Yemen in an open battle with US, UK; talks with Riyadh positive

By Al Mayadeen English
27 Feb 2024 17:00
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A member of Ansar Allah's Political Bureau confirms to Al Mayadeen that all Western efforts to deter Sanaa from supporting the Palestinian people will not work.

Member of the political bureau of Ansar Allah, Ali al-Qahoom. (social media)

Yemen is in an open battle with the United States and Britain, as they have violated the country's sovereignty and practiced all forms of aggression against it and its people, member of the political bureau of Ansar Allah, Ali al-Qahoom, told Al Mayadeen on Tuesday.

The aggression against Yemen should not be taken lightly by the aggressors, and therefore "they must observe the retaliation and pay a high price," he said, adding that "our sovereignty and independence are red lines, and we cannot tolerate" anything that crosses these lines.

Regarding Western efforts to prevent Yemen from supporting the Palestinian people through its operations against "Israel" and Israeli interests, al-Qahoum pointed out that all these attempts are in vain, and will not deter Sanaa from supporting Palestine.

Palestine is uniting the Yemeni people, he said, citing the massive protests taking place in support of Gaza.

However, he warned that "there is a great conspiracy against all Arab and Islamic peoples, and Yemen is aware of the scope of this conspiracy," referring to foreign attempts to create strife and division among Arab and Islamic peoples and countries.

Peace talks progressing positively

Asked about progress on negotiations with Saudi Arabia, the senior Ansar Allah official reiterated Sanaa's condition for a lasting peace agreement, noting that talks are moving forward positively.

"[Talks] are ongoing at a fast pace to achieve peace, a ceasefire, the lifting of the blockade on Yemen, resolve humanitarian issues, secure the withdrawal of foreign forces, address economic conditions, and rebuild Yemen."

Reaffirming Sanaa's position, al-Qahoum said that "the door to peace is open, and our hands are extended for peace and ready for it, with the priority being to address the repercussions of the war in full."

Al-Qahoum highlighted some issues currently facing the process, stating that "Saudi Arabia is somewhat procrastinating, because there are clear US pressures on Riyadh, as [the US] does not want peace to be reached," as he advised the Saudis to "seize the opportunity and achieve peace," as Washington wants to drag the kingdom into a prolonged war in Yemen.

National unity is a top priority

Regarding the opening of roads in Yemen, al-Qahoum pointed out to Al Mayadeen that it was Ansar Allah that initiated the opening of the Taiz road, stressing that "we do not object to opening roads, but this must be done according to a clear and guaranteed mechanism for the passage of people, as many of them have been mined."

He explained that the reason these roads were closed was due to the circumstances of war and the battles that occurred around them, urging the "other side to prioritize humanitarian needs when deciding to reopen these roads."

The official also emphasized that any decision to open these roads "should be made internally on a national level, without any influence from Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates."

On the internal divisions that were imposed by the aggressors on the country, al-Qahoum called on all Yemeni parties to dialogue in Sanaa under the auspices of Ansar Allah leader Sayyed Abdul Malik al-Houthi, who has repeatedly stressed that this matter is a national priority.

He underscored that the dialogue should take place to achieve national unity, so the Yemeni people can confront the challenges facing their country, especially colonialist conspiracies.