Yemen conflict: Saudi-led coalition admits mistakes in deadly bus strike

BBC - The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has expressed regret over "mistakes" made in a deadly air strike on a bus.

More than 40 children were killed in the strike in a market in northern Saada province on 9 August, drawing international condemnation.

In a statement on Saturday, the coalition pledged to hold those responsible for the strike accountable.

But a spokesman for the coalition's own investigation maintained that the strike had targeted a Houthi leader.

The head of the coalition's Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT), Lt Gen Mansour al-Mansour, said its investigation had found that the bus was carrying Houthi leaders and fighters and was therefore a "legitimate" military target, but admitted that the location of the strike had led to collateral damage.

A statement carried by the Saudi state news agency SPA on Saturday said: "The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition expresses regret over the mistakes, extends its sympathies, condolences and solidarity to the families of the victims."

The coalition said it would co-ordinate with the Yemeni government to compensate families of victims and would also review its rules of engagement.

The coalition insists it never deliberately targets civilians, but human rights groups have accused it of bombing markets, schools, hospitals and residential areas.

Earlier this week, the coalition rejected the findings of a UN report which said that war crimes may have been committed by all parties in the conflict.

UN experts accused Yemeni government forces, the coalition backing them, and the rebel Houthi movement of making little effort to minimise civilian casualties.

In a first, Saudi Arabia seeks death penalty for female rights activist, group says

LONDON — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has presented himself as a reformer, and under his leadership, the ultra-conservative Sunni kingdom has granted new rights to women, including the right to drive. But Saudi Arabia's move toward greater gender equality now appears to be extending into the realm of political repression, according to advocacy groups. For the first time, Saudi prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in a case against a female human rights activist, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Tuesday.

Israa al-Ghomgham was fighting discrimination against Saudi Arabia's Shiite Muslim minority when she was arrested in a 2015 night raid along with her husband. She and five others have been charged with things like "attempting to inflame public opinion," "filming protests and publishing on social media" and "providing moral support to rioters," HRW said in a statement. Al-Ghomgham and four of the others charged are facing execution.

Women have been executed before in Saudi Arabia for offenses like adultery or murder, but generally a woman arrested for activism would be held until a male guardian came and collected her, Begum said. She would be released once the man signed a pledge saying she would never repeat the offense.

"Saudi authorities have realized that women can and do undertake activism. Not just as women's rights activists … but as human rights activists," Begum continued.

While the case marks the first time the death penalty has been sought for a woman activist, it also indicates an increase in the severity of sentences meted out to activists generally, HRW said. In the past, people typically did not face execution for nonviolent offenses.

Yemen war: Saudi-led air strike on bus kills 29 children

BBC - At least 29 children have been killed and 30 wounded in a Saudi-led coalition air strike in Yemen, the International Committee of the Red Cross says.

The children were travelling on a bus that was hit at a market in Dahyan, in the northern province of Saada.

The health ministry run by the rebel Houthi movement put the death toll at 43, and said 61 people were wounded.

The coalition, which is backing Yemen's government in a war with the Houthis, said its actions were "legitimate".

It insists it never deliberately targets civilians, but human rights groups have accused it of bombing markets, schools, hospitals and residential areas.

Meanwhile the new UN special envoy to Yemen, former British diplomat Martin Griffiths, is planning to invite the warring parties to Geneva in September to discuss a framework for negotiations.

Saudi Cabinet reaffirms rejection of Canadian interference in Kingdom's internal affairs

JEDDAH: The Saudi Cabinet has reaffirmed its “absolute rejection” of the Canadian government’s stance in the diplomatic row between the two countries.

Saudi Arabia ordered the Canadian ambassador to leave the Kingdom and froze all new trade and investment with the country after accusing Canada of interfering in its internal affairs.

The move came in response to Canadian statements demanding the release of what Canada called “civil society and women’s rights activists”.

