Yemen Underlines Need for 'All Good Forces' to Confront Militias

Yemen’s President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi delivers a speech in the southern port city of Aden March 21, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer
Yemen’s President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi delivers a speech in the southern port city of Aden March 21, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer
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Yemen Underlines Need for 'All Good Forces' to Confront Militias

Yemen’s President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi delivers a speech in the southern port city of Aden March 21, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer
Yemen’s President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi delivers a speech in the southern port city of Aden March 21, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer

Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi underlined the need to defeat militias in the country, while the legitimate government called for the “participation of all good forces” to confront the insurgents.

Hadi said that Houthi militias were determined to be used as an Iranian tool in the killing, displacement and destruction of the country.

“We have no choice but to triumph over the forces of darkness in the interest of the new federal Yemen, as we have two paths: the victory of legitimacy and the new federal Yemen, or dependence on the forces of darkness represented by the Iranian Houthi militias,” Hadi said, during his meeting with the European Union Ambassador to Yemen, Antonia Calvo.

The Yemeni official news agency (Saba) said that Hadi reviewed with the EU ambassador “recent developments in Yemen and the exclusion of the Houthis of those who were their partners.”

The Yemeni president also stressed the importance of the role assumed by the European Union in “standing up to the violations committed by Houthi militias against innocent people in Sanaa, including children and women.”

The EU ambassador, for her part, expressed her satisfaction with the meeting, as it provided additional information on the latest developments in the Yemeni arena. She also emphasized “the EU’s position in support of peace, security and stability in Yemen.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdulmalik al-Mekhlafi said, during a separate meeting with the EU ambassador, that the government was keen to “preserve all good Yemeni political forces in the face of Houthi militias” and strengthen efforts to regain control over the state.

He also underlined the commitment of the Yemeni government to harness all land and maritime ports to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid and provide safe corridors to citizens.



Islamabad: 50,000 Pakistanis Are Missing in Iraq

Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala. (EPA)
Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala. (EPA)
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Islamabad: 50,000 Pakistanis Are Missing in Iraq

Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala. (EPA)
Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala. (EPA)

Pakistan’s Minister of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Chaudhry Salik Hussain sparked controversy when he revealed that 50,000 Pakistanis have gone missing in Iraq over the years.

He urged the Baghdad government to immediately launch a probe into how the Pakistanis entered Iraq to visit religious sites during the month of Muharram, he was quoted as saying by Pakistan’s Ummat newspaper.

Islamabad is investigating how people have traveled outside Pakistan through illegal means, he remarked.

The permanent committee for religious affairs and interfaith harmony has since proposed new policies for trips to holy sites in foreign countries, including Iraq.

In Iraq, the minister’s comments drew mockery and condemnation on social media and sparked renewed debate over illegal workers in the country.

Politician Mishaan al-Juburi urged the government to make a statement over Hussain’s comments, warning that they may impact security and the labor force.

Hussain’s comments coincided with Iraqi police announcing the arrest of six Pakistanis in Baghdad on charges of theft.

Previously, military intelligence also announced the arrest of a nine-member Pakistani kidnapping and extortion gang in Baghdad. The gang had kidnapped foreigners for ransom.

Meanwhile, Labor Minister Ahmed al-Asadi expressed his concern and condemnation over the increasing number of illegal workers in Iraq.

He said his ministry will investigate the disappearance of the Pakistanis.

He confirmed that several tourists, including Pakistanis, have flocked to Iraq in recent days, and many have taken up employment without the necessary legal permits.

He warned that this phenomenon is negatively impacting the national economy.

The ministry will not be lenient in taking the necessary legal measures against the violators, he vowed.

Iraq welcomes all tourists, whether they are here on a religious visit or otherwise, but they must respect local laws and regulations, declared Asadi.

Every year, millions of Shiites flock to religious sites in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala.