President of Yemen flees by sea; Saudis begin airstrikes

[webfact]

President of Yemen flees by sea; Saudis begin airstrikes
By AHMED AL-HAJ and MAGGIE MICHAEL

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi fled Yemen by sea Wednesday as Shiite rebels and their allies moved on his last refuge in the south, captured its airport and put a bounty on his head, officials said. Hours later, Saudi Arabia announced it had begun airstrikes against the Houthi rebels.

The departure of the close U.S. ally and the imminent fall of the southern port of Aden pushed Yemen further toward a violent collapse. It also threatened to turn the impoverished but strategic country into another proxy battle between the Middle East's Sunni powers and Shiite-led Iran.

Saudi ambassador to the United States Adel al-Jubeir said his country had begun airstrikes against the rebels. He said his government had consulted closely with the U.S. and other allies but that the U.S. military was not involved in the operations.

The White House said in a statement late Wednesday that the U.S. was coordinating military and intelligence support with the Saudis but not taking part directly in the strikes.

There were indications that others in the region would follow suit: The United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain joined Saudi Arabia in a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency, saying they would answer a request from Hadi "to protect Yemen and his dear people from the aggression of the Houthi militias which were and are still a tool in the hands of foreign powers that don't stop meddling with the security and stability of brotherly Yemen." Oman, the sixth member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, didn't sign onto the statement.

In a statement from the state news agency Egypt, too, announced political and military support. "There is coordination ongoing now with Saudi Arabia and the brotherly gulf countries about preparations to participate with an Egyptian air and naval forces and ground troops if necessary," the statement said.

Arab leaders are expected to meet in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik this weekend for a pre-planned summit, which is now expected to be dominated by the developments in Yemen. It is not clear if Hadi will be able to attend the summit.

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies believe the Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, are tools for Iran to seize control of Yemen and say they intend to stop the takeover. The Houthis deny they are backed by Iran.

The crumbling of Hadi's government is a blow to Washington's counterterrorism strategy against al-Qaida's branch in Yemen, considered to be the most powerful in the terrorist network. Over the weekend, about 100 U.S. military advisers withdrew from the al-Annad air base where they had been leading a drone campaign against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP.

Yemen now faces fragmentation, with Houthis controlling much of the north, including the capital of Sanaa, and several southern provinces. In recent days, they took the third-largest city, Taiz, as well as much of the province of Lahj, both just to the north of Aden.

In fighting in Lahj, they captured Hadi's defense minister, Maj. Gen. Mahmoud al-Subaihi, and then swept into the nearby al-Annad base, which the U.S. military had left.

The Houthis are backed by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the autocrat who ruled Yemen for three decades until he was removed amid a 2011 Arab Spring uprising. Some of the best-equipped and trained military and security units remained loyal to Saleh and they have helped the Houthis in their rapid advance.

Hadi left Sanaa for Aden earlier this month after escaping house arrest under the Houthis, who overran the capital six months ago. In Aden, he had sought to make a last stand, claiming it as the temporary seat of what remained of his government, backed by allied militias and loyal army units.

Security officials in Yemen said the Saudi airstrikes targeted a camp for U.S.-trained special forces, which is controlled by generals loyal to Saleh. The officials said the targets included the missile base in Sanaa that was controlled by the Houthis earlier this year. One of the Yemeni security officials said the strikes also targeted the fuel depot at the base.

The Houthis said in a statement to reporters that Saudi jets hit the military base, known as al-Duleimi, and that they responded with anti-aircraft missiles.

Saudi-owned Al-Hadath TV aired pictures of the operation. The dark screen flashed with glaring lights and there was what sounded like machine guns or possibly anti-aircraft missiles.

Riad Yassin, Yemen's Foreign Minister, told Al-Hadath that the airstrikes were welcomed.

"I hope the Houthis listen to the sound of reason. With what is happening, they forced us into this," he said.

With Houthis and Saleh forces closing in on multiple fronts, Hadi and his aides left Aden after 3:30 p.m. on two boats in the Gulf of Aden, security and port officials told The Associated Press. The officials would not specify his destination.

