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Yemen Official Warns of Blast Worse than Beirut’s over Houthi Smuggling of Thorium to Iran

Ships are seen at the Hodeidah port, Yemen, May 14, 2019. (Reuters)
Ships are seen at the Hodeidah port, Yemen, May 14, 2019. (Reuters)
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Yemen Official Warns of Blast Worse than Beirut’s over Houthi Smuggling of Thorium to Iran

Ships are seen at the Hodeidah port, Yemen, May 14, 2019. (Reuters)
Ships are seen at the Hodeidah port, Yemen, May 14, 2019. (Reuters)

The Yemen Coalition of Independent Women held a virtual seminar titled “Iranian intervention: A History of Disorder in The Arab Countries,” which tackled a variety of issues, including the Iran-backed Houthi militias’ smuggling of Thorium from Yemen to Iran.

Hodeidah Undersecretary Walid al-Qudaimi warned of the impending danger facing Yemen over the ongoing smuggling of the material.

Houthis are actively enriching Thorium extracted from Yemeni mountains and sending it to Iran for arms manufacture.

Qudaimi said that a blast worse than the one that took place at Beirut port on August 4, due to the explosion of highly-flammable ammonium nitrate, was in store for Yemen if the smuggling does not stop.

He said that Iranian proxies in the region like the Lebanon-based Hezbollah, Houthis and the Iraq-based Popular Mobilization Forces have resorted to using certain vulnerable countries to manufacture and store explosives, chemicals and missiles.

This is achieved under the supervision of Iranian experts.

“When we talk about Yemen, the catastrophe is very big and worse than we might expect,” he said, adding that Houthis control the ports of Hodeidah and use them to smuggle weapons and explosive materials of all kinds.

Most of these weapons and explosives are sent by Iran to help Houthi militias control Yemen and threaten neighboring Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia. They also use them to endanger maritime navigation in the Red Sea.

Qudaimi also tackled the FSO Safer oil tanker issue. Houthis have been obstructing efforts to perform maintenance work on board the derelict ship.

According to international reports, in the event of a leak or explosion in the floating reservoir, 1.1 million liters of crude oil will spill into the Red Sea.

This will cause serious damage to marine life, biodiversity and fish resources that cannot be compensated, in addition to the suspension of ports and international shipping lines in the region.

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Inspectors Say Around 100 Chemical Weapons Sites Remain in Syria

OPCW inspectors in Syria (AP)  
OPCW inspectors in Syria (AP)  
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Inspectors Say Around 100 Chemical Weapons Sites Remain in Syria

OPCW inspectors in Syria (AP)  
OPCW inspectors in Syria (AP)  

More than 100 chemical weapons sites are suspected to remain in Syria, left behind after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad, inspectors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said.

That number is the first estimate of its kind as the leading international organization that tracks these weapons seeks to enter Syria to assess what remains of al-Assad’s notorious military program, according to a report published by The New York Times.

It said the figure is far higher than any that al-Assad has ever acknowledged.

According to OPCW, the current estimate of more than 100 sites comes from the watchdog and has been circulated recently among experts and international nonproliferation analysts.

The organization said it had arrived at the number based on outside researchers, nonprofit groups and intelligence shared by its member countries.

The Times revealed that the sites are suspected to have been involved in the research, manufacturing and storage of chemical weapons.

Assad used weapons like sarin and chlorine gas against opposition fighters and Syrian civilians during more than a decade of civil war, it noted.

“Some sites are probably hidden in caves or other places that are tough to find using satellite images, according to researchers, former organization staff members and other experts. That increases the likelihood that some weapons are not secured,” the newspaper wrote.

Assad-led Syria joined the agency under a US-Russian deal following a 2013 sarin gas attack that killed hundreds. Around 1,300 metric tons of chemical weapons and precursors were destroyed.

During the past decade, Syrian officials under Assad stonewalled OPCW inspectors. The number of sites, and whether they are secured, has been a mystery since opposition forces toppled al-Assad last year, The Times said.

It said that in the early years of the civil war, Assad’s government declared the locations of 27 sites to the OPCW, which sent inspectors to visit and shut them down. But Assad continued to use chemical weapons until at least 2018, and research showed that his government kept importing essential precursor chemicals.

Inspectors had warned that the weapons are deadly, particularly when used in densely populated areas.

Sarin, a nerve agent, can kill within minutes. Chlorine and mustard gas, weapons made infamous in World War I, burn the eyes and skin and fill the lungs with fluid, seemingly drowning people on land.

In a surprise visit in March to the global chemical weapons watchdog headquarters at The Hague, Syria’s foreign minister said that the government would “destroy any remains of the chemical weapons program developed under the Assad regime” and comply with international law.

The current government allowed a team from the watchdog to enter the country this year to begin work documenting the sites, according to people with knowledge of the file.

But despite promises, the new government has not yet appointed an ambassador to the watchdog — a key first step that is seen as a sign of a country’s commitment.

Last week, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa receives a cable of congratulation from OPCW Director, Fernando Arias, on the formation of the new Syrian government.

Arias expressed his sincere congratulations on the formation of the new government, wishing al-Sharaa success in implementing his program aimed at bringing stability to Syria and achieving prosperity for the Syrian people.

The OPCW chief also extended his best wishes to Sharaa on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, following the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Arias affirmed his support for Syria during the transitional period which includes issues related to the efforts being made together to permanently end the dark chapter of Syria’s former chemical weapons program.