US 'sends special forces to Yemen' amid crisis

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 05:22:51 GMT

The development comes amid fears that foreign military intervention in the country has put Yemeni civilians in dire condition.

American officials told The Daily Telegraph on Sunday that US forces have been sent to Yemen to prevent the country from turning into a "reserve base" for al-Qaeda.

The move to strengthen Yemen's army comes at a time that the country's army is not fighting with al-Qaeda fighters, who are based in the southern parts of the country.

The conflict in northern Yemen began in 2004 between Sana'a and Houthi fighters. The conflict intensified in August 2009 when the Yemeni army launched Operation Scorched Earth in an attempt to crush the Shi'i fighters in the northern province of Sa'ada.

The government claims that the fighters, who are named after their leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi, seek to restore the Shia Zaidi imamate system, which was overthrown in a 1962 coup

The Houthis reject the claim and accuse the Yemeni government of violation of their civil rights, political, economic and religious marginalization as well as large-scale corruption.

Saudi intervention

The Saudi air force has further complicated the conflict by launching its own operations against Shi'i resistance fighters.

Saudi fighter jets are reportedly using phosphorus bombs against the Houthi fighters.

Houthi fighters on Sunday said that Saudi forces launched a major cross-border airstrike on Yemen, leaving at least 70 civilians dead and more than 100 others injured in the northern district of Razeh.

As Sana'a does not allow independent media into the conflict zone, there are no clear estimates available as to how many people have been killed in the province of Sa'adah since the beginning of the conflict.

UN role

International aid agencies and some UN bodies including United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have voiced concern over the dire condition of the Yemeni civilians who have become the main victims of the conflict in the country.

UNICEF has deplored the plight of children in northern Yemen. UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Sigrid Kaag, said "They (children) are living in difficult conditions, away from their homes and schools despite significant humanitarian relief efforts."

UNHCR estimates that since 2004, up to 175,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in Sa'ada and take refuge at overcrowded camps in which, according to UN reports, bad conditions have resulted in children's deaths.

The United Nations which according to its charter is set up "to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace" has failed to adopt any concrete measures to help end the bloody war.

'US fighter jets attack Yemeni fighters'

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:30:10 GMT

Yemen's Houthi fighters say the US fighter jets have launched 28 attacks on the northwestern province of Sa'ada.

The US has used modern fighter jets and bombers in its offensive against the Yemen fighters, Houthis said in a statement.

According to the statement, the US fighter jets have launched overnight attacks on the Yemeni fighters, Arabic Almenbar website reported.

The development comes as The Daily Telegraph on Sunday reported that the US has sent its special forces to Yemen to train its army.

The reports of the US military intervention in Yemen come as Saudi Arabia is also lending full support to the Yemeni government's crackdown on Yemen's Houthi minority.

Saudi Arabia has launched cross-border ground attacks against Yemeni fighters and its fighter jets have reportedly dropped phosphorus bombs on Yemen's northern areas.

International aid agencies and some UN bodies including United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have voiced concern over the dire condition of the Yemeni civilians who have become the main victims of the conflict in the country.

The United Nations which according to its charter is set up "to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace" has failed to adopt any concrete measures to help end the bloody war.

Sultan visits security forces who fought infiltrators

Arab News  

December 14, 2009

RIYADH:

Saudi Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, began his official duties on Saturday by visiting members of the armed forces who were injured while confronting Yemeni infiltrators.

Speaking to reporters, Prince Sultan, who returned from abroad on Friday following a yearlong medical trip, commended Saudi forces for defending the Kingdom’s southern borders.

On arrival at the Armed Forces Hospital in Riyadh, the crown prince was received by Prince Khaled bin Sultan, assistant minister of defense and aviation for military affairs, Chief of Staff Gen. Saleh Al-Mohayya and Maj. Gen. Kattab Al-Otaibi, director of medical services for the armed forces.

Prince Sultan conveyed the greetings of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, the supreme commander of the armed forces, to injured soldiers and wished them a quick recovery. “I am proud of the bravery displayed by our armed forces personnel while doing their duty in defending the Kingdom and its people,” Prince Sultan said.

The royal visit, Prince Sultan’s first official activity after returning from abroad, reflects his deep concern for members of the armed forces who sacrificed their lives for the Kingdom.

The injured officers expressed their gratitude to Prince Sultan for visiting them in hospital and showing concern for their welfare. They also thanked God for Prince Sultan’s return.

Meanwhile, Saudi armed forces continued their operations in the mountainous areas along the Kingdom’s southern border with Yemen to flush out infiltrators. The armed forces are using unmanned planes to comb areas where the enemy is hiding.

According to a report carried by Al-Watan Arabic daily on Sunday, six more Saudi soldiers recently died fighting Yemeni infiltrators.

They are Ali bin Qassim Al-Amri, Saleh Abdu Al-Marhabi, Ahmed Abdullah Al-Shutairy, Jaber bin Yahya Al-Malki, Muhammad Al-Farisy and Abdullah Al-Saan. The men were buried following funeral prayers. Qassim Al-Amri, father of Ali Al-Amri and a retired military officer, said: “My family and I are proud that our son died as a martyr fighting the enemy and defending the Kingdom.”

A large number of people attended Al-Amri’s funeral, which was held in Khamis Mushayt.