(2021-02-08). Loujain al-Hathloul to be freed on Thursday, sister says. middleeasteye.net 
Loujain al-Hathloul to be freed on Thursday, sister says | Saudi women's rights activist has been in jail, where her family says she endured torture, for more than 1,000 days | Mon, 02/08/2021 – 22: 20 | Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul had been sentenced to almost six years in jail (AFP/File photo) | After more than 1,000 days in detention where she endured torture and hunger strikes, Saudi women's rights acti…
(2021-02-08). Yemen's Houthis renew offensive to capture government stronghold Marib. middleeasteye.net 
Yemen's Houthis renew offensive to capture government stronghold Marib | The push comes as UN special envoy to Yemen is in Iran to discuss the crisis in a sign of renewed diplomatic efforts with new US administration | Mon, 02/08/2021 – 16: 08 | A pro-government tribal fighter sits in a position where he fights against the Houthis in Marib, Yemen October 2 2020 (Reuters) | Houthi fighters…
(2021-02-08). Iran's Zarif meets UN envoy for talks on Yemen conflict. yenisafak.com Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif met in Tehran on Monday with Martin Griffiths, the UN envoy to Yemen, according to local media.Talks between the two sides focused on the Yemeni civil war and regional developments, the official IRNA news agency reported.Griffiths arrived in the Iranian capital on Sunday for talks with officials there on a resolution of the seven-year Yemeni conflict."The visit is part of the Special Envoy's diplomatic efforts to support a negotiated political solution to the conflict in Yemen that meets the aspirations of the Yemeni people," a statement released by Griffiths' office said.On Sa…
(2021-02-08). Defensive Moves Or Preparation For War With Iran? popularresistance.org The US has decided to deploy the Israeli Iron Dome Missile Interceptor Systems, purchased in 2019, in Eastern European countries and also in the Gulf countries where the US Central Command (CENTCOM) operates and has established operational military bases. This step coincides with the US decision that Israeljoin CENTCOM (with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrein, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Sudan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Pakistan and more) following the normalisation of trade and diplomatic relations between several Arab and Islamic countries and Tel Aviv.
(2021-02-08). Biden is Right to end US involvement in Bloody Yemen Conflict, but he Needs to end the War itself. juancole.com Glen Cove, N.Y. (Special to Informed Comment) — President Biden's about face on Saudi support for the war in Yemen, including setting aside the disastrous idea of designating the Huthis as a unique set of "terrorists", is a hopeful step, but the road to peace is a steep climb. As noted by a recent report …
(2021-02-07). Biden reduces US role in Saudi war on Yemen, but leaves room to continue crisis. thegrayzone.com A massive humanitarian crisis and Houthi-led resistance forced President Joe Biden to change course on Yemen. But that won't stop the US and Saudi Arabia from trying to impose imperial terms on the Yemeni people, scholar and author Isa Blumi says. President Biden has taken important steps to reduce the US role in the war on Yemen, while still leaving room to continue supporting the Saudi-led campaign and imposing its terms on the Yemeni people. Isa Blumi, associate professor at …
(2021-02-07). Jailed Saudi teen Ali al-Nimr has death sentence commuted to 10 years in prison. middleeasteye.net 
Jailed Saudi teen Ali al-Nimr has death sentence commuted to 10 years in prison | Rights group Reprieve welcomes the news but calls for others imprisoned as minors to receive similar treatment | Sun, 02/07/2021 – 14: 11 | Ali al-Nimr, a Saudi youth facing the death penalty for taking part in pro-reform protests, posing for a photo at an unknown location (AFP) | Saudi Arabia has commuted the deat…
(2021-02-07). Biden to Stop Selling Smart Bombs to Saudi Arabia, Will Keep Supplying It With Everything Else. anti-empire.com 
Editor's note: If Saudis run out of smart bombs and go to dumb ones, how is that any better? |
| The Biden administration has paused indefinitely two precision guided munition sales to Saudi Arabia, worth as much as $760 million, as part of a new policy aimed at curtailing violence in Yemen, Defense News has learned. | However, that policy, announced Thursday by President Joe Biden, left open the possibility for future sales that are considered vital for Saudi Arabia's national defense, a fine line that would mean some munitions sales will continue. | "We are ending all American support for offensive operati…
(2021-02-07). Ali al-Nimr and two other Saudis jailed as minors have death sentences commuted. middleeasteye.net Ali al-Nimr and two other Saudis jailed as minors have death sentences commuted | Rights group Reprieve welcomes the news but calls for others imprisoned as minors to receive similar treatment | Sun, 02/07/2021 – 14: 11 | Ali al-Nimr, a Saudi youth facing the death penalty for taking part in pro-reform protests, posing for a photo at an unknown location (AFP) | Saudi Arabia on Sunday commuted th…
(2021-02-07). Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted Houthi armed drone attack. middleeasteye.net 
Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted Houthi armed drone attack | The incident comes days after President Biden announced ending of US support for Saudi-led operations in Yemen | Sun, 02/07/2021 – 11: 15 | Drone attack attributed to Houthis comes after US moved to delist the rebels as a terrorist group (AFP) | An armed drone launched towards Saudi Arabia by Yemen's Houthis was intercepte…
(2021-02-07). US decision will provide 'profound relief' to millions in war-torn Yemen: UN spokesperson. news.un.org The US announcement revoking the previous administration's terrorist designation of Yemen's Houthi movement, formally known as Ansar Allah, will provide "profound relief" to millions in the country, who depend on international assistance and imports for their survival, the UN Spokesperson said on Saturday.
