The Yemeni Armed Forces repeatedly confirms that all ships with no connection to “Israel” will not be harmed. This is what the official spokesman of the Army repeatedly confirms in all issued statements about the naval operations of the Yemeni Armed Forces.

We do not want Bab al-Mandab to be closed, nor for the Red Sea to be closed. This is evidenced by the fact that we have limited ourselves to targeting Israeli ships and ships heading to the occupied Palestinian territories. If we had wanted to close Bab al-Mandab, there would have been other measures, some of which were easier than launching missiles.

In fact, what is being promoted in the Western media is the result of American deception, which is keen to spread false narratives about the events so that they become dominant in the international media. The United States demonizes us through the media by pumping out its incorrect narratives, even though they, and the British, are the devils who refuse to stop the genocide in Gaza and lift the siege on its people. They are militarizing the Red Sea and are continuing the escalation and aggression against Yemen.

As for how ships heading to Israel are identified, this is based on accurate information from the Yemeni Ministry of Defense. If the ship is linked to Israel, it is warned that it must not pass through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. If it rejects the warning – after announcing, clarifying and giving signals for it to stop and return – it will be targeted. No ship that was not heading to Israeli ports has been targeted, according to the military data that we trust. And neither the Americans nor the British have been able to prove otherwise.

Yemen’s Houthis Speak to MintPress About US Attacks, Their Blockade of Israel

MintPress News: Are there communication channels that ships can use to avoid danger while passing through Bab al-Mandab, the Red Sea in general, the Arabian Sea, and the Gulf of Aden?

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi: The Navy confirms this and always repeats it in its [public] statements that there is channel Number 16 through which communication can take place. We tell shipping companies (we talked to them directly) that there is a simple solution they can use, where they can write the phrase, “We have no relation to Israel,” and pass safely. We also encourage them to use Digital Selective Calling [Digital Selective Calling is a technology used in marine communication for sending distress signals. It functions like a digital “call button” on maritime radios].

MintPress News: Western countries say that its operations in the Red Sea are to maintain the security and safety of international navigation. What is your reaction to this?

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi: It is America that is endangering international navigation by establishing what it calls the “Prosperity Alliance” to protect Israeli ships, even though a more appropriate name for it would be the “Alliance of Destruction, Militarization of the Red Sea, and Expansion of Conflict.”

Its warnings, its repeated media terrorism, and its delivery of messages and calls to ships are the actions that harm global navigation and trade, in addition to its military attacks on our country.

The White House tries to mislead the world by spreading the rumor that passing through Bab al-Mandab is unsafe. It puts pressure on international shipping companies that have no link to Israel not to pass through the Red Sea. This is done to fuel discontent against Yemenis and serve the criminal [Benjamin] Netanyahu. We call on them to stop these acts and to turn to the best solution, which is to stop the aggression and lift the siege on the people of Gaza. The Yemeni Armed Forces did not target American and British ships except in response to their aggression and attacks on our country. Prior to that, the leader of the revolution [Ansar Allah leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi] warned them not to get involved in Yemen.

MintPress News: What is the true nature of U.S./UK airstrikes against Ansar Allah? Are they really causing damage, and what are they actually targeting? Have any Yemeni civilians died in these attacks?

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi: Firstly, the American-British aggression against Yemen is not anything new. These two countries have been practicing aggression against the Republic of Yemen since 2015. These are the same actions. We are not afraid of the U.S.’s escalation. If the two countries decide to invade by land, they will face harsh lessons even worse than those they faced in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Yemeni people love freedom, are warriors and are well-armed. The army is well-prepared, and Yemenis have many options to inflict a strategic defeat on Americans in the region.

The American-British raids targeted populated cities, including Sana’a, Saada, Hodeidah, Hajjah, and Dhamar. Before that, they targeted our patrols in the Red Sea, and a number of naval forces were martyred. The strikes had no effect, and what is said about their influence is a baseless illusion and a failure, thanks to Allah Almighty.

Through their aggression at sea and their strikes, the Americans and British are defending criminals in the continuation of genocide in Palestine and the killing of civilians by the Israeli enemy without disturbance.

On the other hand, our position in the Republic of Yemen defends humanity. Our operation is carried out to stop the genocide and to stop the killing. Our choice is humanity’s choice, and it is the right choice for which we make sacrifices. The Americans must take the warnings of the leader [Ansar Allah leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi] seriously.

MintPress News: There is talk in U.S. and UK political circles about escalating the war on Yemen, possibly even talk of a ground invasion of the country. What is Ansar Allah’s reaction to this, and how does Asnar Allah plan to expand military operations if the US and UK escalate?

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi: A ground war is what the Yemeni people wish for because they will be confronted with those who have caused their suffering for more than nine years. It will be a chance for revenge. As the leader of the revolution [Ansar Allah leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi] said, “To be known to America, if they send their soldiers to Yemen, they will face something harsher than what they faced in Afghanistan and what they had suffered in Vietnam. We have the strength to confront the enemy and remain steadfast; our people have withstood nine years in the face of the massive aggression.”

MintPress News: What is your position on the Biden administration’s decision to classify Ansar Allah as a terrorist organization? Does this decision have repercussions for you?

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi: Designating us as terrorists because we support Gaza is an honor and pride. It is also political, immoral, and has no justification. The U.S. move does not affect us. We do not enter U.S. territory. We also do not have companies or bank balances abroad. They know the designation will not affect our humanitarian or ethical processes or decisions.The solution lies in stopping the aggression against Gaza and allowing food and medicine to enter.

MintPress News: Western countries refer to Ansar Allah as the Houthis. Why do you believe they do this, and what are the fundamental differences between “Houthi” and “Ansar Allah”?

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi: Ansar Allah, as defined by the leader, is not an organization, political party, or group, as some people promote. They are not framed or structured. Even when the leader of martyrs, Sayyid Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi [the founder of Ansar Allah], began to form the organization, he did not form a unit according to internationally known procedures (such as registration centers or granting membership cards), like most organizations, groups, and parties do. Rather, he presented a project in which the masses of various political orientations, affiliations, and societal segments moved within the framework of the positions included in this project. So you could say we are a widespread popular movement.

Our name, Ansar Allah, comes from a Quranic title that expresses a practical response to the directives of Almighty Allah according to the methodology of the Holy Quran. We always strive to be ِAnsar Allah by bearing the nation’s issues that must be supported for the sake of Allah.

The name “Houthis” is not a name we apply to ourselves. We refuse to be called Houthis. It is not from us. It is a name given to us by our enemies in an attempt to frame the broad masses in Yemeni society that belong to our project. Indeed, these attempts have failed. Our people were not affected by this designation or other negative propaganda. The leader referred to this in one of his last speeches.

MintPress News: Western countries accuse Ansar Allah of being a tool of Iran. Western media reported recently that the U.S. asked China to pressure Iran to stop Ansar Allah from their blockade of the Red Sea. What is the truth behind this matter, and what is Ansar Allah’s relationship with Iran?

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi: In his speech last Thursday, [Ansar Allah leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi] confirmed that U.S. and British strikes are failures and have no impact [on us] and will not limit our military capabilities. He considered that “America’s attempt to request assistance from China to persuade us to stop our operations in support of Palestine is one of the signs of its failure.”

He also pointed out that “The Chinese will not involve themselves in serving America because they realize that it is in their interest not to follow America. China knows America’s hostile policies against it. It knows very well the extent of the American conspiracy through the Taiwan dilemma.”

Although it is the accusers who are required to prove what they say, we confirm the American allegations as illusions. Our decision is in our own hands, and the Americans and Israelis know that. If they have any accusation against Iran, that is their business. Iran is a sovereign state. We do not like to bother responding to enemies. We do not care about the enemy’s words as long as we take the right position.

MintPress News: There has been a truce between Ansar Allah and the Saudi-led coalition in conjunction with negotiations currently taking place through Omani mediators. Had peace in Yemen been used as a point of pressure to stop your operations in the Red Sea? Who is obstructing the peace process and an agreement between Yemeni parties?

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi: First, there is no truce but de-escalation. We hope political work will continue to achieve lasting peace for the Republic of Yemen and lift the siege.

Secondly, we have received many indirect messages and threats from the United States, including opening internal combat fronts, moving fronts, obstructing peace, stopping aid, etc., because of the position of the Yemeni people who refuse to allow for the extermination of the people of Gaza.

We are peace lovers. We want to build the Republic of Yemen. We’d like there to be peace. So, our operations in the Red Sea are within the framework of the search for peace for our brothers in Palestine.

But who has prevented peace in Yemen for nine years? Wasn’t it America that threatened to obstruct it? Yes, it was, as previously explained.

We presented a vision for a comprehensive solution [in Yemen], which was published in the media and delivered to the United Nations.

