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Bosonic

(3,746 posts)
Fri May 8, 2015, 12:32 PM May 2015

Saudi-led forces will target Yemen's Saada, ask residents to leave

Source: Reuters

CAIRO (Reuters) - Saudi-led forces warned civilians that Yemen's Saada province would be a military target as of Friday evening, Saudi state television Al Ekhbariya reported.

The leadership of the coalition asked all civilians to leave the province, a stronghold of the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, by 7 pm local time, the station said.

Saudi Arabia said Thursday it would respond forcefully to cross-border Houthi attacks that started on Tuesday, and has targeted the province with air strikes since then.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/saudi-led-forces-target-yemens-saada-ask-residents-124705616.html

12 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Saudi-led forces will target Yemen's Saada, ask residents to leave (Original Post) Bosonic May 2015 OP
The Saudis sound like the Israelis. Birds of a feather... Comrade Grumpy May 2015 #1
Yeah, this is going to end well... RiverNoord May 2015 #2
In 2012.... odd_duck May 2015 #3
Got that right jamzrockz May 2015 #4
Nice try. Hadi has wide support, including from the opposition in Parliament. He wanted a unified okaawhatever May 2015 #6
Yeah, Hadi's support is so wide he's in exile in Saudi Arabia. Comrade Grumpy May 2015 #8
If the problem were Hadi why did all this begin long before he took power? okaawhatever May 2015 #9
There have been weapons in Yemen for a very long time JonLP24 May 2015 #11
That isn't true JonLP24 May 2015 #10
civilians (woman, kids & elderly) leave and go where? Sunlei May 2015 #5
Imagine being told that. candelista May 2015 #7
another 'Arab Spring' success story... (sarcasm) ... quadrature May 2015 #12
 

RiverNoord

(1,150 posts)
2. Yeah, this is going to end well...
Fri May 8, 2015, 12:41 PM
May 2015

Brought to you by the hard-working, patriotic American community of arms manufacturers.

odd_duck

(107 posts)
3. In 2012....
Fri May 8, 2015, 01:05 PM
May 2015

the US installed a puppet regime/Junta in Yemen. The People of Yemen decided to kick the puppet ruler out (Arab Spring). The Saudis (with American approval) are bombing civilians as punishment, because once you are conquered, you should stay conquered. Where is the 'No Fly Zone' over Saudi Arabia?

 

jamzrockz

(1,333 posts)
4. Got that right
Fri May 8, 2015, 01:25 PM
May 2015

Just these barbarians are considered friends of Syria. With ISIS supporting, blood thirsty friends like these, who needs enemies. People say we learned our mistakes from the Iraq war but I think the only thing we learned are ways to disguise our war wongering ways

okaawhatever

(9,461 posts)
6. Nice try. Hadi has wide support, including from the opposition in Parliament. He wanted a unified
Sat May 9, 2015, 03:17 PM
May 2015

government. It was the Houthis who refused to participate and instead used military force to accomplish what it couldn't legally. It seems you're completely comfortable with Iran installing a puppet regime/Junta, just so it's not the United States.

 

Comrade Grumpy

(13,184 posts)
8. Yeah, Hadi's support is so wide he's in exile in Saudi Arabia.
Sat May 9, 2015, 03:32 PM
May 2015

And that must be why half the Yemeni army is with the Houthis.

It seems that the ones trying to install a puppet regime are the Saudis, with the backing of the US.

The Houthis are independent actors. Writing off their agency and assigning all blame to Iran is stupid and tendentious. And I have yet to see any real evidence that the Iranians are offering anything other than political support. Claims by the Saudi war machine are not enough.

okaawhatever

(9,461 posts)
9. If the problem were Hadi why did all this begin long before he took power?
Sat May 9, 2015, 03:56 PM
May 2015

Oh please. The Houthis aren't independent. They wouldn't have had the equipment to accomplish
what they did had they not had outside support. They are also in the minority, attempting to rule the majority. They're still pissed they aren't running the country like they did for hundreds of years.

