Yemen: Why it’s a bigger problem for Saudi than US

[Chief Editor]

Yemen: Why it’s a bigger problem for Saudi than US
By Caryle Murphy Correspondent / January 21, 2010
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Washington has promised to increase development assistance to Yemen to about $63 million this year, but that's dwarfed by Saudi Arabia's pledge of $1.25 billion for its poor, unstable neighbor.


convoy of Yemen's anti-terrorism unit drives on a mountain road after a training exercise near the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Saturday. Three al Qaeda militants were captured in Yemen early that morning, close to the Saudi Arabian border. Khaled Abdullah/reuters


With the revelation Wednesday that as many as three dozen Americans who converted to Islam in prison may now be in Yemen, Washington has become even more concerned about the country’s potential as a terrorist haven. US officials have said they plan to increase development assistance to the impoverished country this year to about $63 million.

But both Washington’s concerns and its promises of aid pale in comparison to those of Saudi Arabia, which has pledged $1.25 billion for development assistance to the troubled country on its southern border.

Like the US, Saudi Arabia is deeply concerned that if the complex web of social, economic, and political problems in this strategically located country are not soon addressed, Yemen could become a redoubt for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the terrorist group that claimed responsibility for trying to blow up a Detroit-bound plane Christmas Day.

But Saudi Arabia’s proximity to Yemen – they share a long and rugged mountainous border – poses a host of other concerns for Riyadh.

They include a potentially dragged-out border conflict with Yemeni rebels that already has left at least 100 Saudis dead or missing since November, as well as the possibility of refugee-generated civil strife from a secessionist movement in Yemen’s south.

In addition, Yemen’s worsening economic conditions could fuel militancy among an increasingly impoverished population of 23 million.

Finally, there are fears in Riyadh that Yemen’s deteriorating stability could present an opportunity for meddling by Saudi Arabia’s regional nemesis Iran, which has been publicly denouncing the Kingdom for alleged interference in Yemeni affairs.

Why Saudis support Saleh

The Saudis are attempting to preempt these challenges by shoring up the government of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, despite its widespread reputation for corruption and incompetence.

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly stated its political support for President Saleh. In addition to the $1.25 billion it has pledged for development aid, it spends millions more each year to bolster Yemen’s military and security institutions and buy political influence among the country’s important tribal leaders.

In addition, Saudi Arabia is spending millions to build a high-tech electronic barrier along its 1,125-mile border with Yemen in an effort to stop crossings not only by drugs and arms dealers, but also by Al Qaeda militants.

But some outside observers express fears that Riyadh and its five wealthy Gulf neighbors, who make up the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), have not yet come up with a clear strategy to deal with the festering problems of their neighbor, one of the poorest countries in the world.

“If you’re just propping up an increasingly inefficient government whose reach doesn’t really extend much beyond [the Yemeni capital of] Sanaa that’s not exactly an ideal or long-term position to be in,” says Kristian Ulrichsen, Kuwait Research Fellow at the London School of Economics.

Dr. Ulrichsen said that Gulf policymakers he met with during a regional tour this past October did not seem prepared to address Yemen’s multifaceted crisis “beyond trying to contain it and support Saleh.”

“I got the impression that it was so overwhelming an issue and so complex, that they were just hoping it would go away,” he added.

Gerd Nonneman, a Gulf expert at Exeter University and Chatham House in London agreed, adding that the Gulf states need “a clear plan of action” to address Yemen’s deep-seated troubles.

“The problem is,” says Professor Nonneman, “Yemen is not well-governed and at the root of it are questions of governance at the political and economic levels, and unless those things are addressed properly, the problem is never going to go away.”

Abdel Aziz Abu Hamad Aluwaisheg, director general of international economic relations at the Gulf Cooperation Council, says that in 2006 the GCC pledged $3.7 billion for development assistance to Yemen – which is not a GCC member – for the years 2007-10. That sum included the $1.25 billion pledged by Riyadh.

But so far, only about 20 percent of that amount has been utilized on specific projects, in large part because of Yemen’s limited technical capacity to deal with large levels of foreign aid, Dr. Aluwaisheg says.

