Scott Horton Show - Just the Interviews - 10/7/22 Nasser Arrabyee on the Hopeful Situation in Yemen

Episode Date: October 8, 2022

Journalist Nasser Arrabyee is back to talk about what’s happening on the ground in Yemen. Arrabyee was on the show recently to explain why he was optimistic about negotiations between the numerous factions. Since then, the ceasefire agreement expired without being renewed. However, Arrabyee is still optimistic about the entire situation. In this episode, he explains why.  Discussed on the show: 1833stopwar.com  Nasser Arrabyee is a Yemeni journalist based in Sana’a, Yemen. He is the owner and director of Yemen-Now.com. You can follow him on Twitter @narrabyee. This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State and Why The Vietnam War?, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; and Thc Hemp Spot. Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All right, y'all, welcome to the Scott Horton Show. I'm the director of the Libertarian Institute, editorial director of anti-war.com, author of the book, Fool's Aaron, Time to End the War in Afghanistan, and The Brand New, Enough Already, Time to End the War on Terrorism. And I've recorded more than 5,500 interviews since 2004. almost all on foreign policy and all available for you at scothorton.4 you can sign up the podcast feed there and the full interview archive is also available at youtube.com slash scott horton show all right you guys introducing again nasor araby he is a reporter out of sana yemen he runs yemen alon that's yemen now dot com welcome back to the show nasser how are you doing?

sir. Thank you very much. Thank you for having you. Very happy to have you here. So the big news in the papers here, and I admit that I'm a little bit behind on all the details, but they say that the ceasefire agreement has fallen apart. And so I guess the big question is whether you think that that portends a return to the fighting, or is this maybe just a hiccup? And probably, you know, last time I talked to you, you were pretty optimistic about this thing. winding down. So I wonder what you think of the reality of the current situation. Yes, they have not reached an agreement to extend and expand the truth. But this does not mean that they are now back to fighting for many reasons. First of the first of the first of

all now it's it's now three days then since they I think three or four days since the since the truth expired without being renewed but no big fighting is there and this is the good news so the bad news is no expansion and no extension for the truth but the the good news is there is no fighting. There is no fighting inside Yemen. Of course, there's a little bit skirmishes here or there. This is as Yergal, but I mean there is no all-out or fall-up-loan war already here in Yemen, not in Taiz, not in Marib, not in Shabwa, not in any other province of Yemen. Also, there is no air strikes, there is no Saudi air strikes, also there is no Houthi missiles on Saudi Arabia. So this is good news, still good news, from the ground.

And from a diplomatic level and political level, the talks are still going on. attempts are being made from all sides. I think the UA and Saudi Arabia are still committed to their positions and their willingness to end this war. I'm still optimistic, let me say. I would say I'm still optimistic because Saudis and Emirates are willing to end this war. The only thing that I want to tell you now and your audience is that Houthi knows very well. Houthi knows very well that Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates want to end the war as soon

as possible. And Houthi is exploiting this point. Houthi is exploiting this point to maximize his conditions and his benefits. And this is what he's doing. But I think from the indications I have seen, and from what I'm hearing here and what I'm saying here on the ground, I think it's still very possible and very likely that this truth is going to be extended and expanded, and the war is not going to resume. also because of the Saudi and United Arab Emirates

willingness to end it and there is also one more thing that makes me that makes me say something like this which is the Houthi himself said many times to them that he would, of course, he would attack the interests, the Saudi interest and the Emirati interest, the oil interest in particular, and now they understand

Saudis and Emirates know that Houthi could do what he says. he could attack, he could send his missiles and his drones to Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. They know very well, and they don't want this to happen. They don't want to see this happen at all. So this is one thing. The other thing is that what they have been negotiating over the last, two months is the points, is the following points. What are they?

They are the salaries, number one, the salaries of the public servants, of the government, everyone, not certain places, not Houthi places, not only Houthi places, or the... the government places. Every single public servant should have their own salaries. So salaries is number one, and it is being discussed. The Suna Airport is also number two,

with, of course, with more destinations, not only to Cairo and Jordan, but to many other destinations. And also the boats, the sea boats, opening the sea boats for the aids and also for the commercial ships. Also the roads inside Yemen, opening the roads inside Yemen, opening the roads inside Yemen. Yemen like Teiz and all other provinces. So they want, they discuss these four things, opening the routes, the flights from Sun Ayur boats, resumption of the flights of Sanai Airboats to many places, to many destinations, and also the salaries.

