US, UN remarks confirm spy ring used relief work as cover: Al-Houthi

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
17 Jun 2024 23:55
1 Shares

Mohammad Ali al-Houthi says the training the members of the spy network dismantled in Yemen underwent at the CIA and other agencies confirms their involvement in espionage work.

Listen

Mohammad Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen, speaks to a reporter during an interview for the Associated Press in Sanaa, Yemen, Tuesday, Mar. 19, 2019 (AP)

The United States' inclusion of names of several countries in its statement about the dismantling of an American-Israeli spy network is "a clear proof of weakness and bankruptcy," Mohammad Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen, said on Monday.

On June 10, the Yemeni Security Forces uncovered a large espionage network operated by American and Israeli intelligence agencies. Officials revealed that the network had been active within various institutions in Yemen since 2015.

In a statement to the Yemeni news agency SABA, al-Houthi indicated that the US is attempting to whitewash its crimes and aggression against Yemen after failing to convince the world of the "legitimacy of its actions."

The Yemeni Security Forces uncovered a large espionage network operated by #American and Israeli intelligence agencies.

Officials revealed that the network had been active within various institutions in #Yemen since 2015.#UnitedStates pic.twitter.com/WX6lrrggRa
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) June 11, 2024

He pointed out that if things were the other way around, the US and the countries participating in the statement would not allow any side to carry out the same activities the spy network uncovered in Yemen carried out.

The official mentioned that the US and United Nations' remarks regarding the matter confirm the information revealed by the Yemeni security services about the spies working under the guise of humanitarian aid and relief for carrying out espionage activities.

Al-Houthi noted that the training that the spies underwent at the CIA and other agencies confirms their involvement in espionage work.

"Otherwise, what do security and intelligence courses have to do with the regular work of local employees of embassies?" he said.

The Yemeni official added that encrypted and secret communication between the spies and the American intelligence officers is further proof of their transgression of diplomatic norms.

He also pointed out that the certificates of appreciation issued by the CIA to the spies confirm the seriousness of the role these spies played and its impact on Yemen's national security.

Al-Houthi highlighted that the spies confessed to crimes and incidents supported by evidence known to the Yemeni people, adding that the reports that they had submitted to US intelligence officers are in the possession of Yemeni state agencies.

He pointed out that what is new here is that the Yemeni security services have revealed the reasons behind these crimes and exposed those behind them.

The official indicated that the information disclosed by security agencies about the American-Israeli spy network in Yemen confirms systematic destruction and deliberate efforts to destroy livelihoods and populations.

Al-Houthi called on Washington to "stop the policy of blackmailing employees by recruiting them under the guise of humanitarian and diplomatic work."

He also urged the United Nations and its organizations to "provide an explanation for these actions that have been repeatedly warned against with evidence," because they "reflect a failure to adhere to their declared charters and operational regulations, constituting yet another unjustifiable crime."

Al-Houthi concluded by saying, "This is the reality of America and Israel today, as evidenced by the disclosures made by these agencies," affirming that "all countries reject such actions and condemn these behaviors, which have nothing to do with humanitarian work."

Yemen uncovers large Israeli-US spy network

In early June, the Yemeni Security and Intelligence Service reported that the network gathered critical information across multiple sectors and relayed it to hostile intelligence services.

The agency said the data collection influenced decision-makers, infiltrated state agencies, and recruited officials within the Yemeni government.

The spy network was said to have aimed to destabilize Yemen's economy through information gathering and sabotage. The network is also blamed for damaging the agricultural sector by increasing pest infestations to boost agricultural imports, thus increasing Yemen's dependence on foreign parties

The network reportedly targeted Yemen's public health by spreading diseases and "undermined the education system by promoting moral corruption."

Additionally, the espionage network provided military intelligence to American and Israeli agencies to weaken the Yemeni army and diminish its capabilities, the agency added.

The Yemeni security forces underlined that the network supported the aggression against Yemen by supplying adversaries with military information, thereby hampering Yemen's military development over the past years.

Sanaa said more details about the network and its operations would be disclosed in the coming days.