Amid the successive crises that are sweeping Yemen, the voice of warning is rising about the deterioration of the security situation in Aden and its potential impact on Hadhramaut. In Hodeidah, the city has turned into an Iranian military base par excellence, while the problems of the marine environment in the Red Sea are exacerbated by the destruction it is experiencing. What about the hidden alliances between the Houthis and Al-Qaeda under the protection of Iran, and how can these threats be effectively addressed?
A call for stability in Aden before it is too late
News Now She conducted a special interview with the Yemeni President’s Advisor Yassin Makkawi Who spoke about the security situation in Aden and the need to build a security institution from the city’s people to ensure its stability. He also referred to fears of the impact of this situation on Hadhramaut, calling for addressing the security imbalances, saying: “The things that are happening in Aden. We need in Aden to stabilize things towards security, by building security at the hands of its people, because today the real scene taking place in Aden does not bode well for the return of state institutions. I think we need to touch on this matter in a positive way. There are many security imbalances in Aden and this is automatically reflected in many liberated areas.”
He continued: “Today, there is another scene in Hadhramaut. This position is evident through the fear of what is happening in Aden. This matter that we are dealing with, has put it in a strong way that the security imbalance must be addressed. So that security becomes a basic pillar in Aden for building the security institution. There is a major shortcoming in this institution, or there is no institution at all. Rather, it is a matter of groups and names, and it must be addressed in order to lay the foundations for building a security institution that is linked to the law and its sovereignty.”
“Today, there are security forces or security groups under various different names, whose decisions are varied and whose orientations are almost also varied. This is the matter that must be addressed, and we have put this in our discussions and at the same time in our written and published proposals. Our proposals to the Presidential Council are to adopt such issues because we need real security in Aden that reflects the local national role of the people of Aden. This matter requires the restoration of the security infrastructure.”
Hodeidah: An Iranian base in the heart of the Red Sea and the dangers of the Houthis are increasing
Makkawi stresses that Hodeidah has been transformed into an Iranian military base using the Houthis, and that this base has been built over the past ten years. He points out that the Houthis are luring external parties to intervene in the war.
He said: “For many years we have been talking about Hodeidah being an Iranian military base with its Houthi tools. I believe that this matter was being ignored or neglected because this base is at the head of the Red Sea. This is something that we must realize will one day turn into a structural base that they were able to build over the past ten years.”
He added: “This matter today has been revealed, meaning that even their claims that the Houthis are launching from within Yemen, they are only working to pose new dangers to Yemen and bring foreign powers into the war against us. I believe this is a serious issue and the international community must stand up to it, and these are clear indications today that this group does not accept peace and that it is prepared to violate everything.”
Environmental Destruction in the Red Sea: Houthi Weapon for Foreign Agendas Threatening Yemen and Navigation
In his interview with Akhbar Alaan, Makkawi referred to the destruction of the marine environment in Yemen due to the Houthi practices that serve foreign agendas, with serious repercussions on international navigation and Yemeni fishermen. He also stressed the need to rebuild the national army to confront Iranian influence and the division of Yemen according to the model of the Guardianship of the Jurist.
He said: “What is happening in terms of destroying the marine environment in our region means that the person responsible for this destruction that is happening is not Yemeni, even if he claims to be Yemeni, but he can only be implementing policies that are outside the Yemeni mind. Today, the evidence is clear that the ships that were hit in the region and that were carrying some materials, even these oil materials, have very negative effects on the marine environment and also affect international navigation, such that they are disrupted by sinking them in these areas, disrupting this area from being a navigational area far from dangers. Today, what is actually happening is against the Yemenis. For example, today, the income of fishermen is affected by the chemical materials that negatively affect all marine life within the framework of the Yemeni territory. All these materials that leak from the ships are nothing but toxins, and through what they catch of marine life or through the air they breathe. That is, the Houthis are working as a tool for external forces, led by Iran. Today, the international community must reconsider the composition of this group, define it, and stand up to the parties that finance it.”
“The evidence is clear. First, the weapons reach the Houthis: How do weapons reach the Houthis? Who sees these weapons passing by while they are not stopped? The second form is the sinking of some ships. The Houthis’ capabilities are limited. Today, the Houthis’ capabilities have expanded. They now have missiles that are launched here and there. These are Houthi missiles. These capabilities and this technology that they have access to, this is clear evidence that Iran, I identify Iran as a sponsor of terrorism in the world, I believe that this is clear to the world. It does not need evidence that we can use except in the framework of international courts. I was amazed by the many pieces of evidence presented in The Hague during the past periods proving the Houthis’ involvement in destroying Yemen with external assistance.”
Makkawi explained in his interview with: News Now The Yemeni National Army must be strengthened to become a unified force capable of confronting the Houthi aggression, which will limit Iran’s influence and contribute to the country’s stability.