The Council of Ministers said: “The Canadian government’s position was not based on true information or events regarding what it called the detained civil activists,” the Saudi Press agency reported on Tuesday.

It reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s stance to abiding by international conventions, principles and norms that respect the sovereignty of each state and refrain to interfere in the internal matters of other countries.

Jordan became the latest country to back Saudi Arabia's position in the dispute, after Bahrain Egypt and the GCC. Jordan's foreign ministry said it stood by Saudi Arabia in its right to implement laws and protect national security.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet said it is was closely following the efforts of governmental and civil bodies serving Hajj pilgrims, and the preparations they are offering to facilitate the process of pilgrimage to worshippers.

The Cabinet also said it sends its sincere condolences to the Indonesian government and people and to the families of the earthquake victims that hit Lombok island this week. ContinueReading

Landmark day for Saudi women as kingdom's controversial driving ban ends

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (CNN)Saudi women drivers took to the roads legally Sunday for the first time in the kingdom's history, as its decades-old ban on women driving finally lifted.

The end of the controversial ban brings the ultra-conservative Gulf nation into line with the rest of the world. It also represents the culmination of years of campaigning by rights activists who have sometimes been arrested and imprisoned for their efforts.

Mona Al-Fares, a doctor, was in her car before midnight, waiting for the ban to lift before setting off through the streets of Jeddah with her husband and children.

"I feel like I'm surprised -- am I really driving in my own country? I feel happy, relieved. I feel like I'm free," she told CNN.

The step, first announced last September, will liberate many women from the constraints of needing to hire a male driver to travel even small distances, allowing many more to join the workforce, grow their own businesses and explore the kingdom.

Hiring women is a key part of Saudi Arabia's ambitious plan to overhaul its economy, known as Vision 2030. The reform agenda is being spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
For some, though, the jubilation at realizing a hard-won freedom Sunday will be tempered by the arrests last month of a number of Saudi rights activists, including some who have played a prominent role in the fight for women's right to drive.

Many other restrictions on women's everyday lives remain in place under the male guardianship system -- including the right to marry, work or travel.

U.N. Pushes to Avert ‘Catastrophic’ U.A.E. Attack on Yemen Port

WASHINGTON—The United Nations launched an urgent diplomatic effort to head off an expected United Arab Emirates assault on Yemen’s most important port in the coming days, fearing an attack could create a humanitarian disaster and derail the most promising push in years to end the conflict, people familiar with the talks said.

Aid groups and U.N. officials working in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah are scrambling to get their international staff out after British officials warned them an attack on the city was imminent.

The U.N. special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, traveled to the U.A.E. capital over the weekend in an effort to forestall an attack. Mr. Griffiths had secured an agreement with Houthi rebels who control Hodeidah to allow the U.N. to operate the port jointly, the people said. But people briefed on the discussions said they doubted the U.A.E. would accept the offer or delay the planned assault.

Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of using Hodeidah to smuggle missiles into Yemen—a charge Tehran rejects. The U.A.E.—Saudi Arabia’s most important ally in a military coalition fighting in Yemen—has a significant military presence near the port, where it is supporting Yemeni allies in their push to seize Hodeidah from the Houthi fighters.

U.N. officials have said an attack on the port, the gateway for 80% of commercial and humanitarian supplies for the country, could be devastating to a country where millions of people are on the brink of famine.

Saudi threatens military action if Qatar deploys anti-aircraft missiles - report

PARIS (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has threatened to take military action if Qatar installs a Russian air defence system, France’s Le Monde newspaper reported.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates severed diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar last year, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism, which it denies.

Qatar and Russia signed an agreement on military and technical cooperation last year. Qatar’s ambassador to Russia was quoted as saying in January that it was in talks to buy the Russian S-400 missile air defence systems.

Le Monde said that Saudi King Salman had written a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron, expressing his profound concern over negotiations between Doha and Moscow and the possibility that Qatar could deploy the missiles.

