Podcasts about hodeidah

On May 4, 2025, a ballistic missile traveling up to sixteen times faster than the speed of sound struck ground close to the terminal at Ben-Gurion airport, halting flight traffic and leaving a crater at the point of impact. It was the first time that the airport buildings themselves have been so close to a successful missile attack. This particular missile was fired from a distance of 1,300 miles, from Yemen, the Arab nation situated to the south of Saudi Arabia, whose coastline opens up to the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the crucial Bab al-Mandab Straight, a narrow chokepoint in global shipping that allows ships to travel from India and points east through the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean. The missile was shot by the Houthis, a Shiite Islamist organization that is supported by, and operates in coordination with, Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. They have been firing rockets at Israel for many months. Back in July 2024, they successfully struck an apartment building near the U.S. embassy's Tel Avi branch. And since October 2023, they have been targeting commercial naval craft in the Red Sea. Since March 2025, the United States has been conducting a campaign of air and naval strikes against the Houthis. But after the Ben-Gurion airport attack of May 4, the Israelis took matters into their own hands. On May 5, some 30 Israeli military aircraft attacked targets in Houthi-controlled Yemen, including the al-Imran cement factory and the Hodeidah port. On May 6, the Israelis destroyed the airport in Sana'a. This week, we focus on the Houthis, their place in Yemen, their relationship to Iran, and the threats they pose towards global shipping and Israel. Discussing these topics with us is Ari Heistein, who works in business development in Israel, is a close intellectual collaborator with the former Israeli chief of defense intelligence Amos Yadlin, and until recently served as chief of staff at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies. This podcast was recorded on Tuesday morning, May 6, 2025. Musical selections in this podcast are drawn from the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, op. 31a, composed by Paul Ben-Haim and performed by the ARC Ensemble.

Israel bombed Yemen’s Sanaa airport and Hodeidah port within 24 hours, as tensions have been escalating in response to Israel's war on Gaza. On Sunday, the Houthis launched missiles that landed near Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. What does it mean for Yemenis facing this escalation? In this episode: Maysaa Shuja al-Deen (@maysaashujaa), Yemeni writer and researcher Episode credits: This episode was produced by Chloe K. Li, Sonia Bhagat, and Sarí el-Khalili with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Khaled Soltan, Kisaa Zehra, Kingwell Ma, Remas Alhawari, Mariana Navarette and our guest host, Natasha Del Toro. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad Al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is the Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

International NGOs are boycotting an expanded Israeli offensive in Gaza. Syrian leader Ahmad Al Shara is set to meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Wednesday. The Israeli military says it has attacked Houthi targets in Yemen, including the airport in Sanaa and several major power stations in the area, a day after it hit the port of Hodeidah. On today's episode of Trending Middle East: Latest: Aid groups refuse to be complicit in 'dangerous' plan for Gaza Syria's Al Shara to meet Macron in France on first European trip Israel strikes Sanaa airport in response to Houthi attack on Ben Gurion airport This episode features Senior Foreign Reporter Nada AlTaher and Europe Correspondent Sunniva Rose.

Des avions israéliens ont mené de violents raids aériens sur le port de Hodeidah, à l'ouest du Yémen. Selon des sources locales et des médias affiliés aux Houthis, ces frappes ont visé des infrastructures clés, notamment le port et une usine de ciment. Cette opération intervient en réponse à une attaque revendiquée par les Houthis, qui ont lancé un missile balistique ayant atterri près de l'aéroport Ben Gourion, à Tel Aviv, la veille.

The US massacred civilians in Yemen with repeated strikes on a Hodeidah fuel port on Wednesday night, killing some 17 workers in the first bombing and five medical workers in the second "double tap" attack. Reading by Tim Foley.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antiwarcom/Phone bank for Defend the Guard: https://defendtheguard.us/phonebankChapters00:00 - Intro00:21 - Report: Trump Preparing To Bomb Iran With Israel05:36 - More US Airstrikes Hit Yemen's Hodeidah, One Civilian Killed09:12 - Strike on UN Gaza Clinic Kills 22, Including Kids11:52 - Israel Ramps Up Assault on Gaza To Seize 'Extensive Territory'14:41 - Florida's New Congressman Celebrated the IDF Killing an American19:20 - US Officials Don't Expect Ukraine Peace Deal Soon21:32 - Israel Attacks Sites in Syria in 'Message to Turkey'23:09 - China Wraps Up Drills Aimed at 'Paralyzing' Taiwan24:59 - Trump's 10% Global Tariffs, With Higher Reciprocal Rates29:12 - Viewpoints/Outro

The Houthi-run health authorities say at least six people have died in Israeli airstrikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa and the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

Chinese officials say the results of the country's fifth national economic census reflect efforts to strive for high-quality development with innovative approaches(01:01). Yemen's Houthi group has vowed to launch retaliatory attacks on Israeli cities following Israeli airstrikes on Yemen's capital and the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah(10:14). The South Korean National Assembly has voted in favor of impeaching acting President Han Duck-soo(20:50).

*) Gaza mediators intensify ceasefire efforts as Israel continues to kill Palestinians The United States and Arab mediators are working to finalise an agreement between Israel and Hamas to halt the 14-month-old war on Gaza. A Palestinian official close to the negotiations said mediators have narrowed gaps on most terms of the proposed deal. Sources in Cairo indicated that an agreement, including a ceasefire and prisoner exchange, could be finalised in the coming days. *) US has no Palestine policy, follows Israel's lead — former official A former senior State Department official accused the US of lacking a policy on Palestine, adding that its actions are largely based on Israeli preferences. Mike Casey, who resigned as deputy political counsellor in Gaza in July, voiced criticisms in an interview with The Guardian newspaper. "We don't have a policy on Palestine. We just do what the Israelis want us to do," he said. *) Israel strikes power plants, port, oil facility in Yemen Israel has carried out air strikes on power plants, a port, and an oil facility in Yemen, escalating tensions with Houthi fighters, according to media reports. Houthi-aligned Al-Masirah TV reported that the strikes targeted two power plants in the capital Sanaa, damaged an oil facility, and hit the port of Hodeidah. “The enemy launched four aggressive raids targeting the port and two raids on the oil facility,” the channel stated, as quoted by Al Jazeera. *) Türkiye vows continued support for Lebanon, Syria Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reiterated Türkiye's support for Lebanon's “unity and peace,” urging the international community to pressure Israel to comply with last month's ceasefire agreement with Lebanon. Speaking alongside Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Erdogan condemned efforts to destabilise Lebanon and called for Israel to compensate for damages caused during recent escalations, stressing Lebanon's security as vital for regional stability. Erdogan also emphasised the shared commitment of Türkiye and Lebanon to aiding Syria's recovery, urging all stakeholders to contribute to ensuring stability in the war-torn nation. *) US Fed cuts key rate, remains cautious over economic outlook next year The US Federal Reserve has reduced its benchmark policy rate by 0.25 points to a range of 4.25–4.50 percent, citing inflation concerns and uncertainty over President-elect Donald Trump's economic agenda. Announcing the decision, the Fed indicated a slower pace of rate cuts ahead, forecasting just two quarter-point reductions in 2025, down from an earlier projection of four. Policymakers also raised their inflation outlook for 2024 from 2.1 percent to 2.5 percent, reflecting heightened caution about the economic landscape.

No último mês de outubro, a situação no Iêmen voltou a ficar em evidência devido a ataques e ofensivas em direção ao território iemenita e ataques dos Houthis em Israel. Em resposta, diversas áreas do Iêmen foram vítimas de ataques aéreos, que atingiram com mais força a capital Sanaa e o aeroporto de Hodeidah. A situação no país vem se deteriorando desde 2014, com o início da Guerra Civil. Este conflito coloca em choque divisões internas e influências externas importantes, sendo frequentemente intensificado com ações dos Estados Unidos da América e da Arábia Saudita. No episódio de hoje do QG, em parceria com o Centro de Estudos em Conflito e Paz da USP, debateremos as raízes e os desdobramentos deste conflito violento que, segundo a própria Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU), caracteriza-se enquanto a principal crise humanitária do século XXI. Roteiro: Giovanna Mota e Lucas Dias Apresentadores: Ana Beatriz Rodrigues, Júlia Castro e Luana Menezes Edição: Felipe Lui

Israel's military has struck central Beirut for the first time since the conflict began nearly a year ago. It has also struck Yemen, targeting the Houthi rebel strongholds of Hodeidah and Ras Issa, in retaliation for a ballistic missile attack on Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

For review:(Episode mostly dedicated to the IDF strike that killed the Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah.)1. US Foreign Military Sales:- Australia: 100 x Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles-Extended Range and related equipment for an estimated cost of $405 million. - Egypt: 720 x Stinger Missiles for vehicle-based use on existing Avenger systems, and related elements of logistics and program support for an estimated cost of $740 million.- Bulgaria: 218 x Javelin FGM-148F missiles and 107 x Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units (LWCLU). The estimated total cost is $114 million.2. Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah Confirmed Dead in Friday's Beirut Strike.3. Senior IRGC Officer killed in Friday Beirut strike.The deputy commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force, Abbas Nilforoushan, was killed in the strike.4. Iran's senior leadership undecided on actions in response to the IDF strike in Beirut that killed Hezbollah Chief and Senior IRGC Officer.While conservative Iranians want a strong response, including a direct attack on Israel, moderates are urging restraint.5. Reactions concerning Hassan Nasrallah's death by leaders from Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Russia, Houthi Rebels (Yemen), Hamas, Fatah, Cuba, and Venezuela.6 Time of Israel Report: Hashem Safieddine will replace Nasrallah as Hezbollah Chief. As head of the executive council, Safieddine oversees Hezbollah's political affairs. He also sits on the Jihad Council, which manages the group's military operations.7. IDF attacks Houthi targets at Yemeni ports in response to missile attack on Ben Gurion airport. The strikes targeted sites used by the Houthi regime for military purposes at the port city of Hodeidah and the nearby Ras Isa port in western Yemen, the IDF said.8. US strikes targets in Syria.US Central Command said it struck northwestern Syria on 24 Sep, targeting a senior terrorist from the al-Qaeda-linked Hurras al-Deen group and eight others.It also announced a strike from 16 Sep, in which it conducted a “large-scale airstrike” on an Islamic State training camp in a remote undisclosed location in central Syria. 9. NY Times Report: IDF (may be) conducting limited ground operations in Lebanon.

Israel has attacked Houthi sites in Yemen it said were used to transport Iranian weapons and oil. The strikes came as Israel carried out more attacks across Lebanon, and Hezbollah fired more rockets into northern IsraelAlso on the programme: Austria's far right Freedom Party is heading for victory in national elections; and the Pope has been berated on a visit to Belgium about the clerical abuse of children and gender inequality in the Church.(Photo: Smoke rises from the site of Israeli air strikes in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, Yemen on September 29, 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Stringer)

The bodies of five Israeli hostages have been discovered in a tunnel within Gaza's Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in Khan Younis; Israel conducted airstrikes on the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah in Yemen, following a drone attack on Tel Aviv by the group; Today marks the opening of the Paris 2024 Olympics. Hear what Israeli athletes are going through. Plus! A Torah thought from Rabbi Yossi Madvig.  Israel Daily News website: https://israeldailynews.org Israel Daily News Roundtable: https://www.patreon.com/shannafuld Support our Wartime News Coverage: https://www.gofundme.com/f/independent-journalist-covering-israels-war Links to all things IDN:⁠ https://linktr.ee/israeldailynews⁠ Music: Sibat Hasibot; Nicole Raviv & Elon Eckart https://www.facebook.com/nikkie.raviv/videos/1375679562935170/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/israeldailynews/support

Residents in the Yemeni city of Hodeidah woke up last Sunday to plumes of black smoke filling the skies. Israel had just struck the port, a main artery for the city, killing nine people and injuring more than 80 others after hitting a fuel depot. The attack came a day after a Houthi drone hit Tel Aviv, killing one person. For months the international community has been cautioning against further spillovers from the war in Gaza. The Houthis have been routinely launching drone strikes at southern Israel and attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea. At the same time, Israel is engaged in cross-border attacks with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and has also locked its targets on Syria. But this latest attack on Hodeidah is the first time Israel has hit Yemen directly, marking an unprecedented escalation between the two sides. In this week's Beyond the Headlines, Nada AlTaher hosts a discussion with Abdul Ghani Al-Iryani, senior researcher at the Sana'a Centre for Strategic Studies, and Kobi Michael, a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, and asks, will the latest attacks provoke a full-scale war in the region?

Israel launched its first strike on the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, a day after a Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv. As the conflict widens, what will this mean for Israel and the region? In this episode:  Zoran Kusovac (@zkusovac), Security Analyst Episode credits: This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan and Ashish Malhotra, with Duha Mosaad, Manahil Naveed, Veronique Eshaya, and our host Kevin Hirten in for Malika Bilal.  Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. Alexandra Locke is The Take's executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Les pompiers luttent pour maîtriser un gigantesque incendie au port de Hodeidah, au Yémen, suite à une frappe israélienne meurtrière sur des réservoirs de pétrole et une centrale électrique. Cette frappe, la première du genre menée par Israël au Yémen, visait à répondre à une attaque de drone des Houthis ayant touché Tel Aviv, tuant une personne.

A lot has happened over this past weekend, again. President Biden has dropped out of the presidential race, endorsing Vice-President Kamala Harris, who has been systematically locking up endorsements from most of her possible opponents. The ascendancy of V.P. Harris occurs at the exact time that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives in Washington in advance of his address before Congress on Wednesday. We will discuss all of these issues in our next episode later this week. Also this weekend, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to bring Israel back to the negotiating table this week for a hostages-for-ceasefire deal in Gaza, ahead of his departure to the U.S. This comes despite a letter from eight Likud MKs objecting to the possible deal. Finally, and the topic of our conversation today - on Saturday at 3:30 AM Israel time, a drone packed with explosives flew into a building in Tel Aviv, a few blocks away from the American consulate, and caused a large explosion that claimed the life of an Israeli citizen. This drone flew more than 2000 km (about 1200 miles) all the way from Yemen, and was one of four drones sent by the Houthis. The other three were shot down by U.S. forces in the Red Sea. Later on Saturday, Israel retaliated by attacking the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah, in Yemen. The targets of the attack were oil installations and refineries, the Ras Katib power plant, the HQ of the Yemen Economic Corporation, as well as the national security and military police buildings in the north of Hodeidah. The attack caused a complete power outage in all the neighborhoods in Hodeida district and disruptions in the communication network. This port was the main import access point for weapons into Yemen for the Houthis. While this low intensity war with the Houthis has been ongoing since October 7th, we have not focused much of our attention to this third Iranian tentacle. Who are the Houthis? How did Iran turn this rebel group into its proxy? And what could we expect from this third front? To make sense of all of this, we have Ronen Bergman of Yediot Ahranot and the New York Times Magazine. Ronen is a pulitzer-prize winning journalist. Also, one housekeeping note: Since October 7th, we are frequently asked for ways to ask questions, send comments and episode ideas. Listeners are also often asking for transcripts of our podcasts episodes. And many of you also want to know if there's a way to subscribe for podcast updates. We are in the process of building a website, Ark Media. To visit the website, go to ArkMedia.Org, By visiting the website, you can: - Get in touch with the Call me Back team and share your thoughts, questions, or suggestions. - Access full transcripts to each episode, including links to external resources that will expand your understanding of the topics covered in each conversation. - And sign up for our regular updates on new episodes and live events.

Die olieprys verhandel net bo 83 Amerikaanse dollar per vat gedaal vir Brent ru-olie, maar Israel het oor die naweek Houthi-militêre teikens naby Jemen se Hodeidah-hawe met in terugaanvalle getref en ‘n olie-fasiliteit geteiken. Die Houthi's is 'n bondgenoot van Iran, een van die wêreld se groot olieprodusente. Kosmos 94.1 Nuus het met die bekende Suid-Afrikaanse ekonoom, Dawie Klopper, gesels oor hoe die aanval die olieprys sal beïnvloed.

- Iran, Ả Rập Xê Út đưa ra chỉ trích mạnh mẽ, còn Yemen khẳng định Israel sẽ phải chịu trách nhiệm hoàn toàn về bất kỳ hậu quả nào sau cuộc không kích hôm 20/7, theo giờ địa phương vào thành phố cảng Hodeidah bên bờ Biển Đỏ, động thái làm dấy lên nguy cơ về xung đột lan rộng tại Trung Đông. Chủ đề : xung đột, giải gaza --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/vov1tintuc/support

Mideast correspondent Debora Patta joins Kathryn to talk about the drone strike by Israel on the Houthi-controlled Red Sea port of Hodeidah in Yemen.