And the number four is the ships. So these four points are being discussed and still being discussed. discussed, and this is what the General, the Secretary General of the UN said, and what also the UN envoy also said that these points are still being discussed, and they are still optimistic. And I think what United States also said in their statements, in their last statements, and what is happening in the Congress now, the movement in the Congress, and urging the Biden administration to end the U.S. involvement in this war, all these things would lead to at least expansion and extension of this truth. The most important thing, why I am

optimistic, why I am saying this is that there is no war until now. So if there was going to be, if there was a war, if there was going to be a war, it would be there already, but there is no war until now. This is why I am optimistic. Yeah. All right. Well, so thank you so much for that. Now, there's so many things to talk about there, but I think the most important point to highlight there, when you go through the things that the Houthis are demanding, now, you know, I guess adding to their demands, the list as as uh i took notes here salaries for the um public workers reopen the airports and the seaports reopen the roads inside the country and allow commercial shipping etc so in other

words there's nothing here about we want a free light water reactor and a hundred billion dollars and you know a bunch of whatever anything right this is all very basic in other words lifting of wartime conditions is all this is asking for. It's not asking for anything extra at all. It's simply saying let us, you know, get to a further state of normalcy before we give you any more guarantee. So not to take the Houthi side and the thing necessarily. It's either a good tactic or a bad one for the time. I'm not certain. But I would just want to emphasize there that even if they're being, you know, difficult in the negotiations at this point by bringing up a few more things, the things on the list are absolutely, you know, reasonable and belong on the table

for discussion sooner than later anyway. So that seems like an important point. And then I wanted to ask you about something that you mentioned right there. Of course, anyway, you got to it, is this debate about the war powers resolutions in Congress in the United States right now, I wonder what effect you think that's having on the negotiations there, even though it's not even scheduled for a vote yet. It has more than 100 co-sponsor, I believe 116, last time I checked, 116 co-sponsors in the House, and the Democrats are getting it going in the Senate anyway. So can you elaborate a little bit more about that?

Is there much discussion about, you know, on, on, either or both sides about how, yeah, this matters. And if Congress is fed up, we're going to have to figure out a way to wrap this thing up. I think it's very important. What's happening in the United States for ending the war in Yemen is very important. First of all, this is because the United States is still having the influence and the livery to end it as soon as, possible because we know what it means to say to Saudi Arabia that I'm not going to give you this, I'm not going to sell you to sell any more weapons, I'm not going to support

this war, it's not good. But let me tell you why it's okay for the Congress and for anyone there in the United States to help because Houthi, as you said Houthi is not now demanding more things that are, that can't be met. The Houthi conditions and the Houthi demands

are some, are things that can be met, that can be, that can be met because it's some things that are that are very essential for the people.

Like the roads, the flights, the sea boats and also the salaries. But the reason why Houthi is still hesitating or not sure and

not happy with them with the Saudis and Emirates because they want Saudis and Emirates want kind of Not war, not peace. The status of not war, not peace.

This Floyd status is in the favor of Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. In other words, Saudi Arabia, what Saudi Arabia wants is, okay, Houthi, I want Houthi not to attack me with the missiles, with the drones. But if the war continues in Yemen, it's okay, no problem to me. This is what Saudi Arabia could say and would say, and also United Arab Emirates. So this is the thing that Houthi also knows, and he knows about them, that they want this kind of Floyd state, not war, not peace in Yemen. So this is why he's still threatening. He's threatening the oil companies entering Yemen. He's still threatening, Houthis, still threatening Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Not because he doesn't want to end the war, to end the war, but because he wants a real peace. And this is very clear, a real peace, a real government, a real coalition, and a real battle. This is, if this happens or if there is, if there is, um, uh, efforts being exerted to make this happen, I think, uh, that truth would be, uh, would be also extended and expanded. Hey, you guys, I quit Twitter again, had to to get the new book written, but I'm still lurking around a bit at my Reddit group page, R slash Scott Horton's show. So you can still find me there. But there's a catch. The Reddit group is members only. Just donate $5 per month with PayPal, Patreon, or Subscribe Star, and we'll see you there. Hey, y'all, Scott Horton here for Tennessee Hot Sauce Company. Man, this stuff is so good. They get all different flavors.