JonLP24

(29,322 posts)
11. There have been weapons in Yemen for a very long time
Sat May 9, 2015, 04:23 PM
May 2015

US weapon sales have been fueling these conflicts for a very long time while Iran has somehow managed to smuggle weapons all the way there but AQAPs weapons magically appear from where?? Outside support they are getting the shit bombed out of them by a Saudi led coalition featuring Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, & Morocco with missiles & top of the line aircraft purchased from private defense contractors dropping $1.5 million dollar bombs from Lockheed Martin whose looking forward on filling the resupply order cha-ching. Not to mention the US has been running a drone campaign from Saudi Arabia & they have had a Special Forces base which for some reason the Houthis would rather than have even though they share the same enemy the US does -- AQAP.

JonLP24

(29,322 posts)
10. That isn't true
Sat May 9, 2015, 04:16 PM
May 2015

You heard of the Southern Movement? They are fighting against the government which is top 5 most corrupt "Kleptocracy", there have been numerous civil wars in Yemen since the 60's. There used to be a South & North Yemen until they reunified after USSR aid dried up for the South which followed a socialists purge. A few years after was the 1994 Civil War a few years after with Saudi Arabia always involving themselves in favor of the capitalists (USA was remarkable neutral back then).

The situation for Human Rights in Yemen is rather poor. The security forces have been responsible for torture, inhumane treatment and even extrajudicial executions.[1] But according to the Embassy of Yemen, in recent years there has been some improvement, with the government signing several international human rights treaties, and even appointing a woman, Dr. Wahiba Fara’a, to the role of Minister of the State of Human Rights.[2] Other sources state that many problems persist alongside allegations that these reforms have not been fully implemented and that abuses still run rampant, especially in the areas of women's rights, freedom of the press, torture and police brutality.[3] There are arbitrary arrests of citizens, especially in the south, as well as arbitrary searches of homes. Prolonged pretrial detention is a serious problem, and judicial corruption, inefficiency, and executive interference undermine due process. Freedom of speech, the press and religion are all restricted.[1]

Freedom of the press

In 2005, Yemen ranked 136th of 167 nations in terms of press freedom.[14] The government holds a monopoly on all television and radio and bans journalists for publishing "incorrect" information.[15] In 2001, journalists at the newspaper Al-Shura received 80 lashes for defaming Abdul Majeed al-Zindani, the leader of the country's largest Islamist party. The newspaper was also shut down. According to Human Rights Watch, "Under the regulations for the 1990 Press Law, issued in 1993 and 1998, newspapers have to apply to the Ministry of Information for annual renewal of their license... in mid-2000 only about half of Yemen's two hundred publications had been granted a license."[16]
Freedom of religion
Main article: Freedom of religion in Yemen

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice; however, there were some restrictions. The Constitution declares that Islam is the state religion, and that Shari'a (Islamic law) is the source of all legislation. Government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion; however, there were some restrictions. Muslims and followers of religious groups other than Islam are free to worship according to their beliefs, but the Government prohibits conversion from Islam and the proselytization of Muslims. Although relations among religious groups continued to contribute to religious freedom, there were some reports of societal abuses and discrimination based on religious belief or practice. There were isolated attacks on Jews and some prominent Zaydi Muslims felt targeted by government entities for their religious affiliation. Government military reengagement in the Saada governorate caused political, tribal, and religious tensions to reemerge in January 2007, following the third military clash with rebels associated with the al-Houthi family, who adhere to the Zaydi school of Shi'a Islam.[17]

Since the start of the Shia insurgency, many Zaidis accused of supporting Al-Houthi, have been arrested and held without charge or trial. According to the US Department of State, International Religious Freedom Report 2007, "Some Zaydis reported harassment and discrimination by the Government because they were suspected of sympathizing with the al-Houthis. However, it appears the Government's actions against the group were probably politically, not religiously, motivated".[18]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Yemen

The people that push propaganda make me ill. So dizzy I can think straight. Do I have to bring up human trafficking? That's the status quo for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, & the Department of Defense (oil & gas corporations & defense contractors -- especially KBR). If Iran installs a puppet maybe they will nationalize oil production & pay their labor a living wage, enough to own their home. Yes, they are oppressive with second class citizen status & regressive in a lot of ways but Saudi Arabia has so many puppets its not even funny.

 

candelista

(1,986 posts)
7. Imagine being told that.
Sat May 9, 2015, 03:22 PM
May 2015

"We are going to bomb your city, so please leave."

Well, I guess it's better than not being told.

 

quadrature

(2,049 posts)
12. another 'Arab Spring' success story... (sarcasm) ...
Sat May 9, 2015, 06:14 PM
May 2015

are there other countries we should
destabilize?

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