06-16-2016, 09:33 PM
*** 17-Jun-16 World View -- UAE backs out of Saudi coalition in Yemen, saying 'War is over'
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** UAE backs out of Saudi coalition in Yemen, saying 'War is over'
****
![[Image: g150411b.jpg]](http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g150411b.jpg)
Children in Yemen war zone (Reuters)
The United Arab Emirates' involvement in more than a year of war in
Yemen is "practically over", a top diplomat was quoted as saying on
Wednesday.
Up until late 2014, Yemen had been governed by a government closely
allied with Saudi Arabia. In late 2014, the Iran-backed Shia Houthi
militias from northwest Yemen moved south and took control of the
capital city Sanaa, and then continue to move south, capturing a
number of cities.
15 months ago, on March 26 of last year, Saudi Arabia announced that a
10-country coalition, led by the Saudis, would "free Sanaa and the
rest of the northern cities" from Houthi control.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has one of the best-equipped militaries
in the region, and has been a major contributor to the Saudi-led
coalition. However, the UAE have suffered numerous losses in the past
year. 80 UAE soldiers have been killed, including four pilots killed
in two separate helicopter crashes this week. In September, 45 UAE
troops were killed by a Houthi missile attack, marking the deadliest
day for the UAE military in its 44-year history.
In March, the Saudis announced that it would 'end major combat operations' in Yemen,
claiming that
they've met most of their objectives. However, most observers
consider the war to have been a failure. The Houthis are still in
control of Sanaa, while other parts of the country have gone back and
forth between control of the two sides. Furthermore, al-Qaeda in the
Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has made strong gains in the last year, and
the so-called Islamic State (IS or ISIS or ISIL or Daesh) is
establishing a presence.
UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, gave a
speech saying "Our standpoint today is clear: war is over for our
troops; we’re monitoring political arrangements, empowering Yemenis in
liberated areas." He then elaborated online:
[indent]<QUOTE>"[The UAE will remain] a capable and honest ally
alongside Riyadh in the military and political realm.
This is a partnership that was reinforced by the Yemen crisis and
it is essential for the future. The Riyadh-Abu Dhabi axis will
emerge out of this crisis with more strength and effectiveness,
and the strategic requirements of the region make this imperative.
Responsibility lies with the Yemenis - of all their components, to
build bridges of communication and to reach an agreement on the
state and its institutions. A spirit of national responsibility is
needed for success."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
Most of this appears to be wishful thinking, because the
outcome has been a disaster for both Saudi Arabia and UAE. The
Saudis have received international condemnation for the humanitarian
disaster in Yemen, and yet the Houthis are still in control of
Sanaa and much of Yemen.
It appears to be at least a partial victory for Iran, since Iran
has reportedly provided the Houthis with weapons and other
support. However, if it's a victory at all then it's a Pyrrhic
victory because Yemen has been practically destroyed by the fighting.
It may be that the real victors are the two jihadist groups, al-Qaeda
in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the so-called Islamic State (IS or
ISIS or ISIL or Daesh). Both organizations have taken advantage of
the chaos to gain territory. However, although AQAP is firmly
enmeshed in Yemen's tribal networks, ISIS is perceived as foreign.
Despite UAE's announcement, fighting is continuing in Yemen on several
fronts, with dozens of people killed and wounded in the the last
couple of days. Gulf News (Dubai) and AP and
Council on Foreign Relations (19-Apr)
****
**** Saudi Arabia is condemned for Yemen's humanitarian disaster
****
Although the blame for the damage to Yemen is shared by all the
participants, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, AQAP and ISIS, the Saudis
are receiving the bulk of the international condemnation because of
its bombing campaign. There have been repeated stories in the last
year that bombs from the Saudi coalition have struck schools,
hospitals, and civilian homes. There have also been reports that some
Saudi bombs have been US-made cluster bombs, which are considered
illegal.
According to the UN, at least 6,200 people - about half of them
civilians - have been killed and 2.8 million others have been
displaced.
At the beginning of June, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a
report condemning both the Saudis and the Houthis for killing and
maiming children in Yemen. According to Ban's report, the Saudi
coalition was responsible for 60 percent of child deaths and injuries
last year, killing 510 and wounding 667.
[indent]<QUOTE>"Grave violations against children increased
dramatically as a result of the escalating conflict.
In Yemen, owing to the very large number of violations attributed
to the two parties, the Houthis/Ansar Allah and the Saudi
Arabia-led coalition are listed for killing and maiming and
attacks on schools and hospitals."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
Saudi Arabia was added to an annual blacklist of states and armed
groups that violate children's rights during conflict.
However, the Saudis protested and said that the casualty figures were
"wildly exaggerated." Saudi Arabia's permanent representative to the
UN, Abdullah al-Mouallimi, complained to Ban about the report, and
said, "If there are any casualties from the coalition side, they would
be far, far lower." He added that used "the most up-to-date equipment
in precision targeting."
So a few days later, Ban removed Saudi Arabia from the list. Human
Rights Watch sharply criticized the removal, saying that Ban's office
had "hit a new low." A UN spokesman says that Saudi Arabia was
removed from the list pending an investigation of the numbers
in the report.
