UAE envoy criticizes UN for failing to stem Houthi escalation

Nusseibeh expressed deep concern over the continued deterioration of the humanitarian and economic situation in Yemen, and condemned Houthi attacks. (File/AFP)
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Updated 16 February 2022
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UAE envoy criticizes UN for failing to stem Houthi escalation

  • Lana Nusseibeh calls for tougher international stance against Iran-backed Yemeni militia
  • US envoy: ‘We stand united with our Saudi and Emirati partners’

NEW YORK: The Emirati ambassador to the UN on Tuesday criticized the organization for failing to stem the Houthis’ aggression, and the “continued paralysis” of UN-led efforts to bring an end to the war in Yemen.

Lana Nusseibeh condemned the Iran-backed militia’s use of Hodeidah port for stocking weapons and launching attacks on maritime routes, “threatening the security of navigation and the countries of the region.” She called for the UN to monitor the port and prevent its use for warfare.

Nusseibeh called on the international community to deal “more firmly and realistically” with the Houthis by imposing further sanctions on them, cutting off their funding, and strictly implementing an arms embargo imposed by the UN Security Council in 2015, “all of which keep in mind the nature of the Houthis’ extremist ideology and their true intentions.” She also called for their designation as a terrorist organization.

Her remarks came at a UNSC meeting to discuss the latest developments in Yemen, less than a month after the Jan. 17 Houthi attacks on Abu Dhabi that killed three civilians and injured six.

At the time, the UNSC unanimously condemned the attacks, as did more than 120 countries and international organizations.

Despite international condemnation, Houthi attacks have persisted against the UAE and Saudi Arabia, reaching “unprecedented levels,” Nusseibeh said.

“Over the past months, we have heard numerous briefings, including from (UN Special Envoy Hans) Grundberg, calling on us to give him an opportunity for his efforts to bring the Houthis back to the negotiation table,” she added.

“However, after the UAE civilian infrastructure was subjected to terrorist attacks that claimed the lives of innocent civilians, we can only ask: When will the appeasement of this terrorist group end?”

Nusseibeh reaffirmed the UAE’s “sovereign right to take all the measures necessary to protect the security and stability of its territory, as well as the safety of its citizens and residents, from any terrorist attacks in accordance with its obligations under international law.”

The UAE continues to firmly support a political track in Yemen that reflects the realities on the ground and deals with the country’s grievances “in a tangible way,” she said, adding that such a spirit is embodied in the Saudi peace initiative.

Although she voiced support for talks between the Yemeni parties themselves, Nusseibeh warned: “The Houthis have demonstrated that they will not commit to any agreement without clear international pressure. 

“As we have seen with the issue of the Safer oil tanker, the Houthis continue to break their promises and block the UN team from making its necessary assessments.” 

Nusseibeh expressed deep concern over the continued deterioration of the humanitarian and economic situation in Yemen, and condemned Houthi attacks on aid workers and the militia’s manipulation and hampering of international aid.

“We also condemn their violations against women, including sexual violence, and against children by recruiting them into their military frontlines,” she said.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US ambassador to the UN, joined other Security Council members in strongly condemning the Houthi attacks against civilian sites “across the region over the last month, including multiple attacks on both the UAE and Saudi Arabia that killed innocent civilians.”

She added: “We stand united with our Saudi and Emirati partners, and remain committed to helping them defend their territory and their residents, which include tens of thousands of US citizens.”

Thomas-Greenfield said despite the UNSC’s condemnation, the Houthis continue to detain current and former Yemeni staff of the US Embassy, denying them contact with their families, and to control the embassy’s former compound in Sanaa.

She called for their immediate release “unharmed,” adding: “The inescapable conclusion is that we have failed to demonstrate to the Houthis there are consequences for this behavior.

“The Houthis have made it clear they seek to disrupt regional security, target civilian sites and disrupt maritime commerce.

“We must do more to counter such attacks, with a unified voice, including by imposing tangible costs.”

The Houthis’ latest offensive in Marib has represented “the most significant impediment to peace efforts,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

“It is clear this Houthi military offensive will only bring further suffering and worsen the humanitarian plight of the Yemeni people. It must end.”