“Most experts realize that Yemen needs a lot more than the $5.5 billion pledged in 2006 ... and most donors would be willing to give more,” Aluwaisheg said. “But it has to be done the right way ... and without improving aid absorption capacity, it would be pointless to do so.”

Aluwaisheg said that for the time being, Yemen seems to be managing its internal problems, “but obviously everybody should be concerned that if something is not done quickly to improve aid delivery and effectiveness, the situation might get worse.”

London conference on Yemen

On Jan. 28, Gulf states and other donors will have a forum to address Yemen’s internal problems again when Britain sponsors a conference in London on how to counter radicalization in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia’s biggest worry is the presence in Yemen of AQAP, which has found safe haven in Yemen’s vast tribal areas where some sheikhs are sympathetic to Al Qaeda’s message.

Formed last year when remnants of the Saudi Al Qaeda branch moved to Yemen and joined forces with those in Yemen, AQAP quickly proved it posed a direct threat to Saudi Arabia.

In August, an AQAP member came close to assassinating Saudi Arabia’s deputy interior minister, Prince Muhammed bin Nayef, when he exploded a bomb hidden in his body at the prince’s home in Jeddah.

Since mid-December, Saleh’s government has been going after the Al Qaeda group much more aggressively, assisted by military and intelligence officials from both Saudi and the US.

“Ali never saw Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula as a big problem for him,” says F. Gregory Gause, a Gulf expert at the University of Vermont. “Now he does, and I think that is because of us and the Saudis.”

Prolonged fight against Houthi rebels

It is too soon to know how badly damaged the Al Qaeda franchise has been by the government’s new assertiveness. Although Yemen has claimed to have killed and captured top leaders of the group, Saudi officials said they have not yet gotten proof of these claims, which AQAP members have also disputed.

Meanwhile, the Saudis also have been helping Yemen militarily against the Houthi rebels in the north, who have been battling the Yemeni government since 2004 to redress cultural, economic, and religious grievances.

The Saudi involvement escalated in early November when Riyadh responded to a fatal cross-border raid with a full-scale artillery and air assault against the rebels.

Much is unclear about the fighting since then because both the Saudi and Yemeni governments have not allowed journalists to visit the area. But after more than two months, the Saudis appear unable to attain their goal of a rebel-free zone along the border extending several miles inside Yemen.

And the cost is mounting. Last week, Prince Khaled bin Sultan, assistant minister of defense and aviation, who is leading the military campaign, disclosed that 82 Saudi soldiers had been killed, 21 are missing and 39 wounded. On Jan. 21, the Associated Press reported a new total of 113 soldiers dead, a figure it attributed to Saudi Maj. Gen. Ali Zaid al-Khawaji in remarks he made to Al Riyadh newspaper.

Riyadh has deep suspicions that Iran may be giving covert aid to the Houthi rebels, but there has been no clear evidence of that so far.

While Saudi Arabia refuses to negotiate with the Houthi rebels, it believes that the Yemeni government should do so once the rebels have been further weakened, says Mustafa Alani, head of security and terrorism Studies at the Dubai-based Gulf Research Center.

“I think the Saudis and Yemenis are convinced that ... they must inflict a heavy military defeat on the Houthis so they will be ready to talk from a position of weakness,” Alani said.

“And this is happening,” he added, noting that Houthi statements on the rebel group’s website “are much softer” now than before.

[Chief Editor]

Saudis continue raids after truce offer
Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:36:25 GMT


Houthi fighters in Yemen say Saudi air raids continue to strike northern areas of the country even after their leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi called for a ceasefire with Riyadh.


In a statement released by al-Houthi's office, the fighters said Saudi warplanes carried out attacks on al-Maran region in north of the country.


Several other civilians were wounded in the attacks.


The air raids were launched against the fighters after they withdrew from at least 46 positions along the Saudi-Yemeni border.


According to the statement, the pull-back by the fighters came as a gesture of goodwill to end the three-month clashes in the region. Saudi Arabia joined the Yemeni government's campaign against the Houthi fighters in November 2009.


