The Goal is Contollin Yemen, Making Yemen Succumb, and Returning Yemen to the U.S.-Saudi Hegemony
A Speech by Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah,
Leader of the Resistance Movement in Lebanon
Since March 26, 2015, a Saudi-led coalition of Arab gulf states, backed by the U.S. has carried a brutal and inhuman bombing campaign against the people of Yemen. Under the phony pretext of restoring to power Yemen’s fugitive former president, Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi., the Saudi Arabian bombing campaign has created a humanitarian crisis with severe shortages in basic necessities. According to the UN, about 2,000 people have been killed and more than 7,000 others wounded and over half a million displaced as well as basic infrastructure such as thousands of hospitals, schools, bridges, power plants, mosques and homes have been destroyed in the conflict in the past two months.
Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, is the secretary general of Hezbollah, Lebanon, and the leader of the Lebanese resistance movement against Israel and ISIS/ISIL. He has been a vocal voice against the Saudi led bombing campaign on the people of Yemen. The following excerpt is from a televised speech delivered by Sayyed Nasrallah on May 5, 2015.
By Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah
Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.
First, I will start with Yemen. Forty days ago, the Saudi regime declared its war against Yemen under the name of "Firmness Storm" after officially specifying several goals for it. These goals were mouthed by the official spokesman, by a statement issued by the coalition, and by the Saudi media - the satellites of "Firmness Storm", as I dubbed it. Saudi officials tackled these objectives on various occasions. After twenty-six days of the aggression and on April 21, 2015, the aggressive coalition announced the termination of "Firmness Storm" claiming that it had achieved all its goals, and consequently, it announced the launch of another oppression called "Renewal of Hope for the Yemeni People", and it stated for it definite targets which I will mention later on.
Since then, the so called "Renewal of Hope" is still ongoing - meaning the aggression is still ongoing. Again we are before a very big deception and misinformation practiced since days - since they announced the termination of "Firmness Storm" to our very day. Indeed this is a major and very dangerous deception which we must tackle for a while before giving an evaluation and wrapping the Yemeni topic with a stance I will call for.
Starting with the first topic - the Saudi claim of achieving all the targets - we find that this is the biggest attempt of deception practiced since "Firmness Storm" was terminated theoretically. The official spokesman, the Saudi media, Saudi officials, the Arab media, political forces, and hypocrite writers and journalists talked, blessed, and felicitated the great victory made by the Saudi Kingdom in 26 days over Yemen under the name of "Firmness Storm" which had achieved all its objectives. This was also mentioned again today in the Gulf Cooperation Council. So there was an assertion on the idea that "Firmness Storm" achieved all of its objectives.
Unfortunately, this spread over the Arab world, the Islamic world, and the entire world because the media of the other camp is stronger, and we acknowledge that. We acknowledge that our camp's media - the bloc which is aggressed against in this war in general - does not have the strength, the capabilities, and the coverage of the media of "Firmness Storm". Does any person accept this deception and this misinformation?
As an Arab citizen - as the war is in the name of Arabs and Arabism - I have the right to ask: Which aims were achieved? How it is that all the targets were achieved not only after 26 days from the day the aggression started but to our day - the fortieth day? Well, I won't ask for all the targets; I will ask for showing me only one target which was achieved since the beginning of "Firmness Storm" to our day - i.e. after forty days from the commence of the aggression. Had Saudi Arabia or the Saudi Regime restored its allies to their alleged legitimacy in Yemen? Did it return Abed Rabbu Mansour to Yemen or Aden, or Sanaea? Was it able to prevent the spread of the Yemeni Army and the popular committees to where they want to expand? Has it confiscated the arms of Ansarullah as was mentioned among the goals of "Firmness Storm"?
Was it able to achieve any of the goals it mentioned? On Friday, we talked; others did talk too; and we mentioned and listed the targets they set. None of them was achieved! Were they able to achieve the true goal - spreading their hegemony over Yemen? They weren't. Did they expel or end the supposed, claimed, and alleged Iranian hegemony? Simply, let's put an end to the first deception and say: Show me one target which was achieved so far and not only before the so called "Renewal of Hope" and not all the targets of "Firmness Storm"? As far as this point is concerned, we are before a clear Saudi defeat and a clear Yemeni victory also. The first reason behind this Saudi failure is - Praise be to Allah Al Mighty - the steadfastness, firmness, determination, courage, and coherence of the Yemenis and their incubating of the Yemeni Army and the popular committees. This is the reason which prevented the achievement of any of the goals of "Firmness Storm". There might be other reasons, but they are helping and auxiliary. So even in this point, we are before a clear defeat and a clear Yemeni victory. Here we are talking about a round and not about the entire war.