Yemen's Houthi group has vowed to launch retaliatory attacks against Israel after the Israeli military destroyed oil storage facilities in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

Behrendt, Moritz www.deutschlandfunk.de, Informationen am Abend

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antiwarcom/Phone bank for Defend the Guard: https://defendtheguard.us/phonebankChapters00:00 - Intro00:21 - Biden Tells Netanyahu He Won't Undermine Him04:10 - Blinken Blames Starvation of Palestinians in Gaza On Hamas07:00 - Civilians Trapped as Israel Besieges Hospital08:22 - US Claims It Hasn't Seen Reports of Israel Torturing UNRWA Staff10:45 - Jared Kushner: Gaza's 'Waterfront Property Could Be Very Valuable'15:12 - US Strikes Yemen's Red Sea Port of Hodeidah18:53 - Hezbollah Injures Two Israeli Soldiers in Rocket Attack19:56 - Israeli Airstrikes Hit Syria for Second Time This Week21:13 - Russia To Evacuate Children From Belgorod23:42 - Austin Doubles Down on Military Aid for Israel and Ukraine25:04 - NATO Chief Praises Turkey's Military Support for Azerbaijan30:37 - US Looking To Stay in Niger Despite Order To Leave31:45 - Viewpoints/Outro

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Guest: Isa Blumi. We talk about the ceasefire in Yemen, the circumstances and the reasons why it happened. We also talk about energy development, the Hodeidah blockade, the situation in Aden, the ousting of Hadi and creation of a new Presidential Council and we continue our discussion from previous episodes about the war within wars in Yemen and the Gulf states. In a bonus segment we talk about Sweden and Finland changing their neutral status and joining NATO. When we recorded this, Turkey was still holding up the approval but yesterday at the NATO summit that block was cleared and it was announced that they would be joining NATO.  Dr. Isa Blumi is an historian, an author and Professor of Global History, Islamic World, Ottoman Empire, Yemen, Albania. His most recent book Destroying Yemen: What Chaos in Arabia Tells Us about the World tells the story of the wars in Yemen but also “ultimately tells an even larger story of today's political economy of global capitalism, development, and the war on terror as disparate actors intersect in Arabia.”  He also authored the book Ottoman Refugees, 1878-1939: Migration in a Post-Imperial World. FOLLOW Isa Blumi @IsaBlumi and find his work at Google Scholar and his latest book at UCPress.edu.  Around the Empire aroundtheempire.com is listener supported, independent media. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on Rokfin rokfin.com/aroundtheempire, Patreon patreon.com/aroundtheempire, Paypal paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod, YouTube youtube.com/aroundtheempire, Spotify, iTunes, iHeart, Google Podcasts FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon.  Join us on TELEGRAM https://t.me/AroundtheEmpire Find everything on http://aroundtheempire.com  and linktr.ee/aroundtheempire Recorded on June 10, 2022. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

APAC stocks traded mostly lower with the region cautious heading into month-end and following the Shanghai lockdown announcement.The next round of face-to-face talks between Russia and Ukraine will be held in Turkey on March 28th-30th.US President Biden stated that Russian President Putin cannot remain in power; White House official later said Biden was not calling for a change of regime in Russia.European equity futures are indicative of a slightly higher open with the Euro Stoxx 50 future up 0.2% after the cash market closed higher by 0.1% on Friday.DXY climbed back above 99.0, EUR/USD is back on a 1.09 handle, USD/JPY rose above 123.00.Looking ahead, highlights include ASEAN summit, US 2yr and 5yr supply, Speech from BoE Governor Bailey.US TRADEUS stocks finished mixed on Friday with trade choppy as yields surged on hawkish Fed calls.S&P 500 +0.5% at 4,542, Nasdaq 100 -0.1% at 14,754 , Dow Jones +0.4% at 34,861, Russell 2000 +0.1% at 2,077.NOTABLE US HEADLINESWhite House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tested positive for COVID-19 and last saw President Biden in a socially-distanced meeting on Saturday, but added that the President is not considered a close contact.GEOPOLITICSRUSSIA-UKRAINENEGOTIATIONS/TALKSUkrainian President Zelensky said he would like an all for all prisoner exchange with Russia and that they have handed over a list to Russia. Zelensky added that they will not sit down for talks with Russia if discussions are about "demilitarisation and some kind of denazification". Zelensky stated that Ukraine is ready to discuss neutrality and non-nuclear status if backed by security guarantees, while he added that a deal is only possible with a troop withdrawal and that he wants a compromise with Russia regarding Donbass.Turkish President Erdogan told Russian President Putin in a call that there needs to be a quick ceasefire with Ukraine and that they need to improve the humanitarian situation in the region, while it was also reported that the next round of face-to-face talks between Russia and Ukraine will be held in Turkey on March 28th-30th.US President Biden said NATO is a defensive alliance and it has never sought Russia's demise and that “swift and punishing” costs are the only things that will influence Russia to change course. Biden added that US forces are in Europe to defend NATO allies, not to engage with Russian forces and stated that Russian President Putin cannot remain in power, although Biden later said that he was not calling for a regime change in Russia.White House official said President Biden was not calling for a change of regime in Russia and the US envoy to NATO also commented that the US does not have a policy of regime change in Russia. In relevant news, a Kremlin spokesman responded that it is not for US President Biden to decide and said the President of Russia is elected by Russians.German Chancellor Scholz said a regime change in Russia is not NATO's goal. Furthermore, Scholz said that Germany is considering purchasing a missile shield.US Secretary of State Blinken said Israeli efforts to mediate on Ukraine-Russia are important and closely coordinated with the US.DEFENCE/MILITARYRussia launched 70 missiles on targets in Ukraine on Saturday which was the largest daily amount since the war began, although reports added only 8 of the 70 missiles reached the target, according to Pravda with most shot down by Ukrainian defence.UK Ministry of Defence said Russia is maintaining a distant blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea coast and effectively isolating Ukraine from maritime trade, while it noted that Russian naval forces are continuing their sporadic missile strikes against targets throughout Ukraine. UK Defence Ministry also said Russia is stepping up attempts to encircle Ukrainian forces directly facing the separatist regions in the east, advancing from the direction of Kharkiv in the north and Mariupol in the south, according to Bloomberg.US is to provide an additional USD 100mln in civilian security assistance to Ukraine, according to the State Department.ENERGY/ECONOMIC SANCTIONSUS is to sanction companies providing technology for Russian military and intelligence services, according to a WSJ report late on Friday.Japanese Finance Minister Suzuki said the government cannot confiscate foreign central banks' reserves parked with the BoJ under current laws, while Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno said they will revise FX control laws swiftly to strengthen sanctions against Russia and hope to submit a bill at the current parliamentary session.OTHERIranian Foreign Minister said that France, Germany and UK agree on the text and that the US ‘accepts' it must address some remaining issues, while he also stated that a deal hinges on the US removing the IRGC from the terror list, according to Bloomberg. Furthermore, Iran's Foreign Minister said Tehran welcomes normalisation of ties with Saudi Arabia and is determined to expand cooperation with Syria, according to state TV.EU's Borrell said a nuclear agreement with Iran is very close.US Special Envoy for Iran Malley said he can't be confident that a deal is imminent and said they also thought they were close a few months ago.US Secretary of State Blinken said a return to the JCPOA is the best way to put Iran's nuclear program back in the box and that US commitment to the principle of Iran never acquiring a nuclear weapon is unwavering, while he added the US will continue to stand up to Iran if it threatens the US and its allies.Israeli PM Bennett said that he hopes the US will heed calls against the delisting of the IRGC from its terrorism blacklist, while Israel's Foreign Minister said Israel and the US will continue working together to prevent a nuclear Iran.Two police officers were killed and four people were injured during a shooting attack in Israel's Hadera, which ISIS claimed responsibility for.North Korean leader Kim said North Korea will keep developing formidable striking capabilities and their self-defence force cannot be bartered nor be bought according to KCNA, while it was separately reported that North Korea is to accelerate the restoration of its demolished nuclear test site, according to South Korea press.APAC TRADEEQUITIESAPAC stocks traded mostly lower with the region cautious heading into month-end and this week's various risk events, while higher yields and a lockdown in Shanghai contributed to the headwinds for risk sentiment.ASX 200 shrugged off weak business confidence and was kept afloat by strength in mining stocks and financials.Nikkei 225 is set to snap its 9-day win streak and tested the 28,000 level to the downside.Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp. were mixed with early weakness in the mainland amid a two-stage lockdown in Shanghai after asymptomatic cases in the city rose to a record high and with data also showing a slowdown in Industrial Profits for February YTD. However, the PBoC's liquidity boost eventually helped stem some of the losses in China, while the Hong Kong benchmark recovered into the green with advances led by Meituan Dianping and Sinopec post-earnings.US equity futures were subdued overnight with price action rangebound at the start of a risk-packed week.European equity futures are indicative of a slightly higher open with the Euro Stoxx 50 future up 0.2% after the cash market closed higher by 0.1% on Friday.FXDXY climbed back above the 99.00 level amid the cautious risk tone and the recent hawkish Fed calls.EUR/USD retreated further beneath 1.1000 but eventually found a floor around 1.0950.GBP/USD remained weak with the government expected to consider proposals to address higher costs of living.USD/JPY rose above 123.00 after the BoJ intervened to protect its yield cap.Antipodeans were mixed with underperformance in NZD/USD after Westpac noted that financial markets seem to be overpricing the extent of RBNZ rate hikes during the next couple of years.SNB Chairman Jordan said Swiss inflation is high for Switzerland but low in international comparison, while they will make policy adjustments to keep inflation under control if needed and consider the inflation difference between Switzerland and other countries when deciding on currency interventions. SNB Chairman Jordan added that the nominal value of CHF is different to its real value and businesses can cope with a stronger nominal CHF due to higher inflation abroad. Furthermore, he added that CHF remains highly valued and that they are ready to intervene to prevent it from becoming too strong, while parity with EUR is symbolic but not economically important and they look at all currencies and inflation differences not just at the euro.FIXED INCOME10yr USTs were subdued on hawkish Fed calls, while the 5yr/30yr yield curve inverted for the first time since 2006.Bunds prodded Friday's lows and fell below 158.00.10yr JGBs were lacklustre as the 10yr yield approached the BoJ's yield cap which prompted the BoJ to step in with an offer to buy an unlimited amount of JGBs at a yield of 0.25%, although no one took up the central bank on its offer, while the 10yr yield later reached 0.25% which prompted the BoJ to announce a second special operation for today.COMMODITIESWTI and Brent futures were pressured at the open amid a lockdown in Shanghai and as reports suggested an Iranian nuclear deal is close with Iran's Foreign Minister stating that France, Germany and the UK agreed on the text.US Baker Hughes Rig Count (w/e Mar 25th): Oil +7 at 531, Nat Gas unch. at 137, and Total +7 at 670US officials are considering another US SPR release but nothing has been decided yet, while it could be more than the 30mln bbls released earlier in the month, according to a Reuters source.Saudi-led coalition said it began an operation to neutralise the targeting of oil facilities with the goal to protect global energy sources from hostile attacks and ensure supply chains, while it carried out airstrikes against sources of threats in Yemeni cities of Sanaa and Hodeidah, according to Al Arabiya.SGH Macro Advisers noted on Friday that Russia is in active talks with Asian partners about the possibility of sending further oil supplies to the Asian market, while SGH Macro understands that China will import at least 10mln tons of Russian oil on top of its original import plan for this year and Beijing sources said the price that Russia offered is equivalent to about USD 70/bbl which is to be settled directly in CNY and RUB.Qatar's Foreign Minister said the conflict in Ukraine and its geopolitical ramifications, is spurring some countries to explore new ways of pricing oil outside of the dollar, according to CNBC.US, UK and Japanese banks are considering jointly extending USD 1bln in loans to Kuwait Petroleum Corp to help in increasing oil production, according to Nikkei.Spot gold marginally declined with the precious metal subdued by a firmer greenback.Copper was subdued amid the cautious risk tone.CRYPTOBitcoin took a breather overnight after it gained throughout the weekend and briefly pared all its YTD losses.Exxon is reportedly utilising excess natural gas to mine Bitcoin.Florida Governor DeSantis said the state should allow businesses to pay tax in crypto.UK is to disclose cryptocurrency regulations proposals in the coming weeks, according to CNBC.NOTABLE APAC HEADLINESPBoC injected CNY 150bln via 7-day reverse repos with the rate at 2.10% for a CNY 120bln net injection.PBoC set USD/CNY mid-point at 6.3732 vs exp. 6.3719 (prev. 6.3739)Shanghai announced a four-day lockdown of its financial district and nine other areas, in which it is to lockdown each half of the city by turns for mass COVID testing beginning on Monday after the city reported a new record high of asymptomatic COVID-19 cases.US FCC designated China Telecom Corp and China Mobile International USA as a threat to national security.BoJ offered to buy an unlimited amount of 5yr-10yr JGBs at a fixed rate of 25bps although no one took up the central bank's offer for unlimited 5yr-10yr JGBs. BoJ said it made the offer in light of recent moves in long-term rates and that they need to guide 10yr yield around 0%, while it later announced a second similar operation.DATA RECAPChinese Industrial Profits YTD YY (Feb) 5.0% (Prev. 34.3%)Australian NAB Quarterly Business Confidence (Q1) 9 (Prev. 18, Rev. 14)EUROPENOTABLE EUROPEAN HEADLINESUK PM Johnson is expected to hold discussions with senior cabinet ministers this week regarding plans to address rising bills and bolster the country's energy security, according to The Observer.UK Chancellor Sunak is considering proposals for a new council tax rebate after his Spring statement failed to ease panic in Downing Street regarding the spiralling cost of living crisis, according to Sunday Times.German Chancellor Scholz said the ruling coalition has an agreement on debt brake and tax hikes, while he added that all parties will stick with them.ECB President Lagarde said euro area growth could be as low as 2.4% this year in a severe scenario due to the war and that inflation is expected to decrease and settle at levels around the 2% target in 2024 in all their scenarios, while she also commented that they stand ready to revise the schedule for net asset purchases in terms of size and duration.