US, French troops could secure Syria’s northern border, Syrian Kurdish official says

Updated 5 sec ago
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US, French troops could secure Syria’s northern border, Syrian Kurdish official says

  • Turkiye regards the YPG, which spearheads the US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as a terrorist group linked to Kurdish PKK militants
  • Ilham Ahmed: ‘We ask the French to send troops to this border to secure the demilitarised zone, to help us protect the region and establish good relations with Turkiye’
PARIS: Talks are taking place on whether US and French troops could secure a border zone in northern Syria as part of efforts to defuse conflict between Turkiye and Western-backed Kurdish Syrian forces, a senior Syrian Kurdish official said.
Ankara has warned that it will carry out a cross-border offensive into northeastern Syria against the Kurdish YPG militia if the group does not meet Turkish demands.
Turkiye regards the YPG, which spearheads the US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as a terrorist group linked to Kurdish PKK militants who for 40 years have waged an insurgency against the Turkish state.
The SDF played an important role in defeating Daesh in Syria in 2014-17. The group still guards Daesh fighters in prison camps there, but has been on the back foot since rebels ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad on Dec. 8.
French President Emmanuel Macron said earlier this week that Paris would not abandon the SDF, which was one among a myriad of opposition forces during Syria’s 13-year-long civil war.
“The United States and France could indeed secure the entire border. We are ready for this military coalition to assume this responsibility,” Ilham Ahmed, co-chair of foreign affairs for the Kurdish administration in northern territory outside central Syrian government control, was quoted as saying by TV5 Monde.
“We ask the French to send troops to this border to secure the demilitarised zone, to help us protect the region and establish good relations with Turkiye.”
Neither France nor Turkiye’s foreign ministries immediately responded to requests for comment. The US State Department was not immediately available for comment.
It is unclear how receptive Turkiye would be to such an initiative, given Ankara has worked for years to secure its border against threats coming from Syria, and has vowed to destroy the YPG.
“As soon as France has convinced Turkiye to accept its presence on the border, then we can start the peace process,” Ahmed said. “We hope that everything will be settled in the coming weeks.”
A source familiar with the matter said such talks were going on, but declined to say how advanced or realistic they were.

Washington has been brokering ceasefire efforts between Turkish-backed groups and the SDF after fighting that broke out as rebel groups advanced on Damascus and overthrew Assad.
Addressing a news conference in Paris alongside outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot hinted that there were talks on the issue.
“The Syrian Kurds must find their place in this political transition. We owe it to them because they were our brothers in arms against Islamic State,” Barrot said.
“We will continue our efforts ... to ensure that Turkiye’s legitimate security concerns can be guaranteed, but also the security interests of (Syria’s) Kurds and their full rights to take part in the construction in the future of their country.”
Blinken said it was vital to ensure that the SDF forces continued the job of guarding more than 10,000 detained Daesh militants as this was a legitimate security interest for both the US and Turkiye.
“We have been working very closely with our ally ... Turkiye to navigate this transition ... It’s a process that will take some time,” Blinken said.
The US has about 2,000 troops in Syria who have been working with the SDF to prevent a resurgence of IS.
A French official said France still has dozens of special forces on the ground dating from its earlier support of the SDF, when Paris provided weapons and training.

Macron to head to Lebanon after election of new president

French President Emmanuel Macron and newly elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. (AFP)
Updated 23 min 58 sec ago
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Macron to head to Lebanon after election of new president

  • France “will continue to be at the side of Lebanon and its people,” Macron told Aoun in a telephone call
  • France administered Lebanon for two decades after World War I and has maintained close ties even since its independence in 1944