“The kingdom would be ready to take all necessary measures to eliminate this defence system, including military action,” Le Monde quoted the letter to Macron as saying. It said the letter had been sent “recently”, but was not more specific.

Salman asked Macron for his assistance to prevent the sale of the missiles and preserve peace in the region, Le Monde said.

The French president’s office and the Saudi government’s communications office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Saudi football clubs call on women fans to kick off historic weekend matches

JEDDAH: Saudi football clubs are appealing directly to female fans for support through ad campaigns and social media as women are allowed into stadiums for the first time on Friday.

The official Twitter account for Al-Ittihad directed a tweet toward the club’s female fans on Tuesday. It said that women were powerful agents in the success of the team, just like their male counterparts.
Two weeks ago, a campaign was launched for fans to show their support for their favorite teams through SMS texts. Al-Ittihad’s tweet is riding on the hype surrounding women attending the club’s match.

Al-Ittihad’s offical tweet generated a massive response from the team’s lovers and haters alike. Elaaf tweeted: “We’re finally being addressed as a part of Ittihad’s fanclub.”
Many couldn’t believe they were finally being noticed. One Twitter user said: “I never thought I’d live to see such a tweet, we’re all here for you.”

Others such as Twitter user Shikha provided proof of their contribution by posting photos of the sent text, while many women declared they were now switching support to Al-Ittihad for being the first to address them as an audience.

One die-hard fan tweeted: “I will attend the classico match and I’ll even pay for tickets for other girls attending.”

Dedicated Al-Ittihad female fans are preparing to attend the club’s first match of the year against Al-Hilal on Jan. 13, in Riyadh’s King Fahd International Stadium. Al-Ahli fans will be called on to show up for a Jeddah match against the visiting Al-Batin team on Friday in the King Abdullah Sports City stadium.

The General Sports Authority (GSA) revealed the seating plan for the Riyadh match. Inside the stadium, women will occupy the northern area through gates two, three and four, and the southern area through gates 40, 41 and 42. They are are expected to fill 7,500 seats.

Head of the Saudi Federation for Sports Media, Raja Al-Sulami, told Arab News that they have made the stadium ready to receive women. He added: “In cooperation with the Saudi Federation for Community Sports, we have made all necessary arrangements to receive them in an atmosphere that respects their privacy.” He added that there are 14,000 seats at the Jeddah’s “Shining Jewel” stadium ready for the occasion. ContinueReading

Deepening water crisis in Yemen amid severe fuel shortages

AMMAN/SANA’A, 19 December, 2017 – Recent restrictions on imports of fuel to Yemen have sparked critical shortages and price hikes across the country, severely impacting access to safe water and other vital services for children including health care and sanitation. The cuts are the latest challenge to containing Yemen’s acute watery diarrhea and cholera outbreak. Yemen has for decades struggled with extreme water scarcity.

“Fuel shortages in Yemen are causing a deepening water and health crisis,” said Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa. “This could not come at a worse time for the children of Yemen reeling from violence, malnutrition and an outbreak of diseases including acute watery diarrhea and cholera.”

The cost of diesel fuel has doubled in just over one month, jeopardizing the provision of water, particularly for the poorest families. Water pumping stations serving over 3 million people via public networks in 14 cities are quickly running out of fuel.

Prices of commercially trucked water – a main source for one fifth of Yemen’s population have skyrocketed. On average, they have doubled while in some locations they increased six-fold.
“For over two thirds of Yemenis living in extreme poverty, safe water is now completely unaffordable,” added Cappelaere.

Children under 5 years old account for more than a quarter of nearly 1 million suspected cases of acute watery diarrhea and cholera. Over 385,000 children suffer from severe acute malnutrition and are fighting for their lives. Poor access to safe drinking water is also one of the most important causes of malnutrition.

UNICEF is providing nearly 450,000 litres of fuel monthly to continue running water pumping stations in Sana’a, Hodeida and Hajjah, among other cities across the country. But UNICEF and other partners have also been hit by the fuel shortages and rising prices, making it even more difficult to meet children’s basic needs.