European bourses are firmer, extending on overnight futures performance, shrugging off a downbeat APAC handover amid COVID concerns.Stateside, futures are contained/marginally softer ahead of a quiet schedule and after a mixed close on Friday; NQ, -0.3%, modestly lags amid yield action.Russian Kremlin said face-to-face talks in Turkey with Ukraine are unlikely to commence on Monday, may start on Tuesday.AAPL intends to make ~20% less iPhone SE's next quarter than was originally planned, via Nikkei; while TSLA is seeking a stock split.DXY surpasses 99.00 while JPY lags amid BoJ JBG intervention, core-debt pulls back with curves flatter or more inverted pre-supply.WTI and Brent are clipped amid COVID measures from China and progress on the JCPOA; currently, off lows of USD 108.28/bbl and USD 115.32/bbl respectively.Looking ahead, highlights include the ASEAN summit, US Auctions & a speech from BoE Governor Bailey.As of 11:15BST/06:15EDTLOOKING AHEADASEAN summit, US Auctions & a speech from BoE Governor Bailey.Click here for the Week Ahead preview.GEOPOLITICSRUSSIA-UKRAINENEGOTIATIONS/TALKSUkrainian President Zelensky said he would like an all for all prisoner exchange with Russia and that they have handed over a list to Russia. Zelensky added that they will not sit down for talks with Russia if discussions are about "demilitarisation and some kind of denazification". Zelensky stated that Ukraine is ready to discuss neutrality and non-nuclear status if backed by security guarantees, while he added that a deal is only possible with a troop withdrawal and that he wants a compromise with Russia regarding Donbass.Ukrainian Interior Ministry Advisor says he expects no major breakthrough at peace discussions.Turkish President Erdogan told Russian President Putin in a call that there needs to be a quick ceasefire with Ukraine and that they need to improve the humanitarian situation in the region, while it was also reported that the next round of face-to-face talks between Russia and Ukraine will be held in Turkey on March 28th-30th.Senior Turkish official says that talks between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators will begin in Istanbul later today. However, the Russian Kremlin said talks are unlikely to commence on Monday, may start on Tuesday. No substantial achievements/breakthroughs in talks, no progress re. a potential Putin-Zelensky meeting.Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov says President Putin never refuses to meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky, but since meetings must be well prepared, a (presidential) meeting to exchange views at this time would be counter-productive.Ukraine's Deputy PM says that no humanitarian corridors will be opened today as intelligence suggested potential Russian provocations on corridor routes.OTHER OFFICIALSUS President Biden said NATO is a defensive alliance and it has never sought Russia's demise and that “swift and punishing” costs are the only things that will influence Russia to change course. Biden added that US forces are in Europe to defend NATO allies, not to engage with Russian forces and stated that Russian President Putin cannot remain in power, although Biden later said that he was not calling for a regime change in Russia.White House official said President Biden was not calling for a change of regime in Russia and the US envoy to NATO also commented that the US does not have a policy of regime change in Russia. In relevant news, a Kremlin spokesman responded that it is not for US President Biden to decide and said the President of Russia is elected by Russians.German Chancellor Scholz said a regime change in Russia is not NATO's goal. Furthermore, Scholz said that Germany is considering purchasing a missile shield.US Secretary of State Blinken said Israeli efforts to mediate on Ukraine-Russia are important and closely coordinated with the US.DEFENCE/MILITARYRussia launched 70 missiles on targets in Ukraine on Saturday which was the largest daily amount since the war began, although reports added only 8 of the 70 missiles reached the target, according to Pravda with most shot down by Ukrainian defence.UK Ministry of Defence said Russia is maintaining a distant blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea coast and effectively isolating Ukraine from maritime trade, while it noted that Russian naval forces are continuing their sporadic missile strikes against targets throughout Ukraine. UK Defence Ministry also said Russia is stepping up attempts to encircle Ukrainian forces directly facing the separatist regions in the east, advancing from the direction of Kharkiv in the north and Mariupol in the south, according to Bloomberg.US is to provide an additional USD 100mln in civilian security assistance to Ukraine, according to the State Department.Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister said that Russian forces are regrouping but not able to advance anywhere within Ukraine, via Reuters. Subsequently, reports suggest that Russia is attacking to the east and northwest of Kyiv, trying to take key roads and settlements, according to a war reporter based in UkraineENERGY/ECONOMIC SANCTIONSUS is to sanction companies providing technology for Russian military and intelligence services, according to a WSJ report late on Friday.Japanese Finance Minister Suzuki said the government cannot confiscate foreign central banks' reserves parked with the BoJ under current laws, while Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno said they will revise FX control laws swiftly to strengthen sanctions against Russia and hope to submit a bill at the current parliamentary session.Russian Kremlin says President Putin has instructed the CBR and Gazprom to use the RUB in gas sale transactions to unfriendly nations by March 31st, via AJA Breaking.OTHERIranian Foreign Minister said that France, Germany and UK agree on the text and that the US ‘accepts' it must address some remaining issues, while he also stated that a deal hinges on the US removing the IRGC from the terror list, according to Bloomberg. Furthermore, Iran's Foreign Minister said Tehran welcomes normalisation of ties with Saudi Arabia and is determined to expand cooperation with Syria, according to state TV.EU's Borrell said a nuclear agreement with Iran is very close.US Special Envoy for Iran Malley said he can't be confident that a deal is imminent and said they also thought they were close a few months ago.US Secretary of State Blinken said a return to the JCPOA is the best way to put Iran's nuclear program back in the box and that US commitment to the principle of Iran never acquiring a nuclear weapon is unwavering, while he added the US will continue to stand up to Iran if it threatens the US and its allies.Israeli PM Bennett said that he hopes the US will heed calls against the delisting of the IRGC from its terrorism blacklist, while Israel's Foreign Minister said Israel and the US will continue working together to prevent a nuclear Iran.Two police officers were killed and four people were injured during a shooting attack in Israel's Hadera, which ISIS claimed responsibility for.North Korean leader Kim said North Korea will keep developing formidable striking capabilities and their self-defence force cannot be bartered nor be bought according to KCNA, while it was separately reported that North Korea is to accelerate the restoration of its demolished nuclear test site, according to South Korea press.EUROPEAN TRADEEQUITIESEuropean bourses are firmer, extending on the pre-open futures performance, shrugging off a downbeat APAC handover amid COVID concerns.Sectors are primarily in the green though Tech and Energy names lag amid Apple and crude benchmark action, respectively.Stateside, futures are contained/marginally softer ahead of a quiet schedule and after a mixed close on Friday; NQ, -0.3%, modestly lags amid yield action.Apple (AAPL) intends to make ~20% less iPhone SE's next quarter than was originally planned, via Nikkei; reducing iPhone and AirPods output amid Ukraine war uncertainty. -1.8% in pre-marketTesla (TSLA) is to ask shareholders to vote on more shares for a stock split, according to Bloomberg. +3.6% in pre-marketClick here for more detail.FXBoJ intervenes to curb JGB yield but waves green light to further Yen weakness, USD/JPY breaches barriers from 123.50 all the way up through 125.00 before easing back.DXY tops 99.000 and mid-March high to expose Y-T-D peak as US Treasuries continue to sink and the curve flattens or inverts.Aussie maintains momentum on commodity related grounds, while Kiwi is hampered by less hawkish RBNZ outlook from Westpac; AUD/USD approaches 0.7550, NZD/USD hovers under 0.6950 and AUD/NZD tests 1.0850.Euro underpinned by EUR/JPY cross demand, EUR/USD recovers from sub-1.0950 to get close to 1.1000 at best.Loonie and Nokkie undermined by hefty retreat in WTI and Brent, USD/CAD circa 1.2485 and EUR/NOK around 9.4700.Franc softer after SNB President repeats that nominal value is not the same as real and inflation differentials are impacting moves, USD/CHF circa 0.9350 and EUR/CHF above 1.0250.SNB Chairman Jordan said Swiss inflation is high for Switzerland but low in international comparison, while they will make policy adjustments to keep inflation under control if needed and consider the inflation difference between Switzerland and other countries when deciding on currency interventions. SNB Chairman Jordan added that the nominal value of CHF is different to its real value and businesses can cope with a stronger nominal CHF due to higher inflation abroad. Furthermore, he added that CHF remains highly valued and that they are ready to intervene to prevent it from becoming too strong, while parity with EUR is symbolic but not economically important and they look at all currencies and inflation differences not just at the euro.Japanese Former currency diplomat Sakakibara (aka Mr Yen) says that the current weak JPY benefits the Japanese economy but further advances beyond 130 vs. the USD would cause issues, via Reuters.Click here for more detail.Notable FX Expiries, NY Cut:USD/CAD: 1.2545-55 (1.0BN), 1.2650 (336M)Click here for more detail.FIXED INCOMEBonds buckle again as the bear trend continuesCurves flatter or more inverted amidst a front-loaded and shorter-dated supply scheduleJGBs hold up a bit better as BoJ offers to buy unlimited amounts in defence of its YCT through to month/fy-endClick here for more detail.COMMODITIESWTI and Brent are clipped amid COVID measures from China and progress on the JCPOA; currently, off lows of USD 108.28/bbl and USD 115.32/bbl respectively.Saudi-led coalition said it began an operation to neutralise the targeting of oil facilities with the goal to protect global energy sources from hostile attacks and ensure supply chains, while it carried out airstrikes against sources of threats in Yemeni cities of Sanaa and Hodeidah, according to Al Arabiya.SGH Macro Advisers noted on Friday that Russia is in active talks with Asian partners about the possibility of sending further oil supplies to the Asian market, while SGH Macro understands that China will import at least 10mln tons of Russian oil on top of its original import plan for this year and Beijing sources said the price that Russia offered is equivalent to about USD 70/bbl which is to be settled directly in CNY and RUB.Qatar's Foreign Minister said the conflict in Ukraine and its geopolitical ramifications, is spurring some countries to explore new ways of pricing oil outside of the dollar, according to CNBC.UAE Energy Minister says everyone is saying to raise production, but financial institutions are hesitant to finance many oil/gas projects globally.US, UK and Japanese banks are considering jointly extending USD 1bln in loans to Kuwait Petroleum Corp to help in increasing oil production, according to Nikkei.Spot gold/silver are hampered amid broader price action and as other havens, particularly JPY and core-debt, experience marked weakness.Click here for more detail.NOTABLE EUROPEAN HEADLINESUK PM Johnson is expected to hold discussions with senior cabinet ministers this week regarding plans to address rising bills and bolster the country's energy security, according to The Observer.UK Chancellor Sunak is considering proposals for a new council tax rebate after his Spring statement failed to ease panic in Downing Street regarding the spiralling cost of living crisis, according to Sunday Times.German Chancellor Scholz said the ruling coalition has an agreement on debt brake and tax hikes, while he added that all parties will stick with them.ECB President Lagarde said euro area growth could be as low as 2.4% this year in a severe scenario due to the war and that inflation is expected to decrease and settle at levels around the 2% target in 2024 in all their scenarios, while she also commented that they stand ready to revise the schedule for net asset purchases in terms of size and duration.NOTABLE US HEADLINES:White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tested positive for COVID-19 and last saw President Biden in a socially-distanced meeting on Saturday, but added that the President is not considered a close contact.Click here for the US Early Morning NoteCRYPTOExxon is reportedly utilising excess natural gas to mine Bitcoin.Florida Governor DeSantis said the state should allow businesses to pay tax in crypto.UK is to disclose cryptocurrency regulations proposals in the coming weeks, according to CNBC.APAC TRADEEQUITIESAPAC stocks traded mostly lower with the region cautious heading into month-end and this week's various risk events, while higher yields and a lockdown in Shanghai contributed to the headwinds for risk sentiment.ASX 200 shrugged off weak business confidence and was kept afloat by strength in mining stocks and financials.Nikkei 225 is set to snap its 9-day win streak and tested the 28,000 level to the downside.Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp. were mixed with early weakness in the mainland amid a two-stage lockdown in Shanghai after asymptomatic cases in the city rose to a record high and with data also showing a slowdown in Industrial Profits for February YTD. However, the PBoC's liquidity boost eventually helped stem some of the losses in China, while the Hong Kong benchmark recovered into the green with advances led by Meituan Dianping and Sinopec post-earnings.NOTABLE APAC HEADLINESPBoC injected CNY 150bln via 7-day reverse repos with the rate at 2.10% for a CNY 120bln net injection.PBoC set USD/CNY mid-point at 6.3732 vs exp. 6.3719 (prev. 6.3739)Shanghai announced a four-day lockdown of its financial district and nine other areas, in which it is to lockdown each half of the city in turns for mass COVID testing beginning on Monday after the city reported a new record high of asymptomatic COVID-19 cases.US FCC designated China Telecom Corp and China Mobile International USA as a threat to national security.BoJ offered to buy an unlimited amount of 5yr-10yr JGBs at a fixed rate of 25bps although no one took up the central bank's offer for unlimited 5yr-10yr JGBs. BoJ said it made the offer in light of recent moves in long-term rates and that they need to guide 10yr yield around 0%, while it later announced a second similar operation.BoJ is to conduct bond buying operations for consecutive days; March 29th to 31st, to conduct unlimited fixed-rate purchase operations for 10yr JGBs at a yield of 0.25%.DATA RECAPChinese Industrial Profits YTD YY (Feb) 5.0% (Prev. 34.3%)Australian NAB Quarterly Business Confidence (Q1) 9 (Prev. 18, Rev. 14)

Bernard knows Yemen well, especially his operating theatre. Let’s go to the emergency department of an MSF hospital trapped between the frontlines south of Hodeidah and surrounded by mine fields.

Lecture summary: The idea that all states are equal, however powerful or wealthy they might be, is an axiom of international law both in theory and in practice. Yet from Araribóia to Grenfell to Hodeidah to Nauru, the astonishing levels of violence and inequality that characterise our formally post-fascist, post-colonial, post-communist world are striking. Breaking with certain methodological conventions, this talk will deploy a new, ‘modular’ approach to the study of the history of international law. Its aim in doing so is to draw attention to the process – simultaneously coercive and interpellative – through which the surface of the earth has come gradually, over the course of five centuries, to be covered in reproductions of the same, originally Western European form of human collectivity – namely, the sovereign state. Turning on their heads a series of canonical episodes from the history of international law (among them, the ‘Abyssinia Crisis’ of 1935-36), the talk will suggest that attending to this process, to the relentless logic of accumulation it sets in motion, and to the profound distributive consequences of that logic, throws into sharp relief international law’s role in perpetuating precisely the relations of domination it purports to challenge – relations that attend between species as much as they do between individuals and communities. Crucially, however, this commitment to transforming the world into a series of homogenous, ‘self-governing’ and, therefore, competitive and ruthlessly expansionist legal subjects has not been – and cannot be – entirely successful. Indeed, as the talk will show, it is, historically, in stubbornly mixed-up or hybrid nature of international legal ‘personality’ that those seeking to resist the process of international legal reproduction and its logic have often found their most powerful resources. Rose Sydney Parfitt is a Senior Lecturer at Kent Law School. Her research brings together texts, images and sounds – and traditions dedicated to analysing texts, images and sounds – with the aim of apprehending, understanding and responding more effectively to the role of international law, in the past and present, not just in ameliorating but also in constituting inequalities of wealth, power and pleasure. Her work in this area has been published widely, touching on a range of different contexts including fascist colonial architecture in Libya; the inbuilt historiography of the doctrine of sources; Italian Futurism, the First World War and contemporary fashion; international personality under the League of Nations; statehood and international recognition; the chronotope (in the Bakhtinian sense) employed by the new states at the Bandung Conference of 1955; Bolsonarismo, the far-right and the Global South, and others. Her current project, which examines the relationship between fascism and international law has been supported by grants from the Australian Research Council (2016-19), the Socio-Legal Studies Association (2019-20), and elsewhere. Her monograph, The Process of International Legal Reproduction: Inequality, Historiography, Resistance, was published by Cambridge University Press in January 2019.

On FPF #432, I explain my view that the Democrats' case for impeaching Trump is very weak. The House passed two articles of impeachment this week, although House leadership is now preventing those from going to the Senate. While everyone is distracted with these potential minor crimes committed by Trump, there are major news stories breaking around the world. I cover several of those stories in the second half of the show. Many of those stories are about actual serious crimes Trump is committing.  Links NDAA The 2020 NDAA requires the DNI to release a report on who is responsible for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. [Link] The Senate passes the 2020 NDAA. [Link] Germany believes sanctions passed in the 2020 NDAA could impact their work on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. However, the sanctions include a 30 day “cool down” period, and Germany may be able to complete the pipeline during that time. [Link] The US national debt increased by $1.2 trillion in 2019. [Link] Both houses of Congress introduce bills to push Trump towards renewing New Start. [Link] Korea South Korean and the US were unable to make a deal about South Korea’s payment for US troops deployed to South Korea. South Korea is willing to pay $1 billion a year, the US is demanding $5 billion. [Link] DefSec Esper says the US expects North Korea to carry out more weapons tests. [Link] Russia and China call for some sanctions to be lifted on North Korea. The US says now is not the time to lift sanctions. [Link] South America Venezuelan children are facing increasingly worse malnutrition. [Link] The Trump administration is considering ramping up the pressure on Venezuela. This could include an oil blockade. [Link] Trump voices support for the coup government in Bolivia. [Link] Bolivia’s coup government issues an arrest warrant for the former president Morales. Morales is now a refugee in Argentina. [Link] Europe NATO receives its second of five Global Hawk spy drones. It hops to have all drones by 2022. The drones cost $1.5 billion and were expected to be delivered by 2017. [Link] Spain’s high court finds the leader of Catalonia guilty of disobedience. [Link] Germany says it will not retaliate against the US for sanctions in the NDAA that target the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. [Link] The US removes sanctions of Latvia's second-largest port. The Latvian government seized the port after the US sanctioned Aivars Lembergs. [Link] India Protests are spreading in India against a proposed law that would grant citizenship to non-muslims from neighboring countries living in India. [Link] The Pentagon is dismissing the Afghanistan Papers. [Link] Ten members of a Afghan family were killed when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb. [Link] Middle East An Israeli power company is cutting power to some areas of the West Bank for three hours a day over a Palestinian electric company not making debt payments. [Link] Israel bars Gazan Christians from visiting holy sites in Israel and the West Bank this year. [Link] The Qatari foreign minister says the stalemate between Qatar and the GCC has been broken. [Link] Saudi Arabia launches a $1.5 million lobby effort in the US. [Link] Secretary of Treasury Munchin said Iran’s attack on Saudi oil infrastructure was an attack on the world economy. [Link] In a move likely aimed at pleasing Turkey, the State Department says Trump will not recognize the Armenian Genocide. [Link] In the first half of 2020, the US State Department will cut about 130 people from its embassy in Erbil. [Link] Secretary of Defense Esper calls on Iraq to stop attacks on bases that house US soldiers. [Link] Despite a ceasefire agreement in 2018, 799 civilians have been killed in the city of Hodeida in 2019. [Link] The Houthi and Yemeni government will meet for two day talks about Hodeidah this week. The UN is backing the talks and the hope is allowing more humanitarian goods to enter the port at Hodeidah. [Link] Africa A US airstrike killed one person in Somalia. The US claims that the person was a member of al-Shabaab. The airstrike was at least the US 60th in Somalia this year. [Link] Turkey will deploy military forces to a base somewhere in Libya. [Link] Haftar’s army is advancing on Tripoli. Libya’s capital city is held by the UN-recognized government. [Link] Boko Haram militants killed 14 civilians in Chad. [Link] Islamist militants in Nigeria killed four humanitarian workers who have been held hostage for several months. [Link] Militants in the Congo killed 22 civilians. Militants have killed over 150 people since the government began a crackdown on the militants on October 30th. [Link] Ebola cases are on the rise after treatment centers were attacked and shut down. Over 2,200 people have died during the outbreak. [Link] Sudan’s former president Bashir has been sentenced to two years in a reform facility for corruption. [Link]

Following the peace agreement for Yemen negotiated in Stockholm late last year, UNDP immediately established a sub-office in Al Hodeidah with programmatic interventions in peace-related areas of: local security, mine action, support to port management as well as in employment and livelihoods. In November 2019 Joerg Kuehnel and Agnes Kochan (from UNDP's Pakistan office) conducted a so-called After-Action Review and recommend improvements for UNDP's future SURGE practice.