Recently, a paper [was published] whose points were agreed upon [by all parties], and the ones who obstructed it were the Americans. Just as Washington has done in previous rounds [of negotiations], it is obstructing peace right now.

Notice that, although they [the United States] talk about peace in Palestine, they use their veto power to prevent an end to the war. In Yemen, they talk about peace while at the same time launching [military] operations against the people of the Republic of Yemen.

MintPress News: Are there direct negotiation channels between Ansar Allah and the Americans? How can future negotiations be conducted to reduce the escalation in the region?

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi: We have not yet negotiated with the Americans directly. Although we have been asked to have direct negotiations, we have refused. We do not believe that we can engage in dialogue with the Americans because we see them as terrorist criminals who do everything to continue crimes and massacres. If the Americans hope to communicate [with us], it must be through our brothers in the Sultanate of Oman with our negotiating team there. This is the only way in which dialogue can take place.

MintPress News: Ansar Allah has stated many times that the reason for their blockade is to stand in solidarity and help the people of Gaza. What must Israel do for Ansar Allah to halt any blockade or attacks against Israeli interests?

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi: You must know that we have never resorted to carrying out operations in the Red Sea before, even though we were subjected to a major war supported mainly by the United States, but we do so now to stop the genocide in Gaza. Our operations will stop immediately as soon as medicine and food enter Gaza and the aggression is stopped. Until this noble humanitarian goal is achieved, the armed air, sea, and land forces will continue to target Israeli, American, and British ships. You see, the equation and solution is simple: let food and medicine reach the people of Gaza, and the aggression will be stopped.

MintPress News: Both the United States and Britain have repeatedly stated that what they are doing in the Red Sea is self-defense and to protect international navigation. What is your reaction to these statements?

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi: The truth is that Washington and London are bombing people thousands of miles away from their lands. They are carrying out aggression against an independent country that is a member of the United Nations without justification, legitimacy, or legal reference for what they are doing. They are carrying out aggression against Yemen only to protect the Israeli enemy. It is certain and clearly visible that they are not in a state of defense. They could have said that if their ships were being attacked off the coast of Florida or London.

In addition, their aggression has no moral or humanitarian justification, as they came to defend criminals so that Israel can continue committing more genocide in Palestine and killing civilians.

The American and British [people] should know that the administrations in the United States and Britain do not care about the safety of international navigation in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea. They only care about [Benjamin] Netanyahu, encouraging him to continue the genocide of the people of Gaza, even if at the expense of their people’s interests and the lives of their soldiers.

So we say to them: You are the ones who came to ignite the region, you are the ones working to threaten navigation, and you are the ones bringing danger and terrorism to the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, or the Gulf of Aden. You must stop these practices and return to where you came from. The Red Sea belongs to neither the United States nor the British. It is clear to us that America’s policies are hostile. It has ambitions in the China Sea, it has ambitions in the Red Sea, and it also competes with Russia in the Arctic.

Republish our stories! MintPress News is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 International License.

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Yemenis ditch UAE–Saudi coalition for Gaza

FEB 1, 2024

The Gaza war and renewed US–UK strikes on Yemen are shattering what remains of the UAE–Saudi-led coalition. Now Yemenis of all stripes are flocking to embrace the Sanaa government and its resistance stance.

Mohammed Moqeibel

While the Red Sea military operations of Yemeni resistance movement Ansarallah have shaken up geopolitical calculations of Israel’s war on Gaza, they have also had far-reaching consequences on the country’s internal political and military dynamics. 

By successfully obstructing Israeli vessels from traversing the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Ansarallah-led Sanaa government has emerged as a powerful symbol of resistance in defense of the Palestinian people – a cause deeply popular across Yemen’s many demographics. Sanaa’s position stands in stark contrast to that of the Saudi and Emirati-backed government in Aden, which, to the horror of Yemenis, welcomed attacks by US and British forces on 12 January.

The US–UK airstrikes have offended Yemenis fairly universally, prompting some heavyweight internal defections. Quite suddenly, Sanaa has transformed into a destination for a number of Yemeni militias previously aligned with the UAE and Saudi Arabia, now publicly declaring their allegiance to Ansarallah.

One such figure, Colonel Hussein al-Qushaybi, formerly with the Saudi–UAE coalition forces, announced in a tweet:

I am Colonel Hussein al-Qushaybi, I declare my resignation from my rank and my defection from the Legitimacy Army [army backed by Saudi-led coalition] that did not allow us, as members of the Ministry of Defense, to show solidarity with Palestine.
My message to army members: Go back to your homes, for our leaders have begun to protect Zionist ships at sea and support the [Israeli] entity, even if they try to deceive, but their support has become clear and it is still there.

Qushaybi claims he was incarcerated in Saudi prisons for 50 days – along with other Yemeni officers – for his outspoken defense of Gaza, during which he endured torture and interrogation by an Israeli intelligence officer.

Major Hammam al-Maqdishi, responsible for personal protection of Yemen’s former Defense Minister in the coalition-backed government, has also arrived in Sanaa, pledging allegiance to Ansarallah.

Simultaneously, a leaked ‘top-secret’ document from the Saudi-backed, UN-recognized Yemeni Ministry of Defense instructs military leaders to suppress any sympathy or support for Hamas or Ansarallah, as “this might arouse the ire of brotherly and friendly countries” – an implicit reference to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Defections and dissent 

The wave of defections within the ranks of Saudi–Emirati coalition forces is not limited to officers. Many regular troops have openly rebelled against their commanders – abandoning their positions and pledging allegiance to Ansarallah – following the recent airstrikes on Yemen. Dozens of these soldiers have been arrested and detained for displaying solidarity with Gaza. 

Yemeni news reports claim the US government, in a missive to the coalition’s Chief of Staff Saghir bin Aziz, expressed “dissatisfaction” with the lack of solidarity among his forces and demanded action.

While this trend of defections in the Saudi–Emirati coalition is not entirely new, it has accelerated considerably since the onset of the war in Gaza and the recent US-UK strikes on Yemen. 

Last February, high-ranking coalition officers, including brigade commanders from various fronts, began a series of defections, though none as significant as the current rebellion. 

These earlier defections were primarily driven by financial conditions and dissatisfaction with Saudi Arabia and the UAE for their dismissal of military commanders associated with the Islah Party (Muslim Brotherhood in Yemen), who were replaced by members of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) militias and those commanded by Tariq Saleh, nephew of pro-Saudi former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh. 

Most of these defections were by officer and troops associated with the Islah Party during a time when the foreign coalition began marginalizing the party’s military and political leadership, and dismantling several military sectors under their control – in favor of the UAE-controlled STC.

Now, the Gaza war has the Islah Party leadership fully breaking with its old alliances. As party official Mukhtar al-Rahbi tweeted upon the launch of US-UK strikes:

Any Yemeni who stands with the US, UK, and the countries of the coalition protecting Zionist ships should reconsider their Yemeni identity and Arab affiliation. These countries protect and support the Zionist entity, and when Yemen closed the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea to the ships of this terrorist entity, this dirty alliance struck Yemen and punished it for its noble stance towards Gaza and Palestine.

In stark contrast, the UAE-backed STC and the Tareq Saleh-led National Resistance Forces expressed readiness to protect Israeli interests. On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, STC President Aidarus al-Zoubaidi reaffirmed his support for the British attacks against Yemen, conveying this stance to British Foreign Secretary David Cameron.

Following these statements, an entire battalion under Saleh’s command defected to Ansarallah, while many other fighters now refuse his authority because they reject supporting US–UK strikes against Sanaa and its resistance leaders. 

A shift in public sentiment

In response to the latest western aggression against Yemen, media outlets affiliated with the STC and its supporters have launched a campaign against Ansarallah and the Palestinian resistance, casting doubt on the Yemeni resistance movement’s capabilities and motives. But, their efforts have backfired badly, instead leading to widespread public fury in the country’s southern regions controlled by the UAE and Saudi-backed government. 

Map of areas controlled by Ansarallah and Saudi-led coalition

Their anger is directed at the Aden-based government‘s perceived alignment with Israel’s regional projects, sparking both protests and symbolic acts, such as burning pictures of UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed and the Israeli flag.

According to Fernando Carvajal, a former member of the UN Security Council’s Yemen expert team, Ansarallah have managed to leverage – to their benefit – the untenable position of Abu Dhabi, which normalized relations with Israel as part of the 2020 US-brokered Abraham Accords. This, he argues, has helped them gain widespread support both within Yemen and internationally.

In the wake of this unexpected public outrage, the STC has experienced a further wave of defections within its ranks. Several leaders have joined the Southern Revolutionary Movement, and openly expressed their objective of liberating southern Yemen from what they see as “Saudi–Emirati occupation.”