Saleh said in a speech two weeks ago that Hadi might head for the African country of Djibouti across the gulf, just as leaders of southern Yemen fled.

Officials said Hadi had been preparing for the move since Sunday, when rebel leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi vowed in a fiery speech that his forces will keep advancing south, referring to Hadi as a "puppet" of international powers.

Shortly after Hadi fled his palace in Aden, warplanes targeted presidential forces guarding it. No casualties were reported. By midday, Aden's airport fell into hands of forces loyal to Saleh based in the city after intense clashes with pro-Hadi militias.

Yemen's state TV, now controlled by the Houthis, announced a bounty of nearly $100,000 for Hadi's capture.

The Houthis still face multiple opponents. Sunni tribesmen and local militias are fighting them in many places around Yemen, and the rebels have little support in the south.

Some military units remain loyal to Hadi, although they are severely weakened. Alarmingly, al-Qaida militants have emerged as a powerful force against the rebels, and there are signs of a presence of the even more extremist Islamic State group. Last week, the group claimed responsibility for suicide bombings against the Houthis in Sanaa that killed 137 people.

AQAP is considered the terrorist group most dangerous to the U.S. because it successfully placed three bombs on U.S. bound airlines, although none exploded. U.S. officials acknowledge their efforts against AQAP are seriously hampered, with the U.S. Embassy closed and the last U.S. troops evacuated.

Although the Houthis are avowed enemies of al-Qaida, they can't project power against the militants the way the Hadi government could with U.S. support. The deeply anti-American rebels have rejected Washington's overtures, officials say.

Hadi's exit is a humiliating reversal, coming in large part at the hands of Saleh, the man he replaced in 2012 under a deal that allowed the former leader to remain free.

The atmosphere in Aden was tense, with most schools, government offices, shops and restaurants closed. In the few cafes still open, men watched the news on TV. Looters went through two abandoned army camps, taking weapons and ammunition.

Mohammed Abdel-Salam, a spokesman for the Houthis, told the rebel-controlled Al-Masirah news channel that their forces were not aiming to occupy the south.
___

Michael and Associated Press writer Sarah El Deeb reported from Cairo.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-03-26

[RockyBeerbelly]

Interesting to see that Saudi will attack the Shia Houthis, but declines to do the same for years now to the Sunni Al Qaida fraction in Yemen...Worse still, if 130 Houthis are murdered by an ISIS suicide bomber, this is considered "good news" for all Sunnis.....

So the main question is: Which side are you on America? Al Qaida/ISIS/Saudi or the Houthis backed by the "evil state" of Iran?

[Mosha]

Interesting to see that Saudi will attack the Shia Houthis, but declines to do the same for years now to the Sunni Al Qaida fraction in Yemen...Worse still, if 130 Houthis are murdered by an ISIS suicide bomber, this is considered "good news" for all Sunnis.....

So the main question is: Which side are you on America? Al Qaida/ISIS/Saudi or the Houthis backed by the "evil state" of Iran?

My 1st thought when I heard the reports were would the Saudis have bothered if the legitimate president was a shia? The Saudis shia minority is oppressed in Saudi, despite their lands being oil rich.

[Credo]

With all this confusion going on, now we be a good time for Netanyahu to take out the Iranian nuclear facilities.

Sometimes confusion is a good thing. Somehow I think the Saudi's would be quite amendable to this.

Edited March 26, 2015 by Credo

[rgs2001uk]

Interesting to see that Saudi will attack the Shia Houthis, but declines to do the same for years now to the Sunni Al Qaida fraction in Yemen...Worse still, if 130 Houthis are murdered by an ISIS suicide bomber, this is considered "good news" for all Sunnis.....

So the main question is: Which side are you on America? Al Qaida/ISIS/Saudi or the Houthis backed by the "evil state" of Iran?

Nothing more than the latest battle in a sectarian war that has been raging for hundreds of years.

The country should never have been united in the first place, it should have remained as two seperate countries split on sectarain grounds.

