3 of 8 GPC Ministers Absent from Coup Cabinet Meeting in Sanaa

People load belongings on a van as they evacuate their house located on a street where Houthis have recently clashed with forces loyal to slain Yemeni former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sana'a, Yemen December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
People load belongings on a van as they evacuate their house located on a street where Houthis have recently clashed with forces loyal to slain Yemeni former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sana'a, Yemen December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
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3 of 8 GPC Ministers Absent from Coup Cabinet Meeting in Sanaa

People load belongings on a van as they evacuate their house located on a street where Houthis have recently clashed with forces loyal to slain Yemeni former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sana'a, Yemen December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
People load belongings on a van as they evacuate their house located on a street where Houthis have recently clashed with forces loyal to slain Yemeni former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sana'a, Yemen December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Coup government ministers in Sana’a have surrendered to the Houthi's will in turning a blind eye to the “bloody scenario” that has ended the life of ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh and a number of his followers.

Prime Minister of the internationally unrecognized government Abdul-Aziz bin Habtour and ministers loyal to the General People’s Congress (GPC) resumed on Sunday their daily activity at their headquarters.

Also, the Houthi edition of SABA agency announced that bin Habtour held an expanded meeting with the ministers to normalize the security situation.

Among attendees from the GPC were: Deputy Prime Minister for Security Affairs Major General Jalal Ali al-Rowaishan, Foreign Minister Hisham Sharaf, Health Minister Mohammed Salem bin Hafeez, Minister of Local Administration Ali al-Qaisi and Minister of State for Parliament and Shura Council Affairs Ali Abdullah Abu Hulaykah.

Among GPC representatives who didn’t attend the cabinet session were Minister of Telecoms & Information Technology Mahmoud Julaidan, Minister of Higher Education Hussein Hazeb and Minister of Defense Mohamed al-Atefi.

They are most probably still under house arrest, amid leaked information that Houthi militias have no confidence in them and accuse them of backing the uprising launched by Saleh.

In the same context, Saleh Al-Samad, head of the Supreme Political Council, met tribal sheikhs in Al Mahwit and Sana’a. Reliable Sources informed Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that Samad urged attendees to mobilize fighters and capture anyone who attempts to rebel against Houthis in Mahrit and Sana’a.

So far, it remains unknown whether coup ministers loyal to the GPC have willingly struck a deal with Houthis to maintain the alliance with them or were intimidated to preserve their positions.

Yemeni Deputy Prime Minister Foreign Minister Abdulmalik al-Mekhlafi stated that the assassination of Saleh will cause a political and militarily change in the Yemeni scene. Politically, the cover-up that GPC used to provide for Houthis is now gone, and military decision-making is now Houthi-centered.

Houthis continue to arrest 41 media personnel and employees from Yemen Today, whose headquarters was raided by armed men last week. 



Lebanon Joins Middle East Green Initiative

 Prime Minister Najib Mikati sits between Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan and Environment Minister Nasser Yassin during the announcement (Office of the Prime Minister)
 Prime Minister Najib Mikati sits between Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan and Environment Minister Nasser Yassin during the announcement (Office of the Prime Minister)
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Lebanon Joins Middle East Green Initiative

 Prime Minister Najib Mikati sits between Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan and Environment Minister Nasser Yassin during the announcement (Office of the Prime Minister)
 Prime Minister Najib Mikati sits between Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan and Environment Minister Nasser Yassin during the announcement (Office of the Prime Minister)

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister announced that the country has joined the Middle East Green Initiative, launched by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to mitigate the impact of climate change on the region.

“This is an essential step for Lebanon, especially since our southern villages and towns have been exposed to significant environmental and agricultural damage due to Israeli attacks, which requires cooperation with all of Lebanon's friends,” a statement released by the Lebanese Council of Ministers quoted Mikati as saying.

Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan welcomed Lebanon’s participation in the initiative, confirming that a high committee has been established to ensure the project’s sustainability and facilitate relevant cooperation.

He noted that the timing of the announcement “comes in light of the continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon, and this matter must be drawn to attention, especially since Israel is destroying very large areas, whether agricultural lands, fruit trees or forests.”

Environment Minister Nasser Yassin said that the Middle East Green Initiative has very important goals to plant 40 billion trees across the region and protect the Gulf and the Middle East from climate change, stop land degradation and desertification and find the means to adapt to future challenges.

The Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture estimates that more than 2.8 million square meters of forest and agricultural land were completely burned, while about 6.7 million square meters of agricultural and forest land were partially damaged as a result of Israel’s attacks and its use of internationally-banned incendiary munitions.