In a message posted on the internet on Monday, al-Houthi offered a truce to Saudi Arabia to avoid further civilian casualties.


He however threatened to wage an "open war" should Riyadh continue attacks on northern Yemen.





SB/MB

[Chief Editor]

Yemen Won’t End Fight Until Rebels Stop Saudi Attacks (Update1)


By Khaled Abdullah




Jan. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Yemen’s military won’t stop its offensive against Houthi rebels until they pledge to end attacks against Saudi Arabia, the country’s Defense Council said.


Government forces killed 24 rebels in clashes today in Saada province and the Harf Sufian district of neighboring Amran province, the Defense Ministry said on its Web site.


“If the Houthi commit to begin implementing the six points the government has already announced, the government does not have any objection to stop the military operations,” the council said, according to the official Saba news agency.


The leader of the rebels, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, said in an audiotape on the group’s Web site yesterday that the rebels would accept government terms for ending the conflict, which began in 2004. Those conditions included a promise to surrender weapons, free prisoners, end attacks, withdraw forces and remove checkpoints. The government later added that the rebels must also vow to end attacks against neighboring Saudi Arabia.


The rebel truce offer was its fourth since the conflict began. The government has called three times for cease-fires. Attempts to end the conflict have failed due to mistrust between the sides.


The Houthi’s announcement came five days after the rebels, who have been fighting Saudi Arabia since November, announced a cease-fire with the oil-rich kingdom and promised to withdraw all their fighters from Saudi soil.


Saudi Raids
The rebels have reported constant Saudi air raids on their positions on the mountainous border between Saudi Arabia and Yemen in recent weeks. Saudi Arabia says more than 100 of its soldiers have been killed fighting the group.


The Defense Council said that a cease-fire should be based on “specific and clear mechanisms to ensure non-recurrence of confrontations.”


Yemen accuses Saudi Arabia’s rival Iran of arming the Shiite fighters.


The rebels claim discrimination by the majority Sunnis in Yemen. Yemeni authorities accuse the group of trying to reinstall a Shiite imamate overthrown in 1962.



To contact the reporter on this story: Khaled Abdullah in Sana’a at kabdullah2@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: January 31, 2010 10:18 EST

[Chief Editor]

Yemeni rebels say Saudi raids continue despite withdrawal



08:22, February 02, 2010

Shiite rebels in northern Yemen said on Monday that Saudi air fighters continued to strike their posts along the borders although they have declared a complete withdrawal from Saudi territories.

"We confirm that there was no exchange of fire with the Saudi army, and there are no snipers from any side, as (Saudi) claims in this regard are just but an attempt to justify the Saudi aggression on Yemeni lands, which did not stop," the rebels, known as the Houthis, said in a statement posted on their website.

Last week, the rebels said they had completely pulled out of Saudi territories they occupied recently along the borders with Yemen.

"Upon directives from (leader) Abdul Malik al-Houthi to withdraw from the Saudi territories and within his initiative included in an audio recording, a complete pullout had been accomplished from all Saudi lands and posts," the rebels said Tuesday in a statement posted on their website.

Yet Riyadh said a day later it will not approve a ceasefire with the Houthi rebels unless they show "good intentions," including withdrawing all snipers from Saudi lands and releasing six Saudi soldiers who are believed to be in the hands of the rebels.

Yemeni rebels denied the existence of their snipers within Saudi territories, and yet Saudi air strikes did not stop.

Saudi war jets have carried out 18 raids against several districts in northern Yemen, including al-Malaheez and Beni Moaz, during which they launched over 820 missiles, the statement said.

Saudi troops have been fighting Houthi rebels since Nov. 3 after a group of the rebels killed a Saudi soldier and injured 11 others in a cross-border attack. The group also gained control of the southern border area of Jabal al-Dukhan for a few days.

Saudi army stressed that its operations were conducted within Saudi territories, but the rebels said Saudi fighters had bombed sites in Yemeni territories.

Yemeni officials, for their part, denied that Saudi army had targeted posts of Houthi rebels within the country located at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.