[rgs2001uk]

Interesting to see that Saudi will attack the Shia Houthis, but declines to do the same for years now to the Sunni Al Qaida fraction in Yemen...Worse still, if 130 Houthis are murdered by an ISIS suicide bomber, this is considered "good news" for all Sunnis.....

So the main question is: Which side are you on America? Al Qaida/ISIS/Saudi or the Houthis backed by the "evil state" of Iran?

My 1st thought when I heard the reports were would the Saudis have bothered if the legitimate president was a shia? The Saudis shia minority is oppressed in Saudi, despite their lands being oil rich.

You forgot to mention the suppresion of the Shia majority in Bahrain.

Strange the Saudis were quick enough to go in there to help their Sunni brethern put down a call for democracy.

For some strange reason they aint willing to man up and send boots on the ground to fight in Iraq or Syria.

[Credo]

The way this guys luck is going, he'll get captured by Somali pirates.

[RockyBeerbelly]

With all this confusion going on, now we be a good time for Netanyahu to take out the Iranian nuclear facilities.

Sometimes confusion is a good thing. Somehow I think the Saudi's would be quite amendable to this.

Wonder how starting a nuclear war can ever be considered a good thing

[webfact]

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran Foreign Ministry: airstrikes in Yemen a 'dangerous step' that will worsen crisis.

[ezzra]

So finally, a religious war at a state level, a Shia country, Iran, is muscling in on another

Shia country, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia, a Sunni country feeling threatened by Iran long reach,

and meddling in an area far far from them...good luck to them both...

[Chicog]

So finally, a religious war at a state level, a Shia country, Iran, is muscling in on another

Shia country, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia, a Sunni country feeling threatened by Iran long reach,

and meddling in an area far far from them...good luck to them both...

No different to Syria and Iraq (and to an extent, Libya).

Edited March 26, 2015 by Chicog

[arjunadawn]

With all this confusion going on, now we be a good time for Netanyahu to take out the Iranian nuclear facilities.

Sometimes confusion is a good thing. Somehow I think the Saudi's would be quite amendable to this.

Of course no one prefers such scenarios but your observation is correct. Doing so now would contract Iranian projection, though of course risk empowering other Iranian assets throughout the region currently idle. Your point is valid; I just dont know about its unintended consequences (or indeed, intended). If it looks like the US will strong arm the P5+1 to go against Israel anyway, and move to a larger assembly for greater condemnation, than Israel can hardly lose by removing the nature of the very thing under deliberation- then the P5+1 can discuss cleaning up the mess because the discussions on the nuclear option, however disagreeably it was removed, will no longer be on the table.

As a former soldier it is my gut instinct to avoid war at near any cost, but not at the price being paid today. The West is already at war. It is nonsense to assert a war state only exists when both parties openly declare so. This is not 3rd grade; this is not forts and treehouses; this is war and it exists solely as a result of one party alone acting these mechanisms. To not respond accordingly is Civilization Treason.

It is quite suggestive that the President fled by sea, if true. It clearly suggests control of the airspace is in doubt because a slow boat from Aden is a slow boat to anywhere.

NOTE: I think Israel is pretty smart. The sunnis fear the Iranian intent as greatly as Obama asserts there is no foul intent. Were Israel smart she would broker concessions and intel sharing and mutual trust with regional arab agents- some real mutual trust- toward future leverage regarding the local arab situation in the Levant.

[wwest5829]

Interesting to see that Saudi will attack the Shia Houthis, but declines to do the same for years now to the Sunni Al Qaida fraction in Yemen...Worse still, if 130 Houthis are murdered by an ISIS suicide bomber, this is considered "good news" for all Sunnis.....

So the main question is: Which side are you on America? Al Qaida/ISIS/Saudi or the Houthis backed by the "evil state" of Iran?

Americans, "which side are you on?". Well, hmmm, I'm not sure, too many players to keep straight! Whose side are you on?

[ggold]

With all this confusion going on, now we be a good time for Netanyahu to take out the Iranian nuclear facilities.