Amidst the wave of military realignments, prominent Al-Mahra tribal Sheikh Ali al-Huraizi – arguably the most influential figure in eastern Yemen – has come out to praise Ansarallah’s military operations against Israel-bound shipping in the Red Sea, hailing its actions as a resolute and national response to the suffering of the Palestinian people.

Huraizi stressed that the US and British aggression against Yemen was launched to protect the Zionist state, because Ansarallah’s targeted strikes were negatively impacting Israel’s economy. Calling for unity among Yemenis, the tribal leader urged steadfast resistance against Israeli influence in the country. He also called on other Yemeni factions to follow the bold leadership of Abdul-Malik al-Houthi as a means to halt the genocide taking place in Gaza.

Countdown to the coalition’s collapse 

Yemen’s deteriorating economic conditions, currency collapse in coalition-ruled areas, and ongoing conflicts among southern militias have left many Yemenis disillusioned with Emirati and Saudi proxies, whom they had hoped would bring – at the very least – economic prosperity. 

In contrast, the Ansarallah-led Sanaa government has managed to maintain a relatively stable economic situation in the areas under its control, despite the foreign-backed war aimed at toppling it. This disparity has led to a growing sentiment among UAE-aligned soldiers that they are merely pawns fighting for the interests of Persian Gulf Arab rulers, without receiving due recognition from these governments.

The contrasting stances on Palestine between the coalition and Ansarallah have deepened the Yemeni divide since the events of 7 October. Sanaa’s support for the Palestinian cause has significantly boosted its domestic standing, while US–UK strikes on the country have complicated their Persian Gulf allies’ position by prioritizing Israeli interests over all other calculations. 

Disillusionment with the coalition will have profound political and military implications for Yemen, reshaping alliances, and casting the UAE and Saudi Arabia as national adversaries. Palestine continues to serve as a revealing litmus test throughout West Asia – and now in Yemen too – exposing those who only-rhetorically claim the mantle of justice and Arab solidarity. 

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.

The enemy within: Arab states that trade with Israel

JAN 31, 2024

West Asian exports to Israel have skyrocketed since 2020. These are the Arab and Muslim governments that put goods on Israeli shelves, despite their public stances supporting Gaza.

Photo Credit: The Cradle

Mohamad Hasan Sweidan

Israeli import data reveals that a number of Arab countries play a significant role in buoying the occupation state’s trade volume, despite attempts by other regional nations to weaken Israel’s economy. 

Since this decade’s onset, Israeli ports have been teeming with the arrival of goods from across the region. Each shipment not only boosts the occupation state’s economy, but also weaves a narrative that goes beyond trade statistics as these economic interactions carry a hidden stream of political significance.

Although not an Arab country, Turkiye was the first Muslim state to establish diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv, and today leads the pack of West Asian states boosting Israeli imports. In 2020 alone, the value of Turkish exports spiked to $5.7 billion, constituting 6.2 percent of total Israeli imports that year. 

Iron and steel ($1.06 billion), plastics ($464.67 million), electrical and electronic equipment ($346.83  million), vehicles ($331.48  million), machinery ($298.89 million), metals ($261.66 million),  and building materials ($188.39 million) form the cornerstone of Turkish exports to the Zionist entity. 

In second place is the UAE, which normalized ties with Tel Aviv as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020, and was the first Arab state to sign a free-trade agreement (2022) with Israel as part of a plan to boost mutual trade to $10 billion annually. The Persian Gulf state’s exports were valued at $1.89 billion in 2022, accounting for 2.1 percent of all Israeli imports. 

Particularly intriguing is the 1543 percent surge in the value of Emirati exports to Israel since the normalization agreement. Noteworthy export categories include precious metals and stones ($525.32 million), iron and steel ($483.95 million), electrical and electronic equipment ($210.71 million), and oil ($94.55 million).

Business as usual 

Taking third place is Jordan, whose exports to Israel in 2022 reached $469.25 million, a massive 489 percent increase from 2018. Key export categories from the Hashemite Kingdom include plastics ($135.2 million), electrical and electronic equipment ($127.93 million), and iron and steel ($74.35 million).

As for Egypt, the first Arab state to make peace with and recognize Israel, its 2022 exports to the occupation state amounted to $179.31 million. Notable export categories include inorganic chemicals, precious metals compounds ($61.15 million), building materials ($14.26 million), foodstuffs ($12.78 million), and plastics ($11.32 million).

Surprisingly, in fifth place is Algeria, with Israel-bound exports reaching $21.38 million in 2022, the majority of which are inorganic chemicals, precious metals compounds, and isotopes. The revelation of trade relations between Algeria and Israel by the UN database raises questions about Algeria’s long-held stance against normalization, including its criminalization two years ago.

Morocco stands in sixth place, with exports to Israel amounting to $17.92 million in 2022, predominantly composed of foodstuffs. Rabat resumed diplomatic and trade relations with Israel as part of the 2020 accords. 

Finally, Bahrain’s exports to Israel in 2022 reached $10.58 million, reflecting an astounding 12,083 percent increase from 2020, the year of the normalization agreement between Manama and Tel Aviv. Key exports include aluminum ($8.78 million) and iron and steel ($2.62 million).

As such, the combined exports of West Asian countries to Israel surged by $4,359.530,000 between 2020 and 2022, marking an increase of almost 111 percent.

Israeli Energy Imports

Israel depends heavily on oil and natural gas for its power generation, with these sources constituting 80 percent of its total energy supply. It is a net exporter of natural gas, having sent 9.4 billion cubic meters abroad in 2022, with 6.5 billion cubic meters going to Egypt and 2.9 billion cubic meters to Jordan.

In contrast, Israel imports all its oil supply, and consumes approximately 220 thousand barrels per day. Of this, 62 percent comes from two Muslim-majority countries, namely Kazakhstan (93 thousand barrels) and Azerbaijan (45 thousand barrels). The remainder is sourced from West African countries, including Gabon, Nigeria, and Angola, in addition to Brazil, and an undisclosed amount is transported illegally from Iraqi Kurdistan.

To facilitate the import of most of Israel’s oil, the Turkish port of Ceyhan in southeastern Turkiye plays a crucial role. It serves as a loading point for oil tankers carrying crude from Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan through the Caspian Sea via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. Tankers also transport oil from Iraqi Kurdistan along the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the ports of Haifa and Ashkelon.

Oil tankers arrive in the occupied state via two main seaports: the aforementioned Ashkelon, equipped with 22 tanks holding 11 million barrels, and Eilat in the south, with 16 large oil tanks capable of holding about 1.4 million cubic meters of oil. The latter has seen an 85 percent fall in activity amid increased naval operations executed by Yemen’s Ansarallah-aligned forces in the Red Sea against vessels bound for Israel.

Approximately 180,000 barrels per day reach Ashkelon, from where internal pipelines transport the oil to the ports of Ashdod and Haifa. Both ports have oil refineries with capacities of 100,000 and 197,000 barrels per day, respectively. Additionally, a pipeline connects Ashkelon and Eilat, traversing the Negev desert with a capacity of 1.2 million barrels per day.

Despite the growing tensions and sharp rhetoric by some regional states toward Israel since its military assault on the Gaza Strip commenced, trade activity remains largely uninterrupted. Turkiye, despite calling Israel a “terrorist” state, contributes heavily to Israel’s economic well-being by helping Tel Aviv circumvent the Yemeni blockade, increasing its overall exports to Israel, and playing a pivotal role in oil transportation. 

Despite the war on Gaza, Turkish exports grew from 319.5 million dollars in November 2023 to 430.6 million dollars in December — higher even than the 408.3 million dollars exported in July, prior to the 7 October Al-Aqsa Flood operation.

Exports to Israel from the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco are hardly surprising: these are the Arab states most vested in championing regional policies that serve the interests of the occupation state. The more surprising connection, however, is the trade relations — however minimal — between Algeria and Israel. 

To understand the true positions of states means to skip over the official rhetoric and examine the economic ties that politics often conceals.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.

UAE funded political assassinations in Yemen, BBC unmasks

January 23, 2024

Source: BBC Arabic

Soldiers with a military coalition in Yemen backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates stand guard in the port city of Hodeida on Jan. 22, 2019. (AFP)

By Al Mayadeen English

The most recent political assassination in Yemen, as reported by Yemeni human rights lawyer Huda al-Sarari, occurred just last month, involving the killing of an imam in Lahj using the same method.

The UAE has reportedly financed politically motivated assassinations in Yemen, as revealed by a recent investigation conducted by the BBC. 

The revelations surface amid the heightened global focus on Yemen following recent ship attacks in the Red Sea in support of the Palestinian people in light of the ongoing Israeli genocidal war.

Emirati officers in Yemen have utilized “counter-terrorism training” offered by US mercenaries to instruct locals for covert operations, leading to a significant increase in political assassinations, as per information provided by a whistleblower to BBC Arabic investigations.
 