Source: Xinhua

[Chief Editor]

Saudi jets hit northern Yemen despite truce offer


Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:18:51 GMT






Saudi fighter jets have launched a new round of aerial bombardments of Houthi positions in northern Yemen despite a truce offer put forward by the Yemeni Shia fighters.

According to a statement released by the Houthis on Tuesday, Saudi forces carried out 24 aerial attacks on the northern regions of Ghamar, Muhazat, Bani Maaz, al-Mukash, Qatabir, and Harf Sufyan as well as the villages in close proximity to the border regions with the oil-rich kingdom.

Several homes were reportedly destroyed while more than a dozen people lost their lives in the airstrikes.

The statement added that Saudi forces also fired 232 rockets at the areas of Jebel Dhar Hamar, al-Hasamah, al-Malaheet, Qafarah, Shada, and Qamamat.

On Saturday, the leader of the Yemeni Shia fighters, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, offered to accept the government's five-point truce terms in a bid "to avoid… the annihilation of civilians."

On the same day, the Houthi fighters withdrew from at least 46 positions along the Saudi-Yemen border as a gesture of goodwill to end the months-long clashes in the north.

However, Sana'a rejected the Houthis' response, saying: "It does not include a sixth point, which demands a pledge from the Houthis to not attack Saudi territory."

Riyadh declared victory last week after the Houthis' truce offer and their consequent departure from the border towns, claiming the fighters had been forced out of the positions.

The Yemeni government launched an all-out war against Houthi fighters in August and was soon joined by the Saudi army.

The joint military action has taken a heavy toll on civilians, drawing repeated warnings from human rights organizations about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in northern Yemen.



MP/HGL

[Chief Editor]

Saudi jets raid Yemen despite ceasefire

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:43:24 GMT






Houthi fighters in Yemen said on Monday that Saudi warplanes have continued raids on northern villages after they accepted a ceasefire last week.

According to the Shia fighters, Saudi warplanes carried out several attacks on border areas including the Al-Malaheet district. Saudi forces poured rockets and artillery shells on the areas on Monday, Houthis said.

Riyadh claimed victory last week after the fighters' leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi offered a truce to avoid more civilian casualties in northern Yemen.

The fighters withdrew from at least 46 positions along the Saudi-Yemeni border as a gesture of goodwill to end the three months of clashes in the region.

The kingdom, however, claimed that the fighters had been forced out of the positions.

Riyadh joined Yemen's offensive against the Houthis after accusing them of killing a Saudi border guard and occupying two border villages on November 3. Saudi jets began bombing Yemen's northern villages the following day.

SB/MMN

[Chief Editor]

Houthis kill 23 Yemeni government soldiers
Sat, 06 Feb 2010 10:23:09 GMT


Houthi fighters

Twenty three Yemeni government soldiers have reportedly been killed by Houthi fighters in two separate incidents in northern Yemen.

Fifteen Yemeni government troopers lost their lives in an ambush on a military supply convoy in the Wadi al-Jabara district, while the other 8 soldiers were killed in clashes in the city of Sa'ada.

The Yemeni offensive against Houthis, which was joined by Riyadh in November, has so far claimed the lives of many civilians and displaced thousands of others from their homes in northern villages.

The developments come as the Houthi fighters offered to accept the six conditions for a truce originally set by the government at the end of last month.

Yemen has stepped up its military operation in the region despite the offer by the Houthi leader to end the six-month conflict.

HRF/DT

[Chief Editor]

Yemen says deal with Houthis 'imminent'


Thu, 11 Feb 2010 01:43:39 GMT

A soldier manning a tank during clashes with Shia fighters in the northern province of Sa'ada


Yemen says it is close to a deal to end the six-month war with Houthi fighters eventually after having refused previous peace offers.

Citing a Yemeni official, AFP reported on Wednesday that the development comes "in the light of (Houthi leader Abdul Malak) al-Houthi's acceptance of the six conditions," put forward by the Sana'a, including a commitment not to attack neighboring Saudi Arabia.