(2021-02-07). Saudi-led coalition intercepts rebel drone from Yemen. yenisafak.com The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Sunday it had intercepted an explosive-laden drone fired by Houthi rebels towards Saudi Arabia.The Houthi drone attack was a "systematic and deliberate attempt to target civilians and civilian objects", coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Maliki said in a statement cited by Saudi SPA News Agency.There was no comment from the Houthi group on the coalition's statement.The rebel movement regularly announces rocket and drone attacks on Saudi territories, saying they are a reaction to the Saudi-led coalition's assault on Yemen.Yemen has been wracked by violence and instability since…
(2021-02-07). UN envoy visits Iran for talks on Yemeni conflict. yenisafak.com UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths arrived in Tehran on Sunday for talks with Iranian officials on a resolution of the 7-year Yemeni conflict.A statement released by his office said that Griffiths will meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and other senior officials during his two-day visit."The visit is part of the Special Envoy's diplomatic efforts to support a negotiated political solution to the conflict in Yemen that meets the aspirations of the Yemeni people," the statement said.According to the statement, Griffiths' immediate priority is "to support agreement between the parties to the conflict on…
(2021-02-07). Spain's FM begins Gulf tour in UAE. laprensalatina.com Cairo, Feb 7 (efe-epa).- Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs Arancha Gonzalez Laya on Sunday arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), kicking off a Gulf trip that will also take her to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The Spanish official held a meeting with the UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Sheikh Saif …
(2021-02-07). Ending the War on Yemen? theanalysis.news The Biden administration announced an end to US support for Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. This is in larger part thanks to the constant activism and mobilization of peace groups around the US. Guest host Greg Wilpert talked to Hassan el Tayyab, the Legislative Manager for Middle East Policy of the Friends Committee on National Legislation, shortly before the announcement was made. He outlines the background of the war, the history of US support, what an end to US support would mean, and what further steps need to be taken to put an end to the devastation in Yemen.
(2021-02-06). US moves to revoke terror designation of Yemen's Houthis. middleeasteye.net 
US moves to revoke terror designation of Yemen's Houthis | State department cites humanitarian reasons as it begins process to reverse action by outgoing Trump administration | Sat, 02/06/2021 – 10: 46 | The Houthis have welcomed Biden's announcement to withdraw US support for the Saudi-led offensive (AFP)
| The US has moved to delist Yemen's Houthi rebels as a terrorist organisation,…
(2021-02-06). Citing Humanitarian Impact, Biden Reverses 'Dangerous' Designation of Houthis as Terrorist Group. commondreams.org Moving forward, said one expert, "the international community needs to stop fueling the conflict, generously fund Yemen's humanitarian response, and prioritize peace." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/foodaid.jpg …
(2021-02-06). Biden Says He's Ending The Yemen War. popularresistance.org The February 4 announcement by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan that President Biden would end U.S. support for "offensive operations" in Yemen was understandably met with celebration by those opposed to the war. Almost six years of the U.S.-Saudi‚ÄëU.A.E. war on Yemen have left the country devastated by humanitarian disaster and famine. Anti-war activists have spent these years‚Äâ—‚Äâfirst during the Obama-Biden administration, then the Trump-Pence administration, and now the Biden-Harris administration‚Äâ—…
(2021-02-06). Biden Set to 'Put a Little More Distance' in Relations With Israel, Focus on Iran – Reports. sputniknews.com The approach of the new US administration will reportedly be different from what former president Donald Trump had pursued – namely, embracing ties with Saudi Arabia and Israel.