The BBC investigation revealed that contrary to the stated objective of US mercenaries to eradicate groups like al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS) in southern Yemen, the UAE has, in reality, enlisted former al-Qaeda members for a security force formed on the ground in Yemen to combat Ansar Allah movement and other Resistance factions.

The UAE government has refuted the accusations made in the investigation, claiming that the accusations of assassinating individuals without ties to terrorism are “false and without merit.”

The wave of killings in Yemen, comprising over 100 assassinations within a three-year span, is just one facet of a persistent and contentious global war on the country involving various international powers in the Middle East’s most impoverished nation.

“Leaked drone footage of the first assassination mission gave me a starting point from which to investigate these mysterious killings. It was dated December 2015 and was traced to members of a private US security company called Spear Operations Group,” BBC Arabic‘s Nawal al-Maghafi said in a radio documentary.

“I finally met one of the men behind the operation shown in the footage in a restaurant in London in 2020. Isaac Gilmore, a former US Navy Seal who later became chief operating officer of Spear, was one of several Americans who say they were hired to carry out assassinations in Yemen by the UAE”, she added.

In accordance with international law, any killing of civilians without proper legal proceedings would be categorized as extrajudicial.

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US mercenaries: Killing in Yemen

Gilmore and another Spear employee, Dale Comstock, informed BBC Arabic‘s Nawal al-Maghafi that the mission they conducted concluded in 2016. However, assassinations in southern Yemen persisted and increased in frequency, according to investigators from the human rights group Reprieve.

Reprieve investigated 160 killings in Yemen from 2015 to 2018, with the majority occurring after 2016. Only 23 of the 160 individuals killed were found to have links to alleged “terrorism”. The killings were executed using the same tactics employed by Spear: initiating an improvised explosive device (IED) as a distraction followed by a targeted shooting.

The most recent political assassination in Yemen, as reported by Yemeni human rights lawyer Huda al-Sarari, occurred just last month, involving the killing of an imam in Lahj using the same method.

According to Gilmore, Comstock, and two other mercenaries from Spear who preferred not to be named, Spear had been engaged in training Emirati officers at the UAE military base in Aden. A journalist, wishing to remain anonymous, mentioned having seen footage of such training.

While the mercenaries did not provide detailed information about the training, a senior Yemeni military officer from Aden, who had direct dealings with the UAE, offered more insights.

Due to the conspicuous profile of the mercenaries in Aden and the risk of exposure, their role was altered to train Emirati officers, who, in turn, instructed local Yemenis in the targeting process, as revealed by the Yemeni military officer.

Throughout the investigation, over a dozen Yemeni sources, including two individuals claiming to have carried out non-terror-related assassinations after being trained by Emirati soldiers, corroborated this account. Additionally, one man mentioned he was offered release from a UAE prison in return for assassinating a senior Yemeni political figure, a mission he reportedly declined. Enlisting Yemenis for the assassinations aimed at making it more challenging to trace the killings back to the UAE.

Human rights lawyer Huda al-Sarari: A tale of UAE’s terror

Human rights lawyer Huda al-Sarari, who has been probing human rights violations committed by UAE-backed forces, faced death threats due to her work. Tragically, her 18-year-old son Mohsen was shot in the chest in March 2019 and succumbed to the injuries a month later.

After returning to work, al-Sarari received threatening messages warning her to stop, questioning if one son’s death was not enough. An investigation revealed Mohsen was killed by a member of the UAE-backed “Counter Terrorism Unit”, but no prosecution followed. Members of the prosecutor’s office admitted being too fearful to pursue justice in cases involving UAE-backed forces. A leaked UAE document obtained by Reprieve indicated that Spear was still receiving payment in 2020, although the capacity is unclear.

Read more: Mercenaries in Yemen: Nationalities, numbers & horrors

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All UK, US interests in region are legitimate targets: Yemeni Council

12 Jan 2024 

Source: Al Mayadeen

Yemeni Resistance fighters boarding the cargo ship Galaxy Leader on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023 (AP)

By Al Mayadeen English

UK and US presence in the Red Sea violates International Law, and the Republic of Yemen is responsible for dealing with it appropriately.

The Yemeni Supreme Political Council of the Sanaa government issued a statement on the joint US-UK overnight aggression against Yemen warning of imminent retaliation. 

“What the country has been subjected to is an unjustified and illegitimate American-British aggression, which violates all international laws,” the statement’s opening statement read. 

“All American and British interests have become legitimate targets for the Yemeni Armed Forces in response to their direct and announced aggression against the Yemeni Republic,” the Supreme Political Council warned. 

“The aggression on Yemen is an extension of the treacherous American targeting of the Yemeni Naval Forces and the American-British-Zionist aggression on the people of Gaza. The American-British aggression is a real threat to international peace and security, putting the region at grave stakes.”

“The presence of American and British forces, and those allied to them, under false pretexts in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab [strait] is rejected and violates all laws. This presence [of the US and UK in the Red Sea] is a threat to international navigation, and it’s the duty of the Yemeni Republic to deal with it the way it sees fit.”

“We affirm the commitment of the Yemeni Republic to what was declared at the beginning of its naval operation to end the blockade, stop the aggression, end the genocidal war on Gaza, and allow the entry of food, medicine, fuel, and all means of life.”

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Yemeni military expert: Aggressors think the Armed Forces would employ overt military sites

In an interview for Al Mayadeen Net, Yemeni military expert Aabed al-Thawr said the aggression has not achieved any accomplishments, and targeting these areas has no real impact, explaining that these locations were originally destroyed during the war waged by the Saudi coalition for nearly 9 years.

Al-Thawr noted that the aggression targeted overt military sites, expressing surprise that the aggressors would actually think that the Yemeni Armed Forces had resumed using them so shortly after the war with Saudi Arabia. Al-Thawr added that the Armed Forces have fortified and secret military sites for conducting their military operations.

One of the military bases targeted by the aggression, according to al-Thawr, is the Delmi base. He said that it is currently used for civilian aviation, not military purposes, noting that the Saudi coalition had formerly launched several attacks against it and failed to completely destroy it.

As for Hodeidah Airport, which was also targeted in the overnight aggression, the military expert confirmed to Al Mayadeen Net that it was already destroyed, and the Saudi coalition had booby-trapped the area around it. 

Supreme Political Council: Aggression will not undermine the Armed Forces: neither militarily nor morally

In the same context, Secretary of the Supreme Political Council Yasser al-Houri told Al Mayadeen Net, “This aggression is not new. Yemen has been facing an alliance led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE on behalf of the United States and the United Kingdom for about 9 years.”

Al-Houri considered this aggression an extension of the attacks on the naval forces and an extension of the aggression on Gaza. He emphasized that the Yemeni armed forces have their own methods of confrontation, and these strikes will not affect them militarily or morally. Yemen has faced greater challenges and triumphed over them, according to al-Houri.

Read more: Biden faces backlash from some Democrats over strikes on Yemen

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Washington is as foolish as Tel Aviv. It goes to confrontation with arrogance and illusions and without an exit strategy – this is Yemen, pay attention!

A field general threatens to burn Israel with ammonium nitrate: “Hezbollah’s” missile snakes and “Al-Sayyid’s” nuclear plan!

The battles are continuing, the all-out wars are devastating, and Yemen is ready for a long-term war.. The axis of resistance to Europe has turned?!

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Operation Al Aqsa Flood

Yemen Armed Forces spox says US ship targeted in ‘initial response’

10 Jan 2024

Source: Agencies

A screenshot from a video of the Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson Yahya Saree giving a press briefing on January 10, 2024. (Military media)

By Al Mayadeen English

The Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson, Yahya Saree, announced in a statement that the Yemeni Armed Forces targeted an American ship using ballistic and naval missiles, as well as drones.

The spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces announced that the Navy, the Missile Force, and the Drone Air Force in the Yemeni Armed Forces, “executed a joint military operation involving a large number of ballistic and naval missiles and drones, targeting an American ship that was providing support to the Zionist entity.”

According to the spokesperson, the operation also marked the “initial response” of the Yemeni Armed Forces following the US attack on Yemeni Forces, earlier, which resulted in the martyrdom of 10 members of the Yemeni Navy.

Moreover, during the press release, Saree stressed that “the Yemeni Armed Forces affirm that they will not hesitate to appropriately deal with all hostile threats under the legitimate right of defending our country, our people, and our nation.”

To conclude the press briefing, he reminded the world that the Yemeni Armed Forces would continue to stand with Palestine and “prevent Israeli ships or those headed to the ports of occupied Palestine from navigating in the Arabian and Red Seas until the aggression stops and the siege on our steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip is lifted.”

