Jane Novak provides an update on the Yemeni jihad against Shi’ites: “As we earlier discussed, the Yemeni regime has distributed a fatwa justifying violence against a band of Zaidi (Shiite) rebels. A variety of established jihadist groups have joined the battle in the Sa’ada region of Yemen: for example, the Aden Abyan Islamic Army and Khalidabdul Nabi, along with thousands of Salafi tribesmen. The regime has ordered Salafi mosque preachers to increase their rhetoric against Zaidis in general. The regime has furthermore entirely blocked off the region where the rebels are located, prohibited shipments of food and medicine for two months, and ordered villagers to leave their homes in advance of military assaults without providing any shelter. The Yemeni military assault is being led by General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, a “former” friend of Osama Bin Laden, and the upper ranks of Yemen’s military, security forces, judiciary and administration are thought to contain numerous individuals of a hard core Salafist orientation.
“Here is a listing from the rebels’ side of the Yemeni government’s actions and their impact on the civilian population. The government is:
1- Prohibiting corn and other beans and foods from coming to the governorate.
2- Prohibiting medical supplies from entering the Saada region, closing pharmacies and clinics. Also only allowing military personnel and others fighting with the government to enter the Republic Hospital and Alsalam Hospital and arresting the injured civilians who come to the hospital for treatment.
3- Prohibiting all kinds of energy supplies from entering the governorate.
4- Cutting the public electricity supply in all parts of the governorate.
5- Cutting all telecommunication supplies, home land phones, cell phones and internet.
6- Banning civilians from selling their agricultural products, although that is their only means of survival, and confiscating their products in checkpoints under the justification that they are supporters of Alhouthi.
7- Providing soldiers with religious books that describe Shi’ites as disbelievers who deserve to be killed (the Shi’ites have samples of these books).
8- Forcing people to quarter military soldiers in their homes, and using those homes to perform military actions — including firing heavy weapons from inside these homes. Also, making schools into military camps.
9- Indiscriminately arresting large numbers of civilians in Saadah and other governorates. Taking these arrested people to unknown places. Those arrested include religious scholars, religious guides, religious teachers and innocent people in general.
10- Continuously attacking indiscriminately, with heavy weapons including missiles, heavy cannons and others. This has destroyed homes while civilians were inside them; this happened to the home of Gar Allah Fardan in Altalh. He was killed inside his home with his two daughters. Also, soldiers have confiscated property.
11- Continuously attacking cities and villages by air, especially in the areas of All Alseefi, Alhamazat, Almahather, Altalh, Bani Mouath, Algomolah and Majz. Also, the government has threatened to attack areas that have not been attacked yet. This has led to hundreds of families being displaced. They have had to go suddenly to deserts, mountain and caves, without tents or supplies.
12- Assassinating a number of key figures in Yemeni society through different means, and then claiming falsely that the followers of Alhouthi were behind these killings — in order to fan the flames of the tribal thirst for revenge. This happened in the cases of Dr. Ahmed Alagam and Taha Alsaddi.
13- Putting pressure on the heads of tribes to send their tribesmen to fight in the army, in order to flame tribal desires for retaliation that will continue even after the war.
14- Establishing units inside the army from Salafi religious groups that believe that Shi’ites are disbelievers and it is (according to their understanding of religion) permissible to kill them, to take their property, to rape their women, and to seize their children as slaves.
15- Forcing religious speakers to invite people to join the army to fight and distributing publications that encourage that.
16- Pressuring the Association of Religious Guidelines to issue a religious ruling (Fatwa) that legitimizes fighting Shi’ites and justifies killing them. This statement was published everywhere, including the official media (radio, TV and newspapers). This statement was published without signatures and without names.
17- There is credible news that confirms that there are ten military units — with full equipment — on their way to the governorate from different parts of the country.
“More on the jihad and all things Yemeni at Armies of Liberation.”