The second point is the second round under the name of Hope Storm. This is also another deception attempt to cover the failure that took place in the first round and to cover the deficiency manifested in the first round. So this regime and their allies knew very well that they are completely unable to achieve these goals. Well, they put big goals... goals that need a long war and also a broad land operation. They do not dare to embark in a broad land operation, and they are still searching for armies for rent, and we heard yesterday and today that some soldiers will come from Senegal to fight in Saudi Arabia.
Anyway, for the new operation "Renewal of Hope", they set new goals which seem modest and achievable. So the deception here is in changing the name of the operation or the war from "Firmness Storm" to "Renewal of Hope". They considered that all the goals of "Firmness Storm" were achieved, and they put humble targets for "Renewal of Hope" so that they won't be asked for their failure later on as these goals are modest, and they may claim that they achieved them.
Let's look at the goals they announced when declaring the commence of "Renewal of Hope" through which they will achieve them and the termination of "Firmness Storm":
1 - A swift continuation of the political operation according to UN Resolution so and so and the Gulf Initiative and the recommendations of the National Dialogue.
2- Getting along in protecting civilians.
3 - Getting along in fighting terrorism.
4- Getting along in evacuating foreign subjects, intensifying medical and relief aids for the Yemeni people in the afflicted areas, and facilitating international efforts in this perspective.
5- Confronting the military movements and operations of the Houthi Militia and their alliances - according to the original text - and preventing them from using arms looted from camps or smuggled from abroad.
6 - Finding an international coalition to prevent aerial and maritime arms delivery to so and so militias.
These are the goals of "Renewal of Hope".
Indeed, they are not faithful in their announcement of these goals, and I will go back to them later on.
In fact, the true goal is the first goal: controlling Yemen, making Yemen succumb, and returning Yemen to the US-Saudi hegemony. Now it is made clear that if they failed to achieve hegemony and to make Yemen succumb, they will destroy Yemen on its people. This is what is taking place.
Anyway, looking on these announced targets for "Renewal of Hope", they can claim that they are achievable. Well, let's carry a political dialogue. They claim that they are protecting civilians. They are shelling and bombarding. What is the aim of shelling? They say that they want to protect the civilians and fight terrorism and that the sea and aerial siege is to prevent arms delivery and to confront the movements and the like.
Practically, they descended from top of the tree or its middle to its bark claiming that these targets have been achieved at a time none of them was achieved. They set targets which they can say may be achieved or realized. This expression is also a deception attempt but it is also an expression of deficiency.
The third deception: As far as the practical track of the practical goals of "Renewal of Hope", they claim that this operation serves these goals. Let's see if they are serving these goals.
Protecting civilians: Since the beginning of "Renewal of Hope" to our day, the raids and shelling in all its forms are targeting houses, residential areas, and civil targets as was the case since the beginning of the war.
Is defending civilians achieved through the killing of more civilians?
Even more, they are using internationally prohibited weapons as was revealed by some international organizations to the effect of using cluster bombs which are the most dangerous weapons against civilians. In Lebanon, we have lived this experience, and we are still suffering from them following July 2006 Aggression.
Fighting Terrorism: This is one of the goals of "Renewal of Hope". What is the outcome? They are offering arms and artillery to al-Qaeda, making coalitions with al-Qaeda and Hadi Militia, broadening the range of al-Qaeda hegemony, controlling areas in which they did not exist before, and bombing the Yemeni Army and the popular committees to prevent them from reaching the regions where al-Qaeda is operating. So in the contrary, they are acting opposite to the claimed topics.
Let's see now their claim of intensifying humanitarian aids for example. What took place so far? They have prevented any humanitarian aid from any place in the world? Even worse, they are resorting to hitting the airports and especially Sanaea Airport and destroyed plane routes. The event is well known. An Iranian civil airport violated the Yemeni skies in an attempt to land in Sanaa and deliver humanitarian aids. They hit the airport to prevent this plane from landing. Is this called facilitating and intensifying humanitarian aids?