On FPF #407, I discuss the impact of US weapons is having around the world. In FY2019 the US sold over $54 billion in weapons. Some of those weapons aided the slaughter of Yemen. In a recent article, Stu Smallwood highlights how US F-35 sales to South Korea are harming the Korean peace process. For years, the US gave weapons to the Syrian Kurds. Now, the US-NATO allies Turkey are fighting against the US-armed Syrian Kurds.  Links The US sold over $54 billion in weapons during the fiscal year 2019. [Link] Spain is seeking to extradite the former Catalan president from Belgium. The Spanish government made two previous requests that were rejected by Belgium. Spain is looking to extradite the president because he held an independence referendum for Catalonia. [Link] Both frontrunners in Afghanistan’s recent presidential election are accused of major voter fraud. [Link] The UN reports 85 civilians were killed in last month’s election. [Link] At least three people were killed by a truck bomb in Afghanistan. [Link] Two US officials say the US carried out a cyberattack against Iran after Saudi oil facilities were attacked on September 14th. [Link] Daniel Larison explains the Yemeni government policy of charging duties at the Port of Aden before ships can dock at the Port of Hodeidah has increased fuel prices by 100%. Larison says this will likely make the cholera outbreak worse. Over 600,000 Yemeni have contracted cholera in 2019. [Link] Saudi forces have taken control over Aden after UAE forces withdrew. [Link] More than 1,000 Palestinians have developed bone infections after being shot by Israeli forces. [Link] Turkey says it will start taking offers on replacements for the F-35. After Turkey bought the S-400 air defense system from Russia, the US blocked F-15 sales to Turkey. [Link] Pompeo and Pence are expected to travel to Turkey to meet with Erdogan. [Link] Turkey says it will retaliate against US sanctions. [Link] Russia is now carrying out patrols to keep Syrian and Turkish forces from clashing near the border. [Link] Trump said he is fine with Russia assisting Assad in Syria. [Link] Turkey’s president said an attack from the Syrian army killed a Turkish soldier. [Link] The US announces it has withdrawn from Manbij. [Link] Italy bans weapons sales to Turkey. [Link] Turkey’s leader Erdogan says he will never declare a ceasefire in northeastern Syria and he is not concerned about US sanctions on Turkey. [Link] A senior Pentagon says the US soldiers assisted Russia in moving through dangerous areas outside of Manbij as the US soldiers were leaving the area. [Link] The Syrian Army took over several bases that were abandoned during the US withdraw. [Link] Senator Graham said the US must remain in Syria so 200 Israeli troops can remain in Syria to combat Iran. [Link]

UNDP is employing thousands of people in Yemen, especially during this special month of Ramadan. What are the ins and outs of "temporary employment programmes". Why do we implement them and what are their benefits and promises. The good news: been there done that ... UNDP knows how to implement them!

Yemen is in the grip of war. It is also one of the poorest countries in the world. British anaesthetist Dr Elma Wong has recently returned from her fourth assignment working in the country with MSF. In this episode of Everyday Emergency, we talk to Elma about her time in Mocha, a town on the west coast of Yemen. It sits around halfway between the port cities of Hodeidah to the north and Aden to the south, and our emergency medical centre is the only one of its kind in the area. To support our teams working in Yemen, visit: https://msf.me/yemenpodcast To find out more about the crisis, visit: https://stories.msf.org.uk/yemen-explained/

UN negotiators are trying to salvage a ceasefire agreement surrounding the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah. The Arab world’s poorest country is suffering mightily, but the patchwork of actors makes a successful deal ever more difficult. In Latin America, democracy has stalled as economies have stagnated. Yet for democracy to succeed elsewhere, its Latin American shoots must be preserved. And, a splashy apartment building in Bulgaria that’s become emblematic of graft.Additional music "Chez Space" by The Freeharmonic Orchestra. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

