Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 15:37:24 +0200
Former regime officials facilitated Houthi takeover of Sana'a: sources
Rebels tighten grip on Yemeni capital
Written by : <http://www.aawsat.net/author/arafat-madabish> Arafat Madabish
on : Tuesday, 23 Sep, 2014
Sana'a, Asharq Al-Awsat-Military and security commanders loyal to Yemen's
former president Ali Abdullah Saleh have "colluded" with Houthi rebels,
facilitating their full takeover of state buildings in the capital Sana'a,
sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Monday.
According to the source, supporters of Saleh's regime, who was removed
following a public uprising in 2012, joined forces with the Shi'ite rebels,
whose swift takeover of Sana'a has stunned Yemen's political elite and left
more than 300 people dead in clashes between the movement and government
forces.
The source, who requested anonymity because he was not permitted to brief
the media, told Asharq Al-Awsat: "Military commanders loyal to former
president Saleh secretly helped the Houthis take control of state
institutions in Sana'a."
Despite signing a deal with the government on Sunday that would bring in a
new technocratic government and end a month-long crisis that has paralyzed
the capital, the Houthis were continuing to take over key military and
security complexes in Sana'a, the source added.
The headquarters of a military force tasked with the protection of state
facilities and officials was among the most recent buildings the group has
captured.
Civil servants in Sana'a arriving at work on Monday were surprised by the
presence of Houthi militants who claimed to have occupied the buildings in
order to protect them against assaults.
Also on Monday, armed rebels were reported to have looted the homes of
several Yemeni officials, including that of presidential defense adviser
Gen. Ali Mohsin Al-Ahmar, and leading Al-Islah Party figure Sheikh Hamid
Al-Ahmar, as well as the minister of education, among others.
Houthis blame Gen. Ahmar for the death of the group's founder Hussein
Al-Houthi, and he has become a hate figure for the group due to his role
leading government forces in a number of recent battles against Houthis in
the province of Saada.
On Sunday, Yemen's central government and the Houthis signed an agreement
that, if implemented successfully, will form a new government which includes
the Houthis and a number of other major political factions within a month.
However, despite being outwardly calm, the atmosphere in the city remains
tense. Hours after the UN-brokered deal was signed, Sana'a witnessed violent
clashes when pro-government militias known as People's Committees attempted
to block rebels from targeting more homes belonging to prominent
politicians.
The Houthis have also reportedly refused to sign an article in the agreement
urging rebels to hand over all the weapons they have captured from military
bases and remove checkpoints across the capital.
Eyewitnesses reported heavy deployment of militants loyal to the Houthis in
the streets of Sana'a amid a complete absence of government forces.
The Houthis have reportedly moved the military vehicles they captured from
Sana'a into Amran, the group's stronghold.
<http://www.aawsat.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Houthis.jpg> Shi'ite
Houthi rebels chant slogans as they ride in a pickup truck at the army's
First Armored Division compund, after taking it over, in Sana'a, Yemen, on
Monday, September 22, 2014. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)
Shi'ite Houthi rebels chant slogans as they ride in a pickup truck at the
army's First Armored Division compund, after taking it over, in Sana'a,
Yemen, on Monday, September 22, 2014. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)
(image/jpeg attachment: image001.jpg)