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday welcomed the “crucial election” by Lebanese lawmakers of army chief Joseph Aoun as president and said he would soon visit the country.
Macron spoke with the general hours after Aoun was announced as the leader to end a two-year vacuum in the country’s top post.
France “will continue to be at the side of Lebanon and its people,” Macron told Aoun in a telephone call, the French presidency said in a statement. Macron said he would go to Lebanon “very soon.”
“Congratulations to President Joseph Aoun on this crucial election,” Macron wrote on X earlier.
“It paves the way for reform and the restoration of Lebanon’s sovereignty and prosperity,” he added.
Aoun must oversee a ceasefire in south Lebanon and name a prime minister able to lead reforms demanded by international creditors to save the country from a severe economic crisis.
“The head of state indicated to President Aoun that France would support his efforts to quickly complete the formation of a government capable of uniting the Lebanese, answering their aspirations and their needs, and carrying out the reforms necessary for the economic recovery, reconstruction, security and sovereignty of Lebanon,” said the statement released after the telephone talks.
Macron also vowed support for the “national dialogue” that Aoun said he will launch and called on all groups to “contribute to the success of his mission,” the statement said.
France administered Lebanon for two decades after World War I and has maintained close ties even since its independence in 1944.


Israel rallies global support to win release of a woman believed kidnapped in Iraq

Updated 09 January 2025
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Israel rallies global support to win release of a woman believed kidnapped in Iraq

  • The official said Thursday that the matter was raised in a meeting of special envoys for hostage affairs in Jerusalem this week
  • Israel and Iraq do not have diplomatic relations

JERUSALEM: A senior Israeli official says the government is working with allies in a renewed push to win the freedom of an Israeli-Russian researcher who is believed to have been kidnapped in Iraq nearly two years ago.
The official said Thursday that the matter was raised in a meeting of special envoys for hostage affairs in Jerusalem this week.
He said the envoys met the family of Elizabeth Tsurkov and that Israel asked the representatives – from the US, UK, Germany, Austria and Canada – to have their embassies in Baghdad lobby the Iraqi government and search for a way to start negotiations. Israel and Iraq do not have diplomatic relations. He said he hopes other countries will help.
“We are counting on our allies,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was discussing closed-door discussions. “And I hope that other nations will suggest assistance in helping us release Elizabeth. Many nations have embassies and contacts with the Iraqi government.”
Tsurkov, a 38-year-old student at Princeton University, disappeared in Baghdad in March 2023 while doing research for her doctorate. She had entered the country on her Russian passport. The only sign she was alive has been a video broadcast in November 2023 on an Iraqi television station and circulated on pro-Iranian social media purporting to show her.
No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. But Israel believes she is being held by Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia that it says also has ties to the Iraqi government.
The Israeli official said that after months of covert efforts, Israel believes the “changes in the region” have created an opportunity to work publicly for her release.
During 15 months of war, Israel has struck Iran and its allies, and Iran’s regional influence has diminished. Iraq also appears to have pressured militia groups into halting their aerial attacks against Israel.


Gaza war deaths pass 46,000

Updated 09 January 2025
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Gaza war deaths pass 46,000

  • The ministry said a total of 46,006 Palestinians have been killed and 109,378 wounded
  • The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants

GAZA: Gaza’s Health Ministry said Thursday that more than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war, with no end in sight to the 15-month conflict.
The ministry said a total of 46,006 Palestinians have been killed and 109,378 wounded. It has said women and children make up more than half the fatalities, but does not say how many of the dead were fighters or civilians.
The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. It blames Hamas for their deaths because it says the militants operate in residential areas.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are now packed into sprawling tent camps along the coast with limited access to food and other essentials. Israel has also repeatedly struck what it claims are militants hiding in shelters and hospitals, often killing women and children.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and abducting around 250. A third of the 100 hostages still held in Gaza are believed to be dead.


All Jordanians living in Los Angeles are fine, Foreign Ministry says

Updated 09 January 2025
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All Jordanians living in Los Angeles are fine, Foreign Ministry says

  • At least 5 people have been killed by wildfires raging in and around the US city; more than 100,000 forced to flee homes

LONDON: The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said on Thursday that all Jordanian nationals living in Los Angeles, California, are “fine” as deadly wildfires continue to rage through neighborhoods in several areas in and around the US city.

The fires have claimed at least five lives, more than 100,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes, and hundreds of buildings have burned down.

The ministry sent its sincere condolences to the victims, the American people and the US government, the Jordan News Agency reported.