Sometimes confusion is a good thing. Somehow I think the Saudi's would be quite amendable to this.

Of course no one prefers such scenarios but your observation is correct. Doing so now would contract Iranian projection, though of course risk empowering other Iranian assets throughout the region currently idle. Your point is valid; I just dont know about its unintended consequences (or indeed, intended). If it looks like the US will strong arm the P5+1 to go against Israel anyway, and move to a larger assembly for greater condemnation, than Israel can hardly lose by removing the nature of the very thing under deliberation- then the P5+1 can discuss cleaning up the mess because the discussions on the nuclear option, however disagreeably it was removed, will no longer be on the table.

As a former soldier it is my gut instinct to avoid war at near any cost, but not at the price being paid today. The West is already at war. It is nonsense to assert a war state only exists when both parties openly declare so. This is not 3rd grade; this is not forts and treehouses; this is war and it exists solely as a result of one party alone acting these mechanisms. To not respond accordingly is Civilization Treason.

It is quite suggestive that the President fled by sea, if true. It clearly suggests control of the airspace is in doubt because a slow boat from Aden is a slow boat to anywhere.

NOTE: I think Israel is pretty smart. The sunnis fear the Iranian intent as greatly as Obama asserts there is no foul intent. Were Israel smart she would broker concessions and intel sharing and mutual trust with regional arab agents- some real mutual trust- toward future leverage regarding the local arab situation in the Levant.

Israel is sharing intel, the USA has to wipe any trace of it coming from Israel before they hand it over!

But this latest development puts Saudi and Iran in direct conflict, so there could be open hostilities between them at some point. While it's a good thing the Arabs are taking responsibility for their own problems, This is going to inflame the situation, possibly where we see a complete rewrite of Arab borders along tribal lines.

This will turn into a Sunni against Shia war consuming the arab world.

Obama's legacy!

[h90]

in Yemen the President flees and Saudi Arabia strikes: good

In Ukraine the President flees and Russia strikes: evil

[zydeco]

in Yemen the President flees and Saudi Arabia strikes: good

In Ukraine the President flees and Russia strikes: evil

According to whom? I haven't seen anybody put things in those terms. Personally, I'm just going to sit and watch. No use in taking sides with any of them. If Iran and its allies and Saudi Arabia and its allies both emerge weaker and the Saudis more dependent on outside forces, then all the better. Hard to say, btw, whether more people will die as a result of Saudi intervention or as a result of doing nothing.

[ggold]

Iran: Saudis 'Will Pay for Invading Yemen'

Iran on Thursday threatened Saudi Arabia that 'the smoke of the war in Yemen will reach the eyes of the Saudis.'

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/193211#.VRP4B-H27Dc

[Rancid]

Little is what it appears to be in the middle east, however the Saudis wouldnt be attacking if the US hadnt given the nod. The US wouldnt ok unless the orders came from their masters in Israel first.

So we have US armed Saudi bombing US equiped Yemen. Sort of like US armed Iraq attacking US equiped ISIS. Hang on are we seeing a trend here?

Could be time to go long US war merchants. Is there a military industrial index?

At least it is a break from the US antagonising the Russians. A possible nuclear conflict there will make Europe a wasteland or could even kill all of us.

[BKKBobby]

Iran: Saudis 'Will Pay for Invading Yemen'

Iran on Thursday threatened Saudi Arabia that 'the smoke of the war in Yemen will reach the eyes of the Saudis.'

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/193211#.VRP4B-H27Dc

Ok, would be nice to get rid of those Saudi Arabian dictators that export wahhabism everywhere starting in Africa thru The ME all the way to SEA. They are the most radical islamistic country in the world. They also provided the world with fanatics that flew airplanes thru US buildings. Would love to not have to see those kings/sheiks/whatever with dyed beards on TV

Wahhabism and its spawn are the most radical version of Islam which promotes the most limitations on human rights and human rights abuse or death.

Edited March 26, 2015 by BKKBobby

[ggold]

Little is what it appears to be in the middle east, however the Saudis wouldnt be attacking if the US hadnt given the nod. The US wouldnt ok unless the orders came from their masters in Israel first.

