Jordan’s King Abdullah, Yemen’s Al-Alimi Discuss Regional Security

Jordanian King Abdullah II receives the head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, in Amman yesterday (Saba News Agency)
Jordanian King Abdullah II receives the head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, in Amman yesterday (Saba News Agency)
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Jordan’s King Abdullah, Yemen’s Al-Alimi Discuss Regional Security

Jordanian King Abdullah II receives the head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, in Amman yesterday (Saba News Agency)
Jordanian King Abdullah II receives the head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, in Amman yesterday (Saba News Agency)

Jordan's King Abdullah II met the head of Yemen's presidential council, Rashad Al-Alimi, in Amman on Monday and discussed with him regional developments following Houthis escalating their terrorist attacks on Yemeni oil terminals.

Yemeni sources stated that Al-Alimi arrived in Amman on an official visit, accompanied by two members of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Tariq Saleh and Abdullah Al-Alimi.

According to Saba news agency, talks between Al-Alimi and the Jordanian monarch touched on “developments in Yemeni affairs and regional security, in light of the increase in terrorist activities by the Houthi militia backed by the Iranian regime.”

The two sides also reviewed areas of cooperation between Jordan and Yemen, including bilateral coordination to face common security challenges.

Al-Alimi commended Jordan’s efforts to end the Yemeni crisis, expressing appreciation for the Kingdom’s support at the international stage for a political solution that restores security and stability to Yemen.

King Abdullah “reaffirmed Jordan’s keenness to support Yemen, its people, the unity and integrity of its territory and its legitimate national institutions.”

He also affirmed “Jordan's openness to all available forms of support to alleviate the human suffering of the Yemeni people and restore peace and stability in Yemen according to the relevant national, regional and international references.”

Yemen’s PLC had also stressed the implementation of deterrent punitive measures against Houthi militias in response to their terrorist actions. The PLC held the Iran-backed militias fully responsible for the repercussions of their attacks on the humanitarian level and the arrival of life-saving goods.

PLC measures include punishing Houthi leaders, affiliated entities, and individuals involved in financing the terrorist group.

The PLC also held Houthi militias responsible for what it described as “the dire consequences of devastating terrorist escalation, including the repercussions on life-saving humanitarian supplies, as well as the repercussions of employing a hostile approach to efforts to establish peace and stability in Yemen.”



Blinken Lays Out Post-war Gaza Plan to Be Handed to Trump Team

 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025. (AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025. (AFP)
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Blinken Lays Out Post-war Gaza Plan to Be Handed to Trump Team

 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025. (AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2025. (AFP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday laid out plans for the post-war management of Gaza, saying the outgoing Biden administration would hand over the roadmap to President-elect Donald Trump's team to pick up if a ceasefire deal is reached.

Speaking at the Atlantic Council in Washington in his final days as the US top diplomat, Blinken said Washington envisioned a reformed Palestinian Authority leading Gaza and inviting international partners to help establish and run an interim administration for the enclave.

A security force would be formed from forces from partner nations and vetted Palestinian personnel, Blinken said during his speech, which was repeatedly interrupted by protesters who accused him of supporting genocide by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza, which Israel denies.

He was speaking as negotiators met in Qatar hoping to finalize a plan to end the war in Gaza after 15 months of conflict that has upended the Middle East.

"For many months, we've been working intensely with our partners to develop a detailed post-conflict plan that would allow Israel to fully withdraw from Gaza, prevent Hamas from filling back in, and provide for Gaza's governance, security and reconstruction," Blinken said.

Trump and his incoming team have not said whether they would implement the plan.

Blinken said a post-conflict plan and a "credible political horizon for Palestinians" was needed to ensure that Hamas does not re-emerge.

The United States had repeatedly warned Israel that Hamas could not be defeated by a military campaign alone, he said. "We assess that Hamas has recruited almost as many new fighters as it has lost. That is a recipe for an enduring insurgency and perpetual war."

PROTESTERS

Blinken's remarks were interrupted three times by protesters, who echoed accusations that the Biden administration was complicit in crimes committed by Israel in the war.

Blinken has denied Israel's actions amount to genocide and says he has pushed Israel to do more to protect civilians and to facilitate humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Israel launched its assault after Hamas-led fighters stormed across its borders on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's aerial and ground campaign has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry, drawing accusations of genocide in a World Court case brought by South Africa and of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court. Israel denies the allegations.

The assault has displaced nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million population and drawn the concern of the world’s main hunger monitor.

"You will forever be known as bloody Blinken, secretary of genocide," one protester shouted before being led out of the event.

Blinken remained calm, telling one heckler: "I respect your views. Please allow me to share mine," before resuming his remarks.

Blinken said US officials had debated "vigorously" the Biden administration's response to the war, a reference to a slew of resignations by officials in his State Department who have criticized the policy to continue providing arms and diplomatic cover to Israel.

Others felt Washington had held Israel back from inflicting greater damage on Iran and its proxies, he said.

"It is crucial to ask questions like these, which will be studied for years to come," he said. "I wish I could stand here today and tell you with certainty that we got every decision right. I cannot."