Yemeni Government Seeks to Raise Combat Forces Readiness

General view of Aden, Yemen, August 12, 2019. (Reuters)
General view of Aden, Yemen, August 12, 2019. (Reuters)
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Yemeni Government Seeks to Raise Combat Forces Readiness

General view of Aden, Yemen, August 12, 2019. (Reuters)
General view of Aden, Yemen, August 12, 2019. (Reuters)

The Yemeni government has announced that it was working to raise the readiness of armed forces to confront outlaws and pursue terrorist elements.

The decision was made during a cabinet meeting in the city of Aden amid a campaign led by security and military forces in separate areas of Abyan and Shabwa to track down members of extremist organizations.

An official statement noted that the Council of Ministers “called on all the military and security services in the temporary capital and the liberated governorates, to raise their readiness to confront terrorist acts” and to implement proactive plans to maintain security and stability.

Meanwhile, the Yemeni government welcomed the statement issued by the UN Security Council, and the international positions that clearly condemned the obstacles set by the Houthi militia to hinder the arrival of fuel ships at the ports of Hodeidah.

In the same context, the Yemeni cabinet renewed its commitment to a comprehensive and sustainable peace approach in accordance with locally agreed and supported regional and international references, calling on the international community to assume its responsibilities regarding the Houthi militia’s violations of the humanitarian truce, its continued refusal to deal with all peaceful efforts, and its rejection to lift its siege on the city of Taiz and the opening of roads under the terms of the armistice.

Meanwhile, Yemeni Defense Minister Lieutenant-General Mohsen al-Daari held several meetings with Western military officials in Riyadh.

He also met with the Commander of the Joint Forces, Deputy Chief of the Saudi General Staff, Lieutenant-General Mutlaq bin Salem Al-Azima.

Yemeni official sources noted that Al-Daari discussed with Al-Azima the readiness of the combat forces, stressing that the next stage was crucial in the history of Yemen, its armed forces in particular, and the region in general.

The Yemeni Minister of Defense affirmed the commitment of the armed forces to the UN truce, despite the Houthi violations. He also accused the militia of coordinating “with elements of Al-Qaeda and ISIS to carry out terrorist operations in the liberated areas.”



UN Experts Censure Western Support for Israel Since Gaza War

A vehicle moves past the rubble of collapsed buildings in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on September 16, 2024, amid the ongoing war in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
A vehicle moves past the rubble of collapsed buildings in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on September 16, 2024, amid the ongoing war in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
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UN Experts Censure Western Support for Israel Since Gaza War

A vehicle moves past the rubble of collapsed buildings in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on September 16, 2024, amid the ongoing war in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
A vehicle moves past the rubble of collapsed buildings in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on September 16, 2024, amid the ongoing war in the Palestinian territory between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)

UN human rights experts criticized mostly Western states on Monday for continuing to support Israel despite what they described as a genocide in Gaza which might turn Israel into a "pariah" nation.

The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza as a result of more than 11 months of conflict has prompted questions about Western states' long-standing political and military support for Israel, including from the United States and Britain which provide arms.

"Shockingly, in the face of the abyss reached in the OPT (Occupied Palestinian Territories) ...most member states remained inactive at best, or actively aiding and assisting Israel's criminal conduct," Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the OPT, told a press conference in Geneva, repeating allegations of genocide.

Israel denies the allegations and says it takes steps to reduce the risk of harm to civilians and that at least a third of the Palestinian fatalities in Gaza are fighters .

"I think it's unavoidable for Israel to become a pariah in the face of its continuous, relentless, vilifying assault of the United Nations, on top of millions of Palestinians," Albanese, an Italian lawyer, said, citing verbal and military attacks on UN facilities in Gaza.

She also questioned Israel's right to a seat at the United Nations, acquired in 1949. "Should there be a consideration of its membership as part of this organization which Israel seems to have zero respect for?" she asked.

In response to her comments, Israel's permanent mission to the UN in Geneva criticized Albanese. "She is not fit to hold any position at the United Nations, and this has been made clear by many," it said.

In the past, her remarks on the Israel-Hamas conflict have drawn scrutiny, including from a US ambassador in Geneva who said she has a history of using "antisemitic tropes".

Albanese was joined by three other UN independent experts who accused Western countries of hypocrisy and double standards, for example by being more vocal over perceived rights' violations by Russia since its invasion of Ukraine than of Israel's actions in Gaza.

They are among dozens of independent human rights experts mandated by the United Nations to report and advise on specific themes and crises. Their views do not reflect those of the global body as a whole.