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Maybe America will start back in the Houthis against Al-Qaeda again. Who knows what, right? Exactly. Let me tell you about this point, it's a reality. I mean, the factions are there, and they are very, you know, divided. They are not united at all, no good leadership. And also, even Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates themselves, have their own proxies. They have their own proxies.

They have their own interests in Yemen. They have their own, you know, they are different. as I've been always telling you in this show all along, the interests of Saudi Arabia are different from the interest of United Arab Emirates, and they are the big allies. They are the big, they are the only ones in Yemen, let me say. They are the only ones who are, who want to divide the sphere of influence among them. the unity, the unity government and unity coalition would be there only if there is a recognition of Houthi, let me say. Because now they are talking as if they don't want to give Houthi

what he deserves, regardless of his right or wrong. I'm not saying this. I'm not talking about whether he deserves or not. But I'm saying now, Houthi is a big power on the ground. He's a big force in the ground, in the north, and also in some of the south. So there should be a real effort to recognize Houthi and to recognize all other factions, except, of course, al-Qaeda because it's a terrorist, but if they unite, if they focus on a unity government, I think they would reserve the unity of Yemen, and also there would be a coalition and there would be a temporary government, and then there will be parliamentary elections and presidential elections, and then everyone would take what he, this is. deserves or what they deserve, but now to say this is good and this is bad, just according to the regional interests, whether Iran or Saudi Arabia or United Arab Emirates or

United States or whatever, no, the Yemen should come first, the Yemenis should come first, the interests of Yemen should be first, and then if this is there, if this will is there, I think will come to a solution. And I think also this is what is going to happen because they don't want any war. They don't want the war anymore. This is the big thing that would make us optimistic. Also the Houthi and Saudis are still making their bilateral negotiations outside all these things. And everybody knows this. They are still talking in Muscat, in Oman, and also they are

talking with Iran. So I think the war is going to end because of all these developments and because of the oil and the company and because of the oil companies. And because of the ambition of Muhammad bin Salman. Hamad bin Salman has his huge. huge projects and he would not be happy if the war continues. He would not be able to continue his 2030, his 2030 projects or 2030 vision. So I think Mohammed bin Salman and Muhammad bin Zaid would come to a solution with the Houthis and in this war, in a way or another? Yeah.

Well, you know, I think it's really important, as you emphasize there, just even really the language that they use, the way that they construct the argument. I mean, here we're talking about the group that has seized the capital city at the end of 2014, now eight years ago, almost. And the war that we're talking about here has completely failed in eight years to dislodge them from power. They have a monopoly on force. As you say, in the north, the capital city and other parts of the south, they call themselves the government.

They are the government. Doesn't mean they're elected. Doesn't mean they're wonderful. Just means they are the government. And yet here we are eight years into the war. And the western side certainly still calls Hottie's old regime in exile the government. And the Houthis are still the And as you're telling me now, the major sticking point is whether they will even recognize the fact that the Houthis won the war, damn it. They are the government of the country. Let's at least agree that today is Friday as we move forward, right? This is the point. This is the point.

Whether we like it or not, this is the point. This is the point. Houthi is now 10 times bigger, 10 times more powerful than he was. And everybody knows, not only with weapons, but with everything. You can see that tomorrow they have a huge, for example, a huge celebration of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. It's kind of showing how big I am and what can I do. And, you know, so what they say is not. logic. They should

look to the facts on the ground and see what Houthi is doing and what they are doing. They are doing nothing at all. All right. Now, let me ask you about the

power of Al-Qaeda now, too. You've talked about how much the Houthis have grown during this war against them. Well, Al-Qaeda, as you covered for the New York Times, back before they didn't want to hear from you anymore in the earlier stage of the war when America was teamed up with the old dictator, Sala, in order to attack al-Qaeda, that only grew them more and more

powerful too at the time. And yet, then we switched sides seven and a half years ago or so, eight years ago, and now we've been fighting on the same side as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula there. And I know that the UAE has essentially integrated them into what they call their giants brigade, their mercenary force on the ground there. But I wonder, how do you parse that in terms of, I mean, I think I even read one time Nasser where there was, I wish I remember where I read this, where they were sort of arguing that like, in a way, this is how to pacify Al Qaeda. Before they were a bunch of suicide bomber cooks, now we're sort of normalizing them into a less ideological militia and more just a mercenary force, something like that. Like,