The political operation: What they had made so far is complicating the political operation and making political dialogue seem remote because instead of waiting for the UN envoy to come and call all the sides for dialogue on a neutral land or a country which is not participating in the aggression on Yemen - this condition was announced and observed by the Yemeni Islamic and national forces which are against the aggression - Saudi Arabia ordered Abed Rabbu to call for a dialogue conference perhaps on May 17 in Riyadh! What does this mean? They don't want this dialogue to take place and this table to be formed and this political operation to be launched. This is called complicating and crippling dialogue and not pushing it forward.
The fourth deception is deluding the entire world and the international community that Saudi Arabia terminated the war on Yemen. It announced that it terminated "Firmness Storm" and that it is staging an operation that has limited goals and the like.
This is not only deception; it is also falsification and lying. The war is still the same after "Renewal of Hope".
For 40 days nothing changed; the war is even fiercer and more violent, brutal, and criminal. Nothing changed except the name and the alleged announced goals.
More than any time in the past, today the goal of this aggression is made clear. It is also clear that the Yemeni people, the Yemeni Army, and the national forces in Yemen refuse to succumb and yield and go back to the time of hegemony, and they insist on their sovereignty, freedom, and the independence of their country and on confronting the aggression.
This is clear after 40 days. As we said a couple of weeks ago, there is no sign of defeat. This is still valid today.
Rather these Yemeni forces, the Yemeni Army, the popular committees, and the tribes have started regaining the initiative in the border regions,
and in the battle field they are advancing as acknowledged by "Firmness Storm" satellites and media or else what is the reason for the Saudi air force to stage 120 or 150 raids on a definite area in Aden? All those who know in military know what that means.
Well, there is a decisive and firm Yemeni will not to yield, succumb, or retreat. This is the will and the decision of the Yemenis, but there remains another thing which is the responsibility of the world, the states, and the peoples including the peoples of our region in face of this aggression on the humanitarian level, in face of this sea, land, and air siege, and in face of preventing the delivery of food stuff, medicine, and fuel. In fact, it is not only preventing the delivery but also preventing the transportation of food, medical stuff, and fuel from one place to another inside Yemen and shelling all the places where there might be or they suppose there are medicine, wheat, food stuff, or fuel.
This is what is taking place now. International organizations are talking about a serious and catastrophic humanitarian situation.
Indeed, that will not shake the will of the Yemenis. I am saying so to say that the entire world must assume responsibility or else I tell all these aggressors that this policy or strategy - call it whatever you want - and practicing pressure on the fighters, the resistance men, or the owners of a free will by killing their families, women, and children and demolishing their house is a futile policy that did not lead anywhere in the past.
The evidence is what happened in Vietnam, Gaza and Lebanon. In all its war, "Israel" targeted civilians. Gaza was besieged, and it is still besieged. During the 33-day-war, Lebanon was besieged and everything was bombarded. Yet, was the will of the resistance shaken? Was the resistance weakened? Was it undermined? Did that make it retreat? No! Never! Rather that made it more steadfast, resilient, and determined to make victories.
I tell these aggressors: All what you are perpetrating on the humanitarian level will not change the struggle equation. It will only make your faces uglier and more dreadful, and it will make the Yemenis more convinced of your aggressiveness, oppression, and tyranny. It will make the Yemeni people unite behind these who are fighting to defend the sovereignty, independence, unity, and dignity of Yemen.
I do not want to view the issue from this perspective but rather from the point that the world must assume its responsibility on this level. World states - especially the Arab and Islamic states - must seek to lift the siege to facilitate the delivery of medical aids and food stuff to the Yemeni people through the Security Council and international institutions and through violating the siege for whatever price and in any form. This is also the responsibility of the peoples. I call on everyone to shoulder his responsibility on this perspective, and I will not reiterate. Despite this catastrophic humanitarian side, we are witnessing inside Yemen more and more heroism, zeal, and steadfastness even on the popular and civil level. This policy and strategy did not lead to the defeat of any people as long as they own the will, determination, leadership, resolution, and martyrs.
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