بهدف خلط الأوراق وإعطاء المبررات للأمريكيين لعسكرة البحر الأحمر تقوم الإمارات عبر مرتزقتها في اليمن بترتيبات لاستهداف السفن التجارية التي ليست متجهة إلى الكيان الصهيوني.
لكن نقول لها بأن أسلوبها الحقير مفضوح ومكشوف فعملياتنا في البحرين الأحمر والعربي محددة الأهداف واضحة المعالم.

— فضل ابوطالب (@FAbotalb) January 9, 2024

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The maritime routes for all other vessels and purposes continue to be safe and secured by the Yemeni Armed Forces.

UAE to target non-Israeli related ships & pin it on Yemen: Ansar Allah

The Secretary-General of the Ansar Allah Movement’s Political Bureau, Fadl Abu Talib, revealed on  Tuesday, that “the UAE, through its mercenaries in Yemen, is making arrangements to target commercial ships not destined for the Israeli occupation entity.”

Abu Talib, in a post on X, confirmed that the UAE is doing this “to shuffle the cards and provide the Americans with justification to militarize the Red Sea.”

The Ansar Allah official also stressed that “the UAE’s despicable method is blatant and exposed,” and that “our operations in the Red and Arabian Seas have specific and clear objectives.”

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Operation Al Aqsa Fl

How Yemen changed everything

DEC 28, 2023

In a single move, Yemen’s Ansarallah has checkmated the west and its rules-based order.

Photo Credit: The Cradle

Pepe Escobar

Whether invented in northern India, eastern China or Central Asia – from Persia to Turkestan – chess is an Asian game. In chess, there always comes a time when a simple pawn is able to upset the whole chessboard, usually via a move in the back rank whose effect simply cannot be calculated. 

Yes, a pawn can impose a seismic checkmate. That’s where we are, geopolitically, right now. 

The cascading effects of a single move on the chessboard – Yemen’s Ansarallah stunning and carefully targeted blockade of the Red Sea – reach way beyond global shipping, supply chains, and The War of Economic Corridors. Not to mention the reduction of the much lauded US Navy force projection to irrelevancy.

Yemen’s resistance movement, Ansarallah, has made it very clear that any Israel-affiliated or Israel-destined vessel will be intercepted. While the west bristles at this, and imagines itself a target, the rest of the world fully understands that all other shipping is free to pass. Russian tankers – as well as Chinese, Iranian, and Global South ships – continue to move undisturbed across the Bab al-Mandeb (narrowest point: 33 km) and the Red Sea. 

Only the Hegemon is disturbed by this challenge to its ‘rules-based order.’ It is outraged that western vessels delivering energy or goods to law-breaking Israel can be impeded, and that the supply chain has been severed and plunged into deep crisis. The pinpointed target is the Israeli economy, which is already bleeding heavily. A single Yemeni move proves to be more efficient than a torrent of imperial sanctions. 

It is the tantalizing possibility of this single move turning into a paradigm shift – with no return – that is adding to the Hegemon’s apoplexy. Especially because imperial humiliation is deeply embedded in the paradigm shift. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the record, is now sending an unmistakeable message: Forget the Suez Canal. The way to go is the Northern Sea Route – which the Chinese, in the framework of the Russia-China strategic partnership, call the Arctic Silk Road.
 

Map of North-East and North-West Passage shipping routes

For the dumbfounded Europeans, the Russians have detailed three options: First, sail 15,000 miles around the Cap of Good Hope. Second, use Russia’s cheaper and faster Northern Sea Route. Third, send the cargo via Russian Railways. 

Rosatom, which oversees the Northern Sea Route, has emphasized that non-ice-class ships are now able to sail throughout summer and autumn, and year-round navigation will soon be possible with the help of a fleet of nuclear icebreakers. 

All that as direct consequences of the single Yemeni move. What next? Yemen entering BRICS+ at the summit in Kazan in late 2024, under the Russian presidency?

The new architecture will be framed in West Asia 

The US-led Armada put together for Operation Genocide Protection, which collapsed even before birth, may have been set up to “warn Iran,” apart from giving Ansarallah a scare. Just as the Houthis, Tehran is hardly intimidated because, as West Asia analyst ace Alastair Crooke succinctly put it: “Sykes-Picot is dead.” 

This is a quantum shift on the chessboard. It means West Asian powers will frame the new regional architecture from now on, not US Navy “projection.” 

That carries an ineffable corollary: those eleven US aircraft carrier task forces, for all practical purposes, are essentially worthless.   

Everyone across West Asia is well aware that Ansarallah’s missiles are capable of hitting Saudi and Emirati oil fields, and knocking them out of commission. So it is little wonder that Riyadh and Abu Dhabi would never accept becoming part of a US-led maritime force to challenge the Yemeni resistance.   

Add to it the role of underwater drones now in the possession of Russia and Iran. Think of fifty of these aimed at a US aircraft carrier: it has no defense. While the Americans still have very advanced submarines, they cannot keep the Bab al-Mandeb and Red Sea open to western operators. 

On the energy front, Moscow and Tehran don’t even need to think – at least not yet – about using the “nuclear” option or cutting off potentially at least 25 percent, and up, of the world oil supply. As one Persian Gulf analyst succinctly describes it, “that would irretrievably implode the international financial system.”

For those still determined to support the genocide in Gaza there have been warnings. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has mentioned it explicitly. Tehran has already called for a total oil and gas embargo against nations that support Israel. 

A total naval blockade of Israel, meticulously engineered, remains a distinct possibility. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander Hossein Salami said Israel may “soon face the closure of the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar, and other waterways.”

Keep in mind we’re not yet even talking about a possible blockade of the Strait of Hormuz; we’re still on Red Sea/Bab al-Mandeb. 

Because if the Straussian neo-cons in the Beltway get really unhinged by the paradigm shift and act in desperation to “teach a lesson” to Iran, a chokepoint Hormuz-Bab al-Mandeb combo blockade might skyrocket the price of oil to at least $500 a barrel, triggering the implosion of the $618 trillion derivatives market and crashing the entire international banking system. 

The paper tiger is in a jam 

Mao Zedong was right after all: the US may be in fact a paper tiger. Putin, though, is way more careful, cold, and calculating. With this Russian president, it’s all about an asymmetric response, exactly when no one is expecting it.

That brings us to the prime working hypothesis perhaps capable of explaining the shadow play masking the single Ansarallah move on the chessboard.       

When Pulitzer-winning investigative journalist Sy (Seymour) Hersh proved how Team Biden blew up the Nord Stream pipelines, there was no Russian response to what was, in effect, an act of terrorism against Gazprom, against Germany, against the EU, and against a bunch of European companies. Yet Yemen, now, with a simple blockade, turns global shipping upside down. 

So what is more vulnerable? The physical networks of global energy supply (Pipelineistan) or the Thalassocracy, states that derive their power from naval supremacy? 

Russia privileges Pipelineistan: see, for instance, the Nord Streams and Power of Siberia 1 and 2. But the US, the Hegemon, always relied on its thalassocratic power, heir to “Britannia rules the waves.” 

Well, not anymore. And, surprisingly, getting there did not even entail the “nuclear” option, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which Washington games and scaremongers like crazy.

Of course we won’t have a smoking gun. But it’s a fascinating proposition that the single Yemeni move may have been coordinated at the highest level between three BRICS members – Russia, China, and Iran, the neocon new “axis of evil” – plus other two BRICS+, energy powerhouses Saudi Arabia and the UAE. As in, “if you do it, we’ve got your back”. 

None of that, of course, detracts from Yemeni purity: their defense of Palestine is a sacred duty. 

Western imperialism and then turbo-capitalism have always been obsessed with gobbling up Yemen, a process that Isa Blumi, in his splendid book Destroying Yemen, described as “necessarily stripping Yemenis of their historic role as the economic, cultural, spiritual, and political engine for much of the Indian Ocean world.” 

Yemen, though, is unconquerable and, true to a local proverb, “deadly” (Yemen Fataakah). As part of the Axis of Resistance, Yemen’s Ansarallah is now a key actor in a complex Eurasia-wide drama that redefines Heartland connectivity; and alongside China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the India-Iran-Russia-led International North-South Transportation Corridor (INSTC), and Russia’s new Northern Sea Route, also includes control over strategic chokepoints around the Mediterranean Seas and the Arabian peninsula. 

This is another trade connectivity paradigm entirely, smashing to bits western colonial and neocolonial control of Afro-Eurasia. So yes, BRICS+ supports Yemen, who with a single move has presented Pax Americana with The Mother of All Geopolitical Jams.         

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.