He said: “The army must be strengthened or the national army institution must be rebuilt and reorganized through real construction that enables it to deter these attacks. I believe that it will strengthen Iran’s ability to influence Yemen, and we have requested this matter from an early time. The structure of the Yemeni army must be strengthened, north and south, on the basis of a national vision through which we can enable this army to repel the Houthi aggression on our lands.”
“We only have real support to rebuild the armed forces so that they become national armed forces representing the north and the south, as was approved in the outcomes of the national dialogue regarding building the army, that there be Yemeni national forces formed in the southern governorates with parallel shares, and the same is the case in the north, so that a unified national army is formed to confront what the Houthis are trying to build in the Iranian style by dividing Yemen into multiple cantons, through the establishment of which Yemen will see nothing but continuous fighting and continuous war between its people, so that it becomes within the framework of the guardianship of the jurist.”
“I criticize those who consider the Houthi group a weak minority, as is being promoted in Europe, and I criticize these countries, saying that they are the ones who contributed to strengthening the political role of this group and strengthening its political back at many turns, and this also needs to be reviewed. The rule of the jurist will not be in Yemen except to tear Yemen apart even more and destroy its societal structure.”
Hidden Alliances: The Houthis and Al-Qaeda under Iranian Sponsorship and the Renewed Threat of Terrorism in Liberated Areas
Makkawi spoke to News Now On the intersection of interests between the Houthis and Al-Qaeda and Iran’s role in sponsoring terrorist groups. He also pointed to the need to unify security efforts and form a security force from the people of the regions to effectively confront terrorist threats, with a focus on the national and institutional affiliation of these forces.
He said: “We know from the first moment of the Houthi coup against the state that there was an intersection between the Houthis and Al-Qaeda, and we have some evidence that at one of the early stages when there was the liberation of areas from Al-Qaeda such as Hadhramaut, the Houthis were intensifying their attacks in some areas to disperse the national resistance in the face of Al-Qaeda, and this is one of the evidences that we believe determines the state of intersection between the Houthis and Al-Qaeda.”
He continued: “Iran is a sponsor of terrorism everywhere. When there were attacks on Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and this war intensified, what happened? Many hordes of Al-Qaeda and many leaders of Al-Qaeda headed towards Iran, and even Bin Laden’s sons headed towards Iran. There are many leaders, and I believe that this matter is clear and not hidden from everyone.”
“Iran was the incubator for these terrorist groups and any terrorist group everywhere. Al-Qaeda always threatens to return to the liberated areas primarily, and in my opinion, the presence of Al-Qaeda reinforces the need for a security role in which efforts are unified so that we have a state of institutional security forces that represent each region, so that the people of the region are the ones responsible for its security because they are the most capable of realizing the danger they face, which is the presence of Al-Qaeda. Therefore, when security comes from the people of the region, security institutions are restored within the framework of the region and within the framework of a single decision, which unifies efforts in confronting Al-Qaeda anywhere. We must focus on the type of armament and the affiliation that runs in the blood of the security forces, national affiliation and even affiliation to the region they represent. This affiliation is worthy of creating a state of strength to confront this terrorism through a rapprochement between the national army and the security forces, as happened previously.”
Peace Map in the Wind: Houthis Undermine Efforts to Stop War by Mining the Red Sea
As for the path of the peace map between the Houthis and the legitimate government, Makkawi indicated that the map was accepted despite its flaws with the aim of ending the war. However, he stressed that the Houthis are not committed to it, which requires reconsidering the proposed solutions to achieve real peace, as the group lacks a sincere desire for peace.
He said: “Although we all welcomed this map, despite its badness, there is a hindrance to the Houthi presence in this country, but we accepted it as a solution to stop the war, and we are all moving towards stopping the war and spreading peace. Today, ten years have passed since the war and the coup and Yemen was dragged into this war, in which unfortunately the first to be harmed are its people, as well as neighboring countries. Today, the Houthis are striking this map by mining the Red Sea and under false claims. Today, the map has become blown away, and in my opinion, this map must also be reconsidered as a personal opinion, although we all seek peace and love to reach it and lift the injustice from our people who are suffering by all standards and all meanings. We must reconsider that this group has no desire for the peace process, and this is clear.”
From Humanitarian Aid to Bolstering the Houthis: How UN Support for Terrorism Seeps Through
The Yemeni government recently criticized the United Nations’ failure to protect its agency staff from Houthi brutality, and called for pressure measures to force the group to release detainees and stop its interference in humanitarian work.
In this regard, Makkawi spoke about the office of the UN Special Envoy, saying: “Unfortunately, it deals with absolute negativity. I am talking here about the humanitarian situation, where more resources have been given to the Houthis to practice the most heinous forms of violations that the citizen is experiencing. Unfortunately, the office of the Special Envoy is the one that cares for the terrorists more than it cares for the society that is living under the catastrophe. I am talking about the billions that are paid under the terms of the humanitarian situation, as they go directly to the Houthis to be transferred to the war effort that they are waging against the local community, that is, against the Yemenis and neighboring countries.”
