Yemen's neighbors warn of action if world fails to intervene
Feb. 15, 2015
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Yemen's Gulf Arab neighbors warned on
Sunday that if the world fails to act against the Shiite rebels who have
toppled the Yemeni government, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council
will take whatever actions it deems necessary to maintain regional
security and stability.
The foreign ministers of the GCC did not elaborate on what measures the
group might take, but called specifically on the United Nations Security
Council to intervene. The Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, control the
capital, Sanaa, and recently forced the resignation of the president and
dissolved the parliament.
The Security Council was scheduled to discuss a draft resolution on the
Yemen issue Sunday evening in New York.
The GCC ministers warned that if the Security Council fails to adopt a
resolution that would allow for the use of military force "over the
Houthis' illegitimate' seizure of power," then the GCC states of Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates might
essentially intervene on their own.
"In the case of failure to reach an agreement... the GCC member states
will take measures which enable them to maintain their vital interests
in the security and stability of Yemen," the foreign ministers said in a
joint statement following their emergency meeting late Saturday in Saudi
Arabia.
They also demanded the implementation of a U.N. resolution that imposes
sanctions against anyone "hampering the process of peaceful transition
of power" and called for urgent action to ensure the safety of Yemeni
President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who resigned last month after the
Houthis put him under house arrest.
The GCC ministers met last month in a similar emergency meeting in
Riyadh and condemned the Houthi takeover, calling it a "terrorist act"
and a "coup against legitimacy." The council demanded the rebels
withdraw from the presidential palace, fearing the Houthi offensive
could fracture Yemen, bolster Shiite-led Iran in the region and threaten
the Arabian Peninsula's stability.
Yemeni officials say Saudi Arabia, a staunch U.S. ally, was sending arms
and funds to tribesmen in Yemen's Marib province to bolster them against
the rebels. Saudi Arabia, which shares its southern border with Yemen,
has not commented about the claims it is arming or funding tribesmen
there to fight the Shiite rebels.
Egypt has set up a special rapid deployment force that could intervene
if the Houthis threaten shipping lanes in the strategic Red Sea,
according to Egyptian security officials. The Egyptians and Saudis are
coordinating a joint military response to deal with any eventuality in
Yemen, including the disruption of shipping through the corridor that
runs past Yemen to Egypt's Suez Canal, the officials said. The officials
in both Yemen and Egypt spoke on condition of anonymity because they
were not authorized to talk to the media.
Associated Press
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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