By Al Bawaba
June
17, 2018 "Information
Clearing House" -
French elite soldiers are
reportedly on the ground in Yemen,
according to a report by Le Figaro
newspaper on Saturday with a member of
parliament backing the claims.
The report follows signs of closer
cooperation between Paris and a
Saudi-led military coalition that is
fighting Houthi rebels in the war-torn
country.
French special forces are reported to be
working with the UAE military in Yemen,
although no further details were given
about their role in the conflict or
location.
A French MP also told Reuters that
French troops were in Yemen, although
UAE troops are assisting Yemeni fighters
in their battle against al-Qaeda in the
south of the country.
UAE forces are mostly situated in
coastal areas of Yemen, with a
particularly strong presence in the port
city of Aden and the island of Socotra.
The UAE is also thought to have close
relations with southern separatist
militias.
Abu Dhabi has been accused of using the
war to carve out key territorial
territories, particularly coastal
regions in Yemen and East Africa.
This would provide the UAE with control
of the strategic waterways around the
Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
UAE military forces are also leading
an offensive on Yemen's key port of
Hodeida, which is held by Houthi rebels
with the capital Sanaa also under their
control.
The assault on the port has been widely
criticised by the UN and other
countries, with aid agencies warning the
assault could lead to catastrophic
consequences for the country.
Hodeida is the entry point for around
two-thirds of Yemen's aid and fighting
in the area could lead to imports of
humanitarian supplies being halted,
despite Saudi-led coalition assurances
that this won't happen.
A drawn-out offensive would ultimately
make the import of aid more difficult
and could lead to famine likely
affecting the millions of Yemenis who
rely on humanitarian assistance to
survive.
France said on Saturday it was
considering minesweeping operations in
the waters around in Hodedia, once the
campaign in the port ends.
The US reportedly turned down a request
from the UAE to provide a minesweeper
and intelligence information to the
pro-Yemen government coalition.
The Saudi-led coalition said on Saturday
its forces had captured Hodeida's
airport, although was denied by the
Houthis.
Yemen's war began in September 2014,
when Houthi rebels took over the capital
Sanaa forcing the government to flee
south. A Saudi-led
Arab coalition began airstrikes in March
2015, and sending in troops to back
President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi's
forces.
The Saudi-led air campaign and UAE-backed
ground offensives have greatly escalated
the war, with more than 10,000 people
killed - the vast majority civilians.
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House.
======
Senators Call on Sec. Mattis to Disclose Full U.S. Involvement in Yemen
By Sens. Mike Lee and Bernie Sanders
June 17, 2018 "Information Clearing House" - WASHINGTON – Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) sent a letter to Defense Secretary James Mattis today asking for details on the United States’ involvement in the Saudi’s war in Yemen, and to do so before U.S. involvement in those hostilities intensifies. The letter expresses concern that Congress’s attempt to play their proper Constitutional oversight role may be impeded by Pentagon officials withholding information, leading to a violation of the War Powers Act of 1973.
The letter reads, in part:
“We call on you to immediately disclose the full extent of the U.S. military role in the Saudi-led war against Yemen’s Houthis, including the use of special operations forces; disclose any role that the Pentagon is currently performing, has been asked to perform, or is considering performing regarding an attack on the port of Hodeida; and issue a public declaration opposing this impending assault and restating the Administration’s position that Saudi Arabia and other parties to the conflict should accept an immediate ceasefire and move toward a political settlement to resolve the conflict.”
Today’s letter follows a previous letter sent by Sens. Lee, Sanders, and Chris Murphy (D-CT) on May 17, 2018 asking for details on U.S. involvement in Yemen. The letter went unanswered; this, combined with the continued progression toward increased hostilities in the region prompted the need for this additional letter. A similar letter was sent by members of the US House of Representatives earlier this week on June 11th.
An online version of this release and full text of both Senate letters can be found here.
======
French special forces on the ground in Yemen: Le Figaro
France is not participating in Yemen’s Hodeideh battle
Yemen is the world’s forgotten war: It’s the world’s worst humanitarian disaster
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