somehow taming them in a way, but it seems like it must just be building up their power and setting the stage for a horrible war to come still. I think they are not taming them. They are not controlling them, I mean, Emirates or Saudis. Let me say Emirates now. They are in camps now. They are getting salaries, monthly salaries. dollars every month now not because they are they are becoming or they are now

moderate or they are less extreme or they are less fantasy fanatic no but because they they they they are against Houthi only but they are still they are still Kida and they are against you a you a and Saudi Arabia and the U.N.S. USA and U.S. United States. But they, of course, they want the weapons, they want money, they get all these things, and they grow more and more. So Kaita now is also rebranding itself, unfortunately. Very few people, very few people who are now who refuse UAE and Saudi Arabia, I mean from Kaida people, very few, but the majority of Kaida people, whether the sympathizers or the

real recruits or the real operatives, they are now taking the money and the weapons of UAE and they call themselves giants, brigades, or whatever they call, but they are They can't be, they can't be, you know, they can't be civil people easily, or they can't be normal people easily. So except, I'm saying, except if there is a strong government that can integrate the normal people or the reasonable people into the government or into the military, or into whatever. Okay, but now we don't have government at all. So they are the government. The people who are ruling in the South are those people who were Qaeda.

And now they call themselves whatever names, different names. So again, we come back to the strong government, and the strong government would only come if there is, international and regional well to help Yemenis to form this government and to and to make to prioritize the Yemeni interest to make the Yemeni interests first not to to to focus on Saudi and United Arab Emirates and United States first and then Yemen second no right this is this is not right and by the way I'm sorry we don't have time to discuss this now, but it's in the book, everybody, about how they were working on a deal to build

a coalition government at the time that America and Saudi started bombing him in 2015. The whole thing is just such an outrage. But I'm sorry, in the last two minutes here, I'm sorry, we're so short on time. But can you please talk about the humanitarian situation there and whether the ceasefire and the increase of trade and all that has done anything or how much it may have done to alleviate the starvation and suffering of the Yemeni people here, the civilian population of the country? The humanitarian situation is much, much better than it was.

Then it was six months ago. Then it was before the truth. This is a reality. This is a truth. And we can't deny it at all. Nobody can deny it. But it's a relative thing. When I am saying it's better,

I'm not saying it's okay. But let me tell you what's happening in the... For example, now the fuel, you can go in any gas station and you can fill your car in any place. This is a good thing. You can take whatever commercial things from wherever. It's coming always. Sometimes they delay, sometimes.

But it's okay. It's much better. It's, I think, 10 times better. This is according to the assistant. of UN. So it's okay. But the wars of the war are still there. The wounds of the war are still there and they are very deep. And we need a lot of time to convince and to rebuild and to help people to recover. So we need a lot of things, a lot of things. It's not enough to say, okay, now it's the commercial and the air thing, the commercial ships and the eight

ships are coming in. It's okay. The flights, very few flights from Sunai Airboats are operating and it's okay. No, we, Yemen needs to come to normal to recover, to rebuild itself. But now we are not at least, we are not back to normal. We are not, we are not, we are not normal yet because there are a lot, a lot of, a lot of problems there, because Saudis are still Saudis and Emirates unfortunately, are still urbanizing the humanitarian situation, the humanitarian aid, the humanitarian and the commercial chefs and all these things. So this is, this should, this needs to stop. This needs to, to stop right now.

All right. Listen, thank you so much for coming back on the show and everyone you already know, but I'll remind you, and you can do this over and over again. Get your family and friends. Go to 833 Stopwar.com. points and talking points for you there and just call 833 stop war it'll connect you directly to your senators and then to your congressman to let them know and go to your congressman's website your senator's websites they have offices all over your state and in dc brief all of their staff as much

as you can write letters send emails we have active war powers resolutions in both house of congress right now in 20 years of war when have we had this opportunity the we the people to force the Congress to force the president to force the Saudis to end this war. We can do it, but we need everybody's help. And that's it. We're all out of time. But thank you so much, Nasser, again, for coming on the show. I really appreciate you. Thank you very, very much. Thank you very much for having me. And thank you very much for helping and thank you very much. Goodbye. The Scott Horton Show, anti-war radio, can be heard on KPFK, 90.7 FM in L.A.

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