So we have US armed Saudi bombing US equiped Yemen. Sort of like US armed Iraq attacking US equiped ISIS. Hang on are we seeing a trend here?

Could be time to go long US war merchants. Is there a military industrial index?

At least it is a break from the US antagonising the Russians. A possible nuclear conflict there will make Europe a wasteland or could even kill all of us.

what Obama suddenly taking orders from Netanyahu! that's got to be embarrassing for him, what with trying to make peace with Iran! Gosh I wonder who he will chose Iran or the Saudis?

[ggold]

Iran: Saudis 'Will Pay for Invading Yemen'

Iran on Thursday threatened Saudi Arabia that 'the smoke of the war in Yemen will reach the eyes of the Saudis.'

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/193211#.VRP4B-H27Dc

Ok, would be nice to get rid of those Saudi Arabian dictators that export wahhabism everywhere starting in Africa thru The ME all the way to SEA. They are the most radical islamistic country in the world. They also provided the world with fanatics that flew airplanes thru US buildings. Would love to not have to see those kings/sheiks/whatever with dyed beards on TV

Wahhabism and its spawn are the most radical version of Islam which promotes the most limitations on human rights and human rights abuse or death.

Well I guess they are fighting over which brand of Islam to export!

Is ISIS/ISIL any better? they throw gays off high building, they also practice limitations on Human rights, leading to losing your head.

Makes Israel look like white as snow!

sorry couldn't resist!

Edited March 26, 2015 by ggold

[BKKBobby]

Little is what it appears to be in the middle east, however the Saudis wouldnt be attacking if the US hadnt given the nod. The US wouldnt ok unless the orders came from their masters in Israel first.

So we have US armed Saudi bombing US equiped Yemen. Sort of like US armed Iraq attacking US equiped ISIS. Hang on are we seeing a trend here?

Could be time to go long US war merchants. Is there a military industrial index?

At least it is a break from the US antagonising the Russians. A possible nuclear conflict there will make Europe a wasteland or could even kill all of us.

what Obama suddenly taking orders from Netanyahu! that's got to be embarrassing for him, what with trying to make peace with Iran! Gosh I wonder who he will chose Iran or the Saudis?

Obama taking orders from Benny Yahoo? Edited March 26, 2015 by BKKBobby

[StasD]

The US must be happy. Everything goes according to its plan. The more chaos the stronge dollar

[ggold]

Little is what it appears to be in the middle east, however the Saudis wouldnt be attacking if the US hadnt given the nod. The US wouldnt ok unless the orders came from their masters in Israel first.

So we have US armed Saudi bombing US equiped Yemen. Sort of like US armed Iraq attacking US equiped ISIS. Hang on are we seeing a trend here?

Could be time to go long US war merchants. Is there a military industrial index?

At least it is a break from the US antagonising the Russians. A possible nuclear conflict there will make Europe a wasteland or could even kill all of us.

what Obama suddenly taking orders from Netanyahu! that's got to be embarrassing for him, what with trying to make peace with Iran! Gosh I wonder who he will chose Iran or the Saudis?

Obama taking orders from Benny Yahoo?

you did read the post i was quoting? The US wouldnt ok unless the orders came from their masters in Israel first. who else would Obama be taking orders from? 5555

Edited March 26, 2015 by ggold

[BKKBobby]

Little is what it appears to be in the middle east, however the Saudis wouldnt be attacking if the US hadnt given the nod. The US wouldnt ok unless the orders came from their masters in Israel first.

So we have US armed Saudi bombing US equiped Yemen. Sort of like US armed Iraq attacking US equiped ISIS. Hang on are we seeing a trend here?

Could be time to go long US war merchants. Is there a military industrial index?

At least it is a break from the US antagonising the Russians. A possible nuclear conflict there will make Europe a wasteland or could even kill all of us.

what Obama suddenly taking orders from Netanyahu! that's got to be embarrassing for him, what with trying to make peace with Iran! Gosh I wonder who he will chose Iran or the Saudis?