UN negotiators are trying to salvage a ceasefire agreement surrounding the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah. The Arab world’s poorest country is suffering mightily, but the patchwork of actors makes a successful deal ever more difficult. In Latin America, democracy has stalled as economies have stagnated. Yet for democracy to succeed elsewhere, its Latin American shoots must be preserved. And, a splashy apartment building in Bulgaria that’s become emblematic of graft.Additional music "Chez Space" by The Freeharmonic Orchestra. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Yemen: Most of us don't know where that is but we Americans have been participating in a war there since 2015. In a surprise move, the 116th Congress recently put a resolution on President Trump's desk that would LIMIT our participation in that war. In this episode, learn about our recent history in Yemen: Why are we involved? When did our involvement start? What do we want from Yemen? And why is Congress suddenly pursuing a change in policy? In the second half of the episode, Jen admits defeat in a project she's been working on and Husband Joe joins Jen for the thank yous. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Click here to contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD167: Combating Russia (NDAA 2018) LIVE CD131: Bombing Libya CD102: The World Trade Organization: COOL? Additional Reading Article: Hurricane Michael upgraded to a Category 5 at time of U.S. landfall, NOAA, April 19, 2019. Article: US carries out first airstrikes in Yemen in nearly 3 months by Ryan Browne, CNN, April 1, 2019. Article: The assassination of Jamal Khashoggi by Joyce Lee and Dalton Bennett, The Washington Post, April 1, 2019. Article: Trump revokes Obama rule on reporting drone strike deaths, BBC News, March 7, 2019. Article: US carried out 36 airstrikes in Yemen last year by Andrew Kennedy, The Defense Post, January 7, 2019. Article: See no evil: Pentagon issues blanket denial that it knows anything about detainee abuse in Yemen by Alex Emmons, The Intercept, January 7, 2019. Report: Senate bucks Trump's Saudi approach by Jeff Abramson, Arms Control Association, January/February 2019. Article: Saudi strikes, American bombs, Yemeni suffering by Derek Watkins and Declan Walsh, The New York Times, December 27, 2018. Article: The wooing of Jared Kushner: How the Saudis got a friend in the White House by David D. Kirkpatrick, Ben Hubbard, Mark Landler, and Mark Mazzetti, The New York Times, December 8, 2018. Report: Saudi lobbyists bout 500 nights at Trump's DC hotel after 2016 election by John Bowden, The Hill, December 5, 2018. Article: Hidden toll of US drone strikes in Yemen: Nearly a third of deaths are civilians, not al-Quaida by Maggie Michael and Maad al-Zikry, Military Times, November 14, 2018. Article: Jamal Khashoggi's friends in Washington are in shock by Scott Nover, The Atlantic, October 12, 2018. Report: Catastrophic Hurricane Michael strikes Florida Panhandle, National Weather Service, October 10, 2018. Article: Yemen's President Hadi heads to US for medical treatment, Aljazeera, September 3, 2018. Article: Bab el-Mandeb, an emerging chokepoint for Middle East oil flows by Julian Lee, Bloomberg, July 26, 2018. Report: YEM305: Unknown reported killed, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, March 29, 2018. Article: Yemen: Ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh killed, Aljazeera, December 10, 2017. Article: In Yemen's secret prisons, UAE tortures and US interrogates by Maggie Michael, AP News, June 22, 2017. Report: Yemen: UAE backs abusive local forces, Human Rights Watch, June 22, 2017. Article: What we know about Saudi Arabia's role in 9/11 by Simon Henderson, Foreign Policy, July 18, 2016. Report: Yemen: Background and U.S. relations by Jeremy M. Sharp, Congressional Research Service, February 11, 2015. Article: How al Qaeda's biggest enemy took over Yemen (and why the US government is unlikely to support them) by Casey L. Coombs and Jeremy Scahill, The Intercept, January 22, 2015. Report: Yemen protests erupt after fuel price doubled, Aljazeera, July 30, 2014. Article: U.S. charges saudi for 2002 oil tanker bombing by MAREX, Feburary 6, 2014. Report: "Between a Drone and Al-Qaeda": The civilian cost of US targeted killings in Yemen, Human Rights Watch, October 22, 2013. Article: Yemen: Opposition leader to be sworn in Saturday by Reuters, The New York Times, December 7, 2011. Article: Yemen's Saleh signs deal to give up power by Marwa Rashad, Reuters, November 23, 2011. Article: Yemen's leader agrees to end 3-decade rule by Kareem Fahim and Laura Kasinof, The New York Times, November 23, 2011. Article: Yemeni president's shock return throws country into confusion by Tom Finn, The Guardian, September 23, 2011. Article: Yemen: President Saleh 'was injured by palace bomb', BBC News, June 23, 2011. Article: Government in Yemen agrees to talk transition by Laura Kasinof, The New York Times, April 26, 2011. Article: Hundreds take to streets in Yemen to protest by Faud Rajeh, The New York Times, February 16, 2011. Article: U.S. plays down tensions with Yemen by Eric Schmitt, The New York Times, December 17, 2010. Article: Cables depict range of Obama diplomacy by David E. Sanger, The New York Times, December 4, 2010. Article: Yemen's drive on Al Qaeda faces international skepticism by Mona El-Naggar and Robert F. Worth, The New York Times, November 3, 2010. Article: Op-Ed: The Yemeni state against its own people by Subir Ghosh, Digital Journal, October 11, 2010. Roundtable Summary: Reform priorities for Yemen and the 10-Point agenda, MENAP, Chatham House, February 18, 2010. Article: As nations meet, Clinton urges Yemen to prove itself worthy of aid by Mark Landler, The New York Times, January 27, 2010. Article: After failed attack, Britain turns focus to Yemen by John F. Burns, The New York Times, January 1, 2010. Resources Congress.gov: S.J.Res.54 - A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress Govtrack: S.J.Res. 7: A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by ... Congress IMF.org: Gulf Cooperation Council Countries Middle East Institute: Addressing the Crisis in Yemen: Strategies and Solutions Open Knowledge Repository: Leveraging Fuel Subsidy Reform for Transition in Yemen US Dept. of Treasury: International Monetary Fund Sound Clip Sources House Proceedings: Yemen Resolution Debate, 116th Congress, April 4, 2019. Congressional Record Sound Clips: 1:06:30 Rep. Michael McCaul (TX):This resolution stretches the definition of war powers hostilities to cover non-U.S. military operations by other countries. Specifically, it reinterprets U.S. support to these countries as ‘‘engagement in hostilities.’’ This radical reinterpretation has implications far beyond Saudi Arabia. This precedent will empower any single Member to use privileged war powers procedures to force congressional referendums that could disrupt U.S. security cooperation agreements with more than 100 countries around the world. 1:14:30 Rep. Barbara Lee (CA): Yes, Madam Speaker, I voted against that 2001 resolution, because I knew it was open-ended and would set the stage for endless wars. It was a blank check. We see this once again today in Yemen. We must repeal this 2001 blank check for endless wars. Over the past 18 years, we have seen the executive branch use this AUMF time and time again. It is a blank check to wage war without congressional oversight. 1:21:30 Rep. Ro Khanna (CA): My motivation for this bill is very simple. I don’t want to see 14 million Yemenis starve to death. That is what Martin Griffith had said at the U.N., that if the Saudis don’t stop their blockade and let food and medicine in, within 6 months we will see one of the greatest humanitarian crises in the world. Senate Floor Proceedings: Yemen Resolution Debate, 115th Congress, 2nd Session, December 12, 2018. Congressional Record Pt. 1 Congressional Record Pt. 2 Sound Clips: 7:09:00 Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT): Finally, an issue that has long been a concern to many of us—conservatives and progressives—is that this war has not been authorized by Congress and is therefore unconstitutional. Article I of the Constitution clearly states it is Congress, not the President, that has the power to send our men and women into war—Congress, not the President. The Framers of our Constitution, the Founders of this country, gave the power to declare war to Congress—the branch most accountable to the people—not to the President, who is often isolated from the reality of what is taking place in our communities. The truth is—and Democratic and Republican Presidents are responsible, and Democratic and Republican Congresses are responsible—that for many years, Congress has not exercised its constitutional responsibility over whether our young men and women go off to war. I think there is growing sentiment all over this country from Republicans, from Democrats, from Independents, from progressives, and from conservatives that right now, Congress cannot continue to abdicate its constitutional responsibility. 7:14:45 Sen. Bob Corker (TN): I have concerns about what this may mean as we set a precedent about refueling and intelligence activities being considered hostilities. I am concerned about that. I think the Senator knows we have operations throughout Northern Africa, where we are working with other governments on intelligence to counter terrorism. We are doing refueling activists in Northern Africa now, and it concerns me—he knows I have concerns—that if we use this vehicle, then we may have 30 or 40 instances where this vehicle might be used to do something that really should not be dealt with by the War Powers Act. 7:49:06 Sen. Todd Young (IN): We don’t have much leverage over the Houthis. We have significant leverage over the Saudis, and we must utilize it. 7:58:30 Sen. Jim Inhofe (OK): The Sanders-Lee resolution is, I think, fundamentally flawed because it presumes we are engaged in military action in Yemen. We are not. We are not engaged in military action in Yemen. There has been a lot of discussion about refueling. I don’t see any stretch of the definition that would say that falls into that category. 8:01:00 Sen. Jim Inhofe (OK): Saudi Arabia is an important Middle Eastern partner. Its stability is vital to the security of our regional allies and our partners, including Israel, and Saudi Arabia is essential to countering Iran. We all know that. We know how tenuous things are in that part of the world. We don’t have that many friends. We can’t afford to lose any of them. 8:04:30 Sen. Chris Murphy (CT): It is important to note some-thing that we take for granted in the region—this now long-term detente that has existed between the Gulf States and Israel, which did not used to be something you could rely on. In fact, one of the most serious foreign policy debates this Senate ever had was on the sale of AWACS to Saudi Arabia back in the 1980s. The objection then was that by empowering Saudi Arabia, you were hurting Israel and Israeli security. No one would make that argument today because Saudi Arabia has been a good partner in trying to figure out a way to calm the tensions in the region and, of course, provide some balance in the region, with the Iranian regime on the other side continuing to this day to use inflammatory and dangerous rhetoric about the future of Israel. So this is an important partnership, and I have no interest in blowing it up. I have no interest in walking away from it. But you are not obligated to follow your friend into every misadventure they propose. When your buddy jumps into a pool of man-eating sharks, you don’t have to jump with him. There is a point at which you say enough is enough. 8:06:00 Sen. Chris Murphy (CT): Muhammad bin Salman, who is the Crown Prince, who is the effective leader of the country, has steered the foreign policy of Saudi Arabia off the rails. Folks seem to have noticed when he started rounding up his political opponents and killing one of them in a consulate in Turkey, but this has been ongoing. Look back to the kidnapping of the Lebanese Prime Minister, the blockade of Qatar without any heads-up to the United States, the wholesale imprisonment of hundreds of his family members until there was a payoff, the size of which was big enough to let some of them out. This is a foreign policy that is no longer in the best interests of the United States and cannot be papered over by a handful of domestic policy reforms that are, in fact, intended to try to distract us from the aggressive nature of the Saudis’ foreign policy in the region. 8:08:15 Sen. Chris Murphy (CT): I am appreciative that many of my colleagues are willing to stand up for this resolution today to end the war in Yemen. I wish that it weren’t because of the death of one journalist, because there have been tens of thousands who have died inside Yemen, and their lives are just as important and just as worthwhile as Jamal Khashoggi’s life was, as tragic as that was. But there is a connection between the two, which is why I have actually argued that this resolution is in some way, shape, or form a response to the death of Jamal Khashoggi, for those who are primarily concerned with that atrocity. Here is how I link the two: What the Saudis did for 2 weeks was lie to us, right? In the most bald-faced way possible. They told us that Jamal Khashoggi had left the consulate, that he had gotten out of there alive, that they didn’t know what happened, when of course they knew the entire time that they had killed him, that they had murdered him, that they had dismembered his body. We now know that the Crown Prince had multiple contacts all throughout the day with the team of operatives who did it. Yet they thought we were so dumb or so weak— or some combination of the two—that they could just lie to us about it. That was an eye-opener for a lot of people here who were long-term supporters of the Saudi relationship because they knew that we had trouble. They knew that sometimes our interests didn’t align, but they thought that the most important thing allies did with each other was tell the truth, especially when the truth was so easy to discover outside of your bilateral relationship. Then, all of a sudden, the Saudis lied to us for 2 weeks—for 2 weeks—and then finally came around to telling the truth because everybody knew that they weren’t. That made a lot of people here think, well, wait a second—maybe the Saudis haven’t been telling us the truth about what they have been doing inside Yemen. A lot of my friends have been supporting the bombing campaign in Yemen. Why? Because the Saudis said: We are hitting these civilians by accident. Those water treatment plants that have been blowing up—we didn’t mean to hit them. That cholera treatment facility inside the humanitarian compound—that was just a bomb that went into the wrong place, or, we thought there were some bad guys in it. It didn’t turn out that there were. It turns out the Saudis weren’t telling us the truth about what they were doing in Yemen. They were hitting civilian targets on purpose. They did have an intentional campaign of trying to create misery. I am not saying that every single one of those school buses or those hospitals or those churches or weddings was an attempt to kill civilians and civilians only, but we have been in that targeting center long enough to know—to know—that they have known for a long time what they have been doing: hitting a lot of people who have nothing to do with the attacks against Saudi Arabia. Maybe if the Saudis were willing to lie to us about what happened to Jamal Khashoggi, they haven’t been straight with us as to what is happening inside Yemen, because if the United States is being used to intentionally hit civilians, then we are complicit in war crimes. And I hate to tell my colleagues that is essentially what the United Nations found in their most recent report on the Saudi bombing campaign. They were careful about their words, but they came to the conclusion that it was likely that the Saudi conduct inside Yemen would amount to war crimes under international law. If it is likely that our ally is perpetuating war crimes in Yemen, then we cannot be a part of that. The United States cannot be part of a bombing campaign that may be—probably is— intentionally making life miserable for the people inside of that country. 8:14:00 Sen. Chris Murphy (CT): There is no relationship in which we are the junior partner—certainly not with Saudi Arabia. If Saudi Arabia can push us around like they have over the course of the last several years and in particular the last several months, that sends a signal to lots of other countries that they can do the same thing—that they can murder U.S. residents and suffer almost no consequences; that they can bomb civilians with our munitions and suffer no consequences. This is not just a message about the Saudi relationship; this is a message about how the United States is going to interact with lots of other junior partners around the world as well. Saudi Arabia needs us a lot more than we need them, and we need to remind folks of that over and over again. Spare me this nonsense that they are going to go start buying Russian jets or Chinese military hardware. If you think those countries can protect you better than the United States, take a chance. You think the Saudis are really going to stop selling oil to the United States? You think they are going to walk away from their primary bread winner just because we say that we don’t want to be engaged in this particular military campaign? I am willing to take that chance. We are the major partner in this relationship, and it is time that we start acting like it. If this administration isn’t going to act like it, then this Congress has to act like it. 8:44:15 Sen. Mike Lee (UT): Many of my colleagues will argue—in fact some of them have argued just within the last few minutes—that we are somehow not involved in a war in Yemen. My distinguished friend and colleague, the Senator from Oklahoma, came to the floor a little while ago, and he said that we are not engaged in direct military action in Yemen. Let’s peel that back for a minute. Let’s figure out what that means. I am not sure what the distinction between direct and indirect is here. Maybe in a very technical sense—or under a definition of warfare or military action that has long since been rendered out- dated—we are not involved in that, but we are involved in a war. We are co-belligerents. The minute we start identifying targets or, as Secretary James Mattis put it about a year ago, in December 2017, the minute we are involved in the decisions involving making sure that they know the right stuff to hit, that is involvement in a war, and that is pretty direct. The minute we send up U.S. military aircraft to provide midair refueling assistance for Saudi jets en route to bombing missions, to combat missions on the ground in Yemen, that is our direct involvement in war. 8:48:00 Sen. Mike Lee (UT): Increasingly these days, our wars are high-tech. Very often, our wars involve cyber activities. They involve reconnaissance, surveillance, target selection, midair refueling. It is hard—in many cases, impossible—to fight a war without those things. That is what war is. Many of my colleagues, in arguing that we are not involved in hostilities, rely on a memorandum that is internal within the executive branch of the U.S. Government that was issued in 1976 that provides a very narrow, unreasonably slim definition of the word ‘‘hostilities.’’ It defines ‘‘hostilities’’ in a way that might have been relevant, that might have been accurate, perhaps, in the mid-19th century, but we no longer live in a world in which you have a war as understood by two competing countries that are lined up on opposite sides of a battlefield and engaged in direct exchanges of fire, one against another, at relatively short range. War encompasses a lot more than that. War certainly encompasses midair refueling, target selection, surveillance, and reconnaissance of the sort we are undertaking in Yemen. Moreover, separate and apart from this very narrow, unreasonably slim definition of ‘‘hostilities’’ as deter- mined by this internal executive branch document from 1976 that contains the outdated definition, we our- selves, under the War Powers Act, don’t have to technically be involved in hostilities. It is triggered so long as we ourselves are sufficiently involved with the armed forces of another nation when those armed forces of another nation are themselves involved in hostilities. I am speaking, of course, in reference to the War Powers Act’s pro- visions codified at 50 USC 1547(c). For our purposes here, it is important to keep in mind what that provisions reads: ‘‘For purposes of this chapter [under the War Powers Act], the term ‘introduction of United States Armed Forces’ includes the assignment of members of such Armed Forces to command, coordinate, participate in the movement of, or accompany the regular or irregular military forces of any foreign country or government when such military forces are engaged, or there exists an imminent threat that such forces will become engaged, in hostilities.’’ In what sense, on what level, on what planet are we not involved in the commanding, in the coordination, in the participation, in the movement of or in the accompaniment of the armed forces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia-led coalition in the civil war in Yemen? 9:57:15 Sen. Richard Blumenthal (CT): In March of this year, I led a letter to the Department of Defense with my colleague Senator JACK REED of Rhode Island, along with many of our colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee, stating our concern regarding U.S. support for Saudi military operations against the Houthis in Yemen and asking about the DOD’s involvement, apparently without appropriate notification of Congress, and its agreements to provide refueling sup- port to the Saudis and the Saudi coalition partners. We were concerned that the DOD had not appropriately documented reimbursements for aerial re- fueling support provided by the United States. Eight months later—just days ago— the Department of Defense responded to our letter and admitted that it has failed to appropriately notify Congress of its support agreements; it has failed to adequately charge Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for fuel and refueling assistance. That admission 8 months after our inquiry is a damning indictment. These errors in accounting mean that the United States was directly funding the Saudi war in Yemen. It has been doing it since March of 2015. Video: Trump: Khashoggi case will not stop $110bn US-Saudi arms trade, The Guardian, October 12, 2018. Donald Trump: I would not be in favor of stopping from spending $110 billion, which is an all-time record, and letting Russia have that money, and letting China have that money. Because all their going to do is say, that's okay, we don't have to buy it from Boeing, we don't have to buy it from Lockheed, we don't have to buy it from Ratheon and all these great companies. We'll buy it from Russia and we'll buy it from China. So what good does that do us? Hearing: U.S. Policy Toward Middle East, House Foreign Affairs Committee, C-SPAN, April 18, 2018. Witnesses: David Satterfield: Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Wess Mitchell: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Sound Clips: 18:00 David Satterfield: We all agree, as does the Congress, that the humanitarian crisis in Yemen is unacceptable. Last month, the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates provided $1 billion to Yemen's humanitarian response appeal, and this complements the US government pledge of $87 million and more than $854 million contributed since beginning of fiscal year 2017. 19:45 Wess Mitchell: Turkey is a 66 year member of the NATO alliance and member of the defeat ISIS coalition. It has suffered more casualties from terrorism than any other ally and hosts 3.5 million Syrian refugees. It supports the coalition through the use of Incirlik air base through its commitment of Turkish military forces against Isis on the ground in (Dibick? al-Bab?) And through close intelligence cooperation with the United States and other allies. Turkey has publicly committed to a political resolution in Syria that accords with UN Security Council. Resolution 2254. Turkey has a vested strategic interest in checking the spread of Iranian influence and in having a safe and stable border with Syria. Despite these shared interests, Turkey lately has increased its engagement with Russia and Iran. Ankara has sought to assure us that it sees this cooperation as a necessary stepping stone towards progress in the Geneva process, but the ease with which Turkey brokered arrangements with the Russian military to facilitate the launch of its Operation Olive Branch in Afrin district, arrangements to which America was not privy, is gravely concerning. Ankara claims to have agreed to purchase, to, to purchase the Russian S 400 missile system, which could potentially lead to sanctions under section 231 of CAATSA and adversely impact Turkey's participation in the F-35 program. It is in the American national interest to see Turkey remains strategically and politically aligned with the west. Hearing: U.S. Policy Toward Yemen, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, C-SPAN, April 17, 2018. Witnesses: Robert Jenkins: Deputy Assistant Administrator at USAID Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, & Humanitarian Assistance David Satterfield: Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Robert Karem: Assistant Defense Secretary for International Security Affairs Nominee and former Middle East Adviser to Vice President Cheney Sound Clips: 9:30 Chairman Bob Corker (TN): Well, Yemen has always faced significant socioeconomic challenges. A civil war, which began with the Houthis armed takeover of much of the country in 2014 and their overthrow of Yemen's legitimate government in January 2015, has plunged the country into humanitarian crisis. 17:25 Chairman Bob Corker (TN): Our first witness is acting assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, Ambassador David Satterfield. Ambassador Satterfield is one of the most distinguished, one of our most distinguished diplomats. He most recently served as director general, the multinational force and observers in the Sinai peninsula and previously served as US Abassador to Lebanon. 17:45 Chairman Bob Corker (TN): Our second witness is Robert Jenkins, who serves as the Deputy Assistant Administrator for USA ID Bureau for Democracy, conflict and humanitarian assistance. Mr. Jenkins, recently mark 20 years at USAID and previously served as the Director of Office of Transition Initiatives. 18:15 Chairman Bob Corker (TN): Our third witness is Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Robert Kerem. Prior to his Senate confirmation last year, Mr. Karem served as National Security of Staff of Vice President Cheney and then as National Security Advisor to the House, majority leader's Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy. 20:15 David Satterfield: US military support serves a clear and strategic purpose to reinforce Saudi and Mrid self defense in the face of intensifying Houthi and Iranian enabled threats and to expand the capability of our Gulf partners to push back against Iran's regionally destabilizing actions. This support in turn provides the United States access and influence to help press for a political solution to the conflict. Should we curtail US military support? The Saudis could well pursue defense relationships with countries that have no interest in either ending the humanitarian crisis, minimizing civilian casualties or assisting and facilitating progress towards a political solution. Critical US access to support for our own campaign against violent extremists could be placed in jeopardy. 30:00 Robert Karem: Conflict in Yemen affects regional security across the Middle East, uh, and threatens US national security interests, including the free flow of commerce and the Red Sea. Just this month, the Houthi, his attack to Saudi oil tanker and the Red Sea threatening commercial shipping and freedom of navigation and the world's fourth busiest maritime choke point, the Bab el Mandeb. 32:00 Robert Karem: The Defense Department is currently engaged in two lines of effort in Yemen. Our first line of effort and our priority is the fight against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and ISIS in Yemen, two terrorist organizations that directly threaten the United States, our allies and our partners. To combat AQIP, AQAP, and ISIS, US forces in coordination with the UN recognized government of Yemen are supporting our regional key counter terrorism partners in ongoing operations to disrupt and degrade their ability to coordinate, plot and recruit for external terrorist operations. Additionally, US military forces are conducting airstrikes against AQAP and ISIS in Yemen pursuant to the 2001 a authorization for the use of military force to disrupt and destroy terrorist network networks. Our second line of effort is the provision of limited noncombat support to the Saudi led coalition in support of the UN recognized government of Yemen. The support began in 2015 under President Obama and in 2017 president Trump reaffirmed America's commitment to our partners in these efforts. Fewer than 50 US military personnel work in Saudi Arabia with the Saudi led coalition advising and assisting with the defense of Saudi territory, sharing intelligence and providing logistical support, including aerial refueling. 