Houthis Impose New Royalties to Fund War Effort

Houthi fighters ride on the back of a patrol truck as they secure the site of a pro-Houthi tribal gathering in a rural area near Sanaa, Yemen July 21, 2016. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
Houthi fighters ride on the back of a patrol truck as they secure the site of a pro-Houthi tribal gathering in a rural area near Sanaa, Yemen July 21, 2016. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
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Houthis Impose New Royalties to Fund War Effort

Houthi fighters ride on the back of a patrol truck as they secure the site of a pro-Houthi tribal gathering in a rural area near Sanaa, Yemen July 21, 2016. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
Houthi fighters ride on the back of a patrol truck as they secure the site of a pro-Houthi tribal gathering in a rural area near Sanaa, Yemen July 21, 2016. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Yemeni local sources reported to Asharq Al-Awsat on Houthis returning to spread terror among the citizens of Ibb, Dhamar, Hajjah, Al Mahwit and Raymah governorates by relaunching new campaigns to collect royalties for the coup’s war effort and recruit more innocents to their ranks.

The sources confirmed that militants roamed hundreds of cities in those governorates and raided citizens’ homes, forcing them at gunpoint to pay illegitimate royalties. The militants also threatened to enlist youths by force should their parents refuse to pay the royalties.

A villager that goes by the initials M.N. and who lives in the village near Yarim town in Ibb told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Houthi regional supervisor had before the Eid al-Adha holiday staged a far-reaching campaign to collect royalties from villagers ranging between 50,000 and 100,000 Yemeni riyals per household.

In al-Uddayn district if Ibb governorate, locals reported that Houthis have given Yemenis the choice of either paying the royalties, which they said will be pumped into supporting the Houthi war effort, or sending off one of each family’s children to fight on battlefronts. Many agreed to pay the royalties.

According to locals in Hajjah governorate, the regional Houthi supervisor Nayef Abu Kharfashah, who is considered close to the Houthi leader, had imposed levies on farmers, traders and locals that ranged between 10,000 and 200,000 Yemeni riyals.

The levy imposed on each person would be assessed according to their economic standing.

While royalties and levies were collected in dozens of towns and villages, local sources in Sanaa, the Houthi stronghold, said that Houthis handed out empty envelopes urging locals to donate cash.

One of Sanaa’s neighborhood officials, who spoke under the conditions of anonymity, confirmed that Houthi supervisors forced neighborhood officials to partake in collecting levies and threatening civilians that if they don’t donate they would be denied their subsidized gas portions.



Lebanon to US: Hezbollah Arms Move to North Litani Region if Israel Pulls Back from South

Smoke rises following Israeli airstrikes targeting the hills overlooking Nabatieh in southern Lebanon (DPA)
Smoke rises following Israeli airstrikes targeting the hills overlooking Nabatieh in southern Lebanon (DPA)
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Lebanon to US: Hezbollah Arms Move to North Litani Region if Israel Pulls Back from South

Smoke rises following Israeli airstrikes targeting the hills overlooking Nabatieh in southern Lebanon (DPA)
Smoke rises following Israeli airstrikes targeting the hills overlooking Nabatieh in southern Lebanon (DPA)

Lebanon has formally proposed a trade-off to the United States: Israel withdraws from Lebanese territory, and in return, Hezbollah will pull its heavy weapons to north of the Litani River, a senior Lebanese official told Asharq Al-Awsat.

US officials have been informed that Lebanon cannot meet demands to disarm Hezbollah in the south without reciprocal steps from Israel, including troop withdrawals, a halt to hostilities, and the return of Lebanese prisoners.

The official said the country has effectively entered what he called a “dead-end equation” with Israel over the disarmament of Hezbollah, adding that Lebanon will not be able to act unilaterally without reciprocal steps from Tel Aviv.

They likened the situation to the classic “chicken or egg” dilemma: should Hezbollah pull its weapons first, or should Israel first withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory?

Under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, Israel is required to withdraw from all areas south of the Litani River. However, Israel continues to demand that Hezbollah disarm - at least of its heavy weapons - across all of Lebanon.

The official told Asharq Al-Awsat that Beirut has formally informed the US administration that reciprocal Israeli concessions, including troop withdrawals, an end to hostilities, and the return of prisoners, could offer a path to resolving the crisis.

The official said Lebanon is seeking strong American backing to pressure Israel into action. In return, he added, Lebanon is prepared to take meaningful steps in line with President Joseph Aoun’s inaugural address, which emphasized that the state must hold the exclusive right to possess arms.

The official revealed that Aoun asked US envoy Tom Barrack to help advance the disarmament process, stressing that any move to withdraw weapons must be preceded by Israeli steps in that direction.

According to the source, the Lebanese army has drawn up a detailed action plan and budget, which it presented to US officials. The plan outlines Lebanon’s commitments in response to each Israeli measure, whether related to troop withdrawals or other issues.

Lebanon believes that Israel’s continued military presence and cross-border attacks are preventing the full deployment of Lebanese troops south of the Litani River and hampering efforts to secure the border.

The official said Lebanon directly requested US guarantees for these steps in exchange for a commitment to begin withdrawing Hezbollah’s weapons north of the river.

The source also said that talks between Aoun and Hezbollah, suspended due to the recent Iran-Israel war, are expected to resume. He stressed that Lebanon “has both the vision and the will” to address Hezbollah’s arms nationwide.

Aoun has reportedly spoken directly with Hezbollah lawmaker Mohammad Raad, urging the group to hand over its heavy weaponry to the Lebanese army, which would either store or destroy the arms based on national security needs.

“This weaponry has lost its strategic role and usefulness after the recent war in Lebanon,” the source said. “It is no longer viable for use.”

Lebanese leaders are working to finalize a unified position in response to a US proposal delivered by Barrack, ahead of a key meeting on Saturday.

According to Asharq Al-Awsat, Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have agreed on a draft response, which Salam will present to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. If consensus is reached, the proposal will be submitted to the Cabinet for approval and then delivered to Barrack upon his return to Beirut in less than two weeks.

Berri is expected to lead negotiations with Hezbollah on behalf of the Lebanese government.

The proposal, dubbed the “ideas paper,” outlines four key components:

A plan for Hezbollah’s gradual disarmament.

A step-for-step mechanism with Israel, where Israel demands Lebanon take the first move, while Beirut insists that the initial step must come from Israel as the occupying power.

A section on economic reforms and Lebanon’s cooperation with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

A framework for managing unresolved issues with Syria, including border demarcation and the return of refugees.

The US proposal, known as the “ideas paper,” includes several key elements, foremost among them a plan for the withdrawal of Hezbollah’s weapons and Lebanon’s strategy to begin the disarmament process.

The second point outlines a “step-for-step” mechanism with Israel. While Israel insists that Lebanon take the first move, Beirut maintains that the initial step must come from Israel, which it regards as the occupying power.

The third component addresses Lebanon’s economic reform agenda and its cooperation plan with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

The fourth and final element focuses on Lebanon’s relations with Syria and ways to resolve outstanding bilateral issues between the two countries.

Information Minister Paul Morcos said Friday that the government is ready to act immediately if political contacts progress. “Israel must first withdraw from occupied areas and halt its aggression so that we can fulfill our commitments,” he said.