"An agreement between the government and the Houthi to end the war is imminent," the official added.

According to the report, a mediator close to the fighters said a committee including government and Houthi representatives would be formed with the task of "establishing peace, and collecting heavy weapons from the Houthis."

It would also "follow up the issue of prisoners and compensation for those affected by the war," he added.

The mediator said the Shia fighters had agreed to "withdraw from the borders (with Saudi Arabia) and hand the area over to the Yemeni army."

He said they have also agreed to "remove roadblocks ... vacate government buildings and hand Saudi prisoners over to the Yemeni government."

Last month, the fighters offered to accept the five conditions originally set by the government for a ceasefire and withdrew from all of the Saudi territory.

Saudi Arabia, however, continued its offensives alongside with the Yemeni Army. Sana'a rejected the Houthis' peace offer, saying it would stop the war only if they complied with the government's sixth condition.

Meanwhile, Ali Al-Ahmad, the founder and director of an independent think-tank in Washington told Press TV that Yemen is under international pressure to end the war on the Houthis.

"There is international push especially from the United States to end the war with the Houthis because the United States feels that it is time to focus on al-Qaeda in Yemen," said Ahmad.

According to the expert, Washington is also trying to convince Riyadh to stop the offensive against Shia fighters.

Saudis have not stopped the attacks on Houthis, he said.

Riyadh joined Yemen's offensive against the Houthis after accusing the Shia fighters of killing a Saudi border guard and occupying two border villages on November 3. Saudi jets began bombing Yemen's northern villages the following day.



SB/RE

[Chief Editor]

Yemeni Shia rebels deny assassination attempt

(Reuters)
14 February 2010


SANAA/RIYADH- Yemeni Shia e rebels denied on Saturday carrying out an assassination attempt on an Interior Ministry official which was staged only hours after a ceasefire agreement came into force.

Yemen’s government and rebel leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi agreed late on Thursday that a truce would begin at midnight (2100 GMT), aiming to halt one of the country’s three conflicts.

Interior Ministry undersecretary Mohammed al-Qawsi, whose car was shot at on Friday in the northern city of Saada, said shortly after the attack that minor violations had occurred because not everyone was aware of the ceasefire, but that the deal still held.

The rebels issued the denial on their website, and said Houthi had asked his supporters to clear mines and open roads. Some of the 250,000 people displaced by the war were returning to their homes, they added.

Roads to Saada, centre of the mountainous province where many of the rebels are based, were now clear, and the truce was being respected by the insurgents, the rebel statement said.

Yemen’s government, which is also battling al Qaeda and a separatist movement in the south, had been exchanging ceasefire proposals with the Shia rebels for several days.
Yemeni forces have been fighting Houthi’s supporters since 2004 and previous ceasefires have not lasted.

Turmoil in Yemen has raised fears that the country may become a failed state, allowing al Qaeda to use it as a base for attacks in the region and beyond. The Nigerian accused of trying to blow up a U.S. plane in December had links to Yemen.

Saudi demands release of soldiers

Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia gave the rebels on Saturday 48 hours to hand over five Saudi soldiers they have captured.

“There are five prisoners who must be returned and they were given a 48-hour time limit,” said Assistant Minister of Defence Prince Khaled bin Sultan, quoted by state news agency SPA.

Prince Khaled said the Yemeni army should take up positions along the Saudi-Yemeni border “to prevent the entry by infiltrating groups”, SPA reported. Saudi Arabia has set as a truce condition that rebels withdraw from border regions to allow the Yemeni army to secure the area.

Riyadh declared victory over the Houthi rebels last month, two days after they themselves offered a truce and said they had left Saudi territory.

Saudi Arabia was drawn into the conflict in November when the rebels seized Saudi territory, complaining that Riyadh was letting Yemeni troops use its land for attacks against them.
The rebels, from the Zaidi sect of Shia Islam, have long complained of social, religious and economic discrimination in a country with a Sunni Muslim majority.

In southern Yemen at least one protester was killed and six injured when police opened fire at a separatist demonstration on Saturday, residents and Yemeni news websites said.