وقف العمليات الكبيرة لا يعني وقف الحرب وعملية تهجير السكان مستمرة

خطة إسرائيلية – أميركية لـ«ما قبل اليوم التالي»

 الجمعة 15 كانون الأول 2023

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 ابراهيم الأمين

يؤخذ على إسرائيل أنها لا تمتلك تصوراً لليوم التالي للحرب. حتى الولايات المتحدة والغرب الداعم لها، يناقشون مع قادة الاحتلال، بصيغة أنه يجب أن يكون هناك تصور واضح لمرحلة ما بعد الحرب. لكن كل هؤلاء يعرفون أن الحرب التي شنّها العدوّ رغماً عنه، لم تنطلق بتصور مسبق حول أهدافها القابلة للتحقق. وهي مثّلت رداً انتقامياً مهولاً، وترافق مع نقاش لدى قيادة العدو حول أهدافه وفقاً لمجريات الميدان. لكن العدوّ قال منذ اليوم الأول، إنه يشن حرباً يهدف من خلالها الى إنهاء التهديد العسكري الذي تمثّله المقاومة في قطاع غزة، ما جعل تصوّر العدوّ لتنفيذ المهمة عبارة عن أمر واحد: طرد السكان من غزة!هذا الهدف المجنون، هو خيار واقعي وعقلاني بالنسبة إلى قيادة العدو، كونه يمثّل جوهر ما تمثّله حركة الاستيطان التي قامت عليها إسرائيل. وهي الحركة المستمرة في الضفة الغربية اليوم، وفكرتها بسيطة للغاية: احشر السكان وأخضعهم، ثم ادفعهم إلى المغادرة طوعاً أو غصباً عند الاضطرار. وهذا ما يحصل في الضفة الغربية، برغم كل الاتفاقات والمعاهدات وخلافه من التفاصيل المتصلة بالتسويات بين السلطة الفلسطينية وكيان العدو.
يشن العدو حملته العسكرية المجنونة. وما تحقق حتى اللحظة بالنسبة إليه لا يمثّل الا القليل من سلّة أهدافه. وبينما يواجه معضلة كبيرة في تحقيق هدف سحق المقاومة وانتزاع حرية أسراه بالقوة، فهو نجح جزئياً في معركة تحويل القطاع الى مكان غير صالح للعيش. وقد دمّر حتى الآن ثلث المباني السكنية، كما أخرج من الخدمة أكثر من 90 في المئة من المرافق المدنية والخدمية للدولة وحتى للقطاع الخاص. في سياق خطته لدفع أبناء القطاع للبحث عن مكان آخر للعيش فيه.

«ما قبل اليوم التالي»

وقد ورد الى جهات فلسطينية بازرة، أن إسرائيل تعتبر نفسها معنيّة الآن بخطة «ما قبل اليوم التالي»، وهي تتصرف على أنها لن تكون عرضةً لأي ضغط جدّي من جانب الغرب طوال الفترة المقبلة. وهي تتصرف وفق معطيات تشير الى خطة عمل تستمر لفترة طويلة من الزمن، وليس لأسبايع قليلة فقط. ويقول مسؤول فلسطيني لـ»الأخبار» إن العدو يفكر في إعادة التعامل مع قطاع غزة عسكرياً وأمنياً بطريقة مختلفة بعد الذي واجهه في الشهرين الماضيين. ويضيف: العدوّ يقوم الآن بتجارب عملانية لأجل اختيار الأماكن التي يقدر على التمركز فيها من دون أن يعرّض قواته لخطر دائم، وأنه، في المقابل، يعزّز عمله الأمني لأجل القيام بضربات عسكرية ذات طابع أمني، ويعمل بالتعاون مع الغرب على أكبر عملية إحاطة استخبارية لكل شيء في القطاع، ويسعى إلى تحصيل معطيات تفيده في الوصول الى أماكن يوجد فيها أسرى، أو اصطياد القادة البارزين في حركة حماس، وبقية فصائل المقاومة. وأشار المسؤول نفسه الى أن الجهد الذي يقوم به العدو في إحدى مناطق خان يونس الآن، ينطلق من «قناعة» بأن هذه المنطقة يوجد فيها قادة أساسيون في «حماس»، كما يعتقد أنها المكان الذي يحتجز فيه أبرز ضباطه وجنوده من الأسرى.

كلام المسؤول الفلسطيني، تشرحه مصادر ديبلوماسية عربية مقيمة في القاهرة، تحت عنوان «التفكير العملاني الجديد حيال مستقبل القطاع». وتقول هذه المصادر إنه تفكير يتخذ طابعاً إنسانياً بالعلن، لكنه يستبطن تصوراً سياسياً وأمنياً. وتكشف هذه المصادر عن «خطة متكاملة» عرضت أخيراً على السلطات المصرية ممثلة بمندوبين عن وزير المخابرات العامة اللواء عباس كامل، وبحضور مسؤولين من الولايات المتحدة وإسرائيل. وأن الخطة تحظى الى جانب دعم أميركا وإسرائيل بدعم مباشر من بريطانيا وفرنسا وألمانيا، وتؤدّي فيها الأردن والإمارات العربية المتحدة وتركيا دوراً كبيراً.

مشاركة مصرية وأردنية وتركية وإماراتية في تغطية النزوح القسري

وتقول المصادر إن مشاركة كل هذه الدول ستكون تحت عنوان الدعم الإنساني، وإن الخطة الجديدة وضعت بعد فشل المحاولة الأولى، التي حاول فيها مبعوث الإدارة الأميركية للشؤون الإنسانية ديفيد ساترفيلد فرض إقامة مخيم كبير على الشاطئ الجنوبي الغربي للقطاع، يكون تحت سلطة الأمم المتحدة، لاستيعاب نحو مليون فلسطيني من أبناء شمال غزة. وقد جاء موقف الأمم المتحدة مفاجئاً للجانب الأميركي، من خلال إعلان أمينها العام أنطونيو غوتيريش رفضه الفكرة، ثم تولّي مساعده للشؤون الإنسانية مارتن غريفيت شرح مخاطر الفكرة. وكذلك عملت لين هاستينغز منسقة الأمم المتحدة للشؤون الإنسانية في الأراضي المحتلة، على إبلاغ الجهات الإسرائيلية العاملة على الأرض برفض الفكرة لاعتبارات كثيرة. وأدى ذلك الى حملة شنتها الولايات المتحدة وإسرائيل ضدهم، على فريق الأمم المتحدة، وصلت إلى حد إبعاد هاستينغز من القدس بعد سحب الإقامة منها. وقالت المصادر إن الذي حصل هو تخلّي الأميركيين والإسرائيليين عن خطة «المنطقة الإنسانية الآمنة» التي كان يفترض أن تقام في منطقة المواصي على الشاطئ الجنوبي الغربي للقطاع. ومع استمرار العمليات العسكرية المجنونة، عاد العدوّ، بدعم من ساترفيلد، لوضع خطة جديدة، تقضي بإقامة «تجمّعات إنسانية آمنة» في عدة مناطق من جنوب القطاع، تكون خاضعة أمنياً لرقابة مباشرة من قوات الاحتلال، ويصار الى وضع الناس فيها ضمن خطة طويلة الأمد، ولو قالوا في العلن إنها «مرحلة مؤقتة الى حين انتهاء الحرب والتفاهم على طريقة إدارة القطاع من جديد».

بنود خطة ساترفيلد للتهجير داخل القطاع

وفق معلومات خاصة بـ»الأخبار» فإن البرنامج الذي يقوده الديبلوماسي الأميركي ديفيد ساترفيلد يشتمل على خطوات عملانية؛ من بينها ما تقوم به قوات الاحتلال نفسها، وكذلك بالنسبة إلى أدوار الآخرين.
وبحسب المعلومات، فإن الإجراءات العملانية الهادفة الى تحقيق هذا البرنامج تشمل الآتي:

أولاً: أبلغت إسرائيل جميع الأطراف أنها لن تغادر قطاع غزة حتى ولو توقف إطلاق النار، الى حين حصولها على ضمانات عملانية بنزع سلاح المقاومة ومنع حماس من إدارة الوضع المدني في القطاع.

ثانياً: أن إسرائيل في حال اضطرّت، تحت الضغط، إلى وقف العمليات الواسعة، فستلجأ الى وقف الغارات المفتوحة والقصف العشوائي، مقابل برنامج عمليات خاصة، كبيرة أو صغيرة، والتي لا تستثني أي مكان تعتقد إسرائيل أنه مقرّ للمقاومين وقياداتهم أو مراكز احتجاز الأسرى الإسرائيليين.

ثالثاً: سوف يبقى قرار إقفال شمال غزة قائماً، ولن يجري السماح تحت أي ظرف بإعادة ترميم القطاعات المدنية، ولا بتشغيل أي مرافق صحية أو خدماتية أو إنسانية، كما سيبقى الشمال ممنوعاً من استقبال المساعدات، وأن ما سيتمّ الموافقة على دخوله هو مجرد إغاثات غذائية محدودة.