35:45 Sen. Ben Cardin (MD): Mr. Karem. I'm gonna Start with you. Um, in regards to the US military assistance that we give to the kingdom, you said that is to embolden their capacity and to reduce noncombatant casualties. Last March, the CENTCOM commander General Votel stated that the United States government does not track the end results of the coalition missions. It refills and supports with targeting assistance. So my question to you is, how do you determine that we are effectively reducing the non combatant casualties if we don't in fact track the results of the kingdoms military actions? Robert Karem: Senator, thank you. Um, it's correct that we do not monitor and track all of the Saudi aircraft, um, uh, a loft over Yemen. Uh, we have limited personnel and assets in order to do that. Uh, and CENTCOM's focus is obviously been on our own operations in Afghanistan, in Iraq and in Syria. Sen. Ben Cardin (MD): I understand that, but my question is, our stated mission is to reduce noncombat and casualties. If we don't track, how do we determine that? Robert Karem: So I think one of our stated missions is precisely that. Um, there are multiple ways that I think we do have insight into, uh, Saudi, uh, targeting behavior. Um, we have helped them with their processes. Um, we have seen them implement a no strike list. Um, and we have seen their, their, their uh, capabilities, uh, improved. So the information is based upon what the Saudis tell you, how they're conducting the mission rather than the after impact of the mission. I think our military officers who are resident in Saudi Arabia are seeing how the Saudis approach, uh, this, this effort that took getting effort. Sen. Ben Cardin (MD): But you know, obviously the proof is in the results and we don't know whether the results are, there are not fair statement. Robert Karem: I think we do see a difference in how the Saudis have operated in Yemen, how they operate. Sen. Ben Cardin (MD): I understand how they operate but we don't know whether in fact that's been effective. The United Nations Security Council panel of experts on Yemen concluded in recent reports that the cumulative effect of these airstrikes on civilian infrastructure demonstrates that even with precaution, cautionary measures were taken, they were largely inadequate and ineffective. Do you have any information that disagrees with that assessment? Robert Karem: Senator, I think the assessment of, uh, our central command is that the Saudi, uh, and Emirati targeting efforts, uh, have improved, um, uh, with the steps that they've taken. We do not have perfect understanding because we're not using all of our assets to monitor their aircraft, but we do get reporting from the ground on what taking place inside Yemen. 40:15 Sen. Rand Paul (KY): Ambassador Satterfield. I guess some people when they think about our strategy might question the idea of our strategy. You know, if your son was shooting off his pistol in the back yard and doing it indiscriminately and endangering the neighbors, would you give hmi more bullets or less? And we see the Saudis acting in an indiscriminate manner. They've bombed a funeral processions, they've killed a lot of civilians. And so our strategy is to give them more bombs, not less. And we say, well, if we don't give him the bomb, somebody else will. And that's sort of this global strategy, uh, that many in the bipartisan foreign policy consensus have. We have to, we have to always be involved. We always have to provide weapons or someone else will and they'll act even worse. But there's a, I guess a lot of examples that doesn't seem to be improving their behavior. Um, you could argue it's marginally better since we've been giving them more weapons, but it seems the opposite of logic. You would think you would give people less where you might withhold aid or withhold a assistance to the Saudis to get them to behave. But we do sort of the opposite. We give them more aid. What would your response be to that? David Satterfield: Senator, when I noted in my remarks that progress had been made on this issue of targeting, minimizing or mitigating civilian casualties, that phrase was carefully chosen into elaborate further on, uh, my colleagues remarks, uh, Robert Karem. We do work with the Saudis and have, particularly over the last six to nine months worked intensively on the types of munitions the Saudis are using, how they're using, how to discriminate target sets, how to assure through increased loiter time by aircraft that the targets sought are indeed clear of collateral or civilian damage. This is new. This is not the type of interaction… Sen. Rand Paul (KY): And yet the overall situation in Yemen is a, is a disaster. David Satterfield: The overall situation is extremely bad. Senator. Sen. Rand Paul (KY): I guess that's really my question. We had to rethink...And I think from a common sense point of view, a lot of people would question giving people who misbehave more weapons instead of giving them less on another question, which I think is a broad question about, you know, what we're doing in the Middle East in general. Um, you admitted that there's not really a military solution in Yemen. Most people say it's going to be a political solution. The Houthis will still remain. We're not going to have Hiroshima. We're not going to have unconditional surrender and the good guys win and the bad guys are vanquished. Same with Syria. Most people have said for years, both the Obama administration and this administration, probably even the Bush administration, the situation will probably be a political solution. They will no longer, it's not going to be complete vanquished meant of the enemy. We're also saying that in Afghanistan, and I guess my point as I think about that is I think about the recruiter at the station in Omaha, Nebraska, trying to get somebody to sign up for the military and saying, please join. We're going to send you to three different wars where there is no military solution. We're hoping to make it maybe a little bit better. I think back to Vietnam. Oh, we're going to take one more village. If we take one more village, they're going to negotiate and we get a little better negotiation. I just can't see sending our young men and women to die for that for one more village. You know the Taliban 40% in Afghanistan. Where are we going to get when they get to 30% don't negotiate and when we it, it'll be, it'll have been worth it for the people who have to go in and die and take those villages. I don't think it's one more life. I don't think it's worth one more life. The war in Yemen is not hard. We talk all about the Iranians have launched hundreds of missiles. Well, yeah, and the Saudis have launched 16,000 attacks. Who started it? It's a little bit murky back and forth. The, the Houthis may have started taking over their government, but that was a civil war. Now we're involved in who are the good guys of the Saudis, the good guys or the others, the bad guys. Thousands of civilians are dying. 17 million people live on the edge of starvation. I think we need to rethink whether or not military intervention supplying the Saudis with weapons, whether all of this makes any sense at all or whether we've made the situation worse. I mean, humanitarian crisis, we're talking about, oh, we're going to give my, the Saudis are giving them money and I'm like, okay, so we dropped, we bomb the crap out of them in this audience. Give them $1 billion. Maybe we could bomb last maybe part of the humanitarian answers, supplying less weapons to a war. There's a huge arms race going on. Why do the Iranians do what they do? They're evil. Or maybe they're responding to the Saudis who responded first, who started it? Where did the arms race start? But we sell $300 billion a weapons to Saudi Arabia. What are the Iranians going to do? They react. It's action and reaction throughout the Middle East. And so we paint the Iranians as the, you know, these evil monsters. And we just have to correct evil monster. But the world's a much more complicated place back and forth. And I, all I would ask is that we try to get outside our mindset that we, uh, what we're doing is working because I think what we're doing hasn't worked, and we've made a lot of things worse. And we're partly responsible for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.  48:30 David Satterfield: The political picture on the ground in Yemen has changed radically with the death, the killing of a Ali Abdullah Saleh, uh, with the fragmentation of the General People's Congress. All of that, while tragic in many of its dimensions, has provided a certain reshuffling of the deck that may, we hope, allow the United Nations to be more effective in its efforts. 1:05:45 Sen. Todd Young (IN): Approximately how many people, Mr. Jenkins require humanitarian assistance in Yemen? David Jenkins: 22 million people. Sen. Todd Young (IN): What percent of the population is that? David Jenkins: Approximately 75% was the number of people requiring humanitarian assistance increase from last year. It increased by our, we're estimating 3.5 million people. Sen. Todd Young (IN): And how much has it increased? David Jenkins: About 3.5 million people. Sen. Todd Young (IN): Okay. How many are severely food insecure? David Jenkins: 17.8 million. Sen. Todd Young (IN): How many children are severely malnourished? David Jenkins: 460,000 Sen. Todd Young (IN): How many people lack access to clean water and working toilets? David Jenkins: We estimate it to be around 16 million people. Sen. Todd Young (IN): Does Yemen face the largest cholera outbreak in the world? David Jenkins: It does. Sen. Todd Young (IN): How many cholera cases have we seen in Yemen? David Jenkins: A suspected over a 1 million cases. Sen. Todd Young (IN): And how many lives has that cholera outbreak claim? David Jenkins: Almost 2100. 1:46:00 Robert Jenkins: I do know that the vast majority of people within that, the majority of people in need, and that 22 million number live in the northern part of the country that are accessible best and easiest by Hodeidah port, there is no way to take Hodeidah out of the equation and get anywhere near the amount of humanitarian and more importantly, even commercial goods into the country. Hearing: Violence in Yemen, House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Middle East and North America, C-SPAN, April 14, 2015. Witnesses: Gerald Feierstein: Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. Former Ambassador to Yemen (2010-2013) Sound Clips: 1:45 Rep. Illeana Ros-Lehtinen (FL): On September 10th of last year, President Obama announced to the American public his plan to degrade and destroy the terrorist group ISIL. While making his case for America's role in the fight against ISIL, the president highlighted our strategy in Yemen and held it up as a model of success to be emulated in the fight against ISIL. Yet about a week later, the Iran backed Houthis seized control of the capital and the government. Despite this, the administration continued to hail our counter-terror operations in Yemen as a model for success, even though we effectively had no partner on the ground since President Hadi was forced to flee. But perhaps even more astonishingly in what can only be described as an alarmingly tone deaf and short sighted, when Press Secretary Ernest was asked at a press briefing if this model was still successful after the Yemeni central government collapsed and the US withdrew all of our personnel including our special forces, he said yes, despite all indications pointing to the contrary. So where do we stand now? That's the important question. President Hadi was forced to flee. Saudi Arabia has led a coalition of over 10 Arab nations and Operation Decisive Storm, which so far has consisted of airstrikes only, but very well could include ground forces in the near future. 4:45 Rep. Illeana Ros-Lehtinen (FL): Iran has reportedly dispatched a naval destroyer near Yemen in a game of chicken over one of the most important shipping routes in the Gulf of Aden. This area is a gateway between Europe and the Middle East and ran was not be allowed to escalate any tensions nor attempt to disrupt the shipping lanes. 13:30 Rep. David Cicilline (NJ): I think it's safe to say that the quick deterioration of the situation in Yemen took many people here in Washington by surprise. For many years, Yemen was held up as an example of counter-terrorism cooperation and it looked as if a political agreement might be achieved in the aftermath of the Arab spring. The United States poured approximately $900 million in foreign aid to Yemen since the transition in 2011 to support counter-terrorism, political reconciliation, the economy and humanitarian aid. Now we face a vastly different landscape and have to revise our assumptions and expectations. Furthermore, we risk being drawn deeply into another Iranian backed armed conflict in the Middle East. 17:30 Rep. Ted Deutch (FL): Following the deposition of Yemen's longtime autocratic Saleh in 2011, the US supported an inclusive transition process. We had national dialogue aimed at rebuilding the country's political and governmental institutions and bridging gaps between groups that have had a long history of conflict. Yemen's first newly elected leader, President Hadi made clear his intentions to cooperate closely with the United States. 18:00 Rep. Ted Deutch (FL): Yemen, the poorest country on the peninsula, needed support from the international community. The United States has long viewed Yemen as a safe haven for all Qaeda terrorists, and there was alarming potential for recruitment by terrorist groups given the dire economic conditions that they faced. In fact, the US Department of Homeland Security considers al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the affiliate, most likely the al Qaeda affiliate, most likely to attempt transnational attacks against the United States. 18:30 Rep. Ted Deutch (FL): While the national dialogue was initially viewed as successful, the process concluded in 2014 with several key reforms still not completed, including the drafting of the new constitution. The Hadi government had continued to face deep opposition from Yemen's northern tribes, mainly the Shiite Iranian backed Houthi rebels, over the past year. The Houthis, in coordination with tribes and military units still loyal to Saleh, began increasing their territorial control, eventually moving in to Sanaa. Saleh had long been thought to have used his existing relationship to undermine the Hadi government. Houthis are well trained, well funded, and experienced fighters, having fought the Yemeni government and Saudi Arabia in 2009. 23:15 Gerald Feierstein: I greatly appreciate this opportunity to come before you today to review recent developments in Yemen and the efforts that the United States is undertaking to support the government of Yemen under president Rabu Mansour Hadi and the Saudi led coalition of Operation Decisive Storm, that is aimed at restoring the legitimate government and restarting the negotiations to find peaceful political solutions to Yemen's internal conflict. 26:45 Gerald Feierstein: To the best of our understanding, the Houthis are not controlled directly by Iran. However, we have seen in recent years, significant growth and expansion of Iranian engagement with the Houthis. We believe that Iran sees opportunities with the Houthis to expand its influence in Yemen and threatened Saudi and Gulf Arab interests. Iran provides financial support, weapons training, and intelligence of the Houthis and the weeks and months since the Houthis entered Sanaa and forced the legitimate government first to resign and ultimately to flee from the capitol, we have seen a significant expansion of Iranian involvement in Yemen's domestic affairs. 27:30 Gerald Feierstein: We are also particularly concerned about the ongoing destabilizing role played by former President Saleh, who since his removal from power in 2011 has actively plotted to undermine President Hadi and the political transition process. Despite UN sanctions and international condemnation of his actions, Saleh continues to be one of the primary sources of the chaos in Yemen. We have been working with our Gulf partners and the international community to isolate him and prevent the continuation of his efforts to undermine the peaceful transition. Success in that effort will go a long way to helping Yemen return to a credible political transition process. 42:00 Gerald Feierstein: From our perspective, I would say that that Yemen is a unique situation for the Saudis. This is on their border. It represents a threat in a way that no other situation would represent. 52:30 Gerald Feierstein: I mean, obviously our hope would be that if we can get the situation stabilized and get the political process going again, that we would be able to return and that we would be able to continue implementing the kinds of programs that we were trying to achieve that are aimed at economic growth and development as well as supporting a democratic governance and the opportunity to try to build solid political foundations for the society. At this particular moment, we can't do that, but it's hard to predict where we might be in six months or nine months from now. 1:10:00 Gerald Feierstein: When the political crisis came in Yemen in 2011, AQAP was able to take advantage of that and increase its territorial control, to the extent that they were actually declaring areas of the country to be an Islamic caliphate, not unlike what we see with ISIL in Iraq and Syria these days. Because of our cooperation, primarily our cooperation with the Yemeni security forces, uh, we were able to, uh, to defeat that, uh, at a significant loss of a life for AQAP. Uh, as a result of that, they changed their tactics. They went back to being a more traditional terrorist organization. They were able to attack locations inside of, uh, inside of Sanaa and and elsewhere. But the fact of the matter is that, uh, that we, uh, were achieving a progress in our ability to pressure them, uh, and, uh, to keep them on the defensive as opposed to giving them lots of time. And remember in 2009 in 2010, uh, we saw AQAP mount a fairly serious efforts - the underwear bomber and then also the cassette tape effort to attack the United States. After 2010, uh, they were not able to do that, uh, despite the fact that their intent was still as clear and as strong as it was before. And so a while AQAP was by no means defeated and continue to be a major threat to security here in the United States as well as in Yemen and elsewhere around the world, nevertheless, I think that it was legitimate to say that we had achieved some success in the fight against AQAP. Unfortunately what we're seeing now because of the change in the situation again, inside of Yemen, uh, is that we're losing some of the gains that we were able to make, uh, during that period of 2012 to 2014. That's why it's so important that we, uh, have, uh, the ability to get the political negotiation started again, so that we can re-establish legitimate government inside of Sanaa that will cooperate with us once again in this fight against violent extremist organizations. 1:16:45 Rep. Ted Yoho (FL): How can we be that far off? And I know you explained the counter-terrorism portion, but yet to have a country taken over while we're sitting there working with them and this happens. I feel, you know, it just kinda happened overnight the way our embassy got run out of town and just says, you have to leave. Your marines cannot take their weapons with them. I, I just, I don't understand how that happens or how we can be that disconnected. Um, what are your thoughts on that? Gerald Feierstein: You know, it was very, it was very frustrating. Again, I think that, if you go back to where we were a year ago, the successful conclusion of the National Dialogue Conference, which was really the last major hurdle and completion of the GCC initiative, Houthis participated in that. They participated in the constitutional drafting exercise, which was completed successfully. Uh, and so we were in the process of moving through all of the requirements of the GCC initiative that would allow us to complete successfully the political transition. I think there were a combination of things. One, that there was a view on the part of the Houthis that they were not getting everything that they wanted. They were provoked, in our view, by Ali Abdullah Saleh, who never stopped plotting from the very first day after he signed the agreement on the GCC initiative. He never stopped plotting to try to block the political transition, and there was, to be frank, there was a weakness in the government and an inability on the part of the government to really build the kind of alliances and coalition that would allow them to sustain popular support and to bring this to a successful conclusion. And so I think that all through this period there was a sense that we were moving forward and that we believed that we could succeed in implementing this peaceful transition. And yet we always knew that on the margins there were threats and there were risks, and unfortunately we got to a point where the Houthis and Ali Abdullah Saleh, my personal view is that they recognized that they had reached the last possible moment, where they could obstruct the peaceful political transition that was bad for them because it would mean that they wouldn't get everything that they wanted, and so they saw that time was running out for them, and they decided to act. And unfortunately, the government was unable to stop them. Hearing: Targeted Killing of Terrorist Suspects Overseas, Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights, C-SPAN, April 23, 2013. Sound Clips: 44:30 Farea al-Muslimi: My name as you mentioned, is Farea al-Muslimi, and I am from Wessab, a remote village mountain in Yemen. I spent a year living with an American family and attended an American high school. That was one of the best years of my life. I learned about American culture, managed the school basketball team and participated in trick or treat and Halloween. But the most exceptional was coming to know someone who ended up being like a father to me. He was a member of the U S Air Force and most of my year was spent with him and his family. He came to the mosque with me and I went to church with him and he became my best friend in America. I went to the U.S. as an ambassador for Yemen and I came back to Yemen as an ambassador of the U.S. I could never have imagined that the same hand that changed my life and took it from miserable to a promising one would also drone my village. My understanding is that a man named Hamid al-Radmi was the target of the drone strike. Many people in Wessab know al-Radmi, and the Yemeni government could easily have found and arrested him. al-Radmi was well known to government officials and even local government could have captured him if the U.S. had told them to do so. In the past, what Wessab's villagers knew of the U.S. was based on my stories about my wonderful experiences had. The friendships and values I experienced and described to the villagers helped them understand the America that I know and that I love. Now, however, when they think of America, they think of the terror they feel from the drones that hover over their heads ready to fire missiles at any time. What violent militants had previously failed to achieve one drone strike accomplished in an instant. 1:17:30 Farea al-Muslimi: I think the main difference between this is it adds into Al Qaeda propaganda of that Yemen is a war with the United States. The problem of Al Qaeda, if you look to the war in Yemen, it's a war of mistakes. The less mistake you make, the more you win, and the drones have simply made more mistakes than AQAP has ever done in the matter of civilians. News Report: Untold Stories of the underwear bomber: what really happened, ABC News 7 Detroit, September 27, 2012. Part 1 Part 2 Hearing: U.S. Policy Toward Yemen, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, C-SPAN, July 19, 2011. Witnesses: Janet Sanderson: Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Daniel Benjamin: State Department Counterterrorism Coordinator Sound Clips: 21:00 Janet Sanderson: The United States continues its regular engagement with the government, including with President Ali, Abdullah Saleh, who's currently, as you know, recovering in Saudi Arabia from his injuries following the June 3rd attack on his compound, the acting president, Vice President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the opposition, civil society activists, and others interested in Yemen's future. We strongly support the Gulf Cooperation Council's initiative, which we believe would lead to a peaceful and orderly political transition. The GCC initiative signed by both the ruling General People's Congress party and the opposition coalition, joint meeting parties. Only president Saleh is blocking the agreement moving forward and we continue to call on him to sign the initiative. 22:30 Janet Sanderson: While most protests in Yemen have been peaceful over the last couple of months, there have been violent clashes between pro- and anti-government demonstrators and between protesters and government security forces and irregular elements using forced to break up demonstrations. The United States is strongly urged the Yemeni government to investigate and prosecute all acts of violence against protesters. 27:00 Janet Sanderson: We strongly believe that a transition is necessary, that an orderly, peaceful transition is the only way to begin to lead Yemen out of the crisis that it has been in for the last few months. 34:30 Daniel Benjamin: Really, I just want to echo what ambassador Sanderson said. It is vitally important that the transition take place. 1:02:15 Daniel Benjamin: The the view from the administration, particularly from a DOD, which is doing of course, the lion's share of the training, although State Department through anti-terrorism training is doing, uh, uh, a good deal as well, is that the Yemenis are, uh, improving their capacities, that they are making good progress towards, uh, being, able to deal with the threats within their border. But it is important to recognize that, uh, uh, our engagement in Yemen was interrupted for many years. Uh, Yemen, uh, did not have the kind of mentoring programs, the kind of training programs that many of our other counter-terrorism partners had. Um, it was really when the Obama administration came into office that a review was done, uh, in, in March of, uh, beginning in March of 2009, it was recognized that Yemen was a major challenge in the world of counter terrorism. And it was not until, uh, December after many conversations with the Yemenis that we really felt that they were on-board with the project and in fact took their first actions against AQAP. This, as you may recall, was just shortly before the attempted, uh, December 25th bombing of the northwest flight. So this is a military and a set of, uh, Ministry of Interior that is civilian, uh, units that are making good progress, but obviously have a lot to learn. So, uh, again, vitally important that we get back to the work of training these units so that they can, uh, take on the missions they need to. Press Conference: Yemen Conference, C-SPAN, January 27, 2010. Speakers: David Miliband - British Foreign Secretary Hillary Clinton - Secretary of State Abu Bakr al-Kurbi - Yemeni Foreign Minister Sound Clips: 3:30 David Miliband: And working closely with the government of Yemen, we decided that our agenda needed to cover agreement on the nature of the problem and then address the, uh, solutions across the economic, social, and political terrain. Five key items were agreed at the meeting for the way in which the international community can support progress in Yemen. First, confirmation by the government of Yemen, that it will continue to pursue its reform agenda and agreement to start discussion of an IMF program. The director of the IMF represented at the meeting made a compelling case for the way in which economic reform could be supported by the IMF. This is important because it will provide welcome support and help the government of Yemen confront its immediate challenges. 11:45 Hillary Clinton: The United States just signed a three year umbrella assistance agreement with the government of Yemen that will augment Yemen's capacity to make progress. This package includes initiatives that will cover a range of programs, but the overarching goal of our work is to increase the capacity and governance of Yemen and give the people of Yemen the opportunity to better make choices in their own lives. President Saleh has outlined a 10 point plan for economic reform along with the country's national reform agenda. Those are encouraging signs of progress. Neither, however, will mean much if they are not implemented. So we expect Yemen to enact reforms, continue to combat corruption, and improve the country's investment in business climate. 15:45 Abu Bakr al-Kurbi: This commitment also stems from our belief that the challenges we are facing now cannot be remedied unless we implement this agenda of reforms and the 10 points that her exellency alluded to because this is now a priority number of issues that we have to start with, and I hope this is what will be one of the outcomes of this meeting. 16:30 Hillary Clinton: One of the factors that's new is the IMF's involvement and commitment. the IMF has come forward with a reform agenda that the government of Yemen has agreed to work on. 24:30 Hillary Clinton: We were pleased by the announcement of a cease fire, um, between the Saudis and the Houthis. That should lead, we hope, to broader negotiations and a political dialogue that might lead to a permanent, uh, end to the conflict in the north. It's too soon to tell. The Daily Show with John Stewart: Terror 2.0 by Yemen - Sad Libs, CC.com, January 6, 2010. The Daily Show with John Stewart: Terror 2.0 by Yemen, CC.com, January 4, 2010. Community Suggestions See Community Suggestions HERE. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