However, this isn't the time something like this has happened. In the
2014 report, Israel and Hamas were put onto the blacklist, and then
removed a few days later. Al-Jazeera and Reuters and BBC
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, UAE,
Sanaa, Houthis, Anwar Gargash, Ban Ki-moon,
Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria/Sham/the Levant, IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh,
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, AQAP, Abdullah al-Mouallimi,
Human Rights Watch, Hamas, Israel
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- UAE backs out of Saudi coalition in Yemen, saying 'War is over'
- Saudi Arabia is condemned for Yemen's humanitarian disaster
****
**** UAE backs out of Saudi coalition in Yemen, saying 'War is over'
****
Children in Yemen war zone (Reuters)
The United Arab Emirates' involvement in more than a year of war in
Yemen is "practically over", a top diplomat was quoted as saying on
Wednesday.
Up until late 2014, Yemen had been governed by a government closely
allied with Saudi Arabia. In late 2014, the Iran-backed Shia Houthi
militias from northwest Yemen moved south and took control of the
capital city Sanaa, and then continue to move south, capturing a
number of cities.
15 months ago, on March 26 of last year, Saudi Arabia announced that a
10-country coalition, led by the Saudis, would "free Sanaa and the
rest of the northern cities" from Houthi control.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has one of the best-equipped militaries
in the region, and has been a major contributor to the Saudi-led
coalition. However, the UAE have suffered numerous losses in the past
year. 80 UAE soldiers have been killed, including four pilots killed
in two separate helicopter crashes this week. In September, 45 UAE
troops were killed by a Houthi missile attack, marking the deadliest
day for the UAE military in its 44-year history.
In March, the Saudis announced that it would 'end major combat operations' in Yemen,
claiming that
they've met most of their objectives. However, most observers
consider the war to have been a failure. The Houthis are still in
control of Sanaa, while other parts of the country have gone back and
forth between control of the two sides. Furthermore, al-Qaeda in the
Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has made strong gains in the last year, and
the so-called Islamic State (IS or ISIS or ISIL or Daesh) is
establishing a presence.
UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, gave a
speech saying "Our standpoint today is clear: war is over for our
troops; we’re monitoring political arrangements, empowering Yemenis in
liberated areas." He then elaborated online:
[indent]<QUOTE>"[The UAE will remain] a capable and honest ally
alongside Riyadh in the military and political realm.
This is a partnership that was reinforced by the Yemen crisis and
it is essential for the future. The Riyadh-Abu Dhabi axis will
emerge out of this crisis with more strength and effectiveness,
and the strategic requirements of the region make this imperative.
Responsibility lies with the Yemenis - of all their components, to
build bridges of communication and to reach an agreement on the
state and its institutions. A spirit of national responsibility is
needed for success."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
Most of this appears to be wishful thinking, because the
outcome has been a disaster for both Saudi Arabia and UAE. The
Saudis have received international condemnation for the humanitarian
disaster in Yemen, and yet the Houthis are still in control of
Sanaa and much of Yemen.
It appears to be at least a partial victory for Iran, since Iran
has reportedly provided the Houthis with weapons and other
support. However, if it's a victory at all then it's a Pyrrhic
victory because Yemen has been practically destroyed by the fighting.
It may be that the real victors are the two jihadist groups, al-Qaeda
in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the so-called Islamic State (IS or
ISIS or ISIL or Daesh). Both organizations have taken advantage of
the chaos to gain territory. However, although AQAP is firmly
enmeshed in Yemen's tribal networks, ISIS is perceived as foreign.
Despite UAE's announcement, fighting is continuing in Yemen on several
fronts, with dozens of people killed and wounded in the the last
couple of days. Gulf News (Dubai) and AP and
Council on Foreign Relations (19-Apr)
****
**** Saudi Arabia is condemned for Yemen's humanitarian disaster
****
Although the blame for the damage to Yemen is shared by all the
participants, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, AQAP and ISIS, the Saudis
are receiving the bulk of the international condemnation because of
its bombing campaign. There have been repeated stories in the last
year that bombs from the Saudi coalition have struck schools,
hospitals, and civilian homes. There have also been reports that some
Saudi bombs have been US-made cluster bombs, which are considered
illegal.
According to the UN, at least 6,200 people - about half of them
civilians - have been killed and 2.8 million others have been
displaced.
At the beginning of June, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a
report condemning both the Saudis and the Houthis for killing and
maiming children in Yemen. According to Ban's report, the Saudi
coalition was responsible for 60 percent of child deaths and injuries
last year, killing 510 and wounding 667.
[indent]<QUOTE>"Grave violations against children increased
dramatically as a result of the escalating conflict.
In Yemen, owing to the very large number of violations attributed
to the two parties, the Houthis/Ansar Allah and the Saudi
Arabia-led coalition are listed for killing and maiming and
attacks on schools and hospitals."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
Saudi Arabia was added to an annual blacklist of states and armed
groups that violate children's rights during conflict.
However, the Saudis protested and said that the casualty figures were
"wildly exaggerated." Saudi Arabia's permanent representative to the
UN, Abdullah al-Mouallimi, complained to Ban about the report, and
said, "If there are any casualties from the coalition side, they would
be far, far lower." He added that used "the most up-to-date equipment
in precision targeting."
So a few days later, Ban removed Saudi Arabia from the list. Human
Rights Watch sharply criticized the removal, saying that Ban's office
had "hit a new low." A UN spokesman says that Saudi Arabia was
removed from the list pending an investigation of the numbers
in the report.
However, this isn't the time something like this has happened. In the
2014 report, Israel and Hamas were put onto the blacklist, and then
removed a few days later. Al-Jazeera and Reuters and BBC
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, UAE,
Sanaa, Houthis, Anwar Gargash, Ban Ki-moon,
Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria/Sham/the Levant, IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh,
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, AQAP, Abdullah al-Mouallimi,
Human Rights Watch, Hamas, Israel
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