رابعاً: استمرار عملية الإبعاد لمن بقي من سكان غزة باتجاه الجنوب، وأن قوات الاحتلال عمدت في الأماكن التي توغّلت فيها، ووجدت فيها مواطنين فلسطينين، الى اعتقال الرجال وإذلالهم، وإطلاق سراح بعضهم، لأجل أن يبلغوا بقية السكان بأنهم غير مرغوب في بقائهم في منازلهم، وأن كل من تراه إسرائيل موجوداً في أيّ منزل في شمال القطاع، سوف تعمد الى إبعاد النساء والأولاد جنوباً واعتقال الرجال بمعزل عن أعمارهم وأوضاعهم.

خامساً: شنّ عملية تدمير وتهجير في مناطق وسط وجنوب القطاع شبيهة بما حصل في الشمال، ودفع الناس جميعاً صوب شريط يلفّ القطاع من جهة الجنوب والغرب، ويمتد من أقصى نقطة في شرق رفح، باتجاه منطقة دير البلح في شمال القسم الجنوبي من القطاع.

سادساً: سوف يتم إقفال كل الطرقات التي يتحرّك عليها المواطنون في جميع أنحاء القطاع، وسوف يكون الطريق الوحيد المفتوح الى هذا الشريط عبر طريق واحد يمتدّ من أقصى نقطة في شرق رفح حتى دير البلح، لكن من جهة البحر فقط (انظر الخريطة).

سابعاً: سوف يتم إنشاء ثلاث مناطق رئيسية لتجمّعات النازحين، واحدة في منطقة دير البلح وتتسع لنحو 200 ألف إنسان، وثانية في منطقة المواصي (جنوب غرب القطاع) وتتسع لنحو 800 ألف مواطن، وثالثة في الشريط الحدودي لرفح مع الأراضي المحتلة ومصر، وتتسع أيضاً لـ 800 ألف مواطن، مع مركز رابع في منطقة محاذية لجنوب شرق مدينة خان يونس.

ثامناً: تشير الخطة الإسرائيلية – الأميركية، الى أن الدعم الإنساني في هذه البقع سوف يتم من خلال برنامج تشرف عليه لجنة تضم الى جانب إسرائيل، كلاً من: الولايات المتحدة الأميركية، بريطانيا، مصر، تركيا، الأردن ودولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة.

وأشار المرجع الى أن المؤسف هو أن الدول الأوروبية والعربية المشاركة في المفاوضات تسهّل للعدو خطته، كاشفاً أن ساترفيلد يقول بأنه حصل على موافقة الإمارات لأن تكون هي الطرف الأساسي الموجود في «المنطقة الإنسانية» في رفح، وأنها ستعمل بالتعاون مع الأردنيين على إدارة الوضع الصحي والمعيشي في هذه المنطقة. وسوف يقوم الجانبان الأردني والإماراتي ببناء مستشفيات ميدانية مؤقتة في هذه المنطقة. ويقول المرجع: لقد حصل فعلياً أن جهزت دولة الإمارات العتاد اللوجستي الخاص بهذه المهمة، وهي أدخلت بالفعل كمية من الشاحنات الى تلك المنطقة. وأن النقاش مع إسرائيل انتهى الى تفاهم بأن المساعدات الآتية من الأردن أو التي تقدمها الإمارات تمر عبر معبر كرم أبو سالم الى هذه المنطقة.

أما تركيا، فسوف تقوم بدور أساسيّ في منطقة المواصي الواقعة في جنوب غرب القطاع وبالقرب من الشاطئ. وسوف يكون هناك دور أساسي لبريطانيا، وسوف يصار الى البتّ بمسألة إقامة مستشفى عام على الشاطئ المقابل لهذهالمنطقة، مع شرط بأن لا يصار الى بناء أي مرافق دائمة في تلك المنطقة، بل يصار في مرحلة أولى الى استقدام نحو 200 ألف خيمة خاصة بالعائلات لوضعها هناك، وأن الولايات المتحدة ستقدم مساعدة مالية لبناء مرافق بنى تحتيىة وخدماتية في هذه المنطقة.

وحول الدور الفرنسي، قالت المصادر إن باريس لا تجد ترحيباً من أحد. حتى المستشفى الذي أقامته في منطقة العريش، يوجد فيه اليوم 20 جريحاً فقط، لأن مصر لم تسمح بنقل أعداد كبيرة من الجرحى الى داخل أراضيها، والكل يعرف بأن المستشفيات المصرية في منطقة العريش قادرة على استقبال كل ما تقول فرنسا إنها مستعدة للقيام به.

مصر غاضبة… فقط!

بينما يقول زوار عواصم خليجية إن ملك الأردن عبد الله الثاني كان في غاية الذعر من ملف التهجير، فإن هؤلاء يتحدثون بقلق عن الموقف المصري الذي لا يجدون فيه سقفاً مرتفعاً، من شأنه تعطيل برامج العدو. وقال أحد هؤلاء: عندما جاء أنتوني بلينكن للاجتماع مع وزراء الخارجية العرب في عمان، كان قد سبقه وزير الخارجية الأردني أيمن الصفدي في اتصالات جعلت موقف السعودية ومصر أكثر تشدداً. وقال المصدر نفسه إن الأردن تحدث بلهجة مختلفة عن كل ما سبق، وإن أحد الزوار الأجانب سأل الملك عبد الله عن سبب حدّته، فأجاب الأخير بأن مجرّد نجاح ولو جزئي لخطة تهجير أبناء غزة، فإن اليوم التالي سيكون عبارة عن تهجير مئات ألوف الفلسطينيين من الضفة الغربية الى الأردن، مشيراً الى عمليات تهجير تحصل لعشرات العائلات الذين يعيشون بالقرب من المستوطنات والذين يتم الدفع بهم نحو المناطق «أ» و»ب». ونقل عنه أيضاً أن حرب غزة ستنتهي وقد صار أمامنا أمر واقع تمثّل في وجود آلاف العائلات الفلسطينية المبعدة قسراً عن منازلها في الضفة الغربية. وأن الجنون الذي يسيطر على حركة المستوطنين قد يفتح الأمر على ما هو أخطر.
وبحسب المصدر نفسه، فإن الأنظار توجّهت صوب القاهرة التي أعلنت على لسان رئيسها مرات عديدة رفضها تهجير أبناء غزة. لكن العاملين على الأرض لا يلمسون هذا التشدد في طريقة تعامل المصريين مع ملف المساعدات الإنسانية.
وروى المصدر أنه في مرحلة أولى من العمليات العسكرية الإسرائيلية في جنوب القطاع، لجأ جيش الاحتلال الى رمي منشورات للمواطنين الفلسطينيين تطلب إليهم الانتقال الى منطقة رفح وإلى المناطق القريبة من الحدود مع مصر، ما استدعى اجتماعاً سريعاً بين ضباط مصريين وآخرين من جيش الاحتلال الذين وعدوا بتعديل مضمون المنشور، ليصار بعده الى نشر خريطة المربعات التي تطلب فيها قوات الاحتلال من سكان الجنوب التوجه إليها باعتبارها مناطق آمنة.
ومع ذلك، فإن المصريين لم يبادروا الى خطوات تظهر تمسكهم ببقاء أبناء القطاع في منازلهم، وإنه كان بمقدور مصر، مرات كثيرة، ممارسة الضغط العملاني لأجل إدخال كميات أكبر من المساعدات وعدد أكبر من الشاحنات الى داخل القطاع. ولكن الجانب المصري تنازل لطلبات العدو حيال التفتيش المسبق الذي أعاق عملية نقل المساعدات. كما أن الجانب المصري لم يقبل بفتح الباب لانتقال المئات من الجرحى للعلاج في مستشفيات مصرية أو في دول أخرى.
وقال المرجع إن المصريين الغاضبين من ازدياد عدد النازحين الفلسطينيين في منطقة رفح يضغطون لأجل إقامة المنطقة الرابعة بالقرب من خان يونس، ويبدو أنهم حصلوا على موافقة مبدئية على إقامة مربع في تلك المنطقة، يكون خاضعاً لإشرافهم لناحية توزيع المساعدات الإنسانية. وبما يسمح بتقليص عدد النازحين من «خان يونس الكبرى» الى منطقة رفح.