“Restrictions on humanitarian assistance and imports of lifesaving supplies must urgently be lifted to avoid Yemen spiraling even further into the abyss,” said Cappelaere. “The children of Yemen have already suffered too much and for far too long.” (ontinueReading

Iran's actions may be 'act of war,' Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince says

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(CNN)Supplying rebels in Yemen with missiles was a "direct military aggression by the Iranian regime," declared Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz on Tuesday.
In his first direct statements regarding a thwarted missile strike on the Riyadh airport that occurred over the weekend, bin Salman laid the blame for the attempt at the feet of Iran's government, claiming it was "supplying its Houthi militias [in Yemen] with missiles."

In comments reported by the Saudi Arabian official news agency SPA, the Crown Prince told British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson that Iran's actions "may be considered an act of war against the Kingdom."

A spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry dismissed Saudi Arabia's allegations over the missile strike as "false, irresponsible, destructive and provocative," the Iranian news agency Tasnim reported Monday.

Bin Salman's remarks were the latest by the Saudi government accusing Iran of not only being behind the actions taken in Yemen, but also for its purported behavior in Lebanon.

Iran sponsors Lebanese Hezbollah, the Shiite militant and political group that holds tremendous sway in the Cabinet and as part of a pro-Syrian alliance in Lebanese parliament.

Iran and Hezbollah were blamed by Saad Hariri for meddling in "the internal affairs of Arab countries" when he announced that he was resigning as prime minister of Lebanon on Saturday. Hariri, a Sunni politician with Saudi backing, made the announcement from Riyadh.

"Iran controls the region and the decision-making in both Syria and Iraq," Hariri said in his announcement. "I want to tell Iran and its followers that it will lose in its interventions in the internal affairs of Arab countries."

For the Saudis, there would now be "no more distinction between Hezbollah and the Lebanese government," Saudi minister for Gulf affairs Thamer al-Sabhan said Monday. Hezbollah "has become a tool of death and destruction against Saudi Arabia and participates in all terrorist acts in the Kingdom," the minister claimed.

Because of this, Saudi Arabia will treat the Lebanese as "a government declaring war," al-Sabhan told al-Arabiya, the Saudi-backed broadcaster.

While the United States considers Hezbollah a terrorist group, its political wing is the most powerful bloc in Lebanon's deeply divided coalition government, and several of its politicians are ministers.
It was not clear what this statement would do to Saudi-Lebanese relations, but al-Sabhan said the ramifications "would be severe."

Saudi Arabia accuses Hezbollah of smuggling missiles into Yemen. The Saudi military was able to intercept the missile before it struck the airport. (ontinueReading

Saudi Arabia: Panel of scientists admits women are mammals, yet "not human"

Riyadh | In an unprecedented ruling, a panel of Saudi scientists has concluded that women are actually mammals, granting them the same rights as other mammal species such as camels, dromedaries and even goats.

The verdict, which fell just hours before the International Women’s Day, is considered “historic” by some experts and advocacy groups for women’s rights.

“This is a great leap forward for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia,” concludes Jane Austin, spokeswoman for the Women’s Liberation Action Network. “It may seem too little, too late, but it is truly a milestone event for all women in the region,” she says, visibly excited. “From now on, women will be considered as members of the mammal class, whereas before women shared the legal status of an object, similar to that of a home appliance,” she admits.

Saudi FM: Assad must go or face 'military option'

(Yahoonews) - United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad must leave office or face being turfed out by force, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said Tuesday, warning of stepped up support for Syrian rebel groups.

Jubeir rejected Russian calls for an international coalition to help Assad fight the Islamic State group, and said the Syrian leader's best option would be to step down.

"There is no future for Assad in Syria, with all due respect to the Russians or anyone else," Jubeir told reporters in New York after meetings with Saudi Arabia's allies.

"There are two options for a settlement in Syria. One option is a political process where there would be a transitional council," he said, describing this as the "preferred option."