This week, Egypt's parliament approves a motion to amend the country's constitution. The proposed amendments would keep the current President, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in power until 2034. In Libya, Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Hifter continues operation to take territory in the country's southwest, including al-Sharara oil field. And in Washington, the US House of Representatives approves a motion to end US support for the war in Yemen as UN representatives in Hodeidah continue working to broker a deal between the Saudi-led coalition and Houthi fighters as they contest control of the strategic port city.

Om priset för att bli mätt. För en jemenit är en enkel portion mat lika dyr som en trerätters på lyxkrog för en svensk. Hur blev det så? Om världens största humanitära katastrof och vad som orsakat den. För inte alltför länge sedan producerade Jemen mango, hirs och kaffe och landet var känt för sin lammgryta. Idag är 22 miljoner jemeniter i behov av nödhjälp och 10 miljoner riskerar att svälta, enligt FN. I Kista i norra Stockholm tillagar de jemenitiska systrarna Reem och Ranim Alsaidi en måltid så som den en gång kunde se ut en fredagseftermiddag i ett jemenitiskt medelklasshem. Konflikts producent Ulrika Bergqvist får smaka lamm, ockragryta, ris, bröd och en efterrätt med en av Jemens alla 40 olika sorters honung. Men systrarna äter inte längre med samma aptit som tidigare. De hör dagliga rapporter från släktingar och vänner som kämpar inte bara mot kriget utan mot hungern - i hemlandet. När vår reporter Abdelaziz Maaloum ringer en lärarinna i hamnstaden Hodeidah serverar hon en slags klimp till middag, soppa på mjöl och vatten Och det är inte längre bara de fattiga som drabbas. Konflikts Robin Olin besöker Riksbankschef Stefan Ingves som ger en ledtråd till varför Jemens många statsanställda inte fått sina löner utbetalda och nu tvingas jobba dygnet runt för att ställa mat på bordet. Martha Mundy, professor i antropologi vid London School of Economics, har följt jordbrukets utveckling i Jemen sedan 70-talet. Men hon trodde inte att hennes forskarkarriär skulle sluta med att hon nu studerar kartor över bombningar istället för grödor. Hon menar att hungern är en utstuderad taktik i krigföringen. Sveriges Radios Mellanösternkorrespondent Johan-Mathias Sommarström mötte både hungrande och soldater under en resa i Jemen ifjol. Så vilken roll spelar omvärlden i att transportleder, men också kycklingfarmer och vattenpumpar bombas? Ibland med vapen och vapensystem importerade från länder som USA och Storbritannien och kanske också från Sverige? Vi hör kabinettsekreterare Annika Söder som varit med i de senaste FN-förhandlingarna om att underlätta införseln av mat och bistånd i landet och i förlängningen få ett slut på kriget. Pieter Wezeman, expert på internationell vapenhandel på fredsforskningsinstitutet SIPRI i Stockholm, tycker att Sverige borde följa upp leveranser av vapensystem från exempelvis Saab lika noggrant som vi följer upp det svenska biståndet. Programledare: Robin Olin robin.olin@sr.se Producent: Ulrika Bergqvist ulrika.bergqvist@sr.se

Listen to the Sun. Dec. 23, 2018 special edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. We will bring to you our regular PANW segment featuring dispatches on the continuing military struggle surrounding the control of the strategic port of Hodeidah in the Middle Eastern state of Yemen; Madagascar is awaiting for the final results of the runoff presidential elections held several days ago; Ethiopia is dealing with ethnic strife in the southern regions of the Horn of Africa state due to fighting between the Oromo and Somali people; and Burundi has objected to the ordered withdrawal of its troops from Somalia as part of the downsizing of forces by the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM). In the second hour we remember the legacy of the martyred Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. leading up to the 90th anniversary of his birth. In the final segments we look back at the 73rd United Nations General Assembly through addresses delivered by the leaders of South Africa, Cuba and Venezuela.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Jacqueline Luqman, the co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation, which livestreams every Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on Facebook, and with Sputnik News analyst and producer Walter Smolarek.Friday is Loud & Clear’s weekly hour-long segment The Week in Review, about the week in politics, policy, and international affairs. Today they focus on Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s roll back of anti-labor teaching regulations and making education free, US-China relations through the Huawai arrest, North Carolina election fraud, and Michael Cohen’s week. On Wednesday of this week, federal court judge Emmet Sullivan issued new orders demanding that the Mueller investigation provide to the judge, who’s overseeing the sentencing of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, FBI memoranda and other documentation held by the FBI regarding how and why the FBI initially interviewed Flynn on January 24, 2017. That was the day that Michael Flynn reported to FBI agents about his discussions with the Russian ambassador in Washington, D.C. in December, 2016. Flynn ultimately pled guilty to one count of lying to the FBI about his discussions with the Russian ambassador in that meeting. The hosts talk about what the judge’s order might mean for Michael Flynn and the Mueller probe. Brian and John speak with Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of the new book “The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World.” The FBI has raided the home of a government employee who apparently sent documents to Congressional oversight committees showing fraud committed by the Clinton Foundation. Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican who is a champion of whistleblowers, sent a letter to the FBI asking them to explain why the whistleblower should not be protected under federal statute. So far, Grassley has been ignored. Meanwhile, a Congressional hearing on the Foundation yesterday exploded as Republicans attacked their own witnesses for refusing to answer questions. Brad Birkenfeld, a famed whistleblower who single handedly brought down international money laundering at banking giant UBS, joins the show. A 7-year-old girl has died of shock and dehydration after being detained by the Border Patrol in New Mexico. The girl and her father were taken into custody after crossing the border. She was not given any food or water, and eight hours later, with a temperature of 105.7 degrees, she began having seizures. She died shortly thereafter. Juan José Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, joins Brian and John. The Senate last night, by a margin of 56-41, voted to end US military assistance for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen in the strongest showing yet of bipartisan defiance of President Trump’s defense of the kingdom after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Although dramatic, the vote is likely symbolic because House Speaker Paul Ryan is refusing to permit a similar vote in the House. Meanwhile, an agreement to end fighting in the crucial Yemeni port city of Hodeidah has raised hopes for peace in the country. Kathy Kelly, co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, joins the show.It’s Friday! So it’s time for the week’s worst and most misleading headlines. Brian and John speak with Steve Patt, an independent journalist whose critiques of the mainstream media have been a feature of his blog Left I on the News and on twitter @leftiblog, and Sputnik producer Nicole Roussell.

1-Yemen. Concordato un cessate il fuoco per il porto di Hodeidah...È il risultato, importante, dei negoziati che finiscono oggi in Svezia.2-Brexit. Theresa May alle prese con una nuova missione impossibile...La prima ministra britannica è a Bruxelles, alla ricerca di modifiche all'accordo di novembre. Il voto del parlamento di Londra sarà a gennaio (Maria Maggiore).3-Trump nega di aver spinto Michael Cohen a violare la legge. Ieri l'ex-avvocato del presidente era stato condannato a tre anni e due mesi di carcere (Roberto Festa).4-La crisi catalana. Peggiorano nuovamente i rapporti tra Madrid e Barcellona. Prime tensioni, preoccupanti, tra Pedro Sanchez e gli indipendentisti (Giulio Maria Piantadosi).5-World Music. Il primo album di Blinky Bill per Lusafrica (Marcello Lorrai)

1-Yemen. Concordato un cessate il fuoco per il porto di Hodeidah...È il risultato, importante, dei negoziati che finiscono oggi in Svezia.2-Brexit. Theresa May alle prese con una nuova missione impossibile...La prima ministra britannica è a Bruxelles, alla ricerca di modifiche all'accordo di novembre. Il voto del parlamento di Londra sarà a gennaio (Maria Maggiore).3-Trump nega di aver spinto Michael Cohen a violare la legge. Ieri l'ex-avvocato del presidente era stato condannato a tre anni e due mesi di carcere (Roberto Festa).4-La crisi catalana. Peggiorano nuovamente i rapporti tra Madrid e Barcellona. Prime tensioni, preoccupanti, tra Pedro Sanchez e gli indipendentisti (Giulio Maria Piantadosi).5-World Music. Il primo album di Blinky Bill per Lusafrica (Marcello Lorrai)

1-Yemen. Concordato un cessate il fuoco per il porto di Hodeidah...È il risultato, importante, dei negoziati che finiscono oggi in Svezia.2-Brexit. Theresa May alle prese con una nuova missione impossibile...La prima ministra britannica è a Bruxelles, alla ricerca di modifiche all'accordo di novembre. Il voto del parlamento di Londra sarà a gennaio (Maria Maggiore).3-Trump nega di aver spinto Michael Cohen a violare la legge. Ieri l'ex-avvocato del presidente era stato condannato a tre anni e due mesi di carcere (Roberto Festa).4-La crisi catalana. Peggiorano nuovamente i rapporti tra Madrid e Barcellona. Prime tensioni, preoccupanti, tra Pedro Sanchez e gli indipendentisti (Giulio Maria Piantadosi).5-World Music. Il primo album di Blinky Bill per Lusafrica (Marcello Lorrai)

The Saudi-led coalition has led a brutal air campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen since 2015. The result has been a tremendous humanitarian catastrophe, with 50,000 dead, millions on the brink of starvation, and a deadly outbreak of cholera in 2016. The dire situation has also been exacerbated by the continuation and intensification of two overlapping wars—the U.S. war against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the Islamic State, and an intractable, multi-sided civil war. While the United States has demonstrated some desire to distance itself from the Yemen war, the Saudi-led coalition has intensified its battle over the port city of Hodeidah. Gregory Johnsen discusses the multiple overlapping conflicts in Yemen and the options for the United States to reduce the negative humanitarian and strategic consequences of the conflict there. Gregory Johnsen is a Yemen expert who served on the Yemen Panel of Experts for the UN Security Council from 2016 to 2018. He was a Fulbright fellow in Yemen and resident scholar at the Arabia Foundation, and holds a PhD in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University. Johnsen is also the author of The Last Refuge: Yemen, Al-Qaeda, and America’s War in Arabia. Participants Gregory Johnsen, author and Yemen scholar Michael Wahid Hanna, The Century Foundation Thanassis Cambanis, The Century Foundation

The rapprochement between Ethiopia and Eritrea has repercussions that go beyond diplomacy on the Horn of Africa. A recent investigation shows that while Eritrea is no longer isolated, Djibouti is emerging as the new regional arms trafficking hub. The small strategically located state acts as a transit location for weapons trafficking between Yemen and northern Somalia through the AMISOM mission among others actors in the trade. The findings are the result of an investigation carried out by EXX Africa (specialist intelligence company that delivers forecasts on African political and economic risk to businesses) in illegal weapons trade on the Horn of Africa. In its research, the results of which are contained in the report titled The Arms Trade In The Horn Of Africa (the report has been partially published on EXX Africa website behind a paywall and is available upon request), the UK based company states that many Djibouti -based companies engaged in the country’s thriving marine sector have been implicated in the illegal weapons trade. Djibouti's growing economy Djibouti is one of the world's fastest growing economies and opens onto one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. It is strategically located on the Horn of Africa with access to both the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Djibouti is only 32 kilometers away from Yemen and shares borders with Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somaliland and Somalia. The country also hosts a number of foreign military bases - France has its largest African military base there, the US military base there caters for some four thousand troops and can act as a launch pad for operations in Yemen and Somalia, while Japan, Italy, Germany and China also have a military presence in Djibouti. According to EXX Africa’s executive director, Robert Besseling, most of the weapons appear to be coming from Houthi controlled territory in Yemen - the Khokha district of Hodeidah province - shipped in the direction of Djiboutian ports from where they are passed to armed groups in northern Somalia supported by the government in Djibouti. Besseling added that his team uncovered evidence of some of these weapons reaching armed groups in Sudan, South Sudan and Ethiopia. However, he said he has no evidence that Djibouti is directly arming the Al-Shabab terrorist organisation. The investigation also shows that the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is involved in supplying illegal weapons to armed groups in northern Somalia. “The Djibouti contingent deployed to AMISOM which is allowed to take weapons to Somalia, under very strict arms embargo, has been shipping some of those weapons to armed groups previously and still currently supported by Djibouti’s government,” Besseling says. Djibouti fills in the gap left by Eritrea The rapprochement between Eritrea and Ethiopia and the Eritrean peace overtures towards foreign countries (diplomatic ties restored with Somalia and Djibouti)  is not only reshaping the region’s geo-politics, but is also likely to shift the dynamics of arms trafficking in the region. During its years of isolation, Eritrea turned to illicit arms trafficking that “facilitat[ed] shipments of weapons to embargoed destinations like Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia," the report reads. The report also claims that Eritrea has also been involved in “arming and training Al-Shabaab militants as well as Ethiopian rebel groups like the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).” Now that Eritrea is emerging from decades of isolation, it is likely to reduce its “central role in arms trafficking in the Horn of Africa," Besseling says. He adds that such a situation “would open up a vacuum in arms trafficking into which Djibouti could step into”. The EXX report states that senior Djiboutian military officials, government officials and heads of state-owned enterprises have ties with companies involved in the funding and facilitation of arms trafficking into the Horn of Africa. Besseling adds: “Based on that evidence, it would seem very conceivable that the Djiboutian government is aware of its position in arms trafficking and that it is, indeed, actively encouraging it.” The foreign military powers in Djibouti do not appear to be concerned with the arms trafficking happening under their nose. “It would not be in these countries’ interests to reprimand Djibouti or to impose punitive sanctions given that many of these countries are UN Security Council members (NB: France, USA, China). They would be fearful of losing their leases over their military bases in Djibouti,” says Besseling. This explains why there has been no concerted action by the United Nations or by these Western and Asian governments to try and curtail the arms trade in the country. Besseling warns about the risks of a blowback due to this absence of action to address the illegal weapons trade in Djibouti. He says that armed criminal activity is on the rise, fuelled by a proliferation of small arms in the country. Furthermore, there is the added risk of armed local insurgency because of clan divisions and political repression. And the terrorism threat remains; it already happened in May 2014 and the presence of thousands of Westerners still makes Djibouti a target for terrorist attacks. Follow Robert Besseling on Twitter @ExxAfrica Follow Zeenat Hansrod on Twitter @zxnt

Yemeni journalist and filmmaker Nasser Arrabyee speaks to us from Sanaa about the war in Yemen. In 2015, a CENTCOM commander told a US Senator that he did not know Saudi Arabia’s goals and objectives in its war on Yemen and therefore could not assess the chances of success. More than three years later, Nasser Arrabyee helps us explore the answers to those questions. We talk about the US-backed Saudi and UAE coalition’s mission in Yemen, the Yemeni Resistance and Iran’s involvement. Arrabyee updates us on the situation in Hodeidah and we discuss the recent AP report on the Saudi/UAE cooperation with al Qaeda. Arrabyee has produced four documentaries about the war in Yemen and has been published by numerous media outlets including the New York Times, Bloomberg and Foreign Policy. FOLLOW @narrabyee on Twitter and find his work at his website yemen-now.com. We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, YouTube, Facebook. Recorded on August 16, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing (3/26/15) exchange between Sen. Gillibrand and Gen. Lloyd Austin (at 2:16:46) America Is Committing War Crimes and Doesn’t Even Know Why, Micah Zenko, Foreign Policy The toll of wars in the Middle East, WHYY Radio Times, Marty Moss-Coane Why is Saudi halting oil shipments through the Red Sea?, Stephen Kalin, Rania El Gamal, Reuters Yemen: US allies don’t defeat al-Qaida but pay it to go away, AP Inside the UAE’s war on al-Qaeda in Yemen, Bel Trew, The Independent After dozens of children die, Trump administration faces mounting pressure over Yemen war, Missy Ryan, Washington Post  

We continue our discussion with Dr. Isa Blumi, speaking to us from Sweden, about the war in Yemen including the battle for Hodeidah, the development of Horn of Africa and Red Sea coast  and the bigger picture this war reveals. We discuss the underlying existential battles between Gulf States, the political factions in the United States they’re aligned with, and the western imperial and corporate powers at work in the region. Dr. Blumi expertly analyzes and advises on how to read the western media coverage and propaganda on Yemen and the old “divide and rule” exploitation tactics that are employed. Dr. Blumi is an historian, an author and an Associate Professor at Stockholm University. His recent book Destroying Yemen: What Chaos in Arabia Tells Us about the World tells the story of the wars in Yemen but also “ultimately tells an even larger story of today’s political economy of global capitalism, development, and the war on terror as disparate actors intersect in Arabia.”  FOLLOW Isa Blumi @IsaBlumi and find his latest book at UCPress.edu. We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. Follow Dan & Joanne: @USEmpireShow,  @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW us on iTunes, YouTube, Facebook. Recorded on July 31, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Destroying Yemen: What Chaos in Arabia Tells Us about the World, Isa Blumi, UC Press UAE talks up diplomacy as Congress curtails US involvement in Yemen war, Jack Detsch, Middle East Monitor China probing emerging UAE reserves, Daniel J. Graeber, UPI Why is Saudi halting oil shipments through the Red Sea?, Stephen Kalin, Rania El Gamal, Reuters Yemen: US allies don’t defeat al-Qaida but pay it to go away, AP

The New Humanitarian brings you an inside look at the conflicts and natural disasters that leave millions of people in need each year, and the policies and people who respond to them. Join our journalists in the aid policy hub of Geneva and in global hotspots to unpack the stories that are disrupting and shaping lives around the world.