الذكاء الاصطناعي و«تفييش» الغزيين
في كثير من روايات أبناء شمال غزة عن رحلتهم الى الجنوب عبر شارع صلاح الدين، يرد الكثير من الكلام عن طريقة تصرف جنود الاحتلال الذين انتشروا بدباباتهم ونقاطهم العسكرية في بعض مفاصل الطريق. وكان العدو يطلب الى المارين على الطريق الالتفات نحو وجود قواته طوال الطريق، وعدم النظر الى الجانب الآخر من الطريق. وقد فسر البعض الخطوة بأن هدفها عدم جعل الناس يشاهدون عشرات الجثث الملقاة على الجهة الأخرى من الطريق.
لكن مصدراً في الصليب الأحمر الدولي، رفض الكشف عن اسمه، قال لـ»الأخبار» إن ما يحصل عملياً هو أن قوات الاحتلال وضعت على بعض نقاطها العسكرية، على طول الطريق، كاميرات خاصة مرتبطة بجهاز يعمل وفق مبدأ الذكاء الاصطناعي، وكانت تقوم بعملية مسح بصري لوجه وطول وطبيعة جسم الذين يمرون على الطريق.
وقال المصدر إن قيادات عسكرية إسرائيلية لم تنف رغبتها في إنجاز عملية شاملة لجميع أبناء القطاع، وهي تستهدف التمييز بين المدنيين والعسكريين، استناداً الى بنك معلومات لديها حول عناصر المقاومة. وقالت بأن هذه الخطوة سوف تبقى جزءاً من عمل قوات خاصة في جيش الاحتلال، حتى في مرحلة نقل النازحين الى المربعات التي يجري التخطيط لها.

وبحسب المصدر نفسه، فإن اسرائيل تبدو مهتمة أكثر من أي وقت بعملية «تفييش» لجميع أبناء القطاع، وأن الهدف منها ليس حصر العدد الفعلي للسكان ومن بقي منهم في مناطق الشمال أو رفض مغادرة منزله في مناطق الجنوب، بل ربط هذه الخطوة ببرامج المساعدات التي ستقدم للعائلات النازحة الى المربعات المذكورة.
ويبدو أن قوات العدو تسعى أيضاً الى تشكيل قوائم خاصة بمن تفترضهم مقاتلين يمكن أن يكونوا قد عبروا مع المدنيين، وأنها فعلت الأمر بطريقة مكثفة خلال أيام الهدنة، لأجل مراقبة عناصر المقاومة الذين كان لهم دور في عمليات تبادل الأسرى والمعتقلين، إذ إن قوات الاحتلال تشكّ في أن هناك عمليات انتقال بين شمال القطاع وجنوبه، أو أن هذه العملية لا تتمّ فقط من تحت الأرض.

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How Yemen is inflating Israel’s war cost

DEC 1, 2023

Source

By targeting Israel and Israeli-owned vessels, the Yemeni resistance threatens Israel’s trade-based economy and exacts an international cost for Tel Aviv’s devastating war on Gaza.

Photo Credit: The Cradle

Khalil Harb

Despite facing its own war-stricken challenges and humanitarian crises, Yemen has consistently demonstrated unwavering support and solidarity with Palestine. In the Arab world, the poorest state in West Asia stands unparalleled in organizing massive pro-Palestinian demonstrations. 

However, recent events mark a historic shift, as the Ansarallah-led government, for the first time, has directly engaged in strikes against Israel that originate from the territory of “Happy Yemen.”

The extensive range covered by Yemen’s missiles and drones in their journey toward Israel – exceeding two thousand kilometers – serves as a resounding rebuttal to US attempts to contain the conflict from becoming a wider West Asian one. 

If there were any doubts about Sanaa’s prominent role within the Axis of Resistance previously, they are now unequivocally laid to rest.

Ansarallah answers back 

The Yemeni escalation began with an open declaration, transitioning from the stage of mere threats against Washington’s military support in the war on Gaza. It progressed to the launching of missiles and drones towards the city of Um al-Rashrash (Eilat), followed by a strategic shift to naval operations against Israeli-linked vessels, as announced by the Yemeni Armed Forces on 19 November. Notably, this escalation culminated in what is believed to be the first attempt to target a US military ship with missiles.

Since Ansarallah leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi’s warning to the US, Yemen’s resistance activities have intensified, spanning from Um al-Rashrash to the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden. 

This new dimension to the Resistance Axis’ reach creates regional confusion for the US military, which has unabashedly sided with Israel’s assault on Gaza, and works to conceal the genocide employed against 2.3 million civilians in the besieged Strip.

The repercussions have reverberated in US political and security recalculations across the entire region. Perhaps most significantly, these actions have compelled the occupation state to reassess its economic losses and the costs of prolonged war. 

The latest economic fallout is a notable incident involving the container ship Zim Europe, operated by the Israeli shipping company Zim. Concerned over Yemeni threats against Israel-linked ships, the vessel was forced to alter its course, deviating from its planned route through the Suez-Bab al-Mandab Canal. 

Instead, the Zim Europe embarked on a sea journey 56 percent longer, circumnavigating Africa through the Atlantic Ocean and Cape of Good Hope, reflecting the economic and logistical hurdle now faced by Israeli shipping companies.

At the same time, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that “two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen toward the general location of USS Mason (DDG-87) and M/V Central Park.”

This incident occurred in the Gulf of Aden as part of what was described as a rescue mission for the cargo ship Central Park, operated by Zodiac Marine and owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer. 

But what does this mean from a broader perspective? 

Global trade disruption 

First, Ansarallah in Yemen has positioned itself outside the jurisdiction of any temporary truces declared in Gaza. 

Second, if the reports from CENTCOM are accurate, this incident marks the first notable clash between Yemeni forces in Sanaa and US forces. This confrontation gained momentum as the Israeli aggression on Gaza intensified, with Ansarallah claiming the downing of an American MQ-9 Reaper drone in Yemeni territorial waters on 8 November. 

Third, the cost of the war is dramatically escalating for Israel. An optimistic calculation in early November was that a year-long war fought solely on the Gaza front would cost Tel Aviv over $50 billion, or 10 percent of Israel’s GDP. That’s an unrealistic figure given that Israel is already engaged on its northern border with the Lebanese resistance, Hezbollah, and has significantly widened its military scope in the occupied West Bank. 

Moreover, it does not consider the extraordinary costs associated with disrupting Israeli trade. The occupation state imports and exports nearly 99 percent of goods via waterways and shipping. These imports include much of the country’s food supply, which Israel does not, and cannot, produce.

Today, according to Foreign Policy magazine, “only Russia’s and Ukraine’s Black Sea ports incur significantly higher war risk premiums than Ashdod [Israeli port] does.” And if Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah escalates, that will take out Haifa’s port too, which the Lebanese resistance targeted in the 2006 war.

All of this has vast international repercussions too. The disruption of commercial traffic between the Suez Canal and Bab al-Mandab doesn’t only apply pressure on Israel: approximately 12 percent of global trade annually, including about 21,000 ships and 6 million barrels of oil per day (9 percent of the total transported by sea), relies on this route. 

Bab al-Mandab is a vital link in the trade between East and West Asia and Europe. Um al-Rashrash, strategically located in the Red Sea, plays a key role in this trade movement, connecting Israel to East Asian markets. 

The role of this port was strengthened after the signing of the US-brokered normalization agreement with the UAE and Bahrain three years ago, where it was agreed to transport shipments of UAE crude oil to Um al-Rashrash, to be transported through the Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline – that is, from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. 

The recent missile and drone strikes on Um al-Rashrash undermine not just Israel’s security but its economic ambitions, including vital tourism traffic that contributes substantially to its revenue. Tel Aviv’s obscure stance on the “Yemeni front” may stem from a desire to avoid security and political embarrassment resulting from this distant support.

The immediate impact of the Yemeni attack on Israel’s maritime trade is evident in the rapid rise in transportation costs. Israeli ships may need to avoid the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab altogether, opting for longer routes around Africa or resorting to higher-cost air transport. The fees of insurance companies, especially for Israeli ships or those transporting goods intended for the occupation state, will likely continue to increase.

Israel’s imminent implosion 

These economic challenges take on new dimensions, considering the Israeli Ministry of Finance’s estimate that the cost of the war exceeds $270 million per day, with Israel expected to bear a significant portion, in addition to US taxpayers. 

Pre-existing Israeli political and social unrest, coupled with a decline in foreign reserves, forced borrowing, and economic contraction, could substantially damage its economy. The World Bank’s estimation that 34.6 percent of Israel’s GDP depends on trade in goods is a case in point. Tens of billions of dollars in Israeli-Asian trade are also at risk due to the regional disruptions in the Red Sea.

All of this uncertainty adds to other concerns, such as a retreat of investors from risk, a sharp decline (by 70 percent) in the volume of invested capital since last October, and the mass “exodus” of settlers to their countries of origin. 

Sanaa’s participation in the Palestinian resistance’s Al-Aqsa Flood operation may also impact the ongoing US-backed, Saudi-led war in Yemen, particularly given unofficial reports of Saudi Arabia intercepting missiles launched toward Israel. 

Any hasty US attempt to intervene to protect Israel and confront Ansarallah’s decisions may lead to an increase in aggression against Yemen. This raises questions about the vulnerability of coalition partners, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, to Yemeni missiles once again. 

It would also prove how the US and its regional allies are a destabilizing force in West Asia – a force that the Axis of Resistance is effectively countering in the political, military, and economic realms.