(2021-02-06). Stopping arms sales to Riyadh could be a step forward. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 06 (MNA) — The Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman said that stopping arms sales to the Saudi-led coalition could be a step toward correcting past mistakes of the US.
(2021-02-06). US can't fool Yemenis by claiming end of support to Saudis. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 06 (MNA) — Yemen's Supreme Political Council said that Yemenis will not be fooled by US claim on the decision to stop supporting the Saudi invasion.
(2021-02-06). Yemeni conjoined twins head to Jordan after Houthis' refusal to Saudi gesture. laprensalatina.com Sana'a, Feb 6 (efe-epa).- Fifty-day-old Yemeni conjoined twins were flown by UNICEF-chartered ambulance aircraft from the Yemeni capital Sana'a on Saturday to the Jordanian capital Amman where they are to have a life-saving separation surgery after the Houthi rebels refused a Saudi offer to evacuate them. Muhammad and Ahmad Yasser al-Bukhaiti were born connected at …
(2021-02-05). UK urged to follow US in ending support for Saudi-led bombing of Yemen. middleeasteye.net 
UK urged to follow US in ending support for Saudi-led bombing of Yemen | Activists and MPs call upon government to end backing that has 'armed, supported and enabled the brutal bombardment' | Fri, 02/05/2021 – 14: 00 | The UK's biggest arms company, BAE Systems, is reported to have made £15bn ($20.5) in revenue from services and sales to Saudi Arabia since 2015 (AFP) | The UK government is coming under i…
(2021-02-05). Al-Qaeda leader in Yemen captured alive, UN report confirms. middleeasteye.net 
Al-Qaeda leader in Yemen captured alive, UN report confirms | Khalid Batarfi was reportedly arrested in Yemen months ago and handed over to Saudi Arabia | Fri, 02/05/2021 – 14: 51 | Riyadh-born Khalid Batarfi is the most high-profile al-Qaeda leader ever to be arrested (AFP) | A United Nations report has confirmed for the first time that the leader of al-Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen has been under arrest for sev…
(2021-02-05). Riyadh temporarily releases two Saudi-US political prisoners. middleeasteye.net 
Riyadh temporarily releases two Saudi-US political prisoners | Salah al-Haidar and Bader al-Ibrahim were detained in April 2019 and charged with terrorism-related crimes | Fri, 02/05/2021 – 10: 19 | Salah al-Haider, right, is the son of a leading women's rights activist (Screengrab) | Saudi Arabia temporarily released two Saudi-Americans on Thursday after nearly two years of detention, cam…
(2021-02-05). The Struggle Inside Senator Mitch McConnell's Brain. counterpunch.org Since 2015, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell has ruled the Senate with an iron hand, describing himself as "the Guardian of Gridlock." He was Senator "NO," except for confirming over 200 mostly corporatist federal judges. Now comes a new challenge for Mitch McConnell as he leads 49 other Republican Senators, twenty of whom are up
(2021-02-05). Arabic press review: The secret Saudi-Emirati conflict over Khashoggi. middleeasteye.net 
Arabic press review: The secret Saudi-Emirati conflict over Khashoggi | Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's debt has increased dramatically in the last six years, Bahrain denies children their nationality, and commodity prices in Jordan soar
| Fri, 02/05/2021 – 12: 01 | Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (R) welcoming Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman upon his arrival in A…
(2021-02-05). Saad al-Jabri alleges second assassination plot in amended complaint against MBS. middleeasteye.net 
Saad al-Jabri alleges second assassination plot in amended complaint against MBS | Filing claims Saudi crown prince tried to lure Jabri's daughter to Saudi consulate in Istanbul, days before Jamal Khashoggi was killed | Fri, 02/05/2021 – 19: 57 | New filing is latest action taken in legal battle between Jabri (R) and bin Salman (AFP) | Former Saudi intelligence official Saad al-Jabri claimed agents…
(2021-02-05). Biden Pledges End to US Offensive Support for Saudi-Led Assault on Yemen. truthout.org 
President Joe Biden has pledged to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, supported by both the Obama and Trump administrations, describing it as a "humanitarian and strategic catastrophe." The six-year war in Yemen has devastated the country, killing at least 100,000 people and pushing 80% of the country into instability requiring some form of aid or protection, according to the United Nations. Biden's remarks on Yemen come amid a freeze of U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia, with similar sa…
(2021-02-05). Fore! Golf marshal COLLAPSES after being hit by wild Dustin Johnson drive at Saudi International (VIDEO). rt.com 