Obama taking orders from Benny Yahoo?

you did read the post i was quoting? The US wouldnt ok unless the orders came from their masters in Israel first. who else would Obama be taking orders from? 5555

But I find that unlikely, quoted or not quoted

[hard124get]

With all this confusion going on, now we be a good time for Netanyahu to take out the Iranian nuclear facilities.

Sometimes confusion is a good thing. Somehow I think the Saudi's would be quite amendable to this.

Or maybe with the election victory celebrations still abound, now would be a good time to take out Netanyahu !

[NeverSure]

With all this confusion going on, now we be a good time for Netanyahu to take out the Iranian nuclear facilities.

Sometimes confusion is a good thing. Somehow I think the Saudi's would be quite amendable to this.

... than Israel can hardly lose by removing the nature of the very thing under deliberation- then the P5+1 can discuss cleaning up the mess because the discussions on the nuclear option, however disagreeably it was removed, will no longer be on the table.

This is what the Soviet Union used to do to obtain and control its "empire".

They would strike out of the blue when no one in the West expected it, and then sit back and lick their chops while the rest of the world tongue-wagged about it. They were masters at it, and for getting and controlling power, it worked. They just kept chipping away and refused to discuss it.

For Israel to use ICBMs and nukes is out of the question, but if they got covert permission to overfly Saudi and knocked out Iran's harbors, oil and air fields and nuclear facilities, they could be home for dinner and watch the world react on their TV news.

Not sayin' they will, but they could.

[BKKBobby]

With all this confusion going on, now we be a good time for Netanyahu to take out the Iranian nuclear facilities.

Sometimes confusion is a good thing. Somehow I think the Saudi's would be quite amendable to this.

... than Israel can hardly lose by removing the nature of the very thing under deliberation- then the P5+1 can discuss cleaning up the mess because the discussions on the nuclear option, however disagreeably it was removed, will no longer be on the table.

This is what the Soviet Union used to do to obtain and control its "empire".

They would strike out of the blue when no one in the West expected it, and then sit back and lick their chops while the rest of the world tongue-wagged about it. They were masters at it, and for getting and controlling power, it worked. They just kept chipping away and refused to discuss it.

For Israel to use ICBMs and nukes is out of the question, but if they got covert permission to overfly Saudi and knocked out Iran's harbors, oil and air fields and nuclear facilities, they could be home for dinner and watch the world react on their TV news.

Not sayin' they will, but they could.

Theoretically they can do that and much more but they wont.

Wait and see.

Just a little more patience.

I bet one baht that a deal ("good" or "bad") will be agreed upon.

I bet 50 satang that no country will attack Iran before or after a deal.

Deal?

Or no deal?

[BKKBobby]

read elsewhere that the imperialist are co-operating with iran to bomb kirkuk in iraq to rid it of ISIS

and now in yemen the imperialist are bombing a supposed iran initiative. perhaps some consistence in reporting would be nice.

The world is upside down and inside out.

[BKKBobby]

Iran: Saudis 'Will Pay for Invading Yemen'

Iran on Thursday threatened Saudi Arabia that 'the smoke of the war in Yemen will reach the eyes of the Saudis.'

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/193211#.VRP4B-H27Dc

Ok, would be nice to get rid of those Saudi Arabian dictators that export wahhabism everywhere starting in Africa thru The ME all the way to SEA. They are the most radical islamistic country in the world. They also provided the world with fanatics that flew airplanes thru US buildings. Would love to not have to see those kings/sheiks/whatever with dyed beards on TV

Wahhabism and its spawn are the most radical version of Islam which promotes the most limitations on human rights and human rights abuse or death.

Well I guess they are fighting over which brand of Islam to export!

Is ISIS/ISIL any better? they throw gays off high building, they also practice limitations on Human rights, leading to losing your head.

Makes Israel look like white as snow!

sorry couldn't resist!

You are trying to make Israel look good by comparing Israel with ISIS/ISIL?

You might as well compare Netanyahu with Hitler.