With the Saudi-led coalition’s offensive operations against the strategic port and city of Hodeidah stalled, eyes are now on UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths as he attempts to negotiate a political resolution. Fatima al-Asrar, senior analyst at the Arabia Foundation, and Sama’a al-Hamdani, director of the Yemen Cultural Institute for Heritage and the Arts, join guest host Gerald Feierstein to assess the state of the four-year-old Yemen conflict and its impact on the Yemeni people.

Even with the usual drowning of military news topics in circulation today, this last week has raised the bar considerably on how much horrible news can be crammed in such a small amount of time.  Yemen, already awash in the humanitarian disasters caused by the Saudi / UAE / US campaign to remove the Houthis, found a new low this week as Yemeni citizens fled the new drive to retake the both the port and airport in Hodeidah.  The Supreme Court demonstrates its very pointed lack of democratic principles as it voted down cases on both labor rights and President Trump’s Muslim ban, to only name a few. And poor Reality Winner receives her sentence for whistleblowing, to the tune of 63 months in federal prison and 3 years supervised release. Grab a pillow case or a paper bag to scream into, because I think you’ll need it. 5:16 - UAE backed militia forces fight to retake Hodeidah port in Yemen from the Houthis 15:11 - Supreme Court gives 5-4 vote in favor of the Muslim ban 26:50 - Reality Winner makes plea deal, sentenced to 63 months in federal prison 37:54 - Maintaining two full brigades as a ‘deterrent’ to Russia Henri appearance on Fault Lines Radio - June 25, 2018 UAE SAYS IT CAN’T CONTROL YEMENI FORCES — EVEN AS IT HANDS THEM BAGS OF CASH - Iona Craig - The Intercept SHE NAMED HER CHILD “ENOUGH” - A Rare Look at Yemen’s War, Where Children Starve and Hospitals Are on Life-Support - Alex Potter - The Intercept “IT TOOK US OVER A WEEK TO FIND ALL THE BODY PARTS” - Alex Potter - The Intercept Reality Winner, Accused Of Leaking Classified Documents, Pleads Guilty - Camila Domonoske - NPR Enjoy the show?!  Please leave us a review right here. Got news to share about our military or veterans?! Or just need to cuss at us for a bit?! Contact us direct by email at fortressonahill@gmail.com Leave us a voicemail at 860-598-0570.  We might even play it on the podcast!!! Not a contributor on Patreon? You're missing out on amazing bonus content! Sign up to be one of our contributors today! - www.patreon.com/fortressonahill A special thanks to our honorary producers Matthew Hoh and Will Ahrens!!  Without you guys, we couldn't continue our work.  Thank you both so much!!! Facebook - Fortress On A Hill Twitter - Fortress On A Hill Soundcloud - Fortress On A Hill FOH is hosted, written, and produced by Chris 'Henri' Henrikson and Danny Sjursen Cover and website art designed by Brian K. Wyatt Jr. of B-EZ Graphix Multimedia Marketing Agency in Tallehassee, FL Music provided royalty free by Bensound.com Note: The views expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts alone, expressed in an unofficial capacity, and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

The Arab Coalition has paused its offensive in Hodeidah, as announced on Sunday by UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash. This is in the hopes of giving UN special envoy Martin Griffiths enough time to implement his peace plan. With the liberation of Hodeidah from Houthi control imminent, the Coalition now looks to negotiate Houthi withdrawal from rebel-held Sanaa. The Coalition is also welcoming a larger media presence in Yemen to combat Iranian influence and propaganda. The National will be sending correspondent Gareth Browne to Yemen to report from the ground, and he joined host Naser Al Wasmi in studio to assess the situation in Yemen in this week's Beyond the Headlines.

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Garland Nixon and Lee Stranahan analyze the new report from the DOJ Inspector General regarding the actions of James Comey's FBI leading up to the 2016 Election. What are the major revelations from this report, and will there be any accountability for those who abused their power?Scheduled Guests: (Show 7-10 AM ET)Lee Junior [In Studio] - Personal Development Coach | Developing Your Character and Becoming Your Own Biggest SolutionHolly Hood [In-Studio] - Urban Libertarian | Government Corruption and Fixing the Election SystemColin Kalmbacher - Editor at Law & Crime News | Top Bombshells in the DOJ Inspector General's ReportAndrei Nekrasov - Writer and Director of the film, 'The Magnitsky Act. Behind the Scenes' | Heavily Censored Film about Bill Browder Screened in MunichWhitney Webb - Staff Writer at Mint Press News | Is Yemen's Dire Situation Taking a Turn for the Worse?Michael Krieger - Founder of LibertyBlitzkrieg.com | The Dishonest Embarrassment Known as the American Mass MediaDuring the first hour of the show, Garland and Lee are joined in-studio by Personal Development Coach Lee Junior who will talk about his new book. 'The University of Unstuck: The Guide To Becoming Your Own Biggest Solution.' He will discuss how to develop as a person and start achieving tangible results in your day to day life.The people of Yemen are facing mass death and starvation due to their ongoing conflict with Saudi Arabia and other gulf states. Whitney Webb, a staff writer at Mint Press News, returns to Fault Lines to discuss the recent assault on the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah which could cause the suffering in Yemen to accelerate.For the final segment of the show, Michael Krieger of LibertyBlitzkrieg.com joins Garland and Lee to discuss the mainstream media's reaction to recent news events including President Trump's meeting with Kim Jong-un. How much of the media opposition to Trump's policies is legitimate, or has "Trump Derangement Syndrome" fully taken over for many in the media?

1-La crisi coreana e la diplomazia al contrario. A Singapore lo storico incontro tra Kim e Trump. Pyongyang sarebbe pronta alla denuclearizzazione, Washington a sospendere le esercitazioni militari con la Corea del Sud. Nel documento firmato dai due leader non c'è però alcuna specifica (Gabriele Battaglia, Aidan Foster Carter, Leeds University).2-In Yemen la coalizione a guida saudita rischia di fare l'ennesima strage di civili. Ultimatum ai ribelli Houthi affinché abbandonino il principale porto del paese, Hodeidah. La città, centinaia di migliaia di persone, è sotto assedio (Laura Silvia Battaglia).3-Belgio. Un partito per la comunità islamica. La formazione politica si prepara alle elezioni amministrative del prossimo ottobre. Il dibattito è sempre più acceso (Maria Maggiore).4-Land grabbing. Marcia indietro del governo algerino. Niente terre alle compagnie straniere (Marta Gatti)

1-La crisi coreana e la diplomazia al contrario. A Singapore lo storico incontro tra Kim e Trump. Pyongyang sarebbe pronta alla denuclearizzazione, Washington a sospendere le esercitazioni militari con la Corea del Sud. Nel documento firmato dai due leader non c'è però alcuna specifica (Gabriele Battaglia, Aidan Foster Carter, Leeds University).2-In Yemen la coalizione a guida saudita rischia di fare l'ennesima strage di civili. Ultimatum ai ribelli Houthi affinché abbandonino il principale porto del paese, Hodeidah. La città, centinaia di migliaia di persone, è sotto assedio (Laura Silvia Battaglia).3-Belgio. Un partito per la comunità islamica. La formazione politica si prepara alle elezioni amministrative del prossimo ottobre. Il dibattito è sempre più acceso (Maria Maggiore).4-Land grabbing. Marcia indietro del governo algerino. Niente terre alle compagnie straniere (Marta Gatti)

1-La crisi coreana e la diplomazia al contrario. A Singapore lo storico incontro tra Kim e Trump. Pyongyang sarebbe pronta alla denuclearizzazione, Washington a sospendere le esercitazioni militari con la Corea del Sud. Nel documento firmato dai due leader non c'è però alcuna specifica (Gabriele Battaglia, Aidan Foster Carter, Leeds University).2-In Yemen la coalizione a guida saudita rischia di fare l'ennesima strage di civili. Ultimatum ai ribelli Houthi affinché abbandonino il principale porto del paese, Hodeidah. La città, centinaia di migliaia di persone, è sotto assedio (Laura Silvia Battaglia).3-Belgio. Un partito per la comunità islamica. La formazione politica si prepara alle elezioni amministrative del prossimo ottobre. Il dibattito è sempre più acceso (Maria Maggiore).4-Land grabbing. Marcia indietro del governo algerino. Niente terre alle compagnie straniere (Marta Gatti)

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Dan Kovalik, a human rights and labor lawyer who is the author of “The Plot to Scapegoat Russia;” Jim Kavanagh, the editor of ThePolemicist.net; and Dave Lindorff, an investigative reporter and a columnist for CounterPunch.In a confidential 20-page letter to the Special Counsel, President Trump’s attorneys argue that he cannot be compelled to testify in the Russia investigation and he cannot be indicted for obstruction of justice because he has unfettered authority over all federal investigations. The letter apparently was leaked to the New York Times by someone in the Special Counsel’s office. The US is inching closer to imposing sanctions on European Union companies that do business with Iran or that are engaged in the construction of the new Nordstream 2 pipeline that would deliver gas to the EU from Russia. Meanwhile, the Chinese government has rebuked Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross’s attempts to secure further trade concessions from the country. John Ross, an award-winning resident columnist with several Chinese media organizations, and Reiner Braun, co-president of the International Peace Bureau, join the show. At least 33 people died yesterday when Guatemala’s Fuego volcano erupted,.spewing ash, rock, and gas into the sky just 25 miles from the capital of Guatemala City. It’s the country’s deadliest volcanic eruption since 1902. How have colonization and deep inequalities in Guatemala contributed to the death toll? Brian and John speak with Jackie McVicar, a member of the Atlantic Region Solidarity Network, working in solidarity with people struggling for social justice and environmental protection in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Atlantic Canada, and a former co-coordinator of the Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Solidarity Network. Jordan’s King Abdallah replaced Prime Minister Hani Mulki today in an attempt to appease Jordanians who are protesting IMF-backed reforms that have hit the country’s poor particularly hard. The government also plans to end taxes that have brought thousands of people into the streets in the capital of Amman. Daoud Kuttab, an award-winning journalist reporting from Jordan, joins the show. Monday’s regular segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers” looks at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Today focuses on research showing that the series of school closings in Chicago worsened the outcomes of children. The hosts speak with Bill Ayers, an activist, educator and the author of the book “Demand the Impossible: A Radical Manifesto.” On “Connected Lives, Private Profits with Chris Garaffa,” Chris helps the hosts look at technological issues that shape our world and how we can fight to maintain our civil rights and civil liberties in the face of increasingly advanced, and sometimes hostile, technology. Today they focus on recent news about Google and Facebook. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.The Yemeni army is on the verge of recapturing the coastal town of Hodeidah, which was taken over by Houthi rebels in 2014, and the US is being urged to step up its involvement. The port’s capture would effectively cut off supplies of arms and ammunition to the Houthis and it would severely limit the Houthis ability to fire rockets at Saudi Arabia. It was Hodeidah’s capture in 2014 that led to the Saudi invasion of Yemen. Brian and John speak with Catherine Shakdam, a political commentator and analyst focusing on the Middle East, and the author of “A Tale Of Grand Resistance: Yemen, The Wahhabi And The House Of Saud.”

Yemen's military is within striking distance of one of their biggest victories since civil war began in 2015. The forces, backed by the Arab coalition, was last reported to be within 10km of Yemen’s third largest city, Hodeidah. We analyse what this could mean for the future of the four-year civil war in Yemen with Fatima Alasrar, a senior analyst at Washington-based Arabia Foundation.  The city of Hodeidah lies on the Red Sea coast, and is home to the country’s largest port. Much of the country’s food is imported through the city. But it’s been under Houthi-rebel control since the takeover four years ago. The Arab Coalition, which includes the UAE and Saudi Arabia, intervened in the conflict in Yemen shortly after the rebel coup. They were asked to fight the Houthis on behalf of the internationally recognized government. Hodeidah, though, has remained out of reach. Until now.

For this episode, I wanted to explore a different way to understand the crisis in Yemen.   Yemen has two main ports, Hodeidah to the north, on the Red Sea and Aden to the south, on the Gulf of Aden. Of these two ports, Hodeidah is by far the bigger one. But Hodeidah is under the control of forces aligned with the Houthi rebels. Aden is controlled by forces aligned with the internationally recognized government of Yemen --  a government that is militarily backed by a Saudi-led coalition.   Both the politics and the basic logistics of getting goods into these two ports offers key insights into the dynamics of the conflict in Yemen and why Yemen is experiencing such a profound humanitarian crisis--indeed it is one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.   My guest today, Scott Paul  is the humanitarian policy lead at Oxfam America. He recently returned from a fact finding trip to the Port of Aden and some of its surrounding towns. He wrote about that experience in a piece on the website Just Security, which I will post a link to on the website.     

Saudi Crown Price Mohammad bin Salman consolidated power in a pretty dramatic fashion by detaining would-be rivals and diminishing other power centers in the country. These moves coincided with an apparent rocket attack, launched from Yemen, toward the vicinity of an airport in Riyadh. That sparked a very dramatic decision by the Crown Prince to impose a total blockade of Yemen. That decision could have a profoundly devastating impact on the situation in Yemen, where nearly the entire population is affected by an ongoing conflict that is pitting an Iran-backed rebel group against the Saudi-backed government. The rebel group controls much of northern part of the country, including the capitol Sana’a and the largest port, Hodeidah. Saudi Arabia (with American backing) controls all sea and air lanes around the country.    Yemen is already the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, with 7 million facing starvation and over 900,000 sickened with cholera.  If access to Yemen remained shut down, “I can’t imagine this will not be one of the most devastating humanitarian catastrophes we’ve seen in decades,” says the head of the World Food Program.   On the line with me to discuss this all is Scott Paul of Oxfam America. Scott, who has spent time in Yemen and lobbies the US government on behalf of humanitarian access in Yemen, explains the situation on the ground right now--and as you'll see there is a great lack of clarity about this apparent blockade.  We also discuss more broadly the political environment in the Yemen and the broader middle east that giving rise to the ongoing catastrophe in Yemen.       Become a premium subscriber to unlock bonus episodes, earn other rewards, and support the show!  

Listen to this special edition of the Pan-African Journal: Worldwide Radio Broadcast hosted by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire. The program features our regular PANW report with dispatches on the role of the New York City police in monitoring organizers of anti-racist protests; Russian security forces say they have identified the man responsible in the bombing of a subway station in St. Petersburg on Mon.; United States imperailist backed forces in Yemen are planning a major assault on the Port of Hodeidah in Yemen; and President Donald Trump has signed a repeal of the broadband privacy law. In the second and third hours we pay tribute to the life, times and contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the 49th anniversary of his assassination. Two major addresses delivered by Dr. King in March and April of 1967 on the U.S. war against the people of Vietnam will be reviewed.