A golf marshal was left writhing in agony after being struck on the shoulder by an errant drive courtesy of American golfer Dustin Johnson in Friday's action at the Saudi International tournament. | Johnson, 36, was teeing off from the tenth hole but hooked his drive off to the left and directly into the path of an unwitting marshal who had his back to the ball. | Amid presumed cries of "fore!", the shot hit the marshal directly on the shoulder blade – with drone footage showing the man collapsing to the grass immediately after absorbing it. | The man, who was clearly in tremendous pain, writhed around on the…
(2021-02-05). Yemen: Biden to End U.S. Offensive Support for Saudi-Led Assault, But Will the War Actually End? democracynow.org 
President Joe Biden has pledged to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, supported by both the Obama and Trump administrations, describing it as a "humanitarian and strategic catastrophe." The six-year war in Yemen has devastated the country, killing at least 100,000 people and pushing 80% of the country into instability requiring some form of aid or protection, according to the United Nations. Biden's remarks on Yemen come amid a freeze of U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia, with similar sales to the United Arab Emirates also up for review. "This is the culmination of six years of activism and advocacy t…
(2021-02-05). Yemen genocide: Biden pledges to end U.S. support for "offensive" Saudi operations. liberationnews.org 
As part of his first major speech on foreign policy since becoming president, Joe Biden announced yesterday a halt to U.S. support for "offensive operations" in Yemen, including "relevant arm[s] sales" to Saudi Arabia. Since 2015 during the Obama-Biden administration, the United States has been supporting, enabling and directly participating in the Saudi war of …
(2021-02-05). Headlines for February 5, 2021. democracynow.org President Biden Pledges to End U.S. Support for "Catastrophic" War in Yemen, Johnson & Johnson Asks FDA for Emergency Authorization of Single-Shot COVID-19 Vaccine, Poll Reveals 25% of U.S. Adults Plan to Gather at Super Bowl Watch Parties, VP Harris Casts Tie-Breaking Vote to Move Ahead with Democratic COVID Relief Bill, Democrats Call on Biden to Cancel Student Debt Up to $50,000, House Removes Marjorie Taylor Greene from Committees over Violent, Bigoted Rhetoric, AOC Calls for Expulsion of Rep. Greene from House, Warns Against Dismissing Insurrection Survivors, Smartmatic Sues Fox News, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney P…
(2021-02-05). White House Pauses Smart Bomb Sale to Saudi Arabia, But Leaves Room for Future Weapons Aid. sputniknews.com Since World War II, the US has maintained a strategic alliance with the Saudi kingdom and asked few questions about its internal or external affairs. In exchange, Washington gets access to cheap petroleum and huge airfields. However, the genocidal war in Yemen is unprecedented and popular opinion has shifted firmly against Riyadh.
(2021-02-05). After Biden Move, Anti-War Groups Call on Boris Johnson to End UK Support for Saudi Assault on Yemen. commondreams.org "Johnson and Raab have blood on their hands. Their support for the carnage in Yemen must end immediately." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/caat.jpg …
(2021-02-05). UN welcomes US decision to 'strengthen its diplomatic engagement' towards Yemen peace deal. news.un.org The UN on Friday told journalists that it welcomed the decision by the United States "to strengthen it's diplomatic engagement" and support efforts led by the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, to ends years of conflict there.
(2021-02-05). US responsible for Yemen destruction: HRW official. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 05 (MNA) — A Human Rights Watch official has cast doubt on the US president's intention to end US support for the war on Yemen, adding that Washington's role in destroying Yemen should not be neglected.
(2021-02-05). The British Government Must Follow Joe Biden and End Support for the War on Yemen. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-02-05). Yemeni Journalist: "Saudi Arabia Failed in Yemen Despite US Support" globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | Yemen has suffered through a violent war on its population by …
(2021-02-05). Defense Contractors Like Raytheon Aren't Blameless in Yemen Crisis. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | The villagers of Arhab were in a celebratory mood before the …
(2021-02-05). Anti-war activists welcome US decision to end support for offensive operations in war on Yemen. peoplesdispatch.org Joe Biden has however emphasized that his administration will continue its support to Saudi Arabia's defense and protect its sovereignty. Several activists have expressed apprehensions that this may become a justification for future aggression…