"The other option is a military option, which also would end with the removal of Bashar al-Assad from power," Jubeir warned.

"This could be a more lengthy process and a more destructive process, but the choice is entirely that of Bashar al-Assad."

Jubeir would not be drawn on specifics of what the military option would look like, but noted that Saudi Arabia is already supporting "moderate rebels" in their battle against Assad.

"Whatever we may or may not do we're not talking about," he said, adding: "There is a Free Syrian Army that is fighting against Bashar al-Assad.

"There is a moderate Syrian opposition that is fighting against Bashar al-Assad and this opposition is getting support from a number of countries, and we expect that this support will continue and intensify."

Jubeir said the best option would be for Assad to accept the principles of the Geneva I agreement signed at a peace conference in 2012, laying the groundwork for a transitional government.

Under this plan, he said, Assad would immediately cede power to an executive council made up of both members of his regime and opposition figures. Full Story

From Venezuela to Iraq to Russia, Oil Price Drops Raise Fears of Unrest

(nytimes) - Oil, the lifeblood of many countries that produce and sell it, appears to be rapidly turning into an ever-cheaper economic curse.

A year ago, the international price per barrel of oil was about $103. By Monday, the price was about $42, roughly 6 percent lower than on Friday.
Continue reading the main story

In oil-endowed Iraq, where an Islamic State insurgency and fractious sectarian politics are growing threats, a new source of instability erupted this month with violent protests over the government’s failure to provide reliable electricity and explain what has been done with all the promised petroleum money. In Russia, a leading oil producer, consumers are now payingfar more for imports, largely because of their currency’s plummeting value. In Nigeria andVenezuela, which rely almost completely on oil exports, fears of unrest and economic instability are building. In Ecuador, where oil revenue has fallen by nearly half since last year, tens of thousands of demonstrators pour into the streets every week, angered by the government’s economic policies.

Even in wealthy Saudi Arabia, where the ruling family spends oil money lavishly to preserve its legitimacy, the government has been burning through roughly $10 billion a month in foreign exchange holdings to help pay expenses, and it is borrowing in the financial markets for the first time since 2007. Other Arab countries in the Persian Gulf that are dependent on oil exports, including Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, are facing fiscal deficits for the first time in two decades.

While the price has been declining for months, forecasts have always been hedged with the assumption that oil would eventually stabilize or at least not stay low for long. But new anxieties about frailties in China, the world’s most voracious consumer of energy, have raised fears that oil, now 30 percent lower than it was just a few months ago, could remain depressed far longer than even the most pessimistic projections, and do even deeper damage to oil exporters. Full Story

Saudi cleric rejects that Earth revolves around the Sun

(Al Arabiya News) 16 February 2015- A Saudi cleric has appeared in a recent video rejecting the fact that the Earth revolves around the Sun and claiming the opposite holds true, prompting a wave of social media remarks.

Answering a student question on whether the Earth is stationary or moving, Sheikh Bandar al-Khaibari replied: "stationary and does not move."

He then attempted to support his argument by quoting some clerics and selected religious statements. But his most controversial method to debunk the rotation theory was a "logical" deduction in which he used a visual.

“First of all, where are we now? we go to Sharjah airport to travel to China by plane, clear?! focus with me, this is Earth;” he said, holding a sealed water cup.

He argued that if a plane stops still in air “China would be coming towards it” in case the Earth rotates on one direction. It the Earth rotates on opposite direction, the plane would never reach China, because “China is also rotating.”

In separate statements Sheikh al-Khaibari said man never went to the moon, rejecting NASA’s lunar excursion video as Hollywood fabrication.

The video of the sheikh triggered a wave of controversial remarks on social media, especially on Twitter, where a special hashtag is being widely circulated. The hashtag translates as: "#cleric_rejects_rotation_of_Earth Full Story

Saudi anti-Christian sweep prompts calls for US involvement

(FoxNews.com) - Dozens of Christians arrested at a prayer meeting in Saudi Arabia need America's help, according to a key lawmaker who is pressing the State Department on their behalf.

Some 28 people were rounded up Friday by hard-line Islamists from the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in the home of an Indian national in the eastern Saudi city of Khafji, and their current situation is unknown, according to human rights advocates.

"Saudi Arabia is continuing the religious cleansing that has always been its official policy," Nina Shea, director of the Washington-based Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom, told FoxNews.com. "It is the only nation state in the world with the official policy of banning all churches. This is enforced even though there are over 2 million Christian foreign workers in that country. Those victimized are typically poor, from Asian and African countries with weak governments."

In Friday's crackdown, several Bibles were confiscated, according to reports from the Kingdom.

Full Story

Saudi Arabia: Farmers flout Mers warning by kissing camels

(BBC) - People are taking photos and videos of themselves kissing camels in defiance of a warning from Saudi health authorities not to go near the animals, which have been linked to the deadly Mers virus.

In recent days, Saudi Arabia has urged people to wear masks and gloves when dealing with camels, to stay away from raw camel meat and camel milk, and not to go near sick animals, the newspaper Gulf News reports. But some people have refused to listen to the government's advice, posting videos and sending messages in support of camels.

In one video, a man stands between a pair of camels and asks it to sneeze. "Look at me! Sneeze, sneeze! They say there's Corona in this," the man says, while hugging and kissing his two camels. Then he shakes one of the camels' heads and says, "She says no. Is there Corona in you? She says no."

Full Story

Why is Saudi Arabia getting so bold?

via thetrumpet

- Saudi Arabia is troubled. Baffled. Angry. It finds America’s current Middle East policy under the Obama administration incomprehensible—and deadly dangerous.

Its bold response is hastening an extraordinary change in the Middle East, one that causes a specific biblical prophecy to leap into focus.

On October 17, Saudi Arabia was offered a highly coveted seat on the United Nations Security Council for the first time in its history. This was viewed as a major victory for the Arab state.

Until the next day, that is—when it rejected the offer. This dramatic move stunned the UN and diplomats worldwide. It was widely viewed as a slap at the United States, considered one of its strongest Western allies.

What was Saudi Arabia so upset about—and why was it suddenly so bold? There must be a compelling reason.

The rise of Iran is Saudi Arabia’s most pressing concern. The Saudis have watched anxiously as Iran, a bitter enemy, has evaded punishment even while continuing to forge its nuclear program, fund terrorism and aggressively expand its influence throughout the region.

Now, they fear the United States is giving its blessing to the whole appalling process.

Disturbing signs were building: signs of America’s weakening resolve, of its declining interest in the Middle East, of its fading sense of responsibility to protect Israel. There was the American press’s collective swoon over Iran’s new president this past summer.

Then came the stunning collapse of President Obama’s pledge to intervene in Syria, and his shirking responsibility by turning the situation over to Vladimir Putin. This seemed to guarantee the survival of the Assad regime, providing a huge boost to Iran.

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No Woman, No Drive

EQUALITY!

Saudi Arabia Rejects Seat on UN Security Council

 (blazingcatfur) - Saudi Arabia is rejecting its seat on the U.N. Security Council and says the 15-member body is incapable of resolving world conflicts.

Saudi Students In U.S. Up More Than 500% Since

(CNSNews.com) - The number of Saudi Arabian students in the United States has increased by more than 500 percent since Sept. 11, 2001--when Hani Hanjour, a Saudi national who came here on a student visa flew American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon, killing 189 people.

According to the Institute of International Education--whose numbers on foreign students in the United States are used in official reports published by the U.S. Department of Education--there were 5,579 Saudi nationals enrolled in U.S. institutions of higher education in the 2001-2002 school year. The Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks took place near the beginning of that school year.

In the 2011-2012 school year, the most recent year for which data are available, there were 34,139 Saudi nationals enrolled in institutions of higher education in the United States.

Full Story.